\u201cThat can’t be right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Erin looked at Ashley, raising her eyebrows questioningly. Ashley was propped up on her elbow, looking past Erin at something. Following her gaze, Erin saw what had caught the girl’s attention. It was her alarm clock. Or, more accurately, the time. The green numerals read nine-eighteen in the morning, which couldn’t be right. She hadn’t looked at the clock beforehand, but she was pretty certain that was around the time they had flipped over to the Place of Locked Doors. She thought maybe her clock was broken, stuck at that time. Then it changed.<\/p>\n
She glanced at Ashley, saw the same dumbfounded look on her face. Frowning, she figured they had spent three, maybe four hours over on the other side. It should be noon or later but only thirty minutes had passed since the last time she checked the alarm clock, and she figured at least ten or fifteen minutes of that could be accounted for while they were trying to figure out how to flip over to the Place of Locked Doors while still awake.<\/p>\n
Ashley crawled over her and grabbed her phone. She frowned when she saw the time on the display, held it out for Erin to see.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell?\u201d Ashley said, shaking her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were over there for hours,\u201d Erin said, sitting up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you two talking about?\u201d Mindy asked. She was the furthest from the clock and couldn’t see it through Erin. She blinked dumbly at the display when Erin picked it up and showed her. Her brilliant blue eyes locked on Erin’s and she said, \u201cWell, that’s new.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think it is always like this? Hours over there only take minutes over here?\u201d Ashley asked, sitting on the bed with her phone still in her hand.<\/p>\n
Scratching her head, Erin laughed, \u201cI don’t know. This is a new one on me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow would that work?\u201d Mindy asked, frowning, \u201cIt’d be like weeks passed for Natty if minutes equaled hours over there. We wouldn’t be able to talk on the phone with her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Erin asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink about it,\u201d the brunette said, looking at her, \u201cif say fifteen minutes equals four hours, could you imagine that conversation. It’d be like a word ever five minutes. I know my math isn’t right, but you get what I’m saying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Ashley said, nodding.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m sure Natty would have mentioned it if that were the case,\u201d Mindy said, laughing.<\/p>\n
Erin looked at the alarm clock for a long moment and finally just shook her head, said, \u201cIt’s too early for this. I need a shower and some breakfast before I can deal with the Place of Locked Doors’ strangeness.\u201d<\/p>\n
She got out of bed and went to her dresser for some clean underwear, then snagged her robe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWant some company?\u201d Mindy asked, grinning at her.<\/p>\n
Coming back to the bed, Erin gave the girl a quick kiss and said, \u201cYou know if we wouldn’t get in trouble, I’d take you up on that in a heartbeat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d Mindy said, still grinning at her, \u201cit’s just fun to fool around in the shower.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Erin said, shaking her head as she turned from the bed and left the room. All she could think about as she headed to the bathroom was Mindy all naked and soapy in the shower with her. At least it was a nice distraction from the time elapse difference conundrum.<\/p>\n
In the bathroom, she got the water started, then slipped out of her clothes. The hot spray of the shower was lovely, both relaxing and invigorating. As she soaped up, she found herself thinking about the Place of Locked Doors. One thing Natty had said got stuck in her head, and she couldn’t get it out. She had asked Natty if she was dreaming and the girl had said yes and no.<\/p>\n
Erin knew a good bit about dreams. While she was researching the Place of Locked Doors, one of the things she had read up on was dreaming. She had learned that dreams only lasted five to thirty minutes, even if it felt like hours for the dreamer.<\/p>\n
Frowning, she thought about the hours they had spent with Natty and the fifteen or so minutes that had passed over here. Her soapy hands stopped moving as she wondered if the Place of Locked Doors really was just a dream. Or something like it.<\/p>\n
But how can we email Natty or talk with her on the phone<\/em>, Erin wondered, her hands starting to move, again. The dream idea made sense expect for the real-time interaction with the girl via the internet.<\/p>\n As she finished her shower, she kept mulling over the dream idea. By the time she turned the water off and reached for a towel, she knew they needed more information. She had an idea for a test, of sorts. Nothing too high tech but at least it would confirm something for them.<\/p>\n Wrapped in her robe, she headed back to her bedroom. Opening the door, she half expected to find the girl making out. She grinned because it was a real possibility with those two. When she pushed into the room, she saw it wasn’t the case, though. Ashley was sitting on the bed, with her back against the headboard and her knees drawn up. The Chronicle was on her knees, and she was busily writing. Erin assumed she was recording what had happened earlier. Mindy was at the computer and Erin saw she was Googling something.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you researching?\u201d Erin asked, going to her closet for something to wear.<\/p>\n \u201cDreams,\u201d the brunette said, glancing away from the computer.<\/p>\n Leaving the closet, Erin took a peek at what Mindy was looking at, and she grinned, \u201cYou are thinking the same thing I am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat the Place of Locked Doors is like a dream?\u201d Mindy asked, turning her eyes back to the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cYes and no,\u201d Erin said, grinning, \u201cNatty said that to me when I first met her and asked if I was dreaming. I think she was more right than she realized.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe phone calls,\u201d Mindy simply said, smiling when she saw Erin nodding.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s the problem with the theory,\u201d Erin said, going back to her closet for something to wear. Dropping her robe, she slipped into a t-shirt and went to her dresser for a pair of jeans. Dressed, she turned back to Mindy, said, \u201cI have an idea, a test.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou want one of us to flip over and stay for an hour or two, to make sure this morning wasn’t just an anomaly,\u201d Mindy said, grinning when she saw Erin’s eyes widened, \u201cI had the same idea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreat minds, I guess,\u201d Erin said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want to go or should I?\u201d Mindy asked, swiveling the office chair, so she was facing Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cI’ll go,\u201d Erin said, heading toward the bed, \u201cthere are a few other things I want to try while I’m over there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike a phone call?\u201d Mindy asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, that’s just scary,\u201d Erin laughed, stretching out on her bed, \u201cstay by the computer and the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n Laying on her back, Erin closed her eyes and pictured her string, her visual prompt for flipping over. She knew Mindy and Ashley had their own method, but this one worked for her. Relaxing her mind, she imagined the string stretching from here to the Place of Locked Doors. She let her mind wonder, let it follow the string.<\/p>\n When she opened her eyes, she was in Natty’s old room. Doing this while awake was still new enough to make her a little jittery with excitement. On legs that were a little rubbery, Erin headed downstairs to look for Natty. She found the girl sitting on the couch, with the laptop open on the coffee table in front of her.<\/p>\n Erin started toward her, grinning, but hesitated when she heard a voice coming from the computer she didn’t recognize. Smiling, Erin realized Natty was Skyping with someone. Probably Caroline, her internet friend.<\/p>\n Natty must have sensed Erin because she glanced toward the stairs and saw her. Grinning, Natty turned back to the computer and said, \u201cUm, my friend Erin just showed up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want me to go?\u201d The voice on the computer asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Natty said, waving Erin over.<\/p>\n Erin sat down on the couch next to Natty, looking at the laptop. She recognized the girl from Natty’s Facebook page, and she smiled at Caroline. The girl grinned back, flashing her braces.<\/p>\n \u201cErin,\u201d Natty said, pointing at the laptop, \u201cthis is Caroline. Caroline, my friend Erin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s nice to meet you,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou, too,\u201d Caroline said, laughing, \u201cI’ve, um… Heard a lot about you.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin frowned, then glanced at Natty. She saw the girl deliberately not looking at her and started laughing. The girl must have told Caroline about some of the crazy times they had had here in the Place of Locked Doors. Turning back to the computer, she said, \u201cNot too much, I hope.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably more than I should have,\u201d Caroline said, blushing.<\/p>\n Laughing, Erin said, \u201cWell, I’ve heard a lot about you, too. Don’t worry, though. Nothing too embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin noticed the clock in the bottom right-hand corner, making a note of the time. She intended to stay for two hours, then flip back over. As she watched, the time changed, answering one of her questions. Time did pass normally over here, a minute taking sixty seconds.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’ve got company; I’ll let you go,\u201d Caroline said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don’t have to go on my account. I sort of showed up unannounced, so finish your conversation,\u201d Erin said, picking up the phone. She waggled it so Natty could see and the girl nodded.<\/p>\n Natty gave her a curious look, and Erin winked at her as she got off the couch. Phone in hand, she headed into the room that would eventually be her father’s study. Pulling the bookcase open, Erin headed down to the secret apartment downstairs. She shivered, thinking about how creepy this place was in her time. She was glad to see it looked normal, again.<\/p>\n Well, maybe normal wasn’t the word<\/em>, Erin thought, looking around at all the photography equipment, less dusty and possibly haunted might be better.<\/em><\/p>\n Sitting on the bed where they had made their YMCA video, Erin called Mindy. The phone rang twice, then the girl came on the line.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d Mindy said, excitedly.<\/p>\n \u201cHey. According to the clock on Natty’s computer, it is nine-forty-two in the morning over here,\u201d Erin said, grinning when she heard the girl gasp.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s what time it is here,\u201d Mindy said.<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Erin said, figuring it would be.<\/p>\n \u201cBut how can that be? We spent like four hours over there earlier. It should be almost two,\u201d Mindy said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know,\u201d Erin said, flopping onto her back and staring at the ceiling, \u201cI thought it might be because the computer is connected to the internet and the clock adjusts automatically, but there is a big grandfather clock in the corner that reads the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s weird,\u201d Mindy said.<\/p>\n \u201cVery,\u201d Erin said, then laughed, \u201cI walked in on Natty Skyping with Caroline.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Mindy said, her grin clear in her voice, \u201cWait? Walked in on them? They weren’t…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Erin said, laughing harder, \u201cthankfully, no. I left the room to give them some privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what are you doing now?\u201d Mindy asked.