Sleeping Fatty (or The Exitor) chp 1

I can’t tell you enough what a help it was to get so much great feedback on my prologues. I’ve made the changes on my master copy and am looking forward to hearing your advice for chapter one.

The biggest thing is whether you think all this character building and introduction is taking too long. (The plot hasn’t really started yet …unless you count her crushing on Diego, so if you’re bored at any point let me know.) Beginnings have to be awesome. And I might just cut the whole party and move to the next scene (where something actually happens.)

As always, tell me if you’d read on and if anything needs fixing (or cutting).

Thanks!

CHAPTER ONE

FRIEND HUNTING

Nix wished she had a stack of pizzas and a cap. Maybe then people wouldn’t be staring at her like she was lost. She kept her head down and followed the stone walkway to the front steps of the mansion. There seemed to be no point in knocking since the door stood open and kids ran in and out at will. After waiting for a line of screaming girls to exit, followed by a shirtless boy with a pitcher of ice water, Nix smoothed her hair and stepped inside.

It was like walking into a palace. Chandeliers hung like crystal wedding cakes from the ridiculously high ceiling. Each room was twice the size of her trailer and perfectly color coordinated. Nix suddenly wished she’d dressed in something besides old jeans and her pink unicorn shirt. It felt morally wrong to be on the spotless white carpet with her nasty old sneakers. She had reached down to take them off when a brown dachshund appeared at her feet and began yapping. Even the animals could tell she wasn’t supposed to be there.

Nix abandoned the shoe removal and retreated to an area that looked like an indoor garden. The puppy followed, but after a few more menacing yips it seemed to lose interest and scampered out the front door. Through the window Nix could see it chasing a sopping wet girl who was now pursuing the shirtless boy with a pointy garden tool.

Inside, a few sets of parents talked near a grandfather clock the size of a refrigerator, and several kids ran up and down the stairs, but Jordan and Diego were nowhere to be seen.

Her original plan had been to keep Jordan from going to the party at all, but then Diego had shown up to give him a ride and Nix had gotten so completely tongue-tied that she ended up tagging along.

The winding drive up the hill had been enjoyable enough with Diego as scenery, but as soon as they were dropped off, the boys had disappeared. Nix was sure they hadn’t meant to leave her. At least that’s what she kept telling herself. Jordan was just excited to finally get invited to a real party. Nix didn’t blame him. They’d spent all of middle school being social rejects together. Now that he’d suddenly made a new popular friend, what was the point of keeping the dorky one?

But this dorky friend wasn’t going to give up without a fight. Nix was going to show Jordan that she could be cool too. She had absolutely no idea how she would accomplish this, but finding him would be a good start.

She passed a dining area laden with junk food. Even though she’d only had a jar of baby food for breakfast–her mother’s newest fad diet–she was too nervous to eat anything now. And anyway, she didn’t like eating in public. She always imagined people whispering, “What’s the fatso shoveling down now? Chips? No wonder she’s the size of a car.”

Next to the table, two boys stacked pizza slices on their soda cans so they could fill their free hand with cookies. They didn’t have shirts either. Why was everyone running around half-naked? Their shorts were colorful, almost like swim trunks.

Oh no. Nix made her way to the back of the house and looked out a window. Her worst fears were confirmed. She had come fully-dressed to a pool party.

Kids swarmed the backyard like ants, half in the water, half running around the sides, all of them smiling and wet. It looked like so much fun that Nix was tempted to take off her shoes and jump in. The pool was the size of a small lake, complete with waterfalls and hot tubs in every corner. An island of green foliage rose from the center of the pool and the kids seemed to be trying to fit as many bodies on it as possible. Jordan was among those trying to cram his way onto the island. A group of Asian girls screamed as they got knocked off into the water.

Nix felt a little better when she saw that Jordan didn’t have a suit either. He’d taken off his shirt and rolled up his jeans to the knees. Apparently Diego had forgotten to mention the dress code to both of them.

As Nix watched, she realized how much Jordan had changed over the summer. He’d gone away to his grandmother’s a short, skinny boy with white-blond hair and crooked teeth. He’d come back taller, tanner, with shaggy hair, braces, and a new friend who happened to have a beach house next to Grandma’s.

Of course Nix had recognized Diego at once from school–the boy was every freshman girl’s dream–but that didn’t make it any easier to give up her claim on Jordan. If the young Spaniard hadn’t been so courteous and so pleasing to the eye, Nix would’ve pounded him into a pulp by now.

