Chapter 59

            Heather woke up feeling slightly constricted, arms on either side of her neck. The skin smelled of her water activated gel scrub. She also felt Faye’s breasts pressing into her back.

            Faye??

            Her eyes snapped open and looked around the room. Mom’s room…

            Suddenly oriented in time and space, a surge of joy gushed directly into Heather’s head. Endorphins and hormones doing their dance in Heather’s brain, the beat still throbbing against her reticular activating system. The jitter and shake was returning, but different now. Changing from anticipation to the memory of what happened. She remembered holding Faye in her arms before relaxing away into sleep. The smell of the gel scrub told her what she needed to know.

            Faye had disappeared while she slept and took a shower, that much was obvious. It felt good laying there, trapped in the arms of Faye Valentine. She saw the jumble of clothing that was left on the ground. A bent hook caught one of the rays of light that pierced the curtain in the day’s dying light.

            God, she must be impossible to shop for. That bra is new, but it’s already seen better days.

            She had lots of fabric left and some projects that she could shove around… Hell, she had some she could quickly repurpose. She got out of the smaller girl’s arms awkwardly and held the green dress with the too long zipper to her body. I really need to stop doing that. First thing she needed was a shower, the smell of the gel scrub enticing Heather to cover herself in its herbal embrace.

            Definitely stronger thread, maybe more of a built in support… Hmmm, maybe leather…

            Her mind was starting to click. She wondered off handedly if this was how Bobbie came up with those desserts. The ones that demanded to be eaten, calories and fat content not considered. She was in the shower and thinking and cleaning…

            And still trying to reconcile reality with the way her afternoon opened. Spotting the bass guitar on the stand in the corner, Heather felt guilty. As if she had betrayed Kim somehow.

            No, don’t be silly. She didn’t know.

            Only because I never told her.

            Sure, Heather hoped that Kim would be okay. But nothing had come of that…

            Yet. She reminded herself. None of that mattered now, Faye was there in her mother’s bed right now. Right now… This interlude was certainly not on the to do list.

            Green would set off her eyes. Hmmmm… gold, gotta get gold in there…

            Heather turned off the shower nozzle

             ***

            Tim could drive the Vespa all day with Bobbie on the back, he was always disappointed when they got to the bakery. Putting down the kickstand and removing his helmet, he turned to the girl that always made him smile.

            “Beth should be here soon.” He said to her. “I wanted to tell you about this over the phone, but it seemed silly.”

            “What?” Faye said. “You texted me. And then said nothing all the way here. Tell me, you shit.” She playfully slapped at his shoulder.

            Tim looked at her strangely. “Come on in, you need to see this.”

            Faye opened the door and waited for Tim to follow. She couldn’t remember opening a single door during her time with him. Funny how she hadn’t noticed it until now. She remembered Bobbie’s remark about his being a Knight on a Shetland Pony… That’s a backhanded way of putting it.

            The lights came on in their familiar flickering pattern, causing the death of the scant darkness that coated the surfaces like so much fondant.

            Tim bent under the counter and pulled out a blue deposit bag. He unzipped it and pulled out several hundred dollar bills. “The teachers got together and wanted to do a big cake for… well, the school. That big picnic at the end of the year, where everyone signs the yearbooks? It’s gonna be a big project. Not too sure how it’s gonna work, but that’s the profit from last month, and with the deposit from the school, that’s twelve hundred dollars!”

            Faye paled. That was a good month modeling, and the baking was a lot more fun.

            Tim flashed that winning grin. “Yeah, we did that. And this is after buying all the supplies and paying all the bills off. We’re gonna be okay.” He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small box. “Just one more thing.” Tim said, hunched over and sounding like Columbo.

            “Thought you might want this back.” He opened it, revealing the crossed spatula and whisk that she had returned to him at Freddie’s

            Faye wanted to squee, she even started. The sound coming out as a squeak.

“I’ll help you put it on.”

Faye turned and allowed him to fasten the chain. Tim kissed at her neck lightly, hugging her from behind.  She closed her eyes and let the feeling overtake her. His arms a far better, stronger cocoon than the finest spidersilk.

She turned and looked into his brown eyes. “You sure know how to treat a girl.”

“Only the special ones.”

Faye grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him.

“Um…hi?” A voice interrupted a perfect silence. It was Beth. “Door was unlocked, everything okay?”

            “Yeah.” Tim said, still staring into Faye’s eyes. “Everything’s just great.”

            “Now what’s the big news?” Beth said. She looked at the counter, seeing the blue bag and the small stack of bills. “And where did all that money come from?”

            Tim chuckled. “That’s ours. We only need one cake. But it’s a big one…”

            Beth looked at the couple. “How big? How many people are we feeding?”

            Tim looked at her, stonefaced. He took a deep breath.

            “Four hundred and sixty two.”

            Beth’s face dropped. “Four…hundred?”

            “Yeah. We’ve got work to do, still need to make the regular orders. Now that Daily Grind’s orders are back, we’re back to chuggin’ right along. And, I got most of the schoolwork done, I might even be done before you two.”

            Beth nodded and went to the sink to wash her hands after tying on an apron.

            “You know, Bobbie? I finished that report on Nineteen Eighty-Four. Thanks for giving away the ending.”

            Faye chuckled and went to the sink and started the prep for the batters and frostings. Tim laying out the bacon and brown sugar.

            Cake for the whole school? So many people, so many flavors….

            She stopped what she was doing and walked to the big dry erase board that held the prep list. Beth had suggested it a couple of weeks prior. Going so far as to bring one from home, replete with pink stars and rainbows. Faye grabbed a marker and started making what at first appeared to be haphazard lines. Both Tim and Beth stopped their current tasks to watch.

            “Bobbie?” Beth asked, she was quickly shushed by Tim. She looked over at him, puzzled.

            “I love it when she does this.” He whispered sideways. “Pay attention, something’s about to happen.”

            “Something wonderful.” He finished. Within minutes she had drawn a rough sketch of the school from a bird’s eye view. They heard her start mumbling.

            Faye’s mind was running down avenues that were usually empty. White cake, chocolate. Lemon chiffon, different flavors of frosting. Little fondant sculptures of staff…

            “The school! We make it look like the school.” Faye said, replacing the magnetized marker cap and reattaching it to the board.

            “Told you it meant something.” Tim said.

            Faye pointed to the main building. “Three layer cake, white with white frosting with crushed Macadamia nuts.”

            The gym: “Two layer lemon cake with white frosting with pistachio dust.”

            The small outlying buildings “Two layer chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. No nuts, allergies suck.”

            Finally, the field that contained Slacker’s Cove. “ Single layer lemon cake with a plain frosting with candied lime zest.”

            Faye felt a surge of pride. She had come up with this, it seemed like something Bobbie would come up with…

            But she didn’t. Okay, maybe I’m not completely done with you. Bobbie seems to like where she is now, and as much as I hate to say it.

            So do you. Gotta admit though, I’m impressed.

            “Beth.” Faye began. “Those tentacles looked good, you up for a bunch of sculpting?”

            “You know it. I can’t believe that you just… just came up with that.” Beth was smiling.

            “Good, glad we got that figured out. Jeez, I swear that we’re so busy that we still haven’t done the grand opening yet.” Tim looked at the board. “You know this is gonna cake is gonna be huge, right?”

            “Yep, we’re gonna need a bigger box.” Said Faye. Tim smirked, cocking his head.“And it’s high time we went online. They want a cake? They get one. And the whole internet will see Cheepskates doing what we do.” If I’m gonna do this, then I’m gonna do it right.

            “Alright, c’mon. Let’s finish these orders. We can all discuss my awesomeness later.” Faye said, heading back to wash her hands again. “That bacon needs to come out, Tim.”

            How in the hell does she do that? Tim thought.

             ***

            “So, what’s the catch? Really?” Kim asked, annoyed by every legalese and evade The Woman was using.

            She sighed. “Why do you keep asking that? It’s not like you have a lot of choice. I’ll just wait right here. You’re gonna agree eventually. Everyone does, even Bobbie’s going to. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

            Flip…

            The blue channels were starting to outnumber the ones that just kept getting stranger. A blond girl was standing out of the sunroof of a limo.

            “Why won’t you just go away if you’re not going to tell me?” Kim said, panic gone. “You want me to eat babies or something? Listen to Nickelback?”

            The Woman chuckled. “Just for you to live how you want. Happy are those that come to my feast.” There was a sweet malevolence to her voice, just begging Kim to agree.

            And agree she will.

             ***

            Scratch, scraaaaaaaatch.

Bobbie awoke, swearing that she heard some kind of mutant rodent. She jerked her hands away from their slumberly activity as she saw Heather, just sitting there. Darting her eyes between her and her sketchbook. Frantically scribbling.

“Don’t move.” Heather said. “I almost have it.”

Bobbie smiled. “Drawing me like one of your French girls?”