<\/p>\n \u201cJust chilling downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUgh, that place,\u201d Mindy said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s not so bad when it’s not covered in dust,\u201d Erin said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want to talk to Ashley? I’m going to grab a quick shower,\u201d Mindy asked.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, that’s okay. She looked like she was in writer’s mode,\u201d Erin said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, she hasn’t looked up from the Chronicle since you left.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, let her write,\u201d Erin said, still laughing, \u201cBye.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBye.\u201d<\/p>\n She ended the call, tossing the phone on the bed beside her. Staring up at the ceiling, she tried to will time to pass faster. Two hours could seem like an eternity when there was nothing to do to pass the time. Minutes could seem like hours and hours like minutes, depending on the situation, she knew.<\/p>\n Fifteen minutes passed, and she heard someone coming down the stairs. Sitting up, she saw Natty appear, and she waved at the girl. Natty grinned at her and came over to where she sat, joined her on the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d Natty said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn’t have to cut your call short,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, she just wanted to tell me about Riley’s little birthday party,\u201d Natty said, grinning, \u201csounds like they had a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Frowning, Erin asked, \u201cWhose Riley?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaroline’s girlfriend,\u201d the girl said.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, your internet squeeze has a girlfriend?\u201d Erin asked, laughing, \u201cDoes Riley know about you?\u201d<\/p>\n Natty grinned at her and said, \u201cYeah, she does. Besides, Caroline and I are just friends, now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo more cyber nasty?\u201d Erin asked, amused.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, no?\u201d Natty said, raising her eyebrows, \u201cCyber nasty?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, your naughty Skype sessions?\u201d Erin laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Natty said, grinning, \u201cNo, no more of those. Although, there is this new girl I’ve been talking to… Allie’s her name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJesus, Natty,\u201d Erin said, shaking her head.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, it gets lonely here,\u201d Natty said, laughing.<\/p>\n Erin put her arm around the girl’s shoulder, said, \u201cYou know you can call me or Ashley or Mindy anytime you want, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, it’s just… You all have your own lives, and I already had mine. It feels like I’m intruding,\u201d Natty said.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you aren’t intruding. Or if you are, intrude away,\u201d Erin said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Natty said, smiling at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can even do some naughty Skyping if you want,\u201d Erin said, grinning at her.<\/p>\n \u201cI’d like that,\u201d Natty said, tears shimmering in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cActually, we might be able to do one better,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Natty asked, raising her eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cWe spent what, four hours here earlier, right?\u201d Erin asked, even though she already knew the answer.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething like that,\u201d Natty said, frowning, \u201cwhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we flipped back over,\u201d Erin said, grinning at her, \u201conly fifteen minutes or so had passed.\u201d<\/p>\n Blinking in surprise, Natty asked, \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin said, grinning at her, \u201cthen when I flipped over this time, I looked at your clock and saw it said it is only nine-fortyish in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n Natty frowned at her and said, \u201cThat can’t be right. It should be after two.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook at the clock,\u201d Erin said, nodding at the big grandfather clock in the corner. Natty followed her gaze and gasped when she saw the little hand pointing at the ten and the big hand pointing somewhere just shy of the four. Her eyes were wide with surprise when she looked back at Erin, and she gave the poor girl a sympathetic smile.<\/p>\n \u201cHow can that be?\u201d Natty asked, looking at the clock, again.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know,\u201d Erin said, laughing, \u201cbut I’m here to test a few things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA few things?\u201d Natty parroted.<\/p>\n \u201cLike if it is just a fluke, for one thing,\u201d Erin said, looking at the clock, \u201cbut I don’t think it was. I think I could stay here all day and only a couple minutes will have passed on our side.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Natty asked, staring at the clock. In the quiet of the basement, the ticking of time advancing was clearly audible.<\/p>\n Erin watched the girl struggle with that idea and knew how she felt. While she felt she was right, Erin had no idea how she could be. It didn’t make any sense. An hour was an hour, and it didn’t matter if you were in Tokyo or Tallahassee, it was still sixty minutes. Here, an hour could be a lifetime or hardly any time at all.<\/p>\n Finally, Natty laughed and shook her head, said, \u201cJust when you think this place can’t throw you for a loop…\u201d<\/p>\n Grinning, Erin said, \u201cI’m sure this place has a few more loops left in it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you are probably right,\u201d Natty said, laughing. She looked at the clock for a long moment, then frowned and glanced at Erin, asked, \u201cYou said we could do one better. What did you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf only fifteen-twenty minutes passes when I visit,\u201d Erin said, giving the girl a squeeze, \u201cthere is no reason not to, nor any reason to rush off, either. In theory, I could stay a couple of days and only take a power nap in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n Natty gaped at her, and Erin winked at her. As the idea sank in, Natty started grinning, and Erin had to laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep in mind,\u201d Erin said, still laughing, \u201cthis is only a theory. Untested.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe could have a sleepover,\u201d Natty said, excitedly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could have a week of sleepovers in one night,\u201d Erin said, her mind reeling at all the possibilities.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope your theory is right,\u201d Natty said.<\/p>\n \u201cMe, too,\u201d Erin said, honestly.<\/p>\n ———————————–<\/p>\n \u201cTwelve minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin glanced at the clock and saw the girl was right; she had been gone for only twelve minutes, even though she had spent more than two hours on the other side. It didn’t make any sense, but she couldn’t argue with her own eyes. All she could do was shake her head and laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cI stayed for two hours,\u201d Erin said, grinning at Mindy, \u201ctimed it using Natty’s computer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe you,\u201d Mindy said, excitedly.<\/p>\n Erin started to say something else when her phone started ringing. Picking it up, she saw Natty’s name on the display. Thinking the girl was curious about the outcome of the test, Erin grinned and answered the phone, \u201cHey, beautiful. It worked! Only twelve minutes passed over here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s cool,\u201d Natty said, sounding distracted.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat’s up?\u201d Erin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat time is it over there?\u201d Natty asked, her voice funny.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, it is ten o’clock,\u201d Erin said, glancing at the alarm clock, \u201cwhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was looking at the little clock on the screen, and I must have blinked… I swear it read eleven-forty when you left, but it says ten o’clock right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Erin said, \u201cYou aren’t crazy. It was eleven-forty when I left. I remember looking at the clock before flipping over.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo time just… rewound itself?\u201d Natty asked, sounding like she was scratching her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess so,\u201d Erin said, feeling bad for the girl.<\/p>\n \u201cBut why can I still remember everything?\u201d Natty asked.<\/p>\n Erin said, \u201cSweetie, I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe time reset, but you didn’t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis place makes my head hurt,\u201d Natty said, groaning.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s probably best to just go with it, rather than try to figure it out,\u201d Erin said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s easy for you to say,\u201d Natty said, snorting, \u201cyour day hasn’t sprouted an extra six hours, give or take a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin had to laugh at that line. It got her thinking, though. In a way, her day HAD gained six hours, because of the time she had spent in the Place of Locked Doors. It should be almost five in the afternoon, not ten in the morning. Suddenly, she knew what Natty was talking about, the Place of Locked Doors making her head hurt, too. She felt like she had time traveled and had time lag or something along those lines.<\/p>\n \u201cGood news is, the theory has been confirmed,\u201d Erin said, reminding the girl about the test she had just done.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, hey,\u201d Natty said, laughing, \u201cthat’s right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe we’ll come visit you when we have fifteen minutes to spare,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cLooking forward to it,\u201d Natty said, laughing, \u201cwell, I’ll let you go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Erin said, then, \u201cdon’t forget what we talked about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won’t. Love you guys,\u201d Natty said.<\/p>\n \u201cLove you, too,\u201d Erin said, ending the call.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that all about?\u201d Mindy asked.<\/p>\n Erin saw both girls looking at her expectantly, so she told them about her trip to the other side. She wrapped it up with the phone call she just received.<\/p>\n Ashley gave her a dubious look, asked, \u201cTime just reset itself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, sure,\u201d Erin said, laughing and shrugging.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Natty remembers everything?\u201d Mindy asked.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, it’s weird to me, too,\u201d Erin said, shaking her head, \u201cI just had a front row seat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe…\u201d Mindy said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously, \u201cmaybe time stops when we flip over.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut time didn’t stop. I watched the time change on Natty’s computer,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n Ashley looked at the notebook next to her, her eyebrows knitting together in thought. Erin saw it and looked at the girl expectantly. Picking up the notebook, Ashley drew a line with two dots, one at each end. She labeled these, ‘A’ and ‘B’. She held up the notebook so Erin and Ashley could see and said, \u201cI think time flows like this, from A to B. Here and over there, but when we flip over…\u201d<\/p>\n Erin watched as Ashley drew a new dot, in the middle of the line. She drew a diagonal line down from the dot and started a new horizontal line running parallel to the original. Ashley looked from Erin to Mindy, then said, \u201cI think when we flip over, we create another anchor point, one time can deviate from. This new path continues until we flip back over here…\u201d<\/p>\n Ashley drew another line back from the end of the second horizontal one, returning to the original anchor point. Pointing at it, she said, \u201cThe timeline returns to its original course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what… When we flip over, we form a… teeter-totter in time?