At school, they call me Leftover Lily. The fat girl who always waits for what everyone else doesn’t want.
My brother Tyler’s old T-shirts and sneakers, my sister Maddie’s jeans that don’t fit her anymore and the purses she’s decided are ugly, our parents’ phones with cracked screens, the junk food no one else will touch — it all ends up in my hands eventually.
Even in the shower, I go last.
A week ago, Mom promised me: “On the day of your AP Physics C exam, you can go first. No waiting.”
But when I got home from the exam and had barely worked shampoo halfway through my hair, someone started pounding on the door.
“Out! Let your brother go first. Wait your turn!”
My eyes stung. I clenched my teeth. “You said I wouldn’t have to wait today.”
The next second, Mom shoved the door open, snatched the sweaty T-shirt I’d just peeled off, yanked it back down over my head, and dragged me out.
Tyler finished. Then Maddie. Then Mom. Then Dad.
I waited long enough for the sweat to dry on my skin and the foam to slide out of my hair on its own.
When my turn finally came, there wasn’t a drop of hot water left.
That was the moment I decided. I wasn’t going to wait anymore. I was leaving this house that had never made room for me.
For good.
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 08 It was pouring that day. I’d just come out of the lab when the Student Affairs Office messaged me — someone was at the main gate asking for me. When I got there, I saw Maddie standing just outside the entrance, an umbrella over
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 08 Read Post »
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 07 My first day at Southern State, I went straight to the Student Affairs Office. Ms. Carter had already reached out to them for me. The staff member looked over my paperwork, approved me for a temporary summer dorm, and slid a student employment list
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 07 Read Post »
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 06 The next day, an interview video the school had posted suddenly blew up. Within a few hours that morning, it had racked up millions of views. The title: “The National Science Champion We Knew as Leftover Lily.” The interviews were with students from my
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 06 Read Post »
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 05 Mom stood there stunned for a long moment before she found her voice. “Who did you say? Lily? Not Tyler? Not Maddie?” The doorway went quiet for a few seconds. The reporter glanced down at her interview sheet, then looked up to double-check the
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 05 Read Post »
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 04 I walked over to Mom. “Mom… I got—” Her head stayed down, thumbs tapping at her phone. She didn’t even glance up. “Maddie’s going to New York for the summer dance intensive. Tyler needs a new private coach. Money’s tight right now.” “Your college
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 04 Read Post »
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 03 There was actually a more important reason. Southern State University Honors College had offered me a full ride. Tuition, dorm, meals — all covered. Ms. Carter was quiet for a few seconds, then rested her hand on my shoulder. “Lily, if you’re in trouble,
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 03 Read Post »
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 02 The next day was family cleaning day. Tyler dropped a beat-up cardboard box at my feet. “Been waiting long? Last year’s clothes. You pull off the baggy look anyway. Lucky you.” Mom chimed in. “See how much your brother thinks about you? He saves
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 02 Read Post »
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 01 At school, they call me Leftover Lily. The fat girl who always waits for what everyone else doesn’t want. My brother Tyler’s old T-shirts and sneakers, my sister Maddie’s jeans that don’t fit her anymore and the purses she’s decided are ugly, our parents’
The Fat Girl Her Family Ignored Finally Stopped Waiting Chapter 01 Read Post »
