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K R I S T E N' S C O L L E C T I O N
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Archive name: sisters.txt (ff, lesbians, teens, inc)
Authors name: Jan V. (jan123@hotmail.com)
Story title : Sisters
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This work is copyrighted to the author © 2002. Please
don't remove the author information or make any changes
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Sisters (ff, lesbians, teens, inc)
by Jan V. (jan123@hotmail.com)
***
CHAPTER ONE: CONFUSION
Linda woke up, shaking off sleep with a yawn, and
stretched out the arms from her fit, sport-loving body.
She glanced around. In spite of the dim light, she
recognized the furniture of her beach-house bedroom.
Heavy drapes kept out most of the sunlight, allowing her
to sleep longer than usual. It was the weekend, and there
was no need to get up at sunrise. Linda sighed as she let
her head roll over to watch her younger sister Nikki
sleep. Then she looked at the red display of the clock
radio: 10:23 AM. `Dammit, so late?' she complained to
herself. The seventeen-year-old girl sighed again and sat
up, driving out of her body the last of her sleepiness.
She got to her feet and walked over to the window.
Drawing the drapes slightly apart, she looked out and
rejoiced. The sky was a cloudless deep blue, and a warm
breeze blowing from inland stroked her smiling face. It
was the perfect weather to enhance her golden tan. In the
afternoon, it would be promenade time...
Linda picked up the bikini perched on the back of a
wicker chair and ambled into the bathroom, whistling a
song Rick used to sing with his band. Rick Hillman, the
cutest guy for the prettiest girl in San Fernando High...
Linda smiled at her own reflection in the bathroom
mirror, brushing her long blond hair away from her face.
`Some self-glorification can't hurt,' she thought. But
popularity was not a question of just being pretty. Self-
confidence and the right amount of rebelliousness seemed
to do the trick -- at least for her, it did.
Actually, all Linda's sisters seemed to do fairly well as
far as popularity was concerned, particularly every time
the four of them were together and -- more importantly --
had fun together. Nikki, thirteen months her junior, was
the sweetest of them all. Nikki was Linda's confidante
and her best friend, the one who cheered her up when she
was down, the one who listened, the one who covered up
for her. In contrast, her sister Zo was an outspoken,
bullheaded, quarrelsome, tomboyish 15-year-old, who
wouldn't hesitate to use either her hands to pull her
sisters' hair during a fight, or her nails to protect her
identical twin Jeannie from a bully.
It was clear to Linda that the love and hate lost between
the twins was due to Zoe's overprotective, overzealous
nature towards their youngest sister.
Jeannie would protest and drive Zo away from her, but it
didn't take long for them to kiss and make up. Jeannie
was intelligent and resolute, yet withdrawn and thoughtful.
Like any pair of identical twins, Zo and Jeannie loved
to play tricks on strangers by dressing and behaving alike.
But more often than not they would wear different outfits
and hairdos, affirming their own identity and character.
Despite all the bickering and name-calling, Linda knew
that all her sisters were there for each other. Linda
was even proud of them, the way people stared at them as
they walked by, arms intertwined, laughing and talking as
loud as they could, whooping it up as sisters should. Dad
took pride in his "little girls", too.
More precisely, Dad took pride in their good looks. With a
tipsy smile on his face and a glass of bourbon in his
right hand, he had once said that the McDougall genes
were known to produce the most beautiful females on the
planet. His daughters were living proof of it. `Yeah,
right,' Linda thought, but her reflection kept smiling
contentedly.
Time for a shower, Linda decided. She tossed her white T-
shirt and panties onto the tiled floor and hopped into
the bathtub. Her face welcomed the warm shower. Her right
hand clasped the soap and worked it over her body and her
firm athlete's breasts. Rick joked that she had the
figure for model, but what the hell... Her parents
wouldn't buy it... Yes, it was just another of her wild
boyfriend's crazy ideas. They didn't get along those
three. Come to that, Mom and Dad didn't get along with
many people anyway. It was strange for someone who was
such a successful manager of people and money -- Fred
McDougall, the most talked about CEO in Silicon Valley,
the man who turned the obscure software company called
Servenet into one of the hottest stocks on Wall Street.
From time to time Dad mentioned his fascination for the
political arena, and the possibility of a bid for
Congress. Linda argued against it. She said that politics
is such a dirty business, with far too much attention
from the news media. The lack of freedom would be too
damned stifling. No, Washington DC was definitely not the
place to be. Finishing her shower and grabbing her terry
towel, she concluded, `Give me the California sun
instead, and I'll be forever happy.' Linda found, as
expected, that Nikki hadn't moved a muscle. She was
sleeping away, and unaware that her big sister was up and
ready to go. Linda stopped in front of the vanity mirror.
She examined her own reflection once more, making sure
her sporty, skin-tight white and blue bikini with red
streamlined stripes looked perfect, enhancing her natural
curves instead of hiding them. Teasing the guys on the
beach was a turn-on Linda couldn't resist. Capturing the
attention of eager young faces was such a thrill, an
intoxicating drug that sent chills down her spine and
produced a mellow warmth down there, between her legs.
Linda smiled to herself, heading for the window. She drew
the drapes aside and hollered, "Rise and shine!" Nikki's
eyes remained shut. Her slender ribcage moved up and down
with the regular beat of sleep despite the strong
sunlight streaming into the room, and the stare of
someone waiting impatiently for a reaction. Her sister
Nikki was hopelessly lazy. Linda had forgotten how many
times she had to shake her sister awake, drag her out of
bed and splash her face with cold water to get her going.
It was a daily routine Linda didn't care much for. Nikki
promised she would change, but years had flown by and the
promised change was still to happen.
Linda knocked on the twins' door. Without waiting for an
answer she walked in and repeated the same routine,
letting the daylight stream in and announcing the
beginning of a new day. Linda would go easy on Zo and
Jeannie as the twins weren't as lazy as Nikki. They would
eventually get up and ready on their own, without the
need for a second round of hollering and poking.
Linda walked back to her room, sighing once again.
Minutes elapsed before Zo came into her older sisters'
room, yawning and greeting Linda. Zo looked at her big
Sis picking clothes up off the floor, like a loving
mother, while Nikki slumbered away in bed.
"Hi, Zo," Linda smiled back, as she took a fleeting
glance up at her sister for long enough to acknowledge
her presence, but not enough to interrupt her tidying the
room. "How did you sleep last night? No nightmares this
time?"
Zo shook her head. After a long pause she asked the
obvious, "Is Nikki still sleeping?"
"Yeah, as usual."
"Why don't we do something about it?" Zo suggested,
flipping her long straight blond hair over her shoulders.
"Like what?" asked Linda, looking at her sister and
holding up a sweater, Nikki's, that she was about to fold
and put away in the wardrobe. "Tickle her to death," Zo
grinned.
"Yes," said Jeannie, joining her sisters. "Let's do it."
Linda laughed, amused by the twins' mischief and
enthusiasm -- no wonder they sailed through the tryouts
for the S.F. High cheerleader squad. Zo and Jeannie,
Mom's and Dad's favorites, scored straight A's as easily
as they mastered straddle jumps. There were plenty of
reasons to envy them, Linda realized. Plenty of
reasons...
"OK," Linda finally agreed, "I'll count to three, and
three of us will jump on Nikki."
"Yes," Zo and Jeannie exclaimed, their clear blue eyes
shining with anticipation. That too made Linda laugh
again.
"One... two... three..." and the three girls dived onto
Nikki's bed, tickling their sister to death as promised,
showing no mercy. Nikki tried to wriggle free. She
screamed and kicked, but she didn't stand a chance. Her
sisters made sure she paid dearly for her laziness. This
was a punishment, a lesson to be learned.
"Time to wake up," Linda giggled, pinning Nikki's arms
down, preventing her escaping from the twins. Zo and
Jeannie went on tickling her squirming body, torturing
her with their fingers, while Nikki pleaded with them to
stop. Nikki made another attempt to kick them away,
shouting and screaming, but the unrelenting twins kept a
good grip on her. When the tickling stopped and she
pushed them off her, Nikki laughed as hard as her
sisters. Linda got to her feet, smiling and pulling her
hair away from her face. She stared at Nikki, noticing
how flushed her sister's face was, and that her pajama
top had become unbuttoned in the struggle, revealing her
firm, beautiful, medium-sized breasts. Nikki's nipples
were erect as though she had gotten off on what just
happened. Linda felt a certain, undefined tension
building up between her legs. The whole thing had been
exciting, sexy even. Her breasts touched Nikki's during
the fight to keep her sister down. Was that why Nikki's
nipples looked so hard? "From now on that's what you're
going to get if you don't wake up on time," said Jeannie,
smiling and showing her perfect teeth. "Yeah," Zo agreed.
"You can count on that. Right, Linda?" Linda woke up from
her daydreaming and stammered in agreement. She urged
them to get ready. It was almost 11 AM. It was a shame to
remain indoors with such perfect weather outside. After
breakfast, they strolled down to the promenade, looking
for the right spot on the beach to settle down and enjoy
the sea, the blue sky and the guys...
Wearing their 150-dollar shades, the happy, loud foursome
wanted to look "cool" and distant. Adrenaline raced
through their young bodies when they realized that guys
and girls alike would look at them with awe, lust or
envy. Walking down the promenade was an obvious game of
watching and being watched.
The guys would sidle up to them and mouth the usual pick-
up lines. Linda and Nikki would laugh and ignore them. Zo
usually answered in kind, knowing that their older
sisters were just a few feet away if things went too far.
When they were together, it seemed to Zo that everything
was possible, and allowed. No jealous boyfriends around,
no Mom or Dad to deflate their high spirits...
After walking for a quarter of an hour Linda suggested a
spot next to the volleyball net. Before they set foot on
the beach, a male voice called out, "Hi, girls!"
"Hi!" Linda replied, turning toward the deep, manly
voice. It was Mr. Cool, an attractive, roguish kind of a
guy, who covered his long light brown hair with a red
bandanna. He had piercing blue eyes and was built like a
bodybuilder. He craved attention and worked hard on his
three-point plan for success: Number 1 -- to get spotted
by a Hollywood talent hunter; Number 2 -- to become the
next Sylvester Stallone; and Number 3 -- to have the
world, and the girls, at his feet. Beside him stood Max
and Pete. They were less conspicuous than Mr. Cool but
equally attractive. Max and Pete worked for Mr. Cool's
surfing school. They were known for their prowess with
the surfboard and with their female pupils -- whatever
that meant. Nikki and Zo met Mr. Cool's gang at the
surfing school a couple of years ago. The girls wanted to
learn something new, something exciting... and those guys
seemed to be the right instructors -- cute, self-assured
and fun to be with.
Linda and Nikki caught Mr. Cool's and Max's sexual vibes,
in spite of the obvious age difference. Mr. Cool and Max
were grown men in their late twenties. Both of them knew
they could end up in jail if they went too far with those
tempting teenage girls. Still, that didn't stop the guys'
trying. Linda had to push Mr. Cool away more than once.
It just didn't feel right, somehow... Linda was afraid
for her sisters. She didn't want them to get hurt. And
she didn't want them to do something stupid with these
guys if they had too much to drink and were having a good
time. She was their Big Sis. She felt responsible for her
younger sisters... She just couldn't help it. After the
usual small talk for openers, Mr. Cool suggested a
volleyball match.
"What about the school?" asked Linda. "Don't you have
classes to teach? The girls must be desperate by now."
Mr. Cool laughed. He was used to Linda's banter. Linda
McDougall was a knockout of a girl, with brains. She
defied his stereotypical view of longhaired, leggy
blondes. Linda had personality. She was a girl who knew
what she wanted and who knew how to get it. She said she
didn't want to be a model or an actress. Instead her
goals were to graduate and go to college, maybe to become
a physician. Linda was a girl of strong convictions...
He liked that girl, and more than a lot. As far as he was
concerned, Rick, or whatever her boyfriend's name was,
was definitely a lucky bastard! In spite of Linda's
teasing, the girls picked up on Mr. Cool's idea, and in a
few moments the teams were chosen: Mr. Cool, Max, Linda
and Nikki against Pete, Zo and Jeannie. The "younger"
team had the best players. The twins were known for their
well-timed block, and Pete for his powerful smash. On the
other side of the net, Mr. Cool would outperform himself,
making impressive dives onto the sand, which were more
for show than to prevent Pete scoring again. Everyone
could see that. The guys and girls laughed and giggled at
his sand-covered face and his mock look of powerlessness.
Linda scored a few points and, to her embarrassment,
Nikki congratulated her by hugging her. But why did she
feel so embarrassed? Nikki was a warm, kind person, and
physical contact between them was normal enough... During
the match Linda avoided dwelling on that scary, confusing
subject. She worked at concentrating on the game.
However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to
disregard a strange moist warmth welling up between her
legs. `What the hell is happening to me?' she scolded
herself. The answer soon became clear. At the beginning
of the second set Nikki struck her first successful
smash. Happy as could be, she came over and wrapped her
arms around Linda's neck. That fleeting, sudden full-body
contact stirred Linda up, making her flush awfully.
Nikki's breasts touched hers again, setting off in her
body the strangest reaction. Her nipples immediately
became erect, and the moisture "down there" increased to
frightening proportions.
Linda's attempts to get her concentration back failed
miserably. She watched Nikki out of the corner of her
eye. She thought it would give her a moment of respite if
she looked at the cause of her sudden nervousness. She
couldn't believe she was actually... what?... becoming
aroused by her sister's body? She shook her head. It
wasn't like that. It was more the physical contact, and
not so much how good Nikki's body looked. They had the
same build -- long slender legs, a willowy waist, a
dainty tush and a firm bosom. Her sister Nikki was pretty
-- everyone knew that -- and Linda was proud of her. She
was proud she could say that Nikki was her sister. On top
of that, Nikki was kindness personified. That's why they
had grown closer and become best friends over the past
three years. In their early teens they were typical
sibling rivals, competing for the best dress, for the
juiciest steak, for the cutest guy... They eventually
grew out of it because Nikki's kindness was
straightforward and disarming. When she started thinking
of that again, tears almost welled up in Linda's eyes.
"Sorry, guys," said Linda finally, as she left the
volleyball field, "I'm gonna take a dive. It's too damned
hot up here." She hoped they would continue the match and
leave her alone. But Mr. Cool quit too, and followed her.
To Linda's chagrin, everyone joined her in the sea,
splashing in the water and making too much noise. She
just wanted peace and quiet, and to cool off.
Linda swam away from that bunch of noisy men and teenage
girls. She wanted to get all that stuff about Nikki out
of her mind. A chill raced down her spine. That would
be... incest. The very thought of it made her cringe.
Fear made her swim out to sea -- a great and worrisome
fear that was inside her head. Linda stopped swimming.
She was tired, her heart was pounding, and her breathing
heavier than usual. She felt suddenly cold, too cold to
remain in the water. With uneasy strokes she began to
swim back to the beach. Mr. Cool swam with his strong
crawl toward her though, preventing her getting back to
the beach. He wanted to play, diving into the water and
surfacing a couple of feet away from her. Linda was
exhausted. She wanted him -- all of them -- to leave her
alone. Was that too much to ask?
* * *
Nikki laughed as Pete helped her to escape from a strong
wave and to get out of the sea. Pete laughed too, faking
a sigh of relief. After all, they had just dodged a wave
that could have crashed on them pretty hard. Pete's smile
promptly faded as Nikki let go of his hand. She squeezed
the water off her long hair, and gave him her wide smile.
Then they looked back, alerted by the twins' giggling.
Mr. Cool and Max were telling stories. They were joking
about the surfing ineptitude of beginners as they fought
with the waves and the soft sand at the waveline. On the
way back to where they left their towels stretched out on
the sand, Nikki noticed Big Sis. Linda was alone, and
seemingly lost in thought. Her lissome legs were drawn
up. She was holding her chin in her right hand, with her
arm propped up on her knee. She was staring out to sea.
That struck Nikki as strange, utterly strange and out of
place. Big Sis was obviously worried. But why? Rick?
Another guy? Mr. Cool?... Nah, that couldn't be it. Linda
told her she would never sleep with a guy like Mr. Cool.
What then? School? Grades? That didn't fit either.
Linda's grades were far above average... Nikki sat down
next to Linda. She wanted to ask Big Sis if she was all
right. But her courage somehow fell short. She sensed
that Linda wanted to be left alone. The guys and the
twins didn't seem to get it. They kept calling her name
constantly. Linda smiled at their clowning. Nikki could
see, however, that Big Sis wasn't her usual happy self.
Later on Linda got up and said, "I'm sorry, guys... I've
got a headache. I'm going home."
"Going home?" said Mr. Cool, jumping to his feet and
going over to her.
"You not coming with us? Sweeney's time tonight... I
talked to your sisters. They're all coming... Don't be
a spoiler!"
"No, I'm sorry... I've got a headache. I'd be lousy
company." "In that case, we can join you at your place...
You wouldn't be alone... Your folks are away, right?"
"Yes, they are, but-"
"No," Nikki broke in, getting up and going over to Linda
and Mr. Cool. "I want to go to Sweeney's. I know Linda...
When she has a headache, she really needs to be left
alone."
Linda smiled at her sister with gratitude. She picked up
her jute bag, took her clothes out, and slipped on her
yellow blouse and black shorts. Before she left, Nikki
pulled Linda aside and whispered, "Are you all right?"
"Yes," answered Linda, tossing her head to sweep her hair
away from her face. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.
Just enjoy Sweeney's without me." "We'll see about that.
Anyway we still have to go home and change. I'll check on
you when we get home."
"Yes, Mommy."
Nikki chuckled, pushing her sister away. "Just go home,
OK? And see you later."
"Right," said Linda. Looking around to the others, she
yelled, "Bye, guys!"
"Bye!" the others answered in unison. Then Linda smiled
and left. Linda walked back to the beach house, this time
without wearing her sunglasses. She wanted to feel the
sunshine on her closed eyelids, to feel that warmth all
over her body, and forget the reason why she had made up
a headache. It was an excuse like any other to get her
freedom back, to have some room to think... No one
understood that except for Nikki. Nikki, her sister, her
best friend... Linda's breathing became heavier again...
She had to forget "it". But the more she tried, the more
that scary idea invaded her mind. She needed to cool off
again. She would take a shower and wash away those crazy
ideas about Nikki.
* * *
"Linda, where are you?" shouted Nikki from the bottom of
the stairs. Nikki had just returned from the beach, and
her face was warm from the sunshine and the never-ending
laughter with the guys and the twins. "Up here," she
heard Linda shout from their bedroom. Nikki hurried
upstairs and in no time she was in the bedroom. Linda was
sitting on the edge of her bed, one leg lying on the
covers and the other down on the floor. With her knees
bent to balance herself in that position, Linda was
leafing through an old photo album, the one where their
early childhood pictures were kept. "What are you doing?"
asked Nikki, sitting on the floor next to her Big Sis.
Linda kept staring at the old photos that Nikki knew
well. Linda just shrugged. Nikki couldn't see Linda's
face. It was hidden by the long tresses of golden curls
that framed it. Nikki looked at her own hair, so straight
and weak compared with Linda's. Zo and Jeannie also had
straight hair, even straighter than her own, Nikki
realized. She said she would soon get a perm (to keep up
with Big Sis) but Mom wouldn't allow it. Mom said she was
too young, and a perm would ruin her hair. Nikki eyed her
sister, still unable to see Linda's face. Nikki brushed
her sister's hair away from her face. To her astonishment,
she saw that Linda's cheeks were damp from CRYING!
"Linda, what happened?" she asked, quivering for a
second. "Why are you crying?"
Linda shrugged again, still looking at the pictures Dad
took when they were younger. Some of them showed Linda
and herself playing in the back yard of the house where
they lived before.
"Linda, talk to me... Please..." Nikki tried to wipe away
the tears from her sister's face but Linda flinched,
avoiding the contact. "Linda, why are you in this mood?
If you don't tell me, I can't help you." "So, don't,"
Linda growled, standing up, stomping into their private
bathroom and banging the door shut.
Nikki remained where she was, her blue-gray eyes wider
than normal, staring at the doorway through which Linda
had disappeared from view. Linda ending the conversation
like that was nothing new to Nikki. Her older sister had
a rather short fuse. That much she knew. But what threw
Nikki into total confusion was Linda's strange mood. She
had never seen her so distant and sad. Her Big Sis was
always the center of attention. Her captivating smile,
her looks, and her uninhibited wisecracking were three
traits that assured her sister the limelight. Linda was
actually the most gorgeous girl she had ever seen. When
she was younger she bitterly envied her sister's stunning
beauty.
And now? Did she envy her still? No, she didn't think so.
They had become friends, buddies... Linda was the most
dependable person she knew, much more than their own
parents. Linda was there for them. The same couldn't be
said about Mom and Dad... Nikki shut her eyes for a
moment and tried to get that thought out of her mind. She
didn't want to think. She just wanted to get changed. She
wanted to go to Sweeney's and dance the night away, and
forget... About everything.
CHAPTER TWO: KISS AND TELL
Linda closed her eyes, pulling her hair back once more,
getting annoyed with her constant struggle for keeping
her tresses away from her eyes and mouth. She had already
thought about cutting them shorter, shoulder-length. But
Mom and her sisters -- especially Nikki -- insisted she
shouldn't. They all said she had such beautiful hair,
long, shiny, full of golden curls, the envy of her female
classmates, and one reason why she was so damned popular
with the guys... But at that moment Linda's hair was just
a nuisance to her. The weather outside was too hot, and
so was the temperature inside. Sweat trickled down her
forehead and the rest of her body. Linda brought her hand
to the nape of her neck, feeling the dampness. She lifted
her hair and then let it fall, heaving a deep sigh.
She sprang out of bed, heading for the small wooden
balcony leading off from her room, the room she and her
sister Nikki shared. A mild breeze met her face when she
slid the door open. She breathed in deeply, as if to mask
another sigh. She looked down, watching the passersby on
the street below and the people strolling in the small
park opposite. It was dark -- about 10:30, Linda guessed.
Although the park and the street had their fair share of
lamps, the light was not enough for her to recognize
faces. She could hear them laugh, though. They were
having fun... and that made her sad. Linda was alone in
the opulent, oversized, white-washed beach house, feeling
her loneliness acutely. Her sisters had gone with Mr.
Cool's gang to Sweeney's, the groovy dance club bursting
with rhythm, and pretty faces and scantily-clad luscious
bodies. She loved to dance, to feel the beat filling her
senses, her muscles, her brain, with energy. She loved
the way the guys looked at her on the dance floor,
pointing at her, probably making non-p.c. remarks such as
"what a nice piece of ass" she was... Guys were
predictable, Linda thought, too damned predictable...
Well, most of them. Girls, on the other hand, were able
to surprise her sometimes. They could be as sweet and
gentle as her sisters Nikki and Jeannie, saying how great
she looked, or bitches straight from hell, threatening
her that one day they would get her and cut her "shitty"
face up. They said she acted as if she owned S.F. High...
Linda looked up to the sky, sadness flooding her heart.
`Why are people so mean?' she cried out to herself. She
tried not to cry but soon tears ran down her cheeks. She
sniffled, wiping her face dry with her fingers and the
back of her hand. If Mom saw her do that, she would
surely get a chew-out. A proper lady should always use a
handkerchief, Mom would gripe. Mom and Dad weren't home,
though. They were on a cruise on the yacht belonging to
Jonathan and Molly Bell, their closest friends. Mom and
Dad spent more time with the Bells than with their own
daughters, or so it seemed to Linda. Linda swallowed,
feeling a lump in her throat. She sniffled again. Linda
thought about calling Rick and having him come over. Rick
would be the perfect distraction to drive away those sick
thoughts about Nikki. Inviting Rick, though, conflicted
with Mom's Rule Number One -- no boyfriends allowed in
the beach house. Unwittingly that strict rule had
strengthened the bond Linda had with her sisters. The
four of them were stuck with each other and having fun
together had come naturally. There would be ups and downs
among them but the bottom line was definitely positive.
What Linda loved most about Nikki was that she could
discuss EVERYTHING with her sister. There were no secrets
between them. All fears, anxieties, loves, guys, sex,
were discussed without holding back. She trusted Nikki
with her life. She loved to talk to her. She loved the
way her sister listened, with her attentive blue-gray
eyes wide open as if Nikki breathed in every word she
said. In addition, Nikki was a warm person, never shying
away from physical contact. Hugging and kissing and
cuddling up together had become so natural between Linda
and Nikki that none of them thought twice about it. This
closeness contrasted markedly with the way Linda related
to most if not all her female friends. Come to think of
it, they rarely touched each other and if they did it
felt so fake and "forced". There was always this fear
hanging in the air of someone calling them "lesbians".
`Damn it!' Linda cursed mentally. It just wasn't fair.
Linda looked out once again at the skyline and the lights
of a beach resort full of rich people and rich kids with
too much money. She wondered if Nikki and the twins were
enjoying themselves at Sweeney's. She was almost tempted
to join them, but the prospect of facing the bouncers
alone didn't appeal to her. `Too late now, Linda,' she
rebuked herself, regretting now her decision to stay at
home.
Running away from the source of her inner turmoil wasn't
helping much. She thought constantly about Nikki, and the
more she did so, the guiltier she felt. She had urges to
cry, her chest drawing in air unevenly. She exhaled,
sighing, and returned to her room. She opened a book,
tried to read but couldn't even finish the first page.
She was restless and afraid... Afraid of what? Of Nikki?
Her sweet sister Nikki? Nikki wouldn't hurt her... Then
what? Her feelings for Nikki? Was she falling in love
with Nikki? Or was it just sex? Linda shook her head,
turning off the bedside lamp, leaving her room submerged
in almost complete darkness.
Linda lay on her bed almost in a trance, hearing distant
noises and voices outside. She shut her eyes, feeling her
heart hammering inside her chest, her body covered with
sweat. Suddenly she sat up on the bed. She heard a
creaking sound coming from downstairs. Burglars? It was
too early for her sisters to be back from Sweeney's. They
wouldn't go to the trouble of getting past the bouncers
with their fake IDs just for a couple of hours of fun.
Linda wavered between going downstairs or calling the
cops. Before she could make up her mind, hurried steps
echoed in the hall, the door swung open and Nikki walked
into the room.
Linda's heart still thumped. She wanted to complain about
her sister scaring her, not yelling to say she was home,
and then just charging into the room unannounced. But her
anxiety was deeper than the fear of a burglar. Her double
anxiety left her silent, unable to speak. "Hi!" she heard
Nikki say. It was a curt greeting but Linda didn't find
it surprising. Their last interaction had been far from
being friendly. Summoning up all her strength, Linda
whispered, "You're early." Her voice sounded hoarse and
tentative. She cleared her throat. "Is that a complaint?"
"No, you just scared me... I didn't expect you so early."
"I was worried about you. I tried to "blend in" at
Sweeney's but I knew you were not OK. I just couldn't
stay there and enjoy myself... Mr. Cool got pissed off
when I left, but I don't care."
Nikki closed in, turning on the bedside lamp and sitting
on the edge of the bed. She looked at Linda, noticing
that her sister's green eyes still looked dejected. "Are
you feeling better now?"
Linda shrugged, looking away.
"Is there something on your mind?" Nikki pressed on.
Linda shook her head, still looking down at the covers of
her bed. "Why don't you talk to me, Linda? Why are in
such a mood? I don't recognize you any more. I haven't
seen you this sad in ages... You're always so cheerful
and happy and... alive. But now it seems something is
troubling you and you don't tell me. I find you crying.
When I want to discuss it, you just bang the door in my
face."
"I'm sorry, Nikki. It's just-" Linda's eyes met Nikki's
for a short moment but Linda couldn't stand her sister's
probing look any longer. She averted her gaze once more.
"It's just- It's so hard..." "What? What's hard?"
Linda let herself stretch out on the bed, covering her
face with her hands. She sighed again and looked at her
sister's worried, pretty face. Nikki looked so beautiful
with makeup on, and the pair of earrings she had
"borrowed" from Mom. She wore a long black close-fitting
dress, also Mom's. Eventually Linda's eyes fell on
Nikki's cleavage, tracing the contours of her sister's
breasts and guessing where the nipples pressed against
her bra. An immediate response ripped through Linda's
lower belly and her own nipples, leaving her utterly
confused and ashamed. She felt the burning in her cheeks,
glad that she, after all, wore her hair long, the perfect
curtain to fend off prying eyes.
"What's hard, Linda?" Nikki insisted, lying down beside
her sister. Linda's mouth opened and shut without a
sound. Linda stared at the ceiling, or a point in space
beyond it, her mind miles away. Nikki kept watching Big
Sis, her elbow propping up her upper body. Over time that
position became uncomfortable, forcing Nikki to rest her
head on Linda's bed, releasing her sore elbow from the
weight of her body. Neither of them spoke, their
breathing the only sound in the room. Suddenly, Linda's
green eyes left the ceiling and faced her younger sister.
Linda made an attempt to smile but the muscles of her
face rebelled. Then, out of the blue, she said, "You're
so beautiful."
Nikki shook for a moment, taking in the intensity of
Linda's stare. It felt odd and it was frightening... but
at the same time fascinating. There was this strange
glitter to Linda's eyes that made Nikki shudder. She felt
Linda's fingers touching her cheeks while brushing her
hair away from her face. Because the contact tickled,
Nikki pulled away, giggling.
"No, I'm not... You're the pretty one."
"No, just look at yourself and see how gorgeous you are.
You can get any guy you want."
Nikki looked at her sister, wondering what was behind all
this sucking-up. A few years ago compliments coming from
Linda were always a prelude to trouble. Kind words often
laid the groundwork for wheedling favors, such as
covering up for Big Sis every time she wanted to sneak
out of the house at night and meet a guy. They fought and
accused each other of being selfish and irresponsible.
But in the end Big Sis always won and got her way. Linda
knew how to handle her younger sister and, in particular,
her younger sister's guilt. Over the years Linda had
grown wiser and less enthusiastic about her night-time
escapades. She was older and so allowed to stay out till
later. The thrill of the forbidden fruit fizzled out, and
so had Linda's willingness to risk grounding for
something she now wrote off as immature behavior. Linda's
early recklessness had given way to responsibility and
poise. Instead of losing her popularity, the guys swarmed
around her like flies flying around a honey pot. They had
finally found someone they could depend on, and even be
friends with. "You taught me that, Lin," Nikki said,
breaking the silence and getting closer to Linda. "You
showed me how."
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did. I saw how you handled the guys and how
popular you were... and are. I wanted the same, you know,
so I tried to copy you... Remember when you used to call
me "copycat"? I hated you for it but you were right... I
was a copycat."
"No, you weren't. I-"
"Yes, I was. I'd always look at you and pay attention to
everything you said and did." Nikki paused for a moment,
swallowing. "You'd shout at me, saying that I should stop
following you and get a life. Don't you remember that?"
"Yes, but-" Linda cut herself off, seeing the hidden pain
behind the blue-gray of her sister's eyes. "Oh Nikki, I
am sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to shout at you. I
was young and didn't know better... although I still
think you should get a life."
Nikki looked closely at her sister and soon saw a shadow
of a smile on Linda's mouth. Nikki gave a chuckle, aware
that her sister's jab was a joke, Linda's way of saving
them both from any further aggravation caused by past
grievances.
For a long moment they stared at each other, Nikki
shuddering again by the intense, almost mysterious pull
of Linda's eyes. Linda's hands kept stroking her hair,
uncovering her face and her right ear. Linda didn't
tickle her any more. Nikki's face had grown used to
Linda's touch, becoming warmer and less tense. All of a
sudden Nikki felt Linda's arms sliding around her waist,
pulling her closer until their bodies touched. Before
long Big Sis began to kiss her cheek. Nikki trembled and
her face burned as if on fire. She had been kissed before
by Big Sis but these kisses felt different, very, very
different... She couldn't understand why her heart beat
so fast, why her breathing sounded so uneven...
Nikki opened her mouth, breathing in more deeply, feeling
the corner of Linda's lips against hers. Without quite
understanding the meaning of it all, Nikki was kissed by
Linda, lips on lips, each tongue exploring the other. She
let Linda kiss her, too overwhelmed to refuse, too
confused to respond. As unexpectedly as it all started,
Linda broke their kiss, turning her back on Nikki and
sitting up on the edge of her bed, shaking. "I'm sorry,
Nikki... I don't know what's gotten into me." Nikki sat
up as well. She liked Linda's kiss, the overwhelming
intensity of it. Linda had never been this tender to her.
They'd never been this close. She enjoyed that closeness.
Whenever she was with Linda, she felt safe, loved, taken
care of. Confused ideas rushed through Nikki's mind, not
knowing what to do next. Little by little, it became
clear that she wanted Linda to kiss her again, to feel
Linda's mouth and hands "killing" her with soft caresses.
But Linda seemed so upset about their kiss. She reached
for Linda and hugged her, feeling the softness of her
sister's tummy and waist. She felt her nipples grow stiff
against Linda's back. She was getting excited. It felt
wonderful to be able to touch and smell Linda's hair --
silkiness mixed with a sweet fragrance, so typical of
Linda. "Linda?"
"Yes?"
"I want you to go on."
Linda turned to face her, ending the embrace. "What do
you mean?"
"About kissing me. I liked it."
"I thought you hated it. I thought you hated me..." Nikki
shook her head. Taking the initiative, she threw her arms
around Linda's neck and kissed her hard, with passion,
pulling her sister down with her. They kissed so that
tongues searched for each other. Nikki loved it. She'd
never been kissed like that before -- so passionately, so
desperately. She couldn't understand why Linda had
started it, but that didn't matter any more. Linda held
her tight, so tight she was afraid she was going to
suffocate. And it made her happy, so damned happy. Her
beautiful big sis, the object of lust of so many, was
kissing her, making love to her as if tomorrow was the
end of the world.
Linda slid down and kissed her neck, moving back to her
ear, nibbling at it, sending shudders of pleasure up her
spine. Then her sister's mouth went for the cleavage of
her dress. Her back arched up, trying to increase the
contact between Linda's mouth and her breasts. Her legs
pressed together against Linda's thigh. Only then Nikki
realized how wet she had become, her sex pulsating, her
womb becoming alive.
Suddenly Linda stopped.
"Why did you stop?" Nikki asked, afraid that her sister
was having second thoughts.
"I thought you didn't want it any more."
"NO! Please, DON'T stop." To prove her point, she
passionately kissed Linda's lips, so tasty, so delicious.
They were soft, so wonderfully soft, with none of a guy's
roughness. "Please, go on. Please." Linda was astounded
by Nikki's pleading, still battling with her conscience.
She was older than her sister, and it was up to her
whether to stop what she had started. Linda looked at her
sister's eyes, so eager, twinkling with desire and lust
for her. It felt unreal, almost like a dream... "Please,
Linda... PLEASE... Please, don't stop." Linda shook,
Nikki's pleading engraving itself in her mind, like a hot
iron leaving its mark on naked skin. Linda returned to
Nikki's embrace and they kissed once more. Linda's hands
found their way to the zipper of Nikki's dress. Desire
was taking over.
"May I?" she asked, still wavering between zipping open
Nikki's dress or stopping everything right there.
"Don't ask me anything. Just do what you want... If you
wanna fuck me, just FUCK me."
Linda was shocked, not so much by the use of the four-
letter word -- something absolutely forbidden at home --
as by her sister's willingness and desire.
Nikki's shapely legs kept brushing on Linda's thigh. On
an irresistible impulse, her hand landed between Nikki's
legs. Nikki moaned into Linda's mouth, producing the most
erotic shudder in Linda's body. The shudder converged on
her sex, Linda becoming deeply aware of her arousal, the
slow buildup of her love secretions. Linda wondered how
could this be. They had known each other all their lives.
Why now? Why this? Linda's hands slowly but steadily
relieved Nikki's body of the "stolen" dress. Nikki's
inviting, round full breasts, caught her eyes -- those
globes of female flesh, the cause of her downfall. It was
the contact of her own breasts with Nikki's that had
triggered this mad, crazy desire... Unable to hold back,
her hands touched her sister's breasts, feeling their
inebriating softness through the lacy fabric of Nikki's
bra. Nikki moaned softly, her eyes closed, feeling
Linda's mouth on her breasts, kissing them, Big Sis's
hands reaching to open her bra. They used the same brand
so opening it was no problem.
"Hurry," Nikki complained. "Kiss them, lick them...
Please..." Linda looked down at Nikki, her tongue feeling
how dry her lips were. She did as she was told, returning
to the roundness and softness of Nikki's breasts, kissing
them, licking them, playing with them. Linda couldn't get
enough of it. It was paradise.
"Nice... That's feels nice, Lin. Go on, please. Kiss me
hard, kiss me tender. Just drive me crazy, CRAZY."
Linda smiled a little, going for Nikki's trim tummy,
kissing her navel. "Lin..." Nikki whimpered, wriggling
her torso. "Don't tease me. Let's get undressed."
Linda stared at Nikki, finding it hard to believe what
her sister was saying. It was as casual as though they'd
been lovers for years. Nikki's boldness and matter-of-
fact tone of voice didn't betray the unusualness of their
lovemaking. Nikki's blue-gray eyes still twinkled,
displaying their lust, Nikki's desire for her.
Linda closed her eyes, her qualms surfacing again. Nikki
took the lead though, not giving her time to think. Nikki
made her roll over. Sitting up on the bed, she pulled
Linda's T-shirt up, and tried to remove her sister's
shorts.
"Help me out, Lin," she protested, giggling and falling
on top of Linda. Nikki kissed her, her mouth hungry for
those pouting, sensual lips. Linda, so beautiful, and was
hers. HERS. This thought excited her, for her beautiful
big sis wanted her, yearned for her, as if she was a
guy... No, not a guy... `I'm definitely a girl,' Nikki
thought, `and that's the confusing part.' Not wanting to
dwell on it any longer, Nikki peeled off her dress and,
without losing a second, returned to Linda, embracing
her, kissing her lips, and pressing her sex against her
sister's through the fabric of their panties. Nikki could
feel the warmth and the dampness down there, sensing
Linda's undeniable excitement, so similar to her own.
Fascinated by Linda's breasts, she started teasing them,
playing with them, her eyes observing her sister's
nipples growing stiff against her bra. Big Sis's boobs
were slightly bigger than hers, Nikki realized, another
reason why she used to envy her so much. But now, those
mounds of soft, sensual flesh were hers to enjoy, to
feel, caress, kiss, suck... She swallowed, opening her
legs and straddling Linda's thigh, enjoying the pressure
on her vagina. She began to kiss Linda's breasts, licking
the white lace of her bra, getting high on Sis's
fragrance and softness. She went for the cleavage, trying
to nuzzle her bra down. Linda wasn't patient, though. Her
sister snapped it open and hurled it to the floor. They
laughed as Linda's bra landed where Nikki's lay.
"Even our own bras are so hot they want to have sex with
each other," Nikki quipped.
"Yes," Linda whispered with a troubled, husky voice.
"Come, come to me. Don't make me wait."
Nikki moved in closer, kissing her sister, sucking her
saliva, kneading those full breasts of hers. She
scrambled toward those waiting pink nipples, and she
licked and sucked them, like a baby, like a lover, until
Linda moaned. Nikki kept moving Linda's breasts up and
down, enthralled by their softness. Linda's hands touched
her hair, tenderly, while she rubbed herself on her
sister's thigh. `This is getting too much,' Nikki
thought. `This can't be real.'
Big Sis moaned again, convincing her of this reality.
They kissed some more. `I'm falling in love with her,'
Nikki thought. Maybe she had been in love with Linda all
her life and hadn't realized it. That feeling of
belonging made her bite Linda's lips. Linda was taken by
surprise but Nikki knew she liked it. She moved her hand
down Linda's slender body and touched her between her
legs, feeling how moist her sister was. She pushed
Linda's shorts further down and slipped her hand under
her panties. Linda heaved a deep sigh, trying to press
her thighs together, which was prevented by Nikki's leg
in between.
Linda searched Nikki's beautiful eyes through her
sister's disheveled hair and made Nikki kiss her once
more. They kissed while her sister's hands frolicked
inside her sex.
"Ooohhh... that's nice, Nikki."
"I know," she said, smiling. "I know, Sis. And let's get
rid of your shorts. And our panties too."
Nikki pulled her up until they got to their feet. They
looked at one another's flushed faces for a moment. Then
they laughed and hugged each other.
"Come on, Sis. Help me out with these tight shorts of
yours."
"Sure, ma'am."
When Linda's shorts fell to the floor, they kissed again,
Nikki's hands working on her sister's bottom, pulling her
closer. Linda's tongue found its way to Nikki's neck and
up to her sister's ear, making her tremble and go weak.
"Sisss," Nikki hissed, "you drive me crazy. No guy's
managed to do that, ever." Her hands were busy slipping
under Linda's panties. Her fingers touched her sister's
mound, feeling their way, penetrating Linda's sex.
"You're wet, Sis," Nikki whispered, unable to contain her
exhilaration.
"You're wet for me."
"Yes!"
That's all Linda could say.
After shedding the rest of their clothes, they returned
to the bed, Nikki still calling all the shots. Linda
preferred it that way, for Nikki was younger and thus the
most vulnerable to... what?... abuse? Linda shook her
head, driving away that depressing, scary reasoning. She
directed her thoughts to her sister and how good Nikki
made her feel. Nikki's naked young body against hers was
such an incredibly erotic experience. `The forbidden
fruit,' she thought. `It must be.'
Nikki kept kissing Linda, slowly. Her sister's lips
didn't seem to tire of hers. They went on kissing for an
eternity, enjoying the contact, mouth against mouth,
tongues playing inside, smothering their soft moaning.
Nikki's eagerness for kisses was unlike anything Linda
had ever experienced before. Her dates kissed her all
right. But the guys soon got so worked up that their
willingness to go slow and wait for the right signs
evaporated, and that ruined everything. Nikki, however,
took her time, her svelte thigh brushing against Linda's
sex, Nikki's hand playing with Linda's engorged breasts,
her mouth exploring Linda's nipples, sucking them,
leaving a trace of saliva behind and returning to her
mouth again. From time to time, Nikki's hand slid down to
Linda's vulva, her slim fingers going slightly in and
out, making sure she wouldn't hurt her, unlike some of
Linda's boyfriends, who tried to finger-fuck her without
caring if she was ready or not for full penetration. She
was ready now.
