They Mocked The Wrong Girl

The night before term began, my so-called best friend, Wendy Shaw, posted a challenge on the university confession wall. "If this post gets 1,000 likes, our 220-pound campus belle will hand a love letter to the untouchable Jonathan Riverson during orientation tomorrow—in front of everyone!" She paired the post with a hideous photo of me taken back in high school. In it, I was wearing an oversized uniform, my face round enough to show more than one chin. The comments exploded almost immediately. "You want her to give Jonathan a love letter? What'd he ever do to deserve this?" "Goddamn, Wendy. Now the whole campus is forced to watch an elephant walk." Wendy was right there in the comments, encouraging them. "Keep the likes coming! Emilia's a brave girl!" She then texted me, saying it was just to train my courage. I stood before a full-length mirror, staring at my defined abs and sharp jawline, and I sneered. No one knew I had spent the last year working out like mad, and I had lost most of the extra weight. Now I was just over a hundred pounds. The post had 999 likes. I smiled. Then, I tapped the heart and gave it the thousandth. After that, I logged into my main account and left a comment beneath Wendy's post. "Save yourself the trouble. I'll deliver the love letter tomorrow myself." Chapter 1 I'm Going I answered the call, and Wendy screeched, "Are you mad, Emilia?" I pulled the phone away from my ear and glanced at myself in the mirror. "That post is just a joke. They were just trying to liven things up!" she continued, scolding me as though I had done something wrong. "And you commented with your main account? The whole school is raring to see you fail!" I turned off the faucet and wiped my hands on a towel. "If it really was a joke, why'd you show them my fattest photo back in Grade 11? You know I was taking hormonal drugs back then." Silence followed, then she pretended to be hurt. "I just want to help you get over it. You've always had low self-esteem, so I thought I'd post the photo. Everyone would laugh, and then it'd be over." She sighed, as if I was a child who could not understand her kindness. "I was risking my reputation just to help you train your courage, and you're calling me oversensitive?" I looked at the stains of water on the countertop and said nothing. "Anyway, now that you've promised everyone, you really do have to give Jonathan that love letter." I remained silent. Her voice immediately became more cheerful. "But the university leadership will all be at orientation tomorrow. Confessing publicly like that might make the university look bad." A pause later, she said, "Jonathan feeds stray cats at Bamboo Park every day at six in the evening. It's a quiet place. You can wait for him there tomorrow. I've asked around. He'll be there." … Bamboo Park was situated on low-lying land. Fake mountains and wisteria pergolas surrounded the place. Dozens of people could hide there without being noticed. It was the perfect place for an audience. "Sure," I said calmly. "So, that's a yes?" Clearly, she had not expected me to agree so easily. Excitement seeped into her voice. "Don't be late. I worked my butt off to get you this chance." The call ended. A moment later, a WhatsApp message came in from someone named Claire Everstine. I asked what she wanted. Instead of answering directly, she sent me a dozen screenshots of a group chat. The chat group was called 'Witness the Heavyset Confession'. Wendy was the admin, and the first snapshot showed me her message. "Done. Bamboo Park, 1800 tomorrow." The group chat exploded. Guy A texted, "Wait, Elephant is actually going? Really?" Girl B texted, "Bamboo Park? That's great! The fake mountain can hide a dozen of us, and the wisteria pergolas are great covers too!" Wendy's messages came next. "Make sure you get there early and claim your spot. Don't let her notice you." "And bring your power banks, people. Also, hold your phone firmly when you record anything." "Make sure you get the part where she cries her heart out after Jonathan refuses her. I want it in Full HD and taken at every angle possible." As I went through the screenshots, Claire texted me again. "I'm from the class next door, and this just doesn't sit right with me. Don't go. She's going to ruin you in front of everyone." I stared at that message. I had that same idea a year ago. I had to take hormonal drugs because of a serious illness, and my weight got out of control. Every time I went out, I was the subject of everyone's ridicule. It was then Wendy became my so-called best friend. She took me everywhere just to act as a foil that made her look better and kinder for everyone else. I replied, "Thanks, but I'm going anyway." Claire texted a question mark. I did not explain. Instead, I opened the confession wall again. That post was already on the first page of the campus forum. Wendy had liked my comment. Beneath it, she had written, "Emilia's so brave. See you at Bamboo Park tomorrow at 6." She was so eager to announce the time and place, as if she wanted everyone to show up. I locked my phone, opened up my cabinet, and picked out a regular white tee. My phone lit up again. It was Wendy's message. "Dress for the occasion tomorrow, girl. Don't embarrass me." I stared at the words. Then, my fingers moved across the keyboard. "See you tomorrow at six." Chapter 2 Rejected The next day