Roman

seventeen

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The soft material clings perfectly to my wide hips, and let me tell you, the dress looks fantastic from the front. The back is a different story. Sadly, while my hips are nice and wide, my ass is severely lacking some...matter.

"I don't know Naomi, it only looks good from certain angles," I say while twisting around to look at myself in the mirror.

"Let me see."

I walk out of the dressing room where Naomi and her mom are waiting to see the dress they picked out for me. The dress is a beautiful deep olive with long sleeves. Truly, I'm in love, but I just look so flat in it.

"Oh please. You look fantastic. I swear it's more about the hips than the ass anyways. Leave it to Naomi to make me feel better about anything. I look down at myself and can't help but smile after the little confidence boost. Maybe this is actually the perfect dress. Sliding my hands down the ribbed material of the dress at my sides. "I think it's perfect. We're getting it," Naomi says soundly.

I head back into the changing room and when I am done changing, I walk back out to find Naomi and her mother whispering quietly. I give them a questioning glance but they quickly stop taking and smile at me innocently. Not suspicious at all.

"What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing that you need to worry about dear," Mrs. Brandon says sweetly.

Deciding not to say anything, I lead us to the checkout stations at the back of the store. I am happy with the dress that I got, and Naomi got some adorable clothes that she can actually wear throughout the year because of the weather in California. That spoiled beach girl. We walk around the mall for another twenty or so minutes talking just like before we graduated. I happily lead the conversation to Naomi's love life.

"I mean there are a few guys that I think I might like. It's just such a big change from high school. We all know that no guys were interested in me, and I wasn't really interested in them because high school boys are immature and have no goals. But now that I'm around all these guys in the engineering department at Slo, there are so many guys that I feel like I could be happy with."

"Oh honey, I know exactly how you feel. Before I went to college, I couldn't find a decent guy to date. But then I met your father in college. But I'm sure it helped that he was three years older than me." Mrs. Brandon blushes.

"Hey that might just happen to all three of us." Naomi winks at me before turning up the radio. The sound of 'My Somebody' by James TW fills the car. I let the music wash over me and look out the window like I'm in middle school again, pretending to be in a sad music video. I can't help but to think about Roman for the hundredth time today. I have no clue what we are and I'm just terrified that he will play because he doesn't realize that I have legitimate feelings for him. I'm not sure if I should confront him about it yet though, maybe things will work themselves out when we go back to school.

By the time we get back to the house, I am starving, so I decide to make lunch for Mrs. Brandon, Naomi, and myself. The three of us walk into the house, to find the boys still gone; Naomi goes upstairs, promising everyone a fashion show, and Mrs. Brandon set herself up to do some work in at the dining room table. The table sits just behind the bar, so I can see Mrs. Brandon typing away of her laptop as I start to make some food.

When I finish making sandwiches for the three of us, I call Naomi down stairs and bring a plate to Mrs. Brandon. Naomi comes down the stairs in one of her new outfits and her hair now straightened. She has on some basic jeans, with the black tank top and big chunky cardigan that she couldn't stop taking about in the store. The outfit makes her boobs look fantastic, while still managing to make her look skinny. I know that me and my flat chest could never pull that off. She has also decked herself out in a few layered necklaces; in short, she looks like a badass.

"I love it Naomi," I squeal in approval.

Mrs. Brandon gives her a once over and sighs, "You look all grown up. My baby girl has really become a woman. Just don't let your brother see you wearing that," she teases.

"Awe, I love you guys!" She blushes slightly at the compliments.

"I think I'm going to make some cookies."

"Oh, yes please! I'll be your best friend."

I laugh at Naomi, "Shut up Mimi."

"Hey. You know I hate being called that. You know what, you're uninvited to my birthday party," she fusses dramatically as she stomps up the stairs.

Deciding on snicker doodles, I start pulling out the ingredients that I will need. I start the playlist titled 'fairytale' on my Spotify, and start to measure out the flour and the sugar for the dry mixture. I find a moment of true peace as I put my hands to work on making the cookies. I have always found that I am happiest when I am at work.

I am rolling the dough and coating it in cinnamon and sugar when the boys all walk in through the garage door into the kitchen, and Naomi comes down the stairs in her next outfit. I can't help but to imagine all the pictures she has taken of herself for how long it is taking her to change.

Thankfully, this outfit covers more skin, or else the Brandon boys would have done their crazy over-protective brother thing. This time, she is wearing a red turtleneck with some ripped jeans and a thick black belt. I am in love with this look on her, the red compliments her darker completion.

"I like the new outfit, Naomi," her father compliments as he walks through the kitchen to press a kiss against his wife's forehead. I smile at them and look down at the balls of cookie dough that I have coated so far; they really are the perfect couple.

"Thank you, dad!" Naomi chirps.

"I don't like it," Roman grumbles from behind me, but everyone ignores his comment.

I hear him fill up a cup of water in the sink behind me. Theo and John eventually tumble through the door, they are both sweaty and still a little red in the face. "Looks like the little boys got beat." I chuckle.

"What?! No. The two old men could never beat us," Theo says.

"That's not what it looked like on the court."

"That's my man," Mrs. Brandon grins in response to her husband's comment and tilts her head up for a kiss from him.

"Sadie are you making cookies?" Theo asks hopefully.

"Yes sir."

"I petition to kick Naomi out and adopt Sadie instead."

I smile and shake my head. Boys. Theo and John disappear upstairs, crashing down the stairs as they go. Naomi gives one more spin 'for flare' and heads back up the stairs. The kitchen grows quiet now that almost everyone has left; Mrs. Brandon settles back down to her work while her husband follows Naomi up the stairs to take a shower.

I roll the last cookie and place it on the tray and just when I'm about to turn around to put the trays in the over, Roman places a large hand on my shoulder. I look up at him over my shoulder. His hair is messy and his face slightly sweaty. He looks like a god. Heat radiates off his body and my whole shoulder grows warm under his touch. "Before you do that..." He steals one of the rolled cookies on the tray.

I gasp and look up at him with a look of betrayal. "Roman!" I try to swat his hand away but I am too late. "How could you?" I pout at him, hoping to make him feel at least a little guilty for ruining my work.

He only laughs and presses a quick kiss to my forehead before leaving the kitchen, stuffing the ball of cookie dough in his mouth as he goes.