Amu hastily unlocked the front door of her simple two story home, glad to see that nobody was home. Nobody would be for at least half an hour. That was enough time. Enough time to get it all out, to scream to her heart's content and bite and hit and scratch. Enough time to get all the frustration and anger out of her system so she could return to the simple emptiness, so she could go back to drifting through the days, exhausted and struggling not to pass out.

She didn't know why it was happening, but she would get used to it. Everyone around her would have to get used to it, too. This was normal, right? Every teen went through this, right? It wasn't a problem. Of course it wasn't. Rima and Utau were worried for nothing. So she hadn't turned in any assignments all week, who cared? So she hadn't eaten more than a small bowl of cereal all day, why did that matter? She was still coming to school. She hadn't stopped eating completely.

Her stomach growled noisily, but she still felt sick from the sights and smells of the cafeteria during lunch time. The foods that had seemed to appetizing to her weeks before now only made her feel like she was suffocating. She knew she needed to eat something- she had felt dizzy and lightheaded all day, and almost passed out more than once- but she couldn't. She couldn't force herself. And it's not like it was hurting her, right? In fact, this was probably good for her. She would only lose weight, and less is more when it comes to weight, right?

And so she sprinted up the stairs, ignoring the bowl of fruit set out on the kitchen table, and hurried into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Blocking the drain and making the water as hot as it could go, she tore off her clothes and hastily stepped into the tub and sat down, bruising her leg on the side in the process. Her entire body was twitching uncontrollably with adrenaline from an unknown cause, her breathing heavy and unsteady, her heart beating a mile a minute- why wasn't the tub filling up faster? The hot water was turning her skin bright red, and it was the most relaxing feeling she had felt in weeks.

Fingers twitching, she resisted the urge to claw at her face and neck. People would notice and think that something was wrong and then there would be even more people worried about her when they didn't need to be. She glanced to the razor on the soap dish on the wall and quickly turned away, gripping the walls of the tub shakily. She wouldn't do it. That much she knew.

The tub was almost filled to overflowing now. Lying down on her back, she turned off the water with her foot and held her nose, squeezing her eyelids shut. Flinging her head back, she was submerged in the scalding hot water- ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty, forty- she didn't know how long, but her lungs soon began to burn, she felt as if some beast was trying to claw its way out of her chest, to force her to breath- and she resurfaced, gasping desperately, water flowing from her dripping hair into her wide eyes.

That would be enough for now. She let the water drain from the tub as she carefully wrapped the soft yellow towel around herself. Gathering up her clothes, she unlocked the door and stepped out of the bathroom just as she heard the front door open and the boisterous voices of her family fill the house, greeting her cheerily when they saw her standing at the top of the stairs. Smiling, she waved.

They never were able to see past her façade.

Just one of those things that kind of writes itself. Hope you liked it :)