"What are you two laughing at?" Called Claire as Lucy folded her arms in indignation behind her. The rest of the clones quickly followed suit and mirrored Lucy's stance. 

Jess glanced over at them, steering her and Beth across their path and up the steps towards the school main doors. Her smile remain fixed and perfect as Beth glanced at her before making her way awkwardly up the steps. 

She always had to take these steps carefully as they were steep and Beth's thighs were heavy to lift. Jess slowed her pace down to compensate for Beth's cumbersome movements, never breaking her grip on Beth's arm. 

The girls watched them suspiciously and Lucy called over, "Claire just spoke to you. Are you blanking us now then? Bloody charming!" 

Jess squeezed Beth's arm to signal her to stop. Beth secretively sighed in relief as her heart pounded in her chest and her thighs burned. She'd tried to climb the stairs as quickly as she could but a few steps away from the top, her legs felt like jelly and she could feel her airways tighten a bit. Instinctively she reached for her inhaler in her jacket pocket. 

"Not ignoring, no!" Jess called down to them, "Just a private joke between Beth and me."

Lucy darted a spiteful look towards Beth who took a deep breathe and pressed her inhaler twice, releasing two spurts of instant relief into her mouth. 

"Looks like the whale is having trouble with her blow hole from that joke, Jess. Careful, wouldn't want her keeling over on you.  You'd be crushed."

Jess shot a concerned look at an already recovering Beth and then back at Claire who'd made the hurtful comment. 

"Claire, you really don't know when to wind your neck in, do you?" Jess called. "I thought I'd made it clear on Saturday that I'm sick of your shit - all of you clones. Just leave us be, ok?"

"Us?" yelled Lucy, "You and Lady Lard-arse are an "us" now?"

"We prefer the Princess and the Porker thanks!" Beth shouted, quite politely considering the insult she'd received moments earlier. 

She looked around, blood rushing to her cheeks as she realized they had drawn a crowd. Jess and the Clones naturally drew attention wherever they were. Their perfect clothes drew attention from aspiring fashionistas in the lower form groups. Boys would fall into two categories, the covert glancers and the overt ogglers. The goths, metal-heads and geeks all avoided crossing their paths for fear of being publicly teased by the Clones. They oozed confidence, smelt and looked heavenly but their cruelty and vindictiveness was devilish. People would either avoid them, conform and try to win their favour or confront them. Suddenly Beth found herself in the final category when she was more accustomed to the first. 

Beth's retaliation had an immediate effect and passers by became avid onlookers, those who needed to get to classes suddenly slowed their pace as they could sense an atmosphere developing on the steps of the school. Beth was aware of a few mobile phones being taken from pockets and realized some were beginning to record the exchange. 

"Come on, Jess, let's go!" insisted Beth quietly, gently clasping Jessica's arm. 

"Yes run along!" goaded Lucy, "Or in your case, fatty, waddle away!"

Beth heard Jess hiss and watched her friend walk slowly back down the steps until she was only yards away from the group, Claire at the front with her chin firmly set and hand on her hip. 

"Claire, you thought High Tops were a boy band before I set you straight. And Lucy, didn't you used to wet the bed up until a couple of years ago? All of you have something to be ashamed of, your little dark secrets you only shared with me. And yeah, I know you all probably have something on me, but the difference is now, I'm free of all your bullshit popularity bollocks. I'm happy. Properly happy. Messed up, but happy! How many of you can say that? So unless you want me to share your little dirty secrets on Facebook or Tweet, like ... ummmm ... let's see ... I don't know ... oh yeah "Hashtag Third Nipple" then I'd leave us the fuck alone!"

Beth laughed as Jess defiantly bounded back up the stairs two at a time. Lucy's face coloured as she glanced quickly around. "Three guesses who's got the freaky tits then!" Beth giggled as they linked arms and continued up the steps. 

"You cow!" they heard Lucy yell, "You bloody wait, you witch and your beast!"

"Leave it, Lu. Leave it." they heard one of them say. 

"What's so brilliant about Lady Lard-arse, anyway? What's she got that we haven't? Apart from more chins!"

Beth stood at the top of the steps and uncoupled herself from Jess for a moment. She smiled down at the group and yelled after them, "Are you deaf, mutants? It's Princess and the Porker!" and without waiting for a reaction, she walked into the school with Jess. As the doors closed behind them, they could hear applause and laughter coming from outside. A small victory for the Unpopulars and a massive achievement for Beth. She'd publicly stood up to them, they both had. They stood in the hallway staring at each other, smiling manically. 

"Wanna go back out there and do it again?" Jess laughed, "Christ that was a rush!! Oh, sweet Jesus, I'd better stop swearing or Mr Swales will have a heart attack!"

