Chapter 15

Genevieve Overland was faced with a delicate problem - two delicate problems, actually. This steroid thing was worrisome, if the Carson girl was right about the potential health dangers. The Greg/Cecily relationship was really worrisome.

Greg had blindsided them all with Cecily. Genevieve had four children, and they in turn had spawned fourteen grandchildren for her. Out of the eight female grandchildren, Cecily, at fourteen, was undeniably the prize. She was pretty and surprisingly sexy for her age. In a very real sense, she and Greg stood out from the rest in looks, brains, and force of personality.

Greg seemed to have total disdain for all of his other cousins. They, in turn, seemed to spend every family gathering trying to get his attention. Their intent was probably to get some positive attention from him. When that never worked, they quickly turned mean and found every possible chance to cut him down. Not that it seemed to bother him in the least.

Cecily was always in the pack with the other girls, but seemed to observe more than participate. This in spite of her outgoing personality. That anomalous behavior now made sense to Genevieve.

Being female, Genevieve could not deny the same attraction to her grandson that every other female seemed to feel. Intelligent and well-read, she knew about alpha males, and the description unquestionably fit Greg. But that was not the only reason she worried so much about him, to the extent of paying the Carson girl ridiculous sums to try to keep him in line. She had always harbored some hope that Greg might displace his own father, Genevieve's eldest son Brandon, as head of the family before she died.

Brandon had been a wild teenager, too, but there was a difference. Greg was not just wild. He seemed to be purposely self-destructive. Except for grades and sports, he showed no regard for anything: health, the law, or any other person. Actually, the grades and the sports success came so easily and naturally that little effort was required on Greg's part.

Greg had an enormous ego, perhaps the biggest Genevieve had ever encountered. That ego spawned a fiery competitive streak that manifested itself in every part of his life. The sad thing was that he never seemed to do anything just for enjoyment or relaxation. Grades, football, sex, drinking, interpersonal relationships - those were some of the areas he seemed driven to dominate.

For all of his intelligence, Greg was still dangerously immature. When he wanted something, he seemed unable to apply any caution or rationality. Largely because of his privileged upbringing, very few restraints had ever been placed on him, and he had developed none of his own. If he wanted it, he tried to get it or to do it. It was as simple as that. In a very real sense, he was nothing but a big, handsome, intelligent, athletic, personable, spoiled child.

Genevieve's hopes for Greg's eventual management of the family fortune were definitely in jeopardy. She didn't care if he ever turned out to be a nice guy: that was not essential to doing a good job for the family. Her concerns were more basic than that: ruined health and running afoul of the law.

Despite her initial outrage and after some contemplation, Genevieve decided to pretend that she did not know about Greg and Cecily. Although she would never admit it, the idea of an in-family marriage for Greg had some appeal. Greg's mother Penelope, an outsider, had been an excellent mate for Brandon. Still, Penelope did not have the same outlook for the family as 'real' family would have.

The steroids were another matter. Genevieve had people who could find out everything about that situation. If they were as dangerous as the Carson girl had inferred, Genevieve would put a stop to the problem. There was still hope that Greg would straighten out, and he needed to be healthy. She wondered if the girl had been right about all of his sexual activity, and she hoped he was taking precautions.

Genevieve had to defer her confrontation with Greg about the steroids. The night she planned to address it, Greg came home in a thunderous mood. The selections for the basketball team had been made and he had not made the varsity.

Penelope was quite well tuned in to her children's moods, and she was home when Greg arrived. She followed him right to his room, somewhere she seldom went, and sat in a side chair waiting for him to tell her the problem.

Greg's instinct was to tell everyone just to leave him alone. However, he was aware of the impact he had on his mother, and he sensed how far she would go on his behalf. He was canny enough to protect and nurture the hold he had on her.

"What happened, Greg? I haven't seen you this upset in a long time."

"The coach left me off the basketball varsity! Chad, too!"

"How can that be?" Penelope demanded. "You're the best athlete in the school!"

