Misery, muffins, and making a scene on Cascade Hall

Josephine Owen

October 17, 2012 6:39 AM

Misery, muffins, and making a scene by Josephine Owen

It had taken three attempts for Josephine to find an outfit that both fit well enough for her to wear and still be able to breathe, and looked reasonably presentable (despite her promises to herself to do more exercise and eat more responsibly, she didn’t seem to be able to keep her word. She couldn’t help it; she just loved food and hated exercise. Besides she was surely due a vertical growth spurt any day now – Jade had over-taken her in height at the end of the summer, and now it was nearly midterm, Josephine’s younger sister practically towered over her. It just wasn’t right. Not to mention Jade was skinny, even though she ate enough to satisfy a manticore). Finally the fifth year Pecari settled on a denim skirt that wasn’t in fashion by any means, but it flared out at the bottom and so hid the size of her thighs, and a purple blouse that was very nearly new. The buttons gaped open over her ample chest area, but Josephine thought that as long as she kept her shoulders tucked in neatly, and moved her arms only from her elbows that she could get away with it. She wore a vest underneath just in case. Considering she yet had to sort out her bird’s nest of hair, conceal the pimple that was threatening to sprawl out on her chin, and find new laces for the ones that were broken in her shoes, she decided that her outfit would have to do.

Arriving at breakfast already exhausted from having spent almost half an hour getting dressed and then re-dressed, and then spilling ink on her completed potions assignment – she’d managed to magically siphon most of it off, muttering under her breath as she did so - Josephine had worked up an appetite. Upon leaving her dormitory she had been determined to only eat one piece of fruit and drink just water, but even as she entered the hall her stomach began to rumble. The Pecari found a seat and felt her resolve weaken. There were double chocolate muffins, Josephine’s number one vice. Already feeling frustrated by the occurrences of the morning, she craved the false comfort of the sugary treat. Momentarily forgetting her straightjacket of a blouse, she reached her arm out to grasp a muffin, stretching right over the table. The strain across her frontage was too much, and two of the buttons spontaneously broke free, pinging themselves across the table and exposing the threadbare vest below. “Oh for Merlin’s sake,” Josephine all but bellowed, practically spitting the last word as she struggled to protect what little dignity she had left by pulling the front of her shirt together whilst still clinging onto the muffin. After less than a second of impossible manoeurves, she glared harshly at the offending cake before throwing it with a great deal of force back into its basket, not caring at all when it bounced back out again to land on the table top, where it lay sadly discarded. “I’ve had enough,” the fifth year declared shrilly, standing up suddenly and lifting a textbook to cover the gape in her attire. She flounced from her seat without even a consideration of consuming the remainder of her meal and made rapidly for the exit with a frown firmly plastered on her face.

In her fury, it was perhaps inevitable that she would collide with another person, yet the odds didn’t increase the enjoyment of such an episode. “So now I’m so fat you can’t even walk around me?” she all but shouted at whoever it was she had stumbled into, before promptly bursting into tears, no longer caring whether she made a scene. Everyone was richer, and prettier, and thinner than she was, and she’d had just about all of it that she could take. Being her sucked.

0 Josephine Owen Misery, muffins, and making a scene 196 Josephine Owen 1 5

Addison Thornton

October 18, 2012 12:00 PM

Oo Muffins? Yum! by Addison Thornton

The stress of the impending CATS Exams had driven Addison into more and more of a tizzy as the year went on. Eating seemed to be the only thing she did other than reading and studying, and that didn’t help her weight in the least. Arista had noticed and tried to convince her sister to go see Medic Bailey, but the fifth year refused. “It would take too much time away from studying… I can’t…” she’d said to her older sister. Arista had given up bothering her sister, knowing how stressed she was, deciding to talk to the Medic if it looked like her sister’s health was going to fail.

The red-headed fifth year Teppenpaw was never found without two things. The first, at least one book. The second, something to eat. That didn’t help her weight gain at all…

There wasn’t a thing she still owned that fit her right, but seeing as she didn’t really pay much attention to herself too much as of late, that didn’t surprise her (even though she sorta was) when she tried to get dressed that morning and not only did her button popped on her favorite pair of jeans. The zipper refused to stay up and her rolls popped out from under her shirt and through her shirt buttons. She tried to button her top most button of her shirt, but it wouldn’t button. This isn’t good… she thought to herself as a tear fell down her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and too much studying, her mouth quivered a bit as she looked around the room at her roommates. Reggie, Maddie, Jess and Hope looked like they were all sleeping. Thank god… she thought as she tiptoed as softly as her weight could do, out of the room, grabbing an extra large sweatshirt, her book bag and the book she’d been studying from when she finally dropped off to sleep, on her way out the door. It wasn’t cold, but she knew that could at least cover her a little bit… I hope…

She walked down the hallway quicker than usual, causing her asthma to flare up a little bit. Reaching into her backpack, she opened up the front pocket, pulled out her inhaler and took her two puffs, standing still to let her medicine take effect. She shook the inhaler once more and frowned. I’ll have to write Mom for another one again… she thought with a sigh and a shake of her head as she kept on walking into the Hall. She opened the heavy doors and walked in, eyes closed, still taking in breaths as deep as she can as her medicine started to work.

