My first summer as Lauren was about to come to a close. School was only a few days away. It was really hard to believe that for three solid months I'd lived each day as a girl. And now it seems I'll be going to school as a girl. Mom had already registered me for classes and my class schedule had already been handed to me. So that was that, I had also been informed that I could attend school as Lauren and use the staff bathroom to both handle my personal business and change for P.E. And nobody would be any wiser.
So with those tiny grains of sand starting to pour through my hourglass, draining away the precious few remaining seconds, minutes, hours and days left of my freedom I was determined to do something that would make me remember this summer for the rest of my life. Or something to that effect. Instead of going out and I don't know what to do, doing something I laze around the house and spend my mornings browsing the internet, my afternoons napping, my evenings stargazing, and my nights reading Fear Street books on my kindle.
But then something happened. One Saturday morning dad was cooking breakfast. Like he normally does on weekends, you know a full spread. The kind of breakfast that sticks to your bones. Were talking about mountains of pancakes, cooked till their golden brown, warm and fluffy, topped with plenty of real cow's butter and a stream of golden syrup. Mounds of bacon, fried crispy , and crunchy. Pots of strong black coffee, so strong it will take the paint off your car.
And of course milk and juice. Dad loves to cook a big breakfast, and it normally means you're going to have a light lunch and maybe a soup or sandwich for supper that evening. Anyway I was just about to attack my stack of pancakes when mom, who loves to read the morning paper lowered it and smiled at me. I remember pausing in mid-bite as I peered toward mom. Slowly she lowered the paper.
“Lauren.” She said as she reached over and took a sip of her coffee. You could really smell the creamer she put in it. I mean it was the kind of Pumpkin-spice flavored creamer they sell as soon as they possibly can. Mom loves it and I swear she'll drink the stuff straight out of the carton if she could. I bet she does, in fact I'm willing to wager two months' allowance that her mug right there is filled not with coffee but that Pumpkin-spice flavored milk, I mean that all that stuff is, milk, a little bit of flavoring and some sugar.
“Yes ma'am?” I said blinking as I drew back a little.
“The Rotary Club is going to sponsor something called 'Summer Soiree' it's going to a huge town wide celebration that suppose to kick off the end of summer. And all of the other major club's are doing something The Kiwi Club is hosting a beauty pageant. All the local Juniors and Seniors have been invited to attend. I think some girl by the name Rebecca Joanna Coleman might be crowned 'Miss. Benton' or something. The Benton Academy cheerleaders will hosting a cheer-a-thon or something. And the Elk's club will hosting a dunking booth. I was wondering since your dad and I belong to the Elk's club and since your going to attending a lot more of the social's they host at the country club. Would you like to volunteer for the dunking booth?”
I blinked and blinked again, But mom pressed the attack.
“I think this would be good for you. I mean a lot of young ladies your age will be staffing the booth. So far I know Taylor Anna Croft has volunteered. And so has Cerridwen Circe Whitethorn. And I think Jamie Sarah Potter is also going to volunteer.” She paused. “I know Madeline Brewer is thinking about volunteering and that the Potter's oldest daughter Lily Elizabeth Potter would the one running the booth.” Mom said as she started to think. “Also you've not been all that social this summer. I mean you did come out of your shell a little and volunteer to the pie target at the Fourth of July celebration at Brewer farms. And that totally surprised your dad and I. But for the most part you've kept your nose in your kindle or in a book and your eyes glued to the glowing screen of your desktop.”
I nodded my head. And mom kept her ball rolling.
“Plus.” Mom said, smiling a little. “I think you'll find a cute boy, like it or not since you started your medians you've developed quite a form. Boys are starting to take notice of you and your starting to take notice of boys. You flirt easily enough with them.” Mom shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe you flirt a little too much, but then again this generation is different from mine and your fathers. So the dunking booth would be perfect for you, you can flirt with all the boys, tease them, and you'll be raising money for charity.”
At this point I had to ask.
“What are we raising money for?” I inquired.
“The children's wing of King Daughters hospital. You know to buy coloring books, stuffed animals, books, and toys for the children that have to stay overnight.” Mom paused. “So?”
I closed my eyes and started to think. And before I could catch myself I opened my mouth and said.
“Okay I'll volunteer.” And with that my fate was sealed.
End of Prologue
I felt myself starting blush as a feeling of embarrassment washed over me as I stepped out of the portable restroom and onto the hot tarmac. For the millionth time that morning I wondered what had I gotten myself into by volunteering to staff the Elk's Lodge dunking booth. And for the millionth time that morning I found myself giving myself the same old answer. That nobody would ever know it's me, and so slipping on a pair of matching red flip flops I started to make my way toward the attraction.
It took me ten or so minutes to travel the distance from the portable restroom to the dunking booth attraction. In that time I had passed a dozen or so tents that had popped up toadstools after an early spring shower. In the shade of these tents one could find tables, tables lined with all manner of goods. Wooden arts and crafts that included wooden toy swords and wooden shields. Second hand goods such as flora print sundresses, purses, shoes, and sunglasses. Some tents even offered second hand electronics for sale, items such as DVD players, MP3 players, video recorders, and all other kinds of entertainment goods.
Of course there were more than tents. I passed at least a dozen food trucks, these trucks sold all manner of fair foods, french fries, nacho chips loaded down with warm cheddar cheese sauce and topped with slices of green jalapeno peppers. Funnel cakes, warm from the fryer and topped with a good inch and a half of powdered sugar. Corn dogs, hot dogs, sausage dogs loaded down with grilled peppers, chicken wings, fried chicken tenders, and of course baskets of fried catfish. And let's not forget soda pop.
It was a veritable smorgasbord of food, entertainment, and shopping. And then I saw it, the queen of the fair, the main money maker of the whole thing, the dunking booth. Surrounding the dunking booth was a collection of girls, all dressed in light flora sundresses, some dressed in bathing suits.
In front of the booth I spotted those folding tables. A sign had been taped to the table and the sign read. “Dunk the Southern Belle. Five dollars, three balls or twenty dollars to press the button! All money raised goes to support the Elk's Lodge that supports many of the charities around Benton!” a person named. “William Potter” seemed to have written that message, because his name was at the bottom.
Sitting behind the table was a blonde hair girl that appeared to be around eight to nineteen years old. Was sitting behind the table on a folding metal chair. She wore a white and blue flora pattern sundress. She had the air about her of somebody who was used to giving commands and having those commands obeyed. Right now she was flipping through the newest issue of Sassy magazine. Though after a moment she noticed I was standing in front of the table. Without saying a word she closed her magazine and tossed it down on the card table and peered at me.
“About time you showed up.” She said with a sigh, She reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. “The booth was supposed to be open for business at ten, it's ten fifteen right now.” She said, sighing. “You're fifteen minutes late for your shift.” She paused as she looked me up and down.
