Skinny • Book 1 In The Reality Series

Calum

The unanimous conclusion that we should pull over for the night was reached when I drifted into another line out of sheer exhaustion nearly hitting a semi truck head on.

Getting another motel room was discussed however since we were working with limited funds which we had to ration for food and gas, we parked outside a convenience store instead.

We ate stale chips and slurpees for dinner, before reclining our seats, triple locking the doors and calling it a night.

Pulling the hood of my sweatshirt over my head for warmth and I fell asleep in record time, losing consciousness the moment my eyes closed. However my much anticipated slumber didn't last long.

During the night I was woken up suddenly. Startled, I sat up and looked around. Elliot was sleeping, Gracie lay asleep beside him with her head resting on his large body while Sierra slept in the passenger seat next to me. Feeling my eyebrows lower I reached up and fumbling around in the dark turned on the lights.

Elliot, Gracie, Sierra.

Realizing that Katy was missing my heart dropped down to my stomach. Hastily turning off the light I looked around the car at the empty gas pumps, the eerily quiet convenience store and the stalks of corn swaying ominously in the near distance. It looked like the set of a slasher film.

I didn't want to get out of the car, that seemed stupid. It's always the poor film that wanders off on his own in movies who's the first to die, but on the other hand I couldn't just leave Katy out there, wherever she was.

Taking a shaky breath I reached out and pulled up the lock from my door. Looking back at the other two girls, and the elephant and finding them all still fast asleep, I slowly opened the door, slipped out into the dark then closed it carefully and quietly behind me.

After double checking that the keys were in my pocket, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself before forcing myself to put one foot infront of the other and walk across the dark, deserted lot to the beacon of light that was the convenience store.

Pushing the dirty glass door open I stepped over the threshold and onto the grimy, pink tile floor. Squinting, my eyes unaccustomed to the brightness, I looked around at the aisles of chips, chocolate and cheap knickknacks. Seeing no sign of Katy a sinking feeling of dread washed over me.

Turning around in a full circle until I was facing the counter where a greasy haired guy with more teeth missing then were in his head was stood guarding the undoubtedly empty register and the wall of cigarettes behind him.

"Hi." He greeted, his eyes glued on the tower he was building out of packages of Bubbleicious gum.

"Hey." I replied taking a small step towards him, "I'm looking for someone. Has anyone come in here?"

"You looking for the big girl?" he asked, "She came in a little while ago, bought a bunch of stuff."

Deciding to ignore his rather crude description of Katy I ran my fingertips through my undoubtedly sleep tousled hair.

"Where did she go?" I demanded.

"Bathroom." He answered, jerking his thumb in the direction of a door on the opposite side of the store.

Thanking him I turned and walking down the tampon, condom and diaper aisle made my way over to the door. Glancing back at the guy behind the counter who wasn't paying me the slightest bit of attention I raised a fist and knocked lightly.

"Um someone's in here." Katy's voice replied so quietly I almost missed it.

Taking a step closer to the door so that the toes of my shoes were pressed against it I sighed in relief, "It's me. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said quickly, too quickly, her voice sounding the opposite of fine, "Just...go back to the car."

"No I'll wait for you."

"NO! I um... I don't need you to it's fine."

Frowning I reached out and wiggled the door handle even though I knew it was locked, "Katy, let me in."

There was silence on the opposite side of the door for several seconds before there was a click as it was unlocked.

"Can I come in?" I questioned, not wanting to find her indecent.

"Please don't." she whispered.

My compassion getting the best of me, I reached out and opened the door. Stepping inside the one person bathroom I was surprised to find Katy sitting on a pile of toilet paper and paper towel on the floor beside the toilet, a sea of empty packages and wrappers strewn around her.

There were deflated bags of chips, empty boxes of candy, drained drinks, and enough discarded cellophane wrappers to wallpaper a house.

Looking up at me with blotchy tear stained cheeks and red, moist eyes, snot dripping from her nose and crumbs covering her clothes, Katy let out a broken, involuntary sob.

The room smelled heavily of public restroom and was laced with the putrid, pungent reek of what could only be vomit. Trying to breathe through my mouth, my stomach churning and my heart hammering in my chest I tried to think of something, anything to say, but I was at a loss for words.

"Katy," I said slowly after a moment, "Why?"

"I-I can't help it." She choked out, "I didn't mean to, I don't want to, I can't stop it!"

"Hey." I breathed, stepping over the pile of wrappers and kneeling down infront of her, "I know, okay? It's alright."

"It's not alright!" she sobbed, reaching up and tugging at her hair, "It's disgusting! Why do I do this? What is wrong with me?"

Reaching out and gently detangling her fingertips from her hair before she ripped it out I set her hands down in her lap before tilting her chin up gently so that she was looking me in the eyes, "Nothing is wrong with you." I assured her slowly.

"Normal people don't do this!" she cried, "I try, so hard during the day to eat healthy and then every night I do this! I just eat, and eat and eat until I puke."

Wincing I looked back down at the wrappers. There were more calories there collectively then most people needed in three or four days.

I couldn't fathom eating even half of it, the very thought repulsed me, churning my stomach. But somehow, I understood. While I was drawn away from food seemingly by some magnetic force, she was drawn to it. I liked the way my stomach growled and ached when I went to bed. I enjoyed counting out every calorie, adding it over and over again, rounding up. I loved squatting until tears of agony rolled down my cheeks after every minute thing I ate, and I hated it.

I wasn't in control, not anymore, and neither was she. It wasn't a choice, it wasn't a want, to eat food or stay away from it, it was a need.

Watching Katy burying her face in her knees, her entire body shaking with broken sobs, I moved from where I was knelt infront of her and sat beside her. Hesitating for a moment, I then draped an arm around her.

"You're okay." I said softly, "I've got you."