"Damn right! And..."

"Greg!" Penelope was death on 'coarse' language.

"... that funckin' kicker made it! What the hell is the coach thinking?"

Penelope decided that it was not a good time to make an issue of the language. Besides, she was genuinely puzzled as to how her son could be left off of the team. "You mean the Banner boy? He hardly seems like a basketball player."

"Yeah, well, he's good at brown-nosin' coaches."

"Well, I'll bet I can do something about this," she said with a comforting pat on his cheek.

Greg had been so consumed by anger that he had not yet considered seeking his parents' help to get on the team. Well, his mother's help, actually. She was the one who seemed able to pull strings and make things happen - she and his grandmother. But this was perfect!

Except for his inexplicable attraction to Cheryl, Greg did not really have feelings for people. He was, however, adept at manipulating them, and his mother was an easy mark. She was going to bat for him and she should be rewarded. When her hand touched his face, he pulled her into a hug, feeling a tremor run through her as he purposely pressed her full length against himself.

Penelope could not see Greg smile at the certainty that he could bring his mother into his 'harem' any time that he wanted to. He was a long way from needing that, however. There was far too much prime young pussy out there unexplored, yet. Sure, it might be fun to break through that regal demeanor of hers, but not yet.

Genevieve saw Greg come home in a rage and she saw Penelope head for Greg's quarters. Genevieve had wondered for some time if that mother/son relationship was taking an unhealthy turn, but there was no evidence of anything but Penelope's adoration of her son.

The steroid thing could be solved without direct confrontation with Greg, Genevieve reasoned. Her people could cut off the source - all sources.

Principal Jameson was perspiring when the basketball coach entered her office in response to her call. The air conditioning was working perfectly, but she would probably have been sweating naked in Antarctica right then.

She had only had her job for three years and she loved it. It was exactly what she had dreamed of when she got her degree. Not only did she feel good about her performance, she received plenty of encouragement from those over her and those she served. Of course, replacing the unlamented Lester Schantz [see 'Redemption'] made it easy for her to look good.

Now, it could all come apart. Her lesbian affair had ended six years before, in a different state. She was alone, now, but that might not matter. In many parts of the country she might have been praised for her courage, but not here, not yet. Even the fact that she was now dating a man quite seriously might not help. In fact, she could very well lose him over the disclosure. Damn them!

And the whole brouhaha was not about anything she had done, that's what made it so frustrating. The coach was a real winner, a good teacher, and a gentleman. Their relationship was excellent, and that made this meeting even worse.

After somewhat tense greetings, the principal dove in. "Coach, you know I have never interfered in team matters before, but could I ask you about a couple of your selections?"

All good coaches read people well, and he was no exception. Of course, after the shit that he had been through personally the last few days, he did not have to guess what was going on with the principal. He liked her and he felt sorry for her. This should not be her problem, but there must be some indiscretion they had found.

"As you can probably guess, I have been through this already. I know what you are going to ask. Let me lay it out for you."

"Cal Banner is one of the best shooters I have ever seen on a high school team. He is also a very disciplined player with good court awareness. He is not that fast, and he does not jump too well, but he always seems to be in the right position. When he is on the floor, he makes his teammates better."

"I see. I don't know much about him myself," the principal added, "except that he had some impressive kicks in football games."

"I would guess that the real question is about Greg Overland, right? And Chad Clark, too, I suppose. Well, Greg is big, strong, and a fast runner. However, he does not fit in the style we play. At 6'3", he is marginally big enough to play center, but he has lousy footwork, poor hands, and he is not a good leaper. He can't shoot, pass, or dribble well enough to play outside. On top of that, his arrogance would be destructive to a team that right now has great chemistry."

When the principal just sat looking glum, the coach asked "Is it serious enough to cause you real trouble?"

Startled, the principal asked "What?"

