Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me.
Ariadne hurried behind Arthur, noting how quickly and easily he moved. But she also spotted his hunched shoulders, indicating he was unhappy. She bit her lip - it surprised her how quickly she was learning to recognise signs indicating the Point Man's emotional state.
As he stopped at a bus stop, and flagged one down, she paused. Suddenly, she realised her palm was full of change. She waited for him to get on, then discreetly entered.
Arthur was moving down the aisle. "OK if I sit here?"
"Of course!" a female voice replied. Ariadne felt a slight scowl flickering across her face. She tried to remind herself that these were the teenage Arthur's memories.
"You ok?" she heard the voice ask. "You look a little...flushed."
"Fine." Arthur sighed. "Just my mother. Again."
"What's the problem?"
"I wish she'd accept this is how I'm built. She now thinks I'm anorexic!" He turned to his companion. "Don't laugh!"
"I'm not, honestly," she said, shaking her head. "But you do eat."
"Yeah, I do. And I'm not going to stuff myself when I'm not hungry." He shrugged. "Simple as that."
The bus came to a halt, and Ariadne blinked. Suddenly, she was in a classroom. The school, she realised, was an expensive prep. Arthur was sitting towards the front.
"Right, two chapters. That's homework. Thanks, see you tomorrow." The teacher spoke authoratively, and the class began to rise, Ariadne joining them. She began to walk out into the hallway, noting the girls in their jumpers and kilts, and boys in blazers and ties. Arthur was walking towards his locker.
Suddenly, she realised two larger boys were bearing down on him. "Hey, skeletor! Heads up!"
Arthur blinked, and dodged as a fist came flying, hitting the locker. Ariadne gasped, and took a step backwards. The other boy grabbed Arthur's shoulders, turning him so they were facing each other.
"Listen," the other boy growled, staring into Arthur's face. "Leave my girlfriend alone!"
"Never touched her," Arthur said, defiantly. "Its a free country."
"Listen, you're not getting it. Why would she be interested in a bag of bones like you? She wouldn't. Unless you were hitting on her."
"I'll say it again," Arthur stated, his voice calm. "I'm not hitting on her, or trying anything.I-"
He stopped. The other boy had put his hand on his face, shoving it against the locker.
"You listen," his opponent said, coldly. "A scrawny little kid like you hasn't got a chance. Why don't you go back to your geeky friends and realise that no woman will ever be interested in you?"
He removed his hand from Arthur's face, and began to walk away. Ariadne started to move towards him, when suddenly, she realised she was walking behind him again. To a door marked "School nurse."
Arthur knocked. "Come in!" A female voice called. He entered, Ariadne slipping in quietly behind him. The nurse smiled at him. "Arthur! Know why you're here?"
"No," he replied, honestly.
"Well, your mother called." She studied the young man's face. "She's concerned that you're underweight, and may not be helping yourself."
"My mother-" Arthur paused. "My mother thinks I'm anorexic. I'm not, I-"
"OK," the nurse said, riding over his words. "Let's weigh you."
Arthur complied, taking off his shoes and jacket. The nurse ran the metal weight along the scale. "125," she announced, shaking her head. "Too low, I'm afraid."
Arthur swallowed. "Look, I do eat, I just-"
"Arthur, you're damaging your health." The nurse frowned at him. "You need a diet sheet."
"I don't, I-"
"Listen," she interrupted. "Perhaps you should see a doctor. Eating disorders are very destructive. They can ruin your life, and your family's. Isn't it time you stopped being selfish?"
Arthur, his mouth open, said nothing. Meekly, he accepted the sheet thrust at him, and proceeded to leave the room.
Ariadne followed him. Suddenly, she realised she was sitting in the lounge. His parents' home. She got up, suddenly realising she could hear voices through another doorway.
They were sitting at the dinner table.
"Arthur, you should have more pasta."
"Mom, I have enough on my plate."
"Two spoonfuls isn't enough!"
"Its enough for me!"
"Well, that's why you're as thin as a stick!"
"Mom, it doesn't matter how much I eat!"
"I'm taking you to a doctor tomorrow! They might knock some sense into you!"
"I don't need to see a doctor!"
"Oh, I've read about this, its classic denial!"
"I'm not in denial about anything!" Ariadne heard a chair go scraping back, and realised Arthur was standing up. "Mom, I do not have an eating disorder, I'm just thin!"
"You're too thin! You need fattening up!"
Suddenly, Ariadne heard another voice, a sarcastic one. "Yeah, Art. Not exactly fighting girls off with a stick, are you?"
Ariadne blinked, feeling slightly sick. She'd heard enough. As the ground began to shake, she closed her eyes, willing herself to wake up.
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