Friday

I woke up slowly to the feeling of soft kisses across my shoulders and a soft hand rubbing my stomach. Mr. Happy was snug against the crack of my butt - and the small of my back! - and the warmth of Brian's body against mine made the whole world seem perfect. Except for my bursting bladder, at least. I didn't want to move but I also didn't want to have an accident.

I got up without saying anything and he let me go. When I came back, he smiled sheepishly and went in as well. There was something voyeuristic and intimate about listening to him in the bathroom. I climbed back into bed and pulled the sheet over me. I had another two hours before I had to even think about getting up and I had no idea how I wanted to spend the time.

Brian opened the bathroom door, saw me with the sheet up and blushed. God! He is so damn cute! He found his underwear from the day before and pulled them on. Spiderman boxers. He wears Spiderman boxers. I had to bit my lips to keep from giggling.

"What?" He said sitting on the edge of the bed next to me. "I like Spidy! Besides, my mom bought them." A giggle slipped out. "They were on sale."

He grinned at me. I bit my lip harder and tried not to grin back. I felt incredibly stupid which didn't stop me from grinning. We just sat there for a while until an idea began to nag at me. "So why didn't you try anything last night?"

"Uh, I was going to." He blushed. "I guess I was more tired than I thought." He hesitated. "Do you want to ... y'know ... something?"

Oh My God Yes! But I didn't know where to start. Terrance had been a whirlwind. We didn't even kiss much. On our first date, he felt me up a lot and the next time we went out, he promised that he would do something that felt a lot better and I was naive enough to believe him. He felt me up enough to make sure I was at least wet then just stuck it in me. He said it always hurts the first time; he just didn't mention that he wouldn't give it a second try.

Brian looked confused and worried. "I know you said you didn't cum, but he didn't actually hurt you, did he?" My expression must have told him most of the story. "Did you tell someone?"

Tsk! "Tell them what? I said yes. It's not rape if you say yes. I'm just not good at it, I guess. Besides, everyone says it hurts the first time."

"I guess." He conceded but he looked at me oddly.

"What?" He shook his head but I pressed. "What?"

"I'd kind of gotten used to you being all mean. It's weird seeing you, I don't know, timid."

"I'm not mean!" I snapped. "And I am not timid!" And I'm not going to be taken advantage of again!

"Ty! It's Ok. I mean, I kind of like it, actually."

"Well, don't get used to it."

He smiled. "I won't." He turned serious. "We don't have to do anything if you don't want to."

"We weren't going to anyway! I don't know what you were thinking." One of these days, my brain, my body and my mouth are all going to confer before one of them reacts!

He seemed to sink back. "Nothing."

I rolled away from him and pulled the sheet over my head. My life was a train wreck. It was like the nicer he tried to be the more it unnerved me and the harder I pushed him away. I was terrified of would happen if he really touched me and just as scared that he never would.

"Yeah." He said softly, bitterly, and got up. A couple minutes later, I heard the shower running.

What is with me? Why can't I just be nice to him? I mean, even I have to admit that I like him; why can't I tell him that? I should tell him that at least. When he gets out of the shower, I'll tell him.

No. Now. I sat up and reached for my robe. Then stopped. The only place he hadn't seen me naked was the shower, might as well complete the set.

He had his back to me and I could see clearly through the glass doors. He looked like a swimsuit model. Without the suit, of course. Water coursed down his back, which was more muscular than I had thought; I watched them move as he washed his hair. The water poured smoothly over those tight buns and down some thick, strong legs. My breath caught in my throat looking at him. Yum!

Slowly he turned toward me; he had his eyes tightly shut and soapy water was running over his face. Then, unexpectedly his wiped his face, opened his eyes and jumped to see me standing there, watching him. I couldn't help noticing that Mr. Happy jumped too. Brian smiled slowly and opened the door. He reached out a hand to me.

Even I'm not that thick-headed.

OK, I did back out for a second - to get my shower cap. I don't care how cute he is, I am not getting my hair wet!