\u201d Erin asked, frowning at Ashley’s diagram.<\/p>\n \u201cI know my drawing is horrible,\u201d Ashley said, giving her a dirty look, \u201cIt’s not a teeter-totter, but a temporary new timeline, one that lasts until we return here and stop messing with natural- or supernatural- order of things over there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh,\u201d Erin said, nodding.<\/p>\n \u201cBut why can Natty remember what happened?\u201d Mindy asked, looking at the diagram<\/p>\n \u201cBecause time doesn’t rewind itself, it just returns to where it deviated and continues on its merry way,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Mindy said, tilting her head to one side as she looked at the drawing again. Finally, she nodded and said, \u201cI don’t know if you are right, but it sounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin agreed, grinning at Ashley, \u201cit’s as good a theory as any. I don’t think there is any way we could test it, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet me think about it,\u201d Ashley said, setting the notebook aside, \u201cmaybe I’ll think of something.\u201d<\/p>\n ————————————-<\/p>\n \u201cThis a lot harder to do on another person,\u201d Erin said, taking one of the make removal clothes and wiping Ashley\u2019s eyelid. \u00a0It wasn’t the first one she had used.<\/p>\n They had decided if they were going to an eighth grader\u2019s party, they were getting dressed to the nines. This meant Erin was trying to do her friends\u2019 makeup, something she had never done before. She was getting pretty good at doing her own, but this was a whole other set of skills.<\/p>\n Ashley and Mindy had taken turns on Erin\u2019s computer looking up makeup styles suited to their faces. Ashley had fallen in love with a picture of Emma Stone from the movie ‘Easy A’, wanted her hair and makeup done like hers. Ashley looked enough like the actress that Erin thought she could probably pull off the look. Thanks to the internet, they had video tutorials on how to do both. The hair had turned out to be relatively easy, but the makeup was giving Erin fits.<\/p>\n Taking a deep breath, she picked up the eyeliner brush to try again. She hit ‘play’ on the tutorial video she had found, then tried to mimic what the host was doing. She had better luck with it, this time, picking something up from the video she had missed the first time. Working patiently, she saw the makeup start to come together. She grinned at Ashley when she had one of her eyes done, then started the other. It was a little easier on the second eye.<\/p>\n Ashley wanted to look, but Erin made her wait until she had completely finished. The girl sighed heavily but let Erin put some red lipstick on her lips before going to Erin’s mirror. Her eyes widened when she saw what Erin had done to her, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cI hardly look like me,\u201d Ashley said, turning her face this way and that.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look amazing,\u201d Mindy said, from her post on the bed.<\/p>\n Grinning over her shoulder at the girl, Ashley said, \u201cI do, don’t I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, yeah. You are beautiful,\u201d Erin said, laughing.<\/p>\n Ashley took one more look at her reflection, then came over to where Erin stood. She gave Erin a hug and a huge grin. Hugging her back, Erin had to smile.<\/p>\n \u201cNext victim,\u201d Erin said, patting the chair.<\/p>\n Mindy sat in the chair, gave Erin a nervous smile, said, \u201cYou’ve got your work cut out for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou look beautiful without makeup,\u201d Erin said, smiling at the girl. She turned the girl so she could look at her and Mindy couldn’t see what Erin was doing to her.<\/p>\n She closed the link to the modest makeup Mindy had chosen, searched for ‘blue eyed, dark haired actresses’. She hadn’t been kidding when she said Mindy looked beautiful without makeup, but she would look gorgeous with just the right look.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing back there?\u201d Mindy asked, starting to turn around.<\/p>\n \u201cNo peeking,\u201d Erin said, then to Ashley, \u201cmake sure she doesn’t look.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashley saw what she was searching and grinned, \u201cThird picture from the right, second row.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin had to agree. She wasn’t used to seeing the actress with dark hair, but she looked so much like Mindy that they could be sisters. Her hairstyle and makeup were a lot more vivacious than what Mindy had wanted, but Erin had to do it.<\/p>\n Mindy is going to shit when she sees this<\/em>, Erin thought, googling the actress’s hairstyle and makeup. She had a lot of videos to choose from but found the one she wanted.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat’s taking so long?\u201d Mindy asked, getting nervous because of the delay.<\/p>\n \u201cWe might have changed a few things,\u201d Erin said, trying to not to laugh excitedly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean changed a few things?\u201d Mindy said, starting to turn around.<\/p>\n Ashley grabbed her face by the cheeks so she couldn’t turn around, \u201cTrust us. You are going to look amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was wrong with what I picked?\u201d Mindy asked, frowning.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was… Sunday church chic,\u201d Ashley said, glancing at the computer screen, \u201cthis is more… Everybody stop and stare chic.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Mindy asked, \u201cCan I at least look first?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Erin said, grinning at her, \u201cyou might not let me do it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? Who is it?\u201d Mindy asked, looking from Erin to Ashley, concern in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’ll see,\u201d Ashley said, winking at her.<\/p>\n \u201cOh God,\u201d Mindy said, rolling her eyes, \u201cfine.\u201d<\/p>\n Excited, Erin reached for her curling iron. Mindy saw it and started to balk, but took a deep breath and nodded. She sat stiffly as Erin put some curls in her silky black hair, looking so ill at ease that Erin felt sorry for her. Mindy had made it clear she didn’t want her hair curled, liked it straight. Still, she let Erin do what she wanted, put her trust in Erin.<\/p>\n With her hair finished, Erin moved to her makeup. She was putting eyeliner on Mindy’s eyelids when there was a knock at the door. The girls froze as the door opened and Erin’s mother poked her head in the room. The woman was about to say something but stopped as she looked around the room. Her eyes went from Ashley’s made up face and styled hair to Mindy in the office chair and finally to her daughter with her makeup kit in her shaking hands.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are doing makeovers,\u201d Ashley said, in a rush of words.<\/p>\n Erin could kiss her. The redhead might have saved their butts with her quick thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cI can see that,\u201d Erin’s mother said, grinning at them, \u201cwhy don’t you come down for a picture when you are done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, okay,\u201d Erin said and hoped her mother wouldn’t notice her voice was a little shaky.<\/p>\n \u201cYour dad and I were going to rent a movie and wanted to know if you girls wanted to watch,\u201d she said, then waved her hand dismissively, \u201cbut it looks like you are busy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Ashley said, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cMindy, honey,\u201d Erin’s mother said, tilting her head to one side, \u201cyou almost look like-\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t tell her,\u201d Erin said before her mother could ruin the surprise, \u201cshe doesn’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, the woman said, \u201cOkay. But she really does.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Ashley said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d Mindy said, exasperated.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d Erin’s mom said, ducking out of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cCan’t you just tell me who it is?\u201d Mindy asked, looking from Ashley to Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Erin said, laughing when Mindy rolled her eyes, “you’ll see soon enough.”<\/p>\n The makeup took a while, and she felt Mindy growing anxious. When she was finally done, Erin let the girl off the hook. Mindy looked nervous as she got up and went to Erin’s mirror. She gaped at her reflection, her hand coming up to her mouth in shock.<\/p>\n \u201cHoly shit,\u201d Mindy said, laughing, \u201cI look like… Lindsay Lohan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, right!\u201d Ashley said, going to the girl’s side, \u201cIt is almost freaky how much you look like her.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin joined them and smiled at Mindy, asked, \u201cBe honest… Would you have let me do it if I said I wanted to make you look like Lindsay Lohan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Mindy said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you look amazing,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cI-I don’t know what to say,\u201d Mindy said, flabbergasted.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do like it, right?\u201d Erin asked, frowning. She realized the girl hadn’t said if she did or not.<\/p>\n \u201cYou did an incredible job,\u201d Mindy said, smiling at her, \u201cit’s just I’ve always had a huge crush on Lindsay, and now I look like her, and that is weird, right?.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou aren’t going to start touching yourself, are you?\u201d Ashley asked, grinning at her.<\/p>\n \u201cI might,\u201d Mindy said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a good look for you,\u201d Erin said, grinning at her, \u201cdefinitely not Sunday morning church chic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for not letting me go small,\u201d the brunette said, hugging Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are welcome,\u201d Erin said, then, \u201cI guess that just leaves me.\u201d<\/p>\n ————————————<\/p>\n The girls stood shivering on the front porch as Erin quietly closed the door behind them. The temperature had plummeted with the setting sun, and none of them had thought to wear a jacket. Cold as they were, they didn’t want to brave the stairs, again. It had been nerve-wreaking enough the first time. Besides, Carrie’s house was just up the street, and they wouldn’t be outside long. In an unspoken agreement, they decided just to head to Carrie’s.<\/p>\n Erin looked at her best friends, thought they both looked beautiful. Erin’s mother had taken a couple dozen pictures of them before finally letting them go back upstairs. She wouldn’t stop fussing over how different they looked. Mature. Then she made Ashley and Mindy promise to wash it off before they went home. She didn’t want to have a conversation with their parents about why she had let their daughters war makeup without their permission.<\/p>\n They had turned out the lights about ten, pretending to be going to bed. In reality, they had been sitting up in the dark to keep from messing up their hair and whispering excitedly about the party. Her parents had finally turned in about eleven. Erin had listened at their door, could hear the dueling snores coming from their room.<\/p>\n They had risked Erin’s bedside lamp so that they could get dressed. Ashley wore Erin’s light blue dress, the one she loved to borrow. Mindy had brought a cute little black dress and borrowed on of Erin’s ribbon choker necklaces to finish it off. Erin decided to wear her favorite dress, pale yellow and seemed to have been designed with her in mind.<\/p>\n Their shoes in hand, they had taken the stairs one at a time, repeating the Squeaky Stair Mantra in their heads. That was what Ashley had called it, the little sing-songy rhyme Erin had come up with to remember which stairs, well… Squeaked. Goofy or not, it helped all three of them make it down the stairs without making a sound.<\/p>\n Erin had killed the alarm, and they had made it outside. They had looked at each other, grinning and heaving a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n Now, they hurried up the street to Carrie’s. Filing onto the porch, Erin rang the doorbell. She could hear music playing inside, but not loud enough to draw attention. A minute passed, then the door was answered by Trish.