Heather chuckled. “Just a sketch.”

Bobbie held her position for as long as she could.

“Almost done.” Heather said. A few more scratches and…

“Finished.”

Bobbie went for her clothes and began dressing herself. The bra just wasn’t fitting right, extra breast spilling out from both cups. Bobbie was attempting Zen Archery with her bra hooks, that for some reason just wouldn’t align properly. Heather was there like a ninja, rehooking her bra. “My god, babe. Wherever you get these from, they’re not very well made. Cheap metal for the hooks. They probably use janky thread.”

Babe? Oh, Jesus.

“Janky? I would have just said fucked up.” Damn, why is everything so complicated? Bobbie thought, wondering how long it would take Faye to figure out what had just transpired.

“Yeah, I kick it old school, G” Heather responded.

“I have a bunch of homework to do. And I should probably be there to let Bobbie in.” ‘Faye’ smiled, knowing the truth.

Heather wilted slightly, she grabbed her from behind. Bobbie was reminded of how Tim did that. The taller girl ran her hands appreciatively up and down her sides, bottoming out at her thighs. These got a slight circle, the warmth of her hands trailing around her buttocks.

“It’s okay.” The taller girl whispered, reaching around to grasp her left breast. “I’ve got work to do.” She said slyly.

“A lot of work.”

As she let go, Bobbie felt Heather’s hands start to shake.

“Need a lift?”

“Sure.” Bobbie said, feeling Heather’s lips near the base of her neck.  She quickly got the rest of her clothes on and looked over at the sketchbook. The lines were thick and black, but the green lines in her hair make the image come into sharp focus. It was her, the curved lines were unmistakable.

Heather returned with the keys. She looked over her sunglasses at Bobbie.

Oh, shit. Not again. Fuck me gently with a chainsaw. This was magical and everything, but if Faye finds out I was here, what we did. She's gonna beat the unholy crap out of me, twice. I don't think Playboy can shoot much when I'm nursing two black eyes.

 ***

            Faye was hanging on to Tim, keeping herself close as she leaned with him into the turn. She was so lost in the feeling of being close to him that she didn’t notice their arrival. She may as well have been beamed there from an orbiting starship. She thought of the money and the cake and the…

            This life was so much different, completely unlike what she had assumed. Never make an assumption. It makes an ass out of you and umption…

             Beth had taken control of the radio while baking. A song had played that caused Tim to laugh, Faye never understood why it was so funny. Especially since it fit the day at the bakery so well.

And we can build this dream together 
Standing strong forever 
Nothing's gonna stop us now. 

            She had a project, it amazed her at how effortlessly it came. She could reason her way through the flavors and the designs. Faye looked inward while glowing with pride. This was all her, sure Bobbie had gotten the cookie rolling. But, given the current circumstances, it didn’t look like she would be restoring much of anything. How many gold medals is she up to now?

            Tim caught Faye humming that song as they removed their helmets.

            “Never figured you for a Starship fan.”

            “Huh?” Faye tightened her face.

            “Not important.” He said as he went for the hug. “See you tomorrow?”

            “Aye-firmative.” She saluted. Hoping that a random reference would make up for all the ones she knew she missed. Tim is sweet and all, but not picking up on his quotes is driving me nuts.

            They kissed, not briefly.

            “Bye Bobbie. Can’t wait to see you again.”

            Faye shot him a look. “It’s just tomorrow.”

            “Seems like forever,” He shrugged, donning his helmet again. “It’s not long at all.”

            Tim pushed the vehicle backwards and started the engine. He rode off into the night.

            Faye watched him shrink to a dot, then turn away. She noticed that the light was on. Nick must be home. She felt sadness for her friend, she just hoped that she could keep that one, flawless friendship…

            She put the key into the lock and turned.

             ***

            Bobbie was sprawled on the couch, absently stroking her breasts, watching television.

            “…this summer, the battle down under is going over the top! Nowhere is safe. Drop Bears 2, Up Over…” The TV droned on and on about the rating and release date.

            “I can’t believe they made another one of those.” Bobbie said, finally turning to acknowledge Faye.

            Faye looked at her and noticed the bangs that were identical to her own. “What the fuck, Bobbie? Haven’t rearranged my environment enough?” For the first time, she realized how little ‘Faye’ was left in the body she looked at.

            Bobbie read the look on her face. There was no question what she meant. She twisted the short hairs covering her forehead. “Just flattering you, Bobbie. Imitation and all that.”

            “Where’s Nick?”

            “I don’t know. He’s been making excuses to be gone a lot.”

            Faye flashed vermillion. “Well, what a fucking surprise. He’s all weirded out now.”

            Bobbie turned sharply. “And that’s my fault?”

            “Yes, you stupid bitch. It is.” Faye pointed, the afterglow of Tim’s contact suddenly gone. “He’s… fragile. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

            “Yes, I fucked him. Most people would be happy about that.” Bobbie’s nonchalance was maddening.

            Faye nearly rushed her, but decided against it. The earlier punch didn’t even make her feel better. Screw this, I need to get out of here. She stomped to her room and hastily stuffed various garments into a bag and continued mumbling.

            “…wish I could just go to Rach’s.” She said under her breath, stuffing Bobbie’s  shoes in atop the other clothes imprisoned in a bag.

            Bag slung and possessed of a thousand yard stare, Faye came back out into the living room. “I’m leaving. I’m sure you’ll find something to do to pass the time.”

            “Where are you going exactly?” Bobbie asked, shifting herself  into a position that allowed her to sit up almost all the way.

            Faye thought about it. Tim? Sylvia? No, Sylvia’s still dealing with Kim. She was still reeling from Kim’s sudden medical problems.

            Well, that and the fact that she’s not your mother…

            I’m gonna have to ask you to shut the fuck up… done?

            Are you done?

            She figured that Heather’s was as good a place as any. Extra space and everything. Hell, Tim might even be able to sleep in a little.

            “There.” Faye screamed as she left, slamming the door so hard that it echoed.

            Bobbie’s hands found her breasts again.

            Now where was I?

              ***

            Heather was using a blowtorch.

            She reasoned that Faye’s bras always broke because they were cheaply made. Those hooks shouldn’t have bent that easily, and that underwire? Please.

            There was some wire in her workshop that had far more rigidity in it than that cheap aircraft aluminum it was using. She knew she was going overboard on the green, and that girl had done at least 6 colors since she first saw her. But the green suited her.

            Just like the blue suits Bobbie.

            She dropped the newly bent hook assemblages into the jar of water to allow them to cool. “If these bend, then NASA couldn’t do any better.”

            She wiped sweat from her face, her hair sticking in odd patterns. She saw the sparkle of one of her earlier creations. The deep forest green sequined fabric triggered a torrent of thought.

            Just a bra? Come on, Heather. You know you can do better than that. The fabric was from a bolt left over from an earlier drama production of Once Upon a Leprechaun. She had never known what to do with it.

            Until now…

            She left the bra hooks in the water and removed her goggles. The bolt of sparkly green held her in its intangible grasp. Heather slowly smiled as the pieces came together in her mind. She touched the fabric, rubbing it between thumb and forefinger.

            ***

            Faye was knocking on Heather’s door, surprised by the clatter that came from behind the brown door. When the door finally opened, Faye was reminded of a time traveling mad scientist

            Great Scott! Sounds like something she’d say.

            “Oh, hi. Bobbie, come in.” Heather said with the firing speed of a chaingun. Her movements weren’t the usual placid grace that she normally displayed. “Sorry, busy. Lots to do.” She spun, allowing Faye entrance.

            Faye looked around. The place was a mess, there were four cans of coke scattered around the living room amongst scraps of fabric, toolboxes full of gear that she couldn’t even begin to figure out where they were. Torquemada meets Prada.

            Heather grabbed a can of coke on the counter and guzzled. “What’s going on?” Her movements jerky, spasmodic.

            “Just needed to get out, thought you could use some company.” Faye said, saying little.  Watching Heather move across the room to begin sewing. She grabbed the can of coke on the end table and sipped from the straw that sat at an angle in the can.

            “Okay.” She smiled, before quickly turning back to her sketchpad. “I just had this crazy day.” She got quiet, then picked up her notepad. The sewing was forgotten by her addled memory.

            Scratch, scritchhhh.

            Something was up, Faye hadn’t known Heather all that long. But she knew things about this girl. Her appearance showed meticulous attention to detail, and her take charge way of handling things showed the world exactly what she wanted.

            And Heather Sweet always got what she wanted.

            Cocking an eyebrow, Faye looked at the drawing girl.  “What’s going on? Really?”

            Heather looked calmly at Faye. “Just some new projects vying for my attention.” She said, changing magazines. “Oh, and your prom dress is almost ready.”

            “Prom dress?”

            Heather continued, her staccato pace continued unhindered. “Of course. Anything less than the best is a felony.”

