Hanna heaved into the toliet, pink toothbrush in her right hand, her left gripping the side of the toilet. The sun slanted in through the window, staining the tiles and Hanna's back with liquid gold.
Once she had regained her breath, she forced the toothbrush down her throat, and vomited again. Her stomach began to ache. Once Hanna finished, she placed the toothbrush down and stood. Her ankles shook, her tall black boots helping keep her upright. She glanced in the mirror, looking for any change. Nothing.
She lifted up her dress to reveal the pale skin of her stomach. Her stomach protruded slightly, and she immediatly pulled her dress down. Amanda was right, she was fat.
A tall, skinny brunette aproached Hanna, her kitten heels clicking against the tiles of the school hallway. Hanna recognized her as Amanda Pierce, a "nerdy" girl Ali used to torment.
"Have you gained weight, Hanna?" She asked, adjusting the purple frames of her glasses. Hanna glanced down at her stomach. She looked back at Amanda, fake concern dancing in the brunette's light eyes.
"I'm not trying to be rude! I'm just worried." She insisted, fixing her glasses again. "It's just unhealthy to eat a pint of ice cream in one sitting. Isn't it, hon?" Amanda batted her eyelashes, feigning innocence.
How did she even know Hanna ate that ice cream? Hanna wondered.
Either way, it was true. Hanna felt unheathy and gross. She could practically see her transformation back into hefty Hanna as she stood. The girl knelt back over the toilet, toothbrush in hand. Again and again, it slid down her throat, and again and again, she vomited.
Half an hour later, Hanna felt no skinnier. She tried to make herself sick again, but her stomach had been emptied. Hanna splashed cold water on her face, and brushed her teeth. Although it was only six o'clock, Hanna changed into pyjamas and fell asleep on top of the comforter.
The next day at school was no better. Another girl Ali bullied, Cindy Moore, sat by Hanna during Biology. Hanna had never spoken to the redhead, but from what she had seen, the girl was friends with Amanda.
"Wow, Hanna! I've never noticed before, but you're really curvy!" Cindy announced. Several students looked up and glanced at the pair.
Hanna didn't look up from her notebook doodles. It was best to just ignore it.
"Seriously, you really are! I can't believe I never noticed! It's kinda obvious." Cindy tugged on the ends of her bright hair.
"Cindy? Can we not talk about my curves?" Hanna didn't give the girl the satisfaction of seeing the tears pooling in her blue eyes.
"Sorry, Hanna. I'm just impressed, I've never seen a teenager who was so...curvy." Cindy giggled, trying to turn her comments into a joke.
The rest of the day passed with no more comments from Amanda or Cindy. When Hanna opened the door to her house, her mother bumped into her, trying to exit.
"Hanna, I'm glad I caught you. I've just been called into an emergency meeting in Philly. I don't know how long it'll last, so I'm staying the night there. There's frozen dinner in the freezer if you get hungry, or you can order pizza, I left some money on the counter. Even though I'm gone, the rule still applies: no Caleb in the bedroom. I love you, and I'll call you tomorrow morning."
Hanna, who wasn't really paying attention, just nodded and told her mom she loved her. Mrs. Marin looked around, nodded, and left, dragging a small suitcase behind her.
Once her mother left, Hanna went upstairs to the bathroom. The comment Cindy made stuck in Hanna's mind all day. It was true, she was curvier than her other friends. Emily was lean from swimming, Spencer was thin because of she used to play nearly all of the sports offered, and Aria was just naturally petite.
Hanna found the toothbrush in the medicine cabinet above the toilet. She knelt down, and forced the toothbrush into her throat. She gagged into the toilet. Bile was the only thing in the toilet, she hadn't eaten anything all day.
Down the stairs she went, and into the kitchen. Hanna microwaved a cheesy rice dinner, and ate it in under three minutes. Once she finished, she rushed to the bathroom and forced herself to empty her stomach.
Friday morning, Hanna pressed down the button on the water fountain. A thin stream of water shot up in an arc, and Hanna took a drink. She straightened, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. She stepped back, and into someones chest. Hanna whiped around, seeing a girl with messy black curls and a cheetah print dress.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to run into you." Hanna muttered, trying to step aside. The girl blocked her path.
"You're Hanna Marin, right?" Her voice was deep and smooth. Hanna nodded slowly. "I'm Whitney Brown. Amanda and Cindy told me about you."
That sparked Hanna's interest. "What did they say?"
"They said you were short and blonde and curvy. I thought they meant hourglass curvy, but I guessed wrong. You're more chubby than curvy." Hanna felt hot tears gather in her eyes.
"They told me they were trying to help you lose weight. And they said it was working. I don't want to know how chubby you were before."
A few tears slipped out of Hanna's eyes, slipping down her cheeks. The blonde pushed past Whitney and walked quickly towards the front doors. She passed Aria and Spencer as she walked.
"Hanna? Where are you going?" Spencer asked.
"Are you ok?" Aria tried to follow the girl, but Spencer grabbed her arm before she could.
