Curvy Girls Can’t Date Soldiers by Kelsie Stelting

Two

Nadira

When I wokeup in the morning, I was exhausted, but thankfully Mom had a strong pot of coffee downstairs, which I poured over ice with plenty of cream and sugar while my brothers did what they could to eat an entire box of cereal between the two of them. They were bottomless pits during basketball season. Meanwhile, I could look at sugar and gain weight, no matter how many home workout videos I did.

I found Mom leaning against the counter, looking at her phone, and said, “Any food left?”

“Toast and cream cheese,” Mom said, “but Dad’s coming home from the tournament tonight, so we should be stocked up soon.”

I put my hands together and pretended to pray.

“Oh hush,” she said with a chuckle, dropping a couple of slices of bread into the toaster. Then she whispered, “Just in case...” She reached into her purse and got out a couple of twenties. “Can you stop by Ripe and pick up a few easy things?”

“Sure,” I said, “not like I’m doing you other favors already. Hint, hint.”

She teasingly batted me with her hand. “Brat.”

I laughed and began spreading cream cheese over my toast.

“I forgot to tell you,” she said. “I can’t get out of that meeting Thursday, so I won’t be able to make it to the Mathlete competition. I’m sorry, baby.”

Disappointment rocked through me, but I tried to keep a brave face.

Not brave enough, though, because she said, “I know it stinks, but career women have to juggle a lot of balls. Some are rubber and some are—”

“—glass, I know,” I said. I put the toast together and called to my brothers, “We need to get going.”

Mom frowned. “Someday you’ll understand.”

“Sure. See you later.” I picked up my bag and walked to the car, fighting tears. I knew I was overreacting (probably because I’d hardly slept last night), and I knew Mom couldn’t miss work, but it sucked having two parents so involved in their jobs. This was my last year as a Mathlete, my last year in the house, and they’d only made it to one meet. It was better than none, but I’d seen them go to game after game of my brothers’. Just because my sport didn’t involve a ball, why wasn’t it as important?

I got in my car and turned it on, waiting for my brothers to come out. Eventually, they did. Terrell sat in the passenger seat, and Carver sat in the back, spreading his legs out. Even though he was only a sophomore, he was already well over six feet tall, like our dad. Of course, I’d gotten our mom’s short genes and was permanently stuck at five four. I wouldn’t have minded a few extra inches to help disguise the extra pounds.

“Why do we always have to leave so early?” Terrell grumbled as he buckled in.

I ignored him and pulled out of the driveway, heading toward Emerson Academy. Ever since Terrell hit his junior year—and began leading the state in points scored during the season—he’d gotten a real attitude.

“You know why,” Carver said. “It would be terrible if she missed a second of one of Mr. Aris’s lectures. She might get dethroned as the Mathlete god.”

“Goddess,” I corrected, giving him a look over my shoulder. “You’re just jealous because you can’t add up all the points Terrell’s scoring.” He kicked the back of my seat, and I gave him another glare. “You’re such a child.”

He stuck his tongue out, proving my point, and got back to texting. Both of my brothers had a revolving door of girls interested in them. They’d even dated some girls in my class, which felt weird to me. Guys were already so immature; why would a girl want to date someone younger than her?

Not that I had anyone lining up to take me out. The closest I’d even been to having a guy’s number was Mom giving me Apollo’s email address the night before, and he hadn’t even emailed me back yet.

As I drove the familiar path to school, I couldn’t help but replay everything I’d sent to him. Had I come across as lame? Quirky? Boring? I knew it was a long shot he would even become interested in me, but I let myself fantasize that he might. For once, I let myself pretend that I was the girl guys were interested in.

We pulled up to our parking spot, and the boys got out without giving me a second thought. That was fine, because I usually waited for one of my friends to arrive so we could walk in together. Before the school bully, Ryker, fell in love with my friend Cori, I never knew what kind of torture awaited me on the hundred-yard walk into the building, much less in the hallways. Even if Ryker couldn’t be our personal bodyguard throughout the day, something was better than nothing.

Emerson Academy prided itself on producing the best students, and that included the bullying category. Even with Ryker off my back, there were plenty of threats, like the two girls who thought they ran the school or my archrival on the Mathlete team, Regina.

Adriel pulled into the parking lot a few spaces down, and I noticed her boyfriend, Carter, sitting in the passenger seat of the car. Even though they weren’t on a date, he got out and opened her door for her. It was adorable. And I was jealous. No guy would ever do something like that for me.

Noticing me, Adriel waved, and I waved back, opening my door myself to get out of the car.

“Hey, girl, hey,” she called, walking closer to me with her hand linked with Carter’s.

I glanced up from their hands to her face. “Hey,” I said back, smiling because she seemed so happy. “How was break?”

“Good,” Carter said. “Got our trophy in the mail from nationals.”

My mouth dropped open. “That’s amazing! I didn’t know it would come so soon.”

He and Adriel had competed together in a national dance competition, just to prove Adriel’s old dance instructor wrong. That a plus-size girl could dance well enough to own the stage.

“Thanks,” Adriel said. She tapped at her phone screen and held out the photo of the award.

I took it in, marveling at the glass like I’d marveled at all of Apollo’s photos the night before. “You two definitely earned it... I actually have something to show you too.”

“What’s that?” she asked, hitching her backpack over her shoulder.

As we walked toward the school, I tapped on my phone screen, pulling up Apollo’s profile photo. I passed the phone to her, and she and Carter stared at it.

Adriel giggled and said, “No offense, Carter, but this guy is hot.”

“It’s not just you. I can see it too.” Carter chuckled and pulled on his collar.

Shaking her head, Adriel handed the phone back. “Who is he?”

“He who?” our friend Faith called from behind us.

I waved her over and showed her the phone.

Her mouth dropped open. “A Greek god?” she asked, pretending to wipe drool from her chin.

I shook my head. “My new pen pal.”

Each of them gave me a confused look, and I explained Mom’s research project and how I’d gotten voluntold into participating at the last second.

“Sorry,” Carter said, “I have to go. Besides, I’m not the best at girl talk.” Carter kissed Adriel on the cheek and waved goodbye to us.

“See you,” she said, then turned to me and clapped her hands together excitedly. “Your mom is the best wing woman ever.”

Faith nodded. “Maybe this is your chance to make our New Year’s resolution come true.”

I closed my eyes, thinking of the silly promise I’d made—that I’d have my first kiss by the end of the year. It seemed bleaker and bleaker every day, and it was only January 3. “I don’t think so. I’m just going to enjoy looking at his picture and move on.”

The warning bell rang, and I told them goodbye so I could grab my books from my locker.

Standing next to my locker, though, was Tatiana and one of her many boyfriends, connected at the lips.

Ugh.

Quickly following my disgust, there was the jealousy. Why did relationships seem so easy for people like her? She wasn’t nice—not in the slightest—but she still had guys all over her. The only thing I could gather was that being nice didn’t matter; looking good did.

I kept my eyes off them as I hurriedly got my books and left. They didn’t even notice I was there.