As if her eyes had been subconsciously searching for him, she spotted Diego sitting on top of a fake rock, water rushing past him on the way to the pool. Nix gasped loudly, causing a few passing boys to exchange odd expressions. She ignored them, eyes still locked on the figure in the waterfall.

While she had always been mesmerized by his thick black hair and sculpted jawline, seeing him with his shirt off was an entirely new experience and she had to steady herself against the window. He wasn’t beefy by any means, but his distinct lack of any sort of fat made his sixteen-year-old muscles look much larger than they were, and his skin was the most beautiful shade of brown she’d ever seen.

Nix decided it wouldn’t hurt anything to have a seat out back.

By the time she’d found a semi-secluded chair that was still close to the pool, Diego had disappeared from his perch on the waterfall. Nix didn’t mind too terribly–there was still plenty else to look at. Boys with less than a full set of brain cells back-flipped off the diving board three at a time. A cluster of girls floated lazily on inflatable chairs, occasionally paddling to avoid the testosterone-induced suicide dives. Behind the pool, a group of boys played football in a large grassy area, surrounded by ferns and towering trees.

After a few moments Nix spotted Jordan and Diego again. They were playing some form of chicken in the shallow end with scantily clad girls sitting on their shoulders.

Nix felt a twinge of pain. Jordan was fitting in too well. He was slowly changing social groups. Leaving her behind.

The girls screamed and giggled as each one tried to shove the other off her steed. While it bothered Nix a little that Jordan wasn’t looking for her, she could see why he’d chosen to participate in this particular activity without her. The only thing Nix knew of that could support her weight on its shoulders was a Clydesdale.

Jordan seemed to have gotten the short end of the stick anyway. His girl was heavily freckled and had legs like tree trunks. Diego’s rider, on the other hand couldn’t have complemented him better. She was easily the prettiest girl in the pool. Her curly brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, revealing high cheekbones and a slender neck. Nix remembered seeing her between classes surrounded by hordes of admirers. The girl was a year ahead of them in school, but you couldn’t tell from her tiny frame. Diego seemed to bear her negligible weight without any effort, his tan arms locked tightly around her legs. Nix sighed. She’d have given her left lung to be that girl for the next ten minutes.

Maybe she should go talk to them, show them how cool she could be. But then again she didn’t want to make it obvious she had nothing to do. Not to mention, a fat girl walking fully clothed by the edge of a pool might prove an irresistible temptation to some boorish twerp.

Nix decided against going down to greet them. While she wanted more than anything to spend the evening with those two boys, somehow she doubted her hanging around as a third wheel would endear her to either of them.

However. If she could prove she belonged at the party, and could have a great time on her own, maybe they’d be impressed. Maybe they’d even come find her. That’s exactly what she’d do. She’d go make some friends of her own. She’d have fun. It was a party after all.

Nix started with the kitchen. She said hi to an older-looking boy who smiled, and quickly took his plate of chips elsewhere. While Nix orbited the food table, waiting for her potential new friends to get hungry, she sampled the refreshments. They tasted like ash in her mouth. Since she couldn’t relax enough to enjoy the food, she moved into the enormous TV room. She sat for a while, watching the movie–some romantic comedy set in a zombie apocalypse–but she eventually left after noticing she was the only one not cuddled in a towel with a partner. Even the adult chaperones were embracing in the semi-darkness.

Oh well, she wouldn’t be making many friends watching a movie anyway. After more wandering and aimless greetings to less-than-flattered partiers, Nix found herself playing with the dog. She’d finally gotten it to stop barking long enough to sniff the back of her hand and accept a scratch behind the ears. Soon it was trying to scramble up into her arms. Nix obliged, grateful to have finally earned someone’s approval. The dog felt amazingly light as she carried it into an adjoining room with a large leather couch. Nix played with her new friend for a while, letting it chase her ratty shoelaces around the carpet.

“There you are!”

Nix looked up. A striking blond girl stood in the doorway wearing a one-piece swimsuit and a towel around her tiny waist. Nix was getting tired of all these pretty people. Just once she’d like to meet someone that didn’t appear to have walked out of a fashion magazine.

“I’ve been looking all over for you, Princess!”

Although Nix wouldn’t have objected to being called Princess, she assumed the girl was talking to the puppy.

“Oh sorry, is this your dog?” Nix said, feeling like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

“Yeah, but it’s okay–you can hold her. I was just wondering where she ran off to. Usually if she’s quiet it means she’s found something expensive to chew on.”

