Fat Cat by Robin Brande Page A

all different sizes. "I mean, you know you've lost weight, right? Why not enjoy knowing how much?"
    "Just a minute." I didn't want to yell it over the top of the dressing room in case anyone was within listening distance, so I waited until I found the right size and pulled the pants on. I opened the door.
    "Cute!" Amanda said. "Do you see how cute those are?"
    I motioned for her to come closer. "I'm not weighing myself because anytime I've been on a diet, whenever I weigh myself I'm either depressed that I've lost so little--which makes me want to eat--or I'm happy that I've lost so much--which makes me want to eat."
    "Oh."
    "Right. So I'm trying to work around that particular defect, and avoid it as long as I can."
    "Okay, fine," she said. "But would you look at yourself in those pants and tell me you do not look twenty times better?"
    I closed myself in the dressing room again and took a good honest look in the mirror.
    Wow. Not a huge wow, but a mini one, at least. The pants actually fit--plus they were girl pants. I usually wear men's Levi's.
    "Well?" Amanda called.
    "Yes."
    "Yes, you look great? Yes, I'm a genius? What?" I opened the door and smiled. "Thank you." Amanda beamed. "Next time don't fight me so much." Her cell phone rang. I've missed that sound.
    "Hi, sweetie." She listened for a moment. "Aw, really? I'm sorry. We'll come get you. When will you be done?"
    She flicked the phone closed. "I know you'd love to stay here and shop all day, but bad news. Jordan's car died on the way to his swim meet. He said he'll be done pretty soon. We need to go pick him up."
    "Okay, I'll just walk home." Even though the minute I said it, I realized that would take me hours.
    Amanda laughed. "Nice try. You're coming with me."
    "It's the swim team," I pointed out. "As in Matt?"
    "You're wearing your special new force-field pants now. He won't even be able to see you."

24
    I love the smell of a pool . I don't know what it is--the chemicals, the sunscreen, the wet hair, whatever. I know I'm weird. My nose just has this thing for it.
    Hardly anybody knows it, but I used to be on the swim team. Matt and me. We both joined the city league when we were eight, and from then on, every summer we'd ride our bikes together to the neighborhood pool for the morning practice, then stay in the water all day racing each other and swimming laps and drills. Matt's specialty was freestyle, mine was butterfly. Both of us were pretty good. I even won some medals over the years. Matt won more.
    Somehow I thought maybe I could sneak in there with Amanda today and not have to see him. But he was just at that moment climbing out of the pool, and so of course I had to look.
    If he were a nice guy, I suppose I'd think he has a nice body. Big shoulders, good tan, tight stomach, muscular thighs--the kinds of things you don't normally notice under those jeans and plain T-shirtshe always wears. Plus when his hair's wet from the pool it looks all dark and spiky and thick, and somehow makes his face seem almost--I hate to say it--handsome. He has these dark eyes and even a little bit of stubble if he goes a couple of days without shaving. I suppose if anyone wanted to look at him separately from his personality--which isn't possible, because he's a pig--they might actually think he's hot.
    Jordan spotted us and came over to say hi while he waited for his next heat.
    "You're dripping on me!" Amanda complained, which made Jordan give her a big wet bear hug. He started going for me, too, but I put my hands up.
    "It's almost over," Jordan said. "Just a few more races."
    Amanda and I grabbed a couple of empty plastic chairs.
    There weren't that many people there--just a few parents and some boyfriends and girlfriends of the swimmers. I didn't see Matt's parents. No surprise, since they hardly ever came when we were younger.
    Next up was the IM--the individual medley. Both Jordan and Matt were competing, along with four other swimmers. I couldn't help it--I was