Tradition Comes Third

A Meal and A Talk

Author's Note: Sorry it took me a bit to update, so here's a longer chapter.

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 No one said another word to me during dinner. Mom snuck a few worried glances over to me, but kept her gaze down on her plate. Dad didn't make me eat a piece of meat, and let me scarf down the potatoes and vegetables.

When we were finished eating, Mom started to clean off the table. I was used to helping her, but Dad didn't want me to, so I went straight up to my room. Ava was at the closet rifling through clothing.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm just looking at these clothes. I wonder where they came from," she said. "How did it go down there? Did they believe it?"

"Yeah." I nodded my head. "You need to eat."

"I told you I'm not eating that."

Ava turned to look at me. It has been days since she ate. Her cheeks looked hollow, and her pink lips were dry and cracked. I knew she had to eat soon or she was going to seriously damage her body.

"Come downstairs with me," I said. "They let me eat without having any meat."

I grabbed her elbow, and pulled her forward. She gasped and stumbled on her feet.

"We have to keep up this act," I told her.

I pulled her down the steps and into the kitchen. I opened up the fridge, and the leftovers were wrapped up and on the shelf. I set them on the counter, and heard footsteps echo through the kitchen. Dad's hand pulled the fridge door open wider.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Ava grabbed my side and hid behind me. She was keeping up the charade of being scared. I hoped this would mean that she would not fight and eat.

"I'm getting Ava something to eat," I said.

Dad looked over at the plates that I pulled out. He reached into the fridge and pulled out the plate of meat.

"She has to eat some of this first," Dad said.

"No." Ava tightened her grip on me.

"She has to eat one piece of meat first, Hunter," he said. "Or let her continue to starve."

Ava buried her face into my back. I reached around and held onto her. I couldn't let her continue to starve. She needed to eat. It wouldn't kill her to have one tiny piece, but it would kill her not to eat at all. I tightened my grip on her and pulled her out beside me.

"Just one piece," I told her.

"No!" she yelled and tried to pull her arm away from me.

"I'm not letting you hurt yourself," I said.

Ava yanked her arm and I grabbed her shoulders. She was shaking her head. She tried to swat me away. I pushed her against the fridge to stop her from hitting me.

"Hunter, you're going crazy," she said. "Please don't do this."

"I'm trying to take care of you," I told her. "I love you."

"No."

Ava's face was turning red as the tears were rolling down her cheeks. Her knees gave out, and she crumpled on the floor. I sat on my heels, and held onto her.

"Get away from me!" she screamed.

"Ava, stop it," I said. "You can't starve yourself."

"I'm not a cannibal."