You Don't Know Me Anymore — Episode 6

Good. He checks his watch. Hate burns calories. Mom laughs from across the room.

She doesn't starve me. She teaches me how to eat better. I used to think losing weight meant plain vegetables and water. Turns out grilled chicken can taste good. Carbs aren't the enemy.

Three sugary drinks a day and late night snacks? That's the problem. By week two, the puffiness starts going down. By week three, I can see the beginning of a waistline.

By week four, I ditch my thick black glasses. I get the hair out of my face too. Sage blows my new haircut into place. I stare at the mirror.

The face looking back at me feels unfamiliar. My brow bone is more defined. My nose looks straight. The corners of my eyes lift just a little.

Mom stands behind me and tucks a loose strand behind my ear. See? You never lacked potential. You were just hiding from everyone. I keep looking at the mirror. My heart starts to race. Maybe I can look like Halfway through summer, Corinne posts a set of pool photos on her private social feed.

The caption says, Real beauty never has to try. Someone asks if she's talking about me. She replies, No, I just think some things aren't worth obsessing over. You can't change what you're born

I turn my phone face down, and I keep doing squats. sweat rolls down my forehead and hits the mat. Corinne isn't completely wrong. Some things you're born with won't change,