Chapter 14

Celeste

Things were just beginning to look up.

I was beginning to feel myself growing a little in confidence. My conversation with Fiona was flowing freely, punctuated by our laughter and the sound of the lively pop music in my ears, as we worked out together.

I really was beginning to enjoy myself.

“Hey,” I said to Fiona, smiling. “This whole gym thing actually isn’t that bad.”

“See? I told you!” Fiona grinned. She shot me two finger guns as she backpedaled over to the water fountain.

But that enjoyment, that growth in confidence, was short-lived. Because I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned around to see none other than Sabrina.

“Celeste,” she hissed, her eyes narrowed as a smirk came across her lips. “Fancy seeing you here. Trying to fit in with the gym crowd now?”

Sabrina’s sneer was almost palpable, cutting through the humid air of the gym and landing squarely on me.

“O-Oh, hey, Sabrina—”

“Celeste,” she interrupted, the corners of her cherry-red lips twitching upward. “Do you seriously think you’ll get in shape in time for the ball? In just a few days?”

My eyes widened. Sabrina’s smirk grew, and she strode toward me with her hands on her slender hips. Even at the gym, she smelled like vanilla perfume. Her hair was perfect, tied back into a neat ponytail, and her makeup looked untouched. She hadn’t broken a sweat.

She was wearing a skin-tight yoga outfit that perfectly showed off her slim body, too. It was only then that I realized that she had been over by the mirrors the entire time, doing yoga and calisthenics on her mat.

I hadn’t noticed her, but it was clear that she had noticed me, and she had likely been watching me the entire time and waiting for the perfect chance to strike like a viper.

“What?” she hissed, her grin widening as she leaned closer to me. “You think I didn’t recognize you at the shop the other day? Celeste, I could spot your lumpy figure from a mile away.

I blinked, trying to hide the embarrassment rushing to my face. “What do you want, Sabrina?” I stammered.

Sabrina shrugged and scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. “It would be rude of me not to give a newbie some pointers,” she said. “But…” Sabrina continued, her voice dripping with condescension. “...With a body like yours, it might take months, maybe even years to ‘fix’. But kudos for trying.”

I bit my lip, my fingers tightening around the water bottle that I was clutching in my hands. The familiar weight of humiliation threatened to pull me under.

Just then Fiona, ever my lifeline, returned from the water fountain and came to my rescue before I could drown.

“Hey, Sabrina,” she snapped, her voice icy. “No one asked for your opinion. Why don’t you do us all a favor and buzz off already? Don’t you have a bog or a swamp or something to crawl back into?”

Sabrina merely raised an eyebrow, her blue eyes gleaming maliciously.

“You know, Fiona,” she said with a mocking tone, “you’re actually not all that bad looking. Some might even say that you’re pretty. I wonder… Are you keeping Celeste around to make yourself look better? You know, the designated ugly fat friend? The DUFF?”

The room seemed to grow colder and my throat tightened. Tears welled up, and I could feel them threatening to spill over. All I wanted was to disappear, to melt away. The weight of her words felt crushing.

“Oh, fuck you,” Fiona snarled, stepping closer to Sabrina. Fiona, despite her small stature, seemed like a force to be reckoned with whenever she got protective. “You need to leave, Sabrina. You’re killing the mood.”

“I’m killing the mood?” Sabrina scoffed, unfazed. “Oh, please. ‘Stinky’ over here killed the mood the second she walked in here. I mean, come on; you can’t seriously tell me that you’re hanging out with her because you like her.”

Fiona’s eyes narrowed. “I do like Celeste,” she growled. “She’s my best friend. She’s practically my sister. But I’m sure you wouldn’t know what that’s like; do you even have any real friends, or are all of your pathetic little orbiters just hanging around you because you buy their affection with daddy’s credit card?”

Sabrina scoffed and tossed her head, sending her perfect golden ponytail over her shoulder. “My friends like me just fine,” she hissed. “At least I don’t keep fat, ugly girls around to make myself feel better.”

Sabrina’s words struck me to my core. I knew that it wasn’t true; Fiona and I had been friends for ages, and we really were practically sisters. But it still hurt to hear other people say such nasty things.

I started to gather my things, my movements frantic and clumsy. “Let’s go, Fiona,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

Sabrina, seemingly satisfied, shot me a dirty glare. “See you at the ball, Celeste.” Her voice was low again; I was certain that Matt didn’t overhear it, and it seemed as though Sabrina’s goal was exactly that.

I didn’t know what her plan would be once she found out that I was secretly going to the ball to see Matt, but I knew that it couldn’t be good. Sabrina was a master at scheming, and I dreaded the day when the weight of her next scheme fell on my shoulders.

Fiona reached out, placing a comforting hand on my arm as Sabrina began to saunter away. “Celeste, don’t let her get to you. She’s just—”

“—A witch? Yeah, I know.” I cut her off, desperate to escape the echoing laughs and whispers. “I’m tired. Let’s just go.”

Fiona shot me a sad and apologetic look, but nodded. We gathered up our things, then headed for the door. I resolved in my mind never to come back to this place; if I was going to lose weight through exercising, I would exercise at home, in the comfort and safety of my bedroom.

But before we could make a quick exit, a stern voice pierced the heavy atmosphere, carrying with it an authority that demanded attention.

“Bullying in the gym is highly frowned upon.”

My heart skipped a beat. Slowly, both of us turned to see Matt standing there, his arms crossed and his sharp gaze focused intently on Sabrina.

His typically light-hearted and calm demeanor was replaced by a formidable sternness I had never seen before.

Sabrina’s eyes widened a fraction, clearly caught off guard. She was frozen, kneeling on her yoga mat. Matt towered over her like a mountain.

“Excuse me?” Sabrina muttered.

Matt took a step forward. “You heard me. This gym is a place for positivity and self-improvement. Not for tearing others down. Maybe you should find somewhere else to work out if you can't keep your toxic comments to yourself.”

Sabrina's face flushed, and for once, she seemed at a loss for words. She glanced around, her eyes darting from Fiona to me, and finally back to Matt, her usual confidence wavering under his stern gaze.

In that instant, I saw Matt’s eyes slide over to me. They were cool, calm, and filled with apologetic kindness.

And in that instant, I felt ever grateful for his confidence.