I Owe You One

Alice heard the door bell, made sure her bookmark was in place before she set her book aside, checked her watched, and smiled. It was six o'clock sharp.

She opened the door, and invited Tina in. The girl was small and shy, and carried a folder with her. Tina came in and kept her eyes on the floor.

"Take your shoes off," Alice said. "We all do."

Tina left her shoes on the hall, looking old and battered compared to the others there. At least they were clean. She walked behind Alice, softly treading on the thick, warm carpets with her socked feet. The living room was large and well-lit, and Alice sat down on a big, comfortable, leather easy chair, rather than the sofa.

"Thank you, Alice," Tina said. "I owe you one."

"You really do," Alice said. "Now, let's see what you got."

The shy girl gave Alice her university coursework, and stood there awkwardly, wondering what to do with her hands.

Alice took out a red pen from her pocket, opened the folder, and sighed.

"Don't loom over me like that," Alice said. "Sit." She pointed to the floor at her feet.

"Uh, you mean there?" Tina said.

"No, I mean on the moon. Of course I mean there."

Tina blushed at Alice's sarcastic words, and sat on the floor at her socked feet, trying to find a comfortable position.

"Stop fidgeting," Alice said. "It's distracting."

"Sorry." Tina wondered why she couldn't take a place on the sofa, or one of the other seats available, but she tried her best to keep still as her classmate checked her work.

"Alright," Alice said. "You agreed you owed me a favour, didn't you?"

"Sure, anything," Tina said.

"Give me a foot rub then," Alice said, stretching her long, socked feet towards Tina's lap.

Tina dithered as the dirty, white, thick socked heels rested on her legs. As soon as Alice lifted her soles off the floor, a pungent, sharp smell wafted towards Tina, making her nose wrinkle.

"Uh, Alice? You want me to--"

"Unless you don't need my help, of course."

Tina sighed.

"And no sulking!" Alice said.

"Uh, sorry. I just--"

"Quiet, I'm trying to work here! You don't need your mouth to massage my feet, do you?" Alice snickered. "Well, unless... but no, get on with it now."

Tina barely avoided another sigh and held Alice's foot with both hands. She began to rub Alice's sole through the sweaty, damp sock, tracing circles with her fingers, hoping this wouldn't take too long.

Alice smiled down at her, and started checking the work, marking mistakes with her pen.

"You are really stupid, aren't you?" Alice said.

Tina kept quiet. She continued rubbing Alice's foot, hoping she wouldn't have to answer. Alice prodded her soft belly with her toes, making her squirm.

"I asked you a question. It's rude not to answer."

"I'm sorry," Tina said, rubbing harder. "I guess... I guess I am quite stupid, yeah."

"You're a silly girl."

Tina looked down at the feet on her lap, avoiding Alice's gaze.

"Say it," Alice demanded.

"I'm... uh, I'm s-silly."

Alice snorted, and went on marking Tina's work. Judging by the movements of her red pen, there was a lot wrong with it. She began to wipe her free foot on Tina's skirt, staining it with her sweat.

Poor Tina didn't dare say anything. It looked like an unconscious movement, like something Alice might just do without noticing, and Tina didn't want to be told off for being annoying.

Looking at one particular equation, Alice gasped and glared down at Tina.

"Are you deliberately wasting my time?" she said.

"No! I'm just... I really tried my best, ok? That's why I asked for help."

"This is far worse than I thought," Alice said, still looking down on Tina, tapping her toes on her leg for emphasis. "I can't believe you are this dumb. It's going to take longer than I planned for and that means you're going to owe me even more."

Tina nodded her head, abashed.

"Uh, whatever you say, Alice."

"Change foot."

"What?"

"You're being disobedient now?" Alice said, raising her foot towards Tina's face, almost brushing her upper lip with her socked toes, and placing the other one on Tina's hands to rub.

"Uh, no. It just caught me by surprise."

Tina tried to avoid the unbearable smell by turning her head, but Alice's foot kept following her, just this close to her nose, tormenting it with its powerful stench. In the end, she started breathing through her mouth as Alice giggled.

"What's the matter, Tina? Is my foot smell bothering you?"

"A little."

"Wow, I'm hurt. You come here asking for help and tell me my feet stink? I knew you were dumb, but I thought you had a good heart. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. It's not like you have money, you can't help me with anything, and you aren't even pretty. Still, even a stupid, useless, ugly girl like you can follow simple instructions, if she's obedient and humble, but it looks you don't even have that."

