From 280 Pounds To The Red Carpet Chapter 04
The Entrance
Seven-ten PM. The car pulled up to The Monarch.
The driver opened my door.
The second I stepped out, the hotel manager rushed over.
“Ms. Malone, the Stellaris gala is all set upstairs.”
“Ms. Castelli and Director Kross are both waiting for you on the top floor.”
I checked the time. Fifty minutes until the post went live.
“I’m going to the third floor first. Seeing some old classmates.”
He looked confused for a second, then caught himself.
“Would you like me to send someone with you?”
“No.”
I walked into the elevator alone.
Before the doors closed, a couple of guys in the lobby kept turning around to look. One of them actually took a few steps toward me.
“Hey, can I get your number?”
I shook my head. The doors shut.
My phone was still buzzing.
Someone had posted a live video from the private room in the group chat.
Over twenty people packed inside. My old gym shirt pinned to the wall. The digital scale sitting right in the middle of the floor.
Two chairs pushed together with a sign on the back: SERA’S SPECIAL WIDE SEAT.
Someone pointed the camera at the door.
Matt: its 7:10 where is she
Tyler Reeves: lol she prob took one look at the lobby and turned around
Kayla: with that body she prob just made it from the car to the front desk 😂
Jessica was sitting dead center, running the room like always.
Jessica Hart: dont rush her you guys 🥺 sera’s always been sensitive. she prob got to the lobby and got too scared to come up
She turned the camera toward Tyler on purpose.
“Tyler, you wanna go downstairs and walk her up?”
Kayla instantly grabbed Tyler’s arm.
“Why does my boyfriend have to go get her?”
“It’s not like she doesn’t have legs. They’re just buried under all that fat.”
The whole room cracked up.
Tyler frowned slightly.
“I already gave her a chance to back out. She’s the one who wanted to come.”
“If she’s downstairs crying, that’s not on me.”
He said it cold.
But he didn’t know I was already on the third floor.
The elevator doors opened. I stepped out in heels.
A server in the hallway spotted me and walked right over.
“Ma’am, which private room are you looking for?”
I gave the name. He paused for a second.
“You’re also here for the reunion tonight?”
“Yes.”
His face got a little weird. He’d already seen the gym shirt and the scale inside.
He pointed me in the right direction, then couldn’t help adding: “The group in there seems to be waiting for someone named Sera.”
I looked down the hallway.
“That’s me.”
He just stood there. Couldn’t process it.
I kept walking. My heels barely made a sound on the carpet.
In the group chat, Jessica was already pushing to close out the betting pool.
Jessica Hart: times almost up 🥰 if sera was really coming she’d be here by now
Matt: just call it. shes not showing
Kayla: jessica bet ten grand tonight shes literally printing money lol
Tyler Reeves: plus i dont have to hug anyone so thats a win 😂
Kayla heard that and jumped in right away.
“Actually, a hug would’ve been fine.”
She leaned against Tyler’s shoulder, smirking.
“I don’t get jealous over a two-hundred-and-eighty-pound girl.”
The room got even louder.
Tyler laughed along.
“Nah forget it.”
“I got work tomorrow. Don’t wanna end up in the ER tonight.”
I stopped right outside the door. Through the wall, every word came through crystal clear.
Someone suggested: “If Sera’s a no-show, the shirt and the scale are just sitting there for nothing.”
Jessica laughed softly.
“Who says it’s for nothing?”
“When the bet’s done, I’ll re-edit her video and post it online.”
“Title it like: 280-pound girl too scared to show up to her own reunion.”
“Might even go viral.”
Tyler hesitated. “Isn’t that a little much?”
Jessica waved it off.
“What’s the big deal? She’s been fat her whole life. A few comments aren’t gonna kill her.”
“And if she tries to start something, we just say it was old friends joking around.”
Old friends joking around. That’s what they always called it.
Knocked my tray onto the floor. Just a joke.
Took photos of me half naked. Just a joke.
Made the whole school chant my weight. Just a joke.
As long as someone said ‘you’re too sensitive’ at the end, they never had to own any of it.
I opened the voice recorder on my phone.
Inside, Jessica was already counting down.
“Last ten seconds.”
“She doesn’t show, the fifty grand is ours.”
Everyone started chanting along.
“Ten!”
“Nine!”
“Eight!”
Tyler’s voice cut through the noise.
“Told you. She doesn’t have the guts.”
“Three years of high school she showed up to every game and couldn’t even look me in the eye.”
Kayla giggled. “So what, she’s gonna show up tonight and confess her love again?”
“Even if she did, so what.”
Tyler scoffed.
“What am I, a dumpster?”
Outside the door, I calmly raised my hand.
“Three!”
“Two!”
Jessica’s voice hit a peak.
“One!”
The second before the countdown ended, I turned the handle.