skin and bone ; riverdale ♡

eighty five ♡

"Olivia!" Alice calls for the tenth time from the bottom of the stairs. "Come downstairs! Dinner's ready!"

"I'm coming!" I shout back, closing my bedroom door behind me. I rush down the stairs so fast that I almost slip. I hop down the last two steps, beaming as the smell of Alice's cooking fills my nostrils.

I am so hungry.

When I get to the table, Alice, Chic and Betty are already eating. "Finally." Alice says as I pull my usual seat out at the table and sit down. "I've been calling you for ages. What took you so long?"

"I just had to clean my room. Sorry." I apologise, placing a napkin on my lap. I immediately pick up my fork, stuffing the greasy food into my mouth.

"Someone's hungry." Betty says as I chew my mouth full of food.

"You have no idea." I mumble under my breath.

I'm supposed to be fasting, that's why. I immediately stop chewing, spitting the food into a napkin.

No one seems to notice as I hurriedly climb out of my seat, so quick that it falls to the floor behind me. And, thankfully, no one questions me as I run out of the room, and back upstairs to my room. I practically slam my bedroom door open, heading straight for my bathroom as panicked tears sting my eyes.

I need to get those calories out of me.

I bend over the toilet, two fingers reaching into my throat.

*

I wake up, the bright sunlight and my empty stomach making me realise that it was just a dream. I haven't broken my fast. Everything is fine. I sigh in relief, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I cannot ruin this fast. It's only five more days, then I can eat.

"Olivia!" Alice calls in the exact same tone she had used in the dream that felt more like a nightmare. I sit up in bed. "Hurry up!"

"Huh?" I call back groggily. Jesus, it's cold today.

"Are you even dressed yet?" My aunt asks from outside of my bedroom door.

"Uh..." I trail off, looking down at my pyjama clad body. "I'm in my pyjamas?"

Alice finally just comes in, raising an eyebrow at me as I tilt my head at her. Why is she already dressed?

"Have you only just woke up?" Alice asks in a disapproving tone. "Betty left for school twenty minutes ago."

My eyes widen to the size of saucers. I must have slept through my alarm. "I'm sorry. I must have been more tired than I thought last night." I yawn, throwing my blanket off of me.

"I would have woke you up if I had known that you'd been asleep, but I could have sworn that I heard someone walking around in here."

"It must have been the cat." I glance over at the cat who's asleep in her bed for once.

"Do you want a ride?" She asks as I groan in pain as I climb out of bed slowly.

"I'm fine." I insist. "I can walk."

"Are you sure?" She raises an eyebrow as I turn to face her. "Because you look like you're in pain."

"I'm just a bit sore." I shrug. "Cheryl wanted me to help her come up with a new routine yesterday, so that the two of us are front and centre and this week's basketball game."

"Is that why you didn't come in until late last night?"

I nod, avoiding making any eye contact with her. "Yeah, I told you last night. Cheryl and I ended up practicing after school and wanted to perfect the routine before the squad learns it." I totally wasn't at the gym or anything. "That's when I hurt my hand, remember?" I lift up my bandaged wrist.