Changing Places with Yourself

Chapter 10

“I talked to Principal Hansen today and he agrees you should take off the week.  Evan will get your homework from all your teachers at the office and bring it here for you.” I was advised by Judy.  I was too wiped out to argue so I nodded and hugged her goodnight, then went to bed.  I woke up rather late the next morning and dressed in my big clothes before heading to the kitchen to get something to eat.  Since there was no one there I made some soup and crackers for lunch.  Gwen and Harmony had been texting me at lunchtime to tell me they missed me and hoped I was doing okay.  Harmony added that several of the football players now had the hots for me after seeing me dressed in such a tailored outfit, not to mention the fact that I could sing so beautifully.  I replied to tell them that it had been decided, by the adults, for me to take the week off.  Evan was supposed to get my homework and bring it to me, which I didn’t believe he would.  They told me they would make sure he did or have a few guys from the football team beat him up for me.  Gwen added Evan was in hot water anyway for not coming in and a couple of the guys had seen him flip me off.  After thanking them I went for a swim and took a nap.  At dinner time, Evan threw an envelope at me, literally like directly at my face.

“There is your stupid homework, ugly. I'm not taking it back when you're done.” he jeered.

“Thanks, honey.” I smiled sweetly.  “Such a thoughtful fiancé.  How did I get so lucky?”

I swear I heard Grandpa cover a laugh with a cough.

“It’s okay about not taking it back Gwen told me that Troy volunteered to swing by tomorrow after practice to help me finish up anything that I might not have gotten done.  He told her that he would be more than willing to take it back to school for me as well.” I let my eyes go dreamy as if the thought of Troy coming to help me with my homework was my fantasy come to life.  Needless to say, Evan didn't like that one bit, which was confusing.  He hated me, but yet was jealous that others, especially boys, liked me.

“He doesn’t need to come over.  Knowing you, you’ll probably get it all done tonight anyway.  So, it would be a waste of his time.  I’ll just drop them off before 1st-period to the office.  Just make sure they're done before I leave in the morning.” with uttered he left and went to play on his Xbox.

“Well played, my dear.” Grandpa chuckled. “Well played, indeed.”

I hugged him around the neck and grab the envelope with my homework assignments, saying I would work on them in the kitchen on the island.  Just before midnight, I finished the last of the essays I was supposed to write.  I put the completed homework back into the envelope it was sent in and placed it on Evan’s spot in the dining room table before heading to bed.  My alarm went off way too early for my liking.  I dressed and headed down to eat breakfast with everyone.  I haven’t actually looked surprised that I had finished a week’s worth of assignment in one night, but he doesn’t know my secret.  No one does and it has to stay that way.  None of us at the table were actually talking that morning and I just took some scrambled eggs, sausage link with a piece of toast with hot tea to eat.  Soon they were all heading to school or office.  I waited until the doors closed behind them before going up and getting my cases which I had packed.  I wrote a note thanking them for their gracious hospitality, but I needed to go home and get some things done before finals graduation and getting married.  Once I got to my penthouse I changed into my workout clothes and did a full two hours of circuit training on my machines then I showered and headed to the restaurant downstairs to get my meals for the rest of the week.  The sous chefs and Head-Chef, Fernando, all gave me hugs and offered their condolences because I called them on Sunday morning to tell him what was happening.  Harmony texted me during their lunch and said the table wasn’t the same without me there.  I asked if she and Gwen were still up for the sleepover at her place on Friday night after the game and she said yes.  So I told her I would meet them in the school parking lot after the game was over.

I went up and swam for about an hour and then found a text from Judy about dress shopping on Sunday.  I knew Evan wasn’t having any groomsmen because he didn’t want anybody to know that he had to marry me so I couldn't have any bridesmaids.  In fact, no one at school knew that Evan and I were even engaged let alone getting married.  Judy and I decided to meet at the bridal shop at 2 p.m. to find a wedding gown and a mother of the groom's dress.

