Topsy-Turvy

Familiar Faces in Familiar Places

Jennifer's POV:

The next day:

It's already 10:00 in the morning. I should probably get up before my Mom comes in here and tells me I'm wasting "daylight."

I had already been awake for an hour, but decided to stay in my room so I could spend the smallest amount of time possible with my "new family".

In that time, I explored the room a little bit, I was done in about five minutes since it was so pathetically small.

I discovered Caroline had absolutely no makeup. Trust me, I looked everywhere. Not that it was a surprise, but still, I couldn't take much more of going all natural.

A few cheap perfumes in plastic bottles from Bath & Bodyworks, and some nail polish all sat on a beat up old dresser with ripped up pink heart stickers on it.

I decided to be brave and smell the blue one, only to get a good noseful of about 60% alcohol.

After almost dying from disgust, a good amount of a nose burning sensation, and a lot of coughing, I put the bottle back, making a mental note to never touch it again.

When I was finished looking at everything there was to look at, I still wasn't emotionally ready to see people that day, especially the people in this house.

So I flopped back on the bed, thinking about the night before.

What happened after he left with her, does he like her more than he liked me? He never tried to kiss me... or maybe he would have if I hadn't switched with her! Ugh! I hate her!

I buried my face in the pillow, and sighed, exasperated with all these possibilities. Even though I would've liked to keep my face in that pillow all day, I couldn't really breathe, so I lifted my head up.

I wasn't satisfied with the few things Scott and I had done as friends. Just going to Starbucks and hanging out wasn't enough. I wanted him to like me how he liked her. Even though he never admitted it, he always seemed to like me more than any other girl... Well, until now, that is.

Until she ruined everything, and started throwing herself at him! How else would she get him to try and kiss her so fast when I did everything I possibly could and got nothing? Was he even trying to kiss her at all? The optimistic, less "kill Caroline" side of me wondered.

That was totally a kiss! I remembered how he tilted his head, closed his eyes, and leaned in. The fact that she just stood there like an idiot made me even more angry. I didn't understand how he could still like someone that didn't even know how to kiss.

She would pay for this! I didn't know exactly how at the moment, but I knew she would.

I refused to let myself think about the night before, when they left together... What could have happened...

"UGH!" I stomped out of the room, not having to go very far to get the living room.

I could see that my Mom was in the kitchen, and just noticed an amazing smell wafting out from the pan she was working with.

Bacon.

Eggs.

Wow. I can't remember the last time I had a home cooked breakfast.

Mom always had me fend for myself. I usually had a bowl of whole grain cereal with fruit, or maybe a pop tart if I hadn't eaten anything bad all week, and for dinner, we usually ordered out, or she just cooked a microwave meal.

Dad was sitting on plushy recliner, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

This was a truly strange sight to see, usually when I walk into the living room in the morning, there's either nobody there since Dad leaves early for work, or Mom was doing her fitness routines on the T.V.