Chapter 2
One year later…
I can’t believe it.
I knew Chloe didn’t like me. She’s only my half-sister, after all. And I knew she’d always been ashamed of me because of my figure. But never in my wildest dreams did I think she would go this far – that she would enter me into a weight loss reality show, for fuck’s sake. What on earth was she thinking?
Well, I thought, I mean to find out.
I park my car, barge through the front door and head to the dining room where Chloe, my father, and my stepmother Vivian have just finished dinner – roast pork from the looks of it--and just the smell of it makes my mouth water, reminding me that I haven’t eaten dinner yet. But I didn’t come to have dinner.
“Stacey, what are you doing here?” Vivian asks, distressed. “You can’t just barge in here like a…like a hurricane.”
Technically, I can, since as far as I know, this is my father’s house. But I didn’t come to argue with her, either.
I look at my sister. “Maybe you should ask Chloe why I’m here. It’s because of her that I got a rather interesting call just now.”
“A call?” She raises a perfectly trimmed eyebrow.
Another thing she’s good at – playing innocent. But she can’t fool me. The woman on the phone gave me her name.
“Surely, you remember entering me in a TV show,” I remind her, crossing my arms over my chest. “Without consulting me, I should add.”
“Oh, that.” Suddenly, she gets up. “Wait. Do you mean you got in?”
“What TV show?” Dad asks, taking a sip from his can of beer.
“I entered her in this weight loss reality show,” Chloe explains. “It’s called ‘Lose It To Win It.’ I can’t believe she got in.”
I sigh. “I can’t believe you never told me. You didn’t even ask me if I wanted to join.”
“I only did it because I care about you,” Chloe argues. “About your health, your social life…”
“I have friends.” At least, I have a few.
“About your future.”
Yeah, right.
“You know what, Chloe?” I step forward. “Why don’t you just admit it? That you want me to lose weight so you can have your perfect family?”
“Stacey,” Dad warns.
I ignore him. “I’ve endured a lot from you, even though I’ve never done you wrong. And being born this way doesn’t count. But if you think I’m going to let this pass, think again. I’m not going to join a fucking weight loss competition just so you can--”
“Stacey, I said that’s enough.”
I stop, knowing the tone well, and the consequences that come from not following it. But even though I’ve stopped talking, I can still feel my anger simmering.
Breathe, Stacey. Just breathe.
“How can you say such things to your sister?” Vivian asks. In her eyes, I am always the villain.
“I only meant she doesn’t have the right to…”
“Chloe didn’t do anything wrong,” Dad says, looking at me. “Like she said, she only entered you because she cares about you. And I think it was a good decision. I think you should go through with this.”
“What?” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Dad, this is my life…”
“And you only have one life to live. It isn’t too late to make the most of it.”
My jaw drops to the floor.
“Your father’s right,” Vivian says. “What do you have to lose? There’s no harm in trying, is there?”
“Listen, Stacey,” Chloe speaks. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first, but I know if I did, you’d back out. I only want you to give yourself a chance to become better. Just do that. Go through with this. And afterwards, I promise that even if you lose, I won’t ever say anything about your weight.”
“See,” Vivian squeezes her daughter’s hand. “Chloe is being such a good sister to you.”
I roll my eyes and look at my Dad, pleading with him to side with me for once, but he remains silent. Not just that. I can tell he wants me to do this. Why? I don’t know exactly. But suddenly, a thought crosses my mind. Maybe if I win, I can finally make my Dad proud of me.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Great!” Vivian cheers. “I’ll bring out the cake so we can celebrate.”
“I’ll tell all my friends you’re on the show,” Chloe says, triumphant grin in place. “And I’ll tell everyone to vote for you, too.”
I force a smile but inside, I can’t help but feel uneasy. What on earth did I just get myself into?
I’m still asking that question as I am driven to the estate where the show will be filmed. I’ve been told it is a property of over twenty hectares which used to belong to some celebrity, so I already know it’s going to be grand. I didn’t know just how grand, though, until the BMW went past the large iron gates and down the winding, private road that led to the driveway of the mansion.
In spite of my reluctance to join the competition, I can’t help but whistle as I gaze at the oversized windows of the mansion. Wow. Am I really going to be living here for five months?
As I step through the front doors, a woman leads me down the hall to the elevator. The mansion has its own elevator? It goes all the way up to the roof deck, where there is a swimming pool, a garden, an outdoor fireplace and other things. I see some men and women gathered, too, all just as large or even larger than I am, and I am just about to join in when I recognize one of them.
Olive skin. Dark brown hair. Dazzling smile.
There’s only one woman I know with such beautiful features, and I remember her all too well.
“Camille!”
Chapter 3
My heart stops as Camille turns her head, my face lighting up.
To my disappointment, however, she doesn’t react the same way, reacting as if she had seen a ghost before turning her head quickly away, pretending she never saw me.
My heart sinks. Why? Did I do something wrong?
Maybe she’s mad because I didn’t try to get in touch with her? But I did try. I called up directory assistance. I searched for her in the social networking platforms. Nothing. Maybe she’s mad that I didn’t go after her? I can’t blame her. I’ve scolded myself countless times for that, too.
