Chapter 4

It had been a week since the last time anyone visited Woodland. A week since the group of four friends experienced their first release of their sexual urges. A week since Nick and Ashley last spoke. Nick was on his way out to the cabin alone since Will had bailed on him at the last minute. They had all had planned to meet up here today, Saturday, but it looked like it would just be him and the girls. No one else was there when he arrived so he opened up the cabin, put his battery powered radio near one of the cots and hit play on one of his favourite tapes. He sat on the cot, leaning against the wall, and let himself drift away into his thoughts while the music played in the background.

He replayed the events of the previous weekend in his head, as he’d done many times over the past week. He remembered every detail of how Ashley looked and reacted to her own touch. The moment she called out his name stuck in his head. It had been the moment that pushed him over the edge and the moment that continued to push him over the edge every time he jerked off over the course of the week.

He had harboured a crush on her since they first met six years before. He and Will had been playing explorers in the woods and claimed all the land west of the creek as their kingdom. They noticed two girls across the creek who had claimed all the land east of the creek as their Fairy Princess kingdom. Neither of them wanted the others around, the boys thought the girls were gross and vice versa. They spent the whole summer waging imaginary war with each other. Giants and Fairies fought against brave knights and super heroes to try and push the others back. Nick smiled at the memory. Children were funny creatures. By the end of the summer Will and Sara had made a peace agreement. They could share both kingdoms but it required a wedding. They had decided, in true medieval fashion, to marry off Nick and Ashley to each other to join the kingdoms.

Of course neither of the intended would agree to this. Sara and Will took nearly a week to convince them but they finally gave in. They were married in the woods, Sara even brought a bag full of stuffed animals to fill the guest chairs. From this Woodland was born, long before Will’s dad built them the cabin. Sara had dragged Ashley out into the woods in the prettiest dress she could find. When Nick saw them come into view he thought that maybe girls weren’t as gross as he’d thought. He spent as much time out in their imaginary kingdom as he could so that he and Ashley could play together. Will and Sara were with them most of the time, but he would have been just as happy if they weren’t.

Now they were growing up. Things were getting more complicated with age. They never played like that anymore. Sometimes you just grow out of things. Eventually their time at Woodland was spent reading magazines, listening to music, or just talking and hanging out. Nick was glad that Ashley was still around, even if things had changed. He knew he liked her, in a way that was different than when they were kids, and now he had the impression that she might too.

He again pictured the moment that she came and called out his name. A smile formed on his face.

The sound of someone crossing the creek drifted through the open window and over his music. It must be Sara and Ashley. He turned the music down a little and pushed his mind back to reality. Then the door opened and Ashley walked in.

“Don’t worry,” Nick called out, “you’re not interrupting anything this time.”

“Good.” Ashley replied from the doorway. “Sara said she was busy today, but said I should come out anyway since you and Will would be here.” She looked around, “Where’s Will?”

“He cancelled too.”

Ashley shrugged, then came in and sat down on one of the beanbag chairs near the cot Nick was sitting on.

“Hi.” She said, feeling the heat in her cheeks as the events of the last week pushed their way into her mind.

“Hi.” Nick answered with a smile.

“How’s it going?” She struggled to find anything to say.

“Good. How’re you?”

“Good.” She couldn’t come up with anything else. Last week had seemed somehow unreal until she was sitting back in the cabin. She leaned back and listened to the music Nick had on. They listened through a few songs without saying a word before Nick broke the silence.

“What’s on your mind? You’re awfully quiet today.”

Ashley didn’t respond.

“Judgement free zone, you said, right?”

She nodded. The silence lingered for a little while longer.

“I lost control.” She finally told him. “I never lose control. I didn’t mean to call out your name when I ... you know ... I just did.”

Nick wasn’t sure if this revelation should hurt him or not. That moment in time was something he would never forget, but it sounded like she regretted it happening. All he could do was nod.

“It’s ok.” He said eventually. “I’m not mad or anything.”

“I know. I saw the effect it had on you.” Her eyes dropped down between his legs momentarily before looking back up at him.

It was Nick’s turn to blush, something he almost never did.

“Beth told me what boys your age are after. I do like you Nick, but I don’t think I can do what you want.”

“What do you think I want?”

“All boys want another notch in their bedpost. That’s why Beth had a new boyfriend every few months in high school.”

“That’s not fair. Maybe she just dated jerks.” Nick was a little taken aback by what felt like an accusation.

“Are you saying you don’t want to have sex with me?” She looked at him inquisitively.

“Yes. I mean no. I mean...” he realized there wasn’t going to be a right answer to this question. “I mean I do. I’ve thought about it all week. But I like you, Ashley. I have for a long time now. But I want to be with you and I want you to be happy and comfortable too.”

Ashley leaned forward in her chair. She didn’t know what sort of answer she was hoping for, but this one made her smile.

“I don’t want to ask you to wait for me. I don’t know when I’ll be ready.”

“You don’t need to ask me.”

Ashley was happy with that and moved over to sit beside him on the cot. He hugged her and she felt all the worry that’s been building up over the week drift away.

“There is one thing maybe you could do for me.” She felt her cheeks turning red again and struggled not to look away.

“What’s that?” Nick asked with a smirk.

Ashley closed her eyes, tilted her head, and moved her face towards his. Nick angled his head and moved his mouth closer to hers. Her lips lunged forward and locked to his, her tongue quickly probing at his lips for a way inside. He let her in and felt her tongue slide into his mouth and around his own. Her hand rested on his side and his went to each of her cheeks. They kissed long and passionately. Their tongues waging a battle with each other back and forth. Ashley hummed with contentment. Eventually she pulled her mouth away and looked into Nick’s eyes.

“That was my first kiss.” Nick stated.

“Mine too. Sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“I’ve practised with Sara before.”