!!MENTIONS OF EAT!NG D!SORDERS LATER IN THE CHAPTER I WILL PUT A TW BEFORE IT IS MENTIONED!!
~if you struggle with any form of ED know you are not alone. skip this chapter if you need to, i will sum up what was mentioned in the authors note at the bottom if you don't feel comfortable reading. i love you all~
Arlo, Eli, Miguel, and Demetri all sat together at lunch. They had been doing that since the first day of school a couple months ago. Arlo and Demetri were arguing about what to wear to the Halloween dance. Eli and Miguel were watching the two go back and forth for awhile before a school counselor grabbed a microphone and began speaking to all the students.
"Cyberbullying is no laughing matter." Sending cruel messages online, can be just as hurtful as saying it to their face." Counselor Blatt spoke. Barely anyone was paying attention, most of the students just continued talking while others were scrolling on their phones. She continued either way. "I'm not gonna name names, but the other day a mother called me up because her son was crying. After some kids online made fun of his facial deformity."
Arlo's stomach dropped. A few days before she had gone to Eli's house after school. While she was in the bathroom she heard Eli and his mom arguing.
---
"Do you realize what you've done?" Arlo heard Eli ask his mom, she was listening through the bathroom door.
Mrs. Moskowitz told Eli about how the school needed to know bullying wasn't okay. Arlo bit her lip, Mrs. Moskowitz was sweet but she obviously didn't know how cruel kids were.
"Don't you get it? Their never gonna stop making fun of me, because I'm a loser." Arlo could hear the sadness in the boys voice.
"That's not true." Mrs. Moskowitz replied. Arlo could tell she was trying her best to help Eli, she really didn't get it.
Eli slammed his fists on the table causing Arlo to flinch, she was still stood in the bathroom. "Wake up, Mom! I'm a freak! I'm never gonna have any other friends besides Demetri and Arlo. I'm never gonna get a girlfriend. I'm never gonna be anything other than a kid with a weird lip!" Eli shouted before walking to his room shutting the door loudly.
Arlo wished Eli could see he was so much more than the scar on his lip. She knew nothing she said would change how he felt, or how the world felt about him, all she could do was comfort him. The girl went to his room and talked to him for a little bit before the two fell asleep. Eli laying on Arlo's chest with his arms wrapped around her.
---
Arlo looked around the cafeteria, everyone was staring at their table whispering, pointing, laughing. While the counselor talked about how the goal was to make the school a 'safe space' Arlo rolled her eyes while grabbing Eli's hand under the table.
"If you're sick of getting bullied, my karate dojo's looking for recruits." Miguel turned to look at Eli while speaking. Eli and Arlo smiled nodded their heads. They both thought it might be a good idea, the two had actually been talking about looking into something like that before.
"Yeah, right. You hear that, Eli? A little karate and you're gonna kick some major ass." Demetri scoffed while slicing through the air with his hands. Arlo rolled her eyes, looking at Eli whose smile had disappeared.
"I'm serious, Demetri." Miguel readjusted himself in his chair. "My sensei's the real deal. I'm sure I could get you three discounts."
Before Arlo could open her mouth Demetri spoke again. "As enticing as that sounds, I think we'd rather spend our afternoon playing Crucible Control than getting hit in the face."
Arlo rolled her eyes at the boy. "You might, but if I have to watch the two of you play, any more video games. I think I may gouge my eyes out. Seriously this time." Arlo reached over and grabbed a plastic spork off her tray jokingly poking it towards her eye. Eli and Miguel laughed at her, Demetri rolling his eyes again.
"One last thing." Counselor Blatt continued. "While we're all looking forward to the Halloween dance, let's make sure our costumes are culturally sensitive. For example, instead of 'sexy nurse,' maybe try 'gender-neutral' hospital employee."
The three at the table looked away from the counselor and Arlo started laughing. "I'm so excited to see a bunch of gender-neutral hospital employees." Causing the rest of the table to start laughing as well.
"What are you guys wearing tonight?" Miguel asked the other three. "I'm trying to go as Deadpool."
"I don't have an actual costume." Arlo sighed. "I'm just gonna use this bright red wig and put together an outfit or something."
Demetri crossed his arms, leaning back into his chair. "You guys will have to wait until tonight to see my costume."
"Please, don't dress as a wizard again." Eli groaned while putting his head in his hands, causing Miguel and Arlo to laugh.
------
Arlo put the bright red wig that was cut into a bob and brushed the bangs of it. She looked at the mirror on the back of her bedroom door, looking at the outfit she chose. She was wearing a black skirt that went to her mid thigh with black ripped tights underneath it and a black halter top that stopped at the start of her skirt. For once the girl felt confident in what she was wearing. She smiled at her reflection before lightly applying black eyeshadow on her eyelid and waterline. She walked towards her moms room, where her mother was sat on her bed reading a book.
Christina, her mom, looked up from her book and smiled. "You look so pretty!" She exclaimed. "A little edgy but it still looks so cute!"
