Forever Mason, page 14
“You don’t have to yell,” she says. “I’m still on the line, and now I’m hanging up.” Liam chuckles. It’s a good sound to hear from him.
“Happy birthday. How does it feel to be sixteen?”
“Awesome, and thanks. I wanted to let you know that I don’t need a ride to school today. Sterling is taking me for my driver’s test this morning.”
“Right on. I hope you pass.”
“If not, I’m sure Sterling will pay someone to make sure I do. He doesn’t think I should have to live like a pauper and bum rides from you.”
Asshole. “You know I don’t mind driving you around. You’re my best friend. It’s what friends do.”
“You’re mine as well, Mason. So, I’ll see you at school. Sterling already called Coach and told him I would be gone in the morning and not to hold it against me.”
“Coach would never. Can you imagine the uproar if you didn’t start on Friday?”
“Yeah,” he says. “I thought he’d spring for something new, but he didn’t. Whatever.
“Hey, did you get a truck or a car?”
“It’s a truck and if it helps me escape him, I’ll take it.”
“All right, man. See you when you get to school, and good luck.” Liam and I hang up, and I go back to getting ready. He still hasn’t asked Josie out, and I’m starting to think he’s lost interest, which he’s entitled to do. I just wish he’d say something so I can tell Katelyn to stop asking whether Liam likes Josie.
I finish getting ready, say goodbye to my mom, and head to my truck. Like with every day, since school started, I go to Katelyn’s to pick her up and then to Josie’s. When I don’t turn down the road to get Liam, both girls look at me.
“Did you and Liam get into a fight?” Katelyn asks.
“No, he’s gone to take his driver’s test. He’ll be at school later.”
“Phew,” Josie says, and Katelyn starts to laugh.
“I’m sure he’ll be at school by lunchtime,” I say when we come to a stoplight.
“Then you can ask him,” Katelyn says to Josie.
“Ask him what?” I ask.
Katelyn looks at me and smiles. “She’s going to ask him to homecoming.”
“Oh.”
“What do you mean, ‘oh’?”
I shrug. I’m not really sure what I mean, but it sounded like the right thing to say. It’s not like I can tell Josie that Liam thought about asking her but hadn’t. I don’t know what’s going on in his mind. “I just think boys should ask girls to dances unless it’s the Sadie Hawkins dance.”
“You’re old-fashioned, Mason,” Josie says.
“So, what’s wrong with being traditional?”
Josie sighs. “Nothing, I guess.”
We pull into the parking lot, and I let the girls out near the pathway so they don’t have to walk that far. Usually, they wait, but this morning, Josie goes ahead. After I park and meet up with Katelyn, we walk into school together. When we get to her locker, she leans up against it and pulls me to her. Our bodies press together, and we make out, right there in the hallway for all to see. This is how high schoolers do things—out in the open because we’re not allowed to be like this in our homes. Parents do everything they can to prevent their teens from exploring sexuality, forcing us to put on a public show.
“Break it up, Mr. Powell,” someone says from behind me. I can only assume it’s a teacher because I don’t turn and look.
“One of these days, they’re going to call our parents,” I say to Katelyn.
“And my mother will probably send me to a convent.”
I don’t find this funny at all. “Well, I guess that means just a peck here and there.”
Katelyn glares. “Don’t you dare deprive me of what I enjoy.”
“Never.” I kiss her again and tell her to have a good day. We’ve mapped out our paths to our classes so we can at least see each other in the hallway. We have lunch together and are trying to plan a free class period next semester as well. When we see each other in the halls, we pass notes back and forth. If any of them were to be confiscated by a teacher, we’d be in a world of trouble. Katelyn tells me how I make her feel when I touch her in certain places, and I tell her where I’d like her to touch me. We don’t get much alone time except when we go to the drive-in theater. We throw a couple of sleeping bags in the back, and once it’s dark outside, we let our bodies do all the talking. I’ve come to realize that Katelyn turns me on. All I have to do is think about her, and I’ve got a stiffy.
