Chapter 4

Turns out Mike caught wind that Kristin was at the party with another guy. That Mike had been "snubbed" by not being invited to the party was only fuel for his fire. How he found out that Kristin was with another guy was never really uncovered, though she wasn't really subtle in whom she was flirting with.

Word travels fast in high school, and by the Monday following the party everyone had heard that Mike caught Evil Brody trying to rape Kristin and, being the heroic ex-boyfriend, Mike came to the rescue and beat the shit out of the Evil Brody. Got to love fiction. Other retellings of what happened that night indicated that I tried to force Kristin at knifepoint, or that I slipped her a roofie or something. There was even one that said I was gay. Go figure. Sure, there were versions that came close to the truth, but most folks prefer to believe the juicy rumors.

I had just walked in the door of the school and I could hear the whispers already. My bruised face probably just validated some of the rumors. I saw Kristin pass my locker as fetched my first period book. She giggled with a couple of other senior girls and didn't even acknowledge my existence. Jeff and Fuzz, for their part, just stood behind me in quiet support.

People kind of went out of their way to avoid me. It could have been because my eye made me look like I was an extra in some B-movie horror flick, but I was putting money on the fact that they were sure standing close to me would make them collateral damage. Folks may have avoided me, but they kept an eye turned in my direction in case The Walking Dick provided for some free entertainment during the boring school day.

I finally crossed paths with Mike right before lunch. He obviously had the lunch period just before mine, because I saw him dump his tray just as I got into line. He spotted me when he turned my direction. His eyes narrowed, and he slowly began moving towards me. Two of his to muscle bound cronies fell into step with him. I looked at Fuzz the Skeleton and Jeff the Pacifist standing behind me.

Shit.

I tried to act all cool, like I didn't really notice him approaching me, even though I was ready already tensing up in preparation for the conflict. I attempted to engage Jeff and Fuzz in idle conversation, but they were wide-eyed and speechless as they saw my tormentor bearing down on us. I suddenly realized that the roomful of teenaged conversation had silenced. A showdown was inevitable, so I took a deep breath and turned to face Mike. He was maybe 20 feet away from us and was slowly closing the distance. All eyes were on his back as he approached. It wouldn't have surprised me to feel a warm breeze pick up and blow some tumbleweed across the cafeteria floor. This was the O.K. Corral all over again. I was Wyatt and Jeff was Doc Holliday. I hoped.

My mind began to churn trying to come up with anything I could say to placate the big lug. Nothing came to mind. I instinctively closed my hand into a fist.

Ten feet to go and I'd be confronting three of the biggest jerks in the whole school.

"Mikey!" a chirping female voice sailed over my head.

Mike stopped but continued to glare at me. The crowd behind me parted as Kristin and a gaggle of girls pressed through. She wrapped her boyfriend in a big hug and started her constant chatter. Taking his arm, she turned him away from me and started walking the other direction. At first he hesitated, but then complied, wrapping his arm possessively around the tiny cheerleader.

Both threw one more glance in my direction. Mike's look said he wasn't done with me yet. Kristin's was less readable. A furrowed brow and nervous little smile. It almost seemed ... apologetic?

As they exited the other end of the cafeteria, I let out my held breath. Doc and Morgan beside me did the same.

"We got your back," Jeff croaked.

"Yeah, dude," Fuzz agreed.

I just sighed. "Thanks, guys."

Life seemed to settle into some kind of miserable routine.

Just like a romance novel, Kristin and Mike got back together. Unlike a romance novel, they broke up again two weeks later. I guess the other rumors running around, the ones that said Kristin had instigated our tryst at the party, became too hard for Mike to ignore. Word came my way that Mike was planning to beat me to a bloody pulp because he blamed me for his failed relationship with Kristin, but after a few weeks of nervously looking over my shoulder, I finally decided I didn't have anything to worry about. Other than a few hard stares, he never threatened me again.

I didn't really give a shit what people thought about what happened that night. Anyone who truly knew me as a person could figure out the truth to the rumors. Those who thought they were true weren't my friends anyway. Besides, I had other things to worry about.

