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High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 01

By: JoeDreamer



Author's note: I started writing this a long time ago and enjoyed the way it was going (At least in my head). I've held off posting this first chapter because I wanted to get more done, but I'm curious to see if people are really interested in this story line before I go too much further. 

Please feel free to comment. I do read them. I also make an effort not to delete any comments that people make, as long as they're not offensive. In other words, I'm old enough to take constructive criticism and go with it :) . Of course, the kind words always make me want to write the next chapter more quickly.

This will develop into a long work and travel across at least a few categories. There will be a lot of story around the sex scenes (Typical for most of my stories), but I promise to have a least one sex scenes in every chapter I post (Otherwise, what's the point of posting it here? :) ).

Regards,

JD

**********

"That's your wish?" I asked in disbelief. Rodger nodded and I shook my head as the young lady who instigated the conversation watched silently.

"Come on! You can't tell me you've never wanted to go back to high school and relive senior year?" he argued.

"Rodger, I can think of at least a hundred things I'd wish for instead of something so ridiculous!" I replied.

"Like what? What could be better than being eighteen again?"

"Money, fame, fortune, the woman of my dreams..." I recited until Rodger interrupted.

"You could get most of that if you knew back in high school what you know now," he insisted as he reached for his drink.

"This conversation is pointless," I sighed, ordering another round for Rodger, our new friend and me.

"Are you trying to tell me you wouldn't like to be young again?" the blonde asked. "I thought that was every man's dream? Aren't you all afraid of dying?" I couldn't tell if she was serious or not. This lady was an odd one, but you met all kinds when you were away on a business trip and despite her oddity, she was quite a looker. 

"There are things worse than dying, and going back to high school might just be one of them," I said soberly.

"It's not like you were a social outcast or anything back then," Rodger sighed. "Unlike some of us, you were fairly popular. I mean, you weren't the king or queen of the 'in crowd', but you ran with them."

"Please," I sighed. "I was barely on the perimeter of that group and that was partly by choice. Carl and Kristi, the actual king and queen, were decent enough, but do you remember the others?"

"Some of them were a bit much," Rodger agreed with a laugh. "It's always the wannabes that cause the headaches."

"You have no idea," I added, remembering.

"You aren't thinking about Brad and Tiffany again are you?" Rodger asked. I fought down a groan. Rodger was my boss, but we also happened to have grown up together. He knew me too well. 

"Absolutely not," I replied, not fooling Rodger at all.

"Who are Brad and Tiffany?" the blonde asked. I frowned as I tried to remember her name. It should have been easy. It was something unusual, but it wouldn't come to me. I was usually pretty good with names, but then again, I was also usually sober.

"Tiffany is my ex-wife," I answered.

"Brad was a friend of both of ours back in high school," Rodger added.

"And?" the woman asked. Rodger shrugged, unwilling to answer. The blonde turned to me and waited expectantly. I hesitated and then sighed. It was a long time ago and it wasn't like it was a secret.

"Tiffany and I married after college," I explained. "We were together for a few years before I found her in bed with Brad."

"That's sad," the blonde said, sounding like she really meant it.

"No," I replied. "What's sad was that they were cheating on me since high school and I was oblivious."

"We all were," Rodger sighed.

"But that's old news," I said, wanting to move on. Rodger was kind enough to change the subject.

"You know," he said, trying to lighten the conversation. "If you went back, you'd get a chance to play that silly sport you love so much again."

"Is that a polite way of reminding me I was a dumb jock back then?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Dumb, no," he grinned. "But that doesn't make my point any less valid. You could still relive your glory days of football."

"What glory days?" I asked, finishing my drink and ordering another. "I had to fight just to make the starting team. I spent most of my senior year with one underclassman or another breathing down my neck. That is until I finally blew out my knee."

The three of us fell silent as the bartender arrived to refill my glass. Rodger's drink was still three quarters full, but the blonde held out her glass. She was pacing me. That was saying something considering how fast I was downing my drinks.

"So, what you're saying is that you have no desire to go back to high school?" Rodger said after the bartender was done.

"By George, I think he's got it!" I joked. Rodger laughed but the blonde shrugged and reached for her new drink. I never saw a woman down so much alcohol and seem so totally unfazed by it. I took a swallow from my own glass.

I didn't normally get drunk, but I had a reason to celebrate. This business trip had gone as well as could be expected. I spent the last three months working hard at getting a potential client to sign a contract with our company. I succeeded and Rodger came along this trip to sign the contract. We finalized the deal earlier today. The client was by far the largestt ever signed by Rodger's company. He'd already promised me a bonus and promotion.

"Thinking about how you're going to spend the bonus?" Rodger asked as if reading my mind.

"A vacation," I grinned.

"With or without Cindy and the kid?" he asked.

"Kid?" I laughed. "Becky is in college."

"You remarried after Tiffany?" the blond asked.

"No," I answered. "Cindy is my sister. She's divorced too. I used to take her and my niece Becky with me on vacation."

"Please!" Rodger snorted. "You did a bit more than that."

"Her ex is an ass," I shrugged. "He's never around. Someone needed to help out."

"So, are you going to take them?" Rodger asked again.

"No," I smiled. "Becky is a little old for that now and Cindy finally met a nice guy."

"Took her long enough," Rodger grinned.

"I'm just glad she's happy," I said.

"Good," Rodger said firmly. "Don't you think it's your turn now? Why not find a nice girl and settle down?"

"Me?" I asked defensively. "How about you?"

"If my marriage taught me nothing else, it's that I'm not the settling down type," he answered. "You are."

"No I'm not," I insisted and turned toward the blond to change the subject. I didn't like the turn in this conversation. "So, what was your name again?" 

"Tyche," she replied, and then looking at me and added, "So, I know Rodger's wish. What about you? What would you wish for if you were granted a single wish?"

"Me?" I asked rhetorically. "I've never thought about. Well, actually, I have, but I could never limit it to just one wish."

"Don't be greedy," the blonde smiled. I laughed. She was pretty hot and when she smiled it was hard to stay focused on anything else other than her. It was too bad she was too young for me. Of course, that didn't stop me from enjoying the sight of her.

"How about happiness?" I offered. The young woman frowned.

"Too vague," she replied.

"World peace?"

"Please!" she said with a roll of her eyes. I laughed despite myself.

"Well then, I'm really not sure what to wish for. I can't narrow it down to just one thing," I said as the possibilities flowed through my mind.

"It's not that hard," Rodger sighed.

"Sure it is," I argued. "Let's say I wish to live forever. Tomorrow I could get in an accident and end up paralyzed. I wouldn't want to live eternity like that."

"You could wish for indestructibility?" he offered.

"That would be interesting, but would it really make me any happier?" I replied. "The same is true for omniscience. It would be great to know everything, but what would be the point of life after that?"

"And becoming all-powerful?" Rodger asked.

"I'm not really sure what that even means," I sighed. "Besides, doesn't the saying go something like, 'Absolute power corrupts absolutely'?"

"Okay, how about something simple like winning the lottery?"

"That would be nice, but would it be worth wasting my one and only wish on it?" I asked rhetorically. Okay, I have to admit that I was just having fun with them. Rodger looked at me and sighed.

"You think too much," he said.

"That's why you pay me the big bucks," I joked, as the lights in the bar brightened. I frowned and saw the bartender cup his hands over his mouth.

"Last call! Get it now or you're stuck paying those ridiculous prices from your room's wet bar!" he called. Laughter spread through the hotel's late night lounge.

We ordered one last round of drinks. Being drunk was an oddity for me, even considering the new client and promise of a promotion. I shrugged and admitted to myself that part of the reason for my inebriation was probably all the talk about high school. I couldn't believe that Rodger wanted to go back.

"Last chance," the blond said, interrupting my thoughts. "Tell me your wish?" I frowned at her and downed the rest of my drink. She refused to let the subject drop and suddenly that annoyed me to no end. I knew it was the alcohol that was causing my feelings, but that didn't stop me from reacting. I decided that cute or not, I'd had enough of this blonde for the night.

"What? Are you a fairy who's going to grant our wishes?" I asked sarcastically.

"A goddess," she replied, not smiling. 

"A wish goddess?" I laughed. "There is no such thing!" She looked annoyed by my reaction.

"I never said I was the goddess of wishes," she replied, smiling again, only this time it wasn't particularly pleasant.

"What? Are you supposed to be Aphrodite?" I joked.

"Do I look like a slut to you?" the blonde asked. I was tempted to answer unkindly, but decided against it.

"Well, then who are you?" I asked with a roll of my eyes as I fought to come up with another name from my fogged mind. "Freya?"

"Wrong pantheon," she replied.

"So then, which goddess do we have the honor of meeting?" Rodger asked with a warm smile. His own divorce was only six months old, but Rodger was never that close with his wife. I wasn't really sure why he even married her. Rodger was obviously interested in the blonde despite the age difference. She smiled at him.

"You, I like," she said, pointedly ignoring me as she continued, "I've already told you my name. It's Tyche. Some people call me Fortuna."

"The goddess of luck?" Rodger asked. She smiled brightly and nodded once.

"So, what does the goddess of luck have to do with wishes? Or are you horning in on someone else's turf?" I asked, not even trying to hold my laughter back. I knew I was being a dick. I just didn't care. Some days were like that.

"Nothing, really," she shrugged. "I just thought to give a couple of mortals the luckiest day in their lives. What would be luckier then being granted a wish?"

"I have an idea," Rodger grinned. The blond knew what he meant.

"You're not that lucky!" she laughed.

"Too bad," Rodger sighed.

"Do this often?" I asked our little blond goddess.

"You would be surprised," she replied.

"Why?" I asked, curious.

"Boredom," she shrugged. I looked at her and shook my head. That was a mistake. The room blurred for a moment. It was time to go to bed.

"Rodger, I'm going to my room," I said before turning back to the blonde and adding, "Lady, you either have the weirdest imagination in the world or you need some help."

"You know, I thought you were a smart man," she replied. "But perhaps not."

"Why?" I asked as I stood. I had to catch myself on the bar's edge. Rodger looked at me in concern, but I shook my head once to clear it and smiled at him reassuringly. 

"Well, in all the stories about the gods, it never pays to piss us off," she replied with a cold smile. There was something about it that cut through my alcohol-fogged mind. 

"Hey look, I didn't mean to offend you," I said. It wasn't quite the truth, but suddenly I realized that she was actually serious. This lady really did need help, not someone to make fun of her. "I think maybe you should talk to someone."

"I've got a better idea," she said. Her smile didn't thaw at all. "I think I'll just follow through with my original plan."

"What plan?"

"I'm going to make this the luckiest day in both of your lives," she said, pulling Rodger back into the conversation with a look. 

"How are you going to do that?" Rodger asked with his best sexy smile. His mind was in the gutter again. Rodger always was one for the ladies. It was one of the reasons why his marriage failed. 

"Well, for you it means that you get your wish," she replied, her smile softening briefly. "The going back to high school one."

"And for me?" I asked. Her smile turned frosty once more.

"For you, it means that you get Rodger's wish as well."

"Hey! I told you I don't want to go back to high school. I would hate that! How would that make this the luckiest day of my life?"

"Oh, that's simple," she replied. "I'm the goddess of luck. For some, that luck is good, for others..." She didn't bother to finish the sentence.

"Touché!" I laughed. 

"Mortals," she sighed, and then grabbed my arm with surprising strength and swung me around. Everything blurred and I was struck by an almost irresistible wave of nausea. Damn alcohol!

I stumbled and thought I was going to fall onto the floor, but instead somehow ended up in a chair. I knew I was drunk and that the blonde had caught me by surprise, but as my head continued to spin I was still amazed at how easily she tossed me. The pain in my head became momentarily intense. I let out a groan and closed my eyes, and suddenly the pain was gone.

The next thing I noticed was a voice. It was raspy and sounded tired. Worse, its monotone delivery could make even the most interesting subjects painfully boring. It was a voice from my past that I never expected to hear again. The man it belonged to died years ago.

"I know this is your last year here, but that doesn't mean you can slack off in my class," the voice droned on. 

I shivered as I blinked hard and focused on who was speaking. I couldn't believe it. It really was Mr. Hargrove! He got voted most boring teacher all four years I was in high school, and boy did he deserve it!

I glanced around the room and saw people I hadn't seen in decades. I couldn't even remember most of their names. Rodger was across the room. Our eyes met. He looked just as stunned as me.

"She really was a goddess!" I moaned. Mister Hargrove frowned at my comment, but didn't stop his lecture. He was reading from a set of notes as usual. Some of the other students were looking at me oddly. I glanced down at my desk, but that didn't stop my mind from racing. I was really back in high school! Shit!

"I expect you'll all put forth you best effort," Mr. Hargrove continued. I numbly half listened. 

I glanced over at Rodger again and saw that he was now smiling. He seemed to be accepting what happened better than me, but then again, why not? It was his wish after all.

All I felt was old as I glanced around the room. Everybody looked so damn young! Okay, young and bored. It was Mr. Hargrove's class after all. I noticed one girl giving me a sexy look. She was a cute little thing and the rush I felt surprised me. 

'You're old enough to be her father!' I silently berated myself, but then it suddenly dawned on me that what I'd thought wasn't quite true. Rodger looked like I remembered him back in high school. 

I shifted my eyes down at my hands and froze. They weren't my hands, or at least not the ones I'd seen in decades. The fingers were straight, the skin wasn't nearly as wrinkled and the veins not so pronounced. More important, they didn't hurt! 

I closed my eyes and focused on what I was feeling. I smiled after only a few moments. The truth was that I felt amazing! It wasn't just the fact that the alcohol in my system had simply disappeared. It was more that all of the little aches and pains I learned to accept and live with were gone. No more arthritis! I looked out the window and saw the football field in the distance. No more need for glasses or contacts.

I ran my hand through my hair and grinned as I felt the thickness of a full head of hair! I never truly grew bald as I aged, but then again, like pretty much all men my hairline did recede some and my hair thinned. Not any longer! I was back in high school. Long hair was in for guys and I had plenty of it.

I looked down at my stomach next and couldn't suppress a grin. I was thin again! Not only that, but I could feel the muscles my body carried! I never had a six pack, but I played sports and was in shape back in the day. I didn't really appreciate it in high school, but I sure as hell did now!

I looked back at the cute girl who had smiled sexily at me. She saw me and smiled again. I smiled back as I felt myself begin to harden. 

'You dirty old man!' I berated myself, even as another part of me tried to rationalize the perceived age difference. I felt like a pervert. I forced myself to look away. It was a good thing too because my eighteen year old body was reacting just like a remembered. I was once again at my sexual prime. I didn't want to have to hide my excitement with my books when the bell rang. 

I focused on Mr. Hargrove's lecture. It wasn't easy, but on the plus side whatever excitement I began to feel quickly dissipated. If anything, the man was actually more boring than I remembered!

"It's the first day of school," Rodger said suddenly, obviously recognizing Mr. Hargrove's introduction lecture. It was pretty much the same for every class.

"Pardon me Mr. Jacobs?" Mr. Hargrove frowned. Rodger looked up and focused on him. Clearly my old friend had been thinking out loud, but he didn't back down from Hargrove.

"I said that it's the first day of school," Rodger repeated, then glanced my way and grinned. "Of our senior year no less."

"You're point?" Mr. Hargrove asked. Rodger hesitated a moment before answering. I saw the look in his eyes and slowly shook my head. Rodger was definitely in one of his moods.

"Just that there is no way I can take another full year of your lectures," he answered as he stood.

"Mister Jacobs!" Mr. Hargrove snapped. "Sit down!"

"Teach, you have got to be one of the most boring men I've ever met," Rodger sighed. "I sat through four years of history with you. I have no intention of sitting here another minute."

Mister Hargrove frowned in confusion. So did a lot of the kids in the room, but I understood. I was sorely tempted to join Rodger.

"Mister Jacobs!" Mister Hargrove nearly growled. "You will desist or go to the principal's office!" Rodger looked at me and winked.

"I think I'd rather visit good old Bob than sit here," he said, referring to the principal. Rodger looked at me and added, "Are you coming?" I hesitated. Before I could answer the class bell rang. I look at Rodger and grinned.

"I think I'll pass," I answered. He rolled his eyes.

"See you later," he said. I frowned.

"Any idea what my next class is?" I asked him as people flooded past us into the hallway. "Or where?"

"Sure," Rodger replied with a grin, and then turned and walked toward the principal's office without telling me.

"You can be such a..." I began, but then saw one of the hall monitors looking at me. So instead of calling Rodger what I was thinking, I quickly substituted a word. "...jerk!" 

Rodger laughed, but then took pity on me and called back, "It's your favorite class!" It only took me a moment to figure it out. Rodger always joked about my love of sports. It had to be gym. 


High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 01



I looked at all of the students in the hallway and suddenly felt claustrophobic. No, not really claustrophobic, just overwhelmed. The reality of what had happened was starting to sink it. 

"At least it's not freshman year," I mumbled to myself. That would have been too much to handle! "Like this is much better?" I could almost see Tyche laughing at me. "Bitch!"

An underclassman girl walking by glanced at me and frowned. She looked twelve although I knew she had to at least be fourteen. It didn't matter. Unlike the senior in Mr. Hargrove's class, this girl did nothing to me. She was simply too young. At least that's what I kept telling myself, but my damn young body kept reacting to almost anything with a skirt!

"There you are!"

The voice sent a chill up my spine. I turned and there was Tiffany, my high school girlfriend. The woman I fell in love with and married, the woman who cheated on me with one of my best friends and the woman who broke my heart.

"You were supposed to meet me at my locker," Tiffany pouted. She was as stunning as I remembered with her blond hair and green eyes.

"Sorry, I forgot," I nearly stuttered. 

"That's okay," she shrugged, and then smiling, added, "You can make it up by buying me ice cream tonight." It was too much for me to cope with. I needed to get away from Tiffany now! 

"Tiffany, I've got to go," I said, and quickly made my way down the hall.

"Hey!" she cried in surprise and annoyance. I ignored her. I needed to get out of the school as quickly as possible and go somewhere to figure things out. I nearly sprinted to the school's side door. I was almost out of it when someone grabbed my arm and stopped me. I thought it was Tiffany, but when I turned around it was a guy a barely remembered.

"You don't want to go out there yet," he said.

"Why not?" I asked with a frown as the guy's name came to me. He was John. He was one of the burnouts, or druggies or whatever the students who got high often in high school were called these days.

"Because the vice principal likes to take a walk out side right about now," he answered. "It will be safe in a couple of minutes." I knew John from grammar school. He was a decent guy back then, but I really didn't talk to him much in high school. I noticed the vice principal walked past the door a few moments later.

"You have his schedule down pat," I grinned. "Thanks." John nodded.

"It pays to be prepared," he replied. "How come you're trying to slip out? I don't remember you ever skipping school before."

"I just need some fresh air," I sighed. "To think." John looked at me and nodded.

"Cool," he said. "Let's go."

I let John lead me. He seemed to know the safest way off of the school grounds. I caught myself sighing in relief once we arrived at a nearby park.

"Thanks, John," I said.

"No problem," he shrugged, and then after a moment of hesitation added, "I'm going to get wasted. You're welcome to come if you want." I hesitated and then shrugged.

"Why not?" I asked rhetorically. "It might just be what I need." A part of me tried to remind the rest of me that getting wasted was what got me into this situation to begin with, but I didn't care. The reality here was just too much. I needed to get drunk badly.

"Cool," he said and started walking. I had no idea where we were going, but it didn't matter. We walked in silence for a long time. John seemed to understand that I needed some space.

"Plan this or just a spur of the moment thing?" I eventually asked as we started walking through the woods.

"A little of both," he laughed. "It's the first day of school. A couple of friends of mine and I always seem to meet up at the same place today."

"Friends?" I asked, and then grinned and added, "And here I thought I was saving you from drinking alone."

"Hardly!" he laughed and pointed. I followed his finger and frowned.

There wasn't a huge amount of people sitting in a circle around the fire in the distance, but still more than I expected.

"Don't tell me they all cut school today?" I asked.

"No, just me, Tara, Janey and a couple of the guys," he replied. "And you. The rest go to Bayside and they don't start till next week."

"No way!" one of the girls cried as we walked up. She was looking at me. I frowned, but I didn't recognize her. I guessed that she was Janey because since she recognized me then she probably went to my school. She couldn't be Tara. I remembered Tara.

"A bit of a surprise, isn't he?" John laughed as he say down next to Janey and put his arm around her. "I caught him walking out of school and thought he might like to join us."

"Actually saved me from getting caught by the vice principal," I smiled. A few people laughed. One guy handed me a bottle of cheap beer. I nodded in thanks and took a seat.

There were fifteen to twenty people in the area. Seven of us were sitting around the fire. A couple of conversations were going on, but no one hassled me. They let me sit in peace for a bit.

I looked around. People were drinking, smoking and laughing. They looked to be honestly having a good time. There were quite a few attractive girls if you didn't mind some of the makeup they were wearing. Again my body reacted.

'What the fuck?' I grumbled silently. I knew most teenage guys were horny as hell all the time, but knowing and remembering were far different than living it again! It wasn't that I couldn't control myself, but every sight of a girl seemed to get to me. It didn't help that these girls were so damn young and made me feel like a dirty old man.

'I need to get laid,' I thought to myself with a laugh. 

"What's so funny?" John asked. I shrugged and he went back to talking to Janey.

I knew John from grammar school. The only other person at this impromptu gathering I remembered at all was Tara. Hell, even she was a bit of a mystery to me. I only knew Tara because she was one of those girls who went from beauty queen to burnout when she went from middle school to high school. The funny part is that I barely said two words to her despite the number of years we went to the same school. At first because I was intimidated by her looks, but later because we just didn't hang out with the same crowds. 

'Yeah, right!' I thought. 'Different crowds.' I snorted to myself. The truth was that Tara had cut her hair really short and started wearing weird shit. She was the talk of our freshman class for almost an entire two weeks. Most of her 'friends' dumped her that first day. I didn't, but then again, probably only because we'd never been friends to start with.

I took a closer look at her and realized that she was different than I remembered. Although her hair was still not as long as was in style, it had grown out a bit. She also wasn't wearing half the makeup she did earlier. Oh, don't get me wrong, she wasn't turning back into the beauty queen again, but clearly she'd gotten past the down right rebellious phase.

"Are you done looking?" she asked suddenly, obviously annoyed. I hadn't realized I was staring.

"Sorry," I smiled and shrugged.

"Have a thing for Tara, do you?" John laughed.

"I did," I replied honestly.

"Let me guess," She put in. "Middle school, right?"

"Of course," I laughed. I finished my beer and surprised her by adding, "And through most of high school."

"And yet," she frowned. "This is the first real conversation we've ever had."

"I'm shy," I offered.

"Then why admit it now?" a girl I didn't know asked.

"I'm drunk," I shrugged.

"From one beer?" Tara asked in disbelief. I noticed one guy shifting toward her. He was obviously her boyfriend, or at least wished he were.

"Light weight," I offered, causing some of the others to laugh. Someone handed me another beer.

"Please!" Janey put in. "Half the guys on the football team are well on their way to being alcoholics!"

"You play football," one of the other guys asked.

"I guess I do," I frowned. It had been so long since I'd been on a football field that it actually felt like a lie to claim I played.

"You're not sure?" a different guy asked, causing more laughter.

"Right now, I'm not sure of a lot of things," I frowned. I was surprised to see some of them nod in understanding. 

I glanced around the group and wondered about each of their stories. Clearly, they all had one.

"So Barry," John said to the guy who asked about football. "Doing anything special for your birthday next week?" I knew he was just being kind by changing the subject.

"Getting drunk," Barry shrugged.

"So, same old, same old," John teased. Everyone laughed, including Barry.

"You the oldest here?" I found myself asking. Age was clearly on my mind. I wondered why? Yeah, right. 

"No," Tara surprised me by answering.

"When was your birthday?" I asked.

"November," she said and then laughed at my confused look. "My parents held me back a year in kindergarten. I'll be nineteen."

"How old are you?" Barry asked. I paused, causing him to laugh. "Not sure?"

"Eighteen," I finally replied, another true statement that felt like a lie. "My birthday was last week." 

"You going vote this year?" one of the other girls asked, surprising me yet again.

"Probably," I answered.

"Who for?" she asked.

"Be careful!" Janey laughed. "Judy is passionate about her politics. She's also a die-hard democrat!"

"Of course I am!" Judy replied. "But what person with a brain isn't?"

The topic focused on politics for a while. I sat quietly listening. Two things quickly became apparent to me. First, some of these kids were wicked smart. I didn't remember having these types of conversations when I was in high school!

The second thing that hit me was just how innocent they were. Okay, maybe innocent wasn't the right word. Maybe inexperienced is a better one. Listening to them, I felt old. What made it worse was the way my body was reacting to the girls.

"I've got to be going," I said during a lull in the conversation. "John, thanks for inviting me. Everyone, thanks for the beer and company."

"No problem," Barry smiled.

"I should be going too," Tara said, surprising me.

"Don't you live on Scranton?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"That's only a few blocks over from my house," I shrugged. "We can walk together if you want." She shrugged, but didn't turn me down.

"I'll walk you home," the guy who clearly liked her offered quickly.

"No," she replied. "I'll be fine with him."

'Down boy!' I said with a shake of my head, but another part of me grinned and replied, 'At least she's not jailbait!' Of course, it still felt wrong. She was eighteen for Christ's sake! For a guy my age, that should be jailbait!

"You two look good together," Janey said as we walked away. I could hear the laughter of the others. We walked in silence for a while.

"You still dating Tiffany?" Tara asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"For the moment," I answered.

"Not going well?" she asked.

"Fine," I replied. "I guess."

"You two dated all last year," she said. "I thought there were wedding bells in your future for sure."

"It wouldn't work out in the end," I shrugged.

"Why?" Tara asked.

"She's a cheating slut!" I snapped, with surprising anger.

"Really?" she asked, a bit taken back by my reaction. I shrugged. I didn't want to talk about Tiffany.

"Was that guy your boyfriend?" I asked, changing the subject.

"No," she replied.

"He wants to be," I added. 

"Not my type," she said.

"And what is that?" I asked.

"I don't have one," she replied. "I don't date men anymore."

"Any women?" I teased.

"Not anymore," she replied. I looked at her in surprise. She refused to look away, although she did blush.

"Which do you prefer?" I asked. I think my acceptance surprised her. The look she gave me prepared me a bit for her answer. She was obviously going to try and shock me. 

"For love or sex?" she asked.

"Sex," I answered, refusing to be ruffled.

"I'm leaning toward women," she replied. "I've only been with one member of each and it was a lot better with her."

"Love?" I asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I don't like men much, but I don't think I could fall in love with a girl."

"You tried," I said knowingly. She didn't bother to answer. We walked in silence for a while.

"You're not what I expected," she said suddenly.

"People seldom are," I replied.

"You know," she said softly. "You're not the only one who had a thing for someone back in middle school."

"Really?" I asked in surprise. 

"Really," she replied. 

"I wish you'd said something back then!" I laughed.

"Why?" She asked. "Is the jock too cool to date a burnout now?" I stopped walking and looked at her. She looked back nervously.

"You know," I said, beginning to walk again. "Whoever hurt you was an ass, but don't let him win by being miserable."

"What?" she asked.

"Come on Tara," I said. "Something big happened between eighth grade and high school. I don't know what it was and it's definitely none of my business, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"Nothing happened!" she snapped.

"Sure," I snorted. "Everyone goes from beauty queen to burnout for no reason at all!"

"I can walk the rest of the way on my own!" she cried.

"Your choice," I shrugged. "Although we are both going the same way." She looked at me. I ignored her for the moment and walked. The blocks passed in silence.

"You know," she said after a while, clearly a lot calmer. "You never did answer my question."

"Which?" I frowned.

"Is the jock to cool to date a burnout now?" she asked again.

"Oh, that," I sighed.

"Well?"

"Tara, are you asking me out?" I asked.

"No!" she cried. "I was just wondering what kind of a guy your really are."

"That's a good question," I shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure if you would date a burn out?" she asked. "That's bull! Answer the question!"

"You misunderstood," I smiled. "I'm not sure what kind of a guy I am."

"Oh," she said. "Well then?"

"Tara, I would date someone I was interested in," I replied. "I don't care which click she was in. What does burnout really mean? Jock? I never much liked stereotyping."

"Definitely not what I expected," she said with a shake of her head.

"Well, if it's any consolation," I grinned. "You're not what I expected either."

"Is that a good thing?" she snorted.

"I don't know," I teased. "The jury is still out."

"Ass!" she cried, causing us both to laugh.

We talked a bit more, but not about anything special. The conversation was both surreal and very real at the same time. The surreal part was what we talked about. It was just so weird! The topics went from things only eighteen year olds cared about to things that were the past to me, but the future to her. We even touched upon politics. I knew who won the coming election. That made the conversation extremely difficult at times.

The real part of our talk was downright frightening to me. I wasn't a kid, despite what I looked like. I knew when I was attracted to someone. I also knew it was crazy, but that didn't stop the feelings from coming, and in my young body, they were harder to control. Thank God I had the mind of an experienced old man who knew better than to fall for someone like Tara.

'It's just hormones and confusion,' I said to myself.

I knew it was the truth, but I was surprise how comfortable it was to talk to Tara. She seemed a lot worldlier than I thought eighteen year olds should be. Frankly, I felt more drawn to her than I had been to any woman since Tiffany and it scared the hell out of me.

"Thanks for walking me home," Tara said. I glanced up and realized we were at her house. I didn't remember much of the trip other than our conversation.

"No problem," I said, forcing my thoughts back to the moment. "I'll see you at school tomorrow. That is, assuming you don't plan on skipping again."

"You too," she laughed.

"I make no promises," I replied. "I just don't think I can take another year of Mr. Hargrove."

"Count your blessings!" she snorted. "I've got Bennett for history!"

"Hmm, that is worse," I admitted. Whereas Mr. Hargrove was boring, Ms. Bennett was down right mean. "Later."

"Later," she said and took a step toward her house, but then she stopped, quickly stepped back and kissed me briefly.

"What was that for?" I asked in surprise.

"Two reasons," she replied. "First, I haven't kissed a guy in a long time and I was curious how it would feel after all this time."

"And second?" I asked. She smiled when I didn't react to her first reason. We were still standing pretty close. I knew the right thing was to step back and move away, but it wasn't going to happen, at least not yet.

"Well," she answered. "Like I said, I had a crush on you in middle school. I've always been curious if you were a good kisser."

"So you thought steeling a kiss right here in front of your house would help you satisfy your curiosity on both accounts?" I asked, shaking my head.

"Yes," she grinned. "Do you want to know the results?" I looked at her. She was young. She was also beautiful and her kiss had gotten to me badly, despite its briefness. I decided to forget my age for the moment.

"No," I replied, taking her head in both hands and pulling her toward me. She came willingly. Her eyes grew slightly bigger. "It wouldn't be fair to judge on such a brief kiss." 

It was my turn to initiate a kissed, only I refused to rush it. Tara was stiff at first, but slowly relaxed and wrapped her arms around my neck. I dropped one hand from her head to the small of her back. My body reacted about the way you would expect. What surprised me was that so did the rest of me. Tara was a very good kisser.

"Wow!" she said, when we finally pulled apart. "You're right. It wouldn't have been fair."

"Well?" I grinned. Tara looked at me and laughed. She also stepped back.

"I'll let you know," she said, moving toward her house.

"When?" I laughed. She stopped at her front door, turned the knob and looked back at me.

"The day after you break up with Tiffany," she replied, and slipped into her house.

"Tiffany," I sighed to myself, and suddenly I felt old again. I thought about what had just happened and shook my head. "Dirty old man!"

I started walking down the street. My house wasn't far, but I was having problems getting Tara off my mind. I knew that part of the problem was that really did need to get laid. The real me was way overdue before getting thrown into this eighteen year old, constantly horny body. I felt ready to burst.

"Oh grow up!" I snapped out loud. I also reminded myself that my budding feelings for Tara were due to the stress of the moment, not any true connection. It helped a little, until I remembered how good the kiss felt.

My house was just as I remembered it. The sight of it cleared my mind of all sexual tension for the moment. It looked small, but oddly comforting. The lawn needed to be cut. There was nothing new there. I walked up to the driveway, but instead of going in, I found myself rushing past.

'I'm not ready to face my mother!' I thought. I really hadn't thought about this part since the whole crazy situation occurred.

My mom lived in a nursing home. I dropped by once a month, spent an hour and left. Afterward, I'd be depressed for the rest of the day, sometimes a lot longer. That was the mom I knew. This woman would be different. This was before pop died, before she stopped taking care of herself and before the Alzheimer's kicked in. I so very much wanted to see my mom like this, but I was also scared to death!

"I need more alcohol," I said aloud as I left my block, but I knew it wouldn't help. I was deep in thought as I moved. I walked for maybe ten minutes.

"Hey there handsome!"

I looked up and saw who had spoken. I couldn't help it, I grinned. It was Mrs. Cognetta. She was the only one who ever called me that. I hadn't thought about her in years.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 01



"Hey Mrs. C., how are you doing?" I asked, happy for any distraction from my thoughts.

"I could be better," she laughed, nodding toward her yard. She was just finishing some yard work. "The kid I used to have mow my lawn quit a couple of years ago."

"Sorry Mrs. C.," I smiled, remembering. "But I needed a real job. I was saving for a car."

"I heard you quit your job last month," she said. "What car did you get?"

"Yeah well, senior year and all," I grinned. "I decided to wait on the car. I figured playing football and having fun was more important. I'll probably get my job back come winter and get the car before the end of the year." I remembered that was my plan, before my knee blew out. 

"I should have kept the job and quit football!' I thought to myself.

I never did get that car. Oh, I bought a car eventually, but it was after college and it wasn't really what I wanted. I bought practical for the long drive from and to work. After that, the cars I bought were never anything special. There always seemed to be something more important to buy.

Back in high school I'd wanted a sports car. I still did now that I thought about it. I promised myself I'd get one with the money from the promotion Rodger was giving me when I got back, if I ever got back.

'Hell, even if I don't go back, I'm going to get a cool ride!' I thought, laughing.

"What's so funny?" Mrs. C. asked.

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head. She looked at me oddly, but let it pass.

"So then if you're not working now, you'll need a little spending money," she smiled. "A couple of hours of yard work a week are just what you need."

"Nice try Mrs. C.!" I laughed. "But I'm one of the happily unemployed."

"Great," she said. "Just great."

I thought it was both weird and oddly comforting to call her Mrs. C. Weird because I was older than her, at least as I remembered it, but comforting because she was from a time in my life when things were good.

"What about Jimmy?" I asked. "Didn't he work out?" Jimmy was the guy I found to take my place. 

I liked Mrs. C. She was a widow. Her husband died not long after they moved into the neighborhood. That's when I started mowing her lawn and doing the rest of the yard work.

"The boy has no work ethic!" she snapped.

"Jimmy?" I asked in disbelief. It was a long time ago, but I'd picked Jimmy carefully. I really liked Mrs. C. as a kid. She was always kind to me. 

"His family has been on vacation for two weeks!" she cried. "I actually had to do a little yard work on my own. I haven't done that in years. Look at me! I look terrible!" I did look at her. I'd always thought of her as old, but suddenly I realized that she was younger than my parents. 

Mrs. C. was wearing shorts and a tee shirt. She looked surprisingly good in them. Her top was soaked in sweat, but if anything it only made her look better. I'd always known Mrs. C. had nice breasts, but I never realized just how pretty she was back then. 

"You look good," I smiled, feeling my body respond, but not caring for the first time. This woman was anything but jailbait.

"Thanks," she said in surprise, but then smiled and added, "I have lost a little weight."

"I can tell," I said. "Who is the lucky guy?"

"Please!" she laughed nervously. I smiled. I could see her reacting to my attention and it was funny to see her trying to ignore it.

"You mean you're not dating yet?" I asked. "It's been a long time since Mr. C passed. Don't you think it's time?"

"Excuse me?" she asked in shock.

"Sorry," I said. "It's none of my business."

"That's okay," she said oddly. She had a thoughtful and sad expression on her face. I knew she was thinking of Mr. C. I couldn't leave it like that. Of course, I couldn't just blurt out what I wanted to say. I'd already done enough damage like that.

"Mrs. C., can I have a drink?" I asked.

"Sure," she said, sounding more like herself. "I could actually use one myself. Come into the kitchen."

"Thanks," I smiled and followed her into her house.

She poured two glassed of juice, one of them only half full. She poured vodka in the other half.

"I don't suppose I can convince you to let me have a sip of yours?" I asked. "It's been a long day." She looked at me and frowned. This was obviously not her first drink of the day, but she wasn't drunk.

"You smell like beer," she said.

"I had one or two," I offered. "But I'm not drunk. Like I said, it's been a rough day." Her eyes met mine and I smiled.

"I guess. You're eighteen now," she answered. "Only don't tell your mother. That woman scares me!"

"I won't," I laughed, reaching for her glass and remember how my mother used to be. Mrs. C. was being a bit tough on her, but not a whole lot. Mom just wanted what most mothers wanted, the best for her children.

"And be careful!" she added quickly. "I may have put a bit too much vodka in there."

"You think?" I laughed and downed half the glass. It hit the spot.

"Hey!" she cried, pulling the glass from my hand.

"Sorry," I laughed. Mrs. C. looked at me and shook her head. I watched as she finished the rest of the drink and refilled it.

I knew what I wanted to say to Mrs. C., but I had no idea how to start. How does an eighteen year old tell a widow twice his age that she needs to get back out there and find someone to make her happy? That life isn't over yet? It quickly struck me that he doesn't. I frowned and reached for Mrs. C.'s glass again.

"Don't you dare!" she cried trying to get it back, but I was a lot bigger than her. There wasn't nearly as much vodka this time, but it still had some kick.

I drank half the drink again and kept her away with one hand. It was comical in a way, but also exciting. Mrs. C. was a curvy woman. My hand accidentally brushed her larges breasts and I felt myself respond. 

Mrs. C. was the first woman I met since this crazy dream started that wasn't too young for my old mind. Not only that, but I knew in this case it was simple lust. I liked Mrs. C., but neither the old me or the teenager me was interested her in any other way than sexual. The simple fact was that I wanting her badly. Hell, at that moment I needed her! My grasp on reality was tenuous at best.

"Drink this," I said, handing her back her drink. She looked at me with big eyes, but finished the drink. I took the glass from her hand and put it on the counter. Mrs. C. looked at me nervously as I moved toward her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Exactly what you think I am," I smiled sexily. It got to her. I could tell. That was only fair because she clearly got to me.

"You're just a boy," she said nervously.

"Am I really?" I asked, still smiling. "I'm eighteen, old enough to leave home, go to war. Old enough to do anything."

"But..." she began. I cut her off.

"Don't you find me attractive?" I asked, already knowing the answer. She was throwing off all kinds of indicators that the old me recognized after years of dating.

"You're handsome," she said quickly. "I've always thought that, even when you were younger."

"Thanks," I said, moving so that our lips were only a few inches away.

"No!" she said, stepping back. "This isn't going to happen!" I grabbed her arms and pulled her back toward me. She was too shocked to fight.

"I want you!" I said aggressively. "And you need what I'm offering badly."

"We can't!" she cried. "You're young enough to be my son!" I noticed she didn't deny her need.

"But I'm not," I smiled.

"We don't love each other!" she cried.

"Of course not," I replied. "This isn't about love. It's about need."

"We can't!" she cried again.

"Sure we can," I replied, my face only inches from hers again. She was flushed and panting slightly.

"But..." she began. I placed my fingers on her lips and silenced her.

"Tell me you don't need to be with someone," I said. "And I'll leave."

"I still love my husband!" she cried.

"Of course you do," I said gently. "I didn't know Mr. C., but if he is half the man you've painted over the years, he was a good one."

"Then you understand why this can't happen?" she asked.

"No," I answered. "It can and will happen. What we're going to do isn't going to hurt or take away from what you had with your husband."

"What happened to you?" she asked.

"I got older," I grinned, and thought to myself, 'You have no idea how much older!'

"You're just a boy!" she insisted. I pulled her against me tighter, letting her feel my excitement against her stomach. It also let me feel her curves against my body. Her breasts felt amazing and I squeezed her thick ass roughly.

"I'm a man," I disagreed calmly.

"I can feel that!" she moaned, causing me to smile. I had her! It was exciting and fun seducing Mrs. C. On top of that, we both needed it. It was the first thing I felt confident about since ended up back in my teenage body.

