Gym1 is ninth-grader2 Jordan's hardest subject. That's because over the past few years, Jordan's become fat ( she's now 5'9'', 250 pounds, and a size 22), and her weight has slowed her down. “Last year when we ran the mile, I came in last, ” she says. “Everyone was laughing. It was so embarrassing that this year I asked my teacher if I could run it alone.”
Becoming Big
Being fat is not a laughing matter for Jordan. “When I graduated fifth grade I was 5'6'' and 110 pounds—a little bigger than my friends,” she says, “but still normal. Then my family didn't spend that summer traveling like usual. Since my friends were away, I mostly stayed inside watching TV, playing Nintendo3 64—and eating. I got lonely and I had nothing better to do, so I'd have three pizza slices4 instead of one, or 20 chicken nuggets5 instead of my usual 10—I just never really felt full.”
By the end of that summer, Jordan had put on 40 pounds—and weighed more than anyone in her family, her dad included. But she didn't realize how serious it was until her ballet teacher said that she was getting too big to keep up with her class. “I was so humiliated6 I asked my mom if I could quit. ” And her mom, Sherice, supported her. “I didn't think it was necessary to make a big deal out of7 it,” says Sherice, a full-time mom. “I'd always thought of Jordan as a 'big girl'—but also a healthy, strong girl. I'd never struggled with my weight, so I thought, This is just a passing phase8.”
Living Large
But a year later, by the start of seventh grade, Jordan weighed close to 200 pounds. “I remember that first day of school so clearly,” says Jordan. “I couldn't believe there was now no one as big as me in my grade. I was standing in the locker room9 before gym with all these tiny girls and I thought, Maybe I'm just not normal... So I started changing in the shower stalls10 for gym so no one could see me undress.”
“Jordan's so nice,” says Tamiqua. “But sometimes kids say to her that she's fat. ”Jordan's friend Jacob adds, “Yeah, the guys say it's fun to make fun of her. They think it makes them cool.”
“I just wish I could be like my older sister, Lauren—she's a size 13,” Jordan says. “People might think that's big, but she has a boyfriend and can still shop in all the cool stores. ”
Reality Bites11
“You grow up faster when you're teased a lot.” Jordan explains,“So now it's like I'm in a vicious cycle12. When you're more mature13, you start thinking other kids are immature and you don't want to hang out with14 them. Then you spend more time at home eating since you're bored and lonely—and then you get fatter and kids make fun of you more. But I hate being teased,” she continues. “So I don't try to play sports anymore because I'm bad, and everyone laughs. And I don't ever eat in school. Instead, I do my homework during lunch. The image of a fat person is that they eat and eat—and I don't want people to be able to say that about me.”
Because she doesn't wake up in time for breakfast, Jordan's first meal isn't until 2 P.M., when she gets home from high school. But by then she's so hungry that once she begins eating, it's hard for her to stop. “First I'll have a bagel15 with butter and cream cheese, potato chips16, and an apple, ” she says. “But it doesn't fill me up, so for a snack17 I'll have a peanut butter18 and sandwich, a Coke, chips, and noodles. ”
Perhaps Jordan's latest fantasy19 will inspire20 her to stay strong: “I keep having this dream where I fly through a window into a school assembly21 and cut off all my extra skin, and then I drop down and kick all these bad guys' butts22—and save the school,” she says. “I'm in an outfit23 like Angelina Jolie's in Tomb Raider24 and my butt, hips, thighs25, and arms are all skinny again. If I could be like that,” she sighs, “things would just be easier.”
1. gym n． 体操
2． ninth－grader n． [美](中小学校的)九年级生
3． Nintendo ] n． 任天堂游戏
4． nugget n． 块
5． pizza slice [slais] n． 比萨切片
6． humiliate v． 羞辱, 使丢脸
7． make a big deal out of 太把…当回事
8． passing phase [feiz] 短暂的阶段
9． locker room 衣帽间
10． shower stall 淋浴分隔间
11． Reality Bites: 现实令人痛苦
12． vicious cycle 恶性循环
vicious adj． 恶性的
13． mature adj． 成熟的
14． hang out with 和某人交往
15． bagel n． 百吉饼(先蒸后烤的发面圈)
16． potato chips 土豆片
17． snack n． 快餐; 小吃
18． peanut butter 花生酱
19． fantasy n． 幻想
20． inspire v． 激发, 激励
21． assembly n． 集会
22． butt n． [俚]臀; 屁股
23． outfit n． 用具, 配备
24． Tomb Raider 电影《古墓丽影》，安吉丽娜·朱莉主演
25． thigh n． 大腿