Soulmates: Secret Scar

E

Chapter 24

 Warning: Highly sensitive topics mentioned.

"Look. The monster is back to eating again."

Munch.

"Have you heard that she weighs 140 KG!"

Munch.

"What? But she's so small."

Munch.

"But are you surprised? Look how round she is. Almost like she's pregnant."

"Stop kidding. She's only 11. There's no way she is. She just fat."

"I wouldn't be so sure. You never know what these kids can be up to these days."

Munch. Chew. Swallow.

"It must be nice getting to eat whatever she wants. Her parents must love her."

"Or they are just blind. Who could love a pig? Look at her."

Sip. 

"Yea, I'm looking. All I see is big lump of meat."

Munch. 

The group laughed as they continued to gossip amongst themselves. Teachers. Students. You name it. Everyone gossiped happily whilst they played around with their meal wearily looking around so they wouldn't be the next target.

The girl in question, however, ignored their remarks enjoying her meal. Stuffing her face with her food, not caring for what others perceived her as. But her hand froze when she overheard the gossip from the table far right of her. 

"You know I heard her parent don't even like her."

"Yeah. Have you ever seen her parents? They are never around. I even heard that they were willing to pay millions to have their daughter go under the knife."

"What you're joking? It must be nice to have lots of money. You get to choose what you want to look like."

"Wait, so does that mean this was the outcome? This lump of meat. Well, it doesn't really look like it worked now, did it?"

Her hands clutched tightly on the chopsticks in her hand as she listened to the group prattle on about how fat she was. She knew she wasn't skinny. She knew she was larger than most kids, and all kids in this school. But they never cared to ask why. They just presumed that she was fat because she had money. Or her parents loved her too much. Or she was too lazy to do anything. No one cared for her reasons. How she feels. 

"Guys that's enough. You're going way too far... Are you okay?" A boy with brown straight hair walked up to her sitting in the seat next to her smiling. The girl looked at him in confusion before looking down at his outstretched hand. 'When was the last time someone asked that question', she wondered. "Hey, can you hear me?" He asked again. The girl looked up again before plastering her fake smile and smiling. 

"You have a beautiful smile." He said. The girl blushed at the compliment, replying with a quiet thank you, but she knew it wasn't heard. A voice spoke over her. "Yah Choi Moon-bin. Get away from her or you'll catch the 'fat disease'." The hall burst into laughter, not realising the way the girl covered her ears desperately. She whispered to herself 'sticks and stones may break my bone, but word will never hurt me', continuously trying to convince herself to be strong.

"That's mean-" The girl didn't wait another second, feeling like she was drowning with all the laughter and hate in the room, and ran out of the canteen to her sanctuary: the toilet. She heard the boy shout after her but it was so quiet that not even a dog could hear it.