Chronicles of a Fat Teenager (Complete - Sequel coming soon)

Chronicles of a Fat Teenager - Chapter Two

Beth finished her toilet-lunch and placed her lunchbox back in her locker as she rushed to make the start of her first afternoon class.  Music. A class she actually enjoyed and one in which her teacher didn't make reference to her size or physical abilities. 

Beth walked into the classroom and the smell of dusty music sheets and the metallic stands filled the room. She could see most of her class already sat in their places and she scanned across their faces. Jessica and friends planted firmly front centre. Her hair now loosely fell over her slender shoulders and her makeup flawlessly reapplied outlined her perfect features. Her clothes hugged her perfect figure and she was smiling her perfect smile at Michael who stared adoringly into her perfect oval eyes. Beth purposely walked quietly and slowly towards the back of the class, unnoticed and invisible to everyone except Mr Swales. "Aah, Beth, excellent, we can continue with the piece we were working on last week!" he bellowed and Beth's shoulder's sank. She slid onto her chair, burying her face in her hands, cheeks glowing with the agony of his words. She'd forgotten entirely about the previous week's lesson and the humiliation she had endured. How could she forget? For that one, excruciating lesson she was no longer invisible to her peers and had suddenly found herself centre stage.  

Beth's eyes darted around the class as heads began to turn around in front of her and the colour in her cheeks began to darken.  Jessica eyed her incredulously and Beth looked away, afraid to catch her stare. Beth's eyes then rested on a softer face with a smile that warmed her heart and took the sting out of her cheeks a little. Miles. He grinned at her, raising one eyebrow and indicating to the front. Beth found herself smiling back and she looked back at the faces still glaring at her. But their expressions confused her. She was accustomed to blank faces as people looked through her and even looks of derision or disgust as they surveyed the size of her frame. But this was different. Their expressions were not of indifference, pity or dismissal but of ... expectation. Jessica's face was not incredulity, but anticipation. As Beth looked upon her perfect, radiant face, Jessica opened her perfect lips and spoke, "Don't be shy, Beth. We've been waiting to hear you sing since last week. Come on!" 

Beth examined her tone for insincerity and analyzed it for signs of gentle mocking, but found nothing untoward in her manner. She scanned around the class and they all shared the same expectant face with Miles clearly the most enthusiastic of them all. 

"Miss Evans?" the teacher inquired, "Do you wish to join me at the front or do I need to issue you with a formal invitation first?" 

Mr Swales' sarcasm dulled the moment for Beth as she continued to analyze the new experience of being vaguely admired. As she carefully extracted herself from her chair, making sure the arms didn't grip onto her thighs bringing the furniture with her, she slowly made her way to the front of the class. Mr Swales was already behind the keyboard, playing the introduction to the song. 

"Now, there's no time to warm up I'm afraid as I'd like to get started on the class learning the backing vocals, if you please" Mr Swales began to quiet squeals of delight from a few of the girls in the class. "Now, remember, Miss Evans, this song is about a woman who loves a man without reservation, with every fibre of her being." Beth blushed as her dusty old teacher spoke of romance and passion but without thinking, Beth glanced up towards Miles. His eyes instantly met hers and she could see laughter in his eyes as he grinned back at her, colour rushing to her cheeks once more, betraying her for one moment. 

"Now, she loves this man," Mr Swales continued "despite everyone in the town thinking she's crazy and while she knows he's wrong for her, she's appealing to them. She thinks that they couldn't understand the love she feels for this man unless they'd truly been in love." 

Beth turned back to Mr Swales, putting her back to the rest of the class and concentrated on the closing bars of the introduction, finding her starting note in her head. She cleared her throat quietly, took a breath and softly began to sing.