Ashley

I would like to give special thanks to Amy S and Dan for their input and help on this chapter, and Renee for the previous.

If you are new to the series, I recommend reading the earlier chapters to get an idea of what to expect. There are some references that may be lost without some prior reading.

Please don't forget to vote. I hope you enjoy the chapter. ^_^

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Chapter 4: Need

"Bry... Brian. Come on, you need to get up. It's already eight-ten."

"Hmm? What?" I squinted through my eyes, barely able to make out Ashley's face. "What happened to my alarm?"

"I turned it off. I don't get how you can stand that thing. It sounds worse than nails on a chalkboard, and it's so loud."

"That's kinda the point." I rubbed my eyelids and felt a sharp sting, but the blurry image of my sister kneeling by my bed was well worth the temporary pain. "Why did you wait ten minutes to wake me up? My alarm was set for eight."

"I wanted to watch you sleep for a little bit." She leaned closer and held up a thin red strap. "Why is my bra hiding under your pillow?"

My cheeks blushed a matching color. "Do you know how cruel it is to give me that thing? I looked all over it for you bra size but couldn't find it anywhere."

"Bry, look at me. Seriously." Ashley cupped her breasts and lifted them up. "It's not hard to guess what size they are."

I figured a large A-cup or a small B-cup. I really had no idea. I only knew the earlier letters in the alphabet meant a smaller size.

But as eye opening as it was to watch my sister hold her breasts, I was more surprised by her ensemble. It wasn't something she woke up to and tossed on without some forethought. She wore a very tight white shirt with a vintage design of a butterfly on it, and a light blue hooded jacket. The ends of her hair were curled below her shoulders, looking very sexy, and a golden headband rested neatly on her head. I had never awoken to a more beautiful sight.

I wondered what called for the occasion. "Why are you dressed? You going somewhere?"

Ashley caught my eyes roaming her figure. She stood up to let me see the rest of her. "Yep. With you to school."

I immediately sat up. "What? Why? I'll only be gone for a couple of hours. You need to stay home with Nikky and watch her."

"She's still asleep. Besides, she's old enough to stay home alone."

"She's only twelve. Do you know how much trouble we can get in if mom and dad find out?"

"Don't worry. I talked to Nicole last night about it. I made her promise me she'll behave or else the trip to Six Flags tomorrow is off."

I was appalled, yet also a little thrilled with her intricate scheme. "Why do I get the feeling you've given this some thought?"

"I've been thinking about it ever since you told me about your little errand. You know I can't bear being away from you. I woke up at six o'clock so I could get ready and dress up pretty." Ashley performed an elegant pirouette to show off just how pretty she looked, causing her light pink skirt to float above her knees. It was loose and fluffy, almost old-fashioned in the way it went below her knees, and was made of layers of sheer fabric. The skirt was very fitting for the summer and did an excellent job in accentuating her cuteness and natural beauty.

"I'm really flattered you would do that for me but I-"

"No buts, mister." Her voice was loud and stern; her adorable demeanor had taken a dramatic turnaround. "I'm going with you and that's final. Argue all you want but you're only going to more waste time."

Alarmed for my safety, I replied, "All right, just let me get ready."

"Okay, goodie. I picked out your clothes for you. They're laid out on your desk." Just like that, she went full circle to adorable again.

"Thanks, mom, I really appreciate it."

Ashley stuck her tongue out as she exited my room. Stumbling to my desk to see what she had laid out for me, I found a pair of tan khakis and a white polo shirt. It wasn't too different from my regular attire, but the shirt was nicer than the graphic tees I normally wore. After changing into them, I opened my door, expecting to see my sister waiting for me. The hallway was disappointingly empty, so I made my way to the bathroom.

This time on the way out from brushing my teeth, Ashley was standing right in front of me. She was holding a small plate of jelly-covered toast in her right hand and a glass of orange juice in her left. A sparkling smile lit up her cheery face.

"This is too much," I said. "You didn't have to do this for me."

"I want to. It's no big deal. Hurry up and eat. We don't want to be late, right?" She handed me the plate and glass and I gladly accepted.

