Rock Fall
Copyright© 2015 by Gina Marie Wylie
Chapter 4: The Bishop Move
Days passed; they talked, they prepared. A week later Amy was the last living off the ranch and Amy’s parents were the last to give in and even dropped their objections to her emancipation.
They had a dinner that night that the girls cooked, showing, Chris thought, that they could be as domestic as any other women. The conversation was light, and by unspoken consensus, current events were off the menu.
Even the after dinner conversation stayed away from the subject — mostly. Amy was frank. “You should know, Chris. One reason we didn’t know about graduating early was because we were afraid. At this point in our lives, we knew we were going to be increasingly subject to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Things could go wrong with our planning. We think we were a lock to go to the same college — but dorm mates? That would have been tougher.
“And it all begs the million dollar question, a question that we’ve never figured an answer to in any way. What courses are we going to take in college? In high school, our choices were circumscribed by the requirements for a diploma — on the college track there wasn’t much room to roll your own plan. College is different. We would be able to take classes where are interests really lay.
“And those interests really are different. Lisa wants to study theoretical math — she never missed an episode of Numbers, the TV show, and has all the episodes on her computer. Some friend of hers tivoed them for her. Sydney is a whiz with statistics and is fascinating by what she’s read about actuaries. That and she wants to get banned by Las Vegas.” She paused and looked around. Chris wasn’t sure what passed between the four friends.
“Sydney and Lisa are an item. When we were in junior high we all fooled around with each other. We’re all ‘technical’ virgins — no guys have passed the pearly gates. But fingers and tongues — yes — that has happened. But only within the group.
“Brenda and I are friends, and while we’ve been together it doesn’t happen often. I am an accountant at heart; I like my numbers in small, manageable doses. Brenda — well she wants to build spaceships. I’m guessing if things come apart she’s going to suffer the most.
“We’ve all had nightmares about not being able to stay friends once we reached college. We’ve had each other’s backs for so long — it’s hard to imagine we’d end up going our separate ways — but what else could our future have been?”
“I couldn’t even begin to tell you,” Chris told her. “In fact, I think I should shut up and butt out.”
“That makes you smarter than you look,” Sydney said acidly. She stopped and frowned. “That came out altogether wrong. Christopher, I’m sorry. We’ve had a long history with guys and it wasn’t very nice. You, Christopher, are nice. I’m really sorry.”
“We are all under a lot of stress; don’t fool yourselves — this is the sort of thing that drives people nuts. People are going to be on short fuses before the asteroid hits and afterwards, count on a lot of people losing it. There are probably going to be a million heart attacks.”
Amy nodded. “They are starting to call it ‘the Rock’ on the net.”
“I’ve seen that,” Chris agreed. “I view it as a lump of nickel-iron which isn’t much of a rock — it’s a chunk of high grade ore that’s going to be ruined in a few weeks.”
Everyone laughed. At the end of the evening, the girls announced they were headed to bed. Chris had already known that Sydney and Lisa only used one bedroom. Still, he was surprised when Sydney came up and kissed him on the cheek. Lisa was a step behind and she kissed his other cheek. Brenda put her arms around Chris and hugged him tight.
Amy did the same thing, but with a difference. Brenda hadn’t said anything, but Amy did. “I sure hope you saved up a little energy for later!” It was whispered in his ear and he wanted to rub it to insure he’d really heard it.
Sure enough, he was nearly ready for bed when Amy came in. She was wearing a floor-length flannel nightie that was quite modest. She walked up to him and looked him over. He was wearing pajama bottoms — it was getting cold at night — and nothing else.
“You need to work on those abs,” Amy said with a grin.
Then she went on to say, “Let me explain things. I’ll be the only one with an explanation, so you’re going to want to listen closely.
“Brenda and I decided we were going to take the plunge. We tossed a couple of dice and she won. I’m not sure why, but while she didn’t get cold feet, another portion of her anatomy felt a chill and she decided to punt. Me? If I’m going to do this, I want to do this.
“Brenda isn’t really a wuss; she’ll figure things out by tomorrow. Lisa and Sydney — right now they want to keep the status quo. Both have said that, if things go south, they are going to want to cling to an strong alpha male.”
She laughed a little snarkily. “Good luck with that, my friends! Please, for me, if for no one else, reserve a place in your heart for them.”
She smiled at Chris and then reached out for his hands and guided them to her breasts. “Not much more than a mouthful,” she said proudly.
Chris was just getting used the feel and heft of her two small breasts when she reached out and ran her hands over his erection. “Ha! It’s not true! Guys don’t get hard at the drop of a hat! You don’t even need a hat!”
Chris blinked in astonishment. “Ah...”
“Not a problem. Trust me, it’s not a problem. Now, an experiment. Rumor has it that a guy’s first time in a while — it has been a while, right?”
