If I Have To

Surprised No More

New York, New York
April 19th

Xena L.

"Oh Lord, look at your face! What is going on? All these pimples and blackheads. Your pores are open." Cynthia criticized, reaching over the table to touch my face.

I moved her hand. "Please don't touch my face." I told her. She didn't listen and touched my face anyway. I moved her hand again, getting annoyed that she kept going for it. She was already about to annoy me.

"Please stop." I sternly told her so she got the hint.

"Stop the attitude." She retorted. I said nothing since the waiter came over with our food. Jada walking right behind him.

"Sorry for taking so long." She apologized, sitting beside Cynthia.

"If there's anything else you need then let me know." The waiter said before walking off.

I glanced down at my plate, my mouth watering at the food. I ordered chicken and waffles with extra crispy chicken on the side. French toast and fruit. This would have been the first thing I'll have this morning and I was starving, so I got extra food. I was paying for the food anyway, so I was getting whatever the hell I wanted. Clearly, that was a problem.

"That's a lot of food for you, Xena." Cynthia added her two cents like always.

"Not really." I shrugged, taking a picture of my food so I could send it to Kasey.

"Yes, really." Cynthia continued. "That's why you look the way you look now."

I looked up at her, pausing what I was doing. "What do you mean by that?" I asked while putting my phone down.

"You're big." She bluntly answered. "All that extra weight on you is not cute and you're eating the way that you are is adding to it. Have you ever thought about lipo? Get rid of that stomach and the rest of the fat on your body. Kasey surely doesn't want to see that." She waved her fork around in front of me.

"My body is perfectly fine, Mom. I don't need lipo." I responded with the only thing I could say. I was stunned at her bluntness regarding my body. It hurt to hear that but I didn't show it.

"Yes you do because your body is disgusting. You should look more like Jada. Even with her being pregnant, her body is looking nice. I always said that you need to be more like her." She added, nodding her head to Jada.

I cut my eyes to Jada, peeping the small smirk that was on her face. She got rid of it soon as she saw that I was staring. I sensed this happening the moment I agreed to this brunch. Them teaming up just to talk shit about me. Typical.

"My body is fine." I muttered. I glanced down at my plates, losing my appetite from her comment. I wasn't fat.

I did have some extra weight in a few places and a fupa but that was it. What woman didn't have any of that? Not everyone was born to be a skinny mini all their life. Being told I need lipo didn't feel good, especially when it's coming from your own mother. However, a comment like that was expected from her. It was troubling at how used it to I was now. I swallowed hard, picking at the fruit that I ordered as well. Some good ole strawberries reminding me of my plants.

The table was quiet as we ate. My attention was grabbed when my phone vibrated. I flipped it over and saw Kasey texted me. I picked my phone up so fast and texted him back. That was also a problem unfortunately.