In My Dreams It's Me And You

"Why are you always in your loose jeans and baggy sweatshirts?" Brian asked incredulously.

I sighed, really not feeling like discussing this again, "Brian, babe, we've been over this a million times. Do we need to go over it again?"

This time, it was his turn to sigh, "I suppose not. I just wish you'd show off your amazing body, Celina."

I looked in the full length mirror that was placed on the back of our bedroom door. My dyed brown hair easily fell to my small hips. My steal framed glasses outlined my bright green eyes and sat just right on my rather pointed nose. My rather large breasts- Brian had informed me that they were 'a-fucking-mazing'- were rested above my fairly flat stomach, which was covered by my baggy black zip-up hoodie. My long, pale, lean legs were hidden behind my large grey sweats.

"Brian, you wouldn't get it. Sure, maybe you haven't always been your current, muscular frame, but you've always been…fit. In high school, I always had a protruding stomach, wore baggy clothes, and hid myself behind my laughter and sympathy for others. On top of it all, kids in school can be cruel, as cliché as that sounds. I was always referred to as the Red Headed Step Child. Don't you get it? I can't just shed that image; that feeling."

As I was speaking, I made eye contact through the mirror with Brian who was laying on our bed, his boxers hanging loosely on his hips. Halfway through my body examination and speech, he stood and placed himself so he was situated behind me, his hands on my hips, chin on my shoulder.

Moving his hands to my upper arms, he started rubbing his hands up and down, 'I'm sorry. I guess it'd be hard to shake that image." With yet another sigh, he spoke again, "Come on, let's go shower, Lina. We need to get ready- Matt and Val are on their way as we speak."

After we had showered, we slipped into our swimsuits, Brian's being white with a black design on the right side and mine being a white and green, thickly striped tankini. I slipped on my black pull over hoodie and deep blue jeans over my swimsuit, whereas Brian decided to stay shirtless, not that I was complaining.

When the doorbell rang once, twice, three times in a row, I knew Val was standing at the door, just waiting for me to pull the door open and welcome her inside. When I finally opened the door, I plastered a huge, sincere smile on my face, hugging Val with everything I had.

"Hey babe! Ready to attempt a tan?" Val teased with a wink.

I figured if she can tease me about being a pale red head, I can be a whore for a second or two with her man.
"Sure, as long as you release your hot fiancée into my custody first," I smirked as I leaned into Matt, my 5'7", 120lbs frame wrapped around him. "Matt would be 100 percent willing, wouldn't you Matt?"

I looked up at him to see a Dear-God-help-me look on his face as he shook his head, "Lina, I love you, but I'm pretty sure Brian would snap my dick off if anything happened."

By now, I had detached myself from Matt's side and I felt Brian's arms snake their way around my waist, speaking harshly, yes jokingly, "Damn right, Sanders!"

I heard Val make a distinct "Pfftt" sound from beside me before she pulled me out of my fiancée's arms and into my backyard to sit out by the pool.

"So, what's going on lately?" she asked me as we stripped down to our swimsuits, hers being black and electric blue.

"Nothing much, I guess I’m just going to be lazy on my day off tomorrow and see what needs to be done through the house."

Val knew what that meant. Hell, everyone knew what that meant. Anytime that I was feeling remotely uncomfortable, I'd "see what needed to be done through the house". In other words, I'd pout on the baggiest, rattiest clothes I could find and lock myself inside for the weekend or time being.

"Uh, no, you won't. You'll come out with me and the other girls. We all miss you. No one's really seen you since you came back from…from…well, you know," she hesitated.

I let out a slightly harsh, bitter laugh, "From what? My dad's funeral? You can say it, Val."

"Well, I didn't want to… you know…. Upset you."

"Val, I'm twenty six years old, don't you think I should be old enough to learn how to get over it? Anyway…" I sighed, really wanting to change the subject.

"Hey!" We heard from behind us. "Swimsuits are made for swimming, not sitting around."

When I turned around, I saw the tan chests of Matt and Brian as they slowly made their way over to us.

