Zero

Prologue: Elizabeth

~Liz's Point of View~

Three days have gone by since I started the bet with Thalia. Over those three days I have had about three meals. At night, my stomach keeps me awake with its whale mating calls. This morning, while I was walking downstairs, I blacked out and fell down a few steps. Luckily, nobody was home to ask questions. Nobody is ever home anymore.

They all have their own lives to deal with. Lives that don't involve me. That's why it's so easy to do this bet. It's also why I'm going to win. Thalia's family is too close to each other. They always tell each other everything. It's not like that here. We all have our own secrets we don't want each other knowing. Even if my family suspected something, they wouldn't ask questions. They'd think it was just a phase.

"All girls go through it," my mother would say. "Whatever," my dad would mumble under his breath. Lately that's how all their conversations have been. A few mumbles here, a few mumbles there, a few mumbles everywhere. I know they're getting a divorce, it's obvious. For the past 3 months my dad has been sleeping in the living room on that ugly, cream colored couch. If they're trying to keep it from Vanessa and I, it isn't working.

Although, Vanessa probably knows, she is Mom's best friend. When I try to talk to Vanessa about it she just laughs and pats my head like I'm a silly, little, toddler. "Why would you think that Liz? They're as happy as they can be," she tells me. I'm not much of an expert on relationships, the last boyfriend I had was a total jerk who said that I was too fat to become a model and that I should be something useful like a bartender, but I'm pretty sure if you're yelling at each other over who's turn it is to walk the dog, you aren't "as happy as can be".

My mother probably begged Vanessa not to tell me they're getting a divorce. "Don't tell Liz, she's just a child. It would mess up her high school years." Yeah, because my parents getting a divorce is what's going to mess up my high school years. Not that every guy who looks at me yells "MOO!" or that I'm willing to be late to gym because I wait for all the girls to leave the locker-room.

It's why I'm the one that suggested the bet to Thalia. My dream is to become a model for a fancy agency in New York. Models are supposed to be beautiful, and thin. I should be striving to be a size zero, but instead I'm setting my goals low and trying to become a 2. It shouldn't be that hard. I'm already a size 5, all I have to do is skip a few more meals and I'll be there in no time.