 
Loose Lips Sink Ships

By: Katrina LaCroix

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 Katrina LaCroix

Chapter 1

Carter Thomson rolled over to find a young woman with a large birthmark on her cheekbone sleeping next to him. He stared at it for a minute, that dark thumbprint on her face with little mice hairs poking through. Cringing, he stuck his tongue out when he imagined the only possible explanation. She must have bumped her head something awful on the way out.

Why was he sleeping with random girls who had huge birthmarks on their faces? What happened to his standards, his integrity, his manhood? It was ridiculous for him to be lying next to some woman he'd just met in a shabby downtown hotel room. Carter was hung-over, unable to think clearly. Didn't he have a girlfriend? Oh, right...scratch that.

Looking her over, she appeared to be sweet enough even though the birthmark made her look like she was going to a football game. Her lips moved a bit. She was starting to stir. He could already tell she had the kind temperament of a girl who could truly and deeply care about him. That's what Carter desired above all else. She groaned and put her hand to her forehead. When she removed it to brush away some of her blonde hair, her innocent blue eyes caught him.

"Can you hurry up and pay me? I've got to get out of here. It's seventy-five dollars."

"Wait, what? Pay you? What are you talking about?" Carter coughed, choking on the sudden lump in his throat. The girl widened her eyes, taking on a puppy dog sweetness he found irresistible.

"I was good, wasn't I? Didn't you enjoy it? I feel like I can barely walk."

"Of course you were good," he replied, happy to supply the right answer to comfort her. He rolled onto his elbow and smiled.

"Good! Then pay me my seventy-five dollars!" she demanded. Carter's jaw dropped, completely lost to any speck of comprehension over what was going on. His hesitation didn't please her. "That's it! I'm calling my dad. Where's my phone?"

Pulling the comforter tight over her neck, she reached to the floor and fumbled through her clothes. She grabbed something and started to put it on under the sheets.

"Your dad, why?" he winced, bewildered.

"Because he'll have something to say about it when he learns you've stiffed us," she snarled. "If there's one thing he hates more than deadbeats, it's his daughter giving out freebies."

"Your dad is your pimp? That's insane! Wait, wait, wait," he jabbered, because the girl looked like she was about to go off on an angry tirade. "This was a consensual thing. We met in a bar, had a few drinks, and decided to grab a room. We don't need to involve anybody else. It was romantic."

Carter feigned another smile, hoping to salvage some scrap of the lovely night out he'd imagined. The girl pursed her lips and gazed at him for a moment, contemplating something.

"What's my name?"

Shutting his eyes, he silently kicked himself. He had no idea what her name was.

"Dee, Dee, Dina, Denise? No, Diana!"

Groaning loudly, she grimaced as though she would spit on him but instead hopped out of bed in her bra and panties and went to her bag slumped against one of the overturned chairs.

"Was I wrong?" Carter wondered.

He slid out of bed wearing only a pair of Pokemon boxers, but he grabbed his gray t-shirt and pulled it over his black hair and muscular back. The fabric fit tightly around his stomach, hinting at the abs it concealed underneath.

"If you don't know my name, that makes the charge one-hundred dollars. Every girl knows that rule: it's one-hundred bucks if he doesn't know your name the morning after," she said, crossing her arms.

She turned to face him, her face full of scorn. She had on her skirt and red, revealing top from the night before. Her messy hair was the only clue she wasn't about to go right back to the club, or street corner, or wherever she was from.

"I don't know anything about any rules!" he sniped, starting to get defensive. "I was just looking for a night out with a special girl. I didn't realize I'd have someone shaking me down as soon as I woke up!"

The girl chuckled, grabbed her bag, and tiptoed toward him. He stood by the end of the bed when she came close enough to kiss him. She fluttered her eyelids and ran her finger across his chest.

"I poked a pinhole in the condom while you were taking a whiz. I shouldn't get my period for a couple days, so I'd say you have a fifty-fifty chance of getting a call from me in about nine months. This hundred dollars is going to be the least of your worries."

She brushed by him and went for the door. Carter turned to watch her go, a sickly revulsion wreaking havoc inside. The girl exited the dirty hotel room, leaving the door open. Drained, Carter collapsed onto the bed and hid his face in his hands. She didn't appear to have any trouble walking at all.

*

Two beautiful young women marched into the hotel lobby, ignoring the smiling doorman who facilitated their entrance. In the lead, a thin brunette wore heels, a short skirt, and a top that looked as though it was meant to be a nightgown. She had the determined, sly look of a trickster, one who was always calculating and always in control. The name of this girl was Avery Leigh.

A top-heavy black girl trailed close behind. Strong and quick, she wore a blue dress with a matching cap. Her thumbs constantly pressed the buttons on her phone, her attention focused intently on her texting. When Avery arrived at the front desk, Kendra settled in at her side, glanced up, and frowned at the clerk.

"Is there something I can help you with?" the gentleman behind the desk asked. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties and the only one working the counter. Avery, already irritated, sighed and put her hands on her hips.

"Tell me what room Carter Thomson is staying in," she insisted, only to receive a strange look from the clerk. "I said please!" she added.

"I don't believe we have anyone here by that name," he replied, shaking his head as though he really regretted it. Avery shot her friend a look.

"Damn it. Maybe he checked in under his drunken alter ego," she considered, turning back to the attendant. "Do you have anyone named Fabio Lipsmackerdoodle staying here?"

"I was trying to be polite. I can't tell you the names or room numbers of any of our guests," he explained, suddenly taking on a strange grin and raising his eyebrows. "But, you know, I have a room, if you're interested. Never too early for a fifteen minute break, right?"

He chuckled and revealed a silver room key in his hand. It was fancier than the others, so it must've been a good room, but Avery lowered her eyes at him and clenched her fists.

"I wouldn't let you near me if I carved my vagina out with an ice-cream scoop and replaced it with a wood-chipper!" she shouted at him, bursting from the desk and storming toward one of the hallways. "My body is for my boyfriend only!"

Once she encountered the long hall and the identical doors lining each side, she slowed and put her hand to her chin. The hotel only had two long floors, but she still had no idea where Carter was.

"Are you sure this is the right way?"

"No, Kendra, I'm not sure. But I know he has the good sense at least to get a non-smoking room. I'm sure he didn't get a newspaper either, since he can barely read," Avery replied, tiptoeing along.

Cleaning carts already dotted the hallway, and a few doors were left open. Avery chewed her lip as they peeked in each room. Near the end, one of the cleaning ladies put on a pair of rubber gloves, strapped on goggles, and grabbed a big bottle of bleach.

"No, no! Quick! She'll contaminate the scene!"

They shuffled to the last room and cut off the attendant, smiling meekly as they slipped in ahead of her. Taking one look at the colossal mess, there was a chance this was the room they were looking for.

"We decided not to check out. Bye!" Kendra said, shutting the door in the cleaning lady's face. Immediately, the stink of lovemaking made them gag.

"There's got to be some kind of proof he was here. I have to know if he's ditched me for some STD-ridden skank who's hungrier for sex than a World of Warcraft dork," Avery moaned, stepping over empty bottles and looking at the disheveled bed. Maybe he'd forgotten something from his wallet. Perhaps she would recognize a piece of his clothing. There had to be some trace of him left in this wrecked hotel room.

"What happened between you and Carter anyway? And why don't you just call him?" Kendra asked, staring at her phone and texting furiously. Avery turned to her and pointed her finger.

"That's none of your business! And he's not answering my calls. Can you just help me look for one minute? I promise we'll get you some fried chicken and watermelon after," Avery jabbed. Kendra bit her lip but reluctantly started to scan the room.

"I'm not seeing anything. Just overturned furniture, beer stains in the rug, and a bed that looks like it was the scene of a World War II reenactment."

Avery had started to give up hope this was the right room. She flipped on the bathroom light and stared into the mirror. Putting her hands on each side of the sink, she remembered it hadn't been that long since Carter had taken her to trashy hotel rooms like this. She missed having her face smushed up against the glass as he unloaded his sub on her from behind. Her heart sank at the fond memories.

Sulking, she put her head down and saw something that made her gasp. Suddenly delighted, she knelt next to a used, crusty condom that had just missed the trash bin. She beamed at it, letting her fingers drift closer and slowly pick it up.

"Look what I found!" she shouted to Kendra when she entered the other room, proudly presenting the flaccid piece of latex. Kendra was sitting in a chair she had turned right side up, her legs crossed and her fingers on her phone. She cringed when she finally looked at what Avery had brought out.

"You must've been a blast in second grade show-and-tell," Kendra responded, annoying Avery.

"Just shut up. This is all the proof we need! We'll be able to tell exactly whether or not he was here," she said. "Look, there's a pinhole in the bottom. Bitches have no dignity anymore."

"What are you doing with that thing?" Kendra asked. An agonized sigh escaped Avery's lips, and she dropped her shoulders.

"Gimme a break, ok? This is the only way to know if he was here."

She brushed her finger against it and then brought it to her mouth.

"It's salty, a little bitter, and with the distinct flavor of Cool Ranch Doritos! It's him!" Avery cheered, putting her hands in the air and flashing a very white smile.

"Yay," Kendra muttered. "So we went through all that when he's obviously not here anymore. What are we supposed to do now?"

Avery flung the condom at the window, where it stuck, and put her fist to her chin to think. She needed to find him as soon as possible. He had to know how she felt. She'd planned on getting to him before he went to work, but there was no longer any chance of that.

"We'll have to put the drop on him when he shows up at his job," she said, heading for the door. Sighing, Kendra got up and waded through the messy room.

Exiting the hotel, the two women marched into the packed parking lot. Avery came to a red sports car, letting her finger drag across the back end. Smiling, she came around to the driver's side door. The inside was clean, had custom leather seating, and the speedometer went up past two hundred. She could see her reflection in the glass, and it made her feel warm inside. Casually, she slipped her fingers around the door handle, only to be interrupted from her reverie when Kendra called to her.

"Girl, what you doing? Your car's over here!"

Deflated, Avery pulled her fingers off, and stepped backward from the car. Kendra stood a few spaces over at the passenger door of an old station wagon. Dragging her heels against the pavement, Avery approached her dirty, bulky vehicle. Despite having an air mattress and blankets in the back and honeybees pasted onto the windows, the whole thing was still a great embarrassment.

"Come on. Let's just go," she grumbled, pulling open the driver's side door.

Chapter 2

Nero's Neapolitan Pizzeria was crammed between the back end of a department store and a government office building. Carter had told Avery all about the dorks he worked with and the truck drivers and paper shufflers who patronized the place. It had been enough to ensure she'd never go there, until now. This was the only place she could be sure to find him today.

Her station wagon lurched down the small access road winding around the department store. Pulling into the pizzeria's parking lot, Avery sighed and put her hand to her head when she looked at Kendra.

"Just stay here and play with your phone. It'll be a good alibi for when the police pick you up later."

Kendra ignored her, and Avery slid out of the car and approached the small, orange building. A chime went off when she opened the front door. Looking up at the counter, a red-haired, pimple-faced geek was already gawking at her. Avery rolled her eyes and immediately regretted coming in here. The guy's lips were twitching, and she could tell his brain was frying from the effort of trying to come up with something to say.

"Ok, let's get this over with. Gimme your best shot," she said, crossing her arms. The young man, whose nametag read Michael, continued to twitch until he sputtered out a few words.

"I've got a spud gun that can fire a potato at over sixty miles an hour."

"That's what you say when you're trying to hit on a girl? Oh my God! I hate to break this to you, but you're probably going to die a virgin."

Avery shook her head, drained of all enthusiasm. Michael actually seemed to relax now that the pressure of impressing her had faded.

"Look, I'm trying to find Carter. Is he back there?" she asked, peeking around him to the kitchen, where a couple of boys were playing with homoerotic-looking action figures on rolled out pizza dough.

"No, Carter's not here," Michael replied.

"Did he tell you to say that? Is he in the back somewhere? Don't fuck around with me, dickwad. I have to see him!" she said, putting her hands on the counter.

"He's not here, alright?" the boy whined. "In fact, you just missed him. He came in here at the beginning of his shift to quit. He went on this foaming rant telling us we could all go fuck ourselves, that he didn't need this job anymore because of all his money, and that he'd been splooging in our freebie pies for years."

Avery had to stop and think. It wasn't like Carter to just spontaneously quit his job or tell people off. Something had hit him hard, and it made her shudder to think she may have been the cause.

"Which is strange because I always thought he was into making us free pies. They always tasted like Cool Ranch Doritos. Now I don't know if he was grinding up the chips or if he had a bottle of the seasoning, but we always loved it when he'd make pizzas for us. We're pretty broken up about it," the boy rambled. An outburst of cheering came from the gaming nerds behind him.

Avery stepped away from the counter to think. If Carter wasn't here, he could be anywhere. They could sit outside of his house, but he was much too popular to be home. The entire day was starting to seem like a big waste, and the longing in her heart intensified into a dull thudding that shot through her with every beat.

"If you want I could get you a slice," Michael offered. When she looked at him, he was squeezing a pimple.

"No, I've eaten enough semen for today," Avery replied, rejecting his attempt to cheer her up. She motioned to leave, but the sound of him clearing his throat brought her back. He had that dumbstruck gaze, and she knew he was going to make another pass.

"Now that Carter's gone, we do have an opening. I could put in a good word for you."

"Me? Making pizza? I'd never degrade myself like that! I'd sooner work in a Mexican whorehouse. At least then I'd get to travel."

Anxious to get away, Avery slipped out the door and slid into her car. She leaned back in her seat and stared at the concrete wall facing her. The urge came to bash her head against it, but instead she just sulked and slumped back.

"How'd it go?" Kendra asked when she finally noticed Avery had returned.

"Not only is he not here, he quit!" Avery groaned. "This is turning into a nightmare. I'll never find him."

"Well, you can bet he's probably going out tonight. When was the last time the boy stayed in? It's just a matter of which club he's going to."

Kendra had a point, and sadly it was all Avery could scrape together. Just yesterday they were a happy couple who did everything together, and now she couldn't even find him when she desperately wanted to. How had it spiraled out of control so quickly? The horror of it made her groan.

"Where could Carter possibly be?"

*

A cell phone rang in a duffel bag beside an outdoor basketball court. It harmonized with the steady noise of the ball banging against the floor.

"Just ignore it," Carter advised his friends, who were in the middle of a two-on-two game. He squared off against a stringy black man named Daniel, whose shorts were so low they almost touched his shoes. Dribbling furiously, Carter swerved around him, leapt into the air, and sunk an easy lay-up.

"Alright, white boy. That's the last time I let you drive it up my backside and dump it in the hole like that."

"Maybe if you pulled your shorts up over your ass cheeks you might be able to catch me."

Carter returned the ball to the top of the circle and prepared to put the ball in play when his phone started ringing again.

"Are you going to get that or are we gonna play every point to the tune of 'Party in the U.S.A.'?" Daniel jabbed.

"I'm not answering it. She's the last person on the face of the Earth I want to talk to," Carter scowled.

"What the hell happened anyway?" his teammate Paul asked.

Not only did he not want to talk to Avery, he didn't even want to think about her. But his friends deserved some sort of an explanation, and so he passed the ball away and grumbled as he thought about the best way to say it.

"There are just some things you can't ever do to someone, and she did one of them. Now we're through, and she can choke to death on her vibrator for all I care."

"Sisters'll do that to you," Daniel sympathized. "It's a shame we gotta live with 'em at all. The world would be a better place if there was just dudes running around everywhere."

Carter jogged off the court, reached into his duffel bag, and shut his phone off. The only reason he'd ever left it on was because Avery would scream at him when he didn't, but he could do whatever he wanted now that he wasn't talking to her. He'd hungered for that freedom before, but after this morning's incident he wondered if it was worth it. Now he told himself he didn't really need anything when his friends were around. Except, that wasn't true.

"Why is it so hard to find a good girl?" he mused to his friends, who had dissolved their game and started to just shoot around. "Seems like as soon as you think you have one the crazy starts to leak out and she tries to rip your heart out through your asshole."

Paul passed Carter the ball and jogged up next to him as he took a shot. His shirt was drenched in sweat while everyone else's was dry. Some of the moisture sprayed Carter and distracted him.

"Don't I know it, man," Paul wheezed. "Just the other day this girl I was seeing turned out to be an illegal immigrant. I guess that's what you get for picking up the smart girl in Spanish class. She got deported and now it's like a part of me is gone forever."

"She'll probably just be back in a few days," Daniel said, catching the ball as it fell through the hoop.

"That's not exactly what I mean," Carter corrected. "Hasn't it ever occurred to you that girls are just deep down treacherous and manipulative?"

"Course, dude, all the time. But that's everybody. The thing is that you have to wait for them to grow out of it. Give 'em fifteen or twenty years and all of a sudden they forget they used to take pictures of their boobs and post them on the Internet," Paul smiled.

"Fifteen or twenty years?" Carter moaned. "I don't want to wait that long for someone who appreciates me for who I am, listens to what I have to say, and..."

"...has a pussy like a McDonald's drive-thru," Daniel interjected.

"You don't have to wait. Women like that are already here," Paul insisted. "I'll tell you, when I was fourteen there was this secretary who worked at my dad's dentist office. She knew how to take care of a boy like you wouldn't believe. Plus she used to jam that little air hose they use to clean your teeth up my ass while we were doing it. You have no idea how good that feels! I just feel sorry for the people who came in for a cleaning afterward."

"Older women, huh?" Carter contemplated, scratching his neck. He held the basketball against his side, and Daniel came up behind him and stole it. Carter immediately started chasing after him.

"You both got it dead wrong," Daniel explained, dribbling around the court. "Younger women, older women, it makes no difference. It's easy to get them to care about you, but it's so much harder having your bros care about you."

Daniel twisted around and drove for the hoop, making Carter backpedal to try and defend. Leaping into the air, Daniel dunked the ball and hung on the rim, his thighs landing on Carter's shoulders.

"How's it taste?" Daniel laughed.

"Ahh!" Carter hollered, his face buried.

He finally managed to wriggle out and take a few gasping breaths as he trotted away. His face looked like he'd just been on a roller coaster. Staggering toward his bag, he grabbed a towel to wipe himself off. His phone was right there, showing another message from Avery. He reached for it but checked himself. Feeling a quick flash of anger, he turned back to his friends.

"So where are we going tonight? I can't wait to get hammered!"

"As long as we don't go to another one of those fruity little clubs," Daniel added. "I'm talking about a bar with bottles on the shelf, a DJ bumping, and plenty of meat in the jeans."

"I guess that means we'll be headed uptown to the Pirate's Cove," Paul declared.

"The Pirate's Cove it is!" Carter agreed.

Chapter 3

Driving by the Pirate's Cove, they noticed that the bar looked packed. There were flashing disco lights inside, people stumbling in and out, and a mean-looking bouncer keeping watch over the door. Avery and Kendra had spent an hour that night driving up and down the street of bars. Carter had to be in one of them, and Avery wouldn't stop until she found him. Finally, a flash of silver caught her eye.

"Look! There's his Porche in the parking lot. He's got to be here!"

Finding a parking spot proved to be a problem, leaving Avery with no choice but to pull her station wagon in way up the street. They climbed out of the car and began walking back toward Pirate's Cove. Avery had changed into sparkly slippers and a white dress, while Kendra wore jeans, a black button-up blouse, and big shiny earrings.

"Eri doesn't think we'll ever be able to get in here," Kendra said, staring at her phone. "Carter has a fake ID after all."

"We're going to get in. Just trust me."

It was a cool night. The streetlights momentarily illuminated people passing in the opposite direction. The two girls followed a small group heading toward the row of bars, and Avery hoped she would be able to slip in amongst them. But the group crossed the street to head somewhere else, and suddenly Avery had an unobstructed view of the massive black bouncer standing in the way of her love.

Keeping her head down, she attempted to plow right through the open entrance, but a hand caught her on the shoulder that was big enough to palm her skull. She looked up at him and his stern face.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Old enough to party," she said, and his face seemed to harden even more.

"Alright, I'm going to need to see some ID."

Avery felt Kendra poke her in the back, but she waved her off and reached for her wallet. Sighing, she played up her frustration at this inconvenience.

"Fine. Here's my license," she said.

"This is a learner's permit!" he gasped, cocking his head and dropping his mouth open."So?" Avery groaned, putting her hands on her hips.

"You're only sixteen! You have to be twenty-one to get in!" the bouncer explained, flipping the permit back to her.

"You don't understand. I have to get in there!" Avery pleaded, getting in his face. "My boyfriend is inside, and if I don't talk to him right now, my life will fall apart forever!"

She looked up at him, putting her hand on his arm, but the bouncer was unmoved. He nonchalantly waved in a few noticeably older looking people.

"The law's the law," he shrugged.

"Come on, Avery. Just give it up. There's no way we'll be able to get him in there," Kendra lamented.

Avery hung her head and put her hand on her forehead. She had to figure out a way to make this man let her in.

"I'll tell you what," she said, looking him square in the eye. "If you let me in, I'll let you take my friend Kendra here into the back alley for five minutes."

A glimmer flickered in the bouncer's eyes as her proposal registered. He started looking over Kendra, his sights settling on her exposed cleavage. His lips started to pucker and a broad grin revealed sparkling white teeth. The bulge in his pants looked like it could karate-chop a brick. Kendra looked up from her phone, her face slack and her eyes wide with astonishment.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me, Avery! He'll dislocate my hip!" she wailed, but Avery was already walking into the dimly lit and crowded bar. Glancing over her shoulder, Avery happened to see a big arm wrap around Kendra's waist and lift her off the ground.

Maneuvering through the crowd, Avery scanned each face for the sharp jaw line and tanned skin of her Carter. Between the loud music, flashing lights, and constant bustling, it was difficult to get a good look at anyone. As confident as she was, Avery felt small and alone.

To put herself in the right frame of mind, she decided a drink would do just the trick. It was hard to even see the bar for all the people around, but she elbowed her way forward and squeezed in between a few patrons. Shoving one out of the way, the man turned to her suddenly, worrying Avery that she'd inadvertently picked a fight.

"You wanna have a little fun tonight?" the man asked, smiling and offering a few pills in his hand.

"No, thanks. I don't take any drugs I don't make myself," she countered, looking down the long counter for one of the bartenders. She waved her arm out and shouted, but her words disappeared within the noise. When a bartender finally came through, she grabbed him by the arm and gave him a yank.

"Give me a jack and coke, light on the coke."

It took him a while to get around to making her drink, and in the meantime she huddled against the edge of the bar, looking down each end for Carter. She had seen his car; he had to be here somewhere. Receiving the glass and its dark contents, Avery slammed it down in one gulp, feeling the familiar burn wash down her throat. It was time to get down to business.

Facing the dance floor, she hadn't taken a single step before an unsavory and thuggish male accosted her. Despite missing one of his front teeth, he grinned, glaring at her. His jean shorts were unbuttoned and unzipped. Sweat dripped from his hair and skin, and even amongst all these people he had a noticeable odor.

"How 'bout you and me do a little dancing?" he drawled, bringing his arms up to perform a dance move reminiscent of Rock'em Sock'em Robots.

"I don't think so," she said, turning on the spot to head in a different direction. Weaving around a few people sipping drinks or waiting to get to the bar, she thought she'd lost him until she doubled back for the dance floor and saw him right there behind her.

"Just one dance, sugar plum," he begged, looking none too humble about it.

"Stop following me. I'm on my way to the bathroom!" she covered, continuing away from the dance floor and toward the entrance. The bathrooms were off to the right, a long line of men and women waiting to get into each one. Avery brushed past them, disregarding their cries, and ducked into the ladies' room.

The bathroom was even more packed than the bar, and Avery snuck along the wall, only stopping when she noticed a spot smeared with fecal matter. Hoping her nuisance would leave her alone if she just hid for a few minutes, she pulled out her phone to diddle away the time. She had a single message from Kendra that read simply, "Help!"

Rolling her eyes, she put her phone away and decided the coast must be clear. Pushing the door open and returning to the bar's main interior, she groaned when she saw the hick yokel standing right there in front of her.

"Leave me alone!" she hollered, but this only seemed to upset him.

"Why you gotta be such a bitch!" he spat, reaching out for her arm.

"No one calls me that!" she growled. Curling in her toes, she kicked him in the shin with the front of her slippers. Agony flickered over his face, giving Avery enough time to push him back into the line of men waiting beside the bathroom. Instantly, shouting erupted and someone threw a punch at the bothersome hick. They piled on him, and soon the area was flooded with people trying to watch or join the fight. Slipping away, Avery returned to the bar and the dance floor, which now seemed so spacious.

"Where's the bouncer!" one of the bartenders yelled, leaving his post and allowing a few drunks to grab bottles behind the counter. As much as stealing booze enticed Avery, she had more important work to do, and after her recent brush with sleeze she was more determined to do it than ever.

Finally reaching the dance floor, she was more hopeful than ever that she would find Carter and put this whole mess to bed. It had gone on way too long, and she was anxious to just forget about it. Weaving amongst dancers, she glanced frantically at everyone. Moving with the rhythm, she tried to at least give the impression she wasn't there stalking someone.

The bass rung in her ears and pounded against her chest. The song was sexy and fast, and she felt her desires bloom. There were plenty of good-looking guys around, but only one could make her heart flutter.

And then she saw him. Carter was in the middle of the floor, lost within a crowd of people, dancing away with some slut who looked like she'd just washed up on the beach. But it wasn't dancing though, it was more like dry humping. The girl had her ass pressed up again his crotch, and the two were just pounding away as if they were in a Holiday Inn elevator. He had a big smile on his face, as happy as can be.

A sick feeling swept over Avery, and she lost all energy to move. Watching him there with another girl felt like getting kicked in the stomach. Her mouth felt gritty and she became a little lightheaded. Closing her eyes, she just needed a moment to think about what to do. She had to do something, but all of these people bumping into her weren't helping her decide. At the very least, she could tell he didn't know she was there yet.