            Faye laughed. “What’s with all this… stuff?” She looked at the scraps of leather and other fabrics. Her sewing machine plastered with stickers, a large Paramore sticker covering the machine’s maker’s mark.

            “Oh, you know me, always a new project. See, I met this…” Heather knew that Bobbie was staying with Faye, but maybe now wasn’t the time to bring it up. “Person. And we…”

            “Person?” Person?

            Faye looked around. She saw the pieces of leather that looked suspiciously like they would hold breasts, the green fabric. This stuff wasn’t meant for a guy. Taken aback for a moment, she looked back at Heather, she smiled. She’d seen that kind of hyper before. Faye’s mind clicked. “Smitten are we?”

            “No.” Heather said immediately, her mask just far enough removed to allow Faye to see the pale skin behind. Faye frowned, for all the things that Heather was, she was a horrible liar. Her poker face was perfect for game of hopscotch.

“Been with a girl before, remember?” Faye tapped her temple. “I’ve seen this before.” She remembered her first time with Rach, back in those early days.

            Heather smiled nervously. “Can’t get anything past you, can I?” She swallowed hard. “Yes. I like girls.” Heather finally had said out loud what she’d wanted to say for a couple of years.

“Nervous talking about this.” Heather said with a slight shaky grin. “I’ve never actually told anyone before, not even…”

            Faye got up and went over to Bobbie’s friend. This whole helping people thing was still new to her. While it was nice to be able to help people in ways other than ones involving personal lubricant, this was one she could take care of.

Even as Faye.

Grabbing the colored pencils from Heather’s hands. Faye said, "Give me those."

Half grinning, Faye shook the drawing implements between their faces. "These are fucks, and you don't need them anymore." She dropped them, falling chaotically. Faye looked down at the scattered colored sticks and realized that somewhere along the way... She had somehow picked up a couple of fucks.

But, only a couple.

“So what? You like girls. You’re not the first.” Faye said, at last able to tread upon familiar ground. “And you kept it to yourself.”

“Congratulations, you are a human being.”

Heather opened her mouth.

“No buts. Love is where you find it. You are who you are.” Faye said, seeing the relief gush. Heather’s eyes looked different somehow, softer. The aloofness she usually displayed gone.

Delacroix’s resident fashion designer couldn’t hide the relief on her face. There was a sound…

Oh, god. Did Heather Sweet just squee?

Heather jumped up, project forgotten. Giving Faye a friendly hug. “I just wish I could tell my mom.”

“Why?” Faye started, “You think she won’t love you anymore? Think she’ll throw you out?”

You don’t know these people.

Shut up, I’ve got this one.

“Who you are. Not important. What you are, similarly so.”

“Being comfortable with who and what you are, the most important thing in the world.” Faye could almost hear Heather vibrating, she thought Heather  would phase through the floor.

How much soda did she get through? “Let me make you something. You need to soak up some of that caffeine.” She turned to the kitchen and began a quest worthy of Dr. Jones in his search for the Ark of the Covenant.

Heather was blurring around the room, picking things up and making room for her night guest. Faye looked down at the heated oil and turned the frying chunks of chicken breast over. Potatoes were sliced into skinny strips. There was much chatter by Heather who just talked about fashion and the dress she was working on. A lot of it could have been the gibbering of a lunatic.

It wasn’t until dinner was served that Heather was finally able to calm down some. Faye watched her eat, using barbecue sauce to coat the nuggets and shoveling the side salad into her mouth with gusto.

Faye looked down and grabbed Heather’s open sketchpad. The latest image was indicative of the pictures that fashion designers drew, but this one was different. Curves that flared out more than seemed possible, Long black hair…

And that goddamn green streak.

 “Son of a bitch.” Faye breathed.

“Huh?” Heather mumbled, her mouth full of romaine lettuce and blue cheese dressing.

“Nothing.” Faye said. The couch had been folded out and Heather had finally been convinced that she needed rest after the mega hyper ultra caffeine rush she had been riding all afternoon. Luckily for both of them the cocoa she had made was without any stimulant properties.

Great, another member of Faye’s fanclub.

“Goodnight, Bobbie. Thanks for coming over.” Heather yawned.  She looked around at the scattered tools. “Gonna have to clean this up tomorrow. See you in the morning.”

“Good night.” Faye said, smiling at Heather. She felt some accomplishment, as well as some apprehension.

Chapter 60

Bobbie woke to the sounds of her phone vibrating, her hands separated themselves as she reached away from her legs to the tremoring device.

Hey, need a ride? H.

She started to answer in the negative, but  Bobbie noticed Nick’s door open. His bed was unmade, with no sign of  him to be found anywhere. And Faye still had the keys to the EVO. Bobbie considered the bus, but sighed heavily as she gave Heather the go ahead.

She’s bound to find out sooner or later, let’s just get this over with. With so little time left, showering was out of the question. A bowl of Cocoa Blasts doused with coffee made a quick repast while Bobbie trying to brush her hair. The new bangs didn’t quite sit like the blonde ones that served as her training wheels, and getting the green streak to be one solid piece was proving to be difficult today. Wonderful, and a bad hair day.

Don’taskdon’taskdon’task…

What else could…

Shit.

 ***

“Would you mind sitting in the back when we pick her up, Bobbie?” Heather asked.  Faye had no problems saying yes, and everything was fine. Until the turns started getting more and more familiar. She giggled, “You two are gonna get along just great.”

An uneasy feeling settled into Faye’s stomach. No way… no way in hell…  The last turn sealed it and the familiar crunching driveway greeted her hears through her closed eyes. It suddenly made sense. The fabric, the sketch, Heather’s absolutely insane living room blitzkrieg…When they pulled up to the old familiar homestead, Heather could swear that she heard a sound. The sound was reminiscent of tectonic plates shifting. Faye heard it.

It was her teeth.

She dutifully got out of the front seat and relocated while Heather swiftly walked. Part of her was boiling, and the other part was wondering which part of the car she could remove to stab Bobbie. When they reappeared holding hands, the killing thoughts stopped. Bobbie’s slightly terrified look told volumes. She noticed the absence of Nick’s car.

Dammit. Poor Nick, I wouldn’t wish me turned up to eleven on anyone. He had better be okay, Bobbie.

“See?” Heather started. “Knew you two would get along, especially since you’re already acquainted.”

“Hi.” Bobbie smiled broadly. “I’m Faye. Faye Valentine. You must be Bobbie. Heard so much about you.” Faye could feel the urge to take her face…off. And make her feel the full wrath and fury of Nicholas Cage. But seeing Heather’s face made her stop.

Look at her, she looks so happy. Faye smiled a little.

Yeah, and Bobbie couldn’t look more nervous. Not enough to fuck your girlfriend, she has to start on her…

Well, your friends now…right?

Faye smiled her most plastic smile and shook the offered hand. “Bobbie Sharpe, man. Who the hell are you?” She clawed her own nails into her palms as they got into the car and rolled off silently. Heather chatted haphazardly the whole way. When they rolled into the parking lot of doom, Heather skillfully parked the car and got out, speeding around the front to open the door for Bobbie.

Hmmm, just like Tim.  Bobbie stepped out of the car, one booted heel at a time and was instantly being enfolded into Heather’s arms. What started as a kiss turned into a micro makeout session before a hand slid down Bobbie’s side and was surprised by a light smack on her rear.

Faye got out of the car on the driver’s side and closed the door in time to hear the double chirp of her alarm

“Catch ya later, toots.” Heather said, slowly backing away. She gnawed a slightly less colorful lip and winked as she removed her sunglasses.

Faye watched her leave.                                                 

“Bobbie? You wanna tell me what the fuck that was about?”

“I went to see Kim after I saw Frankie, and well, we…”

Faye held up a hand. “I don’t wanna hear the rest. I’ve got a good imagination. The only reason I’m not stabbing you multiple times with that little knife from Clue is that you may have done some good for once.”

“Look, it was a fling. I was just as surprised as you are.” Realization dawned.“So I guess that’s where you went?”

“Yeah.” Faye said. “Good thing too. Caffeine overload, I made her some chicken strips and… Why the fuck am I talking about food right now?”

Bobbie grinned, “She say anything about me?”

Faye laughed through her nose. “Maybe. She wasn’t making a whole lot of sense. She had stuff everywhere. I found that picture.”

Bobbie smiled coyly. “Admit it. I look good. I’m gonna be gone tonight. Work thing.” She turned and sauntered off. “Ta ta…”

Faye just stared, the cold metal of her necklace burned into her neck. Work thing? Again? Now what?

Justice, what are you doing?

 ***

Bella was telling Amber about her next dwelling place. Beth was listening, too. Bella was really excited about going off to Brown. So excited that it was sometimes easy to remember where she was going to. But, forget where she had been.

