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 ï>¿The Trailer Park: The Fourth Year A Story in the Wynter/Trailer Park
Universe by Wizard CopyrightÂ(C) 2006 by Wizard

   Chapter 36

   "Sims!"

   Why were people always bellowing at me?

   I looked up from tying my shoe.  "Yes, Coach?"

   "Get over here."

   I sighed and stood up.  The coach was standing by the locker room door.

   "Yes, Coach?"

   The coach scowled.  "There's a cheerleader outside who wants a word with
you.  We're not going to have a repeat of the last time, are we?" The coach
wasn't speaking in the friendly supportive tone I'd come to know and love.

   "I don't think so.  She didn't say anything about flunking any classes,
did she?"

   The coach's look wasn't friendly.  "Just a minute with the girl, then
collect your pal and get her in here."

   I snapped to attention, snapped off a snappy salute, British style, palm
outward, then beat a hasty retreat.

   "Looking good," I said when I saw Darlene.  Darlene smiled and twirled,
showing off her cheerleader's outfit, her short skirt flying up to show off
her dance pants.  "Looking very good."

   "You can't imagine how good it feels to wear this.'

   "I don't know," I said, thinking about last year when I got called out
to play varsity.  "I think I can."

   Darlene hugged me.  "I wanted to, I mean, that is, Mom wanted me to
invite you to dinner.  She says she owes you a dinner."

   "That's nice but I don't think it would be a good idea.  Mike, your
step-dad, and all."

   "Mom said, I wasn't to take no for an answer.  You don't want to get me
in trouble?  Tomorrow night?  Before the play?"

   "Well, I'd hate to disappoint your mom."

   "You are so cool," she said, hugging me and planting a kiss on my lips.
"Gotta run."

   I watched her cute little ass as she ran up the stairs.  Damn I liked
cheerleaders, I thought as her skirt flipped around.  I wonderd if I can
talk Tami into trying out.

   "You decent?" I called, knocking on the training room door.

   "Close enough."

   I opened the door.  Robbie was just pulling a t-shirt of her head.  I
had a brief view of her green bra.  Before she pulled the shirt down and
flipped her hair out from the back of it.

   "A padded bra?  Robbie, I'm so disillusioned."

   Robbie shot me a dirty look.  "You wearing a cup, boy?"

   I considered taking the fifth, wondering if she was planning to test it.

   "Uh, yeah."

   "Like the extra protection down there?"

   I nodded.

   "Think about it."

   I'm slow, but I do catch on, eventually.

   Robbie pulled on her shoulder pads.  They had more padding in front than
mine.  Then her jersey.  I stepped behind her and pulled her long hair out.
She usually tucked it into her jersey when she played, but liked it out
until then.

   "Did you want something, or did you just come to watch?" she asked,
picking up her helmet in one hand.

   "Coach sent me to get you.  I think he wants to do the pep talk thing."

   Robbie reached up and grabbed my chin, then rubbed her thumb over my
lips.  "Eye-black not enough for you anymore?" she asked, showing me the
red smudge on her thumb.

   I grinned.  "Darlene was thanking me."

   Robbie shook her head, then all of a sudden she was pressed up against
me, her lips molded to mine and her tongue trying to worm it's way into my
mouth.  I was so surprised that I almost forgot to open my mouth.

   "That was...  We haven't done that for a long time," I said a minute
later.

   Robbie smiled.  "No, we haven't."

   "Uh, what was that for?" I realized the question was looking a gift
horse in the mouth, but on the other hand, the Trojans didn't, and look
what happened to them.

   "Just saying thank you."

   "For what?"

   "Just being Tony."

   "Congratulations," the coach said when we were all sitting on the
benches in the locker room.  "There are only sixteen teams playing football
this Friday night and you're one of them."

   We cheered and stomped our feet.

   "If we should lose tonight, we'll still be nine and one, and that's a
great season in anybody's book."

   "We're not losing!" Larry yelled, and we all yelled too.

   "Maybe we will and maybe we won't.  This is football.  You never know.
But the important thing is, this is the best team the school has ever had."
More cheering.  "Now I don't know if any of you have been reading the
papers, but the sports writer seem to think we're nine and oh because we
have the easiest schedule in the state.  That's why we never ranked higher
than sixth.

   "The sportswriters who make predictions are almost all picking the Pasco
Cougars to be champions this year.  The fact that we beat them at
Halloween, they're calling a fluke.  Most of them expect us to get beat
tonight."

   "Not happening!" I yelled, jumping to my feet.

   The coach smiled.  "Maybe it was a fluke, but four more flukes, and we
put a trophy in the case upstairs

   "Let's show those sports writers there's more to football than stats,
let's..."

   "Coach, can I say something first?" Robbie interrupted.

   The coach hesitated then nodded.  He headed for the door.

   Robbie stood up in the middle of the floor, her eyes scanning all four
benches of players.  "A lot of teams might have let a girl play, especially
one as good as me." That got a laugh.  "But you've really made me a part of
this team." She looked at Larry and motioned him with her finger.  He stood
and stepped towards her.  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and
kissed him for almost thirty seconds.  He looked dazed when she finished.

   She looked at Jimmy Prescott, the other co-captain.  He stood and she
flowed onto him.  His kiss was only about five seconds, but it's the
thought that counts.  One by one, she kissed every player, even Jeff the
equipment manager.  I had a feeling that some of them had never kissed a
girl who wasn't at least a cousin before.

   Finally, there were only two left.  Mike Reed and me.  She grinned. 
"What, you need an invitation?" Mike jumped up and practically tackled her.
As he kissed her, I saw his hand reach around and fondle her butt.

   "It'd be a shame if you couldn't throw tonight because of four broken
fingers," she whispered and his hand pulled away.

   "What about me?" I protested.

   Robbie laughed.  "You got yours already."

   "Awww."

   Robbie grinned.  "Come here," she said motioning me with her finger.

   "You guys gonna play football or what?" The coach yelled, sticking his
head back in the door.

   Robbie shrugged.

   I smiled, picked up Robbie's helmet off the bench and tossed it to her.

   Story of my life.

   As we jogged toward the field, Mike pulled up beside me.  "Think she's
got more for us if we win?"

   I wondered if I could accidentally smash my helmet through his teeth. 
"Why don't you suggest it to her."

   Mike didn't suggest anything to Robbie.  I knew because he was still
breathing at kick-off time.  And could use all his legs and arms.

   For a team the sportswriters said was going to lose, we didn't play like
it.

   It was Mike's game.  It seemed like everything he put in the air landed
in friendly arms.  And when he wanted some exercise he went running, the
ball tucked under his arm.  By the end of the first half when the coach
pulled him, Mike had over two hundred yards in the air and a hundred and
fifty on the ground.

   If the team from Redmond thought things would get better in the second
half with Mike resting on the bench, they hadn't heard about Monster Girl.
Robbie took the kick-off and ran it seventy-one yards for our fourth
touchdown.

   Then, after we kicked off, Larry intercepted them on their first down.
That seemed to take the heart right out of them.

   "Settle!" the coach ordered, when we were back in the locker room.

   It was hard, but we stopped jumping around and sat down on the benches.
I pulled Robbie onto my lap.

   "It will be interesting to see what the sports hacks have to say after
tonight," the coach started.

   We yelled so much my throat was raw.  The coach held up his hands. 
"There are a couple of interesting things about tonight's game.  The record
for returning a kickoff for a touchdown in the state tournament is
sixty-nine yards.  At least it was until tonight."

   I slapped Robbie on the back, and felt several hands slap my hand.

   "The record for most touchdown receptions in the state tournament is
two. At least it was until tonight." I felt a dozens hands slapping my
back. I would have stood and taken my bow, but I was enjoying holding
Robbie.

   "And the tournament record for biggest margin is forty-two back in 1995,
and lady and gentlemen, we tied that one tonight."

   Jimmy Prescott cleared his throat loudly when the cheering stopped. 
"For the record, when Curtiss beat Kamiakin by forty-two points, their
score was forty-nine to seven.  We didn't let Redmond get on the board.

   In the background I heard Mike saying something about setting a few
records if he'd played the second half.  I wondered if we could trade him
to Pasco.  I'd settle for two cheerleaders and a mascot to be named later.



   Chapter 37

   "I've come to a conclusion," I announced.

   "A conclusion, that's almost like a thought," Robbie pointed out.

   "And he had a plan.  Don't forget that." Tami added.

   "A plan and a conclusion, all in the same week.  We are so lucky to have
him," Robbie said.

   I looked out the big picture window in my living room at the big wet
snowflakes coming down and wondered if it wouldn't be warmer outside.

   "There are girls who appreciate me."

   "Name one," Robbie challenged.

   I thought of Allie, Darlene, Mikee and Kelly, but decided to pout
instead of answering.

   "Ah, you hurt his feelings," Tami cooed.

   "No, I didn't.  He just thinks if he pouts long enough, I'll kiss him
and make him feel better."

   "It does seem to cheer him up," Tami agreed.  Tami got off my lap and
went over to Robbie on the sofa, whispering in her ear.

