Fragile Bones

Chapter Twenty-Five

Another cold morning greeted me. It wasn't surprising though. Nowadays, everything seemed to be cold and lifeless. I could have the heat turned up to eighty degrees in my room, and I would still feel like I was trapped inside a freezer. I pushed myself out of bed, immediately being hit with the sensation of ice. I had taken to wearing sweatpants and long sleeves to bed instead of shorts and t-shirts like I normally did. Even with three blankets on top of me, I remained cold. My skin reflected my feelings, becoming chilled and pale. I had brushed against my mom yesterday by accident, making her draw back in surprise at how cold my skin felt, despite the heated house.

Her and my dad never even spoke anymore, and I hardly saw him between him hiding away at work or staying holed up in his room. The few occasions they happened upon each other were met with silence, and tension. I wondered why he didn't just move out at this point. The divorce has been decided on for a while now, and apartments in my area weren't super expensive. He had a nice job, he could certainly afford to rent one. Childish hope kept me thinking that maybe they still loved each other, but no actions could confirm that.

Two days ago I sat on the school's bathroom floor with an orange. Two days ago was the last time I ate. It was very clearly starting to take its toll on me. I spent my free time looking at pictures on tumblr, of girls I wish I looked like. The amount of energy I had wouldn't let me do much else. Homework was tiring, doing chores was tiring, taking showers was tiring. I wanted to collapse on my bed and take a nap constantly. Realistically I knew I needed to bump up my calorie intake, but my head was getting in the way of it. Every calorie contained fat, sugars, carbs, and other things that could add on more weight.

I started biting on my fingernails out of stress, while I gazed at the clothes in my closet. The nail on my index finger broke immediately, making me let out a small laugh.

Guess I haven't been drinking enough milk.

The one thing I was looking forward to today was the fact that Asher would be returning to school. The chair next to me in english would no longer be empty, and I would have someone to talk to. That is, if he even bothered to show up for school. I was about to text him to remind him of his suspension being over, but I heard my mom shouting at me.

"Madeline! Come down here! You're usually ready by now, and you'll be late!" I followed her orders, going to meet her after the few minutes it took me to get ready. However, my mothers face wasn't the first one I saw. A girl I didn't recognize stood in our kitchen, talking to my mom as if they had been old friends.

"Who's this?" I asked, stealing a glance at the clock on the microwave. It wasn't even 7:00 yet, which is when I usually left for school. Why did my mom say that I would be late.

"You remember Emily and Greg next door, right? This is their daughter Charlotte. She got here a few days ago from their hometown, and her mom said that you agreed to show her around the school on her first day," my mom answered, smiling at the girl.

"I never really liked the name Charlotte, to be honest. I go by Charlie. Your mom told me your name was Madeline, right?" She asked, directing her attention to me.

I nodded, and took time to examine her. Her hair resembled her mother's, long and red, and her eyes like her fathers, a deep blue. The faint freckles on her nose stood out against her skin, and it looked like she wasn't wearing any makeup. She was wearing a black skirt, a striped turtleneck, and fishnets with boots. It was definitely apparent that she was trying to make a good impression on her first day of school, and of course, there was nothing wrong with that. However, it made me hyper aware of my sweatpants and hoodie. The difference in style could be seen as comical, but right now it was just making me self conscious. She was naturally, very pretty. I won't be surprised when she joins the popular group at the high school.