Can This Be Happening Ch 02

"Will you please just talk to me?" The voice was low and almost a whisper. Meg knew instantly who it was.

"I don't know what to say." She said not daring to look Kevin in the eyes.

"Something. Anything."

"Something. Anything."

"Not funny." His tone was dry and serious. Still, Meg said nothing. "You don't have anything to say after what you said out on the street."

"It's because of what I blurted out that..." Megan paused. She finally turned towards him. Dark rings of mascara were framing her brown eyes and had run slightly down her cherub cheeks. "Could I pause, rewind, and take it back?" She half smiled and dropped her head back against the pillow.

"It doesn't work that way." Kevin uncrossed his arms and looked down at the floor as he shuffled his feet around. "And, even if you could, I wouldn't want you too."

"Why?" He just stood there silent with his eyes locked on hers. "Come on Kev. You want answers, well so do I!" Her voice was loud and pungent. She could see, even as she spoke the words, that they were hitting him hard. Nothing. "That's what I thought. That's why I never told you! Because I would get that look." His face showed question. "That, gee thanks and all but truth is, you aren't my type. You aren't thin enough, you aren't tall enough, and you aren't fucking pretty enough!"

"Hold on!!!" He shouted back. "I have never said anything like that! Don't you..." Megan cut him off.

"You didn't have to." Her voice was almost silent. In a whisper that broke Kevin's heart, she said. "It's in your eyes." Tears were welling up in her eyes. "No matter what kind of bullshit comes out of your mouth, your eyes never lie." She pushed herself off the bed and walked past him. Megan walked through the living room and to the front door. With slow, deliberate movements, she pulled the door open. Without a word, Kevin walked to the door. He stopped just before he left and said "Bye Meg."

It had been almost a month and not a word. Megan's life had become a boring routine. She got up, went to work, came home and went straight to her room. Eating had become a low priority and because of that she had lost about fifteen pounds. Her clothes weren't fitting right but she didn't care. Her heart was shattered and nothing mattered.

Ashley popped her head into Megan's room and smiled. It was a hazy Saturday afternoon and Meg hadn't left her room. Her TV was on the Spanish channel and a bright red haired woman was pointing her finger and yelling at a ragged looking man.

"What's this about?" Ashley asked and sat at the edge of Megan's bed.

"I don't know." Her face was aged and shallow looking. Ashley looked around Meg's room and let out a sigh. "Let's do something today." She smiled wide and slowly it faded into nothing.

"I really don't feel like it."

"Oh, come on! You can't just lock yourself up in here for the rest of your life. You have to get past him! Move on woman!" She jumped off the bed and hurled her fist in the air. Megan couldn't help but laugh.

"You are crazy."

"I know but that's why you love me." Ashley batted her eyelashes. "Come on. Let's get up," Ashley took a deep breathe in and made a sour face, "take a shower and get something to eat."

"Thanks." She was dry and sarcastic.

"You are skin and bones. Get your ass out of bed and we are going to get something to eat." Ashley pulled the covers back from Megan and slapped her thigh playfully. Megan rolled her eyes.

"I can't talk you out of this, can I?"

"Nope."

Megan started the water for her shower and stepped in. The hot water felt like pins in her back but she soon adjusted. She stood directly under the showerhead and let the water cascade over her body. Grabbing the soap, she lathered her hands and ran them over her breasts and shoulders. Megan finally realized that she had thinned out a little. Her breasts, normally a 38D, had reduced to what she would guess is about a 36C. As her hand skimmed her collarbone, she felt the bone was prominent, where there once was just a padding of fat. In slow deliberate circles, she inched her hands to her stomach. What was once a pouch of jiggle was now a small hill. Her hips had defined to flow into her narrow waistline and only small remnants of what used to love handles remained.

Meg stepped out of the shower and toweled off. Looking in the mirror, which she hadn't done since that one night, she saw that her face had slimmed and her jawbone was now recognizable.

