Chapter 2

As if sensing my need - or possibly because of her own - she began to wiggle back against my cock. She lifted herself up and I felt her hand reach down under her to grab my shaft. She lowered herself down onto it, sliding it back and forth inside her slit until it was just as slippery as she, then she guided it into the waiting tunnel and sat down on it. Her weight buried me inside her, right up till my cock pressed against her cervix. I knew she hadn't been with anyone because there was no way she could still be this tight!

Water sloshed all around us and even out onto the floor as she moved up and down on me. Dad had once told me in confidence that she couldn't have children for some reason and since she'd not raised the issue of birth control the first time, I saw no reason to raise it now. I used my hands on her firm little ass to help her bob up and down on me.

I felt myself quickly approaching that point of no return and I wanted her to cum with me, so I reached over her thigh with one hand and found her hard clit. It was strange, feeling myself slip in and out of her while I stroked her clit. I whispered in her ear while biting on her neck, telling her to let go.

She did. We arrived at almost the same second. There was no better feeling on earth than her pussy contracting around my cock as I shot a long full load into her.

Eventually we got out of the tub when the water started to get cold. I dried her off head to foot, pausing to pay extra attention to certain locations. I wrapped her in her long bath sheet, swung her up in my arms and carried her to the bed. She gave me a beautiful smile for that gallant gesture. Then I stripped the towel off her and simply stared down at her for a few minutes. It took no time at all for my cock to be standing ready again. This time however, I dropped between her knees and spread her smooth thighs. I knew she was ten years older than me but there was so sign of age or sag anywhere on her body.

I put my mouth onto her pussy and licked her till her next orgasm took her. Then I lay down on top of her and fucked her hard until I came again in no time.

We cuddled for a long time, spoon-fashion, and had planned on getting up and going out for lunch. However, the very nearness of her got me so hard again that I entered her from behind, lying on our sides Eventually, I got her on her hands and knees and did it doggy style till she came hard and screaming, then I came one last time, lying on my back with her straddling me. She collapsed over on my chest, both of us sweaty and dehydrated, needing another bath, but both of us blissful.

I'm not sure if we dozed any or simply relaxed with our eyes closed, but she suddenly woke with a start. Her digital clock on the nightstand displayed 3:20. Chris would be getting home from school around 3:30. We didn't panic, but hurriedly dressed and had just sat down at the kitchen table with unopened bottles of water before us. Chris didn't seem to notice the flush on our skin and I hope he couldn't smell the hot salt tinge of sex in the air.

He was surprised to see me here early but happy. Not only was he starting as quarterback in the homecoming game, but his girlfriend was one of the candidates for homecoming queen. He was already strutting around proudly. I had to laugh sheepishly because I'd probably done the same thing last year. It was strange how much your thoughts and feelings could change in a year, after going away from the familiarity of home and the friends you'd grown up with. It all seemed so unimportant to me now, all that high school stuff.

"I'm only home for a few minutes," he told us, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket. "We got that parade and then we're all meeting at the field. You're coming to the game, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't miss it," I said, waving him off. He went to his room, changed into his clean game jersey and dashed out the door again.

Cassie and I just sat and stared at each other, kind of in shock at being brought back to the real world like that. It was almost as if I'd only imagined what we'd spent most of the day doing. If wondered what was going on behind those pale blue eyes, if she could possibly be thinking what I was thinking. I was ready to hop back in bed for a repeat performance.

"The parade is passing up Wells Street," she said. "We could walk over and watch it."

Trying not to let my disappointment show too much, I agreed. We still had about forty-five minutes to kill, there was time for something intimate, I was sure. I didn't really want to feel this way, but it was like my body was out of control. I wanted her again! Over and over. Naked, doing whatever I told her. I had to keep reminding myself that she wasn't one of those high school girls who did whatever I asked because I was their football hero. I also had to keep telling myself not to be that insensitive bastard who'd used all the girls I could get away with. This was seriously different.

I sighed and decided I could sit here and look at her like a puppy begging for scraps or I could act like I had a modicum of self control and clean up the mess where I'd dropped my bags just inside the door. I chose to walk away. She seemed relieved when I did and we stayed in our separate corners till parade time. That didn't keep her off my mind.