   Robbie got up, and they both walked back to me, each sitting on one of
my legs.  Robbie leaned close.  "If you smile, you can feel my butt."

   I put my hand on her butt and grinned.

   Then I put my other hand on Tami's butt and grinned even bigger.

   "And just think," Robbie said, laying her head on my shoulder.  "We get
to hang out together all day." Tami copied her on the other side.

   "Well, 'till five anyway," I said, giving both butts a squeeze.

   "Why five?" Robbie asked, lifting her head.  "The play's not until
seven-thirty."

   "He's dumping us for Darlene at five."

   "Darlene?"

   "Darlene's mother invited me for dinner," I explained.

   Robbie laid her head back down.  "Two of us aren't enough for you
anymore?"

   I decided that silence was the best answer to that question.

   Besides, I had no clue where this was going.  Were Robbie and I us
again? Or was she just kidding around?  Should I keep my hand on her butt,
or check out how much her breasts had grown?  Life was so much easier when
girls still had cooties.  Maybe I should...

   "I see what you mean about complicated."

   Traci was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, eating a banana.

   Maybe I could send her out to wash Dad's car.  I'd let her come back
before frostbite set in.

   "Trace, Mom and Dad won't be back for a couple of hours.  Why don't you
see what Ann's up to."

   "You know, most big brothers pay big bucks to get rid of their little
sisters when they have a girl over.  You have two."

   My sister, the hustler.

   Then she grinned.  "Have fun." She got her coat off the coat rack and
left.

   "You heard the girl," I said when the door closed.  "We're supposed to
have fun."

   "And just what did you have in mind?" Robbie asked suspiciously.

   "I don't know.  Three is such a hard number.  Too many for chess, not
enough for poker."

   "Subtle, isn't he," Robbie said.

   "Not really, but he's cute when he's horny."

   I couldn't believe Tami said that.

   "He's even cute when he's not," Robbie added.

   "When was that?"

   The girls laughed and I wondered if I should be insulted or flattered.
Maybe both.

   "Didn't you come to a conclusion a while ago?  What was it?" Tami asked.

   "I forgot.  That was a long time ago."

   "It was five minutes," Robbie pointed out.

   "Five minutes is a long time when all your blood is in the other head."
Tami laid her hand on the bulge in my jeans and squeezed.

   "Oh, God!"

   "Do you two want to be alone?" Robbie asked.

   "Not right now," Tami said, squeezing again.  "How about you two?"

   Robbie looked obviously down at the hand massaging my crotch.  "Not now.
Maybe later."

   "Would you two like to be alone?" I said, getting into the spirit of
things.

   "Okay," Tami said, taking her hand off my crotch and offering it to
Robbie.  Robbie grinned and took it.  The girls got up and walked off
toward my bedroom.

   "What just happened?" I asked the empty room.

   "Let's go for a walk," Tami said, when the girls came back half-an-hour
later.

   Both girls smiled at me, but I refused to ask what they'd been doing.  I
knew they'd just been talking.  They wouldn't do any more than that.  They
just stayed back in my room to bug me.

   Of course, Robbie did have her sometimes thing with Ashley, but Tami
would never...

   Of course Tami had played around with Mikee and me that one time, but
she'd never...

   They just talked.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

   "You do realize there's a blizzard outside?"

   Okay, blizzard might be an over-statement.  But it was snowing.  The
wind was blowing.  And it was darn cold out there.

   "Wimp," Robbie accused.

   "That's okay.  We'll go together," Tami said, taking Robbie's hand
again.

   "I'll get my coat."

   It actually wasn't that bad.  All bundled up, I was warm and the fresh
air tasted good.  "So what was this conclusion you came to back before I
ravaged your girlfriend?" Robbie asked.

   She was kidding.  I know she was kidding.

   "I decided that the reason trouble seems to find me so easy is I get too
involved in other people's lives.  From now on, I'm going to concentrate on
me and Tami and my family." I wondered if I should include Robbie in that
too.

   "I'll take that bet," Robbie said.

   "What bet?"

   "I'll take twenty of Robbie's action," Tami said.

   "I just meant...  aw, skip it."

   A guy tries to improve his life and what does he get?

   "Tony, I'm so glad you come," Darlene's mom said as she hugged me. 
Since the resemblance between Darlene and her mom was obvious, I didn't
mind.

   "Yeah, glad to have you," Mike's dad said from the sofa without getting
up.  Or taking his eyes off Sports Center.

   Darlene gave me a quick tour of the house, even Mike's room since the
door was open.  I was glad to see he was a bigger slob than me.

   I also got to meet her eight-year-old sister, Teresa, and her new
nine-year-old step-sister, Dana.

   Before dinner, we all sat around in the living.  Small talk was not a
success.  Darlene talked to me, Mike talked to his dad, and Darlene's mom
tried to bridge the gaps.  The little girls were smart.  They disappeared
to their room.

   Most of the dinner conversation centered on Mike.

   "Did you see that pass Mike threw at the end of the second quarter. 
Forty-three yards and right into the receiver's arms.  No wonder all the
scouts are checking him out," his dad said around a mouth of potatoes.

   I considered pointing out that I was the receiver and had something to
do with it, but just nodded instead.  Nothing wrong with being proud of
your son.

   "Honey, Tony's the one who got Darlene on the cheerleading squad." her
mom said.

   "I didn't get her on the squad.  I just told Paula about her.  Darlene's
the one who tried out and made it."

   "That's nice," Mike's Dad said.  "And that forty-seven yard run in the
first quarter, nobody could touch Mike."

   I remember that one.  The rest of us just stood around and watched in
awe.  It's not like any of us blocked or anything.

   I looked down at my ribs.  I'd been looking forward to them.  Darlene
had told how good her mom's ribs were, and ribs were one of my all-time
favorites.

   "Darlene is so looking forward to basketball season.  She'll only get to
do a couple of games for football, but she'll have the entire basketball
season."

   Mike's dad speared a glazed carrot and popped it in his mouth.  "I'm not
sure that's such a good idea."

   "Why?" Darlene and her mom asked at the same time, though in very
different tones.

   "Because young lady, you have responsibilities.  Who would watch the
girls after school?"

   "What about Mike!"

   "Don't you use that tone on me!"

   "Sorry, what about Mike?" she asked softer.

   "I have things to do." Mike protested.

   "But..."

   "We'll discuss it later."

   I could see that Darlene was about ready to explode, but I don't get
involved in other people's problems.

   I looked down at my plate.  The ribs looked delicious.

   I set me fork down, wiped my lips with my napkin and stood up.  "I'm
afraid I can't stay," I announced.

   Mr.  Reed looked at my untouched ribs and barely touched potatoes. 
"What?  My wife's cooking isn't good enough for you?"

   "Mrs.  Carter, everything was wonderful," I said, looking at Darlene's
embarrassed mother.  "I just need to leave now." It occurred to me that it
was cold and snowing outside and these people were my ride to the school.

   "You're going to just get up and leave?" Mr.  Reed barked.

   "Both my grandmas tried to beat into me, 'If you can't say anything
nice, don't say anything at all.' My dad, knowing me, added, 'If you can't
say nothing at all, leave.'"

   "You had something you wanted to say?"

   "You don't want to know."

   "But I do.  I'm sure we all do."

   I took a breath, and considered my grandma's advice.  And my dad's.  But
decided that sometimes it didn't apply.  "You don't have a step-daughter,
you have a built-in-babysitter.  You crow constantly about Mike's
accomplishments, What about Darlene's?"

   "Is that all?" he asked sarcastically.

   "No, now that you ask.  You talk a lot about Darlene's responsibilities.
Does Mike help out?  Does he do anything?"

   "He's older.  He has things to do."

   "I've seen the kid's rooms.  Mike's is twice the size of Darlene's.  Or
the little girls."

   "You can't expect Mike to give up his room.  He's had it all his life."

   "Darlene, how long did you have your room in your old house?"

   "All my life."

   "That's different." Mike and his dad said together.

   "I'm sure it is.  Dana's had her room all her life too, but now she has
to share it with Teresa, so she has half the space.  But I'm sure that's
different too."

   "Tony..." Darlene's mom said, almost pleadingly, but I was on a roll.

   "Darlene said you made a big deal out of Mike getting an A on his report
card.  Even gave him twenty bucks.  How much did you give Darlene?  She got
three A's.  How 'bout the girls?"

   "That's enough!" Reed said threateningly.

   "Mike walks in the living room and changes the TV to whatever he wants,
and it doesn't matter if someone else was there first.  You got Mike a car
when he got his license.  Darlene turns sixteen next week.  She getting one
too?"

   "Get out of my house.  Don't bother coming back."

   "Trust me, I don't want to.  I was getting an ulcer watching how you run
a family." I walked towards the front door.

   "You have a bad attitude," he told my retreating back.

   Halfway across the living room, I stopped and turned.  "A lot of people
agree with you.  Mrs.  Carter, I apologize for ruining your dinner."

   "It's Mrs.  Reed," her husband growled.

   "Not if she's smart."

