Skinny by Laura L Smith

back to the girls’ room, where she promptly made herself throw up. The tension she’d bottled inside for three hours exploded like soda out of a shaken-up can.
    The same sweet sticky goo burned her throat as it had at Raven’s. Her eyes watered. Her hands shook as she struggled to peel the wrapper off a piece of gum and pop it in her mouth. After mopping her face with thin, rough toilet paper, she emerged from the stall, splashed cold water on her face, and dusted powder on her nose. Melissa tried to look inconspicuous, like every other girl primping in front of the mirror.
    “Mello Yello,” Raven called from three mirrors down. “Great sweater!”
    “Thanks.” Melissa smiled while popping her mascara wand back into its pink plastic bottle.
    “I’m starving,” Raven said, hooking her arm into Melissa’s. “Let’s hurry so we can get in the front of the lunch line.”
    Melissa chomped furiously on her gum, hoping Raven wouldn’t smell vomit on her breath. She listened to Raven rattle on about her crush on Jeremy and if she should send him a valentine, and if she did if she should send it anonymously.
    They walked through the line. Crowded bodies pressed them, moving the two girls forward. Melissa ordered a cheeseburger and grabbed a banana, too. The smells of all the greasy foods swirled together and clung to the walls. Her stomach churned like a food processor blade. She already wanted to make another trip to the girls’ room but couldn’t with Raven standing beside her.
    “Not hungry?” Gracie asked at their table as Melissa picked at her bun.
    “No.” Melissa shook her head. “It’s Beau.” She could barely say his name without tears springing to her eyes.
    “The jerk,” Gracie whispered, wrapping her arm over Melissa’s shoulders.
    “Guys are just so like that!” Lindsey said between mouthfuls of chips.
    Melissa felt like she was digging around in the bottom of a candy bag hoping to find at least one last M&M. Even a brown one would do. But when she searched inside of her, she felt nothing.
    At practice Melissa still felt hollow as she tossed her canary yellow nylon gym bag on the bleachers. She stretched her legs, trying to override the anxiety from her brain with the pull in her muscles. Her mind flashed to Beau and her Chemistry test tomorrow and the inch of flab she had grabbed around her middle this morning.
    “Don’t let Mr. New Orleans keep you down,” Lindsey said, dropping her blonde head to her thin legs to stretch beside Melissa.
    “I’m okay, really,” Melissa said. “It’s just so confusing. Anyway, I’ve got you guys, right?” She forced a smile.
    “Always and forever.” From her shiny lips, Lindsey blew a kiss.
    Melissa wondered if that was true. Would her friends always be there for her?
    Clap, clap, clap.
    “Listen up, ladies, I’m tired, I’m cranky, and I’m going to work your tails off today. Okay?” Todd batted his dark eyelashes.
    Melissa and Lindsey moved into line with the other girls facing the back of the gym. The music started, and one by one the dance team members snapped into poses facing front. On the third set of eight, they all clapped their hands above their heads, shouted, “Go!” and ran to their next formation.
    “Good!” Todd called. “So good, in fact, let’s see it again so that it’ll freeze in y’all’s pretty brains.”
    The music blared again. Over and over the girls ran to their places and jerked their bodies to the beat. Sweat dripped down Melissa’s face. Electricity ran through her veins like the music pulsing from the speakers.
    “And stomp, stomp!” shouted Todd.
    The sound of stomping sneakers echoed through the gym.
    “Turn, turn, and wig-gle.” Todd walked around the gym, observing the girls from all sides.
    Silver flecks, like fairy dust, danced in front of Melissa’s eyes. She turned and slapped. The flecks followed her.
    “And in and out and in and out.” Todd’s foot tapped the rhythm.
    Melissa kicked,