Why We Laugh (#Wattys2018)

2. I Laughed Because He Didn't Eat

This chapter centers around a boy with an eating disorder. Eating Disorder is terrible things. I am getting over mine, and I've found life much happier. Project-ED

Please, if you are suffering from an eating disorder please get help. I will not go into character's rants about fat or give any weight measurments. This is a serious problem.

I will put a trigger warning on this chapter.

2. Reece

We sat like civilized people in the lunchroom. There were no food fights or fist fights. We all sat, munching on our food and chatting aimlessly about the day's events. The voices were an abundance of complaining and epic stories about getting jumped by druggies or meeting One Direct. But most of all, there was the smell of today's lunch: burgers. We all ate them, grease running down the sides of our faces. But some people didn't eat. For what reason...I don't know.

One of those people was a freshman boy who always hung out with the older jocks and played football. I don't know if he's any good, all I know is that his mother is wealthy.

So, I'm not sure the jocks like him. But his father funded the team, so that is how life works.

Again, they are nice to him. They eat lunch with him, high five him in the hall, invite him to hang at the skatepark. They're not bullies.

But they laughed as he pushed the plate of food away.

"You trying to lose weight? You're looking good. Keep it up and you got all the girls you want. No fat and hard abs make girls come running" they said as if it were a joke. And maybe it was true, but they didn't know his story.

They didn't know, by the comment, he'll stick his fingers down his throat and run miles into the dark night.

And they laughed.

He laughed because they didn't know.

I watched this and laughed as one of the seniors slapped his hand on the freshman's stomach. The boy cringed, grimacing. The senior just laughed.

He was surrounded by warrior football players, and he was their wanna bee who didn't quite have the looks. But he'd get there, I assured myself.

The team patted him on the back as they left, like a murder of crows, to the group of teenage girls.

The boy got up and walked straight into the boy's bathroom. He walked swiftly, his converse squeaking on the tile.

I leaned over to Jaimie, "Who's that kid? The freshman?"

She followed my glance to the boy that had stepped out of sight and into the bathroom.

"Ah, I think his name is Reece or something like that. " she flashed a grin, "He's kinda cute," she remarked, which meant a lot for her to say.

Just because the other characters laughed at Reece, did not mean it was a joke. Eating disorder are no joke, they are deadly and life destroying.

If you guys ever want to talk pm me.

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