Shadow School

Three weeks after her senior prom was destroyed forever in her memory, Cameron Ellis had sworn off boys until college. Really. What was the point? Every guy she was interested in was dating someone else and she knew some of the others too well. That's what she got for having a brother two years older than her. Knowledge.

She thought Trenton would be different. She let her mind get the better of her and despite her brother's warning that he wasn't good enough to date her, Cameron had spent months flirting with Trent from across the classrooms and restaurants of the country club where their parents were members. After all that build up, it took one month to destroy.

Not that anything mattered now. Everything was back to normal. She was a single girl getting ready to graduate high school, and Trenton was dating some other girl that hung on his arm during break. It made her want to vomit. Did she seriously want to be that girl?

Shutting her locker, Cameron turned to go to her trig class and spotted Melanie, head tucked down in its usual position, walking swiftly to... Spanish. Cameron still held no grudges, other than wanting to shake Melanie for ruining both their senior prom memories; hers was that her date and boyfriend cheated on her AT the prom, and Melanie... Melanie had fallen from grace.

Cameron wasn't Catholic -- her parents were good old-fashioned Methodists on occasion -- but she was sure it was as easy as stepping into a box and asking some priest to ask God or Jesus or Mary to forgive her for what she did and all was forgiven. Only, as the crude thought flittered through her mind, she knew it was worse than that. Melanie put a lot of faith into her, well, faith. Cameron knew she was one of those girls who saved themselves for marriage. Hell, she was supposed to be one herself if her mother had anything to say about it. The wrath of God for the sin of devirginizing herself was nothing compared to what Melanie had been going through for the last few weeks.

High school Hell.

That was why Cameron couldn't hate her. There was no way anything she could dream up could be worse than what that girl got when she returned to classes on the Wednesday after prom. Still, a simple "I'm sorry I screwed your boyfriend at prom" would be nice.

Sighing, Cameron pushed through the door of her math class and settled down with time to spare. Craig Burke and Melissa Patterson were discussing colleges and universities just like every other student these days. Who was going where; what grades they got on their ACTs or SATs.

"I'm thinking Auburn," Craig was saying, "but I like Florida State."

"Well Ol' Miss offered me a golf scholarship so I'm considering going there, but God it's so hot all the time I really would love to go some place cold like NYU or Michigan." Melissa said.

"Ew. Snow." Craig sneered. "Are you insane? Who would want to be around that stuff unless you were on vacation. I refuse to go anywhere above the Mason-Dixon Line."

"Like you know what that is." Melissa had noticed Cameron eavesdropping. "What about you Cam? Got a school picked out?"

Cameron prepared herself for this answer. "Not yet... I have six or seven I'm considering."

"Like what?" Craig asked.

"Like... UCLA, Berkley, Stanford..."

"That's out west!" Melissa's eyes had grown large. "Like, near Hollywood."

"Yup," Cameron said. She thought it'd be rude to say "duh" so she refrained.

"Are you that desperate to leave the south?" Craig grinned.

"Well, I figured dry heat was better than wet heat, so yeah. Maybe... I dunno. My dad's a big basketball fan so I got in to UK as well in case I decided to stick around."

Melissa giggled. "Kentucky. There ya go Craig, nice middle ground. Hot in the summer, cold in the winter..."

"And plenty of hillbillies to entertain you while you study." Craig finished for Melissa.

"Craaaaiigg," Melissa whined, still giggling. "Do you know how much horse money is up there? Like, royals and movie stars go to the derby every year. Ooh! Cam! Maybe you could bag your own stud." Melissa wiggled her eyebrows and Craig laughed.

"We'll see," Cameron said, turning around in her seat as the teacher called the class to attention. She didn't mention that one of the schools she was touring tomorrow was actually closer to home than any of the others. And was apparently top secret. She still didn't know what to make of the acceptance letter she received along with a scholarship that practically gave her a free ride.

***

As Melanie sat in her Spanish class, she found it hard to keep still. It had been a bad idea to wear tight jeans that day; she only had to sit forward to feel the friction her pants were causing between her legs. Not that would have mattered. She'd been on fire all weekend and couldn't seem to help the sexual tension that built up in her body every few hours.