Arlo smiled, her eyes drifting to a picture of her father on her mother's nightstand causing her smile to fall. "Do you have any red lipstick I could use?"
"Yes, darling. It's on my bathroom counter." Her mom pointed towards the bathroom on the other side of the bedroom.
Arlo nodded while walking into the bathroom, she grabbed the tube of red lipstick of the counter and carefully applied it. She rubbed her lips together and smacked them before smiling into the mirror, making sure she didn't have any on her teeth.
"Let me take a picture of you, honey." Christina said as Arlo walked out of the bathroom.
"Okay, Mom." The girl smiled while her mom snapped a picture before she returned to her bed. "Asher said he would take me to the dance. He's still here, right?"
"No, he already left. He got a ride with his friends." Christina replied with a slight frown.
Although, Arlo could get her driver's license, she hadn't yet. Every time she tried to drive, she began to panic. The car wreck she got into the summer before second grade, still held a significant amount of trauma.
"Do you need me to give you a ride?" Christina asked while putting her glasses back on.
Arlo thought for a moment before shaking her head slightly. "No, I can just walk there. It's only about a ten minute walk."
Arlo told her mom bye and walked back into her room to put her shoes on. She laced her black combat boots, grabbed her small black backpack and her phone. The girl walked through the apartment and exited through the front door. After she locked the door behind her, she pulled her phone out to text Eli that she was on her way.
Arlo
sorry im running a little late but im omw
Eli
its okay just hurry up i cant handle Demetri alone
Arlo
okay dont worry ill be there soon
She smiled while putting her headphones into her ears, clicking on the shared playlist her and Eli had made. Cigarette Daydreams played through the headphones, she sang along while walking towards the school.
------
Arlo walked into the gym, putting her headphones into her backpack before looking around nervously at all the kids that were dancing already. She saw Eli and Demetri waving her over and she rushed to them. "Hey."
Demetri looked her up and down raising an eyebrow. "Damn, why do you actually look hot."
Arlo visually cringed at his comment before laughing. "Uh, thank you? I think."
Eli cleared his throat looking at the girl. "Y-you do look really nice."
Arlo smiled at the boy who was wearing what appeared to be a surgeon costume. Demetri started waving towards someone and Arlo turned around to see Miguel walking towards the three.
"Oh, skeleton. Classic. Nice." Demetri nodded at the boy who joined the group.
Miguel pointed towards Demetri whiled nodding his head. "Thanks. I like your sorcerer costume."
"Sorcerer?" Demetri scoffed. "Please. I'm a necromancer."
Arlo and Miguel looked at each other before both saying, "What?" at the same time.
Demetri pointed towards an amulet on his chest. "Didn't you two see the amulet?"
"I thought it was just a pretty necklace." Arlo shrugged causing Eli to softly laugh.
Miguel tuned to Eli asking. "So, are you a regular doctor or..."
"Plastic surgeon. I fix lips." Eli replied his voice muffled by the hospital mask covering the lower half of his face.
"Nice." Miguel nodded his head while walking to stand towards Demetri.
"I'm thirsty, come on." Arlo leaned her head towards a table that had a punch bowl. Everyone started walking towards the table an Arlo grabbed Eli's handing pulling him along.
When the three of the got to the table Miguel poured them all some punch. There were three girls that were talking to each other and awkwardly dancing. Miguel and Demetri were staring at them. Eli pulled his mask up over his chin and sipped on his punch through a straw.
"Okay, are we ready?" Miguel shook his head slightly. "Let's ask the dragon queens to dance."
"Slow your roll. We got time." Demetri replied, still staring at the three girls. As soon as the words left his mouth another boy came over and asked one of them to dance. The girl agreed, and the boy pulled her towards the dance floor.
"Shit." Miguel exhaled. "We just lost one to Doctor Who."
"It's really not that hard to ask someone to dance y'know." Arlo raised her eyebrows boys and took a small sip of her punch.
Demetri scoffed while turning to her. "I'd like to see you try."
"Okay." Arlo set her cup down on the table in front of her and turned to Eli. "Do you wanna dance?"
Eli choked on his punch he was drinking. "Me?"
Arlo smiled. "No the guy behind you." Eli turned around to look behind him but Arlo grabbed his hand. "Yes, you."
"Uhm. Okay." He fixed his mask and smiled, while the girl pulled him towards the crowd of people already dancing.
"I didn't think she would actually do that." Demetri said with wide eyes while turning to Miguel, who quickly dank the rest of the punch in his cup.
When Eli and Arlo got to the dance floor the upbeat song changed to Sunsetz by Cigarettes After Sex. Eli looked around nervously and asked the girl. "The song changed, do you still want to dance?"
She slightly raised her head and met his eyes with a smile. "Of course, I do."
She draped her arms around his shoulders, and he nervously set his around her waist. Arlo leaned her head against the boy's chest. The two of them swayed to the song, Arlo humming along. She pulled her head off of his chest and looked at Eli before gently pulling the mask down to his chin. A confused look spread across his face.
