Chuck & The Girl From 4B

4: Second Strike...

Chuck's POV
My luck with girls changed when I was 17. Before that girls used to make fun of me and the boys used to bully me. I remember the first attempt I made at dating. Her name was Jennifer Aldrich. She was a foreign exchange student from London. She was the prettiest girl in class with a fancy accent to match. It was a few days before summer when I got the courage to write her a note. I slipped it into her locker but there's one thing I forgot to be do. I didn't sign my name on the note.

Phinney, my best friend, told me not to pursue it. I snubbed her off.

Still feeling determined to let her know how I feel, I approach her during lunch. I asked her if she got my note. I have never forgotten her reaction. She scrunched up her nose, looked me over and burst out laughing. She went on to tell me, rather loudly, that I'm too fat to be anyone's boyfriend. She also said she is way out of my league.

What hurt me wasn't the latter part. It was the body shaming that followed. Everyone made fun of me. I put on a brave face and sat through my remaining classes. When I got home, the General had just ordered my favorite pizza. I didn't want to eat but I did it anyway. That's when I started crying.

Anyone who has met Bruce St Patrick knows he is made of steel but his sixteen year old son crying in front of him,shook the General. I never cry. Barely. But the incident with Jennifer broke my heart. Months of loving her in secret and that was the response she gave. I told my father everything.

The difference between Dani and the General is what they would have done with that information. Dani would have looked for Jennifer and started a fight. The General laughed. At first I was upset because it reminded me of the whole cafeteria laughing and pointing at me. But it grew on me. I laugh at myself too. He showed me a family album. We looked back at seven generations of St Patrick men and he told me that St Patrick men don't have chubby genes. He said we are prone to abs of steel. He told me that whenever I'm ready to make that girl regret her decision, I should tell him.

It took me a couple of days but I committed to the General's Boot camp. By the time summer was coming to an end, I had dropped 99lbs, almost half of my original weight. The General worked out with me, step by step. He would blow a whistle against my ear to wake me and he would not let me eat unless I earned it. After twelve rigorous weeks of his merciless boot camp, in place of the love handles and fat, the abs of steel my father told me about took their place. I looked taller and I almost couldn't recognize myself in the mirror. Laila took me shopping to replace every clothing item.

When I went back to school, people couldn't recognize me. If anything I was mistaken for a jock so many times. The icing on the cake was getting to blow Jennifer Aldrich off when she tried to give me her number.

Ever since then, I have had no issues with girls. But I am far from perfect. I still have certain reservations.

"So..." She dried her hair using the t-shirt she was wearing. "...where do you come from? You don't sound like Tomas."

"Venice."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Venice? There's no accent."

"Because I went to school in America."

"That makes sense. I am American, born and raised. I'm here because it will look on my college application."

Dani would hate her.

I sat down and lay back looking up at the afternoon sun. It's rays are glimmering over the lake. I feel sleepy.

"Why are you here?" She asked me.

"Because Tomas is here." I have to stick to the story. She's a curious person. She asks a lot of questions.

"What is his deal? Son of a cartel boss?" She raised her eyebrow at me.