"Miss. Halee Elizabeth," the text message on my phone was from James. Tomorrow our families were heading to the cottages for christmas together.
"Mr. Hutch?" I replied.
"Every where i go there are pictures of this extremely sexy girl," was his reply a few minutes later.
"Lol, oh really. How exciting for you."
I went down stairs, to the kitchen where my Mom was reading a fashion magazine. "Young Halee Carter has all the makings to be on top. Young, rich, beautiful, and her peice of arm candy is the gorgeus James Hutch," she read from the magizine and help up a picture of me modeling Amy's new line. "Did you know you're on the list of 101 people to watch out for in 2011?"
"Am I number 101?" I joked.
"73 actually,"
"Great." I mumbled.
"Oh cheer up Halee," My mom said lightly, "At least this time you're not drunk. And the picture is actually good."
"That's true," I allowed grabbing a celery stick from the fridge and crunching into it.
"Here, I made this for you," my Mom pushed a plate of fries and gravy towards me, No thanks to James, she knew about my little problem, and when your mother is a doctor... well there is really no way to get around her."
my lips curled up at it slightly and my stomach churned, i couldn't even think about eatting that, it didn't even look somewhat appetizing. "Mom, i know-"
"I prefer... Dr.Mom." she said, "And if you eat half, I won't make you drink a protein shake."
I grabbed one of the fries, feeling the disgusting greesy squeeze into my mouth. As gross as this was, the protein shakes was twice as bad. she looked at me with sympathetic eyes, "I know sweetie."
She didn't know though, that was the problem. Although she was a doctor and knew that these sort of things happen to people, she was also a mother and unable to wrap her mind around the fact that her own daughter had an issue such as this.
It wasn't a health issue though, as far as my body was concerned I was healthy, it was a mental issue, and my mother was a doctor not a psychologist. "Can't you at least attempt to trick me into eating?" I begged of her, "I mean, you know how i feel about grease... especially grease times two."
"Halee, i'm not your doctor," she was still slightly bitter that I had turned to another doctor while I was in LA, "But, i am a doctor, and i know that as long as you know what you are eatting... there is a better chance of you accepting it. I know the thought of greese makes you want to vomit, but you have to know that the greese will not kill you."
I sighed and finished half the plate for her. Wishing I had my diet pills, things were easy with them, i could eat without thinking i would get fat. Before when i puked, I tried not to eat to much because I knew it would have to come back up, and I didn't want to deal with more than was nessacary. but now, now i avioded anything unhealthy and stuck to a strick diet as best i could with other people shoving food down my throat. The doctor said I should aim to be at 125-130, and if James kept the promise he made me, he would stop pestering me at 120. I didn't know if he would keep his promise though. He was too much of a meddler to be able to resist.
All the makings to be ontop, i thought to myself, including an eatting disorder that happens to be so in VOGUE with everyone nowadays.
I called James when I got up to my room, "Hey baby." He anwsered on the second ring.
"Hi" i breathed with a smile, "What are you up too?"
"Helping my Dad wrap my Mom's christmas presents," he chuckled indicating it was probably a disaster by now. "What about you?"
"Oh nothing, just... chillin'"
"How've you been feeling?" was the next question he asked me, "Have you eatten today?"
He knew I had stopped eatting to make up for the loose of my pills, it didn't please him but unlike the pills this wasn't something he could control. Unfortunately enough for me, my Mother could, and did.
"Yes, my mother just made me eat a greesy plate of fries and gravy." I complained into the phone.
"Aww, I know you don't like it, but it will get better, i promise."
"Why can't I eat... healthy food, like vegetables?"
"Because the only vegetable you like is celery and cucumber and neither of those contain any actual nutritional value, or carbs, or..."
"I know."
"Honey, I know this is hard on you," He assured me, "I know you hate having people montior how much and when you eat."
"Not to mention the door to my washroom has been blocked off," I sneered.
"I know. I know." He said, "I wish it wasn't like this, but until you get back on track I can't," he was practically begging me to understand, "I can't... make you happy, in that way, i can't- i won't give you what you want."
