Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >The Pool Girl by Leto Armitage Chapter 47 -Hey, stay in your lane! - Zahra struck my pen with hers as I was eating a grape gummy baby. -They -(TM)re all my lanes, and yours, that -(TM)s the point. - She stuck her tongue out at me. I looked down at the paper. I had used the lines of a legal pad to hash even spaces on a manilla envelope and then that to create vertical lines on the legal pad. The result was improvised graph paper. She was looking carefully at the grid of Xs. -So are you and Pops really going to the movies next week? - -Yeah, Lavi and Melissa are both doing a club thing. You -(TM)re going too right? - -Yeah. - -And he wanted to go see -~Run Lola Run -(TM) at the Nickelodeon. How could I refuse, it -(TM)s a classic. - She looked at me. -Classic? No one has ever heard of that movie, literally. - -It was a big movie when it came out ... uh, probably a few years before you were born. - -Literally no one. I think the people who made that movie have forgotten they made it. - I stuck my tongue out at her. Clarence was next to us at the table in the tiny conference room. He ignored us while looking through his papers. I looked at my watch and then Clarence, -So they wanted to move the meeting up but they can -(TM)t show up on time? Is this some passive-aggressive-alpha-display thing? - Clarence shrugged. -Maybe. I really did need to meet here though. I have a meeting right at noon upstairs. - Upstairs was a floor of offices. The first floor, which we were on, was a mixture of meeting rooms and flex spaces. People sat at long tables using laptops just a few feet from us. -Your office is here? - -Yeah, I rent an office and get communal use of meeting rooms like this. I think they meant for tech startups to use it but all I need is an office so it -(TM)s great for me. - A knock on the glass door behind me took me by surprise. I turned to see Principal Escobar and a slightly overweight fellow in a grey suit whose face looked like it smiled once and regretted it. His thick glasses declared a dual rejection of both fashion and common sense. Clarence motioned the newcomers to enter and they did, squeezing in around the small table. Zahra had to lean towards me to give them room. I saw Escobar -(TM)s eyes track Zahra as he entered. Clarence waited until everyone was seated and made introductions. -This is Robert Oxburn, the school system -(TM)s lead counsel. This is Robert Carlo and his medical assistant Zahra Tahan. - At her name, Oxburn -(TM)s right eye twitched towards the papers he was holding as if he wanted to look at them but it was just a split-second reaction and he was back to us. Clarence was turning on the recording device. He quickly gave the date and each person present. I held up the plastic bag from the table, -Gummy baby? - Escobar said nothing and Oxburn seemed to be making a decision. -No, no thank you, - he said. -You sure? They -(TM)re Tavener -(TM)s, the best. - I shook the bag. -No. - He held out his hand to me. I put the bag down and took it. -Call me Bob. - -Sounds good, I -(TM)m Robert. - -Hey! - Zahra waved cheerily. -I -(TM)m Zahra. Ignore me, I -(TM)m just here to keep Robert from injuring himself doing something stupid. - -Hey, I -(TM)m allowed to lift up to five pounds with my right arm now. - -But you can -(TM)t drive and can -(TM)t lift for extended periods. - -Both true but... - I held up the bag of sweets, -an entire bag of gummy babies is less than one pound and getting lighter all the time. - I ignored Escobar and grinned at Oxburn. Bob Oxburn ignored Escobar too while Escobar kept looking at him. Clarence was right, it was Oxburn we were really dealing with. -Sorry to hear you -(TM)re recovering from ... an injury? - He was being polite but seemed genuinely curious. -Yeah, I got stabbed in the shoulder by muggers on a family trip. Fortunately, I didn -(TM)t aggravate it when Chris Barrington assaulted me. - No eye twitch at that. He knew that name well since Lavi -(TM)s suit centered around him. Oxburn started looking at papers. -I -(TM)m glad you -(TM)re on the mend. Let -(TM)s get to the point. - -Good, good. - Clarence clasped his hands together. -My goal today is to move us to a resolution that benefits everyone. - Mr. Oxburn looked up. -Before we begin, I -(TM)d like to ask Ms. Tahan to leave. - I started to draw another grid. -She -(TM)s my medical assistance, she stays. - -I don -(TM)t think she -(TM)s a nurse, - Oxburn replied. I didn -(TM)t bother looking at him, -Nor does she have to be. Just more prudent than me which as it turns out isn -(TM)t too hard. - -She shouldn -(TM)t even be with you! - Escobar snarled. Ah, there it was. I wasn -(TM)t even going to have to needle him to get it. I looked at him. -Why? - -Why what? - -Why shouldn -(TM)t she be with me? Her father is a friend and she is friends with my girlfriends. - -And I -(TM)m your friend, - she said. I nodded to her. -Thank you. - She held up her hand for a fist bump. I supplied it. Escobar seemed to sense that the water might be getting deeper the further he walked away from shore but he headed out anyway. -She is a young woman with an older man. - I feigned complete ignorance of his implication. -Is driving together really an issue? - Zahra replied with sugary innocence. -I drive an automatic. If I was wearing a skirt maybe and using a clutch I could imagine something immodest but I don -(TM)t wear skirts, not without leggings, and I drive an automatic. - I nodded in agreement. -Exactly. So, that doesn -(TM)t make sense. - Escobar -(TM)s face was scrunching up. Oxburn seemed to know when to not let his client respond and cut in. -Let -(TM)s return to the topic at hand please, I know that Clarence has a meeting promptly after ours. - -Absolutely, thank you, Bob. - Clarence was all smiles. -There is just one matter to clarify. I understand there was a meeting between Mr. Tahan and Principal Escobar recently and that it was pertinent to this case. That might be causing some of Principal Escobar -(TM)s confusion. - Oxburn did not look at his papers. He swung his eyes towards Escobar who coughed before awkwardly starting. Clearly he hadn -(TM)t briefed Oxburn on this. Clarence began handing out the signed statements from June and Yussef to Oxburn. He didn -(TM)t bother giving copies to Escobar. And so it began. There was a lot of talking. I started the new game of Tic-Tac-Tower with Zahra. I had designed it in middle school with a buddy as something we could play silently in the back of classes. I had realized we could play it today when I discovered we had one black, one blue, and one red pen with us. The grid and Xs were in black, her towers in blue and mine in red. As we started a new game I listened to the lawyers talk. I learned that the school resource officer had confirmed for Escobar that I was a person of interest in an investigation, which surprised me. So, Escobar hadn -(TM)t been as reckless as I had thought. Clarence skipped the fake smile and grinned as he looked at Oxburn now, -You may want to have your resource officer re-check. Robert was a person of interest but definitely isn -(TM)t any longer. - Escobar leaned in, -What happened? - Clarence spread his hands. -Ask the police or the district attorney -(TM)s office. I understand they are putting charges together. I for one am not going to spread around things that should come from them. But ... I do know my client is not part of it. - Escobar scowled. -How do we know this isn -(TM)t claptrap? - I was ready to stand up and have it out with this fuck wit but silently dug my toes into my shoes since I couldn -(TM)t ball my fists without them seeing. I returned to my game. I was close to capturing six markers in a row but Zahra wasn -(TM)t giving me an inch. Clarence said, -Melissa Milton has cooperated with the police and supplied them information that has helped them, information that she had been unaware would be of use to them or she would have taken it to them sooner. Unfortunately, some parties may have delayed the police -(TM)s investigation by providing spurious information that delayed their investigation. - I tuned it out and stared at the grid. Zahra was catching on quickly. Maybe we should just jump to an 11 x 11 grid next. It was a few minutes later when Clarence tapped the table next to me to get my attention. -Robert? - -Sorry, yes? - -How would you feel about a letter written to explain the school -(TM)s