The Pulse

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-- G

The Pulse - part four

Monday was a mercifully normal day.

Thankfully, saving Tina appeared to have been a fifteen minutes of fame thing on a slow summer news day. I was able to cycle into school with nothing more to worry about than weaving through the usual traffic carnage outside the school.

Something definitely felt different though. Initially I just thought that it was the absence of the bullies that had traumatised my school life to this point. But as the day continued I realised that it was the lack of the snarky remark. The lack of the sneer. People were meeting my eyes instead of turning away and ignoring me. There were greetings in the corridor. A high five from one of the other gymnasts.

The only missing part in an almost perfect day was Jennifer. She obviously felt betrayed and was far too angry to give me the chance to explain myself. She sat as far away from me as she could at any shared lessons and made it very clear to the popular crowd what she thought of me.

It wasn't so much the cold shoulder as a bad case of frostbite.

I lost myself in the gym session that evening, working out my frustrations there. I had to force myself to listen to Rob and slow my pace next to the fitter, more experienced gymnasts. But I was really enjoying myself. It did look as though Jennifer's attitude to me was rubbing off on the other girls though who were pointedly ignoring me.

After years of being at the bottom of the social ladder I was used to this sort of thing and their disdain and contempt rolled off me like water off a duck's back. A quick shower later I was walking out of the front doors when a familiar voice greeted me.

"Hello, Jake."

My dick twitched slightly as Mrs Sawyer stood there in her workout gear looking like every guy's wet dream.

"Hello, Mrs Sawyer."

"No study session tonight then?"

"Err...no. I don't think that Jennifer wants to see me again."

"That girl has been like a bear with a sore head since last week. What exactly is going on with you two?"

"Err...nothing..?"

She scowled at me and crossed her arms under her full breasts stretching her top to its limits.

" 'Nothing' does not cause my daughter to go into a four-day strop young man. Now talk to me."

"Jennifer saw another girl giving me a hug the day after we'd been studying and I think she took it the wrong way."

"But you're not going out with Jennifer are you?"

Did I detect disapproval?

"We...I...err..."

"Well are you?"

"No. We just enjoyed the study time and had planned to do it again."

Mrs Sawyer let out an exasperated sigh.

"Teenagers. So who was this girl that hugged you?"

"Tina."

"Tina Lathan? The girl that you rescued?"

I blushed and nodded looking down at my feet.

"Ah. Well now things begin to become a little clearer. At last. Thank you for telling me Jake."

And with that she turned and headed over to her car. I was mystified. Did she like the idea of me being around Jennifer or not? I hadn't imagined that disapproval had I? Or was she just a mother dealing with a moody teenager and trying to figure out what was going on?

I gave up and cycled up the hill. I had an exam to cram for.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

The next two days were totally focused on my exams. Jamie did wonders explaining the bits of Chemistry that Dr Maddren wasn't great at getting across. He was a bright man but really struggled to communicate some of the things on the syllabus. The muddle that he'd made of some of the key areas started to coalesce in my mind and I felt much better about my chances with the exam.

I smashed the Biology exam and other than getting drenched on the way home by a summer shower the only other item of note was seeing Tina back in school. She still looked a bit fragile and sad but she didn't avoid me which was good. And she said that her music exam had gone well despite a minor panic attack when she had gone back into the music block for the first time since her attempted rape.

"You will still come with me to the Muse concert won't you?" she asked.

"Of course I will! I'm looking forward to it. It's in the diary - Saturday after next."

She smiled, relieved and some of her bounce and good humour resurfaced as she used her hip to nudge me off balance.

"Thanks," she grinned at me as I stumbled and she headed off to get some lunch.

I watched her well rounded arse sway into the dinner hall and my traitorous cock liked what it saw.

I was nervous as hell going into the Chemistry exam on Wednesday but needn't have worried. A switch had flicked after Jamie's cram session and I genuinely enjoyed the exam. It reminded me how much I'd liked the subject when I began my A Levels only for Dr Maddren to make me second guess myself. Without Jamie I'm not sure where I'd be.

I literally bounced out of the exam grinning like a loon.