"Huh," Val started sarcastically. "Good thing we're tanning and not just sitting around, huh, Lina?"

"I'd say so, yeah, Val," I smirked at Brian.

"I'd say that they need help correcting their little attitude problems, wouldn't you, Matt?" Brian asked, advancing closer yet.

"Definitely," Matt agreed, nearing Val. When she got up and started walking away from him, he pouted, "Baby! Where are you going?!"

I followed Val's lead and stood, slowly walking away from Brian.
"Celina! Where are you going? Get your cute little butt back here!"

Val and I started slowly walking away from Brian and Matt while getting closer to each other at the same time.

Just our luck, the closer we got to each other, the closer we got to the pool, and the guys were still gaining on us.

"I swear to God, if you even think-" my statement was cut off when I hit the surface of the water along side Val. I struggled but finally made my way back up to the top of the pool. "Ooh, you are so in for it later."

I woke up in my bed with a start, swatting at my alarm clock in an attempt to shut it off.

"Oh my God," I whispered to myself, squeezing my eyes shut and rubbing my forehead.

"Celina! Wake up!" my 21 year old brother yelled to me from the other side of my door. "You need to get ready for school."

"I'm up, Sean," I yelled back, then my voice dropped to a whisper, "I'm up."

"Alright," he yelled back. "I'll be downstairs when you're ready to go."

I started getting ready.
Thanksgiving break was over and it was time for reality to hit; time to finish out my senior year of high school.

An hour later and I was downstairs, "Alright, I'm ready, let's go."

"I'll be here at the end of the day," Sean said when he pulled up in front of my school. Just as I was about to get out of the car, he told me something that my dad always told me, "Hey kid, hang in there, have fun, and remember, above all else, I love you."

"Love you too, Sean," I told him as I got out of the car.
As soon as the door was closed, he sped off, away from the school.

Walking down the locker bay, I couldn't help but notice that no one said hi to me as they were all joined together in their own little groups
Matt and Brian had their own little group going, as well as Val and Anna were in their own little huddle. But no one dared to admit that they knew me when they were with their other friends. Not a single one of them.

I speedily flipped through the combination on my locker, shoved everything inside, and grabbed my econ book out. I made my way upstairs without giving it a second thought. Although the stairs took their toll on me [seeing as it's not easy to climb up twenty some stairs first thing in the morning when you're well over 200 lbs], I didn't give them a second thought and made my way down the hallway to my classroom.
Surprise, surprise, I was the first one in the classroom.

"Hey Mr…." I heard from the door. I lifted my head up only to see the head quarterback on the football team looking for the teacher. When he saw me, he walked over, "Oh, hey Celina. Will you hand this to Mr. Peabody when he gets in here? I've got to head out to practice for the state game on Friday. You're going, right?"

"Yeah, I'll hand it to him," I told him quietly, taking the excused absence slip from him. "And I don't think I'll make it."

"Why not? It'll be amazing- we're playing the Huskies!" Brian said. "I think you should definitely go!"

"I'll see," I said quietly. And even quieter, I said, "I don't think I have any friends going." I wasn't going to tell him that I didn't really have any friends. Period.

"Well, if you go, I'll see you there. I'll see you tomorrow!" he smiled as he jogged out of the room and down the hallway.

I was about to draw some random stuff on my notebook when I heard someone enter the room. I looked up and noticed it was Brian again, this time handing me a small slip of paper, "Oh yeah, I forgot to give this to you. I'll see you at the game, kay? See ya around, Celina."
And as soon as he was there, he was gone again.

I looked down at the piece of paper that he handed me and noticed what was printed on it. He gave me a ticket to the football game. I couldn't believe it.

Bandits Vs Huskies
December 4th
At the Huntington Beach Stadium
8:00

Later that day, when Sean came to pick me up after school, I was actually in a slightly good mood.

"Hey Celina. Good day?" he asked.

"Better than you'll ever know."
I couldn't wipe the damn smile off of my face.