<\/p>\n \u201cOh hey you made-\u201d she said, then her eyes got big, \u201cWow! Look at you three! Hey Carrie, come here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it alright if we come in,\u201d Ashley said, rubbing her arms, \u201cit is freezing out here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. Sorry,\u201d Trish said, stepping aside to let them in.<\/p>\n Trish was just closing the door behind them when Carrie came up. Erin laughed at the shocked look on her face. Carrie recovered some and smiled brightly at them.<\/p>\n \u201cYou all look beautiful,\u201d Carrie said, hugging them in turn. When she came to Mindy, she said, \u201cHas anyone ever told you that you look like Lindsay Lohan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Trish said, grinning at Carrie, \u201cI knew she looked like someone, but I couldn’t think of who!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh God,\u201d Mindy said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, before she fell apart, Lindsay was stunning,\u201d Carrie said, giving Mindy a playful smile, \u201cand so are you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, thanks,\u201d Mindy said, blushing.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d Carrie said, nodding over her shoulder, \u201cthe party is in the living room.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of people she knew from the neighborhood. Some of them recognized her, too, smiling and waving. She even spotted a few other seventh graders in the mix. She felt a lot of her anxiety drain away and thought they might not stand out like a sore thumb after all.<\/p>\n One girl, in particular, caught her attention, and she grinned. Nudging Ashley, she nodded at the girl. Ashley followed her eyes, then did a double take as she finally recognized her. The redhead looked at Erin, her eyes wide in surprise. Erin grinned at her and nodded. She knew what Ashley was thinking because it was the same thing she was thinking, that they weren’t used to seeing the girl in a dress, let alone with her hair up.<\/p>\n She must have felt their eyes on her because she turned to look at them. Her eyes widened at the sight of them. Dismissing herself from the little group of people she had been standing in, she came over to them, grinning brightly.<\/p>\n \u201cWow, look at you three,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cUs? Look at you! I didn’t even know you had knees,\u201d Ashley said, hugging the girl.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look… Weird,\u201d Mindy said, then laughed when the girl gave her a look, \u201cI meant in a good way. I’ve never seen you in anything but jeans and a t-shirt. You look very beautiful, Sarah.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarah gave Mindy a shy smile and said, \u201cThanks, but you look amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait,\u201d Erin said, looking from girl to girl, \u201cYou two know each other?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe went to school together,\u201d Mindy said, then added, \u201cbefore I transferred to Grimm’s.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Sarah said, shaking her head, \u201cshe left me there with those heathens.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s crazy that you two know each other,\u201d Ashley said, grinning, \u201cSarah, Erin and I have been playing together about as long as we’ve been out of diapers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPretty much,\u201d Sarah said, smiling, \u201csince we were what, three?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut we haven’t seen you in a while,\u201d Erin said, giving her a look, \u201cyou don’t call. You don’t write. I’m beginning to feel you don’t love us anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Grinning sheepishly, Sarah said, \u201cUm… It’s been a weird couple of months.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWeird?\u201d Ashley asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s nothing,\u201d the girl said, waving her hand dismissively.<\/p>\n Erin saw that it wasn’t nothing, that something was bothering Sarah, but she apparently didn’t want to talk about it. Concerned, Erin thought about pushing the girl to open up, but she didn’t. Instead, she said, \u201cYou know Ashley and I are pretty good listeners, if you ever need to talk. Mindy, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarah glanced at Mindy and looked like she was about to say something, then changed her mind. She nodded, instead and gave them a warm smile.<\/p>\n \u201cIf nothing else, come over so I can kick your ass at Mario Kart,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n Laughing, Sarah asked, \u201cWhen have you ever beaten me at Mario Kart?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I’ve been practicing,\u201d Ashley said, grinning, \u201cand I demand a rematch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, okay,\u201d Sarah said, still laughing.<\/p>\n Erin looked Sarah up and down, shaking her head, \u201cYou know, I didn’t even know you owned a dress.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarah was a tomboy, more comfortable in jeans than a skirt. She usually wore her long brown hair pulled into a ponytail. Seeing her now in a dress, her hair pulled up in a twist and a dainty necklace around her neck, Erin hardly recognized her.<\/p>\n Laughing, Sarah said, \u201cI don’t. Well, not counting the flower girl dress from my aunt’s wedding. I was five, so I doubt it still fits. I had to borrow this from a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou should borrow more clothes from your friend,\u201d Ashley said, grinning, \u201cYou look stunning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Sarah said, looking uncomfortable with all the attention. She touched her necklace absent-mindedly. It seemed to be a nervous tick.<\/p>\n \u201cYou really do,\u201d Mindy said, smiling at the girl.<\/p>\n Sarah looked at Mindy and Erin saw a weird look pass across her face. It was there and gone, but Erin didn’t think she had imagined it. It had disappeared so fast that Erin couldn’t quite read it, but it made her frown.<\/p>\n \u201cI look okay,\u201d Sarah said, looking down at herself then back up at Mindy, \u201cbut you… Did anyone ever tell you, you look like Lindsay Lohan?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin and Ashley started laughing as Mindy rolled her eyes. Sarah looked at them for an explanation, and it only made them laugh harder.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are like the seventh person to tell me that tonight,\u201d Mindy said, grinning sheepishly, \u201cand I’ve only talked to seven people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, there are a lot worse people to look like,\u201d Sarah said, grinning at her.<\/p>\n Carrie and Trish came up to their little group and said, \u201cErin and Ashley, can you help us with something? We’ll let you have them back in a second, Mindy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Mindy said, shrugging.<\/p>\n Erin and Ashley found themselves being led into the kitchen and she finally asked, \u201cWhat’s up? What do you need our help with?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing,\u201d Trish said, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cJust playing matchmaker,\u201d Carrie said, opening the fridge.<\/p>\n \u201cMatchmaker?\u201d Ashley asked, blinking at her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know about Mindy, right? The rumors about her?\u201d Carrie asked, delicately.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Erin said, ready to bristle. She didn’t like people talking bad about her friend. Carrie saw it and held up a hand and smiled disarmingly.<\/p>\n \u201cI only bring it up because I’m pretty sure Sarah might have something in common with Mindy,\u201d Carrie said, pulling a bottle of water from the fridge.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething in common?\u201d Ashley asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, you think Sarah is… gay?\u201d Erin asked, looking over her shoulder at her two friends.<\/p>\n \u201cShe hasn’t come out and admitted it, but I think so, yeah,\u201d Carrie said, leaning against the sink.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you think that?\u201d Ashley asked, raising her eyebrows questioningly.<\/p>\n Carrie gave her a playful smile and nodded at the girls, said, \u201cSee the shy, flirty way Sarah is standing. The way she keeps touching her necklace… She is attracted to Mindy.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin watched the two girls talking for a few seconds, and she saw Carrie was right. More than that, she saw it wasn’t a one-sided attraction. She knew Mindy well enough to know that the girl was interested in Sarah, too. Grinning, she met Ashley’s eyes and saw the redhead had seen it, too.<\/p>\n Turning back to Carrie, Erin said, \u201cSarah’s been our friend for years, and I’ve never noticed anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you weren’t looking,\u201d Carrie said, sipping her water.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh,\u201d Erin said, recognizing the truth of that statement. Sarah hadn’t been to her house much since Erin had met Natty and had her own sexual awakening. Would she have noticed the change in Sarah if she had? She thought so, because the sexy dead girl had opened her eyes to many things.<\/p>\n Carrie’s beautiful eyes found Erin’s and Erin felt like the girl was looking for something. Her heart beat a little faster when she realized the comment had been more than just a simple statement, but a test. The girl wanted to see how Erin would react.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I guess I wasn’t,\u201d Erin said, smiling when she saw Carrie noticed the emphasis she had put on ‘wasn’t’. The girl favored Erin with a smile of her own.<\/p>\n Carrie wasn’t the only one to pick up on it, and Erin felt Trisha looking at her. The girl favored her with a curious look, frowning. Erin’s eyes must have given her away, because a knowing smile spread slowly on her face. Erin looked away, her face hot with embarrassment.<\/p>\n Pushing away from the sink, Carrie moved beside Erin and put an arm around her shoulders. She grinned and said, \u201cJust ignore her.\u201d<\/p>\n Trisha gave Carrie a sour look and said, \u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin noticed how close Carrie was standing, could feel the girl’s body pressed against her flank. The scent of vanilla tickled her nose and Erin realized it was the perfume Carrie was wearing. Erin had the feeling the arm around her shoulder wasn’t as innocent as it seemed. She knew from the overheard conversation in the bathroom at Brim’s that Carrie was thinking about trying to sleep with one of them, and she thought Carrie might be flirting with her.<\/p>\n Her heart beat a little faster in her breast, and she wondered if she would actually sleep with Carrie. She had joked with Ashley and Mindy, saying she would but now that it was a real possibility… The girl was beautiful, sexy but the age gap was a little intimidating. Plus, it would be the first time having sex outside their small circle of friends. She was familiar with Mindy, Ashley and Natty and comfortable with them, but Carrie was a bit of an unknown.<\/p>\n She realized even if she decided she wanted to, she didn’t know how to flirt back. She’s never had to convince anyone they wanted to sleep with her before. Natty had seduced her and Ashley and Mindy just sort of happened.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see,\u201d Carrie said, smiling at Erin, \u201cTrisha doesn’t know what she’s missing. If she did, she’d be the one over here with her arm around your shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh God, she’s definitely flirting<\/em>, Erin thought, realizing she was going to have to make up her mind quickly. She either needed to slip out from under Carrie’s arm or start flirting back. Or, at least, trying to. She glanced at Ashley, saw the girl grinning at her. Ashley’s emerald eyes shown with mischief, which told Erin what the girl thought she should do.<\/p>\n Summoning her courage, Erin put her arm around Carrie’s waist, smiling back at the girl. She forgot to breathe as the corner’s of Carrie’s mouth turned up even more. Erin knew she had made the right decisions, seeing that smile, and she flushed with excitement.<\/p>\n \u201cHer loss,\u201d Erin said, her voice a little funny.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Carrie said, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cWow,\u201d Trisha said, shaking her head and laughing.<\/p>\n Carrie leaned close and whispered in Erin’s ear, \u201cWould it be too forward to ask if you wanted to go upstairs?