"I knew you could do it, man."

"Not without you my friend. Maddren had me so fucking confused. But you are a genius and should be teaching this stuff. You have a real gift."

It was his turn to blush.

"Seriously Jamie. I owe you big time for this."

"You owe me nothing dude," he said smiling as his eyes focused over my shoulder. I turned to see Susan approaching. She ignored me with eyes only for Jamie and gave him a big hug and a smooch.

"Susan, I forgot to tell you how great your teeth look. It must be so nice to get that brace off."

"Like you wouldn't believe! I still have to wear a retainer when I sleep to help keep things in place but I missed just being able to bite into an apple or eat toffee or ki..."

And she suddenly flushed and looked embarrassed as her hand found Jamie's.

"Like I say man. You owe me nothing. Anyway, we just have Maths to go and then we are out of here!"

"It's going to be so weird to be finished with all this."

"Do you want to come over on Friday? We could go out and do something if you want?" asked Jamie.

From the look on Susan's face he was already going to be busy but just didn't realise it yet.

"Thanks man but I can't. I told Fiona that I'd see her on Friday."

Susan looked happy and I think Jamie finally realised that he'd nearly put his foot in it. Probably because his fingers were on the verge of being broken by Susan's grip as she tried to get his attention.

"No worries."

"Do you want to come over to mine to study for Maths?"

"Sure. Tomorrow night?"

"Cool, see you then."

The two of them walked off hand in hand. I was so pleased that he had found someone and Susan was perfect. Smart, pretty and with the social graces that Jamie sometimes lacked. And he obviously thought that it was all down to me that they were together. Maybe I'd helped to remove the turd magnet that had hovered over our heads for years but I was pretty sure it was him that had done all the rest of the work.

I turned around and headed for the gym.

It was hot inside the hall and some of the team were going to be competing at an event at the weekend so they were perfecting their routines, focusing on their fundamentals and the small areas that could make a difference to their scores. It was a bit frustrating as they had priority on the equipment. In this heat though, even with a relatively light workout, by halfway through I was dripping.

With the emphasis on the competition, I got frustrated and decided to help other people rather than take away from their valuable reps.

I ended up helping out at the vault, just making sure that the equipment was dried off and that the mats were properly laid out after each landing. The girls team rotated on to the vault and Jennifer had been assigned the same role as me. She glared daggers at me as she came over.

My frustration at her treatment of me finally boiled over. As we handed over I said in a low voice,

"You have no idea just how wrong you are, do you?"

"So you're not all over that big titted cow like a rash at every opportunity the very next day after you'd claimed that you wanted to be with me? And then you're with her at every opportunity you get. Even at the Lido! How could I have misjudged things so badly."

Her voice grew in volume as she spoke and the rest of the group around us were all taking in the scene.

"No, actually I wasn't. She was all over me. She wants to be more than friends but I've said no. And we're together a lot because our best friends are going out with each other. And yes, some friends went to the Lido? So what?"

I was nearly shouting by now.

"Alright you two. Take it outside. We have a competition to prepare for and your drama is not helping."

Rob propelled the two of us, both protesting out of the side door and shut it behind us.

We were both flushed red with anger and embarrassment. The area outside the fire escape was a bit stony and overgrown and it was a long walk around the outside of the building back to the front. Rob had obviously used this cooling off tactic before as I immediately saw how frustrating it was to be on the receiving end of it.

I looked at her. She had her hair up and her face was clenched tight with anger. She was wound tighter than a spring, with her weight on the balls of her feet, her hands balled into fists and looking like she was going to explode at any moment.

I was angry too. Annoyed that she would be so mean spirited that she wouldn't even let me try and explain.

"What's really bothering you Jennifer?"

"What?!?" Her voice went up an octave, almost screeching at me.

"You're far too smart not to see that Tina is just a friend to me. And, yes, I know that I happened to be in the right place at the right time last week. But you and I really connected last week. I was on cloud nine riding home that night, do you know that?"

A myriad of emotions ran over her face before her expression hardened.

"Just stay the hell away from me."

And she shoved past me to begin the walk back to the front of the building.

