A Well-Lived Life - Book 8 - Stephie
Chapter 5: Back to School, Part I

Copyright © 2015-2023 Penguintopia Productions

Coming of Age Sex Story: Chapter 5: Back to School, Part I - This is the continuation of the story told in "Book 7 - Kara II". If you haven't read Books 1 through 7, then you'll have some difficulty following the story. I strongly encourage you to read those before you begin this eighth book. Like the other books in this series, there is a lot of dialogue and introspection. There is also a lot of sex. Book 8 has 82 chapters and about 455,000 words. It's a lengthy read. I hope you'll stick with it!

Caution: This Coming of Age Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa   Ma/ft   Mult   School   Incest   Brother   Sister   First   Slow  

January, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Sunday morning after I called Karin and after the four of us in the apartment ate breakfast, Stephie asked if we could go to the IIT bookstore, which had special Sunday hours because it was the day before school. I agreed, and she packed a few things to leave in her dorm room at IIT and we headed to the campus. We also took some flyers that I printed for our tutoring service to hang up on campus. We went to the dorms first and found Jackie unpacking her things.

"I hope you're doing better," Jackie said.

"I am. Thanks for coming by with Cindi and kicking my butt. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome! How are things going, Stephie?"

"Good. I don't know if Steve told you, but I'm moving in with him. I won't be here except for when his friend Karin visits."

"How is that different from last semester?" Jackie asked with a silly smile.

"It's not, I guess, but if things hadn't gone to hell in a handbasket for the Yankee here, I would have been here full time starting today."

"I had no idea he was going to propose to Kara," Jackie said.

"Join the club!" Stephie replied. "He didn't say anything to me until the morning I flew home. But you know how it turned out. And thanks for looking out for him. I owe you for that."

"Let me borrow him a few times and we'll be even," Jackie smirked.

"I ain't got no claim on him, even if'n I've tried my best! But I'll take bein' his main girl. Given what happened, I can understand why he's gun-shy. Just don't get too attached to him!"

"Thanks for talking about me like I'm not here, girls!" I laughed. "As I said, Jackie, give me some time to deal with everything and then we'll talk."

"Sorry," Jackie said. "I am glad you're doing better. Are you starting the weekend gatherings next Saturday?"

"Absolutely," I said. "And you're welcome to visit any time during the week, too. No invite necessary. You might want to call to make sure we're there, or find one of us on campus."

"What about our coffee meetings?" she asked.

"If you want to do that, I'm up for it. My schedule is really close to last semester's. Classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are at 10:00am, 2:00pm and 4:00pm — you know, 'Dr Pepper Time'," I joked. "The Tuesday and Thursday classes start at 9:00am."

"We can still do Wednesday morning, if that's OK," Jackie said.

"Sure. I'll see you Wednesday, if not before," I said.

Stephie packed up a few things she had left at the dorm and then we left to go to the office to get our flyers stamped and then put them up around campus, then went to the bookstore. Once Stephie had her books for the semester, we headed back to Hyde Park and had lunch with Elyse and Eduardo.

"What's your schedule like, Elyse?" Stephie asked.

"Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have four classes," Elyse said. "I start at 9:00am and end at 4:00pm. I have one class Tuesday afternoon and nothing on Thursday. What about you?"

"Three classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, starting at 10:00am and ending at 5:00pm, two classes on Tuesday and none on Thursday," Stephie responded.

And that reminded me I needed to talk to Becky, and that I had promised to call Anala. I'd do that later in the day, after dinner, along with calls to Jennifer and Stephanie to check in as I'd promised.

"And I have the same, except I have one class on Tuesday morning and one on Thursday morning," I said. "Stephie and I are in two classes together and I have one with Dave and Julia, too."

"What classes do you have with Stephie?" Elyse asked.

"Statistics on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Writing for Engineers on Tuesday," I answered. "And the class with Dave and Julia is Management Information Systems. I assume we can get help with stats from you if we need it?"

"So long as you help me with my computer class!" Elyse replied.

