“No,” she shakes her head and drops her bags onto my bed. “It’s not offensive. Get in the shower and we’ll talk when you’re done.”
“You aren’t my mom,” I say. “You can’t just come in here and boss me around.”
Shit, if it doesn’t feel terrible to have someone telling me that I’m not taking care of myself. I really have just been lying around moping all day. I didn’t go to class, feigning illness, but apparently, nobody really believes that.
“Shower,” she says, ignoring me.
I know that Adalee is really determined when she puts her mind to something. That’s how she’s managed to lose weight, keep her grades up, and follow a strict diet for so long. She’s the most put-together girl at Crescent Academy. Everything she does just makes her look even better and shine even more.
So it’s with only the tiniest amount of fighting that I go into my bathroom, lock the door, and turn on the shower. While the water is warming, I stare at myself in the mirror. My eyes look hollow and sad. There are dark circles under them and my hair has sort of matted to my head.
Gross.
Okay, so maybe I really do need this intervention.
Maybe I do need something to help me clear my mind because what happened yesterday was so not okay.
I shouldn’t have fallen for him.
I shouldn’t have let him get the best of me.
I shouldn’t have done any of that.
But I did.
Finally, I take off my clothes, get into the shower, and let the water wash away...everything. I just stand there and let the water rain down on me, washing away all of the grime and the sweat and the sadness.
It’s disgusting, but it had to be done, and Adalee was right for making me do this.
When I return to my bedroom wrapped in a towel, I’m surprised to see a fresh pair of pajamas and a bunch of makeup items on my bed.
“What’s this?”
“I’m giving you a makeover.”
“I don’t need a makeover.”
Adalee turns to me and her eyes narrow.
“Emilia, I put up with a lot of your shit. I deal with all of your teasing and your judgment about my lifestyle.”
What.
The.
Fuck?
Sweet Adalee suddenly doesn’t seem so sweet anymore.
“You know,” she continues. “For someone who hates bullies so much, you tend to act a lot like one.”
My stomach is in knots, and I suddenly feel completely sick. I don’t even deny what she’s saying. Is she right? Do I bully her just the way I feel like Gavin bullies me?
She stares at me, and for the first time, I notice something about Adalee.
She’s not weak at all.
She’s often quiet, but it’s not because she’s frail or fragile. It’s because of something else. It’s because she’s strong. More importantly, she’s used to being invisible and she knows how to use that to her advantage. I don’t know very much about Adalee, come to think of it. I don’t know her family history or how she came to live at Crescent Academy.