Torment

Ariana tried to make herself invisible. That would have been impossible even if she was skinny and short, but her size always attracted unwanted attention. She had been the tallest girl at her old school, and a cursory glance at her new classmates made her suspect that this would also be the case here. That in itself would have made her self-conscious enough, but she was also sixty pounds overweight. The added pressure of being the new girl only increased her misery. At least she had friends at her old school, people she'd known since kindergarten. Judging by the way people snickered when the teacher introduced her as a new student, Ariana didn't hold out much hope that they'd befriend her. Sixth grade girls were already becoming obsessed with the popularity that would reign in middle school, and her lovely name wasn't fooling anyone. She didn't fit in with the pretty girls.

She didn't aspire to be popular anyway, so seeking their acceptance wasn't her goal. All she wanted was to avoid harassment by bullies. Nobody had said anything mean to her so far, but lunch and recess would be the real tests she'd have to face.

"Hey, Ariana," a boy called out to her. "Sit here."

She halted her slow shuffle through the cafeteria and looked at him. Trevor Matheson smiled at her and indicated the spot beside him. The long tables had bench seating, and Ariana would never be able to squeeze herself into the space between Trevor and the person sitting a short distance down from him. He smirked while the other kids at his table laughed. As if to increase her mortification, a slim girl sat down in the spot he had mockingly offered to Ariana.

She turned away from their laughter and found a seat at another table. The boy who sat down across from her also smiled at her, but his smile seemed genuine. "Hi, I'm Eric."

"I'm Ariana," she told him.

This friendly boy actually held a conversation with her, and she was relieved to actually be making a friend on her first day at this new school. She learned that Eric had four sisters, all of whom were older than him. "My parents kept trying until they finally had a boy to carry on the family name. It's illogical to have so many kids in today's economy."

"I think it's wonderful to have a big family," she said. "There's only me and my dad."

"Hey, Ariana. I couldn't finish this. Do you want it?" Trevor held out a plate with a half eaten piece of pizza.

Now that she didn't feel so alone, she was angry more than embarrassed. "No."

"Are you sure?" Trevor asked while the slim girl who'd been sitting beside him giggled. She had apparently followed him on his mission to make fun of Ariana.

"Leave me alone." She knew that it was the wrong thing to say to a bully, but his method of messing with her was already getting under her skin. The bullies she'd dealt with in the past had called her names and said mean things to her. She found his false politeness to be even more irritating than open nastiness.

His gaze slid toward Eric. "Oh, do you want to be alone with him? You like nerds? Is that why you didn't want to sit by me?"

Eric flushed, and Ariana wanted to punch Trevor. He knew perfectly well why she couldn't sit beside him. She looked down at the table, hoping that he would leave now that he'd had his fun.

"Ariana Lombardi. Sexy name. Can't blame you for jumping on that one," Trevor needled Eric before finally walking away.

Eric regained his composure. "I see you've met Trevor Matheson, our future STD king."

Ariana laughed, thinking she'd be okay at this school as long as she had Eric's friendship. Time would prove that she'd made a real friend that day, but she'd also acquired something else in Trevor.

Notes:

I know, but this one has been brewing for awhile. Unlike most of my stories, I've got the details of this one pretty well worked out in my mind.