Somewhere between December and January, Dad and Tamara broke up.
Tamara was my favorite of Dad’s repulsive girlfriends. She had the least unnecessary plastic surgery and she was the mom of my life for a good 11 months. I even put her as the emergency contact for art camp over the summer.
But now she was just one of the women in the photos in the boxes in the attic. As well as my mom. I don't like going through the photos because I’m in most of them and I’m not photogenic. Julie tried to pressure me into posting the selfies I took at the banks last June, but now it’s too late because everyone will know they’re from the summer and it’s winter now.
I don't hate Winter, but I hate that Tamara’s in Massachusetts with her brother and her nieces that are probably closer to her then I ever was. I have nothing to be sad about. Her and my dad weren't married. I’m just overreacting.
Mom was jealous of Tamara.
“That woman seems like she’d have a secret family or something,” Mom would say, distracting herself by pulling out a cigarette.
“I, uh, I don't think she does.”
“Yeah, but Mandy, she might. She probably keeps a lot of secrets from your father.”
At that point I would start to notice the smoke and I would hold my breath.
“Has she gotten plastic surgery?” Mom would laugh maniacally.
“No, I don't think so,” I would say. Tamara had a miniscule nose job, while I’m pretty sure Mom had a boob job and got her lips plumped or something. I don't want plastic surgery. Everyone in North Las Vegas is fake because they came from Las Vegas to change themselves but it didn't work out.
Julie said she’s probably gonna get a nose job when she turns eighteen. Her mom, Mariah, wouldn't care. Mariah’s some sort of hippie, but she’s cool. I’ve only met her once but I think she might be the only cool person in North Las Vegas. She must do weed. I’m fairly certain Julie’s sister does weed too.
But Tamara’s not that fake. She’s real. And now she doesn’t even live in North Las Vegas, so she’s less fake.
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the monotonous life of amanda powell
Teen Fictionamanda "mandy" powell lives in quite possibly the most boring city in all of america: north las vegas. she believes that everyone who lives in north las vegas is old, boring, and washed-up. but in her eighth grade year, she realizes that there is mo...