"I'm guessing that they found something in your past that you would rather keep secret - something that would at least be embarrassing," the coach told her. Reading her expression, he sighed and continued. "Look, I've enjoyed working for you, and I would hate to see you lose your job over something that's not your fault. But I could not live with myself if I made my team decisions because of outside pressure. I'm sorry, but I won't do it. If it is that serious, you will have to fire me."

She was able to laugh at that. "Sure, and what could I come up with as 'cause'? Three State trips in six years?" Running out of sarcasm, she seemed to collapse into her chair. "I really should not even have called you in here. I can't give in to them, and neither can you. I don't know how much it will hurt me. It may cost me a promising relationship, and maybe even my job. But that is my own doing, not yours. We'll just gut it out and see what happens."

The fact that they did not even discuss Chad Clark's omission from the team had more to do with less pressure from his parents than with his relative suitability to the team.

The effect of the team selection on Greg's attitude toward Cal was predictable. Hatred that was already strong became pathological. Cal had never understood what had started the bad blood in the first place, but it probably centered around Rebecca. Neither she nor Tessa had ever showed the slightest attraction to Greg. That was something Greg could neither understand nor tolerate.

The urge to catch the big asshole off campus and give him a thrashing was almost too strong for Cal sometimes. The discipline instilled by his years of training was a major restraint, though. Fear of making things harder for Cheryl was another.

Cheryl actually made things a little harder for herself. By agreement between them, she did not interact with Cal at all in school. Though they both attended the school dances, they never danced together again. But she did see quite a bit of Rebecca and Tessa at school. They had several of the same classes, and except for the two that Greg was also in, they behaved as long-time good friends.

The support of her friends was critical to Cheryl's emotional survival. She had made a bargain with the devil. To her, the reward was worth it, but it was often agonizing along the way. Except for Rebecca and Tessa, and Cal in secret, she had no close friends.

The circle of girls that hung around Greg and his buddies would have nothing to do with her. She was an outsider that had snared a prize that should have belonged to one of them. In a way, that made Cheryl even more appealing to Greg. He was so arrogant that he did not consider anyone worthy of him, with Cheryl the only possible exception. And he really kept her around because... well, he could never have put the attraction into words, but it was very strong.

Besides the strong basic attraction to Cheryl, the fact that she was not accepted by his family or by his social group was a plus to Greg. To himself, he scorned both groups, and her outcast status bound them closer in his screwed-up mind.

When football season ended and Greg failed to make the basketball team, Cheryl's 'job' got even harder. He seemed determined to destroy himself, and she felt more and more like a nursemaid or a jailer. Somewhere along the way, someone must have gotten him off of the steroids. From her research, she knew about the emotional effects of withdrawal. As if she needed anything more to make him unmanageable.

But manage him she somehow did. She kept him out of jail, out of the hospital, and away from suspension at school. The big mystery to Cheryl and her friends was why he let her do it. She told them everything. She had to or she would have gone crazy.

One reason Cheryl believed Greg was off of steroids was his sexual performance. He was still a selfish, inept pig, but his arousal level and his endurance had increased quite a bit. There was never a question of him getting her off with intercourse, but at least he was lasting long enough so that she could fake it convincingly. Manual or oral stimulation of her was something she had suggested a few times, to complete scorn from him.

As his libido increased, Greg's demands for sex became more frequent. She knew that he was still finding it other places, but she also knew that those places were potential sources of trouble where she had no control. Keeping him out of trouble was important to her because the money was important because the M.D. was all-important. Cheryl joked to her friends that she was now giving Greg so much sex that she probably made less per session than a high-class call girl. Neither Rebecca nor Tessa could work up a laugh over that.

Her first few times with Greg, Cheryl had been so keyed up and angry when he rolled over and went to sleep that she brought herself off as he snored. Later, she came to feel that orgasms were too beautiful and too precious to be sullied by his presence.

That left Cal. If her relationship with Greg was strange, the one with Cal was hardly normal, either. But it did have one thing that she desperately needed: there was genuine care and respect for each other. Both scrupulously avoided the 'L' word, but any observer would have been hard to convince otherwise.

