She continually got a small scowl, sometimes patronizing, whenever I described myself as a freak, or ugly, or bad looking. She conceded that I had a l...ot of physical features that weren't what most people called handsome, but she continually said that ugly, like beauty, was in the eye of the beholder. I finally quit calling myself ugly in her presence, unless I phrased it as 'The Ugly One!' using the tone of Underdog or Mighty Mouse calling out their names. That got her to smile.The name. . The only thing stopping the backwash is a constant flow into my expanding stomach.I’m like a beached whale when my bucket makes a hollow plastic thud on the tile floor, the last mouthful refusing to go down until my stomach makes space. But, hey, it is technically inside my body, right? Apparently, the cheer team agrees, and one of them turns the shower knob, carefully avoiding my aura of stink. The initial burst of icy water doesn’t startle me; I welcome with open arms any clear, untainted. Then the girls were on their way as they headed out the door onto the back deck where the hot tub was.Bill took up his wand again and gave it a flick. All the curtains closed and the lights dimmed. With another flick small colored orbs began floating around the room. Whatever song was playing now suddenly cut off. Everyone looked around the room, and a single shaft of brilliant white light illuminated the woman in the entry way.Her white blonde hair was swept down over one side of her face. .. I don't think I like your dad, either." You sound like David, Frank."Frank frowned, unsure if that was supposed to be a compliment. Oliver's brow knitted, as if he'd become aware that he'd said something wrong. "I wanna go to sleep now, Frank." Alright," Frank replied, sitting up long enough to lean across Oliver and turn off the lamp. He felt Oliver's hand touch his chest as the room grew dark, and placing his palm over it, Frank turned into him and closed his eyes, and then he remembered.