What's eating you?

Chapter 14

*Jacky's Pov*

When I opened my eyes again I was in the shower. The cool water ran wildly down my back. I must have passed out while running, and coach probably called my dad, and he took me home. The would explain why I felt hands underneath me. I pressed my head against the side of the shower and drew in a deep breath. My head was throbbing in pain.  The last thing I remember was laying on the dried out grass next to the track gasping for breath.It was quiet in the bathroom, except for the racing of my heart.

"Jacky? Are you alright?" my mother's voice was soft. She sounded different, like everything was alright. Like she had never lost a child, or she wasn't ashamed of me, she sounded like the world was at peace.

"Ya, I'm done. I'll be out in a second." I fumbled with the knob as I turned the water off. 

I stared at my hands in shock. They weren't abnormally large, or  ugly color pale, but the where a normal size with a hue of rosy glow to them. It seemed my whole body was now a normal size. I poked at the skin around my stomach. It wasn't jiggly like it used to be, but a firm tightness. I pinched roughly at my thighs, who refused to jiggle. I let out a long sigh of relief. I did it, I achieved the perfect body I had always dreamed of.

"Well alright, me and your father are waiting downstairs for you. I made pancakes."  I couldn't help but smile. I haven't been able to eat my favorite breakfast, since I first started  my diet.

"Great." I grabbed the towel that was hanging on the wall and  wiped off my face and flicked my hair in front of my face. It wasn't a dull brown color anymore. It felt soft an silky between my fingers and had a amazing shine to it. I twisted the towel around my hair and stepped out of the shower. I felt great, and looked even better. I wrapped a towel around my body and pulled open the bathroom door.

The hallway seemed brighter than normal. I squinted my eyes and  stepped out of the bathroom and headed down the hallway. Everything seemed so much longer than I remember. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever in front of my eyes. Every step I took, the hallway seemed to be growing longer. Panic started to bubble inside my chest. Stay calm, I just had to stay calm and everything will be alright.

"It's alright. Just stay calm." I whispered to myself. My heart raced wildly through out my chest as I took slow  tentative steps forward. Slowly but surely I got to my door. I leaned against and tried to catch my breath.

I pushed open my door and scrambled around my room for clothes. Everything seemed to be to big for me. I pulled me small pair of sweat pants on, and they quickly fell from my waist in a crumpled heap on the floor.  I cocked a eyebrow and pulled them back up to my hips. I had these sweat pants for years, and they've always fit me so well. Even when I was fat, they fit. I tightly tied the strings together and grabbed a t-shirt. It hung around me like a dress. So loose fitting in areas where they where never loose before.

I grabbed a hair tie off of my desk and pulled my hair into a sloppy bun. The mirror in my room had been repaired, and now reflected back a image of a beautiful woman. I smiled and yanked open my door and hurried into the kitchen. The overwhelming smell of pancakes, sent my taste buds flying over cloud nine. 

I sat in a seat next to my dad. He smiled down at me and handed me a small stack of pancakes. I felt a familiar tug on my hair, let someone was pulling the hairband out. I turned around in my seat, and I felt my heart tense in a painful aching. I was staring face to chest, with my brother.

"That's my seat Jacky." He had a playful tone. I couldn't help but stare at him. Had everything just been one awful dream? Was my brother really alive, and I had just dreamed of his death?

"Darren." I choked. Hot tears pricked at the back of my eyes.

"You going to move so I can sit down?" I pushed to my feet and stood face to face with my brother.  Darren had his dark hair falling into his light green eyes. He had a boyish expression on his face, that could melt any heart. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged myself closer to him. For months I longed to feel the touch of my brother again. Just to hear his soft velvet like voice speak my name one more time. The warmness of his body made my heart flutter inside my chest.  This is all I wanted out of life. Just to see and feel my brother.