Anna Lovato

Chapter Twenty-Three

ANNA'S POV

A lump formed in my throat and caused me to cough. Demi continued to stare at me and my arms were on full show. Nick loomed in the doorway, confusion across his face. Thankfully, my arms were hidden by the back of the sofa.

"What's wrong with you two?" Nick called from the doorway.

Demi looked up from me and wiped her eyes on her sleeve, away from Nick's view. She cleared her throat. "Nothing, can we just have a second?"

Nick nodded his head, although Demi couldn't see, and left us to it. She quickly looked behind to make sure the coast was clear and then focused her attention back on me. I swallowed hard; scared of what was to come.

DEMI'S POV

"Why did you do it, baby girl?" I took Anna's wrists back into my grasp and tried to force the tears that were threatening to flow away.

"Why did I do what?"

I traced the scars on Anna's arms. "These, baby girl. Why did you hurt yourself?"

"I wanted to feel, Demi. I haven't done it since."

"Wait, when did you do it, baby? I thought I kept my eye on you all the time."

"When I locked myself in your office. There was a knife thing on the desk. I'm s-s-sorry, I won't do it again. Don't be mad at me, please."

Anna's voice went wobbly and her expression went blank and empty, as if she was completely broken. How could she have got this bad? Why is she turning out like me?

"I'm not mad at you, I just feel to blame..." My voice trailed off.

"Why, Demi? You didn't do it," Anna pulled a confused expression, "I did."

"I was like you, you know."

"How? I can't remember."

"You were real young, baby girl. Mom and dad protected you from it all. Remember when I went to get happy? That was because I was so sad, I was so sad with myself."

Anna's voice balanced itself out and her face lit up a tiny bit. "You're like me?"

"I don't know if I'm like you, we'll find out, but I was sad. I did what you have done to yourself at a young age. I was bullied in school so I left and my mind was at a horrible place. I was at a horrible place. So I went to get happier and now I'm healthy and happy, baby girl. The same will happen to you... Although you said you won't do it again, that's what I said, and I did it again, and again, and again until there wasn't much skin left."

Anna burst into tears and I joined in, too.

"Baby girl, you're only twelve but mental illness doesn't discriminate. We'll get to the bottom of this, you don't have to go to the beach if you don't want to. We can play games here and go shopping if you like. Anything to make you happy, you hear me?"

She sniffled and wiped her tears with the sleeve of her jumper. "I hear you."

"So what made you do it, baby girl? Why were you in such a bad place that the only way you felt you could escape was by harming yourself? Explain it to me, please."

I could see her thoughts race just by the way she stared at the wall, trying her best to wind all the way back to the beginning.

"People - boys - at school call me fat and ugly, Demi. They don't like me because I have a famous sister. I'm not saying it's your fault, it's not, but I can't do it. I only have one friend, Meadow, and I pushed her away. She doesn't like me anymore because I told her to go home. And I-"

I cut her off because she was speaking way too fast and getting really hysterical about it.

"Hey, baby! Slow down! Take it slow, please calm down."

Her breathing calmed down and she continued: "I don't know why I did it, I just think I'm fat and ugly. I tried to stop eating but I forgot and then I felt like a loser when I forgot, Demi. What's wr-wrong with me?!"

Anna completely broke down in front of me. She's 12 years old (she's nearly 13, but she's still 12) and she's just broke down. Her body is shaking uncontrollably, her breathing is way too fast and her crying won't stop. I don't know what to do. I opened my arms wider and tightly hugged Anna, trying my best to calm her uncontrollable crying and hysterics down. 

I played with her hair and curled it around my index finger. I quietened my voice as she started to calm down and quietly spoke into her ear.

"You're beautiful, Anna Rose. Absolutely beautiful. I love you with all my heart and I know that mom and dad love you too and they're so proud of you, us really. I know for a fact our bravery and our strong skin has made them so proud and I know that they will be upset with what's happening right now. You will not be seeing those bullies ever again and I will make it my goal to make sure you feel as beautiful as you look everyday. You're the only person I have by my side at all times, even though you annoy me I love you with all my heart," I continued to stroke her hair and sway side to side to calm her down. "Don't let anyone tell you you're not beautiful, because you are. You got that, Anna?" I looked down, having heard no reply.

"Oh," I grinned and looked at her sleeping self lying in my arms. "Still beautiful when you're asleep."

~*~

A/N: Hi guys, thank you SO much for getting me 1k reads (right now, I'm on 1,092 and that's AMAZING). I didn't even think I'd get any more than 10 and I have no idea how on earth I've got 1k, it's actually so amazing. So thank you all. I hope to update like crazy until college (which is Monday) and I hope to get upto Chapter 30 by then. Thanks for reading my fanfic, it means a lot! :)