Page 9
Story: He Called Me Fat
He turned to look at me, and I could tell he was trying not to laugh. He seemed to have lost the struggle inside him because he put his hand on his stomach and bent over in laughter.
I started to feel very lost, like a child who had lost her mother in a room full of strangers and didn’t know how to get back to her. This was supposed to be a special time for Peter and me. Usually, this was when the guy would confess his undying love, not when he looked like he had been watching reruns of comedy shows all weekend.
Peter glanced up and exclaimed, “Do you really think I would like someone like you or that I would kiss you and enjoy it?” in between fits of laughing. “Fat girl, this was all a game, and you fell for all my tricks.”
His face twisted into a nasty sneer, and I felt my heart tighten. How could he be so mean? I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry for the rest of my life. My legs gave out, and I fell to the floor.
Peter started laughing again, this time while pointing at me. Tyler showed up out of nowhere and grinned when he spotted me on the ground.
“Did you really think he could like a girl like you or that I would let my friend date someone like you?” he asked, and then he laughed and pointed at me with Peter. I started to cry, and I was in a lot of emotional anguish. Just when I thought this was the worst of it, Chloe showed up and said,
“Get off the floor and stop looking like a pig. You should have known he would never go for a girl like you when he could have a girl like me.”
Then they all stood around me on the ground as Peter chanted,
“I could never like a girl like you.”
“He could never like a girl like you,” Chloe and Tyler chanted.
I heard someone shout, “Ava, wake up,” from far away. My body shook, and I imagined the ground was opening up to end my profound shame and misery.
I sprang out of bed and glanced around. My heart was still racing from the dream. Even though the anguish from a minute earlier had turned out to be just a dream, I could still feel part of it.
When I glanced at Chloe, who had her hand on my shoulder, I realized that the voice I had heard and the shaking of the ground had been her attempt to wake me up. I drew away from her because I was still a bit scared of my dream. She scowled at me and questioned,
“What’s the matter? I observed you moving around a lot and talking in your sleep. Are you OK? “
“I just had a bad dream; I’m fine,” I answered, backing away as she tried to touch me again.
“Why are you pulling away from me if you’re so fine? Did I do something wrong?” she requested again, reaching out to touch me. This time, I let her.
I let out a sigh and then told her what I had dreamed about, from getting the invite to the party to the three of them laughing at me while I wept on the floor.
“I did warn you that you would end up becoming an elderly lady in a house full of cats, but then you went back to reading your book, and I was on my laptop all day until we both fell asleep,” she added. “About your dream, first of all, you should know that I would never do that to you. You might not realize this, but I think you’re the best buddy I’ll ever have, and you mean a lot to me. I don’t kick you down; I lift you up.
“Second, I can’t really speak for Peter, but I don’t think he would do that to you. You didn’t know how he was before you met him since you didn’t even know he was real, but he has changed a lot. He used to smoke all the time and be with a different female almost every week, sometimes every day. I can’t remember the last time I saw him with a female or a cigarette. It’s like you two are in a stable relationship since he involves you in everything, and you have lunch together every day, she said.
I thought about what she had just said to me, and deep down, I knew that Chloe would never do anything so cruel and hurtful to me. She had been with me through all the ups and downs of my life and had picked me up when I was down, but Peter was a whole different story. Even though I had forgiven him after that party, I couldn’t forget it; as they say, “once bitten, twice shy.”
“I know you would never do that, so let’s forget about that dream. But I think I should start to stay away from Peter,” I said to Chloe.
“Why?” “Why?” she questioned.
“I know you would never do that to me in real life, but I can’t say the same about Peter. I would hate to feel that way in real life since it was so heartbreaking in the dream. “I said it could be ten times worse.”
“Look, I can tell there’s nothing I can do to help him. You have to believe it for yourself.” “Come on, let’s go,” she urged as she pulled me from the bed.
I didn’t know where she was going, but I trusted her. We strolled out of the room, down the stairs, and around and around until we were at the door to my kitchen, all without turning on any lights. That shows how well she knew my house.
She turned on the light and walked over to the fridge. I tried not to think about the whole kitchen scenario in my dream; I was trying to put it behind me and forget about it.
“I found it,” I heard Chloe say.
