Chapter 70: What Comes From Smoke

My friends were relaxed at school. Ashley, Lenore, and Miki sat together at brunch and lunch, giggling. Matti was sitting on Jessica's lap during our breaks. My sister was still timid, but she clearly felt safe in Jessica's arms.

The others tried to keep me from worrying too much about the meeting after school, but I still obsessed a bit over my father's tone. I knew he was intensely interested in finding a way to thwart the CAP system and worried that he would demand that I take him. I had prepared as well as I could for a physical confrontation, but had no idea how many allies my father would have when we met.

By the time the bell rang to end our Chemistry class I was worked up into a bit of a frenzy. Jessica noticed and put a hand on my arm as we walked toward the parking lot. "Mark? Can it really be that bad?"

"I don't know," I said. "My father is a bully, but he's cunning and in the past he has usually had backup. I expect that he'll have someone with him at the meeting."

"What might he try to do?" Jessica asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know," I said. "Oh, I do have one plan. Matti get over here."

My sister ran over. Kathy, Milli, and Maurice followed her. "Yes, dear brother?" my sister said with a giggle.

I smiled and then winked at Jessica. "Matti, I need you to do something."

"Anything for my brother," Matti said. "Well, almost anything."

My sister was blushing. I looked over at Jessica and smiled. "I'm going to get my sister to really blush. Matti, I need you to play up your love for Jessica."

"How?" Matti asked.

"What do you mean how?" Jessica snapped.

Matti looked terrified. "No, my question is that I don't understand how I can play it up. I already do anything you ask Mistress. I know that sex isn't allowed, but I do everything I can to show that I love you and look forward to being yours forever."

Kathy giggled. "I guess she does. She wears outfits she knows you'll like. Heck, she sat in your lap and it wasn't like a baby might sit in a mother's lap."

"I liked seeing it," Milli said. "I mean, Matti is so sweet, but usually she lets one of us push her out of the way."

"I'm afraid of Daddy," Matti said. "He's done a lot of bad things."

"And that is why you need to be close to Jessica," I said. "As I remember, Father dislikes lesbians."

"Dude? Your father doesn't want to watch two women licking each other until they both scream in pleasure?" Maurice said incredulously.

"I know, not really natural," I said. "But my father is a manly man. Only men are supposed to bring a woman to orgasm. The idea of two women loving one another goes against his prejudices."

"So wrong," Kathy said with a laugh. "I mean a man is fun, but I live for Jessica."

I looked at Jessica. My friend nodded. "I'll make sure that Kathy and Milli are in on it. Your father won't get his hands on her. I'm guessing you want to avoid him demanding custody."

"Got it in one," I said. "So we need to keep him off balance."

We had reached the parking lot and found Lenore sitting in the driver's seat of the red minivan. A black SUV was parked directly behind her.

"Our rides are here," Jason said. "Do we wait for Jana? Ack!"

I turned to see what had surprised my friend. Jana was standing behind him. She had her arms draped over his shoulders and trailing down his chest. "Shall we try doing it in a minivan my love?" Jana asked.

"Not today," Jason replied.

"You can always sneak an afternoon at the tree house," I said as we started to board the vehicles. "That's where I'm taking Miki tomorrow after class."

"You are?" Miki asked excitedly.

"Do you not want to go there?" I asked pretending to be a bit bored.

"The tree house?" Miki asked me again. "I've heard that you took Ashley and Lenore there. They still talk about it very fondly. It's a source of pride as far as they are concerned."

I frowned. "I was fumbling when I took Ashley there. I had very little idea on how to truly make sure she enjoyed it. Lenore I was too fast with."

Lenore smacked me in the back of the head. "Do you still worry about that? Mark, I told you that I enjoyed it. I still remember it. I was so happy to finally join with you and Ashley. We needed that."

"We did," Ashley said. "And I knew my first time would probably mean some fumbling, but you were good Mark. You've gotten a lot better, but you were good even back then."

"I don't need to hear this," Jason sang out.

"Oh?" Jana said playfully as Lenore started the engine of the minivan and began moving us forward. "I think you might want to listen. Not so you can learn, but because you might get some fresh ideas."

Jason made some fake vomit sounds. This lasted for a couple moments until two loud slaps rang out. "Hey!" Jason called out. "I was just playing."

"So were we," Letty said. "We love you Jason."

I was smiling as we continued driving towards the Amphitheatre where I was going to meet my father. We were several hours early so the crowds were light. Lenore said nothing, but Miki and Ashley reached out to take my hands. They offered reassuring squeezes as we drove down the freeway.

I was still considering what to say to my father when we exited the freeway and made the right turn onto the road leading to the parking lot. There were only a few cars heading the same direction as we entered the multi-lane road.

"Darn, I was hoping for traffic," I said jokingly. "Anything to delay the inevitable."

"You expect a fight?" Lenore asked.

"My father is a bully, as I've said before. He's going to want to punish me for not telling him my score."

"Hey, I thought you told him the truth about your score," Jason said.

"I did, but I did it in a way that my father would think I had scored poorly," I said with a sigh. "Obviously, he knows the truth now thanks to Walter."

"I say we find a big pool of water and dunk Walter in it a few dozen times," Jason said. "Preferably for very long periods of time."

"I second that motion," Letty said loudly. "Or we can find out when and where he does his laundry and add itching powder to the laundry soap being used."

"Liquid heat!" Ashley said with a giggle. "Or we can add that to his clothing while its in the dryer, so it dries into the fabric."

"Ouch," Jason said. "Remind me to be nice to you from now on."

"Be nice to us from now on," Jana said.

Lenore was bringing the minivan to a halt. A parking lot attendant walked over. "There is no in and out privileges. If you park in here now, you have to stay or pay a second entry fee."

"We understand," Lenore said. "We are prepared to stay until the concert is over."

"Ten dollars," the attendant said absently. "This early you can park at the end of any row."

"Thanks," Lenore said as she accepted the receipt and carefully placed it on the dashboard.

Lenore drove past the attendant. She was navigating through the parking lot when Jason called out. "Mark, is that your dad waving to us?"

I looked over my shoulder at Jason. He was pointing to a spot near one of the exits from the parking lot. Standing in the driveway was a large man with a greying beard. I had to look a second time before I was sure it was my father. "It is," I said.

"Eager to meet you is he?" Jason asked.

"Drop me off here and go park at the other exit," I said. "You can walk over to join me. I'd rather not have an audience for the start of this."

"Afraid of your father?" Jason asked.

"Not sure he won't try to take a hostage if one of you is near," I said. "He shouldn't have a gun, but I never thought I'd be in this position. He's going to want to control me, and the only way he can is to threaten me or someone near me."

Lenore slowed the minivan, stopping when we were still about a hundred yards from my father. I unlatched my seat belt and opened the passenger side door.

"Wait," Ashley said as she put a hand on my shoulder. She reached out and pulled me so I was leaning between the two front seats. "Just remember we love you," she said firmly before placing a kiss on my forehead.

I put my right arm around her neck and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. I held it until I felt Ashley's nipples harden. By the time I released her Ashley was panting with desire.

"Hold that thought," I said as I slipped from the minivan. As I closed the door, I could see my father start to walk toward me.

Lenore drove the minivan away turning left and heading down one of the rows in the parking lot. I walked directly at my father. When we were about twenty feet away I stopped.