Skinny • Book 1 In The Reality Series

Katy

Babies cry. Infants of the elephant variety, unfortunately are no exception.  I found this out the hard way.

Gripping the steering wheel so  tightly the tendons in his hands stuck out prominently, Calum glowered at the seemingly never ending ribbon of dusty road, stretching out before us in the distance, cutting through the towering stalks of corn on their side like a river.

Taking her turn in the passenger seat beside him, Sierra sat with her knees pulled up to her chest and her hands over her ears, while Gracie who was sat across from me on top of the backseats which had been folded up creating more space, tried, and failed to sooth the screaming Elliot.

“What is wrong with him?” Calum asked through gritted teeth, glowering at Gracie in the rearview mirror.

“I don’t know.” Gracie groaned tugging at her hair.

The smell of elephant dung stinging my nostrils, I took a shallow, stale breath of the hot air.

“Can you quiet him down?” Sierra groaned, “I have a headache.”

“Don’t you think I’m trying?” Gracie snapped.

“Not hard enough.” Sierra grumbled, turning to look out the window at the sun which was pouring through the windows, turning the vehicle into an oven.

“Well I don’t see you back here helping.” Gracie replied.

“It wasn’t my idea to kidnap a two hundred pound wild animal!”

“I asked you if you wanted to come!”

“You didn’t give me much of a choice Grace!”

“Well by all means get out! Calum drop her off!”

“Can you both stop arguing?” Calum grumbled.

“I’ll stop arguing when she stops annoying me.” Gracie spat.

“How am I annoying you?”

“You exist.”

“Calum! Grace is being a bi…”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“You’re just jealous of me.”

“Why would I be jealous of you?”

“You always have been, ever since I invited your little sister to my ninth Birthday party and didn’t let you come.”

“That was shady.”

“I didn’t want to mess up the hot dog to bun ratio.”

“I’m a vegan!”

“You would be.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what is sounds like. You’re a smelly, vegan hippie freak.”

“I do not smell!”

“You don’t wear deodorant!”

“That’s because it’s tested on animals. You know, the creatures which had to die so you could wear their skin on your feet and their feathers in your coat, while you chomp on the sausage egg and cheese bagel daddy buys you every morning.”

“I don’t even eat sausage.”

“Oh, wow, you’re such a hero!”

“Stop it!”

Unable to take another word I snapped. Immediately, Gracie and Sierra fell silent.

“Both of you just shut up.” I sighed, running my fingertips through my hair which was plastered against my sweaty forehead.

My stomach churning, my head pounding and black dots dancing in the corner of my vision, I pulled my hair off my shoulder and closing my eyes let my head droop. Trying to focus on getting a deep breath in the hot, smelly car I fought the urge to splatter the backseat with the Taco Bell I’d eaten for lunch several hours prior.

“Katy?” Calum questioned tentatively, “Do you need me to pull over? Because if you need to throw up you better not do it in this car, we’re a long way off from Florida and I’m not breathing in barf air the whole way there?”

“Calum, can you try being compassionate for once in your life?” Gracie sighed.

“I am a kind compassionate guy!” he said defensively.

Blinking rapidly to keep myself from passing out or puking I tuned out the argument beginning between the two until I heard a loud gasp. Flashbacks of the accident ripping through my mind, I looked up started, breathing out a sigh of relief to find the road before us empty.

“What?” Calum demanded, looking annoyed.

“My Dad is calling again!” Sierra replied.

“Don’t you dare answer it!” Gracie warned.

“He’s probably worried.” Sierra whined, “Can’t I just tell him I’m okay?”

“No.” Gracie replied firmly, “Loose lips sink ships.”

“I won’t tell him anything.”

“He’ll hear Elliot.” I spoke up.

“So?”

“So when it gets out that he’s missing I don’t want anyone to know we’re the ones that did it.” Gracie snapped.

“I don’t care.” Sierra huffed, “I’m answering.”

Holding up her phone her perfectly manicured fingertip moved, seemingly in slow motion towards the green answer button. However, before she could answer the call a blue blur lunged forward and ripped it from her hands.

“Hey!” she shouted.

Ignoring her, Gracie ripped off the undoubtedly expensive hard plastic case which covered Sierra’s phone before slamming the slender device screen first on the hard plastic thing which you click your seatbelt into.

There was a sickening crack, followed by an agonized scream from Sierra.

Looking pleased with herself, Gracie held up the phone which was shattered, scrambling the picture of Sierra and the blonde One Direction member which served as her lock screen beyond belief.

“What is wrong with you?” Sierra wailed.

“Does anyone else want to call Mommy and Daddy?” Gracie asked, tossing the broken phone back to her.

Calum’s eyes widening in the rear view mirror he quickly shook his head. My heart hammering wildly in my chest I did the same.

“Good.” Gracie breathed pleasantly, “I figured.”

Unsure of what to say, the rest of us watched her in a terrified and somewhat awe filled silence.