“Anyway.” The blonde girl said. “We've just finished filling the tank. So you're not too late. And I'm sorry to break it to you. But the girl who was supposed to relieve you is not going to show. She is sick or something. So you gotta work a double shift.” She paused. “You might even have to work three shifts. Three the max though. I can't work you more than three one hour shifts.” She paused. “But we'll just have to see what the day brings.”
She then stepped aside and nodded her head toward the tank.
“Anyway, I need you to climb up and sit on that seat.” I could sense a bit of leadership in her voice. I could also sense a bit of an attitude in her tone of voice. Like she could be a nice person and most likely she was a nice person. But she was a bit self-centered and a bit arrogant. I took a deep breath though and pushed those thoughts away from me.
And with that I turned my full attention toward the dunking booth. The dunking booth was a round tank that held around three hundred gallons of water. It was deep too, from the bottom of the tank to the top was a good six feet. Located in the front was a sheet of clear plastic glass that would allow you to view the person who was just dunked. Located at the top of the length of cyclone fencing and finally there was a drop seat. What would happen would be simple enough. Somebody would drop five dollars for three balls, they would then step up to the throw line, that was a white line somebody had spray painted onto the tarmac just behind the table. They would then take a deep breath and toss the ball at the metal target. If they hit the target, and the target was the size of an elephant so nobody could really miss, unless they wanted to. So once they hit the target, the seat would drop and I would go dropping down into the three hundred gallons of ice cold water.
Anyway she had to go on. And so with my heart fluttering I started to climb the old metal ladder, I soon reached the top and steeling myself I inched my bottom toward the edge of the plank. Once I was at the edge, I squared my shoulders, stuck out my developing chest, brought my knees together and folded my hands in my lap. I felt put on, and in fact I was, I was put on display, a pretty Southern Belle from the upper echelons of southern society was now putting her dignity on the line by volunteering for the town's dunking booth in order to raise money for a worthy cause.
Oh boy, to have a mind like mine is a real curse and a blessing at times. But the moment I eased my bottom down on the drop seat and inched my way toward the edge was the moment I felt an overpowering sense of embarrassment and anxiety come over me. My feet were a good two foot from the surface of the water. And already dozens of people and dozens of people were starting to gather around the booth now that somebody was sitting on the seat.
I carefully surveyed the crowd of people that started gathering around the tank. Most people who made up the crowds were people who came to town once a week. Hill farmers who worked small holding of land out in the country. There had to be at least a thousand and one small farms, and I mean small farms. Most of them just had enough to farm a garden that would hold them over from one frost to another.
The farmers were dressed in what I'll call their “Going to Church” clothes. And by “Going to Church” clothes I mean many of the men were dressed in denim overalls, heavy leather workbooks that for the other six days of the week were caked with mud and had been scrubbed clean with Joy dishwashing liquid till they shone like new money. A cap sporting some popular logo from some tractor dealership normally sat on their head to hide a head of balding hair.
Their wife's were dressed in a similar country fashion. Simple, plain looking dresses, all of them cotton, all of them short sleeved, all of them stopping just below the knees. Now the city folks were dressed more casual, in a style I like to call “Country Club Causal” the men for the most part wore plaid Bermuda shorts, Arnie Palmer golf shirts, golfing shoes. Sometimes they switched the shorts for pleated slacks and white button down shirts. Their wife's also wore dresses, but in a more urban fashion.
“Attention everybody!” Called the blonde hair girl. “The dunking booth is now open for business. For five dollars.” She said holding up a five dollar bill. She then placed the bill into a metal box. “You get three balls.” She said holding up three yellow and white covered tennis balls. “You throw these balls at that target.” She added as she pointed toward the target. “If you hit the target, then that seat that pretty girl is sitting on goes bye-bye and she gets a nice cold bath!”
“If you don't want to take a risk, or if you don't trust your aim. Or you don't want to go through all the hassle of trying to hit the target. You can just pay twenty dollars to cross over the line and push the target in. Just give the target a good ol' push and that seat would drop and you'll be giving this lovely little lady a nice cold bath!”
And with that being said the crowd started to move on in. And I felt myself starting to brace, and for the billionth time that late sunny morning, what in the world had I gotten myself into. Okay it was really afternoon because just as the crowds started to surge forward you could hear the bell in city hall tolling. It tolled twelve times as the big iron hands aligned at straight up noon.
And so it began.
End of Chapter I
he first one to step up to the line was a teenage boy around my age, and man was he gorgeous, he was tall, and God had blessed him with a head full of long, silky smooth jet black hair that reached down to the collar of his shirt. He was also tanned and one could see nothing but lean muscles. Just looking at him made me shiver. I soon found myself starting to blush. And much to my embarrassment their was no way I could hide my blush.
“Hey.” He said smiling as he flashed me a smile that made my heart beat. “You looking a little hot up there. Mind if I cool you off.” His smile became a smirk. I then noticed he was starting to check me out. His eyes, baby blue traveled from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.
“Sure.” I said feeling myself becoming tongue tied. Despite all I'd been through that summer, I still had the social grace of a Dodo bird. And by that I mean, I was often clueless about what to do or say around people beside hang around the back and nod my head and mind me drink. I often became tongue tied when somebody tried to talk to me. I was totally socially inept when it came to causal flirting. Though according to my mom the boys often loved to flirt with me. And that I often flirted back.
“Think you can hit that target?” I said deciding to look him dead in the eye. “Got what it takes to send me down into the icy cold water?” I said smiling sweetly as I stuck out my tongue and ran it along the edge of my teeth.
The boy flashed me a smile and drew his arms back and a few seconds later he tossed the ball toward the target. A moment later the ball smacked into heavy canvas tarp that hung behind the target. I felt my heart jump into my throat the moment the echo from the ball reached my ears. For a minute their I thought I was going to drop down into the water.
“Missed.” I said smiling.
“Don't worry, I still have a little two more balls.” He said smiling sweetly as he took careful aim and tossed his second ball, I watched the ball travel through the air and it came very close to hitting the metal trigger, I mean it came within a inch of hitting the target. But the ball missed and bounced off the heavy canvas tarp and rolled on the ground.
“Darn,” He sounded a bit crestfallen that he had failed to hit the target a second time. “I thought I'll hit the target that time!” He moaned.
I wanted to make a taunting comment. But instead I just flashed him a little smile and gave him a little wink. “Hey I'll tell you what. If you don't hit the target on your next throw, why don't you just go ahead and push the target. But, in return you gotta take me on a date this afternoon. So do we have a deal?” I'm going to be real with you guys. I was taken back by that. I mean I could not believe the words that just had came out of my mouth. If somebody had been there to record them, say with a tape player and then replayed those that to me, I would have sworn to you that somebody else said that.
