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My head dropped

“Let’s go, baby,” e ar me into his body

We made it all the way out to the truck before he said, “Don’t listen to them, sweetheart”

I scoffed

“Yeah, like it’s that easy to do,” I muttered almost to myself

He didn’t reply, only kept his ariven to hiuidedthe door behind me

I automatically reached for the seat belt and latched it into the lock, repositioningso uncomfortably into my chest and belly

We made it all the way home in silence, and by the time I arrived inside the house, I was about to break down all over again

My dad had heard

I was embarrassed

So, so embarrassed

Usually I kept all the proble to myself

If he’d known that there was a problem, he would’ve kicked the asshole twins out, and then I would’ve heard it even more while ere at school

But this ti the problems

Nor the tears

“Baby, wait,” my father said before I could head in the direction of my room

I stopped in the mouth of the kitchen, then turned and stared at the man that kne to ood to me

“What?” I asked

“What they said? Don’t take it to heart,” he tried

I heard the distinctive shuffle ofat us ariness on her face

I turned back to my dad

“You don’t understand,” I whispered, eyes filling with tears “You’re not fat You don’t knohat it’s like!”

My mother made a sound in her throat, and I looked over at her to see that she was staring at the ground

My mother, Patty, did knohat it was like

She’d always been a big-boned woht over the last ten years

Hell, she and I sometimes even shared clothes at this point

I was not happy with my body

I was not happy with the way that I couldn’t seem to control it even with diet and exercise

Where so, I had to point out that I did try A lot