Paper Thin

• 20: Whirlwind •

Melody

I was thankful that today was Saturday. It was a horrible week topped off with fainting yesterday. While it was a horrible experience, it ended up bringing Carson and I closer together. Despite my protests, he carried me into my house and all the way to my couch. I was lucky that no one was home to question it.

After giving me water and a bunch of snacks, he turned up the air conditioning in the house to keep me cool before leaving. He sent me text messages every hour to see if I was okay. He was so sweet, and I hoped he wasn't just being nice because he pitied me.

Considering that my dad and Margot went away for the weekend, there was no one to question why I spent Friday night in my room. Mia didn't care, and Leslie cooked enough meals for us on Friday morning, and then was off for the weekend.

All evening, I looked at pictures of my mom after spending a few hours watching television. I missed her immensely. She was whom I looked up to, my best friend, and the one person who ever loved everything about me. My dad might have, but he was always focused on himself, his business, and now Margot.

It hurt that no one ever spared me a second glance unless it had something to do with them, but I didn't try to do anything about it. I was used to it. It had been that way since after my mother died. No one noticed me.

Until Carson.

Mia was oddly quiet, and I had a feeling she was up to something, but I didn't care enough to find out. When I ventured downstairs around noon on Saturday, I was met with a whirlwind of decorations. There were streamers and balloons in a kaleidoscope of colours, furniture pulled off to the side, a table set up with speakers on it and another table for food. I groaned as Mia rounded the corner.

"You really didn't think I was going to let the opportunity pass me by, did you?" Mia snickered. I sighed.

"I didn't think you would, but a girl can dream," I muttered, heading towards the kitchen.

"I'm inviting seniors from my old school –"

"WHAT?" I cut her off, halting where I was. Her old school meant my current school and I already knew which seniors she was 'friends' with. I turned around and folded my arms across my chest. "I don't want those people in my house."

"It's not just your house you know. I was going to be nice and tell you to come – maybe make you a bit more popular, but we both know you'll end up embarrassing yourself... and me. So, do both of us a favour, and stay in your room. I can't have them knowing we actually live together."

How rude...

***

I sat in my room, in a black, strappy camisole with checker beach shorts. It was a cute enough outfit that I could get away with leaving my room, but it was on the comfy side. I had a black hat waiting on my desk for me as a disguise, in case the need arose. But it wouldn't. I had water and a few snacks. I didn't need to leave my room unless one of the drunken idiots downstairs set my house on fire.

There was loud house music downstairs, blaring through multiple speakers, with the occasional cheers from what I assumed was a very stirring game of beer pong. I could just imagine the smelly liquid splashing all over the floor, while people dropped food as their cravings for chips and pizza took over. Mia better find a way to clean the place up, because she'd be in a whole lot of trouble when my dad and Margot found out.

I was at my desk, drawing a couple outfit designs in my sketchbook when there was a knock on my door. I sighed and ignored it. Mia made me clean the entire upstairs, in case a couple thought it was actually appropriate to go up there, but it didn't mean that my room was available.