The shower was huge giving us plenty of space. We didn't talk. He washed me first, going slowly over my shoulders and arms and chest without a wash puff, just his soapy hands, caressing me. When he moved down to my breasts, my eyes closed and I felt myself sway. Terrance never made me feel like that! Even under the hot water, I was shivering; my nerves were all tingling from the touch of his hands. He didn't play much with my nipples - which was good because they were way too sensitive these days - but when he did touch them, I couldn't help whimpering softly. He moved down, doing all the not fun parts like my arm pits and under my tits as sweetly as he did the 'good' stuff.

He got on his knees to do my legs, which was weird. Looking down at him looking up at me, neither of us smiling but feeling really truly overjoyed at the same time. He saved my cooch for last. It was a little awkward until we both remembered that that was what the bench in my shower was for. I sat down and spread my legs as wide as I could. He seemed to understand how scary that was for me because before he started washing me, he kissed my mouth softly. Then he got the hair down there all covered in a good soapy lather.

I held my breath as he opened my lower lips. What if it was fat and ugly down there? What does a pretty cooch look like anyway? I saw one close up once - one of the program participants in my last school volunteered to let our class study her anatomy. So I know where everything's supposed to be and how it all works but, in truth, I've never seen mine - a bit tricky to get a close look at even without the baby! - so I was nervous about what he'd find down there. It could be all nasty and smell bad. Would he still like me if it smelled bad? I honest to God thought I was going to faint when his soapy fingers slipped up and down like that! I almost slammed my knees shut when he touched my little button! Terrance never did that! I totally would have remembered if Terrance had done that! Brian touched it again and I gasped. He kept rubbing it and I kept gasping. It was amazing! It was beyond pleasure like it was too much for me to think about something that felt that good. Like it felt so good I couldn't even feel it anymore. The tingling was all over my body and yet somehow absolutely focused on where his fingertip was at the same time. It so intense I felt like I was going to burst any second.

And then, I did!

My heart practically stopped and I couldn't breath - I couldn't even make a sound! - and every single fiber of me exploded at once. My whole body felt good - even the baby felt whole and right and part of me! Then, I started feeling the real world: I was twitching oddly and since I wasn't under the water anymore, it was cold. I wanted to complain about it but I still was having trouble with basic motor skills. I finally got my eyes opened and saw Brian smiling at me. I couldn't help smiling back. He kissed me again.

"Was that good?" He asked me.

Was it good? Do stars shine and moons beam and heavens exist? "Yeah." I managed to breath.

"Good." He blushed again and smiled even more broadly. If this was part of his grand scheme to get me, he's won flat out. "We should probably get out now." He stood up and turned off the water. That put a very, very happy Mr. Happy practically in my face and suddenly I found the strength to move. With one hand, I grabbed the soap and with the other, I grabbed him. "Oh jeez!" he moaned.

"I haven't washed you." I said, waiting for his real reaction.

"I, uh, just - just showered." He stammered. "You don't - if you want -" he closed his eyes as I poured some of the liquid soap on his shaft and began slowly spreading it up and down him. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh jeeeezzzzzz!"

Terrance put his hand on mine and pushed it down his pants the one time we did this. He helped me rub and squeeze his tool until it went off. The night he did me, he was already 'ready' when we started. So this was a first, to see a guy's thing close up in my hand, being excited by my touch.

"Oh yeah." Brian sighed as his hips began moving in rhythm with my hand. "Oh Ty-Ty-TySha-" he panted. "Your name's too long!" He gasped with an almost chuckle. "That feels so good!"

Ok, so maybe it's ok if he calls me 'Ty' sometimes.

His ... thing ... was hot and thick in my hand, hard and soft at the same time. It was rose turning purple and beginning to twitch under my fingers. I found myself breathing faster with him, wanting him to feel as good as I felt.

Then he cried out, "Oh, God! Ty!" and squirt gobs and gobs of his stuff across my chest. My nipples tingled and I couldn't stop my fingers from spreading it around some. It felt gooey and thick. I gave it a cautious sniff and then licked it. A little bitter but not unpleasant. I had seen plenty of girls take it in their mouths. I wondered if Brian wanted me to do that to him.

I looked up at him just as he was opening his eyes again. He panted and grinned. "Now you need to shower again." He started the water once more and washed the soap from himself and himself from my chest. He gave my cooch a good rinse just to be sure and helped me out of the shower stall. I had lots of clean towels on my bathroom shelf and Brian wrapped me with one and took another for himself.

