You Can't Choose Your Family ➸ Demi Lovato

{Chapter 34}

The next morning Demi woke me early so we could hit the mall before it became heaving with other Christmas shoppers.

As usual she placed a plate of cut up fruit in front of me for breakfast. Recently, devouring the plate had been pretty easy. Fruit has practically nothing bad for you in it so it didn't make me feel bloated or uneasy. Eating a whole banana or a quarter of a chopped up melon didn't phase me anymore.

However this morning was different. I hadn't slept that well last night because my anxiety levels had increased to a point where it was impossible to switch off my brain. I'm just really nervous about seeing Madison today. I'm scared it'll be really awkward and she'll still act cold towards me.

"What's on your mind?" Demi evidently noticed my spaced out mood as she leant on the counter opposite me, drinking some sort of smoothie concoction. She came over and pulled a stool besides mine at the kitchen counter and sat down on it, placing her arm round my shoulders.

I sighed, "nothing. I just don't feel like eating." Which was true. My anxiety was preventing me from having any sort of appetite. However the cause of the built up anxiety I kept hidden because it's stupid and we'd already talked about it the other night. I shouldn't still be worried about it.

I continued the same action I had been doing for a good five minutes previously, chasing the red grapes aimlessly round my plate with my fork as Demi spoke up again, "anything else you'd like instead? I can whip up a smoothie or we could grab something on the way to moms?"

"No I'm fine." I declined. Demi raised her eyebrows, her facial expression telling me that I would have to eat at least something. "I promise I'll eat at lunch?!" I tried to compromise.

Demi deliberated the proposal for a moment before sighing in defeat. I internally high-fived myself in victory. "As long as you do."

"I will." I promised.

Forty five minutes later we were pulling into Demi's family's house.

Dianna met us at the door, greeting us both with huge hugs. After finally letting me out of her embrace, I was able to enter over the threshold to only be engulfed again. This time by Dallas.

"Saski!" She screeched, "I've missed you kiddo!"

"I've missed you too Dall," I tried to reply but it came out as a series of muffles because as soon as I opened my mouth to speak it got filled with hair. "Yuck!" I pushed the older girl off me before pulling loose strands of red hair off my tongue. "Ew this is so disgusting!"

Dallas just laughed at my discomforted state. I shot her a scowl before heading into the kitchen where Demi and Dianna had already made their way into.

When I entered, Demi and Dianna seemed to be already engrossed in a discussion. I took a seat at the kitchen table, as far away as possible from them. I didn't want to intrude in what looked like a fairly intense conversation.

"How's my favourite sister been?" Dallas made me jump as she embraced me into a hug from behind before pulling out the chair next to me.

"What?" I mumbled, looking at the older girl confusedly. I was struggling not to yawn every two seconds so unsurprisingly my brain wasn't working at 100mph.

"How have you been?" Dallas repeated,

"No I meant the other bit about a sister?" I asked. Dallas looked at me with a weird expression.

"Yeh sorry-" she stumbled, "I mean I guess I got excited that I can finally call you my sister but if you're not like okay with it yet or anything..." She blushed, in awkwardness or bashfulness I don't know.

My brain finally decide to then click into gear, "oh yeh! Duh!" I hit my forehead with my palm for emphasis, "I literally just forgot you're my sister. Oops!" I cracked up at my own slowness and stupidity. Probably one of the most important pieces of information I've ever been given and I forgot. What an idiot!

Dallas changed the topic (not before teasing me about my major memory slip up) to shopping today and asked if Demi had dropped any hints. I racked my brains but couldn't remember anything Demi had mentioned she wanted for Christmas. She had said she wanted a clone to attend her meetings for her but it's not as if she's going to receive one of them any time soon...

"MADS!" Demi screeched so loudly that Dallas actually covered her ears when Madison entered the kitchen. Madison jumped on Demi, koala style whilst she got spun round in a circle. It would've been an utterly adorable encounter but the fact my ear drums were practically burst, robbed it of any such status.

"Guess who's going to New York City tomorrow?!" Demi said frantically, literally bouncing up and down in excitement.

"You?" Madison replied sounding a bit sour. I don't blame her, again I'm spending more time with Demi whilst she has to stay here-

"And you!" Demi squealed, shaking Madison's shoulders rather violently and grinning like a mad woman. "Mom's agreed and it's only for two days anyway but you can hang with Saski and we can go ice skating and it'll be so much fun!" She spoke rapidly, in her child-like animated state.

Madison didn't reply but just flung herself at Demi, hugging her tightly.

My worries about it being with awkward with Maddie were completely demolished as she let go of her older sister and came over and embraced me too,

"New York's going to be so much fun!" She beamed into my ear.

I nodded in agreement. It would be fun and so would today, especially seeing as it seemed as if Maddie and I were back to how our relationship was before.

***
This is so short & it's been ages. I'm really sorry I basically had this chapter done like 5 days ago but then I didn't quite finish it until now & I couldn't upload it since I ran out of 3G :/. Apologies :(
What's gonna go down in New York yoooo ;)