\u201d<\/p>\n Taking a deep breath and letting it out as a nervous laugh, Erin said, \u201cA little, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI’m asking, anyway,\u201d Carrie said, her fingers lightly caressing Erin’s shoulder.<\/p>\n Maybe I’m a natural at flirting<\/em>, Erin thought, amused, either that or Carrie really just wants to get laid<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, okay,\u201d Erin said, shyly.<\/p>\n “Yeah?” Carrie asked, her smile widening.<\/p>\n “Yeah,” Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cTrisha, can you keep Ashley company for a while?\u201d Carrie asked, steering Erin toward the living room and the stairs leading to the second floor and her bedroom.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you two going?\u201d Trisha asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ll be back,\u201d Carrie said, grinning at Erin.<\/p>\n Erin followed Carrie up the stairs, admiring the tick of her backside. Shaking her head, she could barely believe she was really doing this. She was going to sleep with Carrie.<\/p>\n When the girl opened the door to her bedroom, Erin stepped inside, looking around. Her eyes fell on the bed, and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Turning to Carrie, Erin said, \u201cI like your room.\u201d<\/p>\n Smiling, Carrie said, \u201cThanks. I’m going to put some music on. Why don’t you get comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin watched the girl go to her stereo, then stepped out of her shoes. Sitting, on the bed, she looked around the room. She hadn’t been lying when she said she liked Carrie’s bedroom. It reminded her a lot of her own room.<\/p>\n When the music started playing, Erin frowned. She recognized the band if she couldn’t think of their name. Stereomud, she thought it was, but she wasn’t sure. Ashley had played it for her a couple of times. Carrie turned around and saw her frowning, asked, \u201cYou don’t like this kind of music?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm no, I do,\u201d Erin said, grinning, \u201cI just assumed because of the music playing downstairs…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d Carrie said, coming to the bed, \u201cI had to borrow some of Trisha’s music. If I put Slayer on, I think I might have scared everyone away.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Erin said, \u201cAshley and Mindy would have loved you for it. Sarah, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI’ll keep that in mind next time,\u201d Carrie said, smiling at her. She started to lean in for a kiss, then hesitated. Tilting her head to one side, she asked, \u201cThere’s nothing between you and Mindy, right? Or Ashley?\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Erin asked, \u201cWorrying about an angry girlfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething like that,\u201d Carrie said, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don’t need to worry,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n Carrie looked at her for a long moment, then said, \u201cI thought there might be something going on between you and one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm…\u201d Erin said, looking away.<\/p>\n \u201cSo there is,\u201d Carrie said, laughing, \u201cwhich one?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes it matter?\u201d Erin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNot really,\u201d Carrie said, still looking at her. Suddenly, she laughed, \u201cWait, you’ve slept with both of them, haven’t you? Like a kinky love triangle?\u201d<\/p>\n Blushing, Erin thought, It’s actually a quadrangle, but I probably shouldn’t tell her that. She already thinks I’m a freak<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least that explains the vibe I picked up,\u201d Carrie said, grinning at her, \u201cyou all have the ‘I’ve seen you naked’ vibe about you.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Erin said, \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAshley and Mindy are both very pretty girls,\u201d Carrie said, teasing, \u201cI guess it would be hard to pick just one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s just… It’s not a thing, you know what I mean,\u201d Erin said, looking down at her hands as her face became hot. When she looked at Carrie, she saw the girl nodding, something akin to relief on her face. Erin raised her eyebrows questioningly, and Carrie grinned at her.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m not looking for a thing, either,\u201d Carrie said, her hand moving onto Erin’s thigh, \u201cjust want to have some fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin leaned in and stopped with her lips inches from Carrie’s, letting the girl come to her. That first kiss was a little hesitant, unsure. Erin couldn’t speak for Carrie, but she was nervous. It was weird, but she had slept with three girls, and this still felt new to her. The second kiss was better, and Erin let Carrie draw her in deep. All of her reservations went out the window as she started to respond to the girl. She kissed Carrie back eagerly as her desire welled up inside.<\/p>\n Carrie got to her feet, pulling Erin up, too. Her hands slipped under the hem of Erin’s dress, pulling it up. Erin smiled at her, raising her arms over her head. Carrie gave her a quick kiss, then worked the dress over Erin’s head, tossing it on the bed. She looked Erin up and down, smiling at Erin standing there in just her panties and a bra. That smile made her feel sexy and she shivered as Carrie’s hot gaze ran over her body.<\/p>\n Her heart racing, Erin crawled back on the bed, stretching out on her side so she could watch Carrie undress. The girl saw she had Erin’s attention and smiled at Erin as she slowly ran the zipper down on the side of her dress. Turning her back to the bed, she shimmied out of the dress, giving Erin a peek at her backside in the cute little panties she wore. Turning back around, she tossed it on the bed next to Erin’s. She looked so lovely, tempting standing there. Erin couldn’t stop staring at her long legs, the swell of her hips and her narrow waist, her full breasts, her pert backside.<\/p>\n Desire tinged with a hint of jealousy welled up in Erin, looking at Carrie. She hoped she had a body as amazing as Carrie’s one day. Until then, she was eager to get the girl back in bed so she could find out if Carrie’s body felt as wonderful as it looked.<\/p>\n In just her bra and panties, Carrie joined Erin on the bed, moving against her. As she kissed Erin, Carrie’s hand roamed over Erin’s flank and buttocks, forward to cup one of her breasts through the thin cotton bra she wore.<\/p>\n \u201cGod, I’ve wanted to do this ever since I saw you naked in the locker room,\u201d Erin said, letting her own hand explore Carrie’s body. She thrilled to all the silky smooth skin under her finger tips. Carrie was firm and soft in all the right places. She thought the girl might even feel better than she looked.<\/p>\n Grinning, Carrie said, \u201cSo you were<\/em> looking. I thought I caught you a few times.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were naked and beautiful,\u201d Erin said, laughing, \u201cand standing right<\/em> there. Can you blame me for looking?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Carrie said, kissing her. Pulling back, she smiled playfully at Erin, said, \u201cI was looking, too. It’s why I invited you to the party.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were planning on getting me in your bed even then?\u201d Erin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cPlanning?\u201d Carrie said, laughing, \u201cNo, not planning. Hoping, maybe, but not planning.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin grinned at her, leaning in for a kiss. Carrie put her hand on the small of Erin’s back, pulling her even closer. The feel of Carrie’s body molded against her own, the scent of her perfume tickling her nose, Erin felt herself getting excited. Heat spread between her thighs as Carrie’s hand roamed over her back, down to cup one of her buttocks, before slipping into her hair. Carrie didn’t let her pull back from the kiss, not that she wanted to.<\/p>\n Feeling emboldened by Carrie’s admission about looking at her in the locker room, Erin rolled the girl onto her back. On her hands and knees, she grinned down at Carrie. The older girl gave Erin a curious smile, wondering just what Erin had in mind. Something about that smile made Erin want to show off. She might be younger, but she was far from inexperienced.<\/p>\n She gave Carrie a toe-curling kiss, then began working her way down the supine girl’s body. When she came to Carrie’s bra, she slipped a hand under the girl to pop the catches. Carrie grinned at her as she helped Erin slip it off and toss it aside. With the tip of her tongue, Erin traced the dark areola before trapping the stiffening nipple with her lips. Carrie’s back arched off the bed, pushing her breast in Erin’s face eagerly. Erin teased the nipple until Carrie groaned thickly, then moved to the other one. The girl’s breathing got a little funny as she became excited and she was making these cute little breathy moans.<\/p>\n Erin moved lower, following the faint muscle lines on Carrie’s abdomen with her tongue. She nuzzled the hollow of the girl’s hip, just above the elastic waistband of her panties. Carrie sighed, her lower body beginning to move on its own. Erin rolled her eyes up at the girl as she moved the panties a little lower, kissing the newly bared skin.<\/p>\n When Erin hooked her fingers in the panties, Carrie lifted her backside off the bed, so Erin could pull them off her hips and down her long legs. Erin spread the girl’s legs wide, looking at her pussy, at the neat little wedge of pubic hair atop the soft folds. It was a reminder that Carrie was older than Erin. That wasn’t as intimidating as it had been when she was in the kitchen. Her confidence had returned.<\/p>\n Carrie was holding her breath as she watched Erin look at her sex. Grinning at her, Erin lowered her mouth to the girl’s bud, tasting her with her tongue. That breath exploded out of Carrie in a moan. She propped up on her elbows as the hot, wet flick of Erin’s tongue forced another moan from her slack mouth. The girl smiled at her when Erin met her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI take it you’ve… you’ve done this before,\u201d Carrie said, sighing. Her hips began to move on their own, rolling against Erin’s mouth. Erin grinned at the girl.<\/p>\n Erin wet a couple of fingers in her mouth, asked, \u201cIs this okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Carrie raised her eyebrows, then started grinning, nodded. She held her breath as Erin eased the fingers into her hot, slick core. She moaned thickly as they slipped deep, biting her lip. Her eyes widened as Erin’s fingers found that sensitive spot deep inside. Her head lulled loosely on her neck as Erin put pressure on her g-spot, making little come-hither motions. The girl’s little sounds of enjoyment became sharper, and her hips gyrated against Erin’s hand.<\/p>\n \u201cOh God,\u201d Carrie said, her face screwing up in pleasure. Her hands clutched at the sheets.<\/p>\n Lowering her mouth back to the girl’s thrashing body, she teased the girl’s clit with her tongue. Carrie lost all control of her body, the dueling sensations driving her wild. Erin didn’t let up, kept pushing the girl closer and closer to the edge of release.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are so good…Holy shit… at this,\u201d Carrie said, slipping a hand behind Erin’s head to hold her to her sex. Erin smiled as her fingers tightened in her hair.<\/p>\n She had worked the girl into a state, had her so excited that the girl’s body didn’t know if it was coming or going. It seemed to be trying to shy away from the intense pleasure Erin was awakening in it. Erin trapped one of Carrie’s thighs, held the girl’s writhing body to her mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m going to come,\u201d Carrie moaned, urgency entering her cries.<\/p>\n Erin had already known, had felt tension enter the girl’s body a heartbeat before she said those four words. She had the girl tiptoeing along the edge of bliss, and she tipped the girl over the edge. Carrie cried out sharply as she came, her body locking up against Erin’s mouth. Erin felt the girl’s pussy fluttering around her fingers, before Erin could ease out of her.<\/p>\n Looking a little dazed, Carrie smiled at Erin, husked, \u201cJesus, Erin!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin grinned at her, stuck her fingers in her mouth to taste the girl. She had seen the move in one of the porn videos Ashley had downloaded. It was supposed to be a sexy, flirty move, she thought. Or maybe the girls just liked the taste of another girl. Erin thought Carrie tasted delicious.