FAT CAMP
By Kid A
Part 1
“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.”
A simple and common protestation. Every teenage kid has probably said it to their parents at least a dozen times. And every parent has probably rolled their eyes in response with the same frequency.
But perspectives on things are usually quite different, especially between a budding adolescent and a mature adult. And so that was precisely what Kelly remarked, eyes welling with tears, as their family minivan sped along the highway on a sunny, early summer morning.
“You did this to yourself, Kelly,” her mother replied coldly from the front seat. Peering into the rear-view mirror, she inspected her youngest daughter as she sat pouting in the middle row of the vehicle. Those tears were streaming down her chubby cheeks; plump hands clutched an IPhone and pressed it tightly against her Hello Kitty themed t-shirt.
Kelly had struggled with her weight for her entire young life, and it was cresting near 350 pounds as the summer before her junior year of high school began. Her bloated, flabby ass and thighs were crammed tightly into pink and blue plaid pajama pants, and spread wide across the seat as she began a final series of futile complaints.
“But FAT CAMP??” she shouted angrily. “This is so unfair. I’m going to miss out on the entire summer...and do you know what kids at school are going to say about me if they find out? I’ll never live this down!”
Her mother simply clucked her tongue in response. “You had plenty of chances to get your weight under control, young lady. Some day you’ll thank me for this...they’d be saying a lot worse things if you showed up in September after yet another summer of sitting around stuffing your face.”
With that, both Kelly and her mother went silent. The exit approached on the right, and as their vehicle left the highway Kelly spied a billboard off to the side.
“CAMP CUPCAKE - 4 MILES EAST”
it was adorned with cute pictures of frolicking teenagers and summer themes, but Kelly knew it was a ruse. Clutching her backpack, her tubby belly growled. How was she ever going to get through this?