BooksBarbecue
Back Big Boned Save as PDF
Chapters (67)
  1. Big Boned
  2. CONTENTS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. One Month Later
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. About the Author
  62. Copyright
  63. About the Publisher
  64. Backad 1
  65. Backad 2
  66. Backad 3
  67. Backad 4

The next morning, I woke up to find my mom sitting at the hospital window, looking out over Joburg, drinking coffee. She had this strange, distant look in her eyes, and she’s had it ever since. As if something inside her died that day. Zac began all the millions of evaluations that week and was finally diagnosed. Life around me began to revolve around everyone else, and suddenly I was lost in it all. My mom worried about my brother, and how to screw my father over in the divorce and get his money. My father worried about Zac, and his new girlfriend, and how to keep his money in the divorce. And somewhere along the way, it felt like no one was worrying about me anymore.

But at least one good thing came out of it: my bond with Zac. I probably wouldn’t exchange anything for that. Even if everything had to fall apart in order for me to get it.

Things I Like about Myself by Lori Palmer

I’m a good sister.

15

The days at BWH came and went, came and went. The weekend passed. And then more days at school passed. I’d almost successfully managed to evade Jake, until isiZulu class, where I found myself sitting in front of him again. I didn’t greet him or meet his eyes. I couldn’t. The image of him looking at my photo was so fresh in my mind that clammy embarrassment still wiggled its way over my skin like an itchy rash. But he didn’t greet me either. He also didn’t make eye contact. Like I said, I knew how things worked around here—but even though I did, it still hurt me more than it should have. So much for our support coupling.

And then it was Friday. I’d been at BWH for a whole week and a half, and it was the day of the compulsory water polo match. I’d been caught between this strange feeling of dreading it but also being intrigued to see Jake in his so-called natural habitat. The swimming complex at the school was enormous. The Olympic-sized pool was lined on all sides by stadium benches that reached up high. I wasn’t scared of heights, but I was scared of water, so I headed for the top of the stands.

The whole of BWH was there, taking up one entire side of the stadium, while the other team’s school, all dressed in red, was taking up the opposite side. Amber and the Ts, and some other girls whose names I didn’t know, were standing in the front, pom-poms in hand, clearly ready to start the cheering. I scanned them, and Thembi immediately caught my eye.