Page 27 of Forever is the Sweetest Con
“Oh wow, have you tried this Protein Period smoothie yet?” Harmony’s smile is slightly pained. “It’s really, wow, that flavour is really something different.”
“It’s so—” Trina pauses to swallow. “Thick.” Flecks of the smoothie coat her teeth.
“Must be all that protein. Forty grams per bottle!” Harmony’s eyes are glassy as if she’s fighting not to laugh.
I take a sip. It has the flavour and consistency of poured cement.“I’ve never tasted anything like this before,” I say, biting back a grimace. “What a unique experience.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Harmony’s shoulders start to shake.
“Ew, that is vile,” Sue-Ellen says, dribbling the grey sludge out of her mouth and back into her bottle.
“I don’t know, I think it’s pretty good,” says Valeria, tipping the bottle back. This breaks Harmony. She starts to howl with laughter, and within a moment, we’re all laughing. Our mouths are ringed with grey residue, like we’ve been drinking some strange wine.
Just when the laughter starts to die down, Sue-Ellen shudders, and says “I’ve had pukes that taste better than that.” And we start up all over again.
I glance at Gabby, and for the first time, she’s not smiling. Her arms are crossed over her chest and her jaw is set in a firm line. She strides over to our table and leans in. “Drink it,” she hisses. “We cannotpiss off our sponsors.”
Gabby seems to have surprised even herself with her outburst. She smoothes her hair down and backs up. “Enjoy your breakfast, ladies,” she says, forcing the smile back to her face.
Harmony and I share a look before she changes the channel.
“So, Cleo, how are things going with Isa?”
I wipe my mouth and put down my fork. “Really well,” I say, beaming. “The chemistry between us isinsane. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other last night.” I glance at Sue-Ellen, but her face is impassive.
“You guys looked pretty hot and heavy at the party,” Harmony says, taking a tentative sip of her smoothie.
“Aren’t you worried that’s all he’ll want from you, though?” Sue-Ellen asks with mock concern. “I’d be careful. There’s more to a relationship than just a physical connection.” The girls all murmur in agreement, while I take several gulps of my smoothie. I have to concentrate to swallow it, which distracts me from the sting of Sue-Ellen’s statement.
“What about you, Sue-Ellen? Is there anything there between you and Garrett?” Harmony says.
Sue-Ellen pulls a face. “No,” she says, emphatically shaking her head. “He’s nice, but I’m not feeling it. Actually,” she says, eyeing me, “I had a really good chat with Isa last night. It’s weird, I feel like I can talk to him about anything, like I’ve known him forever.”
I take a deep breath in through my nose.
“You don’t mind if I keep getting to know him, do you, Cleo?”
“Of course not,” I say, probably too brightly. “That’s what we’re here for, right?” I drain the rest of my smoothie. It’s gritty and warm, like liquid chicken livers.
Thankfully, Harmony turns the attention to Trina, who says Kei is sweet but she’s not sure if there’s a spark. I’m only half listening. Sue-Ellen has bested me. I shouldn’t have gotten physical with Isa, especially now that Sue-Ellen has pointed it out, essentially telling the audience what to think about it. I’m going to have to walk it back with him, actually get to know him, so I can take back control of the narrative. The problem is, I just don’t care what his favourite food is, or what his childhood was like, or what his hopes and dreams are. But people have to believe I do.
This is harder than I thought.
After breakfast, it’s Gym Time, so I take advantage of the opportunity for another head-clearing swim. I slip into the Bunkhouse to put on my bikini, and I start to jog down to the lake, but I have to stop on the path to breathe through a stomach cramp. Don’t they say you shouldn’t swim for two hours after eating? I won’t go very deep.
Unlike yesterday, I find the vast emptiness of the lake relieving. I plunge in with no hesitation. I push myself, thrashing through the water, until my muscles give up. I last a little longer than yesterday. If I get stronger physically every day, maybe I’ll get stronger mentally, too.
I’m tired, but I’m not ready to go back yet, so I turn onto my back to float, letting the gentle bob of the waves lull me. I think of my mom. I wonder if she’s eating. I imagine her heating up a frozen meal in themicrowave. She would stand back to prevent her body from absorbing the machine’s harmful rays. Is she doing the dishes, or are they scattered around the house, waiting to be pillaged by some pest? Will she take the garbage to the curb, or will she leave it to rot under the sink?
I lean my head back, submerging my face for a moment. The cold acts like an anesthetic to my worries, freezing them out before they can plant themselves and grow. I float, soothed by the nothingness in my brain, until I’m jolted out of it by a wrenching cramp in my stomach.
Oh shit.
I swim back, through the pain. The cramp subsides just as I make it far enough that I can plunge my feet into the spongy floor of the lake.
Another cramp wracks me as I stumble onto the beach. I shiver as a cold chill of realization snakes down my spine.
I need a toilet.Now.
