Skinny Love

Chapter 16

After cooking, I completely abandon any thoughts of meeting with Lola and run straight out of the school gates and all the way home. Thoughts pounding my brain about Lola. Why does Cadie think I'm interested in Cole? I have literally spoken to him 5 times, most of which were when Lola was with us. I'm nowhere near being a threat to her, other than her personality, she's better than me in every single way; she has the right amount of curves, with no fat clinging to her like on me and she has natural beauty. I could only wish to look like her.

These thoughts circle my brain until I reach my house but come to an abrupt stop when I see an unfamiliar car sitting in my driveway, behind both my mum's car and my dad's. Nobody is meant to be home for hours. I silently swing my front door open and am met with an unfamiliar sound coming from the kitchen; laughter. A sound not heard in my house for years. Not wanting to disturb whatever aliens are in my house, I close the door quietly and carefully climb the stairs to my room, hoping to avoid any social interactions for the night. Unfortunately, as I take the first step, my keys fall out of my bag and drop straight onto the stone floor, making my presence known to anybody near.

"Hattie, darling. Is that you?" I hear my mother call. I can tell this guest must be important as she calls me darling, a name reserved for impressing someone, so I answer back politely.

"Yeah, it's me. I just got back from school." I hear heels tapping, getting closer to me

"Why don't you come say hello to our guest, dear? I'm sure they'd love to see you." Oh God, they must be important if she wants to introduce me to them. I simply nod my head and follow her through, scared of what awaits. I hate meeting new people, I can never find the right words. Hannah has always been better at that, being a social butterfly since she could speak. My mind races with who could be sat in my kitchen and how they have the power to make anybody in my house laugh.

Turning the corner to the kitchen, my eyes rise from the floor, prepared to meet another one of my father's business associates but instead I'm met with a familiar face.

"Derek?" I manage to say as I am flooded with happiness

"Yep, it's me kiddo. How you been?" he replies as he walks towards me and engulfs me in a hug. I don't reply to his question, instead I just hug back, holding onto him like my life depended on it, too scared that he is a figment of my imagination. Derek is kind of like a brother to me, he's my dad's best friend and used to live with us for a while when I was little. He was the one person in my life I could depend on but then he left for a job in Tokyo. I don't blame him for leaving, I would if I could, but it still hurts that my brother left me when I was 10 to move halfway across the world.

"God, I'm so happy to see you. What's it been, like 6 years?" he asks me as we release each other.

"Yeah, I think so. I missed you." I reply shyly. He may be like family but I still can't speak to people well, nothing changes that.

"I missed you too kiddo. You've changed so much, I can't believe it!" His eyes scan down my body, probably noticing my fluctuating weight but before he makes a comment, my father speaks. "How long are you here for again, Derek?"

"Uhh, only a couple days, I have a conference tomorrow and then am heading out the next day." he shrugs.

"Well, before you object, your all ours for tonight. We need to celebrate your long awaited return. Let's go out to eat tonight. You pick a place and I'll pay. We can all go." the smile on my face falters slightly. If I eat tonight, it will be my second night in a row, meaning I will definitely gain weight... my palms get sweaty and my heart begins to race thinking of ways to avoid this.

"I can't go." I exclaim before I can even realise what I'm doing. All eyes flicker to me.

"Why not, Hattie?" my mother's judgmental eyes question me