Chapter 3

During my first workout, I was out of breath after just twenty jumping jacks.

Sweat soaked right through my shirt. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, and my legs felt like jelly.

This body was just too weak. The gym trainer told me to stop and rest, but I clenched my teeth and kept going.

"Just finish this set," I told myself.

In my days as a top model, my mother would stand by the mirror with a tape measure during every workout, her eyes completely cold.

Now, no one was staring at me with a tape measure.

But I finished every single rep using my own willpower.

When the whole routine was over, I collapsed on the mat, gasping for air.

The girl in the mirror had a bright red face, and her sweat-soaked hair stuck to her cheeks. She looked like a total mess.

But I stared into those eyes and smiled.

I used to only smile for the camera, but now, I was truly smiling for myself.

"Day one. Done."

Over the next few weeks, I ate three healthy meals a day and worked out consistently.

This body's baseline stamina was terrible.

A simple set of squats left me dripping in sweat. My core strength was shockingly weak, and I would lose my breath from the slightest movement.

But I didn't push myself to extremes.

When my energy was drained, I stretched. When hunger hit, I ate quality protein.

The numbers on the scale didn't drop overnight, but my body became visibly firmer.

Late one night, someone started tagging me like crazy in the freshman group chat.

"Hey Bianca, I heard you got a gym membership? Is that a joke?"

Right after, someone dropped a secretly recorded video into the chat.

In the video, I was wearing a baggy hoodie, sweating heavily, and jogging awkwardly on the local park track.

The group chat was instantly flooded with mocking memes.

"Did the National Weather Service issue an earthquake warning?"

"She's probably stomping holes into the concrete."

"Stop trying. Even if you run until you drop, a loser is always going to be a loser."

"NGL, I can smell her through the screen..."

Then someone tagged @Harper.

"Harper, what do you think? How funny is this?"

A few seconds later, Bianca popped up using my account.

She replied with a heart emoji, acting like she was full of sympathy.

"Please everyone, stop being so mean. Bianca is actually trying to exercise, and we should encourage that."

"But Bianca, take my advice and don't push it. You don't need to hurt yourself just to compete with me."

Her little minions in the chat immediately started agreeing.

"Compete with you? As if. She's a gross troll, and you're literally flawless."

"Harper is so sweet. I can't believe she's defending a weirdo like that."

Then, a DM from Bianca popped up on my screen:

"See that? No matter how hard you try, you're still a joke."

"Homecoming is in two months. I can't wait to see you waddle into the gym like a clown."

I didn't reply.

I ignored my phone and turned to face the full-length mirror by the wall.

A real comeback speaks for itself.

In two months, they would eat their words.

I took a deep breath and fell into an easy set of back stretches.

The mirror reflected my steady, deep breathing.

I reached out and touched my cheek, which was already starting to glow with health.

"Just wait."

"At the dance, I'll show everyone who the real queen is."