2 comments/ 11563 views/ 3 favorites Pretty Paula's Poodle Skirts By: RetroFan INTRODUCTION & DISCLAIMER: As you might have gathered from the title and description, its time for a trip back to 1957, and the long-gone days of poodle skirts, bobby sox, pony-tails, diners, drive-in movies, classic cars, rock & roll music and juke boxes. Robbie is a young man who escaped from his awful family and rents a room from a married couple, when they take in another boarder, a pretty college student named Paula. Things get interesting from this point. Please note that as this story is set nearly 60-years in the past, views expressed by some characters about the disabled and homosexuals are written to reflect those common at the time, and for plot development and background. They are not the opinions of the author, nor should they be taken as offensive. All characters who engage in sexual activity are aged 18 years and older, and all characters and events are fictional, with similarity to real persons living or dead coincidental. Please enjoy, and check out my other retro stories. *** When the end of the long Maryland summer of 1957 drew near, 19-year-old Robbie McKinley didn't let a day go by without thinking about how great things were for him, and how the past 12 months had been the best of his life to date. Robbie's life was as close to perfect as he could envisage. Robbie, a tall, dark-haired handsome young man, wasn't a rich trust fund kid, who lived a life of luxury without having to work. Robbie worked hard every day in construction, was learning to become a qualified builder, and for the past year had rented a room from a couple aged in their 50s named Mr. and Mrs. Collins. His landlords lived in the suburbs of Baltimore, not far from a college campus, and after their own three kids grew up and left home, rented out two of the bedrooms to young people. Robbie shared a car with his friend Tommy, and was saving hard to buy his own automobile. So why did Robbie, with a life that on face value appeared to be a humble, hard-working one, consider that he lived in Utopia? The answer was that he did not have to put up with his family's shit any more. Robert McKinley, Robbie's father, was an overbearing, authoritarian stentorian, quick to anger and impossible to please. Robbie was embarrassed to share the same name as the man, who was not so much a man as a German Shepherd dog that could speak English. The father and son had no time for each other. When Robbie had studied hard, his father asked why he was wasting his time with stupid book learning and not out listening to music like normal kids. When Robbie neglected to study, his father would say he was a loser who would achieve nothing in life. And when Robbie attempted to join the army when he turned 18 and was rejected due to having a very rare type of the already rare AB negative blood, his father assigned the reason to his son being 'some sort of homosexual'. He blamed most of the problems in the world either on homosexuals or communists. Martha McKinley, Robbie's mother, was a woman with a heart as cold as the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean in winter, the mothering instincts of a fish and a tongue as sharp as a razor and as poisonous as a Black Mamba snake. Mrs. McKinley rarely paid any of her children any attention, and when she did it was only to punish them. Robbie's sister was Lorraine, two years older than him and a teenage tear-away with a bad reputation at school and in the neighborhood. Lorraine had gotten herself knocked up at the age of 18 to Billy, a local greaser hoodlum whose most significant achievement in life was getting himself kicked out of high school for vandalizing a bathroom. Now Billy and Lorraine were married with their twin son and daughter, living opposite her parents, with the kids a pair of uncontrollable brats who screamed incessantly and perpetually misbehaved. Wrapping up the family was Lorraine and Robbie's younger brother Patrick, now aged 16. Patrick was born with major intellectual deficiencies, and his father referred to him as 'the spastic'. Robbie always told himself that his brother could not help the way he was and that he should not speak nor think badly of him, but it was impossible not to be embarrassed when Patrick went around impersonating an elephant or a rooster in the town's main street, or chasing a car while barking at it. Patrick never spoke properly, instead pointing at things and grunting, impersonating animals or screaming when angered, something that happened often. Patrick had gone to a special school, or 'spastic school' in the words of Mr. McKinley, until he was expelled in his mid-teens after smashing twenty windows, this a violent reaction to being punished for cutting school and chasing old ladies while pretending to be a bull. Now Patrick spent his days in the front yard, playing with empty cardboard boxes, pretending to be a wide variety of animals and chasing people who came to the house, again while making animal noises most frequently roaring, growling, mooing and hissing. The postman especially dreaded visits to the McKinley house, and salesmen and Jehovah's Witnesses avoided it altogether. Naturally, Robbie was happy to escape the chaos of home and make a life for himself. Mr. and Mrs. Collins were a nice couple, and Robbie looked forward to coming home from work every day. At first, there had been another young man renting the other room; a guy called Eric, who had moved out in July when he had married. Robbie was sorry to see him go, as Eric was a nice guy and provided Robbie with somebody to talk to about sport and music. Mrs. Collins, a slim, gray-haired woman with glasses, had sourced another tenant, mentioning to Robbie that a college student would be coming to live with them. She had made a note of this on the calendar for the last Saturday morning in August, in her usual indecipherable scribble - 'Paul, arrive 10 a.m.' Mr. Collins, a tall, bald man who like his wife wore glasses, always complained about her terrible handwriting, and often said that his wife could have worked in intelligence coding during the Second World War. Mrs. Collins would always retort that her writing was perfectly legible, and that Mr. Collins should get stronger glasses. On the Saturday morning Paul was to arrive Mrs. Collins, especially house-proud, made sure the house was spic and span, and told her husband to wear a tie. Robbie got himself ready, checking his hair in the upstairs bathroom mirror, applying gel to get it perfect. He was wearing a white tee-shirt, blue denim jeans and black shoes, and decided that Mrs. Collins would probably prefer that he wore a shirt with a collar when greeting the new arrival. Robbie went into his room and changed into a light-blue shirt with a collar instead, and went downstairs. At 10 o'clock, Robbie looked out of the window as a maroon car pulled up in the driveway and a middle-aged man wearing a brown suit and a hat got out of the driver's seat. Out of the front passenger seat emerged a slim, middle aged woman with her hair tied back in a bun. The dress she wore looked like it was from 1947 rather than 1957, and she cast nervous glances around her. Out of the left rear seat emerged Paul. Robbie looked at him, confusion on his face. Paul wore a cream-colored shirt and brown trousers, had red hair and wore a Davey Crockett hat. Most puzzling, he looked no