As we walked up the street later, I realized I was talking incessantly. Cassie eventually hooked her arm through mine and gently said, "Relax Keith. I'm not expecting anything from you. Just be yourself. I always like that best."

I'd not known just how really uptight I was until she said that. I had no idea that it showed so much. I wanted her to like me, I wanted to appear knowledgeable about things, I wanted to be on her level. I forced myself to take a deep breath and let my muscles flop.

I envied Cassie the calm demeanor she always wore, not knowing then that that particular kind of confidence only came with experience. She always displayed the same attitude, ready to deal with whatever came along in her life. I'd only seen it fail once, when Dad died. She seemed to anticipate nothing and remain composed no matter what the situation was. Later in life, I came to understand that I had learned to be "cool" from my stepmother. Dad had taught me how to handle most things that I would have to deal with, but Cassie taught me not to worry about what those things might be.

The parade was pretty much the same affair as it was every year. All the different clubs in the high school made tacky floats, the marching band got to show off and various local merchants got to plug their businesses. This was the fifth one we'd been involved in, probably the 15th one we'd watched. I suppose this was one of our family traditions.

After we walked home, we got right into my truck and I drove back to the small stadium. Cassie and I didn't hold hands as we walked, although I wished we could've. We couldn't give any clues like that because the bleachers were already filled with people who knew us.

We walked around the track from the gate to the home stands. Our team was already on the field warming up and many of them, including the coaches, called out surprised greetings to me. I found myself wanting to be back out there with them in the thick of things.

Cassie had always had a sixth sense for our feelings, seeming to always know what we were thinking. At the turn-off that led up to the bleachers, she stopped and pulled me down so she could speak into my ear and be heard over the crowd.

"Go," she said. "Have fun with your friends. Just don't strand me here after the game, okay? I don't want to walk home in the dark."

I was amazed and torn. I wanted to do the grown-up thing and go sit with her and be her companion, but such a big part of me still needed to be out their on the field again, hanging out with the guys, being the ex-hero back to give them inspiration. The coaches would talk to me like an adult now, ask my opinion, maybe. Of course, I didn't see it clearly at the time, but that's what I felt.

"It's okay," she assured me, "I promise." I suppose the relief was clear on my face. I took off out to the field.

I only thought of her once while the game was going on. I'd turned to look over the packed stands to see if I could see her. I only wondered if she was proud watching me and Chris out here. Had she been proud watching me last year? And was she looking at me differently now? Then someone yelled about the last play, starting an argument and pulled my attention back to the game.

When the game was over and we'd (rightly so) beaten them by 17 points, I stood at the gate and waited for her to come out. She was laughing with some of the other parents. She'd not needed me, had not been crushed and alone without me. I felt a silly sort of disappointment.

We walked back to my truck and sat for some time in the center of a sea of unmoving traffic, recalling the exciting parts of the game. Again, I had something to tell her and wasn't sure how she'd react.

"The guys are having a party over at Mike's," I finally just blurted out. "Everyone's going to be there. Chris is going. And some of the guys from last year..." I let it hang like a question.

"Oh?" she commented nonchalantly. "That sounds like it will be fun."

"Um..." I ventured, testing the waters. "You don't mind if I go?"

If she'd given any indication I should stay home and fuck her all night, I would have done so without hesitation, but she hadn't so far. In fact, she hadn't made any comment on what we'd spent the day doing, at all. It only made me realize just how much more growing up I had left to do in this subject of relationships.

"I don't mind," she said, "But you're not dumping me here, are you?"

"Of course not!" I exclaimed, not sure if she was just teasing. I was actually starting to yearn for people my own age because they weren't so confusing.

"I'll feel better knowing you are there with Chris anyhow. I know there will probably be drinking going on and I don't trust him to be responsible the way your are." And here she was praising me for being grown-up!?! "Don't let him drive home if he does drink, alright?"

"I won't," I promised her. "We'll be fine."

At the house, I didn't go in with her. She surprised me by leaning over and kissing me softly on the cheek. Was it a momma's kiss or a lover's kiss?

