Chapter 23

I snuggled up to and buried my face in messy orange hair. The attached butt wiggled backwards as I tightened my arms around her trunk. It wasn’t Pat. I didn’t expect Pat in my bed. It had to be Marin. Who else’s legs were long enough to play footsie with me as I rubbed my nose against her skull.

Our bed was tightly stuffed. I had never woken with more than four girls under the covers with me. There had been breathing room. I was getting similar snuggling treatment from behind. That girl was shorter, with her forehead against the back of my neck.

I ran my hand up Marin’s stomach to take a grip of her breast. My knuckles walked up the next girl’s spine. I could hear blankets moving and whispered good mornings. Nothing from my bed. Marin purred as I fondled her breast.

I loved the feel of a woman’s flesh. The softness of her skin and the warmth of her body through the tips of my fingers right into the primal chaos of my morning brain. She reached back, lifting her arm off of whoever she was cuddling. She ran her fingers over my forearm. I grinned. I walked my hand back down Marin’s stomach, running my knuckles down the spine of Andrea.

Andrea couldn’t help but erupt in tickled giggles. Her thin t-shirt and Marin’s slinky nightgown were no defense from my hands.

“What are you guys doing?” Worried Elizabeth. She sounded like she was at the clothing locker. I said nothing. Pushed my face in further and licked the skin of Marin’s neck.

“Whoa-oh-ho!” Marin exclaimed. “Do that again!”

“I’m getting out of bed!” Pat announced and scurried away from just beyond Andrea. The martial artist had joined us. Somehow, Marin, Andrea, and my rear visitor scrunched in tighter.

“Anyone who stays in bed is getting a shower with Dean!” Xiomara announced and slipped away from the back. Someone followed her off the bed. I assumed it was Zoë. I wiggled my butt back into Suzi.

I ran my hand around the hem of Marin’s nightgown. Her legs were tight and fit. I inched up the bottom, which was hardly passed the bubble of her butt.

“No panties...” I murmured.

“We weren’t allowed to wear panties yesterday!” Renee shouted scandalized.

“Always an audience.” Andrea slipped forward. “Good morning, Dean.”

Suzi behind me, inched down the waist of my pajama pants. She did the same for my boxers. Her thigh was stretched over and pressed between my legs. I touched Marin and she was soaked. I worked my hand up to her face. Pressed my finger to her lips. When I breached inside of her, she nodded.

Suzi stroked me before I reached down to aim myself.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!” The ring of an angry foot on steel reverberated through our encapsulated world.

“Dashawn?” Yawned Zoë into my ear. I freaked out and yanked her fingers off my dick.

“What?” Marin rolled towards me and two more clangs happened.

“Soon.” I kissed her and retreated from Zoë by vaulting the redhead and scurrying off of the bed.

“I thought they had given up.” Marin growled and fell flat on her back. Zoë sat up, in her t-shirt and pajama pants. I might’ve flailed my cock at the room as I staggered up to my feet and wandered down to the cabinets. I pulled up my pajama without my boxers and had to reach inside to mitigate that mistake. The last of the nightly cobwebs were blowing free from my brain. I smirked at Connie, who was waiting with Renee. Connie held a ten pound barbell in both of her hands. I waved her back.

“It’s probably Wanda and Dashawn.” I picked the sleep snot out from the corner of my eye and squatted down to grab the cabinet latch.

“Dean! Wait!” Zoë shouted as the thought permeated her brain, but I already opened the latch and the foot crumpled up inside kicked the door back into my hands and stubbed the tips of my fingers. Zoë’s voice fluttered down to nearly inaudible. “Wanda only said she left their box last night.”

I felt conflicted. Reggie had been my best friend. My girls were rushing themselves into pants and sweaters. Zoë hid behind Marin as she dressed.

The cabinets were not built to hold a 6’2’’ man. Back home, he weighed close to two hundred and fifty pounds. In the box, it’d be amazing if he weighed 180. He inchwormed out and looked awkward as he rose to his feet.

I was as tall as Kia and Connie, 5’10’’ maybe. He looked a giant as he brushed the orange flakes off of his sweatpants and shook even more out of his thick black hair. I ground my teeth.

“Reggie, you’re here,” was all I could string together. He turned on me and put on the most fantastic and brilliant smile I had seen anywhere but on Renee’s face. I was in a hug, fight or flight had failed into freeze.

“Dean!” He beamed. “Fuck, I’m so glad she made it to you. Hey Zo!”

He waved over my shoulder.

“Help me up you jackass!” The girl he had taken with him struggled out of the cabinet.

“Laurie?” Hannah jogged over and grabbed the girl’s hands.

“Fuck, you lucked out.” Reggie finally released me as he skeeved over the room. “I got stuffed in a 5 for 5 room.”

“She told me.” I said as darkly as I could.

“Oh, I guess she would have,” he laughed. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Flakes or Ohs.” Suzi answered rotely.

