Chapter 1: Beginnings

Tracy Forrester is a young woman of seventeen (very mature) years, 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 teenage 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. For now, she just wants to be able to go out and party once in a while and explore life.

If one had to compare her to a well-known figure, it would have to be Wilma Rudolph. The first black woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics and was the fastest woman in the world in the 1960s.

Her best friend is a young man named Brandon. She likes spending time with him as he is a good listener and doesn’t mind it when she drags him to the mall. He doesn’t even get all bent out of wack when she takes him into Victoria’s Secrets.

Her grades are good, but that’s partially thanks to Brandon’s tutoring. He helps her understand things much more clearly than the teachers do.

If only he weren’t such a nice guy. He’s never even initiated a kiss with her, so she cannot be blamed for him being filed away in the “Friends Zone.”

While she doesn’t play RPGs the way he does with his friends, she does join him online in a few games. She also enjoys cuddling up to him when they sit in front of the big TV in his house watching Wuxia movies. The characters are ridiculously overpowered, but the stories are fun, and the action is fantastic.

Brandon Taylor is a nice young man who has attained the grand old and wisdom-filled age of 16. 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.”

If one were to try and match him up to some well-known person, it would be a younger version of Liam Neeson.

In spite of this, he doesn’t go out to parties and get drunk whenever there’s a party to be had. Instead, he is very studious and takes care of all his school assignments, tutors some of his friends (including Tracy), works out daily to Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo videos that his dad purchased before Brandon was born. If he is out of the house, he is either spending time with Tracy as her BFF (in the friend box) or playing some RPG. He also enjoys playing online RPGs similar to World of Lorecraft, Warring Guilds, and Eternal Quest.

One of his non-gaming related hobbies is reading and watching Wuxia stories. An example of this is Roaring Dragon, Leaping Tiger.

A highlight of his week is when Tracy comes over to watch Wuxia movies with him. The feel of her cuddled up to him is indescribable. At least not in ways that wouldn’t embarrass him to say out loud.

The classes they share are English and PE. Brandon tutors Tracy in English, History, and calculus; he is taking AP classes for the college credits. In PE, Tracy is the star.

Fleet of foot, agile, and with excellent coordination, Tracy is a co-Captain of the Varsity soccer team. While Brandon is a big puppy dog that cannot help but trip over its own feet due to a significant growth spurt, he grew from sixty-six to seventy-two inches tall three short months. The Tae Bo workouts are helping him to get used to the physical changes he experienced over the summer.

These 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 has not been allowed to go out past her nine o’clock curfew, which makes 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. He has never tried to do more than give her a quick kiss on the lips while she had wished for a deep hot tongue involved lip-lock. He has never put his arm around her, or done anything guys typically do to let a girl know they are interested. Thus, he’s been relegated to the “friends” box.

Brandon is looking forward to breaking free of his own interpersonal problems (girls) 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 one they can always count on. A position that he hates. He even knows why he’s in the “friend” box. Unlike most of the guys 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. It’s not even an issue of being tongue-tied. He chats with them and is well-liked. He’s just not like the other guys.

What the girls fail to understand is that Brandon is just as interested in them as they are 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 take is a simple request, and he’d be happy to fulfill their desires. As things are, he has to take care of his personal issues at home.

As the end of the school year and graduation approach, Brandon asks Tracy to the Senior Prom. He knows that her parents would be more willing to allow her to stay out and have fun. They know that, with him as her date, she’ll be safe. It’s not just the girls who think of him as a “friend” who can be trusted. Their parents are aware of and trust him. This is based on that they have seen and heard of him from other parents, and 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 his invitation and going stag. What tips her decision in his favor is the same conclusion he came to in asking her. Her mother is more than likely to 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 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 seems like such a nice 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 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 kinky streak. Most of them would balk at the idea of being tied up or spanked.

The night of the Prom, Brandon arrives dressed in a black tux with a cummerbund and ruffles that match her dress. They endure the many photos her mother insists on taking with smiles plastered on their faces. That is until Brandon leans over and whispers something in Tracy’s ear that makes her crack up. The images that capture mirth on their faces, once they stop laughing, turn out to be the best of the photos. As they are leaving, Tracy’s mother asks that she be home by midnight. A request that Brandon promises to abide by.

