I Care 4 U

Emotions

003
January 12, 1995
Manhattan, New York.
_______________________________

Brandy's P.O.V

As I woke up, I realized that the house was uncomfortably silent. Usually I would hear Kelly and Momma in the kitchen singing and laughing together like they did every morning.

I didn't care to look for them, though; I decided to take a refreshing, warm shower before getting ready for school.

Before getting into the shower, I grabbed my clothes and all the items I needed to bathe.

I set the water to a warm temperature and proceeded to undress myself. This was the part I hated the most about cleaning myself. I had to look at all the scars and bruises that lay on my skin. And I also had to look at my entire body in general. I can't remember the last time I felt confident in my body.

Stepping into the shower, I let the warm water run on my skin for a few minutes. I flinched at the burning sensation I felt when the water hit a specific bruise on my stomach.

As I began to wash my body, I heard the doorknob jiggle. I assumed it was Kelly, so I ignored it.

It wasn't until I began rinsing off that the door opened to reveal a tall fixture standing in the doorway. I wasn't able to see completely due to the shower curtain being in the way.

Before I could speak, the shower curtain was pulled, revealing the mysterious person. It was Robert, my mother's new boyfriend.

"Why are you in here?" I furrowed my eyebrows, covering myself with my arms. A smirk grew on his face. "I didn't know this bathroom was occupied." He eyed me up and down, sending chills down my spine. "Can you leave now, please?" I asked politely.

"Alright, alright," he replied, taking one last look at me and licking his lips. "Good morning, by the way," he said before closing the door. I rolled my eyes and continued my shower until I finished.

After I dried off and went back into my room, I immediately noticed a plate of food on my dresser. It had all my favorites: bacon, French toast, waffles, and eggs.

I can't remember the last time I ate breakfast. Eating was never a necessity for me after my mom called me overweight once. Keep in mind that I was 13 and only 120 pounds. Her words always had such a huge impact on me.

Before getting dressed, I made sure to moisturize my skin and do my morning hygiene. For makeup, I just put on mascara and lipgloss. Today I decided to try something new and actually try to look cute. Plus, it was a Friday, so why not?

For my outfit, I put on a light blue short-sleeve turtleneck with a red vest and a blue jean skirt to match the top. I wore my favorite red Converse and added a belt to my skirt for extra decoration.

I then packed my lipgloss and my anxiety pills into my black purse before heading downstairs. Then I remembered the food on my dresser. I quickly ran back upstairs and dumped the food into the bathroom trashcan.

As soon as I stepped into the kitchen, looks of disgust, envy, lust, and excitement grew upon their faces.

"You look so cute!" Kelly exclaimed, walking towards me. "You need to dress up more often; you're gorgeous." She smiled, adjusting my outfit. She was the one who was excited for me.

I looked at my mom, hoping for a compliment, as she stared at me. "That skirt is too short. And I don't know why you're trying to show people your body anyway; you're so fat." She chuckled, shaking her head. She was envious and disgusted with me.

I don't know what I was expecting from her, but I wasn't expecting that. The one time I actually felt pretty, she just had to ruin it. She always found a way to dim my light.

Robert shrugged as he ate his food. I could tell he was lusting over me. He always looked at me with that specific look.

"Don't listen to her, Brandy; you look beautiful," Kelly said, hugging me gently.

"Whatever," I sighed before grabbing my bag and leaving. I hated being at home so much, but school wasn't any better.

•

The moment I entered the school, I got a bunch of looks. The guys all stared at me lustfully, and the girls all looked at me with jealousy.

I didn't like all of the unnecessary attention. People act like they've never seen a girl in a skirt before.

I noticed Jennifer and her friends looking at me and whispering. But on the other hand, there was someone smiling. It was Aliyah.

She was so annoying, but she was the only person who has been nice to me these past few days. And I hate how rude I am towards her, but I refuse to let my guard down. I've been through too much to trust someone that easily.

I made an attempt to walk past her, but I failed.

"Hey, Brandy, over here!" She called out while waving at me. I let out a deep sigh before walking over to her. I would've felt bad if I had ignored her.

"I love your outfit; you have such a cute style." She smiled, eying my outfit. "Thanks," I replied with a half-smile.

"Sooo, what are you doing this weekend?" Aaliyah asked as we walked to the first period. "Nothing, why?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Well, I wanted to know if you wanted to go out to the mall or something; I want to get to know you better." She replied with the kindest smile. No one has ever tried to make plans with me, so I didn't know how to respond. "I completely understand if you don't."

"No, no, I'll hang out with you," I responded, cutting her off. The brightest smile appeared on her face as she began jumping up and down. She was so excited. "Ok, I was thinking we could go to the mall and..." she began saying as she made plans.

As she kept talking, I started to get this weird feeling in my stomach. Was I really getting butterflies right now?

_______________________________

A/N
-
Sorry im so
inconsistent with updates.
School just ended
so i'll try to update
more 🤍