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“I don’t think croutons will keep me at a size twelve” Jamie tried to keep her face unreadable The Chinese food I’ when I’m out of here mi

ght, though She poured the entire packet of croutons onto the salad, ignoring the glance Stephen and Christine exchanged That’s right Plan your backupcroutons! She wasn’t large, she knew it, but her family made her feel like she was massive compared to her size two sister Her dear sister had probably said no dressing or hardly any She took a bite and really wished the salad caarlic bread Cheesy garlic bread

“What about your honeymoon?” her mother asked Christine “Have you picked a location?”

“Not yet” Christine beaaze at the man beside her “Stephen said he wanted to surprise me All I ask is that it’s somewhere warm” She dabbed a tiny ketchup spot fro suit shopping, didn’t you, Jamie?”

Ja the near tasteless iceberg lettuce

“I do wish you took smaller bites” Her mother shook her head “You’ll feel full a lot faster if you do Maybe then you wouldn’t need all those croutons you used”

Get off my bloody case, Ma! I’m not sixteen years old anymore “Of course, Mom” Jamie smiled and took a sip of water Damn, why didn’t I order a beer? Or a six-pack?

“Anyway, I was hoping for sohed dramatically “Just a quiet, intimate little resort in paradise” She turned to Stephen and kissed him on the cheek “Won’t that be fun, honey?”

“It’d be heaven” He rubbed his nose against hers

Ja up the lousy salad in her stoht back” She didn’t wait for her lance or some off-the-wall comment from one of them She turned and walked toward the bathroolanced up to endered washroohed “Forty-five irl,” she muttered “Then you can leave” But the entrance is so close! All she had to do was slip out and never see any of the

If only she didn’t live in her parents’ baseh saved up to skip town If only Then she truly could disappear

She forced herself to calo anywhere She had the smarts, the common sense, the hard work ethic and even a friendly demeanor when her family wasn’t around She just lacked the belief she could do it

Enough! She went to the bathrooh Stephen had left her for her younger, hotter sister, she didn’t need to look like the rejected one It hadn’t been meant to be She and Stephen would never have lasted She knew that, but it didn’t lessen the hurt and humiliation

To procrastinateto ht, Stephen, son of Ass Hole,” she told her reflection and giggled “I don’t need you You can just kiss my derriere, you shallow son of a bitch”