The Shy Caterpillar

Bridget entered her bedroom to quickly grab an item but forgot all about it once she saw the garment JoJo held up in her hands. Knowing the teenager planned to go out into the hot tub, her best friend's mother assumed it was a swimsuit. Brown in color, the swimsuit featured an abundance of material, far too much to show off any skin. Oh, no! That's an ugly outfit. That poor girl can't wear that!

"Getting ready?" Bridget asked the teen, hoping to be proven wrong.

"Yep. Did you need to use the bathroom?" JoJo inquired politely.

"No, go ahead...but, uh, wait to head out until I get back. I need to run and grab something, but I want to talk to you first. Okay?" An idea had popped into the older woman's head.

"Sure, Mrs. Tarver," JoJo cheerfully acknowledged as she went into the bathroom.

Swinging around, Bridget hurriedly left the bedroom. She scanned the over the railing down below into the cabin's main room as she speed-walked over to the stairs. Worried the person she was looking for had already gone out to the lower sunroom, Bridget felt relieved to instead see her in a conversation just past the main floor bathroom.

"--mean you don't want to go out to the hot tub? Why not?" Whitney questioned her boyfriend, annoyance creeping into her voice. "You're already leaving me to go play poker with my dad."

"I just don't feel like it. Besides, it sounds like it's going to be crowded out there, so no one will miss me," Owen responded. The college student held back that sitting with Lana and Peyton would be awkward after their threat.

"Well, I'm going. I'm supposed to be acting as the hostess to my friends, so it would be rude for me not to go with them. And I already skipped out the other night to give you your present," Whitney explained as Bridget approached the couple. "You think after that very thoughtful present you would want to spend time with me."

Owen felt quite awkward as he noticed the older woman walking over while Whitney brought up his Christmas present. He tried to shush his teenage girlfriend on the subject with a nod over at the other person and a quick whisper.

"What's wrong?" Whitney asked as she turned to see the blonde only a few steps away. "Oh, don't worry about Mrs. Tarver. She already knows all about my Mrs. Claus lingerie for you. She saw it yesterday in my closet."

Owen couldn't believe how casually his girlfriend acted, knowing one of her father's friends knew about their sexual activities. Not to mention the woman was that Sean guy's mother. Needing to flee before the conversation turned even more awkward, Owen told Whitney his plans before they left for the Vandermeers' lake house.

"Uh, I'm going to go downstairs to play pool. Maybe get to, um, know your dad better with that too," Owen explained. After that, the usually confident young man rushed over to the stairs.

"Everything okay? I hope I didn't interrupt anything?" Bridget asked.

"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Tarver. Owen acts a little prudish at times. Is everything okay? You look worried," Whitney said with a wave of her hand about her boyfriend.

"Actually, I do need your help, and it deals with something prudish too," Bridget started to explain. "If I'm not mistaken, did I hear you say something about extra swimsuits to Ramsey?"

"Oh, do you want to join us?"

"No, no," Bridget said with a laugh. "It's for JoJo. I just saw the swimsuit she brought with her and...it's bad. I'm not sure even my mother these days would wear one that conservative."

"That bad? We should have some that will fit her. Let me grab a few," Whitney replied, the wheels in her brain already at work as she tried to recall what exactly she and Lacey picked out that day at the store. JoJo looked to be around the same bust size as Ramsey. Perhaps even as large as herself. It was hard to tell with the clothes the brunette wore. "I also have extras I bought for myself that are already in your room."

"Thank you so much. And not to be more of a bother, but could you hurry. I didn't tell JoJo my idea, so I'll have to stall her until you get them," the elder Tarver noted with a slight amount of embarrassment.

"That's really nice of you to look out for her, Mrs. Tarver. I'll be right up!" Whitney quickly moved to go downstairs, where the spare swimsuits were stored. Before she could, the teenager noticed a fellow blonde exiting the pantry.

"Chastity!"

"Jiminy Cricket! You scared me," the honey blonde admitted after flinching.

"Sorry. Hey, we're going to go use the hot tub. Care to join us?" Whitney inquired.

"A hot tub? Wowza! This place is full of surprises. Is it behind a hidden door?"

"No, no, it's right below the sunroom," Whitney chuckled. "So, do you want to join us?"

"No can do. I didn't bring a bathing suit," Chastity pouted.

"That's okay. I'm sure you can use one of mine." The teen paused as the busty receptionist glanced at her chest and then at Whitney's. "Uh, it shouldn't be a problem. I bought a few extra suits for my dad's more well-endowed dates."