Taking a deep breath, she circled around behind Carter and the caboose he was grinding against. Raising her foot, Avery booted her in the backside right before the two could collide again. The girl went sprawling forward, knocking into another couple and falling to the floor. Carter twisted his neck to look back, and when he saw Avery his shocked face went pale.

"What, what, what are you doing?" he stammered.

"We have to talk!" Avery shouted, reaching for his forearm, but Carter recoiled and started distancing himself from her.

"We're through, Avery! There's nothing more to talk about!"

"No, wait!" she begged, but Carter had already slipped into the crowd. Biting her lip, she knew she couldn't let him go until he heard her out. She went after him, and he moved for the exit even faster. In disbelief that he would actually run away from her, she swallowed the embarrassment and chased him.

Carter slipped out the entrance and broke right toward his car. Avery pushed another girl out of the way and spilled outside where Kendra was waiting for her. She stood plainly, looking a bit confused. The bouncer was nowhere to be found.

"He just cried and told me to hold him," she said.

"Did you see Carter? We've got to hurry!" Avery jabbered, sprinting by her. Kendra was a much faster runner, and she quickly caught Avery just a little ways up the sidewalk. They both stopped dead as Carter's Porche pulled out from the parking lot right in front of them and entered the street. He had an angry grimace on his face, which only further incited Avery.

"I'm not letting him get away!" she said, jogging past the vacant driveway toward her station wagon up the road. Mercifully, he got caught at a red light, and she kept her eyes on the shiny silver car the entire time she ran. Kendra was already climbing in when Avery made it around to the driver's side door. She threw herself in and jammed the key in the ignition.

"Come on, you piece of shit!" she howled. The engine sputtered, turning over once and then twice before coming to life. "Thank God!"

The light changed and Carter and his Porche took off down the road. Avery pulled out and followed him, cutting off another car. Though her foot was on the floor, she still couldn't keep up. They traveled away from the bars, entering a section of town that had little life in it at this late hour.

Carter cruised under a yellow light, and Avery smacked the wheel as it turned red. Clenching her teeth, she kept her foot on the gas and sailed through the red light. Kendra braced herself against the dashboard. A car horn blasted, but Avery didn't look back. Worried she would lose him, she wondered what she would do if he got away.

But the streetlights were working in her favor. Carter raced toward a red light, but instead of stopping he turned into a McDonald's parking lot. Avery's eyes grew wide and she took a quivering breath. This was her chance. She jerked the car to the side of the road, leaned over to push open the door, and shoved Kendra out.

"I think I saw a cotton field!"

"That's really degrading!" Kendra yelped, but Avery had already driven off, the passenger side door hanging open. Pulling into the McDonald's drive-thru, she entered via the exit, a thin road curving around the building to an empty parking lot in the back. Carter was turning his vehicle around when Avery popped out. They both slammed on the breaks, their cars stopping just inches apart. She'd blocked him.

Chapter 4

Avery could see him reaching for the shifter. He looked over his shoulder to the entrance, the only possible way out. It had to be here. It had to be now. She threw open the door and leapt out, shouting to him as he started in reverse.

"Please stop avoiding me! Can't we talk for one minute?" she cried at the top of her lungs. The car continued to recede, and he swung the wheel to turn himself around. She could clearly see his face because the convertible top was down. He could hear her, but he was ignoring her even now.

"Carter Thomson, be a man and come talk to me!" she screeched. A look of disgust contorted his face. His brake lights came on and the car stopped. His lips moved, and she was glad she couldn't hear how he cursed her. The driver's door swung wide open and Carter got to his feet. Seething mad, he pointed at her and stalked forward.

"We've got nothing to talk about! You messed up big time, Avery Leigh. I'm done listening to your excuses. I won't hear any more of your lies. I'm through with all of it!" he snarled.

His tone shook Avery, who felt both nervous and inflamed. Carter had always been passionate, but it felt weird to see his ire brought so strongly against her. They'd fought before, but they'd never been at such a crucial crossroads. Avery took a deep breath, the oxygen filling in her lungs and seeming to stretch all the way into her toes and fingers. She felt confident, because if there was one thing she loved to do, it was fight.

"Don't you dare give me that! I've treated you like a god, and then as soon as I make one tiny slip-up you're ready to bury me? I don't even know what the problem is. That's not fair and you know it. Now how about you grow a pair of balls, we accept that we sometimes make mistakes, and let's move on and put this behind us."

Incensed, Carter set his hand on his face. No matter how angry he got, it didn't make him any less attractive. He had on a pair of jeans and a polo shirt, and altogether he looked like something out of a magazine ad.

"A tiny slip-up? You're such a bitch," he snapped.

"You know better than to call me that, you fucking asshole!" she spat.

"You're flatter than a pancake!"

"If your dick were a month it'd be February! Shorter than the rest and over before you know it!" she screeched, suddenly freezing up and becoming self-conscious. She'd lost control for a moment. "No, no, I didn't mean that. It's average. Really." She curled her hand under her chin and tried to think of how to recover.

"Look at what you just did. That's what I'm talking about!" Carter said, though he'd lost some of his anger too. He sounded more thoughtful and contemplative all of a sudden. "I don't think you're right for me, Avery. Maybe you never were. So why don't we just accept that and part ways?"

It hurt Avery to hear him speak so evenly about breaking up. She could see that to him it was already a foregone conclusion, and it made her feel like she was falling. Grasping at straws, she had to find a way to bring him back from the brink.

"But that's not true. We belong together. I love you, Carter. Don't forget about how we like to plant condoms in toy stores or steal tokens from kids at the arcade. It's all those sweet memories that make me care about you so much."

But Carter shook his head, blocking out her arguments.

"It wasn't all like that. You're leaving a lot out. I guess you never realized how embarrassing it was for you to talk to your friends about me. I never get a chance to do my homework because you're always distracting me. If you cared about me so much, how come you do everything you can to have such a negative impact on my life?"

Avery opened her mouth, but no words would come out.

"That's why I need to find a good girl, one who will actually try to help me with things. There's got to be someone out there who's innocent, maybe a bit naïve, but always has the best of intentions. You're jaded and cynical, and it makes me sad to think some of that's rubbed off on me. It's time for a fresh start with someone who doesn't know about all the bad parts of the world," he mused.

Taking a step closer, Avery looked him in the eyes and carefully reached for his arm. He didn't pull away, and she felt that connection that always sent a soft warmth through her cheeks. It was like she was speaking with his soul.

"Carter, the kind of girl you're looking for doesn't exist. We all want some kind of perfect angel, but we're down here on the ground where we have to make choices and deal with reality. Every girl does something you won't like, shoot heroin before math class, cheat on her...taxes, or shave her armpits. So really, there's nothing wrong with me at all. We can be happy together again just as soon as you realize that."

A sour look dawned on his face, and he flinched away from her. She didn't know what she said to make him have such a reaction, but it wasn't what she intended. Maybe she'd finally convinced him to come back to her. He threw his arm down, scaring her with a sudden glare of icy malice. There was only one card for him to play with a look like that.

"Nothing wrong with you? You said you were glad my mother died so I could use the inheritance money to buy you breast implants for your birthday!"

"Now, come on. I never—"

"I heard you!" he shouted into her face. "When you were lying next to me talking on your phone, I wasn't asleep."

"Look, I'm sorry. Ok? It just slipped out. Sometimes I say things I don't mean. You know that. I can't be held responsible for every little thing I happen to say. I say things all the time! I never meant to hurt you."

Carter didn't appear satisfied, and his angry scowl remained. If she hadn't known any better, Avery would've thought that he hated her. As it was, she hoped he was only conflicted.

"You're only as good as your word, Avery," he said, his bitterness subsiding. "What am I supposed to go on if not what you say?"

"Go on what I do then, Carter. I sat next to you at your mother's funeral. I cried when you gave your eulogy about her fight with cancer. I've faked it a lot in my life, but I wasn't faking that."

Sighing, Avery wished she could hold him. He didn't want to argue like this. She blamed the grieving process for making him latch onto her one little comment and blow it out of proportion. Shaking his head, Carter crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I can't forgive you for what you said. It just doesn't make any sense to me. What kind of a person would say that? Deep down, you're just a nasty person with an evil spirit who doesn't care about anyone but yourself. It makes me sorry I ever loved you."

Avery felt like a puppet on a string. One moment, she felt hopeful she was getting through to him, and the next she wanted to stab him in the chest with a knife.

"Really? Is that what you really think?" she glowered, standing up to him. She was tired of taking all the blame. "Considering how you reacted, I don't think I was out of line at all. What did you do the very same day you cashed that inheritance check? You bought this fancy car. What did you do after that? You fight with your girlfriend so you can justify sleeping around with fleabag whores in sleazy hotel rooms. Oh yeah, what a way to honor your dead mother."

Gritting his teeth, Carter reached back his hand. He looked ready to slap her, but then he closed his fist and held it to his chest. He sniffled, looking ashamed and cowering before Avery's unwavering gaze.

"Give me a break, ok? My mom just died. I don't know what I'm doing. When something catastrophic like this happens, people act out to compensate for the loss. It's a defense mechanism to protect me from the pain," he quibbled.

"That's not how it works," Avery pressed. "If you're able to understand your behavior, you're capable of changing it. Don't hide behind an explanation you found in a psychology textbook. Take some control and do what you know you need to. Let's just get through this together."

They stood in silence for a time, looking into each other's eyes one moment and letting them wander around the dark, empty McDonald's parking lot the next. The sound of a car racing up the street echoed around them. Glowing light from the restaurant's menu board bathed them. Finally, Avery thought she had him back.

"Come on, the Honey Wagon is right here waiting for us. The air mattress is full. There are blankets. We don't even have to go anywhere tonight."

She smiled at him, brushing back her hair and then extending her hand. For a moment he looked like he might take it, but then he shivered visibly and retreated back to his car.

"I can't forgive you. You're just not the right kind of girl for me. Goodbye," he stated, pulling open the door and sliding into the driver's seat. As if her heart were tethered to the car, she felt it rip out when he drove away. Suddenly alone, she put her hand to her head and racked her brain to figure out what just happened. A few moments later, the mannequin next to the McDonald's menu board emitted a static-ridden voice.

"Boy, that wasn't what you wanted at all," an adolescent male voice crackled.

"I hate my life."

Chapter 5

On the way home, Avery barely touched the gas, letting her station wagon roll down the empty streets in the middle of the night. Her neighborhood was anything but affluent. Modest one and two story homes lined the roads, some with chipped paint or junk on the lawn. A few other cars were parked here and there. They were ugly enough to make Avery's look good by comparison.

Pulling into her driveway, she heard a loud crunching sound. Sure another hassle would kill her, she got out to find she'd run over her little sister's small pink bicycle with tassels streaming from the handlebars. There was nothing she could do about it now, so she trudged inside her dirty two-story home, desperate to get some sleep.

The ground floor was dark and quiet, smelling of PineSol even though the place wasn't close to being clean. It depressed her to pass a torn couch and a broken window. She also noticed light slipping under the closed door under the stairs. Avery's mother spent her night's typing her pipe dreams into an old word processor, sure her days of being a famous author were just around the corner. Avery had learned long ago which creaky steps she would need to avoid to get upstairs unnoticed.

A sound disturbed her ears as she snuck to her room, and it wasn't the sound of clacking on a keyboard. Muffled cries of passion leaked through the walls, which was unusual for this house unless she was the one making them. Reaching the top, the moaning and grunting unmistakably came from her room, and she threw open the door and switched the light on to find some of her friends, three guys and two girls, engaged in unspeakable sexual acts on her bed. All five of them turned their shocked eyes to Avery, who released a throaty groan of her own.

"Oh, come on, guys! This isn't my fourteenth birthday party! Get out of here!" she demanded.

The glum group disengaged from each other and quickly went about grabbing their clothes and scampering out the door. One by one, mostly naked bodies whizzed by Avery, including one young man who looked as though he hadn't gotten any presents on Christmas morning.

"But I didn't cum yet," he whined.

"Then go find an empty 2-liter Coke bottle, you stumpy little prick!" she howled, booting him out the door. The room smelled of sex, and there were lubricant stains on her sheets. Disgusted, Avery went back out into the hallway. "Who let you in anyways? Mom!"

Stomping on every step, Avery descended the stairs. Some rustling came from within the tiny room underneath, but she continued into the living room and collapsed onto their big, cheap couch. If she hadn't felt so frustrated and dejected, she could've fallen asleep right there.

The door underneath the stairs dragged against the floor as it opened. Avery's mother, Candice, latched onto the wall as she stumbled through the living room's entranceway. Her hand groped along until she found the light switch. She recoiled at the sudden illumination, trying to block it from shining onto her bloodshot, wandering eyes. The woman's greasy blonde hair was a mess, and her thong underwear rode up onto the sides of her bare midriff.

"Are you high again, mom?" Avery groaned, as her mother teetered over and fell onto the other side of the couch.

"A bitty bit, dear. It helps my writing," Candice muttered, nearly incoherent. She tried to smile, but her stained teeth disgusted Avery.

"No, it doesn't! Every time you write when you're high, you always churn out this gibberish nonsense about how dad ruined your life, destroyed your body with two kids, and always fell asleep too quick after sex. Correct me if I'm wrong, but nobody wants to read about that stuff."

Candice rolled her head against her shoulder and stuck her pinky in her ear until it almost vanished inside.

"Did I ever tell you 'bout how you were conceived?" she asked, her eyelids sagging.

"I don't want to know. I wish you hadn't let my friends in. I feel like I need some time to think."

"I was getting' out of the shower, clothes off, naked as a Sp-Ed kid. Reached for a towel to dry myself off, went to the mirror, but slipped and fell to the ground like a ton of bricks. Seems your old man—Leon, that drunk bastard—lost track of his seed after a wank-session not too long before. Came right down on top of it and got a bruise this big around. He wouldn't touch my ass for a week, saying it looked 'bout to fall off, but that wasn't the only surprise. Just goes to show, even the hardest falls can bring an unexpected miracle," Candice babbled, smiling and reaching out for Avery, who slapped her hand away.

"That's great, mom. Just what I wanted to hear."

Scolded, Candice's eyes started to mist up. She clutched her smacked hand to her breast and gazed solemnly at her oldest daughter.

"Why, you right, baby doll. No need to bring up bad memories. You gotta be depressed as hell. Ain't nothin' worse than getting' dumped by a no-good man."

Astonished, Avery turned her eyes to her mother. If she couldn't even keep up the lie that she and Carter were still together to her mom, there was no one left who would believe it.

"How'd you hear about that? Did my friends tell you?" she sniped, shaking her head. Candice took a deep breath and nodded.

"Mom, listen to me. You've got to stop hanging out with my friends. They're going to be a bad influence on you."

"Oh, come now," Candice mumbled.

"No, I'm serious! You've got to clean yourself up. Find a job. I've seen the stacks of bills hidden next to the vibrators in your dresser. They're going to evict us any day now. I can't live on the street. We need money. I just don't know what to do!" Avery cried, bringing her hands to her face.

"It's only money," Candice shrugged. "What's really bothering you?"

Before Avery could even shut out the question, she peeked through her fingers to her mother and the healthy C-cup she filled out. Some of her cleavage showed, and jealousy raged through Avery to glance at it.

"Why didn't you give me your boobs?" she asked, and Candice chuckled, though it hadn't been a joke at all.

"I'm sorry, baby doll. I did the best I could. But there's more important things to a woman than that, like how well she can attract a man with some money, what she has that puts other gals to shame, and how round her bottom is."

"That's easy for you to say," Avery grumbled. "You don't know what it's like to be the only girl on the beach as flat as the surfboards. I like to hang out with third graders now just to make myself feel better about it."

"You don't have any trouble getting attention from boys though. Obviously there's more to it than just what you carry around up top," Candice argued.

"Yeah, but I don't seem to do a very good job keeping them. Do you have any idea what I could do with your boobs? I'd be invincible!"

Candice sighed, looking down and admiring herself.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, dear. You wanna go grab a knife?"

"Alright!" Avery agreed, jumping up onto her feet and turning to the kitchen. But she sank back down just as quickly. "No, that won't solve anything. I'll just have to go on living this way and hope Carter'll take me back even though he could swipe me like a credit card."

Glancing over, she noticed her mother's eyes were closed and her mouth was open. Avery silently got up to slip away to her room, but Candice still managed to wake. Her sudden outburst made Avery flinch.

"I don't know why you're in such a hurry to find a steady guy anyway. At your age, you should just be having fun and experimenting. That's what I did! Leastways your sister seems to have the right idea about it, or she did. Hoo boy!"

"What do you mean by that?" Avery jerked back, wide-eyed. Her heart must've skipped three beats. Nothing scared Avery more than the thought of something happening to her sister.

"Didn't you hear? Little Lori's knocked up! She's got guts. I'll give her that," Candice chuckled.

"You can't be serious! And you're happy about this? She's only twelve years old! She's got such an awful memory. It's pull out _and_ pray. You can't forget the second half!"

Her mother stared at her strangely, and Avery realized there was nothing left for her to do but confront her latest torture. She went to the stairs, fuming over the thought of her little sister pregnant. It broke her heart to see Lori become something just like herself, all despite her best efforts to protect her from the cold and bitter world.

Lori's door had a poster of some pre-pubescent male pop-singers on it. Twisting the handle, Avery threw it open and flicked on the light. There were dolls, dollhouses, and old Nalgene bottles on the floor. More posters of boys spotted the walls. Her sister slept on a single bed under a pink, unicorn-print comforter. Shoulder-length brown hair, just a bit curlier than Avery's, fanned out around her head on the pillow.

"Wake up, Lori! I guess I'm lucky I found you alone!" Avery growled, pulling off the comforter and revealing her sister's pink pajamas.

"Ahh!" Lori squealed, writhing and rubbing her eyes. "What's going on? Did Dad come back again?"

"Are you pregnant? Answer me!" Avery demanded, crossing her arms and standing over the small girl.

Lori pulled her feet under her, leapt off the bed, and caught her older sister in a huge hug. She smiled from ear to ear, overjoyed despite having just woken up.

"You'll never believe it! The most wonderful thing has happened. I could barely fall asleep I was dying to tell you so bad," she jabbered in her high-pitched tone. Avery scrunched her eyebrows to show Lori she wasn't pleased at all.

"How could you do this? You've completely lost your mind. You'll never get anywhere now! Do you really want to end up just like Mom?" Avery snapped.

"What?" Lori questioned, shrugging off her sister's criticism. "No, it's not like that at all. This is perfect. It's what I've wanted to do since the very first time I learned I could. That's why I spent so much time licking hard plastic. I knew the chemicals would help me, and it finally worked!"

"You don't have any idea what you've done!" Avery accused, suddenly stopping and gathering her thoughts. There was still time to do something. "It's ok. It's ok. We can fix this. I wasn't much older than you when I learned how to give myself an abortion. Run and grab me a handheld mirror, a jar of peanut butter, and a toothbrush."

Lori seemed to finally catch on to her sister's displeasure with her news, and she started to become angry and defensive.

"No, you don't understand! This is the happiest day of my life. I've always dreamed about this, and now it's come true. I won't let anything happen to my babies."

"But you're only twelve years old! Your body isn't even big enough to give birth to a child. This whole thing is ridiculous! Wait, what? Babies? How do you know there's going to be more than one?" Avery wondered, thoroughly repulsed.

"Well, probably just one at a time. I'd kill to have twins though!" Lori beamed, sitting back on her bed and putting her hand on her stomach. "And if I'm too small, that's perfect too because it means I'll have to get a C-section. That way my ass won't get warped during the deliveries. It's got a lot of work to do, if you know what I mean."

Avery watched in horror as her sister started to grind against the edge of the bed. She felt like she was going to be sick, but, worse, it seemed as though her sister had made up her mind and decided to throw away her life. Avery wondered what kind of nightmare world she'd entered.

"Please, just please listen to me. You don't know what you're doing. I know it's hard to avoid getting pregnant, but you've got to do it. Think of all you'll miss out on. You won't go to college, get a good job, or find a good husband."

"Why the fuck would I want any of those things? You don't think I've got a plan, but I've got a better plan than you. I probably only have thirty years of childbearing left, and I'd better make the most of all of them if I'm going to succeed. Can you imagine what I could do with thirty babies? We'd take over the world!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Avery screamed, beyond her wits. She felt like she wanted to pull out her hair or smack some sense into her deluded sister. Maybe she could shake the baby out of her.

"Just think of it, with thirty children I'd be able to form my own secret society. I'd raise one to be in the government, one for the army, insurance, banking, auto repair, stuffed animal maker, construction, and pretty soon we'd take over everything and I'll be richer than you could ever dream!"

Lori had a devilish gleam in her eyes as she spoke. She started to wring her hands and produced a furtive smile. Avery gawked, her mouth open, unable to even think of what to say.

"Just admit it. You're jealous you didn't think of it first," Lori went on. Avery leaned against the wall, feeling like she was losing her balance.

"I can't believe it. You've gone mad. What are the kids at school going to think?" she asked, and Lori shrugged.

"Well, they already call me 'Whorie Lori,' so there's no going back now," Lori replied, grinning.

"How did this even happen anyway? Did you and some little dweeb from your class sneak off during recess and knock boots?" Avery mused.

Lori laughed, falling onto her side. She pushed herself up and rolled her eyes.

"Trust me, the boys in my class wouldn't cut it. I needed a real man so I went to a frat party. They got me so drunk that I don't have a clue what happened. Can't even say for sure if I had sex that night. The only thing I remember is that for days afterward I smelled like Cool Ranch Doritos," Lori explained.

"Someone, please kill me," Avery moaned.

Chapter 6

Smiling like he'd just won the NBA Championships, Carter Thomson emerged from the boy's locker room amongst a group of guys entering the massive gymnasium for gym class. He felt freer than he had in months and relieved because he'd finally told Avery they were finished. Now it was a new, brighter day, and it was on to the next woman, who would hopefully be much more mature and sophisticated. Finding someone less controlling and manipulative than Avery would be good too.

Target number one on his list was Ms. Downing, the phys-ed teacher in her mid-twenties. Guys in school creamed their shorts whenever they saw her, but none of them had the balls to do anything about it because they were all too busy trying to get with girls their own age. After what happened with Avery, Carter thought it didn't matter what a girl's age was as long as it wasn't his own.

Dropping out of the crowd, he kneeled down to re-tie his shoe while the other guys headed out onto the battery of volleyball courts set up in the gym. They grabbed balls and started knocking them back and forth over the net. The girls, who always took longer to change, would come out any minute.

"How many aces you gonna serve up today?" Ms. Downing asked, and Carter's heart fluttered when he realized she was talking to him. Casually, he got to his feet and set his elbow against the bleachers as he glanced over at her. She looked like something out of a fitness magazine. Tight athletic clothing accentuated her curves. It couldn't be easy to run with boobs like that, but they didn't seem to slow her down at all.

"As many as I can," he smiled. "But I think I'm much better at bumping. How are you?"

Ms. Downing rolled her head around her neck and stretched her calves.

"Pretty good today. A little tight here and there, but nothing a little exercise won't iron out."

This was the point where their conversations had always ended. Pleasantries exchanged, he would jog off and hide amongst the other students, never sticking his neck out to ask a personal question. Well, today had to be different. The only thing left was figuring out how to risk making his move.

"So how'd you end up becoming a gym teacher anyways?" Carter asked, and Ms. Downing's face lit up. She brushed away a strand of blonde hair and put her hand on her hip.

"I'll never get tired of hearing that question. For me, it was really a no-brainer. I've always been athletic, trying to push my body and my boundaries. That's when we're at our most human, when our bodies are in motion, working toward a common goal. So that's what I want to pass on through my teaching. I want to get the most out of your young body that I can," she explained, and Carter nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I can understand that. When I'm playing basketball, I just get so revved up. It's like something clicks on in my mind and sends me into overdrive. Totally exhilarating. With any luck, we'll find a way to make it to the state championships this year. But who knows. We need to stop sucking first. Do you play basketball too?" he inquired.

Ms. Downing laughed and shook her head, suddenly becoming serious and grabbing the whistle dangling over her breasts. The girls had come in, and she glared and whistled at them.

"Go ahead and get started! What, do you need me to hold your hand? You know how to play volleyball. Been doing it since ya'll was in the second grade," she griped. Returning her attention to Carter, her smile reemerged. "Basketball? No, I was never tall enough. I've always been a field hockey player at heart. Let me tell you, there's nothing like the feeling you get from grabbing that stick and whacking some balls around. It takes experience to be able to handle the pressure and feel the rhythm, something not a one of these girls can say she knows how to do."

Though he watched her intently, Carter was caught up in his own internal struggle and missed most of what she had to say. What did older women want to hear? He needed to be suave and confident. There had to be something he could say to get her interested in him, to see him as more than just another high school boy. But he drew a blank and resorted to asking more questions.

"So field hockey, huh? I've never tried it. Sounds interesting though. Why don't you do some kind of demonstration for us someday?"

Again smiling and showing off her sparkling white teeth, Ms. Downing leaned in and pushed lightly against his arm. Strands of blonde hair drifted over her eyes. A volleyball rolled by their feet, but neither of them did anything about it.

"You know, that's not a bad idea. I bet you'd get the hang of it real quick. That sturdy build and those strong arms, sculpted calves and thighs. I don't think you'd have any trouble at all," Ms. Downing said.

Carter noticed he was starting to sweat. This conversation just wasn't getting him anywhere. He felt the urge to leave, hoping she wouldn't notice how in over his head he was. Swallowing, he steeled himself and fought through it. He was Carter Thomson, a member of the basketball team. He could get any chick he wanted as long as he acted naturally about it.

"Yeah, field hockey sounds intense. I bet we'd all have a great time watching you show us the ropes," he stuttered.

Ms. Downing, ruffled, blinked rapidly for a moment and exhaled. She scrunched up her lips and looked at him again.

