Leave the World Behind

I open my eyes to see I was back in the high school storage room. I was in my own curvy body. I look around to see everyone was back with me in detention.
“Oh, my God. Yes, yes, yes! Yes, yes! I'm back, baby!” Fridge fist pumped.
“I will never complain about my body ever again.” Bethany rubs her stomach. “Oh, thank God. Oh, I missed you.” She squeezes her boobs.
I look down in agreement with her. It funny being in my dream body help me appreciates the one I have now. I always thought girls like Bethany were beautiful so that must mean I’m not. But from being in both body types I was able to see that the thin didn’t cancel out the curvy. We could both be beautiful at the same time.
For so long, I was focused on what I didn’t have instead of being happy with what I had. I may not have Connie’s long legs and flat stomach, but I did have curves. It was time that I embrace them.
I gasp, as I felt myself get lifts up and put on the table covered in magazine. Fridge move his hands from the back of my thighs to the cup my face. He kissed me, letting his hands drop around my waist to pull me close. I wrap my legs around his waist and arms around his neck to help give me leverage to kiss him back. “I told you what I was going to do when I got my height back.” He pulled back enough to whisper to me. He pushes me, so I was laying flat on my back on the table.
“No, we’re still here!” Martha scream, covering her eyes. Fridge helps me get off the table and put me back on my feet.
“What the hell is going on?” Spence shrieks as he pulls at his curls.
“They’re a thing you didn’t know.” Bethany smirks. Martha nods, alongside her.
“What? Since when?” He looked at me.
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.” I scratch the back of my neck.
“Where's Alex?” Bethany looks around for him, but he wasn’t in the room.
“Let check his house, if I was him that where I would go.” I walk towards the door.
“We can’t leave yet, we got the magazines. And look at the clock, no time even past.” Martha said. I look up at the wall to see that she was right. We each grabbed a stapler remover and move as fast as we could.
When Principal Bentley came to tell us we could go, we speed out and down the street to the freak house. “Wait, look.” Spencer points to a big white house were the freak house used to be and it was decorated for Christmas.
“Freak House?” Fridge stares up at it.
“Do you think...?” Spencer wonders.
“That means, maybe...” Bethany had the same thought process.
A silver car pulls up with a Christmas tree strap to the top. “Grandpa!” A girl came running out of the car to hug Mr. Vreeke. The same man who didn’t look like he showered in weeks that warns us of the evils of the world this morning. Except now, he looked clean and healthier. A woman got out of the car taking the little girl into the house to see her grandma. A man came out of the car, wearing a metallic shirt.
“Alex?” Bethany whispers.
“Hey, Dad, when you get a sec could you give me a hand?” He called out to the man as he put on a jacket.
“Yeah,” The older man walks over to start untying the tree.
He looks down the street to see us standing there. “Hey, Dad, will you give me a second?”
He looked over to see where his son was looking. He was confused as to why he would want to talk to us, but he agrees anyways. “Oh yeah, sure.”
“I'll be right back.” He walks over to us with a car seat in his hand. “Bethany?” He points at the blonde, who nods smiling at him. “Spencer?” He points to my nerdy friend.
“Yeah,” He nods.
“Connie?” He points to me.
“Cutthroat, why do people always want to leave cutthroat out.” I joke, making him laugh.
“Ruby Roundhouse?” He points to the last girl in the group. She nods, laughing. “And that would make you Fridge.” He points to the tall ex football player. Fridge put his hand in the air, as if saying obviously it me. We share a laugh at see each other in real life. I wonder if this was what it was like when people meet their gamer friend in real life.
“I'm stoked to see you. All of you.” He smiles at all of us.
“You made it back.” Bethany grips the straps of her backpack.
“Yeah, I did. It spit me out right where I started, so 1996.” Alex told us. I nodded my head. It spat us out at the exact moment it sucked us in. So, why wouldn’t it do the same for him?
“And your parents and your house?” Spencer look at the freaking house, still amazed at how different it looked.
“Yeah, they... all good bro,” He nods.
“You're an adult now. You have a family.” Bethany looked down at the baby in the car seat.