position making it clear - -No. - Oxburn, -No? - -No. I want an apology from the coach at a game, just like where it started. - Oxburn focused his puffy face at me. -That is an extraordinary request from someone who doesn -(TM)t seem all that interested in proceedings. - -I -(TM)m not interested in the proceedings, only the results. - I put my pen down. -You know, I feel like you -(TM)re not understanding what is happening here. - He folded his arms. -Educate me. - -I win. That -(TM)s it. Either I win now or later. - -You seem very sure of yourself. - I laughed. He looked like he considered me in the same zoological category as animals you routinely found run over on the road. -I don -(TM)t see what is funny. - I let the laughter carry into my voice. -You think this is somehow about Melissa and Lavi -(TM)s life at the school. No, no, - I waved my hands around, -this is a slander case, this is about the harm a school employee is doing to me and I can wait. Heck, maybe it would be best to let everyone testify after they -(TM)ve graduated and they don -(TM)t have to deal with Richardson or each other anymore. Yeah, that sounds good to me. - -You have to prove harm for slander Mr. Carlo and by then the young women will have graduated. There certainly won -(TM)t be any ongoing argument for your position. - -I hope that -(TM)s not your ace card. Plenty of things can happen off school grounds, say by creating a perception in a young man that he should act out violently. - -You -(TM)re stretching. - Oxburn stopped talking when Clarence held up his hand. -Actually, Bob, I have a deposition here from Mrs. Barrington. She is asking the DA to not pursue charges against her son, Chris, in exchange for getting her son some anger management therapy. She has said that he fixated on comments from school staff and that gave his anger a direction. - Escobar sneered at Clarence, -I -(TM)ll bet you helped her out with that. - -I have the meeting recorded, Vincent, I asked about influences in his environment and she supplied everything without prompting. And she signed the transcript. - Oxburn didn -(TM)t waver. -That won -(TM)t prove anything. - Clarence shrugged and made it look smug. -I -(TM)m willing to bet a judge will at least let us pursue it in court and bring testimonies relevant to it. We will establish character, intent, and impact. - -We could be talking about a case that would take several years to resolve. - I locked eyes with Oxburn. -Sure. See, I -(TM)ve had a revelation. I -(TM)ve had this big stick in my hands but I -(TM)ve been sitting around feeling grumpy because I don -(TM)t like handing my life over to lawyers. I -(TM)m past that now. I -(TM)ve been looking at it all wrong. So, Clarence, I -(TM)m giving you a blank check to bill me. I want to be in court for so long that the bailiffs end up on my Christmas card list. - Oxburn, -Nice speech but really? You think a lawyer who specializes in evictions and job grievances will get you there? - -Mr. Oxburn, Clarence is not an ambulance chaser. He -(TM)s good. His main limitation is being a single man and his time. But for this he has the legal research services of Kozinaki -(TM)s law firm open to him at no cost. - Oxburn straightened his back a little at that. Obviously, that was a surprise to him. -I thought Mr. Kozinski was only representing Mrs. Heller. - Clarence smiled. -He is but he -(TM)s decided to make paralegals available pro-bono on other cases with overlapping interest along with the services available of their legal research department. The lawyer looked like he wanted to growl at us. -I see. - Clarence smiled. -It can be real easy to make this go away, Bob. - I leaned back in my chair. -I -(TM)m told the judge will want to hear that we made a good-faith effort. Here is my good faith, give me Richardson -(TM)s apology at a school football game. Then reinstate the dance program. Finally, stay away from me. Make no mistake when we get to court I will fill up the trial with every cheerleader, every parent, and every football player to share everything related to Richardson -(TM)s representation of me and then have them relate every story that establishes character, context, and intent. And there are some doozies. - Zahra snorted in agreement and helpfully nodded. Oxburn looked at me. -Are you quite done? - -Nah, not quite. One question for Escobar. - He was fidgeting with his tie. -Yes? - -Did you discuss with your school resource officer the discussions you had with June Combes and Yusseff Tahan? - Clarence made the unnecessary but dramatic gesture of rotating the recorder to make sure that the microphone was pointed at Escobar. Escobar cleared his throat. -I think I should discuss this with my counsel before I address it. - -Good enough, - I said. Clarence seemed giddy. -So, gentlemen, do you have an offer, or do you want to sit ... oh, I meant sleep on it? - Oxburn stood and put out his hand. -Thank you for this illuminating meeting. I will contact you next week. - I looked at him. -Let me know by Tuesday at close of business if I need to cancel the courier picking up the papers to file. He will pick up the papers from Clarence Wednesday morning if I don -(TM)t cancel it. - Clarence nodded. -Yeah, they -(TM)re ready to go. Robert insisted. But Bob, seriously, let -(TM)s make this go away. You have a lot more serious things to deal with than one teacher -(TM)s mouth. - -I will respond with your decision in time. - -Better make it 4:30, - I said. -Adam runs a little early sometimes. - -Thank you, gentlemen. - Oxburn quickly made his way out. They left and I looked at Clarence. -So, what do you think? - -Well, schools are always targets so he can -(TM)t afford to look vulnerable but a nasty trial, that won -(TM)t be good either. He is good at his job, he will first and foremost want to protect the school. This will hurt Richardson -(TM)s career. If she was hoping to ever become assistant principal or something, this will make it hard for people to take her seriously so part of it will depend on if the school wants to go to bat for her. I suspect Oxburn is going to bring others in for a group decision. - -Makes sense, less personal responsibility that way. - -Exactly. - Clarence made his goodbyes and headed upstairs. I looked at Zahra. -Lunch? I saw a food truck on the way in, advertising Gouda grilled cheese. - We both got ham and Gouda grilled cheese sandwiches. I had been tempted to get the tomato soup too but it seemed too awkward to carry it. I had imagined we would go to a nearby park to eat but Zahra complained about the heat and suggested we eat in the car with the AC on. We got in the car and she reached up to the white headscarf she was wearing. She looked at me. -We can be cool about this, right? - For a second I thought she was talking about the air conditioning. -Yeah, I -(TM)m not going to rat you out to your dad. - -Brilliant. - She took the scarf off and let her hair fall down. It was brown and I noticed decorations in it, half a dozen tiny green stones on hair clips. -The stones are pretty. - She smiled. -They -(TM)re jade. My mom had a bunch of decorative hairpins and wearing them reminds me of her. - -Your dad told me a little about her, he sounds like he misses her too. - She nodded and lifted her hair letting her neck get cool air. -Marriage in my country is different. Here everyone talks about fairytale romances. Back home it -(TM)s more like business contracts, not that love doesn -(TM)t happen but it -(TM)s not the top priority for a lot of people. They really were in love though. - -Would your Dad really get upset with you about your hair being down? - -Really? Yes and no, I think. Pops is like two people, there -(TM)s Pops and then the Patriarch and the head of the family has to be a certain man. Pops wouldn -(TM)t want me showing off in public but there are families that are more relaxed around family and Pops thinks of you as family. - -Really? - She took a bite of the sandwich so I followed and did the same. -Yeah, Pops doesn -(TM)t have many friends. He likes it here but most of the people he knows are other academics and it seems there is always some political subtext to everything at a university. It -(TM)s dreadsville, like a horror movie where everyone is trying to kill each other one tiny cut at a time. - -But you said that was -~Pops -(TM) - what about the Patriarch? - She allowed a quick sigh to escape... -Well, the Patriarch isn -(TM)t cool with