“Yeah.” Bella said. “It’s like a fucking different culture there. It’s gonna be fuckin’ cool.” She had already thought out some of the things she would need. Bobbie had shown her the importance of a crock pot. Heather had taught her how to put together a fuckin’ killer ensemble for the clubs. Amber helped her feel a sense of belonging with her ragtag bunch of recruits. She’d miss Beth, too. Since the intervention, Bella had come to think of her as the enforcer for their little gang.

Beth frowned. “You’re gonna come back to visit, right?” She finally had some friends, only to lose one after so short a time.

“Fuckin’ A right. Can’t stay away forever. I’m gonna fuckin’ miss you guys.” Bella pouted.

Bella knew she would miss everyone. She couldn’t wait for Kim to get better so they could all  be together again. There was no doubt in her mind that Kim would be fine and back to her old self in no time.

***

Amber felt so happy for her friend. That perfect score on the SAT was a hell of an achievement. The best she could hope for was some third rate college. She had resigned herself to enrolling at DCC and transferring in as a junior at Delacroix U. Maybe find a nice guy and settle down, deep inside Amber wished that her soul mate didn’t live in Zimbabwe. She always knew she’d be a townie, Delacroix was her home. She couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, There was no real plans. Just a nice quiet life.

 ***

Beth was listening to Bella gush about the school she would be attending come fall. She thought it was so cool that she was going to be able to go off and go to school somewhere else. Herself? She hadn’t thought about life after school. Just having the bakery in her life…

She could do it forever. It was fun, so fun. Other people seemed to like it. She smiled everytime someone ate one of her precision cut leaves or savored a chocolate ribbon that she rolled. It brought a completeness to her life. Her friendships with Bobbie and Tim…

…and Steve and Heather. Why would she want to change anything when everything she ever wanted seemed to be what she was getting?

“And you know, we’ll be there to help feed you when you get back. How about a cupcake called the Effen Bella?”

The three girls laughed.

The clicking of boots made Beth turn around. “Oh, hi Faye. Where’s Bobbie?”

Piggybacking on the previous laughter, Bobbie chortled as she shrugged “On her way to class I guess?”, her smile came  peeking out. “It’s so good to see you guys. How’s Kim?”

Amber pushed up her glasses, “She’s stable at least, the doctor said that the infection is improving. She’s been out for a  long time. I thought if it was just an overdose, she’d be out of it by now. I guess there was more wrong than we thought.”

“Fuck that.” Bella said. “Kim’s a tough bitch, she’ll make it.” Her eyes softened noticeably. “She fuckin’ has to.”

“Daddy’s been going to the hospital with her mom.”  Beth said, cocking her head at Bobbie.  “And now we have this huge order to fill and…”

“Huge order?” Bobbie said, quirking her face. She had seen  people eating cupcakes again, quite often accompanied by the familiar cup, clock, and saucer of Daily Grind.

“Yes.” Beth said, raising her chin. “And I’m sworn to secrecy. I have a big part to play here, and I think it would be better if you were just surprised.” She folded her arms.

Bobbie smiled. Beth was the complete opposite of the person she had originally met. It was nice to see people comfortable being good. It gave her all the leeway in the world to be bad.

There always has to be a balance somewhere.

Beth had decided to keep her part of the school cake project quiet. She was meeting with Steve later that day to get his sculpting tools. It was going to be difficult sculpting 515 fondant miniatures, but she knew she could do it. If there was one thing about Beth’s relationship with Bobbie, it was how she was constantly amazed by what she could accomplish. If Bobbie ever asked Beth to perform brain surgery, Beth would oblige.

And probably get it right.

This girl, Faye. She wasn’t like Bobbie at all. She was loud, brash, and showed a lot of skin. She always seemed to have a wall between herself and everyone else.  Beth knew that feeling, Faye’s was different because she had built it.

While Beth’s had been built for her.

The bell rang, cutting the conversation short. Bobbie could see the old camaraderie, almost touch it. But, it remained elusive. The old bonds translucent, intangible.

“Well, we’ll tell Bobbie you’re looking for her.” Amber said, shouldering her bookbag.

And they were gone, leaving Bobbie alone.

Again.

***

Faye lucked out in English Class. In an attempt to be cool, Mr. Lesko had decided to show Romeo and Juliet. Somehow thinking that Leo and Claire would somehow stir an appreciation for iambic pentameter.

This thing with Heather was a double edged sword. On the on hand, Heather finally felt as though she could be set free.

On the other. When and if this whole mess ever ends, It’s gonna break her heart.

Pulling out her phone, she made sure to let Bobbie know that she knew.                                    

Tap tap tap, swipe, swipe. Her fingers nimble created the message and swiped. Send. Faye sighed in a small relief as she pocketed the phone, just as Garbage began to play over the lousy speaker.

In another classroom on the other end of campus, Bobbie’s phone vibrated against her left breast. She’d been keeping it there lately, that cleavage trick coming in handy more than once. The tingling pleasure forced her to answer, she wasn’t really following Mr. Agee anyway.

You’re gonna break Heather’s heart, you know that? You better let her down gently. And, by the way. How’s Rach? Hmmm?

“Miss Valentine!” Mr. Agee’s voice boomed over his discussion of factoring polynomials.

“Hmmm.” Bobbie said, slowly raising her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes never left the phone screen.

“I’ve had enough.” Mr. Agee’s face became red. “Give me the phone. You can get it back after class.”

Mr. Agee’s colors were a mess, where Zoe’s had some kind of discernible order. Mr. Agee’s were a chaos fit for an epileptic Jackson Pollock. Bobbie stewed and thought, numbers and grouping symbols forgotten.

Okay, you wanna play rough?

Let’s play.

She had it planned in seconds, sort of. Some different paralelleties played out.

I could key his car…too small

I could order a bunch of pizzas in his name…seriously?

As if in response to these thoughts, one kept revolving back to the true north in her head. An insane dust devil of insanity that led her to one constant thought. The thought that was warming her loins at the sheer possibility of it.

Just do it, screw him.

Literally. Best thirty seconds he’ll ever have, and he’ll never want to talk to me again.

You’re welcome, Faye.

It was a bold plan, audacious even. Just its ludicrous randomness alone made her smile tightly. Bobbie entertained herself with all kinds of devious thoughts, all of which could be evenly divided by the amount of time until the lunch bell rang.

 ***

“You’re not really gonna fail me, are you?” Faye said to Mr. Agee as the door closed leaving them alone.

“Miss Valentine, your grades in here have never been more than average. Your vocabulary shows that you’re smarter than that.” He placed her confiscated phone on the desk and slid it towards her.

“Well,” Bobbie began, knowing that she would once and for all shut this guy up.  She reached behind her back, up under her shirt. A slight pop gave its cry of surrender. “That’s because I was always better at English than I was at math.” Bobbie removed her top, her breasts released into the wild. “I can spell Algebra without the bra.”

Mr. Agee paled, turning white. Or was that green, turning sick? Bobbie crawled up onto his desk and buried his face in her cleavage. Every fiber of her being told her that what she was doing was wrong on levels a math teacher couldn’t calculate. Her knees tingled even as her nipples hardened, locked and loaded and ready for action.

The need that Bobbie was feeling was primal, she craved touch and pleasure. Well, that fiber part was told to just shut up and enjoy the ride. Need and Want was all there was as Bobbie leaned forward onto Mr. Agee’s desk, bring her eye level with his shocked face. He wasn’t looking at her eyes.

Buckle up, kids. It’s gonna get crazy.

 ***

James Agee was never good enough for AAA baseball. He was; however great in college. He’d finished his degree in education and didn’t coach because it hurt him to see and remember. The smell of the grass, the heat of the sun…

And the love of the game. The cheerleaders were nice, too. There was a time…

He’d married one, years ago. But, that had fallen apart about a year and a half prior. She didn’t  want to live in Delacroix anymore. “Come on, it’ll be an adventure.” He’d had his dreams dashed one time too many to take that kind of risk. She wound up doing makeup on cruise ships in Australia, last he’d heard. Bitter? Oh, a tad.

He couldn’t tell when he’d gotten old, but girls didn’t dress like that when he was in school. And they didn’t get breast implants either, which Faye Valentine clearly had to have with her tits following such a perfect curve.

Tits? Wait, what?

Faye Valentine stood over the desk, bent over. Batting her eyes.

The last time he got laid he and his wife had drank a half a box of wine while listening to Concrete Blonde. There was an instant response, almost forgotten as he stiffened uncomfortably in his pants.

Mr. Agee cleared his throat and shook his head as he stood “Miss…mmmmph.” The tongue was in his mouth instantly, dancing with his.

“It’s okay, it’ll be our secret. I know your life didn’t pan out the way you wanted. But you can still take a risk once in a while…”

He was dumbfounded, couldn’t speak. Of course he looked at some of the girls, it was impossible not to. Faye wasn’t like the others; sure she was a pain in the ass, but she was smart. Too smart for her own good, like she’s been through all this already.