"You know, Carter, I hate to say it, but field hockey isn't for everyone. Most of these guys wouldn't last ten minutes up against me. They'd be floundering around with the ball and lose it before they ever got close to the goal. As soon as you give 'em a stick longer than six inches, they just have no idea what to do. It's much better to teach someone in a more personal setting."

If only he could figure out if she had any interest in him, he'd have it made, but listening to her gave him nothing. Truth be told, he had no idea how to play field hockey, and so that made it difficult for him to follow what she said. He nodded slightly and chuckled, trying to make it seem like he understood. Ms Downing rolled her eyes and shrugged, looking incredulous, which Carter interpreted to mean he was boring her. He'd have to dig deep into his fail-safe basketball stories to impress her now.

*

After changing into a stiff, white t-shirt and blotchy blue shorts, Avery slammed the gym locker closed, banging it against the side of her protruding backpack. Annoyed, she pulled it open again to adjust her bag, which was unzipped at the top. Her hand grazed a piece of paper she had shoved in there. Clutching it, she took another look at her chemistry test. A big, red letter "F" preceded "uck you, Mr. Nielson" written in red lipstick.

Shoving the paper and the bag further into the locker, she shut the door and turned to the empty locker room. She hated gym class and would've stayed there all period if she didn't know their bitchy teacher would come after her. Why didn't they have a male gym teacher so she could use her menstrual cycle as an excuse not to do anything?

Grumbling, she walked into the gymnasium, where a number of volleyball games were underway. She spotted Ms. Downing immediately, because the balloons on her chest were always shrink-wrapped in some bright pink fashion atrocity. It thrilled Avery to find her so distracted, though all the people running around and the balls flying by made it impossible to tell what pinned her to the bleachers on the opposite side.

About half the girls were on the bleachers watching the other half get knocked around by overzealous boys. Avery climbed a few rows and headed down, passing girls she didn't like until she got to her friend Eri, who sat alone near the end.

"Carter's trying to hit on Ms. Downing," Eri stated, staring blankly out at the gym floor.

"What? You've got to be kidding me!" Avery howled, jumping to her feet, and leaning so she could see what was going on. It was true; Carter was the reason Ms. Downing ignored her class. Seeing them flirting together put Avery in a murderous rage. She clenched her fists, scowling.

"Can I punch you in the face, Eri?"

"I'd rather you didn't."

"Please!" Avery begged. "It's not like Asians feel pain or anything."

"First of all, I don't think that's true. Second of all, I'm not Asian. I'm AZN."

Sitting back down, Avery continued to grumble and sulk. She set her elbows on her knees and stared at them across the gym. She needed to be with him, and because she wasn't, it was impossible not to conclude that life sucks.

"The only reason he likes her is because she injected all those steroids into her boobs. I've got to find a way to get implants. Life without boobs is not a life worth living."

"It's not so bad," Eri countered. "We won't have them hanging around our knees in ten years. Plus we can take corners much tighter than these girls. Less wind-resistance and drag."

Avery groaned, sure angst would start pouring out her ears any moment.

"You're not supposed to have boobs anyway, so don't try to argue with me!" she sniped, but Eri quickly countered.

"Your racism is running a little higher than usual. You must be really upset."

"Yes, I'm upset!" Avery confirmed. "First my boyfriend breaks up with me for one little slip of the tongue, then he starts sleeping his way around town, banging every open hole he can fit his dick into, including my sister's—"

"Isn't your sister twelve?"

"Shh! And now as if he hadn't mushroom slapped me in the face enough, he's trying to pick up a teacher right in front of me! I've never been so humiliated in my life. I tried to kill myself, but nothing happened even after eating a whole bottle of Flintstones vitamins."

Eri just stared at her for a moment, gritting her teeth. It didn't matter if she were a little weirded out and didn't know what to say. There were much more important things going on. Carter was attacking her, rubbing in his ill-gotten bachelorhood. But, oh no, Avery Leigh would not go down without a fight.

"He's crossed the line now. I'm telling you, he'll wish he'd never tried to mess with me. Does he really think I can't get a teacher? I'll show him!" she glowered.

"I have a feeling that's not what he's thinking at all. In fact, he looks pretty, um, focused on what's in front of him," Eri quibbled.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart! You just don't get it. Once I bag a teacher, he'll finally see that all along he's been yearning for me. He'll remember how it felt when we were together, and he'll be dying to come back. And that's when I'll crush him for being such an asshole!"

Avery looked down at Eri, goading her into saying something. There was no doubt in her mind she was right, and everyone who obstructed her would get what's coming to them.

"My guess is it won't work out that way at all," Eri scoffed. "Besides, there isn't a single attractive male teacher in this school! I'd be so shocked if I saw one I'd probably jump right out of my clothes."

Sighing, Avery sat back down on the bleachers. The reality of her plan started to settle in. This wouldn't be an easy job to do, but she'd find a way to make it work.

*

Mr. Nielson, a middle-aged man who wore thick glasses and had a bit of a spare tire, rambled on and on in front of his chemistry class. He'd drawn some molecular formations on the board, and he was explaining the different parts. An employee of Springdale High School for two decades, the man obviously enjoyed teaching, and he smiled most of the time and called the students by name. Sprinkling nerdy chemistry jokes or personal anecdotes into his lecture, he often allowed himself to indulge in a good-natured chuckle.

Sitting in the back of the class, Avery spied him carefully, sharing none of his good cheer. They'd just finished going over the test she'd failed, which sat in plain view on her desk. As much as she watched him, she also mentally rehearsed her plan, waiting for class to end so she could make her move.

It was hard work ignoring what he had to say so she could focus on what she had to do. She wasn't nervous, rather being in her element gave her a steady determination. It was a shame Carter wasn't in this class as well, or she'd have them both eating out of her hand before the next period started.

The bell finally rang, and the cadre of students exited into the hall. Avery lazily packed away her things, letting the others clear out ahead of her. By the time she swaggered down the row toward his workstation at the front of the room, they were the only two left. He noticed her approach, and she could see him struggling to remember her name because she never raised her hand in class. She didn't have time for any of that polite garbage though. Avery leaned in close to him, setting her elbows on the black countertop that separated them.

"Did you know that in ancient Greece it was common for older men to take much younger lovers?" she cooed, smiling and curling her brown hair with her finger.

Mr. Neilson squinted at her, adjusting his glasses. A sour, puzzled look dawned on his pasty face.

"Does this look like a history class to you?" he asked.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry," Avery said, shaking her head to correct herself. "Look, I know you want to fire off a few electrons into my nucleus, so what do you say we close the blinds and charge a little chemistry?"

"What exactly are you proposing?" the older man wondered, but Avery didn't let his skepticism get to her. Keeping her sly smirk, she brushed a finger across his chest.

"Hold your horses there, buckshot. No one's doing any proposing yet. I'm just saying you and I have always shared an unspoken attraction, and I think it's time we finally make a bond. There's got to be a storage closet around here somewhere, right?"

In her bag, Avery kept her digital camera. All she had to do was get him in there, strip off his clothes, and snap a picture of his white, blubbery body. Then she could print it out in the computer lab, write on the back, "I could've had this," and slip it to Carter before the day was out. That'd really make his blood boil.

"Have you lost your mind?" Mr. Nielson gasped, putting his hands up and backing away from the counter. Maybe this wouldn't be so easy after all.

"Don't fight it," Avery argued, leaning forward and letting her V-neck sink a little lower. "I know it's wrong, but that's what makes it so right. It's every teacher's fantasy to bang a hot student between classes. So let's not waste any more time."

Some of the shock faded from the teacher's face. He appeared sweaty all of a sudden, as though a bright light shone down on him from above.

"Are you serious? Is that what you want? No, no, you're just trying to get me fired. This is for that test, isn't it?" he stammered.

"You think I'm joking? Here, go ahead and cop a feel of my boob. Go right ahead," she urged.

"Wh—where is it?"

"Right in this general area, where it's supposed to be. Come on," she coaxed, gesturing in front of her chest and dipping her shoulder to make her breast slightly more visible.

Mr. Neilson raised a twitching hand, fingers clenched like a cat hanging on a wall. Avery nodded as he jerked it closer. He still had a look of bewilderment and horror etched on his face. His hand, in much the same shape as a ping-pong paddle, pressed evenly against her skin. A shuddering gasp emerged from Mr. Neilson, followed by an expression akin to childish delight.

"There, that's not so bad, is it? No, that breast gets an A plus."

Unable to speak, the balding, goofy teacher gripped and groped her. He appeared so happy, Avery was afraid he'd blow it in his briefs and she'd never manage to get him in the storage closet. Just as she was about to suggest he detach himself and they make a move, a loud scream came from the doorway to the right. Both their heads instantly twisted, and they spotted a preppy blonde girl carrying her chemistry book.

"Mr. Neilson!" she shrieked, terrified revulsion on her face. She scampered out of sight, the sound of her yelping echoing through the halls. Avery plucked the hand from her chest and gave her teacher a solemn, disappointed look.

"You probably should've known better than to take advantage of me that way. Anyway, I've got to get to social studies."

Avery exited the room, leaving Mr. Neilson's hand in the air and his mouth wide open.

Chapter 7

Carter, Daniel, and Paul sat amongst thirteen older male students in the otherwise empty gymnasium. Dressed in their normal school clothes, jeans and multiple collared shirts or t-shirts, they stared out at the lines of the basketball court and the lowered nets on each side.

Silencing their chatter, a tall, strong-looking man emerged through the double doors, taking long strides and pumping his arms. He had on fake hair, a fake tan, and a fake smile. The students gazed at him with awe as he strolled up to them and snatched off his sunglasses, revealing tan lines around his eyes. This was Mr. Howzer, the basketball couch.

"I called this meeting," he chirped in a voice higher than one might expect, "a month before the start of the season for two reasons. The first is to welcome the three sophomores who made it on the varsity team. I love seeing new faces here, kids that want to be basketball stars, wading knee-deep in pussy on the way to school every morning. Though I fully support that goal, I've got some bad news. You're going to be sitting the bench until you're a senior. Don't be a baby about it. Just suck it up and deal. You'll wait your turn like everyone else."

Mr. Howzer took a breath, running his hand through the hair on his head, which looked like it was held on there by Velcro. The students absorbed every word he said. Some had their mouths hanging open, not appearing to blink or even breath.

"The other reason I called this meeting is to tell you we have to do better this year. We keep getting knocked out of sectionals before we can make it to states, and frankly it's become embarrassing for me. The time has come to stop sucking! Got that? The old excuses aren't going to work anymore. Oh, I can't be expected to hit every foul shot. I'm having trouble keeping up with my man. I'm too white. Enough! No more! So what can we do to get better?"

A question suddenly thrown in their faces, most of the boys glanced awkwardly at each other. The coach crossed his thick arms under his puffy chest, waiting for an answer. Finally, one of the seniors raised his hand and the coach pointed at him.

"We could start training really hard, running, ball drills, sprints, and start it all now so we're in top shape when the season begins. Then we'll be able to work seamlessly as a team, fortifying our defense and solidifying our offense."

"No!" Mr. Howzer howled, bending his knees a little so he could hit a higher note. "You've got it dead wrong. Probably been watching too many movies. Nobody gets anywhere by working hard. That's for suckers! We're going to stick with our normal weight lifting routine, but we're going to spice it up with something special. You've got to find a secret weapon, and I've found ours. Actually, that's what this whole meeting is about. The rest of it is bullshit."

"So, what is it?" gawked another senior.

Mr. Howzer put his hand to his chin and chuckled. He rubbed his hands together and licked his lips.

"I ordered it from the Internet." He nodded ominously. "It's this secret dietary supplement from China. Their Olympic athletes use it. That's how they get so freakishly muscular. I want you all to start guzzling it immediately. It's a special blend of growth hormones, vitamins, chemicals, and God knows whatever stuff they cooked up, but the great thing is it'll never show up in any tests. We could go straight to the national championships and no one would ever know!"

"We're going to get to use steroids?" asked an excited student.

"You bet your ass you are," Mr. Howzer beamed. "I've ordered enough to last us for years. Just mix a little bit of the powder into a glass of water every day, and you'll immediately feel it working. Course there are a few side effects, headaches, heart palpitations, premature ejaculation, but that's nothing compared to the thrill of victory we're about to experience. But we have to keep this a secret. No one can find out about this or it would ruin everything. Have you got that? All right. Good. I've got the stuff in the back of my truck. Let's go."

Outside, the coach and his team approached a rusty old pick-up truck. A tarp covered something in the back, and Mr. Howzer yanked it off to reveal countless gallon tubs with bright red labels and Chinese characters. Grabbing one, Mr. Howzer held it up to his athletes.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I think this supplement is called Gongdong. I've already started taking it. Tastes pretty good. Go ahead and dig in!"

All at once, the students started pushing their way to the edge of the truck to take the large tubs. Smiling, laughing, and flexing their arms, they all expressed their excitement about this new secret weapon. Carter happened to have a bottle of water, and so he popped his open and scooped out a little more than a teaspoon. Dumping it in the water, he took a swig and examined the red label.

"It is pretty good! And, hey, there is a little bit of English on this thing. Down here on the side, it says 'One drink makes you into Chinese'."

"So does that mean we won't be able to drive anymore?" Daniel asked.

*

Another school day was coming to a close, and Avery was still no closer to obtaining her goal of sleeping with a teacher to make Carter jealous. It had been over a week since Mr. Nielson was fired, and the possibility that she would fail slowly crept into her mind. This was absolutely unacceptable.

While the rest of the student body left the school, escaping in all directions, Avery snuck through the halls to the chemistry classroom. Peeking through the door's thin window, she spotted a box of personal belongings in the process of being unpacked on the counter. A clinking sound told her someone was inside, and Avery took a deep breath as she opened the door to stalk her latest prey.

"Can I help you with something?" asked a robust, manly voice as soon as she entered. This was Mr. Veritech, who had only been hired as a long-term substitute that day. She had yet to see him though, and doing so for the first time took her breath away. His chiseled features, deep blue eyes, and wavy blonde hair made her heart flutter. It didn't take her more than a half a second to realize she actually wanted to fuck him, and she'd better get it done before anyone else even knew he had arrived.

Still, she had learned from her experience with Mr. Nielson, and she had decided on a much different tact. Being too direct would only befuddle him. She needed to make him nice and relaxed. It's a good thing he didn't know anything about her, or that might be awfully difficult to accomplish.

"Yes, there is," Avery said after her momentary freeze. "You can help me welcome you to our wonderful school. At Springdale high we reach for the sky!"

She recited the school motto and cheerfully swept up to him. He extended his hand, but she brushed it aside to give him a quick hug, hips apart.

"Oh, ok," he mumbled, setting his hand on her back for just a second.

"I'm sorry if that was awkward. It's just that I'm very passionate about chemistry. It's my all-time favorite subject. Hopefully one day I'll grow up to be a great chemistry teacher too."

"I'm sure you will," Mr. Veritech agreed, flashing a gorgeous white smile that made her swoon. Avery could only imagine how much of a hard-on she would have if she'd had a penis. She'd probably be able to drill through concrete with it. "That's great though. I'm excited about working with students who are interested in chemistry. I'm fresh out of college and dying to get in the thick of it. With any luck, there'll be a lot of chemistry fans here."

"Yeah, absolutely, but there really aren't though. I'm the only one...in the whole school who likes chemistry at all. Everyone else hates it, but I really like it," she rambled, offering the warmest smile she could.

"Now that can't be true," Mr. Veritech scoffed, "but even if it is I'll just have to work extra hard to make sure they can appreciate it."

Avery took his optimism as a good first step, and now it was time to take another. Swinging her bag around, she started fishing through it.

"Of course," she agreed. "I hope you won't forget about me though. I was actually very saddened by Mr. Nielson's sudden departure. You see, we were working on a special project together, and now I'll have no one to enjoy it with."

Her pouting drew him in completely, and the wonderfully attractive man bit his lip and scratched his chin.

"I'd be happy to step in and..."

"Great!" Avery cheered, way ahead of him. Pulling her hand out of her bag, she stuffed a white bottle into his hands.

He peered into her bag, where there were numerous containers of over the counter cold and allergy medication. His mouth dropped open and his face went pale.

"What on earth do you have all this for? Pseudoephedine? Ephedrine? Lithium batteries? You're making Crystal Meth, aren't you?" he gasped, the horrified look on his face growing more grotesque.

"So? This could just be our little secret. We'll get to know each other this way, and then whatever happens happens, right?"

"This is unbelievable!" he shuddered, looking as though he would vomit. He started pulling the bottles out of Avery's bag and setting them on the table. "I'm going to have to confiscate all of this! I don't know what kind of sick activities you were engaged in before, but I'll have none of it!"

His ranting frustrated Avery, who saw her chance of bagging a hottie slip through her fingers. She was desperate to get the conversation back on track.

"But you have to! How else am I supposed to convince you to sleep with me? I mean, you're gorgeous..."

"Sleep with me?" he gasped, his eyes turning bloodshot. "What is this really about? Of all the most improbable things, not to mention that I'm gay, first of all, but there are so many reasons why..."

"Oh my God, that does it," Avery moaned, hearing him slam the door on her last hope. "Wait, are you all the way gay or on a crazy night with a special lady kinda gay?"

"What?" he howled.

"Never mind. Look, I'm sorry about this, ok. Really, I am."

Avery turned and left Mr. Veritech lurching against the counter full of bottles, mouth-hanging open and sweaty. Finding her way into a teacher's bed proved more frustrating and demoralizing than anything she'd ever done, and it made her wish to have Carter back all the more. If she just had him, she wouldn't have to tolerate all this idiocy.

Sauntering down the hallway, the principal walked in her direction. He had a shaved head and a smart sweater on. Seems anything passes for business casual nowadays. He was probably on his way to some meeting, but Avery stepped in his path to get his attention. Shivering, she squinted at him.

"Principal Monty, something really weird happened. The new chemistry teacher, Mr. Veritech, pulled me into his classroom and started showing me all these bottles of pills. I have no idea what he was doing with them, but the look in his eye told me it wasn't good. I just thought you should know."

The principal's eyes bulged out of their sockets and the man immediately started storming down the hall to the room she'd just left. Feeling better about herself, Avery strolled to the exit, pushed open the door, and stepped out into the bright afternoon sun. Before she could get to the Honey Wagon, her phone went off.

"You don't want to know what just happened," Avery groaned to Kendra on the other end. "Things couldn't be worse if I were lying face down in a ditch somewhere."

"Yeah, that's great," Kendra interrupted. "Anyways, I'm looking for Paul Matheson. Do you know if he's still hanging around with Carter all the time?"

Deeply disturbed that Kendra hadn't called to listen to her problems, Avery released an exasperated sigh.

"I don't know! They're on the basketball team together, so I guess. I'm actually..."

"I'm really dying to find Paul," Kendra explained before Avery could change the subject. "Did you know he made a website called "my slutty girlfriend dot com" that he uses to talk about the nasty habits of all the girls he goes out with? It gets like a million hits a day."

"That's terrible!" Avery said.

"No, it's actually amazing and I'm dying to get onto it. If you see Carter, do you think you could have him put in a good word with Paul for me? That website could seriously be my ticket to stardom!" Kendra cheered.

"See, that's the thing, I really want to find Carter so we can get back together. I think I could convince him if I just had one more shot at it! I'm tired of all this teacher business. I'm sure deep down he feels the same way."

There was a long pause on the line.

"Uhh...I'm not so sure that's true. Everyone saw him holding hands with Ms. Downing as they left school today. They're hooking up now. Sorry to have to break the bad news like that."

In a fury of violent rage, Avery snapped her phone shut and threw it at the ground. It smashed into just as many pieces as her heart.

Chapter 8

Ms. Downing carried a couple of balls and a stick in her hands as she coaxed Carter away from the supply shed beside the field hockey turf. She had on a pair of tight black shorts, an orange sports bra, and the look of a woman who was on the prowl.

"Just one second," Carted said, holding up a finger and grabbing a water bottle full of his new Gongdong supplement. "I have to get into the habit of drinking this."

Draining the bottle of its contents, Carter chugged the ginger-flavored tea long after its taste had any appeal for him. He was nervous about his chances with Ms. Downing, and he hoped getting a little juice into his muscles would win her over. Everything between them seemed so new, making it impossible for him to get a sense of how she felt about him. Showing some enthusiasm and natural talent for the sport she loved had to be the perfect way to win her over.

"You ready? Finally!" Ms. Downing smiled as Carter dropped the empty bottle and trotted onto the field. He wore a spandex t-shirt and basketball shorts, both of which caught her hungry glances. "Alright. I'm excited to give you your first taste of field hockey. Even though it is a team sport, I find it's better to start one on one, so you know the basics. We'll keep it simple today, do some ball control drills, learn what a push and a sweep are, and maybe if you're lucky you'll find your way to the goal."

"Sounds good to me," Carter grinned, grabbing his stick and poking away one of the balls from near her feet. They were near midfield, but Carter reached back into a huge swing.

"Slapshot!" he called, the stick high over his head, but when he swung he duffed it against the ground and the ball only dribbled a few feet.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" chided Ms. Downing. "There's nothing worse than jumping ahead to the finish when you've barely got started. You've got to warm up to it, start slow, gradually build up, and then when you're so close you can feel the rush, you just let go of it and let it flood into the goal. Do you know what I mean?"

He noticed her raised eyebrow and took it as a sign she was looking down on him. He had to prove he was a quick learner.

"Kinda. It's just that I've never played field hockey before, or ice hockey for that matter. I bet it'll be a snap to pick up though. You said we're going to do some ball control stuff?"

"That's a great attitude. I think you will pick it up quickly. So, yeah. Take this other ball, and let's practice working it around your body. You only want to touch the ball with the stick's flat face, so practice using your left hand to twist it around in front of you without knocking the ball into your feet."

"Ok," Carted nodded, a little lost. His feet a few inches apart, he gripped the top of the stick with both hands and tapped the ball forward.

"What are you doing? This isn't miniature golf! Move your right hand down the stick more. Ugh, you're still not getting it right. Here, let me show you."

Carter thought he had it after her second explanation, but that didn't stop Ms. Downing from coming around behind him to set his hands in the right spot. Nuzzling against his back and butt, she set her hands on the outside of his to adjust them on the stick.

Virtually oblivious to what she was doing, all he noticed was her breasts pressing into his back. He thought he could even feel her nipples, and it sent a strange tingle into his loins. Blinking suddenly and heaving, he got the sensation he was about to orgasm. What was going on? He wasn't even that hard, and yet he felt seconds away from blowing it all over the inside of his shorts. Yelping, he hopped away before he lost himself completely.

"I'm sorry," Ms. Downing said, appearing hurt.

"No, it's not you. Trust me," Carter assured her, desperate to recover. "I just had an itch is all."

Taking a few deep breaths helped to get himself back under control, but even glancing at the glistening skin of her cleavage and exposed waist brought it all back. He rubbed his eyes and scratched himself, shocked and dismayed about what was going on.

"Ok," Ms. Downing hesitantly went on. "If you can remember what I showed you, we can start weaving through these cones. The trick is to shift your body weight side to side in anticipation of the turns. Pretend these are people, and you're trying to snake through them. Keep your body low to the ground and your head up."

She began to demonstrate, and Carter immediately realized watching her was not going to turn out well for him. As soon as she bent over into position and her backside stuck out like a hitchhiker's thumb, that pressure returned to Carter in full force. He couldn't imagine how embarrassing it would be to cum in his pants on their first date together. As understanding as older women might be, she couldn't give him a pass on the unforgivable.

"You're not even watching!" she howled from a few cones away. "Fine then, if you think you've got it in you, you can give it a try yourself."

She returned to centerfield, hips swaying, and Carter tried to regroup so he could make his attempt. His heart was beating out of his chest. Just being near her seemed intoxicating. What was going on with his body? Crouching down just the tiniest bit threatened his ability to keep it in. Righting himself immediately, he gasped.

"I...I don't think that's such a good idea. Not sure I have the basics down yet. Let me try the ball control thing again."

His back stiff as a board, he patted the ball around with the stick. Things had taken a terrible turn, and he needed to find a way to get out of here.

"You're poking that stick around like a blind man! Are you ok?" she cringed, eyeing him. He had no idea what she would think, but this was an abandon ship moment.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Promise. I just...just am feeling a little winded is all. Had a tough workout yesterday. Muscles are pretty beat. Sorry about this, but I'm going to have to call it a day."

He swiveled around slowly and shuffled back to the supply shed. He wiped the sweat from his brow and didn't look back.

"It's really ok," she called back to him.

Slipping inside the shed and closing the door behind him, Carter pulled out the front of his shorts and looked at his manhood. Everything seemed to be in the right place. Clearly, this was just a freak occurrence, and the next time he saw her he'd be good to go all night like he usually was. Crossing to the table, he grabbed a towel from his bag to wipe himself down. The door gave the slightest creak behind him.

"I know I make some men nervous," Ms. Downing began, and Carter jerked his head around to see her pressing her back against the door, a sultry look on her face. "But you've got nothing to be afraid of."

"Ms. Downing..."

"Please, call me Sandra," she whispered, slipping up beside him. She had a ravenous look in her eye that scared him. She didn't have any interest in him at all; she just wanted his body, and she wanted it badly. He shuddered when she ran her hand down his back, struggling to hold it in. Not even virgins have this much trouble when a girl first touches them.

"I know you want me. Most boys do, but they don't have what you have. So why don't we go for the goal now that we're all warmed up."

Her ravishing good looks were undeniable, and he tore himself apart trying not to think of himself burying his face in her boobs. Her hand on his neck, she turned his head and leaned in to kiss him. The instant their lips touch, he felt it all break lose.

"UNNNGFFF."

Straining to hold himself still, he shook a little, and Ms. Downing glared at him curiously, cringing. She furrowed her eyebrows and scrutinized him from head to toe.

"What just happened? Did you just...oh my God!"

"No, no, no I didn't!" he insisted. "I just had a sneeze coming."