I couldn't get Mia and Shay off my mind. It had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with emotions. Shay rarely logged on anymore, so I pretty much gave up chatting with her. After the next two attempts to call her were rebuffed, I gave up on that, too. Sadly, I had decided that "Shay and Brody" was never to be. Three incredible days last summer and some playful online chats seemed to be the extent of it all.

Mia, on the other hand, was ALWAYS available to chat because she didn't seem to go anywhere. I learned she was feeling the same way I was about Shay, except a thousand times worse. She had pretty much lost her best friend and lover. My heart broke for her. And little warning sounds started blaring in my mind. As I said, she was always available, which meant she wasn't going out and doing anything else. Our online chats seemed so somber, and she seemed almost lifeless during our phone conversations. I'd try to get her talking about the Diamondbacks, her favorite baseball team and one of her favorite things to go on and on about, but even that didn't work.

She confirmed my biggest fears when she told me in passing that she had changed her depression meds and that her doctor had increased the frequency of their counseling sessions. I desperately longed to be there with her, holding her and comforting her. My long distance affirmations were a poor substitute.

Then there was Mom. As hard as we tried, we just couldn't completely erase the sexual tension between us. We'd opened up a whole part of our relationship that you just can't close. We always tried to keep conversation light, and to keep busy when we were both home. However, it was impossible to not find ourselves in those moments where the sexual tension practically boiled. We had one bathroom, and our schedules often forced us in there at the same time. I'd be showering while Mom stood in front of the mirror in only her bra and skirt while she finished getting ready for the day. Or I'd catch her watching me while we were eating dinner and she'd turn away with a blush. Then the reverse would happen the next time, where I'd be caught looking at her. We'd touch as we passed in the halls or worked together in the kitchen and little tingles would course through me. I knew Mom could feel it, too.

They seem like simple things, really, but when you've confessed your sexual attraction to someone and then have to be around that someone all the time with nothing stopping you from acting on that attraction but your own self-control ... Well, you get the idea.

I was falling for my mom, which really weirded me out. Sensing that she was feeling the same way made it worse, and infinitely more arousing.

The bright spot of the rest of October and November was Cassie.

After the party, Kristin wouldn't have anything to do with me or Cassie, which didn't really bother either of us all the much, other than the fact that she tried to convince all of their mutual friends to shun Cassie, too. For the most part, Kristin's popularity won out and Cassie needed a new group of friends.

So with her friends pretty much bailing on her, Cassie naturally became a part of our group.

For the most part, our group was comprised of me, Jeff, and Fuzz. Sure we had other friends. Lots of them, as a matter of fact. We hung out with any variation of 10 or 15 kids. Through it all, though, Jeff and Fuzz were the two constants. Now it was Jeff, Fuzz and Cassie.

During the same lunch period of The Showdown that Almost Was, my pals were rendered speechless when Cassie plopped down beside me with her lunch tray and gave me a kiss on the cheek. She started up conversation with all three of us like we'd been friends forever.

Did I mention that Cassie was shy? Whouda thunk it?

The next day at lunch, Cassie asked The Question.

"Why does everyone call you Fuzz?" she asked my friend.

Fuzz blushed and started to speak, but Jeff cut him off.

"Oh, it's funny you should ask that," he quipped.

"Shut up, Jeff!" Fuzz punched him in the arm and tried to cover Jeff's mouth.

Cassie was surprised by the scuffle going on across the table. I just laughed. I'd seen this happen a hundred times. I turned to Cassie.

"Jeff and Donald," I said, using Fuzz's given first name, "have lived next door to each other since birth. Seems Donald..." A French fry hit my shoulder.

I glanced at Fuzz, who had thrown the offending projectile while he effectively kept his hand clamped over Jeff's mouth. Unable to open his mouth to laugh, Jeff snorted is ass off instead. Fuzz looked at Cassie. "Only my mother calls me Donald."

"Anyway, seems a few years ago, little DONALD got hold of his mother's cordless hair clippers and commenced to shave the hair off all three of Jeff's dogs. In retaliation, Jeff got hold of the clippers, sat on Donald and shaved his head. Most of it, at least."

Jeff managed to pull Fuzz's hand off his mouth. "That's not the end of the story! Brody, you have to..." Fuzz managed to clamp Jeff mouth again.

"Don't do it, Brown, or I'll kick your ass," Fuzz threatened me.

