Carter.

1.

"I'm sorry!" I sob as I shove my fingers down my throat. The contents of my breakfast surge out of my stomach.

"You're worthless! If that breakfast you chose to eat put in any weight on you, your sister will have to do your dirty work with you!" My mother screams at me, spit flying out of her mouth.

After my stomach is empty, I slump my back against the wall. Tears stained on my face.

"On the scale" My mother barks.

I shake as I stand up. I refuse to make Emma go through what I do. I push out all the air in my lungs as I stand on the scale.

88.

"Your sister is lucky. We leave at 6. Don't be late." And with that my mother storms out.

I step off the scale and turn the shower on. It's already 7:30 and school starts at 8:30. I quickly wash my hair and body.

I blow dry my hair and put on just enough makeup to cover my healing black eye. I walk into my room still wrapped in my towel and grab my outfit for the day. Thankfully my only bruises are on my stomach and my eye. I pick out my army green shorts and a white top. Since I can finally show my arms and legs I might as well enjoy this warm weather for once. I mean it is September in Kansas after all.

8:10 am. Shit! I pull on my shoes and run to Emma's room. "Emma, come on let's go!" I say as I knock on her door.

She opens the door and her long blonde hair bounces in the curls she must have had time to do this morning. We ate breakfast around 7 and then mother walked out of her room. She normally never wakes up that early, she's always out so late. I hope Emma got to finish eating.

"Oohh!! Look at you in shorts!! Your legs look so tan today!!" Emma cheers, she's so sweet and innocent. I was too when I was 14 like her. That all changed when I was 15 though.

"Thanks, now let's go. We can't be late" I need to get out of this house.

It's a good 15 minute walk to Hilton High School. We both grab our backpacks from the kitchen and head out. Neither of us saying goodbye to mother, we never do anymore.

As soon as we are off the front porch, Emma starts with her questions.

"Did she make you throw up again?" I nod.

"Why does she do that?"

"Em, like I tell you every day. I'm fine. It's only a little less than 4 more years until you're 18 and then we're gone."

"But it's only like a year and half until you're 18. You can leave then."

"I would never leave you with her. Ever." We've had this talk every day since Emma found out how mother treats me.

"I just don't understand why she makes you stay under 90 pounds. She treats me just fine and I weigh like 130."

"Em please. Not again today." My head is already pounding. She doesn't know the whole situation. No one does. And no one ever will.

"And don't think I didn't notice your black eye this morning" Shit! I forgot to put on makeup before I went downstairs. "How did you get that? Another door?" Emma puts hand quotes around the word door.

"Can we just drop it? Everything is fine." Not true. "Can we just focus on school?"

Emma let's out a frustrated breath. "You're going to tell me everything one day." Hopefully.

"Meet outside at 4?" I try to change the subject.

"Duh." Emma rolls her eyes at my poor attempt to change the subject. Luckily the school is in sight.