My Spring Break
by Melanie Brown
Copyright  © 2021 Melanie Brown

Riley just wanted to sit around and watch TV.

 

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“Come on, Riley!” commanded my sister Lillian. “Francine has breakfast ready and wants us to eat outside by the pool.” Francine is our mom’s best friend from her college days. She hadn’t seen her in a while and decided that we should spend our spring vacation up in Colorado with her. Mom wanted to be around some family as she felt pretty lonely after Dad died in a freak golfing accident.

Francine lives in a really nice house with her husband Jessie and son Zane. Jessie is a petroleum engineer and Zane is a big basketball star in school. Zane and Lillian are about the same age. I’m a year younger.

I looked out the window and shivered. “It’s still cold out there. Can’t we wait?”

Lillian shook her head at me. “It’s ready now, goofus. Francine went to a lot of trouble to make us breakfast. The least you can do is eat it.”

“Okay, okay.” I muttered. I picked up my denim jacket hoping it would be enough until it warmed up. I didn’t want to be burdened under a heavy coat when it will be nice in an hour or so.

As we bounded down into the kitchen, Francine gestured that we go outside. She was getting the food tray ready to roll outside. I stopped a moment to watch her.

“Wow…that looks like the buffet table at a restaurant.” On the oversized, wheeled tray, there were several metal containers with those little Sterno burners under them.

Francine looked up and smiled as she finished getting ready. “Yeah. We like to enjoy the outdoors a lot and in the mornings it’s a bit chilly. So we have this. Eggs get cold pretty quickly. Your mother’s already outside.” I took the hint and ran outside.

Lillian was already seated next to Mom. I took the seat next to Zane. He lightly punched me in the shoulder and said, “Hey squirt.” What a contrast there was between us. Zane was tall, well muscled and very athletic. I was shorter than average for my age and was your typical nature-phobic geek. But I was pretty sure I could take him in deathmatch on any game of his choosing, but I was also sure Zane could pulverize me into the dirt on any sport.

I rubbed my shoulder, though he really didn’t hit hard enough to hurt. “Hey Zane. It’s kinda cold out here.”

Zane laughed. “Don’t be such a weenie, Riley. Hey, this next year is your senior year, right? Signed up for any sports?”

I watched Zane’s mom roll the food up to the table. I shrugged. “I’m in the chess club.”

Zane grinned. “Sounds intense.”

Francine chuckled as she pulled the lid from some of the food and started dishing it out onto some plates. “Stop teasing Riley, Zane. Not everyone is cut out to be a jock.”

Lillian laughed. “That’s right. Riley was awarded a comp sci scholarship.”

Zane grinned. “That’s cool, bud. That stuff is over my head.” He speared a sausage with his fork.

Mom, her mouth full, said, “This is great, Francine.”

After a few bites, I nodded and said, “Yeah. This is so much better than the breakfast Mom… I mean, this is really good.” Lillian shot me a dirty look.

Zane looked over at Lillian and me and announced, “Oh. At noon, I’m having a few friends over for lunch. It might be a bit pre-mature, but it’s to celebrate our win at the game tonight. Anyway, you guys are invited. It’s just hotdogs and stuff right here by the pool.”

Mom grinned and looked over at us. “That’ll give you two something to do while Francine and I go downtown.”

I shook my head. “It’s kinda cold. I think I’ll stay in our room and watch TV.”

Mom frowned. “Don’t be rude to our hosts, Riley. It’ll be good for you to get outside more. Do you even know what that big yellow round thing is in the sky?”

I folded my arms and frowned at Mom.

Zane slugged back some soda. “You’ll like these guys. They’re all my friends. I think Freddy even plays chess. You can have a tournament or something. And they all like anime so you have something in common.”

Grinning, Lillian asked, “You mean you’re not all a bunch of brainless jock types?”

Zane finished off his scrambled eggs. “Just a few. I think you’ll like everyone.”

I gave Zane a questioning look. “You have a game tonight? You’re on spring break too, right?”

Zane nodded. “Next to the last game of the season that was posponed. We really need to win this one. Want to come watch? You might as well. Your mom, Lillian and my mom are all going to that movie…what is it? The old Covered Bridge.”

I looked over at Mom. “I’d like to go to a movie.”

Lillian laughed. “This movie is a chick flick on steroids. I don’t think you’d enjoy it.”

Looking down at my plate, I said, “You’re probably right.”

Grinning, Zane exclaimed, “Cool! You can just ride over there with me.”

Watching a high school basketball game is hardly an exciting time for me, but Lillian was right. Chick flicks are really boring.

After I finished eating, I placed my plate back on the cart and thanked Francine for the great breakfast. I went back inside, found a quilt and sat on the couch to watch TV. I was finally starting to warm up.

I must have fallen asleep. I was startled awake by Lillian slapping the back of her hand on my legs.

Lillian frowned at me. “Come on, lazy. Mom wanted us to help Zane get set up for his lunch party. It’s warmed up outside too.”

I blinked a few times after being rudely awakened. “Where is Mom? I mean, why do we have to do it?”

Lillian crossed her arms and frowned. “She and Francine went off shopping. Come on. Don’t be so lazy. There’s not a lot for us to do. Plus you get another free meal.”

“Oh be still my heart,” I said sarcastically as I pulled the quilt off me and stood up. “What do you want me to do?”

“Can you take that ice chest of sodas in the kitchen out to the pool?” asked Lillian. “I’ll take the plate of hotdogs and buns.”

I grumbled under my breath as I walked into the kitchen. At least I wouldn’t have to try to pick up the heavy cooler as it had wheels on one end. I picked up the handle on one end and started rolling the ice chest out to the back patio.

Zane was pulling a table over by the pool. He looked up and grinned when he saw me pulling the cooler. “You’re a good man! I don’t care what your sister says.” He then chuckled. “Just set it at the end of this table. Thanks.”

I set the chest down at the end of the table and lifted the lid and peeked inside. I brushed some ice away and frowned. What the hell, I thought. I then dug around the cooler a bit to get deeper. Not a single Dr. Pepper in the whole ice chest. Many of the cans were labeled “Izze” and others labeled “Rocky Mountain Soda” and even a few cans of ginger ale.

I dropped one of the cans back into the cooler and said loudly, “What a crock!”

Zane heard me and laughed. “Sorry, Riley. I just got what I knew my friends liked. You should try an Izze. You’d probably like it.”

I just frowned and started to spin around to head back to the house. I guess I was closer to the cooler than I thought, as I caught my foot on it and twisted my ankle a bit. Caught by surprise, I slipped and fell backwards into the pool.

The shock of the cold water and the surprise of finding myself in the pool caused me to forget what little I knew about swimming. I started thrashing around, my wet jacket making things worse. Getting a mouthful of water, I shouted, “Help!”

Beside me, I heard a loud splash; the sound of a body hitting the water. A moment later, I felt Zane gently pulling me to the edge of the pool. I gratefully grasped the edge of the pool and coughed a few times.

“Riley!” shouted my sister and I heard running feet. “Riley!”

I heard Zane pull himself out of the pool, water splashing on the concrete. I just spent a moment clinging to the edge of the pool and breathing hard. I had been scared I was going to drown.

“What happened?” shouted Lillian. “Riley, are you okay?”

Zane extended a hand to me to help me out of the pool. He said to Lillian, “He might have swallowed a little pool water. He panicked, but I’m sure he’s okay.”

I sat on the edge, my legs dangling into the pool. “Riley!” shouted Lillian again. “How could you fall into the pool? How could you be so stupid?”

