Just Listen

Chapter 3

A few minutes after Lee had left, Stella led me into her kitchen where I put the pizza on a tray and popped it into the oven, heating it to 350 degrees. I loved Stella's kitchen. When I was little, I always wanted to own a bakery and bake doughnuts, cupcakes, cakes, and other pastries. Stella's kitchen was a dream with its black marble counter and white cupboards that slowly closed on their own. Her oven that baked up to above 500 and her stellar 60 inch stainless steel interior refrigerator that I drooled over. Stella's dad would make frozen custard every time I was over. I would always have two servings but he wouldn't let Stella have more than a half. Stella was of course upset at this, but she didn't care, as long as she got some. But I didn't care or watch myself when I ate when I was young, I didn't care.
Stella went to grab the tea kettle and filled it with water from her fancy sink that turned on when it sensed movement. "Want some peppermint tea?" Stella asked turning towards me with a smile.
"Sure!" I sat down on her futuristic stool in front of her island table. She put the kettle on her stove and pushed down on her automatic stove tops to select her heat. Setting it to high, she came to sit by me, pulling out the chair and plopping down, the air in the seats being pushed out by her weight. When I sat down, the air from the seat immediately burst but when Stella gracefully sat down, all the air spewed out slowly.
I bit my lip, wondering whether the kiss was real. I was nervous to ask. If I wanted an answer, I'd have to ask.
"Thanks for playing along when Lee came to the door," she says eyeing me.
Playing, right. "Yeah no problem," I paused. "But about that kiss; that was fake, right?" Twiddling my thumbs, I waited for her answer. This was the moment of truth. I could never like my best friend, she'd get weirded out and uncomfortable. But in the pit of my stomach, I felt something. In middle school, after I confessed to her that I was interested in girls, she turned up her nose at me and nodded her head slowly. I immediately regretted telling her because later that week, she came complaining to me how weirded out she was by this girl named Catherine who had apparently slid her a note, calling her cute. But over the past five years, she slowly accepted who I liked. It wasn't the body parts that I loved but the personality that the person had, no matter what gender they were. It took her a long time to figure this out.
"Well of course, we're best friends, it's not like you'll have a deep and overwhelming crush on me," she joked. But I guess she could see my seriousness in my question because she then says, "Listen, Bonnie, we're best friends and I can kiss you as many times as I want to but it doesn't mean I like you, it just means we're close friends."
Ouch. Friend zoned. My heart twisted. It was as if Stella reached in, took my heart in her hands and twisted in a full circle. Even if I did have a spark of attraction towards her, she just made it clear she was not interested. Dropping the subject, I stood up to check on the pizza. The grease on top was fizzling and I licked my lips. I pulled out my phone and searched how many calories were in a piece of pizza; the results popped up with 284 calories. Of course it depends on what you get on the pizza and the size but that meant I could only eat two pieces. I opened the oven, carrying the hot platter with oven mitts, and set it down on the stove to cool. Stella shot up once her tea pot started to whistle because of the steam.
As I sat back down on the stools, I thought about school. I was nervous to see all the people who knew my dad had died, knowing they'd give me sympathy I didn't want. Couldn't I just move on and forget it ever happened?
"Peppermint or jasmine?" Stella asked.
"What?" I snapped back into reality.
Stella giggled. "Earth to Bonnie! I asked if you wanted peppermint or jasmine tea."
"Jasmine, sorry, just thinking about our junior year."
"I know! Can you believe our first day is tomorrow?"
I glanced at the clock; three p.m.
My stomach growled and I looked over at the sizzling sausage pizza. Jumping up, I tapped the metal to see if it was still hot and when it wasn't, I took out the pizza slicer and sliced eight equal parts. Without thinking, I grab two pieces that had the most sausage and walked back to my seat as Stella placed my cup with tea in front of me. My stomach growled but I waited politely until Stella took her one piece and sat down. But as soon as her butt hit that cushion, I grabbed my piece and shoved it down my throat. In under a couple minutes, I was already moving onto the next piece but I watched as Stella took small bites from her half eaten piece and thought twice. Instead, I took as smaller bites, like she did and took little sips of my jasmine tea.
"So for the movie, I picked out a classic," Stella said excitedly.
"I saw. Phantom of the Opera? Exciting!"
Stella rolled her eyes playfully and rolled her eyes up, stroking a fake beard. "Do you think what I did to Lee today was too far?"
"No way! He deserved every single thing you threw at him."
"I bet I was a way better kisser than he was," I responded, kicking her playfully. I took my last bite of the pizza.
Stella giggled and took another bite of her pizza. "You were! Now I'm going to be fantasizing all night," she said in between bites.
I only wished. We sat in silence until I finished my last piece and excused myself to the bathroom where I'd see the pizza's damage. I walked down the long hall and took a right into her large white and blue bathroom. Another one of the motion sensored sinks and a motion sensored toilet caught my eye. And the room smelt like lavender; my favorite scent. As I lifted up my black lace top, I gasped in horror. It looked like I gained at least ten pounds! My stomach fell over my black skinny jeans and my ribs looked huge. I turned face forward to the mirror and pinched my hips and noticed my large ribs stuck out.
Ew. I was disgusting. Did I actually wear a bikini in this skin? My stomach growled from the calorie packed meal I just ate. I had to get this out of my system. I shrugged down my shirt to hide my shame and crouched down to the toilet. I tied my silky straight black hair into a high bun and exhaled a deep breath. Putting together my middle and index finger, I slowly shoved my fingers deep into my throat just like the girls in the movies. After a few tries, I panicked. I couldn't get myself to throw up! I could only gag.
"Bonnie? Where are you? You've been gone for ten minutes," Stella said knocking on the bathroom door.

