Chapter Ten-"No it's clearly mouthwash"

~Dedicated to awkard jokes~

Chapter Ten

It’s never been a secret but I was always a bit self-conscious about my body. It wasn’t anything major, after all I was now dressing like I had some fashion sense and there wasn’t the need for me to stare at myself in the mirror and cry my eyes out. Okay, maybe the last part was a lie, but I blame Jessica Hubert for it. It all started when everyone was forced back in freshman year to try out for every sport imaginable, sadly on that faithful Thursday it happened to be swimming.

Yes, swimming. The sport the sport that requires you to use all your body muscles and more importantly to use a bathing suit which surprise, surprise forced you to show more skin than necessary. Of course I freaked out because in all honesty, I rarely showed more than my legs so to use a bathing suit in the pool, surrounded by half of the school was a bit nerve wracking. I couldn’t be more right too, especially when Coach Adam thought it would be the best thing for me and Jessica to be paired up as swimming partners.

Jessica even back then was a hottie and major pain in my butt. I suppose it was then that our enemy thing really started. We were both getting ready to dive and practice laps when Jessica commented in her silly, high-pitched voice that even now sends shivers down my spine in disgust, ‘Oh my God, are you seriously getting in looking like that?’. Obviously I didn’t really know what she was talking about, mainly because I didn’t have my glasses on and couldn’t really see the problem with myself, which Jessica didn’t seem to have a problem with pointing out.

‘You should get some shorts to cover those legs of yours,’ Jessica sneered loudly, ‘thunder thighs are so gross.’

Of course I laughed in her face. That’s a lie. I ran out of the pool area with sounds of laughter from the other snobby Jessica gang and burst into tears in the girls’ change rooms and then after cleaning my red puffy eyes, I went to the nurse’s office and faked being sick which led me to be sent home early and that’s when I vowed never to bother about what other people thought about me. The whole vow lasted about a week before I began to start to hate Jessica for humiliating me and well I suppose it was the real reason I made the deal with Sean Gregory.

And that brings me to my current situation, which might I add is not something that I’m comfortable with doing. Yes, Vivienne Lanter, me, the girl who used to wear glasses but now had contacts and whose hair was no longer some shabby brown one length, straight yet frizzy mess but now a deep blonde that reminded me of warm honey was now standing in a changing room in one of Redwood’s hottest fashion stores with Amanda and Sean waiting impatiently outside while I held a bunch of bikinis in my arms.

Breathe Viv, this is normal. Lots of girls use bikinis and besides, it’s not like Jessica can see you anymore. Remember what mum told you that night? ‘It’s just baby fat honey, it’ll disappear with age’. Wait, what? See even mum agreed with Jessica, you do have thunder thighs. Look at yourself in the mirror, your butt is really huge now that you think about it, big, no ginormous. Do yourself a favour Viv and spare the humiliation. You are going to pretend you’re sick, yup that’s right. Say you have meningitis and your head really hurts a lot. Yes, that’s it!

I pulled open the wooden door and stuck my head out with a frown, “I think…I think I have uh…”

Sean’s hazel eyes met mine causing my cheeks to heat up and made my eyes divert to Amanda. Yes, it was easier lying to Amanda.

“I have menopause!” I suddenly blurted.

Amanda’s eyes widened, “What? Viv, you’re not that old and…what?”

Sean rolled his eyes, “Seriously, you would make a lousy liar Lanter.”

“It happens, in rare cases,” I retorted.

“Name one,” Sean challenged as his lips quirked into a smirk.

“The uh…” I stammered going red, “…conspiracy theory?”

“Nice try Lanter, but we’re no leaving until you get yourself some bikinis,” Sean replied.

I groaned, “Do I have to? Can’t I just wear my regular clothes?”

“And have Davey think you are some old woman going through menopause?” Amanda interrupted, “No, you are going to try on those sexy swimsuits and you are going to smile like you love it.”

I shut my mouth at Amanda’s authoritative tone and retreated back into the cubicle. Amanda’s right Viv, you don’t want Dave to think that you’re some old granny with no taste in clothes and possibly can’t produce any children. Not that you are going to have any children any time soon because that would be a totally Jessica thing to do. Yes put out and have kids and then get fake boobs, yes, that’s exactly what Jessica would do.

