The Fat Girl by Emily Picha Estimated Length: 3-3.5 minutes (Melanie is either extremely dressed up or extremely dressed down. She has been totally shunned by the people at her school, and is finally coming clear with her demons.) I am the fat girl at your school. I sit about twenty feet from you at the table by the fountain, usually alone. In fact, always alone. No one wants to be friends with the fat girl, it's like I have some disease. The "fat" disease where my cellulite runs the risk of flopping off on you. (glances down at her body). The only attention I get are the various sarcastic catcalls: "Hey Whale!" "Oh look it's the fat girl!" and laughing. They always laugh at me, laugh at me hobbling down the hall. (tries to laugh) Hobbling. Heh.. What a funny word. But not if it's the best word that someone can find to describe you. Sometimes, you know, I just can't stop myself from crying knowing that's what they know me as: the girl hobbling down the hall. I really think that they'd like me if I was skinny. Whatever. They'd like me if I was skinny but because I'm fat it's like the, "Let's make fun of the fat girl" show! The whole school participates. But the worst thing is, no one can look me in the eye. When I try to say something back, to defend myself, they act like I'm permanently P.M.Sing. But I'm not! I just can't take that all day! I just don't get it...people shouldn't treat other people that way. And even the nice ones just glance down at the ground. I'm not an ALIEN!! I'm a human being. I do exist. I guess I just want to be treated like one of those popular girls. With all the guys hangin' all over them. Wow.. (kind of shifts into a daydream state) But my doctor says,"Melanie, you have low metabolism." And this condition prevents me from leading a regular life? Guess so. My weekends are spent usually alone, or with my sister. Or watching TV. Or excercising in places where no one would have the chance to see my atrocious body in spandex. But I've lost 10 pounds! Another 60 to go.. but I get so excited when I think of next September when I will just show up at school and no one will recognize me because I lost 70 pounds and I got a new haircut. And I will introduce myself as Melanie Magowan, because no one knows me by my full name at all. And I will say I just moved into town from Los Angeles. I always heard that if you're from Los Angeles people will be just fascinated. I can't wait.