My Version of Events

Chapter Sixteen

I yawned as I started blankly out of the car window at the Glasgow streets passing by. I liked to look in peoples house - not in the stalker way before you start judging me! I just mean I like finding out what people like, what their interests are if they like cars or Video games or art. I liked to wonder what their lives are like, a picture can say a thousand words as they say. I was just looking back at a flat which had blue flowered curtains and pondering whither they were bought by a woman or man and whither they were man and wife as the car halted. To my right was the lovely entrance to CAHMS. Rusted steps and water lurking on the surface. We were attending a meeting with Eve my FBTS representative. The week in the eyes of the reader had gone okay, still eating and keeping warm but behind the lines were the details only the writer sees, like, the fact I was exercising for hours on end, I wasn't sleeping, I was hiding food, but no one needed to know that.

We sat silently in the waiting room, with a young family to my side, children playing on the yellow plastic house glad for something to distract us.

"Hi, the Reid's?"

"Yes that's us" my mother stood up ushering us to follow

"If you could just follow me"

Down and down the steps went, clicking and clanking in the echoing hall. I didn't look up.

We turned like a flock of delicate sheep into a well lit room and sat.

"So, I didn't get much of a chance to talk to you last Thursday, I realise that must have been quite a hard day for you all. I am Eve, your Family Based Therapist. That means that I will be working with you all to help support the family and get everyone to understand the ways of treating an eating disorder, it will be myself and Dr.Makison you will see on a week to week basis, however she is not a part of FBT. I have an information leaflet for you that details our treatment and that has the names of some helpful books we recommend."

She passed the leaflets to my dad as he was sitting closest to her.

"Now, I don't believe I know anything about you-"

"Well, we noticed my daughter starting to loose weight around February but I'm -" my mum began

"I would like to start with just what you all like, I want to know the real Reid's without the eating disorder"

'Oh-'

Eve asked my mother and father what their professions were and what they liked and then moved to my sister until she landed on me. Here we go.

"So, what do you like?"

"I don't know"

"Yes you do, there's just something telling you not to tell me"

She was good.

"I like drama."

"Why?"

"Because you get to be someone else"

"Thats very interesting, have you ever seen any musicals?" she smiled at me

"Yes"

"Which ones?"

"Wicked"

"I love that musical!" She began getting exited, I found out it was one of her favourite musicals

We then moved onto some more shaky waters

"So what began you worrying about weight?"

Silence.

"Was it school?"

Somehow the silence grew quieter

"Have you been bullied?"

Tick-tock

"I realise this is a difficult issue but to resolve it I need you to talk to me."

"She doesn't particularly like talking to people that she doesn't know well, especially about more rough issues," my mothers voice sounded strange after the silence, it had a rough edge too it.

"Okay, well, how's her eating been over the past week?"

"We managed to add a cereal bar a day to her diet," my dad's voice sounded through his smiling lips

"Really?"

"Yes, we thought we would try to prove we could take action"

"And she's eaten it every day?"

"Yes"

"Well, in FBT we don't believe in food plans. Meaning you will be provided a dietitian but we will not tell you exactly what to eat and when, we will tell you how much too eat and what kinds of things but it is not extremely strict."

Well that's good.

"I'm thinking that next weeks appointment will include our dietitian, is that okay with you all?"

Like sheep we nodded

'Until then, I ask that you keep watch over your daughter and that you continue to eat.'

Yeah, right.

"Oh, and next week, we will weigh you, just to keep track. See you next week."

Wait, what?!