Zane frowned at Lillian. “It was an accident. He tripped and then panicked.” He looked over at me and asked, “You okay, bud?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for the rescue. Right now I’m freezing to death.”

Zane chuckled. “You’re welcome dude. And yeah, I need to go change too. Back in a minute.” He turned and trotted off to his house.

Lillian looked down at me. “You need to get into some dry clothes before you catch a cold or something.” As I stood up, soaked to the skin and water dripping from my clothes, she smacked her forehead. “All your clothes, except what you have on, are in the laundry. I’m sure everything Zane has is way too big for you.”

Shivering, I said through chattering teeth. “Well, I can’t stay here.”

Lillian bit her lip and said, “Come on, let’s get you dry. We’re about the same size. You can wear my warm-ups I brought from school.”

Dripping water everywhere, we hurried into the warm house. “Your cheerleader warm ups? Seriously?”

Lillian frowned as we entered the house. “Seriously. They’re fluffy, dry and warm. They’re just warm-ups.”

Lillian handed me a couple towels from the bathroom and then ran to her room. A moment later, she pushed some clothes through the partially opened door. “Here. Put these on.”

“These socks are pink,” I complained.

“Oh just wear them,” admonished Lillian. “It’s all I have.”

I looked through the pile of clothes she’d given me to wear. “I’m not wearing these panties. That’s stupid.”

“Nobody will know!” shouted Lillian. “You’re not putting your naked butt in my warm up pants. And you can keep the panties. I’m not going to want them back now.”

“Do you have any non-pink clothes?” I asked through the door.

“They’re in the wash too, unless you want my floral print mini-dress.” She giggled.

I sighed. “I’m good.”

I scowled at the panties for a moment. Why do my clothes have to be in the laundry? Why did I have to fall into the pool? Why do we have to be in Colorado? I just want to go home.

I slid on the powder blue silky panties. I was worried at first, but now I’ll never tell Lillian that actually, they felt nice. I then pulled on the socks. They were pink with white trim and only came up to my ankles.

I pulled on the warm up pants. They fit me perfectly. And they felt great. So soft and warm. I may have to get me a pair of these. Just not in light pink. I grabbed the top and pulled it over my head and tugged. And tugged.

“Hey Lillian,” I called out through the door. “Did the top shrink? I can’t pull it all the way down.”

Lillian giggled again. “Oh yeah. Sorry about that. It’s only a half. It leaves your middle exposed.”

I said, “It has a hood but only covers half your body? That’s crazy. I can’t wear this! It’s for girls.”

Lillian said with annoyance, “Will you hurry. I’m sure no one will notice. We have to help Zane set up for his lunch party.”

I slipped my feet into Lillian’s tennis shoes. Why do I fit all her clothes? At least the shoes were plain white and not pink, although at this point would it even matter? I asked, “Why do we have to help?”

“We’re the only ones here,” said Lillian. “We get to eat even though we’re not on the team.”

I sighed. “I’m coming out.”

As I opened the door, Lillian said, “Let’s have a look.”

When I stepped out, Lillian giggled.

Scowling, I said, “That’s it. I’m not going out there.”

Lillian waved her arms, “No, no! I’m not laughing at you! You’re just so cute!”

I started to turn around. “That’s it. I’m not going out there.”

Lillian tugged on my arm. “You look just fine, Riley. I bet no one notices and besides, the only person out there who knows you is Zane. And I bet he won’t care either. Come on, let’s go.”

I just stood there for a few moments. I really didn’t want to go outside dressed the way I was. Lillian stopped and waved. “Come on. Hurry up.”

I tried to tug the top down to cover my stomach. Of course it wouldn’t. I shrugged and followed Lillian out the door. Granted, I’ll never see any of Zane’s fellow team mates again, but Lillian is being awfully cavalier with my feelings.

When I walked up to him, Zane smiled and said, “Sorry dude. But I’m glad you’re okay. It could have turned out much worse.” He touched my shoulder and said, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but dressed like that, you’re kinda cute.”

I folded my arms. “Gee, thanks.”

Zane chuckled and then handed me a package of hotdogs. “I got the grill going. Could you help out by grilling some wieners? The guys should start showing up any minute now.”

I nodded. “Sure. I can handle that.” I walked over to the grill. It was a nice butane grill festooned with knobs. Our grill back home is just charcoal. With no knobs. I looked over to one side and saw Lillian buttering some hotdog buns.

As the hotdogs started sizzling, I saw several people enter the backyard. All tall and buff like Zane. Zane trotted over and started greeting them. About ten guys in all, and three girls who I took a guess were girlfriends and what looked like somebody’s mom.

Zane led the group over to where Lillian and I were. “Start grabbing some dogs, guys. We got mustard, relish, chips and whatever.”

One of the boys asked, “Where’s the ketchup?”

Zane laughed and said, “Dirk, don’t make me toss you into the pool.”

Zane then extended his arm out to Lillian and me. “Oh, and guys. Meet a couple of friends from out of town, Lillian and Riley.” We both waved to the group, Lillian holding a hotdog bun and me with a wiener in a pair of tongs..

One of the boys poked Zane in the ribs. “You’ve been holding out on us.”

Another boy walked up to me and took the tongs away from me while I was rolling the hotdogs around so they’d cook evenly. He said, “Here. I’ll take care of this.”

I frowned and reached for the tongs. “Thanks, but I got this. Really.”

He laughed. “Hey, the grill is the man’s domain.”

I pouted and whined, “Hey. I’m doing this.” I probably shouldn’t pout. Was he insinuating something? Dad used to say something similar and Mom was only too happy to let him take over the grilling.

I started to say something when Lillian whispered in my ear, “Don’t embarrass Zane. The guy just wants to cook the hotdogs.”

I whispered back, “He thinks I’m a girl.”

Lillian frowned. “So what? You’ll never see him again. And if a boy wants to grill something, just let him. Help me put ice in the cups.”

“What do they need cups for?” I asked, still irked that I got bumped from a job I didn’t want anyway. “They have cans.”

Lillian rolled her eyes at me. “Stop your bitchin’”

It looked like everyone was getting their hotdogs and finding a place to sit. So I grabbed a few hotdogs for myself and started shaking the chip bag to entice a few chips to fall into my plate.

The older woman walked up to me and said, “Oh, there are the chips. Can you put a few on my plate, honey?”

I nodded and shook a few chips onto her plate. She smiled and said, “Thank you, dear.” She paused a moment looking at me. She said, “If you were to smile more and maybe wear a little make-up, you’d be really pretty.” From behind me, I heard Lillian gagging herself to keep from laughing.

I gave the woman a weak smile and said, “Thanks.” I turned to scowl at Lillian.

I picked up my lunch and carried over to one of the tables and sat at one end where no one else was sitting. As I took my firsts bite, one of Zane’s friends set down his plate and took the chair next to me. He casually slid his arm behind me on the chair back.

He held out his hand and said, “Hi. I’m Charlie. And you are?...”

I gave his hand a weak shake and said, “I’m Riley.” I felt his arm touch my shoulder. Do I really look that much like a girl in Lillian’s warm ups?

As I tried to take another bite of a hotdog, Charlie leaned in a bit. “You’re from out of town?”

I nodded. “From Texas.”

Charlie grinned. “Cool. Do you have any oilwells?”

Frowning, I said, “Not yet.”

Before Charlie could say anything else, Zane said, “Charlie. You’re in my seat.” He tilted his head towards me.

Charlie looked over at me and nodded and looked back at Zane. “Right. Sorry dude. Nice to meet you, Riley.” He stood up and went to sit with a group of his friends.

Zane walked around the tables and took the chair Charlie vacated and sat down with his lunch.

