it's 2026. you've graduated, moved, and have a good job. you walk into your apartment, a small single bedroom, one bathroom place. it's small but it's the perfect size for you. you put your bags down—having just come back from a shopping trip—on the table and connect to your speaker to play music while you clean. just some tidying here and there, some dusting and laundry. when you finish, you pick up your shopping bags to put them away in the closet. as you look through the new outfits, you admire each of them in the mirror. crop tops, new bras, skirts, and skinny jeans, all of the clothes you had wanted but had never fit into. fitting into clothes you like hadn't been an issue for a few years now, thanks to the hard work you put in so long ago. at 90 pounds, life is easy. it's happy. you love the compliments, if you're being honest they're ego boosting. your friends and coworkers joke about how you don't ever eat, since you're practically skin and bones. "let's all go out to lunch," they joke during the lunch break, "except for y/n, of course, since she/they/he never eat anyway," with a lighthearted laugh. some may think it's rude, but it's the biggest compliment you've ever gotten. they think you don't eat? if only they knew how right they were. anyway, you put on a cute halter top you had picked up today and a new white skirt with fishnets. you feel cute and you look stunning. your ribs show under the shirt a little and it's obvious that you have a thigh gap. you decide to go out and walk around the city, since you look hot and have nothing better to do. don't want to waste a good outfit, right? you leave the apartment and get a compliment as soon as you do. "i love your outfit! you're so pretty!" a woman who lives upstairs gushes. you thank her and continue on downstairs. the doorman holds the door open for you and you smile at him. when you reach for the next door, you get a chance to admire your tiny wrists before he opens that door too. you walk to the bar a few blocks away from the apartment complex, grateful for the easy exercise and excited for something to drink. when you reach the counter, you order a water and watch the energy in the room. people are dancing, some are drinking, and there are even a few people making out in the booths around the edge of the room. there's music playing over the speakers and the energy is great. someone comes up to you and smiles sweetly. you can tell they seem like a good person, and you two hit it off. they keep complimenting your beauty, which was what caught their eye in the first place. you're flattered and end up giving them your number so you can talk again. when you head back to the apartment alone, you go to the kitchen and check the fridge, only to find water, monsters, and a carton of eggs. in the pantry, pickles, gum, and rice cakes. you're not in the mood for anything at the moment, so you go to your bedroom and fall asleep, the feeling of emptiness comforting in your stomach. you feel light and ecstatic as you text the person from the bar and then fall asleep. life is good, things are easy. you're happy and confident.
