I'm a beached whale

I had just gotten out of drama and was walking out of the classroom when Jamie Grant ran past me, trying to slip through the doorway at the same time as I was, bumping me and causing me to drop all of my books all over the floor. "Oh! Sorry, Miss B," he barely took the time to yell back over his shoulder as he continued to run down the hall.

I sighed heavily. I mean, I barely fit through the door as it was, I was as big as a house, ok, maybe horse, but still, I was huge. I don't know why he thought he could fit through the door with me to begin with. Waving my hand, I leaned down to start picking up my stuff as everyone continued to go about their business, not even noticing I was trying to pick it up.

"Do you need help, Bianca?" I heard his thick Italian accent before I even looked up into his face. Smiling softly, I almost laughed. "I must look like a beached whale here on the floor like this." He shook his head and started to help me pick up my books. "Not in the slightest," Goffredo said, helping me stand after we'd picked up all my books. "Grazzie," I told him as we started to walk down the hall. He smiled, still holding my books as we headed to the locker hall. "Prego. Molto bene."

"I hear through the grapevine you and Bianca are back together." Teddy Rogers said as he tossed a ball in the net. "Yeah, and?" He laughed. "Don't get all bitchy with me.. just saying.. I also heard that Tina is not the least bit happy with this news." I shrugged. "Yeah, and?" He tossed the ball to me. "And you know how Tina works when she's pissed off, don't you?" My eyes opened wide. I hadn't even thought about that. The last time she was mad she got us suspended... and now she'd have even more reason because I made her my girlfriend.

"Shit," I tossed Teddy the ball back and jogged back to the locker room. I could hear the teacher yelling for me but I ignored him. I took a quick shower, got dressed, grabbed my bag and headed for the hall. "Tina," I said as she turned, her face not the least bit happy. "What do you want? To dump me for that fat..." I cut her off. "Say one more word and I'll stuff you in your locker and leave you there." She glared at me. "You'd do no such thing." I opened her locker more and pushed her back toward it slowly with my body.

"Don't tempt me." She pursued her lips up at me. "As if I'm scared of you." I smiled. "You should be. Because if you in any way, shape or form hurt Bianca I will make you regret it." She glared. "I don't know what you see in that fa.." I put my hand to her mouth. "What did I say, Tina?" She closed her lips and pulled her head back some. "Fine, your threat is heard loud and clear, assface!" She shoved me back and walked off, leaving me to laugh at her as she did.

I shut her locker for her and went off in search for Bianca. I knew she was coming out of drama soon so I headed in that direction. "Jeff! Bianca!" I yelled, jogging to catch up to them. "Should I be jealous you're carrying my girlfriend's books, Jeff?" I laughed. Clearly joking. I wasn't the least bit threatened by Jeff.

Goffredo looked down at me and then back to Dante, shaking his head. "Jealous?" He shook his head. I laughed, playfully glaring at him. "Jamie Grant ran past me, sending them all over everywhere. I seriously looked like a beached whale trying to pick them all up. Goffredo came and saved me." I wrapped my arm around Dante, laying my head against his chest, hugging him to me.

"You did not look like a beached whale." I said, kissing the top of her head and wrapping my arms around her. I looked over at Jeff. "I promise I was just joking. I'd never be jealous of you.. because you don't threaten me.. however, you should avoid being so nice to some guy's girlfriends cause they might not be as nice.. cause guy's are brutal in America when it comes to property. I know us Americans are crazy..." I laughed. "Not that Bianca is my property or anything but..." I laughed, looking back at Bianca.

I looked up at him, my nose crinkled as I giggled softly. "So, you're not staking your claim on me?" I giggled a little bit more. "I'd like to know that I'm yours and not anyone else's." I pretended to pout, shaking my head and looking over at Goffredo.

He laughed shortly, but there was something in his eyes that told me he didn't completely understand. Maybe it was the property thing. I couldn't tell. "I understand, Dante. Italian men are as possessive of the women they love as well. We are a very passionate people. You are Italian, are you not? Of Italian decent?"