I closed the gap between us and kissed her. Mrs. C. froze for a moment and then melted into my arms. I trailed my kisses down to her neck. Mrs. C reached between us and squeezed my cock.

"You're big!" she gasped. "Just like my husband."

"Tell me what you want?" I asked between kisses. "Tell me what you need!"

"It's been so long!" she cried and slipped her hand into my pants. We both moaned when her fingers brushed my cock. She started stroking and caressing it slowly. I shuddered as my body reacted. I wasn't a virgin, not the old me or even the young me, but in a way I felt like one. I knew I wouldn't last long.

"Mrs. C., let's go to your bedroom," I groaned.

"We shouldn't..." she began. I knew I could convince her easily enough if I wanted to spend the time. The problem was that my need was too great for that.

"Okay, then right here!" I growled, pulling her top over her head. 

Instead of arguing, Mrs. C.'s hands undid my pants. She was looking down hungrily. Like I said, she needed this as badly as I did, although for different reasons. 

Her bra followed quickly and I received one brief look at her amazing breasts before Mrs. C. fell to her knees in front of me. My pants hit the floor and she engulfed my cock with her mouth. I groaned and pulled off my shirt.

"My husband loved when I did this to him!" she whispered excitedly.

"I can see why!" I groaned as I rested one hand on her shoulder and the other on her head. She looked up at me with my cock still in her mouth and smiled. It was very sexy!

"Shit!" I cried as my orgasm took me. Poor Mrs. C. tried to swallow fast enough to take all my cum in. She might have made it if I hadn't pulled my cock from her mouth and directed the explosion toward large tits. My cum covered a surprisingly large portion of them.

"You bad boy!" she laughed.

"Hold your breasts up!" I demanded, my passion still burning bright even after I was done cumming. She registered my need and stopped laughing. She also lifted her breasts. 

I stroked my cock between them. They were full and felt amazing as I slid back and forth. Mrs. C. enmeshed my cock in her heavy breasts. It felt so good that I didn't soften at all.

'Finally!' I thought with a grin. 'Something good about being young again!'

The truth was that my cock felt like a steel rod. I never had any problems getting excited for a sexy woman, but this eighteen year old body was in it's prime, not only that, but I was in shape. My ego soared as I continued to stroke between her breasts. Mrs. C. watching me with excited eyes didn't hurt either.

I wanted the moment to last forever, but it wasn't long before I felt myself start to seriously respond again. I moved away and helped Mrs. C. up. She looked amazing! I undid her shorts as she looked on nervously.

"I've only ever been with my husband," she said nervously.

"Then something like this is overdue," I said, meeting her gaze and pulling her shorts down. I glanced up and down her body.

"You look at me so hungrily!" she gasped.

"That's because I am hungry," I replied. "For you. In fact, I want to taste you."

"Taste me?" she asked in confusion. 

"Taste you," I said confidently and took her hand. I led her toward the bedroom.

"Please!" she cried, pulling back. "Not in there! Not yet!"

"Okay," I grinned and pushed her onto the arm of the couch. It was one of those big cushiony couches. I made her straddled the arm as I knelt down. She rolled onto her stomach in nervousness. I forced her legs a little further party and thrust my tongue into her soaked pussy from behind.

"What? ...No! ...That's..." she cried, not making sense. After a moment she stopped trying to talk and buried her face into the couch. She moaned almost constantly as I licked her.

Mrs. C. had a dark furry pussy with very pink lips. I teased them unmercifully! I brought her to the brink two or three times and pulled back. The last time I knew that she was ready. Instead of pulling back, I focused my attention on her clit and her orgasm burst free. Her juices sprayed into my mouth and she screamed into the couch cushion!

"That was amazing!" she gasped a few minutes later.

"Yes, it was," I answered, and then smiling added, "Although, I think you may need to have your couch cleaned."

"Probably," she laughed, blushing slightly in embarrassment, but not bothering to move from the arm of the couch. She looked extremely comfortable and sated. "My husband never did that to me! Where did you learn that?"

"Magazines," I lied, remembering a girl I met in my late twenties. She was wild and not really my type, but she was a dynamo in bed. She also had no problem showing me what she liked. It had ended badly, but been fun while it lasted.

"You look comfortable," I offered, changing the subject.

"I am," she sighed. "I could fall asleep like this."

"No you can't," I disagreed. She glanced my way and I grinned. "Mostly because there's no way I can keep my hands off of you when you look like that!" 

"And who's stopping you?" she surprised me by asking sexily.

"I guess no one," I laughed and moved toward her. I straddled her thighs and the arm of the couch. "Mr. C. liked taking you this way? From behind?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, moaning as the head of my cock brushed against her ass. "We didn't talk about things like that. But I certainly did!"

Mrs. C.'s pussy was open and waiting and her breasts were squished against the couch. I caressed the sides of them while I shifted my hips. My cock bumped against her pussy this time and she gasped.

"Tell me what you need?" I asked, reaching down with one hand and rubbing my cock up and down her pussy. "Be as nasty as you want."

"I want to feel your young, hard cock inside of me!" she moaned.

"How long has it been since you felt a man inside of you?" I asked.

"Too long!" she cried. I smiled and shoved the head of my cock into her pussy. She pushed her hips back and tried to force more inside as she gasped, "You're so big!"

"Better to give you pleasure!" I growled as I shoved more of my cock in.

"Yes! Oh yes!" she cried. "Give me all of it! I want it all!"

I grabbed her hips and thrust the rest of my cock inside her tight pussy. It was like pushing into a soaked furnace. It felt incredible!

"Too big!" she cried as her body twisted in orgasm. I continued to hold her hips and fucked her through it. Her next orgasm wasn't far behind. My own threatened as well.

"It's so hard and hot!" she moaned. Her words really got to me.

"I'm going to cum!" I grunted.

"Do it!" she demanded. "It's been so long since I felt a man cum in me!"

"Here...I...go!" I cried and slammed into her pussy hard. My hips made a loud slap sound against her ass and I was once again pumping my cum inside of her, only this time it was in her pussy!

"My God!" she cried and joined me. We shivered and shook together until we were both spent.

"Thank you," I smiled afterward as I shifted off of her and sat on the couch. "I really needed that."

"You?" she half laugh and half groaned as she rolled off the arm of the couch and into my lap. I laughed, held her close and kissed her soundly.

We continued to kiss for quite a while. Mrs. C. played with my cock slowly for a while, but got more aggressive as my cock hardened once again.

"Making up for lost time?" I asked with a smile.

"Taking full advantage of the moment," she replied. 

"Good for you," I said, meaning it.

"You really have changed," she said, shaking her head. "I know grown men who aren't half as mature."

"How about a shower?" I asked, changing the subject again.

"I thought you'd never ask!" she laughed and climbed off my lap. I stood and my cock slapped against my stomach. Her eyes watched hungrily, which only made my cock become even harder. I led her to the bathroom quickly and turned on the water. I looked back to her when I was done. She was still looking at me.

"You're going to make me blush," I teased. 

"I can't help it!" she laughed. "You look like a Roman god or something!"

"Please!" I laughed, but I also took a moment to look at my naked body in the mirror. I don't know about Roman god, but I did look better than I remembered.

I wasn't cut with muscles, but they were there. Playing football and working out had paid off more than I remembered. My life since high school had been anything but physically active. 

"Not bad," I said softly.

"Better than that!" she laughed, causing me to blush.

"Look who's talking," I retorted, shifting her in front of me and looking at her body in the mirror.

"Please!" she said with a roll of her eyes. 

"I'm serious!" I insisted from behind her. "You're a beautiful woman with curves in all the right places."

"Sure," she snorted. "Most of them have dropped more than I'd like to think about."

"I bet they look even better than they used to," I said.

"You're just being kind," she laughed.

"It's this just kindness?" I asked, kissing her neck and rubbing my hard cock across her ass. She moaned and leaned forward on the bathroom sink.

I knew what she wanted. I pushed my cock into her pussy from behind once again. This time I held her hips and worked it in and out slowly. We both stared at each other in the mirror.

"It's so exciting to watch!" she moaned. 

I couldn't argue with her. I loved the sight of her breasts swaying with each thrust. Hell, even the sight of my own body and I pumped in and out of her was a turn on, but I fought hard to take my time. I didn't want to cum too fast.

The bathroom was starting to fill with steam as time went by, but we could still make out our forms in the mirror. We were both sweating by now and our bodies glistened. It only made me more excited!

"I'm going to cum!" Mrs. C. cried and did exactly that. I wasn't ready yet, but that was no big deal. I'd already cum twice. I continued stroking in and out of her even after she was done.

"You're trying to kill me," she moaned.

"Do you want me to stop?" I asked.

"Of course not!" she laughed briefly. "Although I wouldn't mind getting that shower you promised."

"You wish is my command," I grinned and moved.

"Hey! Don't pull out!" she cried, but it was too late.

"Lets get into the shower," I smiled.

We adjusted the water slightly and climbed into the shower. Mrs. C. was looking at me expectantly. I smiled. I would never have guess she was so hot and wanton, certainly not when I was eighteen, but probably not after either. It reminded me of one of the thing Rodger used to say all the time.

'You never knew how a woman will react once you got her clothes off,' he insisted. I didn't think he was right in most cases, but he certainly was in Mrs. C's.

"Mrs. C., how would you like your hair washed?" I asked.

"That sounds lovely," she smiled. "And do me a favor, call me Connie."

"I don't know," I teased as I put shampoo in her hair and started rubbing. "It's sort of hot to call you Mrs. C." She clearly liked what I was doing.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 01



"Keep rubbing like that and you can call me anything you want!" she moaned. It wasn't really sexual. It was more in contentment. "No one has washed my hair for me in a long time.

"That's a shame Connie," I said, trying out her first name. It didn't feel too odd to say. "You deserve a man to wash your hair every night."

"Are you offering?" she asked. It was tempting, but I knew it wasn't right. I thought she did as well, but I needed to be sure.

"Connie, we both needed this time together," I said carefully, not wanting to hurt her just in case. "But do you really want a guy my age in your life?"

"For sex? Definitely!" she laughed, making me relax. "But don't worry, I don't expect us to fall in love and live happily ever after. I've had mine already. It was brief, but so be it."

"You know," I said. "Just because what you had with Mr. C. was special, it doesn't mean you can't have something special again."

"Are you offering?" she teased again, clearly refusing to think about what I was saying.

"I didn't mean me and you know it," I said, refusing to let the subject drop. "Not that it's not tempting, but I was talking about someone with more in common with you." My mental self might be older, but there just wasn't enough there for Connie and I to make a go of it, even if I were the me I remembered. 

"Like who?" she asked. I thought for a moment, but couldn't come up with anyone particular who might fit the bill. Oh I had friends who would love her, but they were just kids now too.

"Do you really want me to play matchmaker for you?" I asked.

"No," she answered. "I just want you to let the subject drop."

"But you'll think about dating again?" I asked. She hesitated.

"Yes," she smiled. "I'll think about it."

"Good," I smiled in return. "And I'll see if I can find someone for you."

"No thanks!" she laughed. "It would be too weird."

"Then what do you want me to do?" I asked innocently. She clearly didn't buy it.

"What you've been doing is perfect," she answered. "It's wrong, but you were right. I really did need it."

"Me too," I said seriously and changed the subject. "Now rinse your hair." She nodded and started rinsing.

"Hey! Hands to yourself!" she nearly giggled a moment later. I laughed and continued to caress her breasts until she was done. Her nipples didn't stick out very far, but they were hard nubs.

"You have perfect breasts," I said as she finished.

"I was wondering when you'd get back to them," she smiled. "Most guys can't seem to keep their eyes off of them."

"I'll bet it's more than their eyes!" I teased.

"That's terrible!" she cried and hit my shoulder. She was also laughing.

"I notice you didn't deny it," I grinned.

"No one dare touches an old broad like me," she said. "But before my husband, there were a few."

"I bet!" I laughed.

"Hey! I wasn't that bad! I was a good girl," she insisted.

"I'd say you're a lot better than good," I said. "Great even!"

"You are so bad!" she laughed.

"I aim to please," I said straight faced.

"Then would you mind doing me a favor?" she asked, a little embarrassed all of a sudden.

"Anything," I replied.

"What you did before was out of this world," she said, not quite looking at me. "No one has ever done that before. Your tongue..." I connected what she was asking.

"Is that all?" I asked. "Anytime."

"Later," she smiled as her eyes met mine again.

"Why wait?" I asked hungrily.

"Here?" she asked in surprise.

"Sure," I shrugged, pushing her back against the wall and kissing her. She returned my passionate kisses with just as much heat. I pulled back after a few minutes and looked at her.

"Your eyes look so hungry!" she panted.

"I am hungry," I retorted as my fingers found her pussy and brushed her clit. She gasped. I grinned and added, "For you, Little Red Riding Hood!"

"Oh Mr. Big Bad Wolf!" she laughed, going with it, though her excitement made it hard. "What big eyes you have!"

"The better to watch you sexy body with, my dear," I replied, continuing to rub her pussy.

"Oh Mr. Big Bad Wolf!" she added. "What big hands you have!"

"The better to pleasure you with!" I replied, I rubbing her clit hard for a moment. Connie cried out.

"Oh Mr. Big Bad Wolf!" she moaned, no longer laughing. "What a long tongue you have!"

"The better to eat you with!" I growled and fell to my knees in front of her.

I pushed Mrs. C.'s legs apart and drove my tongue inside her. She cried out and held on for dear life! It wasn't easy in the slippery shower, but somehow she found a way.

"Oh yes! Oh yes! Right there!" she moaned a few minutes later and came again. 

I look up and watched her naked body thrash against the shower wall. I also held her steady because her orgasm was so strong that there was no way she could or hold herself up during her climax.

"Are you okay?" I asked when she was done. It wasn't easy because I was more than ready again. Tasting her had affected me almost as much as her. Connie grabbed my cock in reply and looked into my eyes.

"Oh Mr. Big Bad Wolf," she panted. "What a big member you have!"

"Member?" I asked with a grin, challenging her with my eyes.

"Cock," she finally said, refusing to back down. "What a big cock you have!"

"The better to fuck you with!" I groaned.

"Then what are you waiting for?" she asked, spreading her arms. 

I didn't bother answering. I stepped forward and thrust my cock inside her. She did her best to give me access, but it was difficult and I could only get the head of my cock in. I grabbed both her thighs and lifted. Mrs. C. came off the ground with a squeak, but it quickly turned into another moan of pleasure as the rest of my cock sunk deep.

I wasn't really surprised at how easily I lifted her, but what did surprise me was the fact that I didn't get tired from holding her. Teenagers don't appreciate the shape their young bodies are in. 

I had Connie's back pressed against the shower wall as I slammed in and out of her. I was a dynamo and she loved every second of it! So did I.

Mrs. C. was holding on to my head, burying my face between her breasts. I kissed, licked and sucked like a mad man! She was one constant moan. I wasn't much better.

"Oh my God!" she cried in disbelief. "I'm cumming again!"

"Me too!" I grunted, and filled her pussy again. Somehow we both ended up on the shower floor. I didn't remember getting there.

"I am completely and totally spent," she sighed.

"I could go again," I said, surprised I really meant it. I shook my head and thought, 'Shit! Twice is normally a great night! This is incredible!'

"We don't have the time!" she laughed.

"Why? You have a date tonight?" I teased, standing slowly and helping her to her feet.

"No, but it is getting dark out," she replied. "Your parents will start getting worried if you're not home soon."

'You've got to be kidding!' I thought. Remembering how strict my parents were back in high school. 'Oh fuck! Curfews again! So much for enjoying the teenage years.'

"I guess you're right," I sighed, rinsing off. Connie did as well. I went to find my clothes afterward. Connie put on a robe.

"Connie, thanks a lot," I said at the door. "I really needed that."

"Why?" she asked.

"Maybe one day I'll tell you," I smiled. She shook her head and laughed.

"Well, I needed it as well," she shrugged. "So thank you too."

"Anytime," I grinned, but then sighed and added, "As long as it's not after curfew." I was only half kidding. 

"You'd better hurry," she grinned, but then reached down and rubbed my cock. It was still hard. "Of course, it doesn't make sense to go home like this. I'm willing to take care of it if you'd like?" I paused for a moment, but couldn't deny what I felt.

"Oh what the fuck! Of course I like!" I said, pulling her robe off her shoulders. It hit the floor not long before Connie's knees. She pulled my cock free of my pants and frankly, gave me the best blowjob of my life. I came so hard that the lights actually dimmed for a second.

"You're amazing!" I gasped afterward.

"It's nice to see I haven't lost my touch after so much time," she grinned.

"You definitely haven't," I said seriously. "Now find a nice guy who makes you happy so that you can keep in practice."

"Yes, dad," she teased.

"Oh, and if you don't find him soon, give me a call," I couldn't help added.

"Count on it!" she laughed and stood, but didn't put her robe back on yet. I gave her a quick kiss and slipped out of the door as quickly as I could because I could already feel my body reacting to her.

'Down boy!' I snapped, but I smiled as well. 

At the moment, I couldn't decide if I was an old man stuck in a dream of his youth or an eighteen year old going mental, but either of them sounded more plausible then what had actually happened. Things were definitely fucked up, but I couldn't deny how satisfying my encounter with Connie ended up being. Of course, that didn't make what was coming any easier. Mom and dad, oh brother!

"I hope you're enjoying yourself!" I cried to the sky. Tyche's face appeared in front of me. She was grinning ear to ear. 

I thought I heard laughter as the face faded and I hustled down the street toward my house.



High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 02



Author's note: Thanks for all you kind words. I was surprised by how many of you were interested in this story. Here is the second chapter. I hope it doesn't disappoint. :) JD.

**********

The car ride was painfully quiet as we made our way toward my high school. My father was driving and to say he wasn't happy with me was a vast understatement. Mom was sitting next to him and looked like she hadn't slept much at all last night. I knew they were worried about me and I could certainly see why.

I skipped school and football practice the day before, something I never did. I didn't get home until late and I smelled of alcohol when I finally did show up. Oh yeah, I also forgot to bring pop's car home. He lent it to me for the first day of my senior year.

I'm sure my reaction when I walked in didn't help. I think I stood there with a stupid grin on my face the whole time they lectured me. I was so happy to see them that I could barely follow what they were saying. In the middle of my father's rant I hugged him. Mom was next. She returned my embrace better than pop did, but was obviously concerned.

They sent me to my room afterward saying that talking anymore would be pointless until I sobered up. I wasn't really drunk, but I could see why they thought so. To them I was an eighteen year old who'd skipped school and gotten drunk. To me I was a man older than they were who was getting a chance to see his parents alive and healthy, something that hadn't been true for years.

"Where is my car?" my father asked. I frowned for a moment and then pointed vaguely in one direction. I was pretty sure the senior parking lot was that way and I assumed that's where I parked. 

As it turns out, pop's car wasn't hard to spot. You weren't supposed to leave your vehicle in the senior parking lot overnight. The school placed a large orange sticker on the driver's side window to remind you of that when you did. I groaned as memories of what it took to get the sticker off returned. Soap, water, a razor blade and a lot patience.

"I'll take care of that when I get home tonight," I said quickly. My father just shook his head, his expression reminding me of our conversation this morning. He made it clear that what happened the day before was unacceptable. He also made sure I knew how disappointed he was in me.

Now here's the funny part. Despite me actually being older than him and the fact that his judgment was unfair because he had no idea what I was going through, I felt surprisingly guilty. I shook my head and fought off a smile. He wouldn't understand.

"I love you pop," I said suddenly. "You too mom."

"We love you too," my mother said. My father nodded in agreement, but I could see the concern. I guess back when I was eighteen I didn't express my feeling for them particularly well. 

'Sounds like an eighteen year old,' I thought, remembering my sister's Becky at that age as we pulled over. My father and I got out of the car. 

"No more skipping school," my father said pointedly. I nodded in agreement. I was tempted to hug him again, but I knew it wouldn't go well. Pop was from a generation when men were men and they did not hug each other.

"Where is my kiss goodbye?" mom asked both of us. My father rolled his eyes, but than turned and kissed mom. I watched them and smiled, oddly content on a level it was hard to explain. 

In my world pop had died of a heart attack years ago and mom was in a nursing home with Alzheimer's. For just a moment I forced the thought of what lay ahead of them aside. They were my parents and to see them together and in love like this was a dream come true.

'Okay, maybe being thrown back in time to relive high school wasn't a complete bust,' I thought. On the other hand, when the knowledge of what was to come crept back into my head my joy turned bitter sweet.

"Hey Simmons!" someone called. I turned toward the voice. It was Jimmy something or other. I couldn't remember his last name, but hell, I was happy I even came up with the first. He was a friend back in high school, but not a close one.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Coach is mad as hell at you. He said..." Jimmy began, but then stopped when he saw my parents.

"Don't worry son," my father said. "We already know John skipped school yesterday." Jimmy's look apologized for bringing up the coach in front of my parents. I shrugged.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"Coach was ranting when you didn't show up for practice yesterday," Jimmy said. "Someone told him you skipped."

"Who?" I asked.

"Who do you think?" he asked rhetorically. "Brian."

It took me a second to remember who he was talking about. Brian Jacobs was the kid who wanted my position. He was the kid who got it after I blew my knee out in the third game of the season.

"Expect to run at practice," Jimmy said. "A lot."

"Great," I sighed.

"I'll see you later," Jimmy said, nodding toward my parents respectfully and moving away.

"Take whatever the coach gives you like a man," my father said as he moved to his car. "Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time."

"Gee, thanks dad," I sighed. I'd forgotten how he liked all those 'oh so helpful' sayings.

"We're not done talking about yesterday," he added pointedly as he started his car.

"I figured," I replied. "See you tonight."

"Goodbye," he said and drove off.

"Are you okay?" my mom asked as I watched pop's car leaving the parking lot. She had moved over to the driver's seat in her car.

"Sure," I answered, forcing a smile on my face.

"You're lying," she said, making me laugh. 

Mom could always read me. I looked at her and couldn't stop myself from picturing the last time I saw her before this whole thing started. She hadn't even recognize me. The truly sad part was that happened more often than not. I felt my eyes tearing up, but I fought it.

"I will be," I said more honestly. "Yesterday was just an off day."

"I imagine so," my mom smiled. 

"I'd better be going," I said, leaning in the window and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I don't want to be late for class."

"I'll see you tonight," she said. "I'm making your favorite, stew."

"Oh wow!" I cried excitedly. I hadn't had my mother's stew in decades. She was right. It was my favorite.

"You don't have to be that excited," she laughed. "I just made it a few weeks ago."

"Mom, you know how much I love your stew," I replied. "In fact, one of these days you'll have to show me how to make it."

"You want to cook?" mom asked in surprise.

"I like to cook," I shrugged. It was the truth, but it was something that developed later on in life, after Tiffany left and I was on my own.

"Since when?" my mom frowned.

"You'd be surprised," I replied, thinking, 'Boy in that an understatement!'

"Then maybe I'll let you make dinner one of these days," she grinned. "I get tired of cooking sometimes."

"Why not let Cindy make dinner?" I asked. My sister was a good cook as well. I hadn't seen her yet since returning to eighteen and high school because she slept over a friend's house the night before. I'm not sure if it was planned or mom and dad set it up when they heard I cut school.

"Please!" mom snorted. "I love your sister dearly and she's getting better each year, but I am not letting a thirteen year old into my kitchen by herself. She's not ready for that unless you want boxed macaroni and cheese for dinner?"

"Right," I said, shaking my head. Cindy was only thirteen. I guess I knew that, but it obviously hadn't sunk in. "I'll make dinner this weekend."

"Anything special?" mom asked in curiosity.

"How about lasagna?" I offered.

"Are you serious?" she asked in surprise.

"You'll love it," I promised. "I'll make you a list of what I need when I get home tonight." Mom frowned briefly, but then nodded and said goodbye before driving off. I watched her go and then turned and faced the school. 

The build was boxy and made of brick. There was a tall fence around the front of the property. All the school needed was barbed wire and some guards and it could easily be a prison.

"Am I really going to do this?" I asked myself.

I had choices. I had a lot of them. I didn't have to go to high school again. In many ways it seemed so pointless. On the other hand, I really had no idea what to do if I didn't. I certainly didn't want to upset my parents further. So far, they were the one good point of being thrown back to this time and place. The fact that I was giving them reason to worry didn't sit well.

Late the night before while I was in my bed I thought it out and decided that I would not do anything drastic for a while. I'd live the life I had when I was eighteen the first time until I figured out what I wanted to do or until I woke up from whatever dream I was having. Besides, I was only eighteen in this life. I had time to make decisions and I had the patience that's tends to come with age.

Of course, saying that and living it were two different things, especially when twenty minutes later I was once again sitting on Mr. Hargrove's class listening to him drone on and on. The first thing I noticed when I walked in the room was that Rodger wasn't there. Smart man.

I spend the first half of the class wondering what he was doing. Rodger wasn't the type to step softly. I could picture him finding some money and buying stock in a company he knew was going to take off soon.

'No,' I thought. 'That's too slow for Rodger.' I thought a moment and smiled. It was far more likely that he was placing bets on a football or baseball team we both knew were sure wins. That made me grin as I realized money wouldn't be hard to come by if I put my mind to it.

I spent second half of the class wondering just how I could do that. I came up with far fewer alternatives than I expected. In my time, the future, I was a salesman, not a technician. I knew how fast technology was going to hit the world over the next few decades and that knowledge could make me money by investing in the right stocks, but I couldn't use that knowledge to develop anything on my own. I didn't have the knowledge.

The truth was that like most people in my time I didn't really understand how things worked. For example, I'm pretty good with computers, but so what? Being able to create fancy slide shows, documents or spreadsheets are all based on having an application to develop it on. I could describe the functionality of any of those applications I use in some detail, but would that help a developer? Maybe, maybe not. It was something to think on.

The bell rang and broke me from my thoughts. My next class was gym. After that I was lost. I guess I could go to the office and ask. I can't be the only guy who ever lost his schedule on the second day of class. 

'I should probably find out which locker is mine while I'm there,' I thought, but that was more problematic. We kept our lockers from last year and although I had a general idea where mine was, I couldn't pick it out. I'm sure that would get me some odd looks at the office if I asked. On the other hand, walking around the halls with my knapsack was annoying and drawing some odd looks of it's own. I sighed to myself.

"John! There you are," I heard and forced a smile on my face as Tiffany walked up to me. It struck me as odd at how I could love and hate someone so much in the same instant.

"Hey Tiff," I said. I think she expected me to kiss her, but I couldn't do it. She was eighteen and beautiful, but I knew that one day she'd grow into the cheating bitch who divorced me. I frowned suddenly and thought, 'Or would she?' I looked at Tiffany closer.

'Has she done it already?' I wondered. 'Are her and Brad already having an affair?' I knew it started back in high school, but I didn't know when. Of course, the real question was did it matter? Tiffany took my hand and led me down the hall. 

"I can't believe you cut class yesterday," she was saying. "Especially not without letting me know."

"I needed to think," I replied. 

"It's our senior year!" she laughed. "No time for thinking. It time to party!" I shook my head and looked at her. I remember having senioritis my last year of high school, but not on the second day. We were interrupted before I came up with a response.

"Hey John, let's get going!" Brad said. "You missed it yesterday. Ms. Valente is our gym teacher. She's hot!"

I was tempted to smile because I remembered Ms. Valente and Brad was right. She really was hot. Of course, smiling was out of the question with him standing so close because it was all I could do not to punch Brad in the mouth. 

The moment was completely surreal. Here I was, standing in front of the girl I would one day marry. Standing next to her was my 'friend' Brad who sometime during this year would start screwing her behind my back. Weird shit.

"Please!" Tiffany snorted. "Ms. Valente could do with losing some weight."

"No way!" Brad laughed. "She's just built curvy."

"Fat," Tiffany insisted.

"Put the claws away!" Brad laughed. "She's too old for me anyway."

"It's not you I'm worried about," Tiffany said pointedly.

"How about it John? What do you think snout Ms. Valente?" he asked with a grin.

"I remember liking her accent," I said, more to move our little group along than anything else. It also happened to be true.

"John, don't tell me you think she's hot too?" Tiffany asked.

"If my memory serves," I replied. "She's an attractive woman." 

"Men!" she cried. Tiffany clearly didn't like my response, but frankly I could care less. I thought she'd say something more, but she let it go. 

Tiffany stepped up to a group of lockers, popped hers open and pulled out her gym clothes. I smiled as I suddenly remembering that my locker was almost directly across the hall from hers. I had no idea what the combination was, but that didn't matter. They all popped open the same way. After three tries I popped open a girl's locker by accident.

"Curious to see what a freak like Tara is hiding?" Brad asked. I frowned. I didn't realize that Tara's locker was so close to mine. 

"What I'm hiding can't be stored in a locker," Tara said as she walked up. She looked at me. She didn't look happy.

Tiffany blushed badly and even Brad looked embarrassed. I'm sure at eighteen I would have reacted just as badly, but thankfully despite my youthful body, I was long past being a teenager.

"Is it bigger than a breadbox?" I asked with a smile.

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"What you're hiding," I replied. "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" Tara looked at me for a few seconds and then laughed despite her annoyance.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she replied. "Is that why you're in my locker?"

"Guilty," I said nonplussed.

"Or," she said thoughtfully. "You could just have popped open the wrong locker."

"You think?" I smiled. Tara laughed again and popped open the locker two down from hers.

"This one's yours," she said, looking in it. "You know, isn't this supposed to have some books in it? Or something? Anything?"

"You would think. Wait, what's that?" I said, pulling out the single sheet of paper off the shelf. Thankfully it was my schedule.

"That's it? Just your schedule?" Tara teased.

"Hey, don't knock it. I can't figure out why I left it here, but at least I won't have to go to the office to get another copy," I said.

"So, now you know where to go," she smiled. "Now if you only had some books to take with you."

"I didn't get a chance to get any with skipping after first period yesterday," I explained.

"Rookie," she joked, showing me her locker. It was full. 

"How'd you manage that?" I asked.

"Friends," she smiled. "They got my books from each of my classes since I was home 'sick' yesterday."

"You have friends?" Tiffany interjected. That was weird. I almost forgot she and Brad were still standing there. That was obviously part of the reason why Tiffany was being such a bitch.

"Ouch," Tara said, looking at my girlfriend. "That hurt."

"You look it," I grinned. Her delivery was perfect. It let Tiffany know just how little Tara cared what my girlfriend thought.

"On the inside," Tara explained. I couldn't help it. I laughed.

"John!" Tiffany snapped. "I don't see what's so funny!"

"Dude," Brad said. "What's up with you?"

"Funny is funny," I shrugged, and then changed the subject. "Let's get to gym before the bell rings." I took that moment to pull my gym bag from my knapsack before shoving the latter into my locker. "See you later Tara."

"Later Johnny," she said, causing me to frown. No one called me Johnny. I hated the name, but oddly enough it didn't sound bad when she said it. She winked at me before she left. I'm sure that was just to irritate Tiffany. It worked admirably.

"Maybe you'd rather have her as a girlfriend?" my girlfriend said angrily once we were out of Tara's earshot. I wasn't in the mood. I know I promised myself that I would take things slowly, but I couldn't deal with Tiffany.

"The thought has passed through my mind," I replied. Tiffany froze in shock. I ignored her reaction and kept walking. 

We were playing floor hockey in gym. I'd forgotten how much I liked it. What made it even better yet was that Ms. Valente was even hotter than I remembered. She couldn't be much over thirty if at all. I flirted with her a little. She seemed surprised, but that was to be expected. She dealt with it well enough. I'm sure I wasn't the first student to flirt with her, much less the first guy. It just wasn't something I did last year when I had her for a marking period of health.

I was bringing the puck up the sideline when someone slammed me into the wall. This was supposed to be a non-contact version of floor hockey. We pushed the rule as far as we could, but this was way over the line. I looked up and saw that Brad was standing over me.

"Dude," he said, obvious angry. "What you just did to Tiffany was uncool!"

"Don't you think that's between her and me?" I asked, standing and stretching. Nothing was hurt all that badly.

"She was my friend before you two even met," Brad snapped. "You were a jerk!"

"Maybe," I shrugged. "But I would think that you'd be happy if we broke up. You're obviously in love with her."

"I am not!" Brad cried, but he was blushing badly.

"Whatever," I sighed and moved away just before Ms. Valente started reading Brad the riot act for hitting me so hard.

The rest of my classes went by uneventfully enough. There were a couple that were interesting, but only a couple.

Tiffany avoided me for the rest of the day, but the few times I saw her from a distance I could tell that she hoping I'd follow her and beg for her forgiveness. Hell would freeze over first. 

You might call my anger with her immature or juvenile, but the truth was that it was much more than that. Only a man who'd loved a woman as deeply as I loved Tiffany could be so hurt by her betrayal. I'm sure my teenage hormones were adding some strength to my feeling, but the pain and hatred was there long before I was thrust back into this body. 

The day dragged on. I couldn't find Rodger anywhere and realized he must have skipped the whole day, not just first period. I was very jealous of him by time I made it to my last class. I'd have too visit him soon and see what was going on. Maybe talking it out with someone who understood would help.

I was relieved when the school day ended. At least I was until I bumped into Jimmy again. He looked at me and grinned.

"Time to face the music," Jimmy said as we made our way to the football locker room. "Coach Riley is probably outside already waiting for you."

"Joy," I sighed, making him laugh.

I'm sure my memories of Coach Riley were colored by the years, but none of them were all that pleasant. He believed the only true motivation was someone screaming in your face. I didn't deal with it well back then and I probably wouldn't now either.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 02



It's amazing what you forgot over the years. I actually had to watch one or two guys put on their equipment for some of it. I shook my head and dressed as quickly as I could. The truth was that I had no real desire to go out on the field and play. Looking at all of other players only made me feel old. Hell, I'd coached girls this age in soccer when my niece was old enough.

Coach Riley came out of the building with the five assistant coaches. It didn't take him long to find me once practice started. We were lined up and stretching. I knew he was focused on me.

'Oh boy,' I sighed to myself. 'This was going to be fun.' I tried to remember what my father said about doing a crime and having to face the time, but it didn't help much. 

"We have our first game tomorrow," he said as we finished stretching. "And some of you think you don't need to earn your positions. You think they're yours by right because you're seniors or because you had them last year. Well, they're not. You need to work for them, and skipping school and practice isn't doing that!"

'Well, so far he's being pretty fair,' I thought. 'He is right after all. I did miss practice two days before our first game.'

"Simmons here did exactly that," coach Riley. "And because of that he won't be starting tomorrow. Brian will."

'Ouch,' I thought, but again I could see why he made the decision. After all it was his team and he couldn't just let people skip practice with no repercussions. I felt oddly unconcerned. That lasted until I saw Brian's grin. I shook my head as I remembered just how much I didn't like him. I refused to let a teenage punk get to me.

"Do you have anything to say?" Coach Riley asked me.

"Sorry coach," I replied. "I let you and the team down and it won't happen again."

It was the right thing to say. It's what I would have wanted to hear if I were the coach. Clearly, coach Riley didn't agree.

"Sorry!" he yelled. "Well sorry doesn't cut it! You're a worthless slacker!"

I stood there listening while he continued to rant for quite a while. I figured if he said only a quarter of what he said to me in my time he'd be barred from not only coaching, but working with kids altogether. I certainty wouldn't let him near Becky.

I did notice something odd while he continued. All of the other players' and most of the assistant coaches' eyes were locked onto coach Riley as he reamed me out, but one of the coaches looked away in disgust. He was a relatively young guy. I frowned and tried to remember his name.

'Coach Bo!' I sighed happily when it came to me. He'd joined the coaching staff the year before. I didn't remember how long he lasted, but from his expression it wouldn't be long.

"Are you listening to me?" coach Riley asked angrily. Enough was enough.

"I was for a while," I said. "But you're starting to repeat yourself." I could hear the players collective hold their breath. Coach Riley turned bright red, and I mean bright red!

For a moment I thought he was going to snap and actually hit me. So did one of the assistant coaches because he stepped forward and took a hold of the head coach's arm. Coach Riley was a bully. That much was obvious, but he wasn't stupid bully.

"If talking won't get through your thick skull," he nearly growled. "Lets see how you feel after running a bit. Start doing laps!"

"Yes coach," I said respectfully. I think it was more to confuse and irritate him than anything else.

Coach Bo followed me to the sideline. The football field was surrounded by a track. Coach Riley gave me one more nasty look and turned his back on me.

"That wasn't smart," coach Bo said.

"I know," I shrugged. "But he asked."

"Yes, he did," the coach said, holding in his smile. "Take off the helmet and shoulder pads. I expect you'll be running for quite a while."

"You think?" I asked. He was unable to hide his smile this time.

"Just get going," he said, shaking his head.

"See you at the end of practice," I joked and started jogging.

Now, I was never one for running, but it amazed me how easy it was. I finished the first lap without much of a problem. It slowly came back to me and I remembered how much I ran the summer before senior year in order to get ready for football. I picked up the pace. 

It was a beautiful fall day and perfect for running. The wind felt good against my skin as I moved. Coach Bo saw me moving and with his back toward everyone else motioned for me to slow down. He was right. I'd burn out too quickly at the pace I was setting, but it felt so good!

The only downside to running was when the cheerleaders came out and started practicing on one side of the track. Tiffany was with them and kept giving me nasty looks. I made an effort to ignore her and enjoy the day.

I must have been running for forty minutes with no end in sight when I realized that I was starting to get seriously thirsty. I didn't want to pull anything so the next time past the water cooler I stopped to get a drink.

"What do you think you're doing!" coach Riley cried as soon as I reached for the water. 

It was almost as if he was waiting for me to get a drink. He probably was. I sighed, shook my head and drank.

"Simmon!" he cried. "Get away from there! Who said you could stop?"

"I'm not stopping," I replied, taking another swallow. "I'm just pausing for a drink."

"A drink! A drink!" he cried. I could see his anger building. Coach Riley was once again bright red. I was tempted to see what would happen if he kept going. I wondered if he would just seize up and crumble.

"Break time is over," I said and started jogging again. I thought he was going to call me back, but he didn't. I got into a rhythm quickly enough again, but I was a little tired now. Twenty minutes later I was still going. I wondered how many miles I ran, but then shrugged to myself. I lost count of the laps a long time ago. Jogging for an hour wasn't that big of a deal I guess, but I had on leg pads and a rib protector, not to mention a cup that uncomfortable as hell.

A part of me wondered why I continued. I could just stop and walk off the track. What could coach Riley really do to me? But another part of me didn't want to let him win. Okay, and I was also a bit curious just how far I could push my eighteen-year-old body.

"Here," someone said as they came up beside me. I frowned, but I'd know that accent anywhere. Ms. Valente jogging up next to me. She was holding out a water bottle. 

"Thanks," I said, slowing, taking the bottle and drinking some. It helped.

"You know," she said. "You're in pretty good shape for a football player." I couldn't help myself.

"Ms. Valente, you aren't hitting on me are you?" I joked. She burst out into laughter.

"No," she replied. "I took over the track team this year and I could use someone at cross country. I was hoping you might consider switching."

"No thanks," I answered, taking another sip from the water bottle. "I hate running."

"Figures," she sighed. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your season."

"Oh, I doubt it," I laughed, but then added with more honesty than I planned, "I'll probably quite football soon."

"Why?" she asked.

"Um, let's just say the head coach and I don't see eye to eye," I replied.

"Well then," she said. "Let me know if you change your mind."

"Simmons!" coach Riley called at that moment. "Pick up the pace!"

"After today, I'll probably never want to run again," I sighed, trying to hand the water bottle back to her. This was before you could get the store bought water bottles. This was a hard plastic one that was reusable.

"Keep it," she said. "You'll need it."

"Thanks," I said. "I'll wash it out and get it back to you."

"Maybe at the next track practice?" she asked hopefully.

"I was thinking that I'd stop by your place one night..." I teased.

"That's enough of that!" she snapped, actually blushing. I smiled at her accent, which clearly got worse when she was surprised.

"Simmons!" coach Riley cried angrily.

"That's my queue," I sighed.

"Do yourself a favor and pace yourself better. You're going too fast if he's going to make you run the entire practice."

"Tell that to coach Riley," I sighed, but then smiled and added, "Thanks again Ms. Valente for the water. I owe you one." She nodded as I picked up the pace and moved on.

