Chapter 1

"Married! You can't be fucking serious! Why the fuck would you want to get married to that asshole?" Tabitha screamed at her mother while pacing back and forth barefoot on the kitchen floor; her best friend and mother stood looking on with expressions of shock tattooed on their faces. "He's a fucking loser! He fucking works at a goddamned gas station! Why the fuck would you marry him?"

"Tabitha", her mother said slowly as tears began welling up in her eyes. She had not expected this. Her newly adult daughter, her only child, her reason for living, breathing, being at all was not supposed to be yelling at her right now. She was supposed to be happy. "I love him."

"Love him!" Tabitha replied apparently unaware the quavering tone her mother had used and the tears that now began trickling down her cheeks. "How can you love him? He fucking cheated on you!"

"Tabby."

"He fucking tried to fuck me for fucks sake!!"

"Now, Tabby, you know he was drunk"

"Drunk!? He tried to fuck your daughter you stupid bitch! I was only seventeen."

Now the tears began to flow from her mothers eyes unhindered as she began to sob. How could she explain her feelings to her daughter when she had no explanation for her feelings herself? How could she get across her feelings of fear and loneliness to a beautiful, young girl like Tabby who had nothing but hope to look forward to?

She couldn't so she did what she'd always done when the situation got too tough; she ran away.

"You obviously aren't ready to talk about this. I'll be at the bar if you feel like being an adult about this."

Tears rolling down her face, she grabbed her keys off of the counter and headed for the door as Tabitha began screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Being an adult! Being a fucking adult!! I'm not the one running for the fucking bottle!" Tabitha screamed as the door slammed shut behind her mother.

"FUCK!"

Poor Emily had stood there and witnessed the whole thing. Being from a "normal" family she'd never even come close to experiencing something like this Her parents had married after they'd graduated from college and they'd been together ever since. Sure they fought, every family did, but not like this. Hell, she couldn't even imagine talking to her mother like that. She didn't even talk to her dumb ass kid brother like that.

Emily stood there, still, unnoticed as her friend picked up a remote from the couch and threw it at the door her mother had just slammed. It broke open exposing its guts of circuit boards and batteries as it skidded off into the corner. At the same time, she let loose another stream of curses at the specter of her mother.

This was not the way the girls had expected their day to start. Emily had stayed the night at Tabitha's house because they'd planned on going shopping this afternoon. They'd only woken up less than an hour ago expecting to eat breakfast before they took turns taking showers so they could head to the mall to get some clothes.

They weren't even dressed. The fight had happened so fast. Emily stood there in the corner of the dining room dressed only in a long t-shirt and some boxers to cover her petite frame. Tabitha wore even less with her black tank top and black panties; her usual summertime sleep attire. It matched her shoulder length black hair perfectly. Emily couldn't help but admire her friend's thin and athletic frame even though she was more than a little worried about Tabitha's emotional state.

Finally Tabitha stopped cursing and collapsed back on the couch covering her grimacing, but cute face with her hand as tears began to flow down her cheeks. Emily's shyness began to fade as she realized that now was a good time to remind her friend of her existence by lending her a shoulder to cry on. Even though this situation was beyond her experience she knew how to comfort her friend.

Emily slowly walked over to the couch where Tabitha still sat covering her crying eyes and softly sat down next to her placing a hand on Tabby's knee gently stroking the soft skin.

"Are you okay, Tabby?" she asked in a soft voice. Tabitha removed her hand from her reddened eyes and looked at Emily's sweetly concerned face before making a weak attempt to wipe her tears.

"Why does she do this shit, Emily?" Tabitha sobbed questioningly, "She knows I hate that fucker. She knows what he fucking did, but she'll never admit it. Never. What the fuck is wrong with her?"

Emily struggled with how to respond to Tabitha's question. She knew that regardless of everything Tabitha still loved her mother. She knew the back-story of how they'd both been the only constants in each others lives ever since Tabby's dad left them when Tabby was only six. Even though Tabitha hated her mother's drinking and poor taste in men Emily knew that she'd never abandon her mother.

