India

India woke up the next morning, stretching slightly in her bed. She felt her stomach grumble, but she ignored it. She knew she could put it off for at least another day.
Swinging her feet out of bed, she walked to her shower, the fully risen sun telling her it was probably around 11.
She shut the curtains in her bathroom and turned on the shower, switching the lights off before she took off her clothes.
Showering in the dark had been her best idea in a long time. Not having to see her repulsive body every day was somewhat comforting, even though she knew it was still there.
Hot water poured over her as she blindly washed her hair and body, her fingernails picking at the most recent cuts on her left arm to reopen them instead of making fresh ones. She couldnt be bothered finding her razor right now.
She waited until she was certain the blood had stopped, before getting out.
On came the lights, and she tried her best not to look at herself as she pulled on a pair of black tights and a bra, sliding on a tank top and an oversized jumper.
She wished she could dress prettier sometimes. Maybe when she wasnt fat anymore, she'd buy herself a skirt or something. Maybe.
India sighed and walked out of the bathroom, towel drying her long blonde hair as she caught sigt of her reflection again in the mirror that haunted her. She never knew why she toom it to every new house. More than anything, it was a reminder of just how much more weight she had to lose.
Biting her lip, her gaze dropped straight to her thighs. She was certain her gap been bigger a few weeks ago. Hesitantly, she slipped two fingers there, sighing. She used to be able to fit three.
Maybe eating could wait until monday night.
India looked at her face, trying not to cry. Her eyes were far too big and too unnaturally blue, with darker blue and slightly hazel flecks around the centre. She was pale as a ghost, and her lips were too full and slightly chapped from the beginnings of winter.
She turned away and stuffed her feet into a pair of ballet flats, putting some chaptick on before grabbing a scarf.
Her Mum had said something about a carnival today, which sounded somewhat fun. She liked the idea of carnivals, they reminded her of when she was a kid, back before all this bad stuff happened to her. Back when she was happy.
She walked downstairs, liking how quiet the house was. She found a note on the table, confirming her suspicions.

Gone out to get groceries, heres some money for the carnival. Bus leaves at 12, theres a stop two blocks right of the house. Be back by 10 please.
I love you.
Mum x

India half smiled, taking the twenty dollars her mum had left her. The front door locked behind her, and she walked down the front path, turning to her right. She liked it here already.

Alex groaned internally when his Mum yelled at him from downstairs. He glanced at the clock, getting up slowly when he saw it was nearly 1pm already. He picked out some clothes for the day, black skinny jeans and a plaid button up, sliding them on. He grabbed his leather jacket and a grey beanie, leaving his hair slightly messy with the beanie placed expertly ontop. A spray of his cologne and three pieces of peppermint gum later, he was in his car and driving down to where the carnival was.
Of course people looked when they heard green day playing loudly. Alex parked where he wanted and got out, walking over to his groups of friends.
Friends was a word Alex used very loosely. The only people here he really trusted, were his best friends, Jack, Rian and Zack.
"Alex!!" Jack practically yelled, greeting him with enthusiasm like always.
"Hey man, is this carnival thing shit or what?" He asked, slinging his arm around a girls shoulder that he hadnt seen before. She was reasonably tall and brunette. Quite pretty, he guessed. Far too much makeup though.
"We havent been in yet, we were waiting for you." Rian laughed a bit.
Alex grinned, taking a bit of make up girls candyfloss. He gave her a sly wink and let his arm drop, sliding it around her waist to rest on her hip.
"Should we go in then? I feel like winning a pretty girl a stuffed animal." He said, letting his hand drift over her backside as he led his group inside the carnival. No event was complete without Alex.

The place was set up quite nicely. There were rides more towards the centre, and carnival flags and fairy lights had been set up everywhere. Alex decided he would stay until it got dark, just to see what it looked like later.
People were everywhere, and Alex knew them all. Every girl who walked past and gave him a sly, sexual look, must have been one of his conquests at some point. He'd just return the looks, mentally rating them on a scale of 1 to 10 now that he was sober and could see them properly.
Make up girl stayed close by his side, eating her candyfloss in a way that Alex guessed was supposed to turn him on. It wasnt working at all. Regardless, he would probably end up screwing her in the back of his car anyway.

