Freshman Year, May:

The next few months were challenging ones for us all. Maya had to work the hardest she ever had to avoid rumors, taunting, and not be pulled back with her smoking buddies. Riley had to work hard in her art class, trying her hardest to keep her grade at a high B or better yet, an A. I worked hard with my athletics, making JV basketball captain, and the varsity baseball captain. Next year I decided I would add football to the list. As summer approached though, something about Maya's attitude began to make me suspicious.

"Where's your lunch?" I asked her innocently one day as we found our usual lunch table that we shared with all our old middle school friends.

"I'm not hungry right now." She wouldn't look at me. This confused me. Maya always loved her food. No no, she was nowhere near fat or something. She was perfect. But she always had something to eat. I don't think I had ever heard her say 'I'm not hungry' before.

"Here." I handed her an extra bag of chips from my lunch. "I won't eat these. You can have them." I passed her the bag of pringles, her favorite snack. But she wouldn't take them.

"I mean it, Huckleberry." She sighed in frustration. "I'm not hungry. I don't want your food."

"Maya, you can't just skip lunch," she was glaring at me as I spoke, "you just can't."

"Watch me." She challenged and before Farkle or I could stop her she grabbed her bag and was making a straight line for the cafeteria doors. She passed Riley on her way out, Riley stopping to try to talk to her, but Maya breezed right past. Riley looked hurt, then made her way to our table.

"What happened with Maya?" she looked directly at me. Was I always blamed for when Maya was upset? Apparently, because everyone at the table was looking at me, waiting for answers.

"I don't know, go ask her." I shrugged in confusion and bit into my sandwich. But my lunch was ruined that day. I kept thinking of a starving Maya, hiding in the bathroom or something. But when I saw her in sixth period, she looked fine. Maybe I was overreacting.

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But I spoke too soon. She wasn't fine. It was Smackle's fifteenth birthday and she brought cupcakes to school. The whole math class stopped for a moment to eat and sing to Smackle. When I handed a cupcake to Maya, she took it in her hands, seemed to ponder it for a moment.

"It won't bite you." I joked. But she didn't laugh, didn't even look at me, just kept staring at it. Eventually she began to bite into it, then began to scarf it down completely. Then had seconds. And thirds. After the singing and most of the cupcakes were gone, Maya asked to be excused to the bathroom. But before she got back, the bell rang for lunch. As I walked towards the cafeteria, I made a slight detour past the bathrooms to wait for Maya so she knew where we were. After waiting for five more minutes outside, she walked out, stumbling slightly.

"You ok?" I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Fine." She muttered. "Just a little light-headed."

"Do you actually have a lunch today?" I challenged. She held up a brown bag.

"I actually do." She spat and flung some of her hair over her shoulder. I chuckled and followed her to the lunchroom.

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But after her big lunch feast, she excused herself again, and when Riley got up to go too, Maya waved her down and said she'd be right back. Except she didn't come right back. The warning bell rang and Maya still hadn't come back. So we all gathered our lunch stuff and made our way to our lockers. But on my way back, I swung by the bathrooms, just in case. And in the silence of the nearly empty halls, I heard a sound coming from the girls' bathroom. I stopped and listened for a minute. It sounded like someone was sick. So I waited to make sure they were ok, wondering if I should call someone or send her to the office. But when the door opened, Maya walked out, looking fine.

"Maya, is someone in there sick?" I asked when she looked up and saw me. I saw her eyes widen slightly.

"I don't think so." She turned and began to walk down the hall towards her locker.

"Maya, I heard someone puking in there." I ran up behind her.

"No one else was in there but me." She replied. "It must be your imagination."

"Or maybe it wasn't." I replied and grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face me. "Maybe you were the one puking in there." I narrowed my eyes at her. She swallowed quickly.

"I'm not sick." She practically whispered.

"That's not what I was implying." I retorted. "But I think you know what I am implying." I added quietly.

