Out of A Shell (Dash Parr x Fem!Shy!Reader)

Poor Choices

After I showered and made my hair presentable, I went downstairs, feeling the chill follow me. The whole house was freezing, which wasn't unusual, but it seemed worse this morning...or was it just me?

I didn't have anyone to ask, so I didn't think too hard about it.

I went through the fridge and some of the cabinets in the kitchen, but a sigh noiselessly left my lips as I found hardly anything. Dad didn't go grocery shopping before he left, and didn't way before he even left at that, so I had been wearing down on all choices I had. It seems that TV dinner I ate yesterday was the last one.

All we had now were food items I had to actually prepare on the stove or in it like I was a chef, which I was not. Microwavable foods and simple things I could slap together were the only culinary skills I had.

I didn't want to possibly burn the house down, and I didn't have time to try experimenting with anything anyway, so I resumed searching. I opened the cabinet where my parents kept the canned goods, and settled on one of mixed vegetables. Better than nothing.

I peeled the top of the can off and ate the slightly salty but mostly bland mish-mash hastily. I cringed as the cold, smelly mouthfuls went down my throat as I swallowed. No time to put in a bowl and microwave it, so I had to bare it. On a whim, I checked the can, and saw that it was well past its expiration date.

Instantaneously, I felt nauseous, but I kept eating.

'We don't waste food in this house.'

A pair of eyes, an unflinching glare, suddenly cut through my vision and my head whipped around, feeling sweat well up on my forehead and my heart jump with a burst of nervousness. But I calmed down, when I saw that I was alone in the kitchen.

Mom wasn't here. I forgot for a moment there.

I eventually finished my breakfast and put my spoon in the sink, throwing the can away. I checked my backpack to make sure I had everything, and left the house to go to the bus stop with haste.

~~~

People often make bad decisions without realizing it. I'm no different.

In this moment, I can say with full assurance, that eating that can of veggies was a bad idea.

By the time history class ended, my stomach was twisting and turning. A dull jolt of pain traveled through it, but nausea crawled upwards and was playing with the back of my throat.

As Cam and I walked down the hallway to the cafeteria, she talking to me, I silently pleaded with myself to keep everything in my stomach.

"Did...you talk to Dash today?" Cam skipped along, keeping an even pace with me. She smiled wide, revealing her white teeth, and I wished I share in the happy mood she was always in.

"No. He wasn't at his locker this morning...when I went to mine."

Which I was a little disappointed about, but I was also glad. I enjoyed his presence, but sometimes, being around him was...difficult. I don't know if it's because of how attractive he was, or because of the knowledge how he was out of my league.

Because, that did get mentally taxing at times.

"Ah. Well, he was in my English class earlier so I know he's here. Unless he went home suddenly, but I doubt that." Cam chirped, and went quiet for a moment before asking another question.

"So, how was your weekend?"

"...Fine. Didn't do much. Stayed home, watched TV, slept." I swallowed, fighting the bile that was battering at the base of my tongue. I involuntarily placed a hand on my abdomen, feeling my guts cramping.