learned by watching others interact on Facebook.
Then one day, an amazing thing happened. I was just sitting there, cruising through my usual clicking routine on my profile, then Olivia’s, when a new message from Sean appeared in my inbox. My fingers twitched with excitement as I moved the mouse to click it open.
Dear Olivia,
I’m really glad we’ve had a chance to get back in touch. I remember how much I enjoyed your company back in school, something I didn’t know how much I’d missed until now. I hope we can stay friends and maybe even meet up in person sometime.
I’m hosting a party in a couple of weeks , if you’d like to come. There will be lots of people there from school, too, so it might be a nice sort of reunion for you. And we could maybe talk somewhere together, if you like.
Let me know and I’ll send you the info.
Sean
I had to fight to stay seated on my chair as I read his note a second and third time. This could be it, my chance to meet him in person and wow him once and for all. Sean O’Dwyer, the Sean O’Dwyer who I’d first fallen in love with at the ripe old age of 12. My dream guy, inviting me to a party. To talk somewhere together maybe, if I played my cards right.
Immediately, I bolted up from my seat and into the bathroom, where I took a long, hard look at myself in the mirror. Jennifer Smith, staring back at me, did not look as much like Olivia Saunders as I’d been hoping. But there was potential here, I figured, pinning my hair back on top of my head into a bun and sucking in my cheeks. I studied myself from the right and left angles, turned sideways to see the full impact of the 18 pounds I still had left to lose. I was getting closer, but I wasn’t there yet. I watched my face fall as the realization sunk in.
There was no way Sean would buy it if I said I was Olivia Saunders, exotic world traveler and successful model/actress. Not like this. Not without seriously kicking some butt in the gym…
I looked down at the rest of my body. And maybe a mani/pedi treatment might be in order too.
On impulse, I ran back to my laptop and typed a quick response to Sean: “Sounds great! I’m in town that weekend, so send me the details and I’ll see you there!”
Before I could change my mind, I clicked send and watched it post, becoming a permanent record of the internet. I couldn’t take it back now. There was nothing left to do but get to work. I had about fifteen days to get as close as possible to some insane, imaginary personal standard. But I am Jennifer Smith and I have done amazing things before. The only person in my way was me.
****
So my new mantra became “look like Olivia.” I didn’t even allow myself to think about what would happen if I couldn’t accomplish my goal. Instead, I burned every calorie and ran every mile with this one thought in mind. And with Tom still away on his ‘family business,’ whatever that meant , I had Noah to help me get there .
By mid-week, I assumed Claire still hadn’t heard from Tom , judging by the ugly scowl on her face most days , but she wouldn’t admit that she was worried. I didn’t push the issue with her. I found her one afternoon standing in the lounge area of Tom’s Workout World with her arms crossed tightly over her hot pink running tank top, almost like she was fighting off a chill.
I didn’t want to admit it to her, but I wasn’t the least bit disappointed to see Noah, instead of Tom, greeting us once again at the front desk that day. Claire wa s convinced the screaming ma de us work harder and, thus, we burn ed more calories. I, however, was not totally convinced th at the extra 10 or so calories we re really worth all the mental anguish .. . even if her theory was true. I’m sorry, but I’ll always choose a happy workout over one that makes me want to cry myself to sleep at night.
In any case, that day, it wouldn’t have
Then one day, an amazing thing happened. I was just sitting there, cruising through my usual clicking routine on my profile, then Olivia’s, when a new message from Sean appeared in my inbox. My fingers twitched with excitement as I moved the mouse to click it open.
Dear Olivia,
I’m really glad we’ve had a chance to get back in touch. I remember how much I enjoyed your company back in school, something I didn’t know how much I’d missed until now. I hope we can stay friends and maybe even meet up in person sometime.
I’m hosting a party in a couple of weeks , if you’d like to come. There will be lots of people there from school, too, so it might be a nice sort of reunion for you. And we could maybe talk somewhere together, if you like.
Let me know and I’ll send you the info.
Sean
I had to fight to stay seated on my chair as I read his note a second and third time. This could be it, my chance to meet him in person and wow him once and for all. Sean O’Dwyer, the Sean O’Dwyer who I’d first fallen in love with at the ripe old age of 12. My dream guy, inviting me to a party. To talk somewhere together maybe, if I played my cards right.
Immediately, I bolted up from my seat and into the bathroom, where I took a long, hard look at myself in the mirror. Jennifer Smith, staring back at me, did not look as much like Olivia Saunders as I’d been hoping. But there was potential here, I figured, pinning my hair back on top of my head into a bun and sucking in my cheeks. I studied myself from the right and left angles, turned sideways to see the full impact of the 18 pounds I still had left to lose. I was getting closer, but I wasn’t there yet. I watched my face fall as the realization sunk in.
There was no way Sean would buy it if I said I was Olivia Saunders, exotic world traveler and successful model/actress. Not like this. Not without seriously kicking some butt in the gym…
I looked down at the rest of my body. And maybe a mani/pedi treatment might be in order too.
On impulse, I ran back to my laptop and typed a quick response to Sean: “Sounds great! I’m in town that weekend, so send me the details and I’ll see you there!”
Before I could change my mind, I clicked send and watched it post, becoming a permanent record of the internet. I couldn’t take it back now. There was nothing left to do but get to work. I had about fifteen days to get as close as possible to some insane, imaginary personal standard. But I am Jennifer Smith and I have done amazing things before. The only person in my way was me.
****
So my new mantra became “look like Olivia.” I didn’t even allow myself to think about what would happen if I couldn’t accomplish my goal. Instead, I burned every calorie and ran every mile with this one thought in mind. And with Tom still away on his ‘family business,’ whatever that meant , I had Noah to help me get there .
By mid-week, I assumed Claire still hadn’t heard from Tom , judging by the ugly scowl on her face most days , but she wouldn’t admit that she was worried. I didn’t push the issue with her. I found her one afternoon standing in the lounge area of Tom’s Workout World with her arms crossed tightly over her hot pink running tank top, almost like she was fighting off a chill.
I didn’t want to admit it to her, but I wasn’t the least bit disappointed to see Noah, instead of Tom, greeting us once again at the front desk that day. Claire wa s convinced the screaming ma de us work harder and, thus, we burn ed more calories. I, however, was not totally convinced th at the extra 10 or so calories we re really worth all the mental anguish .. . even if her theory was true. I’m sorry, but I’ll always choose a happy workout over one that makes me want to cry myself to sleep at night.
In any case, that day, it wouldn’t have
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