I heard the doorbell ring and immediately leaped from the bed, rushing through the doorway of my bedroom. After showering, I’d ordered a pizza. Tyler had gone skateboarding with friends, leaving me alone for the afternoon.
Expecting the delivery driver, I opened the door to find a man—slender, dressed in a black polo shirt, black skinny jeans, and wearing a Rolex that looked expensive enough to finance a small country.
His platinum blonde hair fell forward onto his forehead, and his piercing blue eyes shone in the dim light from the lamp near the couches. This wasn’t the pizza guy. A pizza delivery driver couldn’t afford a Rolex, not while delivering pizzas.
“Who are you—I have pepper spray!” I warned, reaching for my purse on the table by the door. I was ready to unleash a little Kung Fu on his ass if necessary.
“Relax, sweetheart. I’m Kane, your brother’s roommate,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Then why don’t you have your own key?” I squinted, studying him with suspicion. Surely he had a key; he *lived* here.
“Well, your dumbass brother lost his. He begged me to lend him mine, so I did. He said he’d be here to unlock the door for me,” he explained, raising an eyebrow, clearly realizing Tyler had forgotten all about him.
“He’s gone skating with his goon friends.” I stepped aside, letting him in. He closed the door behind him as I sank onto the big, comfy couch.
He chuckled, shaking his head as if recalling a private joke, a bright smile spreading across his handsome face.
“So you’ve met his friends before?” he asked, heading to the kitchen to grab a bowl from one of the white cabinets.
“Yeah, a few. Like Conner. That kid’s a dumb sh*t.” I said, remembering past events.
I remembered during Winter break last year, Tyler and Conner had come home for Christmas. Conner had tried to make small talk and jokes during Christmas Eve dinner, but ended up deeply offending my parents. It was the most hilarious thing I’d ever witnessed.
“Yeah, Conner’s a little slow, but he’s a good guy.” Kane poured milk into his bowl of cereal, grabbed a spoon from the drawer, and walked toward me, settling into the small sofa chair.
The doorbell rang again, and I sprang up, almost sprinting to the door. I nearly bowed down to bless the man delivering my pizza.
“Oh my god, you’re my hero!” I grabbed the pizza box from his hands and placed it on the kitchen counter, handing the delivery man a ten-dollar bill.
Closing the door, I hopped back onto the couch with my pizza. I opened the box and took a moment to admire the beautiful masterpiece.
“You must really like pizza,” Kane said, watching me as I began to inhale the cheesy aroma.
“I’m fat, okay—piss off,” I hissed. I grabbed a slice and stuffed half of it into my mouth.
“You aren’t fat, not at all.” He replied, probably just trying to be nice, but I didn’t need his pity.
“You know what, Kane? You’re funny,” I said, my mouth full of dough and sauce. “You should become a comedian.” I snarled sarcastically.
Kids at school always called me Ms. Piggy because I was…bigger than most girls. Mostly around my waist, but I felt like my weight was profoundly embarrassing. My insecurities were the ultimate reason I’d never had a boyfriend. So now, I’d just flat out admit it.
“Trust me, Quinn, you aren’t—” He tried, but I cut him off.
“I know boys at school called me Ms. Piggy. I’m completely aware of my fatness, thank you very much. So I’d appreciate it if you stopped trying to be nice and just let it go.” I hissed, genuinely annoyed at this point.
“That’s the point, Quinn. They’re boys, real men go for thick girls.” Kane stood up, placing his empty bowl in the sink before heading toward his room.
After he left, the word “thick” floated above my head. I’d never thought of my…size as “thick.” The thought sent a strange, fuzzy feeling through me. Even if it was just one person thinking it, it still counted, right?
“Wassup Q, it’s been long.” Conner’s obnoxious voice startled me. Tyler was back, with Conner.
“Oh hey Conner. Well, I’ma go now.” I awkwardly shuffled out of the room, trying to escape those two monkeys.