"Sis, fuck me," Linda whispered, driving her sister
close. "Please." Nikki's answer was a full-blown kiss on
her half-open mouth. Nikki smiled for a second but soon
enough she got back her earnest look. Linda loved her
sister's intentness. Apparently Nikki took her pleasure
very seriously, Linda thought. And while kissing her,
Nikki's fingers prowled over her body and stopped at her
breasts, pressing them together, making her moan with
pleasure. Instinctively, Linda opened her legs for Nikki.
Her sister's fingers touched her small patch of blond
pubic hair and went for the wet folds below.
"Do it! Don't tease me!"
Nikki licked her own lips, smiling at her sister once
again, watching her close her eyes. Nikki's fingers
explored Linda's vulva, feeling the waves of pleasure
they were creating in that beautiful young girl's body.
The realization that she was making love with her own
sister excited her. Aroused by this stimulus, she was
accelerating her attentions toward Linda's sex, soaking
her fingers with Linda's secretions, and joyfully filling
her nostrils with the musky scent of female desire. Her
fingers began to penetrate Linda, harder and ever harder.
"Yes, Nikki... That's it... Go on... Ooohhh...
Uuuhhhhmmmm..." Nikki silenced her, putting her breast in
front of Linda's mouth. She correctly guessed at her
sister's desires. Nikki knew Linda well when Big Sis
wanted something. When Linda started to suck her nipple,
a jolt of pleasure shot through her, making her
masturbate against Linda's hip bone. "Yes, Nikki, go on,"
Linda begged. "DON'T stop." Her fingers moved closer to
Linda's clitoris, rubbing against it. "Oohh," her sister
sighed, "it's so GOOD, so damned fucking good. Say you're
fucking me." "I'm fucking you," Nikki answered, without
relenting on her action, her hand completely drenched by
her sister's secretions. "Yes, you fucking me... and
fucking me good... fucking my brains out." If Nikki
wasn't so horny herself she would have found it
hilarious. She was almost coming: Big Sis's moans, her
mouth on her nipples were wonderful. Linda's lower belly
started to buck like a wild animal, urging Nikki's
fingers further in. Linda started to come, the walls of
her vagina pulsating around Nikki's wet fingers. She kept
titillating Linda's clitoris to prolong her sister's
pleasure until Linda collapsed, exhausted. After a few
minutes, Linda was anxious to reciprocate the
satisfaction. Nikki did as she was told, opening her legs
and brushing her sex on Linda's thigh.
"Go on!" said Linda, putting her hands on Nikki's bottom
to increase the grinding against her own slippery thigh.
Nikki's secretions were all over her, and that excited
her beyond words. While Nikki slid back and forth, her
breasts swayed and brushed against Linda's globes of
flesh, hard nipples against hard nipples, soft skin
against soft skin. Nikki convulsed with her orgasm,
closing her eyelids and exhaling deeply. A few seconds
later, Linda had her second.
They lay there, holding each other close, Nikki kissing
Linda tenderly. Linda kept her eyes shut, shuddering from
time to time, enjoying the intensity of it, all the
pleasure Nikki had given her. She was speechless, amazed
by her own excitement and response to Nikki's sensuality.
"Am I dreaming, Nikki?" she asked, opening her eyes.
"Nope," Nikki answered, shaking her head, a smile
appearing on her flushed face.
"It feels like it." Then Linda screamed, "Ouch! That
hurt!" Nikki's smile widened into a full-fledged grin.
"Yes, it hurt, Sis... but now you know you ain't
dreaming... Right?"
Linda laughed, wrapping her sister's waist in her arms,
kissing her, feeling Nikki's long hair on her face, her
heart beating faster, her sense of smell and touch
sharpened by the scent of sex in the air, and the warm,
soft feel of Nikki's naked body against hers.
"I love you."
"I love you," Nikki replied.
"Don't say that, because I may believe you."
"You should... because it is the truth."
Linda smiled and kissed Nikki once again, still feeling
Nikki's warmth. The juices of pleasure ran between their
legs. Their bodies shivered from time to time. Neither of
them wanted that moment to end. But it would end, sooner
or later, Linda thought. Sisters being lovers?... That
was unheard-of. Linda's sadness crept back, her
exhilaration again slowly overcome by guilt. She
swallowed, her arms pressing her sister closer, fighting
that growing fear of losing Nikki. Her sister said she
loved her. Just words... that meant nothing... or did
they?
Linda looked at her sister and smiled. Nikki had fallen
asleep, in her arms. After all, Nikki's sluggish nature
was a blessing. After all, she loved her sister for it,
because Nikki's sloth had been the immediate cause for
their lovemaking. Linda shut her eyes, trying to sleep as
well, vowing she would no longer tease her sister for her
laziness... No, not ever...
CHAPTER THREE: DANGER
Linda slowly opened her sleepy eyes and began listening
attentively to the sounds of the night. She heard a
rustling sound in the hall, perhaps the sound that had
woken her. All at once she sat up and gently but firmly
made Nikki roll off her.
"What?" Nikki asked, snapping out of her lethargy and
becoming scared. Linda made a motion for her to keep
quiet. Because of their mad, crazy lust for each other,
they had forgotten to close the door of their room. Linda
wrapped herself in her robe, noticing they had fallen
asleep with the bedside lamp on. Step by step Linda
headed for the hall, her pulse accelerating. She didn't
know exactly what to expect. Burglars? The twins?
Hopefully, just a mouse or the wind...
The hall was too dark to see whether someone was lurking
in the shadows, waiting for "his" chance to pounce on
her. After a few moments of hesitation, she switched on
the hall light. No one was in the hall -- not even the
cat... Smiling to herself and heaving a sigh of relief,
she concluded, `This ain't a thriller, by the way.'
Proceeding to the twins' room, she kept repeating those
words as if they had the power to guard her against
whatever evil might be hidden in the darkness. She swung
the door open. As far as she could see, there was no one
in the twins' room either. `Maybe I dreamt the whole
thing,' she thought. When she was about to give up her
search, the same rustling sound came from Mom's and Dad's
room. This time she was sure of it. The door was half
open. Someone was definitely there.
"Who's there?" she called out, her entire body now tense.
"Who's there?" she repeated louder. She didn't dare to go
in, fearing the worst. She retreated hurriedly to her
room to fetch her softball bat. "What's happening,
Linda?" Nikki asked.
Linda saw fear in her sister's eyes, the very same eyes
which had looked so hungry for her love just a few
moments ago. Nikki's feminine body, which had given her
so much pleasure, now looked so frail. No one was going
to take that away from her, Linda decided, enjoying that
sudden surge of fearlessness. "Just stay put. I don't
think it's anything serious... I'll take the bat just in
case..." Linda lied. She didn't want to scare her sister
any more than she was scared already.
With the bat she prodded open the door of her parents'
room. She stood still for a while, listening, searching
for any clue betraying the presence of an intruder.
Holding her breath, she reached for the switch and turned
on the lights.
"What the hell..." she began. Behind her parents' king-
size bed, Zo and Jeannie were huddled together, making a
futile attempt to hide. Linda couldn't believe her eyes.
She realized the twins must have heard and seen
everything. And now what?!
Linda ordered Zo and Jeannie out, taking them into her
own room. As they filed in, Linda felt a pang of shame.
Nikki's and her own scent was all over the place and it
was obvious that Nikki was naked under the sheets of a
bed that wasn't hers.
There was no denying it. The twins knew about what had
happened. The question now was how to deal with it. Linda
was perfectly aware that if she didn't handle it right,
Nikki and herself would be fingered by the twins, not
only to Mom and Dad but also to all of their friends.
They all sat there without speaking -- Linda next to
Nikki, the twins on the two wicker chairs. Jeannie kept
her head down, staring at the floor, looking frightened
and ashamed. Zo did look up, but soon evaded Linda's
eyes. Minutes of silence passed until Zo spoke, looking
at the bat now leaning against the wall, beside the
wardrobe.
"I hope you weren't going to hit us with it."
"Of course not," said Linda, showing her anger. "If you
hadn't snuck in, nothing like this would've happened."
"We didn't sneak in. We were just going to our room
when... We were just surprised. We didn't expect-" Zo
interrupted herself before it was too late. She was
saying too much -- lying, actually. When Zo and Jeannie
came back home, they looked at each other with surprise
in their eyes as they heard strange sounds. They stopped
at the bottom of the stairs. They listened carefully and
had great difficulty in believing what they heard. Long,
soft moans came from upstairs, as if a couple were making
out in their older sisters' room. Nervously they giggled
at each other. They both were embarrassed, coming to the
conclusion that Linda's headache had been no more than an
excuse. They thought Linda had planned everything to be
alone with Rick, and to have sex with him.
Wanting to spy on their oldest sister making love with
her boyfriend, Zo and Jeannie climbed the stairs with the
utmost care, silently. As they reached the hall they
hesitated, doing their best not to giggle every time they
heard Linda moan.
Their older sisters' bedroom door was wide open, bathing
the dark hallway with a beam of weak light. Zo and her
twin leaned against the wall, just two strides away from
their sisters' bedroom doorway. They listened. Two female
voices were speaking too softly for them to understand a
word of what they were saying. It seemed as though Nikki
was inside as well, Zo realized; and that made sense, for
Nikki had come back home earlier... A distant feeling
that something odd was happening occurred to Zo . This
possibility was quickly dismissed by Jeannie's whispered
suggestion that Linda and Nikki were both sharing Rick.
Covering their mouths with their hands, Zo and Jeannie
stifled their laughter. Their curiosity piqued, they
peeped around the doorframe of their sisters' room,
remaining hidden by the corner of the private bathroom
wall. Stupefaction struck them. Their eyes opened wide.
Nikki was making love to Linda -- without Rick! That
was... breathtaking, the last thing they had expected. A
terrible sense of shame washed over Zo as she recalled
when she first saw Linda and Nikki making love, so
passionately, as if they were a couple of... lesbians?
She was ashamed because her own body reacted to Linda's
moaning, Big Sis begging Nikki to penetrate her with her
fingers. Her sisters' good looks, their flowing blond
hair, reminded Zo of the lesbian pictures she had seen in
Dad's girlie magazines. She had even once masturbated
while ogling one of them. At the beginning, looking at
those pictures had been all too exciting. But as soon as
the pleasure ebbed away, she became disgusted at herself.
She was no lesbian, and she had no intention of letting
Mom or her sisters catch her with such a magazine. "So,
what'd you expect?" charged Linda, tired of waiting for
Zo to explain her peeping. "You were spying on us,
weren't you? From the beginning. Why didn't you say
anything? Because you liked what you saw, huh?" And again
Linda could guess what Zo was thinking. Linda was the
unquestioned leader of the household, sharp as a needle,
very demanding, and always on the move. Sometimes even
Mom and Dad bowed down to Linda's arguments. Mercy if she
was mad at someone.
Jeannie began to cry, surprising everyone. Zo moved
closer to her twin sister, holding her, confused by her
twin's sudden tearful fit. She tried to calm her down but
Jeannie wouldn't stop. Linda drew near to Jeannie and
gave her a hug, hushing her, evoking in Zo a sense of d j
vu. It was not the first time that Linda took over their
parents' responsibility, being mother and father to three
girls yearning for love, comforting them or punishing
them accordingly. Mom and Dad never stayed long at home -
- a million parties to go to, yacht cruises they couldn't
miss...
"Why are you crying, honey?" Linda asked, not knowing
what was happening inside Jeannie's head.
Jeannie didn't know it herself. She just knew she liked
Linda's sweet, warm hug. Jeannie shut her eyes, breathing
in Big Sis's fragrance mixed with the distinct odor of
sex, very similar to how her hand smelled when she
masturbated before falling asleep. Now that the shock of
finding their older sisters making love with each other
had subsided, Jeannie relaxed, embracing Linda's waist.
Feeling Big Sis so close, it didn't take long for the
indelible image of Nikki making out with Linda to flash
back into Jeannie's mind. Jeannie recalled Linda's
ecstatic face, Nikki's triumph appearing in her smile,
the tenderness they lavished upon each other. From that
moment on, Jeannie knew she wanted the same. She wanted
the same attention and tenderness. She wanted Linda to
make love to her the same as she'd done to Nikki. She
felt special when her eldest sister paid attention to
her. That sudden intense craving made Jeannie aware of
Linda's wonderful, full breasts against her face. She
wanted to open Big Sis's robe and feel them with her
hands. She wanted it so much that she started crying
again. "What's the matter, Jeannie? Why are you crying?
You always told me when anything hurt you. That didn't
change. I'm still here for you." "Really?" asked Jeannie,
still sobbing.
"Of course, silly. The reason why Nikki and I were in
bed... together... was because we've found out how much
we love each other. And that is nothing to be ashamed
of."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Linda smiled, seeing hope in her youngest
sister's light blue eyes.
"And if..."
"If, what?"
Jeannie couldn't say it out loud. It was too weird. She
just cuddled herself closer to Linda, holding her willowy
waist even tighter, making Linda's bosom more prominent
and harder to overlook. Swallowing, she finally dared
act. Her hand headed for the opening of Linda's robe,
uncovering her sister's breasts.
Linda didn't stop her. Jeannie was starving for
affection. She was never happy with the guys she dated.
She was always complaining and pointing out their
shortcomings, calling them immature, clumsy, crackbrained
and plain stupid. Linda shut her eyes, feeling Jeannie's
lips sucking on her nipples, which in a matter of seconds
had become powerfully erect. She gasped, pulling
Jeannie's head toward her breast. That intense feeling of
pleasure didn't last long, though, as Jeannie's lips were
yanked away from her nipple with unexpected violence. She
opened her eyes, realizing that Zo had just knocked
Jeannie down.
Pulling Jeannie up and covering her breasts with her
robe, Linda yelled, "What's the matter with you, Zo ?"
"What's the matter with YOU, I ask. You... I can't
believe what you're doing. This is gross."
"Why?"
It was a simple question to which Zo had no answer. She
had more or less enjoyed watching Linda and Nikki
together, but Jeannie with Linda bothered her beyond
reason.
"She's just jealous," Jeannie huffed, pulling herself
together. "She's always jealous about my boyfriends. She
just can't stand them. She-" "Stop it, Jeannie!"
Linda's stare was hard and serious. Jeannie knew that
Linda never allowed bickering among them. She was the one
who gave the example, never criticizing anyone lightly.
Linda was the reason they had such a close bond. She
nurtured a positive attitude toward her sisters.
Badmouthing anyone was totally off limits.
Linda looked at Zo , then back at Jeannie. She inhaled
deeply, pulling her hair back with her hands, which began
to tremble. She licked her dry lips, concentrating on her
own breathing, looking down, as though the solution to
the problem at hand lay on the floor.
"Zo is right," Linda said, looking up.
"Zo is right?" Jeannie repeated, raising her voice,
scowling at Linda and then at Zo .
Linda licked her lips again and said, "Yes... We'd better
stop, now. Mom and Dad will be back tomorrow..."
"So?"
"Jeannie," Linda said, desperation creeping in, "listen
to me. This is not right."
"What? What's not right?"
Linda swallowed, seeing her kid sister's expression
change. Jeannie's face didn't look surprised any more.
There was fear in those light blue eyes. "Jeannie, let's
forget about it. It was my mistake. I shouldn't have...
We shouldn't have..."
"We shouldn't have? What are you talking about?" Jeannie
was screaming by now, almost hysterical. "You mean it is
OK for you and Nikki to make out, but it's wrong for you
to make love to me?"
"Jeannie, calm down. I-"
"I understand," Jeannie said, gritting her teeth. "I know
when I'm not wanted." Saying this, she made a half-turn
and stormed out of the room. The three girls heard
hurried steps on the hall. Then a door banged violently,
the whole house shuddering as they shuddered. "Nice
going, Sis," raged Zo , as Linda's eyes returned to her.
"Nice going," she repeated, making it her turn to leave
the bedroom, casting, as she went, a last disapproving
glance at her eldest sister. Linda let herself fall on
her bed, rubbing her face furiously with her hands. She
just didn't know what to do. It seemed as though her
worst fears had come true. Things were escalating and
getting out of hand. A hand touched her shoulder, making
her spring to her feet and away from that contact that
felt as though she was being branded like a steer on the
ranch.
"Please, don't. I can stand it." Reasoning quickly, Linda
added, "Not tonight, please..."
"I just wanted-"
"I know, Nikki. I know... Let's just go to bed and get
some sleep. I'll talk to the twins tomorrow."
* * *
Linda wanted to fall asleep, but strange thoughts were
swirling through her head. The memories of an odd,
unusual, overwhelming sexual encounter kept coming back
to her, leaving her excited and exhausted at the same
time. She turned to gaze at Nikki, who had fallen asleep
as if nothing had happened between them. Nikki's "I love
you" still reverberated in Linda's ears... but people say
it so often without really meaning it. Linda envied
Nikki's ability to sleep. Two years before, they had gone
to Europe to visit Dad's Scottish relatives. These
distant members of the family lived in a huge castle, a
scary, spooky place full of corridors and long shadows,
old portraits and dusty antique furniture. The bedrooms
were as somber as the rest of the castle, with its
ancient mahogany chests and armoires, and more paintings
portraying ancestors whose stare never left them. Linda
was fifteen at the time, Nikki thirteen -- almost
fourteen -- and frightened as hell. They couldn't believe
that Dad wanted them to sleep in such a place, but he was
adamant that they stay. Dad didn't want to hurt the
feelings of his cousins, Jeremy McDougall and his wife,
by declining their hospitality. At night, Nikki crawled
into Linda's bed. She said she was too scared to sleep.
Nikki made Linda hug her back and hold her hand to drive
away her fears. With this warmth and comfort., Nikki fell
asleep within minutes, without noticing how terrified her
"guardian" was. Gusts of wind lashing the window panes
scared Linda too, and kept her awake. She listened to
every creak, wondering whether the house was haunted.
Hundreds of people had lived and died in Jeremy
McDougall's castle, even in that very bedroom. This
thought made her shiver and she held Nikki's hand tight.
She felt as though this contact had the power to drive
off the ghosts that made her feel afraid.
It was 6:35 AM when Linda woke up, realizing she was not
in Scotland but at the beach house. She cast a glance at
Nikki, who slept in her own bed, her naked shoulder
blades and slender waist uncovered. Her sister wasn't
wearing her pajama top. It had become unbuttoned during
the fight which was the starting point for everything
that had happened now between them. Or had it? For a
short moment Linda wished it hadn't. She had to confront
the twins and find a way to keep them from blowing the
whistle. Linda kept staring at her sister's naked back,
feeling the desire return in spite of herself. Nikki's
long hair was spread out on her pillow. Her tanned, thin
arm was bent, and her hand presumably was close to her
sex. This thought made Linda bolt out of her bed and into
the bathroom, in an attempt to quench her desire. `Am I
becoming a one-track-minded moron?' she chided herself,
looking in the mirror and feeling disgusted. `How can
this be happening? She's your sister, Linda. Wake up and
get real.' Linda washed her face vigorously, her thoughts
running through her mind like little red devils swarming
around her, whispering into her ear what she should do,
what she should not forget. Linda went downstairs. It was
too early for the showdown with the twins. Usually her
sisters listened to her because she knew how to choose
the right words, and she convinced them that her
arguments were stronger than theirs.
Her verbal skills (and her looks) had been put to good
use by Mr. Rawlings, the principal of S.F. High. He
wanted a spokesperson for the school, a "well-groomed"
junior who would represent S.F. High's "high morals and
standards of education". She was to be the bait to lure
parents into entrusting their children to Mr. Rawlings's
"center of excellence". `Center of excellence?' she
thought, recalling the principal's own words. `Yeah,
right.'
Taking a carton of milk out of the refrigerator, Linda
wondered about her cynicism. Paul and Lisa said she was
too serious for her age, which surprised her. She thought
she could lighten up with them, throwing good-humored
jabs at her friends because she expected the same from
them. Paul van Dyke was Rick's best friend. Paul had
introduced Rick to her at a birthday party before the
guys began to play their ear-splitting electric guitars
and scream out their angry lyrics. They sounded like
Offspring and Red Hot Chili Peppers put together, and
that combination was quite interesting. Lisa Maxwell had
been her best friend a long time ago. Linda couldn't tell
exactly why they had grown away from each other...
Boyfriends, she would say. Jealousy, perhaps.
Linda poured some milk into a glass. When she was about
to drink it, she felt a presence behind her. She turned
around to see Jeannie staring at her, leaning against the
doorjamb. She wore her off-white silk pajamas, her blond
tresses hiding most of her folded arms.
"Hi, Jeannie. Couldn't sleep?"
Jeannie shook her head, walking in the kitchen, getting
closer. "And you?"
"Me neither." Holding out her glass, Linda asked, "Want
some?" Jeannie shook her head again, remaining silent for
a long minute, watching her sister drink the rest of her
milk. Linda's gaze returned to her youngest sister,
noticing the rings around her eyes. Much as she hated to
raise the subject, having Jeannie next to her offered
Linda the opportunity to secure the twins' silence
without Zoe's interference.
"Did you and Zo talk about last night?" she asked.
"Not really."
"Why?"
Jeannie sighed, scratching her forehead, pulling up a
chair and letting herself plump down on it. "Zo wanted to
talk about it but I didn't. I was mad at you... Still
am."
"What do you want me to do?" Linda asked, raising her
voice slightly.
"Be fair."
"What do you mean? You can't buy and sell me as if I am
commodity you can use at will."
Jeannie looked away, biting her lower lip. "OK, I see
it's no use talking to you." Then she stood up and left
the kitchen without looking back. Linda heard her sister
rush upstairs. She braced herself to hear the door slam,
a statement of an angry teenager, but nothing happened.
She waited, listening for sounds from upstairs. Silence
ensued, interrupted only by the sound of a passing car.
Annoyed, Linda cursed the damned driver, who was
preventing her from hearing whether Jeannie had in fact
returned to her room. She decided to investigate, climbed
up the stairs, scanning the hall above, and saw no one.
"Jeannie," she called out as she reached the top of the
stairs. Then she saw her sister sitting on the floor of
the hallway, her back against the wall. Her legs were
drawn up and her long hair covered her face, arms and
upper body. Jeannie looked up, her eyes twinkling. "Are
you all right?" Linda asked.
Before Linda could crouch down beside her, Jeannie got
up, and propped herself against the wall. "Yes," Jeannie
replied, "but no thanks to you." "Oh, come on, Jeannie...
Grow up."
"You should grow up, Linda. Not me," retorted Jeannie
angrily.
"Yelling like that, you're gonna wake everybody up." "I
don't care," Jeannie answered, shrugging. "Afraid of what
Nikki's gonna say if she finds you're here with me?"
"You know damned well that's not the point," Linda
breathed out, as her youngest sister's anger and jealousy
were becoming all too obvious. Jeannie had tightened her
fists, as if she was considering getting physical. Linda
was astonished by that possibility. Her whole body froze,
as if waiting for Jeannie to pick a fight.
Suddenly, the door next to them opened. "What is this?
What are you doing here in the hall?" said Zo as she
glared at Linda and Jeannie, her hands in her hips,
waiting for an answer.
Before Linda or Zo could speak, Jeannie clasped her
twin's arm and said, "Nothing." Then she grabbed hold of
Zo , took her back into their room, and slammed the door
behind them.
Finding herself alone in the hallway, Linda shrugged,
made a half-turn, and returned to the kitchen. She was
restless, her hands trembled, and her heart pounded. She
didn't want to brood over what might happen if the twins
told everything to Mom and Dad. Mom was so uptight about
everything to do with sex -- Dad too, although it was no
secret that he liked to goggle at naked women in his
porno magazines. He probably jerked himself off at them,
the way Rick and Paul did.
Her father's double standards made her mad and left her
confused. Her parents' hypocrisy sickened her. She swore
to herself she'd never be like them. She'd teach her kids
how to deal with their sexuality, by talking to them,
letting them know it was all right what they felt and did
as long as they didn't hurt anyone. She would teach them
to be responsible, empowering them and letting them
choose. Righteous adults should know better than to
forbid anything without an explanation. They usually
forget that the "forbidden fruit" is always the most
tempting...
* * *
Nikki went downstairs, searching for Linda and the
twins. She rubbed her eyes, yawning, chasing away the
drowsiness she felt every time she slept in. She was
surprised that none of her sisters had woken her up.
Their promise of tickling her to death if she overslept
was just an empty threat, after all.
Crashing sounds came from the living room. Someone was
watching TV, she correctly guessed. Passing through the
doorway, she found Big Sis lounging on the couch, holding
a small cushion. Although the TV was on, Big Sis's eyes
stared blankly into space.
A fearful chill shot through Nikki's body. It was unusual
for her oldest sister to stay home and watch TV. Linda
was too active and fidgety to be a couch potato...
Besides, Linda's distant stare worried her. Her sister's
blues were so out of character!
"Hi, Linda. Where are the twins?"
Linda looked at her, sitting up straight, her feet
leaving the couch, her hands getting rid of the cushion.
Big Sis pulled her hair back with both hands, sighing.
"They went to the beach."
"Without us?"
"Yes."
"You think..."
"I don't know," Linda replied, raising her green eyes and
facing Nikki for the first time. "I don't know what
they're going to do... but sure as hell they're pissed
off."
The two of them made small talk intermittently for a
while, silence taking over slowly. Neither of them wanted
to imagine what would happen if the twins talked. What if
they told Mr. Cool about them? They would be the subject
of all the malicious gossip in the resort. Instead of
being envied and adored, they would be outcasts. This
prospect made Nikki gasp, realizing for the first time
the far-reaching consequences of their lovemaking.
Incestuous sisters?... That would surely make them talk!
The rest of the afternoon whizzed by, Linda dreading the
moment of her parents' return. Nikki suggested going to
the mall and leaving the house for a while. It would do
them good. There was nothing better than a shopping spree
to forget one's problems. Linda laughed at Nikki's way of
putting it, and even thought of thanking her with a kiss.
She changed her mind promptly, for kissing Nikki had
gained a totally different meaning. She didn't want to
mislead her... They were sisters, and having sex with her
was not right. Not right at all.
While in the mall, Linda was unable to respond to Nikki's
attempts to cheer her up. Nikki said that everything
would be fine and that the twins wouldn't talk. What
would they gain by squealing on their own sisters? Their
own reputation would also be tarnished. The four of them
were not just friends. They were family. The honor of all
of them was at stake. To this Linda countered, "Honor?
What honor? We're not Italian, Sis... I think you've been
reading too many mob mysteries."
When Linda and Nikki returned home, they found out Dad's
Buick parked in the driveway.
"They're home," said Nikki, her voice showing no emotion,
just stating the fact.
"Yes," Linda agreed, nodding. Taking hold of Nikki's arm,
she added, "Let's go. We can't stay here all day long and
daydream about tomorrow." They stepped into the house
through the half-open front door. "Mom?" Linda called out
from the bottom of the stairs. "Dad?" She waited for a
while but got no answer. "Mom?" she cried out louder,
climbing the stairs, her left hand sliding up the
banister. "MOM?" "What, honey?" her mother's face
appeared at the banister of the upstairs hall. "Why are
you shouting like that? I'm not deaf." As she spoke, her
mother took off her diamond earrings, the ones Grandma
Greta had given her daughter, Marge Wesley, the day
before she married the promising young engineer Fred
McDougall.
"D'you know where the twins are?"
"Why on earth would I know that? Your father and I have
just arrived from the most relaxing, fantastic yacht
cruise... Aren't they with you?" "No," Linda replied,
realizing how inane she'd been. To ask Mom where Zo and
Jeannie were could trigger a series of unwanted
questions. Her nerves had gotten the better of her,
though. She took the initiative, adding, "They went to
the beach... Nikki and I, we stayed home and went to the
mall this afternoon."
"It sounds like you had your bit of fun, honey," her
mother said, her southern drawl becoming more
perceptible. Mom had lived most of her life in Georgia
and her favorite movie was Gone with the wind. "And
aren't you forgetting something?"
"Mom, not now... Anyway, you're already told us how great
your weekend was." Before her mother could protest, Linda
scurried down the stairs, her head beckoning Nikki to
follow her into the back yard. As they walked by the
living room doorway, a man's voice said, "Hello, girls...
Doesn't your father deserve a welcome any more?"
Linda and Nikki stopped in their tracks and looked at the
six-foot tall, bulky man with immaculate white hair. His
arms were open and he was puffing at a pipe like Popeye
the sailor man. This was no time for wisecracks, Linda
thought, resigning herself to being hugged by Dad and
listening to his tales about the good time they had with
the Bells and their elitist circle of friends. She hated
it most when Mom and Dad tried to couple her with the
sons of those empty-headed snobs, embarking on a mission
to "save" her from Rick Hillman. Linda had yelled at
them, making them understand she wouldn't have it. She'd
chosen Rick as her boyfriend and she was not going to
change her mind. Ever!
When Zo and Jeannie came home, dinner was almost ready.
They walked in the back door with their wetsuits on,
explaining they had been surfing with Max and Pete. Once
more Mom expressed her concerns about their hanging
around with grownup men. They should look for more
suitable company, someone their own age.
"Mom," Zo protested, "they're our instructors. How are we
supposed to learn without instructors?"
"It's 7 PM... I can't imagine you've been surfing until
now." "Oh, for chrisakes," Zo said, rolling her eyes and
stomping out of the kitchen. "Come on, Jeannie. Let's go
upstairs and change."
* * *
"So, how was your weekend?" Fred McDougall asked, taking
two generous scoops of mashed potatoes onto his dish and
scrutinizing his daughters with a wide smile. Nikki and
Jeannie sat on his right and Linda and Zo on his left.
Although he was paying attention to his daughters, Fred
failed to notice how tense the four of them had become
after his unsuspecting question.
Linda straightened herself up on her chair, eyeing Zo and
then Jeannie.
Before Zo could answer their father's question, Linda
said, "It was OK." "OK?" her mother asked, her brows
arching up, helping herself to the broccoli. "Just OK?"
"Yes," Linda replied, unable to hide her annoyance, while
waiting for Zo to hand over the meat platter. "Some of us
can settle for less, without overstating how happy we all
are."
"What's that supposed to mean, Linda?" Marge asked,
taking the bowl of mashed potatoes and staring at her
eldest daughter. "Nothing."
A heavy silence hovered over the table, Linda avoiding
her mother's inquiring eyes.
"That must mean something, Linda, or you wouldn't say
it."
"Girls!" Fred exclaimed. "Let's not fight... Not
tonight."
"Yes," Jeannie agreed, breathing in and out deeply.
Although the dinner prepared by Anita Perez, the cook,
was delicious, it was consumed without the usual small
talk and laughter. Fred tried his best to keep the
conversation going, but Linda's ill-humored remark had
soured his wife's mood.
It seemed as though the battle of wills between mother
and daughter was getting worse by the day. If his memory
served him well, it all started when Linda turned
fourteen and asked her mother's permission to spend her
birthday with Chad Manson, a popular 16-year-old lady-
killer who apparently had turned Linda's head. Marge,
however, wouldn't hear of her daughter preferring the
company of the neighborhood's troublemaker to her
family's on such an important day. Chad Manson was no
good, he was a bum, and probably a drug dealer... Since
then Linda had become more circumspect and secretive
about her dates, choosing her words carefully. Linda
blamed Marge for ruining her life, for not understanding
her.
Sometimes Marge accused her husband of taking sides,
sticking up for Linda more often than for his own wife.
Strangely enough, he could feel an undercurrent of rage
in Marge's words. That rage baffled him but he wasn't
going to ask any more about it. Marge would most probably
deny there was anything in it.
As he always did after dinner, Fred headed for his den to
fill up his pipe with fresh tobacco. There was nothing
better than a good puff and a steaming cup of coffee for
him to relax after such a long weekend with the Bells.
Jonathan Bell was the president and the founder of
Servenet, owning more than 40% of the voting shares. In
other words, Jonathan was his boss, and the yacht cruises
Jonathan organized were part of Servenet's informal way
of conducting business.
As he emptied his pipe into the small trashcan under his
desk, Fred's eyes spotted his daughter Zo standing at the
doorway. "Hello, Zo ... Come on in... I won't bite."
His daughter didn't react, apparently oblivious to his
jesting. Her long shiny hair covered the left side of her
slender body, the fingers of her hands in the small
pockets of her skin-tight blue jeans. Zo happened to be
his favorite daughter, the one who'd jump on his lap,
begging for a story. She listened to him with her
attentive blue eyes wide open, giggling at the funny
parts, and gaping if the story was really interesting.
His other three daughters were more standoffish. He was
certain that Linda set them against himself and his wife.
He wished that Marge and Linda could settle their
differences. Marge should moderate her inflexibility and
Linda should be less of a stubborn brat. If that ever
happened Fred was sure his household would be far more
peaceful. Zo seemed anxious. Every now and then she
looked back into the hallway as though making sure that
no one had followed her. Fred came over to be close to
his daughter. "What's the matter, Zo ?" he asked. "I'm
not sure..." Zo said softly, teasing her lower lip with
her teeth. Before Zo could continue, Linda showed up at
the doorway and said, "Zo , I wanna talk to you."
"Not now," Zo complained, twisting her arm free from
Linda's grip. "I mean, NOW," Linda demanded, pulling her
sister away from the doorway, and their astonished
father. Putting her hands on Zoe's shoulders, Linda
whispered, "If you want to ruin my life, go ahead... Tell
them... tell them everything... But think about Nikki and
Jeannie for once. What do you think Mom and Dad are going
to do with them if they know, huh? Did you think about
that?...This is not a prank, Zo . This is serious... They
can break us apart because of this... Is that what you
want?... Huh?... Tell me... Is that what you want?"
Linda could see fear in her sister's eyes. Zo was
speechless, flickering her eyelids and offering no
resistance as her big sis pushed her against the wall.
Their father closed in, wrenching Linda away from Zo . He
took them both to his den and shut the door, waiting for
an explanation for their outrageous behavior. Folding his
arms, he ordered them to speak but neither of his
daughters said a word, even after he threatened to ground
them for two weeks.
Once again Linda was able to wield her powerful influence
on her younger sister. Realizing this, Fred sent Linda
out of the den and approached Zo , questioning her
gently. Still, his favorite daughter evaded his eyes and
refused to talk. Much against his will and better
judgment, he let his irritation show. His voice had grown
too loud, scaring his daughter into even more resolute
silence. Eventually he dismissed her, tired of waiting
and convinced that he had ruined all his chances of
hearing what was behind all that peculiar exchange
between Linda and Zo . "Women," he sighed, as he opened
the bag where he kept his favorite tobacco. He shook his
head as he filled his pipe. His worries vanished as soon
as he took the first draw. His eyes shut as he enjoyed
the moment. Smiling, he left his den and returned to the
living room, with the firm intention of allowing nothing
and no one to spoil his favorite time of the day.
CHAPTER FOUR: FRUSTRATION
"Nikki, come to me... Come to me..." a female voice
implored.
Nikki couldn't say who was calling her so desperately.
The girl's face would sometimes materialize in her mind,
or dissolve in the next moment as mist on a sunny day.
Nikki reached out for the other girl, but their fingers
never touched, as if an invisible wall stood between
them. Nikki screamed, calling for the girl, who resembled
her in so many ways. Her heart beat faster, and she could
feel the acid accumulating in her lungs and muscles,
because the other girl kept falling and falling... away
from her... Nikki woke up, startled, confused, her eyes
becoming acquainted with the darkness of her
surroundings. She realized she was at the beach house, in
her bedroom, and that she had had a bad dream. The other
girl in her dream was Linda, she decided, as she stared
at her sister. Linda was still sleeping, wearing her
usual T-shirt -- she hated pajamas! -- her long curls
swept across her back. Linda's right leg was bent and
naked, teasing the T-shirt upward, and the sheet away
from her body. Seeing this, Nikki became again excited
with desire. The craving for Linda's kisses returned,
making her lips dry.
Nikki recalled how Big Sis now avoided the slightest
physical contact between them if they happened to be
close together. If confronted with what had happened on
Saturday evening, Linda reiterated that it wasn't right,
that it had all been a mistake, her mistake. Nikki had
tried to reason with her but Big Sis wouldn't stay and
listen to her arguments. The twins had ruined everything,
especially Zo . In spite of Zoe's big mouth, Linda had
managed to prevent a major earthquake at home. As always,
Big Sis got her own way, talking Zo into silence -- but
for how long? The twins were still mad at them, although
for different reasons. Jeannie was jealous of what Linda
and she had, which was... nothing; and Zo was jealous of
what might happen between her twin sister and Linda,
which was NOTHING, either.
Nikki shook her head, getting out of bed, discarding the
feeling that their lives were turning into one of those
TV soap operas she hated so much. Living the lives of
others was not her idea of fun. She was a doer, not a
dreamer... If she wanted something, she would do (almost)
anything to get it. Linda had taught her to chase after
her dreams and fight for her happiness.
But what would Big Sis say about her daydreams right now?
Making as little noise as possible, Nikki washed herself
and dressed, wearing her bikini under her beach shorts
and her sleeveless, top-cropped T-shirt. She went
downstairs, turning on the lights of a deserted kitchen.
It was 7:45 AM, too early even for Dad if he didn't have
to leave for work. It was Spring Break and Dad had taken
a few days off his busy-busy schedule to stay with his
wife and kids. He was to leave on Wednesday as he had an
important meeting waiting for him in Houston, Texas. Mom
would then take off for Palm Springs with a friend of
hers and, as usual, would only be back a couple of days
later.
`Just as well,' Nikki thought. `At least we can do
whatever we want.' Spring Break ended next Sunday, Nikki
realized as she walked out of the back door, breathing in
the fresh air of a lovely morning. She stretched herself
out in Dad's lawn chair, and at that moment she wished
she had a pet, a dog or a bunny, something she could call
her own. Mom wouldn't allow any living animal at home,
though, because pets were messy and smelled. Mom was
commanding and stubborn as hell, and so was Linda. That's
why Linda and Mom couldn't get along -- they were too
alike. Nikki rubbed her tanned, slender legs, as a chill
had run through her body. Although the morning was sunny
and soothingly warm, she shivered now and then. Her hands
rested on her thighs, while desire was oozing between her
legs. She didn't care much for self-relief. It felt too
selfish and lonely. There were, however, times when she
couldn't resist it, bringing herself to a very satisfying
orgasm. She hated to deal with the guilt afterwards,
though. When she was just six Mom had caught her
masturbating against Mr. Tom, her favorite teddy bear.
Mom pulled her up and smacked her bottom, screaming at
her in front of Anita about what a "bad girl" she was.
Mom took Mr. Tom away and Nikki hadn't seen him since.
Many years later Linda told her she shouldn't feel guilty
about rubbing herself off. If she felt like it she should
do it, and to hell with what Mom thought. "And do you do
it?" Nikki had asked.
"Yes, of course... Most folks do but won't admit it."
Linda squeezed her hand, assuring her it was OK what she
felt. Notwithstanding Linda's assurances, Nikki was
unable to shake off her uneasiness about masturbation.
Mom's screaming and her public humiliation came back to
haunt her and to ruin all the pleasure she had just
experienced. The funny thing was that she didn't feel any
guilt whatsoever about making love with Linda... No, on
the contrary. She felt liberated, safe, and out of harm's
way. Linda gave her strength, because Big Sis loved her.
That Saturday evening Linda had told her so.... Her heart
thumped harder. Nikki felt where her heart should be with
her right hand and wondered whether she was falling in
love with Linda. Linda... She was so beautiful, so
strong... `I love her,' she realized, feeling sudden
warmth in her cheeks, surprised by the depth of her
feelings. But Linda was her sister... How could she feel
this way? How could she? Nikki heard the back door
opening and shutting. It was Dad, wearing his red
turtleneck, which clashed visibly with his oversized
khaki shorts. Puffing at his pipe, he greeted her and
asked how she felt. Nikki went through the motions,
engaging in a conversation she was rather uncomfortable
with. She wondered whether he would ask about Zo and
Linda, and what Zo wanted to tell him. Nikki noticed how
carefully he trod with his questioning, maneuvering their
conversation into that very subject. Fortunately, Linda
barged into the back yard, just in time, as if Big Sis
had seen it coming. That morning's glorious weather
gained sudden priority in Dad's speech, and it remained
so until he walked back into the house, leaving the two
girls by themselves. Hesitantly Nikki turned her face to
Linda, who had stretched herself out on a lawn chair next
to hers. Linda had her eyelids closed, enjoying the
sunshine. She wore her usual dark yellow T-shirt and her
very short, snug black shorts. Without even noticing,
Nikki's eyes scanned her sister's breasts and her brawny,
yet feminine long legs. That familiar wetness returned,
the reactions of her sex putting her to the blush. As if
Big Sis had noticed her stare, Linda opened her eyes and
faced her. "I almost don't recognize you."
"What?"
"Getting up so early is not exactly what you do on a
regular basis."
"I couldn't sleep... Anyway I want to go to the beach
early."
"Do you miss the guys that much?"
Nikki observed her sister more closely, trying to discern
whether that remark was out of jealousy or was just plain
old Linda cracking jokes. "No," Nikki said, shaking her
head and averting Linda's staring. That remark made her
terribly sad, although she couldn't say why. "I don't
want to go to the promenade... not today. I know this
beach, a few miles from here... We could take your Jeep
and go there, for a change." "Sounds good to me," Linda
replied, shutting her eyes and facing the morning sun
again. "Let's hope the twins'll think the same."
* * *
"What kind of beach is this?" Zo asked, jumping off the
Jeep. "No one's here."
"So?" Nikki asked, turning off the engine. "What's the
problem with that? This is our chance of sunbathing
topless. No one comes here on Monday, at least not this
early."
Despite Zoe's complaining, Linda, Nikki and Jeannie
decided to stay and explore the beach. Nikki looked up at
the sun, judging its height and strength. It was another
perfect day to lie on the sand, and to enjoy the sunshine
and the waves without the hassle of the promenade and its
beach. Linda scanned the blue horizon and the quiet sea,
her hand screening her eyes from the sun. As Zo had
grumbled, the beach was deserted. Linda felt and heard
the sea breeze flurry against her face and hair, and the
grass growing on the sand dunes. A few seagulls glided
above her, looking for food down in the ocean.
"Nice place, Nikki."
Nikki drew breath to say thanks but decided against it
when she exhaled. She could feel Linda wanted some
distance. Giving an answer would violate her sister's
wistful mood.
After some discussion with the twins, they chose a spot
near the sand dunes and away from the waveline. Since
they were going to sunbathe topless, the dunes would
offer protection from curious ogling, should people
appear on the beach.
