I sat down next to Hazel in Media Immersion, thankful that I had gotten to present my project yesterday.
"Ashley, are you ready to present your project to the class?" Mr. Simpson asked.
Ashley stood and took her place at the front of the classroom. "Every three out of ten girls will develop an eating disorder before she turns twenty. In this presentation, I plan to inform you of the harmful effects that eating disorders have and how they are treated," she said. As she began talking, I drifted into my own memories.
Flashback
Mom and I were sitting in a booth at the back of a restaurant, trying to decide what to order.
"I think I'm in the mood for a pizza," I said to her.
"No, honey, that's not a very healthy food," she said. "Why don't you have a fat free salad?"
"Why?" I asked.
"Because...well, honey, you don't need to gain anymore weight. You don't want Spinner to leave you, do you?"
End of Flashback
"Paige," Hazel's voice cut through my daydreams. "The bell rang...we can go now."
"Oh, sorry," I stood and gathered my books. I walked out next to Spinner and Hazel.
"Haze," I said, "I'll meet you in Kwan's class."
"Okay," she said, taking the hint that I wanted to talk to Spinner. She walked down the hall.
"Hey," Spinner said, hugging me gently.
"Honey," I said. "Do you think I'm pretty...I mean...well...do you?"
"Of course...Paige, you're gorgeous. Why?" he said, releasing me and looking into my eyes.
"Oh...I was just wondering," I stammered.
He smiled, kissed me gently, and we walked to class.
Hazel, Spinner, Terri and I sat at our lunch table. My lunch sat in front of me, but I wasn't eating. I wasn't really, hungry. They were all laughing at a joke Spinner had told, and I laughed along with them, pretending to have heard. But all I could remember was that morning.
Flashback
I scanned my closet, trying to find something to wear. I grabbed my favorite pair of brown jeans, hoping to wear it with a tank top. But something happened...I couldn't get them buttoned. And when I finally did, I looked awful. I felt bulky, and fat, and unattractive. It felt really bad. So I decided on a denim skirt and a tank top instead. It hung more loosely, and made me feel better about myself. I still felt overweight though.
End of Flashback
Later that day, I sat on my bed. I had been in my own thoughts all day long. I stood and looked in the mirror, hating the reflection that stared back at me. I walked to the bathroom, remembering the sandwich that I had had for lunch, and the chicken I had had for supper.
Bending over the toilet, I stuck my finger down my throat, getting rid of the food and emptying my stomach. When I was done purging, I brushed my teeth and started on my homework. Somehow, my eyes wondered back to the mirror. What was happening to me?