By the time lunch rolls around, I’m starving. Not only for food but attention from Katelyn. When I enter the cafeteria, she’s sitting at the table that we made ours last year. I set my tray down and then kiss her. “Where’s Josie?”
“Talking to Liam in the hallway.”
I grimace.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” I say. “I don’t know if he likes her.”
“Yeah, I sort of get that,” she says, which surprises me. I thought she’d bash Liam since Josie’s her best friend. “Nick likes her. We have chemistry together, and he doesn’t shut up talking about her.”
“Does Josie like him?”
Katelyn shakes her head. “She constantly talks about Liam, which I get because he’s cute and that moody, sullen thing he does is attractive in the I’m damaged sort of way.”
What in the hell did she just say? “You find him attractive?”
“Not like I find you attractive. You’re hot.”
I give her a sideways glance, and she makes things better when she kisses me. “Are you ready for Saturday?”
“What’s Saturday?”
She hits me lightly on my shoulder. “Homecoming.”
“Yes, because we can slow dance all night long.”
“There’s a strict no kissing, groping, or dancing provocatively policy.”
“I don’t even know what provocatively means.”
Katelyn laughs. “It means no dirty dancing.”
“This dance sounds boring.” I don’t really care about the dance. It’s important to Katelyn, which makes it important to me. We can sit on the stage all night for all I care. I’ll be happy as long as I’m with her.
There’s a squeal behind me, and Katelyn’s eyes go wide. “I’m going to homecoming with Liam Westbury,” Josie says. Katelyn stands up, they hug and start jumping up and down. Liam sits down next to me, and we fist bump.
“We have to go shopping for a dress tonight,” Katelyn says, and then she turns to Liam. “You could’ve asked last week.”
He turns red. He opens his mouth and then closes it. I put my hand on his shoulder and give him a little shake, letting him know I’ve got his back.
“The timing is perfect,” Josie says as she looks at Liam. “I’ve had my eye on a dress for a couple of weeks and had them put it on hold, but we can go tonight with my mom and try on a bunch.”
This makes Katelyn happy because the girls are jumping and squealing again. “Did you pass?”
He nods. “I drove to school. I’m going to take Josie home after practice.”
“Sounds good to me. More time alone with Katelyn is not a bad thing in my book.” Also, having my best friend date my girlfriend’s best friend sounds like a great thing. As long as nothing goes wrong.
The week flies by, and before we know it, the field lights are on, people fill the stands, and reporters are on our sideline. I’ve never seen this many people at a game in all my years of watching Beaumont football. Of course, it’s homecoming, so many former players and students are in town, but my dad says people are coming from all over to get a look at Liam. He’s a local celebrity already. Just the other day, we went into the convenience store, and the owner gave us our soda for free. I could get used to these perks.
At half-time, we’re up twenty-eight to three, with twelve of the points coming from me. Liam’s pissed that the other team scored a field goal, but it’s better than a touchdown. We’re sitting on the bench, watching the parade of cars drive on the track. Each car has the junior and senior homecoming court. I’m not really paying attention when the senior king and queen are crowned because it’s a bunch of nonsense to me. Nothing more than a popularity contest. However, Katelyn thinks we’ll be selected for junior court next year. She says classmates almost always pick couples. I don’t know what to think about all of this, and I’m not sure how I feel about her thinking we’ll be together next year. It’s not that I want to break up or anything. I just feel like a year from now things could be different. What if she really does like the moody sullen type and breaks up with me? Then all this talk about next year is a moot point.
When the festivities are over, we take the field for warm-ups. Liam seems very put off by all of this, and I can’t say I blame him. It’s taken longer than our regular half-time, and I suspect the delay can throw his rhythm off.
Only that doesn’t happen, and Beaumont High dominates the game and secures another victory. We meet in the center of the field and listen to our captain. He’s yelling, in that excited sort of way, with his fists clenched and his shoulders squared. He hands Liam the game football and then grabs his shoulder pads. He slurs his words, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s drunk.
