"Whales are big, too," said Henrietta, sucking on her cigarette behind the cafeteria. She was fiftyish, with bright red hair and a smoker's voice. Megan had had a few casual conversations with her before, and thought that if anyone could give her insight as to why the Buttercombe girls were virtually doubling in weight within a year, it was this old-timer. When she had brought up the word "weight," Henrietta put her finger to her mouth, very casually, then said, "Outside. In five minutes."
Megan could hardly believe her luck--Henrietta had been the first person she'd asked, and already she was getting somewhere! She went out and around back, careful to walk slowly past her blobby students so as not to arouse suspicion. She reflected, now, that that 'somewhere' was a lesson in marine biology (which she somehow doubted Henrietta was qualified to give). "Whales are big, too."
"I'm sorry?" said Megan, tossing her head to one side. "Are you comparing my students to whales?"
"Honey, all I said was whales are big, too."
"Oh. Okay."
"So I guess I am, then. Ha!"
Megan didn't laugh. Her initial excitement wavered and then withered. So Henrietta didn't know any secrets after all--she was just crazy. She decided to try one more question.
"I don't suppose," ventured Megan, "that you all in the cafeteria are being told to...um...put anything in the food? To...make the girls...big? Hormones, or anything like that?"
"We'd lose our licenses for that," snapped Henrietta, immediately. "And even if we didn't, no one's asked us to do anything of the kind. As if these girls NEED hormones to get fat. Why do you think whales are so big?"
"I don't know," said Megan. "They just are...they...eat a lot, I guess."
"Whales," said Henrietta, "eat about a ton of plankton per day. Why do you think they eat so much, Miss Smarty? Hmmm?"
"Um, because they're whales?"
"Because they're BIG," answered Henrietta, holding up a (surprisingly well-manicured) finger. "Beware of looking for causes. A whale is big because it eats a ton of plankton every day. But it eats a ton of plankton because it's big."
Megan knew this was supposed to be significant. Perhaps Henrietta WAS addressing her question...albeit in a roundabout way.
"So you're saying that the girls also eat a lot BECAUSE they're fat?"
"I been here a long time," laughed Henrietta. "I'm here, unlike the students, unlike the teachers, unlike YOU, missy--because I'm good at what I do. Never was much to look at, but I make a mean pancake and an immaculate custard. Most of the rest of the staff, too--look at 'em--ain't nearly as...big boned...as the rest of you."
Megan laughed. "I'm not big-boned, Henrietta."
Henrietta joined in. "No, not yet, hon. Not yet. I been here from the very beginning, you understand? Back when Buttercombe was a finishing school for beauty queens. They'd start thin, they'd graduate thin, for the most part. Teachers were nice an' svelte as you please. But then..." She took another drag on her cigarette and trailed off.
"Then?"
"Well, let's just say, there was a change. Suddenly, I'm noticing classes where a quarter of the girls are getting pretty...plump on our cooking. Then half the girls. Then all of 'em. Then the staff--new, pretty, teachers, always being brought in, fattened up, sent home...damnedest thing, really...and us doing nothing different but keeping up with the demand for more food."
"But I'm not getting fat," protested Megan, again, thumping her perfectly taut stomach, as if this needed proving. It was an important point--to her, at least.
Henrietta looked at her darkly. "Next time you're in a student dorm, I want you to pay attention to what's on the walls."
"What's on the walls?"
"I ain't saying more than that, honey. I like my job. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you then," said Megan, feeling defeated as the older woman extinguished her cigarette and walked back inside.
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