“Dear, are you sure you don’t want any dinner?” Christine’s mother asked from behind Christine’s door worriedly, “I made your favorite.”
“Yeah! I’m fine! I went out to eat with a few friends earlier!” Christine shouted back. The truth was, her stomach was growling like a hungry wolf. She didn’t dare step out of her room… she was too afraid that she would smell the food downstairs in the kitchen… and would not be able to hold herself back. She shut her eyes tightly and touched her stomach lightly. It hurt from hunger. Like there was a claw inside her, digging it’s claws into her stomach. Digging into her stomach. “I thought that the hunger pains were supposed to go away,” Christine moaned quietly. She glanced out the window and saw a few girls in a skimpy outfit. She gazed longingly at them and wished so hard that she could be as care free as them. Wishing that someday, she would be able to wear those clothes. She tore her gaze away and decided to listen to some music to take her mind off of her stomach. She decided to listen to Britney Spears. Her songs were pretty easy to sing. She popped the CD into the stereo and started singing along to the first song, Oops!… I did it again. She couldn’t help but dance along to the catchy tune. Actually, she had made up some dance moves but she thought she looked terrible. She always imagined that it was her concert. That she was performing on stage with hundreds and thousands of people looking at her, singing along with her. Singing along to her songs. Her personal songs written just for her. When she got to the sixth track, What you see is what you get, she was already sweating all over. Wiping the perspiration off her face, she collapsed on her bed, continuing to listen to Britney sing, wondering how she could improve her voice. She sighed and took a big gulp of water. She knew that being a celebrity isn’t all glamour. She knew the consequences. She knew that it would be tough along the way. In fact, she thought that she knew practically all the problems that she was going to meet on the way. She smiled at the thought of the screaming fans when she went shopping and when people ask her autographs. She had already perfected her signature, how she was going to sign it already. But then, she thought the other side. The not so bright side. Her future would be an absolute bore. Being a married couple with an average income each month and two screaming brats for kids. She only wanted to do something that she loved to do. She thought that she had absolutely no talent in anything… besides singing. Why is it so hard to achieve your goals? she had often wondered. She knew that this was not a perfect world and things often don’t turn out to be perfect. She was so unclear of her future that she could only wish for good luck. She might not be a famous singer at all. She may only be a boring secretary in a small office with an original romance. She sighed heavily and put down her mug. As she leaned back against the wall, she also wished for someone to care for her… to hold her and to believe in her. She gazed out the window and saw that it was dark already. The stars had gradually begun to show themselves among the sleek black sky. Christine saw the brightest and biggest star among them all and wished that her dreams would come true. When she opened her eyes, it was almost as if the star winked at her, it flashed happily at her and deep in Christine’s heart, she knew that she would get as much as she sacrificed in the end.
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“You’re not eating again?!” Christine’s mother exclaimed. She glanced up and down at Christine. “Honey, do you know how much thinner you’ve gotten during these few weeks? Dear, are you sick?”
“I am totally fine mom. I ate a huge lunch at school and I’m still quite full.” Christine answered dishonestly. She walked away from her mother and father with them shouting behind her. Shutting her bedroom door, she wished her parents would understand how she felt. She didn’t eat lunch at all. In fact, she didn’t eat anything the last several days. She’s drank nothing but several glasses of water. Christine was quite pleased with herself actually, the stomach pains were gone and she saw the miraculous changes on her body. Not only she was the only one to notice the changes on her, other boys did as well. She smiled mischievously when the first boy decided to ask her out. She immediately answered, she no longer felt left out. She was now 102lbs, her goal was 96lbs. She wanted to look like those models on magazine covers. They were so thin. Christine stood in front of her full length mirror and grabbed her shirt from behind so that it would slip onto her tightly and outline her body. She smiled to herself, completely oblivious of the trouble she was heading into.