" Be careful," she warned, and it clearly became a mom's kiss. I watched her till she was inside the house, picturing her naked as she bounced up the stairs and unlocked the door. By the time I got to Mike's house, I had a raging hard-on and felt no need to hide it.

I drank too much, played too much, and thought about Cassie far too much at the party. I took my perpetual horniness out on more than one willing cheerleader, including one I'd turned down last year. No matter how drunk I got though, none of them turned into Cassie while I pounded away. And as drunk as it got, I wasn't anywhere near as bad as Chris. In fact, by 4:30 when the party began to wind down, I'd begun to sober up and keep my dick in my pants, sipping Dr. Pepper and watching a candle melt. Chris could barely walk but was still belligerent when I told him he was not driving home. It finally took three of us to hold him down and take away his keys. I used guilt to get him in my truck, telling him how devastated Cassie would be if he got himself killed driving home drunk. Then he got on a crying jag all the way home until he was just mumbling something law and incoherent.

I parked up close to the front door before I even attempted to deal with dragging Chris in. I was glad he was my little brother because he still seemed to way a ton. When I poured him across his bed, I didn't even care that he still had his shoes on. After I locked up, I hoped we hadn't made enough noise to wake Cassie. I felt guilty too. I crept back to her bedroom to look in on her.

She was not awake. Watching her in the dim light, lying on her side, cover tucked in under her arms, her beautiful golden hair spilling all over the dark sheets, I wanted nothing more than to crawl in behind her and wrap her up in my arms. I watched her until she rolled over, her face now hidden in darkness.

"'night," I whispered and retreated to my own room. There must've been more booze in me than I thought because I was out cold as soon as I hit my pillow, still fully dressed just like I'd left Chris.

Thankfully, I wasn't hung over when I woke up. I was thirsty though and stumbled sleepily to the kitchen. I found Cassie there, sipping orange juice and reading some science fiction book. She was always cool like that, never getting into those silly romance novels.

I pulled out a coke and flopped down beside her.

She put the book down and laughed. "You look like you had a good time."

I only shrugged. My mouth was parched and all I wanted to do was pour half this coke into it with the first gulp.

"Did you?" she prompted.

I swallowed loudly, belched, excused myself and said, "Yeah, it was okay."

"Just okay?"

I wondered what she was getting at.

"I saw some old friends, but I guess it's true what they say about not being able to go home again. It just didn't feel the same."

"Hmm..." she commented, "I'm sorry."

Another shrug.

Her face suddenly lit up with a pointedly teasing smile. "So how many girls did you do last night?"

That was not something I had expected. I choked on the fizzy liquid and took a minute to answer. I was smiling inwardly. She was jealous!

"Would you believe me if I said none?" I replied.

"Not at all," she smiled mischievously. I narrowed my eyes. Was she jealous?

"Then maybe you just shouldn't ask me," I bantered back.

She laughed out loud this time. "Then maybe I won't. Where's your brother? I noticed his car isn't here."

"I guess he's still asleep. He was wiped out good last night."

"Drunk?" she asked, and suddenly I felt awkward. Chris and I were the kids here and she was the parental figure. Us against them, right? And here I was ratting on him.

"Well?" she asked while I tried to figure out a tactful way out of this. I finally sighed and settled on the truth.

"Yeah, he was plastered."

A frown crossed her features, genuine concern. "Keith, I don't know what to do about him. He's started to do that a lot lately. I don't know how to stop him. Do I punish him? How? This is totally out of my range of experience. He'll be eighteen in a couple of months and well, he's already bigger than me."

Sipping the coke, I tried to think like Dad. Tried to figure out what he would have done. When I was seventeen, almost eighteen, I started getting into the party habit too, just like the rest of my friends. Dad taught me never to drink and drive by taking my car away for extended lengths of time. When I quit lying and trying to pull the wool over his eyes, it dawned on me that although I might be sober, at least I could be out of the house with my friends.

"I'll try and get through to him," I volunteered. "Maybe he'll listen to me."

"He's probably feeling pretty bad right now, don't you think?" she asked, and I wasn't sure I liked the look in her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sure of that. I put the trash can by his bed but I don't think he got the chance to use it."

"Then I can think of a little punishment right now," she smiled.