“My kitten’s named Princess, too,” Nix said before the girl could escape. “Actually it was Princess Toadstool. But then I figured out it was a boy, so now he’s just Toadstool. We actually have a lot of cats, but Toadstool is the only one I let into my room.” Okay, so that might have been a little more information than necessary, but at least the girl had stopped moving toward the door.

“Princess Toadstool?”

“My friend’s little sister named him–she’s big into video games.”

“Oh,” the girl said, obviously still confused, “Well, if everything’s okay…” She turned to go.

Nix scrambled to her feet. “So you live here? I mean, I figured it was either that or you brought your dog to a pool party.”

The girl smiled. “I’m Sara Hainsworth–what’s your name?” Even though she spoke genuinely, Nix knew what she meant–Who are you and why are you at my party?

“Nix Wack, I came with Jordan.”

“Jordan?”

“And Diego.”

That name seemed to ring a bell.

“Oh, how do you know Diego?” Sara said, reaching down to yank a

pillow from Princess’s teeth.

For a second, Nix was tempted to invent an intimate relationship

with the boy-model, but she didn’t think lying to people was considered an ethical way to make friends.

“Well, I don’t really,” Nix admitted, “but he’s friends with my best friend Jordan. He sort of invited me. I guess Diego forgot to mention it was a pool party.”

“I’m sorry,” Sara said, “would you like to borrow one of my

swimsuits?”

“I’ll be okay–thanks though.” They both knew Sara was just asking out of courtesy–the idea that Nix would fit into anything in Sara’s wardrobe was laughable.

But courtesy was courtesy, and it meant a lot to Nix since she hadn’t experienced much of it so far.

“Aren’t you swimming?” Nix asked, noticing Sara’s dry hair and suit.

“I couldn’t really decide what I wanted to do, so I ended up walking around and cleaning up messes.”

“If you need any help-”

Loud rap music filled the room, drowning Nix’s voice.

Sara pulled a shiny purple cell phone out of a place that made Nix blush, and put it to her ear.

“Hi Daddy,” she said with a grin, “how’s LA?”

As Nix scratched Princess behind the ears she felt a pang of regret. Sara talked to her dad like an old friend. What would it be like to have a father who seemed to care? Mr. Wack usually treated Nix like one of the cats. The one time she’d actually tried to talk to him, he’d glanced around the room in a panic as if hoping his wife would save him and then pretended to fall asleep.

“Yes Daddy, everything’s fine,” Sara continued, “I’ll make sure no one tracks mud in the house… or tramples your flowers.” Sara rolled her eyes for Nix’s benefit.

Nix smiled but didn’t know if she should keep playing with the dog and pretend she wasn’t listening or tactfully excuse herself.

“You’re not coming home until Wednesday!?” Sara said, looking up at the ceiling in exasperation, “Daddy I haven’t used the bathroom next to my room for a week because you left your dirty underwear in there–no I will not touch them!”

Nix decided the time for a tactful withdrawal had passed. She’d have to settle for an awkward one.

“Well, I’m going to…” Nix pointed to the other room.

“Bye Nikki,” Sara said with her hand over the receiver.”It was great meeting you.”

Nix didn’t bother to correct her. She left the dog in Sara’s

custody and escaped before she could hear anymore about her father’s personal hygiene.

Still, Nix couldn’t keep from grinning as she walked through the house. Despite the awkward farewell, she’d had a real conversation with the girl hosting the party, and what’s more, Sara had acted like it was okay she was there! Any embarrassment Nix had felt about sneaking in uninvited was replaced by a glowing adoration for Sara Hainsworth. She’d proven that just because you’re a gorgeous princess doesn’t mean you can’t be civil to the trolls.

Nix followed her stomach–her appetite had abruptly returned–back into the kitchen where she feasted on cold pizza and flat root beer. She felt a little guilty for not sticking to the baby food diet–she actually wouldn’t mind losing a few pounds herself–but Nix didn’t believe anyone could really survive on fifteen ounces of food a day.

Apparently the novelty of the pool was wearing off, because the snack area had attracted a small crowd of. After half an hour Nix had said hi to three girls and twelve boys–about half of whom pretended not to hear her. But Nix didn’t let the rude ones bother her. She had befriended the Lady of the House, and any added friendships with the commoners would just be a bonus.

Nix’s patience paid off. As she polished off a cookie, a muscular black boy appeared and asked her where the bathroom was. Of course Nix had no idea, but that didn’t lessen the thrill of an attractive boy initiating contact with her.

This whole getting-in-with-the-popular-crowd-thing was easier than she thought. Pretty soon she’d have more friends than Jordan and she’d be inviting him to parties.

