I'm so sorry! I know I haven't updated in ages but I've had so much going on recently. This week's been quite busy for me and I just haven't had time to update, I've had to do assignments and coursework and loads of other school stuff so I'm really sorry.
And also, I probably won't be updating this weekend either, it's my brother's and best friend's birthday parties so I'll be quite busy. Sorry!
I'll try my best to update on Monday though.

This chapter's a bit all over the place because I've been writing it at different times throughout the week, but still, I hope you like it :)
Please review, it really does make my day.

Lauren was laid on her bed, exhausted from walking round school all day. That was all she had been doing for the hour since she arrived home, lying there and thinking. She knew it was only a certain amount before her mum called her down for tea, and she was desperately trying to think of an excuse to get out of it. She was overwhelmingly hungry by now, but she wouldn't let herself give in, she mustn't be so weak. She had to have the self control to stop herself, she had to prove to herself and everyone else that she could do it, she could be thin.

"Lauren, tea!" shouted her mum from downstairs, just as Lauren had predicted.

Lauren made her way slowly down the stairs and into the kitchen, the smell of her mum's homemade lasagna filling her nose. She was so hungry that the smell that would normally have her mouth watering was making her queasy, which was maybe just as well, because if it hadn't of been, Lauren was sure that she would have pounced on it the second she saw it.

"Mum, actually, I don't feel that well, could you save me some for later?" said Lauren, trying not to cause any suspicion.

"Oh, but I made it specially," said her mum, obviously a bit disappointed.

Specially for what? Lauren thought. It had been like that ever since her dad left, she knew what her mum was doing, trying to act all mumsy and nice to convince Lauren and her brothers not to take up the long-standing offer of going to live with their dad. Lauren didn't see the point, not she or any of her brothers wanted to go live with their dad and his sleazy new girlfriend.

"Just save me some, yeah?" Lauren said to her mum, smiling at her.

"Alright, Love," said her mum, coming and putting her arm around Lauren. "What do you say me and you watch a DVD or something tonight? We haven't had a nice girly night in ages."

"Oh, Mum, I would, but I have a load of homework to do for tomorrow, and I want an early night. But some other time, yeah?" said Lauren. She didn't actually have to do homework, well, she did, but more than anything she just wanted time on her own. Other people seemed to be annoying her that day, she suddenly enjoyed her own company a lot more than anybody else's.

Lauren woke up suddenly to the sound of her alarm ringing, it was seven o' clock and she had to get up. She stirred and started to pull herself out of bed, shaking as she pushed herself upwards. When she was out of bed she slowly shuffled across her bedroom floor and grabbed her uniform, which was hanging from her wardrobe door. Lauren got dressed very slowly, tired and shaking from hunger. When she'd eventually finished, Lauren went downstairs and went into the kitchen.

Nobody was in there, her mum had gone into work early and her brothers were all probably still in bed. Lauren didn't want to stay in there too long, some of the food looked far too tempting, so she grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and took it up to her bedroom so she could drink it whilst doing her hair and make-up.

Lauren sat on the edge of her bed to do her hair, she didn't have the energy to stand in front of the mirror. She brushed her curly hair back into a ponytail, smoothing it down with her hands to ensure there were no bumps. She then stood up so she could check it in the mirror, but all Lauren seemed to have gained from the ponytail was a triple chin. Sighing, Lauren took the bobble out of her hair and brushed it through again, then she slipped a gold coloured headband in it.

She then started on her make-up, deciding to take some time and do it properly, instead of just throwing some on and hoping that it looked okay. Lauren started with her foundation, thoroughly rubbing it into her skin, though the amount of flesh that she felt clinging to her cheekbones alarmed her. She then outlined her eyes with her mum's black charcoal eyeliner pencil, then started on eyeshadow, which they weren't actually allowed to wear to school but Miss Mason would just have to live with it. Lauren applied a small coat of grey eyeshadow on her eye lids, and followed that with mascara, with made her eyes look incredible. Lauren didn't know why she was going to so much trouble just to go to school, but she did want to look nice for Josh, because she had been looking a right state the last few times he'd seen her. Plus, if people were looking at her eyes, they'd be less focused on her fat body.

Lauren finished off her make-up with a touch of rouge on her cheeks and then some pink lipgloss. She then stuffed her bottle of water in her school bag, not wanting to drink it then in case she smudged her lipgloss all over her face, and went downstairs to try to find something suitable for her lunch.

Glancing round the kitchen, Lauren could only see things that were sure to be full of calories, bread, biscuits, chocolate, did her family even understand the term 'healthy eating'? Lauren opened the fridge and started rummaging through there, hoping she would find something that she could eat, but all she could find was chocolate desserts, milk, and left-over lasagna. Lauren grabbed the dish of lasagna out of the fridge and scraped the contents into the bin, covering it with sheets and sheets of kitchen roll, then she placed the empty dish in the sink, so that her mum would think that she'd eaten it.

I'll have to just make up another excuse why I'm not eating lunch, thought Lauren, she was sure it wouldn't be that hard.

