I was born with stunning beauty. When I was born, doctors and nurses were instantly speechless. Every day, long lines formed outside the nursery, with people craning their necks to catch a glimpse. The media reported on it for three days straight, and I trended online for a month. In preschool, kids would fight over the spot next to me during naptime. My parents, frustrated, moved me from one school to another. Until I turned five, and my inner foodie awakened. In just a few years, I ate myself into a little ball. Looking at my chubby face, my parents smiled with relief. "A little chubby is fine, as long as Summer is happy." From then on, my life was peaceful and calm. Until a class dinner after the SATs, when Scarlett Lane, the prettiest girl in class, chuckled: "They say every chubby person is a diamond in the rough. Summer Reed would probably be gorgeous if she lost weight." One of the boys even chimed in: "If Summer loses weight and is half as pretty as Scarlett, I'll ask her out!" "Oh, just losing weight won't be enough, Summer would have to go under the knife..." Their words didn't stir a single emotion in me. I just looked down, bothered by a message from my mom. [The doctor said being overweight isn't good for your health, Summer. You have to start dieting today! Otherwise, Mom's taking away all your dolls!] I sighed. For the sake of my precious dolls, this weight had to go.
Snickers kept ringing out in the restaurant. Everyone saw me with my head down, not speaking, and assumed I'd been hit where it hurt, too ashamed to utter a sound. A few classmates exchanged glances, a playful look flashing across their faces, and continued: "I heard Scarlett and Summer both got into NYU's Fine Arts department, right? So you'll be classmates in college too." "NYU is lucky; it's about to welcome a super beauty. Scarlett's definitely going to be the school queen for the next four years." "Summer, don't you dare say you were high school classmates with Scarlett when college starts, you'll embarrass her." Scarlett was sitting across from me, a smug smirk on her lips, but she said humbly: "Oh, don't say that, guys. NYU's Fine Arts department is known for its beautiful students, and who knows, maybe Summer will be even prettier than me when she slims down." As soon as she finished speaking, the table erupted in a chorus of snickers. Maya Green, my deskmate and friend, couldn't take it anymore and nudged my arm under the table. I finally pulled my attention away from my phone, looking blankly at everyone. "Huh? What's up?" Just then, the waiter pushed the door open. I sniffed, my eyes lighting up. "Steak! My favorite!" As soon as the dish was on the table, I couldn't wait to grab a large piece and happily started munching. The dining table fell silent for a moment, then everyone burst into laughter. "Scarlett, you overestimated her. Summer? She'll never lose weight in her life!" "And that whole 'every chubby person is a diamond in the rough' thing? It's just a load of crap. An ugly duckling is just an ugly duckling, no matter how much weight they lose." "Summer, maybe eat a little less. You might never find a boyfriend, you know." Maya fumed, clenching her fists, about to retort on my behalf. I grabbed her hand and put a piece of rib in her bowl. "Maya, try this. It's super delicious!" Seeing my calm face, completely unfazed by their words, a flicker of resentment flashed in Scarlett's eyes. Her gaze landed on a certain face, and she smiled as if by accident. "Summer won't be looking for a boyfriend, otherwise, Dylan will get mad." I looked at her strangely. What does my dating life have to do with Dylan Hayes? But as soon as she said that, a few classmates instantly caught on and started cheering loudly: "Oh yeah, didn't Dylan often discuss problems with Summer?" "Summer's not good at math, and Dylan even tutored her." "I heard they're neighbors! Aren't they practically childhood sweethearts!" "Hehe, is our class about to have a new couple?" Mocking glances fell on Dylan, who was seated diagonally from me. He lowered his head, his fair face turning a little red. Everyone kept cheering, asking if he was shy. I frowned slightly. After moving to this city in middle school, Dylan became our neighbor. Dylan's parents were busy with work and no one cooked at home. So my parents would often invite him over for dinner. He was very grateful to us, and when he learned I wasn't good at math, he offered to tutor me. But all that was just out of neighborly and classmate kindness. How did it sound so trashy coming out of their mouths? I was about to protest when Dylan suddenly slammed his fork down, his face flushing with furious embarrassment. "I just felt sorry for her! Who would ever like that pig, Summer!" As his words hung in the air, the entire private room fell into a dead silence. The words I was about to say to explain for him caught in my throat, and I silently swallowed them back down.