As she slipped off her T-shirt and shorts, Nikki's eyes
moved away from Linda's body. The tension of excitement
had announced its presence between her legs as soon as
she saw Linda's naked breasts and her beautiful, slender
body. Fortunately Big Sis seemed unaware of her staring,
busy as she was with the oiling of her own arms and ample
chest. Although topless sunbathing was a rare event for
them, their tan lines were almost invisible. They all
wore expensive bikinis which allowed most of the UV light
through. They had bought them in an exclusive boutique in
Beverly Hills, owned by a man who did his best to look
like David Niven and sound as savvy as a college
professor.
Linda handed the sunblock over to Nikki and asked her how
she knew about this secluded beach. It was because of Jim
Tatum, Nikki explained. She met Jim at a Lana Martin's
party. He was a college freshman at the time, nicely
built, strong shoulders and arms but hardly the typical
UCLA jock. He had a way with words, which reminded her of
Linda, and a gleaming two-wheeled import that would sweep
any teenage girl off her feet with its powerful roar of
an angry, thirsty engine. In the beginning she declined
his invitations to go for a ride. Jim Tatum scared her
somehow. On the other hand, she was curious as to what it
would feel like riding on a bike like that, feeling the
wind in her hair, leaning against a guy a lot of girls
would kill to be friends with. In the end Lana whisked
her doubts away, and she accepted Jim's idea of a
thrilling date.
And thrilling it was... She had screamed and laughed when
Jim accelerated and negotiated a tight turn at full
speed. The ocean stretched away into a cloudless horizon
at their right, and huge boulders of hard rock cropped
out at their left, giving them no chance if Jim lost
control of his roaring bike. After a long ride, he took
her to this secluded beach, and soon enough he kissed her
and made the first moves for them to make out. Nikki
pushed him away firmly, looking at him sharply and making
it clear she was not going to have sex with him. Besides,
she was seeing Craig Worell and she didn't intend to
cheat on her boyfriend. Jim got mad, standing up and
throwing some curses at the wind, while his hand brushed
back his light brown hair. Eventually he brought her
home, without saying another word or looking at her
directly again. Fortunately, she hadn't seen him since.
Linda smiled at Nikki's story of failed seduction and
looked at the breakers that kept rolling onto the sand.
Again Nikki had to tear her eyes off Linda's tanned body.
Big Sis's breasts were like a magnet. She didn't mean to
stare like a sex-starved boy but every time she looked at
Linda's body the overwhelming emotions of their
lovemaking washed over her like a gigantic wave. Those
feelings wreaked havoc with her determination to respect
her sister's decision to put an end to the sexual nature
of their relationship. She swallowed and sighed, exerting
herself to keep the tears from flowing.
If only she could find a way to make her sister
understand it was OK for them to make love, she wondered.
If they wanted to, why not? Because they were sisters?
And if she were a guy, would Linda have less qualms about
making love?
Nikki took her turn at applying the sunblock. The twins
were just a few feet away from her, giggling and playing
with their own bottle of sunblock, spreading the oily
liquid on each other. They avoided the other's breasts as
though it were understood that their small chests were
forbidden territory. Seeing Zo and Jeannie in such a
playful mood, touching each other's bodies freely, it
became clear to Nikki how much she wanted Linda. The
twins didn't have to deal with the frustration she felt.
Done with the sunblock, Nikki let the bottle drop in
Linda's jute bag and walked over to the waveline. She
rubbed her eyes, feeling the moisture with her
fingertips, and hugging herself. She looked at the ocean
and the waves and the birds and the infrequent yachts
that lazily cruised on the water. The water felt cold on
her feet. Nikki let the waves bury her feet under the
sand, pretending not to hear the twins' playful giggling.
They were wrestling, Nikki guessed without looking back.
They would soon come and dive into the sea, and wash the
sand off their bodies. After a few minutes of high-
pitched giggling and screaming, Zoe's and Jeannie's
voices came closer. As Nikki foresaw, her younger sisters
ran into the water, disappearing under a wave and
surfacing a couple of feet further away from the beach.
Jeannie waved her to join them but Nikki turned her down.
Nikki didn't feel like getting wet. She looked back,
taking a fleeting glance at Linda. Linda lay flat on her
beach towel, ignoring the twins' monkeyshines. "The
water's freezing," Zo said, making her way back to the
beach, trembling.
Without paying attention to Nikki, Zo returned to the
sand dunes to fetch her towel and dry herself off.
Jeannie stayed in the water a little while longer. Then
she swam to the beach, got to her feet, and walked over
toward Nikki. All of a sudden, Jeannie kicked in the
water, splashing her sister silly, causing Nikki to
withdraw to a safer, drier spot on the sand. Her sense of
relief didn't last long as a pair of strong hands took
hold of her arms, pushing her toward Jeannie.
"Linda!" Nikki cried out with surprise in her eyes.
"Yes, that's me," Linda laughed. "I'm joining the fun,
Sis." Before Nikki could say a thing, another spatter of
sea water was kicked at her by Jeannie, who was laughing
as boisterously as Linda. Reacting as fast as she could,
Nikki ducked and wriggled herself free from Linda's firm
clasp, and dived into the water.
"Hey, that's not fair," Nikki complained, swimming away
from her sisters. "I'm always alone against all of you."
"That's what lazybones's get sooner or later," Jeannie
cracked.
"I'm not lazy."
"You're not?" Jeannie said, savoring the irony with her
lips.
Linda and Jeannie sat down on the sand, the water
caressing their feet. They were still grinning at each
other and then at Nikki. Nikki joined them, settling down
beside Big Sis and keeping her eyes open, watchful for
any sign of Linda or Jeannie wanting another bout of
wrestling. No words were exchanged. The three of them
just listened to the sounds of the sea and the birds
hovering overhead. Nikki wondered if Jeannie's horseplay
was a kind of conciliatory gesture, an attempt to prevent
further distrust and friction between them. Unlike Zo,
Jeannie was not a rancorous girl. Jeannie could fly into
a rage but she was usually the one to raise the white
flag first. Then Nikki's eyes fell on Big Sis, to examine
her absent look with her green eyes lost in the distance.
Nikki wanted to ask Big Sis what she was thinking about,
but Jeannie's presence dissuaded her from such a
dangerous line of questioning.
In spite of Nikki's silence, it seemed as though Linda
had noticed Nikki's staring. Linda stood up and brushed
the sand off her bikini bottom., "I'd better go," she
said, "or Zo might think we don't like to be around her
any more."
"She could've joined us," Nikki retorted.
"Yes, Nikki, she could've. But Zoe's still pissed off and
you know that." Nikki shrugged as her big sister left.
She didn't want to think about the reasons for Linda's
bluntness and Zoe's reticence. The sexual ghost still
hovered above their heads, just like a seagull searching
for the right moment to dive and catch its prey. Nikki
couldn't accept that sex had ruined everything between
Big Sis and herself. That simply couldn't be true.
"Nikki?"
"Yes?" Nikki replied, brushing her hair away from her
face and looking at her youngest sister.
"Don't be sad," Jeannie said, sliding closer and resting
her hand on Nikki's. "Zo and I, we talked last night... I
guess... we overreacted. I mean, it's not every day
that... You know what I mean." Nikki took a good look at
Jeannie, observing her face and appraising the sincerity
of her sister's words.
"You mean you're not angry with Linda any more?"
"I figured, what's the use... I..." Jeannie looked away,
her mouth half open.
She just interrupted herself as if unable to put her
feelings into words. Then she added, "I still don't
know... what's going on. It's-" "-so overwhelming," Nikki
helped.
"Yes," Jeannie nodded, taking a deep breath. She smiled a
little smile and went on, "Linda is... so..."
"...overwhelming," Nikki helped Jeannie once again. They
both laughed, looking at each other. Nikki put her other
hand on Jeannie's hand, feeling deeply connected with her
youngest sister. Nikki could see that Jeannie understood
her because she felt the same about Linda. And that was
amazing, so unreal and unbelievable... But who wouldn't
fall in love with Linda? Who?
"And Zo ? I think she's still mad at us."
Jeannie licked her dry lips, removing her hand from
Nikki's and encircling her legs. "You know how Zo is. I'm
working on her, though." "You think she's gonna tell?"
Jeannie shrugged, rising to her feet. "I think we should
go. I think Linda's calling us." Nikki stood up and
followed Jeannie silently, her hands sweeping the sand
away and adjusting her bikini bottom. She chose to forget
that depressing subject altogether. It was a downer,
definitely, and the last thing she wanted was to feel
sad. She was young, damn it, and she wanted to have FUN!
* * *
Three crazy days went by. Linda was drinking too much too
fast and to such an extent that Jeannie wondered whether
they would get arrested for breach of public order and
carrying fake ID's. On top of everything else, Linda was
flirting with Mr. Cool totally uninhibitedly, as she
never did before. What was she trying to prove? That she
was not a lesbian? On Friday night Linda told Jeannie she
was sick of the resort and was thinking about leaving the
beach house and going back home. Linda missed Rick and
wanted to be with him. The next morning, despite the
sunny and pleasant weather, the girls returned to L.A..
Jeannie felt some relief, as if Linda's decision was the
first step for a healthier attitude toward life. However,
Jeannie's optimism was soon put to the test. She sensed
something was wrong with Big Sis. The slightest
provocation was enough for Linda to lash out in a fury.
Her remarks became blunter, and often downright cruel.
Linda would apologize, but often too late to prevent
retaliation from Nikki or Zo .
All this tension had almost reached breaking point when
Linda stayed out all night, returning home completely
drunk. Dad grounded her for a fortnight and forbade her
to see Rick ever again. As always Rick took the blame for
Linda's rebelliousness, Jeannie thought, sighing. Zo
gloated over this state of affairs, Jeannie recalled, as
if Linda's house arrest made them even. Jeannie thought
her twin's reaction mean and insensitive and as a result
they didn't speak to each other for days. Zo spent most
of her free time with Joey Hernandez, a guy in her class
she was seeing quite regularly. In turn, Jeannie would go
out with Janey Manson (not related to Chad Manson) and
Brittany McGuire, two girls she had met at the tryouts
for the cheerleader squad. In spite of Brittany's failure
to make the squad, the three of them became good friends.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for Brittany to find out
her new love -- to draw funnies for the school's
newsletter.
Zo tried one day to bury the hatchet. Jeannie was getting
ready for bed when she heard Zo enter the bedroom they
shared. Their bedroom in L.A. resembled their sleeping
quarters at the beach house, except it was roomier and
more sober-looking. Instead of the posters and pennants,
there were "boring" oil paintings that Mom had chosen for
them. As at the beach house, their bedroom had its
private bathroom with its door opening into a small
hallway, which in turn connected their bedroom to the
main hall upstairs. Because of this layout, Jeannie
hadn't seen Zo breeze into the bathroom; though she could
hear someone brushing their teeth, and the water running
in the washbowl.
When the noises stopped, Jeannie pulled up the covers and
shut her eyes. She heard light footsteps approaching and
heading for her sister's side of the room. Then she heard
the rustling of someone getting undressed. At this point,
there was a long pause. Jeannie waited for the familiar
sound of Zo slipping into her pajamas but no such thing
happened -- only silence. She waited a while longer until
her curiosity got the better of her. Jeannie opened her
eyes and turned to see her sister sitting on the edge of
her bed, her head low, and her long tresses hiding most
of her naked body. Zo was scratching her knee when she
looked up and met Jeannie's stare. "What's up?"
Zo shrugged, twisting her mouth slightly. She looked away
for a moment and then faced her twin again, her teeth
gnawing at her lips. There was a deep sigh and another
pause. When Jeannie was about to speak, Zo said, "You're
right... about Linda... I had no right to say what I
said."
"Do you mean that?"
"Yeah... I do. I just... want us to make up. I can't
stand this any more. It seems that everybody went crazy
in this house." "That's true," Jeannie agreed, making it
her turn to look away, sighing, her eyes staring blankly
at the window. She scratched her head and her hand swept
a thin strand of hair over her ear.
"You still think about... don't you?"
Jeannie blinked as if she hadn't understood what her
sister meant. She was about to deny it when her head
nodded. "I can't help it... I really can't help it." And
as unexpectedly as a thief in the night, tears welled up
in her eyes. She began to sob out loud, feeling a longing
inside her she couldn't quite understand. Her heart ached
and her body shook as if from cold. Jeannie sniffled, her
breathing slightly heavier than normal. As she wiped her
eyes dry, Zo settled down next to her.
"How'd you know?"
"I see how you look at Linda. You should be more
careful... Other people might guess it, too."
Utter fear hit Jeannie in the face, gasping for breath.
"What do you mean? I'm not that obvious... I mean... If
you hadn't brought it up I wouldn't-" "Next time just pay
attention to how Nikki stares at Linda when no one is
looking. You do the same, Jeannie... I think sometimes
Nikki and you don't even notice it... but I do. It's
seems as though everybody is in love with her in this
goddam house."
"Stop blaming her, Zo ... Nothing happened against our
will." "But she should know better. She's older than you
two. She should act her age. She's always tried to be in
control, as if she was our mother. But she isn't,
Jeannie. She isn't."
"I know that," Jeannie replied, letting her irritation
show. "I'm sorry... I'm really tired and I wanna get
some sleep."
"OK," Zo said, retreating to her own bed. "Just think
about it." As night darkened their room, Jeannie's pupils
widened, her eyes adapting to the weakening light
outside. She couldn't sleep. Her sister's words were
hammering away in her head. She kept asking herself
whether Zo could be right. Was her fascination for Linda
that obvious? No, that couldn't be true. Mom and Dad
would've noticed otherwise... Or maybe not. Mom and Dad
appeared to live in another world, dealing with them on a
different wavelength.
Jeannie began entering into a dream world that drew her
away into strange landscapes bathed in moonlight and soft
voices. A female hand touched her and she trembled. There
were screams followed by a long pause. A baby cried and
then laughed... After that, only silence...
CHAPTER FIVE: SURRENDER
Linda waved Tallulah Sorensen and Charlie Olmos good-bye,
as she got into her Jeep and started the engine. Tallulah
and Charlie had been seeing each other for two months now
and the same old story was happening again: boy meets
girl, who happens to be Linda's friend; boy has the hots
for Linda, and girl doesn't have a clue about it.
Charlie came on to her during lunch break. When his
girlfriend wasn't looking, with the most matter-of-fact
tone of voice he could muster up, Charlie "mentioned" he
had tickets for the playoffs. In the same breath he asked
if she wanted to go with him.
"Sure," she replied impassively as if she hadn't
understood his true intentions, "that'd be fun. Do you
have one more? I'd like Rick to come along. He's really a
big Lakers fan."
"I've got only two," he replied, staring at her, with no
hesitation in his voice.
"What about Tallulah? I thought you two were serious
about each other."
"Not really."
Linda looked at him and noticed his intent stare and how
badly he wanted her to say yes. This kind of guy always
gave her the creeps. Talk about obsessive types!
"I'm sorry, Charlie, but-"
"Don't say anything... Just think about it. You can give
me the answer tomorrow."
"My answer won't change, Charlie. Tallulah is my friend
and I'm not planning to stab her in the back. Besides, I-"
She held her tongue mid-sentence as Tallulah said good-
bye to the girl she was talking to and turned to them,
still grinning and slurping soda pop through a plastic
straw.
As Linda steered her Jeep out of the parking lot, she
wavered between the decision to tell everything to
Tallulah, or to ignore Charlie's invitation completely.
Linda was afraid of Tallulah's reaction. She didn't want
any repetition of what had happened between Mary Howard
and herself. Mary still blamed her for Stan Rogers
breaking up with her. Mary accused her of flirting with
Stan and leading him on during a party a couple of weeks
before. Linda tried to explain that wasn't true but Mary
had already made up her mind. There was no argument on
earth that would convince Mary of her innocence. The
worst thing was to see how much Mary hated her for
something she hadn't done. Linda had just smiled at the
guy and danced with him a couple of times because he
asked her to, but she was sure she hadn't given him any
false hopes. In spite of it all, she was unable to shake
the guilt she sometimes felt -- and she hated that!
After a 45-minute drive, Linda arrived at Rick's favorite
hang-out, a garage Paul had converted into a makeshift
recording studio. Rick called her that day and told her
he wanted to see her. His band was going to record a demo
of a song written by Paul and the band's producer -- a
guy called Gus "The Killer" Smith. The demo was meant for
the label that had launched the Red Hot Chili Peppers
into stardom, Rick explained with obvious pride in his
voice. Before hanging up, he added, "You inspire me." As
soon as Linda stepped out of the Jeep, Paul came out of
the door of his studio-garage and greeted her with his
unflagging smile and unshaven face. Paul van Dyke was a
nice guy, definitely. Linda liked his easygoing way of
living and his open-minded view of the world. Moreover,
Paul was good-looking, intelligent, and had a terrific
sense of humor -- everything a girl could wish for in a
man. Paul, however, didn't care for girlfriends and
stable relationships. Music was his true love -- the rest
could go to hell, he would say, grinning and giving her a
friendly hug. Paul was one of the few men with whom Linda
felt absolutely at ease. She knew he was not going to
make a move on her sooner or later.
"Hi, Pumpkin," Paul said, referring to their most common
inside joke. Paul had told Linda that she reminded him of
Christina Applegate. Linda couldn't see the resemblance,
however, punching him in the stomach every time he teased
her with it.
"Hi, Paul," she said, sliding one hand around his neck
and pressing her lips against his left cheek for a
fleeting kiss. "Where's Rick?" "Inside, tuning up his
brand-new Fender."
"OK," she said, moving away from Paul, sighing.
"Wait." Paul seized her hand and pulled her back to where
she stood.
"What's the matter, toots? Is everything OK?"
"Yeah, everything's fine."
Paul's clasped her chin and said, "Don't lie to me. I've
known you since you were a child... You're upset. What's
up?"
Linda's eyes stayed clear of Paul's mature light brown
eyes. Paul was ten years her senior and she had met him
at one of his gigs when she was thirteen. She sighed
again and told him about Charlie and Tallulah, and about
Mary Howard. They sat down on Paul's improvised bench, a
weathered surfboard supported by two gutted-out
loudspeakers. "What are you going to do?" he asked,
brushing his dark brown hair back and facing her, his
eyelids half-closed because of the strong sunlight.
"Dunno," Linda answered, shaking her head, her right hand
rotating one of her rings around the left middle finger.
She paused and then looked up, meeting Paul's gaze. "Have
you ever been in love with someone... and you know that's
wrong?"
Paul smiled at Linda, slightly taken aback. He said,
"Being in love can never be wrong... What you do about
it, that's something else."
"But have you ever-"
"Once... She was married... and still is. Why? You fall
for a married guy?" "Worse," she said, experiencing a
sudden thrill with the game of words she was about to
play. "They fall for me."
"That doesn't surprise me. Sometimes I think Rick doesn't
know how lucky he is. I don't even know what you see in
Rick."
Linda laughed and asked, "Hey, are you hitting on me
after all these years?"
"Yes, Pumpkin," Paul chuckled, hugging Linda close and
pressing the tip of Linda's nose with his finger. "You
were too young back then. Now you've become a woman and
this is my chance."
"Cut it out," she laughed, "you don't mean that." Linda
stood up, unsure whether Paul meant what he said or
whether it was just banter. Paul stood up as well, his
smile dwindling away. "Don't you worry, Lin. I'm joking.
You know you're not my type. I like them older and with a
little bit of meat around them. Besides, you're like a
sister to me, the sister I never had."
Before Linda could answer, Rick showed up in the
driveway. He embraced and kissed her. After their long
kiss, Linda pushed him away. Unlike Rick, she was not
comfortable with such passionate displays of affection in
public. They all wheeled into the garage as the guys
began to discuss the demo. The three of them had to tread
carefully, in case they tripped over one of the million
cables on the floor. Linda greeted the other members of
the band and Gus "The Killer" Smith, a stocky, red-
bearded guy dressed in Hell's Angels attire. She sat down
on a table at one corner of the garage, suddenly feeling
out of place.
Paul's words kept ringing inside her. "You're like a
sister to me... like a sister... to me." How ironic, she
thought, shaking her head. A few minutes later Rick began
to blare out the lyrics that went like, "Babyface, you
kill me with fantasies / you kill me with ecstasies / you
love me, don't you know / don't you kill me now..."
* * *
Nikki lay on her bed, reading John Grisham's latest
novel, which Dad had bought a couple of days before. Then
Linda traipsed into the room. They had just eaten dinner
and slunk away from Dad's guests for the evening, two
dreary, uninspiring middle-aged businessmen with their
predictable younger trophy wives. They had to dress up
for the occasion. Dad wouldn't hesitate to use his family
to promote Servenet to the company's clients. The word
was that Dad, or really Servenet, would make 200 million
dollars if he struck a deal that evening.
As expected, Linda was the center of attention when they
had drinks, and then during dinner. Both men and women
commented on how beautiful she was in her long black
dress. Their amazement reached its peak when they learned
how young she was. One of the women even said, "You look
like a movie star, my dear."
"Thank you," Linda answered, trying to be as polite as
she could, "although I don't care much for becoming a
Hollywood stiff." The woman looked at Linda with
perplexity in her eyes as if she hadn't understood
whether Linda's answer was an insult or a joke. At that
point, Linda pulled up a smile and the woman laughed,
impressed by Linda's wit. Dad was not amused, though. As
his guests sat down around the dinner table, Dad took
Linda aside and told her to "moderate" her attitude. Or
else. Nikki stopped reading and watched her sister as she
kicked off her high heels and said, "These shoes are
killing me."
"You should've seen their faces when they saw you for the
first time," Nikki said, sitting cross-legged on her bed.
Linda just shrugged as she plunked herself down on her
own bed, facing Nikki. "They're just a bunch of pinheads.
Money is all they want and care about."
"Don't you?"
Linda stared at Nikki for a moment and then acknowledged
her sister's wisecrack with a smile. She got to her feet
and peeled off her dress. Nikki's pulse revved up at
once, surprised by Linda's willingness to get undressed
in front of her with the lights on. Since Spring Break
there had been a subtle shift in the way they handled
each other's nakedness. Linda usually came up later when
Nikki was already in bed and the lights were off. Linda
then changed into her T-shirt, folded her clothes and
laid them on one of the chairs, with everything done in
complete darkness. If the lights were on, Linda turned
her back on her, as if afraid of her younger sister's
stare. This infuriated Nikki. `I'm not a fucking sex
maniac,' she said to herself. `I know when "no" means
"no".' Nikki had never brought herself to confront her
sister with it, though. Perhaps she was blowing the whole
thing out of proportion.
"I think you should get out of that dress or it'll get
all crumpled up," Linda said with a neutral voice,
sliding off her bra. "Yes, Mommy," Nikki retorted,
raising another short-lived smile in Linda's face.
Nikki rose to her feet and pulled her dress over her
head. Instead of throwing it onto a chair as she did most
of the time, Nikki opened her closet and searched for a
hanger for it.
"You're learning," Linda said, smiling and slipping under
the covers of her bed.
Nikki ignored her sister's remark. She sat on her bed and
asked, "Are you going to sleep already?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Linda countered, this time
with a seemingly serious expression.
Nikki stood still for a moment, holding her breath and
wondering what her sister really meant. She had seen
Linda guzzle down a few slugs of bourbon when Mom and Dad
were too busy with their guests. Was she drunk? Linda and
Nikki stared at each other for the longest time, neither
of them able to move and break away from the spell that
had fallen upon them out of nowhere. Their breathing was
uneasy, their mouths were half-open, their lips dry,
their cheeks warm... Nikki shivered from cold, realizing
she had nothing on except for her bra and panties. She
licked her lips as she rubbed her arms warm.
"Come here," Linda said eventually, patting her bed.
"I'll warm you up." Without hesitation, Nikki slid into
Linda's bed, closing her eyes, almost not believing what
was happening. She couldn't describe exactly what she
felt. Her body seemed to have turned into a torch, so hot
had it become. Her body kept trembling uncontrollably.
"You're warm," Linda said, stroking her hair.
Nikki didn't say a word because she couldn't speak. She
didn't want to think about anything, emptying her mind of
all thoughts. She could feel Linda's body cuddling up
against her back, Linda's hands taking hold of hers,
warming them as she had promised. Once again Nikki could
feel Linda's breasts against her naked back, Linda's
breathing against her neck. She wanted to turn over and
face Big Sis, but she didn't move as she was afraid that
her sister would change her mind and send her back to her
bed. Suddenly Linda leapt out of bed and disappeared into
the entrance passage into their room. Nikki thought Big
Sis had experienced a sudden urge to pee. She soon
realized that her sister had gotten up to lock the door.
It was too perfect to be true, she thought, trying to
remain calm and detached as if her sister's actions had
no special meaning.
Linda returned to her bed, and to her earlier spot next
to Nikki. While toying with her sister's hair, she said,
"Nikki?" Nikki turned over, her eyes turning toward
Linda's face, so close to hers.
"Yes?"
Linda kept stroking Nikki's hair, brushing it away from
her sister's eyes and forehead. "I've been thinking..."
"About what?"
"About us."
"And?" Nikki asked, her breathing coming to a complete
stop.
"It's just... It's just so hard... to forget..."
"To forget?"
"About what happened... between us."
"I can't forget what happened either," Nikki said, almost
not believing that her beautiful sister could feel the
same way. "Every time I go out with a guy I just wonder
how it'd be if you were the guy. It sounds weird, I
know... But I can't help it. I can't help thinking about
making love to you all the time. It was so sweet... I
just can't help it." As Nikki burst into tears, Linda
pulled her sister closer until they kissed, mouths
thirsty for probing tongues, hands craving for soft
curves, breasts yearning for patient, yielding
caresses... "Oh Nikki..." Linda gasped, feeling her sex
respond instantly. Only Nikki made her feel that way. It
seemed she had crossed the desert and returned to the
oasis... She came to realize how much she had longed for
this moment, how much she had denied her true feelings.
This crazy passion, this overwhelming lovemaking was all
she wanted. Nikki touching her breasts, her deft fingers
grazing her nipples under her T-shirt, was enough to make
her heavy breathing stop. Her legs pressed against
Nikki's thigh, holding in the wave of ecstasy. Then she
breathed out, covering her younger sister with kisses.
Realizing what had just happened, Nikki smiled.
"You came?"
"Yes," Linda said, blushing.
"But I didn't even-"
"You don't need to. Just touching you and you touching me
is enough."
* * *
The next Sunday morning Zo walked into her older sisters'
room and surprised Linda and Nikki together in bed. To
her dismay, she realized that Linda and Nikki were at
"it", again. She could see they were naked under the
sheets of Linda's bed and the smell of sex permeated the
room. Linda held Nikki close, with her head resting on
Linda's shoulder. Their faces had a contented look as
though they had made love all night. She had knocked but
apparently those two sex maniacs were too tired to hear
anything. `At least they could've locked the door,' she
thought.
Zo returned to her bed, frustrated and angry. She'd
already thought a million times about telling everything
to Mom and Dad. It was unnatural, sick, perverted... If
they were ugly and unable to find guys to satisfy their
needs, she could understand it -- more or less... But
Linda and Nikki were just the opposite. Guys would line
up just to ask them out... It was just too damned crazy.
Yet the image of her two beautiful sisters sleeping
together and the knowledge they had become lovers really
excited her. She tried not to think about it... Maybe it
was in their genes... She recalled dad's favorite girlie
magazines -- Hustlers featuring two slender, exquisite
blondes going at it...
She knew about her dad's fantasies because he had thrown
all the magazines in the trash can except those Hustlers.
One night she woke up, feeling thirsty, craving for
something sweet like soda pop. She headed for the
kitchen. When she was about to switch on the lights,
angry voices came from the living room. Her parents were
having a fight, or so it seemed. Tiptoeing closer to, she
listened to Dad's attempts to calm Mom down while Mom
complained about his ever burgeoning collection of
"filth". Although the door had been slid shut, a slit
between the door and the doorjamb had been left open.
Gathering up all her courage, Zo peeked in. A chaos of
girlie magazines covered the floor, and Dad's cupboard,
where he kept his VCR tapes, was wide open.
A couple of days later, she searched through Dad's
cupboard for those magazines -- out of curiosity, she
kept repeating to herself --, finding only a few of them.
Apparently, Dad had to get rid of most of his mags but
had "saved" those few.
Dad's mags were unlike the crassy stuff Joey Hernandez
had once shown her. She hated those pictures with girls
wearing garter belts and high heels. No "real" girl would
do that, she thought. No "real" girl would make love
wearing that stuff -- it would be just too uncomfortable!
She loved it when the girls wore nothing, or just a light
summer dress, sneakers or other sporty stuff... Heavy
make-up was also a turn-off... Zo lay in bed and became
aware of her growing excitement. Without giving it much
thought, her hand slid down and reached under the sheets
for her sex. Her panties were wet... `No wonder,' she
thought, smiling inwardly. She tried to resist the urge
to masturbate... But it was too late to stop now. Her
hand began to pat her oozing labia, the palm of her hand
ever so lightly pressing her clitoris. She bit her lips,
preventing a moan to escape. She continued with her
fingering while fantasizing about her biggest turn-on of
all: when the two girls kissed, a "real" kiss, not the
fake tongue-flick, so common in the X-rated material she
had come across. Seeing those two beautiful females lost
in a deep, deep kiss, forgetting where and who they were,
was enough to shoot her into high gear... It was so
sexy... It was special... The symmetry of it, breasts
rubbing breasts, wet cunt against another hot wet cunt,
and long flowing blond hair all over them... Ooohhh, it
was too much. With that thought and her hand in her
quivering sex, she almost came... Her hand was so wet
with her secretions... Zo looked at Jeannie but her twin
sister was still sleeping. Relieved, she resumed her
fingering. She didn't want Jeannie to see her like that,
particularly when she had criticized her sisters for
their lewd, unacceptable behavior. Abhorrence of sex and
anything related to it was something Mom had instilled
into all of them. Zo guessed Mom was only trying to
protect them from premature pregnancy. On the other hand,
by doing so, Mom drove Dad to those mags, maintaining an
apparently sexless facade to all of them.
Zo closed her eyes and returned to her masturbatory
bliss, imagining being one of those blondes, embarking on
a deep kiss with the model, while the other voluptuous
girl fingered her crotch. "Ooohhh," she gasped. "Oh, god,
this is too... much." She sat up in her bed and took off
her pajama top. It was getting too damned hot beneath the
sheets... With her breasts uncovered, her hand resumed
its ministrations, going up and down her soaking labia,
from time to time penetrating her sex. She relished
feeling her fingers against the wet walls of her vagina,
as if she was touching another girl's sex. "Ooohhh," she
let out again. "Oohhhh..." She opened her legs further,
while her fantasy girl kissed her inner thighs with
small, slow, teasing kisses, going for her throbbing
center of pleasure. When her fantasy girl began to lick
her, an incredible wave of pleasure whooshed through her,
sending her up to cloud nine... With her fingers, she
spurred the other girl to speed up her licking, driving
her crazy with lust. She had never been this hot, ever...
Eventually she came, a bolt of orgasmic bliss taking over
her body like electricity.
Long minutes passed before she returned to earth, totally
relaxed. She hadn't felt this relaxed in ages. Then she
let her head roll to the side, exhausted. To her horror
she met Jeannie's smirking face, propped up by her hands.
"What?"
"What, what?"
"Why are you grinning like that?"
"No reason," Jeannie said, getting up and going to the
bathroom. "I was just thinking how people like to talk...
and before you know they're doing the same thing."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
From the bathroom, Jeannie replied, "You know perfectly
well what I mean, Zo . Don't play the bimbo with me. I'm
not one of your boyfriends." Zo heard Jeannie pee. Apart
from her pajama top, her sister had only her panties on
when she sprang out of bed, and she was going to reappear
in their bedroom without them. Jeannie always did that
before she took her morning shower. For some unknown
reason, that image excited her. Zo couldn't understand
why. She had witnessed that very scene a zillion times.
Why should it be any different now? Was it because her
sister reminded her of those girls in Dad's mags? Or
because she had just fantasized about such a girl going
down on her, and had one of the best -- if not the best -
- orgasms of her entire life?
She felt rather guilty, but knowing that Linda and Nikki
were also at it allayed her fears. They had started it!
"Lost your tongue?" Jeannie asked, heading for Zoe's bed.
As Zo had guessed, her sister came back wearing nothing
but her pajama top, which was long enough to hide her
triangle of blond pubic hair but short enough to reveal
her long, tanned, slender legs. Zo felt a thrill
radiating out of her sex as she watched Jeannie play with
her panties, swirling them around on the tip of her index
finger.
"Do you have to do that?" Zo grumbled. Jeannie had
slumped down on her sister's bed. Jeannie's proximity was
making Zo nervous. "What?"
"Showing off your panties like that."
"So? It's only me and you. It's not the first time you've
seen me do that... It was quite a show you put up this
morning... Getting naked and your moaning... I've never-"
"OK, I get the picture. You don't have to rub it in."
Jeannie was surprised by Zoe's bad temper. Zo jumped out
of bed and locked herself in the bathroom. Jeannie didn't
know what was going on in her twin's head. She could feel
Zoe's shame though.
Jeannie regretted her decision to confront her twin
sister with her sexuality. She should have pretended to
sleep through the whole thing. But it had been so sexy,
and even exhilarating. After all, Zo was not that uptight
about sex. Her twin sister had always been very reserved
about sexual matters. She could hear her masturbate on
occasion but Zo would keep it quiet. Not this morning,
however... Why? Because of her date with Joey last night?
* * *
For the next few days, Zo was ambivalent. She didn't know
what to do about Linda and Nikki. It was difficult to
ignore the fact they were spending more and more time
together. The two of them would go early to bed, using
the convenient excuse they were tired from school and
homework. They turned down dates, accepting only a few
just to keep up appearances. Sometimes they acted like
two ridiculous 13-year-old girls in love. They hugged
each other and kissed as soon as Mom and Dad went out of
the house and left them to their own devices. They even
made out on the couch in the living room, giggling if she
or Jeannie happened to walk in on them. Anger and desire,
that was what Zo felt. Anger because they should act
their age. Desire because she wanted to experience the
same passion, the same loving, the feeling that someone
really cared about her. Without even noticing, she became
depressed. Her grades were slipping and she had gotten a
warning from her cheerleading coach. She couldn't
concentrate. She missed too many steps, ruining the
coordination of the squad. On the day of the reprimand
she ran off to the locker room, tears running down her
cheeks. Soon Jeannie joined her, with an anxious
expression on her face. "Zo , what's wrong?" Jeannie
asked, sitting next to her twin. Zo was still crying,
doubled up. "Zo , please, tell me. You're really worrying
me. Are you pregnant?"
"No, I'm not pregnant," Zo protested, straightening
herself up. "You know I don't sleep around."
"I'm sorry. It's just I'm worried about you. Everybody
is."
"Yeah, right."
"I am, dammit. And if you don't see it, it's because
you're blind." Jeannie got up and was about to leave. Her
sister made her sit down, locking her arm around hers.
"Please, don't go," she pleaded. "Please don't leave me
here alone." Jeannie looked into Zoe's shiny eyes, tears
still welling up. She could feel her desperation. But why
was she so desperate? Why? "Zo , what's wrong? Is it
Joey? Did Joey get frisky with you?" Zo shook her head.
"Then what?" "Let's not talk about it. And please don't
say anything to Mom and Dad. Not even to Linda or Nikki.
OK?"
"OK, if that's what you want."
They took their sweaty clothes off and went to the
showers. Zo let out a cry, squawking about the cold
water. Jeannie began to lather herself, enjoying the fact
that they had the showers to themselves and didn't have
to share the few stalls available with a bunch of
screaming girls. "Jeannie," Zo said, looming at the
entrance of her stall, "I forgot my soap. Can I borrow
yours?"
"Sure... You're forgetting everything these days, aren't
you? But why don't you come in? We'll share it."
"No..."
"Come on," Jeannie retorted, pulling her sister in.
"Don't be such a prude. Here it is." Handing the soap
over to Zo , she added, "Or shall I do it for you?"
"No, someone may see it and..."
"...and think we're lovers?" Jeannie asked, pulling up a
mischievous smile.
"Jeannie!"
"You said it, or suggested it. Not me. I don't see
anything wrong with it.
Anyway you're my sister. Those things happen between
sisters, right?" All that talk and Jeannie's naked body
so close to her made Zo quiver. Zo was confused, so damn
confused. Suddenly an insatiable desire to kiss Jeannie
came over her. But the fear of getting caught, or of
Jeannie's reaction, made her stop. If Jeannie repulsed
her, she would curl up and die. Never in all her life had
she felt so vulnerable. Jeannie was her identical twin.
They were born out of the same placenta. In biology
class, she had learned that only identical twins had a
common placenta. Non-identical twins had their own liquid
worlds... No one in the whole universe could be closer.
Jeannie was her life, her obsession, and she had always
been. Only at that moment, in that crummy shower she
shared with Jeannie, surrounded by water, she realized
that. It was as though that stall had become the same
placenta that had fed them, kept them alive, before they
were born. Jeannie watched her sister. Zoe's eyes seemed
so distant and then in the next moment they seemed to
develop a strange intentness. The twins finished changing
and left the gym after explaining to the coach they were
heading home early. The coach accepted their apologies,
as long as it didn't become a habit. Fortunately the
coach didn't pushed for more of an explanation.
At this point Jeannie wished she was sixteen, so she
could drive a car. They would have to wait for the bus
instead. The trip was uneventful, and Zo remained
withdrawn. Jeannie decided to hold her hand. She wanted
to assuage her sister's pain, although she didn't
understand what was going on inside Zoe's head.
Zo was surprised when Jeannie squeezed her hand. She
squeezed her sister's hand back. She smiled at her.
That's why she loved her. She was the sweetest girl she
had ever met, sweeter than Nikki or even Linda. Back in
their room, they plunked themselves down on their
respective beds. Fatigue was seeping back into their
bodies, so much so that they were drifting to sleep. When
Zo woke up, she found Jeannie sleeping next to her, her
arm around her waist. She watched Jeannie's serene face,
eyes shut. Jeannie's quiet breathing was tickling her
neck. Then the breathing stopped for a moment and those
shiny blue eyes opened.
"Hi, Sis," Jeannie said, smiling, pulling their hair out
of the way. "Hi," she chuckled, amused by Jeannie's
greeting, as though they hadn't seen each other for a
long time.
"Feeling better?"
"I guess."
"Wanna talk about it?"
Zo shook her head.
"OK, I understand."
"No, you don't."
"What?"
"No, you don't and won't understand."
"What, for chrisakes?"
Zo was still hesitating, but this time Jeannie looked
deep into her sister's eyes and understood everything. Zo
wanted to make love to her... That would explain Zoe's
staring in the shower stall. She had never felt so naked
as when her sister gazed at her breasts. She was
flabbergasted. "Oh Zo , why didn't you tell me?"
"What?"
"That you wanted us to make love..."
"Who says?"
"Your eyes say it. I know you. I know you better than
anyone else." Zo shook her head, denying it. But Jeannie
knew she was right. She kissed Zo lightly on the lips.
"If you want me to stop, say so, but I ain't gonna stop
unless you say so..." She said it, and she delivered it,
kissing her sister deeply, one tongue searching for
another tongue, lips crushing lips, until Zo moaned.
"Oh Jeannie... I love you."
Jeannie smiled. It was Zoe's final surrender... to her,
Jeannie Marie McDougall.
CHAPTER SIX: BLISS
Linda woke up, stretching out, her mouth gaping open in a
long, relaxing yawn. She had slept wonderfully. After
steamy lovemaking with Nikki, they fell asleep as
peacefully as two innocent children without a worry in
the world.
It was the weekend again, thank God. No school, no
chores... and Mom and Dad were away on another trip with
friends. So they hadn't even bothered to lock the bedroom
door. Slipping on her T-shirt to cover her naked body,
she left the room, and went downstairs to the kitchen.
She was thirsty and slightly hungry. There was nothing
better than wild lovemaking for a healthy appetite.
Linda remembered one time when Nikki brought a bowl of
fruit upstairs. Before each kiss she would pick up a
strawberry or a cherry for Linda to savor, but not to eat
immediately. Nikki would then roll the cherry in her
mouth, taunting Linda with an impish smile. She'd lean
over and give her a deep kiss, pressing the cherry
against Linda's teeth and tongue. She'd take the cherry
out of her mouth and slide it up and down and between her
sister's breasts, sweeping it over her sensitive and now-
stiffened nipples... Nikki would then do something
unexpected, like holding her sister tight, kissing her
neck, while her hands were busy caressing her breasts,
rubbing her nipples, making them even harder. Nikki then
resumed her caresses with that damned cherry, touching
her own boobs with it, then her neck, then her stomach,
and thighs. She shifted back to Linda's love-aching body,
beginning in Linda's willing mouth. With this new saliva
Nikki would make a wet trail down her sister's body, on
the way setting off immense body-quakes. To end the whole
sweet torture, Nikki would drop the cherry on Linda's sex
and wet it with her love juices. Only then would she bite
into it. Then Nikki's tongue, while kissing Linda,
pressed the bursting fruit into her mouth.
The taste of a cherry, or other fruit, combined with the
juices of "another-kind-of-cherry" -- as Nikki had put it
-- was exquisite. The effect of it on their lovemaking
was amazing. It made for the wildest sex they so far had
together. With that thought in mind, Linda felt the
moisture building up between her legs. `No,' she said to
herself, `I've got to think about something else or I'll
have to finish myself off right here in the hall.' She
even thought she had heard a moan. She listened
carefully... Yes, it was definitely a moan, and it came
from the twins' room. At first she thought one of the
twins was hurt. She opened the door, which wasn't locked.
She knocked but apparently they hadn't heard her. She
walked past the bathroom door and through the connecting
hall to see what was going on. Before she could see the
beds, she already guessed. Those were moans of pleasure.
Zoe's head was between Jeannie's legs... Linda could only
see Zoe's blond head bobbing up and down, and Jeannie's
hands were guiding Zoe's mouth. Then Jeannie pushed her
sister's head down and further down and against her sex,
while Zoe's hands kneaded Jeannie's breasts, tweaking her
nipples, making Jeannie lift her body and gasp with
pleasure.
"Oh, Zo ..." Jeannie whimpered. "Zo , baby... That...
feeeels... sooo... fucking... gooood..."
Linda was nonplused. It seemed as though Zo was quite
experienced in making love to a woman. Zo , the most
prudish of her sisters, was sucking Jeannie as if she'd
done it all her life.
