Skinny • Book 1 In The Reality Series

Katy

Waking up the next morning, puffy cheeked and painfully dry eyed I was surprised to find my Mom glued to the couch.

Her grandson was gone, taken from us because of her hoarding, yet here she was, watching the Today show as if nothing was amiss.

"Good morning." She greeted.

Eyeing her wearily I pushed several eerily lifelike dolls off of the only other chair in the room and sat down.

"Nice to be back home?" she questioned.

I didn't answer.

"You were all over the news." She continued, "The parents of the other two were freaking out."

"You weren't?" I asked.

"No." she replied, "I can't count on both hands the amount of times, Dorothy 'ran away' when she was your age."

"I'm not Dorothy." I spat venomously.

Glancing over at me and cocking an overgrown eyebrow, Mom shook her head before turning back to the television where beautiful people were cooking the kind of thing, people used to eating on tablecloths with multiple forks, would eat.

"That looks good." Mom noted, "I'm getting hungry now, why don't you fix us something for breakfast?"

Trying hard to hide my disgust I let my eyes wander from Mom to the dirty plate infront of me.

"Didn't you already eat?"

"I just had some eggs and a couple pieces of toast." She said defensively, "My sweet tooth is kicking in."

"Is that all you think about?" I asked, turning to glower at the sautéed pea pods on the television screen, "Yourself?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like." I spat, "Sam is gone! And you're not doing a damn thing to get him back!"

"I can't get him back they took him away!" she shouted.

"Because we live in a rat infested pit!" I yelled, rising to my feet, "I get that Dad leaving was hard on you! It was hard on me too! But you can't spend the rest of your life watching eighties movies on repeat and eating until your skin splits!"

Taken aback, she stared up at me with an unreadable expression.

"I've practically raised Sam." I continued, "I'm sixteen! I shouldn't have to be someone's mother! But no one else in this family can step up to the plate unless it's piled high with onion rings! I know in your mind he's gone! But according to you when Dad left the world ended! Your view of reality is skewed! And I'm not putting up with it anymore! You need to pull yourself together!"

Reaching down and picking up a porcelain doll, I raised it above my head before spiking it on the ground. My heartbeat accelerating rapidly as it fell to the floor with a piercing crash.

"Stop it!" Mom cried, "That was one of a kind!"

"So is Sam!" I snapped, picking up another and chucking it on the wall, watching as it's face cracked in to.

"Stop it!" Mom yelled, struggling to her feet.

Ignoring her I crossed over to a vase in the corner and kicked it over.

"Katelyn!" Mom shouted, "Stop! What is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" I demanded, "Look in the mirror!"