Cassie's eyes were wide as she watched the two guys wrestling on the other side of the table. She seemed amused, though.

I ignored Fuzz's threat. "Rumor has it that Donald's father saw Donald's partially bald scalp and laughed hysterically, even saying that the fuzz on Donald's ass was longer than the hair on Donald's head."

Fuzz groaned in defeat and let go of Jeff. "You guys suck."

That set off Jeff into even bigger gales of laughter. The melee had drawn many stares and even a nervous look from a teacher or two.

"The problem with the rumor about his dad's comment is that Donald denies it happened and Jeff was the only witness." Cassie laughed at that, a melodious sound akin to the soft tinkling of a bell. I smiled and finished off the story. "Jeff took to calling Donald 'Fuzzy' in an attempt to be a general pain in the ass. The pair compromised and agreed on the nickname 'Fuzz', which now even Donald prefers to his own given name."

Jeff finally had control of his emotions. "It's good that he prefers it since it goes better with his last name." Now Jeff started giggling.

Cassie looked at me expectantly, so I explained. "His last name is spelled B-E-H-R, pronounced 'bear'."

Jeff caught his breath long enough to say, "Fuzzy Wuzzy was a Behr...", before he was lost to his laughter. Cassie and I couldn't help but join him.

Fuzz just shook his head.

Thanksgiving was less than a week away when things finally came to a head.

Mom and I had been invited to have dinner with Jeff's family, so that meant that we didn't have to have dinner alone. Mom and Mrs. Barker actually knew each other from college, but they were more like acquaintances than friends. They were actually friends of friends who hung out from time to time. The fact that they ended up living two blocks from each other when they settled down was unknown to either of them until me and Jeff became friends in first grade. I invited Jeff to my birthday party and imagine our mothers' collective surprise when Mom opened the door to see an old college friend standing there.

Anyway, ever since Dad died, the Barkers had invited us to spend every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve with them. For the first two years, Mom politely declined, maybe because she didn't want the pity. After the holidays last year, Mrs. Barker finally confronted Mom and convinced her that their invitation was given because they honestly and truly enjoyed our company, not out of pity. What can you say to that? What mom said was 'yes' when the invitation came again this year.

Mom's dating had slowed down a little after she told me her true reservations about dating, so I was surprised when she told me this particular Friday morning that she had a date that night. She didn't offer a name, and I didn't inquire. I'd been hesitant to initiate these kinds of conversations about her personal life since the last few had been pretty damn emotional.

The day passed as normally as possible. After school, the crew met up at Jeff's house. We just hung out. It was a particularly warm day for November, so Jeff, his younger brother Todd, and I were shooting hoops in his driveway. Cassie and Fuzz were sitting on the stoop messing around with Fuzz's guitar. He was showing her how to play. After she lost interest in the guitar lesson she turned her attention to us, watching us quietly as we played horse.

"Brody, can I ask you a question?" she finally asked.

I took a shot from behind the backboard, but missed. "Sure."

"Jeff said you have two girlfriends, and you have since the summer."

I glanced at Jeff and he shrugged noncommittally, then shot and made a left-handed free throw.

"Well, sort of. It's kind of complicated." Thinking of my girls made me sad.

Seeing the hurt look in Cassie's eyes didn't help. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. I sensed in her expression and her tone that she felt bad about us having sex because I had a girlfriend. I felt about an inch high.

"It wasn't really important," I replied. She started to challenge that statement, but I stopped her with an equally cryptic statement that I was hoping only Cassie would understand. "Mia and Shay know about it, and I'm telling you, it wasn't and still isn't an issue."

Cassie kept looking at me, but eventually nodded.

"Hey, earth to Brody!" Jeff called to me. "We're playing a game here."

"Sorry," I said, moving towards him.

"Todd made the free throw, so your turn. Left-handed."

"So how does it work, you know, having two girlfriends?" Cassie asked as I took the shot and missed again.

"That's an 's', Brody. One more and you're out." Todd said as he chased down the ball.

"Well, aren't you just 'master of the obvious'?" Jeff teased the eighth-grader. "Give me the ball and I'll end YOUR misery, Toad."

