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

Chronicles of a Fat Teenager - Chapter Ten

"Leave her alone, I'm warning you!" Beth whispered, barely being able to keep control of her voice. She deliberately kept her voice low so Ms. Plumb, who was gathering up her papers at the front of the classroom could not hear. Beth didn't want anything to prevent her from speaking her mind, especially a teacher. She could see over Claire's shoulder that Ms. Plumb would be out of the picture very soon.

"YOU'RE warning us?" Claire said, with disgust, "Who the hell do you think you are talking to us like that? How DARE you?" 

Beth, quite accustomed to having the Clones, or anyone else for that matter look down their noses at her took no notice of their shock at the likes of Beth challenging them. Beth could see how clearly they saw the world, how terribly uncomplicated they were, never doubting their own importance, never questioning the order of things because as far as they were concerned, they were top of the school food chain and all other species of student were there to either serve them or be ridiculed for their own amusement. 

Ms. Plumb was gone, the coast was clear. One stifled sob from Jessica behind her was all the fuel Beth needed. For her entire life she had been made to feel less than worthless, to be made to feel like she was nothing and that she should be ashamed of her size. Beth had tried every fad diet since she was 12, stuck to the diet clubs for months with little success and every time she failed, food was her solace. It nourished her feelings of guilt and self-loathing and every comment, every bullies taunt and every cruel gesture was digested, processed, gnawed away at her soul and numbed her a little more to humanity. Something HAD awakened in her. Jessica had suddenly entered her life and Miles, despite the shell she had so expertly constructed for herself, somehow he'd got through and to Beth, this was a sign that allowing them that access, when in the past she would have avoided them at all costs, meant that she had reached a point in her life when she was ready to move on. Onto what, Beth really didn't know but the alternative, of doing nothing and continuing with her spiral of shame, self-loathing and isolation, this petrified her. Somehow she knew this moment was her first step into the new era and she was not going to let this opportunity pass. 

"How DARE I, eh?" Beth began, her voice returned to a normal talking volume and her tone remained calm, not betraying the under-currant of exhilaration she was experiencing at that moment. 

"Oh, I think you find I have every right to speak to you like that!" she continued. 

Lucy chose this moment to stand alongside Claire and the two of them, impossibly pretty and horribly vacant, shoulder to shoulder stood facing Beth defiantly. 

"Aaah, this is going to be like shooting ducks at the fair!" Beth exclaimed, rubbing her hands together in glee, "thanks for lining up for me, makes you an easier target, well on your own, you're practically see-through you're both so skinny, with two of you stood together like that ... well, you practically make up one person!" 

It was obvious from Claire's face that she didn't know how to react and she instinctively took a step away from Lucy to defy Beth's gratitude more than anything else. Lucy began to talk but Beth put her hand up to quieten her. 

"Please, not now Lucy. The grown up is talking." She scolded mockingly, "You have had your say plenty of times and it's time for the fat girl to tell you exactly how she's feeling and more to the point, what the entire school think of the pair of you. I think a little feedback is overdue, don't you?"

Lucy stood aghast at Beth's carefree attitude and Claire had been rendered temporarily speechless. 

Beth continued and allowed just a little of the poison that had blighted her life reach the tone of her voice. 

"You see, I think the pair of you are under the delusion that you're popular. Because ... well you're not. You speak of stocks and shares with no real understanding of their value, because you might as well be dealing in monopoly money, because neither of you, or your hangers on have any validity in the lives of anyone at this school. Oh ... Lucy, you look confused. You want me to get a crayon for you so you can write the big words down and look them up later in your Junior Dictionary? Validity .. Val - id - ity. It means relevance in your case, you are not relevant or meaningful to anyone but yourselves."