All the Girls Are Lookin' Fine

It wasn’t Alex’s fault that Keeley had found herself cooped up in their shared hotel room on one of All Time Low’s days off with tears streaming from her eyes. Well… it wasn’t totally his fault, but she couldn’t really blame a few thousand prepubescent girls for her own self-hatred, could she?

It wasn’t her fault at all, that much she was sure of.

Keeley wasn’t even sure why she gave so much as a single damn as to what those other girls, girls who probably couldn’t even fill an a-cup or apply eyeliner without looking like Frankenstein’s bride, had to say about her. She’d never cared as to what any other person thought about her before, so maybe that was it. Maybe she’d just finally had enough of it all.

Since she was actually thinking about it, though, maybe it was Alex’s fault—he’d been the one to post the picture of them on Instagram. He’d been kissing her cheek while she smiled at the lens pointed toward them. He knew better than to post pictures of her, what with the responses they’d both been given to them in the past, and while they’d never caused any damage, it had gotten rather annoying.

That morning, he was too relaxed and blissful and he just didn’t care.

He’d posted the picture without her knowing, and within minutes, nasty comments were blowing up her phone. She’d scrolled through a few of them, but then an unfamiliar, queasy feeling began to take her over and she had to stop. When Alex noticed that her usually-exuberant self had suddenly dimmed to less than even half of what it usually was, that bright smile he’d always swoon over having dropped just enough to be noticeable, he’d tried to mend what he’d caused.

--- ---

“Keels, babe, I think we should go down to the pool,” Alex said as he threw himself onto their hotel bed next to her.

Keeley shook her head, eyes glued to Mike and Molly playing on the TV. She wondered if Melissa McCarthy was ever harassed about her weight…

“Come on, it’ll be fun! When I went to go ask Matt about the schedule, I saw all the other guys were already down there! When was the last time we went swimming?” he inquired, army crawling his way closer to the head of the bed so that he could rest his head on her shoulder.

“Um… ‘bout two weeks ago, right before we left home,” she answered, not averting her gaze from the screen or giving him any further acknowledgment.

Alex sighed before turning and pressing a kiss to her exposed skin. “You coulda just said that it’s been, like, forever, and it woulda had the same effect. Who even knows when we’re gonna get another opportunity like this while on the road? You love swimming! We won’t be home for another month and a half!”

“Probably the next time we stop at a hotel in a week or so. I just don’t feel up to it right now, Al,” she responded, finally twisting around enough so that he wasn’t touching her. She rolled onto her side so that she was at least looking at him, but he still scooted closer to push his lips against hers sweetly.

“Please? For me? I promise it’ll be fun. You’ll feel better afterward,” he vowed. “And you can’t get out of this by saying you don’t have a bathing suit because I remember you putting it in your bag.”

Keeley took a moment to think about his words before she was giving a reluctant nod. “Only for you. ‘Cause I love you,” she said, “but you owe me lots now.”

Alex grinned at the knowledge of having gotten things his way before it soon shifted into something a little more serious so that he could nod and reply with an, “Of course, babe.” However, it didn’t last too long before they were both smiling at each other. Alex because he knew that he’d get Keeley’s mind off of whatever she’d been told and Keeley because she loved seeing her boyfriend happy.

With a short kiss from the older boy, he was pushing himself from the bed and gesturing to the bathroom.

“Go get your pretty self ready, okay? I’ll go look for towels or something. Be back in a few, okay?”

Keeley nodded, Alex smiled, and then they were off in their own separate ways.

*** ***

The first thing the young woman heard as she and her boyfriend stepped into the gated pool area was a long and especially loud wolf-whistle. Looking in the direction it had come from, she wasn’t even surprised to find that Jack had been the one to do it. He was grinning wildly and waving enthusiastically, as though they wouldn’t already be able to point him out in a crowd.

“Hey, sexy mama, how you doin’?” he asked as they approached, and, even though she was honestly used to him saying things like that, she still blushed.

“She’s still mine, dude,” Alex said, raising their entwined hands into his line of vision as proof.

Jack shrugged. “It’s always worth a try. You never know, man. Maybe one day she’ll decide that she wants me, too, and then we gotta get freaky or something, and—”

“Dude, there are kids here,” Zack hissed from where he was sat on the edge of the pool only a few feet away.

Once again, Jack merely offered up a shrug. “They’ve probably heard worse. Kids these days, y’know?”

With a shake of the head, Alex was leading Keeley to a spot just away from their friends so that he could set their things down. With his hands empty of towels and the small pool bag his girlfriend always carried with her on such excursions, he was sitting in one of the long, fold-out chairs and patting the space in front of him for her to sit.

Following their usual pool routine, she did as directed and Alex’s hand delved into her bag in search of her tanning lotion. Once found, he didn’t hesitate to rub it into her exposed back and shoulders. When Alex was done, he tapped at her hip gently, a silent demand for one final kiss before she’d leave him behind in favor of the cool water.

“If you get the chance,” he murmured against her lips, “make sure you dunk Jack or something for me, okay?”

Keeley giggled but didn’t say anything in response before she was standing and heading toward the pool.

*** ***

“Who put a whale in the pool?”

Alex’s jaw clenched as he looked toward the source of the noise. Two college kids (more than likely on a shitty cross-country road trip or something) with their apparent girlfriends were lounging around on the opposite side of the pool. It probably wouldn’t have effected Alex so bad if Keeley hadn’t been the only one in the pool at the time.

Keeley heard it, too, but she did her best to ignore it. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard something like that directed toward her, so it was really nothing new. Only, that pang she’d felt only hours before began to creep its way back into her system.