The girls made their way to the lockers and Beth realized they were again drawing attention from the people they walked past, students and staff alike. Then Beth understood. Jess was not with her group. In stead she was with Beth, a social outcast. Suddenly the title The Princess and the Porker didn't carry quite as much charm as it had done minutes earlier.  

Their lockers were across the corridor from each other. Beth made her way to hers and fiddled with the combination lock. She flung open the door and peered inside. "Ew," she commented to herself, "Friday's half eaten sandwich. Yuck!" She gingerly picked it up by the corner of the bag and turned around to put it in the bin and spotted Michael standing by Jessica's locker, leaning his arm against it nonchalantly trying to engage Jess in conversation. She was clearly trying to ignore him, but he put his other hand on her shoulder. 

Beth wondered if he was trying to reconcile with her and hoped he was finally willing to support her with the pregnancy and whatever she decided to do. After studying them for a few seconds, it rapidly became apparent to Beth that Michael was being far from supportive. His body language was imposing. He towered over her and his hand was gripping her shoulder too tight as Jess struggled to pull away from him. He was talking quietly in her ear and despite shrugging and trying to loosen his grip he continued to taunt her. Beth watched as Jessica's shoulders slumped and she turned to Michael, tears glistening in her eyes and bottom lip quivering as she tried to remain composed. 

Beth didn't know what to do. Would Jess want her to go over, to intervene? Beth didn't understand the rules of friendship, not really ever having a friend before she didn't know how she was expected to act. Her instincts told her to keep her distance. Going over would draw attention to them and could make things worse. But Jess looked so small and timid next to him. "I could have him," Beth thought to herself, "I might not be as tall as him, but I bet my weight behind a punch would put a dent in him." As she struggled with her inner monologue, Jess grabbed Michael's hand and threw it off her shoulder. Beth couldn't hear what Jess was saying, but it was clear from how she was spitting the words out and how contorted her face was in anger, she was hardly declaring her undying love for him or swapping knitting patterns. 

Michael spun around and strode off down the corridor, colliding with Beth's shoulder as he stomped past. "Watch it, mammoth!" he bellowed and in a few more strides he disappeared around the corner. 

Beth, rubbing her shoulder from the collision wandered over to Jess. "You OK? What was that all about?"

"Oh, he wants his CD's back and the necklace he gave me for my birthday." Jess sadly replied, "Apparently he doesn't want "no bitch slag wearing his jewelry" so he wanted to give it to someone who deserves it. Lucy."  She shrugged, suddenly looking tired and pale. "Oh Beth, I know he's a tool. But even when I asked him again if he wanted to talk about my ... you know what .." she glanced around, checking no one else could hear, "you know, when I saw him next with his stuff."

"What did he say?" Beth quietly asked as they walked back to her locker, its door still wide open from when she left it to go over to Jess. 

"Oh, well ... when that subject was raised ... well, he really excelled himself that time. Christ B, I'm well-rid."

Beth blushed and her tummy fluttered a little at Jessica calling her "B," and pretended to have no reaction to the name, hoping Jessica would use it again. 

"Well, when I asked he really started gripping my shoulder hard and, well ... it hurt. He doesn't know his own strength and he has such big hands, playing rugby the last couple of years has made him rougher, I think ... anyway, I told him he was hurting me, but he gripped harder and that's when he said it ... no matter what I do now, B I'm on my own ... well I know I got my folks and you ... I have ... got you, haven't I?" Jess searched Beth's face for an answer. Beth smiled back, allaying Jessica's sudden fears. 

"You see, he apparently now denies it's his. Says that he knows how many boys ... oh, how did he put it ... ah yes, "circle around me like I'm a bitch in heat"  ... and he reckons I should get myself spayed because there's no way it's his because we only did it a few times."

"Un-bastard-believable!" Beth exclaimed, "What a .... wow ... words fail me ... Jess - you've actually made me run out of words for that sorry excuse for a .... nope. I genuinely don't have the words ... "

"Words for what?" a voice came from behind her, making her jump. Beth spun around and came face to face with Miles. Sapphire eyes sparkling, cheeks like apples, hair a little unruly and there was that smile, that broad, warming, tummy full of knots smile. 

"ummm... with .. th-th-th ... " was all Beth managed to stutter. Jess however responded with expert ease and started to walk past them towards the class. 

"Hurry up getting your stuff in your locker, B - I'll see you in there. Miles, catch up in science yeah?" 

Miles nodded and they both watched Jess walk down the corridor towards the music room, uncomfortably silent in each other's presence. 

"Oh, you got another admirer?" Miles asked pointing towards her open locker. 

