I went out for a run at 7:30 am. It had become a habit; I'd been doing it for three weeks. When I'd been running for 25 minutes, Ana and Mia joined me for the last five minutes.
They both intimidated me. They were just... So... Perfect.
Ana and I hadn't seen each other since the time she caught me eating. It had just been a few days since the last time I saw Mia. And I'd done what she asked. Many times.
"It's great that you're exercising," Ana said "you'll lose weight faster"
I simply smiled, not really knowing if we were in a good place. There was a silent moment, where Ana and Mia exchanged looks.
"So Mia told me what you did..." Ana said.
"Oh" I said, not knowing if it was good or bad.
"Have you been eating?" Ana asked. Did I look fatter?
"Very little, and I always puke whatever I eat" I said, looking up at them. Mia smiled. Ana looked at her before speaking again.
"Well, as you know, I'm not a fan of eating" Ana said. "But at least you're getting rid of the stuff you eat before your body absorbs the calories. Wait, how long do you wait before vomiting?"
"I don't like to wait. I usually feel guilty immediately, so I do it as soon as possible. It's usually two minutes or something"
"Good," Mia said. She sounded pleased "you're a natural" she smiled.
I'm a natural? Really? The other girls at my school were good at dancing, volleyball, football, cheerleading, drawing, math... And I was good at puking? How would I ever contribute to the world in a positive way? I was such a waste of space.
"Anyway," Ana continued, interrupting my thoughts "I just wanted us to be friends again. I mean, it's better if you don't eat, but if you go on a binge you have to puke. That's how Mia and I are still friends, despite her habit of eating. She has to throw up if she wants to keep being friends with me, because I don't want to be friends with a fat girl"
"Sure," I said "an empty stomach makes me feel lighter"
"Way to go" Ana said.
I looked at both girls, standing in front of me. I still couldn't really tell why they were so alike. They gave off the same energy, they were both pretty, tall and thin. But there was something else, something that connected them in a way that friendship didn't. I scanned them from head to toe, and then I realized what it was. How come I didn't notice before?
They both had those gray eyes, beautiful and deadly.