"What's that smell?" she sniffed. "Is that Cool Ranch Doritos?"

Releasing a gut-wrenching sigh and trying not to smear the semen against himself any more than he had to, he begged for her forgiveness.

"Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I swear! You could ask half of our gym class. Those girls'll tell you it went on way longer than they wanted! It must just be something about you I have to get used to. Most of the girls I've been with weren't so...developed."

Setting her jaw, Ms. Downing took a moment to contemplate his words. She peered at him carefully, the desire was still evident in her eyes.

"Well, I can't say I blame you," she said. "These curves are both a blessing and a curse, though I'd much rather have that than the chick peas of the other girl you were hanging around with. What's her name, Avery? Boy, I have to feel a little bit sorry for her. I've seen anorexics with a better rack. And it doesn't help her personality is about as sweet as a bar of soap."

Carter had felt like he'd been off the hook until she brought up Avery. Then something hardened inside of him and he scowled.

"You have no right to criticize her! She may have some things to figure out, but at least she's honest. What do you do? You tell students you're going to teach them field hockey then and force yourself onto them in little sheds. I don't know if you know, but what you just did was attempted statutory rape."

Alarm raged inside of her eyes, brilliant and unceasing. It crossed his mind that she might try to hit him.

"If you tell anyone about this, there won't be a girl left in the world who doesn't know you squirt before your pants are even off. The only way you'll ever get near another pair of panties again is if you buy them from a Japanese vending machine," she promised, making Carter's blood run cold. Then the fury washed from her face, a bright smile replacing it. "So why don't we just keep our time together a secret, ok?"

Carted jerked his head up and down, feeling stuck and intimidated. Did she really expect to see him again after he creamed his shorts and she made all those threats? He wanted to get as far away from her as possible, and in his mind that meant closer to Avery, who suddenly didn't seem so bad.

Ms. Downing gave him a peck on the cheek that felt like the prick of a pin before clearing out. Staring at the space where she was, Carter spotted the empty bottle he'd dropped to the ground. Gasping, he realized what caused his premature ejaculation.

*

Pulling into her driveway, Avery was distracted by the sight of her mother asleep on the front lawn in a chair and ended up once again running over her sister's pink bicycle. Grumbling, she hopped out to see what was going on. Candice dozed in a lawn chair in front of an empty table she must've dragged out from inside. Avery couldn't imagine a more perplexing sight.

"Mom, what the heck are you doing out here?" she hollered, making Candice twitch and awaken. She squinted at her daughter, annoyed at being woken up.

"I've got bills to pay, you know, so I'm trying to earn a little money. That's more than I can say for you!" she snapped, erasing exactly none of Avery's bewilderment.

"Making money? How? Do you really expect people to pay you for passing out on the front lawn?"

"Can't you see I'm having a yard sale?" Candice corrected her. Avery glanced back at the empty table. It didn't have a crumb on it and looked like it never did. Candice finally rolled her head over to look as well, and she slapped her hand to her face when she saw the empty space in front of her.

"You fell asleep and people stole everything you were selling in the yard sale?" Avery gasped. "How much of our stuff did you drag out here?"

Candice, slinking down in her chair a bit more, didn't appear all that repentant for her mistake.

"It wasn't anything that important, just some junk from upstairs like an old lamp, your baby blankets, photos, and your social security card."

At that very moment, Avery decided the defining feeling of her life was that of crushing disappointment. Nothing would ever work out the way she wanted, whether it was a stable family or the boyfriend she desperately wanted. She might as well resign herself to life pulling a plow in an Amish community.

Her phone rung in her pocket to the tune of "Get Low," jarring her visibly because it meant only one person could be calling. Snatching her phone and flipping it open, it was indeed Carter trying to reach her. Trembling, she accepted the call and tried to contain her excitement.

"Hello, this is Avery speaking. Oh, hi! You do? Really? Yeah, we can meet somewhere. The spot sounds great. In an hour then."

Avery could barely hold off the sudden flood of joy long enough to end the conversation. Her legs gave out and she dropped to her knees, laughing hysterically and rolling around on the grass. She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt, but she kept smiling anyway because she knew she could finally have him back.

The place they referred to as "the spot" was actually the bedroom display in a local JC Penney's. She had planned to be fifteen minutes late, but she could only hold out for ten. Then she strolled into the store and past the ladies' lingerie—letting her fingers graze the soft fabric—on her way to her destiny.

There he was, right where he was supposed to be. Carter Thomson reclined on the velvet display loveseat beside a fluffy, frilly display bed in a corner between two aisles. He got to his feet as soon as he saw her, forcing Avery to take a deep breath and compose herself. No mistakes, she promised herself, there couldn't be a single one.

"Thanks for coming," he said, traces of penitence and embarrassment on his slightly flushed face.

"No problem. So what's going on?" she said casually, swinging her hair back over her shoulder and leaning against a tall maroon chair. As Carter struggled to begin, their still figures seemed just like manikins to the people walking by.

"Oh, you know, lately I've been thinking about us a little bit."

"Really? Because from what I hear you've been spending a lot of time thinking about Ms. Downing," she accused.

"No, no, it wasn't really like that. You see, I didn't know what to do after I lost you."

The nice thing to say would've been that he'd never really lost her. She could just ignore that he'd broken up with her and then threw her to the curb outside of a McDonald's, which would allow her to take him back immediately, but she couldn't do that.

"You lost me?" Avery gasped. "That's garbage and you know it! More like you threw me off a cliff and latched onto the closest piece of ass you could find. Just admit that you'd follow Ms. Dumplings and her melons around wherever she goes because you're a shallow, scum-sucker of a person!"

"Hey!" Carter interrupted, growing defensive and raising his voice. He took a strong step forward, close enough for her to set her hands on his chest, which she yearned desperately to do. "Don't talk about me like I'm a bad person. What about you? I heard about your plan to start hitting on teachers and when it didn't work out you got two of them fired!"

Eri. As happy as Avery was that Eri betrayed her and told Carter what she was doing, the girl would still have to pay for it. But right now, Avery had more important things to do, scream at a boy she liked inside of a crowded department store.

"No, it's my turn to be angry! I begged you to come back and then you go flirting in gym class right in front of me. Have you even stopped sleeping around?" she howled, throwing one of the perfectly placed display pillows at him. "And what on earth were you doing with my sister?"

Carter wiped all of the anger from his face and touched her on the arm in that gentle, comforting way he does that seems to make everything all right. That's how she knew to take him seriously, and she immediately looked into his blue eyes, where she found nothing but heartfelt emotion.

"I want you back, Avery. I'm done looking for a girl who's perfectly good, or has the perfect body, or is intelligent. I'm ready to settle for you. If you'll take me back, I think we can find a way to be happy together."

Avery felt as though she were walking on air. Everything she wanted was right within her reach, and it would just be so easy to capture it and hold onto it forever. Carter made all of the bad parts of her life vanish, and there were so many bad parts she'd be happy if he did away with right now. All she had to do was say yes.

"No! You've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to forgive you so easily for all the shit you put me through. You don't deserve a girlfriend; you deserve a psychologist to help you sort through all your complexes. I certainly can't be responsible for it. Face it, Carter, until you learn how to treat a woman the way she deserves, you're going to be spending the rest of your life alone."

If he wanted her back, he would have to work for it. Avery stormed out, stealing a bath towel for good measure and leaving Carter standing there alone amongst all the staring shoppers. All the next day, she waited for him to put together some big surprise to show her how much he really cared. Every time she opened her locker, she expected to find a present. Her phone was deader than Elvis. And he just gave her sheepish looks in the classes they had together.

Finally, after lunch, she put her hands on her face and realized he hadn't gotten the message. Why can't boys ever understand what girls mean? That's why they have Y-chromosomes. Everything they do just makes you ask yourself, "why?" Avery thought. To put things back on track, she told Eri to tell Carter that she did still want to be with him and for him to meet her today at the same place and same time that they did yesterday. But this time a security guard was there to meet them as well, and they were forced to pick up near a cell phone kiosk in the mall.

"Why didn't you realize I expected you to do something?" she snapped at him, her arms out in the air.

"I got you a pretzel," he offered, holding out the piece of dough in a little white bag. Avery realized her hopes of being swept off her feet by some big romantic gesture had no chance. Disappointed, she pleasured herself with the knowledge she would at least be having regular sex again. It'd been so long she wondered if everything still worked down there. In her mind, she could be getting her rocks off in ten minutes, but first she had to cave.

"Alright, fine," she leveled. "I miss you and I want you back too. But things have to be different this time. You've got to be a little more forgiving of me. Less judgmental too. I don't want to be having the same problems we were having last time."

She leaned forward to kiss him, anxious for the taste of his soft lips once again, but he pulled back a bit and smiled nervously.

"Exactly," he agreed, smiling uncomfortably. "We should take it slow. Go on some dates."

"You want to...date?" Avery cringed, completely perplexed. As far as she knew, they'd never been on a date before, and all of a sudden that's what he wanted to do? The Y-chromosome strikes again, she concluded. Fortunately, she was also confident that hearing "take it slow" from a man at most could only mean "until the next time I'm horny," which couldn't take more than a day.

Even as Carter sidled away, Avery began to feel optimistic about waiting until tomorrow for sex. It would give her just enough time to enjoy anticipating it. She already wanted it badly enough to start stripping in the middle of the mall, so she could only imagine what kind of a wonderful relief it would be when the next day finally came.

Chapter 9

But the next day came and went, and so did the next. Not only was Avery not getting any, she wasn't even seeing Carter because he had basketball practice and a report due. It wasn't until the weekend that she was able to secure some time with him, but even that proved much more troublesome than she'd imagined.

True to his word, Carter insisted they go out on a date. Instead of a romantic candlelight dinner or a dark spot in the back of a movie theater where they could fool around, he told her they were going to the local miniature golf course, Hole in One. Even that wouldn't be so bad, because Avery was an expert miniature golfer, but Carter decided to make it a double date. When they pulled up in Carter's silver Porche, his buddy Paul and, by no accident whatsoever, Kendra were waiting for them.

Hoping to avoid being stuck with Paul, who Avery considered a doofus, and some skank she didn't even know, Avery had thrown Kendra's name into the ring, and she was eternally grateful. Kendra didn't even like Paul, whose pasty skin looked like it should be spread on a bagel, but she was dying to make herself famous on his popular website for whorish behavior.

"You have no idea what I can do with this," Kendra smirked, massaging her putter. Paul's eyes widened like he was about to pass gas.

"You're holding it from the bottom!" he gasped, his lips smacking as he chewed gum.

The cashier took their money and handed over a little scorecard and pencil. Beside him was a full barrel of golf balls of every color imaginable.

"What color balls do you want?" the cashier asked, running his hand over them.

"Blue!" Carter answered.

"Don't you have enough of those?" Avery jabbed, crossing her arms. "I'll take black." Kendra took pink and Paul took green. They were about to leave the cashier's gazebo and walk around to the start of the course when the attendant called them back.

"I'm sorry, sir, we ask that you not chew gum on the course," he said to Paul, who immediately became incensed.

"What? That's ridiculous! I can chew gum if I want. It's not against the law!"

"It's against the rules," the cashier insisted. "People spit it out and it gets in the greens or they stick it against the walls of the cave or the side of the pirate ship. It's clearly prohibited on this sign."

He was right. There was a sign right beside them that said no gum was allowed on the course. Another sign beside it demanded that golfers not swing their clubs higher than their knees. All of this seemed to irritate Paul, whose flushed skin became pinker than Kendra's ball.

"This is unbelievable! So as long as there's a sign here I can't do it? And what kind of an idiot needs to be told not to swing above the knees? It's absurd! Where the sign that's telling me to aim for the hole? Or to keep breathing?"

Paul's ranting put him out of breath, and Carter put his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's ok. Just take it easy. It won't be the end of the world if you get rid of it."

Still fuming, Paul took the gum out of his mouth and dropped it on the grass.

"Excuse me," the cashier called again, this time pointing to another nearby sign that said all waste should be disposed of in garbage receptacles. Paul clenched his fists and groaned as he picked up the discarded gum and threw it in the garbage can.

"It's ok," Kendra calmed him. "I have much better things you can put in your mouth."

"Unless there's a sign against it," Paul grumbled.

Finally making it to the practice green, they dropped their balls and started shooting at random for the various holes. Only Avery abstained from practicing, knowing it was better not to intimidate them before she had to. Sinking a practice put, Carter pumped his fist and flashed a bright smile.

"I'm gonna win today for sure! I've got a good feeling about it, like I'm already in the zone. Just watch and learn," he bragged, making Avery roll her eyes.

"Why would you say that? I've beaten you by fifteen strokes before. You know you can't win!"

"Not today, baby. You're in for the pounding of a lifetime!"

"I wish I was," she sighed.

It didn't take long for Avery to prove she was right. At the very first hole, Carter did manage to put his ball only a few inches away, but Avery ricocheted hers off the sea monster, knocked away his ball, and got a hole in one. As a glum expression took to Carter's face, lights came on and the sea monster waved its mechanical arms.

"How did you do that?" Kendra gasped.

"I'm a professional," she smirked.

Paul lined up his put, carefully calculating the gradient of the slope.

"I used to be a professional too, but I had to quit because I kept getting rug burn on my knees," Kendra said, making Paul snort and wildly overshoot his put. The ball rolled into a ditch, and it took him three more strokes to finish the hole. After Kendra went and they finally prepared to leave, they became aware of a disgruntled group of snotty looking twelve-year-old boys behind them.

"Can you hurry the heck up? This isn't supposed to take all day!" complained a stringy brown-haired boy in glasses.

The group ignored him and went to the second hole. Avery decided to keep score, or else she'd be even more bored. Carter took a shot, but his ball bounced off the leg of a tiny elephant stampeding in front of the hole. It rolled about halfway back, and he needed two more shots to make it in. Avery scored another hole in one.

"Don't get too comfortable. I'm still in it," Carter insisted.

"Seriously, what's your secret?" Kendra begged after needing a whopping five shots.

"Miniature golf is all about mental stability," Avery explained. "Once you are so secure that nothing can get to you, you can envision the ball rolling into the hole just the way you want it to. It's just when other things creep into your mind that problems start to happen."

"I see," Paul said, dropping his ball far beyond the starting area to take his first shot.

"No, no, you can't do that," Avery corrected him. "You need to start back by the wooden boards."

"Are you sure?" Paul questioned, preparing to putt. "I don't see any sign saying that."

His putt proved a good one, and the ball sunk right in the hole. He jumped in the air to celebrate and high-fived with Carter. Steaming, Avery scratched the number one in his box on the scorecard.

"Come on!" the boys behind them moaned.

"Shut up and wait your turn!" she snapped at them, her patience wearing thin. It took Kendra six shots to make it through the hole after she repeatedly missed it from about a foot away.

The next hole brought them into a gloomy looking cave. Ghosts hung from the ceilings and little gold chunks covered in gum spotted the walls. A miner repeatedly jerked his pickaxe into the hole to temporarily block it. Except for the miner's obstruction, it was a pretty straight shot. Carter lined up, timed it, and managed a hole in one.

"That's what I'm talking about, baby! Oww!" he chirped, swiveling his hips in a ridiculous dance. Avery waved her hand to get him out of the way. It was hard for her to concentrate when Paul and Kendra were giggling behind her. She had to check to make sure it wasn't because her thong was showing. Exuding grumpiness, Avery made her putt, the ball rolled to the hole, and it hit the pickaxe and bounced back.

"I guess she's not invincible after all," Kendra chuckled, getting a cold stare. She knocked in her second putt and wrote the number two in her box, ashamed. Paul dropped his green ball onto the beginning of the course and proceeded to push it with the club all the way into the hole.

"What are you doing? You can't do that!" Avery yelled.

"I just did though, so it looks like I could," he shrugged.

"What's the point of even playing if you're just going to disregard all the rules?" she cackled.

"That's a good question. Too bad there isn't a sign around to tell me."

Just then, the boys behind them ducked into the cave and things got even worse.

"Hey, you look kind of familiar," one of them snickered.

"No, I don't. Just leave us alone!" Avery demanded.

"Yeah, do you have a sister?" the boy asked, forcing a cold shiver down Avery's spine. "You look a lot like Whorie Lori, except she's got bigger boobs."

Avery concluded there were only two options now, ignore the boy or kill him with her putter. Though it made her head feel like it would explode, she took the high road and followed the rest of her group out of the cave only because she doubted Paul would cover for her in the trial. Kendra didn't even bother to putt.

"So if I don't play a hole and I get zero, that's even better than a hole in one, right?" Kendra reasoned, making Avery cringe. She couldn't believe they were only on the fifth hole. This nightmare seemed to be dragging on forever.

Following a small walkway, they came to the pirate ship, lurched against a hill beside a blue-green man-made pond. Cheesy pirate chants blared from a speaker, which split Avery's head open. It had no effect on Carter, however, and he easily two-putted his way through the sharp dogleg right.

Taking her turn, Avery twitched so much she could barely hold the club. Her putt was way too hard, bouncing off the wall beyond the hole and stopping back near the turn. The second putt was long but reasonable, except that she missed it by a foot. Staring down at the ball, just twelve inches from the hole, she felt herself coming unglued. The noise, the boys, her unfulfilled desires, all of it came crashing down on her. Her swing sent the ball rolling to the hole and veering just to the left.

"Unbelievable!" she yelped, ready to snap her club in half. She didn't even want to watch what Paul and Kendra would do, and she didn't want to stick around for those boys to catch up again. Exiting down the pirate ship's plank, she walked with Carter to the next hole, one of a few that curved along the edge of the pond's rocky shore.

"If anything else happens, I'm going to drown myself in the pool," she moaned, and he carefully set his fingers on her opposite shoulder. Their hips didn't even bump.

"Nothing else is going to happen," he comforted her, "except maybe getting beaten by your boyfriend."

Depressed, she noticed Paul had descended to join them, then they all turned back to the ship when they heard Kendra's call.

"Have you ever seen pirate booty like this?" she hollered, her ass sticking out of one of the cannon holes. Paul laughed and used his phone to take a picture. It was a tight squeeze, and Avery wondered if they were going to have to prod her from the outside to get her back through. But she popped back out and trotted down the plank while the boys behind them played the hole.

The next two holes mercifully passed without incident. They'd followed the sloping walkways down until they were at the very last hole beside the pond, which was only a few boulders away from the water. Avery prepared to putt when the laughter of the boys in the group behind them haunted her.

"Can you shut up for one minute?" she howled, but her plea only brought the lead troublemaker closer. He set his putter against one of the boulders like a cane and leaned against it.

"Do you want to know what your sister said she'd do to me if I gave her my math homework?" he chuckled. Avery went red-faced, so embarrassed he was saying these things about her sister in front of her friends.

"I'm telling you," Carter piped up. "Don't say another word to us, or else."

His threat failed to impress the boy, who wore a glib smirk.

"Or else what? You're going to take my underwear off and teach my ass a lesson?"

"Don't count on it, kid," Avery said under her breath while Carter stormed forward.

"This is your last warning!" he said, the kid backing away onto the rocks. He put his hands up, his eyes growing wide, but still the boy refused to quit.

"I haven't been this close to a pussy since I was born," he sniped.

Carter hung his head, laughing, only to take his putter in both hands and cross-check the boy in the chest. He didn't hit him hard, just hard enough to make him stumble back against the rocks. He yelped and squealed as one foot dropped into the water, then the next, and he finally tipped over backward into the blue-green pond. Golfers from all over the course turned to laugh at him.

It was only then that Avery noticed Paul facing the pond just a few feet away. Bending his knees a little, he released a thin yellow stream into the water. As happy as she was to see that kid get dunked, Paul brought all of her anger right back to her.

"Paul, you can't pee in the pool! This is a miniature golf course, not the YMCA!"

"What? There's no sign," he snapped, looking back over his shoulder.

Fuming, Avery was about to go off, but then she saw Carter walking toward him. A gentle push sent Paul straight into the water, where he splashed and kicked spastically.

"You pushed me into a pool of my own piss?" he screeched as he came to the surface, his pasty white skin covered in icky goo.

This was why Avery loved Carter. Seeing Paul and the horrible little boy wallowing in slimy filth brought a bright smile to her face.

"If I jump into the piss pool with you, will that get me onto your website?" Kendra asked, point blank.

"It can't hurt," Paul admitted. Setting down her phone, Kendra got a running start, leapt against one of the boulders, and sailed into the water just a short ways away from him.

"Eww!" she howled when she made it to the surface, though she had put a smile on Paul's face. Moments later they were calling out to Avery and Carter. "Come on in! You know you want to."

Avery had her hand around Carter's waist.

"If I wanted to be dunked in piss, I'd start hanging out with R. Kelly," Carter said.

"Not only are we not getting in, we're not playing anymore. See you guys later!" Avery waved as she guided Carter toward the exit. They passed by the remaining holes, quickly dropped off their equipment, and settled into Carter's Porche.

"So what are we going to do now?"

Watching Carter take a stand like that for her was probably the biggest turn on of her life. She was ready to jump on him right there, but his arm was high on the steering wheel as though he were blocking her.

"Let's go to your house," she insisted, making no bones about it. There'd be nothing to stop her from having her way with him there.

"My house?" Carter gasped, as though she'd said something scandalous. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine, just go. The Honey Wagon is parked there, so we've got to go back anyway. Might as well hang out for a bit, right?"

Carter gulped, a petrified look in his eyes. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, tugging at his crotch. Slowly, he turned the key and started the car.

"Ok...we'll go to my house."

*

Carter lived in a posh two-story townhouse in an exclusive part of town. The sprawling lawn and shrubs were perfectly trimmed, large glass windows studded the exterior, and the whole place just seemed a hallmark of pristine beauty. It looked like it could be a museum for something silly like doorknobs or sewing machines.

For all its lower-upper class greatness, having a hunk of junk wagon with fake wooden siding by the curb seemed to ruin it. Avery sighed as they passed it to pull into the driveway. The garage they parked in looked nicer than her living room. Being so close to a higher standard of living used to be depressing for Avery, but she'd long since gotten used to it, for the most part. Using a little mental effort, she pushed her family's money problems out of her mind completely so she could make room for more important things.

She led him to the garage door, which would take them through the kitchen, up the stairs, and right to his room, but her plans got sidetracked right as soon as she opened the door. The scurrying of tiny feet came to meet them, and immediately the grating yelps of a Papillon rang in their ears.

"Oh, you got a dog! Isn't she adorable?" Avery cooed, making Carter laugh.

"Yeah, a few things have changed since the last time you've been here," he said, brushing by and entering the kitchen. The dog hopped up, snapping at his knees. "She's the queen around here now that mom's gone."

Rather than heading toward the stairs dead ahead, Carter turned left past the sink to an adjoining area linking a laundry room and a bathroom.

"You know, I love dogs like this," Avery began as Carter entered the bathroom and closed the door. "But the only bad part is they have a tendency of dying unexpectedly. It's like their little bodies can't contain all of the barking."

Grabbing a bottle of bleach, Avery unscrewed the cap and started pouring some of the clear liquid into the dog's nearby water dish. The scruffy rat ran right over to take a drink.

"I think she'll be staying with us for a good long time," he said, exiting the bathroom to the sound of a flushing toilet. "What are you doing in there?"

Avery had just returned the bleach to the shelf, and she jerked her head like a deer in headlights.

"I think I got splashed a little bit by the pond," she pretended to sulk, inspecting her shirt, pulling it tight against her body, and exposing her waist. "I might have to get out of these clothes."

She expected to see him salivating, but instead most of the emotion had drained from his face. Scratching his neck, he glanced out the back window.

"Oh, shoot! I forgot to bring in the lawn mower. Let me do that real quick," he said, vanishing instantly back through the kitchen. Avery took a few steps after him, finally giving up and setting her hands on the kitchen table. What was going on? Usually he couldn't wait to have sex. Before they split up, they wouldn't have even made it out of the golf course parking lot, much less the car. Now she was alone.

As if on cue, the sound of Carter exiting the house brought his goony fourteen-year-old younger brother down the stairs. She heard him plod quickly down the steps, but then he slowed on the last one to casually turn the corner into view. As handsome as Carter was, his brother Jeffrey wasn't. Whereas Carter's eyes were dashing, Jeffrey squinted and leered, and the freckles near his eyes made him look like he was high. While Carter was well built, Jeffrey's muscles were solely the result of excessive masturbation. And then there was his personality.

"Oh, hi, Avery! I wasn't expecting you. I always knew you'd realize you had the wrong Thomson brother. I'm glad you came around now, because the Sailor Moon outfit I ordered for you just came in the mail. We could, you know..."

Creeped out to the max, Avery cringed, putting out her hand to keep him away.

"Actually, I'm here with Carter. We're back together now," she said, despite proof to the contrary running through her mind. A shocked expression came to Jeffrey's face, but he soon let it pass in favor of more disturbing gazes.

"Really? Huh! I didn't see that coming. Well anyway, I'm happy for you," he said. Avery nodded and turned away, but he wasn't done talking. "I read somewhere about the funniest thing. There was this guy who went to visit his older brother at college. He was sleeping in his brother's bed and woke up to find his brother's girlfriend giving him a blowjob! Can you believe it? I guess things like that do happen, probably not even at college all the time. I can see how that might be awkward for the girl, you know, accidentally blowing your boyfriend's brother, but I want you to know if a mistake like that ever happens I would be okay with it."

Horrified, Avery didn't know what to say. Fortunately, the yapping dog signaled Carter's return, and she leeched onto him as soon as he walked through the door.

"We have to go to your room, now!" she begged.

"Whoa, ok," he assented, giving his brother a look.

She dragged him to the stairs, leaving Jeffrey behind. She still felt as though she would vomit any second, but shutting the door to Carter's bedroom did bring her some relief. The rest of the world was out there, and they were in here, and they could finally, finally reconnect.

Carter picked up a piece of mail that had been set on the dresser for him. It was a purple envelope that had no return address. Avery climbed onto the bed as he opened it, learning over to tug on his shirt when he didn't come right away. Removing the small slip of paper he read the frilly, scripted words.