"Thank you, soooo much. It sounds watertastic, but I'm needed elsewhere."

"Elsewhere?"

"There's a birthday today. Make that two birthdays, and zero cakes. That's super sad!" Chastity exclaimed, looking forlorn.

"But the Toone twins aren't here. They're way over in Hawaii," Whitney explained.

"That's why we're making cupcakes instead!" the honey blonde announced. She held up a box of cake mix and a container of frosting. "Save some room in your tummy, okay?"

"Um, okay. I'll do that," the teen replied, wondering again why her uncle chose to send Chastity of all people.

---

Pleased that Harvey's daughter seemed happy to help, Bridget ventured back upstairs. She now concerned herself over how to approach the subject with a teenager already dealing with body image issues. She briefly paused at the door to her room while she thought of the proper way to bring up the issue and entered.

"Oh, my," Bridget mumbled in shock. That thing is hideous.

JoJo stood in the front of the dresser mirror, studying herself. The one-piece swimsuit showed a little more skin than Bridget thought it would but not by much. It completely covered the teen's neck and center of her body, leaving only her arms and legs exposed. The suit fit on JoJo very loosely, almost baggy, and featured some odd-looking ruffles placed around the chest area and waist. If you didn't know better, you would think JoJo was overweight and trying to hide the extra pounds. Her butt and boobs are wholly obscured. And that color! It looks like baby poop exploded all over her.

"Is that a new suit, Jo?" Bridget asked to get a conversation started until Whitney arrived.

"This? No, I bought it last summer. I only wore it a few times. I, uh, don't like to go to the beach or a pool much unless it's at a friend's house," the teen admitted.

"Why not?"

"Um, I-I'm kind of shy, I guess," JoJo said with a blush.

Bridget moved to stand behind JoJo and gently put her hands on the teen's shoulders. The brunette looked back at her through the mirror with an embarrassed face.

"There's no reason to be shy. You're a teenage girl who's in fantastic shape from soccer. Not only that, but you're turning into a beautiful young lady. You shouldn't feel the need to hide that."

JoJo looked down in embarrassment at the praise from a woman she not only greatly admired but loved.

"I'm not going to **** you to be something you aren't, but maybe if you were a little less shy about your figure, you could attract a certain boy, or girl, that you like," Bridget suggested. Oh, please don't say you're into only girls, JoJo. That would ruin the chance of you and Sean being together.

"Aargh! I don't know why people always have to assume girl athletes are lesbians. Do they think that about boys that play sports? No, they don't," JoJo spat out. Her angry tone surprised Bridget, but she realized this must be a topic the girl had dealt with over the years of playing soccer. "I like boys, Mrs. Tarver. I like them a lot! But I just don't know how to deal with them."

"Oh, honey. There's nothing wrong with being unsure about how to deal with boys. At your age, many--" Bridget started to explain before a knock at the door sounded.

Whitney didn't wait for an answer before barging right into the bedroom. The blonde seemed a little out of breath, earning more fondness from Bridget when she realized the teenager must have run up the stairs to hurry as the older woman had asked. The cheerleader captain started to open her mouth to speak but stopped upon seeing the brown swimsuit that JoJo wore. Her lips turned up in a sneer of disgust, and her eyes shot over to meet Mrs. Tarver's, who nodded in understanding.

"Uh, hey, JoJo. Mrs. Tarver thought you might want to try one of our extra swimsuits instead." Usually, Whitney wouldn't be at a loss for words, but she also wasn't used to staring at one of the ugliest outfits she ever saw.

"Is something wrong with my suit? Don't you like it, Mrs. Tarver?" JoJo's head swung around to look at her best friend's mom. The brunette seemed unnerved by the situation.

"Oh, it's not that I don't like it. I just think maybe we could try something less conservative," Bridget lied while trying desperately not to upset the nervous girl. "Sort of like we were just talking about it, Jo. You know, a way to get certain boys to notice you. I think we all know Whitney here has a way of doing that, so maybe her opinion could help."

"Ooh, do you like someone at the cabin, JoJo?" Whitney asked point-blank while also beaming at the compliment Mrs. Tarver gave her.

"No!" the brunette nearly shouted before continuing more quietly. "I don't like anyone here like that."

"Let's see what other options Whitney brought. Nothing wrong with at least trying them on in here, is there?" Bridget asked with a pat on the girl's shoulder.

