Chapter 21: School’s Out for Summer

THE NEXT WEEK was sometimes referred to as Senior Crash Week. I know I was one of the ones who slept till ten on Monday morning. Everyone but grads had four more days of school before they got out. I went in Monday afternoon to meet with the yearbook staff to choose graduation photos. Of course, these weren’t my responsibility, nor were the prom photos. I’d been involved in those events and couldn’t record them.

But the yearbook staff had been really terrific with my exhibition and I wanted to be there and express my opinions on photo quality just to support them.

“I am so bummed that you won’t be here for next year’s yearbook,” Lisa Anderson moaned. A junior, Lisa was the assistant editor this year and would be the editor of next year’s Oracle. “Can’t you, like, pretend you didn’t graduate?”

“Please, Lisa. You will not know what a sacrifice it is you are asking until you’ve sat through Tucker’s US Government and Economics class,” I laughed. Donna, Anna, Grace, and a couple of other seniors nodded heads and joined the laughter.

“Still,” Lisa said, pulling me aside, “is it too late to get an individual portrait and Attic Allure photo? I’ve heard they are really special.”

“You were at the exhibition. You’ve seen the shots of some of the seniors.”

“I mean really special,” she said.

“I see. Well, I’m pretty sure we can get an appointment for a really special photo session with you. If you’re sure that’s what you want,” I said. “The next couple of weeks are pretty packed, but Anna has my calendar. I’m sure she can get you scheduled.”

That would be interesting. Lisa was particularly cute and also quite intellectual. Of course, she wasn’t eighteen, so I couldn’t use any of her really special photos for public display. But if she wanted them, I’d take them.

After I was awake and functioning on Tuesday, I went to pick up Chris for our campout. We went back to the RV park and checked in.

“You know, you’ve reserved every night this week. You don’t have to break camp completely. Just zip up your tent when you leave for the day and pull up to it again in the evening,” the campground manager said. “You could have set up the tent on Saturday morning and just left it up. Of course, then you wouldn’t have had a bunch of naked teen girls running around setting up camp. I suppose that was the point, though.” He chuckled and Chris went wide-eyed. We didn’t know anyone had seen us setting up the tent in the rain Saturday evening. Apparently, the old guy could see most of the campground from his upstairs window.

It was cloudy, but already in the mid-60s—warmer than it had been lately. Still, we seemed to be the only ones in the park. I guessed that would change by the weekend when Memorial Day would officially start ‘the season.’ I wasn’t expecting Chris to just strip in the front seat before we got out to set up the tent.

“Hey, it sounds like he got a kick out of it when we were running around naked in the rain. As long as he stays up there in his house, might as well let him enjoy this perverted teenage body,” she laughed.

She jumped out of the van and started unloading things as I stripped out of my clothes and went out to join her. We didn’t have to contend with rain, but we did seem to brush against each other a lot more as we got the tent set up. As soon as we were set up, we jumped in the bed and took care of our needs.

“Eat me while I suck you,” she demanded. “I want your first load in my tummy while I’m coming on your face.”

That was fine by me. Pulling Christine’s juicy snatch down on my face while she sucked my cock into her mouth was something I was always willing and ready to do. I just loved having her naked and being able to play with her pretty boobs and pet her round bottom. She was hairless around her clit and pussy opening, and I loved looking at her. Since it was early in the afternoon, I had a lot better light in the bus after we opened the sunroof. Looking at her beautiful pussy while I licked her and fingered her butthole was just too stimulating. I was doing a pretty good job on her clit, though, so she hadn’t finished swallowing my spend before she started shaking with her own orgasm.

We grilled hot dogs for dinner. We never did get around to dressing. We didn’t engage in any playful acts outside where the old guy might see us, but we were aware that he was probably watching from his upstairs window and we fully enjoyed just running around in nature naturally. And whenever Christine noticed that my cock was even partly hard, she took me into the van and fucked me.

