Chapter 21

Haley’s turn:

So as college students, Deena and I can FINALLY end up in some of the same classes. It was suggested that we take an elective or two, so we conferred and decided on biology. It’s a science, so there are right and wrong answers, not opinions, and both of us are interested and it’s already in progress. The professor starts to balk until Doctor Seavers explains why it is that she’s getting two students starting a semester in progress and neither of the students is old enough to graduate high school.

Two weeks into it, we’re caught up. Read the books, take the test, turn in a couple of papers ... Neato!

It’s one of those broad entry level courses, so there’s a discussion about heredity and genes and DNA.

“Sounds interesting,” I said.

“It is,” Deena replied when we were studying together. “We oughta look under the hood.”

“Huh?”

“Get our DNA tested. Yours. Mine. Dad’s. For the fun of it.”

“‘Kay,” I said. “Let’s see how that works.”

“Google it,” she said.

We talked with Bill about it. Bill’s never stood in the way of one of our explorations, especially if it has to do with learning something. A week later we had three kits. The next day they were in the mail back to the lab.

Deena’s turn:

It’s a great argument. Maybe it’s just a little bit manipulative. I’ve been called that. Mom used to call me that a lot. Dad ‘n’ Haley just smile.

The argument? When I want to discuss something sensitive and the other person says ‘no’, I say ‘Who would you RATHER I talk with?’

I’ve used it a couple of times in the past two weeks. First one was when Dad had to fly off to Dallas on a business thing. It’s part of his new job.

Haley and I used to have some epic ‘girl-talk’ sessions before she and Dad married. Looking back on those, I shake my head. Sometimes we talked about things on what I thought was a theoretical level. Turns out that she was practicing some of them with Dad.

So Dad’s in a hotel four hundred miles away and we’re sitting in Dad ‘n’ Haley’s bed, the TV on in the background, and...

“Haley, don’t be specific, but is it REALLY that good? Sex, I mean...”

“Deena,” she squeaked, “We don’t talk about that...”

“We HAVEN’T talked about that. Doesn’t mean I don’t WANT to ask. Or should I get my information from other girls?”

“Oh, yeah, like the one that said you couldn’t get pregnant if you were on top?”

“Who’s gonna deliver her lesson by Christmas,” I said. “Yeah, that kind of information.”

“Okay. But this is kinda strange...”

I giggled, “We’re sitting in THIS bed. There’s no telling what all y’all’ve done in it, and for how long...”

“I told you,” she said, reminding me of a previous intimate confession, “since right after my fourteenth birthday...”

I answered her with a grin. “So I’m fourteen. And I kinda get curious.”

“It’s really good. But Deena ... Your dad and me ... we started out when we were already in love. He is my first and he will be my only...”

“I heard it hurts the first time,” I said.

Haley smiled a little, her eyes taking a far away look. She was remembering it!

“I heard that too,” she said, “but I also heard that it might not hurt if you’re active. Your hymen gets torn ... That’s the part that is supposed to hurt. I almost didn’t have one.” There was laughter in her eyes, happiness. “I knew me and your dad were gonna do it sooner or later, so I kinda...”

I gasped. “You kinda WHAT?”

“I kinda pushed things in there, you know, to make sure it wasn’t gonna be a problem. I’ve read that some girls are so tough there that they need a doctor.” She giggled. “Can you see THAT happening? I mean, ‘Hey Mom, take me to the doctor. My cherry’s too tough for me ‘n’ a guy to do it.’ That’s a conversation I didn’t want to have...”

“You mean, you got, like, a DILDO?”

“Oh, sure, for Mom to find in the drawer of her thirteen year old daughter...”

“Oh, okay,” I submitted. “What, then?”

“Well, nosy, if you MUST know...”

“I MUST.”

“My fingers. Handle of my hairbrush...”

“You fingered yourself?”

“Oh, come on. Tell me YOU never...”

“Just one, “ I smiled. Giggle. “Maybe two...”

“Masturbation’s fun,” Haley said, “But it’s nothing like the real thing...”

“Then it might kill me,” I admitted.

“‘S what I thought, too. But I love your dad and I had to try with him ... I was right. I died. Still do, almost every time...”

“Dad gets you off?”

“Of course. Why?”

“I listen to some girls talking about it and they don’t get off ... Not from the guy ... Not with him inside ... Fucking...”

“That’s sad,” Haley said. “I’ve heard the same thing. I have different findings ... Bill...” she paused. “Dammit, Deena, I will NOT get graphic about me and your dad...”

“You DO!”

She bowed her head, doing that innocent and demure thing that probably drives Dad wild. She nodded.

“See! I KNEW! That other stuff...”

“What other stuff?”