But I can explain. I can make up for it.
I walk towards her, but she seems to see me coming and she moves away, making it clear that she doesn’t want me near her.
A lump forms in my throat. Why? Why is she treating me the way Chloe, Vivian and my Dad do? I thought she was different. I thought she was just like me…
“You know Camille Parker?” a woman, one of the other contestants, approaches me.
Parker? I thought her last name was Wallace.
“I’ve met her once,” I confess. “Why? Do you know her, too?”
“I saw her on a magazine before.”
I raise an eyebrow. “A magazine?”
“What? Don’t tell me you don’t know she used to be a model? Yeah, she used to be skinny and hot but look at her now, just like us.”
“What happened to her?” I ask curiously.
“Her boyfriend left her. Lost a baby. She never recovered.”
I am stunned. At the same time, I feel like I want to bang my head against a wall. Why don’t I know about this? It makes me realize how little Camille and I know about each other. Yes, we talked about lots of stuff, but they were random, unimportant stuff. We’re strangers. No wonder she’s treating me like one.
“How about you? What’s your story?”
“None,” I answer. “I’ve been this way all my life. You?”
“Same. My name’s Jessica, by the way.”
“Stacey.”
As Jessica prattles on, I look at Camille, following her with my gaze. What else don’t I know about her?
I might not know Camille, but I remember how it felt to touch her, to have her lips against mine, and I remember it so well that I end up dreaming about her.
When I wake up in the queen-sized feather bed, parts of me are wet and swollen.
I frown. Staring at the ceiling, I am tempted to touch myself, to brush my fingers against my garden of soft curls and stroke the bud blooming there, the mere thought of which makes me shiver. But then I realize that I am thirsty, and so I get up and head downstairs to the kitchen, which I have been told is always open.
To my surprise, there is someone else there.
Camille.
Again, my heart stops, but I tell myself to stay calm. Now is my chance to talk to her.
“Small world, huh?” I say as I walk to the fridge. “Who would have thought we’d see each other again?”
She says nothing, munching on the apple in her hand.
“It’s either crazy or genius. First, we meet at some overseas hotel and now, we’re both in a reality show. I mean, what are the odds?”
Still nothing.
I pour myself a glass of water. “Anyway, how have you been? You look good.”
Frankly, I think she gained a few pounds, but what does it matter? She’s still beautiful. Besides, I probably gained more.
“We talked about losing weight, but I bet you never thought we’d end up in some weight loss reality show like this. Did you enter, or did someone enter you?”
“I entered.”
Finally, I get to hear her voice again.
“My sister, Chloe, entered me. I was angry at first, but what the heck? When life gives you a ticket to a weight loss competition, I guess that’s the way of the universe telling you you’ve crossed the line.”
Again, she is silent.
“Anyway, at least I get to live here for a while. Can you imagine this place? It must cost billions, and we haven’t even seen all of it. My room’s fit for a queen, and this kitchen’s amazing. Plus if we win, we’ll get a trip to Japan, a lifetime membership at a world-class gym and 150 grand. Can you imagine that? I don’t even know what I’d do with…”
“I think I’ll go to sleep now.”
She throws the apple core into the wastebasket and leaves.
I watch her leave, and again, I am tempted to go after her, but am unable to. What do I have to do to be friends with her again?
Chapter 4
“Good morning, losers!” Jon Fowler, the host of the show, arrives at the patio. “I hope you’ve enjoyed staying at the mansion thus far, but starting today, you’ll have to prove you deserve to be here. Today, the competition begins, and hopefully, a new chapter of a better life for all of you. I’ve heard about all your stories and I know you’ve all had it rough. Well, it’s about to get rougher. To start off, we’ll group you into four teams, then you’ll be assigned trainers who will tell you what you have to do today to start losing and winning.”
As the box of buttons goes around, I hold my breath, secretly hoping that I get to be on the same team with Camille. A few seconds later, my prayer is answered. Camille and I are both on the blue team, along with three others – two guys, named Randy and Don, and another woman, named Millie.
Inside, I’m jumping for joy, thinking that Camille and I must really be destined to be together in some way, but I restrain myself, especially since Camille doesn’t look happy at all. Well, hopefully that will change.
We meet our trainer, Eric, at the driveway. My attention, though, is more on the bicycles behind him.
No fucking way.
“To start off, we’re going cycling,” Eric announces. “Don’t worry. These bicycles are heavy-duty. Each of you will ride one down the marked path to the end, which is just about 300 meters. You can do that, right?”
The guys nod, but I don’t.
“First one to finish is eligible for a prize, so do your best. Come on. On your bikes.”
I reluctantly get on mine. I don’t even know if I remember how to ride a bike. I only tried it a few times. After the bike broke, I never got back on the seat. But I suppose there’s only one way to find out.
After a few tries and nearly falling over, I manage to get my balance. I don’t celebrate, though. The hard part is about to begin.
“Ready?” Eric shouts. “Time starts…now!”