All of a sudden Linda felt a hand on her shoulder. She
jumped with a start. Because of the abruptness of the
contact, she thought it might be Mom or Dad. But it was
only Nikki, her beautiful sister Nikki, grinning like
crazy, encircling her waist and whispering into her ear,
"Is that what I think?" "Yes," Linda whispered. Linda
pulled her sister closer, tightening her embrace around
her quivering, hot body. She wanted to feel those
breasts, those mighty hard nipples, against her back,
while she played voyeur... She considered leaving the
twins alone but now that Nikki was behind her, watching
as well, spying on her sisters didn't feel that wrong.
She almost moaned out loud when Nikki began caressing her
breasts over her T-shirt, another hand sliding down her
tummy, teasing her. She opened her legs. But Nikki's hand
had other plans...
In the meantime, Jeannie came, thrashing, rolling her
eyes, raising her body and letting it fall with utter
satisfaction radiating from her face. Jeannie pulled her
twin sister up, and they began to kiss as Zoe's hand
remained on Jeannie's labia.
Linda felt so hot. She had never imagined that one day
she would be this horny. She wanted to make love with
Nikki all the time. It was never too much nor too strong.
It was becoming like a drug. She desired Nikki more and
more, and as crazy as it may sound, Nikki seemed to feel
the same way about her... And the twins followed them,
matching them in passion. Jeannie was licking her own
secretions off Zoe's mouth and face, her body still
trembling from time to time, as Zoe's hand went on with
its fingering. When Jeannie reached out for Zoe's sex,
Zoe's eyes closed, her teeth biting her lower lip,
holding in her breath.
"Oohh Jeannie... Jeannie... Jeannie... I love you."
Jeannie's answer was to kiss her sister, gaping mouth
against gaping mouth, caressing hands inducing the
sweetest trembling, igniting their senses and making
secretions flow down beautiful tanned thighs. Every time
Jeannie or Zo touched the other's nipples they both
shuddered as if somehow connected, using a common wiring.
`It's almost magical watching these two beautiful
identical female bodies making love to each other,' Linda
thought. Linda kissed Nikki without turning her body, but
only her head, meeting Nikki's sensual, soft, inviting
lips. Nikki lifted off Linda's T-shirt. Nikki herself
wore only her sexy panties of white lace which they had
recently bought together... It'd been so sexy and
perverted to make out with Nikki in that fitting room,
Linda thought, while the unsuspecting salesclerk kept
asking if everything was to their liking.
Nikki's eager hands were all over Linda's body, causing
the wildest thrills, her wet lips trailing down her
sister's neck... The sensation was so strong that Linda's
legs almost failed her. Nikki's hands returned to Linda's
breasts, massaging them, making her nipples hard again,
and then they glided down her belly, waiting, and then
stroking her blond bush. "Baby," Linda murmured, "you're
driving me crazy."
"You too, Sis. You always do drive me crazy."
"Go on, fuck me... fuck my pussy."
Nikki only smiled. She loved to tease Linda, to make her
crave for her hand, for her touch, until she began to beg
and beg and beg. She loved to see Linda's cum oozing down
her legs, drenching her hand. She then brought her
fingers to her lips and she sucked them one by one,
exciting Linda even more.
Nikki looked at the twins again while her hand touched
Linda's inner thigh, making Linda shudder and moan softly
against her ear. Nikki watched Jeannie suck and lick
Zoe's breasts, bringing Zo closer and closer to orgasm.
Jeannie's middle finger titillated Zoe's clit, sliding up
and down and between her sister's labia. Zoe's pleading
eyes made Jeannie grasp what her twin sister was craving
for. Her mouth began to have a will of its own, kissing
and licking Zoe's ribcage, then her upper belly, brushing
past her belly button, licking it, then her lower belly,
and that wonderful, well trimmed blond bush, so much like
her own... Jeannie waited, teasing her sister, inhaling
that scent, the scent of a girl in need... "Jeannie,
please... Don't- Don't stop."
Jeannie rose, leaving Zoe's dripping sex that wanted her
mouth so badly.
She began to kiss, suck, lick Zoe's toes, one by one.
"Jeannie, please..." Zo pleaded once again, but Jeannie
wouldn't listen to her.
Nikki smiled, because she was using the same tactics with
Linda, teasing and teasing, until her sister implored to
be brought off. "Do me, Nikki," Linda would whisper, "do
me. I can't stand it any more..." Jeannie was licking
Zoe's inner thigh now and this time she didn't tease any
more. Her tongue met Zoe's sex. Finally. Jeannie kissed
it, licked it, lapped up all the flowing juices. And she
wanted more... and more... and MORE. Carefully, her index
finger explored Zoe's rosy nether lips, her tongue
prodding and trying to swallow Zoe's swollen clitoris.
"Yes, that's it," exclaimed Zo . "Put that fucking finger
up my fucking cunt. Yes... That's it... That's it,
baby... Yes... That's it... Oohhhh... Suck my clit now...
Ooohhh... Yes, like that. Ooohhhhhh... Baby...
Jeannie... Uuuuugggghhhh... Yes, go on... go on...
OOOOHHHHH..." Nikki was grinning by now. Zo was really
using all her four-letter words... What would Mom and Dad
think if they heard their most dutiful daughter talking
like that?
Zo came at last, Jeannie's mouth sucking her cunny empty,
her fingers going in and out, aping a small penis,
stimulating Zoe's clitoris prodigiously. Jeannie's mouth
remained there, her lips still sucking because she knew
she would like Zo to do that to her. After that, it was
post-orgasmic bliss...
If Zo had her orgasm, Linda's was still to happen. At
this point Linda took Nikki's hand and planted it on top
of her aching sex. She could NOT wait any longer, or she
would go crazy. She wanted it now. Nikki was such a
devil... Linda thought she could fuck anything now,
ANYTHING, if Nikki didn't make her come. To encourage her
sister, Linda gave Nikki a hot, burning kiss, sucking all
Nikki's saliva, mixing it with her own. "Nikki, please...
PLEASE!!!!"
And as soon as Nikki's hand invaded her vagina, bolts of
unending pleasure flooded throughout her body and set on
fire the imaginative scenes in her mind. Her cum flowed
down her thighs, her legs giving in. Her mind forgetting
where she was, ordered up a long, loud, husky moan, which
came from the deepest corner of her soul.
Hearing that moan, the twins looked up and saw their
older sisters making out in their own room, Nikki's
fingers up Linda's cunt. Too flabbergasted to say a
thing, they saw Linda hug Nikki, apparently relaxing
after a long, exhausting orgasm.
Linda kissed Nikki for a long, long while... Her eyes
closed, as if she was on drugs... Slowly Linda's green
magnetic eyes opened again, and gazed at them. She
smiled, a melting smile... And after that smile Jeannie
knew she still wanted Linda, badly. She would even kill
for her if she asked her to... only to spend an evening
with her beautiful big sis, alone, only the two of them.
Chances were that would never happen... Nikki wouldn't
allow it. Zo wouldn't either. And Linda? Would she want
that? Would she? She didn't know... but one day she would
find out... sooner or later...
CHAPTER SEVEN: DEPRESSION
Zo and Jeannie got off the school bus and began their
ten-minute uphill walk the rest of the way home. It was a
stiflingly hot day. The sun was high and unforgiving,
blazing down on them. Zo heard that the temperature was
likely to reach 100 degrees that afternoon, and it seemed
the S.F. High radio station guys were right. Although
they had braided their hair up, Zoe's and Jeannie's necks
and the small of their backs were covered with sweat.
Joey wanted Zo to go and take a ride on his Harley, but
she immediately turned him down. There was no place on
earth she would rather be but there, on that searing
hillside, next to Jeannie. Her twin egged her on to
accept Joey's suggestion, while Zo kept telling her she
didn't want to. Her excuse was the high temperature in
the Valley, and surely both Joey and Jeannie could
understand that. So Jeannie shrugged and joined her in
the school bus.
"You don't have to do this," Jeannie had said.
"I know."
"I mean, you don't have to do this for me. You're free to
date whoever you want."
"I know," she repeated, unable to hide her annoyance.
"But I don't want to."
"Why?"
Zo chucked her shoulders up, looking through the window
as the bus pulled away. She couldn't continue the
conversation. Brittany McGuire came and sat down behind
them and started an animated jabber of school gossip. She
also explained why her mom was unable to come and pick
her up that afternoon. Brittany's mother had an important
appointment with her agent. Mrs McGuire, a.k.a. Tamara
Davies, was going to audition for a "major" role in a
"major" movie with a "major" studio. So that meeting, to
discuss such a crucial event in the life of a Hollywood
actress, was of great consequence. Zo smiled to herself,
recalling Linda's profound distaste and contempt for
everything related to Hollywood. Big Sis's favorite
movies were mostly foreign, shot in black-and-white, and
featuring actors and actresses with unpronounceable
names. Her first "real" boyfriend, Jack Corbett, had put
her up to it, luring Big Sis into his house -- he was 20
at the time, and five years older than Linda -- to make
out and see some old foreign flicks. "Hey, Lana's here,"
Jeannie said as they trudged onto the driveway. Zo
nodded, taking a glance at Lana Martin's '94 Ford
Mustang, a red convertible her father had given her when
his daughter turned sixteen. Coincidence or not, Lana's
newfound love was Jack Corbett... Whether Linda took
exception to it, Zo didn't know, but every time Jack and
Linda were in the same room there was tension in the air.
If Lana was alone with Nikki, things went better and
Linda joined in the conversation gladly. Zo and Jeannie
greeted Anita as they walked in the back door. Mom was in
the living room, talking to someone on the phone. From
the bottom of the stairs, they heard good-humored
screaming and giggling coming from their older sisters'
room. Without hesitation, the twins scampered inside,
curious about the reason for all that silly tittering,
finding Lana and Nikki lying on Linda's bed.
"Hi, Lana."
"Hi, Jeannie," Lana said, turning over and looking up.
"Hi, Zo."
"Hi."
Jeannie sat down on Linda's bed as Nikki greeted them as
well. Before long Jeannie learned that guys -- what else?
-- were the root cause of the unrest among "the troops".
Jack Corbett and Scott Rowan, a guy Nikki had been dating
on and off, were mentioned as well as Joey Hernandez. A
couple of minutes later, Zo left the room, disgusted at
the inanity of it all. "You should tell your sister to
lighten up. She's always so serious."
"Yeah, sometimes I think she should've been a guy."
Lana gave a chuckle, her eyes staring at Jeannie
questioningly.
"I mean, she doesn't look like a guy... like I don't look
like a guy... but... sometimes she's so bossy and-"
"You mean, she dominates you," Lana reasoned.
"I think what Jeannie is trying to say is that Zoe's
always been the tomboy of the family," Nikki intervened.
"She's always been the best at sports, climbing trees and
catfights. She's even KO'd a guy over Jeannie." "Really?"
Lana exclaimed, her eyes examining Nikki and then
Jeannie. "Why? What did he do?"
Jeannie smiled, then said, "He called me "bitch". Zo got
so mad that she kicked him in his knee really hard, and
the next thing I know he collapses right in front of us.
Everyone thought he was dead... because he didn't
scream... nothing. He passed out, just like that." "Wow!
So I have to be real careful around your sister." "You
bet." Jeannie laughed and stood up. "Gotta take a shower.
All my clothes are sweaty... and smell."
* * *
"Linda, are you listening to me?"
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Belinda Hughes gave Linda a glowering look, blowing her
dark brown bangs away from her forehead. "I don't believe
this... I'm talking to you for a quarter of an hour and
you aren't listening."
"I'm sorry... I was just thinking..."
"What about? Rick?"
Linda looked around The Dome, the snack-bar just across
the street from the main entrance to S.F. High. This was
the place where many of her schoolmates came and ate and
danced to the music of a jukebox with a large assortment
of the latest Billboard hits. Her eyes met Trisha's, the
waitress. Pointing at her empty glass, she asked for a
refill.
"Coming right up, honey," Trisha said, nodding and
tending a nervous client, a man in a gray business suit,
who tried to hide his awkwardness by smiling at Trisha.
After all, there weren't many "grownups" who dared set
foot in The Dome. This futuristically furnished, slick
snack-bar was known by the local population to be S.F.
High kids' turf. Too loud music for too loud kids, they
would say.
"I'm listening," Belinda said, still waiting for an
answer. "I guess so," Linda sighed, facing Belinda, her
favorite classmate and friend. They were close enough to
share secrets about boyfriends, but sexual intimacy was
normally an off-limits topic of conversation. Whenever
sex was mentioned, Belinda tensed up, the muscles of her
neck going taut in a wink of an eye. Sometimes Linda
didn't care about her friend's misgivings, and she went
ahead and started talking about some ever more risqu
episode. Belinda then giggled and said in a high-pitched
whisper, "Oh my God, is that true?"
Suddenly they heard someone knocking on the stained glass
of the outer dome that separated the snack-bar from the
outside world. To her surprise, Linda saw Nikki waving at
her from the other side of the dome. Her sister wanted to
talk to her, or so she understood from Nikki's gestures.
Linda beckoned her to go around the building and join
them at the table. As Nikki did as she was told, Belinda
smiled and asked, "Who's that guy?
Your sisters' new boyfriend?"
Obviously Belinda was referring to Scott Rowan, Nikki's
male companion, a guy Linda hadn't seen in years. A
couple of years before Scott had pursued her for a second
date. Although their first rendezvous went smoothly, she
found out they had nothing in common. He had been a
gentleman -- that was true -- but also dull, tiresome and
thoroughly boring. She just couldn't believe her sister
was seeing such a guy!
Before her sister and Scott could hear her, Linda said,
"I know as much as you do, Be."
Introductions were made and Nikki and Scott sat next to
Linda and Belinda. Linda felt ill at ease with this
arrangement. Belinda and Scott would be able to see at
close range how she dealt with Nikki, her sister,
roommate, and... yes... lover... Usually they were so
intense around each other... and now this... She would
have to pretend they were nothing but sisters... A
strong, overwhelming dislike for Scott came over Linda.
She couldn't even look at him. Linda kept her trembling
hands under the table, to hide this manifestation of her
intense jealousy. She was shocked to see she could be
this possessive. She always hated it when her dates acted
this way around her. No one owned her, she would say to
them, and if they were unable or unwilling to grasp it...
well, they could kiss good-bye any "seconds" with her...
Linda snapped out of her daydream and found out that
Nikki, Belinda and Scott were staring at her.
"What?"
"As you can see, Nikki," Belinda began, "this is how your
sister's been all day. I talk to her, but she's up there,
somewhere, in the clouds..." "I think she's in love,"
Nikki quipped, winking at Belinda. "Yes, I am." Linda got
to her feet and grabbed her backpack and school books.
"Where're you going?" Nikki asked, stunned by her
sister's sudden animosity.
"Away... I need to finish this paper..."
Linda moved away from the table and left The Dome,
heading back to S.F.
High. She crossed the street, her hands and legs shaking
against her will. She was mad, so mad at all of them,
including Nikki. Her sister seemed keen on humiliating
her in public. And she was just sick of it, sick of it
all! "Linda, wait," she heard Nikki call out from across
the street. Linda walked on, ignoring her sister's cries,
but soon Nikki caught up with her. "Linda, stop. I wanna
talk to you."
"OK, talk." Linda came to a halt and waited. Nikki looked
confused, afraid, and furious at the same time.
Nikki swallowed and asked, "I don't understand... What's
the matter with you?
It was a joke, Linda!"
"I was not joking, Nikki."
"What do you mean?"
"You said I was in love... and I just confirmed it."
"Linda..." Nikki looked away from her sister's green
eyes. They seemed so stern and uncaring. "I-- What do you
want me to do? Am I forbidden to crack jokes in front of
you? Is that it?"
"No... I just don't like to be humiliated in front of my
friend and your boyfriend."
"He's not my boyfriend! He's- Oh, forget it. I don't owe
you any explanation. It seems as though you're jealous."
Facing her sister again, Nikki added, "Come on, Linda...
You see Rick every day and I don't say a word about it."
"Maybe you should," Linda replied, turning away from
Nikki.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Nikki had shouted her last question but Linda didn't look
back. Instead, Linda began to talk to a bunch of guys.
Nikki cursed and turned her back on Linda, wondering why
her sister could be such a bitch... sometimes at least.
* * *
Linda felt very depressed. Her heart weighed like a ton,
her hands trembled, her whole body shook from time to
time, involuntarily. She sat beside Rick, squinting at a
screen and moving colors and shadows that had no meaning
to her. The movie theater was dark and people around her
were silent, minds sharp, ready and hungry for the next
scene of an outrageous plot. It was her boyfriend's idea
to catch this movie with so much senseless violence.
`Sex mixed with violence and violence mixed with sex.
It's what sells these days,' she thought. If she ever
married Rick she would never allow her kids to see such
trash. She swallowed... Her throat was slightly sore...
She felt like crying... Every time she heard a gunshot
she would start in her seat and get tenser and tenser,
her ears resonating with that hideous sound. It was
becoming impossible for her to stay quiet and motionless.
She was hating the movie so much. She looked at Rick. He
was too absorbed in the action to notice how badly her
eyes implored him to let them leave and breathe in some
fresh air and watch the stars outside, shining, against
the darkness... Maybe they could see a shooting star and
wish a wish. Rick could be romantic sometimes, like when
he brought her a bunch of roses after a nasty fight about
having unprotected sex. He wanted to have sex without a
condom, but she wouldn't budge. If he wanted that, he
should find another girlfriend, Linda had told him. When
she thought everything was over between them, he showed
up on her front lawn with that impressive bunch of
flowers, and confessed how stupid he had been, that he
wanted her back. And then there was Nikki, her younger
sister. Whether Linda wanted or not, Nikki had become her
lover. She shut her eyes, and shook her head, feeling so
much pain inside... It hurt so MUCH. She didn't exactly
understand where all that pain had come from. Perhaps
"it" had been waiting for the right moment to strike and
reduce "its" victim to a human rag. Sometimes Linda
wished Nikki weren't her sister. If they weren't related,
things would be far easier for both of them. She knew she
was strong enough to face anyone about her preference for
girls -- she was convinced by now that her...
bisexuality?... lesbianism?... was a matter of fact --
but she was sure she couldn't handle the horror-struck
faces of people if the facts about her incestuous
relationship with Nikki came out. There was so much to
lose... She was deeply ashamed by her own behavior, by
her jealousy. It could ruin everything she had with
Nikki... but she was so afraid to lose her...
Everything seemed so fragile and ephemeral at that point,
as if she walked on a roof made of crystal that cracked
every time she took a step forward. Linda called Rick
that afternoon. Because she didn't have any plans of her
own, she accepted Rick's. An early evening at the movies
seemed a good idea, and the perfect excuse to postpone
another confrontation with Nikki. But that stupid movie
ruined everything. Her conciliatory mood was gone. Now
there was only room for resentment... and guilt. She was
letting everybody down... Nikki, Rick, the twins, Mom and
Dad. She had started the whole thing. She, the girl
everybody admired and loved, the future prom queen, had
failed them all. She had betrayed Mom's and Dad's and
everyone's trust by sleeping with Nikki, by "making" her
sister fall in love with her... And the twins, as
impressionable as they were, had followed suit. She
wanted to cry. Keeping tears from flowing was getting
harder and harder. She couldn't stand it any more. She
rose to her feet and bolted out. The usherette looked
bewildered as Linda rushed into the lobby,
hyperventilating and shaking.
"Are you all right, dear?" the middle-aged woman asked,
but Linda couldn't say a word. Her lungs kept pumping air
uncontrollably. "Let's go outside... And Jimmy," the
usherette added, calling a freckled, nervous red-haired
little boy, "get some water for me, will you?"
The usherette's kind, concerned eyes returned to Linda.
`This complete stranger could be my mother,' it occurred
to Linda. For a moment she wanted to believe that. At
least, Nikki wouldn't be her sister... They stepped
outside, the woman still bracing Linda with her plump,
strong arm, and they waited there. Linda looked up at the
sky, and the stars, so far away but so close to her soul.
She started sobbing again. She was ashamed she was unable
to control her feelings any more. Everything seemed to
hurt so much now. Why? WHY? `Please, God, tell me why?
WHY?' That scream was inside her. Her brains felt as
though they were on fire. The water arrived. The
innocent, scared eyes of the red-haired little boy
directed her to the glass he was holding out. Linda
smiled. He was cute. She took the glass, and thanked him
though he was now hiding behind his mother's imposing
frame.
"This's my son," the woman explained, glowing with
mother's pride, her hand messing up his hair in a playful
gesture. "Hey, Jimmy, say hello to this young lady."
Linda smiled again. She was thankful to this complete
stranger for her effort to put an end to her unhappiness.
They chatted for a while about her son, what he had been
up to lately... small talk that made her relax... and
forget everything... and the fact that Rick was still
inside watching the movie.
Rick joined her in the lobby a quarter of an hour later.
His eyes blinked, trying to adapt to the strong, garish
light.
"What's up?" he asked, his hands buried in his pockets.
Linda couldn't believe this guy. Was that all he had to
say? He had seen her leave the theater as if escaping
death itself and, instead of coming after her and asking
what was wrong, he stayed inside for a fucking quarter of
an hour watching the most feeble movie she'd ever seen.
"I wanna go home."
"Why?"
"If you don't know why, then there's nothing for us to
talk about." Rick began to shift his weight from one foot
to the other, a tell-tale sign of his nervousness. His
eyes gazed around and then fell on the usherette.
"Sweetheart, calm down. I-"
"Don't you touch me, you hear?" Linda yelled, driving his
arm away from her shoulders.
"Why?" he hollered back. "What did I do?"
"Let's not talk about it. It's no use."
Linda shuddered. Eventually he agreed the best thing they
could do was to go home and skip the rest of the movie.
He was horn-mad, but so was she. Linda left the car
without the usual good-bye kiss and light petting. She
heard the wheels screeching, and then the brakes, and
then again the same screeching sound. Rick's car had made
the customary U-turn, this time performed ten times
faster, fueled by too much gas and blind rage. Linda went
upstairs. No one was in the living room. Mom and Dad were
not at home, as usual, but she knew Nikki was... She
still had to deal with the quarrel with Nikki. Linda
hadn't seen her sister since the scene of open jealousy
down at The Dome. Linda knew Nikki was dating a couple of
guys, but her sister was quite discreet about them. One
could say that Nikki didn't think them important enough
to bring them home, or even to mention them. Seeing
Nikki's date face to face, being confronted with the
reality of it, was something she was not prepared to deal
with -- not at all. The intensity of her possessiveness
scared her... It was so damned easy to lose her... So
damned easy.
`This is a double-edged sword,' Linda figured. `It's
sweet, but cuts like a knife.'
A bedside lamp was on in their bedroom. Nikki had fallen
asleep with a psychology textbook on her lap. She had
become very curious about everything related to human
behavior -- incest, particularly, which was predictable,
considering everything... There were almost no references
to cases similar to theirs, Nikki had told her. Most of
the entries in the libraries were about father-daughter
incest... and child abuse... and both topics were quite
depressing, if not scary altogether.
Nikki searched databases and indexes and surveys on the
subject (read in a rather surreptitious way) until she
found a few cases of sister-sister incest, some of them
consensual, some of them abusive. Most of the consensual
stuff was underreported, though. Researchers were not
interested in cases where the risk of psychological
damage was low and the information was sparse. Generally,
the people involved were too ashamed to talk freely about
their experiences, especially if there was no reason to.
Linda sat on the edge of Nikki's bed and watched her
youngest sister sleep. Nikki's denim shorts were
unbuttoned, probably to give her hand ready access to her
sex. Nikki must have masturbated while waiting for her to
return. Although Nikki never said a word about it, Linda
knew Nikki was jealous too. Sudden sadness in the big
blue-gray eyes of a sweet sixteen-year-old were the only
visible signs of it. Early on they said they should keep
on dating, and avoid any hint that could give them away.
People, and especially their parents, would find it
strange if they stopped seeing guys altogether. They were
so popular at S.F. High that such a major shift in their
social life wouldn't go unnoticed. Belinda Hughes would
be the first one to talk, Linda was sure of it... She
didn't know who she could trust any more... On the other
hand, "they" would never suspect that she would gladly
give up all her dates for Nikki, or would they?
Suddenly Nikki's eyes opened. "Hey," she said, stretching
herself and letting a wide yawn out, "you're back. So,
how was your date?" "Lousy. I think we broke up... for
good."
"Why? Did you tell him about-"
"No, of course not. I'd never do that. He was a jerk, and
that's all there is to it."
Linda recounted what happened in the movie theater. Nikki
hugged her tight, putting her arms around Linda's waist,
giving her comfort. Feeling this much sweetness from her
unselfish sister, Linda's eyes filled up with tears once
again. Now she began to sob inconsolably.
Nikki held Linda through it. Linda still had feelings for
Rick but none were related to sex. It was the idea of
settling down in a nice neighborhood and having kids that
kept her heart warm for him. Nikki and Linda had talked
about it after a feverish session of lovemaking. The
meaning of their new feelings for each other was another
thing they talked about. Soon they both came to the same
depressing conclusion -- their future together was
doomed... A year from now Linda would be in college and
away from home. Linda would be hundreds of miles away
while her younger sister had to stay behind and finish
school. Big Sis had promised to come home as often as
possible, but Nikki knew her sister would undoubtedly
find new friends and tons of guys (and girls?) more than
willing to share their beds with her. Big Sis's crying
began to subside. Linda wiped off her tears with her
slender hands, another feature Nikki loved in her sister.
And those green eyes glistened, still immensely sad.
"Come," Linda said with a shaky voice. Linda grabbed
Nikki's hand, leading the way. A few years before Nikki
would have protested. She hated it when Linda made her do
things without saying why. Household chores were the
"uncoolest" thing Linda made her do. "There's nothing
better than hard work to strengthen character," Linda
wisecracked. Everybody should do their share and there
was no room for exceptions. But now if Linda said "jump"
Nikki answered "how high?" She was madly in love with
Linda, with her magnetic beauty, her sandy brows, her
long flowing hair full of curls and waves, her
tantalizing eyes, her athletic, trim body, with its
smooth, soft curves... Nikki was enthralled. Big Sis must
be a witch. Linda had cast a spell over her.
Linda guided her to the back yard, settling down on Dad's
lawn chair. She motioned Nikki to sit on her lap. As soon
as Nikki spread herself out on top of Big Sis, Linda
embraced her and a chill ran up and down her spine.
They watched the starry sky. Every time Linda saw a
shooting star, she pointed it out to her younger sister.
Then they kissed, slowly, enjoying warm, wet lips touching
warm, wet lips, tongues trading caresses. Sometimes
Linda cried, apparently for no reason, and that made
Nikki sad. Silence ensued. Neither of them wanted to break
the spell, the beauty of the evening. After a long while,
Linda whispered her apologies for their quarrel at The
Dome. Nikki shushed her immediately, putting her fingers
against her lips, murmuring, "Shhh... Don't speak... I
love you." And then Nikki kissed her... Still, Linda's
heart weighed tons. The pain didn't go away... It still
hurt inside, BADLY.
CHAPTER EIGHT: FUGITIVES
Linda awoke with a start, sitting up in bed. Someone was
screaming in the hall. It was Mom. Nikki woke up too,
still bewildered from sleep. Nikki lay in bed next to
Linda. Last night they hadn't made love, only sweet
cuddling, arms intertwined, feeling the warmth and
softness of each other's bodies. "What the hell's going
on?" Nikki asked, trying to snap out of her groggy state.
"Dunno," Linda said, getting up and slipping on her robe.
"I'm gonna see what's happening in this crazy house.
Nikki, you'd better go to your own bed, just in case."
Linda lolled into the hall, finding Mom and Dad at the
twins' bedroom door. They were still loudly arguing. Her
heart began to speed up. `God, did they catch the twins
red-handed?' she wondered.
"What happened, Mom?"
There was immediate silence. Mom and Dad faced her, their
brows arching up.
Mom's hands were shaking, her eyes bloodshot as if she'd
been crying. "Don't look at me, Fred," her mother
crabbed. "I'm not gonna tell her. You tell her."
"What?!" Linda asked, losing her patience. There was a
major drama happening here and they couldn't say what it
was all about... "Dad, what happened? Is it something
about Zo and Jeannie? Are they hurt?" "No, but your
mother found out... they were doing... they were sleeping
in the same bed and..." He stopped, breathing heavily, as
though his years of pipe smoking were taking their toll.
"And?" Linda asked, swallowing and her legs trembling.
She had a feeling she was going to faint.
"Behaving like two whores," her mother said. "Two little
whores." "What, Mom?" Anger was replacing Linda's fears
at this point. No one called her sisters whores, NO ONE.
Not even her own parents. They didn't have the right to.
"What, Mom? Why are you calling them whores?" "Because
the minute we turn our heads, they behave like two
whores... They were having SEX with EACH OTHER, I saw
them do it with my own eyes... This morning... Oh Fred,
how can they do such a thing to us?" "The minute you turn
your heads? Don't you think you're exaggerating now?"
"What's that supposed to mean, Linda?"
"You don't care about us. You NEVER fucking did. How can
you criticize us? How dare you call your own kids whores?
How dare you?"
"Linda," her father growled, his eyes warning her she was
out of line. "Don't Linda me, Dad. You don't care about
us either. The only thing you care about is politics and
your goddam company. How many times did you go out with
us, spend time with us, like the family we were supposed
to be, huh? How many times did I have to take care of the
twins and Nikki because you didn't have time for them,
huh? So, don't you come here yelling at me or anybody
else for that matter, because you two AIN'T worth it."
"Linda, I'm warning you."
"Please do, Dad, because if your wife is calling Zo and
Jeannie whores, she's calling me a whore too."
"What?"
"Because I, Linda Suzanne McDougall, started everything.
I had SEX with Nikki and Nikki had SEX with me. We're
lovers. So, are you happy now?" "That figures," her
mother said. "That figures, my dear. They always do what
you want."
"Because they respect me. Because I give them love...
something you're incapable of. Go back to your fancy
parties and wear your 10,000-dollar gowns, but leave us
alone."
Having said that, Linda turned her back on her speechless
parents and stomped back to her room. All her sisters
were amazed, their mouths gaping. They couldn't believe
Linda's strength and how she had defended them, facing
Mom's and Dad's fury, and apparently winning.
After that showdown, their parents left the hall, heading
downstairs for the living room. Jeannie heard their
whispering but was unable to understand what Mom and Dad
planned to do with them... This was really hell on earth,
Jeannie decided, as she and her sisters gathered in
Nikki's and Linda's room.
"What's gonna happen to us?" Zo asked, sniffing, as they
sat down on the chairs and on the side of Linda's bed.
"You were right, Linda. I'm sorry about... I wanted to
tell Mom and Dad... At that time I didn't know better. I-"
"Doesn't matter now, Zo . What really matters is what
we're gonna do." "What can we do?" Jeannie said. "We
can't run away."
"Yes, we can. A lot of kids do."
"But Linda," Nikki objected, "that's not reasonable." "If
we don't, they're gonna lock us up and break us apart. I
know them. I know them very well. Don't forget Dad has a
lot to lose... if the newspapers get hold of this. Can
you imagine the headlines? `CEO's incestuous daughters'
or `Orgies at McDougall's'. No, they simply won't risk
it. We've gotta leave today. They ain't gonna do anything
till tomorrow." They discussed the pros and cons of
Linda's suggestion. There was no other way if they wanted
to stay together. They had to leave that goddam house,
and the sooner the better.
* * *
Linda produced the plan. They would all leave home in her
Jeep, as if they were driving to school, giving their
parents no hint of the plan to escape. They would stuff
their bags and backpacks with everything they needed for
a long stay away from home. Under no circumstances must
Mom or Dad see them carrying their stuff to the Jeep.
"Understood?"
"Sure," Jeannie replied, nodding.
The twins went over to their room and the girls began to
dress and pack as quietly as they could, just like any
normal school day. It didn't take long, however, for
Linda to hear the twins quarrel over trivialities such as
what they should bring along or leave behind. She tiptoed
to the twin's room and growled, "We don't have time for
this crap, damn it. Hurry up!" "But Linda, I wanna take
my radio."
"Don't. We have one in the Jeep... Come on, Zo . You're
holding us up."
"Yeah, it's always my fault."
Linda just shrugged as she wheeled out of the twins'
room. She began to doubt whether they really should run
away. What chances did they have, anyway? Dad knew
influential people everywhere, including the mayor and
the police chief. He was an important contributor and
fund-raiser for the mayor's campaign. When it came down
to business and politics, Dad was unbeatable, keeping
ahead of the competition as if winning (at all costs) was
all that mattered. What would Dad's reaction be when he
realized his daughters had run away? It would be a
scandal, a huge embarrassment to him... Dad would make
sure the cops set up a state-wide hunt for them. Much
later than expected, Nikki and Jeannie hauled all their
stuff downstairs and into the Jeep. Linda and Zo remained
in the kitchen, watching and listening to their parents'
movements in case they noticed what was happening right
in front of their noses... Mom and Dad had been on the
lawn for quite a long time but at that moment they were
in the living room, with the door shut.
Inevitable as fate, the door of the living room opened.
Linda and Zo stood petrified, staring at each other, as
if they were about to be caught. They heard more whispers
in the main hall. Slowly the voices came closer to the
kitchen door, becoming louder and seemingly more
confident. Linda and Zo caught a glimpse of their
parents' surprised look as Mom and Dad became aware of
their presence. Mom shuffled upstairs. Dad went into the
kitchen, lighting up his pipe and puffing on it. Zo held
her breath. The tension of her father's being there was
unbearable. "So, I guess that's what you wanted to tell
me, Zo ..."
"She's got nothing to say to you."
Fred kept staring at his favorite daughter as if he
hadn't heard Linda's angry interjection.
"Is that true?... Is that true, Zo ?"
Zo remained mute and immobile, staring at her hands,
nervously plucking at her fingers.
"You're scaring her," Linda protested. "I think you
should leave." Fred looked daggers at his eldest
daughter. Linda was as belligerent as ever, setting Zo
against him. He felt his blood boil... He exerted himself
to control his anger, keeping himself from committing the
same mistake twice. Gathering up all his composure and
using his most nonchalant voice, he said, "Linda, why
don't you leave and let me talk to your sister?... We
need to find a solution... for this..."
"I can't... I mean, we can't... We're already late for
school."
"Linda, I'm asking you a simple favor... Leave now. It
won't take long."
"No," Linda said, shaking her head and folding her arms.
"Linda, you're trying my patience. Leave, this moment,
NOW." Linda stared at her father whose long, strong arm
was pointing at the doorway. Although her father's rage
scared her, Linda stood her ground and once more said no.
He lunged toward Linda, his hand still raised. "Go ahead.
Hit me... if that makes you feel better." Fred and Linda
stood there eyeball to eyeball for what it seemed an
eternity. Fred could see Linda's utter contempt through
his daughter's half-open green eyes and her mouth
twisting her pretty face into an angry grimace. He had
never hit his own daughters... He didn't have to... The
girls had been raised by Marge and the many baby-sitters
his wife had hired and fired at will. Things changed
dramatically when Linda became the rebel she was now
about the age of fourteen. All that trouble about Chad
Manson had been just a symptom of Linda's frustration,
the sense of having no one to hold on to. He recalled the
night Marge and Linda had fought about a new baby-sitter
his wife had just hired for their kids. Linda was
screaming they didn't want another baby-sitter any more.
She was fourteen and old enough to take care of herself
and her sisters... No more strangers in the house, Linda
had hollered. No more! Enough was enough!...
"So, are you going to hit me or not?"
Fred woke up to reality, to his daughter's insolent
expression. Fred lowered his arm and let the air in his
lungs wheeze out deeply. To Linda's amazement, her father
took her in his arms, embracing her.
"I'm sorry, Linda..."
Linda extracted herself from his embrace, embarrassed and
confused by that sudden moment of affection and even
tenderness coming from her unapproachable father. The
thing was that she didn't trust him -- didn't trust him
at all.
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, a Jeep Cherokee left Fred
McDougall's mansion and headed south. Linda stole quick
glances at the rearview mirror, making sure they were not
being followed. Despite all the din and pell-mell
preparations for the getaway, Mom and Dad didn't seem
aware of their plans. But with Dad, she reasoned, no one
knows for sure what he does and doesn't know... At a
crossing further south, Linda made a left turn after
waiting nervously for the traffic lights to turn green.
Nikki and Jeannie heaved a sigh simultaneously, for they
all knew what that turn meant. They were not going to
S.F. High as they usually did, but they were going to...
elope? Linda shook her head, smiling at herself, at the
absurdity of it all. At the next crossing, Linda made a
second turn to the left. They were driving north, to a
place in the mountains that Linda knew about. She had
spent a few summer camps up there, enjoying the pristine
air, the breathtaking views of the mountains and enjoying
being among the trees and the wildlife. She recalled the
camp bonfires, the singing, the sharing of a meal with
people who cared...
The face of Mary Lewis, one of the camp counselors, came
to Linda's mind. She realized now that she had a crush on
Mary Lewis but at the time hadn't realized it. There was
this urge of being with Mary at all times, holding her
hand and listening to her calm, composed (almost shy)
voice explaining the rules of the camp or what she
expected the kids under her supervision to do in case of
an emergency... Mary was not particularly beautiful, but
she cared about them -- Linda had seen that in the brown
eyes and wide mouth of a round-faced woman. Mary Lewis
could sing and play guitar, too. She had taught them so
many songs that Linda was unable to remember how many and
how they went, except for a few. Linda began to whistle
one as she drove. She would teach Nikki and the twins
those old songs... maybe around a bonfire... That would
be great!
From time to time, Linda pulled over at a gas station for
everybody to stretch their legs or go to the bathroom.
There was no reason to rush. They would only be missed at
the end of the day. If they got lucky, Mom and Dad
wouldn't even be at home waiting for them to return from
school... unless Anita had to cook that day. Anita would
immediately notice they were gone... for good.
At one gas station, Linda began to become apprehensive.
Four attractive young blondes jumping out of a Jeep was
definitely not an everyday event for a couple of horny,
equally young males out to get some fun. The guys were
filling up the tank of their Jeep and a huge jerrican
when Linda's Jeep roared in. Although Linda and her
sisters were used to attracting attention, that whistling
and waving could mean trouble to all of them. It could
seriously jeopardize their chances of escaping their
Dad's long and powerful arm.
"Let's get back in the Jeep," Linda commanded, with her
stretched-out arms barring her sisters from going to the
washroom. "But Linda, I need to go," Jeannie protested.
"Later... Let's move... before we get into trouble
because of these creeps."
"They're harmless, Linda," Nikki said. "You know we can
handle them."
"No. Let's get back in the Jeep."
"Why?"
Linda looked at Nikki's grouchy face and at one of the
guys who was walking toward them, showing his smile and
waving his stained, dusty baseball cap. "I'll explain
later... but let's get in the Jeep... Come on!"
With some reluctance, Nikki and the twins obeyed and
returned to the Jeep. Linda started the engine just in
time to dodge the guy and drive away, burning the asphalt
with tire rubber.
"I don't understand, Linda... I don't like it when you
talk like that." "Talk like what?" Linda asked, dividing
her attention between Nikki and the road.
"Sometimes I think Zoe's right. You can't start pushing
us around like that, like we don't have any opinions."
"You've been talking behind my back, huh?"
Nikki didn't answer. She was upset by Linda's arrogance
and her dictatorial ways. She wanted a discussion before
it got out of hand, but Linda's defensiveness was not
helping matters much. Nikki looked out of the window,
avoiding Big Sis's fleeting glances.
"Look, Nikki," Linda said, trying to get her sister's
attention back by holding her hand. Nikki released her
hand from Linda's clasp. She was now looking intently
forward at the road. "Nikki, look at me... Please..."
Nikki didn't react right away. She kept staring at the
road, feeling the wind blowing against her face and
through her long hair, ignoring her sister's almost
pleading tone of voice. But her rancor didn't last
long... As always, Linda knew how to push the right
buttons for her, Nikki, to come crawling back to Big Sis.
As soon as Nikki faced her, Linda went on, "I had to do
what I did... Those guys were trouble... We can't afford
to be noticed by anyone... Within days our pictures'll
show up in every goddam newspaper and on every TV news...
Dad'll see to it. I'm damned sure about it." "Still,
that's no reason to shout at us and sound like... I don't
know... a fascist dictator..."
"Would you listen to me otherwise?"
"Yes, I would."
"No, you wouldn't."
"Fine... Let's have it your way. Like always."
That exchange of words was the last before Linda stopped
the Jeep at another gas station. Linda stayed inside
while Nikki and the twins headed for the restroom. Linda
sighed, leaning against the steering wheel, wiping the
sweat off her forehead.
This runaway thing was getting disastrous, she thought,
scratching her temple, and pulling her hair over her ear.
After brooding about their almost desperate situation --
at least it felt that way -- Linda left the Jeep and
walked to an unpretentious shopping mall beside the gas
station. They needed food and drinks for starters. That
mall seemed the right one to buy those all-important
supplies for a group of starving, thirsty runaway kids
with a bad attitude toward each other, and a metal-blue
Jeep Cherokee as their getaway car. Talk about road
movies, she thought, raising a smile. Linda hurried
across the parking lot, reckoning they shouldn't stay at
the gas station longer than necessary.
* * *
Linda rubbed her eyes, repeating to herself she should
keep on driving. The twins were already sleeping in the
back and Nikki began to nod off in the passenger seat.
But stopping in a motel for the night was out of the
question. Four teenagers unaccompanied by an adult
cropping up at a reception desk in the middle of the
night would undoubtedly arouse suspicions. That was
something they just couldn't afford. They could use their
fake ID's, that's true, but still it would be too risky.
No, she would drive on, no matter what.
A couple of hours dragged by. Linda was still behind the
wheel, kicking herself to remain awake. She didn't want
to turn on the radio, as she knew how tired her sisters
were. The headlights of other cars were the only
distraction on a boring, tedious ride to the mountains.
She almost wished that a patrol car could spot them and
begin to chase them down, like in the movies -- at least
there'd be some action.
After a long while, Linda turned off at the freeway exit
she had been looking for for the past few hours. Their
journey continued along the road that would bring them to
their hideaway, an old log cabin that had belonged to a
lumberjack. The cabin was on the top of a cliff and from
there you could see the summer campground below. As far
as she could remember, the cabin was a pile of logs held
in place by weathered beams and filled with musty old
furniture. All kinds of junk had been left there, making
the place uninviting, and therefore the perfect hideaway.
She was sure there would be all kinds of bugs and insects
in the cabin. But she was ready for it. She was not
afraid of spiders, ants or mice, no... People, yes, those
could be as nasty as raging grizzly bears. Or perhaps
not... That comparison was probably unfair to bears.
