Chapter 26

Sex Ed class on Friday was brief. Mr. Hood stood in front of the class with a card in his hand. "I would like to see the boys across the hall right away. Girls, Mrs. Miller will be here in a couple of minutes."

With that he led the boys next door. Moments later Mrs. Miller brought the girls from that class into the classroom. After everyone was settled, she got up, a card in her hand. "You are all excused from class for the rest of the day," she said. "The teachers of your other classes know this and have planned accordingly. Please stop by the school store before you leave. You will each find a $25 credit voucher with your name on it. This is to be used to purchase something sexy to wear tonight."

"Do we wear it in public?" Suzy asked.

Mrs. Miller smiled. "That's your choice. Some girls do, some don't. You realize, don't you, that elsewhere that wouldn't even be a question. You wouldn't wear sexy clothes anywhere outside of the bedroom.

"Now about the party tonight; you've heard that kids from different schools will be there. I would suggest you branch out. Meet new people, not just the people from this school. Try new things. After tonight you'll be allowed to go to the clubs in town, and you'll have to make your own way and your own decisions.

"Think of tonight as the last Sex Ed class you'll have."

"You mean we won't have this class for the next two weeks?" Grace asked.

"You'll have it," Mrs. Miller said, "but it'll be more like a study hall. There'll be no assignments, no demonstrations, or anything else. It'll be free time."

She paused, looking around the classroom. "This is what we've been working toward from the first day of class four years ago. After tonight all of the decisions are yours to make. Mr. Hood and I will be available to answer any questions you might have, but that ends with the school term and graduation.

"Any questions?"

When it was obvious there weren't any, she smiled at something, shook her head, and gestured toward the door. "Get out of here. Have fun tonight, and I'll see you on Monday for some paperwork."

"I didn't think about what I'd wear tonight," Suzy said as they filed out the door. "I thought I'd just wear my regular clothes."

"I like the idea," Sammi said. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Want to go now?"

"Sure, why not?"

Grace and Anna joined them. As they visited the stores in Terminus, Sammi remembered a similar shopping trip in Center. There was one difference, though. In Center there were small rooms in back. You carried your clothes there, changed, and examined yourself in the mirror. Here in Terminus, just like elsewhere in Three Valleys, nobody thought anything of somebody undressing next to a rack of clothes.

Anna found a red, lace bra that left her nipples uncovered. "What do you think?" she asked, turning back and forth as she studied herself in the mirror.

"There were some matching red panties on a different aisle," Grace said. "Just a minute and I'll get them." Grace was wearing a short green gown that came down to her hips, and a matching pair of panties. She returned in moments and held the panties in front of Anna.

"Not bad," Anna said. She ran her thumb under a strap. "I like this bra. It supports me better than most of my regular ones." She pinched her nipples until they stood out. "I could poke somebody's eye out if I'm not careful."

"You'll have the boys hanging off of your tits left and right," Suzy said. She held up a white lace chemise. "What do you think?"

"Pretty conservative," Sammi said. "It's short enough, though."

Suzy wiggled into it and examined herself. "Well, it barely covers my butt, and I can't even feel it against my legs, so that's good."

"The real question is how fast you can get out of it," Grace said. "I might go for that garter belt and stockings and just forget the panties."

"You should probably wear a skirt with it," Suzy said. "Did you see one that matched?"

"On the rack next to it." Grace looked at Sammi. "What are you wearing?"

"This silver satin top and skirt," Sammi said, holding them up. "And I saw some silver sandals with a small heel that are just perfect for this."

"Do you think gals really wear clothes like this to the clubs?" Suzy asked.

"I wouldn't know," Sammi replied. "I haven't had a chance to be out that late very often." She took the clothes she wanted to the cash register. The others followed her, and a few minutes later they were walking back to the trolley station.

"I'll see you guys in a couple of hours," Sammi said. She laughed lightly. "I'd get my hair done like last week..."

"But it'd be messed up 10 minutes after you get to the party," Grace said. "Yeah, I thought of that, too, and decided not to for exactly that reason."

When she got home Sammi showered, touched up her nails, and finally dressed. The top hung down in front just barely covering her breasts. It tied loosely in back, leaving her free to wobble and move, attracting the eye. Her skirt was low on her hips and barely reached the top of her legs. In another time and place she'd have felt lost without wearing a pair of panties. Now they were the last thing she could wear with this.

Her mother knocked on the door. "What did you get?" she asked.

Sammi turned and modeled it.

Unexpectedly her mother dabbed at her eyes. "My little girl is all grown up," she whispered. "I've known this day was coming, I just didn't expect it to get here so soon."

"Sam's going, too," Sammi said.

"It's not the same thing," her mother replied. "You're my little girl." She waved her hand. "I know, you have a sister, but you're my baby." She sniffed again. "Don't worry, every mother goes through this with her daughter."

Sammi gave her mother a hug.

