Our Year Together - Book One

Chapter 3

We go home after that, Katie oblivious to the turmoil within me as she skips on the sidewalk. I catch a few other people from school whispering and pointing, but none of them are brave enough to approach, unlike the first two girls.

I keep my head down as I walk.

When we return home I sit on the living room floor with Katie. She splits her candy in half giving me some to count. I finish before her and lean back against the couch. My eyes run over the living room decked out in Halloween garb.

When mom goes, she goes all out.

A smile forms on my lips at the thought, my eyes jumping from the cutout black cat on our white mantle place to the spooky mirror on the wall that shows ghosts in the room.

She's even gone so far as to put up streamers.

The black and orange things hang up around the room, some attached to the lamp and side tables while others simply hang down from the ceiling.

"It's almost as if we're having a party 24/7."

"What?" Katie asked looking up from her candy pile. I smile down at her and shake my head.

"Nothing, just talking to myself. So, are you finished?"

We finish counting the rest of her candy and I'm impressed with how much she was able to collect in two hours. I don't even think I was able to collect as much when I was her age.

"You, my little witch, are a trick-or-treating pro," I said as I ruffle her hair, the atmosphere around us light as she giggles.

"Stop, Charlotte." She giggles and the magazine smile I'd managed to paste on falters at the name.

Who's Charlotte?

I asked my thoughts before forcing my smile back up the inch it'd lost.

"Alright, you two." Our father walks into the living room, looking between the both of us. A smile that I've grown up with is plastered on his face and any turmoil I'd been feeling lessens. "Pick the candy up. Katie, it's time for bed."

Katie grumbles but complies, putting the candy in her basket one piece at a time. She stops when she gets to a packet of skittles. Her blue eyes dart up to me.

"Here, Charlotte, I know they're your favorite." She drops the candy into my open hand and I look between the candy and her before smiling, a storm raging in my stomach.

"Thanks, little witch."

She watches me with expectant eyes so I tear open the packet and toss two in my mouth. The sugar coats my teeth and it's the best thing I've tasted all day, but the only thing I can focus on is my thoughts.

What have I done? Oh god, I'm never going to lose this.

My sister just continues to watch me, both her and our father blind to my thoughts.

"It's delicious," I said as I stand and stuff the rest of the packet into my back pocket. "I need to go to the bathroom. See you tomorrow, little witch." I hurry out of the living room without waiting for Katie's response.

As soon as I get to the bathroom upstairs I close and lock the door behind me. My eyes scour the small white and blue room until they land on the white toilet beside the sink. My hand lifts and I grip the spot over my heart, wrinkling my shirt.

Don't do it.

I beg myself as my eyes heat up from oncoming tears.

You're so much better than this.

A sob lodges itself in my throat and I grind my teeth together, doing my best to stay quiet.

Am I really, though?

My stomach turns over and I rub my tongue over my teeth, that sweet coating of sugar still there. It's what does me in and before I can think twice about the matter, before I can even try to fight my demon, I find myself on my knees bending over the toilet.

Get out, get out, get out, get out, get out of me!

I scream within my mind as my stomach convulses and I choke and cough and sputter into the toilet bowl. My eyes burn with tears that stream down my cheeks.

The memories of people banging on bathroom stall doors have me squeezing my eyes shut.

Go away! Leave me alone!

"Come on out, Annie! You're not the only one who needs to use the bathroom, though I'm sure our needs are different."

Their laughter echoes through my mind and I sob silent tears crouched over the toilet. My face burns with shame at who I am and what I've become.

"Charlotte, are you going out tonight?" My mother's voice floats through the barrier that separates her from the abomination her daughter has become.

Who is Charlotte?

I questioned in my thoughts as I push myself up from my seat on the floor.

"Yeah, mom." A crumpling sound in my back pocket has me pulling out the skittles my sister gave me. I look from them to my reflection in the mirror.

My face is red, my eyes sunken with dark circles under them. Brown hair sticks to my face where the tears traveled down. My stomach turns in disgust and I look away, unable to meet even my own eyes.

I crumple the skittles packet in my hand and toss them in the trash.

Who is Charlotte?

"I am going out."

I'm Annie.