After showering and changing, I make my way to the parking lot with Liam. He doesn’t say much after a game, probably because he’s had to listen to his dad tell him everything he’s done wrong. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Sterling Westbury compliment his son.
“You had a great game,” Liam says. The offensive coordinator gave me my stats again and asked if I wanted to know what I needed each game and season to be on par with breaking the record. I told him no. I’m only sixteen. I don’t want to add any more pressure to my life right now.
“Only because of you,” I tell him. He shakes his head.
“You don’t give yourself enough credit. It’s not easy running through people and slipping tackles.”
He’s right, it’s not, but I love it. “It is pretty exhilarating when I burst through a gap and can make it to the end zone.”
“For me too,” he says.
We get to Liam’s truck and find that he has a visitor. Josie is leaning up against the door, waiting for him. I bump him with my shoulder, tell him I’ll catch him later, and continue through the parking lot. My truck comes into view, and I see Katelyn sitting on the hood with her pom-poms on each side of her. She’s enticing me, and I like it.
“Hey there.” I set my gear on the ground and touch her shoe, wiggling it back and forth. She slides forward and into my arms. “I kind of like you that you’re waiting for me.” I lean down and kiss her. We’re outside and can’t get yelled at by teachers. Some parents might say something, but whatever.
“Great game, Mase.”
“Thanks, babe.” Katelyn looks at me. This is the first time I’ve called her anything but Katelyn. “Is it okay if I call you babe?”
She nods. “I like it.” Katelyn takes my hand and leads me to the driver’s side. I open the door for her, and she climbs in, showing me those red panties that she calls shorties. The sight of her ass in the air stirs something inside of me. I don’t know whether to get into my truck or go to the bushes to rub one out.
“Are you coming?” she asks after she sits down. Not yet but give me a minute.
“Ye—” I clear my throat and nod. Sometimes I think she does stuff like this on purpose, but then there are times when I think she’s really innocent and has no idea what she does to me. I get into the truck and start it, hoping the roar of the engine clears my thoughts. It does, but only for a second because Katelyn puts her hand on my leg—dangerously close to my erection. “I should—” I don’t know what I should do.
“I think you should drive over there.” Katelyn points to the darkened corner of the parking lot. Only the last person to arrive at school parks there because of the trees. No one wants sap or leaves all over their car. I do as she says, making sure the front of my truck is covered under the trees.
Just as I turn the ignition off, Katelyn’s straddling my legs. Her lips are on mine before I can suggest we move away from the steering wheel, and once her hand reaches into my shorts, I lose my senses.
“Holy shit,” I say against her lips. Katelyn pulls away and looks down at my crotch as her fingertips rub against my skin. I want her to look at me. I also want her to wrap her hand around my dick and stroke it. I adjust my hips slightly and push my shorts down to get the waistband out of the way. “Shit.” The word falls from my mouth when the cooler air hits my head. I really need to give him a name.
“Is this okay?”
I swallow hard and nod. She has no idea how good this feels. My eyes roll back in my head when her hand wraps around my shaft. I need to think of something—anything—to stop my load from blowing.
“Ca—” I take a deep breath and then push her chin up, so we’re looking at each other. “Can I touch you?” My eyes drift down to her lap, hoping she gets what I want, without having to say the words.
Katelyn nods and leans back, only to press into the horn. We both jump, and once our heart rates even out, we laugh. “Maybe we should slide over,” I suggest, hoping she doesn’t change her mind about what we’re doing. I start to scoot over, and she goes with me freely and then leans back when she has more space to move. Her skirt rides up, and I can see her panties.
I don’t know what I’m doing but know that I want to touch her . . . there. My thumb brushes between her legs, and she twitches. “I’m sorry.”
