Part Nine:

Miranda was blind to the changes. But Lizzie and Gordo could see what was going on, as could nearly everyone eles: Brenda was wasting away.

Over the next month, Brenda's eatting was out of control. She never ate lunch, and tried to distract her girlfriend and friends from this fact by keeping up a happy front and cheerful conversation. But it didn't work.

Sometimes Brenda would get so weak that she would collapse in the hall. She would laugh it off as Miranda helped her up: "Damn period" or "I guess I'm coming down with that flu, eh?" Miranda fell for every excuse that Brenda gave her, while everyone eles whispered about it amoungst themselves.

Lizzie and Gordo wanted to say something, but Miranda was as happy as they'd ever seen her: clearly, she was falling hard for Brenda, and with her friends back, everything seemed perfect. But they also remembered the time Miranda had been starving herself, and they knew that Brenda's problem was even more serious.

It was gym class where everything came to a head. It was a cold Febuary morning, just a few days before Valentine's Day and the dance. Brenda and Miranda were planning on going together, and they decided to no longer be ashamed that they were a couple. Even if Kate or Claire started in on them, they wouldn't pay any attention.

But in class that day, they were running laps for a "fitness test". The class finished it's tenth when Brenda fell to her knees.

"Brenda!" Miranda doubled back and grabbed her girlfriend's arm. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Brenda said weakly, clutching her head. "I just need to sit down for a second..."

Miranda helped Brenda towards the bleachers as everyone stared. But before they could reach them, Brenda grabbed Miranda's arm and collapsed again, this time unconsious.

"Someone help me!" Miranda called, and Gordo and Lizzie helped Miranda drag Brenda to the nurse's office. They put her on a bed and the nurse shooed them away. "Get back to class, you three."

As they walked down the hall, Miranda was worried. "I don't know what's been up with her lately. She's been so weak all the time, and..."

"Miranda?" Lizzie said carefully. "We think we know the problem. You see..."

"Brenda never eats," Gordo cut in bluntly. "Miranda, Brenda has an eatting disorder."

"She...no." But Miranda could no longer deny it. She'd been worried about Brenda ever since that night after the concert, and now she had gotten worse. "I should've seen it," she whispered.

"It's not your fault, Miranda," Lizzie said, putting her arm around her friend's shoulder.

"I'm sure she'll be okay," Gordo said, although he wasn't really sure.

There were rumors flying around school by lunch: that Brenda had had a heart attack in gym, and that an ambulence came to pick her up. The three of them knew that the latter was true: they'd seen an ambulence outside the school from the window of the English classroom. Miranda was in tears by lunch.

That night, Miranda tried to call Brenda's house, but nobody was home. She left a message on the answering machine: "Brenda, it's Mira. Call me when you...when you're avaliable. See ya."

Brenda didn't call. And she wasn't at school the next day. Lizzie and Gordo thought that poor Miranda was going to break down.

Miranda worried all day, was sure that she failed an important history test, and didn't eat anything at lunch at all...until she remembered how Brenda hadn't been eatting, and began to gorge on fries and ice cream bars.

That night, Lizzie and Gordo were at Miranda's house, for moral support. Whenever the phone rang, Miranda would pounce...but it was never Brenda.

Until late.

Lizzie and Gordo were about to leave at 10, when the phone rang again. Miranda jumped for it. "Hello?"

"Mira?"

"Brenda! Are you okay?"

"I...I think so..." Miranda could hear that Brenda's voice was choked up.

Lizzie, sensing trouble, nudged Gordo, and they started to leave. But Miranda held up a hand for them to stay as Brenda continued: "I have to go away for awhile, Mira..."

"Where?"

"I...they said I have an eatting disorder." Brenda began to sob, and Miranda felt her eyes fill with tears. "They're making me go to the hospital. Isn't that crazy?" Brenda gave a small laugh through her tears.

"Well...maybe it's for the best."

"What?" Brenda was confused: out of anyone, Mira would've been the one to offer her support. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...you never eat, Bren-"

"Just because I don't pig out in front of everyone, doesn't mean I have an eatting disorder or anything!"

Miranda bit her lip. "I just...I'm worried..."

"Whatever, Mira. I thought you cared about me. I guess you don't care about me going to the hospital." Brenda's tone was cold but definatly not calm.

"Brenda, that's not it, it's just-"

"Whatever, Mira," Brenda said again, then hung up. Miranda stared at the receiver, then tried to call Brenda back. The line was always busy. She slammed the phone down and started to sob.

Lizzie and Gordo formed a big hug around Miranda, who sobbed and clung to them. Her best friends, all she had left...

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Don't worry, readers, there's more. This isn't the end.