***AUTHORS NOTE*** This might be a little different than what you all are used to reading. I wrote this story with a focus on character development. I wanted to give them a solid reason and motivation for the experience they have together. Enjoy the story!
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Standing in front of the bathroom mirror again, I frown at my chubby, naked body. For the next two nights, I'll be in close quarters with two straight guys, and they want to swim in the pool. My heart is pounding at the thought. I have to get my bag packed and be ready for the weekend party, which includes how I plan to deal with the pool situation.
I am conflicted about how I feel, ashamed of my chubby body but thrilled by it. My favorite feature is the heavy cleavage that seems to look right back at me through the mirror. I pull a small box from the countertop and start unraveling the contents: a cheap roll of compression bandage. Quickly and methodically, I wrap my large breasts until they no longer create a distracting shape, the same routine I do every time I leave the house. I can't hide my big belly or love handles, but I can at least partially disguise my man boobs. When the bandaging is done, I dress and go into the bedroom to pack.
There is an almost inescapable stigma related to fat people such as me, and it is quite simple: we're fat because we're gluttonous slobs and don't take care of ourselves. Ask anyone who knows me, you'll find this description to be the exact opposite of who I am. I keep my apartment clean and tidy; I stay active by going on long walks or hikes, I shower every day, and keep myself well groomed. I don't over-eat either, I recall taking a lunch break with my co-worker, Daniel, a skinny, stick-figure guy with hazel eyes and brown hair...not only did he finish off his lunch but my leftovers as well! So even as a kid when I'd get bullied for my weight, I just couldn't understand why people would judge me so harshly. Somewhere along the lines...I don't remember when...I began this morning routine of staring at my gradually expanding body and wrapping my chest with these compression bandages to disguise the distracting shape and gain back some dignity.
Here I am now, at the age of 22, having moved to a new city, and gotten a new job. Over the last six months, I became friends with two lanky, nerdy co-workers, Daniel, the skinny little piggy I told you about, and Raj, an average-sized Indian guy with black hair and milk-chocolate skin. The three of us have a lot of common interests: games, cars, travel, anime, and fine art... yeah, we're all over the place, I know, but it's cool to have people who share your interests. Well, there is one exception: women. Dan and Raj occasionally bring up the subject of women and they soon learned I have an affinity for men only. This didn't bother them, didn't faze them at all; our conversations carried on as usual. Sometimes when they talk a little dirty about gals, I might throw a thing or two in about guys and it's always good for a quick laugh.
I place a final article of clothing in the bag and zip it up. Before I know it, I hear a few honks from a car horn. Raj. I grab my bag and head outside. Both Dan and Raj wave at me through the front windshield as I approach. I get in the back seat. The car drives off.
Dan is in the front passenger seat ahead of me, scrolling feverishly through some articles on the internet, suddenly the phone dims with a red battery icon. His phone died. "Raj?" he asks brushing his curly brown hair away from his forehead, "Can I borrow your phone? I want to finish reading this."
Raj was focused on the road, ducking his head to read the signs that passed overhead, but he absent-mindedly gives permission.
Dan reached for the phone. He already knows the password and proceeds to unlock it and open the internet app. Apparently, Raj has neglected to close his previous tab from earlier today. A video thumbnail displays a fat woman, in full view, touching herself for the camera. I can see the screen from over Dan's shoulder. I don't think he realizes I can see it; he just stares at it. After a long pause, he clears his throat and jokes that Raj has an eye for the large chicks.
Raj looks over as Dan shows him the video thumbnail, "close that out!" he says in a panicked voice, nearly forgetting a turn.
Daniel closes the tab with a chuckle, I know that Dan isn't into large women, at least not usually...but then again, he did linger on the image for quite a while.
Raj is thoroughly embarrassed, rubbing his forehead with his hand. I know he's been single for quite a while, in the half-year I've known him so far, he's been left to the intimate company of his phone and the many busty beauties that performed to the audiences that watched.
Daniel, on the other hand, had freshly broken off a long-term relationship. I don't know much about how it ended but his only comment about it could infer a small number of outcomes. He once said to me, "We had a lot in common, but just not enough."
As for me, well I was in the same boat as them. Maintaining my nautical metaphor, all I have to say is that the relationship was on rough seas, and going it alone seemed like the best option for survival. The three of us didn't need to have a heart-to-heart to understand that we're all in this boat for the same reason, sometimes things just don't work out.
Things really became interesting the other day when Daniel invited us to stay a couple of nights at a house he was watching. His older cousin and her husband went out of town for a brief vacation and asked him to watch the house while they were gone. It's big, and in a nice neighborhood, and I for sure need time away from my life!
We arrive. It's mid-day and indeed it's a big house, at least to me. It has five bedrooms and a massive backyard that overlooks the hills, it's better than anything I've ever lived in. This first night is awesome, we're having a few drinks, we watch a couple of movies, and then play a few games, staying up late into the night just having fun and enjoying a taste of the...how do I put it? The comfier side of life. It's something I desperately need, but as with all good things, the mood comes to an abrupt end when Dan reminds us that he wants to take a dip in the pool. It's a warm night, why not?
The two of them are already on their way out to the backyard. My heart races. I can't just excuse myself from it; it's not a party with twenty people. It's just three of us, and if I back out now, they'll wonder why.
Shyly, I make my way out the back door, watching as they strip down to their boxers and step into the clear blue water. I can't concentrate, things are blurring, and I'm already feeling embarrassed. Hot tension courses through my veins; the thrill of wanting to be rid of that shame and step into the pool! I can feel the bandaging around my chest tighten as I draw each breath, I can't get my shirt wet without revealing the bandages. They would have so many questions. Am I really prepared to discuss this, right here, right now? The bandaging felt as if it was getting tighter.
"Are you coming in?" Raj asks as he glides slowly across the pool, disturbing the glassy surface.
I shake my head, "I don't feel like it, but that's ok, I'll sit over here," I say motioning for the deck chairs.
"Come on, get in! I swear the pool is clean, hardly anyone pees in it." Dan smirks as Raj laughs lightly in disgust.
"Nah, it's ok, I need to check a few emails anyway," I hold up my phone to show them, then I bring it back down, unlocking it with my finger.
