Admit Defeat

║Andy║

║Andy║

"Andrew, get out here!"

I groaned. Couldn't my mother see I was busy fighting the last boss on Alien Warz? Obviously not. I got up from my squashed beanbag chair and walked--tripped--into the kitchen. I cursed my lanky figure as I struggled to get my leg over a pile of laundry. I stumbled a little, but caught myself with my even more lanky arm.

I stood in the kitchen, my arms crossed. "What do you want?"

My mother was standing by the counter next to chopped vegetables, in her hand was a chip bag.

"What is this?"

"It's...a bag of chips." I sighed.

She groaned along with me and crumbled it up--the bag was empty. She walked over to me and crossed her thick arms to match mine.

"Those were for company tonight Andy, I told you not to eat them." My mother said tiredly. She shouldn't have told me about them in the first place, she knew I couldn't help but eat them.

"I''m sorry." I turned to go back to my room "It's not my fault."

I closed my door before she could say anything else and fell backwards onto my bed. The soft beeping of my game rang through my ears, but I couldn't find the strength to go back and play. I rolled over to my headboard and sighed at what I saw. Empty wrappers, ice cream tubs, chip bags and soda cans. I couldn't remember the last time I'd cleaned my room, but it hadn't been long enough that a normal person would be able to accumulate that much food in their room.

I grabbed the only thing on there that wasn't food and hugged it close to my chest. It really was the only thing in my life other than food. Sure, I had my mom and dad, my brother and my friend Billy, but this was more important.

I couldn't bear to look at it and I hadn't been able to for the past month, but I could almost feel it as I hugged it. The smell was sweet, like candy and it made my stomach gurgle.

You ate twenty minutes ago, I told it, you aren't hungry. But my stomach was pretty stubborn and didn't like to listen. It went on gurgling and screaming for food. My eyes looked around my room for something to eat, anything. I grabbed a soda can from my headboard, shoving the thing under my pillow, and shook it. The tiny bit of liquid clinked against the sides and I didn't hesitate to dip my head back and consume it.

Even after the flat soda had crawled its way down my throat, I was still starving. I curled my limbs into a ball and prayed that it would go away. I hugged myself and suddenly I began to cry again. My hands hugged my chest tightly and I felt every rib and bone. How was I still so skinny when all I can do is eat?

In my last resort in grabbed the thing from under my pillow and put it forcefully in my vision. I looked it at with teary eyes and, though I could barely make it out, my tears multiplied. I stared at the heart shaped face, the pale skin, rounded eyes and silky brown hair. I pretended I was looking at the real thing, but that only made it worse.

"Mom!" I yelled. My eyes were squeezed shut, tears drained from my eyes and I sputtered in the wetness. I heard the floor creak and my door open.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" She bounded in to my side and sat at the edge of my bed. Her eyes drifted to the picture that I'd let fall to my side.

"I'm so hungry." I wailed.

"Andrew." She hugged me, "You can't eat anymore."

I didn't say a word. She didn't understand. I needed more.

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