New Year's in the Catsills

Hey all, here is my latest addition to the Bang Gang saga. Is the term saga too pretentious at this point? Probably.

As much as I try to make stories independent and readable on their own, I strongly recommend reading my previous stories beginning with the Romping on Winter Break stories. I feel like I may have gone a bit long with the exposition and setup in this story, so if you don't mind that sort of thing, I hope you will indulge me. There are several elements I wanted to establish in this story for use in later additions.

One last note. I would be interested in procuring an editor for future stories for this series. I try my best to go through my prose and find all of the errors, but perhaps a second set of eyes might help me improve. I've looked through the list of editors, but I'm not great at wading through all of that. If you are interested, please send me a message and maybe you'd be a good fit.

Enough of that, please enjoy the latest entry.

MaiaEmpire

***

It was late Sunday morning, and I stood in the hallway to the kitchen, out of sight from my parents. I paced a little in my gray pajama bottoms and white camisole, prepping myself for negotiation. Last night, my boyfriend Rylan invited me to a resort in the Catskills for New Year's Eve with his family, which was in just a couple of days. I was strategizing how I'd be able to convince my parents to let me go on such short notice with a boy they had never met.

I was totally trustworthy. Well, mostly trustworthy, considering that not two weeks ago I had snuck off for a week in Long Island with the aforementioned boyfriend, my best friend Brooke, and her boyfriend, instead of going on a school trip. And subsequently, the four of us had fucked each other for an entire week straight. Okay, so maybe I wasn't trustworthy at all, but my parents didn't know that! Besides, I was being honest this time: Rylan's family would be there and I wasn't planning for the volume of depravity that my previous trip had been. So yeah, totally trustworthy. This time.

I took a deep breath, and steeled myself as I entered the kitchen. My mom was stirring something at the stove and my dad was sipping coffee at the kitchen island.

"Morning, honey," said my dad, not looking up from his tablet.

"Morning, Dad. Morning, Mom!" I said sweetly.

"Good morning, Beth" answered my mom. "I very much appreciate that you got home well before curfew last night."

"Well, you know me mom," I said proudly, "and how highly responsible I am!"

My mom raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yes," I continued, "which is what I want you to keep in mind when I ask you this..."

Mom turned around, her hand on her hip as she appraised me. "Go on."

"Well, I was invited to a thing for New Year's -"

"Okay," said Mom, neutrally.

"- and it's upstate in the Catskills -"

"I'm sorry, the Catskills? Who invited you there?"

"Er, my boyfriend, Rylan, who I know you don't know, but he was the one who dropped me off well before curfew last night!"

"Oh Beth," Mom sighed, "You want us to let you go away somewhere, overnight, with some boyfriend that we never even knew existed?"

"Well, I am eighteen..."

"You've been eighteen for a month."

"A month and a half!" I countered. "Besides, it's not like we'd be alone. Rylan's family is all going to be there, it's some gala event at a ski resort!"

"But you hate skiing," Dad pointed out.

"I hate skiing, but I love galas! I mean, probably. I haven't been to one yet."

"That's hardly the point, dear," sighed Mom. "If I may ask, how long have you had this as-yet-unknown boyfriend? Who is this boy?"

"I've been dating him for months now, and we decided to be official," I thought for a moment, "um, before winter break started. His name is Rylan Hunt, and he's very nice!"

"That's really not -" Mom paused for a moment. "Did you say Hunt?"

My mom and dad, while not super-wealthy, managed to make a very good living as a cardiologist and a software developer respectively, and education was very important to them. This was the main reason that they could spend a fortune on sending me to a private academy, not to mention I happened to easily make the grades to get in. Not bad for a blonde cheerleader. They knew very well the school's reputation, and with that knowledge came being aware of some of the more prominent names at the school.

"Rylan Hunt," Mom said carefully. "As in, Hunt National Investments?"

"I guess so."

Dad piped in. "And Hunt Communications?"

"Er, yes?"

"He wouldn't happen to know Senator Hunt, would he?"

"Um, his uncle, I think?"

Mom looked at Dad, both wide-eyed. "And you said," Mom queried, "that you've been dating for...how long?"

I thought for a moment. "Um, the beginning of the school year. But like I said, we went official right before -"

"Right before winter break. Yes," said Mom, thoughtfully. She cleared her throat. "Well, I suppose since his parents will be there, and you are eighteen and very responsible..."

"So I can go?!"

