Grow Up Glow Up

Chapter 1

Remember the rough time in your life when acne covered your forehead, nose, chin and even chest? Or when all the careless pizza you ate made its way right to the thighs and stomach. What about when you had a crush on that boy but he turned right around and called you "ugly four eyes" in front of his friends.

Well, 17 years has passed and that is still me.

My name is Allison Farrow but everyone knew me by Big Al. By no means did I like it but I've come to accept that Big Al is just who I am. By tenth grade, I stopped praying to the puberty fairies and crying every night because I've lost all hope that someday, I will wake up a princess broken from an evil ugly spell.

And so while everyone else was partying, getting drunk and hooking up with the wrong people, I stuck to my books and kept up my grades because they were my true friends.

My family is well off, we lived in the penthouse of the Renaissance right in the middle of Seattle. My dad is the director at the Seattle-Tacoma International airport and my mom, a professor for finance at the university so I had some high expectations to live up to. They were always busy with work so I rarely saw them but they love me and support me regardless.

It was early July, the mornings still held the tiniest bit of spring while the afternoon scorched with the summer heat. Today, the sun just peeped the horizon and filled the cloudless sky with bursts of purple, red and orange. It almost always rained here and I loved it but days like these were rare. Finals were in a couple of weeks and me being me, was more than ready. And so, for the first time in weeks, I decided to take a walk.

The chilly air hit me right away as the doorman held it open politely. I shiver and put my dolce & garbana sunglasses over my eyes shielding them from the bright sun.

I started along the winding streets with shops just opening and couples walking their dogs. The air was fresh and the bight sun gleamed against the early mornig dew drops.

Finding my favourite cafe near the shopping district of Seattle. I stroll in, my stomach growling with anticipation.

I took a seat in the small booth by the window after I ordered my sandwich. I watched the busy Sunday street outside. Families took bike rides and walks along the bridge enjoying the laziest day of the week. I remembered when my parents had lesser positions at their work and how every Sunday we would do the same. I shrugged it off as the waitress came with my order.

I started at the green bowl of lettuce confusedly.

"I'm sorry but I don't think I ordered this." I say sheepishly.

"Well it says chicken Caesar salad on here." She says holding up her end of the receipt.

I look at mine and it clearly does not say that. I hand it over and she looks at it confusedly.

"Oh okay, I'll be right back." She says as she scurries off.

I look back down at my phone when I hear laughing coming from the booth beside mine.

I look over and there sat Katie, Lauren, and Mackenzie, the three rudest, snobbiest girls who unfortunately I've known for most my life. They have been bullies since the early age of 6, determined to ruin my life along with many others.

"It's a salad" Lauren snickered. "Like the thing with the green stuff called lettuce."

I sat there speechless at how dumb the words were that came out of her mouth.

"Maybe now she'll loose some weight." Mackenzie added.

They laughed obnoxiously.

"Let's be honest girls, it'll be a miracle for her to stop gaining weight." Lauren says knowingly.

I'll admit their words hurt; no matter how lowly I think of them. I braced myself and stood up walking right up to their booth.

"Hey I'm sorry for you guys." I throw down a five dollar bill on their table. "Because you three probably had to sell yourselves to be worth at much as that salad."

I walked out that door without looking back at their stunned faces.