“I do, yeah. This is Andy.” He told us the baby's name. “And then my daughter… My daughter's name is Bethany. We named her after the girl who saved my life.” He smiled at her. She looks so honor for that. “So stoked,” He laughs.
We talk for a while, before going our separate ways. Alex went in his dad’s house. Martha and Bethany walk off together, since they actually live by each other. Spencer took off in another direction since he was going to his dad’s house.
Leaving, Fridge and I to walk home together. “You don’t have to walk me home, it past your house.” I told him, as we were walking past his house.
“No, it fine. Once I go in there I’ll be ground until the end of time. It can wait.” He shook his head. We walk to my house in silence, not knowing what to say. I had my guard back up being back in the real world. I wonder if he even knew what he was going to do come Monday.
Soon, we were in front of my house. “I want you to know that things are going to be different this time.” He told me. I slowly nodded my head, not sure if I should believe him or not. “I mean it. I need you to know that. Like I said when I go home, I’ll be ground for a while. So, I won’t be able to call you all weekend. I don’t want you to think I’m ghosting you again. I’m going to see you, Monday and everyone is going to know you’re my girl. I promise you that.” He leans down to give me a kiss.
“I’ll hold you to that.” I smile up at him.
“Good.” He kissed me one more time before walking away. “I’ll see you, Monday.” He called over his shoulder.
I walk into my house and gave my mom and dad a big hug.

It was Monday, Spencer and I were walking to school. “I still think we should have stopped by Fridge’s house.” He said.
“No, if we see him at school and he acknowledges us, great, if not, whatever, at least there will be no public humiliation.” I shook my head. Despite his promise, I still didn’t want to get my hopes up.
“I think you need to give him more credit.” He stuck up for his friend.
“We’ll see.” I look around for him as we walk onto the front yard of the school.
“Yo.” Fridge came running up from behind us. He fist bump Spencer and throw an arm around my shoulders.
“Yo.” Spencer said back, shooting me a smug look.
I roll my eyes at him before turns to Fridge. “Morning,” I look up at him. He bent down to give me a peck on the lips.
I pull away, smiling from ear to ear. I look around to see a lot of people’s jaw drop when they saw Fridge’s arm around me, especially the jocks and cheerleaders who looked like they were about to have a stroke. I laugh, shaking my head at them.
“What’s so funny?” Fridge pulls me closer.
“It weird, I thought I would get annoyed with people being shocked that you were with me, but it kind of amusing.” I chuckled.
“They probably think you’re going crazy: get kicked off the football team now you’re hanging out with a nerd and dating a fat girl.” Spencer laughs.
“Don’t call her fat.” Fridge glares at him.
“He’s just talking from their perspective.” I bump him with my hip. Spencer was never malicious with me about my weight.
We stop when we saw Bethany talking to Lucinda. “Hey.” Spencer calls out to her. She waved bye to her friend before running towards us. Watching Lucinda shock face at Bethany coming over to us made me smirk.
“Hey!” I move out from under Fridge’s arm to give her a hug.
“Hello.” She wave at everyone.
“Hey.” Fridge nod to her as he put his arm back where it was around my shoulders. We started to walk again, making our way to the entrance of the school.
“So, uh, anything interesting happens lately?” She gave us a big smile.
“No, I can't think of anything.” Spencer shook his head. We giggle at our little inside joke.
“Have you guys talked to Martha?” He asks us.
“I’ve been texting her.” I nod, although I told him that already. I even gave him her number.
“Oh, I was texting her this weekend. We girls have a group chat. Have you talked to her?” Bethany asks Spencer. He shook his head.
“Hey. There she is.” Fridge nods to Martha who was walking with her head down.
“Go get that girl, Dr. Bravestone.” Bethany nudges him.
He walks over to her, she smiles when she saw him. They talk for a little while, before Spencer grabs her face and kissed her.
“Smoldering,” Fridge smirks. We laugh, happy to see our friends happy. The drums start beating, putting all of us on edge.
We grab the game console and bowling ball from the storage room. We took it out back. Fridge drops the bowling ball on top of the console crushing it into pieces as we cheered.