Little Swan

Chapter III

Dad, Bella, and I all sat at Cora's, Dad ordered a sirloin steak, Bella ordered the cod special, and I ordered 470 calories.  Four-hundred and seventy calories for a Cesar salad.  The average women needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain her weight, but only needs 1,500 calories if she wants to healthily loose weight.  

If a women only had 1,500 calories a day she would loose a pound a week, so in theory if she only had 1,000 she would loose two.  Reality is if a women eats 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day she would loose three to five pounds a week.  If you take it a step further and only eat 500 calories a day, you are in danger for muscle loss.  I don't believe that is bad though, it's just more weight your body is loosing.  

When you stop eating for long periods of time, your body begins to hold fat.  So, if I were anorexic and ate a whole meal, in theory I would weigh more that when I began starving myself.  So in theory if an rexie wants to stay thin they have to starve themselves for their entire life.

 "I can't get over how grown up you are.  And so gorgeous," our waitress commented.

"'Member me?  I was Santa one year,"  A bearded man questioned, walking up behind the waitress.

"Waylon, they haven't had Christmas down here since they were four," Dad spoke up.

"Bet I made an impression, though," Waylon spoke. 

"You always do," Dad joked.

"Let the girls eat, Waylon," the waitress spoke. "When you're done I'll bring out your favorite berry cobbler."

"That'd be great thank you," Bella spoke, while the women shooed Waylon away leaving us to eat. I stared at my salad and moved it with my fork.

"Do you eat here every night?"  Bella spoke up.

"Easier than washing dishes," Dad answered taking a bite of his steak.  I placed a piece of lettuce in my mouth, before chewing it extremely slow.

"I can cook," Bella spoke, "I did the cooking at home, or Phoenix.  Mom's not great in the kitchen, and Ruth is constantly dieting."

"I remember," Charlie spoke with a small laugh, "So Ruth what kind of diet are you on?"

"Atkins's," I spoke immediately as if it was rehearsed.

Dad nodded his head, "So how was school did you guys meet anyone?"

"A few people," Bell answered, while I picked at my salad, "Do you know the Cullen family?"

"Are people talking about them again?"  Dad asked sharply.  

"No," Bella answered, at the same time I answered 'Yes'.

"Just 'cause they're newcomers. We're lucky to have a like Dr. Cullen at our hospital. Lucky his wife to live in a small town. his kids aren't like a lot of the hell-raisers here." Dad ranted.  I continued to push my food around my plate making look like I had eaten it.  

"Okay," Bella mumbled.  This time i had eaten a crouton and another chunk of lettuce, I chewed slowly.  If I've learned anything its eat enough to look normal, but not enough to gain weight.  I've gotten so good at this I loose weight.  I'm not sick, I'm not anorexic, people with anorexia are thin, I'm not thin.  

"I just don't like narrow mindedness," Dad spoke, before returning to his steak.  

~~~

"Mom where's your cell?"  I heard Bella ask when I made my way to the top of the stairs.

"Ok, I didn't loose my power cord.  It ran away. Screaming. I literally repel technology now."  Mom answered, making Bella laugh.  Why hadn't mom called me, or had Bella tell me to come talk to them?

"Now tell me more about your school, baby," Mom never gave me nicknames, "What are the kids like?  Are there any cute guys?  Are they being nice to you?"  She didn't mention me once.

"They've all been really," Bella paused, "Welcoming."

After a while Mom and Bella finally said their goodbyes.  I finally pushed Bella's door open, startling her.

"I'm going for a run," I informed her before turning around to leave.

"How long were you out there?" Bella questioned.

"Long enough," I responded.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you she called it's just," Bella started.

"It's fine.  We were never close anyways," I interrupted, leaving not wanting to hear anymore.  I stepped outside feeling the cool air surround me.  I walked out to the side walk, deciding which way to start my run.  

I began my run turning to the right.  I liked to run it kept my weight down and gave me time to my thoughts.  Some say you don't have to worry about your weight, but I disagree I believe all women should worry about their weight.  At my old school girls looked at me with disgust and boys didn't even know I existed.  Well until I met Riley, I met Riley at an airport when I was coming home from dad's last year.  

He taught me how to control the urge to eat how to become thin, how to be pretty.  He was the only reason boys began to notice me, I owed him everything, so I gave him all I could.

'I was walking off the airport after visiting dad, Bella wasn't with me she didn't come up as often as I did.  I was looking down at my shoes, when I bumped into something, two strong arms grabbed my small biceps.  I looked up and saw a boy with blondish hair, and light brown eyes looking down at me.  

"I'm s-sorry, I w-wasn't looking," I stuttered out escaping his grip.  

"It's quite alright, my names Riley," Riley said with a smirk.'

I turned a corner to begin running back home, I already felt light headed I don't think I've been running to long though.  

My legs were burning by time I made it back home, I had beads of sweat running down my face.  I walked inside, and saw dad on the couch watching a football game.  

"Where were you?"  He asked, when I opened the door, not even turning around.  

"I went for a run," I answered.

"At eight o' clock at night?" He questioned, looking at me.

"I was only gone for an half hour," I responded calmly, pouring myself a glass of water.  Dad mumbled a few incoherent words, before turning back to the television.  I smiled to myself, this is what I wanted, this is why I came here.  A fresh start, dad understands that what I'm doing is normal.