When we finally made it into the bedroom, there was a note on the bed. "When you two are done using all the hot water, breakfast is ready." It was in Mr. Redmond's handwriting.

"Oh crap!" I groaned. "He's probably mad as all hell!"

"Your Dad?" Brian winced. "Yeah, maybe I should wait in the car and skip breakfast."

I almost said 'he's not my dad' but then, I thought, maybe he is. So I didn't say it. Instead, I shrugged and looked for something to put on. Brian neatly folded his uniform and stuffed it into his backpack. Then he pulled out a tee shirt and sweat pants. After he dressed, he found a bottle of cologne and squirted himself.

"Why are you wearing that?" I had to ask.

"Sweats? I'm just going to strip at the door. I figured it didn't matter. Oh, the CK? I don't know; I got it as a Christmas gift a couple years ago and just started wearing it. If you don't like it, I'll stop."

Nothing to do with me at all. I shrugged. "No. Wear what you want." He was right about the clothes, though. I found a pair of sweat pants that still fit and a tee shirt the same color as his. When I got it over my head, he was grinning at me. "You not special." I said mostly to deflect my own grin.

Ok, maybe he's a little special.

Eventually, we made it down stairs to a surprising sight. Mr. Redmond had Mrs. Redmond in a tight grip leaned against the front door. He'd dropped his briefcase and splashed his coffee on the floor before he pinned her. Mrs. Redmond had one hand in his hair and one hand moving under his suit jacket. Her eyes fluttered for a moment and then flew open.

In less than a minute, they were straightening their clothes and adjusting their hair. Mr. Redmond gave Mrs. a sedate kiss on the cheek and opened the door. He stopped and turned back to Brian and me, still on the staircase. "Sha-sha? I need to worry about him yet?"

No one can prove whether the question made me blush or not, so I'm saying it didn't. But I couldn't look at him.

"Right." Mr. Redmond looked at Brian. "I am officially accusing you of dastardly deeds, boy. I'll be on time tonight." He left.

As soon as the door closed, Mrs. yelled for us to come eat. She hummed as she served us and Brian and I kept grinning at each other. "So! You two look like you worked everything out last night." She sounded like she had a pretty good night herself.

"I hope so." Brian smiled at me.

"I guess." I conceded. "You still not my boyfriend."

"Why not?"

"Just cause."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

We ate and I found Mrs. Redmond's comments about my eating for two and taking my vitamins not as irritating as usual. The ride to school was pleasant and every time I looked at Brian, I got a nice tingly feeling. Especially when I looked and he was looking at me.

When we got to the school lot, he kissed me. "Your name is TyShala."

I almost cried. Not only did he remember my name, he said it right.

Once we got out of the car, I could not stop grinning. We got to the lockers and waited our turn to undress. Brian stripped me slowly, this time taking a lot of liberties that he didn't on Tuesday. When he finished, I was practically dripping down my legs from all the little touches and teases. I decided that two could play that game and when it was my turn, I tried to see how many of the little things he did to me, worked on him: I rubbed his nipples with my thumbs, blew in his ears softly, teased my fingertips up and down the inside of his thighs. Mr. Happy was almost dripping by the time I was done.

"You gonna just leave him like that?" one of the girls watching yelled out as I closed his locker.

I looked back him and bit back a laugh at the frustrated but happy little smile he gave me. "That's his problem. You can fix him if you want to."

"Oh yeah!" She quickly moved in front of him and swallowed him right down.

Brian's eyes flew wide before fluttering shut as he groaned. I had sort of planned to go it to homeroom but I saw the rapt look his face and watched him instead. He bit his lip then sighed softly. After a minute, he put his hands on her hair and stroked her head gently. He bit his lip again, looking almost angry. It was amazing to watch. It was hot to watch. My heart was pounding and my cooch was throbbing.

"Hey Sha-sha! You look like you want a taste!" I recognized Bryant's teasing before I saw him walk over. A few feet behind him, Malik still looked disgusted by me.

Tsk! "Shut up!"

"So can I get a feel?" he asked.

"A feel of what?"

"You know." He looked at me for a moment then behaved himself. "OK. Reasonable Request. May I touch your pussy?"