She turned around and closed the fridge door with her foot. She had a box of milk in one hand and a pack of double chocolate Oreo cookies in the other. She put the cookies on the counter and then went to the cabinets. She came back with two glasses and a plate and put them on the counter as well.
She immediately filled the two glasses with milk and put six Oreos on each side of the platter, for a total of twelve.
“Come sit down,” she said, taking a chair out from under the counter and sitting down. I pulled the chair out and sat across from her.
I smiled at her and added, “I remember when we were kids, and your mom would do this for us when we had bad dreams.”
“I know that’s why I’m doing this. I know you need it,” she said.
We didn’t say anything, but we dipped our cookies into the glass of milk every now and again. It made me feel better, and I’m pleased Chloe was here tonight.
“Thanks for this,” I said.
“Not a problem. I know I’ve said this before, but you’re my best friend, and I’d do anything for you. “We’re not just friends; we’re sisters,” she added, glancing at something behind me. “And at three in the morning, I’m saying I love you, sister.”
“I love you too,” I murmured as I leaned down to hug her.
“Oh, we’re having a sentimental moment.” Where is the camera? We both laughed out loud when she stated it.
As soon as Mrs. Archer saw me walk into the library, she exclaimed, “Ava, what brings you back to our humble presence here?” She was seated behind the desk, and all I could see was her well-pressed white blouse and red hair pushed back in a perfect bun.
I grinned and walked up to her. I bent my body over the counter and gave her a long, strong embrace. It had been more than a month since I had been here, which was when I started talking to Peter.
Peter, I didn’t even want to think about him. He phoned my phone 10 times between yesterday morning and today, and I didn’t answer any of them.
“Hey Scot, you know how much I appreciate you being here,” I remarked with a smile.
She added, “It’s Mrs. Archer to you, and you know you’re not supposed to lean over the counter; it’s against library rules.” She tried to keep a straight face but failed because she smiled back at me. I swear she was a really nice lady for someone who was fourteen years older than me.
I walked around to the door that led to the back and went into the small room behind the counter where Mrs. Archer was sitting. I sat down next to her.
“Where have you been, young lady?” Mrs. Archer remarked, “I looked for you every day, but you never came.”
I started to feel very lost, like a child who had lost her mother in a room full of strangers and didn’t know how to get back to her. This was supposed to be a special time for Peter and me. Usually, this was when the guy would confess his undying love, not when he looked like he had been watching reruns of comedy shows all weekend.
Peter glanced up and exclaimed, “Do you really think I would like someone like you or that I would kiss you and enjoy it?” in between fits of laughing. “Fat girl, this was all a game, and you fell for all my tricks.”
His face twisted into a nasty sneer, and I felt my heart tighten. How could he be so mean? I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry for the rest of my life. My legs gave out, and I fell to the floor.
Peter started laughing again, this time while pointing at me. Tyler showed up out of nowhere and grinned when he spotted me on the ground.
“Did you really think he could like a girl like you or that I would let my friend date someone like you?” he asked, and then he laughed and pointed at me with Peter. I started to cry, and I was in a lot of emotional anguish. Just when I thought this was the worst of it, Chloe showed up and said,
“Get off the floor and stop looking like a pig. You should have known he would never go for a girl like you when he could have a girl like me.”
Then they all stood around me on the ground as Peter chanted,
“I could never like a girl like you.”
“He could never like a girl like you,” Chloe and Tyler chanted.
I heard someone shout, “Ava, wake up,” from far away. My body shook, and I imagined the ground was opening up to end my profound shame and misery.
I sprang out of bed and glanced around. My heart was still racing from the dream. Even though the anguish from a minute earlier had turned out to be just a dream, I could still feel part of it.
When I glanced at Chloe, who had her hand on my shoulder, I realized that the voice I had heard and the shaking of the ground had been her attempt to wake me up. I drew away from her because I was still a bit scared of my dream. She scowled at me and questioned,
“What’s the matter? I observed you moving around a lot and talking in your sleep. Are you OK? “
“I just had a bad dream; I’m fine,” I answered, backing away as she tried to touch me again.
“Why are you pulling away from me if you’re so fine? Did I do something wrong?” she requested again, reaching out to touch me. This time, I let her.
