Chapter 3

Brittany stepped slowly as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. Lynette was smiling nervously and taking a couple of steps backward. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the tall form of Mark, but a third person stood between them, and clearly had control of what was going on.

It was Shirlene.

She stood there, facing Lynette, wearing a tight pair of blue jeans and a silver sleeveless top. Her impressive body looked cocked and loaded, ready for battle, and her dark finger, stabbing the air towards the retreating Lynnette, finished out the image of someone in total control.

"You want him, girl," Shirlene said, narrowing her dark eyes on the brunette, "you gonna have to go through me! So come get it. You ready? Huh?"

Lynette looked Shirlene up and down quickly, and shook her head. "Hey, I don't want any trouble... I didn't know you two were... forget it. I'm outta here."

"Yeah," Shirlene nodded triumphantly, both hands on her perfect hips. "That's right."

Brittany stepped forward slowly, trying to take in the shocking exchange. Her mind whirled. What was going on? Was Shirlene going after Mark? That's the only thing it could be, she thought in panic.

Shirlene turned and faced Mark, and prodded him with a finger to his chest. "And you, big man, I sure 'nuff didn't see you put up a big fight when that bitch was after your ass."

Mark opened his mouth to speak to the black girl he had never met, but stopped short when he saw Brittany approaching.

"Mark—what's going on?" Brittany said, looking from him to Shirlene.

"I... don't know," he said with a confused smile.

Shirlene smirked at Brittany and walked off briskly. Brittany ran after her and caught up with her when they were both out of earshot of the bewildered basketball star, who just stared after them.

"Shirlene... please... don't take Mark away from me." Brittany froze with fear at her words. She hadn't expected to come from her own mouth. Shirlene stopped walking and turned to her. Brittany tensed, wondering if Shirlene would give her a beating in front of Mark, and she found herself stepping backward slowly.

"Write down your address, Brit."

The blonde cheerleader hurriedly fished into her purse and jotted down her apartment's address and handed it over.

"Your place, tomorrow night, at seven o'clock," Shirlene said. "I know your schedule, so I know you're free."

Brittany swallowed and nodded, feeling surrounded by the numbing power Shirlene had over her.

Shirlene walked away, and Brittany looked at her, then over at Mark. Shirlene's words to mark rang in her ears: "I sure 'nuff didn't see you put up a big fight when that bitch was after your ass."

She looked back at Shirlene, whose strong, curvaceous body disappeared between two buildings. She swallowed hard, thinking of the two times now that she had succumbed to the black girl's physical superiority, and had gone down on her. She became suddenly lightheaded at the memory of Shirlene's scent, the tang of her plentiful fluids...

"Brittany... Brittany!" Mark had a gentle grip on her forearm. "What the hell is going on?"

She turned to him and shook his arm free. "Maybe I should be asking you," Brittany. "I mean, shit, Mark--are you deciding between Lynette and her?"

"Brittany—"

"Do I come in anywhere here??"

"Brittany, who is that black chick? I don't even know her."

Brittany stared at him and swallowed hard. My god, if he only knew what had gone on in the last week. "Who did she tell you she was, Mark?"

"She didn't. I mean, she just showed up when Lynette was talking to me, and just told Lynette to get lost."

"That must have broken your heart."

"Hey, Brittany, I was only talking to her. I have no interest--"

"I saw you two talking before the game. Did you have to kiss her??"

"She kissed me... I mean, come on, Brittany, what was I supposed to do, push her away? Look let's go have a beer and celebrate the win and talk about--"

"No. I don't feel like it right now. We'll talk later." She turned to leave.

"You still haven't told me who the black girl is, Brittany."

Brittany turned around, her mind racing for an explanation. "I helped her with some homework. She said she was grateful. I guess that was her way of repaying me."

Mark nodded. He buys that, she thought.

"I'll see you later Mark."

Brittany paced her bedroom for a minute or two, and then went and sat on the sofa. Shirlene was to be there in five minutes. She had no idea what was going to happen. It was as if her perfect life now had a leash on it, and she had no idea when the leash would be tugged, or how hard. She picked at one of the tiny naps of her terrycloth outfit, thinking about her unreturned messages. Giselle had called with one of those, "are we still friends? Where the hell have you been lately?" That would be taken care of easily enough.

April had left two messages, telling her to call, but she didn't know how to tell her the answer sheet was in someone else's hands, and she didn't know how to ask for another one. That was another battle she had to face. Mark had called three times, and she had not answered those either. She didn't want to hear what he had to say until she heard it from Shirlene first.

When the knock came on the door, she felt a sudden flush of her skin. She opened the door and there was Shirlene, in a denim miniskirt and a tank top. Her wavy hair slinked over one eye, and she had those high heeled sandals on again.

Without asking, she walked in, and Brittany just stood there, her hands clasped together in front of her.

"What did you tell Mark about me?" Shirlene asked, walking around the apartment and taking it in.

"I—I just said you were a friend I was helping with term paper or something, and that you must have seen that as a way to repay me."

Shirlene nodded. "Pretty smart." She walked over to a shelf where Brittany had a display of awards: 1^st Runner Up in the Junior Miss Florida Pageant, Homecoming Queen at Pinewood High, Most Likely to Succeed award, and a host of others, including Captain of the Cheerleading Squad at Pinewood.

"My my my... lookit this shit..." Shirlene said as Brittany stood quietly.

The black girl walked slowly back over to Brittany, and lifted her chin with her finger. "I guess you don't understand the way it works, Brit baby."

Brittany looked into Shirlene's eyes, saying nothing. The girl stood so close, their breasts were touching, and Brittany could feel her warm exhalations on her face. For the first time, Brittany could see a certain beauty in those dark eyes. Shirlene had a dark, almost dangerous attractiveness to her, and as an attractive young girl herself, Brittany could appreciate it.

"What you lookin' at?" Shirlene asked, frowning. She had sensed that Brittany was looking at her a little differently this time.

Brittany swallowed, then shrugged. "You've... got pretty eyes."

Shirlene stared at her, expressionless except for the burning desire she had for the shapely white girl's body and mouth.

"You think so, huh?"

Brittany nodded.

Shirlen stepped ever so slowly, backing Brittany up until her back touched the wall. Shirlene tugged downward on the white beauty queen's top.

"Take this off."

Brittany looked at her for a moment. "Can we talk, just for a mo—"

"We gonna talk. I said to take this off."

Brittany nodded, and pulled her top off. She stood there, almost lips to lips with her dark skinned ruler.

"Take all the rest off too."

Brittany slid out of her shorts and panties, and stood there, naked. Shirlene surveyed the creamy body up and down and smiled, and ran her hands over the two mounds, letting Brittany's nipples lodge gently in the webs of her fingers.

"Brit baby, do is it look to you like I dig boys?"

Brittany didn't know what to do. Being naked and almost pinned to the wall by this girl, having her breasts caressed like that was starting to make her knees weak and her mouth dry.

"I... I don't know Shirlene..."

The black girl chuckled softly, then sank her mouth into Brittany's neck, just under her ear. Brittany inhaled sharply, and then, as Shirlene's hand slid down to her pussy, massaging slowly up and down, she let out a tiny moan.

Shirlene kissed the baby-soft flesh under the white girl's ear and let her finger slip in the fissure of Brittany's pussy.

"Now, I remember when we were kissin' in the bathroom, you seemed to like it just a bit."

Brittany could not deny it. At first, the pychological shock of being kissed by another girl had paralyzed her. Not until she returned the kiss did she start to appreciate the fullness and softness of Shirlene's lips. The kiss had been forceful, but deep, sensuous, and... she hated to admit it, better than Mark's.