"I can't wait to see you again?" he puzzled. "Did you write this?"

But Avery couldn't care less about whatever it was he was doing or talking about. She sunk a finger into his waistband to tug him closer to the bed, but he jumped like his ass was on fire.

"Whoa, easy!" he gasped, backing up.

Smiling, Avery wasn't about to let him go. Slinking out of the bed, she approached him, her eyes on him, her hair flowing around her face, and breathing heavily. Carter bumped up against the wall.

"I want you to listen to me, Carter, and I want you to do what I say. We've waited long enough and I can't take it anymore. You're going to tear off my clothes, throw me on the bed, and fuck me so hard the bed breaks because if I don't have you inside me in ten seconds I'm going to scream. Ok?" she closed sweetly, leaning in and planting the gentlest kiss on his cheek.

Carter had broken into a sweat, and his skin went beet red. He shuddered, twitching a bit, and Avery had just enough time to peer at him curiously before the smell of Cool Ranch Doritos made it to her nose.

"UNNNGFFF," he wheezed.

"Oh, Carter, why?" she gasped. Avery closed her eyes, crushed. Her fingers and toes ached with unfulfilled desire.

"I...I just," he stammered. Avery didn't scream, instead she started laughing. The first chuckles sputtered through her lips, making Carter seem even more uncomfortable.

"After all the times I made fun of you for being quick you did this to get back at me, right? That's what you were doing in the bathroom, putting yourself right on the edge so you could pay me back. I get it. Hardy harr harr. Ok, we'll just have to wait a few minutes before we can try again," she said, taking a seat on the bed.

Carter didn't even crack a smile though, and he just kept shaking his head, pinned against the wall, cream in his shorts. He looked pale as a sheet. Avery's phone rang, and it quickly became apparent her plan would not work out the way she wanted.

"Hey, Mom, what do you want? I'm a little busy now. Why is Lori at a Lamaze class? She's only been pregnant for like a few weeks. Can't you pick her up? This is really inconvenient! Oh, all right. Lori doesn't need a Lamaze class though; she needs a doctor! Yeah, I know. Fine, bye."

"That's an awful shame you've got to get going," Carter sighed. "Family comes first though, and you've got to do what you've got to do. We'll catch up soon, I promise."

He had a cheesy grin on that made Avery wonder. Did he want her to leave? Everything felt so weird and she didn't know what to do about it. Right now, there was only one thing she could do, pick up her pregnant twelve-year-old sister.

*

A group of walrus-like expectant mothers waddled out of a downtown community center late that afternoon. Her head against the steering wheel, Avery watched for her sister, sulked, and drooled on her jeans. When Lori finally emerged, weaving through the protruding bellies, Avery thought of how it wasn't too long ago when she was in the car with her mother picking Lori up from elementary school. Groping through her memory, it seemed like just a couple of years ago, when in fact it had been just a couple of years ago.

"Hit the gas before I kill somebody," Lori said when she climbed into the front seat.

"No problem," Avery sighed, lethargically shifting the car into drive. Her glum expression couldn't be clearer, but Lori seemed too preoccupied to notice.

"Those moms think it's so cute I went to Lamaze class," Lori ranted, venom in her voice. "They say, oh, it'll be a long time till you're a mother, and, don't you have a little growing up to do? Little do they know! In just a few years time, my kid's gonna be kicking their kids' asses all over the playground. I've already got the perfect name for him figured out, Hannibal."

Just when Avery thought the hole in her stomach couldn't get any bigger, it did.

"You can't name your child Hannibal. You just can't do it! I thought you wanted him to be a politician anyway. Nobody's going to elect anybody named Hannibal," she reasoned, stepping on the gas.

"No," Lori corrected her. "The politician will come later. The first one is going to be a serial-killing sniper...with an afro! Yeah, that would be cool. That's how I'll wipe out my enemies and start building my family empire."

Every word felt like a drill to Avery's head. None of it made sense.

"What enemies could you possibly have? You're a twelve-year-old girl!"

"Well, first of all there's the boy in my class who never lends me a pencil even though he has like a hundred. He's got to go. Then there's the homeless guy outside of the liquor store. He'll buy for anybody else but when I ask he's suddenly got the morals of a preacher. Them...and a bunch of others. Hannibal will be a busy boy doing mommy's dirty work."

Avery didn't even bother to respond. Everything was just ridiculous beyond belief, and the more talking her sister did, the crazier it all became. The only solution was to shut it all out and give herself one moment to sort through her fragmented thoughts.

A honking horn snapped her back and she jerked the wheel to right the car on the proper side of the road. What just happened? Clutching the wheel, she stared at the road ahead of her.

"Are you ok?" Lori asked, one hand on the door and the other on her stomach.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Avery brushed her off, flicking the blinker and making a turn.

"No, really, tell me what the problem is."

Lori's demands were hard to object to when Avery really did feel like she needed to talk to someone. She couldn't tell her friends because it would make her seem weak. It was too embarrassing. But she didn't want to confide in her sister either because she might be too young to understand, and it might burden her with sticky relationship details she wasn't ready to know about. Squeezing her fingers around the steering wheel, she clenched her face, finally giving in.

"I guess it's not that big a deal," Avery downplayed it. "I was so happy when I got back together with Carter, but now things are different. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but he's always so shy and reserved around me now. He used to be, you know, really intense. Just all the time. Now, it's like he doesn't want to look at me. I can't believe I'm telling you this, but it's been almost a week and we still haven't...made love."

"You mean fucked?"

"No!" Avery cried, pained at hearing her precious sister cursing. "I mean been intimate."

"You mean bent over in front of the sink and pounded from behind while your hair gets in the dish water?"

"Oh my God. No! Don't say things like that. I guess I just don't know why he'd get back together with me if he didn't find me attractive anymore. I feel like I'd almost be better off if we hadn't because then I could just be mad at him instead of horribly disappointed in myself."

Lori reached out and set her hand on Avery's shoulder. They shared a quick sympathetic glance. The only explanation Avery could think of was that he didn't find her attractive anymore.

"You know what you have to do, right?" she asked.

"No, what's that?" Avery inquired, oblivious.

"If there's one thing I've learned about boys, it's that they really aren't too different from dogs. When they don't behave the way you want, you have to punish them! Dig into his lunch box and slip some laxatives into his food. Puncture his bicycle tire. Or you could sneak into his house in the middle of the night and put a rubber band around his balls. Your choice."

Avery sighed. She knew none of those things would work. They'd just drive him further away from her.

"I would do something like that, I would. If I was going to punish him, I'd withhold sex until he'd do whatever I wanted, but that's what he's doing to me! And it's not like there's anything he actually needs me for. He's got the money, the car, the nice house, a basketball team full of friends."

"So you think he's cutting you off from sex until you do what he wants?"

Avery hadn't thought that, but now she did. Somehow her sister had put it together for her. He was manipulating her just like she'd manipulated him. First he came quick to get back at her for being mean, and now he was abstaining from sex for...for what? What did he want her to do? Then the answer dropped on her like a ton of bricks. She swallowed hard and realized she would have to do the hardest thing she would ever have to do.

"I have to be a good girl," she gasped. "That's what he wants. No more insults, rumors, or smack talk. I'll stop backstabbing, cheating, and scheming. Instead, I will...help people. Be nice. Listen to others. Mind my manners. I will be so sweet he won't be able to keep himself off me."

The words sounded strange coming out of her mouth. She wondered if she could really do it, and it didn't help her confidence when Lori started laughing hysterically beside her.

"You've got to be kidding me! You...be nice? You won't last a day. Who do you think I learned all that stuff about punishing boys from? Might as well just resign yourself to celibacy or find another dick. You can't be the opposite of who you are."

"Yes, I can!" Avery insisted. "Just you wait and see. On Monday, Carter will meet the nicest girl who ever lived, his girlfriend. Now that I've figured out his intentions, everything's going to be just perfect."

*

Upon returning home, Avery and Lori discovered that their lives were soon to be more terrible than ever. They found Candice crying against the kitchen table, her face buried in her elbow beside some mail.

"What's going on?" Lori asked, shaking her mother who sobbed all the more. Avery grabbed the letter on the table, scanning it quickly. Her mouth dropped open and the letter fell to the floor.

"They're foreclosing on the house because of our delinquent payments. We have three weeks to vacate the premises."

As the shock settled in, Candice quieted down, making everything still and silent. They had no place else to go. They'd be living on the streets. The shame of it all made her heart ache.

"What are we going to do, mom?" Lori asked. "My babies can't grow up homeless. They need a good home!"

"I don't know what we're going to do, ok?" Candice moaned. "We have no money and no one to turn to. I just have to hope something happens with my novel. I should really finish that up."

"Mom!" Avery exploded. "There isn't any more time for your pipe dream of becoming a famous author. You've got to get out and find a real job. You could do some secretary work or maybe something in waste management. You're awful good at pushing shit around."

The prospect of looking for a job made Candice grimace. Avery couldn't remember the last time she'd even applied for one. They'd just been living on child support payments the entire time, letting their savings slowly dwindle down to nothing.

"Why don't you just have your rich boyfriend take care of all this for us?" she asked, something evil flickering in her eye.

"No!" Avery refused. Insulted, she crossed her arms. "That's not something a good girl does. We've got to find a way to pull through on our own, and we have twenty-one days to do it."

"Oh, how nice of you to stick us with the responsibility of this while you let your prince carry you away to his castle," Candice said sarcastically. "But let me tell you, that's not how it works. He'll get bored with you before you know it. Maybe your looks start to go, he finds you passed out on the floor next to an empty carton of ice cream and a pile of Beanie Babies, and then you'll be right back here with us."

Avery didn't want to think about if any of those things were true. She did love Carter, but she was too young to make any sort of long-term plans. If they were thrown out on the street, would he take her in? Considering how things had been going lately, she had no reason to think he would.

"It's a good thing I have another idea," Candice roused before anyone else could say anything. This time she turned to Lori. "This little bundle of joy is a blessing for us all. We'll sell the baby to some wife with a frigid womb for a boatload of cash. I think I saw a movie recently about a high school girl who tried to do that. She drove a van or something. What was it called, Inception?"

"No, Mom, that wasn't the movie," Avery corrected her, while Lori's mouth hung open.

"It must've been though. When a man and a woman make a baby, it's called inception. Makes sense to me."

"That's CON-ception," Avery snapped.

"Oh, right. The movie was called Conception."

"Shut up, both of you!" Lori screamed so loud their ears hurt. "No one is taking away my Hannibal! So just put that out of your minds right now. Avery was right when she said we have to figure out another way to try and keep the house. So just figure something out, Mom. You're supposed to be the parent."

Avery slumped into another chair and together the three girls contemplated how they would keep the house. Looking around, Avery found herself recalling memories from her carefree youth that would be banished forever to the past if she were to leave. How had things gotten so desperate and out of control?

Chapter 10

"Chug, chug, chug!" chanted Mr. Howzer, the basketball coach, to a group of boys draining water bottles into their mouths. "I don't want to see a single drop left. Gongdong is going to be the key to our perfect season, and we're just a couple weeks away from kicking it off!"

It was late Sunday afternoon and the sun was setting. Carter and his team had already spent two hours in the weight room and another hour and a half doing drills in the gym. He tipped the bottle completely upside down, letting its suspicious contents drizzle down his throat. He knew the powder had to be responsible for his terrible stimulation problems, but he didn't want anyone to know he was having them. If anyone found out what happened to him with either Ms. Downing or Avery, it would be the end of his life.

"So has anyone noticed any side effects to this stuff?" he casually posed.

"Yeah, I'm getting jakked!" Daniel crowed, flexing and evoking cheers from the others.

"No, that's the main effect. I don't think you know what a side effect is," Carter shot back.

"Anybody?" Mr. Howzer echoed, glaring at them all and tightening his fists. He looked like he'd just asked them who had just run over his dog. "Good! Glad no one's having any problems then. Let's do a few two-on-ones and then call it a day."

But Carter had a hunch that every other guy on the team knew exactly what he was talking about. He couldn't be the only one. Stopping to tie his shoes, he watched the first threesome go through the drill. The three players all leapt for the basket when one took a shot, bumping and rubbing against each other on the way down. By the time they landed, all of them stood around awkwardly for a moment, their eyes alarmed, and then they all trotted off for the bathroom.

Pretty soon the players realized that in drills like this any kind of contact would set them off. They reached forward while sticking their butts out, all of them sweating even though no one had run that much.

Thankful he'd make it safely through another rotation, Carter jogged back to the end of the line, glancing at the door windows on the way. In the adjoining hall, he saw Ms. Downing watching them. More specifically, she was watching him. What on Earth was she doing here? Of course, no one would question it though. She was a gym teacher and she was just watching a bunch of sweaty young boys practice.

When the drill ended, they filed into the locker room to change. Most of the guys handled their underwear with noticeable care. Though the place usually smelled of mildew and mold, it seemed a lot saltier now. Carter purposefully waited until most of the other guys were gone before he left, making sure Ms. Downing had plenty of time to leave, but as soon as he exited into the dimming parking lot, she was right there waiting for him.

He tried to ignore her, rushing directly to his car. This didn't put her off though, and she was right beside him in a second.

"Carter! Did you get my note?" she asked, forcing him to remember the piece of mail with its one cryptic line. It said, "I can't wait to see you again." Weirded out, he glanced at her. Only now did he notice the stunning dress she had on. It was a silky black number exposing much of her chest. It only took one look for that familiar pressure to hit him. He had never seen her look so nice before, far out-classing the pair of khakis and t-shirt he had on.

"What do you want?" he asked, still inching toward his car. No matter how innocently she looked at him, he wouldn't allow himself to forget how she'd blackmailed him into silence about their previous meeting.

" I just thought you might like to grab a bite to eat. My treat," she said, reaching out for his arm but pulling it back when he jerked away.

"You're out of your mind! After what happened, what could you possibly want with me? If you touch me at all or even bend over more than an inch, it's just going to cause another full evacuation. So why don't you leave me alone?" he said, turning away.

"Look, Carter, wait, that's not why I want you," she called, clearing her throat. "You see, I'm going through a little bit of a rough patch lately. It's not hard to find sex, but real companionship is much harder to come by. You're a sweet boy, Carter, and that bitch Avery really doesn't deserve you. So why don't we just go out for some chicken parm and a glass of wine?"

Carter could've possibly taken pity on her and gone until she brought up Avery, and that was enough to make him dead-set against it.

"No way! I'm out of here."

"Wait," she ordered, desperation in her voice. "if you walk away, so help me God. Next class, I'll call all the students together, adjust my bra during an explanation, and let everyone watch you grunt like a goat when you eject your cargo."

"You wouldn't," he glared, watching her return a smug nod. "You're despicable."

"Better stop talking like that or you won't get any dessert!" she remarked, leading him over to her car, a neon Jetta.

The car was surprisingly girly, featuring a stuffed animal hanging from the rearview mirror, cheesy pop CD's scattered about the floor on the passenger side, and decorative blankets draped over the back seat. The whole thing still struck Carter as completely insane, and he didn't take long to voice his befuddlement.

"Don't you have friends you could be hanging out with?" he asked, as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"For some reason other women really don't like me that much," she said.

"Gee, I can wonder why."

She took him to a fifteen-dollar-a-plate Italian restaurant just a few blocks away. It was called Bertucci's and had small Christmas lights strung through the ivy on the outside.

"Table for two, please," Sandra Downing said to the hostess before turning to Carter. "Nice place, huh?"

"It's a restaurant. What did you expect?"

She continued to smile through his short retort. Her determination to enjoy his company only made him want to ruin it more. He wasn't going to be on a date with this woman even if she had dragged him to a candlelight dinner in a romantic restaurant. They were seated at a table against a brick wall. Sandra took her napkin, put it on her lap, took a deep breath, and sighed. Carter found it difficult not to stare at her breasts.

"Thanks for coming here with me," she said, getting his attention. "It's nice to unwind in the evening with some company for a change."

"As if I had a choice," Carter muttered. To brush off his comment, Sandra cleared her throat and took a sip of water. Carter wondered exactly what it would take to wipe the smile off her face. A waitress handed over the menus, but as soon as Carter took his, Sandra reached out and touched his hand.

"Why don't you let me order this time, honey?" she began. "We'll have two orders of the chicken parm and a side order of garlic bread."

As soon as the waitress turned, he snatched back his hand.

"Did you forget to take your pills this morning?" he cringed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"This doesn't have to be so hard, you know. We can just pretend and enjoy it. I don't see what the whole problem is considering you were the one who started hitting on me."

"Yeah, but I never forced you to go anywhere you never wanted to go. If it didn't work out, I would've just walked away. That's what normal people do. They let something go when it's not working out," he said, struggling to keep his voice down.

The implication that she wasn't normal made Sandra's eyes water up for just a moment. She blinked rapidly and looked away before taking another deep breath.

"Do you want to hear about this funny thing my landlord always does when I see him on my way to work?" she asked, forcing another smile.

"No, I don't," Carter responded.

"Well, I'm going to tell you anyway. I leave for work at about seven-thirty and I always walk past the window to my landlord's living room. The thing is, he always does yoga in there naked. He's got to be pushing fifty and it's completely gross, but I can't stop myself from glancing in even though it means I'll feel a little bit sick to my stomach for the entire day. Isn't that crazy?"

While she spoke, Carter was busy fumbling with his phone under the table. He nodded at Sandra while texting, "Help! Kidnapped!" to Avery.

"Yeah, whoa," he said to Sandra, having no idea what she had just said. Any second now he would get a text back asking where he was, and then Avery would storm in and rip out her throat. When it vibrated, he glanced down at his phone and read her message: "LOLZ Im helping the homeless today. U can wait."

What the heck did that mean? Helping the homeless? Carter usually had a good idea what her jokes meant, but this one went right over his head. He stared blankly at his phone for a little too long.

"I'm sorry, what?" he snapped back to Sandra when he realized she was trying to say something to him.

"What are you doing?" she repeated, smiling curiously.

"I'm trying to call someone to come rescue me, because this whole situation is crazy!"

He finally wiped her smile away for good, it seemed, but he disliked seeing her sad even more. She brushed a blonde strand from beside her green eyes, pursing her not-yet-thirty lips, coated in a barely glossy lipstick.

"I've known a lot of guys who put on the macho act like you do, Carter, and almost always that's all they are, an act. But with you I've never been so sure there's something underneath."

She paused, glancing around at the nearby tables, some of which were empty and some featuring couples.

"You can't imagine what it's like," she whispered, "to have people look at you and see nothing more than a pair of boobs and a warm hole. They're so interested in you right up until the moment you open your mouth to speak, and then their eyes gloss over and they tune right out. I know what I'm doing is wrong, but I can't help myself because I want someone to just want to know who I am. And if it takes a sixteen-year-old high school student who can't have sex to do that, then so be it."

Carter couldn't tune out what she said, neither could he dismiss it with a degrading comment. She had been too honest for that, and it made him ashamed of how he'd behaved. Slipping his phone in his pocket, he scratched his head and looked at the troubled woman sitting across from him. She needed his help.

"There's a solution for that," he said, one hand reaching out for her and the other cautioning her, "but it's not me. There are people out there who will listen to you and who want to get to know you, but you have to think about what kind of message your clothing and behavior are sending. Revealing dresses or skimpy sports wear are going to have an impact on how you're treated, so will muscling people into doing what you want by holding things over their head. I can't fix your problems, but being honest can."

A little flicker of hope lit up in her eyes, and an honest grin tickled her lips.

"See, that's where you're wrong. I won't know there are things like that I need to change unless someone like you tells me. Plus, having you by my side would give me the strength to follow through on them and make things better," she said, taking another deep breath. "That's why we belong together, and you should forget about all those other girls who think they know you because everything you want is right here with me."

Carter thought she should've known she was asking for the impossible. She wanted him to break up with Avery and start dating her, but he just couldn't do that. He was willing to help, but he couldn't give up the woman he belonged with. Why would it take dumping Avery to help Ms. Downing anyway? Something didn't make sense.

"I'm flattered you're so interested in me, but I really can't do that. I'm not the kind of guy who'll just drop his girlfriend and run off with somebody else. I'm here to support you, but as a friend."

"Fuck," Sandra scowled, throwing her napkin on the table. Disgusted, she rolled her eyes and leaned back. "Why do I even bother?"

Carter's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Suddenly, it all made sense.

"That was bullshit, wasn't it?" he gasped. "You just want me to break up with Avery!"

Now Sandra was laughing in his face, shaking her head as though he were a five-year-old boy who just wet his pants.

"Took you long enough. You're a real sucker, you know that?" Just then the server delivered their orders of chicken parm. Carter, embarrassed, felt like his face must've been as red as the tomato sauce. "Just eat your pasta," Sandra ordered him. "By the way, you're paying."
Chapter 11

It took longer for Avery to get ready for school than it ever had in her life. Digging through her closet, she reached past the short skirts and the tight jeans for a flowery, knee-length white skirt she'd nearly forgotten she had. She pushed the leather jackets and the revealing tops out of the way in favor of a simple light pink sweater. Instead of heels or boots, she grabbed an old pair of brown sandals.

Gazing in the mirror, she got rid of her eyeliner, and washed away the blush. She brushed her hair and then put it in a pony tail. To top it all off, she clipped a blue ribbon barrette to the side of her head. Seeing herself this way actually made her feel like a different person. She wasn't Avery, the girl who would pour salt on people's lawns in the middle of the night if they said something she didn't like to her that day. Though she couldn't be sure who yet, the Avery in the mirror appeared to be someone very different.

"Please, Mr. Thomson," she feigned innocent outrage, "keep your pants on! Never in my days have I been exposed to male private parts."

She pretended to faint, throwing the back of her hand against her forehead and falling back on her bed. She started laughing immediately at the ridiculousness of it all. But then she zipped her lips shut. This was what Carter wanted, and she was going to follow through with it.

Arriving at school, Avery got the first test of her goodness in the parking lot. She'd parked only a few spots down from Carter's Porche and barely gotten out of the Honey Wagon when someone on the opposite side tapped her bumper. The clink got Carter's attention, and Avery's blood pressure shot through the roof. A football player hopped out of his Jeep, preparing himself for the shouting match.

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Avery shrugged like a pro. "No harm done. Let's be a bit more careful next time, shall we?"

Avery didn't know exactly why being nice needed to come with a British accent, but apparently it did. If the offender had looked angry over his mistake before, he was now completely shocked. Swishing her skirt, Avery turned toward Carter and the school's entrance, strolling demurely. Blushing, she glanced at him and saw he had no idea what to say.

"You look nice," he stuttered, looking frozen in place.

"As do you," she replied, lightly brushing her finger across his chest as she walked by.

Casting her a quizzical glance, he jogged to catch up with her.

"Hey, something weird happened yesterday that I need to talk to you about. Let's skip ninth period and head over to Wendy's so we can talk about it," he proposed, but Avery's mouth dropped open, appalled.

"Skip a class? I would never do such a thing! My education is far too important to go gallivanting around like..."

"Like us a hundred times before?" he asked squinting at her. "Alright, we can talk after school then. It's about that text I sent you yesterday. And then what did you say you were doing to homeless people?"

"I was helping them," Avery corrected him. "I volunteered at the soup kitchen, as I frequently do, because it's important for us to lend a helping hand to those less fortunate."

Putting his hand on her shoulder, Carter stopped her. He wore a funny smirk, and Avery met it with the most innocent smile she could muster.

"What kind of joke is this? You didn't really help the homeless, did you? Why are you acting so strange?"

Avery had been expecting this moment, when he would finally catch on to what she was doing, and she knew to play it cool. She certainly couldn't tell him she was willing to appease his desires for some prudish virgin; he had to figure that out for himself.

"I've no idea what you're referring to. After church, I spent a couple of hours yesterday afternoon giving back to my community. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something. I suppose there are always new things we can be learning about each other, and that's part of the beauty of being in a loving relationship."

His stunned look told her he was still skeptical, and that was fine. She didn't expect to convince him right away, but she had her heart set on getting there.

"Now I shan't be late for class so I must be off," she declared, giving him the quickest peck on the cheek and making his eyes pop. "Please forgive the public display of affection. Sometimes you make me feel altogether saucy."

Leaving him stranded there in the hall, she closed her eyes and made a silent wish that this would all be worth it.

Grabbing books from her locker, Avery noticed her friend Eri doing the same just a few lockers down. Catching eyes, she immediately came over and told Avery what was on her mind.

"Look over there," Eri instructed, gesturing to a group of boys outside of a classroom. "It's Mark the quarterback. He makes me convinced God was a woman because no one else could've sculpted a body like that." She had a greedy glare in her eyes that Avery knew all too well. "I think I'm getting wet just looking at him. What would you do if you had five minutes alone with him?"

Her question, out of the blue, caught Avery off guard, as she too had been lulled into a romantic daydream, but she had to compose herself.

"I'd probably stand silently in the corner and hope he goes away, lest he besmirch my honor."

Eri gave her one glance before bursting into such uncontrollable laughter that she lost her balance, fell against the lockers, and slipped to the ground. As noisy and crowded as the hallway was, she still managed to draw some attention.

"Sometimes the things that come out of your mouth," she laughed, dragging herself up, "are just unbelievable."

"Pray tell, what's so funny?" Avery asked, starting to get annoyed that people found her attempt at innocence so ridiculous.

"I don't know what you're doing or why you're talking like that, but it's a riot!" she chuckled, vanishing into the stream of students passing by.

Later on, Avery entered her chemistry class, and the new teacher, Mr. Harrison, suddenly dropped behind his desk.

"Are you alright?" she inquired, hoping to be of some assistance, but his cowering eyes told her he was hiding.

"Don't come anywhere near me!" he squealed, breathing heavily.

Intent upon proving her purity, she hoped to set a better example for him.

"Whatsoever do you mean?" she asked, pulling her hair behind her ear and bending over at the hips. Mr. Harrison, a nerdy runt of a man, scampered back against the wall in full view of the class.

