88.

Lily's POV

(Five years ago)

I sat at the worn-out kitchen table, staring down at the sorry excuse for dinner in front of me. The rice cereal, soggy and swimming in the last dregs of spoiled milk, made my stomach turn with disgust.

"Ugh!" I sighed, poking at the bowl morosely. "I could puke anytime soon."

On the other side of the table, Lucas, twelve years old and always hungry, was digging into his bowl without a care in the world. His appetite seemed insatiable, despite the poor quality of our meal.

I pushed the cereal around in my bowl, trying to summon up an appetite that just wasn't there. The hunger gnawed at my insides, but the thought of choking down another spoonful of this soggy mess was enough to make me gag.

Lucas glanced up from his cereal, his mouth still half full. "What's wrong, Lily?" He asked thickly. "You're not eating."

I forced a smile, trying to hide my revulsion. "Just not hungry, I guess," I muttered, pushing the cereal away from me.

"But you gotta eat, Lily,"