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, you are bad,\u201d Carrie said, sitting up to give Erin an appreciative kiss. Finally pulling back, she smiled at Erin, said, \u201cThat was amazing. I’ve never come that hard before.\u201d<\/p>\n Carrie urged Erin to trade places with her and Erin stretched out on her back. Erin grinned at Carrie when the girl hooked her fingers in the panties she wore, and she lifted off the bed so Carrie could pull them off her hips and down her legs. She shivered as Carrie’s eyes fell on her girlhood and the corners of her mouth turned up in a playful smile.<\/p>\n \u201cSuch a pretty pussy,\u201d Carrie said, her hand sliding up Erin’s thigh. Erin sighed as her fingers found her bud, gently massaging it in lazy circles. The lovely pressure had her hips moving on their own, and she bit her lip against a moan that wanted to rip its way from her. Grinning, Carrie moved between Erin’s spread legs. She leaned in and pressed her lips to Erin’s bud, just a brushing of her lips that sent a shiver up Erin’s spine.<\/p>\n It was all just a tease, Carrie moving up her taut stomach in a series of moist kisses. She popped the catches on Erin’s bra and let it fall open. The girl smiled at Erin’s small breasts, at her nipples straining skyward. Her hot tongue ran around an areola, making Erin moan. Erin’s nipples ached sweetly under the torture, and Carrie didn’t let up until Erin didn’t think she could take any more. The girl had her so turned on, it was almost uncomfortable.<\/p>\n Carrie met Erin’s eyes, grinning as she started working her way back down Erin’s supine body. She took her time, driving Erin crazy with need. Still, the girl made her wait for it. By the time her mouth found Erin’s girlhood, again, she was so aroused that she moaned at just the brush of her lips on her sensitive bud. The anticipation was worth the wait, as Carrie turned out to be pretty good at this, herself. Her able tongue had Erin squirming on her back and moaning.<\/p>\n After a few minutes, Carrie paused to grin at her, held up two fingers. Erin’s pleasure-addled mind thought she was making the scout’s honor sign for a second, then her eyes widened as she understood what the girl was asking. She bit her lip and nodded. Carrie gave her a curious look, asked, \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Erin said, \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou really are a bad girl, aren’t you?\u201d Carrie said, grinning playfully at her, \u201cThat’s kind of hot.\u201d<\/p>\n Shaking her head, Erin laughed as she thought, The girl must think I’m a straight freak. Then again, I probably am<\/em>.<\/p>\n Carrie’s fingers pressed against the opening of her vagina and Erin moaned as her body accepted them inside of her. She was ready for them, and they slipped deep. Her back arched off the bed as Carrie massaged that spot deep inside, the one that made her go crazy. The sensation was so intense that she clutched at the sheets to keep her body from trying to get away.<\/p>\n When Carrie’s mouth found her bud, again, it was almost too much for her young body, so many lovely sensations competing for her attention. She lost control of her body, her hips undulating against Carrie’s hand and mouth. She closed her eyes, letting the waves of pleasure wash through her.<\/p>\n It didn’t take long for tension to creep into her body. Something that felt this good just couldn’t last, and she knew she was about to come. Carrie knew it, too, her eyes rolling up to meet Erin’s as they sprang open. A playful grin turned the corners of her mouth up, as the girl kept pushing Erin closer and closer to a climax. That smile only hastened Erin’s orgasm along, and she cried out as her body locked up on her. She shook as the orgasm had its way with her. It left her a panting, trembling mess of singing nerve endings.<\/p>\n Erin stretched like a cat in a sunny spot, savoring the delicious feeling of her body. Carrie grinned at her, moved up to give her a kiss. Wrapping her arms around the girl’s neck, Erin kissed her back appreciatively. She sighed as the girl’s body weight settled on her, loving the feel of Carrie lying atop her.<\/p>\n Carrie pulled back to grin at her, said, \u201cGod, I’ve needed this. It’s been too long.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long?\u201d Erin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNot since we moved,\u201d Carrie said.<\/p>\n \u201cNo wonder you were so eager to get me up here,\u201d Erin said, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s not why,\u201d Carrie said, kissing her, \u201cyou looked amazing in that little yellow dress. Even if I had gotten laid yesterday, I still would have tried.\u201d<\/p>\n ——————————–<\/p>\n \u201cWhat’s wrong?\u201d Ashley asked, seeing the look of disappointment on Trisha’s face.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Trisha asked, distracted. She shook it off and said, \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashley started grinning as she remembered the way Trisha had looked after Carrie and Erin as they left the kitchen. That look on her face started to make sense as Ashley thought about the conversation she had overheard between Trisha and Carrie. It had seemed like Carrie’s flirting had been working on the girl, that Trisha was leaning toward letting Carrie talk her into trying having sex with her.<\/p>\n Seeing that look on Trisha’s face, Ashley realized the girl was going to go through with it, was going to sleep with her friend. Or, would have if Erin hadn’t beat her to it.<\/p>\n \u201cFunny thing happened,\u201d Ashley said, smiling at the girl, \u201cErin and I were in the bathroom at school, and we overheard a conversation between you and Carrie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA conversation?\u201d Trisha asked, then her eyes widened. Her face turned bright red, and she looked at Ashley for a long moment before, asking, \u201cYou overheard that, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were going to sleep with Carrie, weren’t you?\u201d Ashley asked.<\/p>\n Trisha looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. She looked around, but no one was in earshot, so she said, \u201cI- I was thinking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou looked pretty disappointed when Carrie and Erin went upstairs together,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n Laughing and shaking her head, Trisha said, \u201cShe’s been picking at me, wearing me down and when I finally decide to give in and try it…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you don’t have a thing for Carrie?\u201d Ashley asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Trisha said, shaking her head, \u201cI don’t know… I was curious, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCurious?\u201d Ashley asked, raising her eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout being with a girl,\u201d Trisha said, blushing, \u201cCarrie always made it sound so… Let’s just say she made a good argument for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Ashley said, \u201cA good argument, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo hear her talk about it, it is the best thing ever,\u201d Trisha said, shaking her head.<\/p>\n Ashley looked at her for a long moment, then decided to take a chance. Meeting the girl’s eyes, she said, \u201cIt is pretty amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Trisha’s eyes widened, and she said, \u201cWhat? You, too?\u201d<\/p>\n Grinning at her, Ashley said, \u201cIs that so hard to imagine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAfter tonight, I’m assuming all the seventh graders are doing it,\u201d Trisha said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were thinking about doing it, too,\u201d Ashley reminded her.<\/p>\n Taking a deep breath, Trisha said, \u201cI guess I was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess the question is,\u201d Ashley said, favoring the girl with a playful grin, \u201cdoes it have to be Carrie?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave to be Carrie?\u201d Trisha parroted, frowning. Then what Ashley was asking sank in and she gaped at the redhead.<\/p>\n Laughing, Ashley said, \u201cCarrie and Erin are upstairs… Mindy and Sarah are in the corner talking…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you serious?\u201d Trisha asked, incredulously.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said you were finally going to give in and try it,\u201d Ashley said, smiling at the girl, \u201cso I ask again- does it have to be Carrie?.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Trisha said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously, \u201cno, I guess it doesn’t have to be Carrie. I just didn’t know I had other options.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAm I an option, then?\u201d Ashley teased, flashing her eyes at Trisha.<\/p>\n \u201cGod, I don’t know,\u201d Trisha said, laughing, \u201cI don’t know how this works.\u201d<\/p>\n Smiling, Ashley said, \u201cHonestly, neither do I. How about we go upstairs and see if we can’t figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n Trisha looked at her for a long moment, chewing on her lower lip nervously. Ashley could see the girl considering it and her heart started racing. That Trisha was even thinking about it, was enough to get her excited. The girl was beautiful and looked amazing in the little dress she wore. Ashley thought she’d look even better out of it.<\/p>\n Her heart kicked into overdrive when the girl suddenly made up her mind and nodded. Trisha looked nervous, still chewing on her lip, but her eyes said she was willing to let Ashley take her upstairs. Trisha saw her looking, gave Ashley a shy smile.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d Ashley asked, holding her breath.<\/p>\n Laughing, Trisha said, \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, okay, then,\u201d Ashley said, grinning, \u201clead the way. I don’t know where to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Trisha lead her through the living room and upstairs. They stopped at the door to the master suite and Trisha paused to look over her shoulder at Ashley. Ashley gave her a playful smile and reach passed her to open the door. With her hand in the small of the older girl’s back, Ashley urged her inside. Closing the door behind her, Ashley found the light switch. Ashley smiled at the big four poster bed, then at Trisha. The girl followed her eyes and started laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t remember being as bold as you when I was twelve,\u201d Trisha said, giving Ashley an admiring look.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m probably ahead of the game,\u201d Ashley said, walking further into the room. She sat on the bed and patted the mattress beside of her. Trisha looked uncertain, nervous as she came to the bed and sat beside her. Ashley didn’t fail to see the humor in their situation, the role reversal. Trisha, the older girl, should be the bold one and Ashley, the shy one.<\/p>\n Still, of the two girls sitting on the bed, Ashley was probably the more experienced. Well, she assumed, anyway. There was a possibility that Trisha was a raging nymphomaniac, but she doubted it.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I kiss you?\u201d Ashley asked, smiling coyly.<\/p>\n Trisha sucked in a nervous breath that she let out as a laugh. Meeting Ashley’s eyes, she nodded. Her eyes closed and Ashley smiled as she leaned in and kissed the girl. When Trisha’s lips parted, Ashley teased the girl’s tongue into her mouth, caressing it with her own. Hesitant at first, Trisha slowly relaxed and let Ashley draw her into a deeper, lingering kiss.<\/p>\n Finally breaking it, Trisha smiled at Ashley, said, \u201cYou are a nice kisser.\u201d<\/p>\n Grinning, Ashley said, \u201cYou, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Trisha said, \u201cI’ve got that Katy Perry song stuck in my head all of a sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou kissed a girl, and you liked it?\u201d Ashley asked, playfully.<\/p>\n Trisha met her eyes and said, \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashley saw she meant it. Smiling, she kissed the girl, again. Trisha kissed her back a lot less hesitantly this time and Ashley felt the girl beginning to respond. When she thought the girl was ready for it, Ashley put her hand on Trisha’s hip and slow slid it up and onto her breast. Ashley was used to fooling around with Erin, Mindy, and Natty, nothing bigger than a b-cup between them but Trisha was already a D-cup, most likely. Her breast was heavier, fuller in her hand. The girl gasped in surprise but didn’t move Ashley’s hand. She moaned into their kiss as Ashley’s gently kneaded her breast, and her kiss became even more eager.