Reflection

"Anika.."

Her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes closed themselves tighter in response to her name. She didn't like getting up. Never did. And today was no exception.

"Anika."

The voice calling her was more clear and definitely not the pizza she was holding in her dream.

"I SAID GET UP ANIKA!"

Anika jerked awake in alertness, her eyes opening and looking for any potential threats.

"I don't like having to wake you up every damn morning, Anika." She sighed when she realized it was her sister, Jimena. Jimena was the oldest of the 6 kids. She wasn't the laziest but she would hardly ever clean and always demands things like her siblings were her maids.

Anika sighed sitting up, planting her bare feet on the cold floor. She rubbed her eyes. "Then don't. You'll just have to find someone to make your food." Anika removed the rubber band from her hair and her short thin hair fell, covering part of her face. With her fingers, she brushed it back and used the same rubber band to make a neater bun above her head.

Her bangs fell on her eyes and sides of her forehead. They were transparent ones, her younger brother had done it while she was sleeping a few months ago. It grew obviously and now reached a little below her eyebrows and at times it would fall into her eyes.

She waved her sister off and Jimena sighed, walking into the hallway that lead to the four bedrooms.

Anika slept on a couch. Always had. Her height made it quite difficult as the couch was only about 5 feet and long. She had reached 5'8 by the time she turned 15 and she hadn't grew since then.

She only slept in a couch because the floor was worse for her back. Her siblings, there were 6 kids in total, were not like Anika. So she had the idea that she should sleep on the couch while they crammed in to their rooms. Sometimes one of her younger siblings would come, bring a blanket, and sleep on the floor.

She opened a drawer that was under the tv that hung on the wall. It was supposed to be for video games and things like that but Anika had to keep her clothes somewhere. She took out undergarments, black ripped jeans, a baggy black long sleeve with the beetles walking on the crosswalk in front, white Vans socks, and a black belt.

She grabbed her necklace that lay above the tv stand that made up her drawers, and walked into the hallway.

Entering the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eye bags had always been there no matter how much she slept but they weren't as much as a couple years prior. And she didn't feel as tired anymore.

She didn't have the most attractive face and she wasn't afraid to admit it. Her body was built well but not like any model. Instead it had muscles lining the body. On her her biceps showed obvious tones of muscle as well as her stomach revealing abs. She had used exercise as a way to relax. She used to go to food for that and instead of relaxing, she had gained weight and people made fun of her for it, making Anika insecure. So she switched her habit and made it positive.

By the time she was thirteen, she already had abs and was stronger than all her brothers, Mike, Nico, Vincent, and Esteban. Now she was even stronger than her step-dad.

But even though she had a muscular body she didn't want to show it off with revealing clothing. She was more comfortable with hoodies or clothing that covered most of her body. Though she had a body she still didn't want people looking at her. It made her feel uncomfortable, insecure and anxious.

Her eyes were brown and her lips a bright pinkish peach as they always were because of her habit of biting them.

She had a scar on her the right side of her jaw. She had gotten it after a fight with her mom, Cecile. Now, Anika is pansexual. Her coming out was actually why her mother began the fight that lead to the scar in her face. But Anika had tried to not get on her mother's bad side because like Anika, Cecile was extremely stubborn and even with solid evidence to prove her wrong she wouldn't budge.

Her hair was a dark brown. It was shoulder length and loose all the time. She had an undercut and if you were to look at her from behind with her hair up she'd look like a boy with her broad shoulders.

Anika began to remove her clothes and put it in the laundry basket. She entered the shower and let the steaming hot water get her wet. She grabbed the shampoo and put it on her head scrubbing. She cleaned her body with the body wash and softened her hair with a bit of conditioner.

When she was done she squeezed the water out of her hair before wrapping herself in a towel. Anika dried off and put the towel in her hair twisting it so it stayed above her head. She got dressed and buckled her belt. When she was done she removed the towel and began to run it against her hair to dry it. When it was almost completely dry, she brushed it and shook her head so it didn't come off as stiff.

She brushed her teeth, and cleaned her face. Putting on deodorant, she picked up her glasses and put them on. She mainly used them for when she was studying, researching or experimenting, but it was an inconvenience to have to carry them around in her bag. So she just wore them.

She put her rubber band on her wrist and put on her Vans slippers. Before leaving the bathroom she put on her necklace. The necklace had a lot of meaning to her. It was a gift her grandmother gave her before she passed due to cancer. Actually Anika had shaved her head when her grandma was feeling insecure about her hair loss from chemo. And now she leaves half her head shaved for her.

But her grandmother, Gloria, was more of a mother than Cecile. The same goes for Gloria's husband, Anikas grandfather, Peter. Both Gloria and Peter were more parents than her real ones. They taught her everything she knew. Gloria taught her about periods and about sex and what's right and wrong. Peter shared his love of science with Anika. Peter was a lead scientist before he retired and he was very proud if his old preoccupation.

Both of them made Anika the woman she was today. Anika looked in the mirror once more. Her clothing was dark but the gemstone that hung on the chain around her neck glowed in white and pink colors with a gold lining and chain. Her face was in its resting position, her bitch face, and her hands were stuffed in her pockets.

She couldn't see herself with kids. Or a significant other. Or graduating college. The chances if her getting cancer were 83%. Most of her family members have died to it and it is very likely. And she already knew.

She did have cancer.

Terminal.