Lauren glanced at the kitchen clock, it was a good ten minutes before she had to set off to meet Sam, but she still grabbed her bag and started putting her shoes on, she wanted to get there before Sam for a change, so she didn't look so lazy and disorganized.

She walked slowly down to the main road, where she met Sam, not really having the energy to pick up her pace. By the time she eventually got there, she could already see Sam approaching from the other direction.

"Hiya," said Lauren, when Sam was closer, taking the initiative to start the conversation for once.

"Hi," said Sam, smiling at her. "Woah, what's with the eyes?"

"I just fancied something different today," said Lauren, shrugging.

"Well I'm not sure the teachers will appreciate that," said Sam.

"Tough," said Lauren.

The girls walked to school chatting to each other, though Lauren was finding it quite hard to keep up with Sam and talk at the same time.

"Hey," said Josh, walking over to them as soon as they walked through the gates.

"Hi, Josh," said Lauren, smiling at him.

"Hi," said Sam.

Josh and Lauren smiled at each other and then looked away, embarrassed. Then the three teenagers were silent as they were walking into the school.

"So... I'm gonna go talk to Bolton, see you two in form," said Sam, sensing that she was the third wheel.

Sam headed off in another direction and Lauren and Josh carried on walking down the corridor.

"I like your make-up," said Josh, shyly.

"Thanks," said Lauren, smiling at him once again.

The two walked slowly to their form room, talking about stupid stuff like homework and how stupid their history teacher's shoes were, smiling at each other whenever they got the chance. When they reached their classroom Josh went to sit in his usual place and Lauren took hers next to Sam, who was already in class.

"He so fancies you," Sam said to Lauren, who was grinning flirtatiously.

"No he doesn't," she said, then stopped to think about it. "Do you reckon?"

"Yeah!" said Sam, "Just look at the way he was flirting with you.""He wasn't flirting," said Lauren, though she secretly hoped that Sam was right.

"He so was," Sam replied, smiling. "And so were you for a matter of fact.""I was not!" Lauren said, giving Sam a gentle shove.

"Quiet down," said their form tutor, just as the bell rung for registration.

It was almost twenty past ten and Lauren was sat in maths getting increasingly hungry, she'd hardly eaten anything in the past two days and she was feeling very light headed. Josh kept looking over and smiling at her and Lauren was smiling back, happy to be getting attention from him, but her mind wasn't completely focused on Josh, or the algebraic equations she was supposed to be working on.

"Sam, how do you do number two?" Lauren turned around and whispered to her best friend, who was sat behind her.

"You're only on number two? What have you been doing for the last forty minutes?" Sam asked in response.

"Um, thinking," said Lauren.

"Flirting with Josh more like," said Sam, smiling.

"No! Anyway, how could I be flirting with him when he's at the other side of the classroom?"

"I've seen you smiling at each other," said Sam, smirking.

Lauren flashed a smile at her maths teacher, who confusedly smiled back at her.

"Does that mean I fancy him now?" asked Lauren.

"Ew, no," said Sam, laughing.

"Girls, get on with your work please," said their teacher, looking over at them.

"Sorry, Sir," said Lauren, turning around and pretending to work.

Lauren was finding it hard to concentrate on her work, and was thinking more about how painfully hungry she was than 'y equals four x squared'.

Five more minutes passed, with Lauren sat in her uncomfortable, plastic chair, clutching her stomach in an attempt to get it to stop rumbling.

"Right, you can go to break now," announced her teacher to the class, looking at the old clock on the classroom wall.

There was a loud noise as the whole class pulled their chairs backwards and stood up, rushing to get out of the classroom. Lauren hesitated a bit and then stood up slowly, feeling a sudden rush in her head.

"Come on," said Sam, stood in front of Lauren.

Sam started to walk out of the classroom and Lauren followed slowly behind, her arms folded over her upper body. The girls started to walk down the stairs to get to break, Lauren keeping her arms folded and head down, wanting to get to break and sit down as soon as she could.

"What's up with you?" Sam asked her, noticing that Lauren was very quiet.

"I just don't feel that good," Lauren said, quietly.

"Again? You should have asked your mum to stay at home if you didn't feel well."

"No, I'm fine," Lauren replied. But just as she said that she saw her vision blur, and felt herself swaying to the side, feeling sicker and more light headed than she had done a minute ago.

Lauren grabbed the banister just in time to stop herself from falling, and she stood there, trying to blink away the blurriness and steady herself.

"Lauren?" said Sam, stopping on the stairs when she realised that Lauren had stopped. "Are you alright?"

Lauren nodded, though she felt awful. After a few more seconds Lauren let go of the banister and started walking gingerly down the last couple of stairs.

"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Sam, "Do you want me to take you to the nurse?"

Lauren shook her head, she knew that the nurse would be able to tell straight away why she felt so ill.

"Can we just go sit down?" Lauren asked, shaking slightly.

"Course," said Sam, putting her arm around Lauren's shoulders, and the girls started to walk in the direction of the exit.