“Sure. I'll be around to pick you after your shift.” He paused. “So when does your turn in the dunking booth end?” He asked as he looked around. Was he blushing? Had I embarrassed him asking him out on a date? Or was he stunned. I only know his ears were glowing red.
“Sure, So I'll be around to pick you up at say two?” He asked smiling sweetly.
“Sure sounds good to me.” I said and with that he took his third and final shot. A moment later I felt the seat I was seating under give way and a moment later I was dropping like a stone into the pool of water below me, the water was freezing cold and at first it took my breath away from me. Then I felt my bottom touch the floor of the tank. Through the water I could gaze out and peer through the clear viewing window. The crowd that surrounded the tank were cheering and hooting and the handsome boy was just standing there, blushing. It was cute.
Feeling a little flirty I blew him a kiss before starting toward the surface. I soon broke the surface of the water and smiled. I turned around and peered toward the crowed and winked. A few seconds later I was pushing the seat of the tank back up. Once I heard the clicking sound that meant the seat was back in place I lifted myself out of the water and climbed up the steel ladder and once more inched my bottom toward the edge of the drop seat.
“So.” I said taking a deep breath, the sudden plunge had really taken my breath away. “I hope to see you in a hour or two?” I asked hopefully.
“Its a date.” The boy said smirking. “Oh the name is Clay, Clay Bridges.” He paused. “And what would your name be?”
“Lauren..” I said without thinking. “Lauren Huntington.” Then as an after thought I added. “But my friends call me Luna. Mostly because I study astrology and Luna is the Latin word for 'Moon' and its also the personification of the moon as a goddess.” said blushing a little.
“Cool.” He paused a bit then. “You know, you kind of remind of this girl I meet this summer down at the beach. She said her name was Luna. And like she and I took part in some kind of game. It was fun.” He said blushing. “Anyway I'll let you go, see you in a bit.. Luna.” And with that he vanished into the crowds.
Clay was the first one to dunk me. And for a while he reminded the only one too. Others tried, but most of them missed. One poor fellow spent a good twenty dollars, he spent that twenty dollars five dollars at a time and he missed every shot. I felt bad for him and kind of wanted the girl running the booth to let him just go up and press the button and dunk me. And in the end he walked away twenty dollars poorer and I was starting to dry a little.
Then from the crowd I spotted a strawberry blonde girl. The first thing I noticed about the girl was her outfit, she was dressed in a cheerleading outfit, a red and white shell top, red and white pleated skirt and red and white sneakers. Her pale blue eyes seemed to twinkle in the strong afternoon sunshine as she bounced toward the booth.
“Hey Lily!” The girl cried. “Rebecca wants you to know she'll be taking the forth shift and I'll be taking the third shift. No news about the other girl. I tried to text her or something, but so far.. she not returned my text. I even tried to call. Still no answer.” She called out.
“Figured. Thought about trying to get Madeline to volunteer. She always seems to be doing these kind of things. I don't think Jamie wants to volunteer. She might though, Cerridwen might.. I doubt it.. she has something of a cold, and her mom wants to keep her warm.. I swear the girl stays sick.” Lily mused as she shook her head from one side to the other.
“Anyway, who the girl in the tank?” The Strawberry blonde girl said as she pointed toward me.
“Oh that Lauren.” I heard Lily say. “She volunteered to take the first and I guess second shift. Her dad and my dad are Elk brothers or something. I've seen her before at a few Lodge socials.” Lily said once more shrugging her shoulders. “So, want to take a shot and try to give the little lady a bath?”
Taylor shrugged her shoulders as she took a closer look at me.
“Oh you mean Luna? For a minute their you had me confused when you mentioned a girl named 'Lauren' I mean sure I'll take a shot. But just one game okay. I mean we have that charity cheer in like thirty or so minutes and rounding up the other cheerleaders is like rounding up a group of lazy ass cats.” Taylor blinked.
I blinked and started to sweat drop a little. The biggest thing I was afraid of one thing when I decided to volunteer for this little fund-raiser and that was getting recognized by somebody I know while I sat in the dunking booth. That included the small circle of friends. I mean the thought of being recognized by one of my few friends in the dunking booth made my toes curl with embarrassment.
“So.” Taylor said as she picked up the first ball. “I'm not sure if I'd should doing this. Since I'm going to be in the dunking booth soon. So you could get a little payback.” She said in a teasing voice. “But what kind of friend would I mean. I mean you are my best friend friend and your almost my sister.” She said as she tossed the ball up in the air before she caught it. “If I did not try to dunk you.”
I pouted a little and peered toward Taylor who just giggled as she drew her arm back and tossed the ball toward the target. A moment later I heard the ball bounce off the background.
“You missed.” I said as I watched the ball roll on the hot tarmac.
“Just getting warmed up.” Taylor retorted as she drew back and tossed her second ball. I watched the ball sail through the air and a moment later I heard the sound of the ball smashing into the metal target. I then felt the seat giving away and then I felt myself dropping into the freezing water below. Once more I felt myself bouncing off the bottom of the dunking booth and once more I found myself swimming toward the viewing glass, to give Taylor the pleasure of watching me swim around the bottom of the tank. I felt like a human goldfish. After a moment I once more broke the surface of the water and peered toward Taylor who just stood there wearing a proud smirk.
“Man.” Taylor said smirking a little. “Can't believe I got you on the first throw. And I still have two throws to go.” She was still smirking as I pushed the seat back up and once more I climbed up and took the seat. But a moment later I was dropping once more into the freezing water. This time I wasted no time in swimming around the bottom like a fish, and instead I shot right up like a cork.
“Two out three.” Taylor said smiling as she watched me climb back up. “Pretty good, I'm going to spare you the last toss, because I gotta dash. Rebecca is about to freak as is.” She added. “I mean I can understand the pressure of being the new co-captain is starting to get to her. But she needs to chill.”
I blinked and blinked again. I had no idea who Taylor was talking about. But I don't think it mattered as I watched her vanish into the crowd. And the crowd around the dunking booth started to grow, it was growing thicker than flees on the back of a old hound dog. And Lily, well Lily was having a hard time keeping up wit the demand. It seemed everybody wanted to dunk the new girl, most of them were boys, hot blooded teenage males that wanted to see a cute girl like me get soaking wet for their personal enjoyment. I'm going to be honest, that thought kind of made me blush and gave me this tingling kind of feeling.
Fifteen more minutes passed with dozens of people trying their best to hit the target. A few did and I went down into the water a few more times. And at this point I was soaked the bone. A bank of clouds had decided to move in and block out the sun and from the East a gentle breeze started to blow. The breeze a welcome relief to many caused me to shiver as I was soaking wet.
But then I noticed somebody I knew and I felt my cheeks starting to blush again. Picking through the crowd was a girl around my age. Slowly she walked up to the counter and without saying a world to Lily she placed five dollars down upon the counter and looked up at me and smiled a fearsome smile.
