MICHELLE'S POV
My eyes opened and I was in an unfamiliar place.
"Am I dead?" I mumbled.
"Let's hope not," growled a voice.
I turned to see Paul, sitting in a chair next to the bed I was laying in. The room was small, smaller than mine and the walls were brown with cowboy wallpaper. The comforter on the bed had cowboys on it, too. I would have laughed if I didn't feel so crappy, this is not the kind of room I imagined Paul to have.
"How did I get here?"
"You passed out," he nearly yelled, "How much do you weigh?"
"What?"
"HOW MUCH DO YOU WAY!" he was shaking, I put my hand on his arm and he relaxed, "You know you're the only person that can do that," he whispered.
"70 pounds," I whispered.
"You're a five foot tall fourteen year old girl and you weigh freaking 70 pounds?" he asked steadily.
I nodded.
"Michelle."
"Paul."
"I don't want you to die," he whispered.
"I'm fine Paul," I assured him, "I'm better actually, I'm thin."
He stood up and punched the wall. The whole room shook but didn't break.
"Stay," he pointed to me.
"Yes sir," I muttered as he left the room.
Five minutes later he came back with a tray loaded with food. Crap. He set it in front of my.
"Eat," he commanded.
"No."
"Michelle," he warned.
"Paul."
"Eat the damn food!"
"I'm not hungry!"
"Don't lie to me Michelle!" he yelled.
I glared at him and he glared right back. We just sat there, glaring at each other for a minute. I finally gave up and started shoveling yogurt into my mouth. I put half of the peanut butter sandwich in my mouth and swallowed it whole. I chugged the milk and bit into the apple. I did this all in less than a minute. Man I could eat. Paul was staring at me the whole time, his mouth open.
"What?" I asked, my mouth full of apple.
"Nothing," he said.
I rolled my eyes and swallowed, "Can I use the bathroom."
"No."
"What do you mean no?" I asked.
"No. I will not let you make yourself sick," he said.
I stood up anyway, planning to find it myself, but he grabbed my arm.
"Let go Paul," I said.
"No."
I turned to look at him, his gaze was fierce. He wouldn't stop glaring at me. I threw my free arm up in the air and sat back down on the bed. I felt sick.
"Paul, I need a trashcan," I said, panicking.
I must have turned green because he handed me one and held my hair back for me as I was violently sick. When I was finished, he looked scared.
"Don't you see what this is doing to you, Michelle? You can't even eat a decent meal without getting sick."
"So don't let me eat," I said.
"Oh, I'm going to force you to eat if I have to jam the food down your throat," he growled.
"Please don't," I whispered.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you I just…"
"You didn't scare me Paul. I just can't go back."
"Go back to what?"
"Being ten years old and weighing a hundred and ten pounds!" I screamed.
"Michelle, just because you eat doesn't make you… fat," he tried to reason with me.
"But I lose control, Paul. And I can't stop and next thing I know, I've gained five pounds!"
"I can help you. You just have to let me help you," he pleaded.
I was silent. Would he help me? I needed someone to help me, but not someone that would yell at me for not eating.
"I have to go to the bathroom," I muttered.
"Michelle, we just discussed this."
"Paul, I just lost everything in my stomach. I'm not going to stick my fingers down my throat. I really have to pee," I promised.
He sighed but helped me out of bed.
"Sing," he said when we got to a door in the hallway.
"What?"
"Sing so I know you're not making yourself sick," he said.
"That's ridiculous," I said.
"Michelle," he warned.
"Fine," I growled, "What do you want me to sing?"
"It doesn't matter."
"I have a terrible voice," I warned.
"I'm not judging you on the quality of your voice," he said.
I sighed loudly, "Twinkle twinkle little star," I sang and closed the bathroom door.
"How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
You know Paul, I feel really stupid"
"Just keep going."
"Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are," I finished and came out.
"Thank you," he sighed.
"Now what?" I asked him.
"You're going to eat something small."
I groaned and he dragged me downstairs.
"Where are your parents?"
"Ohio," he answered.
"Why?"
"Business trip," he said, shrugging.
"Oh," he set some cut up strawberries in front of me.
I picked at the food. I wasn't hungry after I was just sick, but anything to make him happy.
"How did you find out?" I asked quietly.
"Two people. That lee- Edward told me first, and then Jared because Kim told him."
"Ugh! She promised she wouldn't say anything!"
"Don't blame her. She was worried about you."
"Did you tell my dad?" I asked.
"No."
"Thanks," I sighed.
"But I'm going to tell him if you don't help me make you better," he warned.
"Fine," I grumbled.
"I'm glad you see things my way."
I didn't see things his way. I wished he would just let it be. Okay, so I feinted, big deal.
"How long am I staying here?" I asked.
"As long as I want you to. Kim told your dad you're staying at her house for the weekend. I have all weekend to take care of you," he said happily.
"Why are you so concerned about this?"
"Because you're my friend," he muttered after a pause.
PAUL'S POV
By the end of the weekend, Michelle had managed to gain back ten pounds and she was freaking out thinking she was fat.
"Michelle you're fine!" I promised.
"I'm not fine! I'm 80 pounds!" she cried.
"That's good! Actually, you should be at least ninety five with your height!"
"Paul! I'm going to get fat!" she yelled, trying to make her way to the bathroom.
"I will not let you do this!" I growled, pinning her arms to her sides.
She gave up and stopped fighting after three minutes of struggling. I carried her back into my room and set her on the bed. She crossed her arms and looked away from me.
"I know you're mad. But I'm helping you," I said.
I had actually been in contact with doctor leech. As much as I hated it, I needed his help. He told me what to say to her and what to feed her and how much. I still hated all of them, but the doctor that was helping Michelle I hated slightly less. I hadn't left the house since Friday in fear of Michelle going back to how she was, but I knew she needed to get home. I was bringing her to Kim's today so Kim could bring her home. Then, I would keep a watch on the house. Someone would always be with her during the day when her father wasn't home.
"Hey Michelle how are you feeling?" Kim asked.
"Crappy," muttered Michelle, then she turned to glare at me, but I glared right back.
"Come on, let's get you home," Kim said.
I followed them back to Michelle's house. Michelle said goodbye to Kim and went inside. She talked to her dad and I heard her go upstairs to her room. I climbed the tree outside her window and slipped inside. She was looking at that picture of herself as a child. She dropped it and gasped when I came inside.
"What?" she growled.
"I'm not leaving," I informed her, sitting on the bed.
"Have fun watching me sleep then."
She grabbed her pajamas and went to the bathroom.
"Sing!" I hissed.
I heard her sigh, but she began singing Twinkle Twinkle. I waited outside until she was done and followed her back to her room. I hopped on her bed and opened my arms to her. We hadn't slept in the same bed yet, but I had nowhere else to sit. She rolled her eyes, but locked the door and climbed in bed next to me. She was asleep in seconds
"I love you," I whispered even though she was sleeping, "Sweet dreams."