Status: Sequel!
Habits You Couldn't Bear to Keep
of things i used to know.
At first, I tried the puking thing. I only do it once or twice a week if I have too much to eat. I exercised most of the time. I swam a lot when it was even remotely hot. When it was too cold, I'd jog. When i didn't feel like jogging, I'd go to a gym. By the way, I have gym memberships in 5 different states. I've never slipped. Not even during the holidays.
The group really was serious. They'd come at random intervals. Every day for a week and then I wouldn't see them for a month or so. Twice every six days. It didn't matter. Eventually, I asked questions. They answered. I ended up getting close to them. I looked forward to our visits sometimes. A select few would come over for dinner or just to hang out. One in particular caught my eye. She was nicer to me than the rest and hung out more frequently than any of them.
After a month, she told me her name was Mikayla. She said that she really liked me and she was so proud of me. I never saw her again after that night. They said she had left because she felt defective to the group and got a plane to a place she wouldn't tell of. I never believed that story.
About 6 or 7 months ago, they threw a party. I had finally did it. They all looked so happy, it was scaring me. Even pincher girl, which I learned to be Emily, was smiling. We ate cupcakes and watched movies. At the end of the night, I got a call from Pete.
"Hello?"
"Hey man, it's Pete."
"I know. I have caller id, dumb ass." I laughed with myself.
"Look, me and the guys are worried. You've been acting so different this past year or so. Even Ash knows something's up."
I sighed. "I'm fine, Pete. I just had a reality check."
"You're so skinny, dude!" That was Joe's voice. I could tell.
I laughed it off. "I know. I'm also shorter. I got a new car. I have a new obsession with lasagna and Star Wars games. I go-"
"You've always had an obsession with Star Wars games," said Andy.
We all laughed. "Oh, right. My point is that I'm just going through life, making a new and improved me."
"Improved? We loved you before you changed too, 'Trick..." replied Joe.
My heart stung. The other end of the phone was quiet. "I know-"
He kept at it. "You keep saying you know, you know, you don't know anything! You don't know how truly worried we are about you, or that we barely recognize you anymore. Andy almost left you in 7-Ele-"
"Joe," said Andy sharply.
"No! You looked so different, he walked out and got in his car. He waited 5 minutes before it was you! If you're doing something stupid, I just want you to know that you're hurting us too!" he screamed. I heard a bit of ruffling and then Pete's voice.
"Pat?"
"He's gone, isn't he?"
Sighing, Pete replied, "Yeah."
"Alright. I've got to go but call me when you hear of him next. Tell me he's okay even if it's a lie."
Silence and then, "Yeah. Talk to you soon, man."
"Bye Pete, say hi to the fa-" Click. He hung up. I did too and put my phone in my pocket. I stood from the couch and grabbed my coat.
"I'll see you guys next time. Thanks for the party." The words were tossed over my shoulder as i stepped out the door.
&&
I haven't talked to Joe since then. I hardly see Pete or Andy. Oddly enough, I have tea with Ash every other Sunday. The group hasn't come in two months. I'm still a whopping 146 pounds.
I never noticed until after the party that someone was always watching me all the time. I could be buying shoes or washing a plate and I'll get a feeling inside. I think the reason I never noticed it before was because I was too scared for my life. I realize now that they probably never would have killed me if I told anyone or didn't lose weight. Luckily, I didn't take that risk.
I read in a newspaper yesterday that they found a girl in a river bank just outside the city. Her name was Mikayla Owens. She was 27. The last time she was seen was the night she left my apartment. I cut out the article and put under my pillow last night. When I woke, there was a note that read:
Hello Patrick,
I see you found out our dirty little secret. We will stop visiting you if you don't speak. If you do, well I think you can work that out on your own. We'll always be there for you. You know how to reach us.
Sincerely,
those people.
The group really was serious. They'd come at random intervals. Every day for a week and then I wouldn't see them for a month or so. Twice every six days. It didn't matter. Eventually, I asked questions. They answered. I ended up getting close to them. I looked forward to our visits sometimes. A select few would come over for dinner or just to hang out. One in particular caught my eye. She was nicer to me than the rest and hung out more frequently than any of them.
After a month, she told me her name was Mikayla. She said that she really liked me and she was so proud of me. I never saw her again after that night. They said she had left because she felt defective to the group and got a plane to a place she wouldn't tell of. I never believed that story.
About 6 or 7 months ago, they threw a party. I had finally did it. They all looked so happy, it was scaring me. Even pincher girl, which I learned to be Emily, was smiling. We ate cupcakes and watched movies. At the end of the night, I got a call from Pete.
"Hello?"
"Hey man, it's Pete."
"I know. I have caller id, dumb ass." I laughed with myself.
"Look, me and the guys are worried. You've been acting so different this past year or so. Even Ash knows something's up."
I sighed. "I'm fine, Pete. I just had a reality check."
"You're so skinny, dude!" That was Joe's voice. I could tell.
I laughed it off. "I know. I'm also shorter. I got a new car. I have a new obsession with lasagna and Star Wars games. I go-"
"You've always had an obsession with Star Wars games," said Andy.
We all laughed. "Oh, right. My point is that I'm just going through life, making a new and improved me."
"Improved? We loved you before you changed too, 'Trick..." replied Joe.
My heart stung. The other end of the phone was quiet. "I know-"
He kept at it. "You keep saying you know, you know, you don't know anything! You don't know how truly worried we are about you, or that we barely recognize you anymore. Andy almost left you in 7-Ele-"
"Joe," said Andy sharply.
"No! You looked so different, he walked out and got in his car. He waited 5 minutes before it was you! If you're doing something stupid, I just want you to know that you're hurting us too!" he screamed. I heard a bit of ruffling and then Pete's voice.
"Pat?"
"He's gone, isn't he?"
Sighing, Pete replied, "Yeah."
"Alright. I've got to go but call me when you hear of him next. Tell me he's okay even if it's a lie."
Silence and then, "Yeah. Talk to you soon, man."
"Bye Pete, say hi to the fa-" Click. He hung up. I did too and put my phone in my pocket. I stood from the couch and grabbed my coat.
"I'll see you guys next time. Thanks for the party." The words were tossed over my shoulder as i stepped out the door.
&&
I haven't talked to Joe since then. I hardly see Pete or Andy. Oddly enough, I have tea with Ash every other Sunday. The group hasn't come in two months. I'm still a whopping 146 pounds.
I never noticed until after the party that someone was always watching me all the time. I could be buying shoes or washing a plate and I'll get a feeling inside. I think the reason I never noticed it before was because I was too scared for my life. I realize now that they probably never would have killed me if I told anyone or didn't lose weight. Luckily, I didn't take that risk.
I read in a newspaper yesterday that they found a girl in a river bank just outside the city. Her name was Mikayla Owens. She was 27. The last time she was seen was the night she left my apartment. I cut out the article and put under my pillow last night. When I woke, there was a note that read:
Hello Patrick,
I see you found out our dirty little secret. We will stop visiting you if you don't speak. If you do, well I think you can work that out on your own. We'll always be there for you. You know how to reach us.
Sincerely,
those people.