This is part four of Primrose High. The series does have some significant build up, so it would be a good idea to start at the beginning to know what the overall story is.
As always please leave comments with feedback. I really enjoy hearing from readers, whether it's something you liked, something that I could do better, or suggestions of things you'd like to see. I'd like to know what you think so I can improve the next part of the story. The next chapter should bring Primrose High to a close.
All characters are over 18.
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Josh's ride home was fraught with real and imagined sounds; had the car always clanked that way? Was there always that weird smell? Letting go of the wheel Josh felt the car slowly turn, drifting suicidally into the oncoming lane. He sighed as he parked it. Maybe Beth wouldn't notice. It was an ancient 5 speed Camry, there wasn't much to it.
Beth was still asleep and the sun had just started to rise. Saturday had arrived. Friday seemed like a lifetime ago. Had it really only been a few hours since he'd left?
Josh didn't remember parking the car or even entering the house, he found himself standing in his room. A sudden moment of panic struck him and Josh searched his pockets feverishly, finding them empty. Feeling a little drunk with exhaustion realization dawned that Imee's paper was safely destroyed, as was his own.
In the basement, springs more ancient that the Camry rose to meet Josh as he fell into bed. The pull-out cradled him like a cloud. Plugging his phone in one last time he checked the message from Imee. She'd emailed him a picture from her webcam of her smiling sweetly and blowing him a kiss. "I miss you," the message read. Imee was completely naked. That sweet smile and the words somehow were enough to make feelings stir in Josh, more than seeing his girlfriend, he emphasized the word to himself, showing off her beautiful curves. He was too tired to do much but dwell on why his muscles were so sore and grin like a fool at the ceiling. Despite everything, the risk of the end to Imee and his relationship or their very lives, the looming possibility of the destruction of everything he'd known, he was happy.
Josh fell asleep smiling and, miles away, so did Imee.
The weekend passed less hectically. Josh and Imee seemed more sober now, more somber. Public outings were a risk too large and their escapades the previous night, so care free in the moment, now seemed a liability both hoped had gone unnoticed. Safely cloistered away they talked endlessly. Sweet nothings were exchanged with less irony and more ardor. For the two being apart, being unable to touch, was agony. They made up for the distance in other ways.
Josh listened breathlessly more than once as Imee worked herself to a screaming orgasm while they talked, all the while doubt gnawed at him that somehow Imee wasn't the same girl anymore, that they'd done something so fundamental that she was a different person. Imee said she didn't feel different, really, just more at ease. She had patiently explained, "When you get a pair of glasses you finally realize how sharp the world can look. That's how I feel. Not different, nothing I do is shocking or new to me. It's just, I don't feel bad anymore. It's like I shrugged off this itchy sweater I've worn my whole life and suddenly I realize what it's like to be comfortable. I may have thought about it, but I'd never run a marathon in a wool sweater. Now, suddenly, the idea doesn't make me squirm. I realize that once it would have bothered me, or been impossible for me, to do these things. I would never have opened the window like that in a million years. But it's still me. And it's fun, it's so fun."
Josh let the idea go, trying to force himself to accept this new, weird reality. It was good he had this debate, at least, he knew with a word he could erase any doubt forever. That thought still made him shiver.
Neither wanted to think how soon everything could come to an end, and they were risking it all on a roll of the die. One in six is more intimidating when only a six means you live. The plan had Josh's stomach in knots and Imee admitted she was scared. Some of the suggestions she made warmed him a little, despite the looming danger. The plan grew slowly more detailed. "No plan of battle survives first contact." Imee intoned, sagely. And so they had left it mostly to fate. When the odds are much, much longer they both decided without saying a word that it was best not to dwell on these things.
They tried to distract themselves. They watched movies together, awkwardly trying to synchronize clicking play on Netflix at the same time. It was silly and it was childish and neither cared. Josh told Imee about his sister's mild obsession with anime, the years of sibling rivalry. Imee told Josh about the things she'd done to upset her father.
"Okay, okay, let me try to get into character." Imee tried to stop laughing. Josh was wheezing, wiping tears from his eyes.
"I want you to picture this. My dad just got transferred to the Bible Belt. I'm enrolled in a school in a small, uppity, white baptist town in the south. And, naturally, I'm pretending I mostly speak Russian. The teacher asks me to get up and tell the class something about myself." Imee cleared her throat, "Privet, am Bethany and pleased to be meeting you. I am born in Russia, father travel for military. No wife, so I am wife of the house. My father and I, we shared condom, is small condom of course, not be needing something large. However, even though am small father need to be packing it in very tight inside. Not much room, da? However is feel so good to come. Am happy once all is inside."
"You didn't!" Josh gasped between fits of laughter.
"I totally did. I played it completely straight the entire day. It took a long, quiet minute before the teacher put it together. "Darling,"" Imee drawled, ""I do believe that you meant to say 'condo', not... condom."" I nodded to her and understood, "Then condo is not semen bag for during sexing?"" Imee continued in her southern voice, ""Oh no, dear! Bless your heart." I really played it up in algebra. "I have cunt of three for letter B." That got me sent to the principal, finally. My father didn't find it too funny. I would have thought he saw my potential as an international spy. With the self defense classes he made me take I'd have been brilliant."
"You are horrible!"
"You should hear what I did at his next post."
The weekend slid by like that, together but apart, isolated but united.
Monday morning the bus greeted two smiling, manicured students that blended into the sea of slicked hair and well pressed pants. Imee and Josh talked without saying anything of importance. Not even their eyes betrayed the truth.
Ms Willis was waiting for Josh at the entrance to the school. "Hello, Josh. How was your weekend?"
Josh continued to smile, it never slipped from his face now, "Very good, Ms Willis. Thank you." He finally had a chance to take a real look at the woman that had stripped away so many person's individuality. She was tiny, close to five foot without her heels. Her skin was a deep chocolate, perfectly smooth and creamy. She hadn't a radiant warmth to her smile and plump luxurious lips. Willis kept her hair back in a tight bun that managed not to be too severe. Like the students she was dressed in simple, bland, safe clothes and with her slim figure there was no need to conceal any curves. The genuine smile she shone on her students was her most striking feature; it was brilliant and bright and made her eyes twinkled with mirth. She didn't look evil. She didn't look sadistic. She looked, like her smile, genuine and bright.
Ms Willis nodded, "I'm glad to hear that Josh. So was Principal Steward. She's very happy with this years group of students. Things are going quite smoothly. Maybe you could be of some help, we'll be having some late arrivals joining us soon. I'd like your help getting them settled. You and Bethany here were some of our last hold outs and we like to have the last students help the newest members get their feet."
Josh nodded, "I'd be glad to." His smiled covered the nausea that rolled in his gut.
"Good, come talk to me later. And I think we'll be needing some assistance with the class transition too. You and Bethany could be helpful with that too. But that's the bell, get to class now!"
"Yes, Ms Willis." Imee and Josh chimed in unison.
Staying in character was so easy it scared them both. Imee and Josh, perhaps for one of the last times, sat in class together. They didn't look at each other--Primrose alumni did not sneak glances--but having the other in their periphery was a comfort, knowing someone who was free was close made the atmosphere less oppressive.
In their Prim personas Josh and Imee slid happily, vapidly, through the day.
After long hours the final bell rang and Imee and Josh stood together in the swiftly emptying halls of Primrose.