Cal was grateful for the sexual outlet and the privilege of enjoying her delightful body. Any man is drawn to a sexy woman who desires him openly, and Cheryl was eager to express her desire for Cal. She in turn craved the tenderness, the intimacy, and the respect that was so lacking at her home and with Greg and his crowd. She needed the great, considerate sex, too, but that was actually secondary.

They had found a fairly regular time to get together. Cheryl had laid down the law at home that she was through with church for good. The Banners and the Walts had never been involved. Martin and Elaine usually went to a long brunch at the club with friends on Sunday mornings.

Cheryl's refusal to go to church left her without transportation, but she was content to ride her bike, and sometimes Rebecca, Tessa, or Bobby would do taxi duty. Occasionally, Cal would come to her house, particularly when his parents did not go out.

Because Rebecca was jealous of every possible moment she could be with Bobby, she asked Cheryl to tell Bobby what was going on. He was often around on Sunday mornings, as well, and Cheryl's presence could not be kept from him.

As it had been for some time, the relationship between Cal and Tessa continued to be baffling to everyone who knew them. They were close, close friends, about as close as a boy and a girl could be. The strangest thing of all was that Tessa showed no jealousy toward Cheryl.

One night, coming back from a shoot at a home, Cal just blurted it out. "Tessa, I know you are one in a million, but I don't understand how you can be so cool about Cheryl. As far as I know you haven't dated anyone but me. We don't do any more than some hugging and kissing. Yet, it doesn't seem to upset you when Cheryl and I are together."

"I don't know, Cal. Sometimes I puzzle myself. Look, I love you. You know that. But I don't own you, and you don't own me. I don't have any right to be upset about Cheryl."

That didn't really answer anything for Cal, so he remained silent.

"Cal, if I said I wanted us to go steady, would you drop Cheryl and do it?"

He just had to go and open his big mouth, didn't he. Talk about unexpected questions. "Um, it would be pretty rough on Cheryl, but yes, I would."

OK. He could score once in a while. She looked dumbstruck. Then, she shook her head and gripped the steering wheel more tightly. "Damn! You weren't supposed to say that. What you're saying is that whatever we have between us is up to me, right?"

"Tessa, it's always up to the woman. That wouldn't make headlines in the 'Fanfare'." Tessa was on the staff of the school paper, and was in reality the de facto editor and publisher. Thus the newspaper reference.

"Does... does that mean you would like us to be closer?"

"I don't think we could be much closer, do you?" he asked. "Except physically, that is."

"Like I said before. Sometimes I can't figure myself out. You know Mom. I think I'm as horny as she is, but it's like I have so many other things that are important. I can't say that I have fallen as madly in love as Mom did. Maybe that will happen. I'm sorry that it hasn't happened with you, but..."

"Hey, no 'sorrys' allowed, OK? I guess I shouldn't be asking such personal questions." The rest of the trip home was silent.

Cal thought about her 'madly in love' statement. It had not happened for him, either, to be truthful. Not with Ismi, not with Tessa, not with Cheryl, and not even with Teri. In fact, he was not sure he could even grasp the concept of that kind of love. Of course, watching Rebecca and Bobby was a pretty good object lesson.

He could honestly say that he loved all of them. He was willing to risk anything to protect them. Yet, if any of them found someone else, he would not be destroyed. It had happened with Teri, and he was OK. He had to admit to a little concern that he was missing out on something.

If he was missing something, he certainly could not complain about what he had. With a friend like Tessa and a sometime lover like Cheryl..."

Around mid-summer, Elaine had finally acted on Cal's advice about getting Rebecca on the pill. Taking another day off from work, Elaine had scheduled a full day of shopping, primping, and dining out. As they sat at supper, she broached the big subject.

"Rebecca, Honey, do you sense how much our relationship is changing?"

"How do you mean, Mom?"

"Well, a mother has a lot of responsibilities with a child, but a lot of them aren't needed any more with you."

"Like what, Mom?"

