Skinny • Book 1 In The Reality Series

Katy

Never once did the thought cross my mind that perhaps Gracie was genuinely crazy. I chalked her up to be quirky and eccentric and best and slightly delusional at worst.

However, that all changed when we arrived in Tampa Florida and following Gracie's directions pulled to a stop not outside any sort of animal rescue, but infront of a large, brick, graffiti marked apartment building which seemed to lean with the wind.

A look of confusion furrowing Calum's features, he turned to Gracie who was taking her turn sat beside him in the passenger seat.

"Are you sure this is right?" he questioned.

Smiling, Gracie nodded, "You guys wait here, I'll be right back."

Without another word she pushed the door open and hoped out of the car, leaving Calum, Sierra and I with Elliot. Pulling her hood over her blue hair which looked black in the moonlight, Gracie jogged around the car to the front door of the building and slipped inside.

"I might be wrong." Sierra said slowly, "Scratch that, I'm probably wrong, I usually am, but aren't most animal rescues in like open space?"

"Maybe this is where her aunt and uncle live." I reasoned, "They wouldn't live at work."

"Good point." Calum mumbled, relaxing visibly but keeping his gaze trained on the building where Gracie had disappeared.

We sat in silence for several minutes after that. Per usual, Sierra was the one to break it.

"My Dad must be so worried."

"My Dad's probably happy I'm gone." Calum laughed to himself so quietly I doubted I was supposed to hear.

"My Mom is drunk most of the time," Sierra continued, "So I doubt she knows I'm gone."

"My Mom probably hasn't torn herself from the TV long enough to know I'm not there." I mumbled.

"My Mom doesn't care." Calum spoke up, "She has too replacement kids that she loves more than she ever loved Anna or I, so she's probably happy I'm gone, one less birthday card to send."

"Parents suck." Sierra said sympathetically.

"Why though?" Calum sighed, tapping his fingertips on the steering wheel, "They were kids who hated their parents once, so were our grandparents, and their parents."

"I'll never be like my parents." Sierra mumbled.

"You will." Calum chuckled, "We all will. Everyone says that and then you change. One minute music is the best thing in the world, the next it's too loud. Parties aren't fun anymore, instead you get excited about things like shopping for a new dishwasher or replacing your tile floors with hardwood. You switch from alcohol to wine, you have a bedtime again, it's like all the color is sucked out of you and you become as gray as the minivan you drive."

"I don't want to grow up." Sierra whispered, "I don't want to turn gray."

"It's unavoidable," he replied sympathetically, "The worst part is you won't even know its happening. Adults don't know they've changed. It just happens."

Frowning, Sierra pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned back against Elliot who was eating the black berries held out to him in my hand.

"This has been kind of fun." Sierra said off handedly after a moment, "But I can't wait to go home and shower in my own shower."

"I miss my bed." I admitted.

"I miss deodorant." Calum contributed, "And I'm not just talking about me, it smells like a dirty jockstrap in here."

Blushing furiously, Sierra raised her arm and tentatively inhaled. Wincing, she hastily lowered her arm.

"I also want to wash my hair." Calum added, running his fingertips through it.

"I want to brush my teeth!" Sierra nearly shouted, "And wash my face. I want to wear my fuzziest pajamas and sleep in my bed until noon! Then I want to wake up play xbox with my brothers and eat bubbie's French toast. You haven't lived until you've had Bubbie's French toast."

Sharing an amused look with me in the rearview mirror, Calum smirked, "Who is Bubbie?"

"You're going to hate me." Sierra replied.

"Try me." Calum chuckled.

Hesitating, Sierra fiddled with her back brace which was poking out from beneath her shirt, "My nanny."

"You have a nanny?" Calum laughed.

"See!" Sierra groaned, "I knew you'd hate me."

"I don't hate you." He said quickly, trying to stifle his laughter, "Just please tell me you don't have a staff?"

"Define staff." Sierra said slowly.

Opening his mouth, Calum began to reply however stopped as the door to the building swung open and Gracie slipped out. Jogging over to the car she tapped on Calum's window which he hastily rolled down.

"Come on." She said somewhat breathlessly, "Grab the elephant, we're going in."