Chapter Two

 

"H

ow are you today?” Karli asked me, It had been a couple days since the incident. A lot had happened since then, I had discovered what the nurses name was, Alexis. Unfortunately like I predicted the head nurse discovered what had happened and lectured her on the importance of making me eat every single thing placed on my tray “Emma has a very strict diet and we must make sure she doesn’t miss anything. Her BMI is 15.2 we cannot afford for her to miss any calories!” She went on for a good hour making sure everyone knew that I must eat everything given to me. “Emma?” I shook my head bringing myself back to the present, “Emma? How are you?”
“Fine, I guess,” I shrugged, she hated it when I wasn’t specific. She waited for a more truthful answer, but was disappointed. She let out a sigh of frustration, “Okay, better than last week?” She tried to coax some kind of answer out of me.
“I suppose so,” I could see I was annoying her but I didn’t mind.
“Okay kiddo, on the scales.” I carefully hopped on praying that I hadn’t gained any weight whereas at the same time hoping I hadn’t lost any either. The last time I lost weight they increased my calorie intake and I wasn’t allowed to do anything. No exercise at all! Not even walking, I waited patiently for the result. “Great that’s almost a kilogram gain.” Karli chirped pleased with the results. ‘You worthless fat girl do you ever think you’ll be able to fit in any of your clothes now? Do you think that extra small dress you bought will still look good on you?’
My brain flashed back to the day I finally fitted into that desired size, extra small. We had been shopping for nearly two hours and my friends and I had spent a good deal of time in clothing stores. By the end of an hour my friends who hate shopping with a passion had left leaving 4 of us to continue. Sophie and Melanie both had this strange obsession with shoes and hair accessories. Most o f the time their outfits didn’t go together but they were the kind of girls who didn’t really care. I admired them for that. Then there’s Gracie, she’s the loud one of the group. She speaks her mind and tells the truth no matter what. Gracie doesn’t have many friends. “Look at this!” Sophie held up a black casual dress. All my friends sighed together. “Wouldn’t it just be a dream to fit into that?” Melanie said stating the obvious. My friends all nodded in agreeance. It is very rare to find a piece of clothing we all agree on, however this dress was what we imagined movie star wore during their spare time. “We should try it on, you know just for fun.” Gracie suggested, she always jumped at opportunities to humiliate ourselves but this time I was sure I had outsmarted her. “Sure, why not.” Gracie looked stunned that someone had accepted her challenge but then regained her confidence when she asked a question that was sure to humiliate me. “What size are you?” She smirked ready with an insult. “I’ll try extra small thanks,” Gracie’s smirk grew wider, her confidence growing by the minute. As I was changing I heard all my friends talking. “Extra small? Is she kidding?” Sophie asked concerned.
“I know she’s thin but extra small? That’s anorexia territory.” Melanie insisted, I tried not to giggle as the dress slid on. “Girls, don’t worry there’s no way she’ll fit into that dress. She’s always been the big one of the group.” Gracie said convinced that I was just making a fool of myself. “I’m coming out, are you ready?” I asked trying not to burst with excitement. “Ta da,”
I shouted, it was followed by silence. “Guys, is anyone home?” Melanie was the first one to speak, “You look amazing!” I giggled and began to blush.
“Mel’s right you look stunning! How much does it cost?” I spun around so they could check the price. I noticed Gracie sulking. “What do you think, Gracie?” I asked sure of myself that there was nothing she could say that would ruin my mood. “Looks a bit tight, don’t you think?” I stuttered, unsure as to what to say. “I mean that’s just what I think.” Silence was soon followed after her comment. “Don’t listen to her, the dress looks fabulous.” Sophie tried to encourage. “Are you going to buy it?” Melanie asked eager to hear the answer. “it’s only $40.00.” I smiled weakly and replied, “I might just leave it and come back.”
In the change room I studied my reflection. Now that I thought about it, Gracie was right. It did look tight. I turned to the side, why was it so hard to get rid of that stomach, and those thighs, why were they always so big? “Emma, we’re going to the food court. Will you meet us there?” How could I eat anything after this embarrassment?
“Uh, no actually my mum just texted me and said she has to pick me up now.” I lied, “you guys go ahead, I’ll catch you later.”
“Emma, Emma you can step off now.” Karli’s voice interrupted my memories. “You still have a long way to go, but you’ll get there.” Karli encouraged, I smiled hoping that this would be all over soon. “As long as you keep up your diet…”
‘Not eating light makes your clothes too tight.’ I took a deep breath, ‘you’ve come too far to take orders from a cookie.’ The voice hissed into my ear. ’Do you honestly believe that anyone could ever love a fat cow like you?