After the game on Friday, I was waiting in the parking lot, since I didn't go watch the game.  Football is a sport I'll never understand.  Gwen and Harmony climbed into my Cavalier and we headed over to Harmony’s house for our sleepover.  Her parents aren’t really happy about having someone they considered below them staying.  They were such snobs, but thankfully Harmony didn’t inherit their cold hearts toward “lower class citizens” as they called me.  So, instead of sleeping over for two nights I was only allowed to stay Friday night, which Harmony let me know on Thursday.  They hadn’t driven to school that day so that I could drive them home and they wouldn’t have their cars left in the lot.  When we got to her place we put on our swimsuits and jumped in the hot tub for a little bit before going down and watching few movies on their big screen TV in the living room we pop some popcorn with lots of butter and sat on the couch has spread out chewy watch a movie marathon.  About halfway through the second movie, they were both sound asleep so I found a couple of blankets and put them over them before I laid down on the third couch in her living room and fell asleep myself.  The next morning we woke up and their cook had made a full spread breakfast.  We ate and talked, they told me I really needed to start dressing more appropriately because I still look like a homeless person in my baggy clothes.  They wanted me to go with them to the mall to shop and help me get clothes that would actually fit me and show off my new figure, but I told them that I still wasn't ready to let the rest of the school body know what my body really looks like.  Those who came to the funeral were people who liked me for me, but there were too many fakes that would try to, all of a sudden be my bestie if I came to school dressed in fitted clothes. “I just don't want to deal with them and their money-grubbing ways.” I verbalized.  They nodded understanding completely.  I figured I should rip the Band-Aid off, so I told them that I was actually going to be graduating after finals in December.  Due to the fact I had enough credits making it unnecessary for me to go the last semester, so they were letting me get my diploma early.  The school board knew I had family obligations that would be coming up needing my attention.  Well, there was a whole bunch of things that had slacked after my parents’ deaths, but I didn’t tell them about my wedding or the family businesses I would be in charge of.

Gwen told me that she heard Troy was going to ask me to prom and get us the whole “hotel room” thing for afterward.  I chuckled and said, “While Troy is hung like a horse and I am curious about how good he could make my first time, I don't think I'm really his type.”  We watched a few more movies and went to the pool they laid by it getting a tan, while I was in doing my water aerobics along with a few laps because I needed to move.  Gwen and I started making fun of how Harmony falls in love with any cute guy until he speaks then all of a sudden she’s repelled by him.  We had watched her do that several times with cute guys at the mall, and it was actually a very funny sight.  By now, I could tell by the way her mother was looking at me that she was ready for me to leave, so I gave them both hugs and headed home.  They knew that I would be wearing my baggy clothes on Monday because of everything that we had talked about today.

Sunday after making my meals for the week I met with Judy at the wedding gown shop.  She wanted me to pick out something sleek and form-fitting to show Evan he was so wrong about me being a fat cow, but I wanted to keep hiding.  I went with a very poufy dress, I mean poufy and huge – the kind that made me look 20 pounds heavier. I think I actually was just from the sheer weight of it.  It fit me perfectly, so I didn't need to have it altered and we had them box it up for us along with the dress we found for her to wear.  She insisted on stopping at a coffee shop nearby because she wanted to talk with me.  After getting our orders, we sat in the back where we were away from everyone else's ability to hear us.   She asked me exactly how much I knew about Evan and his ex-girlfriend, Amy.  I told her everything that the PIs that my lawyer hired had found.  As well as how she had tried to pull the old but he got me ‘pregnant’ line when it was actually one of the 5 other guys she was sleeping with.  How they had gotten taken Evan to get tested at the doctors and found that he was shooting blanks.

“She went and had an abortion since we had proof that Evan couldn’t have been the father.” She told me.

I told her about how the girls at school complained that Evan likes to go bareback when having s*x with them instead of wearing a condom because he knew he didn’t have a chance of getting them pregnant.

“Looks like his dad is going to have to have another safe s*x talk with him.  Even if he can't get them pregnant, they can still give him an STD.”  she lamented.

“You know, I'm not going to let him sleep in my house let alone my bed, right?” I clarify with her.