As I ate my breakfast on the way to my car, I could barely keep my eyes open in the bright sunlight. Even at eight-thirty in the morning the entire neighborhood was basked in a glaring light. Thankfully the heat hadn't accompanied the sun yet.

I was only half-done with my toast when we reached my car. "Hey sis, you want to drive?"

"Really? Can I?"

"Yeah, of course. I need to teach you how to drive, don't I? Isn't that what I promised mom?"

"Yeah, but you didn't look happy with the idea at first."

"Are you kidding me? I love the idea. Nothing fills me with more joy than spending more time with my gal. So come on, you drive. I still need to finish eating."

"Okay, if you say so. But I'm not responsible for any damages that may occur to your car. It's your idea that I drive so all the blame goes to you."

"Fine with me. Mom and dad handle the insurance anyway."

"Okay, good. Now that that's cleared up, toss me your keys."

I balanced the glass with my plate and threw the keys over the hood of my car. Ashley caught them easily and unlocked the doors. Once we were seated, I watched her fidget in her chair, her left hand searching for something along the bottom side.

"Ash, the lever to raise your seat is-"

"Don't worry, I found it." A soft rumbling came from her chair as it rose up. "Much better."

"Since you're shorter than me, make sure to adjust the rearview mirror before you-"

"Pull out onto the street. I got it." Ashley tilted the elongated mirror.

"Don't forget the-"

"Side mirrors. I got it." She lowered her window and nudged it.

"Guess you don't need me at all. Maybe I'll just lay back and get some sleep."

"You can do that on the way home. I don't know where I'm going."

"Oh, right. Just stay on this lane and..." For the next few stops and turns, I gave her directions on where to go.

It had been almost a month since I last saw Ashley drive--disregarding the times I watched her from the living room window. The improvement in her handling was remarkable. She had motions down to a tee, and although this was the first time she had driven my car, it wouldn't have seemed that way to a bystander.

As Ashley turned onto the freeway, she asked, "Am I doing okay?"

"Yeah, you're doing great. We'll be on the freeway for the next forty minutes so just get comfortable and watch out for other drivers."

"Okay, I can do that."

The amount of driving time didn't seem to bother her. For me, the trip usually meant a long forty minutes of solitude. That morning marked the first time I had anyone accompanying me, and I wanted to make the most of it. Unfortunately, my sis didn't share my sentiment. Every time I spoke she would tell me to quiet down so she could concentrate on the road. I could tell by her yawns, however, that she was probably just as tired as I was and lacked the energy to do two things at once.

When we neared our exit, I gave Ashley the final set of the directions to my college. Because it was summer, parking spaces were more abundant, and she found a shaded spot under a large tree.

Ashley handed me the keys as we exited. "That was a really long drive. How can you stand this everyday?"

"It's not so bad. Do it enough times and you'll get used to it, too. As long as I have my favorite music on, I can handle just about any amount of boredom."

"But this is still an hour of driving just to get to school, and then another to get back home. Do that five times a week and that's ten hours we're apart from each other. Ten hours is almost half a day. And what if there's traffic? That can make it more than twelve hours. In a month, that's-"

"Calm down, sis, don't turn into a walking calculator on me." I wrapped my right around her shoulders and hugged her close. It was charming how concerned she was over something so trivial. "I really, really mean it when I say it isn't as bad as it seems."

"It's just... you've scheduled your classes around my mine so you could pick me up from high school."

"Yep, I remember doing that. I picked you up for two years in a row. Is that a problem?"

She stomped her foot on the ground. "Yes, that is a problem. Every day, you waste so much time driving back and forth. You're tired and exhausted from your classes and you just want to go home and rest. But what do you have to do instead? You have to waste more time driving to my school to pick me up. Mom and dad could have had me take the bus or carpool with my friends, but they forced you to take me home. I can't believe how much of a hassle I am."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're getting it all wrong. Not once have I thought of it as a hassle. Picking you up from school was the one thing I looked forward to the most in my day. You have no idea how ecstatic I got every time I saw you running to my car. I would have waited in the parking lot for the entire day if I had to. You're on my mind all the time, whether I'm in line for lunch or daydreaming in the middle of my classes. Mom and dad didn't ask me if I could pick you up; I asked them. I wanted to do it, so don't think of it as a hassle for me because it wasn't."

