The trouble with love...

Marsha Roberts

Marsha Roberts hated Natalie Laker with a passion. It was because of a number of reasons:

1. She was fat

2. She was ugly

3. She was a negro

But mostly because of one fact: she had he one thing Marsha wants. She had Charlie.

Charlie and her used to date in high school, but one month after going away to college, he broke up with her. His reason: "we're too different Marsh. Being out here has shown me that." Different? Different! How different could they be? They were both attractive, popular and well-liked. They were supposed to be the next golden couple of Blue Lake, like Mr and Mrs Brown.

It broke her heart when the next time he came back with HER! Ugh, she was terrible. She was black, her hair was too kinky, her thighs too wide and she was too short to be with Charlie. She didn't know what Charlie saw in her. Marsha knew she was way better than Natalie could ever dream to be. So why was Charlie with her and not with Marsha?

Mrs Brown tried to get them back together, inviting her to dinner when Charlie was in town, sending them on errands together, anything she could to get them together, but it never worked. Charlie always only had eyes for Natalie and it broke Marsha's heart a little more every time she saw him kiss her the way he used to kiss her, smile at her the same smile he gave Marsha. Most of all, it hurt to hear him tell her he loves her.

'That was supposed to be me!' she thought every time, so when Mrs Brown called her late one Thursday evening, explaining her latest scheme to get them back together, Marsha jumped at the chance. She packed her best outfits a Carol went over the details. The plan was full proof. They would finally break up and she would have Charlie back. It was perfect.

But as soon as she got into the RV, doubt crept in. she saw how Charlie looked at Natalie, even as they sat together and talked, his attention was always on her. Even when she left the bathroom and saw him throw the note at Natalie {Marsha has seen him write it and thought it was for her, so she excused herself to give him a chance to slip it into her bag, but when she came out she saw him give it to her} she felt hurt. Second to Natalie again.

Now, during the games, each time they crossed the finish line together, he left Marsha and went over to her. She couldn't stand it. Carol's plan had to work. Marsha wasn't sure how much more of this her heart could endure.