Chronicles of a Fat Teenager (Complete - Sequel coming soon)

Chronicles of a Fat Teenager - Chapter Five

"I understand if you want to go to them and I'll stay here," Beth whispered. "You can pretend you've just come from the toilet and I'll hide my face behind this menu. It's OK."

Beth could see Jessica's eyes darting to and fro, decisions and consequences running through her mind. 

"They're just around the corner, Jess. Now is your chance to get up and go over, they can't see you!"

Jessica's eyes stopped and she looked intently at Beth, "You wouldn't be insulted?" she asked. 

"Well, I can't say it'd be on the top of my favourite things that have happened to me today list, but I do know you have an image to maintain and ... well, I'm not part of that. I genuinely understand, Jess. I won't tell anyone what we've spoken about." 

Jessica examined Beth's expression and she shook her head slightly, confused at Beth's graciousness. 

"I'm over here girls!" she suddenly called, "We've just got lattes if you'd like to join us!" Jessica smiled broadly at Beth and a mischievous glint in her eyes caught Beth off guard. 

"What?" Beth mouthed silently, "Are you mad?"

Beth could hear the group's tiny heels on the slate floor tiles and from around the corner, Lucy led the way with Claire and the rest of the small group behind her. Perfume, empty smiles, short skirts, oversized handbags and perfect hair all in formation, gliding over to them. Lucy's expression was fixed indignation as she turned to Jessica at the table. 

"I see you're not concerned about the Dow Jones conversation we had earlier, then Jess?" Lucy goaded. The girls tittered behind her. Claire came forward, deliberately putting her back to Beth. 

"Um ... tell me this is research, or something, Jess. I mean ... NFW are you two best buds now!"

Beth allowed to steal herself a little smile and caught a little glance at Jessica who beamed happily back at them. 

"Well, the thing is girls," she started, maintaining her perfect wide grin, "Beth and I saw each other in the clothes shop and I asked her if she'd give me singing lessons. I really want to get the performance right for the competition and ... well Beth is like, the Diva in the vocal department ... and well, here we are ... "

She coolly took a sip from her coffee cup and placed it carefully back on the saucer. Beth watched, transfixed by her steel determination and elegance. There was no edge to her voice, not like the others. No trace that she'd been crying and had dropped a massive pregnancy bomb shell in Beth's lap. 

Lucy's shoulders set and Claire turned to Beth, eyebrow raised in derision. 

"Diva, eh? Fancy yourself as a diva now? One solo spot in a music class singing competition and suddenly you're a diva? P- u - leeeease!" she mocked. 

Beth's cheeks coloured and she braced herself for a barrage of insults. The disgust on their faces mounting, she could see their outrage at a fat girl having any aspirations growing. They eyed her up and down and again and felt the measure of their stares and the heavy rock in her stomach turned to knots. 

"I ... I ... " she started, but no words followed, their glares silenced her and her cheeks felt like they were on fire. 

"Jessica, you can afford lessons from a professional, not this mistake of a human being. God, Jess .. where is your head at?" Lucy spat. "Hey whale, leave us. We need to talk. Get them to put your latte in a takeaway cup and ... you know ... roll away!" 

The girls giggled. Beth's eyes darted around the coffee shop to see if they were drawing attention to her. The humiliation was becoming unbearable and Beth wanted to escape, but the girls were stood in her way. She'd have to walk through them, cut through their stares to get out into the street outside. Beth reached down for her bag, stomach straining at reaching that far, she inadvertently let out a groan.