With a sigh, I slipped out of my clothes and into the bright, coral pink bikini that Amanda had handed me without a second glance. I stared at myself in the full length mirror, a small smile tugging at my lips as I took in my appearance. Maybe I was really just overreacting before, I mean, I wasn’t as fat as I thought I’d be. But still, the bottom of the bikini did look a bit too revealing and there was no doubt that mum wouldn’t let me out of the house dressed in something that looked like my underwear, heck even my underwear didn’t look like this.

I poked my head through the opened door before hissing, “I can’t come out looking like this!”

Amanda frowned at me, “Sure you can, it’s not like anyone’s going to try to rape you or anything.”

My eyes widened, “R-Rape m-me?”

“Here,” Sean suddenly interrupted, tossing me something colourful before smirking, “no one’s going to try to rape you with that on, I promise.”

I glanced down at the material in my hands before smiling slightly, “Okay.”

Glancing down at the material in my hands revealed to be shorts and a plain white shirt which was clearly made for swimming. I smiled, happy that Sean was there at least to back me up even if Amanda did look slightly annoyed. What was up with them? Were they going out? That would explain the hugging and smiles, I mean yeah family friend? Seriously, more like girlfriend that was really pretty and being nice to me by paying for these clothes on the lame excuse that she always wanted to have a sister to buy for. Yeah right Viv, don’t buy into that, she’s probably just doing this to win Sean’s affections.

Whoa, why do you care all of a sudden? You don’t like Sean. You’re just tutoring him until the end of Prom and finals and after that you go your way and he goes his way. And besides, Sean is allowed to date whoever he wants to, it’s not like your opinion really matters, seeing as how you’re dating Dave now right? Dave Peterson, he’s the sweet guy next door type that won’t hurt you no matter what and he has the whole swimmer body thing going for him and he likes YOU.

I exited the cubicle and did a small twirl with a slight blush tainting my cheeks as I looked up at both Amanda and Sean who were staring at me with wide eyes. I frowned, glancing down at myself. Maybe I was fat with huge thighs; maybe the whole ‘baby fat’ talk was just a bunch of lies to make me feel better about myself. I probably didn’t lose any weight and tricked myself into thinking I was pretty for a moment. God Viv, you’re such a stupid-

“OH MY GOD,” Amanda squealed loudly, gaining the attention from a few clerks, “you look so amazing Vivienne!”

I blushed, looking up to see her beaming, “Really?”

“Yeah really, don’t you think Sean?” Amanda asked, turning briefly to Sean before grinning at me.

I dared to look at Sean who seemed just as shocked as Amanda, before his cool smirk came into place as he responded, “Well Lanter, it seems like Davy boy just might need to learn some control.”

“You went shopping?” my mother asked, her eyes falling onto the shopping bags in my arms.

I smiled sheepishly, “Yeah it’s for the lake house trip this Friday.”

My mother nodded, before digging around the fridge and pulled out leftover Chinese, “About that honey, there will be adult supervision right?”

“I uh…” I trailed off, “you should ask Sean,” I blurted as Sean entered through the front door carrying a textbook.

“Ask me what?” Sean asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

“Sean darling,” my mother smiled sweetly, “about this lake house trip,” she began, “who’s going to be there?”

Sean gave me a puzzled look before answering my mother in his respective tone he seemed to reserve for her, “Oh it’s just a few people from school and some friends.”

“How many friends?” my mother asked again.

“Oh,” Sean replied, suddenly realising what my mother meant, “well it’s probably just around five or six.”

“And who’s going to be supervising this whole trip?” my other questioned, daring Sean to say no one in her stern look.

Sean scratched the back of his neck nervously before swallowing, “Well my sister is coming so she’ll you know, keep an eye out on us.”

“How old is your sister?” my mother responded, giving me a side way glance.

“Oh she’s twenty-two,” Sean answered with a smile.

My mother nodded, before giving me another smile, “Seems like you’re going then honey,” she said before pointing at the Chinese takeout, “order pizza won’t you? This leftover smells bad,” she said, placing a kiss on my forehead before heading out on yet another date with Jeff.

As soon as the front door shut behind her, I turned to Sean with an apologetic smile, “Sorry about that, she just worries a lot.”

Sean shrugged, “Why are you sorry? I’d kill to have a mother like her around all the time.”

I swallowed, sensing that maybe I hit a sore spot. Licking my lips nervously, I dared to ask Sean, “Where is your mother?”

“Oh you know,” he shrugged, “somewhere in London with her boyfriend.”

“That’s good right, she’s in love then,” I answered.

