My Version of Events

Chapter Nine

Late February;

Sitting down for dinner one night, just me and my mum, me pushing food around my plate and saying 'I ate a lot in school.' Her watching me with pained eyes. She spoke the worst words I could think of. This is, how I remember the conversation:

'I've made a doctors appointment.'

'For you?'

Please please please...

'For you.'

Oh god.

'Why?'

'Your rapid weight loss, the fact your always cold and you've gone off eating food.'

You're screwed, your well and truly screwed.

'Um, okay'

'I think it might be anaemia'

Thank the holy lord and if he has pet dogs, thank them too

That was my first scare. If my mum got involved then they might find out I was reducing my eating - not like it was working. Doctors appointment, to be honest I didn't know much about anaemia but I knew that my only way out of this was to make it seem like I had it . I mean doctors could be fooled right?

It wasn't just my mum becoming more vocal about my apparent weight-loss, my friends, pardon the expression, all had a stab at the chicken while it was hot.

In my business class we more often than not used the computers, it ranged from games of first year 'red ball' to second year 'run', then in third year the real work started: spread sheets, accounting, entrepreneur's. Myself and two friends were in the business class together, we were all rather studious and fast workers meaning we completed tasks before our classmates.

Long lines of screens flashing blue and green lights circulated the room, one computer per person: 20 people in a class equals 20 computers. We all had self chosen spinning seats, sitting with our cliques. The computers provided a means of solitude to gossip and chat without being at risk of another clique overhearing.

These two factors resulted in another awkward encounter, where I literally had no way out.

The conversation began normally exchanging casual 'hello's' and 'what were you up to this weekend's'. However it suddenly steered down a darker and more sinister route.

'Are you okay?'

My friends certainly didn't like to beat around the bush

'Fine, yeah. Why?'

That was my first mistake, instead of saying 'you?' I said 'why?' making my tone defensive.

'Just that you've not been, well you, lately'

You're drawing attention to yourself. You're obviously becoming a horrible person.

'What do you mean?' Said my quite spaced out sounding voice

'Well, you used to be bubbly, hyper and funny. Now, you just seem sad all the time and uninterested.'

I told you, they all think you're mean and fat. Nobody wants a fat friend.

'It's complicated', was all I could think to say.

'What is it?' She insisted

'Um, my mum made me this doctors appointment'

Oh god, word vomit. You need to find your way out of it, now.

'For, um....'

You're such an idiot. Listen.

'She thinks I'm ana.....Ana...anaemic' I splurged out

Keep it up

'Yeah, um, cause my...my weight is apparently dropping - but I'm not doing anything to make it! She thinks I....'

Anaemia, what did I read when I googled it? Think, think!

'I don't have enough iron in my body - you know, cause I'm a vegetarian....'

'Oh,' she replied, a tad startled. 'Thats good then - well not that you might have anaemia but that it's nothing else'

'Yeah. It's not like I'm starving myself, ha'

Stop. Stop now.

Okay.