anything. He maintains standards, especially his first wife -(TM)s. - -I thought the man set the rules. - Zahra nodded, chewed and then said. -And if you find anywhere that is that simple let me know. Now, she will absolutely agree with that statement if you ask her if the man is in charge and then she will make it utterly and in high def clear what those rules are or, so help you, Jesus -(TM)s second coming won -(TM)t be soon enough to save you. Trust me; I know. - -Can -(TM)t Yussef put his foot down and say she can -(TM)t say how things will be for you? - She shrugged. -Sure, but the Patriarch has to look after a lot of things. I don -(TM)t have siblings through my mom but plenty of half ones and you don -(TM)t put all those kids through college on a professor -(TM)s salary. Her family has deep pockets though and they make annual gifts to Pops. The big one is coming up in a couple years though. - -Big one? - -Remember what I said about contracts? My half brother, Yussef the younger, will graduate with his law degree in two years. Way back when they married the dowry was like a down payment. This, a son by his first wife who will be a respectable man - that is payment on receipt baby. Pops will get a gift from her family that will set him up. - -If they have so much power over your dad I -(TM)m surprised they don -(TM)t just set the rules. - She grinned. -Well, he is still the head of his family and honestly you -(TM)ve not seen Pops when he goes full professor. When there is a big family gathering he will read from biblical sources in original Greek, talk about translation and the old folks eat it with a spoon. Tradition is big, our families are of old Turkish bloodlines that go way, way back. But our country is mostly Muslim so pride in being Christian is big. - -So, let me put it together. - -Go for it. - -A kid from an old respected family, but no money, asks to marry the daughter of a really rich family. - -Technically my gramps, his dad did, but yeah. And oil-money rich, by the way, - Zhara added. -No shit? - She nodded in mock solemnity. -I swear by the moon and stars. - -So, he probably would be shown the door but he was already a scholar at that point. Published a book, maybe? - She nodded in agreement as she chewed. -So, they get even more respectable, and down the road the new son and the daughter put out a super respectable product of their union. That matters? - -Oh yeah. Men are everything there. Your husband ... well, he could croak or become an arsehole and kick you out or who knows. But your loving son? That -(TM)s security. He can take the role the husband used to. And my big bro -(TM)s prospects are pretty much lunar orbit high right now. - -Not to be the ugly American or anything but the women needing a man to be their, uh, keeper or something, that sounds kind of fucked up. - -There are plenty of fucked up things here too. But, it -(TM)s not like I -(TM)m looking forward to going back. - -Why would you go back? - -Holidays. It is, literally, the worst. And once I graduate it may be for good. Dad -(TM)s visiting position at the uni will be up. Dad and I have been trying to figure out how I can stay here but visas and everything are a pain since I -(TM)m not a citizen and I don -(TM)t turn 18 until after I graduate so it -(TM)s a nightmare. They really want me to marry but going to school would add time to the clock. - -So, they -(TM)re not trying to turn you into a broodmare. - -It -(TM)s not THAT bad though it feels like it at times. - -Well, let -(TM)s head back. Are you staying all afternoon? - -Yeah, I gotta watch your silly person. Besides, I got a text. Sounds like the girls want to gather up for a pre-party planning session tonight so you might get an extra dose of estrogen tonight. - -Bring it on. - Chapter 48 By the time we got back to the house, it was after 1 o -(TM)clock. I headed downstairs to work and Zahra went to the living room to watch television. It was after 4 when I finally finished work. Every day survey people were sending me new data that I had to update predictive models with. It seemed like they were trying to find out how many ways to ask me the same questions. Thinking dark thoughts I came upstairs to hear an angel screaming -WHY!!??! - I entered the living room to find Melissa sitting on the floor in front of the couch, her head thrown back looking up at me. With puppy dog eyes she asked, -Why can -(TM)t I win? - I looked at the television. I didn -(TM)t own a Nintendo console but apparently, one had been installed and a game I had never played but recognized, Mario Kart, was on the screen. Grace, Lavi, Coraline, and Jiang sat around. Coraline was holding a controller and grinning. Ji and Lavi also held controllers but Coraline -(TM)s self-satisfaction told the story. -Five games, - Melissa said, -five games! - Lavi stood, -I -(TM)m getting the wine to fucking celebrate. - Melissa sat up to look at her. -Really? I -(TM)m getting my ass kicked and you -(TM)re going to celebrate? - Lavi turned, curly hair flying one hand on her hip. -I haven -(TM)t beat you at a game since I was 15. I don -(TM)t say this often but I -(TM)m living vicariously! - Mellissa groaned. -She -(TM)s using steroids! - I leaned over and kissed her, -Don -(TM)t be a sore loser. - I stood up. -So, Zahra said there was a conclave. Anything going on? - Ji, bounced up and down a little, -Well, we were talking and Zahra was giving us the low down on the meeting this morning and we were talking about the party tomorrow and then Grace was texting us and we said get over here and she was at a planning meeting for the high tea and Coraline was there and the party will be awesome but it -(TM)ll be a lot of people and it has been ages since we had something just us girls and - Grace held up a hand, -Girl, take a breath! - I realized I had gotten fairly used to Ji -(TM)s run-on monologues when she got excited. -So, pre-party? - Melissa, -Better. - Lavi walked in with two bottles and Zahra carrying glasses. -Slumber party! With booze! - Melissa looked at me. -But, slumber parties are a girls-only thing. And obviously, that -(TM)s a bit of a problem. - -So, I -(TM)m exiled. - She was still laying back and looking up at me. -No! Just, you know, we need you to stay upstairs. - -I can do that. - -Are you sure? - -Are you kidding? I -(TM)m going to sleep sideways just because I can. - Truthfully what I really wanted was to spend time with my beloveds but I tried to not let it show. They deserved to have fun with their friends. Grace leaned back, -It -(TM)s so weird but you two are the first to live with someone else. - Lavi sat on the couch. -You mean each other. - -Nah, - Grace waved a hand, -that we all were waiting for. All of this, making a house and stuff, it changes things, it -(TM)s not like being kids anymore. - Ji shrugged. -None of us are. - -Yeah, I just ... I guess I just figured that when we left high school, or maybe college, that was when we had to be adults. - Melissa stroked my hand as I held onto the back of the couch. Looking at me, -You sure you -(TM)re alright? - -It -(TM)s a bedroom with a television, not Siberia, seriously not a big deal. - Ji held up her phone, -And if you need anything just text us and we -(TM)ll bring it up. - Lavi, -Ji means she will come. - She emphasized -~come. -(TM) They tried to not respond to it and three full heartbeats of silence followed but Melissa cracked. -Oh, that was bad Lavi! - With that everyone relaxed. Ji excused herself since she was making pizzas for dinner. Lavi started selecting horror movies for the slumber party. The pizza wouldn -(TM)t be ready for a while so I heated up some carnitas and grilled some onions lightly to make little tacos with. I couldn -(TM)t cut meat yet but I could do a few light things. I ate on the couch as the whirlwind started. Sleeping bags were being put down. Blankets and pillows appeared from nowhere. Coraline was on the phone with her parents letting her know she was doing an unplanned slumber party. I looked at Melissa, -So, am I going to regret missing a lingerie party? - She stole one of my tacos. -It -(TM)s more sweat pants than garter belts... - she trailed off and I looked where she was looking. Lavi was buying a movie called Bush Bash. She was buying it from one of the big family-safe companies so it clearly wasn -(TM)t going to be an adult film but with that title, I had to ask. -Is that a horror movie or porn? - Lavi didn -(TM)t even