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, a used but nicely maintained four-door Ford Fusion. As they pull away, Brandon starts telling Tracy a crazy story that has her barely able to breathe for all the laughter by the time they arrive at the hotel where the dance is being held.

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 are not worrying 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 this evening’s meal with a great friend who he has been infatuated with for three years. To that end, he takes her to a little out of the way Bistro, which is known for its atmosphere, hospitality, and great food.

When they arrive at Bella Lucia’s, Brandon parks the car. Getting out, he opens the door for Tracy and then helps her exit the vehicle before offering his arm and leading her inside.

Giving his name when the Host asks about reservations, they are quickly shown to their table. Before the host can do it, Brandon steps forward, pulls out the chair for Tracy, and waits for her to sit, like a proper gentleman. This is a side of him that Tracy hasn’t seen before.

The restaurant is nearly full. There are one or two other couples they recognize from school who are also dressed for prom. A live duet, known as the Lusty Doves, is providing a mix of music that they wrote.

The decor is uncluttered, attractive, and understated in that way people from old money tend towards, rather than garish, gauche, and gaudy. The table cloths and napkins are linen; the tableware is stainless steel embossed with BL and the family’s crest. Everything comes together in a way that is pleasing to the eye and enhances the dining experience. Conversations are ongoing, but in low tones out of respect for the other patrons and the musicians.

Having been seated, Brandon declines menus for either of them. He has known her for so long, including her likes and dislikes, that he immediately orders appetizers and their entrees, 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 can make my own choices,” she demands.

“Tracy, please. Trust me. You’ll enjoy it. And, if you dare make a scene, I’ll take you into the men’s room, bend you over the counter, 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? Are you threatening me? What’s come over you?” As Tracy asks these questions, her eyes open really wide, and her face blanches at this not so subtle threat.

“If any of the young women 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. Instead, I became the friend you could count on. And, you know what, Tracy? It fucking sucks,” he says quietly but forcibly.

Tracy looks at him with new eyes as he says this; she knows he’s right. All the girls talk about him as a great friend, someone they can trust, 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’ve been complaining to him about how girls all treat me as ‘just a friend,’ and I learned a lot from our 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, Tracy. 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 all you girls at school and have sexual thoughts about you. 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 those times you kissed me, if I had let you know that I wanted more, you would have,” Tracy says and trails off.

“Yes, Tracy. Even the way I make sure to keep from pressing against you is to avoid you feeling my desire for you.”

“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 grin that makes shiver in anticipation, which is accompanied by a nervous laugh, which she covers up with a bright smile as her heart flutters.

Everything is excellent, starting with the appetizers and ending with dessert. Throughout dinner, they talk about the end of school, going to university, and the fact that he is home alone. Paying the check with gratuity, then Brandon leads her back to the car. From there, they head to the hotel where their prom is being held.

During the drive over, 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.

Senior Prom ends up being more fun than either of them expect. This is partially due to their discussion over dinner and during the drive over.

Tracy still cannot believe that all this time, she has been missing out, thinking that Brandon was too timid to do anything. How wrong she was. Brandon has self-control and has been using it this whole time. All this time, the guy she was looking for was right there.

During a slow dance, she purposely presses up against him in a tight embrace and is happy to find that he has an erection. She’s felt them before, but this is different. The other times the guys were aggressive and often made her uncomfortable. In one case, she left the guy curled up after kicking him in the nuts. With Brandon, he’s not pushing himself on her, but his response puts a smile on her face.

Brandon is enjoying being intimately close to Tracy. The feel of her body pressed against him is intoxicating. He slides his hands over her shoulders, down her back, and to her firm ass. When he gives it a firm squeeze, she moans into his ear as she grinds against his throbbing erection.

The dance goes on until 11 pm, but the couple leaves an hour early and heads to his place. This is something they agreed on before they arrived at the prom when Brandon told her that his parents are gone for the weekend.

On the way to his house, the couple vanishes into thin air. The car continues until it crashes into a parked car a few blocks from Brandon’s place. The collision immediately draws attention, and the police are called.

Upon her arrival, Officer Joan Mitchell discovers a vehicle without any occupants. At first, she thinks that whoever was driving the car ran after crashing it. This isn’t unusual. Drunk drivers will often flee in an attempt to escape getting ticketed and going to jail.