Little Big Problems

Chapter 4: Big Girl Problems

"Today. After College. I need you with me."

I look up from my bowl of salad to Jenny, my friend and classmate. "Need me for what?" I ask.

"Shopping." She settles down on a chair in front of me with a large hamburger and cold drink on her tray. Half of today's classes are over and we are in department's cafeteria, which is quite crowded since this break is during lunch hour.

"Sure. Count me in." I shrug. I have nothing important to do this evening. I have caught up with my assignments and college work, keeping them up to date. Besides I think I need a good outing, and shopping sounds a perfect activity to spend time with my friends. I also have few things to buy for myself.

"Awesome! Rachel's also coming. If you want you can invite your roommate too."

"I'll ask her."

Jenny nods before taking a big bite of her burger, and making me jealous. That hamburger looks delicious, way more delicious than my healthy salad.

"I'm so hungry. I think I can eat another one of these," she moans as she chews and takes a sip of her coke.

I stab the piece of broccoli with my plastic fork and shove it in my mouth. It's plain and boring.

"You bought salad," she says eyeing my bowl of tasteless greens, "cool, at least one of us is turning into an intuitive eater."

"You don't need to worry about yourself. You're fine," I reply.

Jenny is one of those people who can eat as much as they want and still won't gain an ounce. She has been skinny all the while I've known her. Her tall figure and thigh gap are the envy of many girls, sometimes even mine. It won't hurt to have a metabolism like hers.

"I don't know. Sometimes I tend to overeat, which is not like super healthy," she counters, slurping her coke. "I get sick often and my mom keeps blaming my eating habits. She says I can't survive on junk food forever. Now I'm starting to think maybe she isn't wrong."

"Here, have a bite." I pass her my bowl and she takes a forkful of salad. I chuckle when her face scrunches as she disgustingly chews the boiled vegetables.

"You know what, I'll stick to my junk food and see how far I can make it."

I shake my head, smiling. "At least your food doesn't show itself on your belly or arms or thighs."

"But it also doesn't show up on my boobs or ass either." She pouts exaggeratedly before darting her eyes to my chest. "Man, I'll kill to have your curves."

I chuckle at the irony. No one is content with themselves. "And I'll kill to have your figure." I mean it is the reason why I am shoving half-cooked vegetables in my mouth. Well this, and also someone else.

Someone who can't keep his contemptuous opinions about me to himself and makes it his mission to torture me with them.

I'll be lying to myself if I say Adrien's words don't get to me. They do. Sometimes it isn't easy to gloss over them as immature, petty insults to get a reaction out of me. It becomes especially harder when I know I'm bigger than most girls.

It's not like I'm gorging on pizza, burgers or sweets all the time. I think I have a pretty decent diet which contains fruits and vegetables - okay maybe not so much of vegetables, though I still try to take my greens. I try to stay active too, be it going on night strolls in campus's garden after dinner, choosing stairs over elevators, or playing volleyball with girls on weekends. But it isn't enough. I guess people like me have to work harder to get even half close to Jenny's figure.

"I'm getting myself a fudge brownie," Jenny announces once we're done with our food. "Do you want one too?"

Before I can say yes I see Adrien and his posse walking in through the door. I conclude he has come from the shower after basketball practice. His hair is wet and some locks fall over his eyebrows, giving him the sexy look that girls swoon over. And many around us are swooning.