Chapter 4

Sweat soaked into Allison's practice jersey as she watched the play from the sidelines. Her team was next up again on the three-on-three keep-away drill, and she was watching the other players closely, looking for their tendencies or weaknesses and trying to determine a plan of attack. This would be her third round in the drill, and so far she was feeling pretty good about her passes and her ability to anticipate her opponents passing lanes. She was a little disappointed with her initial aggressiveness on the ball, however, but she chalked that up to lack of familiarity with her teammates.

A shrill whistle blew and Allison took a couple of steps onto the field.

"All right, girls! Huddle up!"

An errant ball from the field rolled towards her, so she hit it with her instep and angled a pass in the general direction of the ball bag. Then she trotted over with the other girls.

It was only the third day of summer practice, and yet Allison physically felt like she hadn't missed any time at all. She'd worked hard during the summer months to be in shape, and it appeared to be paying off. Had she been more comfortable with her new teammates, as well as some of the new drills they ran through, her play would have been even better. That said, as she joined the circle of girls, she felt a stitch in her side. She'd pushed it harder than normal, probably to try and impress her teammates and coaches. Sweat trickled down her legs and stung a particularly nasty scrape on the side of her calf, but other than that and bunch of dirt smudges, she was no worse for the wear.

There was lots of chatter amongst the girls, excluding Allison, who were on the field together as a team that week for the first time since the end of their previous season, a season that saw them finish in the middle of the conference standings. Even with two KingCo all-league players up front and an all-state sweeper anchoring the backfield, they just couldn't climb out of the middle. Both forwards graduated, but the sweeper, Jenna, was back for her senior year. That meant that Allison, who was honorable mention all-state at sweeper her sophomore year in Tennessee, would be riding the pine at the start of games. From what she'd been told, Coach Baldwin had a pretty liberal substitution pattern in order to keep the players' legs fresh, so she was hopeful that she'd still get lots of playing time.

"Quiet down, quiet down!" the coach said loudly to settle the girls. "Good practice, but we still have a lot to work on. Next week we're going to start practicing in positions. With Gina and Phoebe and our other graduates gone, we'll need to do some shifting. We got exploited quite a bit on the left side of the defense and that hurt us. Erin will be moving from wing to center-back on that side, and we're going to try Allison at the wing. Allison, Erin will get you acclimated."

Some girls murmured together and others shot glances her way. Allison tried to mask her surprise. A shot at starting at wingback, after only three days of practice? Allison had mixed feelings. She hadn't played anything but sweeper since sixth grade, but she was so excited about the chance to start, that she decided she didn't care what position it was.

As if understanding the reaction to his announcement, the coach said, "Allison showed a lot of speed and instinct out there the last couple of days. I think we're better with her on the field than sitting around waiting for me to take Jenna out of the game." He looked down at his clipboard, then leaned over and held a whispered conversation with Coach Shank, his assistant. "OK, I think our defense will be a strong point this season. We still looking for someone to step forward and fill Gina's and Phoebe's shoes up front, so go home, get some rest this weekend, and come back Monday ready to snatch the spots. They'll go to whoever can pull away from the pack. That's it, Girls. Hit the showers and we'll see you bright and early on Monday!"

The huddle broke up and small groups of girls slowly made their way back to the locker room. A short, stocky redhead moved next to Allison as they walked.

"Hey, I'm Erin," she said, with a smile. "Welcome to the team."

Allison smiled back. "Thanks. I'm Allison."

They walked quietly for a bit.

"Sooo ... looks like we're going to be on the same side this season," Erin said.

"Looks that way."

"You ever play wing before?"

"Not since sixth grade. I may be leaning on you a bit until I get comfortable."

"That's cool. Coach is pretty big on teamwork and communication. He likes his sides to work as a single unit, so we probably should spend a lot of time together at practice, when we're not on the field, just getting familiar with each other, you know, what are our strengths and weaknesses, that kind of thing."

"Good idea." The conversation lulled a bit until Allison could think of something else to say. "So, what grade are you in?"

"I'm a junior. You?"

"Junior, too."