I let the time pass by daydreaming about Ms. Valente. She was an attractive woman and I was sure she wouldn't begrudge me my fantasies if it helped me stay focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

The soccer team showed up in a bus not long afterward. They did not look happy. I frowned and tried to remember their record my senior year. It wouldn't come to me. The only thing I was certain of was that they weren't very good. Most of them went into the locker room, but one of them surprised me by coming to the track and jogging. He was clearly a diehard.

"How did we do?" I asked as he passed me. 

My legs were burnt out and I was dripping sweat. I needed something to help keep my mind off of how tired I was. Even fantasies of Ms. Valente weren't working now. Practice usually lasted an hour and a half, but it felt like the coach was holding the team longer. He probably was, just to try and break me. He was close to winning. I'd never run for this long before.

'I guess I'm not in the shape I thought I was,' I sighed to myself.

"It was ugly," the soccer player said, obviously a little surprised that I asked. Soccer was not a popular sport at my school. Frankly, it wasn't popular many places in the United States at this point in time.

"Score?" I gasped out. He slowed up and kept pace with me.

"Six to nothing," he said glumly. "And I think the other team took pity."

"Position?" I asked, hoping he'd understand what I was asking.

"Striker," he said. I nodded. He had the look. The striker was the guy who was supposed to score most of a soccer teams points. The kids frowned and added, "Two shots all game."

"Why?" I asked.

"The ball never came out of the defensive half," he shrugged. "I tried to convince the coach to let me move to midfielder to help, but he wouldn't listen."

"I'm sure he had his reasons," I gasped out and then regretted it. It was too many words for how much air I was sucking in.

"Coach Cox is a good guy," the kid said. "But he doesn't know shit about soccer."

"Sorry," I said. He shrugged.

"So, what did you do to piss off Coach Riley?" he asked. I didn't have the wind to answer. I glanced at him and he nodded in understanding. He shrugged and added, "Not that it takes much to piss him off. My older brother played for him. He still talks about how much of a jackass the man is."

"Come on Simmons!" a voice cried from behind me. I frowned because it wasn't a coach's voice. It wasn't long before Brian came up from behind me. "Coach says you're going too slow. He said you have to keep pace with me on this last lap or you'll have to run again next practice."

"Fuck that," I got out, the sweat stinging my eyes.

"You're making this too easy. You might as well just gift wrap the linebacker position for me," Brian laughed and started moving ahead of me. 

"Pleasant fellow," the soccer player said as I started to slow up. "You're not going to let him win?"

I looked at the kid and frowned. What did he expect? There was no way I was going to keep up with the pace that Brian was going to set.

"Can't...keep...up," I got out.

"So?" he asked. "Not everything is about being first. As long as you don't quit, you win."

I shook my head. I went to school with this guy for four years and I had no idea who he was. This kid had possibilities. His attitude would take him far in life. Weird shit.

'I've been saying that way too often,' I thought, but that didn't make it less true. My not giving up seemed to matter to him and I guess it did to me too. Both the old man inside of me and the young man's body both agreed on one thing. We had our pride.

"Here goes nothing," I said, drawing reserves from I don't know where. I picked up the pace. Brian was loping in front of me and not even paying attention.

The soccer player kept pace with me and urged me on. I could hear others as well, but I was too focused to notice who they were. I was almost even with Brian when the people cheering caught his attention. He turned, saw me and frowned. He also started running. There was no way I was going to catch him, but I did my best.

Brian turned the last corner and turned back to see where I was. He saw that I was falling behind. He met my eyes and smiled triumphantly before turning back. I grimaced and fought for just a little more speed. I could hear Brian laughing as I focused on my feet, trying to will them to go faster.

I didn't see what happened next. The first time I realized something had occurred was when the soccer player next to me cried, "Holy shit! He fell! Come on! Move it!"

I kept moving, but I had no way of going any faster. It was all I could do to keep moving. The end was anticlimactic. Brian was still on the ground where he fell as I passed him. I took one look at his ankle and shook my head. It was swollen badly. He'd done some job on it. I finished the last lap and nearly fell. The soccer player steadied me.

"Nice job," the kid said. 

"Thanks," I said, walking slowly and drinking what someone had handed me. It felt wonderful as it traveled down my throat. "By the way, I'm John."

"Jake," he smiled. "You run pretty well for a football player."

"And you're pretty cool," I smiled between breaths. "For a Foot Fairy."

"Ouch!" he laughed.

"Well, just one more thing to do," I sighed once I could control my breathing again. Coach Riley was standing over Brian while one of the other coaches and the trainer were checking him out.

"What's that?" Jake asked.

"Tell coach Riley where he can shove a football," I grinned.

"Don't do that," coach Bo said as he walked up. "Wouldn't it be better to watch him squirm when he's forced to play you in the game tomorrow? Brian is going to be out for at least a week or two."

"Hmm," I said. "That does sound interesting."

"Besides, you put all that effort into make the starting squad over the summer," he said. "It seems a shame to throw it all away for nothing."

"How did you know about that?" I asked in surprise.

"It's obvious from how much better you got since last year," he replied.

"Maybe one game," I finally said. I realized that a part of me really did want to play. Maybe Rodger was right that night at the bar before all this happened. Who doesn't want to live his 'glory days' just once more?

"I've got to get back to jogging," Jake said.

"Thanks again," I said. "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other around school."

"Sounds good," he said and moved off.

"You'd better get going," coach Bo said. "Practice is over. Go take a shower."

"I'm going to need more than that," I sighed, but went toward the locker room. I was going to be seriously stiff tomorrow.

"That was impressive," Tara said as she walked up to me.

"Not really," I sighed. "It was actually pretty stupid."

"That too!" she laughed. She shook her head afterward and added, "Boys and sports."

"So, you didn't stay after school for sports?" I asked.

"Please!" she snorted.

"Let me guess, you stay after to watch the football team practice?" I joked.

"What do you take me for? A cheerleader?" she asked in reply.

"John!" Tiffany said, almost as if on queue. 

"Time for me to go. See you later Johnny," Tara said and slipped away before I could stop her.

"I can't believe he made you run the entire practice!" Tiffany said. Her concern sounded serious and I was too exhausted to be angry with her at the moment.

"I'm fine," I said. "All I need is a shower and a good night's sleep." The funny part was that I was pretty sure what I said was true. Oh, I'd be tired and sore, but I'd be functioning. Thankfully, tomorrow was Saturday and we had a late game. I could rest up all day.

"In that case I'll see you tomorrow night," Tiffany said. "After the game. We need to talk." I didn't bother to respond as she moved off toward her girlfriends. Now was not the time.

The shower felt amazing. The only problem was that I lost track of time while I stood under the hot water and I ended up missing the late bus. I walked outside and frowned when I realized it. I noticed Ms. Valente making her way to her car. I thought about asking her for a ride. I was just about to try and catch up to her when Tara walked out of the building.

"Miss the bus?" she asked.

"Yep," I sighed. "And I'm way too tired to walk home."

"My dad can give you a ride," Tara said. 

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "But he's going to be a while. He's running late at work."

"Thanks," I said. 

I called mom at home and let her know. I had to use a payphone because cell phones weren't available yet. It felt weird putting the change in it. I hadn't even seen a payphone in years, much less used one.

"So, you never did tell me why you stayed after school?" I asked.

"What else?" she grinned. "Detention."

"Not bad," I laughed. "What did you do to get detention on the second day of classes?"

"I'm just kidding," she smiled. "I stayed after for the year book. I'm one of the photographers."

"Really?" I asked in surprise.

"I like to take pictures," she shrugged.

"Cool," I said. She smiled slightly.

Tara's father arrived not long afterward. He seemed surprised to see me. He glanced back and forth between Tara and me while she explained that I needed a ride.

"Sure," he said. 

We got in the car. Mr. Kingsley kept a polite, but embarrassing conversation going for most of the trip. Tara was clearly blushing as she remained mostly silent while I responded to his parental probes. I had to fight off laughter once or twice. I could remember having similar conversations with the boys my niece used to bring home the few times I helped out Cindy.

"Thanks for the ride Mr. Kingsley," I said when they dropped me off.

"John, you seem like a nice guy," he said. "I hope to be seeing you again soon."

I glanced at Tara. She was blushing badly once again and her look said that if I dared mention this ever again in the future she'd kill me. It was particularly funny considering the conversation I had with her yesterday. She wasn't shy or easy to embarrass. Frankly, she was a lot more worldly then most girls her age, but right at that moment she looked even younger than she was. I guess parents just have the knack.

I walked into my house. Mom looked relieved. She was clearly still concerned that I wasn't going to come home despite my phone call. My skipping yesterday was obviously a big deal to my parents. 

"What's for dinner?" I asked.

"Steak and potatoes," my mom replied. "You look tired."

"I am," I said. "Coach was a real jerk about my missing practice yesterday."

"Serves you right," pop said as he came down the stairs. 

"I know dad, I know," I sighed, shaking my head. I was surprised by how I sounded. It was amazing how quickly we can revert to our childhood selves. I sounded so much like a teenager that my tone actually annoyed me. I frowned and added, "Sorry."

"Dinner is ready. Go get your sister," mom interjected before dad could react. "She's in the yard."

"Okay," I replied. I didn't see Cindy at first, but then she came around the corner on her bike. I took one look and stood there stunned. 

The sister I remembered had a life that wasn't easy. She raised a child on her own and did it well. I admired her for it. We supported each other through some very trying years and events. Our divorces, pop's death and mom's admittance into a nursing home were just the most obvious. She was my best friend. 

Yet, the thirteen year old smiling and riding her bike in the backyard was before all that. She looked like she didn't have a care in the world. I watched her, knowing I'd never forget this picture no matter how many years I lived. My eyes teared up. I wiped them.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 02



"John, what's wrong?" my mother asked. I hadn't realized she was there.

"Nothing," I answered. "I just never realized how precious Cindy is." My mother frowned, but followed my gaze outside to my sister. Mom smiled slowly.

"She is that," she said.

"Are we eating today?" pop cried from the living room.

"I'll get Cindy," I said, opening the door and going outside.

"I'll put the porridge on the table for the angry bear," mom grinned and I laughed. I'd forgotten how we used call dad that when he got home from work. He was always much better after he ate and had a little time to relax.

"Time to eat," I said to my little sister.

"Good!" she cried. "I'm starving." 

Cindy stopped, got off her bike instantly and dropped it to the ground. I shook my head, but didn't comment. Cindy was running by me when I stopped her by sweeping her up into my arms. She cried out in surprised, but then started laughing as I ticked her. 

"John! Stop!" she cried. "I have to go to the bathroom!" I ticked her a little more before stopping and pulling her into a hug. Cindy hugged me back.

"Cindy, do me a favor and remember one thing?" I asked as I put her back on the ground.

"What?" she asked.

"Just that whatever happens, I'll always be there for you," I answered. "I'm your older brother and no matter what you can count on me."

"You're weird today," my thirteen-year-old sister frowned.

"You have no idea," I smiled. "But promise me that you'll remember?" My carefree little sister shrugged and smiled again.

"I promise John," she said.

"Good!" I grinned. "Now lets get inside before the food gets cold."

I didn't say much while we ate. I suddenly felt very old. My mind was all over the place. I dwelled for a little while on what happened at football practice. At the moment I couldn't imagine why I put up with it. 

Cindy was telling a story about something that happened at school that drew my attention. I watched her and laughed along with my parents. I suddenly realized that the woman my little sister turned into was strong, intelligent and loving, but she didn't smile often enough. There was a sadness about the older version of Cindy that was missing from the thirteen-year-old in front of me. 

I hadn't spent a lot of time since being tossed back to my youth thinking about fate or what kind of paradoxes my being here might cause. I remembered a lot of discussions with friends back in college about time travel. I'd also seen what the movies did with it. There were so many different theories that it was a bit boggling. 

The truth was that I could care less about all the different theories. Theorizing was fun, but it wasn't living. I'd live my life and make the best out of it, just like everyone else. Maybe I had an advantage because of what I'd been through, but so what? 

Going with that approach had worked for me up until Cindy. Mom and dad were older. The issues with them weren't necessarily easier, but there were less of them. I planned on getting pop to a heart doctor and make him to start exercising. I wasn't sure what I could do for mom. I knew the earlier you treated Alzheimer's the better off you were. I just couldn't figure out how to get mom to take the test, but I would. 

Cindy was different. She had her whole life ahead of her. She was my sister and I wanted to help her in any way I could. I loved the woman she became in the future, but if I could do something to make her smile more, why shouldn't I? Of course, the repercussions could be frightening. 

I mean, even if I knew for certain that her ex-husband was the reason for her sadness, would I stop her from meeting him? If I did, what happened to my niece Becky? I loved the girl like a daughter. I was more of a father to her than my sister's ex-husband by a long shot. Would I be willing to stop her conception for my sister's happiness? And what if I were wrong? What if without Becky my sister fell apart?

'Alright, enough of that!' I sighed and excused myself from the table. 'There's plenty of time to figure out what to do. Cindy is only thirteen.'

I took another shower in an effort to relax. It didn't help. I felt old and confused. I did fall asleep quickly enough because I was exhausted, but my dreams made for a long night. I woke up achy, but thankfully I was able to nap and study the defensive playbook I found on my desk. It was probably a good thing that coach Riley made me run at practice. He would have completely lost it if I tried to run the plays before I studied them.

I once again felt disconnected from the eighteen-year-old body I was wearing as my father gave me a ride to the game. I did not want to play football at that moment. Frankly, I didn't want to do anything other than crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head, but I went because going was obviously better than sitting home alone and thinking.

"I assume you'll be going to the after game party at Jimmy's as usual?" my father asked as he dropped me off.

"If it's okay," I replied. My father frowned.

"I should probably make you come home after that stunt you pulled with skipping school, but you can go. Just plan on doing a lot of chores tomorrow."

"Got it," I said.

"Good luck!" my father called as I walked into the locker room. It was like hitting a wall of tension.

'I'd forgotten,' I sighed. 'Game day. Ugh.'

Football was unlike any other sport in some ways. The amount of tension before a game was rough. Maybe it was just my high school team, but I remember the feeling well. I looked over and there was one of the offensive linemen slamming his forearm into a cement block wall over and over again. Players were taping their ankles, thumbs and God knew what else.

You could always tell the starters. They weren't doing anything different than the other players, but the guys who were going to play could be sitting in a freezing cold room in their underwear and they'd still be sweating. The tension was that thick. That was football, at least at my school, and I wasn't ready for it.

I did my best to stay out of coach Riley's way during warm-ups. It wasn't really that hard. The few times he notice me he frowned and looked away. He had a tough decision to make. Our team was small and didn't have a lot of depth. Quite a few of the players played both ways. The third string linebacker Danny was a nice guy, but he was terrible at football. Would the coach start me or not?

I can't say I was surprised when Danny started in my place, only relieved. That didn't last long. As I watched the game it was if I had double vision, or maybe it was like two different people were watching. One was eighteen and emotional as only a hormone driven teenager can be. He was growing angrier and angrier as the score slowly grew lopsided and the coach still refused to put him in. The other was older and watched the mistakes that were made. They weren't all Danny's, but enough were and the other players were starting to make some in an attempt to cover for him.

'Great,' I sighed. 'I'm crazy, or at least I will be if I don't stop thinking like there are two of me here. There's only one.' 

Both teams looked young to me, but that didn't stop me from wanting to play. After all, wasn't I physically the same age as them? I frowned as I continued to watch the game.

The first time this game happened it had gone a lot differently. I couldn't remember the exact score, but I know we won. This time we were down twenty-three to three at half time. 

As you would expect, coach Riley had some very choice words for us in the locker room. He started with, "You're all just pissing into the wind!" and it went downhill from there. I was wondering if he was going to spend the entire halftime yelling when he finally ran down. That's when the other coaches stepped in and talked about what we were going to do differently. 

I noticed coach Bo talking to coach Riley off to one side. The head coach frowned at what he was saying, but eventually agreed with whatever the assistant was pushing for. Coach Bo looked at me and nodded. I grinned. I was going to get to play!

I noticed Tiffany looking at me when we went out to the field for the second half. I felt so good about going in that I actually winked at her. She smiled tentatively.

'That was a mistake,' I thought, but then forgot about it.

The other team got the ball first. I stepped onto the field and actually felt some butterflies. My first play in was a bit confusing. I was still seeing the players as kids. The other team started the play. I saw one of the linemen come at me, but I didn't react. He might have been a young, but this kid hit hard. Frankly, he knocked me on my ass.

'Well, enough of that,' I thought as the played ended with a first down for the other team. 'You can't relive glory days if you don't play. Get you head in the game!'

"Simmons, what the fuck was that?" Mike, the defensive captain and middle linebacker asked.

"Sorry," I shrugged. "At least that woke me up." He frowned, but let it go.

The next play came my way, but I was ready this time. It wasn't about being young or old. It was about playing. I stuffed the running back at the line. It felt good!

"That's better," Mike smiled at the next huddle. We stopped them the next play too. It was third and long.

"Let's try a blitz," I said when we got into the huddle. "We know they're passing and we need to rattle their quarterback."

"That's not the play the coach called," Mike frowned.

"So what?" I asked. He hesitated. "Look, I'll blitz, you guys just be ready to fill the void. If it goes wrong, blame me. Riley can only make me run so much."

"Hoping to get in shape for a marathon?" Mike grinned.

"Something like that," I replied. Mike nodded and called the play.

I didn't get to the quarterback, but I put pressure on him and he threw the ball right into Mike's hands. Sixty yards later the score was twenty-three to ten. After that, the defense settled in and our offense was finally able to get in the game. We scored in the middle of the fourth quarter. I actually got a sack or two as the game went on, but the other team's defense was stepped it up after our touchdown. 

Our offense actually started moving the ball again toward the end of the game, but we fumbled with only a minute left. The defense ran onto the field. We had all three of our timeouts left, but there wasn't a lot of time.

"Hey Simmons, you feel like sacking the quarterback again?" Mike asked as we huddled up. "Worse case, we need them to go three and out here."

"Works for me," I grinned. "It's not like they're going to pass." I was tired and bruised, but it felt good. It had been a long time since I'd thrown myself fully into something purely physically. We still had a chance. All we needed was one touchdown to win, but first we needed to get the ball. I wanted another sack so bad that I could taste it.

I split the gap between two players and blew into their backfield. The quarterback tossed the ball to one of the backs before I could get to him. The fullback took a step to block me, but I spun around him and crushed the guy carrying the ball. They lost five yards. Mike called a time out and I stood up and roared. Yes, that's right. I roared. Sue me.

"Glory days!" I cried out, sure no one understood me, but not caring in the least. I understood. I was done being two people. I was eighteen and I wanted to enjoy it without an old man's intervention. I was on an adrenalin high and nothing was going to bring me down!

"Shut the fuck up!" one of the players on the team cried. I recognized him as the guy I blew by.

"Learn to block!" I laughed back at him. He took a step toward me, but his teammates pulled him back to the huddle.

"Again?" Mike grinned as we entered the huddle.

"It's your turn," I replied. "The fullback will be looking for me. Let's play with his head a little."

"Works," Mike said and called the play.

I showed blitz early and kept looking at the fullback. He only had eyes for me and I had a hard time not laughing. The ball was put into play and I fell back into coverage. Mike leveled the quarterback so hard that he didn't get up for a few minutes.

"Think he's had enough?" Mike laughed as we huddled up again.

"I'd like a chance at him," the other outside linebacker grinned.

"Only seems fair," I put in. Mike nodded.

I fully expected the other team to go for another run, but the quarterback felt the pressure as the other linebacker blitzed and did the one thing you never do in a situation like that. He threw the ball up. It was tipped by one of the other team's players and somehow I got under it. I caught the ball and started running for the touchdown. My team rallied around me, but I could see the fullback heading toward me at full speed. Mike was trying to catch up and get in front of me, but I was being chased by another guy so I couldn't slow down to let him.

I saw the fullback smile when he realized I had no escape. That was a big mistake. I'm not sure why or how, but there wasn't something in his smile that made him become the focal point of all my anger and confusion. Sure, I was enjoying the game, but inside I was a mass of conflicting feelings. The game was enjoyable because it let me forget everything for a time. Yet, that didn't mean I was okay. Hell, I knew that the truth was that I was on the brink and teetering. 

Was I an eighteen year old going crazy? Was I an older man trapped in a dream of his youth? Was I really someone thrown back into my past? I didn't have the answer, but for that moment all I knew was that whatever the answer, the fullback was the one to blame. 

"Mike!" I cried and turned. 

He read my intentions. I could see it in his eyes. I flipped him the ball and he caught it easily. I turned back to the fullback and put every ounce of my strength into leveling him. I all but buried him into the turf. Mike flew by and got the winning touchdown. 

"Now that's the way to block!" I crowed as I stood over the fullback. Only, I hadn't just blocked him. I'd hit him with everything I had and then some. It wasn't just about winning. It was about hurting. I frowned for a second, but before my mind could fully clear Mike and the rest of the team were on me.

"We won!" Mike cried as he ran up.

"We won!" I cried in reply, but there was something nagging in the back of my mind. I pushed it away and enjoyed the moment. "Glory days!"

**********

"Pass me another beer," I asked Mike. I was drunk. There was no doubt about it. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't falling down drunk, but I was definitely feeling no pain.

"Me too," Tiffany said from my lap. She also planted a kiss on me that took my breath away.

"Get a room!" Jimmy cried and the others laughed.

"Do you have one to spare?" I joked back.

"No, but I'm willing to share mine," Jimmy joked back.

"Perv!" Mike cried, throwing a can at him. Jimmy caught the beer, opened it and laughed as he drank.

The victory party was in full swing. The place was packed with football players, cheerleaders and half the student body. I noticed that even Tara and some of her burnout friends showed up for a while. Of course, she saw Tiffany sitting on my lap and disappeared without a word.

'Ah well,' I thought drunkenly. 'It would never have worked out anyway. I'm a football payer and Tiffany is a cheerleader. That's the way it's supposed to be. Football players don't date burnouts, or even former burnouts.'

"Come on, let's go," Tiffany whispered into my ear after a while.

"Where are we going?" I frowned.

"Someplace we can be alone," she replied with a sexy smile.

"Where is that?" I asked.

"My house," she said, losing her smile briefly. "If you hadn't been such a jerk yesterday in school I would have told you. My brother broke his arm up at college and my parents drove out to visit him. He's fine, but you know parents. They'll be back tomorrow."

"Cool," I grinned and took her hand as we made our way to her house. Thankfully, Tiffany only lived two blocks over from Jimmy. It wasn't long before we were alone in her bedroom.

"Come here mister MVP," Tiffany smiled sexily.

"I wasn't the MVP of the game," I replied. "Mike was."

"Please!" she said, rolling her eyes. "Coach Riley is a jerk! Even Mike thinks you deserved it."

"Mike had a great game," I said.

"Whatever," she smiled, reaching for me and pulling my varsity jacket off.

I looked at Tiffany and couldn't help but smile. She really was beautiful. She had long dark hair and was athletically built as you might expect from her being a cheerleader. I'd always loved the shape of her lips and how well she used them when we kissed. I stopped her frantic attempts at removing my clothes.

"Undress for me," I said, sitting at her desk chair and surprising her. I'm sure at eighteen everything I did sexually with Tiffany was pretty frantic because of our lack of experience and the fear of getting caught, but we had the house to ourselves tonight and despite not wanting to think about it, I had years of experience to work with.

"What?" she asked nervously.

"Take your clothes off," I said, and then smiled and added, "Slowly. You're a beautiful young woman. Let me enjoy the sight of you." Tiffany did as I requested. She was obviously nervous, but she smiled tentatively as she noticed my appreciative looks.

I hadn't seen an eighteen-year-old body in more years than I could remember and Tiffany's was perfect. Her breasts were high and firm and there was barely an ounce of fat on her. Her ass was just like the rest of her, tight and shapely.

"Very nice," I said, causing Tiffany to laugh nervously. My eyes were drawn to the dark, soft nest of hair between her legs. I smiled. I always preferred a woman with hair down below. I don't really know why. It's not like I liked women with mustaches or underarm hair. 

"John, you've never looked at me this way before," Tiffany said.

"We've never taken our time before," I replied. "Does it bother you?"

"Yes," she said, with then smiled and added, "But in a good way."

"Tiffany, you know I love you, right?" I asked, and it was the truth. She was my first love. Nothing could change that.

"I love you too," she smiled. "We're meant to be together."

"Are we?" I found myself asking.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, stiffening slightly.

"Just that I see the way Brad looks at you," I said. "You know he loves you, don't you?"

"No way!" Tiffany cried. "He's like a brother to me." At that moment I believed her. She truly thought of Brad as a brother.

'I wonder what happens that makes her see him differently?' I asked myself, but in the end it didn't matter. Right now she loved me, and more important, this Tiffany hadn't cheated on me. Not yet, maybe not ever. I was drunk enough for that to make a difference, or maybe I was sober enough? I couldn't figure out which made more sense, and for the moment I didn't care.

"Come here," I said and Tiffany moved toward me. I took her naked body into my lap and kissed her. She tried to rush the kiss, but I stopped her again. "Tiffany, we're going to take our time tonight. We're going to be open with each other and we're not going to rush anything."

"O-okay," she said nervously. "If we're going to be open with each other, what do you want?"

"You of course," I laughed softly and stood, carrying her to her bed where I placed her into it gently. Tiffany looked up at me excitedly. I smiled down at her. I was going to make this a night she would never forget. Me too. 

We'd slept together before, more than once, but it was still early in the sexual aspects of our relationship. It wouldn't be until college that we actually grew comfortable enough to experiment with what we liked. I wasn't willing to wait that long again. Besides, I'd learned things after our marriage that I knew she'd enjoy.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 02



"Oh!" Tiffany gasped as my tongue brushed gently up and down the length of her pussy. I could smell her excitement growing and that only added to my own. I spread her lips gently and delved deeper inside of her with my tongue. She grabbed my head and gasped out, "Yes!"

I pushed her hand away from my head. I refused to let her rush me. I took my time and drove her crazy. I glanced up from the nest of hair between her legs when I knew she was close. Tiffany's eyes were closed and her head was thrashing from side to side. Her hands were at her sides and both held a fistful of the sheets. She was ready. I smiled and shifted to her clit.

"John!" she cried suddenly as her body locked up in orgasm. Her young, perfect body shivered and shook for what felt like minutes. I continued to kiss and lick until she was done.

"Are you okay?" I asked when she lay there silently panting for a long time.

"I'm in Heaven," she replied, looking at me and smiling. I felt myself responding.

I stood and removed my clothes. Tiffany watched me. I could see the hunger in her eyes despite her recent orgasm. I smiled and got back into the bed. I kissed her and cupped her breasts. She moaned into my mouth and took my cock in her hand.

"John, I want you!" she said lustfully. "I need you. I need you now!"

I rolled on top of Tiffany and she spread her legs. I held myself up as she directed my cock to her center. I paused. Part of me still felt that she was too young for me. Another part felt that somewhere deep down the cheating slut who hurt me was laughing.

"John, what wrong?" Tiffany asked in concern. 

I looked into her eyes and saw true concern there. In this moment she loved and wanted me. I felt the same about her. That would have to be enough.

"Nothing," I said, slowly sinking into her depths. Tiffany gasped and the sight of her lips parted drew me to them. Our kiss was passionate and loved filled. It was my turn to be in Heaven.

"Oh John!" she cried and wrapped her arms around me as I stroked in and out of her young body. 

The first orgasm we shared came fast and hard, but I started stroking in and out of her again moments after we were done. The next orgasm took a long time to build.

"This feels so good!" Tiffany moaned. I had to agree. 

Her pussy was tight and steamy. I picked up the pace and thrust into her harder. I spread her legs wider, putting a hand under each knee and lifting, giving me better access.

"Yes!" she cried and came again. I pushed in deep and held still until her pussy stopped squeezing down on my cock.

"You are so beautiful," I sighed afterward.

"And you're amazing!" she groaned, rolling me off of her. My cock was hard and I needed release, but I could wait a little while. I was surprised when she rolled on top of me and sank back down on my cock.

'So much for waiting!' I groaned to myself.

Tiffany was smiling down at me as she slowly moved up and down. I took hold of her hips, but my grip was gentle. I lay there watching her enjoy herself and smiled. The sight was truly spectacular. I'd forgotten just how good it was with Tiffany. I guess pain and anger could do that to a person.

"John!" she gasped eventually. "I'm close. I want you to cum with me!"

I smiled and took a firmer grip on her hips. Now, instead of just laying there I started thrusting up into her. I picked up the pace too. Actually, that's an understatement. My hips blurred as I drove in and out of her. Tiffany's eyes grew big as our bodies slapped together.

"I'm cumming!" she cried.

"Me too!" I grunted and thrust deep inside of her one last time before my orgasm exploded. I filled her pussy to overflowing and Tiffany cried out in appreciate for quite some time.

She lay on my chest with my cock still embedded in her after we were done. I kissed the top of her head and played with her hair gently. I realized she'd fallen asleep when she became dead weight. I continued to stay that way for quite some time. I only moved when I saw the clock. I was way past curfew. I groaned.

'My poor parents,' I sighed and gently moved Tiffany off of me. 'Oh well.'

Tiffany lived about fifteen minutes from my house if I walked. I took the time to use her phone and call home before I left. It went about as well as you might expect. Instead of walking, I jogged. I made it home in record time. Mom and dad were both waiting for me.

'I should have drank more,' I thought as I saw their expressions.

This lecture was even better than the first. Somewhere in the middle I realized I couldn't go on like this forever. I loved my parents, but this was crazy. Of course, I remained silent for the time being. I needed to plan things out before I did anything drastic. 

'I wonder if that's what Rodger was doing today?' I thought as my father wound down. 'I wonder what he's planning?' I really needed to stop by his house and see what was up, but clearly that wasn't going to happen this weekend.

I lay in bed a long time thinking about the last few days. It was obvious I wasn't handling things well. Tonight I'd tried to immerse my self in being eighteen and it did feel good, but I knew it couldn't last.

'Why not?' I asked myself suddenly. 'Why can't it last?' 

It was an interesting question. I was one of the heroes of the football game and afterward I drank, had fun and made love to a woman who loved me. What was wrong with that? Maybe this time around Tiffany would stay loyal. 

Deep down I guessed that part of what caused her to stray the first time was my own fault. It was after I blew out my knee. I spent months feeling sorry for myself and pushing everyone away. I didn't know if that's when Tiffany and Brad started their affair, but it made sense. I wouldn't do that again. I was older and wiser. 

'Does it really matter?' I asked myself. 

We are a conglomeration of our experiences and good or bad, mine included a Tiffany who cheated and left me. Only this girl wasn't the same Tiffany, or was she? Did I really love her or just the memory of what she used to mean to me? I suddenly realized that the memory had haunted me for years. Tiffany and I were only married for a few years. It had been decades since I saw her last, yet thoughts of her colored all of my relationships.

"This going back in time is tough," I said, shaking my head. It was forcing me to face things I'd long ago buried. Things I didn't necessarily want to face. "Maybe this is why I didn't want to come back here in the first place?"

I lay there trying to block out my thoughts and go to sleep. I was silent when all I wanted to do was scream out in frustration. I looked at the clock and groaned. 

"And I'm sure mom will have me up early tomorrow for church," I sighed. I could just picture dad's grin as I stumbled out of bed.

"This can't last. Something has to give."



High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 03



"Hey John, nice game," Pamela Stevens said as I passed her in the hallway.	

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Yeah, way to go!" some guy added.

"It was a team effort," I said, and it was the truth, but it was nice to be appreciated, especially after yesterday.

Pop had heaped the chores on me for getting in late Saturday night after the game. I spent all day Sunday working hard, hoping he'd calm down. I even made dinner in hopes of making mom smile. It worked, at least briefly. I sighed to myself.

"Tough weekend for the football star?" 

"You have no idea," I replied, smiling at Tara as she walked up to me. "I got home past curfew on Saturday and after skipping school last week, it did not go over well."

"Hey, you want to play, you've got to pay," she laughed.

"Now you sound like my father," I groaned, causing her to laugh harder. "And speaking of fathers, how is yours doing?"

"Very funny," she said rolling her eyes as we arrived at our lockers. I let her open hers first.

"No, I'm serious," I smiled. "He seemed nice and it was kind of him to give me a ride home."

"Please!" she sighed loudly, slamming her locker closed after dumping one of her books off. "I've never been so embarrassed in all my life!"

"He wasn't that bad," I laughed, opening my locker. "He just loves you."

"I was waiting for him to ask, 'What are your intentions with my daughter?' the whole trip," she said, shaking her head.

"Hmm," I grinned. "Now that's an interesting question."

"Don't you think you'd better go find your girlfriend?" Tara asked pointedly. I lost my grin and nodded.

"I'll talk to you later," I said.

"Later Johnny," she said. I paused before moving off.

"What's with that?" I asked.

"What?" she asked in reply.

"No one calls me Johnny," I said.

"I'm not no one," she smiled and started to drift down the hallway.

"Hey!" I called after her. "Have you seen Rodger today?" She stopped and looked thoughtful. I knew I'd asked in part just to stall her from leaving, but I really was curious to see if he decided to come to school today.

"No," she replied. "I haven't seen him since the first day of school." I nodded and started to ask another question, but she glanced over my shoulder, rolled her eyes and left without another word. That could only mean one thing. I turned and saw Brad and Tiffany moving toward me. It was second period again and time for gym. 

Tiffany was looking at me. Something in her expression let me know she was thinking about Saturday night. I thought about it as well. The time we spent together had been nice.

"Hey handsome!" Tiffany smiled.

"Hello beautiful," I grinned and we kissed. It was brief because kissing was frowned upon in the hallways. 

"Hey," Brad said, trying hard not to frown and failing. My smile grew and I let my hand drop to Tiffany's ass. I knew it was juvenile to take pleasure in his discomfort, but so what? Sue me.

"There you are!" Jimmy grinned as he walked up.

"What's up?" I asked, releasing Tiffany.

"Remember that guy you leveled the last play of the game?" he asked in reply.

"Sure," I said. "It was the other team's fullback."

"Well, he didn't get up," Jimmy laughed. "They had to carry him off the field."

"Was he okay?" I frowned.

"You broke a few of his ribs," Jimmy replied. "And one of them punctures his lung, but they say he'll be fine eventually. He's out for the season though."

"Wow," I said, but my voice was flat.

"Nice hit Simmons!" Mike the middle linebacker grinned as he went by. Jimmy laughed in agreement.

"We're going to be late," Brad said.

"I'll see you all later," Jimmy said. "I just thought you'd want to know."

"Yeah, right," I said.

"Are you okay?" Tiffany asked.

"Sure," I answered, but it wasn't true. I hadn't just tried to block that fullback. I'd tried to bury him, and I almost had, six feet under.

"It happens," Tiffany said, reading my expression. "That's football."

I knew she was right in part, but I'd tried to hurt him and succeeded. He was in pain now because of me. I remembered how it felt after I blew out my knee. I wondered if this kid would react as badly as I did?

The boys played floor hockey in gym again today, but I stayed mostly on the sideline. I wasn't in the mood. Tiffany chose to stay with me instead of doing whatever the girls were doing on the other half of the gym. She did her best to comfort me and I appreciated it, but what I really needed was time to think.

I noticed Brad watching us every once in a while. I don't know how I missed his jealousy the first time through high school. It was so obvious that I almost felt bad for him, almost.

"John, are you listening to me?" Tiffany asked. I frowned. She'd been nattering on about something that I could care less about. I thought she was doing it to distract me, but now I wasn't sure. It suddenly hit me that Tiffany and I had nothing in common. It made sense. What could someone my age and an eighteen year old have in common? On the other hand, I never seemed to have a problem talking with Tara.

'Oh please!' I growled to myself. 'What the hell is wrong with me?'
	"John?" Tiffany asked again, starting to sound annoyed. I looked at her and blinked.

"Sorry, it's my turn to play," I said as Ms. Valente called for subs.

I didn't put much into the game. My body was tired after the last few days. I did get the puck a few times, but quickly passed it off.

"Hey John!" one of the guys on my team cried. "Come on and get in the game! We're tied and the bells about to ring!" I nodded.

The next time I got the puck, instead of passing it I started down the sidelines. I was looking toward the goal when I suddenly had a feeling of déjà vu. I looked behind me and there was Brad, once again making a beeline for me.

'Fuck that!' I thought and just before he hit me I passed the puck and spun on him. His eyes grew big as I slammed him into the wall and drove my elbow up against his throat. The first knocked the wind out of him and the second held him motionless.

"John! Let him go!" Tiffany cried as she ran toward us. I ignored her and stared angrily into his eyes. She reached us and pulled on my arm as the bell rang. It shook me from my thoughts and I glanced around. My team was celebrating because the guy I passed the puck to has scored, but I could care less. I shook my head and released Brad.

"Try that again and you'll be going to the nurse," I threatened.

"Big football star going to hurt someone else?" Brad snapped back. "Maybe you want to break my ribs too?" 

I know he said it to hurt me and it did, but instead of getting angrier, it calmed me down. I looked back and forth between Brad and Tiffany. She was looking at him with concern and ignoring me. I smiled sadly as the truth suddenly hit me. Tiffany might not know how Brad felt for her, but that didn't mean that deep down she didn't feel the same. I could see it now.

I knew she loved me, but I also knew that in the end I'd lose to Brad. It had happened already, in my past in the worst way. Maybe it was true that some people were meant for each other. Not that it mattered anymore.

 It hurt to realize the truth about Tiffany and Brad, but it was an old pain. Tiffany still attracted me. I couldn't help that. She was beautiful, but deep down I knew that what we had was gone. I'd tried to hold on to it, but it was impossible. I wasn't the same guy who fell in love with her all those years ago even if she was the same girl.

"You know," I sighed sadly. "Don't you two think it's about time you admit how you feel for each other?"

"What?" Tiffany cried.

"Tiff," I said. "You love me. I know that, but you love Brad too. It obvious. You two have been friends a long time. What we have is good, but I have a feeling that what you two share will be so much more." In my world Brad and Tiffany married and had four kids. I hated to admit, but every time I heard about them they seemed happy.

This wasn't my world. I knew that now. The more time that went by the less it seemed so, but some core truths had to be the same. If Tiffany and Brad were able to come together and find happiness in my world, they probably would here too.

"John, what are you saying?" Tiffany asked, her eyes tearing up.

"I'm getting out of the way," I smiled sadly before turning around and walking away.

"Mr. Simmons," I heard Ms. Valente say. I looked up and saw her walking toward me. "I hope this is the last of whatever is going on between you and Mr. White?"

"It is," I promised. "I gave him the girl. Hopefully, that will calm things down." I saw her look toward Brad and Tiffany.

"Are you okay?" she asked with honesty concern.

"Depends," I smiled. "I'm fine as long as you don't ask me to join the track team again."

"Deal," she smiled. "At least for today."

"Oh," I said remembering. "I have that water bottle of yours in my locker. Do you want me to give it to you after school or should I drop by your place later on tonight?"

"Young man," she laughed. "You are far too smooth for a boy your age."

"Thanks," I smiled. "So, what will it be?" I wasn't joking anymore, especially after what just happened.

Sex was the one thing that seemed to help me relate to the reality of my situation. I wasn't even sure why. Ms. Valente looked at me. I think she realized I was serious.

"Bring it after school," she said, shaking her head as she moved past me. I watched her until she was gone. After that I let my smile slip.

I was so tempted to cut school again at that moment that I probably would have if I didn't bump into Jake from the soccer team. He grinned when he saw me.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing much," I replied. "Well, other than I just broke up with my girlfriend and the kid I hit at the end of the last game is still in the hospital."

"It happens," he said.

"The first maybe, but the second?" I frowned.

"Were you trying to put him in the hospital?" Jake asked.

"Worse," I replied honestly.

"And now you feel like shit," he said knowingly.

"That about sums it up," I sighed.

"Live and learn," he shrugged. I nodded in agreement as the bell rang. I was going to be late for my third period, so was Jake.

"See you later," I said. He nodded and moved past me.

The next couple of days went by badly. I never felt so alone in my entire life. Cindy was always there for me in my previous life, but what could I say to a thirteen year old? Mom and dad would think I was crazy if I tried talking to them. My only real choice was Rodger and he still hadn't showed up at school or answered the phone for that matter. I was grounded for the rest of the week, but I was tempted to stop by his house after practice anyway.

"Simmons, where's you head?" coach Riley growled. I didn't blame him. He'd eased up a lot on me since the game and I wasn't screwing up intentionally, but it still happened.

"Sorry coach," I said.

