[A/N: Sorry if the last chapter ended a little scary - I got so many feels while writing it - but I did warn you *wince* Me: Please don't hurt me.]

⚔Castor Cruz⚔

I entered her room and looked around. Where was she? Then I heard the noises and my heart fell. I ran into the bathroom to see her straining to vomit up everything.

"Stop!" I shouted at Leila, "You'll hurt yourself!"

She just vomited again. 

"Nerd!" I yelled, "Stop vomiting!"

I ran to her and pulled her back. Her face was pale and she gagged, "Can't... vomit... anymore..."

I shouted, "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I-I... I need to be like... the others," she squeaked and pressed her cheek to the tiles of the bathroom. 

"You're perfect the way you are, Barbie!" I shouted. How could she not get that?

Leila looked up at me weakly, "I feel... I feel lightheaded."

I snatched her up in my arms, taking the phone in one of my hands. I dialled Lucy's number, "Lucy, we have an emergency."

"Cruz?"

"Leila's just forced herself to empty her stomach and has now just fainted."

"Oh god... I knew this would happen..."

"You did?!"

"She's too young for VS," Lucy murmured, "Call the hospital. They'll force some food into her."

"No," I said immediately, "She'll think we don't trust her."

"She's just forced herself into vomiting, Cruz!" Lucy yelled, "Of course I can't trust her."

"Let me just take her to my mum," I said, "She'll get some food into her."

Lucy hung up on me. I put the phone onto the table and stared at the unconscious girl in my arms. The doorbell rang and I sighed. I propped Leila onto the couch with a pillow beneath her head and went to answer the door.

I raised an eyebrow at the woman at the door and snapped, "What do you want?"

I couldn't deal with Leila's good for nothing aunt right now.

Alexandra frowned, "Good to see you again too. But I need to talk to Leila."

She's unconscious currently, call back later. 

"She can't. Talk right now, that is."

Alexandra narrowed her eyes at me, "What do you mean?"

"She's not really in the state to talk right now."

"What's happened to my niece?" she crossed her arms.

I gulped and then said, "If you tell me what you need Leila for, I'll tell you why she can't speak to you right now."

Alexandra took a deep breath and then said, "I need a place to stay. My boyf- Connor, stole the fifteen thousand dollars and threatened to get guys to kidnap Leila if I called the cops on him."

I let her in reluctantly. She stayed on the porch, "So why can't Leila talk to me?"

"Come see for yourself," I muttered darkly, recalling her forcing herself to vomit over the toilet.

Alexandra came in quickly and froze in the door of the living room, "What the hell happened to my niece?"

I slid down the wall, not entering the room. I muttered, "She was talking s*** about not being as pretty as the other models in the show. When I went to get her some chocolate I came back to find her emptying her stomach. She fainted when her stomach was completely empty."

Alexandra sighed, "Not this c*** again. Go find a thing of tea and prepare some kale chips."

"Kale chips?"

"Search up a recipe online," she sighed sadly, "And get a bottle of water too."

☼Leila Perez☼

I woke up to a bright light. My stomach hurt, my throat burned and my head was throbbing. I whispered, "What the f*** happened?"

Someone smoothed my hair back.

I mumbled, "Mum...?"

"Open your eyes."

My eyes flew open. That wasn't Mum. I was staring into the eyes of Aunt Alexandra. 

She smiled sadly, "How much does it hurt?"

I tried to sit up but my stomach grumbled in protest and my head sent white pain through my body. I winced, "Seven."

Alexandra sighed, "I've been through this s*** with your mum, as kids. I can't go through it with you."

I snapped, "You're hardly ever here anyways so why should you care?"

She slunk back into her position next to me on the floor, "I-I... I need a place to stay."

"Why?" I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Connor stole the money and threatened to send guys to kidnap you if I called the police," she sighed, "So, I'm penniless, jobless, boyfriendless and houseless."

I studied her. I then whispered, "Fine."

"Okay," she nodded once and then pressed her lips into a thin line, "Seven?"

I shook my head, "Five now." I tried to sit up again, "Eight!"

I lied back down. A glass was brought to my lips and Castor ordered, "Drink."

I swallowed down the glass of icy water.

He pressed a much warmer mug to my lips, "Drink the tea. There are kale chips in the oven."

I smiled lightly at him and he ruffled my hair. 

*****

I looked up at the roof of my bedroom. Alexandra had told Rachel, so neither me nor Castor were going to school tomorrow. Me - because I felt like s***, Castor - so he can keep an eye on me.

I swallowed. What had I even been thinking? Starving myself to be like other models? I'm number one for a reason. I don't need to compare myself to other models.

And I'd snapped at Castor when he'd only been trying to help me.

I was a horrible friend.

No. Scratch that.

I was a horrible girlfriend.

I stood up and my sheets untangled from the bed, revealing my baggy shirt.

I opened the window and the cold air hit my bare legs. I stepped onto the tree branch and reached for Castor's window. Dang it. Locked.

I knocked lightly on the glass and a sleepy Castor rolled out of bed. He yawned as he slid open the window, "What's up, Nerd?"

"Move," I said.

He stepped away from the window and I climbed into his room. He'd turned for the light. He flicked it on and his eyes raked across my bare legs, which he had already seen many times at shoots. 

I examined his bare chest, which took me by shock again. He flicked off the light, "Are you okay?"

I nodded before realising he couldn't see me, "Yeah. I came to thank you..."

He scoffed, "Why? You practically lost your life in my arms from dehydration and quick loss of energy and I got mad."

"But you were there," I pointed out, "And I snapped at you."

Castor stepped closer to me and put his hands on my shoulders, "So we're even?"

"Definitely."

✌︎

So I hope you enjoyed :) If you did, leave me a comment, if you didn't, tell me what I can improve on. How are you? Leave me a comment and a vote if you're healthy or sick. If you're sick, I hope you feel better. Shoutout to those that are reading this at 1am.

Sharky.