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

Chronicles of a Fat Teenager - Chapter Twenty Two

Beth couldn't remember when she had last had so much fun. She, Jessica and Miles danced with the rest of the choir all evening only stopping to be congratulated by other choir members, teachers and party-goers. The music was intoxicating and Beth had never felt so free and so alive. Participating. No more observation for Bethany Evans. Life was far too much fun to miss and that toilet cubicle and the walls of her bedroom were no longer the enticing solitude she craved when her self-loathing and feelings of inadequacy consumed her every breath. 

"I'm going to sit down!" Jessica called over the music. Feeling a little tired herself, Beth nodded and joined her walking to a row of chairs towards the back of the auditorium. Miles continued dancing with Danny and a few others from the choir and waved them off as he flew his arms around to the music. 

"He's throwing some serious shapes on that dance-floor, someone could get hurt!" Beth laughed and Jessica turned smiling wearily at Beth, "Yeah, who knew he had it in him?"

"You OK, Jess?" Beth asked as they sat down together, "You've been quiet for a while and you look tired. Are you in pain? You've been rubbing your tummy a bit this evening."

Jess smiled and rubbed Beth's knee, "Stop fussing about me, silly. I'm fine. I told you, it's just the growing pains and the tiredness is classic pregnancy. Feeling a bit sick too with the aching in my lower tummy so I might give anymore dancing a miss, if you don't mind?" 

Beth shook her head, "Not at all. You're the one doing everything for two now. I keep forgetting, sorry."

They watched as the Clones walked across the opposite side of the dance floor, "Did you know they'd be here?" Beth asked. 

"Yeah, they've come to size up the competition from the other schools - you know, Clones from Anselms, St Marks ... all of them. It's like a Clone-off. This is our town, so the Clones will see this theatre as their Clone territory."

"Oh god, they're not going to be pissing all over the place now are they, to mark their territory?" laughed Beth.

Jess smiled, tired rings accentuated around her eyes, "No," she replied weakly "They'll just walk around looking snooty at anyone they think is prettier than them or wearing better clothes. Claire is bound to find some guy from another school and cop off with him, though. She'll go for a sixth former, she doesn't like to fish in her own pool."

They watched them with interest, as if they were watching a nature program on the TV and the mating behaviour of a bird of paradise. 

"Lucy doesn't look happy, does she?" Beth remarked and Jess pointed to someone walking behind her, "Aaah, Michael is here, but I thought with them being a couple now, she'd be pleased to be seen together?"

Jess shook her head slowly, a knowing look in her eyes, "He will have worn her down by now, all the bravado and charm would have gone and she'll be getting the controlling wanker of a boyfriend. Look how he's clamped onto her hand, not letting her get away. Can you see that?"

Beth nodded and watched them carefully, "So, is she afraid of him then?"

"I wouldn't say afraid, he's never violent or anything like that. Besides, Lucy's dad is very strict so he'd know if his girl was being treated poorly like that, no ... he manipulates, makes you feel less clever than him and in the end you refer decisions to him because you believe he knows better. I dare say she's met his father by now ... Christ, he's a scary guy, Beth. He made a pass at me once in their kitchen. I told Michael and that was the only time he got really scary with me, that I'd dared to question his father's integrity. He's been in prison for fuck's sake, what more does Michael want?"

Beth nodded knowingly, "Yeah, but it's his dad. He wants to believe he's someone he can look up to, doesn't he? So he'll overlook the fact that his dad is a crook."