With a scoff at the rude gestures the two boys made at his girlfriend, ones that she had her back to and (thankfully) couldn’t see, he was standing and packing their things. The pool had been fun, it had taken Keeley’s mind off of how rude his fans could be, but clearly it wasn’t an option anymore. Maybe he could just get away with an early dinner… a movie afterward. They hadn’t had a proper date night in a while, and surely that would get her to forget everything she’d been told.

“Keels,” he called once he was through with stuffing everything into her bag and had slung it over his shoulder, “babe, let’s go. I think we should do something fun with the night off, yeah? I know there’s that new Melissa McCarthy movie you’ve been wanting to see in theaters; we could get something to eat and go see that after. How’s that sound?”

Keeley glanced up to him before grinning and nodding at his proposition. It was when she was climbing her way out of the water that the laughing started up… if it could even be called laughing. Hysterical whooping and what sounded like someone slapping another person’s back filled the air above hushed giggles.

“What’s he even doing with her?” one of the girls asked the other in a not-quite-whisper as the couple walked past, hand in hand once more.

“You know, I’ve heard that it’s always that fat ones that will do anything in bed. They’re fuckin’ freaks,” one of the guys said, not even attempting to keep his voice down. If anything, he wanted the world to hear him.

And, for some reason, that was what caused the camel’s back to break. Keeley did her best to hide her tears until she could get a better grip on herself, and she figured she was somewhat successful. At least, she was successful until the door to their room had finally been opened and she was able to push past Alex to rush into the bathroom.

With the door locked behind her, she let everything that had built up go.

--- ---

Keeley couldn’t remember a time where she’d hated herself more. She hated her appearance, and she hated her name (what had her mother been thinking, naming her something that meant ‘slender’?), but, most importantly, she hated herself for actually crying about stupid, little, snide remarks.

She knew it wasn’t just what had been said, though. Everything she’d heard or read had just gotten her thinking about how Alex could’ve had anyone, man or woman, someone tall and thin and gorgeous, but he was with her.

It didn’t make sense.

Maybe he was just using her. She didn’t think she was any kinkier than any other female in bed, but maybe he had a kink for—

“Baby, please, open the door,” his voice begged. “Keels, I know you can hear me, come on. I wanna talk to you, get out here. Please, babe. I know they’re all hurting you, but come hear me out, okay?”

It was with a trembling lip and a tear-soaked face that she reached out to flick the lock. She moved past Alex to climb into the bed, not giving him an ounce of her attention. The young, distraught woman would’ve stayed in the bathroom until she’d completely composed herself, but she was exhausted from the sun, water, and tears, and the bathroom floor wasn’t the comfiest place to nap.

Nevertheless, Alex was only two steps behind. After Keeley had made herself comfortable under the covers, her body still covered in her bathing suit and slightly damp, he was sitting himself on the edge of the mattress behind her.

“Keeley… don’t listen to what any of them have to say. You know that I think you’re beautiful; you know that I love you. There’s no one else for me out there. You know that, too, right? You know how I adore every inch of you and wouldn’t trade you for anyone else?”

When she didn’t answer, he stood from the bed and moved around to crawl under the sheets with her so that they were eyelevel.

“You’re so pretty, you know? And you’re funny—funnier than Jack, even. You’re strong, and smart, and you’re the sweetest person I’ve ever been lucky enough to meet, never mind call my own. If anything, I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you.”

“But I’m fat,” she whispered before biting at her lip to hold in a hiccup.

Alex shook his head as he reached out to pull her into him, lying on his back as he did so. When she was positioned half on his chest with his arms around her and her head tucked into his neck, he continued.

“You’re not even,” he said quietly, tilting his head up enough to press a kiss to her wet hair. “You’re gorgeous, and perfect, and I can’t even come up with enough words to tell you how endlessly sexy I think you are. You’ve got the brains, the looks, the heart… you’re the package deal. I’m not sure what you see in me. Anyone would be more than lucky to have you.

“I always thought that you’d just be able to brush off what everyone had to say because I’ve never seen you do anything different, but now it’s… I don’t want you getting insecure like this ever again. You’re so important to me, and it hurts me to know that someone else hurt you. If the other guys hadn’t left, I would’ve kicked those kids’ asses.

“Actually, they might still be down there. I should go find Zack and—”

“No,” Keeley mumbled, the hand resting on his side tightening its grip to keep him in place. Her voice sounded just the slightest bit stronger, and that had a sad smile tugging at Alex’s lips before he was rolling them over so that he could hover over her.

“You feelin’ better now?” he asked gently, his right hand moving from the pillow underneath her head in favor of caressing her cheek. When she shrugged, he sighed. “Listen to me, alright? I’m in love with you, and I don’t want you to ever cry or change yourself because of what someone else thinks they have to say. They don’t matter. All of them, those guys and all of those girls, probably have the combined intelligence of the average high schooler. Most of them are still in high school. They’re young, horny, and stupid. Don’t ever think down on yourself or doubt my love for you because of something shitty they say. I promise that no matter what, I’m still going to love you just as much as I do now, if not more. Understand?”

At that, a real smile was given. It was a little watery, sure, but it was what Alex had been hoping for all along. Leaning down, he connected their lips for a few moments, like he was trying to cement that promise he’d made, and then he was leaning back to nudge their noses together.

“Now, if I remember correctly, I said something about dinner and a movie… if you’re still up to it?” he asked as her hands moved to link together at the back of his neck, keeping him in place.

Keeley nodded before pushing him away to stand from the mattress so that she could head to the bathroom once more. She stopped in the doorway, though, and turned to him before reaching behind herself to undo her top. With it hanging from her neck, she smiled shyly and asked a quiet, “Shower with me?”

Alex was quick to push himself from the bed to join her in the bathroom, wide grin splitting his lips. “There’s nothing else I’d rather do right now.”