As the boy walked away in search of a toilet, a sweet flowery scent tickled Nix’s nose. A group of girls approached the food table. Nix was just about to recommend the peanut butter cookies, when the girls strode past her and started up a flight of stairs.

Nix took a slow breath and patted at her hair. So far her friend-making attempts had been one on one–it was time she ditched the fishing pole and got out the jumbo-sized net. A little bait couldn’t hurt, either. Nix quickly wrapped four peanut butter cookies in a napkin and slid them into her pocket. Why hadn’t she thought of this before? Passing out food was a guaranteed way to earn people’s trust. Then while the girls were eating, Nix could say something funny and make them all laugh. They’d be painting each other’s nails in no time.

By the time Nix got up to the second floor, however, the girls had vanished. Nix hesitated for a moment, but the weight of sugary awesomeness in her pocket spurred her into the empty hall. About halfway down she heard muffled voices. A polished wooden door stood closed on her right. Here goes nothing.

Nix turned the knob. The door swung open silently, revealing a

large study filled with filing cabinets and black leather armchairs. No girls. In fact it was as if someone had gone out of their way to make the room as masculine as possible. Fly fishing lures, signed baseballs, and at least a dozen Penn Law School pennants covered the walls. The only thing missing was a rug made of some sort of decomposing animal and a prominently displayed firearm.

She turned and with a sinking feeling, saw someone standing in the corner. Nix cried out in surprise before she realized it was only her reflection. An ornate full-length mirror hung on the wall opposite the door, and in the dim light, Nix hadn’t noticed the unicorn shirt.

She was about to go try another door when she caught a glimpse of the backyard through a large window. Would Diego and Jordan still be in the pool? Nix couldn’t resist crossing the room and taking a peek out back.

The afternoon sun splashed off the trees, casting a fiery glow on the few remaining swimmers below. Nix didn’t see either of the boys, but the view was still breathtaking. In fact, the breeze rustling through the tree branches looked so refreshing that Nix unlocked the window and slid it upward with a clunk. The air was warmer than she expected, and horribly humid, but the smell of the outdoor paradise was incredible. Who would’ve thought coming ten miles up a hill could make such a difference? It was like a completely different world.

A ledge extended just outside the window and for a moment, Nix

was tempted to climb out onto the roof. Yeah right. Even if becoming a quadriplegic might make Diego notice her, Nix wasn’t particularly fond of pain. And a tumble off the roof was sure to be fraught with it. The thought of Diego reminded her that she was supposed to be out earning her popularity, but Nix couldn’t bring herself to close the window just yet.

The gigantic black shadow of the house loomed over the pool, slowly sliding over the empty grounds toward the golden trees. There among the vegetation, something flashed. Nix watched for a moment and spotted movement in the bushes where the grassy yard turned into forest floor. Probably a raccoon or a squirrel. But could an animal reflect the sun like that?

“What are you doing?”

Nix nearly fell out of the window in her hurry to turn around. A tall red-haired girl who had apparently just discovered gold eye-shadow stood in the doorway.

“Were you eavesdropping on us?” she said with a look of utter disgust.

“I was looking out the window,” Nix muttered, trying to make sense of the accusation, “how could I…”

“Oh, sure,” the girl said, injecting each syllable with venom, “like you couldn’t hear us.”

Nix stood with her mouth slightly open. She had no idea how to reply to that.

“Who is it Porscha?” a low female voice called from across the hall.

“Don’t ask me,” the red-head replied, “some weird girl, hiding

in Mr. Hainsworth’s office.”

Nix felt the blood creep up her neck. “I wasn’t hiding, I…”

“Bring her in here, Porscha,” the throaty voice called.

Porscha grinned maliciously. “Shall we?”

Nix swallowed. They hadn’t gotten off to a great start, but there was still time to salvage things. She still had the cookies, after all. Holding her head high, Nix followed Porscha out of the study and across the hall.

As they stepped into what only could have been Sara’s bedroom, the strong flowery scent enveloped Nix and her confidence instantly evaporated. She was a leprous baboon, surrounded by lionesses. Of the five girls surrounding her, there couldn’t have been a zit or mascara clump between them. Nix recognized a couple from school, but only vaguely. Whoever they were, they sure seemed to be making themselves at home. The girl that had been sitting on Diego’s shoulders in the pool was now stretched out on the bed, still wearing her swimsuit. Her face threw her off for a moment and Nix realized why. The only person she’d ever seen wear that much make-up was her own mother, who usually resembled something between a geisha and a circus clown. But the strange thing was that the girl actually looked good. In fact for the first time Nix could see what make-up was intended for. To make beautiful people more beautiful. Nix couldn’t help wondering if a little make-up might improve her own looks… if even just a little. She realized she was staring and quickly lowered her eyes. So much for thinking up something funny to say.