"Go do a couple of laps," he snapped. "Maybe that will get your head back where it belongs." I knew it was his way of reminding me about last week and that things could quickly go back to that.

"Sure thing coach," I said and moved to the track. I pulled off my helmet, but left my shoulder pads on. This was just two laps. I didn't need to take off everything.

The running didn't really solve anything that was bothering me, but oddly it did clear my mind. I was actually starting to feel good when I finished. I made my way over to the water and poured myself a drink. I was just getting ready to rejoin the others when Tara came onto the track. She was looking directly at me. Something was wrong. I moved toward her. We met on the inside edge of the track.

"What happened?" I asked without preamble.

"You asked about Rodger the other day," she said. "I just heard something terrible."

"What?" I asked.

"It's really bad," Tara said. "Brace yourself."

"Go ahead," I said. "Tell me."

"He killed his father," Tara said. "And then himself."

"What?" I cried, totally stunned.

"His poor mother," she sighed.

"Why would he do something like that?" I asked, more to myself than Tara, but she answered anyway.

"I have no idea," she replied. "They say he left a note, but they're not talking about what it says."

"Simmons!" coach Riley cried. "Stop flirting with that girl and get over here."

"Rodger's dead," I said dumbly, ignoring him. "I can't believe it."

"Maybe it's not true," Tara offered, but somehow I knew it was.

"How did you get here today?" I asked.

"My father's car," she replied. "He's away on business for the next couple of days. Do you need a ride?"

"To Rodger's," I replied, pulling off my shoulder pads. "Just let me take a quick shower. I'll meet you out front in ten minutes."

"Okay," she agreed.

"Simmons!" coach Riley cried, now sounding angry. "Where are you going?"

I looked at him and the rest of my team. I'd had my 'Glory Days' moment and ended up putting a kid in the hospital. Whoopi. It was time for me to put this part of my past behind me as well.

"Coach, I quit," I said. I was tempted to tell him what I really thought about him, but I didn't have the time. Tara would be waiting for me.

"What?" he cried.

"I quit," I said succinctly. "Don't worry. Brian will do fine in my position." I knew that from personal memory. I guess it wasn't a sure thing because of what happened since I was thrown back, but I was reasonably certain it would all work out in the end. It did the last time.

"He's still got another week before his knee heals!" coach Riley growled. "Get back here. We need you this weekend!"

"Coach, there's a good chance I'm going to be at a funeral this weekend," I said, sighing sadly. "I just heard that my friend Rodger is dead."

"What?" Mike cried. "Rodger Williams?"

'Oh shit,' I sighed to myself. Mike and Rodger were next door neighbors.

"I'm going now to see if it's true," I said to him. "I'll let you know after I find out."

"I'm coming with you," Mike said, pulling off his helmet. Some of the other players started doing the same.

"I said get back here!" coach Riley bellowed. "All of you. We have a game to play in two days!"

"You can't be serious?" I asked. "A kid we know and grew up with is dead. Doesn't that bother you at all?"

"Practice is only another hour," he argued. "One hour isn't going to make your friend come back to life and the team we're playing this week is tough."

"Wow," I said, shaking my head. I was unable to resist adding, "I guess I've always known you were a selfish bully, but I didn't expect this."

"What!" he cried and started coming toward me. The other coaches moved to intercept him. Coach Riley was bright red and nearly foaming at the mouth, and suddenly my own anger was barely more controlled than his.

"Coach, if you so much as touch me or even get in my way, I swear to God I'll lay you out flat!" I snapped.

I was hurting because of Rodger's death on so many levels I couldn't count them all. The coach was wrong and an asshole, but it was more than that. Rodger was my only tie to my old life. I took a step toward coach Riley.

"Calm down Simmons!" coach Bo said as he moved between us. I looked at him and took a deep breath.

"You're right," I said. "He's not worth it. Mike, let's go."

"No!" coach Riley cried, but now most of the assistant coaches were around him. Coach Bo looked around and saw the confusion and concern in all of the players' faces.

"Practice is cancelled," he announced. "Go home and say a prayer for Rodger and his family."

"What?" coach Riley cried again, but I was beyond caring. I moved to the school and the locker room. Mike was right behind me. We both showered quickly and found Tara waiting for us out front.

"Thanks for the ride," Mike said after we were settled in the car. They knew each other, but not well.

"No problem," she replied and we were on our way.

"So, what did you hear?" he asked. Tara explained again what she heard about Rodger killing his father and then himself.

"It doesn't make any sense," I said once again.

"Damn!" Mike said, shaking his head. "It does in a way."

"How?" I asked.

"Rodger's father was a real piece of work," he replied. "Rodger never said so, but I'm pretty sure the guy used to beat up on him and maybe even his mother."

"Holy shit!" I cried. "I would never have guessed."

Yet, as the words left my mouth I wondered. Rodger and I were friends during high school, but we really didn't reconnect after we graduated until we were both out of college a few years. I knew Rodger had issues with authority figures. I always figured that's why he started his own company. He was also good with the ladies, but never seemed to think much of them. It all started to make a sad sort of sense now.

"Doesn't he have a little sister?" Tara asked.

"Sarah," Mike frowned.

'How could I forget Sarah?' I thought. I'd been away at college for my senior year when I heard she killed herself. The little girl I remembered before leaving for college seemed fine, but she developed some serious problems soon after we left. Rodger never talked about her. He never talked about any of his family.

I do know he took care of his mother after his father split. Supposedly his old man couldn't handle the death of his daughter and disappeared.

"Howe old is Sarah?" Tara asked.

"Ten," Mike answered.

 "We're almost there," I said, seeing flashing lights.

"Wow, look at all the cop cars," Mike put in. There were certainly plenty. We had to pull over and park a block away. The only reason why we were able to get close was because Mike lived in the next house over.

"Oh Michael!" his mother cried when she saw him and came running. She hugged him tight, but he pulled away after a few moments. Their front lawn had a number of neighbors standing on it.

"So is it true?" he asked. "Is Rodger dead?"

"Yes," his mother replied. "Rodger and his father are gone."

"Where is Mrs. Williams and Sarah?" Tara asked.

"Still inside," another woman answered. "The police are talking to them."

"I'm going over now and see if I can at least get Sarah out of there," Mike's mother said.

"I'll go," Mike frowned.

"I'll come," I added.

We started walking toward the house. Tara followed us without a word. There was yellow tape and a line of policemen. I figured we'd never get close, but we had to try.

"I'm sorry," the first police officer we met said. "But you can't come any closer."

"We understand," I said politely. "We were just wondering if you were done with Mrs. Williams?"

"Or at least Sarah?" Tara added.

"My mom wants Mrs. Williams to know they are both welcome over to our house," Mike said.

"Hold on," the policeman said. "I'll ask inside." He disappeared, but came back out reasonably quickly. A guy in a suit followed him.

"I wonder who he is?" Tara asked.

"Probably a detective," I answered. I moment later the police officer introduced the man as detective Gomez.

"You three went to school with Rodger?" he asked without preamble.

"Yes," I replied.

"I live next door too," Mike added.

"Do any of you know a Simmons? A John Simmons?" the detective asked. Mike and Tara both froze for a second and looked at me.

"I'm John Simmons," I said, swallowing once as I wondered, 'What's going on here?'

"Come this way please," the detective said, lifting the yellow tape. "We have something we want you to read. We also have some questions for you."

"Why?" Tara asked.

"Because your friend here is mentioned in Rodger's suicide note," the detective replied.

"Oh," Tara said quietly. We followed the man into the house.

"Which one of you is the neighbor?" another policeman asked as we entered.

"I am," Mike replied.

"Good," the cop said. "We checked with Mrs. Williams and she says it's alright for you to take Sarah to your house. We'll be done with Mrs. Williams in a little while. She can retrieve the girl then."




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 03



"Okay," Mike said as Sarah was led out to him. She'd obviously been crying. Tara stooped down and hugged the girl briefly before handing her off to Mike. He carried the Sarah out of the horror that was her home.

"In here please," the detective said, directing us to the kitchen. "John, have a seat."

I sat at the table while Tara was led into another room by someone else in a suit. The detective proceeded to ask me a barrage of questions. Things like, "When was the last time I saw Rodger?" "Did you know Rodger was having trouble at home?" Did he seem different recently?" And so on. The questions went on for a long time.

"Do you have any idea why Rodger would have mentioned you in his suicide note?" detective Gomez asked.

"Not really," I replied. "We were friends, but no closer than I guess most high school friends are." I was telling the truth as far as high school went, but I neglected to mention the time we worked together later in life where we actually grew pretty close despite being an employee and employer. After all, I didn't want him to think I was crazy. "What does the note say?"

"It's not all that coherent," the detective sighed, obviously done with the questions for the time being. "Do you mind taking a look at it?" 

Tara was led back in the room and sat next to me. It looked like she's gone through the same questions I had with her detective, only hers kept giving me odd looks. I wondered what she'd said.

"No," I replied. "I don't mind if you think it will help." Detective Gomez frowned.

"You're both eighteen, but do you want me to call your parents so that they can be here with you?" he asked. I noticed that he waited until after he was done with his questions to offer to get our parents.

"It's not necessary," I frowned. "Although I would like to call them and let them know I'm okay."

"Go ahead," the detective said, pointing toward the phone. He then turned to Tara and asked, "What about you?"

"I'm fine," she replied.

The conversation with my mother was short. She'd heard about Rodger already. We lived in a small town and news traveled fast. I told her that I'd be home late. She seemed unhappy, but not really worried. I explained to her that the police were questioning a bunch of Rodger's friends.

"Let's take a look at that note," I said as I hung up the phone. The detective handed over a plastic bag holding it. I smoothed out the plastic with Tara's help. The note read:

"I'm guilty of murder. Two actually. Wait, or it is just one? You can't be tried for killing the same man twice, but that doesn't mean I'm not guilty of it. This is so confusing."

"I guess I'm responsible for three deaths, not counting my own. I left Sarah to the monster when I went away to college, knowing how bad it could get. I was just so happy for my own escape."

"Poor little Sarah, dead by her own hand because of a monster and a fool who left her to him. Her death is on my head, but I wonder? Should I be counted as her murderer too since deep down I had to know what the monster would do to her eventually?"

"My vengeance was sweet, or so I told myself. I took months to plan it out. I was so smart! I killed the monster and no one was the wiser, except for me. Yet even after his death, the guilt over Sarah remained. I pushed it away and told myself it was gone, but it was there deep inside."

"And then a miracle happened! A chance to relive my mistake and stop it from happening. Yet, when I saw Sarah again my guilt flooded back and I realized the truth. Even if I saved my little sister this time, I'd still failed the first and nothing could erase that. A man is a product of his past, even if it no longer exists. I can't live with mine. Not with it staring me in the face with Sarah's pretty green eyes."

"I hope Simmons is enjoying his trip down memory lane better than I did. I guess his couldn't be worse. I expect John will be fine eventually. He always was a pragmatic bastard. Besides, I don't expect that his closet has nearly as many skeletons."

"Mom, take care of Sarah and no more falling in love with monsters. She deserves better. So do you."

I finished the note and shook my head. Rodger hadn't only confessed to murdering his father today, but in our world too. I had no idea how to handle what I'd just learned.

"Does it make any sense to you?" the detective asked.

"Other than that the monster is obviously his father and Rodger feels guilty, no not really," I lied. What else could I do?

"Do you know what he means by 'trip down memory lane'?" the detective asked me. "Or why he mentions you specifically?" I only had one choice here. More lies. The detective wasn't going to be happy with a no. I needed to keep it simple, but first I had to figure what 'it' was going to be.

"The last time I saw Rodger was the first day of school," I said. He nodded. We'd gone over that already. "We talked about it being senior year. We joked about some of the stuff that had happened over the last few years, but I don't see how this has anything to do with that."

"What kind of stuff?" the detective asked.

"Stuff like when Sammy Dresnik came to school with his shirt on backwards and no one told him until third period," I replied. "Or when the lacrosse team pants Tommy Bennet while he was talking to Christine Feinsten, one of the prettiest girls in school."

"You have to give Tommy credit," Tara put in. "He just picked up his shorts, gave Christine a look that basically said 'excuse my friends' and continued talking."

"Tommy is something else," I nodded in agreement. Tara and I smiled briefly at the shared memory.

"And nothing you two talked about could be related to Rodger's death?" Detective Gomez asked.

"I don't see how," I replied. "We really didn't talk about much more than I already told you."

"Kid, what are you hiding?" the detective that spoke with Tara asked.

"Pardon?" I asked in reply. Detective Gomez frowned, but let his partner take the lead.

"Something you two talked about must have bothered you," he said, watching me carefully. "Because not long afterward, you disappeared. You cut school."

'Is that all that's bothering him,' I thought in relief. I figured that would come up eventually. Time for more lies.

"That had nothing to do with Rodger," I said, trying to keep my tone level and unrushed, but not too controlled. "I cut school because of girl problems. I mean, I told him that my girlfriend Tiffany and I were probably going to break up, but I don't see how that could lead to this."

"And why did you and she break up?" the detective asked. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like this cop very much at all. I guess it was his turn to play bad cop.

"I don't see how that's relevant," I said.

"Humor me," the detective insisted.

"Fine," I sighed. "Tiffany was falling in love with someone else. I could see it even if they both refused to admit it."

"Brad?" Tara asked. I nodded. "I heard you and Tiffany broke up, but I didn't realize it was because of Brad."

"We were growing apart anyway," I sighed.

The questions continued for quite a while, but I stuck to my story and eventually they let us both go, but not without taking down our contact information.

"Well, that was fun," I said as we walked back to Mike's house.

"It's all just so sad," Tara put in.

'You have no idea,' I thought. This was Rodger's wish, to be young again and relive high school. Yet, a week after it happens he murders his father and kills himself. My guess is that the first was deserved, but the second? Why hadn't he called me and tried to talk it out? Why hadn't I tried harder to talk to him? 

We touched base with Mike and found out that Sarah was sleeping. Her mother had been released by the police as well and was lying down with the little girl. I felt for them. I knew that in his tormented mind, Rodger had done what he thought was best for them, but it was all just so sad.

Tara and I stayed for a little while, but the place was getting crowded with people stopping by as they heard the news. I wouldn't have let them all in, but it wasn't my place to stop them. We helped Mike and his mom keep them away from Mrs. Williams and Sarah. It was amazing how callous some people could be when they tried to comfort someone.

Mike's father eventually got home and it was time to go. He saw the number of people in his house and politely asked everyone to leave. I'd always liked him. The house emptied slowly. Tara and I were two of the last to go.

"Are you going to be okay?" Tara asked me as we drove off.

"I knew something was wrong with Rodger," I said. "I should have made more of an effort to contact him."

"Whatever Rodger was going through," she said. "I doubt a few kind words would have made a difference."

"I'm not so sure," I sighed.

"This is not your fault," Tara insisted.

A part of me almost believed. Hell, I wanted to believe her, but the problem was that I was the one person who might have been able to head what happened off. If I'd only known! I thought Rodger was off having a great time. What a fool I was!

"Do you want me to take you home?" Tara asked when I didn't say anything for a while.

"Not yet," I said. "I'm not ready to face my parents."

"Okay, we can go to my house for a little while," she said. I frowned and shook my head.

"No," I said.

"Why not?" Tara asked in surprise. I wondered at the answer to her question myself. It wasn't hard to figure out.

"Because your father likes me right now," I explained. "And I don't want a nosy neighbor telling him you had me over while he was out of town."

"What difference does it make?" she asked. I looked at her. Tara was watching the road, but she glanced my way every once in a while as she waited for my answer.

I'd always thought Tara was beautiful, but right at this moment it was more than that. A part of me thought it had been ever since I returned to high school. The connection I was supposed to have with Tiffany as the love of my life was gone, if it ever existed in the first place. Instead, I was inexplicable drawn to Tara and had been since the moment I first saw her again. I shook my head. Now was not the time for this.

"Tara, ask me that again in a couple of weeks," I said. I couldn't do it to her, not now, probably not ever. I couldn't get involved with her. I was screwed up. Okay, maybe not as bad as Rodger, but not good either.

I was more alone at the moment then I'd ever been in my entire life. I wanted desperately to hold onto Tara and not let go, but it wouldn't have been fair to her. She was an eighteen-year-old girl with her whole life ahead of her.

"Where to?" Tara asked.

"Just drop me off in town," I replied. "I think I need to get good and drunk."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Especially considering that your parents are already mad at you?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," I replied.

I was tired of walking on eggshells around my parents. I was tired of playing high school student. I guess the short of it was that I was just plain tired.

We drove into town in silence. I guess Tara read my mood easily enough. She was always a perceptive girl. I tried hard not to stare at her as we went. I tried hard not to let her see my need for her. Tara pulled into a parking spot in front of a bar I knew.

"You want company?" Tara asked.

"No," I said a little to abruptly.

"Oh okay," she said, sounding hurt. I opened the door, but couldn't leave it like that. I couldn't leave her like that. I shut the door and looked at her. She looked back at me. I wasn't sure what I could say to her to make her understand.

"I'm sorry for being short. There are things going on that I need to work through," I finally got out. "Crazy things."

"Related to Rodger?" she asked.

"Yes and no," I sighed.

"You understood more about his suicide note than you told the police, didn't you?" Tara asked slowly.

"Yes," I answered honestly. "But they wouldn't have believed me if I told them the truth. Neither would you."

"Try me?" she offered.

"Maybe one day," I sighed. "Don't worry. I may not have told the cops everything, but the note only verifies that Rodger killed his father and himself. My explanation wouldn't change anything."

"I believe you," Tara said.

"Good," I smiled sadly and then started to get out of the car.

"Johnny?" Tara called, putting her hand on my arm and stopping me.

"Yes?" I asked, turning back to her. Tara leaned forward and kissed me. I couldn't stop myself from responding. It lasted for a long time.

"What you know might not change anything," she said afterward. "But it's obviously bothering you and you need to share it with someone. I'm here when you're ready to talk."

"Thanks," I said, but I doubted I'd ever tell Tara. I couldn't tell anyone. They'd think I was crazy, and truthfully, I'm still not sure that they would be wrong.

I slipped out of the car and walked into the bar. I heard her drive off. I didn't have a lot of money on me, but I drank until it ran out. I was just about to get up and leave when one of the games on television caught my eye. The pitcher was the team's star closer and as I watched the batter rip a line drive that hit him hard. The pitcher went down.

"Oh yeah!" one of the guys at the bar cried. "We got this game now."

"Damn," another guy said, obviously routing for the visiting team.

I frowned as I watched. It came to me slowly. I remembered this game! I'd watched it with my father the first time. Okay, I didn't remember it all, but I remember the pitcher getting hit and I remember my father saying the guy was done. I also remembered what happened next.

'I wonder if pop is at home watching it now?' I thought.

"They'll have to bring Finnegan in," the visiting fan said. "Any bets on what will happen then?" I smiled. I was thirsty and a little drunk.

"Finnegan isn't coming in," I said. "Brillian is going to get up and finish pitching the game. He's a tough son of a bitch." Which was exactly what my father called Brillian when he did get up all those years ago and whip our boys. It was why I remembered. Pop didn't curse very often, especially not back then.

"No way!" the first guy cried, but a few minutes later Brillian stood and threw a few pitches to make sure he was okay.

"Alright!" the visiting fan cried. "We got this now."

"I'm not so sure," the first guy said. "Brillian has to be hurting."

"I bet twenty bucks that he not only finishes the game, but strikes the last two batters out?" I offered.

"You're on," the visiting fan grinned. "It's a no lose situation for me. Worse case, my teams loses and I win twenty bucks." 

"Or my team loses and I win twenty bucks," I grinned. Ten minutes later I was twenty bucks richer. The guy was so happy that his team won that he even bought me a drink.

I was pretty drunk when I saw my father making his way over from the front door. He frowned when he saw me and I fully expected to him to start lecturing.

"I'm sorry to hear about Rodger," pop said as he collected me, and that was it. He led me to the car and put me in it.

"How did you know where to find me?" I asked, slurring slightly.

"A girl named Tara called and told me," he answered. "She said you'd be needing a ride home."

"I love Tara," I grinned stupidly.

"What happened to Tiffany?" my father asked.

"She's a cheating slut!" I snapped, but then frowned and remembered that this Tiffany never did cheat on me here. "Besides, Brad loves her."

"Teenagers," my father sighed loudly. I couldn't agree with him more. "Lets get you home and in bed."

**********

	It was a beautiful day as Rodger's casket was placed in the ground. There were record numbers of people who attended his wake and funeral. Our football team forfeited the game. That was probably a good thing, because coach Riley had been fired anyway.

	'More changes,' I sighed.

Every day, slowly but surely, things I remembered changed. They were all small, though not unimportant. Rodger's death, coach Riley's departure and even the budding relationship between Brad and Tiffany. These things wouldn't cause the fall of communism in Russia not to happen, but I was starting to understand the ripple affect of time travel on a personal level. Rodger was gone. His mother and sister were going to move across country to live with her brother.

"A bunch of us are going to Mike's house," Tara said as we walked toward the cars. "You want to come?"

"No thanks," I said, drifting away. I'd been avoiding Tara. Hell, I'd been avoiding everyone since Rodger's death.

Pop drove home slowly. We were all quiet for the trip. I got home and changed into sweats and a tee-shirt. Pop saw and frowned.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Don't worry," I smiled sadly. "I'm not planning on getting drunk again for a while."

"I can understand that," he replied, trying to make it sound light. "You did such a good job the last time."

 "I'm going for a jog," I said. "I need to think."

"Don't you think you've done enough of that already?" mom asked in concern. "You haven't said more than two words for days now." I didn't have an answer for her.

"Can I come John?" Cindy asked.

"Not this time," I smiled at her, rubbing her head playfully. What I wouldn't do for the older version of her to be here right now.

"You want to take the car?" pop asked.

"I think that sort of defeats the whole jogging motif," I smiled. "I may go over a friends afterward, but I'll be home for dinner."

"Okay," pop said. Mom smiled nervously. I didn't have any plans to visit anyone, but it would let them worry less if I was out a while. Besides, mom liked the idea of me being with friends. It wasn't something I did very much these days.

It really was a beautiful day. My school wasn't close, but I took my time and jogged there. I walked the track for a while to catch my breath. I didn't notice Ms. Valente until she moved next to me.

"For a guy who hates jogging, you're here an awful lot," she smiled.

"It helps me think," I said.

"Me too," she put in, losing her smile. "It really was a shame what happened to Rodger."

"Yes it was," I said a little curtly, not wanting to talk about it. She nodded in understanding.

Ms. Valente had been at the funeral. Most of the teachers had come. If not for Rodger, then for those of us left behind.

"So, I hear you quit football," she said, changing the subject. "Thinking about joining track?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "You might as well give up. I'm never going to join track."

"Then are you going to rejoin the team now that coach Riley is gone?" she guessed.

"No," I replied. I was done with football.

"You know, you've been pretty quiet in school these last few days," Ms. Valente said, her tone obviously concerned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm fine," I said. I liked Ms. Valente. She was kind and frankly, nice to look at, but I had no desire to talk to her.

"Okay," she frowned, but then shrugged and obviously decided to let it go. "I'm going to my office to pick up some papers. After that I'm going home. I can give you a ride if you want."

"My legs are tired," I sighed, suddenly not wanting to deal with the long jog home. "A ride sounds nice."

"Meet me at my car," she smiled.

We were on the road in a few minutes. I was daydreaming as we went. Ms. Valente tried to start a conversion once or twice, but I wasn't in the mood. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back to rest. She took the hint and remained quite. The only problem was that because my eyes were closed I didn't see the other car coming until the accident was over.

"On come on!" I cried, staring up into the sky.

"John, are you okay?" Ms. Valente cried. She was clearly shaken.

"I'm fine," I said, getting out of the car. The guy in the other car was yelling and cursing almost nonstop as he made his way over. Poor Ms. Valente got out of the car and tried to reason with him, but he wasn't in the mood.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 03



I didn't know whose fault the accident, but I'd been in enough of them to know that his yelling wasn't going to help.

"Back off!" I snapped at him. "The police will be here shortly and you can tell it to them." 

I thought he was going to continue, but he looked into my eyes and stepped back. It was a good thing too because I think I might have hit him if he didn't.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' I thought. 'I don't get in fights.'

The cops showed not long afterward and started taking down what happened. According to Ms. Valente's story, the guy barreled through a red light and slammed into her side of the car. I'm sure his story was different. I didn't have much to add because my eyes were closed at the time of the accident.

Ms. Valente was obviously upset. The guy's car had hit behind her door. Thankfully she wasn't hurt, but she was clearly shaken. 

"Let's get you home," I said once her car was towed. We took a cab that Ms. Valente paid for. I felt weird letting her, but it's not like I had a choice. I didn't have any money on me.

'I really have to deal with that soon,' I sighed to myself as I used Ms. Valente's keys to let her into her apartment. I led her in and asked her what she wanted to drink. She pointed to a cabinet. I wasn't surprised to find alcohol in it.

"Do you want me to call someone?" I asked as she drank half of the stiff drink I poured for her in one swallow.

"No," she sighed. "The only relative that lives close is my sister and she's at her niece's party today."

"May I use your bathroom?" I asked. "I need to wash up."

"Sure," she said, pointing it out to me.

I had to use the bathroom and when I was done I took my time washing my face. I think I might even have stared into the mirror for a while. My whole life this was the face I imagined when I thought about myself. Yet, as the years went by it changed until it was almost a stranger's face. Oddly, now that I was young again, it was like I could see a shadow of what once one. My eyes gave me a glimpse at the old me. They were the one place I could still see who my mind said I was.

"Sorry I took so long," I said as I left the bathroom.

"No problem," she replied. There was something in her tone that made me look for the bottle I used to fill her glass the first time. It was emptier than I remembered.

"Ms. Valente, I think you've had enough to drink," I said, shaking her head.

"We're not in school right now," she smiled, standing and going to her CD player. She put on some music. "Call me Rosa."

"Okay," I smiled and shook my head. "Rosa, I think you've had enough to drink."

"You're right!" she laughed. "But that accident scared me. It's the first one I've ever had."

"You've never been in an accident before?" I asked, taking her drink from her hand.

"Well," she said. "I was in an accident as a little girl. I had to stay in the hospital for three days the last time. I hate hospitals!"

"Why don't we get you to bed?" I sighed, watching her move to the music. Ms. Valente was a good dancer.

"John," she grinned. "Are you being fresh with me again?" 

Okay, here is something I may have mentioned before. I loved Ms. Valente's accent. For some reason, it turned me on. Typically it was barely noticeable, but the drunker she got, the more pronounced it became.

"Rosa, would you like me to?" I asked in reply, wondering what answer I wanted to hear. Maybe some time with a woman was what I needed. Maybe not, but Ms. Valente was very hot and I was in no shape to deny her.

"No!" she cried. "You are my student. It would be wrong!"

"Then I guess I'm not," I smiled and moved to turn off the CD player. She let me. She was too busy taking her drink from where I put it down to care. I shook my head as I watched her finish it.

I took Ms. Valente's hand and led her to what I assumed was her bedroom. I pulled the sheets down and pushed her gently into her bed.

"I knew you were being fresh!" she grinned.

"Ms. Valente," I sighed. "You have no idea just how fresh I'd like to be right now. But you're drunk and I'm your student. You'd regret it in the morning."

"You're right," she nodded in agreement, but then smiled sexily at me.

'Damn!' I thought, and pulled the covers over her. 'She's not making this easy.'

"John," she said as I moved toward the door. "Would you stay with me until I fall asleep? I don't want to be alone right now."

"Sure," I said and moved back to her.

"You lay on top of the covers," she smiled. "This way nothing happens."

"Rosa, you're killing me," I sighed loudly, causing her to laugh.

"It's nice to know I can still get to an eighteen year old," she said.

"Please!" I snorted. "If you want I can tell you just what all your eighteen year old students say about you?"

"I don't think so," she grinned, blushing slightly.

I don't know how it happened, but I fell asleep. Ms. Valente's bedroom was very comfortable and she smelled nice. I drifted off probably around the same time as she did.

I had no idea how long I slept, but I woke up when I felt her hand on my cock. Ms. Valente was stroking me slowly.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But I woke up and saw it. It's so big! I couldn't resist."

Okay, she was clearly still drunk. On the other hand I was an eighteen-year-old man in his teacher's bed. I don't care how old my mind kept telling me I was. My hormones took over.

'Yeah hormones!' I thought and then pulled Ms. Valente into a kiss. For some reason she seemed surprised. I guess in her drunken state she thought that playing with my cock was no big deal, but a kiss was. Weird shit!

"John, stop!" she cried. "We can't. You're my student!"

"That went out the window Rosa, the moment you touched my cock," I said, rolling on top of her. "I'll be your student again tomorrow. Right now, I'm a man and you're a woman, and frankly, I think we both can use this." I kissed her again. She moaned into my mouth before pulling back.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone, ever?" she asked suddenly. I looked down at her and shook my head.

"Rosa, you have to be the hottest gym teacher of all time," I said.

"You think?" she grinned and relaxed. I pulled off her top. Ms. Valente's breasts were very nice. They were larger than Tiffany's, though not as big as Mrs. C's.

'That's one thing that's gotten better since coming back,' I thought with a grin. 'My sex life!'

I kissed my way from Rosa's lips to her breasts. Her nipples were thick and soft. I licked and sucked until she started moaning almost non-stop. After that I worked my lips lower, pushing her sweatpants out of the way.

"Yes!" she cried when I burrowed between her thighs. It didn't take her lnog to add, "I want your young, hard cock inside of me! Please!"

I stood briefly and pulled off my clothes. Ms. Valente rolled on her side watched me hungrily. I noticed that her tan lines were sharp and distinct. I looked at her round ass and smiled.

"You like my culo, don't you?" she grinned.

It took me a second to realize she was talking about her ass. She smiled and rubbed her ass enticingly. I growled and rolled her onto her stomach as I climbed back into her bed. I thrust my cock deep into her pussy from behind with one thrust. I was in no mood for foreplay and thankfully she was ready for far more.

"Ay! Si!" she cried, reaching out and placing her hands on her headboard.

I pulled out and slammed deep again as hard as I could. Her hands were the only things that stopped me from pushing her up the bed and into the wall with every thrust. I held her hips tightly as I pulled out and pounded into her again, and again.

I suddenly realized that I was angry, enraged even. I could feel it boiling up inside of me. Rodger was gone and I was alone stuck in his dream, not mine! It wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair!

Thank God Ms. Valente seemed to enjoy rough sex because I'm not sure I could have stopped myself if I wanted to. I rode her hard and her cries, half in English and half in Spanish, echoed throughout her apartment.

"Ay Juan!" Ms. Valente cried, followed by some other words in Spanish.

I'm not sure what she said, but I could guess. Her body locked and a flood of fluid suddenly coated my cock. I refused to slow down and she rolled into another orgasm, and a third one after that! 

"Wow!" I groaned, as I grew close to my own release. "Ms. Valente you're a machine!"

"Me?" she moaned in disbelief. "It's you! No man has ever made me cum this many times!"

"I hope you're ready for one more!" I growled, continuing to slam into her. "Because I'm close!"

"Si!" she cried. "Juan, take me! Fill me! Por favor!"

Ms. Valente's arms gave out on my last thrust. Either that, or it was just too strong for her to stop. Her head actually hit into the headboard as my cock erupted in her and filled her pussy with my cum. She cried out and came again. Her pussy milked my cock of all the cum I could give her.

"Are you okay?" I gasped out as Isoon as I could speak again.

"I'm going to have a bump," she laughed, rubbing her head. "But it was worth it!"

"I'm glad you think so," I laughed along as I moved off of her. We lay there catching our breaths for some time.

"Juan, hold me please?" Rosa asked.

I smiled, kissed her once and then spooned with Ms. Valente. She sighed contently and snuggled back into me. Her breathing grew slower as I played with her hair. My own release felt so good that I actually nodded off for a bit myself. I woke up when Ms. Valente tried to slip out of the bed. I pulled her back.

"Rosa, where do you think you're going?" I laughed, but I stopped when I felt her grow tense.

"What have I done?" she asked, sounding sober. "I can't believe that really happened." She looked worried. I guess I could understand why.

"It didn't," I replied. "I dropped you off at your place after the accident and that's the last we saw of each other."

"I only wish it were true," she said sadly. "But what I did was wrong. I seduced one of my students."

"Hmm," I couldn't help smiling. "I'm not sure who seduced who, but let's just say I'm not a typical teenager."

"Now that is true," she smiled, but it quickly disappeared. "What am I going to do?"

"You're going to forget this ever happened," I insisted. "Or maybe think of it as a fantasy that you had once. You are not going to do anything drastic or stupid. You're a good teacher."

"But what I did was wrong," she said.

"Sure," I agreed, surprising her. "But the real question is why did you do it?"

"I don't know!" she cried.

"You do," I disagreed. I decided to try and lighten the mood somewhat. "There had to be a reason other than my rugged good looks." She looked at me and shook her head, but her eyes were smiling if nothing else.

"The accident shook me," she replied. "And I was drunk."

"Not to mention the emotions running wild at school," I put in. "What happened with Rodger is affecting everyone."

"True," she agreed.

"What else?" I asked, looking at her expression. "There's more to it than that."

"Are you sure you're only eighteen?" she asked, looking at me funnily.

"Not really, no," I laughed. "In fact, sometimes I think I'm older, a lot older. Now stop stalling and tell me."

"It's simple really," she sighed. "I'm lonely. I know it sounds silly, but there it is."

"That's not silly," I disagreed. "A lot of people have that problem." I was thinking not only about myself, but Mrs. C too. I still needed to find her someone to make her happy, or at least stop by for a visit.

"I'm the only sibling in my family that's still not married," Ms. Valente went on. "And my parents have no problem letting me know that it's well past time I settled down. I agree with them, but there's only one problem. I can't find the right man."

I lay there listening, letting her share her pain. She clearly needed to. I remembered feeling the same way when I was around her age. Luckily, my sister was there for me. It looked like Rosa needed a friend more than anything else.

 "I broke up with my last boyfriend six months ago and convinced myself that I was done with relationships, but lately the loneliness has become worse. I think it's because my birthday is coming soon."

"Birthdays are just another day," I put in.

"Not this one," she disagreed. "I'm turning thirty!"

I couldn't help it. I laughed. I could remember a time in my life when I would have killed to be thirty again.

'I guess I'll get my chance in twelve years,' I thought, but a part of me didn't accept it. I was sure all this would be over before then. I'd either wake from this weird nightmare or Tyche would come back and let me go home.

"What's so funny?" Rosa frowned.

"Sorry," I replied. "It's just that you make thirty sound so ancient."

"It is!" she cried. I took her chin in my hand and made her look directly into my eyes.

"Rosa, you are not old," I said confidently. "You're far from middle aged and even that's not old. Stop worrying about time and focus on living." 

"You mean like I'm doing now?" she asked. "Seducing a student? Is that what you consider living?"

"This is a mistake and we both know it," I answered. "An enjoyable one, but not one you should repeat."

"I know that," she sighed sadly. I thought it was time to try and make her laugh again, or at least smile.

"And by a mistake I mean your mistake," I grinned slowly. "Because this is one hell of a conquest for me! I'm the guy who got to sleep with the hot gym teacher!"

"Juan, if you ever tell anyone, I promise I'll..." she began.

"I know a way you can buy my silence," I interjected. Rosa looked at me and shook her head.

"I thought you said what we did was a mistake?" she asked.

"What's we're doing," I corrected. "We're not done yet."

"You can't be serious," Ms. Valente said. "I already feel guilty."

"So?" I shrugged. "You're going to feel guilty whether I leave now or stay. Why not enjoy yourself fully before I go?"

"I can't!" she cried.

"Sure you can," I argued, rolling on top of Ms. Valente and kissing her.

"Juan! This is wrong!" she cried once I stopped kissing long enough for her to breath, but she wasn't trying to get me off of her.

"Rosa, I'm not going to argue with you anymore," I smiled. "And I'm not going anywhere yet. So you might as well relax and enjoy what's coming next." She looked at me in silence for a while. I met her eyes and waited. Ms. Valente eventually smiled slowly.

"I guess you're right," she said. "We've already slept together. Continuing now can't really make it worse."

"Oh, I'm hoping to make it better. A lot better," I grinned.

"I'm not sure that's possible," Ms. Valente laughed. There was something sexual about it that got to me. "But what do you have in mind?" 

I decided to show her instead of explaining. Rosa not only appreciated what I showed her, but showed me some stuff as well. Frankly, Ms. Valente was far wilder in bed than any of my friends in high school imagined. We did things that even the old me had never done before.

"Juan, it's getting late and you need to go home soon. Is there anything you want before we're done?" she asked. I looked at her and grinned. She smiled and shook her head, adding, "Just remember, you've already giving me quite a workout. I can't take much more."

"Rosa, you're ass is damn near perfect," I said, looking at it hungrily. I only met one girl in my past that liked guys to pay attention to her ass, but I was willing to bet quite a bit that Ms. Valente did also. I didn't have a lot of experience in this area.  On the other hand, the little I had I enjoyed.

"I knew you liked my culo!" she laughed, rolling onto her stomach once more and lifting her ass into the air. It was very enticing. "I'll give it to you as long as you promise one thing."

"What?" I asked. She looked over her shoulder and into my eyes. Hers were alive with desire, belying her comment about being exhausted.

"I want you to take it as hard as you took me the first time," she said. "Promise me you will?"

"Okay," I said moving behind her. I pushed inside Ms. Valente's pussy slowly. She gasped in pleasure, but seemed confused.

"I thought you wanted my culo?" she asked.

"Oh, I do," I groaned, feeling her pussy squeeze my cock. "But I thought you might appreciate a little warm up first."

"It does feel nice," she moaned. I picked up the pace and Ms. Valente once again lifted her hands to the headboard.

I rested one hand on her ass and slowly worked my thumb between her ass cheeks. I circled around the opening for a while before pushing inside.  Rosa cried out and it felt like her ass was actually trying to pull my thumb deeper. I pushed it as far in as it would go and worked it around for a few minutes.

"Si Juan!" Ms. Valente cried under me. "I'm close!" 

I pulled out of her pussy and lined my cock up with her ass. It was round and had sharp tan lines. The combination of both was very enticing. I pushed in slowly because her butt was very tight.

"Harder!" she gasped. "You promised!"

Who was I to argue? I thrust into her culo with more force. Ms. Valente cried out, but obviously loved what was happening.

"Mas!" she cried, pushing back and trying to take more of my cock inside.

I grabbed hold of her hips and slammed my cock in deeply. There were already bruises on her hips from my fingers, but that didn't seem to matter to Ms. Valente.

"Rosa, you are so hot!" I growled, picking up the pace.

"Si!" she cried. "It feels so good! Mas! Harder!"

I fucked her ass so hard that my balls slapped against her pussy over and over again. It actually stung, but both of us obviously enjoyed it.

"Ay!" she cried suddenly. "It's getting bigger. I can feel it! You're going to cum in my culo!"

"Soon!" I grunted in agreement.

Ms. Valente moved one hand from the headrest and slipped it under herself. She was obviously playing with her pussy and trying to rush her orgasm to coincide with mine. I worked hard at waiting for her. It wasn't easy.

I held Rosa's hips even tighter now and pulled back with every thrust. If I didn't I would have certainty slammed her head into the wall again. Her one hand wasn't going to stop that.

"I can't hold off much longer!" I groaned.

"Ahorra!" she gasped. "Fill me! Fill me now! Ahorra!"

I slammed into my gym's teacher's perfect Spanish ass once more and started filling it with my cum. Rosa's own orgasm exploded and she thrashed under me.

"You have to come visit me after you graduate," she said afterward. I laughed along with her.

"Ms. Valente, I think you'll be busy with someone else by then," I smiled. "But if not, count on it."

"From your lips to God's ear," she sighed. A thought suddenly struck me.

"Do you know coach Bo on the football team?" I asked.

"I've seen him," she said, but then realized where I was going and added, "He's cute, but not my type. I never really understood your American football."

"Maybe he can teach you," I grinned.

"Juan, you are a very strange boy," she said, frowning slightly.

"So true," I laughed. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't give coach Bo a chance. He's a good guy and you'll make the right man very happy."

"Alright," she sighed. "Maybe it's time for me to start dating again. At least it should keep me out of bed with my students."

"Ms. Valente, relax about that," I said. "It's not like you're a sexual predator or something. It took a lot of things to come together for this to occur. It won't happen again. You're not the type."