“It felt good,” she says. I do it again and again until my thumb moves up and down over the top of her underwear. I want more, though. I want to feel what she feels like, flesh to flesh. Katelyn pushes into my thumb, bucking her hips. How does she know what to do?
“I don’t know what I’m doing.” I don’t mean to say those words, but they come out anyway. I’m sure she knows that I have no clue. Katelyn doesn’t say anything and continues stroking me while moving against my thumb. I feel helpless and in need of guidance. How come there isn’t a user guide or some tutorial on this stuff?
My hand clamps down on hers, and I shake my head. “I’m going to . . .” I can’t even bring myself to say the word!
“Me too,” she says. “Don’t stop touching me.”
My mind is a blur. When did the girl who wouldn’t let me French kiss her become this . . . this . . . I don’t even know! I do as she asks and continue moving my thumb. I close my eyes when the pressure in my balls builds. I don’t have a sock or anything to catch my release, but she doesn’t seem to care.
Katelyn moans and bucks against my hand. She lets out these sounds, and they’re the cause of my release. Hot spurts of cum land on her hand, my shirt, and my leg. It takes a moment for our breathing to return to normal, and when it does, Katelyn slides off my lap.
“What just happened?” I ask.
“We got each other off,” she tells me like this is an everyday occurrence for her. She hands me a couple of tissues from her bag, and I clean up.
“How did you know to do this?”
“I read it in Cosmo,” she tells me. “Josie put her copies into my bag. They’re very detailed and describe how to do everything.”
Maybe I should get a copy.
“This was,” I pause and try to find the right thing to say. “Wow.”
Katelyn smiles. “I really like you, Mason. Like a lot.”
I nod because the feelings are mutual. Only, I say, “I think I’m falling in love with you.”
“Me too,” she says as she leans over and kisses me. “You’re all I think about, and when I read those things in the magazine, I want to try them with you.”
“Maybe we should read them together?”
“Yeah, I think we should.”
Driving her back to her house is painful. I want to touch her more and learn. I hate not knowing what to do, but I’m determined to figure it all out.
Twenty-Two
The sun beats down. Sweat soaks my shirt, and grass clippings cover my shins, socks, and shoes. My hands feel funny. They tingle from the vibration of the mower. After I dump the bag of cut grass in what my dad calls the lawn pile, I grab the rake from the garage and clean up any missed spots. My mom hates it when we track grass into the house. After cleaning up in the garage, I head inside and grab a glass of water.
“How’s the yard?” Dad asks when he comes into the kitchen. He stands next to me and stares out the window by the sink. Most of my mom’s flowers are starting to brown now that summer is over. Sometime, in the next couple of weeks, she’ll go outside and do her thing. I asked her once before what ‘her thing’ was, and she said it was her time to be alone with her thoughts.
“It’s good. I’m counting down the days to winter.” I am, but only because that means I won’t have to mow for a couple of months.
My dad laughs. “It won’t be long.” He sighs. He sets something down on the counter and slides it toward me. I look down and see a square blue packet, and my heart sinks. It’s hard to swallow or even look at my dad. He clears his throat, and I know what’s coming next.
“Do you know what this is?”
I nod. “We learned about condoms in health class and practiced putting them on bananas.”
“I was sixteen once,” he says. “I get it. I get the hormones. The urges. All of it.”
I continue to stare out the window and not at the foil package.
“There’s a pack of condoms on your bed. I want you to be safe and protect you and Katelyn, or whoever you’re going to be with, from mishaps. You’re both young and have full lives ahead of you.” Dad puts his arm around me and gives me an awkward hug, and then leaves the kitchen. I don’t know what to think or even say, but slip the packet into my back pocket. Is my dad encouraging me to have sex with Katelyn? Surely not. I know we’ve done some touching, and I really like it, but sex is not crossing my mind right now. Besides, I wouldn’t know what to do.
I startle when there’s a knock at the door. I wait for my dad to yell that he’s going to get it, but when the second knock comes, I walk toward the door. After I open it, I’m surprised to see Liam there. “Hey.” I step aside and let him in.