"I plan to start up the weekend gatherings on Saturday. I'm not sure if Dave and Cindi are coming on Friday night, though I'm going to suggest to Julia that she talk to Dave. He took notice of her when we finished our project last semester."

"And Cindi will be cool with that?" Stephie asked.

"Yeah, I think so," I said after a moment's consideration. "They're still good friends, according to both of them, just not lovers. It's kind of like me and Kathy, I guess."

"Yankee, I don't know anyone who can be friends with ex-lovers like you can," Stephie observed. It's kind of amazing, really."

"It's been a struggle at times, but I do my best to be friends with everyone I can. I've had a few bad breakups, but I've reconciled with all of them, including Becky," I said.

"Becky?" Stephie asked. "The girl who got pregnant on purpose?"

"Yeah. Even her. Staying mad at her would serve no purpose. Jennifer and I had a pretty bad breakup and Melanie and I had a falling out. I even had one with my little sister. But I worked on all of them. Ask Kathy — she and I had a falling out at one point, including her eventually screaming 'Fuck you, Steve Adams' at me in the lunchroom back in High School.

"Kathy?! As in Kathy and Kurt? That Kathy? I don't believe it!" Stephie exclaimed.

"Ask her on Saturday," I chuckled.

Eduardo went back to his dorm and Elyse, Stephie and I went for a walk before dinner, just beating the drizzle that began around 5:30pm. The temperatures were in the upper 30s, which for January in Chicago was relatively nice, though I certainly would have preferred snow to rain. After dinner, we relaxed with tea for a bit, then I excused myself around 8:00pm to make my phone calls.

I called Stephanie to see how she was doing. I wondered when she'd talk to Ed and if he'd really break up with her over her being with me. She didn't say anything, and I didn't ask. She had been back in school for a week already, which was keeping her busy. She said she had tried to call Kara but hadn't had any luck. I told her that given the circumstances, it was probably best to stop trying, at least for a little while, though I'd still call occasionally.

After talking to Stephanie, I called Jennifer at Stanford to let her know I was doing OK and was thinking about her. She thanked me again for letting her spend time with my sister and we talked about when it might be possible to see each other. We agreed that sometime after I got back from Sweden was the most likely time. She reminded me that I could call her anytime if I wanted to talk and I told her not to be surprised if I took her up on that.

My next call was to Becky to confirm that I'd still be free for lunch on Thursdays, though I couldn't meet her until noon. That worked for her because she had a morning class as well. We couldn't meet at the Governor's Table or David's because the two restaurants had recently burned to the ground. We decided to meet at a small diner on Halsted Street instead.

Becky told me that Richie and a guy named Art had stopped by to talk to her. They would use a messenger to get requests to her, though the legitimate businesses, like the auto repair shop, would call her directly. We agreed that we'd only discuss the underground businesses face-to-face at lunch. Before we hung up, we discussed a trip to see Alyson in February, deciding on the first weekend, assuming the weather cooperated.

My final call was to Anala. I apologized for not being able to see her before Winter break. I told her that I had Tuesday afternoons free and fortunately, she did as well. She gave me an address in Bridgeport and told me to come by after lunch for tea. I replied that I'd see her then.

I rejoined the girls for a short time, then the three of us went to bed — Elyse in her room, and Stephie and me in ours. Stephie and I made love as we usually did and fell asleep in each other's arms.

Monday, the first day of the new semester, was unseasonably warm — in the low forties — with a light drizzle. This Winter was turning out to be a complete bust for snow so far. I hadn't been exercising as much as I should have, and Stephie and I would start karate classes again on Tuesday. Two weeks with no practice and almost no exercise was going to make the first couple of sessions tough.

My first class that morning was American History. The professor was, much to my surprise, Scottish with a very cool accent. He had a PhD in American History from, of all places, the University of Glasgow. Because the class covered the period from AD1000 to AD1840, it made some sense, as many of the first settlers to come to what was now the United States had come from the British Isles.

