So, I have decided that the Sofia series will be the first series I begin writing about because it is recent and fresh in my mind. In all likelihood I will be taking breaks from this series to write more lighthearted one-off stories or maybe even begin a different series in-between installments because frankly some of this might be hard for me to write about. I'm going to be honest: this is gonna be a clusterfuck. You'll see what I mean soon.
In my last story about HamLock I mentioned that many of my stories may lack any truly likable characters for some of you. I fully expect that this series will be like that. These stories took place in a particularly bad time in my life, which will probably show. Thankfully none of these people with the exception of Grizzly are still in my life, save for the occasional text message, and my life is much better for it. Well, enough of this shit. Let's get started.
Relevant Characters:
Me, JunkieCulture (JC)- 22 years old at the time. Stuck in a town I despise full of people I hate and just trying to get by until I can get back "home." 5'7 and 115lbs of self-sabotage and such. Girlfriend of 5 years of:
Grizzly: 29 years old and re-evaluating the decisions that have led him to this point. Shuts off the part of his brain that keeps whining about how much everything sucks and simply focuses on what he needs to do more efficiently than anyone else I've ever met. 6'6-6'7 and ~260lbs.
Sofia: 8 years old. 4'7 and on the wrong side of 100lbs. Like many of us she is the unfortunate victim of having two parents that are both terrible in their own way. Isn't planetary in terms of size or disposition yet, but is getting there fast.
Jesse: 45-55 years old (flat-out REFUSED to let anyone know his age.) Sofia's father. One of the most selfish people I've ever known. 5'11 and ~260lbs. All in the gut.
Jesse Jr (JJ): Jesse's son and Sofia's half brother. 22 years old. ~5'8 and in good shape though I don't know his exact weight. Extremely jealous of Sofia for being the recipient of all of his father's love and attention.
Nana: Sofia's grandmother. 81 years old. Formerly overweight, now normal sized old lady with Type 2 diabetes. Rarely needs her insulin due to her avoidance of sugar. Does all the work caring for Sofia like feeding her, clothing her, bathing her, and making sure she gets to school while Jesse swoops in to do all the fun stuff.
It's 2014, the day after Christmas, and Grizzly and I are trying to acclimate to our new temporary home. Due to a series of events culminating with us becoming homeless on Christmas day, we were forced to pretty much take what we could get in terms of a place to stay. "What we could get" happened to be moving in with an acquaintance we didn't particularly care for under the agreement that we could sleep in his daughter's room for free as long as we used our drug connections to buy him drugs. He paid for the drugs, so it was literally just middle-manning, and according to him Sofia always slept in his bed with him anyway (which I think is pretty weird for an 8 year old, but then everything with these people is weird) so the loss of the room was "no big deal" for her.
It is worth mentioning that Sofia's mother is even less fit to be a parent than Jesse, which is why Jesse has full custody. Don't worry though! She's still in the picture, as she shows up almost daily to buy dope from Jesse. sigh Once in a while she plays with Sofia for a minute while she's there.
Despite how fucked up he is, Sofia is truly the apple of Jesse's eye. She can do no wrong. She is the smartest most beautiful perfect little girl in the world and she should get everything she wants. He tells her this daily, and I am quickly able to see that this is a problem. This is how special-snowflakes are born.
On this day, Sofia is excited to play with all of her Christmas presents, most of which are pony themed. Sofia loves MLP on almost an obsessive level, and while not a fan myself, due to the many bronies I've encountered on the internet I actually know a little bit about MLP. This quickly makes me awesome in Sofia's book. While I am playing with her, Nana brings over a plate of cookies. They are Chips-Ahoy or some such nonsense and there are probably 15 of them. Sofia grabs the plate and starts eating them at an alarming pace, talking a mile a minute with her mouth full. JJ, who has been sulking on the couch this whole time, mad that his 8 year-old sister got more Christmas presents than him (seriously,) takes this opportunity to criticize her.
JJ: Sofia! Stop fucking talking with your mouth full! That's disgusting! And slow down! You're going to weigh 400lbs!
