Diary of a Couch Potato (Cont.)

Chap. 10-The Earth, my Butt and other big round things

I woke the next morning feeling like I’ve been run over by a truck. I thought maybe I died overnight. Or maybe I wish I had died, because the throbbing pain in my head was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.

The ache had started at the base of my neck, and then swept forward and crushed my entire skull like someone had parked a car on top of my face, and then swirled down through my stomach so I felt like maybe I'd vomit if only heaving like that wouldn’t make my head hurt even worst. I threw the covers over my head and hugged my knees on the edge of my bed. I was shivering uncontrollably. I shielded my eyes with my hand from the faint sunlight passing through my window drapes.

It was like as if I was hungover, from the night before, even though I never went on a alcohol binge. I tried to recall the events of last night, but couldn’t remember anything that had to do my nonexistent alcohol Binge. I had replayed last night over and over again my head but couldn’t come up with a decent excuse for my throbbing head.

After the Chase between me and Archer on our schools track,  he invited Sadie and I to Ice cream, but I ended up turning down the offer. I had to come home before nightfall because I knew my mother would worry. I didn’t eat moms famous baked beans at dinner, instead I decided to fix myself up another Fish sandwich and a glass of Organic Orange juice. I went to dinner without dessert, too. But these two couldn’t have caused my body to react so violently.  They were both healthy food choices. They were supposed to make me feel better not feel worst.

I dragged myself off my bed, out the door and downstairs. All the meanwhile I felt like a sickly slab of meat. It was like I was disconnected from my own body, and I was watching myself stumble down the stairs. I found Brian already there by the time I made it into the living room. He was laying across the sofa with his feet high in the air, presumably dressed in his school clothes and held the remote control in his hand. When Brian noticed me leaning against the door frame, unable to support myself, he cursed under his breath, pushed himself off the couch and signaled me to sit down.

I stumbled across the living room and fell backward into the soft cushions of velvet pillows. He then walked to the kitchen sink and returned with a glass of water in his hand. He handed it to me silently, his expression emotionless. As soon as I made myself comfortable on the couch, Brian came crashing down into the vacant spot next to me. His eyes passed over me, observing me carefully as I forcefully swallowed the water in one cool gulp.

The next words coming out of his mouth, shocked me in the earnest. “Are you alright, Little Sis?” His voice was filled with sweet sympathy. “Do you want another cup of water? You hungry for anything? Cause if you want to, I can make you some cereal or something.”

I set the cup down on the coffee table, and faced him with one eyebrow arched. Why was he being so nice to me? And when did he start calling me little Sis? What happened to the Jerk who blackmailed me from a week before? Or the day before that?

For a minute I thought he actually seemed concerned for my well being, but all thoughts of empathy on his part were erased when he blurted.  “Mar, You look awful.”

I still had enough Marissa in me to mumble.“Gee, thanks. That does a whole lot for my ego.”

“Marissa, I’m serious. You look like crap. I don’t know how else to explain it to you. Are you sure you can handle going to school day today?”-Brian cupped my face in his large hand and wiped some pink lipgloss from the corner of my lip, with his thumb. He lifted his finger for me to see and sure enough it was there- “See, mar? You couldn’t even put on lipgloss on right today. How do you expect to last 8 hours long?You’ll collapse before you even step foot on school grounds.”

He sounded every bit of the overprotective brother he was back in elementary school. The one who held my hand when I crossed the street. The Brother who took the blame for me when I accidentally broke moms favorite vase. For a moment in my eyes he actually was, but deep in my heart I knew it was all an illusion. How can he act like he cares about me, knowing he’s been a complete self-centered asshole to me all these years? And even if this Big Brother act was real, how can I ever bring myself to forgive him?