Hollows In Time (✔️) | 'Hollows' Book Ⅱ

Chapter Twenty-Three

^ Bria's outfit on Bria ^

________________________________

H o l l o w s   I n
T    I    M    E
________________________________

When I arrived to the lunch hall, I was the last person to be there—closely following behind Bria, who, as always, strutted along as if she had ten years of runway modelling experience. She was dressed in a simple grey dress, covered with a denim jacket, and had, surprisingly, ditched the heels for some plain white converse. She looked better than me.

The other girls sported more casual, but, admittedly still stunning, outfits than Bria and I had gone for. I guess that showed how Bria and I were alike—yet completely different.

"SKYIE!" Cassie had shrilled at my entrance, all the girls looked up, greeting me with a smile as Cassie ran over to me. Everyone but Bria. And I couldn't understand why. Maybe we weren't alike after all.

Cassie nearly launched me into the air once she had her arms around me. She stepped back and patted my head.

"Your hair looks nice and–" She paused, eyes widening as she fiddled with the tie on my dress. "Pretty dress!" She cooed and I smiled.

The girls beckoned me over and we sat down, waiting for the pizza that Mel would bring us. I couldn't wait to try to look like a normal human being who eats the normal amount, and not like a walking loaf of bread.

The pizza arrived and Mel sat down to eat with us. Avery had slapped her repeatedly, saying, "Get your own friends!" To which, Mel replied with, "Pizza is my friend." The girls had laughed, but I didn't join in. Not really. I mean, it was funny, I just didn't laugh.

Suddenly, a plate was being shoved at me, right under my nose. I looked at it—a plate of pizza. The hand was tanned. Her fingernails had endured a fresh manicure, the nails painted black. I looked up. Bria.

I frowned at her. She pushed the plate farther towards me. I took it. Was she pitying me? Did I look as skinny to her as I looked to me?

I took the plate and something happened. She smiled at me.

"I hope you like barbecue," She said. Hell, did I ever. "And I added some pepperoni on the plate too; it's my favourite." She continued. She was talking to me. Why was she talking to me? Was she plotting? Scheming? Would she turn on me like
Jameson did? I couldn't trust her, but something happened. I smiled back. It wasn't a full blown grin, and it felt more like a lip twitch, but it happened.

I accepted it wordlessly, which seemed to make her uncomfortable. Her smile fled and her words fell dead. She wasn't interested anymore.

I ate what I could, after several minutes of staring at my tiny wrists. I tried to converse as much as I could. But every time I thought of something to say, it always made my throat constrict.

Suddenly, whilst I was contemplating whether I still held the ability to talk, I heard my name spoken. I looked up, the girls were all getting up, ready to head to the fireworks show. Avery was staring down at me, her hand out as she held plates in the other. I looked down at my plate.
What the hell?

All my food was gone. Either the girls had got peckish whilst eating their own food, or, miraculously, I had chewed on food, and swallowed food, and I was now full up. It seemed that the latter was true.