Chapter Text
Nini doesn’t know when it began. Well, she does, but she’s ashamed to admit it. It was in August, when she and her friends had decided to take a road trip and go camping for a weekend before school went back. Seven of them were able to go – Carlos and Seb were spending the weekend at Seb’s farm and Kourtney refused to risk any damage to her manicure. So, on the last Friday of the summer break, Nini, her boyfriend Spencer, Ashlyn, Gina, Big Red and Ricky loaded their gear into the back of EJ’s car and set off to a campground north of Salt Lake City.
When they arrived, EJ immediately complained that he wasn’t setting up any of the tents, he had just driven for 3 hours. Everyone began setting up and after some grumbling, EJ got up and helped. Due to strict instructions from all their parents, the three girls would be sharing a tent while the boys were split among two. Thanks to spencer’s time spent in boy scouts, (“Hey, I was only thirteen, don’t laugh!”) their campsite was set up in no time.
“Wow,” Nini chuckled. “This is actually really impressive!” She nudged her boyfriend and smiled up at him while the others made noises of agreement. Big Red came up behind them and patted Spencer on the shoulder saying, “I take it back, boy scouts may not be as bad as it seems.” Laughing, the two had walked back over to EJ’s car, helping the taller boy unload their luggage.
“Jesus Gina!” He had grunted, heaving her large bag out of his vehicle. “We’re here for two nights, not two weeks!” Smirking, Gina replied “Sorry Edward Jacob, but I’ve been here before, it gets freezing cold.” Looking at the sky with not a cloud in sight, his shirt dripping in sweat from the blistering heat, he shook his head. “Yeah, sure.” As she walked away, still smirking, he yelled after her, “And that’s not my name!”
…
Several hours later, the group was sitting around the fire, gazing up at the stars – or in EJ’s case, glaring at a smirking Gina.
“It’s s-so cold” he had complained. “h-how are the rest-t of you o-okay?”
“Well,” Gina began. “I actually checked the forecast – not to mention I’ve camped here before. So, I am perfectly comfortable in my lovely fluffy pajamas and blanket.” Giggling at EJ’s scowl she continued. “And Ricky is in his usual attire of way too many jumpers and coats, Big Red simply doesn’t get cold, Ashlyn is sharing with me and our beautiful Nini is cuddling with Spencer.”
EJ turned to Ricky and Big Red, looking up at them and pouting, widening his baby blue eyes. Ricky attempted to avoid his gaze for as long as he could before cracking and lifting the corner of the blanket he was huddled under. “C’mon you great big idiot.”
Laughter filled the campsite as EJ scrambled to his feet and rushed over to the pair. “Richard Bowen, you are the best. Has anyone ever told you that?” Ricky grinned. “Well, yes but it’s nice to hear it every now and again.” EJ reached down and swatted his friend lightly on the back of his head. “Okay, okay! You’re welcome EJ.”
Not long later, sitting a little further apart from the group, Nini and Spencer were whispering to each other, Nini sitting between her boyfriend’s legs and leaning against his chest, his arms wrapped around her stomach. Snuggling back into his embrace in an attempt to shield herself from the wind, she sighed in content. This is the perfect way to end summer she thought to herself.
“Hey, Nini” the boy behind her whispered.
“Yeah?”
Chuckling softly, Spencer poked her stomach a few times then said “your stomach is so squishy!”
A wave of dread washed over Nini as she forced a smile. “yeah, um, I guess it is.” She bit her lip to prevent her tears from falling. The small girls head was going a million miles an hour. Images flashed through her head, images of herself standing in front of changing room mirrors, hating the pouch of fat at her lower belly. Thoughts of disgust for her body. Words spat out at her by people she thought were her friends. Despite those thoughts running through her mind, she remained in Spencer’s embrace until Ashlyn let out a yawn.
“I’m exhausted. I might head off to bed soon, but I don’t want to be a buzz kill.” She sighed.
Nini bolted to her feet. “No, I’m getting tired too, I’ll go with you.” Ignoring the curious looks she was getting from her friends, Nini walked to her tent but before she could climb inside, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She spun around and found herself pressed up against Spencer.
“Goodnight babe” he whispered and leaned in for a kiss.
