on sexually, she just doesn’t seem to appreciate my attempts at educating her.
‘You have to understand something though,’ Belle says as she forcefully yanks my dress over my head, ‘this is
my
wedding.
I’m
supposed to be the centre of attention. If you’re not banging on about your movies then you’re pretending to drown, and all to steal the attention from me.’
I face-palm so hard my hand nearly comes out the back of my head.
‘Belle, seriously, I am not trying to steal the attention from you,’ I explain as I cross my legs self-consciously, suddenly remembering I lost my knickers earlier.
My sister unhooks my bra, turns my body to face the bath and gives me an encouraging shove towards it.
‘Just wash,’ she insists. ‘See if you can make yourself any less dirty.’
And with that, my sister storms out of the bathroom. Well, that’s me told.
As I climb into the bath and sink down into the lovely warm bubbles, I think about what my sister has accused me of. I would never go out of my way to try and ruin her wedding – and if she really knew me then she would know that. She’s the one who is self-absorbed, not me. Just look how far I have travelled to be a part of this stupid wedding – risking my job by taking time off when we are in the middle of a project, putting my life on hold to come and be a part of hers. So I messed up a little tonight, but no harm done, crisis averted.
I am snapped from my thoughts by my uncle charging through the bathroom door.
‘Mia, thank God you’re alive. I was asleep, I didn’t know about your accident. Are you all right?’
‘Yes,’ I reply, grateful for all the bubbles that are protecting my modesty, ‘but could you give me some privacy, please. Before–’
‘Before what?’ June asks as she walks into the bathroom.
‘Is there someone at my bedroom door selling tickets for this?’ I ask no one in particular.
‘Steve, what are you doing here?’ my auntie asks him.
‘Checking on Mia, she could have died,’ he explains.
‘So, what do you care?’ she asks.
‘What do
I
care? I’m her uncle! Don’t
you
care?’
My auntie shrugs her shoulders.
‘She’s fine, now come on,’ June snaps as she drags my uncle out of the bathroom.
‘Close the door, please,’ I call after them, but neither oblige.
I lie back and dip my sea-soaked, sandy hair under the water. After running my hands through it a few times I sit back up – only to find my mum sitting next to the bath.
‘Oh my God, does everyone have to see me naked tonight?’ I complain.
‘Young lady, I have seen you naked more times than everyone else in the world combined.’
Debatable.
‘What’s up?’ I ask, because there’s no way my mum will be going anywhere until she has said what she wants to say.
‘Are you happy?’ she asks me.
‘I’m happier when I get to wash in private, but otherwise I’m not too bad,’ I joke as I reach for the shampoo. ‘Why?’
My mum grabs the shampoo, which is closer to her, and passes me it.
‘I’m just going to come right out and say it.’ My mum takes a deep breath. ‘Did you try to kill yourself tonight?’
I can’t help but burst out laughing, but she is being completely serious.
‘Mum, of course not,’ I reply as I rub the shampoo into my long, blonde locks. ‘Why would you think that?’
‘Well, your sister is getting married, she’s got everything she wants in life. It’s only natural to feel jealous.’
‘You think I’m jealous?’ I squeak. ‘Mum, Belle has everything
she
wants in life, the things I want are very different. You think I don’t have anything?’
‘Well, what do you have?’ my mum asks, and I feel my jaw drop.
‘Mum, I have more money that I can actually spend. I have a great job in an exciting industry. I get to hang out with movie stars. I have an awesome apartment where the weather is amazing… you think that’s me not having anything?’
‘Well, not really,’ my mum replies, and
‘You have to understand something though,’ Belle says as she forcefully yanks my dress over my head, ‘this is
my
wedding.
I’m
supposed to be the centre of attention. If you’re not banging on about your movies then you’re pretending to drown, and all to steal the attention from me.’
I face-palm so hard my hand nearly comes out the back of my head.
‘Belle, seriously, I am not trying to steal the attention from you,’ I explain as I cross my legs self-consciously, suddenly remembering I lost my knickers earlier.
My sister unhooks my bra, turns my body to face the bath and gives me an encouraging shove towards it.
‘Just wash,’ she insists. ‘See if you can make yourself any less dirty.’
And with that, my sister storms out of the bathroom. Well, that’s me told.
As I climb into the bath and sink down into the lovely warm bubbles, I think about what my sister has accused me of. I would never go out of my way to try and ruin her wedding – and if she really knew me then she would know that. She’s the one who is self-absorbed, not me. Just look how far I have travelled to be a part of this stupid wedding – risking my job by taking time off when we are in the middle of a project, putting my life on hold to come and be a part of hers. So I messed up a little tonight, but no harm done, crisis averted.
I am snapped from my thoughts by my uncle charging through the bathroom door.
‘Mia, thank God you’re alive. I was asleep, I didn’t know about your accident. Are you all right?’
‘Yes,’ I reply, grateful for all the bubbles that are protecting my modesty, ‘but could you give me some privacy, please. Before–’
‘Before what?’ June asks as she walks into the bathroom.
‘Is there someone at my bedroom door selling tickets for this?’ I ask no one in particular.
‘Steve, what are you doing here?’ my auntie asks him.
‘Checking on Mia, she could have died,’ he explains.
‘So, what do you care?’ she asks.
‘What do
I
care? I’m her uncle! Don’t
you
care?’
My auntie shrugs her shoulders.
‘She’s fine, now come on,’ June snaps as she drags my uncle out of the bathroom.
‘Close the door, please,’ I call after them, but neither oblige.
I lie back and dip my sea-soaked, sandy hair under the water. After running my hands through it a few times I sit back up – only to find my mum sitting next to the bath.
‘Oh my God, does everyone have to see me naked tonight?’ I complain.
‘Young lady, I have seen you naked more times than everyone else in the world combined.’
Debatable.
‘What’s up?’ I ask, because there’s no way my mum will be going anywhere until she has said what she wants to say.
‘Are you happy?’ she asks me.
‘I’m happier when I get to wash in private, but otherwise I’m not too bad,’ I joke as I reach for the shampoo. ‘Why?’
My mum grabs the shampoo, which is closer to her, and passes me it.
‘I’m just going to come right out and say it.’ My mum takes a deep breath. ‘Did you try to kill yourself tonight?’
I can’t help but burst out laughing, but she is being completely serious.
‘Mum, of course not,’ I reply as I rub the shampoo into my long, blonde locks. ‘Why would you think that?’
‘Well, your sister is getting married, she’s got everything she wants in life. It’s only natural to feel jealous.’
‘You think I’m jealous?’ I squeak. ‘Mum, Belle has everything
she
wants in life, the things I want are very different. You think I don’t have anything?’
‘Well, what do you have?’ my mum asks, and I feel my jaw drop.
‘Mum, I have more money that I can actually spend. I have a great job in an exciting industry. I get to hang out with movie stars. I have an awesome apartment where the weather is amazing… you think that’s me not having anything?’
‘Well, not really,’ my mum replies, and
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