Chapter 8

Sarah paid the miserable looking woman at the end of the lunch line and headed for the table where Jason was sitting. "Who were they?" Jason asked through a mouthful of something the school called meatloaf, mashed potato & gravy.

"Just some new friends from shop class and, incidentally, the first members of our after school club," Sarah replied. "We decided to have an inaugural meeting on Thursday, right after last lesson in the drama hall." She finished sitting down to her own lunch. "Look," she observed, "they're already spreading the news." Sure enough the guys from shop had sat down with their own groups of friends talking, and soon Sarah and Jase were on the receiving end of a few stares and a lot more glances as people were told the idea.

Jase turned to her, "you move awful fast when you're pissed off."

"My Granddad told me once. 'Under fire, you've got to move fast, otherwise you'll have time to think twice."

"True, true. Hey, where's Mitch? She should be here by now."

Sarah looked up, "there she is, talking to that bunch of girls."

"Oh yeah, that's most of her friends, she must be getting a start on the recruiting."

"You make it sound like I'm raising an army Jase."

"Aren't you?"

"No, I'm not. I was just appalled at the way people get treated round here. It's almost like apartheid for athletes."

"Whoa; that's a bit intense, isn't it?" Jase protested.

"Maybe," Sarah replied, looking up. "I'm just gonna tell Mitch about Thursday, I'll be back in a 'mo."

"Mo?" Jason looked up

"Moment," Sarah clarified, turning away to go to Mitch.

"Hey there," Sarah said, scooching down next to Mitch, "got a date for your diary..."

"Gettin' married already are ya?" Mitch grumped, interrupting Sarah.

"What?"

"You two. Gettin' all friendly, makin' kissy faces. And me the third wheel; again."

Sarah realised that quite a few people were starting to listen in. "Come on," she said, "let's go."

"What?"

"Come on!" Sarah repeated, dragging Mitch up from her chair, out of the lunchroom and down the corridor.

Finding an empty classroom Sarah pulled Mitch in behind her and asked, "Gotta problem?"

"No," Mitch Grumped

"Well you're world's worst actress then," Sarah said sitting on a desktop. "Come on, what's your damn problem?"

"Why is it always the same?" Mitch moaned, crumpling on to the desk opposite

"What's always the same?"

"Every time I find someone I like they find someone else..."

"You knew Jase before me, didn't you? You could have made a move before?"

Mitch started to half-heartedly laugh; Sarah moved to her and wrapped her in a hug. "It's not Jason I'm interested in," Mitch mumbled into Sarah's shoulder. Sarah pulled away slightly, staring at her friend in surprise. "It's you..." Mitch whispered, lent forward and gently kissed Sarah. Sarah pulled back, only an inch or two, and stared into Mitch's eyes. Mitch looked back into Sarah's brown eyes, leant forward again and kissed her again with more passion.

She really kissed her, full on kissed her, the kind of kiss that turned her knees to jelly and in Sarah's case turned her insides into a gushing tap, or at least that's what she was feeling. Sarah suddenly realised she was kissing her back, and had been for what seemed like an age. She also realised she was liking it, liking it so much she didn't even mind when Mitch moved her hand to caress her boob though her clothes. She found herself moaning into Mitch's mouth, only stopping when she ran out of breath.

"Wow..."

"Yeah ... Wow!" Mitch responded.

Sarah started to giggle, and then laugh. Finally she had to sit on the desk her opposite before she fell over.

Mitch looked dejected. "You laughing at me?" she asked.

Sarah snorted, laughed once more and then looked straight into the other girl's eyes. "No, you silly cow, I'm not," she started. "You appreciate what just happened don't you?"

"What'dya mean?"

"Well," Sarah beamed, "you've just gotten further with me than my boyfriend!" and she burst out laughing. Mitch joined in chortling at the situation.

When they calmed down Mitch asked, "is he your boyfriend?"

"Well ... We've not posted it on the school notice board but ... Yeah ... Yeah we are."

"Is he still your boyfriend? You know, after..."

Sarah frowned. "Now there's a real question. I mean; I like him; I like him a lot ... But..."

Mitch interrupted, "I know, this isn't the Spanish inquisition; I can see you need to think. I know I've always liked girls more than boys, but not everyone's the same..."

"Yeah, I'd never even thought of this before," Sarah stated.

"Not even yesterday, in the hall after lunch?" Mitch asked. Sarah looked at her in confusion. "When we kissed the first time? Or would that be the last time?" Mitch queried. "First time, last time, I just want to know if there'll be a next time" Mitch waffled nervously.

"Hey!" Sarah touched Mitch's shoulder. "Calm down, there'll be a next time," she stated firmly. "Now let's go back to lunch, what's left of it." Sarah paused. "But first..." She leaned in to Mitch and for the first time she kissed another girl.

