Prologue
“Here comes the cow,” Kurt Michaels said.
Kimberley James, or Kim to her friends, tried her hardest to ignore him. He was one of the guys who was popular, had it all, so he picked on people who were less than he was. Kim wasn’t slim. She wasn’t pretty, and she didn’t even bother to try to fit in. She didn’t care to.
“Ignore him,” Elsa said.
Kim didn’t know what she’d do without her best friend, Elsa.
“I’m surprised she can even walk.”
They were all the same taunts. Kurt hadn’t figured out anything original. It was always the same.
“Fatty’s coming. Move out of the way before she squashes us.”
“I bet you just eat lard by the tub full.”
“Why don’t you go on a diet?”
“Can you even fit into a car?”
There were more hurtful words along the way, but she tried not to think of them. Her life was made easier by ignoring him, pretending he didn’t exist. She was overweight. At a size sixteen, she was the same size as Elsa, which they loved, as they could share each other’s clothes. They didn’t have to worry about each other giggling because of their size. Some of the girls in the female changing room during gym would laugh and point. It was embarrassing. Kim loved Elsa, and knew she’d found a friend for life.
“Just think, one day he’s going to wake up, fat, miserable, and alone, thinking about his glory days in high school. We’re not going to have to worry about that.”
Kim forced a smile, and together they made their way into the main building of their high school. Most of the time she ignored Kurt, and gladly she did it. He was just so … mean. Why did he have to be so mean? She imagined it was down to his friends who urged him on. Noah, one of his friends, didn’t join in. He seemed locked in his own little world. Even still, she didn’t like Kurt, and wanted nothing to do with him.
Later that day when Mrs. Donald set a chemistry paper, and then proceeded to partner her up with Kurt, Kim truly thought that would be the end of it.
It wasn’t.
****
They had been doing this paper for two weeks, and Kurt didn’t like the way he was feeling. Kim sat on the opposite end of the table, and even though they were supposed to be studying together, she wouldn’t give him the time of day. She only spoke to him when she had to, and most of the time, she gave him instruction on what to do via text message. Seriously, the bitch had issues.
No, you have issues, asshole.
“So,” he said, and paused as Kim tensed up. He noticed that every time he spoke, she always tensed up as if he was going to attack her. “Okay, why the hell do you keep doing that?”
“What?”
“I’ve never hurt you. I’ve never raised my hand to you, thrown a ball at you. Why do you keep flinching when I’ve never fucking hurt you in my life?”
Kim sighed, and looked up at him. “Words hurt a lot harder than your fist, Kurt.”
It was like a complete slap to the face.
Fatty, cow, pig, chubby, chunk, lard.
All the names he’d ever called her ran through his head all at once, and he finally saw himself the way she did. He wasn’t a good-looking guy who was nice. No, to Kim, he was an asshole, a bully, and as he thought about it, no wonder she flinched every time like she did. He was the worst person in the world.
“Look, I don’t want to cause trouble. I don’t think you do either. Let’s just do this assignment, so we can get out of each other’s lives.”
Kurt didn’t like that. When it came to Kim, he was enjoying her company more and more. Gritting his teeth, he stared down at his sheet, and knew there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about what happened.
“What would you like me to do?” he asked.
****
“I’d like to take you out on a date,” Kurt said.
Kim stared at the guy who had done nothing but pester her all the way up to graduation. He was the bully, the jock, and now it seemed he wanted to date her. She didn’t get it. Nothing had changed. He was still an asshole. Sure, ten months of him being different, compared to the last eleven or so years of him torturing her. Yeah, of course she wanted to go out with him. Not! Even though her mother liked him, Kim wasn’t fooled.
“No.”
He stood at her door, and she glanced up and down the street, wondering if this was some kind of prank. She knew all about Elsa and Noah. Kim was really happy for her friend. Elsa was happy with Noah, but then he’d never been mean to her either. Kurt on the other hand, he was a first class douche, and she wasn’t going to be one of these pathetic people that caved. She had read so many books where the heroine caved, and she wasn’t. Kurt was not likeable.