I know that's the whole point of the program but I was still so embarrassed I thought I would die on the spot! I looked around to see who was watching us and saw far too many boys looking my way. I looked over at Brian but he was gasping and clutching the girl's head. I didn't know if he'd finished or not yet but it was clear he was occupied at the moment. I looked back at Bryant; he'd always been cool before and he did ask nicely. "OK."

He stepped slightly to the side - to compensate for the baby I'm sure - and put a couple fingers between my legs. "Damn girl, he got your number, don't he!" What could I say? Between Brian teasing me and me teasing him, I was soaking down there. He put just the very tip of his finger in me. "Can I?" He asked.

"No." He pulled it out again.

"Cool." He pulled his hand away from me then lewdly licked his fingers. "Maybe we can go out some night. You know, after." He gestured to my stomach.

"Yeah. Maybe." I agreed. But inside I was thinking not only no but hell no. I looked at Brian; he was helping the girl stand and whispering in her ear. She blushed.

Brian smoothly picked up my books and his. "Come on." As we headed inside the building, he whispered in my ear. "You know I have to get you back for that, of course. Right?"

As we passed the administrative offices, the secretary called out for Brian. "Ms. Scott wants to see you ASAP." Neither of us had any idea why but when we got to her office, Ms. Scott was not at all happy.

"You!" She snapped at Brian. "In. Sit. You -" She pointed at me, "go find a Reasonable Request then get to class." She practically slammed her office door shut. I sat down on the couch outside her office to wait for Brian - a Request could find me here just as well as anywhere else.

Which, much to my surprise, it did. "Tish-shaw-luh? Oh man, am I glad I found you! You got a minute?" It was the boy who was so fascinated by my stretch marks and he didn't give me a minute to respond, just grabbed my hand and dragged me with him. As we flew through the halls, he told half a dozen people that I didn't have time but I'd let the get their requests later. I would have argued but it's not like I really wanted to do it any way. But I was very glad we nearly skidded to a halt at the art room door.

"Found her!" He panted.

"Ah good. Hello, I haven't had you in my class yet, I'm Ms. Barsoom."

"Hi." I'd heard of her; I kept being told that I had to take her class but, really, I have zero artistic talent.

"See?" The boy was gesturing between me and an easel. "The shadows are wrong, the color's not even close. I can't do it with Brit."

"Hmm. Yes. I see the problems. But unless you do it out of class time I don't see..." Ms. Barsoom paused and looked at me. "What do you have third period?"

"Music Appreciation."

"Hmmmm. Let me talk to Brooke; maybe we can work something out for a week or two. But, Shalon, you're going to have to focus your energies on this and only this - not on ten projects at once. I see you working on anything but this, she's out. Clear?"

"You won't, I promise!" What ever it was, he was very excited.

"What are you guys talking about?" I finally asked.

Ms. Barsoom looked surprised. "Oh. I'm sorry. I thought you were modeling for him. Shalon is sketching you for class."

"It's really crappy now because I was just going off memory and using Brit as a kind of general model except she doesn't have your curves." He turned the sketch toward me. He was clearly unhappy with it and it really didn't look like me but it was an amazingly good sketch of a pregnant woman.

"It looks good to me." I said with a shrug.

He shrugged back. "It's ok. I mean, the figure's good but it doesn't really look like you or Brit. It's kind of a cross between you." He picked up a brown pencil and began coloring something. "Hold still." He said absently.

"I'd better go talk to Brooke." Ms. Barsoom said as she left the room.

Shalon began muttering about color and shadows and I figured this was a good time to be quiet and sit still. I heard the bell ring for Homeroom but it wasn't like we did anything useful in there and Shalon was still working. After a while, Ms. Barsoom came back. "It's ok with Ms. Shadowgard. Drop by after class and she'll give you the homework and a CD of today's music." She paused. "Do you not have class first period?"

"Sociology." I answered.

She nodded. "Shalon? French?"

He jumped. "Oh! Right! Sorry! You've got Soc with Brian, right? I'll walk you; I'm across the hall."

I got a couple stomach-rubbers but no real Requests as we walked. "Can I ask you a question?" I was really curious about the whole sketch idea.

