*** End of Last Chapter***
Jan dabbed at her mouth with the corner of her napkin and stood up from the table. She then walked briskly through the kitchen, up the stairs, and to the bathroom that she and her sister shared. There she stuck her index into her throat, and gagged until all the mashed potatoes and bits of chicken that she had swallowed were in the toilet bowl. Flushing the toilet, she gave herself a grin in the mirror. At least she could do something right. Maybe if she were thin, then her parents wouldn't be disappointed in her anymore.
And maybe, someday, I'll be just as popular as Marsha ... if not more!
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Sorry it took me so long to upload, everyone!! Computer was down!! Anyway, R+R
please!! Thanks to all of you who already have =-) P.S.: I want to know if
anyone has any ideas on what should happen next! Thanks! ~~Jessikah~~
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Jan sat on the backyard swing, melanchololy spinning in wide circles. Nearby, Greg and Peter tossed a football back and forth. She tried to ignore the burning feeling in her throat; she had been throwing up for 15 days now, after nearly every meal. At about 300 calories a day, plus throwing up, she was begining to feel the effects. Lightheaded, she tried to focus on the boys' game.
"Hey Jan, come play!" Peter yelled. Jan stood up and walked to where the boys were huddled in the center of the yard.. Suddenly, the whole world seemed to spin around her, and she felt the ground give way beneath her feet. Jan felt Greg grab her shoulders roughly as darkness overcame her.
*** Time Lapse ***
Jan awoke to a mass of faces, small and large, staring at her conernedly. Glancing around, she saw that she was in the safety of her own room; only now, her family had invaded this semi-private realm of hers.
"What's wrong?" Jan mumbled groggily. She was still too tired to understand the situation.
"You passed out, Jan," her father spoke, "Greg and Peter carried you up here. We were about to call a doctor when you woke up."
"Do you want us to call the doctor anyway? You still look a little ill," Jan's mother remarked, "and very thin, actually. Have you been sick lately?"
Oh shit, Jan thought, no doctors! They can't find out. I've got to figure out an excuse ... fast!
"No mom, I'm fine ... I think I'll just rest for a bit. I stayed up really late studying for a test I had in school today, that's probably why I passed out. I should be fine now ... thanks." Jan put on her best smile. With that, Jan's sisters and brothers left the room, followed by Alice and her father. Only her mother remained.
"You're sure you're alright, Jan? Do you want me to bring you anything to eat?"
"Yeah, mom ... Fine." With that, Carol Brady walked over to the light switch, turned off the lights, and left the room.
Damn that was close! But I will reign supreme! They will never find out! Jan, suddenly feeling a chill come over her, pulled her blankets over her head to shut out the cold of her room. She then curled herself into a little ball and fell asleep.
*** Time Lapse ***
Two hours later, Jan awoke. She threw her legs over the side of her bed and stood up. She swayed momentarily.
C'mon Jan, you can do it. Just pull yourself together. That's it. Keep walking. Look at yourself in the mirror. You're getting closer, closer to your goal. Jan pulled up her green-and-white striped t-shirt and lightly brushed her fingers over her ribs which now protruded from her chest. Now go downstairs and show your family what you're made of! You'll show them how strong you can be! Jan padded sluggishly down the stairs and into the den, where Mike was drawing at his desk.
"Hi Jan, what brings you in here?" Mike swiveled his chair and turned to look at his daughter.
Though at first, her image of her father was clear, her vision rapidly began to blur. One moment Jan was looking at her father, the next moment she was looking at the ceiling. A sharp pain stabbed at her stomach. Seeing the now fuzzy Mike Brady run out of the room, Jan wondered what the emergency was. She tried to stand, but her legs, for some reason, wouldn't support her. They only crumbled under her weight. The room was now a white-and-grey haze.
Jan felt her heart begin to race, as though it was beating out of her chest. Gasping for air, Jan flailed her arms about uselessly. Then she went into shock.