The Adventures of A Fat Girl

12. The sketches

It is been a week since Leo took me to that clearing for our first date and since then I have been on seventh sky. last Sunday, I took him out for dinner which was nothing extravagant like he did for me but nonetheless we both enjoyed a lot. He met my family as well and my mom loved him. She was swooning and gushing about how we both look and are perfect for each other while my dad gave him the lecture about taking care of me and if he ever hurt me, dad will go and hunt him down. Even though it was kinda funny, I knew Leo was little bit scared of my dad. 

After the date, I told the girls everything the next day and I swear I saw hearts in their eyes. They talked about it for two days but then finally it all died down. Today, Linn's boyfriend is starting school and I can't wait to meet him. From all the things that the girls have told me about him, he is a huge romantic. He plays football/soccer (I don't know the difference as I am not into it so whatever) and looks like eye-candy according to the girls description. 

As we girls were walking towards the entrance, Mark and John call out for us. We turn around and see that guys approaching us with big smiles on their faces. 

"Okay, what did you guys do? What are trouble are you in?", Nina asks while they roll their eyes. 

"Can't we be simply happy to see you girls?", Jason asks with a grunt and we just laugh. 

"Yeah sure but you guys smiling this wide and that to for no reason, it makes me alert", Priya says and they all laugh. 

"We promise we didn't get in any trouble", John promises while we turn towards Leo for conformation.

"You trust lover boy but not us?", Mark asks while eyeing us and I laugh out loud at his use of words for Leo. Leo slaps the back of his and comes to stand beside me, snaking a hand on my waist. I turn towards him and kiss him while he returns it with a sweet smile playing on his lips. The girls look at us with awe in their eyes while the guys pretend to gag. 

"See, he proved me right", Mark says with his hands spreading out while Nina hits him on the shoulder. 

"I swear. you guys should be arrested for harassment", he grunts under his breath making all of laugh again. 

"Oh baby, you know I love you", Nina says while kissing his cheek and a wide smile spread across his face. 

"Let's get to class people", Jason says and starts walking with Harriet. Priya and Nina make eye contact with me and I know they are thinking the same thing as me. We are so going to corner Harriet later for a quick interrogation. 

"When is Linn coming with Archer?", he asks me while he walks me to my class which has become a regular routine for us. 

"During the third period. She said something about going out for lunch with him", I tell him and he nods his head. 

As we reach the English lit classroom, Leo lets go of my hand and places a chaste kiss on my cheek before going the opposite way. He has physics right now which is only five classrooms from mine. 

I enter the class and I some girls are sitting right there, talking and I hear my name being taken multiple times. I try to ignore them and sit on my desk. My partner is yet to come so I am by myself. 

"I heard Leo dumped Stacy for that fat b***h", I hear the girls talking and they knew I was sitting right there. They weren't even being discreet about it. 

"Yeah I know. What did he even see in her?"

"Some even said that, she convinced him to dump Stacy and date her. She seems like a gold-digger, to be honest", she sneers at the last part and now I know they were doing this on purpose. 

"Stacy is so much more awesome than her. I have no idea, what Leo is even doing with this b***h. I heard he took her on a very romantic date at a clearing or something".

"Yeah I heard it too. Give it a few days, I am sure he will see her true colors soon enough and then dump her sorry ass", the blonde girl snickers and as the other was about to say something, the teacher enters. I couldn't concentrate on anything that he was saying. My mind was completely occupied by the conversation of those two girls. 

The entire period, I kept thinking about what they said. Does it really seem like, I was the reason Leo and Stacy broke up? Leo told me about his plans on breaking up with Stacy anyway, but was the thought rushed because of me. Did I come in-between those two? I am pulled out my thoughts by the bell and everyone gets up to leave the classroom. 

While I collected my things and was about to exit, the teacher stops me. 

"Ms. Campbell, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure. Is everything okay sir?", I asked, kind of scared as to why I was being stopped. 