   For a second, I thought I'd gone to far.  Reed looked like he was ready
to pound me into hamburger.  The good news is, then I could call Deputy
Boyd and have him put away.  The bad news is, pain hurts.

   "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

   "Darlene, when you get tired of the way you're treated, my mom always
takes in strays."

   I left.



   Chapter 38

   "Thanks for the ride."

   I got out of the backseat of the car.  "You were a real lifesaver."

   Mrs.  Stiller got out of the driver's seat.  "I still don't understand
why you were walking down the highway in a storm." Kevin got out the other
side.

   "It wasn't that bad.  I would have made it.  Of course I would have been
just in time for the curtain call.  But I would have made it.  Thanks
again," I said with a wave.  "Bye, Kevin."

   I walked quickly to the front doors of the school.  I was still a little
cold from my fifteen minute walk before Kevin and his mom spotted me. 
Inside, I paid my last five dollars for admission and a program.  You'd
think a fellow thespian would get in free, but I guess that's the business
part of show business.

   In the auditorium, almost everybody was standing around.  Only a few
people were in their seats.  I saw Robbie and Tami talking with Mike Rose
over on one side.  Mom, Dad, and Traci were standing with some other adults
near the back wall.  I went over.

   "Hi, runt.  How you doing?" I said, coming up behind her and putting my
hands on her shoulders.

   "Okay, I guess," she said without enthusiasm.

   "What's wrong?"

   "I wanted to spend the night at Lizzie's house, but Mom said no."

   "That's too bad.  Why?" Mom gave me a warning look.  I winked.

   "She just said because."

   I leaned down.  "Sometimes moms just get cranky," I whispered.

   "You got that right," she said and wandered off to find one of her
friends.

   "What was that all about," Mom asked.

   "Traci's a little annoyed cause you're getting all dictatorial and won't
let her go to Lizzie's.  Poor girl."

   "Poor girl?  You're the one who asked me not to let her sleep out."

   "You didn't have to be so mean about it," I said with a grin.

   I don't think my mom ever came closer to hitting me than that moment.

   "Dad, I need a favor."

   "I'm not sure doing you a favor right now would be beneficial to my
marriage." Dad glanced at Mom who was glaring at me.

   Then Mom smiled.  "Oh, find out what he wants.  You know he'll get it
eventually."

   Dad sighed.  "What?"

   "I was wondering if you had two twenties I could borrow until I get
home?"

   "Forty dollars?  What do you need forty dollars for?  Here?"

   I shrugged.  Dad and Mom exchanged looks, then Dad reached for his
wallet.

   It might be my imagination, but there seemed to be a lot more of those
looks since we moved from California.

   "Ladies," I said as I walked up to Robbie and Tami.  Mike Rose was just
leaving to join his parents, and we nodded to each other.

   "Here," I said, handing each of them a twenty.

   "What's this for?" Tami asked, looking down at the bill in her hand.

   "You won.  I lost." I told them about my dinner.

   Tami smiled.  "You did what you had to.  I can't take your money," she
said, handing back the bill.

   "I would have done the same thing," Robbie agreed.  "But I'm keeping the
money." She tucked the twenty into the front pocket of her jeans.

   "I vote Robbie buys the snacks at intermission," I suggested.

   "I second that motion," Tami agreed

   "That okay," Robbie said with a smile.  "I'll still make a profit on the
deal."

   There are times when I don't like Monster Girl very much.

   The play was awesome.  Even better than the first time.

   Last year I'd watched the Tony awards on TV.  Not by choice.  It was an
assignment for English class.  But during the show, they showed clips of
the nominated plays and actors.  Leslie had them all beat.

   The scenes between Leslie as Clarice Darrow and Louis Frey as William
Jennings Bryan were riveting.

   For added drama there was one more scene after the curtain fell.

   "You have raised an extremely rude disrespectful brat," Mr.  Reed yelled

   Mom's eyes bugged a little as Mr.  Reed charged at her after the play.

   "Excuse me?"

   "You haven't bothered to teach him any manners.  Or respect for his
betters," Reed said wagging his finger in mom's face.  Mom hates that.

   "He's right you know," I said walking up with Tami.  "No respect at
all."

   Reed glared at me.  Mom looked confused while Dad looked amused.  I
noticed Mrs.  Carter standing back looking embarrassed.  I didn't see
Darlene.

   "What'd he do?" Mom asked.  She knew I had dinner out tonight, but I
don't think she'd ever met the Reeds.

   "He sat at my table and tried to tell me how to raise my family."

   "He's almost right, but I was standing when I told what he was doing
wrong.  Mom, this is Mr.  Reed, Darlene's step-dad."

   "You see!" Mr.  Reed was wagging his finger again.  "He's not even
sorry. He's not even apologizing."

   "Blame him," I said, pointing at my dad.  "He said you never have to
apologize for the truth."

   Reed glared at me, then dad, who was watching silently, then Mom, then
back at me.

   "What are you going to do about him?" Reed demanded.

   "I'm not even sure what he did," Mom said with a shrug.

   "I might have known.  At least we can see where he gets it.  I
demand..." his finger was practically in my Mom's nose.

   I knocked his arm away and stepped between them.  "Feel free to say
anything you want about me.  But get in my mom's face again, and we'll find
out if a tenth-grade football player can knock the shit out of a big
asshole like you."

   He had a few pounds on me, but it was flab, not muscle.  I was pretty
sure I could beat the hell out of him if I tried.

   "TONY!  I won't stand for that kind of language.  Apologize!"

   "I can't.  Not this time."

   "You see what he's like.  And what about his threat?"

   "I'll take..." Mom started.

   "We won't punish a boy for defending his mother," Dad said firmly.

   "He..."

   Dad stepped up, pushing me out of the way and standing between Reed and
Mom.  "And yell at my wife again, and Tony's not the only one who'll be
taking you down."

   Reed's finger came up and his mouth opened, but he changed his mind,
turned and stomped off.

   Dad looked at me.  "The language was unnecessary.  Tomorrow, you will
clean the house, top to bottom, then again Wednesday.  Understood?"

   I nodded.

   "Anything else?" Dad asked Mom.

   She looked at me.  "Tomorrow afternoon, I would like a complete, and
hopefully objective report about what just happened, but I have no
intention of letting this ruin my night."

   I nodded again.

   I decided that I needed to put some real thought into Christmas this
year.

   "What did your mom mean?" Tami asked after Traci had stomped off toward
her bedroom.

   "Traci doesn't know about tonight," I whispered.

   "I don't get it," Robbie said.

   "Well, she's feeling a little picked on.  First Mom wouldn't let her
spend the night at Lizzie's, then you heard her on the way home.  She told
Trace that she and Dad were spending the night out, and that since I was
having friends over, she should stay out of the way in her room."

   "You're mean."

   I picked up Robbie's hand, bowed, and kissed it.  "I learned from the
best.

   Robbie grinned.  "You say the sweetest things."

   I was wondering if I should try kissing my way up Robbie's arm, a la
Gomez Addams, when there was a knock.

   Tami opened the door.  Mikee was there with Zoe, Kelly standing in the
background.

   Mikee looked in the door.  I was still bent over Robbie's hand.  "Are we
interrupting something?" she asked.

   "I can only hope," I said before Robbie pulled her hand back.

   The girls came in and shucked coats.

   Tami and I went to the kitchen.  I started opening cans of pop while
Tami poured Doritos into a bowl.  Cokes for Tami, Mikee, Robbie and me,
root beer for Kelly, and Sprite for Traci who was trying to decaffeinate
for some reason.  Dr.  Pepper for Zoe, but she was from New York and
probably didn't know any better.

   I put all the drinks on a tray, and we went back to the living room.

   The phone rang when we were halfway there.

   "Robbie, would you get that?"

   She did as I set the tray on the coffee table and started handing out
cans.

   "Tami, it's your mom."

   Tami set down her bowl and took the phone.

   She gave me a funny look as she talked, Robbie looked at me
questioningly, and I shrugged.

   "Darlene's at my house," Tami announced when she hung up.

   "What's she doing there?" Robbie asked.

   Tami shrugged.

   "I invited her to the monopoly-a-thon when I was at her house, but I
figured that was a no-go," I said.

   "She probably figured asking to spend the night with Tami was safer than
using your name," Robbie theorized.  Tami and I nodded.

   "I'll go get her," Tami said.

   "I'll go with you," Robbie volunteered.

   I sat down in Dad's chair.

   "Alone at last," Mikee announced, plopped in my lap, and kissed me.

   "What about us?" Zoe asked, her eyes getting big.

   Mikee broke her lips from mine.  "If you want a turn, you'll have to get
in line." Zoe's eyes got bigger.

   "Where's Traci?" Kelly asked.

   I darted my tongue into Mikee's mouth and teased the roof of her mouth.
She started giggling and pulled away.

   "She doesn't know she's invited yet."

   Zoe was still staring, so I decided to feel up Mikee and kiss her again.
I reached up and squeezed her breast, my thumb easily finding her nipple
since the darling wasn't wearing a bra.  I heard the door open while our
tongues wrestled in her mouth.

