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I tell another lie today, but no one sees through my games. It is silly and stupid but I want to see what I can get away with. I smile at my best friends and say, “No, its okay. I don’t feel all that well today.”2
I push the plate of fries back to them, watching as they shrug and dig into them. They smell delicious and I know I should be joining them in our weekly Friday tradition to splurge on fries for lunch. Instead of accepting, I apologize and sneak away.3
I notice him give me a slanted, suspicious look.4
I don’t know what to do, so I go up to my locker, get some of my homework I’d already done and head back down the stairs for the library. My friend corners me by saying, “I didn’t see you in the café, have you already eaten?”5
I lie again, by nodding and saying, “I ate before I came.”6
I sit down beside her and we get to work on correcting our homework. I glance up to see him walk by, catching my eyes.7
She asks me if anything was wrong – with her answers. I want to talk to someone, to tell them I am in a constant battle, but no one asks and I don’t dare trust myself to speak up first.8
As I make my way back up the stairs to my locker to switch my homework for my next two period binders, I feel a growl from my stomach. Then, as if I’ve taught myself a new trick, I force it to go away. Slowly it becomes a painful, yet easily ignored, ache.9
“Hey, there you are,” a voice comes from behind me. I spin around to see the guy I’ve been crushing on walking towards me. Panic is my first reaction, but then I realize around him, I could be rolling around in mud and he’s still going to talk to me.10
“Hi,” I whisper softly. “Were you looking for me?”11
“Nah,” he says with a grin, “but I’m glad I found you.”12
I just smile and my hand automatically turns my combination on my lock. I never concentrate on my combination because if I do think about it, I screw it up. I glance up at him as I slip my lock off. He’s sort of smiling down at me, but looks really nervous about something.13
“Me too,” I murmur, unaware I was thinking out loud. He chuckles and I ask, with a weak smile, “So, now that you’ve found me, what do you plan to do with me?”14
He doesn’t speak. Instead I feel his hands on my waist as he rests his chin on my head. He’s a whole head taller than me, but I like him anyway. We always talk in classes, because we have three out of four classes together and we sit beside each other in each one – twice because of the teacher’s seating plan, once by choice. I don’t breathe, and I feel like I don’t know how.15
Lifting his chin off my head a bit, he asks me softly, his breath brushing against my ear, “Are you okay?”16
It’s a question I’ve been dying to hear someone ask me. I never thought it would be him to ask. It comes as a pleasant surprise. I shake my head and for the first time, I feel like speaking up first.17
I know he brought it up in his round-about way. I turn around in his hands to face him, placing my hands on his chest, slightly gripping his shoulders. I close my eyes and ignore the need to bury my face into his chest.18
I whisper, “I’m so hungry. I haven’t eaten a proper meal in days.”19
Then he does something that surprises me. He doesn’t tell me to get help, doesn’t even mention telling an adult. Instead, he takes my hands and pulls me in close to him.20
He says, “Let’s skip Art and go get you a Big Mac® from McDonalds, okay?”21
I agree in my next heart beat. Suddenly, I know with him around, I’ll be okay. He holds my hand as I take my first step in the right direction – and the amazing feeling that comes over me is all thanks to him.22
“You okay now?” he asks as I finish up my second Big Mac®.23
I grin. “Yeah, I think I’m going to be okay.”24
“Good, because you were worrying me lately and I couldn’t let you hit rock bottom before you got better.” He smiles and I smile back.25
He is the reason I’m still living today.26
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Author notes
I don't personally have experience with eating disorders. I know some people who have struggled - and still are - with this sort of stuff.
Anyway, last night I took my laptop with me in the car when my mom and I headed over to the mall. I wrote it in twenty minutes, so like, if I screwed anything up -- tell me!
erica-♥-xoxo
In a list
A contest entry
- [eating disorders] by miles of smiles.
600 points, ended December 7, 2008, 13 entries
• next story in this contest, remove from contest
[ ♥ ] this is when the pain starts to show | this is when her stomach starts to growl
Comments
1 - 28 of 28
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crazy good
one word, wow. for 20 minutes this is terrific it really did touch me how tht guy cared for her that much. The girl almost reminds me of the nerdy girl who gets the jock, lol IN A GOOD WAY. i rlly liked it though(:
KEEP ON WRITING<3 -
Go enter this in my contest. Now.
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Haha! Entered it!
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Wow. 20 minutes? How unfair! It takes me several DAYS to write a remotely presentable short story. I really loved this piece.
