Mental

Chapter 6

At the end of the first week, Ella hated the way her body looked. She spent hours in the mirror staring at her reflection. To her, the mirror showed a fat ugly girl but in reality she was still super skinny. Not deathly skinny but not healthy. She was close to being admitted if she didn't follow the plan.

Her dad locked away all the sharp objects and medications. Ashton told him to do this as a precaution. Ella's dad never left her home alone and she wasn't allowed to close her bedroom door. She hated this. She felt like a prisoner in her own house. But this was going to be her life until she earned the trust back. Ella was considered too sick to make her own decisions. Everything was controlled.

At the end of the two weeks, she went to see Ashton again.

"How's it going?" Ashton asked her.

"Shitty." Ella answered.

"Why do you feel that way?" He asked.

"I know I'm gaining weight. I feel it."

"Why do you think you feel that way?" Ashton asked her.

"I've lived like this for so long."

Ashton nodded. He knew the struggles. As a kid, he struggled with body confidence. He would lose a bunch of weight and then gain some back and lose again. It was a battle and cycle for many years. That was the whole reason he wanted to help teens and kids out. He wanted to show them that recovery was possible.

"I know it's hard right now but it will get easier."

"How do you know?" Ella asked.

"Because I used to be like you."

Ashton told her about how he used to struggle and that it took a while before he got to where he was today. He wanted Ella to know that she's not the only person who's dealt with this.

After giving Ella a few minutes to take everything in Ashton told her that he needed to weigh her. She didn't fight and followed him to the other room. She turned away as she stepped on the scale. Ashton wrote down the number and told her she could get off.

"Good job. Your were able to do it. I know it was hard but I'm proud." Ashton told her when they got back to his office.

He pulled her in for a hug. He knew Ella was struggling with the fact she was gaining weight but he knew she wanted to get better and this was the only way.

"Thank you." Ella said.

"For what?" Ashton asked.

"For not giving up on me."