"That's cool. Maybe we'll have some classes together or something. Why don't you find me on the first day of school before the first bell and we can compare schedules? I'm usually with some of the other girls outside near the east entrance."

"I'd like that. Thanks."

"Allison!"

Both girls looked up. Tanner Smith, Allison's neighbor, was riding his bike in their direction, smiling and waving. Other girls began to slow as they watched him approach. Erin leaned into Allison.

"You're friends with him?" she said, keeping her voice low.

Allison gave Tanner a small wave. "Um, yeah. That's Tanner Smith, he lives in the apartment below ours."

"Do you know anything about him?"

"I think he's going to be a freshman this year. He's shy, but he's nice."

"And he's social suicide."

Allison took a long glance at Erin. "What do you mean?"

"Nerdy, weird, and a fag."

Allison cringed inside as she thought about her and Abigail. She looked back at Tanner.

"I see the nerd, but gay? Why do you say that?"

"Everybody knows—"

Tanner pulled up next to the girls and jumped off his bike, falling into step beside them as they continued their slow walk back to the building.

"Hey, Tanner," Allison said uncomfortably.

She noticed some of girls watching them with interest and whispering to each other. At first, Allison was apprehensive about talking to Tanner in front of them, but then she started to get angry. She was mad that she even had that thought, mad that the girls made her feel that way and mad by their continued rudeness. If Tanner noticed the situation, he didn't react.

"Good timing, huh? I was just riding back from the store," he said, indicating a plastic bag hanging from his handle bars. "I thought I'd swing by and watch you practice. Are you done already?"

Allison continued to feel the eyes burning into her. She used to be like them, too, so narrow-minded and judgmental. 'To hell with them, ' Allison thought. To Tanner she said, "Sure am. Are you heading home?"

"Yeah. You want me to wait and we can walk together?"

As Allison took her attention away from the other girls and put it completely on Tanner, she realized something important. The timid, awkward boy she met at the beginning of the summer was actually engaging her in open conversation in front of a dozen other girls. Was he nerdy? Sure. Weird? Probably, but then again who wasn't? Gay? Who knows? And did it really matter? She knew that no matter what anyone else said, Tanner was her friend, and she was going to treat him like one.

"Would you? It'll be a few minutes so I can shower and get dressed."

Allison heard several snickers around them. She took a quick look around and saw the haughty condescending looks some of the other girls had. She looked back at Tanner in time to see him smile. Was he oblivious to the looks he was getting, or was he just able to tune them out?

"Sure, I'll just wait over on the bleachers."

"Cool. Thanks, Tanner."

His smile widened and he turned and quickly pushed his bike towards the old metal bleachers that lined the practice field.

Allison watched him for a couple of seconds before turning back towards the building and the locker room. That was when she heard the other girls as they walked away.

"God, what a geek."

"He's such a fag."

"Did you hear what he did... ?"

"Why's SHE even talking to him?"

"Is he like her boyfriend or something?"

Allison shot daggers at their backs, and then sighed. Erin was watching her, and from the look on her face, she was either sorry for their teammates' actions, or embarrassed to be standing with Allison. Before she could speak Allison smiled at her.

"Come on. Let's get showered so we can enjoy the weekend."

"Boys, I need you to get down the tubs of fall clothes from the attic so I can go through them," Sharon said as she entered the living room.

Ben looked up from his magazine and gave a theatrical sigh. He wasn't really put out by his mother's request, but it was a requirement as a teenager for him to react that way.

"Benjamin, I don't ask you to do THAT much around here."

Sharon playfully smacked his arm with the rolled up magazine she was carrying. Ben grimaced and grabbed his arm, feigning pain, which drew a smile from his mother.

"Come on. Do this for me and I'll leave you alone for the rest of the day."

Ben hopped up from his chair and dropped his magazine in his place. "Sure, Mom."

He got up and looked across the room at his brother, who hadn't budged and acted like he didn't hear his mother's request. He kept his nose buried behind his copy of ESPN the Magazine. Where Ben's response was meant to be playful, Brad's response was just rude. Ben felt his blood begin to boil, which would have been an overreaction had this behavior been a rare occurrence. As it was, ever since they'd learned that Allison, Abigail, and Jack were in a three-way sexual relationship, Brad's behavior had been getting worse and worse. He'd gone from treating his mother with typical teenage irritation, to treating her like she was a piece of trash, and that infuriated Ben.

