Chapter 2
Betty Brant was smart. Betty Brant was bold.
Betty Brant was skinny.
While Peter was stuck being around people who told him that they cared for him, and yelled at him into eating, Betty Brant was out there, starving herself for three days straight probably, truly looking the part of an anorexic Goddess.
"If you don't eat properly, Peter," MJ started, her voice monotonous and rude badass, "You will keep losing weight at an alarming weight."
"Really? I didn't realise," Peter replied back.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Betty staring at him. He turned to look at her, and saw the vacant expression on her face.
After recess, the Betty Brant walked over to Peter Parker.
"Which one is it?" She simply asked him.
"Sorry?" He said in response, utterly perplexed.
"Bulimia? Anorexia Nervosa? EDNOS? Anorexia binge-purge subtype—"
"Stop," Peter interrupted, "Stop."
Betty tilted her head to the side, intrigued.
"Anorexia Nervosa, I think," Peter finally replied.
Betty smiled.
"Bulimia Nervosa," Said Betty, smiling still.
And they shook hands, and walked the corridors together. They looked like best friends. One was Ana, and one was Mia.
And then Peter realised that this friendship made more sense than the friendship with his normal peers, who looked at things from the outside, and not on the inside, like Betty Brant did. Their worlds were completely different from Peter and Betty's and to let normal people into his lives would be an anomaly on his part.
As the days went on, the two grew closer.
Peter waited for Betty when she would puke her guts out and let her mistakes drown in the toilet bowl.
Betty watched as Peter would take 15,000 steps, then 17,000 steps, then 30,000 steps in a day. "A new goal!" She would say, and Peter would finally feel like he belonged.
In Peter and Betty's little world, no one else was allowed.
"Why won't you hang out with MJ and I anymore?" Ned asked one day, holding his newest Lego set that he intended to play with Peter.
"I don't know, Ned," Peter said, as he pushed some books in his locker. Low BMI, high grades. "I don't want people forcing me to eat anymore."
"Please, Peter," Ned said, looking so sad and so desperate, "We only want the best for you."
No, Peter thought, you don't know what is best for me.
What was best for Peter was to starve himself to death the same way what was best for Betty was to purge herself to death.
They both didn't belong in the sane world.
The sane world is flawed.
Peter and Betty's worlds are without any imperfections.
Peter knew this, because Betty told him, if you lose another ten pounds from your thighs, you will truly be perfect.
And Betty was right, because when he lost fifteen more pounds, he looked perfect.
Just a few more, just a few more, just a few more...
Peter Parker's world is tiring.