Helping Hands

Authors Note: "The Rachel Chronicles" is a multi-part series of stories involving the titular character (a young woman named Rachel) and her various sexual adventures. The stories are themed mainly around oral sex, with the occasional tale involving other forms of sexual activity. Each chapter is somewhat lengthy and detailed and it is my hope that such detail will provide a richer experience for you readers as you truly get an intensive look inside Rachel's head.

Further, the stories are written in an intended order and it is

highly recommended

that you read them as such. Obviously, you are free to proceed as you please and I'm grateful that you would read any of them at all. But you will get a much fuller and more rewarding picture if you follow the stories along their natural progression.

PROM

is the first series, and while it is a little choppier (in my opinion) because it was my first effort, it is the main story from which the others are branched. So things will definitely be a little confusing (and surprises/themes ruined) if it is skipped over.

PRELUDES

is the follow-up and it deals with a crucial stretch of time that led to where Prom began. It weaves the two series together and fills in a lot of missing details and untold storylines that help explain how the events of Prom occurred and why Rachel may have acted in the ways that she did.

Now, for those of you who are all caught up, welcome back!

SENIOR WEEK

(as you can probably guess) deals with the week following the end of Rachel's senior year of high school. As Rachel attempts to move on from the trauma of the spring, she finds herself caught up once again in the throes of her own unpredictable behavior. New faces emerge, familiar ones return, and existing relationships become both altered and re-born. So sit back and get ready for a week of sand, sun, drama, and fun as Rachel takes her first steps into the next chapter of her life.

As always, I appreciate your ratings and comments and I welcome any and all feedback but understand that I am very sensitive, and if you're too harsh, I will delete everything from this site and never try to be creative again.

I'm kidding.

Enjoy!

*All characters in this story are 18 years or older*

PREVIOUS --- Chapter 2: Kindling

CHAPTER 3

"Shhh!

Shhhhhh!

They're coming!"

Rachel stiffened at the sound of hushed whispers and her ears burned as she walked cautiously down the steps. She turned to the boy behind her and offered an apologetic grin before shaking her head and smirking. The sounds of their footsteps seemed so unnaturally loud contrasted against the forced silence of the room they were about to enter. She rolled her eyes and steeled herself as best she could as she turned a corner and approached the bottom of the staircase. It was such a cliché.

It had only been a few minutes since she and Derrick had concluded their Rebecca-aided romp in the bedroom, but from the moment they'd stepped into the hall, playful giggles and excited whispers could be heard from downstairs. It was obvious that the girls were awaiting her and Derrick's arrival as they completed their obligatory walk of shame. Rachel was sure that Rebecca hadn't wasted any time spilling the details of what they'd done, but she was also just as sure that her friend had likely conveniently left out all the self-incriminating parts in that version as well. She smirked again.

That bitch.

Sure enough, as they reached the final step and came into full view of the kitchen, a half-dozen grinning faces greeted them with an eruption of playful laughter. Derrick shook his head and Rachel blushed sheepishly as the teasing comments zipped in their direction. It wasn't as if she was a stranger to such a moment (nor did much of what she did ever stay secret for long), but it was still always silly and awkward to walk into a room in the manner she was now.

She saw Rebecca smiling evilly at her and she raised her eyebrows towards her friend as if to question why exactly

she

thought it appropriate to join the chorus of cheerful mocking. Rebecca caught her look and swallowed, thrown momentarily by the knowing glance. But she wasn't going to stop having her fun. She flipped some hair behind her ear and called out teasingly, her voice rising above the din of the other chattering comments and snickers.

"Heyyyyy lovers! Late morning? So look, we gotta know. Which was better...last night or just now?"

The room erupted in laughter once again as both Rachel and Derrick's faces crossed into a deeper shade of crimson. Rachel twisted her lips into an embarrassed smile and thought seriously about firing back at Rebecca. Some nerve she had. After the role she'd just played?