“Hello, sister.” She said as she tossed the ball back and forth.
I felt a chill run down my spice, standing there on the throwing line was my closet friend. She had jet black hair, sparkling blue eyes and a petite figure.
“Hello Cerridwen.” I said smiling sweetly. “I thought you were volunteering for this booth too.” I said peering toward my sister, okay were not really sisters in the sense that we share the same mother. But more sisters in the sense that were tied together by faith. See Cerridwen and I are both witches, were both part of the growing pagan community that calls Benton home. Cerridwen is the one that gave me my craft name of “Luna” when she learned I loved astrology. Her mother Pandora had gone a step further and taught me how to read charts and stuff. And mom and dad they accepted it. I mean I knew mom would accept it, cause she always been a bit into New Age stuff. Dad though I though being a hard boiled Episcopalian he'll frown on it. But it turns out he knew more about this stuff than Mom and I did. I sometimes wondered about dad. It seemed like at times he walked between both worlds if you get my drift.
Anyway I'm rambling.
“I was, but mom decided they needed somebody to staff to 'Fortune Reading' booth and since I can mom taught me palm reading and tarot card reading. The people who put on this event decided I was better suited to do that. Hence the get-up.” She blushing. “So embarrassing to be seen in public like this.”
I then noticed the outfit she was wearing, a forest green skirt that reached down to the ground, brown, leather slippers and a lace up white blouse that was tucked into the waistline of the skirt. A shawl that was a matching green hung down around her shoulders. On her this wrist hung big bracelets of gold. All in all she looked like stepped straight from the pages of some Disney inspired animated movie. That or the closet of the local Goodwill.
“You look cute.” I said smiling a little. My smile only last a moment before I heard the ding of the soft ball being bashed into metal target and a moment later I was falling through the air and soon I was bouncing off the bottom of the tank! I did the swim in front of the viewing glass and then quickly broke the surface of the water.
But as soon as I broke the surface of the water. And my shift went on.
End of Chapter II
Going into my second hour in the dunking booth and the Summer Soiree had reached its supreme zenith of madness. The hot tarmac pavement was filled with people. From the start of Main Street all the way down to the end you could hear the hawking of arts and craft vendors as they peddled their last remaining goods. The sound of laughter filled the air along with the sound of children running about and screaming the care free way they often do when a festival happens. And there I sat, still peering out at the sea of faces that had surrounded the dunking booth.
Was the dunking booth proving to be quite popular? Oh yes it was. At this point I've been dunked about twelve or so times. I was even getting used to the temperature of the water, at first it had been freezing, but now it was starting to warm up a little. Only slightly though, the girl or guy he came after me would still find it cold, cold enough to send you into a rampage of chills. But with the temperature starting to climb into the triple digits, I doubt anybody would complain too much.
All of this raced through my mind as I watched a boy around my age try to hit the target. He looked to be some kind of big, meat-headed jock type of fellow. He had only a few marbles in his head. You know the ones that had most of their common sense and book smarts knocked the heck out of them halfway through their high school career on the gridiron. All muscle and no brains, just like the coaches wanted them.
Anyway I rambled, the footballer was throwing the ball harder and harder and getting more and more pissed off with each shot he missed till at last Lily let him skip behind the line and press the button. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and felt the metal seat give way and once more I felt myself dropping into the pool of freezing cold water. The jock hooted something and walked away, pumping his fist into the air.
“Sorry.” Lily said meekly. As she watched me climb up the metal ladder. “But he started to scare me, plus he did kind of pay his twenty dollars.. more like thirty dollars. So I felt wrong about not letting him just press the target. But he was growing violent.” She said in the same meek tone of voice.
“Whatever girl.” I said as I dismissed Lily. If the guy had turned violent then one of the county boys could have hauled the fellow down to the gray bar hotel and he'll be throwing his hissy fit there. After the big fellow left the crowd started to thin out. I guess that was part of the draw, seeing who had volunteered to sit in the dunking booth. And after an hour or so so if the same person was still there. Nobody really wanted to waste their money on three throws. And five dollars for three throws was a pretty steep price to pay if you ask me.
Lily blinked.
“Wow, somebody's getting a little bitchy.” She said as she turned around and faced the counter. “Just one more hour and you'll be free to go. A friend of mine, Robin, said she'll take the third shift.” Lily's cheeks had turned red as fire. Her arms were folded across her chest and her nose was held high in the air. All in all she reminded me of a queen who was looking down on a humble, peasant who had stumbled into her palace.
“Why don't you take my spot?” I asked as I folded my arms across my chest and peered toward the queen cheerleader. “You're supposed to be the 'Queen' of Benton Academy after all.” I was surprised, this was totally not normal for me. It was like a sudden mood swing had just come over me. I could not put my finger on it, but I just wanted to climb down from that platform and throw my hands upside Lily's head. Would that help anything? No, in fact I think it would have made things worse.
But would it have helped me feel better? Yes, it would have made me feel a thousand and one times better. I think Lily could sense the tension in the air because she moved toward the front counter. And that little “Splat” of ours if you want to call that, kind of made a second wave of people appear. The second wave lasted about as long as the first. The aim for most people was off and of the dozen or so people who lined up to take a shot none of them even came close to hitting the target.
Then another girl stepped up to the plate. At first I thought I was peering at a younger version of Lily, because like Lily she had blonde hair that was parted down the middle and tied back in two cute pigtails that were held in place with red and white cords of ribbon. She also looked like she was running because her face was dotted with small beads of perspiration. She also wore a kind of uniform. A cheerleading uniform.
“Man.” She said dropping five dollars down on the counter. “I've always wanted this.” She added as she picked up the first of three balls that were placed down on the table.
“Right little sis.” Lily said as she looked over her shoulder. She peered at me for a good minute, her blue eyes seem as cold as ice. “It seems our little target has gotten a little attitude on her.” She said in a voice that was cold as the heart of winter. “Why don't you see if you can't drop her into the water and cool her heels.”
I felt myself starting to growl a little as I peered toward Lily, for the second time today I saw myself climbing down from that drop-seat and slapping that little smirk right off her face. I found myself wondering if the little princess had ever gotten down into a good old fashioned dust up. I quickly pushed those thoughts from me as I peered toward the girl who was stepping up to the throw line. She seemed a few years older than me. I noticed she was wearing a golden nugget of a ring on her fingers. It appeared to be a class ring of some kind. And judging from her uniform she also attended Benton Academy. So maybe an upperclassman.
Great another Cheerleader.
“Oh I remember you.” The blonde hair girl said with a little smile. “You're Lauren! You volunteered to be the pie target at Kayla's farm bash thing. That rocked! Man talks about a party. It was so sweet of you to volunteer for the pie toss. I heard you wanted to play Dotty, but it rained ya out.” The blonde girl blinked.