He leaned towards me and said, “Sorry about that, Riley. I don’t know what Charlie was thinking.”

I frowned. “I know exactly what he was thinking and it makes me ill. I’m not a girl.”

Zane grinned. “I know. But he doesn’t. But he shouldn’t hit on my guests regardless. I’m not trying to make fun of you, but you have to admit that with your hair messed up like that and what you’re wearing, you’re actually cute.”

I kept frowning. “I don’t want to be cute. I want to go home.”

Zane said, “I understand. But nobody knows. Nobody cares. Not really. We’re kinda stuck with it, so maybe just try to have some fun with it.” He then slid his arm behind me on the chair back.

*          *          *

“I thought they’d never leave,” I said to Lillian as I helped bag the trash.

Lillian chuckled. “I think Charlie liked you. He spent most of the afternoon talking to you.”

I stood there and glared at her. “That’s not funny. Let’s get this done so I can change. Zane’s already ready to leave.”

Then we saw Mom running from the side of the house. She shouted, “Lillian! Let’s go. We want to take you to a few stores before we go to the movie.”

I turned to Mom and asked, “Can I just stay here and watch TV?”

Mom shook her head. “You need to get out of the house, Riley. Just go with Zane and watch the game.”

Zane called out from the back patio, “Riley! I need to go. I’ve locked the house.”

In a panic, I said, “He’s locked the house? I gotta go change my clothes!”

Lillian’s eyes suddenly got wide. “Clothes? Oh my God. I forgot to turn on the dryer! All your clothes are still wet.”

Zane had taken was about to disappear down the steps going to his car. “Riley! I can’t be late!”

“I can’t go like this!” I shouted.

Lillian smirked, “You’ve been like that all afternoon and you didn’t die.”

“You weren’t the one being hit on,” I exclaimed.

Frowning, Lillian said, “Tell me about it. You need to go before Zane leaves without you. It’s going to get cold soon.” She turned to run after Mom.

I just stood there for a moment and shook with anger. Zane called out again, “Let’s go!”

With a sigh, I turned and ran after him.

As I got into Zane’s car, I said, “Sorry. I hope I’m not making you late.”

Zane shook his head. “It’ll be close. We have to ride over there on the school bus. I got a text they’re holding the bus for me.”

I looked down at my feet. “I’m really sorry. You should have just left me there.”

Zane grinned and reached over to ruffle my hair. “No problem, squirt. I promised your mom to take care of you tonight.”

I sighed. “I’m sixteen. I don’t need a babysitter.”

Zane shrugged. “Too late now.”

As Zane pulled into the school parking lot, I could see a bus idling away. Some people on the bus had their arms out waving to us.

A man, obviously a coach looked annoyed as he greeted Zane. “About time, Zane. We should have left five minutes ago.” He looked over at me and looked upset. “The cheerleaders left ten minutes ago. And where’s your uniform?”

Zane said to the coach as he started to board the bus, “Riley’s from out of town, coach. I got stuck with babysitting.” He gave the coach a knowing look.

The coach frowned. “Okay. Well we can’t leave you in the parking lot. Just stay out of the way.”

As I started to climb into the bus, embarrassed all to hell and back, Charlie shouted, “Riley! Come sit with me!”

In a stern voice, Zane said, “Riley sits with me.” He pointed at a seat and said, “Riley, go ahead and take the window seat.”

Zane slid his arm behind me on the seat back and was sitting close enough for our legs to touch. Not really his fault as the bus was cramped. I sighed. I felt so small surrounded by these jocks. It didn’t help to be dressed as a girl as well. I clasped my hands in front of me and stared at my feet.

Zane bent over towards me. “You okay? You look bothered about something.”

I didn’t look over at him. I said quietly, “I’m not used to be around so many strangers like this. Everyone’s bigger than me.”

Zane ruffled my hair again. “Hey, we’re all friends here. This is a pretty good bunch. Don’t worry. It’s not like they’re going to beat you up or something.”

I looked over at him and frowned. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

Zane looked thoughtful for a moment and then grinned as he dropped his arm to my shoulder. “Don’t worry. Nobody thinks you’re a girl.”

I could just barely hear a guy in the back grumble, “How does Zane always manage to get the cute girls?”

I frowned at Zane and started to sit up. “That’s it. Stop the bus. I’m getting off.”

Looking upset, Zane started to put his palm on my chest to keep me from standing. A horrified look crossed his face as he stopped and shifted his hand to rest on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Riley. I’ll take care of you.”

I had to chuckle at him being worried he was going to touch breasts. And he knows better. I leaned back into my seat. “Maybe I should just stand up and make an announcement about who I am.”

Zane looked horrified again. “Then we’ll both be in big trouble. Just chill. The game won’t take that long.”

I folded my arms. “Just watch. The game will go into extra innings.”

Zane looked at me curiously for a moment and then just laughed.

We arrived at the rival school where the game was being held. This was a big, cross-town rivalry. We filed out of the bus and were directed towards the entrance we were to use. I followed right behind Zane. I was the last one as Zane deliberately made sure there were no guys behind me.

As we started to enter the locker room, the coach held up his hand to me. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I just looked at him and said, “I’m with Zane, remember?”

Frowning the coach said, “You can’t go in there.”

Zane waved to me. “Go find a spot in the stands. I’ll see you after the game!”

Charlie shouted, “Hey, me too!” Several of the players laughed.

I frowned and found my way to the court. I looked for the bleachers for Zane’s team and found an empty spot and sat down.

As the stands began to fill up, the players started coming out to warm up. I was surprised how many people were showing up. Of course, parents are always going to show up. Except Zane’s. Maybe that’s why he wanted me there…so there’d be a friendly face in the crowd of fans.

A girl sat on the same row as me, a couple feet away. I watched her for a minute. She opened her purse and took out her phone and appeared to be checking messages. She took out a compact and checked her face and then closed her purse. She looked over at me and smirked.

“Here for your guy?” she asked as she looked out onto the court. Before I could say anything, she volunteered, “My boyfriend is number twenty-seven. I’m not really much of a basketball fan, but you have to support your guy, right? Which one is yours and I’ll help you root for him.”

I was taken aback with her thinking I had a boyfriend. But instead of embarrassing her (and myself) I pointed at the court and said, “Number forty-three.”

She squinted at the court and grinned. “Good catch.” She turned to me and said, “I’m Gwen.”

I smiled and nodded at her. “I’m Riley. Nice to meet you.” It sucks that she thinks I’m a girl. She’s really cute. But then, she’s only here because she has a boyfriend.

She knitted her brows and asked, “Are you a cheerleader?”

To keep things simple, I just said, “Not here.”

She grinned broadly. “You’re from Texas, right? I could tell by the accent. Do you have a horse?”

I just shook my head. “No.”

Grinning, Gwen turned to look towards the court. “It’s starting. Guess we better watch.”

About the time I turned to look, I saw Zane look up into the stands and he saw me and waved. I never watched basketball much before, but it’s a bit different when you have skin in the game…of sorts. Zane really is a good player. And actually, so was whoever number twenty-seven was.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the buzzer sounded ending the game. Zane’s team won. It wasn’t particularly close. Everyone started leaving the stands.

Number twenty-seven ran up to Gwen and said, “Hey babe. As soon as I can shower and change we’ll head out for the movie.”

Zane arrived a second or two after number twenty-seven. Out of breath, to me he said, “Hey babe. After we’re done here, a bunch of the guys want to go to Chico’s for dinner. Is that okay?”

What the hell? He called me ‘babe’. I said, “Sure. I am getting hungry. But I didn’t bring any money with me.”

Zane waved dismissively. “I got it. Don’t worry about it.”