“Happy birthday. How does it feel to be sixteen?”
“Awesome, and thanks. I wanted to let you know that I don’t need a ride to school today. Sterling is taking me for my driver’s test this morning.”
“Right on. I hope you pass.”
“If not, I’m sure Sterling will pay someone to make sure I do. He doesn’t think I should have to live like a pauper and bum rides from you.”
Asshole. “You know I don’t mind driving you around. You’re my best friend. It’s what friends do.”
“You’re mine as well, Mason. So, I’ll see you at school. Sterling already called Coach and told him I would be gone in the morning and not to hold it against me.”
“Coach would never. Can you imagine the uproar if you didn’t start on Friday?”
“Yeah,” he says. “I thought he’d spring for something new, but he didn’t. Whatever.
“Hey, did you get a truck or a car?”
“It’s a truck and if it helps me escape him, I’ll take it.”
“All right, man. See you when you get to school, and good luck.” Liam and I hang up, and I go back to getting ready. He still hasn’t asked Josie out, and I’m starting to think he’s lost interest, which he’s entitled to do. I just wish he’d say something so I can tell Katelyn to stop asking whether Liam likes Josie.
I finish getting ready, say goodbye to my mom, and head to my truck. Like with every day, since school started, I go to Katelyn’s to pick her up and then to Josie’s. When I don’t turn down the road to get Liam, both girls look at me.
“Did you and Liam get into a fight?” Katelyn asks.
“No, he’s gone to take his driver’s test. He’ll be at school later.”
“Phew,” Josie says, and Katelyn starts to laugh.
“I’m sure he’ll be at school by lunchtime,” I say when we come to a stoplight.
“Then you can ask him,” Katelyn says to Josie.
“Ask him what?” I ask.
Katelyn looks at me and smiles. “She’s going to ask him to homecoming.”
“Oh.”
“What do you mean, ‘oh’?”
I shrug. I’m not really sure what I mean, but it sounded like the right thing to say. It’s not like I can tell Josie that Liam thought about asking her but hadn’t. I don’t know what’s going on in his mind. “I just think boys should ask girls to dances unless it’s the Sadie Hawkins dance.”
“You’re old-fashioned, Mason,” Josie says.
“So, what’s wrong with being traditional?”
Josie sighs. “Nothing, I guess.”
We pull into the parking lot, and I let the girls out near the pathway so they don’t have to walk that far. Usually, they wait, but this morning, Josie goes ahead. After I park and meet up with Katelyn, we walk into school together. When we get to her locker, she leans up against it and pulls me to her. Our bodies press together, and we make out, right there in the hallway for all to see. This is how high schoolers do things—out in the open because we’re not allowed to be like this in our homes. Parents do everything they can to prevent their teens from exploring sexuality, forcing us to put on a public show.
“Break it up, Mr. Powell,” someone says from behind me. I can only assume it’s a teacher because I don’t turn and look.
“One of these days, they’re going to call our parents,” I say to Katelyn.
“And my mother will probably send me to a convent.”
I don’t find this funny at all. “Well, I guess that means just a peck here and there.”
Katelyn glares. “Don’t you dare deprive me of what I enjoy.”
“Never.” I kiss her again and tell her to have a good day. We’ve mapped out our paths to our classes so we can at least see each other in the hallway. We have lunch together and are trying to plan a free class period next semester as well. When we see each other in the halls, we pass notes back and forth. If any of them were to be confiscated by a teacher, we’d be in a world of trouble. Katelyn tells me how I make her feel when I touch her in certain places, and I tell her where I’d like her to touch me. We don’t get much alone time except when we go to the drive-in theater. We throw a couple of sleeping bags in the back, and once it’s dark outside, we let our bodies do all the talking. I’ve come to realize that Katelyn turns me on. All I have to do is think about her, and I’ve got a stiffy.
