A Life-Changing Season On the Beach:

Daphne Stone's Relentless Pursuit Of Ana

.....In one glorious summer of perfection.

When the school year was finally over, Daphne Stone couldn't help fearing the next three summer months. Her friends practically lived at the beach, spending long, glorious afternoons in tiny bikinis, swimming, water-skiing and tanning. So why was she fearing this idyllic existence? She was, by her own admission, quite chubby and had been most of her life. A classic pear shaped body type, she was cursed with a fairly small upper body, complete with depressingly small breasts and a substantially larger bottom half. Daphne cringed everytime she looked at herself in the mirror and lamented her size four upper body and size twelve lower half. Finding clothes that fit well was nearly impossible, so while her pals, Cindy Shaw and Chloe Benson flaunted their wonderful thinness, with completely flat stomachs and decent sized chests. Daphne was as pretty as they were, however and that was likely why several guys in her class had asked her out. Even so, extreme thinness was in and even though Joe Paine and Dave Hollingsworth had both given her props for being a "natural beauty who needed little make-up" they had, from time to time, chided her about having an "ample body." Daphne cringed at those insensitive words and often responded by wearing dark, camouflaging outfits that hid her curves.

As Daphne, Cindy and Chloe prepared to head for the beach in Cindy's red sports car, Daphne held up her turquoise bikini and lamented, "Look at this thing. It's the most unsexy getup ever. How did I have the nerve to wear this last year?? It's hideous and so am I."

Cindy was surprised at her friend's negativity. "Where is this coming from? You always said you were happy with your body and that you would never starve to become one of those assembly line anorexics. You've never said anything to either Chloe of me about hating your appearance. Did those idiots say something to upset you?"

Daphne rolled down the car window to let in the summer glory and sat back with her arms folded over her chest. "Well, you know thatt Joe and Dave had always said I had a pretty face...Well, a few months ago they both acknowledged my body and hinted that it wasn't even close to perfection."

Cindy's mouth dropped open. "Ohmygod. They came out and TOLD you that??? I can't believe it!! You're on the debate team, the yearbook staff and get awesome grades. And on top of that, you sing like an angel. No kidding. You could and likely will have a great career in music if you play your cards right. Who cares if you're not a stick?"

Daphne shuddered. "Oh God, you just don't get it do you? Neither of you girls has ever, EVER had to watch your weight or get told that you're plump, a fatty and an object of a chubby chasers' desire. You don't even weigh two hundred pounds combined. So how do you get off on telling me I look like you?? When I look at my body and wish I could just disappear."

Both Cindy and Chloe's jaws hit the floor. "I had no idea you were so----so obsessed about your weight. You never talked like this before. What's happened to make you so paranoid about your looks all of a sudden." Chloe shook her head. "I never pegged you for a wannabe anorexic, Daphne. You were always above that appearance thing."

"Well, if you really must know, I tried on a pair of jeans I bought last year and now they're way too tight. They're a size twelve!! That means I'm now a size fourteen! That's disgusting. It's gargantuan! And I will not look like this any longer!"

Cindy shook her long mane of red hair. "Well, you're just buying into that "we have to look good at all costs" mentality. You have so much going for you---things we'd die to have going on--and you're going weird on us all of a sudden. When you decide to embrace your own individual personality again, I'll get back to you." With that, Cindy glanced at Chloe and said, "Come on. We don't know who Daphne is anymore."

What!!?? You're giving me the brush off? Whatever happened to sticking together no matter what? I can't believe you're both blowing me off like this. All I said was that I wished I was thinner. Who doesn't want to be these days? It doesn't matter what you have going on in your life. The only thing that assures a woman she can get ahead in the world is if she embraces the skinny ideal. Now, if the two of you can stand there and tell me that I'm wrong, well then, let me have it."

Cindy turned and looked into Daphne's blue eyes. "It's not that we want to cut you loose, Daph. We just don't want to see you fall into that "wasted mindset" because we both realize that you can do anything you set your mind to and if you crave to be skeletal, well then there's no denying you'll be able to lose as much weight as you want."

"Is it because you think I'll get so thin that it will make you look fat? Is that where this is going?"

Chloe brushed past Daphne and said, with irritation in her voice, "I give up. I'll tell you what: When the real Daphne Stone comes back, just give us a call. Until then, you're on your own, kid."

Yeah, like I'm really going to miss two girls who parade their slimness as if it were some kind of badge of honour. Go hang out with those bitches we always made fun of." With that, Daphne continued on home alone, where she intended to go on a long run after pretending to eat for her parents' sake. She knew the running would be hard at first, but Daphne was never one to avoid a challenge. It was going to be the summer that beat any other in her young life and she could hardly wait.

. . . . . . .

To be continued.

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