Gwen gave me a knowing smile. “Good luck.” She then left the facility.

I sighed and said, “I’ll meet you by the bus.”

I walked out towards the buses. Several players were making their way there as well. I walked up to the bus I arrived on. There was a woman at the bus entrance who stopped me from getting on the bus.

“Sorry miss,” said the woman stretching her arm out. “This is for the players only. You need to ride with the other cheerleaders.”

I frowned. I said, “I’m not a cheerleader. I rode over here with Zane. I was just going to ride back with him.”

“Sorry, miss. That’s the rules. Otherwise everyone would want to ride with their boyfriends.” The woman folded her arms and looked sternly at me.

Zane is not my boyfriend, but I knew I wouldn’t get anywhere trying to explain it. I’d have to drop my pants to get her to believe me. And then we’d all be in trouble. I turned and walked sullenly to the other bus.

As I approached the bus, a group of cheerleaders were gathered outside the bus. I started to get on the bus and one of the girls said, “Hey. You’re not a cheerleader. Where do you think you’re going?”

Pointing at the other bus, I said, “I told her I wasn’t a cheerleader, but she didn’t care. I either ride this bus or walk. I rode over here with Zane so I don’t see why it’s a big deal.”

One of the cheerleaders gave me a curious look. “I’ve never seen you before. You’re Zane’s new girlfriend?”

I frowned. “I’m not his girlfriend. I’m from out of town visiting for Spring Break.”

Another cheerleader laughed. “Zane sure doesn’t waste any time, does he?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said again as I hopped inside the bus.

The cheerleaders left me alone for the most part and just talked among themselves. Which was fine with me. But I couldn’t help but notice getting stared at and then some whispering. Well, they can make up whatever they want. In a couple of days, Mom, Lillian and I will be heading back home.

When we got to the school parking lot and we all started to unload, one of the cheerleaders asked me, “Are you going to Chico’s with the rest of us? I nodded and she asked, “Want to sit with us?”

I said, “Thanks, but I’m going over there with Zane.”

She grinned. “See you there.”

The bus and a teacher waited with those of us who were waiting for the players to arrive. As it grew dark, it started getting chilly and I was glad for my warm-ups, even if they left my middle exposed.

It seemed forever, but it was probably around 20 minutes before the other bus arrived and the players started exiting. They immediately started pairing up with the girls waiting. Some other girls had driven up in their own cars from the game.

Zane exited the bus and after talking to a few of his friends, hurried over to where I was waiting. He took my hand and started to lead me towards his car. I tried to pull my hand out of his, but couldn’t.

“Sorry we’re a bit late, babe,” said Zane as we walked to his car. “It’s just one of those things.”

I frowned at him and asked, “Why are you calling me ‘babe’?”

In the parking lot lights, I could see his face flush. “Sorry. It’s just so easy to think of you as a girl.” He let go of my hand.

I folded my arms and said, “All the cheerleaders think I’m dating you.”

As we reached his car, Zane grinned. “Really? That’s kinda funny.”

Frowning at Zane, I said, “Not for me.”

Zane opened the passenger door of his car for me. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not like you go to school here. That would be a problem for both of us.” He walked back around to his side of the car.

“Did you enjoy the game?” asked Zane as he drove his car out of the parking lot.

I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I don’t usually watch basketball. You made a lot of scores though. That was impressive.”

Zane grinned. “Thanks. I do try very hard.” He rested his hand on my knee. I moved it and he just shrugged.

After a few minutes of driving, Zane parked his car at Chico’s. He looked over at me and asked, “Have you ever been here before?” Several people were walking into the restaurant. Most were probably on Zane’s team.

I shook my head. “We don’t have one.”

As he got out of the car, Zane said, “I think you’ll like it. They’re usually pretty good.” He stood in front of his car waiting while I got out. He took my hand and led me to the restaurant’s entrance. I let him take it as I was uncomfortable being out in public dressed in a girl’s warm up outfit. All of his friends take me for a girl.

As we entered, a group towards the back of the restaurant waved and called out. You could see the annoyance on some of the other restaurant patrons at the boisterous behavior of the basketball team.

Zane waved and led me by the hand to where the group was.

As we got close, Charlie called out, “Riley! I saved a seat for you!”

Zane bent his head towards my ear and said, “I’m going to do something you probably won’t like, but just roll with it, okay. Then maybe Charlie will leave you alone.”

Not sure what to expect, I quietly said, “Okay.”

Zane shook his head at Charlie. “Just knock it off, Charlie.” To me, Zane said, “We’ll sit here.”

Before I could sit, Zane turned me to face him. He bent down and kissed me. Not just a peck, but a deep, curl your toes kind of kiss. It took me completely off guard. My knees weakened so I put my arms around his neck to hold myself up and closed my eyes.

I should have been revolted and pushed him away, but I’ve never been kissed before by anyone, except Aunt Mable. The kiss was magical and I didn’t want it to end. A cheer went up from the other players and their girlfriends and when he finally pulled away, I was breathless.

Zane looked at me sheepishly. I stood on my tip toes and kissed him. We sat the table and I smiled goofily at Zane. The waitress came up to drop off a bowl of tostado chip. She was grinning, but she said, “You two need to stop or will have to ask you to take that somewhere else.” She then handed us menus.

Zane leaned towards me so he could speak quietly and said, “Sorry to take you by surprise like that. But I don’t think Charlie, or anyone else is going to hit on you now.”

I stared dreamily at Zane. “I think that kiss was a bit too much.” I gave Zane a dopey smile.

Zane said, “I keep forgetting you’re not a girl. The kiss was just meant to chase Charlie away. But, your lips are so soft and kissable. It’s hard to resist. Next time I won’t kiss so hard.”

I paused for a moment and said, “Next time?”

Before he could answer, the waitress returned to get our orders. As she was taking the orders, I just sat there with an odd feeling. Somehow I had become Zane’s date. The boys kept looking at me and some of the girls asked me questions like how I met Zane and if I planned to move so I could be with him, etc. Such craziness all because I was wearing Lillian’s warm-up outfit. Well, and then the kiss kind of cemented things. Zane held my hand when he wasn’t eating.

One of the other boys turned to Zane while we were all eating. He said, “Hey. You weren’t here yet when we first talked about this, but tomorrow night, the mall theater is having a date night. You show up with a date and both get in for the price of one. A bunch of us are going to go see that new Nathan Adams movie. We’ll be going to the seven o’clock showing.”

Zane said, “Cool. His movies are always fun with lots of action. We’ll be there for sure.” They bumped knuckles.

I poked Zane on the shoulder. When he turned to look at me, I asked, “Who’s this ‘we’?”

Zane looked at me and asked, “Don’t you want to see the new Nathan Adams movie?”

“I would love to see it, but…” I said.

Zane cut me off, “All right then. It’s settled.”

Stunned, I just sat there and stared at Zane. “Settled?”

Zane turned back to talking to his friends as he said, “We’ll talk about it later.”

One of the boys said, “I think you made her mad, dude.”

Another said, “She’ll get over it.”

A couple of girls at a table next to ours gave me a knowing look. I couldn’t believe Zane would treat me that way.

I sat and ate in silence, pissed at Zane for talking to me that way in front of his friends. I’ve never had a girlfriend, but I can’t imagine just assuming she’ll always want to do something because I said so. And how can he assume I’m his girlfriend?

Finally the gathering started to break up. Guys were paying their bills and leaving. As Zane stood up to leave, a guy across the room said, “Hope to see you and Riley at the movies tomorrow. I’ve heard it’s a great movie.”

