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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

“Where you going?” I heard Amber shout from behind me, a taunting tone in her voice. But I didn’t look back. Why was she such a bitch? I walked into the kitchen and washed my hands in the sink. I felt dizzy. Not from the drink; I’d barely swallowed any of it. I felt dizzy because I really didn’t want to be here any longer. This crowd. This noise. This house. This everything. My phone rang and I scrambled to pull it out of my bag. It was my mother, and when I answered it, she sounded hysterical.

“Your brother is having a total meltdown because you’re not here.” I could hear Zac screaming in the background. “You need to come home.”

I hung up and actually breathed a sigh of relief; at least I had a reason to go.

19

The beep of the phone sent me scrambling across the room. I grabbed it and held it tightly to my chest, hoping the sound wouldn’t wake Zac. It had taken me two hours to get him to sleep. I crept from his bedroom and closed the door behind me.

JAKE: Hey r u awake?

LORI: Hey. I’m awake

JAKE: You left the party suddenly. Everything okay?

I scrunched my face up when I read his message, twice. I couldn’t believe he’d even noticed.

LORI: Zac had a meltdown when he realized I wasn’t home. My mom was struggling to calm him

JAKE: Is he okay now?

LORI: He’s asleep, so yeah

JAKE: When Lisa can’t sleep I sometimes download ASMR videos. She really likes them

LORI: Like those Russian women who whisper strangely at you?

JAKE: She really likes the one where they rub slime over the microphone for an hour

LORI: Ha-hah! How is that supposed to be relaxing?

JAKE: IDK, I once watched a guy pop Bubble Wrap for an hour

LORI:

LORI: How’s the party?

JAKE: I left. It was getting a bit hectic

LORI: Won’t they notice if the guest of honor isn’t there?

JAKE: Nah, they’re too drunk

LORI: They were drunk when I arrived, can’t imagine what they’re like now

JAKE: They’d started doing body shots

LORI: Not your thing?

JAKE: Not really

LORI: Cos you don’t drink?

JAKE: Oh . . .

JAKE: You noticed that?

LORI: I don’t think anyone else did, tho

There was a pause in the conversation and I walked down to the kitchen as I waited for his response.

JAKE: You know how I told you my dad is a recovering alcoholic?

LORI: Yeah?

JAKE: Well, they say that stuff can be genetic, so I don’t really do it

LORI: Smart!

JAKE: My dad took me to a meeting once, and when I heard some of the stories, I thought it was better not to

LORI: Like what?