She swallowed the thought and looked up at Derrick with a guilty grin. His face returned the same happily uncomfortable expression as he shook his head at the room full of girls. Rachel was sure he was desperate to escape the onslaught so she brought her hand to his arm and shot a wicked glance back towards the crowd. Stifling her own laughter, she yelled at them as she turned to guide Derrick towards the front door.

"Oh my God, girls. Don't scare the poor boy away!" She grinned deviously and lowered her voice to a whisper, but one that was obviously loud enough for Derrick to hear as well.

"He's cute. And I might want to have fun with him again."

With a wink, Rachel turned back away from her friends and led Derrick out the door and into the parking lot. He was staying in the same complex so it was a less than easy walk for him to return to his house. They exchanged grinning, awkward goodbyes and Rachel leaned up onto her toes to give him a playful kiss. She did like him. He was cute and he'd definitely done his part to make her feel good. All things being equal, she'd certainly be interested in hooking up with him again later in the week if it worked out.

She shivered pleasurably as she caught his eyes fall one final time to her full cleavage, displayed prominently in the far-from-modest bikini top she'd chosen for the day. She gave him a playful smack on his ass and waved at him as he went on his way. Sighing happily, she turned on her heel and re-entered the house.

The girls teased Rachel a bit more when she returned but she gave it right back and before long they were all laughing and packing up to head to the beach. A celebratory vodka shot to start the day was downed cheerfully, and just minutes later, the giggles and chatter continued as they made their way to the water.

They located a nice spot on the sand and settled in comfortably. Bottles of sunscreen and red cups discreetly filled with potent libations were passed around as the late-morning sun rose in lock-step with the light and jovial mood of the group. Warm buzzes grew, teasing tan lines deepened, and positive vibes drifted through the salt air. Life was good.

And life was good

especially

for Rachel. While the other girls chatted idly away, she couldn't help but simultaneously marvel and swallow cold chills at just how perfect everything was. She was sitting on a beautiful beach with five good friends while nary a care in the world weighed on her shoulders. She sighed blissfully as she adjusted her gaze to fall across the girls lined up in their chairs beside her. They were all on the field hockey team together and it was completely surreal that she was once again part of the group after what had gone down in the spring.

Her eyes crossed over Rebecca and Jenn forcing another automatic smile to stretch across her face. She'd missed all the girls while she and Rebecca had been embroiled in their scorching feud, but she was especially happy to be close with Jenn again. She loved her ditzy friend's infectious laugh and hopelessly clumsy moments. While her estrangement from Rebecca had obviously been the most devastating result of the big fight, the collateral damage of losing Jenn and the others had been piercingly painful as well. The awkwardly exchanged eye contact in the hallways at school. The unreturned text messages. It had all driven the stake even deeper into her heart.

Rachel's stomach clenched tightly as she again pondered just how easily her current utopian reality could've gone a very different way. She'd been wandering in the darkness for so long and the awful day after Kevin's prom had dropped her to the canvas in a crumpled, emotionally-bloodied pulp. Had it not been for her miraculous chance meeting and subsequent reconciliation with Rebecca, she might never have gotten up again.

Her eyes narrowed behind the safety of her dark shades as she swallowed and let the haunting 'what ifs' swirl in her brain. What if none of that had happened and she hadn't peeled herself up off the floor? She certainly wouldn't be sitting where she was now. She'd have failed multiple classes in the spring and would be shackled by the suffocating shame of her parents' disappointment. She'd be wondering where she'd be going to school again in the fall and still sorrowfully pining away for the best friend she'd lost who was never coming back.

And worst of all, she'd still surely be searching for validation in all the wrong places. Her warped, codependent relationship with Matt would be reaching new depths of hopelessness and perversion, and when she wasn't lending him her body for the satisfaction of his prurient needs, she'd likely be rotating herself among a whole other cast of willing recipients who were more than eager to enjoy her famed oral friendliness. Each morning she'd wake up hating herself a little bit more and each night she'd fall asleep tearfully wondering if it were possible to ever be happy again.