   "Leave you alone for three minutes and there's another girl in your
lap," Tami said as she took off her coat.  I could see Darlene's eyes were
as big as Zoe's.

   I grinned but didn't break my kiss with Mikee.  My left hand eased down
her butt and started caressing her through her jeans.

   "Aren't you going out with Brian Thomas?" Darlene asked.

   Mikee pulled away from me.  "Sure.  Brian's a great guy, but Tony kisses
better," she said with a big smile.

   "Kissing isn't all he's doing," Zoe said.

   Mikee looked down at her tits.  "Tony, you're not supposed to touch me
there," she said as if surprised.

   "You want me to stop?" I asked as I moved my thumb in a circle around
her stiff nipple.

   "You probably should."

   "When?"

   "Sometime tonight."

   I was afraid that Darlene and Zoe were going to throw their necks out as
their heads ping-ponged back and forth between watching me and Mikee and
looking at Tami.

   Kelly giggled.

   Tami sighed.

   "Mikee get off Tami's boyfriend," Robbie ordered.

   "Awww," but she did.  Robbie came over and plopped down.

   Tami shook her head.  "What about Traci?" she asked.

   "Are you a good actress?" I asked, then blew lightly into Robbie's ear.
I still wasn't sure where we were.

   "I was in your play," Tami pointed out.

   "We lost."

   "You were the one who was on stage the most."

   "That's why we came close."

   Tami stuck her tongue out at me.  The Robbie stuck her tongue out too. I
kissed it.

   "Did you have a point?" Tami asked.

   "After the phone rings, go back and get Traci.  Try to make her think
I'm really mad."

   "You ARE mean," Robbie said.  I nibbled her earlobe.

   I looked over at Kelly, pointed at Dad's cell phone sitting on the
coffee table, and pantomimed dialing a phone.  She nodded, picked up the
cell, and dialed.  A second later the phone rang.  I let it ring twice,
then signaled to Zoe to answer it, since she was the closest.  She did,
then tossed the handset to me.

   Tami stood by the front of the hallway and held out one finger.  Then
two.  Then three.  Then four.  Then her hand out with her thumb extended.
She grinned, turned, and went down the hall.

   We heard her knock.

   "What?"

   "Tony wants you."

   "Why?"

   "I don't know, but he seems mad."

   We could hear her door open.  I nodded for Robbie to get off my lap,
then held the handset to my ear.  Kelly held the cell down by her leg.

   The two girls walked into the living room.

   "Just a minute," I said into the phone and held my hand over the
mouthpiece.  "Mrs.  Gordon is on the phone.  She's been talking to David.
Is it true?" David Gordon was Traci's current boyfriend.  She actually
thought going to a dance with him was more important than going to my game
last week.

   "What'd she say?"

   "Just a minute," I said and put the phone back to my ear.  "Could you
tell me that again.  Unh huh.  Unh huh.  She didn't?" Traci was getting
very red and I wondered just how far she and David had gone.  Maybe I
should get Tami to have The Talk, part three, with her.

   I lowered the phone, my hand on the mouthpiece again.  "She says you're
the reigning queen of Monopoly."

   "What!"

   "Ask her yourself." I tossed her the phone and she brought it up to her
ear.

   "Hi, Traci," Kelly said into the cell.

   Traci glared at me and I wondered for a second if I'd gone to far.  I
slid off the chair and onto my knees.  "Traci, my beautiful, intelligent,
and forgiving sister.  We're going to have a Monopoly marathon and need you
to join us.  I asked Mom to do everything she did as a joke, because I know
your incredible sense of humor."

   Traci glared.

   "Did I mention your forgiving nature?"

   "I don't know if I want to play with you."

   "Did I mention that Zoe's pretty good and wants to be queen?" Traci
switched her glare from me to Zoe for a few seconds, then grinned.  "Bring
it on," she told the other girl.

   Traci and the others started clearing the dining room table and setting
up the game, but Darlene signaled that she wanted to talk to me alone.  We
went to my room.

   "I'm a little mad at you," she said as I closed the door.

   I turned and faced her.  "I don't blame you."

   "You don't?"

   "I shouldn't have blown up at dinner."

   "No, you shouldn't," she said forcefully.

   "If it means anything, I wasn't trying to interfere.  I didn't even do
it for you.  Not really."

   "You didn't?"

   "I just...  I got so mad listening to him talk.  Knowing that he didn't
have a clue how he was treating everyone.  He doesn't even realize that
everyone in the house is like a peasant and Mike is royalty.  All hail
Prince Mike the Magnificent."

   Darlene smiled and sat down on the bed.  "You said everything I've
wanted to say since Mom got married.  Almost everything."

   "What'd I miss?" I asked, surprised.  I thought I threw a pretty
complete tantrum.

   Darlene grinned.

   "It won't help," I told her, sitting down next to her.  "He didn't even
hear what I said."

   "No, but maybe Mom did.  I haven't said anything because I didn't want
to ruin anything for her."

   "You know, it's not fair to her if you don't let her know every now and
then what you're feeling."

   "How'd you get so wise?"

   I grinned.  "I get asked that a lot." That, or why did I have such a bad
attitude.  Maybe the two go together.  "You should talk to her."

   "I will," Darlene promised.  "Maybe things will get better.  When I said
I wanted to spend the night at Tami's, Steve said no, but Mom over-ruled
him.  I don't think he realized that you lived so close, but I know Mom
did."

   "I'll cross my fingers for you.  And I meant what I said, if things get
too bad, Mom lets me bring home strays."

   "So I'm a stray?"

   "An awfully cute one."

   Darlene smiled and hugged me.  Then she seemed to realize that she was
sitting on my bed, hugging me, with the door closed and Tami outside.

   She jerked away, blushing furiously.  "I didn't mean...  I mean... 
Tami..."

   I smiled, reassuringly.  "Darlene, If you ripped off your clothes and we
had wild passionate sex right now, Tami wouldn't mind."

   "She wouldn't?"

   "She might be annoyed that we held up the game, but she wouldn't be
mad."

   I could tell the exact second that Darlene imagined the two of us naked
on the bed.

   The game was all set up when we came back, eight chairs around the
table. I could see the questions on everyone's face.  Everyone except Tami
and Robbie, since they knew about the dinner scene.

   I sat down between Tami and Kelly.  Darlene took the other open chair
between Tami and Robbie.  As I sat, I reached down and squeezed Kelly and
Tami's knees.  Kelly jerked hers away.  I was surprised.

   "If you can't beat a ten, Traci and Zoe need to have a roll off," Mikee
told me as she handed me the dice.  I took them and rolled a two.  Mikee
rolled her eyes.

   I passed the dice to Darlene.

   She rolled an eleven.

   Some guys might think that a fifteen-year-old, almost sixteen, playing
Monopoly on a Saturday night is pretty pathetic.  But I was the only guy
with seven of the hottest babes in the county, only one of them a relative.
I sure didn't feel pathetic.  And as the ranking family member, I could
always send Traci to bed.

   Eight-sided Monopoly can be a long process unless somebody gets lucky
early.  I thought when Traci rolled a five and bought the Reading Railroad
on her first turn that the game might be a short one.  When Zoe landed on
Chance and went straight to Boardwalk on her first outing, I was sure of
it. But two hours later, as the clock ticked past midnight, everyone was
still in the game, and the property was so spread out that nobody had a
complete set or any real advantage.

   Deals were offered, but nobody took one, things were just too even, and
nobody wanted to give any other player an advantage.

   About one o'clock Tami sighed and stood up.  I wondered if she was going
to throw in the towel, but she leaned over the board and surveyed the
situation.  I knew what she wanted, North Carolina to give her the greens,
and Robbie had it.

   She leaned toward Robbie.  "Time to deal.  Kentucky for North Carolina."

   She'd offered the deal before.  She and Robbie were the closest to a
deal.  Kentucky would give Robbie the reds, and North Carolina would finish
the green set for Tami.

   Robbie considered.  "No deal," she said again.

   "I'll throw in Baltic." Zoe had Mediterranean.

   "Nope."

   "And a thousand cash."

   "Not happening."

   "And five minutes alone in the bedroom with Tony."

   "What?" several voices exploded.  Including mine.

   Robbie grinned.  "Ten."

   Tami grinned back.  "Seven."

   "You can't do that," Traci protested.

   "Quiet.  We're wheelin' and dealin' here."

   "Wait!" Mikee said urgently.  "I'll trade you twenty minutes with Brian
for Ventnor." She had the other two yellows.

   "I don't even know Brian," Robbie protested.

   "He's a great kisser."

   "You already said Tony was better." She reached her hand to Tami. 
"Done."

   Tami shook it and handed other her two properties and two
five-hundred-dollar bills.  Robbie passed back the green card, and stood
up. "C'mon, big boy."

   "Don't I get a say in this?" I asked.

   "No!" The two girls said together.

   Robbie took two steps toward the back of the house while everybody but
Tami watched.  She snapped her fingers, "Heel!"

   I considered saying 'Woof!' but stood and followed her to my room.