older than 14-years of age. Was Paul some sort of child genius, who graduated high school four years earlier than most kids? And even if he was, surely he should be living with a parent or guardian? He looked at his landlady, confused that she would have taken on a kid to rent a room from her. Mrs. Collins looked out the window and said, "Oh there she is, what a pretty girl." Robbie again looked outside, and saw stepping out of the car a most beautiful young woman. She wore a white blouse and a blue poodle skirt, with her long red hair tied back in a pony-tail with a blue ribbon. On her feet, the girl wore white bobby socks and pristine white shoes. "She?" asked Robbie, confused. "Yes, her name is Paula," said Mrs. Collins. "Paula is starting her first year of college, and will be living with us from now on. I wrote it on the calendar, didn't you see it?" Robbie shook his head at Mrs. Collins terrible writing. Paula. Not Paul, but Paula. A girl would be moving in. Not just any girl, a very pretty girl. The young boy must be her brother. It all made sense now, unlike Mrs. Collins' penmanship. Mr. and Mrs. Collins went out to greet the family, and Robbie, keen to greet Paula and assist her with her things, went out too. "Doctor and Mrs. O'Donnell, I'm so pleased to meet you," said Mrs. Collins, extending her hand to the middle-aged couple. "I'm Heather Collins, we spoke on the telephone, and this is my husband Howard." "We're pleased to meet you too," said Doctor O'Donnell, as he and his wife returned the handshakes, Robbie noticing that Mrs. O'Donnell wiped her hands on her dress after doing this. Doctor O'Donnell indicated his two kids. "I'd like you to meet Paula, and her younger brother Joshua." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Paula and Joshua," said Mrs. Collins. "We're looking forward to you staying with us Paula." "Thank you, Mrs. Collins, and it's nice to meet you too," said Paula politely, shaking hands with first Heather and then Howard Collins, before looking at Robbie. "This is Robbie McKinley, he rents our other room," said Mr. Collins. Robbie shook hands with the four members of the O'Donnell family, feeling Paula's long slender fingers with soft skin in his hand. Mrs. O'Donnell seemed reluctant to shake his hand, and discretely wiped her own hand on her dress afterwards, much like she had done with Mr. and Mrs. Collins. Doctor O'Donnell looked him up and down with a stern expression, Robbie unable to miss that the man was concerned that he might be some sort of bad influence upon his teenage daughter. "So, which major are you studying at college, Robbie?" Doctor O'Donnell asked. "Actually Sir, I don't attend college," said Robbie. "I'm learning to be a builder, and work construction." "Oh, I see," said Doctor O'Donnell in a disapproving tone, looking down his nose at Robbie. "Robbie is very handy to have around the house," said Mrs. Collins, neither Doctor nor Mrs. O'Donnell appearing overly impressed. "So, why don't we get your things?" Doctor O'Donnell asked his daughter. "Could I give you a hand?" asked Robbie. Doctor O'Donnell looked at him and said, "Thank you, young man that would be a great help." He handed the car keys to his son. "Joshua, you give Robbie a hand with your sister's things." "Sure Dad," said the boy, leading Robbie around to the back of the car and opening the trunk. In the back were two cases and a box. Robbie reached for the handle of the larger one and to his shock, it flew open. Robbie's eyes went wide at what lay on top; Paula's underwear. There were a number of pairs of cotton panties in various colors; white, pink, light blue, lilac, lemon, light green and white with pink floral print, and several bras of similar colors. Joshua sniggered at Robbie's discomfort as he hastily slammed the lid back and fumbled to close it, succeeding just as Paula came around the back of the car. "You're strong," said Paula, as Robbie effortlessly lifted out her heavy case, and Joshua took the second, smaller one. "No, not really," said Robbie modestly. Paula reached into the trunk and took the box, then closed it after her, before walking with her brother and Robbie towards the house, where her parents were speaking with Mr. and Mrs. Collins. Paula hissed at her brother, "I thought you promised me that you weren't going to wear that stupid hat in public anymore?" Joshua laughed. "I also promised you that I wouldn't read your diary and take money from my friends to let them read your diary anymore, so Paula from that you can pretty much gather that I have a problem with lying." "You'd better not have been reading my diary, Joshua," Paula warned. "You know what the swell thing is Sis?" asked Joshua. "You will never know for sure. If I say that I haven't been reading your diary, I might be telling the truth, or I might be lying. If I say I have, I could be telling the truth and really have been reading it, or I might just be saying I have when I haven't read it at all simply to annoy you. Or the truth might lie somewhere between these. I may have read it but never let my friends read it; or I might not have read it myself but let my friends read it. It must drive you crazy, not knowing." "Well, at least you won't be driving me crazy so much now I'm in college," said Paula. She turned to Robbie. "My apologies for my brother, he seems to have been put on this world just to be a pest." "Mr. and Mrs. Collins have a wonderful house, Paula," said Doctor O'Donnell as they entered the house. "Staying here while you attend college will be so much better than living in the college dormitories." "I don't disagree with you, Dad," said Paula. "You mean you agree with me?" asked Doctor O'Donnell. "Don't use double negatives when you speak, Paula, it makes you sound uneducated." Paula blushed and rolled her eyes, while Joshua smirked. Mrs. O'Donnell said in her nervous voice, "Plus it will be so much healthier for you, living here. With so many young people at college, there must be no end of infectious diseases in the dormitories." "Mom," Paula protested. "Come now, Cecily," said Doctor O'Donnell. "Paula is attending college in Baltimore, not in Biafra. There will not be any infectious epidemics on a university campus, I can assure you." "You can never be too careful, George," said his wife. She turned to her daughter. "When on campus, make sure you wash your hands twice as long every time you eat or visit the ladies room. There will be germs everywhere." Paula's fair skin blushed even redder, and Joshua laughed, his mother fixing him with a glare. "There is nothing funny at all about infectious diseases, young man," she said to her son. "Would it be funny if Paula ended up in an iron lung and crippled because she caught some strain of polio immune to the Salk vaccine?" "Let's not start this again, Cecily," said Doctor O'Donnell, aware that Mr. and Mrs. Collins and Robbie were looking in embarrassed silence. He looked at Paula. "The most important thing is that in this environment you have a proper routine, and can study harder. Straight A's are what your mother and I expect from you. You may think of me as squared and not cool, but I can assure you there is nothing squared about studying hard." Paula, Joshua and Robbie each exchanged glances at the way Doctor O'Donnell had tried and failed to use the expression 'square', but said nothing. Doctor O'Donnell continued talking. "Paula I know