Cand(y)ice

6

Nighttime came, colder than usual for late May. I sighed, feeling my hair tangle as I walked down the stairs, holding my bath towel. I had to spend another few hours of my life in the bathroom, treating the genetic anomalies that were my features. As I made my way there, though, I could hear strange sounds. Puking sounds. Mara was throwing up again. What a surprise. We had just finished our 'family' dinner, after all.

''Hey, are you okay?'', I asked, pushing open the door, as she glared at me. It was the first time I saw the ice queen in such a vulnerable position, crouched over the toilet seat. Her face was red and she looked drained from all of her energy. Even her hair, silky as it was, fell in uneven sheets over her shoulders, the strands intertwined in a messy ponytail.

''Yes. You can leave, Candice.'', she let out, looking at me with such anger I didn't quite recognize her cold gaze. For a second, she was no lady, but simply a little girl in need of help. A little girl who didn't want to admit that she was at her lowest. I could understand that, for from her expression I could tell she felt self conscious. This illness was her equivalent of my eczema, yet the only difference was that my pain could be seen, yet hers was silent. Maybe all was a metaphor.

''Don't worry, Mara... Do you need me to do anything?'', I asked, grabbing some paper towels. I approached her, to which her glare only worsened.

''I do not need your-'', she started, yet before she could finish her sentence, she had fallen to the floor. In the middle of the bathroom, she looked so fragile... so different from the Mara I knew.

I sighed, realizing that though I had thought about her murder and what it would bring me, I also had a part of me that wished we could get along. A small part that saw her as more than just a resting bitch face and an ice cold heart. And so, sighing, I picked her up easily, cleaning her mouth with the towel in my hand, before slowly making my way to her room. I knew about her tendencies, yet I never stopped her, and now I felt this guilt eat me from the inside out. Then again, she did spread those rumors about me... Why was I empathizing with the enemy? And where was my bath towel? I had probably dropped it on the way...

Gently laying Mara on her bed, I felt her ribs against my hands, to which I sighed once again. It must be tiring to be perfect. I had been smart, preferring to brand myself as the crazy girl in the room. The one too smart to be bad, yet too different to be a good girl like any other.

Suddenly, I saw her phone screen light up from her night stand.

''When will I have my reward? She seems to be ignoring me!'', the text read, yet before I could take a clear look the door suddenly opened again, revealing Richard. He was still wearing the school uniform, yet his tie was undone, as thought he had ran all the way since I had texted him about his sister's state.

''Is she okay?'', he asked, instantly moving to be at Mara's bed side. I nodded, approaching, as we both sighed.

''You should talk to her about her eating disorder, Stalker. This isn't a joke to be taken lightly. Maybe she's under too much pressure.'', I remarked, putting my hair into a higher ponytail. Richard sighed once again, which was unusual for someone as dramatic as him. Maybe he did care, after all, though we often talked about Mara behind her back.

''I tried. But you know my sister, she's always in competition mode. And, honestly, I would rather let her do what makes her happy. Her happiness is important to me, Candy.'', he explained, looking down, a pearl of sweat going down his jawline.

''You would rather she be happy than healthy?'', I mumbled, leaning slightly closer to my half brother. He shrugged his shoulders, looking at me with an exaggerated expression.