“I’m an Oh.” He rapped me in the chest with his knuckles and pulled out a stool for himself. My seat was on his left. “Alright girls, get to it.”

“Or you could get your own fucking food.” Connie suggested. Her grip on the barbell was looser but she hadn’t released her weapon.

“It’s not really my place,” Reggie shrugged. “You don’t walk into someone’s home and start rooting through their fridge, do you?”

“Hannah does.” Laurie taunted and slapped her friend’s shoulder. “Did you see the beds, Reg?”

“Yeah, I don’t see why you’d need a second one.” He shrugged. Laurie sat down to join him at the corner.

“Zoë, come sit next to me.” He patted my stool.

“That’s Dean’s seat.” Pat shot down Reggie.

“Oh, I figured he’d pick somewhere he could watch you shower.” Reggie laughed, “C’mon brother. Let’s catch up.”

I didn’t like being told what to do. I didn’t want to capitulate when the girls were watching. I was worrying that Zoë’s claims were overblown. I remembered her screams upon waking up. I remembered her plea for help. I walked over to the clothes locker.

“Zoë says you beat the shit out of Bradley.” I stripped off my pants and pulled out a pair of boxers and jeans. “What’d he do?”

“The guy’s been a bully since we were in Mrs Klemper’s class.” Reggie snarked recalling the second grade. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“You scared my sister. Told her she was your side piece. You beat up a guy without warning.” I threw my aside my shirt and pulled on a loose black t-shirt. “Then you stalked her.”

“I’ve always had a crush on your sister.” Reggie claimed. “Making sure everyone had someone kept there from being fights. After she had dashed off into the guts of some alien spaceship, do you think I could look you in the eye if I didn’t make sure she was OK?”

“Fair enough,” I deflected as I walked to Connie and Renee. I put my hand on the taller girl’s hip. “Thank you, will you please get us breakfast?”

“Who do you trust more? Zoë or Reggie?” She stared through me.

“Zoë.” I answered.

“She’s family,” Reggie backed me up. Zoë ground her teeth.

“Someone’s missing.” Laurie announced. “Liz and Zo were from our room, so there should be another person to make 10.”

“Another dude you disposed of?” Reggie laughed. He was eying Hannah with Laurie. I didn’t like it.

“No, Kia left.” Suzi had to answer. I gestured her to the seat next to mine. Pat kept herself to the side of Reggie. Hannah and Laurie hovered at the juice fountain. Marin, Zoë, Suzi, and Xiomara had their own defensive clique at the foot of my bed. Liz looked around and took the seat next to Suzi.

“Flakes.” Renee announced putting the bowls in front of Reggie and me.

“I asked for Ohs.” He pushed his bowl away and scowled. Connie brought over the bottle of milk. The metal spoons clattered where she dropped them between us.

“Thanks,” I beamed at her and she looked embarrassed. The cheerleaders retreated to stand by Pat. The barbell was behind Connie’s elbow.

“I asked for Ohs.” Reggie repeated.

“Second cabinet.” I pointed with my spoon and started eating. They were both bland cereals anyways. I didn’t particularly care what I was eating. Reggie was frozen. There was no way he was getting up. He looked to Renee. “A glass of juice.”

“I got it, hun,” Laurie announced and twisted to open the dishware cabinet.

“What did I say about going into someone’s home and rooting through their shit? You’re going to embarrass me, Laurie?”

“No, I’m sorry.” She pouted in a playful manner. It offset Reggie’s directions. Renee didn’t move. I smiled at her.

“Look man, there’s food and you’re welcome to it. There’s a chair at the table. You’re welcome to it. The girls, you’re not so welcome.” I waved to the room, ensuring Elizabeth and Zoë were covered in my wave. Laurie was caught up to, but there was something off about her.

Laurie had always been friends with Kia. The number of times a sleepover put them at our shared bus stop was beyond counting. We had known each other since we were five. She had always been kinda quiet and quick to laugh, especially at me. She was upbeat, not like this, not because she had to be. That’s why it was different. I smiled as Hannah put down a glass of orange juice in front of Reggie and myself.

“Thanks.” I beamed. Reggie parroted the gratitude. We ate as the girls hovered around. Suzi was flabbergasted but Elizabeth kept her seated rather than let her go up and get food too. I would’ve told her to go but my mouth was full.

“So, you’ve got eight girls to yourself.” Reggie announced, he dropped his spoon in his empty glass, put the glass into the bowl and pushed it off into the direction of Connie. I left mine in front of me. No one moved to clean up. Laurie bounced from foot to foot, ready to pounce. “And yet you help yourself to more?”

“I think 15’s my end game number.” I forced the bravado.

“What?” Snarled Pat. Zoë grabbed the redhead’s neck and tried to whisper something but Pat pulled free. “You don’t get 15 girls.”

“Thirty-one then!” I threw up my hands in over-the-top exasperation. Suzi giggled. Elizabeth shook her head. Connie tried to flag down Pat but I had ignited something very combustible.