Une Fleure Fanée

Week 4 Part 1 (Sunday Pt. 2)

A.N. This is where the eating disorder officially starts. Just warning you!

     We have to quit therapy after only one session. I wish that we don't have to quit. But dance comes first. I mean, family comes before dance. Ms. Abby will forgive you if a family member is dying and you can't make it to dance class. But you still go to dance if you don't feel well. Unless you have a fever of 103.4 that is. But I don't have a fever.

     I only have a single pouch of Nature's Valley Granola Bar. The one with the oats and honey. 190 calories. I will have to remember that because I don't have my journal. I don't have my journal because we are on our way to a workshop at Sheer Elite.

     I like workshops. It helps improve our technique. I miss the last one because I was in the hospital with a fever. It's strange how I recovered so quickly. I wonder what would have happened if I would've stayed overnight. But hospitals are so scary that I don't want to think about it.

     Me, Brady, and GiaNina are carpooling to the workshop together. GiaNina's looking out the window, doing little raindrop races on the car. I'm squeezed in between me and GiaNina. We can tell GiaNina is afraid or apprehensive about something. But Ms. Abby isn't going to be in the workshop today.

     "You know, GiaNina, Ms. Abby isn't going to be at the workshop today. You know that, right?" Brady asks, reaching across to put a hand on her shoulder.

     Flinching at his touch, she nods, "I-I know. Look, I appreciate the help but I just want to be alone."

     "GiaNina, you okay sweetie?" Mom asks, looking through the rearview mirror at GiaNina. Her face was red and splotchy like she was crying.

     She just nods. We don't want to push any farther. I circle back to the noises that I heard from across the hall last night. I thought that it was from one of the horribly loud neighbors that have like, five cats, but maybe it was GiaNina.

      Mom drops us off at Sheer Elite and we see Sarah and Pressley there. They run up to us and drag us over. GiaNina doesn't accept Pressley's touch, swatting it away. That's weird. Something is up. This isn't a mood swing.

      Ms. Gianna's there. She has her gray laptop, her hair in a messy ponytail, and a black ALDC hoodie. We were all told to wear a black ALDC hoodie, a red and black ALDC sports bra for the girls underneath the hoodie, and black leggings.

      "Hey, Lilly, Brady, can you come here for a sec?" Ms. Gianna asks, her hand motioning me to come to her.

     With fake pep in my step, I run over to Ms. Gianna, confused as to why she's calling me over? Oh my God, did I do something wrong?

     "Hey guys, you live with GiaNina, right?" she asks, lowering her voice down, as to not attract attention. Brady and I nod.

      "Do you guys have any idea on why she's acting so quiet?" Ms. Gianna questions.

       "I don't know. I heard some commotion, like arguing coming across from the apartment. I thought it was that crazy cat family with like, five, cats but..." I trail off.

       "I heard that too, right above my apartment. Like, right above. Isn't GiaNina's apartment right above mine?" Brady asks as I nod.

       In the end, we both shrug as we exchange nervous glances and make our way back to the other kids to warm up. Hannah and Savannah have arrived and we are starting the workshop in five minutes.

     "What did Ms. Gianna want from you guys?" Pressley asks, stretching out her wrists.

     "Oh, uh, there was a mix-up in who was going to carpool," I lie, Brady nodding. I'm good at lying.