Categories > Original > Poetry
"Water fills me up fine, thank you."
The waitress looks at me in disgust, and I look down.
I know, I know
"You sure you don't want something to eat?" Dan asks.
"No, no thank you" I reply.
The table is silent.
My friends are staring at me.
I thought this would just be another friend outing.
Apparently not.
They just want to confirm their thoughts.
It's confirmed when I take a breadstick and pick at it
Just to reassure them.
They know it's just for reassurance.
They all sigh.
I eat a bit of the breadstick.
And I want to cry.
"Another calorie." My mind whispers.
"Nice going, fattie"
"You want some more to eat, pig?"
My mind picks at me.
And picks.
And picks.
"I'll just jog an extra mile tomorrow"
I think.
But the damage is done.
My friends are talking about comics, grades, upcoming school events.
And I'm here, gaining weight.
"So, Angie, you've lost some weight", Felicity comments.
I nod
"Yep. I get that a lot"
It's not even a compliment at this point.
It's a statement.
Another flaw.
Another reason why I'm so fucked up.
We all know it.
"One risotto for the gal here"
The waitress smiles at Felicity and hands her the plate.
The waitress is different from the cold looking red head.
"One mushroom soup for this gentleman"
She hands Dan his plate carefully.
"One Lentil Soup for the other gentleman"
She hands Jay his soup.
And when I think she's gonna leave, she hands me a plate.
"And one plate of spaghetti for the beautiful girl"
She says.
"Oh, I didn't order-"
She stops me with a smile.
"It's on the house."
She leaves.
"SHE WANTS THE V"
Jay screams,
Errupting into a fit of giggles,
My friends joining along.
They don't notice the post it note I was handed along with the plate.
I don't notice
Until I set my plate down
And the note flies into my lap.
It's a neatly folded note.
Not too big.
But that note contained something big
That changed my life.
Dina told me about the skinny, sad looking girl at the table. She rushed to me and told me
"Angela! There's a girl at Table 6. I think she's going through the same thing you went through!"
Dina's been my friend since the 2nd grade. She's seen my highs, and my very low in the eleventh grade. My low was being in the same seat you're in. I'm going to tell you what she told me:
I flipped the note to the back
"You're perfect.
You'll always be perfect.
You've always been perfect.
You don't need to prove yourself to anyone.
You're just perfect the way you are."
Tears filled up in my eyes.
I smiled, and,
After about two months,
I started eating.
***********
2 Years Later
"Felicity, shut up! I do not like John!"
I blushed, finishing my spaghetti.
"Come on! Admit it!" Dan chimed in.
"We all know you want him" Jay laughed.
I rolled my eyes and finished drinking my water.
"Water will fill me up just fine, thank you."
I heard in the booth behind me.
I looked back to see a sad girl, no older than 16, smiling sheepishly at her friends.
I reached into my bag
And got some paper
And a pen.
I quickly wrote on the paper and folded the note.
"Excuse me, waitress!"
I chimed.
A waitress came right over.
I handed her money and the note.
"Send a plate of spaghetti to that girl, along with my note"
I said, pointing at the sad girl.
The waitress nodded.
"Let's go, guys"
I said, everyone agreeing,
Having finished their meals.
The girl got her plate of spaghetti.
"Enjoy your spaghetti"
I whispered on my way out.
She looked at me, confusion lining her face.
I walked out.
Through the window,
I could see the girl
Reading the note.
She smiled,
Waved at me,
And began to eat
Having read the same words I read
Just two years ago
At Table 6
Thanks to a certain, friendly
Blonde waitress.
The waitress looks at me in disgust, and I look down.
I know, I know
"You sure you don't want something to eat?" Dan asks.
"No, no thank you" I reply.
The table is silent.
My friends are staring at me.
I thought this would just be another friend outing.
Apparently not.
They just want to confirm their thoughts.
It's confirmed when I take a breadstick and pick at it
Just to reassure them.
They know it's just for reassurance.
They all sigh.
I eat a bit of the breadstick.
And I want to cry.
"Another calorie." My mind whispers.
"Nice going, fattie"
"You want some more to eat, pig?"
My mind picks at me.
And picks.
And picks.
"I'll just jog an extra mile tomorrow"
I think.
But the damage is done.
My friends are talking about comics, grades, upcoming school events.
And I'm here, gaining weight.
"So, Angie, you've lost some weight", Felicity comments.
I nod
"Yep. I get that a lot"
It's not even a compliment at this point.
It's a statement.
Another flaw.
Another reason why I'm so fucked up.
We all know it.
"One risotto for the gal here"
The waitress smiles at Felicity and hands her the plate.
The waitress is different from the cold looking red head.
"One mushroom soup for this gentleman"
She hands Dan his plate carefully.
"One Lentil Soup for the other gentleman"
She hands Jay his soup.
And when I think she's gonna leave, she hands me a plate.
"And one plate of spaghetti for the beautiful girl"
She says.
"Oh, I didn't order-"
She stops me with a smile.
"It's on the house."
She leaves.
"SHE WANTS THE V"
Jay screams,
Errupting into a fit of giggles,
My friends joining along.
They don't notice the post it note I was handed along with the plate.
I don't notice
Until I set my plate down
And the note flies into my lap.
It's a neatly folded note.
Not too big.
But that note contained something big
That changed my life.
Dina told me about the skinny, sad looking girl at the table. She rushed to me and told me
"Angela! There's a girl at Table 6. I think she's going through the same thing you went through!"
Dina's been my friend since the 2nd grade. She's seen my highs, and my very low in the eleventh grade. My low was being in the same seat you're in. I'm going to tell you what she told me:
I flipped the note to the back
"You're perfect.
You'll always be perfect.
You've always been perfect.
You don't need to prove yourself to anyone.
You're just perfect the way you are."
Tears filled up in my eyes.
I smiled, and,
After about two months,
I started eating.
***********
2 Years Later
"Felicity, shut up! I do not like John!"
I blushed, finishing my spaghetti.
"Come on! Admit it!" Dan chimed in.
"We all know you want him" Jay laughed.
I rolled my eyes and finished drinking my water.
"Water will fill me up just fine, thank you."
I heard in the booth behind me.
I looked back to see a sad girl, no older than 16, smiling sheepishly at her friends.
I reached into my bag
And got some paper
And a pen.
I quickly wrote on the paper and folded the note.
"Excuse me, waitress!"
I chimed.
A waitress came right over.
I handed her money and the note.
"Send a plate of spaghetti to that girl, along with my note"
I said, pointing at the sad girl.
The waitress nodded.
"Let's go, guys"
I said, everyone agreeing,
Having finished their meals.
The girl got her plate of spaghetti.
"Enjoy your spaghetti"
I whispered on my way out.
She looked at me, confusion lining her face.
I walked out.
Through the window,
I could see the girl
Reading the note.
She smiled,
Waved at me,
And began to eat
Having read the same words I read
Just two years ago
At Table 6
Thanks to a certain, friendly
Blonde waitress.
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