Fat

Biting her lip, she couldn’t look away from him. “Look at you, and then look at me.”

“I am looking at you, Elsa. It’s all I do.”

“You’re hot and I’m not, okay? If you’re seen with me, everyone will think it’s some kind of joke, a game.”

Noah sighed. “This is your mother again.”

“It’s not. Think about school. Your ex is the hottest girl in school.”

“She’s not hot, Elsa.”

“Don’t lie.”

“I don’t see what’s on the surface. Jessica is a bitch, and she’s a bitch to the core. Don’t you get that?”

She shook her head. “You just don’t see it.”

“No, what I see is you think I’m fickle. You think I care what people think.”

“This isn’t about you.”

“No, clearly. It’s about you. You know what, I’ll see you later, when no one can see us.”

He walked away, and Elsa closed her eyes, leaning against the bookshelves. She had hurt him, and that had been the last thing she wanted to do.

This was getting complicated.

Why couldn’t Noah just fit into a nice little box where she didn’t have to stress about anything?

Grabbing a book, she made her way toward the front desk.

“Are you okay?” Kim asked.

“I’m fine. I just, I’ve got to head out of here. Meet you for gym?”

“Believe me, if I could miss it I would.”

Elsa chuckled. She handed the book over to Denise and waited for her to place it on her account. When she was done, she made her way toward the bathroom. She just needed to take a minute before heading out to gym.

Entering a stall, she locked it and leaned her head against the back. Noah had taken her virginity, and she had shared a lot with him. It was hard for her to keep him at arms’ length, but how could she not?

Tears filled her eyes, and she sucked them in.

Crying wouldn’t solve any of her problems, and it only ever made her feel weak.

I’ve got this. I can do this.

Getting off the toilet she was about to leave the stall when people entered.

“Can you believe him? He turned me down. Kurt! He turned me down for sex, and I was offering to blow him. God, I don’t understand men,” Britney said.

“Come on, look what Noah is doing. He’s totally acting like a big baby over that one time fling. We’re young, and we’re going away to college. Does he expect me to not taste everything out there?” Jessica asked.

“I can’t even get Ryan to look at me,” Lola said.

“Don’t look at me. I’m doing okay with Adam,” Sienna said.

“Whatever,” Jessica said.

Great, she was trapped in a toilet with four of the most popular girls in school.

“I thought Noah broke up with you?” Britney asked.

“Oh, he did, but he’ll come crawling back. They always do.”

“He’s not like other guys though. Noah doesn’t even pay you attention, and he’s not even groveling for you,” Sienna said.

“Look, when Noah gets his stick out of his ass, everything will go back to normal. All he has to do is stop being so boring talking about exercise. I’m a hot piece of ass, and he should see it. Do you really think he’d lower himself to any of the other girls in school?”

“Wish I could say the same about Kurt. He’s been panting after that fat bitch, Kim. You know, the one who dresses funny. They had an assignment, and now he won’t leave her alone. It’s so embarrassing. He could do so much better,” Britney said.

“I don’t get what people see in fat people. They’re gross and disgusting. I’ll never get fat. I’d rather die of starvation than look that ugly,” Jessica said.

Elsa closed her eyes, trying to drown them out. These were the girls her mother wanted her to hang out with.

They were shallow, mean people. How on earth could she ever be friends with them? Noah had gotten a lucky escape.

“Well, we’ve got cheerleading practice. Maybe we could show them exactly what they’re missing out on,” Jessica said. “No one picks lesser women, when we’re around.”

Minutes passed, and finally they left, leaving the heavy scent of perfume.

Kim was waiting for her outside of the gym. “What took you so long?”

“I had to wait for the cheerleaders to preen themselves.”

Her friend wrinkled her nose. “I’ve heard it takes them hours to get ready.”

“Did Kurt tell you that?”

“Yeah, I think so. It was one of those things that he said I was better at.”

“Are you and Kurt a thing?”

“Ew, no. Bully, remember? I’m not going to fall for that kind of shit. I do have some self-worth, you know.”

“I know.” They entered the changing rooms and made their way toward the back. Elsa changed quickly, trying to avoid being seen without her clothes on.

“What the hell, Elsa?”

Kim moved up beside her.

“What?”

“You’ve got bruises on your hips.”

Quickly pushing down her shirt, she brushed it off. “It was nothing. I’ve been clumsy this week. With any luck my mom will back off with the idea of me helping do the country club prom.”