Chapter 15

Mandy and Beth were walking fast after they closed the door of the 5^th wheel. They were almost running by the time they reached the corner but they slowed down after they disappeared from sight.

"Whew," Beth said panting. "That was close. I don't know what we could have said if she asked anything else about a picnic. Why did you say we had to talk about a picnic?"

Mandy thought for a moment and shrugged her shoulders before saying, "I had to give some reason and that's the only thing that popped into my mind. We were lucky though. If she hadn't been distracted by Bill we could have had a problem."

"You've got that right. Mom would take that as lying," Beth retorted. She was quiet for a moment then sighed and said, "I guess we had better set up a picnic with Aunt Ruth too."

"Well, what should I have said?" Mandy asked angrily. "How about 'We want to ask Aunt Ruth if you were a slut when you were a kid.' Or how about, 'We want to ask Aunt Ruth if she thinks you were serious when you said Bill can look at our boobs'."

"Mom didn't say that," Beth said horrified.

"Well, she might as well have," Mandy said a little calmer. "And it might be fun," she muttered under her breath.

"Mandy!" Beth said looking at her sister with big eyes. "You don't mean that," she said assertively. Beth looked sideways at her sister as they walked down the street. When Mandy didn't answer after three steps Beth asked, "Do you mean it?"

Mandy didn't answer for another three strides. Beth was getting ready to say something else when Mandy finally replied, "Oh not really. I guess I don't." She looked at her sister as they hurried down the street. "Oh Beth!" she said in frustration. "I see how the guys at the mall look at us and they are young guys and old guys. They look at us 'that way' at school to. Most of them are young guys and the guy teachers. I know Jimmy likes to look at me but he is a kid just like me."

"No he isn't," Beth retorted. "He'll be 18 Thursday."

"Well, he still acts like a kid," Mandy said defending her statement. "Bill is really a man though. He has a job and has been all over the world and has had lots of lovers, probably. Anyway, if he really likes to look at us then maybe we don't look as dorky as we think we are."

"You aren't dorky," Beth said. "I know I am but you are definitely pretty."

"Quit trying to make me feel good," Mandy retorted. "You're the cute one. I'm the dorky one."

They smiled at each other as they took the last few steps to reach the short cut through the woods and into the cabin area that Ruth lived in. It was an old argument and both appreciated the others support, even though they knew the other was wrong.

"But, do you know what I mean?" Mandy asked as they walked rounded the first turn in the path and the street disappeared behind them.

"Yeah, I know," Beth said after a moment's hesitation. "It's a little scary though. I don't know if I want a guy to see my boobs. Anyway, they aren't very big. What guy would want to see these little things?" She accompanied the question with a quick straightening of her bra.

Mandy rolled her eyes and said, "Beth, guys always want to see boobs and it doesn't matter how big they are. Guys are like that."

Beth was quiet for a moment as she considered Mandy's statement. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I've seen the guys at school looking. I even caught old Mr. Blarney, the history teacher, trying to look down the front of my blouse when he was helping me with a question on a test." Beth blushed.

Mandy looked at her little sister and wondered about the blush. "What?"

Beth looked at Mandy out of the corner of her eye before looking back at the forest path. She blushed harder. In a quiet little voice she said, "I let him look because I thought he would give me more help with the question. I really needed to pass that test and I hadn't studied as much as I should have so I, ah, I leaned forward a little more so he could look and it worked. I mean, he helped me a little more and even pointed at the answer."

"Is that all," Mandy scoffed. "All girls do that sometime," she asserted with confidence. "Just consider it one of the weapons you can use to get over on guys."

"Mandy," Beth said in shock. "We shouldn't use our bodies like that."

"You don't think so? Go down to the mall and sit around and watch the men and women for a while. Even the married ones do it," Mandy said.

Beth was quiet for a long moment as they approached the edge of the woods. Finally she quietly said, "Mom doesn't do that."

It was Mandy's turn to quietly contemplate her beliefs on the subject. She sighed and said, "I know. Maybe that's why she has so much trouble with men all the time."

"No. That's because she destroys them," Beth said with a giggle. "Bill is the only one that she's found that's immune to her."

Mandy giggled with her sister as they left the woods and saw the back of Aunt Ruth's house.

The girls spent as much time at their Ruth's house as they did at their own. The girls knew that she wasn't really their Aunt but she might as well have been. Ruth had been a part of their lives from their earliest memories. Talking to their Aunt Ruth about their problems was a time honored tradition in their little family. They had lived in the same general area all their lives. They had moved a few times in their lives and Aunt Ruth had moved a few times, but it was always within easy walking distance. Mandy and Beth had walked to Aunt Ruth's house even when Mandy had to hold Beth's hand to cross the street. Aunt Ruth's home may have a different address but it was as much their home as their own was.

"Race," Mandy said and took off running.

Beth had expected the challenge and got a slight jump on her sister. They always raced the last 50 yards to the back door. Since Mandy could run faster, Beth needed every edge she could get.

They arrived at the back of Ruth's cabin laughing.

"I won," Beth panted laughing.

"Only because you cheated," Mandy panted and laughed back. This was also part of the ritual they had built over the years. Sometime Mandy let Beth win when she thought her little sister needed an ego boost. Sometime she won when she thought her little sister needed a little humble pie. This time she intended to win but Beth beat her anyway. Her little sister was growing up.

Mandy opened the back door and the two walked in. They never knocked at Aunt Ruth's house. Knocking on Aunt Ruth's door would be like knocking on their door at home. It didn't make any sense.

"Aunt Ruth, can we talk to you about mom," Mandy called.

