School on Monday was hopping. The recent news reports mentioned Mrs. Roberts being released on a ten thousand dollar bond pending investigation of possible inappropriate sexual activity with students. All twelve boys and nine girls had been arrested and each released on one thousand dollar bonds. Other than that there had only been one other incident. The head football coach was the one that had purchased the keg the football players were caught with. The prom, on the other hand, had been a rousing success.
The seniors had free run of the school and were allowed to leave at one. At lunch Dennis, Debi and Lina were sitting at their usual table talking about the arrests. More information was available now and it had spread like wildfire. All twenty one students involved were expelled for three days but would be allowed to graduate on Saturday. Mrs. Roberts had been suspended without pay pending her investigation. When administration was cleaning out her desk there were a lot of compromising photos of her and about six different students. Thor, Bull and Mandy were the three that the names were known but rumors of Trudy and Marissa were rampant. The head football coach had also been suspended without pay pending his investigation.
Sonja was walking away from the serving line when Dennis saw her. He waved her over to join them. She smiled and came to the table. Dennis stood.
"My lady, please join us," he said.
She grinned and sat across from him.
"Thanks for coming to our rescue. My parents would have killed me if I had been in that mess," she said.
"Thank Debi and Lina. I just drove the getaway truck."
"Thanks to all of you."
Sonja had long brown hair and brown eyes. It had been fairly dark on Saturday night and Dennis hadn't noticed how attractive she was. She had a good body too and her breasts were slightly larger than Debi and Lina.
"Sonja what?" Dennis asked.
"Parks."
"Age?"
"I'll be eighteen on Sunday."
"Married?"
She laughed at his question. "My divorce was final ten years ago."
"Good. Attached?"
"No," she smiled.
"You're a junior?"
"Senior actually. I have one semester left."
"Watch him, Sonja. He's dangerous," Lina said.
"So I've heard."
"Me? Where'd you hear that?"
"Just rumors."
"What rumors?" Debi asked grinning.
"That's my cue. I'll see you all later," Dennis said.
Dennis started to get up but Debi grabbed his arm and pulled him back down the seat.
"What were the rumors?" Debi asked again.
"Some people thought you were gay."
"I'm not gay."
"You're dating a college girl, Lina's sister I think."
"We went out once."
"You're a good lover."
"That's not true," Lina said. "He's a great lover." Dennis blushed. "Anything else?"
"You're, you're..."
"Hung like a horse, also true," Lina said, laughing.
Dennis' shade of red deepened. Sonja blushed.
"Why didn't you go to the prom?" Sonja asked.
"I'm not into that kind of stuff. I guess I'm the quiet type."
"No, you're the invisible man type. If no one notices him he's fine with that," Debi added.
"You're the same way, Miss fake glasses," Dennis replied.
Sonja laughed. "Those glasses really aren't good. You're so pretty though. Why hide it?"
"The pretty ones get arrested," Debi replied.
"Not all of them. There are three pretty ones right here that didn't."
"That's because you rescued us," Debi said.
"No, it's because you were all three smart enough to make good decisions. Give yourselves a little credit here."
"Are you and Lina dating?"
"We're friends with benefits," Lina interjected.
"Debi, how about you? Are you seeing someone?"
"I have a friend that way too, and after Saturday I really have no desire to date."
"I need one of those," Sonja said.
"When are you turning eighteen?" Lina asked.
"Sunday."
Lina took Sonja's hand and put it on top of Dennis'. "Sonja, Dennis. Dennis, Sonja."
Sonja turned beet red and pulled her hand away. The other three laughed.
"How does friends with benefits work?" Sonja asked.
"First you're friends. When you get horny you let them know. There's no commitment, just good sex with your friend. You're free to see other people and so are they. Pretty straight forward," Lina replied.
"So a person could have more than one friend?"
"Sure, if you and Dennis were to start up I'd be fine with it. If you became a couple I'd get out of the picture," Lina said. "If I committed to someone he'd get out."
"Is that how it is for you, Dennis?" Sonja asked.
"Exactly."
"So how does a person start a relationship like that?"
"It's generally the girl that asks the guy. I doubt that most girls would handle it well the other way around," Debi said.
"That would be a tough question to ask."
"Not to a friend. That's why you become friends first," Lina told her.
"Ladies, I believe it's time to go. School lets out for us in five minutes."
Dennis began consolidating trays. He was able to get it down to two.
"I'll get the other one," Sonja said. As they walked to the window Sonja looked at him. "Can you and I talk later this week?"
"Sure, tomorrow okay?"