"I like seeing your face." Arlo smiled nearly reading the boy's mind. Eli pulled his eyes away from hers and looked around at all the people dancing. Arlo gently grabbed his chin and turned it back towards her. "Don't think about them. Imagine it's just the two of us." Arlo whispered so only Eli could hear her.
The two continued swaying slowly while staring into each other's eyes. Eli's eyes flickered from her eyes to her lips, Arlo doing the same to the boy. The music switched quickly back to a faster song, causing them to quickly look away from each other. Their arms fell to their sides, and they took a step back.
Eli pulled his mask up to hide his face, which was growing redder by the second. "We should probably get back to Demetri and Miguel."
Arlo nodded following the boy in scrubs. She exhaled loudly, cursing herself in her brain.
"I have to go to the bathroom." Miguel announced when Eli and Arlo got back to the table.
"Me too, that punch is going right through me." Demetri set his cup down turning towards Eli. "You coming?"
Eli looked over at Arlo and she looked to the snack table where Aisha who was stood at the snack table. "I'm gonna go over there and talk to Aisha." Eli nodded at the girl and followed Demetri towards the bathrooms.
"Hey Aisha!" Arlo walked towards the girl and she grabbed a Cheeto from a bowl on the table, popping it into her mouth.
"Hi!" Aisha smiled at the girl walking over to her.
Arlo looked at the girls costume. "I like your sodium costume."
"Thanks. I was supposed to dress up with Sam but, you know." Aisha nodded her head towards Yasmine, Moon, and Sam all dressed in lakers costumes with tiny shorts and skirts. "I don't know what your supposed to be but it looks nice."
Arlo looked down at her outfit then back to Aisha and laughed. "I'm not really sure either if I'm being honest."
Arlo and Aisha had become friends in sixth grade. The two got along quickly and Arlo was happy to have another friend. The two girls continued talking when notification sounds went off throughout the gym. Aisha and Arlo looked at each other confused before clicking on the notification. Arlo chest felt heavy when she saw a video of her and Aisha with pig filters on their face. Red and pink text was on the side of the screen saying, "THE BUFFET TABLE IS UNDER ATTACK!!!!!" The two looked around the gym and everyone was pointing and laughing at them.
TW ED MENTIONED, skip to the bottom if you are easily triggered, please.
Arlo's eyes started watering. She was only slightly bigger than most of the girls, but it still caused her to be bullied over the years. The bullying was the worst in sixth grade, so she started working trying to lose weight. She struggled with eating disorders all throughout middle school and the past year she had finally began to try and recover. It hadn't been as easy as she thought it would though. She turned her head to look at Aisha, but she was already walking towards the exit doors. Arlo grabbed her small backpack, slung it over her right shoulder, and walked towards the hallway.
When she got into the hallway, she quickly grabbed a hoodie out of her backpack. Arlo walked a further down the hallway. After she put the grey hoodie on, she slid down the lockers she was standing against. The girl pulled her knees up to her chest and started crying. She heard people running in the hallway and it stopped when they got to her. She lifted her head up and saw Eli and Demetri standing over her. The two boys gave each other worried looks as they sat on either side of her.
"What happened?" Eli pulled his mask under his chin and looked at the girl.
She looked over at him with tear filled eyes, mascara running down her cheeks. She unlocked her phone and handed it to Eli. His face fell looking at the video. Demetri leaned his head around Arlo and Eli handed him the phone. Demetri eyes went wide while he watched the video. They both knew how much it would've affected her, especially since she had confided in them about her issues with food.
"Who made this?" Demetri asked with concern in his voice.
Arlo shrugged putting her head onto her knees. "It was anonymous, but I have an idea who it was."
Eli and Demetri shared a knowing look as they both gently leaned into the girl. Arlo lifted her head and asked. "Where's Miguel."
Eli's eyes widened looking down at the girl. "We were in the bathroom and Kyler and his group of pirates came in. They were talking about Sam and we tried listening but I knocked over some lacrosse sticks and they heard us. Me and Demetri ran."
Arlo's sadness turned to worry. "Did he get out of there?" She hoped that her brother wasn't with them.
"I hope so." Demetri looked back down the hallway they came running down and stood up. "Come on guys, let's get out of here. I don't want to be sitting here when Kyler comes out of there."
Arlo sighed. "I walked here so I don't even have my bike."
"I already texted my mom and asked her to pick us up." Eli smiled while standing up reaching his hand out for the girl who was still sat against the lockers.
"Let's go." Arlo nodded her head towards the door down the hall. The bright red exit glowing against the dark hall.
Demetri nodded and started walking towards the exit. Arlo grabbed Eli's hand out of habit and the two started walking behind Demetri. Arlo leaned slightly against Eli as the two walked.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Halloween dance! We had a moment with Eli and Arlo while they were dancing but then it was ruined when the video of her and Aisha at the snack table was sent. Arlo's history with EDs is mentioned and Eli and Demetri comfort her and take her home.
This chapter was hard for me to write and please remember you are loved. If you need to talk, I am always here. I love you all so so much.
Word Count: 3,063