Are you happy?

“Are you happy?” It was a seemingly innocent question that turned out to be character assassination.

“Uh, yeah,” she replied with a smile.

“No, I don’t mean right now.”

“Oh, you mean am I a happy person? Pretty much. I mean, everybody has their ups and downs but that’s just life. Are you happy?”

“Oh no, don’t try to make this about me, we’re talking about you now.”

“We always talk about me. I just don’t think it’s fair that you get to know so much about me but I don’t get to know about your life.”

“Hey, you know a lot about my life.” … “Okay, fine. Well, yeah, I think I’m happy, ya know? I have a good family that I love. Things could be better financially though, but I suppose that’ll get better as the kids get older.”

“Oh yeah? Well that’s good. I don’t know about finances getting better though. Just from what I’ve seen that’s how most people think but it rarely ever works out that way.”

“Yes, and you have figured that out in your infinite wisdom of 17 years?”

“Hey, that’s just from what I’ve seen happen to other people.”

“Maybe you do have an old soul or whatever but you know, and maybe I shouldn’t be telling you this even as a friend, but when I was your age I probably wouldn’t have given you the time of day. And I think for the same reason most guys don’t…” as he was speaking she felt the knot of dread in the pit of her stomach, She didn’t know what he was going to say but she knew it was not going to be fun. The next words she expected ran through her mind; ‘because you’re a whore’ or ‘you come on too strong’. Thoughts racing, she felt as if she had been stabbed as she heard the next words, “your weight. You’re not obese like some of the girls around here but you’re a big girl and if you lost some weight you would be a really beautiful girl. You’re beautiful now but I don’t think guys look past your weight.”

He kept talking but all she could focus on were those 2 words, ‘your weight’ then only the one, ‘weight’. The word made her stomach turn and she felt like a lead statue, she was aware that she was moving and perhaps even smiling but she didn’t feel a thing. “Why can’t you just talk like everyone else and call me fat!” She screamed, but only in her own head. Outwardly she nodded in agreement, not even having heard the last half of what he said.

“Guys are superficial. If you want to find one that makes you happy you should probably lose some weight. And I’m sure you’re just as superficial; you want a well a nice looking guy with a well biult body, right? So, it’s really not a double standard or anything.”

Superficial?! Who was he to speak of superficiality?! Always talking about supermodel girlfriends and a supermodel wife (exaggerations no doubt). Is he so superficial that even his pupils must be physically attractive? Is he not telling her that her only hope of happiness is through slim physical aesthetics and a male?

“Ok yeah, yeah, you’re probably right.”