Chapter 24

Laurel was surprised that Tasha wasn’t more upset when she heard about the party. Yes, Tasha had been set up to be humiliated. But on the other hand, the boys did really want to be with her. Moreover, she had done well: all those years of reading sex blogs had prepared her, and she had performed two high-quality blowjobs without even being able to see. Tasha was, in large part, proud of what had happened.

“I’m ready,” Tasha declared later that night in the woods with Laurel, Lenny, and Alison. “I don’t know when or where I’ll get another chance, but I’m going to do it the next time I can. I’m ready for sex.”

“I think I am too,” Laurel added. “But when? I don’t want to do it at school, and my dad would freak out if he found out I had a boy over when he wasn’t home.”

“Wouldn’t it be cool if we all lost it at the same time?” Lenny pondered. “We’d feel not just what was happening to us, but to each other too. Or is that a bad idea?”

“That sounds pretty cool,” Laurel agreed. She looked to Alison for confirmation.

“You guys should throw a party,” Alison suggested. Laurel gave her a troubled look in return. “Get a bunch of your classmates here, set the right mood, and I promise everyone who wants to will get laid,” Alison said. She gave Tasha a reassuring smile and nod.

“Like my dad would ever allow that!” Laurel said.

“Give me a little time,” Alison said. “I’ll find a way to get rid of your dad for a night. In the mean time, this would be a good time for Laurel to learn Pippa’s Prophylaxis.”

“What, like, a birth control spell?” Tasha asked.

“Yes,” Alison answered. “It’s a little tedious - you’ll probably want to go on the pill eventually - but it’s comforting to know you’ve got a backup.”

Lenny looked ponderous. “Have you ever ... Can you even get pregnant?” She asked Alison.

“You know,” Alison said in reply, “nobody has ever asked me that before.” The girls sat silently waiting for a better answer, so Alison added, “It’s complicated.”