   I wasn't thrilled about having been sold, but my big problem was, I
didn't know how far this was going to go.

   I sure didn't mind being alone with Robbie in my room, for seven minutes
or seven hours, but I didn't want to go too far and hurt our friendship if
she was just joking around.  I felt like I was on that funny floor in
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  Some steps were safe, but with some
steps, it was a long way down.

   I walked in first.  Robbie followed and closed the door.  I turned and
was going to say 'Now what?' but Robbie was skinning down her jeans and
panties.

   She pointed to her pussy, "Go to it, slick, and you better be worth it."

   "Robbie, I..." I still felt like I was walking on quicksand.

   "What's the matter?  Forgotten how?" she asked challengingly.

   If there's one thing I can't resist it's a challenge.  If there's
another thing I can't resist it's a red-haired pussy.  If there's one other
thing I can't resist it's Robbie.  Well, you get the idea.

   I dropped to my knees, and walked forward until I could press my face in
her crotch.  Strangely, the first thing I noticed was that she'd changed
soaps.  Now she smelled kind of piney, but I remembered her more citrus.

   I plunged my tongue into her gash and wiggled it around.  Then I pulled
it out and looked up at her.  "Not getting enough from Mike?" I kidded.

   Robbie put her hand on the back of my head.  "Mike's a pretty good fuck,
but he doesn't eat pussy," she said before pulling me back to the target.
'More information that I needed to know, ' I thought as my tongue
re-explored familiar territory.

   Her clitoris slightly protruded her outer lips.  I didn't remember it
doing that.  I wondered if clits grew.  Cocks did.  Maybe clits did too.  I
teased it with my tongue, thinking about Ashley's tongue doing the same
thing.  My cock, which had gotten hard when Tami first offered my services,
jerked and sprayed semen all over my underwear.

   Robbie bucked and tried to pull my head even closer.  I wrapped my lips
around her clit and tried to suck it into my mouth.  "Oh, fuck!" She
spasmed again.  I released her clit and plunged my tongue as deep as I
could.  "Of fuck, fuck, fuckfuckfuck!" she moaned as her body spasmed
again.

   I leaned back on my heels and looked up.

   "I've missed that," Robbie said when she got her breath back.

   "So have I," I admitted.

   There was a long silence.  What do you say in a situation like this? 
How the hell did I get in a situation like this?

   "We'd better get back," Robbie said pulling up her panties, then her
jeans.  "My seven minutes will be up." She opened the door and left.

   I watched her go, then got off my knees.  I wiped my face on a t-shirt
that was lying on my bed, then followed.

   Everyone but Tami and Robbie stared as I came back.  Robbie seemed to be
trying to memorize the board, and Tami was busy straightening the three new
hotels she'd erected on the greens.

   I stepped behind her, tilted her head, leaned down, and kissed her.  I
thrust my tongue into her mouth and wondered if she could taste Robbie.  If
she could, it didn't bother her as she sucked greedily on my tongue.

   "Some of us are trying to play a game here," Traci complained.

   I broke away and sat down, my hand settling on Kelly's thigh as I did.
She picked it up and dropped it between us.  I looked over at her, and she
quickly looked away.

   Robbie took a five-hundred-dollar bill from her pile and handed it to
Tami.

   "What's this?" my sweetheart asked.

   "Rebate."

   I don't know how Darlene and Zoe's eyes stayed in their heads.

   When it was Zoe's turn, she looked straight at Mikee.  "What's it going
to take to get Park Place?'

   Mikee giggled.  "Seven minutes in heaven."

   Darlene almost choked.

   Zoe looked at me.  "I'll give you New York to spend seven minutes with
Mikee." New York would complete my oranges.

   I tried to look thoughtful.  "Stand up," I told my favorite freshman. 
Mikee stood and posed.  I looked back at Zoe.  "Throw in five hundred
dollars."

   Zoe looked startled but handed over the orange card and money.

   I stood and held out my hand to Mikee, and we walked back to my room.  I
knew Zoe and Darlene's eyes were glued to our backs.

   In my room, I peeled off my jeans and soggy underwear.  I threw the
jeans on my bed and tossed the underwear in a hamper in my closet.  If
Mikee noticed the condition of the underwear, she didn't say anything.  I
got fresh underwear out of my bureau and tossed them on top of my jeans.

   I turned back to Mikee.  "You're wearing too many clothes for someone on
the clock."

   Mikee grinned and started to pull her t-shirt over her head.  I went for
the good stuff.  I tried to push her jeans down, but they were too tight,
so I had to unfasten them first.

   Big Tony had come back harder than ever.  I was turned on by having five
hot babes in the other room, all wondering what was happening in her.  I
was even a little turned on about Traci wondering too.

   I'd finally had my first three-way.  Maybe tonight could be my first
orgy.  I wondered if it was to late to send Traci to Lizzie's.  Or even
Ann's.

   I stepped forward, Big Tony pointing the way.  I pushed Mikee against
the door and let Big Tony's head rub against her lips.  She reached down,
grabbed me at the base, and pulled me forward.

   I pushed forward, filling her cunt.  The door rattled.  I drove forward
again.  The door rattled.  I wondered if they could hear it in the living
room.  I decided to give them a good show if they could.

   I reached down and grabbed the backs of Mikee's legs, lifting her off
the floor as I built up a nice rhythm.  Mikee moaned, and I felt her
fingernails dig into my back as I licked her nose.

   "Oh, yes, fill me up."

   I grinned, thinking about poor Brian who wasn't getting any of this
because of his big mouth.  'There are better uses for mouths, ' I thought,
thinking of Robbie's tasty little pussy.

   "I'm gonna cum," she groaned.

   "That's good, 'cause I'm almost there."

   I slowed my pace, drawing each stroke out as long as I could.  I felt
that familiar tightening in my balls, and then my love juice gushed out as
I drove home one last time.  Mikee pulled me close and hugged me, the walls
of her vagina milking out every drop.

   Which is when I thought about my box of condoms in the closet.

   I could have panicked, but I figured what was done was done.  I pulled
the formerly 'Big' Tony out of her and used the t-shirt from my bed to wipe
it off.  Then I wiped off her pussy.

   While I wiped, I looked her in the eye, then kissed her.  "I thought you
promised me you wouldn't let any guy put his cock in there without a
sheath."

   Mikee blushed.  "I..."

   I kissed her again.  "That's okay.  I forgot too."

   I decided to research male contraception on the internet, 'cause
frankly, waiting the ten seconds it would have taken to get a rubber and
put it on was not an option.

   Back at the game, it was Kelly's turn.  I looked around the board as I
sat down.  "What?  No hotels?" I asked Zoe, looking at her naked
properties.

   "She forgot," Traci told me.  "She was too busy listening to the sounds
coming from the back of the house.

   "I'll trade you my utilities and one railroad for seven minutes," Kelly
said suddenly, which made not only Zoe and Darlene's eyes bug, but Traci's
too."

   "Anytime."

   "Hey!" Mikee protested.  "You made Zoe pay an extra five hundred
dollars."

   I grinned.  "Kelly's cuter."

   I stood and offered my hand to Kelly.  She took it, stood, and we
skipped out of the room.

   In my room, I pulled Kelly to me, one hand on her ass and the other
going to her tit, and kissed her.  Kelly seemed to melt against me.  Big
Tony hadn't stirred, but I figured after Mikee he needed his rest.  Then
she stiffened and pulled away.

   "I...  This was a mistake." She looked at me, then fled down the hall to
the bathroom.

   I took a couple steps backward and plopped on the bed.

   I leaned back on my hands, my face to the ceiling.  What the hell was
going on?

   My right hand landed right in the middle of my cum-cleaning t-shirt.

   I jumped up, then wadded the t-shirt in a ball and threw it at the
hamper.  It landed half-in, half-out, and lay on the edge.

   I waited in the hall for Kelly.  After several minutes, the door opened
and she stepped out, blushing when she saw me.

   "Are you...  is everything okay?"

   "I'm fine.  I just didn't want to." She pushed past me and went back out
to the living room.  Her face had been red, even before she blushed, but I
didn't think she'd been crying.  I walked back to the game.

   Darlene was rolling the dice.

   "I rolled for you," Tami said as I sat down.  "You landed on
Pennsylvania, so I paid me the fourteen hundred out of your cash."

   "Hey!  I was going to take that out in trade."

   Tami laughed.  "You didn't have that much trade, even before Robbie,
Mikee and Kelly."

   The game went on.

   Everybody seemed to gravitate toward the row of green properties. 
Darlene managed to spend a few turns in jail, but then landed square on
Pacific.

   Zoe was the first one gone.  She mumbled something about unfair
advantages as she handed over the last of her cash and property.  Tami
built two hotels each on Boardwalk and Park Place and added second hotels
to all the greens.  We had a house rule that if you controlled all the
colored properties on a side of the board, you could build a second hotel.

   Around and around we went.  Kelly and Darlene were gone, but Traci
managed to trade for the Connecticut and complete the light blues.  Mikee
landed on the double hoteled Boardwalk and threw in the towel.  Then I
landed on Park Place and had to sell off all my hotels, my utilities and
one railroad.  All I had left was my reds.  My naked reds.

