That old Carma

Karma was a bitch. No, really. Karma but she spelled it “Carma”. She treated everyone around her like they were disgusting and beneath her. She came from a really rich family who bought her everything her heart desired. I avoided Carma as much as I could but even I couldn’t escape falling victim to her intense bullying. You see, I was an overweight 16 year old but even though I saw either the sympathetic glances or the laughing, snickering bullies, I didn’t let it get me down. I knew I was plenty pretty and I may not have been a size 0, but I still had good fashion sense, I wore pretty make up and I dyed my naturally straight mousy brown hair and dark blonde. My boyfriend, Chad, was the complete opposite of me, mostly only in the looks department. Though he had an extremely chiseled face and was very tan, he was skinny as a rail and tall. He had black hair and blue eyes and to me, he was the most attractive man I had ever seen. What brought us together went beyond looks, though. He wss so nice to me and funny and we connected on a deeper level. It took me years to get out of the “friend zone” with him but once I did, it felt good. One day, while we were eating lunch together in the cafeteria, Chad went to go give his friend some notes from History class, leaving me at the lunch table alone. While there, I saw a vanilla cupcake with pink frosting placed in front of me by someone. “Here, since you obviously like eating a lot of these,” I heard Carma say behind me. I turned around to face her. She was a widen 0, skinny with even better fashion sense then me. She was perfectly tan and had the perfectly curled platinum blonde hair. I tried to think of something clever to say, something that would really zing her but I couldn’t find the courage to say anything. I was too non-confrontational. She had already moved on to her next victim. I saw Chad and his friend looking at me, as they were clearly in earshot. Chad didn’t stick up for me.

It dawned on me that the only person I could count on to stick up for me was me. I walked up to Carma. “Hey, Carma, thank you for this cupcake. I will take this as a peace offering from you,” I told her. She laughed right in my face, looking hardly bothered that I marched right up to her. “Sweetie, just be careful this peace offering doesnt go to your ass because doesn’t everyone know, you’ve got enough of THAT,” she said, pointing to my butt. She glanced over at Chad, who looked shocked. ”Oh, I’m sorry, is THAT the girlfriend you mentioned earlier, Chad? Really? THAT’S your girlfriend? Forgive me but I think you can do WAY better than that!” Carma shouted to him, winking at him.

The bell rang and the group of people in the cafeteria (most of which laughed at me thanks to Carma) dispersed back to class. As Carma left the cafeteria, I looked around for Chad for comfort and I couldn’t find him. I texted him to see if he was going to walk me to class but he didn’t answer until the final bell at the end of the day rung and that was only because he was my ride home. I met him outside at our usual meeting spot and he walked me to his car. “Today was a pretty intense day,“ I said. Chad nodded. “I mean, what the hell was that in the cafeteria? Carma was such a bitch!” I exclaimed. “Well, you know what they say about karma,” Chad muttered silently. “Haha, babe! I can’t believe she fat shamed me in front of the whole cafeteria!” I said, “It wasn’t the WHOLE cafeteria,” he said? quietly. “I don’t like what she said about you either, about how you can do better than me. Was that, like, a challenge? You’re clearly with me. Step off, sister!” I declared, angrily. Chad just shrugged. “Oh my gosh, will you SAY something, Chad?? Sheesh! It’s like, you dont give two cross that I was attacked today,” I said. “Well...she wasn’t wrong in anything she said so what do you want me to say?” Chad asked. I was taken aback. What??? “Are you serious?” I asked. “Look, I really don’t want to get into this now, okay? Are you still down to come over to my house tomorrow and play video games?” Chad asked, right before I got out of the car. I nodded, trying to digest the fact that Chad agreed with my bully. I gave Chad a vague kiss on the lips before heading into my house. What jusr happened there?

The next day was a Saturday, so I got dressed in my cute yet comfortable outfit (jeans and a shirt with cutout sleeves) and drove to Chad’s house. His mom let me in and told me he was in the basement, already playing video games with his brother. “Whoa, she REALLY just sat there and took it while Carma was just giving it to her?” I heard Chad’s brother, Oliver, say. Oliver was older than us by a year and was best friends with Chad. “Man, I’m in a bad way though. Now, I want to end things with her though because Carma REALLY wants me. She’s been asking and obviously, Carma is WAY hotter than my girlfriend. I mean, my girlfriend is fine, shes more like marriage material but I’m a teenager and let’s just be real, I want to get some. I already got some from Carma. She came over to study the other night and we ended up hooking up,” Chad told him, sounding triumphant. I gasped and put a hand over my mouth to keep from crying.

“What, man? Have you told your girlfriend?“ asked Oliver. “Hell no, man. Carma and I have been hooking up on the side. Ive got the whole boyfriend girlfriend going on with my girl and then I got Carma there to come over when I need some lovin’,” Chad said. “That seems a little shady, bro,” Oliver said, sounding more serious. “I’m young. I don’t need to settle on just one girl anyway. She’po never find out. It’s cool, I plan on dumping her anyway. Carma’s more my style and she been wanting me to dump her. I’ll do it when she comes over here shortly,” Chad explained. I stepped in front of the screen. “No need, because she’s dumping your ass. I hope your very happy with the lovely hook up partner,” I said dryly. “Cool, thanks for saving me the trouble of doing it myself. Anything else you want to tell me?” Chad asked. “Yeah, Carma’s a bitch, the c Carma and the k karma so watch out,” I warned, storming out. I felt like I should’ve been more upset but I knew I would be happy looking back on it someday while they regretted their choices.

