Damaged Together

Chapter Twenty Eight

Dedicated to my lil princess @Unravel for making me a new bomb cover for this story.

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I put on my normal clothes and I meet Bri outside of the changing room. We grab all of the clothes we both want and go to the check out area. Bri’s pile is just a little bit bigger than mine and she struggles to get all of her clothes up onto the counter.

Once the cashier finishes ringing up all of her clothes the total comes to a surprisingly low total, she pays, completely unfazed by anything, grabs her bags and then it’s my turn.

I take a quick breath and set all my items up on the counter. I notice that the teenage girl ringing my stuff up is a little bit younger than me. I wonder about possibly getting a job here.

As she grabs the first item in the pile I remember it on my body. It flared at my hips and gave me curves that I didn’t like but obviously convinced myself were okay. I then begin to see flaws in all the clothes as I remember them on me, I remember one made me fat, one showed my scars, one made me look to pale, the criticisms running circles in my head.

I always do this when I am about to buy clothes. I begin to doubt that any of it will look decent on me. I think of how people will react when they see the little white lines on my skin that still haven’t faded. They will judge me. Mom’s will make an example out of me, telling there little kids to never be like me and to stay away. Guys will be repulsed of such things. Girls will wonder why I am such an attention seeker. And any who doesn’t think those things will pity me. I don’t want pity.

I’m lost in all of this self hate when I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. I look to see Bri’s face etched with concern.

That’s when I realize that I am breathing heavily and my face is very hot and probably bright red.

“Hey it’s okay. Everything will turn out great. It’s okay, breath. This is the new Alyssia. Leave the other one behind. You are done with her. The new one doesn’t give a shit about anyone, okay? The old one is in the past. Cuts, scars and all.”

My breathing slows and I begin to cool off. I turn to the worker who is ringing my stuff up; she barely paid any attention, or appears that way. She reads the total to me and my jaw almost drops in disbelief.

I have plenty money left over for this weekend and I just got a shit ton of clothes.

I grab my big bags and walk out of the store with a smile stuck on my face, completely forgetting about my small panic attack back there.

We stop and get some coffee because we have the first two shifts for driving. She drives me back to my place and as I’m getting out she informs me of the plan, “I’m going to drive back to my place, drop off my car and throw these things in my suitcase, Conrad is then going to pick me up, we will come by here and pick up you and Jesse then leave!”

As she pulls out of the driveway I am already in my house and heading upstairs to finish packing.

I empty my shopping bags into my suit case, remove the new jeans that I got keeping the promise to myself of only bringing one pair, and grab the final things I need.

I throw the bathing suit and underwear I just got into the washer. While I am downstairs I run into my mom again and I think of all the money she gave me earlier. “Thank you again mom for the money.”

“Well I figured it was time that you get some new clothes since you wear the same ones all the time.”

She can’t even take a thank you without criticizing me. But I don’t let it ruin my amazing mood.

I get a text from Bri once I am upstairs saying that they are on their way and I call Jess to let him know.

Everything is going well and I can only hope that the rest of the weekend will go just as good.

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Not super long I know but I am trying to update more often for you guys because I know how uninterested I get when people don’t keep up with their books.

Thank you guys for reading.

I may stay home from school tomorrow again (I did today already) and if I do then I will most definitely try to update super soon!!

I have a 3 day weekend as well coming up so I am going to try and write a couple chapters so I can spread them out over a couple of days and stuff!