chapter 5 (part 1)

At the beginning of the day, I was emptying my backpack into my locker. I was sweating bullets. And for good reason. I had sold out one of my best friends in exchange for some popularity. Why, why, why I did that, I'm not sure. What could Rachael do for me besides get some nerds to
do my homework? The only thing that could save me is if Rachael never told her anything about me last night. Then we could stay friends. I could only hope.

And as I swung my locker shut, I met eyes with her. The friend I had sold out just the night before. Liv stared up at me, stone-faced. I managed to crack a smile. It could be friendly, or it could not be. It depended.

Did she know?

Liv opened her mouth temporarily, but no wore came out. She looked angrier now.



"How was... the dance last ni-," Emma was cut off.

"I can't even look at you," she said, voice quivering. Liv turned, and walked away.

Emma stood. Alone.




Liv cut cross-country practice that day. She avoided Rachael's goons like the plague. And she did not even go to lunch. She only had one thing on her mind now. She could finally air her grievances.

"A house with a fountain... Salamander Drive..." she muttered, trying to find directions at a red light. Liv was attempting to find the way to her new friend Celia's house. She really couldn't wait to see her again. Celia had done the best a stranger could to comfort Liv at the lowest point of her high school life. But, she managed to cheer her up immediately.

"I need that kind of person in my life now," she thought.

Liv did eventually find the private plot Celia lived on. The three houses on its street were massive mansions, complete with pillars and arches and gates. Patches of colorful flowers and trees coated in proper fall coloring. The plot looked like it came from an art piece. Liv could only admire the greenery from inside her car. She snapped out of her trance as soon as she came to the driveway of 8 Salamander Drive. Liv brought her car to a stop, and walked to the front doors slowly. She wanted to gawk at the size and beauty of the house. At the door, she pressed a finger to the doorbell. Nearly instantly, one of the two doors swung open. Liv was met with the face of a middle-aged man, dressed elegantly.

"Who are you here to see?" he interrogated. Liv was caught slightly off-guard.

"U-uh... Celia. Celia Emsworth."

The man called for Celia, who eventually came up from behind him, a welcoming smile on her face.

"Ms. Emsworth, do you kno-," the gruff man was interrupted.

"Ohh, Olivia! I'm so glad you've come! Please, follow me," Celia greeted her, quickly taking her hand and walking her to the living room couch. She hadn't had anyone over in such a long time. Liv admired all the pillars and marble. The old paintings and beautiful chandeliers. Celia was loaded.

"Who was that guy?" Liv asked her.

"That's just Frederich! He's our butler," Celia responded.

"You have a butler?!"

"Yep! His name is Frederich!"

The two sat on one of the sleek couches in the living room. High ceilings provided tall windows with lying coming down in streaks over the couch.

"How did your family become so... rich?"

"Well, my father is the owner of the Emsworth company. He just left for a business trip earlier today, actually. They work with science and whatnot. It makes my dad lots of money!" Celia answered.

The two continued to chat for a while, definitely enjoying each others' company. Celia would ramble on and on about life back in England, and Liv would sit, left to listen. She began to realize the natural beauty of her new friend. Her brown hair swayed as she talked, and her silver eyes would dart across the room whenever she reminisced about an exciting tale. And know apparent to her, Celia had a very pretty figure. The clothing she wore was much less formal than what was worn around her. Her pastel-colored loungewear gently hugged her broad hips, her long legs hidden under baggy sweatpants.

"Alright, cool it," she thought to herself.

"Oh, and Olivia, I've been thinking about what you told me last night. The way those girls treated you? Awful, just awful! Did either of them apologize to you today?"

Liv sighed. She remembered why she was so excited to come to Celia's, although she had found a better reason now. She wanted someone to vent to.

"Of course not... they're just evil," she murmured. "I couldn't look my own best friend in the eyes. She looked so dumb-founded, like she hadn't just, like... stabbed me in the back." Liv stared into space, Celia listening closely. "And I know that I'm never gonna hear the end of this. 'Oh, look at her, she's such a pig, haha'. People are such idiots."

Celia gave her a rare frown. She only graduated high school last year, but they were so much crueler than she remembered. And oh, how sorry she was for Olivia. She seemed like such a pleasant person.

"Olivia, I think you need new friends at school. Real ones," Celia tried to advise her. "A true friend would never do anything of that nature."

