Victoria beckoned Ben, and when he had approached close enough, she pulled him into her lap.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeh, I'm fine" he answered beginning to feel a little embarrassed again.
"Sure?" she asked.
"I think so" he said starting to feel a little worried "Shouldn't I be?" he asked.
"No, no, you should be, I just wanted to make sure" she said "So how did it go? Was it okay?"
He knew what she was referring to, he nodded violently "It was great!" he said with innocent sincerity.
"So are you my little studmuffin now, then?" she asked giving his a squeeze and a kiss on the cheek.
Ben blushed deeply, he frowned at the word 'little', but had no idea at all how to react to the word 'studmuffin'.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
"I'm worried, Keith" said Margaret staring out of the front window, twitching the curtains "They should have been back ages ago"
Keith sat wearily in his chair, a glass of wine in his hand "What time did you say to be back?" he asked.
"Stupidly I didn't, they dashed off so quickly, I just told them not to be late" she said turning back to Keith.
"Maybe they've got lost, they don't really know the area yet" he said "I'll get the car out, drive round and see if I can see them"
"Would you?" she asked "I'm just worried something might have happened. They're usually in by eight at the latest, and it's gone ten already."
Keith forced himself to his feet "They've probably just been having fun playing and lost track of the time" he said picking up his car keys.
"Perhaps you shouldn't" said Margaret.
"I won't be long" he said.
"You've been drinking" she said.
"Half a glass of wine, hardly drinking" he replied, wondering why he hadn't accepted this ready excuse to abort his mission.
"And you're tired" she reminded him.
"Don't remind me" he said.
Margaret's head snapped sideways as she heard the front door open "Oh, thank God!" she said, and her demeanour changed from concern to anger as she strode from the room.
Ben and Amy were taking their shoes off in the hall when Margaret stormed in.
"Where the bloody hell have you been?" she shouted, she never usually swore.
Ben looked up fearfully "Just playing. Sorry mum, forgot the time" he tried to smile appealingly, apologetically.
"I've been worried sick" she said, her relief beginning to get the better of her, and she started to feel like tears were not far away. Ben cringed, but Amy, who knew that Ben would bear the brunt, was still cheerful.
"You're grounded for a month!" she said, staring deliberately at Ben.
"No! Mum!" said Ben, and not wanting to get Amy into trouble, but overwhelmed by the injustice, couldn't help but blurt out "But what about Amy" in a pathetic whine.
"You're supposed to look after her. Now get to bed!" she said firmly.
Ben's face fell, being grounded for a month would be torture, he wouldn't be able to see Alison, play with the gang, and Amy would torment him with half told stories he'd have to drag out of her. And it wasn't even his bedtime yet! Amy went to bed at ten, he stayed up another half hour. He didn't argue.
As Ben turned to stomp furiously up the stairs Margaret smacked him hard on the bottom and he yelped in surprise, and accelerated up the stairs. "And I've a good mind to give you a damned good spanking!" she shouted up after him. Ben pelted for the safety of his room. 'Where the hell had that come from!?' he wondered miserably.
Amy stretched her arms up, gave her mother a hug and kiss "'Night, mum" she said, and ascended the stairs more sedately "'Night, darling" said Margaret.
Keith stood behind Margaret as she watched Amy go. She sensed his closeness and turned towards him and saw his confused expression. "What?" she said a little too sharply.
"Just never seen you hit either of them before, that's all" he said.
"I didn't hit him, I just... He made me so mad" she said, frustrated that she couldn't explain.
Keith took her in his arms and cuddled her. "Look, they're back now. Safe and sound. No need for any more worry." He felt her relax in his arms and he held her a little while.
"And what was all that business about giving him a spanking?" he asked.
Margaret suddenly felt embarrassed, and she clung to Keith, her head buried in his chest so he wouldn't be able to see her face. "Oh it's a long story" she said.
"Why don't you come to bed and tell me all about it?" he said suggestively.
"Keith Davison!" she said "What are you like?"