"Bradley, did you hear me?" Sharon asked, sternly.

Brad let another couple of seconds pass before leveling his cold gaze on his mother. "I heard you already. I was just finishing my article. Geez."

"Please don't be disrespectful, Son."

Brad kept his eyes locked on his mother's until she fidgeted and turned away. Then he shot Ben a derisive look as he got up off the couch.

"Come on, Squirt."

Brad had always called Ben little teasing names like 'squirt' or 'midget, ' but where they were formerly used in good humor, they were now said with disdain.

"Brad," Sharon said quietly. "Um, while you are up there, you might want to see if there is anything that you could use, you know, in your dorm room."

Brad didn't respond as he brushed past Ben and headed down the hall. Ben followed along grudgingly. He would have preferred to do this without Brad, but he didn't want to give his mother more grief than she already had, nor was he about to give Brad any kind of satisfaction.

Brad yanked the cord that pulled the attic door out of its place in the ceiling and unfolded the wooden ladder. He climbed up and disappeared in the darkness. As Ben pulled himself into the attic, a dim light snapped on and illuminated the center of the room, leaving the corners bathed in darkness.

It took a second for Ben's eyes to adjust to the change in light, but he was soon able to orient himself. The attic was dusty and musty, as many attics are, as well as stifling hot. The ceiling consisted of the underside of the house's roof, and followed the angle from its peak in the middle of the attic, down until it met the floor on two sides. The attic ran the length of the house and had small metal vents in the walls on each end, supposedly to allow ventilation, but failing in its design.

"Damn, it's hot up here," Brad grumbled. "Let's get this shit and get out of here."

He had his back to Ben and was hunched a bit so he wouldn't hit his head on the ceiling. Ben couldn't see exactly what Brad was doing, but it looked like he was flipping through some magazine on top of a stack of old magazines.

Ben finished his climb and walked across the sheets of plywood that covered the joists and insulation that separated the attic floor from the ceiling below. His mother was meticulous about storage. She routinely went through the things in their attic, making sure that everything that was stored there had a place. Those items that didn't have a place, either got a space or were disposed of. She labeled and relabeled every tub and box.

Needless to say, it didn't take long for Ben to find the tubs marked 'fall clothes'.

"They're here, Brad," he said, as he wrestled the first tub off the stack and brushed the dust from the lid.

"Hey, looky here."

Ben turned back towards his brother.

"There's some great shit here. I can take a lot of this stuff to my dorm room."

He held up a Bose stereo, and Ben immediately recognized it as Allison's.

"That's Allison's."

Brad's face hardened at hearing his sister's name.

"Who's that?"

"Come off it, Brad."

Brad rolled his eyes. "No shit, Sherlock. I know it was Allison's, you know, since the label said 'Allison.' Notice I use the word 'was' though. This stuff was bought by Dad for his daughter and seeing as how Allison isn't his daughter anymore—"

"Whatever, just leave her stuff alone." Ben wasn't surprised that Sharon kept Allison's things. Regardless of Ted's directive, Sharon secretly refused to erase their daughters from her life. He was surprised that she had Allison's name on the label. Ben hefted the first tub and carried it where he could set it next to the ladder opening, then went back to get the next tub.

Brad chuckled. "She doesn't need this shit anymore. I'm taking the stereo, and her clock, too." Brad dug deeper into the box. "Hey, look what I found!"

Brad pulled something from a box and held it up. It was some tiny satiny thing, and when Brad hooked his fingers in the waist band and held it, Ben could see it was a red thong edged in black lace. A mixture of embarrassment and irritation filled Ben.

Brad leered at Ben. "She left some of her skanky underwear, too. I bet she wanted you to find it so you could wank your jimmy into it."

Ben's irritation turned to anger. "You're sick, Man."

He knew Brad was baiting him, like he did so often, but Ben just could never seem to let it roll off his back. Brad's look of disgust returned. "Sicker than that fucking slut munching the rug of her slutty sister?"