look at me. -I -(TM)m hoping for both. What are you watching tonight? Godzilla? - -I have a new book, some Lovecraftian Sherlock Holmes pastiche or mashup, I -(TM)m not sure which. It looks fun. - I looked over at Coraline. -Hey, before I get sequestered do you want to chat about your stories? - She nodded eagerly and we went downstairs. It turned out that Coraline had not read any Rex Stout. I immediately put a copy of Fer De Lance in her hand. Over the next hour, I asked questions about her thoughts. Eventually, she looked at me and seemed exasperated. -I thought you would tell me how to make it better. - -I have to know what you -(TM)re trying to do first. Then I can -(TM)t tell you how to make it better but I can tell you where it isn -(TM)t working. And it -(TM)s ambitious. You have balls. - She smiled at that. -I thought the detective agency might be clich(C). - -I think you came up with a good dynamic with the paralyzed old man and the go-getter young girl. You and Stout had similar thought processes. The psychic-power schtick is interesting. I -(TM)ll be honest, it feels a bit gimmicky right now. I think you need to do more world-building with it. And Nora is a bit of a Mary Sue or at least feels like it. I think you need to build her up by tearing her down. - -I want a strong female protagonist. - -And that -(TM)s cool but if she -(TM)s too strong we don -(TM)t find ourselves rooting for her, we don -(TM)t invest in her. Jim Butcher does a good job of that with the Dresden Files. Harry Dresden becomes a complete badass but the threats just keep getting bigger. - -I -(TM)ll add it to my reading list. - Sure enough, she was actually writing it down. -You can probably skip the last few books. The series has gone on longer than it probably should. Stormfront is the first one. But Butcher knows how to write by numbers so he -(TM)s a good one to both enjoy and look at how he did it. He doesn -(TM)t hide the formula behind tricks but the craftsmanship in his writing is solid. - -I really appreciate this. - -It is pure self-interest I assure you. When you -(TM)re famous and winning awards I get to brag that I knew you when you were just a genius. - -Well, if there -(TM)s anything I can ever do, anything... - -Anything? - -Well, almost. - She turned a little pink. -No, no, just a little nosy curiosity. - -About the cheerleaders? - -Yeah. - -Honestly I don -(TM)t know. I -(TM)m ready to quit. - -Why? - -There is this weird dynamic in place. I -(TM)m in the team and I get told what to do but it -(TM)s like I -(TM)m told the absolute minimum possible. Xinyi is loving the attention of being almost the head cheerleader even though she -(TM)s a junior. She still talks to me but ... look she -(TM)s always been like 25% bitch and it wasn -(TM)t something I loved but she -(TM)s like 75% bitch now. Maybe eighty. - -How about the Gentle Person -(TM)s Society? - She smiled. -That I am enjoying but I -(TM)ve been with it since I was a Freshman. - -But the others joining? - -Melissa just fits in like she -(TM)s always been there. Lavi is making some waves among the chess players but - she stopped to grin, -well one guy said to me that if he could learn to play with Lavi on display in front of him ignoring toes tapping table legs would be a breeze in the future. - -Toes tapping legs? - -Mind games chess players play with each other. - -Oh. Is she still grumbling about the non-speed games? - -A bit but she -(TM)s discovered that the quiet times are used to find ways to mess with your opponent. She -(TM)s been pretending to be nervous and fiddle with buttons on her shirt. One guy, Terry, I -(TM)m pretty sure discovered new aspects to his sexuality. - I closed my eyes and resisted bursting out laughing. -Oh my god, I can see that. - -Zahra has breathed some life into the teas. She said she was going to ask you for help with making tea cakes and patisseries. - -Absolutely, I -(TM)d be glad to help. - -So yeah, I always thought they -(TM)d be standoffish but really only Grace has been awkward and even she has been nice, just obviously not at ease. Look, can I ask you something ... not about writing? - -Sure. - -Should I quit cheering? - -Do you enjoy it? - -Not really and the practices are getting longer and longer and ... really scary at times. Like they -(TM)re doing these towers with girls really high in the air. I don -(TM)t like it. - -Then quit. - -It -(TM)s not that simple. - -Maybe it is. You said Xinyan is 75% bitch these days. What about, uh, the redhead? - -Emma? - -Yeah. - -She has been nice to me but sometimes Xinyi will talk to her and then make this gesture if I get close like a hand signal to change the topic. Maybe I -(TM)m just paranoid. - -Maybe, maybe not. Would you join the dance team if it restarted? - She shook her head. -No. I only cheered because of Emma and Xinyi. It -(TM)s not something I -(TM)m really into. - -Well, you just used past tense, I think you -(TM)ve already decided for yourself. You just want me to say it -(TM)s okay. - -Is it? - -If I -(TM)m going to be your editor I -(TM)m going to say you should dump it as fast as possible and spend that time writing. - She smiled. -Seriously? - -Yes. Writers do two things - read and write. - -I thought Hemingway included drinking and screwing. - -Those were personal pastimes, not required. - -So you don -(TM)t recommend those? - -I didn -(TM)t say that either. - -Thank you. - -So, are you going to quit? - -Maybe. If I had to decide right now, yeah but I think I want to talk to Emma again. - -That -(TM)s probably a prudent thing. - After that, we went upstairs and everyone gorged on pizza. Ji was getting really good and she blushed from embarrassment at the compliments. Afterward, Lavi came into the living room carrying bottles of peach and strawberry vodka. -I don -(TM)t think those are mine, - I said. -Nope, I picked them up this afternoon, - she said. -What, you have a fake id or something? - -Nah, but... - she put the bottles down and assumed a vacant expression while pushing her cleavage together, -Oh, mister! I forgot my license back at the office and the girls will be so disappointed if I don -(TM)t show up with vodka for jello shots! Oh, you will, you -(TM)re such a nice man. Maybe you can come to join us later! I know, can you believe they think I -(TM)m still a kid, teehee. - She actually tittered. Grace put mixers down. Zahra and Coraline were howling with laughter. The others were rolling their eyes. -You -(TM)re shameless Lavi, - said Grace. -That is not even on my leaderboard for shamelessness. - Melissa coughed, -Not to be a buzzkill but is anyone really, like really-really, going to have upset parents if we drink? - Grace snorted in response and Melissa waved as if to say that was a given. I knew that June had liberal ideas about parenting. So long as Grace wasn -(TM)t driving anywhere she was fine. Zahra, -Dad lets me have a beer at home now and then, I think it -(TM)ll be cool if I have a little. - Ji, -I -(TM)m good. I have a mom who thinks learning alcohol tolerance is an important part of self-defense so guys can -(TM)t get you drunk. - I looked over at her. -Your mom is special. I can -(TM)t say she is wrong but... - Ji held up her hand. -Oh, I know, I know. These sluts... - she waved at everyone else -always thought I was exaggerating. Except you Coraline, obvs. - -I am not a slut, - Grace said as she poured some strawberry vodka into a glass. Lavi perked up. -I am! And so is she. - She pointed at Melissa. -Selectively, - Melissa said primly. -Again, obvs, - Ji responded. Coraline looked at Ji. -Are you one? - -Me? Sure. I think we need to kind of own the word, make it something affirming. Why shouldn -(TM)t I enjoy myself? - I grinned. -Be careful, you -(TM)re sounding like your mom. - Ji waved me off, said -Shush, - and then shot Coraline a look. -You? - -Huh? Me what? - -Are you a slut? - -No, no, no. - -You and your boyfriend... - -Well yeah, and a boy before that but that -(TM)s it. - Ji pressed. -Do you want to be one? - Coraline turned a shade shared by fire trucks and embarrassed teenage girls with pale skin. Melissa stepped in. -You don -(TM)t have to answer. Ji, don -(TM)t channel Lavi. One is plenty. - Coraline was composing herself. -No, it -(TM)s fine, I just ... I don -(TM)t know how to answer. I have thoughts, like who doesn -(TM)t. - Everyone nodded in understanding. -But actually doing stuff? I don -(TM)t know. My boyfriend wants me to be more