Ben climbed into bed in his light blue pyjamas, and laid thinking. He couldn't get Alison out of his mind, and his willy burned with desire. He was a chaos of alternating joy and misery as he remembered entering her, and remembering he was grounded for a month. He tossed and turned, too agitated to be able to settle.
Amy settled straight away. Clad in a pink nightie, she lay back and cast her mind back to her lesson with Emily. Trying to remember all the things she'd been taught.
"I'm not going to bother with the top, it's too warm" said Keith, as Margaret watched him slide his pyjama bottoms up over his handsome legs and bottom. She wore a light white cotton nightie, with blue embroidery, and she was beginning to feel amorous. She blamed the wine.
Keith slid into bed beside Margaret, and took her in his arms. He gave her a kiss "So what's been going on then?" he asked.
"Oh, some neighbours came round. Parents of some of the friends Ben and Amy have made" she said.
"Ben's made friends already? Well that's a good thing, you know how shy he is" said Keith.
"I know. I met one of them actually, Paul, he seemed really nice" she said.
"So... maybe we're over-reacting a little bit" he said, giving her a kiss to pre-empt any reproof.
Margaret sighed "You mean he should just get away with it?" she said.
"No, just that grounding him's probably not the best thing right now. If he's just made some new friends I think we should be encouraging that, give him a chance to get to know them. Otherwise, by the time he starts school, they'll probably have forgotten him" he said.
Margaret saw the sense in his argument, knew he was right, but still felt Ben should be punished.
"Then what? We can't just let him off scot free" she said.
"Well give him some extra chores. We can restrict his freedom a bit, cut his pocket money, but leave him some, otherwise he's going to be a bit disadvantaged with his new friends. Enforce a strict curfew at night" suggested Keith.
"He's not going out at night again" she said.
"Don't be hasty. So long as he's back at a respectable time" he said.
"He's already shown he can't be trusted to do that" she said.
"That's unfair Margaret, come on" he said gently "You said yourself, he's always back by eight, he's never let us down before. It was just this once. And I'm sure it was just the excitement of playing with his new friends. He'll know better next time."
"Perhaps I did over-react a bit" she said "I shouldn't have smacked him."
"You were worried. I'll bet it was just the relief. It was probably supposed to be an affectionate pat and before you knew it your anger turned it into something else" he said sympathetically.
"No, I think it was the neighbours" she said.
"What did they have to do with it?" he said surprised.
"We were talking, and it turns out that most of the parents round here use corporal punishment on their kids" she said.
"That's barbaric!" he said.
"That's what I thought at first, but when they explained, it didn't sound that way, it didn't sound that way at all" she said.
"I can't see how teaching your children that violence is the way to solve problems is anything but barbaric" he said.
"I know that, but... you had to be there, they were really nice, and I have no doubt that they love their children and want what's best for them" she said.
"Which doesn't mean they're not misguided" he said.
"Anyway, I think that probably put the idea into my head" she said "It wasn't an accident though Keith. I was so angry, I wanted to hit him."
"I know that feeling!" said Keith "I've wanted to myself on many an occasion, but that doesn't make it right. Anyway, let's be honest, that's got a lot more to do with our anger and wanting to take it out on someone than administering effective discipline."
Margaret nodded, then "Oh! While I remember, we've been invited to a party, to meet the great and the good of the neighbourhood."
"When?" he asked.
"Depends on you really, when will you be free?" she asked.
"I shouldn't have to do any more evenings for a while, so anytime really, although the weekend might be best" he said.
"I'll suggest Saturday then" she said making a mental note.
"But..." he said "In lieu of this evening, I don't have to go in until late tomorrow... so we could have a lie in..."
"Except I have to be up because the kitchen men will be here early" she said.
Keith sighed disappointedly, then gave Margaret a kiss "Better make the most of the time we've got then" he said, sliding a hand up her nightie.
"Stop it!" she exclaimed "The kids'll still be awake" and she pushed his hand down again.
"Bugger the kids, what about me?" he said "If they have any questions they can always ask at breakfast" he said with a wicked grin.
"And it's about time you had a talk with Ben" said Margaret changing the subject.
"About what?" he asked.
"You know what!" she said.
"Oh they do that in school nowadays" he said not relishing the task.