that you're 18-years-old and like to listen to your rock or roll music, but this rock or roll won't get you good grades. I cannot stop you going to a diner with your friends and playing the duke box and would not try, but remember study comes first." Paula managed to hold back her laughter at how her father said 'rock or roll' and 'duke box', and said. "You know I always study hard, Dad. I almost never get a grade lower than an A." "Obviously you need to study hardest in English, the way you split your infinitive like that," said Doctor O'Donnell. "One does not say 'almost never', one says rarely." Joshua coughed in an attempt to cover his amusement. Mrs. O'Donnell said to Paula, "Your father is right, studying hard is the most important thing. And you must attend church every Sunday. Please promise me that you will attend Mass every Sunday, Paula?" "I promise, Mom," said Paula. "Good, because you and your friends already listen to sinful rock or roll music which is bad enough. If you fail to go to church now you are in college, it will be 12 years of Catholic school gone to waste," affirmed Mrs. O'Donnell. "Mom, my friends Patty, Susie and Jill are attending the same college, I assure you we will all attend Mass every Sunday morning," said Paula. "How about we get Paula set up upstairs?" asked Mrs. Collins. "Excellent idea, Mrs. Collins," confirmed Doctor O'Donnell. Everybody went upstairs, Robbie carrying Paula's case and placing it down next to her bed. "Thank you, Robbie," smiled Paula. Leaving Paula to get acclimatized to her new room, Mr. and Mrs. Collins went downstairs with Doctor and Mrs. O'Donnell for tea in the lounge room. Robbie stayed upstairs in his own bedroom, while Joshua, who was supposed to stay downstairs with his parents, snuck back upstairs. He looked into Mr. and Mrs. Collins' bedroom, and was taken by the ornate shape of the light fitting over their bed. It looked somewhat like a UFO, and given Joshua's fascination with flying saucers, he could not resist turning it on. Illuminated, the lampshade looked even more like some exotic alien craft from outer space. He turned it off and then on again, before deciding that it would look really cool if the light was switched on and off again in quick succession. Joshua flicked the light-switch on and off again, the UFO-like lightshade looking great, illuminated and then dark in quick succession. Paula emerged from her room to see her brother in her landlords' bedroom, flicking the light on and off. Before she could say anything, she saw the light flash brightly and go out altogether. "Uh, oh," said Joshua in dismay. "Uh oh is right, Joshua," said Paula, standing behind her brother. "You aren't supposed to be in here. Look what you did to Mr. and Mrs. Collins' light, you idiot." "It wasn't my fault," protested Joshua. "Maybe the bulb would have gone anyway?" "Is everything okay?" asked Robbie, emerging from his room. Paula sighed. "My snoop of a younger brother decided to break the light, by coming into a room he's not supposed to enter." "It's probably just a blown bulb," said Robbie. "I'll take a look at it." "Thanks Robbie," said Paula. She indicated her brother. "You, back downstairs and stay out of things that don't concern you." She went back to her own room, while Robbie took a new globe and went into Mr. and Mrs. Collins bedroom. He took off his shoes and climbed up on their bed. Unscrewing the bulb was not easy, it seemed to be jammed, and was hot thanks to Joshua turning it on and off again. Just when he was getting somewhere, he heard two sets of footsteps; Paula's on the landing, and a second set coming upstairs. "Mom, I was just coming downstairs," said Paula. "Before you do, there's a few private things we need to talk about," said Mrs. O'Donnell, her voice sounding anxious. "Mom, there ..." began Paula, but her mother cut her off. "Now, as I was saying earlier, you need to make sure that your hygiene is to the highest standard when you visit the ladies' room at college," said Mrs. O'Donnell. "You must wash your hands thoroughly, and use adequate amounts of soap on every inch of them." Robbie felt uncomfortable, and he could see from Paula blushing that she was too. Mrs. O'Donnell, unaware of his presence in the adjacent bedroom, kept right on talking. "Now, one thing I noticed here is that Mrs. Collins stocks the bathroom with soft, absorbent toilet paper. I think it would be a good idea if you ask her if you can take one of the toilet rolls and put it in your bag, to use when you go to the bathroom at college, rather than using the college toilet paper." "Mom, the college toilet paper is perfectly fine, I'm not carrying my own toilet paper with me," complained Paula. "I don't know why we are having this conversation." "Yes, but the girl who used the bathroom before you might have some sort of infectious illness, and you may catch it from using the toilet paper from the same toilet roll," asserted Mrs. O'Donnell, to which Paula rolled her eyes. Pretty Paula's Poodle Skirts Unperturbed, Mrs. O'Donnell kept speaking. "Now Paula, if you have any problems with your tummy and get diarrhea, make sure you see a doctor straight away. It may be a sign of something more serious, something you picked up from the many germs that live at college." Paula groaned. "Mom, Dad is a doctor. He's already said that there are no problems with infectious diseases on a college campus in America. And I'm 18-years-old, I think I'm capable of looking after my own health, Mom." "You may be 18, and you may be going to college, but you do not know everything, Paula," said Mrs. O'Donnell. "Neither does your father. Now, I packed extra sanitary napkins for you to use, in case you can't find a pharmacy with a female staff member the next time you have your monthlies." "Mom, please," protested Paula, her face as red as her hair, but again her mother paid no attention. "I also bought you another sanitary belt, which I slipped into your bag," continued Mrs. O'Donnell. "I know that you and your friends like to go dancing, and I just worry you might break the elastic in the one you have now ..." "Mom!" said Paula. "I don't think anybody has ever broken their sanitary belt while dancing. It's ridiculous, and can we not have any more conversations like this, please?" "Well, if that's your attitude young lady ..." began Mrs. O'Donnell, before she caught sight of Robbie in Mr. and Mrs. Collins' bedroom out of the corner. He had finally managed to change the light globe and deeply uncomfortable by the conversation outside the door, had decided to stay put. Mrs. O'Donnell glared at Robbie as though this was his fault before going downstairs. Paula and Robbie, both equally embarrassed, gave each other sympathetic looks that clearly said, 'Parents!' and went downstairs after her mother. When it was time for the O'Donnell's to leave Paula, Mrs. O'Donnell almost fell apart, breaking down in tears. However, this was not so much caused by her missing her daughter, but her fear that Paula would be infected by some disease at college. "Now, you will take care of yourself, Paula?" she sobbed into her handkerchief as she hugged Paula. "I'll never forgive myself if you get sick, or even die." Paula, Joshua and Doctor O'Donnell all looked embarrassed. "Cecily, like I said, Paula will be just fine," said her husband. Doctor O'Donnell turned to his daughter, and they embraced. "Paula, remember