That Was Then

51-Now

Friday as I'm walking toward school, a silky ball of white cloth hits me in the face. I reach up to pull the fabric from where it lands, draped over my head, and it takes quite an effort to keep a cheesy grin off my face as I realize what it is. I spin around and Caleb is leaning against his truck wearing his own dopey smile.

"I mean, if it matches," he winks. He's been teasing me about my impeccable matching skills since he discovered that my compulsion goes deeper than the surface, that even my bra and panties have to match my hair ties. We don't need to worry about how he discovered this. I look down at my skinny black jeans, orange tank top peaking out from under my wide necked white top and white Converse shoes.

"I think I can make it work," I smirk at him. He steps forward and tugs on the strap of my tank top, the bra strap underneath the exact same color as the tank top. I press my lips together and Caleb laughs. "I like things to go together!"

"How about us? Do we go together?" He slips his arm around my waist and I fit perfectly against him. I nod up at him and let him drop a quick kiss onto my lips before we walk into the school.

Later in Psychology, Mara makes her disgust clear. Vivi and I both don our boyfriends' jerseys. "You two are pathetic," she scoffs, sliding into the chair. Her full breasts bounce in her shirt and while I have never been into girls, it's hard not to notice. She has been boycotting bras since the debacle with the principal, in spite of the many times she has been sent back there for not wearing a bra. Apparently that is also a dress code infraction. When they call her out for it she calls them out right back, wondering why the teachers are paying so much attention to her breasts that they can tell that she is not wearing a bra. Thus far they've backed down, but like I said, even if you're not trying to look, it is hard not to notice.

Vivi rolls her eyes at me, we've heard this speech before either of us even had boyfriends' jerseys to wear. "You're like fire hydrants, letting them mark you as their territory," Mara continues. "They might as well just pee on you."

I smell the jersey, "this smells way better than pee." And it does, it smells like Caleb.

Mara in unfazed. "You are more than just someone's girlfriend. You have your own identity" she tells us passionately. She would keep going if the teacher didn't call the class to attention right then. "Speaking of which," she whispers as the teacher begins speaking. Vivi and I exchange a look, sure that she is going to just keep on her tirade. "Can we please go out to lunch today? I'm so over eating with the perky princesses and all that jock talk. I need tacos."

I shrug at Vivi, tacos do sound good. Caleb and Aiden are seniors, they could technically go with us but I have a feeling Mara wants it to just be the three of us. Besides, they hardly notice whether or not we are even there on game days. "Okay!"

Caleb is beaming in the hallway when I see him before lunch. I almost change my mind about joining Vivi and Mara for tacos, but I definitely don't want to be that girl. Caleb embraces me as Mara tugs on my arm, "let's goooo!" I give him a quick kiss and tell him we're going to lunch.

"Okay, hey I have something to tell you later!" He says excitedly.

"Tell me now?" Mara yanks again on my arm.

"No, it's cool, nothing urgent. We'll talk later," He pulls on my other arm to give me one last kiss and then forfeits the game of tug of war and I'm off to get tacos.

Vivi and Mara both call "not it" as we leave the building and so it is up to me to drive. I don't mind and Mara races Vivi to the front passenger door.

"Weird," Mara says when she slips into the seat.

"Hmmm?" I start my car and the radio is too loud so Mara turns it down before answering.

"It's like it's brand new, do you ever actually use this car?" She runs her hand along the dust free dash board and then bends to look under the seat. "There's nothing in here!"

"Well, it's only a few months old."

"It would take me like three days to make this look lived in," Vivi laughs from the backseat.

"More like three hours," Mara laughs and opens the glove compartment. "I try to keep my car clean but this is ridiculous."

"OCD," Vivi agrees.

"I am not OCD," I protest.

"You're definitely OCD, no teenager's car is this clean."

"You should see her notes for class," Vivi tells Mara, "they're so neat."

"And look how matchy she is," Mara adds like I'm not even there. She looks from my coordinated outfit to her oversized watercolor shirt and flowery skinny jeans.

I turn up the volume on the radio to drown them out but Mara slaps the button, shutting it off completely. "You need to let loose, girl." Vivi says emphatically.

"Yes! Tonight!" Mara bounces in her seat, "I have just the thing to help you let loose. You're gonna love it!" I side eye her. "It's not drugs or anything, but your days of being designated driver are over! Vivi, bring your flask to the game tonight!"

"Of course- wait what? You're going to come to the game?!" Vivi leans forward and I want to tell her to put her seat belt on but I'm not going to give them any more ammunition.

"Only if Blakely decides to loosen up with us tonight," Mara sing songs.

"No way, who will drive?"

"Eden," Vivi supplies without hesitation. Eden is as reliable as me. She also keeps her notes for class immaculate but her car is not as clean and I haven't asked if her underwear match her shirts. "Pleeease Blakely!?"

"Maybe..." I relent.

"Then maybe I'll go to the game," Mara crosses her arms across her ample chest.