"I have my eating under control, Father. There is really no need for me to be in this group anymore." Allura spoke as she placed some food on her plate. Her eyes scanned each spoonful. Three brussel sprouts per spoonful, 3 spoonfuls only, and several brussel sprouts were small and barely took up any room on her plate. Her eyes burned as she counted the calories. 8 calories per sprout, 3 sprouts per spoonful, 24 calories per spoonful, 72 calories for her meal.

Allura licked her dry lips and tried to ignore the aches in her stomach in favor of listening to her father. 

"Allura, it's only been 3 months since your hospitalization. I know that Dr. Porter said 2 months, but I really think you'd benefit to see the program through the long way." He sounded stressed. Allura could only imagine what kind of stress she had put him through.

She and her inability to be thin.

She put her plate down on the table and looked at her drink. The glass was empty and it hit her fork with a clink. 

"Father, I am feeling better. I am no longer counting my calorie input," lies. "I no longer restrict my dieting," more lies, "and more importantly, I am no longer throwing up my meals." Biggest lie of the century.

"Allura, please. I just would be in a better state of mind knowing you were seeing someone and gaining a support system while your mother and I are away." Allura sighed and hung up. Her head ached and she put her cold fingers against her forehead. She rubbed her temple with her thumb and circled her index finger on her skin.

The lights in her apartment were dimmed. The curtains blocked out any sunlight. She was freezing. Allura's teeth chattered and she shivered. The teen stared at her food again. Her fork remained untouched as she glared at the vegetables. 

Her father had made sure she had eaten before he left. He made her eat a high-calorie meal of cottage cheese, almonds, Greek Yogurt, and grilled chicken. Every bite that she took under his watchful eye felt like another 80 pounds on her body. The food felt like concrete as it went down her throat and dropped to her stomach. Sinking into her stomach acid with a gag disguised as a cough. 

Her father had sat there and wouldn't let her leave the table. He held her hand as he waited an hour, letting Allura loose the chance to get rid of the extra calories.

Because of his stunt, Allura didn't eat for the next two days. Every hunger ache she had, she'd get up and look in the mirror. Her hair was knotted and her sweater she kept on at all times of day grew bigger. Allura was just sure that it was her stretching it out, her body squeezing into the material.

Her alarm woke her out of her thoughts.

THERAPY her alarm read in dark, black print. She gnawed on the skin on her lip before getting out of her seat. She grabbed her purse and keys without so much as looking at the plate. 

Her skin felt to lose for her body, and her teeth ached. They burned against her gums.

She walked to her car, counting her steps carefully. Allura counted each step, and then each calorie burned, as she walked to her car. Her keys in one hand and her free hand tugging at her hair. A strand of her white hair had fallen out of her elegant pony-tail. She bit her lip hard as her hand moved.

With her finger, came the thick strand of hair she was pulling at. She looked at the hair in her hand before dropping it behind her. 

She had places to be, things to do. Allura tried to shake her thoughts of her father. Blood gathered at her lip as her teeth pierced the skin. Tears entered her eyes as she started the car.

She was cold.

Allura was so goddamn cold.