Why We Laugh (#Wattys2018)

26. I Laughed Because He Said Freak

Hi guys!

Over 1,000 views! Yay! Thank you!

Sorry, I had a crazy few days and wasn't in the mood to write. This chapter suggests a possible ship, but it is the next chapter that is going to be the determine which ships will live (if any), which will die, and which will never be. I honestly don't know who's going to end up with who, or if there's just going to be crushes. I took every ship you guys commented about into consideration for the next chapter and I hope everyone is satisfied.

This chapter includes eating disorders, not actions but discussions.

Little Message: I am always labeled as the disabled girl and the other day a counselor labeled me as the 'sick girl with a therapist' the 'eating disorder girl.' LABELS DO NOT DEFINE US. People use labels to try and accept what is going on! I am not the disabled girl or the sick girl! I am me!

And you guys are not the 'shy person' or the 'depressed person' YOU ARE YOU!

26.

He sighed obnoxiously loud. One of his hands was hanging off his sterile bed and the other tossing and catching a ball.

"Hi, Hunter," I greeted, quite stunned by his peaceful state.

He didn't even glance my way when he said, "What do you want, Molly?"

I shrugged and crossed the room and sat in the plastic chair.

"Just wanted to say hi."

There was the steady rhythm of the ball hitting the rough and falling back into his palm.

"Well then, hello," he sounded both annoyed and bored.

"How's life treating you?" I asked, casually.

For some reason, I felt comfortable being around Hunter. After our last run in a wanted to see him. Whatever tension there was between us, I was going to remove.

He turned his head and glowered at me, nothing about it seemed happy.

"Okay then," I looked back into my lap.

"What about you?" he asked, again, more out of courtesy than interest.

"Alright, thank you for asking," I said.

There was the awkward silence again.

"Anyone know where I am? What are the rumors? I hope they think I became the youngest astronaut and I'm on Mars," he laughed dryly.

I chuckled, but then remembered what he said about laughing, so I stopped. "Well, some people think you switched schools or that you're on house arrest because of the whole gay thing."

"Whatever," he resumed tossing the ball.

Then the silence returned, but this time it was more hesitant.

"You know my neighbor, Reece-"

Hunter cut in, "the one with Anorexia and Bulimia?"

My heart skipped a beat, and my eyes fixed on Hunter.

"What does that mean?" I asked, not familiar with the terms.

He rolled his eyes, "Didn't you watch that stupid video about the girls who starves themselves go to a hospital? I watched it in seventh-grade health."

My mouth hung open; he knew my answer.

"Anorexia is when someone starves themselves to be skinny, and Bulimia is when someone binge eats and throws it back up," he explained.