Saving Madison

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I remember not being satisfied with the bright blue digital number that stared back at me. I remember shuffling weakly over to the toilet bowl, and sticking my fingers down the back of my throat.

I was gagging and struggling to get the vomit up, but eventually it always worked.

To my horror, Lily came over unannounced one day and walked in to see me leaned over the toilet with my fingers lodged into my throat. It took her a while to realize what was going on, but when she did, she encouraged it rather than stopped it.
In fact, she even began doing it as well.

Tyler shaking my shoulders lightly, interjected my memory of Lily and me in my bathroom. Tyler was saying something, but it was as if my brain couldn't comprehend what he said.

"What?" I asked as my ears ringed, making me feel slightly light headed.

"I said, let's go before someone finds us, but this conversation isn't over." he says, offering me his hand to stand up.

I accept it, knowing I couldn't risk being in the middle of the road.

Tyler guides me with a hand on the small of my back, back to the motel room. Lily crashes into me with her arms around my frail body, "I would never do that to you, you know that." she says with a serious look, making me believe it's genuine.

"Yeah." I mumble, not wanting to argue like we used to.

"Why don't we go get some food? When I went to get some things at the store, I'm sure I saw a diner up the road." Lily suggested with a small smile. I glanced at Tyler who was by my side to see his reaction to the idea, but as expected, he immediately protested it.

"You heard the man." I said, "We're not going anywhere."

Lily sighs deeply with an annoyed expression, "C'mon guys, we have to leave this motel eventually." she persists, grabbing Tyler's car keys off the nightstand, "I'll drive!" she announces with a grin.

"No!" Tyler says quickly, snatching the car keys from her hand. "Fine, we'll go, but I'm driving."

Lily claps her hands in glee, "I'll go wait outside." she announces, skipping over to the door and closing it behind her.

Once Lily is out of earshot, I speak up, "Did you really have to bring her with you?"

"Sadly, yes."

~~~~

"Would you like fries with that?" The waitress asked Tyler, hitting her pen against her notepad anxiously. I had just watched Lily order her usual salad and now Tyler was ordering. "Um, sure does that cost extra?" Tyler asks, glancing at his slightly opened wallet.

I caught a glimpse of a small stack of 20's & 50's lodged into his wallet, and immediately sighed knowing we only had a matter of a few days before we went broke.

"And you ma'am?" The waitress asks, directing the question towards me. I snap out of my thoughts, clearing my throat and quickly glancing at the menu in front of me. "Just a strawberry milkshake." I said. She nods, writing the order down and rushing to the back of the empty diner.

"Are you sure that's all you want?" Lily asks with her eyebrows scrunched up in something between confusion and concern.

I stare out the window, watching the light drizzle hit the window. "Yeah, I'm sure." I say with no emotion.

"Are you cold?" Tyler asks, changing the topic and beginning to shrug his jacket off. I was about to say no, but I knew Tyler would give it to me either way. I slip on the oversized jacket, feeling the warmth and familiar cologne wrap around me.