Emma: Seventh Grade

Chapter 4: Food and Ridicule

The lunch bell rang and Emma followed her friends out of Mr. Chad's room. She intended to go downstairs to the library during lunch; that was her usual routine, so Kendra and her friends couldn't mock her for the way she ate. If she didn't eat, she wouldn't get teased. Sometimes Emma would pack a granola bar to sustain her, but not always. It wasn't easy for Emma to go the whole day eating so little, but it was worth avoiding the embarrassment. Besides, it wouldn't hurt for her to drop a little weight. After all, skinny is beautiful, right?

However, Lizzy had other plans for Emma. "Come eat with us!" she begged. "It's chicken nugget day today!"

"But Lizzy, you know I usually eat at home," Emma protested. She had lied to her friends, telling them that she always went home for lunch. So far, none of them have caught her in the library.

"Pleeeeease?" Lizzy cried, hanging on Emma's shoulder as they walked. "You never eat with us!"

"Yeah!" Maggie chimed in. "Just this once, Emma? Please?"

Emma felt pressured by her friends to eat with them in the cafeteria. She did feel a little weak and shaky, so maybe she should give it a try just this once, and hope for the best. "Okay, I'll eat lunch here today," she finally decided.

"Yay!" Lizzie cheered, jumping up and hugging Emma. "I love you, Bestie," she added, giving Emma a quick peck on the cheek. 

"Um, thanks I guess," Emma replied awkwardly, blushing a little. Lizzie definitely had her own way of showing affection, and Emma thought it was a little over-the-top sometimes. However, she would rather have that than none at all.

The girls threw their backpacks down by their lockers and made their was through the mass of people downstairs to the cafeteria. They waited in line until it was their turn for food. Checking her phone, Emma realized she had received three new comments on her Instagram post. Opening up her app, her heart sank as she read them.

"Ugly bitch who wants to show off the goods to everyone in school," Laken had wrote.

"Bahahaha!!!! I think she's trying to make up for when I pushed her on the ground today!!! That was HILAROUS!!!" Nate had added, along with several laughing emojis.

"You think you're sexy, but irl you look like you're about to suck a pair of big, sweaty, hairy balls off an old dude!! You suck, just kill yourself already!!" Kendra had commented.

Emma's eyes filled with tears as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. That picture was supposed to help boost her self-esteem, but instead, she felt uglier than ever before. Maybe she should take Kendra's advice and kill herself. That way no one would ever see her ugly face again. However, as much as she thought about suicide, Emma knew she didn't have the guts to actually go through with it. Or so she thought.

Putting her phone away, Emma picked up a tray and looked around nervously. The last people she wanted to see were Kendra and her friends. She knew they would call her "Fatty McFatfat" or some other demeaning name if they caught her eating. She followed Lizzy into the lunch line. Then, the lunch lady dished Emma up some chicken nuggets. Another one gave her some carrots, and another one put a milk carton on her tray. Emma then walked across the crowded, noisy cafeteria towards the table where her friends were sitting.

All of a sudden, Emma felt herself trip over someone's leg. She let out a surprised yell as she fell face first to the ground, dropping her tray in front of her and spilling her food all over the floor. There was a lull in the cafeteria as everyone turned to look at Emma. She heard Nate and a few others snickering, and Emma immediately knew that they had tripped her on purpose.

"Emma!" Maggie cried as she left their table and came running over to help. "What happened?"

Emma took Maggie's extended hand and let her friend help her up. "I guess I just tripped," she said, staring at the ground. Emma's blue eyes were brimmed with tears, but she was trying her hardest not to cry in front of everyone. She knew Nate had purposefully tripped her, but she didn't want to drag Maggie into her drama.

"Its OK, we can just go and get more food," Maggie comforted her. "I'll come with you!" She put her hand on Emma's shoulder and walked her to the lunch line. "I love your dress, by the way," she added, trying to get Emma to feel better about the accident.

"Thanks," Emma replied, looking down at her dress. The stain from the energy drink was barely noticeable. She watched as Maggie confidently picked up a new tray for Emma and explained to the lunch ladies what happened. Understandingly, they dished Emma up with more food. Then, she and Maggie went to sit down at their table, carefully stepping over the spilled food in their path.

Emma picked up a carrot and slowly nibbled on it. She was too upset to join in the lively conversation her friends were having. Maggie, who was sitting beside her, looked at her with a concerned look on her face. "Is everything okay?" she asked, putting a hand on Emma's bare shoulder.

Dropping the carrot she was holding on her tray, Emma covered her face with her hands as she suddenly broke down in tears. "I'm just having an awful day today," she told her friend through sobs.

Maggie reached over and gave Emma a long hug. "It's okay Emma," she said. "Everyone has bad days and it's okay to cry. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Emma sniffled and shook her head. There was nothing Maggie could do to get rid of Kendra, Nate, and the other meanies. If she tried, they would only pick on her too, and Emma didn't want that. She felt it was better to keep quiet about it and protect her friends, even if that meant enduring the pain and embarrassment by herself. The last thing she ever wanted was for Maggie to get picked on too. Emma would never forgive herself for it.

Emma felt a bit better after Maggie talked to her, and she began to start eating again. Just then, she heard a voice, "Oh my gosh, Fatty McFatfat is pigging out again." Emma turned around and saw Kendra, Alyssa, Briana, and Laken hovering behind her.

"Get away from her!" Maggie cried. "She's not fat!"

"Yeah!" Lizzie chimed in. "No one messes with my bestie!" She picked up a chicken nugget and chucked it at Kendra, hitting her on the forehead.

Kendra's eyes grew wide with rage. "Oh ho ho! Bitch, you are so damn lucky we have a soccer meeting to go to, otherwise we would be kicking your ass right now!" She turned to her friends. "Come on, ladies," she said, motioning for them to follow her. "Let's get out of loser-town." All four girls walked haughtily out of the cafeteria, their noses stuck in the air.

Emma pushed away her food and got up from the table. She was so embarrassed that had to happen in front of her friends. "I'm not hungry anymore," she stated, holding back the tears.

Maggie and Lizzie quickly got up and surrounded Emma. "Sweetie, you're not a pig. Those bitches are just trying to make you cry." Lizzie comforted Emma, putting her arm around her.

"Yeah, don't listen to those meanies," Maggie agreed. "You are beautiful just the way you are."

"Thanks guys," Emma said. "But I still don't want any more food. I've lost my appetite after that." No matter what her friends said to comfort her, Kendra and her friends always succeeded in making Emma feel like a fat, ugly pig. One of Emma's biggest fears was getting fat, so that's why those comments hurt her so much. She wished she hadn't eaten lunch today at all, instead of giving into the pressure of her friends. She felt so fat and bloated, she wished she could throw it all up and start over. Next time, Emma knew better than to eat in the school cafeteria. If she ever joined her friends for lunch again, she would just skip the line and eat nothing at all.