Zoe scowled a bit, resenting her mother telling her to do anything. Linda, on the other hand, found it rather hard to deal with Zoe challenging her authority. She wished Zoe would grow out of this phase.
Zoe grabbed something light, a compromise, and started back upstairs, fidgeting uncomfortably herself. Why the hell is Mom always on my case? I'm not a baby, I'm fourteen, she thought. She wished her mother would worry more about her own life, instead of worrying about everyone else's.
She fidgeted a bit more as she started up the stairs. Her corset seemed tight suddenly, and then...it popped open at the edge. "Fuck," she said. Maybe I do need to eat better. I'm starting to gain weight.
She stretched a bit more, and the corset separated more. "Fuck," she repeated again. It described most situations that annoyed her. And as a teenager, that was pretty much everything.
"What's wrong?" Linda said from the bottom of the stairs, starting up.
"Corset broke," she said.
"Well, I'm getting a bit of a headache. I'm going to grab some aspirin," Linda said.
"Yeah, so."
"You're blocking the stairs," Linda said.
"Oh," Zoe said, starting up the stairs, still fidgeting. She felt strange, not knowing why all her clothes were so tight on her all of the sudden. She got to the top and moved out of the way, watching her mother pass by her.
Linda looked at Zoe. Why is she bursting out of her clothes? It must be a growth spurt, she decided, even though growth spurts didn't usual happen in a few minutes. Zoe is sixteen, and... She paused again, that seeming wrong. Linda turned into the bathroom to get that aspirin.
Meanwhile, Zoe headed into her room, and quickly pulled off her clothes, tossing them in the hamper. They were entirely too tight. She slipped into a black t-shirt that was several sizes too large that she often slept in and relaxed. She'd have to start eating better.
