Chapter Nine
Beep, beep...
I turned over in the sea of covers, trying to slip away from the sunlight spilling in through my shades.
Beep, beep, beep...
“Hannah, get up, you’re going to be late.” Eve urgently reported. I groaned and slipped out of bed.
“Eve, get out my uniform please... and put on something energizing...” I yawned, letting the sun’s warmth wrap around me. I tied my hair up as my closet whirred, trying to find my uniform.
Take a Walk by Passion Pit played softly as I stepped into my bathroom and washed my face. I then walked into my kitchen and peeled a banana.
“Good morning, Hannah,” My mother yawned, stepping out from her room. She was wearing gray sweatpants and a white tank top. She had dark hair, like mine, long and straight. She had dark eyes, though, and so did my dad. I’ve seen him in pictures, but he left when I was 2. He sends letters to us, to me in particular, but I never open them. I don’t hate him for leaving us, I just don’t exactly love him for it. My mom is fit. She was athletic all through school. She still goes to the gym every morning, so I’m surprised that she’s here this morning.
“Did you go to the gym early this morning?” I asked, with a half a mouthful of banana. She nodded, smiling.
“What’s up with you and Landon? I like this boy, he seems sweet.”
“He is sweet,” I smile, remembering last night. I leaned my hip against the table that my mom is sitting at while my bowl of oatmeal cooked.
The sweet, cinnamon-y smell of oatmeal filled the house. I waited for my bowl to cool off and then sat down with my mom at the table. I began to eat, deep in thought about what Landon and I had seen happen to Kailee. My mom must’ve seen my concentrated face, because she placed her hand on my shoulder.
“What’s bugging you, hun?” She smiled at me.
I shook my head, half-smiling back. “Nothing,” I managed with a half a mouth full of oatmeal.
“You know, you shouldn’t eat all of that,” My mom mentioned, looking down at the bowl I had in front of me, grimacing. She was a health nut, and she ate for nutrition. I guess the bowl I had poured for myself was more than one serving, that or either I put too much sugar in it for her taste. “You should start to eat healthier, Hannah. And keep fit. Why don’t you go to the gym with me? You definitely seem like you need to start doing so,” She looked me up and down, a disappointed look cemented on her face.
I looked down at myself.
I was lucky to be born into a small frame and a fast metabolism, because I eat like I have a bottomless stomach. I have curves, I’m not stick-skinny. I don’t have a thigh gap -- as much as I would love one -- and I don’t have my hip bones showing. I’m insecure about my weight. My mother has always told me that I was overweight and that I should start to go to the gym with her.
She doesn’t know that she’s underweight and that I’m actually only a half a pound over the healthy size for my body and height. Some of the bones poke out of her skin and her stomach is sunken in.
I sighed, angry at my mother, passing her the other half of the bowl. I got up and walked to my room, Got dressed, and brushed my teeth. I slipped on some waterproof eyeliner and mascara, laced up my construction boots and headed down the street. I wasn’t late, I was actually on time at the bus stop, for once. I stepped on, feeling the cool air blow into my face. I took my usual seat next to Landon. He had a huge smile on his face and the cut from last night was still raw.
