1 I'M HOME.

The shrill sound of the alarm clock in Michaela's room rang out, loud and clear, waking her up from her peaceful sleep.

"Ugh!."

She grunted and sat up slowly, taking a staggering look around her room. It was a big room, decorated simply, just as she liked it. The bed was at the furthest corner from the door, with a bedside table right beside it. A lamp and an alarm clock where her Tv rested, a game console sat right underneath it. Her window had a window seat, which she used very often when she wanted to read, think, or just to watch people passing by the street below.

On either side of the widow was a dresser with a mirror attached to it and a vanity table. She chose to set her bookshelf at the foot of her bed so she didn't have to get all the way out of bed when she needed a book. The shelf was half filled with books and half filled with little mementos, which consisted of a rock she found during a vacation to the beach she took with her mother when she was 4, a few 1st place ribbons she won in elementary school at spelling bee contests and science fairs.

She also used the shelf to place the many souvenirs that her father brought back from his many expeditions to different countries.

Michaela got up from bed and walked over to her mirror. Staring at her reflection, she said,

"Yup, still fat."

She placed her hand on her stomach and shook it a little, causing it to jiggle. It was 6:45am; Mateo would be here to pick her up soon. She quickly changed into her towel and headed to the bathroom. She took her time because she wouldn't have to worry about what to wear. There weren't many options for a person her size so she didn't bother with dressing and make-up.

After showering, she took a quick look at her phone, checking for any missed calls, none. She sighed and took out her clothes for today, a blue jean and grey sweatshirt. She tied her autumn hair in a ponytail, grabbed her bag and phone and headed downstairs. She stuffed her glasses into the living room was empty and dark. Her father wasn't home.

"He's never home." she thought sadly.

Her father is an archaeological explorer, so his work often takes him to different parts of the country for weeks at a time. Since Michaela's mother, Laura, died, his travelling became more frequent. It was his way of coping with the change, leaving Michaela home alone.

She sighed and went to the fridge. Knowing that there wasn't any food inside, she opened it anyways, stared, and took an apple. She heard the sound of his car before her cell rang. It was Mateo. She answered, even though he was right outside, and waled over to look out the window.

"Hey Mitch, you ready yet? I'm outside!"

"No, Mat." she said dramatically, "I totally can NOT see your car from the window."

"Whatever. Just get your ass out here or we're going to be late."

She hung up, opened the door and stepped outside, "Bye dad!" she called and locked the door.

"Your dad is home?" Mateo asked.

"Nah," Michaela said with a smile.

He gave her a look, "You are so weird." He said before starting the car.

She knew he was worried about her, but she was grateful that he didn't push it. she didn't want to talk about it.

When they got to school, they were among the last to arrive, so they had to run to make it inside on time. The distance was not much but it was enough to make Michaela breathless. Mateo on the other hand was perfectly fine. He wasn't muscular, but he was fit and tall. Still breathing hard, Michaela glanced at him with narrowed eyes, jeslous.

"The fact that your breathing didn't change, even after running is unfair."

Mateo smirked and pushed his glasses up his nose in a geeky way. "Not everyone can be as cool as me."

"Whatever you say four-eyes."

"That is not an insult, people that wear glasses in anime are always hot." He says.

Michaela shakes her head. "Well we are definitely not in an anime, i would know because I'm still fat." He laughed. She was right though. He was the only one she could joke about her weight with.

The bell rang for first period. They had different classes so they had to separate.

"See you at lunch M." Mateo called and ran off.

Mat had been calling her M for as long as she could remember. She met him at the start of high school, when she was at her lowest. He was the only one who didn't make fun of her size like everyone else, but instead, stood up for her. Even though he was a nerd, like her, he was the good looking and popular kind of nerd and he became her closest friend.

She shook her head, "What am I spacing out for, I'm going to be late to class."

She said to herself and hurried to English. She took a few breaths before she opened the door and stepped inside. The class that was noisy immediately became quiet. All eyes were on her. She hated English because the bullying was much worse here than anywhere else. Maybe it was because the triplets, the three meanest girls in the whole school, had this class with her, or maybe it was because Mateo wasn't there with her.

Michaela kept her head down as she walked to her seat. As soon as she sat down, the eldest of the three, and the leader, Trixie, spoke.

"Gosh. I feel really bad for that chair."

They all laughed, Michaela rolled her eyes.

"Good one." She said flatly.

The teacher walked in at that moment, diffusing the tension. It wasn't over, Michaela knew it. She would be back again at lunch, she always is.

Classes went by in a blur and soon it was time for lunch. She found their usual table and sat down. Mateo wasn't there yet, so it was just her. Mateo used to have a lot of friends, but since he started hanging out with her, they all left. She felt guilty about it but when she tried to talk to him, he brushed her off.

"You're more fun than all of them anyways." He would say.

She was lost in thought so she didn't notice when he placed his tray of food beside hers and sat down.

"Where are your glasses?" He asked, ignoring the fact that she was staring into space.

"In my bag, I don't want to wear them."

He gave her an unreadable look, but said nothing.

"So how were classes? Did the three piggies give you any trouble?"

"Fine fine, nothing that I'm not used to."

He frowned, "You shouldn't have to get used to something like this." He pushed his glasses up his nose. He was going into protective mode.

"Calm down papa bear. I'm fine, okay? Come over today so I can kick your ass in Mortal kombat. Maybe then you'd believe me." She smirked and took out the apple she grabbed at home.

His frown morphed into a smile. "Don't get full of yourself. Your luck ends today." He said while pinching her cheek. He had never been able to hold his victory against her for long. The clicking of heels interrupted them, it was the triplets.

"Well, well, if it isn't our very own planet and her orbit." Trixie said with a fake smile. She was flanked by her sisters, Melanie and Annie. Michaela kept quiet, Mateo was the one to speak, as always.

"Hello piggies, don't you get tired of digging for dirt?"

Trixie's smile twitched, but stayed in place. Michaela spoke up, confident because Mateo was with her.

"No, they don't. They're animals. Animals only have a one track mind." Mateo chuckled.

Melanie, the second eldest, was the one to speak this time. "Good for you, making a healthy choice." She said, gesturing to the apple in Michaela's hand. "But it's already too late sweetie. Nothing is changing that size." The three of them cackled before sashaying away.

She felt defeated. Everyone always made fun of her size, as though her being ashamed of it wasn't enough. She could feel the anger rolling off Mateo.

"Who the fuck said that it's not right to hit a girl, what happened to gender equality?"

Michaela laughed, despite what she was feeling. He stared at her as though she was crazy. Mateo always said unexpected things. "Let it go Mat. They're just your typical mean girls from every stereotype movie and anime. Those ones can only talk, they can't do."

When classes were over, Mateo drove Michaela back home. He couldn't stay over because something came up at home. He dropped her off, said goodbye and left. The first thing she noticed when she turned to her house was that the lights in the living room were on. She tried the door and it swung open, so she panicked. She was grateful for the pepper spray she always had with her.

"What am I going to do? Pepper spray them to death?" She thought.

"Hello?" she called when she walked inside. This is how everyone in a horror movie dies, with a 'hello'. She sighed.

"Teddy? Is that you?"

It sounded like her father's voice. He was also the only one that called her Teddy. She dropped the spray and dashed to the kitchen where the voice came from. She hadn't seen him in three months. His back was to her, he turned around and smiled, his eyes softened.

"Hey teddy, I'm home."

"Dad?."