“Well, I appreciate that we don’t need to set up the tent,” Anna said the next afternoon when I pulled the van up to the tent and positioned it so we could attach the two. There had been just a sprinkle of rain during the night, so Chris and I were glad we’d closed the sunroof. “The thing is,” Anna continued, “that means there’s no reason for me to run around naked setting up the tent.” She was already pulling her clothes off in the front seat. “I think I’d better check all the tent stakes and make sure the flap is securely attached to the bus.”

I don’t know how much of a show Anna intended to give the camp host, but I certainly enjoyed following her around the tent and looking at her bare butt as she bent over to check each tent stake. I got up right behind her when we worked together to get the flap over the top. I was hard and thrusting between her legs by the time we finished.

“We’d better go inside for that part,” she whispered. We ducked inside and Anna crawled onto our bed. She didn’t lie down. “You liked this view outside,” she growled. “Why don’t you get right up behind it and see where it leads.”

I knew exactly where it led, and in a minute, I had my head sticking out the sunroof as I planted my cock deep in Anna’s pussy from behind. I loved the feeling of her round butt against my stomach as we fucked. It was hard to believe we’d been lovers for only three weeks and she wanted to make love whenever we could, in whatever position we could get into. As sore as her pussy was after our post prom campout, I was amazed that she ever wanted to make love again.

“I had a long talk with my parents,” Anna told me as we cuddled in the afterglow. “They’re sad that I’m having premarital sex. I told them that I might not ever get married, but that I was in love. I think it’s silly when people talk about forever in relationships these days. Even when they get married. And I know I was one of those who believed true fulfillment came only when two people married and had children. Twelve percent of marriages to date have ended in divorce. The rate of divorce has been steadily increasing since World War II and it’s estimated that as of now, one in four new marriages this year will end in divorce eventually.”

“Wow! Where did you get all the statistics?”

“Miss Ludwig helped me compile them when I knew I was going to have this conversation with my parents eventually. She’s a whiz at finding information,” Anna said. “But when you add in those who lose their spouse during the first five years of marriage, the likelihood of marrying and being with the same person forever starts dropping steadily. I told my parents that I was unlikely to ever get married, but that I was going to have as happy and fulfilling a love life as I could. They’re still praying about it.”

“I love you, Anna. I think it’s foolish for most people to think that they should even consider getting married at our age. Maybe it makes more sense later. And I’m not saying no one should. Tony and Patricia were meant for each other. And look at Andy and Karen,” I laughed.

“They have acted like they were married since the first time she convinced him to play house in second grade. And even if they only started having sex this year sometime, their play has been anything but innocent. They know exactly what they are getting into.”

“I think I know what I’m getting into,” I whispered. My cock was hard again and pressed against her pussy. In a few moments it was buried deep in Anna.

Anna and I were on the street at ten with the rest of the town the next morning as Billy carried the flag around the corner onto Main Street. Behind him, three women dressed in black with flowers in their hands walked together. Anna, Chris, Ronda, and I fell in behind them and the crowd began to flow off the sidewalk to follow Billy the mile out to the cemetery. I was ready to pick up Patricia and carry her if I needed to. Or Cameron if the squirming two-year-old became too much for my sister to handle as she walked along. I knew Stoney would be marching beside Billy if he could, but he and a sheriff’s deputy were holding traffic at either end of town until Main Street cleared. I knew he’d be at the cemetery.

Billy planted his flag in the holder at his father’s headstone. His mother placed a small flag with a bouquet of flowers on the grave as they knelt there. Not far away, my girlfriends, my sister, and I knelt at Tony’s stone and watched as Deborah and Patricia placed flowers there. Cameron put her little flag on the grave. In a few minutes, Billy, Mary, and Stoney joined us and the two former soldiers stood at attention as the lone bugle on the other side of the cemetery played taps.

I’d left the van at the cemetery when Anna and I got back from our campout. We’d put the seats up so we could take everyone back into town, and then walked into town for the parade. We headed over to Ronda’s house for the ritual Memorial Day barbecue, but I took Patricia on out to the Kowalski’s so she could join her in-laws.

When we could reasonably get free, Ronda and I kissed Anna and Christine, then took off for our campout.