"Uh..." I started to protest, feeling sorry for my little brother, but she was sort of his mother. Smiling evilly, she got up and started towards his bedroom. I had to follow if for no other reason than curiosity.

Chris' room was midnight-dark, mini-blinds closed and dark curtains drawn. The smell of liquor permeated the room.

Cassie first opened the curtain, then pulled up the blinds. Chris moaned and fumbled with the pillow, trying to get it over his eyes. Cassie tugged the pillow away from him and tossed it on the floor. He roared angrily and rolled over quickly. I grinned because I knew what that rolling over would do.

He grabbed his head between his hands and moaned like he was dying. I gave him about five seconds.

Suddenly, he lurched up and started to gag. He searched through bleary eyes for the trash can and we leaped back to avoid the revolting splatter. Cassie laughed even as she held her nose.

Chris threw up until there was nothing left but dry heaves. He rolled back on the bed and covered his eyes with his arm. "Ah, my head! Turn off the lights, it's killing me!"

"What did you tell me you were going to do today?" Cassie asked.

"Huh?" he groaned, clearly not fully sober.

"You told me you'd clean out the garage today," she reminded him. Then with a wink to me, she added, "I think a rat got in the back and died. The smell is awful, like rotten meat."

"Ohhhh..." He cried out, clutching his stomach and starting to heave all over again. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"It looks like a box fell on it maybe," she continued, "There's something kinda thick and green oozing out from under one of them..."

The noises Chris made weren't even human anymore.

"Go ahead and close the blinds back," she whispered to me, "I'll be right back."

Chris saw her leave as he rolled away from the reeking trash can. "Man, I didn't know she could be such a bitch."

Even I had to admit it was pretty harsh treatment.

Cassie returned a few minutes later with several items. A cold bottle of water, three Tylenol, a multi-vitamin and an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel. She made him drink, swallow the pills, then drink some more. When he collapsed back, she situated the ice pack across his forehead.

"Ahhhh," he sighed, finally relaxing.

"Just remember," she told him admonishingly, "It'll get worse every time you come home in this condition. If I have to buy a dog and collect it's poop, your mornings after are going to become hell. So it's your choice."

I blinked in amazement, especially when Chris apologized meekly, "Yes, ma'am."

She motioned for me to follow her out and she pulled the door closed behind us, letting him sleep as long as he needed.

"I don't think I need to say a word to him," I said.

"I was feeling inspired," she admitted. "I didn't go overboard, did I?"

"I think you made a lasting impression."

Chris came staggering out of his room around three and went straight to the shower. When he was clean and dressed, he seemed nearly normal.

"Better?" Cassie asked.

He nodded. "Thanks for taking care of me," he told her.

She nodded back at him and the phone rang. It was for him and he went to get it in his room.

A few minutes later, he came back out and slumped in the recliner. "Wanna go to the concert tonight?" he asked me. "You and a date? That was Eddie. He had to cancel. He went home drunk last night and his Dad grounded him."

"Sounds about right," Cassie whispered under her breath.

He glared at her, then looked back to me questioningly.

"I didn't know there was a concert," I said.

"Me neither," Cassie added.

"Ozfest," Chris said, "I know I told you weeks ago."

"Yeah, I'll go," I said. I liked Ozzy.

"Who are you going to bring?" Chris asked. "I don't think any of the other guys are bringing a chick." He was hinting that I shouldn't either.

"I'm bringing Cassie," I announced.

"What?" Chris exclaimed.

"What?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah," I nodded, making up my mind.

"Um..." Chris started to protest, not sure how to say "hell no" without hurting her feelings too badly. To him, it would be too much like having his mom along.

"I've seen him," Cassie said.

"What?" Chris asked.

"What?" I asked, kind of amazed too. She didn't seem the type.

"I've seen Ozzy in concert," she said.

"When?" Chris asked in a confrontational tone. He clearly didn't believe her.

"Nine years ago?" she shrugged, "Something like that."

Our prim and proper stepmom had just revealed a very interesting secret past.

"But you wouldn't let us have any fun," Chris whined.

Cassie shrugged. "I'm not sitting here begging you to let me go, you know?"