"About ten, by the gym?" she asked.
"I'll be there. Good to see you again, Sonja."
"You too, Dennis."
Sonja left. Dennis walked back to the table where Debi and Lina were just getting up.
"What are you two, recruiters?" he asked.
"She's cute," Lina said.
"Yes, she is, but I'd really prefer you don't fix me up, okay?"
"Dennis, I really am sorry. I didn't mean anything."
"I understand that but let's look at what happened in a nutshell. Sonja, this is my fuck buddy Dennis. Dennis, this is Sonja. Why don't you try him out? Lina, if I had done that to you, you'd never speak to me again."
Dennis left and walked to his truck and waited for Debi who arrived a few minutes later.
"Well, she feels like shit now."
"I'm not a piece of meat to be passed around."
"She didn't mean it that way. All Lina was doing was trying to be your friend. Granted, she overstepped but you could have simply talked to her rather than bite her fucking head off. Call her this afternoon and take her out for a coke or something and apologize to her."
"You're right. I did lay it on a bit thick."
"You think?"
Dennis did call her when he got home and they met at the coffee shop. After both apologized all was forgiven and things were back to normal.
The following day at ten Dennis and Sonja met outside the gym.
"You know that discussion we all had yesterday?"
"Yeah?"
"I'd like you and I to get to know each other over the next few weeks and see if there's any interest in moving forward with something like that."
"Friends first?"
"Yes. I think you're hot but I don't think either of us wants to jump into anything," she said.
"I agree. I'd like to get to know you too."
"I could tell you were a bit PO'd with Lina yesterday for trying to push us together. I don't think she mean't it the way you took it."
"We talked about it yesterday. It's all good. That's how friends work. Do you work?"
"Not at the moment."
"Are you free for lunch Friday, we're out of school? My treat."
"I'd like that. Wanna meet or pick me up?"
"I can pick you up. Twelve thirty?" he asked.
"That's good. Thanks."
"I'll see you around. Hey, we eat at the same table every day. Join us."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye, Sonja."
Wednesday was uneventful to the extent that it was boring. Thursday, being the last day of attending High School was mixed. It was a time for saying goodbye. In Dennis and Debi's case that was primarily teachers and there were a few that really had made a difference in their lives. Rehearsal for Graduation was at ten. The students who had been expelled were back. Apparently Thor had expected a heroes welcome upon his return but that didn't happen. Rehearsal went into overtime. The students were lined up alphabetically for seating. Administration had made the assumption they all knew the alphabet. They were wrong.
On Friday, Dennis picked up Sonja at twelve thirty and they did enjoy their time together. He gave her a box of chocolates as an early birthday present. They made plans for another lunch date on Tuesday.
Saturday finally arrived and graduation went off perfectly. After the procession out of the auditorium everyone met up with family and friends. When Dennis got free he went looking for Lina and her family. They were all there and so was Debi and his mother. Ingrid was the first to greet him. He got a warm hug and a squeeze on the butt. Richard congratulated him with a hearty hand shake. Gretchen put him in a lip lock. He and Lina kissed but less obviously than Gretchen had. Hilda took his arm after their hug.
"Walk with me for a minute," she said.
They walked a short distance from the crowd. She smiled and looked at him.
"I'm so excited about Wednesday I could bust," she said.
"Oh, thank God. I thought you were going to cancel on me."
She laughed. "That isn't going to happen."
"You really did have me worried."
"Stop worrying. Everything is all set and I'll pick you up at nine on Wednesday morning."
"I'll be ready."
"Congratulations on graduating."
"Thanks. You're beautiful today."
"Thank you. Oh, and thank you for rescuing Lina on prom night."
"They rescued themselves. I just picked them up."
"Thank you anyway."
"You're welcome. Is Rick still good with this?"
"He's going to have both girls Tuesday night until Friday morning all to himself. He's good. We'd better get back."
She hugged him again before they walked back and joined the others. Debi, Lina and Gretchen were talking animatedly.
"We've been invited up to the cabin for the weekend," Debi told him.
"I think I'm gonna pass, but thanks," he replied.
"You're going to miss out on a lot of fun," Lina said.
"Not to mention a lot of pussy," Gretchen added, grinning.
"Really, I do appreciate the offer but what I need right now is quiet time. You guys have fun."
"If you change your mind you know where the cabin is," Lina replied.
"And you're always welcome," Gretchen added.
"Okay, thanks."
They stayed around for a short time then went to their homes. Debi started packing a bag immediately and about an hour later headed for the cabin.