Porscha pulled a chair out from a desk and sat down. The girl on the bed looked Nix up and down and then spoke.

“Aren’t you the girl that came with Diego?”

Nix nodded, somewhat relieved she had made the connection.

“What did you say your name was?”

“I’m Nix.”

“Ticks?” she said, provoking a few chuckles.

“Nix. It’s short for Phoenix.”

“Oh, I know you,” she said, comprehension shining in her eyes, “You’re that Phoenix Ivory girl.”

Nix shifted uncomfortably. She didn’t like where this was headed. But amazingly, the girl didn’t say anything else about her name–instead she sat up on the bed and adjusted her bikini top.

“My name’s Fawn,” she said. “This is Sandra, Porscha, Becky, and Heidi.”

Nix didn’t know if she should shake hands with all of them or just say hi, so she compromised and gave an awkward nod. By the simpering manner that the other girls watched Fawn, it was obvious she was the leader of this group.

“Pretty good party,” Nix said, as if she went to these things all the time. “I would’ve brought my swimsuit, but I’m not a very good swimmer.” Not a very good swimmer? She was getting lamer by the minute. Maybe it was time to break out the cookies.

“Don’t they call you Dumbo?” a girl said from the floor.

Nix felt her face grow warm and absently raised a hand to hide it. The downside to her olive skin was that when she blushed, it only showed in her forehead and neck. That might not have been so bad except her embarrassment didn’t reveal itself in a pink, even hue, but in deep red splotches that made her look as if she’d been smacking her head on a table.

“I, uh…”

“Sandra, it’s not nice to call names,” Fawn said, “Phoenix is much better than Dumbo, anyway.”

Nix lowered her hand and mumbled a thank you.

“Oh, I didn’t mean that in a mean way,” Sandra said, “I was just trying to figure out if you’re the same girl that likes to hang out in graveyards.”

“Graveyards?” Porscha said with a tiny smile.

Nix shrugged. If she ever found out who started spreading that around school she’d staple them to the wall by their earlobes. “Um, it’s not that I like graveyards per se,” she said scratching a non-existent itch, “I just think they’re peaceful and…”

“So you’re friends with Diego?” Fawn said, apparently bored with the current conversation. “Well, I just met him tonight, but-”

“Do you think he’s cute?”

One of the girls that might have been Becky or Heidi giggled from the oversized beanbag in the corner. Nix knew it was a loaded question but trying to pretend Diego

wasn’t every girl’s dream would have seemed ridiculous.

“Doesn’t everybody?” she said, feigning a sudden interest in the ballerina bear wallpaper.

“Do you like him?” Porscha asked, her eyes wide for dramatic emphasis.

Nix didn’t say anything. Had they seen her watching him at the pool? Was her interest that obvious?

“Because if you do, we could set you up,” Fawn said with a grin, “I bet he’d be totally into that unicorn shirt.”

“And those greasy pants,” Porscha said. “Did you put a piece of pizza in your pocket for later?”

“I don’t like him,” Nix mumbled, her forehead suddenly ablaze.

Fawn stood up and stared directly at Nix’s polka-dotted face. “Of course you like him, Nix. But just because my boyfriend felt sorry for you and gave you a ride, doesn’t mean he’s suddenly into fat awkward girls.”

The room fell silent. The scent of sickly sweet flowers was overwhelming. Nix smiled weakly and looked down at the bed. For some reason the pattern on the white comforter suddenly commanded her focus, refusing to let her eyes free. Some part of her hated the design and she felt a tiny twinge of relief when the image blurred. But at that point Nix realized hot tears had filled her eyes and unless she acted fast, the room full of girls would see them spill down her cheeks.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Nix muttered as she stumbled out the door. Behind her, the girls broke into quiet giggles.

“The bathroom?”

“Fawn, you are so mean,” one girl said between laughs, “she’s probably going to go drown herself in the pool now.”

“Just as long as she takes off those nasty shoes first.”

Snot and tears streamed down her face as Nix rushed toward the stairs. Halfway there she glimpsed a shadow on the stairwell. Someone was coming up. Nix turned around, opened the nearest door, and dove into the darkened room.

After making sure the door was locked behind her, she laid on the cool tile and cried as soundlessly as possible, scolding herself for coming with Jordan and wishing there was some way she could just be alone in her own bed.

Share this: