No More Expectations

If you read about the messy breakup between Brianya Johnson and Darnell Jones, in the short story, Expectations, from the book, Transitions: short stories for a rainy day, you'll definitely want to read about Brianya’s transformation and her new lease on life!

Before the weight loss, Brianya Johnson was all about getting to "I do" by any means necessary. Dumped by her boyfriend, Brianya decided to re-evaluate her life. And in the process, she learned two valuable things about herself: 1) her self-esteem was nowhere to be found, and 2) she's an emotional eater. Sailing on anger and sheer determination, Brianya decided that change is long overdue. She enlists the aid of her trainer-friend to help whip her eating and her body into shape, and takes a vow of celibacy, swearing off men and dating.

That was 206 pounds ago, before she knew what lay beneath all those layers of bad food choices. At 147 pounds, Brianya's body has transformed into something she never envisioned, and the men are coming out of the woodwork, testing her patience and her resolve. The biggest threat of all, however, comes in the form of her ex, Darnell Jones, who's ever so sorry that he mistreated her and took her for granted. Next, enter Monticello Belvoir, Endo Jamison, and Edward Hollister. All solid men with loads of potential. Brianya's not used to this level of attention, so before she commits herself to any one man, she plans to take her time and get to know them. What she discovers about one of them, however, leaves her cowering on the bathroom floor of her newly purchased home, blood snaking its way across the mosaic tile.

With her heart pulling her in one direction and her family and friends pushing her in another, what's a girl to do? For Brianya, the answer is easy: Eat! When all is said and done, will the years of hard work have been for nothing?