"Another?" Beth blurted out, "You mean I have one already?" 

Miles looked down at his feet and the apple cheeks reddened. 

"Oh," Beth breathed, heart pounding in her throat and cheeks ablaze, ".... how? I mean ... why? ... I mean ... you're ... well you're ... great ... I mean .. I know you're  ... you know, chubby ... but you're fit, you play rugby ... girls look at you and ... well, so do I. Oh god, what do I mean?" and she trailed off. 

"Yes, I am bigger than most of the blokes here, but ... fuck 'em!" he laughed, "And girls looking at me? I don't like girls with flat features, flat tummies and no arses. I like softness and curves. I love your eyes Beth ... and the ridiculous way your cheeks appear to become beacons whenever you're embarrassed." 

Beth put her hands up to her face and felt her burning hot cheeks, smiling coyly. She was trying to process Miles' words. He liked her eyes? Softness and curves? What did that mean? 

"So, whose my competition?" he asked, pointing again at the locker.

Beth turned around and there where Friday's sandwich had been sitting was a red envelope with a big heart written on the front with her name inside it. 

Beth reached for it, looking around for the person who must have put it there while she was with Jess. 

The envelope was thick and it felt like the card inside had a badge or something on it as it was much lumpier than a normal card. She opened the envelope with Miles waiting expectantly in front of her. 

Beth took the card out and saw the usual "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue" written in gaudy writing on the front but when she opened it, the lumpiness became apparent. It was a musical card and the lump she could feel was the box the recording played out of.  A loud voice boomed from the card making Beth and Miles jump back a little. Still holding it, Beth looked down at the card as it bellowed its message which, as it became apparent was one of those cards where you could record your own message. The female voice clearly said, "Roses are red, violets are blue, whales live in the sea, so you should too! Roses are red, violets are blue, you're so ugly, you make us spew!" and then peels of laughter, from other girls could be heard at the end of the recording. It began repeating the message again and Miles quickly cupped his hands around a mortified Beth to close the card for her. Laughter reverberated from the audience in the corridor and some pointed and laughed, calling for another blast of the message. In the distance, Beth saw Lucy and Claire disappear into the next corridor, their laughter more piercing than anyone else's. 

"The Clones!" Beth snarled through gritted teeth, tears searing down her hot cheeks. Her hands shaking in Miles' cupped hands, she lowered them dropping the card to the floor. Miles' hands remained firmly around hers as he tried to calm her down. 

"They're bitches, everyone knows that Beth. Come on, don't let them get to you!"

Beth let the tears fall. With Miles gripping her hands so tightly, she couldn't wipe them away anyway, so they dripped from her chin and landed rather poignantly on their cupped hands. 

"Miles," she whispered "It's just one more thing ... one more memory carved into my mind that I can wheel out whenever I want to punish myself for being this size. Yes, I know they're bitches. But I kind of expect it from them. But strangers think it's OK to pass comment about my size. Complete strangers, Miles." She sniffed and looked up at his solemn face through her tear filled eyes. 

"I know, and I know I'm a bloke, kind of have the wedding tackle to prove that, but ... I know it's different for a girl being ... you know, big. But ... I've been bullied all my life about it. I was so low a few years ago, Beth I thought about ending it all. And then something changed inside me ... I don't like myself very much, Beth. I don't think I ever will. But I have accepted it and that's given me the confidence to say "fuck 'em" and as they don't get a reaction from me anymore, it's more or less stopped."

Beth sniffed again and looked into his sapphire eyes. The crowd around them had dissipated as lessons were about to begin for the day. They found themselves alone in the corridor, Miles still holding onto her hands tightly.

"I ... I .. I wish I could be like you, Miles ... I really d-d-do. But ... but ... it's just so ... hard. I can't escape from myself. This body of mine follows me everywhere. I can't get proper clothes, I look horrible all the time and my mum wants to dress me up in polyester and nylon tents and... and ... and ... "

And with that, in an instant Miles let go of her hands, placed his hands on the back of her head, drew her into him and put his lips firmly on hers. 

Beth's head swam as she examined what was currently happening. Her lips, locked with his, responded to each movement instinctively, the wetness and salt of her tears soaking into the kiss and diluting any feelings of despair she'd just had. His hands gripped softly onto her hair, cupping the back of her head gently, his lips exploring hers firmly and more passionately with each moment. 

He then broke away, breathless staring at her wildly looking at her for a reaction. He'd reacted without thought and now, having come to his senses from the impulsive moment just passed, he looked to Beth for a reaction, any reaction ... but she stood there, a far away, dreamy look in her eyes and a coy smile playing on the corners of her lips and Miles knew at once he had made the right choice in kissing her.