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 �>�The Step-Sister by *Lady Lucia*

   Chapter One

   Claudia Petrilli was not enthused when her father remarried.

   For years, she had reaped the benefits of being an only child of a
single parent.  Especially since her father -(TM)s job required a decent
amount of travel.  While that may have been lonely for some, Claudia
thrived on the freedom it offered.  Her house became one of the default
places to party, as it was the perfect combination of parentless and
slightly secluded in location.  All it took was a five dollar cover charge
at the door, and she made enough to hire a maid to put the place back
together the next morning and to reimburse her friend -(TM)s older cousin
for all the alcohol.  Despite being a bit of an outsider who spent most of
her time at the skatepark and didn -(TM)t care for the majority of her
classmates, almost everyone knew Claudia -(TM)s name simply from the fact
that she was a constant party host.  It was ideal.  Solid reputation, very
little effort.

   Her curfew was practically nonexistent, even when her father was home.
Since she was trusted to be home alone so often anyway, it was pretty easy
to make him cave on the matter.  As for grades, who cared?  C -(TM)s got
degrees, and Claudia had no interest in university anyway.  She was going
to travel the world, or become a skateboard teacher, or maybe a sexy
bartender who raked in more money in tips than some  -~part of the system
-(TM) graduate who buried herself in student loan debt just to get an
average paying job anyway.  Whatever.  She would figure it out.

   And then, everything changed.

   Her father met one Amanda Porter, and they got hitched within the year.
Amanda was everything Claudia -(TM)s father wasn -(TM)t.  She was strict,
and seemed to think that all the rules that her daughter Sara abided by
should also apply to Claudia.  As if.  Then there was Sara, who was almost
as much of a nuisance as Claudia -(TM)s new step-mother.  The girl made a
habit of bringing attention to certain things, with nonchalant comments
like  -~You got in super late last night, sis, -(TM)  -~So, how -(TM)d your
big test go today? -(TM) etc.

   Amanda and Sara moved in near the end of Claudia -(TM)s junior year. 
Sara was the same age as Claudia, which meant they ended up having a number
of classes together.  The step-sister was all skirts and blouses, almost
exclusively in preppy pinks and purples; she was a total contrast to
Claudia, who wore darker and more casual clothes.  Plenty of classmates
were amused at the step-siblings -(TM) relationship, as the outfits were
just the tip of the iceberg.  The two girls were polar opposites.  Neatly
pinned up hair vs.  messy ponytails, straight A -(TM)s vs.  barely passing
grades, and social butterfly vs.  aloof outsider.

   Sara had no trouble making friends from day one, while Claudia ended up
suffering from her new family -(TM)s existence.  With double the people in
their household, the parties had to stop.  Not only did Claudia -(TM)s
step-mother travel less, but Sara also couldn -(TM)t be trusted to keep her
mouth shut.  Even on the weekends where it was just the two high school
girls, Claudia didn -(TM)t want to risk it.  Amanda was starting to get to
Mike in terms of rules and discipline, and throwing a rager was a lot
different than staying out late on a weeknight.  Dropping the nearly
bi-weekly parties was an enormous pain.  Claudia didn -(TM)t give a shit
about the social aspect; it was more that she enjoyed being able to crash
in her own bed at the end of the night, and now she had to deal with the
inconvenience of a lumpy sofa or finding a ride if she didn -(TM)t feel
like staying at someone else -(TM)s place.

   Summer had been a great escape, as there was less talk of curfew during
the week and no one harping on grades.  Sara had gotten a summer job, which
meant that Claudia had the house to herself more often than not when the
other three were at work.  She didn -(TM)t even realize how much she missed
the peace and quiet until she had it again, and it was equally nice to be
able to fool around with girls she brought over without sneaking around and
playing the  -~friend -(TM) card.  Claudia was a lesbian, and she wasn
-(TM)t ashamed of it.  The only reason she was partially  -~in the closet
-(TM) was because it was tactical.  It wasn -(TM)t a huge secret at school,
but it made things convenient at home when she went upstairs to  -�study -�
with a girl.  Or, if said girl spent the night, no one batted an eye if
they stayed in the same room for a sleepover.