Again the fireworks went off, the heavens opened and the feelings in her tummy started again. This time Sarah took the lead, probing with her tongue and moaning in gratification as Mitch reciprocated their tongues duelling. Sarah moved her hands over the local girl's lithe body, one cupping a slightly smaller, pert breast. The other was running up her back, under the long blonde hair, up her neck and eventually meshing in the hair, cradling the back of her head, the thumb gently stroking just behind the ear. Mitch shivered and the kiss broke.

"See!" said Sarah, "told you you'd get another one!" and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand she grasped a shocked Mitch and dragged her back to lunch what was left of it.

Sarah and Mitch sat down next to a slightly concerned Jason. "You two ok?" he asked.

"Felling fine thanks," Sarah said, glancing at Mitch. Turning to Jason again she asked, "you know, last night, you asked me over to see your room tonight, well would it be ok if Mitch came over later too?"

"Eh, sure, if you want but..."

"Don't worry Jase, I won't come over too early," Mitch interrupted.

"Oh, ok, that's fine," replied Jason brightening up. "Hey!" he realised, "you called me Jase ... Sarah's the only one who's called me that."

"I told her to," Sarah said, " is it ok?"

"Well yeah, if you want," Jason replied looking rather puzzled.

"Don't worry Jase," Sarah comforted, "I'll explain everything later." 'If I can explain it to myself first... ' she thought to herself.

Sarah had barely got her bag clear of the door before it slammed shut and the bus roared off in a cloud of gravel, dust, and diesel fumes. "Damn if that woman isn't in a rush tonight!" she coughed through the evil mixture.

"Well you're lucky I managed to get her to hold on long enough for you to get on, you nearly had a long walk home," Jase replied. "You spent too long talking to that group of freshmen."

"I suppose so, but they all promised to turn up on Thursday."

"Why did you choose Thursday, by the way?" Jase asked, grabbing Sarah's hand and strolling off towards his house.

"The shop guys told me the busses would be running late on Thursday, so I thought that was a convenient way for everyone to get home afterwards."

"They didn't say why the buses were running late on Thursday?"

"No," Sarah stated simply.

Jason started laughing to himself, a chuckle turning into a full belly laugh. "Why?" Sarah asked. "Something special happening?"

"I only realised my self last period in geography," Jason smiled. "Thursday's the first pep rally for the football team this year. They arrange the transport around it, although attendance isn't mandatory. But it is expected that everyone'll turn up and cheer as the varsity and junior varsity teams are announced. And then there'll be another every couple of weeks or so before every home game. It'll be the same when the baseball season starts," he finished.

"Well I'll be buggered if that isn't handy then." Sarah smiled at Jason. "How long from last bell to the rally?"

Jason explained the way the day was arranged, how the rally ran and all the details as they walked hand in hand down the blacktop and then the unsurfaced road to his house. They stopped in front of an immaculately clean, well-maintained house set back off the road amongst a small copse of beech and maples.

"This is our house." Jason said.

"Oh!" Sarah exclaimed. "It's lovely."

"Really?" Jason asked. "With my parents, people expect wind chimes, stray dogs and a hippie bus parked at the side."

Sarah smiled, "no, it just looks like a well loved family home."

"And that's exactly what it's supposed to be," Larry smiled as he popped up from behind a well-worn John Deere rider mower. "Hi there Sarah."

"Hi Mr Carter!" Sarah replied.

"There's no Mr Carter here Sarah, just me, Larry. Ok?"

"Sure Mr ... Sorry, Larry," Sarah apologised.

"No problems. Now Jason tells me you're a whizz with mechanics yes?"

"I'm fairly good," Sarah admitted.

"Well could you take a look at this? It just died on me," Larry asked gesturing to the mower.

"Sure," Sarah beamed, "no problem."

Ten minutes later Sarah was sitting on Jason's bed with the drone of the mower filtering through the open window. "I think you've made a friend there, ' Jason smirked collapsing on to the bed. "What do you think?" he asked with a sweep of the arm signifying the room.

"It's great, it's really you," Sarah said looking around. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "Is that your guitar?"

"Nope it's not," Jason replied, "it's my Dobro, want me to show you?"

"Hell Yes!" Sarah enthused. Feeling quite miffed she didn't already know he played. "But it looks like a regular guitar, doesn't it?" she queried.

Jason explained, "it is kinda, but its gotta metal resonator inset in it, here, makes it sound louder and gives it a metallic sound. Listen." He picked up the instrument and paused for a few moments. "This is one of my favourites..."Sarah nodded, smiling and indicated he should carry on. "It's called 'Monkey let the hogs out," he said and started to play. Sarah was enraptured, watching his hands move over the strings, she was swept away by the metallic twang of the resonating guitar. As the last note died away he asked, "how was that?"