That's my Best friend

9

"Anorexia is a psychological disorder that focuses on food intake and causes people to be preoccupied with the weight and food they eat, and is more common in girls and women." the doctor informs us.

"And how can we confront it?" Mr Cabello asks desperatelly.

"This manifested anorexia is not really about food. It is a morbid way for a person to try to deal with their emotional problems and the problems they have with their self-esteem."

Their sef-esteem? Does Camila have problems with self-esteem? I am her best friend, I should have realised it!

"The girl had most of the symptoms of the disease. The disease can lead to kidney and heart problems, anemia, bone loss and possibly death." says the doctor in a very serious way.

Camila's father starts crying and my mom hugs him sympathetically.

I approach her bed and kneel next to it, when everybody else has gone out to calm down.

"Mila? Can you hear me? You will not die. I will not let that happen." my voice breaks and teears are just about to fall. "Why didn't you say anything? You needed my help! You didn't ask for it! And now I may lose you.." I say sobbing.

Camila wakes up and opens her eyes just a bit. I stand up straight and take her hand, while I caress her hair, without being able to understand what's going on exactly .

"Shawn?" she says weakly.

"Don't tire yourself. I will get the doctor." I say quickly but she tightens her grip with whatever strength she has.

"Don't... wait." she says.

I stop and look at her.

"I'm not good enought for you." she says while her voice cracks and bursts into tears.

She cries quietly, with a lot of tears running down her cheeks.

What is she talking about? Is this the medicine talking? Maybe she's hallucinating?

"Mila calm down I will get the doctor, you're not well.

"Stop. I just want you to tell me what is wrong with me. Look, I'm as thin as Hailey." she says crying.

This is getting even more serious. Has she been comparing herself with Hailey all this tme? She thinks that Hailey has a bigger place in my heart now?

"Camila you know I love you? Why are you saying that? For me you are the most beautiful girl in the world, why are you comparing yourself to Hailey?"

She shakes her head and continues to cry.

"What do I have and you can't fall in love with me Shawn?" she says crying even moe now and I'm shocked.

Fall in love with her? Camila? How did the cross her mind? She's mu best friend, like the little sister I never had.

I'm convinced it's the medicine giving her hallucinations and get out to get the doctor.

"She will need to receive special supervision, a good psyhologist, get homeschooled, to make sure her surroundings will not negatively affect her." says the doctor when I arrive.

When I tell them Camila woke up and inform the about her condition, the doctor warns us to disturb her further.

So when we go to the cateen to eat something, the doctor stops me and takes me further.

"I want to talk to you. For what yiu said earlier. I think the girl is emotionally attached to you, provided that he interest is about you."

"What do you mean? I explained to you that it's probably the medicine that made her say those things. Camila and I are simply friends and she would say anything like what she did."

"To you, you are friends. Have yoy ever wondered if the girl is after for more than attention form you? The lack of self-esteem brought her in to this situation and I truly beleive it wasn't the medicine talking."

"I know Camila. If she was in love with me..." I stop when I realise that even I know Camila was in love with me...

"Wouldn't have told you. Am I wrong?" says th doctor.

"No." is the only thing I can manafe to say.

"I just wanted to ask you to be the one close to her as it seems that she is rather... fond of you."

"Yes, of course." I say without a second thought.

Her previous words though cannot get out of my mind.

Would it ever be possible Camila is in love with me?