There All Along

Chapter Three

"You look really pretty today by the way."

My eyes widen and I suddenly freeze. Josh never compliments me like that. He never compliments me at all! What's up with him?

"Oh......um......I......."

"Thank you?" Josh suggests. I look at him and sigh of relief. "Thank you." I give him a nod and soothing smile.

"Good," Josh replies. I look back down at my food tray that I have in front of me. I have finished my lunch, all that's left is a chocolate cupcake/muffin with sprinkles. Mmmmm yummy! I pick it up and start to peel the covering off it. It looks delicious, oh my!

I open my mouth and take a massive chunk out of it. It's even more delicious than aesthetically pleasing.

"Seriously?" I hear Josh say. Suddenly I am taken out of the moment that I was enjoying so much. I look at him, wide eyed and rosy cheeked. "What's wrong?"

"Are you seriously eating that?" Josh asks. "A cupcake?"

I suddenly get all embarrassed and shaky. "Well.....yeah. It's good."

"No. No. NO!" Josh shouts. I want to tell him to be more quiet, but I know that if I do I'll get a hit to the nose.

"Is this your first one?"

"My first one today," I reply.

"Today? TODAY?!"

"Yes."

"I thought you were putting on a bit more pounds recently. That explains everything!"

I suddenly feel sick to my stomach and there's a massive lump of guilt in the back of my throat which stops me from eating anymore of the cupcake. My mouth is still watering and even though I'm full from my lunch, my stomach still rumbles at the fact that I have a chocolate cupcake in my hand, my favourite.

I didn't quite know what to say. He had basically told me that I was fat! Me? I have always been skinny. There's not a day that goes by where I have been fat, not in the slightest. But it was the way that he said that made me feel really fat.

"You should be watching your weight, Anna," he says.

"Should I?" I question him.

"Yes. It's not good for you, putting on those extra pounds. You might get fat. Then no one will like you. Except for me. I'll always be here, well, it depends. It depends on how bad you get. I don't want you if you're fat because you'll be fat, gross and disgusting."

My eyes start to tear up. I couldn't believe he was saying this. He never usually says things as nasty as that. He's usually nasty to me, but never that nasty.

"And might I add you'll get bullied? We don't want you, you of all people getting bullied now, do we?"

I stay silent.

"Do we?" Josh repeats, more intimidatingly.

"No, Josh." I hang my head in shame.

"Good. I'm glad you've realised. Are you going to do anything about it?"

"Yes. I'm going to cut down the calories," I explain.

"Good for you."

I realise I am still holding the cupcake so I put it back down on the tray. I pick up my tray and take it over to the bin. I open it and watch as the 'not even half eaten' chocolate sprinkled cupcake is thrown in the bin. A single cold tear rolls down my cheek and drops onto my hand. I sniff all the others back then put the tray on top of the bin. I walk back over to Josh.