Life Of Melanie (Completed)

At first it all felt like a dream. A very bad dream..... more like a night mare. Then suddenly I realized that it wasn't a dream, it was fat camp. However there was one thing Clarissa was right about, I was the thinnest person there.....ironic. Being thin at a place like this makes you wish you were fat.
Once I got over the initial shock of exactly what the next six weeks would mean for me, I gradually found my niche. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, but for once I felt as if I was in control of myself.
A lot of the ‘campers' at Camp Body Rock were not new campers. Many had been here before. I however was going to make damn sure I never saw this place again. I didn't come here to make friends, I came here to prove to my mother and myself......... I can change.

For the next three weeks I worked my ass off, literally. I even started counting calories in my sleep, which is kind of scary. I have never been more exhausted in my entire life. I was so relieved it was half way over.


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Parents day was always at the end of the third week of camp. I swear this place makes me feel like a preschooler. I mean parents day....come on now. I had begged my parents not to come for the past week. Just when I was about to give up, they gave in.

"Mom, please just listen to me," I pleaded over the pay phone.

"Melanie, your father and I just want to see you, we miss you honey." my mother retorted.

"Well, I'll be home in three weeks, really you guys don't need to come all this way. I'm fine really.....I just would rather wait until.......you know, this is all over before you guys see me." I said honestly. "Please mom, just do me this one favor, just stay home. Let me do what I have to do."

I looked over my shoulder at the line that started to appear. It was really hard having a private call on a pay phone in the middle of a summer camp.
"Look Mom," I said as I glanced back at the chubby freckle faced girl behind me, " I know this sounds selfish, but this is supposed to be about me right, and I just don't want any sort of a ........... distraction." I held my breath hoping this would be enough to convince her to stay home. After a few moments of silence for the other end of the line, I could feel the freckle faced girl behind me grow impatient. Before I could break the silence, I heard my mother let out a long sigh.
"I think you are trying to push us away," before I could protest she continued, "but, we will respect your wishes, although I think it's a bad idea."

Feeling the waves of relief washing over me I thanked my mother, "Thank you, I'll see you guys in a few weeks, now I gotta go."

"Okay sweetie, we love you." I heard my mother say as I placed the receiver back in its slot. Running my hands through my hair as I turned to look at the chubby girl behind me I said," She's all yours."

The girl replied, "Its about time."


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The next three weeks were the most torturous and painful weeks of my life. I however was starting to like the pain, it ment that I was changing. My body was changing . Hell even my heart was changing.
On the last night at camp, there was an annual tradition, a dance. I was not thrilled considering in the six weeks I had spent here I did not make one single friend. I have been battling with the idea of going all day. Finally I decided that I would pop in, and if I thought it was lame, I would just go back to my cabin. Evidently, the ‘end of camp dance' was a major thing. I sat on the grass and watched campers scurry about in preparation for the ‘big' event. I laughed to myself as I saw an extra heavy girl with an arm load of decorations trip over a stump. All of the ‘over the top' decor scattered about the ground reminded me of a music video for some reason. Suddenly I heard a soft chuckle coming from behind me, and I turned my head in the direction from which it came.
At the sight of the figure behind me, my mouth immediately fell open. There standing before me was a god. Let's just say, he didn't belong at fat camp. At first I thought he might be a counselor, but I had never seen him before. Not wanting to sound or look stupid, I just turned back around and looked at the overweight girl gathering the dropped decorations. I could still feel him behind me when he spoke....."Hi."

Thinking that he must be talking to someone else, i kept my gaze on the girl in front of me. After a few moments I felt a light tap on my shoulder, and again his voice filled the air, "Hey, I'm Brice."
Startled I turned to look at him. "Oh.....um......sorry. I thought you were talking to someone else." I said dumbly, regretting it as soon as the words left my lips.
He looked around slowly, seeing that no one but me was in earshot, he chuckled. " Well, I wasn't talking to myself, although I do , do that sometimes........not usually when I am trying to introduce myself.....see I already know my name."
I could feel my cheeks begin to heat, as I let out a forced laugh, " I'm.......um.....Melanie."
Putting his hand out he said "Well um.....Melanie, its nice to meet you." Reaching up for his hand I gave it a little shake, and put on the best smile I could muster. Pointing at the patch of grass beside me Brice asked " Is that seat taken?"
Slowly shaking my head no I felt dumbfounded. No guy had ever, up till this point, started a conversation with me. And to top it off this guy was friggin hot. He had short dark brown hair that was literally sticking up in every direction. His eyes were the color of French Vanilla cappuccino. He was a little on the tall side, but at least he wasn't scrawny. Very well proportioned to say the least. The best part of all of it was that he was sitting here talking to me.

"So, are you glad the summer is over?" he asked nonchalantly while tearing bits of grass with the tips of his fingers.
"Yes, I am so ready to be away from this place," I answered truthfully, trying to look at him without looking at him.
"I bet," he said as he tilted his head toward the sky. "I've heard being a counselor here was the pitts........ no junk food."

With this I laughed, he thought I was a counselor. Had I changed that much? I played with the idea of letting him believe I was a counselor, but instead I went with the truth. "Well, I wouldn't know."
With that statement Brice gave me a kind of confused and quizzical look.
"I'm a camper, not a counselor." I admitted
He smirked "You've got to be kidding, right?" He asked unbelieveably.
"Well, evidently these fat camp things work......cause six weeks ago, you wouldn't have had to ask."

He just stared at me with disbelief in his eyes. Quickly changing the subject I asked " So are you a counselor, cause I have never seen you before." "And you're obviously not a camper," I added shyly.
He let out a tattered sigh "No, I'm not a counselor, my folks own this place.....well at least my dad does." He answered.
Seeing how that kind of made since I continued, "So what are you doing here?"
Leaning back on his elbows and crossing his feet in front of him he began "well, I'm here to visit my father for the last couple of weeks of summer. My parents recently got divorced......me and moms moved about a month ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry i didn't mean to pry," I apologized.
"No, no its fine, I like them better when they are apart," he joked. "Anyway my dad can't leave until after this dance thing so, I'm kinda stuck here until then."
"Geeze, that sucks, I can't wait to get the hell out of here."
He laughed "Well just think tomorrow night, you will be sleeping in your own bed."
Looking at him I realized he was totally right. Tomorrow I would be home to my room, my bed........ummmmmm.........my bed. "Yea I never realized how much I would miss my own bed."
"There is nothing like your own bed, especially when you've been sleeping on a cot for six weeks," Brice joked.

Laughing at his joke, I felt myself relax a little more. Just when I was about to ask where he and his mother had moved, I heard someone calling his name. I watched him as he called out to the counselor who was trying to find him. I couldn't believe how gorgeous he was. I thought to my self, ‘watch out Lucas, there may be another visitor in my dreams.

"Brice your mother is on the phone in the office.....line two," the nerdy looking acne sporting guy stated.
"Thanks," he said to the nerdy counselor before turning his light brown eyes in my direction. "Well, Melanie, it was nice chatting with you, maybe I'll see you later at the dance."
Looking at him I gave him a nervous smile "yea, maybe."

Leaning down close to my ear he whispered "I hope so." Then he started making his way to the office.

Smiling to myself I watched as he playfully punched the nerdy counselor in the shoulder.

Man, I hate seeing him leave, but I love watching him go.