Cold

10 - Cold Street

Tonight. Tonight's the night.

The dance.

103 hours in.

106 by the time I get home.

Ezra got ready without a mirror. He figured that it would make everything so much easier and so much less painful. It didn't. It made everything lightyears harder. Not only did he want to make sure his hair wasn't sticking up but he wanted to see how he looked.

The ice cream probably ruined everything.

His suit fit, yes, but he couldn't help but notice how his stomach stuck out a bit. Was it like that in the dressing room? There's no way, I loved it. But did I even look in the first place? Ezra couldn't take the temptation. A tall mirror was hung on the back of his door and he finally let his eyes stare into it for the first time that night. He looked...

Fine.

More than fine.

His suit fit him rather than hanging off of him. He looked like one should in a suit but this felt different than just anyone fitting in their suit. This was the bride fitting into her wedding dress again after a dramatic weight loss. Except, the suit always fit Ezra.

The suit doesn't fit me... I fit the suit.

He straightened himself out and grabbed the ticket Julia had given him. He hoped she wouldn't do that thing she always does when girls talk to him. He didn't have the energy for her to get all upset. He could barely stand. His legs were trembling and had been since hour 71. His arms had been trembling since hour 45. The rest of his body? Numb. He had no idea when that happened.

"Sweetheart!" His mom called up the staircase in her 'we have company so don't come down the steps in your underwear' voice. "Julia's here, come down for pictures!" he heard her mutter something about how he's always off in his room doing important business and could almost hear the air quotes even though that's never what he said he was doing. Julia's parents must be there or else she'd just send Julia up to his room and have her barge in even if she was under the impression that Ezra was in the middle of getting dressed. The only time Julia actually did come in on a not-fully-clothed Ezra was when he was 130 pounds even and he had on a t-shirt and boxers so she didn't see anything special. Other than the upper part of his thigh of course. Gross.

That's where his mom got the 'don't come downstairs in your underwear' voice.

He walked down the stairs and into the living room to find Julia's parents, Alyssa, his mom, and Julia. She looked the same as she did the day before minus the ankle socks and her hair was slicked up into a bun. Zero flop. She gave him a cheesy smile and a cheesy hug to paint a cheesy scene for her cheesy parents.

Cheese.

Her dad looked like someone who gave up evil science to become an accountant. He was just about the same height as Julia without her heels. Her mom was taller than her dad and looked like the after photo in a weight loss commercial. Not skinny yet but compared to her before picture she looked great. But she didn't have a before picture. Not that Ezra had seen.

Julia's dad pushed up his glasses, holding up his phone in front of his face. Ezra smiled and hugged Julia back just in time for the photo. They were herded in front of the fireplace that hadn't worked in years for more photos. Ezra and his mom, Ezra and Julia, Julia and her parents, Julia and Ezra's mom, Julia and Alyssa, Alyssa and their mom, and Alyssa and Ezra. She pulled him tight against her in a half hug when she asked their mom to take a picture of them.

They hadn't had one purposely taken in years.

Ezra hugged her shoulders and smiled for real for the first time that night. Julia jumped in on the hug, throwing her arms up around his neck. Well, that's a new one I never thought I could think the back of my neck is so fat.

Think?

It is.

I have to stop letting all this progress I'm making get to my head. I'm still fat.

He looked at Alyssa who was laughing with her head thrown back.

She doesn't think I'm fat.

Think.

Ezra pulled himself out of Julia's arms and almost immediately saw her frowning. She looked awful when she frowned.

"We don't want to be late to the dance now, do we?" he gave his mom a quick hug and kiss before heading towards the door. Julia was driving the two of them to the dance and his mom was driving Alyssa to the middle school dance. They all said their goodbyes and Ezra was the first to get in the car but they were the last to leave the house. Julia just sat there gripping the steering wheel.

"Are we going or are we just going to sit here?" he asked. She just let a sharp breath out of her nose and shook her head. She muttered to herself but all Ezra could hear was 'oblivious' slip out from her lips. She kept shaking her head as she started the car and then drove down the cold street.