<\/p>\n Pulling back a little, Ashley asked, \u201cIs this okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a little late to be asking permission now,\u201d Trisha said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cI can stop if you want,\u201d Ashley said, grinning playfully at her. She used her thumb to tease Trisha’s stiffened nipple through her dress.<\/p>\n Moaning, the girl said, \u201cYou don’t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashley smiled at her and asked, \u201cIs the zipper to your dress on the back or the side?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBack,\u201d Trisha said, turning slightly so Ashley could see the zipper. When Ashley ran it down, and the dress hung loosely on Trisha’s shoulders, the girl pulled it down until it pooled around her waist. Ashley drank in her full breasts, a little jealous. As she watched, Trisha reached behind her and popped the catches on her bra, slipping free of it. No longer restrained, her bosom was even fuller. She felt almost like a boy sitting next to Trisha.<\/p>\n \u201cYour turn,\u201d Trisha said, looking like she was trying hard not to cover up.<\/p>\n Wondering if she had anything the girl would be interested in, Ashley got to her feet and slipped the dress up and over her head. In just a bra and a pair of panties, she let the girl look at her. Fighting back her insecurities, she unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor.<\/p>\n Trisha smiled at her, said, \u201cYou are in great shape. I’m a little jealous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe?\u201d Ashley said, laughing, \u201cyou look amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Getting to her feet, Trisha shimmied the rest of the way out of her dress, tossing it on the bed. In just her panties, she sat back down. She looked at a loss of what to do now, her nervousness all over her face. Ashley urged her to move further onto the bed. Trisha started to lay down, but Ashley stopped her with a smile and a slight shake of her head. Ashley gently folded Trisha’s legs at the knee until the girl was sitting Indian style. The girl looked at her curiously as Ashley climbed first onto the bed and into her lap. Sitting facing her, Ashley wrapped her arms around Trisha’s neck and kissed her.<\/p>\n While the girl was distracted with the kiss, Ashley rolled her hips forward, rubbing her lower abdomen against Trisha’s. The girl gasped, pulling away from the kiss to look down at the nesting of their bodies. Ashley pushed her hips forward again, grinding against the girl. Trisha bit her lip and moaned, her eyes wide as she looked back up at Ashley.<\/p>\n Grinning, Ashley asked, \u201cFeels good, doesn’t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh huh,\u201d Trisha said, grinning at her.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you move your hips when I do…\u201d Ashley said, moving her hips. Trisha seemed to understand, pushing forward and up into Ashley. With some practice, they found their rhythm, their bodies moving in perfect harmony.<\/p>\n \u201cGod, this feels good,\u201d Trisha said, around a moan.<\/p>\n Grinning, Ashley said, \u201cDid you think Carrie and I were lying to you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Trisha said, then grinned sheepishly, \u201cmaybe exaggerating a little.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashley winked at her and said, \u201cWe weren’t.\u201d<\/p>\n She gently pushed the girl backward and climbed off her lap. From her back, Trisha watched as she hooked her thumbs in the girl’s panties. Trisha hesitated a heartbeat, then lifted her backside off the bed so Ashley could remove her underwear. Ashley tossed them aside, making the girl laugh. Winking, she slipped out of her own panties, flinging them in the other direction. On her knees, Ashley nudged the girl’s legs open, moving between them. She straddled one of Trisha’s hips, lowering onto her until their bodies nested together.<\/p>\n Propping up on her elbows, Trisha looked at the meeting of their bodies. She was blushing when she looked back up at Ashley, and she laughed nervously, \u201cIt’s a little strange with the panties off. Never expected to be this… Close to another girl.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it was weird my first time, too,\u201d Ashley said, giving her a playful smile, \u201cbut it stops being weird pretty quick.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Trisha said, \u201cI doubt that.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashley just grinned at her and started moving her hips. She saw Trisha biting her lip and thought the girl was well on her way to forgetting about this being weird. The girl closed her eyes as the first moan slipped past her slack mouth.<\/p>\n Letting her hands slip up the girl’s taut stomach, Ashley cupped Trisha’s breasts, kneading them until the girl arched her back and groaned. Trisha’s hands came up, covering Ashley’s. Getting the message, Ashley didn’t stop, continued to fondle them as she really ground against the girl.<\/p>\n The girl’s hips began to push up into Ashley, meeting her counter-thrust for thrust. The meetings of their bodies had both girls moaning, their voices getting louder as they grew more excited. As their little cries began to fill the room, Ashley glanced at the door to the hallway. Grinning, she wondered if anyone was around to hear them. As far as she knew, the only other people up here were Erin and Carrie, and they were probably distracted enough with each other not to notice.<\/p>\n Trisha had seen her glance over her shoulder, and her eyes followed Ashley’s gaze. Seeing the door, she blushed and tried to hold her moans in. Ashley grinned at her when she failed miserably. Leaning down, she kissed Trisha and said, \u201cEveryone is still downstairs… Probably.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Trisha said, \u201cOh God!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon’t worry about them,\u201d Ashley said, kissing her, again. Smiling down at her, she asked, \u201cAre you ready to try something different?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Trisha said, moaning, \u201cthis feels so good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen you will like this,\u201d Ashley said, slipping her arm under Trisha’s neck and rolling them. She did it so fast, Trisha didn’t have time to react until she was already sitting atop Ashley. Trisha laughed, smiling down at Ashley.<\/p>\n Ashley ran her hands up the girl’s thighs and onto her backside. She urged the girl to start moving her hips and Trisha giggled. It took her a few seconds to figure out the motion, but, soon, she had the rhythm right. Ashley thought she looked incredibly sexy, the roll of her hips sensual and hypnotic. Fuller in the hip than the other girls Ashley has slept with, the flex and twist of Trisha’s body was almost an erotic dance. It was a beautiful visual counterpart to the lovely sensations the girl’s gyrations were awakening in Ashley’s body.<\/p>\n Trisha’s eyes fell on Ashley’s small, jiggling breasts and she bit her lip hesitantly. Finally, she ran her hands up Ashley’s stomach to cup them. As she gently fondled them, Ashley arched her back, encouraging the girl not to stop. Trisha teased Ashley’s stiffened nipple, drawing a moan from her slack mouth. A naughty grin came across the blonde’s face.<\/p>\n Ashley grinned, thinking Trisha was enjoying herself more than the girl had thought she would. She had let Ashley lead her up her to see what the fuss was all about, her interest piqued by Carrie’s insistence. Now that she was here, Ashley had won her over. The curiosity in Trisha’s eyes as she let her hands roam over Ashley’s body said as much. Her touch had been hesitant but became eager as she realized she liked the feel of Ashley’s body under her finger tips.<\/p>\n A new convert<\/em>, Ashley thought, sitting up to kiss the girl. She felt that same eagerness in Trisha’s kiss. Grinning, she thought, The girl is definitely hooked<\/em>.<\/p>\n Their pace began to quicken as they fed off each other’s excitement. They became almost frantic in their need, their mingling cries filling the room. The lovely sensations washing through them were too intense to last, and Ashley saw Trisha’s eyes widened as she realized she was going to come. Right there with her, Ashley grabbed the girl’s buttocks, helping her finish them off as the girl’s hips started to lose their grace.<\/p>\n Trisha came first, her body stiffening atop Ashley. Her fingers digging into the girl’s buttocks, Ashley didn’t let her stop moving. The girl jerked every time their bodies came together, the friction torture on her now very sensitive bud. One, two, three more thrusts of her hips and Ashley cried out with her own orgasm. She shook with the girl, and they lost themselves to the ecstasy.<\/p>\n After a long moment, Trisha brushed her hair from her face and gave Ashley a stunned smile. Ashley grinned at her, and the girl started laughing. Sitting up, Ashley gave her a sweet kiss that Trisha returned eagerly.<\/p>\n \u201cGod,\u201d Trisha said, wrapping her arms around Ashley’s neck, \u201cmy toes are still curled.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMine, too,\u201d Ashley said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cShit,\u201d Trisha said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat’s wrong?\u201d Ashley asked, raising her eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m going to have to tell Carrie she was right about this,\u201d Trisha said, lightly kissing Ashley, \u201cand I’ll have to hear the I-told-you-so’s.\u201d<\/p>\n ————————————-<\/p>\n \u201cCan I ask you something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm sure,\u201d Mindy said, cringing. In her past experiences, when someone said those five words, the person wanted to ask about the rumors going around about her. Watching Sarah fidget nervously, she thought the girl was about to ask about them, too.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,\u201d Sarah said.<\/p>\n Sighing, Mindy said, \u201cYes, I slept with my babysitter. Yes, I’m into girls. No, I’ve never slept with one of the teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo there is some truth to the rumors,\u201d Sarah said, chewing on her lower lip.<\/p>\n Mindy felt herself starting to bristle, to get upset but she hesitated. Sarah’s question didn’t seem spiteful, just… Curious. The girl seemed almost shy about asking, fidgeting with her necklace, again. Mindy frowned, realizing Sarah did that when she was nervous. But, why was the girl nervous? And why was she asking about the rumors that had circulated around Mindy’s old school.<\/p>\n Something had been bugging her while she and Sarah talked, something she had dismissed because it seemed just to be wishful thinking. Still frowning, she wondered if she might have dismissed the possibility too fast. The way the girl had smiled at her, the way she fiddled with her necklace… It was almost like the girl was… flirting with her.<\/p>\n No girl had ever flirted with her before. Well, maybe her babysitter but that hadn’t been the same. Erin and Ashley teased and played with her, but again, it wasn’t the same. Mindy didn’t even know what it was like to have someone flirt with her.<\/p>\n \u201cSarah,\u201d Mindy said, waiting for the girl to look at her, \u201cwhy did you ask about the rumors?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI… Well…\u201d the girl said, blushing.<\/p>\n Oh God, she<\/em> was flirting with me!<\/em>, Mindy thought, her heart racing in her breast. Suddenly in unfamiliar territory, she didn’t know what to do.<\/p>\n Sarah saw that Mindy had figured it out, and she laughed nervously, said, \u201cUm, can we find somewhere to talk?\u201d<\/p>\n Nodding, Mindy let Sarah lead her through the house and into the garage. It was warmer than the air outside but not much. Shivering, Mindy looked at the girl expectantly.<\/p>\n Taking a deep breath, Sarah said, \u201cGod, I never thought I’d do this. You looked so beautiful, I… I had to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing, Sarah?\u201d Mindy asked, her pulse racing.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a huge crush on you,\u201d Sarah said, in a rush to get it out. She was blushing and looked about ready to run away if Mindy said ‘boo’.<\/p>\n Mindy didn’t say boo<\/em>, smiling at the girl instead, \u201cOn me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Sarah said, hesitantly meeting Mindy’s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI- I didn’t…\u201d Mindy said, at a loss for words.