Eating Disorder

By PuppiePatrol91

Sum- Taylor's current boyfriend is degrading and abusive. When he calls her fat and says that it would be better for their relationship if she lost a few pounds, Taylor goes on a crash diet. She refuses to eat lunch at school and she skips out on dinner at home. She doesn't want to get Chad involved, for her boyfriend told her not to involve any of her friends or "they're dead". Chad wants to be able to help Taylor, to make her feel better. When Taylor collapses one day during school, Chad knows something's not right with his best friend . . . but Taylor still refuses to tell Chad what's really going on. Can Chad and the others figure out why Taylor's skipping meals? Can they help her get better? Can they protect her from her abusive soon-to-be ex-boyfriend? Or can Taylor really handle this, like she told all of her friends? Plz tell me what you think!

Normal POV

Gabriella Montez broke off a piece of pizza and gave it to her friend. But Taylor McKessie waved it away.

Gabriella looked at her boyfriend with concern.

We have to do something her eyes told Troy Bolton.

I know.

"You haven't bought lunch this whole week," Chad Danforth said. "How come?"

"I've been eating a heavy breakfast," Taylor lied. "I haven't been hungry."

Taylor put her head on her arms and remembered the conversation she had with her boyfriend only a week before.

Mike Benson paced the floor and looked at his girlfriend.

"Taylor," he started, staring at her intensely. "It looks like you've put on a little weight. You know how I feel about fat girls." He clenched his hand in a fist and held it above his hand. "You know how I feel," he said again, bringing his fist down on her face.

"I'm sorry!" Taylor cried. "I've been really stressed lately. When I'm stressed, I eat. A lot."

"Then stop eating." His words were ice cold. They were like venom.

"I only weigh 124 pounds," Taylor said. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to give this guy the satisfaction he wanted by screaming her heart out. "What? Do you want me to be one of those models on TV who only way 80, 90 pounds? I've seen what happens to them, Mike. I won't be another skinny girl who has anorexia. I'm not going to change myself for you."

Mike got a cruel look on his face. "If you won't diet for me, how about for your precious Chad? If you don't become skinny within one week, Chad is dead." Mike held Taylor's hair and gave it a hard yank. "You tell them," he said, coming within 2 inches of her face, "and they're all dead."

"How can I lose weight in a week?" Taylor wondered, scared not only for her life but for the lives of her friends as well.

"Stop . . . eating," he said slowly, as if speaking to a three-year-old.

"I'm not going to go on a crash diet," Taylor said matter-of-factly.

"Yes you are," Mike said and slapped Taylor in the face. "Yes you are."

So Taylor had done it, afraid that Mike would carry out his threat and harm her friends.

"Even when I eat a big breakfast, I'm still hungry by lunchtime," Chad continued. "Are you sure you're not hungry?"

Taylor stared at her friends in anger. "Geez, what is this, twenty questions?"

With that, Taylor turned on her heels and left the cafeteria.

Chad was about to go after her but Kelsi Nielsen and Jason Cross stopped him.

"Let her go, man," Jason advised.

"She needs to vent," Kelsi told him.

Chad sighed and finished the rest of his lunch without saying a single word to anyone.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Taylor ran into the bathroom, her safe haven, and cried and cried some more.

I should tell Chad and the others what's really going on, Taylor thought, getting paper towels to dry her eyes. I know I should. But I don't want Mike to hurt any of them. Taylor abruptly stopped crying. I can handle it myself...can't I?

"Taylor?" Gabriella and Kelsi asked as they came into the bathroom.

Taylor turned to the mirror quickly, as if redoing her makeup.

"Oh, hey, guys," Taylor said with fake happiness.

"Are you okay?" Gabriella wondered.

Taylor flashed her a smile. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," Gabriella answered. "You just seemed out of it at lunch."

"I was just tired, that's all," Taylor lied and rubbed her cheek, remembering the punch she had gotten from Mike.

Kelsi came over next to Taylor and started doing her makeup too.

"Taylor," Kelsi said shocked, "what happened to your face?"

"Nothing." Taylor got her books ready and went to her next class, glad that she didn't have any classes with them until 8th period.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Hey, Taylor..." Chad said, coming up to her.

He put his hands on her shoulders and Taylor quickly spun around.

Taylor, not realizing what she was saying, yelled, "Don't hit me!"

"I'm not...I'm not going to hit you, Tay," Chad told her as Troy came up to them. "I'd never hit you." Chad looked at Taylor's tear-stained eyes. "What's the matter?"

"I,,,um..." Taylor paused, slung her backpack over her left shoulder, and said to Chad before heading the other way, "I've gotta get to class. Bye, Chad."

When Taylor was halfway down the hall, Chad started following her.

But Troy stopped him.

"Just let her go," Troy advised. "She needs her space. Just let her go."

Chad stared after Taylor's fleeting form.

"Man, I'm worried about her," Chad told his best friend. "She's been acting weird all week. I'm really worried."

"Gabby and I are too," Troy answered. "We are too."

Just then the bell signaled for 7th period to begin.

One more period and I can see how Taylor is doing . . . and ask her what's wrong, Chad thought. I mean, a period is enough space, right?

But when 8th period rolled around, Taylor wasn't there.

"Don't you think its odd?" Chad asked his friends.

"Think what's odd?" Zeke Baylor wondered.

"That Taylor isn't here," Chad replied. "Taylor never missed a day of class and she certainly wouldn't skip."

"Hmm..." Sharpay Evans said thoughtfully. "Maybe she got called out of school for some reason."

"Mr. Adams," Chad said to his teacher, "may I go to the bathroom?"

"Sure, Chad," Mr. Adams said and wrote him a pass.

When Chad got to the bathroom, he pulled out his cell phone and called Taylor.

When no one answered, Chad was even more sure that something had happened to Taylor within the last period. The question is...what was it?

When Chad told his friends, Gabby comforted him by saying, "After school we'll all go over Taylor's house to see what's up, okay?"

Chad sighed and felt better.

But as soon as the final bell rang, and they went over Taylor's house, the fear was there again.

"Taylor?" Chad asked, knocking on the door. "Tay, are you in there?"

When nobody answered, Chad rang the doorbell.

"Taylor?" Troy and Gabby asked.

Hearing a cry coming from inside, Chad tried the knob and found the door was open.

They walked in, following the cries, leading them to the bathroom.

Taylor was holding a razor blade to her right wrist, looking in the mirror and crying.

"Taylor." Chad whispered her name and made his way over to her.

She just started right in the mirror and with one swift motion, bright red blood was pouring out of her wrist. She did the same thing with her left.

Within moments she passed out.

"Call the doctor," Chad advised, hoping beyond hope that his friend was alright.

Did you like it? Plz R&R!

PuppiePatrol91