Simon's Daughter
Chapter 31
Christa’s POV:
“Please Julia?” I asked her.
“I would, but…” She began.
“But what?” I asked again. She sighed and shook her head. She took both of my hands in hers and smiled at me.
“I don’t have a problem.” She shrugged her shoulders. My heart stopped. Has she become this sick where she can’t even realize she has a problem!? I stood up abruptly and pulled my hands out of hers. My face was red with anger, and I just wanted to slap the shit out of her right now.
“Christa—“ Zayn tried to stop me but there was no topping me when I was this upset.
“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!? ARE YOU REALLY THIS SICK WHERE YOU DON’T EVEN REALIZE THAT DOING THIS WILL KILL YOU!? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE INSANE, JULIA! YOU’RE PALER THAN USUAL NOT TO MENTION I CAN PRACTICALLY SEE YOUR RIB CAGE CLEARLY. YOU’RE SO WEAK NOW AND YOU’RE REALLY CONTINUING THIS!?”
“Christa, please I---“ She cringed when I yelled at her and she cowered down.
“NO, DON’T ‘CHRISTA PLEASE’ ME. YOU’RE SO CAUGHT UP IN THIS DUMB ASS JOB THAT YOU DON’T REALIZE WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU.”
“Christa, calm down.” Liam spoke but I ignored him.
“YOU’RE SO FUCKING SELFISH, JULIA. I WISH FOR ONCE, JUST ONCE, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY SEE HOW YOU’RE NOT ONLY EFFECTING YOUR LIFE, BUT EVERYBODY IN IT.”
“Christa—“ Zayn and Louis tried to calm me down.
“I can’t believe you…” I shook my head in utter disgust and grabbed my purse, making my way towards the door.
“I’m sorry…” I heard Julia whisper. I stopped myself in my tracks and dropped my purse.
“You’re sorry!?” I tried to lunge forward at her, but Matt was still over by the door, and luckily pulled me back. Niall and Zayn came over to me and helped Matt. I tried to wriggle out of their grip but three against one; I was bound to lose that fight. Not to mention they were all really strong. I saw Julia cross her arms and look down. I felt tears forming in my eyes, but I couldn’t wipe them away since I was being held back.
“Do you mind taking Ms. Christa out?” The doctor asked, sighing. The three boys nodded their heads and escorted me out. Liam, Danielle, and Louis followed behind, leaving Julia and the doctor alone in the room. I sighed as the door closed, and I was let loose. I felt Zayn’s arms engulf me in a hug, and I cried into his chest.
“Don’t worry, Christa. Sooner or later she’ll realize what she’s doing is wrong and harmful.” Dani sniffled and pat my back.
“I sure do hope so…” I heard Niall sighing.
Julia’s POV:
All of Christa’s words circled in my head. I hated hearing those things from my own cousin. My best friend. I couldn’t cry…I couldn’t let her see I was weak. After all, I was fine. I felt fine and looked fine. When Zayn, Matt, and Niall helped Christa out I almost broke down right then and there. She cared so much about me. I don’t know why she did, after everything I’ve done to her. I couldn’t stand to see her this way…
“Hello? Ms. Cowell?” I hadn’t even noticed the doctor was trying to speak to me. I snapped my head up and looked at him.
“Yes?” I asked, not sure what he said before.
“I asked if you may please sit down.” He motioned over to the couch and I sat there, staring at the ground.
“I never properly introduced myself.” He said with a smile. “My name is Dr. Friedman. I specialize in eating disorders. I just wanted to know more about you and what you’ve been doing lately.” Dr. Friedman looked at me sincerely. I sighed. He seemed pretty nice to me.
“Well I moved here over a month ago, and I started here at Stanford. I also started modeling.” I gave him a small smile and kept my gaze on the floor.
“Ah. You see, modeling can be very difficult. You have to appear pretty to others. It’s a very strict business.” He said. I nodded my head. “Lucky for you, they thought you were beautiful, and I think lots of other people think that too.” I smiled at his words.
“You think so?” I asked, finally looking up at him. I didn’t really pay attention to what he looked like before, but now I did.
“I know so. But that doesn’t mean you have to change your definition of beautiful.” He said. I knitted my eyebrows together. “They thought you were beautiful before you stopped eating which is why they hired you, right?” I nodded my head. “Then you thought that you would be even more beautiful if you stopped eating, correct?” I nodded again. I did think that I could become beautiful by changing my body.