Sean rolled his eyes, “You don’t get it Lanter,” he muttered, “her boyfriend isn’t anything like Jeff; he’s only into her for the money.”

I frowned, “How do you know?”

“I caught him-you know what? Never mind, we’re supposed to be working on Maths tonight,” Sean replied with a tight smile.

I nodded, detecting that he didn’t want to talk about his mother or her boyfriend anymore. Dumping the shopping bags onto my bedroom floor, I caught Sean staring at everything from the doorway. My cheeks heated, as embarrassment swept through me. God Viv, why do you always have to blush? Well it’s not like you shouldn’t be embarrassed! Which eighteen year old still has a teddy bear on her bed? I turned to Mr Wiggles with a small smile before turning to Sean, suddenly going blind as a bright flash blinded me.

“Hey!” I yelled, “You’re not supposed to be taking photos of my room!”

Sean shrugged, smirking slightly, “I couldn’t help myself, you looked so happy to see some stuffed toy.”

“Leave Mr Wiggles out of this,” I retorted, grabbing my brown bear into my arms.

“What’s so special about him?” Sean asked glancing around the pale peach and pink decorated room.

I glanced down at my stuffed bear before smiling slightly, “It belonged to my father.”

“It did?” Sean asked his tone curious.

I nodded, “Yeah my mother got it as some present from him…well when they dated and before he knocked her up and left when he realised she was pregnant with me.”

“And you kept the bear?” he asked, his eyes widening.

I shrugged, “He might have done things that yeah put my mum and me in a bad place, but he’s still my father Sean.”

A smile tugged at Sean’s lips, taking me off guard.

“What are you smiling about?” I asked.

“Oh nothing Lanter, nothing at all,” he replied.

I groaned, blinking away the sleep as I trudged to the front door and swinging it open. Sean was parked in the driveway looking impatient as he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. I yawned, hauling my black bag over my shoulder as I walked to the passenger seat. Another yawn and I was seated in the comfy leather seat of Sean’s shiny sports car and feeling the warmth of heater against my face. A lazy smile took over my lips as I made myself more comfortable and turned to Sean who was looking at me weirdly.

“What?” I asked.

He shrugged, laughing, “Nothing.”

I frowned, “No tell me!”

“Maybe later,” he replied, “we’ve got to get going if we’re going to beat the rest of the gang.”

“Gang, wait are you starting the mafia?” I asked.

Sean chuckled as he put the car into gear and began to drive, “You know, the people we’re meeting at the lake house?”

My eyes widened slightly, “Wait, so we’re not picking anyone up?”

“No, Chris and Dave are going together and Jules decided to hitch a ride with them,” Sean answered, “and Lily and Amanda are going together so being the nice guy I am,” he smirked at me, “I offered to ride with you.”

I sighed, “How long is it to the lake house?”

“Oh give or take eight hours,” Sean replied.

“Eight hours!?” I shrieked.

“Yeah…is there a problem with that?” Sean asked, arching an eyebrow.

Of course not Viv, there’s no problem with riding in a car with a sexy bad boy with a slight British accent who had the kissing expertise of a Sex God. Yup, there was nothing at all wrong with that.

“N-No,” I stammered, “don’t be s-silly.”

“Good,” Sean replied with a smirk, “now I have someone to practice all those sex jokes.”

I groaned, “Not this again.”

“You know I got kicked out of Maths class once,” Sean began.

I frowned, “What for?”

“For answering the teacher on what comes after sixty nine,” Sean replied.

“Uh…seventy…?” I answered hesitantly.

“No,” Sean answered rolling his eyes, “it’s clearly mouthwash.”

“I don’t get-”

“You know,” Sean wiggled his eyebrows.

Oh God. I covered my face in horror at the mental image before yelling, “Shut up Sean!”

A/N Hey you all fabulous Geeklings! You don't realise how lucky you are that I even uploaded =P Okay, so what did you think? Like Sean anymore (though I doubt that's possible), glad that I had him in majority, heck for the whole chapter? Did you like Mr Wiggles? Suspect anything to happen during the car ride? Hehehe on better news though, you guys are going to see some awesome scenes in the next chapter *smirks to self* some smoochy smoochy action, but I'm not even gonna say with who. Besides Sean/Dave, which characters are your favourites? I mean it would help a lot to know! Remember to vote, comment and spread the word like women/men on steroids!

xoxo

Mona-Mae =)