Hiding Anna [rewritten]

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Ultrasound

Sitting in front of my vanity, I looked myself in the eye and told myself aloud that today was going to be a good day. That I was going to manage to keep down three full meals, I was going to wear a killer outfit, and I was going to study a little too.

And hopefully, hopefully, I wouldn't be visited by a nightmare. The night terrors I didn't mind so much for myself, because I could never remember them, and the only impact they had on me was instilling an unresolved anxiety in my chest for the rest of the day. But that was bearable in comparison to the nightmares that haunted my so vividly throughout the rest of the day.

The only issue was that the night terrors affected George, if were sleeping together that night. Now that we'd decided to limit the frequency of our sleepovers, my siblings had gotten the brunt of my night terrors too.

I rarely slept alone anymore. If George wasn't in my bed Abi was. It had been that way since I'd reconciled with the twins.

Slipping into white dungarees which had awesome little tufts of fluffy bits all over them. I wore a white long sleeve underneath and added really massive gold earrings to the outfit. My hair was pulled away from my face with a flat black headband which matched the black of my high top docs. Mascara and lip gloss completed the look.

Outfit, tick.

Food.

Hopping downstairs, I found my mother and Anna in the kitchen, like usual, and I did my best to not make eye contact with either of them as I made me and Abi some breakfast.

"Cassie can I have a word?"

"No."

"Cassie-"

"What?" I huffed out.

Sarah looked immaculate today, and I hadn't seen her look like that since she'd discovered Anna - in essence, since she'd started working from home.

A bleach white suit adorned her, having a life and personality of its own separate to the woman wearing it. All of a sudden I recoiled at the thought that we'd both picked white as our clothing colour choice today.

"I have to go into the office in the city today." She explained, already getting up from her seat.

"But it's Saturday?"

"Work doesn't stop at the weekends for me Cassie." That I knew as much. "There's lots of organisation issues I have to resolve and I cannot do that over the phone. Anna has her final ultra sound today, to make sure the baby's head is in the right position etcetera so can you please drive her?"

"Absolutely not." I spat out, not even making eye contact with the pregnant girl occupying one of my dining chairs.

"Cassie." My mother said sternly, leaving no room for argument. "I will get rid of your allowance if you don't do this one favour for me."

"I don't give a shit about your money." I growled. "Take it all. Cut it all off I don't care for a second. I'm not doing it-"

"Cassie."

It was Anna who spoke this time.

"I don't want to have to ask you but can you please take me." She asked. "This isn't about me anymore it's about the baby, and this ultrasound is to make sure everything is okay with the baby."