Chex Mix

Dear Reader,

It's not every day you meet people like these. This motley crew, this rag-tag team of six in the nurse's office. Who ever knew we'd be friends? I sure didn't. But that one fateful moment, when Bieber-boy asked, “What are your goals in life?”... That was the moment I knew something was going to be different.

First to answer is the boy who's nicknamed Twinkle Toes. “I want to dance,” he says with an Australian accent and in the simplest way possible.

“Adventure. I want adventure,” says the brown-haired girl who was previously coughing into the toilet.

“Okay, I'll go next. I want my first kiss.” I turn to find that Bieber-boy had answered. I let out a single snort-laugh. That's kind of embarrassing, almost.

Next, the naturally skinny girl decides to chime in with, “Uh... My turn. ...I want friends.”

Now that she mentions it, I haven't ever seen her hanging out with anyone but herself. It's sad, really. I feel bad for her, not having anybody to talk to about anything. But she's got family, right?

Beiber-boy looks shocked at her aspiration, and offers to be her friend, to which she doesn't answer. She simply looks away with a confused expression and a face red as my lipstain.

I look at Owen, not wanting to reveal my goal quite yet, to find him staring at a spot on the floor again.

“Oookay,” I mouth, then make my voice slightly loud enough for everyone to hear as I say, “I want to be healthy.”

And by healthy, I, of course, mean getting over anorexia. I don't see that happening anytime soon, though, but it's a goal. A goal that I will complete before I die. I just have to. I can't die because I don't eat. That's a stupid reason to die.

“What do you mean?” asks Naturally Skinny, looking up at me with an expression of either compassion or confusion or both. Man, this girl gets confused a ton.

I shake my head and look away. “It – it's nothing...”

She shrugs towards Beiber-boy, who's tilting his head at first me, then her.

I clear my throat uncomfortably. “Anyways. Owen? What's yours?”