"I don't know, Tabby. Maybe she's just lonely," Emily said finally.

"But why?" Tabitha replied, "It's not like she's alone. I'm here. I'm her fucking daughter. Why can't she just love me and ditch that fucker? She could totally find someone better. Someone who isn't a fucking drunken loser who will fuck anything too drunk to push him away."

"I don't know, Tabby. This shit is too complicated for me. Some people just don't know their own worth. Maybe that's it. I don't know."

Tabitha wiped away some more tears, as she looked her best friend in the eyes taking in what she said.

Suddenly she felt bad for putting her through all this drama that had nothing to do with her. Without a word she reached out for Emily and embraced her in a warm hug. Emily hugged her back feeling the warmth of her friend's body pressed against hers.

"I'm sorry you had to see this, Emily," Tabitha sobbed as she squeezed her friend tightly against her.

"Its okay, Tabby. I don't mind. We all have our bad days."

Emily felt Tabitha's hands rubbing her back through her t-shirt as they continued to hold each other close. She could feel her nipples harden against Tabby's breasts as they pressed against her slightly smaller mounds. Without really thinking about it she backed away slightly from her friend to look her in the eyes before placing a tender kiss on Tabby's pouty lips.

The kiss only lasted a second before Emily pulled away with a smile. Tabitha looked her friend in the eyes wondering if she'd felt what she thought she felt. This wasn't the first time they had kissed, but not while they were sober. Not that it bothered her. Quite the opposite. Somehow it had felt right.

"What was that for?" Tabitha asked quietly, almost in a whisper she leaned into the couch her hands still holding her loosely as Emily's hands held onto Tabitha's waist around Emily's back

"Nothing," replied Emily in her own whisper, "you just looked like you needed it."

"It was nice."

"Yeah, it was."

"You haven't kissed me like that since prom night," Tabby said as she reached up her hand and began gently stroking Emily's cheek with her thumb as she ran her fingers through her soft, brown hair.

"I know," replied Emily almost in a whisper as she brought her hands down to where Tabitha's tank top ended and her soft, smooth skin began. Right above her panties, she began tenderly caressing her friends back underneath the soft cotton. She remembered prom night. It was the moment she'd first realized that Tabitha was truly the best friend she'd ever had.

She remembered how badly she had felt when her asshole boyfriend Tad had called her fucking slut right in front of everyone in the middle of the hotel ballroom where the dance was being held. All just for dancing with her old boyfriend from middle school Carlos.

It was so stupid. Carlos was gay. Everyone in the school knew that including Tad, but he just had to make scene. He'd yelled at her for a good five minutes while everyone stared on in shock. Carlos did nothing because he was scared shitless of Tad and his asshole friends beating him up simply because he was gay. Emily just cried, unable to even run away because she was too embarrassed.

She hadn't even noticed Tabitha approaching until she heard Tad grunt and then hit the floor. Tabitha had sucker punched him the kidney so hard Tad nearly passed out. The fury in Tabitha's eyes had shocked Emily at first, but what followed shocked her even more.

With a stream of curses that would make a sailor proud Tabitha proceeded to kick the shit out of Tad as he laid groaning on the floor until her then boyfriend Matt and good ol' Carlos pulled her away and somehow managed to get her out the door before the police arrived.

Matt had given them both a ride to Tabitha's house and dropped them before heading home himself. Matt had been a momma's boy. Thinking back Emily couldn't even remember why Tabitha had even dated him. The only thing he had going for him was his Monte Carlo.

From the moment they left the prom Tabitha had been apologizing nonstop despite Emily's glowing smile and cautious words of appreciation. Even as they closed the door behind them leaving the boys behind in the car she still kept it up until on reflex, without even a passing thought Emily had reached up and gently placed her hands behind Tabitha's head and pulled her best friend to her causing their lips to meet in a tender, sweet kiss that only lasted at most a few seconds, but changed their friendship forever.

As she pulled away Emily looked her best friend dead in the eyes and simply said "Thank you."

