Four weeks had passed since the start of Ren's diet. What had been mere
odd glances in her direction by her friends and family had turned into long
stares of concern and attempts to decide what was wrong. Every day, Ren
went to the gym after school and put in at least an hour and a half,
sometimes up to two hours, no matter how fatigued she felt. When she
actually showed up to dinner, she picked at her plate, moving food around
to make it look as though she had eaten more than she actually had. Lunch
had become a joke; she spent it in the library catching up on the homework
she had missed the night before due to her fatigue. Late at night, Ren
would go to the kitchen and take out a hard-boiled egg, making sure to eat
only the white and not the cholesterol-containing yolk. Mornings, she
would eat a piece of toast and fill her waterbottle at the faucet in order
to fill her up and make her less hungry. Sometimes, Ren wouldn't be able
to resist the temptation and would eat so much she felt her stomach would
burst, but afterwards, her resolve only strengthened.
Monique and Ruby had begun to notice how Ren's pants hung limply off her hips, how the tops that once fit snugly around her torso and arms were now baggy and shapeless. Though neither one wanted to say anything to their friend directly, they were beginning to feel as if they had no choice. They were watching the once-athletic Ren pant her way around the school track once before asking the gym teacher to get a drink. It was a warm spring day, however, that finally pushed Ruby and Monique over the edge, made them decide they absolutely had to talk to their friend. Ren was wearing her favorite black pants, which were now slouchy instead of fitted, and a long-sleeved pink top. Ren ordinarily never passed up an opportunity to wear cute summer tank tops and knee-length skirts, but here she was on a beautiful spring day, dressed as if it were March. The matter was settled: they had to talk to their friend.
They found Ren in the library that day during lunch, hunched over a heavy textbook, as usual. Ruby, usually so spirited and outgoing, found herself too worried to speak, so Monique took charge. "Ren? Why aren't you in the cafeteria?"
"Because I'm doing homework," Ren snapped quietly. "Now go away and let me finish this reading, will you?"
"Listen, Ren, we're getting worried about you," Monique began. "You missed last Tuesday's afternoon newspaper meeting, and one of my friends said he saw you at the gym across town that afternoon. You haven't been showing up to lunch. You fell asleep yesterday in French class and couldn't focus even when your eyes were open. You can't even make it around the track without-"
"Go away, okay?!" Ren hissed. "I'm doing fine. It's just a little stress. We're nearing the end of the year and I have to keep up with classes and start reviewing for exams. Besides, as junior class president, I'm on the prom committee, and prom is in just two weeks. Everything is great." Her tone wasn't convincing.
Ruby finally found her voice. "Ren, look down at your arms. They're so thin they could literally snap, and don't think that a long-sleeved top can hide that. Your clothes don't fit anymore; you've obviously lost weight--"
"Get out of here!" Ren practically hollered, earning a stern glare from the librarian. "I don't want your help and I don't need it! Nothing is wrong!" Hands trembling, Ren closed her book, placed it on top of the others on the table, stood up, and attempted to lift the heavy stack. She dropped all but one, knelt to gather them, struggled to stand, and finally flounced angrily out of the library, her bony hips switching in aggravation. Monique and Ruby looked at each other sadly and sat down at Ren's vacated table, placing their heads in their hands. How could they possibly help their friend if she wasn't willing to accept any help to begin with?
Storming down the corridor, Ren found the nearest girls' room and pushed the door open. Fuming, she opened the door to the nearest stall and sat down, seething at her friends. How dare they condemn her for what was obviously necessary? How dare Ruby tell her she looked awful, when she already knew it? How dare-And before she knew it, Ren's head was in her hands and tears were spilling between her fingers. Shivering, Ren opened her backpack and pulled out her cardigan sweater, pulling it around her shoulders as she sobbed alone in the bathroom stall, trembling and unsure where to turn.
Monique and Ruby had begun to notice how Ren's pants hung limply off her hips, how the tops that once fit snugly around her torso and arms were now baggy and shapeless. Though neither one wanted to say anything to their friend directly, they were beginning to feel as if they had no choice. They were watching the once-athletic Ren pant her way around the school track once before asking the gym teacher to get a drink. It was a warm spring day, however, that finally pushed Ruby and Monique over the edge, made them decide they absolutely had to talk to their friend. Ren was wearing her favorite black pants, which were now slouchy instead of fitted, and a long-sleeved pink top. Ren ordinarily never passed up an opportunity to wear cute summer tank tops and knee-length skirts, but here she was on a beautiful spring day, dressed as if it were March. The matter was settled: they had to talk to their friend.
They found Ren in the library that day during lunch, hunched over a heavy textbook, as usual. Ruby, usually so spirited and outgoing, found herself too worried to speak, so Monique took charge. "Ren? Why aren't you in the cafeteria?"
"Because I'm doing homework," Ren snapped quietly. "Now go away and let me finish this reading, will you?"
"Listen, Ren, we're getting worried about you," Monique began. "You missed last Tuesday's afternoon newspaper meeting, and one of my friends said he saw you at the gym across town that afternoon. You haven't been showing up to lunch. You fell asleep yesterday in French class and couldn't focus even when your eyes were open. You can't even make it around the track without-"
"Go away, okay?!" Ren hissed. "I'm doing fine. It's just a little stress. We're nearing the end of the year and I have to keep up with classes and start reviewing for exams. Besides, as junior class president, I'm on the prom committee, and prom is in just two weeks. Everything is great." Her tone wasn't convincing.
Ruby finally found her voice. "Ren, look down at your arms. They're so thin they could literally snap, and don't think that a long-sleeved top can hide that. Your clothes don't fit anymore; you've obviously lost weight--"
"Get out of here!" Ren practically hollered, earning a stern glare from the librarian. "I don't want your help and I don't need it! Nothing is wrong!" Hands trembling, Ren closed her book, placed it on top of the others on the table, stood up, and attempted to lift the heavy stack. She dropped all but one, knelt to gather them, struggled to stand, and finally flounced angrily out of the library, her bony hips switching in aggravation. Monique and Ruby looked at each other sadly and sat down at Ren's vacated table, placing their heads in their hands. How could they possibly help their friend if she wasn't willing to accept any help to begin with?
Storming down the corridor, Ren found the nearest girls' room and pushed the door open. Fuming, she opened the door to the nearest stall and sat down, seething at her friends. How dare they condemn her for what was obviously necessary? How dare Ruby tell her she looked awful, when she already knew it? How dare-And before she knew it, Ren's head was in her hands and tears were spilling between her fingers. Shivering, Ren opened her backpack and pulled out her cardigan sweater, pulling it around her shoulders as she sobbed alone in the bathroom stall, trembling and unsure where to turn.