   Robbie rolled doubles and landed on Illinois.  I collected my forty
dollars, then she rolled again.  Double fives.  Pennsylvania Avenue.  With
two hotels, twenty-eight hundred.  Robbie, stood, bowed to Tami and handed
over everything.

   I picked up the dice.  A three would land me on Go.  I could collect
four hundred and add a couple houses.  A five and a four.  Nine.  I counted
it out.  That put right on one of Traci's blues.  With a big red hotel in
the middle of it.  Five hundred and fifty bucks.

   I had five dollars.  Plus two hundred for passing go.  If I mortgaged
all three red, I'd get three forty.  I'd still be five dollars short.  I
reached out to tip my top hat piece and knowledge defeat.

   "He could give you seven minutes," Mikee suggested.

   The look on Traci's face was...  interesting.  I think she actually
considered it.

   "Nah, he's my brother," she said and held out her hand.  I passed her my
cash and property.

   The game lasted another ten minutes.  Robbie went first, then Traci, but
Tami was the winner.

   "I'm still queen," Traci announced.  "Doesn't count when you put my
brother out for stud."

   It was after two.  I moved the chairs, sofa, and coffee table out of the
way and started spreading out sleeping bags.  Mikee, Kelly, Robbie, Tami,
and Zoe had brought theirs by this afternoon, and I'd gotten mine and
Traci's out of the hall closet.  That left us one shy.

   "Use this one," I suggested to Darlene.  "She won't need it."

   "Why?" Tami asked.  "Am I doubling with Robbie?"

   "Maybe later." I pulled her down onto my sleeping bag.

   "She can share with me," Mikee offered, then giggled, joking.  But I
remembered a hot scene with both of them on the bed, and Big Tony announced
he'd be coming back soon.

   Traci turned off the light and everybody started to settle.

   I wiggled out of my jeans, then stripped Tami of hers.

   Robbie stood up.  "I'm getting comfortable." In the light from the
window I watched as she pushed her jeans down and stepped out of them.

   "Me, too," Mikee said and duplicated her act.

   Kelly followed suit without an announcement.

   Then Traci, Darlene, and Zoe.  If Darlene and Zoe were embarrassed, they
probably figured that in the dark the most I could see was their
silhouette. But I remembered something they'd probably forgotten.  Dawn was
in about five hours.

   I pictured getting them all up about eight.  Seven beautiful girls all
standing around in the panties and t-shirts.  Then I thought about running
them thru some calisthenics.  Jumping jacks, push-ups, dog-leg extensions.

   "You're thinking evil thoughts," Tami whispered.

   Damn mind reading.  Then I realized it wasn't mind reading.  Big Tony
was pressing into her thigh.  It was the dog-leg extensions that did it. 
The thought of all seven girls in a line on their hands and knees,
thrusting a leg backward and up, was too much for it.

   "You're thinking evil thoughts about our friends," she accused.  So it
was mind reading.

   "I..."

   "One at a time, or all at once?" she asked in a whisper.

   "Can I take the fifth?" I whispered back.

   "Only if you want to get out of this sleeping bag and go lie on the
sofa."

   So I told her about the picture in my head.  And as I told her, I eased
her panties and my underwear down our legs.

   When I told of my vision of seven cute butts as their legs drove back
and up, she said, "You're wicked."

   "Yes, I am," I agreed as I worked my sword between her lips and into
it's favorite scabbard.

   "Tony!" she protested, still whispering.  "Everyone's in the room. 
Darlene and Mikee are right beside us."

   "Darling, the only thing that will surprise anyone in this room is that
we didn't start as soon as Traci turned out the lights."

   Tami giggled.  "Be gentle."

   "Always."



   Chapter 39

   I awoke.

   It was that simple.

   One micro-second I was asleep, the next I was awake.  No transition.

   It was very comfortable.  I was lying on my side, the warmth of Tami
nestled next to me, surrounded by the soft breathing of all of my friends.

   My cock was still hard and sheathed in Tami's warmness.  In fact, I
didn't remember if I'd ever cum.  Tami and I had fucked slowly for what
seemed like forever and ever.  Now my arm was under her and my hand gently
caressed her ass.  My other arm, behind me, gently caressed her other ass.

   Her other ass?

   I came even more awake.  I realized that my arm was inside Mikee's
sleeping bag and inside her panties, my middle finger pressed against her
rosebud anus.  When did that happen?  Mikee's body was pressed up against
me, spooning against my back, separated by the two sleeping bags.

   I lifted slightly and turned my head to see her sleeping face.

   It was Darlene's sleeping face.

   Fuck!  I had my hand down the back of Darlene's panties.

   I pulled my finger gently out from between her cheeks, then out of her
panties, and out of her sleeping bag and back into mine.  That could have
been embarrassing.  Or fun, depending on how Darlene took it when she woke
up with a finger practically up her butt.

   My cock was aching, and I knew I needed a fuck or a piss real soon.  I
thought about fucking Tami as she lay sleeping, but thought she might not
like it, particularly, if she woke to a loud orgasm in the middle of all
our friends.

   The feeling of pulling Big Tony out of her cunt when I was so hard and
needed to piss so bad was incredible.  I didn't know whether it hurt so bad
that it felt good, or felt so good that it hurt.

   I wiggled out of my sleeping bag, then onto one knee, and reached back
in to retrieve my underwear.  I found Tami's panties first, then my
underwear.  Tami purred as my arm brushed her pussy, and then she rolled
over on her other side.

   I looked around the room.  Everything was different.  When the lights
went out, Darlene was on my right and Mikee on my left.  Kelly was next to
Mikee and Zoe on the other side of Darlene.  Traci and Robbie were on the
other side of Mikee.

   Now Darlene was on my left and Zoe on the right.  Mikee and Kelly were
kind of bundled together, though each in their own sleeping bag near the
foot of my bag.

   I slipped on my underwear and padded toward the bathroom.  As I went in,
I noticed that Traci's door was half open.  I didn't bother to close the
door.

   I think I came during my piss.  It was the best one I'd ever had, and
morning pisses are always good.  As I shook my shrunken cock I wondered
what would happen if I went back to wake the girls with it hanging out. 
After all, everybody had already seen it except Darlene and Zoe, and
Darlene had had my finger up her butt.  That made us pretty close.  Traci
may not have seen it recently; or, considering the number of times she'd
caught me, maybe she had.  I sighed and closed my underwear.

   As I stepped out of the bathroom I noticed a leg on Traci's bed.  She'd
probably gotten tired of sleeping on the floor and had come back and gotten
into her own bed.

   I walked back and looked in.

   Traci was sleeping, all right.  So was Robbie.  The two of them were
naked and pressed together.  I stumbled backwards down the hall.

   Sex was good healthy fun.  But Traci was my sister.

   Robbie was my friend.  I wanted her to be happy.  But Traci was my
sister.

   What two consenting people did together was okay.  But Traci was my
sister.

   My little sister.

   Normally seeing two girls sleeping in a naked embrace would be the
biggest turn-on in the world, but Big Tony wisely stayed hidden.  Which is
good, 'cause I just wasn't in the mood.



   Chapter 40

   "What are you doing out here?"

   I hadn't even heard the door open.

   I mumbled something, I'm not even sure what.

   "Do you have any idea how cold it is?"

   I glanced at the thermometer next to the doorbell.  "Thirty-four."

   "Thinking of going for a spin?"

   I'd been staring straight ahead at Dad's snow-covered Porsche.  "No."

   Tami opened the door wider, stepped out, and closed it behind her.  She
was back in her jeans and t-shirt from yesterday.  She sat next to me on
the porch, leaning up against me and putting her arm around me.

   "What's wrong?"

   Let's see.  I got a freshman pregnant, and, oh yeah, my other best
friend just seduced my little sister and turned her into a lezbo. 
"Nothing."

   "Nothing?  Nothing!  Tony you're sitting outside on the porch in your
underwear in sub-zero weather, when inside there's heat and cute girls. 
What's wrong?"

   "Nothing."

   "You're skin is like ice.  How long have you been sitting here?"

   A couple minutes.  A couple hours.  A day.  How the hell should I know?
"Not long."

   "Tony..."

   "Okay, I'll come inside." I stood up.  It was hard.  My bones felt like
they were eighty years old, probably the cold.  I opened the door.  When
Tami stood and went in, I followed.

   Inside, the four other girls were still sleeping.

   "Wait here," I told Tami.

   "But..."

   "Wait here!" I left her by the door and walked down the hall.  I closed
Traci's door without looking in.

   When I came back out, Tami put her hands on my arms and started rubbing.
It felt good.  I hadn't realized how cold I was until she got my
circulation going again.

   "You need a hot shower," she proscribed.  "Maybe we could..."

   "Not today," I cut her off.  "I'll use the one in Mom and Dad's room. 
You can use the other one if you want."

   I turned and went to my room, getting fresh clothes and underwear.  When
I came out, I walked past her and down the hall again.  Mom and Dad's room
was at the end of the hall, opposite Traci's door.  I hesitated for a
minute outside her door, staring at it, then went into my parent's room.