I knew what the protagonist's problem was almost immediately. I don't have personal experience with eating disorders, either, but having read many stories and articles on the subject, I spotted it. The characters were very believable and real, which made it even more enjoyable for me to read. Also, I think I'm in love with this GUY.
He totally helped her through a rough patch in her life, and I find that awesome.
Love this. Keep writing (or else)!
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Thankies.
I promise I'll always write ... I don't think I have a choice not to.
erica(♥]xoxo
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that was good---especially the ending because the guy reacts in a way that won't scare her, love it!
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Thankies!
erica*♥*xoxo
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Allot of people are compelled and share that they are amazed at the time length that it took to post this story, yet in actuallity, the time length didnt suprise me, the title didnt suprise me, yet the plot and storyline was just beautiful moon girl !
Thank you for posting this story on SW !!
very well done !
-Hismercy
beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.
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thankies! you rock.
erica-♥-xoxo
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Wonderful story! Are you sure you wrote that in twenty minutes?
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Thanks, and yup. I'm a pretty fast typer when I want.
erica-♥-xoxo
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oooooooooooooooo... I absolutely love this. And 20 minutes??!! Wow, talk about talent !
I never met anyone with a eating disorder, but I've seen it in movies... so I guess I kinda know what its like...
It's sad though *sheds a tear*
Well, other than the sadness, I loved the romance part. He's so sweet to care for her like that! ♥
Loved It ! Once Again!
- i think he's SOOOOO cute
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thankies so much!
and yup. twenty minutes. i surprise myself sometimes.
rica-♥-xoxo
ps.
he IS cute! :]
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That was amazing for twenty mintues :] You did awesome, but maybe more description? Whatever, it was only twenty minutes
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duly noted.
makes me sound professional. anyway, i'm going to be fixing it up for a bit.
thankies!
erica-♥-xoxo
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It sounded as though you had butterflies in your stomach, and you couldn't tell your friend, but the guy relieved the pressure, or maybe you just wanted to go out and eat with him huh. well I liked it, and for a 20 minute story it was written well.
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thankies.
erica-♥-xoxo
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Wow! Twenty minutes amazing
This was so perfect and awesome.
I loved everyword but I wanted to know what the guys name was....Please tell me
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thankies! and um. i'm not sure but i guess i pitcured him as a ... Vincent. long story behind the name, i mean.
erica-♥-xoxo
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OHMYGOSH. Excellente!!! As alway, awesome job!!! I love how you took a kind of touchy subject and turned it around into a cute romance story.
The only thing I can possibly say needs improvement is that I want more response from your main character. I understand that all this stuff happens to her, but as a reader, I want more responses/reactions from her. How is she feeling? The whole thing is a little... disconnected. But maybe for this kind of story that's the kind of effect you're looking for.
Also, I dislike McDonald's, but I can't really criticize that.
I love the line "couldn't let you hit rock bottom before you got better". It just does a great job of displaying how he cares for her.
Lovely. x 2345098463.324!!!
<3
Maureen.
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Thankies so much. I'm really glad you liked it, glader that you pointed out I need to work on her feelings a bit more. I'll have to do that when I get home tonight. I'm at school right now and well ... my "stoner" teacher's giving me a funny look.
erica-♥-xoxo -
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Oh that sounds uber fun!! Being in school while I'm at home...... Gonna go to the pool soon!! Yay!!
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!
It's totally raining here. I just came in from walking/dancing/singing in the rain.! I looked like an idiot && fell in a puddle. It was amazing
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I'm gonna get the one technical thing I noticed first. paragraph five, it should be eaten and not ate.
This hit kinda close to home for me. Too close for comfort. I think I've developed an eating disorder over the past 6 months or so, it has a lot to do with my anxiety disorder though so I think if I get that straightened out I should figure the rest out. But I have a wonderful, amazing boy who cooks for me and worries about me and would do exactly what the boy in this story did in a heartbeat.
this was nicely done. good job.
-gibson -
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Aww. Well, I'm glad you have someone there for you and you're getting better. It's just something I've seen a couple of my close friends go through and well, it's too close for comfort for me too. Just a bit.
Anyway, thank you.
erica-♥-xoxo
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Awww. This was so sweet. Kinda poetic in a way, the way you worded it. I couldn't find any mistakes, but then again, I was too engrossed into the story to even care!
Like I said, sweet, short, but sweet.
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YAY! Thankies! I'm glad you liked it.
erica-♥-xoxo
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