“Night Spencer,” Nini muttered as she swerved away from his lips and went in for a hug instead. Avoiding his questioning look and hurt expression she clambered into the canvas dome which was her home for the night.
…
Nini awoke the next morning to loud shouts outside her tent and Gina’s curly hair in her face. She gently moved her friend and sat up to survey the mess. Their clothes were everywhere, thanks to Ashlyn’s determination to find her favorite pair of socks before she went to sleep. Gina’s blanket was bunched up in the corner, underneath Nini’s shoes. The three girls were piled on top of each other haphazardly, having huddled together for warmth as they fell asleep.
She stretched her arms into the air, releasing the tension in her body as a smile made its way across her face. Easing her way out of her sleeping bag and towards one of the piles of clothes, she thinks back to the previous night, her smile disappearing as she remembers the words said to her by her boyfriend.
“your stomach is so squishy!”
Lifting her shirt up, Nini studies her stomach, looking intensely at the stretch marks and the pouch that she loathed. Blinking back tears, she pulled on her shoes, tightened her ponytail and climbed out of the tent. Squinting in the sunlight, she looked around to see EJ, Big Red and Ricky cooking breakfast. Ignoring the fact that her boyfriend isn’t there, she made a beeline for Ricky and walked straight into his arms.
“Hey, Neens, how’d you sleep?” Nini merely shook her head and burrowed further into his arms. Ricky tightened his grip on her and swayed from side to side, humming under his breath.
Ricky had been Nini’s best friend for her entire life. They met in kindergarten and have been inseparable ever since, with the addition of Big Red once they began elementary school. Ricky was the one who played Barbie with Nini (until he microwaved one of them), and Nini was there when his parents got divorced. They constantly had each other’s backs and their boyfriends and girlfriends, past, present and future, would always come second in their lives because the number one spot had already been filled.
So, when Spencer arose from his tent twenty minutes later, he wasn’t surprised to see his girlfriend wrapped in Ricky’s embrace. He tapped her on the shoulder and murmured a good morning, to which Nini replied with a tight smile. Stepping back from Ricky, she stood in between the two boys, noting the subtle tension.
“Um, I’m just gonna go wake up Gi and Ash… I’ll be right back.”
Jogging away, one word was repeating through the girl’s mind. Squishy. Squishy. Squishy.
…
If anyone had noticed how Nini skipped breakfast, no one commented on it.
If Nini picked up on her friends concerned looks when she barely touched her lunch, she ignored it.
When dinner rolled around, Nini grabbed her vegetarian burger, mumbled some excuse about going to call her Mums and walked away from the others. After walking for about 20 minutes, she found herself overlooking a river. Checking to see no one followed her, Nini threw the food into the water before she picked up her phone and dialed her parents.
“Nini! How are you? Is everything okay? Do we need to come get you?”
Nini giggled before replying, “Hey Mamas, I’m okay, I- I just miss you that’s all.”
“Oh Nini, sweetheart, we miss you too. We’ll see you tomorrow, okay? We’ll be home when EJ drops you off – is it still going to be 2pm?”
The small family continued to chat as Nini strolled back to her friends, the small girl recounting the antics of her friends and her parents told her about a ridiculous function they had to make an appearance at. When she arrived back at her campsite, Nini bid her Mums goodnight and pocketed her phone.
“Hey you guys! What did I miss?”
…
Things only got worse from there. Nini’s food intake continued to dwindle until she was eating nothing at all. Despite the desperate pleas from her parents and friends, Nini didn’t eat a thing for 9 days.
By day 9, Mama C and Mama D were desperate. Their girl had become weak and tired, barely able to stay awake at school. Even her teachers were worried. After class one day, Miss Jenn pulled Nini to the side and mentioned her concerns. When the teen merely brushed away any concerns with a wave of her hand and the claim that “of course I’m eating, I’m just working out a lot.” Which wasn’t true. Yes, Nini was exercising, but she wasn’t eating.
So, on Monday when Nini had a day off school, her mums told her to get in the car. Nini resisted as much as she could, but through tears, yelling and screaming from all members of the family, the three were in the car and on the way to the doctor’s office.
.
.
.