Imperfectly Me

Mirror

Caitlyn stuffs the food into her mouth, the savory taste invading her mouth. As she tries to take another serving, her stepmother slaps her hand, adding a rosy tint to her skin. Caitlyn's stepmother shakes her head, closing her eyes in disappointment as she does so. In confusion, Caitlyn asks her stepmom why she isn't letting her eat. Caitlyn's stepmother looks up, her forehead creasing slightly. 

Caitlyn's stepmother slams the table as she says, "Look at your body and your weight! Aren't you ashamed yet, no wonder your mother didn't want to take you."

Caitlyn feels as if she had just been hit by a truck. Caitlyn feels the words leaving a whole in her heart. Holding back tears, she rushes up the stairs, stubbing her toe a few times in the process. Caitlyn slams the door behind her, making the whole house rock.

 She climbs into her bed and pulls the covers over her head. Tears immediately rush from her eyes and race down her cheeks. Caitlyn sits their for a few minutes, her stepmother's words replaying in her head like a song one loathes. She slowly climbs out of the covers, turning to the lonely mirror in the corner of her room. Caitlyn climbs out of bed and walks to face herself in the mirror. She lifts her hand to touch it, wiping those reflected tears which are already dry on her cheeks. Caitlyn grabs a marker and agressively starts scribbling out her reflection. She stands up and lifts up her shirt, looking at her stomach, which bulges out right on top of her pants.

Caitlyn hurries to the trunk next to the door and rummages through the pile of papers until she finds what she is looking for, a picture of her mother. She opens the window which lets in the cool evening breeze. Caitlyn takes one last look at her mother's face, staring innocently at her, before letting the breeze whip it out of her hands.

In satisfication, Caitlyn decides to call it an early night and go to bed to get ready for a full day of shopping. She tosses around in her bed, sweat dripping from her forehead as those words replay in her head again. Caitlyn decides she will save those thoughts for tomorrow morning and drifts off into an uneasy slumber.