The day passed and night rolled in, the carnival dying down slightly. India had spent the day by herself, walking around Baltimore taking photos of anything and everything that she liked the look of. Photography was one thing she could always use to escape. She loved the way a picture could capture a moment like nothing else. It showed vividly the emotion of a moment, there wasno way it could lie. Pictues showed exactly what had taken place.
When it was dark, she had returned to the carnival. The rides were lit up and bright, and fairy lights adorned every stall she walked past. She began taking photos, making her way towards the rides. Nobody paid any attention to her. She blended into the background perfectly, drawing absolutely no attention to herself. It was just easier that way.

Alex had managed to ditch his group of friends by now. Half of them had gone home anyway. After spending a further few hours with makeup girl, he'd decided he could do better than her for tonight and sent her on her way with a kiss and fake phone number. He walked around aimlessly, hands dug deep in his pockets. He had to admit, it was okay here. He would much rather be getting drunk though. He just needed to find someone old enough to buy him alcohol. It was saturday night, and there was no way he was going to stay sober.
Alex got out his phone and started to scroll through his contacts, trying to remember who was over 21 and who wasnt.
He was so fixated on his phone that he didnt even see the tiny, petite blonde girl who was standing infront of the carosel, taking photos as the horses spun around.
India was so fixated on her photos, the laughs and giggles lf children as they spun around without a care in theworld, that she didnt notice the tall guy walking straight towards her.
She fell to the ground when Alex slammed into her, camera getting knocked from her hands. She reached for it quickly, placing the strap around her neck just incase it got dropped again.
"Fuck, watch it." Alex hissed a little and leaned down to pick up the phone he dropped, looking down at the person he knocked over. People should know not to get in his way.
He expected it to be some idiot guy, not a girl.
And definitely not a girl that looked like her.
Alex would never forget that moment. The eyes that stared back at him were so big and glazed with tears, the piercing blue shade of them boring straight through him. Her lips were full and the colour of raspberries, her skin pale and absolutely perfect. Her blonde hair was swept softly across her face, collarbones prominant from where her sweater had fallen down over one shoulder.
India didnt have a clue what to think. Her back and hips were throbbing, and she could already feel where she would have bruises in the morning. The boy standing over her was slender and tall, dressed nicely. Stubble was barely showing around his jawline, and his lips were slightly chapped. The boys eyes were the warmest shade of caramel chocolate she had ever seen, and they radiated concern, a far cry from the angry expression he had worn ten seconds ago.

"Im so sorry, are you okay?" Alex asked, holding his hand out to her. She had to be new, he would have remembered her if she lived around here. How could anyone not?
"Its fine, my mistake." India replied quietly and ignored his hand, pushing herself up from the dirt. She avoided eye contact with him, eyes fixed on her feet.
Her head came to the same height as his chest, and she looked up at him hesitantly. India didnt want to sound shallow, but he was definitely handsome.
"Not at all. Let me buy you a soda or something to make up for it." Alex smiled smoothly and held his hand out to her again, slipping into his alternate persona. The one that could have any girl undressed and in his bed within five minutes of meeting them. This was no exception.

The girls teeth sunk into her bottom lip. Soda meant calories.
"No, im fine." India said quietly, pulling the sleeves of her sweatshirt over her hands. Her camera hung around her neck, resting over her stomach.
She wondered if the boy thought she was fat.
India offered him a small smile, turning around on her heel. She walked off in the opposite direction, her strides half the size of Alexs as he went after her.
"Hey wait, come back." He called, weaving through people not nearly as effortlessly as she had. Alex didnt even understand what had just happened. People, especially girls, never turned him down. Not ever. People were usually begging him to hang out with them, not the other way around. There was just something about the tiny girl with ocean blue eyes and an oversized sweater that had caught his attention, and although he couldnt put his finger on what it was, he didnt dare question it.