Zane grinned. “Looking forward to it.” He took my hand. “Come on, Riley. We probably should be going.” He then led me to his car.

When we got to his car, Zane frowned as he looked over at me. “Okay, Riley. What’s the problem? Did you not have a good time? Did you not like the food? You embarrassed me, so what’s up?”

I wanted to scream. “I embarrassed you? You treated me like I was a girl all evening. Not just that, you treated me like I was your girlfriend. Kissing me in front of all your friends! And then you didn’t invite me to a movie. You just assumed I’d go with you.”

Zane folded his arms. “I think you had a pretty easy afternoon. Treating you as a girl, everyone liked you. Everyone was nice to you. Nobody made fun of you for the way you were dressed, or acted or talked. Everyone I talked to said they thought you were nice.”

I folded my arms too. “Maybe they would have thought I was nice as a boy!”

Zane shook his head. “I hate to say it, but some of my team mates are real assholes. They would have been merciless if they’d known the truth. I would have had to have taken you home and both of us would have missed out on a great dinner and then long after you were back home, I’d get ribbing for years. In two days, you’re gone. So what, right?”

“But it’s not right,” I whined. “You didn’t ask me to a movie, you announced it!” I looked down at my feet. “And… and then there was that kiss.”

Zane stepped next to me and ran his fingers through my hair. “You know why I kissed you. I’m not going to apologize for getting Charlie to stop chasing you. Nothing I could have said, other than saying you’re a boy, would have made him stop. And…” He paused a few moments and looked at me. “You can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it. I saw your face.”

I kept looking at my feet as he kept fondling my hair. I did enjoy the kiss. It was absolutely wonderful. But I can’t tell him that. How can I? It was my first real kiss ever. Not just first kiss from a boy. Emotion welled up inside me and I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

Without looking up, I said, “Take me home, please.”

Zane sighed heavily. “Okay, Riley. Let’s go.”

*          *          *

Lillian stared at me wide-eyed as I told her about my adventure. They hadn’t gotten back from their movie night, so I had just gone to bed.

“He really kissed you?” she asked with a gasp. “Holy shit, girl!”

I frowned. “Don’t say that. I’m not a girl.”

“Zane seemed to think you were,” said Lillian. “And you need to face up to the fact that you look like a girl. Especially dressed like that.” I was still wearing her fleecy warm-ups.

“That shouldn’t enter into it,” I said. “He knows.”

“His friends didn’t,” said Lillian. “Right or wrong, it seems he found it easier to go along. I’m sure he didn’t it would go that far.”

I folded my arms and leaned back in my chair. “It annoyed me too, that he would say I had a date to go to a movie with him.”

Lillian looked thoughtful. “Are you sure he just wasn’t making sure you knew he wanted to take you?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. By then I was tired of being treated like I was his girlfriend.”

Lillian suddenly looked serious. “It’s obvious Zane is attracted to you. How do you feel about him?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I like him. He always seemed like a nice guy. But that doesn’t mean I want to date him. Get real.”

Lillian knitted her brows. “Think about it, Riley. Ever since we arrived here for Spring Break, he’s been very attentive to you. I don’t think he was consciously being sweet on you, but I think that when he saw you dressed as a girl, that was the tipping point. He likes you, Riley. And your submissive personality isn’t helping.”

I folded my arms and frowned and pouted. “I’m not submissive!”

Lillian laughed. “You let a boy lead you around by the hand all day and kiss you. I’ll tell you what…” She paused a moment and looked out the window. There was a girl handing a couple books to Zane and they were talking out on the patio. We couldn’t hear what was being said.

I said, “I wonder who she is.”

Lillian laughed. “Your competition?”

I frowned. “Just knock it off, okay?”

Lillian kept staring at the two on the patio. “She seems to be scolding him about something. He must agree. He’s nodding. Odd. Now he’s walking with her to her car.” We watched Zane put the books down on a table by the pool and then walk with the girl back to where she was parked. He got in and they drove away.

Lillian shrugged. “Maybe you’re off the hook for the movie date.”

I sighed. “I hope so. Then I won’t have to deal with it.”

Lillian laughed. “You’re just a girl who can’t say ‘no.’”

Angrily, I said, “I can too say no.”

Lillian just sat there grinning at me.

Finally I shouted, “And I’m not a girl!”

There was a knock on the door and then Mom stepped in,

“Guys, we’re about to leave. There’s sandwich meat in the fridge if you want it. We probably won’t be back until late.” Mom smiled at us. “Sorry to leave you two alone again, but Francine and her husband want me to join them. It’s a dinner theater and I’ve heard it’s a great production. I’m not sure what we’re doing after that.”

Lillian grinned. “Have a good time, Mom. Don’t worry about us girls.”

Mom gave us a curious look and then closed the door. I punched Lillian in the arm and she just laughed.

About twenty minutes later, pointed out the window and said, “Hey look. Zane is back. And look what he’s got.” She grinned at me. “I wonder who he’s giving those to.”

Zane walked across the patio towards our rooms carrying a large, beautiful bouquet of flowers. As he got close to the house, he called out, “Riley? Riley are you there?”

I opened the door that lets out to the patio. I stood there, blinking in the sun. “Hey, Zane. What’s up with the flowers?”

Looking a little uncomfortable, Zane extended hand holding the flowers towards me. “These are for you, Riley.”

I sniffed them as I took the flowers. “For me? Why?”

Lillian stepped out and smelled the flowers. “These are gorgeous, Zane.”

Zane said, “I hope you accept my apology, Riley. I didn’t treat you right and made assumptions about our relationship that I shouldn’t have and embarrassed you. I’m truly sorry, Riley. Can you ever forgive me?”

I looked at the flowers and then to Zane’s earnest face. I smiled weakly and softly said, “Of course I forgive you, Zane.” Lillian just smiled.

Zane smiled. “Thank you, Riley. And I don’t blame you if you say no, but I would like to ask if you would like to go to the movie with me tonight?”

Grinning broadly, Lillian said, “Of course she would! Give her an hour to get ready.”

I just stood there and said, “I guess so.”

Zane smiled. “Thanks. See you in an hour.” He turned, ran over to get the books he’d left and then hurried into his house.

Lillian tugged my arm, “Come on, girl. We’ve got work to do.”

I tugged back. “Have you blown a gasket?”

*          *          *

“Why are we doing this again?” I asked as Lillian brushed polish on my nails.

Lillian didn’t look up from her work on my nails. “So your nails will dry while I do your make-up. We don’t have a lot of time.”

I shook my head. “No. No. I meant why am I going on a date with Zane? Yesterday, a lot of people were accidently confused because my clothes and Zane had to cover for me being with him. It was all a mistake. But this?”

Lillian looked up at me. “Did you miss his apology? He brought you flowers and his apology was sincere. It’s obvious he wants to make up for what happened to you yesterday.”

Shaking my head, I said, “By doing it again? I still don’t get why you’re dressing me as a girl.”

Lillian stopped brushing polish on my nails and gave me a solid look. “Why are you letting me? It’s clear Zane likes you and to be honest, I think you like Zane. It’s just for a few hours. Have some fun.”

I sighed as I sat there in Lillian’s floral print mini dress, panties and bra and watched as Lillian finished up with my nails. I frowned as she started gathering up her make-up. I said, “Are you sure you’re not trying to get some kind of sick revenge on me because Zane likes me instead of you?”

Lillian laughed. “Unlike you, I have a boyfriend waiting for me when we get back home. So no. I wouldn’t have wanted him to try to date me.”

I sat there quietly as Lillian started applying foundation to my face. Is she right? Do I like Zane? I do like him as a friend. But that’s not the same as wanting to date him. Lillian has always pushed me around.