The road became narrower and steeper, winding up the side
of the mountain. Pine trees rose up on both sides of the
road as the headlights penetrated through the tunnel of
darkness. There was no moonlight. The sky was heavily
overcast. Soon the trees on the right-hand side gave way
to a sheer drop to the valley below. Linda had to take
special care to watch the right-hand edge of the road.
Sometimes she caught a sight ahead of the precipice
across a bend in the road.
Suddenly there was a bang. The right-hand front of the
Jeep subsided and they started careering off the road.
Linda screamed... She lost control. The Jeep went
straight for the concrete blocks that were supposed to
prevent them falling over the precipice and hurtling into
the valley below. Linda was hurled forward when the tail
of the Jeep skidded on the gravel and the side of the
vehicle came to a violent stop against the concrete
blocks. To Linda's horror, the Jeep ended up flush with
the protective barrier and it seemed there was nothing
between them and a thousand-foot drop over the precipice.
"Are you OK?" Linda asked, calling the twins and Nikki.
"Yes," Nikki said, straightening herself up on her seat,
"but stop shouting."
"What the hell happened?" Jeannie asked, pulling her hair
away from her face and trying to drive away the
sleepiness that made her eyelids so heavy. "Were we shot
at?"
"No, I don't think so," Linda replied, still shaking and
getting off the Jeep. "We got a flat, a burst tire."
Doing her best not to show how scared she was, Linda
started the stalled engine and drove the Jeep slowly, to
the protesting sound of screeching metal, away from the
protective wall and out into the road. Fortunately, they
had brought a flashlight. They saw they had run over a
two by four with a big spike sticking out of it.
"Someone's getting off on making people drive off the
road," said Linda. "You think they put it there on
purpose?" Jeannie asked, aiming her flashlight at the
nail and studying it with care. "Oh sure... Probably a
kid... or a crazy environmentalist trying to prevent
people coming here in Jeeps and spoiling these
mountains." "There might be more, then," Zo said at her
turn to shine the flashlight on the nail.
"Yeah, there might. And it's too dark to take the spare
out."
"So, what're we gonna do?"
"I don't know, Jeannie... This leaves us in a very
awkward situation. We can't stay here, `cause another car
is bound to ride up here... and we'll get help, and a lot
of questions we don't need."
"You mean we're gonna leave the Jeep behind and take our
stuff with us." "I didn't say that. I think we should try
and find a place to camp for the night."
"Why don't we just go on?" Zo asked, scowling at Big Sis.
"Because there might be more of these fucking nails, Zo.
You said so yourself."
"OK," Nikki broke in, "let's not fight. I think Linda's
right. I think it's wiser to wait for the morning. We
should look for a place to sleep." "Where?" Jeannie
asked. "We can't go to a motel, and I don't see any
lodges or houses around here. We're in the middle of
nowhere." "I think Linda means sleeping in the woods,"
Nikki said, a wry smile coming to her face.
"You kidding," Jeannie exclaimed, gaping at Nikki and
then at Linda.
"Right?"
"No, she's not kidding," Nikki replied, almost laughing.
"Linda?"
"I'm afraid Nikki's right, unless you've got a better
idea." There was a pause, Linda facing her youngest
sister with a serious expression on her face. "Do you?"
Jeannie shook her head. There was something that bothered
her but she didn't want to say it out loud. Her sisters
would laugh at her for sure. Despite her doubts, Jeannie
accepted the backpack Zo was holding out and followed
Linda and Nikki, who had already begun plodding up the
road. After a tiring ten-minute walk the long grayish
outcrops on the left side gave way to a small grassy
plateau.
"What do you think about here?" Linda asked, directing
her flashlight toward the flat ground.
"You sure there are no bears down there?" Jeannie said,
exhausted. She didn't care any more whether her sisters
would laugh at her or not. "Bears?" Linda said, as if
she'd been caught off guard. "No, I don't think so... At
least, I hope not... Anyway, I don't recall the camp
counselors ever mentioning bears. Still, to play it safe,
let's keep the food away from us." The girls followed
Linda onto the grass and cleared the stones from their
makeshift sleeping quarters. They gathered extra grass to
make their sleepover as comfortable as possible and
stretched out the sleeping bags. It was cold but the
ground was fairly dry and there was no immediate sign of
rain. Hopefully it wouldn't rain in the night. During
their hasty packing, Nikki had forgotten to put the tent
in the Jeep. Sleep came swiftly but sporadically to the
three youngest sisters. Their bodies were tired and their
minds drained... Only Linda's mind refused to call it a
day. She was wondering if she too had forgotten something
important. The night seemed to get much colder as the
humidity got into their bones.
Linda moved closer to Nikki but a damned stone between
them hurt her back. She returned to her earlier spot,
fighting for sleep with nightmares of mountain ghosts: a
patrol car appeared, men shouting, lights flashing, dogs
barking fiercely, Dad, bears... Sleep, she should
sleep... Please...
* * *
Linda woke up to birds chanting their territorial songs.
She had another nightmare about Dad and cops coming after
them... She coughed and yawned, noticing that her
sleeping bag was covered with dew, and that Jeannie's was
empty. Linda looked around but couldn't see her youngest
sister. The morning sun bathed the valley with a soft
autumnal light. Pulling herself out of her sleeping bag
and tugging her sneakers on, Linda looked around for
Jeannie. She wanted to call out for her sister but Nikki
and Zo were still asleep. She walked down to the road to
check on the Jeep. On seeing the Jeep she also saw
Jeannie, sitting on the concrete-block wall, her feet
dangling over the precipice and the valley below.
Linda walked up to Jeannie, dragging her feet on the
gravel, making sure Jeannie heard her coming closer so as
not to scare her. Jeannie glanced back for a moment but
said nothing. The precipice was far more interesting than
human company.
"May I sit down?"
"Sure." Jeannie shrugged. "It's a free country."
"So they say."
Jeannie smiled for a while but kept looking down.
"Couldn't sleep?"
Jeannie shrugged again.
"Were you afraid last night?"
"Dunno... but I don't wanna talk about it."
The two girls sat in silence for a long while, watching
the sun rise, the sky turn bluer, the wind blow across
the trees, and the scattered clouds that stubbornly
refused to dissipate into oblivion. Linda sniffed,
mulling over the sadness in Jeannie's voice, the things
she didn't say, the way she kept staring down at the
valley and the baby pine trees that struggled for
existence on the steep cliff.
All of a sudden, Jeannie turned to Linda and asked, "Did
you ever think about killing yourself?"
Linda knitted her brows, making a tremendous effort to
hide her shock.
"No, why?"
"This morning I woke up and I wanted to see how bad it
would've been if we'd crashed down... and I began to
wonder how it'd be like to be dead. You think they'd miss
us?"
"Mom and Dad?"
"Everybody. Our friends... Mom... Dad."
"I guess," Linda said, looking straight ahead, grasping
Jeannie's mood.
"Doesn't sound too convincing..."
Linda's eyes returned to her sister, who kept staring at
her, still looking for answers.
"I don't know, Jeannie. I'm not them... I know as much as
you do. All I know is that I'd miss you like hell if you
were dead." "You would?"
"Yes, I would."
"Really?"
"Yes... but don't you dare put me to the test. I wouldn't
forgive you." Jeannie giggled as Linda got to her feet
and held out her hand. Jeannie stood up as well, helped
by Linda's strong arm. Jeannie wanted to hold Linda tight
and kiss her but Big Sis was already a few feet away,
crossing the road and calling the other sisters to get
up. They should be moving along before some busybody
found them and started asking questions. After breaking
camp, the girls returned to the Jeep. They were hungry
and thirsty and their muscles hurt. But knowing that no
one had rummaged in the Jeep or stolen it was enough to
raise their spirits. At least it wasn't a big deal to
change the wheel in daylight. Soon they were back in the
Jeep and smiling as they drove on, up the mountain road.
A half hour later Linda turned off onto a dirt road,
congratulating herself on having convinced Dad that a
four-wheel drive was a far better deal than any GM
convertible he wanted to give her. After a few minutes of
jolting and wiggling, she brought the Jeep to a stop.
"This is it, guys," she announced, springing off the Jeep
and opening her arms as if she had become a circus emcee.
"This is our cabin, our home." Linda forced the cabin
door open and before she could hold her breath a strong
smell of musty furniture hit her. The old cabin was in
better shape than she remembered. The roof didn't appear
to leak and the floor planks were for the most part
intact. On the other hand, the old furniture would have
to be scrubbed to make the place habitable. The girls
rummaged around the cabin, turning over broken chairs and
avoiding spiderwebs. They were discussing the best way to
get rid of the junk that cluttered the cabin, when Zo
yelled. Her sisters rushed to see what she had found.
Behind an old rickety cupboard stood a stone fireplace.
Linda concluded it should surely keep them from freezing
during winter. With contented hollering and giggling,
they continued their selection of what should be kept,
thrown away or broken up and used as firewood. In another
cupboard, Nikki found some cutlery, though too rusty to
use without a lot of cleaning.
After a few hours' work, Jeannie looked around and then
at her sisters. They looked tired but she was proud of
them. Most of the mess had been dealt with, and there
were enough logs next to the fireplace to start a fire.
Jeannie groped in her backpack and before long she
produced a bottle of wine. It was Dad's. "He ain't gonna
miss it," she said, a wide grin appearing across her
face. "I think we should celebrate..." Her sisters
laughed, settling down beside her and realizing how
hungry and thirsty they were. They ate a few sandwiches
made with provisions bought in the shopping mall. Nikki
stared at the supplies they had brought -- mostly canned
food -- which were piled up on the old oak table, one of
the few pieces of furniture they decided to keep.
"How are we going to find more food, Linda. This isn't
going to last for long."
"I have money. I stole it from Dad's wallet. I know it
was wrong... but I had no other choice. And I'll teach
you a few tricks to save food. During summer camp we had
a few classes about survival in the wild. It's gonna be
fun."
Nikki hugged Linda, kissing her on the lips for the first
time since they ran away. Linda was taken aback and
smiled, laughing a bit, blushing at the same time and
noticing that the twins were watching them observantly.
Linda felt embarrassed but the wine helped her relax.
They prepared themselves for the evening. It was cold
inside the log cabin, but they could light a fire in the
fireplace and their sleeping bags should keep them warm
enough at this time of year. Linda slept between Nikki
and Jeannie. With Nikki claiming her right to hug Linda,
Jeannie turned her back to them when that happened.
Jeannie wanted to sleep... and forget...
* * *
The next morning the four girls went down to wash in the
small river at the bottom of the creek. The day was dry
and warm. They could see over the trees all around them
to the snow-capped mountains on the horizon. They had
also saw some deer and rabbits, but so far no bears.
"This is beautiful, Linda," Nikki exclaimed. "I'm in love
with this place." As they washed their faces in the cold
running water, Jeannie hesitated visibly.
"What happened, Jeannie?" Linda asked. "You don't trust
the water?" "It's not that. I feel so dirty... without a
shower. I'm probably gonna take a bath. The problem is...
the water's so cold." "OK, I'll help you. We're both
going to. I feel dirty too." Without waiting for
Jeannie's answer, Linda took off all her clothes and
dived into the creek, showing off her swimming skills.
"Come on, you guys... The water's perfect."
Jeannie stared at Linda. She wanted so much to hold her
big sister tight, to smother her with kisses, lick her
breasts, excite her, make her moan the way Nikki did.
Jeannie's heart melted when Linda beamed at her as she
came out of the water, her nipples hard, her hair damp,
falling limp on her shoulders. Linda was a river nymph
coming to get her... "Come on, Jeannie. Get your clothes
off. Or do you want to take your bath with them on?"
Jeannie didn't react. She couldn't. Linda was in front of
her, totally naked, water streaming down her body. Linda's
overwhelming beauty was there for all to see. Linda tugged
Jeannie's sweater up, and started to unbutton her sister's
blouse. Jeannie didn't offer any resistance.
She would do anything Linda asked her to. Linda removed
all Jeannie's clothes, one by one, until Jeannie was naked
too, trembling. Linda's breasts brushed against Jeannie's,
causing Jeannie's body to quake inside. Jeannie's nipples
became hard and she felt her sex respond. It was getting
wet and warmer...
If she'd been alone, she would have masturbated. "Come
on," said Linda, pulling her by the arm, and Jeannie
followed her, willingly.
Jeannie forgot about the water being cold, about
everything around her, even the fact they were being
watched by Zo and Nikki. Having Linda so close to her,
playing with her, brushing her naked body against hers...
made her forget everything. Linda... was all that Jeannie
saw... and felt... and heard.
* * *
It was evening again. The four sisters huddled by the
fireside, watching the flames lapping logs gathered that
afternoon. Nikki and Zo , however, had stomach cramps.
They had eaten too many berries, the ones Linda said were
safe to eat.
"You think the cops are already looking for us?" Jeannie
asked, rubbing her cold feet. She slid closer to the
fireplace and toward Big Sis. "I guess," Linda replied,
using an old tong to keep the fire going strongly.
Nikki began to brush her long hair. She too had taken a
bath in the creek in the afternoon. She felt better
afterwards. She hated the feeling of sweat on her skin,
and the smell of it. She bent over, letting her hair
cascade down to form a perfect curtain in front of her
eyes. She used to brush her hair for hours. It was one of
the things that made her look like Big Sis. Nikki was
vaguely proud she was able to give her sister the same
softness, the same silkiness, something she truly
relished. `If only I had curls like her...' she mused.
"Care to let me brush your hair?" Nikki offered.
"Please do," Linda replied, smiling.
She shut her eyes and let Nikki work on her hair. Little
by little she felt her body come alive. It was a strange
crescendo of feelings and sensations, which were taking
over her being. Linda pressed her thighs together. Nikki
was exciting her again. The bath in the creek had been so
sensual, despite the cold. She enjoyed seeing that
Jeannie could relax a little. She wanted to prevent any
despair among her sisters. They were going to make it.
She was sure of it.
Nikki kept brushing Linda's hair, slowly. It seemed to
Linda that Nikki was trying to get her in the mood for
making out. If that was the case, Nikki was really
succeeding. Linda could feel the moisture gathering up in
her sex. She pressed her thighs against each other once
again, keeping her pleasure from streaming out. She was
getting weak. If Nikki continued, they would end up
making love, twins or no twins around. Then Nikki brushed
Linda's hair aside and kissed her neck, a long sensual
kiss. Linda shuddered all over, her heart racing, her
breathing coming now unevenly. "Ooh Nikki..." Linda said
softly, trying to hug her younger sister's neck. Hearing
Linda's moaning Nikki couldn't control herself any more.
Three days without making love with Linda was too long.
Nikki kissed Linda on the nape of her neck. Linda shook
again, feeling the most delicious thrill, until she could
stand it no more.
Linda pulled Nikki toward her and down to the floor. She
began to kiss and kiss and kiss, small kisses around
Nikki's soft, sweet lips. She forgot about the twins.
Nikki's passion was too overwhelming. Linda could barely
breathe. All she cared for was to kiss Nikki, feel her
younger sister's tongue with her own, to excite her, to
make her moan and moan and MOAN. "Oooh, Sis..." Nikki
finally said, between kisses. "Sis... Sis, I love you."
Nikki's mouth began to go down Linda's neck, her hands
grabbing Linda's breasts over her blouse, while Big Sis
fumbled for her sister's belt, trying to unbuckle it. It
didn't want to come apart. Instead, her hand caressed
Nikki between her legs, against the roughness of her
jeans. "Ooohhh..." Nikki let out, opening her legs, and
rubbing herself against Linda's hand.
Despite her sister wearing panties and jeans, Linda was
able to feel some wetness. `Nikki's pussy must be soaking
wet,' she thought. It was amazing she was still able to
excite Nikki that much. It was in contrast to the hatred
they felt from their parents. `But let's forget about
it,' she said to herself. `No parents... No nothing...
Only Nikki is important now.' They kissed again, wildly,
arms encircling each other's bodies. They rolled on the
floor and this time Linda wound up on top of her sister's
stomach. Linda slipped her blouse off, throwing it away
to a corner of the cabin. She smiled at her twin sisters,
who didn't miss anything of their lovemaking. "Sorry,
kids..." Linda said, still exuding her contagious smile.
"There isn't much privacy in this cabin, I know. So
you've got to put up with this... Maybe we can teach you
a trick or two..." At this point Linda was grinning,
turning red from her own boldness. She let her bra drop
to the floor, her perky breasts bouncing free.
Immediately Nikki's hands cupped them, and kneaded
them... Linda's eyes closed until she moaned. Opening
again those dreamy light green eyes, Linda looked again
at the twins. She preferred not to make them
uncomfortable.
"Anyway," she said, "you wanted to spy on us... Now, it's
your dream come true, right?"
The twins nodded. They couldn't do otherwise. They saw
Linda return her attention to Nikki, sucking Nikki's
saliva. Simultaneously, Nikki kept playing with her
sister's boobs, up and down, and down and up, her fingers
teasing Linda's nipples, making them incredibly hard.
"Oooh baby, baby," Linda said, her eyes clouding over.
Nikki was really addictive to her. Better than coke, LSD,
and heroine together, she surmised. She hadn't tried any
of them but she was sure that was true... Being far away
from their parents lessened Linda's guilt. Her heart
didn't hurt that much any more. There must be a reason
for all this... All this sweetness, like honey, on her
lips, on Nikki's lips.
Linda took off Nikki's CK blouse and she finally
succeeded in undoing her CK blue jeans. She wanted to
feel her sister's nakedness, her perfect trim body. She
wanted that closeness, to feel her body's warmth. She
wanted to feel those breasts, those peaches, with perfect
nipples, so sensitive to the touch, so sensitive to her
caresses... She eased off Nikki's panties, full of
Nikki's aroma, soaked with her love potion.
Linda kissed Nikki's body, made her shake with
anticipation. Nikki's head rolled from one side to the
other, moaning softly, eyelids closed, abandoning herself
to Linda. Nikki felt her sister's mouth in her belly,
kissing her navel, tweaking her nipples, stimulating her
with a finger very close to her sex but not quite there.
It was her own medicine being used against her. Teasing,
teasing, and teasing -- that was the name of this game.
Nikki pushed her sister's head down, fondling her hair,
her beautiful hair, which stroked her body, so sensual,
so precious... so silky to the touch. "Ooohhh Linda...
Sis... SIS... SIS... SIS... I love you... I love you...
Go on, please... Sis... SIS... Please... Kiss me there,
don't tease me. I can't take it... I can't... I really
can't..."
Then there was a thrill, when Linda began to kiss Nikki's
inner thighs, her hand patting Nikki's feet, rubbing
them, stimulating them, pinching her sister's toes, one
by one, slowly, until Nikki asked for more and more.
Nikki almost died when Linda began to lick around her
pulsating sex, Linda's hand stroking her mound. Then the
Time of Oblivion came, like a gigantic wave, when Linda
kissed her clitoris, resuming the licking, her lissome,
knowing fingers finding their way in... Teasing, and
teasing... And then stroking, her mouth licking, her
tongue inside her... "OOOHHH LINDA... LINDA..." Nikki
bawled, her body jerking up. Her juices were flowing and
flowing into Linda's mouth, which kept sucking her as if
there would never be another drop left. And then again,
the maddening tongue, making her squirm and squirm, like
a sweet torture, without end... It was heaven on earth...
Then she came, encircling her legs around Linda's head,
increasing the pressure inside her sex, her soul, her
love for Linda. She loved her... She couldn't love anyone
else... Nothing else mattered... But Linda was not done
with her. Linda kept licking her until she came again and
again and again and again... Nikki had to pull Linda up
or she would die.
CHAPTER NINE: VIOLENCE
Two weeks had elapsed since the girls left L.A. and they
had no idea what Fred was doing about looking for them.
They discussed what their father might have done when he
found out they were gone, but each of them suggested
something different.
Linda's own view was downright pessimistic but she kept
it to herself, knowing better than discourage her younger
sisters. Nikki and Zo had a more positive idea of what
might be happening in L.A. They even laughed about a
possible change of heart -- Mom and Dad pleading on
national TV for them to come back home, saying everything
was forgiven and forgotten. `Fat chance,' Linda thought,
driving down the dirt road. After some grueling doubts
and confabs, they decided that one of them had to go and
buy some fresh food, especially fruit and vegetables.
They tried to live on what they could find in the
mountains but their survival skills had been, after all,
overestimated. That was worrying... That meant they
wouldn't last long up there and that sooner or later they
would have to leave the cabin and find a better hiding
place... and money.
Linda finally reached the main road and made a right turn
to go downhill. She knew there was a small town thirty
miles away where she could buy groceries and let someone
repair the spare wheel. She knew the risks, but driving
without a spare in the mountains was not too a good idea.
To minimize the chances of being recognized, she wore
shades, tucking her long hair under her baseball cap. She
took a deep breath and hit the gas pedal. The small town
was Libertyville -- population 2,530 according to the
sign -- had several stores for tourists, selling T-shirts
and Indian handicrafts, which Linda noticed with some
relief. She would be just another dumb tourist, looking
for food, and with a spare wheel to be fixed. Linda
parked the Jeep in front of a grocery store, its windows
plastered with posters screaming the current bargains.
She waited for a moment before stepping out of the Jeep,
sizing up the passersby as potential sources of danger.
She caught a few stares but most of the people minded
their own business. This reassurance allowed her to leave
the Jeep and enter the store.
As Linda had guessed, she was not the only tourist in
town. The store owner and a couple in their fifties were
bent over an unfolded road map and chatting about the
best road to take and how to make the best of the
couple's two-week vacation. Cackling out loud and casting
an affectionate look at her husband, the woman referred
to their trip as a kind of second honeymoon.
Linda turned away and looked around the store for fruit
and vegetables. Once done with her shopping, Linda waited
nervously at the back of the store for the couple to
leave. The cackling woman, though, was too talkative,
recounting her wonderful stay in San Francisco and
Monterey just a couple of weeks before.
`Come on,' Linda urged silently, staring at the woman
through her shades. She waited for a while longer but the
woman and the owner kept joking and laughing at each
other's stories. Losing her patience, Linda came closer
and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt you but I'm kind of in
a hurry. Where can I pay for this?"
The couple and the owner looked at her with surprise.
Then the woman smiled and said, "Why, the youth of these
days's always in a hurry!" "I know that," the store owner
confirmed, scratching his puffy right cheek, "I have two
kids of my own. Never stay two minutes in the same place,
those two."
Linda ignored their remarks, licking her dry lips, almost
sighing with frustration. She paid for the groceries and
left, shaking and cursing the woman and the man with the
puffy cheeks.
"Geez," she huffed as she started the engine and drove
away. It didn't take long before she spotted the gas
station. She was grateful that this time she was the only
customer and that a grinning, attractive young man --
instead of a lecturing old geezer -- closed in. "How can
I help you, Miss-?"
"Just fill 'er up, please," she replied, paying no
attention to his curiosity. She was going to mention the
spare when a sudden urge to go the bathroom came over
her. She asked directions, which were promptly given, and
left the Jeep. Before she reached the restroom, a poster
on one of the windows caught her attention.
"Shit!" Linda caught her breath and looked back, just
making sure that no one was staring at her. She examined
the poster again. With huge printed letters, the poster
trumpeted "MISSING, PROBABLY KIDNAPPED: Linda McDougall,
Nicole McDougall, Zo McDougall and Jeannie McDougall",
followed by their descriptions, photos and the promise of
a 50,000-dollar reward for any information leading to
their rescue. `Shit,' she repeated, hurrying into the
restroom, her legs shaking from fear.
She swallowed, her heart beating like crazy, wondering
what to do and if that guy had recognized her. The cops
would be there in no time if he had. Her fears seemed
justified when she peeked at the Jeep around corner of
the building where she stood. The guy was nowhere to be
seen. She strained her ears but heard nothing either.
`Dammit... Now what?'
Taking off without paying could be one solution, she
thought. She took a deep breath and sped across to the
Jeep. She looked for the keys but couldn't find them. Of
course, the guy had them! She glanced at the empty road,
breathing anxiously. With desperation she hit the horn
but no one appeared. She beeped a second time and in a
moment the guy showed up at the entrance of the garage,
wiping his hands with a white handkerchief. He grinned
and apologized. A friend of his had called. They were
going to shoot some pool that evening after work.
Preempting any "wanna come?" Linda asked how much she
owed and paid him. Then she found she had the keys in her
purse after all. Deciding not to do anything with the
blown-out spare, Linda didn't look back as she raced her
Jeep up the road.
`Kidnapped?' she said to herself, shaking her head.
`Kidnapped?!... How can he say we were kidnapped? That
doesn't make any sense at all!'
* * *
A couple of weeks later, Linda began to sense her
sisters' boredom. Zo was more volatile than usual,
Jeannie seemed down in the dumps... and Nikki wanted to
make love all the time. It suited her fine to neck and
pet with Nikki that often but the twins were making her
anxious. Maybe all that sexual activity between Nikki and
herself was having a negative effect on the younger
sisters. Zo and Jeannie had gotten into a catfight the
afternoon before. Zo had been vicious, drawing blood from
Jeannie's breasts and arms. She had to hit Zo and knock
her down in order to break the two apart.
Linda asked Zo and Jeannie why they were fighting but the
twins wouldn't tell her. She had witnessed a lot of
brawls between those two, but their last catfight had
been the most violent by far. Linda recalled the horror
she felt when she saw the wounds on Jeannie's breasts. It
had made her feel strange. It made her want to hit Zo
again, and that scared her. She never believed in being
physical. Her quick wit and imposing presence were
normally sufficient to avoid the worst. But those two...
God... "Let's go for a hike," Linda suggested. "I'll show
you where I've been. We'll take water and some food. If
we're lucky, maybe we'll find some mushrooms...Then I'll
fix a nice soup when we get back. OK?" "I think it's a
good idea, Linda," Nikki agreed. "Anything to get the
hell out of here."
Linda repressed her tears. She could feel Nikki's
bottled-up frustration. Last night Nikki wanted to make
love but she had warded off her sister's advances. Linda
couldn't, knowing the twins were just a few feet away,
and now potentially fractious.
They all climbed up the trail to the left. It was the
trail with the most spectacular, breathtaking views. The
mountain tops, so far away, blended with the blue of the
sky and the wispy white of the scattered clouds. In spite
of the beauty, Linda couldn't let her go of her anxiety.
The twins didn't utter a word, keeping a visible distance
between each other. Jeannie, the most fragile of her
sisters, had her worried. Jeannie's eyes seemed oblivious
to everything. They stared blankly at the horizon and
glistened sometimes as if she were on the verge of tears.
Linda hoped the hike would make Jeannie feel better.
A couple of hours later they stopped and sat down on some
boulders. Silently Nikki handed out the food to the twins
and Linda. Nikki watched them while they munched. Since
they ran away she had never mentioned her doubts about
the sanity of their "eloping". Enough unpleasantness and
friction was already developing among them. She was
convinced their situation was becoming unbearable. She
loved Linda very dearly but sometimes Big Sis could be so
distant... Nikki's heart almost missed a beat whenever
the possibility that Linda didn't love her any more
crossed her mind. She would kill herself first... No, she
wouldn't. She was no coward... But it would hurt like
hell.
Nikki stared at the twins. She felt sorry for them.
Instead of finding love in each other's arms, it appeared
they had found nothing but hate and distrust. And that
was surprising... After all the four of them had run away
because Mom had caught the twins in the act.
Nikki's gaze wandered to her beloved, older sister.
Linda, so beautiful but so sad... The violent behavior of
the twins was ruining their relationship. `Maybe that's
why people avoid incest,' she thought. `It can be a very
beautiful thing, but if it goes wrong... it can really be
a living hell. You can ditch a lover, but a family
member... is for life. No matter what.' Suddenly a pebble
came rolling down the mountain side. They looked up. A
man toting a shotgun was coming their way.
"Quick," Linda said, jumping to her feet, " let's go."
They all ran to the trees, praying the man hadn't seen
them. Maybe he was looking for them. In no time they
would have the cops all over the place. "Linda," Nikki
uttered, "he saw us. He's coming this way." "Dammit,"
Linda cursed. "Dammit! Let's run. You, Nikki, go first.
I'll stay behind and cover the twins. Come on, Zo ...
MOVE IT!" A rush of incredible fear shot through Linda.
"Come on... COME ON!"
As fast as they could the four sisters tore down the
mountainside, but running off the trail was not easy.
Sometimes one of them slid in the dirt and fell. Then
they'd all have to stop and wait. That was costing too
many precious seconds. The man was chasing them and
gaining ground. Out of nowhere the terrifying sound of a
gunshot rang out, followed by an excruciating scream...
Linda couldn't believe her eyes. Jeannie had been shot...
She toppled over and slid down several feet until she
stopped, blood all over her.
"JEANNIE!" Linda screamed. "JEANNIE... Oh, God..." Tears
streamed down her face, her throat hurting... A tight
knot prevented her from screaming again. In a moment she
was next to her sister. Jeannie was lying on the dirt,
crying convulsively and screaming from pain.
"Linda... Linda, help me... Please..."
"Stay quiet, baby. Don't move... I'm gonna help you, even
if it's the last thing I do."
To Linda's despair, Zo and Nikki joined them. They should
have kept running. They should have tried to find help.
Linda was about to say it out loud when the man was upon
them.
"So, you thought you're gonna escape, huh?" he said,
showing his yellow teeth. Linda flinched...This mountain
redneck in his checkered red flannel shirt was obviously
drunk. He reeked of cheap booze. His eyes shone with
wicked pleasure while his free hand scratched his nose.
"But no one, I mean... No one escapes from-" "Are you
fucking nuts?" Linda shouted, rising to her feet. "Why
did you shoot, goddam it? You hurt my sister, you fucking
asshole." "You calling me asshole, bitch?" he said, his
smirk growing wider, his hands aiming the shotgun at her.
Seconds ticked by, the redneck still threatening Linda.
"Maybe you should suck my dick, bitch." "When hell
freezes over," Linda spat.
"Oh yeah? I'll kill your sister if you don't." The
redneck pointed the barrel of his gun toward Jeannie.
Jeannie was losing blood, Linda realized. Jeannie would
die if she didn't find a way to thwart this lunatic.
"OK, I'll do it," she said, swallowing.
"Aw right," he exclaimed.
The moment he lowered his gun and began to unbutton his
baggy, smudged pants, Linda kicked him in the balls,
hard.. "You fucking bitch," he hollered at the top of his
voice. He tumbled to the ground, his hands holding his
privates.. "You FUCKING bitch..."
Linda took hold of the gun right away, aiming it at her
raging opponent. But she didn't know what to do. She only
knew she hated guns. Suddenly, the redneck grabbed the
barrel, trying to snatch back the gun. Then, the shot
happened... The redneck fell down, clutching his belly
and yelling blue murder, as blood spurted all over his
shirt, his clothes and the ground. Then the yells quieted
down and became just sullen, agonized groans, as he
writhed in the dirt. Soon even these sounds and writhing
slackened, and the redneck just lay there like a dead
animal...
"Oh God," Linda cried, stepping back, her hands covering
her face. "I killed him."
Something caught her feet. She stumbled and fell. And
then nothing... Only darkness... and voices, far away
voices that called her name... Linda... LINDA!!! Then
nothing again...
CHAPTER TEN: LOVE AND HATE
Nikki had to leave the waiting room. She couldn't breathe
in there. She wanted to forget everything.
Her life before Linda was a blur now. So much had
happened, so much had changed inside her. And she was
losing her... She was losing Linda and she couldn't bear
the thought of it.
Nikki stepped outside to the parking lot. She put her
arms around herself, a self-embrace full of despair.
`Linda... Linda... please, don't leave me... PLEASE.'
Nikki closed her eyes, trying to put out of her mind the
image of her fretful parents waiting in that sickening
hospital. In a corner, Zo was crying silently, a kind
nurse holding the tearful teenager in her arms. Linda,
her back to her parents, stared at the wall, ignoring
everybody, blaming herself.
"It's my fault, Nikki," Linda said and repeated it over
and over again. "Linda, that's not true. You didn't pull
the trigger... That son of a bitch did."
"I killed him."
"To protect us. To protect Jeannie. It was self-defense.
He would've killed us... you know that. Linda..." Nikki
had tried to hold her but Big Sis promptly removed her
sister's hands from her waist. "Linda, why are you like
that? I'm trying to help you."
"Don't!" was the answer. Then Big Sis walked away from
her, going to the opposite side of the waiting room.
Outside, in the parking lot, Nikki stared at another
incoming ambulance, its flashing lights rotating, the
screaming siren dying down. Swiftly the paramedics leaped
out of the ambulance and scrambled into the building
another out-of-luck victim of a car crash or a
mountainside shooting. Jeannie had been hauled in the
same way, with people shouting, and Mom and Dad trying to
keep up with that chaotic convoy of people. The only
difference was the oppressive presence of the press. Dad
had convinced everybody the redneck was a kidnapper, or
rather, "the" kidnapper. His daughters hadn't run away.
No. They had been kidnapped by a lustful beast... Linda
had killed him in self-defense, Dad told the journalists
and photographers. There would be an investigation, Dad
said, but he assured Linda that no charges would be
filed.
So typical of Dad...
* * *
Linda's eyes meandered around the empty seats of the
waiting room. She agonized over the fact that Jeannie was
in coma, between life and death. The doctors kept
reiterating their reserved statements about her sister's
chances of surviving a massive blood loss. Linda wanted
to be with her sister but they wouldn't let her. Hospital
procedures... God! The presence of Mom and Dad was giving
her the jitters. Mom wouldn't look at her; but Dad would.
He tried to bridge the gap, but she didn't trust him. He
was using their misfortune for his political gain,
talking about his deep shock and horror to the press,
making a plea for tougher measures against crime in
general and kidnappers of children in particular. There
were rumors he was going to make a bid for the Congress.
All that media circus would surely give him publicity. It
was disgusting!
Linda reached for her head. On and off she felt a
headache. Her fingers probed for the swelling on her
head. The doctors said it was only a minor contusion. Her
head had hit a stone when she fell and blacked out. Nikki
had saved Jeannie's life, Linda recalled. After making
sure her eldest sister was all right, Nikki had scudded
down the trail until she found the road and the Jeep. One
hour later she was back with help. Linda loved and
admired her for it.
Linda searched the waiting room for Nikki but her sister
was gone. She wanted to find where Nikki was, to check if
her sister was all right. All those events were making a
nervous wreck out of Linda. She didn't let anyone touch
her, not even Nikki. Linda could see the effect of her
refusal on her younger sister but Linda's guilt became
unbearable every time Nikki, sweet Nikki, came for a hug.
Linda snapped out of her daydreaming when a doctor came
into the waiting room. He shook hands with Dad and Mom.
"I think you'd better come in, Mrs McDougall. Your
daughter's fever is increasing. She's out of coma at this
point but she's constantly calling your name. I think
your presence may help her." "My baby is calling my
name?"
"Yes ma'am... You're Linda, aren't you?"
"No..." she said, sheer confusion in her eyes, turning to
her astonished daughter. "Linda is-" "It's me," Linda
broke in, scuttling closer. "I'm Linda. I'm her sister."
"Oh," the doctor said, realizing his blunder. "I thought-
Well, you'd better come with me, then... I'm sorry, Mrs
McDougall... I thought-" "Let's go," Linda groaned,
jerking the doctor's sleeve. "She's calling my name. My
sister needs me."
Linda left with the doctor, ignoring her mother's eyes.
Hate... Her mother hated her. Nothing new for Linda,
though. She had always suspected that. Now she was sure
of it.
Linda rushed down the hall, still yanking at the doctor's
sleeve, urging him to walk faster. In a few seconds she
was by her sister's side. The first thing Linda noticed
was how pale Jeannie looked. Linda looked across the bed
and at the nurse who was trying to calm her sister down.
Jeannie was delirious, murmuring unintelligible
gibberish.
"Linda!" she heard suddenly, startling her. "Linda,
please... Linda... LINDA... Help me... Help me..."
Jeannie's head thrashed on the pillow, her forehead
thoroughly covered with sweat. "Linda... help me...
please..." "I'm here, baby," Linda said, holding her
sister's hand. "I'm here." The moment she said it,
clasping Jeannie's hands, her sister's thrashing stopped.
For a moment Linda, the doctor and the nurse held their
breath as though they were waiting for a miracle, but the
miracle didn't happen. Jeannie seemed to drift into a
deeper sleep, but not her previous feverish nightmare.
Gradually her breathing became steadier and stronger, but
her eyelids remained shut, her face as pale as before.
Linda's eyes turned to the doctor. "Is she OK? Is this
normal?"
"The worst's over now... Your sister is just sleeping..."
"Yes, and the fever's subsiding," the nurse added. "Maybe
you'd better leave now," the doctor suggested, as he
checked Jeannie's forehead with his huge, hairy hands.
"Get some rest. There's nothing you can do at this
point."
"Hell no, I'm not gonna leave her," Linda whispered,
trying not to raise her voice. "She needs me. She said it
herself. The hell with the procedures. If she didn't need
me, you wouldn't have called me. Am I wrong?" The doctor
heaved a sigh, casting a quick glance at the nurse. The
nurse shrugged back at him.
"All right, you stay here... but only for tonight. I'll
make the arrangements for an extra bed." The doctor
gestured to the nurse to leave. The nurse gone, he waited
by the door, gazing at Linda, who kept on staring at her
sister's pale features, fondling her hair. "I admire
you," he said.
"What?"
"I admire your love for your sister... You don't see that
often. I mean, a girl caring so much about her own
sister. I wish my own daughters were like that... and not
the usual nuisance to each other and to us parents... OK,
I'll leave you two alone. I'll see to the extra bed."
Linda saw him shut the door quietly. She was perplexed,
confused. Had she been too obvious? Obvious about what?
About her love for Jeannie? Was that abnormal? Sisters
were supposed to be the best of friends, but they were so
often the worst of enemies. There were soap-operas and TV
shows based on that kind of hate... But love... was
seldom shown. The executive producers wouldn't want to
summon the horrible specter of incest, would they? Show a
hug and a loving gaze and the whole nation would be
shocked. It's so easy to hate... It's so hard to love...
* * *
A few weeks later, Linda returned to S.F. High for the
first time after her kidnapping. When she entered the
classroom, all her classmates stood up one by one and
began to clap their hands. They were welcoming her like a
heroine -- a heroine of a bad movie, of a ridiculous
book. They were clapping because she had killed someone.
No, that's nothing to be proud of, she thought. Even if
that someone was a scumbag.
"Way to go," the guys would say.
"I'm proud of you," Belinda added.
Linda shook her head, wavering between going in or
running away. If only they knew... Would they be proud of
her still? Would they say "Way to go!" and tap on her
back? She didn't think so. Despite all those cheering
young faces, eager to catch a glimpse of the heroine of
the moment, Linda felt alone, terribly alone... She
wanted to scream and escape from that unnerving crowd.
She was too polite, though. She knew she could never do
that. She would bite the bullet and count the minutes,
the seconds, until she was allowed to go home and watch
over Jeannie.
Five hours later, Linda waved good-bye to her classmates
and left school, heaving a sigh of relief. Nikki waited
for her by the Jeep. When Nikki smiled at her, Linda's
heart jumped. Their relationship was getting better, now
that they were back home and the twins had made up.
Jeannie's health was improving amazingly fast. Still, her
youngest sister worried her. Linda sensed hidden sadness
in those clear blue eyes... "Hi, Baywatch Babe," Nikki
said, faking a seductive pose, half-closing her eyes.
Linda chuckled. "Baywatch Babe" had become Nikki's
standard greeting whenever they met after school. "Cut it
out," Linda said, grinning and pushing her sister out of
the way. She unlocked the Jeep and hopped in. Nikki took
her place next to Big Sis. She grabbed Linda's hand. She
wanted her sister's hand on her thigh. She wanted to be
stroked there while Big Sis drove home. That thought was
enough to make Nikki's sex moist. She did her best to
control her craving for holding Linda and kissing her,
passionately, right there in that parking lot.
Suddenly someone called, "Hi, Linda."
"Rick!" Linda cried out, withdrawing her hand from
Nikki's thigh as fast as she could. "God, you scared me.
Don't you do that ever again!" "Hey, what did I do
now?... I just wanna talk to you. It won't take long."
"I haven't got much time," she said, wondering if he had
seen anything.
"I've gotta go home. Jeannie's still recovering..."
"Yeah, I've heard about it," Rick said, leaning on the
Jeep, his face drawing closer to Linda's through the open
window. "I'm glad you're OK and your sister is better
now. I'm proud of you... I would've killed the bastard
myself."
"Rick, what do you want?"
"Hey, relax. I just wanna talk to you."
"Don't."
"Why?"
Linda breathed in and looked straight ahead. Then she
stared back at him.
"Rick, it's over. Don't you understand that?"
"Why? I still can't figure out why you did what you
did... at the movie theater. I want to listen..."
"This's hardly the place, Rick... and there's nothing to
talk about. If you want to listen to me, just pay
attention to what I'm saying. IT IS OVER. Nothing you can
say is gonna change my mind."
"It's another guy... I can tell."
"No, you're wrong. It's YOU. The sooner you get it into
your thick skull the better."
"I don't believe you."
"Fine," Linda said, starting the Jeep and closing the
window.
"Linda," she heard him call, but she just kept turning
the Jeep in reverse.
"LINDA!... Bitch!"
Bitch... the very word the redneck had called her. No
Baywatch Babe for them. Just bitch. She shuddered. A
chill of anger ran up her spine. For a split second she
wished she had that shotgun again. If she had, she would
have shot him.
Linda drove home. No words were exchanged. Nikki looked
out the window, watching the traffic. Linda had seen
tears on Nikki's cheeks but she couldn't bring herself to
touch her to make sure her sister was all right. There
was too much hate now.
When Linda parked the Jeep on the driveway, she asked,
"You OK?" Her anger had blown over. It was not fair to
make Nikki pay for the failure of her relationship with
Rick.
"I guess... And you?"
Linda took Nikki's hands and said, "Better, much
better... knowing you're here with me." Nikki slid closer
to Linda, her head leaning on her sister's shoulder.
Linda kissed her on the forehead. "But I'd feel even
better if you said it again..."
"What?" Nikki asked, sitting straight, her eyes widening.
"What you use to call me now..."
"Baywatch Babe?"
"That's my girl."
They laughed together, embracing, holding each other
tight, reassuring one another that their love was still
intact... Despite everything. When they left the Jeep,
they almost held hands. A noise coming from above made
them freeze. It was Mom. Mom was spying on them from the
bay window of her own room.