“Never...” he managed.
“He’s going to come too soon. The way to prevent that, so I’ve heard, is to go down on him. Let’s see if that works.”
She knelt down, pulled his pajama bottoms down and took hold of his erection. “Heh! Not even as big as a banana! Piece of cake!”
He felt his balls tighten up a few seconds later. “I’m going to come!” he warned.
Lisa sucked harder and he did come in her mouth. She looked up at him, “In for a penny, in for a pound.”
He laughed. “You talk too much.”
She pushed him back on his bed and straddled him. “Tell me that again in a minute, if you can remember that far back.”
He had no complaints, afterward. Amy smiled, though. “Wow! No wonder it’s the national sport!”
In the next hour it happened twice more. They ended up snuggled in each other’s arms.
Amy looked up at Chris, her eyes soft. “That was awesome, Chris ... we both need a lot more practice!”
He laughed. “I’m up for it.”
She slid her hand down his stomach and laughed. “So you are! But not tonight, Chris. Save a little something for Brenda tomorrow night.”
He blinked. “Is that what you want?”
She rolled over and rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him. “Brenda has every right to be happy as I do. I’d never stand in the way of one of my friends. We may have scheduling issues, as the four of us, I understand, are a rarity among women. Usually the periods of close friends merge together, so they are all at the same time. We’ve never merged. With four of us, all different, you’ll only have 3/4’s the problems you might expect.”
Chris laughed. “That’s bizarre ... I never knew that.”
“Well, you’re going to learn a lot about women in the next few weeks and months. In six months, the shots will wear off. I don’t know what we’re going to do if this turns out not to be a big deal, but if it is, starting then, sex becomes a crap shoot.”
“I know. I don’t like to gamble.”
“We’re gambling with the future, there’s no getting around it. I’ve made my choice — and let me tell you, tonight I couldn’t be happier. This was everything I ever dreamed.”
“I’ve had some rather thoroughly-planned dreams myself,” Chris joshed.
“You bet. When you want something done right — planning helps.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her close and kissed her. He grinned at Amy. “You do realize that’s the first time I’ve kissed a girl?”
“Hey, it’s the first time I kissed a guy! Get some sleep — I have a spot that really wants to be kissed for the first time by a guy! I’m looking forward to it, first thing in the morning!”
In the early hours before dawn, he found the spot she wanted kissed, and it was good. And when she pulled him up and they made love again — that was better.
At school the next day, Chris met them, as usual, at their table in the library. These days, not even the librarian was showing up more than once or twice a week. Students didn’t bother hardly at all. Few of them came to the library.
Amy grinned at him, while hugging Brenda. “I’ve been bucking up my friends’ spirits. If nothing else, we’re going to see if guys are as tough as they say.”
“I don’t understand,” Chris told her.
“Chris, I alternate being on cloud nine — and nearly ready to take a nap. I don’t think I could do that two school nights in a row. You, however, need to try.”
Chris laughed. “Well, I can promise to try. And to think, I used to hate naps when I was younger. Now — I find the idea oddly attractive.”
All five of them laughed.
Sydney spoke up. “Changing the subject ... what do we want to do about a doctor?”
Chris didn’t bother to ask why she thought a doctor might be important.
“I had a plan to get one of the town’s three doctors up at the ranch when the Rock falls. The thing is, it would be a bogus reason and the doctor would think twice about coming again. And, odds are, Rock Fall won’t impact us directly — we’d need medical services later.
“What I think we need to do is prepare additional housing for others. It’s clear that the economy is slowing and inflation is raising its ugly head. We still have nearly three weeks left. What I’d like to do is have some cement pads laid, maybe a dozen. Once the concrete has firmed up, put some mobile homes to sit on those pads.”
“Won’t that dilute your leadership?” Sydney asked.
“Yes. I have no idea how to solve the problem. Sure, I can extract promises from the people I give space to — but enforcing those promises? That’s another ball game. I have no idea. Either I’m going to have to be the second coming of Alexander, George Patton and George Washington, all rolled into one — or it won’t work.”
“We need to think on it,” Sydney told them. “All of us. Chris is right — we’re going to need more people, and they’re going to be the stupids — all of whom will be quite sure that their judgment trumps ours.”
They nodded in agreement and Chris sighed to himself. He’d been sure that at some point this was going to be a problem. He took no pleasure in being right.
The next day he was sitting in the computer lab, remembering the night before with Brenda. Amy was skilled, but cerebral. Brenda had been enthusiastic and not much else. There was, he thought, a lot to be said for both approaches.
Someone cleared his throat a few feet away and he focused. Donovan Flake, a senior, was standing there. Chris wasn’t sure why he thought it, but it seemed like Donovan was a lower classman facing someone from a higher class, hat in hand, wanting a favor, instead of the other way around.
