You Can't Choose Your Family ➸ Demi Lovato

{Chapter 21}

{Potential trigger warning}

"Saskiaaaa!" Someone screeched as they violently started shaking me out out my deep sleep.

"What?! For fucks sake leave me alone!" I half groaned, half shouted at who I thought was my mom.

"Jesus Christ, you're literally as bad as Madison!" The offender moaned in exasperation. "Get your ass out of bed now!"

I opened my eyes slightly, squinting at the bright light reflecting off the white walls. Ah fuck! I was in L.A.. That wasn't my mom. It was my aunt. And I'd just been really rude to her... fuck!

"Shit, I'm sorry I thought you were my mom." I apologised sincerely, hoping she wouldn't get angry.

Demi shrugged, "I curse too. It's okay." She said passively, walking over to open the window. It was pretty stuffy in here.

I brushed off her alleviate comment, before sitting up in bed. I honestly I thought she'd be a least a little mad at me basically telling her to fuck off. It's weird because I know Demi's only like nine years older than me but she's my mom's sister which makes her seem way older. I feel like I have to respect her in the same way as I respect Dianna and Eddie and alike people...

"Max is arriving in a couple of hours to take us to the mall so get ready quickly." She said before walking pass my bed again and out of the room.

The mall?! Really?! I literally couldn't think of anything worse...

I reluctantly pulled myself out of bed and went into the bathroom across the hall to shower. Surprisingly not every room in this huge mansion has an ensuite. Probably only ten out of the fourteen of them do. I'm just kidding Demi doesn't have fourteen rooms! Just eleven. Geez I'm being so sarcastic. I should shut up. She does have eleven rooms though...

Anyway, after I showered, applied my makeup and changed into black leggings and my favourite black American Horror Story sweater I went down to the kitchen.

"The gremlin emerges!" Demi laughed, raising her arms as if she was praising the fucking gods.

I shot her a scowl.

"Morning Mar," I said sweetly, smiling at Marissa who was standing with her back to me by the cooker.

"Morning Hun, sleep well?" She replied, sending a smile back over her shoulder.

"Yes thank you Mar." I said ever so sweetly. It was so sweet I didn't even recognise it as my own voice.

"Looking forward to today?" She asked, still concentrating on the cooker. Shit. Cooker. Food. Eek! Keep calm Saskia.

"Yes I am Mar," I said again in the same very sweet voice, managing to keep myself calm about the food issue.

"Could you stop saying Mar?!" Demi groaned, leaning on the island counter.

"Did you hear something Mar?" I said again, smirking at Demi.

"For fucks sake," Demi sighed shaking her head. Marissa just giggled. "What the hell has gotten into you Sask?"

"My inner 'gremlin' came out." I said sarcastically back, quoting what she'd described me as earlier.

Demi just shook her head again. "Okay. I'm sorry for calling you a gremlin. Stop being annoying now?" She pleaded.

"Okay!" I agreed cheerfully. Demi looked at me, confused as hell with my sudden mood changes. This was so funny, fucking with her.

Marissa took whatever she was making off the cooker and placed it on two plates and brought them to the table, laughing at Demi's and I's odd conversation.

When she put the plates down on the island Demi was sitting at (I was still hovering in the middle of the room) I saw what Marissa had been making. Chocolate chip pancakes. I can't eat pancakes! They're so fattening and the amount of carbs-

My face must have given away my fear. Demi chuckled,

"We're not that mean babe," she went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a previously prepared plate of fruit.

I shuffled, my legs physically shaking with nerves to the island. I pulled myself onto one of the stools and stared at the plate. There was just so much.

Demi and Marissa thankfully didn't embarrass me by commenting on my horrified expression or hesitation. They started up a conversation between the two of them, whilst eating their gross pancakes.

I counted the pieces of fruit on my plate. There must be a whole apple on here, half a banana and the majority of a mango...

I forced my hand to pick up the fork that Demi had placed by the plate. I held it, hovering above the plate of sugary calories.

I felt Demi's hand rubbing my forearm. I broke out of my trance and looked up at her. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't even bring myself to eat some fruit.

"Try?" She pleaded. I looked down at the plate in front of me again. I would probably gain a couple of pounds from this. I was doing so well, I was at my all time best weight and I couldn't ruin it now. I'd worked so hard for it.

"Just the banana?" She said, taking the fork from my hand and piercing a slice of the yellow stuff.

She held the fork to my lips. I can't do this. I'm going to get fatter. My leggings aren't going to fit me after this. I'm going to go back to not having poking out collar bones. I'm going to become more ugly.

"Hey, don't cry." Marissa was now standing by my side, hugging me whilst Demi retracted the fork and wiped the tears flowing freely down my cheeks with the pads of her thumbs.

"I-I'm s-s-so sorry." I stuttered. I was such a fucking failure. Why couldn't I just eat it? I could purge it later...

"It's okay," Demi said, looking into my pooling eyes.

"Don't be sorry, you can't help it." Marissa kissed the side of my head, rubbing my shoulders reassuringly.

"We're going to help you get through this." Demi said determinedly.

"We promise." Mar added,

And although that was one of the hardest, it was also one of the best moments.

"T-thank yo-you." I whispered unsteadily.

Demi and Marissa hadn't shouted at me to 'pull myself together' or that I was 'setting a bad example for Aubrey and Denley.' They'd just stood by my side and accepted that this isn't something I can just pull myself out of. I was in too deep. And most importantly, they said they would help me through it. They wouldn't just label me as a lost cause like my mom had, but they'd said they stick by me and promised to help me through it.

I realised I had a chance to get back a normal life.

That is why I class it as one of the best moments.

***
I finally got wifi again as I'm back home for the weekend. Hopefully I'll update at least one more time before I go back to stupid school (where they block wattpad on the school wifi 😒)
Love you all, thank you for reading 💘