"You've got it wrong," she shook her head slightly.

"Do I? Maya, for a week I never saw you eat anything. Then today I see you eating everything in sight then hear you throwing up in the bathroom. Does that sound normal or fine to you?" I looked down at her, my heart slowly beginning to break. I hoped I was wrong. "You're not doing this on purpose, are you?"

"Of course not." She answered quickly. I squeezed her arm to make her look at me.

"Don't you dare lie to me." I threatened. She paused and bit her lip a bit. Then she looked up at me, her eyes full of tears.

"I had to." She whimpered. I couldn't breathe. She was doing it on purpose. But why?

"Why?" I breathed.

"Because I'm fat." She choked out and I saw her working so hard not to cry. "Everyone was saying so."

"Who?" I growled between my teeth. "Who said that to you?"

"Well, no one said it out loud. But I know what people think. And I know what I am. I don't do any sports and I want to be like Riley. I want to wear a size 2 and I want to be skinny and I was to be slim and pretty."

"Maya, you aren't fat. You are slim and pretty." I didn't even know how to convince her of this. "Riley is pretty, but so are you."

"Stop." She shook her head again. "It won't work. You can't save me this time, Lucas Friar. This is my decision. I know what it will do to me. But I want to. I want to lose weight. And I will do this."

"Maya, I don't want you to end up in the hospital just cause you wanted to lose a few pounds, pounds that you don't even need to lose. Maya, you're perfect." I blurted before I could stop myself. Her head snapped up at that.

"What?" she croaked.

"Riley is skinny, but she has no shape. Maya, you are perfect. No one thinks you're fat. We all love you just the way you are. If you keep doing this, it could become a serious disorder. You could get addicted to doing this. You have to stop now while you still can." I begged.

"I can't." she sighed. "I want to look pretty."

"Please." I sighed. "Try to understand how dangerous this is for you."

"It's not like I love doing this." She scoffed. "But it's a way. And I have to make it work."

"Maya, there are thousands of safer ways to lose weight."

"I know." She admitted.

"So let's not start this…."

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She walked out onto the track in her yoga pants and baggy shirt, her sports bra strap peeking out on her shoulder. Her blonde curls were pulled into a high ponytail and it bounced as she walked slowly over to me. She was frowning.

"Hi." I smiled.

"Let's get this over with." She grumbled.

"How many laps?" I offered.

"One?" she asked hopefully.

"I was thinking we could start with running one mile today." I said instead, chuckling at her cuteness.

"How many laps is that?" she asked cautiously.

"Just four." I promised.

"Four?!" she cried. "Nuh uh! Count me out!" she turned to walk back inside, but I caught her arm and tugged her back to me.

"Maya, come on. We both could use some exercise. It's good for you." I reminded her. "The more you run, the more fit you'll be."

"I'd rather just go on a diet." She mumbled.

"I know." I sympathized. "But we agreed we'd try to stay away from that stuff."

"No, you agreed."

"No, we both did." I corrected her. "So come on. I'm doing it with you, let's go." I hopped out on the track at the starting line. She eyed me warily. "Maya…."

"Yeah yeah." She sighed and stepped out next to me and took a breath. "Go slow, ok?"

"Ok." I laughed. I never thought I'd ever see Maya Hart out running around a track. After our workout I had her drink water and watched her eat a whole banana, careful to make sure she swallowed it and then I drove her home. I handed her a granola bar as she got out of the car. She took it gingerly and rolled her eyes.

"Ranger Rick, stop giving me healthy food. I'll eat, ok?" she grumbled.

"I know you will. I trust you."

"Way to lay the guilt on thick." She sighed in frustration. But she didn't shut the car door, just stood there, looking in at me. Finally she said, "So, today was good. Tomorrow….?"

"I'll be at the track at four." I smirked. She smiled and rolled her eyes, slammed the door, and jogged up to her apartment. I laughed and started the car. So I guess that would be the third time I saved Maya Hart.