Something broke in Agee’s mind. He knew that this was a terrible idea, he didn’t want to be branded as a sex offender, but who would know? Or believe for that matter, he hadn’t been the only one who’d lost a verbal altercation in front of the class. It would have been fine, but her acerbic wit and precise timing often did it in ways so elegant that the student teacher relationship became skewed for a long, uncomfortable moment.

You want to play with the adults?

Play ball!

With some effort, Agee lifted Bobbie off the desk and spun her around, pressing her against the wall. He stooped to whisper into her ear. “You wanna be a grown up? Then fine.” Forcefully, he assaulted her neck and squeezed a naked breast. He unfastened her skirt and slid it to the floor in a smooth motion.

“Take ‘em off.” He said with an authority Bobbie hadn’t heard before.

 ***

Bobbie was reminded of Melanie, how she always took charge. This felt different by an order of magnitude. She unzipped his pants, flopping out his semi erect cock. It was different from Nick’s, rather than some ultrahard alloy, this one seemed more malleable.

“Suck it.” Agee said, pushing down on her shoulders. She acquiesced looking at it like an alien tentacle. Shrugging inside, I’ve done everything else. She ran her tongue along the underside. It was becoming more rigid, it was just taking a lot more work to do so.

“Don’t just lick it. Suck it.” He hissed, looking down at her. Eyes momentarily full of mad desire.

“Suck. My. Cock. It’s something your girlfriend can’t give you.” Bobbie took the tip into her mouth and the rest of the length followed.

 This whole adventure was quickly becoming a misadventure.

 ***

He grunted with his eyes closed, it had been a long time since anyone else had touched him. His student had a hand wrapped around the base of his shaft, trying to drain him of his seed as if it were the Ambrosia of the Gods. Agee knew that if she kept this up, it would be over in seconds. He pulled her away and grinned malevolently down at her as he casually spun her around and bent her over the desk. He entered her easily, her arousal apparent. The rhythm of sex came back. His eyes closed, he drifted to a simpler time when sex was a regular occurrence.

Everybody knows the dice are loaded…

He remembered a midnight picnic Celeste had planned. They had drank Pinot Grigio, and ate olives and pate…

And had the wildest sex they ever had, right there under the stars.

He noticed the tattoo on her back. When did kids start getting tattoos? Especially ones this big. And why is it always Asian symbols and demon stuff? Dammit, when did I get old?

Agee grabbed at her quivering hips, forcing them to his rhythm.

 ***

He was moving her hips in a beat that kept her just out of control of her orgasm. After the first came on, Bobbie grabbed a ruler with her right hand and put it in her mouth, biting down hard. There was no way she was gonna let him hear her cry out. Part of the ruler had broken into splintering shards of polymer. It was a little humiliating, ending up bent over his desk. The building tension made her shake, her eyes squeezed shut so hard that an errant eyelash poked into her eye. Through it all, she remained silent.

I still win.

The second came faster, the third right on the heels. She could feel her own nectar rolling gelidly down her leg. His grunting made her wish that it would both stop and go on forever.

Alright, we’ll call it a draw.

 ***

Agee was close to exploding as the kung fu grip squeezed his cock from every angle. He kept pounding. This was so amazing, he swore he saw stars a few seconds before. Just a little longer…

Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed.

“Uhhh…. Celeste.” Agee felt himself explode inside her, her moisture mingling with his. He smacked her ass, hard enough to leave a red, angry handprint.

He exited her and repantsed himself. “You don’t know everything. Maybe you should get something pierced, or whatever it is you kids do.” The way he emphasized ‘kids’ sounded as if ‘meddling’ should have been out front.

“Just remember,” Agee continued. “I’m the teacher.”

Suddenly, Faye calling herself ‘The Professor’ seemed less amusing.

Bobbie was glad it was over, sort of. Part of her liked being a plaything. But when he’d called out someone else’s name…

Tawdry. The word had come up in English earlier that day. She couldn’t stop thinking about that word as she straightened herself out.

 ***

Heather faked a migraine and ditched school at lunch. She needed to take Tim to get his new suit and she wanted to get more work done on Faye’s dress. By the time she pulled up to Cheepskates, she knew she was going to have to tell him. She was glad she was doing it instead of Bobbie telling him. She smiled as she exited the car and confidently strode into the bakery.

“Oh, hey Heather. Were we doing that today?” Tim said, starting to empty the case of the few leftovers. There were less of them these days. Bobbie’s Baguettes and bread had disappeared quickly.

“I have some other errands to run and figured today was as good a day as any. What are those?” Heather asked.

“One of Bobbie’s ideas. Chocolate chip cookie shot glasses filled with a milky custard, so when… Wanna try one? They went pretty fast today.” He chuckled. “That girl of mine.”

Heather smiled. “Need some help? We can get this done earlier, then you can be back here.”

Tim put one of the new confections on a plate and put the rest of the leftovers into the walk in. “That’s really it. Be nice to have an excuse to keep her here a little longer. Go ahead and eat  that and I’ll be ready in a minute.”. He disappeared into the back for some last minute cleanup while Heather contemplated the cookie thing on the plate. Picking it up and looking at the bottom, she expected it to leak. Biting into it, she was transported to the first time she ever had fresh cookies and milk. The silky texture of the custard and the chew of the cookie took her away from everything for a moment.

“…said are you ready?” Tim said.

Heather stopped chewing. “Oh, yeah. You guys are gonna make some mad skrilla with these.”

“And you think it’s confusing when Bobbie and I talk in movie references?” Tim delivered with a face of disinterested sarcasm.

 ***

Driving to the Gentlemen’s Quarter was usually easy, but freeway traffic stalled everything like mechanized cholesterol.

“I’d make a Barney Oldfield if I could.” Heather said, turning her attention to Tim.

“That means U Turn, right?” Tim laughed. “Thanks for doing this with me, you were such a big help last time. For which my mother thanks you, by the way. Never thought I’d be looking forward to the Prom. I got the limo, I even got a hotel room. Nice suite at The Shelton, got a good deal on it. They wanted an order of cupcakes for a wedding reception. Don’t tell Bobbie, I wanna surprise her.”

They moved forward. “Your secret’s safe with me.” Heather paused and turned to Tim. “Tim, I have something to tell you.” Heather’s lips became seriousness personified.

“Something Big.”

“The grand opening? I know, but if you guys can’t play, that’s cool. I just though…”

“No,” Heather laughed. “No no no no. I’m. Well…”

Tim looked on in suspense.

“I’m gay.”

“Oh.” Tim mockingly wiped fake sweat from his brow. “I thought it was something important.”

Heather looked over her sunglasses and raised an eyebrow.

Tim laughed. “No, I mean.” He threw up his hands “So? It doesn’t matter to me. I’m still gonna depend on you for fashion advice.” Heather echoed his laugh. The cars started to move again, Heather spinning up the engine.

“Look.” Tim began. “Without Bobbie, I wouldn’t have met you. Without you, I don’t think she’d be my girlfriend now. Gay, straight, republican, vegan… country music fan. I don’t care about any of that. You’re my friend, and that’s the only thing that matters between us. But one thing…” He held up a finger.

“What?” Heather asked, pulling into the parking lot.

“Don’t hit on Bobbie.” Tim looked at Heather, her face contorted into a sign reading ‘you asshole’. Tim grinned widely. “Don’t think I could compete with you.” Tim was out of the car, about to get Heather’s door, when Heather opened the door and exited unassisted.

“Well, let’s find you that perfect outfit for that perfect evening.” Heather said, smiling. It’s nice to just let it out. Arm in arm, they walked into the dwelling place of his future suit.

Since he only had the one suit, there were no worries about coordination. He was glad that the one pocket square and tie he owned just happened to be the color Bobbie wore constantly. Talk about dumb luck. Heather had him trying things on with such rapidity that he quickly lost count.

Heather had the earpiece of her sunglasses in her mouth as she contemplated one on the second tier. “The only thing about these warehouse places.” She grabbed a long hook and skillfully maneuvered down a black suit that had the blue 40 regular tag on it.

Looking at the price tag, Heather widened her eyes. There was no way it was that cheap. It was an Armani from three years prior. The price had been drastically reduced. I can take care of the tailoring.

And the inside lining was ice blue. Even Heather was stunned by the coincidence. She looked back at Tim. He’s a 34 waist, and so are these pants… She smiled, the necessary alterations would be easy.

“Tim.  Put this one on.” She held it out to him.

Tim shrugged and swirled the coat on, it was like wearing a glove. Even the shoulders took to his like a second skin.

“Yeah.” Heather said. “We’re done here, let’s find you a tie then we can get you home. The world must have more pastry, or something. What’s this secret project, anyway?”

“Just some cake for the school.” Tim said calmly.

