I Dare You (Pheacker)

Part V - Devoted

It's been a couple months now since the cake incident, and my friends have officially lost interest in daring me to eat tons of food. Maybe it had something to do with Frances. Maybe she told everyone what happened over the holidays and they realized they shouldn't do stuff like that anymore. Who knows, though, really?

I'm a little nervous right now, though, because Theo called and said she wanted to talk about something. I prepared myself to listen to her talking on the phone about random stuff for three or four hours, but, instead, she insisted that I need to come talk to her in person. So we're meeting in the park.

When I see Theo, sitting at a picnic table that we've sat at often, I go over and sit across from her. "Okay. What's up?" I ask, concerned.

"It's nothing super serious. Don't worry," she says immediately. "I just really felt like I should tell you this in person."

"Okay.." I reply, a bit relieved but also really curious as to what she wants to talk about that she doesn't want to talk about over the phone.

"It's about George. You know he likes you, right?"

"What?" My eyes widen in surprise. "That's... No way." I feel my cheeks heat up a bit. I may have started to like him a bit, too, recently. He's just always been so nice to me, and— "Oh. That... that makes so much sense, actually."

"Mhm," Theo replies, nodding. "I can tell by the way he looks at you. And your belly."

I blink, subconsciously moving my hands to cover my belly area, although it doesn't really do much. I haven't exactly lost much weight, despite my efforts to lose it. I can't resist a night or two a week just binging on tasty foods now. And that doesn't exactly help my situation. "My... What does this have to do with my belly?"

"Well... you may think I don't notice things. And that's true. I don't notice a lot of things," Theo explains, leaning forward on her elbows. "But I do notice how much attention George seems to pay to your middle. I see the way he used to watch you during the Truth or Dare? sessions where we forced you to eat enough food to feed a family." A look of guilt crosses her face for a second. "I think he likes it."

I just stare at her, confused. "He likes... what? My belly?"

She nods. "Mhm. He likes your belly. I'm sure of it. You know, people like that exist. People who like to see people they like's stomachs and bellies grow bigger. And to see them be overstuffed. From the way he looks at you, I'm almost certain he's into it."

I just sit there in silence for a minute, processing what Theo just said to me. George likes my belly. He likes seeing it get bigger. And he likes seeing it stuffed. "Into it, like..." I start to ask.

Theo interrupts. "Like, into it-into it." She winks at me to get her point across.

I turn red and look down at myself, moving my arms down and grabbing my belly in my hands. "Is that why he's been offering to rub it..?"

"He.. he offered to rub your belly?" Theo sputters. "Oh my gosh. That's too perfect." She laughs a little.

I don't really think it's so funny. George has been probably suffering from keeping his feelings in like that. And to constantly see me in a state that — at least going off what Theo says — arouses him... I feel bad for him. He hasn't said a word about his feelings to me. Sure, rubbing my stomach is probably partially for his own benefit, but he offered to do it because I was in pain, and he knew it would help the pain. ...Oh, is that why he knew?

I stand up. "I'm gonna go talk to him about it right now."

"Hold on. If you confront him about it directly, you'll embarrass him to death," Theo warns before pausing and then speaking again. "Try teasing him first. Not directly, again, but more like... teasing the idea. I'm not saying you should stuff yourself or anything — In fact, please do NOT do that. — but just... try something." She grins at me.