Stop: A Short Story

Chapter Five: Mike and Sarah

March 18th

After thinking about it all weekend, I decide to do the 2468 diet. Which basically means you eat 200 calories one day, 400 the next, so on. Then you repeat, every week. I know it's a little unhealthy, but if I want to lose this last 20lbs, then I've got to work for it. No one ever said it was going to be easy.

So off to school, as usual. I realise that I was so busy thinking about my diet and weight, that I didn't do my homework this weekend. Damn it! How am I ever going to be perfect when I'm too stupid to even remember to do my school work. 

Before I can continue panicking, Sarah from my English class sees me and asks if I'm okay.

"Yeah." I say meekly.

"Hard weekend?" She asks.

Usually, I ignore the ass holes at my school, but the way Sarah asked, she seemed genuinely concerned. Maybe I'm just of because I'm saving my 200 calories for dinner, so I' basically running on water and mints right now, but for whatever reason, I decide to take a chance. 

"Actually, I'm not okay. I completely forgot to do my homework, so I'm kind of freaking out. I've got a test today in math, and the English chapter review is due today." Man, it feels good to get that off my chest, to actually tell someone for once, that I'm not okay.

"That sounds really tough, how about I ask the English teacher if we can work in the library? I can get my friend mark to photocopy the notes we'll miss and I can get you caught up on the English." She said. 

I was completely shocked. No one at this school has noticed me, let alone been nice to me. 

"That sounds amazing, thank you so much." I said, relieved.

When Sarah came back, she told me that she wasn't much of a math person, but her friend Mark was, and she said that he offered at lunch to tutor both of us. Obviously I accepted, even though I don't know how comfortable I was having a guy around. But I knew I needed to try.

With Sarah's help, I was caught up with all my English work, even slightly ahead in some areas. It was so nice to talk with a girl my own age, face to face. Not just through thethinlife.com, and even when I talked to girls on that website, all we talked about was weight, food, dieting, etc. With Sarah, I felt free to talk about music, sports, art, everything really. The best part was that Sarah just made me feel really comfortable, like all my anxiety just melted away when I was with her, and I could just be myself. Class went by way too fast.

On my way to my next class, I didn't feel like an elephant or a pig. I actually felt light as a feather. I was just so happy to feel liked, too feel like I had a friend. Unfortunately that feeling abruptly ended when someone from the volleyball team oinked when a protein bar fell out of my bag. Little did she know that the small, 100 calorie bar was my lunch. Not any more, as class droned on all I could think was oink oink oink oink oink oink oink. As I walked out of class, I threw away the stupid protein bar. 

When I sat down in the lunch room with Sarah and Mike, I felt relieved that I'd thrown away my lunch. I would have felt really embarrassed if I'd had to eat in front of them anyway. So we got started on the math once they finished their lunch. I actually surprised myself when they asked me where my lunch was. The lie came so easily to me that before I could think, it just flew out of my mouth. 

"The teacher in my second period class let's us eat in there sometimes, so I ate my lunch there."

I'd never been much of a liar, not really anyway. I'd always been too scared of being figured out as a child, that I just told the truth most of the time. 

So the tutoring went well, Sarah was right, Mike is a math genuis. He was also a really nice guy, he didn't say anything mean, or give me any funny looks. He just helped me with my problem areas and he even laughed at some of my jokes. It was really nice to talk to a guy without shaking.

The rest of my day was the same as usual. Nothing too interesting happened, I did find myself distracted at times. I didn't realize how important that protein bar was. Oh well, I'll go home and have rice (100 calories) and since I didn't eat lunch, I can have half an apple (50) and a no fat yoghurt (50). I thought that the 200 calorie day would be harder, but as long as I don't exercise, it's not so bad.

March 20th

When I weighed myself, I was shocked. 139lbs. That's -1lb! I was pretty pleased with that, I guess this 2468 diet  is as good as all the girls on thethinlife say it is. With that, I bounced downstairs to make myself some coffee. Since it is a 400 day, I think I'll allow myself some 1%milk rather than just having it black. So today's coffee (50), with the milk (100). Only one hundred calories, not a bad way to start off my day. 

Sometimes I honestly think that meal times are the only exciting things about my day. In English class, Sarah did smile and say hello to me, which was great. And I think I saw Mike in the hall, and he smiled. Other than that, I ate lunch alone (I'd never eat in front of anyone.) I had 2 rice crackers (100) and half an apple (50). It was really hard though, because to get to the tree I sit under, I had to go through the Cafeteria and today they were serving fries. But I don't like fries as much as I like pizza, so I made it out. Oh! I almost forgot, another cool thing that happened today was me finding a machine in the back of the school (right near the tree I've been eating lunch under) and it sells iced green tea bottles, and water! Which is great because I've been meaning to drink more water and on thethinlife.com, everyone says that green tea is really good for you. So I'll have to start using the lunch money my mom gives me in the morning. (I've been saving up for a 100$ pair of size 0 skinny jeans, but I can spare a few dollars.)

March 25th

This morning I was only down half a pound, but I think once I start drinking green tea and water, I'll lose more. Oh and I forgot to mention what I ate for dinner yesterday. I had rice (100) and the other half of my apple (50) So I ended at 400 exactly.

 I was surprised when breakfast came, I was actually feeling sick. Not sick sick but... like my stomach was turning. You know the feeling you might get before preforming or saying a speech? It was kind of like that. I think I'm feeling really nervous today because it's a 600 calorie day, and I haven't done one of those for a long, long time. I don't even feel hungry any more, not as much as I used to, at least. 

After feeling anxious (I googled my symptoms to find the word) all day, I came home and found my dad there. That's really, really strange I thought. He's never home this early. 

"Sit down honey." My dad said

He sounded really relaxed. He must have gotten the day off or something, work usually stresses him out, to the point of being nasty to everyone around him. 

"What's going on dad? Mom? Everything okay?" I asked, feeling even more paranoid and anxious.

"Well..." My dad said, grabbing my mom's hand and smiling.

"Today I got a promotion! I have been made partner at my firm." He sounded very, very pleased with himself.

"And this means a big bonus! So this summer, we're all going on vacation as a family." My mom chimed in, sounding a lot nicer than usual.

"And don't think that we haven't noticed your changes." My dad said. Wait, what does he mean by "changes"?

"Yes honey, you've obviously lost a lot of weight, and your grades are up. I spoke with your teachers, they said you've been getting help from a few classmates. We are so proud of you. I was even thinking that if you've lost enough weight by the summer, than we could look into an agency in LA while on vacation." My mom said, a little more firmly about the weight part. 

Feeling stunned by all this new information, I just managed to smile and mumble out a "great, I'll be sure to do that, congratulations dad." Before rushing upstairs. 

I jumped on my computer and made a big post on thethinlife.com about how anxious and stressed I feel. I mean, this is what I wanted all along right? My parents are finally starting to love me. Their finally happy, but now I have to keep this up. No mistakes, I have to maintain perfection. I don't know if I can manage that.

For the rest of the night I cleaned, did my homework and chugged water. I don't even remember if I ate that day at all, my memory's starting to get fuzzy.