The morning hadn't been going too smoothly for Ainsley. Breakfast had been churning in her stomach as much as the thoughts about it churned through her mind. The walk to school had been fairly soothing though, allowing her stomach and mind to calm down. By the time she arrived at the school gates, Ainsley was certain today was going to be a great day.
Even though she arrived a bit early because of how quickly she rushed out of her house this morning, she wasn't the first person in the classroom. Joining her as she entered was two boys, and already inside the classroom was four girls and one boy. She recognized two of the girls and one of the boys from the year before but the other two girls and boys were new. Going over to the group of girls, Ainsley joined in their conversation about the summer and new fall line.
Everything was going fine. The last of the students wandered into the classroom and with it the bell signaled the teacher's arrival. Ainsley took her seat next to the window, up at the front near one of the girls from before. Directly behind them were the two of the other girls and then behind them were the two boys who walked in with Ainsley. Eyes focused on the teacher and instead of behind her, Ainsley was content with the morning finally. If she had turned around, she would have seen the boys looking at them.
It had been a simple morning to be honest but the first day usually was. They did some ice breakers to get the class used to the new teacher and classmates, talked about what they did over the summer, went over the syllabus and then eventually it was lunch time. She had been dreading the moment lunch came, her fear of the unknown that was the contents of her lunch looming in the distant place inside her backpack.
There was a sandwich, an apple and some baby carrots. Ainsley prayed that the sandwich was a Nutella sandwich but instead of what she hoped for she got what she feared. It was a ham and cheese sandwich and upon realization, a horrified expression fell across her face that slowly melted into sorrow. Another! Another pig! She couldn't even look at it, and touching it made her stomach churn. She did what she could by using her apple to push it back into her lunch bag.
The rest of the day went by fast and before Ainsley knew it the end of the day was there. She gathered her stuff up and prepared to leave. She didn't leave immediately, and instead she lingered back in the class to ask the teacher a few questions about the syllabus and curriculum. They were fairly brief and eventually she was leaving the school.
After a long day, she was more than ready to go home but as she left the building she heard her name. She looked around her but she couldn't see anyone. However, near the side of the building several of the boys from her class were talking. As she listened, she could heard other names of girls being spoken of. The subject the boys were discussing made Ainsley's hands raise over her chest and her face flush a deep red. They were talking about that? Not just talking about it but comparing them!
Ainsley ranked among the lowest. She put a lot of effort into her appearance but in the end she was simply being judged by the size of her chest! Prior to this, she never really thought about her body in the eyes of others. However, her head definitely lowered upon hearing what the boys were talking about. She drew back and began to walk away. She lingered a bit, her feet shuffling against the pavement before finally she began to head home.
It wasn't true, was it? Her hands pulled against the fabric of her blouse and she sighed. There was absolutely nothing there! Walking home, she couldn't help but notice her classmates. Most of her classmates were in bras now. Did they really grow that much over the summer or was she just so far behind? She frowned, her eyes staring at her feet while her arms held close to her chest. She didn't want anyone to see! Was she not normal? She shook her head, running the rest of the way home before anyone else seen her.