"Perhaps they do, but I'd rather it was done properly" she said firmly.
"He probably knows all about it anyway, you know what playground gossip's like" he said trying to change her mind.
"Ben!? Don't make me laugh, you know how shy he is, he wouldn't get involved in that kind of talk" she said.
"You don't know boys very well do you?" he said "He's not far off thirteen, you know."
"I might not know boys very well, but I do know Ben, and he's as innocent as a baby. And you know it" she said, adding "Unlike his father."
Keith kissed her again, and attempted a second seduction. Margaret yielded.
Ben was startled by a blaze of light from the landing. It disappeared as quickly as it came, and he rolled over too see what was coming. He expected his light to be flicked on, and through his blindness see his angry mother stood there tapping her foot. He wondered if she could have been serious about her threat to spank him, and he clenched his buttocks in fear and remembered that he had forgotten one of the gang's fundamental rules. He hadn't washed his willy. The idea of his mother seeing his willy at all was utterly mortifying, but polluted by his activities this evening, he was sure he would simply die from the shame.
"Who's there?" he said peering into the darkness when no light came on. He heard soft padding footsteps.
"Sshhh! It's me" said Amy.
"What do you want?" asked Ben, she never came into his room at night.
"You promised" she said tugging at his bedcovers.
"What are you doing? Promised what?" he exclaimed, confused.
"Let me in" she said "You promised to let me play with your willy."
"Oh God, no! Amy, please... It'd be bad enough already, but if mum catches us I'll be a billion before I'm allowed out again" he pleaded.
"She won't" she confided in a whisper and finally wrenching the covers from his grasp. She climbed into bed beside him even as he tried to push her out "They're doing it!"
"Doing what, get out!" he said harshly.
"It!" said Amy "And stop pushing me" she whined "Or I'm going to tell" she took a deep breath "Mu..." she began knowing Ben only too well.
He clamped a hand over her mouth quickly. "You'll get into trouble" he said.
"You'll get into more" she replied pushing his hand away.
"Alright" he said defeated, and rolled onto his back. "What are you on about anyway?" he asked sullenly.
"Mum and dad" she said "Sex!"
"Don't be stupid!" he said innocently.
"They are I heard them" she said.
"They wouldn't do that, they're too old" he said "And anyway, how would you know?" and then "And anyway that's disgusting!"
"I saw them" she said.
"You didn't!" he said.
"I heard them first, then I had a peek. They were, just like Paul and Wendy did" she said.
"Bugger me!" said Ben trying to get the thought out of his head "That's horrible, Amy, and you shouldn't be spying"
"I wasn't spying" she said "I was peeking"
Ben made a disgusted guttural sound and shivered.
"So, let's see it then!" said Amy.
"See what?" said Ben.
"You're hopeless" she said "Your willy, silly" and then she giggled. Ben clamped his hand over her mouth again.
"No. Another time. It's too dark anyway, you won't be able to see anything" he said.
"What about your torch?" she asked.
"What torch?" he countered, wondering quite how nosy Amy really was.
"The one you keep under you bed" she said. Ben sighed, realising his sister must be the nosiest person in the world and he wondered if he had any secrets at all.
"You can't" he said quickly "It's broken."
Amy rolled onto her front and leaned out of bed, her arm flailing back and forth underneath. Ben turned his head with a frown. He realised he had not really known Amy at all these past few years, but obviously she had known him. He couldn't help noticing that as she leaned out of the bed her bottom was sticking out from under the covers, and where her nightie had ridden up, in the pale light from the window, he could just make out two faintly shining moons. He looked away quickly, blushing.
"Here it is" she declared cheerfully, and she flicked the switch. A beam of light appeared. "I've fixed it" she said equally cheerfully, playing the light on the bed, and then kicking the bed covers down.
"You'll have to pull your pyjama bottoms down" she said in a businesslike way. Ben didn't move. "I can do it if you like" she said and pulled on the elasticated waistband. "I'll do it" he said sulkily pushing her hands away. She sat up and peered down at him as he drew his knees up and pushed his pyjama bottoms down his legs. He stayed like that, protecting himself as long as possible.