what I said; good grades are important, and it is not squared to study." Again Paula and Joshua looked exasperated at their father trying, and failing to use expressions favored by teenagers. Paula and Joshua embraced, then her parents and brother climbed into their car and Doctor O'Donnell drove away, Paula waving goodbye before turning to go back inside. "So, that's my family," Paula said to Robbie, with an embarrassed look on her face. "I'm sorry about the way you had to fix the light after my brother broke it, and about my mother. That was so embarrassing." "I didn't hear anything you were saying," lied Robbie, "and I'm sure she means well." Paula smiled. "I know you must have heard far more about me than you wanted to, but that's my mother. You wouldn't call her a health fanatic; a sickness fanatic is more accurate. You know, during that big polio epidemic back in 1952, she kept my older sister Helen, Joshua and I inside the house all summer, and she worried non-stop about Dad bringing it home, with him being a doctor. And when it was announced that there was a vaccine available, she had us camped outside the surgery before dawn so we would be first in line. Even then, she worried that there might be a new type of polio resistant to the vaccine." "During that summer, like every summer, my mother ordered me, my older sister and younger brother out of the house every day, and not to come back until dark," said Robbie, as he and Paula went into the lounge, and she sat down on the couch, Robbie in a chair. "It's interesting that you have an older sister and a younger brother too," said Paula. "What are they like?" "My older sister Lorraine, she's married and has a twin son and daughter. They live right across the street from my parents." "My sister Helen and her husband have boy-girl twins too," said Paula. "They are so cute." "Cute isn't really a word I'd use for my niece and nephew," said Robbie, his mind filled with the images of the two screaming toddlers who were impossible for Lorraine or Billy to control. "My younger brother Patrick, he has problems. Mom and Dad call him a spastic, but I don't like that word." "I agree, it's not very nice," said Paula. "With me, Helen and I always wanted a baby brother, but when Joshua arrived and began to grow up, we thought, 'Can we return him?' As you can see, he gets into everything, and now he wears that awful hat everywhere. I think he does it just to annoy me." Robbie laughed. "I try really hard not to be embarrassed by my brother, but it's not easy." "I can imagine," said Paula. "As you saw with my Dad, he spends most of his spare time correcting my grammar. That wouldn't be so bad, if he didn't try to use expressions teenagers use, and get them wrong. Like 'squared'." "I did notice that, but I didn't like to say anything," said Robbie. "Actually, if you want to see embarrassing, you should meet my Dad. One time, it was a Saturday, and Dad was actually in a good mood, which is rare. This new family was moving in next door, and Dad went over to say hello. Mom didn't, but she's not what you'd call friendly. My brother was on the front lawn pretending to be an elephant, which he often does. So Dad is introducing himself to the new neighbors, and he noticed that their youngest son had irons on his legs from polio. So Dad booms out, loud enough for the entire street to hear, 'I see your son is a spastic too, just like my youngest son.'" Paula rolled her eyes. "Oh my," she said. "'Oh my' is right," said Robbie, "and it didn't end there. The family just looked shocked, and Dad said, 'My son goes to spastic school. Perhaps your kid and my kid could catch the bus there together with the other spastics and slows?'" "I don't want to be disrespectful about your Dad," said Paula, "but I'll never complain about my Dad correcting my grammar in public again." "My Dad is kind of a nightmare," said Robbie. "Even when the embarrassed couple explained about their son, Dad said, 'Oh, so he's just a cripple then, not a proper spastic?' and went back to working in the front yard." "If my mother saw a kid moving in next door who had had polio, she would be on at my father to move," said Paula. "Like I said, she's a hypochondriac. You said your Mom isn't like that?" "No, not at all," said Robbie. "She's the opposite. When Lorraine and I were younger, we had to take it on ourselves to go and get shots, and her only comment would be, 'Make sure you two kids take the spastic with you, and he gets one too.' Patrick bit the doctor a few times, but then he doesn't know any better. Lorraine and I took him to have a polio shot when she had her kids immunized, and Patrick went wild. I can see why though. Those things really hurt. Lorraine could hardly drive on the way back her arm was so sore, and Patrick punched me where I had had mine." "That must have killed," said Paula, sympathetically rubbing her own arm. "It sure did," said Robbie. "Patrick doesn't know his own strength." "So, this is freedom," said Paula, looking around the lounge. "No parents, no younger brother. Mr. and Mrs. Collins seem like such nice people." "They are," said Robbie, as he and Paula continued to talk throughout the afternoon. Robbie couldn't believe how luck had been on his side again, and he now shared a house with a beautiful girl with a wonderful personality. Robbie and Paula volunteered to do the dishes that evening, and just as they were finishing, they heard a knock on the door, and Mr. Collins went to answer it. He let the person who called inside, and into the kitchen walked a tall, handsome blonde haired young man, wearing a shirt from the college - a different one to Paula - he attended and blue jeans. Instantly, Paula's attention switched to the newcomer. "James, it's so swell you came over," she exclaimed throwing her arms around him, the two of them kissing on the lips. "It's great to see you, baby," said James, his expression controlled, his own enthusiasm coming off to Robbie as somewhat fake. He looked Robbie up and down, his expression clearly asking, "Who are you?" Paula did the introductions. "James, I'd like you to meet Robbie McKinley, he rents the other room from Mr. and Mrs. Collins. Robbie, this is my boyfriend James Marsh." "Nice to meet you James," said Robbie, extending his hand. James returned the handshake with indifference. "Pleased to meet you too." He turned to Paula. "We need to hurry, Paula, if we're going to catch that movie." "Okay, I'll be right there," said Paula. "I'll see you later, Robbie." "See you later, enjoy the movie," said Robbie, as Paula took hold of James' hand and with a swirl of her poodle skirt, was gone from view. He heard a car start up outside, and drive off up the street, sounding much too fast. Feeling a bit crest-fallen, Robbie put the dishes away. While he had only just met the girl, he found himself quite taken by Paula, but obviously she had a boyfriend, so nothing was ever going to happen there now. * Over the next month, Paula got acclimatized into the routine of college and was a pleasure to have living in Mr. and Mrs. Collins' house, and was always polite, pleasant and helpful. Despite knowing that she had a boyfriend, and trying to deny it to himself, Robbie found himself developing quite a crush on Paula. Whenever Paula appeared, he would find a warm fuzzy feeling sweeping through his body, something that would also happen if anybody spoke of