Chapter 6

Tuesday

Marissa

Oh, God! That was amazing. How can someone that big be so gentle? It was like having sparks trailed across my skin when he took my blouse off — I just wanted to grab his hands and press them into me. I was trembling by the time he picked me up and put me on the bike to undo my shoes — I think that was the really erotic part, strangely. Until then it had been all on the surface, sensations on my skin, and a yearning in my head, but nothing in between, but when he was knelt there, on the floor, easing my shoes off there was something in the way he stared up at me that just started me burning down there. He must have known when he reached up my skirt to pull my tights down — which was awkward, because I had to shuffle on the seat — but after the skirt came off I was stood there, in the late March cold in just my bra and pants, and he wanted me. I don't think I've ever been so turned on as I was then.

Issy saw it, I know she did, you could tell from the smile, but I don't think the others knew. I'm not even sure Alban knew, to be honest, the way he was acting, but it was in his eyes even if it wasn't in his head.

He turned me round, slightly bending me over the bike to get at the catch on my bra — I quivered, I really did, him stood there behind me, pressing up against me, fiddling... I had to get those images out of my head.

"You know, guys," Kirsten muttered, "if you're doing this for Andrew's benefit, he's long gone." Damn! Shut up, Kirsten! Let him finish!

"That's... that's true." He muttered.

And he moved away! Argh! What the hell was I going to do now, I knew I was wet — Oh shit! That was going to show. I stripped them off myself, quick as I

could, and stuffed them into my bag with the rest my clothes, hoping no-one would notice.

"Come on," Alban managed, clearing his throat, "let's go make sure Kelly and Connor are OK." The crowd had begun dispersing when Andrew left, but that got the rest of them moving, and I just followed Alban, really, dazed a little.

"Do you... do you smell something?" Issy whispered in my ear, wrinkling her nose a little with a knowing smile. "I've smelt that somewhere before..."

"It was the bike!" I lied, flushing. "It... you know... shook."

"Vibrated." She nodded, knowingly, not fooled for a second.

"That was quite a show." Pete cut in, stepping between us, throwing Issy a look.

"It was?" I could the flush growing — it's hard enough being embarrassed when just your face is showing, but when he can feel the heat flowing down past your breasts... and meeting with the heat already rising from down there... it didn't seem to matter much that it was March, right then.

"Oh yeah." Issy confirmed. "I mean, just imagine what it might be like if you two actually liked each other." Oh god, she knew... and then again she didn't. What could I say, right then? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Damn I hate having secrets. All I could do was shrug and look like an idiot, and that just confirmed everything she suspected.

Thankfully, Alban sets a good pace, and that was when we came in sight of Connor and Kelly, and Kelly's underwear. I couldn't have worn it, that's for sure.

Neither could Issy, for all her brashness. It was the sort of thing that really needed Kelly's figure, not to hold it up, but to make it work. And it worked for her, Evan's eyes nearly came out of his head, and Connor looked dumbstruck.

"Kelly Moore, looking fine!" Issy yelled, which caught some attention from a few places around the gardens, but not much. They chatted for a while, I just waited at the back trying to calm down.

"You alright?" I spun around, straight into Alban's stare.

"I'm... I'm fine. Thanks... for... thanks." Not my most coherent speech ever, I confess.

"We should get to Tutor." He pointed out, raising his voice to the others as well, and we started walking.

"So..." Issy asked, with an exaggerated innocence, "who's going to be asking for relief in Tutor?"

"Oh god no!" I blurted, which got a laugh.

"I might." Kelly admitted. "I mean, sure, the whole year group's going to be staring, but there was an audience yesterday, and that was great still."

"You go girl." Issy smiled — she was really into this, I could tell.

"Are you going to be so enthusiastic when it's your turn?" I asked her.

"Hell yeah."

"You signed up?" Kirsten seemed incredulous.

"Didn't you?"

"No!"

"You're going to be upset then... mum and dad signed us all up."

"Oh shit!" Pete muttered, from somewhere behind us, and that sort of put a dampener on things.

"What about you, Connor?" Issy dragged the mood back up. "You going to ask for some relief? I'll put my hand up, I guarantee you won't be left with no-one to choose from."

"What if no-one puts their hand up for me?" Kelly suddenly realised, stopping. Connor, of all people, grabbed her arm.

"I'll do it." He assured her. Alban looked stunned.

"I wouldn't leave you in the lurch, either." Evan told her.

"Wow... I could go for a double header!" Issy was really beginning to worry me now. "Connor and Kelly, one with each hand..."

Alban

I don't know what's gotten into Connor, I really don't. He's usually quiet, reserved, calm... since they put him on the Programme though... Feeling Kelly up outside the library? Volunteering for... that. Evan, sure, he's been around the block, he knows how to look after himself, but this was all too much too soon for Connor.

Well, at least he had friends around to keep an eye on him.

Tutorial, first thing Tuesday morning, is a strange time. It's not a lesson, exactly, more a sort of informal check up, where messages are passed out, people check up on progress of various things. It's horrible, it's like a lot of little private conversations about your life all being held up to public scrutiny. On the other hand, the messages and enquiries usually take about ten minutes, and the schedule gives us forty minutes, so everyone gets the chance to have a chat and catch up with people they don't often see during the school week.

The ultimate downside, though, is our host: Dr Adams.

"Good morning, everyone." He smarmed as we got in through the door, and directed us to our seats. We're seventeen and eighteen year olds, and this dick-head's still telling us where to sit. 'Breaks up the cliques and forces us to interact with new people' he says. If I wanted to talk to these people, I would — there's a reason I avoid them. Like Connor says — he's a knob-end.

"So, seeing as we have some Programme participants with us today, we can utilise a little more of the lesson that we usually do — does anyone wish to take up the offer of relief?"

"Yeah." Kelly waved her stick from near the front, hopping up to her feet eagerly, and Connor rather more hesitantly followed.

"Marissa?" he turned, spotting her in the middle of the cluster of Andrew McBride's clique — some cliques didn't get broken up, but at least she had Pete nearby if she needed it.

"No, thank you." She told him. Good for her.

"Are you sure? You should take ad..."

"No! Thank! You!" This time there was steel in her voice, and the glare she gave him could have stripped paint. I didn't get it, really — she could be forceful like that, when she needed to. She wasn't a complete wallflower, she had her head screwed on. She knew what she wanted, and she was quite capable of making sure she got it — except where McBride was involved, where she just seemed to shrink in on herself.

"Mr Darch, were you thinking of paying attention today?" Dr Adam's voice caught my attention and I looked up. "She's a very attractive young woman, but part of getting comfortable with nudity is knowing when not to stare." Hellfire!

"Sorry." I managed. Damn it was hard to be civil to him.

"I asked if you wanted relief?"

"I'm not on the Programme."

"I can assure you that you are... you aren't doing particularly well, just yet, but you are on it." Like I want to do well at this? Well... yeah, I mean, I'd like to do reasonably well at everything, you know. I like a challenge, I like to see how far I can push myself, make myself better, that sort of thing. I don't like failing, no-one likes failing, but he was just trying to push buttons now.