"I've heard about you, Avery Leigh, and you won't be wrecking my career. So stay back!" he croaked, sweating profusely.

"You must have me mistaken. Surely one such as myself would never be the cause of even your slightest inconvenience."

"Oh, that's rich! I don't know what kind of game you're playing, you castrating bitch, but it won't work on me," he scowled, clutching the wall. It took a great deal of willpower for Avery to restrain herself, but she stifled her anger and went right to her seat.

Mr. Harrison said this in front of a class full of students, many of whom were using cell phone to record his spineless quivering. Several of them posted the video to the internet, and he had lost his job before the end of the day.

The minutes ticked away, and Avery anxiously awaited her rendezvous with Carter after school. She was just exiting the back doors on her way to meet him back by the secluded tennis courts when Kendra stopped her.

"You'll never guess what happened!" she beamed. "Paul posted about me on his website! He said something like, Kendra Brent makes all the freakiest girls I've ever known look like the only place they could turn a trick is Sesame Street. Then there was a picture of us swimming in the mini golf pond. It's getting thousands of hits a day and he's having me send a few more pictures! Isn't that amazing?"

"I should think not!" Avery recoiled, horrified. "I must say you've offended my virgin sensibilities, and I implore you to keep any other subject matter unsuitable for respectable ears to yourself!"

Kendra had much the same reaction as Eri did, eyes bulging and then releasing a burst of laughter that echoed through the halls.

"You crazy!" she howled, barely able to stagger away for all her chuckling.

Embarrassed over how unbelievable her innocence seemed and wondering what kind of impact her act was having on her friends, Avery went out to meet Carter. It would all be worth it if it meant something to him that she was trying. She'd never been willing to make sacrifices in her relationships for someone, but he was worth it to her.

She floated down the cement steps to a narrow asphalt path beside the tall chain link fence. Carter watched her approach, his fingers holding onto the fence. She could immediately tell there was something serious he wanted to talk about, and for her that meant a great opportunity to be just what he needed.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long," she said, joining him.

He lifted his drooping head to her, but the defeated look he had remained. Avery started to feel nervous. What was going on?

"There's something I have to tell you," he said, chewing his lip and scratching the adorable stubble on his chin.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure everything will be ok as long as we greet it with the joy in our hearts and the bright smiles on our faces,' Avery winked. She brushed her hand down his arm.

"After practice yesterday, Ms. Downing cornered me in the parking lot and threatened me if I didn't go out to dinner with her on some kind of date. She gave me this sob story and then told me I'd be better off with her than with you. Even though I told her I wasn't going to give you up, she said she wasn't going to stop trying."

Avery wanted to kill Ms. Downing. She could picture herself strangling the woman and spitting in her eyes as the life flickered out of her. It took every ounce of energy not to let her rage seep onto her face. She just stood for a moment, trying to freeze herself. After miraculously spending the whole day being perfectly good, the last thing she needed to do was ruin it now.

"Are you ok?" Carter asked, concerned.

That's when Avery realized the huge opportunity she had been given. Carter would expect her to fly off in a murderous, knife-wielding rage, so it would really prove she was what he wanted if she didn't. This was her big chance, and all she had to do was swallow the fact that another woman was trying to steal her boyfriend.

"It warms my heart you decided to stay with me," she said, forcing a smile. She shook her head, looking away for a moment to hide when her hatred bubbled over. "Poor Ms. Downing just knows what a special, wholesome man you are. I can't say I blame her for trying her luck. I certainly did."

Carter eyed her carefully, searching her face for something. Avery thought he was going to kiss her, but he didn't.

"So you're not angry?" he asked.

"I'm sure she'll be far from the last lady to get an idea into her head when she sees you."

"You're not upset?"

"I don't believe so. I'm only in love."

"You're not homicidal?"

"No!" she shouted.

Carter nodded his head and shrugged. She'd done it, managed to convince him. Now it was only a matter of collecting her reward. She felt like she could see through his jacket and t-shirt to the body she wanted so badly to be close to. If she had him all to herself, she'd never have to feel alone again.

"Let's forget about her and focus on us," she suggested. "What should we do now?"

Scratching the back of his neck, Carter appeared pained by the question.

"Well, I've got basketball practice soon, and then a mountain of homework to do tonight. Maybe if I work real hard I should be able to scrape up some time by the end of the week, definitely by the weekend at the latest."

Every word of his rambling response disheartened her. Why was he giving her the run-around? No matter how much homework they had before, they'd never had a problem making time to fuck. But Avery nodded, feeling almost as small as the innocent flower she pretended to be. She couldn't give up now, not when she'd already invested so much in her act.

"Are you disappointed?" he asked, and Avery immediately shook her head. What would a nice girl say to tell her boyfriend he was full of shit? She only had seconds to think.

"Thank you for always being so honest and trusting with me. I'm just the picture of happiness knowing how every single word coming out of your mouth is true," she said, gazing into his eyes. Her guilt trip made Carter glance away and scratch his neck for a moment until he finally caved.

"Ok, if I get a lot done tonight, I should be able to meet with you after practice tomorrow," he relented. "Maybe we can get some ice cream. Doesn't that sound good?"

"Oh, how delightful! I best be on my way then. I'll just go back home and darn socks by the fire, recounting tales of running through dandelion fields with my sister in our youth."

"Um, alright," he mumbled. Fluttering her eyelashes, Avery pulled herself away, once again reassuring herself that it would only be one more day before she could finally escape into his arms, the only place she had ever been able to hide from her problems.

Chapter 12

Though their rendezvous after practice was still a long ways off, the next time Avery saw Carter was when they were entering the locker rooms for gym class. She'd had an incredibly tough time putting together a second good-girl outfit, and so she settled for jeans, a cancer awareness t-shirt she'd stolen from the Red Cross office on the way to school, and a pair of glasses with no lenses.

She curtsied when he glanced over at her from the entrance to the boy's locker room, and he smiled faintly before ducking inside. It wasn't strange for him to be emotionally remote at times, but she couldn't understand why he didn't act a little warmer toward her since she was giving him exactly what he wanted. The only explanation she could think of was that Ms. Downing was still on his mind, and he didn't want to risk setting her off with a show of affection.

The students changed their clothes and trickled out into the gymnasium. As soon as Avery emerged, she froze when she saw Ms. Downing glaring at her, trying to shoot laser beams out of her eyes. Though it unsettled her, she tried to ignore it and huddle in amongst the other girls.

The volleyball nets had been removed, and the only pieces of sports equipment anyone could see were a pair of peach-colored balls in Ms. Downing's hands. She gathered all of the students around to tell them they'd be heading outside to the utility field for a game of kickball. Most of the students were pleased, but it irritated Avery that their teacher had somehow sidled up next to Carter to make her announcement. She was letting their arms graze each other, trying to make it seem natural, but it only served to enrage Avery.

Ms. Downing, wearing spandex shorts and a purple sports bra, led the class outside into the nippy air toward the utility field. They could see their breath and a few complained about the cold, but their teacher scoffed at them and told them they should be glad to get outside while they can.

The tennis courts where Avery met Carter the day before were just off to their right, separated from where they were going by the track and field area. After a few more minutes, they'd reached their destination, which had four white sacks set out in a square for bases.

"Let's see. Who should I choose for captains?" Ms. Downing asked herself, still standing next to Carter. "Oh, well since you happen to be right next to me, you can be a captain Carter, and then I guess Avery will do."

Avery immediately flinched when she heard her name. What was Ms. Downing doing? By making them both captains, Avery would be separated from Carter for the entire period. He also wouldn't be able to pick her even if she wanted to. The whole thing seemed really weird, but catching Carter's eyes reminded her to act cool.

"I'm sure someone else would make a much better captain than I," she demurred.

"That's probably true," Ms. Downing agreed, "but it won't be the first thing in your life you've had to suck something up. Come on over."

"It's really quite alright," she begged, putting up her hand, but Ms. Downing's evil glare returned, revealing how hell-bent she was on getting her way.

"Don't you dare talk back to me, young lady! You'll do what I say or they'll be consequences. Get over here, now!"

Her stern tone left Avery no other choice, and she took her appointed place. She tried to shoot Carter a look that asked, what the hell is going on? But he just shrugged. Other than her friend Eri, Avery didn't care who was on her team, so she made her picks based on who was least likely to piss her off, leaving Carter with most of the strong players.

Avery also had no interest in playing kickball. The only thing on her mind was meeting Carter at the end of the day. It really couldn't come soon enough, and she started daydreaming about it as she was standing in the outfield letting balls fly by her. A whistle blew and Avery woke up to find Ms. Downing storming at her.

"What do you think you're doing? Hello!" she called.

"My apologies, M'am. It shan't happen again."

Ms. Downing took on a red flush that seemed to extend all the way to her chest. She squeezed the extra kickball in her hands, fuming.

"You are really pushing my buttons today, you know that? You're supposed to be setting an example for your team, not just taking up space and dragging everybody down. This is your last warning!"

As Ms. Downing walked away after her threat, Avery thought about all of the places she'd like to stab her psychotic teacher. The only problem with that though was that Avery was sure piercing Ms. Downing's skin would immediately release whatever monster was living inside of her. A flamethrower would work much better.

Avery kept herself composed though and avoided any more incidents for the next few innings. Ms. Downing was constantly watching her, begging for a chance to punish her for having Carter. If only she knew how little of him Avery actually had. But not a ball came near her, and so there was nothing to be yelled at for.

Avery's turn to kick finally came, and she lined up behind home base. She had planned to use her usual strategy: bunt, jog to first, and then find a way to get out so she could sit down. But Ms. Downing's constant leering made her decide she should do something completely out of the ordinary, try. If she could, she'd blast the ball over the fence. The pitcher rolled the ball and she raced in to kick it when the whistle blew.

"No, no, no!" Ms. Downing wailed. Avery stopped dead and the ball rolled by. In a second, Ms. Downing was right there next to her. "That's not how you do it at all. Haven't I taught you anything?" The response Avery wanted to give was "no," but she opted for something else.

"I beg your pardon, but I believe I know how to kick a kickball."

"That's it!" Ms. Downing raved. "I've had it with you and your backtalk. If you'd been paying attention, you'd know you were supposed to kick with your laces, not with your toes. Instead, you were engaging in willful insubordination, and that's going to land you in after-school detention!"

"But..." Avery gasped, her mouth hanging open. This woman had lost her mind, completely disrupting class and berating her for no reason. Most of the other students were watching at this point. Avery hoped Ms. Downing would do something to get herself fired, like swear or touch her, but she seemed to know better than to cross those lines.

"But? But what? You want another day or detention? You got it, tomorrow too. Open your mouth to me again and it'll be a week."

Things were getting completely out of control, and Avery had no idea what was happening. This woman was acting like a diabetic in a candy store, and there was nothing she could do about it. In a second, she realized Carter was standing next to her.

"What's going on here?" Carter asked Ms. Downing, who immediately broke from her rage to smile at him.

"It's really none of your concern. You should probably go back to your position. It seems like some students want nothing more than to get themselves in trouble, and your best bet is to avoid them at all costs."

"Everybody here has been toeing the ball since the very first pitch. So why are you picking on Avery?"

It was sweet of him to try and defend her, even if it only rekindled Ms. Downing's rampage.

"I'm shocked to hear such an outburst coming from you, Mr. Thomson. It seems she needs to be made an example of now to prevent more problems amongst the rest of you. So that'll be a week of detention for Ms. Leigh."

"What?" he gasped, completely incensed.

"That's two weeks for her!"

"You're being completely inappropriate, you know that, right?" Carter said, lowering his voice.

"Three weeks!" Ms. Downing shouted. "Ms. Leigh, I suggest you get yourself to in-school detention now before anyone buys you even more time."

Carter mercifully kept his mouth shut. His mouth hung open, completely unable to believe what he was witnessing. In this completely bizarre moment, Avery knew she had a chance to touch his heart and make it memorable.

"It's just as well," Avery said, taking a step back. "We're lucky to be working with a trained professional who understands the importance of discipline in the classroom."

Saying it like she meant it, she had somehow managed to keep every trace of sarcasm from her voice. She fluttered her eyelashes at Carter before walking back to the school building.

"See you tonight!" he called to her after she was a ways away, making her heart skip a beat. Avery had a few things now, an enemy in Ms. Downing who was trying to destroy her, and three weeks of detention that would extend past when she was evicted from her home and living on the street. But she also had Carter, and she would only have to stay alive until the end of the day to see what kind of effect her compassion had on him.

*

Despite her tendency for causing problems and saying offensive things, Avery had never actually been to detention before, least of all in-school detention, which consisted of staring at a tan-colored wall with a poster of Yoda urging kids to read for hours on end. It got so boring she actually decided to do some homework.

Though she'd been trying to avoid drawing the attention of the cretins occupying the room, one of them sat down next to her at lunch. He squeezed into his chair and wiped some of the grease from his pimply face. Avery immediately got a whiff of pot fumes and recoiled. She knew he was staring at her even though she recoiled from him and slowly ate her French fries.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him remove the bun from his hamburger and use a fork to dig a hole in the middle. Picking up the hamburger patty and holding it in the air, he poked his fat finger through it and raised his eyebrow at her.

Shivering, she got up and carried her tray to another empty part of the classroom. The rest of the day went terribly and she wasn't allowed to leave the room until after-school detention ended at three-thirty. Having another two-hours to wait for Carter's basketball practice to end, she didn't even bother leaving school. Instead, she hid in some trees beside the parking lot to make sure Ms. Downing left the premises. The last thing she and Carter needed was to bump into her after practice.

Sure enough, Ms. Downing drove away pretty quickly, and it took the rest of the two hours for her to compose herself enough to finally see Carter. She felt unsure of herself because of the punishment she took that day and nervous at the thought of being with him again after so long. She'd have to make sure she was extra good to him to wipe away any more thoughts of holding out on her. Maybe she'd even let him skip going down on her, which was a dear loss to be sure.

Suppressing all of her ill feelings and ready to greet her man with a smile, Avery headed for the gym. Considering the time, they must all be changing out of their uniforms and getting ready to leave. Avery entered the gym and camped out right beside the tunnel leading into the men's locker room, where she could listen to everything going on inside.

"Hey, I just found a way to make my penis eight inches long," one player boasted.

"How's that?"

"I fold it in half!"

Some laughter echoed through the tunnel before another player started speaking.

"Coach Howzer couldn't be riding us any harder. Every day I think he's one step closer to a mental breakdown."

"It'll all pay off once we're out there in the game. First a perfect season, then the state championships, I've never wanted anything so bad in my life," said another player.

"Yeah, I've got to find coach and get some more of that Gongdong stuff. I'm starting to run low. Hopefully two weeks will be enough time to get my muscles in shape for the first game. Maybe I'll even run a feature on us for my website," Paul chuckled. Sounds of slapping and whipping towels echoed to Avery outside.

"Alright, I'm outta here guys. Catch you later," Carter said, delighting Avery, who could barely keep her hands still.

"Whoa, whoa. Aren't you coming over again do to a little partying? We're going to pop a keg, down a few beers, play a little Monopoly," Daniel explained.

"Yeah, you have to come. We need the whole team together!" another player added.

"Monopoly?" Carter wondered. "Seems like things have changed a lot since last year when all we used to do was watch porn."

"Well, you know," Daniel stammered. "Sometimes you just get a little too excited and you need to chill a bit." There were ripples of low murmurings in agreement.

"I'll have to pass on the Monopoly. I promised Avery I'd hang out with her."

The cacophony of moans nearly knocked Avery over.

"What the hell are you still doing with her, man? I don't get it," asked one incredulous player.

"I get it," another player spoke up. "I've never fucked a girl wearing a muzzle before, but I'd be willing to give it a try. The girl is hot, there's no doubt about it, but she's not wifey enough to see more than once."

"She belongs in an institution! Some of the things she says are so crazy, I'm convinced she's really a man who's mastered the art of the tuck."

"She's really not that bad," Carter defended, though he was quickly shouted down. Was this what people thought of her? She didn't even know most of their names. Avery leaned against the wall and clutched her hands to her chest. She didn't want to hear anymore, but she couldn't leave either. It all just hurt so bad.

"Plus she's got no tits, so it would be just like banging a little boy," Daniel added. "Putting your hands on those thin shoulders, letting your fingers drift down a smooth chest with nothing but two little pebbles on them, and making sure there aren't any Legos in the carpet that could grind into your knees."

"She's not a man!" Carter shouted, ushering in plenty of laughter.

"Alright, we know she's not a man. That would be a disgrace to men everywhere," someone said.

"It's a good thing she is a girl, or else we might not know what a cumbucket is," another guy laughed. Paul's cackling rose above the rest.

"Isn't it about time she gets some of that blubbery fat sucked out of her cheese-wheel midsection?" Paul asked.

"Come on, guys. She's not even fat." Carter protested.

"We could make soap out of that. I saw how to do it in a movie."

"You could use the fat to make some scented candles!" someone suggested.

"Judging by what she eats, the only scent we'd ever get would be semen."

Avery was sobbing on the floor by the time she felt a hand tugging on her arm. It was Carter. She didn't know how long she'd been there or what else happened, but he lifted her onto her feet and led her outside. Vibrant reds stretched across the dusky sky. Barely lucid, she found herself sobbing on the air mattress in the back of the Honey Wagon, Carter lying beside her.

Carter kept apologizing to her, telling her it was ok and not to worry about it. But as she started to calm down, the impact of what had happened that day started to register. She'd been humiliated by a teacher and openly ridiculed by an entire sports team. Somehow she'd lost her image, being the person who was always in control. Everything she'd worked so hard to influence had slipped away. Now all she had was Carter.

"Hey, it's not so bad. They're just a bunch of assholes anyway. It really doesn't mean anything," Carter said, trying to comfort her.

"They called me a whore! That's not what I wanted to be," Avery shot back.

"You're not, not at all. You're sexually progressive."

"Yeah," she agreed.

"See, it's ok. Now why don't you give me a smile? It's the second best thing you can do with your lips."

"Are you really asking me for a blowjob?" she asked, incensed. She grimaced at him, wondering how he could hint at such a thing after what her team had said about her. She'd never felt more turned off.

"What? No, that's not what I meant at all!" he gasped. His retort struck a chord with her, making her snort dryly.

"No, of course it isn't. The last thing a guy would want from his girlfriend is a blowjob, or a kiss, or for her to touch him at all. I guess I'm just undesirable, worthless, alone. Maybe if you dump me now I can go blow a tailpipe and put everyone out of their misery. At least then I won't have to live on the street when my family gets evicted from our house."

"What...what are you talking about?" Carter asked. He brushed a hand through his hair, making him seem both concerned and nervous.

"I'm talking about you and whatever game you're playing!" she said, unable to hold back anymore. "How is it so easy for you to wait this long? Why did you even get back together with me if I suddenly became so fucking unattractive to you? All I want is to have a functioning relationship with my boyfriend, but you cut off every chance we have to be alone. It's not like it'd be our first time."

Carter furrowed his brows, putting his hand lightly on her shoulder as they watched each other.

"You're so beautiful. You're like a snow angel come to life, perfect and clear."

"Yeah, a lot of good it does me if I should be wearing a muzzle," she scoffed.

"I'm serious," Carter pleaded. "Didn't I try to defend you against the team? Didn't I back you up against Ms. Downing?"

Hearing him bring up those incidents made her put her palms to her face and roll over. Her back to him, she stared at the rusting interior of her station wagon. It reminded her of how hard she'd tried to please him, which she'd completely forgotten about since he found her slumped outside of the locker room.

"So did I pass your test?" she asked.

"What test?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused. Avery sighed, impatient that he would play dumb with her.

"Don't give me that. You know exactly what I'm talking about. If I'm so beautiful, you must've been holding out on me to punish me for how mean I've been. You always talked about how you wanted a good girl, and so that's what I've been trying to be so you'd be more interested in me. I haven't said a mean thing to anyone in two days. So did I pass your stupid test?"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Carter said, laughing so hard he couldn't keep still. His shaking on the mattress made Avery spin around to see if he really meant it.

"You mean you weren't trying to change me?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"Oh! Is that why you just stood there and let Ms. Downing tear you to shreds like that? I thought you were going to kill her, and I couldn't believe it when you said she was probably right and walked away. I'm still shocked!"

He had a glimmer in his handsome blue eyes that made her believe him. But what did that mean if it wasn't a game? She was so confused.

"You mean you don't want me to act like that?"

"No! I like having a girl who speaks her mind and isn't afraid to take charge. Maybe you could tone down some of the rough edges, like keeping some of your thoughts to yourself if they're going to hurt other people. Well that and a few other things, but mostly you're perfect for me. You do manage to keep things interesting," he explained.

"That's such a relief! You have no idea how hard it was to be nice all the time. I'm so glad I don't have to change."

Carter scratched his chin and peered at her for a moment. Avery finally did smile, though it didn't last long as another problem struck her.

"Wait, so if it wasn't a test, why have you been so distant lately?" she asked, making Carter purse his lips and cringe. "Tell me!"

"You know how when we were in my room I had that problem? It kind of happens all the time, finishing a little too quickly. I've just become really sensitive lately, and so it really doesn't take much to set me off, if you know what I mean. So getting kissed, seeing any erotic images, too much touching, that's all it takes."

"Oh my God, that's terrible! How are we supposed to ever do it now? What's causing it?" she asked, and Carter cleared his throat.

"I think it has to do with this vitamin supplement Coach Howzer gave us. It's called Gongdong, and the team has been taking it every day. He calls it our special weapon, but the most obvious side effect is outrageously premature ejaculation. No one on the team will say anything about it though. It's way too embarrassing. Not the kind of problem you want girls to catch wind of, you know."

A devious grin struck Avery's face. There were people out there who had wronged her, one ambitious basketball team and one scheming, home-wrecking gym teacher. Both would have to go.

"Are you sure you don't want me to change?" she asked Carter, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Like I said, there are a few things..."

"Good! I'm glad you like me just the way I am. Now it's time for payback! You're not going to be upset if I get back at them, will you?"

"Upset? Coach Howzer is a douchebag, the rest of the team obviously doesn't respect me enough to keep their opinions about you to themselves, and I'll be sitting the bench the entire season anyway. Just don't get me involved and I'll be fine. What are you going to do?"

The two of them shared a mischievous, fiery gaze.

"I'm going to crucify those bitches!"

All this talk of revenge reignited Avery's passions. Since they were already lying down, she decided to move in. Putting her hand to the back of his head, she leaned over to give him a nice, hard kiss. She'd barely felt the press of his lips when a shudder rippled through his entire body.

"UNNNGGGGMMMMFFFHHHHHH."

Carter put his hand to his flushed face, peeking pensively through his fingers. Avery lowered her head, the sting of unfulfilled desire coursing through her veins.

"God, you've got to stop drinking that stuff!"

Chapter 13

Though she only had one day of in-school detention, Avery still had to go to after-school detention, and she would have to continue going for weeks unless she found a way out of it. Fortunately, she'd been having great luck getting teachers fired lately, and there was good reason to be optimistic that a little complaining would have Ms. Downing packing up her bags in no time.

As soon as detention let out, she went right for the principal's office. Slipping through the door, she entered the reception area, where a secretary clacked away at a keyboard.

"Hi, my name's Avery Leigh, and I need to speak with Principal Monty. It's kind of important," she said, once she had the secretary's attention.

The woman, whose hair looked like a beehive on her head, picked up the phone to buzz the principal.

"There's a student here who wants to see you. Ok, I'll send her in. Her name's Avery Leigh. Oh, of course, right. How silly of me. I'll tell her."

Setting down the phone, the secretary informed Avery that Principal Monty was stuck in a meeting and wouldn't be available. Avery peered at the plump secretary, tilting her head and glaring at her. She was sure something fishy was going on.

Striding for the door to the principal's office, she found the handle locked. Peeking through the thin window, she watched the principal climb out through the window and run for the parking lot. Apparently he didn't want to talk to her.

Avery left the office, knowing she would have to find another way to solve her problems. She wouldn't have much luck getting rid of Ms. Downing if she couldn't get anyone's attention. Even though the woman had acted out of line by giving Avery tons of detention, she never did anything that would get herself fired.

Getting back at the basketball team, on the other hand, was almost too easy. All she had to do was tell some people they were a bunch of two-pump chumps and eventually everyone would know. Though that would cause them some embarrassment, it wouldn't cripple them in the way she desperately wanted. She had to think of something better.

Glancing at a bulletin board outside the office, Avery noticed a flyer for the basketball team's home opener next week. Their first game of the season was again Millbrook, Springdale High School's rivals and toughest contenders in the section. Gasping, she tore the flyer from the wall.

This was her opportunity to ruin them, not only to make up for the slanderous things they said about her, but also to get revenge in the name of every girl who had been the victim of their sexist, chauvinistic ways. Leaving the building, she contemplated what she could do to set them off.

Avery spent the entire ride home picturing a team full of basketball players all creaming their shorts in the middle of the game. Hundreds of people would be watching them, news cameras would be there, and everyone would be laughing at them. Maybe they'd even get a good shot of Paul or Daniel whimpering and sniveling on the big screen under the scoreboard. But at the same time, she was grasping at straws when it came to Ms. Downing and that irritated her, and she really didn't have that much time to put this all together.

Disappointment that she didn't have a plan to get her gym teacher fired got the best of her excitement, and so she moped into the living room, frustrated and depressed. She found her sister sitting on the couch, chugging a bottle of Listerine. Lori'd swallowed a quarter of it before she noticed Avery's mood.

"What's wrong?" she asked, smacking her greenish lips together.

"You're drinking Listerine, that's what's wrong!" Avery winced.

"What? I had a craving," Lori shot back.

"No, you can't get a craving for Listerine. You're not even supposed to be drinking it at all. It's poisonous!" she argued, shaking her head.

"Do you hear that, body?" Lori asked her stomach, poking it. "You can't get a craving for Listerine! I don't think it's listening."

