breaking nia ~n.f.~

Chapter 7

Nia slept and slept and slept, glee tainting every meter of her dreams. She dreamt of Josh and being skinny and on Broadway. She dreamt of a happier life.

She woke up in the yellow-sunned morning to a "Holy shit, my head." from the one, the only, Madison Nicole Ziegler in her cot and white-and-turquoise dress, fully made up.

"'Morning, Mads." She responded. Paige's bed was empty, and Chloe's sleeping bag had been unzipped. The smell of bacon and pancakes and smoothies and coffee wafted in the air. Breakfast. Nia winced.

"Holy shit, Nia, what the hell did I do?!" Maddie exclaimed, in tears because of the pain. She attempted to turn her head, but let out a cry at any movement.

"We went to Michael Kowalski's party and you had about seven beers. There was an actual trail of cans behind you." Nia set Maddie back down, and pressed the two Advils in her palm. "There's water over there. Also, you kissed like, five boys."

"Noooooo." Maddie groaned. She and Gino Cosculluela had been going strong for a year after he had moved to Pennsylvania. "Nia, if Gino finds out..." Her face was scared and pale.

"I'll make sure he doesn't." Nia patted Maddie's head (an action to which she flinched at), and pointed to the glass of water. "Now, take your medicine and drink. I'll tell Kelly you have a headache, okay? And later, you might want to get out of that dress and wipe off your makeup."

Maddie felt her eyes for makeup. Subsequently, it was there. She nodded and placed the Advil on her tongue.

"Niwa?"

"Yes?"

"Eye wuv yew."

Nia giggled. "I love you, too."

She inched down the stairs. There was Chloe and Paige and Josh, sitting at the island of the kitchen. The girls waved. Chloe had changed into a yellow nightshirt and wiped off her makeup.

"Good morning!" Nia sang. Chloe mumbled a "Hi." through a mouthful of pancakes. She was still a bit hungover.

Then, in a dizzying flurry of seconds, Josh leaned over the island and gave Nia a kiss. Paige nearly choked on her banana-blueberry-strawberry smoothie.

"Chloe! Chloe! I knew it I knew it I knew it! Moola, girl! Moola!" Paige exclaimed.

Chloe sighed, leaned over for her purse, retrieved a twenty, and handed it to Paige.

"What are you doing?" Nia asked as Paige pocketed the bill in her bra. Paige chuckled. "God, Nia. Me and Chloe have been betting for like, years, that you and Josh are going to get together. I guess that party worked up some," She made a churning motion with her arms, "magic. Nosh forever!" She fist-bumped Nia. (same Paige same)

The members of Nosh blushed.

"Paige, it's nine." Josh commented.

"HOLY COW I MISSED AL ROKER DAMNYOU SLEEP." She rushed towards the television and frantically searched the DVR.

Josh laughed and blew into his black, regular coffee. "Works every time." Nia laughed with him. Chloe managed a tiny giggle, then proclaimed she was going to go back to bed. Nia and Josh nodded sympathetically.

She turned back to him after watching Chloe trudge up the stairs. "Where is your mom and dad?"

"Dad's at work," Josh replied. Randy Hyland worked as a lawyer in some big firm outside of Murrysville. "And my mom is on the phone with Brooke, also while gluing rhinestones onto Paige's solo costume." Brooke had been accepted into Juilliard, and she and Kelly talked on the phone nearly every day.

"Multitasking." Nia chuckled. Kelly was always doing more than one thing at a time.

"Did Chlo and Paige really have a bet that we'd get together?" She asked as Josh finished of his coffee, cut his pancake into bits, and shoved it down his throat.

"Yep." He said. "Now if you'll excuse me.." Nia nodded quickly. She wondered if this really was the best option, to throw up all your food once it came down.

But she was losing weight- quickly(ish). Last time she checked, she had lost five pounds.

I am technically eating, she thought, So I'm totally fine.

The word "eating disorder" flashed in her head for a brief moment, like a sketchy restaurant sign in the middle of the night.

I don't have an eating disorder, she thought, repeating it in her mind like a religious mantra. I'm not bulimic, I just throw up sometimes.

She wrangled her fingers together. Josh came down from his purge, toothpaste to wash out the taste fresh on his trail. He saw her worried face. "What is it, baby?"

Nia's face was so scalding hot you could roast ten marshmallows on it. Baby. "Nothing. I'm fine."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Alright."

At that moment, Paige wandered in from her Al-Rokery daze. "Anyone for the Today Show?"

They grinned and softly replied with yes, and off they walked, both beautiful and gnarled, off to see a man report the weather brewing outside, fierce as the storms brewing inside their minds.

(author's note: i liked this chapter. Paige is really fun to write. - colleen cosette♡)