I let out a sigh and then told her what I had dreamed about, from getting the invite to the party to the three of them laughing at me while I wept on the floor.
“I did warn you that you would end up becoming an elderly lady in a house full of cats, but then you went back to reading your book, and I was on my laptop all day until we both fell asleep,” she added. “About your dream, first of all, you should know that I would never do that to you. You might not realize this, but I think you’re the best buddy I’ll ever have, and you mean a lot to me. I don’t kick you down; I lift you up.
“Second, I can’t really speak for Peter, but I don’t think he would do that to you. You didn’t know how he was before you met him since you didn’t even know he was real, but he has changed a lot. He used to smoke all the time and be with a different female almost every week, sometimes every day. I can’t remember the last time I saw him with a female or a cigarette. It’s like you two are in a stable relationship since he involves you in everything, and you have lunch together every day, she said.
I thought about what she had just said to me, and deep down, I knew that Chloe would never do anything so cruel and hurtful to me. She had been with me through all the ups and downs of my life and had picked me up when I was down, but Peter was a whole different story. Even though I had forgiven him after that party, I couldn’t forget it; as they say, “once bitten, twice shy.”
“I know you would never do that, so let’s forget about that dream. But I think I should start to stay away from Peter,” I said to Chloe.
“Why?” “Why?” she questioned.
“I know you would never do that to me in real life, but I can’t say the same about Peter. I would hate to feel that way in real life since it was so heartbreaking in the dream. “I said it could be ten times worse.”
“Look, I can tell there’s nothing I can do to help him. You have to believe it for yourself.” “Come on, let’s go,” she urged as she pulled me from the bed.
I didn’t know where she was going, but I trusted her. We strolled out of the room, down the stairs, and around and around until we were at the door to my kitchen, all without turning on any lights. That shows how well she knew my house.
She turned on the light and walked over to the fridge. I tried not to think about the whole kitchen scenario in my dream; I was trying to put it behind me and forget about it.
“I found it,” I heard Chloe say.
She turned around and closed the fridge door with her foot. She had a box of milk in one hand and a pack of double chocolate Oreo cookies in the other. She put the cookies on the counter and then went to the cabinets. She came back with two glasses and a plate and put them on the counter as well.
She immediately filled the two glasses with milk and put six Oreos on each side of the platter, for a total of twelve.
“Come sit down,” she said, taking a chair out from under the counter and sitting down. I pulled the chair out and sat across from her.
I smiled at her and added, “I remember when we were kids, and your mom would do this for us when we had bad dreams.”
“I know that’s why I’m doing this. I know you need it,” she said.
We didn’t say anything, but we dipped our cookies into the glass of milk every now and again. It made me feel better, and I’m pleased Chloe was here tonight.
“Thanks for this,” I said.
“Not a problem. I know I’ve said this before, but you’re my best friend, and I’d do anything for you. “We’re not just friends; we’re sisters,” she added, glancing at something behind me. “And at three in the morning, I’m saying I love you, sister.”
“I love you too,” I murmured as I leaned down to hug her.
“Oh, we’re having a sentimental moment.” Where is the camera? We both laughed out loud when she stated it.
As soon as Mrs. Archer saw me walk into the library, she exclaimed, “Ava, what brings you back to our humble presence here?” She was seated behind the desk, and all I could see was her well-pressed white blouse and red hair pushed back in a perfect bun.
I grinned and walked up to her. I bent my body over the counter and gave her a long, strong embrace. It had been more than a month since I had been here, which was when I started talking to Peter.
Peter, I didn’t even want to think about him. He phoned my phone 10 times between yesterday morning and today, and I didn’t answer any of them.
“Hey Scot, you know how much I appreciate you being here,” I remarked with a smile.
She added, “It’s Mrs. Archer to you, and you know you’re not supposed to lean over the counter; it’s against library rules.” She tried to keep a straight face but failed because she smiled back at me. I swear she was a really nice lady for someone who was fourteen years older than me.
I walked around to the door that led to the back and went into the small room behind the counter where Mrs. Archer was sitting. I sat down next to her.
“Where have you been, young lady?” Mrs. Archer remarked, “I looked for you every day, but you never came.”