came, and a courier knocked on my dorm's door. "Ms. Emilia? Your package." I signed off on the package and took the lightweight gift box into my room. The moment I opened it, I froze. Inside was an XL neon-pink tutu dress. Across the front was an enormous cartoon pig. My phone buzzed. Wendy's cloying voice came through, as if she wanted to be praised for this. "Did you get the dress? I went through three malls in the city center before I finally found the size that can fit you. Pink's great with the skin. You'll look adorable in that." I checked the brand. This was an XL piece specifically made for gag videos. Claire sent me more snapshots of the group chat. Ten minutes earlier, Wendy had posted a photograph of the dress. "Her armor has been sent." Guy A texted, "Bruh, that looks like what a pig would wear for its own wedding." Girl B texted, "Well, guess we'll see Princess Pink Elephant make her shocking debut tonight." Wendy replied, "Guys, be nice. It's already a miracle I got her something that fits." Wendy sent me another voice message. "I spent most of my allowance this month on that dress. You have to wear this for the meeting, or you'll be insulting my effort! If you don't wear it, I won't talk to you again!" Over the last three years, she had used that same tactic to coerce me into eating desserts meant for two people and wearing clothes that made me look fat. I stuffed the dress back into the box and covered it without hesitation, then I tapped return to sender on the app. After that, I called my mother. "Morning, Mom." My mother asked warmly, "It's the orientation tonight. Nervous, sweetheart?" "No." I approached the window and looked at the freshmen underneath. A momentary pause later, my mother spoke with an unusually soft tone. "I saw the photo on the forum." She did not bring up Wendy, but I knew she saw everything. "We can go home if you don't want to go." I could feel that she felt for me. "Doesn't matter if you're 200 or 100 pounds, you're still my daughter, and I'm proud of you. You don't have to prove your worth to anyone, nor do you have to play along with their malice." My eyes stung, and I took a deep breath. "I'm not playing along, Mom." I looked at my reflection in the window, my jawline, and my squared shoulders. I got all of that from the gym. "I'm ending things." I hung up and changed into the white tee and jeans I picked last night, then I tied my hair into a high ponytail and slipped the love letter into my canvas bag. … Wendy got the package back at ten. She called, but I refused to take it, and the texts flooded my phone. "What is the meaning of this?" "I bought you this dress out of the kindness of my heart, and you send it back to me?" "Are you chickening out? The whole school knows you're giving him that love letter." "If you chicken out, you'll be the laughingstock of Oceaton U forever!" I did not reply to her messages. Claire sent me more snapshots. Wendy was ranting in her group. "She sent the dress back. Bet she's chickening out and won't wear it." Guy A agreed. "I bet. She'll look like a wrecking ball no matter what she wears." Wendy replied, "Doesn't matter what her fashion statement is. We'll gather at Bamboo Park at five thirty today." "She can dress like a wrecking ball for all I care. I just need her standing in front of Jonathan, even if she has to roll all the way there!" I turned silent mode on and tossed my phone away, then I took a sip of some ice-cold water. They could keep laughing for a little while longer. I was in no hurry to stop them. Chapter 3 Fake Friend The orientation ended at five, and the broadcasting club was still playing. I avoided the throng and waited inside the abandoned art room beside Bamboo Park. The dusty window on the second floor gave a perfect vantage point over the whole low-lying garden. … At quarter past five, Wendy and a dozen people entered the park. She was wearing full makeup and a fitted floral dress, and she took up the place of leadership. "Move it, people. In your position. "Harold, get some guys and hide behind the fake mountain. Best vantage there. Winona, hide under the wisteria pergolas, and turn on silent mode. Make sure the flash isn't on." I watched them spread out and took cover, while Harold took out a bluetooth speaker. "I got the sound effects right here, Wendy. Elephant footsteps and trumpets. It'll be a blast." He pressed play, and the dull sounds reverberated in the park. Claire stood on the edge of the pergola, frowning. "This is going too far, Wendy. We're all at the same university. You don't have to push her to the edge." Wendy's smile disappeared, and she turned to Claire. "Trying to be a saint, are you? She's the one who promised to do this. She wants fame, so I'm helping her. Besides, we're just here to witness the passion of youth. This isn't a prank." She really could twist anything into a different story. I never doubted that for a second. Claire clenched her teeth and said nothing, then she hid in the shadows. Wendy sneered and hung the pink tutu dress on the pavilion's pillar. "I'll make her wear this when she shows up." She gestured toward Harold. "She listens to me. All I have to do is cry a little, and she'll do as I say." … At five-forty, footsteps rustled at the entrance of Bamboo Park. The whispering crowd immediately went silent and ducked deeper into their hiding places. In came Jonathan. He sported a black