After lunch with Stephie, we walked to the first of our joint classes — statistics. For this class, I wasn't so lucky. The instructor was from China and his accent made him very hard to understand. I hoped that between the book and Elyse, Stephie and I would be able to muddle through the lectures. It took serious concentration that first class period to understand what was being said, but I was happy that by the end of the class I was getting most of it.

My final class of the day was Management Information Systems. I found Dave and Julia in the room, saving a seat for me in the front row, where the three of us had agreed to sit. Julia was looking pretty good, and I wondered if she and Dave might somehow hit it off. I'd have to talk to her after class and make the suggestion. As advertised, this professor had a thick Eastern European accent, which sounded Russian to me, but could have been from some other Slavic language speaking country. That said, I had no problems understanding him when he talked.

After class, Dave headed back to the Sig Ep house and Julia walked with me towards my car, which was on the way to the dorms. We talked about our Christmas, and I gave her a very brief rundown of what had happened with Kara. She asked if I was doing OK and I told her that my friends had done a fantastic job of taking care of me.

"Julia, what's your view on religion?" I asked.

"Uhm, why?"

"I'm just wondering if you might ask Dave to have a cup of coffee. I'm sure that you know that he's not seeing Cindi anymore, but he'd want someone who would go to church with him, at least occasionally."

"I went to a Greek Orthodox wedding last November, and it was totally cool. I'd be OK with going with him."

"Then ask him. He noticed the changes you made, and I'd say he was impressed!" I chuckled.

"You seemed to like it," she said with an impish smile.

"I certainly did! I enjoyed being with you," I said.

"Want to enjoy it again? I kind of have an itch!" she giggled.

I thought about it and decided that it was probably OK in that she didn't seem to be falling for me or anything, and because I'd been with her before, Stephie most likely wouldn't object.

"I might be convinced to sample your charms again!" I grinned.

"What afternoons do you have free?" she asked.

"Tuesday and Thursday. I'm free this Thursday and next, but tomorrow I'm busy. Next week I'm free either day."

"Thursday. Just come to my dorm! What time can you be there?" she asked.

"Probably by 1:30pm. I have a business meeting at lunch, but I should be done no later than 1:15pm."

"Cool! See you then. I'll ask Dave for coffee after class on Friday."

We hugged, and she continued on to the dorm. Stephie walked up a minute later.

"That looked friendly," she observed with a slight smile.

"Yeah. Would you mind if I was with her one more time? She's going to ask Dave for coffee on Friday."

Stephie thought for a moment, "Nah. It's OK. She doesn't have any designs on you, Yankee. Show her a good time!"

"You're really OK with the group situation?" I asked.

"It's what I can have right now, and you did tell me that I'm your main girl. Hell, I was the one who shared you with Emily!"

I chuckled, "That you did, Peaches!"

"And it's something we discussed last semester, if you remember."

"I do, but I wondered if you might have changed your mind because of what happened with Kara," I said.

"Not really. I mean, it's not my ideal, but honestly, I wasn't plannin' on gettin' engaged or nuthin' until I get out of college and get a job and stuff. I want to get a Master's, so that's around '87, I guess, at the earliest."

"Elyse and Bethany are going for their Masters as well," I said. "And my sister is talking about coming to school in Chicago, so I guess I might just have to find a job here when I graduate."

"No graduate school for you?" Stephie asked.

"Nah, I don't think so. I don't think it's necessary. My friend Beth is going to get a PhD because she wants to do research, but I'll be fine without one. The experience I have is way better than a lot of guys who've graduated in the past few years."

We headed home for dinner with Elyse and afterwards started on our homework assignments. After finishing my reading for history and MIS, and the small set of problems for the statistics class, I decided to write Kara a letter. If she wouldn't talk to me, maybe, just maybe, she'd read a letter. I hated writing it out longhand, but I felt that typing it into the computer and printing it out wouldn't convey the message I wanted to send. I poured my heart out to Kara, begging her to please talk to me, even for just a few minutes. I told her how much I loved her, how much I missed her, and how much I wanted to be with her. The letter ran to two full pages of notebook paper, with both sides covered with my handwriting. I folded it up and put it in an envelope that I addressed and stamped.

