Chapter 2

I knocked.

"Come in."

"Can we talk?"

"Uh, okay."

I stepped into Traci's room and closed the door behind me.

"I'm not going to say anything, if that's what you're worried about."

"Trace, believe it or not. I wasn't worried. Last year, maybe. But not now."

"Oh."

"I just wondered if we needed to talk."

"Oh." She had my way with words.

"I mean you're a third grader now, you're growing up."

"I am not," she snapped. "I'm a seventh grader."

I grinned.

"Oh. Damn you."

I grinned again.

"Do you and Tami... ?"

"Tell you what. One time only deal. Ask whatever you want. No matter what, I won't get mad. I may not answer, but I won't get mad. One condition."

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

"If you ever get confused about anything, you'll ask me."

"Like what?"

"You'll know it when you see it."

Traci blushed, knowing I was talking about her sex life. Or hopefully, her future sex life.

"Do you and Tami... ? I mean, how often... ?"

"Traci, if this is going to work, you have to be able to talk." Traci blushed again and nodded. "How often do Tami and I..." I debated being make love and fuck, not sure Traci would appreciate the difference yet. "Fuck?"

She nodded, turning even redder.

"It depends a lot on the outside world. Some days, we do it three or four times a day. Sometimes it's a week or more in between. It depends on whether her mom's home, or our parents, or you." Traci looked down at her feet. I decided not to mention that sometimes we got around the parent thing by doing it in the woods. I didn't want to give her ideas.

"Do you... ? I... ? Was she, uh, your first?"

"Yes. And I really hope she's my last too."

"Your last?"

"I love Tami, and I hope I marry her someday and live happily ever after, just like in a fairy tale."

I kinda expected her to make some smart remark. "You will. Uh, when?"

"The first time? Just after we made up that first summer."

"Do you, uh, wear a rubber?"

"No." Traci's eyes got big. "But, and it's a big but, that's because Tami has other birth control.

"Oh."

"Anything else?"

"Uh, what sort of things do you do?"

This time I blushed. "We're not going there."

Traci giggled.

"And no thinking about it."

Traci giggled again.

"Is that it?"

"Did she, uh, and Peter King... ?"

I had to think about that one for a minute. "That's not my question to answer," I said finally.

Traci nodded. I think she understood.

"What about Mikee?"

"What about her?"

"She didn't seem very surprised."