I jumped and fumbled to flush the toilet so it sounded like I was going to the bathroom. My throat burned from my fingers. "Coming!" I muffled. I wiped my drool on my sleeve and took my hair out of the bun, letting it drape around my bare shoulders. My piercing blue eyes eyed over my stomach slowly. And when I opened the door, I mustered up the fakest smile I could give her.
"Trouble in paradise?" She asked folding her arms.
"Just gas from the pizza," I muffled.
"I see," she paused. "I started the movie if you wanted to join." Stella peered into the bathroom and I stepped out, shutting it behind me.
"Okay! Got the popcorn ready?" I asked walking into the kitchen and rubbing my hands together. I just wanted to forget what I had done in that bathroom. I was weak, not being able to throw up and now I had to eat popcorn which would add at least 200 calories.
I walked into the living room with the giant bean bag and plopped down on it. I was so heavy that I sunk all the way to the bottom of the bean bag. Stella grabbed her favorite blanket and sat right next to me, gracefully. The bean bag barely moved under her weight. She threw the blanket into the air and laid it down on top of it. I absorbed the warmth and softness of the blanket; digging my nails into the soft sheep's fur. "Once this movie's over, I gotta book it back home," I told her as I watched Christine transform into her white dress and sing. I recited the lyrics in my head to my favorite song, Think of Me. I watched her walk down the hall of candles, being led the Phantom. It was almost as I was as mesmerized by the Phantom as she was when I almost missed the call from my mom. I answered it as Stella looked at me with a worried glance and paused the movie. "Mom?"
"Hun, I need you to come home," she said between sniffles.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. You've been at Stella's all day and I don't want to burden Stella's a mother."
"I'm watching a movie at Stella's; her mom isn't here."
Silence. "Well could you come home? You shouldn't of left me. I'm lonely here Bonnie."
Not that I already didn't know that. Couldn't she understand that I couldn't bear the thought of being in the same home my dad's been in? That's the problem, she couldn't.
"Mom-"
"Please," she begged.
I've never seen my mom like this. Begging for me to come home? "I'll be home soon and we can eat dinner together."
"That sounds great baby. I'll see you soon."
"Okay Mom. Bye." I put my phone back in the back pocket of my skinny jeans and hopped up. I wasn't quite full from the pizza but a little more food couldn't hurt. After all, I deserved to gorge on food; my dad died. Yes, I did just use that as an excuse. "I have to go," I groaned. "Mom wants to spend some time with me." I held up my hand to help up Stella and she grabbed it. As I hoisted her up, I tried not to look at her face. If I felt that spark, I don't want to ignite it.
"Let me drive you back," she said walking to get her keys. I followed her out of the kitchen and into the marble hallway. Stella was slipping on the floor with her light blue fuzzy socks. She always knew what to wear; I was pretty sure she wanted to be a fashion designer when she was older. She wore white skinny jeans a pink flower blouse. And I was still wearing my black combat boots. I pulled down my lacy top so my breasts spilled out. If I was going to get Stella to notice me, this was the only way, even if she was straight.
"Alright Bonnie, all aboard for a trip to-" she turned and saw my breasts. I tried to hide my smirk.
"Pull up your shirt, would ya?"
I frowned and walked out to her white jeep. I hopped into the passenger side and clicked my seatbelt into place. Stella started the engine and pulled out of the driveway. As we were driving to my house, Stella eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?" I asked staring at her.
"Just-" she paused. "Why were you in the bathroom for so long?" She looked at me and back to the road.
"Can't I care about my hygiene?"
"So you're telling me you spent ten minutes in the bathroom, fluffing up your hair and preening yourself?" She gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. "I heard you gagging."
"Oh! That," I muttered, pretending like I had a great reason. "I felt sick to my stomach from that pizza's grease so I tried to get myself to throw it up and get it over with."
It was sort of true, in a way. I did try to make myself throw up because of the pizza.
Stella didn't say anything. she just kept her eyes on the road.
"Stella, I wasn't trying to do any of that crap, I honestly felt sick." I prayed to God that she believed my fat lie.
Stella didn't reply, but her silence was enough to tell me that she was done fighting with me. She believed me.

A/N: Okay readers, so far I've only completed writing 6 chapters and I think I'm going to post a new chapter every Friday maybe? So expect chapter 4 to come out tomorrow. Thank you~
<3 Liz.