adventurous. I guess I -(TM)m boring. - Melissa, -You be you. You -(TM)re smart, not boring. - Lavi, -What kinds of things does he want you to do? - -Well, he asked about a threesome... - -That -(TM)s like every guy ever, - Ji said. -I mean has anyone here not been in a threesome? - Zahra laughed and raised her hand along with Coraline. I think everyone was starting to feel the drinks. Ji however was fixated on someone else. -Really, Grace? You let someone at Owen? - She shrugged. -I know this girl, she -(TM)s a major size queen. She begged and begged and begged and I knew he would like it so I set it up for his birthday. And Christmas last year. And President -(TM)s Day. And - Lavi laughed, -We get it! Did you get weirded out? - -Nah. She -(TM)s tried to hook up with him a couple of times since and he just replies and adds me into the chat and says he -(TM)s up for it but tells her to work out the details with me but then he adds if it doesn -(TM)t work out that it -(TM)s all fine. I think she -(TM)s gotten the message. So, Cor, he wants a threesome. Anyone in particular? - She froze and her eyes darted around. Lavi jumped on the frozen rabbit, -Who? One of us? - She cleared her throat. -Melissa. - Melissa -(TM)s eyes went wide. Lavi chuckled, -Well, he has good taste. - She blew her wife a kiss. -Uh, - Melissa started, -no offense but ... not going to happen. I mean, he seems super nice but he -(TM)s ... uh - Lavi interrupted, -What my love doesn -(TM)t want to say is he is a bitch boy. - Coraline smiled. -I know, that -(TM)s part of why I like him. And I think he -(TM)s hoping Melissa has some very high black boots or something. - Melissa glanced at Lavi, -He -(TM)d have better luck with you on that. - She looked thoughtful. -I -(TM)m a one-man slut but I could see a little bitch boy licking my boots. - Ji threw a balled-up napkin at Lavi. -You are nasty. - -I prefer -~liberated -(TM). - She grinned. -All right ladies, I think it is time for my retreat. Be good-ish. - I stopped to kiss Melissa and Lavi and started towards Ji but she stood up and hugged me instead. I went upstairs with a bottle of excellent whiskey and complete freedom to do as I liked. I put on a movie for about half an hour but got bored and decided to move to a chair and just sit and read. An hour passed and I heard filtering up from downstairs the sounds of the movie Clue being acted out, with a bit of what I suspected was lubrication supplied by vodka. I looked at my whiskey glass. This was really good and some Camembert cheese might go really well with it. I happened to have picked some up recently. But that was in the kitchen. However, they told me I could ask for errands. I picked up my phone to message Lavi and Melissa. A few minutes later I heard footsteps and looked over anticipating seeing one of my wives. Instead, Coraline walked in wearing a blue and white checkered bikini carrying a plate, cheese, and cheese knife. -We were trying on outfits for tomorrow. Do you like it? - She handed me the cheese and then turned around. -The bikini I mean. - I grinned. -It fits you very well. - She was bright pink but very cute in her glasses and short hair. She giggled and left. I watched her leave. Her ass was rounder than Ji -(TM)s, smaller than Lavi -(TM)s, less muscular than Melissa -(TM)s but a nice little heart shape. I texted the girls, -Teases. - The reply I got was an animated gif of the actor John C. Riley nodding his head with the text -affirmative - beneath it. Almost another hour passed and I hit a point in the book where it turned out that Moriarty had stolen a copy of the Necronomicon and I had to make a decision about whether to keep reading or not. It was not a great book, but it was entertaining. Then my tablet warned me it was low on power. An investigation of the room found that somehow I had no USB-C charging cable anywhere, which probably meant the girls had taken my spare one downstairs in case they ran out of power. I had a spare in the office though. I texted again. A few minutes later I heard footsteps and was a bit disappointed to see it was Grace but she was entirely wrapped in a cotton robe that ended at mid-thigh. -Here you go, - she said and handed me the cable and charging block. -Lavi and Mellie busy? - -A bit. - She grinned and walked out but just before she exited flipped the back of her robe up and flashed me her bare butt. Honestly, I wasn -(TM)t seeing much more than I did in a bikini but somehow it was still magical. I heard her giggle as she headed down the stairs. With a smile on my face, I plugged in the tablet and went back to reading. I also decided Owen did not need to know about that. About an hour later I finished the book. I went ahead and electronically bought the next two. The author had successfully sucked me in. The book hadn -(TM)t been that good but I was a sucker for any halfway decent Holmesian fiction. Not right now, though, I decided. The whiskey was starting to hit me and I looked down to see that Lavi had discretely texted me a photo of her cleavage. I texted her and Melissa. -I need a book from my office. The Gil Elvgren collection. - Melissa texted back -Okay. - She knew the layout of the shelves well enough that I figured she would find the book pretty quickly and get my little joke. However, it was nearly ten minutes before I heard footsteps and instead of Melissa, my breath caught. It was Zahra and she was wearing a green nightie, silken with a lacy top. I could see the brown skin of her breasts but averted my eyes so as to not look for her nipples. I would be lying if I didn -(TM)t say that the forbidden aspect wasn -(TM)t sexy but she didn -(TM)t need that. She was delicious with legs that were long and toned and breasts that stood out firm. Her dark brown hair was down and framed her face. -You needed this? - She held out the book. I nodded yes. -You like pinups? - Her words were not slurred but I could tell she was feeling loose from the drinking. -I do. - She nodded and walked out, slowly. Her father definitely did not need to know about this. After she got back downstairs I got a text from Melissa. -Need anything else? - I replied, -Oh yes I do. - -No hanky panky at the slumber party. - The reply was accompanied by an animated gif of a cat shaking its head back and forth. -No slumber party up here. - I added a gif of a lawyer saying -~Point of Order! -(TM) I had been hoping that Lavi would want to tease me some more but time passed so I figured their attention had drifted. Half an hour later I heard multiple footsteps and in walked Lavi, Melissa and Ji. All three were wearing silk robes. In Melissa and Lavi -(TM)s cases, they were the ones I had bought for them back in July. All three dropped them to show they were naked. -On the bed, lover, - Melissa said in a throaty purr. -I thought there was no hanky panky at the sleepover. - I moved to the bed, stripping as I went. I -(TM)m not so dumb as not to co-operate. -There was a debate, - Lavi said as she got on the bed on her knees and patted the space next to her. -Grace -(TM)s position, - Melissa continued, -was that teasing was in the spirit of the sleepover - -But, - Lavi finished, -nothing more. - -Zahra, however, - Ji said, -Championed that you were not part of the sleepover and shouldn -(TM)t have to suffer just because we weren -(TM)t getting laid tonight. - -And I agreed, - Melissa continued. -So, we came up with a compromise, you get laid but we don -(TM)t. - -And how does that work? - I asked. I was now sitting with my back against the headboard. Melissa pressed her breasts into my thigh as she leaned across me and replied, -Like this, - as she took my semi-stiff cock in her mouth. Lavi, still on her knees pulled my face into her cleavage and Ji got between my legs and began tonguing my sack and licking at the base of my cock sometimes touching Melissa -(TM)s lips as she came down. I had a follow-up question but it didn -(TM)t seem important to ask anymore. Melissa slowly worked my cock, both sucking and running her tongue around me. Ji was active in her own right sucking on each testicle in turn and I felt her small arm reach underneath me. I helped her by lifting up and let her arm reach under me. Her fingertip teased my asshole while she kissed me. Lavi meanwhile was nearly vibrating from enjoying me suckling her breasts. I felt Lavi -(TM)s legs, slick with her juices, against my arm but I ignored it, following the rules. Melissa was