"I think she wants to be alone right now." Aria began to prostest, but Spencer held up a finger. "But I am going to call Caleb. Hanna said he was getting back to Rosewood early in the morning."
Hot tears splashed against the bathroom counter. The liquid was stained gray, it had collected Hanna's eye makeup as they fell. Using the heels of her hands, she wiped the tears from her cheeks. The toothbrush was lying next to her on the counter; Hanna hadn't hidden it last night.
She gripped it tightly and forced hot vomit up her throat. Tears continued to spill down her face as she made herself sick.
"Caleb, you need to get to Hanna's house. Now." Spencer instructed into the phone. Aria and Emily heard the muffled complaining of the boy through the phone.
"No, now. She ran out of school this morning crying. She's been acting really strange lately and I don't know why. You need to go." Spencer ended the call and set the phone down.
"Is he going?" Emily asked. Spencer nodded.
"He's on his way now."
Hanna ate another cookie. She felt fat, and needed something in her stomach to rid herself of. She looked at the box from the bakery. Only a few treats remained. Hanna decided that was enough.
Up in the bathroom, she shoved the toothbrush down her throat. She vomited, and again, and again. She vaugly thought she heard a knock at the door, but ignored. it
Caleb knocked again. No one answered. He pushed the door open, thinking Hanna's mother was out. Nobody asked who was in the house, so he assumed Hanna was upstairs. As he walked he heard an odd noise. It sounded like coughing. And retching. Was Hanna sick?
The bathroom door was slightly ajar, so he pushed it open. And he almost immediatly wished he hadn't. Hanna knelt over the toilet, hot pink toothbrush gripped in her hand. She puked, coughed, and forced the toothbrush back down.
"Han?" The blonde in question dropped the toothbrush. It hit the tiles with a loud clack.
"Caleb?" He rushed to his girlfriend's side.
"What on earth are you doing?" He nearly shouted. Hanna burst into tears, fisting her hands in his shirt. Caleb immediatly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.
Hanna's tears had almost ceased. Caleb decided now was an okay time to question her.
"Hanna? What were you doing? Why?" She used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears.
"You're gonna think I'm stupid." She muttered.
"I could never think you were stupid. I need you to tell me why, though. I need to make this better for you." Caleb's sincere words nearly brought her tears back.
"It's just, these three girls. They keep coming up to me, and telling me how fat I am. And it's true. I'm never going to be as skinny as Emily or any of the girls. It's a miracle you're here right now."
Caleb felt his anger spike. Some girls forced Hanna to make herself sick. Some girls told his princess she was fat and undesirable. He pulled Hanna in closer, and she buried her face in his chest.
"Don't listen to them. Don't you ever listen to them. You are not fat. You are perfect. You are the most beautiful person I have ever known." Hanna smiled slightly. "So please. Don't ever do anything like this again. Okay?"
"Caleb..."
"Hanna. Promise me."
"I promise."
"Who were those girls?"
"Caleb..."
"Hanna, I need to know. Please."
Hanna sighed. She knew there was no point arguing with Caleb. "Amanda Pierce, Cindy Moore, and Whitney Brown." She whispered.
Caleb nodded. "I'm going to make this okay. I swear I will."
That monday, Hanna walked into school pressed to Caleb's side. He had his arm wrapped around her waist. Amanda was walking up to the blonde, but when she saw Caleb, she turned and ran.
Most of the day passed uneventfully. During lunch, the girls and Hanna spoke, and Caleb was holding Hanna's hand. A brunette and a redhead passed, holding lunch trays. Hanna tensed, and everyone at the table noticed.
Caleb stood, kissing Hanna's cheek and gave a muttered "Be right back." The two girls sat at a table, and Caleb approached. Spencer saw the boy's target, and rushed to help him pass along the message.
"Hello." He said coldly. The pair looked up, and the brunette smiled.
"Can we help you?" She asked sweetly.
"Yeah, actually. Are you two Amanda and Cindy?"
"Yes we are. What can we do for you?"
"I'm Hanna's boyfriend, see. And yesterday, I walked in her making herself throw up because she thought she was too fat. When I asked her where she got that idea, I was told you two told her."
Cindy looked at Amanda with a worried look in her eyes. "We were only trying to help-" Amanda began.
"Your help is unapreciated. I swear, if I ever see you two doing anything to Hanna again, I will not hesitate to call the police. Understand?"
The girls nodded hastily. "Then that's all." Caleb began to walk away, but he heard a familiar voice.
"Actually, that isn't all." Spencer glared at the two girls, who shifted uncomfortably. "Caleb might have let you off easy, but I'm not so forgiving." She leaned forward, hands on the table.
"If I see you two doing anything to Hanna, I swear to God I will personally snap every bone in your bodies. And then I will report you for harrassment. Are we one hundred percent clear, ladies?"
Amanda and Cindy nodded frantically. Spencer smiled coldly. "I'm glad we understand each other." She turned on her heel and stalked back to the table. Caleb smiled at Spencer as the two returned to Hanna and the others.
