The Class Belle Said I’m Too Fat

When my online boyfriend insisted on receiving a picture of me, the class belle, Callista Xavery, snatched my phone from my hand. She said, “You’re a real wrecking ball. He’ll run for the hills the second he sees you. Just send a photo of me instead. That way you won’t scare him off.” My other classmates also mocked me, saying, “You’re out here dripping grease and still trying to online date? That’s straight-up catfishing.” I pinched the thickness around my fat and hesitated about whether I should really send a photo of Callista or not. Just then, a barrage of floating words flashed before my eyes. [That fat girl’s online boyfriend is a top-tier Claremont trust-fund heir who loves flexing by throwing cash around.] [That pretty heroine’s already aware of that. That’s why she’s trying to make that fat girl send a photo of her.] [That way, she can smoothly take the fat girl’s place at the meetup, get spoiled rotten by the rich boy from then on, and start cashing six-figure transfers on the regular.] I was stunned for a moment before quickly snatching my phone back. I then dug out a photo of myself from three years ago and said, “No need. After all, once I lose this weight, I’ll be much prettier than you.” Chapter 1 Other people started mocking me, “Amy, take a look in the mirror, alright?” “We could toss you into a pigpen, and nobody’d be able to tell which one’s you and which one’s the actual pig.” The class belle, Callista Xavery, took a look at the photo I had sent and started laughing hysterically. “Did all that grease go straight to your head? Can’t you tell the difference between an edited photo and the original one? “If you’re going to catfish him with a fake photo, he’s just going to be even more disappointed when he sees the real you.” The other classmates crowded around curiously. After just one glance, they were certain it had been edited. “This doesn’t even look like you at all. Are you even aware of how you actually look?” “If you send this photo and he sees how different you actually look, he’ll be so mad at you.” Little did they know that I used to be a class belle that everyone admired three years ago. After both my parents died in an accident, I was severely traumatized. Food was my only comfort during that darkest moment of my life. In addition to pressure from studying for the SAT, I completely gave up on managing my figure. I ate my way into being a fat girl. Since I had moved past my grief and made it into college, it was time to rediscover who I used to be three years ago. Ignoring their snickers, I continued choosing my old photos to send to my online boyfriend, Austin Lance. When Callista saw that my guard was down, she grabbed my phone and sent one of her own selfies to him. “You’re fat and ugly. I sent my picture to do you a favor. Besides, he’ll get mad if you take too long to send him the photo.” The floating words started praising how beautiful Callista looked. [Austin is going to fall head over heels for Callista the moment he sees Callista’s photo.] [He’s not just some love-struck rich kid with a nine-figure net worth. He’s also a six-foot-tall heartthrob. Wasting a guy like that on some fat girl is literally a crime against humanity.] [Go get your man, Callista! A top-tier billionaire should be with a top-tier beauty.] My heart sank. I quickly took back my phone to delete the photo, but Austin had already sent a reply. [Baby, you’re so gorgeous. I’m literally stunned by your beauty.] [I must’ve done something right to land a girlfriend as hot as you.] Callista did not even bother to hide her smug expression. “Since he’s already seen the photo, you might as well just go with it. “If you’re scared of how this plays out, don’t worry. When it’s time to meet up, I’ll just go in your place.” Chapter 2 All my classmates praised her for being both beautiful and kind-hearted. “Callista is going out of her way to help you, Amy. Don’t be so ungrateful.” My hands were trembling with anger. Amid Callista’s continuous taunts, I swallowed my anger and scrambled to find a way to salvage the situation. [That’s not me. That’s our class belle, Callista.] [Sorry, I accidentally sent the wrong photo. But that works out, because I wanted you to know I’m way prettier than her anyway.] I went ahead and sent the best photo I had of myself from back then. This time, Austin did not reply right away. I waited for a long time, feeling anxious by the second. Then he called me. “Baby, you’re so slim and elegant. You’re literally my dream girl. You took my breath away. “You really are prettier than the class belle. I can’t wait to see you!” He sounded so excited, making me blush. After pondering for a moment, I responded cautiously, “Let’s meet on the first day of the official school term, after summer break.” I had three months to lose all the weight. On the other end of the phone, Austin squealed excitedly, “Baby, you finally agreed to meet me! Don’t worry, I’m going to give you a ton of gifts.” As soon as he hung up, he transferred five hundred thousand dollars to me and sent me a message. [My gorgeous girl deserves to have a closet full of beautiful clothes and bags.] [Get whatever you want for yourself. I’ll send you more when you run out.] I was taken aback for a second, then could not help smiling sweetly. The floating words