shirts and skins

Dinner wasn't the horror show I expected, Michelle did a good enough job that neither my bruise or makeup was noticeable even though I was sweating bullets during dinner. Mom was going on about her new research project, not that I was paying attention. Dad mentioned he made cookies and I was all over that! I think dad being such a good cook is why he didn't make a big deal about being a stay-at-home dad.

The next few days after my shower I had to reapply the makeup, the bruise was still pretty big but it looked like it had eased up a little. Michelle watched me giving me hints and instructions when I couldn't figure out what to do next. I wondered how long before I was as good as Bobbi while I waited for the bus with Michelle and Brian.

A convertible beetle pulled up in front of us. "Jerry! Sweetie!" Bobbi smiled and the other peacocks waved happily.

Michelle gave me a knowing look making me blush, "Hey Bobbi."

"Hi, Brian." Frankie waved and smiled coyly at Brian.

Brian seemed nervous more than put off by Frankie's obvious interest in him. "Hi."

"Daddy doesn't go to work on Friday so I get to use the love bug. Come on, we'll give you a ride."

"I don't know." I didn't feel right abandoning Brian and Michelle.

"Jerry go on." Michelle leaned into my ear, "He's cute." I wanted to tell her to shut up but all I could do was blush.

"If I had a ride I wouldn't be waiting, dude."

"Okay, I will."

"Goodie!" I climbed into the backseat with Frankie and Claire while Michelle walked around to the driver's side.

"I'm Michelle," She stuck out her hand for Bobbi, "Jerry's sister. We haven't met."

"Bobbi." Michelle smiled at me and leaned into Bobbi's ear like she had done mine. Bobbi's face suddenly went pale as Michelle stood back up and walked back to Brian's side.

"Have fun." She waved with a smile.

When we had driven away I finally asked, "What did she say?"

"She said if I let anything happen to you she'd bite my ear off like Mike Tyson." I laughed but I wanted to die, Michelle had to know that was embarrassing, threatening the boy I...she thinks I like.

Bobbi returned to being excited, more than usual, maybe it was because it was Friday. "Today is a great day!"

"Oh yeah, the weekend." I tried to sound excited but I wasn't looking forward to two days of doing nothing. No one ever invited me anywhere at my old school.

"Besides that." Frankie giggled, his gold eyeshadow sparkling in the sun.

"It's Friday true darlin' but today is basketball in gym class."

"I didn't take you for the athletic type." Although he did have all those posters of guys playing basketball, baseball, and even swimming.

"Oh sugar no. We don't play." Claire perked up from the front seat.

"We don't?"

"No way. It's more fun to watch!" Andy shouted in the wind.

--

Most of school was normal for me until we went to gym class. The peacocks shed their cut off shorts and long sleeve bare shoulder shirts before changing into the gym clothes we all had to wear. Of course, they had modified the shirts to suit their styles. Frankie stopped when he noticed I was already changed. "Aren't you going to change hunty?"

"I already have."

"Bobbi, get your gurl."

His what? "Oh sweetie, we can't let you go out looking busted."

"Looking what?" Bobbi pulled a pair of small scissors out of his bag and started cutting my shirt. "Hey wait!"

"Trust me, you don't wanna look like that today." Bobbi made quick work of my shirt cutting it in half. "That'll do for now. We'll fix something better for you next week." Even though it was only my belly I felt entirely exposed, "Hold still." He quickly applied liner, eyeshadow, and lipstick to my face. "You're getting better at makeup but you shouldn't be afraid to stand out."

"Admit it, you left it undone so Bobbi would do it for you didn't you," Claire said spraying his hair down. I refused to answer but they all giggled at my blushing face.

"It's okay," Bobbi whispered, "I like taking care of you." I didn't say anything, I definitely didn't want to say I liked him taking care of me too.

During gym, most of the class stood on the court picking teams while we got to sit on the bleachers. A few other boys and girls were scattered around the bleachers on both sides of the gym. I noticed that there wasn't a single boy like the peacocks on the floor though. They were all kind of girly looking even in their gym clothes. The guys had picked their teams and started their game. "So what do we do?

"We can do whatever," Bobbi said while painting his nails. The other boys were gossiping and I tried to join in with my limited knowledge of the people in school but I soon found myself getting bored since I didn't know much about anyone. "What do you think?" Bobbi held up his freshly painted nails. They matched his blue eyeshadow.

"It looks nice."

"Do you want to do yours?"

"Sure. Why not." I had to kill some time after all. "So really this is all we do?" One of the shirtless boys knocked a shirted guy down hard. "Not that I'm complaining."

"To be honest we also enjoy the view."

"What view?" Bobbi pointed at the group of shirtless sweaty guys on the sideline drinking down their waters' trying to cool off. One of them, I recognized as Kyle, poured water over his shoulder and draining down his naked back.

"He's single you know," Bobbi whispered in my ear.

"Wh-why would I care?"

"Right, you're gagged cause you don't care."

"I thought...nothing." I focused on my nails rather than my feelings, Bobbi was cute there was no denying but Kyle was...different. He was like an intermediate step between Bobbi and Bobbi's dad. He wasn't as large as Papi but he was definitely more muscular than Bobbi. I tried to stop thinking about him and Bobbi but it didn't take long to finish my nails and my eyes kept finding Joey on the court.

The bell rang and everyone quickly filed out of the gym but us. Before I could ask I got my answer, we were waiting because the peacocks were waiting for the boys to come flirt with them. I was about to leave when I bumped into Kyle who was using his shirt to towel off instead of wearing it. "S-Sorry."

"No problem, you're Jerry right?"

"Uh yeah?" Bobbi stood behind Kyle giving me a big thumbs up.

"So did you enjoy the game?"

"Yeah, you played..." Kyle threw his shirt around his neck and held onto it flexing his pecs right in my face"Uh, good. I don't really know anything about sports though."

"Thanks. Well if you want I can teach you the game sometime."

"Well, I-"

"He would love too." Bobbi interrupted throwing his arm around my waist.

"Great. How about tonight?"

"I-"

"Perfect." Bobbi interrupted again, "Eight o'clock?"

"Sure. I'll pick you up at eight." Kyle wiped his face with his shirt and walked out of the gym.

"What just happened?"

"You got a date darlin' I'm so proud!"

"I don't like...I...I don't wanna learn about basketball."

"Oh hon," Bobbi pouted at me like I missed something obvious but I didn't know what.