Read Online Changing Faces by Kimberla Lawson Roby - Free Book Online

house, and while I usually treated myself to a more expensive dinner on weekends, I had a taste for a fast food burger.
    When I entered the parking lot, I drove around the building and joined the line leading up to the drive-thru speaker. There were maybe six cars or so in front of me, but they were moving pretty quickly. So, I sat patiently until my phone rang. It was my loving and devoted sister, Tina, and all I could hope was that she wasn’t about to ruin the rest of my evening.
    “Hello?” I said.
    “Hi. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
    “No.”
    “Well, I’m calling to see when we can get together to plan Mother’s party.”
    “Did you change the date?”
    “No. And why would I?”
    “Because my class reunion is on her birthday.”
    “And you’re still thinking about going to that?”
    “No, Tina, I’m not thinking about it, I’m actually going.”
    “I can’t believe you.”
    “Well, you might as well start.”
    “And what am I supposed to tell Mother?”
    “Tell her whatever you want, but if you really want me to be there, you’ll change the date.”
    “You know how Mother loves surprises, and what better time to do it than on her actual birthday? I mean, this will make her so happy.”
    “Like I said, you need to change the date.”
    “I’m not doing that.”
    “Then there’s nothing else to say.”
    “You know what, Whitney, you go to your little reunion. You go there so that everyone can tell fat jokes about you and then laugh right in your face.”
    I flipped my phone shut. I did it because I didn’t want to hear any more of Tina’s malicious comments and because it was now my turn in line.
    “Welcome to McDonald’s, would you like to try one of our new salads this evening?” the male voice rang out.
    “No, thank you,” I said. “I’ll have a Big Mac Value Meal, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese Value Meal, and two apple pies.”
    “And what drinks would you like?”
    “Coke and lemonade.”
    “Will that be all?”
    “Yes.”
    The cashier repeated back my order, gave me my total, and then asked me to drive around to the second window. The cars in front of me pulled forward one by one, but as I sat there waiting, I felt a little embarrassed. And I’m not sure why because I’d done this for years—order two drinks whenever I ordered two meals because two drinks made it seem as though I was buying for two people. I did this because I didn’t want those drive-thru people thinking bad thoughts about me. It was a trick I played time after time, but deep down I knew the joke was on me. I knew I was only fooling myself no matter what I tried to make others believe.
    After driving away from the restaurant, I opened the paper bag and pulled out a few French fries. It was amazing how good they always tasted. Hot, greasy, salty, and loaded with plenty of carbohydrates. If only those highly advertised low-fat, low-calorie foods could deliver the same satisfaction, my struggle with weight gain would be over for good. It would be over for every person in America and we’d all be healthy again. Because while I currently didn’t have any known health problems I was aware of, I knew Charisse had been right about my risk of having a heart attack or stroke. I knew it was just a matter of time before my excessive eating habits caught up with me.
    Inside my house, I kicked off my pumps, shed my blazer, unbuttoned my pants, and plopped down on the sofa. I flipped on the television and reached for my bag of food. First I ate the rest of the fries that I’d already started on and then I pulled out the Big Mac. Between bites, I sipped on my Coke, and surprisingly enough, I suddenly felt full, almost fatigued even. My plan had been to eat the Quarter Pounder right away, but I could tell that I didn’t have any room for it. That is, without completely stuffing myself. Which actually was a good thing because normally I never knew when to stop. Especially when I knew I was gearing up to spend