Addison didn’t open her eyes until she felt something or someone collide with her. She was standing still, but her eyes were closed. She stumbled, and her eyes opened quickly and words stung her heart and her chin quivered.

“So now I’m so fat you can’t even walk around me?”

“I… I…” Addison stuttered as the girl who’d stumbled into her and or even both had done to each other, she didn’t know anymore, promptly burst into tears. Addison looked down at herself, realizing how truly disgusting she looked, and felt. Looking up at Josephine, she spoke, “I don’t think you’re fat… I’m much fatter than-” she started, before looking down again. “Much MUCH fatter than you are…” she said, getting softer with each word.

0 Addison Thornton Oo Muffins? Yum! 190 Addison Thornton 0 5

Josephine

October 22, 2012 4:10 PM

What a pair we make by Josephine

It was perhaps lucky that she had stumbled into someone from her own yeargroup, with whom Jospehine had at least some familiarity, rather than an impressionable younger student who might have been looking to her for prefectly guidance. Addison didn't yell back at Josephine, or chatise her for being an idiot, drama queen, or for not looking where she was going. In fact she astonished the Pecari by calmly claiming to be much fatter herself. Surprised to the extent that her tears halted instantly, leaving two wet streaks down reddened cheeks as their only evidence, Josephine gaped blankly at Addison for a second. She had never thought that her Teppenpaw counterpart was fat. Actually, if she were honest, Josephine had never thought much about Addison at all. They had been sharing classes for over four years, and they weren't even close to being friends. Amidst the glamour of Carey and Sinclairs, and the ebullience of Reggie and Derry, and the peculiarity of Ayita, it seemed that Addison's relative normality had been over-looked.

"I- I don't think you're fat," Josephine replied to the original stutter. "I can't even get my clothes to fit," she lowered the textbook that had been covering her exposed vest just so she could prove her point to Addison, and then ahe raised the book again, hugging it to her chest. While she still felt horribly self-conscious, she also felt a strangely comforting feeling that she might describe as camaraderie, born from having found another person who might actually understand, if only distantly, how she felt.

Enticed by this notion, she let go a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, and with it came a flood of confessions. "I try really hard not to eat so much," she said, tears welling once again in her eyes, "but I just love food! And James and Jade can just eat and eat and eat and they don't put any weight on at all! I haven't grown an inch taller in a whole year but my waist-line sure keeps growing." She was done being upset again and was heading back to angry. Her situation made her misreable, but when she compared herself to others she became resentful. "And I can't afford new clothes," she added this last part really quietly, because her family's financial situation always made her feel a bit uncomfortable around others her own age.

0 Josephine What a pair we make 0 Josephine 0 5

Addison

October 23, 2012 2:37 PM

Peas in a pod... by Addison

Addison didn't know what to do with herself or with anything going on around her anymore. She was so tired and she just didn't feel right. There was something about those tests that were driving her completely insane. Addi knew that her eating habit was bad, but she didn't know any other way to help herself feel better. But I don't feel better... I look and feel awful... she thought to herself as she noticed Josephine's tears stopped. Addison looked down at her feet, or well, towards her feet as she could no longer see them. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but she pursed her lips and wiped her sweatshirt sleeve across her face to catch the ones she couldn't stop from falling.

Josephine gaped at her, but she didn't see it through her sleeve. Addison didn't really have friends, she never really had, but she'd never realized how overlooked she'd been all those years. She didn't know anyone, not in her yeargroup, not even in her house... The fifth year wasn't even sure if she knew her sisters anymore, nor if they knew her.

"I- I don't think you're fat, I can't even get my clothes to fit,"

Addison tried to sob into her sleeve, but her deep breath popped another botton on her shirt. The botton popped, hit the sweatshirt and bounced back, hitting her square between her neck and her belly button. "Ouch!" she said, slightly moaning, rubbing the spot down. "Not again..." she sobbed lightly, giving up on her sleeve as Josephine lowered her book to reveal the vest. "Mine popped again too... its why I'm wearing a sweatshirt..." she said softly, so only her fellow fifth year could hear her as Josie raised the book back again.