She wondered what was going on with her. It was the second time she became so worked up that her judgment had been impaired. The first time she had been standing with Trenton Avery, upset that her prom night wasn't going so well because her date had decided it would be funny to bite her while they were making out in the garden. She had avoided Trent ever since he became what she jokingly called a man-whore, yet she had sought comfort from a male friend. But, comfort... probably wasn't the right word.

She knew what she was doing, it was her moves that started everything there under that tree, but it... hadn't really been her. She went against everything she'd established for her personal honor and acted like a slut. God, she had even begged him for it.

If only she had come to her senses sooner. Seconds earlier and everything would have simply been an awkward moment. Instead, she had had extremely hot sex with a former friend. Something she couldn't undo. She had gone to confession first thing Sunday morning, but all was lost. Trenton Avery had taken her virginity. And the whole school knew it.

School.

If she could have stayed away, she would have, but she knew eventually she'd either have to tell her parents why she wouldn't be returning or she would have to face the student body. Stares, whispers, and laughter followed her around for the remainder of the week, but there was always a new scandal and thankfully after two weeks someone else took center stage on the platform of shame. Now, she had to just focus on graduation and she would be out in the real world with a fresh start. And no boyfriend.

She had met up with Gavin on Friday night to tell him she wouldn't be seeing him anymore. Should be easy since he went to college and his classes kept him away at school most of the time. She wasn't too sad since she'd only known him for about a month, but still. He was wicked cute.

Wicked being the key word.

He actually attempted to console her when she confessed what happened and why she had been avoiding him for a few weeks. It almost made her want him back. But he'd pulled that same stunt with the biting when he hugged her and she had walked away from him. Good thing too, because she had caught that fever from prom night later that evening.

Except this time it wouldn't be sated.

"Melanie?" her teacher's voice made its way through her thoughts and she jerked back to reality. The class was looking at her. She had been staring at her desk.

"Yeah?"

"Can you translate this for the class?" the teacher asked, pointing to the sentence projected onto the whiteboard. It sounded like a double question: Are you okay?

"Actually, can I be excused for a minute?" Melanie sat up in her seat, red-faced. She actually started getting up before the teacher gave her permission. She had to get to the bathroom before she started fondling herself right there for all to see.

All the way down the hall Melanie felt her breath growing heavy from the pressure of holding herself together. Even the scissor action of her legs was adding to the build going on between her thighs.

Increasing her speed, Melanie made it to the bathroom and into a stall before she could no longer stand the pulsing coming from her vagina. She leaned against the stall's door, unbuckled her belt, popped open the button, deftly unzipped her fly and plunged her hand into her jeans.

Damn, she was wet. Coming back to school Monday was probably not the best idea. Or she should have taken care of herself during lunch. She just didn't think about it because school wasn't exactly the place to do these things.

Well, not for her.

Melanie closed her eyes and found her pulsing clit.

***

Kristie MacFarland was having a bad day. If the tell-tale PMS hadn't been enough of a notice, she'd totally neglected to bring anything with her to staunch the flow of what she referred to as "surfing the crimson wave." It was a term she picked up from a current favorite movie of hers, one that surprisingly wasn't anime.

She had gone to the bathroom to pop a quarter into the machine just in time; things started slow with her but it could turn heavy in less than an hour. Things would be so much easier if she just carried something with her all the time in a purse. Except she never carried a purse.

Kristie had just closed the door to the stall when someone ran into the bathroom and darted into the stall next to hers. Geez, where was the fire? Oh shit, was the person going to be sick? She was just about to dart out of her own stall when a whimper and a moan came from next door.

She froze. What the...

Listening for a few moments, she heard a rustling and her cheeks heated at the thought that some chick was getting off next door. What was the rush? More importantly, did the girl know she had company? Kris had been the only one in the room and hadn't been making any noise at the time. She was suddenly afraid to move.

Only, she was curious. She'd never been brave enough to go for any bathroom action, so she wondered who was taking time out of their class to get off.

Kristie turned to look at the toilet seat then looked up at the top of the stall. Doable, and hopefully years of watching ninjas be all stealthy and stuff would help her be as silent as possible.

