Chapter 1: Beginnings

Tracy Forrester is a young woman under the oppressive rules of her overbearing parents. At least, that’s how she sees herself. That, however, is very much what life is like for the majority of teenaged children. It doesn’t matter that their parents love them and want them to be safe. Someday, she will be on the other end as the story of life continues with her as the parent.

Brandon Taylor is a nice young man. He goes to the same school as Tracy Forrester, where they share a few classes. Where her family is a bit overbearing, Brandon’s family is a lot more lenient. That has a lot to do with the adage of, “With a boy, you only have to worry about one penis. With a girl, you have to worry about all the penises.”

The classes the two of them share include English, History, and PE. In the first two, Brandon is often helping his good friend Tracy. In PE, she is the star.

Fleet of foot, agile, and with excellent coordination, Tracy is on the Varsity soccer team. Slightly clumsy because his body is still growing, Brandon is a big puppy dog that cannot help but trip over its own feet.

The two have been friends for the last three years. Tracy grew up locally, whereas Brandon moved into town during the summer before they started as Freshmen. Now, they are in their Senior year, and graduation is approaching.

Both are looking forward to going to State University. Tracy has a full-ride scholarship based on her soccer skills. Brandon has a partial scholarship based on his grades, especially in his AP classes.

Tracy wants out from under her parents’ watchful eyes. In all her years in high school, she was never allowed to go out past her curfew of 9 o’clock, which made dating less than optimal, from her perspective. She is looking forward to finally being able to let loose and experience a bit more of life than her parents have allowed. She’s gone out with Brandon a few times but has always been disappointed when he wouldn’t even do more than give her quick kiss on the lips while she was wishing for a deep hot tongue involved liplock. He also never put his arm around her. Thus, he got relegated to the “friends” box.

Brandon is seeking to break free of his own dating issues while earning a degree. He has been out on a few dates, but they never go anywhere. The few parties he has been to have been lackluster from his point of view. This is because the girls all think of him as a “Friend” and nothing more. He’s the safe friend upon whom they can always count on. A position that he hates. He even knows why he’s in the “friend” box. Unlike many other boys in school, he never attempts to cop-a-feel, makes rude comments about the way the girls in school dress, and often comes across as a bit of a nerd.

What the girls didn’t get was that Brandon was just as interested in them as they were in boys. The difference is that he has been raised to be respectful of them and not be the kind of asshole that goes grabbing girls, giving them unwanted attention, or making rude comments about them. All it would have taken is a simple request, and he would have been happy to do what they wanted. As things are, he had to take care of his personal issues at home.

As the school year is coming to a close, Brandon asks Tracy if she’ll go to Senior Prom with him knowing that her parents would be more willing to allow her to stay out later since if they know, he will be her date. It’s not just the girls who think of him as a “friend” who can be trusted. Their parents also know, because their daughters talk about what a nice guy he is and how he never pushes them the way some guys at school have been known to do.

Tracy is torn between accepting and going stag. What finally tips her decision in his favor is the same conclusion he came to in asking her. Her mother would likely allow her to stay out past her curfew for the first time ever.

Brandon cannot help but smile when she gives him a positive response. Tracy is a little less enthusiastic knowing that she’ll get to be out late, but that her date will be with a friend, not a hot guy who she’d drop her panties for. It isn’t a case of Brandon being average or ugly, because he is a good looking guy and all the girls agree on that. It’s just that he is such a pushover and won’t make a move. If only they realized how much self-control it takes to keep from doing exactly what they wished he would do.

If any of the girls Brandon has dated over the years knew the thoughts he had going through his head when he watched them, they would have been surprised. Some might have even been a bit fearful because Brandon has a bit of a dominant streak in him.

The night of the Prom, Brandon picks up Tracy dressed in a black tux with a cumberbund and ruffles that match her dress. They endure the many photos her mother insists on taking. As they are leaving, Tracy’s mother asks that she be home by midnight. Walking her out to the car, Brandon opens the door for her like a gentleman and closes it carefully once she and her dress are fully inside. Walking around to his side, Brandon gets in, starts the car. Their night has begun.