By the time lunch rolls around, I’m starving. Not only for food but attention from Katelyn. When I enter the cafeteria, she’s sitting at the table that we made ours last year. I set my tray down and then kiss her. “Where’s Josie?”
“Talking to Liam in the hallway.”
I grimace.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” I say. “I don’t know if he likes her.”
“Yeah, I sort of get that,” she says, which surprises me. I thought she’d bash Liam since Josie’s her best friend. “Nick likes her. We have chemistry together, and he doesn’t shut up talking about her.”
“Does Josie like him?”
Katelyn shakes her head. “She constantly talks about Liam, which I get because he’s cute and that moody, sullen thing he does is attractive in the I’m damaged sort of way.”
What in the hell did she just say? “You find him attractive?”
“Not like I find you attractive. You’re hot.”
I give her a sideways glance, and she makes things better when she kisses me. “Are you ready for Saturday?”
“What’s Saturday?”
She hits me lightly on my shoulder. “Homecoming.”
“Yes, because we can slow dance all night long.”
“There’s a strict no kissing, groping, or dancing provocatively policy.”
“I don’t even know what provocatively means.”
Katelyn laughs. “It means no dirty dancing.”
“This dance sounds boring.” I don’t really care about the dance. It’s important to Katelyn, which makes it important to me. We can sit on the stage all night for all I care. I’ll be happy as long as I’m with her.
There’s a squeal behind me, and Katelyn’s eyes go wide. “I’m going to homecoming with Liam Westbury,” Josie says. Katelyn stands up, they hug and start jumping up and down. Liam sits down next to me, and we fist bump.
“We have to go shopping for a dress tonight,” Katelyn says, and then she turns to Liam. “You could’ve asked last week.”
He turns red. He opens his mouth and then closes it. I put my hand on his shoulder and give him a little shake, letting him know I’ve got his back.
“The timing is perfect,” Josie says as she looks at Liam. “I’ve had my eye on a dress for a couple of weeks and had them put it on hold, but we can go tonight with my mom and try on a bunch.”
This makes Katelyn happy because the girls are jumping and squealing again. “Did you pass?”
He nods. “I drove to school. I’m going to take Josie home after practice.”
“Sounds good to me. More time alone with Katelyn is not a bad thing in my book.” Also, having my best friend date my girlfriend’s best friend sounds like a great thing. As long as nothing goes wrong.
The week flies by, and before we know it, the field lights are on, people fill the stands, and reporters are on our sideline. I’ve never seen this many people at a game in all my years of watching Beaumont football. Of course, it’s homecoming, so many former players and students are in town, but my dad says people are coming from all over to get a look at Liam. He’s a local celebrity already. Just the other day, we went into the convenience store, and the owner gave us our soda for free. I could get used to these perks.
At half-time, we’re up twenty-eight to three, with twelve of the points coming from me. Liam’s pissed that the other team scored a field goal, but it’s better than a touchdown. We’re sitting on the bench, watching the parade of cars drive on the track. Each car has the junior and senior homecoming court. I’m not really paying attention when the senior king and queen are crowned because it’s a bunch of nonsense to me. Nothing more than a popularity contest. However, Katelyn thinks we’ll be selected for junior court next year. She says classmates almost always pick couples. I don’t know what to think about all of this, and I’m not sure how I feel about her thinking we’ll be together next year. It’s not that I want to break up or anything. I just feel like a year from now things could be different. What if she really does like the moody sullen type and breaks up with me? Then all this talk about next year is a moot point.
When the festivities are over, we take the field for warm-ups. Liam seems very put off by all of this, and I can’t say I blame him. It’s taken longer than our regular half-time, and I suspect the delay can throw his rhythm off.
Only that doesn’t happen, and Beaumont High dominates the game and secures another victory. We meet in the center of the field and listen to our captain. He’s yelling, in that excited sort of way, with his fists clenched and his shoulders squared. He hands Liam the game football and then grabs his shoulder pads. He slurs his words, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s drunk.
