Pretending

Faye sat at the table, her elbow resting on the surface and her chin resting on her fist. Her eyes drifted shut slightly, before she shook herself awake again and continued to slowly pick at her dinner with her other hand.

She knew she should eat; the logic behind such a statment was in her head. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She just wasn't hungry. She started at the plate for a long time but could not bring herself to actually have any interest in putting the food in her mouth.

Now that she thought about it, she couldn't really remember the last time she was hungry, and from that she couldn't remember the last time she had actually ate - really sat down and ate a full meal.

Anyone who looked at the girl could see she was slowly losing weight. The girl herself knew her clothes were hanging off her more than they had been before. And yet she still could't bring herself to eat.

Reluctantly she put a mouthful of potatos in her mouth, only to struggle to chew it, and almost choking as she swallowed. It had felt like mush in her mouth.

Over the break, her trip, she could remember eating, a little of this here, and a little of that there, but when she really focused on it, she couldn't say she had actually had more than a taste, a couple spoonfuls of pasta, on slice of pizza, a handful of party food, at any point in time. Meals weren't really something she did anymore.

But she knew that, that was just another sign of what was wrong with her - her illness. So she continued to sit at the table, swirling her food around on the plate, and pretend.

Tre's smile faultered for a moment, then it was back, and he was sliding into the seat beside her. His arm draped around her shoulder and he grinned at her. "Hey there Bonita." he greeted happily. He winked at her, before piling food onto his plate. He glanced at her, then held out a strawberry. "Here. Try this." He dipped it in caramel, then smiled at her. "Take a bite." He said, holding it up to her mouth.

Faye started slightly, letting go of her fork - allowing it to clatter against her plate - as an arm went around her. They young girl relaxed however when she saw who it was.

"Hello, Tre."

She watched him load up his plate, wondering how he could actually want to eat that all. Even back when she could remember being hungry, she couldn't recall wanting to eat that much food.

Letting out a sigh that turned a into a little laugh, she rolled her eyes and bit the food that had been hanging in her face.

"Yum," she said after swallowing, a slight smile on her face, but her voice only half convining. It had tasted good but.... it still sort of sunk in her stomach, as if she had eaten too much, even though it had been almost nothing at all.

Tre glanced at her sideways before grinning. "Alright, Bonita. Number time." He said, looking up at the ceiling of the Great Hall. "I think... Three hundred to Four hundred's public places." He mused, looking over at her again. "But first... close your eyes." He laid a hand over her stomach, hiding it beneath the table, before slowly letting his glow heal her. The slight golden light barely glowed, and it was over in under a minute. Knowing that that hadn't been anyway near enough of it.

Faye let out a little laugh, "We have the numbers classified now do we?"

She closed her eyes as ordered, use to the drill by now. She didn't bother questioning these things any more. Once the tingling warmth went away she opened her eyes, blinking at her food for a moment before slowly picking up her forking and putting some food into her mouth.

"I want," she said after swallowing, and picking up another mouthful, " number... three hundred, andddddd seventy," she grinned before plopping her spoon in her mouth.

Tre gaped at her. "We can't do that." He said, simply agast. "Faye! You naughty, naughty child. I can not believe you would want to do that in public." He winked at her, before eating another strawberry. "That was so wrong. Can't believe you suggested that." He said with a grin.

He grinned but refused to answer any of her questions about it.

Faye blinked at him for a long moment, a slow blush growing on her face - although she had no idea - what he was talking about. After a moment though she just shook her head and gave a little laugh.

"Well then," she said slowly, stealing a strawberry off his plate and showing it thoughfully. "You chose something then."

Tre grinned at her. "No no, it's your turn to choose. We can even do Three Hundred and Seventy if you want... but I'm not responsible for what people think of you after." He winked, leaning forward and nipping the strawberry, taking a bite of it before she could. He chewed on the fresh fruit, not even bothering to apologize for stealing it.

"Because, remember now." He turned his head, and whispered into her ear, below everyone else's hearing. "Three Hundred and Seventy is... Start a Food Fight." He winked at her and pulled away. "Pretty dirty, eh?"

Faye frowned as he leaned over stealing her food. Shaking her head she plopped it on the table.

She listened to him for a moment before her eyes narrowed slightly.

"You are..." she trailed off her face going blank for a moment before Tre found himself with a bowl of yoghurt as a hat. She smirked at the boy, "perfect like that, really. You should dress up more often."

Tre narrowed his eyes at her, a grin flashing across his face as the dessert course began. "You're too sweet." He said, his hand flashing over to the table. "Here. You look much better now." He slammed a fist full of chocolate cake onto her head, laughing as the icing coated her hair. "Whoopsie daisy." He took another scoop of it, and threw it in her direction, watching as the throw went high and landed on the face of someone else. Soon, the food was flying, mayhem crashing down around the hall, filling it with the sounds of laughter. Tre took a bowl full of butterscotch pudding and upturned it on Faye's head, grinning. "Look! We match!"

Faye looked around the mayhem with wide laughing eyes. She couldn't believe that she, they had started all this.

She was caked in food - litterally, since the cake was still drying into her hair. She wasn't even sure she was going to be able to get it out.

She shook her head, laughing as she wiped a bit of the pudding off with her finger before eating it.

"Yes, but my hat is much tastier."