“They’re both exhibitionists,” Ronda declared when we pulled the van up to the tent the next day. She was pulling her clothes off in the front seat, just as Chris and Anna had done. “You fasten the tent,” she continued. “I’ll be waiting naked in the bed.” I watched as her beautiful bare bottom went over the seat back into our bed. I might have touched it a bit, too, as she seemed to get hung up for a moment halfway over the seat.

I quickly ran outside and fastened the tent to the bus, then stripped and crawled into bed with Ronda. She met me with open arms and open legs.

“I stayed in bed for more than an hour after I woke up this morning, just playing with myself and thinking about having this time with you,” she said. “I want you in me. I want to feel you moving through my wet pussy. I want to feel your sperm splattering the walls of my vagina. I want to feel your heat and your passion. Nate, love me as if I was truly your girlfriend and not just an afterthought or an inconvenient attachment. I want you to make me yours.”

“Do you really think you are just an afterthought?” I asked as she guided me into her pussy.

“I just ... The way I came into this relationship ... I kind of blackmailed you into being with me because I threatened to take Christine away from you. I always knew it was really her you wanted and not me,” she said.

I had a hard time focusing on the conversation, since I was so focused on sliding in and out of her wet pussy. I suppose her assessment had valid points to it. I hadn’t even considered the idea that Ronda and I would become lovers when I proposed that we share Christine. But an afterthought? I didn’t think that was a fair suggestion.

“You know, if you simply put it in terms like that, you, Anna, Patricia, and Elizabeth are all afterthoughts,” I said as I paused buried deep inside her. I wasn’t in a hurry to reach an orgasm. I’d had a lot of them lately. What I really wanted was to just feel us so intimately connected. “But that’s just an order in which you came into my inner circle, not a judgment about how important you are to me. Ronda, I’m as committed to you as to any of my girlfriends. If Christine came to me today and said she was ready to marry me and be exclusive without you or Anna or Patricia or Elizabeth, I’d have to tell her no. You truly mean that much to me. I love you, Ronda. You. You needn’t worry about how I feel about anyone else.”

“Is that true, Nate? Do you love me for me and not just as excess baggage?”

“The very thought of fucking excess baggage turns me off. You can tell, I’m pretty turned on right now. I love you, Ronda.”

“Take me to the heights, Nate. Come in me!”

We broke camp Friday about noon. We did not run around naked to do it. True to expectations, people had begun to filter into the park the evening before, here for a long Memorial Day weekend. I’d been told that my spot was reserved for someone else coming in at two o’clock and I needed to be out by noon. That was okay. I had errands to run in Huntertown. Ronda wanted to come with me.

“You know my family is headed out tomorrow, just like you are,” she said. “The only good thing is that I’m not spending the summer in Colorado this year. But the family has their traditional camping vacation this week. I think Dad has decided to take us to the Tennessee Smoky Mountains for vacation this year. The weather has been too cold to go north or into the mountains. I’ll get back about the same time you do.”

“Oh dear. What will Christine do with both of us out of town?” I laughed.

“She said something about Roxie owing her. I don’t think she’s going to be too alone. And if it doesn’t involve sex, she’ll be with Anna and Patricia.”

“I’ve given Anna a key to the studio. They’ll probably hang out there. I might come back and the whole place will be rearranged! Anna is going to take Patricia’s photo Sunday afternoon. I’ve left my old 35 on the tripod, ready for her to just snap the pictures. As long as they turn the lights on, it should be fine.”

“You can trust them. But you’re right. I’ll bet Judy, Janice, Pris, and Debbie hang out with them, just so they can run around naked. It wouldn’t surprise me if Donna, Grace, and Lisa show up as well. For the same reason,” she laughed.

“I’m glad that didn’t start any sooner than it did. I’m carrying half a dozen rolls of film I haven’t processed yet as it is.”

We got to the tux rental shop and Ronda wanted me to try it on so she could inspect it. The guy there agreed, so I went into a dressing room and got everything on. I liked that the tab-style tie didn’t need to be tied. It just wrapped around my neck beneath the wingtip collar and fastened with a pin in the center. When I fastened the cufflinks, I appreciated that the sleeves were long enough that they would be just visible beneath the cuff of the jacket. I felt like a million bucks.

