Chapter 5

Dawn on Thursday morning came too soon. He had slept on his stomach to avoid aggravating the lash marks on his back. He was sore and tired and just wanted to cut class. He saw the black rubber bracelet on his wrist and rolled over onto his side, covering his head again, hiding from the shame he felt inside.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! His phone told him he had just gotten a text.

From Leslie L.

Hey, I missed the bus! Can you come pick me up?

Sent at 7:22 a.m.

He would have moved mountains, walked across hot coals, and endured a thousand of Cat’s punishments for that girl. He texted her back and got dressed, choosing the softest shirt he owned, a nice silk one for special occasions. He took a quick look in the mirror. He looked like hell. Shrugging it off, he went to go pick up Leslie. She was waiting at the curb, and he pulled up alongside her. Climbing in, she immediately began thanking, apologizing, and giving excuses simultaneously. Chris said it wasn’t a problem and drove the two to school.

Parking his car, he got out stiffly, and she asked what was wrong. Chris lied and told her he had just slept funny. She nodded and took his hand, walking into the brick building through the columned front entrance. He took her to her locker and helped her with her books. He bore her book bag on his shoulder as they walked to her first class, even though the pain was excruciating. She kissed him, and they parted ways. Chris took his time getting to his first class, not giving a shit if he was late. His head hung low without Leslie to lift it. When he came into class after the bell, his teacher just let it slide, the kid obviously having a bad day. He eased into his seat and just laid his head down, his back hurting so badly. The bell couldn’t come fast enough as he walked down the halls towards English class, the one he was dreading the most.

“Just gotta get it over with,” he told himself aloud.

He had mixed feelings when his eyes met Cat’s; he was in pain physically and emotionally, but he wanted to continue with his training, hoping she would crack his hard exterior and help him defeat his demons. She seemed to have a good time whipping at the flesh on his back anyway. The lecture went quickly, and when the bell rang, he just left, not wanting to speak to her, to hear her excuses or apologies, or ridicule.

Lunch was his saving grace, and Leslie his angel in dark times. She radiated a beautiful light that banished away all of the monsters that tormented him. He just sat there, grateful to be close, and he listened to her as she chatted with Scarlett, talking about her photography class and her fears about her Biology quiz next period. She could have been reading the dictionary, and he would have been enchanted. As the bell sounded once more, the two cleared the table and headed off in separate directions. He craved her the moment they parted. The trauma to his back had been for her, but he could never tell her.

Biology was boring, and he skipped P.E. in favor of being antisocial. His school had a clock tower and courtyard near the entrance. There was only one door that allowed people to get into it, and it was supposed to be locked, the fire marshal deeming it unsafe if a fire were to break out due to its single exit. Chris tested the door and found that some students had gotten in and taped over the latch that would have locked it automatically. He climbed the winding staircase to the top and found a few of his classmates up there, passing a joint. They quickly hid it from his view, but the whole tower smelled like ganja. He had smoked a few times before and didn’t normally like the disconnected feeling it gave him, but today was different. Proffering his hand, the guys dressed in tie-dye with long hair passed the roach to the left. He took a hit and held it in his lungs as he handed it off. Exhaling slowly, he coughed a couple of times, but his pain seemed to melt away for the moment.

He stared out of the tower onto the grounds below. The courtyard was empty, all the kids in class. The field had his P.E. class running track and throwing footballs. One of the hippies in the tower pulled out some more pot and began rolling another joint. The man rolling sparked it first and then passed it on to Chris. He complimented the guy on the nice tight roll and took a drag, advancing it down the line. He was pleasantly stoned and didn’t take a hit on the next go-around. He thanked the guys for the smoke and headed on with handshakes and high-fives before he left.

He walked out to his car and spritzed on some cologne he had stashed in his glove compartment. He heard the bell ring from the parking lot and went inside to meet up with Leslie. He had to go to work and really could use seeing her before starting his shift. He arrived at her locker before she did, but she wasn’t long behind. She was walking with Scarlett when she spotted him, and the two parted ways, giving each other a sisterly peck on each cheek. As Leslie came closer, she looked him up and down and grinned.

“Where’d you get the smoke?” she asked as she got next to him. He looked around and sniffed his shirt, smelling the fresh cologne and nothing else. “Your eyes are so fucking red!” she whispered and shook her head. “You holding out on me?”

“Nah, I skipped P.E. and smoked with some guys in the clock tower,” he explained.

“You got a minute?” she asked. “I want to show you something I’m working on in photography class.” He couldn’t deny her; he didn’t care if Sarah was going to be mad for him being late. He didn’t care about much of anything with the cannabis flowing through his veins, stimulating his neurons and giving him a case of the munchies. He followed her to her class, and they crossed the room to the darkroom. The light on the outside was off, indicating that there was no one using the room. They stepped in, and she flicked the switch, bathing the tiny space in a red glow.

Instead of showing Chris her work, Leslie began kissing him, her hands thankfully staying on his chest instead of his tender back. He kissed her back with fervor. “I know you have to go to work soon, but I could really use some of this right now,” she whispered, rubbing the front of his pants. He groaned and let her have her way with him. She unzipped his pants and pulled out his hardening cock. Stroking it in her hands, it went to full mast very quickly. She lifted her black skirt over her round ass and showed off her naked rear. She wasn’t wearing panties. He hardened fully and moaned at the look of her in the red radiance.

“Please fuck me, right here,” she begged. He couldn’t withhold sex from her even though his whole body ached. He knew once he was inside her, all of his cares would melt away. He took a step forward and slid into her warm, wet depths, groaning as her body tightened with the invasion. His mind and body felt so blissfully disconnected. His brain was hazy, his back a dull ache, his dick wrapped in a velvet glove. He fucked her slowly and deliberately, feeling every inch as it entered and exited her. He felt her reaching the precipice and reached out to give her breasts a bit of attention. She quivered softly and rested her head on the workbench, enjoying his gentleness.