her, and at any chance, he would mention her in conversation. Robbie would admire Paula as she emerged from her bedroom in the morning to take a shower before college, walking barefoot to the bathroom dressed either in her blue pajamas or her white nightdress, her clothes for the day under her arm. No matter what Paula wore; her more conservative floral dress to church on Sundays, her pedal-pusher knee length pants with a casual shirt or most usually her poodle skirts with blouses and bobby-sox, Paula looked great, especially when the sunlight reflected from her long red hair. Sometimes Robbie had to remind himself not to do certain things. For example, when Paula took a bath or shower, he would sometimes find himself fantasizing about what she looked like naked either in the tub or under the constant flow of water from the shower, soap covering her nubile figure from her pretty face down to her dainty bare feet. Robbie would remind himself that this was not a good thing to be doing, and try to distract himself with something else. Likewise, on another occasion Paula was hanging out her laundry, when Robbie glanced out of his bedroom window to see her pegging out her clothes on the line. His eyes drifted to her underwear; several bras and a number of pairs of cotton panties. He imagined the bras covering Paula's firm young breasts, and her panties her bottom and her private female areas, before reprimanding himself for his voyeurism, and closing the curtains. As great as Paula was and given that Robbie especially observed her through a rose-colored haze, even Robbie could see one major problem with her, and that was that she was dating an absolute jerk and could not see it for herself. Whenever James appeared, Paula would change from being an independent, articulate girl with a charming personality and a great sense of humor, to a subservient doormat. At first Robbie told himself that he was just jealous and that James was probably okay, but having seen more of Paula's boyfriend, he could see that James was anything but okay. Robbie had even overheard Mr. and Mrs. Collins saying how they had misgivings about Paula's boyfriend. With a controlling attitude and an arrogance stemming from his wealthy upbringing, James treated Paula more like a possession than a girlfriend. Robbie would see them in town from time to time. Paula would be talking to her girlfriends and James would order her away to come with him. They would be walking hand in hand down the street and Paula would want to look in the pet store to admire the cute animals, and James would only permit this for the slightest second before pulling her away. They would go to a diner, and James would order for Paula, not even asking her what she would like. If Paula said that she had to work at her part-time job and couldn't meet him, he would get into a huff. Robbie wished that Paula could see through him, but as he stood talking to his friend Tommy with whom he shared the car, and their friend Frankie, who was working on his motorcycle, his mind drifted to Paula going out with James for the day, to a place that he decided, to do what he wanted to do and when. "Paula, Paula, Paula," said Tommy. "You're really hung up on this chick." "No I'm not," Robbie protested. "Yes you are," said Frankie, who finished making an adjustment to the motorcycle with a spanner. "If we were talking about Antarctica, you would say something like, 'Paula's skin is as fair as the Antarctic snow. I've met Paula, and she's great and that boyfriend of hers is an asshole, but there's nothing you can do about it." "Yeah, you need to meet a chick of your own," said Tommy. "And I've got just the person for you," said Frankie. "My cousin Ellie, she hasn't got a boyfriend. How would you like to go out on a date with her tonight?" "Sure," said Robbie, thinking a date would be better than sitting watching TV wondering what Paula and James were up to. "Count me in." "That's it, get back on the horse," said Tommy. "I'll arrange everything, don't you worry about a thing," said Frankie. A date with a nice girl would have been just the thing Robbie needed. Unfortunately, Robbie didn't get a date with a nice girl. Ellie weighed close to 300 pounds, had bad skin and hair and wasn't a nice person at all, rarely speaking and appearing disinterested in everything Robbie said. Dropping her home, Robbie fumed at Frankie for thinking that his awful cousin would be a good match, but was polite to Ellie, a sentiment she did not return. Robbie sighed; back to square one. * It was on the Wednesday following this dud date that Robbie returned home from work and went upstairs, pausing after hearing a sound from Paula's bedroom. He went to look and found her on top of the bed, sobbing into the pillow, tissues littering the area around her. "Hey Paula, what's wrong?" asked Robbie, looking at her in concern. Paula, her eyes red, tears pouring down her face, looked up. "James and I broke up," she sobbed, her voice unsteady for having cried so much. "I found a love-letter he wrote to his secret girlfriend, somebody called Chris, and we had this fight and we broke up. I'm so stupid, he was cheating on me with another girl behind my back and I couldn't see it!" More tears cascaded down Paula's face, and Robbie, trying desperately not to jump up and down and shout hooray at the departure of James, handed her some more tissues. "I'm sorry to hear that," said Robbie reassuringly. "Thanks Robbie, you're a good friend," said Paula. Mr. and Mrs. Collins returned, and also appeared at the bedroom door, worried after hearing Paula crying. Seeing that Paula could probably need some female reassurance, Mrs. Collins went and sat with Paula and held her while she cried, Robbie and Mr. Collins going downstairs. Mrs. Collins returned after about half an hour. "Paula's gone to sleep," she said, getting dinner ready. "Young love is fleeting, but thank goodness that dreadful young man is out of her life." "I couldn't agree more," conferred Mr. Collins, as he went to read his newspaper. * Paula was as to be expected down for about two weeks after her break-up with James, despite the efforts of her friends, Robbie and Mr. and Mrs. Collins to cheer her up. Her own parents were of no help to her at all, Paula saying that her mother and father thought James was just perfect, and were devastated to find out that he would no longer be their son, finding a way to blame Paula for this. On the Thursday night, Paula seemed almost back to her old self, and she and Robbie sat up late, both studying. Mr. and Mrs. Collins were out for the evening. "Sorry I've been so sad these last two weeks," she said to Robbie. "That's okay, you don't need to apologize," Robbie assured her. "Thinking back now, I'm glad to be rid of James," said Paula. "I couldn't see it at the time, but he isn't a nice person. Hopefully, I can find a much nicer guy now." Robbie said nothing, because there was a knock on the door. He went to answer it, and to his amazement found James standing on the doorstep. "I want to speak to Paula," he said, no introduction, no please, no manners. Having heard his voice, Paula came striding out of the lounge room. "What do you want, James?" she asked, hands on hips. "I want my grandmother's necklace back, the expensive one I gave to you on your birthday," he demanded. "That was a gift," Paula pointed out. "Yes, a gift from when we were dating. Now