After showering and changing, I make my way to the parking lot with Liam. He doesn’t say much after a game, probably because he’s had to listen to his dad tell him everything he’s done wrong. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Sterling Westbury compliment his son.
“You had a great game,” Liam says. The offensive coordinator gave me my stats again and asked if I wanted to know what I needed each game and season to be on par with breaking the record. I told him no. I’m only sixteen. I don’t want to add any more pressure to my life right now.
“Only because of you,” I tell him. He shakes his head.
“You don’t give yourself enough credit. It’s not easy running through people and slipping tackles.”
He’s right, it’s not, but I love it. “It is pretty exhilarating when I burst through a gap and can make it to the end zone.”
“For me too,” he says.
We get to Liam’s truck and find that he has a visitor. Josie is leaning up against the door, waiting for him. I bump him with my shoulder, tell him I’ll catch him later, and continue through the parking lot. My truck comes into view, and I see Katelyn sitting on the hood with her pom-poms on each side of her. She’s enticing me, and I like it.
“Hey there.” I set my gear on the ground and touch her shoe, wiggling it back and forth. She slides forward and into my arms. “I kind of like you that you’re waiting for me.” I lean down and kiss her. We’re outside and can’t get yelled at by teachers. Some parents might say something, but whatever.
“Great game, Mase.”
“Thanks, babe.” Katelyn looks at me. This is the first time I’ve called her anything but Katelyn. “Is it okay if I call you babe?”
She nods. “I like it.” Katelyn takes my hand and leads me to the driver’s side. I open the door for her, and she climbs in, showing me those red panties that she calls shorties. The sight of her ass in the air stirs something inside of me. I don’t know whether to get into my truck or go to the bushes to rub one out.
“Are you coming?” she asks after she sits down. Not yet but give me a minute.
“Ye—” I clear my throat and nod. Sometimes I think she does stuff like this on purpose, but then there are times when I think she’s really innocent and has no idea what she does to me. I get into the truck and start it, hoping the roar of the engine clears my thoughts. It does, but only for a second because Katelyn puts her hand on my leg—dangerously close to my erection. “I should—” I don’t know what I should do.
“I think you should drive over there.” Katelyn points to the darkened corner of the parking lot. Only the last person to arrive at school parks there because of the trees. No one wants sap or leaves all over their car. I do as she says, making sure the front of my truck is covered under the trees.
Just as I turn the ignition off, Katelyn’s straddling my legs. Her lips are on mine before I can suggest we move away from the steering wheel, and once her hand reaches into my shorts, I lose my senses.
“Holy shit,” I say against her lips. Katelyn pulls away and looks down at my crotch as her fingertips rub against my skin. I want her to look at me. I also want her to wrap her hand around my dick and stroke it. I adjust my hips slightly and push my shorts down to get the waistband out of the way. “Shit.” The word falls from my mouth when the cooler air hits my head. I really need to give him a name.
“Is this okay?”
I swallow hard and nod. She has no idea how good this feels. My eyes roll back in my head when her hand wraps around my shaft. I need to think of something—anything—to stop my load from blowing.
“Ca—” I take a deep breath and then push her chin up, so we’re looking at each other. “Can I touch you?” My eyes drift down to her lap, hoping she gets what I want, without having to say the words.
Katelyn nods and leans back, only to press into the horn. We both jump, and once our heart rates even out, we laugh. “Maybe we should slide over,” I suggest, hoping she doesn’t change her mind about what we’re doing. I start to scoot over, and she goes with me freely and then leans back when she has more space to move. Her skirt rides up, and I can see her panties.
I don’t know what I’m doing but know that I want to touch her . . . there. My thumb brushes between her legs, and she twitches. “I’m sorry.”
“It felt good,” she says. I do it again and again until my thumb moves up and down over the top of her underwear. I want more, though. I want to feel what she feels like, flesh to flesh. Katelyn pushes into my thumb, bucking her hips. How does she know what to do?