“That’s it?” Heather had obviously overstated it in her mind with all the importance Beth had put on it.

Tim grinned and shook his head. “Ah ah ah. It’s gonna be special. That’s all you need to know.”

Heather smiled. What a cool guy. She silently thanked Bobbie for helping them meet.

Paying for the suit, they made their way back to the car and headed out to return Tim to his house.

…And Bobbie.

 ***

 

Bobbie wasn’t sure what she was feeling at the moment. She should have been satisfied, should have gotten the upper hand. But wasn’t, didn’t. And Mr. Agee? Ugh, the fact that she was still a little excited by the thought of his old balls slapping against her ass again and again and again made her feel a tingling shame. An exciting one.

“Celeste.” She said, disgusted. Probably an ex or something.  She looked down towards her navel. Maybe a navel

Smack…

Click, click. Click, click.

Roxx.

“So, the battle is over, huh?” Roxx stood there smiling like a cat with a mouse under its paw. “Well , all hail the conquering heroine. Told you, she’s never wrong.” She stooped, covering Bobbie’s shoulders with her arms.

“Welcome to the family.” Roxx moved forward and kissed Bobbie passionately.

Family? There was something familiar about the kiss, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

Breaking the kiss, Roxx rose. Bobbie stood with her.

“Like I told you. What we have, it’s a gift.” Roxx said, pulling a pack of Camels out of her violet purse. She offered one to Bobbie.

Clink.

“So,” Bobbie said. “With great porno comes great responsibility? “ She exhaled.

Roxx threw back her head and laughed. “Look out there. You own them, they can’t say no to you. Don’t feel bad about it, revel in it. Can’t make an omelette…”

Bobbie rankled at the cooking reference.

You know she’s right. Apart from Nick, what did you do that didn’t make someone happy?

Inhaling on the cigarette, Bobbie finally confessed to herself that Roxx had been right all along. This whole episode had shown her the life that she had wanted way back when she had still been Robb. No one to hell him what he had to be or what needed to be done, just freedom in its purest sense.

You can’t take the sky from me.

Even Agee had shown her a little, the method was unorthodox, some of the Other pleasures she had yet to partake in.  The tincture of domination was exciting, going all the way back to Melanie. Surrender held its own reward.

But don’t give yourself away.

“I  think you’re getting it.” Roxx winked. Her phone rang, she answered .

“Yeah, babe? Oh, no problem. I’ll see ya soon. Muah.” She put the phone back into her purse. “Once they start eating out of your hand. No other food will do.”

“See ya around…”

“Tiger.”

 ***

Bobbie left the bathroom, thinking about what Roxx had to say. She was right as usual. To make people tremble at the mere thought of her, to exercise some modicum of control over others. Or bring out their innermost desires.

What had Justice done for her anyway? Showed her what a great life could be, just to rip it away and show her a way that was more fun.

A lot more fun.

In Mr. Green’s history class, she mused about how much he looked like Bob Ross.

Happy little revolutions.

Her vibrating phone showed a text from Leonard, he’d be sending a car and to be ready by 4 p.m.  Sneaking out was easy, no one checked the hole in the fence between classes. She got home, one of the seniors who had the same idea picked her up and offered her a ride home.

“You’re gorgeous.”

“You have such lovely eyes.”

Bobbie wanted to puke. How many times had someone said something like that in a movie? It just amazed her that anyone ever said it in real life, let alone to ever expect it to work.

She promised to call them, although she knew she wouldn’t. And entered the house to find Nick still missing. After a quick snack of microwaved pizza, Bobbie got herself ready for what promised to be a one way ticket to fame.

Chapter 61

Mary hung up the phone and looked dazed around the room. The grubby, ash stained carped had burn marks all over it, and the new glass pane in the window looked characteristically out of place in the room. The weird brown stains on the wall of the shower creeped her out a little. Roxx explained it away as an old hair experiment that never came out, permanently staining the slightly cracked vinyl.

            Roxx was always fun to hang out with, doing whatever. Usually while under the influence of one or more intoxicants. Alcohol seemed so mundane now. She had even found out that Cocaine was, indeed, a hell of a drug.

            Mary looked around at the messy space and shrugged. She couldn’t quite remember the last time she’d been home. Surely it wasn’t that long ago.

            Meh, doesn’t matter. Roxx is here, and, like Bobbie she’s also pretty and smart.

            But, in a totally different way.    

            She began to bounce on the couch in anticipation of Roxx’s return.

            ***

Hey, Nick. Could you give me a ride? Tim’s so busy, I don’t want to take time out of his day. Bobbie.

Faye hated that she was lying to Nick this way, but she wanted to see him. Needed to check up on how he was doing. He’d never been gone this long before.

Bzzt! Bzzt!

Sure, lemme get moving. Be there soon.

Faye soon heard Detroit coming as the Camaro cruised into the parking lot. She caught a glimpse of his face as the car slowed.

Nick didn’t look well. He had about three days growth of beard in sparse patches, his eyes were red. Instead of having the proverbial dark cloud over him, it had infused itself into every part of his being. Must have, since his skin was pale and not grey in the least.

“Hey, Bobbie.” Nick croaked, clearing his throat.

Faye smiled weakly. “Hi, Nick.” Coming around the front and entering the vehicle. “Thanks for getting me. You look tired, studying too hard?” She knew he wasn’t studying, He hadn’t looked like that since playing Metal Gear Solid 2 for an entire weekend.

“Just busy.”

Seeing her opening, Faye blurted. “She won’t be home tonight. Looks like you need to eat something and grab a shower…”

“And some sleep.”

Nick opened his mouth to protest, but couldn’t find a single excuse that would work.

Faye let Nick concentrate on the driving, not wanting to distract him any more than he already was. It was a short trip, they both could have made the drive blindfolded if it wasn’t for the interference of other pesky humans. She looked at them as they passed. She knew that most of these people had eaten her baking, it was a connection she had with…well, everyone.

But, now, she needed to turn her attentions to Nick.

Getting home, she opened the door and viewed the mess left by…

Hurricane Bobbie.

“I’ll get started, you hit the shower, sir.” Faye mustered all the confidence she could.

            Nick was in the bathroom, the largely unused fan making rickety sounds in the ceiling. They were soon stifled by the cheap door. While he was in the shower, Faye started making something simple.

            Well, it started out that way. By the end there was a stuffed chicken breast in the oven and a potato next to it on the baking dish. She rankled at the flotsam and jetsam that littered the kitchen. Grimacing at the overflowing trash can, Faye started straightening up a little.

            Nick seemed to take an inordinately long time in the shower. He took so long in fact, that both the chicken and potato were done when he came out.

            He stood there in t shirt and loose fitting jeans, the shirt was covered by a mostly black button up shirt that looked like the symbol for Venom. but Closer  inspection revealed it was made from tiny reproductions of comic book panels.

            “Oh, good. You shaved. Thought you were trying to go for that mustache thing again.” Faye said, smiling .

            “How do you know about that?” Nick said, visibly puzzled.

            “Faye showed me pictures.” She quickly lied. “Sit down, eat something.”

            Nick tore into the food, Faye wasn’t sure that he was tasting anything.

            “I know that Faye’s been acting weird lately. There’s just a lot going on. Maybe it all just finally sunk in. I mean, back before…”

            Nick swallowed hard. “I know what you’re saying, Bobbie. She was and will always be my friend. Just lately, she’s been so…”

            “I know, Nick. I’m pretty sure this’ll get all sorted out soon.

            Faye finally coaxed him into playing some Street Fighter, it took him a while, but soon Juri was unleashing one brutal combo after another. Faye couldn’t take the onslaught, and fought to only three ties in an hour. Finally resting the controller, Nick drifted off to sleep. Faye got his half dazed body to the bedroom.

            C’mon, big guy. At least you’re not puking sake this time. She chuckled at the thought of that time they’d drank too much sake after a Ruroni Kenshin marathon. His light snoring silencing as she closed the door and went to clean up the kitchen and get ready to go to the bakery.

             ***

            “So, I told them that since there’s been an uptick in this whole pinup thing, recreating those shots would be a good thing. And The Leets and Geekz shoot? Well, word got around fast.” Leonard was talking excitedly while sipping at his champagne. “You’re gonna start a bidding war with Van Der Haven after this.”

            Bobbie was proud of herself. She had done that. Not Faye, Neo-Faye.

            Leonard handed her a notebook filled with reproductions of the old Irving Klaw pictures, and some new masters made from the original Bunny Yeager negatives.

            “I have hair and makeup people standing by. Craft services, well, nothing but the  best. You will be well taken care of tonight. I try to keep it fun.”

            “Don’t worry, Lenny. Fun’s my middle name.”

            “That’s Leonard. My mother doesn’t even call me that.”