   Now that school had started up again, Claudia was back to dealing with a
strict step-mother and an overbearing step-sister.  With an early birthday,
Claudia had been eighteen for quite some time.  It was a month into her
senior year, she was technically an adult, and yet most of her family still
treated her like a child thanks to how she was being painted more and more
like the irresponsible and rebellious child compared to perfect Sara. 
Earlier curfews started being suggested, as well as an insistence on a 
-~study hour -(TM) after school.  Her step-mother even proposed a wardrobe
overhaul every now and then, testing the waters with the idea every now and
then with the idea.  And, with her father out of town so often, it was
easier for the two new family members to make attempts at messing with her
life.  Of course, Claudia was having none of it, and would constantly blow
them off.  She stuck with on-committal responses to  -~suggestions -(TM)
without actually agreeing, and then just did whatever she wanted anyway
once the conversation was said and done.

   Claudia was excited for a weekend to herself.  Both Mike and Amanda were
going to be away for business through the end of Monday, and Claudia
planned on making the most of that time.  With no adults around and no
expectations to at least check in every now and then, it was the perfect
opportunity to stay at her friend -(TM)s place and figure out if they
-(TM)d work well as roommates after graduation.  The stars had aligned, as
both of Erica -(TM)s parents were also out of town for a few days.

   Of course, Sara had to go and complicate things.  Halfway through
Claudia -(TM)s last class of the day on Friday, she received a text from
her step-sister.   -~Mom said I was in charge for the weekend.  I expect
you home right at 3:30, okay? -(TM)

   Claudia almost scoffed out loud, but managed to bite her tongue when she
remembered the history lecture currently going on.  She was in the back
row, not really listening, but that didn -(TM)t mean she wanted to draw
attention to herself.  Settling for an eye roll, Claudia flicked the text
away and got back to the crude drawing in her sketchbook that was a lot
more interesting than both history.  As for her step-sister -(TM)s message,
there was no need to dignify it with a reply.

   The moment the final bell rang, she hopped up from her desk and made a
beeline to her locker to retrieve her skateboard.  Finding Erica and
company next, the small group all hopped in Claudia -(TM)s car and drove
straight to the park.  It was Friday, which meant the place would only get
more crowded until the sun started going down.  As usual, it was a solid
combination of skating and sitting around shooting the shit.

   When the others decided it was time to hang out in the woods for a
little bit, Claudia took the opportunity to step away and get her errand
done.  Smoking had never been her thing, and she also needed to grab some
clothes and toiletries from the house for her extended sleepover.  Maybe
some booze and electronics, too, depending on how much room was left in her
bag after everything else.

   The house was eerily quiet when she stepped through the front door. 
Strange.  Sara usually played music when it was just her, or just the two
of them home without their parents around.  Claudia didn -(TM)t dwell on it
for too long, nor did she call out to see if her step-sister was home.  It
would be a lot easier to get in and out if she could do so without
unnecessary conversation, after all.  Going over the mental checklist of
items to grab, Claudia padded upstairs as quietly as she was able in case
Sara was in her room and hadn -(TM)t heard her arrival.  If she could avoid
talking with the stuck-up girl, that would be ideal.  If Sara wasn -(TM)t
home, even better.

   Knowing which creaky floorboards to avoid from countless nights of
sneaking in late, she made her way down the upstairs hallway and cracked
her bedroom door just widely enough so she could slip through.  Gently
closing the door behind her, she finally turned towards the room itself.

   Claudia gasped.



   Chapter Two

   Her entire bedroom was empty.

   Like, empty empty.  Her bed and desk were still there, but even those
had been stripped of anything personal.  Claudia -(TM)s comforter had been
removed, as had the sheets and pillows, leaving nothing but a bare mattress
sitting on her bed frame.  The desk was just that -"a desk.  No lamp, no
wrinkled stack of clean clothes that had recently been dumped there after
their cycle in the dryer, and not a single electronic to be seen.  The
drawer was likely emptied as well, but Claudia raced over and yanked it
open anyway.

