Rose Weasley - Post Hogwarts - Prologue
I had always expected to get caught. I mean, how could I not? My lies and baggy uniform could only get me so far; somebody had to have realized I was shrinking at a rapid �“ and unhealthy- pace. Replying, “Diet and exercise”, as an explanation for how I lost twenty pounds in a little less than a month rarely ever worked as well as I would have liked it to.
So, yeah, I knew that somebody would get wise and try to stop me. I just didn’t expect Abigal to be the one to do it. Beautiful, dreamy little Abigal, who was naturally tiny and rarely noted that her socks didn’t match. How was I to foresee that my ditzy non-confrontational mate would notice when my own mum hadn’t?
“We need to talk.” Abigal sat on my bed, and gestured for me to join her. I hesitantly walked over, confused. Definitely not expecting her problem to be my obsession.
“Talk about what?” I asked, taking an uncomfortable position as far away from her as possible.
“Your weight, Rose. We need to talk about your weight.” My weight? I flushed from my cheeks to my toes. Before, when I was hideously overweight, I had a fairly loud voice. Losing thirty pounds using the methods that I had made my voice raspy and quiet.
“There’s nothing wrong with my weight.” I tried to sound convincing, but I had always been a terrible liar. Abigal, spacey and normally unaware of her surroundings, noticed.
She released a long breath, as I often did when I was stressed. “When you move your arms, I can see every bone under your skin moving as well. I can make a circle with my hands �“”she made an ‘O’ shape with her thumbs and forefingers, “-and fit it around your waist. You haven’t consumed more than four-hundred calories in the last two days. You have had six fainting spells in the last two months! If I poke you, it would cause a week-long bruise. Rose, you have a problem.”
She reached out to touch my arm. I recoiled at her hot touch on my cold skin and shot up instantly. “You’re delusional., I told her, desperation leaking into my pathetic voice.
If my mum had found out, and confronted me, I had a game plan. I’d cry and tell her that my boyfriend had broken with me and was too depressed to eat. Mum was way too preoccupied with Hugo to pay close attention to me. I would have faked my “recovery” and happily lied my way through two or three sessions of therapy until it was time to go back to Hogwarts.
For Abigal, with her status as my roommate for the next two years, I was not prepared. I couldn’t fake anything if she was paying attention. If she told on me, it would all be over. I couldn’t let that happen.
She rose with me. “Rose, you need help. I want to help you. Let me try to make you better.”
I glared at her. “I don’t need to get better! There’s nothing wrong with me!”
Abigal raised her perfect eyebrows. “You throw up everything you eat. And you think there’s nothing wrong?”
She knew more than I ever thought she could. My heart sunk as I realized she had enough information to ruin me. I gathered up all my energy, frustration, resentment, and fear. With a silent apology to my best �“ and only �“ friend, I sucked in a breath.
“You’re just jealous.” The malice in my voice was marred by a slight shake.
“Excuse me?”
“Envy doesn’t become you, Abigal ! You’re just jealous because I’m thin and beautiful and you’re not. And everybody can see that you wish you weren’t so portly. Nick Davies didn’t even fancy you enough to shag you. I feel sorry for you.”
Abigal ’s bottom lip trembled. Her face became stark white. Her hands balled into tight fists until the tendons strained against her knuckles. She looked as if she wanted to cry. But my cruel words did their job.
“Screw you.” She spat at me, before stalking out, leaving me alone. When I couldn’t hear her angry footsteps any longer, I sunk down onto my knees and began to sob.
The Doll House Girls by youaremylifenow
Story Notes:
All emotions, medical situations, and events in this story are common with eating disorders. To learn more about eating disorders and how to receive treatment go to eatingdisorders.org
Chapter Endnotes: I am an anoretic and a bulimic. It has ruined my life, and if I don't begin to recover soon, I may never recover. I implore anybody considering dabbling with anorexia or bulimia to not do it. Eating disorders will kill you. My family has a long history of eating disorders and I get to see and feel the effects first hand. Please learn from my mistake and don't use eatings disorders as a weight loss plan.