by BrettJ (c) 2015
As her sporty little MG sped along its destination to the Ritz, Candy struggled with the pangs of guilt over her imminent β and ongoing β betrayal.
Her lovely Princess had a huge piece of her heart. She adored Clint, her boyfriend; he was everything she had ever wanted in a man.
Almost.
Yes, he was strong and athletic and funny and good to her. Yes, his coach said that he was going places, maybe even the NFL. He was smart, although nowhere near Candy's 145 IQ β something only a select few knew about. On paper, he seemed to be the perfect man.
It was in the real world that Clint's perfect image fell apart. He was so many things, tall and handsome and sun-bronzed and well hung. He dressed like a young man ought to dress; he said the right things and did the right things.
Almost.
In bed, he was sorely lacking. The petite blonde Candy had realized from the get-go that sex mattered to her. It mattered a great deal. Princess had been totally forthcoming in her opinion - she was a nympho. Okay, fine β she could deal with that. She and Clint weren't exclusive. Clint thought otherwise and told her so. Candy had her own solution. She had known since the 6th Grade that she was attracted to other girls. She proposed to Clint that she would only sleep with other girls. That proposal went over like a lead balloon. Clint couldn't understand why he wasn't enough for her. Candy couldn't bring herself to tell him 2 simple truths β that
no
one person would likely ever be enough β and that he was lousy in bed.
While she struggled with her relationship, Lucifer himself must have sent the temptation her way. How else could anyone explain its being so impossible to resist?
The temptation's name was Aubrey and she was a delicious and tantalizing morsel that made Candy weak in the knees. Aubrey had been the first girl Candy was attracted to, way back in Grade Six. Even then, there had been an aura of sexy surrounding the pre-teen girl. Aubrey's family had money and Aubrey could dress as she chose. Furthermore, Aubrey knew she was pretty and so, to get the boys to do whatever she wanted them to do, she did not dress like a 12-turning-13 year old girl. She copied the style of the older girls, the ones in high school. By the start of the 7th Grade, Aubrey was starting to have the body to go with her look. Not all of the boys noticed, but many did. Candy was one of Aubrey's admirers.
Fortunately for Candy, Aubrey had decided to make friends with all the popular girls, which included Candy among their number. The two girls bonded, partially because of Candy's tanned, blonde, petite good looks and nature. It didn't hurt their friendship any that Candy hid her IQ from almost everyone except for a select few. Aubrey was included in the few. Aubrey was many things but a serious and good student was not among them. Candy often helped Aubrey with her homework or did it outright. What did it matter when she could be around sexy Aubrey and her family and enjoy life?
Candy had two friends that she loved with all of her heart and it was always tasking when choosing one over the other. Candy always weighed her options. She knew that her friends would never make her chose, both adored her. They were also equally leery of each other. Candy always thought that it was a shame because they were both gorgeous. Princess wasn't the jealous type, yet she didn't like being around Aubrey. Aubrey was self-assured and confident, yet something about Princess set Aubrey off.
In their high school years, you never saw Candy without Aubrey or her beloved Princess. She always enjoyed being one half of a whole. Aubrey's popularity rubbed off. For example, it had been Aubrey who dated Clint first. Candy only ended up with him when β
it
β happened.
It was almost the end of their senior year when a tearful Aubrey ran over to Candy. The tears were falling in large drops and she was almost incoherent from sobbing. Candy tried to console her friend and find out what had put her in just such a daze.
"We're moving!" Aubrey wailed. "My daddy is moving his business because labor costs are going up here! Candy, I don't want to move, I love it here β I'm popular and I have my friends, I have you, a life I don't want to give up. Oh Candy, what am I going to do?"
"You're 18 in three weeks, right before we graduate, right?" Candy asked. Aubrey nodded in the affirmative. "Why don't you stay here in your own place before you start university in the fall? Maybe I could move in with you and we could share?" She suggested to the still-stricken Aubrey. She was throwing Aubrey a life preserver while trying to hold in her own anguish at the thought of losing her partner-in-crime.
Aubrey looked up at her best friend and her eyes began to fill up again. "I suggested that, but daddy won't hear of it. He thinks I'll just slut around and turn into some kind of tramp! We leave the week after I graduate. Oh Candy, what are we going to
do?
"
Candy's lower jaw jutted out and she took on an unusual look of determination. "I don't know Aubrey, but we are not letting your father ruin all of our plans. I think we should talk to Miss Thomas β she always gives us good advice."
Aubrey's spirits lifted the instant she heard Miss Thomas' name. Lillian Thomas was the girls' favorite teacher. In fact, she was a favorite among the students and faculty and even the administration. A former wild-child, the half-Vietnamese beauty was a stunning, exotic beauty who was the equal of any famous model. Lillian did not hide her light under a bushel, not her. She wore tight and low-cut blouses and short skirts with high heels. On several occasions, the girls had caught glimpses of real stockings, not hosiery. Her voice was sexy and always seemed to carry a hint of flirtation. Someone so outrageous should have been in trouble with the School Board all of the time, yet Lillian wasn't. Everyone adored her.
The two upset girls had rushed into Lillian's classroom where she was sitting grading some papers. She smiled when she saw them, spun around and crossed her beautiful legs. The girls noticed, but were too upset to take much interest. "My favorite students," Lillian smiled warmly. "I hear it's a close race between you two for Valedictorian. Sorry, I can't say anything that might give it away."
"That's not why we're here, Lil," Aubrey wailed as she spoke with familiarity to her teacher. Some of Lillian's closest student friends were permitted to use the more familiar, abbreviated form of her name. Candy and Aubrey had both been accorded that honor.
The two friends poured their heart out to Lillian and to her credit, she didn't interrupt until they had finished. Her concern for their well-being showed on her face and in her dark, beautiful eyes. When Aubrey finished, Lillian leaned forward, so close to the two girls that they could smell her perfume. "Honesty time, loves," Lillian said to the unhappy pair. "You're screwed."
Both girls' jaws dropped. It wasn't what they had expected to hear. They both idolized Lillian because she was so brilliant and always got what she went after. Here she was β telling them to
give up?
Before they could voice that thought, Lillian spoke up. "I usually get what I'm after because I have learned to pick my battles." She faced Aubrey and shot straight from the hip. "You can't win this. Your daddy controls the purse strings and his name carries a lot of weight. Even if you did rebel and stay here, I doubt anyone would hire you if he put out the word."
Candy and Aubrey wanted the ground to open up and swallow them whole, they were so miserable. Looking at their pretty young faces, Lillian had a solution. She reached into her purse and handed them a wad of cash, it was more than $200. "W-what are we supposed to do with this?" Candy asked.
Lillian smiled. "You're both going to be adults, so don't worry so much about things that are β for now, at least β out of your control. For the time being, you can call and write β you both have cars, so you can visit. Being apart isn't going to be the end of the world. I want you to take that money and use it to have a
proper
goodbye.
Aubrey didn't quite get it, but Candy sure did and she hugged Lillian as hard as she could. She explained it to Aubrey on the way home. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Aubrey asked her.
"
Very
sure," Candy said, spinning her friend around on her heels and pulling her close. They kissed for, like, the
millionth
time, but it was also the first kiss of new, young
lovers
.