"Yeah, she said some weird stuff and we..." Beth called and stopped.

Ruth's cabin only had one bed room. Most of the cabin was one large room with the front door and back doors directly across from each other with the door to the small bed room right beside the back door. A small kitchen and small dinette was on one side and a low backed couch and television on the other. The television was against the wall between two windows and the couch was facing the television.

The girls heard a startled squeak from the couch at their entrance and calls. Tim's head popped up over the back of the couch first. It was obvious he didn't have a shirt on. His face was flushed red and his eyes were big. Ruth's head popped up next. It was obvious she didn't have a blouse or bra on. Her face was flushed as red as her hair and the flush extended as far down as the girls could see, almost to her waist. Ruth gave another squeak and lowered herself so only her head could be seen above the back of the couch.

"Aunt Ruth," Beth shrieked.

"What are you doing?" Mandy shrieked right behind her sister.

"I, we, she, I," Tim stammered.

"What are you girls doing here," Ruth yelled?

"Aunt Ruth," Beth shrieked again. Her eyes were as big as saucers.

"Is that all grownups do," Mandy demanded with disgust.

"I think they think they can do whatever they want just because they are grown up," Beth said with equal disgust.

"OK girls, turn around," Ruth ordered sternly in her booming base voice. She had recovered from her surprise.

The girls turned as ordered. They were looking out the still open back door. Both girls were blushing nearly as bad as Ruth and Tim were.

"Should we just leave," Beth whispered.

They could hear rustling and movement behind them as the adults got dressed.

"I don't think we could make it out of here," Mandy whispered back. "You know how fast Aunt Ruth is."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Beth whispered with a note of defeat in her voice.

"I think I should leave," Tim whispered to Ruth as he buttoned his shirt.

"No way," Ruth whispered back. "You aren't going to leave me with these hellions. You don't know them like I do. At least with you here they may not ask the more embarrassing questions."

"Hello," Mandy said over her shoulder. "The hellions are right here. We can hear you even though you are whispering."

"Damn kids," Ruth said aloud. "Maybe Susan is right about that closet theory."

Mandy and Beth looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Can we turn around now," Beth demanded angrily?

"Sure. Why not? You'll see less than you did before," Ruth grumped.

The girls turned around to see Ruth pulling a blouse closed to cover a bra.

"Sit down," Ruth ordered nodding towards the table.

Mandy and Beth walked to the dinette and sat. They stared at Ruth expectantly. Ruth just stared back as she finished buttoning her blouse.

Tim shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot and looked at the front door longingly. "Uh, maybe I should..." he started.

"Forget it," Ruth snapped angrily still looking at the girls. Her gaze shifted to Tim and could see the near panic in his face. Her face softened and she smiled. "Don't worry Tim. These two are dangerous but I've never heard of them being lethal." She chuckled before continuing in her bass voice. "Besides, it looks like we'll need to announce our plans a little earlier than scheduled and I will definitely need your moral support with these too."

Tim's eyes were on the front door but they seemed to be pulled by a rope until he was looking at Ruth. His face softened too and lost some of the panic Ruth had seen before. He glanced at the girls and back at Ruth. One corner of his mouth quirked when he asked, "Are you sure they aren't lethal?"

Ruth's smile broadened to a grin when she replied. "They'll only be lethal to all the broken hearts they leave behind them."

Tim returned her grin and looked at the girls. "Yep, you're right. They do look dangerous."

Beth looked at the two adults with uncertainty. She was pretty sure they were making fun of her and Mandy but wasn't sure how. Mandy glared at them. She knew how.

"Grownups are so weird," Mandy growled. She took a deep breath and let it out to get control of herself. She had learned that trick from watching Bill over the last week. She looked around the little cabin. She saw a pair of Ruth's panties hanging off the end of the couch. She blushed and looked away. She saw a half full pot of coffee on the warmer.

"Aunt Ruth," Mandy said sweetly. "Would you and Tim like a cup of coffee while you sit down and explain what is going on?"

"For sure dangerous and probably lethal too," Tim muttered as he followed Ruth towards the table.

"Sure Mandy," Ruth replied with the same sweet tones. "And make sure you dip you fingers in it to sweeten it up."

Beth looked at her startled and blurted, "I thought you drank it black!"

"It's a figure of speech honey," Ruth said and she patted Beth on the shoulder. "If Mandy wants to play the smart ass with me she should remember who taught her how to be a smart ass."

"Both are definitely dangerous," Tim muttered as he looked back and forth between Ruth and Mandy. "No sweetener in mine," Tim said.

All three females looked at him startled.

"She may have rat poison on her fingers," Tim explained.

Mandy looked indignant. Ruth sniggered.

"OK, "Ruth said as she sat down. "Forget the coffee."

"No way," Tim said. "I'll get it," he said as he walked to the coffee pot. "Do you want some honey," he asked looking at Ruth?

"Thanks Tim. Yes please," Ruth said smiling at the big man.

The girls looked back and forth between the two.

"What's going on," Mandy demanded.

"I don't know what you mean," Ruth said sweetly.

"Aunt Ruth, you know what she means," Beth said with frustration. "You don't act like this. Here you are acting all lovey-dovey with a strange guy and we walk in and you are doing it on the couch. You, You, You..." Beth trailed off sputtering and her face flamed when she realized what she said in front of a guy. Her eyes brightened with unshed tears and she sputtered to a stop. "You don't act like that Aunt Ruth," she said in a quiet little voice. One tear escaped her eye and rolled down one cheek. Beth angrily wiped it away.