When The Fat Girl Gets Skinny ✔

Present 11

The emotion I felt when I saw Trent in the hallway scared me. It was a flaming fury that I didn't expect. I'm not a typically angry person so the simmering rage I had within me was frightening. School has been bearable because I have been able to avoid him. He has been absent from school since the halloween party much to my releif but it seems my luck ran out. Now I'm forced to face him.

He gave me a pleasant smile when he passed, my blood boiling at his unnecessary acknowledgment to my existence. I inhaled sharply, slamming my locker with more force than necessary, stomping off to class.

I crashed into someone on my way. I looked up to see Kayla. "Sorry," I mumbled, stepping out of her way.

"No worries," she tilted her head to the side as she eyed me. "You okay?"

I nodded energetically. "Yea! Great." My voice dripped faux enthusiasm.

She look unconvinced. "You don't have to be."

Her response caught me off guard. "I-"

She shook her head. "You don't have to explain yourself, but you also don't need to keep lying to people about what you're going through," she gave me a smile, exposing her wide gap and smiley piercing. "See you around, Maya."

She walked off, leaving me standing in the hallway pondering her words.

I took a slow deep inhale as I sat in the empty classroom trying to collect my thoughts that were beginning to spin of control. The sound of the buzzer snapped me back into a less frenzied state of mind, remembering that life was moving and wouldn't stop for me.

*

"Hey." I stopped in my tracks at the sound of Rueben's voice. I turned to him with a pleasant smile which immediately faded as I saw Trent standing next to him.

"Hi..." I trailed, unsure of what to say. I could feel my anxiety pick up even tho I know Trent won't do anything to me in public. Its just the way he can still be so calm and collected, while being such a monster made me feel small. No one seems to know or care that he is... bad.

I took a deep breath to calm myself that was sliding into panic. I couldn't let my emotions get the best of me right now. I have to hold it together. He might have taken a piece of me at the party, and he may be a bully, but he has an affect on my life only if I let him, and I've let him for far too long. I was lucky enough to escape a situation that could have escalated and become possibly the worst night of my life, but it didn't. For that, I'm thankful.

I took a deep breath. You don't have to be okay. You also don't have to let it have any control over your life.

"What's up?" I asked as calmly as possible, stepping back to give myself room to breath.

"Well... I was hoping to walk home with you. Is that cool?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

Trent gave Rueben a frustrated look. "I thought you were coming over to my place?"

Rueben sighed. "Sorry, bro, but I really need to talk to Maya. Maybe tomorrow?"

Trent snickered. "She had you whipped three years ago when she was fat, and she has you whipped now when she's skinny. Unbelievable." He walked off to his Jeep and slammed the door.

Rueben looked at me apologetically. "Sorry about Trent he's-"

"An asshole? I agree. What did you want to talk about?"

He looked taken aback by my tone. "Uhh... well, I was just wondering how you were doing? You seemed kind of out of it these past few days."

I sighed. "You sure you're ready for that conversation?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "What does that mean?"

I bit my lip in contemplation. Am I ready to talk about it? I can't even open up to my parents, the most loving people I know, yet I was ready to reveal my demons to Rueben in the middle of the school hallway.

Or not.

I gave him a smile. "Nothing. I'm just messing with you."

I seemed believable enough, cause the uncertainty that flashed across his face quickly melted away and his usual goofy grin appeared.

Things won't be okay right now, and that's okay. I'm okay. Or I will be. I don't have to drown under the weight of my internal pain, I just have to take it one day at a time.
*

This story is coming to an end! I'm so sad/excited.

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