Ronda appreciated it, too. She whistled when I stepped out of the dressing room. The tailor fussed around checking shoulder width, fit of the pants, cuffs, and anything else he could fuss about.

“The real test is whether you can dance in it,” Ronda said.

She came into my arms and I spun her around the tailor shop, doing a couple of swing passes. The suit seemed to be glued to my body and moved whatever way I did. The tailor applauded.

“You will make a wonderful couple on the dance floor!” he said.

“Oh, I’ve had my prom. This one is with the Chicago girlfriend,” Ronda said. “I like this style, though. I wish our little Podunk school had progressed to this level.”

“It will happen. The white dinner jacket has always been a stepping stone to better formal wear,” the tailor said. “Let’s get this all bagged up for you to carry. When is the event?”

“Tomorrow night,” I said. “I hope I’m ready for this.”

“Just remember,” he reminded me, “always make her look good.”

Our next stop was the florist. Ronda looked critically at the flower and then at me.

“A red orchid?”

“That’s what she requested.”

“Well, knowing Elizabeth, it’s probably the right flower. Passion, wealth, and love. You need to take this home and put it on ice so it doesn’t lose its freshness.”

We left Huntertown and started to head back to Tenbrook when Ronda suddenly had me pull over.

“What? What is it?”

“We have to go back to town and get you a new air mattress!”

“Why? What’s wrong with this one?”

“My family is going camping this week! That’s my mother and father’s bed!”

“Oh. My. God. I’ve been fucking their daughter in their bed.”

“We’ve been doing it for a year. I don’t think it’s suddenly a bad thing. But you’ll need a mattress on your trip, too. Let’s go.”

I did manage to get a new mattress and we spent time in the back of the van deflating and folding up her parents’ mattress. I took her home and had a lovely long kiss before we parted. Yeah. I definitely loved that girl.

I did laundry and ironing Friday night with my oldest sister looking on with a grin at how domestic I was. I needed everything I had in the way of clothes for my trip to Chicago. Beth had told me I’d need my suit and a sports coat in addition to the tuxedo. Next week, I’d be attending her graduation. I packed the van with everything except my camera and settled on the couch to sleep. I’d have been more comfortable if I’d inflated the new mattress and slept in the bus.

In the morning, I had breakfast with the family, helped get Deborah and Cameron on the road, and loaded my camera equipment in the bus. It was time to head for Chicago.

What can I tell you about The Palmer House that you don’t already know? It’s beautiful. I’d pulled $300 from my bank for the week and could easily have spent it on an evening there. At least I had money to tip the valet and the bellman. I was traveling with the seats up and the bed packed in the back with the tent and bedding. So, the bus looked like a presentable car for the garage once my luggage, including cameras, was out of it. I checked carefully to make sure I had the important things like my tux and the flower for Beth.

All I needed to do at the front desk was present my ID and pick up the key. The bellman led me to a room and I reassessed whether my $300 would have been enough for a night. It was beautiful, with a big bed and a bigger bath. I stowed my things and went downstairs to get a bite to eat. Not at the Palmer House Restaurant. I stepped out of the hotel and down Wabash a block where there was a little grill. I had a Chicago hot dog with chips and a Coke. Perfect to hold me till we had dinner at the event.

I had a couple of hours before I needed to get ready, so I continued down Wabash a block and cut over to State Street. Then I just walked casually up State to Washington before I stepped back to Wabash and south to the Palmer House on Monroe. It wasn’t a long walk, but I stopped and got a carton of coffee from a street vendor and went up to my room to relax.

Suffice it to say that I was showered, shaved, dressed, and standing in the lobby when Deke pulled up outside to take me to pick up my date. I felt a little naked leaving my hotel room without a camera, but I had a flower for my girlfriend and I guess that was all I needed.

“Very classy tuxedo, Mr. Hart,” Deke said as he held the door for me.

“Thank you. Deke, I’m eighteen years old. Please call me Nate.”