"I need to mail this letter," I announced. "I'm going to walk over to the Post Office."

"I'll walk with you, Yankee," Stephie offered. "It's to Kara, isn't it?"

"Yes," I sighed. "It's basically a last-ditch effort on my part. I had to try something. I'm really tempted to drive to Milford this weekend, but I'm afraid she won't see me even if I do that. Hopefully, she'll read the letter."

We got our coats and hats and walked out of the apartment and towards the Post Office.

"I guess I hope she does, so that you'll get some closure. It would be better if she talked to you, even though that's risky for me," Stephie said, slipping her gloved hand into mine.

"It's not going to happen, Stephie. I'm pretty damned sure of that. But I have to try."

"I know," she said softly, squeezing my hand.

We walked quietly to the Post Office, I dropped the letter in the mailbox, and then we walked back to the apartment. Stephie made us some hot chocolate, and after we drank it, we went to bed.

On Tuesday morning, Stephie and I went to our English class — Writing for Engineers. The instructor was a retired engineer from DuPont and explained we'd spend the entire semester learning how to write and present various types of documents, including project proposals, status reports, project plans, technical and user documentation, research notes, and just about any other thing that could be committed to paper. We'd have to keep a journal of everything we worked on as practice for when we actually became engineers and I was suddenly glad that I had kept a journal since Junior High.

After class, Stephie and I had lunch at The Bog and I walked her to class. We kissed and after she went into the room, I quickly did my rounds of the fraternities, then walked to Bridgeport, crossing over the Dan Ryan Expressway on 35th Street, walking past Comiskey Park where the White Sox played, and found South Wallace Street, where Anala lived. I turned left and found the house where she rented a flat over a converted garage. I walked up the outside steps and knocked on the door.

"Hi, Steve, come on in," she said with a big smile.

"Hi, Anala!" I said, taking off my fedora and coat, and slipping off my shoes and putting them on the mat near the door where I saw hers, then followed her into her living room.

Tendrils of smoke wafted up from a burning stick of incense that sat in front of a small statue, filling the room with a kind of cedar smell.

"I have to confess my ignorance, Anala, but what's the statue?"

"That's Krishna. You read about him in the Bhagavad Gita. He's an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, kind of like Christians think of Jesus, but not quite the same. Come, sit with me," she said, waving me over.

She directed me to sit on a cushion on the floor next to the table with the statue of Krishna. She poured tea into cups for both of us, then set the pot back on a warmer that had a small candle burning under it.

"This is Masala chai, a very typical tea in India. I don't think you can buy this anywhere in the US. My dad makes the blend from fresh ingredients, and he has a tough time getting all of them."

I sipped the tea. It had a very complex flavor that reminded me of both spices and flowers, and had a faint cinnamon flavor as well.

"This is VERY good!" I said.

She smiled and nodded, "I think today we'll talk about the Bhagavad Gita and the four yogas, or methods. I hope I didn't mislead you about why I asked you here."

I chuckled, "No. I don't make assumptions like that, and when you had me read those other books, I got the idea this wasn't about sex."

She laughed, "You're wrong! It's ALL about sex. But sex comes after intimacy, Steve. That's part of what you need to learn. That's what my sister REALLY needs to learn. But, because we aren't there yet, we'll start with yoga."

"Interesting. I always thought of yoga as some strange exercise that was shown on TV at 5:00am. You know the program? Lilias, Yoga and You? It's from Cincinnati, but I've heard it's on PBS here. It's like exercising and breathing and meditation."

"Yes, I know the program. But true yoga is much more than that. Do you remember the types from the Gita?" she asked.

"Let's see, there was one that was about doing the right thing, one about love, one about meditation, and one about wisdom."

She smiled, "You did read it! Yes, we have Bhakti Yoga, which is about love and devotion to god; Karma Yoga, which is about doing the right thing; Rāja Yoga which is about meditation; and Jnana Yoga, which is about wisdom. I think the one the lady on TV is using is closest to Jnana Yoga, but she's not Hindu, so I'm not sure she really understands the true meaning. I think we should first talk about Karma Yoga."

