Guest: I'll be dealing with you at the end of the chapter.
For now, the rest of you enjoy chapter 3 of Girl Meets Control. :) :) :)
"I'll meet you in a second, I just have to go to the bathroom first," Lunch had just ended and Riley excused herself from her friend group as quickly as she possibly could.
She doubled back towards the old girls locker room attached to the gym that was no longer used. It would be the only empty bathroom after the lunch rush.
Riley slammed the door open, panic seeping into every piece of her body as she thought of all of the calories she was digesting at once.
She checked the locker room briefly. Already knowing no one was there, she pushed her way into a stall and kneeled before the toilet.
She only gave herself a moment to prepare for what she was about to do, she couldn't waste any time allowing herself to absorb any more calories than she already had.
Riley pushed her finger down her throat, going as far back as she could.
She always hated purging in public.
At home she could use a toothbrush, which she found to be much, much easier.
But in public she was forced to use her hand.
Riley couldn't hear anything but the sound of her retching.
As much as she detested purging, the sound brought a certain form of comfort.
The sound meant she would be rid of the enemy.
She would be rid of food.
Once Riley finally decided she was satisfied with the emptiness of her stomach, she sank back, gasping for breath.
Her throat stung. Tears trailed down her face.
Finally, on trembling legs, Riley stood up. She wiped her mouth off with toilet paper and flushed the toilet.
When she opened the bathroom stall door, she came face to face with Smackle.
"Riley, what you're doing is dangerous." Smackle stood with her hands folded tensely in front of her.
Riley stared blankly at Smackle for a moment before stepping straight past her to the sink.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Riley said with an air of innocence, plastering the smile she had gotten so good at faking onto her face as she washed her hands.
"Riley," Smackle spoke in a soft tone, walking towards Riley tentatively. "I would not be confronting you if I were not sure that I knew what was going on."
"I'm just a little sick is all. Nothing to worry about." Riley splashed cold water onto her face to reduce the puffiness and redness that would give her away.
"This isn't the first time I've caught you."
Smackle had her suspicions about Riley for weeks, and had been watching her closely.
Smackle was a scientist, she was analytical, she wouldn't make a fuss unless she was sure. Now, Smackle was sure of Riley's condition.
"You have an eating disorder. You need help." Smackle kept all judgement out of her voice, she spoke as impassively as possible.
"I don't have an eating disorder, Smackle. I'm fine. This is nothing," Riley reassured her.
"You need to tell your parents what is going on. They can get you the support you need." Smackle stepped toward Riley. "You don't have to do this to yourself."
Smackle once did a project on eating disorders for a mental health unit she did at Einstein Academy. She knew what Riley was really getting herself into. She knew what would happen if Riley didn't get treatment. She couldn't let that happen.
"I have it under control," Riley snapped. She was now drying her hands and face with paper towels.
"You think that now. But you don't know what you're doing. You can't see it." Smackle separates her hands, moving them behind her back. She stood straight and tall. She wanted to appear confident to Riley, authoritative.
"Please don't tell anyone," Riley said meekly.
"You'll die." Smackle looked at the ground. "I won't tell them, as long as you do it yourself."
"Smackle, I can't." Riley felt a lump form in her throat, breathing was becoming a strained process.
"You have to, Riley," Smackle urged her gently.
"No!" Riley yelled, so many emotions were boiling over in her at once. "You can't make me."
Riley ran out of the locker room, allowing the door to swing closed behind her.
What had she done?
She had allowed herself to be caught.
She was losing control.
She couldn't lose control, she wouldn't.
She would find a way to convince Smackle.
She would fix this.
Guest: Okay, listen here, hopalong. You don't know anything about the dynamic of the relationship I have set up for Zay and Maya, why they're dating, what their goals/intentions are, nothing. Plus, GMW itself kinda hinted towards a casual Zaya pairing in Girl Meets Bear. Just because I'm having a little Zaya moment doesn't mean Maya is leading Zay on. Keep leaving all the nasty reviews you like, but may I recommend you actually get five seconds into the story before you go ragging on it?
Plus, this fic isn't even about Maya and Zay or any ship, really. It's about Riley. Yes, Rucas will be shown. Yes, Smarkle will be shown. And yes, there will be some Zaya, Joshaya stuff in here. But you're really ragging on this story based on one line in the first chapter. If you're here for a story about Maya then you should probably read something else because this story really isn't about Maya or her relationships. It's about Riley, and Maya's most significant relationship in this story will be the one she has with Riley. I am considering writing a fic centered around Maya and/or Joshaya but this one isn't it.
Your opinion is appreciated but it seems like you're really missing the whole point of this story because of how upset you are about one line.