   Nothing.  All of her personal things were missing, including a number of
inappropriate items.  Steadying herself on the desk for a moment, she took
a deep breath and tried to slow down frantic thumping of her heart.  What
was going on?!  It was less about the bare room, and more about the
nerve-wracking knowledge of what had been hidden all around the place.  Sex
toys, condoms, a fake ID, alcohol,  -~borrowed -(TM) assignments; those
were just a few of the things that sprang to mind.  While Claudia was
pretty open about her sex life, that didn -(TM)t mean she wanted her
parents seeing all her private things.  The other stuff was bad, too.  If
she was turned in for cheating, that could screw with a few of her barely
passing grades.  Every fleeting projection hit her like a truck, and she
actually thought she was going to throw up for a second.

   A buzz from her pocket broke her out of the mental spiral.   -�Fuck, -�
Claudia muttered to herself.  It was probably her friends, wondering when
she -(TM)d be back.  While she normally prided herself as a girl who played
it cool and never gave a shit, it was going to take a lot to keep it
together this weekend while trying to figure out why her parents would do
something like this.  The good news was, they were gone all weekend, but
that just meant a serious lecture looming on her horizon.  But why hadn
-(TM)t they talked to her first?  This was so extreme.  It was obviously
her step-mother -(TM)s idea, but why hadn -(TM)t her dad defended Claudia,
or at least given her a chance to fix whatever it was they considered the
problem.  Also, what /was/ the problem?  Curfew?  Grades?  Did they finally
figure out that Claudia had been fucking girls left and right right under
their noses?  Not knowing was a frustrating addition to the already
horrible surprise she was just hit with.

   It wasn -(TM)t one of her friends calling, however.  It was Sara.

   Normally, Claudia would have let it go to voicemail, like she intended
to do pretty much all weekend while enjoying her freedom.  But there was
always the chance that Sara -(TM)s mother had said something about all
this, and any bit of information would be better than being in the dark. 
Picking up the phone, Claudia realized belatedly that she had no idea what
to say.  She felt way off her game at the moment.   -�What? -� she bluntly
asked.  Nothing more clever came to mind.

    -�Hey, sis! -� Sara exclaimed.  Even over the phone, her preppy voice
was grating.   -�You don -(TM)t look so hot.  Maybe you should have gotten
here by 3:30, like I told you to. -�

   It took a moment for the words to sink in.  The implication wasn -(TM)t
particularly subtle, but Claudia had been so stuck on the assumption that
this had been her parents -(TM) doing that shifting to a different train of
thought required a few seconds of processing.  And, even when she got
there, she didn -(TM)t believe it.   -�Bullshit, -� she spat.  There was no
way her step-sister would be this brazen, and it also would have been
impossible to clear out Claudia -(TM)s whole room in the hour or two she
was at the skatepark.   -�Sara, spill. -�

   Her sister didn -(TM)t say anything for a few seconds.  Finally breaking
the silence with a small giggle, she said,  -�Why do you dress like that?
Is it to look edgy, or is it a coded beacon to all the other lesbians in
town? -�

   Claudia -(TM)s jaw dropped.  Lips slightly parted in surprise, she found
herself at a total loss for words.  Sure, they went to school together, but
she had always held onto the hope that Sara didn -(TM)t know.  The two of
them existed in completely different circles, and it -(TM)s not like
Claudia had ever made a pass at those preppy, prudish girls.   -�Sara- -�
she began.  Honestly, it mattered a lot less that Sarah knew.  The bigger
question was whether or not she had told anybody.  Was this the reason
behind the extreme punishment of all Claudia -(TM)s things being taken?  
-�Spill. -� Rather than letting herself get baited, she pushed for the
question that had been avoided.