Both of her hands clapped over her mouth. "Oh god, I never knew. But why? Why would you do that for me?"

"You're my sister. I love you. That's all there is to it."

Ashley fell into my open arms. "You're so good to me."

"I know. You deserve it."

We embraced in the warm and cozy sun, feeling even warmer in each other's arms. Some people had walked by us but neither Ashley nor I bothered to check if they were staring. When I finally kissed the top of her golden hair, she stepped to my side, and together we strolled onto the main campus.

Our trip ended at a four-story building.

"My counselor's office is down this hall. Wait out here, okay?" I gave Ashley a peck on the cheek.

"Wait, don't go yet." She nimbly buttoned the topmost button of my shirt, folded the collar down, and combed her fingers through my hair. "Okay, better. I'll be right here."

I took about a dozen steps before I heard her shout, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," I shouted back. I blew her a kiss and waved farewell. Being just as playful, she pretended to catch it and held it to her heart.

My morning kept getting better and better; the meeting with my counselor went without a hitch. We skimmed over my grades from the previous year, discussed my future courses, and after having my schedule stamped and hand shaken, I was back in the hallway in search of my sister.

The search was a brief one since Ashley hadn't move from where we departed. She was reading some bulletins for academic clubs and summer jobs, rocking back and forth on her heels and toes with her hands behind her back. I crept through the hallway to my unsuspecting sister until I was less than three feet away. She continued to sway while humming a catchy melody. Wetting my lips, I lunged forward and hugged her around the waist, lifting her off the ground.

Ashley's squeal resonated through the building. "Oh jeez, Tiger, you scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry, I can't keep my hands to myself. You look so beautiful."

I twirled on my feet once before putting Ashley down. She spun to me and circled her arms around my hip, squeezing my butt in her hands. "That's not fair," she frowned. "I can't help it if I was born this cute."

"And I can't help it if I was born crazy in love for you." We exchanged small kisses. "Ready to go home?"

"Not really. Are you sure that's all you needed to do? You were in there for only ten minutes."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I just needed my counselor to approve my schedule for next year and make sure I meet the prerequisites. Small stuff. Most of it's done online."

"But I woke up early so I could pick your outfit and spend time looking pretty for you."

"I appreciate all the work you did in making yourself the sexiest little thing I ever laid eyes on, but I did say last night I would only be gone for a short while."

"Well, I'm not ready to leave yet. I want to hang out for a bit."

"This is a college campus, not an amusement park. There's nothing to do here besides learning and studying.'"

Ashley took a step away from me. With her hands behind her back, she turned her body side to side like a giddy schoolgirl, beaming a marvelous smile. "Show me around anyway. I want a tour of this place. It's nice and sunny today and it'll be a shame not to enjoy it."

"It's summer. It'll be nice and sunny every day."

"Maybe, but I have your car keys. That means we don't go home until I'm ready to go home."

"Nice try. My keys are right..." I patted my side and back pockets but felt only my wallet and cell phone. The sound of metal jingled next to my right ear.

"Looking for these?" Ashley teased, holding the keys up in front of me.

"How did you..." I swiped at them but she snapped her hand away. She must have taken the keys while she was hugging me. "Since when did you become a master pickpocket?"

"It's not hard to distract you. One small ass-grab and you're slobbering like a doggy."

"You should find it flattering you have that kind of effect on a guy."

"Oh, I do. I get turned on so much when you stare at me like that." Ashley leaned onto her toes and gave me a mouthful of her tongue.

The delectable pleasure captivated me. Before I knew it, I had Ashley pinned to the wall by the wrists. Her soft breasts were smashed against my chest and her hard nipples poked me through my shirt. As she moaned into my mouth, I heard the keys fall to the floor with a clang.

Ashley lowered her hands to my butt. My cock formed a steely tent in my pants, straining against her inner thigh. I tried telling myself we couldn't go any further than kissing, but knowing we were in the middle of a public hallway in broad daylight made it so much more exciting.