"I'm bringing her," I said. "You can always pretend you don't know us."

Chris still looked unhappy.

"Ok," Cassie said, "I'll go. Pretend like I'm just another one of your friends."

"You won't be though!" he accused. "You won't let us drink!"

"I told you what my new policy about that was. It's your choice, whether I'm there or not."

He looked like he didn't believe her. "Can you really hang out with us without acting your age?"

"Ouch..." I said, "I'm moving away from you after that."

Cassie seemed to be contemplating the question seriously, then she answered, "Probably."

"What are you gonna wear?" he asked, still belligerent. "Dress pants and a sweater will look really out of place there."

"Oh, I think I could manage to find something appropriate."

Chris finally sighed and surrendered. "Whatever."

"Wanna take my car?" she asked slyly, knowing what kind of reaction that would get. She had a totally cool 2002 Firebird, deep metallic blue, fully loaded and gorgeous. Chris was always trying to get her to let him drive it out some night.

"Okay," he said a little brighter.

"What time do we have to go?" she asked.

"The show starts at 7, so I guess around 5:30."

She smiled in this wistful sort of way that I couldn't quantify. Like a pleasant memory we couldn't see had flitted through her head.

"I'm going to take a bath," she said and left us alone.

"I still think this sucks," Chris complained after she was gone. "You could've picked anybody but her."

"Quit," I told him, "She'll be fine."

"She'll ruin the whole night," he mumbled to himself.

Cassie stayed in her room for the next hour and a half. The father of one of Chris' friends dropped him and another guy at our house. That little backseat in the Firebird was going to be really crowded.

"C'mon!" Chris started yelling at 5:20. "I wanna get there early!" I think he was mostly anxious to see what Cassie was going to wear so he could gripe about how uncool it was. I just wanted to see her, I had started to miss her.

The French door to her bedroom opened and someone I'd never known came strolling out. For one thing, she looked like she might be nineteen years old.

She had really long golden hair like Cassie had, but this was really wavy and kind of wild and all over, not straight and tame. Very nice though. It set off the exotic look of her makeup. Exotic in the sense that Cassie rarely every wore makeup, but this lady was made up expertly. Eyes, lips, cheeks, exceptionally long lashes, and that was only the look above the waist.

The dress she wore caused me and immediate and intense hard-on. I would not have suspected that Cassie would have this kind of garment in her wardrobe. I'd always known her to be very straight-laced and conservative. Even her classic "little black dress" - though form-fitting and pretty - was no higher than mid-thigh and barely showed any cleavage. This dress however, blew her whole image forever.

The hem came just to the bottom of the swell of her firm ass cheeks. I had such and urge to walk up behind her and cup both cheeks and squeeze. If she bent over at all, she would have no secrets.

The upper part cut straight across the top of her breasts, leaving her shoulders bare. The thin sleeves were meant to be worn down off the shoulders around the middle of her bicep. The outline of her small breasts were clearly visible beneath the tight fabric and it seemed that was we stared at her, she blushed and her nipples swelled and pressed out.

The dress was plain black, the only decorative touch ran down each side from just under her arms to the bottom hem. There were openings all the way down both sides, creating two inch windows of bare skin separated by one inch of black fabric.

It was plain that she enjoyed the way we gawked at her and she did a silly little model turn for us. My stomach did a flip flop when I realized that not only was there no bra showing anywhere through the side slits, but there was no panty showing either. I started looking around for something to drop on the floor so she'd have to lean down and pick it up.

"Will I fit in now?" she asked innocently.

"Uh..." Chris stammered. "You'll get raped."

I couldn't think of anything more constructive to say than "Wow!" but I wanted her so badly at that moment that I ached.

"Didn't you say we had to go now?" she asked, strapping a small black purse across her shoulders.

Tearing his eyes away from her, Chris said, "Yeah. Yeah we do." His friends Bobby and Ken had said nothing so far, they'd just stared the same way Chris and I were.

"Here," Cassie handed me the keys to her car. "You drive."

Could it get any better than this???

When we got out at the arena, Cassie reminded Chris that he and his friends didn't want to hang out with us. We couldn't avoid sitting together but she sent them on their way after we got our tickets from them. Needless to say, I was pleased to have her alone.

