Ugh. I understand how I might have body image issues. Yes, I know it's complicated. And I tend to make it that way.

When I'm with my friends, I give off a confident air. Maybe even arrogant. Naturally, they assume I don't have any problems with my body. So they literally "play" with my stomach fat. They think it's fun and entertaining. They like to poke it, watch me stick it out and suck it in again...
One time, my friend called out to his other friend, "Look at this! She's fat!"
It helped a little to hear this other boy (a very attractive high school senior, I might add) say, "She looks skinny to me."
"Oh, you'd be surprised."

Now obviously my friends don't mean to hurt me like that. If anything, they pose it as a compliment. They wish they had a stomach like mine.

Why it bothers me is a totally different issue. I'm not a teeny-bopper. I'm not the kind that reads magazines about how to lose five pounds before prom. I'm not even into boys or dating yet. I've got no one to impress but myself. It feels like, god, I'm so close to the person I want to be. But the outer shell does not reflect that.
Or maybe it does... No one really suspects I have this issue.
But regardless, I feel like I should lose some more weight before I'm content.