Tennis Instructor (A.K.)

Chapter 12: Drink Up

Owen hadn't been eating right since early middle school. Some days, she ate sufficiently and some days she ate extra, but most days she didn't eat enough. That habit had been formed when she realized she was 'too lazy' for exercise as Owen would put it. The reality was that Owen had asthma growing up and that made cardio tough on her. She'd never experience runner's high, but starvation pains sufficed.

     It was a habit she had recognized was horrible and unproductive years ago. Owen knew not eating usually resulted in one of two things. She either caved and binge ate, typically foods that were unhealthy and bad in those quantities that quickly, or her body fully absorbed every food she ate due to it being deprived of food. It made fattier foods that much fattier. Besides that, eating was essential, and as a straight A student, Owen was well educated on that fact.

     Seeing Melody on Awsten's arm had triggered something inside of her. Looking down at her own soft body everyday made Owen heartbroken. She felt as though she didn't deserve food, not that skipping meals would make her thinner. Owen felt like someone built like her didn't deserve to indulge in food when she couldn't watch her figure.

    Owen was healthy, though, which was the worst part of it all.  She didn't have visible abs or a short mile time, but she had good muscle definition and no health issues. When she had a decent relationship with food, she ate well and understood her body's needs. It was just the fact that her genetics made her curvy, and society told her that was bad, that made Owen so disappointed in herself.

     She always started to get upset when the weather got warmer. It was a reminder that she wasn't the same sort of pretty the girls in magazines were, which was hard to ignore. Add her existing issues to her attraction to Awsten, and the only 'meals' Owen had eaten since she met Melody were salads. That meant she hadn't eaten correctly in nearing three weeks that day she she walked into practice.

     Awsten could tell something was off. He noticed something weird when he came over a few days prior and Owen hadn't offered him food once. He didn't expect it, but did find it odd that she never thought to. In every other aspect, her hospitality was impeccable. It didn't worry Awsten at the time, because the fact that she went eight hours without food was simply wild to Awsten. He had to ask to order in or make food.

     Owen at the time claimed her appetite was simply out of sorts that day, opting to just sit with Awsten while he ate some snacks from her pantry. He brushed it off, respecting that she might not like eating around others. Nerves killed his appetite, so he assumed that could've been the source. An eating disorder never occurred to Awsten, as obvious as it may have been.

     Owen greeted Awsten blankly, lacking any enthusiasm but holding tired eyes. He didn't take it personally, though, because he knew that he had his own share of rough mornings. He wasn't going to judge Owen when he didn't know what she could be going through.

     When they attempted to have a discussion about tennis, Owen tuned Awsten out so obviously he wondered if he had done something. He knew she had no where better to be, so her attitude shocked him. Awsten assumed he must have been the root of the problem.

     "How does a quick game sound?" He didn't let his concerns show, masking them with a wide smile. Disregarding his hurt feelings, Awsten decided it would be more fun to warm up with a quick match. He knew he'd win, but getting into hitting the ball back and forth would hopefully get Owen into the swing of things.

    "Fine."

    Watching her move was similar to watching slow motion videos. Her reactions were delayed and her movements were lackadaisical. It seemed like she was putting no effort forth and being stubborn, but her mind was in too much of a daze to realize she was pissing Awsten off. Just when he was on the verge of asking what her issue was, she raised a hand to her head and dropped her racket.