I blinked and blinked again. It was at that moment I noticed Lily looked over her shoulder and fixed me firmly in her eyes. I blinked as I watched her shoot daggers at me, she then folded her arms across her chest and flipped her nose into the air. No doubt hearing the blonde girl sing my praises was really starting to piss her off.
“Jamie, are you going to dunk her or what?” Lily said.
“Why don't you get up here?” I said with a smirk. “Or are you scared?” I'm going to be honest with you. At this point I was really just goading Lily on. I wanted to see how far I could push her. I might be the new girl in town. But I knew enough to know that Lily Elizabeth Potter was considered royalty in town. Heck the whole Potter family was considered town royalty if you ask me.
It was at that moment I felt the seat giving away and once more I felt myself dropping a stone into the freezing water below. My whole world turned blue once more as I felt my bottom bounce off the floor of the tank. For a moment I swam around the bottom. Making sure to press my face into the clear plastic surface of the viewing window so the people watching could be amused and then I broke the surface.
“So that's what it feels like to dunk somebody. Kind of a neat feeling.” And with that Jamie left. After that things started to slow down. Lily kept giving me the cold shoulder not that it bothered me. Then I spotted two people I was hoping to avoid. My mom and dad. Both were strolling down the street, mom was dressed in a flora print sundress, her brunette hair was down and a straw hat with a blue ribbon tied around it rested easy on her head. Dad was dressed in a pair of brown slacks, brown leather dress shoes, a brown belt held his pants tightly to his waist and a white button down shirt. Both were drinking love from each other's eyes. I noticed mom had a pink string tied around her wrist, attached to the end of the string was a balloon. I then noticed that mom had her purse slung across her shoulder. Stuffed into the purse were four or five small stuffed animals. Mom was carrying the biggest one in her hand.
Then out of the corner of her eye, mom spotted me. She pushed the stuff animal she was holding in her arms toward Dad who caught it and started to sprint over to were Lily was standing. Lily blinked as mom slammed a five dollar bill down upon the table. Without saying a word she placed three balls upon the table.
“You know.” Mom said as she picked up the first ball. “You know I gotta dunk you!” She said in a teasing voice. “It's like a tradition. A mother always has to dunk her daughter. Think of it like this, this is payback for all the times you've gotten fussy with me the last few days.” Mom said as she tossed out her first ball that sailed a little high and smacked the wooden board. The sound of the ball striking the wooden surface made me jump a little.
“You missed mom!” I said in a teasing tone of voice. Mom only scowled as she reached down, picked up the second ball and tossed it hard toward the metal target. Her second ball bounced off the wooden board and rolled on the ground. The scow on mom's face grew longer and my smile grew bigger as I said in a sing-song voice. “That strike two! One more strike and the pretty lady out!”
A moment later I was eating those words as mom reached down and picked up her second ball. She took a deep breath and let the ball fly, I watched the ball sail through the air and a moment later the ball struck the center of the metal ringer. An ear splitting ding sounded as the ball smashed into the center of the metal target. Causing the seat I was sitting on to collapse and me to fall into the freezing water below. I felt my lungs fill with water once more as I felt my bottom bounce off the floor of the dunking booth. I felt myself starting to swim toward the viewing mirror. On the other side I could see my mom jumping around and giving my dad a big high-five.
A few seconds later I broke the surface of the water. Getting dunked by mom was so embarrassing.
“Your turn honey.” Mom said as she turned toward dad who started to blush a little. Gently rolled his shoulders and walked over to the front table. He paid his five dollars and was given three balls in return. I felt my cheeks starting to turn scarlet as I watched dad step up to the throwing line. I took a deep breath as I felt the seat give way and for the second time it seemed like mere moments I felt myself dropping down into the freezing water below!
For a moment I just bobbled around the bottom of the tank, once more pressing my face firmly against the viewing window located on the bottom. I then started to swim toward the surface and once I broke the surface of the water I smiled. I smiled for two reasons. The first reason was simply enough, my second hour in the tank had come to an end. As at that very moment I could hear the ringing of the bells from both Trinity and All Saints. Their deep brass voice echoed down the cobblestone streets as they tolled away the hours. And two standing on the edge of the crowds was the boy from before.
And so smiling from one ear to the other I swam toward the ladder. Once I reached the ladder, I took a deep breath and lifted myself from the water and started to climb down. Clay were their, waiting on me, I kind of rushed to him. I did however stop a few feet from him. I kind of remembered mom and dad were just standing a few feet away. Blushing I looked and the first thing I noticed was the way mom was looking at me. It was something of a puzzled look and a “You and I need to talk, soon young lady.” look. Dad just looked confused. Though I could tell he was taking careful measurements of Clay.
Call it what you will, I'm going to call it daughter's intuition. Anyway I reached down and pulled Clay toward mom and dad. Both seemed quite puzzled.
“Mom, dad.” I said pulling Clay along. “This is Clay, he's one of my friends. Clay kind of asked me to go out and get something to eat with him. And we're going to like to watch the fireworks this evening too. If that okay with you two of course.” I said blushing. Clay looked like a deer that had been caught in the oncoming headlights of a speeding car going ninety six miles a hour at five o' clock in the morning down Highway 49. That to say he was too scared to move.
“Hello sir.” I heard Clay stutter out as he reached over and offered my father his hand. My father smiled and reached out and took it and gave it a firm shake. He said nothing though, he only fixed Clay with a firm look. Mom on the other hand was starting to walk around him, for a moment I felt a sudden pang of anger, mom was studying him. Scooping him out, the way she walked around him, looking at him from every angle had me seeing red. I had no idea why though. But then she stopped, walked up to me, placed her hand on my shoulder, leaned in and in a soft tone of voice whispered into my ear.
“He's cute hon.” She said smiling. “Good job on picking him out. Now you've hooked him, you gotta land him. Just don't go overboard and remember if the mood is right, use a little protection.”
“MOM!” I was stunned, I felt my cheeks starting to turn red and I knew I was starting to blush.
“Not so loud honey.” Mom said, chuckling a little. “You don't have to hide things, I remember being a teenager too, you know. You're at that age too, he's cute, a little summer romance and all. Anyway I approve and I think your father does too. Just don't stay out too late and come find us when the fireworks are over.” She said, patting me on the shoulder as she skipped away to join my father who was grilling Clay hard. I had been too busy with mom to really pay any attention to the kind of questions dad was asking him. They must have been hard though, because he wiggled around like a worm on a fisherman's hook.
And so I sighed and waited. I gotta say though, it had been one heck of a day. And the night held so much promise.