            There were contracts. There was a moment of nervousness as Bobbie handed over Faye’s Driver’s license. Faye had assured that it had passed every test so far. Making sure to hand over the one that had her age set at Kane’s official 25, she crossed her toes and hoping that Nick was as good as Faye had promised.

            “I have a paralegal waiting there for all the paperwork. Champagne?” Leonard offered her a flute and filled it with the bubble pale liquid.

            Bobbie sipped at it. It was of good quality, easily a couple hundred a bottle. Well, I guess Playboy is all about the lifestyle. Sipping the beverage, Bobbie dug into the contracts without actually   reading them. Just happy that someone wanted her around.

            The limo continued on its way through the waning light of the afternoon.

             ***

            Kim was getting really scared. The tv had gone to only one channel, but the shows kept shuffling through the shows she’d been watching in this…

            Waiting room?

            Taking those pills was stupid, she realized that now. She just wanted to see her mom again, Bobbie, her friends. The Woman’s reappearance was a respite, someone to talk to.

            “Aww. You want to see your Mom, don’t you? Your friends?” She said, her black eyes somehow sympathetic. “Just let me help you.”

            Kim started sobbing, she knew there wasn’t another way out.

            “Mom…” She cried, feeling her head and shoulders being encircled by Lust.

            Thank you, Roxx. Lust thought, happy that things were going according to plan for the first time in a long time.

            A very long time.

 ***

 

            Bobbie stepped out of the dark space of the limo, all the shades of dark colors had blended into a miasma of black. A miasma containing undercurrents of excitement. The lights inside the building were bright, and the carpet varying shades of orange. Bobbie stepped out of the world.

            From manga to Marvel.

            Leonard led the way, assuring her that Playboy’s deep pockets had spared no expense. Bobbie chuckled, hearing ‘spared no expense’ in Sir Richard Attenborough’s voice.

            Welcome to Playmate Park.

             When the door to the shooting location opened, she felt as if she had entered Wonka’s Tasting Room.. Bobbie looked around at the side mounted lights, and the Kilegs on the ceiling. There were backgrounds draping the walls. A medium height Christmas tree sat in one corner, a goofy looking kid who was obviously an intern frantically hanging ornaments on it.

            “Through here, Michie will take care of your makeup and hair. If there’s anything you need, just ask. Someone will take care of it.” Leonard pointed at a portable wall that had sectioned off the makeup area.

            Last boost before the shoot?

            “Think there’s a chocolate milkshake here somewhere?”

            Leonard smiled strangely, he pointed to a door that led to a small changing room. “Yeah, sure. And through here, is wardrobe. Just go through there and get changed into the first ensemble. Michie’ll be waiting.” He turned and left, the smell of his cologne lingering in the room.

            She dutifully stripped and cast her clothes aside onto a folding chair that had been set up in the corner. The outfit labeled with a big one on it. It was a tight fitting confection of black lycra and complicated lacework that clipped to stockings that had a thick, black seam running down the back. The top was tighter than expected, but Bobbie knew she could handle it for a short time. She looked at the shoes that had been provided. They were taller than she had ever worn before, basic black with a red sole that had a picture of a skull embossed underneath. She strapped them on and wobbled for a second and took a couple of practice steps. Just as easy as the others. She remembered Kim making her walk around the house in the heels. Wonder how she’s doing? I haven’t heard anything. No news is good news, I guess.

She looked at the robe that had been provided, but had decided to eschew it. She walked into the makeup room  and saw the chair that was obviously for her. it seemed like it had been built to withstand a shuttle launch. A young Asian woman came out and began blasting Japanese at Bobbie like a machine gun.

            “Konbanwa, watashinonamaeha Akakura Michikodesu. Watashi wa anata ga nihonjin, soshite anata no namae wa fei· vu~arentainta koto o sa reta kiita toki, watashi wa chōdo anata o mitasu tame ni motte ita.” Hi, my name is Michiko Akakura. When I heard you were Japanese and that your name was Faye Valentine, I just had to meet you.

            Bobbie looked at her in shock. “Umm… Wakarimasen Nihongo sukoshi desu.”  I understand Japanese a little bit. She held her thumb and forefinger apart slightly. “Very sukoshi desu.” Bobbie extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Michiko.”

            Michiko shook her hand, pouting and deflating a little, she continued in Japanese flavored English. “Soddy, English…”

            Bobbie smiled. “Sukoshi desu?”

            “Hai. Chotto” She giggled, making the same hand gesture.

            Attempts at conversation were stifled some when Leonard returned with a milkshake, as promised. “Here, you are.” Bobbie graciously accepted the drink and turned toward the chair.

            “I didn’t know you had a tattoo.” Leonard said. “I guess Michie’ll have to cover it up.”

            Tattoo? Careful to remain calm, Bobbie twisted and looked at her back in the mirror under the guise of checking out her hair. The itch was gone, she noticed, and hadn’t flared up in a while.  The marks now laid bare for all to see. The kanji sat perfectly perpendicular to her coccyx, one character on either side in majestic black. She saw undertones of deep, deep blue, and the most ultra of violets. She wasn’t sure if they squirmed and writhed or if it was her. Magnificent tribal wings rose up from the outside edges of the characters, spiky feathers that declared functional decay. Just like Roxx’s, Bobbie thought, knowing now what exactly was meant by The Family.

            Lust.

            What the fuck did Justice ever do for us?

            “…have a bit to do here. Glad I have interns.” Leonard laughed. The light from the sunglasses that hung from the pocket of his suit jacket, caught Bobbie’s eyes. “Anata wa Mitchī, ima hajimeru koto ga dekimasu.” Bobbie looked at Leonard.

            “I was a military brat, we lived in Japan for four years when I was a kid.” Leonard smiled.

            “Oh, looks like I’m not the only one full of surprises.” Bobbie said , taking her seat as Michie started spraying her hair with an odd smelling serum. “Thanks for the shake.”

            “The interns are marking off the floor now,  I’ll see you out there.”

            Bobbie tried to make some conversation with Michie, but Bobbie’s lack of knowledge was evident, never extending past some movies and some of the more absurdly popular music. She remembered the shoot with Mike and how it was so different. There was a coziness about it, while this seemed more sanitized.  The whole vibe of the room kind of had her off balance, or was it the heels? Her hair was styled and sprayed. Michiko’s fast and accurate work left her hair in vintage waves cascading down her back. Her bangs combed down and laying perfectly flat against her forehead, the green streak finally in a solid chunk. Where was that stuff this morning? Bobbie pointed her chin downward and watched the light reflect off of her hair, a harsh white horseshoe stood out starkly against the black and green. The green stripe  boldly contrasting against her skin over her left eye.

            Michie turned to her worktable and began the process of doing Bobbie’s makeup. She thought about how many times she had allowed someone to do her makeup. The brush strokes tickled slightly. She lost track of time thinking about the mark she now displayed, an old part of her brain fired to life.

            It’s definitely hot.

            “Ottawa, Faye.” Michie, said. Signaling for her to stand. Looking into the mirror as she leaned onto the table, she looked at her reflection. It was a stunning recreation of the style of makeup Bettie Page wore in her famous pictures. Her skin tone evened out to a flawless canvas, the colors enhancing the contours and shapes of her face. Bobbie winced slightly as she felt the cold foundation start to slimily coat the ‘tattoo’ that enticed her as much as it filled her with trepidation.

            The studio was a hornet’s nest of five. The interns ran around checking things as if they were always about to fall over. Leonard had a camera tripod setup and a big SLR camera, it was pointing at the big Victorian Sofa. The wooden frame curving upward, then dipping and cresting again on the other side. An cushioned oval panel filled the gap, the fabric was made to appear as if the graffiti Olympics had been held nearby.

            “God, you’re gorgeous.” Leonard said. Bobbie knew he meant it, his colors showed no evasion or dodge. “This shoot is going to be historical. Figuratively.” Bobbie laughed. “You’re gonna knock ‘em dead.”

            Bobbie forgot about the Mark on her back; the pampering by Michiko this setting…

            It’s all for me.

            Bobbie giggled, everything going to her head at once. She strutted over to the sofa, carefully placing one foot in front of the other and rolling her hips seductively. As if trying it on for the first time.

             ***

            Leonard watched the girl he thought of as Faye Valentine take her position on the mark. If Sobol had been right, this would be the easiest shoot of all time. He could be home by midnight, laughing all the way to the bank.

            It was obvious to him that Faye had done her research, coming close to the poses already immortal. But, he didn’t need any research. Those old Klaw photos had everything a photo should, and the one thing that made it all work. Honesty.

Close.

            “Arch your back a little more… bring your knee up some… Beautiful, just beautiful. Lean on the couch, now the other way. Put your hands up into your hair…”

             ***

            Lenny was starting to get on her nerves. This was the worst game of Simon Says Bobbie had ever played. The lights seemed a little too hot, and the clicks of the shutter began sounding like dubstep played at a thousand times speed, she was thankful when it was over,  Going to the craft services table, she threw together a hasty pastrami sandwich on rye. Glad they have brown mustard. Mid bite, Bobbie stopped and thought about the last time she cared about mustard. She shrugged it off.

