The Lighter Side of Large Read Online Free PDF

about speeches. I’m running for Student Body President and I wrote a speech for the election rally next week, but I’m not convinced that it’s as persuasive as it can be.”
    “Let’s hear it.” Tiresa flashes her winning smile again.
    “I was just helping Tiresa write her persuasive essay for English Comp, so we’re in the zone for persuasion,” I add.
    Mika, who hadn’t noticed me before, brightens. “Are you a tutor?”
    I laughed. “Oh, no, we’re sisters. I’m just helping her, that’s all.”
    “Oh, okay. Well here it goes.” Mika pulls out the speech from a folder and reads it. Tiresa rests her chin on folded hands, watching him intently and smiling all the while. He glances up from the paper, always at Tiresa. When he finishes, she applauds softly.
    “So, what do you think?” Mika asks, focused on Tiresa.
    She nods eagerly. “I think it’s fantastic.”
    Mika grins. “Thanks.” Then he turns to me and waits for my opinion.
    I squirm. It’s not every day that Mr Tall, Dark and Handsome walks up and starts chatting and wants to know what I think about something. Heck, that sort of thing never happens on any day. “Well,” I drawl, unsure how to be diplomatic. “It can use some work.”
    Mika’s eyes had drifted to Tiresa, but snap back to me, stunned. I shrug in apology. “I think you should add a humorous opening statement, followed by three key points about what you will accomplish in office instead of only talking about past offices and awards you’ve held, and then end with a promise of how the campus will benefit from your leadership and continue after you’ve graduated.”
    Mika’s brow furrows. “So I shouldn’t talk about my qualifications?”
    I shake my head. “No, by all means, mention them briefly or list them on a campaign flyer, but you need to give people a reason to vote for you not based on those but on the goals you plan to accomplish and how it will make campus life better.”
    He pulled out a pen and began to jot down my ideas. “And tell a joke at the beginning?”
    “Not necessarily a joke, but something funny. It will evoke an emotion from people and help them to remember you.”
    Mika looked up, face scrunched. “I’m not good with funny.”
    “I can think of something for you,” I volunteer.
    “Me, too,” says Tiresa.
    Mika bites his lower lip in thought. “Will you help me write my speech? I need help with it because I really want to win. I plan to attend law school and having won an election, even as stupid as Student Body President, makes my application look better.”
    “Sure,” I reply, blushing.
    Mika’s smile is the sun. “Great. Terrific. I’m Mika, by the way. What is your name again?” He holds out his hand for me to shake.
    I take his hand shyly. “Isabella. But you can call me Bella.”
    From that moment forward, it was the three of us. The Three Musketeers, partners in crime, inseparable and incorrigible. Mika won the election. His campaign speech - rather, my speech - received a standing ovation, as did his acceptance speech (also mine). He was the devil’s advocate, arrogant, confident and always right, even when he was on the wrong side of the argument.
    Tiresa was the instigator of the trio. She always came up with madcap ideas. She took no thought of the consequences, but somehow always seemed to land on her feet - elegant, size 8 feet which supported her six foot tall, gorgeous body with supermodel features. Those features now earn her a six-figure salary as a PR executive in the music industry.
    Then there was me, the creative one. I was studying for a Fine Arts Degree in design and drawing, when I wasn’t contributing editorials and cartoons to the campus newspaper and writing Mika’s column for it. However, my main role became caretaker. It was a course of study in itself to look after those two. I wrote for Mika and made sure as Student Body President that he always knew the right thing to say. I tutored Tiresa and