"Legs down" she said as if she was asking him to pass the salt.
Ben lowered his legs slowly, burning with shame. Amy focused the torch on his now limp willy. "It's quite nice" she said quietly "But not as nice as Paul's".
She took it in her hand, causing Ben to jump "Don't do that" he exclaimed "You're my sister!"
Amy regarded him with patience, having fully expected, that as a boy, Ben would be difficult. "You promised I could play with it, not just see it" she said calmly "I just want to see what it looks like again when it's hard" she said massaging him while trying to keep the torch centred.
Ben sighed miserably, lying back and closing his eyes, hoping she would get bored soon.
"I bet you don't complain like this when Alison touches it" she said.
"But she's NOT my sister" he said sharply.
Ben couldn't help himself. At the mention of Alison's name his mind flew back to the memory of her touch, and he grew rapidly to full size.
"That's better, now I can see properly" said Amy. She tugged it this way and that as she played the torch round it. "Paul's is definitely nicer, but yours is nice too" she said, releasing him suddenly.
Ben felt that he had now done enough to keep his promise and quickly grabbed for his pyjama bottoms. Surprised there was no complaint from Amy, he dragged them swiftly up his legs, and pulled the bedcovers over his head. He mumbled something inaudible.
Amy switched the torch off, quickly tossed it back under the bed, and disappeared under the covers too. "What did you say?" she whispered.
"I said why are you being so mean to me?" he whined, feeling very sorry for himself.
"Am I?" she asked, a little surprised.
"Yes" he said emphatically "You are."
Amy pondered briefly. "I thought boys liked it" she said quietly.
"No they don't" he said.
She pondered again "I thought it was just them being silly. They're always silly to start with, but they like it in the end."
"No they don't" said Ben.
"They do, really, they just like to pretend they don't" she said.
Ben lay still, wondering.
"You were silly to start with weren't you" said Amy trying to reassure herself "with Alison I mean, but you didn't look silly when Emily and I came back"
Ben considered this for a little while, still silent.
"It looked like Benny Wenny was all in luvvy wuvvy" she said trying to provoke a response.
"So you don't really hate me?" he asked weakly.
She threw her arms around him "Of course not, silly, you're my big brother. You're the best boy in the whole world"
Ben couldn't help but smile and feel relieved.
"Well... the second best anyway" she added deflating his ego a little. He didn't need to ask who had just been promoted above him.
"What happened with Emily then?" he asked.
"We went next door" she started.
"I know that bit" he said.
"Are you going to keep interrupting again?" she asked, mimicking her mum's tone when she got cross.
"No" he said.
"Well don't, or you'll get a damned good spanking" she said in the same tone, then fell to giggles. Ben blushed again "Shut up! She didn't mean it... it was just... something she said."
"Alright" said Alison recovering herself with some difficulty "She told me we'd have to both get undressed, and that she was going to be touching me, and I'd have to touch her, and asked if that was okay. I said it was, and we got undressed, so she got me to lie on the floor then started touching me."
"Where?" asked Ben. Amy gave him a reproving look "Alright, alright, I'll be quiet" he said.
"All over. She asked me to relax and just see how it felt, so she did that for a while, then did it again and asked me what was nice and what wasn't and I told her. And she said it was important that I remember so when I'm with a boy, or another girl..."
"Another girl? What did she mean?" asked Ben forgetting his promise.
"Okay, if you interrupt again I'm going to be allowed to spank you" she said.
Ben opened his mouth to object but she held up a warning finger and he closed it again.
"Girls can have sex with girls apparently, like boys can with boys..." said Amy.
Ben was about to point out that that wasn't possible because girls didn't have willies, but he thought better of it and remained silent, eyes boggling.
"I'll come back to that bit" she said enjoying her new found knowledge.
"Then she said I had to know about girl parts, you know, down there" she said without gesturing "So she lay back and showed me hers, pointing stuff out and explaining so I could see properly. "
Ben wished he could have seen Emily like that.
