Fat Girls Return

2. Teddy Bear

Picture of Peter at the top. :)

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I pull into the school parking lot on Monday and walk up to the front doors to wait for Rosie. A few minutes before the bell is about to ring, she bounds up the steps, her blonde curls bouncing with her, and squeezes me in a one-armed hug, causing me to laugh.

"Ready for school?"Rosie asks, her arm still slung around my shoulders.

I sigh, still smiling. "I guess."

We join the judgmental masses cramming through the front doors, heading straight for homeroom since someone was late and we didn't have time to stop at our lockers. We make it to homeroom and shuffle to our usual seats in the back corner of the classroom. I blush, like I do everyday, when I have to do an awkward sideways waddle to squeeze between some of the desks.

"Moooo." Brandon laughs, everyone else joining in. Rosie rolls her eyes and we slide into our seats. The desk cuts into my stomach a little bit, too snug of a fit, as usual. I take out a book and read for the duration of homeroom, ignoring Brandon's obnoxious laugh as he jokes with his buddies about who-knows-what; Rosie does the same.

Once the bell ending homeroom rings, Rosie and I part ways to go to our lockers since they're on separate ends of the school. I clutch my books to my chest and scurry through the hall, trying not to bump into anything. When Rosie's by my side, I feel more confident than when I'm alone. I stop short when I see who's standing near my locker. Blake Noir. He's Brandon's main henchman. My eyes widen and I back away, hiding behind the corner. I glance at the clock hanging above the lockers next to me; I need to get to my locker.

With a gulp, I duck my head and briskly walk to my locker, looking up involuntarily when I'm a couple feet away. Stormy-blue eyes meet mine and I freeze, hoping Blake won't do anything. Brandon's the mastermind behind all the mean comments and evil pranks, but Blake goes along with it, laughing and supporting him every time. I'm not sure how he acts when Brandon's not with him. It's a rare sight. Blake turns back to his friend, ignoring me. I let out a small sigh of relief and quickly get what I need from my locker.

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"Class, I'd like to introduce our new student: Peter Hanes. Tell us a little something about yourself, Peter."

A new student? We only have a few months of school left.

Peter stands, clearing his throat.

"Uh, hi. I'm from Nevada. I'm a junior. And I move around a lot," Peter blurts, hurrying to sit down, clearly not a fan of public speaking. I smile to myself; he's kind of cute.

Ms. Smith continues on with her English Lit. lesson and I find myself sneaking glances over at Peter, biting my lip subconsciously. About twenty minutes into the class, I sneak another glance, only to find his brown eyes staring into mine. I quickly turn back to my notes, hiding behind my wavy, brown hair as I feel heat rise in my cheeks. I stare at my desk for the rest of the class, occasionally looking up to read what Ms. Smith is writing on the board. I keep thinking I see Peter looking at me out of the corner of my eye throughout the class, but I chalk it up to wishful thinking.

The bell rings and I maneuver my way through the crowded halls to get to second period. Rosie smiles when she sees me, waiting in our usual corner. I plop down and grin back at her before flipping to a fresh page in my notebook. Just as the bell rings, Peter rushes through the door, a bit flustered.

"Sorry," He breathes, "I got lost."

A few chuckles sound throughout the room but Mr. Samson waves his hand. "Don't worry about it. Didn't the office give you a guide?"