"Discipline, for one. How long has it been since I've even had to scold you or correct you about anything?"

"Well, that's good, isn't it?"

"It's wonderful, Honey. When I brag about you, my friends just do not believe it. Another thing a mother needs to do is help her daughter find good relationships. You've always had wonderful friends. Now, you've got a great guy and it looks like it's the real thing."

"Geez, Mom! We've only been going out for six months or so!"

"Yeah, but I've got eyes."

"Do... do you really think he's a great guy? I mean, he's different than we are in some ways, and..."

"Honey, he loves you to death and treats you wonderfully. He's bright, he's respectful, and I think he has a great future."

Rebecca blushed and grinned at the same time. It was as if a major worry had been lifted from her. "You've never said much about him before. Why now?"

It was Elaine's blush as she tried to find the right words, but Rebecca interrupted. "I know. Cal, right?"

"He thinks a lot of your boyfriend, you know," Elaine said.

"Yeah, they get along really well," Rebecca agreed.

"And you know he is really particular when it comes to his sister, don't you?" That made them giggle together.

"Anyway, what I started out to say is that our relationship is already changing, and I want to make sure we don't lose anything. It has been so great to get closer to you!" Elaine had to pause as her eyes filled a little.

"It's been great for me too, Mom. You know, Tessa and Teri always had that, and I'm so glad we've found it."

"You probably know that we never went near Pete's room without asking. Well, I want you to know that the upstairs belongs to you and Cal. We will not question or interfere with who you want to have up there or what you want to do."

"Wow! That's awesome, Mom!"

"To be sure I can sleep well with that, there is one important thing we need to take care of," Elaine told her.

"Yeah. The Pill. You probably know that we haven't done it yet. We're not really in a hurry, either. You mean it won't bother you if we do?"

"Of course it will, at least a little. But you've earned the right to decide when it happens. I'd much rather you have your first time in your own bed than in the back seat of a car."

"And Dad's all right with this?"

"He's fine with giving you the upstairs. All fathers believe in immaculate conception for their daughters' children, and I probably can't change that. But he's a realist and he loves you so much it hurts."

That was too much for Rebecca and she came around the table to sit by her mother and give her a hug. "I love you Mom. I promise I won't do anything to make you sorry."

"Oh, just a few details. The upstairs vacuum is in..." Grinning from ear to ear, Elaine recited the location of all the housekeeping essentials, emphasizing the responsibility side of the new privileges.

Dramatizing it to the hilt, Rebecca stood in a huff and pranced back to her side of the table. "Spoilsport!" she complained as she sat down. "I suppose there will even be inspections."

Elaine vowed that she would take more days off to be with her daughter. The time was priceless, and she could already see it slipping away.

With the new upstairs policy in effect since mid-summer, the comings and goings of the group of friends became even less structured. The rear outside garage door was fitted with a keypad lock, and Tessa and Bobby already had the combination. They also knew the hiding place of a key from the garage into the house. After some discussion, Cheryl was given the same privilege.

The garage entrance to the house opened into the central front hall, right next to the stairs to the second floor. Thus, the teens could come and go with little chance of disturbing Martin and Elaine.

It became a little joke routine between brother and sister to do an 'occupancy check' when one of them came home. Rebecca and Tessa had always split time between their two homes, and each had two queen beds in their room to accommodate the other.

It was about the first of December on a Saturday night, and Tessa was staying over. Rebecca had been out on a date and would be arriving late, but Tessa came over anyway. She and Cal sat in the downstairs rec room and watched a movie, cuddling and kissing occasionally. At such times, Cal sometimes wondered if that's what married life would be like.

Anticipating his early workout, Cal gave up after the movie ended at eleven, and Tessa walked upstairs with him, hand in hand. On the bedroom level, she gave him a quick kiss and headed toward Rebecca's room.

Cal was feeling very upbeat as he stepped into the shower. The first basketball game had been the night before. He was in a backup role, but he had gotten in for over a quarter of the game in total and had hit three of four three pointers. He had also fed Dante Roberts, the big center, twice for easy lay-ups. It had been sheer fun. And Cheryl would be over in the morning!

