Confessions of a High School Supermodel

Chapter 11

11

The next morning, Maddie lay under the covers, quietly staring at the blank wall next to her bed.  She had no desire to get up and get ready for school.  She had no desire to do anything other than lay right here and continue staring at the blank wall.  Is this what depression feels like? she wondered idly. 

She could hear her mom calling, “Mad, it’s almost seven thirty!  Hurry up in there!”  Maddie scowled at the very sound of her mom’s voice.  There she was, trying to act all normal, as if Maddie had forgiven her.  Her mother was most definitely NOT forgiven.  Maddie doubted she’d ever forgive her for the rest of her life. 

Last night, Maddie had run to her room and stayed there the whole evening.  She had briefly considered coming out for dinner when her stomach started growling, but she changed her mind after she found a couple of hard mint candies and a half-full can of Pringles shoved inside one of the purses in her closet.  The candies weren’t exactly filling and the chips tasted really stale, but it was better than nothing.  She was determined to let her mom know how angry she was, and the silent treatment seemed to be her best bet. 

At 7:28 am, her mom poked her head inside Maddie’s door.  “You’re still in bed?” she screeched.  “MADISON!  We’re leaving in two minutes whether you’re ready or not!  I don’t care if you’re still in your pajamas!”

With a groan, Maddie kicked off her covers and rolled out of bed.  The last thing she felt like doing right now was going to school.  But Maddie’s mom had never been one of those easygoing parents you see on TV who let their kids stay home from school whenever they wanted.  Even when she and Cassidy were somewhat sick, they still had to go to school. 

Maddie quickly scanned the clothes strewn all over her room for something clean to put on.  She didn’t really care what she wore.  She didn’t care about anything this morning.  She purposely avoided looking at the brand new Victoria’s Secret Pinkette clothes that Ann had been nice enough to give her for free back at the photoshoot.

After Maddie’s photo session had finished and right before she had gone home, Ann and some of the other Victoria’s Secret representatives had let her pick out all the Pinkette clothes she wanted for free.  Maddie had tried to be considerate and not greedy by only picking out two or three things, but Ann had encouraged her to load up on as many pieces as she wanted.  So Maddie had ended up with a huge shopping bag stuffed with t-shirts, hoodies, pants, bathing suits, bras, and undies. 

Maddie stared at all the bright colors hanging in her closet with the tags still on them and felt sad.  She could never wear any of these clothes now; it would make her too unhappy.  What should she do with them?  Burn them, probably.  Maybe put them in a cardboard box and bury them in the backyard, like a funeral.  It was the death of her dream, after all. 

She finally picked up a denim skirt and a black top off her chair.  These are clean, right?  Black is good because it matches my soul, she thought darkly and somewhat melodramatically.

She pulled the clothes on with lightning speed, and they were out the door by 7:35 am. 

Maddie’s bad mood only deepened when she got to school.  She sat sullenly in her first period biology class with her cheek resting in her hand, waiting for the bell to ring so class could start.  Sundance and Livia were sitting right in front of her examining something on an iPhone when Maddie caught a snippet of their conversation.

 “I love looking at pictures of fat people on Facebook.” Sundance smirked.  “It just makes me happy.”

“I know, right?”  Livia simpered.   “Oh hey, I brought you something this morning!”  Livia, who was naturally very tiny and petite, smiled mischievously and pulled out a glazed donut from her bag.  “Want it?” she offered to Sundance, all wide-eyed and innocent.  “I already ate, like, three for breakfast.”