STORY OF THE CHUBBY

STORY OF THE CHUBBY 31

‘Hello,’ I said softly, knocking on Alex’s room before going in. I had just gotten home and there wasn’t anyone downstairs so I figured they were in Alex’s room.

Sammy was sitting crossed legged next to Alex leaning on the headboard, watching something on tv that they had just paused when I got there.

‘Hey,’ Sammy said with a small smile. She didn’t look happy at all, her hair held up messily and no make up on her face. ‘I hope you brought my food!’

I held up the bag of junk I’d come with and entered the room farther. Alex smiled at me and gave me a little hello. She looked a bit better today, a little weak but better.

‘Give me a second to change and then you will tell me why you look so miserable,’ I told Sammy, putting down the grocery bags.

‘And you will tell u’sh why you skip’d s’hool,’ Alex said, raising her eyebrows at me.

I nodded, deciding it was time I started sharing. Because I was becoming a ticking bomb...and I’d explode one day if I didn’t talk to someone. I went into my room and changed into my grey sweatshirt that head Minnie Mouse on it and black leggings.

‘You first,’ I told Sammy when I came back to them. She looked like she had gone through almost half of the chips I’d bought. I sat on the other side of the bed looking at both of them when I noticed something.

‘You got a nose piercing?’ I asked Sammy, staring at the small nose ring.

‘Yea,’ she shrugged. ‘It was kind of on impulse. I was feeling really upset...’

‘What happened?’ I asked her.

‘Chuck. It’s Chuck,’ she said, sounding a bit frustrated. ‘He got in trouble and got arrested, right? So I go and bail him out. He’s not happy that I bailed him out. Then I ask him what he did to get arrested but he doesn’t tell me. Apparently, he was found vandalising someone’s car. He gets all defensive and starts telling me that I don’t need to everything that happens to him.’

She paused, blinking back tears, ‘He’s so stubborn. He wants to carry all his problems and I try telling him that he doesn’t have to because I’m here for him.

You know lately he’s been so secretive and I let it slide. Now I’m not sure if he just broke up with me or not. He just left me there at the police station.’

I put my hand over hers, ‘I’m sorry.’ I didn’t know what to tell her really. Because I’d never encountered such a situation. ‘May be he just needs time to think. He’ll get over whatever’s bugging him and come talk to you. He’d be very stupid to break up with you.’

‘Yea, may be,’ she said, inhaling deeply before shaking her head and giving me a smile, ‘But I came here to forget that and the possibility that he might break up with me for God knows what. Why were you not in school this afternoon?’

I sat back and played with my fingers.

‘You’ not been sha’ing much wi’me, Gwacie,’ Alex spoke up. ‘And it’s gonna eat you insi’de.’

I nodded, looking up, ‘Where to start...’

‘From the beginning,’ Sammy said, getting the tub of ice cream and passing Alex her Oreos.

And so I told them everything. From how I started liking Chris, how I met Ash, how I  felt when Chris told me he had a girlfriend, to how Ash confessed his ‘feelings’ and how Chris overheard, to him almost kissing me; Chris getting mad; my car and the pink lipstick thing; us talking it out; him and Chris’ fight today; Ash’s confession and what Leo had told me.