I couldn't help myself and grabbed her wrist, spinning her back towards me.

"Dammit, talk to me! What the hell is wrong?"

Pulse.

The pulse spilled out of me unbidden. Blue power flowed over Jennifer. All the tension and anger drained out of her body and she began to cry almost uncontrollably as I demanded to know what was wrong.

I held her hands firmly in mine. Still unsure what the cause of her tears was. What had triggered this? With our physical contact I reached using the blue power that surged around us and...

Heard her mind.

I staggered slightly, unnerved by what I was experiencing.

The feeling was like nothing I'd had before. It was a whirlwind of thoughts, emotions and feelings as she tried to tell me what was wrong. It all came at me in a rush. It was like listening to a hundred shouted conversations in a club or in a really loud restaurant except that all of them were directed at you from right in front of your face.

But it was all coming from one person. Her mix of emotions and thoughts babbled at me and it was all I could do to stay in control of myself.

Calm down, I thought. And the stream of thoughts immediately slowed and I could hear words and phrases.

...grateful...sexy...first kiss...scared...

...don't hurt me...hurt before...

...jealous...raging, towering jealousy...

...shame...friend...love?...hateHateHATE...

...mother...damaged...

And then buried under all of it, hidden in her darkest recesses.

...too poor...

I stopped holding her. I stopped the pulse and severed the connection. She staggered away from me as if I'd physically pushed her. She steadied herself against the wall, looking unsure and nervous. She looked up into my eyes and was shocked at what she must have seen there.

My sadness. My scorn. My utter contempt.

She hid her tear stained face and I left her there without saying a word.

I walked back to the main entrance and went straight to the showers. I cleaned off as quickly as I could and was changed and back in my clothes just as everyone else was finishing.

Rob was going through the last instructions to some of the gymnasts that would be competing at the tournament as I approached.

"...and pick up is at eight thirty on Saturday. Anyone that isn't there needs to find their own way to Guildford. OK?"

There was a chorus of groans.

"Good practice tonight folks. Now go and shower, rest up and eat right!"

The last few words were addressed to their backs as they all headed for the showers.

"So. What was all that about? Lovers tiff?" he grinned at me affably.

"Rob, I just wanted to apologise for my behaviour and for the distraction. And to say that I don't think that gymnastics is for me after all. I've enjoyed the last couple of weeks but won't be joining the summer programme."

My words were clipped, clear and cold.

"The hell you say. You're a natural."

"That's kind of you but it's not for me."

And with that I turned on my heels and headed out of the door as he shouted my name behind me.

As I burst through the doors I saw Celia Sawyer leaning against her car on the far side of the car park. She saw my anger and her face twisted into a satisfied smile.

I was incensed and nearly pulled at the thread that connected us like I had with the rugby rapists. But my self-control held. Instead I poured my scorn and utter contempt for her through the link and then severed it.

Celia rocked back as if she'd been punched in the gut. She looked at me with fear and quickly got into her car.

I was absolutely fuming as I got on my bike. It was only when I started to catch one of the cars ahead of me as I cycled up the hill that I realised the blaze of red power that surrounded me.

Twice in one day, I'd let my emotions get the better of me and the Pulse had activated by itself. I couldn't lose control like that. I quickly looked behind me and seeing no one close enough to notice anything and the car ahead of me turning off I simply released the accumulation of anger and red power behind me. I shot up the second half of the hill freewheeling the entire way.

As I arrived home I was still raging inside. I took some long, deep breaths and then purposely put what I'd heard from Jennifer to one side until I could get some privacy to deal with it.

I managed to be civil with my parents though they must have guessed that something was wrong. I excused myself to go upstairs and study after devouring my third bowl of bolognese.

It was a relief to finally shut the door and fall into bed.

Then I allowed the anger to flow, to replay the smug smile of that bitch Celia. The bitch that thought that while I was good enough to use as her fuck toy I wasn't good enough to be around her daughter.

It hurt.

It was stupid because I knew that we weren't well off. I knew that we had to work and claw our way for everything. That I would end up with a debt mountain after university unless I could minimise my living expenses and get a decent part time job. It made me wonder what that bitch knew about working for anything.

