***WARNING: For these upcoming parts, the story will deal with the sensitive issue of "Anorexia Nervosa," which is an eating disorder. It will still be in the range of PG - PG -13, however, it is very dramatic and traumatic. I, personally, have never had this disorder myself, although I have read about it.***
At Micky's, Elaine stood in the doorway and knocked. "Just a minute," she heard from a distance. Just then, Micky opened up the door and looked at Elaine. She was wearing a huge oversized shirt and oversized sweatpants.
"You a little cold?" Micky asked.
"No, why?" Elaine replied.
"Normally you're in shorts," Micky said.
"Not today," Elaine replied.
"We'll take my car today, okay?" Micky asked taking her hand.
"Okay," Elaine replied a little standoffish. She was already very uneasy that he knew something very private about her.
At the restaurant, Micky took Elaine's hand and they walked inside. Elaine looked around and it was fairly busy already. "Let's sit over here," Micky said gently pulling Elaine over to the table. He sat down and Elaine sat across from him.
"Who is this foxy lady with you, Micky?" she heard the waiter say.
"Hi Darnell, this is Elaine." Micky replied. "Elaine, this is Darnell. He's usually always my waiter."
"Yes, I am. Nice to meet you, Elaine." Darnell said holding out his hand to greet her. Elaine shyed away from him.
"She's a little shy," Micky said.
"You with a shy one. Hard to believe that, Micky." Darnell said inadvertently as he walked back to place their order.
Micky felt so awkward knowing he had said that. He did not want to get into his previous past ways with Elaine, for their friendship was still blooming.
"What did he mean by that comment?" Elaine asked.
"Nothing. I think he was talking to himself," Micky said taking a sip of his water. Elaine looked around the restaurant and then saw pictures of Micky with his friends. "They have pictures of you here." Elaine said pointing to the walls.
"Yes, they were very good promoters for us," Micky said. "We wanted to give them to them here as a 'thank you' for all of their appreciation and loyalty."
"I see," Elaine said grabbing her purse and pulling out a bottle of pills.
"What are those?" Micky asked concerned.
"Just something I need to take before eating." Elaine replied taking two of them out of the bottle and drinking her water.
"May I see?" Micky asked in a gentle tone.
"They're not diet pills if that's what you're afraid of, Micky. My tummy is upset and they will help me when I eat my food." Elaine said closing the bottle and putting it back safely in her purse.
Elaine's cell phone started to ring and she told Micky, "Excuse me for a minute." She picked up her phone and answered it, "Hello?"
"Elaine, this is Sam. Naomi called me at work and told me you phoned. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Sam. I just needed a friend earlier, that's all. Naomi's going to call me tonight." Elaine said taking another sip of her water.
"Yes, she told me she's wanting to make a trip. We all want to come, Elaine. We are wanting to see your new place and meet your friend." Sam replied.
"But you all were off with her parents." Elaine said.
"Not really that much." Sam replied. "Plus, we have all this time to use up or we will lose it since they made that new policy. Why are you off work today?"
"I got another week off. My boss was very good to me this week." Elaine replied smiling as her Coke came to the table.
"Well, I just wanted you to know that I got your message and we are all three looking into flying out to visit you; hopefully, we will have an answer for you tonight and possibly see you on the weekend."
"That soon?" Elaine asked horrified.
"Yep. We're really pushing for this time off." Sam replied. "Louise is typing up her letter now and so am I actually. I better go though before I get nailed for talking on the phone on company time."
"Take care, Sam, and thanks for calling me back." Elaine said.
"You're welcome. Naomi will call you tonight. Love ya." Sam said.
"Love you too, Sam." Elaine replied hanging up the phone putting it back into her purse.
"She called you back. That was good," Micky said.
"Yes, she's a gem." Elaine replied. "They all feel the need to mother hen me from my call this morning, and they are pushing to fly out here by the weekend."
"Really?" Micky asked. "How do you feel about that?"
"Terrified," Elaine said taking a sip of her Coke. "But they will do what they want."
"Kind of like my friends. If I need something, sometimes they will be there and sometimes they are so consumed with their own lives that they just don't want to be bothered." Micky said.
"Not your friends with the cars?" Elaine asked.
"Yes, even them too." Micky said.
