Seamless Sisters

Competition

Lilly's Pov

I go on the computer that night and check the website comments for the dance team. I'm reading a lot of positive things, but then there's a message that says "Ask Lilly Hart about her anorexia, she's been starving herself, should she really be dancing?" Tears fill my eyes, and I slam the computer shut. I go downstairs crying. Mom meets me halfway on the stairs, and she picks me up. "I just got a phone call from Miss Abby saying that there was a comment saying that you've been starving yourself? Is that true?" she asks. She sounds sad, and I cry hard over her shoulder. "I wanna die," I sob. "No, no, you don't," she says setting me down and bending down to talk to me. Maya rubs my shoulder. They then takes me upstairs to weigh me. The number is extremely low. "Baby, we need to get you to the doctors now," Mom says worriedly. I grab Maya's hand, and we drive to the hospital. I'm 20 pounds underweight. My heart rate was low, and I needed to eat and gain weight.. "No no no NO," I cry as I'm laid in the hospital bed, Maya rubs my forehead and smooths my hair as tears pour down my face. They serve me a tray of food, but I refuse to eat it or drink the boost. My stomach hurts too much. The doctors said that it's shrunk from my eating disorder, and so A feeding tube is inserted into my stomach.

So I go to school with a feeding tube in my stomach, I'm going to wear it during the day, and then I have to go to the hospital after school so they can tube feed me all afternoon.

At practice, Abby told me I wasn't allowed to dance until I got my strength back. I sit out on the bleachers covering my face with my hands. "Guys! Teammates don't do this to one another," she says talking to the other kids. "I'm going to ask one last time! Who posted that message?" Nobody raises their hand. "OK, from now on nothing gets posted until I see it first. And since no one's willing to come forward, I have no choice but to punish all of you. If I EVER see anything like that again, I promise you I will cancel the season." Abby says. Everyone groans, but then Alexus raises her hand. "Is it true? That she's starving herself? Because if she is, she shouldn't be at school anymore," she says. "YOU KNOW WHAT ALEXUS?! You sit out!!" Abby says. And everyone gasps. Alexus stands up and walks to the bleachers. "Okay let's get started! Group one tumbling, group two work on stretching, group three work on your solos," Abby says. She then talks to me, "Hey, is everything okay?" she asks, and I nod. "Don't worry, in about three weeks when you get weight restored and get that feeding tube it, you'll be back killing it, okay?" she says. I feel a little bit better.

The next day, at the competition, Alexus walks up to Brynn. "Hey, I can do that dance any day," she says as Brynn rehearses her solo.

"In fact, I won a medal for it back in summer camp," Alexus says. "That's nice!" Brynn says still rehearsing. She's about to go on. "Of course, mine was harder because I did two aerials," Alexus says looking at Abby whose busy helping other dancers. She starts walking behind Brynn. We're not allowed to be there unless you're going onstage. What is she up to? I run over there. "Alexus! you're not supposed to be here!" I say. "What, are you going to go tattle on me?" Alexus says. "Leave her alone," I say. "No," she hisses. "Bet you can't do it, Brynn," she says. "Whatever," Brynn says. "You're not going to be able to do it, you're not going to be able to do it, I'm the only ONE that can do it," she says. Brynn then goes on stage determinedly. Alexus was trying to psych her out before her performance. "Watch this," Alexus says smirking at me. Brynn performs wonderfully, and I'm relieved, but all of a sudden, she falls and lands on her hip during the aerial.