Faded Gem: A Story About Overcoming Anorexia

Chapter Two

   Dinner that night wasn't anything special. Just roast beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans. There was also the choice of dark brown and light brown gravy. Food was placed on Rarity's plate for her since she hesitated to do it on her own.

   "You need to eat your dinner, dear," Pearl, Rarity's mother insisted. "You skipped breakfast when you went out the door and I don't know if you ate lunch or not."

   "I will, mother," Rarity told her. Rarity picked up her fork and began to cut her beef and move pieces of it around the plate to make them look smaller and eaten. One of the many tricks that her mind manual gave her to convince her parents that she was eating.

   "Guess what happened at school today?!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

   "What?" Magnum, Rarity's father asked.

   "Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and I finally impressed our science teacher!" Sweetie Belle squealed with excitement. "He usually cringes everytime we go to the front of the room because he's afraid something will explode, I guess, but today he smiled and gave us an A on our project!"

   "That's great!" Magnum told her. "Did anything exciting happen for you, Rarity?"

   Rarity bit her lip. "Well... I guess there was sign-ups for the design club. They'll be designing the uniforms for all of the other clubs and teams."

   "Wow, that's right up your alley, sweetheart!" Magnum said with a chuckle.

   "Yeah, you're an amazing designer, Rarity," Sweetie Belle added. "I can't wait to see what the uniforms are going to look like!"

   Rarity tittered lightly at her little sister's excitement. It warmed her heart to see her parents and sister so happy as they ate and talked. However, the voices inside her head started to protest every time she thought about taking a bite of her dinner.

   'Don't do it!', they'd scream. You were doing so well! You want to stay thin or you'll never get that job.

   Rarity could not feel the happiness the others in her family were radiating around the room. She shivered as a chill shot up her body. She'd been feeling so cold and weak as her health declined. Rarity knew the reasons why. She wasn't blind as to what she was doing to herself.

   I know I could die, Rarity thought to herself as she continued to cut her food and move it around. I've seen the statistics. But I just can't... bring myself to eat. Why is that?

   Finally, Rarity gave into the voices and sighed. Magnum and Pearl were starting to wash the dishes and Sweetie Belle was finished with her meal. When they weren't looking, Rarity carefully slid her meal into the garbage can and walked over to place the empty plate in the sink.

   "Thanks, dear," Pearl said.

   Rarity smiled and nodded at her mother before excusing herself to go to her room. She had to check her weight. Rarity knew that she had lost herself to the fear and guilt. Though, it wasn't just fear anymore. It was an obsession.

                                                                                            ***

   Rarity barricaded the bathroom door behind her before she stepped onto the scale, her heart pounding in her ears. She waited in anticipation for the number to show up on the scale. '130.05'. To Rarity, that was far too much weight. Her heart sank and she stepped off of the scale in shame.

   Rarity lifted her shirt just enough to see her midriff and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Rarity's mind warped her self-image every time she gazed into the mirror. Despite herself nearing dangerously thin for her height, Rarity didn't see that in the mirror. She saw extra fat and flab on her stomach that wasn't there.