"How does it work?" I repeated Cassie's question, largely because the 'it' she was referring to didn't seem to be working all that well at the moment. "Truthfully, I'm not really sure. We were only together for a few days over the summer, and then they went back to Arizona. We talk on the phone and IM and stuff, but it isn't really the same."

"Oh," she said simply.

Jeff made his shot and started razzing his brother, hoping to make him miss.

"Can I ask you another question?" Cassie asked.

"I guess so."

"Are you guys a true threesome, as in you each have a relationship with the others?"

Todd missed the shot and Jeff heckled him. I grabbed the ball.

"Yeah, I guess it's like that."

I tried my behind-the-backboard shot again. Swish.

"Nice." I said. "Time for your 's' Jeffrey."

I was a little uncomfortable with this conversation, for several reasons. One, I wasn't entirely sure whether I had 0, 1 or 2 girlfriends. Hell, I wasn't even sure I'd have two FRIENDS when we got to Arizona next month. Two, it's real easy to sound like you're bragging when you start talking details about your simultaneous relationship with two girlfriends. Mom always said 'a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, ' so I always found these probing questions uncomfortable.

But there was something about Cassie that made me want to share it. Maybe it was because of what we'd already shared together. Maybe it was just because she was good listener. Whatever it was, I actually found myself WANTING to answer her next question.

"So, when you say that, you mean the two girls..."

"Mia and Shay," I offered.

"Right, Mia and Shay. You mean that Mia and Shay have an, uh, intimate relationship, too? Without you?"

I just shrugged as Jeff missed his shot and was heckled by Todd and Fuzz. My two best friends were used to my girlfriend situation, since they'd asked and asked until I finally caved and told them. It was a big deal for a while, but eventually it became old news.

Cassie understood that my shrug meant yes, because her eyes got this almost glassy look to them, like she was imagining what that must be like. Then a small smile crept across her face.

I shot and sank a boring old jump shot from the corner of the driveway.

"Easy shot!" Jeff said as he chased down the ball.

Suddenly, I had an epiphany. "Hey, Cass. Why don't you come to my house sometime over the Thanksgiving holiday and I'll show you some pictures of them and maybe even get them online for a chat? I think you'd like them."

Jeff shot and missed, but I didn't even really notice. I was thinking of the possibilities. Cassie was still trying to sort out her own sexuality, and maybe Mia would be a good person for her to talk to. She could give Cassie some advice, and helping Cassie might take Mia's mind off the situation with Shay. I mentally patted my back.

"Sure, why not," she replied, her smile broadening.

"Hey, why don't I get to see pictures or chat with them?" Fuzz grumped. "I've been your friend longer than Cassie!"

"Yeah, but she's a hell of a lot better looking than you," Jeff teased as he chucked the ball at the Fuzz. "I'm pretty sure Brody would rather have her in his bedroom than you."

Cassie and I exchanged looks. I smirked and she blushed. If you only knew, Jeff. If you only knew.

That night Mom came home from her date earlier than I expected. A slamming door announced her arrival. It wasn't even ten yet. I frowned, partly because Mia was in an 'up' mood, which usually meant some cybersex before we logged out of our chat, and partly because an early night meant things didn't go well on Mom's date.

Even though our IMs were getting more and more kinky, I quickly said goodbye to Mia and headed to the kitchen for our post-date ritual. Besides, it wasn't like I could really take my chat with Mia anywhere now that Mom was home.

I was surprised and a little concerned when I saw Mom leaning her forehead against the closed kitchen door.

"Mom? Are you OK?"

She seemed to jump when she heard my voice, but she didn't turn around. "Yeah, uh, yes, I'm fine." She mumbled, though her trembling voice betrayed her.

"Bad date?" I asked, unsure of what was going on.

She shook her head, then nodded, then sighed. Finally she just shrugged.

I was starting to worry. "What is it, Mom? What happened?"

She answered with a choked whimper and her shoulders started shaking. I was to her in three steps. I wrapped my arms around her from behind, just above her breasts. She leaned back against me and let the tears fall.

"Hey ... Hey, whatever it is, it'll be fine. Shh..." I comforted her.