Just then, I heard a door slam shut behind me. I released my grip and backed away from my sister as she straightened the ruffles of her skirt. We both smirked at each other, our cheeks glowing. I turned around with my head bowed to see who had interrupted us.

My counselor was standing outside his office with an overflowing trashcan, his attention in the other direction. I couldn't tell if he was actually preoccupied with locking his door or merely pretended not to notice us, but Ashley and I didn't want to linger around to find out. We ran hand-in-hand past the lockers and burst through the glass door to the outside world.

Ashley was laughing hysterically the entire dash. "That was you counselor, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, that's him. God, I hope he didn't see us. I might have to change my last name so I can get a different one."

"Don't be embarrassed about getting caught. Love is a natural emotion. No one can control where we get the urge to make out."

"You're always so optimistic."

"I have a good reason to be. So come on, show me around. I want to see everything this place has to offer." Knowing fully well I couldn't deny her request, she began walking ahead of me. I had no choice but to follow.

Although Ashley had insisted I be her guide, she showed no hesitation in leading the way. It was difficult explaining things with her always five feet ahead me; she had to keep turning around to see what I was pointing at. Whenever we came across a group of people doing something unique, like playing guitars, taking digital pictures, or performing skateboard tricks, she would ask me if the campus was always this active during the regular year, then proceed without waiting for an answer.

When my voice had all but left me, Ashley stopped dead in her tracks.

"That building looks interesting. Can you take me in there?" She pointed at a circular dome-shaped structure. It was one of the newer buildings that had been established as part of a major spending spree. The outer walls were all glass, making the facility look very high-tech in contrast to the brick buildings we had been passing.

"That's the amphitheatre. To be honest, I've never been in there myself. There's actually lot of places I haven't been in yet."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's pop our amphitheatre cherry together." Ashley dragged me by the hand up the small stairway and through the front doors.

From its exterior, the building didn't appear it should have belonged to a college, but the pristine and quiet atmosphere from the interior surely did. There were whiteboards lining the walls with complex mathematical formulas, statues of three-dimensional shapes, and glass cases of numerous thousand-page textbooks. When we almost made a full circle back to where we had entered, we heard a teacher speaking from a nearby classroom. Ashley peered into the open doorway and I hesitantly did the same.

"Wow, there's hardly anyone in here," she whispered.

I surveyed the barren room. No more than twenty students were sitting in the front seats of maybe two hundred total. A male, forty-ish year-old teacher in a lab coat paced across the wooden stage. "There aren't a lot of people who take summer classes. Courses aren't going to be as full as the ones during the regular terms."

Ashley inspected the room for another few seconds. "Let's go in," she suggested.

"Are you crazy?" I almost shouted. "We don't attend this class."

"So, I want to see what a college class is like. You can be with me when I pop my college class cherry."

All this mention of cherry popping was putting a strain on my imagination.

Ashley dragged me down a sloped walkway to the middle of the amphitheater, five rows behind the closest student from us. The dark maroon cushioned chairs reminded me of the movies, with them getting higher toward the back. The backrests were wide and tall compared to regular wooden. Between each seat was an armrest that could be pulled down, though they were much too narrow to really write on. I took a seat to the right of my sister.

Attending an unknown class wasn't what I had in mind for my normally lazy summers. I wanted to get the heck out of there, lest we get in trouble for being somewhere we weren't supposed to be. Most professors didn't fuss over attendance, whether the student was actually enrolled in the class or not, but from my experiences the ones that did were the strictest.

"Ash, we shouldn't be here. What's the point of doing this?"

She looked down on me slouched in my seat. "Give me five minutes."

Five minutes. I guessed I could survive for that long.

The teacher continued his lecture without once looking directly at us. He rambled on about velocity and vectors, and I gathered we were in a physics class.

"Can anyone tell me what is happening to the speed of an object when its velocity and acceleration are in the same direction?" the teacher asked aloud. "Anyone at all? You've been here two weeks and none of you can answer a question as simple as that?"

The room became deafly silent. Tension was in the air, and although I wasn't officially in the class, I started to feel nervous. My luck had always been crappy in these situations. Teachers just loved picking on me, and for a terrifying moment I thought he was going to when he stared in my direction.

"Yes, the lady in the back over there."