Slumping up against Mack's solid mass, Jodie allowed herself to unwind fractionally, enough to gripe to her boyfriend. "God, Mack, I just don't know how much longer I can keep all this up."
"Your parents again?" Mack guessed.
"Well they're the originatal cause; always pushing me to take on more responsibilities, to participate in more extracurriculars, to be more competitive and driven. All just to prove that they, excuse me, that I don't have anything to prove. That they, whoops there I go again. That I am just as good as everyone else, because I'm better." Jodie sighed deeply, having vented her spleen for the moment, and dug into her lunch ravenously.
"Hang in there, babe; you'll pull through. You're one of the strongest people I know. I mean I certainly couldn't juggle everything you've got in the air. President of the French Club, Vice President of the Student Council, President of the Honor Society," said Mack supportively, as he opened his own lunch.
Jodie sighed again, swallowed her food, then chuckled and said, "You forgot editor of the school paper." She took another big bite. "My parents pick out what sport I play; they pick out most of my activities, and push me to be involved in more; they keep dumping most of the responsibility for taking care of my younger siblings at home. And on top of it all, they're always lecturing me about how I have to 'be an example for our race!'" ranted Jodie, in a frighteningly accurate mimicry of her mother. "I swear, it's like the only thing in my life that I actually have any say over is what I eat," she concluded, finishing her lunch, even as she looked longingly at the uneaten portion of Mack's.
She sighed again. "Maybe that's why I've been snacking so much more recently. Stress relief. And it's not doing my weight any favors either; another source of stress in it self."
It broke Mack's heart to hear Jodie, strong confident Jodie Landon, hurting like this. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he gave her tummy a gentle caress (not quite being bold enough to go any higher in such a public place) "Aw Jodie, I think you look great. You know how much I was enjoying your recent growth 'north of the navel' last night. And besides, I've always said you let what your parents think control you too much. But even if you're still going to do all the things they force you into, maybe even because of that, then I say what you eat, how much you weigh, that's none of their damn business."
Jodie smiled, and snuggled deeper into Mack's embrace. "Thanks, Mack. You all ways know the right thing to say. And you are absolutely right." She bit her lip delicately. "Um, are you going to finish that other sandwich?"
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