I looked up at Dante. Tamara was Italian, and even though the man he got his name from, Castellano, wasn't his father, Jackie was English, or something like that. I knew his family had lived in Germany or Russia or something like that before they moved to America, but he was English of some sort. So, Dante was like half Italian.

"Yep. My mom is full blooded Italian. Both her parents came from Italy actually. And then they had her and she lived here in America her whole life, but yes, I'm Italian. My father, is not. Well, my step dad is, but my biological father isn't." I kissed the top of Bianca's head. "And you already know you're mine." I said with a smirk and looked back at Jeff. "Are all your relatives Italian?"

I blushed, giggling just a little bit as I snuggled my head back against Dante's chest. I looked over with my eyes to listen to Goffredo as he spoke. "Si..." He shook his head, "Uh, Yes. My family are all Italian. Mi mama. Mi papa. Nonna. My grand mother. We are Italian since the beginning of Italy." I was impressed. He could probably name his entire family line back to the dinosaurs. I couldn't name mine past my grandparents, and I haven't seen them in ages. My Durante grandparents lived in San Bernadino, but my Parisi grandparents live in New York and I can't remember ever meeting them. If I did, it must have been when I was a baby, before...

"Damn.." I said laughing. "So what made you wanna come to America?" I asked, rubbing Bianca's back as we came up to my locker and hers. We basically shared one. I opened it up and tossed my bag inside, pulling out my math book as I did.

I reached out to take my books from Goffredo to put them away as he started to tell us why he came here. "Nonna. She thought it would be a good idea for me to see the world, and the most ... logical way for me to do that would be to travel abroad as an exchange student. When I have graduated from an American High School, then I will return to Italia." I pulled out my stuff for family and consumer sciences, even though I didn't need much. Ms. Grint was handing out electronic babies today... As if I really needed one. I've got a real, live one growing in my stomach. I hadn't even told Dante I would be bringing home a doll that cries and needs its diaper changed and all that. I was sure he wasn't going to like it. "I would love to go to Italy." Turning to look at Dante, I batted my eyes coyly. "Someday?"

"Maybe if Jeff doesn't mind we could go back with him when he graduates?" I shrugged. "It could be a fun trip and we could meet your family?" I made sure Bianca was finished before shutting the locker.

I smiled brightly, looking over at Goffredo, looking up at him excitedly. "Would you like that, Jeff? Of course," I rubbed my stomach, giggling softly, "it will be the three of us, by that time. He'll be a year old by then." Jeff nodded, walking with us as we started to head toward our next classes. "That would be great. I know Nonna would delighted to meet all three of you." We stopped by his locker as he started to pull his books out. "How long have you two been together?" he asked, shutting the locker door after pulling out his math book. He had the same book as Dante, so I assumed they had the next class together. "And are you planning on getting married soon? I do not mean to pry into your personal business, but I do find it odd that your brother Jackson is married and you two are having a baby together. It is not a common occurrence for Italian customs for people to be married, or to be having children at such a young age."

"Well, Jeff, Jackson and I are not normal guys. We were whores for a long time... not literally whores.. but we slept around with a lot of girls.. and then the right one came along and snatched us up. As for getting married it's not in my cards. And the baby wasn't planned but he's the best thing that's happened to us." I shrugged, taking Bianca's hand and starting to walk with her and Jeff. "How about you? Would you get married this young if you met the right one?

I turned my head down. I didn't want to be listening to this conversation. He had asked me to marry him. It was the most perfect proposal I had ever seen or even heard of, and I messed it up. I knew now that there was nothing I wanted more than to be his wife, but, especially after what he just said, I was sure it would never happen. I slipped my hand from Dante's, smiling up at him. "I need to use the restroom. Go ahead. I can walk myself to class." I didn't want for a reply before hurrying, or rather waddling quickly off toward the nearest bathroom. I couldn't breathe and I felt like bawling... something I wasn't going to do in front of Dante.