End of Chapter III
What happened next? Well before Clay and I could go on our date, I needed to change out of my bathing suit. I mean I could have wrapped a towel around my waist, slipped on a pair of flip-flops and called it all good and ready to go. But that looks only suitable for the beach and not a end of the summer carnival. And going home and getting changed was kind of out of the question. Heck mom and dad had already headed off to find a secluded place of their own. I honestly think mom and dad were trying to rekindle the love of their marriage or something. I mean since coming out as a girl, mom had been more open about her love life. And from time to time, I could hear the rustling of bed sheets, the sound of them kissing and the soft groans of pleasure coming from their bedroom.
Anyway, with mom and dad gone I really had to think quickly on my feet. So reaching down and taking Clay be the hand I started toward one of the many consignment shops that dotted the downtown area. I kind of went into the nearest one I could find. It was called “The Treasure Chest'' and it was filled with antiques and vintage items. All of them though were covered in a good two inches of dust. The air inside was stale and smelled like moth balls. There was no order to everything, everything seemed to be just piled in.
Above the door an old brass bell hung and as soon as I entered the door caused the bell to ring out. The owner, a bald headed man with wrinkled skin and deep gray eyes, looked up from an old newspaper and peered out at me and Clay. Puff's of gray smoke swirled around his head as he peered at me. In front of him was an old beat up ashtray that was overflowing with used butts.
“Can I help you two?” He said as he peered toward us. “Better have a damn good reason for coming into this shop dressed like that young lady too.” He added as he took notice of what I was wearing. The red bathing suit from before and a pair of slip-on plastic saddles. The suit had dried at this point and so I decided it would double as underwear.
“Yes I need to buy a dress or something.” I said quickly. Clay just peered at the man.
“Dresses in the back. Changing room back there too. Mind the clutter. You break it, you buy it. Cash only, no credit card, no bank card, no personal check. And none of that script they passing off as money. Just cash. Price is what the tag reads. No haggling. Don't like it, you can get your ass out of my shop and go somewhere else.” He said in a commanding tone of voice. I knew then what I was dealing with.
You see in the south we have the remains of a generation that wish things had remained the same. Old men and women who remembered when there were still “White Only” signs hanging up in the bus stations and barber shops, cafes and hotels. Who fondly remembered a time when white attended one school and blacks another school, those same people desired a return to those times. Those same people, would have me horse whipped within a inch of my life and then raped if they knew I was transgender. Heck that might even decide to lynch me.
If I had a choice, I would have walked right out of that place. But the other shops were closed or too far away. I nodded my head and started to pick my way through the clutter, the tiny shop was a jumble of items. Cheap paperback books overflowed from an old cardboard box that had a piece of paper attached to it that read. “All Paper Back Books One dollar each.”
Now I'm a book lover, and part of me wanted to go over to cardboard box and start digging around like a mole. But upon taking a closer look, I noticed half the covers were missing and most of the books smelled like rotting paper. The pages had turned to a sickly yellow color and green mold was growing on about a dozen of them. This was no treasure chest, this was a junk shop.
“What you looking at boy?” I heard the owner call out as he peered toward Clay. “Better not be thinking about picking my shit.” He growled. “Been in this business for almost forty years. I know a pickpocket and a thief when I see one. And boy you look like one. Going to be keeping my eye on you. You and that girl, strange people running around this damn town nowadays. I remember, back when I was your age, the Klan ruled this town and we were all the better for it. Kept the streets clean. And our policemen. Jesus they would knock the shit out of ya before locking yall ass up if you dared cause trouble.” He sneered.
“I remember a time when the town's council and mayor reported directly to the White Citizens Council and that kept things running smoothly here. These folks would never have voted to have an event. They were the good old folks.” He added with a sigh as he returned to reading.
Now, I have some pretty thick skin, but hearing this old man's rant kind of flanked my amour if you will. I mean I know I'll encounter people like that sooner or later. But I soon found the dresses, and his selection to choose from was very limited. Like maybe three or four old, dated, sundresses. But beggars can't be choosers, and time is of the essence. And so swallowing my pride I picked out the best looking one of the lot, a spaghetti strap sundress that was pastel pink. The price tag read “Four Dollars”.
So I paid for the dress, changed into the dress and the date resumed. I felt a lot better, you know, wearing something that looked a bit more suitable. I'm going to be honest with you guys, I gambled. I mean yes I should have tried the dress on, but the changing room smelled and was dark. So I kind of hoped it would fit. And it did, it fitted me like a glove.
And Clay, he could not take his eyes off me. I was starting to enjoy that feeling you know. It was a kind of nice feeling, I can't put it into words, but walking down that crowded street, the wind blowing through my still damp hair, the sun kissing my skin and having a cute boy walking by my side. A cute boy that admired me that in a way wanted me, just made me feel special, like I was princess or something, no scratch that, it made me feel like a queen.
“Mind if swing by the dunking booth?” I asked, “I just want to see who's turn it is. Then maybe we could get something to eat. I'm getting kind of hungry.” My stomach decided to weigh in on the conversation at that very moment by making a very loud growling noise. A reminder that I had skipped lunch and breakfast that morning had only been a small bowl of bland, tasteless grits. And those grits had long since left me.
“Sure.” Clay said, smiling a little. “How about this, once you've checked out the dunking booth. We can do a little window shopping then maybe we can hit up some of the food trucks. I think even Cock of the Walk is even offering their famous fried catfish platters. We could split it.” He then paused. “Or I could buy you one.”
Now like any good southern belle, I was brought up on catfish, or tender strips of catfish fillets that had been battered in a seasoned cornmeal batter and once they were evenly coated fried till they were a golden brown. Served along with a pan of sweet cornbread that was dripping sweet cream butter. And don't forget the regional classical side dishes that included Collard Green, slow simmered till tender and stewed with bits and pieces of bacon. Okra, soaked in a egg wash then breaded in the same seasoned cornmeal batter as the fish and then flash fried, crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. Mustard Greens, like their cousin the Collar Green's only with a bit more kick to them. And to wash it all down with an ice, cold coke-cola.
And for dessert, pecan pie, and a cup of strong coffee. Southern cooking at its finest and as a southern woman, my mom had taken it upon herself that I should learn the art of cooking. The fact that I had once been a boy had been forgotten, vanished to some shadow realm, put out of mind and sight. I was her daughter and as her daughter I was to learn how to cook, clean and transform a house into a home for the day I was to wed, too a hopefully a well learned, well bred Episcopalian gentleman of the old Planter Class. That last part was a joke.
Anyway the talk of catfish had my mouth watering, so I was tempted to skip the dunking booth and go straight for the food. But in the end my curiosity got the best of me and before long Clay and I were weaving through the maze side-shows, games of chance, booths selling all manner of knickknacks, and all the normal sights and sounds of a small rural celebration that was one part county fair and one part giant flea market.
It took us a good fifteen minutes of fast walking to navigate the twist, turns and dead ends. All the while we could hear people shouting and hawking their wares. The sun was now starting to dip below the building and a cold northern wind was blowing down the streets. The coolness of the night was slowly advancing and the heat of the midday was starting to wear away. The wind whipped around my ankles and caused me to shiver a little. I was glad that my shift had already ended.