Liv looked down to the floor. "Yeah, I don't think people want anything to do with me right now. Maybe after it all blows over, I can find some real friends."

"But that's just it! A real friend would like you, even if you aren't the most popular person there. A real friend would see you've done nothing wrong," Celia continued.

"I get that, but Rachael has such a chokehold on everyone at the school, and it just makes me wonder..." Liv's voice broke a little. "What if she doesn't let go? What if I'm put down so bad that nobody wants to even associate with me?" A tear started to run down her right eye, and she wiped it off with her finger.

"Ohh, Olivia, don't feel so down!" Celia exclaimed sadly. "I know there's someone there who really likes you. They could be right under your nose. For example, I think you're wonderful!"

Liv was able to crack a friendly smile at her, before wiping away another tear. "Thanks, Celia... there have to be real people somewhere there. I just gotta find them."

"Oh my," Celia thought. "I've only known her a day, but it just tears my heart to see her upset..." Liv's stomach rumbled. She slid her hand up to her belly, still protruding from last night's events.

"Sorry, I haven't really been eating much. I'm still kinda paranoid," she sighed. Celia's eyes widened.

"I'm such an airhead! I forgot all about the testing!" Celia just then remembered.

"I know exactly what will cheer you up! Frederich! May you fetch us two some apple tart?" she called into the hallway. By some magic, the sound of her voice travelled down those long, spacious hallways into Frederich's ear. As soon as she shouted, it seemed like the smell of warm cinnamon traveled back to the two girls.

"Ooh! Apple pie?" Liv practically shot up sitting. She slumped back down suddenly. "Oh yeah, that's not happening. I still have this massive belly, and it needs to go. Now."

Celia snatched a look at her little friend's 'massive' belly. While it was 'massive', it only looked so due to her relative size. All Celia had to do was convince her to take one bite. Then, the Emsworth concoction would work its magic. Harris had already told Frederich about the experiment. He would put only two drops on this pie, and Liv would be wired to gobble the whole thing up herself.

"Ah, nonsense! That's simply a food baby, it's normal!"

"No, you don't understand... I blimp up really bad. If I eat enough, my belly just balloons, and it stays that way for a while.

"That's because you're quite short!" Celia quickly covered her mouth with one of her dainty hands. "Oh! Oh no, I'm so sorry..."

Liv snickered. "No, it's cool. I take pride in it."

"Thank goodness. Anyway, I think that because you are relatively smaller to other people, overeating looks more evident on you. If you have the appetite of a girl your age, it would take drastic effect on your frame. Where a tall person would have a normal food baby, you would have food twins!" Celia tried her best to coax Liv, and her points did have truth to them. "So I say indulge, Olivia, indulge! You are still young!"

"Aren't you, like, a year older than me?"

"Yes... maybe you'll learn a lot when you turn eighteen as well!"

"Riiight. Ugh, now I can't get that pie out of my mind..." she smiled.

Celia smiled back.

The two continued to talk and laugh for a while. Liv was now more bubbly and energetic than earlier. All her worries and doubts for the day had been cleared by Celia. That's how Liv knew Celia was a better friend than Emma. While Emma was usually friendly, she spent more time teasing than being there for her.

"Your apple tart, Miss Emsworth." Fredreich placed the large pie on the coffee table. It was coated gently with cinnamon and brown sugar. A small bowl was placed with the pie, with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream inside. There was also a pitcher of milk, with two glass cups.

"Thanks, Frederich, it looks delightful!" Celia complimented his work as he walked away. She turned back to see Liv already indulging.

"God, this stuff is so good," Liv gushed, between bites. "It
must be great to have your own personal cook."

"It surely is..."

Celia sat back on her side of the couch as Liv continued to make a mockery of whatever cleaning was previously done. Crumbs spread all over the surface as her friend eagerly devoured the pie she took.

"I don't think I can stop myself, I've never had pie so delicious! Isn't it great?" she asked, mouth full this time. Liv hadn't realized Celia didn't take any pie.

"I wonder if she always eats like this? Could it just be the liquid?" she thought. Slice after slice was whittled away by an ever-growing force of hunger. Liv ended up taking both scoops of ice cream.

"I should be stopping now," Liv thought. "But it's like this pie is calling my name... if I ever get this recipe, I'll end up fat f