‹ Prequel: Ana
Sequel: Relearning Laura ›
The "You're Not Fat" Campaign
Reunion
"Hey, Laura," Rick says. He is dressed in dark jeans, a white button-down, and a black blazer. I feel horribly self-conscious in my yoga pants and baggy striped sweater.
"Uh, hi. Sorry, I, um, I'm not quite ready. Can, um, can I have like five minutes?" I stammer awkwardly. Rick kisses me on the nose.
"Yeah, sure," he says with a smile. He waves at my mom in the kitchen. I race back up to my room and rifle through my closet. A lot of my clothes are getting too big now, which I am delighted about, but it also makes getting dressed for a date a little bit tricky.
I finally find the sundress I want to wear. It's dark blue, with white flowers appliquéd onto the skirt. I pull it on, hating the way I have to suck in my flabby stomach to make the dress fit. I throw a white cardigan over my shoulders and slide my feet into my blue Toms. I run into the bathroom and check my hair. I got a haircut a few days ago, and my hair is quite short now. So it looks okay. I drag a mascara wand across my lashes and sigh at my reflection. I look bad, but Rick won't care.
"Laura!" my mom calls.
"I'm coming!" I yell back. I run down the stairs and collide with Rick. He catches me. I feel his wristbones collide with my shoulder blades. It hurts a little, but in a good way. A skinny way.
"Watch it," he says teasingly, but I catch him looking at me strangely when I turn to my mom.
"Home at 11:30," she says. I nod.
"Okay, sounds good. Thanks, Mom. Bye." Rick and I walk out the front door and over to his car.
We arrive at Vita è Bella and Aldo claps his hands at us.
"Ricky! You are here! And who is your bella ragazza?" he says, in his booming voice. I am confused for a second, then realize that he doesn't recognize me, at least not yet.
"She is very skinny, sì?" Aldo continues, and I feel a flush of pride. "We will have to feed her up!"
"Aldo!" Sofia scolds. "The girls now want to be thin thin thin, isn't that right, mia bella ragazza!" She smiles at me, her plump cheeks dimpling at me. Then her deep brown eyes get wide.
"Is that my Laura in that tiny body!" she gasps. I nod, grinning. She called me tiny. "Aldo! Aldo, mio caro, this skinny girl is our Laura!" Rick squeezes my hand tightly. Aldo waddles over to me, his round face ruddy and beaming.
"Bellissima Laura! It has been so long!" he says, kissing both of my cheeks.
"And where is the darling Cassie?" Sofia asks, enveloping me in a hug. She smells of fresh-baked bread and tomato sauce.
"It's just the two of us tonight, Sofia," Rick interjects. He has been watching my reunion with Sofia and Aldo with a look of amusement on his face. Both of them look delighted.
"Ahh, she is your fidanzata, sì? Your girlfriend?" Rick smiles and nods, then squeezes my hand.
"Yep." I smile and squeeze his hand back.
"We will take you to your table now, and give you some privacy, sì?" Aldo says, his black button eyes crinkled. He leads us to a table in the back. Sofia whisks over to us with glasses of water, adorned with lemons, and a basket of bread. I bite my lip and thank her. She nods, her cheeks still dimpled. Aldo hands us both menus and strolls away, promising to be back in five minutes or so. I stare down at the menu. This is a bad part. But it will get worse.
"Uh, hi. Sorry, I, um, I'm not quite ready. Can, um, can I have like five minutes?" I stammer awkwardly. Rick kisses me on the nose.
"Yeah, sure," he says with a smile. He waves at my mom in the kitchen. I race back up to my room and rifle through my closet. A lot of my clothes are getting too big now, which I am delighted about, but it also makes getting dressed for a date a little bit tricky.
I finally find the sundress I want to wear. It's dark blue, with white flowers appliquéd onto the skirt. I pull it on, hating the way I have to suck in my flabby stomach to make the dress fit. I throw a white cardigan over my shoulders and slide my feet into my blue Toms. I run into the bathroom and check my hair. I got a haircut a few days ago, and my hair is quite short now. So it looks okay. I drag a mascara wand across my lashes and sigh at my reflection. I look bad, but Rick won't care.
"Laura!" my mom calls.
"I'm coming!" I yell back. I run down the stairs and collide with Rick. He catches me. I feel his wristbones collide with my shoulder blades. It hurts a little, but in a good way. A skinny way.
"Watch it," he says teasingly, but I catch him looking at me strangely when I turn to my mom.
"Home at 11:30," she says. I nod.
"Okay, sounds good. Thanks, Mom. Bye." Rick and I walk out the front door and over to his car.
We arrive at Vita è Bella and Aldo claps his hands at us.
"Ricky! You are here! And who is your bella ragazza?" he says, in his booming voice. I am confused for a second, then realize that he doesn't recognize me, at least not yet.
"She is very skinny, sì?" Aldo continues, and I feel a flush of pride. "We will have to feed her up!"
"Aldo!" Sofia scolds. "The girls now want to be thin thin thin, isn't that right, mia bella ragazza!" She smiles at me, her plump cheeks dimpling at me. Then her deep brown eyes get wide.
"Is that my Laura in that tiny body!" she gasps. I nod, grinning. She called me tiny. "Aldo! Aldo, mio caro, this skinny girl is our Laura!" Rick squeezes my hand tightly. Aldo waddles over to me, his round face ruddy and beaming.
"Bellissima Laura! It has been so long!" he says, kissing both of my cheeks.
"And where is the darling Cassie?" Sofia asks, enveloping me in a hug. She smells of fresh-baked bread and tomato sauce.
"It's just the two of us tonight, Sofia," Rick interjects. He has been watching my reunion with Sofia and Aldo with a look of amusement on his face. Both of them look delighted.
"Ahh, she is your fidanzata, sì? Your girlfriend?" Rick smiles and nods, then squeezes my hand.
"Yep." I smile and squeeze his hand back.
"We will take you to your table now, and give you some privacy, sì?" Aldo says, his black button eyes crinkled. He leads us to a table in the back. Sofia whisks over to us with glasses of water, adorned with lemons, and a basket of bread. I bite my lip and thank her. She nods, her cheeks still dimpled. Aldo hands us both menus and strolls away, promising to be back in five minutes or so. I stare down at the menu. This is a bad part. But it will get worse.