I laughed, "Altruism is impossible. I think Krishna got it wrong. I guess that pretty much ends the discussion!"

She laughed, "What makes you say that?"

"Well, I think it comes down to the fact that we do things that we want to do because we want to do them. And we want to achieve personal satisfaction in doing those things. I don't think it's possible to escape that," I said.

"You don't think it's possible to act selflessly?"

"No. If I act in a way that appears selfless, it's because that's what I value. So if my system of values is such that I put other people ahead of myself, then I am still seeking my own personal happiness by putting them first. Now, one could argue that I could act against my own nature, but then I'd counter that doing so is what was valued, and in the end, results in my own happiness. So no, altruism is impossible, in the purest definition."

"Wow!" Anala exclaimed. "I think I picked the right guy! Do you know that not a single person I've talked to since I started studying these things in grade school has ever challenged me on that one? I think I should take you to my yogi. He'd have a field day with you. And I don't mean that in a bad way. Have you taken philosophy?"

"Yes, in High School and at IIT. Not a lot, but enough to understand in a limited way the basis of why I believe what I believe. I don't claim to know everything about myself, or even most things, but I do a lot of self-examination and keep a detailed journal. It's somewhere around half-a-million words at this point."

"We're going to get along really well!" Anala said happily. "All four yogas are about self-discovery, self-actualization, and self-criticism. We're starting with what Krishna explained to Arjuna about doing one's duty without being attached to the results."

"I take exception to that, because the results matter. Doing my duty, as it were, and hurting people, is wrong. If it isn't, then the Nazis at Nürnberg should have all been acquitted. So we know that's not right. I should, rather, try to do those things that bring the most happiness to people and create the most good, and which create the least amount of harm, while keeping my word when I give it."

"What if a soldier thought that way? That's part of the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna."

"I guess it depends on the role that we have, but think about the Nazi example. Anyway, I'm not under any military obligation. A soldier has given his word, through his oath, to do a specific duty, under the command of others. He's not the one who decides what is right or wrong. Well, that's not quite true — he can't follow an illegal order, which is the point I was making about Nürnberg."

"Forget the Germans for now, OK? I concede that's a proof of taking things to their extreme. But you aren't any different from a normal American soldier, Steve. You give your word and you keep it. Think, for example, of a marriage vow, or that of a priest, or even signing a contract or following some particular set of rules when you play baseball. In each case, you have a duty that overrides your desire to do good or make people happy. If you strike out on purpose, you make the pitcher, his team, and perhaps the people in the stands happy if you're the visiting team. Should you do that?"

"No, because when you agreed to join the team, you gave your word to your teammates to play for the best interest of the team."

"Exactly. So you DO have a duty. Perhaps it's not like the castes in India, but you have a duty to your friends, your neighbors, and society as a whole. And a duty to the gods. Or to the Christian God, if you're a follower of Jesus."

"I am, kind of. I'm agnostic."

"Then perhaps there is hope for you! Most Christians won't even listen to Eastern wisdom, but there are a few. You should read the book The Seven Storey Mountain by a Christian monk named Thomas Merton, who discovered Eastern wisdom. There is also some overlap between monks of the Russian and Greek Orthodox churches and monks from Hinduism and Buddhism."

Now that was an interesting revelation, and something I'd have to check into. If it was true, it might be one more reason to visit Dave's church or the Russian church he'd mentioned.

"I'll check out that book," I promised.

"Good, let's continue," Anala said.

We talked for several hours until I happened to look at the clock and realized I was going to be late meeting Stephie at the car. I thanked Anala, and we agreed to meet again the following Tuesday afternoon. I put on my shoes, grabbed my hat and coat, and walked quickly back to campus.

"You're late, Yankee. What were you doing? And what's that smell?"

"It's cedar incense of some kind. I was talking philosophy with my friend Anala. I told you about the books she had me read, well, we were talking about them."

"Just talking?" Stephie asked, with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes, just talking. We drank tea, as well. But I didn't even touch her — not even a hug!"