After a few minutes, her tears slowed and I loosened my hold on her. She quickly grabbed my arms with her hands and held them in place, and then she pushed back against me harder, leaning her head back on my shoulder. Her ass was pushed against my crotch, which inevitably caused my penis to take notice. I cursed myself for that, but Mom didn't seem to mind.

"I ... I went out with Brian again tonight," she said quietly as she caressed my forearms with her fingers.

"Oh, he's back in town? I didn't realize. That's good, right?" Mom said Brian wouldn't be back in town until the spring, but apparently that wasn't the case.

"I guess. He's in town to present an audit report to the Board. We went to dinner, and afterwards we went for a walk downtown. He, um, he invited me to go with him out of town next weekend."

I felt a momentary pang of jealousy, but quickly squashed it. I knew she liked this guy, at least more than the others. I needed to be happy for her. Not that she seemed all that happy at the moment.

"What did you say to him?" I asked, nervous about what she'd say. She knew I could always go stay with Jeff for the weekend if I needed to, so she didn't really have any reason to say no.

"I said I'd think about it."

That's at least better than no. Right?

"Buuut... ?" I let the word draw out.

She ignored it. "We walked and held hands. It was nice. Then we stopped at a few store windows to window shop. At one point, he kissed me."

I stiffened. My body, not my penis. My penis had already stiffened since Mom pressed back against me.

"I let him kiss me, and it felt good, so I started kissing back. Finally, I pushed him away because, you know, we were still in public." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I can't believe I'm telling you this."

I didn't know what to say, so I just hugged her a little tighter.

"Anyway, he asked me if I'd like to go back to his hotel room for a drink. My mind was still spinning from the kiss, so I said yes. We drove in his rental car and left mine at the restaurant. Things were kind of awkward, so we didn't really talk on the way over. The closer we got to the hotel, the more I felt like I didn't want to have that drink after all. I couldn't. Not when I was feeling so confused."

"It's OK, Mom. If you weren't ready, you shouldn't force it."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "I should have gone, Brody! I should have gone and stayed all night and had sex with him! Maybe then I could stop feeling this way."

Her sudden outburst surprised me. "Mom, it's OK to compare guys to Dad. You don't have to..."

"Stop." She said it firmly, so I obeyed. I wasn't sure what I said or what I did, but she sounded like MOM just then, so of course I obeyed. "Let me finish. I asked him to turn around and take me back to my car. I got out without a word and drove home."

I waited, but after a few minutes of silence, I guessed she was done. "You don't have to do anything if you don't want to, Mom. If you aren't ready to have sex right now, you don't have to."

She shook her head, which made her long hair tickle my nose. I tried not to sneeze.

"That's just it, sweetheart. I DO want to have sex; I desperately want to have sex. It's just that, whenever I try to picture me with Brian, I can't. All I can see is me with Derrick." She shuddered, and then whispered, "Or you."

I froze. I didn't realize it, but the whole time I was holding her, I was gently swaying us. Her admission froze me. Oh shit. I wasn't sure whether I liked hearing her say that or not. "Oh," I whispered back.

Her hands were caressing my arm more fervently. "I am so going to hell," she muttered under her breath.

Suddenly, she turned herself in my arms to face me, which put her face only inches from mine. The look in her eyes was unmistakable. They were smoldering. She squeezed her arms up between us and grabbed my face with her hands. My pulse was racing and I began to feel faint. I was mesmerized as she gazed deeply into my eyes, her eyes flicking back and forth between each one as if she was trying to look into my soul for answers.

"I love you, Brody," she whispered, then pulled my face to hers. I sank into her soft, warm lips. I instantly responded by opening my mouth and slipping my tongue along those moist cushions. That was all it took to unleash all the pent-up tension and passion and arousal in her. She practically shoved her tongue down my throat and our kiss turned into a full-fledged make-out session.

Her arms went around my neck as her fingers wove into my moppy hair. I slid my hands down her back, over the swells of her ass to cup her cheeks. She moaned into my mouth as she ground her crotch against mine. I responded by moving just a little so my stiff cock pushed against the juncture of her legs. She shuddered.

I kept kissing, exploring her mouth and letting my hands roam all over her back and butt. Our crotches pushed and ground against each other's. I broke our kiss and dragged my lips down to her neck and upper chest.