The silence lasted for about ten seconds. Everyone exchanged bewildered glances. Suddenly, someone snickered. "We were just kidding, Dylan. Don't take it seriously." They said it was a joke, but their faces showed a satisfied expression. "Yeah, our Dylan is so handsome, he can get any girlfriend he wants. Why would he ever be with Summer?" Someone even pretended to comfort me, patting my shoulder. "Don't be sad, Summer." Scarlett concealed the satisfaction in her eyes, feigning annoyance at Dylan for a few words. Then she picked up a piece of fried chicken and put it in my bowl. "Summer, don't worry about it so much. Eat more." But I put down my fork and started wiping my mouth. "I'm done. You guys carry on. I'm leaving." Actually, I was only five-parts full. But due to my mother's threat, I had to painfully give it up. As I walked towards the door, I passed Dylan's seat. Brushing past him, I said flatly: "Dylan, you're pretty spineless." His face instantly went pale. He wanted to distance himself from me. I understood. After all, in this class, anyone who was friends with me would be maliciously targeted by Scarlett and her clique. But what truly angered me was that not long before college entrance exams, he had sworn to me. He hated Scarlett's crew. He would firmly stand by me and would never do anything to hurt a classmate like them. But in that moment, I realized how much he hated being associated with me. Forget it. Just consider it seeing a friend's true colors. As soon as I left the private room, my friend Maya Green ran after me. She hooked her arm through mine and said: "I don't want to eat with them either. You didn't get enough to eat, did you, Summer? Come on, let's go to the food truck park!" "I heard some new food trucks opened, and their loaded fries are to die for!" I wiped away the drool that was about to escape, and reluctantly refused: "No more eating! I'm starting my diet." Maya's eyes widened. This was the first time I'd ever refused her food invitation. She thought of something and said anxiously: "Summer, don't listen to them. I really always thought you were beautiful, you..." I smiled and cut her off, explaining that my mother had issued the threat. When she learned it was my own decision, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, patting my shoulder and saying: "Go for it! I'll be supporting you from the sidelines!" I'm 5'7", and my current weight is 170 pounds. According to international BMI, if I lose weight down to around 120-130 pounds, I'll be in the healthy range. I spent a day creating a diet plan. Mom reviewed it and nodded in satisfaction. "Don't worry, Summer. Mom will strictly follow the meal plan and make your diet food!" Dad, however, looked pained. "Just a few vegetable leaves, will that be enough to eat? Summer, maybe we shouldn't lose weight after all..." Unfortunately, he didn't finish before Mom pinched his arm. "Did you forget what the doctor said? Summer is already mildly obese. It'll affect her health if this continues!" Dad, however, looked worried. "Did you forget about Summer when she was little? What if she really loses weight and then..." Mom recalled those days. She had to leave an hour early every day to pick me up from preschool. Otherwise, I might very well be taken home by other parents. Our phone was set to block unknown numbers. Otherwise, from morning till night, it would be ringing off the hook with strangers trying to get close to our family. But I was still too young back then to remember much. My parents exchanged glances, and finally, they both agreed to let me lose weight first. They say girls change a lot as they grow up. What if she grows up... not beautiful? They just hoped I could live a normal life. The next morning at five, I went for a run. An hour later, I reached a park and was about to stop and rest. Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice, filled with disbelief. "Summer?"
Walking towards me was Scarlett, dressed in a workout outfit, her hair slightly damp, clearly having just finished a run herself. She looked me up and down, suspiciously asking, "You're not on a diet, are you?" I ignored her. After resting for a few minutes, I started running again. She stared at my retreating back, a dark current swirling in her eyes. A few days later. Someone in the high school SnapChat group suddenly posted a video. In the clip, I was running by the river. Sweat drenched my top, and the fat on my body jiggled slightly with each stride. I was so tired my lips were pale, and my bangs stuck to my forehead, looking quite disheveled. Soon, someone turned the video into a GIF, and then someone else made it into a meme. [What is Summer doing?!] [Isn't it obvious? Summer's obviously dieting!] [OMG, I never saw her diet for three years in high school. Now that college entrance exams are over, she's dieting? Did our words get to her?] [Summer, sorry! We really didn't mean to say you were fat!] After sending that message, the person followed it with another meme of me, captioned, "I truly regret it." Then, the screen was filled with "hahahahas." Suddenly, someone posted: [What else could she be dieting for at this crucial moment? To find a boyfriend in college, duh.] [I thought Summer only cared about food! Turns out she actually listened to our advice!] I knew immediately that Scarlett had told everyone about my morning run. And then a bunch of bored guys came to stake me out. No wonder I felt like someone was watching me this morning. I was unaffected by their mockery. Instead, I felt a little grateful for the motivation they gave me to keep going. Although I didn't know what I would look like when I lost weight. But based on what my parents occasionally said about my childhood, I thought I was... not ugly. For a while after that, whenever I passed that park during my morning runs, I would always see a few classmates. They would shout at me: "Go, Summer! Believe in yourself, you're a diamond in the rough!" If you ignored the mockery in their eyes, you might actually think they were cheering me on. But their interest came and went quickly; they were soon distracted by other things and stopped appearing. After consistently doing this for a month, I successfully lost ten pounds. Although my face was still chubby, my features and contours looked much smoother than before. My body also felt lighter. Sometimes, my parents would stare at my face, a worried expression inexplicably appearing. I scratched my head. Were they worried I was taking diet pills? In mid-July, I got a gym membership. I would go there to work out for three hours every day. One day, as I left the house, I unexpectedly ran into Dylan, whom I hadn't seen in a long time. He was just coming out to take out the trash, and he paused when he saw me, blurting out: "Summer, you've lost some weight." I gave him a distant nod. And walked towards the bus stop. He hesitated, then followed me. "Summer, I've been wanting to apologize to you about that day. I'm sorry... I really wasn't thinking." I hummed in acknowledgment. His words hadn't actually hurt me much. I had just used them to see someone's true colors. He continued to follow me. "My school is right next to NYU. We can still hang out during college, right?" Seeing his face full of guilt and his sincere attitude, I suddenly remembered what my mom had told me. Dylan's family situation wasn't just that his parents were busy with work. His parents had divorced a long time ago, and neither of them really wanted to take care of him. He had an aloof personality and few friends; I was one of the few people he could talk to. I sighed and didn't stop him from continuing to follow me. He followed me to the gym and watched me expertly turn on the treadmill, surprised. "Summer, it looks like you're really determined." Then he also turned on the treadmill next to mine and smiled. "I've been wanting to work out lately too. I'll join you." I didn't refuse. He paid for his own membership, so it wasn't my business. After that, he chatted with me intermittently. I occasionally responded with a few bland words. I had only been working out for a while when I heard several "click-click" sounds nearby. I turned my head and saw a few familiar faces – Scarlett's crew.
