Posters and Polaroids

A Nearly Blinding Experience

~Fern's POV~

Just as expected, I heard a yelp of surprise when Tillie saw the trail of discarded clothes leading to the kitchen. "Please tell me you still have something on, Fern!" She peeked around the corner, hands covering her eyes. "Why don't you look and see?" I teased, spreading peanut butter on a slice of toasted bread. PB & Js would never stop being an essential part of my diet.

 Tillie peeked through her fingers, seeming to expect the worse. She visibly relaxed when she realized I was still wearing my boxers and my favorite blue bralet, and she lowered her hands to her sides. "Wow, you really thought I would be naked? Of course, that could be arranged.." I said teasingly, reaching behind my back to undo the first Velcro circle of 2 that held my bralet shut. When she saw what I was doing, Tillie squealed and hid her face again.

"I'm kidding! Tillie, you don't really think I'd undress if it would make you uncomfortable?" A tad hurt at her reaction to the mere suggestion to seeing my body, I put the peanut butter-covered knife down and re-secured the Velcro circle. "Um, well, Fern, you kind of already do." Not lowering her hands, she kicked in the general area of where my skirt lay on the wooden floor.

I walked to her, slowly, and touched her wrists lightly. "Tillie, we've shared a bed, food, now even an apartment, for years. But if this makes you uncomfortable, I'll put my skirt back on. Hell, I'll but on a shirt that doesn't reveal my bralet. The last thing I want is to make you upset." She peeked through her fingers, and seeing my anxious expression, lowered her hands. I reached down to pick up my skirt, feeling awful for upsetting Tillie again.

But I had to admit, it hurt that even my best friend in the whole world didn't quite accept who I was. I mean, she was raised in a society where everything must be covered, or you'd be shamed for being a slut. Especially with her hardcore Catholic (and a tad overprotective) parents telling her it was a sin for anyone but her husband, doctor, and God to see her body. But unlike me, she didn't really question it. Me, I questioned it, I rejected it, I grew into my skin by refusing to listen to others' opinions.

Except my oldest sister. She was the one who taught me to explore who I was, even if it meant defying society and expectations. And my mother.. She was the only one who accepted everything I was, no questions asked. And she was my shield, my terrace, so I could always climb higher and learn more. But Tillie, she had a great family, but hers wasn't quite as.. Accepting, as I mine was.

Tillie put her hand on my arm, startling me out of my thoughts. "You don't have to, Fern. I just overreacted." She chuckled. "Again." She straightened up, pulling me with her. "You know I'm still working on it. A leopard can't change its spots overnight." She smiled. "But said leopard can keep trying." I smiled back, and hugged her. When I pulled away, she slipped under my arm and ran to the counter.

"That said, you owe me a PB&J for teasing me!" She yelled over her shoulder as she ran to the bedroom with my sandwich. "Hey!" I protested, racing after her. She was giggling madly, eating my sandwich in quick little bites. "That's mine! Give it back! I made that!" Giggling as well, I tried to wrest it from her grip. Somehow, there wasn't much left. I had always marveled at how quick she ate, and how much. Her old pantry had been fuller than my entire kitchen, back in our parents's homes.

"Never!" She shouted, stuffing the last bit in her mouth. "Til-llie!" I wailed. "I'm hungry!" She stuck her tongue out at me. "That's what you get for teasing me!" Knowing that there was no hope for my sandwich, I narrowed my eyes and threw my arms around her. "Wha-?" Tillie's question was cut off by a squeal as I started tickling her. She slid to the ground to escape, and I narrowly avoided falling on top of her, falling onto my knees instead.

"And that's what you get for eating my food!" Panting almost as much as Tillie, I released my grip on her and sat back. "Meanie." She crinkled her nose at me and slid away, not quite trusting my surrender. "You know it." I panted, still trying to regain my breath. "How 'bout I make us both some lunch, then we can watch some Once Upon A Time." She squealed again, this time in happiness.

"You'll make me two sandwiches, won't you?" She asked. Her eyes were so hopeful, I couldn't refuse, even though she'd already eaten mine. "Yes, I will. Just get Netflix set up while I make the food." Pushing myself off the ground, I stepped towards her. "Eek!" She scooted away from me, curling up in defense. "All I wanted was to help you up, Tillie." I sighed, "I'm not going to tickle you again."

"Well, then, offer accepted." She grinned and stuck her hands out, and I pulled her to her feet. "PB&J, right?" I asked over my shoulder as I headed towards the kitchen, scooping up my shirt as I went. "Mhm.." I glanced back before turning the corner to see her fiddling with her laptop. Grinning, I slipped back into my shirt and got out more bread, humming as I did so. The tune of Dancing in The Dark was playing a loop in my head.

I hadn't even realized I had began to dance as I made food, swinging my hips, stepping and doing mini-leaps as I made the sandwiches until I had to be still for a moment to pour the Goldfish crackers into two bowls. I knew if I didn't put them into separate bowls, then Tillie would eat all of them before I got the chance. Okay, I admitted to myself, that was a lie. It was more likely that I'd eat the whole bowl. What can I say? I love me my Goldfish.

Not stopping my sashaying steps, I carried the food out on a big plate, so that we could put it in our laps as we watched Netflix. "Almost ready?" She called, looking up at the sound of my humming. DiTD was still blaring in my head. "Yeah, scooch over, human. I need to set this down." I nodded at the plate in my hand. She scooted over and held the laptop up so I could get situated.

Once the plate and the laptop were safely placed, Tillie hit play. The summary for the last few episodes began, short clips of the information that would be relevant to the episode. "Can you believe this is the season finale?" I asked, squirming with anticipation. She squealed, just as excited as I was.