moaning, enjoying sucking me. Ji came up and kissed my thighs. -I like the smell down there but I couldn -(TM)t breath. - Melissa popped her head off me. She looked at Ji, -Poor baby. - I don -(TM)t know what happened as I couldn -(TM)t see, but Ji was still fingering just the edge of my asshole and when lips returned to wrap around the crown I could tell they were Ji -(TM)s while Melissa began kissing my nipple. Lavi was leaning into me, her mound pressed against my elbow. I couldn -(TM)t help, I pushed my elbow up and out so that it contacted her mons and she shuddered against me and let out a tiny screech. I was wondering how long this slumber party rules thing was going to work but the contemplation was cut short by a tiny blonde girl screaming -I FUCKING KNEW IT! - from the doorway. I shifted my head away from Lavi to see Grace, in her cotton robe, obviously angry. -I knew Lavi wouldn -(TM)t be able to keep it from becoming an orgy, that -(TM)s why I said she should stay downstairs. - Lavi defended herself. -It was just a little one, come on. - Grace had hands on her hips. -But we know what was going to happen next, don -(TM)t we? - -I was going to get properly fucked the way I should have been at the beginning of the night!? - Lavi was now building up steam. -ENOUGH! - For a second I thought Melissa had screamed it and then I realized I had. Everyone was looking at me. I heard shuffling movements. Coraline was peering around Grace and I saw the back of Zahra -(TM)s head who was clearly averting her eyes but wanted to know what was going on. -Fuck. - Everything was quiet but Coraline slowly entered the room, Grace had her eyes on the floor and Zahra was just outside. Grace -(TM)s voice was almost a whisper but we all heard it. -I -(TM)m sorry. - I sat up. Ji rolled out from between my legs, though it was awkward with her arm where it had been. Zahra pointed at me. -Uh, you -(TM)re... - I was still pissed. -Yeah, but it -(TM)s my bedroom and the only ones here actually invited in here have seen it plenty. - Zahra nodded as if that made perfect sense to her. I just now noticed that Zahra and Coraline were all in simple pajama sets, what they had probably been wearing when not teasing me. Coraline -(TM)s was large on her and looked like one of Lavi -(TM)s spares. Lavi got off the bed, her breasts swinging. She walked over to Grace. -I -(TM)m sorry. - She held out her arms. Grace hugged her. -Skank. - -Bitch. - -Lying ass ho. - -Nasty ... uh, I can -(TM)t think of anything. - They laughed and hugged until they broke apart. Lavi returned to the bed and sat on the edge, still naked. -Sorry, I really didn -(TM)t mean to break the rule. - Grace sighed. -I -(TM)m just as much at fault. I gave in but I know you, Lavi. I just... - she looked at everyone. -I know this is coming to an end and I wanted one last night of us together. Heck, everything may be over already. - Melissa stood, slipped her robe on, and tossed Lavi and Ji their robes. -Nope. We have a national competition to win. - Grace scoffed, -There may not be a dance team. - -It -(TM)s happening. I have faith. - -Well, - Coraline said, -I don -(TM)t know anything about any of this but I -(TM)m way too sober at this point. I -(TM)m getting another drink. All I want to know is are we staying here or going back downstairs? - -Downstairs, - Melissa said, -let -(TM)s start this party back up. - I stretched out on the bed, trying to decide if I was sorry to see them leave or glad for the peace. Ji hooked a finger at me, -Come on mister man, let -(TM)s go. - -I thought it was a girls-only slumber party. - -You -(TM)re part of whatever fucked up little adventuring party this is. - -I always wanted to be a wizard. - -Well, bring your staff. - She pointed at my crotch. I stood up and pulled on boxers. Melissa, -Grace, Zahra, is this cool? - Zahra shrugged. -It -(TM)s his house, he can do what he likes. - Grace, -Sure, if he doesn -(TM)t Lavi will just sneak up here to fuck him later. - -Probably, - Lavi admitted. We went downstairs and soon drinks were being made. Coraline volunteered to make them for everyone. Grace refused. -Oh no, you make them way too strong. If you -(TM)re drinking those, why aren -(TM)t you smashed? - She shrugged. -Irish. - I passed on the vodka and continued sipping my own glass of whiskey. Soon we had all settled down onto the big area of blankets set out on the floor. Lavi, Melissa -(TM)s, and my backs were against the couch with me. We made a rough circle with the seven of us on the floor. Once we were all settled, Ji said, -I think that since we -(TM)ve been drinking we should do a slumber party tradition: truth, dare, kiss, swear. - Lavi, -WOOOOOO! - Coraline, -What -(TM)s the kiss and swear parts? - Melissa, -Dares can -(TM)t include anyone other than the person you -(TM)re giving the dare to but kisses can be to kiss anyone. The person can refuse to be kissed but, then they -(TM)re a lame ass pussy. Swear is what you do if you just think it -(TM)s too much or too far. Like if I told Lavi to eat a pork chop, that -(TM)s a religious thing, she can say -~fuck no. -(TM) - -So, to keep it fun and light-hearted? - -Exactly. - -Once per round rules, - said Lavi, -You give one and you get one once, then we go back around. - Everyone nodded. -I -(TM)ll start, - said Grace. -Ji, truth, dare or kiss? - -Truth. - -Okay, how do you feel about Robert? - Ji smiled, -Going right for it huh? - -I saw that not kissing thing earlier. We know you -(TM)re banging so what -(TM)s up? - She shrugged. -That just felt like an intimate thing and Robert and I are friends but not intimate like in love. I mean I love him as a friend but I -(TM)m not in love with him. - -To quote a song, -~do friends know what you taste like -(TM)? - Ji made a little dismissive hand wave. -Three of them do. - Grace nodded. -Fair enough. Your turn then. - -Zahra. - She sipped at her glass. -I -(TM)m scared. Kiss is an automatic swear for me so I -(TM)ll go with truth. - Ji grinned. -Good. - -Shit, I should have picked dare. - -Too late! When you came back from showing off to Robert in Melissa -(TM)s slip you went to the bathroom. What did you do in there? - Zahra blushed but her voice was strong. -I took care of myself. - Ji sat there looking satisfied. -I ... I don -(TM)t get to do things like that. It was nice knowing I can affect a man. - -You were very effective, - I said. She smiled. -Thank you. So ... oooo Coraline. I want to get to know you better, truth, dare or kiss? - -Round one should be a warm-up so I -(TM)ll stay with the truth. - -So, your boyfriend has a thing for Melissa, no surprise, most of the school does. Who do you have a thing for? - -Uh, this doesn -(TM)t leave the room, right? - Grace held up her hand as if to swear an oath, -Slumber party rules, what happens at the slumber party stays at the slumber party. - Everyone nodded seriously. -Well, - Coraline started, -you see the reason my boyfriend probably felt comfortable telling me he had a thing for Melissa is ... I -(TM)d admitted to him ... I do too. Well, not a thing, but she is hot. - -Me? - Melissa smiled. -Oh, that -(TM)s so sweet. - -Sorry if it -(TM)s creepy. - -No, no, you -(TM)re really cute and sexy so I -(TM)m flattered. - -You -(TM)re just being nice. - Lavi, -Trust me honey, she -(TM)s not, you -(TM)re exactly her type. Anyway, it -(TM)s your turn. - -Okay, uh, Lavi, you haven -(TM)t been asked yet, truth, dare or kiss. - -Well, you wimps have been keeping it safe, let -(TM)s go with dare. - -I once heard you say no one could beat you twerking, let -(TM)s see it! - -Oh yeah! Now to twerk, you gotta have ass. - In a more innocent time of my life, I might not have known what Lavi was about to do but I expected exactly what happened. Lavi took a swig of her drink, stood, and raised her robe to tie it around her waist. Naked from the waist down she stood in the middle of the room as the television turned on and music streamed from Melissa -(TM)s phone began to pulse. -Sixty-second rule? - -Yep, you don -(TM)t have to go over sixty seconds, - Melissa confirmed. -Or in your twat-flashing case, you are limited to sixty seconds. - A heavy bass line started and Lavi bent at the knees and began moving her hips in time to it. Lyrics began accompanying the beat. -Let the 808 Shake the Room Like An Earthquake / Girls Dance Dirty as the Speaker Stacks Vibrate / The Girl Likes to Roll to the Sounds of a Dirty Break / The Boys Strain Their