She was shaken mercifully from her dark, troubling thoughts as she felt the tickle of sand spraying onto her legs. She looked up to see a smirking Rebecca standing with her hands on her hips, loudly imploring the group to leave the comfy warmth of their chairs and take a quick dip in the ocean. Rachel giggled at her friend's mild slur and animated gestures. Rebecca seemed to be settling in to a nice buzz and Rachel tingled as the image conjured a quick memory of their beach trip together back over the Thanksgiving holiday. The one where they'd met those hot college boys and taken them up on their offer to hang out at their beach house. They'd gotten themselves into a bit of trouble with an imprudent beer pong bet. And then Rachel had-.

She swallowed away the memory and smiled as she prepared to stand up from her seat and comply with her friend's demands. She hopped to her feet and sucked in a breath as the sudden head rush from her morning of drinking almost spun her back to the ground. She grinned at her friends and shook her head as they made their way down to the water's edge. Apparently Rebecca wasn't the only one whose senses were beginning to become pleasantly dulled...

"Shit shit shit! Oh my gah-! No way!"

The girls all giggled at Jenn's shrieking protest as she became the first to dip her toes into the gentle rush of the incoming tide. The next wave rolled in stronger catching everyone above the ankles and eliciting a chorus of similar high-pitched responses. It was icy cold, and after an hour or two of marinating in the warmth of the summer sun, none of the girls seemed very interested in subjecting their senses to such a masochistic system shock.

None, except Rebecca.

Rachel smirked as she watched her friend shoot a disdainful glare at the group before striding confidently into the ocean and taking the plunge. Rebecca was such a tigress; she never seemed afraid of anything. The only time Rachel had ever seen true fear in her eyes had been that wild night in the dorm. She'd seen it just as she'd slid gracefully between her friend's spread thighs and lowered her head to-.

Her memory was broken by the shrill mocking tone of Rebecca's taunting call back towards the shore.

"What are you bitches waiting for?? Come on! It's perfect!"

Rachel snapped her head up to see Rebecca smiling playfully back at them, her green eyes flashing. She had fully submerged herself and was now standing about waist deep, her wet skin shimmering in the sun and her dark hair slicked back smoothly behind her head. Rachel bit down on her lip reflexively and swallowed a shivery tingle as the fresh memories of the morning in their bedroom came back to her. She smiled, pushing them aside, and moved to join her friend in the water.

Eventually all six girls found themselves laughing and joking as they splashed around and floated among the waves. The beach was pretty full and a group of boys had taken notice of their presence, but they hadn't been bold enough to initiate a conversation. The girls were all attractive to varying degrees and their loud, boisterous states made them appear even more intimidating. Especially Rebecca.

As her buzz continued to climb, her sailor's mouth echoed out in full effect. Rachel had cringed at a few of the words she'd let fly. There were families around who were definitely within earshot. It was clear that her friend was feeling no pain and the sight again pushed Rachel's mind back to that day with Sean and Chris at their beach house and the fallout from their high-stakes bet. The whole reason Rachel had found herself embroiled in such a sticky situation had been because Rebecca had gotten too drunk too fast and passed out. Had her friend been able to hold her liquor, she'd never have been guilted into orally satisfying Sean's half of the beer pong debt. And she'd never have let Chris spread her legs and-.

She was lost in the memory when she suddenly realized that she'd allowed herself to drift pretty far from the girls and back towards the shore. The waves were rough and everyone had had to float out quite a ways to get beyond the break. A troubling sensation came over her, like she knew something was wrong but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Her tingling senses were validated as she heard Jenn call her name with a shriek. Reacting to the sound, Rachel spun around, only to widen her eyes in terror. She had no time to react as a huge wave crashed directly into her face and chest. The force knocked her from her feet and dragged her under the water. All she could do was desperately hold her breath as she felt her body tumble and twist below the weight of the break.

She spun and thrashed wildly for what seemed like forever before she was finally deposited several feet away in knee-deep water. She popped her head up past the surface and sucked in a desperate breath, coughing and wheezing as the salt water drained from her mouth and nose. Her eyes were shut tight and she stood up instinctively to gain her bearings as she brought her hands to her face. She hadn't even gotten the hair pushed away when she heard shrill laughter and Jenn once again call her name with an alarmed tone.