Reviews

[Weaver]

I have no idea how you did it, but I like the look of the oversized initial...
period, not comma, after "happened since then"
"the nurses name was" - "nurse's"
colon, not comma, after "name was" - or change to "I had discovered that the nurse's name was Alexis"
comma after "predicted"
period after "on my tray"
comma after "strict diet"
"BMI is 15.2" - (!!!) period after the number
comma after "good hour"
You need to indent paragraphs, or at least skip a line between.
period, not comma, after ""Fine, I guess"
period, not comma, after "I shrugged"
period, not comma, after "frustration"
period, not comma, after "I suppose so"
comma after "annoying her"
"Okay kiddo" - comma after "Okay"
comma after "hopped on"
"gained any weight whereas at the same time" - change "whereas" to "while"
comma after "The last time I lost weight"
period, not comma, after "Not even walking"
"Great that's almost" - comma after "Great"
comma, not period, after "kilogram gain"
comma after "Karli chirped"
Keep the italics, but don't put single quotes around the character's thoughts.
comma after "fat girl"
"extra small dress" - "extra-small dress"
comma after "nearly two hours"
comma after "end of an hour"
comma after "had left"
"leaving 4 of us" - "four"
comma after "didn't go together"
period or semicolon, not comma, after "Then there's Gracie"
Start a new paragraph whenever there's a new speaker.
"Melanie said stating" - comma after "said"
"agreeance" - "agreement"
period or semicolon, not comma, after "we all agree on"
"movie star wore during their spare time" - either "movie stars wore during their spare time" or "a movie star wore during her spare time"
"try it on, you know just for fun" - comma after "you know"
"when she asked a question" - change "when" to "as"
"She smirked ready with an insult"- comma after "smirked"
comma after "I'll try extra-small" (note hyphen)
period, not comma, after "thanks"
comma after "As I was challenging"
comma after "Sophie asked"
period or semicolon, not comma, after "I shouted"
period, not comma, after "first one to speak"
comma after "Mel's right"
"I asked sure of myself" - comma after "asked"
"I stuttered, unsure as to what to say" - awkward - try "unsure of what to say"
comma after "I mean"
"Silence was soon followed after her comment" - confusing - do you mean "Silence followed her comment"?
period, not comma, after "Don't listen to her"
comma, not period, after "fabulous"
comma after "Melanie asked"
"it's only $40.00" - "It's only forty dollars" - comma after "dollars"
period, nor comma, after "smiled weakly and replied"
comma after "change room"
period, not comma, after "turned to the side"
no comma after "that stomach"
question mark, not comma, after "those thighs"
comma after "no actually"
comma, not period, after "pick me up now"
period, not comma, after "I lied"
period, not comma, after "go ahead"
comma after "Emma, Emma"
comma, not period, after "you'll get there"
period, not comma, after "Karli encouraged"
comma after "I smiled"
Don't use single quotes around thoughts - the italics are enough
period, not comma, after "took a deep breath"

I don't know if it is your intention, but this story does show one of the problems with trying to help people who have anorexia: they don't WANT help until they can be convinced that they shouldn't be so underweight. Emma seems to be doing everything in her power to fight Karli's efforts to get her to gain weight.

[E.H. Monroe]

More pain and more of that ol voice in the head that we all have. Too fat, too bearded, too drunk etc.
I like the quiet progression of her attitude. The regression into the flashback as she helps recooperate into a normal functioning female without the bullshit, cut a wrist self loathing.
Even though its about weight, anyone with an addiction can relate. You made the rehab process open for any b*****d with a bad stutter who has been mocked coldly but friends feel the effects of the running high.

Roll out the next one

[AloysiaVerben]

I love it :D
Quick question though.
How did you do the formatting, I like it and mines always really bad :P
Good story though, look forward to more!