Ben had the next tub in hand and dropped it hard next to the first. "You are such a dick sometimes, you know? Just shut up and help me with this shit."

"Oh, am I pissing off the little baby, talking about his fantasy girl that way?" Brad taunted, as he stepped closer to Ben, the panties now wadded up in his fist.

Ben kept his arms down by his sides, but he curled his hands into fists as he squared up to face his brother.

"Fuck you, Asshole," he hissed.

"Ooh, clever comeback. You know, I can understand why you fantasize about screwing your sisters, considering you're too much of a fag to attract any other girl. Might was well keep it in the family. I mean what could be better than pussy any time you want it, right?"

"Shut. Up." Ben's voice was acidic.

Brad snarled and stepped into Ben's face. "Make me."

He still had a couple of inches and a couple of dozen pounds on Ben, but at that moment, Ben didn't care. He'd take the beating in defense of his sisters' honor. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Is the big pussy fag getting ready to cry?" Brad mocked. "Why don't you do something about it? Show me how much of a 'man' you are."

Suddenly, a vivid memory came to Ben. Standing in the kitchen, facing off against Brad just like this, not only trying to protecting his sisters' honor, but trying to physically protect his mom. His mom, who was treated like shit by Brad AND their father, and yet was still so forgiving and so understanding, and never stopped loving ANY of her children. She abhorred violence, always trying to make their home one of peace and safety. She wouldn't want him to fight Brad. Not ever, and especially not in her home.

Ben released his fists and sighed.

"Mom wouldn't want me to," he said evenly, then turned his back on Brad and went to get another tub.

Brad remained quiet until Ben lugged the next tub over.

"You know, Mama's boy, you make it out like Mom is all wonderful, like she's some perfect person or something. She was fine as long as she remembered her place, 'cause without Dad, she'd be worthless. She'd just be good for making babies and keeping house, and now she's too fucking old to make babies. Dad makes Mom what she is. All that charity work and shit, that's because of Dad. He makes us all what we are, but you and you dyke sisters keep forgetting that. You keep acting like a pussy and that's all you'll be good for, some guy's pussy bitch."

Ben didn't even acknowledge his brother's words. He just continued his work, wondering how someone as good as his mom could produce something as vile as Brad. That Brad was a less-refined version of their chauvinistic father wasn't lost on Ben. Once again, he vowed to never treat a woman in the disgusting manner in which his brother AND father treated them.

Brad watched for another thirty seconds or so before shaking his head and climbing down the ladder steps.

"Fucking pussy bitch," he muttered under his breath, as he disappeared.

"Where are the rest of the turkey cranberry wraps?" Jack asked. His head was buried inside the refrigerator.

"Don't know," Abigail's voice came back to him. "Last time I checked there was one left."

"Well, it's not here now."

"Then find something else."

"I wanted a turkey cranberry wrap."

"Waanh. I guess you'll just have to wait until dinner like everyone else."

Jack sighed theatrically, but grabbed a handful of baby carrots to munch on before closing the door. He turned to face his wife, who was spooning homemade spaghetti sauce over a layer of lasagna noodles. He watched her work for a bit while he munched on his carrots.

"How is Mary anyway?" he asked. "When I helped Evelyn bring her in the house, she was pretty woozy."

Their neighbor had recently fallen off a step stool while trying to hang wallpaper border in her living room. She tore some ligaments and ended up in surgery. She had just returned home earlier that day, and now Abigail was being neighborly by making the patient and her partner some dinner so they wouldn't have to be burdened.

"She was sleeping when I was over there earlier. Evelyn said that whatever painkillers they had her on were pretty powerful."

Analise walked by the kitchen. With one hand, she fiddled with an earring; with the other, she held ... the last turkey cranberry wrap.

"Hey! That was my wrap!" Jack complained.

She stopped and looked first at Jack and then back at the partially eaten wrap. "Really? You made it?"

"Well, no, but I was going to eat it."

"Oh. And your name was on it?" She made a show of looking all around the wrap for his name. Then she shrugged and took a big bite, rolling her eyes dramatically as if it was the most scrumptious food ever.

"No, but I called dibs."