He sighed heavily. "Yes, it is a girl's name. Long story, short - my parents thought I was going to be a girl and named me after my grandmother then figured the name was uncommon enough that no one would notice." He rolled his eyes. "Then Shalon Forest got the whole 'Angels Nightmare' series on the best seller list and now everybody has to say something!"

I didn't know about the name; I'm the last person to comment on someone's name! "That's not what I was gonna ask." Which surprised him. "I was gonna ask why sketch me?"

"Oh. Easy! I always do the weird stuff." He stopped and hit himself. "OK that came out all wrong." He started walking again. "OK. I like odd details - stuff people don't usually look at. Texture of food wrappers. The color of the sideway. Scar tissue. Stuff - stuff most people try not to see, I look at. I know this is gonna sound weird but your stretch marks are wicked cool." He was right; that did sound weird. "I've got this oversized sketch of my sister's knee where she tore it open skiing and it's really cool how the lines twist. I mean, in some tribes, they scar you as a sign of manhood or as a reward and stuff. Your stretch marks are like a tribal tat. I mean, that's cool."

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I always thought tattoos were either from prison or weird White people shit. I mean, I knew about the Asian art and tribal stuff in the islands or Africa or wherever but in this day and age, who still believes that you should scar yourself deliberately? Shalon evidently. The way he phrased it, it sounded like the stretch marks were a good thing. Like some kind of honor.

We got to my classroom door and he paused. "Hey, uh, can I look at them again. Reasonable Request?"

Oh this isn't embarrassing at all. "Sure."

He knelt down and studied my stomach again, stroking the lines gently. He again followed them down my thighs and toward my cooch. He brushed the hair lightly.

"Hey!" Brian's voice behind me made us both jump. Shalon looked guilty and nearly ran into someone backing away from me. "Where have you been?"

"In my skin." Once again, my mouth answered without consulting my brain.

He sighed, frustrated. "You missed Homeroom. They marked you absent!"

"Whatever."

"Not whatever! Ms. Scott's already pissed at me; we don't need her pissed at you too!" He seemed to suddenly notice Shalon. "Hey Lonnie. How's the sketch?"

"Sucks but Tish-shaw-luh's gonna model for me third period so I can fix it."

"Cool." But he didn't sound enthusiastic.

Not that I really noticed. I was still stuck on "we don't need". We? "What's Scott pissed about?"

"Yesterday." He shrugged. "Unexcused absence."

I frowned. "I had a doctor's appointment."

"Yeah, but I didn't."

"Oh." I hadn't even thought of that.

"Where were you, Brian?" Shalon asked.

"I went to Ty's sonogram. You got to see this!" He had the pictures at easy reach.

"Cool! So just get a note from your folks! What's Scott's problem?"

"My folks won't write the note."

"Why not?"

The bell rang and I answered the question. "Cause his mom hates me."

"Your mom?" Shalon was clearly shocked.

"She doesn't hate you. But I'm, uh, staying at Ty's until we talk it out. Later, dude." He guided me into class leaving Shalon sputtering.

"Wait - you're staying at Ty's - like staying? Dude - lunch!"

Mr. McKenna was waiting for us. "Ms. Brown, your homework from yesterday is due tomorrow, no excuses. Mr. Loving, I trust you have a note?"

"I've got pictures?" He handed Mr. McKenna the album.

He flipped through them and smiled. "Doesn't excuse you from class but I'll give you an extension on the homework too. Relief?"

Brian looked at me and raised his eyebrows a few hundred times. I rolled my eyes. Tsk! "No!"

"You two are sure? You're not going to slip off and do it in the middle of class?"

"We not gonna do it period!" I pointed out and Mr. McKenna actually blushed.

"Right, you win. I'll keep my big mouth shut!" He chuckled. "Ok, class, settle in. Who wants to recap yesterday's discussion?"

"TyShala?" Jeanette called out softly from two rows back. "Can I see your pictures?"

I almost let myself feel special until I remembered that some people are just nosey and want to see anybody's pictures. I shrugged and pointed to Brian. "They're his not mine."

"Brian." She called out. "Brian!" I had to tap his shoulder to get his attention. "Let me see the pictures."

"Oh!" He grinned like - like - like he was the father or something. "Here!"

Yesterday's class had covered the nine US Civil Rights Acts from 1866 to present. Homework was to pick an Act and write a page about how the US would be different without it. "So, are we done? Is the US now an equal State with liberty and justice for all?" There were a blend of yeses and nos. "Why not? Frederick?"

