Weathered Love

LORENZO

I had gained back fifteen pounds by the time Halloween rolled around. I was still seeing Dr. Peters and was attending group sessions every other Thursday. It was tough not to criticize my weight gain. It was tough to love the person I saw in the mirror. Even at my lowest weight, all I saw was the slight bit of belly fat that refused to melt away. I kept trying to get rid of it.

At Halloween, as a way to prove to myself that I wasn't disgusting and my stomach wasn't horrendous, I got a Princess Jasmine costume that fully revealed my stomach. I needed to learn to love my curves in all their glory. Which was much easier said than done.

Lorenzo, who lived off-campus and threw parties year-round, inevitably had a Halloween party that we all attended. He and Hannah had been dating on and off since their first break-up. At the party, they had gotten back together after break-up number two and had break-up number three right after.

"Have you seen Byron?" Hannah drunkenly asked me after we had been there only an hour.

"What happened between you and Lorenzo?" I asked, although I already knew the answer. They hadn't exactly been quiet during their break-up.

"Ugh," she merely replied in disgust. "If you see Byron, tell him to meet me downstairs. I'll be playing pong with some of the other housemates." I agreed only so she wouldn't beg.

Soon after, Lorenzo came to talk to me, even drunker than Hannah was. "Hey pretty lady," he greeted.

"Hey Lorenzo," I responded with a reserved smile. I didn't want to say or do anything to provoke him in any way. Drunk people were wildly unpredictable.

"You lookin' pretty fine, princess," he slurred. I bit my upper lip with anxiety. I didn't want to give Lorenzo the wrong impression, but again, I didn't want to say or do anything to upset him.

"Thanks," I finally decided to let out, hoping it was a safe response.

"Hannah broke up with me again," he morosely continued, suddenly seeming to sober up.

"I know," I sighed.

"I know she doesn't really like me, that I'm just someone to fill the void, but I really like her. I wish she would give me more of a chance and stop running to Byron every time he snaps his fingers. He doesn't care about her like I do," he sadly explained. I felt bad for the guy. He knew where he stood with Hannah, but he was hopelessly hung up on her. She was his world. But he was just a drop in the ocean to her.

"It's a pretty crummy situation," I agreed. "Maybe you should just move on. Or, at least, don't make it so easy for her to come back to you. Show her you have some respect for yourself and you're not going to be her consolation prize."

Lorenzo looked at me hopefully. I firmly shook my head. "I'm not going to help you make her jealous," I stood my ground. It wasn't the first time he had asked me to do so. I knew it was his default response to Hannah breaking up with him and my subsequent suggestion that he move on. He wanted my "help" moving on from Hannah. But I still had to live with her, at least until June, and besides, I refused to be a player in their game. I was already in the dangerous role of referee, I couldn't be any more involved than that.

"It's probably for the best," Lorenzo defeatedly stated. "It might backfire and she might never come back to me ever."

I nodded in agreement. "Let's get you some water," I offered, wanting to help him sober up a little bit. Maybe a sober mind would help him figure out a better way to move on from Hannah. We walked together to the kitchen and, after some searching, I found a bottle of water and supervised as Lorenzo finished the bottle. "Better?" I asked. He nodded slightly, then left the kitchen.