"Rachel! Your, um-! Your-!"

Rachel froze at her friend's tone and quickly widened her eyes. She'd become disoriented in her eagerness to stand up and gather herself and she realized that she was again facing the girls with her back to the shore. She swallowed as she took in their expressions. They were all simply staring at her with shocked smiles. They each looked like they wanted to say something but none of them spoke. None, except Rebecca.

Breaking her stare with a snorting laugh, she shouted out in a chiding tone.

"Rach! Oh my God, put your tits away! There are

children

here!"

Rachel stiffened and squinted in confusion at her friend's playful admonishment.

'Put her t-?'

The narrow squint of her eyes broke suddenly into a widened stare and she shivered all over as comprehension her hit in the gut. She didn't need visual confirmation but she let her gaze drop downward over her body. She swallowed hard and sucked in a breath, entirely sure that her face was now red with more than just sunburn. The crash of the wave had knocked her top loose from her chest and all she could do was shiver again as her left breast stood out completely bare for the entire beach to see.

With terrified quickness, Rachel whipped her hands to her chest and remedied the wardrobe malfunction. She was grateful that she had her back to the sand, but she had no idea in what direction she'd been facing when she had first stood up with her eyes closed. Had anyone else seen?

She swallowed hard in further embarrassment as her eyes shot around and made contact with the three boys who had floated their way over towards them earlier. They were grinning at her with admiring smiles, clearly happy to have enjoyed the brief show. She grinned back at them stupidly and averted her gaze. Mortification needled her senses and she was considering abandoning the water to retreat sheepishly to her chair when she stopped and stiffened again.

From across the water, Rebecca was looking directly at her and she was no longer laughing. She still had the hint of a smile but her expression was more strangely intense. It was the same look Rachel had seen on her face earlier in the morning during their crazy little quasi-threesome with Derrick. Rachel felt her embarrassment wither as a sense of tingly arousal took its place. She wondered if Rebecca was thinking about her body. Maybe thinking about more...

The feeling warmed her senses and she inhaled sharply with a renewed confidence. Smiling brightly and shrugging her shoulders, she laughed off her accidental exposure as over and done with and waded way back into the water to rejoin her friends.

The girls continued to splash around for a while, and the nearby-floating boys (seemingly emboldened by Rachel's brief nudity) finally spoke up and engaged them. The groups chatted for a few minutes and it turned out that the boys were staying in a house only a few streets over from the girls' complex. They invited them to a party they were throwing later that night and the girls giggled and told them they just might make it. They had no other plans for the evening so they decided to put the invite in their back pocket for further consideration.

The afternoon drug on and eventually the six teammates decided to pack it in and head home. They were all solidly drunk from an afternoon of sun-baked boozing on essentially empty stomachs which made routine tasks such as gathering their belongings and negotiating the uneven terrain of the beach a bit more interesting. Rachel found herself getting awkwardly dragged down to the sand as Jenn drunkenly stumbled into her in a clumsy attempt to put on her flip-flops. The girls laughed incessantly and it reminded Rachel of that party back in the fall when Jenn had gotten so drunk and knocked them both over in a similar fashion while trying to refasten a pair of jeans. The memory sparked a second round of debilitating laughter and the girls giggled all the way back to the house.

Rachel had been a mere ten steps from her front door, her arm draped over Rebecca's shoulder and her stomach muscles sore from contagious cackling when the calling of her name snapped her to attention. She recognized the voice immediately, and while her silly smile vanished momentarily, it returned with a more serious flavor as she focused her gaze onto the boy summoning her from across the lot.

Kevin.

She locked eyes with him and simply stared silently as she felt a mild tingle in her senses. She was still touching Rebecca and their close contact brought the wild images of the previous night directly to the forefront of her mind. She hadn't seen Kevin since their awkward conversation immediately after and she shivered again as the residual arousal she'd received from her illicit spying work poured into her system once more.