Chapter 4. September, the middle where it lingers
They had practically grown up together.
Billy remembered first talking with her in sixth grade, he thought, though it could have been earlier. Kristie was a little awkward at first, as was he, but they seemed to have a calming effect on each other as they found that each had more and more that the other could relate to. It became like, "Hey, you're like me, we should hang out together." So they did. They, in time, became like brother and sister...well, postulating a brother and sister who actually liked each other. They both had a real opposite-sex sibling who they often found problematic—another thing they could bond over.
Billy found that he could talk to her about just about anything, and she would have something to say about it, sometimes even challenging his assumptions. Inevitably their talk turned to school work, and they found that their strengths complemented each other's, so they came to study together.
When the whole boy-girl thing came up in high school, they told each other that it would work out, that you are the best and you will find someone to return the kind of affection you crave. That a solution was right there was something they never touched on until school was done and then, for real, when they found themselves together in Meredith Manor.
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They awoke after an hour or so, the afternoon sun going westward.
"Kristie?"
She yawned. "Oh, I guess we dozed off." She snuggled into his shoulder.
"Can I ask you a question?" Billy said.
"Why do people say that? You just did ask me one."
"I mean, an important one."
"Ask away."
"Are you okay with what happened?"
"I thought we already covered that," she said. "Remember, Patrick asked us."
"That was when we were in the middle of things. You might have changed your mind."
"Not really. Have you changed yours?"
"Figures," Billy said. "You were enjoying yourself with Patrick, for sure."
Kristie sighed. He was being difficult again.
"And you weren't enjoying yourself? I noticed how you were climbing all over Jenna the first chance you got. What was I supposed to do, go sit in the corner? Don't give me any double standards, please."
"All right, all right...you're right. I guess I'm just afraid they're going to come between us."
"How could they do that?" she asked him. "What are you afraid of?"
He paused. "I guess that you would prefer him to me and you wouldn't want me any more."
At that moment, something clicked into shape for Kristie. It made sense of the way she felt about Billy, and of everything else. She had to make him see it, but it would come out too strong, because she was also a bit annoyed.
"Of
course
I still want you, you big dummy! Listen to me: I've known you since forever, you've helped me in a hundred ways to become who I am, then you were my first man, and made it better than I had ever imagined. And you still do. What I'm telling you is, I love you and I'm not giving you up for anyone."
He just lay there for the moment as if stunned.
"Look, I've thought about it," she went on. "What we did with Patrick and Jenna was just play. That shouldn't come between us. They don't need us, they have each other. Like we have each other. We were just playing together. Do you see?"
"I think so," he said. "But can I ask you a question?"
"Again with the questions. What is it?"
"Would it be all right if I loved you too?"
She softened in an instant. This was the Billy she knew.
"You go right ahead. And kiss me now, please."
He did. She kissed him back, their naked bodies pressed together under the sheet.
"Hey," she said a bit later. "I'm sorry I called you a dummy. You wanna go get something to eat? Then come back here and hang out? And then why don't you stay here with me tonight. And don't bring any pajamas."
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Patrick and Jenna also had not yet fucked each other that day when they left their younger friends. Now in Patrick's room, they had taken care of that omission and lay together, limbs entwined.
"That was so great with them," he said.
"I know. Did you catch the look on Billy's face when he saw my boobs? He was so sweet though. I guess Kristie taught him how to eat pussy, because he got me off in no time."