Une Fleure Fanée

***MATURE WARNING***

"The hunger is good. You had too many calories already. You're already fat." "They'll love you even more when you're skinny. You'll be their perfect little angel when you're nice and pretty." "Lilly, I heard you puking up the cupcake in the bathroom, and then you whispered, 'So many calories,'" "Red everywhere, just washed away by the shower drain." "She starts shaking and jerking around, making noises like she's gasping for air." This is Lilly Ketchman's life.

Eating disorders affect 9% of America. Anorexia affects 0.5% of the female population in the U.S. Bulimia affects 1.5% of the female population in America. But in that 1.5%, you don't expect a 7-year-old who just wants to be a dance star.

Lilliana Ketchman goes by Lilly. Please call her Lilly. Lilliana is too painful for her. Lilliana is what the eating disorder calls her. She seems to be a happy-go-lucky kid. The kid that puts a smile on anybody's face and lights up the whole room. But she can never put a real smile on her own face or make herself happy. She's beautiful, but she doesn't believe it. Because Ms. Abby never lies.

Bulimia. How the hell does a 7-year-old figure out how to make themself throw up and understand that that can make them skinny? It doesn't matter. Bulimia takes over her life for two years. Two whole years she withered away. Until her mother forces her to the hospital.

She used to be in this big black vortex of pain and suffering, but she's stronger. She got help and recovered. And now, she's back two years later at the Abby Lee Dance Company to dance again.

But will Lilly stay strong when Ms. Abby starts commenting the same stuff to her? Will she fall back into the same patterns, or worse, create even deadlier patterns?