"I guess not," JoJo said reluctantly with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Here, try this one first." Whitney held out a light blue wad of something.

"But it's a bikini!" JoJo exclaimed when a piece of the bikini fell to the floor.

"Yep, it sure is a bikini," the blonde teen remarked.

"Do you have a different kind?" JoJo asked, her eyes wildly darting to the bikini, Bridget's face, and finally at Whitney's face.

"Nope, that's all we have. Sorry," Whitney lied. While she had picked up a few one-piece suits, those had been intended for older guests, and there was no way she would let someone her age wear one to the hot tub.

"It's okay. Just try it on," Bridget said, giving her next-door neighbor a gentle nudge towards the bathroom door. With a sigh, JoJo gave in, walked over, and closed the door.

"Oh. My. Gawd! That thing is hideous," Whitney whispered to Bridget.

"That's why I went to get you. I've been worried for some time that she dresses too much like a tomboy, but it's almost appalling that she wore that back in the summer."

"Are her parents strict or religious?" Whitney asked, grasping for a reason someone would wear that much material in a swimsuit. It smacked against everything the flirty girl believed in.

"No, they are fairly normal people. Jillian does dress fairly conservatively. Sort of what you would picture as the classic mom look. Kind of like what my mother or grandmother might have worn. JoJo does take after her mom in the chest area, and her mom doesn't like to flaunt her assets," Bridget informed the teenager about her neighbors and friends.

"I don't know JoJo all that well, but I did know she was shy," Whitney admitted. "What's this about finding a boy? Does she like someone here?"

"I don't think so. She's never dated anyone, and I think she wants to. She's like a niece or another daughter to me, so I want to help break her out of her shell," Bridget explained.

"That's really cool of you," Whitney said, feeling a little envious of JoJo for having a woman like Mrs. Tarver in her life that cared about her. Growing up without much of a relationship with her mother left Whitney often alone to figure out how to be a girl. Sure, she had some longtime employees of her father's and his random girlfriends to ask for advice with Shenai proving to be the best. Still she never someone like JoJo has in Mrs. Tarver. The one person she could rely on was Sage Pierce. Yet with Sage only four years older, she came across more like an older cousin.

"You seem to have a way with boys, or I should say young men, Whitney. Maybe if you don't mind, you could help me work on JoJo this week. Get her to lighten up and dress a little more stylishly. At least give more of a hint to the assets she possesses. Would you be willing?"

Whitney stared at the older woman in surprise. She often suggested to her friends and cheermates how they could dress better, but to have a parent ask for her help gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling. Nodding eagerly, she readily agreed. "I would love to help!"

They heard a loud noise from the bathroom.

"Everything okay in there?" Bridget inquired.

The door slowly opened, and JoJo's head peaked out. Blushing hard in embarrassment, her face appeared as if she had a bad sunburn.

"How's it look?" Whitney asked.

"It's okay, Jo. It's just us two," Bridget reassured her.

Meekly, the shy girl exited the bathroom. JoJo appeared to be cringing from the laughter she expected to follow the unveiling of her appearance.

"Holy shit, JoJo! Where you been hiding those tits?" Whitney nearly screamed in awe.

"Oh, my gawd! You look incredible, Jo," Bridget praised, feeling like a proud parent. "What do you think of it?"

Stunned by their positive reactions, the teen didn't know how to respond. She looked down at herself and then back up at the others. Finally, JoJo moved over to study herself in the dresser mirror, one much larger than the bathroom version.

There she saw herself displayed in a skimpy light blue bikini. The small triangle top struggled to contain her D-cups in a bikini better suited for smaller breasts. The matching bottoms showed off her butt, firmed from years of playing soccer. It was a tiny bikini, showing off a wealth of her pale skin, but suited for a far more daring young woman.

"No," JoJo mumbled. "No, no, no!" Her voice rose with each word. "No way am I wearing this!"

"Why not? You look fucking hot!" Whitney replied with all seriousness. "I can't believe you've been hiding that body under those baggy clothes, and I assume sports bras."

"You look amazing, honey. Maybe you--" Bridget stated.

"No!" JoJo shrieked out, cutting off Bridget. Her brown hair swung wildly as she vigorously shook her head. "No, I can not wear this. I'm practically naked!"

"That's the whole point of wearing of a bikini," Whitney dryly remarked, getting an elbow from Bridget in return. "But we'll all be wearing the same if not less down in the hot tub."