Addison hugged her book to her chest again as well and sobbed softly as a flood of words erupted from Josephine's mouth. Addi's sobs stopped as immediately as her counterpart's tears as she listened.

"I try really hard not to eat so much, but I just love food! And James and Jade can just eat and eat and eat and they don't put any weight on at all! I haven't grown an inch taller in a whole year but my waist-line sure keeps growing."

Addi nodded, understanding completely where her classmate was coming from. Arista and Amira did the same thing, not to mention Andri, Bri and Abi to boot. She hated it.

"And I can't afford new clothes,"

"I know the feeling..." she said, just as softly as Josephine did. "With being the second child of sixteen you dont get too much... Not new anyway, but Rista's clothes don't fit me, haven't in a long time... so..." she said, sighing a deep sigh. She hugged her own book even closer and tighter to her chest and looked right at Josephine. She wanted to understand what was going on here, was this a new bond? Was this a possible friend? Could it be?

0 Addison Peas in a pod... 0 Addison 0 5

Josephine

October 26, 2012 3:25 PM

Round... and, um, green? by Josephine

Amidst continuing feelings of self-doubt, self-loathing and self-conciousness, Josephine was beginning to feel a little relieved at finally being able to be honest about her problems with someone other than herself. She was also experiencing some little retrospective despair at not having spoken to Addison sooner. They were fifth years, for Merlin's sake, and had probably been co-existing in their separate private worlds of anguish for the majority of their time here together. Perhaps they would no longer have to suffer in silence; perhaps they could now begin to find solace in each other.

This comforting thought currently at the forefront of her mind, Josephine tested the proverbial waters as she critically considered the Teppenpaw girl. Addison was big, now that Josephine looked at her, but not to a truly horrible extent. They were both young, Josephine, at last, was intelligent - she honestly couldn't make this judgment on Addison's behalf - and it seemed they might be able to find support in each other. "I'd really like to be a bit smaller," the Pecari girl confided. "I think..." she hesitated before biting the bullet as she pushed on with voicing the remainder of her thought process, "I think it might be easier if we tried it together. What do you think?"

She hoped she hadn't offended Addison, as she'd been aiming for the opposite. If Addison was likewise tired of hating the way she looked and felt, and being lonely in these feelings, then she might appreciate Josephine's offer. They could perhaps have the midterm holiday as an adjustment period, and then when they were back at school they could sit together to monitor each others' meals, and maybe work out some sort of exercise regime that fit in around their schedules. Josephine didn't like the idea of running or Quidditch, but MARS had a dance studio they could use, or perhaps they could swim (so long as nobody else was around to see them in their swimsuits). The more she thought about it, the more Josephine got excited by the prospect, and the keener she became for Addison to accept her offer.

0 Josephine Round... and, um, green? 0 Josephine 0 5

Addison

October 29, 2012 11:19 AM

Round, yes, green, not really... by Addison

"I know the feeling..." she said, just as softly as Josephine did. "With being the second child of sixteen you dont get too much... Not new anyway, but Rista's clothes don't fit me, haven't in a long time... so..." she said, sighing a deep sigh. She hugged her own book even closer and tighter to her chest and looked right at Josephine.

Josephine looked back at her and where Addi would have looked down at her (well, towards her) own feet, she actually stayed looking at Josephine.

"I'd really like to be a bit smaller, I think..." she hesitated "I think it might be easier if we tried it together. What do you think?"

The best part about Josephine’s statement was that it was exactly what Addison had been thinking in her mind, but was too afraid to say it. Too many thoughts ran through her mind, What if she really doesn’t like me? What if she really hates me and is just trying to be nice? What if… Addi hated herself, she had for a long time, and she just didn’t know what else she could have tried to fix herself. This may be what she had been looking for all along…

She had felt completely alone in the world, even around her sisters, which was odd and scary to the fifth year. But now, the Teppenpaw didn’t feel that loneliness as bad anymore. For the first time ever, she had someone who understood her better than even she herself, could…

“That would be awesome…” she said to Josephine. “I don’t think I could do it alone…” she said, hugging her book even closer to her chest. Should I say it? she thought, biting her bottom lip. Yes “I’m really scared… she whispered to her, so that only her fellow fifth year could hear her. Biting her bottom lip even harder, she waited to hear what Josephine would say.

0 Addison Round, yes, green, not really... 0 Addison 0 5