The Fall of Family

Chapter Sixteen

I awoke to the sound of scratching. Thanks, Bear I thought. The room was dark, not being illuminated by anything. My phone was still resting on the side of my bed, so I reached over for it to see the time.

I never reached it. My hand stopped moving toward the cell phone. My stomach felt like a knife had gone through it. My body froze, my eyes squeezed shut as I willed the pain to go away. As quickly as it came, it went. I started to wonder if I imagined it.

Ignoring what just happened, I reached for my phone again, wondering what it was. My pressed the home button, and the time, in bright white letters, read 5:34. I sighed and rolled over to my back, putting my hands on my head, rubbing my eyes. After 3 days of missing school, I knew I had to show up like nothing happened.

I sat up on my bed, reacting my bare feet on the carpet. Bear was still running away on his wheel, the sound of scratching echoing throughout the room.

I went into the bathroom, staring at my reflection. I began to form deep, dark bags under my eyes and an acne outbreak was starting. I leaned in farther and picked at a forming pimple on my forehead.

I sighed and pulled out the foundation out from my drawer that I usually don't use and started applying it on my face. After that, I did my morning routine, minus the morning shower.

After my makeup was done, I stared into the mirror. The person who wasn't me had changed dramatically from earlier, for the better.

Happy with myself, I left the house and drove to school, saying good-bye to Drew and dad as I left. The drive was peaceful enough, no stomachaches or vomit this time (Big win).

The school day started out pretty normally, at least, as normal as it could have been after returning from a  3 day suspension. Abby gave me nasty looks, Josh; her boyfriend; stared at me in the hallway and Mathew said hi and chatted with me to my class.

At one point during the day, I remember standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, looking at myself. I pulled my T-shirt close to my body to show my curves. I looked skinnier than usual, probably from all the throwing up. I sighed and wondered what was wrong with me.

The day went by fast. When I got home, I saw Dad and Drew watching the Ellen Show on TV (don't ask why, I don't know either). When dad saw me, he looked up and stood up, like he was waiting for me to arrive home.

"Marie-Moo" he addressed me. I looked at him in disgust, I've never heard that nickname before. He continued without hesitation, normal dad jokes at their finest. "I've scheduled you a doctors appointment, and it's in half an hour. Let's hop in the car," he clapped his hands and started walking toward the door I just came in. "I've got a job interview afterward and I can't miss it, so let's get rollin' "

He was already out the door before I could react. I shrugged, thinking almost nothing of the "surprise", and tossed my backpack on the couch, aiming for Drew's lap to annoy him and walked out the door. I heard a yell on the other side of the door after I closed it. I smiled as I entered the car.

The car started and we pulled out of the driveway, continuing down the street. An awkward silence filled the air. I looked at the window and saw all of the trees fly by as my dad went 10 over the speed limit, rushing to the Doctors office a dozen miles away from us.

What if something is really wrong with me? I thought. A void in my stomach suddenly appeared and I swear I felt the temperature rise at least 5 degrees. What if I seriously have something wrong with me? What if I have to go to the hospital, live in it even? My hands started to get shaky and I was worried by now.

Relax the voice in the back of my head said, there's nothing wrong with you, just something I ate. I leaned back and forced my body to calm down. The hole in my stomach shrank, and the car cooled down.

We arrived, not a word said and walked into Dr. Mann's office. The lady behind the white desk looked up from her white computer screen and smiled at us, big white teeth showing. "How may I help you," she asked. Ugg, stuck up women.

My dad answered her and checked us in as I looked around the white room. There was practically no one in here, just one other family, a mom read Life magazine and her sick-looking son, curled up next to her with a blanket draped over his body.

We (my dad) finished checking us in and we walked to the opposite side of the room America social rules. I saw magazines of women with really low tops. I cringed, sat down in the white chairs and picked up a magazine with the sexists (pronounced s-EX-is-T, not s-EX-EE-est, I know what you're thinking) model with at least 2 pounds on make on her face, off of the white table.

After passing through the 50 pages of ad, another pretty woman in a white outfit entered the room and called my name.

"Maria Banks" she said, looking toward us. I got up silently, as possible, and walked over to her and through the door she was holding for me. She led me to a white door that led to, guess what, a white room. I sat on the weird, papered "bed" as she asked my the usual questions. She left the room, telling me Dr. Mann would see my in a few minutes. I gave her a generic smile as she left.

What the heck is wrong with me?