I said, “Wearing a dress and nail polish is bad enough, but is make-up really necessary? I didn’t wear make-up yesterday.”

Lillian said, “This time it’s an actual date. You always want to look good for your guy. You don’t want him thinking of other girls when he’s with you.”

I frowned. “I don’t care. He can have all the girls he wants. We’re leaving tomorrow anyway.”

Lillian smiled. “You’ll care after he picks you up.”

As the hour approached, Lillian put away the make-up and said, “Stand up, Riley. Let’s have a look at you. I wish could have worn my high heel sandals instead of the flats, but we just don’t have time to teach you how to wear heels.”

Lillian grinned broadly. “Oh my God, Riley! You are gorgeous! Come over here and look in the mirror.”

I gasped when I saw myself. “Is that me?” Lillian nodded. “I look like Mom.” Mom was beautiful when she was in high school. She’s still beautiful.

“Zane is going to fall in love with you,” said Lillian. “You look amazing.”

There was a knock on our door to the patio. Lillian got excited, “He’s here! Go answer the door. Oh! Don’t forget to keep your knees together.”

I stood there nervously. “I’m not sure if this is a good idea or not. What if he thinks I look stupid and laughs?”

Lillian shrugged. “Then you’re off the hook. Maybe you and I could go do something as sisters.” There was another knock. “Go answer the door.”

I sighed and slowly opened the door. Zane was standing there waiting. A shocked expression crossed his face when I finally opened the door.

“Riley?” asked Zane. “Is that really you?” I nodded and he grinned broadly. “Holy crap, Riley! You’re absolutely gorgeous!” He bent over and kissed my neck.

I blushed. “Thank you, Zane.” Zane was wearing a nice shirt and tan slacks.

Zane held out his hand. “Are you ready to go?”

Before I could answer, Lillian said, “Wait a second!” She then handed me a purse with my cell phone, some money and make-up.

I took Zane’s hand and smiled. “Now I’m ready.” I took his hand and we started walking together to his car.

Am I really ready? I’m going on a date with a boy. As a girl. This is crazy. I couldn’t believe I was doing this.

As we walked hand-in-hand to his car, Zane kept looking at me. “Riley, you really do look absolutely amazing. From yesterday, I already knew you were cute. But I was a bit worried how things would go today. All I can say is wow.”

I looked up at him. I wished he’d stop being taller than me. I said, “Thank you, Zane. I wasn’t sure how today would go either. I’ll be honest with you. I don’t normally date boys.”

Zane laughed. “Maybe you should.” He opened the passenger door to his car for me and offered assistance to get in. He walked around to the other side and got in and started the car.

I felt ridiculous sitting in Zane’s car in a dress, hoping I was keeping my knees together. I looked down at my hands with my nails painted a pretty, bright pink. I was annoying to feel my eyelashes touch every time I blinked. I’m afraid I was sitting rather stiffly in the car seat.

Zane looked over at me and said, “Just relax, Riley. You’re with me. Everything will be fine. And you met most of my friends last night.”

I looked nervously over at Zane. “I’m worried about being accepted. This is kinda nw to me.”

Zane chuckled. “Don’t worry, babe. Trust me, everybody just loves you. Everyone thinks you’re nice. You’re a popular girl.”

Somehow that didn’t really set me at ease. I wasn’t comfortable knowing people had been talking about me.

Zane set his hand down on my exposed leg. After a moment, he slid his fingers from my knee to the hem of my dress. I put my hand down on top of his. I didn’t move his hand. I just held it. After a minute, I decided that probably sent the wrong message.

After a few minutes, Zane drove his car into the mall parking lot, found a space not far from the theater and parked.

After he shut the engine off, he turned to look at me. I couldn’t read his expression. He reached up and ran his fingers through my hair. He said, “You really are beautiful. I feel so lucky that you’re my girl.” Before I could react, he leaned over and kissed me full on the lips. His lips lingered on mine for a few moments. I closed my eyes. I’m pissed that I let his kisses affect me. But his lips are so soft.

He smiled at me and said, “We better get going. I bought the tickets earlier today.”

It dawned on me that he had bought the tickets before he had asked me out this morning. He knew I’d say yes. What does that say about me? I frowned. Actually, it was Lillian that said yes. More specifically, what does it say about HER?

As he got out of the car, I flipped down the make-up mirror in the sun visor to check my lipstick. I never in my complete existence before ever checked my make-up in the make-up mirror. I shook my head and sighed. I flipped the visor back up. My lipstick was fine.

Zane rushed around the car to my side. He opened the door and extended his hand to offer assistance on getting out. You can say what you want about Zane, but he’s definitely a gentleman.

As we walked hand-in-hand across the parking lot, my nervousness started to grow. I’m wearing a dress and make-up. People are going to point and stare. I just know it.

I started slowing down and looking at my feet. Zane stopped and looked down at me. “What’s wrong, honey? Are you okay?”

I couldn’t look at him. “Everyone is going to laugh at me. And then they’ll laugh at you and you’ll hate me. No one will believe I’m a girl. I can’t act like one,”

Zane chuckled. He lifted my chin up. “Is that what’s bothering you? You definitely shouldn’t worry about that. No one would believe you’re a boy. Riley, you are a girl. Just be yourself. Riley, trust me. You are a natural girl.” He bent down and kissed me. Longer this time. I closed my eyes and felt my knees getting weak.

He smiled at me. “Are you okay now?”

I smiled and nodded and took his hand again. We continued on our way.

As we approached the large group of people, mostly teens, hanging around the entrance to the mall, my confidence began to wane. Boys turning to look at me both annoyed and validated me at the same time. I’m a girl. Zane moved his arm to go around my waist and he pulled me closer to him. I was grateful for that and I smiled up at him.

A girl I recognized from the night before smiled at me and said, “Hey Riley.” She was holding on to her boyfriend. No one was laughing. Other girls and some of the boys greeted me. I was accepted and I was loving it. I’ve gone, and somewhat quickly, from a nerd nobody would talk to, to being considered an equal with girls and desired by boys. Crazy!

We entered the mall by the movie theater. There were a lot of Zane’s fellow teammates hanging around with their girlfriends in tow.

Charlie saw us and wearing a grin and pulling a girl with him walked up to us. “Zane! My man! Good to see you.” He looked to me and bowed slightly. “And the very lovely Riley. Both of you know Julie, I think.” Charlie pointed at the girl standing behind him. I saw her at Chico’s but I never learned her name.

Smirking, Julie said to me, “If you had gone out with him, I could be home watching Family Feud right now.”

I shrugged. “Sorry.”

Charlie laughed. “She’s joking.”

Julie said, “No I’m not.”

I held onto Zane a bit tighter.

Zane gave me a tug and said, “We’re going to get some popcorn. The movie starts in a few minutes.”

Charlie waved. “See you in there.”

We walked over to the concessions. With everyone accepting me, I was feeling much more comfortable presenting as a girl. I glanced over at a glass panel as we walked past. In the reflection, I saw a pretty girl holding her boyfriend’s hand. How much more affirmation do I need?

As we got in line, I looked up at Zane and asked, “Is it okay if I run over to the rest room for a minute?” I did need to go and I thought I should check my make-up.

Zane laughed. “You don’t have to ask my permission, Riley. I’ll meet you at those benches.”

I nodded and hurried off. Why did I ask instead of just telling him. Maybe I am too submissive.

One stall was open and I hurried into it. I stood there for a moment. Do I lift the skirt of my dress up, or do I pull my dress down? That seemed like too much trouble so I just lifted the skirt and sat down. Well, I sat down after I wiped the seat. I thought girls were neater than boys.

