The Curvy Curse

Chapter 20: Orphans and Subway

         My blood pressure was climbing steadily, and I could hear the blood churn in my ears. My adoptive grandma's constant words rang loudly in my ears, drowning out all other thought. Whenever I came back from school crying, shaking with anger after being bullied for my weight (which I will admit, was pushing past chunky), she'd hold me, murmuring sweet words and tutting about parents not raising their children right.

'They just make me really super mad, Nana!' My little pudgy fists were balled up tightly, and tears streamed down my red face as she carefully knelt in front of me, and eyes calm. I remembered her face, weathered and brown even then. She had to have been at least 70 at the time. My adoptive mother, the woman who ran the orphanage, stroked my hair soothingly.

    'What kind of girl would you be to pick a fight? Ladies use their words.'

But I couldn't use my words. I felt like I had a bad case of lock jaw or something; my body wanted to let loose all of it's tension on her, but my mouth couldn't seem to say a word. Everything went quiet as she pulled away with a quiet, but strangely ear-splitting smack, a smug satisfied smile on her face. It was as if the noise was hardwired straight to my temper.

"Get away from him," I said quietly, struggling to control myself.

I am a lady, I am a lady, I chanted to myself. 

"I've already told you bitch, I'm taking what's mine," she hissed, a sickly sweet smile creeping onto her face. "It would really be in your best interest for you to just let him go," she said, touching my shoulder. It felt like my blood boiled beneath my skin, and I smacked her hand away from me.

   "Okay. Let's try this again," I said calmly. I might not be related to my mom, but I definitely had a bit of her "African she-devil" tendencies at the moment. "You're going to stay the hell away from my boyfriend, or you're going to be hospitalized. One way is a lot easier than the other. I'm going to be nice enough to give you an option," I hissed.

Her jaw dropped, and out of the corner of my eye I saw the twins give identical looks of pure joy. Rogue was holding a fallen Netis, who pretended to swoon, with a jaw fallen even lower than Yvette's. I walked past her, grabbing Rogue's hand (after leaning Netis against one of the twins like a broom), and walked off in the direction of the dressing rooms. 

   "I'm gonna get some water, Max," I called to him, focusing on the breathing my trainer forced me through during yoga.

"Don't act so perfect!" I heard her shriek.

"Some pathetic, fat little orphan dropped off from what was probably some piece of shit broken home, and you think you're better than me?" 

I stopped walking, feeling as if my heart was making it's way to my toes.

"Yeah, I know nearly everything," she teased. I flinched as I heard her footsteps getting closer and closer, the volume of her voice increasing as she closed the distance between us. "I may come off as a dumb blonde, but I definitely did my research on the little bitch who's climbing to the top out of nowhere and laying her filthy little hands on what's mine. And trust me, I'll be damned if I don't dig up more about your little past. This is getting far too interesting," she chuckled, each word snapping at  me like a whip.

A loud crack went through the air, startling me.

  I'd just slapped her so hard that my hand was numb, starting to bruise. I didn't know skin made that sound when it connected hard enough. My eyes watered, not from pain but from pure shame. I'd never hit somebody before, ever. My hand hurt like hell, and I'd never felt so vulnerable and exposed in my life. The shock on Rogue's face just added to the misery. Netis and the twins had never met me before, and this wasn't a good first impression. Even poor Max looked like he was about to keel over.

"I..." I swallowed hard, a small sob escaping me. I felt like a child again. "I'm so sorry," I choked out. I looked to Lily.

  "I'd feel bad for you if you weren't trying to get with Alec," she murmured so only I could hear. 

"Lily, I'd never-."

"Don't lie!" she snapped. I flinched, stepping back. "You think that just because you're a model no you can do what you what and be a shitty friend," she hissed. She looked at me, disgust plain on her face. "You think you're all that. If we weren't friends you wouldn't even have met that tmodeling agent. You think you're so much better than me, and now you think you can have your boyfriend AND mine. You're nothing special," she spat. She looked away, looking hurt even now.

"Lily," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Please don't do this, please." I hiccuped with the effort of holding my tears back.

"I didn't do this, Ari," she murmured, walking to Alec.

I stood there silently before speedwalking out of the room.

 I heard Rogue's raised voice, but it all sounded miles away. I collapsed behind a huge rack of clothes, pulling my knees to my chin. The last thing I needed was someone finding me like this, especially not her.

"Ari."

I stayed quiet, ignoring him.

"Ari I know you're here," Rogue murmured, stepping closer. I could see his bare feet padding around. "We live together, you can't really avoid me," he pointed out. A small giggle escaped me; he was right, obviously. 

"Reeeeeed Robin," he sang softly. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yum," I managed to whispered, sniffling. 

  He popped open the layers of silk and ruffles, immediately leaning forward to kiss me. He pulled back briefly, wiping my tears away with an itchy sweater. I swatted Rogue's hands away before grasping his face between my hands, kissing him. That's all I wanted to do, and I could feel him answering my obvious hunger. I giggled as he shimmied between the clothes, plucking off a bra that had attached to his ear by the strap. 

"You're beautiful," he said matter-of-factly.

 "So are you," I said honestly, smiling as he leaned in. His arms wrapped around my waist, and mine looped around his neck, a sigh of contentment leaking from my lips to his. I straddled him quickly ( A/N figured the readers needed a bit of action xD ), my hair falling over us in a thick curtain. He shifted his hips slightly underneath us, and a small delighted gasp escaped me, the friction feeling fantastic. His mouth found my neck, sending a pleasant ache through my body as I felt my skin began to heat up. My hands were creeping up his shirt, climbing the burning, taut skin like like an aerialist.

The clothes were yanked aside.

  I toppled backward off of him with a shriek, staring wide eyed up at the intruders. Netis stood there with her hands planted on her tiny hips, a knowing twinkle in her eye. The twins stood behind her, Chase looking awkward and miserable, and Blake beaming at Netis with such pride it was unebelievable.

"Well, well, well," Blake said. He tsked, shaking his head sadly. "All we wanted to do was take you guys out to Subway since Ari needed some cheering up, but you seem to be doing a decent job, Shinoda," Blake said, clapping slowly.