I couldn't forget that almost perfect evening that I'd shared with Jennifer but my sheer contempt almost washed that away. I was too POOR for her. Well that made things a lot easier. Where her family were concerned I no longer felt any moral issues with what I was doing or what I'd done.

They'd nailed their colours to the wall and righteous indignation soared through me.

I used my anger that night to study late into the evening. I'd also been holding off from applying for a hotly contested sponsorship place at university. The company would commit to support you through university paying for your course and related expenses. Every holiday would be spent working for them. If your grades dropped below a first then they could remove all funding. This was reviewed after every term. At the end of the three or four years there was a commitment from them to offer you a role at the company.

Only the best and brightest bothered applying and I had held back thinking that I didn't stand a chance. White hot anger did what I otherwise would not have done. The application was completed and sent off that night.

My parents sensed that something had changed in me but didn't push it. They were delighted that I was at least trying to put myself forward as they knew that they were in no position to help me, particularly as my dad would be moving out soon.

I also remembered that I really ought to be the one to call Fiona this time. After an awkward conversation with her father, which made me feel quite unwelcome, he eventually passed the phone over to her. I quickly realised from her initial answers that something had changed and that her parents were hanging around near the phone.

"So are we still on for Friday?" I asked.

"Definitely!"

"I can't wait to hold you again Fiona."

"Uh huh."

"Are your folks listening in?"

"Uh huh."

"Can they hear me?"

"Maybe."

I lowered my voice. "So can they hear that I have been thinking of nothing but seeing my cock sliding inside your perfect pussy since we were last together on Saturday."

"Err...nooooo."

"And dreaming of bending you over the sofa in your front room, pulling your thong down and forcing my rock hard dick into your pussy until you can't take it anymore and explode all over the place. Can they hear that?"

"Unhhh....you're so bad."

I could almost hear her quivering at the end of the phone line. I was rock hard just thinking about her like that. I grinned almost certain that she'd retaliate in the future.

"Do you want to go out somewhere? Or do we get to spend another night in?"

"Mum and Dad have invited us to join them to watch a Studio Ghibli movie at home but I know you were keen to go out somewhere weren't you?"

I caught the emphasis on -weren't you- straightaway. Dammit. And my parents were in too. It looks like a repeat performance would have to wait.

"Yes. There's a great place in Reading that I'd love to take you to."

"Great. So do I need to dress up?"

"It's too hot to get all dressed up," and lowering my voice again, "and you look so good when you're naked in front of me."

"Ugghhh! OK. So casual then. What time can you be here?"

"Why don't I pick you up at seven o'clock?"

"That's great Jake. See you then."

"Bye Fiona."

I heard a whispered "bastard" as she was putting the phone down.

I went back off upstairs in a far happier frame of mind. I saw my parents look at each other and shrug.

"Teenagers..." I heard my mother say.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

I woke up in a totally different frame of mind.

I was feeling better about myself than I had in a long time. I felt that I was beginning to get my love life under control and morally was in a better place all round.

School was very relaxed. A lot of people had finished their exams and so there was a bit of a party atmosphere. I just had Maths on Friday and then I could relax too. I'd given up trying to find a quiet place in any of the usual public areas and seeing that Mrs Thorne's classroom was empty, I found a corner and got some revision in.

After about an hour Mrs Thorne came in and didn't seem particularly surprised to find me there.

"How are things Jake?"

"Oh good thank you. The revision's coming on well and..."

"I didn't mean the revision. You'll do well in the exam. How are you after last week?"

"I'm OK. Really, I'm fine. I think that Tina is the one that needs the support, not me."

"Well I'm pleased to hear that you're coping well. You might be interested to hear that the headmaster will be announcing his retirement in a letter to parents soon."

"Wow! Really?"

"Indeed. The Deputy head has been trying to get him to take bullying more seriously for some time and this was the final straw. Between her, the reporter and the lawsuit from Mr Latham, I think the pressure was too much. He's not a bad man but he is lacking in judgement. Mrs Johnson will make a fine headmistress and she has asked me to be her Deputy."