"Now hold on, young lady! You're not going anywhere until we meet this boyfriend of yours. He's coming for dinner. Tonight."

"Oh, yes! It's fine, I'll call him now to invite him!" I rushed to hug her. "Thank you, Mom! Thank you, Dad!"

"I haven't said yes quite yet, but we'll see. Tell him we eat at 6:30. I'll make something nice for dinner tonight."

"Oh Mom, he's such a sweet boy, I'm sure you'll like him!" I raced out of the kitchen and bounded up the stairs to my room. I messaged Rylan the good news, and he immediately confirmed that he was looking forward to it. I had never introduced a boyfriend to my parents before, and I was a little nervous, but Rylan was unlike any boy I had dated before. I knew they would like him.

That afternoon, I helped Mom get the house ready for company - she seemed to clean everything a bit more meticulously than usual - and afterwards I showered and prettied myself up in my room. I chose a long-sleeved red sweater with a dark skirt; nothing too fancy. I put my hair back with a hair band, and went light on the blush and lipstick to match my sweater. I finished with some mascara, and went down into the living room to await Rylan.

Mom had made lasagna, which was baking in the oven, and she sat with me on the couch, peppering me with questions about Rylan - where we met, his hobbies, that sort of thing. I was thankful when the doorbell finally rang, and I broke from Mom to open the door for Rylan. He was dressed in his usual style - a casual dark suit over a white collared shirt. He wore a sharp, thin black tie and even sported a white pocket square. He grinned, holding a bottle of wine under his arm. He was so handsome and unnaturally mature, despite only being a senior in high school.

"Hey Beth," he greeted, giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek and stepping inside. I put my arm around his waist, and presented him to Mom and Dad.

"Mom, Dad, this is Rylan Hunt."

Rylan gave a polite smile, and shook my dad's extended hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans."

"It's so nice to meet you, Rylan," said my mother. "Oh, what do you have there?"

"Ah, I hope you don't mind but I brought a Riserva De Buris red."

"Oh, my," said Mom. She knew a fair amount about wine, and from the look on her face it was a good one.

"Well," she coughed, " we will certainly enjoy this with dinner! Please, come inside!"

The four of us moved into the living room, me sitting next to Rylan holding his hand, and Mom and Dad sitting on the chairs opposite. Most boys probably would have been nervous or awkward meeting parents for the first time, but Rylan gave no indication. He seemed perfectly content chatting with them, and though my parents interrogated him, he somehow managed not to talk about himself much; instead he turned the conversation into questions for them. Rylan remembered that Mom was a doctor, and asked questions of interest to her. He did the same to Dad, and got him talking about his computers and hardware.

The conversation didn't stall for a moment during dinner; Rylan was quite the conversationalist. Even if he didn't have much knowledge of a subject, his genuine interest in whatever someone else was talking about was always apparent. He was very complimentary about me too; talking about how smart I was in school, and how funny he thought I was. Who was I to argue with him?

Around 8:30, as we finished our coffee in the living room, Rylan spoke up.

"Mr. and Mrs. Evans, I've enjoyed meeting you, but unfortunately I have to excuse myself before it gets too late. We're heading north tomorrow for the resort, and I have a little packing to do."

"Please, dear," said Mom, "call me Joanna. Beth told me about your invitation, and as long as your parents are okay with it, she may accompany you."

"Oh, thanks Mom!"

"Well, Rylan's a darling. Though I expect you to check in with me!" she warned.

"Come, Rylan," said my dad, standing. We all stood with him. "I'll show you to the door."

He walked Rylan to the door, as my mom took my arm and whispered in my ear. "He is a gem, Beth!"

"I know!" I smiled back.

"...now Rylan, remember. The Nvidia cards would be good for your setup, but don't be afraid to go with AMD if you want to overclock."

"Makes sense, Mr. Evans. It should work for my setup." He turned to my mom, who gave him a warm hug. Rylan was a little startled; I don't think he got hugged very often, but my mom was quite a hugger.

"So nice to meet you, Rylan!" she said, taking his cheeks in her hands affectionately. "Such a handsome young man!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Ev - ah, Joanna." He dislodged from my mom, and embraced me. I gripped him tight as he kissed my cheek. "Good night, Beth. I'll see you tomorrow, I'll have the car sent for you around 10?"

"That sounds great, Rylan." I didn't want to let him go, but I relented and we grinned at each other as he walked back to his car.

"Such a nice boy," said Mom, as I closed the door behind Rylan. "Now, go ahead and get your clothes packed for tomorrow."