"I can't! I just can't!" JoJo moved her hands to cover her breasts.

"Okay, it's okay. How about you try on another one? Maybe one that shows a little less cleavage. Whitney?" Bridget turned on the last question to look at Whitney.

"Here, this one has more coverage. I still think you should wear that one, JoJo. Gawd, the guys will be all over you," Whitney said while offering a green bikini towards the brunette.

"I'll take it!" JoJo anxiously said while grabbing the next bikini and fleeing back inside the bathroom.

"Well, that worked perfectly," Whitney remarked with a big grin.

It took Bridget a few moments to realize what the teenager meant. "You gave her the tiniest bikini first so that the next ones would seem better? That's brilliant!"

Whitney beamed at the praise. She felt happier when the older woman put an arm around her shoulder, giving her a side hug. "I think I chose the perfect person to help me," Bridget stated.

"Thanks! Now I chose the bikini I think works best for her. Hopefully, she likes it, or I'll have to give her another one she'll hate to try on after," Whitney elaborated further about her plan.

"You're something special. If I didn't think you would eat him alive, I would set up Sean with you, honey." Bridget laughed at her own comment while the teenager chimed in with a giggle.

"Maybe, maybe not."

The door opened once again, and JoJo walked out a little less shyly but not confidently. She threw her arms out to her sides in exasperation, waiting for the comments to come. The green with white polka dots bikini fit perfectly. The sports top offered no hint of cleavage but didn't hide the fact that JoJo had a large bust with its tight fit. The high waist bottoms also gave the shy teenager some comfort in not feeling wholly exposed.

"That looks lovely on you. Nice choice, Whitney," Bridget complimented both girls.

"See, that fits both your figure and personality. What do you think?" questioned Whitney.

"Do I really have to wear this or any bikini? I think I'd rather wear the suit I brought up with me," JoJo nervously stated.

"No! Uh, I mean, but you look so pretty in this one." Worried that the plan would fall apart, Bridget rapidly moved over to turn the teenager to look at herself in the mirror. "See, you look amazing."

"It's too much!" JoJo whined.

"What's too much?" the elder Tarver inquired.

"You can see my big boobs," the teen whispered.

"What's the big deal with that?" Whitney asked, walking over to stand next to the brunette while untying the robe and showing off the navy blue bikini top that perfectly displayed her magnificent bust.

JoJo glanced over at how relaxed Whitney could be in flaunting her ample bust and felt a bit of envy at the cheerleader's confidence. "I don't want people staring at them if they move around."

"This top is pretty close to the sports bra that I assume you wear while playing soccer. See, it's too tight for them to bounce." Whitney accented her point by reaching out and cupping her hand under one of her classmate's breasts, trying to make it bounce unsuccessfully.

"Whitney!" JoJo gasped in shock.

"What? Oh, JoJo, you spend too much time around guy friends. Girls don't mind if they touch each other. Right, Mrs. Tarver?"

"Uh, well, I guess. If they are close friends, I mean," Bridget stuttered, surprised at Whitney's action and not wanting to get into her history of touching her friends. Trying to change the subject back to the vital matter at hand, she asked, "Now, what's the issue with this bikini."

"It shows too much. What if people stare and laugh at me?" JoJo revealed her real concern.

"People are supposed to stare. That's the whole point," Whitney pointed out.

"People are not going to laugh at you, Jo." Bridget shot Whitney a dirty look while she tried to reassure them.

"You don't know that!" whined the brunette again.

Whitney suddenly had an idea. "I'll be right back. Don't change out of that, JoJo." The blonde dashed out of the room.

With Whitney gone for a moment, Bridget decided to figure out further what the girl's fears were about. "JoJo, has anyone laughed at you before about your chest?"

Looking back at Mrs. Tarver through the mirror, JoJo nodded in humiliation. "Oh, honey. I'm going to guess this was around the time you first hit puberty." She nodded at the question.

"Yeah, it was," she added.

"Boys?" Bridget prodded.

"Some but mostly girls."

"First off, the boys were likely trying to get your interest but were too young and immature to know the right way to do it. And I bet if you think back to what the girls looked like, you would recall that they were flat-chested girls. They were no doubt jealous of the gifts you have," Bridget explained, disappointed that Jillian seemingly never held this conversation with her daughter.

JoJo's face showed some heavy concentration as she thought back to some past incidents. Her face then looked into the mirror at Bridget's face with a look of awe. "I think they were smaller than me."