"Oh yes, everything is good, don't worry. I have noticed that you are really good at English and the essay that you submitted last week was really good too, so I wanted to ask you if you are willing to write for our school magazine. It will be a good opportunity for you and more over, you can choose your own topic", he asks me and I am stunned. No one ever, has noticed that I can write. No one paid that much attention. This feels so surreal that I cannot help the smile that takes over my frown. 

"I would love to", I exclaim and she nods his head in approval.

"That is amazing. I am the head editor of out magazine so you can choose a topic within two days and then get back to me. We will discuss more then", he tells me and I smile, nodding my head in a yes.

"Okay sir", saying so, I make my way out of the class where Leo is waiting for me. 

"Hey, what took you so long?", he asks while looking inside the class. 

"My English lit teacher asked me to write an article for the magazine. He was really impressed by the essay that I turned in last week", I tell him with a smile and he too smiles back at me.

"I am so proud of you babe. Not everyone gets chosen to write for the magazine by the head editor himself", he says and hugs me to him while we start making our way towards chemistry.

"I swear I thought he hated the essay. He looked so serious, I almost had an anxiety attack", I say and he laughs, shaking his head. 

"You are impossible Hazel", he says while laughing and kisses my cheek. 

"If I was, you wouldn't be here, walking with me in your arms", I say boldly while he laughs again.

"Even if you were, I will still be here", he says while looking me in the eye. I see the affection he has for me, which makes me forget the conversation between those two girls. 

The day passes by quickly, and now it is time for lunch. We all sit in the cafeteria at our tble, eating our lunch and talking about anything and everything. Archer, Linn's boyfriend is also here and he is one the sweetest guys I have ever met. He is extremely polite and respectful towards everyone. He has really good sense of humor as well which is why we are laughing so hard. There are tears in my eyes and my stomach hurts. 

"Seriously though, did he really do that?", John asks while laughing. 

"Yeah he did. He super-glued our science teacher to the chair.It was so difficult to separate him form the chair, I tell you", Archer replies and we all start laughing again. I rest my head on Leo's shoulder as y head is kinda fuzzy because of all he laughing. He wraps his free hand around me holds me in place. 

"What happened than?", Harriet asks, clutching her stomach. 

"His parents were called and he was suspended for two months", I says and we all try to calm down from the laughter fit. 

"Damn. I wish I could've seen that", Mark says and we all agree with him for once. That would have been a sight to look at. 

"Hazel, do you have an extra sandwich?", Nina asks and I point at my bag as I was still unable to talk. 

She nods her head and picks up by bag from the floor and opens the topmost compartment before I could stop her. 

"Damn", that's all she says and everyone turns towards her while I keep my head down. 

"You sketch too?!", Nina exclaims while pulling out my sketchbook. She opens it and comes face to face with a lot of dress designs for obese people. 

"These are so good Hazel"< Harriet exclaims, as she and Nina look through the book. 

"Damn girl. You never said anything about this before", Priya says and Nina passes the book to her. 

"You never told me either", Leo whispers to me and I just look down at my lap, hiding my face from them.

"I am not really proud of that work. I did that several years ago", I tell him and turn to others who are looking at with smiles. 

"Are you serious? These are amazing! Maybe you should try more like these. You are really good at this, you know", Linn says as she, Archer and Leo look at them.

"She is right Hazel, you really should draw more", Leo says and everyone nods. 

"I will try", I say while shrugging my shoulder which earns me a glare from Harriet.

"I swear to God Hazel, if you don't draw more, I am gonna kill you. These are really good. When did you draw them?"

"Five years ago. I am not so sue now".

"You can make your career in this, you know. You are that good", Archer says and everyone agrees. 

"Now that I know you can draw so well, will you do me a favor and draw the science diagrams in my journals, please?", John asks and everyone just laughs out loud.

Maybe I really should start drawing again. I used to draw, whenever I felt lonely or after the doctor visits. Every time the doctor told me there was no way for me other than the surgery, I used to draw so I could get away from the reality for just a few moments.   

I should start doing something for myself again.