Necks to Watch the Way Her Booty Shakes. - It wasn -(TM)t poetry. However, Lavi was bent at the knees, and shaking her ass was all the art I needed. All of the girls were whooping, hollering, and yelling encouragement. Melissa snuck her hand under the blanket and I felt it lightly stroke me as I watched. I propped up my leg, tenting the blanket to hide it. I looked over at Ji to see she was entranced. She leaned slightly towards Lavi -(TM)s full vibrating ass ready to take a bite out of it. After one minute the song ended and Lavi returned. -So? - Coraline gave a thumbs up. -I think it should continue, - I said honestly. -Pervert, - Lavi said and kissed me as she sat down. Lavi looked over at Melissa. -Truth, dare, kiss? - Melissa grinned. -Kiss. - Lavi mirrored the grin. -You know who. - Melissa pushed the blanket down and got on her hands and knees and slowly crawled over to Coraline. -May I kiss you? - Coraline was a bit embarrassed but nodded yes saying, -It -(TM)s just a kiss. - Melissa kissed her. Her lips touched briefly and then slid across Coraline -(TM)s. When Coraline -(TM)s lips parted Melissa traced them. When she opened her mouth Melissa kissed full on. Melissa held her body an inch from Coraline -(TM)s with strong arm muscles. When they broke apart Melissa said, -I -(TM)d like to do that when I don -(TM)t have a time limit. - Ji looked over at Coraline, -Need to call your boyfriend? - -I don -(TM)t think I need a boyfriend. - She sounded wistful. Everyone laughed. Lavi, -No one needs a boy but there are some worth keeping around. - She leaned her head against my shoulder. Zahra, -Awwww. - Melissa looked at me. -What, - I asked. -Your turn. - -I -(TM)m in this? - Everyone nodded. Lavi, -You show up to fight club, you fight. - I thought about it. That meant that due to the rotation rules I had to pick Grace when it got to my turn. Fortunately, I had a cunning plan. I just had to get through this. Fortunately, it was Melissa. -Kiss, - I said. She grinned. -You have to kiss Jiang for one minute... - No problem, -but you can -(TM)t kiss her mouth. - I stared. I had no idea if I should be upset or thank Melissa. Ji made eye contact with me. -Are you going to play fair? - -No. - -Thank goodness. - She reached down and undid her robe and reclined against the pillows. I put my knees on either side of her legs and started with a gentle kiss at the base of her throat. I made my way down to her breasts and kissed around her nipples avoiding the piercings. I moved away kissing down her breasts to her stomach. -Hey, come on, please, please, go back... - she pleaded. -Kissing only, that -(TM)s the rule, - I said. Then I grabbed her thin hips and flipped her over. I began at the base of her spine and began kissing. I was halfway up and she was pushing back against me when Melissa called time. Lavi, -You look proud of yourself. - Ji stood up to refill her drink. She didn -(TM)t put the robe back on. Grace eyed her but she clearly felt she needed another drink. I returned to my seat, my boxers tenting. Coraline, -That was hot. - Melissa, -Could be you next. - -Nah, if I was with another guy that would be cheating. - -But a girl? - -That is different. - -Good to know. Your turn, love. - I had safe plans. If Grace picked -~kiss -(TM), I would have her kiss Lavi. I wouldn -(TM)t make any stipulations and she could do a chaste one. If she picked -~truth -(TM) I would ask her about Owen and his size which would let her brag about him. If she picked -~dare -(TM), I -(TM)d just have her get me a glass of water. I could use a little to go with the whiskey. -So, Grace - truth, dare, kiss. - She looked at me. -Let -(TM)s see what you got. Dare. - -Get me a glass of water. - Melissa froze. Lavi snorted. Zahra giggled. Grace stood. -You pervy bastard. - Then she began taking off the robe showing panties and bra. The bra had a front clasp and was off almost instantly, her firm breasts with hard little nipples popping into view. She stood on one leg and pulled down the panties. Holy shit, she really did look like a smaller version of Melissa except her breasts were a little bigger proportionally. Grace walked towards the kitchen, walking slower than she had to with a sway to her hips. I managed after a few long seconds to say something. -Uh, why? - Lavi leaned against me again. -You gave her a fetch quest. Long ago we decided fetch quests were wimpy so they had to be done naked if it was just us but bra and panties if there were others. - -I didn -(TM)t know! - Ji was obviously amused. -Ignorance of the law is no excuse. - Grace came back and leaned forward letting those breasts gently shift towards me to give me one small glass of water. I took the glass. -Sorry Grace, I didn -(TM)t know. - She looked me in the eyes and flicked her own nipple. -You get to look but no touch. I -(TM)m not in your harem. - Lavi reached up and smacked Grace -(TM)s ass, -I don -(TM)t see Owen -(TM)s Property tatted on it. - Grace gave her a scornful look. -You don -(TM)t know where to look. - Lavi grinned, -You let me on the property and I will show you how I investigate. - -Sorry, no trespass, - Grace shook her naked ass at Lavi and then put her bra and panties back on. She sat down obviously pleased with herself. -My turn. Robert. - -Uh, how does that work? I -(TM)ve already had my turn. - Lavi supplied the answer. -It -(TM)ll just go to whoever wants it next or first to your right who hasn -(TM)t gone yet. - -How much of this game have you girls played? - Zahra snorted, -Enough that we know each other very, very well. - Grace was not to be distracted though. -Robert, I want you to get something for me. My backpack is over there, get my hairbrush for me. - She pointed at the chair that Coraline was sitting in front of. -By reaching from the front. - I stared and worked out the mechanics in my head. Fuck a duck. You know that moment of the book when the detective thinks they are so smart just to find out their killer is just as smart? I had made a serious mistake sitting down for Truth and Dare with teenage girls. Coraline stood. For a split second, I thought I was spared. Coraline, -One second, let me refresh my drink. - Stupid me. Coraline stood, completely covered in her flannel pajamas, refreshed her drink, and then sat again. As she did she pushed the backpack as far back in the chair as it would go. -I -(TM)m ready. - Grace grinned. -Drop them. - Fuck this, I wasn -(TM)t going to be embarrassed by a teenage girl. It wasn -(TM)t like she hadn -(TM)t seen it. I stood and without hesitation dropped my boxers. Grace wolf-whistled. Zahra surprised me by shouting, -That -(TM)s it baby, give us the full-frontal. - She started laughing, obviously finding herself very funny. I walked forward towards Coraline. I had hoped that Coraline would look away, maybe hold a conversation pretending she was ignoring me. Instead, she stared right at me. Math. History. My 6th-grade teacher. I tried to fill my head with very unsexy things. None of it worked and as I walked I felt myself defy gravity just a little and enlarge. Zhara did not help. -I think he likes you, Coraline! - I had to walk on either side of Coraline -(TM)s outstretched legs and approached her, my crotch right at her head height. -Excuse me, - I said. -Oh, don -(TM)t mind me, - she said airly. I shuffled the last half a foot forward. I felt my dick touch skin and glasses. Coraline giggled. Suddenly I felt a breath against me and a hand came up and stroked against it. -Sorry, had to get some hair out of my eyes. - There hadn -(TM)t been any fucking hair in her eyes. I pulled the backpack towards me. I unzipped it as I felt a hot breath on me. Where the fuck was that hairbrush? I made myself slow down and rummaged around in the backpack. I took a deep breath and leaned in, searching by touch to the bottom of the bag. Coraline giggled. -I can smell it, wow it -(TM)s strong! - She shifted and I felt my junk rub against her silky smooth hair as she breathed in the scent of my balls. -My boyfriend smells like nothing compared to this! - Goddamn it. I felt the tines of the brush and got a hold of it. I pulled back and felt as I did my hard dick bounced in front of Coraline -(TM)s face. Holding the brush I walked over to Grace, bowed, and presented it to her in my hands. She nodded and took it. -Thank you, good sir, your quest is done. - Coraline giggled. -You gave me something too. - I turned and saw her scoop out a tiny bit of clear