Bracing herself on the stall opposite the other, Kris boosted herself up enough to peak over... and almost lost her balance. Fucking. Melanie. Carver. She was going at her pussy like it was on fire. That little angel was falling swiftly from her high perch. Kris almost laughed but she choked it back. She'd gone unnoticed so far and didn't want to get caught.

Then there was the matter at hand. Literally.

Kris found herself staring openly at Melanie and what she was doing. Little gasps and whimpers were leaving the girl's lips as she worked her hand in her jeans. Mel bit her lip, eyes closed. Kristie wondered what she was thinking about. Probably Trenton Avery. Little vixen. If she wanted him that bad she should have stuck with him after prom. At least they could have defused the situation by saying they were dating... then Melanie could have been a boyfriend stealer instead of an outright slut. Personally Kris didn't think Melanie was a slut because of having sex once, but it's how you do it that counts. Not the number. Not until the number gets out of hand anyway. And speaking of hands...

Melanie jerked her hand out of her jeans and shoved the jeans down to her knees. She hadn't bothered to even open her eyes. Kristie had almost bolted, thinking she had been caught, only to be presented with Melanie's swollen pussy. Holy...!

Kris couldn't help but stare as Melanie's left hand reached for her clit, another whimper leaving her. Mel's other hand slid immediately down her stomach and into her slit, the middle finger disappearing between her puffy lips.

Kristie watched in fascination has Melanie worked her fingers furiously beneath the dark curls surrounding her mound. The smell and sounds of sex was beginning to permeate the air of the stall, wafting up to Kris and making her suddenly panic that they could get caught. It also added to the arousing idea that they could get caught... anyone who walked in would know what was going on. Unable to move, Kris drank in Melanie's actions, saving the images for later. Several days later, she thought through gritted teeth, but the site before her would be ruined anyway if she gave herself away by participating. She doubted Mel would be down with that. Still... as hot as Melanie was right now, Kristie wondered if she wouldn't try to hump anything with a pulse.

Melanie let out a gasp that had Kris retreating to simply observing the action in the stall below. Melanie plunged another finger in, her ring finger, slamming the digits hard and fast into herself, coating them with her juices. She bit her lip again, hard. Kris was surprised it didn't draw blood it was such a vicious assault. Melanie's eyes were squeezed tight, still oblivious to Kristie's eyes on her.

Kristie wondered at the effort Melanie was putting into this orgasm that seemed to be out of her reach. She was trying too hard, probably. Her suspicions were confirmed when moments later, Melanie abandoned her abused clit and forced the hand way up under her shirt. The girl cupped one of her large breasts, squeezing the flesh roughly though only getting about half in her petite grasp. Her hand tented and Kris thought she must be tugging or twisting one of her nipples. It was hard to tell which, but it definitely helped, because Melanie choked back a moan and spasmed, her legs clamping down fiercely on the fingers buried in her pussy -- her hand was motionless above except for light circles made by the base of her palm over her clit. Kristie guessed that Mel was curling her fingers now, massaging herself in just the right spot.

Melanie's eyes shot open with the shock of the oncoming explosion... and looked right at Kristie.

The girl's eyes grew even larger as she realized that she was being watched but it was too late. Melanie's back arched, her balance went to the tip of her toes, and she sucked in a gasp of air so intense Kristie would have thought Melanie was choking if it weren't for her hand continuing the feverish onslaught to her crotch.

Kristie simply started at her, mouth slightly parted, in awe of the waves the girl was riding. And continued to ride. Melanie didn't jerk her hand away bashfully... no, she just stared at Kris, her own mouth open, her face red and contorted from holding back what was probably a fairly sizable scream of pleasure.

Melanie's eyes finally squeezed shut again, breaking the moment for Kris. She watched Mel's head fall back against the stall door as her body rocked, humping her hand for all it was worth. The girl finally exhaled the moan she had held back, the whoosh of air retreating in a soft gurgle of pleasure. Melanie's face relaxed to sweet oblivion, like the sweetest drug had just kicked in to her system. A sheen of sweat glistened on her skin.