A large group of girls came noisily into the restroom. I recognized a couple of the voices. One girl said, “I can’t believe that little tart Zane is now dating. I mean, she comes bouncing in yesterday looking all cute in her little cheerleader warm-ups.”

Another girl said, “I know. I swear every guy on the team suddenly wanted to get a piece of her little ass.”

A different girl said, “Well, after tonight, she’s gone. So don’t worry about her.”

The first girl asked, “Do you think he’ll fuck her?”

Several girls laughed. “Silly question. You know he’ll take her up to Scenic View Park with the rest of us.” Still talking and laughing, the group of girls left the restroom. I sat there for a minute. I couldn’t believe what they said. So I’m just some little tart? And could Zane really just be setting me up for sex? Those girls consider me to be a girl and so I don’t believe Zane would try. Would he?

A quick check of my make-up and I exited the restroom. What those girls had said had shaken me. I thought I’d made friends, but apparently not. Okay, so it was only a few of the girls I’d met, but still. And what must the boys actually think? They won’t say anything in front of Zane. And Zane’s been protecting me. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. I just couldn’t believe he could.

Zane was waiting for me to come out of the restroom. He smiled as I approached, but his smile dropped when he looked at me. He asked, “Is something wrong?”

Instead of answering, I asked, “Would you ever hurt me?”

The question stunned him. He said, “Of course not, Riley. You have to be the sweetest girl I know. Hurting you should be a crime. What brought that on?”

I shrugged. “Some things some of the other girls said in the restroom. They didn’t know I was there.”

Zane waved his hands at me. “Look. I don’t even want to know what they said. Some of the girls in our group get really jealous. One or two think I should be dating them. I can say with confidence that most of my friends are your friends. I know the guys would never hurt you in any way. They’d have to answer to me.” He touched his fingers to my cheek. “And I could never hurt you.” He handed me my drink.

I smiled weakly to Zane. “Thanks. I feel silly now for even saying anything.”

Zane grinned. “I’m glad that’s out of the way. Let’s go watch a movie.”

As we walked into the theater, Charlie looked up and waved to us. “Down here!”

When we made our way to our seats, Zane made sure to position me so I was next to Julie with him on my other side. That way I didn’t sit next to a stranger or next to Charlie.

Charlie leaned in front of Julie and said, “So, who do you girls like the most, Nathan Adams or Tommy Kincaid?”

Julie said, “Tommy is funnier, but Nathan is so buff. He’s more manly.”

Not really sure what to say, I said, “I think Tommy is cute. He’s funny.”

Julie rolled her eyes. “Tommy is such a boy,”

I frowned. “What’s wrong with that?”

Julie laughed. “Nothing. If you like boys.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but Zane poked my shoulder. “Here. Have some popcorn.”

At that moment the lights lowered and the preview started.

After a few moments, I felt something touching my shoulder. I looked and Charlie had slid his arm behind Julie, but managed to touch me. Charlie looked behind Julie and grinned at me. I pushed his hand away and moved closer to Zane.

Zane didn’t waste time before sliding his arm behind me. He pulled me closer to him. I didn’t really mind and rested my head on his shoulder. I decided I liked to snuggle.

The movie was actually pretty good. Lots of action and clever dialog. Zane stole a kiss or two, which I didn’t mind. Julie had to poke Charlie a couple of times to get him to stop snoring. Zane did surprise me though. I really thought he’d turn into Mr. Hands or something and spend the whole movie kissing me and trying to feel my non-existent boobs. But he didn’t.

When the lights came on and we all started to stand up, I chuckled when Charlie said, “That was an awesome movie!” He slept through half of it. And then a chill went down my spine when he turned to Zane and said, “Maybe we’ll see you out Scenic Park.”

Scenic Park. That’s where those girls said Zane would take me for sex. Surely not. Zane said he’d never hurt me. But boys lie. I mean, would he tell me that he planned to hurt me? Am I going to be ganged raped by the team? I took a few deep breaths. I’m letting my imagination run wild.

Zane looked down at me. “Are you okay, Riley? You look pale.” He ran his fingers through my hair.

“I’m okay,” I lied. “I think I stood up too fast.” I need to get a grip. No way Zane is taking me anywhere for sex.

Zane grinned at me. “Since this is your last night here, I wanted to take you to a special place. It’s mainly known by locals.” Oh my God. I reflexively tightened my butt muscles.

He took my hand and led me back to his car. I just looked glumly at the ground as we walked. Should I make a run for it? He has a solid grip on my hand. I mentally slapped myself. Zane is not going to rape you, I thought to myself. Yeah. Just keep telling yourself that.

As we got into his car, Zane said, “You’ve gotten awfully moody all of a sudden. Did I say something wrong?”

I sat there for a moment, holding in all my pent up anxiety. I abruptly blurted, “I don’t want to have sex with you, Zane.” I stared at the floor board.

“Sex? What?” asked Zane. “What brought that on?” He paused a moment and then frowned. “Is that what those girls in the restroom said? That I planned to fuck you tonight?”

I nodded, but kept looking down at my feet. “Yes. That’s exactly what they said. At some place called Scenic View. You’re taking me there to fuck me.” I started to cry.

Zane reached his hand out to me and I moved back. “Riley. Yes, I planned to take you to the scenic park. It’s a beautiful view of the valley and the city at night. It’s a very romantic spot, but trust me. I had no plan to have sex. Those girls are just jealous of you.”

I sniffled. “I’m being ridiculous, aren’t I?”

Zane smiled. “Nothing wrong with being cautious. Look. If you don’t want to go to the scenic view, we’ll just head back to the house.”

I looked over at Zane. “I’d like to see the view. I’ve felt safe with you all week.”

Zane stroked my hair. “Okay. Let’s go. I think you’ll like it.”

Neither of us said much as we drove out of the town and up a twisting mountain road. It was a paved highway until I saw the sign Scenic View Park with an arrow. The road turned to gravel.

We finally arrived at a large clearing on the side of the mountain facing the valley of the city Zane lived in. There were a lot of cars dotting the clearing. The view was beautiful like Zane said. I looked at a few of the nearest cars and couple inside were busy making out.

Zane killed the engine but left the satellite radio playing. He put it on a romantic music channel with the volume low. He lowered the windows so a cool breeze drifted through the car. Sadly, it wasn't a full moon that hung in the sky above the clearing, but it was good enough to drench the clearing the in the cold, silver light.

Feeling a bit chilled, I snuggled up close to Zane. “You’re right. This is a beautiful spot. And romantic.”

Zane put his arm around me and nuzzled my hair. “I knew you’d like it.” He kissed my ear. I started to feel dreamy and romantic. As I snuggled more against Zane, I thought about how insane this was for me to be doing this. He has me feeling feminine and girly, but I’m not. I had to admit, I enjoyed it. I liked being treated like a girl.

I turned so I could look up to Zane and smile. He smiled back and touched his lips to mine. I closed my eyes and began to melt. I wanted his lips against mine. I wanted his kiss so bad. I moaned slightly as I pushed my lips against his. His kiss was wonderful.

He put his arms around me and pulled me closer. I kissed his neck while he nibbled my ear. I moved back to his lips and sucked his tongue into my mouth. The more we kissed the harder our breathing became. I know I shouldn’t, but I felt myself falling in love. I was being overwhelmed with emotion.

And then my hand slipped to Zane’s crotch. Oh my God, he had a massive hard-on! I squeezed it and Zane moaned loudly.