Just as he was thinking of Cheryl, her mental image was replaced by a very live, very naked Tessa stepping into the shower with him. "I've always thought showering together was the sexiest thing," she explained. "I need my turn."

Cal barely had time for a quick look at her previously unseen parts when she took his already-expanding penis in both hands. "... and I'm tired of this showing up only in my fantasies," she told him.

Cal thought he wanted to say something, but before he could frame an appropriate comment, she was drawing too much blood to parts other than his brain. Tessa may have been totally inexperienced, but timid she would never be. Her hands told him that she loved the feel of his straining maleness and just the impact of the new situation brought him to the brink in record time.

When he blasted his load all over her belly, she was moaning as if she had been the one to come. "Damn, that's cool!" Not bothering to rinse off, she plastered herself against him, aggravating his already unsteady balance as he tried to regain his breath and strength. "When I get through with you, you'll have nothing but mouth and fingers left for Cheryl in the morning."

How typically Tessa. Her first time naked with any guy and her first time giving a hand job. But not a shred of shyness, nervousness, or timidity. Only eagerness, wonder, and a sense of fun. God, how he loved her!

She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss, then said "Speaking of your mouth. Let's get out of here so you can use it on me, OK?" Then, with just a little less bravado "Uh, remember Cal - everything but, OK?" She took his continued silence as affirmation and began washing him.

By the time she finished washing him, he had recovered enough to return the favor, and it was just as much fun for him. Tessa, even more than her mother, was made to go naked. She was voluptuous and she looked sexy in most clothes. But naked, she just looked... right. And edible. And fuckable - no, he couldn't think that. She wanted to retain her virginity, and he would honor that.

When he washed her breasts, he hardened again. They were phenomenal. Ever since the boob shot, he had fantasized about them, but the reality was so much more than he expected. His experience with breasts amounted to two women - two very different women. Cheryl's were smaller, firm, and perky, with extremely sensitive nipples. Teri's were large and very full, as were Tessa's. Though not as large as her mother's, Tessa's seemed more 'packed', and they were incredibly firm. The feeling was unbelievable!

"You like 'em?" she asked through erratic breathing as he teased her large nipples. "They make up for some of the fat?"

Through the sheer pleasure of what he was doing, Cal managed to remember that Tessa was not confident about everything. She had her own need for reassurance. "Nothin' to make up for," he said. He purposely dropped his hands to her waist and rubbed and squeezed all over her middle. The fact that he replaced his fingers with his lips on one nipple made her forget about objecting to his playing with one of her least favorite places.

That was a trick he had learned with Teri. When he and Teri first made love, she was still heavier than she wanted to be. She hated her belly and the roll around her middle. After feeling her shrink from his touch on the 'wrong' spots a few times, he went to the direct attack. He spent a lot of time stroking, squeezing and playing with the places she disliked. It showed her that he loved all of her, and before long she would purr at his touch anywhere. It would take a while for Tessa to get over some reluctance, but he had a feeling this would not be his only chance.

Eventually, they got out of the shower and dried off. Turning playful, she insisted on leading him to his room naked. As luck would have it, Rebecca came up the stairs just as they came into the hall. He was actually behind Tessa at the moment, so his sister never got a look at his penis. She did stand there and scope out his bare butt as he went into his room. Tessa almost tossed him through the door, then went back out into the hall and fell into a giggling fit with his sister.

"Are you... are you really... ?" Rebecca stammered out when she had enough breath.

"I'm staying a virgin."

"But..."

"Our rule is 'everything but', Tessa explained. "Will you be upset if I sleep with him tonight."

"Of course not. If Cheryl can, why should I object to you?"

"Thanks." Tessa looked down at herself, blushed a little, then shrugged. The two had never been casually naked with each other.

"I've gotta figure out a way to get Bobby for a night. We could use that 'everything but' rule, too."