had not lied to me. He was truly a lover boy who loved throwing money around. Callista became jealous when she saw me accept the money. She gritted her teeth and sneered, “Amy, you seriously think an edited photo is going to fool him? “Things will end very badly for you if he sees how obese you are!” The floating words looked down on me. [Whatever. When Austin gets disappointed in Amy, Callista can still swoop in and steal the show.] [That fat pig will make Callista look like an angel by comparison. Any guy with eyes would fall for her instantly, let alone Austin.] [Let her enjoy her little moment. The cockier she gets now, the worse she’s going to humiliate herself when everything falls apart.] Their contemptuous comments only made me more determined. I took the money Austin had given me and signed up for private training sessions with the best coach at the best gym. My only goal was to return to my best form, the one I had three years ago, within three months. My coach, Brock Hartman, sternly informed me, “Starting now, I will be in charge of what you eat and drink. “If you want to hit your goal in three months, you need to come in for three hours every single day. Can you handle that?” I nodded vigorously. Austin had shown me such sincerity. I could not let him down. Even more so, I could not let down the version of myself that had long been ostracized and mocked. So, on the very first day, Brock pushed me so hard that I broke down crying. As I dragged my aching body back home, the class group chat started buzzing nonstop. Out of curiosity, I clicked on it. It turned out Callista had taken a photo of me crying at the gym and posted it. [Breaking news! Amy started dieting and working out so she can meet her online boyfriend in person!] [Guys, how long do you think she’s going to last?] Chapter 3 Everyone in the group chat started to join in and teased me. [Is the floor going to remain whole with Amy hopping around like that?] [I was wondering why we felt tremors today. It turns out that fat girl was jumping rope!] Someone took my ugliest photos and turned them into jokes, spamming them across the group chat. Callista even specifically tagged me and wrote. [Amy, watching you jiggle all that flab at the gym is honestly just sad.] I held back tears of shame and actually took a good look at myself in the mirror. Being so overweight had wrecked my hormones, given me a face full of acne, and covered my body in stretch marks. Brock assured me that with proper training, these issues would improve quickly. From that day on, my life completely changed. I stopped eating bread for breakfast and went for a forty-minute run on an empty stomach instead. After meals, I stopped crashing on the couch. I did my grandparents’ chores and took walks with them to help digest. Because I was completely focused on losing weight, Austin felt neglected and sent me some more money and texted me. [Baby, you’ve been acting distant lately. Did I do something wrong?] I replied to him, saying that I was not ignoring him. I was preparing a surprise for him. [That way, when we finally meet in person, you’ll get to see the best version of me.] My words made Austin so excited that he bought a luxurious bracelet worth nearly a hundred thousand dollars and sent it over. [It’s a couple’s bracelet. I had our initials engraved on the inside.] [When we finally meet, I want you to wear this bracelet for me.] I was moved when I received it. However, when I tried it on, it would not fit. I thought to myself that once I had fully slimmed back down, wearing this bracelet would surely look beautiful. After the final exams ended, I went all in on the strict training with Brock. The barrage of words became worried when they saw how hard I was grinding. [Wow, she’s putting in so much effort. She’s not actually going to pull this off, is she?] [As if. Even if she loses the weight, she’s still just some basic-looking nobody.] [Side characters stay side characters. They never get a comeback arc.] Meanwhile, my grandparents were heartbroken when they saw me working so hard. “Sweetheart, it doesn’t matter whether you’re fat or skinny; you’ll always be our precious little girl. Please don’t destroy yourself over this.” “I want Mom and Dad up there to see me at my absolute best. “I want to be healthy. I want to prove something to myself. And I really want to strengthen my willpower while I’m at it.” Moved by my resolve, my grandparents began making delicious and nutritious low-fat meals for me every day, always varying the recipes to keep things interesting. By the time my hormones stabilized and the worst of the bloating went away, I had already lost thirty-three pounds by the end of the semester. Worried about losing weight too fast, I went to the doctor for a thorough checkup. From there, I followed the doctor’s instructions and set up the next stage of my training schedule. Because I habitually wore baggy clothes, my classmates did not notice any obvious changes. Before the break, Callista taunted me, “You’re at the gym every single day, but I still don’t see you getting any thinner. “Summer break is almost over. Are you really going to meet your online boyfriend looking like that?” The other classmates eagerly sided with Callista. “I bet five hundred dollars that Amy will not even show up.” “Then I’ll bet a