The Curtain Call for Love 1 {Transformation and self discovery}

Ever played the beautiful princess meets the ugly boy as a game before? Or watched a movie where the poor girl happens to be fated to the charming young and Rich prince? For as Shakespeare would call it, more of an "unequal in beauty but equal in love" kind of relationship. Pause! Not that the beauty is a beauty of looks but a beauty of size! Ella Harper sat cross-legged on her unmade bed, her laptop humming faintly beside her. A half-eaten bag of chips rested precariously on the edge of her desk, a testament to her commitment to homework multitasking—which, in her case, mostly meant binge-watching historical dramas and occasionally glancing at her algebra textbook. "Beauty of size," she muttered under her breath, spinning a lock of her auburn hair around her finger. It wasn’t self-pity exactly—it was more of a resigned acknowledgment. Like realizing you’d be cast as the comic sidekick in a rom-com long before the leading lady entered the scene. Maya’s words from earlier that afternoon played on a loop in her head: *"You let them pick on you because you think you deserve it."* Typical Maya, all directness and no filter. She meant well, but honestly, Ella wasn’t sure she had the energy to fight back today—or any day, for that matter. Her phone buzzed, a text from Maya lighting up the screen: *Diner at 7? You owe me fries.* Ella sighed, a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "Queen of Wit and Stolen Snacks," she said to no one in particular. Maybe Maya had a point. Maybe it was time for Ella to stop blending into the background. But not tonight. Tonight, the fries could do the heavy lifting. She stared at the Phone again just by the side of her bent left knee, this time her smile had given way to a fully blown grin. "Swin's Fries House then". She said to herself as she picked the phone excitedly. She swiped the lock screen open and shivering with excitement, searched frantically for Maya's telephone number. Almost immediately, shape of you blared from her phone and Maya's name popped up on her screen with a red heart emoticon by its side. Ella allowed the song play as she shook her hair and moved her shoulder to the rhythm; "The club isn't the best place to find a lover So Swin's House of Fries is where I go Me and my friend at the table Eating Fries Talking fast then we gossip more....." "Oh how I wish Maya was here to listen to my parodia of Sheeran's shape of you". She smiled to herself. But then, the song stopped. And so did her immersion in her fake reality. Then like a blanket would descend on an open field, her realization hit her hard. Maya was not a fan of call Hibernates. She didn't snub calls and for whatever reason, didn't want another to snub hers. But a fat assed pretty cow just did, and man, she knew she wouldn't get away with it. The ringtone blared again; maybe a second chance? She laughed at her own Drama. "Yo babe!" She grinned over the phone. Of course she knew what awaited her; a very quick but extensive lecture on how bad it is not to pick a call on its first ring. Then a rigmarole on the concept of 'True friends require true attitudes' . Sometimes she couldn't place how Maya tends to apply this phrase in every single situation — that too, and effectively. "You're alive!" Maya's sweet singer's voice rang out from the other end. And oh! She didn't remember the first statement that usually came after she didn't take the first ring. Many times she'd intentionally let the first ring die just to hear the cliché she found very funny. "You didn't think I'd died, did you?" "Well. Who knows?" They both laughed. And almost immediately as they had begun, the laughter ceased. The room quieted and only the gentle humming of Ella's Probook plus the clumsy ticking of the clock opposite the bed was heard. Maya cleared her throat very loudly that Ella thought her ears would never get to hear again; she knew where the clearing would lead to and, and decided to hit the mile before Maya ran. But then the other young lady was quicker, "You owe me some fries, remember?" "Oh yeah!" She was quick to give a reply— or let's say, cut her short. "Not that I really do but I think with all we've done as friends, I do owe you some." "No way!" "Uh-huh!" "But I saved your pretty ass today, remember?" The overlapping excitement in her voice was visible and almost palpable. Ella's voice climbed an octave, playful but determined. "Maya I didn't owe you fries because you saved me from those girls! Besides I didn't ask you to — you did it because you're my friend. That's what friends do!" "Oh really?" Maya shot back, her tone dripping with mock indignation. "Well, I must have missed the memo that friendship includes defending you from constant taunts— especially from Cindy and Jenny— those freaks!" "Aha!" "I'm basically your unpaid bodyguard at this point." Ella laughed, half amused and half exasperated. "Unpaid? Please! The fries aren't payment. They'd just be a treat. Besides you enjoyed shutting them up; admit it!" "You know what I enjoy? The thought of you realising how much you owe me that fries." Ella could hear the squeaky sound from the other end and guessed at once that her friend had been sitting cross legged on her bed all along. "Swin's House of Fries, here I come!" The person at the other end jumped to the ground with her two feet landing with a heavy thud. Her declaration came with a confidence of one already savouring crispy perfection. "Dream on! Ella countered, the grin in her voice impossible to hide. "But don't you think they're not worth the trouble?" "Girl, They're worth it!" Maya's response forced a heavy sigh from her. "They make the best fries in the whole of Swin City. Their name says so" "Yeah, I know!" The dryness was evident but Maya didn't care! And like other times, Ella wondered how she got stuck with her as a friend when their traits are so different. If there was anything she hated to think, it was that Maya's character complimented hers. She didn't always like that idea. It didn't make her sound straight, and as far as she was concerned, Only a guy's character was permitted to compliment hers. Only guys. "I will meet you in twenty minutes then!" "Yeah, Twenty" "Wait! How's Danielle, is she okay?" "Yeah, why?" "I mean, She didn't disrupt your call today. So I thought to ask how...." BAM! BAM! BAM! The door vibrated under what could be described as an enthusiastic knock. Ella sighed clutching her phone closer. "..... One sec", she muttered. Before she could so much as as reach the handle, the door swung open with a dramatic creak. Danielle her younger sister, stood there a mischievous smile plastered across her face as she leaned casually against the door frame. "Just see what you've caused." Ella whispered into the phone. "Ella you won't believe this," Danielle said with a deliberate pause as though delivering a breaking news. "Well, actually, you probably will. You sounded like someone in desperate need of excitement." "Danielle, I'm on the phone," Ella said rubbing her temple. "Oh sorry," Danielle replied, brushing past her sister and plopping unto the bed. "Hi Maya! Someone missed me dearly today!" She called out, loud enough for the person at the other end of the line to hear. Ella picked the muffled giggle from Maya's end but ignored it. "Quick question - Do you really want fries from SFH? I mean, Small chips for big money? There are road side spots doing twice the portion for half the price. Just saying". "Danielle!" Ella groaned but she couldn't help the small smile creeping onto her lips. "Oh, don't mind me!" Danielle quipped flipping through a book on the bed that wasn't hers. "Carry on with your boring gist. someone had to bring in the flavor" Ella shut the door with one hand and muttered under her breath, "Flavour my foot". But I think she's got a point" Maya's voice boomed from the other end. "Shh,! Don't say that or we would never have any discussion in peace again." She queried in a whisper while giving quick glances at Danielle who smiled wryly and licked her upper lip, "I already heard you".