Free Beauty by Patria L. Dunn (Patria Dunn-Rowe)

old sweats, my new tennis shoes and a tank top in less than five minutes. Normally I would have been getting ready to head to the nursing home to check on George and the other patients, but for the first time since being here I was jogging my way along the bike trail that led all the way around campus.
    “Evelyn is dead…Evelyn is dead…Evelyn is dead…” I chanted as I ran, already feeling better about the last two days of my life.
    Being skinny and staying skinny was all that mattered now.

Chapter 7*
    The jog up the hill to the student health building more than had me winded. My sides ached, and my lungs burned as if they were about to explode at any moment. I hadn’t thought to bring a water bottle because I hadn’t planned on coming here, it just happened. I didn’t want some stranger examining me, and I didn’t want to tell some stranger why I even needed the morning after pill. But, the longer I stood there in front of the steel trimmed glass doors, the more I contemplated the fact that I could possibly be pregnant. I could always get an abortion later… Easier said than done, I was sure of it. Besides…I didn’t believe in abortion. Did I…?
    The water cooler sitting just inside the door –a stack of cups on its top-convinced me that I should at least go in. It wasn’t even officially summer yet, and the temperature was a lready in the upper eighties. I woul d pass out if I had to jog all the way back to my room without hydrating.
    “Si gn in please. Name and student I.D .” the girl behind the glass enclosed desk greeted, stopping me before I’d even drank a full cup.
    I could turn around and walk out…
    I glanced behind me, my head jerking back around when I caught sight of Abbey trudging her way
    up the hill towards the student health building.
    What was she doing here?!
    Using my fingers I brushed my tangled hair down around the sides of my face, hoping that she wouldn’t recognize me. My name was barely a scribble on the wai ting sign in sheet, my student I.D . thrust through the slot.
    “Everything correct on here..? Date of Birth? Dorm assignment…?”
    “Yes, yes…everything,” I snapped, tapping my foot impatiently as she logged me into the system.
    “It’s going to be at least a fifteen minute wait. You can have a seat right over there,” she pointed to the bank of chairs along the wall, sliding a clipboard full of paper s through the slot. “Fill this out and give it to the nurse when she calls you.”
    “Thanks I mumbled, stepping sideways and then turning away from the person in line behind me.”
    Abbey didn’t even look as I took my seat, hunching over the clipboard, so that my hair almost completely covered my face. There were two other girls here, but neither of them looked at me either, their concentration on filling out their own paperwork.
    “I wanted to switch birth controls. This one has had my stomach aching for days…” I heard Abbey whisper to the attendant, her hand clutching her stomach for emphasis.
    As if on cue, a tiny wet sounding fart escaped and I eyed the other two girls as they laughed. Abbey’s face was crimson as she glanced behind her, embarrassed, and I forced a laugh too. I didn’t want her recognizing me and asking me what I was doing here. She turned around, taking the clipboard from the nurse before finding a seat on the far side, away from the three of us.
    “Evel…”
    “Eve! Here!” I jumped up with my own clipboard, scurrying to the door that had opened in the corner.
    “Wait…honey…” She stopped me by my arm as I tried to close the door behind me. Is your l ast name Barns. I was calling Evelyn Renee Barns…”
    “That’s me,” I hissed, not daring to turn around and see if Abbey had heard.
    “Ok then…right this way,” she motioned and I followed all the way down the hall and into an open exam room at the end.
    I did as she told me, shedding all but my bra, before I slipped into the makeshift gown. The A dderall pill