"Oh." Analise chewed slowly. "Abigail, did you hear Jack call dibs?"

"Nope."

Allison arrived home at that moment. She was still dressed in her soccer uniform, and was flushed and sweaty.

"Allie, did you hear Jack call dibs on the last wrap?"

"No."

Allison winked at Jack as she stepped past Analise and into the kitchen. She leaned in and gave Abigail a warm kiss on the lips.

Analise took another bite, happily moaning a little as she chewed. She swallowed and said, "So, Jack, you called dibs when no one else was around?"

Allison leaned in and kissed Jack on the lips. Abigail glanced back at them, her nose crinkling.

"Whew, Allison, you are stinky."

Jack pulled his young lover against him and made a show of sniffing Allison's neck as he tried to grab her ass. She giggled and pulled free from him, then opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of Gatorade.

"I think she smells good," he said. He turned back to Analise. "Actually, I was HOME. So that counts for something, right?"

"No," all three sisters said in unison, then burst out laughing.

"No respect. I get no respect."

"Aw, poor baby," Analise said. "Here you can have the last few bites."

"I need a shower," Allison said, after she took a big swallow of her drink. "I thought summers here were supposed to be mild. It was oppressively hot today."

Analise stepped over and held the wrap out to Jack. Instead of taking it, he opened his mouth for her to feed him. She rolled her eyes, but held it up to his mouth.

Analise said, "Allie, you're almost through your first summer here and you've just forgotten how oppressive Tennessee summers are, that's all." Instead of taking a small bite, Jack snatched the whole wrap from her fingers with his lips, causing her to squeak in surprise. "Damn, Jack. That was like three bites for a normal person."

He smiled at her as he chewed. She chuckled and patted him warmly on the chest. She kept her hand on his chest for a bit and almost absently began a gentle caress. She seemed zoned out as she watched her hand move along the broad expanse. Jack began to feel uncomfortable at her surprisingly intimate gesture. He glanced at Abigail, who had turned to face them with the dish of lasagna in her hand. She noticed the gesture as well, and raised an eyebrow, a little grin coming to her face.

Allison took another swallow of her drink, oblivious to the suddenly tense moment. "Well, it would help if they had air conditioners here."

Allison words seemed to shake Analise from her trance. She jerked her hand back from Jack's chest like it burned her. She blushed and took a trembling breath. Then she turned towards the younger girl.

"Com'n. Summer hasn't been THAT bad."

Allison smiled. "Well, maybe not." She put the Gatorade back in the refrigerator. "Enough polluting the air, I'm going to soak my aches in the shower until all the hot water is gone."

She left the room just as Josh whimpered from Analise's bedroom. Analise had just grabbed her purse off the table and glanced his direction.

"I'll take care of it," Jack said. "You need to get to work."

Analise gave him a thankful look and stepped over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks," she quietly said to him, then she said to both of them, "I'll be back about 10 or so. Thanks again for always babysitting, you guys."

"Like it's such a chore," Abigail answered, sarcastically. She placed the lasagna in the oven and set the timer. "Have a good evening."

After Analise left, Jack and Abigail leaned against the counters, neither saying anything as they listened to see if Josh was making any more sounds. When it appeared he was back asleep, Jack let his mind wander to other matters, such as the recent exchange with Analise. He'd noticed during the last few weeks that her friendly behavior was becoming increasingly flirtatious, though maybe he was just imagining it. He could ask Abigail, since she was the most observant person he knew, but decided the question reeked of vanity, so he kept it to himself.

"Looks like there's another member of the Jack Williams' fan club," Abigail said, as if she could read his mind.

"Huh?"

Abigail smiled at him. "Don't try to be coy. If you didn't notice it before, her rubbing all over you kind of gives it away."

"She's just being friendly."

"No, friendly is what she was right after she moved in. Flirty is what she's been for the last few weeks. Fawning is what she was just now."

"Com'n, Abigail, I don't know about that."

"I can't say I blame her." Abigail glided over to him. Her expression became sultry. "I love to rub on your chest all the time."

She began a seductive caress almost identical to Analise's.

"And your face. I love to caress your face, too, but I mostly love to kiss it."