"I look like shit." She said out loud. She ran her ring finger along the circles that had formed under her eyes. She ran the towel through her hair and remembered that she missed her scheduled haircut. It was now looking more like a fun and flirty style and not the short edgy look she admired for so long. She wrapped the towel around her body and walked to her room. Ashley was standing at the closet looking through her clothes.

"We are going shopping too." Ashley said.

"I don't want to go shopping." Megan ran a brush through her hair.

"Too bad. None of these clothes will fit you anymore and you need something cute to wear."

"For what? I have no one to impress." Megan opened her underwear drawer and pulled out a pair of pink and white-stripped boy cut panties. She took a step and her underwear started to slide down her hips. "I could use new underwear." She let out a slight laugh. Ashley looked over at her and laughed as well.

"Definitely." Megan pulled on a pair of track pants and pulled the drawstring tight. She threw on a bra that matched the panties and tightened it as far as it would go. With a t-shirt and a pair of tennis shoes, she was all set to go.

They arrived at the mall fifteen minutes later and Ashley led her straight to Express. Megan must have tried on at least twenty outfits before she found one that both she and Ashley could agree on. It was a pair of low cut very fitting jeans, an off-the-shoulder lightweight teal shirt with some beading on the top, and a bra and underwear set. They next set off to find a pair of shoes. Ashley wanted a high-heeled black-strapped things and Megan wanted a new pair of tennis shoes. Again, they compromised. She ended up with a cute pair of white low-heeled sandals. Ash made her go into the nearest bathroom and change into the things they had purchased.

Megan came out feeling slightly uncomfortable but the look on Ashley's face was worth it. She looked like a proud mom. Then she put her hand on her hip and looked Megan up and down.

"What?"

"It's missing something."

"Like what? A fur coat?"

"Ha ha! No," she paused, "I know! Make-up."

They then went into the nearest department store at sat down at the make-up counter. A woman walked up and looked at Ashley. They started to talk about what Megan needed and didn't think to ask Megan. Thirty minutes later, Megan had a flawless complexion and the under eye circles were gone. It was subtle but flattering. The woman, who was later identified as Claire, grabbed the mirror and held it up for Megan. For a moment both the women held their breath. Megan smiled.

"I look beautiful." Ashley started to clap and jump up and down. Claire just smiled. They walked out of the store with every piece of make-up Claire used.

Half-hour later, they were sitting at a table at TGI Fridays. Megan was looking at all the bags that were crammed into the booth with them. Ashley had convinced her to get a few more things from Express and Megan convinced Ashley that she did need another pair of tennis shoes. They had put in their food orders and Megan decided to start eating healthier to try and keep the shape she's started to like. Their salads had just arrived when Ashley broke the laughter they had been sharing and looked like she was going to drop dead.

"You alright Ash?" Megan waved her hand in front of her face.

"Hey." Megan heard form behind her. She didn't have to turn around. She brought her fingertips to the top of her forehead and pressed.

"Hello Kevin." He walked so he was standing where he could see both of them. Megan didn't look up. She just picked up her fork and starting moving around the lettuce in her salad.

"How have you been?"

"Fine" LIAR LIAR! My head screamed.

"Good." He stood and lightly was drumming his fingers on the table.

"Well, um, I have friends waiting but I just thought I would come over and say hi." He stood there, hoping for something from Megan. Nothing.

"It was nice to see you Kev." Ashley said and patted his arm.

"You too." He let out a sigh. "It was nice to see you too Meg." Megan just nodded her head. With that, he just walked away.

Megan looked up at Ashley. Tears were filling her eyes. Ashley grabbed the hand that was pushing the lettuce around. Then, she said the one thing that made Megan's heart break more then it already had. "He looked horrible Meg." Megan just burst into tears.

From across the room, Kevin watched as Megan's head fell and her shoulders shook. He knew she was crying. He knew that he was the reason.