We all start pedaling. I try. I feel like that the bike will give way any second, but it holds, and I move forward, a little at a time. Camille is doing a better job than me, already ahead, but after a while, she slows down and I catch up with her.
“Are you alright?” I ask her, as I realize she is panting heavily.
She nods.
I don’t know if she is still insisting on not speaking to me, or if she’s too tired to speak. I know, though, that she is struggling, her face red.
“Maybe you shouldn’t push yourself too hard.”
“I’m fine,” she says finally. “Just leave me alone, okay?”
“Okay.”
She pushes forward, and I don’t try to catch up to her. This time, I know that even if I want to, I can’t. Fine. I’ll leave her alone for now, though I’m not sure how long I can resist.
I’m pretty sure it won’t be long.
The moment I hear that Camille and another contestant, Helen, are arguing in the kitchen after dinner, I run there as fast as I can, even though my legs are aching like hell. Even from several feet away, I can hear them shouting.
“What? You think you’re better than the rest of us because you used to be famous? You think you deserve some special treatment?”
“I didn’t say anything like that. I was just…”
“Why don’t you just say it then? It’s creepy how you just keep looking at all of us like we’re pieces of meat.”
“I do not look at you like that. Why would I? I’m just the same as all of you.”
“Fuck that.”
“I…”
“Hey,” I interrupt after catching my breath. “Quit it, will you? We’re all tired. We shouldn’t waste energy fighting.”
“She started it,” Helen says like a five-year-old.
I roll my eyes. “Whatever she said, you probably just misunderstood her.”
“How would you know? You weren’t here.”
“Because I know her. I know her better than all of you and I know she’d never start a fight.”
Helen snorts, but doesn’t utter another word as she gets back to washing the dishes. I follow Camille as she leaves the kitchen, all the way upstairs, until she stops in front of her bedroom door.
“What?” She whirls around. “Are you waiting for me to thank you?”
“No. I…”
“I’m fine. I could have handled it. I don’t need your help.”
“I…”
“You think you know me, but you don’t. You don’t know the first thing about me.”
“I know you’re a good person. As for the rest, I’d love to have the chance to…”
“You want to know me? Fine. Let me tell you something. I never wanted to see you again. Because…because you took advantage of me, and I hate people like you. Now, please leave me alone. I don’t want anything to do with you anymore.”
With that, she disappears into her room, slamming the door in my face.
Chapter 5
I took advantage of her.
The accusation keeps playing in my head as I stare at the ivory ceiling.
I took advantage of her?
As far as I know, I’ve never taken advantage of anyone in all my life. If anything, I’m the one always being taken advantage of, because there are people who think I’m stupid just because of my body, as if intelligence depends on your waistline. Worse, there are people who treat me as if I’m not human at all. Maybe Camille is the same. Maybe she’s been treated like trash and taken advantage of by a lot of people. But does that include me?
I took advantage of her?
How? By bringing her up to my room so I could fix her blouse? By touching her breasts after she gave me permission to? By kissing her, to have her kiss me back?
No matter how many times I think about it, I can’t brin
g myself to believe I took advantage of her. All I did was help her, laugh with her, admire her, love her. And you know what? I still love her. I realized that as soon as I saw her again.
Then why does Camille feel that way? I wonder. Why does the woman I love hate me so much?
I fall asleep before the answers come to me.
When morning comes, I still have no answers. I also find that I don’t have an appetite for breakfast, and as we proceed to our trainers, my mind wanders off. Eric is talking, but his words go in one ear and out the other.
Somehow, I find myself in my swimsuit in the pool. My eyes wander over to Camille, who is wearing a yellow one-piece swimsuit. If not for last night, I would have whistled, but I can’t. All I can think of now is how I lost her without even trying.
Am I such a horrible person? All my life, all I’ve ever done is live. I’ve never hurt anyone intentionally. I’ve never stolen anything. Well, alright, maybe I stole a few cookies from the cookie jar in my childhood when no one was looking. Still, I’ve done my best to be a good person, even when the people around me were cruel. So why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? It’s not like I asked to be this big. And believe me, I’ve tried to be smaller, to be better, because in the minds of most people, those two are the same. But each time I feel like I’m making progress, something happens and I sink into the mud again, deeper than before.
I hate it. I hate me. I hate my life.
As those thoughts fill my head, I find myself moving more and more slowly, or maybe everyone around me is just moving fast, so fast that they are becoming a blur before my eyes. It hurts to watch, so I close my eyes, but then I find that I can’t open them anymore, and the next thing I know, it is hard for me to breathe, and the last thing I hear is Camille’s voice shouting my name before it suddenly becomes icy cold.
And dark.
When I open my eyes again, Camille is there beside me, along with Eric and two women in white – one a nurse, and the other probably a doctor.
“How are you feeling?” the doctor asks.
I don’t answer. I don’t know the answer.
“You passed out earlier in the pool,” Eric explains, sensing my confusion. “You almost drowned, but we saved you. Dr. Anderson here says you should take the rest of the day off.”
Hang Em' Up: A Bad Boy Sports Pregnancy Romance Page 44