She pressed her moistened lips sensuously against one cheek and then the other.

"Oh, I love to kiss those plump, squooshy lips," she cooed, her humid breath washing gently over his lips just before she pressed against them, softly at first, then increasing in pressure. A flick of her tongue coaxed his lips open.

Jack moaned quietly into her mouth, his body responding quickly to his wife's seduction. His senses were suddenly on alert, heightened by the burst of arousal he felt. His crotch stirred.

The kiss intensified, their tongues dueling passionately for a minute, as she ran her hands slowly over his chest and shoulders. Then she pulled away. Without a word, she took his hand and slowly pulled him towards the bedroom, swaying her hips seductively as she walked.

"You know what else I love?" she said, as they entered the room.

Jack tried to answer, but his voice cracked. Damn, she had such a hold on his soul. The soft sounds of Allison's shower could be heard through the bathroom door. He swallowed and tried again. "What do you like?"

Her hands slipped under his shirt and caressed his bare stomach, tracing his muscles lightly.

"I love to feel the warmth of your body, especially unimpeded by clothing. I love to undress you, slowly, watching every part of your lovely body as it is exposed to my eyes."

Her hands rose up to his chest, pushing his shirt up as she talked. Almost dreamily, he lifted his hands and let her pull it off.

"I love to kiss your neck and that sexy chest."

She dragged her lips in a trio of kisses from his neck down to his chest.

"I love to kiss your nipples."

She slowly pressed her lips against one and then the other. Jack moaned at both kisses. His cock was at full attention now, throbbing along with every beat of his heart.

"And lick them..."

She flicked her tongue against one, making Jack flinch.

"And suck them..."

She sucked the hard pebble between her tight lips, jolts of pleasure zapping across his body. The sensations increased until it was almost too much for Jack. Then she released him.

"And bite them..."

Her teeth replaced her lips and she bit down, not so hard as to hurt, but hard enough for Jack to feel it and for it to radiate pleasure all the way down to his cock.

"Oh, God, Abbie," he gasped.

She released the tender, now throbbing, nipple, and repeated the process with the other one. Then she gave him a sultry look as she sank to her knees and began to work on his belt.

"Analise would love to do all this," she said, intently focused on her task of disrobing him. He froze at the sound of his sister-in-law's name, unable to keep the image it conjured up from entering his mind. Abigail continued, "But I know what she'd love to do more."

When his belt and shorts were loosened, she gave them a little pull and they fell to his feet. His boxers were tented, a growing wet spot right on the tip. A little moan escaped her throat. She pulled the boxers down to his feet, freeing his rampant erection, leaving it swaying in the air.

"She'd love to wrap her hand around this," she husked as she demonstrated. "Maybe stroke it a few times. Oooo ... I bet she'd love to suck this little drop of salty goodness."

Jack nearly collapsed when Abigail's tongue captured the drop of pre-come, giving the fleshy tip of his cock a lick and a quick suck.

"Mmmm ... That would be just the incentive for Annie to do this."

Abigail took his length deep into her mouth. Jack's head fell backwards as the pleasure suffused him.

"Abbie. Oh, fuck..."

He was amazingly aroused, even more than his usual, horny self. He tried to dismiss the notion that Analise doing what Abigail was doing was causing him to react this way, yet the image of the head of strawberry blonde hair obscuring the view of her mouth on his cock was too vivid to ignore.

After several minutes of languid sucking and deep plunges, Abigail had Jack on the brink. His knees were shaking, his breaths taken in a rapid staccato. A light sheen of perspiration covered his skin. The tension built in his balls, building and swelling in his core. He lunged his hips forward, ready to give up the fight, when Abigail pulled off.

Jack only vaguely heard the bathroom door open. Abigail was sliding back onto the bed, pulling her own shorts off as she went. When she reached the middle of the bed, naked from the waist down, she smiled at Jack.

"Annie would give anything to be right here, Jack, lying in this bed, waiting for you to bury your face in her pussy, begging you to eat her." Abigail pulled her shirt off and dropped it on the floor. She removed her bra, her large breasts spilling out and shifting from the weight just a bit to the side. "Eat my pussy, Jack," she husked.