- tw -
- disordered eating -
Evan was parked outside the Chick-Fil-A for awhile, waiting for Connor's car to appear. He drummed his finger on the steering wheel to a song in his head as his stomach let out an earth-shaking growl. He looked around frantically and red-faced, even though he knew that he was the only one in the vehicle.
It hadn't even been that long since he'd last eaten, but he knew he couldn't let Connor hear that or he'd have to eat. He slid his phone out of his pocket and opened Google, fingers shaking as if he was committing a heinous crime with his search entry.
how to make your stomach stop growling without eating
Fortunately, there are several ways to stop your stomach from growling.
1. Drink water. If you're stuck somewhere and you can't eat and your stomach is rumbling away, drinking water can help stop it. ...
Before Evan could click on the link, someone knocked on his window, causing him to immediately exit out of his browser and lock his phone. He looked up to see Connor outside of his car with a friendly smile. Evan unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door, pushing his phone deep inside his pocket.
Evan stayed close to Connor as he ordered, insisting that he wasn't hungry but could really go for some water. He tried to pay Connor back for his drink, to no avail, of course, before the two found a table near the back.
"So," Connor began, opening his box of nuggets, "what has the Evan Hansen been up to lately?"
"Oh, you know..." Evan gulped down his water as fast as he could before continuing. "Nothing n-new. Mostly studying for exams. I'm pretty nervous f-for them."
"Need any help? I don't know a damn thing about your classes but I can quiz you if you have notes or anything...?"
"You don't have to, but if you really want t-to, I could use some help in Chemistry."
"Alright, so we'll head to your place after this?"
Evan nodded as he hastily drank water, noticing how he felt more full and his stomach stopped growling. This was turning out to be quite a bit easier than he expected.
•••
About an hour later, the two were in Evan's bedroom, Connor in the desk seat and Evan on his bed. Connor read questions from index cards over and over and over, making piles of the ones he got right and the ones he got wrong. Eventually, they'd come to an unfinished index card without the answer written on the other side.
"What?" Evan questioned, standing from the bed to look at the card himself, "I thought I finished them all."
"No looking!" Connor hid the card behind his back. "It might give you a hint or something. That's cheating."
"How are we supposed to f-figure out the answer then?"
"I'll just Google it. Try and figure it out while I look it up."
"M'kay, my phone's on the desk behind you."
Connor spun around in the chair, unlocking Evan's phone with his fingerprint before finding his internet app. His brows furrowed as he saw the open tab.
"What the hell?" Connor inquired, "'How to make your stomach stop growling without eating'? Why did you search for that?"
"What?" Evan's face paled, knowing exactly what Connor was talking about.
"Your most recent search, Evan! Why did you search for that?"
"I didn't have enough to pay f-for food, and I didn't want you t-to have to pay for it so I didn't let you know I was hungry."
"Don't lie to me. I've been watching you at lunch. What are you doing to yourself?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Connor put Evan's phone on the desk and left the room. Evan peered out the window, expecting to see an angry Connor getting into his car and speeding down the street, but he never did. Instead, Connor stormed back up the stairs and into the room, heaving a plate over to Evan.
"If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then eat the sandwich." Connor stood with his arm crossed in front of a dumbfounded Evan.
"I'm n-not hungry anymore." Evan started down at the plate to avoid eye contact.
"You were hungry at Chick-Fil-A and you haven't eaten since then. How can you not be hungry?"
"I drank a lot of water. It f-filled me up."
"Water isn't food, Evan. It's not going to nourish you and give your body what it needs."
"Water won't make me gain weight."
"What?"
"Water doesn't have calories. It won't make me gain weight the way f-food does; especially b-bread. It's a carbohydrate."
"Where is this coming from?"
"I'm... big, Connor! I have a pudgy s-stomach and f-fat under my chin, and... I don't want to b-be this way! Nobody will like me like this – you won't like me like this!"
"I want you to be healthy, Evan. I don't want you starving."
"I want to lose weight."
"You don't need to, and even if you did, there are a million ways to lose weight in a healthy way."
"No, I do need to! I'm only going to get bigger and bigger if I keep eating, and then you won't like me."
"Evan, we've been over this, remember? I like you, and we kissed. I'm not sure how else I can reassure you, but I do like you."
