Perfectly, Imperfect // JJ MAYBANK

chapter nine

Unedited

Warning: Mention of Addiction

Arizella Carter

My eyes move in and out of focus. The bags under my eyes are more pronounced than usual, and I could tell by the way my mother stares at me that she notices too.

"Did you not sleep last night or something?" She snaps, breaking me out of my dazed state.

"Huh?"

I can picture the steam coming out of her ears by how red her face turns. "What is wrong with you, Arizella? You do not answer me by saying huh, that's disrespectful. And I have told you countless times that sleep is important for your health. You should not be this exhausted."

Maybe it was my irritation from my lack of sleep last night, maybe it was just my irritation with Paris herself, but what comes out of my mouth next shocks even me.

"Excuse me for having a hard time sleeping after a bad dream." Sarcasm and attitude roll off my tongue with way more ease than I'm comfortable with, eyes widening at myself.

If her ears were steaming before, her head is on the brink of exploding.

I'm ready for her to grab me by my ear before dragging me to the bathroom to make me stare at myself in the mirror. Like she's done countless times before. "Tell me what your flaws are, Arizella!" She'll demand.

A secret between us that we share. Not even my father knows of the punishment she deems reasonable. And it is, reasonable that is. It helps me work on the parts of myself that need fixing and helps me become more aware.

My heart plummets when she stands from her seat at the table, Alexandra's eyes flicker between us with a pale face— But just as Paris moves toward me, the doorbell sets off and she halts.

She looks towards the entrance hall, and then back at me. Her eyes narrowed before straightening her back and running a hand through her hair.

My shoulders drop once she steps foot out of the kitchen.

Alexandra whispers, "Where did that come from?"

I pinch the bridge of my nose, sighing. "I had a rough night, I don't know."

The sound of a shriek from my mother causes both Alexandra and I to face one another. "What the–"

"Arizella! Arizella! Why have you not mentioned that Zander was back in town for the summer?" My heart plummets for a second time and decides to stay there as my mother walks into the kitchen with an extra person.

Hands on his shoulders as she leads him in, a toothy grin plastered on her face. Zander stands tall, looking as smug as usual because once again he got his way. Alexandra stiffens beside me, a barely audible gasp falling from her lips.

"Because I didn't know," I state, gulping the lump that has formed in my throat. "Babe, that's not true and you know it."

I hate him.

I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.

Paris masks her irritation with a squint of her eyes in my direction and a fake smile.

"Right, of course," I sneer at him. "I just found out last night, I was going to tell you after breakfast, Mom."

There's a silent stare exchanged between us, a tension that both Zander and Alexandra could feel based on the way they look between us.