we are not dating, and I want it back." "So you can give it to your new girlfriend, Chris?" "Never mind, just give it back. Now, Paula!" "Hey, don't you speak to her that way," said Robbie. "What's it to you?" demanded James. "James, I will get the necklace," said Paula. "I don't want to keep it, I don't want anything that you gave to me." James and Robbie glared at each other as Paula went upstairs, and returned with the necklace. "Come on, give it to me!" James demanded, to which Paula, angered by his rudeness, threw it at him. "Hey, don't do that," he snapped. "You have it now, so get lost, James," Paula snapped back. "Don't you talk to me like that," snapped James. He grabbed Paula by her blouse, but she twisted free and delivered a hard, stinging slap to his face. "Get your hands off me, you creep!" she yelled. His face filled with anger, James raised his hand, but Robbie gave him a shove and sent him sprawling. "You heard her, don't put your hands on her," said Robbie. "Okay, you asked for it," yelled James, running at Robbie, his fist raised. Robbie knew how to fight. He had learned at an early age, when his bastard of an old man had dressed him up in one of Lorraine's old dresses and locked him out of the house, so the local bullies would beat his son up and teach him to be tough. As James threw up punch at Robbie's head, he ducked and delivered an uppercut to James' abdomen. His reflexes quicker of the two young men, Robbie delivered a punch to James' face, splitting his lip and drawing blood. "You bastard, you're dead," sneered James. "Yeah, you want another punch like that?" asked Robbie. "Come on, take a swing." The sound of a car engine was heard, and Mr. and Mrs. Collins returned. Mr. Collins burst out of the car. "What is happening here?" he wanted to know. "It's none of your damn business, old man," snapped James. "It's my damn house, it's my damn business. What are you doing here?" he demanded of James. "I don't have to answer to you," James sneered. He realized he could never win a fight against Robbie, but to restore what pride he had left, threw a punch at Mr. Collins. This was a big mistake. The man had been in the army, and knew a thing or two about self-defense. He blocked James' punch, then delivered his own to James' stomach, followed by a knee to his groin. James doubled over in agony, and Mr. Collins gave him a hard kick to his buttocks, before grabbing him by the collar and marching him to the pavement. Pretty Paula's Poodle Skirts "Now get lost, you arrogant little bastard, and don't ever let me catch you here again. Get lost, and I mean get lost!" Mr. Collins pointed at the road. "I wouldn't lower myself to your standards," James sneered, as he walked off into the night. "Howard, you've still got it," said Mrs. Collins proudly. Her husband massaged his fist. "Somebody had to teach him a lesson, Heather." "Are you okay?" Robbie asked Paula. Paula was confident. "Yes, thanks to you and Mr. Collins." "That's okay," Robbie assured her. "If he bothers you again, let me know." "I will, but I don't think he'll be back anytime soon," said Paula. She looked at Robbie's hand, where one of his knuckles was bleeding. "Let me put something on that for you." "Thanks," said Robbie, following Paula upstairs, pleased to have rescued a young lady in distress. * On the Saturday morning, Mr. and Mrs. Collins went to visit their daughter and son and their kids out of town, and would not be back until Sunday evening. Paula was up early, dressed in her white blouse, blue poodle skirt, white bobby sox and white shoes, and tied her red hair back in a ponytail with a blue ribbon. The young woman was excited as she packed a picnic lunch, with her sister Helen and the two kids visiting for the day. However, she was disappointed to receive a telephone call from her sister to cancel, as both kids had the flu. Robbie, who wore a white casual shirt and jeans, had his turn with the car, and didn't have much planned. It was a nice day outside, and quite warm for this time in the fall. "Why don't we go out for a drive?" suggested Robbie. Paula's face brightened. "Okay, thanks Robbie. I'd love to come, and this food won't go to waste." She indicated the picnic hamper. Robbie put the hamper in the back of the car along with a blanket, and like a gentleman, he held the door open for Paula. "Thank you," she said, climbing in, and Robbie closing it behind her, before driving to the park. He carried the small hamper and Paula the blanket as they went to set up on the lawn near a lake, where many other people were taking advantage of the warm fall weather. Feeling the call of nature from his bladder, Robbie looked around for the facilities, and saw the ladies and gents along a small pathway. "I'll be right back, I just need the men's room," said Robbie, walking up the path where two guys, looking to be aged in their mid-30s, blocked his path. "You don't want to go up there," warned the first man. "I only need to visit the men's room," Robbie protested. "No, you can't go in there," said the second man. "I sent my wife to call the police. There's some of them in there. You know, strange ones? I sent my wife to call the police." "Some of them?" asked Robbie, before realizing. "Homosexuals?" "Yes, homosexuals," confirmed the first man. "We saw them, but they didn't see us. We're waiting for the police, and to stop anybody else going in there." "It's sad when we can't take our wives and kids to the park without homosexuals ruining it," said the second man. Paula, who had laid out the blanket, also felt the call of nature and set out along the path herself for the ladies', and was confused why Robbie had not gone to the men's room, but was talking to these two very worried gentlemen. "Is everything okay, Robbie?" she asked. "Yes, but you can't use the facilities," said Robbie. "Why not?" asked Paula, before two police cars arrived, each containing four uniformed officers. Paula, Robbie and the two men stood back, while the police made straight for the men's room, followed by yelling and protesting. "That voice sounds familiar," said Paula, a look of concern on her face. "Save it for the judge," said one of the officers, as the police dragged two young men, partially dressed out of the men's room. One was a small statured, dark-haired young man with an effeminate look. The second young man was very familiar; tall, blonde and handsome - Paula's ex-boyfriend James. A look of despair crossed Paula's face as she saw James placed in handcuffs and arrested. "This is all a mistake," he was protesting. "I was in there to use the facilities." "We have two witnesses who saw you and your friend committing sodomy and other homosexual acts in there," said the police sergeant. "Now shut up." "James, will you be quiet," pleaded the other young man. "How do you even know my name?" James said. "He came onto me while I was in there. I've never seen him before in my life." "He came onto you, so you engaged in homosexual activity?" demanded the sergeant. "I've had enough of you. Shut it, boy." "How dare you say that you don't know me, James!" screeched the young man, also handcuffed and getting escorted to one of the patrol cars. "I have a girlfriend," said James. His eyes took in Paula, showing amazement to see her standing there. "There she is, that's Paula, my girlfriend. She'll tell you." The police sergeant turned to Paula. "Is this true, Miss?" Paula