Shrinking

Chapter Four

**Peyton’s POV**

I stared straight into his eyes as they looked back at mine. The sun was hitting his woody hair, making those green eyes go as bright as lightning. My breath was fast, a little too fast, maybe, as I contemplated if Elijah was kidding or not. Guys really didn’t have a tendency to ask me out… ever. Part of me thinks I’ve always been too reserved, too independent. The other part is screaming inside my head that I’m not good enough.

I wasn’t sure of what to say to Elijah, exactly. He had a small posse of friends idling behind him. Did I even want to hang out with him? And who the hell makes this big a deal of just asking somebody to hangout? It was obvious someone replied purely on ego to get by. Based on his looks, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to me if he had a different girlfriend every two weeks.

“I guarantee you’ll have a good time,” he added, only affirming my thoughts. The smirk on his face was too damn cocky. It’s as though he knew he won’t be rejected – he never is.

In seventh grade a boy named Mason asked me to be his girlfriend and I hid in the bathroom for the rest of the day. Guys have liked me before, I think. A few have in my eighth and ninth grade year, I was always just too afraid to take it any further. I chewed on my lower lip.

This was my new life.

Screw it. “Sure, I’ll go.” I strained my voice to sound as confident as possible, but it was pretty obvious how nervous I was. My face was pale, I bet, and my legs were shaking.

Elijah just nodded nonchalantly and threw his black and white stick over his broad shoulder. “See you at eight,” he said, winking, just before sauntering off down the hill.

Mia ran up from behind me and stared at me incredulously, putting her hands on my shoulders. I looked back at the crowd of girls that were behind me and noted that Sara had gone.

“Peyton, OH MY GOD, you just got asked out,” Mia squeaked, grinning from ear to ear.

“Not really,” I mumbled, still in shock myself. “He just asked me to hang out...”

Mia let out a loud laugh and squealed once again. “Okay, sure. Guys just think you’re sexy. It’s obvious, we all know it now.”

“Shut up!” I yelled at her, whacking her with my stick.

“It’s true,” she told me, shrugging her petite little shoulders.

As we were descending the hill to go take a shower, we heard Coach Brooks scream from behind us. “Girls! I want you all in my office bright early tomorrow morning for a height and weight evaluation!”

Stupidly, I felt myself tense up, a nervous chill running through me. I wiggled my arms and breathed out, rationalizing. It’s just my weight.

*** *** ***

The next morning, Mia and I overslept and had to rush to get to the mafé for a quick breakfast. It was empty, unsurprisingly. Mia was craving hot chocolate due to the chilly morning air. I had put on my cutest red sweater that curved over my fingertips, making me feel all warm inside. Seemingly, I ordered a small skinny latte with no whipped cream, thinking I’d have a large dinner. I did have to get weighed following breakfast, after all.

Coach Brooks’ office was filled my team mates by the time we got there. It was in the back of the Rec Center, tucked into a large open corner. That’s where every coaches office was.

All of the girls, especially Carrie, looked irritable and tired, drugged by the morning.  I sank down against the red wall and pulled my knees to my chest, letting out a long sigh. I didn’t feel like being weighed. I had no desire to go to my classes, or eat lunch with Mia, or even go on my date-hangout-thing with Elijah. I was suddenly overwhelmed with this wave of missing home. I missed my little brother, Jamie, and his dimpled smile. Sometimes, when he was little, I used to let him win at every game we played just so I could see those adorable dimples. I missed Florida.