“I don’t know what I’m doing.” I don’t mean to say those words, but they come out anyway. I’m sure she knows that I have no clue. Katelyn doesn’t say anything and continues stroking me while moving against my thumb. I feel helpless and in need of guidance. How come there isn’t a user guide or some tutorial on this stuff?
My hand clamps down on hers, and I shake my head. “I’m going to . . .” I can’t even bring myself to say the word!
“Me too,” she says. “Don’t stop touching me.”
My mind is a blur. When did the girl who wouldn’t let me French kiss her become this . . . this . . . I don’t even know! I do as she asks and continue moving my thumb. I close my eyes when the pressure in my balls builds. I don’t have a sock or anything to catch my release, but she doesn’t seem to care.
Katelyn moans and bucks against my hand. She lets out these sounds, and they’re the cause of my release. Hot spurts of cum land on her hand, my shirt, and my leg. It takes a moment for our breathing to return to normal, and when it does, Katelyn slides off my lap.
“What just happened?” I ask.
“We got each other off,” she tells me like this is an everyday occurrence for her. She hands me a couple of tissues from her bag, and I clean up.
“How did you know to do this?”
“I read it in Cosmo,” she tells me. “Josie put her copies into my bag. They’re very detailed and describe how to do everything.”
Maybe I should get a copy.
“This was,” I pause and try to find the right thing to say. “Wow.”
Katelyn smiles. “I really like you, Mason. Like a lot.”
I nod because the feelings are mutual. Only, I say, “I think I’m falling in love with you.”
“Me too,” she says as she leans over and kisses me. “You’re all I think about, and when I read those things in the magazine, I want to try them with you.”
“Maybe we should read them together?”
“Yeah, I think we should.”
Driving her back to her house is painful. I want to touch her more and learn. I hate not knowing what to do, but I’m determined to figure it all out.
Twenty-Two
The sun beats down. Sweat soaks my shirt, and grass clippings cover my shins, socks, and shoes. My hands feel funny. They tingle from the vibration of the mower. After I dump the bag of cut grass in what my dad calls the lawn pile, I grab the rake from the garage and clean up any missed spots. My mom hates it when we track grass into the house. After cleaning up in the garage, I head inside and grab a glass of water.
“How’s the yard?” Dad asks when he comes into the kitchen. He stands next to me and stares out the window by the sink. Most of my mom’s flowers are starting to brown now that summer is over. Sometime, in the next couple of weeks, she’ll go outside and do her thing. I asked her once before what ‘her thing’ was, and she said it was her time to be alone with her thoughts.
“It’s good. I’m counting down the days to winter.” I am, but only because that means I won’t have to mow for a couple of months.
My dad laughs. “It won’t be long.” He sighs. He sets something down on the counter and slides it toward me. I look down and see a square blue packet, and my heart sinks. It’s hard to swallow or even look at my dad. He clears his throat, and I know what’s coming next.
“Do you know what this is?”
I nod. “We learned about condoms in health class and practiced putting them on bananas.”
“I was sixteen once,” he says. “I get it. I get the hormones. The urges. All of it.”
I continue to stare out the window and not at the foil package.
“There’s a pack of condoms on your bed. I want you to be safe and protect you and Katelyn, or whoever you’re going to be with, from mishaps. You’re both young and have full lives ahead of you.” Dad puts his arm around me and gives me an awkward hug, and then leaves the kitchen. I don’t know what to think or even say, but slip the packet into my back pocket. Is my dad encouraging me to have sex with Katelyn? Surely not. I know we’ve done some touching, and I really like it, but sex is not crossing my mind right now. Besides, I wouldn’t know what to do.
I startle when there’s a knock at the door. I wait for my dad to yell that he’s going to get it, but when the second knock comes, I walk toward the door. After I open it, I’m surprised to see Liam there. “Hey.” I step aside and let him in.