"Oh God, Brody," she panted as I explored. "I can't believe what you're doing to me. I can't ... I ... I can't believe how much I want you, how much I need you, sweetie."

My fever went up another notch and I began alternating kisses, licks and little nibbles. I'd worked downward from her face so I was just at the top of her cleavage. I brought my hand around and up between us; then I cupped her breast.

"Oooh," she moaned.

I massaged and kneaded her soft orb over her sweater for a few minutes. I flicked the hard little pebble that crowned her breast. By now I'd pushed her back against the door, and I lowered my head and nestled it against her breasts. She was beside herself, one hand on top of her head gently pulling at her own hair and the other pushing my head harder to her chest. I slid my hand down her body and wiggled it into the waist band of her pants. She gasped as my fingers contacted her bare skin and moved under her panties. She was shoving her hips to meet my fingers. The confines were tight since I hadn't unbuttoned her pants, but it wouldn't matter. I forced my hand further down until if found hair and then her hot, wet slit. She instinctively slid her legs apart.

"Unngh," she grunted as my finger penetrated her body. With one hand, she grabbed the hem of her sweater and yanked it up to bunch under her armpits. I pulled back enough to let her and then lustily eyed her heaving breasts. With my free hand, I slid my fingers under the wire and yanked the cups up over her breasts. They bounced free. I quickly sucked a rubbery nipple between my teeth.

Between my mouth on her soft tit and my finger in her pussy, she peaked.

"Oooooh, gawwwd," Mom groaned as a spasm slammed into her body, followed by a series of massive convulsions. With her hips thrashing between me and the door, keeping my finger inside her was a challenge. She grunted with each jolt of pleasure. Her hands were all over my head and shoulders and back as I continued to pull the orgasm from her body.

Suddenly, she sucked in a huge lungful of air and went limp in my arms. I think my body pinning her to the door and my finger lodged in her quivering pussy were the only things keeping her up. She started pushing at me weakly, so I moved my lips to the valley between her breasts, gently kissing her cleavage while I eased my finger from her depths. She whimpered.

"What have I done?" she moaned quietly as she regained her senses. "Oh, God, what have I done?" I could sense she was beginning to cry again. I didn't want that. No matter what happened from that point forward, I didn't want her to cry about what had ALREADY happened. So I immediately covered her mouth with mine, startling her enough to keep the cry at bay.

We kissed, less intensely than before, and after a few minutes, she pushed me away. I looked at her face, looking for any sign she was going to cry. Instead, her face looked resolute. She continued pushing me until my butt hit the edge of the counter behind me. Without warning, she sank to her knees in front of me, yanking my shorts and underwear down with her as she went. I almost came right then watching my sexy mom, her sweater and bra pushed crudely above her breasts, on her knees in front of me. She stared wide-eyed as my erection bobbed in front of her. The tip of my cock was glistening with my pre-come, which only intensified the dark redness of it.

Her hand wrapped around the base. Then her eyes flicked up to mine for just a moment before she closed them and took my erection into her mouth.

"Oooooh, shiiiit," I hissed when she completely engulfed my cock. The heat and wetness of her mouth was incredible! A shudder passed through me when she started bobbing her head back and forth on my rod. Her hand made tiny strokes, as well. It felt exquisite! Amazing! Incredible! She was damn good at sucking cock; at least I thought she was. Part of that might have been the naughtiness of it all.

It didn't take long before I was shoving my hips at her face. She used her hand around my shaft to keep my hips still. Then she pulled back so just the knob was in her mouth. My body shuddered again as she began slathering her tongue all over my head, around the head, over the tip, top of her tongue, bottom of her tongue. She was savoring every millimeter of my cock. Her fist started pumping as she explored my knob, and I'd had enough.

"Coming..." I grunted, as some kind of warning. But it was too late. A massive shudder poured through me. "Mom ... oh fuuuck..." I groaned as the first rope of thick come erupted from my dick to flood Mom's mouth.

She didn't pull away, so the second spurt ... and the third ... and the fourth ... also filled her mouth. I could hear her swallowing frantically to keep my come from escaping. Her eyes were closed tight in concentration as she kept sucking and swallowing until I was done. Completely. When my knees began to quiver, she pulled off my cock.