“Donovan,” Chris said, acknowledging the young man.
“Mr. Wallace, I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time.”
Chris blinked. His first impression had been right! How strange was that? A senior calling him “Mister?” Hell had frozen over and pigs were flying!
“Sure, Donovan,” he replied without inflection.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“How can I help you?” Chris asked. He’d never spoken to Donovan before; he was supposed to be as shy as Chris. Donovan had a twin sister and this was one of the few times when he hadn’t seen them together.
“If you have a few minutes this evening, I have a friend that would like to stop by and talk to you. My bishop.”
Chris had nodded up until the last word. That word gave him pause. “Your bishop?”
“We’re fundamentalist Mormons in our stake, Mr. Wallace. He’d like a word with you about what’s going to happen.”
Chris was taken aback. He’d made no plans for discussing things with anyone else just yet, and no plans whatsoever to bring the topic up with anyone with the job title “bishop.” “Why?” he managed to ask.
“We are a fundamentalist offshoot of the Mormon faith. Our bishop leads just our stake. He has had a revelation, as some of the fathers of our church have had in past. He asks that you hear him out. Two or three hours, and, he says, and if at any time you say to cut it off, he’ll leave.”
“I’m not religious,” Chris told him.
“Do you believe in the past, present and future?”
“Of course.”
“Then you are religious enough for him. He promises that all he wants is to share thoughts with you. He is not a missionary; he isn’t witnessing for Christ. A free exchange of ideas.”
Chris inwardly grimaced. How was he supposed to say no to that and not sound churlish? On the other hand ... a bishop. Another adult who’d want to run things — with the added “God wills it!” dimension. He should say no.
Instead, he looked Donovan in the eye. “You’re more polite than most; I recognize that and I appreciate it. As I said, I’m not religious; do you appreciate that?”
“It doesn’t matter. Truth is truth. All the bishop asks is that you listen to him.”
“Seven o’clock then, at my house.”
“Thank you, Mr. Wallace. Bishop Flake will be there. May my sister come as well?” He turned and walked away when Chris nodded.
When Mike and his wife arrived to pick up the five of them, Chris held them up, explaining about the bishop to all of them. “I have no idea what he wants, but we’ll do better without burning our bridges behind us. I’ll talk to him. I won’t give away the farm. I’d like Sydney and Joanna to be there with me, them and any of the rest of you that want to come.”
“Joanna?” Mike said, startled.
Joanna looked contemplative, but didn’t say anything.
“Me?” Sydney exclaimed.
Chris turned to her. “Sydney, this isn’t a knock — it’s anything but. You are most cynical, hardest to convince person I’ve ever met. Please, feel free to speak your mind.
“And Mike, I understand Joanna was born Mormon.”
“Born, but she went one way when her bishop decided to go his own way. He doesn’t favor child brides — but he does favor more than one bride.”
“Hey,” Amy said, “a guy after my own heart!”
Chris blushed.
They had an early dinner, adding Mike and Joanna for the meal. Amy insisted that Mike dry dishes; Joanna laughed and gave a half wave. “I told you; you do what you want.” Mike didn’t drop anything but a plastic tumbler, which didn’t break. But he did drop it.
The bishop was in his sixties, tall and still had a full head of brown hair. He shook Chris’s hand, and nodded greetings to Sydney. To Joanna, he smiled. “It has been a long time, Sister Joanna.”
“Get to the point, Mr. Flake,” Joanna said acidly.
There were three newcomers — it was easy to see the family relationship between brother and sister, and the bishop had a lot of the same features as Donovan and his sister.
“I tell my congregation that I had a ‘revelation’ about the meaning of current events. That is something they understand. I doubt if some would understand a fast Internet connection and an interest in things astronomical. I saw the original information on the Rock; I studied what the impact would be like.
“Young Donovan is a fine young man, and one day he’ll go far in the church ... if we are still around then. His sister is a terror, whose favorite character is Rikki-Tikki-Tavi — Run, Look and See.
“You know. I have my sources, Mr. Wallace. You know what’s going to happen.”
“I have no idea what will happen.”
“The applecart is going to be upset, please don’t try to sugarcoat this.
“You are preparing, even as we speak. I know something you don’t.”
“What could that possibly be?”
“When I was an infant, the population of Pine Valley isn’t what it is today. My father died in an explosion — I’m sure you know the one.”
Chris nodded.
The bishop went on, “My mother asked your great grandfather if he would be my godfather. Mr. Gutterman explained that after the death of his first wife, he stopped being religious. She insisted, so your great grandfather agreed to be my godfather. He was, so I understand, an ornery man, but a man who paid his debts and fulfilled his obligations.
“I grew up including him in my prayers every day. When I received my first revelation, I went to him and explained. He patted me on my shoulder and told me that he’d gotten God’s message loud and clear when his first wife had died.
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