   While the warm water played over my body I wondered if I was responsible
for Traci's...  adventure.  I mean, of course I was responsible.  I brought
Robbie into the house.  But maybe I as too casual about sex.

   Was I teaching Traci that everything goes?

   What was next?  Threesomes?  Foursomes?  Orgies?

   Hell, I was thinking about an orgy last night.  I practically had one in
front of Trace, taking Robbie, Mikee, and then Kelly back to my room.

   What comes after orgies.  Dogs?  Ponies?  That was an image I didn't
want in my head.

   I turned off the water and quickly toweled off, then dressed.

   Now what?  Do I bust her?  Them?  Or do I ignore it and hope it goes
away.

   I felt like I was taking a test I hadn't studied for.

   Outside Traci's door I hesitated again, then knocked.  "Time to get up,"
I called.

   Tami was sitting on the sofa when I came back to the living room.  Her
eyes fastened on me and followed me as I walked into the room.  I ignored
her, or tried to.  It was like being a protozoa and ignoring that big
eyeball that stared at you from the top of a microscope.

   "Everybody up!" I yelled.  "I won't look."

   And I didn't.  I walked to the kitchen and started pouring glasses of
orange juice.

   "Are you okay?" Tami asked from the kitchen doorway.

   "I'm fine.  Why wouldn't I be?"

   "There are four half-naked girls in there, and you're out here, playing
waiter."

   "I figured they deserved their privacy."

   "Where's my Tony and where's your pod?"

   "I don't know what you mean." I put the glasses on a tray.  "Is
everybody decent out there?"

   Tami looked over her shoulder out into the living room.  "All but
Darlene.  I think she's waiting for you to catch her in her panties.

   "Tell her to hurry up," I said as I preheated the over to four hundred.
I pulled the two pans of cinnamon rolls that mom had made out of the
refrigerator.

   "Tony there's a girl out there waiting to scream when you catch her in
her panties, and you're in here hiding."

   "I'm not hiding.  I'm getting breakfast for my guests."

   "You're hiding."

   "I..."

   "What happened?  I thought we could talk about anything.  No secrets."

   "We can.  I just...  it's...  Sometimes, it's not my secret to tell," I
said looking at the floor.

   Tami came up to me, put her fingers in my hair, and brushed it back. 
Then she kissed me.  Gently, her lips just barely brushing against mine. 
"It'd be a hell of a lot easier to love you if you weren't so damn noble,"
she whispered.

   "Yeah, noble." I was so noble, trying to get into the pants of every
female mammal in the damn state.  So noble that my sister was becoming a
fucking queer.

   Tami had pulled away from me and gone back to the door of the kitchen.
She was watching the living room.

   "Fuck!"

   "What?" I was surprised.  Tami didn't use that kind of language often.

   Tami spun, staring at me.  "You caught them.  Didn't you?"

   "Them?  Caught who?  I don't know what you mean."

   Tami came back and captured my face in her hands.  "Tony Marion Sims,
one of the things I love about you is that you're a terrible liar.  You
don't like lying, so you don't put much effort into it."

   "I don't know what you're talking about."

   "Yes, you do.  And when you're ready to talk about it, I'll be here."

   She was still holding my face, so I reached up and took hers in my
hands. "Tamarone Elizabeth Sharp, do you know why I love you?"

   She shook her head.  At least as much as she could with it trapped
between my palms.

   "Cause you're the only girl dumb enough to put up with me."

   "Duh, you got that right."

   "Ladies," I said after everyone was seated.  "Are any of you on the
naughty list?"

   "The naughty list?" Kelly asked.

   "You know.  Santa Claus.  The naughty or nice list.  Which one are you
on?"

   "I'm on the nice list," Tami piped up.

   "Me too," Darlene agreed.

   "Plates," I prompted.  The two girls held out their plates.  I dished up
a pair of cinnamon rolls each.  "Mom's rolls are special.  You have to be
on the nice list.  What about you?" I asked Zoe.

   "Definitely the nice list," she said.  "Those smell great."

   "They taste even better."

   "I was nice," Mikee said, holding out her plate.  I gave her and Zoe two
rolls each.

   "I'm always nice," Robbie announced, I rolled my eyes.  I also thought
about the picture in my head of her and Traci as a tangle of arms and legs,
but gave her two.

   "Me, too," Traci said.  I reserved comment but dished up her rolls.

   "I was borderline," Kelly admitted.

   "That's good, cause I only have one left." She pouted as I dished up the
last roll.  Then I took the empty pan to the kitchen, coming back with
another pan.  I put two more on her plate and dished up a pair for myself.

   "How come she gets three," Traci protested.

   "She's cute."

   "I'm cute."

   "Only in the middle school universe," I teased.  "Kelly would be cute in
high school too." I laid my hand on Kelly's shoulder.  She shrugged it off.

   I stared at her back for a second, then sat down between Tami and
Darlene.

   "Ladies, I must bid you all adieu."

   "It's only ten," Robbie complained.  "When are your parents coming
home?"

   "About one.  They were going to try that new place on the highway for
lunch first."

   "We've got hours yet."

   "Some of us have to clean the house," I pointed out.

   "We could help," Zoe offered.

   "Not this time.  I'm being punished."

   "Is it about me?" Darlene asked.

   "Nope.  Me.  Inappropriate word choice."

   "What if I want another seven minutes," Robbie asked seductively.

   I pictured her on Traci's bed.  "Call Mike."

   Robbie seemed surprised.

   "You don't have to go home.  You can move to Tami's house," I suggested.

   "But I never got my seven minutes," Darlene complained.  I think
jokingly.

   "Maybe Robbie or Mikee will share their boyfriends." Or maybe Robbie
will take care of you herself.

   The girls grumbled, but started gathering their stuff.

   It wasn't that I wasn't horny.  Seven beautiful girls kept Big Tony up
and ready.  But I kept thinking about Traci and wondering if my playing
around was what turned her into a...

   I shook off my thoughts and watched the girls.  Six girls, seven minutes
each.  We had time for three rounds, and I could still get a good start on
the house before the parental units showed up.  All of them looked like
they'd been poured into their jeans except Mikee.  Hers were a little
baggy. I couldn't believe I was trying so hard to get rid of them.

   "Tony, could I talk to y..."

   "No!" I interrupted Kelly.  "It's time to go home."

   Kelly's face clouded, and I realized that she hadn't been hinting at
anything.  "Kelly..."

   She set her face.  "No, you're right.  It's time to go."

   Shit.  Shit!  SHIT!  Something's bothering her, and I snap her head off.
Some friend.  Big Tony shifted in my pants, and I knew everything was his
fault.  I wasn't ready for castration, but I decided that from now on I had
to control it, not it control me.

   The girls all had their coats on.  I decided I had to try again.  I
scooped up Kelly and carried her toward my room.

   "Where are you going with my sister?" Mikee asked with a giggle.

   In my room I kicked the door closed with my foot before I set her on the
bed.  I dropped to one knee in front of her.  "And what, my fair princess,
did you want to talk about?"

   "I...  it's nothing."

   "I don't think it's nothing.  I think it's something."

   "It's not important."

   "Did I ever mention that you're my favorite?  Everything about my
favorite is important."

   "Your favorite is whatever girl has her clothes off at the time."

   She had a point.  "How'd you get so smart?"

   "'Cause you're all alike!" she spat.  She jumped off the bed and was
gone before I knew what was happening.

   We're all alike?  We who?

   I needed to find out from Mikee or Tami who she was going out with.  And
I needed to find out fast.

   Everyone was outside except Traci.  "You might want to go, too.  Or go
over to Ann's.  I'm going to be doing a top to bottom clean."

   Traci looked at me funny.  "Tony are you mad at me?"

   The damn picture popped into my head again.  "Why would I be mad at
you?" I asked evenly.

   "I..." For a second I thought she was going to say something about her
and Robbie.  I couldn't decide if I wanted her to or not.  "I don't know.
You just seem..."

   "I know.  I woke up in a mood," I lied.  "Maybe it's my time of the
month."

   Traci laughed.  "I'll go see if Ann is up." She headed down the hall
towards her room, probably to get shoes.  "Make sure your floor is picked
up and I'll vacuum in there too," I yelled after her.

   "So are you going to talk to her?"

   "Talk to who?" I said, my head in the oven.  "About what?"

   "Your sister.  About what happened."

   I pulled my head out of the oven and took a deep breath.  The chemicals
in the oven cleaner were making me woozy.  "What happened to Traci?" I
asked innocently before sticking my head back in the oven and starting to
scrub.

   "Tony, I could just kick you sometimes."

   "Go ahead, I'm an easy target." I was sitting on the floor, trying to
get the damn oven clean.  I think the black gunk that wouldn't scrub off
was burnt on cinnamon roll topping.  I wasn't sure I'd ever look at my
mom's rolls the same way again.

   "I want one straight answer.  Did you catch your sister having sex with
Robbie?" Tami was learning about no-wiggle-room questions, but she wasn't
there yet.

