Page 28 of I'll Be the One

Mr. Park freezes. Even Bora has the decency to look scandalized. The entire room goes silent, and I look around to see that everyone is staring at me now. No one speaks up to defend me or to tell Bobby off for being such a jerk. Not even the girls I hung out with after the first elimination round.

I guess I can see why they don’t. We’re on camera, after all, so they probably don’t want to stir up additional drama. But still, it stings. Why can’t they be friends with me onandoff camera?

Instead of letting it get to me, I take a deep breath. I’ll just have to speak up for myself.

“Hey,” I say. “I’m not a bad dancer. I wouldn’t have made it into this competition if I were. You think the judges went easy on a fat girl?”

He scoffs. From behind him, Bora rolls her eyes. I’m always fed up with Bora, but today, I’m even more done with her. It sucks that a fellow woman is hating on me so much like this. As if the industry weren’t already sexist enough.

Mr. Park fixes a cool gaze at Bobby. “Partners were chosen randomly. If you have a problem with your match, you’re going to have to see if anyone else wants to swap with you.”

Bobby groans, glancing back at me again like I have some contagious disease. “That’s practically a death sentence.Of courseno one is going to want to trade partners with me. I mean, look at her!”

He motions at me, and my lip quivers, just a bit. I can’t help it. I feel like a little kid again, standing in the middle of the room as my ballet teacher singles me out to the class as an example of how a kid like me could never look graceful in a tutu. I feel the same way I felt all the times Mom made a comment about my body. And I know this is how she must have felt during all the times she was bullied as a kid.

But as much as it hurts, I amnotgiving Bobby the satisfaction of seeing tears fall down my face. I squeeze my hands into fists, putting all my willpower into the effort not to cry.

“How in the world did someone like her get in, anyway?” Bobby continues, still raging on like he’s reciting a monologue from a play. “It’s obvious she won’t get that far.”

Someone like her.

“Hey,” I say again. “Stop talking like I’m not here. And, come on, double standards much? You’re not skinny either. Shouldn’t fat guys like you support fat girls like me?”

I didn’t want to go there, but it’s true. Bobby is a pretty big guy, which makes the fact that he’s hating on me, a fat girl, even more yucky.

“Did you really just call me fat?” Bobby crosses his arms against his chest.

I sigh and try my best to keep my voice level as I say, “Fat isn’t a bad word, Bobby. It’s just an adjective to describe our bodies, which, by the way, are beautiful just the way they are.”

“Now you’re calling me beautiful?” Bobby’s face is all scrunched up in confusion, like I’m blowing this guy’s mind.

Body Positivity 101!I want to yell at him.Look it up and educate yourself!

The entire room’s still quiet around us, and I don’t have to look to know that the cameras are all focused on Bobby and me. It’d be nice to have some backup instead of just a bunch of spectators, but I guess life can’t always be good.

“Enough,” Mr. Park says, stepping in between us. He doesn’t even look at me as he tells Bobby, “Mr. Lim, please remember that we have a schedule to follow. If you really do wish to switch partners, I advise that you get it sorted it out on your own time so you don’t keep the rest of the contestants waiting.”

It bothers me that Mr. Park only seems to care about his freakin’ TV show, but it’s not surprising. He’s a producer, after all. He probably only cares about the money.

I catch a glimpse of Bora and almost groan out loud. She looks so amused, like she’s the embodiment of that guy-eating-popcorn meme. For the first time since the audition, I wonder if all of this is even worth it.

If I make it into the industry, I’m going to have to deal with people like this all the time. Even though I really do want to prove Mom, Bobby, and Bora wrong, I don’t know if this is the life I want for myself. I’m tired. Why should I have to stand up for myself all the time? Just because I’m fat doesn’t mean I have to let myself get hurt by these people over and over again. I’m not some spokesperson for all fat people, nor am I some martyr. I’m just one girl trying to achieve her dreams and live her own life.

I’m about to turn on my heel and walk out of the studio when a voice comes from the back of the room, “Don’t know about you, Bobby, but I’d kill to be her partner. Skye’s an amazing dancer. And if you’re really that insecure about your ability to stay in this competition, I suggest you walk out right now.”

Everyone turns around and gasps when they see thatHenry Chowas the person who just spoke. His voice is colder than I’ve ever heard it before, so much that I didn’t recognize it.

“But,” Bora says, “Henry—”

Henry doesn’t even acknowledge Bora as he turns to look straight at me.

“Skye, I’d love to be your partner,” he says. “If you’d like to be mine, of course.”

Chapter Twelve

IN AN INSTANT, MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOMturn around toglowerat me, like I got the last piece of food on a deserted island. I balk. This is so not fair. It’s not like IaskedHenry to be my partner.

For a moment, I consider saying no. I don’t need any more drama in my life, and I definitely don’t need the help of some celebrity to win this competition. I think back to how my friends were obsessing over him back at school. If he’s my partner, they probably won’t even pay attention to me when we perform.

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