shook her head. "No. We were dating, but broke up some weeks ago. He found somebody else called Chris." "Isn't your name Chris?" one of the other police officers asked the effeminate young man. "Yes," said the young man. The color drained from the already fair skin of Paula's face. "What? This is Chris, not Christine, or Christina but ..." "No, we are dating," James asserted to Paula. "Tell them we are dating right now. Tell them this is just a big mistake!" "Shut up, James, just shut up, shut up, shut up!" yelled Paula. "You heard the young lady," said the sergeant. He turned to two of his officers. "Get these two queers out of here and down to the precinct. We'll take statements here and follow you down there." The handcuffed James and Chris were bundled into the back of one of the police cars, and driven away. Paula looked pale, and Robbie patted her on the back of the hand to reassure her, something she appreciated. Having interviewed the two men who had witnessed Chris and James engaging in homosexual activity in the male toilets, the sergeant turned to Paula. "I guess you are feeling rather confused at the moment, Miss?" "You could say that," agreed Paula. The sergeant spoke with confidence. "Breaking up with your boyfriend was the best thing you could have done. Homosexuals are a constant and ever-present danger in society today. The best way I could describe homosexuals, like your ex-boyfriend is that they are ill, infected with a disease such as poliomyelitis. But if your former boyfriend had had polio, it would have shown on the outside, such as withered arms or legs, or breathing problems. The disease of homosexuality has twisted his mind, and while he looks and behaves perfectly normally on the outside, on the inside he would constantly be thinking about new ways he can commit his sick crimes." "James never showed any signs of, you know, being one of those homosexuals," said Paula. "No, I don't imagine he would," said the sergeant. "I have arrested homosexuals who were married men, and at home they appeared devoted to their wives and children, and everything was bright and gay. However, this was nothing but a masquerade, a cover for their depraved desires." "Thank you, Sergeant," said Paula. "That does reassure me. I was wondering how I could have missed the signs." "That's the thing, Miss, there are often no signs," said the sergeant. He looked at Robbie, and then back at Paula. "I'm sure your new boyfriend won't let you down like your old one." Paula and Robbie both opened their mouths to correct the sergeant, but neither did, and the police officers said their goodbyes, and drove away. Robbie assumed that given the events of the morning, Paula might not want to continue with the day's outing. "Would you like me to take you home?" he asked. Paula paused for a moment, and then shook her head, with a look of determination on her face. "No, let's enjoy the day. I'm not going to let my ex-boyfriend ruin it for me." Remembering that both needed to use the bathroom, Paula and Robbie went into the ladies' and men's rooms respectively. Robbie stood at the urinal and wondered how two homosexuals would want to get intimate in these bleak surroundings, then decided he was better off not knowing how their minds worked. He zipped himself and flushed the urinal, exiting after washing his hands. He stood waiting for Paula, until he heard her flush the toilet and wash her hands, and emerge from the ladies' room adjusting her poodle skirt. Going back to the picnic blanket, they enjoyed their sandwiches and fruit, then took advantage of the beautiful day and hired a row-boat, Robbie rowing and he and Paula talking. Packing up the picnic, they went for a drive and called into Marty's Diner in the late afternoon, a popular hangout for teenagers who liked rock and roll and dancing. With one great song after another playing on the juke box, Robbie asked Paula, "Would you like to dance?" "I'd love to," she said, taking hold of Robbie's hand and going with him onto the dance floor. Robbie had never seen Paula dance before, but she was an expert, her slim body picking up each dance move to perfection, her poodle skirt swirling up to show her white panties from time to time. Robbie and Paula stayed on the dance floor for hours, and were breathless and perspiring when they finally called it a night. "You are such a great dancer," Robbie complimented her. Paula smiled. "Thank you, you're really good too." "So, would you like to see a movie at the drive in?" asked Robbie. "That would be swell," said Paula. Robbie and Paula drove to the drive-in, and sat in their car watching the film. It was a horror movie, about a sea monster that terrorized a beachside community filled with teenagers. The movie was more amusing than scary, so bad were the effects and acting, but it was entertaining at least, and Paula and Robbie both enjoyed it. On the way home, Paula drove, as she had her license but rarely got a chance to drive. It was getting late when they returned, and the first drops of rain were beginning to fall, clouds having rolled in from late in the afternoon. Going upstairs, Paula said, "Thank you so much for a great day Robbie. It could have been a bad day, with my sister having to cancel, and then finding out James was a sick homosexual, who broke up with me for a guy rather than a girl called Chris, but I had a wonderful day thanks to you." "I had a great time too," said James. "Who taught you to dance like that?" "Not my parents, that's for sure," said Paula. "They don't approve of 'rock or roll' and 'duke boxes'." She laughed, and Robbie joined in. "Mind you, our perfect day doesn't have to end now," said Paula, fluttering her blue eyes. She put her face close to Robbie's and after a few seconds of uncertainty by the teenagers, their lips locked together, then Robbie's tongue worked its way into Paula's mouth. In his groin, Robbie felt the first feelings of arousal as he and Paula embraced, while inside Paula's panties, her vagina tingled and she began to feel damp between her legs. After French-kissing for a few minutes, Paula and Robbie made their way into her bedroom, and closed the door. The sound of the rain was audible from outside, and as was often the case in Baltimore, lightning lit up the bedroom, accompanied by distant thunder, adding to the romance of the night. Paula unlaced her white shoes and removed them, followed by her bobby sox. Robbie likewise removed his shoes and sox, and he and Paula lay back on the bed, kissing and caressing. His hands running through Paula's silky red hair, he reached up and untied her pony-tail, so the red tresses hung loose down past her shoulders. Paula slowly undid the buttons of her blouse, so her firm young breasts covered by a white bra were now on display. With gentle hands, Paula guided Robbie's hands to her breasts, and he caressed them slowly, lovingly through the cotton of her bra. "That feels so great," said Paula, twitching at the feelings between her legs. "They do feel good," admitted Robbie, feeling his erection throbbing in his underpants. "Of course they do," said Paula. She smiled. "Take off your shirt, Robbie." Robbie happily followed this direction, and Paula admired his fit physique, the teenager running her soft hands over his muscular torso. They kissed again, and Paula reached behind her back, unclasping her bra and sliding it off, her firm breasts, pale