“Yeah, good to see you too.” Haley cut her eyes as she and her older sister embraced, the tension between them almost as thick as one of her thighs, “You look good.”
“Oh and so do you!” Tara nearly squealed as she separated from their embrace, “College agrees with you so well!”
Tara emphasized her point with several pats at Haley’s well-padded shoulders, which caused her ample bust to shimmy inside its fabric prison. Haley could have died right then and there—she’d known that she’d been putting on weight like crazy ever since she’d moved back home, but did Tara really have to look so happy about it?
“Doesn’t it though?” Mrs. West crooned, petting Haley’s rounding cheek in the way that only a mother could, “I’m so proud of her—you know, she’s making all B’s so far?”
“Really?” Tara’s eyebrow fish hooked inquisitively, “Because they look more like C’s from here.”
Luckily for the West girls, the oven timer went off—enough of a distraction for Mrs. West to completely miss Tara’s jab at her younger sister’s weight.
“Oh, that’d be lunch.” The older woman said with a smile, “You two get comfy—I’ve got to put it back in for another few minutes and then we’ll eat.”
Leaving the two West women alone, it wasn’t hard to tell that they were sisters. They were about the same height, and aside from the ample amount of weight that Haley had packed on, they didn’t look dissimilar. Where Haley kept her hair short and brown, Tara wore hers about shoulder length and box-dye blonde. They had the same eyes, the same ears, high cheekbones. If it weren’t for Tara’s big nose and Haley’s big… well, everything… it’d be pretty easy to think that they were twins.
“So.” Haley attempted, “How’s life? Charleston, being out of school… your cat?”
“Good, good, all good.” Tara nodded, “How’s… you know…”
Here Tara’s smile turned devilish.
“Living with mommy?”
“Oh my God, shut up.”
“Woah there, those are big girl words there—I’m not sure someone who can’t live on their own, pay rent or… you know, make all A’s should really use that type of language!”
Haley’s cheeks grew flush as her brown brow furrowed in frustration.
“I mean, you’re plenty big, buuuut…”
“You’re impossible.”
“You think I’m impossible, try—”
And it just sort’ve went on like that. Things were never quiet with the two West girls in the house, for one reason or another. Screeching at each other was almost as common as them screeching about each other, and it had been like this ever since they hit puberty. However, all it took for them to settle down was for their dear mother to come back into the room, whereupon their snarling faces became happy grins that couldn’t have looked more forced if they tried.
Thankfully for them, the West matriarch wasn’t nearly as apt to notice their infighting as she was when they were younger. Perhaps it was having Tara out of the house, perhaps she just wasn’t as observant as she was when they were teenagers, or perhaps she was simply overlooking their squabbling in lieu of the holiday season. But for whatever reason, she wasn’t about to start a ruckus to calm one down.
“Now, I’ve got another half hour or so before the turkey’s done.” Mrs. West announced proudly as her daughters’ facial muscles strained to maintain their smiles, “Come come, sit sit. Tell us all about Charleston.”
“Oh Mom, stop.” Tara was dripping with fake modesty, “You’ve been to Charleston before.”
“Yeah mom, stop.” Haley huffed as she sat down, her tummy coming to rest between the spread of her thighs
“Well, I have a great view of the city.” Tara began with vigor, “And I make so much money at my job that I can finally afford to not have a roommate—Haley, you had roommates when you lived on your own, didn’t you just hate them?”
Haley rolled her eyes.
“Anyway, blah blah blah… blah blah blah…”
This was going to be the longest three days ever, Haley thought to herself as she reclined into the sofa. What she wouldn’t give to be back in Mr. Casper’s class right about now. Or at Big Daddy’s with Courtney. Or Waffle House… maybe Denny’s…
Her soft stomach began to gurgle at the thought of her favorite greasy spoons. Lunch could not come quick enough for Haley’s tastes. At least then she didn’t have to listen to Tara’s bragging about how awesome her life is…
“Hm, did you say something?” Tara interrupted herself
“What, uh… no.” Haley stuttered, “I didn’t.”
“Alright, so as I was saying, my cat loves my new place…”
Worst. Winter Break. Ever.
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