IZZY STARED AT THE CEILING, like she had been doing for the past six days.
"Knock knock," Anthony said, standing in her doorway. "Do you want to come eat dinner? I made burgers."
"I'm good, thanks," Izzy said. She was so hungry, she could barely even sit up. She hadn't been this hungry in years, but the pain and starvation felt good. She deserved the pain, and she was much skinnier now anyway.
"Please come eat," Anthony said. "We've missed your company at dinner." He sat down next to her on her bed.
"I'm fine," Izzy said.
Slowly, Anthony lifted up her shirt to see her stomach area. She was much skinnier than she was when they went to the beach last week, and her ribs now poked out of her sides. "Isabelle-"
"I deserve it," she said.
"What?"
"I deserve to be in pain. I deserve to die."
"No, you don't," Anthony said. "I love you. Jasmine loves you. Lin loves you. Jonathan loves you. The whole cast loves you. If you died-" He clenched his jaw, trying not to think about it. If he woke up, and his Izzy was gone. His little Izzy, not in her bed past noon, but staring a cold, lifeless stare in a box underground.
"Please, don't make me eat," Izzy said, crying. "Please, don't-"
"You have to eat," Anthony calmly said. "You have to stay alive, for all of us. Please."
"For who? Those people on Instagram, commenting about my looks. In case you've forgotten, I hate my body. Why should anyone love me? I don't have big boobs, a big butt, or a nice figure. Why would anyone fall in love with me?" Izzy cried.
Anthony kissed the top of her head. "You don't have to have big boobs or a nice figure for people to fall in love with you. You have to have a nice personality. God, Izzy, you have one of the most sparkling personalities ever. Your smile could light up the world. But I haven't seen much of that smile lately, and I love that smile."
Anthony could hear Jasmine running to the bathroom and puking again.
"She hasn't been feeling good lately," Izzy said.
"I think all this drama has her stressed out," Anthony said.
"I have a question to ask," Izzy said. "It's kinda personal."
"Ask away," Anthony said.
"Uhm... have you and Jasmine ever... done...the...diddles?" she said, stifling a laugh.
Anthony froze. He wasn't sure how to answer this. Should he lie to her? What answer would she want to hear? Yes, or no? He knew he had to tell the truth.
"Uh...yeah. We have," Anthony said. "We've done...the thing. The thing of all things. The love thing."
"Okay. Just wondering..." Izzy said.
"It was magical and we were laying-" he started.
"I DON'T NEED THE DETAILS," Izzy said, running out of the room.
Anthony smiled. That was the Izzy he knew and loved.