            Changing into the second ensemble was a little trickier. The leopard print top was tiny, she was barely able to get the tiny leopard triangles over her nipples and get both ends to meet and tie the sealing knot. She could only imagine someone watching would think of it as Harry Houdini in reverse.

            Finally strapping on the leopard print shoes and grabbing the riding crop, she left the room to check back in with Michiko to get the makeup redone. All right, so it’s not always fun.  She got back to the studio and found her second mark and waited for the shooting to begin.

            “Beautiful skintone. Leopard suits you, let’s get a growl…” Leonard twisted the camera.

            “…now bend the riding crop.”

            “Bite down on it….”

            “Now paw at the camera. Gorgeous, sexy…”  The compliments were starting to sound like a scratched techno disc. But Bobbie kept at it.

             ***

            The arch of her spine, the swell of her breasts. The curve of those magnificent hips… Leonard was lost in the stream of instructions and compliments. A detached part of him saw the rawness of the shots, showing the inexperience of her youth. There was something there, Leonard just hoped he could capture it the way Mike had.

            Thoughts of making Faye making Playmate of the Month started playing out their little fantasies as He continued shooting.

Playmate of the month…

Or, dare he think it… The Year? The obvious modeling mistakes she was making were somehow endearing, allowing for a playfulness that was inherent in its unorthodox  form. She wore the leopard print well, he mused as the clicking continued. God, how did those old guys do all this on film? He was already imagining what the residuals and bonus money would look like. Maybe that boat in the San Francisco Bay Marina might be a reality.

 

             ***

            If Lenny said “Sexy, baby” one more time, Bobbie decided she’d start calling him Austin… Great, now all I can think about is Orange Sherbet. The lights seemed to be baking Michiko’s handiwork onto her face, feeling that adobe would be the makeup trend for next season. The posing continued, with Bobbie winking, smiling or growling at the camera, depending on her pose. The riding crop made for a great prop, whipping at the air or slapping at a thigh. Once Leonard called for a break, Bobbie started using it as a backscratcher. Some of the dark foundation covering her back was scraped away, allowing view of the dark, eldritch shapes beneath.

            Bobbie heard Lenny sigh as she left to get into the last ensemble. Looking for a hanger with a big 3 on it proved to be difficult, but the box in the corner with the 3 on it proved to be too much of a coincidence. Opening the box, she saw the reason there was a Christmas tree out there. The Santa hat, and the white fur-trimmed elbow length gloves told her the whole story before she even saw the boots.

            Well, I guess I’ve done almost all of the famous ones. Christmastime for me.

            Michiko gave Bobbie’s body a once over, looking for blotches and marks. A cold makeup sponge assailed her in spots, making her squirm and giggle, which in turn made Michie giggle. She looked in the mirror and perused her naked body, putting a hand on the swell of her hip.

            “Wait’ll they get a load of me.”

            ***

            “Faye, this spread is gonna make you so famous… I mean it, there’s something raw and… and… untamed? I guess that would be the word. I think I know what people are gonna want in their stockings this year.” Leonard laughed at his own joke and gestured for Bobbie to take her place at the Christmas tree in the corner.

            Bobbie looked at the ornaments and laughed. There was a great white shark, A Starfleet ship, some anime looking characters she didn’t recognize, but were obviously some form of Space Avenger from the looks of their weapons and poses.

            “Mike told me you like nerdy things, thought this would make you more comfortable.”

            Bobbie blushed, Leonard noticed the slight shift in skin tone.

            “C’mon, Baby. One more good set. Hook the ornament, and give us a wink.” Leonard said, the smile in his voice showing. I smell a centerfold spot.”

            “You’re gonna call me Baby, then put me in a corner?”

            Hmmm… Faye Valentine: Miss July.

Turn-ons: video games and porn… Turn-offs: salads and good boys.

             Bobbie spent some time decorating the tree, The Robbie the Robot ornament made her smile. The box of pop culture in front of her reminded her of her simpler life as Bobbie…

            …and the even simpler one that was Robb’s

            Yet, Bobbie continued to smile the plastic smile that she wore as the shutter shouted staccato sounds at her. When she held up the ornament that was Buckaroo Banzai’s jet car, her body sagged just a little in the memory of times long ago. I’ve become not one, but two different people since then. The feelings of those lives all played simultaneously in a cacophony of emotions and smells…

            And memories…

             ***

            Leonard saw it, the perfect shot. The perfection of her breast facing the camera, the glow of her smile, and the…

But that fraction of a second was lost to time as it had happened between one click of the shutter and the next. He didn’t let his agonized frustration show, but he knew that there was no way that shot would come again.

There were some more good shots as he let her pose freely about the room. One particularly good one had her stroking her legs seductively as she leaned back on the couch, toes pointed.

Stripping off the gloves and boots, Bobbie grabbed a parasol she saw propped up against the wall and opened it, covering the very thing everyone wanted to see. She put on her best come hither look with sultry eyes, daring the reader to enter the page

Leonard called a wrap, and the crew came out to congratulate her on what a great job she had done. Michie was happy that her job had been done well, and hugged Bobbie. Hugged her in that way that was too formal. She spread goo all over my naked ass, shouldn’t I at least expect a phone call?

Like you’d understand it anyway. Faye’s voice. You getting sick of this yet?

 ***

“…anything.” Kim whispered into The Woman’s ear. “I just wanna see my mom.”

Atari, Advocate.

“You will, child. You will.” Lust returned Kim’s hug, smiling. “In fact, you’ll see them all again.”

Kim filled with excitement, she wasn’t going to die. Her arms suddenly moving, she hugged Lust harder. “Thank you.” She sobbed.

“I told you, I like to help people.” Lust said into Kim’s ear.  The voice lowered in a stage whisper. “I couldn’t stand to see you and your sister separated like this.”

Whispering lower, Lust murmured into her ear. “Bobbie is…”

Kim’s eyes widened as Lust imparted the information. She felt herself start to move. More lights flickered on as her limbs started to tingle with that pins and needles feeling that forced her to twitch some. She felt her body grow warm, her breathing became more rapid. While part of Kim wondered what she had gotten herself into, she knew that she’d see her mom again, her friends. The thought of just being alive shoving the confusion of what The Woman had said off to the side.

Bobbie? That couldn’t be right.

Could it?

***

Kim’s eyes sprung open and she dragged in a lungful of sweet, sweet oxygen. She was disoriented, not knowing where or when she was. There was a beeping and tiny colored lights all around her. Her head pounded, and she felt… swollen somehow.

The hospital? Kim knew in an instant what had happened. She half hoped that Roxx would be there, but she had woken up alone. Something that was becoming an irritating habit lately. There were tubes in her arms and one around her nose, pumping oxygen and dispensing potassium citrate and saline solution.

A slight burning made the skin of her left side feel taught. Twisting, Kim looked down under her arm, lifting it as much as the IV tubes would allow. It was harder than she remembered it. Even though she had been out of it for a while, she knew that her tits couldn’t have grown, Could they? They were at least a cup size bigger now, maybe two. As she wiggled to familiarize herself with the burning sensation she hoped that it wasn’t from some surgery.

The first thing she noticed was the kanji, Roxx.  She had stared at that tattoo of hers for long enough to know those symbols from memory.  Unlike hers; however, the symbols were stacked vertically. Horns adorned the tops of the lines the upper glyph, while wings sprouted their glorious ruin from its sides. The bottom glyph’s lower hooks became feet and a last line slithered down to a pointed tail.

What she did, she did for a greater good.  She remembered The Woman.

The deal.  It had an unusual clarity for a dream. The unfamiliarity of her body

“Well, glad to see you awake…” A southern tinted voice said from just beyond the curtain. “How are you feeling?” Kim could see the lines on her face from the years of long study.

“Hungry, thirsty.” She said, running a hand through her hair. Hair? How long was I out? It was longer now than when she took the pills. Longer than it had been in weeks. Lighter, too, the color of a cappuccino. She snapped her head towards the mirror across the room. It was her face; same eyes, same cheekbones. Her lips were fuller, her nose subtly sharper. She noticed that the hole in her lip had somehow relocated from the center to the left, the small stud in a place different to where she had it originally.

Part of the deal?

“Well, that’s a good sign. We’ll call your mother soon, and we’ll get the attending in here.” The nurse said. Another came in with a pitcher of water and a cup.

Kim drank most of the pitcher and waited for the doctor to come.

And her mom. She had a lot to talk to her about.

But, not as much as she would have to say to Bobbie.

It seemed like The Woman had been right about things, and only Bobbie could tell her if she had been right about the rest. And, if she was right? Kim and her ‘sister’ definitely had a lot to talk about.