“They even said that I should.” I said.
“Well here’s the thing. You can’t always listen to what other people say. You were fine just the way you were. By changing the way your body looked by not eating didn’t change anything on the inside, which is what really matters. It only changed your appearance to others.” I looked down again. Maybe he had a point. I shouldn’t always listen to what people say…but it did help me with my job. Maybe if I just accepted getting treatment everyone would stop being up my ass all the time. I could just spend a little time recovering and prove to everyone that I’ll be getting better. Before they know it, I’ll be out of recovery and continue to do what I was doing without anyone knowing. It had to be a secret.
“Ms. Cowell?” He said, which snapped me out of my thoughts again.
“I’m sorry, I was just thinking over something.” I gave him a reassuring smile and he nodded.
“I was saying that there is a small facility over in LA that helps patients of anorexia recover. I’m sure you will be better in no time!” He exclaimed trying to ‘brighten’ up the idea of going to rehab. Wow. Well I guess if I have to prove to everyone that I’m fine, I have to do it…
“I’d love to!” I said happily, making sure he knew I was ‘excited’ about going. Which I wasn’t. I knew that if I had to make this work, I had to make the people who wanted me to go think that I wanted to recover from this.
“That’s great! We can have a car come pick you up in about an hour.” He stood up and shook my hand; I smiled, shaking his back. He left the room, and the others piled in.
“You guys were right…what I’m doing is wrong…I’m going to get help. He said that I will be picked up in about an hour and I will be treated in a facility in Los Angeles.” I sighed and walked up to Christa. She just smiled and hugged me. The other boys cheered and I hugged everyone. When I got to Niall it was awkward. We didn’t say anything to each other. We just stood there and I gave him a quick hug.
**
I finished packing my suitcase and I stood it by the door. I said my final goodbyes, and everyone said they would come visit me for sure.
“Bye Matt.” I said, smiling widely. I hugged him tightly, and he hugged me back. I never wanted to let go. He was always there for me, and I couldn’t just walk away from him.
I hugged Christa and she kissed my cheek. “I love you, Jules.” She smiled and squeezed me tightly. I giggled lightly and squeezed her back. “I love you too.”
“Please Julia?” I asked her.
“I would, but…” She began.
“But what?” I asked again. She sighed and shook her head. She took both of my hands in hers and smiled at me.
“I don’t have a problem.” She shrugged her shoulders. My heart stopped. Has she become this sick where she can’t even realize she has a problem!? I stood up abruptly and pulled my hands out of hers. My face was red with anger, and I just wanted to slap the shit out of her right now.
“Christa—“ Zayn tried to stop me but there was no topping me when I was this upset.
“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!? ARE YOU REALLY THIS SICK WHERE YOU DON’T EVEN REALIZE THAT DOING THIS WILL KILL YOU!? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE INSANE, JULIA! YOU’RE PALER THAN USUAL NOT TO MENTION I CAN PRACTICALLY SEE YOUR RIB CAGE CLEARLY. YOU’RE SO WEAK NOW AND YOU’RE REALLY CONTINUING THIS!?”
“Christa, please I---“ She cringed when I yelled at her and she cowered down.
“NO, DON’T ‘CHRISTA PLEASE’ ME. YOU’RE SO CAUGHT UP IN THIS DUMB ASS JOB THAT YOU DON’T REALIZE WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU.”
“Christa, calm down.” Liam spoke but I ignored him.
“YOU’RE SO FUCKING SELFISH, JULIA. I WISH FOR ONCE, JUST ONCE, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY SEE HOW YOU’RE NOT ONLY EFFECTING YOUR LIFE, BUT EVERYBODY IN IT.”
“Christa—“ Zayn and Louis tried to calm me down.
“I can’t believe you…” I shook my head in utter disgust and grabbed my purse, making my way towards the door.
“I’m sorry…” I heard Julia whisper. I stopped myself in my tracks and dropped my purse.
“You’re sorry!?” I tried to lunge forward at her, but Matt was still over by the door, and luckily pulled me back. Niall and Zayn came over to me and helped Matt. I tried to wriggle out of their grip but three against one; I was bound to lose that fight. Not to mention they were all really strong. I saw Julia cross her arms and look down. I felt tears forming in my eyes, but I couldn’t wipe them away since I was being held back.
