What We Call Love

Chapter 1

"So? Tell me EVERYTHING!" My mom squealed into the phone reciever.

I took a big bite out of one of my famous strawberry shortcake cupcakes and held back a moan. The last thing my mother needs to know is that I'm indulging on a cupcake. I was a size 12 for godsakes! I exercised regularly and I had muscle.The only problem was that I was a sugar addict. Cookies and Snickers were my only friends when my mother withdrew herself in her room after another argument with my father and ice cream was my savior when my dad left us when I was 10. Even after all these years I can't seem to quit sugar, I do limit it but I've never seemed to be able to go cold turkey. Why live at all if I can't do what I want and eat what I want?

"College is what is was like last year mom." I said while taking another bite of my cupcake. 

" I mean living on your own! I mean, since you aren't living with you poor old mom I'm sure boys are lining up out the door!" I could imagine stars in her eyes.

I sighed, she had a horrible misconception that men actually wanted me. It was probably because in 7th grade we went on a class field trip to watch a play and she had caught Tommy Grahms grope my non-existent boobs. She never let me explain what had actually happened. I had tripped Tommy as a joke but he decided to bring me down with him. He used me as a cushion because at the time I was nearly 200 pounds and had landed with his hands on my chest. If only she knew that seconds after she left he burst into tears saying how his first time touching boobs should've been with a real girl. Ouch. 

But now whenever my mom sees me talking to any man, whether 90 or 16 she gives me a little smile and quickly walks away. I always tell her that in leaving me alone she is leaving me with a potential rapist or serial killer but she aways tells me that she doesn't want to ruin my love life. Too bad that ship has already sailed. 

"It's fine," I said staring at the old grey curtains that were probably at one point a pale blue. Shaking my head in disgust I turned back to my mom. "What about you? What happened to Kyle?" 

"You mean Mike! Oh, he's so dreamy!" I absently listened to her drone on about her latest conquest. Unlike me my mom is a bombshell. She has beautiful red hair that compliment her dark green eyes. Her nose is covered in freckles but that helps make her look like shes 30 rather than 46. Standing at 5'2" weighing about 100 pounds my mom is every man's wet dream. Unfortunately I look more like my dad. and if I had come out as a boy I probably would've been handsome. I was born with curly brown hair and hazel eyes that look like mud most of the time. The only thing that I've inherited from my mother were her freckles which in no way compliment me like they do to her. 

We talked for a couple minutes after that before she had to leave for a date with Mike. I sighed and looked at my reflection in the hallway mirror. It was tinted green and made me look like the Wicked Witch of the West. I sighed knowing that I was never going to be beautiful but I was going to have to live with it. My phone rang again and I reluctantly answered knowing that it was midnight on a Friday and the only person calling would be Meghan. 

"GIRL! WHERE ARE YOU???" I could hear her slurring.

"Uhm....home. It's late and...your drunk, you should come home now..."

"Shhhh! Mina....Mina....Lemme tell you.." I suddenly heard her phone being snatched away and a indignant Meghan scream Hey!

I was suddenly on the phone with Billy, the more reasonable one of my roommates. 

"Mina, you need to get your ass down here now!" I heard her giggle.

"Are you drunk? Or are you high?" Billy would always go partying with Meghan but only to watch over her.

"Neither, I just thought it was about time you actually had fun Mina. I'm not going to force you but when are you going to actually live your life a little?" She said.

I sighed, she was right. At the age of 20, I haven't done anything remotely fun other than baking an obsecene cake and leaving it on my sexist Economics teachers desk after graduation. 

"But I don't have anything to wear.." I whispered into the phone. 

Suddenly the front door of my apartment burst open as Meghan and Billy came in. Meghan was a beautiful blonde with brown eyes but that only made her more adorable along with her faint southern accent. Billy had jet black hair, her Japanese descent made her look completely innocent yet bad ass when she wore her makeup like hat. 

"Wh---, I thought you guys were at a party?" I sat completely still.

"Psh, that doesn't matter. We are here now to help you get ready!' I saw an evil glimmer in Meghan's eyes as she lifted me off my ass and shoved me into her room. 

Twenty minutes later I stared at the front door of a frat house. Sighing, I turned towards Billy and gave her a Help me! look. 

"You look hot. Relax!" Billy said with a shake of her head. 

When my roomates were finished with me I was surprised. My normally wild hair came down in soft curls and the black tank and jean shorts made me look curvy with a subtle sexiness. I shook my head and stuck my chest out. I was going to have fun for once. 

As soon as I stepped into the room I was bombarded by a cacophony of sounds. Screaming laughing and a steady bass. A hand was suddenly around my waist. I quickly turned to the stranger as he gave me a drunken smile. He reeked of booze and weed. Shaking my head I lightly pushed him away from me. His smile quickly fell as his grip tightened on me. I turned to Billy and Meghan for support but saw them standing in line at the keg while chatting with a couple guys. I began to panic. This guy was twice my size and complete muscle. Not an ounce of fat was on him. 

"Let me go." I said quietly, even though I wanted to act tough I could hear the fear in my voice.

He threw his head up as he laughed, which gave me a whiff of stale cigarettes on his breathe. I wanted to vomit. "Not until you give your daddy a kiss." He said with a menacing smile. 

I was so done. Something in me clicked and I saw red. I yanked his arm off my waist pulled him close and kneed him in the groin. I puffed a strand of hair from my face and leaned close to his red face. "How was that, Daddy?" I turned on my heel right when I heard some clap to my left. I turned towards my audience and gave a quick curtsy before I looked up and saw my audience was Aiden Thorne. His beautiful blue eyes showed amusement. My cheeks burned as I quickly shuffled away right when I heard him burst out laughing.