Sofia: whines Naaana...
Nana: Don't be mean to her!! Sofia, why don't you offer your new friend JC some of your cookies? Wouldn't that be the polite thing to do? turns to me I'm trying to teach her to share the food in her snack cabinet.
If you're like me, you are thinking "her snack cabinet? Huh?" but you heard right. I later find out that Sofia actually has her own cabinet in the kitchen that no one else is allowed to take food from. This cabinet is filled with multiple types of cookies, juice boxes, fruit snacks, sugary cereals, chocolate, etc. It is under the counter where Sofia can reach it for easy access. And boy does she access it frequently.
When asked to share Sofia briefly looks panicked, but the look disappears as quickly as it came. She picks up one cookie off her plate and hands it to me before continuing to stuff her face. Nana rolls her eyes a little and laughs.
In addition to the cookies, over the course of the day Sofia will consume a ham sandwich, two pop-tarts, three glasses of milk, a cheese stick, and half a canister of Pringles. And that's just what I was around to see. I couldn't tell you what else she may have eaten during the time I spent upstairs or out with Grizzly and Jesse.
This constant snacking was brought to a halt by Nana at about 4PM however, as I would later find out was the norm. Nana, being an old Italian lady, had this terrible fear that if anyone snacked after 4PM, they would ruin their appetite for dinner. And dinner was very, very important to her. I really don't think she had anything to worry about with Sofia, but whatever. At this point I was already mortified at how much Sofia had eaten so I was happy to see it being put to a stop, however temporarily.
Around 7:30 I am hanging out in the bathroom with Grizzly and Jesse waiting for Nana to call us down for dinner when I start to hear a commotion downstairs. Nana is yelling and something that sounds like foot-stomping is going on. I am done in there so I leave Jesse and Grizzly and foolishly go downstairs to check it out.
Sofia: I JUST WANT ONE FUDGICLE!!
Nana: I said NO, Sofia! Dinner is going to be ready in 15 minutes!
Sofia: YOU'RE SO MEAN! I HATE YOU.
JJ: Sofia you're being such a little spoiled brat. You don't need a fudgicle and you don't talk to Nana like that- shut up!
Nana: JJ, stop it! Don't tell her to shut up! Sofia you're not getting it and that's final! We're going to be eating soon and then you can have one after dinner!!
Sofia: wailing N-N-N-NN-NOOOOO!
Sofia then runs away and stomps up the stairs crying hysterically while I sit on the couch in awe. I can sense exactly what is about to go down and I am just silently hoping a. that I'm wrong and b. that Jesse is back in his room.
Moments later Jesse is led down the stairs and into the kitchen by Sofia, who has miraculously stopped crying completely and looks rather pleased with herself.
Jesse: What the fuck did you say to her? Why can't she have a fudgicle if she wants to? They're healthy!
Nana: Because I told her no, that's why! She's already had plenty to eat today and we're about to eat dinner. I don't want her filling up on that shit!
Jesse then lets out an exasperated sign and storms over to the refrigerator. He opens the freezer door and pulls out the fudgicle box to look at the nutrition label.
Jesse: 50 calories. They're 50 fucking calories, mom! That's nothing! That's like half a glass of milk! It practically is half a glass of milk! She can have one if she wants to!
Nana: You know what? Whatever, Jesse! This is why she doesn't ever listen to me, but whatever! I don't care if she eats her fucking dinner! You just let her do whatever you want like you always do!
Jesse lets out another sigh, hands Sofia a popsicle, kisses her on the forehead and then heads back up the stairs to his room, yelling back down to Nana to call him when dinner is ready before slamming his door shut. A moment later I head up the stairs myself to retreat to my (Sofia's) room where I will vent to Grizzly about what I just witnessed and try to get un-mad at Jesse before dinner. As I am walking up the stairs I look back just in time to see Sofia, face covered in fudgicle already, sticking her tongue out at Nana.
Submitted October 27, 2015 at 12:04PM by JunkieCulture http://ift.tt/1P2cDEw fatpeoplestories
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