“Do you mind taking Ms. Christa out?” The doctor asked, sighing. The three boys nodded their heads and escorted me out. Liam, Danielle, and Louis followed behind, leaving Julia and the doctor alone in the room. I sighed as the door closed, and I was let loose. I felt Zayn’s arms engulf me in a hug, and I cried into his chest.
“Don’t worry, Christa. Sooner or later she’ll realize what she’s doing is wrong and harmful.” Dani sniffled and pat my back.
“I sure do hope so…” I heard Niall sighing.
Julia’s POV:
All of Christa’s words circled in my head. I hated hearing those things from my own cousin. My best friend. I couldn’t cry…I couldn’t let her see I was weak. After all, I was fine. I felt fine and looked fine. When Zayn, Matt, and Niall helped Christa out I almost broke down right then and there. She cared so much about me. I don’t know why she did, after everything I’ve done to her. I couldn’t stand to see her this way…
“Hello? Ms. Cowell?” I hadn’t even noticed the doctor was trying to speak to me. I snapped my head up and looked at him.
“Yes?” I asked, not sure what he said before.
“I asked if you may please sit down.” He motioned over to the couch and I sat there, staring at the ground.
“I never properly introduced myself.” He said with a smile. “My name is Dr. Friedman. I specialize in eating disorders. I just wanted to know more about you and what you’ve been doing lately.” Dr. Friedman looked at me sincerely. I sighed. He seemed pretty nice to me.
“Well I moved here over a month ago, and I started here at Stanford. I also started modeling.” I gave him a small smile and kept my gaze on the floor.
“Ah. You see, modeling can be very difficult. You have to appear pretty to others. It’s a very strict business.” He said. I nodded my head. “Lucky for you, they thought you were beautiful, and I think lots of other people think that too.” I smiled at his words.
“You think so?” I asked, finally looking up at him. I didn’t really pay attention to what he looked like before, but now I did.
“I know so. But that doesn’t mean you have to change your definition of beautiful.” He said. I knitted my eyebrows together. “They thought you were beautiful before you stopped eating which is why they hired you, right?” I nodded my head. “Then you thought that you would be even more beautiful if you stopped eating, correct?” I nodded again. I did think that I could become beautiful by changing my body.
“They even said that I should.” I said.
“Well here’s the thing. You can’t always listen to what other people say. You were fine just the way you were. By changing the way your body looked by not eating didn’t change anything on the inside, which is what really matters. It only changed your appearance to others.” I looked down again. Maybe he had a point. I shouldn’t always listen to what people say…but it did help me with my job. Maybe if I just accepted getting treatment everyone would stop being up my ass all the time. I could just spend a little time recovering and prove to everyone that I’ll be getting better. Before they know it, I’ll be out of recovery and continue to do what I was doing without anyone knowing. It had to be a secret.
“Ms. Cowell?” He said, which snapped me out of my thoughts again.
“I’m sorry, I was just thinking over something.” I gave him a reassuring smile and he nodded.
“I was saying that there is a small facility over in LA that helps patients of anorexia recover. I’m sure you will be better in no time!” He exclaimed trying to ‘brighten’ up the idea of going to rehab. Wow. Well I guess if I have to prove to everyone that I’m fine, I have to do it…
“I’d love to!” I said happily, making sure he knew I was ‘excited’ about going. Which I wasn’t. I knew that if I had to make this work, I had to make the people who wanted me to go think that I wanted to recover from this.
“That’s great! We can have a car come pick you up in about an hour.” He stood up and shook my hand; I smiled, shaking his back. He left the room, and the others piled in.
“You guys were right…what I’m doing is wrong…I’m going to get help. He said that I will be picked up in about an hour and I will be treated in a facility in Los Angeles.” I sighed and walked up to Christa. She just smiled and hugged me. The other boys cheered and I hugged everyone. When I got to Niall it was awkward. We didn’t say anything to each other. We just stood there and I gave him a quick hug.
**
I finished packing my suitcase and I stood it by the door. I said my final goodbyes, and everyone said they would come visit me for sure.
“Bye Matt.” I said, smiling widely. I hugged him tightly, and he hugged me back. I never wanted to let go. He was always there for me, and I couldn’t just walk away from him.
I hugged Christa and she kissed my cheek. “I love you, Jules.” She smiled and squeezed me tightly. I giggled lightly and squeezed her back. “I love you too.”
PLEASE UPDATE THE SEQUAL
5/16/14