When Kristie realized Melanie was coming down from her high, she finally ducked down into her stall. Her pants had been zipped but not buttoned so she finished the routine and stepped out of her stall, walking over to wash her hands. She wondered if Melanie would come out. From the sound of the girl's breathing, she was still relishing the aftereffects.

Debating whether or not she should stay and explain or go and simply deal with it later, Kristie bent over to look at Melanie's feet. The girl hadn't moved.

Well, she would probably be a while, and Kristie had to go back to class, her own heart beating to a slightly faster beat. With a grin, she straightened, grabbed a paper towel, dried her hands, and casually tossed it in the trashcan as she left the restroom.

***

Melanie felt the blood drain from her face once her orgasm had subsided. The fog that always came with these moments retreated as usual, leaving her a little abashed. Her desperation during these random waves of horny intensity was getting ridiculous. Strangely, however, this orgasm was different. She felt... better. Not just sated. And it had been a big one. Like that night with Trent.

But what was worse, she hadn't thought to check and see if the bathroom was clear. She didn't hear anything and her mind was... elsewhere. She listened for the door while she coaxed her release, but had heard nothing. The shock of seeing someone watching you, a glint of hunger in their eye, was... well okay that was hot as hell in her current state. It made things even more intense.

There Kristie MacFarland was, open-mouthed, a rebellious glint in her eye as always. Like she couldn't believe her luck at catching Melanie in this act, and snide approval of her front row seat to the show. She'd never really been friends with the girl; Kristie was a trouble-maker(there was a rumor that she was actually 19, held back a year for skipping school too much), and the girl's fashion sense was just as absurd. Kris, as she liked to be called -- so no confusion linked her with bubbly cheerleader Christy Michaels or Melanie's own friend Kristy Hill, a soft, quiet girl and a sweet smile -- always wore something like a black leather jacket with buckles and cut her red hair into that punk style. It made Melanie think of that girl in the hacker movie with the chic girl-sideburns, puffy lips, and boyish sexiness. What was worse, Kris and that other rebel-wannabe, Dylan Bowman, were always people-watching from their crotch-rocket motorcycles parked near the school exit. Couldn't they drive cars like every other normal student?

Melanie didn't move until she heard Kristie leave. She really didn't want to face the girl and explain why she was getting herself off in the bathroom, or why she'd been so bent on her orgasm that she hadn't noticed someone was watching her the whole time.

Pulling up her jeans, Melanie exhaled once more, glad she was able to at least make it to the bathroom instead of climaxing there in the middle of her Spanish class. Which, she thought embarrassingly, she would have to return to now. She buckled her belt and opened the door just as another student entered the bathroom. She hoped the place didn't smell like sex.

Thankfully though, she exited without incident and even made it through the rest of Spanish with only a few glances in her direction, which, after the last few weeks, she was already accustomed to. She suffered through the rest of the classes that day, and with great relief, realized she wouldn't have to do the same tomorrow.

Tuesday was a get-out-of-jail-free card for her. A college that was interested in her was giving tours that afternoon for prospective students and a gala that evening so students could mingle with professors from the departments they were interested in. Her parents were insisting that she go, considering the generous scholarship the college was offering to a select group of students.

Melanie knew that money was tight and though her parents would send her wherever she'd like to attend -- as long as it was a good, moral institution -- she knew that deep down, the less debt she gave her father, the better.

It was strange however that her parents were okay with the college they were about to tour. SVMC seemed awfully gothic to her. Even more so when they arrived at the gates shortly after lunch the following day.

Wrought iron gates swung wide once her father checked in with the guard, and a long avenue of budding trees greeted them on behalf of the property. After driving through the mountains, realizing how far away from the nearest fast food join they would be, Melanie was in awe at the obvious embrace of nature this college was making.

Huge lawns spread out on either side of the tree-lined entrance road, and through the passing trunks she could glimpse stone buildings that looked misplaced in Appalachia. They were more European in design; sturdy, gothic structures with gargoyles guarding the rooftops. She could see students lounging on the grass, a few throwing Frisbees, others studying, and one group clustered around a guy with a guitar. The thought of stepping outside for a breath of fresh mountain air between classes utterly delighted her.