If Only

Chapter Thirty-One: Awkward

JADE

The next morning, Lizzy persisted in her attempts to persuade me to join her for a swim. I found myself without much choice in the matter, as no one in the house seemed willing to give up on coaxing me out of my room. Lizzy, in particular, had a knack for using the excuse that "this doesn't always happen" every time she tried to convince me. What else could I do? She was right, and I couldn't just confine myself indoors while we were here.

With my shoulders slumped and after emitting a long sigh, I reluctantly agreed. I began sifting through my belongings in the closet. Glenda had left it meticulously organized, making me feel ashamed of myself for even contemplating making a mess. I carefully searched for something suitable to wear, all the while hearing Lizzy's voice from outside.

"What are you searching for in there? I brought you something you might like," she suggested, poking her head through the door.

"What is it?" I gave up my quest for something more decent than the neglected two-piece swimsuits that had collected dust in my closet.

As I emerged from the closet, I saw her holding a black two-piece swimsuit with a suggestive smirk on her face.

"That's... nice. It'll look good on you," I offered a hesitant smile. The color would undoubtedly complement her skin tone, even though I was hardly an authority on fashion, given my complete lack of fashion sense.

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she walked toward me.

"Of course, it does, but the thing is, it's for you, not for me," she extended her hand holding the swimsuit, and I quickly held my palms up, not allowing her to go any further.

"What? No, I'm not wearing that," I said defiantly, making my point clear. Just looking at it made my stomach churn. The swimsuit lacked fabric and left very little to the imagination. It would expose my midriff, and everyone knew I was not comfortable with that.

"Of course, you will! That'll look good on you! You wouldn't want to hide those assets; they've grown over the years. You should show them off sometime," she joked, playfully poking my chest, which I swatted away in shock.

"Hey!"

"You obviously got the good genes. If I had that, I'd flaunt it at every opportunity," she continued teasing, letting the swimsuit fall onto the bed, waiting for my decision on whether to wear it or not. The answer was a resounding no.

"I'm not easily swayed by compliments," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Woah, someone's feisty... Come on, just give it a try. I bought it for you."

Now, I was beginning to feel guilty for disappointing Lizzy. I understood and appreciated the effort she had put into this, but it just wasn't going to happen. Nobody wanted to see my unsightly birthmark, and I had made sure no one else would see it ever again.

"No, Liz. I appreciate the thought, and thank you for it, but... I don't think I can..."

She sighed but tried to lighten the mood by flopping onto the bed and pulling out another black swimsuit from her suitcase.

"Okay, fine, grandma. How about this one?" She held up a black one-piece and extended it to me. It was much more modest than the previous swimsuit, and I was sure I could handle it. My birthmark would be safely concealed from everyone's view, even if it was just Lizzy, my mom, and me.

I took it from her hand.

"Now, this I can work with."

She clapped her hands in excitement, cheering for me, and grabbed the earlier two-piece swimsuit for herself.