Chapter 9

“Just say my boobs!” Pat snarled crossing her arms over her breasts. The room, our box, was otherwise quiet. Everyone was waiting on me or scowling at Pat.

“But it wasn’t your boobs,” I shook my head, “It was your hair.”

“What?” She seemed legitimately surprised. Partially offended.

“Well yeah,” I could only shrug. Pat, Trishie, she was the smallest. A skinny redhead with pale skin and bright eyes. She had curves, but not like, Xiomara’s figure or Renée’s big chest. Kia was slender, with tiny hips, though Kia’s breasts looked smaller on a 5’9’’ girl, they were bigger than Pat’s. I was staring at Pat’s chest right then. She was hardly seeing me.

“If it wasn’t your hair, he’d only be able to see boobs,” Marin declared.

“And I’m not sure he’d have noticed that there’s more than him and Renée in the room,” Laughed Connie.

“You’ve got beautiful hair,” Pat let me reach over and she smiled when I curled up a finger in the red. Xiomara looked smug actually, damn, she should be smug, “So yeah, Pat, it was your hair and then the yelling.”

Marin had the meanest laugh.

“That’s not the entire card, Dean,” Kia smiled with the flick of her head. I realized I had lucked out. My prompt was to say what first struck me about Pat and then hand off the card to the best hair in the room. Except, there were categories. Tops and bottoms. Pat was apparently my top and my self esteem had taken a hit. My luck was that Kia wasn’t in contest with Xiomara right now. Oh. Is that why Xiomara had wanted Hannah to step up to top? Did Xiomara want to force the fight? Had she known what the cards were like? Yet, I wouldn’t have believe Xiomara as bottom to anyone. If I had paired with her, not Pat, I’d have been steamrollered in half the time.

Nothing added up and I was stalling.

I picked up the card. I realized something, the girl with the best hair was going to get penalized. The top with the best hair. I was uncomfortable with this top and bottom labeling. I didn’t want to be labeled a bottom. I was stalling.

“Ah, thank you,” Xiomara laid a hand over her breast and smiled warmly.

“Yeah, you scream like a banshee,” I sniped at her as she picked the card of the enamelled table.

“You may said that but this was about her hair,” Suzi snarked, “If X doesn’t have the best hair, take your card back.”

“Keep the card, Xiomara,” I glared at Suzi. She killed my joke.

“Good, Kia draw my card,” Suzi demanded. Everyone seemed fine with her tone. I took my hand from Pat’s hair and laid it on Kia’s knee. She squeezed my fingers with her right hand and snatched the card from the white box. She moved smoothly.

“Are you left handed?” I asked but she reached up with her right and covered my mouth.

“You had your turn.” She ignored me.

Top: If you couldn’t take care of your bottom, give this card to the top who’d treat your bottom right.

“This is a dumb game,” Marin growled. I agreed. There was something off about everything the aliens had provided us. Everything was stark, emotionless, humorless. Were we that different? I chuckled. Suzi glared at me.

“I liked that black card,” Connie smirked.

“Maybe we should just start at blue?” Andrea suggested.

“No!”

“Hannah, but--” Xiomara sighed at the outburst.

“Xiomara take control of your bottom!”

“Marin!” Renée shook her head and looked worriedly at Connie.

“Calm down, Hannah,” Xiomara shushed, “Let’s at least go around once as white cards.”

“Yeah,” Suzi nodded. She slid the card across the table towards Xiomara.

“Fuck you, Suzi!” Kia snarled.

“What? What’s wrong with Connie?” Suzi jumped.

“I think something’s wrong with your geometry.” I pointed out the card had slid closer to Xiomara than Connie. Suzi frowned. Kia was taking deep breaths and I squeezed her leg. I could feel her entire body living against me. I slowly closed my eyes. Trying to meter out any feelings and touching we shared. Yesterday, I had been horribly embarrassed boy. Today I had started out as a man. I was going to be that man. Even if they said I was Pat’s bottom.

“Yeah, aren’t Asians supposed to be good at math?”

“Shut up Andrea,” Suzi grumbled not getting the joke. I felt better for that.

“Don’t tell my bottom bitch to shut up,” Marin grinned as she snaked her arm over Andrea’s shoulders.

“Can I trade tops?”

“Dean.”

“Sorry, Pat,” I frowned, “I thought it was funny.”

“Yeah,” I was laughed at, “With all that resolve, you totally should’ve been on top, Dean.”

“Hannah, please,” Xiomara gestured to the game. She was looking smug again. Everyone was looking grim. Hannah slid a card out of the box and gave it to Xiomara.

Top: Explain to your bottom where your bottom needs improvement. Give this card to the bottom who is the best at that.

“I think this game is just mean,” Hannah pouted.

“I want that card,” Pat sighed.

“Super cool with the gays, Aliens are,” Marin wasn’t even trying for the Yoda impression but I was laughing. I slid my hand a little further up past her knee. She hardly reacted. I didn’t push further.

“Man, I want to trade tops with Andrea.”

“Still not funny, Dean,” Pat lightly kicked my ankle.

“Not being funny this time, Pat,” I glared at her.