“We know, and you’re right not to want to sleep with him.  That prenup was extremely specific on many things, cheating being the biggest one of them.” She acknowledged.

‘Yeah, I put it in there just in case he goes too far. There’s even a sub-clause about his ex, Amy, and if he makes contact with her, that I get a full power of attorney over him financially. Hopefully, that alone is a deterrent enough to keep him from messing with her again.” I confide. “Of course, I would sign the power of attorney over to you and Dad afterward.  He is your son after all.”

“No need at all we trust you.  Heavens, your net worth is more than all of ours combined,” she observed.

After we talked we went back shopping to find some shoes and other accessories to go with our dresses and I went home.  The next few weeks flew by.  I passed my finals and was given my diploma at the office before the first day of winter break.  By now everyone at our lunch table knew that I was graduating early and I told them that day that I have gotten my certificate and was now free of school.  No one but Evan knew about our wedding, so I wasn’t surprised when Troy asked me if he could speak to me privately.

“Sure, hey guys, we’ll be back soon,” I informed our table getting a sour look from Evan when Troy’s arm snaked around my waist.  “Seriously for a guy who doesn't want to be my husband he's getting jealous? What's up with that?” I considered as we walked outside.

Even though a lot of students and most of the football players/cheerleaders had seen me in fitted clothing they all knew that I prefer to wear loose fitting clothes.  Troy took me out to the bleachers since no one was there at that time of day.

“Becky, I was hoping you would be my date for prom.  I know you still won't be here on a daily basis but I was wondering if you would come back for it.” he invited softly.

I took his hands in mine before saying, “Troy, I know your secret.  You shouldn't have to hide the person that makes you happy away just because some people are bigots.  Zach is your happy space and you're his.  Be a trendsetter and take your man to all the dances, not just prom.”

“How did you know?”  he asked.

“I can tell when someone is flirting with someone that they are seriously attracted to.  And both of you need to let people see what you feel for each other.  The heart wants what it wants and you shouldn’t deny it because of a few narrow-minded jerks living on this planet.” I inform him.

He leans over and gives me a big kiss on the cheek before pulling me into a tight hug.  “Becky, you're the best.  I really do love you.” he declares just as Evan walks around the end of the bleachers, anger shooting from his eyes.

“Hey, Troy stop hugging that ugly cow. It's time for class.” he bellowed.

Troy dropped another kiss on my forehead before heading down to Evan. “You know, you’re such a jerk to her and she’s not ugly or a cow.  If you stop looking for a Barbie doll wannabe and open your eyes you could see how cute and amazing Becky actually is.” Troy schooled him as I walked off.  I didn't hear Evan’s response but I'm pretty sure it was some other lame insult directed at me.

I went back inside and headed to the kitchen area, after conferring with Chef Annie that everything was set in place for the party on Saturday night I headed home.  The school was a ghost town anyway since a lot of students had ditched their last classes and started their winter break early.  I went to the corporate offices to check with three PAs helping with setting up the holiday party.  They said everything was ready and showed me the ballroom, yes, our office has its own ball/conference room.  Everything was perfect so I shot over to the mall to Gillows to get a dress.  Judy met me there since I had invited her, Jimmy and Grandpa but not Evan to the party.  She said he was going to a friend's party anyway.  We found our holiday outfits and headed to the bakery to finalize the cake for the wedding.  Since Evan couldn't be bothered with such things as his own wedding, I had ordered a chocolate marble sheet cake with “Happy Holidays” written on it.  It's not like we would be cutting and feeding it to each other, or like it would be anyone at the “reception” except his family, their guards and their household staff at their home, that's where the cake was being delivered to anyway.

The party was a huge success and Chef Anne was asked by other businessmen from other corporations, there as guests, to cater to some of their functions.  They were very impressed to find out that she had done all this while working full-time at the school.  By the end of the night, she had several contracts with prominent companies to be their exclusive caterer, with extremely nice signing bonuses.  I think the school is going to have to find a new crew to do their lunch very soon by the look of the happy faces on her and her crew.  It warmed my heart to be able to help her fulfill her dreams since my namesake had given me the chance to live my dreams.