"Here's your food our little happy couple." Darnell said as he put the plates down in front of Micky and Elaine.
"Thanks," Micky said to Darnell.
"She's a looker, Micky." Darnell said. "Aren't ya sweetie?"
Elaine started to eat her eggs and didn't respond to him. She didn't like his attitude with them.
"Thanks, Darnell." Micky said hoping Darnell would go away.
"She's not your normal type, though, Micky." Darnell said.
"Darnell! We want to eat our meals in peace and quiet please." Micky said adamantly.
"Yes, I'm sorry." Darnell said.
Darnell walked away and Micky apologized to Elaine, "I'm sorry about that so much, Elaine."
"So, what is your 'normal type', Micky?" Elaine asked putting down her silverware and staring at him.
At that point, Micky wanted to strangle Darnell for his comments. He wanted his past behind him.
"I have no idea why he said that, Elaine. Just please forget it." Micky said.
Elaine looked at him and said, "And you're lying to me." She pushed the plate away from her and sat back against the seat folding her arms.
"I am not lying to you, Elaine." Micky said.
"Then answer the question," Elaine said adamantly.
"I have never met anyone like you before, Elaine. You're a beautiful, Christian, woman who is very smart, intelligent, pretty, and so intriguing to me." Micky said hoping that would be enough for her.
"Really?" Elaine asked.
"Yes," Micky said.
"I know that we're still building our friendship, Micky. But I also remember we had problems when I was in Colorado as well. If this is going to be another start of those problems, I will not go through that again." Elaine replied.
"No, Elaine, there is no problem here. Just a man that blurts out things he shouldn't be blurting out... and his name is Darnell."
Elaine pulled her plate back towards her and continued to eat. She was quiet the rest of the time they were there. She needed to gain more weight. She needed to be at least 150 pounds for her height of 5' 6".
"I'm looking forward to meeting your friends," Micky said trying to gently change the subject.
Darnell came back to the table and asked, "Everything okay?"
"Yes, fine," Micky replied.
Darnell looked at Micky and asked, "When did you start going out with redheads, Micky? You've always dated blonde bombshells."
"Darnell, please go back to the counter and leave us alone. You've done an absolutely horrible job today insulting me and my friend. I am sorry I even brought her here!" Micky yelled at him.
"Sorry, just making conversation." Darnell said walking back to the counter. Micky sat back down and looked at his plate. He was so mad that he could barely speak himself. And he certainly did not want to see the look on Elaine's face that he knew he was receiving at that exact moment in time because he saw her out of the corner of his eye.
Elaine finished her food and then walked outside the restaurant and waited at the car. Micky was so furious at Darnell that he told the manager as well that he would never be returning. After he complained and paid the bill, he dreaded the walk to the car and the conversation that him and Elaine would probably be having that afternoon.
The drive back to the apartment was very quiet. Micky kept apologizing over and over again for Darnell's behavior and comments. Elaine sat there staring out the window. She did not want to say a word.
In the parking lot of the apartment, Elaine got out of Micky's car and stood there for a moment. "You want to come in for a while, Elaine?" Micky asked walking over to her.
"I better get back," Elaine said. "Thanks for breakfast and thanks for rescuing me again."
"You're welcome," Micky said looking at her. "I am so very sorry about what happened at the restaurant."
"Doesn't matter," Elaine said.
"Yes, it does matter, Elaine. I'm sorry you were insulted and I was insulted as well. He had no right saying those kinds of things." Micky said.
"I better go now. I need to lie down for a while." Elaine said.
"Come inside please, Elaine. You can lie on the couch. We don't have to talk." Micky said. "I don't want you being alone."
"I'm fine, Micky." Elaine said.
"I know you're fine. But maybe I don't want to be alone either." Micky said.
"I am not that type of girl!" Elaine said smacking Micky's face. "Now that was rude and insulting! Maybe your blonde bimbos might have been that way, but not me." Elaine got into her car and started it up.
"I didn't mean it like that, Elaine." Micky said walking to her car. "I meant that I enjoyed your company and if you wanted to lie on the couch, that would be fine with me. I will sit in the chair." Micky said holding his cheek. "Please come inside, Elaine. Please." Micky begged.
"Fine," Elaine said shutting her car off and getting out of it. She followed behind him into the apartment and sat on his couch. "Do you want something to drink?" Micky asked.