“You know ... blowjobs ... Ain’t that nasty?”

“I never thought of it as being nasty. I thought that everybody did it. Mom does. I love your dad, so...”

I thought for a second that I was supposed to get all squicked out about Haley sucking on Dad’s ... In my head I separated the ‘Dad’ part from the ‘sucking a guy’ part, and I was okay... “All the way?”

I guess Haley gave up dodging me. “Uh-huh. First time. Every time...”

“It’s not yucky?”

“I never thought so. I mean...” she paused. “When you ... you get juicy, right?”

My turn to feel my face flush. And nod affirmatively.

“Well, if he...” then she realized what she was saying. “Dammit, Deena! You got me doing it again...”

“Well, so much for asking about if you’ve ever had a guy eat you...”

“There is only ONE guy. And yes.” Her eyes went far away again. “It’s mutual, Deena. What two people who love each other do, that’s between them. I guess if either of us didn’t like something, maybe we wouldn’t do it, or maybe if the other REALLY wanted it, it could be something for a special occasion, but...” she took a deep breath, continued, “We both like it. It’s NORMAL, for heaven’s sake.”

“O-Kayyyyy!” I blurted. “Don’t get so uptight.”

“Well, it is,” Haley repeated.

Haley’s phone rang – Dad’s ringtone. She put it up to her ear. “Hi, baby...” Pause. “Oh, I REALLY miss you, too.” Pause. “No, she’s right here. We’re sittin’ in bed, talking.” Pause. “Okay, here she is.”

She handed me the phone. “Hi, Dad,” I said. “How’s your trip?”

“I’d rather be home with my family,” he said. “Y’all doing okay?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Studied. Wrote a paper. Now me ‘n’ Haley are just talking.”

“I probably don’t want to know what you’re talking about,” he laughed.

“One of our favorite subjects – you,” I said.

“Well, y’all be good,” he said. “I love you. Lemme tell Haley good night.”

I giggled. “I’ll let ‘er have the room to herself if y’all need privacy.”

“Huh?”

I glanced sideways at Haley who was starting to turn colors again. “You know ... phone sex...”

Haley and Dad both blurted “Deena!” in unison.

“Wellll,” I said. “Luvya, Dad. Here’s Haley.”

I handed the phone to Haley. “You need to beat your daughter when you get home,” she said. “She’s out of control.” Pause. Giggle. “I know. I love you too, baby.” She put the phone down after plugging in the charger.

“You!” she blurted. “I can’t believe ... phone sex...”

“I heard people do that, you know. I thought you ‘n’ Dad...”

“We haven’t spent many nights apart, and when he was out of town, I stayed at Mom’s house ... Couldn’t do that there. Walls’re thin ... I could hear them, so I figured they could hear me.”

“You could hear ‘em doin’ it?”

“Uh-huh. I saw ‘em once, too ... Peeked through the door when they were doin’ it on the sofa. They didn’t see me. I asked your dad if all that was normal.” She smiled. “He broke out in a sweat talkin’ about it.”

“I bet he did,” I inserted. “You SAW ‘em?”

“Yeah. Whole thing.”

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” I said.

“That was the first time I sort of thought about your dad at night, after we talked about that.”

“How old were you?”

“I was twelve...”

“Did you...”

“Did I what?” she retorted. She’s going to make me say it.

“You know ... masturbate.”

She looked almost guilty, nodding. “I dunno, Deena. There’s just something about your dad. He just seems so right to me.”

“But y’all didn’t do anything until you were fourteen.”

“No. Wanted to, though.”

“Boys your age?”

“Nope. None of ‘em even started making me think about it. Your dad was it for me.”

I sighed. I agree with her about boys my age. I guess all little girls compare guys to their dad. My trouble is that Dad is just too high a bar for them to get over.

“I can understand,” I said. “So you never ... nobody else...”

She shook that brown head of hers. I’ve watched Dad’s face when she does that. It gets to him. Maybe Dad’s got a thing about short hair.

“I belong to your dad,” she said. “That’s the way it is.”

“I want that. Belong to somebody. Have somebody belong to me.”

“Should be that way,” Haley said, “but I don’t think most people see it that way. I got lucky. Took Mom two tries.” She paused, thought... “Maybe she didn’t know what to look for the first time. I think she and Mister Steve have it now.”

“All of ‘em in Alabama have it, I think,” I inserted.

“Yeah. Pretty much the way I see it.”

I giggled. “Then there’s Carlita and Brindy.”

“And Dave,” Haley added. “That’s a whole other thing...”

“How do you think THAT works?” I asked.

“Boy, I dunno. Carlita’s married to Dave. Brindy’s ... well ... Carlita says they’re all together.”

We finally went to sleep. I had vivid dreams, though.