Through breathing heavy, Zane said, “Oh baby. That’s you. You’re doing that to me.” I pressed his hard-on again and he moaned again. Both of us were getting crazy. I unbuttoned part of Zane’s shirt and slid my hand inside to feel his muscled chest. To relieve the tightness in his pants, Zane unzipped his pants. I knew I shouldn’t. I knew it was wrong, but I slid my hand into his pants and grabbed his penis through his underwear. The windows of the car had fogged over minutes ago.

What was I wanting as I pulled his underwear down and let his swollen cock spring up? It was already leaking semen. Did I actually want sex? Was I going to suck it? Was I going to sit on it? I had no idea. I was going wild with pent up desire. I grabbed his cock and slid my fingers up and down the hard shaft.

And then Zane groaned as his cock pulsed and shot out his cum in a long stream. I was glad I didn’t have my face near it. I squealed when the unpleasant smelling, sticky goo flowed over my hand. Zane grunted as he continued to pulse and covered my hand and dropped onto his shirt. It finally stopped squirting as I tried to wipe his penis, but my hand was already covered.

I pulled my hand away. “Ewww. What a mess!” I started to lick Zane’s semen from my hand. I realized too late that was a mistake, but I kept licking anyway to get it off my hand. I stopped licking the salty, sticky goo as I realized I just had sex with a boy. Maybe not normal sex, but I had Zane inside of me. I felt sick.

Zane caught his breath and sat up straighter. He reached under his seat. “I have a towel down here somewhere.” He produced a towel and began wiping his privates clean of cum. He handed me the towel. “Here. Wipe your hands on this.”

He plopped backwards in his seat and closed his eyes as he groaned. “Oh baby. That was awesome! You are amazing!”

I leaned back in my seat and tried to breathe normally. “Oh my God. That was… I don’t know what to think.” I tossed the towel to the car floor after I got all I could off my hand. I sniffed my hand. Am I ever going to get that smell off?

Zane chuckled between breaths. “And you said you didn’t want to have sex. Oh babe, that was awesome. You were an animal!”

I tried to wipe the smell from my hand onto Zane’s pants. “Ever hear of condoms?”

Zane shook his head. “Came on too quick. After what you said earlier, I really didn’t expect to go this far.”

I stared out the windshield. “I want to go home.”

Zane looked over at me. “Babe. You were the best. I…”

I kept staring out the windshield. “Take me home.”

Zane sighed. “Yeah. It’s late.”

The trip back to the house was in cold silence. I couldn’t believe what I had done. I wanted to blame Zane, but he was just reacting to my actions. I should never have let my passions get the best of me. Nobody had ever wanted me before. No one had ever come close to making love to me before. I let my emotions get carried away. I was royally pissed with myself that now I know what Zane tastes like. I sighed heavily. I felt sick.

We got out of the car. I tried not to get too close to Zane as his pants were still wet and smelly. I stood silently for a minute. Zane just stood there with his head down. We had somehow managed to still get back before our parents had returned from their outing.

Zane finally said, “Riley, I’m so sorry. I…”

I suddenly burst into tears and shouted, “I love you!” I turned and ran hard back to my and Lillian’s room.

Zane shouted, “Riley!”

But I didn’t turn around. I ran to my room and slammed the door. I did love him. It’s stupid. I hated myself for even thinking it. But it’s true. I loved him.

*          *          *

Lillian ran up to me as soon as I entered our rooms. I was crying uncontrollably. Suddenly nothing in my life made any sense.

Lillian grabbed my shoulders. “Riley? What’s wrong?”

Still crying, I said, “I jerked off Zane. I told him I loved him.”

Looking shocked, Lillian said, “You jerked him off? You had sex with Zane? Oh my God, Riley! I’m so sorry. I went along with this date for fun. How did it go this far? Did you get cum on my dress?”

I calmed down and tried to stop gulping air. I told Lillian everything, from beginning to end. Lillian listened intently. She blamed herself since she pushed me into going out. The whole time I kept trying to decide when I started having feelings for Zane. I really think it was before I wore Lillian’s warm ups. Zane is incredibly hot.

When I finished telling her about all the events, Lillian said, “Go take a shower. A long hot one. We won’t tell Mom anything. It’s not like you’re going to get pregnant.”

I nodded. I said, “I feel dirty.”

Lillian said, “Don’t feel that way. It’s not your fault. It’s not even Zane’s fault. Both of you let your emotions get the best of you. And you can’t help who you fall in love with. I don’t think this is a very deep love. It’s just for the moment.”

Feeling miserable, I said, “But we had sex.”

Lillian shook her head. “You jerked him off while making out. It’s not like he poked you anywhere. It’s like jerking yourself off. Sort of.”

After I got out of the shower, I barely crawled onto my bed before I fell asleep.

*          *          *

Francine made breakfast for us again. This time we ate in the dining room. Mom talked about how much she loved the dinner theater with Francine and her husband. Zane wouldn’t look at me. Lillian and I later helped Mom load up the car for the return trip.

We were getting ready to leave. We all got hugs from Francine. Her husband had already left for work. I looked around and Zane was nowhere to be seen.

I asked, “Where’s Zane?” Lillian gave me an odd look. I think she was glad he wasn’t around.

Francine said, “Oh. I think he’s out back washing his car. I can call him.”

I said, “Oh, you don’t have to. I’ll run back there and say bye.”

Francine smiled. “I’m glad you two became such good friends.”

Mom said, “Don’t be long. We need to get on the road.”

I ran around to the back of their house. Zane was vacuuming out his car as I approached. When he saw me, he turned the vacuum off and stood up.

I stood by his car and said, “I came to say good-bye, Zane.”

He stood stiffly. “Thanks, Riley. Have a safe trip home.”

I took a step towards him. “Zane. I…”

Zane brushed his fingers through my hair. “Girl, I’m so sorry about letting things get out of hand last night. I admit I brought you to the park for making out. But not for what happened. Can you ever forgive me?” Not sure why he referred to me as ‘girl’. I’m not dressed as a girl at all, in my shorts and Band-Maid t-shirt.

I looked at my hands and said, “Of course I forgive you. I love you.”

Zane shook his head. “I love you too, Riley. But I think it’s just from our passions of last night. We’re going to be far apart. And I just know you’ll meet a boy at school who will capture your heart. I don’t want to get in the way of that.”

I said, “Zane, you’re the only boy I’ve ever had feelings for. I… “

Zane interrupted. “And I won’t be the last. You probably should go before your mother comes looking for you.”

“Zane, I…”

Zane bent his head towards me and gave me a long, passionate kiss. He ran his fingers again through my hair as we kissed. I love being kissed by him. He pulled away and smiled at me. “Good-bye, Riley. You’re a sweet girl.”

I smiled weakly at him. “Bye Zane. Stay hot.” I turned and hurried back to Mom’s car. I felt utterly confused. Has Zane popped a cork? Has he forgotten I’m not a girl? Or to him, am I really a girl? I don’t know. But I’ll remember last night forever.

I got back to the car. Lillian was already sitting inside. Mom said her final good-byes to Francine and we were finally heading back home.

*          *          *

I hated going back to school after the holiday. I really think we should have gotten another week. One of my friends ran up to me as we were about to enter the building.

“Hey, Riley! Did you go anywhere for Spring Break?” ask Tony.

I nodded. “Yeah. Colorado.”

“How was it?” he asked as he held the door open for me.

I shrugged. “Cold.”

Tony laughed. “I can imagine! I gotta get to class. Maybe see ya at lunch?” He turned and hurried off.

I watched Tony hurry down the hall. Funny I never really noticed before how cute Tony was. I held my head and aloud I said, “Just stop it…” when I had a random thought wondering what his kiss was like.

*          *          *

The End