"You're slipping, Steve!" Stephie said with a small laugh.

"Honestly, I had the best philosophical discussion I've ever had, and that includes the class last semester. She has a very different perspective, that's for sure."

We headed back to the apartment for dinner and our first karate lesson of the new semester. I was right that the several weeks of no exercise and nearly a month without practicing were a problem. Both Stephie and I got sent to stand behind the white belts as discipline until we got our act together. I figured it would take a week or so, with practice and exercise every morning, to get back into the swing of things and for us to be allowed back to our proper spots.

On Wednesday, we headed to campus a bit earlier than usual so that I could have coffee with Jackie. Both Stephie and I were a bit sore and a bit tired from the practice we'd done that morning, but I knew the coffee that Jackie would have with her would perk me right up. Stephie went to The Hub to get her own cup and study.

"How are things going?" Jackie asked. "I know I saw you Sunday, but I want to make sure that you're OK."

"I'm fine. I did write a letter to Kara that I mailed late on Monday night. I'm hoping she reads it and will at least talk to me, but I'm not holding out any real hope at this point."

"It's really sad. I know you loved her."

"I still do. Even at this point, I'd take her back if she asked me to," I said, trying to keep my emotions in check.

"You've had some pretty rough breakups, and that doesn't even begin to address what happened with your Swedish girlfriend. If there's anything I can do, just let me know," she said.

"Right now, I just need my friends. Are you going to come by this weekend?"

"Absolutely! I love hanging out at your place. Will everyone be back?"

"Yep. You, Katy, Kathy, Kurt, Eduardo, Stephie, Elyse, and me. Julia might join us, but I think she's going to start dating Dave Kallas, so that would mean she'd be coming to dinner with Dave on Friday nights instead."

We talked about the classes we'd have this semester and some stuff that happened with her on break. She already knew what had happened with me. I was happy she didn't push the issue of sex at this point, though I was sure she'd ask at some point in the future and I'd take stock of the situation then.

When we finished our coffee, we hugged and said we'd see each other on Saturday and headed opposite directions to class. All three classes started in earnest because none of us was a Freshman and the professors didn't try to ease into the rigors of college. After MIS class, I met Stephie at the car and we headed home.

There were already two calls from Freshman guys saying that they'd heard about the computer tutoring and asked about setting up appointments. I called each of them back and both were OK with a joint tutoring session on Thursday afternoons starting next week. Both guys had been referred to me by the professor from CS100, which made me quite happy. I'd have to thank him for that.

On Thursday I drove alone to campus because Stephie had no classes. I had my first International Relations class, taught by a retired Consul General from the State Department. She'd served in half a dozen embassies around the world and had a PhD from the Kennedy School of Government in Boston. A quick glance at the Syllabus showed that we'd be covering the period from after the US civil war and looking at the relations between the major nation-states up through the end of the Vietnam War.

After class, I headed to Bridgeport to meet Becky. I hadn't told her about the situation with Kara and I was concerned that when I did, she'd get the idea that I was available. I was, in a sense, but not to her. I got to the diner first and got a booth. About five minutes later, she slid in across from me. The waitress came to the table and took our orders. It was the same one that Katy had pointed out to me, and I noticed that she was quite cute.

"How was your break?" I asked Becky.

"Good," she replied. "We always do a big celebration at Christmas with all of our relatives. We had around thirty people in the house, including both sets of grandparents, a lot of uncles, aunts and cousins. It's always fun. Otherwise, I hung out with my best friend, saw a few other people and just relaxed. How about you?"

"It sucked. Kara broke up with me on Christmas Eve, right before I was going to propose to her."

"What?! No way! You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding!"

That was not the reaction I'd expected at all.

"No, I'm not kidding," I sighed.

"Oh Steve, I'm so sorry," Becky said, her voice full of concern. "I thought you were truly happy, and I wanted you to be happy!"

"I was."

"Will you tell me what happened?" she asked.

I nodded and began to tell her the tale, though I left out the 'Joyce Incident' as I'd taken to calling it in my mind.

Chapter 6 »

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