Avery crashed in one of the chairs, putting her hand to her face. The nightmare of her life just seemed never-ending.

"This teacher at school has been trying to steal Carter from me. I have to get back at her, but I can't figure out what to do."

"You should go to her house, kick down her door, and threaten to kill her houseplants," Lori suggested, taking another sip of green liquid from her bottle.

"No, see, we're way past the threatening phase. She blackmailed Carter into going out with her and then told me off in front of our entire class for no reason, giving me detention until I'm wearing adult diapers."

"Yikes," Lori commiserated. "Sounds like you just need to kick her ass."

Avery's face went slack at her sister's suggestion. If they got into a fight and everyone saw it, Ms. Downing would definitely get fired. Supposing they fought during the basketball game and caused a little accidental nudity, it would be more than enough to make the boys blow their wads. But how could she provoke the fight in front of an entire crowd?

All of a sudden, Lori burst from her seat and raced for the bathroom, bottle in hand.

"Where are you going?"

"It's my morning sickness," Lori muttered.

"It's the middle of the afternoon!" Avery howled but got up to follow her anyway. Lori made it to the toilet just in time to spew a torrent of green liquid into the bowl. It splattered all over the place, and the smell of Listerine singed Avery's nostrils. Using her arm to wipe her mouth, Lori took another swig.

"Not only does it satisfy my cravings, it keeps my breath fresh!"

All Avery could say was, "you need to see a doctor," before leaving the bathroom and returning to the living room.

"If we don't even have money enough to keep the house, how do you think I'm going to see a doctor?" Lori yelped.

But that was an even bigger problem that Avery couldn't even begin to penetrate. There were already a few boxes against the walls here and there where her mother had started to pack. It wouldn't be long before they were out on the street. Thinking about that gave her a headache, and so she anxiously got back to planning her revenge. Even if she could get a fight started, Avery would absolutely get beaten to a pulp. Ms. Downing was jakked and not easily fooled.

This meant Avery would have to get some help.

*

A couple days passed before Avery could finally meet up with Kendra, the only girl who could both be trusted to carry out her plans and put up a decent fight against Ms. Downing. In a text message, Kendra told her she was at the library, which was strange because it was seven at night, but Avery went anyway to meet her.

"What are you doing in here?" Avery asked Kendra when she found her buried in a stack of books. This wasn't even the school library; it was the city library, where people of a sort Avery didn't like to be seen with wandered the halls. Kendra jerked up, groggy and looking like she was about to pass out. Her eyes were red and an empty Red Bull sat on the table between some strange and thick books. "Is this for school?"

"No, it's not," Kendra yawned. "I needed to do some reading about marketing and branding and we didn't have anything in our library about it. Reading this stuff is practically killing me."

"Then what are you doing it for? The only marketing you ever cared about was which cell phone company had hotter guys in their commercials," Avery said, making Kendra shake her head.

"Ever since Paul put me on his website, I've been getting tons of offers to do Internet stuff. I told you it was a big deal. Here, look at my inbox." Kendra flashed Avery the screen on her phone.

"Wow," Avery mumbled, half-hearted and impatient to get to her own business.

"Now I've got to be up on this stuff so I can make it to the big time. I could be the next Paris Hilton!"

Kendra perked up a little, and Avery thought this would be the perfect time to make her proposition.

"Why not Lil' Kim? But while you're setting your sights on whores, why don't we go after one a little closer to home. Ms. Downing is literally ruining my life. That's why I need you to kill her for me."

"Really?" Kendra gasped, staring at Avery in awe.

"Ok, not kill her, but I need to find a way to make her fight me without getting my beautiful ass kicked. I want to do it at the basketball team's home opener so she'll lose her job, if not end up in jail."

Kendra nodded subtly.

"When I want to get a girl to take a swing at me, I just say the last guy who fucked her was thinking of me."

"Ouch, that is cold. But the thing is I can't do anything because she knows I'm going to be up to something. That's why I need someone else to help me trap her," Avery explained.

"So you need my help?" Kendra asked. There was a strange pause as the two girls sized each other up.

"Yeah."

"You, Avery Leigh, need my, Kendra Brent's, help?" she clarified.

"Yeah, I do. What's the big deal?" Avery shrugged.

Kendra lowered her eyes at her, the intensity making Avery's cheeks flush. She didn't know what Kendra was getting at with her prolonged inspection, but she knew it couldn't be good.

"The big deal is you have been constantly belittling to me for as long as I've known you. You never miss an opportunity to bring up my race or any of the stereotypes that, frankly, are really demeaning and offensive."

Avery blinked rapidly, trying to interpret what she was getting at.

"So does that mean you're not going to help me?" she asked.

"No, I'll help you," Kendra continued, "but you have to promise me, your most solemn promise ever, the kind of promise that if you break will have me hunting you down in the night, that you will never say those things about me or any black person ever again. I don't want you asking me how the cotton fields are, telling me to go find some fried chicken, making any references to anything nappy, or saying any of the other terrible things you say, ever. Is that clear?"

Avery was taken aback, she couldn't remember ever seeing Kendra so serious. It didn't help that she was still looking ravenous from the studying either.

"What if I'm really upset?"

"Never!" Kendra shouted, banging her fist on the table. Some other people in the library looked at them, and Kendra put her hand up to apologize. Knowing she'd have no choice but to live up to her word on this one, Avery swallowed hard.

"Fine, I promise, never again, and I mean it."

Kendra took a deep breath and a tiny, vindicated smile emerged onto her lips. She started to look pleased, and it made Avery feel good that she was the cause of it. The feeling almost made it worth it to give up her terrible habit all by itself.

"Ok, so what are we going to do?" Kendra inquired, leaning closer.

*

Carter had been getting the cold shoulder from his team ever since he walked out on them to meet with Avery. Even his good friends Paul and Daniel would barely look at him while they practiced. It was like he was alone out there, and the other guys would immediately clam up if he approached them while they were joking around.

"Hey, Carter! Get over here!" Coach Howzer called in the middle of a drill. Sighing, Carter dropped out of the circuit and jogged over to the man wearing glasses and holding a clipboard by the bleachers. His firm face made it clear he had nothing good to say.

"What's going on?" Carter asked, putting his hands on his knees. Howzer removed his sunglasses and started eyeing Carter.

"I've been looking at your muscles, and they're starting to go a little flat. Are you keeping up with the lifting routine? You didn't stop taking the Gongdong, have you?"

All of a sudden the coach was in his face, glaring at him.

"No, I've been lifting and drinking the stuff. In fact, I've been drinking so much I'm about to run out. I've had to cut back on my rations to make it last longer."

His whole rebuttal had been a lie. He had stopped taking the supplement as soon as he'd told Avery about it. Fortunately, Coach Howzer seemed so eager to do anything to help the team win that he immediately bought it.

"Why would you want it to last longer? I mean, you should've told me right away you were finishing early. Umm. Here, I've got a few more canisters you can have."

The coach dove into his duffel bag beside the table, fishing two jars from a hefty sack full of them. Straightening himself, Howzer handed them over, pursing his lips together and taking on a wistful air.

"Listen here, Carter. In a couple years, when you're a senior, this is going to be your team. I know it's not fun to sit the bench, but if you ride that pine hard enough, good things will happen. I promise you."

Carter forced a smile in response to his coach's under-whelming pep talk. The coach had such a smug look of self-importance that Carter couldn't wait to get out of his sight. He took the jars and jogged to put them away.

As he walked for the locker room, he spotted Sandra Downing staring at him through the window, and he suddenly felt even more sickened. She seemed to show up every few days or so, stalking him as he left practice. Sometimes he could squeeze in with his teammates and sneak away, but he didn't have much faith in that considering no one was talking to him.

Avoiding her, he slipped into the locker room and stuffed the containers into his bag. He heard voices, and that meant the rest of the team was coming in. Keeping his head down, Carter tried to mind his own business. Since the game was only a few days away, they were all excited. There was whooping and hollering, plenty of laughter and some talk of plans for after the game.

Mark, one of the seniors, climbed onto a bench to address the team. Wearing only a pair of boxer shorts, he rolled up his towel and snapped it at some of his friends.

"We're coming up on the start of our championship season. This is our chance to make something of ourselves, show off in front of college scouts, and crush Millbrook before they even know what hit them. I can't tell you how long I've been dreaming of this.

"But the basketball game won't be the only competition going on that night. Oh, no! It wouldn't be right if we didn't reward our first victory with a little time between the sheets. Every guy who bags a virgin Friday night after the game and shows me a bloody towel or sheet just like this one will get to hang out at my cabin by the lake for the weekend. It'll be all-you-can-drink all weekend!

"So start picking out your pieces of ass now. Get 'em drunk if you have to and slip something in their drink. Slip something in your own drink! I don't give a fuck. But remember, she's got to be a virgin. So if your girlfriend has been banged more times than the moles at the arcade, don't bother coming."

Carter knew that last remark had been an obvious shot at him. Snickering and side-comments permeated the room, some about the post-game challenge and some about him. He wasn't sure which made him feel sicker. When there were this many guys together, getting into an argument was pointless. It's about sheer numbers, and the only options are to agree or get out.

Slamming the locker door closed, Carter grabbed his bag and stormed out. One of his teammates reached his hand out to stop him, but Carter brushed him away and didn't look back. Voices and laughter echoed through the narrow tunnel, which must've been much like what Avery heard when he found her crying on the floor just a few feet away from where he was now.

He could understand her crying, but he admired her desire to fight back. There wasn't one girl in a thousand with her guts, and he couldn't wait to see what she would do. Of course, it wouldn't hurt if he gave her a push and then sat back to watch it all. After getting ostracized from his team, he wanted everyone to pay.

A quick glance through the main doors revealed that Ms. Downing still waited for him. She had on sweat pants and a hoodie, which were still form fitting but not revealing. The cool air explained her attire, and Carter crossed his arms in front of him, wishing he'd brought a jacket. She began to approach him as soon as he'd blown through the doors.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Just get away from me!" he snapped, striding for his Porche.

"Have you forgotten what I know?" she said, ominous tones in her voice. Carter turned to her and pointed.

"You can't hold that over my head anymore. I made it to five strokes today. Pretty soon I'll be back to normal."

"Then I guess I shouldn't have bothered covering up then, but that's not what I'm talking about," Sandra shot back.

"Then what is it?" Carter asked.

"I know you care about Avery, even though you're meant to be with me. Right now, on my desk, I have the form to submit the first quarter's grades. She's looking at an "F" every quarter until she graduates. It won't be hard for me to explain considering her lack of participation and temperament. She's not the brightest bulb in the bunch, so it'll kill her mediocre grade point average and probably mean she won't get into college. Do you really want that?"

Carter's jaw hung open for a moment. He was astounded at the lengths this woman was willing to go to for him. After his team just punctured his self-confidence, her advances seemed an awful lot of trouble for a pretty face. Hanging his head, he couldn't look at her. He wanted to punch her out, but then he'd be at fault. He had to be smarter.

"Look, why don't we talk about it after the game on Friday? Are you coming?"

Sandra Downing smiled, and he let her touch him on the arm. Even though he'd stopped taking the Gongdong, her brief touch made him feel some of that old pressure.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it? You'll see it was meant to be. And of course I'm coming to the game! I actually volunteered to be the team's first aid officer. So I'll be at every single game for the whole season. I can't wait to see you in action!"

"But I'll be sitting the bench the entire time," he scoffed.

"That doesn't mean there won't be plenty to watch," she smiled.

Carter felt a little bit of vomit leap into the back of his throat, but he kept it down and coughed.

"If I'm going to have time for you Friday, I've got to get a lot done now. So can I see you then?" he asked, his voice sounding scratchy.

"Sure thing," she agreed, glowing. As Carter marched to his car, he glanced over at Ms. Downing, who was practically frolicking across the parking lot. He wondered if they made straitjackets with enough room in the chest for her.

Chapter 14

On the day of the basketball home opener, Carter picked Avery up at her house to take her to school. He honked the horn, and she trotted out of her run-down house in jeans, a thin white v-neck t-shirt, and a black jacket. After opening the door, she hopped into the passenger's seat and smiled at him.

"So what's the plan?" he asked, backing the car up.

"A little ass kicking, a little nudity, so a pretty normal Friday night," she replied.

Avery rubbed her hands together, already feeling the nerves. This was one of those things that people dream about doing, and she was actually going to do it. None of the schemes she'd ever concocted were this elaborate. It didn't escape her either that the whole thing could easily go off in her face, which she knew from experience wasn't pleasant.

"I've actually got some news and a present. Which do you want first?" Carter asked, and Avery shuffled her legs as she contemplated.

"What kind of girl do you think I am? I want the present!"

Reaching into the back seat, Carter grabbed his duffel bag and tossed it on her lap. She gave him a funny look and then opened it up. Wrapping her hand around the big plastic container, she gazed at the red label and its strange Chinese characters.

"So this is the Gongdong?" she gasped, shaking the jar and laughing.

"I just figure it would be a shame for the team to have all the fun when their asshole parents and friends are so close they can taste it. You probably didn't know this because you've never been to a basketball game before, but your friend Eri runs the concession stand since she's the president of Key Club. Maybe you can put this stuff to good use."

"Oh my God, that's brilliant!" Avery cheered, full of astonishment. Already this was going to be one hundred times better than she had ever thought possible. Taking both jars, she hugged them to her chest. "What a perfect present! Ok, what's the news?"

"Ms. Downing was stalking me after practice again the other night. She said she's going to give you "F's" on your report card from now on so you can't get into college."

"I'm going to kill her!" Avery snarled.

"No, but that's not the news. She's going to be working the game as the first aid officer. I told her we'd have a talk about getting together after, but I'm sure you'll make short work of her by then," Carter explained.

"First aid officer? That could work," Avery nodded. Everything seemed to be coming together. Now all that was left was to make it happen. Carter pulled into the school parking lot, where other students were heading for the doors. After he put it in park, they sat in silence for a moment.

"Just put the duffel bag in my locker after dropping off the jars in yours," Carter advised.

"Ok," she said, taking deep breaths and shaking her hands.

"Are you ready for this?" He looked over at her, and she turned her eyes to him. They started to lean closer, Carter's head jerky and hesitant. Avery puckered her lips. Her eyes were open, watching his face contort into a strange grimace. Finally, their lips grazed each other. Avery even put her hand on his upper thigh. Carter immediately pulled away, and when nothing happened a sheepish grin struck his face.

"Hey, ok! Progress!" Avery applauded. When she raised her hand, Carter gave her a high-five, only to reach for his junk and take another breath to cool down.

*

Avery always thought she was good at dealing with things that are long, but that school day turned out to be more than she could handle. The minutes dragged by, she was jumpy the entire day, and all she wanted was for it to be five o'clock when the game started.

In her mind, she thought she'd easily have enough time to get to Eri after her detention ended at three-thirty and before the game started, but then she smacked her palm to her forehead when she realized how long all the players would be practicing beforehand. She'd have to meet her friend at the concession stand before anyone showed up, or else it would be pointless for her to go at all.

That meant she had to find a way out of detention, and she worked so hard thinking about it for the rest of the day that she didn't have any time to pay attention in her classes. Thinking kept her busy, but a solid plan still eluded her as she showed up to the rubber room once school ended.

Students were milling about freely in the crowded hall while Avery sat chained to a hard plastic desk alongside a band of misfits worse than those on any reality TV show. The crowd in the hall thinned, the minutes seemed to tick away too quickly, and Eri was probably getting ready to set up shop even though it was absurdly early for her to do so.

Taking a deep breath, Avery slid out of her chair and approached the rotund female math teacher who was supervising them. Kneeling down beside her table, Avery finally got her to look up from her scribbling.

"Can I help you?"

"Hi, yeah," Avery began. "I'm really sorry, but I can't be here today."

"Too bad. Get back to your seat," the teacher responded coldly.

"Wait, you didn't let me finish. I'm having...a hysterectomy," Avery said, causing the woman to peer at her. "Apparently I used it all up."

"What?" the woman cringed. "You can't use up your uterus. Do you even have a doctor's note or anything?"

"Of course I do," Avery responded as if insulted. She reached into her pocket and produced a small slip of paper, confidently sliding it over to the teacher.

"This is signed by Dr. Pepper!" the woman snorted, turning the paper over. "And the back is from the "rules of detention" page you found on your desk!"

Defeated, Avery slunk back to her desk, which the Neanderthal boy from her day at in-school detention now happened to be sitting next to. He smelled like the inside of a wet dumpster, and he had his eyes on her, drooling. Casually, Avery swiveled to face him.

"If you run into the hall, take your shirt off, start singing "Single Ladies" by Beyonce while racing to the back exit, make it across the street, charge into the seven-eleven, and dunk your head in the slurpee machine, I will fuck your brains out come Monday," she lied.

The corpulent young man looked like he'd seen a ghost. His face went slack, his hands twitched, and then all of a sudden he started nodding compulsively. Avery watched him carefully, wondering what she'd gotten herself into. The boy lurched to his feet, making the desk crash over, and hustled for the door, which he threw open. The supervising teacher was already having a fit, and she chased him into the hall. He peeled off his greasy wrestling t-shirt, burst into song, and thundered to the right, away from the gym.

Suddenly, Avery and the misfits were alone, an open door waiting for them.

"Jailbreak!" she howled, and altogether the entire group rushed for the exit. Avery slipped into the hall amongst them, glancing to the right where a half-naked monster stampeded away with a teacher over his shoulder. It was go time, and Avery didn't have a moment to lose.

The students in detention fled the school like rats from a sinking ship, providing the perfect cover for Avery to accost her friend. Carrying the bright red jugs down the hall, she turned for the main entrance, which was mostly deserted. Sure enough, her friend Eri was perched behind the counter making price signs for the candy bars she had.

Coming around the counter, Avery set down the big containers and started fiddling with the soda dispensers.

"Hey, what are you doing? What is this stuff?"

"This is a vitamin supplement for the people who attend the game today. It's very important that everyone who comes drinks this...because soda is bad for you, and this will help."

Avery popped the top of the dispenser, which contained the ice that fed through the machine.

"Stop that! You can't just dump something into people's drinks without telling them. That's highly illegal and unethical!

Holding still for a moment, Avery turned to her friend, who looked both confused and affronted. If this was going to work, Eri had to be a part of it. Setting the soda dispenser lid down, Avery faced her friend.

"It's very important that I do this, Eri. My life depends on it. This stuff is harmless, and Carter told me that it is completely undetectable and untraceable. So no one will ever know. So just, please," she begged, but Eri still didn't understand.

"But...why are you putting it into the drinks? What does it do?" she wondered, shaking her head. Afraid of what Eri would think, Avery had to force the words out.

"It makes people...prematurely ejaculate, like really prematurely. I'm trying to get back at the basketball team because they said all this nasty stuff about me, and Ms. Downing too, because you know what happened," she admitted.

Eri regarded her carefully, put her hand over her mouth, and started to giggle.

"I hate the basketball team too! They always steal all my food and so I never end up making any money here. Ms. Downing deserves everything she gets. It's a hard world out there for girls like us, and so we have to stick together, right?" Eri commiserated.

"So you'll help me?" Avery asked, expecting her friend to agree right away.

But Eri didn't do anything other than stare at her hard for a moment. She gritted her teeth and lowered her eyes. Avery didn't know what Eri was getting at with her prolonged inspection, but she knew it couldn't be good.

"You, Avery Leigh, need my, Eri Takagawa's, help?" she asked, putting Avery on the spot. Eri's sharp black eyes and hair conveyed a seriousness Avery could never fathom.

"Yes, I do," Avery mumbled.

"Ok, I'll help you," Eri glared, coming closer, "but you have to give me your most solemn promise ever, which if you break will have me hunting you down in the night, that you will never ever call me Eri Teriyaki, sneak up behind me when we're in a crowd and start whispering "me so horny," ask me if I have a sideways vagina, say any boy who is interested in me has "yellow fever," or do any of the other terribly offensive things that you have ever done or thought of to me or any other Asian person ever again. Are we clear?"

Avery had never seen Eri look so serious in her life, and she knew she would have to comply if her plan was ever going to work.

"What if it just slips...?"

"Never!" Eri shouted, banging her fist on the counter.

"Ok, ok. I most solemnly promise, and I mean it."

Eri's eyes widened and a hint of a smile took shape on her vindicated face. Avery was struck with how personally everyone took the things she said. For her, the words had just always slipped out of her mouth and disappeared into the air, but now she realized how much resentment they caused.

After Eri nodded, Avery took one of the Gongdong canisters and climbed up to the top of the soda dispenser. Removing the cover required both hands though, and she fumbled and dropped the plastic jar.

"Here, just let me do it," Eri ordered, taking Avery's place on the stool. Once Eri pushed open the cover, Avery handed her the jar. Holding it in her hands, Eri read the only words on the label that were in English.

"Makes you Chinese? See, that's offensive!"

"I didn't write it!" Avery objected, throwing up her hands. Grumbling, Eri popped open the jar and dumped the powder into the ice, which would then get into all of the drinks. She emptied the second jar also, climbing down to find Avery taking a marker to one of her signs.

"The drinks aren't free! How am I supposed to make any money?" Eri moaned.

Avery taped the sign to the front of the counter.

"But that's what the sign says. There's nothing you can do. Just give one to everybody and talk to Carter about being reimbursed it if you want. He's good for it!"

There were male voices echoing down the hall, and the bus of the opposing team pulled up outside. Avery quickly started to scamper away, though Eri was still pouting.

"Where are you going now?"

"I've got to hide in the women's locker room until it's time. Just please do this for me!" she begged.

"Damn you, Avery Leigh!" Eri howled, grabbing a cup and filling it with ice.

*

Both basketball teams entered the gym to start their warm-ups. After missing a three-point shot, Carter glanced over at the other side to scope out the competition. Compared to his team, the Millbrook guys looked scrawny and frail. They were taking shots as well, and it seemed like they made every single one. Thanks to the supplement, Carter's team had the advantage in muscle, but it still looked like it would be an extremely close game.

After practicing lay-ups and a few passing drills, Coach Howzer called the team back into the locker room. On the way in, Carter noticed the stands filling up with spectators. Among them, he spotted Ms. Downing sitting herself right behind his team's bench. Wearing a pair of athletic pants and a tech-fiber t-shirt, both tight enough to cut off the circulation, she crossed her legs and waited for the game to begin. She turned her head suddenly and waved to him.

Swallowing, Carter ducked into the tunnel and took a seat on the bench beside his teammates. Coach Howzer, his arms behind his back, strolled up and down the room, inspecting his players.

"This is it!" he shrieked. "Either we take off and soar to the state championships, or we bite the dust and just jerk each other off until the season ends. Because we won't face a tougher opponent this year. So it's now or never boys! Do you hear me? I want you to listen carefully to this. I've got some advice you need to take to heart.

"Sometimes, you've got to leap without looking. You might be nervous, confused, afraid, but it helps to have an older guy like me take you by the hand and show you that everything's going to be all right. I've been where you are now, and it took having someone on top of me who knew how to handle the situation to make me a better man. That's what I want to do to you now. And I won't stop until I get the job done."

At that moment, Coach Howzer was crouching, his hands on his knees, facing the seniors along the opposite wall and sticking his ass right at Carter, who cringed and kept his eyes fixed on the pale green floor tiles.

"I'm going to tell you something right now that I want you to remember. When you're out there in the game, I want you to carry this inside you. I want it coursing through your veins and putting the fire in your eyes. I want to plant something inside of you that will stay there forever. Are you listening? Ok, here it is: the key to winning games is teamwork.

"I know what you're thinking. But, coach, you've been telling us that since our first practice. Let me tell you what I mean. When you get five guys together, sweat pouring off of rock hard muscles, something magical happens. You stop being five different guys, and you finally become one. It's like you fit together, helping the guy who's straining, taking a load off the guy who's been pushed to the max. It's beautiful, isn't it? That's what I want to see out there today. Five guys on the floor, and you can't tell where one ends and the next begins."

Coach Howzer, now fully erect, had a reverential look on his face. Swaying, he eyed his players, many of whom returned his determination and poise with every sinew on their faces. The coach started to nod, satisfied. Waving, he called the boys off of their benches.

"Ok, I'm loving the vibe right now. Let's bring it in. Hands together."

At his command, the boys got up and formed a circle around their coach. They took each other's hands, and Carter noticed many of the guys were hesitant to touch. Daniel held hands with another player who started to breathe heavily and twitch.

"Oh yeah, baby," the guy whispered, and Daniel jerked his hand away.

"This guy's getting off over here!" Daniel complained.

"Ok, no hand holding. Just bring it in close," the coach ordered. "On the count of three, Saints! Here we go. One, two, three..."

"Saints!"

Breaking up, the guys jogged out of the locker room and got ready for the start of the game. Carter, Paul, and Daniel stood by the bench, where they would spend the entire game. As the national anthem began, Carter glanced around at the packed stands, full of family members, friends, and supporters. Nearly all of them had one hand over their heart and a soda cup in the other.

Turning his gaze toward the back wall, the big screen under the scoreboard showed the starters taking their places on center court. The centers waited for the tip-off. The referee tossed the ball, the clock started counting down, and the game had begun.

Chapter 15

Kendra spent the game atop the bleachers doing only two things. She kept her eyes on the back of Ms. Downing's head and sent periodic text messages to Avery, who was hidden in the women's locker room on the opposite side of the gym.

Because the team with the lead changed so often, most of the texts were about the score, but Kendra seemed to have a lot else on her mind as well.

"Carter just scratched himself AGAIN. Why do guys do that?" she wrote.

"I don't know! Just don't let that tramp get out of your sight," Avery replied.

Minutes ticked away. Substitutes entered the game. The scores rose as baskets were made.

"Some of these Millbrook guys are hot! Maybe they've seen me on the Internet. I'll have to catch one after the game's over," Kendra texted.

"I wish I was dead. Can this game just end, please?" Avery responded.