and with pink areola and nipples, on display. Feeling breathless from looking at them, Robbie dared to reach out and touch Paula's bare breasts, feeling the soft skin under the tips of his fingers. Paula removed her blouse altogether, then her poodle skirt, leaving her wearing only her white panties. Robbie removed his jeans, and he now wore red underpants. The teenagers lay next to each other on the bed, wearing only their underpants and again kissed and caressed. Paula felt her vagina getting damper and damper, and she could see how Robbie's erection was bulging at the front of his underpants. She extended her hand, teasing his hard penis with her fingers and feeling it throbbing under her touch. "You like that, don't you?" she purred, before kneeling in front of him, hooking her thumbs into her white, full brief panties and sliding them down her thighs. Robbie's eyes bulged at the sight of Paula's pubic hair; a perfect triangle of red curls covering her mind, and reflected in the mirror, the firm round cheeks of her bare bottom. Moving to sit down, Paula pulled her panties further down her legs, taking them off and twirling them in her fingers, before placing them on the bed and sitting with her legs parted, Robbie seeing the oval-shaped lips of her naked vagina. Robbie slid down his own underpants, freeing his erection, his black pubic hair contrasting with Paula's red pubic hair. Completely naked now, the young man and woman took deep breaths, anticipating what was coming next. Paula always thought her first time would be on her wedding night, but with Robbie, this felt right, just so right. Times were changing, and this was 1957, not 1907. Robbie could not believe how Paula had come into his life, and how the girl he had had a crush on since their first meeting but who seemed out of reach, was now about to make love with him. Reaching into her drawer, Paula pulled out a condom. "Where did you get that?" Robbie asked "I confiscated it from James," said Paula. "I caught him with it, and he said that he bought it to try and get me to make myself available to him. We know now that was one big, fat lie." Paula unwrapped the condom, and her gentle fingers slid it onto Robbie's penis. The beautiful young woman lay back on the bed and opened her legs, Robbie seeing her vagina wide open through her red pubic hair and further down, Paula's tight anus. Her soft delicate feminine smell was noticeable between her legs. Robbie got into position, lying on top of Paula and slowly, gently, inserting his cock into the tight confines of her pussy, Paula gasping as she felt his penis fill her vagina. Slowly and gently, Robbie began to move back and forth, Paula gasping at each firm but gentle stroke deep inside her. Robbie could feel his cock throbbing, and how hot the interior of Paula's vagina was, even through the condom. For more than 20 minutes, Paula and Robbie remained locked in the missionary position, kissing and embracing, Robbie pushing deep inside Paula, the end of his cock touching the entrance to her birth canal on the deeper thrusts, their contrasting black and red pubic hair brushing against each other as they stayed locked inside each other. Then Paula felt the feeling approaching. The tingling from her clitoris became one intense wave of pleasure. Her nipples buzzed, and the toes of her bare feet curled up. The sensations in her vagina became more and more intense and spread into her anus and rectum, before she came with a rush of wetness from her vagina, gasping for breath and in delight. Simultaneously, Robbie felt the pleasure in his cock getting stronger and stronger, and he came with an almighty rush of semen going into the condom, the rubber preventing his sperm from going into Paula's uterus and potentially causing a problem nine months later. Gasping, the sweaty teenagers held each other tight, caressing each other's naked bodies as they recovered, Robbie stroking Paula's pubic hair as they kissed. "I think we could use a bath," suggested Paula, getting up from the bed, Robbie seeing her vagina as she uncrossed her legs and walked naked to the bathroom, Robbie following after removing the condom. Paula bent over to turn on the taps, Robbie seeing the cheeks of her bare bottom part to show her vagina, and the slightest glimpse of her anus. When the bath was run, Robbie jumped in first, Paula sitting her bare bottom down in his lap, her soft vagina against his leg. The teenagers washed each other's naked bodies, exchanging kisses and caresses, Robbie particularly enjoying seeing Paula's wet pubic hair coated in soap as she stood up to get comfortable. They stayed in the water until it got cold, then climbed out, drained the bath brushed their teeth and went to Paula's bed for the night. Paula wore her cute pink pajamas that came down to the knees, fresh pink panties underneath, and Robbie a pair of boxer shorts. Paula's bed was of course a single bed which made it quite cramped, but as they held each other, rubbed their bare feet together and listened to the rain outside, before falling asleep in each other's arms, they could not have been happier. * One person who was not happy, nor jolly or gay was James. Chris had made bail, with his mother, knowing her son was different from a young age when he played with his sister's dolls rather than sport, paying for her son to be released. Upon release, Chris, still smarting over the way James had tried to blame their arrest on him, had screamed that 'it was over'. James had only made things worse with the police, offering them a bribe. Now he faced charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice, as well as serious homosexual offences. Mr. Marsh, upon receiving his son's call and learning of the nature of his offending, had hung up the phone on James, and taken immediate and ruthless action. Firstly, he and his wife rang all relatives, telling them not to post bail for James should he contact them. Mr. Marsh retrieved his son's car, and immediately made arrangements to give it to a niece. Mrs. Marsh removed all photographs of James from the house, and Mr. Marsh called his attorney to arrange a meeting on Monday, where James would be cut off from all financial support. Mr. and Mrs. Marsh were united in their resolve that now they only had one son and one daughter; James the homosexual was disowned and cut off. Now James languished on remand, sharing a cell with a huge, muscular man who looked like a grizzly bear. Tattoos adorned his muscular arms, and hair grew all over his body, a menacing stare visible through a full beard. James looked at his cell-mate, who puffed on a cigarette with a packet of them on the bed next to him, in fear. A guard's warning to the prisoner- "Try not to smash this one's head against the wall this time, Mick," - obviously did not help his nerves. Mick looked up from his cigarette, and saw James looking at him. James averted his eyes. "You looking at my cigarettes, boy?" he demanded. "No," said James. "You were looking at my cigarettes," growled Mick, taking a puff on the one he was smoking and stubbing out the butt. He stood up to his full six foot six height, and pointed at James, bellowing, "You do not smoke my cigarettes, you do not touch my cigarettes and you do not look at my cigarettes! I catch you anywhere near my cigarettes, and I'll kick your ass so hard you'll be part of the space program. You got that, boy?"