"Thanks," she smiled. "I hope you're right."

"I am," I said confidently. "By the way, do you want my help with coach Bo?"

"Please!" she laughed. "Do you really think I need help getting a man's attention?"

"Not if he's straight," I laughed. "Or even gay and questioning."

"Juan, you are so bad!" she laughed. "Now don't you think it's time you left?"




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 03



"Past," I sighed, getting out of bed and stretching.

"Go take a shower," Ms. Valente said. "I'll call you a cab."

"Thanks," I smiled and gave her a brief kiss.

I took a quick shower because there was no point to it other than to wash the stink of sex from me. My clothes were still ripe from jogging. It was no picnic putting them back on.

"The cab should be here soon," she said, holding out some folded money when I emerged from the bathroom. I looked at her and hesitated, but it's not like I had a lot of choices.

"I'll pay you back on Monday," I promised.

"You don't have to," Ms. Valente said. She was wearing only a robe now. It was the type that did more to catch a man's interested then keep a woman covered.

"Sure I do," I grinned. "The thought of being paid for what just happened just doesn't feel right."

"Please!" she laughed, blushing slightly. "I would have to pay you a lot more than that!"

'Well, I guess that's one way of making some money,' I thought as I laughed. 'It might be fun. AIDS is still a ways away. On the other hand, herpes and other fun STDs are here and have been forever.'

"Juan," Ms. Valente said. "Do you promise never tell anyone about this?"

"I won't," I answered, but then smiled and added, "You've more than bought my silence. Besides, I don't want you to lose your job over one mistake."

"That would be the least of my worries," she sighed.

"Hey, it's not like I'm underage," I offered.

"You're only eighteen," she said, shaking her head.

"True," I smiled. "But I'll tell you something I'm sure you've heard before, only I'm starting to believe it myself now. Age is all in your head. Do I act like an eighteen year old?"

"No," she said. "But..."

I cut her off by kissing her. Ms. Valente fell into my arms easily enough.

"Do I kiss like an eighteen year old?" I asked.

"Definitely not," she said, but then grinned and added, "Not that I've kissed a lot of eighteen year olds." 

I opened my mouth to reply, but a horn sounded.

"That's your cab," my teacher said.

"Thanks," I said, meaning it. "I needed this to get past what happened with Rodger."

"I needed it too," she smiled. I couldn't help myself. I kissed her again. I'm pretty sure more would have happened if the cabby hadn't beeped his horn again.

"Rosa, I'll see you at school on Monday," I said as we pulled apart.

"Ms. Valente," she corrected.

"I'll see you both there," I laughed. She smiled, but looked nervous. "Ms. Valente, don't worry so much. No one will ever know."

I looked at my watch as I left her apartment and noticed that I had just enough time to get home for dinner. For once, I wouldn't be late.

"Address?" the cabby asked. I started to answer, but hesitated.

What happened with Rodger and Ms. Valente to a lesser extent helped me realize something important. I needed to talk to someone or the things building up in me would burst free at the worst moment. The only problem was figuring out who could I trust. If this were twenty years in the future or even ten, the choice would be easy, but Cindy was only thirteen now.

My parents were the obvious choice and I did trust them, but I also knew them well enough to know that they wouldn't handle what I wanted to say well at all. Other names passed through my mind including Mrs. C, Ms. Valente and even the soccer player Jake, but in the end the only real choice I had left was Tara. The problem was that I didn't want to pull her into my craziness.

"Address?" the cabby repeated. She was an older woman and not partially pleasant or happy. I sighed and gave my home address. I needed to think about this over night. One more day wouldn't be the end of the world. The rough sex with Ms. Valente had helped.

'Weird shit,' I thought, shaking my head. I'd never done anything like that before. Hell, I would never have guessed that passion and anger could go together so well, at least not for me. I'd probably feel bad about it right now if Ms. Valente hadn't obviously enjoyed it so much.

My reaction with her surprised me. It seemed that one moment I was sad and depressed after attending Rodger's funeral and the next I was angry at the world, at everything and nothing. It was a slow, deep rage that had obviously been building since Rodger's wish became a reality and on some level it scared me.

I remember being mad at everyone, especially the people who didn't deserve it. I was angry with my parents. They were the reason why I was stuck making believe I was eighteen again. If not for them I'd be free to do whatever I wanted. Of course, the truth was far more complex. I was even angry with my little sister Cindy for no reason other than she wasn't the Cindy I remembered and needed.

I was calmer now, but I knew that deep down I was still furious with Rodger for making the stupid wish that sent us back to high school and then leaving me here alone. I felt guilty about that anger because I knew poor Rodger must have been in excruciating pain for him to do what he did, but that didn't make my anger any less real.

I also blamed Tyche for granting his wish, but that anger seemed pointless. I knew enough about the Greek gods to know that humans who became involved with them typically got hurt in the end.

'Although it's not like I knew who she was at the time,' I sighed. On the other hand, she had told me. I just hadn't believed.

My mind started wandering over what had happened since I irritated the goddess of fortune. Other than having to cope with being thrust back here when I didn't want to be, most of my luck hadn't been good or bad really. My problems had little to do with luck at all. They were about having to face things that were in my past that I'd rather not have to think about.

'On the other hand, some things that happened were definitely lucky,' I admitted to myself, thinking back to Ms. Valente. 'I mean, I end up with the hottest gym teacher ever at a time in my life when I'm pissed at the world and she just happens to like rough sex? That has to be luck! And what about the others?' 

The first day had been tough, but somehow Mrs. C had been there to help me get past the shock of it all. Even Tiffany had helped in her way. The night I spent with her and the football game were exactly what I wanted them to be. They were my way of trying to hold on to the reality I grew up with, right or wrong. It hadn't worked, but it was what I needed to realize that although I might be living my life over again, it couldn't be the same. I wasn't the same.

I'd slept with three women since Rodger's wish, and each was for a different reason. Mrs. C was to get over the shock, Tiffany was my attempt at denying the truths around me and Ms. Valente was all about my anger.

'Wait,' I frowned to myself. 'Shock, denial and anger. Why do they sound familiar?'

My mind raced. Where had I heard about them together before? 

'Holy shit!' I thought as the truth hit me. It was when my father died. Someone, I can't even remember who, had warned that when you mourned you went through stages. I frowned and asked myself, 'But who the hell am I mourning?'

The obvious choice was Rodger, but all this started before he died. It started when his wish thrust me into my own past. It obviously wasn't for my parents because in this reality they were alive and well.

'Maybe Cindy?' I asked myself. 'Not the thirteen year old Cindy, but the one I used to know?'

I knew that was part of the answer, but there was still more to it. I missed a lot of people from my old life, but they weren't dead. Oh, my being here might change things for them, but that wasn't why I was feeling the way I did.

'Who or what am I mourning?' I asked myself in frustration. The truth dawned on me slowly. 'Me, I mourning for me.'

I obviously wasn't dead, but the life I led that made me who I am was being changed. In a way it was dying. I still felt like me, but was I? This was definitely one of the paradoxes of time travel, but there was no point in dwelling on it. I wouldn't know if I was changing anyway.

'This has to end,' I thought, shaking my head. I needed to get back to the life I remember. There had to be a way.

The first thing I needed to do was figure out a way to contact Tyche. She was the one who put me here, so therefore she was the one who could put me back. The second thing I needed to do was figure out what kind of a deal I could make with her to send me back.

"Bargaining," the cabby said suddenly. I frowned and looked at her through the rearview mirror.

"Pardon?" I asked.

"That's the next stage in mourning," she grinned, watching me through the rearview mirror. Her eyes were blue and cold. "Although I wouldn't waste my time dwelling on it. You have nothing the gods want."

"Tyche?" I asked, almost numbly.

"Please!" the woman snorted. "She is so much trouble right now that I doubt she'll be allowed back on Earth before your grandchildren are dust."

"Then who are you?" I asked.

"Nemesis," she replied.

"Who?" I asked in confusion.

"No respect," she sighed. "I'm Nemesis, goddess of retribution. I punish those who are granted undeserved happiness or good fortune. For instance, say a drunken goddess grants a man a wish to return to high school when he's so obviously undeserving. It's my job to punish him and balanced the scales."

"That's not fair!" I cried nervously. "I didn't even want to come back here!"

"Humans," she sighed loudly. "You think everything is about you."

"You're not here to punish me?" I asked, confused once again.

"It looks to me that you're doing that well enough on your own," she replied. "I was sent for your friend."

"Rodger?" I frowned. "Why?"

"You did read his suicide note, didn't you?" she asked. "He went to college and left his little sister with a man he knew was a monster. She kills herself a few years later. Your friend blocks out his guilt and decides to plan and execute the cold blooded murder of his own father, as if that could make it all alright when it fact it only made things worse."

"I'm not sure that's fair..." I began, but she cut me off.

"And I care about your opinion why?" she interjected, her sarcasm obvious. "You know, I'm looking forward to when I'm done here. I'll probably be able to take a vacation with Tyche gone for a bit. I spend half my time cleaning up after her and I can only take so much time dealing with you humans."

"If you're not here to punish me," I said, changing the subject. "Then why are you here?"

"Good question," she sighed. "I'm not really sure of the answer myself other than to say that the Moirai told me to come."

"Moirai?" I asked. I sighed to myself and thought, 'I'd better start studying Greek mythology more if goddesses were going to continue popping in and out of my life.'

"The Norn," she said, not clarifying at all. She saw my expression and added in an irritated tone, "The Fates! You know, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos?"

"The sisters who decide a man's fate?" I asked, remembering something I read once.

"Yes," Nemesis said, clearly impatient to get whatever this was over with. "Clotho spins a human's life thread out, Lachesis determines the length and Atropos cut it when his life ends."

"You can't be serious?" I asked.

"Hey, don't look at me," the old woman shrugged. "It was your ancestors who came up with the silly myth on what the Moirai did."

"So that's not what they do?" I asked.

"I didn't say that. I expect that they do that and then some," Nemeis replied. "They're the Fates. They're outside of the normal hierarchy. Even Zeus has to listen to them. They control reality and see all of our destinies in a blink of an eye. Tyche made them pretty angry when she threw you and your friend back in time. It screws with their plan."

"What do they want with me?" I asked.

"Who knows?" she answered. "This isn't the first time Tyche has tried something like this and usually it all works itself out quickly enough or I get sent out to clean up afterward. For some reason, this time the Moirai told me to leave you alone. I am to deliver their warning and go."

"What warning?" I asked, swallowing hard. I'm not sure if it was because I was afraid or just plain stunned. Why the hell would three women who scare even the gods want to send me a warning?

"Be careful what you change," Nemesis replied.

"And?" I asked.

"That's it," she shrugged. 

"Be careful what I change or what?" I asked.

"Best case they might send me back," the old woman replied.

"Great," I said, shaking my head. "And worst case?"

 "You cause Armageddon," Nemesis replied.

"Is that even possible?" I frowned.

"You'd have to ask them," the woman replied, pulling over. "I'm not doing it. The Moirai give me the creeps!"

"I may just do that," I said. "I want to go back to my old life. If talking to them is the only way, then so be it."

"Two things," Nemesis said. "First, good luck meeting the Moirai. To my knowledge, they've never set foot on Earth despite what some of the stories say."

"I'll find a way," I said stubbornly. 

"It won't matter if you do," she added. "There's no way for you to go back to the future."

"You want to bet?" I asked. She looked at me and started laughing.

"Humans!" Nemesis laughed briefly and then looked at me and frowned. "I wonder why Tyche chose you and your friend?"

"She won't tell you?" I asked.

"She doesn't know," the old woman sighed. "The gods are just as limited by time as you humans are. Tyche had the power to send you and Rodger back in time, but not herself. Whatever the reason she sent you back is lost in a future that no longer exists."

"If that's true, then how did you know she did it?" I frowned.

"I can see it in your mind," Nemesis replied. "But I would never have come here if not for the Moirai. They recognized you and your friend for what you are the moment you appeared. Your very existence changes their work."

"So, even if Tyche was here and wanted to send me back to my own time, she couldn't?" The thought made my heart stop. Was I really stuck here forever?

"How could she send you into the future?" Nemesis asked. "She has no reference."

"She could read my mind and use my knowledge of what will be to send me back," I said.

"Interesting point," the woman said thoughtfully, but then shrugged. "It wouldn't work anyway because the simply truth is that the future you remember doesn't exist anymore. It changed the moment you were sent back."

I wasn't sure whether I believed her or not. She was making it sounds like there was only one future and I didn't necessarily buy it. Somewhere the life I had still existed and I wanted it back.

"Suit yourself," Nemesis shrugged, obviously reading my thoughts. "I've taken care of the loose end I was sent down here for and giving you the warning that Moirai specified. I'm done. Believe what you want, but if I were you I wouldn't waste my breath trying to bargain with the sisters. Take it from me, you have nothing they want."

"Yet they told you to leave me alone," I said. "They must have a reason."

"For the time being," Nemesis replied. "Just remember, the fates are fickle. I could return tomorrow if you do the wrong thing. Now get out of my cab. The meter is still running." 

I looked out the window and saw my house. I hadn't realize we arrived. I opened the door and climbed out of the cab. I reached in my pocket for the money Ms. Valente gave me, but Nemesis drove off before I could hand it to her.

	'Can this get any crazier?' I asked as walked up the path to my house.

	"Just in time," my mother said in relief as I entered the house. "Go wash up. We have company."

	"Company?" I frowned. I was in no mood to have to deal with guests.

	"Hello Johnny," Tara said as she entered the living room. "I stopped by on my way home from Mike's to see how you were doing and your mother invited me to dinner. I hope you don't mind?"

	"No," I said slowly. "I don't mind."

	I could feel myself stepping back from the edge of the insanity I felt threatening after dealing with Nemesis. Tara had that effect on me. Of course, it was just one of many. It was obvious that I was falling for her hard. I was old enough to know that, but how could I drag her into this?

	"Something smells ripe," my father said as he came in from the garage. I knew exactly what he meant. I might have taken a shower at Ms. Valente's, but my clothes reeked.

	"Thanks pop," I frowned.

	"Go take a shower," he said. "But make it quick. I'm hungry."

	"You're always hungry," mom sighed.

	"It's your great cooking!" he laughed, pulling her into a kiss. I noticed Tara watching with a sad smile. 

I knew her mother split sometime in the past. I guess seeing my parents together made her feel a little envious. I remember that as I kid I assumed everyone had parents who loved each other the way mine did, but the older I got the more I realized just how odd it was.

"Tara!" Cindy cried from the kitchen. "Are you coming?"

"I promised your little sister I go in the yard and play with her," Tara smiled.

"Have fun," I offered. She laughed and left the room. 

I turned back to my parents just in time to notice mom slapping pop's hand away. I'm not sure what he was reaching for, but I could guess. I grinned for a moment before I noticed that my father stomach was hanging slightly over his belt.

"Pop, why don't you come with me on my jog tomorrow?" I asked, remembering the heart attack that killed him eventually. 

"And why would I want to do that?" he asked in reply.

"You could use the exorcize," I answered.

"What?" my father cried indignantly. "Are you trying to tell me I'm getting fat?"

"That's not what I said," I said, knowing how pop could be.

"But it's what he meant," my mother surprised me by saying. "And he's not wrong. You really should take care of yourself better. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

I did. I knew exactly what she'd do. Mom would crawl up in her bed after the funeral and not leave it for weeks. She would cry suddenly and without warning for years later at the oddest thing. In short, mom would never be the same and it had nothing to do with the Alzheimer's that eventually put her in a nursing home.

"I'm as healthy as a horse!" my father cried.

"Then a little jog won't bother you," I said. "And when was the last time you had a physical?"

"What's with the sudden concern about my health?" he asked.

"It's not sudden," I replied. "I just want to make sure you're still around to walk Cindy down the aisle and play with your grandchildren." He hadn't been around for either.

"Just for that!" pop snapped. "Be prepared to be left in the dust tomorrow. Now go take that shower so we can eat."

I went upstairs, took a shower and got changed. My mind drifted back to the conversation I had with Nemesis as I cleaned up. I replayed it over and over again, but no more answers came. I could feel the disconnect between myself and this reality grow the more I thought about what had happened.

I glanced out the window in my room and saw Tara and Cindy playing in the yard. They were both laughing at something and I felt my heart swell. Tara swept Cindy up into a hug as I watched. I could be happy with her. I shook my head and backed away from the window. 

"It's almost as if I'm being led to her," I said thoughtfully as I started for the door. I froze the moment the words left my lips. "Am I? Are the Fates screwing with my life? Were they the ones who led me first to Mrs. C, then to Tiffany and Ms. Velente, and now finally to Tara?" Suddenly my anger was back, only this time it was focused on three women who were supposedly more powerful than the gods. 

For some reason coach Riley's favorite saying popped into my head. He used to say, 'It's like pissing in the wind!' What he meant was that some things were pointless and a waste of effort. Even shitty coaches can make a good point every now and again.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 03



'I guess my anger at the Moirai is a lot like that,' I sighed, and suddenly my rage was gone. I felt empty. I went back to the window and looked for Tara and Cindy. They were there still playing and laughing. The feelings that came the last time were still there, but they were greatly muted.

'If I go downstairs now, it will be like I'm accepting what the Fates have planned for me. I'll never get back to my own life,' I thought. I couldn't do it. I loved my parents, Cindy and possibly even Tara, but I'd taken all I could. I needed some time away to think.

I don't remember starting, but in no time at all I had the duffle bag that typically collected dust on the bottom of my closest filled with clothes. I took a moment to write a note to my parents. It probably wouldn't help them accept what I was about to do, but I couldn't just leave without at least giving them a reason.

I told them that Rodger's death, my breaking up with Tiffany and quitting the football team had all hit me hard and that I needed some time to think. I told them I'd be back and not to worry. I wasn't sure about the first and I knew the second would never happen. Guilt threatened, but there was only so much of that I could stand. In fact, I was overloaded with it recently and that was half the problem.

I slipped out of the house as quietly as I could. I had no idea where I was going or when I'd be back. I knew what I was doing was a mistake, but some mistakes you had to make. That was life.



High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 04



Author's note: Sorry it took so long to get back to this story. Life got in the way. Also, I had a bit of a problem writing it. You see, I know where I want this story to go, but sometimes the story takes over when you're writing it. I finished my first draft of this chapter and liked it. The only problem was that it took a right turn from where I wanted the story to go. So after much thought (and rewrites), I was able to save the part I liked and get the story back on track. I'll make an effort not to take so long on the next chapter, as long as Life cooperates (for a change) :). JD

**********

"Jesus kid, you're on one hell of a roll!" the guy next to me said as I collected on an early football game.

"Yeah," I said, but then thought, 'Damn! Time to throw a couple bets. I can't afford to lose all that much yet, but I can't keep winning either. If this guy noticed how well I'm doing, then I'm sure the casino is already keeping an eye on me.' 

I bet randomly for a while, throwing away about a quarter of the money I'd won. The worse part was the waiting. You could bet all kinds of crazy things in sports betting, especially in Vegas, but I took my time losing since I figured I needed to bet the same way I had been not to draw attention to myself.

I noticed the guy who made the comment was following my bets carefully now. I shook my head and drank while I waited, but didn't let myself become drunk. On the other hand, I was pretty buzzed after a while. My mind kept trying to drift back to my trip here.

I used the money I'd saved up for a car and bought a plane ticket to Las Vegas soon after leaving my parents. I camped out in the airport until the flight took off. I arrived last night. Renting a room made most of the money I had left disappear. 

This morning was interesting. I needed money and the quickest way to get it was to bet on sporting games where I knew the outcome. Of course, that was easier said then done. I spent two hours racking my brains and reviewing the newspapers, trying to remember enough about the games that were happening today. 

I was lucky in that it was a Sunday, so I had football as well as baseball to bet on. Of course, that was only so much help. The truth was that even when I could remember which team won, I wasn't sure if they covered the spread in most cases. Thank God my father was a sports addict and that I remembered which teams had nice runs during my senior year of high school.

'High school, ugh!' I thought. 'Let's not go there!'

In the end I had two games that were sure things, a few games that I was pretty confident in and a few more where I thought I knew what was going to happen. It wasn't great, but it was enough. 

I waited for one of my sure things and bet everything I had on it. It wasn't that impressive of an amount, but almost doubling it helped. After that I gambled with the money I won, putting some of it aside with every win. I lost some as well because of the spreads, but even after losing the last few bets I was doing okay. I had about the same amount as I started with before leaving home. 

"Ah well," I sighed loudly, looking at the guy who made the comment before. "You win some, you lose some."

"Maybe you do," he snorted. "Not me."

"Having a bad night?" I asked politely.

"Kid, if I didn't have bad luck, I'd have none at all," he replied, causing me to laugh. It was his expression that did it.

"I'm John," I said, holding out my hand.

"Angelo," he said, taking my hand and shaking it. He was dressed in a very nice sports coat. He obviously had money. I guessed his age to be around the mid forties. 

"Nice to meet you," I smiled as I stood. "I'm sure I'll see you around. I think it's time I moved on. Maybe I'll find my luck at the next hotel. Have a good night."

"Thanks kid," he said. "Don't worry about your luck. It only went south when I started betting along with you. It should come back quick enough."

I felt bad for Angelo. It wasn't because he was losing money. He didn't seem bothered by that. He just looked to be having a bad time of things. I could relate. 

"If you're interested, I do have one more bet in mind that I think looks pretty good," I offered.

"Sure, why not?" he shrugged. I gave him my other sure thing. It was on a football game. He looked at me in surprise. "You serious?"

"Yep," I smiled.

"But the spread is fourteen," Angelo frowned.

"They'll cover it easy," I said confidently. "I'm betting everything I have on it, but not here. I'm going to place the bet at the next hotel over and get something to eat."

"Food," he said, shaking his head. "What a interesting concept."

"You're welcome to join me," I offered, not sure why.

"Aren't you afraid that I'll bring my bad luck with me?" he joked half-heartedly.

"I'm willing to chance it," I laughed.

We moved on and I placed my bet at the next hotel. Angelo placed a number of bets, including a large one on the team I suggested. A very pretty lady met him the moment we arrived. She made sure he had everything he could possibly want. She sat us at a table and made sure we had drinks.

"Service with a smile," I said, shaking my head as the pretty woman went to set up dinner for us. "I take it you gamble here a lot?"

"Here, there, everywhere," he shrugged. "But only a few times a year. I gamble big so the hotels make sure I'm taken care of. Celia for this hotel, Jennifer the one next door and Teresa the one after that."

"Must be nice," I smiled.

"Sometimes," he said, not really looking at me. "It beats being alone."

"Sounds like someone needs to get laid," I joked, knowing that wasn't what he meant, but not knowing him well enough to probe.

"That comes later," he laughed. "For a price."

"You know," I said thoughtfully as I sipped my drink. "That's something I've never done. Paid for sex."

"First of all," he laughed. "You're still pretty young. Second of all, we all pay for sex one way or another. Hell, I'm still paying alimony to my ex-wife and we haven't had sex in years." It was my turn to laugh.

Celia returned and led us to a room where we ate and watched the game we bet on. Angelo was good company. He was funny and gregarious. The time flew by. The team I picked won handily and it seemed to make him happy. The fact that he lost most of his other bets didn't seem to bother him at all. 

"Here kid," he said, holding out a wad of cash after Celia returned with our winnings. I was putting mine away. "Think of it as commission for giving me a sure thing."

"No thanks," I smiled. "I don't take money from friends."

"So now we're friends?" he asked, putting the cash away. He was looking at me carefully. I was guessing that Angelo could use a friend right now almost as badly as I could.

"Well, if you promise to stop calling me kid," I smiled.

"Sounds reasonably sonny," he joked.

"Sonny? Really?" I asked, shaking my head, but then grinned and added, "Have fun if you must Gramps."

"Ouch!" he cried. "Now that hurt!"

"Truce?" I offered.

"Sounds good John," he laughed.

We say there talking about nothing important. We made a few more bets on a couple of baseball games. I told him some of my feelings, but also was sure to make it clear that I wasn't nearly as confident with these bets as I was the first. We ended up winning two out of the three. He tried to give me money again, but I pushed it away.

"Angelo, thanks, but no thank," I said. "And please stop trying to give me money. I'm good."

"Fair enough," he smiled, standing and stretching. "I'm off to meet a friend. You're welcome to join me. I'm sure she'll have a friend for you as well. I'll even pay."

"Again with the money," I laughed. I thought about his offer. He was obviously going to meet with a high priced prostitute. It was tempting, but for some reason I couldn't do it. "No thanks." Angelo looked at me oddly for a moment and then nodded.

"Give whoever she is a call," he said.

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"Kid, you're obviously here to get away," he said. "I don't know what from, but I recognize the look. I see it in the mirror every morning. On the other hand, it's just as obvious that there's a girl on your mind. Call her."

"I don't think so," I said more to myself then him.

"John, take it from me," he sighed. "I'm a bit older than you. If you have someone you care about, don't blow it. Call her and let her know you're okay. If I had someone, that's what I'd be doing."

'Okay, so he's not older,' I thought. 'But then again, he's probably not wrong either, or at least he wouldn't be in this were a normal situation.' 

"In either case," Angelo said when I didn't respond. "I'll be seeing you. Thanks for the good time."

"No, thank you," I smiled. "And have fun tonight."

"Oh I will," he grinned, but there was a sadness in his eyes that made me think of Tara. 

"See you around," I said, standing and shaking his hand.

"Definitely," he smiled. "Now be a good boy and go do what I said."

I shook my head, laughed and left. I was tired so I went to my room. I lay in bed for a while, but sleep wouldn't come. It was pretty late back home, but I found myself dialing.

"Hello?" I heard on the phone.

"Hey pop," I said. "I just wanted you to know I'm okay."

"John!" my father said in relief. Of course, the conversation didn't go as well after that. I let him rant for a bit.

"Dad, like I said in my note, I just need some time," I said after he ran down. "I'll be home once I get my head back together."

"Do you need anything?" he asked, obviously at a loss as to what else to say.

"Just your patience and trust," I said. "Is mom there?"

That conversation was far more difficult than the one with dad. Mom cried. I spoke with her for quite a while and although I'm not sure she understood, she did finally seem to accept what I was saying. She insisted I speak to Cindy. That went better. My little sister was fine once she heard my voice.

I hung up the phone and sighed. I didn't want to think about home, but I should have done that sooner. I knew better. The next call I made only rang twice before it was picked up.

"Johnny, it's about time you called," I heard Tara say.

"How did you know?" I asked in surprise.

"Who else would call this late?" she asked in reply.

"Fair point," I said. "Sorry."

"Did you speak to your parents yet?" she asked, ignoring my apology.

"A couple of minutes ago," I answered.

"Good, they were worried sick," Tara said, and then after a brief pause added, "Me too."

"Sorry," I said again.

"Where are you?" she asked, obviously in no mood to accept my apology. She was angry. I could tell even over the phone.

"Las Vegas," I replied.

"Where are you staying?" she asked. I told her and I could almost hear her shaking her head. "Did you really have to leave like that?"

"At the time it seemed necessary," I sighed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Not really," I said. "Maybe when I get home."

"So, you do plan on coming back?" she asked. 

It was an interesting question, but the answer was obvious. I knew that eventually I'd have to go home and deal with what I left behind. My parents were still there and they needed me. So was Cindy. There were other reasons to return, but I didn't want to focus on them despite being on the phone with the biggest one.

"Of course," I answered.

"Of course," she repeated in a monotone.

"Tara, are you okay?" I asked in concern.

"Johnny, do you really care or are you just asking to be kind?" she asked in reply.

"I called, didn't I?" I offered.

"Yes, yes you did," she replied. She was obviously thinking something. I could tell by her tone. "Whatever you're doing, hurry up. We need to talk, but it's not a conversation for over the phone."

"I miss you Tara," I found myself saying.

"Then come home," she said.

"Not yet," I sighed. "I can't." There was a hesitation on the line before she finally spoke.

"Okay," Tara said. "But don't think I won't come out there and get you if you stay too long. Your family needs you. So do I."

'Wow,' I thought, feeling my heart beat faster. 'Did she really just say that?'

I had no idea how Tara and I had become so close so quickly. I was afraid it was the Fates playing games, but on the other hand, I felt what I felt. Obviously, so did Tara.

"It's good to hear your voice," I said. "We'll talk the next time we meet."

"And they'll be no more secrets after that," she said pointedly.

"Sure," I said. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," she replied and we both hung up.

I stood there looking at the phone for a while. Could I really do it? Could I tell Tara about what happened? My head started hurting.

"I came here to get away from thinking about stuff like this," I sighed out loud. I'd think about it later.

**********

"Two black," the croupier announced. "Two black."

"Oh shit!" I said in surprise. "I won."

That wasn't supposed to happen. I was working on losing a bunch of money tonight. It was the end of the week and I decided it was time to blow some cash just for the hell of it. I already bought some clothes, paid for my hotel room and had quite a bit of cash stashed away. The money in my pocket was burn money. 

"Wow! Congratulations!" the redhead next to be said excitedly. Her name was Lily and I was pretty sure she was a plant by one of the hotels to keep an eye on me. Either that, or she was a prostitute. Hell, maybe she was both. She also happened to be good company. I liked her. She helped keep me distracted, especially with Angelo wanting a night in.

I figured he was probably visiting one of the high priced call girls he favored, or maybe tonight he was having one visit him. Either way worked I guess. Angelo was a good guy. We'd spent most of the week together, joking and laughing. It some ways it didn't make sense. We weren't that much alike, but sometimes people just hit it off. Maybe we both needed a friend.

It didn't take long for us to grown close enough for me to find out that he was a well off stockbroker who owned his own business. He had plenty of money, but was obviously hitting his midlife crisis. 

He got pretty drunk one night and told me how he'd trade it all for someone to love. It was sad, but understandable. Of course, the next morning he acted fine and it was like we never had the conversation. Angelo wasn't the type to complain and was obvious embarrassed that he said what he did. I knew it was just hitting him hard this trip. I remember vacations like that.

"John?" Lily frowned.

"Sorry and thanks," I smiled, shaking my head. "I'm just amazed at my luck this week." 

Of course, that was only partially true. My luck at the tables has been okay. The house had the advantage and they took me just like the rest of the tourists, but I was doing considerably better in sports betting than anyone had a right to be doing. At first I felt guilty placing bets that I knew were sure wins, but frankly it was hard work remembering games from this far in the past. It helped that I seldom paid for anything anymore. I still refused to let Angelo give me cash, but you'd be amazed how much a hotel was willing to comp a guy like him.

"I'm hungry," I said, cashing out and over tipping the croupier impressively. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Sure," Lily said, flashing me a million-dollar smile. 

"Thanks," the croupier said.

"Luck is meant to be shared," I shrugged and started to move away from the table with Lily on my arm.

"How about sharing some of it with me?" one of the guys at the table asked, causing a general laughter. 

"Say a prayer to Tyche, the goddess of luck," I joked back. 

"Is that what you do? Pray to a goddess?" Lilly asked as we moved toward the elevators.

"No, but it can't hurt," I smiled, wondering if Tyche could hear prayers wherever she was at the moment.

The last few days had been a godsend. I think it was because here I was simply John Simmons. It didn't matter if I was eighteen or one hundred and eighty. I had money and that's all that mattered in Vegas. I wasn't reliving or even trying to relive my old life. I was just enjoying myself. Of course, I missed home and my family. Tara too.

"What's her name?" Lily asked looking at me oddly.

"Pardon?" I asked.

"I can always tell when I guy I'm with is thinking of another woman," she replied. "Do you have a wife?"

"Not even a girlfriend," I replied. Lily obviously thought I was older than I was. Of course, these days people did get married younger.

"But you love her," the redhead said confidently.

"I barely know her," I said.

"I knew there was a girl!" Lily grinned, causing me to shake my head in defeat. "What's her name?"

"Tara," I replied. It was the truth after all.

"Is she the reason why you're here?" the redhead asked. I decided I had enough of her probing questions.

"Let's not talk about her. Let's talk about us," I said, moving close and trying to kiss her. She stopped me by placing two hands on my chest.

"I'm not that kind of a girl," she said softly, looking suddenly nervous. I believed her. I backed off.

"Sorry," I said, thinking, 'Prostitute is out. That only leaves the other possibility. She works for one of the hotels.'

"It's no big deal," she said more calmly, moving away from me. "I didn't mean to lead you on."

"Sure you did," I disagreed, but then shrugged and added, "That's what beautiful girls do."

"Wow!" she said, looking at me oddly. "You way too cynical for a guy your age."

"You have no idea," I laughed, although I didn't find what she said remotely funny anymore.

"Someone had to break your heart pretty badly for that kind of a reaction," Lily said. "Was it this Tara?"

"Nope," I said. "It happened a long time ago and I'd rather not think about it."

"Sorry," she said, but she didn't sound like it. "Let's change the subject. How do you decided which teams to pick when you bet on them?"

'Okay, she must be new at this,' I sighed. 'So much for liking her.'

"I mean, I hear you did amazing well last night," she added.

"Last night was pretty good," I said, remembering the lump of cash I took away with me from the hotel across the street. At least now I knew where Lily worked.

"How did you do it?" she asked.

"My father is a big sports fan, especially baseball," I said. "I've been following it since before I could walk."

"So?" she asked. "A lot of people are fans. How did you know who to pick?"

"Just lucky I guess," I shrugged. "I mean, I have a good feeling about..."

I proceeded to talk to her about the team I knew would eventually win the World Series as we took the elevator down to the hotel lobby. I gave her a whole bunch of reasons why I thought they'd win despite not being favored.

"Wow," she said. "You really do follow baseball."

I saw her expression and knew that she was buying my story. Lily would report back to her boss what I'd said and hopefully everything would be okay. I'd stay away from that hotel from now on, just in case.

"You know, I think I'm more tired than hungry," I said, just before we left the hotel. "I'm sorry, but it's time to turn in. I'll see you later." It was after two in the morning and even this younger body felt it after a week of abuse. Time was difficult to follow in Vegas.

"Oh," she said, sounding disappointed. "Okay."

I left her standing there and went to my hotel. The elevator up was thankfully empty. I lay in bed thinking about Lily briefly, but then my mind drifted to home. This was the first night I let myself dwell on it since arriving in Vegas. At least I could think about it more calmly now. On the other hand, being calm didn't really help. 

I knew that despite this trip being good for me, I was actually in a bit of a funk. In short, I was depressed.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 04



'Makes sense,' I sighed. 'That's what comes after bargaining.'

The whole idea of me mourning for my former life and myself was ridiculous on so many levels, but that didn't make it untrue. It also didn't help me get any sleep. I was up for another hour, thinking.

"At least this is the last stage before I get on with my life," I said out loud. "But get on with what?"

A picture of Tara popped into my head. She was smiling warmly. I shook my head. I knew what it meant, but at that moment I didn't want to think about it. It took me quite a while to fall asleep despite being exhausted. 

**********

"Room service!" 

I groaned and opened my eyes. It was still dark out. I couldn't have slept more than an hour or two.

"I didn't order anything!" I cried at the door. The person just knocked louder. I fought the sheets to get out of bed. I threw open the door fully intending to rip into whoever was there, but my mind went blank when I saw Tara standing there with a huge smile.

"Johnny, don't you think you're a little old to be running away from home?" she joked.

"Tara!" I said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"What?" she teased. "Do you think you're the only one who can sneak off and come to Sin City?"

"That's not an answer," I said.

"True," she said. "But it's all you deserve for running out on your family and me last week. Besides, didn't I tell you I'd come and get you if you stayed too long?"

"How did you get here?" I asked, but from her grin I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say, so I quickly added, "I know you flew, but why? Where did you get the money?"

"Trust fund," she answered.

"You have a trust fund?" I asked.

"It's not something I like to talk about. My mother's father set it up for me when mom split," she sighed. 

"And you wasted part of it on coming here?" I asked.

"I'll let you know before I leave if it was a waste or not," she said with a shrug. "Now let me borrow your phone. I need to call my father and let him know I'm okay."

"Your father knows you came here?" I asked.

"Of course not," she frowned. "He thinks I'm sleeping at a friends house this weekend. That's why I had to wait until now to come and get you. I couldn't leave in the middle of the week."

"Why..." I began, but she cut me off.

"Can you hold off on your questions until after I talk to my dad and freshen up?" she sighed. "It's been a long night. The redeye flight I took was surprisingly packed."

"It is Vegas. What did you expect?" I smiled. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I laughed and added, "Sorry, go ahead."

Tara's conversation with her father was quick. I felt bad making her lie to him, but it wasn't like I asked her to come out here. Of course, that didn't mean I wasn't happy to see her.

"Please order some food up to the room," she said before going into the bathroom. "I'm starving." Tara took her small suitcase with her. I was in the middle of ordering room service when I heard the shower turn on. I smiled and shook my head.

I cleared the table off to make room. I'd left a number of bags on it with my purchases. Frankly, I almost had another whole wardrobe worth of clothes. I put them away as best I could and did a quick cleaning of the rest of my clutter. I was just finishing up when Tara came out of the bathroom.

"That feels better," she smiled. I looked at her and raised my eyebrow. She was wearing pajamas. I mean the cute warm kind, not the sexy and fun ones. She saw my expression and grinned.

"You're just lucky it's so warm here or I would have brought my feet-in pjs," she said. Oddly, I could see her in them.

"I guess someone is tired," I joked.

"And you're not?" she asked. "You look like hell."

"Someone woke me from a dead sleep," I said pointedly.

"As soon as we're done eating you can go back to sleep," she said. "We'll talk later after we're both no longer exhausted."

"You know," I said, surprisingly myself. "I think that's a good idea." My brain wasn't really functioning on all cylinders after the week I had. Sleep would help and I wanted to be fully functioning for the conversation Tara and I were bound to have eventually.

"Why don't you take a quick shower before the food comes?" she asked.

"Okay," I smiled. "Just be sure to leave me some. I missed dinner last night."

"I make no promises," she grinned, causing me to laugh.

As I entered the bathroom I realized that I felt pretty good considering how tired I was. I caught myself humming as I showered. The fact that it was a song that was decades from being written didn't seem to bother me for a change. There was a knock on the door.

"Food's here!" Tara cried. "Better hurry. It looks good!"

I laughed once again and shut the water. Tara had waited for me and smiled when I exited wearing a pair of sweats and a tee-shirt. 

"This isn't going to be the most romantic meal in the world," I joked. She burst out laughing. She was obviously thinking the same thing.

"That's probably a good thing," she said. "Because I'm not sure if you're boyfriend material anyway."

"What? Have you been talking to Tiffany?" I joked.

"Please!" Tara said, rolling her eyes. "Like her opinion would matter to me."

"True," I laughed. "Now move over. I'm hungry!"

We ate in a companionable silence. It was obvious that neither one of us wanted to talk about why I'd come out to Vegas and why she's followed me yet. We both knew that whatever we said would lead us there eventually, so we remained silent for the most part.

"Now that was good!" Tara sighed. "I thought the stewardess was trying to poison me with what she offered."

"The food on my trip out wasn't much better," I smiled. "I think it's time for bed."

"Not so fast buster," Tara said. "There are some ground rules we need to talk about first."

"Don't worry," I sighed. "I'll sleep on the pull out couch."

"Do you think I followed you all the way out here so that we could sleep on a couch?" she asked.

"I don't know why you followed me out here," I replied honestly.

"I'll explain after we wake up," she said. "And I fully expect a good night kiss and maybe even some cuddling while I drift off."

"Anything else?" I grinned.

"I'm too tired to do anything else tonight. We should probably wait until after we talk anyway," she said, but then she smiled and added, "Although, I do have some ideas if the conversation goes well tomorrow."

"You never cease to amazing me," I laughed. "Are you sure your only eighteen?" It was funny that I was asking the question this time instead of being asked it.

"That's just a number," she shrugged. "I know I don't get along with many people my own age. I've had an odd life."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied, turning out the light and climbing into bed. "I'll tell you how odd when we wake up."

"That's sounds interesting," I said, climbing into the other side of the bed.

"It doesn't come free," she said pointedly. "You'll have to tell me about your life too, and what about Rodger's suicide letter freaked you out so much."

"I'm not sure I can," I sighed.

"We'll figure it out tomorrow," she said. I nodded in agreement.

"Goodnight," I said.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, moving toward me on the bed. It was dark out, but I could make her form out as she leaned over me and added, "My kiss?"

