Fat Chances Read Free Page B

bodies in front of Cory hoping to get his attention.
    But then I noticed a few older, heavy set women strolling out, as well. I could see their reason for being here. Maybe they were trying to lose the extra weight they had gained from carrying their children for nine months. But I didn’t have an excuse, although I sometimes wished I was pregnant just so that I had an excuse for being fat. I knew I couldn’t keep blaming it on my family’s genes. Only I was to blame for the spare tire that I carried around my waist. It was my bad eating habits and lack of exercise that gave me my extra rolls. Of course, eating 3 bags of Twizzlers a week didn’t help either. I knew I needed to change and I have tried, but eventually I would give up and fall back into my same old routine of sitting on the couch every night eating Cappuccino Crunch ice cream and watching Dr. House reruns.
    “Where the hell were you?” Molly snapped, as she crawled into the driver’s seat, throwing her Twilight bag on the floor beside my feet. I saw that she had grabbed my jacket, too.
    “I wasn’t feeling well, so I came out here,” I replied truthfully. My heart was racing. I was so excited about my first kiss, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell her or not. In truth, I was slightly embarrassed too. Molly was just fourteen when she got her first kiss. It was the neighbor boy from down the street. What was his name … Ron? And yet, here I was … eighteen before a boy finally kiss me. Well, not a boy, but a man. And what surprised me even more was that it was Cory, the hot Zumba instructor, whom I just met and knew absolutely nothing about. My mind raced with a thousand different questions. What if he’s a player? What if he was just taking advantage of me because I’m fat and naive? Naive? GAH! I could feel my face burning with embarrassment at the very thought of it.
    “Annie, guess what?” Molly’s bitter tone suddenly turned sweet with excitement. I sighed heavily, before turning to face her.
    “What?” I asked, disgusted. I twirled my hair through my fingers as I thought about Cory’s kiss and the possible reason behind it.
    “I gave Cory my cell phone number,” She squealed. What? I could feel my heart pulling away from my chest and dropping to the pit my stomach. “And guess what else? He asked me for my home number. Can you believe it? Of all those women in the exercise class, he wanted my home phone number!” she squealed with delight as she bounced in her seat. My mouth dropped open as I stared at her. I was dumbfounded. Appalled! Pissed! And sick to my stomach. How could I be so stupid?
    I forced a fake smile and told her that I was happy for her. I turned around so that my back was facing her. I didn’t dare let her see the tears that were clouding my eyes.
    The ten minute drive home was hell. All Molly could talk about was Cory this and Cory that. When we finally pulled into the driveway, I had my foot out the door before she even had the truck in park. I got out and slammed the door so hard that it rattled the windows.
    “Geesh, what’s wrong with you?” Molly asked as she followed me up the steps to the front porch. I clenched my teeth and balled my hands into a fist then turned around to face her.
    “Don’t ever ask me to go to Zumba class with you again!” I screamed, then stomped into the house. I kicked off my wet sneakers and threw them at the pile of shoes that were scattered by the door, then stomped upstairs to my bedroom. My bed made a loud thud when I threw myself on it and sobbed. I hated Cory. I hated boys. I hated everyone. Eventually, I cried myself to sleep.
    When I woke up the next morning, fresh new tears emerged, but I quickly wiped them away and forced myself out of bed. I tried to walk quietly to the bathroom, but it was impossible. My heavy footsteps made the wooden floor creak beneath me.
    Images of Cory flashed through my mind as I stood under the hot shower, lathering my wash cloth with