Read Online Shrink to Fit by Dona Sarkar - Free Book Online Page A

in her right nostril glinting in the fluorescent lighting. “Those goth junk sluts. Emo-types, you know? They’d screw anyone.”
    Leah rolled her eyes. “I don’t think you need to worry about people who believe they can levitate or turn each other into vampires.”
    â€œI know this, and you know this. But…men! You never know what they want, right?”
    â€œThat’s true.” Leah was the last person who was going to claim she knew how the average man’s mind worked. She barely even understood the brain of her so-called best friend. He loved Leah for her mind, but Jennifer for her body.
    Freaking weird.
    â€œI’m done,” Shazan announced as she dropped her fork, pushing back her tray. More than half the salad remained.
    â€œMe, too.” Leah looked down at her empty watermelon container. She’d felt like a loser toting a container of watermelon to the mall, but she wasn’t about to go off her diet. Especially not for a shopping trip for a dress for a dance she had no date for.
    She scraped the sides of the container with her fork. An entire chunk of watermelon gone, just like that. She felt full of water, yet her stomach still growled angrily.
    The diet was working. This morning, three days of watermelon and only watermelon later, she was five pounds lighter.
    Her stomach gurgled, loudly enough that Shazan looked up from where she was rummaging in her purse. “You sure you’re done? Your stomach seems to be sayin’ something else.”
    Leah laughed, realizing how hollow her voice sounded. “The first thirty weren’t bad, but now…I can’t stop feeling hungry all the time. I don’t know how you can just get by on salads alone. I’ve never seen you eat anything else.”
    Shazan plunked down her pill bottle. “I’m telling you. These work.”
    Leah scrutinized the clear bottle, half-full with shimmery pink pills. EZ Loze. Fills your stomach so you don’t feel hungry! Includes caffeine to give you just enough of an energy boost!
    Leah sighed. She hated the idea of popping pills. It just felt so…addictive.
    But as she watched Shazan take a swallow of water followed by two of the pills, she couldn’t help but marvel at Shazan’s tiny waist and defined cheekbones.
    Shazan had a boyfriend who was crazy about her. She had tons of friends and always fit in anywhere she went. She could slip on any outfit in the whole mall and have it look fantastic on her. Leah wanted all that. One of the coolest girls at school did this stuff, Leah argued with herself. Why not me? “Okay, gimme. A few please. I need to get through the rest of this day without eating everything in sight.”
    Shazan looked amused as Leah carefully popped one pill and tucked the other five away into the pockets of her oversize cargo pants. “Fine. But make sure you eat before the game tomorrow, okay? You look great now, and we’re all proud of you, but if you lose this game, I’ll personally kick your ass.”
    Leah playfully punched Shazan in the shoulder. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, girl. I know what I’m doing. I’m not going to screw our only chance at the finals.”
    The girls cleared away their trays and Leah shoved her empty watermelon container into her leather bag. She’d never carried a purse in her life, but the hot-pink crocodile tote had been her first purchase of the day. Shazan had insisted the purse was “so her.”
    How could Leah argue with something that was “so her”? The modeling gig better pay well, though. She’d paid more for the purse than her wardrobe for a year. “I need a bathing suit, too. Mama’s dragging me to L.A. next weekend for some modeling shoot.”
    â€œLucky.”
    â€œYeah, have you seen my stomach?” Leah patted her lower belly. Definitely better, but still not flat.
    â€œWhatever. Take those pills. By