Chubby Duckling

4: Truth or Lies

MATTHEW

The thing with rumors is that if you let it be, it'd snowball into something so scandalous and untrue.

Two things happened after that bet, one good and one bad. The good one, Krista, who tried to get back together with me on Monday, has completely ignored me since she found out that I was seriously pursuing that girl from Saturday night, thus, ending my unwanted "relationship" with her. The bad one, since Krista is as hot and popular as she is crazy, the vindictive witch started the rumor about my manhood as the reason why she "dumped" me. I should have set it straight that night, but like the i***t I was, I thought it would blow over and just let it be. Big mistake.

On Monday, the rumor has catch on and some embarrassing details were added. Students who weren't even at the party were talking about how Krista dumped me and had me beat up by a lanky freshman who has a crush on her. By Tuesday, not only was I dumped and beaten up, apparently, I also got rejected by a beautiful freshman whom I harassed. After hearing that, I decided that I had enough. This is all that DUCC's fault.

"Hey, we still on for that bet?" I asked Carter.

"Sure. If you can get her to go with you at the Freshie Ball, I'll give you all my games on Steam." He took a bite of his sandwich and said with a mouth full of bread, "buh eef yew can't, I'm getting your car."

I only agreed to the bet last weekend because I didn't like how Carter was being condescending. But thinking seriously about it now, there are several reasons why it'll be good to take the bet.

One, Krista would back off - hopefully for good, or at least until graduation; two, I get to dispel the rumors about my manhood if I can have chubby tell her goddesses friends about the real size of my package; three I get to have revenge on that chubby girl who punched me by dumping her after; and four, I get to win Carter's expensive and precious games.

I turned to Jordan this time who was eating pudding beside me.

"What's that ducc's name again?" I asked just after he put the spoon in his mouth.

"-whur?"

"That girl at the party. The one who...erm..." I scratched the back of my head and lowered my voice, "punched me."

Jordan laughed and almost choked on his food, "Charmaine Fischer. Why do you ask?"

"Well have you heard the rumors about me?" I leaned in so only he can hear me, "I'm the guy who got dumped because of his tiny d**k, got beaten to a pulp by a freshman who has a bigger d**k, and got rejected by a freshman goddess because I was being a d**k!"

"Yeah, I heard. So?"

"So?? So, none of that is true!"

"I know. But what's that got to do with Chammy?"

"The rumors say I'm the d**k with a small d**k while she became a goddess who rejects me? She hit me!"

"Would you really rather the rumor say you got beaten up by a girl?"

"No. But that's hardly fair when this is all her fault. This wouldn't happen if she didn't hit me!"

"Tell me again why'd she hit you?"

"She called me a loser, I got angry and-"

Carter, who sat in front of me, burst into laughter.

"Wait, wait, wait. So, she calls you a loser and punches you?" He laughs again. "Man, I'm really gonna win this bet!"

I rolled my eyes. If it didn't happen to me, I would have laughed too. But since it was happening to me, hearing it get simplified like that annoyed me. And Carter's overconfidence about me being rejected by a nobody really gets to my nerves.

"Bet? Are you seriously considering taking Carter's bet?" Jordan asked me with furrowed brows.

"I-"

"Of course!" Carter cut me off. "He already agreed. No take backs!" He pointed a finger at me as a warning.

Jordan frowned at him and gave me a disappointed look.

"Don't you remember how I got shut down by every girl I tried to flirt with that night?" I don't know why I wanted to explain to Jordan my thought process, I guess his disappointment bothered me. "Even that girl in our class who's known to have a massive crush on me since freshman year, flat-out said no when I asked for her number yesterday. At this rate, I might really end up celibate." I continued.

"Where is this going?" Jordan asked slightly irritated.

"Asking her out would help my reputation. It'd get me to the good graces of the goddesses, the only other students that can rival Krista's influence. If she says no, then Carter wins, as simple as that, no harm done." I raised my shoulders in a shrug, "But if she says yes, then I would have made her dreams come true. She'll get to go with me to the Freshie Ball, I fix my reputation, and I don't get to lose my car to Carter. It's a win-win-win!"

"That is so narcissistic." Jordan started to say when his phone dinged that he got a message.

"Come on, I'm just being realistic here. Odds are, she's got the hots for me like everyone else."

"Pfft-! Right, that's why she called you a loser and punched you - it's because she likes you." Carter snickered.

"Of course! She's just playing hard to get," I countered. "You'll see, I'll win this bet." I told my two friends, but Jordan wasn't paying attention anymore. He was still reading the message with obvious concern.

"Sounds like a plan," he absentmindedly said before finally looking up from his phone. "Sorry, I gotta go."

He got up from his seat and clapped me in the back, "don't do anything juvenile." He warned me before leaving in a hurry.

I wanted to ask if anything was wrong but I know he will just say, "nothing" like he always does. I've decided to just let him tell me when he's ready.

I turned to Carter, "get ready to lose."

~~~

The next day, I went to school real early to get started on the first step to winning the bet. I looked for Charmaine Fischer to ask her out.

But then I found out how unpopular she is when no one could tell me where to find her. It's like she doesn't exist. "Who? I don't know any Charmaine that goes here", or "the goddesses have a friend named Charmaine?" they would say. "Charmaine, with big brown eyes in glasses...no, sorry I don't know her."

After several tries, I finally got ahold of one of her classmates. "Oh do you mean Chammy Fischer? The chubby girl who's always around Addy and Elly?"

I was careful not to mention the girl's weight while asking around for her because I was afraid that with my current reputation, I'd also be labeled as a bully. I almost felt sorry that being overweight is her identifier.

Almost.

"Yes! Her. Where can I find her?"

"Wait here, she's inside the classroom, I'll call her for you."

But she didn't come out. I checked my watch and saw that I would be late for class if I wait any longer. I wasted most of my time just looking for her and she won't even see me for a second. She making it really hard for me to ask her out. Like she knew about the bet and wanted me to lose just to piss me off.

With a huff, I turned to go to class and sat beside Carter who's wearing a big smile. He probably heard about my failed attempt at asking Charmaine Fischer out.

I'm not a bad guy, but whenever I get frustrated, I tend to make bad decisions and do stupid things. And seeing the smug look on Carter's face frustrated me.

So, I turned around and whispered something to one of our classmates.

If she doesn't like me going to her, then she can come looking for me.

My plan was already working by lunch time. There were murmurs of socks and boxers being stolen for decorative pieces in the bedroom.

"Why is everyone saying Charmaine stole your underwear and framed it on her bedroom wall?" Carter asked me with suspicion.

"So that she goes looking for me." I said matter of factly.

"WTF? You guys started the rumor?" Jordan sat down our table with a tray full of pudding.

"What? It's a harmless joke. It's just to get her attention."

Jordan shook his head, "I'm telling you, no good will come from this," he warned me.

I scoffed. "Just wait, any minute now she'd come to our table to confront me. I'll apologize and tell her that I only did that to get her attention, she'll find it amusing, I'll ask her out, she falls for me and agrees to go with me to the Freshie Ball, and I win the bet."

But she didn't.