Bully Love (Zayn Malik)

31

31.

"I had no idea that you had all of this going on." Liam said to me as Zayn and I cuddled on the next couch over. I think he's gotten used to Zayn so there was no problem with him being here.

"Yeah, where were you in first period?" I asked. "And lunch?"

"First period, I was helping Mrs. Garcia with something. Lunch, I was practicing boxing in the gym." he replied. I stood up to get drinks for all of us, Coke for Liam and a Red Bull for Zayn.

I walked back and they both stopped talking abruptly. "What?" I giggled, handing them their drinks.

"Nothing." Zayn moved back to his seat. "What's your favorite book?" he smiled, trying to change the subject.

"Hey, no don't do that. What were you guys talking about that I can't hear about?" No one answered me. "Fine, I'll just have to do this the hard way, Liam." I stood up and sat down on his lap. I turned towards him and widened my eyes intimidatingly. I can easily squeeze something out of him. "Tell me." I forced his eyes to stay on mine.

"I will not cave." he stated. I narrowed my eyes at him. He was getting uncomfortable. "I can do this all day."

"Can you?" I brought his face closer to mine.

"We were talking about when you starved yourself, stop looking at me like that." Liam broke the stare and I giggled. I always win at that. "How do you not blink?"

"It's a gift. And it's not a big deal if you were talking about that. If you have more questions, you don't have to wait until I leave the room babe." I laughed a little. Starving myself was one of the stupidest things I've ever done to my body. I was literally eighty three pounds at ages fourteen to sixteen. I'm glad I'm one hundred five now, trying to get heavier. I don't want to fall back into old habits but when I think I get too heavy, I feel like I need to start working out so I do. Then I remember how bad it got, so I stop.

"Are you sure?" Zayn asked me. I nodded. "You're okay with Liam and I talking about it?" I nodded again. "Okay, go ahead Liam."

"I noticed when she wouldn't eat all the time but I just didn't think much of it. In the summer, she told me she hated swimming so she wouldn't wear a bathing suit." he said. "All she would wear was baggy clothes and flowing shirts. Mike and I noticed and when we asked if she lost weight, she'd say that she's been doing morning jogs and workouts."

I laughed airily. They were gullible. I would even have to wake up early sometimes, pretend to jog, sit at a coffee shop until six, and take a shower as if I really did go for a jog. I really didn't want them to find out because I knew what they'd say. You could see the outlines of my ribs on my stomach.

"I don't know how Mike and I let it get to two and a half years, but eventually, Mike heard her up late at night, throwing up. It suddenly hit him that she was bulimic. All the baggy clothes, never seeing her stomach, always skipping lunch, always going to the bathroom after dinner, workouts, and the way she would react when someone mentioned her weight. Mike came to me before we said anything to Nikki and we didn't know how to confront her." Liam stated.

I looked at Zayn and he looked guilty. I took his hand in mine and gave him a light smile. "On Christmas, the Smalls were eating at my house with my family and my mom asked her why she wasn't eating. She told her that she wasn't hungry. Later that day, Mike and I pulled her aside and talked with her. We told her that we'd be there for her and that she didn't need to starve herself to be beautiful since she already was."

"Aw." I grinned. "I remember that."

"Yeah. Stayed at your house for two weeks, hardly left your side." Liam stated.