"You see, sometimes girls can be far meaner to us than boys. Maybe always having two boys as best friends kept you from realizing that," Bridget softly pointed out.

"Maybe," JoJo muttered while nodding. "But I didn't like it when the boys did it too."

"Honey, some of that is just normal boy behavior. Even at my age, I have men staring at my breasts all the time."

"You do? Doesn't that upset you?"

"No, not really. It makes me feel desirable and wanted," Bridget said with a shrug.

"But I don't want a guy to be my boyfriend just because of...you know...these." JoJo motioned toward her chest.

Ah, so now I see what Jo's big hang-up is, she's worried a boy will only like her for her breasts and not for everything else. Bridget leaned forward to wrap her arms around the teenager's stomach and into a hug from behind. "You're worried a boy will only like you for your big boobs, is that it?"

Embarrassed, JoJo only nodded.

"Oh, sweetie. Boys will certainly have noticed all the other great things about you. How you're a fierce soccer player, a kind and thoughtful friend, and smart as a whip. And never doubt for a second that you're not a beautiful young woman. These," Bridget moved her hands up to cup the teen's breasts, "will always be a part of you. So don't hate them. Be proud of them."

JoJo stood, staring in shock at her best friend's mom from her praise and cupping her breasts. As Mrs. Tarver removed her hands, the brunette struggled over how to respond to the kind words that had been said about her.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Both women in the room turned to see Whitney panting from a fast pace, dragging another person along behind her.

"--the big deal is. Can't you just--whoa!" Sean came to a halt as he saw how his best friend was dressed, or not dressed in.

"Sean!" JoJo shrieked, moving her hands up to cover her bikini top.

"Whitney?" Bridget inquired, although she had an idea as to why Sean was dragged into the room by Whitney.

"Now, take a good look, Sean. JoJo! Move your hands. Sean can't give a proper opinion if you don't let him see all the outfit," Whitney sternly told the brunette.

"It's okay. Let Sean have a look. A good, long one." Besides wanting JoJo to feel comfortable in the body she has, Bridget hoped her son would find his friend's body desirable.

"Fine. Here, have a look, Sean." After dropping her hands in exasperation, JoJo gave a little slow spin to show off all the bikini she now wore. "How ridiculous do I look?"

"You looking amazing. Why don't you dress like a girl more often?" Sean asked, getting a smack in the back of the head from Whitney. "Oww! Sorry, I meant this is a way better look than that old, brown swimsuit you wore last summer. I'm not sure my grandma would wear a suit like that."

"See, Jo. Sean thinks you look beautiful in that!" Bridget happily informed the teenager. Damn, we should have let Sean see her in that tiny, blue bikini. I bet that would have gotten my son's motor running for his best friend. Ooh, look at how his eyes take in her big tits and cracking ass. This might just be the week they get together!

"Uh, yeah, sure. You look great, Jo. Well, have fun in the hot tub, you two," Sean said, backing up and out the door. Good to see Jo wearing a more girly outfit, but Mom seemed a little weird in there. Maybe she's planning to play matchmaker for JoJo when we get back home. Everyone else in the cabin appears to be doing it. It would be nice to see her with a boyfriend; she deserves happiness.

"Well, what do you think? Not only didn't your best friend laugh at you, but he thought you looked nice," Whitney asked the other teenager.

"I don't know. Sean's one thing, but what about everyone else?"

"I'll be right by your side the whole time; how does that sound? Do you have a robe to wear downstairs?" Whitney looked around to see a long, fluffy light green robe hanging inside the open closet. "Uh, I think I'll go grab you another one to wear."

"No, take mine for now," Bridget said before Whitney could leave. She moved over to grab a black satin robe and handed it to JoJo.

"Um, I don't think I should wear this."

"No, it's okay. I don't mind you borrowing it for a few hours. It's okay; I trust you."

"No, I mean, it's pretty short," JoJo pointed out.

"Joanne Gibble, I'm twice your age, and I wear that all the time. You honestly can't be scared to wear a robe that Sean's mother owns, could you?"

"I guess not." JoJo proceeded to put on the small robe and tie it around her waist. When she finished, Whitney wrapped her arm through one of JoJo's and started to lead her toward the door.

"C'mon, Jo, it's time to debut the new version of you to everyone," Whitney joyfully announced.

The brunette looked over her shoulder in horror at Mrs. Tarver, who happily gave her two thumbs up.