After a bit her mother pushed her back, holding her at arm's length. "You look... ravishing. If you don't have guys climbing all over you the minute you walk in, then there's something wrong with them."

"Think so?" Sammi gave herself another once over in the mirror. "I thought it looked all right, but I wasn't sure."

"It's perfect. Now you need to pack a few things to take with you."

"Things?"

"Dear, this party lasts most of the weekend. You'll need something practical to wear on your way home, and you'll want a hairbrush and a couple other necessities, sort of like what you take to a tennis match."

Sammi nodded. "That makes sense." She took out the overnight bag she carried to tennis tournaments and threw a few things into it. She paused, judging how much she'd packed and how much more she might need. "I guess that's it."

"You don't need much," her mother replied. She gave Sammi another hug. "I'll see you Sunday afternoon, and you can tell me all about it."

Sammi brushed out her hair, securing it with a silver clasp, and went down to the living room to wait for Rod. It was supposed to be cool outside, at least in the evening, so she took a cloak. She was holding it over her arm and pacing back and forth when Rod knocked on the door.

He was wearing a jacket, and silk pants that hid nothing when he moved. "You sure we can't just stay here?" he asked, looking at her.

She took that as a compliment, and smiled, giving him a slight curtsy. "I think we're expected."

He slipped his hand into hers and they walked down the hill to the trolley stop. She liked the look in his eyes. She felt sexy and desirable; she was turned on just thinking about the evening. Who would they meet? Would they strike up a friendship, or would it just be something casual? She knew her sister had met a couple at her graduation party that had turned in to some of her best friends.

When they walked into the hotel Sammi happened to glance down. "You're getting hard already?" she whispered into Rod's ear.

He slipped a finger between her legs. "Guys get hard, girls get wet." He licked his finger clean. "And you're no exception."

She giggled. "Well... yeah." She snuggled close under his arm as they checked in at the front desk and were directed upstairs.

A young woman met them on the second floor. "You can leave your things with me," she said. Sammi handed over her bag and cloak, and Rod gave her his jacket. The woman tagged them and put them in a cloak room. "Have fun."

The room was half-full. Couples were scattered around, talking and flirting with each other. Music played in the background, and several couples were dancing. There was a food buffet in the corner—Sammi noted the prevalence of energy drinks and protein bars—and mattresses spread out across half the room. Nobody was having sex yet, but from the intimate caresses being exchanged it wouldn't be long.

She saw Suzy and her boyfriend talking with a tall couple she didn't recognize. Grace had her arm possessively around a guy, and Anna and Sam were talking with another couple in the corner. She and Rod drifted in that direction, letting the eddies of the crowd carry them around.

They ended up chatting with a couple at the buffet. He was tall, with sun-bleached blonde hair and bronzed skin; she was almost his height, with auburn hair and flawless skin.

"We've go to school near Turbo," the boy, Vince, said. "I want to be a civil engineer, so college is in my future."

"I want to teach," Sammi replied. She ran her hands up his arm, feeling the muscles there. He obviously took care of himself, and that made her feel warm inside. "I've got two years of college here, and at least two more in Center to get my certificate and degree."

"I'll be doing pretty much the same thing."

"Civil engineer? You'll build things?"

"The authorities are planning an airport," Vince said. "But that won't happen for at least 10 years. "I want to work on that first, and then a better railroad to connect the valleys. After that, we'll see. Something will turn up."

"Sounds like you have things planned out."

He shrugged. "Only somewhat. Things may change, oh, probably not for me, I've been interested in building things for as long as I can remember. But they may decide to build the airport starting next month."

"It'll be better than going through the gate to Zero Phase to get to Center," Sammi said. "I did that last summer."

"You did? You were in Center?"

"For the Center Cup. Believe me, if you get a chance, you've got to visit Center and see the sights. We went up to the ice sheet, toured the town, and so on."

Vince's eyes glittered. "I want to see how they built a railroad next to the ice sheet. That whole land is unstable."

"I don't know how they did it," Sammi said. "It was a bumpy ride, and cold. Everyone felt like they were freezing when we were there."

"Well, of course. The ice sheet is..."

"Don't say 'made of ice'," Sammi warned. "I heard that joke when I was in Center."

Vince grinned. "And here I thought it would be a fresh joke. What about the Towers? Did you get to go up in them?"

"You can see for miles," Sammi said, nodding. "It's quite a view. I didn't have much of a chance to take the tour; I had a competition after all."

It was his turn to slide his hand along her arm. "That explains the muscles."

"You approve?"

"Oh, very much. I hate girls who let themselves get out of shape. What sport do you play?"

"Tennis."

"Oh, so you have strong legs, too."

"We can always find out."

"Tell me, are these strong?" He kissed her very gently. "Um, no, they're soft."

She let him draw her against his body. "Parts of me are soft. Parts are hard." She ran her hands over his butt. "Um, nice and tight. I like that."

"Shall we find some place a little more comfortable to continue our explorations?"