Once we were alone, I admitted, "I've been dying to ask you this, but do you have anything on under that dress?"

She laughed, and making sure Chris was out of sight, she leaned forward and touched her toes. I had a full view of that flawless ass and saw that she wore a very thin thong. On an impulse, I stepped up behind her, grabbed her hips with both hands and ground my bulging crotch against her. It would've taken me about thirty seconds to cum.

"Oh..." she moaned in surprise. "Maybe we should have stayed home."

"We can go back now," I whispered, leaning over her. "The show will go on till after midnight. We'd have hours..."

She stood up and turned around in my arms, sliding her arms up around my neck and rubbing her body against mine. I looked over her shoulder to make sure my brother wasn't in sight. He wasn't, so I slid my arms up her back to her neck and pressed our lips together. She still tasted faintly of her minty toothpaste as her tongue wrestled with mine. I could feel her hips rocking slowly from side to side, the delicious heat of friction had caused me to produce a wet spot on my jeans.

By the time she broke the kiss, my balls were aching and probably as blue as my jeans, figuratively speaking. She took my hand and started towards the exit of the parking deck, joining more people trickling in. I protested feebly, wanting only to climb in the tiny back seat and bury my dick in her, balls deep.

"Oh, come on," she said, "Maybe I'll suck you off in the men's room."

We'd not tried that yet but at the mere mention of that, my cock lurched painfully against the zipper.

"Okay," I reconsidered my reluctance and followed her eagerly.

The arena was already filling up despite there being more than an hour till the first band took the stage. We found our way down front - Chris' buddy Ken's father worked for the radio station that was sponsoring the show. He was one of the salesman, mid-level, but we'd always gotten these kinds of perks hanging out with Ken. They hadn't come to their seats yet and I could see that Cassie was worried, though determined not to act like a mom. I figured they were out conning someone into buying them beers.

The opening band came on before they made it in, laughing and smelling like the cheap beer they sold here. They were all three only seventeen and I believe Cassie was also worried about being held legally responsible for them. She still didn't chastise him. In fact, she smiled and went back to her dancing. I liked it because she was pressed up very close to me - not seeming too obvious - but I could feel her hip and ass rubbing and bumping me in a most pleasing manner. She was much better than watching the show.

There were five bands on the schedule. The first three were marginally popular, the fourth was Rob Zombie and then Ozzy himself would close the show. Rob Zombie had some pretty hard music and I personally didn't get into it that much, and I figured Cassie would feel the same way, considering that she was older and all. However, I was amazed to see her dancing even harder and actually mouthing the words to the songs. I couldn't wait to find out about this hidden side of her.

As I was watching her, she suddenly froze.

"Cassie?" I shouted, trying to get her attention over the noise. "Cassie? Is something wrong?" She still didn't seem to hear me.

Then like a bolt of lightning, she took off running, yelling at me, "Hang on!" I started after her, worried.

She ran the length of the stage between the front row of the crowd and the security people on our side of the chain link fence that separated us from the performers. As the corner of the stage, she threw herself at the fence and cupped her hands around her mouth as if yelling to someone.

I looked past her to where it seemed she was calling and I could just make out two men at the corner of the stage, almost hidden in the shadows. One was a stocky bearded buy in his late forties and the other was a slender, clean-shaven man, probably the same age.

One security guard had caught Cassie around the waist and was trying to pull her down off the fence. I ran towards them because I didn't like the way he had one hand on her butt, pushing her dress up. She didn't even seem to notice.

The two men stopped and the bearded one stepped towards her. His face lit up and before I could reach them, the guard was actually boosting Cassie over the fence. She ran towards the two men.

The bearded one caught her in his arms and hugged her enthusiastically, like an old friend. A very close old friend. When he turned her loose, the other one did the same, but he didn't let her go, he kept one arm firmly around her waist.

They chatted in a very animated way all the way through the set, leaving me to seethe a bit. I couldn't take my eyes off them. The bearded one made a phone call partway through - I don't know how he could hear, but a few minutes later, a young guy in a concert jersey came up to them and passed something to Cassie. I couldn't make out what it was from here. Then she embraced them both again and turned back towards us.