And soon we were standing before it. A big smile crossed my face the minute I drew near. Because climbing up the ladder was the girl before. I could clearly see the blush on her face. Blushing she twisted her bottom around and eased down upon the drop seat. She then smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress, crossed her legs and placed her hands down upon her lap. It was a stunning display of demure behavior.
Without thinking twice I fell in line. I was third in line and stepping up to the throwing line was a little boy wearing a super hero t shirt and a pair of faded jeans. He had a ball cap that was pulled back and was chewing what I'm going to assume was a big wad of chewing gum. I know I come from the south, and dipping is just as common as smoking But I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the morals of Benton are not so lax that they would allow a kid to dip. I was right, because at that very moment the kid spat up a huge oyster on the ground, no doubt mincing those baseball players of old as he reached down and picked up his first ball.
A second later that ball was flying down. Another second later that ball struck home. The smile on my face spread from one ear to the other as I watched the seat give way, dropping Lily into the freezing cold water below! Let me tell you something, it was so rewarding to see that little loudmouth floating around the bottom of the tank. She swam around for a minute, lost like a goose before popping back up. As soon as she popped back up a gust of cold wind came blowing down from the ridge line that surrounds the town and smacked her straight in the face.
“That freezing!” Lily shouted at the top of her lungs. “Nobody told me the water would be freezing!” She said, turning to a collection of girls all huddled up together. All of them had towels draped around their shoulders like shawls. And all of them seemed to be nursing Styrofoam cups of hot chocolate, their shivering fingers wrapped tightly the cups for warmth. None of them seemed to bother responding to Lily's cry. I guess they were too busy with their drinks.
Lily's lips curled into a pout. She just had enough time to settle herself; she once more found herself dropping into the water, much to the delight of the gathered onlookers, who all hotted, hollered, yelled , whistled, and clapped.
I watched with mild amusement as Lily climbed the ladder, eased her bottom down upon the wet seat and once more folded her legs and placed her hands in her lap. I could tell she was trying to endure the dunking booth the best she could. Not that it surprised me, she came from one of the oldest families in Benton. One of the oldest, most well connected, most powerful, most prestigious, and most wealthy. Well that is if you believe half the talk that goes around this one horse town. Or the gossip that fills the beauty salon down on old Benton Road, that old concrete road that connects Benton with Yazoo City. If you believe that then I believe you don't have two pennies worth of common sense to rub together.
Anyway enough of me rambling about. It was now my turn. I placed five dollars down and picked up my first ball. Clay was standing beside me, blushing a little. Well right now his arms were wrapped around my waist and his head was resting on my shoulder. I could feel his strong hand resting upon my hip and his strong arms wrapped around my slender waist. And I could feel his hot breath on my naked neck. All of these feelings sent shivers down my body and awoke some primitive feeling deep inside me, I think it was Lust.
“Oh its you.” Lily said as she peered toward me, “What are you doing here? I thought you had a date or something?” She said in a tone that was just a few decibels from a yell. I heard her well enough though. It still seemed she was a little pissed.
“I do.” I said pointing toward Clay.
“So he's your rent-a-boyfriend for the evening?” Lily said as she peered toward me.
“I have no idea. I had no idea you could rent a boyfriend for an evening. Then again is that how you get all your dates? If so, I bet your on their reward card program.” I said smirking as I reached down and picked up a yellow and white tennis ball. “Is it like those frequently traveled miles the airlines give away? Only for every ten dates you rent out you get one free? And I bet they have different colored cards for different levels.”
At this point our little exchange had drawn the attention of the other girls who had already endured their shifts in the dunking booth or were waiting their turn. All seemed slightly amused that somebody was putting the girl sitting above three hundred or so gallons of freezing cold water through the mill.
Lily said nothing, she only peered at me.
“For your information.!” She never got to finish that sentence. Because at that very moment I let my ball loose and by sheer luck it smacked into the center of the target, sending Lily down into the freezing water below!
“Girl!” Lily shouted as she climbed up out of the tank. “You were supposed to let me finish!” She growled as she climbed up and pushed the seat back. Once she was seated, I tossed my second ball, again my second ball smashed into the metal target, sending Lily dropping into the freezing water below. Her dress billowed and she forced herself to push it down as she climbed back up. She spat a stream of cold water out of her mouth and onto the ground in front of the tank.
“I don't think I like you very much.” She said as she climbed up and took her seat again. I dropped her a third time, and then I turned away. I mean I turned away from the dunking booth. And because I felt playful, I kissed Clay on the cheeks and much to my amusement he blushed and blinked and his ears turned a bright red.
I then blew a kiss to Lily who was splashing around the tank. Shouting up a storm. It sounded like she was shouting a mixture of Gaelic, Irish and a bit of German at me. With some Spanish thrown in for color and taste. In short it was a string of nonsensical words that she had linked together. I just smiled and reached down and took Clay by the hand as I guided him away from the dunking booth.
“What was all that about?” He asked as he peered toward me. I could tell he was a bit confused by the scene that had just unfolded in front of him.
“Handling my business. Come on honey, we're gonna set this town on fire tonight.” I dared another kiss on the cheeks. I felt like I had seen him before. I could have sworn I've seen him before. My mind brought back a memory of me and a boy that looked like Clay sitting on the sugar white sand of Orange Beach, my hair wet from the showers, and still smelling like tomato sauce, the warming, gentle, lustful feeling of his arms strong as bars of iron wrapped around my waist as he pulled me closer to him. The sound of the waves crashing down upon the sandy beach, and the cry of the gulls as they circled overhead.
“Something tells me I've seen you before.” I said, fighting down a blush as I led him away from the dunking booth.
“Same.” He said blushing he then laughed.
To be finished in Chapter 5
After I'd left Lily and her collection of friends at the dunking booth, Clay and I found ourselves standing along. We've decided to watch the town's fireworks from the top layer of the town's observatory. The town's observatory was located on a high hill that was about two and a half miles from the end of main street. From the upper level of the town's observatory you could see the whole skyline of the town.
The wind, I could feel the wind starting to blow, the sun had vanished now behind the ring of hills that surrounded Benton. The wind started to blow around my ankles, teasing them. It was kind of romantic really, standing there, leaning over the old iron railing. I felt like a heroine from one of those cheap, paperback romance novels that mom often buys from Dollar General, she often buys them to give her something to read on the long, day trips we often take.
You know, those kind of trashy romance novels that often feature a sultry young woman with long, blonde tresses of hair, she is often seen wearing a too short dress, standing beside her is a young man, who is often shirtless, he has sharp features, and dark black eyes. His hair is often short and cropped and he wears form fitting jeans.