   I leaned out of the oven, and looked straight up at her.  "No." They
weren't having sex, they were sleeping.  "How could you say such a thing?"

   Tami glared.  "Do you think your sister had sex with Robbie?"

   Damn!  No wiggle room.  "I thought you said one straight answer."

   "Answer the fucking question." I hate when she swears.

   I went back into the oven and scrubbed at the last stubborn spot for
over a minute.  Then I stopped and looked at the shiny metal.  It was
clean. Finally.  "Yes, I think Robbie fucked my sister."

   I knew Tami was waiting, staring at me, but I just stayed in the oven,
staring at the spot I'd finally gotten clean.

   "You hate it, don't you?"

   "Yes."

   "Come here."

   I pulled my head and arm out of the oven.  Tami was standing over me,
her hand out to me.  I took it.  She pulled me up, then pulled me toward
the living room.  We sat on the sofa, which was still pushed back against
the wall.

   "So who are you mad at?  Robbie?  Or Traci?"

   Both.  Neither.  How the hell should I know?  "I..."

   "You're mad at Robbie for seducing your sister.  You're mad at Traci for
getting seduced."

   "I guess."

   "But you're mostly mad at yourself."

   "Would you get the fuck out of my head?"

   "No."

   "I don't know who I'm mad at."

   "You're mad at the world.  Like I said, you're mad at Robbie for
seducing your sister.  You're mad at Traci for getting seduced, and you're
mad at yourself for leading Traci into a life of sin."

   "No, I'm not."

   "Tony, have you thought today something like, 'If only I hadn't brought
Robbie into the house'?"

   "I guess."

   "And you've thought about Traci catching you having sex and about taking
Robbie, Mikee, and Kelly back to your room?"

   "Nothing happened with Kelly."

   Tami's eyebrow arched.  "I didn't know that, so Traci didn't."

   "I guess."

   "So you've decided you're evil and you're never having sex again."

   "Well you nailed the evil part, but I hadn't decided never to have sex
again."

   "How about with Mikee and the others?"

   "I don't know.  Maybe it's time to be monogamous."

   "Why?"

   "Because I'm in love.  Because I'm supposed to be."

   "Says who?"

   "Everybody."

   "Like you listen to everybody."

   "Tami, what do you want from me?"

   "I want something hard.  I want you to be happy."

   "Oh, God!" I moaned.  "You don't think I can be happy with just you?"

   "I hope so, but if I don't mind, why not have fun?"

   "I have fun with you."

   "Yeah, and you didn't have any fun with Robbie and Mikee.  And what
happened with Kelly?"

   "She's been weird for a month.  Do you know who she's seeing these
days?"

   "I don't think she's been seeing anybody, but I'm not sure." She
shrugged.  "So what are you going to do about Traci?"

   "I don't know.  I don't want her to be a lezzie.  I..."

   "Tony!"

   "Sorry."

   "Have you been thinking things like that about Traci?"

   "I..."

   "Maybe I don't know you as well as I thought I did.  Traci is no lezzie.
She's not gay, queer, homo, or anything else.  She's just you're sister.

   "My little sister."

   "Traci's just experimenting.  You didn't call Robbie and Ashley queer
did you?"

   "No.  That was..."

   "Different," Tami finished.

   "It was," I defended myself.

   "Poor Tony," she said patting my hand.

   "We're home," Mom announced as the door opened.

   I looked over as both my parents came in with big smiles on their faces.
"I'm guessing from your expressions that last night was good."

   "Very good," Mom agreed.

   Dad looked around and his expression changed.  "Tony, I'm disappointed.
I thought we had an understanding."

   I got off the sofa without defending myself.  "I'll get right on it."

   "Where's your sister?" Mom asked.

   "I kicked her out a couple hours ago.  She's at Ann's." I started
picking up but didn't move furniture, I wanted to vacuum first.

   Mom nodded, and the two of them headed toward the back of the house.  A
couple minutes later, I heard Mom call, "Honey." Then I heard Mom and Dad
in the kitchen.  A minute later Dad came back looking sheepish.

   I grinned to myself as I unwound the cord for the vacuum and plugged it
in.

   "Uh, Tony..."

   "Yeah, Dad?" I said without looking.

   "I'm sorry about..."

   "Hurt yourself?"

   "What?"

   "Jumping to that conclusion.  I wondered if you hurt yourself."

   "I admit it.  I saw the condition of the living room and you sitting on
the sofa with Tami and thought you were blowing off your cleaning."

   "Unh huh."

   "Tony most teenagers don't always do what they're told.  It throws me
sometimes."

   I grinned.  "I just don't get caught as often," I assured him.

   Dad shook his head.  "I'm not sure that makes me feel better."

   Mom came out of the kitchen.  "Tony, I can't believe what you did to the
oven."

   "Yeah, about that.  The next time we do cinnamon rolls, let's take them
to Tami's house to bake, then bring them back to eat."

   "Hey!" Tami protested.

   "They do make a mess," Mom agreed.  "So has Traci forgiven me?"

   "I think so."

   "Is she still the queen of Monopoly?" Dad asked.

   "Well, Tami won last night, but we got a little flaky on the rules, so
it probably doesn't count for the queenship." I hoped they wouldn't ask how
flaky.

   "That was mean, the way you had me tease your sister," Mom said.

   "And you loved every minute of it."

   Mom grinned.

   After I finished cleaning, I sent Tami home and took a long walk.

   I knew Tami was right.  She usually was, but I was still trying to get
everything straight in my head.  When Robbie and Ashley became lovers... 
Hell, when I helped them become lovers, I didn't think bad things about
them.  I didn't think about them as lezzies, or queer, or homo.  I just
figured it was two friends, making each other happy.

   The same when Mikee and Tami made my dreams come true and fooled around
a little.  It was two girls and a guy and everybody was feeling good.

   So what was different now?

   What was different was Traci was my sister.  My little sister.  And it
was my job to protect her.

   So I guess the question of the hour was did she need protecting?

   I was annoyed with Robbie, but I knew she hadn't forced Traci to do
anything.  Like Tami said, Traci was experimenting.  And I guess if Traci
was going to fool around with another girl, I was almost glad it was
Robbie, cause Robbie wouldn't hurt her.

   So I shouldn't be mad at Robbie.  And I shouldn't be mad at Traci

   But I was.

   Traci was my little sister.  She was supposed to be a virgin and not
supposed to even think about sex until she was thirty, married, and had two
kids of her own.

   I decided that I couldn't change things, so I might as well accept them.

   Of course, the next time Robbie came over, I was putting both of them in
chastity belts.

   I decided that applause was addictive.

   I'd never tried the drug scene, but I couldn't imagine that any chemical
felt like this.

   We were taking our second bow.  We'd taken a bow after the last curtain,
then Robbie had come out and done an encore of Where There Is Love, There
Are Angels, the song that Sally Reyes and I had written.  Now the cast was
taking a second bow.

   Everything had been spot on.  I think we did better tonight than the
first time we performed it.  In the back of my mind I wondered if I'd done
the right thing, changing my vote.  The idea of going to Seattle and
performing in a big theater, maybe even on television, was major cool.

   Robert Anolly, Tom Baxter, Janet Martin, and Mr.  Mulino came back stage
after we'd finished.

   "I was very impressed," Mr.  Anolly said.

   "It's hard to believe you put all that together so quickly," Mrs. 
Martin added.

   I was standing slightly behind Tami and Robbie as we talked to the four
adults.  "We stole most of the songs.  That made it easier."

   "You still had three originals.  That's not bad," Mr.  Mulino said.

   "Well the Reyes, Toby and Sally, had already written the music.  They're
pretty talented.  The words just seemed to write themselves," I said.

   "It was fear," Tami said.

   "Fear?"

   "Robbie told Tony she'd hurt him unless she got some really good songs.
You noticed that she got all the originals," Tami explained.

   Robbie blushed.  So I decided to rub it in.

   "Yeah, Robbie plays football too.  They call her Monster Girl.  She can
be pretty scary."

   Robbie's face went even redder.

   "It's still pretty amazing," Mrs.  Martin said.  "It would be hard
enough to stage a show in the time you had when it was already written."

   "So was it better than Inherit..."

   I clamped my hand over Robbie's mouth.  "What my friend and collaborator
is trying to say is we're glad you liked it and realize that this has
nothing to do with Inherit the Wind or any other play you're judging."

   Robbie bit me, but not hard enough that I let go.

   "How many more plays do you have to see?"

   "We have two more.  One Wednesday and one a week from Friday.  Then
we'll make our decision."

   Robbie reached up and pulled my hand away.  "Should we make our
reservations for Seattle?  Nobody can beat Leslie."

   The three judges smiled.  "We're not making any decisions yet, but your
friend has a good chance," Baxter said.

   "A very good chance," Martin added.

   "I still think it should have been us," Robbie muttered after the adults
left.

   "Well if it makes you feel any better, we were a sellout, and that was
with only a couple days notice.  Inherit had at least a dozen empty seats."
   Robbie grinned viciously.  "Ya think it's too late to get a recount?"