Chapter Five - Moving to the Dark Side
After losing my virginity, and the events to follow with Milly, things began to slow down again. I guess it was inevitable.
I would love to sit here and tell you that me and Katie's first time had blossomed into a passionate relationship. But life was never that simple.
Katie and I may have taken each others virginities but we both knew anything more than that could jeopardise our friendship and the group's friendship in general. So we had a difficult conversation in the next couple of days where we decided we would allow things to cool down between us. Everything that happened that weekend stayed between us and Milly, the other three girls didn't know a single thing.
With Katie wanting to keep things low key, Milly decided the same.
It was frustrating for someone like me who had just gone through my first real sexual experience to have to then wait so long for another chance with one of the girls. I knew if it wasnt for Katie deciding to protect our friendship, I would probably be getting action with both Katie and Milly right now.
Milly didn't like to be left out but without Katie getting inside my pants, she didn't attempt to initiate anything either.
The next month or so, we were also getting busy with exams. So most of the time I spent with the girls was helping them prepare for the end of semester exams that were right around the corner.
By the time they had arrived, I believed I had helped the four of them enough that they would pass with flying colours. To be perfectly honest, the only person I started to worry about now was Tayla who as predicted, had fallen back into the arms of Declan.
He would hang around us now throughout the week. Tayla seemed happy but she had taken her eyes off class, homework and exams, spending so much of her time following Declan around like a puppy dog.
Declan remained friendly with me, probably knowing that if he acted negatively towards me, it may hurt his chances of survival in the group setting.
But the guy was still dumb as a rock. Another person assuming they'll get through life just by their sporting abilities and over-confident charm. The other girls saw it too and weren't afraid to criticise Tayla for her decision to date him again.
"Like I always say, the most intelligent people tend to always be the dumbest when it comes to knowing what's best for them," Annie told me as we walked home from school one night after studying.
"There's nothing we can do about it," I said, feeling a little flat about all of it, "She's old enough to make her own mistakes."
To put it one way, I wasn't buying what he was selling. Maybe it was also an added layer of jealousy considering I was still wanting an encore from the time she jerked me off. I bet if Declan found that out, he'd kill me.
Murder.
"It's like me," Annie started to explain, "I may hook up with dumbasses all the time but that doesn't mean I would waste my time dating them."
"You wouldn't? Not even Henry Foley?"
"No of course not," she quickly hit back, "That wouldn't ever happen... it's just a casual thing between me and him, he's not a settle down type of guy."
Music to my ears.
Maybe she would be more open to starting a relationship in the future with a guy that was a bit of a loser with no real sporting abilities...
"What about you? What's your deal?" she asked me, "I know it didn't eventuate when we tried to get you laid but what's the type of girl you'd like to date."
I was looking at her.
Something about Annie always had me imagining what it would be like to wake up next to her. She had such a great smile, I felt that great 'butterfly' feeling in my stomach when she laughed. I wanted to be her protector, the guy she called when she was in trouble, the guy she called when she was upset.
I hadn't even started on her physical features which further added to the list of why I had the hots for her.
"I don't really have a type," I lied.
She gave me a push on the sidewalk, "Stop it, you do so, everyone's got a type."
Grinning and shrugging my shoulders, I told her with a little bit more of honesty this time, "I just want someone I can trust, someone I can take care of, someone to laugh with."
"Yeah, me too."
We finally reached my house and as I said goodbye, she stopped me, calling out my name after only taking a few steps down my driveway.
Annie stood at the end of the driveway, giving me another chance to take in her beauty, the neat black skirt and buttoned blue sleeveless blouse looked more like a going out outfit than a school one.
"Yeah?" I answered her call.
"Why haven't you invited any of us over to your house?"
Easy answer to that, my parents.
Not that they were bad people but like most guys my age, we found to be embarrassed by them. With popular female friends, I figured there can't be any value in letting them meet any of them.
"Uh I don't know."
Annie stayed flat footed as I walked back up to her.
"Could I come in?" she asked, "It doesn't have to be for long, just a little tour?"
I was nervous but I was glad it was just one of my friends rather than all five that were coming into the house where my parents would be. That would create too many questions, maybe my parents would start thinking I was their gay best friend as did many of the kids at school did.
"Yeah, sure," I replied.
That famous smile of hers reappeared and I felt my heart skip another beat. I don't know how anyone could make me feel like that just with their smile but she had that sort of impact on me. She followed me up the driveway and into the front door. It felt like I was introducing Annie to my family as if she was my girlfriend, rather than just a good friend that she was.
"Hey mom, hey dad," I said as we entered the kitchen and they were both there preparing dinner at the bench, "This is my friend Annie, she was just stopping in for a minute."
The blonde smiled pleasantly at my parents who were both a little shocked to see that I had a female with me, especially one that had the good looks that Annie did.
"Oh um Annie, what a pleasant surprise," my mother began to ramble.
I looked at my feet in embarrassment as she welcomed Annie to our house. Everything she said made me cringe inside, it's why I never wanted any of the Saturday Night Five to come to my house.
"We've never seen you here before, how long have you and Leonard been friends for?"
"Just at the start of the semester, Leo's been helping me with my studies, he's very smart," Annie politely replied, throwing in the compliment.
My mother looked delighted whilst my father that I was strikingly similar to in personality, quietly observed. If I didn't say something now, my mom would have kept Annie down here for ages to chat.
"Okay anyways," I cut in, "We've got to go."
I headed towards our staircase that led to the upstairs bedrooms.