That night, I swear I must have packed, unpacked, and repacked my suitcase about a dozen times. I wasn't completely sure what to expect at a resort like this with a family like Rylan's, or what kind of outfits to bring with me. Formal? Conservative? Do I bother to bring winter gear with me? It was only about three days and two nights, but I think I was bringing three times as much as I would need. I wanted to make sure that I was appropriate for a function like this, and was worried I wouldn't fit in.

The next morning, I finished breakfast and was putting the finishing touches on the outfit I chose - a long-sleeved black sweater, a red skirt, and some dark woolen tights. I was ready to go, but I was not precisely sure how I was getting picked up, and as I wondered sure enough my phone buzzed. It was Rylan, and I answered before the second chime went off.

"H-- Hello? Beth, are you --? Can y --me --?"

"Rylan? You're cutting out. Are you in a tunnel or something?"

"Beth? I can hear you. Lis--en, my parents and I had to head into the city ea-- this morning, and they took me with. Alan is driv -- us straight from -- to the resort, and we won't be able to pick you up."

My heart sank. "Oh no..."

Rylan cut me off. "Don't worry, I arranged a -- other ride for you. My -- will be there soon, if you -- and -- problems."

"Wait, who's coming?"

"Beth, I think I'm --, and he was gone. For a moment I had thought the trip was canceled, but I wondered who he had gotten to pick me up. Right on cue, I saw a car pull into the driveway through the window of my bedroom. I checked myself in the mirror one last time, and hauled my suitcase downstairs as the doorbell rang.

I answered the front door, and standing on the front porch was a pretty girl who looked vaguely familiar. She was tall and blonde, more so than I, with her hair tied back in a ponytail. She wore a long green hooded parka and jeans which were very cute. She tossed me a friendly smile.

"Are you Beth Evans?" she asked.

"That's me!" I replied.

"Hi! I'm Tabitha Schneider. I'm Rylan's sister's friend. Did he call you?"

That's where I had seen her; in a photo in his sister Jessica's room when we were at Rylan's Long Island house. I was horrible and was snooping in her room, where I had discovered Jessica's little lesbian secret, in the form of a strap-on dildo, which I subsequently borrowed and used several times that week.

"Oh, er, yeah," I coughed awkwardly, "but he was cutting in and out, he didn't say who was coming."

"Well," she said, "here I am! Jessica and I planned to drive up separately, and when her parents dragged Rylan into the city with them, he asked me if I wouldn't mind if I let you drive up with us."

"Well," I breathed a sigh of relief, "thank you for coming to get me! I'm all ready to go."

"Who is it, Beth?" called my mother, coming down the stairs.

"Oh, it's my ride. Tabitha, this is my mom."

"Please," she said, "call me Tabby. It's nice to meet you, ma'am. I guess I'm Beth's boyfriend's sister's friend? We're going to drive up together to meet up with their parents at the resort."

"Oh, how nice!," replied my mom. "Please, come in, I can get you a little snack before you hit the road."

"Well, we really should hit the road before the day gets too long."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. I'll get you a little something for the ride." Before Tabitha could protest, Mom had already headed into the kitchen. "Jonathan," she yelled across the house, "please take your daughter's luggage out to the car."

I raised my eyebrows awkwardly, and Tabitha chuckled. Dad came out of the basement, said his hello and goodbyes, and hauled my suitcase out to the car. Mom emerged from the kitchen with a couple of thermos full of coffee and a plastic bag of bagels. She handed them to Tabitha and kissed me goodbye on my cheeks as I put on my winter coat and gear.

"Goodbye, Beth dear, and nice to meet you, Tabby. Be sure to text as soon as you arrive and check in with your mother regularly!"

"Yes, mother!" I promised as Tabitha and I headed to the car. Once dad loaded my suitcase into the trunk, we got into the car and headed out.

"So," explained Tabitha, "Jessica is picking up a dress she had altered in Yonkers, so we're going to swing down to pick her up, and then head across the river and northwards."

"Sounds good to me. So, Rylan mentioned you're originally from Chicago, but you're studying at Stanford with Jessica?"

"That's right. We drove from California to Chicago to visit my parents before we drove out here. Did Rylan...let you know about us?" she asked carefully.

"He said you guys came out to your parents. I guess, congratulations?"

Tabitha laughed. "Thank you, I suppose? I met Jessica the first month we arrived at Stanford, and we've been dating ever since, though our parents were not aware. My parents weren't too surprised about me when I sprang the news, to be honest. And Jessica's parents barely acknowledged it. I think they hardly ever registered me as much more than their daughter's friend. Probably still don't."

