STORY OF THE CHUBBY

STORY OF THE CHUBBY 39

I stood at my locker Monday during lunch break, feeling like I should have just slept in today and tomorrow and the day after that...

'Chubby!'

I turned around to find a grinning Raul with open arms. I stepped into them to give him a hug.

'Raul,' I murmured pulling back. 'Why are you smiling like that?'

'Because I haven't seen you in forever and now I have and I'm happy,' Raul answered winking at me. I laughed as I returned to my locker, exchanging books I needed and didn't need from my bag.

I had been half excited and half dreading to go to school today. Excited because I hadn't seen Chris since Saturday night when he'd dropped me off at my house. He'd called when he'd been settled in bed, both of us equally tired so we didn't talk for long.

 On Sunday I'd woken up at 2pm and I'm not even kidding and I could have slept longer maybe if it wasn't the fact that Sammy was the one who'd woke me up; that and the surprise that my friend had gone back to her natural honey brown hair colour.

'I was looking at my baby pictures the other day and I decided I guess I should try going back to my natural colour, you know,' she'd answered when I'd asked her about the sudden change. She'd apparently just come from the salon and was on her way on a date with Chuck with the surprise.

'Do I look okay?' she'd asked with a little pout. It was rare moments like these that I saw my friend second doubt herself. 'I mean, I thought it came out pretty well at the salon but on my drive here-'

'Shut up, Sammy,' I said in a joking but gentle kind of way. 'Blonde, brunette whatever, the boy is still madly crazy about you, okay? You look beautiful. Personally, I think I like this one better.'

'Really?' she'd quipped happily.

'Yep. Means people won't notice me so much anymore when we walk together,' I'd said. But either way, Sammy always got attention no matter what. Not just because she was gorgeous, but with her personality.

She'd laughed and punched me in the arm.

 I'd gone ahead to tell her about my weekend, and for the life of me I couldn't stop smiling. Sammy was so excited for me and she kept squealing and saying, 'Aw.' But she was truly happy for me and she said she couldn't wait for him to kiss me already to which I blushed furiously and dunked under my comforter.

After she'd left around an hour later, Chris texted me saying how he'd just woken up. We texted the whole time after that until around 11 because of school. And today I'd gotten a 'Good morning, pretty' text that had me grinning and staring into space for about 5 minutes. I'd been excited to see him all morning but I hadn't seen him yet and that kinda deflated my good mood a bit.

I was dreading school because of a certain Ash Samuels but I had also not seen him and I was praying I wouldn't because I didn't want to face him yet.

'I'm happy to see you, too,' I said, closing my locker and facing him. 'It has been forever. How are you?'

'We'll get into that in a bit,' he said as we headed to the cafeteria. 'I heard about what that kid Ash was up to.' He had a concerned look on his face and I couldn't help but feel glad. Glad because Raul was indeed a caring friend.

'You say kid like you're 300 years older,' I said with a short laugh.

'Chubby,' he said, not finding the humour. 'Are you alright? Do I need to go roughen him up?'

I stopped and faced him, 'I'm glad you are concerned about me, Raul. But I'm fine. Yes, my esteem took a little hit but I'm okay. Besides, Chris already "roughened" him up.'