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are so beautiful,\u201d Sarah said, taking a deep breath and letting it out as a nervous laugh, \u201cI wanted to tell you that for a long time. I had almost worked up the courage and then you transferred to a different school. Then you walked into the party tonight…I thought this was my chance.\u201d<\/p>\n Stunned, Mindy just stared at the girl. The raw emotion behind the Sarah’s words made it a little hard to breathe. She’d never had anyone talk to her like that, express such strong feelings about her before. Her brain was slipping gears, and she couldn’t react.<\/p>\n Sarah fidgeted nervously and looked close to tears, said, \u201cI need you to say something because I’m freaking out right now. I don’t even care if it’s ‘I’m not interested’. Just say something.\u201d<\/p>\n Mindy didn’t say anything-couldn’t- so she just moved closer and kissed the girl. Sarah stiffened in surprise, then melted against Mindy, kissed her back passionately. It lingered, deepened until Mindy stopped noticing the cold. Finally, she pulled back to meet the girl’s eyes, offering her a sheepish grin.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d Mindy said, her voice a little husky with excitement, \u201cI- I couldn’t get the words out.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarah touched her lips and said, \u201cUm, it’s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n The look Sarah favored her with made Mindy’s heart skip a few beats, and her knees grow weak. Her old babysitter had looked at her with lust in her eyes, and there was a little of that, but there was something else. Erin and Ashley looked at her with the love of friendship, and there was also a little of that in Sarah’s look, but there was something more. What she saw in Sarah’s eyes scared her a little bit because it was something new. Well, new to her.<\/p>\n Even though it scared her, she liked the way Sarah was looking at her. She smiled nervously at the girl and asked, \u201cNow what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking about kissing you, again,\u201d Sarah said, moving closer. She leaned in, stopping with her lips only inches from Mindy’s.<\/p>\n Unable to resist, Mindy went the rest of the way, kissed the girl, again. This time, Sarah was ready for it, kissed her back eagerly. Mindy felt a shiver of excitement work through her as the girl moved against her, her arms slipping around Mindy’s neck. Seconds or hours, Mindy didn’t know how long they stood like that. She lost herself in the scent of the girl’s perfume, in the taste of her kiss, in the feel of her lean body molded against her own. She couldn’t remember ever being so wrapped up in just a kiss before.<\/p>\n Sarah pulled back a little to meet Mindy’s eyes. She must have seen what she was looking for because she started smiling, said, \u201cYou felt that, too.\u201d<\/p>\n With a nervous laugh, Mindy said, \u201cI don’t know what I felt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you felt something?\u201d Sarah asked, a fragile hope in her eyes.<\/p>\n Mindy smiled at her and said, \u201cI definitely felt something. You are a great kisser.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Sarah asked, some of her insecurity showing through. It dawned on her this was Sarah’s first time.<\/p>\n \u201cThis wasn’t your first kiss, was it?\u201d Mindy asked, finding it hard to believe.<\/p>\n \u201cUm… Yeah,\u201d Sarah said, smiling shyly.<\/p>\n \u201cNever would have guessed,\u201d Mindy said.<\/p>\n That seemed to please Sarah, and she kissed Mindy. Again, Mindy felt herself drawn to the girl, everything else fading into the background. It spooked her a little, how much she liked kissing Sarah. Not even her babysitter had made her feel like this, and she had thought she was in love with her.<\/p>\n A little uneasy by her reaction to the girl, she pulled back a little, breaking the kiss’s hold on her. Her heart was racing in her breast as she looked at the girl. The smile Sarah was favoring her with didn’t help the funny way she was feeling. It made her want to kiss the girl, again.<\/p>\n What the hell did you do to me<\/em>, Mindy wondered, still looking at Sarah.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, would you… I don’t know… want to do something sometime?\u201d Sarah asked.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething?\u201d Mindy asked, raising her eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cSee a movie or something,\u201d she said, chewing on her lip nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean like… a date?\u201d Mindy asked, her heart beating even faster. She wasn’t sure if she wanted the girl to say yes or not.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, yeah,\u201d Sarah said, meeting Mindy’s eyes.<\/p>\n Holy shit<\/em>, she thought, her mind racing, she’s asking me out!<\/em><\/p>\n The thought of dating Sarah- or any other girl for that matter- both intrigued and scared the hell out of her. She had thought about what it would be like to go on a date before. Fantasized about it, really. Now, here was an attractive girl asking her out and she didn’t know what to do. Part of her wanted to say no, to shy away from the unknown. The other part of her ached to go to the movies with Sarah, to hold hands and share a popcorn in the dark theater.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s okay if you don’t want to,\u201d Sarah said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice but not completely succeeding.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s not that I don’t want to,\u201d Mindy said, sighing. The mean kids at her old school popped into her head, and she remembered the way they used to spread rumors about her and to torment her for sport. Being seen at the mall with Mindy would only cause problems for the girl.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are worried about me,\u201d Sarah said, smiling warmly at her, \u201cyou should know I don’t care what other people think about me.\u201d<\/p>\n That line made Mindy smile. The girl really didn’t care what other people thought about her, did her own thing her own way. Like the way she dressed, her tastes in music. Sarah wasn’t one for joining the crowd, to putting much stock in trends. It was one of the things Mindy had always admired about the girl. That and how her butt looked in jeans.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, if you aren’t too embarrassed to be seen in public with a tomboy like me…\u201d Sarah said, playfully.<\/p>\n Mindy stared at her for a long moment, then shook her head and laughed, \u201cI’d love to be seen in public with you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood, it’s a date,\u201d Sarah said, grinning at her.<\/p>\n —————————————————<\/p>\n Erin looked at herself in Carrie’s mirror, adjusting her dress and fixing her hair. She thought it was still painfully obvious that she had just had sex. It was probably just her imagination, though. Carrie came up behind her wrapping her arms around Erin’s waist. Erin smiled at her reflection in the mirror.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look beautiful,\u201d Carrie said, kissing her neck.<\/p>\n \u201cSo do you,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a shame we need to get back to the party,\u201d Carrie said, her hand coming up to cup Erin’s breast.<\/p>\n Laughing, Erin pushed it away, said, \u201cMaybe next time we’ll have more time.\u201d<\/p>\n Carrie grinned playfully at her in the mirror and asked, \u201cNext time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, next time,\u201d Erin said, turning in the girl’s arms to kiss her.<\/p>\n \u201cNext time, then,\u201d Carrie said, smiling at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really need to get back, though,\u201d Erin said, moving away from the girl, \u201cwe’ve probably been gone too long already. You can’t be missing at your own party. People are going to notice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Carrie said, making a last minute check of her dress in the mirror, then turned to the door.<\/p>\n She stepped out into the hallway and Erin waited for a couple of minutes before following her. After enough time had passed, she stepped into the hallway. She was closing the door when another one opened down the hall. She hurriedly closed it and stepped away, so whoever was coming out of the other room wouldn’t think Erin had been in Carrie’s room.<\/p>\n Her eyes widened when Ashley and Trisha came out of the room down the hall. The two girls froze when they realized they weren’t alone. Erin saw Trisha’s face turn bright red with embarrassment. Frowning, she wondered what they had been up to. Then her eyes widened as it dawned on her.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, we can’t all go at the same time,\u201d she said, grinning at the embarrassed girl, \u201cthey’ll think we into something kinky up here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI’ll go,\u201d Trisha said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ll be down in a few minutes,\u201d Erin said.<\/p>\n Erin watched Trisha head downstairs, then turned back to her friend. She saw Ashley grinning ear to ear and had to laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you two have fun?\u201d Erin asked, moving closer.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Ashley said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cSo how did that happen?\u201d Erin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember how we thought Carrie had almost talked Trisha into sleeping with her?\u201d Ashley asked, and Erin nodded. Grinning, she continued, \u201cWell, we were right. When you and Carrie came upstairs together, she looked disappointed, and I realized Trisha was going to give in and try it tonight. I talked her into trying it with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow’d it go?\u201d Erin asked, amused.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty good,\u201d Ashley said, then started grinning, \u201cI’m supposed to call her, so we can do it, again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh oh,\u201d she said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Ashley agreed, winking.<\/p>\n They waited a few more minutes, then Ashley headed downstairs to the part. Alone in the upstairs hallway, Erin thought, What a crazy night<\/em>.<\/p>\n ——————————————-<\/p>\n \u201cGod, what an amazing night,\u201d Ashley said, laughing.<\/p>\n I know,\u201d Erin said, grinning at her, \u201cI slept with an eighth grader.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo did I,\u201d Ashley said, holding up her hand for a high five. Laughing, Erin gave her one.<\/p>\n \u201cHow about you, Mindy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, I didn’t sleep with anyone,\u201d the brunette said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do I get the feeling something did happen, though,\u201d Ashley said, looking at her friend. She started grinning when Mindy blushed.<\/p>\n \u201cI might have been asked on a date,\u201d Mindy said, hesitantly.<\/p>\n \u201cLike a date-date?\u201d Ashley asked, her emerald eyes wide.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, yeah,\u201d Mindy said, blushing.<\/p>\n \u201cBy Sarah?\u201d Erin asked, making Mindy look at her funny. Grinning, she said, \u201cCome on, Mindy. We saw you flirting with her.\u201d<\/p>\n Mindy nodded, grinning sheepishly, \u201cShe asked me out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow did that happen?\u201d Erin asked, her eyes bright with interest.<\/p>\n \u201cUm,\u201d Mindy said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously, \u201cshe apparently had a crush on me but didn’t get a chance to tell me before I transferred schools. I- I’ve never had anyone look at me the way she did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo this isn’t just two friends going to the mall together,\u201d Ashley said, grinning at her friend.<\/p>\n \u201cI think she wants more than that,\u201d Mindy said, biting her lip.<\/p>\n Grinning, Erin said, \u201cI think she isn’t the only one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI liked the way she looked at me,\u201d Mindy said, blushing.<\/p>\n \u201cYou two will make a cute couple,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n \u201cCouple?\u201d Mindy said, testing the word on her tongue. She liked the way it sounded, even if the idea scared the hell out of her.<\/p>\n Continue To Part Eleven<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThat can’t be right.\u201d Erin looked at Ashley, raising her eyebrows questioningly. Ashley was propped up on her elbow, looking past Erin at something. Following her gaze, Erin saw what had caught the girl’s attention. It was her alarm clock. … Continue reading