Anger returned. Linda's throat hurt again. And the words
of the cheering crowd kept thumping inside her head...
Way to go, way to go, way to go... Right, way to go...
Maybe she should kill her parents too. That way they
would stop. Everybody would stop.
CHAPTER ELEVEN: DESIRE
The four sisters jumped into Linda's Jeep, with Zo giving
a hand to Jeannie. Her weakness was still apparent. The
beach would do her good, Linda figured. Jeannie continued
to feel pain in her shoulder and upper chest from time to
time but she was looking better. Dad's surgeon had done a
good job. Only a small disfigurement on Jeannie's left
shoulder betrayed the fact that she had been hit by
shotgun pellets. Why that lunatic had run after them and
shot Jeannie never became clear. The police and the
outside world had Dad's version, though -- they had been
kidnapped. There was hardly any investigation of how the
redneck died. Linda didn't know what strings Dad had
pulled, but the case was closed... And no questions
asked. During the 40-mile trip to the beach house, there
was not much talk. Linda was enjoying the wind in her
hair. The sun was shining and the temperature had risen
to seventy-nine degrees. Balmy weather had always made
her feel sexy... and they would have the house to
themselves. No more spying, none of Mom's controlling.
Mom had become so damned paranoid... and suspicious.
Linda recalled the quarrel between Mom and herself over
the bedroom keys. Mom wanted to prevent them from locking
the doors. Fortunately Dad had settled the matter.
Drawing his wife aside he had whispered a few words into
her ear. "But Fred..." Mom protested.
There were more whispered words until Mom's face became
paler than usual. Obviously against her will, Mom held
out the keys. Without hesitating, Linda seized them back.
She defied her mother with a triumphant smile. Mom just
left the hall, banging shut the door of her own room. "Be
wise, Linda," Dad warned her. "I trust you. And please,
stop that nonsense... You don't need that."
* * *
Linda looked at Nikki. There was a light wind down on the
beach, the same secluded beach where Nikki had kissed her
UCLA jock. Her heart began to melt again. Nikki was so
beautiful with her blond hair flowing free. The sea
breeze was caressing their bodies, the late afternoon sun
warming their tanned skin. Linda's eyes soaked in the
image of Nikki's breasts now covered by her bikini top,
then of her flat tummy, then of her legs... Her gaze
concentrated on her sister's bikini bottom, her crotch...
Linda wondered if her sister was as wet as she was. She
wanted to kiss her so much. Desire was making her mouth
dry, and her heart was now beating faster. Nikki was
watching the twins. Jeannie had settled down on the sand,
tired. Zo sat beside her. The twins were thirty feet
away. Linda could talk to Nikki without being overheard.
Linda kept staring at Nikki, savoring her voluptuous
curves, her soft body. She still craved for a kiss, but
her sister was oblivious to her. Nikki was watching the
sunset. The sky fireball now touched the horizon, sending
forth rays that dyed the quiet sea with shades of crimson
that came and went with its gentle undulation.
"Hey, Baywatch Babe," Linda called. She couldn't wait any
longer. Nikki looked at her, grinning. "Hey, that's not
fair. You're the Baywatch Babe... I made it up for you."
"So? We could be both Baywatch Babes..."
Nikki stared at her sister, her pulse accelerating, her
breathing becoming heavier. She could see Linda's desire
gleaming in her magnetic green eyes. God, she could never
stop loving this heavenly creature, this witch, this
sister of hers. Nikki licked her dry lips and looked
around. This late afternoon the beach was not deserted.
It was the weekend... A few couples lay on the sand dunes
-- the perfect make-out place, it seemed. `They're kinda
far away,' she thought. Could she kiss Linda without
causing an uproar on the beach?
"Linda..." she said, facing her sister.
"Yes?"
"I want us to make love."
"Me too."
"But..."
"I know, baby... I know. But I don't care if you don't."
And as soon as Linda said it, Nikki crawled nearer and
kissed her sister.
Nikki began to melt.
"Oh baby, baby," Linda whispered, embracing Nikki, making
her sister lie on top of her. Their sexes touched each
other, creating an exquisite pressure... warmth radiating
from one sex to the other, generating an explosive
combination of desire... DESIRE... crazy, blinding
desire... They forgot where they were and the danger of
being caught. They kissed and kissed, burning mouths
biting each other's lips, licking tongues yearning for a
wet, willing partner. "Ooohhh, NIKKI... Nikki, my
love..." Nikki unfastened Linda's bikini top and kissed
her sister once again, making Linda sigh deeply. She
kissed her neck, her hands rummaging around Linda's
breasts, feeling how soft they were, how hard were her
sister's nipples.
"Oh, Gaawwwdddd..." Nikki whimpered when Big Sis felt her
breasts. "Oh... I don't believe this..." But Big Sis made
her believe it... Big Sis was killing her with soft
caresses, stroking her up and down her body, reaching
further and further down her tummy. "You drive me crazy,
Sis... You... drive me... crazy..."
"That's the intention," Linda cracked, in spite of her
arousal. "That's the whole point, baby."
Nikki stopped, gazing deeply into those green eyes, that
sea of green in which she loved to submerge herself. "I
love you when you call me "baby"." "I love to call you
"baby", my little, crazy, passionate baby... My Baywatch
baby..."
Nikki chortled. Baywatch baby... This was getting mushier
by the minute. Action was needed or desire might fade.
She reached under Linda's bikini bottom, to find out how
wet Big Sis was.
"You're dripping, my dear..."
"Yes, so are you," Linda replied, grabbing Nikki's rear,
kneading it up and down, increasing the pressure of her
sister's sex on her own. Nikki's hand in between produced
an incredible wave of pleasure in Linda's body. Their
bodies kept on rubbing and rubbing their crotches
together. They shook together because they hungered for
the same... Sweet release, hands on breasts, fingers on
nipples, caressing and caressing... "Oh Nikki, Nikki... I
love you."
Sweet release came, simultaneously... Their eyes closed,
their hearts, sexes throbbed together, their mouths
exhaling at the same time, becoming one in a deep, deep
kiss... Minutes went by, and the kiss didn't end, until
once again they came simultaneously.
* * *
"Jeannie, wake up." Jeannie opened her eyes and saw Linda
gazing down at her. "How do you feel?"
Jeannie smiled at Linda, realizing she was in her own
bedroom. She yawned and said, "Better... My shoulder
still hurts but last night wasn't so bad... What's the
time?"
"Noon."
"Noon? So late?"
"Yes. I let you sleep the whole morning. You needed
that... Last night you were really tired... Beach can
wear you down if you're not used to it." "Where's Zo ?
And Nikki?"
"They went surfing... They were just moping around the
house, so I had to more or less kick them out."
"Surfing?... They went surfing alone?"
"No... Pete's here as well, for the weekend... He's just
called and asked them to join him." Linda smiled,
discerning a tinge of jealousy in her sister's eyes.
"Hey, baby... Don't you worry. Pete's a nice guy, most of
the times. Especially if he's not around Mr. Cool... And
you've got to trust Zo as I trust Nikki. All right?"
"Why didn't you go with them?"
"Because I don't want to leave you here alone... You're
so weak... still..."
Jeannie's eyes began to glisten... She was moved by
Linda's love for her.
She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve such a loving
sister.
"What's the matter, baby?" Linda asked. "Did I say
something wrong?"
"No," Jeannie said, getting out of bed. "I've gotta pee."
"D'you wanna go to the mall with me?" Linda called out,
making sure Jeannie could hear her from the bathroom.
"Sounds great."
"OK, let's do it then," Linda said, standing up. She
ambled up to the bathroom door and added, "I'm going
downstairs. I'm gonna fix you a healthy brunch before we
go."
Jeannie looked up and saw her sister staring at her.
Without thinking, Jeannie drew her legs together, out of
shame. Her sex was becoming wet... embarrassingly wet...
Just the thought of being alone with Linda made her
breathless. She hoped Nikki and Zo would stay long enough
down at the beach. She didn't dare to think about it but
maybe something might happen. "OK, Linda... Give me
fifteen minutes and I'll be ready." Linda just smiled...
and left. Jeannie lingered on the toilet, unable to move.
Jeannie wondered what Linda's smile meant...
* * *
They walked down the mall arcade. Sheryl Crow was singing
"Sweet Rosalyn" from her newest album. The rhythm was
catching, so they began to move their bodies to the
music, laughing at each other. As usual people started to
stare...
Jeannie was happy... Her shoulder and chest hurt because
of the laughter but being with Linda pain didn't matter
much. All she wanted danced beside her, as though the
arcade of the shopping mall was a dance floor. Linda was
so magical... She could turn the most insignificant
moment of their lives into a reason to go wild, and do
outrageous things like dancing in a shopping mall.
Jeannie felt alive, so fucking alive. She laughed to
herself. Swearing was becoming a turn-on... Zo had taught
her that. A shudder ran down her spine.
They stopped when a group of horny young guys surrounded
them, joining the impromptu party.
"Let's go, Jeannie," Linda commanded, pulling on her
sister's arm, ignoring the unsolicited attention. They
hurried into a store, escaping from the guys who kept
following them. The two sisters shuffled through bomber
jackets and dresses and lingerie, killing time. The guys
were waiting for them outside. Linda joked about trying
on a couple of bras, some of them flagrantly bigger than
her own size. Jeannie couldn't help giggling, taking a
quick glance outside the store. The guys hadn't moved.
One of them had lit up a cigarette and leaned against a
pillar. He was talking with one of his pals... Planning a
strategy?
"Let's try on these," Linda said, this time with a more
serious look on her face. "They'll give up, sooner or
later..."
Jeannie looked at her sister, stunned. Linda couldn't
mean that, or could she? Anticipation made Jeannie flush.
An electric sensation raced through her body. Her legs
turned into rubber while moisture and tension built up in
her sex.
"You coming, Jeannie?"
"Y- yes," she stammered. "But I need a few more... Those
are too big for me."
Linda laughed. "Give it a few more years and you'll
see... Pick up a couple of them and join me, OK?"
"OK," Jeannie said, not believing her luck. Did Big Sis
know what her invitation was doing to her inside? Jeannie
wondered. Did she? Or was she just teasing, like she did
with her endless list of suitors? Jeannie sifted through
the heap of bras on sale and chose two sporty numbers...
They would come in handy for cheerleading practice. She
hurried past a salesclerk, blushing against her will. It
seemed to Jeannie that the salesclerk hadn't missed a
thing. Maybe that meddlesome woman guessed every thought,
every feeling that capered inside her head. Jeannie
hesitated... She didn't know whether she should walk into
Linda's stall or look for another. She looked around but
the second stall was occupied, leaving her with no
choice.
"Linda, may I come in?"
"Of course" was the answer from the other side of the
curtain. Jeannie pushed her way in. Linda was looking at
her own reflection, pulling her breasts up, trying out a
very daring push-up bra. Jeannie's sex became alive
again... Warmth, sweet damp warmth in her crotch... "So,
what d'you think?" Linda asked, still staring at the
mirror. "You like it?"
"Y- yes."
Linda looked at Jeannie... and how her youngest sister
stared at her breasts. How eagerly Jeannie had sucked
them a few months ago flashed through her mind. Which
caused her nipples to stiffen in no time. Jeannie's face
was flushed, her breathing heavy...
"Jeannie, are you OK?" Linda asked, declining to
acknowledge the blatant signs of desire given off by her
little sister. "Yes..." Jeannie's voice sounded so
anguished, as though she was terrified by something...
"Come here," Linda said, her mouth becoming dry, her sex
throbbing.
Guilt began to seep back though. It was one thing making
love with Nikki... Making love with Jeannie was- Linda
didn't know... Jeannie was so young, so eager to
please... and Linda didn't want to double-cross anyone...
But Jeannie's eyes looked so desperate, so hungry for
love. Despite everything, Linda held Jeannie close,
feeling her sister's heart thumping as fast as hers. Her
hands brushed Jeannie's hair away from her moist face.
Jeannie was crying.
"Jeannie... why?"
"I don't know," Jeannie sobbed. "I really don't know. I'm
sorry."
"For what?"
Jeannie sobbed again. It seemed that her head was going
to explode, her body was so warm as if it was on fire.
Jeannie breathed in in stutters. She inhaled Big Sis's
fragrance, her hand touching Big Sis's right breast by
accident. Linda shuddered.
"Linda..."
"Yes?"
"Please..."
"What?"
"Let's go home," Jeannie said, swallowing, releasing
herself from Linda's embrace. " I've gotta go, Linda...
Gotta go... I'm sorry..." Without looking back, Jeannie
tore off down the aisle of the store and disappeared.
"Jeannie!" Linda screamed from the stall, stuck there
while she hurriedly dressed. The few customers in the
store and the handful of salesclerks stared at her, but
Linda was beyond caring. She changed bras, slipped her
blouse back on at full speed, and scooted out of the
store. She heard a "Hey..." Probably a salesclerk thought
this was a ploy to walk away with a couple of free
bras... Idiots!
Linda ran after Jeannie but her sister was nowhere to be
seen. She scanned the arcades of the mall but to no
avail.
"Oh, God..." she whispered to herself, pulling her long
hair away from her eyes, still searching for Jeannie.
"Oh, God... Please, Jeannie... Don't do this to me."
Finally Linda decided to look for Jeannie outside the
mall but her sister wasn't there either.
"Oh Jeannie, Jeannie... Where are you?... Where... are...
you?...
CHAPTER TWELVE: TO DIE FOR
Nikki and Zo waved good-bye to Pete. Nikki found it
amazing how different Pete could be when he was away from
the rest of the gang. He was more patient, and instead of
behaving like an asshole trying to impress them with
smooth moves on the surfboard -- far too difficult for
beginners -- he made sure you knew the basics before
attempting something more daring. Nikki and Zo were
discussing this when they got home.
"Hi, Nikki," Linda greeted them as they came in. "Hi,
Zo..."
"What's the matter, Linda?" Nikki asked. "You look so
pale."
"Jeannie... I don't know where she is."
"What?" Zo exclaimed.
"It's my fault..."
"Calm down, Linda," Nikki said, setting down her surf-
board. "What're you talking about?"
Linda was shaking. Their older sister, the one who was
always in control, appeared to have lost her composure.
Linda was doubled up, crying on the couch. Nikki sat down
next to her.
"Linda, listen to me... What happened? Please... tell
me."
"It's my fault... It's all my fault."
"What, Linda? What?"
It took a few long minutes before Linda could explain
what happened in the mall.
"If something happens to Jeannie... I'll never forgive
myself... Oh, Nikki... Nikki..."
"She's down at the beach," Zo suddenly said. Her sisters
looked at her, their eyes questioning her how she could
be so sure. "Don't ask me why but I just know she's down
at the beach. Let's go."
Zo , for the first time, led the way. The three of them
made a beeline for the promenade and then for the beach.
Soon they found Jeannie sitting on the sand, her arms
encircling her knees, staring at the waves, her light
hair flapping around her head.
"Jeannie!" Zo called out, drawing near to her twin
sister.
Jeannie didn't look up. She just kept staring out to sea.
"Jeannie, we were worried sick about you," Nikki added.
"Just leave me alone."
"We ain't gonna leave without you. It's late... and you
know it's not safe to stay here after dark." Nikki
crouched down beside Jeannie. "Jeannie, listen-" "I'm not
coming with you. Just leave me ALONE!!!" For the first
time in her life Nikki was afraid of Jeannie. Jeannie
looked at her with so much hate... She looked so
desperate. Nikki turned to Linda for help, but Big Sis
was as helpless and despairing as Jeannie. If Linda was
unable to do anything, there was nothing she could do,
Nikki concluded. That powerlessness scared Nikki more
than anything. She had always counted on Big Sis to solve
this kind of crisis. Then the unthinkable crossed her
mind...
"I'm gonna call Dad."
"What?" Zo cried out.
"Yes, look at Linda and Jeannie," Nikki said with a lump
in her throat. "I've never seen them so messed up... I
don't know what happened in that fucking mall... But I do
know we can't go on like this... This is fucking our
brains up, can't you see that?"
"Nikki, don't you understand?"
"What, Zo?"
"Jeannie wants to sleep with Linda..."
"What?... Is this all about-"
"Yes. And Linda doesn't want to hurt you... Can you be
that blind?" Nikki gazed at Linda in total disbelief...
Big Sis was crying copiously, her hair flying in the
breeze, her eyes so helpless, so dejected. "Is that true,
Linda?" asked Nikki.
Seconds, like minutes, like hours, elapsed before Linda
could nod.
"Why didn't you tell me, Linda? Why? I would've
understood."
"You would?" Linda said, cleaning her face dry with her
fingers. "Of course... You think I want to see you this
desperate? I don't want to drive anyone crazy. Who am I
to forbid you or Jeannie anything? I'm not Mom... or
Dad."
"Oh Nikki," Linda whispered, hugging her sister. "I was
feeling so guilty." "Don't. How many times do I have to
say that to you? Nothing happens to me or the twins
against our will. We made love because we BOTH wanted
that. I could've said no... But I didn't. I said yes and
I'll say yes to you till I die."
"Oh Nikki..." Linda sighed, holding Nikki tighter and
staring at Jeannie.
Her youngest sister seemed as bewildered as she was. Zo
offered her hand to her twin sister and this time Jeannie
accepted it, rising to her feet. Linda freed Nikki from
her embrace and drew closer to the twins. "And you, Zo,"
Linda asked, "what d'you think about it? You two were
fighting over it when we ran away, weren't you?" "Yes. We
were... but not any more. I kept thinking about it when
Jeannie was in hospital. I promised to myself if she got
better I'd never hit her again. She's free to do what she
pleases. All I want is her happiness... I swear."
"Don't swear," Linda said. "There's no need to. I believe
you. Let's go home. I'll fix a nice dinner... and we'll
talk about it." The four sisters walked back home,
ignoring the multitude of cars and people flocking toward
the sea. A year ago they would have joined the partying
crowd without a worry in their minds. Now life seemed far
more complicated. Their hearts weighed heavy and their
eyes hurt from crying. Nikki held Zo closer and pushed
Jeannie into Linda's arms. Linda smiled her thank-you to
her unbelievably unselfish sister. The fist that squeezed
her heart began to relax its grip. She looked down at
Jeannie. Jeannie's eyes were half-shut, leaning against
her big sister's shoulder. Jeannie was utterly worn out.
No wonder... after such a dreadful day... It was a day to
forget... or maybe a day to remember... one day...
* * *
"Who was that?" Linda asked, slicing tomatoes for the
salad. "Pete," Nikki answered, stepping into the kitchen
and abandoning the cellular phone on the table. "He's
just asked me out."
"And?"
"Jealous?"
"Maybe."
"No need," Nikki whispered into her ear, causing Linda to
tremble with a chilling thrill. Nikki's arms encompassed
her sister's waist. "I said no." "You didn't have to."
"I know... Not in the mood."
They heard the twins coming downstairs. Linda's hands
clutched Nikki's arms, wriggling herself out of her
sister's embrace. She sent an apologetic look to Nikki.
"Only tonight," Linda murmured. "OK?" "Don't worry,"
Nikki said, shaking her head. "I'm not in a hurry." After
eating supper and cleaning up the kitchen, the four
sisters went into the living room. Zo turned on the TV
and plumped herself down on the couch. Jay Leno's face
appeared on the screen. It wasn't the Tonight Show but an
interview with him. The interviewer referred to the usual
jokes about his chin, and whether or not that bothered
him... Nikki hunkered down next to Zo .
"I think I'm gonna hit the sack," Jeannie said, rotating
her shoulder, feeling it with her hand and grimacing.
"Still hurts?" Linda asked, still standing, just a couple
of feet away from Jeannie.
"Hmm mmm," Jeannie confirmed.
"Maybe you should go with Jeannie," Nikki said, looking
at Linda. "Jeannie can sleep in my bed tonight... If she
needs a massage, you'll be right next to her. I'll keep
Zo company... Right, Zo ?"
"Hmm mmm," Zoe's turn to agree.
"We'll be OK," Nikki assured her hesitating sisters.
"Just go... Or do we have to drag you two upstairs?"
Linda smiled. Nikki's words sounded so strange. Nikki was
literally pushing her into Jeannie's arms, Linda
realized. Her beautiful, large-hearted sister understood
the burning desire Jeannie felt for her, for Linda, her
sister, her lover...
Lover?... What a strange word to describe what they were
to each other. Linda climbed the stairs behind Jeannie.
Jeannie stopped by the room she shared with Zo.
"You don't wanna come?" Linda asked.
"To your room?"
"Yes."
"Do you want that?..."
"Only if you want to."
"I do."
"OK, I'll massage your shoulder..."
Jeannie nodded, inside her body turning into a furnace.
Her legs were failing her. Was this the moment she had
waited for all her life? Was tonight the night? She'd had
so many letdowns. Life is hard... Life isn't easy... She
tried to convince herself this was just a promise of a
simple massage. Jeannie shook her head. She didn't want
to think about it. It would most likely be another
letdown.
Self-consciously Jeannie changed into her pajamas after
washing her face in Linda's bathroom. It was the first
time she did that in front of Big Sis. It felt like they
were bride and groom on their first awkward night
together. Maybe they were... Jeannie shook her head
again, driving away that crazy daydreaming. She was
getting carried away... but close quarters with Big Sis
was such an intoxicating experience now.
"Ready?" Linda asked, smiling at her sister's reflection
in the mirror. She spread her night cream all over her
face.
"What's this stuff?" Jeannie queried, examining the cream
bowl.
"It hydrates your skin... Beach dries it up... Want
some?"
"Does it tickle?"
"No," Linda chuckled, "but I do."
Jeannie let out a short-lived shriek of delight when
Linda tickled her ribcage. Jeannie ran to Nikki's bed,
giggling. Nikki's bed was hers tonight. She was going to
sleep next to Linda. `This must be a dream,' she decided.
`This can't be real...'
Linda walked toward her, the cream bowl in her hand. "OK,
just lie back and close your eyes. I'll start with your
face."
Jeannie obeyed, realizing how unusually warm her body
was. She waited for the contact... the supreme moment.
Linda's hands touched her, finally, producing an
unending, delicious trembling. It was more than a sexual
feeling now. It seemed as though her body was floating on
air, leaving this earth full of disappointments and
misery. Only Linda could make that happen... Linda was a
goddess, the river nymph, spreading a magical ointment
that cooled down her flushed face and made her relax. She
wanted to kiss her... She wanted Linda to kiss her... But
the kiss didn't come. She opened her eyes.
"Feeling good?" Linda asked, smiling down at her.
Jeannie nodded. She couldn't talk.
"Now, your shoulder... You've got to take your pajamas
off, Jeannie. I mean, only the top..."
"OK," Jeannie said, straightening herself up on the bed.
She looked down, avoiding Linda's stare. Linda helped her
out of the pajama top. Red-faced, Jeannie faced her
sister, hiding her breasts behind her arms "What?"
"They're so small."
"No, they aren't... They're beautiful... just like you."
"Yours are bigger..."
Linda laughed. "Hey, young lady... This ain't a contest
for big boobs. All right?" Jeannie laughed back,
nervously. Then Linda added, "And by the way that's
nothing I haven't seen before. Just relax, girl. Lie
down... on your stomach."
Linda brushed Jeannie's hair away from her back. She
poured onto Jeannie's arms and shoulder blades the
massage oil Mom kept in her closet. With care she spread
it slowly, very slowly, all over her sister's back,
concentrating the massage more and more on the injured
shoulder. She smiled to herself, watching Jeannie's
eyelids close, her sister's body get less and less taut.
Linda felt happy, in spite of the ghastly events that had
taken place that afternoon. She was reassuring Jeannie,
making her feel loved... sex aside. When she was done
massaging with Jeannie, her sister didn't move. Linda
realized Jeannie had fallen asleep. Linda covered her
with the sheet, making a special effort to prevent any
sudden movement that could wake her sister. She turned
off the lights, sighing. `Better this way,' she thought.
They didn't have to sleep together. Maybe that would be a
bad call... for both of them.
* * *
Jeannie's eyes flickered open. She raised herself up onto
her elbow. She brushed her hair off her eyes and mouth.
She felt so terribly tired. Beach was wearing her down,
as Linda had said. Jeannie raised her eyes, stared at her
sister, and sighed. Straining reluctantly to recover from
somnolence, she put on her pajama top and dragged herself
out of bed. It was 7 AM and the sun was beginning to rise
in the eastern sky. Birds sang in the trees, enjoying
their few hours of freedom from humans. Jeannie went to
the bathroom and stopped in front of the mirror,
examining her tired-looking features. She tossed her hair
back and away from her face. It still looked pale. She
scanned her skin for pimples, a daily habit that drove
her twin sister crazy. Zo couldn't understand her
obsession with skin care. Zo stormed out of the bathroom
every time she insisted her twin should do the same.
Jeannie had a drink of water and traipsed back to bed.
Before sitting down on the bed, she looked down at Linda.
Big Sis was still sleeping. Jeannie realized Linda wasn't
wearing her T-shirt. The whiteness of the sheets set off
the golden tan of her naked body. Linda's hair was spread
out on the pillow, gold against white all over... Jeannie
followed her sister's curves under the sheets... She made
for herself an image of Linda's breasts, rising and
falling, yielding to the steady breathing of a beautiful
body of an even more beautiful person... Her sister...
Her gorgeous, amazing Big Sis... Jeannie kept staring at
Linda. She couldn't look away. She just couldn't. A knot
began to grow in her throat... And the need, the craving
for Linda came upon her, making her shudder. Her
breathing was becoming heavier again, and swallowing was
almost impossible. Every breath she took seemed like a
sigh. Her mouth was as dry as a desert... a desert
without water, without a soul...
"Oh God..." Jeannie muttered, this time looking away. A
sudden urge to cry came over her. In no time tears filled
her eyes and began to run down her cheeks. That same
crushing despair she had felt at the mall returned. She
was unable to understand it. And that scared her.
Sometimes she had the impression she was going to flip
out. "Oh Sis... Linda..." But Linda didn't wake up. Her
chest maintained the same steady rhythm.
Jeannie stared at Linda's face, so peaceful, like an
angel's, her angel.
"Linda, please..." Jeannie begged in a whisper. "Please,
Linda... wake up. I need you... I need you so much...
Please... Please..."
Jeannie's quivering became more apparent. This time she
couldn't help it - she began to sob. Only then Linda woke
up, sitting up on her bed with a start.
"Jeannie... what happened?" asked Linda. She sprung up
and pulled Jeannie into her arms "Jeannie... for
chrissake... what's the matter?" But the sobbing didn't
go away. Jeannie was inconsolable. "Come here, then,"
Linda said, taking her little sister into her bed. "Lie
down with me. We'll stay here all day if you want." Once
in bed, Linda cradled Jeannie close, kissing her
forehead, her eyes, shushing her. Jeannie drew closer,
pressing herself toward Linda, her arms taking hold of
Linda's waist. "Jeannie... Jeannie..."
Jeannie stared at Linda... at Linda's green eyes... They
were like two green emeralds, magnets...
"Linda," she whispered.
"Yes?"
"Linda..." Jeannie repeated. "Linda..."
"Yes, baby... What?"
"Please..."
And with that please, Linda understood how deeply Jeannie
had fallen in love with her. And that was scary.. Not
even Nikki was that intense. "Please, Linda... Please...
I beg you..." Taking matters into her own hands, Jeannie
kissed the corner of Linda's mouth, pressing her body
against her sister's. But those green eyes hesitated
still. "Please, Linda... Please, or I'll die... Please...
Kiss me... Kiss me... is all I ask." Slowly Linda's lips
came down on Jeannie's. Linda couldn't resist any more
Jeannie's mind-blowing intensity. Then the kiss happened,
very slowly, as though they were kissing in slow motion.
It was a feverish, intense kiss... so intense they shook
at the same time, breathlessly. Making love with Jeannie
felt so different, thought Linda. With Nikki she could
sometimes laugh. With Jeannie, that wouldn't be possible.
The intensity of Jeannie's look demanded seriousness, and
knowing that someone could love her that much excited her
strangely. Linda didn't understand how and why. She
preferred to stop thinking about it... Jeannie was
waiting. Linda kissed her, this time passionately, and
Jeannie melted in her arms, closing her eyes, dying with
little spasms, so intense had the kiss become. "Linda..."
Jeannie breathed out, her eyelids still shut. "Linda...
Linda..." she kept repeating, her voice trailing off,
while Linda kissed her breasts over her pajama top, then
her stomach, uncovering it. Linda's lips and tongue in
her belly button, going up, forcing her pajamas up,
generating more sweet trembling...
Desire was growing, Linda noticed... and that was good...
Desire made Jeannie come down to earth, soothed the pain,
kept her away from that intense despair. Because of it,
Linda was impatient, her mouth going down to Jeannie's
sex, licking her sister's panties, almost without
foreplay. Linda worried about it. It wasn't nice to rush,
considering it was Jeannie's first time with her. But
what Linda didn't know was that this didn't matter to
Jeannie. Nothing mattered. Only being with Big Sis
mattered. Linda let Jeannie get rid of her panties, and
without delay Big Sis began to lick the lips of her
vagina. Linda bit her sister's inner thighs, lightly.
Jeannie blenched a little, surprised, but it felt good.
Her sex was so wet... Jeannie could feel her own wetness
oozing out of her cunt. It was so sweet and crazy at the
same time... And Linda kept licking her there, causing
shivers, endless shivers.
"Uuhhmmm... Linda... Linda... Love you... I love you..."
Jeannie whispered, playing with her sister's hair,
brushing it with her fingers, while desire kept
growing... and growing... "Oh Linda!" she screamed, her
body arching up. Linda had bitten her once more, making
her juices flow and flow. She opened her eyes and saw the
damp on her sister's face. Linda's face was showing her
pleasure.
`I'm dying,' Jeannie thought. `I must be dying.' She
pushed Linda's face against her sex. It was time to
increase the pressure and rhythm. Jeannie pulled up her
legs and pressed them together, and she almost fainted
when she felt Linda's tongue inside her... Further inside
it slid, touching her clitoris lightly, with utmost care.
Jeannie lowered her legs. That position tired her too
much. She was weak... Her sister made her weaker and
weaker. Jeannie felt the orgasm coming. Linda's tongue
was again approaching her clitoris. Jeannie again shut
her eyes, feeling one wave after another. Pleasure was
coming...
"Oooohhh..." Jeannie moaned. "Gawd... Linda... No...
Yes... Yes... YEEEESSSS!!!!" It was a hiss that followed
the most incredible wave of pleasure. The orgasm was
about to happen. But not yet. Linda kept teasing
Jeannie's clitoris, inserting her tongue up Jeannie's
vagina, licking its soaking walls. "Linda, I'm dying...
I'm dying..." Then at last the orgasm came. Jeannie's
body shuddered from head to toe, and she lay still, as
though she had indeed died. But she was alive, very, very
alive. Her heart pounded, her body was on fire, demanding
more. A second wave came upon her, and then another
orgasm, as Linda's tongue inside her kept licking and
licking. Linda's lips lapped up her juices, kissing her
vaginal folds, softly, tenderly, insatiably.
Linda was the angel that made her float on air. It felt
as though they were floating and floating above the bed,
the sky, the trees outside. It was morning now...
"That's enough, Linda," said Jeannie, pulling her sister
up and into her arms "That's all I can take for now...."
They kissed for a very long time, Jeannie's hand slipping
in between their hot bodies, reaching for Linda's sex.
Jeannie wanted to make her sister come while kissing her
mouth. Linda helped her, putting Jeannie's hand in place.
Another kiss, a deep-felt kiss, and a hand touching
Linda's pussy, her clitoris...
"Baby... Jeannie... That's right... That's it... Go on...
Please... Gawd... JEANNIE... YES... Yes...Uuuuhhhmmm...
You're so good... to me..."
They kissed once more, Jeannie tasting her own juices in
Linda's mouth. It was delicious to see Linda like this,
Jeannie concluded, so close to the ecstatic moment, her
moment; to feel her pussy pulsating around slippery hands
and invading fingers, covered with Linda's and her own
juices... It was to die for.
Finally Linda came, groaning with intense pleasure,
rolling her eyes and breathing deeply. Seeing this,
Jeannie's joy was infinite. She had succeeded in making
Big Sis come. In her wildest dreams she had imagined that
but she never really expected to achieve it. She loved
her. Yes, it really was to die for.
They made love all morning, caressing, feeling their
breasts against each other's bodies. Jeannie couldn't
stop touching those mounds of soft, round flesh, Linda's
and her own... She sucked Linda's nipples, one after the
other and then back to the first, exciting her sister to
ever more wonderful orgasms, one after the other.
"I love you," Jeannie whispered.
"I love you," it was the answer spoken by a hoarse voice.
Then only silence, and a long moan... Linda's pleasure,
induced by Jeannie's lips on her breasts... It had
happened again.
* * *
Linda sneaked out of the bed as quietly as possible.
Jeannie was sleeping now, spent by their intense
lovemaking. It felt odd to make love with Jeannie. Her
youngest sister's love was so absolutely breathtaking.
The intensity of her gaze and feelings were something
Linda had never experienced, not even with Nikki. It had
been almost like a religious experience. It had been more
than sex. It felt as if their souls were merging into
one.
Linda slipped on her T-shirt and panties. She breathed
out deeply as she reached the stairs, remembering
something she had heard about out-of-body experiences.
Maybe she was going crazy. Linda shook her head, finding
herself in the living room. She heard voices. Zo and
Nikki and someone else were outside in the back yard. She
hesitated about joining her sisters without any pants on.
Linda peeked out the window, hiding behind the drapes. A
man was talking to her sisters. He was middle-aged. White
hair and a large forehead with a receding hairline
dominated his pudgy features. He wore a weathered tweed
jacket and smoked a cigar. She had never seen him before.
She stopped by the open back door and listened...
"So, you sure?" the stranger asked.
"Yes," replied Zo.
"And you'd better be going, mister," Nikki added, "or
I'll call the cops..."
"OK, OK... Take it easy, kids... I'm leaving..."
Saying this, he made a slow turn and lumbered down the
driveway.
"Hi, Linda!" Nikki greeted, watching her sister
approaching.
"Hi... Who's that guy? What'd he want?"
"He was asking questions..." Nikki said, stealing a
glance at Zo.
"What kind of questions?"
"He said he was a reporter... and was writing a story
about Dad... He wanted to know things about us... Mom...
Dad... The kidnapping, and..." "And what?"
"How our kidnapper died..."
"And what did you say?"
"We didn't say anything, Linda," Zo cut in. "We said if
he wanted to write a piece about Dad, he should talk to
him..."
"And what else?"
"Linda," Nikki said, holding her sister's trembling
hands, "there's nothing to worry about... We didn't tell
him anything... We just said he was trespassing... He had
no right to come barging into our back yard... Honest."
Linda sighed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She sat
down on a lawn chair, still shaking.
"Linda," said Nikki to her, kneeling beside her chair,
"why are you so upset?"
"Because he might've followed us, Nikki... Because he
might've taken pictures, when you and I were making
love... on the beach..." "He didn't mention any
pictures... Linda, why worry? I don't care if he's got
pictures of us making out... Sometimes I wish..." "What?"
Linda said, her eyes meeting Nikki's, which had gained
sudden aloofness.
Nikki shook her head.
"What, Nikki?"
"Nothing..."
"Please, don't do this to me... Tell me..."
"It's not possible, Linda... So why should I say it out
loud? It's not possible."
"What?"
"It is ridiculous..."
"Let me be the judge of that."
"You're going to laugh at me."
"No, I won't. You should know me better than that..."
"OK... I wish... Sometimes I wish I could marry you...
So, it's out... Now you can laugh..."
Before the words could sink in, Nikki got to her feet and
ran back into the house, leaving Linda there in the back
yard with a stupefied look on her face. Linda raised her
eyes, her heart pounding in her chest like a madman. She
stared at Zo but her sister didn't move. Zo looked down,
averting her eyes... Things were out of control, Linda
could see, unable to prevent her hands from shaking.
Feelings were running ahead of their heads once more.
Maybe Nikki was right when she said all that "stuff" was
fucking up their brains.
The pain came back... The scream welled up inside her
again... Zo came closer.
"Linda..." she said, kneeling at her sister's feet,
taking hold of her hands. "Linda, I know it's hard... but
it's been hard on all of us... Nikki needs you... Jeannie
needs you... We all need you. If you break down now... I
don't know what's going to happen to us... I don't know
many things, but I do know this... You've got to be
strong... Please..." Despite her low spirits, Linda
raised a fleeting smile. "So wise now...
What ever happened to you?"
"I've already told you... When I saw Jeannie lying up
there, bleeding to death, and then in the hospital... I
realized how stupid our quarrels were... how petty human
minds can be... I was losing her... and I swore I was not
going to let it happen again... EVER!"
"You're right, Zo ," said Linda, trying to get up. Zo
reached out for her, helping her to her feet. "I feel so
weak..." And the moment Linda said it, her legs gave up,
her eyes went blank, and her body fell on the lawn with a
thump.
* * *
Linda moseyed along the beach, compromising between not
getting her cut-off jeans wet and feeling the sea swirl
around her feet, caressing them gently like a self-
effacing, attentive lover... She had decided to come on
her own to the beach house, to find herself on her own,
away from her troubled sisters and parents. She felt
lonely but she needed that loneliness now to survive. She
needed distance from Mom and Dad, even from Nikki... and
particularly now from Jeannie...
Jeannie's intense love touched Linda too deeply, and to a
point she thought she'd go crazy. That was not something
Linda had discussed with Dr. Mansfield -- Dad had
insisted she see a therapist. By now that dark-haired,
attractive young woman knew of the goings-on between
herself and her sisters. However, she hadn't mentioned
that the twins were sleeping together. She didn't want to
give the impression the McDougall's household had turned
into a perpetual orgy.
Linda walked up to the dunes and away from the sea. She
scanned the beach for people. Seeing no one close, she
sighed and slumped down on the sand, enjoying its warmth.
The thought that Nikki or Jeannie could show up uninvited
at the beach house slightly alarmed her. Linda didn't
hate them. No, on the contrary... She still loved them
very, very much... but at that moment she just couldn't
handle the awesome amount of love her sisters lavished
upon her.
To Linda's surprise and relief, Emma -- Dr. Mansfield --
had been far from judgmental. The therapist had been
understanding, though only up to a point. Emma said
several times she didn't condone what was happening
between Linda and her sisters. Incest can be a
devastating experience, she said. Sometimes Linda smiled
to herself, though. Emma's brown eyes glistened from time
to time. It seemed as though that Emma found them all
uncannily interesting. She asked for details about the
seductions and lovemaking. Linda couldn't figure out why
a therapist should be interested in that, unless... In
spite of her curiosity, Emma helped her enormously. Her
oppressive guilt was waning now, although she still had
nightmares about the redneck, the shotgun, and Jeannie
lying on the ground, bleeding and crying for help.
Linda played with the sand, grabbing a handful and then
letting it trickle down between her fingers, as though
her hand had become an hourglass, time passing by and
never coming back... She looked out at the waves... She
was bored. She missed Nikki, her sister's love, her
unconditional love... `Nikki must hate me,' she thought.
`I ran away from her.' And again Linda was afraid of
losing what she had with Nikki. If it ever happened, that
would be a first. All Linda's relationships had ended on
her own initiative. Leaving instead of being dumped was
the rule, not the exception. Linda returned to the beach
house, ignoring the staring and head-turning she always
caused. Alone, without her sisters, the seduction game
had no point, no glamour, no thrill... She realized all
that hype about the promenade, and guys, and teasing, and
flirting, had just been an excuse to talk with her
sisters about sex and love -- sex and love with them. The
seduction game was not about the boys... The seduction
game was about girls... her sisters.
Nervously pressing the keys of the cellular phone, Linda
dialed the number at home.
"McDougall's residence..." Linda heard from the other
end.
"Hi, Mom."
"Hi, Linda... I'm surprised you called..."
"I think I wanna come home..."
"So soon? Did you discuss that with Dr. Mansfield?"
"No... Do I have to?"
"No. But do you think it's wise? After all, we all know
why you collapsed in the back yard..."
"Do we, Mom?" A long silence followed. Linda was getting
annoyed with Mom's nagging tone of voice. Taking her
chances, Linda asked, "Is Nikki home?" "No, she's gone
out with Lana and Jack... Why?"
"I wanna talk to her."
Silence again, interrupted only by static and far away
noises. Linda heard a female voice talking to Mom. It was
Nikki...
"Hi, Linda," Nikki greeted her. Her sister's voice
sounded as eager as ever. Probably there was still hope
for them. "How are you? Are you feeling better? I was so
worried..."
"How's Lana... and Jack?"
"Oh, they're OK. Lana's a good friend. She sends her
love..."
"Did you talk about-"
"-us? No... I didn't tell a soul... and I never will..."
There was a pause, then a sigh. "I miss you."
Linda's heart jolted... Were they telepaths? "I miss
you," Linda replied.
"Why don't you come home then?"
"I've already told Mom I'm coming. She didn't seem happy
about it but I don't care... How are the twins? Are they
OK?"
"Yes... Zoe's changed a lot... The twins don't fight any
more... Zoe's more or less become like you... I'm
impressed."
"Life and death does that, Nikki... I'm happy for them...
OK, I'm gonna hang up. Give me an hour and I'll be home."
"OK, I'll be waiting... Be careful... I don't want to
lose you now."
Linda smiled. "You won't."
* * *
Linda just couldn't believe it... A quiver rushed down
her spine... It was a quiver of fear... Her legs became
taut. She hit the brakes just in time to prevent a
photographer from ending up under the wheels of the Jeep.
What the hell was happening? Why was the press crowding
around the gate of her house? Two cops let her through,
receiving orders by walkie-talkie to do so. The
journalists were screaming something like murder...
arrest... Fred McDougall... Her father's name.
Dad? Murdered? That didn't make sense. She'd just talked
to Mom and Nikki an hour ago...
Linda was escorted in by a detective who promptly
identified himself as the man in charge. He put his bulky
arm around her, maybe bracing her for the worst. She
walked into the living room and found Mom crying, Dad
standing still beside her. His hair was mussed up, his
face serious and tired... No tie, no jacket...cuff links
unfastened...
What was the meaning of this? Who'd been murdered? If not
Dad, then who? Nikki??? The twins??? No, that couldn't be
true... Or could it?... Linda stared at her father but he
looked away... Linda's heart sank... She just couldn't
believe it...
The cruelest thought crossed her mind... Had Dad killed
them?... No... NO!!!! It didn't make any sense... It
didn't... That couldn't be true... It just couldn't...