"For an actor," I pointed out, "You seem to be making a big deal out of something everyone around you does."
"No, not everyone, not even most," he said, "But enough, which is why I am trying to stop you! I don't want you to check into rehab."
"That's not going to happen."
"Good, as long as you behave."
"Can we talk about something else?" I begged.
"Sure," I could hear relief in his voice, "Done your christmas shopping? or not even started yet?"
"Haven't even started," I rolled my eyes, "Guess I should do that."
"Well christmas eve is tomorrow." he reminded me, "So i suggest you do that."
"Ya, ya," I said dismissively, "I'm going to do it all today."
"Good luck," he snickered.
"Oh shove it," I said, "I know, you've probably been done for weeks"
"No, actually I have one last thing I have to get," He contradicted me, "Then I will be done."
"Oh what do you have to get?" I asked making conversation.
"Like i'm going to tell you," he said, "You will see soon."
"Ugh!" I growled, "What do you want by the way?"
"Nothing," he said being difficult, i knew he would do this, "I'm good."
"You suck." I mumbled.
"Oh by the way, Amy called me the other day- because I haven't been staying at my apartment and she doesn't know where my parents live- but anyways, new years is at her house." he rambled.
"Oh ok," I agreed. "Sounds good. I'll be there."
"Good," he laughed, "I was scared I would have to go alone."
"Not this time." I joked, "But, who knows in the future. Oh, I also... I talked to the cottage crew well Tish, and..."
"Let me guess," He half laughed, "The usual christmas eve party?"
"Yep," I told him, "I said we would go. right?"
"Of coarse," he seemed slightly distracted at the moment then i heard a loud crash and James curse into the phone. "We always go."
"I know, but I was just thinking about what happened last time," I said, then added, "What happened?"
"I just dropped something," he said dismissively, "And this time... I think we go as ourselves, and if someone is going to rat on us, well... I don't think there can be much else they make up."
"True enough, besides, Tish said it's going to be small, just cottage crew."
"Alright, well.. I, uh, have to clean this up because the maid is giving me a dirty look," he lowered his voice, "And she's new, and she scares me."
I just laughed at this, "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I love you." He said still being quietly.
"I love you too,"
"Bye love," And the phone went dead. I sighed and went back downstairs.
My dad was in his office where i thought he would be, reading over a few legal documents that I didn't really care to know about. What I did know though, was he had just taken on a huge trail, and because of that my parents were only spending christmas eve, christmas day, and boxing day at the cottage before they had to head back home for his work.
"Dad?" I asked when i walked into his room. He looked up from his notes, above the rim of his glass.
"Hey Halee, what's up?"
"I was wondering... Did you want to come out christmas shopping with me," I hesitated because i knew he had done none, but I knew he was really busy with this case and I didn't want to disturb him.
"Oh," he seemed surprised that I asked him, "You don't want to go with your mother?"
"Not unless I want to pick up some motivational speaker books for myself, all the while listening to a lecture between stores," I admitted, "I know she means well, but she's suffocating me."
He chuckled, "It's just shocking for her."
"I know, I'm not perfect... what has this world come too?" I joked lightly.
"Well, sure I'd love too," he looked back down at his papers, "I'll be ready in a half hour. Meet me in the jag."
"Sure thing," I skipped out of the room to go get ready.
***
"What about this?" My dad held up the ugliest sweater yet.
"Dad," I sighed, "Why don't you just get her those pearl earrings she's been hinting for?"
He sighed, "Because that would be to easy, I already feel bad enough about cutting the cottage trip short."
"It wouldn't be the easy way," I informed him, "It would be the safe way. Besides Mom can buy her own cloths."
"Fine, I'll buy her jewerly," he sighed, "But not those earrings."
"Ok." i sighed and shook my head at his stubborness. He never got anyone what they actually wanted for christmas, he always got us something good, but he thought we shouldn't ask for things. The only time i got things i wanted was when Santa Claus brought me my presents.
We managed to get our christmas shopping done before dinner.
Dad left me to wrap all the presents that had been boughten, and I spent nearly two hours wrapping and packing to go away, I wouldn't be home again until the new year.