Katie laughed at the cartoons on the screen. She had been over at the hanson's house all day that day, watching a cartoon marathon with Zac on the couch in the TV room. They baisically had the house to themselves again that day, except for Jessica and a friend of hers, Avery, and Taylor.
Katie had been sitting around all day in her sweatshirt and pajama pants and socks with Zac, who was also in his pajamas. They did this every few weeks; a day where they would just sit around in pajamas and watch cartoons and do nothing but eat popcorn and talk. It was early November, and near five in the afternoon, and it was nearly dark out on that Saturday evening.
"You know, Thanksgiving is just around the corner." Zac said to her with a grin.
"What, is that your favorite Holiday?" She asked.
"No, but it means that Christmas is almost here, and that's my favorite Holiday." Zac said.
"Oh is it?"
"Yup, because then we have a huge dinner and everyone eats as much as they can. Not that I need to, but i like it." He said.
"What do you mean?" She asked him.
"What?"
"That you don't need to eat." She said.
"Well, I dunno. Taylor's always teasing me about my stomach." Zac said. "My mom loves it though." He said, patting his stomach.
She lifted her head up from his shoulder. She moved her hand from his chest down to his stomach. Sure, it was a little pudgy, but nothing major.
"What's wrong with it?" She asked.
"I have this....little roll of fat that I just can't get rid of." He said, pinching his lower stomach, where there was a little excess weight.
She moved her hand down to where he was talking about, and touched it. "I don't see anything bad." She said.
"Yeah, but it's just annoying." He said.
"No, I like it." She said.
"You do?" He said.
"Uh huh." She said, looking up at him.
"I didn't know that. Heck, I didn't even know you knew it was there." He said.
"I do." She said.
"Well it's fat, and I want to get rid of it; I hate it." he said, giving his stomach a final pat.
"No, keep it." She said. "Don't you dare."
"Why?"
"Because I like it."
"You do?"
"Yeah. It makes you all nice and squishy and nice to hug." She said, wrapping her arms around him.
"I guess it does." he said, looking down at his stomach.
"Yes." She said, cuddling up to him. She moved her hand back down to his stomach, feeling it.
"Besides, it makes you nice to cuddle with." She said, snuggling up to him even closer.
"Yeah." he agreed, pulling the blanket up around them even more. She rested her head on his chest. It seemed like this was the closest they had been since the incident in his bedroom after his party. He had practically not touched her since then. And when he did touch her, it was for short times, and he touched her like she was made of glass.
"Katie?" He asked her after a few moments.
"MmmHmmm?"
"Why did we stop that night?" He asked her quietly.
"I don't know." She said.
"I would have soon." he said. "Just to let you know, i would never push you into anything." he said.
She lifted her head up and looked at him. "Thank you." She said to him.
"But just out of curiosity...." He trailed off.
"Well, I didn't know how far things would go, and I'm just not that comfortable with my body yet to be showing it off to anyone else." She said.
"What's wrong with your body?" He asked.
"I have weak points too." She said.
"Like what?"
"Like, my stomach isn't perfect either, and I don't like my chest, and I hate my thighs." She said.
"Nothing is wrong with you." he said. "You have a beatutiful body." He said.
"Well I don't, but thanks."
"I'm serious." He said, looking down at her. "I would never judge anyone's body, especially yours." he said.
"Thank you." She said.
"You have nothing to be ashamed of in front of me. I like you just the way you are."
"It's just that...sometimes I feel a little...insecure around you...i mean, because you've got a great body, and I feel like I can't really compare." She said.
"Hey, hello, my stomach." He said, patting it. "I'm not perfect, just some of me is." He said with a laugh. Katie giggled, scooting closer to him.
"I am in no way worth feeling insecure around." he said. "Some of me may be great, but there are other parts that I don't like, just like you." Zac said to her.
Katie smiled. Zac had a way of saying things that made her feel a hundred times better when she was feeling low. That's what she especially liked about him.
She turned to look at him. "Why do you think we stopped?"
He thought a moment. "Well, I don't know, but when i think about it, I'm glad we did, because I had no idea what i was doing."
Katie laughed. "Well I didn't have any idea either."
"Oh." Zac said, looking off into space.
"But i think we'll know when the time comes." She said to him.
He turned and smiled at her. He took her hand, and they continued watching sunday evening cartoons.
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