I reached up and pulled her to me. Our lips touched and I had to admit, it felt pretty amazing. I rolled us over so that I was leaning over her while we continued to kiss. I brushed my tongue against her lips and she opened her mouth willingly. It lasted only a few moments, but I couldn't remember a better kiss in either of my lives.

"Wow!" she said, pushing me away after a few moments. Tara was fighting for breath. Hell, so was I!

"So, you liked it?" I asked, trying to make the question sound like a joke.

"Of course I liked it," she replied. "You're a great kisser, but I knew that already from our first kiss."

"Thanks," I smiled, remembering our first kiss. "Is that why you came all the way here? Because I'm such a great kisser?"

"That's an awfully long distance to come just for a kiss," she laughed. "Now let me go to sleep. I'm exhausted. That was my first time on a plane in a long time and I guess it got to me more than I expected it would."

"Tara," I said once she settled in.

"Yes?" she asked. I moved close and cuddled her. She shifted until we were spooning.

"I don't know how this is going to end up after we talk," I answered. "But thanks for coming."

"You're welcome," she said, turning her head toward me. I kissed her again. This one lasted a long time. I pulled back slowly. Her lips were parted as she continued to look at me.

"You are so beautiful," I said, almost without thought. Tara smiled, before turning away. I was sure it wasn't comfortable to spoon and twist her torso like that. 

I pulled her close and she pushing back into me. I began to play with her hair gently, figuring it would help her fall asleep. I thought Tara had, but she suddenly reached up and took my hand, pulled my arm over her and held my hand against her chest. On one level it felt completely natural and relaxing, on another my eighteen-year-old body was reacting to the feel of her breasts.

"I'm being poked," Tara said after a few moments.

"Sorry," I said, but then laughed and added, "I am only human." Tara pulled away, sat up and faced me. I could see her struggling with something. 

"Me too," she whispered before leaning forward and kissing me. I pulled her down to me. The kiss lasted a very long time.

"So much for both of us being tired," I groaned at one point.

"I can't help it!" she gasped between kisses. "Johnny, I love you and you've always been the only man for me." This stopped me cold. I pulled back and looked down at her. She looked so vulnerable. 

"Tara," I said. "We barely know each other."

"Does that mean you don't feel the same?" she asked. Her expression made my chest ache.

"No, it doesn't," I said, refusing to lie. "But we haven't talked about our secrets yet."

"I don't care!" she cried. "Not right at this moment. It feels so right being here in your arms. Johnny, tell me you love me?"

"But..." I began. 

"Unless you don't?" she asked, cutting me off. The fear in her eyes was too much.

"Tara, you know I love you," I finally admitted. "It doesn't make sense and I shouldn't, but I do."

"And do you want me?" she asked, smiling and looking deep into my eyes.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked in reply, causing her smile to turn into a brief laugh.

"Then just be gentle with me," she said, her eyes glowing with desire. 

"Are you sure?" I asked. She smiled up at me and nodded. 

I still hesitated a moment. I loved Tara and I'd told her so, but I hadn't told her my secret yet and I wasn't sure it was right to go any further until I did. On the other hand, she hadn't told me hers either and I could care less what it was.

"Johnny?" Tara asked nervously, when she saw me hesitate. I looked down at her and smiled. She returned it and suddenly we were in each other's arms.

We kissed and touched each other through our clothes for a long time. I eventually reached under her top and caressed her breasts. Tara moaned, her hands running over my chest and biceps.

"I think it's time to get rid of these!" I said hungrily as I sat up and pulled her top off. Tara looked at me, her eyes afire. In moments our bodies were intermeshed and our clothes were strewn across the room. 

I kissed my way from her lips to her neck to her breasts and back again. Tara moaned more than once. I could feel my hardness pushing against her stomach. A part of me wanted to move lower and finish this, but a bigger part wanted to wait. I could tell Tara wasn't ready yet, despite her excitement. I was thinking about another trip of kisses when she pulled back and looked at me.

"Johnny, you know I'm not a virgin," she said softly. "But please treat me like one. It's been a very long time."

"Don't worry," I promised. "I won't hurt you."

"I know," she smiled. "You could never hurt me, but still, please go slowly."

"I'm in no rush," I replied. "I could lay here all night just enjoying the feel of your body against mine."

"Don't go that slow!" she cried, and then blushed and laughed as she realized what she'd just said.

"Hussy!" I teased.

"Jerk!" she cried, but then we were kissing again.

I did leave another trail of kisses down her body, but this time I went lower. Tara was very tense when I reached the bottom of her belly. Her legs were clamped tight, but I don't think she even realized she was doing it. I sat up.

"Tara, you need to trust me," I said, smiling down at her.

"I do!" she replied a little too quickly.

"If that's true, then relax," I said. "Have I hurt you?"

"No," she admitted.

"And I won't," I promised. "I won't do anything you don't want me to. All you have to do is say stop and I will."

"I know," she said, and then frowning added, "It's not you. I can't believe it's bothering me after all these years."

"What?" I asked.

"Johnny, just kiss me," she replied, changing the subject. Her kisses were passionate. I decided to enjoy them and let her take the lead. Something was bothering her. Maybe this would help. 

I was surprised when I felt her hand touch my cock. Not because she did it, but because there was nothing tentative about it. I groaned to let her know how it felt. Tara smiled at me.

"Very nice," she smiled, studying my cock intently. It was weird, but not in a bad way. She seemed so confident as she began to slowly stroke my cock. I shook my head. One moment she seemed almost virginal and the next very worldly. I guess being eighteen was like that. Tara looked up into my eyes. Hers were clearly excited as she asked, "You know you're very big, right?"

"So I've been told," I teased. She shook her head and laughed as she continued to stroke my cock. I sighed contently and enjoyed what she was doing. It didn't take long for me to realize how fast my body was reacting. "Be careful, just being in bed with you is driving me crazy. I won't last very long."

"Good," she said. "I like that I get to you."

"You have no idea," I laughed, enjoying the fact that she didn't seem nervous anymore. Letting her take the lead was working out well for the moment.

"So then," she grinned. "If I do this, will it send you over the edge?" Tara stuck her tongue out and touched the tip of my cock. It jumped and she smiled excitedly.

"I knew you were a tease!" I attempted to joke, but I was too excitedly. I could feel my orgasm building fast. 

"I'm not," she said slowly, looking up at me. "And I'll prove it."

A moment later she took my cock into her mouth. Tara's eyes never left mine and I groaned loudly. I doubted she had a lot of experience, but it seemed to me that she knew exactly what to do to drive me crazy. 

"Tara!" I gasped, not long afterward. "I'm going to cum!"

She pulled off of my cock and looked at it for a moment. Her eyes were lustful when she finally glanced up into mine again.

"I want to taste you!" she said hungrily. "Would you like that?"

"Please!" I groaned. I wanted to grab her head and force my cock deep into her mouth, but I wasn't sure she would react well. Thankfully, a moment later it didn't matter. Tara somehow knew what I wanted and took my entire cock into her mouth! She also caressed my balls with one hand. That was all I could stand. I exploded!

She gasped in surprise at the violence of my release, but Tara didn't miss a drop of the cum I pumped into her mouth. I couldn't stop myself from taking hold of her head in the middle of my orgasm, but she was enjoying what she was doing too much to care. 

"Wow!" she grinned afterward, pulling back and wiping her mouth.

"You said it," I sighed, pretty well spent.

"Now what?" Tara asked excitedly. I looked at her and smiled.

"Whatever you want," I replied. "Believe me, there's nothing you're going to say that will upset me. Tell me what you want." She looked at me and smiled warmly.

"I know," she said confidently. The love and trust she felt toward me was obvious. It was weird considering how little we knew about each other, but a part of me felt completely at peace with it.

"I love you," I said almost without thought, but that didn't mean I didn't mean it.

"And I love you," she replied. "I always have."

"I wish you'd told me sooner," I grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

"By the time I was ready to tell you, you weren't ready to hear it," she smiled, almost sadly.

"Until now," I said, kissing her. Tara felt good in my arms. Like she belonged.

"Until now," she smiled in agreement.

The next few minutes went by with us holding and kissing each other. I caressed her body lovingly and she did the same to me. Our mouths were seldom apart. Tara's breath quickened. So did mine.

"Johnny, I'm ready," she said. "Please continue where you left off before." I knew what she meant. I kissed my way down her body. She tensed slightly.

"Are you okay?" I asked, looking up at her.

"I'm fine," she said a little to quickly. Obviously it wasn't quite true. I watched her carefully and wondered how someone could be both annoyed and scared at the same moment.

"Tara, I won't do anything you don't want," I offered.

"I know," she sighed. "Johnny, there are some things in my past that I thought I was over. Clearly I'm not. We'll need to talk about them when the time comes, but not right now."

"That's okay," I smiled, moving up next to her. "We don't have to go any further."

"I want to go further!" she insisted, her frustration obvious. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this night. It's just that on some levels what comes next scares me." 

"Nothing comes next unless you want it to," I promised, not sure what else I could say.

"Well I want it to!" she snapped.

"Bossy bitch," I joked. Tara froze in surprise for a moment and then burst out laughing.

"Not usually," she said afterward. "But I refuse to let my past ruin this moment."

"Okay. I can help you with that," I promised. "Just relax and trust me."

"I do," she said. "I always have." 

We kissed briefly before she lifted her head, giving me access to her throat. I kissed there as well. Tara placed a hand on my head and gently nudged me lower. I smiled, knowing what she wanted. I left a trail of kisses down her body once more. This time, although I could still feel her nervousness, Tara let her legs part slightly when my kisses reached her belly. 

She had a tuft of soft dark hair between her legs and I smiled, remembering that she was a brunette. You could never tell with Tara. Her hair color changed frequently. Right now she was a dirty blond with pink highlights. 

I kissed her inner thighs. She gasped. Tara was clearly excited. I could see a touch of pink peaking through and the aroma was making my mouth water. It didn't take long before it became obvious that she was ready despite the fact I had yet to touch her center. My tongue brushed against her pussy lips and she cried out. Tara's legs fell open, inviting me in. I tasted her for the first time and groaned. She was delicious!

Tara clearly liked it as well. She grabbed hold of my head and mashed my face against her pussy. I thrust my tongue deep, continuing to enjoy the taste of her. Tara came moments later and flooded my mouth with her juices.

"Thank you!" she cried, and said it again when she was finished. "Thank you. It's been so long!"

"I'm not done yet," I said sitting up briefly and wiping my mouth.

"You're not?" she asked, smiling sexily. I could see a touch of concern in her eyes, but it was overshadowed by her desire and trust.

"No," I replied, kissing her. Tara thrust her tongue into my mouth. Her kiss proved to me that she was ready for more despite her orgasm.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 04



"What are you going to do?" she asked nervously, when I pulled back.

"The same thing again," I smiled. "You came fast and I want you to enjoy it longer."

"I'm fine," she laughed.

"I know," I replied. "But I don't want you to just be fine. I want you to be much more than that."

"That's doesn't seem fair," she said. "After all, you came quickly too."

"Shh," I laughed gently and moved between her legs again. Tara made to say something else, but as soon as my tongue touched her, she quieted. Maybe that's the wrong word. She didn't so much quiet as stop trying to do anything other than enjoy what I was doing. It took a while, but it was well worth it when I heard her panting and gasping as her next orgasm neared.

"Oh Johnny!" she cried. "You're driving me crazy. Only you could make me feel like this!"

"Cum for me!" I demanded, focusing on her clit. "I want to taste you again!"

"Johnny yes!" she cried and let loose a torrent of cum. "Yes! Yes!" 

I continued to focus on her pleasure until she was done and then moved up the bed and took her in my arms. Tara rested her head on my shoulder as she slowly regained control of her breathing.

"I could fall asleep just like this," she sighed.

"Isn't that the plan?" I smiled in reply. 

"Yes, but not yet," she said, reaching out and taking my cock once more. She stroked it slowly. I was already hard, but not particularly close to cumming. 

Tara continued to use her hand on me. Eventually, she shifted and started kissing my cock as well. All I could see was the back of her head, but it still felt pretty amazing. She moved lower and I could feel the warmth of her mouth as she took one of my balls into her mouth. I groaned.

"You like that," Tara said knowingly. 

"I like everything you're doing," I said honestly. 

Tara pulled away and looked down at me. She came into my arms and we kissed once more. Her soft breasts were against my chest and it felt very nice. She shifted her body on top of mine.

"Johnny, promise me you'll hold still?" she asked. 

Tara was obviously excited once more, but also nervous for some reason. I wanted to question her on what was bothering her, but I knew that right at this moment it would be a mistake. There was only one thing to do.

"I promise," I replied. She nodded and smiled nervously before starting to kiss me once more. I returned her kisses and did my best not to move.

It took a while, but eventually Tara legs parted slightly and she shifted higher on my body. My cock, which had been buried in her stomach, was now slipping between her moist pussy lips. A part of me wanted to shove up into her, but I knew it would be the worse possible thing to do. Even still, it wasn't easy. If Tara hadn't pulled back and looked into my eyes once more I'm not sure I would have been able to stop myself, but she did and I saw the war going on inside of her.

"Tara, I love you," I said, unable to think of anything else to say to help her. She smiled slowly and nodded once.

"And I love you," she replied, settling onto my cock. 

She gasped and stopped when I was only half way in. Her pussy was a soaked furnace, squeezing my cock in ways that drove me crazy. Tara started riding me slowly. She moaned and gasped frequently as her body adjusted to me.

"So big!" she moaned more than once. I don't know how long it took her to finally take all of me in, but I'll never forget the sight of her doing it or how it felt.

Tara had her hands on my chest as she picked up the pace and bounced on my cock. I was as hard as I'd even been before and I loved the feel of her on me, but my orgasm was still far off. I wasn't used to be completely inactive. It was new and enjoyable, but I doubted I'd be able to come this way. Of course, at that moment it didn't matter. Tara obviously loved every moment of what was happening.

"I'm cumming!" she cried. "Again!"

Her juices drenched my cock and hips as her body shook in release. She fell on my chest and I held her through the last of her orgasm. She continued to shiver and shake for quite a while.

"That was something," I said afterward.

"You think?" she laughed, cuddling deeper for a moment before sitting up. I was still hard and inside of her. She moaned as she moved.

"Are you okay?" I asked in concern.

"I'm a lot better than just okay," she smiled. "I could sleep for a year."

"Then what are you doing?" I asked.

"What do you think?" she smiled. "Johnny, I love you and you're obviously in need."

"You don't have to..." I began, but she cut me off.

"Of course I do," she interjected, bouncing slowly on my cock once more.

"Tara, do you trust me?" I asked. She nodded without hesitation this time. "Then can I move this time?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"Don't worry," I added. "If I do something you don't like, just let me know and I'll stop."

"I love you Johnny," she said.

"I love you too," I replied.

This time I took hold of Tara's hips as she rode me. I also thrust up, going deep inside of her, causing her to gasp out in pleasure each time. I started out gently, but the closer my orgasm came the harder I thrust into her. Tara was clearly enjoying herself as much as I was.

I reached up and cupped her perfect breasts, squeezing her nipples and making her moan. After a few moments of that, I pulled her down to me and kissed her passionately as I drove my cock up into her hard. Tara's only response was to moan loudly and thrust her tongue into my mouth.

I was close to my release after that. I wanted cum. No, I needed to cum! I didn't really plan it, but suddenly I found myself rolling on top of Tara and thrusting as deeply as I could go. For a moment I thought she was in the throws of another orgasm because her body was shaking, but when I took a moment to look into her eyes I froze and shifted off of her as quickly as I could.

"Tara, are you okay?" I asked. What I saw in her eyes when I looked into them would haunt me for a very long time. There was no passion or even love. Only terror. She'd been shaking out of fear.

"Fine," she said in a tone that said anything but that. Tara rolled onto her stomach, away from me. I leaned close and place a hand on her shoulder. She tenses slightly, but didn't do anything else as my hand stayed steady.

"You should have told me to stop," I said, my lips only inches from her ears. "I'm so sorry!"

"No!" she sobbed. "Don't be sorry. I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have stopped you, but you were so close and I wanted you to have your release."

"Not like that," I said softly, and then added more strongly, "Never like that."

"Johnny, hold me please," she said, but she refused to move from her stomach. I shrugged and wrapped myself over her. I was afraid that the weight of me on top of her would upset her more, but she sighed in contentment once I was holding her tight.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" I asked, once she calmed.

"Not right now," she said. "I can't."

"Whenever you're ready," I said gently.

I thought she'd drifted off to sleep and nearly jumped out of my skin when she took hold of my cock once more. I was soft by now, but that didn't deter her.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Johnny, I want to give you pleasure," she said. "Just like you gave me."

"Tara, just holding you gives me pleasure," I replied honestly, but she refused to stop. She shifted just enough so that we could kiss. I saw in her eyes that she was serious. Tara not only wanted to give me pleasure. She needed to do it. Even still, it took a very long time for me to become hard again because I was concerned about her. Her growing passion as we kissed helped.

"That's better," she smiled once I was at full length again.

"Finish me like this," I said, still worried about her.

"Oh no," she said confidently. "I love you too much for that."

"But..." I began.

"Johnny," she interjected. "Please be quiet and just do what comes naturally." 

I wasn't sure what she was getting at until she rolled back onto her stomach fully and lifted her hips slightly. Tara wanted me to take her like that and God knew I wanted to, but I hesitated a moment longer.

"Please Johnny!" she said. "I want to feel you inside of me again. I promise, this way won't scare me."

I shook my head and shrugged. It sounded like she really meant it. Yet, instead of pushing into her, I shifted on the bed and buried my face between her legs. If I was going to do this, I wanted to be sure she was ready. I was glad I did because despite her words and recent orgasm, Tara wasn't. 

I worked her pussy with my lips and tongue until it slowly started to moisten. I smiled contently when Tara finally moaned in pleasure as I drove my tongue deep. I loved the taste of her and the smell of her excitement drove me crazy.

"Now Johnny!" Tara moaned. "I'm ready."

I shifted up and lined my cock up with her pussy. Tara was lifting her ass once more and the sight was too much. I shoved in deep with one strong stroke.

"Yes!" Tara cried. I may have as well.

"Are you okay?" I asked despite my excitement and need.

"I'm better than that!" Tara moaned. "Now if you just cum in me I'll be in Heaven."

"Just tell me to stop and I'll..." I began.

"Stop talking!" she laughed. "And don't worry. This position feels amazing!" 

"It's one of my favorites," I admitted, starting to stroke in and out of her.

"I know," she gasped. I frowned for a moment before she added, "Isn't it every guys?" I didn't have an answer to that, nor did I care. Tara's arms were out and I watched as her nails raked the bed. 

Tara's ass remained high in the air as she met each of my strokes and gasping in pleasure. Her pussy was soaked and accepted my cock like it had been made for it. My hips slapped against her ass over and over again, driving us both to the brink. It didn't take long for our next orgasms to build.

"Oh Johnny, this feels so good!" she cried. "I can't last much longer. Please cum with me!"

"Soon!" I grunted, taking hold of her hips and slamming deep inside of her.

"Now!" she cried as her orgasm exploded.

"Yes!" I added, as my orgasm took me and I erupted deep inside of Tara. We thrashed together for quite a while. 

"Are you okay?" I asked afterward, rolling off of her. I should have been spent and I was on some levels, but I couldn't help the fact that I still wanted her. Tara looked up at me. She seemed a little surprised by what she saw in my eyes, but she smiled. 

"You're insatiable," she said.

"Not really," I grinned. "It's just that you get to me so much."

Tara shifted on to her back and looked up at me. She seemed nervous again, but not afraid, or at least she was controlling her fear better. Tara held her arms open to me. I knew what she was offering.

"No," I said. "You're not ready for that."

"I am," she argued. "Just be gentle and I'll be fine."

"Tara, whatever happened scarred you badly," I said carefully. It was pretty obvious what had happened, but if she didn't want to talk about it yet, I wouldn't bring it up, at least not directly. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't," she said confidently. "The scar is old and faded. I dealt with it a long time ago."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Because I saw the terror in your eyes before."

"I wasn't expecting you to roll on top of me," she sighed. "And yes, it did bring back some bad memories, but that's the past. I refused to let it stop me from holding the man I love in my arms and looking up into his eyes while he makes love to me."

"Tara," I sighed. "I can't. I never want to see you like again. I never want you to feel that way again!"

"You won't," she smiled. "I won't. Now hug me please."

I moved into her arms slowly, never fully resting my weight on her. We kissed, but I was tentative as I continued to watch her eyes to make sure she was okay.

"I'm not made out of glass!" she laughed, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me against her. I could tell she was nervous, but she was clearly refusing to let her fear stop her.

"You really are beautiful," I said, looking down into her eyes. Tara smiled warmly and met gaze. We stayed like that she a few moments and she relaxed visible. 

"You could never hurt me," she said confidently. "I can see that in your eyes. Johnny, please make love to me like this. I want what I'm seeing now to push that other image back where it belongs, in the past."

"I can't," I replied, but smiled and added, "At least not yet."

"Oh, I can help with that," Tara smiled, wrapping her legs around me as well and leaning up to kiss me.

What followed was amazing. I'd lived a long time before all this happened. I don't know how many women I'd slept with, but there more than I cared to count. Yet, I never felt for any of them what I felt for Tara at that moment. Not even Tiffany came close.

"I really do love you," I said with as much feeling as I could. I was slowly stroking in and out of Tara by this time. She was looking up into my eyes and smiling contently.

"I know," she said. "I've always known. You're my soul mate and I love you too."

I didn't believe in soul mates, or at least I didn't before this moment. Now I wasn't so sure. Looking down at Tara and watching her react to me made the years fall away. It was like all my cynicism and pain was fading. I immersed myself in the feeling.

We both fought to hold onto the moment as long as we could, but our bodies demanded release. I was thrusting into Tara with more force, but she obviously didn't mind.

"Johnny, I'm going to cum again!" she moaned.

"Me too!" I gasped, filling her pussy once more.

"Yes!" she cried as her orgasm hit. We stayed in each other's arms long after we were done.

"Are you okay?" I asked, rolling off of her.

"Shh," she smiled contently. "I've never been to Heaven before." I laughed gently.

"Me neither," I said. "And this is probably the only way I'll ever get there." Tara laughed and shifted, resting her head onto my shoulder. We were both spent and the room reeked of us. 

"Thank you Johnny," Tara said softly. I could tell she was almost asleep. "You have no idea what that meant to me."

"Me too," I said, realizing that it was true. 

I'd never truly loved anyone else before. I thought I had with Tiffany, but that was a very long time ago and right now I wasn't even sure if it was love. This was the first time that true love was involved with my passion and it made it even more amazing than usual. I smiled to myself. We lay like that for quite some time. Tara fell asleep first. I smiled again when I heard her snoring gently. 

I knew Tara and I needed to talk. I was pretty sure I knew what her secret was based on what happened, but she needed to share it and I was more than ready to listen. Of course, if she did tell me her secret, then I would have to tell her mine and I fully expected the conversation to go badly once we finally got around to it, but for the first time since all this began I wasn't sad, so I decided to forget everything except the woman asleep in my arms.

'Girl,' a part of my mind said. The rest of me yelled, 'Oh shut up!' 

I drifted off to sleep slowly. Tara felt good in my arms. I loved her and I couldn't help feeling that we belonged together.

'Man, I must really be tired!' I thought. 'Belonged together? I'm way too old and cynical to believe in shit like that anymore.' 

Yet, despite my thoughts I couldn't deny how good it felt when I remember Tara calling us soul mates. I decided that holding her in my arms while she drifting off to sleep was my version of Heaven. 

**********

"No!" Tara cried and I was instantly awake. She was still in my arms, but she was fighting to get free. I let go and backed away. She continued to thrash on the bed. It took me a moment to realize she was still asleep. "Please don't!"

"Tara!" I cried, reaching out and shaking her. "Tara, wake up! You're having a nightmare."

"No!" she cried again, but suddenly her eyes snapped open and she was sitting up in bed.

"Tara, are you okay?" I asked tentatively, not sure what to do. I'd never seen anyone ever have such a violent nightmare before. 

"Johnny?" she asked tentatively as her mind slowly released her from her bad dream.

"Yes Tara," I said gently. "It's me." 

"Oh Johnny!" she cried and fell into my arms and buried her face in my shoulder. I held her tight while she fought the after effects of her nightmare. Tara was literally shaking and it took her quite some time to calm down.

"Are you okay?" I asked once more when she finally stopped shaking.

"Not really," she sighed. "I haven't had that nightmare in quite awhile. I forgot how bad it was."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

"Not really," she said, sitting up and turning on the lamp near the side of the bed. It was a soft light, but both of us blinked a bit until our eyes adjusted. "But I guess need to."

"I'm listening," I said gently. Tara looked at me. She seemed so fragile in that moment, yet her eyes watched me carefully, judging whether she was really going to tell me or not.

"I'll tell you if you promise to share whatever is bothering you afterward?" she finally said.

"You wouldn't believe me if I did," I answered.

"Let me be the judge of that," she said, falling silent as she waited for me to decide.

I knew I wanted to tell her, but it would change everything. It would also drag her into my crazy life of time travel and Greek goddesses. Well, either that or my insanity. I still wasn't sure which it was.

"Johnny," Tara said, drawing my eyes back to her. "We love each other, and for some reason I think it's almost as big of a deal for you to actually care for someone else again as it is for me, but I won't go into a relationship with secrets. We either share our darkest thoughts or I leave and go back home by myself."

The smart thing to do was let her do exactly that, but the need in her eyes matched my own. Maybe it was wrong and unfair to drag her into my craziness, but she obviously wanted to be. Besides, even if she ran screaming from me afterward, at least we both would get the chance to talk about what was bothering us.

"Okay," I sighed. "But I'm serious. You'll think I'm crazy afterward and truthfully, I'll probably agree with you."

"Do you think I'm not afraid of what you'll think about me after I tell you about my nightmare?" she asked.

"A fair point," I admitted. "We'll just have to trust each other."

"Trust," she said, shaking her head. "You do realize that before you there was only one person in the entire world that I trusted?"

"Your father?" I guessed. Tara smiled and nodded.

"That's one more than me," I sighed.

"You don't trust your parents?" she asked in surprise.

"With my life? Absolutely," I answered. "But not with this. They wouldn't understand."

"Interesting," Tara said thoughtfully. "Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to go first?"

"Nope," I grinned. "You're the brave one here. Out with it." Tara smiled briefly, but then her expression turned sad, somber almost.

"Do you remember the first day of school when we cut?" she asked.

"Sure," I nodded. "I was having a very bad day."

"Do you remember the conversation we had when we walked home together?" she asked. "You said that something had to cause my change from beauty queen to burnout between eighth grade and high school."

"Hmm, that sounds harsher then I meant it to," I frowned.

"It's okay. We were both drinking," she said. "Besides, you were right." Tara paused and looked at me again.

"I love you and you can trust me," I said, meeting her eyes. "I promise." I was pretty sure what she was going to say and I wanted her to say it. It would help her to share it if nothing else.

"I can't believe I'm telling you this," she sighed. "But before I do, I need you to promise never to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 04



"You have my word," I replied, looking into her eyes. Tara watched me carefully for a few moments before nodding to herself.

"Thank you," she finally said. "Now please don't interrupt. If you do I might not be able to finish." 

"Relax," I said gently. "I'm here for you." She smiled sadly and began her story.

"My mother's brother visited the summer after we graduated eighth grade. I remember being so happy to see him. Uncle Kyle traveled a lot and visited rarely." 

I took her hand gently. This was going to be worse than I expected. Tara paused, but then smiled slightly and squeezed my hand tight.

"He always brought gifts when he visited. Mine was an expensive dress. It was absolutely gorgeous. I remember planning on wearing it to my first high school dance," she said, her smile sad. 

"The weekend came and mom and dad had a party to go to. Uncle Kyle volunteered to watch me," Tara continued. "At first we had fun playing some games, but he was a drinker and after an hour or so he started insisting I try on the dress he bought me. I didn't want to for some reason, but eventually I relented."

I was careful to keep a very neutral expression. Tara was watching me and I could tell she'd stop at the slightest provocation. This was obviously extremely hard for her to say. I didn't blame her. 

"He kept drinking and telling me how good I looked in it," Tara continued. "I remember being excited when he let me sip from his glass. It was very strong and I became drunk quickly. I remember giggling when he suggested we dance."

Tara eyes filled with tears and my heart went out to her. If I could take this pain away from her, I would, but the best I could do in this situation was sit quietly and listen.

"The first kiss surprised me," she said, her tears falling now. "But that surprised turned to horror when I realized what he was trying to do. I fought, but it was pointless. Uncle Kyle was a full grown man and much stronger than me. He tore my brand new dress from me."

I wanted to pull Tara to me and hug her, but I was afraid about how she would react, so instead I squeezed her hand again, letting her know I was here for her. She blinked once and refocused on me. 

"I can remember him on top of me. That's why I lost it last night," she said. 

"Tara, I love you," I said softly. She blinked once and looked at me. Her smile was still sad, but she seemed calmer.

"My parents came home eventually," she continued. "I was lying there crying when they walked in. What was left of my new dress was under me and stained with my blood. Uncle Kyle was half passed out."

"What did your father do?" I asked. Tara smiled more fully, only this time I wasn't sad. It was cold.

"Mother had to take uncle Kyle to the hospital afterward," she said. "I think my father would have killed uncle Kyle if she didn't stop him."

"What happened next?" I asked, knowing there was more to it.

"Dad wanted to press charges," Tara replied. "But mom didn't. She kept on making excuses for her brother and saying how bringing it out into the open wouldn't help anything."

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

"Who knows," Tara sighed. "Maybe she was right, but at that moment it hurt that she didn't stick up for me. That she took her brother's side. Hell, it still does."

"Is that when your parents split?" I asked.

"Yes," Tara replied. "Dad really lost it when she started making excuses for her brother. He told her to choose between her brother and us. Mom replied that she couldn't turn her brother in. That was the last time they talked."

"Your mom has never tried to talk to you since?" I asked in surprise.

"She tried," Tara said. "But I refused and returned every gift she ever sent me. As far as I'm concerned she's dead, and if you dare try and convince me to forgive her I'll leave right now and never speak to you again!"

"Forgive her?" I asked in surprise. "Are you kidding? She let her brother get away with raping you! She as bad as he is!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Tara said, smiling a true smile for the first time since she began her story.

"I would," I insisted. "It's a parent's job to protect their kids from the monsters, not vise versa." I was thinking of Becky, my niece and what I would have done if I'd walked in on a scene like Tara described involving her. I would have killed the guy. There was no two ways about it.

"It's the past," Tara said with what I thought was surprising bravery. "You needed to know about it, but I prefer not to dwell on it."

"But he was your uncle," I said, trying to wrap my arms about it. "What he did was incest!"

"It was rape," Tara corrected. "The incest was incidental, and frankly not all that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal?" I asked in surprise.

"Remind me to introduce you to my cousin Cora," she smiled. "She's one hell of a kisser."

"Your cousin?" I asked in confusion.

"I told you I'd been with a woman too," she shrugged. "Cora is my father's sister's kid. We grew close with her family after my father and mother split up. I never told her what happened, but I think she knew. We were the same age and honestly, what we did was enjoyable and non threatening."

"Wow!" I couldn't help saying. I might be a lot older than Tara, but some of the stuff she'd been through was beyond me. She lost all expression on her face when she saw how I was reacting. 

"I'll understand if you want me to leave," Tara said in a monotone voice. "I promised there would be no secrets and now all mine are out in the open."

I shook my head and looked at her. She was pale and her eyes looked pained. This time I didn't hesitate in pulling her into a hug. Tara stiffened at first, but then fell into my arms and burst out into tears. I held her until she was done crying. It was quite a few minutes.

"Thanks," she said afterward, wiping her tears away. "I needed that. You're the first person I've ever told that."

"Don't worry," I said. "You can trust me."

"If I didn't," she smiled sadly. "I never would have told you."

"Good," I smiled and then kissed her. I made sure to make it loving and not lustful. She needed the one right now and might not deal well with the other.

"So now you know my secret," she sighed afterward. "And it's your turn to share."

"My turn," I frowned. "Frankly, my secret isn't nearly as dark. It's just plain crazy. Maybe we should wait until later to talk about it?"

"If you don't tell me right now," Tara snapped. "I'll never forgive you! I just opened myself up to you entirely. You have to do the same."

"Fine," I sighed, seeing her need in her eyes. "But like I said before, it's going to sound crazy."

"Tell me," she insisted.

"Okay, but you're going to have to use your imagination," I said. Tara nodded and I continued. "Picture yourself many years from now."

"How many?" she asked.

"Twenty, forty, it's doesn't matter," I replied. "The point is that you've lived a full life and made more than your share of mistakes, but they were your mistakes and you had a right to them. It was a combination of them and your triumphs that made you who you are."

"Okay," she said. "I can see that."

"Now picture yourself being forced to come back to the present and relive your senior year of high school," I said. Tara frowned for a moment, but then shrugged.

"That doesn't sound so bad," she said. "In fact, it might be fun."

"Hmm," I said thoughtfully. "I'm not explaining this well."

"Explaining what?" Tara asked.

"Okay, lets change it around a little," I said, ignoring her question for the moment. "Let's say you got sent back into the past."

"How far?" she asked. I frowned for a moment.

"In your case, lets say five years," I finally answered.

"Okay," she said, trying to follow where I was leading.

"So, you're stuck in your thirteen year old body, but with all the experience and knowledge you possess now," I said. "You can change your future, but not who you are."

"I don't understand," she frowned.

"May I use what happened with your uncle to help explain?" I asked. She frowned, but then nodded once.

"Tara, you could change things so that you were never left alone with him," I said carefully. "You can make it so that the rape never happened. Only, that's not completely true. It still would be real to you because you'll remember it despite it never happening."

"Wow," she said, shaking her head.

"Exactly," I said. "So your parents don't separate, which on some levels sounds nice, only you can't look at your mother without getting hurt and angry. She betrayed you, or did she?"

"John, okay," she said stopping me. "I get your point." I frowned, hoping I didn't go too far. I wanted her to understand, but I wasn't looking to hurt her.

"There are other things as well," I said, moving the conversation away from her parents and what happened with her uncle. "You'd be eighteen, but everyone would think of you as thirteen. How would you like we be treated like that again? Do you think that you could related to your friends when they're still talking about things that a thirteen year old talks about?"

"You've put a lot of thought into this," Tara said, shaking her head. "But what does it have to do with your secret?"

"Ah," I said, still not sure how to tell her. It suddenly hit me that there was only one way. I'd just have to say it.

"Well, that's what happened to me," I said. "I was thrown back into my eighteen year old body. Well, either that or I've gone mad." Tara looked at me oddly for more than a few moments.

"You're serious, aren't you?" she finally asked.

"Yes," I sighed, holding my breath. I watched her expression as it changed constantly for a few moments. She was obviously struggling with what I told her. I felt my heart sink when she finally looked at me again. Tara was clearly angry.

"Damn it!" she snapped, pulling away from me. "I finally meet the one guy who's perfect for me and he's crazy!"

"Tara, I'm sorry," I said, not sure how else to react. She didn't believe me. That made sense. Hell, I wouldn't believe me either.

"Sorry?" she cried angrily as she stood. "What does that help? I just told a crazy person my deepest, darkest secret!"

"Tara..." I began, but she cut me off. 

"I can't believe you think you're really from the future!" she snapped.

"I don't believe it myself sometimes," I sighed. "But that doesn't make it less true."

"So then how did you get here?" she asked. I swallowed. There was no way I could tell her. I was certain that if I mentioned Tyche, Tara would call the police.

"It doesn't matter," I said sadly. "You wouldn't believe me anyway. Please just forget I ever told you."

"I can't!" she cried. "I can't do this! You need help. I thought I was screwed up." 

"Tara..." I began, but she was already grabbing her small suitcase and moving toward the door. 

"Goodbye!" she said between sobs as she all but ran out of the room. 

"No! Please don't go!" I cried after her, but it was too late.

**********

I started awake and sat straight up in bed. My heart was beating fast and I was breathing heavily as the memory of what happened returned. Tara was gone! I'd told her the truth and she'd all but run screaming from the room.

"Johnny, are you okay?"

I froze for a moment and then looked down. Tara was lying next to me looking more than a little groggy. I guess I surprised her when I roughly pulled her into a tight hug, but that didn't stop her from returning it.

The room still reeked of sex, but right at that moment that was the last thing on my mind. It had been a dream! Tara was still here. I hadn't scared her away with my crazy story. 

"I'm fine," I replied. "Just a nightmare." My dream had been so vivid that there were actual tears on my cheeks.

"I understand," she said, still hugging me. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," I replied, not releasing her, but also not hugging her so tight. "I just want to lay here and hold you for a bit."

"I can live with that," she smiled, kissing me on the cheek. I brought my mouth to hers and kissed. There was far too much need in it, but Tara returned it just the same.

"Thanks," I said afterward. "I needed that."

"You're welcome," she laughed, panting slightly now. "That was some kiss!"

"I love you," I smiled. "And I'll never do anything to scare you away from me."

"Don't worry," she said, not understanding. "I'm past what happened before. You've helped me put the past behind me."

"Good," I replied, really meaning it. "Now go to sleep."

"Only if you cuddle me," she replied with a smile.

"Always," I said, pulling Tara into my arms and feeling her relax and slowly drift off. I looked down at her and smiled.

Tara had put her past behind her. Now it was my turn. Besides, after that dream I had no intention of chancing losing her by telling her my crazy story. I was an eighteen year old in love and that was enough for me. It would have to be.



High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 05



Author's Note: As those of you who read my biography page recently already know, I was stupid enough to lose all my 'fun' writing sometime ago. I had to start over from scratch. That pretty much shut me down for a while mentally. You see, I don't typically write one chapter/story to completion all by itself. At any given time I literally have dozens in progress (35 currently, of which 4 are in the final stages). I tend to bounce between them depending on my mood and interest. Most are just a page or two of some idea that I came up with based on what's happening in my life. For example, if I go to the beach for a weekend, that week I start a few stories about exactly that.

My point is that when I lost my 'fun' writing I lost years worth of ideas. Oh, I'm never short of them, but writing them down takes time. In the case of this story I think it worked out in that I like this chapter better than what I had before. It just took far too long to get completed. I hope you enjoy it. 

This chapter still takes place in Las Vegas, but for those of you who like the 'high school' aspect of this story, don't worry, I'll be going back there next chapter. :)

Regards,

JD

**********

"Hey John! Wake up!" Someone was pounding on my hotel room door. I groaned as the demanding voice continued yelling. "It's my last day here and I want to get an early start!" I was groggy as hell and didn't want to answer, but I realized that I had no choice when I recognized the voice. 

"I think you'd better answer that before he breaks down the door." My eyes snapped open and there she was, Tara! She was lying in my bed, her face only inches from mine. It hadn't been a dream. I smiled, grinned really.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" I asked. She laughed gently. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her.

"Hey Kid! Come on let's go!"

"Who is that?" Tara sighed.

"It's Angelo. He's a great guy. You'll love him."

"Well, I don't love his timing," she grumbled, disentangling herself from me and grabbing a change of clothes. "I'm taking a shower. I don't want to meet him like this."

I took a long hard look at her body as she moved to the bathroom. Not only was the sight pleasurable, it reminded me of the night before, and not just the sexual part of it. I'd shared something with Tara that I'd never shared with another woman. It was something completely new to me. Oh, don't get me wrong, I couldn't wait to be with her sexually again, but what we had was much more than that. 

Tara turned at the door to say something, but stopped when she saw me watching her. She smiled slowly. Her look let me know her feelings for me matched my own. At that moment I felt like the luckiest man alive. 

We remained frozen, neither one of us wanting the moment to end, but both of us knowing something so intense couldn't last forever. Tara was the first to let it go. It was beyond me. She did so by suddenly giggling and shaking her ass provocatively before slipping into the bathroom. I was out of bed and halfway across the room almost without thought.

"Come on already John! Don't make me get the manager to open your door!"

Angelo. I stopped, shook my head and reached for some clothes. He was a great guy and all, but he owed me for this. I heard the shower turn on as I reached for the door.

**********

"Are you enjoying your wine?" Angelo asked as we digested an amazing meal. He had insisted we come to this restaurant for dinner. He'd also insisted that he pay. I tried to argue, but he was having none of it tonight. He was going home tomorrow and he said he wanted to thank us for a great day. 

"It's lovely," Tara smiled. I had no idea how much the meal was costing Angelo, but it had to be a lot. The place was incredible and the food was even better.