thousand dollars that she’s going to bail!” As the wagers kept climbing, I looked at the arrogant Callista with a determination I had never shown before. “I hope you’re all ready to pay up when you lose the bet.” Chapter 4 As the holiday began, my weight-loss plan hit a difficult stage. During this moment, my body started fighting back, so the weight came off very slowly. Fortunately, Brock adjusted my plan in real time, and my grandparents kept me motivated and kept me company. I had no time to feel anxious. I simply kept my focus on moving toward my goal. When I lost another eleven pounds, I had dropped a full dress size and could easily slip on a bracelet. All the acne on my face had cleared up. My skin had become smooth and delicate, and my facial features and jawline grew increasingly defined. I fell back in love with taking photos of myself. Occasionally, I could even send Austin a blurry side-profile shot with a dreamy, atmospheric vibe. Brock said that at my height of five feet six, dropping to a hundred and forty-three pounds would make me both healthy and attractive. But I did not think that was enough, because the genes my parents gave me and my own potential went far beyond that. By the final month, I had fully fallen in love with eating light and healthy food. I had cut out all snacks and sugary drinks. I had become proficient in all kinds of workout movements. I also added exercises to tone my muscles, like yoga and pilates, to my routine. As my weight slowly and steadily dropped, my body curves grew more graceful, and I became more confident with each passing day. My neighbors praised me when they saw me. “Amy, you look like a completely different person. You’re absolutely radiant. People could take you for a celebrity!” I started wearing the beautiful clothes Austin had bought for me. From time to time, I took photos of my figure to build up anticipation for the meetup. Austin became more thrilled and sent more money to me. [Baby, I already scoped out the area around your school ahead of time.] [I’m going to give you a huge surprise on the first day of school!] I looked down at the scale. My weight had dropped to a hundred and fifteen pounds, so I pushed through my final sprint. This time, I succeeded in weighing exactly a hundred and ten pounds the day before we were set to meet. Not only were my grandparents proud of me, but even Brock was moved to tears. “Amy, with your grit and determination, you can do anything you set your mind to.” To give Austin the best possible first impression, I bought an expensive and elegant dress and got a new haircut that suited me perfectly. On the day of the meetup, I arrived a little later than planned due to traffic. As soon as I got out of the car, I spotted an eye-catching Porsche from a distance. It seemed Austin had arrived early and was waiting for me. My heart pounded as I rushed over. But the very next second, I watched helplessly as Callista walked up to Austin. “Hey, Austin. I’m Callista. You’ve seen a photo of me.” Austin stared at her, his eyes carrying an odd, unreadable gleam. My breath caught, and I found myself frozen, unable to move. The long-missing barrage of floating comments reappeared. [I love how Callista goes after what she wants. Austin is completely stunned by her looks. I knew he’d fall for her the second he saw her.] [Did that fat pig manage to lose any weight, in the end?] [Who cares? She’s not going to show up. Even if she showed up right this second, she’d just be background noise next to Callista.] Callista showed him a photo of me when I was two hundred pounds. “This is what Amy really looks like. She’s fat, ugly, and a total mess. Every photo she sent you was fake. “I felt bad about her stringing you along like that, so I had to come clean and tell you the truth.” I watched him take the photo with a mixture of doubt and belief. I covered my face and instinctively wanted to flee. After a moment, however, I came to my senses. I was no longer the person I used to be. Everyone around me turned to look, and some even eagerly asked for my number. That proved I had changed for the better. I could face Austin with confidence now. After calming myself down, I took a deep breath and deliberately circled around to a spot behind Austin as I approached him. Would Austin be charmed by Callista first? Or would he be completely blown away by me instead? Most of all, I wanted to know what Callista’s reaction would be when she saw me. At that moment, Austin was staring at her phone in shock, flipping through photos. “Did Amy really lie to me? But she doesn’t seem like someone who would do that...” “Amy feels too guilty and insecure to even show up. “Just block the liar and move on. She’s not worth your time.” The barrage of comments began to cheer. [We’re literally one step away! Once she gets his number, their whole love story will begin.] Callista was gloating smugly. Just as she was about to ask Austin for his number, she looked up and saw me standing behind him silently. She could not recognize me. Noticing my striking appearance and outfit, she grew displeased but still asked me politely, “Excuse me, who are you looking for?” Without saying a word, I simply reached out and poked Austin on the back. When he turned to me in confusion, I held up the bracelet he had given me with a cheeky smile.