Alice dropped the folder on the floor.

"Please, Alice, forgive me? I just... I didn't know it would bother you."

"So you are not apologising for what you said, but claiming I'm too sensitive? Get out."

"Please! Just tell me what to do?" Tina pouted, forlorn.

"Tell the truth. My feet don't smell at all, and if they did it wouldn't bother you. In fact, they're lovely and you're lucky to be allowed to have your face so close to them."

Tina blushed and looked at Alice, wondering if she really meant it. Alice's gaze was firm, and Tina wilted.

"I'm sorry, Alice. Of course your feet are really pretty and it's so kind of you to let me rub them and put them right on my face. They don't stink at all, they smell really nice."

"Prove it."

"Uh, how?"

"Come on, dummy! This is not a maths proof. Even a silly thing like you should be able to work it out. I'll give you a hint."

Alice moved her foot even closer to Tina's face, cupping her nose with her sweat-soaked sock.

Tina coughed, completely shocked by the penetrating smell. She had a disgusted face, but she realised she was going to have to do better if she wanted Alice's help, and it was her last chance.

Alice giggled. "Looks like my feet's delicious perfume is making you cough. You'll get used to it though, right? You just love it. Show me."

"Yeah. I... I love it, thank you, Alice." Tina started sniffing, making delighted, yummy noises, trying to look like she meant it and containing her nausea.

Alice couldn't help cackling.

"Hahahaha, you really are so fucking stupid, Tina. Of course my feet are absolutely disgusting today. I had my training on those socks and then I played a match, and you're smelling them like it's candy. What an idiot."

Tina started crying with humiliation. She knew she wasn't the smartest person around, but did Alice have to rub it in like that? And rubbing it in she was, just as her damp, sweaty toes kept rubbing all over her nose. She was so beaten down she didn't even dare to stop sniffing, though, lest Alice would withdraw her offer for help.

"Good girl. You know where you belong. Pass me that folder up so I can finish correcting your mess, and use those hands to press my foot against your face. Rub it with your nose, lips and chin now. Don't make me do all the work."

Tina complied, tears running down her face, quietly sobbing, attempting not to make noise so as not to disturb her classmate as she worked. She used her own face to continue Alice's foot massage, and she couldn't help doing her best. She always tried. It was just... she didn't have the head for most things.

Alice went on working, looking at Tina now and then with a devious smile.

"Look, Tina. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. You really are quite sweet, but honestly, that's all you have going for you. You must know this is true. The best you can hope for is finding someone who understands your limits and finds a use for you, right? Doesn't it feel good to be told just what to do, and know you can do it? Isn't it nice not to have to think and get things wrong?"

"Y-yeah, I guess, but--"

"But nothing. Kiss my feet and thank me for this. Really, I think you'll find you can learn to like it."

Tina couldn't believe Alice's words. Learn to like it? Was she joking? She had a point, though. It was so easy to just do as she was told, and she enjoyed it when Alice smiled at her with approval. She liked being able to do something right for a change. With nothing left to lose, she started laying kisses on her classmate's dirty socks. First they were light, shy, squeamish little kisses, but to her surprise she realised she wanted to do this right. She wanted to please Alice and see her smile at her again, so she began to kiss more deeply and passionately, letting the tip of her tongue touch the wet, grimy fabric, tasting the salty, sharp flavour of stale sweat.

"Good girl, Tina. Keep doing that."

Tina continued her homage to Alice's foot as her classmate set aside her folder and closed her eyes, an amused, satisfied smile of relaxation on her face.

"Uh, how much longer?" Tina said.

"I'll tell you when to stop," Alice said. "hold both feet up, and bury your face deep in."

Tina complied, running her nose all over the groove between the feet, pressing the soles against her cheeks and laying kisses all over them, soiling her face and tongue with the sweat and lint coming off the dirty socks.

"Hmm, that's lovely. I think I'll keep you, little one. Would you like doing this for me every day?"

"Yes," Tina said, surprised. "I... I guess it's as you say. I mean, I don't really like the smell so much but... I love being able to do something good for someone for a change."

Alice patted the submissive girl's hair, like a dog, and gave her a patronising smile that Tina confused with affection.

She responded kissing with all her devotion, feeling things she felt too dumb to put in words. She had given Alice her heart. She kept kissing, sniffing and rubbing as Alice giggled, sighed with pleasure, and fell asleep.