Scarlett stood nearby, watching us with a sweet smile. The person taking photos teased: "Look what I caught! Dylan and Summer! Are you guys on a date?" Dylan fell silent. He got off the treadmill and walked towards the group. I thought he was going to grab their phones. But to my surprise, he walked straight up to Scarlett, saying helplessly yet dotingly: "Didn't you tell me to get close to her first? Why are you here?" Scarlett wrapped her arms around his arm and smirked: "Because I was jealous! Who could stand seeing their boyfriend working out with another girl?" The others burst into laughter, seeing my stunned expression. "How did you get exposed so quickly? We wanted to watch the show for a bit longer." "Yeah, don't just shatter Summer's beautiful fantasy like that! She probably just thought Dylan liked her." Dylan looked at me coldly and said: "Summer, don't misunderstand. The person I like is Scarlett. I hope you don't harbor any unrealistic ideas about me." My mouth twitched. I started to wonder if they were missing a few brain cells. Not wanting to deal with them, I decided to leave. Scarlett suddenly walked over and grabbed my hand, saying guiltily: "Summer, I'm so sorry! We didn't mean to!" I pulled my hand away. The next second, she wailed and fell to the ground. Her eyes reddened as she said, "It hurts so much..." Dylan angrily rushed forward and pushed me away. "Summer, what are you doing?!" Everyone in the gym stopped, looking over in surprise. When they saw the pretty girl on the floor, seemingly pushed by me, a chorus of indignant voices rose: "Ugly people always cause trouble. She's just jealous that Scarlett's prettier than her." "She's trying to lose weight, but she won't ever be half as pretty as Scarlett." Scarlett was helped up, looking at me with a mocking smirk. I stared at her expressionlessly. "Scarlett, is this fun?" Scarlett leaned closer, whispering in my ear with a smile: "Oh, it's a blast. You didn't know? Being pretty means you can get away with anything." "Too bad you'll never get to experience it." With that, she walked away triumphantly, surrounded by her adoring group. She had once led the class in isolating a freckled girl, even bullying her in the girls' restroom. I had stopped her. After that girl transferred, Scarlett turned her animosity towards me. There were still over two months until school started. Scarlett would definitely find ways to cause me trouble. I was afraid I'd eventually lose my temper and actually get into a fight with her. I thought, maybe I should suggest to Mom that we go live at Grandma's in the countryside. There was no gym there. But there were natural lakes that could be used as swimming pools. And all sorts of winding mountain paths for exercise. The food was fresh fruits and vegetables Grandma picked from the garden, with no additives. Nutritious and healthy. For the next two months, I began intensive training. The fat on my body shed at a visible rate. Almost every so often, Grandma and Grandpa would stare at my face in a daze. When I reached 140 pounds, Grandma held my hand, sounding a little panicked: "Summer, that's enough. Any more and it'll be dangerous." But I was already enjoying it, smiling, "Don't worry, Grandma, I won't get too thin. My goal is 125 pounds!" Grandma sighed. She wasn't worried about me being too thin. In a flash, it was enrollment day. Scarlett confidently walked through the school gates, pulling her suitcase and flipping her hair. As soon as she appeared, many upperclassmen eagerly rushed over to help her with her luggage. She handed all her bags to them, idly scrolling through her phone. Suddenly, a message popped up in the high school SnapChat group. [OMG! Is this even Summer anymore?!] Then someone posted a photo. The moment she saw the picture, Scarlett froze.
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