"She won't be home for another half hour."
"She'll still know."
"Relax. Her mother said we could. Besides, this is important." She opens up the door.
"What?" Say's Riley.
"Where's Mayas stuff." She points to her bag.
"There and the second drawer." It's not a lot of stuff. This should be quick. I open the bag. Topanga tells Riley to leave just in case.
"Pens, pencils, sketchbook, binder, notebooks." I say as I stack them. "Gum rappers, two bucks, pencil sharpener with a missing blade." I look deeper. "The blade." I stick that in my pocket. "Diet pills." I take a deep breath. Maybe she used them before. "Agenda, elastic, and a piece of old un chewed gum." Topanga turns back from the drawer with something in her hands. Weights and batteries.
"She also had empty water bottles in Riley's recycling bin."
"Maya's back." Says Riley, walking in. "Bring her in." We place many of the items on Riley's bed and stop Maya at the door. "First of all, it's dark so you're late. Second of all, surprise weigh in. I lead her down the hallway.
"But you always do it after dinner. That's not fair."
"Neither is lying." I close the door behind Topanga, which confused her.
"Clothes add weight."
"Not that much."
"Maya."
"No way." I sit down. So does Topanga. And we wait.
"You know, Auggie needs help on his homework." Say's Topanga. She got her. Maya feels bad. She lets her take her shirt off. I don't know if this is even legal. She lets her in her useless bra and underwear. It's a good thing we did. Maya had heavy clothing in. Her ribs are as clear as the skeleton in the labs is, her legs tiny and bony, and scars on her stick arms. Her chest is clear, her collarbones are sticking out, as well as her veins. I look at the scale. She steps on, reluctantly. She cheated twenty five pounds. She's only lost weight. When we thought she gained it. Maya sits down on the rim of the bathtub, her arms wrapped around herself, rocking back and forth, tears starting to fall.
"Help." She says, quietly. Topanga hands her her sweatshirt, which she outs back on but her tiny legs are still exposed.
"You should have said something."
"Lucas."
"What about him."
"I didn't want him to get sick of me."
"He wouldn't get sick of you, Maya. None of us are mad at you. He's gonna get sick, you're right. Sick of the anorexia. Not you."
"All I am anymore is this. I lost everything else."
"It's all still there, Maya." I hug her. "You're the same girl."