Perhaps it had been the booze they'd consumed earlier that night, both before and during the prom. Maybe it was just the stress of the day mixed with all the usual shit that young people have to deal with as their childhood is coming to an end or maybe it was just an expression of feelings that had laid just under the surface every since they'd met back in sixth grade, but in that instant both girls knew that what came next was the only thing that could happen next.

Without a word their lips had met again and then parted allowing tongues to slide luxuriously out of their mouths to meet somewhere in between to playfully dance with each other as hands grasped at soft flesh through the silky material of their overpriced, rented dresses.

With luck Tabitha's mother had been gone that night off getting drunk enough to fuck her fat gas station manager boyfriend allowing the girls to act out their new found desires right there in the living room. Emily still remembered the feeling of Tabitha's mouth gently sucking on her clit between gentle nibbles on her soft thighs. The sweet taste of Tabitha's pussy. The wet feeling of her best friends sweaty body sliding against hers and they had humped each other allowing their pussies to kiss as they devoured each others mouths and bodies until they'd passed out on the living room floor. The walls had echoed with their screams of passion at their tender joining.

When they had awoken in the morning they'd simply showered and dressed. Though they smiled sweetly at each other neither one mentioned what had happened the night before. Both had been satisfied with the experience, but they thought it was just a one time thing never to be repeated until now, a little more than three months later, at the tail end of the last summer before they moved on to bigger and better things.

Now it was Tabitha's turn to be comforted. They weren't drunk this time. No, now they were stone cold sober. There were no excuses beside stress, but that's all it was. An excuse.

"You know what comes next, don't you?" asked Tabitha back in the present as she leaned a little closer to her allowing her nose to touch Emily's ever so slightly. Tabitha's voice had already fallen to just above a whisper.

"Yes," Emily whispered so softly that if Tabitha had only been an inch farther away she wouldn't have heard.

"Good. As long as you know," Tabitha said before she pulled Emily's face to hers for a kiss that needed no excuse. It was the most natural thing in the entire world.

The two girls became one, a creature joined at the mouth and held together by gently groping hands that tenderly explored soft flesh as if for the first time. Tabitha's hands found their way beneath Emily's long, white t-shirt feeling the softness of her smooth skin. Emily groaned enjoying the sensation of Tabitha's firm, but gentle fingers against her skin as she sucked leisurely on Tabby's tongue and lips.

Emily's hands began their own slow exploration as one reached down to knead Tabitha's soft butt cheek while the other slipped further up Tabitha's back pulling the tight, black tank up along with it. As she pulled Tabitha tighter against her body her fingers actually touched the side of Tabby's firm, little mounds.

With a groan Emily pushed her friend onto her back on the soft couch cushions as she continued devouring Tabitha's sweet mouth. Tabitha's hands found their way down to the small of Emily's back where they gently caressed the skin. Both girls were now moaning into each others mouths as they struggled for breath afraid to break the kiss as if that would mean the end of this whole experience.

Tabitha's hand continued to go lower until she reached the loose elastic waist band of Emily's cute, little boxers and slid her hand underneath the fabric to squeeze the soft cheek before gently sliding her finger along Emily's crack. Slipping it between her cheeks to tease Emily's asshole eliciting a sweet, high moan from her friend.

As Tabitha teased her ass Emily instinctively spread her legs and slowly began grinding her hips against Tabitha's thighs. Being the good friend she was Tabitha raised her leg slightly bringing her thigh into contact with now soaked crotch of Emily's boxers. Emily didn't need an invitation as she shifted slightly pressing her own thigh against Tabitha's equally wet panties as the girls began to slowly hump each other while their hands continued to clutch at each other as they grunted into each others mouths.

Slowly humping each other to oblivion the girls began to tear at each others clothes trying to remove the impediments to their explorations without breaking away from their embrace. It was impossible.

Reluctantly, Tabitha removed her hand from Emily's boxers and pushed her friend away from her for a second. Emily's whimper as Tabitha slid out from underneath her nearly made her laugh.