"Flatty"

Chapter 12

I haven't been called "Tika" in forever. This last month basically consisted of me going to school, eating lunch alone, getting told off by dad or Divya, checking for messages from Jez every 2 seconds, playing video games and just general boredom. I close my eyes and let my mind wander. Jez's always busy and I miss the sound of his voice so much. Sometimes I wonder if he even remembers me. I tried writing to him a couple of times but he never answered. The words "They should fix you right up." have been playing on repeat in my head ever since Jez said them. Maybe that's why he doesn't want to see me anymore, because I'm broken in some way. I've never been so dependent of someone since mom passed away. What if he doesn't want to talk to me because he really did mean everything he said last time we ate together? What if he really doesn't like me anymore because I don't fit in? Maybe he's right; maybe I should at least dye my hair. I know my mom loved it but she's dead now right? It can't do her any good.

I open up my eyes and I'm faced with the constellation that is my ceiling. I remember painting those with mom even if I was barely 6 years old at the time. I was scared of the dark back then and that was why she'd proposed to transform my ceiling into a glowing night sky. Of course they don't work anymore but I just haven't gotten around to removing them yet. They gave Divya reason enough to tease me though. I kept them anyways, even with all the name calling that they generated. I liked having them up there since they reminded me of mom. But even if I kept the stars, she's still gone. I still don't have a mom anymore. I turn away. I still love her more than anything but she's gone and dad's right: it's time I realize that and grow up. Jez, on the other hand, is still here... but he might not be for long if I keep on foolishly rebelling. So if he thinks that I need fattening up, well then maybe I should try. I could start eating more... You know, just to put on a few pounds. If Jez gained weight, then why couldn't I? Who cares about my quick metabolism? I'm sure that there are ways to get past that. Don't get me wrong, I would never swallow one of those foul pills but snacking can't hurt right? It's no big deal really; it's just eating more food and coloring my hair. Well, on second thought, maybe clothes could help me as well.

I get off my bed and head over to my mirror. Once I'm in front of it, I waste no time reprogramming it's settings. Remembering what my dad had said about stripes, I specify that I only want fattening and high-end clothes to come up. There, that should help. Proud of myself for doing something, I step back and give it a test run. Everything seems to work fine so I head downstairs. When I reach the pantry, I head over to the pastries section and order the thing with the highest caloric value that I can think of: cake. I grab the first non-chocolate covered piece that I spot and armed with a fork, climb the automatic stairs two by two until I reach the third floor. There, I take a big bite of cake. Pretty good even if it does feel heavy... I guess I'll just have to get used to it.

"I don't need something to fix me Jez," I think, "I'm going to fix myself."

I walk towards my room with confidence and as soon as I reach it, I use my Padlet to send a 3-D reconstruction of my snack to Jez accompanied by the vocal message "I'm making an effort now."

I then walk out of my room and stop in front of my dad's office before calling out:

"Dad! When can I get my hair dyed? I feel like going brunette."