The River--Chapter 2

Tomorrow  sure did take long enough to get here. Last night I sat at the dinner table with my daddy and my mama and we had  pizza take-out from Romano's (my favorite) and I didn't even eat. I took one slice and my mouth was salivating at the sight of the tiny grease pools in the center of all those pepperonis. I wanted to have three or four slices; my stomach was growling so I was sure all around me could hear. When I looked from the grease pools to my growling stomach, I saw the big, fat thighs attached to my birthin' hips. I took one  big bite of the pizza, sucked all its juices, chewed it well, and discreetly spit it in the paper towel we were using as napkins. Since there was a role of paper towels on the table I tore off another and repeated the process till the slice was gone, stuffing the chewed bits covered in paper towels between my fat thighs. 

I thought my chew and spit was discreet, but after dinner Mamma came and asked if I was turning anorexic. I told her no and said I was meeting a boy after school tomorrow. She said she understood and brought me an apple and a glass of skim milk. My stomach growled harder than ever as I was tryin' to get to sleep; it made so much noise that it kept me awake most of the night. It probably wasn't just the growling keeping me up, I had a real date after school.

Trying to figure out what to wear was the real problem in my head at seven in the morning. I had to wear something sexy, something I could swim in. I would really impress JJ if I could swim in the wild, cold river in April. I thought about something clingy and white so he could see through it all. I thought about something that could distract his attention from my big-ass thighs to my little boobies. Then I thought that I shouldn't disguise my baby-making hips and thighs--men are supposed to be preconditioned to like that sort of thing; it's biological. Then I thought the obvious: I shouldn't swim in ANY clothes. As for the rest, I trotted out some comfy jeans (not too tight or else they'd make ugly red lines on my belly), a white cotton tunic with some Indian embroidery on the collar and hem (easy to get in and out of, and would look good on a damp body even if I was the same shade of white), Keds ('cause it was gym day and we  were gonna have to hike a bit, maybe), and my best underwear.

The underwear was a problem. My parents buy all my underwear--they buy all my clothes, actually--and see no need for sexy (or even pretty, for that matter). I have a drawer full of granny pants. My bras were ok, nothing too fancy, but I did have the one I wore the day before underneath the cardigan, and it has some lace. I wore that bra and the whitest and brightest granny pants with little blue cornflowers. It was the best I could do.

I took a shower, shaved carefully (even in the "bikini" area, a spot never touched with a razor before), moisturized with a half a bottle of Lubriderm and baby oil (I was slippin' and sliding all over), rubbed a little "QT" foam all over for that orangey-tan faux glow, spritzed a little "Love's Baby Soft" all over (EVERYwhere), and set off for school. I wanted to put on some makeup, but my mamma and daddy didn't approve of that so I had to borrow some waterproof mascara and lip gloss from one of the girls in gym class.

The school day dragged. I scuffed a perfectly coiffed knee playing field hockey in gym. I remembered the "Love's Baby Soft" but forgot a comb or brush; I didn't borrow one of those from anyone 'cause I was scared of cooties. Someone said you could get herpes from lip gloss, but I took my chances there; bugs were different. Hair now in a ponytail instead of coiled sexily by my glossed lips, I went to the front steps of the school.

JJ was waiting for me as promised. He had a paper bag in  one hand, bookbag slung over his back, and a blanket rolled up under his arm. I had forgotten about a blanket. Or towels. I don't think JJ was planning on swimming, but  we must. I must. Tan and wet, tan and wet.

JJ asked where along the Susquehanna river I wanted to go. I said, "the resevoir," but neither of us knew where that was. We settled for a grassy banked area, secluded but for the overpass. No one could see us here except for a second, speeding by in their cars, I thought, secretly hoping that someone would see us.

JJ spread the blanket.