"Because you can't legislate human behavior." He stated flatly.

"Bullseye! You can make it illegal to do certain acts and you can make it illegal to say certain things but ultimately you can never tell people what to think in their own head. As a result, you can pass laws all day long but people will find a way to discriminate against others. They use race, religion, gender, economic status, cultural differences, and if they can't find a difference, they will make one up! Now. How to we prevent discrimination?"

Which is what started the debate. I stayed out of it - I don't think you can prevent discrimination. As long as there are more than two people on the planet, there will always be an 'us' and a 'them'. Us. We. "We don't need" like we were more than just Program partners. Like he was just ignoring me when I said we weren't a couple. Which was sort of ... ok, it was sort of awesomely amazingly cool but I was not about to admit that! Even if I was willing to date a White boy - Hispanic boy, whatever! - I am not going to do it while I'm the size of the Capitol Dome! I'm not interested. I'm not. I'm just not.

That, of course, doesn't explain at all why my whole body felt all tingly when, while arguing about racial mixing being the best solution, he unconsciously reached over and rubbed my leg. I was still feeling tingly when the bell rang and the class left around us and someone - not Jeanette - dropped the sonogram pictures on my desk "Cool pics!" a couple other voices agreed.

Brian grinned at me as he picked up both of our books. "I'm going to get you to take relief today."

"Hardly!" I stood up and headed out the door.

He caught up to me and whispered in my ear. "I know it can be done. I'm gonna get you."

"You have a problem hearing 'no', don't you."

He grinned again. "Yeah, I kinda do. I hate it when people tell me I can't do stuff; it just makes me try harder."

"Well you better get over it." We bickered all the way to math class. If there were any Requests, I didn't notice them.

Friday was always 'fun' day in Ms. Grant's class - in as much as any math class can be fun. We usually do stuff like go outside and map parts of the school or the neighborhood. Today, as we all came into the classroom, she checked if Brian and I needed relief - we didn't - and then handed out a page of triangles. Each one had one thing like a tree, a teacher's desk, or something identified. "Scavenger Hunt! Break yourselves into teams -I don't care how many - and find as many of these locations as you can. You have to be back in this room by quarter of. The team that finds the most locations wins."

"Wins what?"

She smiled sweetly. "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

There was a sample at the top of the page. The angle formed by the wall of the school and the naked lockers. She gave out tape measures to each team and let us go. I found myself with Brian, Shalon and Artie - Brian's 'crew' as it turns out. While I was measuring the first suspected angle, Brian and the guys huddled. There was laughter and them looking in my direction - no doubt he was lying to them about how far he'd gotten with me. When they came out of the huddle, Brian took the tape and the scavenger list from me. "They have a Reasonable Request." He didn't even try to hide the smug look on his face.

"Uh, yeah." Artie looked a little hesitant - maybe because I was moving my glare between the three of them. "I just want to touch a little. Honest!"

"Yeah? Well I don't know what he told you but that's all he's done either!" I snapped.

They looked at him, both curious. Brian - guess what? - blushed. "What? I got to tell you guys everything?"

"No, just, you know, if she's your girlfriend..."

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Which left them even more confused. Tsk! "Just get it over with!"

"Uh, O-K." Shalon reached out and stroked my breast. Then he stopped and looked at it closely. "Cool! You've got stretch marks here too!" Can I die now? The number of stretch marks and scars across my body seemed to fascinate Shalon to no end and while Brian and Artie measured the next three spots, Shalon explored me with his eyes and fingertips.

Finally, Artie found a spine. "Hey Lonnie! Give it a rest! My turn already. We don't have all day!"

Reluctantly, they switched and Artie seemed to have more conventional tastes. After playing with my nipples for a while, asked me to lean against a wall and bend over so he could get a real clear view of my cooch. "Not for long." I told him. I stayed that way until my back began complaining, which was all of five minutes and then I started to stand up but a hand held me down.

"Let us get a look too!" Brian said, chuckling. I glanced back and couldn't see much but I did see that Shalon had a large lump in the front of his pants. A pair of fingers parted the lips down there and even I heard the wet pop when they parted.