"So, do you forgive me for waking you up so early this morning?"

"She may have," I laughed. "But I haven't. In fact, I may never."

"Don't worry," Tara said, smiling at me sexily. "You'll forget all about it by the morning."

"I am so jealous," Angelo sighed. "And happy for you two. Not everyone finds someone that fits them so well. You two were obviously made for each other."

"I know," Tara said, sounding far older than her years. I smiled and kissed her briefly. 

"You're right," I agreed, remembering just how few of the people from my former life were truly happy in their relationships. Many of them were divorced or lifelong bachelors. Even the married ones weren't always happy. 

Oh, there were people like my parents who were deeply in love, but even that didn't end up happily ever after all the time. Pop's heart attack and mom's Alzheimer were still something that loomed in my mind. I had years yet to try and address them as best I could, but there was only so much I could do. 

Mrs. C also came to mind. She'd loved Mr. C with all her heart, but that didn't stop him from dying. It had taken her years to get past his death enough to even think about dating again. I glanced up at Angelo and had an interesting thought.

"What are you grinning about?" Angelo knew something was up from my expression. He was right. I doubted he would like what, but that was just tough.

"I need a favor," I said. "What are you doing next weekend?" 

"Whatever you need." I shook my head. That was so Angelo. He had no idea what I was talking about, but that's the type of friend he was. I hope he didn't regret it.

"I want you to come out and visit," I answered. "I have a friend I'd like you to meet. Actually, what I'd like you to do is wine and dine her. She could use someone like you in her life for at least a little while."

"You want me to go out on a blind date?" he asked in surprise. "You're kidding, right?"

"It gets worse than that," I laughed. "Mrs. C is a lot older than the women you typically end up with. Hell, I bet she's only a year or two younger than you."

"Mrs.?" he asked.

"She's a widow," Tara put in, smiling now. I didn't know she knew Mrs. C, but she clearly did. "And it's not all bad news. She very attractive."

"How attractive?" 

"Attractive enough," I laughed.

"Especially if you like well built women," Tara put in. "I wish I had her curves."

"Curves?" Angelo asked. I could see his mind whirling. He wasn't the type to go on a blind date, but he was clearly waffling and I had a feeling about Mrs. C and him.

"The nicest kind," Tara laughed. "Most guys would say the type that makes your mouth water?"

"What about most girls?" Angelo was grinning now.

"Most would be jealous of her. I, on the other hand, am not most girls."

"Obviously," Angelo laughed.

"Hmm, am I going to have to worry about you two?" Their flirting amused me more than anything else. It was a running joke all day.

"No," Angelo responded.

"And why not?" Tara asked him. "Don't you find me attractive?" Tara was buzzed and having fun with Angelo. I actually felt bad for him for a moment. 

"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you're John's girl."

"Is she?" I asked. Tara leaned over the table and kissed me, letting me know in no uncertain terms that she was mine.

"Cut that out," Angelo laughed. "You're making me jealous again."

"Come and visit next weekend and you can meet Mrs. C. Then it will be my turn to be jealous," I teased. "Just keep in mind that she's not a jet setter or anything. She's smart and funny, but in an old fashioned way." I wasn't sure what exactly I meant, but Angelo seemed to understand. He looked at me for a moment and nodded slowly.

"Why not? After being home and back at work for a week I'm sure I'll need a break," he finally agreed. 

"You won't regret it," Tara smiled as she sat back in her chair.

"Of course I will," he disagreed. "But what the hell!" The three of us laughed briefly.

I was happy at how well Angelo and Tara were getting along. It was also a bit surprising. Tara was only eighteen, but she didn't have any problem holding up her end of the conversation. I knew she was smart, but clearly she also kept up on current events. 

"I think it's about time I let you two go," Angelo smiled as we finished our dessert. "It's obvious Tara has plans for you two tonight. Thanks for joining me for dinner."

"Thank you for inviting us. And you're right. I do have plans for John," she laughed. "But they can wait a bit longer if you two want to stop somewhere for drinks."

"Sounds good to me," I put in. "It's still early yet." I wanted to be alone with Tara again, but there was something in Angelo's tone that made me not want to leave by himself yet. Tara clearly heard it as well.

"Are you sure?" Angelo asked in surprise.

"Of course," Tara said quickly. "This way I get to flirt with you some more and make John jealous." I looked at her and smiled. She understood my concern about Angelo. She also meant what she said. I loved Tara and we felt right together, but there was still a lot about her I didn't know. 

We went to the bar in our hotel. Three stools next to each other opened as we arrived. We took them with Angelo and me on the ends and Tara in the middle. One drink turned into two, which then turned into three, and so on. The drunker Angelo became, the funnier his stories were. Tara stopped trying to keep pace with us, but she was already drunk by the time she quit. Hell, I even gave up after a while. Angelo was really putting it away.

"Hello," a brunette said as she sat on the other side of Angelo.

"Well hello there," he grinned. The woman ignored him. She was looking past Angelo at Tara. 

The woman had one of those ageless beautiful faces. Her hair was dark and reasonably short. It wasn't easy to see the color of her eyes from three stools over, but I could have sworn they changed from almost black to green as she stared at Tara. There was something very different about this woman and I wasn't sure I liked it. Don't get me wrong. I was attracted to her. Hell, I'm pretty sure everyone in the place was. She was gorgeous and knew it. Yet, there was something not quite right.

"Hello," Tara replied. She was pretty drunk. I don't think she realize just how much interest she was showing as she looked at the woman. I was surprised by how much it bothered me. 

I hadn't forgotten the first time Tara and I spoke after I was sent to the past by Tyche. I found myself back at the first day of my senior year of high school. It hit me pretty hard. I needed some time to think. It was too much to handle so I decided to leave. A guy I knew vaguely helped me sneak out. 

John invited me to a sort of impromptu get together once we were clear of the school. I followed him into a nearby wooded area where we found a small group of kids sitting on logs around a fire, drinking and laughing. Tara was one of them. 

I walked her home eventually and for some reason she decided to see if she could shock me. One of the things she told me was that she thought she might prefer women over men. It hadn't mattered to me at the time, but right now I couldn't say the same.

I wasn't jealous or worried about Angelo, but this woman was something else entirely. First, she was gorgeous. Second, she was clearly interested in Tara. And third, there was Tara's obvious reaction to her. 

She was wearing a long black, expensive dress. The only jewelry she had on a matching pair of earrings and necklace. The woman seemed to have a thing for peacocks. 

I was distracted when Angelo somehow slipped off his chair. He caught himself, but only with some difficulty. He was clearly embarrassed and more than a little drunk. I frowned. Oh, he had enough to be completely smashed, but it all seemed to hit him at once.

"You're done for the night," the bartender said. I frowned momentarily. He must have just come on because I was pretty sure we'd had a different bartender a few minutes ago. "I think it's time someone helped you to your room." The guy was looking at me pointedly. 

"Let's get you to bed," I said to Angelo as I stood. 

"You're probably right," my friend replied with a frown.

"Tara, are you coming?" I asked. She hadn't broken eye contact with the brunette yet.

"She'll meet you back at your room," the woman said, answering for Tara. It was very annoying, but Tara didn't disagree.

"Okay," I said, trying not to frown. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Good bye," the woman said in dismissal. I didn't like her tone. In fact, I didn't like her, but I knew my feeling were probably irrational and brought on by jealousy and alcohol, not that I didn't have a reason to be jealous. The brunette was looking at Tara almost hungrily. I started to insist Tara leave with us when the bartender interrupted.

"Hey buddy, your friend's really in bad shape," he said. "You'd better get him out of here before he makes a mess." I frowned in annoyance, but just then Angelo stumbled again. I caught his elbow and steadied him.

"I need a bed," Angelo said, looking pale. 

"See," the bartender smiled. His tone was friendly, but I didn't like his smile for some reason. I shook my head. I was obviously pretty drunk myself. I started helping Angelo toward the door. I glanced back just before we left. I noticed that the woman had shifted to Angelo's stool, next to Tara. I frowned.

"Hurry!" Angelo groaned. I shook my head and went back to helping Angelo to his room. We arrived just in time. Angelo got sick and I stayed with him until I he was done. It took twenty minutes before I was able to leave.

I all but ran out of his room and made my way to mine. I opened the door quickly and walked in on exactly what I feared. The brunette was naked and in my bed with Tara busy between her legs. I stood there numbly for a moment. I might have feared this, but I can't really say I expected it. 

"Tara..." I began, but I couldn't come up with any other words. She looked up briefly and frowned, but the brunette took the back of her head and pulled it back down. Tara didn't seem to be fighting her. In fact, she went back to what she was doing with only a brief hesitation.

"You're interrupting," the woman said in that same dismissive voice. 

How could I have been so wrong about us? I thought Tara loved me, but here she was with another woman. Worse, she was so enmeshed in what she was doing that she didn't bother to comment. The moment seemed completely surreal. How could everything have fallen apart so quickly? If the woman was a guy, I might of killed him, but she wasn't. I needed to get away. I left the room without another word.

None of it made any sense. I loved Tara. She said she loved me too and I believed her. I wasn't some starry eyed teenager despite my physical age. Something wasn't right, but I had no idea what. I needed another drink.

The bar was pretty empty by the time I arrived. It made sense since it was getting late. Oh, I doubt it ever emptied completely, but this was definitely a down time. I sat at a stool and waited for the bartender to serve me. It was a girl this time. I wondered what happened to the other bartender, not that I'd miss him. 

"Hello," the bartended smiled as she walked over. I hadn't really looked at her when I first sat down. I did now. Did all the gorgeous women come to Vegas? 

A picture of the brunette with Tara popped into my head, but I forced it away. I wasn't ready to deal with that yet. I wasn't sure I'd ever be ready. Instead, I focused on the bartender. She had thick, curly red hair that was tied up to keep it out of her way while she worked. Her curves were impressive to say the least and they looked real.

"I'll have a whisky," I got out. The woman nodded and went about getting my drink. It didn't take very long.

"Here you go," she smiled, placing it in front of me.

"Thanks," I mumbled and downed it. "Another."

"Bad night?" she asked as she poured me a second whiskey. 

"You have no idea," I replied, tempted to down the alcohol again, but sipping it instead. Getting completely hammered wouldn't help me figure out how everything fell apart so quickly. I needed to think. 

Just then three women came in and walked up to the bartender, which basically put them right next to me since she was hovering. I shook my head. I guess all the gorgeous women did come to Vegas. These weren't as beautiful as the bartender, who really should have been a model despite her curves, but they were still pretty amazing, especially considering just how different they looked from each other.

One was an Indian girl with dark shiny hair that reached below her back. She was slim and walked with a confidence that I found myself liking. I had a feeling that she'd be fun in bed. I shook my head. What was I thinking? 

"The usual," she said to the bartender who nodded, but had an oddly ironic smile on her face. That didn't stop her from reaching under the bar and pulling out a bottle of blue liquid. She poured it into three drinks and handed it to the ladies. Each sipped from their glasses and smiled.

The Asian girl was the smallest of the three. She had short hair and perhaps the sexist smile I'd ever seen. She seemed to always be laughing at something. A picture of her face in the throes of passion suddenly filled my head. I felt myself responding. 

"Hello," the third one said with a friendly smile. She was obviously in a good mood. She was tall and dark skinned. Her chest was impressive. I'd never been with a black woman before and I found myself daydreaming about would it would be like to be with her.

"Hi," I replied, shaking my head. What was wrong with me? These women were all obviously attractive, but I'd just lost Tara, the woman I loved. I should have been oblivious to their charms. I clearly wasn't. I shook my head again. It didn't help.

I frowned to myself and finished my drink. The bartender poured me another without my prompting. She was definitely the hottest woman I'd ever seen. My body was on fire as I pictured her naked despite my best efforts not to.

Something was wrong. I knew that, but I couldn't control my thoughts long enough to figure it out. For some reason the three women were now around me. The Asian and Indian were leaning into me from either side. The black girl was behind me. I could feel her heavy breasts against my back.

"John, look at me," the bartender said from directly in front of me. I did and everything seemed to slow for a moment. I blinked hard twice, but it didn't help. I felt overwhelming passion and reached for the redhead. I forgot everything else but her. Her kiss sent a fire through my body and I reached up and caressed her full breasts. 

"Abby, come over here and help me undress him," the bartender said. 

Undress me? In public? I blinked again and looked around. We weren't at the bar any longer. We were in a suite. I was so confused. The bartender started pulling my clothes off and I looked at her. She was completely naked and oh my God! Her body was impossible! I was filled with an aching physical need that made my confusion trivial and unimportant. 

I felt a second pair of hands helping me undress. It was the Indian girl. She was naked as well. The other two women were in the bed and on their knees, facing each other as they shared a kiss that was filled with pure passion and desire. 

The redhead touched my body once my clothes were completely gone and I gasped. Her caresses burned in a way that was damn near orgasmic!

I don't remember moving to the bed, but suddenly I was in it. The bartender was straddling my hips and riding my cock. Her body was amazing. I reached up and squeezed her full breasts. She licked her lips and smiled. She also squeezed down on my cock and made me moan.

"He's close." I glanced away from the redhead and noticed the three other women. They were on the bed as well. It was surprisingly big. The black and Indian girls were locked in a sixty-nine. The Asian was watching the redhead and me. She was fingering herself unabashedly. She was the one who spoke. "He's not going to last at this rate."




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 05



"Sure he is," the redhead disagreed. My pending orgasm suddenly seemed more controllable. I still needed release, but I could now hold off for a little while.

"Show off!" the Asian girl laughed. 

I dropped one hand from the redhead's tits and reached out toward the dark haired woman. I pushed her hand out of the way and thrust two fingers into her pussy. She moaned briefly before grinning and adding, "I knew you were going to be a fun one!"

I'm not sure how long the redhead bounced on my cock, but it was a long time. My cock never softened for a moment. She was driving me crazy! I was awash in her juices. I'd brought the Asian girl to at least two orgasms before pulling my hand from her pussy. She kissed me in thanks.

"I promise to return the favor later," she smiled. "After Ditee is done with you. She doesn't get a chance like this very often and I don't want to ruin it." I lost track of her after that. I was sure she joined the other two women, but I couldn't look away from the redhead to find out. Her eyes drew me in and devoured me. I burned with desire and a need for release that I'd never felt before, but I knew she wanted me to wait until she was ready, so I fought against my release. It wasn't easy.

"Yes!" the bartender cried. "I'm cumming!" 

I grabbed hold of Ditee's hips and thrust up into her hard. Her pussy clamped down on my cock making it impossible for me to hold off any longer. My orgasm exploded with so much force that I literally blacked out for a few moments. Ditee was standing once I could focus again.

"I'm going to take a shower," she said without preamble. "You four have fun." I watched her go into the bathroom.

"She's something else, isn't she?" Abby was smiling at me. I couldn't gather my thoughts enough to answer.

"My turn!" the Asian girl grinned as she took hold of my cock. There was no way I could still be hard, but it suddenly hit me that I was. "I told you I owed you, especially now that you helped Ditee out. Not a lot of men can last until she cums, even when she helps."

"Now Syn," the black girl said reaching for my cock as well. "Why not let him choose who's going to be next? Sort of as a reward for helping Ditee out." She was smiling sexily at me. 

My desire for the three women was strong and frankly, I couldn't focus on anything other than what I wanted to do to each of them, but now that the bartender was gone I felt more like myself. At least I felt in control of my actions. With Ditee, I'd been totally lost in what was happening. It felt more like a dream than anything else.

"Are you two going to fight over who goes next?" Abby asked. The two other girls looked at each other and grinned. The next thing I knew they were wrestling. 

"Does this happen frequently?" I asked, sitting up. The words came out raspy as if I hadn't spoken in a long time.

"Not recently," Abby smiled. "Leea will win eventually, but Syn typically puts up a good fight."

"I'm not in the mood to wait." I really wasn't. My body was still on fire and Abby was naked and next to me. I reached for her. She came into my arms willingly and looked into my eyes.

"Oh! I like what I see! You're in a demanding mood. My favorite!"

I crushed her lips with mine. She returned my kiss with just as much passion. Her dark lithe body was suddenly driving me mad. Her breasts weren't huge, but they were shaped very nicely and her nipples were stiff pebbles. I took one on my mouth, causing her to moan.

"It's been so long since a man took me!" she gasped. "Please! Do it! Do it now!"

I rolled on top of Abby. She wrapped her long legs around me as I thrust inside of her. Unlike the bartender, Abby came quickly. I watched the Indian girl thrash under me until she was done, then I pulled out and rolled her over. 

She had a small and shapely ass. I lifted her hips and feasted on her pussy from behind until she was once again moaning. She tasted amazing and the more I licked, the wetter she became.

I'm not sure how much longer I wouldhave tasted her, but we were interrupted when Leea, the black girl swatted one of Abby's ass cheeks. The Indian girl gasped.

"She likes it rough," Leea smiled. "The harder the better."

"Yes!" Abby moaned. 

I sat up and saw that Syn, the Asian girl was under Leea. The black girl was straddling her head. Syn was licking willfully and obviously enjoying herself.

"I see you won," I smiled as Leea.

"There are no winners and losers in this," she laughed, but then Syn did something that caused her to gasp. "You'd better hurry! I'm in need of a little attention myself."

I rubbed the head of my cock up and down Abby's pussy a few times before thrusting it in. She cried out. Her pussy was hot and wet. The faster I went the louder she moaned. 

Abby arms were at her side as she buried her face in the mattress. It muffled her cries. I wanted to hear them so I took her arms and pulled them back, lifting her off the bed.

"Harder! Oh yes, harder!" the Indian girl cried. I was slamming in and out of her as hard as I could. I held her arms like reins and pulled on them. It should have hurt, but if it did she clearly liked the pain because she just moaned louder.

Abby came, but I didn't bother to stop. I was in need! I did let go of her arms and grab her small hips as I rode her for another few minutes. I pulled her back hard to meet my every thrust. Finally, my next orgasm grew close. Abby clearly appreciate the pounding I was giving her. She looked almost ready again as well. 

Her long dark hair was a scattered mass. I pulled it altogether and made one long, relatively neat ponytail. It was surprisingly thick. I wrapped it around the length of my arm and pulled, lifting her face from the mattress once more. It worked just as well her arms, especially when I separated her hair into two parts and wrapped an arm in each. I pulled back hard and she gasped and then moaned.

"Oh yes! I'm cumming again!" The Indian girl seemed surprised that I was able to drive her over the brink again, but that didn't stop her from enjoying it. Me neither. I thrust into her one last time and started spraying my cum deep inside of her. It did get dim for a moment, but I didn't lose consciousness this time.

I let go of Abby's hair and rolled off of her. After a few seconds she started moving. She lifted herself up on her arms and looked at me. She was smiling.

"Thanks," she said, kissing me briefly. "I think I'll go join Ditee now." I watched her get out of bed and go through the bathroom door.

"I hope you're not expecting us to like it as rough Abby," Leea said with a laugh, drawing my attention to her. She was still straddling the Asian girl, not that Syn was complaining.

"I expect you to be you," I smiled, reaching out and gently caressing her heavy breasts. I'd given up trying to understand how I could still be horny and why my cock remained hard. That was a question for tomorrow. My mind did start drifting toward something or someone, blond I think. Leea frowned as I paused. She looked toward the bathroom.

"Ditee!" she cried. I had no idea why, but a moment later I could care less. My passion peaked and I leaned in, kissing the black girl. Her breasts felt amazing against my chest. They were the biggest I'd ever seen in real life and they were obviously real. I suddenly wanted nothing more than to bury my face between them, so that's what I did. 

"Leea likes it when a man fucks them and then sprays all over her face." I hadn't realized Syn was out from under the black girl until her soft words were whispered in my ear. "Most guys love doing that. Are you like most guys?" As usual the Asian girl was grinning.

"In some ways," I responded with a laugh as I pulled back. Syn moved Leea onto her back. I straddled her stomach and thrust my cock between the black girl's large breasts. Syn started to move away, but I grabbed her arm and stopped her. She looked at me with that sexy smile of hers and I groaned.

"Do you want something?" she asked knowingly. I kissed her in response. She laughed. "I'm yours after you cover Leea's breasts in cum. I need to help her until then." Syn moved behind me and started playing with the black girl's pussy. I could hear the sound of her fingers at work.

I focused on Leea's tits. She was holding them together for me as I thrust between them. She would stick out her tongue occasionally when my cock peaked out from between her breasts and taste the head. The black girl always licked her lips afterward. 

Leea came quickly and the only thing that surprised me more than the fact that I was able to join her so soon after Abby was how much cum sprayed across the black girl's tits and face. She was gasping and licking whatever cum she could reach.

"Here!" I growled. "Take it directly from the source!" I thrust my cock into Leea's mouth. Her full lips wrapped around my cock and she sucked hard, drinking down the last few spurts of my cum with a content smile on her face.

I should have passed out. I should have been completely spent, yet when I moved off of Leea and saw Syn sitting up and wiping the black girl's juices from her lips all I felt was an almost uncontrollable desire.

I pulled the Asian girl on top of me and kissed her, tasting both her and the Leea. I felt a hand on my cock. It was the black girl. She took my cock and directed it to Syn's opening. The Asian girl was smiling as usual. She did gasp when the head of my cock entered her pussy. She was surprisingly tight.

"You have no idea how long it's been since I had a man inside of me!" she groaned, sinking down on my cock slowly. It was almost painful. 

"What about Dion?" Leea grinned. "You were with him just yesterday."

"He was drunk as always," Syn replied. "And it's not the same. I said a man, not a..." 

I frowned, suddenly curious as to what she was talking about, but the black girl saw my expression and stopped her friend from continuing with a kiss. It lasted for quite a while.

"What was that for?" Syn smiled.

"Just because," Leea answered, but she was looking at her friend carefully. Syn frowned, which was an oddity in itself. She then looked at me and sighed.

"He's being difficult, isn't he?" she said.

"Yeah," Leea smiled. "I sort of like that about him. He's got a strong will. Usually they're lost for days before they start coming back to themselves."

What were they talking about? My head felt extremely foggy. And what was going on? Other than the fact that an extremely attractive Asian girl was riding my cock. Wait, this was wrong! Where was Tara? I had a brief picture of a peacock flash through my mind before my thoughts were interrupted again.

"Ditee!" This time is was Syn who called out toward the bathroom and a moment later all I could focus on was the two women in the room with me. They were both beautiful and willing. I was the luckiest guy on the planet! 

Syn's pussy was like a vice, but I had no problem staying stiff. She rode me hard, bouncing up and down without seeming to tire at all. Sweat glistened from her skin making her look even more wanton. 

I pulled her to me and kissed her for a few moments before she sat back up and rested her hands on my chest. She was once again smiling as she bounced at fast as she could. I wasn't really surprised when she came. I'd been watching it build for some time. I was surprised when her friend pushed her off of me. Leea licked her lips as she stared at my cock. I smiled and reached for her, pulling her into a sixty-nine.

I took in Leea's scent and saw the dark patch of hair over an equally dark pussy. I spread her lips and exposed her pink center. My mouth watered hungrily and I stuck my tongue out. Her pussy tasted just as good as I expected. I'd already tasted it on Syn's lips. 

I worked my tongue in and out making her moan, only pausing to focus on her lips occasionally. Leea wasn't just lying there letting me bring her pleasure. She was returning it. In fact, the black girl's tongue was the most talented I'd ever felt! She did things to me that brought me to the brink and back over and over again.

I was deep in the moment when I suddenly felt another tongue join Leea's. I couldn't see Syn, but the Asian girl was equally as talented with her mouth as Leea. I lay there on the verge of another orgasm for so long that my body burned! It only became worse when Syn shifted to my balls. 

I couldn't take anymore! I sat up and Leea's tumbled off of me. I shifted on the bed and reached for her. I moved the black girl onto her side and bent her top leg at the knee. This gave me access to her pussy. I straddle her bottom leg and pushed my cock into Leea's dark pussy slowly. I held her hip and enjoyed the sight of her chocolate ass as I worked my cock deep. She wasn't nearly as tight as Syn so it didn't take long for me to sink my entire length inside of her. I started stroking in and out of her. 

"Syn, I need something to keep my mouth busy!" Leea moaned as I rode her. 

"I can help with that," the Asian girl smiled. She kissed Leea once before shifting on the bed until her pussy was under her friend's mouth. The black girl drove her tongue deep inside inside of Syn. Her tongue wasn't that big, but it seemed so against the Asian girl's tiny opening. So did the hands she used to keep Syn's legs spread.

I watched as Leea's full lips latched onto the Asian girl's sex. I couldn't see what she was doing with her tongue now, but I could see her jaw moving as she worked Syn's pussy unmercifully. I also heard the Asian girl's cries.

"Oh Thalia! You're the best at this! You never fail to bring me my release." Syn was gasping as her orgasm hit. 

Thalia? That sounded not so much familiar as a name I should know for some reason. I lost track of my thoughts as Leea joined her friend in release. The sight of both of them losing it was too much. 

I was holding the black girl's top leg and hip. I lifted her leg even higher and thrust into Leea's one last time. I grunted as I filled her pussy with my cum. She came for a long time. I continued to spray into her until she was done.

"I want some of that!" Syn moaned and pushed me off of Leea despite her own orgasm. She took my cock into her small mouth and smiled sexily around it with her sexy almond shaped eyes. I came for a few more seconds and she drank it down without complaint. She did frown when I was finally done. She pulled off of me and nearly growled, "More!"

Leea's hadn't quite recovered when the Asian girl slipped between her legs and started licking my cum out of where I'd recently deposited it. The black girl just moaned, rolled onto her back and spread her legs wide. Leea drove her tongue deep. 

"Euphrosyne, I think you may be wrong!" the black girl cried as her friend drove her wild with her tongue. "You're the best at this!"

Euphrosyne? That had to be Greek and deep down I knew that wasn't good for some reason, but it was so hard to focus, especially with both women moaning. Syn's ass was up in the air and her face was buried between her friend's dark thighs. 

It wasn't a big ass, but it wasn't as small as Abby's either. It was slightly heart shaped and oddly enticing. Before I realized what I was doing I was behind her, licking her pussy. That only lasted a few moments before my tongue drifted up to her ass. Her only response was to moan into Leea's pussy. I pushed two fingers into her pussy and continued to make her ass ready. There was no doubt what I wanted to do. I only hoped my cock would fit in her ass better than it did her pussy.

Doubts started forming again despite my lust for these two women. Something wasn't right and I knew it was important, but I couldn't stop my excitement long enough to figure it out. Suddenly I felt oddly betrayed and angry. I wasn't sure why, but I knew these two women had something to do with it.

That didn't stop me from what I was doing. I literally couldn't stop, but it did put an edge to it. I was far rougher than I typically would be as I sat up and thrust the head my cock into the small Asian girl's ass. 

"Hey!" she gasped. "I'm not Abby, take it easy! You've got a big cock and it hurts!"

I grabbed her hips and thrust in even harder, ignoring her cries. They were a mix of pleasure and pain. A part of me was horrified by what I was doing, but I was so angry I couldn't stop myself. 

"Stop that!" Leea snapped, sitting up. She was obviously concerned for her friend. I ignored her as well and pushed the last of my cock into Syn's ass. If anything, it was tighter than her pussy. The black girl became obvious hungry. She started to reach for me, but her friend stopped her.

"Wait!" Syn gasped.

"Oh come on!" Leea cried. "That has to hurt."

"It does," the Asian girl moaned. "It hurts so good!" She was smiling once again, confusing her friend. I was beyond caring. I held her hips tightly and rode her ass hard. She enjoyed every moment of it. On one level I must have as well despite being angry because we came together. I filled her ass with my cum as she shivered and shook. Neither of us were done with I looked at Leea.

"Stay away from me!" the black girl cried.

I was scared, very scared. Not of Leea, but of my own emotions. My orgasm didn't help my anger at all. In fact, if anything I was even more enraged. I couldn't control myself.

"You're not human, are you?" I growled dangerously as I reaching for her. I was starting to figure things out. Things were coming back in flashes. "You're making me feel this way! What have you done to me?"

"Not me!" Leea cried, but I didn't believe her.

"Tara!" I gasped as memories of her flooded my mind. How could I forget Tara? I looked at Thalia, Leea or whatever her real name was. "What have you done!" I was grasping her arms tightly.

"Let me go!" she cried, but I just squeezed harder. 

I might have my memories back, but I still wasn't in control of my emotions. I was bruising her and it shocked me. My cock was still hard and ready. The lust I'd been feeling hadn't lessened in the least. What shocked me worse was the thoughts of what I wanted to do to her.

"I can't!" I cried. "Please stop it!"

"I can help with that." 

I turned and there was Ditee standing next to us. She touched my shoulder and suddenly all of my lustful thoughts and needs disappeared instantly. I was still angry, irate even, but I was in control once more. I let go of Leea. 

"Leave us," Ditee said. 

Syn helped Leea into her clothes. The black girl was clearly shaken. A part of me I wanted to apologize, but it's not like I was in control. I still felt oddly guilty. Abby joined them from the bathroom. Soon all three were dressed. They disappeared through the door without a word. Ditee remained silent until we were alone. 

"You really love Tara, don't you?" 

"You tell me Aphrodite, after all you are the goddess of love," I said angrily. "And lust."

"Touché," she smiled, and suddenly she was dressed in a toga. Yes, a toga. To be fair, it did look very good on her, but then again, what wouldn't? She was Aphrodite after all. The most beautiful goddess of them all. She smiled at me. "Thanks." 

"Great, you can read minds," I sighed as I reached for my own clothes. "Now what's going on?" I was exhausted. I'd never felt so tired in my entire life, but I struggled until I was dressed once more. 

"You'll recover eventually," she offered. "As for what's going on? Well, it's simple really. Your love for Tara kept interfering with the lust I gave you. Otherwise, you would have been lost to pleasure for a long time."

"No, I mean why are you here doing this?" I asked, finishing putting on my clothes. "You're a goddess and I'm only a mortal. Why?"

"Haven't you read anything about us?" she laughed. "This is what we do."

"Very funny," I said, shaking my head. I guess I should have been more awed, but I was still pissed about what happened and too tired to care about the repercussions. I was also worried about Tara. I was thinking clearly for the first time since dinner and there was something about peacocks and the dark haired woman's smile that was just out of reach. 




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 05



"The Fates sent me," she shrugged.

"Not again!" I groaned. "What's so special about me that they keep sending gods to interfere with my life?"

"You think this is all for you?" she grinned.

"Who else?" I frowned. 

She shook her head and laughed. "Men! You all have such big egos. What makes you think you're anything more than a bit player in this saga?"

"Nemesis said that I could cause Armageddon," I replied.

"Indirectly," she frowned. "I guess it's possible."

"You know more than she did," I said thoughtfully. "Tell me."

"You humans!" Aphrodite laughed. "Always so curious! You just had a gift most men would kill for and all you have is questions."

"A gift?" I frowned. 

"I haven't come to Earth with my entourage in hundreds of years," she replied. "You should be honored. You're the only human alive who has had sex with the goddess of beauty, love and lust."

"I can barely remember it," I said without thought. It was true too. I could remember my time with her entourage far better than my time with her, but it all was getting hazy now.

"Of course!" she laughed. "I am a goddess after all and you're only a mere mortal."

"Thanks," I said, shaking my head. This conversation was going nowhere and I was worried about Tara.

"Then go to her," Aphrodite said, reading my thoughts once more. "I'm not holding you here and she needs you."

"Needs me?" I asked, and suddenly I remembered where Tara was and who she was with. 

"John, she has even less choice in what's happening than you did," the goddess replied. Her eyes were sad and she was serious for the first time. "It's going to be difficult for her to get past it as well. Her past will make it so."

"Damn!" I snapped, remember what I suspected about Tara's past. This was going to be bad, very bad. 

I was still angry at Aphrodite and curious about what was happening, but now was not the time to ask questions. Besides, I was suddenly certain that whatever the reason, what Aphrodite had done was the Fates attempt at helping me, as twisted as it seemed. "Tell your entourage I'm sorry for what happened at the end."

"Euphrosyne, Thalia and Aglaea? Don't worry about them. The Graces are far stronger than you'd expect. You just surprised them."

"Graces, right," I sighed and reached for the door. Now was not the time. I had to stay focused on Tara. She hadn't chosen the woman over me. She needed me. That was all I needed to know.

"John, be careful," Aphrodite said as the door opened. "You do not want to anger the woman with Tara. She has a very bad temper." 

I suddenly realized who the woman with Tara was. She was beautiful, bad tempered and liked peacocks. There was only one goddess like that.

"Hera," I said. 

"Very good," Aphrodite said. "Just be sure to show her respect. What she's doing is wrong and against the rules, but she is a goddess and Zeus' wife. The Fates have already informed Zues and he's very angry. If it helps, keep in mind that she'll pay for what she's done once she returns to Olympus."

"It doesn't help," I replied. "Not if Tara is going to be as bad as I expect."

Aphrodite didn't bother to comment. Even a goddess had no answer to that. I left the suite and found myself on the same floor as my room, but on the opposite side of the hallway. I ran.

I used my key and threw open my door. It was worse than I expected. Hera was there, but so was the bartended I didn't like and two of his friends. The three were using Tara badly. It took all my strength not to run in and stop them. I probably would have anyway if I didn't know it would be better for Tara if I stayed calm, or at least rational.

"Ah, you're back," Hera said in disappointment. She did something and suddenly she and I were out in the hallway with the door shut between us and what was going on in the room. "Let's not interrupt their fun. I have such few priests left these days. This is a special gift for three of my best." 

"Zeus wants to see you," I said without preamble, fighting for control. "Now."

"Ah well, I've had my fun," Hera said, smiling at the door cruelly, as if she could see what was happening beyond. She probably could. "Besides, I think my job here is done." She was suddenly in the black dress once more. "I can't wait to see how my husband reacts this time. It's always so interesting." I grit my teeth and held my tongue, or at least tried to.

"I hope he makes you feel exactly what Tara does once she's herself once more," I nearly growled. It was the worst thing I could hope on her.

"Humans," she sighed, barely seeming to take offense at my words. "Zeus isn't nearly that imaginative."

"Maybe he's listening," I said, offering up a small prayer that he was. "Or maybe the Fates will tell him."

"You know," Hera said thoughtfully. "I was going to order my priests out when I left, but I don't like your insolence, so instead, I'll let them stay and enjoy themselves some more. You can have what's left of her when they're done." The goddess literally disappeared right in front of my eyes which was a good thing because I completely lost it. 

I don't remember opening the door again. I don't remember much of what happened next. I do remember seeing Hera's three priests' expression when I entered. One face was in ecstasy as he came inside of Tara. The second was grinning cruelly as he hurt the woman I loved. Oddly, it was the third's expression that got to me the most. He was looking at me and smiling in contempt. I launched myself at them. 

The next few minutes went by in a blur. What happened should have been impossible, but I was too angry to think clearly. I attacked. I let out all my anger at Hera, Aphrodite and every god and goddess who insisted on interfering with my life. Poor Tara was an innocent bystander and they'd used her in the worst way. They'd hurt the woman I loved, and now I was going to hurt them. 

I don't remember much of the fight. I guess the men were humans and not demigods like the Graces, otherwise I'm sure I would have been killed. As if was, they gave me a bad beating, but as bad as it was, I gave them worst. 

I lifted Tara and wrapped her in a sheet before carrying her out of the suite. I hurt and could barely walk, but I didn't put her down until we were at Angelo's door. I still had his key from earlier. I opened it and carried her in. 

The door to Angelo's bedroom was closed and I was sure he was still asleep. That was probably for the better. 

I removed the sheet covering Tara and saw the damage Hera and her priests had caused. If she didn't need me I think I would have gone back to my room and done far worse than hurt the priests, but she did. I took Tara to the bathroom. 

It was difficult for me to see with one swollen eye, but I did notice that the hot tub was already filled. The water steamed. There were candles and a tray with a decanter and two glasses. I guess the gods felt a little guilty. They must have known I'd come here and what shape Tara would be in. I didn't know if I should be angry at them for letting it happen or appreciative of the effort they put in. 

I glanced at the mirror and saw just how bad Tara and I looked. I was bleeding from more than one place and my body ached. The only thing keeping me up was adrenalin. I needed to make sure Tara was okay. I stripped my clothes and took her into the shower and rinsed off what Hera and the men had done to her, or at least the parts I could remove. Some of it would stay with her for life.

My own blood also rinsed down the drain as I washed Tara. She was still out of it, but I knew it couldn't last much longer. It was probably better this way. When we were both as clean as I could get us I helped Tara into the tub. I had to get in with her to keep her steady. The water actually felt pretty good. There had to be something special about it because all of my aches and pained dulled once I was in it.

The glasses on the tray were filled with liquid. I took one and sipped from it. I can't explain what it tasted like, but it was truly amazing. The pain dulled even further. I took the other glass and held it to Tara's lips. She drank, but her eyes didn't focus. I watched her in concern. There wasn't anything else to do now. Slowly the built up adrenalin dissipated and everything that happened hit me at once.

"I should never have left you with Her!" I groaned. "I'm sorry!" My mind was racing and the guilt was nearly overwhelming. I hadn't known it was Hera and I was drunk, but I was supposed to love Tara. Besides, if not for me the gods would never have interfered in Tara's life. I should have...

"...not your fault," Tara said softly. "You didn't know I was drugged."

Drugged? I guess that made sense. Whatever Hera had done did make Tara act like she was drugged. For all I knew maybe she was. That didn't make me feel any better. This was all my fault!

"Tara! I'm so sorry!" I cried, pulling her to me. She came willingly despite what she'd been through. I didn't kiss her. I didn't dare. I had no idea how she'd react, but I did hold her.

Tara started crying, but it didn't last very long. My own tears fell as well. 

"I remember you leaving to bring Angelo to his room," she said slowly, gathering her thoughts. "I also remember the brunette leading me back to our room. She must have slipped something into my drink."

"Is that all you remember?" I asked hopefully. She looked at me. Her eyes were haunted. 

"No, I remember it all," she said, swallowing hard.

"I'm sorry," I said again, knowing it didn't help but needed to say something.

"John, I need you to hold me." Tara's voice was still fragile. I was afraid to say anything else. So instead I did as she asked. I held her for what felt like hours. The water never became cold and we finished the decanter slowly. By the time it was done I felt much better physically. Signs of the beating I'd taken from the three men were all but gone. So were the signs of what happened to Tara. Yet, both of us were still beat up on the inside.

"I think it's time you lay down," I said softly as I stood. I helped Tara to her feet and dried her with the oversized towels that were folded and on the ledge. We moved back to the living room. There was a pull out bed. It didn't take very long to set it up. 

There was no comparison between what I'd been through and what Tara had. Yes, we'd both been under someone's control, but Aphrodite's control had been benevolent while Hera's had been anything but.

"John, you're right. I need to sleep," Tara said. "Please hold me. If you don't I'm afraid the nightmares will return."

I did as she asked. She flinched at first, but then cuddled into me. I held Tara while she drifted off. I continued to hold her until the sun rose. I was exhausted and should have gone to sleep myself, but I couldn't for some reason.

I had no idea what to do. I loved Tara and she loved me, but with the gods involved in my life it wasn't safe for her. On the other hand, the thought of living without her was beyond me. 

"What do you want with me?" I asked softly, wondering which god or goddess I was even asking. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"John?" Tara said, opening her eyes.

"Sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay." She noticed how I was still sitting up and holding her. "Have you slept at all?"

"No," I smiled. "I was too busy watching your beautiful face."

"Are you going to be okay with what happened?" she asked suddenly.

"Me?" I frowned. "What about you?"

"John, as long as I have your love I'll be fine." I knew she was being brave. No one went through what she did and was fine, but she obviously needed to know I'd be there for her. "In time."

"You have my heart," I said gently. "And you always will."

"But you saw what I was doing," she said, her eyes darting around the room.

"No," I said strongly. "I saw what was being done to you. There's a big difference." And there was. I'd lost my ability to control myself last night as well. Despite my experience being far more enjoyable than Tara's, I still felt awful. I realized that I felt violated. Poor Tara had that, the fact that her experience was far worse and her history to contend with. "Tara, I love you."

"I'll need time," she said, looking at me carefully. "Perhaps a lot of it. I may never..." She couldn't finish her thought. I knew she was remembering the night before from her expression.

"Tara, take all you need," I said gently. "Only remember what happened last night wasn't your fault. It also had nothing to do with what we shared the night before."

"I know," she said, suddenly crying. "And I'm old enough to know better, but it so hard!"