My eyes followed the direction Bianca went off for a moment before turning my attention back to Dante, shrugging my shoulders slightly. "I believe in love. I also believe in marriage. When that right one comes along, whether it is soon or in the future, I will know, and I will not hesitate to make her my bride." I looked back off the direction Bianca had left. "Is she alright? She almost ran away. I did not say anything to offend her, or you, did I?"

"No," I said to Jeff, watching the door Bianca had gone through. "Not you.." I shifted uneasily on my feet and looked at Jeff. "Okay, you and I were friends, right?" I sighed. "Bianca and I were broken up for a while before you came because I asked her to marry me and she turned me down.. so it's a sore subject for us.. it's not your fault. You didn't know.. plus I'm the one who kept it going.. not you so this is my fault." I shrugged.

I let out a heavy breath, shaking my head and rubbing the back of my neck with one hand. "O. Il mio dio. I am sorry for that, Dante. I wish I would have known. I would not have ... what is it, opened my mouth and inserted my foot into it as I did. I apologize, Dante. I do wish I would have known."

"Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault." I tapped his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Promise." I looked back at the door. "Do you mind giving us a little privacy when she comes out? So I can ask her why she got upset? I figure talking things through is better than burying my head in the sand, right?"

I thought about it for a moment, looking over at the door to the restroom and back to Dante. "I have never been in a relationship, in a romantic relationship, but Nonna always say 'Mai eseguito da i tuoi problemi.'" I shrugged my shoulders, letting my head bounce back and forth between my shoulders. "Meaning... Do not run from your troubles. Meet them head on and do not hold back." I hoped that would be good enough for him. He was asking my opinion, right? And he had said we were friends. I was living in his parents home. I hoped we could be friends.

"You're Nonna sounds like a wise woman. Thank you for relaying her advice. I shall deal with my problems head on.. hopefully nobody else but here is in there..." I laughed, gave his shoulder a pat and walked inside the bathroom. "Bianca.." I was hoping like hell nobody else was in here.

I nodded my head, even if I was a bit confused. He wouldn't just ... walk into the female's restroom... I blinked, looking around. What do I do? Block the door and make sure no one goes in? Do I walk away and pretend as though I didn't know he went in there? I decided to do just that. The bell would be ringing soon and I needed to get to class. I could at least give Dante's excuse for not being in class before the bell rang.

My eyes widened from where I was sitting on the floor in the bathroom stall. "Dante?" I asked, shocked he was in here. I knew I shouldn't be shocked he came in after me, but I didn't expect him to. I pulled some toilet paper out from the roll and dried my tears with it before tossing it in the toilet and reaching up to flush it. Looking around, I took a deep breath, letting it go heavily, wishing I would have thought about getting down here before I did. Now how was I going to get up. Closing my eyes, I let go of another sigh, this time more lamented. "Dante... I can't can't get up. I told you. I'm just a big fat beached whale!"

I sighed heavily, walking over to the stall. "I hate when you call yourself names. It pisses me off actually. But since you're obviously upset I won't remind you once again you aren't a whale." I leaned down, picking her up in my arms and carrying her out of the stall. I set her down on the couch in the bathroom, wondering why the girl's had a couch and the guys didn't and sat down next to her. "Wanna tell me why you ran off?"

I couldn't look at him. I didn't want to talk about this. It was bad enough that I had let it affect me so badly, but I didn't want to ruin anything between us. I couldn't say yes to his proposal before, and now he didn't want to marry me anymore. I had lost a part of him I was sure I never wanted, but I knew I really did. "Please don't make me tell you. I'm just letting my emotions or hormones get to me." It wasn't the whole truth, but it hopefully explained why I let what he said hurt me.

I pulled back, looking at her face more clearly. "Is this about the marriage talk? Because that's all I can think of that would have upset you, Bianca."

I closed my eyes, doing my best to will the tears to stay behind my closed lids. "Please, don't, Dante," I barely whispered, shaking my head, lowering my head more toward the ground. I didn't want to do this. Not now. Not feeling like I was.