shirt and was holding an unsealed pack of cat food. Tall and lean, he moved quietly through the park. Several stray cats emerged from the bushes and wound themselves around his ankles as though they had known him for years. Jonathan crouched down and poured out the food. The late-afternoon sunlight fell across his face, sharpening every line of his features. He got up and scanned the pavilion, and his eyes rested on the pink tutu dress for a moment. He then looked at the fake mountain, where someone's phone's camera was reflecting the light. A frown creased his forehead, and the look in his eyes turned cold. Wendy quickly stepped in and pretended this was a chance encounter. "What a coincidence, Jonathan." She flipped her hair and put on a smile. Jonathan did not look at her. His eyes were still on the reflection. "What are you doing?" His voice was flat. Wendy's smile stiffened. Then, almost instantly, concern replaced it. "Here's the thing." She stepped forth and said in a low voice, "My best friend Emilia—you know, the girl from the confession wall—wants to confess to you today. You know she's insecure and sensitive about her size." Wendy sighed. Her eyes reddened at just the right moment. "Everyone's hiding to encourage her. She's fragile. When she shows up, can you…" She bit her lip. "Can you reject her gently? I don't want the rejection to hurt her too much. She might do something extreme." It was a perfect request, and she made sure Jonathan had to play according to her . Jonathan looked at the woman who was playing the act of a concerned friend. He said nothing and checked his watch. "When is she coming?" That stunned Wendy. She answered without thinking, "Six." Jonathan nodded and sat on the bench under the pergola. "I'll be waiting right here." Chapter 4 She's Here It was ten minutes to six. I was leaning on the wall, going through my phone. Claire had sent me screenshots of that group chat's messages, and the messages were still pouring in. Harold texted, "It's nearly six. Where's Elephant? My hand's getting sore." Girl B answered, "I bet she's having cold feet. She's just going to embarrass herself in front of Jonathan with that size." Guy C added, "Wasted half an hour for nothing. My legs are numb, and the mosquitoes are having a feast." … Down in the park, Wendy stood beside the pavilion, visibly irritated. She chewed her lip in frustration and blasted my phone with calls. I switched my phone to silent mode and ignored every call. Eventually, she gave up and sent a voice message to the group chat instead. "Give it some time." Her voice reached everyone, and I heard it clearly. "I've been encouraging her all I can. Even bought her some clothes at the mall yesterday." Her voice was filled with resignation and regret. "Still, she's not brave enough to face her own feelings. I'm disappointed with her." Even now, she was still putting on an act. "Doing it for her own good? That's what you call exposing photos of her old self?" Jonathan suddenly spoke, and he looked at Wendy coldly. Wendy tightened her grip on her phone. Then, almost immediately, tears welled in her eyes. "You got it all wrong, Jonathan." She stepped forward, already sobbing. "I've taken care of her for three years. Went to the hospital with her, had my meals with her, and even defended her when people bullied her because of her weight. "That photo's just a joke. I want her to get over it and be a happier girl. Why do you insist on making me the villain?" She wiped her tears as if she was the victim here. Jonathan tossed the fallen leaf in his hand away. "Did you get her permission before you posted that?" He stood up and approached Wendy. The guy towered over her, and the pressure was overwhelming as he stared at her. "You use the past she never wanted anyone to see just to get some laughs out of the guys at school. You call that taking care of her?" Wendy's performance faltered. Her face went white, and she stepped back, feeling nervous. Wendy wanted to retort, but Jonathan's intimidating aura kept her quiet. It was almost six. She clenched her teeth and looked at the empty entrance. She took a deep breath and gestured at the fake mountain. "Guess she's too chicken to show up." She raised her voice so everyone could hear her. "Let's start the countdown, guys! We'll end this fiasco for her!" Excited murmurs came from every hiding place. They sounded almost thrilled that the show was about to begin. "Ten." "Nine." "Eight." I opened up the rusty door and descended the stairs. "Three." Harold turned on the speaker just to hype things up. Sounds of elephants stomping and trumpeting echoed in the air, reverberating around the park. Bursts of laughter echoed around the trees. "Two." "One." The countdown was over. I stepped into the park, my light, crisp footsteps covering the amusing sound effects. The laughter stopped completely. Everyone held their phones up, aiming at the entrance. I walked out from beneath the shadows of the wisteria and into the setting sunlight. There was no neon-pink tutu. No exaggerated costume. No double chin. I was in a simple white tee and fitting jeans, and a canvas bag was slung over my back. The shape of my toned waist and defined shoulders was just visible beneath the fabric. Every face behind those cameras went blank with shock. I stopped before Jonathan and smiled at him. "Good evening, Jonathan. Sorry to keep you waiting."