Some 10 years later, looking back, I had to smile at my teenage self. I had to laugh. So much has happened since then, I could hardly believe it myself. In college, instead of GAINING the freshman 15, I LOST 15 pounds, over a long period of time before I could look at myself in the mirror and barely recognize myself. I stopped bleaching my full head of hair, putting in only lighter highlights in my moist brown hair. I got looks now from attractive guys, which I was so NOT used to. I met my best friend in college. His name was Pax, short for Paxton, and we started dating. He was truly a man after my own heart and he got it. We got married shortly after I started my career as a Marketing assistant at a high end hotel and he was a dentist. We both worked hard in college (and I got some hotel experience, as an intern at a local hotel, shadowing their marketing team). I was happy, despite my difficult experience in high school. I left it all behind me when I graduared high school and college did wonders for my self esteem.

I randomly ran into Chad a few months after I got married. I didn’t even recognize him and he was surprised that he recognized me. “Wow! Hey! It’s Chad,” a guy behind me in the checkout line said. His voice sounded vaguely familiar. I turned around. Standing in front of me was Chad. He looked completely different. He was extremely fat, balding with a gap between his teeth. He wore a wife beater and jeans. “Wow, you got hot,” Chad said, eyeing my skinny figure. “I grew up, worked out, ate healthier. These things happen! So, how have you been? What are you doing now?“ I asked, just to be polite. “Well, I am in the janitorial business now. You know, I actually work in OUR old high school. Crazy, isn’t it?” Chad asked, laughing then coughing then laughing again. “Hey, I don’t guess, I should’ve listened to the baby mama about smoking, huh? So what are you up to now?” Chad asked me, still half laughing at his joke. I was just about to answer when I saw it was my turn to checkout. “I’m married, have a career in marketing at a hotel and just all around doing great,” I told him. “That’s good. Man, you sure look different. I mean, no offense, but you were a COW back in the day. It took everything inside of me not to ‘moo’ at you when we were going out,” Chad laughed to himself again. “Well, Chad, it was great seeing you,” I said surly, as I finally got the checkout counter. I only had a few items so it was quick. ”And Chad?” I turned around to ask, as the cashier was scanning his items (mostly chips). “Yeah?” He said. “It really was NICE to see you. I see your outside finally matches your inside and the same goes for me. See you,“ I said, proudly turning to go out of the store And there I had it, closure.

As for Carma, well, I ran into her too. Again, I didn’t recognize her yet somehow, even despite the major weight loss, people STILL recognzie my face. I saw a huge woman walking in, who has trouvle maneuvering around peiple. Immediately I had sympathy for her, because I had been there. Then, I sqw her recognize me. “Oh my gosh! That can’t be..?” Then she said my name. “Yeah, I’m sorry, who are you?” I asked. “Oh, you don’t remember me? It’s Carma with a ‘C’,” she said excitedly. My jaw literally dropped to the floor. ”I know I look a little different,” she said. You think? I thought, She certainly DID look different. Her roots had grown out significantly so she only had platinum blond on the bottom and black was most of the rest of her hair. She was pale now and there were large circles under her eyes, the kind you get from smoking. “You look phenomenal! Anyway, good seeing you,” she said in a fake voice to me. “Come ON, Carma! We mustn’t be late for my dinner with the board members later. Oh, whose this?” asked a much older man, walking up. “Darling, this is just an old high school acquaintance,” Carma said, waving me off. “Well do hurry UP! Then tomorrow, we gotta go return all that baby stuff. Anyway, you know how important it is to me to go see Sharice and she won’t wait on me forever,” the man said, hurriedly. He stalked off. Carma grunted. “That man drives me INSANE! I admittedly only married him for his money and he used to be handsome but well, as you can see, I put on weight after I had several babies. I was a surragote mother for a whole before I met him, Terry, my husband and I gained so much weight from that and then all the stress eating. You see, I did get pregnant but I miscarried. That’s what he meant by taking down the baby stuff. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t care whether I do or dont though. He’s usually at his girlfriend, Sharice’s house. I can’t believe he’s cheating on me! But anyway, this is a lot to unpack on you. I’ll see you around,” she said, teary eyed. “Carma, wait. I‘m sorry for the loss of your baby. I can’t imagine how hard that is and I’m sorry you’re in an unhappy marriage. If you ever need a friend to talk to, here’s my number,” I said circling my cell phone number on my business card. Carma politely smiled and moved on her way. She never did call me but that was okay. It was funny how outward appearances could change but who you truly are neve rcould. Karma was not kind to Carma. But Mercy was kind to me, Mercy Allbright and I was happy I could have mercy on Carma and Chad.

Though karma is a bitch, I refuse to be.