* * *

Alice slowly woke up from her nap, noticing a pleasant feeling on her soles. She opened her eyes and saw her classmate still kissing and rubbing her socked feet with her face. Her plan had worked so well. Tina seemed completely focused on her servile task, taking deep breaths as she nuzzled Alice's socks. It was nice to feel the coolness from the air she breathed in where she pressed her little nose.

"Enough, Tina," Alice said, startling the girl at her feet.

"Oh, uh, ok," Tina said, gently laying Alice's socked feet on the floor. "You were sleeping for quite a while."

"Are you complaining?" Alice said, firmly looking down on her.

"No, I was... just saying."

"It might be best if you don't try to make conversation. You're no good at it. Just speak when spoken to, alright?"

"Fine," Tina said, sulking.

"Now take a look at this," Alice said, giving Tina the folder with her corrected coursework.

It was a sea of red, and Tina sighed, realising how far she was from being able to pass the course.

"Uh, may I ask a question?" Tina said. She didn't want to disobey Alice, but how could she learn otherwise?

"You may," Alice said. "Before doing so, you must kiss my toes, though. That way we'll avoid needless questions, alright?"

"Um, is that necessary?" Alice glared at her, and she bowed her head. "Oh, ok, sure," Tina said, blushing.

She raised Alice's foot and placed a deep kiss on her toes, somehow knowing Alice expected a proper one.

Alice giggled, hardly believing how compliant Tina turned out. She had hoped she'd be able to get her to do some of this, but she had never imagined how easy it would be.

"Uh, so, do you think I'll be able to pass?" Tina said.

"Wow, of all things you ask me that?" Alice said. "I thought making you kiss my toes would get you to focus a bit better. Maybe you like it?"

"No, I just... that's what I need to know."

"I can't say. You're in a mess, but if you work really hard you might. The course just isn't all that difficult. Learning a few patterns could take you far, though you won't ever be good at this."

Tina went on checking her work, asking question after question where she couldn't understand the reasoning for Alice's corrections, placing a respectful kiss on her toes before each one, alternating feet without being told to.

"Thanks, Alice," Tina said. "I'm done now."

"Is that what you think?" Alice said. "Give me those again."

Tina complied, passing the folder to Alice.

Alice asked Tina for the answer to the first problem. Tina blushed. She tried to remember it, but her mind slipped on the numbers and terms. She stammered a reply.

"Wrong!" Alice raised her foot, pressing it on Tina's face. "When you gave me this, I hadn't taught you yet, but now you have no excuse. I'll give you a nice little incentive so you try your best. Lick my sock, from heel to toe."

Tina looked at Alice, unable to believe she was serious, but Alice made it clear she wasn't joking.

"What, Alice? Come on! That's too much!"

"Ok, go away then," Alice said, sounding indifferent.

"Please, Alice, can't we do something else? That's... pretty dirty."

"It's not meant to be a reward. No point in making you do it as a punishment if you liked it."

Tina sighed.

"That's twice, for sulking."

"Alice!"

"Three times. I really am going to think you love lapping up my sock dirt if you go on like that."

Tina blushed, embarrassed by Alice's words and her own stupidity. She did her best to keep from sighing again, kept a smile on her face, opened her mouth, and run her tongue, slowly, from the heel of Alice's dirty sock, all along her beautifully curved arch, up to her big toe. The flavour was salty and sharp, and she could feel bits of dust and sweat-soaked lint sticking to her tongue as she dragged it over the grimy surface. She knew any sign of disgust would be punished though, so she managed to contain her instinctive desire to recoil and grimace.

"Good girl, nice smile on your face," Alice said. "That's one. Now give that foot a kiss, thank me, and do the next one."

Tina kissed the sole of the foot, pressing her lips hard enough Alice felt it as a delicious sensation making her tingle and increasing her arousal, which had been growing since she had started toying with the girl, and was getting harder to keep hidden.

"Thank you, Alice," Tina said, sounding like she meant it.

She took hold of Alice's other foot, and gave it the same treatment, feeling the taste of sweat on her tongue spreading as she put it back in. Everything tasted like feet. Her whole mouth was filled with the flavour of sock dirt, like a worn shoe, and there was one more lick remaining. How many questions would she get wrong?

