An Accidental Midriff

Try-Out Trouble

Stephanie awoke to the shrill sound of her alarm. Similar to the warming weather outside, the alarm was yet another reminder that her winter vacation was over. She had managed to stay productive by dog-walking from time to time and volunteering her time at the bowling alley.— Well, that last part was sort of a lie. To keep himself busy, Ben had started working at the bowling alley. After her dog-walking sessions, she frequently dropped by the shoe rental stand to hang out and sometimes even help him distribute the ugly bowling shoes. It was awkward the first couple of times, but they'd finally started getting quite close. It was a sweet couple of weeks but it was over now. Still, I'll probably miss sleeping in more than seeing him she thought, burying her face in her pillow. Just as she began to doze off the alarm rang again. 

She lifted her arms and stretched her tense hourglass body. Naturally, her sleepshirt rose up, revealing her creamy skin and eagerly deep bellybutton. The holiday food had taken a toll; her belly had always been slightly on the pudgy side. But now, perhaps even more so. It had a vicious habit of peeking out under her shirts. Regardless, she didn't have to worry about showing her belly skin at home; where it got tricky was at school—all of the peering eyes were there.

Stephanie possessed a very humble demeanor. She wasn't afraid to express herself but also had a habit of giving people the benefit of the doubt. Her life-goal was to appeal to people and make sure she gave off the best impression. Impressions, however, are a tricky thing. Where she might have intended a platonic interaction, people (often men) very often interpret her friendliness as flirting. This has put her in many awkward and sometimes dangerous situations. Her innocence always got the best of her, though, and she was quick to put the past behind her—though some experiences are impossible to forget. 

After her satisfying stretch, she crawled out of bed and stumbled to her closet. The first day of the semester meant the first day of cheerleading try outs. Ever since the new 'Fitness Initiative - Get Involved!" at her school, students were required to try out for a sport at the beginning of every semester. She tried out last semester but wasn't chosen to be on the team due to her 'lack of enthusiasm'. Instead, she was put on the golf team. She didn't complain. While the team practiced their puts, she and the rest of the loafers practiced their benchwarming. If it were up to her she would get back on the golf team, but every time Stephanie explained her plan to her mother she became hysterical. It was always the same: she would say she's too pretty for the golf team and pull out her old highschool yearbook, flip to the sports section, and point to herself as lead cheerleader. "It's in your blood, sweetie!" Pssh, yeah and dad was captain of the chess club. You don't see me playing at the park with all the dinosaurs. Still, it was hard saying no to her own mom and promised her she would at least try-out. 

She brushed the tangles out of her hair, applied a bit of eyeliner, and put on her outfit. She kept it simple with a pair of low-rise light-wash jeans. They settled just above her hipbones and accentuated her squeezable hips. She threw on a simple t-shirt that she had bought at the mall. It was a faded black color, with short sleeves and an overall grungy look. Across the front, it read RAD in a drippy-looking font. Yeah, I'm so raaaad she joked to herself. Customary to most of the shirts she had been wearing recently, it was a size or two too small. The bottom hem struggled to unite with the top of her jeans and just a peek of her lower belly was teasingly exposed. She made a quick strawberry smoothie for breakfast and rushed out the door.

As Stephanie walked into school, she heard someone call her name. She spun around and saw Ben walking toward her. He was wearing a white t-shirt underneath a dark denim vest. His jeans matched the vest, while his Jordan's matched the tee. He ran his fingers through his jet black hair and smiled. He was perfect. 

"Sucks to be back. I hate to say it but I could've spent a whole year in that bowling alley if it meant never coming back here."

"I thought you hated it there," Stephanie lifted an eyebrow.

"Yeaaa, but you made it bearable." His mouth curved into a subtle smile. 

"That's it? Just bearable?" she teased.

Ben opened his mouth, and for a second nothing came out. Then he grinned and said, "I would have fucking quit on my second day if you hadn't come to hang out."

They shared a laugh. Ben's eyes shifted to the little bit of exposed tummy skin and then quickly darted back up. Yep, he's still the same. She rolled her eyes, yet the thought reassured her. An ego boost. 

"So that's it? You're not gonna work there anymore?" She teasingly grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it down a bit, hiding some more of her belly. 

Ben looked to the side, and for a second, she wondered. Is he nervous? "Not right now," he pursed his lips. "I'm gonna see what my workload is like for the first couple of weeks. If it's not too bad, 'ol Hank said he'll give me my spot back. You'll visit, right?" He clenched his jaw.

She had no idea how she managed to hide her swoon. "Of course!" her eyes sparkled.

A smile took over his face. "Good. Are you still dog-walking?" 

Stephanie pouted, "Parents made me stop because they didn't want it to 'interfere with my schoolwork'." She used air-quotes to emphasize the absurdity of the idea. 

"Aww those poor pups," his smile faded. "I hope they don't miss you as much as I did."

Stephanie looked perplexed, and felt her face blushing a bit. "When have you ever missed me?"

"Are you kidding?" he said, lightheartedly, "At work my eyes were practically glued to the door, waiting to see you walk through them."

A smile slipped through her mouth. "Oh shush, you sound sappy." She couldn't wipe the smile from her face. 

"Just speaking facts." he shrugged and pinched her cheeks. That got a giggle out of her. "You know, I would ask you to hang out afterschool, but I have these tryouts to go to. 

Stephanie remembered the 'Fitness Initiative'. "What are you trying out for?"

"Football. I know it seems totally out of character," he joked, "but Coach Smith says I might be able to make quarterback. I have the height for it." Ben stood closer to her. His hands swiftly found her hips. A couple of his fingers lightly stroked her silky smooth tummy skin. He towered over her. 

Stephanie had her hands on his chest and pushed him back a little. "PDA mister. You might not care about detention but this girl does," she pointed two thumbs at herself. 

"I guarantee one of these days I'm gonna see you inside that detention room. And you'll find out it's not as bad as everyone—especially you—makes it seem." He jaw clenched again, exactly the way she liked. 

"We'll see about that" she wrinkled her nose playfully. "It's gonna be cheerleading for me again," she pouted again. 

"Oh wow, my very own cheerleader." His arms reached out for another embrace, but Stephanie smiled and coyly kept him away with an arm. 

"I don't even know if I'm gonna get in. I didn't make it last semester, so it's probably not gonna happen. I'm just not cut out for it," she shrugged.

Ben's eyebrows drew together. "Now, you can say all you want about how trashy the cheerleading team is and how hard the coach is and how it might seem overrated but I won't hear a word of you ever doubting yourself." Wow, he seems pretty serious. "You are strong and capable. You can do anything and you'll look amazing doing it. Don't be afraid and don't think you're not enough. You got this." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at her. His eyes were a caramel brown, and seemed to pierce through her. "Believe me." he whispered, and kissed her soft lips. Her lashes fluttered involuntarily as she closed her eyes and kissed him back. What a dream!

The day was progressing normal enough, with only a few close calls regarding her revealing shirt. Whenever she walked by the dean or a teacher, she would pull her shirt down as far as it would go and use a textbook or binder to cover the rest of her teasing skin. That seemed to work for the most part, though she would sometimes catch some of the boys staring, and one time, even a passing counselor. The thought made her shudder.