She punched me. She punched me hard. Now, I’m not being a pussy. Pat could only imagine 105 lbs, assuming earth gravity. I, well back home me, weighed 190 lbs. I was quite a bit trimmer here but I was also more muscled. I wanted a scale. I wondered if it might tell me anything. So yeah, she’s tiny, and I’m kind of built to absorb some shock, but she knows how to jab her fists. A shot to the shoulder would’ve been OK. She punched me in the crook of the elbow, I scurried away, dragging my fingers up Kia’s thigh. Kia twitched and erupted out grabbing my wrist from tickled laughter. I exposed my side and Pat whiffed her pinpoint fist straight under my ribs.

“Pat, that’s the last time you hit him,” Xiomara warned.

“He deserved it,” Pat sulked.

“No. He didn’t,” Hannah shook her head.

“If he didn’t wheeze that funny, I’d be pissed too,” Marin smiled at me. Kia fought for her breath just a little harder than I did.

“We’re not quite ready for this game,” Suzi sighed, “But, tickle fight?”

“I really want to get to the black cards,” Renée sighed.

“Really? You?” I glowed at that. Kia felt even closer against me as I imagined passing Renée around for oral sex. That had been a hell of a card.

She went firetruck red.

“No, I don’t want to take a black dare,” She said into her hands.

“Damn, I had a few ready!”

“Shut up, Connie,” Renée huffed, “But I think, if we had worked our way up. Maybe it’ll be easier?”

“I’d probably be allowed to shower by then,” I raised an eyebrow. Kia rubbed my cheek.

“Can we at least go around the table once?” Marin asked, “I want a turn.”

“I kind of want a tickle fight,” Pat slumped, she sat up quickly. It was weird everyone had good posture. I knew Renée and Suzi did back home. But Marin, at least in art class, she couldn’t sit still to sit up. She was goddesslike in serenity right now.

“We don’t have a loser yet,” Connie frowned.

“Alright, fine, Hannah,” Xiomara slapped the table and the redhead shivered expectedly, “You’re too timid. You need to speak up at more people.”

“Oh,” Hannah lowered her eyes.

“Suzi, please give this to your opportunistic harpy.”

“Oh my God!” Kia rolled her eyes, “She even knows my Christian name.”

“If Pat had to calm down,” I shook my head at her tone, “So do you.”

“Pat hit you,” Andrea shook her head. Marin reached over and stroked her hair.

“I don’t care, everyone calm down,” Pat nodded. She was kicking her feet, burning with energy.

“OK, well it’s just two more cards for a trip around the table,” I suggested, “Connie if you please.”

“Renée, please follow Dean’s instructions.”

“Oh, he liked that,” Kia jumped against me and she ran her fingers through my hair.

“Kia, play with your own partner,” Pat grumbled and hopped her stool a little closer to us. Suzi’s foot was running over my own. Kia was pulling herself tighter against me. Pat’s hand was rubbing my back. I felt Kia’s shinbone and calf muscle with my shaking fingers. Marin was staring me down. Renée chuckled.

“Can you pass me the white box please, Hannah?”

“You’ve done marvelous things with your bottom, Connie,” Xiomara grinned, “She is so polite.”

“Well, she knows how lucky she is to have me,” Connie bragged. Renée pouted and grumpily picked her card from the box. She slid the box further around to Andrea.

Top: Provide to another bottom the reward you’d provide your own bottom when you are pleased. Also this card.

“Oh, I’m just picking one of you on my own whim?” Connie reread, “I guess this is better than neg your bitch and tell them why someone else’s bitch is better.”

“Yeah, I was dreading that,” Renée slid off of Connie’s lap with a push on her bum. Connie circled the table, walking behind Andrea, Marin and then Pat. I looked up, Suzi’s toes curling over my own. I was nervous and Kia squirmed as Connie stopped between my and Pat’s shoulders.

“Of course, you pick Dean,” Muttered the puncher.

“I’m picking Kia,” Connie reached over and slid the card into Kia’s hand and lifted it up, “Whenever my girls on the team are really making the best for me and for themselves--”

“As you see it,” Renée grumbled.

“True, but I can’t really judge things by how others see it,” Connie turned back to Kia. She stepped forward, closer than she needed to, I could feel her, just atoms from actually touching me. I’m sure Kia felt me stiffen. Pat certainly did. She rolled her hand down my shoulder and clutched my butt. I laughed. Everyone looked at me. Pat grumpily puller her hand away, “When my girls are good. I set them up. Kia, this is Dean. I think you’ll like him.”

“Thank you Connie,” Kia grinned, “You know how to treat a girl.”

“I know how to treat my friends,” Connie agreed running her fingers through my hair. I slipped my arms around Kia’s waist. She leaned her head onto mine. Pat’s stool jumped towards me with her on it again. She was up against Kia’s knees now, prevented from sitting directly next to me. Connie continued her circuit around the table.

“Maybe the pink ones--”

“Andrea, grab the last white card now,” Marin waved.

“Why are you all bossing us around?” Andrea pulled out the card, “I wouldn’t be with someone who was this bossy even if I wanted to be on bottom.”

“You don’t want to be on the bottom?” I asked.

“Dean,” Pat grumbled, “Don’t embarrass her.”