We're In This Together

3. Don't Grab Her Ass!

Roxy's POV

"...And I never doubted you one bit to get to this point. I am so proud of you, sweetie."

I internally sigh. I want to call out Rachel's mom on how much of a liar she is, so badly. It's unbearable.

Rachel fakes a smile, her words not at all sincere as she says, "Thanks, mom." She turns toward me and rolls her eyes at her mom, making me have to stifle a laugh.

Everyone around us claps and Rachel smiles, loving the attention. She's always been the kind of person to love and seek other's attention. And it's not in a way that others do, where she does selfish acts to get attention. It's more like she strives to be perfect for others to see her. And more of her being loud and dressing really sexy when going to parties or a bar, for a guy's attention.

I'm kind of the opposite. I fear attention, scared that if everyone watches my steps I'll have to be someone I'm not or act a certain way to please others. I'll be too scared of others judging me for me to do that. But for her, she strives for the attention she never got to have when she was a kid. I'm also the opposite in that sense. I wish to never have the attention I got when I was a kid.

Everyone starts moving around us, her mom cutting the cake and everyone getting a slice.

"You want one, Roxy?" Mrs. Millard, Rachel's mom, asks.

I stare at the piece of sugar and sweetness on the plate she offers towards me. My stomach turning as I stare at it.

Disgusting. Fat. Pig. Ugly. Whale. Cow-

"She's fine, mom. She ate before she came here," Rachel saves me and I give her a thankful smile in return, which she nods her head at.

"Oh," Mrs. Millard frowns, then mumbles under her breath, "Little bit rude to eat before a party."

Guilt. I hate this feeling but it's always in me. I want to take the piece of cake and throw it at the wall. I want that chocolate cake to be nowhere near me. I was already pushing the sweets by drinking that coffee last night.

No one heard Mrs. Millard, though. Everyone continues on with their chats. Lots of people are crowded around Rachel, congratulating her on advancing to being assistant manager of the family business, most of the people here being relatives in the business.

Rachel is perfect. She's got a powerful and independent job, that screams business women. She's got that curvy and skinny body. She's got that extraverted energy everyone loves. She's got it all.

I don't usually compare ourselves much, but when it comes to how successful she is, my job in being a waitress at Zena's Diner is not much. I want to go to college and get a Master's degree but it takes up too much time. I don't have enough money for it and it's not like I have well off parents either.

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" A hand goes on my lower back, and I feel a chill go up my spine. Turning my head, I see an old man, white hair and all. He has a smile on his face and a suit on. A drink in his hand.

I side-step away from him, trying to get his hand off. "No, but thank you," I offered a small smile before looking around the room for Rachel, who is talking animatedly to a few coworkers I recognize because she pointed them out to me in the past. Brenda Lenard: she hates. Jack Sturgis: she's iffy about him, can't tell if she hates him or has a big fat crush on him. And Tashia Osborn: in her words, the 'she devil'.

The man gets his hand back on me, making me wildly uncomfortable. Suddenly, my breathing became shallow, my head foggy, my body staring to sweat as my eyes swelled with tears.