Beyond Redemption
The next week at school passed slowly. She argued with her mother about the clothes and wanted the old ones back, but her parents' stuck together and refused to back down. Come Friday, her breasts seemed extra tender and she felt every dip in the road, painfully with reverberating bounces.
All day long it seemed like people were looking at her differently. She told herself that was ridiculous. But the final period came and on the way out of the room, Tom Garth, who'd been their varsity quarterback, stopped her.
"You want to go to a movie with me tonight, Mary Louise?"
Mary Louise knew her mouth dropped open. He'd never before talked to her! Before she could answer, he went on.
"I thought we could double date with Donny and Karen, like you did last week."
Suddenly she knew exactly what he was thinking. Shaking her head side to side, she mumbled quickly. "No, I can't, sorry." She started walking away when he grabbed her arm.
"How come? Are you going steady with that guy?"
"Uhm, no, butโ"
"Then come on. I'm sure I can show you as good a time as you had with him, probably even better. I know what women like."
Mary Louise gasped in surprise. Not like she needed further clarification, but now she knew precisely what he wanted. "I can't. I have to go now or I'll miss the bus." Turning she ran skipping the stop at her locker and running straight to the bus.
Kenny moved her book bag to the seat in front of her and sat down.
"Hey! That's for Karen!" "I saw her. She's riding with Donny, lucky stiff. Turns out she's been giving him a blowjob on the ride home every day. He said next week he's going to start picking her up for school too."
Mary Louise looked with horror at Kenny. It was her worst nightmare. Poor Karen. Donny must be blackmailing her to get her to do this. Had he threatened to tell everyone? It didn't matter now because it seemed everyone knew about the double date last weekend. Even more depressed, she realized she had a date with Rowdy tonight. Angrily she turned to stare out the window. She was almost home when she saw in the window's reflection that Kenny had been staring at her chest. Looking down she saw that her unbound breasts were behaving quite predictably to the bumpy ride. Barely settling down between jolts, her breasts seemed to be constantly moving.
She was beyond grateful when it was time to get off the bus. She was not happy that Kenny got off with her. He caught her arm as she started towards the walkway to her house.
"I've got time to come in and study, if you want."
Mary Louise jerked her arm away from him. "I don't want, and I certainly don't have the time. Good-bye!"
She ran to her room and threw herself on the bed. Crying and crying, she realized her life couldn't get much worse. She'd thought her haircut was bad...
***** "Mary Louise? Hey sleepyhead! It's time for your injections. Roll over! Good girl! Now I need you to give me a urine specimen in this cup for the doctor. I'm going to drop it off for him to test. It will save us a trip in."
Mary Louise got up and went to the bathroom. Giving the cup to her daughter, Jeanine added. "Take your shower and get ready for your date, honey. Rowdy called and there's been a change of plans. He is picking you up at seven, so hurry. I'll lay out your clothes."
After her shower, Mary Louise sparingly applied makeup, having let her mother show her how several times the past week. Her hair was easy to care for, she reluctantly had conceded. But just looking at her reflection made her regretful again at the loss of her lovely long hair. She ran one hand over the temple area and ear. She could feel that it was growing back already. What had been completely bald and smooth two weeks ago was growing in and felt fuzzy and soft. Perhaps by the end of summer, it might be three-quarters of inch long, or more. With luck, come the following year, her hair should be below her ears in time for the start of school. That would be livable, she decided.
Slipping on the dark-blue dress her mother had chosen, she realized it was slightly more dressy in the silky material than the others, but it still had the rounded collar and pleated skirt. The buttons were covered in the material, and over all she thought it looked nice, for an old lady! Again there were the thin anklets and a new pair of flats, shiny and polished. She wondered if Rowdy had told her mother he was taking her someplace special?
Starting downstairs, she was decisive that tonight she was telling him that she wasn't making out with him anymore. Well, just kissing, but no sex. It was wrong and she'd wanted to wait until she was married. She paused as she recalled that until recently she'd been dreaming it would be Barry she'd marry. He would be the one she happily gave her virginity to. Instead she'd lost it in a car, to a man she hardly knew, but that her parents obviously approved of.
"Tonight? She's already there?"
Mary Louise stopped again as she heard her mother's voice. When she listened for a second voice, but didn't hear one, she realized she was on the phone.
"Bob took it with him and I'll call as soon as I know. All right, well good luck. Bye."
Mary Louise waited a few seconds. "Mom, I'm ready."
Her mother came from the living room to see her. "You look lovely dear, quite grown up." Jeanine walked around her slowly as she stepped forward. "You're doing good with your makeup. It's still light, but that's fine." She lightly touched her daughter's hair, stopping as she felt the rasping hair growth at the nape. "Oh dear. I hadn't realized it would grow so quick."
Mary Louise smiled. "I'm glad. I was afraid it would take forever to grow out."
Jeanine patted her daughter's arm. "Don't fret about it, dear. Oh, there's the door. That must be Rowdy. He is so sweet. Always on time!"
"Good evening, Mrs. Walters. You're looking radiant this evening."
Jeanine flushed under the handsome younger man's praise. "Thank you, Rowdy. Come along, Mary Louise. Your young man is here."