It sounds weird. But that's how I felt standing there. Leaning over the iron railing. Feeling the wind blowing through my hair, my skin still wet from my stint in the dunking booth. And the warmth of Clay's hand resting on my hand. It was just so romantic in a mawkish kind of way.
“So are you ready for school.” Clay said as he peered toward me. “School starts next week.” He added.
“Not really.” I said with a sigh. “I mean I'm starting high school in a week, and I'm kind of excited about it. But you know, I'm a little nervous about it. I've heard stories that they often haze incoming freshmen. I've heard the girls can really be cruel too.”
Clay blinked.
“Oh.” He said as he moved in a little closer. I could smell his aftershave and body deodorant. It was kind of a nice smell that made goosebumps pop up on my arms. It also made a tad bit lustful, feeling his warm flesh so close to mine.
“Don't worry. Those are just stories. Nobody is really going to haze you, I mean you're going to the public school right?” Clay asked me as he moved a little closer. The wind was starting to pick up now. And I could smell rain on the breath of the wind. The wind also carried the scent of fair-food, you know hot dogs, hamburgers, corn dogs, funnel cakes, pizza, and french fries. And the strong smell of manure from the petting zoo.
“Yep. Mom and dad wanted to send me to Manchester Academy. But in the end it was decided that public school would be better for me.” I said smiling as I placed my head upon his shoulder.
“Hey Lauren.” He said smiling as he shifted his eyes toward me, “You looked pretty cool in that dunking booth.” He said, smiling a smile that made my heart leap into my throat.
I'm not going to lie, I was stunned, it was the least expected thing I expected him to say. I felt my cheeks starting to fill with color as I peered toward him. Then I found myself breaking into a fit of giggles, that had the the most corny pickup line in the history of pickup lines. Once my giggling stopped and I felt myself getting my breathing under control I peered back at him.
“Thanks, it was kind of nerve racking, sitting up there, letting people toss balls at me, the water was freezing too and it was so embarrassing being up there in front of the whole town in nothing but a bathing suit.” I said, sighing. “But I guess that's just part of being a normal teenager.”
Clay nodded his head. I could tell he was trying to think of something cool to say, but the words seemed to just fly from his mouth. And so he just settled for moving in a little closer. And so, a peaceful silence fell over us. Then it happened, from somewhere beyond the river, that is the Big Black, that could be seen faintly in the distance a rocket shot up, a few seconds later the rocket exploded into a stunning ball of light.
Then dozens of rockets started to shoot into the air, the evening sky seemed to explode into a stunning array of colors. Green's, blue's, red, yellows, pinks, all seemed to melt together. No, that is not the word I'm looking for, blend is the word I'm looking for, all those colors seemed to blend together after one massive explosion followed another.
“They're beautiful.” I said as I peered at the glittering fireworks that filled that night sky. The faint smell of burned black powder was stilling to drift toward us. I guess that made sense considering the direction the wind was blowing, and given how high up we were.
“Not as beautiful as you are.” Clay said as he turned me around and for a moment our eyes met each other. Then before I could catch myself I found myself leaning in. A moment later, our lips were locked together, Clay held me tight, I could feel his strong arms holding my frail arms. I could feel his tongue reaching into my mouth, I could feel him sucking upon my teeth.
My mind went blank, and then I saw them, my own fireworks. These fireworks were inside my head. Before I could catch myself I found my own tongue going into his mouth. It was the strangest feeling ever, having a boy's tongue roll around inside your mouth, and to have your own roll around inside yours. All the while fireworks are popping off inside your head and those tiny hairs on the back of your neck are standing straight out and you feel your growing breast pressing into his chest. And you can feel him, getting hard and pressing into you.
I'm not trying to sound lustful or anything. But it was a totally new experience for me, it was not like the movies, were the girl and guy kiss and they seem to have some form of self control going on. Now, there was no self control here, I could feel him growing hard and pressing into me, and I wanted him, but I knew I had to control myself I was wrestling with my own emotions and at the same time I was riding this massive was of pleasure that seemed to be flooding every inch of my body.
Then it happened, we had to stop, kissing was like holding your breath under water, you could only do it for a few seconds at a time, a few minutes tops before you had to come back to the surface for some fresh air.
“Damn.” Clay said, breathing hard as he peered toward me. “You're a damn good kisser.” He said smiling. “We should do this more often.” He added it as a bit of an afterthought.
I flushed again. I was not expecting to get my first kiss of my teenage years tonight, nor was I expecting to be graded on them. I had no idea what to say. My mind was blank and I could still see the flame of passion burning behind Clay's eye. For a moment I was afraid, afraid that I had released a beast, a beast I could not control and a beast that could very well hurt me if it wanted too.
“Yes, maybe we can.. I still need to practice a little.” I said, trying to laugh a little. I could feel myself coming down from a big high. I wanted to kiss him more, but I still saw that beast lurking behind his eyes, and I was very much aware that he was far stronger than me, much faster, and if he wanted too, he could pin me down. I also knew that if I feed the beast any more it might just launch out and attack me.
“Something wrong?” Clay Asked as he peered at me. His smile was charming, and disarming that made me feel a bit silly about the thought that had just filtered through my head. Maybe I'd been reading too many of those cheap romance novels that mom kept laying around the house. My heart was racing too, and my breathing was ragged. I quickly reached into my purse and without thinking I pulled out my rescue inhaler, taking a few puffs and swallowing them I started to breathe a little better.
Clay looked on with concern.
“Sorry,” I said, returning the inhaler to my purse. “Sometimes my asthma starts to act up.” I explained. “Plus it's late, we better get back to town. Mom might freak and call the police and file a missing person's report if I'm not back soon.” It was a lie, If I knew my mom and dad, I'm sure the two were necking just like I'd been on some park bench. I could stay out all night if I wanted to and none of them would blink an eyelash.
“Sure.” Clay said. “Hey I enjoyed it though. Maybe we should do it again sometime.” Clay said as he started to climb down the iron steps. He held out his hand.
Without thinking, I took his hand, then I smiled a little. You know live once, and well, called it a crash course in sexual education, but between mom's trashy romance novels that featured shirtless cowboys with rock hard abs and lustful cowgirls with big, full body lips. And the few works of The Marquis De Sade my dad kept in the reading room. A few I've flipped through with his approval, dad was oddly liberal considering his strict Roman Catholic upbringing.
Anyway between all that reading, I had a faint idea how to tease.
“Maybe, we could even pool our money together and rent one of those motel rooms they have behind Chuck's. You know, for some more private alone time.” I teased.
“Sounds like a plan.” Clay said without skipping a beat.
And well, faithful readers, that is how my first summer of being Lauren came to an end. But hey, stick around there more wild, and wacky adventures ahead. And I'll be keeping you guys posted too. So until, remember to keep smiling, because life is what made it. And I hope to make something of mine, and I hope you guys will join me for the ride.
Love, Lauren.
The End.