The guard helped her come back over the fence and there was a small cheer when the guys in the front row near her got a look at her naked ass when she whirled around. She gave them a self-deprecating bow and ran to me.

"What was that all about?" I tried not to sound too demanding. She ignored me and grabbed Chris, pulling us all into a huddle. She started passing out to us the objects the guy had given her. Thick nylon cords to hang around our necks with a credit-card sized badge attached that said, "ALL ACCESS - OZZFEST", or something like that. She'd gotten us all backstage passes! THE ultimate prize we could get here.

"Whoa!" Chris yelled, recognizing it immediately. It was even better than the tickets Ken's dad had gotten for us.

"They're for the party afterwards," Cassie yelled. "At the hotel where they are all staying, not here backstage."

Even better.

There were a million questions I wanted to ask her but she would not have heard me anyway here, so I filed them away for later.

When the show was over, Chris was all for running out the door and getting across the street to the hotel. The crowd leaving all at once was so thick that Cassie just sat down - first time since the concert started - to let them clear out before trying for the doors. Chris was so hyped up that he managed to piss her off because he didn't want to wait. He even threatened to go on without us.

She refused to argue though, because this time, she held the high card. She simply said, "My name is on the list with four guests. You run off without me, you don't go to the party."

Chris started to give some smart-assed reply so I stepped in now and told him to sit down and shut up. He glared at me, knowing he couldn't fight us both, but he shut up and waited. I took the break to ask the million dollar question.

"Who were those guys?"

"Teachers," she replied. "When I was in college to learn how to do all this." She gestured around the arena. "They don't just teach, they do."

"Do what?" Chris asked, still kinda with a sneer in his voice.

"The guy with the beard is Rich Flynn. He's the promoter for the show. He has access to everything. The other guy was my video production teacher, Terry Motes. And he was a very good friend."

I knew it!

"And you just went up and asked him for these?" Bobby asked, fingering his pass like it was made of platinum.

"Actually no," Cassie answered. "I was just saying hello. They both wanted to talk some more so he told me to come to the party. Rich volunteered the passes."

At this point, we were all so excited that we really didn't care how we'd gotten them.

Even Chris had to be impressed. And that after ten minutes had passed, we could just walk straight out the doors without being pushed, crushed, or having beer poured down our backs. There was a strange echo in the air in the mostly empty room, like the air was thick. It was actually the temporary damage done to our ears by that kind of decibel level for an extended amount of time. The kind of damage that can become permanent in a lot of older performers. Though it was almost totally silent now, we still had to shout to hear each other.

The walk to the hotel took another ten minutes, although it was just across the street. There was still a crowd hanging outside hoping to get a last glimpse of their idols. Once inside, we were directed to the ballroom and stopped at the door by several large men dressed like bikers. Cassie approached and gave them one of her killer smiles.

They eyed her appreciatively but looked at us the way a doctor might view a disease.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" one of them asked. He held a little PDA.

She told him, he checked, them "hmmmmph-ed". "Yeah, it says 'plus four guests'." He stopped aside and motioned us on into the next hallway. As the guys passed, he sneered, "Have fun, kiddies."

I couldn't help but glare at him as I went by. All night, that very thought had continued to bother me. I didn't want Cassie seeing me as just a kid. And I was especially disturbed by the thought of her going to meet those old friends.

Before I could follow that train of thought any further, the hallway dead-ended at the ballroom door. Music and loud voices bombarded us. There were a couple of hundred people in there at least, milling around, sitting in low chairs and couches in small cliques, lining up at several different bars.

Just inside the room, the two men were waiting.

"Where've you been?" the one she'd told us was Terry asked. "I thought you'd stood us up!"

She allowed him to embrace her again.

"Terry, Rich," she addressed them, "I want you to meet my stepsons Keith and Chris, and their friends Bobby and Ken." I politely shook hands with both men.

We chatted politely for a few minutes and Rich said, "I've got someone to introduce you to, Cassie. Guys," he addressed us, "If you don't mind... ? I'm going to steal her for a little while. Just hang out, most of the bands are here already, the bar's free, there's food somewhere over in that direction..."