NOT BY SIZE

By Joseph Marvelous Onagheochi 

The alarm rang at 7 o'clock eliciting a groan from Betty. She had had a long day yesterday, moving her things into the new apartment. She had a mountain of things to sort out, schedules and appointments to meet up with. Her tired body begged for more rest but she knew just how much more work she had on her plate and how disastrous it would be to sleep some more. Betty got up sleepingly to the bathroom took her bath, ate, and dressed up.

As a freshman at Fountain University, she didn't want to live on campus, she wanted a space of her own, her own little home. She took her backpack and started writing down her schedule for the day.

Her first lecture seemed more like a welcome speech than an actual class and she began to wonder if this is what she had to look forward to for four years.

Betty was smaller than most people her age and so for most of her childhood and teenage years she had always dealt with bullies who teased her for her small this. Although she never doubted her looks, this constant teasing led to feelings of inferiority and her childhood  had successfully made her a walking stereotype. A small quiet girl with no friends who never said a bad word about anyone.

Ethan, though was her exact opposite, tall, brash and loud he constantly teased her for her size. As they grew older, the pranks became more frequent and more petty. Thelma, Betty's only friend, would often come to her defence whenever the teasing became particularly cruel.

     

One sunny afternoon, after lectures, Betty and Thelma were reading and discussing on a debating topic. Engrossed with what they were saying, Ethan grabbed her printed assignments and threatened to tear them up if she didn't get her knees for knees. Betty was extremely furious but Thelma was watched intently. As Ethan turned to her assignments along him to his seat, Betty wrapped her arms around his throat from behind. Her diminutive size allowed her to climb his shoulders. Knowing she wasn't strong enough to bring him down, she began to tilt backwards, letting gravity do the work. 

Ethan was so shocked that Betty could fight back, that he grabbed her and pulled her away from him. As soon as she hit the ground she turned and lunged back at him. Thelma wrapped her arm around Betty's waist; struggling to hold her still. 

"Don't you dare bully me ever  again, strength is not by size." Ethan stared at her in shock. Ever since then, Betty was always referred to as "Not by Size"  and as for Ethan, he avoided Betty.