This is for @Bobathekitten's Thanksgiving contest. 

..................................

I'm not hungry!

It was the only thought I could think as my mom heaped a third helping of mashed potatoes onto my plate. The conversations of my family members blurred into an unintelligible jumble, muffled by the heavy throbbing in my stomach. I could almost feel the food pushing at my insides. 

Please, please let this be the last one, I mentally begged, forcing my fork to my mouth one more time. Yet there always seemed to be more on my plate.

I ate as slowly as possible, knowing that if I finished, I'd have to eat more food. Everyone else seemed intent on stuffing themselves with everything on the table, oblivious of the amount they had already consumed. 

So much for being thankful. 

I breathed a sigh of relief when two of my aunts stood up and my mom began to clear the dishes. The tedious Thanksgiving dinner was finally over. 

"Abby, Suzanne, we're putting on a movie in the living room!" My dad called. 

"We'll be right down there," my mom smiled cheerily. How could she have so much energy  after eating a million tons of food? "Leila, come over to the living room, will you?"  

What? Throughout the dinner, I'd been thinking about spending the rest of the evening in the familiar environment of my room, reading Wattpad and listening to music, and now I wouldn't even get to do that! I grudgingly walked through the arched doorway after putting up my plate and washing my hands.

Most of my family was already assembled on the couches, packed way too close for comfort. Since I had arrived a bit late, I was forced to sit on the floor in between my little brother who loved to elbow me in the ribs and my kicking baby cousin. 

The movie was some old romantic comedy, filled with people in weird clothes and jokes I didn't get. Not to mention constant painful jabs from both sides of me.

By the time it was over, it was nearly 11:00 and I could barely keep my eyes open. I practically flew up to my room and flopped on the bed like a starfish. 

"Leila?" I heard my mom's voice in the doorway. 

"Mm?" 

"Just wanted to see if you're okay." 

"Yeah I'm fine. Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?" I asked with unintended sarcasm. 

"Actually,  no. I feel like I'm about to burst from all of that food."

"What? Then why'd you eat it? Why'd you make me eat it?" 

"Because, Leila," she made a moue. "It's Thanksgiving dinner."