She changed foot once more, and gave another lick, noticing the slightly less sharp, acrid taste on the sock now she had licked it once already. It felt awful to be comparing the dirty taste of socks, but she had nothing else to focus on. This time she licked, slowly and thoroughly, from the heel, along the instep, and up to the baby toe, making Alice giggle.

"Nice," Alice said. "Clean up all that sock filth. You're not such a dummy after all. You worked out to lick up the other side all by yourself."

Tina felt embarrassed, but oddly pleased at Alice's approval, and it helped that she didn't make her do a repeat, so it was easier for her to keep her smile on, even as her cheeks stayed red.

"Uh, thank you, Alice," Tina said, feeling her tongue dry from the sock lint and sweat.

Alice continued asking Tina the answers they'd already gone through. In most cases, Tina couldn't remember the answer, or work it out, and had to lick Alice's socks again, though she knew better than to sulk or pout or do anything other than seem perfectly happy to be doing it.

"Well, we've done as much as you can in one sitting," Alice said. "Or kneeling." She snickered. "I've used... an hour and a half, so another hour and a half of your... service, in thanks, sounds about right, would you agree?"

Tina shivered. More than an hour of this?

"Alice..."

"Yes?" Alice glared at the girl kneeling at her feet.

"You were sleeping for some of that time, isn't that kind of... unfair?" As she spoke, Alice frowned.

"Are you being ungrateful, Tina? Don't you agree what I've done for you is at least worth two hours of service? In fact, call home and tell them you're staying the night."

"Alice--"

"Don't you get it? Every time you complain it's going to get worse. Now I'm going to give you to Mum to use, too."

Tina couldn't bear the thought of someone else seeing her degrade herself like that, but she knew Alice was right. Things could always get worse, and if she didn't pass this course she wouldn't be able to get her degree and do what she really wanted.

She called home and told her parents she would be staying with Alice to study further. They congratulated her for trying so hard. If they only knew the only thing she would be studying was her classmate's foot smells and tastes... She didn't want to think about it, but kneeling on the floor, with Alice's feet waving on her face, wafting their smell on her, she had little choice.

"Alright, good girl," Alice said. "Now, take my socks off. I want you to massage my bare feet."

Tina removed Alice's socks and the smell got a lot worse. She grimaced in disgust, unable to help herself, and Alice punished her by wiping her damp, sticky, greasy soles all over her face, forcing them to smell them up close.

"You never learn, do you, dummy?" Alice said. "This is all a favour I'm doing for you, and you have to act like it."

"Sorry, I'm really trying, honestly I am."

"I know, and that's why I haven't sent you off yet. You're being stupid, not deliberately disobedient. You just need to be trained. Now let's get those socks washed... in your mouth."

Tina managed to avoid a negative reaction beyond opening her eyes wide. Alice was so demanding. She took one of her socks, and as she was going to put it inside her mouth, Alice commanded her to turn it inside out. "So you can enjoy my yummy foot crud as well as the sweat," she said.

Tina had no ability to resist left and she complied in silence, letting herself be used like a sock washer. At the same time, she rubbed Alice's feet very close to her face, unable to evade the smell, now her mouth was full and she had to breathe through her nose.

Alice's mother arrived.

"Hi, Mum," Alice said, cheerfully.

Tina blushed and lowered her face, trying to hide, and accidentally placed her nose almost in touch with Alice's bare toes, still rubbing her feet.

"Who's that girl, and what is she doing?" Alice's mother said.

"She's my little foot girl," Alice said, amused. "A dummy from class that's willing to do anything for help with her assignments."

"That's pretty mean, you know," her mother said. Her voice contained more amusement than condemnation, however.

"Oh, is it?" Alice said. "Poor, poor girl. I guess you won't want her to give you a foot rub then, and I should say, she might be a dummy, but she has patient, strong, soft hands."

"Whatever gave you that idea," her mother said, laughing. "Send her to me!"

"You heard," Alice said, nudging Tina's face with her foot. "Go and give Mum a foot rub. Use your hands and your face like a good girl."

Tina wanted to disappear, but all she could do was quietly nod and crawl to the sofa, where Alice's mother sat. Her feet wore nylons, and she was swinging them back and forth, clearly looking forward to getting her daughter's foot servant to rub them.

"I'm Dana," she said. "I can't imagine we'll have much to talk about, but just so you know whose feet you're going to be working on." She laughed, and pressed her smelly nylon soles on the girl's face, dragging the fabric over her skin, imprinting her with sweat.