"I haven't met Rylan's parents, yet."

Tabitha snorted. "They're not bad, per say, they're just really aloof. Really focused on maintaining the Hunt family affairs, and all that. They're pretty strict with Rylan; cultivating the heir to the throne, y'know. Comes with being in a family like that."

I sighed. "Yeah, I'm really nervous about meeting them. Rylan's, like, super rich and everything, I'm not exactly sure how to take that."

Tabitha waved it away. "Don't worry about it. I've been to a bunch of these functions - Jessica always flew me out with her - and it's just a bunch of rich snobs looking important. Honestly, I'm glad me and her have our life out in California so we don't have to deal with all of the bullshit like Rylan has to."

I had never really thought about all that - I only cared about being with Rylan - but I guess in the back of my head I got a little bit more worried, despite Tabitha's assurances. I let it drop for the moment. We spent the next half hour chatting about life in general, with her telling me about school and her studies, and I gently probed about her being a lesbian. Since Tabitha was really the first openly gay person I had ever met, I was curious, especially since it concerned my own newfound bisexuality and relationship with Brooke. I also didn't mind listening to everything this very attractive girl had to say about the subject and couldn't help but beset her with questions. She answered my questions patiently, though she eventually commented on my interest.

"You're...pretty inquisitive about all that stuff. I mean, being gay is no big deal," Tabitha laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Why the fascination?"

I squeaked a little, realizing I was probably coming across as way too interested. I didn't dare mention my dating situation with Rylan and Brooke, or the fact that I've been having sex with both him and her regularly, often at the same time.

I coughed. "Oh, um, no reason."

She grinned. "I get the curiosity. I don't mind you asking. You'll see a lot of that kind of stuff in college, it'll open your eyes!"

The crazy, sweaty memories of fucking Brooke and Rylan barely two days ago flashed through my head. If that's what I get now, in high school, god only knows what college would be like.

"Ah, this looks like the place," said Tabitha, pulling into a parking lot. She parked in the idle area in front of a store, and pulled out her phone to send out a message. Not twenty seconds later, a figure exited, carrying a white garment bag and a suitcase.

I immediately surmised that it was Rylan's sister, Jessica. She had the same light brown hair as Rylan, pulled back into a fancy bun behind the nape of her neck. Her black framed glasses and her smart gray coat gave her that total hot librarian look. Tabitha got out of the driver's seat, and I the passenger's seat, to help her with her luggage.

"Hey, babe!" greeted Tabitha, giving her a peck on her lips.

"Hey hon," replied Jessica. "They were able to stitch up the seam; I was worried I wouldn't be able to wear this for New Year's. Thanks for accommodating me."

"Not a problem, Jess. Here, let me introduce Beth, Rylan's girlfriend."

Jessica set down her bag, and extended her arm for a light handshake. "Ah, so you're the famous Beth! Rylan has talked non-stop about you since we arrived in Westchester. It's so good to meet you!"

I took her hand. "Glad to meet you too! Rylan has told me all about you as well. Here, let me help you with your things."

We loaded her stuff into the trunk, being careful with her dress when we placed it on top of our bags. I let Jessica have the passenger seat and I climbed into the back.

"Tabby," asked Jessica as we got into the car, "why didn't you hire a car to pick us up and take us to the resort?"

Tabitha chortled. "'Hire a car?' I think someone forgot that I'm just a poor college student, and not some spoiled rich girl!" Jessica laughed, and Tabitha pulled out onto the road. She looked back at me in the rearview mirror. "You know, Beth, this girl here had never been on a road trip before we drove from Cali to Chicago!"

Jessica rolled her eyes. "I can't help it if my family flew everywhere growing up!"

"Technically," I admitted, "I've never done a road trip either, unless you're counting right now."

"Well then," announced Tabitha, "let's get this party wagon rolling properly!" She switched her sound system on, and in no time the three of us were singing along with the songs blaring out of the speakers, and waving our hands in the air to the music.

The drive was to take over two hours, but with these two girls it was a blast. They were just so cool, and honestly such a cute couple. Tabitha was the more fun and free-wheeling one, whereas Jessica was more reserved, just like Rylan was. Each were clearly influenced by her girlfriend in the best way possible. Namely, though Jessica was clearly bookish by nature and kept Tabitha grounded, and in return Tabitha knew how to bring out her playful side.