    -�You look surprised.  Honestly, I don -(TM)t know why.  I -(TM)ve
known from the start.  People /love/ to gossip, especially when the new
girl in town asks for dirt on her mysterious sister.  And no, I haven
-(TM)t told Mike, or my mom.  You -(TM)re welcome. -�

   It was only then that something else from Sara -(TM)s greeting a minute
ago registered.  She had commented on how Claudia looked, and had been
doing the same thing ever since.  Mentioning Claudia -(TM)s outfit, and now
her expression.  It -(TM)s not like her sister was watching from the
closet, as her voice would have given away her location.  And, now that
Claudia was glancing that way, she could see that the closet doors were
open and every piece of clothing had been removed.  It was fucking insane.
Focusing up, Claudia walked over to her window and glanced at the house
across the street and the nearby copse of trees.  No way her uptight sister
would risk climbing a tree and potentially ruining one of her precious
skirts.

    -�It -(TM)s not that difficult, Claudia, -� Sara said,  -�I told you,
mom put me in charge for the weekend.  That means I need to keep an eye on
you.  Now, you -(TM)re a smart girl when you apply yourself.  Now, how do I
know that you -(TM)re holding your phone in your left hand and looking out
the window? -�

    -~Because you can see me at the window. -(TM) Stupid.  Claudia stepped
out of view to prove the theory and wishfully went to see if any if maybe
her bedside drawer had been spared.  She only made it halfway before
spotting something out of the corner of her eye.  Turning to get a better
look, she gasped more loudly than when discovering the empty room.  There
was a /camera/ in the upper corner by her closet.

    -�What the FUCK, Sara?! -� she exclaimed.  Staring right at the
invasion of privacy, Claudia -(TM)s first thought -"after pushing past the
infinite offense taken -"was how long that had been there.  Just last
night, she had pleasured herself to an erotic story paired with a few
pictures of hot girls to round things off.  If her parents had installed it
and seen the footage, Claudia would have to run away from home and start a
new life.  But if it really was Sara, that presented a whole host of
different problems.

   No, Claudia would have noticed it.  Even though there was no cord, as it
was one of the round ones that probably had a solid battery life, it had
still been decently easy to notice in her peripherals.  This was new.

    -�Mm hmm. -� Sara -(TM)s voice was annoyingly smug.   -�Now, before you
go taking that down and destroying it with a hammer, listen up.  If you
want all your stuff back -"including your car keys, by the way -"then all
you have to do is show me that you can be a proper, responsible girl.  Do
you think you can manage that? -�

   Fuck.  This really was Sara, wasn -(TM)t it?  Either Claudia -(TM)s
sister was lying and piggybacking off an out of the blue punishment from
their parents, or she had done this all herself.  Either way, Sara was the
current problem, and seemed to have access to the camera.  That much must
have been all her.  Still.  Claudia wasn -(TM)t just going to roll over.  
-�Fuck you, Sara.  I -(TM)m calling- -�

    -�What, calling your dad? -� she asked,  -�Good luck.  If you actually
talked to our parents, ever, you -(TM)d know that their itinerary is
non-stop business today.  Do you really want to drag him out of an
important conference to whine that your sister is being mean to you?  Last
time I checked, everyone trusts me more anyway.  Oh, and I used your credit
card to buy it.  Maybe you -(TM)re secretly a cam girl, and wanted to try a
new angle for your amateur lesbian porn. -�

    -�Sara! -� Claudia exclaimed.

    -�Here -(TM)s the deal, sis.  You -(TM)re going to go take a shower,
come to my room in just a towel, and politely ask me to dress you up.  If
you -(TM)re a good little doll, we can talk about your stuff.  Otherwise,
you can kiss your old room goodbye and everyone can hear all about what I
found in there.  And I mean everyone.  Oh, and you bet your ass I -(TM)ll
stretch the truth about a few of your dirty treasures. -�

   Pausing to let all that sink in, Sara finally asked,  -�So, what -(TM)s
it going to be, Claudia? -