"She showed me everything! With her legs wide open, and she pulled herself open and everything" she teased him, sensing his excitement. "So then she made me lie down again and pointed it all out again, showing me what she was talking about by touching me, so I could know what all my bits were. So after we'd done all that, she said we could do boys another time, probably with you" Amy said making this last part up to worry him, and he nearly interrupted again, before remembering.
"But, she said if I wanted, she could show me how two girls had sex. So we did and practised the stuff she'd said, figuring out what I liked and everything and telling her. We did that for a bit and then came back to see you all doey eyed with Alison."
Ben wondered if she had finished, and whether he could speak without it being considered an interruption yet.
She stared at him, waiting to see if he'd pluck up the courage. He opened his mouth, and when she didn't give him any warning signs he asked "So how do two girls have sex then?" he asked.
"The same as a boy and girl" she said.
"But they can't" he said sceptically.
"Yes they can. All the stuff you'd do, like kissing and stroking, and playing with a girl's yoni, a girl can do."
"What's a yoni?" asked Ben.
"It's a fanny" said Amy "Emily doesn't like 'fanny' or 'pussy', so she calls it a yoni" she said sagely.
"Oh" he said.
"So you can do all that stuff, and the licking and stuff too" she giggled and Ben's face reddened again "Like you did with Alison" she added.
"How do you know" he asked.
"Alison told Emily, gave her a complete report apparently. Emily told me" said Amy gleefully.
"What did she say about me? Alison I mean" asked Ben suddenly concerned.
"She... said... you... were........" she teased.
Ben tickled her and she giggled raucously. Ben froze and hoped the covers had muted the sound enough his parents hadn't heard.
"Shhhhh! Tell me what she said!" he demanded.
"I can't shush and tell you, you'll have to make your mind up" she replied playfully.
"Just tell me" he said, maddening quickly.
"Alright then. You want to know what Alison said?" Amy said drawing it out as much as she could.
"Yes" said Ben sharply.
"About you?" she asked.
"You're being horrible again. Stop it!" he complained looking hurt. She patted him on the arm gently.
"She said you were lovely and wonderful and she really liked you and you were the best thing that's happened to the gang for ages..."she paused "Which is a bit mean really..."
"And?" pleaded Ben, his ego swelling.
"And lots of stuff. You've got the best bum, an adorable willy, and when you're scared or embarrassed you've got the cutest expression, and she can't wait to have sex with you tonight."
Ben's mind fell back into that euphoric post-coital pride he'd experienced and he felt twelve feet tall. His willy appeared to have no intentions of going to sleep any time soon.
"So what was it like?" she asked.
"Amazing" he said in a long sigh.
"How amazing?" she asked, ever curious.
"Just... I can't explain... it's the most amazing thing, like you could never imagine" his face becoming angelic and demonic at the same time.
"But what did it feel like" she said persisting.
"I don't know. Like... it's not like anything. It's completely different. You'll have to wait and see" he said.
"Maybe tomorrow" she said dreamily "With Paul" she added even more dreamily.
"You might not be allowed to" said Ben "Alison wasn't for ages."
"Only because Emily's her sister, and she said no" said Amy.
"You're my sister and I'll say no" he said.
"No you won't, 'cos I'm more senior for starters, and... you're not going to be there, not for a month" she said.
Ben remembered his grounding and he nearly wept. Amy regretted her comment instantly. She saw Ben's grief struck face, and his lower lip begin to tremble. She put her arms round him again "It won't be that long" she said trying to cheer him up.
"It will, it'll be a billion zillion years" he said as a tear rolled down his cheek.
"I'll think of something" she said "I'll come up with a plan, you know I can, I did before."
Ben wanted to believe her.
"I will, Ben, I promise" she said "I'll think of something"
He wanted to believe her. So he did. He started to smile again. "Thanks, Amy. You're not so bad after all" he said giving her a hug. She hugged him back.
"You'd better get back to bed" he said.
"I'm in bed" she replied.
"No, your bed. You can't stay here" he said, alarmed at the thought of being caught.
"Spoilsport" she said, as she emerged from the covers and climbed out bed.
"'Night, Amy" he said.
"'Night, Ben" she replied as she padded softly to the door.
Continued in Chapter Twenty Two