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

was never having sex again if I could help it.
    **********
    From: Michael R. Bennett
    To: Evelyn R. Barns
    Subject: Deathly Ill Sick Chick
    Hey Evelyn! We’ve missed you. It’s been a few days now and I haven’t heard from you. Abbey and Buster say they haven’t either. I hope that stomach bug has finished kicking your ass and you can come with us to the movies tonight… I could pick you up… I know you drive, but Abbey and Buster were riding together, so I figured… Anyways…just give me a call or email me back. I’d love to see you.
    Michael
    I sighed as I reread Michael’s quick email, rolling my eyes as I hit the reply button. My days of going to the movies with them were over. I wasn’t in the mood to hide inside my sweat shirt hood and h ope no one spotted me with them. I also wasn’t in the mood for any more questions either, and t hey would have plenty if I went.
    From: Evelyn R. Barns
    To: Michael R. Bennett
    Subject: Dear Persistently Annoying Guy
    Michael, I never said I had a stomach bug, but I don’t feel like going to the movies. Please stop trying to make me feel bad for missing the blood drive, I have a lot of shit on my plate right now. If Abbey and Buster said they were riding together, and didn’t invite you then TAKE THE HINT! They don’t want a third wheel. Sorry for being a bitch…today is just not my day.
    Evelyn
    I felt bad being mean to him. He only wanted to take me to the movies, and would have probably paid too. But I still had no way to explain my extreme weight loss, and my visit to student health had left me feeling irritated. I popped another Adderall now, taking a swig out of my water jug before popping the morning after pill too. I knew the jitters would probably go away if I stopped taking the Adderall, but it made me feel alive, and energetic. It kept me focused on the things I wanted to think about and helped suppress all the things I wanted to forget.
    My inbox was mostly full of junk mail that I deleted in bulk, but an email bearing my brother’s name, stopped me mid scroll, my index finger shaking as I clicked the open tab.
    From: Eric S. Barns
    To: Evelyn R. Barns
    Subject: GRADUATION!!!!!!!!!!
    Hey sis!
    Haven’t heard from you in a while, but I’m sure you’re still coming to my graduation next Friday right? I got the tickets at school today, and my cap and gown! (I’m attaching a picture of me in it! LOL) I can’t wait to spend the summer with you at your dorm. I can’t believe we’ll be at the same college for the next three years. High School all over again huh?
    Well I’ll let you get back to your studies… Dad told me you’re taking thermodynamics this summer….YUK! Count me out! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
    Love you,
    Eric
    Holy Fucking Shit! I’d completely forgotten about my promise to my little brother to let him spend the summer with me. I didn’t have a roommate, and he’d gotten his acceptance letter months ago. It had seemed like the perfect idea then. We weren’t close, but he never mentioned my weight, so he was tolerable. Besides…I knew he wanted to get away from my mom and dad more than I had before I left. It was the only reason I’d let them force me to go to the first college I’d been accepted into, not bothering to send out any more applications.
    My hands cl ose d over my cell phone, my thumb dialing my mom and dad’s phone number without looking. I couldn’t tell him not to come via email. He’d be even more hurt tha n he was about to be. Three rings, and I started to hang up. If they were home , my mom usually answered by the second ring. She practically kept the phone glued to her side.
    “Evelyn…that you?” my mom’s voice came through breathless and soft.
    “Yeah…” I answ ered , my words suddenly caught in a lump at the back of my throat.
    “Is everything okay? You usually only call at night…”
    “Class doesn’t start for a few more days.” I interrupted her, picking at a string on the side of my sweats now.