The Birds And The Bees (The Baby Project #1) (REWRITING)

C.26~ Beautiful Tragedy

"No. It's too tight around the legs. It makes your butt look huge." Rachel said, spinning me around. Mae was giggling from where she sat in the chair in front of us, her eyes wide.

"Don't boys like that?" She asked Rachel, her hazel eyes looking almost exactly like her older brothers for a fraction of a second.

"Depends on the boy," Rachel said with a grin, "Some guys like bigger breasts, some like bigger butts, some like big girls. It's really just preference." I laughed at Rachel giving fashion and boy advice to a ten year old.

"Go try the strapless one on." I rolled my eyes at her and stomped back into the dressing room. I could hear Rachel and Mae talking and giggling outside of the room. Once I finally came out Mae stood up and clapped.

"That one! Xai loves that color and it makes your skin look pretty. And your hair!" I laughed at the enthusiastic response and turned to Rachel for her comment. She was nodding, giving me a thumbs up.

"Great. Now hurry up, this little girl is hungry." I hurried back into my clothes and brought the dress back out, finding Mae and Rachel across the room gawking at a group of guys hanging around outside of Hot Topic.

"Rach!" I snapped, "You're being a bad influence." Her head whipped back and she sent me a dark look.

"Bea, honey. This girl has been locked in a hospital room for like ever. You've got to let her see the world, boys included." I shook my head and gestured for Mae to come join me.

"You don't need boys right now." I whispered, smiling down at her, "You're so strong and great, that when the time is right they'll come running to you." She grinned at my words and handed me the dress that Rachel had offered to buy for her.

"Oh My God, those guys are fu. . . amazingly hot. Did you see them?" Rachel asked, appearing beside us with her debit card. She handed it to the cashier as she stared at me wide eyed.

"You have a boyfriend, you know." I replied. She shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

"I can still look, I just can't touch. You know I really like Brice, I'd never do anything to hurt him." I took comfort in her words and grabbed the bags from the cashier.

"Am I ever going to like boys like she does?" She asked, gesturing with her thumb over her shoulder at Rachel. I laughed, wrapping my arm around her shoulder as we walked out of the store.

"No, Mae. Nobody will be as crazy about boys as Rachel."

"And he said that I had really good drawing skills. He's really nice." Mae gushed, still staring down at her salad with a smile.

"Do you like him?" Rachel questioned, poking Mae playfully. She shook her head, her nose scrunching up in disgust.

"I like Aspen like I like Xavier. Not in the way Bea likes Xai. That's gross." She shook her head, holding her nose. Rachel and I exchanged a look before nodding. After a second of silence, Mae turned to Rachel.

"If you marry Bea's brother does that make you her sister?" She asked with big eyes. The older girl nodded, giggling quietly.

"Yes, it does. If Bea marries Xavier doesn't that make you her sister too?" She shot back. Mae's face lit up at the thought, her head whipping back toward me.

"You're going to marry Xai, right?" She asked with a small laugh, "Because then you'll be my sister!" She was staring at me with such a hopeful expression, I couldn't bear to say no.

She wouldn't understand if I told her that I didn't know if I was going to even be in a real relationship with Xavier. We were still young and had to get careers and finish college before we could even think about doing something like that.