Brandon’s parents are out of town for the weekend on a business trip. They are well aware of his date with Tracy. They also know that he would never push a girl to do anything without their consent. Thus, they do not worry about Brandon being home alone for the weekend. They have full faith in their son.

Brandon has saved up for this night. While others have spent a lot on limos, his money is going towards a nice meal with a great friend. To that end, he takes her to a little out of the way Bistro, which is known for its atmosphere, hospitality, and great food.

Having known her for so long, and her likes and dislikes, Brandon doesn’t give her a chance to look at the menu. Instead, he orders for them both, which annoys Tracy.

“Brandon, what the hell? Why didn’t you let me look at the menu? I would have liked to see what is available. I am able to make my own choices,” she demands.

“Tracy, please. Trust me. You’ll enjoy it. And, if you make a scene, I’ll take you outside, pull up your dress, and spank your ass until you find sitting down uncomfortable. I may not push unwanted attention on you or the other girls. But I will not put up with you making a scene,” Brandon tells her with authority in his voice.

“What the hell, Brandon? Why are you threatening me? What’s come over you?” As Tracy asks these questions, her eyes open really wide, and her face blanches.

“If any of you at school would have paid more attention, you might have realized that I’m not shy. Nor am I a weak assed bitch. I simply do not force myself on you, because I respect you. Somehow, that’s come across as me being too nice to be the guy you want to date and instead made me into a friend you could count on. And, you know what, Tracy? It fucking sucks.”

Tracy looks at him differently as he says this; she knows he’s right. All the girls talk about him as a great friend, but not someone they would date because he is too sweet. “Oh, shit. I never realized, Brandon. I ... I’m so sorry,” Tracy says as she chokes up.

“My dad and I talked recently. I had been complaining to him about how girls all treat me as ‘just a friend,’ and I learned a lot from that discussion.”

“Okay, I get you being frustrated with being put in the ‘friends box,’ but what does that have to do with you ordering for me and not allowing me to make my own choice?”

“That’s easy. I know you. I know what you like. I know what you hate. I even know what you would never tell any other guy because you have told me everything over the years. I’m not blind or deaf. What I have been expecting is for you to realize that you need to give me permission to do the things you keep telling me you desire. That’s part of what my father and I talked about.”

“What do you mean? What permission? What are you talking about?”

“Tracy, I’m no different from the other straight guys at school. I look at the girls at school and have sexual thoughts about them. I look at your lips and want to kiss you. But, because of the way I have been raised, I can’t just act on impulse. It’s about respect, Tracy. I respect you. I want you. But, without consent, I cannot move forward. Don’t you get it?”

“Wait. You mean that when you kissed me that night if I had let you know that I wanted more, you would have,” Tracy says and trails off.

“Yes, Tracy. Even the way I made sure to keep from pressing against you was to avoid you feeling my erection.”

“Oh, my God! All this time you’ve seen me ... You’ve wanted me. I could have had,” Tracy begins saying as she covers her face with her hands, her voice breaking slightly as she tries to hold back tears of frustration.

“It’s all in the past, babe. I’d like to start over tonight. I’m pretty sure that you’re going to get to know a side of me you haven’t seen before,” he tells her with a shit-eating grin.

Tracy giggles at this and smiles brightly as his smile makes her heart flutter.

The meal is excellent, and dessert is divine. They chat amicably throughout their shared dinner. Once he pays the check, they head to the hotel where Prom is being held.

On the way there, Tracy asks, “Would you really have spanked me?”

“If you had made a scene, yes. I would have ensured you would be uncomfortable as you sat for the rest of the night.”

“Why does that make me excited. Who the hell gets excited by the idea of being spanked?”

“Apparently, you do,” Brandon says with a knowing grin.

The Prom ends up being more fun than either of them expect, which is due to their discussion over dinner and during the ride to the hotel.