"No, I do not." Elaine replied harshly. She sat so that her back faced him. She was so livid at that moment in time, however, she did not want to say a word.
He opened up a can of pop and sat in the chair and blew out a breath of frustration. He was so mad at Darnell that he could not speak. He wanted his past to be his past, and the last thing he needed was someone bringing it up when he was trying to move on with his life. The Monkees were no more and he just wanted to be George Michael Dolenz, Jr, and move on with his life.
He looked at Elaine when he heard her move on the couch. He saw her staring at the ceiling. He wondered what was going through her complicated mind. However, he certainly did not dare want to ask her because he knew she was furious at what happened at the restaurant. He reclined the chair back and closed his eyes. Elaine grabbed a blanket and then closed her eyes as well.
~~~~~~~
That night, Micky woke up and found that Elaine had left the apartment. Much to his surprise, he found a note on his coffee table thanking him for breakfast. He didn't expect her to leave a note at all. He knew she was a good person.
He prayed quietly for Elaine and then went to the balcony and looked out. He saw her light was on in the apartment and her shade was up. He was shocked, for it hadn't been up in a while. He was startled when his phone rang. He walked inside and picked it up, "Hello."
"Is this Micky?" he heard someone ask.
"Yes, who is this?" Micky replied.
"This is Naomi Patterson, a friend of Elaine's. I just got off the phone with her and she told me about what happened at that restaurant today. I want you to know something and you make a notation of it on a piece of paper, so that you will never forget it. You are just getting to know my friend so I will give you a break. However, if you ever, ever, ever, ever let someone talk like that to my friend again and I find out about it, I will fly over there and beat you up myself. We are coming into that town on this Friday and I will be meeting you. I also want you to know that my friend does not wish to hear from you until that time. She is over there crying her eyes out and has been vomiting profusely since she left your apartment because her nerves are shot. You leave her alone. Don't call her, go over there, or do anything until us three get out there on Friday. Oh yes, and we want you to know that our friend is suffering from severe anorexia at this moment. She does not need any added stressors in her life. You stay away from her. I don't care if she calls you and begs you to call her, don't you dare. We will be there this Friday and we will all be meeting you to discuss this further. We are very protective of our baby sister and she deserves to be treated with the utmost love and respect ever. Goodnight!" Micky heard the phone slam down and a dial tone return.
"Just great!" Micky said to himself. He felt his chest tighten up. He went into his bedroom and got his inhaler. He took four puffs and fell back on the bed and tried to take deep breaths. He soon fell asleep himself.
Back in Massachusetts, Naomi filled the girls in on what happened and about her phone call to Micky.
"GRRRRR, how dare he let that man talk to her like that," Louise said furiously.
"Calm down, you two." Samantha said. "Micky is not a bad person. He was probably shocked at the guy as well." Sam looked at Naomi and said, "You should not have threatened him like that either."
"She's been throwing up since 4 pm this afternoon and keeps continuing, Sam." Naomi replied. "She doesn't need anymore stressors until we can get there on Friday and today is only Tuesday. I mean she puked four times just talking to me on the phone. Her nerves are shot."
"That still gives you no right to call him and yell at him for something he had absolutely no control over." Samantha said.
"I did what had to be done," Naomi replied walking back to her bedroom and slamming the door.
"I don't like the fact that she's 100 pounds again," Louise said to Sam.
"I don't either, Louise." Samantha replied. "However, all we can do right now is pray for her until we can see her on Friday."
~~~~~~~~~
Back in California, Elaine made her bed on the bathroom floor wrapped up in four blankets. She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail and rested her arms on the edge of the bathtub that was near the toilet seat. She would stay there the rest of the night. She was so tired all she could do was pray silently to God in her head, because she couldn't speak for fear of throwing up again. Eventually, she fell asleep, even though she was shivering because she was so cold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rest of the week went by and Elaine was getting gradually better. She spent most of her time wrapped up in her blanket on the couch. When her friends arrived in California, instead of calling Elaine, they had the landlord let them into her apartment. Elaine was asleep on the couch. Naomi walked over to her friend and gave her a hug and kiss.
"You're here!" Elaine cried out.
"Yes, sweetie, we're here." Naomi replied.