"This bitch better not hit me and screw up my chances with these guys," Kendra added.

Halftime came, and the scores were still even. Carter's team returned to the men's locker room, while the Millbrook team huddled together beside the court. The opposing coach scribbled out plays on a clipboard, and Kendra tried to figure out what was going on, but she was much too far to see or hear. Spectators got up to stretch their legs or refill their sodas.

After a few minutes, the teams got back out onto the court and play resumed. Springdale started to pull away, managing a ten-point lead in the third quarter. Kendra, who liked basketball, was impressed with how much better they were playing. She didn't know what Coach Howzer had done to them during halftime, but they moved the ball much better against their stringier, quicker opponents.

As Kendra got more immersed in the game, so much so that she began ignoring texts from Avery, Coach Howzer's excitement grew as well. He stalked up and down the sideline, shouting at his players and making huge sweeping gestures. He pumped his fist every time they made a basket and stomped his foot when Millbrook did.

Carter seemed preoccupied too, but it had nothing to do with the game. Kendra had to stand up and come down a few rows to see that Ms. Downing was saying something to him. He jerked his head and swatted her away as though she were an annoying fly. Seeing them reminded Kendra of what she was supposed to be doing, and she again pulled out her phone.

"When am I supposed to do this?" she asked Avery.

"Wait until a couple minutes into the fourth quarter," Avery wrote back.

"The fourth quarter just started!" typed.

It seemed to sneak up on Kendra so fast that her heart started racing. What if she couldn't pull this off? What if she somehow got in trouble? What if she broke a nail? Keeping her eyes on the clock, she waited until there were thirteen minutes left in the game. The Springdale Saints were only ahead by seven points now, and their players started to appear sluggish.

Clenching her fists, Kendra knew the time had come. This was her moment to shine. Slowly, she rose from her seat and slipped into the aisle. Descending the creaky steps, she glared at Ms. Downing, who would have to pay for attacking her friend. She came closer and closer to the blonde woman sitting innocently behind the bench. In the last few steps, she stomped her way down to the floor all in a huff, violently shaking Ms. Downing by the shoulder.

"Oh my God! Some girl just slipped in the locker room and she's really hurt!"

Wide-eyed, Ms. Downing jerked her head, but it soon became clear she was alarmed at the interruption, not the injury.

"Tell her to walk it off. She'll be fine," she scoffed.

Kendra, practically shaking, looked as though she were staring into the fiery depths of hell.

"No, you don't understand. I guess she hit her head and can't move. Come on!" Kendra begged.

"If she's so hurt, how do you know anything about it?" Ms. Downing accused, pointing an angry finger at Kendra. "You weren't anywhere near the locker room!"

"She texted me. What else would someone do after an accident?"

Kendra started to feel like the woman wouldn't budge, and she had no idea how else she'd get her to the locker room. Just then, Carter twisted around, immediately catching Ms. Downing's attention.

"Hey, aren't you the first aid officer? You should probably take care of that," he said, causing Ms. Downing to shut her eyes.

"Oh, alright."

"Quick! Let's hurry!" Kendra said, taking Ms. Downing by the hand and pulling her out of her seat. They jogged along the court behind the opposing team's bench, circling behind the basket toward the women's locker room while play continued on the floor. Kendra followed Ms. Downing and the floating wisps of blonde hair that trailed along behind her. Pressing her hands together, she cracked her knuckles.

*

"Where is she?" Ms. Downing asked as she jogged through the short, narrow, and dark tunnel to the main section of the women's locker room. Coming to a halt, she glanced around. There didn't seem to be anyone at all, and certainly not any blood. Just then, Avery stepped out from behind the wall to the showers.

"I'm right here," Avery snarled, her heart beating a million times a minute.

"No," Ms. Downing yelped, turning to run away but bumping into Kendra who blocked the exit. Seeing there was no escape, she turned back to Avery. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You know exactly what I'm doing. So why don't you tell me?" Avery shot back.

Ms. Downing took a few steps forward, almost laughing to herself.

"Oh, you're good. I can see that you've trapped me, and there's no way for me to keep my job while things go on in here that no one can see. Just like in Fight Club, you're going to beat yourself up, throw your body against the lockers, hit yourself in the face, and then blame it all on me. I'll have no defense. At least in women's prison I probably won't be getting my ass pounded."

"Not even close," Avery said, chuckling at the ridiculous idea of beating herself up. "I don't plan to get hurt at all. You on the other hand..."

Ms. Downing glanced back to see Kendra, arms crossed and eyes glaring at her.

"What, are you going to have Serena Williams here do your dirty work for you? Figures you wouldn't have the ovaries to do it yourself. You're such a bitch, you know that."

"No one calls me that!" Avery shouted, her voice echoing off the pale green tile. She gritted her teeth, releasing a nerve-ridden breath into the air. Closing her eyes, she clenched her fists and wondered if her anger was getting the better of her. But she couldn't let Ms. Downing be right, not at all. "Kendra, you can go. I'll take care of her myself."

"Are you sure?" Kendra asked, signaling to Avery that it was not a good idea.

"I'm sure. She's not going to run away when she knows the path to Carter has always been right through me. Every despicable trick hasn't gotten him to come around, and now her attempts just look desperate and pathetic. She can try everything in the book, but little does she know that Carter can barely read."

Throwing up her arms, Kendra tiptoed back through the tunnel and turned the corner to the gym floor and the basketball game. Avery slipped off her jacket, revealing the thin, white v-neck t-shirt beneath covering her slim, flat body.

"Your headlights are on," Ms. Downing jabbed. "Didn't even bother to wear your training bra today?"

After committing herself to the fight, Avery felt so charged she wasn't surprised that her nipples were hard. Her mouth filled with saliva, making her swallow continuously. Every part of her body seemed to tingle.

"It's my spidey sense telling me there's about to be an ass kicking," she said, striding toward her athletic, shapely nemesis.

"You don't have it in you," Ms. Downing charged, standing her ground. "It's no surprise then you're stuck in the body of a little boy!"

Avery's hand jerked, slapping Ms. Downing across the face. Filled with rage, she watched her teacher sprawl to the side, but it was only an instant before she came back. One swift push knocked Avery on her back against the floor, sliding back. The stinging pain made her clench her teeth, and soon Ms. Downing was upon her.

The pair scratched and clawed, pulling at each other's hair. Amidst her screams and cries, Avery thought about the one thing she desperately needed to do, get Ms. Downing back through the tunnel and onto the basketball court.

But Avery hadn't spent this much time on her back with her legs in the air since Carter bought her that pair of pearl earrings, and now it seemed like she would never get up. Ms. Downing connected a punch to the side of her face, making Avery see stars.

"If I'm going to get fired, I might as well enjoy it!" she cackled.

Avery rolled and pushed, eventually wriggling out of her grasp. She felt woozy as though she was underwater, but she got to her feet and tried to head for the tunnel. Ms. Downing grabbed her around the waist from behind, and Avery threw her elbows back. Together, they slammed into the lockers, the banging noise echoing in their ears.

They slid against the bench and onto the floor. Ms. Downing was twisting Avery's arm, while Avery kicked back at Ms. Downing's shins. Avery kept trying to get away, but she never made it more than a few steps before she was caught. Still, they weren't too far from the entrance to the tunnel.

Ms. Downing lifted Avery into the air and started to spin her around on her shoulder. Avery yelled, completely helpless, until she fell onto her back and shoulder, which was already killing her. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out, and having Ms. Downing smothering her again was brutal. Trying to get the woman off of her, she punched her in the only target available.

"Ow, you hit me in the boob!" Ms. Downing howled, pulling away so she could hold herself. A sudden look of concern dawned on her pained face. "I think you ruptured my implant!"

"You have breast implants?" Avery gasped. "That's cheating!"

Like Popeye with spinach, a surge swept into Avery's muscles, giving her three times her normal strength. Using her forearms to press against Ms. Downing's chest, she pushed and got back to her feet. Yelling at the top of her lungs, Avery charged against her rival, steam-rolling her back into the tunnel and smacking her against the back wall. The sounds of the game and the crowd roared into her ears. Grabbing her by the shoulders, Avery swung her and together they spilled out into plain view of the crowd.

*

Carter nervously tapped his feet against the ground from the bench. The game was down to its last minute, and if Avery didn't do something soon it would all be for nothing. His team held onto a two-point lead, but they seemed to constantly be on the defensive. Coach Howzer stormed up and down the side of the court, every shot made the crowd swoon, and a few teammates had their hands together in prayer.

The seconds ticked away. Millbrook made a three-point shot, then one of the Springdale players was fouled and made both free throws, putting them back in the lead by one. Avery was still nowhere to be found. A stolen ball and a missed lay-up both seemed epic considering there were only moments left in the game.

There were twenty seconds left when Avery and Ms. Downing burst from the women's locker room and collapsed onto the floor behind the end line. Their scuffling immediately drew everyone's attention, including that of the cameraman who controlled the big screen under the scoreboard.

"Is that Avery and Ms. Downing?" Paul stuttered, awe-struck. "That's the hottest thing I've ever seen!"

Avery was on top of Ms. Downing even though the teacher seemed to be striking the most blows. The seconds of the game dwindled rapidly, and it looked like the Saints would win unless something catastrophic happened.

Carter, leaning forward, peered at his girlfriend, trying to see what she was doing. It looked like she wasn't fighting Ms. Downing at all. Rather, she was tearing her own shirt, but it was impossible to tell for sure considering the flurry of hands.

Putting one leg underneath her, Avery rose. Her t-shirt, completely ripped down the front, fell from her shoulders. Turning to the game and the crowd, she didn't have a stitch of clothing on above her waist.

The sight of her half-naked body crippled the players on the Saint's team and everyone who had drunk the drugged soda, causing a deluge of euphoric, orgasmic moaning to boom throughout the arena.

"UngUngUngNNNNAAAAAPPPPPHHHHHHAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGGGGGGUUUUUMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAA."

While people in the crowd rolled over each other uncontrollably and the Saints players dropped to the floor in front of her, the Millbrook team was just fine. Completely unguarded, one of their players snatched the ball and made an easy two-point shot in the final second of the game.

"Noooooo!" Coach Howzer wailed on the floor, simultaneously reaching out to the basket and holding his crotch.

Beside Carter, all of his teammates were doubled over, writhing and shaking after blowing their loads. Between that and losing the game, their red faces twisted in bizarre ways, many of them looking as though they'd gone crazy. Carter, however, was fine, and he rose from his seat and strolled out onto the court amidst the cacophony of the sprawling crowd. The only other person standing was Avery, who looked down at Ms. Downing.

"I'd like to see your tits do that, bitch!"

But when she turned to see Carter coming toward her, such a bright smile emerged on her face that it looked like it would outshine the sun. Laughing, she jogged to Carter and jumped on him, throwing her legs around his waist and holding him with her half-naked body. Carter couldn't stop laughing either, and he certainly couldn't believe it.

"You're insane!" he chuckled. "But I love you for it."

"I love you too," she grinned.

He brought her head closer with his hand and they shared the kind of passionate kiss most people can only dream of. Laughter sputtered through, but they kept their lips together anyway, kissing through their smiles. Suddenly, Avery jerked her head back, something dawning on her.

"Wait a second! Does that powder work for women too? Maybe I should've saved some of it for myself. Damn it!"

Chapter 16

Before anyone could come to their senses, Carter whisked Avery away from the school. He'd grabbed his stuff and given her one of his shirts to wear. They breathed a sigh of relief as they walked out the front doors hand in hand.

Somehow it had all worked out. Ms. Downing would be fired, and so would Coach Howzer if anyone found out about the Gongdong supplement. The basketball team had lost, ruining their entire season. Carter didn't care whether or not he was even still a part of the team. Everything was a huge mess, just how they liked it.

Arriving at Carter's house, they found the place to be empty. There was a note from his dad saying he and Jeffrey were traveling to a video game tournament and would be gone until tomorrow. Turning on a few lights, they settled in the living room. Avery plopped down in a big chair and Carter jumped against the arm of the couch beside her. She finally had him alone.

"I think the last effects of that stuff have worn off. If you wanted we could...you know," he suggested.

"Pray tell, whatsoever do you mean? Shall we churn butter or take the sheep to pasture?" Avery wondered innocently.

"I think you know exactly what I mean. Go ahead, touch it," he insisted, spreading his legs and gesturing at his genitals.

"I should think not," Avery refused.

"Touch my man meat!" Carter demanded, pulling off his pants and shirt.

"No!" Avery shouted, leaping from the chair. Carter chased after her, completely naked, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"TOUCH MY MAN MEAT!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Avery squealed, racing through the house. Barely able to run for all her laughing, she led him into the dining room, around the large mahogany table, and into the kitchen.

Sprinting, Avery went for the refrigerator, pulling open the door and using it to shield herself from him. He reached down at her, and she squeezed closer to the refrigerator's shelves. Reaching back, she started to search through its contents.

"OJ...purple stuff...Sunny D!"

Grabbing the container and popping the top, she doused Carter with the juice and dashed away into the foyer. Dripping everywhere, Carter chased behind, reaching for Avery as she swung onto the stairs and raced to the second floor. There were only a few doors to choose, a bathroom, a closet, his father's bedroom, but she ducked into Carter's bedroom and turned around just in time for him to knock her flat on the bed.

The time for her playful resistance had ended, and so she made no attempt to get away when Carter jumped on top of her. His elbows over her shoulders, he wrapped her head in his hands and tilted it back so he could kiss her soft, pink lips.

It wasn't until the basketball shirt she wore absorbed most of the juice that Carter began to run his hands underneath it. His hands brushed against her skin, hiking the shirt up over her stomach. She arched her back and lifted her shoulders to let him slide it over her chest, head, and along her arms.

He planted kisses all over her small breasts, arousing his not-quite-average member. Kissing lower down her stomach, past her belly button, he came to her jeans and quickly undid the button. Using his teeth, he dragged on the fabric, tugging it lower. He had his fingers pulling from the sides, and soon he'd slipped off her jeans and panties and tossed them near the edge of the bed.

"Kiss me in my spot," she cooed. "You haven't forgotten where, have you?"

"Of course not," he answered, shifting himself to her side as though he were about to give her CPR. Bending over, he turned his head and passed his ear to her cheek so he could kiss her underneath her nose between the nostrils.

"Oh yeah!" she moaned, squirming wildly and running her hands over his legs. She pulled him against her and kissed him passionately. Her fingers traced over his shoulders, along his collarbone, and over his strong pectoral muscles. Carter's hand drifted over her pelvis and down her inner thigh, making Avery grin.

"Are you ready?" he asked, and she nodded harder than a dolphin at Sea World.

"Oh, God yes! It's been forever!"

Kneeling in between her spread legs, Carter kissed her hips, each press against her skin marking a sudden blush of heat. He pleasured her with his tongue, burying his face in her. He continued for some time until his tongue flopped around limply like a sock in the dryer, at which point he looked up to find her straight-faced and typing into her phone.

"Aw you texthing?" he drawled.

Her expression as flat as a table, she turned the phone around and displayed a text to Kendra that read, "OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG." Chuckling, Carter reached up and hit the send button. A smile broke on her face, leading to laughter. She gestured for Carter to come up, and she started traipsing two fingers down his chest.

"Does that mean it's my turn?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes at him. A big grin emerged on his face, and he nodded eagerly.

"Remember, no teeth this time. I don't like it when you play shark attack."

"Fine," she grumbled. "It's our first time in a while, so no sharks. But you should know they're in the water."

Getting onto her knees, she pushed Carter flat against the bed. She ran her hands over him intimately, kissing him in sensitive areas. Taking him into her mouth, she was careful not to set him off too quickly.

"Ok, now that that's over," she said, swallowing some saliva and savoring the taste of Cool Ranch Doritos, "we'd better get a condom on you, because one of us has been sleeping around and I have no idea what you might've picked up."

Carter rolled over and reached into the nightstand drawer supporting an alarm clock and a fishbowl. Removing a half-used box of condoms, he handed one over to Avery.

"Only one? I don't think so! Here, give me the box. I don't want to take any chances."

One after the other, she applied three condoms until the whole thing looked like some kind of balloon animal. Once she was content, Avery flopped on the side of the bed, her head against the pillow.

"Come on, do me. I'm just going to lie here like a rag doll," she said. Laughing, Carter positioned himself over her. He scooted her down a touch and pulled her legs apart. She gasped when he entered her, and Carter began to shudder almost as quickly.

"Oh no!" he groaned, collapsing against her. She took one look at his strained face and wanted to cry.

"You can't be serious! We were just getting started!"

"Ha ha, psyche!" Carter laughed, coming back to life.

"I would've killed you," Avery threatened, but soon she was too caught up in the motion to hold a grudge. She wrapped her legs around his as they slowly pressed their hips together. Her hands grasped his shoulder blades, pulling him closer. Each thrust made her emit little squeaky moans.

Suddenly, they rolled over, putting her on top. Her knees against his sides, she ground herself against him. A big smile on his face, Carter ran his hands over her legs, stomach, and chest. They started moving faster, their breath becoming short. Both of them were just so into it.

Beep, beep, beep. The alarm clock went off, making them both grumble. Carter threw his hand over at it, but he was too far away. Having no other choice, Avery knew she would have to get it, but there was no way she was going to stop. Tightening her vaginal muscles, she got a good grip on him and lifted him up as she waddled on her knees toward the other side of the bed. She slammed her fist against the alarm clock, shaking the fishbowl. The alarm clock stopped, but then Carter's room phone started ringing.

"Just leave it," Avery insisted, trying to get back in the rhythm.

"What if it's someone important?" he pleaded. Sighing, Avery carried him under her back to the other side of the bed where he could grab the phone. It was Coach Howzer.

"Look, coach, I can't really talk right now. I'm kind of in the middle of someone. Suffice it to say I'm done with the team. I've got better ways to spend my time."

He clicked off the phone and tossed it into a pile of dirty laundry. Returning his attention to Avery, he sat up with her in his lap and put his hands on her ass. Avery started moaning loudly, and even Carter began to grunt.

"Mmm, spank me like my dad did when I swung a yo-yo through his truck windshield!" she ordered.

"Oh my God!" Carter cringed. "Ok."

He slapped her cheek, making Avery cry out in pleasure. Taking her body in his hands, he spun them over onto her back. Their faces were red and their hearts were thumping. Then, snap, snap, snap.

"What is going on down there?" Avery asked. "It sounds like you're popping popcorn in my vagina!"

"I think the condoms just broke. Do you want me to get a few more?" he asked.

"No," Avery responded. "I know a little piece of latex can't contain you. We'll just have to go with our usual method."

It wasn't long before their lovemaking came to its climax. Both of them were straining so hard. Avery belted out notes as though she were trying out for the opera. The veins in Carter's neck were visible.

"Oh my God! Yes! Yes! Ok, now!" Avery wailed. Carter pulled out and slid off the side of the bed. Holding himself in his hands, he started looking around frantically. Avery rolled onto her knees and put her hands together.

"Where am I supposed to cum?" he asked.

"Don't interrupt me while I'm praying!" Avery snapped. "Do you want me to get pregnant?"

Lost for any other place to deposit his release, Carter went for the fishbowl, spouting thick globules into the water. The two beta fish nibbled at them until they sunk down and coated the underwater castle.

"Dear Lord, in the name of all that is holy, please don't punish our out-of-wedlock, teenage fornicating by making me pregnant. The opposite of how Mary got pregnant over nothing at all, protect my womb from any stray spermies wiggling about inside, even though science has largely rendered you irrelevant and powerless. Your humble servant, Avery Leigh. Amen."

Finishing her prayers, Avery brushed her hands together and returned to Carter, who had collapsed onto the bed. He seemed completely wiped out, and she set her head against his shoulder and snuggled herself against him. The world seemed to stand still, if it even still existed at all.

"Let's never fight again," Avery sighed, pulling away just enough to look into his eyes, which had a dreamy glaze over them. Carter didn't say anything, perhaps too wrapped up in the afterglow, so Avery went on.

"I have a lot of things I'm sorry about, like saying I was glad your mom was dead so you could buy me implants with the inheritance money. I'm sorry about trying to make you jealous by flirting with teachers. I even regret feeding your dog bleach and killing it."

"That was you?" Carter jumped but soon settled down. "It's ok. There's a lot I'm sorry for too. Geez, let me think. I wish I hadn't avoided your calls, or kept so many secrets from you. I probably shouldn't have impregnated your sister either. Sorry about that," he apologized.

They sat for a moment in silence, thinking about the wrongs they'd done. It hurt for a moment, but then they realized that it was because of how much they cared about each other that they regretted it so much.

"I love you, Carter," Avery said, squeezing him.

"I love you too, you," Carter mumbled, making Avery sit up and smile.

"I love you too, you? What is that? You didn't forget my name did you? Because every girl knows it's one-hundred dollars if he doesn't remember your name after it's over."

Avery and Carter smiled at each other.

"I love you, Avery Leigh," he said, and she came in to kiss him softly on the lips. She put her head on his chest, he wrapped his arm around her, and they drifted off to sleep together.

Chapter 17

The next morning, Carter drove Avery back to her house. Seeing the dreary homes in her awful neighborhood made Avery realize that even though she may have gotten back at Ms. Downing and the basketball team, she'd done nothing to solve her real problems. Her home would be foreclosed on in a matter of days, and then she'd be living on the street without a penny to her name. It would be impossible for her to hide it, and she'd become the laughingstock of the whole school.

As they turned onto her street, they noticed a large truck in front of her home. Some men were loading large brown boxes full of their belongings. Candice and Lori were outside by the sidewalk holding each other.

"But I thought we had more time! We shouldn't have to leave today!"

They pulled into the driveway, and Avery immediately leapt out of the car and ran to her family.

"Mom, what's going on?" she asked, distraught.

"We're leaving this place," Candice explained. "And good riddance to it!"

"Yeah, I'll be glad to be out of this dump," Lori added.

One of the moving men passed in front of Avery, and she noticed some of her clothes peeking out the top. She stopped the man and started frantically pulling out her belongings.

"But I thought we'd at least be able to keep our things! Just because they're throwing us out on the street doesn't mean they get to take everything!"

"Avery, what are you doing? Stop that!" her mother demanded, causing Avery to look up. "We're not going to be living on the street. We're moving."

"What?" Avery wondered, bewildered. How was that possible? She then realized that her mother and sister wore joyous smiles and were consoling each other out of happiness, not grief.

"That's right!" Candice continued. "I actually think there's a place for sale out in Carter's neighborhood on the good side of town. I hope they don't mind if I sunbathe nude in the backyard."

"But we have no money," Avery objected.

"We do now!" Lori cheered, and Avery glanced back to her mother.

"I finally sold my novel to a publisher. They sent me a six-figure advance. We're rich!" she crowed, throwing her hands into the air.

Avery stared at her mother for a moment, trying to process what she just said. She burst out in uncontrollable laughter, clutching her knees to keep herself upright.

"Yeah, sure, mom. Whatever you say! Looks like you ran out of your medication and are having hallucinations."

"No, they really did. You've got to believe me," Candice confirmed, nodding solemnly.

Candice frowned as Avery continued to mock her accomplishment. Avery stumbled toward the truck, her mouth so wide from the laughter it looked like her jaw would fly off.

"You can stop lying now, mom. I'll find us a good box we can use while we're living in a Starbucks parking lot."

"Seriously!" Candice pleaded. "They said the writing was terrific and the story about how your father ruined my life, destroyed my body with two kids, and fell asleep too quickly after sex will sell millions and millions of copies."

It took another five minutes for Avery to stop laughing.

"That's the most ridiculous thing of all," she said, finally coming to her senses. At that moment, her phone started to ring. She picked it up and saw it was Kendra.

"Hey girl," Kendra said. "You'll never guess what happened. I opened my inbox this morning, and I got an email from a modeling company with a contract. They saw my stuff on Paul's website and made me an offer. I'm going to be a model. Can you believe it?"

"No way! That's unbelievable," Avery gaped, turning to the others. "Kendra's going to be a model!"

"I'm going to be super rich and all by selling my body, which I got for free!" Kendra exclaimed so loud Avery had to move the phone away from her ear.

Avery's mouth hung open in disbelief. Everything seemed so surreal. Was this some kind of dream?

"Quick, somebody pinch me. This can't be happening!"

Happy to oblige, Carter came over and pinched her on the butt, making her jump. She slapped his arm, and begrudgingly admitted she was awake.

"Guess what? I have a surprise too!" Lori piped up, twirling her pigtail in her finger. "I'm not really pregnant!"

Astonishment hit Avery like a fat guy and a buffet line. Even Carter staggered, barely able to keep his footing.

"Really? That's wonderful! Oh, I'm so relieved. That was really going to ruin your life," Avery sighed. She felt euphoric, free. Everything was finally getting better.

"Not!" Lori cracked. "Of course I'm still pregnant. You're such a sucker, Avery!"

Lori held her stomach while Avery cringed. Ok, maybe things weren't perfect, but somehow they would make it through like they always do.

"At least now we can take you to a doctor," Candice said. "Come on. Let's find out how much we have to pay one to look at you on a Saturday."

Candice led Lori to the car and they drove away in search of a doctor. The moving men continued to carry large boxes from the house and load them into the truck. Other than that, Avery and Carter were alone.

"What just happened?" Avery asked, throwing up her hands.

"Looks like you finally caught a lucky break," Carter declared, taking her into his arms.

Avery released another sigh of relief and put her head to his chest. The sun was shining, and she felt its warmth in her skin. There would be more problems later, more irritations to deal with, but for right now everything she wanted fit right in her arms.

"I caught a lucky break when I found you," she said. "Life is shitty, but you make it worth it."

The End
**About the Author**

Katrina LaCroix is a "party girl with a conscience" who currently lives in New York City. She enjoys hanging out with friends, talking about people behind their backs, and raising mice to set loose in her neighbors' apartments. If you'd like to get in touch with her, her email address is katrinalacroix@yahoo.com. Thank you very much for reading!
