“We’ve got to start cutting back on the trips to Big Daddy’s.” Courtney said with a wry curl to one side as she bit into a forkful of cheese fries, “I think I’m starting to retain grease…”
Haley suddenly snapped to attention, cheese rolling from the inside of her mouth and onto her lips. She’d been hunched over her phone, scrolling through Facebook when Courtney had dropped the bomb. The shock was enough to rip her out of her headspace and back into the real world.
“What? But I like coming here!” Haley gasped, “These study sessions are the only thing that keeps me above water!”
“Well, yeah, we can still study, just in a less…” Courtney winced, “…dangerous environment.”
“Dangerous?” Haley made a face, “What kind of danger could we possibly get into at a Diner?”
As if summoned by the great gods of timing, their waitress for the evening emerged from the kitchen, turned corner, and approached the collegiate cuties with their dinner for the evening. Two burgers, double stacked, with so much chili that it spread against the sides of the wax paper. A refill of bacon cheese fries, and two baked potatoes. It wasn’t often that their waitress—Dina, or whatever her name was—smiled at them, but Haley couldn’t help but think that she looked much more pleasant than normal as she carried out the heaping helping of caloric content and hauled it all onto their plates.
“Order up!” their black-clad waitress said with a smile as she started doling out food, “Which one of you had the extra cheese, extra chili— “
“Ooh, me!” Haley raised her hand like a kid in a classroom as her burger was placed in front of her. A heavy slap against the table sounded at the impact.
“See, this is what I’m talking about. Haley, that’s like, your third chili cheeseburger this week.” Courtney cut her eyes at her gorging classmate, “All that can’t be good for you.”
“Hmm?” their waitress sounded as she doled out Courtney’s equally unhealthy helping, “Your food’s not good?”
“What?” Courtney blinked, “No, that’s— “
“Lemme talk to Petro about getting you some milkshakes.”
“No, Danielle, don’t— “
But it was too late! The goth girl skulked off, back around the corner to speak with the manager. Courtney rolled her eyes and let her head fall into her hands.
“Who’s Danielle?” Haley asked, her lips smacking loudly as she masticated her burger into mush
“I’m surprised with how often we’re in here, you still don’t know our waitress’s name. We went to high school together.” Courtney sighed, “Seriously Haley, I’m starting to get burnt out on Big Daddy’s.”
“Well, hey, that’s no big deal.” Haley slurped her sweet tea out of the Styrofoam cup, “We can always start hanging out at Waffle House or something. That’s close to campus.”
“We’re trying to escape greasy spoons, Haleykins.” Courtney said with a stab of her pile of fries, “Waffle House is probably worse than here. At least here we won’t get mugged.”
“Then… we could always eat on campus?” Haley searched her thoughts, “Oh! Or my Mom’s house—we’d save money at least.”
“The last time we studied at your mom’s house, I popped the button off my jeans.” Courtney grimaced, “I’m not going back there until I lose the twenty pounds I’ve put on since school started.”
In all honesty, Haley wasn’t listening. You never seem to realize how hooked you can get on a certain high throughout the day. And on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—barring a couple Tuesdays where she was hankering a grilled cheese and couldn’t be bothered to go to class—Haley had certainly gotten used to having fatty, greasy food in her system. While Courtney blah, blah, blah’d her way through dinner about healthy choices, Haley was relishing in the flavors afforded to her by her staples. Chili. Cheese. And Burger.
“Sorry about your food, guys.” Danielle reemerged from around the corner carrying two more white cups, “These are on the house.”
Haley was practically drooling—she hadn’t had Big Daddy’s milkshakes since before she moved out!
“No thanks.” Courtney curled her nose, “I’m not feeling it tonight.”
“I’ll take hers.” Haley added greedily as she leaned across the table, her soft stomach cut against the edge, and palmed the side of Courtney’s shake. “Thank you!”
“Don’t mention it.” Their waitress smiled before walking off.
Far be it from Courtney to bring up anyone’s weight, but she was beginning to get worried about her friend. They’d known each other for years, and Haley had always been a little slip of a girl. But ever since they’d enrolled in college, she couldn’t think of a time when Haley wasn’t eating. On campus, here at Big Daddy’s, the random takeout they’d get when they hung out… and if her mother was anything to go by, Haley must live like a queen at home.
“Haley, are you okay?” Courtney asked after a long pause, “You’ve been eating a lot lately…”
“College is stressful—it’s called a coping mechanism.” Haley snorted as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “It’s not a big deal.”
“Not yet it’s not.” Courtney furrowed her brow slightly, “But it’s gonna be a great big deal if you keep eating like this.”
“That was the lamest comeback I’ve ever heard.” Haley answered dismissively, “You’re worrying over nothing, okay? I’m totally in control.”
Haley slurped on her straw as creamy, sugary shake tickled her tongue.
“Total control.”
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