"Look at this place!" Samantha and Louise said walking around. "It's gorgeous!"
"Thanks, I just repainted last week." Elaine replied.
"Where's this man friend of yours, Elaine?" Samantha said with a smirk. "We are all wanting to meet him."
"He might be teaching tonight. I don't know." Elaine said.
"Call him to find out." Sam said sitting down in the chair and kicking her feet up.
Elaine reached for the phone and dialed Micky's number. Micky looked at the caller ID and let the machine get it.
"Hi Micky, it's Elaine. Please call me or come over here tonight. My girlfriends from Massachusetts want to meet you." he heard on the phone. [Naomi, I'm not done with my message to him Elaine said in the background].
"Micky, this is Naomi. You are welcome over here so we can meet you. I'm sorry I scolded you earlier in the week. Elaine is doing really good."
"You scolded him?" Elaine asked irritated.
Samantha and Louise walked into the kitchen and stared out the window.
"Yes, but it was because of you being so sickly." Naomi replied.
"You do not speak up for me." Elaine said throwing a phone book at Naomi. "No wonder he hasn't called me at all this week."
Micky stared at the machine and then deleted both messages. He straightened out the legs in the recliner and covered up more with his blankets and closed his eyes. He was remaining very quiet the rest of that night and all weekend, as he called into sick for the entire weekend. His heart was broken and twisted in two.
~~~~~~~~~
Back at Elaine's, "What kinds of things did you say to him?" Elaine asked upset.
"It's not important. I just made it very clear that we would protect you and that he needed to stay away from you." Naomi said fielding another hit with a phonebook.
"You have no right talking to him like that, Naomi. No right whatsoever." Elaine said standing up and walking to the kitchen window and looking out towards his apartment. "The light is on, I'm going over there." Elaine said.
"You should rest and stay here," Naomi said.
"And you should mind your own business, Naomi." Elaine said walking into her room and putting on her heavy sweatshirt to hide her [in her mind] disgustingly fat body.
"Let's all go over there," Samantha said.
"And frighten him away from me forever, Sam? No way. He's my only friend here besides for church people." Elaine replied grabbing her purse and keys and walked out the door saying, "You three stay here. I will return in a bit."
Elaine got into her car and drove over to Micky's apartment and knocked on the door quietly saying, "Micky, it's Elaine. Please open up."
Micky's eyes opened and his heart started to pound. He walked to the door and asked, "What do you want?"
"To come inside for a minute, please." Elaine said quietly. Micky opened up the door and let her inside. She closed the door and stood there looking at him. "I can't believe Naomi did that to you. I am so very sorry."
"Doesn't matter," Micky said taking a seat in his chair covering up with his blanket and closing his eyes again.
"Yes it does matter, Micky. She had no right to talk to you like that." Elaine said hanging onto the door handle. She did not want to sit down.
"What do you want from me?" Micky asked taking a deep sigh and closing his eyes again.
"My friends want you to come over so they can meet you." Elaine said. "We can order a pizza and all hang out if you want."
"I'll pass." Micky said getting up from the chair and walking into his bedroom closing the door behind him. He did not want to talk to her anymore.
"Well, call me if you change your mind," Elaine said opening the door and leaving. She wasn't a dummy and knew when to take a hint.
Elaine went back to her apartment and went inside. "Is he coming?" Naomi asked excitedly.
"No, you have scared the only friend I have here away from me. Thanks a lot!" Elaine screamed and ran into her bedroom slamming the door behind her.
Sam and Louise looked at each other and remained very quiet. Naomi walked to the kitchen and peeked out the window. She didn't see anything. She then looked at her friends and said, "I said I was sorry."
"We're not involved in this, Naomi. That's between you, Elaine, and Micky." Samantha said grabbing some blankets from the chair and covering her and Louise up with two of them. "Goodnight." Sam said to Louise.
"Night. We can hold off on dinner for another night."
"Good idea," Samantha replied.
Naomi walked to the couch in the back of the room and covered up with the blanket that was there. She said a quiet prayer and they all went to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That following morning, Elaine woke up and found herself very depressed, hurt, and ever so angry at Naomi. Even after prayer for forgiveness to come into her heart regarding Naomi, she found it very hard to even look at her.
