Fall From Grace by Kelly Hogan

attention. I snap back to see Ash pulling his hand away from my arm like he grabbed a lit match. What the? He pulls back and appears breathless and confused. He rapidly averts his eyes from mine and turns so fast it looks like a blur. He mutters barely above a whisper. "Good Night Stella."
      Still tingling from his touch, I bolt. I wave to a confused Gabs as I grab my coat and bag, I need to get home. I think finals must have gotten to me, I'm officially losing it.

Chapter 9
The Art Of Folding A T-Shirt

    God why did I cry so much last night, I'm avoiding looking in the mirror at all costs, still lying in bed, twirling my hair into knotted strands. A habit I could never seem to break. I'm waiting until the last possible minute before I'll be late for work to drag myself out of my slumber cocoon. Ugh work. Kim called me this morning and asked me to fill in for Marla. Apparently, she had an accident at the Dairy Queen last night, slipped on a spilled blizzard or something. I dunno, my guess is that she probably lost her balance because her boobs make her so top heavy. Yes you're right, I'm jealous.
    All I want to do today was stay home and sulk. I've replayed the events of last night a hundred times and I still don't know how I feel about it. I mean it's cool that I had my first real conversation with Ash, but it ended so weird and then I got so upset over my mother. That hasn't happened in a really long time, it took me by surprise. And what was that weird shock from Ash touching me? I'm sure I was just startled at being grabbed; a totally imagined weird cosmic reaction to him.
    Finally I crawl out of bed, a long hot shower is definitely on the docket. The water is turned so hot it almost burns my skin, but it feels so amazing that I stay in extra long and now I'm sure I'm super late. I pull on my most comfy work clothes; leggings, a long tunic and a warm and cosy cardy as I start to feel almost human again. Maybe that flu finally made it's exit. Good riddance.
    I mean I'm still a bit tired, but I'm actually feeling a lot better health-wise; maybe all I needed was a good cry and a full nights sleep. I didn't dream a thing last night which was a welcome reprieve. I slept so deeply, I barely heard my phone chirping from Kim. I glance at the clock and hustle into the bathroom for my 'conceal the fact you cried yourself to bed' make-up when I freeze in front of my full-length mirror. Staring at my reflection, I inch a little closer, not understanding who this person is looking back at me. I was expecting red swollen eyes, blotchy skin, maybe even a red and flakey nose - typical bawlfest outcome. No, this wasn't what I was expecting at all. I look different. Different from yesterday. Different from last night. Me still, but really not me.
    You know when you're 15 and wake up on your 16 th birthday and you think YAY! I'm old now and I'm finally going to get my boobs and no more pimples! Then you look in the mirror and you look exactly the same, maybe a little worse. Well that's what I first thought of, but the bizarro version of that scenario.  
    I actually look better some how. Almost like my hair grew a few more inches since last night and appears a little glossier and fuller. Plus, I am so not lying about this, but my boobs actually look a little bigger. I actually have cleavage popping out of my bra. Dad must have put it in the dryer. I think the crying messed up my eye balls or something. Maybe the flu bug altered my brain? Maybe I really have been taken by the Stepfords and made into a pretty fem-bot?! Suddenly my phone alarm pierces my ear drums, snapping me back to reality. Fem-bots? Really Stella? Knowing the alarm basically translates to 'leave the house now or you are going to get the shaft', I shake it off and book it to work.
    As the day plugs on, I'm actually feeling the best I have in weeks. Kim keeps eyeballing me like I'm on meth or something as I haven't made one single eye roll AND I've been super nice to all