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: COVER-UP
Linda sat alone in the interrogation room. The lights
were weak, giving out pale coldness, pale mercilessness.
She stood up, watching the traffic outside and the
passersby wearing their Sunday best, enjoying the
sunshine and warmth of a beautiful late afternoon. She
rubbed her bare arms, trying to keep warm, fighting off
the cold that came from the air conditioning. Wearing
dresses always made Linda feel vulnerable. That was why
she wore T-shirts and pants most of the time. `They
should turn down the damned airco,' she thought. `Talk
about waste... Talk about the environment!' Linda looked
around, wondering how many people had been interrogated
in that stark room. It would be poor people for the most
part. So much injustice was committed by cops and the so-
called legal system, or so she had heard, but that
impression was nothing compared with the real thing, the
brutality of it all. She had been brought to the station
and dumped in the interrogation room. She asked about
Nikki and the twins but the cops wouldn't say a word. She
cried, she hit the policemen, but they wouldn't budge.
They wanted her for questioning. What for? If her sisters
had been killed, was she the prime suspect? Was she?
Linda couldn't believe it. She just couldn't.
Her eyes were dry. The well was exhausted. She couldn't
feel anything any more. There were no tears left. The
last six months had been such a crazy time and she had
cried too much for too long. In five days' time it would
be the twins' birthday, their sixteenth... if they were
alive... Linda breathed out deeply, making a tremendous
effort to pull herself together.
The detective in charge had allowed Linda to speak to no
one, not even to Mom or Dad. Anyway, from what she could
tell from her reception when she came home, her parents
didn't seem to want to talk to her. Dad had consciously
looked away and Mom wouldn't look at her. She felt alone,
so terribly, hopelessly alone. That loneliness played
back in her mind, in slow motion, and the hidden scream
returned. Mom... It was the scream... MOM! Why d'you hate
me so much?... Why?... Tell me why?... WHY????? Linda
turned around as the detective in charge came into the
room. He was followed by a second detective, taller and
in better shape than his colleague.
"Hello, Ms McDougall," the first detective greeted,
stretching out his bulky arm and shaking Linda's hand.
"Still remember me? Detective Larrousse... and this is
Detective Lamm from Liberty County. Please, sit down.
This won't take long. Sorry for this mess but you know
how the press is."
Larrousse was all smiles, Linda noticed. She didn't
understand why he was so nice to her. She had seen his
gluttonous eyes meandering over her uncovered legs,
examining her, making her uncomfortable. She hated it
when men acted like that. It was their hormones, they
said, but now she was in no forgiving mood. She sat down
on the chair across from Larrousse's and Lamm's, pulling
down the hem of her summer dress, sighing almost without
noticing.
"Ms McDougall," Lamm began, "you know you have the right
to an attorney, don't you?"
Linda shrugged. "Do I need one?"
The detectives looked at each other for a short moment.
Then Larrousse took over, his bushy mustache blown up and
down by his uneasy breathing. "We don't think so... but
that's your call... Anyway, we won't take long.
This isn't exactly my case. The crime wasn't committed in
this county."
"What crime?"
"What crime??!!!" Larrousse repeated, blinking his eyes.
"You kidding me, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not. No one tells me anything. I-"
"Don't you read the newspapers, Ms McDougall?" Lamm
asked.
"No, I was-"
"Here," Lamm answered, handing a newspaper over to Linda.
COVER-UP! PARENTS DEMAND JUSTICE, the headline screamed.
Linda skimmed over the article and immediately she
understood the article was about the redneck. Matt Wood's
folks were asking for justice. Their son had been
murdered by a rich kid, they claimed. There had been a
cover-up, orchestrated by Servenet's CEO Fred McDougall.
The Woods were sick about the idea that a rich kid could
get away with murder. The article mentioned bribery and
her name, Linda S. McDougall. If the DA wouldn't
prosecute their son's killer, the Woods would sue their
county for ten million dollars. "Dad!" Linda cried out.
She looked at Lamm. "Is this true?"
"You tell us."
"I mean, the bribery? Is this true?"
"We're looking into it, but I'm afraid it appears to be
true." `Dad, how stupid can you be?' Linda thought,
shaking her head. `How stupid can you be??!!!'
"So you see, Ms McDougall," Lamm continued, "we're in a
difficult position... My department and the county are
under pressure... to show some results. This is a case
that's generated a helluva lot of publicity. Corruption
in a murder investigation is hardly the kind of publicity
we're looking for."
"Murder investigation? I didn't kill anybody. It was
self-defense... He shot my sister..."
"And you shot him back, didn't you?" Larrousse countered.
"No, it was an accident."
"An accident?" Larrousse asked, knitting his fluffy dark
brows. "Why would your dad resort to a pay-off if it was
just an accident?" "And why would I want to kill that...
I mean, he came after us and he started shooting... What-"
"Ms McDougall," Lamm cut her off, "or may I call you
Linda?" Linda shrugged, but he went on, "Linda then...
Did you know that Matt Wood, the man you shot, was
mentally retarded?"
"No... I didn't. So?"
"We've gathered evidence Matt Wood did not and could not
have kidnapped you and your sisters. If this is true,
what were you doing in Liberty County, hidden in an old
cabin and away from your parents, your friends, and your
schoolmates? Did you run away?"
"Yes..."
"Why?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Why not?" Larrousse butted in.
"I can't," Linda restated, her hands balling up into
tight fists.
"Why?"
"Because I can't!" Linda shouted, standing up. She paced
the small room, shaking her head and whispering to
herself, "I can't... I can't... I just can't..."
* * *
Randolph T. West, Fred McDougall's lawyer, had come to
the police headquarters, curtailing any further
questioning. Self-assured, articulate, penetrating eyes,
wearing a stylish dark blue suit, Randolph T. West
embodied the stereotype of the successful lawyer. Linda
avoided his middle-aged, experienced, inquiring eyes. She
was afraid he was going to ask the same questions the
detectives asked. A few minutes later they arrived home,
driving past the crowd of photographers and journalists
still begging for a comment, the right pose for a photo.
The car came to a halt with a jerk. Then West spoke. "I
am sorry I took so long. I had to take care of your dad
first."
"Is he all right?"
"Shaken-up..."
"Linda!" a female voice shouted.
"Nikki!" Linda saw her sister's grinning face staring at
her. "You're alive!" Linda opened the car door, jumped
out and embraced Nikki, whispering, "You're alive...
You're alive."
"Of course I'm alive... Why-"
"Let's go inside," West interrupted, glancing at the
journalists and then at the two happy, embracing girls.
Mom and the twins waited for them by the front door. Zo
and Jeannie hugged Linda, one after the other, Jeannie
taking a little longer than her twin. Linda told them her
fears. In turn Nikki and the twins explained how the cops
kept them separated, preventing them from speaking to
each other. The cops wanted to hear how the redneck had
died... "Where's Dad?" Linda asked.
"He's in a meeting," Mom answered.
"Meeting?"
"Yes," West said. "The board of directors is having an
emergency meeting..."
"Is Dad going to lose his job?"
"Not right away," West replied, cleaning his sweaty
forehead with an unblemished white handkerchief. "But if
this mess isn't cleared up, he certainly will. Anyway no
charges have been filed yet." Randolph West hashed over
what was going to happen. He would come back and ask some
questions about how the redneck had been shot and why
they had run away... Eventually the lawyer got up and
thanked them for the drink. Mom saw him out. She shut the
door, leaning against it, sighing. "So, are you happy
now?" Mom said, returning to the living room, facing her
eldest daughter.
"Happy?"
"Yes. You just managed to ruin our lives...
Congratulations!"
"Me???? I didn't ask Dad to pay off anyone."
"Yes, but he did that for you."
"Oh no, he didn't. He was a fool... We wouldn't have said
a word about... why we ran away. He should've known that.
But he got scared and instead of trusting us he resorted
to buying cops off... and was caught. He wanted to look
good, he wanted to be the victim and win whatever he was
after... He was greedy and now he's paying for it. So,
don't blame us." "Sure... You always know the right
answer, the right thing to say... but if... you... all of
you... weren't such..."
"Please, don't stop. Shall I help you? Whores, right?"
Their mother shut her eyes, walking to the bar, pouring
scotch into her glass and downing it in one go. She drank
a second, and then went over to the couch, settling down,
hiding her face behind her hands, shaking. "Mom,
please..." Linda said, not knowing whether she should sit
down beside her. For the first time she pitied her mother
-- more a stranger than her real mother.
"I don't know why you hate me so much," Mom sniveled. "I
don't know why you never listen to me. I don't know where
I've failed... I just wanted... I guess... I guess you're
right... I am incapable of loving you... I am incapable
of loving my own daughters..."
"Why?"
Their mother shook her head and then got to her feet.
"I've got to lie down. I feel very weak..."
"D'you want me to help you, Mom?" Jeannie offered.
"No, thanks... I just need to be alone..."
Wobbling, their mother left the living room. They heard
unsteady steps going upstairs. Then only silence.
Nikki looked at her big sister. Linda looked worried.
Nikki got up and stood in front of Big Sis. She bit her
lip. She wanted to hug Big Sis but she feared rejection.
Linda smiled, amused by her sister's shyness. "Come here
and give me a real hug."
Nikki embraced Linda, holding her tight. She didn't dare
to look into Linda's eyes. Nikki felt her body react, her
breathing becoming heavier. She had missed Linda so much,
her touch, her love, her smell, her hands, her
softness... She wanted to kiss Linda but she was sure her
sister wouldn't approve -- not after what they had just
gone through. However, Nikki felt Linda's hands on her
burning cheeks, and turned her head upward. Their eyes
met and Linda kissed her, a deep, long kiss, which made
Nikki breathless, transporting her into another world,
another dimension... Nikki held Linda closer, her breasts
feeling the hardness of Linda's nipples, despite their
bras, her blouse and Linda's dress in between.
`How can we be kissing like this?' Nikki asked herself.
Dad was about to lose his job and go to prison and Linda
could follow him. `I worry too much,' she decided. She
closed her eyes, enjoying Linda's kiss, her sister's lips
sucking her mouth dry, Linda's tongue searching hers, her
sex becoming wet...
They stood there kissing for minutes, which seemed like
hours, centuries of eternal delight. Nikki broke the
kiss, her arms still around Linda's waist. Nikki sighed,
feeling exhausted... but happy... and alive...
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BIRTHDAY PARTY
It was almost surreal to have a birthday party with that
commotion at the gate, on TV and in the newspapers. So
many people called to know the details of the cover-up
and the impending murder and bribery charges. Zo recalled
how doggedly the journalists followed her and Jeannie.
Even at school they weren't out of harm's way. The
reporters would do anything to take their picture or ask
a few "innocent" questions.
Mom had argued against any party. Dad had been formally
indicted. There would be a preliminary hearing soon to
decide whether there was enough evidence for Dad to stand
trial.
"How can you think about a party?" their mother asked,
outraged. "Your dad's about to go to jail. Linda too..."
"My point exactly, Mom," Linda had replied. "I can go to
jail too, but I wouldn't dream of keeping Zo and Jeannie
from having their sixteenth birthday party."
Despite what Mom and Linda said, the case against her
sister wasn't so straightforward, Zo reckoned. The
Liberty County DA didn't have any eyewitnesses other than
herself, Linda, Nikki and Jeannie. In addition, Randolph
West had found out that Matt Wood wasn't mentally
retarded as the detectives claimed. Matt Wood had a
history of violent psychotic behavior. He once terrorized
a couple with his dad's shotgun. On that occasion Matt
had messed with the wrong people. The husband happened to
be an ex-marine, a Gulf War veteran. After a short fight
the ex-marine managed to disarm the redneck, beating the
hell out of him. Shooting Jeannie had apparently been the
redneck's revenge, the coward! This made Zoe's blood
boiled... Since the shooting she had become very
protective toward her twin sister, particularly when it
came to journalists and other busybodies. "Hi, Zo ," said
Jeannie, walking in their room, dropping her books and
backpack on her desk.
"Hi, Jeannie."
"What are you doing here alone?"
"Thinking..."
"About?"
Zo shrugged. "Everything. About our party..."
"Yeah," said Jeannie, letting herself fall on her twin's
bed to lie on her back next to Zo . "Don't feel very
comfortable about the party either... I know Linda means
well but I am scared."
Zo turned over and lay on her stomach, her face only a
few inches from Jeannie's, the weight of her head propped
up by her elbow. Zoe's heart beat faster, feeling it in
her lips, so sensitive had they become. Zo had almost
forgotten the day when all hell broke loose, the day when
Mom caught them in each other's arms, kissing, her hand
caressing Jeannie's sex, enjoying how moist her sister
had become... down there... between her legs. Zo returned
to reality, brushing her golden hair away from her eyes,
pressing her thighs against each other, her face
blushing, trying to hide her lust... `This is no time for
it,' Zo thought. Jeannie was scared. "Why not?"
"Lana's asking a lot of questions... You know how she
is... And Jack still carries a torch for Linda... He
keeps asking Nikki and me how Big Sis is handling all
this... and how worried he is about this murder thing...
And your boyfriend Joey's too damned curious for my
taste..." "Joey's not coming."
"Why?" Jeannie asked, her blue eyes getting wider.
"I didn't invite him. You're right. He's too damned
curious."
"You giving him the shaft?"
Zo shrugged again. "Dunno," she said. Zo saw Jeannie's
eyes becoming even wider. And that look, that connection
between them again sent an electric current through their
bodies, their breathing, their hearts. Zo wished she
could put her hand between her legs. She was becoming so
damned wet. "Jeannie..." her lips whispered.
"Yes?" Jeannie answered, losing strength -- her breathing
as heavy as could be, her eyes half closing. She sensed
her twin sister's desire, her lust for her. It felt so
strange to see a face so similar to her own full of
longing... crazy longing... longing for kisses, for love,
for passion... They had been lovers before...
Zo began to stroke Jeannie's hair, touching her sister's
ear, tickling her, making her giggle nervously. Jeannie
stared into her twin's eyes, seeing Zoe's hesitation. She
raised her hands, holding the face that looked down at
her so lovingly, so breathlessly. Jeannie swallowed,
pulling that face closer until their lips pressed against
each other in a long-lasting kiss. Jeannie, still
commanding, pulled her sister's face against her neck,
indicating that she wanted to be kissed there. Zo covered
her sister's neck with sucking kisses, producing the most
delicious thrills in Jeannie's body. Zoe's hand cupped
Jeannie's breast.
"Oh Zo ," Jeannie moaned, closing her eyes, enjoying the
moment, feeling the heat intensify in her womb, between
her legs. "Zo ... Zo ..." But suddenly, Jeannie opened
her eyes and exclaimed, "Oh no!" "What?" Zo asked,
nonplused, stopping her stroking. She couldn't believe
her sister had changed her mind about making love. "We
forgot that damned door again. Let's lock it before
something happens." Heaving a sigh of relief, Zo stood
up, rushed to the door, turned the key and rushed back to
Jeannie, who waited for her with a longing smile. "You
crack me up," Jeannie said, embracing her sister, who had
landed on top of her, Zoe's leg between her thighs,
exciting a thrill of pleasure all over her body.
"Why?" Zo asked, displaying her uncertain smile.
"Because you went so fast and you came back even faster."
"I was afraid..."
"Of what?"
"I thought you wanted to stop when you said "Oh no!" "Not
a chance, Sis," Jeannie said, grinning now. "You don't
get rid of me that easily."
To drive away Zoe's fears, Jeannie kissed her twin
passionately, wildly, taking control again, surprising
her. "I'm going to kill you now... with kisses..." and
Jeannie gave one, leaving Zo astounded by her sudden
passion, "with caresses all over your body..." and her
fingers slid in through the opening of Zoe's blouse,
going for her sister's right breast, "until you moan, my
dear, and scream for more... and more... and more..." Zo
closed here eyes, letting herself go, entrusting her
entire body, everything, to Jeannie. `Where had she
learned all that?' Zo thought, rolling over, allowing
Jeannie to be on top of her. `With Linda?' Before
jealousy could creep in, Jeannie began to kiss Zo between
her sister's breasts, cupping them, her thumbs feeling
through the texture of her sister's shirt how hard Zoe's
nipples had become. "Like it?"
"Yes..." Zo moaned.
"Good."
Jeannie continued her fondling, kissing, opening her
sister's blouse, her hands going for the snap of Zoe's
bra. With a few laughs and Zoe's help, Jeannie managed to
pop the snap, tugging the bra out through her sister's
sleeve. They looked at each other and laughed again. "Why
are you laughing?" Zo asked.
"Look who's talking..." Jeannie kissed her sister again,
trying to curb her own laughter. "I find this so damned
funny. I like the way you look at me." "What? How?"
"It looks like you want to eat me up alive... that I'm
dessert for you..." "Yes, you are... but don't you get
uppity with me," Zo complained with a smile, "or I'll
have to spank you."
"Hmm," Jeannie replied, still with her wide grin, "that's
sounds divine, my dear... Hmm, please spank me... I am a
bad, bad girl..." Again Jeannie erupted into laughter,
followed by Zo , who started hitting her twin sister's
rear with mock severity, exciting Jeannie incredibly.
Jeannie started moaning, between kisses. Zo stopped the
hitting, regaining her tenderness, feeling the grinding
of Jeannie's mound on her own. "Oh Jeannie... That's
nice... Please go on... That's so fucking nice...
Hmmm... Oohhhh... Gaawwwd..."
"You like it?" Jeannie asked, increasing the grinding of
her mound against Zoe's, still with a smile in her face.
"Yes... Fuck... Yes..." Realizing how hot her sister was
becoming, Jeannie kissed her, hard, her lips crushing
Zoe's so much that it hurt. When the kiss ended, Zo
breathed in deeply and said, "God, you're killing me..."
"I told you... I'm going to kill you... with kisses...
Now we've got the reputation, we might just as well enjoy
it... And by the way, this's not working... Time to get
undressed and under the covers..." "Jeannie!" Zo cried
out, shoving Jeannie off her and straightening herself up
on the bed. She couldn't believe her twin's matter-of-
factness. "We can get caught."
"The door's locked, remember?" Jeannie replied,
unbuttoning her twin's shirt.
"But the bed'll get all messed up... Mom's gonna suspect
it. Mom ain't dumb."
"Tough luck, then." Jeannie smiled, kissing her twin
again, nipping Zoe's doubts in the bud, removing Zoe's
blouse, touching her breasts, feeling Zoe's hard nipples
poking out against the palms of her hands. Zo moaned
again, embracing Jeannie passionately, kissing her again,
falling back on her bed. In the heat of passion,
Jeannie's hand slid down the front of Zoe's faded blue
jeans, caressing Zoe's thighs. Without warning, Jeannie
squeezed Zoe's mound.
"Oh Jeannie," Zo moaned. "I'm gonna come in no time if we
go on like this."
"Not before you take your clothes off. I want to feel you
all over me... baby..."
`Baby?' Zo thought. `Is she imitating Linda now?' In the
meantime, Zo removed all her clothes, including her
panties. Jeannie did the same, joining her in bed, her
shining blue eyes full of lust, pure crazy lust. Those
eyes made Zo melt. `Who cares?' she figured as their
naked bodies touched. `Nothing in all the world can beat
this. NOTHING!' Soon enough, Zo found out how right she
was when her twin's hand touched her sex, so wet, so
fucking wet... "Ooohhhhhh Gaaawwwddd... Fuck...
Jeannie... This is... sooo... fucking... goooood..."
Jeannie's fingers kept working down there, teasing her
sister's sex. They kept kissing because her lips couldn't
get enough of each other... Twin lips, twin breasts, twin
everything...
"Ooohhh Jeannie," Zo moaned again, feeling the trembling
in her cunt that foretold the most incredible wave of
pleasure. To answer in kind, Zo tweaked Jeannie's
nipples, giving her twin sister another kiss. "Ooohhh Zo
," Jeannie moaned, breathing deeply. "Ooohhh Zo... Zo...
ZOE... This's fucking great... fucking GREAT!!!!"
Suddenly Jeannie left her twin's arms, and said, "Well, I
thought I wouldn't ever do this... This can get too
distracting... but... what the hell... I'm so horny..."
"What?"
"69, my dear..." Jeannie replied, with a mischievous
smile. "Probably we'll come together, baby..."
Jeannie straddled her sister and lowered her sex onto
Zoe's mouth. As soon as Zoe's lips and tongue began to
kiss and lick her, Jeannie's head jerked up and she
closed her eyes. Her long blond hair went up and then
flowed down over her shoulders. Her face twitched, and
her mouth opened to deliver the scream of ecstasy bottled
up inside her.
"OOOHHHHH... Zo ... Zoeeeee.... Zooooeeee..."
Jeannie's loins were on fire. She was going to faint with
pleasure. "Gaaawwwddd... Zo ... Lick me there... My
clit... Yes... That's it... Come on, don't stop...
Please... Yes... Come on... Come on... Oh nooo... Yes...
I'm coming... I'm coming... Oh Gawd... Yes... That's
it..." Jeannie bit her lips, and then crumbled on her
sister's body, feeling the most incredible orgasm,
somehow keeping quiet despite the violence of it.
Instinctively her mouth looked for Zoe's pussy, and she
began her licking too. Immediately, Zoe's thighs became
tense. Zo drew her knees up, moaning. "Ooohhh Jeannie...
Jeannie... Fuck... Oooohhh... Damn it... Fuck... That's
it... I love you... I love you... I'm gonna die...
Yes..." With these words, Zoe's hands pushed her twin's
head against her sex, her body pulsating in a mighty
orgasm, overwhelming her with pleasure... and with
love... for Jeannie... her wonderful, beautiful twin...
Zo made her twin turn around to kiss her lips again, to
feel that hot body so like her own... Fuck, Jeannie was
her sister... Her twin sister... This thought alone was
enough to bring Zo close to another orgasm. She squeezed
her thighs together, enjoying that mini-orgasm. They lay
there under the covers and in each other's arms, stroking
each other's hair, reciprocating small kisses to ears,
throats, lips... "You know what," said Jeannie, smiling
down at her twin.
"What?" Zo replied, her fingers sweeping across Jeannie's
golden tresses.
"This a hell of a birthday present, Sis... Thanks."
"You're welcome," Zo answered, almost laughing. "Thank
you."
"Happy birthday, Sis," Jeannie said, widening her grin.
"Happy birthday," Zo replied.
Zo tried not to laugh but laughter won out. Jeannie broke
up too, doubling over. Zo hugged her and pulled that
convulsing, beautiful naked body against her own. They
laughed and laughed until their bellies ached.
* * *
Zo and Jeannie rose from the bed, Jeannie dragging her
twin to the bathroom. They had to take a shower before
the party, or else... "Let's make the bed first," said Zo.
"No, worrywart... First the shower, then the bed. Come
on..." Jeannie turned on the water, checking the
temperature. Soon warm water flowed from the showerhead
and she hopped into the stall. "Come on, Zo ... Playing
hard to get?"
"No!" Zo joined Jeannie, giving her a kiss. "Give me the
soap. I want to lather you up."
"Why?" Jeannie asked, laughing.
"Doesn't matter why."
"Why?" Jeannie couldn't understand why her twin was
blushing red all over. "Why, Zo ?" Zo didn't answer.
Instead, she made another attempt to snatch the soap from
her twin's hand. "No... You have to tell me first."
"OK... I've dreamt about it since-"
"-that shower in the locker room, before we... Is that
it?"
"Yes," Zo breathed out.
It was exciting to see the fire glowing in those blue
eyes, Jeannie thought. She opened her mouth and pressed
her sister's naked body against hers. "Oh Sis..." And she
kissed Zo ... "Oh Sis..." And she gave another kiss, her
cunt becoming wet inside, their bodies streaming with the
water from the showerhead. "Fuck me... Lather me... like
never before... Come on, baby... Do it."
Zo took the soap from Jeannie. Then she kissed Jeannie,
her hot, exciting twin sister... She lathered that
perfect body, full of passion, love, and lust... Jeannie,
in turn, started biting Zoe's ear, kissing her sister's
neck, making her moan.
"Gawd... Zo ... I don't want to leave this shower... I
want to fuck you all day, all week... That'd be great..."
Jeannie's voice trailed off, because Zo had cupped her
breasts, kneading them together. Jeannie grew weak... She
moaned softly against her twin's ear. "Zo ... I love
you." Hearing these words, Zo stopped, her eyes staring
into her sister's. "You do?"
"Yes, I do... But... why do you look so surprised?"
"Because it's the first time you say you love me."
"Really?"
Zo nodded. She couldn't speak.
"Oh I'm sorry, Zo ," Jeannie said, experiencing a sudden
urge to cry, hugging her sister tight. "I love you... I
really do... I don't know why I haven't said it before."
"OK, it doesn't matter," Zo whispered, shaking her head,
trying to forget how much Jeannie cared for Linda too.
"It doesn't matter... Let's make love..."
Zo began the descent, kissing her sister's breasts,
touching hard nipples with knowing fingers, her mouth
going down, going for Jeannie's belly button. The hand
holding the soap kept lathering Jeannie's torso, breasts,
shoulders, arms, and down there, between her sister's
legs. Jeannie trembled, moaned and grew weak... Zo looked
up but Jeannie didn't look down. Her twin had her eyes
closed. Jeannie jerked forward as Zoe's hand touched her
down there, washing her sex, and then rinsing away all
traces of soap. Jeannie moaned once again, whispering her
name and the fact that she loved her... she loved her so
much... Gently, Zoe's mouth kissed Jeannie's pussy,
feeling how dripping wet her sister was. Despite the
water and the soap, she could smell Jeannie's scent. Zo
licked her lips and kissed Jeannie's inner thighs.
"Ooohh Zo ... Hurry... I can't take this waiting any
more... Please, finish me off..."
Zo felt her head being pushed against her twin's sex. Her
tongue followed the folds, the petals of the rose down
there... And the rose opened, engorged by desire... With
a finger, Zo penetrated the hole. With her tongue, she
goaded Jeannie's clitoris on... and the juices mingled
with the water.
"Ooohhh Zo ... Zo ... I'm coming... I'm coming..."
Jeannie's head went straight up and then down. She sighed
deeply, pressing her thighs together, staying still for a
long while, enjoying the orgasm that spread all over her
body, leaving her enervated. She let herself slide down,
her eyes meeting Zoe's. She sat down against the wall of
the shower. "Come here, Zo . Now it's your turn..."
As Zo nestled herself against Jeannie's naked body,
Jeannie raised her legs to clamp her in a comfortable
position. She felt her sister's breasts and nipples
against her back, her sister's hands stroking her
breasts, making her head swim, while the warm water kept
hitting her face, her body... Zo almost passed out when
Jeannie touched her sex, opening the lips, touching it
lightly. This time she didn't moan. She wanted to contain
it. She wanted to concentrate on those hands that were
making her so incredibly hot and so unbelievably weak.
`Jeannie,' she thought, `I love you...'
"I love you too."
Yes... They could read each other's minds... When the
orgasm came, Zo didn't scream, didn't utter a word... She
merely sighed... "Jeannie... Jeannie..."
Suddenly they heard someone banging on the bedroom door.
Instantly Zo rose to her feet, helping her sister up.
Both their hearts pounded. "What?" Zo managed to shout,
wrapping herself in a towel and running to the door while
Jeannie turned off the shower. "Who's there?"
"It's me." Zo recognized Linda's voice. She felt relieved
but a little bit angry too. Linda had ruined her
orgasm... Zo unlocked the door and let her in.
"Are you crazy?" Zo asked, locking the door again. "Why
were you banging the door like that? I thought it was
Mom... or Dad... You really scared us." Linda grinned,
noticing how wet Zoe's hair and skin were. Close to the
bathroom door stood Jeannie, as wet as her twin and
hiding her naked body behind a long pink bath towel. "I
can see why," said Linda, still grinning, noticing the
rumpled sheets and covers on Zoe's bed. "Please, stop it.
You're not funny."
"OK, Zo ... I'm sorry. I just wanted to warn you Mom and
Dad are waiting for you downstairs. They want to leave
before your guests arrive... I banged because the door
was locked and I didn't get any answer. "We were in the
shower," Jeannie intervened. "We didn't hear you." "You
bet you didn't hear me. OK, I'll leave you alone, but
hurry up... The folks don't like to wait... especially
when neighbors are coming to the house that's making TV
news and the front page of every damned newspaper in
town."
"Please..." Jeannie said, almost crying. "Don't be mad at
us..." "I'm not mad at you, baby," Linda said, shaking
her head. She faced Zo and added, "I'm not mad at you
either... I just don't like being yelled at... Come on,
hurry up."
Linda then turned and left them. Jeannie glared at her
twin sister. She was going to say something but her mouth
shut without uttering a sound. Jeannie went on drying her
hair up with her towel, walking to the wardrobe and
ignoring Zo .
"What?" Zo said.
"You promised..." Jeannie replied, throwing her towel
onto her bed and opening the wardrobe.
Zoe's first reaction was to deny it... but Jeannie was
right. She had broken her promise. Zo slumped on her bed,
her head hung down, her long hair covering her face. With
her finger, she began to draw an eight on the naked skin
of her right leg. She didn't see Jeannie had stopped
ignoring her.
Jeannie glanced at her sister. She continued as if
nothing had happened. Her sister, however, seemed to be
in a trance, sitting perfectly still except for her right
hand which moved constantly. Jeannie wanted to ignore it
but her worries became stronger. She tried to look for a
dress to wear... but couldn't. She stared at her sister,
this time her body turning toward her along with her
head... And then something hit her... Zo was crying! "Zo
," Jeannie said, kneeling at her sister's feet, brushing
Zoe's hair away from her face, looking into those sad
blue eyes. "What's wrong? I didn't mean to make you
cry... I just hate it when you're angry... I just can't
deal with it."
"Especially if it's about Linda," Zo sniffled. "Right?"
"Yes... I love you... Can't you see that?"
"But you love Linda too, don't you?"
"Yes... I can't help it, Zo ... And please, don't make me
choose... You two are very important to me... I can't
imagine my life without you... or Linda... And the bond
we have, the love we have... between us... no Linda... no
one can make up for that... We are twins, baby... We are
identical... This is crazy," Jeannie said, shaking her
head, realizing what she was saying, what she was about
to say. Her thumbs wiped her sister's face dry. "This is
crazy, but it's true... We're identical... We're
sisters... twins... No one can get closer to me than
you... Please understand... Please..."
"I do," said Zo , stroking her twin's hair, looking down
at that pair of blue eyes, so eager, so gentle, so
kind... "It's just... It's so hard not to be jealous...
The way you look at Linda... The way you always try to
defend her... I feel left out."
"You know why? Because you're so damned aggressive toward
Linda. You seem to resent her... and I can understand
that... She seems to get everything she wants so
easily... I used to envy her too... Not any more... I
admire her now... I look up to her... And you should
too... because she loves us all... and she's fair... She
never takes sides when there's an argument... The first
thing she does is to end the fight... And don't forget
she saved my life, our lives.... and now she could go to
prison because of that... So try to be gentle with her...
She deserves it."
Zo bit her lower lip, experiencing an almost
insurmountable urge to cry.
"You're right... I'm sorry... I knew all that but I
forgot..." Jeannie smiled, still holding that sad face.
"That's why I'm here... to remind you... Hmm, you're
smiling... That's good... I like it when you smile."
Zo let out a short laugh, drying the corner of her eyes
with her fingers. "OK," she said. "Let's get dressed
before the folks and Linda start complaining... and
banging the door down."
"OK... But before that, I want a kiss... a hard one...
and I want to hear how much you love me."
"I love you," Zo answered, grinning, kissing Jeannie,
bringing her closer to her body and within her arms. She
shook when she felt her twin's naked body against her
own.
"Only that much?" Jeannie inquired, breaking their kiss.
"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you..." Zo
whispered, between kisses.
"Only that much?"
"A million times, then..."
"Only that much?"
"Ad infinitum..."
"Only that much?" they cried out simultaneously,
laughing. "Yes," Jeannie said, staring at her twin,
smiling, feeling happy and glowing from the inside, in
her sister's arms.. "That much..."
* * *
Linda waited in the hall, keeping herself apart from the
others. Mom hugged both Jeannie and Zo , whispering a few
words to them, smiling... Mom had changed, Linda
realized. It was weird but Mom seemed a different person
as far as her daughters were concerned. She didn't nag so
much any more. She was silent much of the time, lost in
thought... Since the scandal about the bribery charges
her parents' social life had been turned upside down.
Many of their so-called "friends" didn't want to be seen
in public with them. This evening Mom and Dad would have
to settle for an intimate dinner dance for two.
Linda's friends hadn't reacted much better either -- it
seemed far more important to know the last details about
the scandal than to show any sign of emotional support
and understanding. Nikki's friends -- such as Lana --
seemed to be the exceptions that proved the rule. The
only bad thing about Lana was her dating Jack Corbett.
She could feel Jack's staring, his covert looking, which
made her uneasy. Lana was such a good friend... and the
last thing Linda wanted was to hurt Lana.
"Bye, kids," Dad called out, opening the main door. "Have
fun."
"Bye, Dad," Linda replied. "We will."
"Bye, Linda," said Mom, waving her good-bye, evoking a
feeling in Linda that something didn't seem right about
that gesture. "Where's Nikki?" "She's upstairs. She
couldn't decide which dress to wear."
"OK, we've got to go. Give her a kiss for me, will you?"
"Sure, Mom," Linda answered, blinking.
Once their parents left, Jeannie shut the door. Without
losing a second, Jeannie rushed to Linda.
"Look," said Jeannie, showing Linda Mom's and Dad's
presents, a gold necklace and a Nikon camera. Photography
was becoming one of Jeannie's passions... Scott Rowan
started it... He worked as a part-time assistant to a
famous Hollywood photographer. He got to meet all those
movie stars and famous people... or at least he bragged
about it. "Now I can take the picture of you all,"
boasted Jeannie.
"Stop it!" yelled Linda, giggling, hiding her face from
the camera and the blinding flashes. "Stop it... I can't
see a damned thing... Go, go away... And you, Zo ... What
did you get?"
"The same necklace, and a couple of books I wanted to
read and a 350-dollar check to cover the difference
between Jeannie's camera and the books I got." "Hi, you
guys... What's this screaming all about?"
"Nikki!" the three sisters cried out with one voice.
"Like it?" Nikki smiled.
"What the hell..." Linda mumbled.
Linda as well as the twins were floored. Nikki looked
breathtaking. She was wearing a long dress made of black
lace, with flowing folds, tracing the curves of her
beautiful body, giving a hint of her shapely legs.
Nikki's lips shone with pink lipstick, her blue-gray eyes
glittered... and the perfume she was wearing... Linda
couldn't believe that woman... girl?... was her sister
Nikki. "Nikki, what-" Nikki didn't answer. Nikki just
walked up to her astonished Big Sis, threw her arms
around her neck and kissed her until Linda urged her to
stop. Linda took a deep breath. "Where did you get that?"
"Borrowed from Mom... That's why I took so long."
"Yeah... I don't think Mom would appreciate it."
"I know... but I did it for you... I wanted to surprise
you." Linda was about to answer but the doorbell rang.
Linda withdrew from Nikki's embrace while Jeannie
scrambled to the front door. "Wait," Nikki said, smiling,
"you're covered with lipstick." Nikki's fingers attempted
to obliterate the last traces of lipstick on Linda's face
when Lana and Jack appeared in the hall, at the foot of
the stairs. Linda smiled at them, blushing.
Their guests delivered the usual congratulations and
handed over their birthday presents. Jeannie and Zo
shrieked with delight. Lana and Jack had gotten them
tickets for a Pearl Jam's gig. The twins hugged them,
burbling how grateful they were. In the living room, Jack
commented on how stunning Nikki looked. Almost
immediately he corrected himself, saying how stunning all
of them looked.
Linda smiled... That was the old Jack she knew, always
charming. During the evening there were a few telephone
calls for the twins -- would-be guests congratulating
them on their birthday but at the same time explaining
why they couldn't come. Excuses and more excuses... The
sisters and everybody in that living room knew that. Soon
it became evident that Lana and Jack would be the only
guests showing up at the party. Realizing this, Jeannie
began to cry. Linda and Zo tried to cheer her up with
jokes and consolation... Lana proposed a game...
twister... But you only turn sixteen once... and the
twins' party was ruined... irrevocably. When Lana and
Jack finally left, Linda looked at Nikki and then at
Jeannie, whose head was resting on her lap. "Jeannie,
Nikki and I have a surprise for you... and Zo ..."
"What kind of surprise?" Jeannie asked, opening her eyes.
"One of our presents... to you and Zo ..." Linda made
Jeannie straighten up on the couch, and stood up. "Wait
here... and don't move... Nikki and I, we've got to go
upstairs and get ready... Zo , sit down next to
Jeannie... We won't be long." Linda smiled a cryptic
smile, grabbing Nikki's hand.
Linda and Nikki giggled and left the living room, dashing
upstairs. Zo slid closer to her twin sister. Jeannie
looked at her and asked, "Did you know about this?"
"No. Did you?"
"No... But I'm so curious I almost can't wait... What do
you think they're up to?"
"Beats me," Zo replied, holding her twin's hand and
feeling moisture building between her legs,.
They waited in the living room, anxiously. Jeannie was
about to go upstairs and spy on Linda and Nikki when they
heard footsteps. "OK, you guys," they heard Linda say
from the hall. "Here we come... Get ready." The stereo in
the living room was suddenly turned on -- Linda must have
taken the remote control with her, Zo assumed. The
rhythmic beat of Madonna's Erotica resounded in the room,
and in Jeannie's and Zoe's eager bodies. Linda and Nikki
sashayed in, wearing two silky, see-through kimonos --
Mom's. The twins followed every move, every dance step
their older sisters performed. Slowly Nikki and Linda
began to undress, without missing a step, a beat of the
contagious music. Jeannie crushed Zoe's hand, her
breathing speeding up. Zo kissed her twin on the cheek.
Zo couldn't help it. She was getting excited by her older
sisters' striptease act, her sex becoming wet all over.
She liked it when Linda almost kissed Nikki, and vice
versa, when their fucking hot bodies rubbed against each
other, silk against silk, breasts against breasts, thighs
against thighs, their eyes locked onto one another in a
loving look, full of desire for each other. Zo swallowed,
her breathing becoming heavier... And the music, the
beat, didn't stop. Madonna's sensual voice singing in the
background... `Oohhh, this's getting too much,' Zo moaned
inwardly. She wanted to get rid of her own dress and play
with herself. Slowly, very slowly, Linda and Nikki
uncovered their shoulders, following the beat of the
music, pulling their breasts up, going for a kiss... but
their lips wouldn't touch each other. They were teasing
them, Jeannie realized. `Please, kiss...' Jeannie pleaded
mentally. `Please, kiss... Kiss...KISS!!!' Jeannie
glanced at her twin, finding the same desire as her own
glimmering in Zoe's blue eyes. Jeannie extended a kiss
because their older sisters wouldn't.
Linda and Nikki, one by one, opened their kimonos and
took off each other's bras, feeling each other's breasts,
their mouths still teasing and teasing one another with a
kiss that was suggested but not consummated. Linda's
hands stroked Nikki's belly, brushing up her sister's
body, breasts, erect nipples... Nikki moaned... She bit
her lips while Linda licked her own, whispering, "Sis..."
Jeannie couldn't wait any longer. She kissed Zo again,
unbuttoning her sister's dress. Without missing the
action, the twins got out of their own dresses and hugged
each other close, their hands touching each other's
breasts through the fabric of their bras. Zo jolted
forward when Jeannie's hand slid inside her panties,
caressing her pussy, so wet, so deliciously wet.
Finally Linda and Nikki kissed. Jeannie sighed, kissing
Zo, increasing the rhythm of her caresses in her twin's
sex. Zo began to wriggle on the couch, moaning, closing
her eyes, her head resting on Jeannie's shoulder. "Oh,
Jeannie," Zo murmured. "Don't stop... Please..." Linda
pulled Nikki's panties down, kneeling in front of her
sister, sucking her belly button, her hand patting
Nikki's blond patch, going up and down, teasing her,
making her sister yearn, beg for her touch down there,
the pleasure-dome.
The music, the rhythm, Madonna's voice... Every detail
spun around in Zoe's head... and Jeannie's hands kept
rubbing her pussy, her twin's fingers penetrating her
from time to time. "Fuck me harder," Zo whispered in
Jeannie's ear. "Fuck me... Please..."
"Your wish is my command," quipped Jeannie, breathing in
deeply, watching Linda licking Nikki's pussy. Nikki
moaned, uttering throaty screams of pleasure as though
she was having trouble breathing. Nikki's body was naked
except for the see-through kimono, her breasts uncovered,
her nipples protruding, her long hair brushing her
shoulders to the rhythm of Erotica. Nikki looked down at
her sister. She wanted to kiss her and thank her for all
the pleasure, all the love she was giving her. Linda's
tongue on her clitoris, though, prevented her moving
much. Her body glowed with warmth, her nipples hard as
bullets. Nikki pinched them in response to Linda's
licking and caressing her... Nikki moaned, glancing at
the twins, who were kissing frantically, Jeannie's hands
buried in Zoe's panties. Nikki closed her eyes, almost
fainting... `A dream, this must be a dream,' she thought.
The throbbing down there began and Nikki sighed. "Lick me
there, Linda...
Please, put your tongue inside me... Please, I need it."
The climax reached her like an atomic explosion and her
juices streamed down her legs, her cunt filled up by
Linda's now-motionless tongue. The throbbing subsided,
but the delicious, inebriating feeling of Linda's tongue
against the walls of her cunt maintained the pleasure...
She made Linda stand up and kissed her on the lips,
tasting herself, her love juices mixed with the wonderful
taste of Linda's mouth, her tongue... They both turned to
see the twins' heated lovemaking. Jeannie licked her
sister's pussy and as usual Zo was very vocal about it,
swearing, moaning, squirming...
"I love you," Linda said, facing Nikki, her green eyes
shining with happiness. Nikki could see how elated was
her sister, her beautiful Big Sis. They kissed and moved
to the music, which was playing for the fourth time,
breasts against breasts, mounds against naked thighs, and
the exciting feeling of silk around them... Nikki's hands
invaded Linda's vagina when Zo announced with screams her
latest orgasm.
Linda closed her eyes, focusing on the hand that suffused
her with such incredible, awesome pleasure. She bit her
sister's ear and Nikki's moans joined with Jeannie's.