However, she managed to take a long, hot shower, and get into her sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. She couldn't stand to look at herself so thin and she hid it every which way she could. She grabbed her purse, keys, and phone and left for the park after writing her friends a note telling them she would be back in a while.
When she arrived at the park, she carried her McDonald's bag to the tree she sits under and ate it there while admiring all of God's beauty around her. She also had another motive in mind for why she was at the park as well. She was hoping to run into Micky to talk to him some more.
After her breakfast was finished, she looked around the bikepath and there was no one around. She quietly said another prayer and then looked around. She didn't see anyone, although she did hear panting coming from a distance. She gathered her things and walked up to where she heard the noises coming from.
She saw Micky lying on a bench breathing extremely hard. "What's wrong?" Elaine asked.
"Leave me alone," Micky gasped as he took a few puffs on his inhaler and tried to regain his breath.
"Your asthma. I almost forgot about that," Elaine said. "Take all the time in the world. I'll be here for a while yet."
Elaine kept her distance from Micky and just watched him slow down his breathing. When he started to cough as he rolled over onto his side, she knew he was going to be okay. "Must have been a hard run today, huh?" Elaine asked.
"You're still here? I thought I told you to leave me alone." Micky said.
"Just because you're mad at my friend does not mean you need to take it out on me," Elaine said turning around and running away from him.
"Darnit!" Micky said to himself running after Elaine.
When he caught up to her at her car, she screamed, "Ahhhh."
"It's only me." Micky said. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
Elaine got into her car and stared at the dashboard.
"I'm sorry I was so harsh on you, Elaine." he said through her window.
"You don't have to worry about it any longer." Elaine replied.
"What do you mean?" Micky asked trying to get her to roll down her window.
"It's not important," Elaine said starting her car and driving off.
He said to himself, "Smooth move there, Micky."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back at Elaine's apartment, the girls were still sleeping when she slammed the door waking them up. "Get out!" she screamed at them.
"What?" Samantha asked.
"I said get out. You three go back to Massachusetts and leave me alone. I don't need you here." Elaine replied.
"You are not serious. We have at least a week to stay here if not longer." Sam replied.
"You either get out or I'll leave." Elaine said. "I didn't want you to come anyway, Naomi forced her way here after she ruined my one and only friendship."
Naomi walked to the door and picked up her bags. "Let's go ladies." she said opening up the door and leaving.
"What about your wanting to talk about your anorexia?" Louise asked.
"I'm fine," Elaine said. "I just need to eat more, that's all."
Her three friends stood out in the parking lot calling for a cab. "Thanks a lot, Naomi. Ruin all that money for us to come out here and then she kicks us out."
As they were waiting for their cab, a car pulled into the parking lot parking behind Elaine's car. "Who is that?" Sam asked her friends.
"Maybe it's the guy?" Louise replied.
The guy got out of the car and looked at the three ladies with their suitcases. He immediately recognized them, as they all looked somewhat like Elaine with their long hair. "You three must be her friends?"
"And you must be Micky?" Samantha said walking up closer to him.
Micky shyed away from her and asked, "Which one are you?"
"Sam," Samantha replied. "Dingbat Naomi is over there in the green."
"Why are you all out here?" Micky asked.
"Elaine kicked us out because of Naomi yelling at you." Samantha replied.
"Where is she now?" Micky asked.
"In her apartment having a tantrum." Samantha answered.
Micky went to her apartment and knocked on the door, "Elaine, it's me, Micky. Open up please."
There was no answer. When Micky got the landlord to open up the apartment again, Micky walked into the apartment, closed the door, and walked to the bathroom. He found Elaine on the floor with blood running out of her mouth.
Micky lost all control and started screaming, "Someone call 9-1-1!"
The girls in the parking lot ran inside and said, "What's wrong, Micky?"
"She's dead." Micky cried out not knowing if Elaine was alive or dead.
Samantha, Naomi, and Louise walked in the doorway and saw their friend on the floor near the toilet with blood flowing out of her mouth.
"OMGosh, no!" Naomi cried out falling onto her knees. Micky took a towel and wiped off Elaine's mouth reassuring her that she would be okay. He checked her pulse and it was very weak.
He gently put his hand on her tummy and felt for breathing. "Did someone call 9-1-1?" Micky asked horrified.
"Yes, we did." Samantha replied.
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
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