liquid from her forehead, my pre-cum. -Oooh, - Melissa got on her hands and knees and moved forward quickly and without asking licked Coraline -(TM)s fingers and forehead cleaning up the pre-cum. Coraline looked shocked but Melissa just grinned and said -House rules. - Coraline surprised all of us by then grabbing Melissa, holding my wife -(TM)s face in her hands, and kissing her passionately. When they finally broke both had a light in their eyes. I expected one of them to say something but instead, they just looked at each other, giggled, and sank to the floor. Lying parallel to each other they began to run hands under each other -(TM)s shirts and kissing between cooing noises. Coraline -(TM)s leg found its way between Melissa -(TM)s and soon they were rubbing crotches against each other and getting increasingly lost in the moment. Their hands seemed to never stop, running from a hip, up an arm to wrap around the other -(TM)s back, and then grabbing an ass. -So, the game? - Zahra asked. Coraline found the presence of mind to make a waving motion and Melissa started to say something but it got lost in more giggles as Coraline began kissing her neck. -For the record, - Lavi said, -I had nothing to do with this. - I saw Coraline pull down Melissa -(TM)s top and expose one breast before leaning down to kiss it. Melissa giggled, -Oh you -(TM)re an eager one. - Coraline pushed herself up and had her fingertips over Melissa -(TM)s stomach as Melissa ran a hand up the smaller girl -(TM)s shirt. -Have you been with a girl before? - -Once. - -Is your boyfriend going to be a problem? - Coraline let her finger trace over the tiny bee tattoo. -You -(TM)re not a boy, this doesn -(TM)t count. Is that okay? - -If you -(TM)re fine with it I am. - Melissa -I want you. - -This isn -(TM)t his business. - -And if he finds out? - Melissa was playing with Coraline -(TM)s breasts under the shirt causing it to rise and fall as it telegraphed her movements. -He knows I like girls, he -(TM)s said he -(TM)d be fine with it. - That appeared to be good enough for Melissa who pulled Coraline -(TM)s top off exposing her cute breasts. They stood out further than Ji -(TM)s but were smaller in circumference, like two large apples on her chest. Melissa pushed them together and played with them. Ji in the meantime had moved to sit on the other side of me from Lavi to get a better view of the show. They were progressing and Melissa pulled off Coraline -(TM)s sleepwear, did a magician -(TM)s trick with making the panties disappear, and lowered herself into the neatly trimmed brown muff that perfectly mirrored Caroline -(TM)s head of hair. Coraline -(TM)s back arched, she pulled up her legs and made it clear she would be happy if Melissa stayed there a very long time. While all of this had been happening I had sat but didn -(TM)t bother to cover myself. It was Zahra who laughed, obviously less entranced by the show than everyone else. -I don -(TM)t think I -(TM)m getting my next turn. - Ji moved to sit on the other side of me from Lavi. She reached over and poked at my dick. I was really hard, so it came back up when Ji let off the pressure. Zhara pointed at it. -It bounces! They do that? - I couldn -(TM)t help but laugh. -In the right conditions, yeah, they do. - She sat primly, the blanket over her lap. -They don -(TM)t show that in porn. - -Poor boy is hard, - Ji said. She stroked me gently while snuggling up to me. I reached around and cupped a breast, pulling on the barbell piercing. Lavi was not going to be left out and snuggled up on my other side. I also reached around and played with Lavi -(TM)s breast. -Careful, - Ji said, -you might break the five-pound limit with those bazongas. - Lavi leaned across me towards Ji. -They -(TM)re not bazongas, they -(TM)re tatas. Or love lelons if you like. - -And wonderful ones they are. - They kissed. I had had enough. I eased my hands into their hair and gently tightened, pulling them back. -Oh, you -(TM)re being brutish, I like it, - Lavi said. -One of you had better get to where I can fuck you right now. - -Ooo me! - Ji moved like her namesake, flowing out of my grasp and laying back. She had her hips up and was shucking underwear and sleep shorts in one movement. She shook her hips. -He looks cold. Let -(TM)s get your little man warm. - -Hey, no fair! - Lavi pouted. Ji grinned. -I have somewhere for you to sit. - Lavi seemed to find that fair enough because she tossed her robe to the side and took the seat. Her eyes rolled back as soon as Ji -(TM)s tongue made contact with Lavi -(TM)s folds. I meanwhile was on my knees between Ji -(TM)s legs. I heard Ji -(TM)s voice float up to me, -Take it slow, I -(TM)m not real wet yet and you -(TM)re not tiny. - Grace snorted. -You should try Owen. - I looked over, Grace and Zahra both had arms under their blankets though Grace was less subtle about it than Zahra. Ji, -I could just shove a baseball bat up me if I wanted that experience, thanks. - -Really not the same, Ji. - If Ji was about to retort I cut it off by pushing a good third in while thumbing her clit. She grunted and Lavi entertained herself by placing her hands on Ji -(TM)s chest playing with the piercings. I noticed Zahra carefully repositioning to get a better look at my penetrating Ji. I made eye contact and she blushed. I realized I was enjoying the spectators as I pushed more into the little Chinese girl. I don -(TM)t know how long we fucked but it felt like time dilated and stretched out. Ji came loudly, screaming into Lavi who pinched her own nipples as she rode Ji -(TM)s face through a small orgasm that made her knees shake. Lavi leaned forward and stroked Ji -(TM)s mound where I entered her. -Come on baby, - she said, -break this little bitch. Think your sperm can outdo birth control? Want to see her swollen with a baby? Your boy would be so big in this little girl she would look like a beach ball. Show her mommy that even super-duper birth control isn -(TM)t enough to stop you. - -Fuck fuck FUCK!!!! - Ji was screaming and pushing back on me while I slammed into her as hard as I could and filled her. Lavi fell to the side giggling. -You two look so cute when he -(TM)s filling you up. - She leaned over and gave Ji a peck on the lips. -I, - Ji said panting, -do not want a baby. But that was hot as hell. - That was when I heard the strained noise and realized it was Zahra who was completely still, her arm rigid and ... holy shit she was cumming. I -(TM)m pretty sure Lavi at least noticed it too but we both ignored it so as to not embarrass her. I sat down and found the glass of water Grace had brought me earlier and drank it. Lavi came over and hugged me. -You look, tired lover. - -He -(TM)s still healing, - Ji said. I felt faint and soon was fading off with my head in Lavi -(TM)s lap and feet in Ji -(TM)s lap. She was rubbing my legs. I awoke hours later. Everything was quiet. The house was quiet though feminine limbs were strewn around the room. Coralline was half on top of Melissa who was nuzzling her hair. Lavi was next to me, her hair a halo and using a pillow pulled up under her. Ji was stretched out, her toes touching Lavi -(TM)s. I got up and went to the kitchen. I refilled my water glass and went outside. Fall was almost here and there was a pleasant nip to the air. I walked on the grass and stared at the moon as I drank the water. I was looking at the herbs when I saw her, hips swaying to join me. -Hey babe. - Lavi ran her hands over my back and hugged me. -Everything all right? - -Yeah, just some night walking. - -Weirded out? Did we go too far? - -More weirded that I -(TM)m not weirded out. Will Grace be mad? - -Nah. It -(TM)s part of her thing. - -Thing? - -Grace likes being the elder sister though Mellie is actually the oldest. We -(TM)ve all had our parts. Zahra the child, Mellie the princess, me the brat. - -How do Ji and Coraline fit in? - I felt her shrug. -The analogy isn -(TM)t perfect. We -(TM)ve all broken roles plenty of times and I think we -(TM)re growing past them now. - I moved away from her and turned around, then pulled her to me, her large breasts pressing to me. -Make sure you give lots of attention to Mellie tomorrow. She -(TM)s going to feel insecure that she ignored you. - -She was beautiful. It was sweet. - -I know. - I kissed her. -In the room women come and go. - -Talking of Michelangelo, - she replied. We lowered to the grass and made love there before returning to the living room.