Then Linda opened her eyes and glanced to spy on her twin
sisters, still making love on the couch. Jeannie was
being finger-fucked by Zo . Suddenly, Jeannie's head fell
back with a jerk, her throat muscles drawn tight. Jeannie
looked so frail then, in the throes of her mighty
orgasm... and a strange idea come over Linda. She would
have liked to be a vampire now, to bite Jeannie's neck
and suck out her blood. This strange though exciting
thought was enough -- she climaxed immediately, squeezing
Nikki's naked body against her own, sighing deeply. Linda
took Nikki to an armchair. They settled there, Nikki on
Linda's lap, kissing her lovingly, unaware of Linda's
guilt. Linda didn't feel guilty about making love with
Nikki, no... It was because of that strange thought
coming out of nowhere... She wouldn't dream of hurting
Jeannie. Why had she become so turned on by that thought?
Becoming a vampire?... Geez!!!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: OF THE MIGHTY AND THE WEAK
Linda entered the imposing room with its paintings by old
masters hanging on oak paneling, and its bookcases of old
law books. Randolph West was writing, comparing files and
documents, looking left and right and then right and
left, a caricature of the man of success in his field. He
looked up at Linda over the top of his glasses, and waved
at her, "Come... come..." as if she were a dog or a
little child.
"Sit down," he said, with a commanding voice, still busy
with his papers. A few minutes ticked away before he put
the paperwork aside and called his secretary over the
intercom. "Donna, would you bring Ms McDougall's file?
Right away?"
There was a quick answer and the file was on his desk in
no time. The red-haired, fortyish secretary disappeared
as fast as she dashed in. West let his slanting smile
appear for a short moment, as if he was pleased by his
eloquent display of power.
"Now, then... Here we are... Linda... I'll be honest with
you... and I hope you will be honest with me. I'll not
call this an open-and-shut case but the prosecution had
to indict you and your dad for the reasons we all know. I
managed to reschedule the hearings... You will be first,
and I expect a quick dismissal of the case against you...
Everybody knows what the Woods are after... and they know
what kind of man their son was... A quick dismissal of
your case will help your dad enormously. Are you
following me?" Linda was getting irritated with his
patronizing tone of voice. Of course she was following
him! With her grades she was sure she would enter Harvard
or Yale or any Ivy League college... She was no dumb
blonde. The hell with stereotypes!
"Are you following me?" he repeated.
"Yes," she said, controlling herself. No point in making
an enemy. "All right... However, I have to ask you a few
questions. I hate surprises in the middle of a hearing...
where the judge will decide between a dismissal or a
trial."
He proceeded, asking her about personal information and
other inconsequential questions about her family,
friends, school, grades -- did she glimpse some surprise
in his eyes? Then he went further, dealing with how
Jeannie had been shot and how the redneck died. Linda
noticed the slightly confusing questions and how he
played her, trying to see if she contradicted herself...
He eventually gave a satisfied grunt, consulting the
documents in her file, pushing the glasses up his nose.
"Now let's go back a little further," West suggested. "I
talked to your dad about this... I've got the testimonies
of your sisters... and yours... and frankly this is the
weakest point of our defense... There are a lot of
contradictions... Take your sister Zo , for instance...
She stated you ran away because she hated school...
Jeannie says it was because you said so... Nikki, because
all of you couldn't stand your parents any longer... Your
dad tried to explain all this to me but I am still not
convinced." The crucial time had arrived, Linda thought.
Dad and Linda and her sisters had prepared themselves for
this... Dad had coached them well... Convincing West
about the accuracy of their statements was the key to the
hearings. "All that's true. Zo wanted to leave the
cheerleader squad and there are witnesses to that... All
Zoe's and Jeannie's friends know how Zo stormed out of
cheerleading practice a couple of days before we ran
away. You have dozens of witnesses right there... Mom and
Dad got mad because of that... That's why Nikki says we
couldn't stand our parents any more... I thought how
unfairly Mom and Dad were handling it. If I see someone
being treated unfairly, I can't just stand there and do
nothing... I just can't." "I'm aware of that... I
interviewed a few people who know you, friends and
teachers... They think highly of you... So... Was that
the reason why you run away?... Because Zo hated school,
your parents became unreasonably mad at you and you tried
to defend your sisters... Is that it?" "Part of it,
yes..."
"Part of it? Is there something else?"
"Yes."
"Come on, let's hear it."
Linda sighed and said, "Mom hit me and I hit her back...
That's when I decided to run away."
West removed his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose,
his fingers reaching for the corner of his eyes. He stood
still for a while in that position, as if he was
measuring the consequences of Linda's last statement.
"Hmm," he grumbled, his glasses back on his nose but
sliding down. He went through his papers, read a couple
of them, and then asked, "Hmm... Why did she hit you?"
"She was complaining we never do what she says... And I
told her it was because she didn't care about us... She
never did... Then she hit me." "Hmm..." The lawyer
reclined in his comfortable leather swivel chair,
thinking, scratching his ear and the hair above it.
"Hmm..." A few "hmms" later, he dismissed her. Dad was
waiting in the lobby for his turn with Randolph T. West.
Linda was supposed to wait for her father right there, on
that huge leather couch, being ogled at by the
secretaries and the lawyers and other clients of the
firm.
Linda had become a celebrity. She had been asked for talk
shows and offered acting parts. Even Zo and Jeannie
hadn't escaped the media turmoil. A casting director
called and asked whether the twins would consider showing
up at a popular sitcom. Mom and Dad declined all offers,
however. It was inappropriate. Fortunately the twins were
sensible enough to see through it -- how casting
directors and the TV and the media in general can
manipulate and trick and deceive just to make a few extra
bucks. If the twins were ugly, would anyone care about
them? Maybe, but not for acting parts... To be pitied and
held up to ridicule in a talk show then? Almost
certainly. "Hi, there!" a male voice greeted. Linda
looked up and saw an attractive young "suit", dimples in
his cheeks, and a Tom Cruise-look-alike look. `Is this
becoming the reality version of The Firm movie?' Linda
asked herself. Tom Cruise was cute, everybody knew
that... and this guy was definitely cute.
"Hi..."
"I'm Andrew Thomas," he said, shaking her hand. "Just
call me Andy... Everybody does... I work here... and... I
was passing by... and... I was wondering if you wanted
some coffee..."
Linda smiled, stopping short of laughing. A pick-up line
she knew too well... But he was cute... and she would
rather be speaking to someone than sitting alone and
feeling she was being ogled at by everybody who happened
to be in the lobby or who was passing through.
"I'd appreciate it," she said.
Expeditiously he left and came with their cups of coffee
and sat down next to her, initiating small talk. Linda
learned he was an associate of the firm, dealing with
boring stuff like accountancy and wills... Suddenly, he
stopped and said, "May I say something?"
"What?"
"It may sound odd... or that I'm being too forward... but
I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
Linda's eyes blinked, then laughed, "Yeah, right... I
guess you say that to every girl you meet."
"That's not true... Ask anyone in the firm... I'm a
serious person..." He got to his feet and raised his
voice, asking Verna and Paula whether he was a serious
person or not. The secretaries giggled. He was trying to
impress her, to show her how well he could handle people,
how popular he was in that firm. That same loud display
of his popularity was not being appreciated by Linda,
though. He could be cute... but his attitude stank. Dad
came to her rescue. Andy Thomas sprang to his feet, shook
Dad's hand and complimented him on having such a
beautiful daughter. West glared at him. Andy Thomas
swiftly retreated down the hall on the left, casting a
last glance at Linda.
Linda was relieved when Dad brought her downstairs to the
parking lot. In the car, Dad said, "West was impressed
with you... and most important, he believed you."
"He did?"
"Yes. Good job, Linda."
Her first reaction was to thank him... But no, she owed
him nothing.
"We're going to win this case... You'll see."
Linda didn't reply. Dad was cocksure about their
chances... Another ace up his sleeve?
* * *
To Linda's surprise, things worked out as her father
predicted. The cases against both of them were dropped.
The Woods were bought off with a financial settlement.
They grumbled and squirmed but in the end they took the
deal -- on their lawyer's advice. The witnesses against
Dad mysteriously changed their minds, saying there had
simply been a misunderstanding. The Liberty county's
assistant DA was reluctant to drop the case but her
superiors ordered her to do just that. And that was the
end of it -- The People vs. Fred McDougall case.
Despite Fred McDougall having successfully gotten rid of
his accusers, he didn't get his job back. His reputation
was tainted and he was no longer CEO material, the
Servenet directors explained. So he decided to move to
the East Coast and start his own software company. They
moved to Florida and bought a new house a few minutes'
drive from the beach. They would start all over as a
family.
Little by little that dream seemed to be within reach.
Mom and Dad tried to spend more time with them. Nikki
mused, however, that their parents' newly found love for
family life was sometimes a nuisance. Their freedom of
movement was curtailed and their social life was
scrutinized more closely. Luckily, Mom started working
again, as Dad's secretary. That gave them many hours of
precious freedom.
One day after school Nikki hurriedly slipped on her
bikini, and jeans and blouse. She and Linda were to meet
at the beach. Linda had turned eighteen two weeks before
and Nikki was seventeen now, and proud of it. She would
soon be able to decide about her life -- her life with
Linda... Today was the last day before Linda left for
college. Now that all their boyfriends were out of the
picture, Nikki was sure Linda would be her life companion
-- for better or for worse, and to hell with what people
might think. Nikki jumped on her mountain bike and
accelerated down the hill that led to the beach. She wore
shades, a sort of military cap and an unending smile. Her
hair tied in a ponytail trailed freely behind her, blown
by the breeze in her face that came inland off the ocean.
She couldn't cycle fast enough, passing through red
lights and taking short cuts down stairs and across
lawns. When Nikki arrived, Linda was already there,
waiting for her at Ruby's, the beach's coolest hangout.
Ruby's was a sort of caf that catered to young people,
mostly teenagers. Linda sat at a table, looking "cool"
with her shades on and drinking her favorite -- freshly
pressed orange juice. Nikki was jealous when she realized
Linda wasn't alone. A guy sat at her table with a can of
beer in his hand.
"Hi, Linda," she greeted, dismounting from her bike.
"Ready?" "Yup... Bye... Gotta go," said Linda, turning to
the young man at her table.
When they were out of earshot Nikki asked, "Who's that
guy?"
Linda smiled, chuckling. "Jealous?"
"No... I just want to know who he is."
Linda kept smiling, staring at her sister, who shied away
from eye contact with her. "You want to know who he
is...? And if I tell you I don't know him, would you
believe me?"
This time Nikki looked up, facing her sister. "Don't you
know him?" "No, silly... He was just trying to hit on
me... You should know better than that."
"Really?"
"You start sounding like Jeannie... Come on, let's go
home."
Looking back, Linda saw that the guy had returned to his
red MG sportscar.
She noticed him staring, and the way he looked away when
their eyes met. "Don't look now but the guy's gonna
follow us," said Linda, getting on her mountain bike,
pulling up her black shorts and checking how she looked
in her sister's shades.
She looked back once more and then, turning to her
sister, said, "Let's go."
The sisters accelerated down the avenue that ran
alongside the beach. As Linda predicted, the red MG
promptly moved into the middle lane from its spot at the
curb and rolled leisurely behind them. Suddenly Linda
pointed to the left, warning Nikki she was going to turn
into a side street. "Follow me," she said.
Nikki nodded and cycled behind Big Sis, avoiding two
honking cars. The drivers screamed obscenities, furious
with the girls' sudden maneuver to the left. `We're
cycling dangerously,' Nikki thought. It was the only way
to shake off Linda's stalker, though. They looked back
from time to time, making sure the red convertible was
not behind them any more. Linda smiled at Nikki when the
red MG was no more to be seen. They stopped by a cafe.
The owner's family spoke a strange language --
Portuguese -- but they served a helluva good espresso.
That's what they'd go for. As they sat down, the owner,
Mr. Pontes, came over to their table. A chunky man with a
mustache, he displayed his usual welcoming smile and
carried a small notebook and a pen behind his right ear.
Linda and Nikki liked the funny way Mr. Pontes spoke
English, the way he talked about his country, the
nostalgia he felt for the green hills around his home
town. He had given them his mother's address when they
showed an interest in visiting his country.
"She's very happy to invite you," he said.
Linda and Nikki curbed their smiles but they loved him
for his generosity and openness.
After exchanging the usual greetings and compliments,
Linda and Nikki ordered their espressos and two delicious
Portuguese pastries called past is de nata. When he left
with the order, Linda smiled at Nikki, lifting her shades
up on her hair. Nikki smiled back at her. Linda wanted to
reach out over the table for her sister's hand, to
intertwine her fingers with Nikki's, to say how much she
loved her. Instead, she laid her hand on the table, a
couple of inches away from Nikki's, and whispered, "What
would he say if now I held your hand and we kissed?"
Nikki laughed, her quiet gaze turning into an intense,
loving stare. "I don't know... But I'd love to..." Their
eyes locked onto each other. It was impossible to break
that spell. So much so that they didn't even notice how
close her faces were.
"You don't mean that," Linda said, exerting herself to
articulate the words properly in spite of her heavy
breathing.
"Yes, I do. I don't give a damn about what people say.
I'm beyond that now... I love you and I want everybody to
know it."
"We can't," Linda said, her face pulling away from
her sister's. "Even if we could, that'd be extremely
risky to me, you, Dad, Mom, the twins... They could re-
open the case against me or even Dad." "I'm sorry," Nikki
muttered, looking down. "I didn't think about that."
"Don't be sad," Linda said, holding her sister's hand,
forgetting her earlier qualms about public displays of
affection. "I just don't want you to get hurt..."
Nikki shrugged, still sad. Linda was about to scold
herself over her inane proposal when Mr. Pontes came back
with their order. As always, he chatted with them for a
while before he left. Nikki faked a smile, sliding her
shades back on. Linda and Mr. Pontes did most of the
talking while Nikki kept her head down. Linda heaved a
sigh of relief when he left. "Nikki, look at me... Look
at me... What happened?"
Nikki shrugged again. "Nothing... I don't want to talk
about it... here..." This time they downed their
espressos and past is de nata with little enthusiasm.
They soon left the caf , waving good-bye to Mr. Pontes
and his wife, and hurried over to their bikes.
"Let's go home," Linda said, unlocking her bike.
"No, I don't want to. Let's go to the beach."
"No, I think we're gonna fight... You're sad because I'm
leaving, aren't you? We've been through this before...
I've gotta go... This my future... our future."
"I know, Linda... I know... but I can't help feeling sad.
I can't." "You'll join me in no time. We'll be one year
apart, Nikki... Surely you can survive without me that
long."
"My grades aren't as good as yours. Suppose I don't get
the grant. Suppose I don't get in."
"You WILL get in, Nikki. Think positive and work hard for
it. It's the only way..."
"But SUPPOSE I don't get in. Then what?"
Linda stayed quiet for a moment. With a seemingly serious
look, she said, "Then you'll get married to an old fat
man and have lots of kids." "This's serious, dammit.
Don't make jokes about it." "I'm sorry... I didn't want
to hurt you. I just-" Linda interrupted herself, shaking
her head. "Doesn't matter. Let's go or we'll have the
whole street staring at us."
Linda and Nikki cycled off together without speaking. The
joy Nikki felt earlier vanished into thin air. Nikki
gazed at the people on the sidewalk, keeping her anger in
check. She saw a couple and their children walking by,
laughing. Two well-dressed women came out of a store,
talking loudly and praising each other for their
purchases. `People without a care in the world,' Nikki
thought with bitterness.
Suddenly someone called, "Nikki... What are you doing
here?" Nikki stopped and looked back, recognizing Jeff
Steinberg, a guy she'd met at school who had the hots for
her. He was attractive but guys weren't her major
priority at the moment. Jeff kept asking her out. He was
persistent as hell... Under other circumstances, she
would consider him as dating material... No, guys were
out of the picture, she decided. She loved Linda. Her
sister was all that mattered.
Jeff introduced his two friends. Without paying much
attention to their names, Nikki became aware of their
style of clothing -- grunge all over. Grunge was dead,
the media said... Not to these guys, Nikki thought,
almost smiling in spite of herself. Nikki introduced
Linda to them, observing the gaping expression of the
redhead wearing a black Nike cap. His friends laughed and
made fun of the way he stared at Linda. The redhead got
mad but he bit his tongue, keeping his eyes away from
Linda. Once again Jeff tried to win Nikki over. He was a
smooth talker. He knew the rights words to say. But no,
this is not what she wanted... Nikki wanted to leave but
she didn't know how. She looked at Linda but her sister
ignored them, leaning on the handlebars of her bicycle,
watching the traffic. "OK. If you say no, I'll ask your
sister then."
"Be my guest," Nikki replied.
Jeff stepped off the sidewalk and went over to Linda.
Nikki watched them talk. She didn't pay attention to the
words, only to the small nervous twitches on Jeff's face
and Linda's smile, the smile of an All-American girl who
knows exactly what she wants. All Nikki could see was how
Linda shook her head. She was saying no, obviously.
Knowing Jeff, though, his acceptance of the no could take
hours.
Nikki had a slight start when she heard Linda say,
"Nikki, let's go." Nikki followed Linda, ignoring Jeff's
promise he would call. The girls were on their way again,
leaving the guys behind. They sure would talk about them,
Nikki realized -- how good Linda looked... what a babe
she was... Nikki breathed out deeply... She was going to
lose Linda... She knew that. They couldn't even hold
hands in public... Her sister wouldn't allow it. How
could she compete with a guy? Or even another girl?
Surely Linda would allow them to hold hands and kiss her
in front of her friends... Nikki swallowed... There was
no hope for them... Who were they trying to fool? With
this cruel question rumbling in her head, Nikki realized
they had cycled to the beach, and not home. She saw Linda
get off her bike and lock it. Without a word or a
lookback, Linda strolled onto the beach, her head down,
brushing her hair back over her right ear. Nikki followed
behind. Linda chose a spot on the warm, inviting sand and
let herself flop down. Nikki slumped down next to Linda,
gazing at the beachgoers enjoying the late afternoon
sunshine. After the longest time Nikki said, "Linda?"
Linda's eyes faced Nikki. "Yes?"
"I've been thinking... about us..."
"Yes?" Linda asked, showing her impatience.
"It's no use going on."
"What do you mean?"
Nikki shook her head, looking at the waterline. "I mean,
we should stop everything between us. It's no use...
We're just fooling ourselves with something that can't
be."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm gonna lose you sooner or later... It's better now
than later."
"Why?"
"Because it'll hurt less..."
"But why do you think you're going to lose me?" Nikki
stared at Linda. There was a strange glitter in those
green eyes. Was it despair or the pain of being dumped?
"We can't kiss... We can't do anything... We can't even
hold hands... What's the use of that? I want everybody to
know that I love you, that we belong to each other but we
can't, you say..."
"Oh come on, Nikki... Don't you blackmail me."
"I'm not blackmailing you. I'm just telling you how I
feel." "Yes, but you're trying to make me feel guilty.
You know I am thinking about our future... The world's
cruel, Nikki. "They" maim and kill people for less...
Look at the gay bashing and the racism..." Linda paused,
sighing, staring at the breakers, facing the breeze.
After a short moment of silence, Linda turned her face to
Nikki. "People are killed for being different, Nikki...
and that happens every day." "One more reason for us to
break up."
"Is that what you really want?"
Nikki swallowed, feeling a knot in her throat. Her heart
said no but head said yes. She nodded.
"OK," Linda said, getting up and looking away, "I
understand. We're through."
Nikki watched Linda ambling away. Big Sis didn't look
back. Linda kept staring down at the sand as she shuffled
off. Nikki saw her sister walking out of her life --
literally.
Nikki stood up and returned to her bike. It surprised her
that neither of them cried, as they both knew sooner or
later they both would. `Whatever,' she thought, trying to
shrug off the breakup. `We're getting older... Crying is
for babies...' She mounted her bike, glancing at the
sunset and deciding against wearing her shades. She
cycled home furiously, strongly exerting herself, sweat
streaming under her arms. She went in through the back
door, going around Zo . Her sister was in the way,
babbling with someone over the kitchen phone. Nikki raced
up to her room. She locked the door and threw herself
down on her bed, her back to Linda's. `Wrong move,' she
thought. `This place stinks of Linda...' She was mad...
mad at herself and at the world which didn't let them be.
It hurt inside... It HURT... Nikki closed her eyes,
sitting up on the bed, embracing her drawn up legs...
Tears flowed in spite of herself. Crying is for babies,
she recalled... And "Baby" was what Linda called her...
Her baby... No... Nikki shook her head... Not any more...
and not ever...
* * *
Jeannie glanced at the kitchen clock. Mom and Dad were
due back any minute now. It was 8 PM, almost dinnertime
and Linda hadn't yet come back. Jeannie learned from Zo
that Nikki was locked up in her room and refusing to talk
to anyone. It was obvious her older sisters had
quarreled. Zo watched Jeannie pacing the kitchen. Her
twin fretted about where Big Sis's was and the reason for
the spat.
"Jeannie, stop pacing like that... It's getting on my
nerves." Jeannie opened her mouth to utter an angry reply
when she heard Dad parking his Buick in the driveway.
Jeannie ran out of the back door to meet them. "Mom," she
screamed. "Mom..."
"What, Jeannie?" her mother said, getting out of the car
and looking with concern at her youngest daughter. "What
happened?" "I don't know," Jeannie breathed out, stopping
in front of her mother, "but Nikki and Linda had a fight
and Linda hasn't come back home... I-" "Wait," Mom
interrupted her. "Not so fast. Tell me what happened,
slowly." Jeannie breathed in and out once. She slowed
down and started again, telling her parents all she knew
and how worried she was. "Probably she's at a friend's,"
Dad suggested.
"No, she isn't, Dad... I don't think Linda would go to
see a friend if she's upset."
"Maybe I should go and talk to Nikki," Mom said
thoughtfully, walking in the back door. "Maybe she can
tell us where Linda is."
* * *
Nikki heard a knock on the door. `It must be Mom... or
Dad,' she thought. She'd heard their car pull up in the
driveway and Jeannie's short confab with the folks in the
back yard.
"Nikki, it's me..." Mom's muffled voice called out from
the hall. "Let me in."
Reluctantly Nikki jumped out of her bed and unlocked the
door. Before her mother had time to come in, Nikki jumped
back onto her bed, lying on her stomach, her hands making
an attempt to fluff up the pillow. "Nikki, are you all
right?"
Nikki shrugged, her eyes shut and her face turned away
from her mother's stare.
"D'you know where Linda is?" Nikki heard. Her mother drew
closer and sat on the edge of her bed. When Mom touched
her, Nikki moved away, removing her mother's hand from
her hair. "Nikki, look at me... I'm talking to you."
"What?" Nikki said, rolling over and facing her mother
for the first time.
"I want to know where your sister is. It's 8 PM and your
sister isn't home. You know very well your sister never
comes home this late without calling in... I know you two
went cycling together... So please tell me where she is."
Nikki shrugged again, looking away. She made an all-out
effort not to cry but she was unable to stop the tears.
Mom hugged her, hushing her. Mom's hug lasted longer than
Nikki would have cared for in other circumstances. The
unbearable pain she felt inside was still very much
alive. She needed that closeness.
"Nikki... Tell me what happened. Did you two fight?"
Nikki nodded, removing herself from her mother's embrace,
wiping the tears away from her eyes and cheeks.
"Why?"
"You wouldn't understand," Nikki answered with a troubled
voice.
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Nikki, your sister's out there and it's dark. Maybe
she's in trouble and you're not helping..."
"You wouldn't understand... And besides I don't know
where she is. All I know is that we cycled to the beach,
we argued, and I came back home." "Alone?"
"Yes..."
"Why? What were you fighting about?"
"Please, don't ask..." Nikki pleaded, sniffing and
averting her mother's eyes.
"Because Linda's leaving?"
Nikki looked at her mother, surprised by her insight.
"How did you know?" Her mother shut her eyes, becoming
sad. Seeing her mother's reaction, Nikki added, "I warned
you... You wouldn't understand..." "No, you wrong,
Nikki," Marge replied, looking into her daughter's eyes
which grew noticeably wider. "I do understand... That's
the problem." "What do you mean?"
"You have to promise me you won't tell anybody about
this... I will never forgive you if you do. Not even to
your sisters, and certainly not to your dad..."
"Not even to Linda?"
"No one," her mother said severely. Mom paused for a
moment. Then she added, "Maybe to Linda... one day... but
to no one else, d'you understand?" Nikki nodded, feeling
a chill racing up her spine. This secrecy and Mom's
seriousness was giving her the jitters. "Promise me," her
mother demanded. "I promise... Cross my heart and hope to
die."
"All right then," Marge said, exhaling deeply, as if she
was about to get rid of a burden she'd carried all her
life.
Nikki braced herself for Mom's "darkest secret". What she
heard horrified her. Mom was an incest survivor. Mom told
how her father had abused her since her seventh birthday.
Mom had tried to protect her sister Joan, but her father
had no mercy.
"Aunt Joan too?" Nikki asked, almost breathless. "Yes...
He was a drunk... I hated him as much as a little child
can hate someone... My mother, your grandma, died when I
was four and Aunt Joan two. We had only each other
and..."
"And...?" Nikki asked, swallowing without noticing her
heavy breathing. She looked into her mother's eyes,
taking in their immense sadness. Mom had blue eyes...
They had all inherited Mom's eyes, their sadness and
utter melancholy about life... Now she understood.
"Because of the dirty things he taught us," her mother
continued. "I don't know why we did that... but I guess
we wanted some loving... We had only each other..."
"You mean, you and Aunt Joan..."
"Yes," her mother confirmed, brushing her face with her
hands, as if to chase away that nightmare. Minutes
elapsed before she could look at her daughter again, her
eyes slightly bloodshot.
"Do you still-"
"No, honey," her mother denied categorically. "We felt
dirty... We stopped when I turned fourteen and I met my
first boyfriend... There was too much pain involved...
There was a time Aunt Joan and I weren't on speaking
terms... But that's past now."
"And Grandpa?"
"He died a horrible death... He died of cancer. Please,
don't ask me anything about him... I just want to forget
it. Just forget it, honey. I don't want you to have
nightmares. All I want to say is that I understand more
than you think. It's just knowing that my daughters- All
of that opened old wounds, Nikki. You don't know how hard
it's been for me all these years..."
"Oh Mom, I'm sorry..." Nikki hugged her mother and for
the first time she felt a real connection with that
grownup woman she called Mom. "I didn't know."
Mother and daughter went down to the living room and, to
their surprise, they found that Linda had returned home.
Linda leant on the refrigerator, drinking a glass of milk
and watching the 9 o'clock news on the kitchen portable
TV.
"Linda, you're back," her mother exclaimed, rushing into
the kitchen. "Yes, I'm back," said Linda, straightening
herself up and catching a glimpse of Nikki, who
apparently didn't dare step into the kitchen. "But not
for long."
Nikki could hear and see Linda's anger. Linda's green
eyes told her everything she needed to know about her
sister's state of mind. Linda banged everything she
touched -- the refrigerator's door, the chairs against
the table and then the back door, as she stomped out of
the kitchen. Mom went after Linda, her shadow
disappearing in the half light in the back yard. Nikki
made a half-turn into the living room. Dad and the twins
looked at her. Dad asked Nikki how she felt, but a
strange resentment raged within her. She wondered what
she would have done if Dad had "touched" her the way
Grandpa had with Mom. It wasn't fair, that association,
because Dad had never done anything improper. But still,
she couldn't help feeling some revulsion... Reluctantly,
hopefully, she sat beside Zo as if the twins could
somehow protect her.
They watched TV in the living room, maintaining heavy
silence among them. Eventually Dad left the living room,
puffing at his pipe, reading a file he had brought home.
As soon as they heard him shut the door of the den, the
twins grilled her with questions. Nikki refused to answer
at first, but the twins wouldn't take no for an answer.
She told them everything in the end, only omitting Mom's
"dark secret".
She would keep her promise...
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: PROMISES, PROMISES...
A week dragged by -- seven days without Linda. For Nikki
it was hell. It was like the most dreadful torture anyone
could inflict on one's worst enemy. All her family were
deeply worried about her -- Nikki knew that -- but their
love and concern weren't enough to make the pain go away.
Nikki thought she would go crazy. She couldn't sleep, she
couldn't eat... She just wanted to die... She wanted to
be left alone in her room where she could cry freely and
think about Linda and why the world was so cruel. She
skipped school because she didn't trust herself. Her
self-control hit an all-time low. She would probably
burst into tears in front of her friends for no apparent
reason. She trembled every time she thought of the
humiliating scene of their final quarrel. Just thinking
about it made it more real, as if their final separation
had actually happened.
To make matters worse, her parents' despair was obvious -
- they even considered calling Emma Mansfield and having
the shrink fly from California to Florida. At the end of
the week her parents decided enough was enough. They were
going to call Linda and ask their eldest daughter to
bring her younger sister back to her senses. As soon as
this threat was spoken, Nikki cringed. She finally
realized that her tantrums wouldn't bring her sister
back. `And why am I crying?' she reasoned angrily with
herself. `I broke up with her. Stop being a baby and go
on with your life!' The following Monday she was back in
school, exerting herself to pay attention to her teachers
and friends. Still, everybody noticed how quiet she had
become. After school, Nikki moved out on the grass and
away from her fellow students, to wait for Zo and
Jeannie. She sighed. She missed Lana... With the move to
Florida, she lost a very good friend. Lana wasn't much of
a writer and the distance between them deprived Nikki of
the only person she would confide in other than Linda and
the twins. Lana and Nikki would exchange phone calls now
and then but their folks were already complaining about
those "unnecessary" long-distance calls.
Nikki sighed again. The painful image of her sister
leaving home hit her again. They hadn't spoken during
breakfast on Linda's last morning. Linda wouldn't look at
her, keeping her eyes down. She talked to Jeannie and Zo,
to everybody except her, Nikki, "the love of her life"
or so had Linda called her... `Promises, Promises...' it
rang in her mind. Linda had never promised her anything
but still those words, that song kept hounding her. Linda
had walked out of the front door without a kiss or even a
hug... She just left, without looking back. It seemed as
though Big Sis was happy to leave her behind. At last
Linda was free, free from her smothering love. Someone
tapped on her shoulder. Nikki turned around expecting to
see Jeff Steinberg or another awful bore like Mrs Brown,
the math teacher. Nikki smiled. It was Cindy Lopez with
her hunk of a boyfriend, Chad something... She didn't
recall his last name. Cindy had tried several times to
become friends with her. Nikki didn't understand Cindy's
insistence. Why didn't she leave her alone? Why did she
keep cropping up with Chad by her side? These two gave
her the creeps as though their open smiles hid a "darker"
intent. She wondered if they wanted a threesome, but
somehow that idea was ridiculous. This time it was an
invitation to a birthday party, Chad's, Cindy explained.
Nikki hated to say no just for the hell of it. `I'd
better find a good excuse,' she thought, but before she
could give an answer she saw Zo and Jeannie coming her
way.
"Hi, Nikki," Jeannie greeted. "Ready to go home?" "Sure,"
Nikki said, happy for this distraction. "I'm sorry," she
added, facing Cindy and Chad, "but I've gotta go."
"OK, Nikki," Cindy said, throwing her curly black hair
away from her attractive face. "You don't have to give me
an answer right now. Just think about it. Promise me?"
"OK... Bye."
Nikki and her sisters strode away, heading for the
parking lot. Nikki braced herself for a cross-
examination. The twins didn't say a word, though. They
walked silently to Linda's Jeep, which was Nikki's now.
Before the breakup Linda promised her the Jeep when she
went away. After the breakup Nikki refused to take the
keys. In spite of that, Linda left them on the vanity,
along with a short and laconic note: "Here are the keys."
Nikki and the twins rode back home, no one breaking the
silence. With Linda gone, Nikki reckoned that even her
parents looked sadder. Linda was the sunshine of the
house, the bumper that absorbed the unavoidable shocks
between the conflicting personalities in the family. The
twins had each other, however, and sometimes their high
spirits hurt Nikki inside. She was happy for them,
though. At least they were having fun... Nikki sighed,
stopping the Jeep in the driveway. Nikki and the twins
wandered into the house through the front door. The back
door was locked and bolted from the inside, a safety
measure against burglars.
"Nikki?" said Jeannie, breaking the silence at last,
stopping at the foot of the stairs and turning toward her
older sister. "We're going to freshen up before we go to
the beach. There's a beach party this afternoon. Wanna
come?"
"Beach party?" Nikki frowned.
"It's nothing big... Just a bunch of guys... and girls we
know... Come on, it's gonna be fun."
"No, I am not in the mood."
"Oh come on, Nikki... Staying here on your own isn't
going to help. Trust me."
"How do you know? You have Zo right next to you." "But we
all lost Linda too. You're not the only one feeling sad.
Come on, come with us. Don't be such a pain in the neck."
`Pain in the neck?' Nikki thought. No one ever called her
a pain in the neck. That epithet made her think about how
much she had changed since Linda left for college. She
was not the smiling happy-go-lucky girl everyone used to
know. She had become a pain in the neck... That
realization made her say, "All right... I'll come with
you. You're right. No use staying here and feeling sorry
for myself."
* * *
Nikki looked at the blue sky, feeling the sea breeze
caressing her face and hair. With a quick motion of her
head, she threw her hair back and over her naked
shoulders. It was 4 PM and the sun was still high enough
to embrace her with warmth, driving away the sorrow. She
looked at the twins, and smiled to herself. The twins
were popular with the guys. It seemed the guys had their
own "ideas" about them, particularly when Zo and Jeannie
held hands. Little did they know that those "ideas" were
being "realized" every night in the twins' room. If they
did know, how would they react? Would they whistle
approval? Would they boo? `Who cares?' Nikki thought.
They were having fun and hurting no one.
Most of the girls in the group were quite standoffish,
Nikki concluded, watching a bevy of them sitting close
together in their stylish bikinis and swimsuits. They
were quite attractive but they didn't join in the action.
That is, the tickling brawl that had developed between
the twins and two of the guys, Brian and Johnny. Brenda
and Marie were the exceptions, grabbing the guys and
helping the twins. In no time that part of the beach
became a battlefield of laughter, tickling and shrieks of
delight and protest. Against Nikki's will, a third guy
started to tickle her... Joining the fun personally was
not in her plans. He started it, though, and now she
wanted to help the twins -- no matter what. Soon enough
all the participants in the brawl fell on the sand in
laughter. The bevy of prissy beauties that had run away
to avoid the brawl stepped cautiously back, as if they
were afraid of being dragged without warning into another
tickling fight. Nikki laughed, feeling the sand in the
most intimate parts of her body. She wanted to swim in
the sea and to wash away the sand. A guy had felt her
breast during the brawl, or so it had seemed. She was
about to look for the culprit when she heard someone from
afar yell "Hi there!" "Linda!" the twins and Nikki
shouted with utter surprise. "Yes, it's me," said Linda,
smiling, wearing a tight swimsuit that enhanced all the
curves of her body. She had her hand on her left hip and
the other was holding her huge jute bag. "I see I'm
missing the fun." "What're you doing here?" asked the
astonished Jeannie, rushing over to Big Sis.
"Hi, Jeannie," said Linda, still smiling and gazing at
the rest of the party. Guys and girls alike stared at
her, probably wondering what the hell was happening and
who she was. "I am back. I quit college." "Why?" asked
Jeannie, who was having great difficulty in believing
that the beautiful blonde in front of her was really her
sister, her Big Sis. "It's a long story... But first
things first... I want to talk to that young lady over
there."
All eyes turned toward Nikki. Linda put down her bag on
the sand and motioned Nikki to follow her. The teenagers,
including the twins, saw Linda and Nikki moving away,
heading toward the waterline. "Wow," Johnny howled out.
"What a knock-out... What a babe... Who's she?" Jeannie
chortled with pride and said, "Our sister Linda... The
best sister you could possibly have."
"You bet," Johnny answered, taking off his baseball cap
and scratching the unruly hair on top of his head. His
eyes kept following Linda and Nikki as they walked across
the sand to the waterline.
* * *
"But why, Linda?" Nikki asked, stopping and facing her
sister, her right leg playing with the wet sand. "Why? I
don't need your charity..." "I'm not doing it for you. I
am doing it for me. I am being selfish but I don't care."
When Nikki looked at her questioningly, she added, "I
realized if I lost you, there wouldn't be a future for
me, at least not a future I'd care much for. I realized
that all I want is you. Sounds naive, doesn't it? But I
don't care... I really don't. It feels good. You make me
feel happy and no one has given me so much as you have.
No one makes me feel the way I do when you hug me and
kiss me and make love to me. I don't care if we're
sisters... I don't care if we're both girls... I love
you... and that's all that matters."
"Talk is easy... Prove it."
"How?" Linda said, knitting her brows and pulling a stray
blond tress away from her face.
"Kiss me," Nikki replied, swallowing.
"Here?"
"Yes... You said you didn't care if we're sisters... if
we're both girls. Prove it!"
"OK, I am gonna prove it." Linda drew closer and took
hold of Nikki's burning cheeks, tilting her sister's head
up for the kiss to follow. Linda kissed Nikki while Nikki
pulled her sister near, holding her tight, their bodies
touching each other. Linda and Nikki ignored an elderly
couple standing a few feet away, and their obvious shock.
Nikki grew weak, breaking the kiss. She was out of
breath.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourselves," they heard a
woman's voice exclaim. Linda and Nikki turned to see the
woman scowling at them. "Such a shame. You're two pretty
girls. You should have no trouble finding a handsome
young man."
"Who says that I want a handsome young man, lady?" Linda
retorted, keeping her calm, and clasping Nikki's hand.
"The love of my life is right here next to me. And I love
her as much you love your husband, or perhaps even more.
And I'll never leave her. Never."
"Promises, promises..." the old man said, laughing with a
raucous voice and smiling at them, his cigar briefly
removed from his fat lips. His smile disappeared
immediately as the old woman glared back at him. "Let's
go, Dan," the woman said, pulling at the old man's arm,
urging him to come with her, and sending a last angry
look at Linda and Nikki. Linda smiled at Nikki as the old
couple trudged away.
"Satisfied?" Linda asked.
"Yes... But what about college? You're throwing away your
future." "I can enroll next year - together with you. I
talked to Mom about it over the phone."
"Mom knows you're here?"
"Oh yes, she knows. She called me yesterday and we had
the longest talk... She told me about... Grandpa. It made
me sad... But strangely enough, that did the trick.
That's when I made the decision to quit and come back...
to you. For the first time in my life I saw clearly what
really matters to me and what doesn't."
"And Dad?"
"Oh Dad..." Linda shrugged, looking past her sisters'
shoulder, scanning the beach and avoiding the staring of
a few beachgoers. "Dad didn't like it at all, but I am
eighteen now and he can't tell me what to do." "And what
are you going to do in the meantime?"
"With you beside me I don't think I'll ever get bored..."
Nikki chuckled and smiled, her heart pounding, almost not
believing this could be happening. Her sister was back
after leaving everything, EVERYTHING, for her... And
Linda had screamed out her love for all of the world to
hear.
They started back toward the twins and the rest of the
crowd. Nikki felt a sudden warmth in her cheeks. `Me and
my big mouth,' she thought. It was confrontation time.
Everything was happening the way she had wanted, the kiss
and the fact that Linda held her hand still... She
couldn't complain if things didn't turn out the way she
had dreamt about. Jeannie ran to meet them half the way
back to the party. "Are you out of your minds?" Jeannie
said, making them stop. "I've just told them you were my
sisters. They really started looking funny at me... I had
to make up that Nikki was not our real sister but she was
adopted. Dammit, can't you control your urges?"
"I am sorry," Linda said. "We don't want to embarrass you
in front of your friends... But this was something I had
to do, we had to do. Anyway we're leaving."
"Where to?"
"Don't care..." said Linda, glancing at Nikki. "Any place
where we can be alone and make out. We've got a lot of
catching up to do, don't we, darling?"
"Cut it out," Nikki said, grinning and holding Linda's
hand tighter. "That's so corny."
"Corny but nice... Right, baby?" Linda looked at Jeannie
and asked, "Wanna come with us?"
"Nah... You two want to be alone... I understand."
"I mean, you and Zo ... There are four seats in the Jeep.
Come on." Jeannie examined Nikki's face for signs. Nikki
smiled and said, "Come on, what are you waiting for? You
heard Linda. Go and fetch Zo and get the rest of our
stuff. To be honest, I don't feel like facing your
friends right now." Looking at Linda she asked, "You
don't mind, do you?" "About you chickening out?"
Nikki hit lightly on Linda's shoulder, in response to her
sister's banter and her wide scoffing grin. Linda only
smiled while her youngest sister ran to fetch Zo . Within
minutes the twins joined them, bringing Nikki's clothes
and Linda's bag. Nikki and Linda slipped on their shorts
and T-shirts, giggling. They walked to the parking lot
and before Nikki could unlock the driver's door, Linda
made her stop.
"Let Zo drive," she said. "I want you in the back seat
with me." "Yes," Nikki whispered, recognizing that crazy
lust in her sister's green eyes which made her
instantaneously wet.
Zo smiled, with pride in her face grabbing the keys and
unlocking the doors. She hadn't much driving experience
but was happy with the opportunity to show off her
skills. She let her horny, happy sisters slide into the
back... Just as well. She would have Jeannie right next
to her. They would soon be in a place where they could
all make out... In the back, Nikki was being kissed by
Linda, hands exchanging caresses on breasts, tummies,
legs, thighs, necks... Wet trails down cheeks and
necks... Moans... Whispers... Loving embraces... And more
moans... and then pleasure...
Nikki nestled herself against Linda and said, "I want to
ask you something... I'll go crazy if I don't ask."
"Shoot," said Linda, her hand between Nikki thighs,
touching her sister's mound, reveling in her sister's
wetness and warmth... "This song doesn't get out of
mind... Promises, promises... And that's exactly what
that man said... Promises, promises... You promised you'd
never leave me... But... I wonder..."
"Baby," said Linda, whispering into Nikki's ear. "There's
another song that goes like Let's live for today... and
another that goes like Don't worry, be happy... Let's be
happy and forget all the rest..."
Nikki nodded and hugged her sister, sighing. She felt
exhausted and the rocking motion of the car speeding down
the highway lulled her to sleep. While sleeping, she had
a smile in her face...
THE END
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It's okay to *READ* stories about unprotected sex with
others outside a monogamous relationship. But it isn't
okay to *HAVE* unprotected sex with people other than
a trusted partner. You only have one body per lifetime,
so take good care of it!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kristen's collection - Directory 18