"There's no rush," I smiled, though all I wanted to do was hold her tight and cry as well. "I'll always be here for you." 

Tara somehow drifted off to sleep again. I held her for another hour, gently playing with her hair before giving in to my exhaustion. 

**********

I woke up to an empty room. I felt oddly unsurprised when I saw the letter Tara left for me on the desk. I knew it was bad news. Why else would she leave a letter? I got out of bed and dressed. After that I started cleaning up from the night before. I'm not sure why I was stalling, but eventually there was nothing more to do, so I read it.

"John, first and foremost, I love you. Never doubt that." 

I swallowed hard. A 'Dear John' letter. Great. I continued reading.

"I told you when I arrived that we couldn't be together unless we were ready to tell each other our darkest secrets. I was ready at the time, but what happened last night took away my resolve. I can't tell you. Not yet. Not until I figure out some stuff." 

Poor Tara. I wished that she was here so that I could hold her again and tell her it would all be alright in time. She'd had a tough childhood and now I brought this upon her to ruin her teenage years. I went back to reading.

"Don't think this is a 'Dear John' letter. I haven't given up on us. I can't. I love you too much. I just need time. The fact that you love me has given me the strength to go on. I'll be ready in time to tell you everything. You'd better be ready to do the same. Love Tara."

I stared at the letter in silence. This was for the better. The gods wanted something from me and until they got it, it wouldn't be safe for Tara. I knew that, but it didn't help. I frowned and continued to stare at the letter until there was a knock on the door. I opened it without thought. It was the police, or at least hotel security.

"Oh boy," I sighed. This was going to be interesting. 

"Hey?" Angelo said from his bedroom door. He still looked a little green. "What's going on?"

**********

"Now stay out of trouble!" Angelo grinned. "My flight's leaving. I have to go."

"Mine is schedule for an hour from now," I replied. It was time to go home. Despite my resolve, I couldn't be this far away from Tara. Besides, I wasn't welcome in Vegas right now anyway. "Angelo, thanks for staying an extra day and being there for me."

"I didn't do much," he shrugged. "The three guys' story about a fight with you was ridiculous. There wasn't a scratch on you. Your knuckles should have at least been bruised based on the damage to them."

Hera's priests were found by a cleaning lady. They were quickly taken to a hospital. I heard that they were pretty bad. It didn't make me feel bad in the least. The police said that their story was that Tara flirted with them and invited them up. Their story was that I walked in on their fun and I lost it.

I think they wouldn't have even bothered to make the story up if they weren't found in my room. They clearly expected me to be hurting from our fight and Tara to be in even worse shape and were trying to come up with a story to cover it all. 

They modified their story when the police told them I denied ever meeting them or being in a fight. The police showed them a picture of me and at least one of them was smart enough to say it was someone different.

That should have been the end of it, but the police weren't satisfied. First, this all did happen in my room, and second Tara was gone without taking the small bag of clothes she brought with her. I told them I was going to take it back with me. They didn't buy it.

I was as close as I guy could be to being under arrest before Angelo finally got in touch with Tara after she landed. She verified my story for the police, which was that the three of us got drunk and when Tara and I helped Angelo to bed we decided it was too far to go back to our room, so we passed out on the pull out couch. It sounded hokey, even to me, but with Angelo's help and Hera's priest changing their stories, the police could only hold me so long.

"OF course, something did happen in your room. One of these days, you'll have to tell me what really happened," Angelo said. He was a pretty smart guy. I wasn't surprised by his statement.

I nodded. I hated lying to him, but it was for the best. 

"Remember, you're scheduled to visit next week," I smiled, changing the subject.

"I'll see you and Tara then," Angelo smiled and passed through the gate to his plane. I frowned to myself afterward. What was I going to tell him next week when he saw that Tara and I weren't together anymore?

The flight home was uneventful. I nodded off once or twice and looked out the window the rest of the time. The plane landed and I took a cab. My parents didn't know I was coming and I wasn't necessarily expecting my homecoming to be pleasant, but so be it. This was where I belonged for now. 

I wasn't sure what the gods had planned for me, but I hoped whatever it was happened soon. Tara had said she just needed time. That was perfect. Hopefully I could get whatever they wanted from me out of the way before she was ready because I had no intention of giving her up forever, gods be damned!

"Make a left here," I said to the cabby. "We need to make one stop before I go home." He shrugged and turned. It wasn't long before we were in front of Tara's house. "I'll be right back."

I left the cab and walked to her front door. I knocked and waited impatiently. I don't know what I would have done or said if her father answered, but thankfully he didn't. It was Tara.

"John," she said nervously, but she wasn't surprised. I guess she knew me better than I did because I hadn't planned on coming here.

"Do you love me?" I asked without preamble. She looked at me and I knew the truth before she answered. I smiled.

"Yes," she admitted. "But..." I cut her off before she could continue. 

"You need time," I interjected. "I understand that. I'll give you all senior year, but when it's done, you're mine. In fact, I want you to come to the prom with me. Two people who love each other should go to their prom together."

"Okay," she smiled for the first time since seeing me. 

"One more thing," I said, looking at her meaningfully. 

"Yes?" she asked, looking concerned again.

"I disappeared on you when you were at my parent's house and now you disappeared on me at Vegas. We're even. Let's never do that again. When we finally do get together, it has to be forever."

"I can live with that," Tara replied, looking at me in a way that made me want to kiss her. 

"What the hell?" I shrugged. I reached for Tara and pulled her into my arms. She flinched, but her lips searched for mine with the same intensity as mine wanted hers. The kiss didn't last long, but it helped.

"That's cheating!" Tara cried, obviously confused by her own emotions. "You said I had until the prom." 

"I just wanted you to remember the difference between me and what happened to you," I said. She looked at me oddly and then surprised me with another kiss. I lifted a hand and touch her shoulder. She flinched.

"I think maybe we'd better stay away from each other as much as possible. I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from doing that again until prom."




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 05



"John, I'm sorry..." she began, but I cut her off.

"Don't apologize," I interjected. "You're right. You do need time to get over what you've been through. I just want you to know you don't have to go through it by yourself."

"Thanks," she said, swallowing. "That helps."

"Besides, like your letter said, we need to be able to share everything with each other if we're really going to be together. Frankly, I'm no more ready to share my secret with you than you are to share yours with me, but prom is eight or nine months away. I will be."

"Me too," Tara smiled again. I took one look and stepped back. Her smile definitely did things to me. She saw my reaction and actually laughed.

"I'd better leave," I said. "Otherwise I won't be able to stop myself from kissing you again."

"Yes, you'd better," Tara said, but her eyes said something else entirely. I shook my head and backed away. At that moment I was almost sure that if I kissed her again she'd share her secret with me, ready or not. I wanted to hear it and let her know that it didn't matter, but if I did I'd have to share mine with her. I couldn't do that. At least not until whatever was going on with the gods ran its course. Besides, I knew she wasn't really ready to tell me. Last night had been far more traumatic to her than she was willing to admit.. Tara had a lot to work through before she was ready for a relationship.

"I'll see you at prom," I said.

"You'll see me at school tomorrow," she smiled. "I mean, it's just not a big enough school that we can avoid each other forever."

"At least we don't have any classes together."

"There is that," she said, laughing at me with her eyes.

"This is going to be tough," I sighed. "You'd better appreciate it!"

She laughed and I smiled. I liked when I made her laugh. I was certain about almost nothing in my life with the exception of Tara. Thankfully, she was enough. I turned and went back to my cab.

"Girlfriend?" the cabby asked as we pulled away from the curb.

"Future wife," I said confidently. It was true too, unless the Fates' plans got in the way, which reminded me. I looked out the cab's window and up at the sky. 'We need to talk. I'm ready and willing to do whatever's necessary to get you all out of my life.'

I could have sworn I saw three old women momentarily looking down at me from the clouds and smiling in satisfaction. A wind came and the clouds shifted, but I got the message. So be it. I was a man in a mission and that mission was Tara. 'Bring it on!'



High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 06



Author's note:

If you haven't read the previous chapters then I suggest you don't bother continuing until you do, especially if all you're interested in is the sex scenes. There is one, but in order to keep the reader enmeshed in a story of this length most of this chapter is character and plot development. I think you'll be lost and disappointed without the background the previous chapters supply. 

For those of you who have read the previous chapters and are willing to continue to read the story line despite it taking me so long to post this chapter, thanks! As a reward for your patience, I've extended this chapter with a lot of revelations about what's going on. Don't worry, there are still a few surprises left to come. Oh, and the sex scenes will start getting longer and a bit more lurid in the chapters that follow :).

Regards,

JD

**********

It's amazing how lonely a guy can feel. Oh, I'm not talking about being depressed or even sad. I'm talking about simply loneliness. In the six months since I returned from Las Vegas my senior year of high school had dragged on painfully slow. It should have been fun, but that wasn't the way it worked out for me and I had no one to blame except myself. You see, I didn't share the excitement that most of my fellow graduating class seemed almost unable to control. I wish I did.

No, I was too busy ostracizing kids who used to be my friends because we had so little in common now and it frustrated me to no end. And what changed to make me this way? Well, that answer is easy enough. Simply put, I lost my mind. How else can I explain having the memories of a man much older than myself lodged in my head?

This all began seven months ago on the first day of my senior year of high school. I snapped and went crazy that day. Well either that or the impossible happened and my recollection of being thrown back in time to my eighteen year old body was true. I'm really not sure which anymore. My memories of that day seem less and less real as the days, weeks and months pass.

I don't think people realize how frightening it is to seriously consider if you've lost your mind. There were times that I was certain my memories of a former life were true, but there were others times where simply logic demanded that I accept the impossibility of it all.

With all of that going on, do you want to know the worst part of it? The loneliness. 

You would think an insane person would just make up some imaginary friends. Not me. No, the only people my damaged brain could conjure up were Greek goddesses who for the most part didn't care for me. Tyche threw me back in time because I pissed her off, Nemisis would clearly have been happier killing me than delivering a warning from the Moirae, Aphrodite used me as a boy toy and Hera...well, I didn't like to think about what Hera did. 

"Hey bud, you want another beer?"

"Sure," I replied to the bartender, looking down at my glass and noticing that it was empty again. I wasn't quite drunk, but I was getting there. 

The smart thing to do was to get up and leave. The alcohol was clearly affecting my mood. Frankly, most days I thought that I did a fairly decent job of accepting what happened to me. Although, I'm not sure accepting is the right word. But honestly, what choice did I have?

Seven months may not sound that long, but you have no idea how bad it can be until you find yourself locked up within yourself waiting. I felt like a prisoner marking time until my parole hearing. The scariest part was that there were days like today when I wasn't sure it would even happen. Yep, I was definitely losing it.

"Happy St. Patty's Day!" someone cried from the door as he entered. He was clearly wasted, but none of the other patrons seemed to notice except to complain about the open door. I wasn't surprised. This was not the friendliest bar in town. 

I only came here when I wanted to get away, and I so wanted to do so after yet another day of dealing with high school kids. Today was worst than most because of the holiday. What is it with kids and holidays? I mean I like holidays, but they seemed to thrive on them. 

The bartender distracted me from my thoughts when he put the beer I ordered down in front of me and moved on to another customer. I took a moment to glance down at my watch. It was still pretty early. I decided that it was time to go after I finished my new drink. I didn't want to get seriously drunk. I could tell that in my current mood it would do more harm than good. 

I let my mind continue to drift as I nursed my drink, but was unsurprised when it came back to my feelings of loneliness. I guess actually being alone didn't help, but then again neither did being in high school and facing all those teenagers. 

My thoughts shifted back to what happened on that first day of school. I had memories of things that were impossible. They were nothing a reasonably intelligent, pragmatic person like me could accept, but they were there and I couldn't let them go despite the impossibility of it all. This brought me back to the same conclusion as always. I was insane.

The most frustrating part was that I couldn't figure out what caused me to lose it so completely. My memories were crystal clear at times and a confused hodgepodge others. I couldn't remember what I did last summer. Oh, I know I worked and I could recall my family vacation, but only in the most general terms. It was like a distant memory and it freaked me out. What freaked me out even more was the fact that I could remember in surprising detail the imagines my mind made up about my previous life. Hell, I could remember most of the verbiage on the last contract I did for Rodger's company. 

"I should," I mumbled to myself over my beer. "I'd spent long enough on it." It earned me an odd look from the bartender as he passed by, but I ignored him.

Thoughts of Rodger made me sad. Maybe it was his death that sent me over the edge? I guess it was possible, but this all started before that. Or did it? Did I somehow change what happened to help me accept the death of my friend? 

"This is pointless," I said, finishing my beer in one swallow and standing. The one thing I learned over the last six months was not to dwell on these types of thoughts. They never helped. Generally, they just depressed me and gave me a headache. I dropped some cash on the bar and moved toward the door.

It was too damn sunny outside. I had to blink for a few seconds before I could see. There was an older guy walking in who grinned at me. I guess he thought I was drunk. I shrugged to myself and watched him go in. He was far more typical of the patrons of this bar than I was. I dragged the average age of the place down quite a bit when I was there, but I liked it. It was a hole in the wall basement bar and people left me alone.

I heard a horn beep as a bunch of kids drove by. I recognized them and waved. I was clearly not the only senior out for a drink on St. Patty's day. I decided to head home because it was probably safer in my current state. I could always go out later if the mood hit me. Stopping at the bar on the way home from school had sounded good, but it ended up being a mistake.

I walked into my house fifteen minutes later and the smell of corned beef and cabbage hit me like wall. I couldn't help smiling. I absolutely hated the stench, but it brought back so many fond memories. Mom always insisted on making corned beef and cabbage today, despite the fact that no one in the house really liked it.

"There you are! How about having a beer with your old man on St. Patty's day?" my father grinned as he came down the steps two at a time. He glanced around before adding in a lower voice, "Maybe it will help us stomach dinner." 

My smile grew. He looked good. Pop had taken well to getting in shape at my prompting last fall. He'd lost quite a bit of weight and seemed happier for it. I hoped it was enough to avoid the massive coronary I remembered him having a few years from now. 

"Dinner will be in fifteen minutes," my mother said as pop and I entered the kitchen. My smile turned a little sad at the sight of her. There was nothing I could do for her coming Alzheimer's. I did some research at the library this past winter, but there wasn't much known about the disease at this point. 

I wish I'd paid more attention to the possible treatments before I was thrown back in time, but my sister Cindy dealt with that aspect of taking care of mom. I visited and paid the bills. It was honestly all I could handle. Oh, I knew some of the medicines they gave mom, but most of them hadn't been developed yet. Thankfully her symptoms were still years away. I'd keep an eye on the developing treatments and get her involved as soon as I could.

"Hey sexy!" pop said, pulling mom away from the stove long enough to steal a kiss. She complained about the interruption, but I noticed the kiss wasn't one sided. 

I loved seeing them happy like this. It also gave me an odd sort of hope. I think there was an irrational part of me that felt if pop didn't die it would take my mother longer to develop the symptoms of her disease. You see, she deteriorated rapidly after we lost pop. They were always very close. I know it sounds a little farfetched, but it was all I had. Well, that and the hope that maybe I really was crazy and mom would be fine. 

Pop and I shared a beer and did what we typically did until dinner was ready, talked sports. It was even more fun now then it was the first time around because I knew how some of the teams actually did. I continued to place a few bets now and again, and my 'nest egg' was slowly growing. I was thinking about investing some of it in the stock market, but I'd have to be careful. I wasn't nearly as knowledgeable about stocks as I was in sports. On the other hand, deciding to invest in some companies was a no-brainer.

Cindy was dressed for a friend's party and insisted on wearing a Kelly-green hat at the table. Mom wasn't thrilled, but gave in at my prompting. Pop said something and my little sister laughed like only a little girl could. The older version of me remembered the inner strength she would slowly develop to handle the difficulties life threw at her, but that was the future. Right now, thirteen year old Cindy was full of innocence and joy. 

"So, what are you doing tonight?" pop asked me as we did our best to move the corned beef and cabbage around our plates and make it look like we'd eaten some.

"Probably nothing," I replied, thinking about maybe going to sleep early.

"On St. Patrick's Day?" pop asked incredulously. I laughed. That was pop. He didn't have a touch of Irish blood in his ancestry, but he loved the holiday. I guess high school kids weren't the only ones who get a little too excited on the holidays.

"I could go to a party I guess," I said, making him smile. There were at least two I knew about. One was at Jimmy's house. He was one of the big party throwers in our graduating class. We'd stayed friends despite my quitting the football team in the fall. Maybe we weren't as close as we once were, but he was always sure to invite me to his parties. He was a good guy.

The other party was at some kid's house that I barely knew, but Jake invited me and I was tempted to go. Jake was the soccer player I met while doing laps at Coach Riley's insistence during my short football career this year. We'd actually become pretty good friends. He was mature for his age and someone I had no real memories of before this year. That seemed to help in an odd way. We became pretty close. I even thought about telling him about my insanity one night when we were drunk at a Christmas party, but thankfully didn't. I could just picture it.

"Yes, that's right. I was thrown back in time by Tyche the Greek goddess of luck because I pissed her off and she knew I hated the idea of reliving high school again."

The whole thing was ridiculous. I was pretty sure I was missing something important. I don't know why Tyche threw me back, but I had a feeling that there was a reason that had nothing to do with what she said at the time. Her simple reason didn't explain why all the other Greek deities bothered me in the fall. On the other hand, I hadn't seen hide or hair of any of them in almost six months.

In some ways that was the weirdest part. Whether I was crazy or not, you would think that something would have happened with them by now. I remember returning from Las Vegas and feeling certain that everything would be resolved by Christmas. Not so much. Six months of nothing except some very odd memories. 

"That was good," pop said, pulling my thoughts back to the present. Mom looked at his plate and rolled her eyes. It was still more than half full. I wiped my mouth and put my napkin over my dish, but I'm sure it didn't fool her in the least.

Believe it or not, we actually played scrabble after dinner. My parents were very good and I was getting there. Cindy always teamed up with me. She was distracted tonight with the party and all, but she sat and talked excitedly as she waiting until it was time to drive her over to her friend's.

"Let's touch up that four leaf clover before you go," mom said with a smile, referring to the one my sister tried to paint on her face.

"I'll go warm up the car," I said, grabbing the keys and running outside. Mom and Cindy were still upstairs when I went back inside. Pop was drinking another beer.

"You don't mind driving Cindy, do you?" he asked.

"Of course not," I replied.

"Good." He was grinning as he reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of white wine. "I picked up a bottle of your mother's favorite."

"Hmm," I said thoughtfully, seeing the twinkly in my father's eyes. "In that case, I'm going to go out to a friend's right after I drop off Cindy. I'll pick her up after her party and bring her home at eleven."

"I've always knew you were a smart boy," pop laughed. "But don't worry about picking up Cindy. You go out and have fun with your friends. Find yourself a nice girl or maybe a not so nice girl..."

"Pop!" I cried, but then laughed along with him. It took quite a while for him and mom to forgive me for running away to Las Vegas last fall and it changed our relationship, but in some ways it was better. Pop had decided that I was eighteen and a man now. Mom would probably never accept that, but that was okay. What mother did?

"I never much liked that Tiffany girl, but what happened to Tara?" he asked.

"She's around," I said, smiling slightly at the thought of her. "She's dating Ronny Hefner."

"That's too bad," pop said, shaking his head. "I liked her."

"Me too," I grinned. "I'm going to take her to the prom."

"I thought you said she was dating Ronny?"

"I did," I shrugged. "But the prom is still two months away."

"That's my boy!" pop laughed. "You know what you want and aren't afraid to go after it." We were interrupted by the return of mom and Cindy.

"I'm ready!" Cindy cried excitedly.

"Let's go," I grinned, just being with my little sister always put a smile on my face. We ran for the car and got in. Cindy fell quiet on the way. I guess she was a little nervous. It was her first boy -- girl party. The only reason why pop was okay with it was because he knew the parents. I was betting that despite his plans for mom while we were gone, he'd still arrive early to pick us Cindy. He was an old fashioned chauvinist in some ways, but that was acceptable these days and it was only because he cared. I smiled and shrugged. 

I wasn't feeling the effects of the beer anymore. Time and food had taken care of that. I was glad. I was obviously in an odd mood and drinking was never good when that happened. The truth was that despite my fears of insanity, most days I couldn't argue with what I knew, despite the craziness of it all. The problem I had these days was the waiting. The gods had something planned for me. I could accept that. I just wished they'd move it along. You see, I had the answer to my loneliness. Tara.

She had plenty of time to get over what happened in Las Vegas. Well, get over it as much as she could. I had the feeling that at this point our dating could only help, but I couldn't chance it yet. I thought that over the last couple of months she was occasionally watching me expectantly despite our agreement, but I didn't make a move. I couldn't. The gods had been quiet for these last six months, but I wasn't fooled. They were still meddling and I didn't want to drag Tara into that again. Look what it cost her the last time.

On the other hand, Tara had stopped watching me when she started dating Ronny and despite my confidence in how we felt for each other and the fact that I was certain that we belonged together, it scared me a little. Ronny was a great guy and Tara obviously liked him. 

I parked the car and walked my sister in. I made sure the party was safe for her despite knowing the family. Yeah, I know. Pop isn't the only one who can be a bit over protective in the family, but Cindy was my little sister and one day would probably be my best friend. That's how I remembered it anyhow.

I drove around for a while after dropping Cindy off. I couldn't go home, but I wasn't sure I was in the mood to go to a party. My indecision didn't last very long because I quickly realized that I was even less in the mood to drive around aimlessly. 

Deciding which party was actually a no-brainer. Jimmy's would be a big blowout with all the friends the old me remembered growing up with and I'd pretty much alienated most of them over the last six months. Add to that the fact that Tiffany and Brad would be there fawning over each other and there was no way I was going to Jimmy's. Don't get me wrong. I was honestly happy for Tiffany and Brad on one level, but that didn't stop me from also being a bit angry when I saw them together. Weird shit. I know, nothing new there.

That only left Jake's friend's party. I wouldn't know a lot of people there, but that was okay. Jake would be there and I could make some new friends. I found it far less stressful dealing with people that weren't part of my life the first time around. 

The party wasn't far. I was surprised at how many people were there when I arrived. The place was packed. The party had spread to the front lawn and back yard. I took one look around and shook my head. This party had all the making of something way too crazy for our town. I was willing to bet that the police were on their way already. I was thinking about turning around and leaving when I noticed Jake. I took one look at him and couldn't help my grin. He was clearly toasted. I'd never seen Jake quite so drunk before.

"Hey!" he cried happily as I walked up. Jake had on a hat that sort of reminded me of the Lucky Charm's leprechaun. He was holding two green beers, one was half full. In short, he was in full St. Patty's day mode. 

"Hello," I replied, shaking my head and doing my best not to laugh.

"I'm glad you showed," he grinned, handing me the full beer. "We've been waiting for you."

"We?" I asked. Just then two girls walked up to us. They were...well, let's just say something else. 

"John, these are the O'Shea sisters," Jake said, introducing us. "Patty and Bridgette."

"We're Irish twins," one of them said, causing them both to laugh. I wasn't sure which was which, but it didn't matter. They were clearly just as wasted as Jake. 

"Top of the morning to ya!" the other said, causing even more laughter. Jake joined them and even I smiled. I couldn't help it. You had to see them to understand. I took a long pull from the beer Jake had handed me.

The two girls were legitimate redheads with pale, freckled skin. They were dressed...well, they were dressed in green outfits that had to be costumes of some sort. They were far too busy and colorful for them to be anything else, but that wasn't really the point. The outfits also showed off the fact that both sisters were surprisingly well endowed.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 06



"They're from my cousin Denise's college," Jake offered. "They're in a dance club that decided to throw a fund raiser for a local charity and did a show with traditional Irish dances for St. Patrick 's Day. My cousin is in the club and my parents insisted we go to support her." I'd met Denise during the Christmas break. She was a nice kid. Her college was only two towns over. 

"We bumped into Jake at the party afterward," one of the girls said, smiling at him. "Denise brought him along."

"The party was pretty bad," the other sister said. "Jake mentioned that he was going to another one and invited us along. We decided to join him despite it being a high school party." I smiled, guessing that she was the older of the two sisters. I had a feeling that she wasn't particularly thrilled about having to come to a 'high school' party, but it was obvious that Jake and her sister were hitting it off.

"I told Bridgette that I knew the perfect guy for her," Jake grinned.

"Even if you are only a 'high school kid'," Patty put in with a laugh. I'm sure based on the way she said it that her sister has said something like that before I arrived. Bridgette actually blushed slightly.

"Well?" I smiled at Bridgette. "Do you think you can stand me for a couple of hours while we chaperone these two?"

"Hey!" Patty cried, but then burst out laughing. Jake joined in. Bridgette gave me an odd look, but she also seemed to relax. I wasn't what she had expected, but I guess that was a good thing. She continued to look at me for a few moments and then smiled slowly.

"It might be bearable," she replied. 

"Ut oh!" Jake said, looking back and forth between us. "I think John has finally met someone with the same twisted sense of humor. This could be bad."

I frowned. I already knew someone with the same sense of humor as me. Tara. She was the woman for me. Yet, I couldn't deny my attraction to Bridgette. Patty was actually the prettier of the two, but I liked Bridgette and it wasn't just because she was the better endowed. 

I was suddenly in the mood to have some fun so I finished the beer Jake had handed me and smiled at Bridgette. She was built very slim despite being big up top. The outfit she was wearing showed off her long legs very nicely. Her red hair was dark and thick. In short, she was hot.

"Are you done staring?" Bridgette asked pointedly. I could tell from her tone that she was clearly used to getting attention.

"Can you blame me?" I asked in reply, surprising her and making Jake and Patty laugh. I decided to have some fun with her. "So, what's wrong with you?"

"Pardon?" she asked.

"You're beautiful and you're here instead of out with a guy," I explained. "What's your issue?"

"Boys bore me," she sighed in reply. "The college ones aren't much better than the ones in high school." She was smiling, but I was pretty sure she was only half kidding. 

"Well then," I grinned. "This is your lucky day."

"How's that?" she asked.

"I'm an older man stuck in a high school kid's body," I replied. It was completely surreal to finally say it out loud. The fact that they would think I was only hitting on Bridgette didn't matter. I still heard the words and I realized that despite everything, I really believed it.

"Don't worry Grandpa," Bridgette laughed, taking my arm. "I'll take care of you."

"Hmm, that sounds interesting," I grinned. She let go and slapped my shoulder, but she didn't stop laughing. "By the way, what's with the outfits? You didn't have time to change before coming to the party?"

"St. Patrick's Day is one of our favorite holidays."

"I would never have guessed," I deadpanned. She rolled her eyes, but didn't comment. I noticed that her sister and Jake were no longer paying attention to us. They were in their own little world. I wasn't the only one to notice.

"Well John," Bridgette smiled, taking my arm again. "Why don't we give Jake and Patty some time to themselves?" 

There was something about her that was very likable. I can't explain it. There just was. Oh, I don't mean anything abnormal or godlike. Bridgette wasn't one of the Greek goddesses who haunted me last fall. I was sure of that. She was just a girl. Okay, a cute girl, a nicely built girl, but a very human one just the same.

It felt good to have her on my arm. You have to understand that I hadn't had much interaction with any women for the last six months. I guess it was odd after what happened with Connie, Ms. Valente, Tiffany and Tara in such a short timeframe. Oh yeah, let's not forget Aphrodite and her three handmaidens either. Of course, all of that was a long time ago and a lot had changed since then.

Connie and Angelo hit it off just like I hoped. He still visited often. Angelo and I kept in touch and remained friends despite our age difference. I went into the city once a month to visit him. I liked the way he smiled when he talked about Mrs. Cognetta. 

Ms. Valente and Coach Bo dated for a while. They seemed to have fun even though it didn't last. I sometimes caught myself looking at her and thinking of stopping by her place, but it would be a mistake. She was a teacher and I was a student no matter how old I felt inside. Besides, I was pretty sure she had recently started dating someone else.

Tiffany had Brad and they were happy. Good for them. Aphrodite and the Graces were beyond reach, but that was really beside the point. I couldn't deny how amazing our lust filled encounter felt. On the other hand, I'd never forgive them for what happened. I think maybe they were trying to help in their own way, but they hadn't stopped what happened to Tara.

Tara. She was the love of my life. I knew that. However, I couldn't have her. Not yet anyway. Not until the gods were through with me. Until then she had Ronny and I had...well, Bridgette, at least for tonight. 

"I could use another beer," I smiled.

"Me too," she said, finishing the one she was holding in her hand. 

The next hour went by surprisingly fast. Bridgette was even more fun than I hoped and the cops didn't show. I guess either the neighbors were very cool on this street or the police were being kind because it was St. Patrick's Day.

Bridgette was drinking seriously, but that was about all she was doing that way. She kept telling me how St. Patty's Day was one of her favorite holidays. She also took to teasing me by rubbing her rather large breasts against my arm now and again. I knew what she was doing. She knew I knew too. The drunker she got the more obvious she became, not that I minded.

A little while later I was in the middle of telling her a funny story. She was resting her hand on my arm and laughing. Every time she laughed, she's lean forward, letting her breasts once more rub up against my shoulder. It was getting to me and she knew it. I was thinking about inviting her outside for some fresh air and whatever else might happen when something made me turn toward the front door. 

Tara and Ronny were just coming in. She saw me and the world stood still for a moment, at least that's what it felt like to me. Tara smiled slowly and nodded in greeting. I nodded back. I noticed that she'd dyed her hair green in honor of the holiday. That was so Tara.

"John?" Bridgette asked, noticing where I was looking and squeezing my arm somewhat possessively. My heart skipped a beat as Tara noticed her, but instead of looking upset or angry, Tara just grinned as if she were happy for me. That bothered me more than I can say.

"I'll be right back," I asked, lifting her hand off of my arm. Bridgette didn't look happy, but she didn't stop me from walking away. I moved toward Tara at first, but realize that it would be a mistake to try and talk to her right now. Instead, I walked outside. It was cold, but that helped. I'm not sure how long I was there before I felt a presence behind me. I knew who it was before I turned around.

"Tara," I said as I faced her.

"Johnny," she replied. I felt my heart tighten. "What's wrong?" She knew me too well. I don't know how considering how little time we had together, but I didn't doubt it.

"Well, I'm drunk for one thing," I said, stalling. 

"I can see that," she grinned briefly before getting more serious. "But you seemed to be having a good time before I arrived."

"You know," I said slowly, ignoring her comment. "I think this is the first conversation we've had since that talk we had after returning from Las Vegas. How are you?"

"Better," she answered. "I don't really remember much of what happened in Vegas."

I frowned. I remember her telling me that she remembered it all right after it happened. Was she lying to me now? Or was she lying to herself? Or did she really forget it all? I guess that made sense. I can understand her wanting to block out what happened with Hera and her priests.

"So you've forgotten what happened between us?" I asked, my voice not quite catching.

"No," she said slowly. "That I remember. I'll never forget that."

And there it was. The opening I needed. Now was the time to tell Tara how I felt. Now was the time for us to reconnect. It was THE moment. I knew that, but I couldn't do it. I loved her too much. The gods weren't done with me yet and I wouldn't drag her into it.

"Me either," I said, but then added, "I need to get back inside."

"The redhead is very attractive," Tara offered. "I'm happy you found someone." I knew she meant it. It didn't help. In fact, it made things worse.

"And Ronny is a great guy," I said, turning to leave. Tara stopped me by placing her hand on my arm. I looked down at it. Bridgette had touched the same arm a number of times in the last hour. I remembered how good I thought it felt. It was nothing compared to what I felt right now. 

"Johnny," she said, pulling my eyes to hers with a word. "You're better off without me."

I looked deep and felt my heart begin to beat again. Tara wanted me to move on. She was happy that I found someone. She seemed happy with Ronny. She thought I'd be better off without her, but now that I was looking into her eyes, the widows of her soul, I saw the truth. She was just as tortured over us as I was. I should have felt terrible, but instead I felt elated and oddly renewed.

"No I'm not," I smiled, placing my hand over hers. "Enjoy your time with Ronny, but remember you're my prom date."

"He's already asked me to go with him," Tara said, looking at me oddly.

"You said yes to me first," I reminded her. My smile turned into a grin as I added, "And I'm going to hold you to it!"

"This is crazy," she said, shaking her head, but there was suddenly a lightness to her tone that I hadn't realized was missing before I looked into her eyes. 

"Definitely," I agreed readily enough. "I've had six month to accept that I'm certifiably insane. If you have any brains at all, you'll go running and never come back."

"It's not lack of brains that's stopping me," Tara said, shaking her head. I took her chin in mine and made her look at me again.

"I know," I said seriously. "You know I feel the same way. I wish I didn't because then I wouldn't hesitate in taking you in my arms right now, but I do. I can't do it to you."

"Johnny," Tara sighed. "You have it all backwards." The door opened and a couple came outside. They saw us and frowned. I didn't blame them. Tara was Ronny's girl and I was clearly hanging with Bridgette tonight. I ignored them and focused on Tara. 

"How's that?" I asked. She took my hand from her chin and moved it to my side, but she gave it a warm squeeze before letting go.

"We need to talk," she said. "It's time."

"I'm not so sure," I said slowly, remembering my insanity and honestly frightened at how she would react. I hadn't forgotten the dream I had in Vegas.

"I am," she said with a finality that surprised me. She was a strong woman. I loved that about her, but then again I loved everything about her. I could be strong too, for her.

"Okay," I said, swallowing hard. "I'll go first." Just then the door opened again and Ronny came out. He saw us and frowned. We weren't doing anything wrong, although we were standing very close.

"Not now," she said. "Tomorrow."

"You're kidding? I finally get up the nerve, or stupidity depending how you look at it, to tell you and you want to wait?" I asked in frustration. She just laughed in a way that was all Tara. It was impossible for me not to join her. 

"You're drunk," she said as Ronny began moving toward us. "And it wouldn't be fair to Ronny or the redhead."

"Bridgette," I offered, more because I didn't want our time together than for any other reason. Tara understood.

"Bridgette," she corrected. She glanced Ronny's way and added quickly before he arrived, "One more thing Johnny."

"Yes?" I asked.

"I never said that I agreed to go with Ronny to the prom, only that he asked."

That one fact and the way she said it was enough to get me through another six months of waiting, but I wouldn't have to wait that long. We'd talk tomorrow and everything would be okay. Well, either that or I'll have lost my reason for living. So be it. It was better than going on like this.

"Hey," Ronny said as he walked up, putting his arm around Tara possessively. Instead of being angry, I felt bad for him, but not too bad. I didn't really know Ronny in my past life, but I did know that he was one of the guys who hit it big. He changed his name and joined a band that made millions.

"Hello," I said, but I was looking at Tara when I added, "I'll see you later." I was cold and in a better mood then I'd been in a long time despite the uncertainty of how Tara and my conversation would go tomorrow.

"There you are!" Jake said went I went back inside. "I don't know what you did, but Bridgette is pissed! You blew it with her bad. She's talking to Bobby and Kyle over there."

"Great," I said as if I was disappointed, but honestly I could care less. I went to the keg and poured another drink. I bumped into a guy I knew and we bullshitted for a while. People came and went, but I noticed that Ronny and Tara never came back inside.

I didn't actually drink much of the beer I took because suddenly there was no point in staying at the party anymore. All I wanted to do was go home, go to sleep and see what happened tomorrow, but I had to wait. First, it was still a little early to be going home. I did not want to catch my parents doing what they were probably doing. And second, I was too drunk to drive. 

I wandered around the party for a while saying hello to the few people I knew while I waited impatiently for the time to pass and me to sober up. I smiled briefly when I saw that Jake was still doing well with Patty. I was happy for him and it felt oddly comforting to watch them. I had no idea if they were meant for each other. I had no idea if they even dated after today, which was the way it was supposed to be.

Bridgette seemed to be enjoying herself with Kyle and Bobby, but I caught her looking my way once or twice. Her expression was unreadable. I left it at that. I was sure we could have had a great time tonight. We had some obvious chemistry and she was smoking hot and in a mood, but in the end she wasn't Tara. 

I passed a short line of girls waiting for the bathroom and grinned. Some things never changed. Of course, my humor was tempered by the realization that I had to go as well. I wasn't willing to wait just yet. The party wasn't as packed as it was when I arrived, but it was still pretty tight. I decided to step outside for a bit.

I went out the back door. The first thing I noticed was that it was colder than I remembered. That didn't help with my need to go to the bathroom. The second was that there was no one out here anymore. I was just about to turn around and go back in when some guy came around from the side of the building. He was zipping up his zipper when he saw me. 

"Ah! That feels better! I hate waiting on lines," he grinned as he passed me and went inside.

"Why not?" I said with a shrug and moved to the side of the building. The house abutted a small patch of woods. I went into it a short way and found a tree to use because despite being drunk, I didn't want to pee on someone's house. I unzipped and sighed in relief.

"You know, that tree is someone's home too."

I should have been shocked to hear a woman's voice so close, but somehow I wasn't. I realized that ever since my conversation with Tara, I was expecting something like this to happen. I wasn't sure why. I had yet to see who was standing behind me, but I knew what she was if not who. I could feel her presence and that narrowed down the list considerable. 

"I'll be with you in a moment," I said, finishing what I started. I meant no disrespect, but stopping wasn't really an option. I needed relief. Besides, I had the feeling I'd need to be able to focus on the conversation I was about to have. 

"Men," the voice sighed.

I turned around after I finished zipping my zipper. That was when I received my first surprise. There wasn't a woman behind me. There was a girl. She looked to be about my sister Cindy's age. Of course, that was the only thing she had in common with my little sister. She was wearing what was essentially a sleeveless shirt that tied at the waste and barely covered her hips. If she were human she'd be freezing, but clearly she wasn't. She was a beautiful child. I wasn't surprised. I'd met enough of her sisters to see the family resemblance. 

"How can I help you?" I asked, not meaning to sound as flippant as it came out. The girl actually smiled. I noticed that her eyes were far older than her form. No surprise there.

"You can't," she replied. 

"Did the Fates send you?" I asked.

"Yes and no," she grinned.

"That's not particularly helpful," I grumbled. That's when I received my second surprise. The small wisp of a girl suddenly had me pinned against a tree with a sharp blade against my throat. She was no longer smiling.

"I've never had much use for men in general and I don't like you," she said. I was very careful to remain motionless. This one was clearly a bit bipolar and I could tell from her eyes that she'd have no problem killing me where I stood. "Keep your judgments to yourself. I couldn't care less about what you think about me, but while I'm here you'll show me some respect."

"I meant no disrespect," I said carefully. 

"Of course you did," she said, stepping back and suddenly grinning again. "You're a man and I'm in the form of a young girl. It's your nature to be an ass. You can't help it."

I had no idea how to respond to that so I opted to remain quiet. The one good thing about the last few moments was that having a knife to your throat is very sobering. I felt surprisingly clear headed.

"The Fates didn't send me," she said as if offended by the very thought, but then she relented and added, "However, they did ask me to speak with you. It seems that things are coming to a head. I guess they had to change eventually. It's too bad really. I prefer them the way they are."

"Pardon?" I asked in confusion.

"You're not particularly perceptive, are you?" she asked in reply. "Doesn't it seem a bit odd that you've only been visited by female gods?"

"I guess," I frowned, not sure what she was talking about.

"You guess," she snorted, shaking her head. "I don't have the patience for this!"

"For what?" I asked, still just as confused as I was at the start of the conversation.

"Men!" she snapped again. Her eyes were dark and honestly, more than a little frightening. I decided that the smartest thing I could do was shut up and let her talk. Suddenly she was smiling again as she added, "At least you're one of the smarter ones." It was then that I remembered that the gods could read my mind.

"It saves time," she said. "Now stop thinking so hard and listen. I need to be gone. The hunt calls to me."




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 06



"Artemis," I said, realizing who she was. This little girl in front of me was the virgin goddess of the hunt and Apollo's sister.

"Yes, yes," she said impatiently. "I'm the goddess of the wilderness and wild animal. It's said that I'm also the goddess of childbirth, but that's not really true. Men seem to think that all the goddesses have to have a link to what they think women should be. Pigs."

I'd thought Nemisis was bad and there was no argument that she was dangerous, but Artemis was dangerous and unpredictable. She also seemed to hate men. That was far more frightening. Of course, even she wasn't as bad as Hera. I'd never forgive that goddess for what she did.

"Get in line. Hera has a way of making enemies," Artemis sighed. "In fact, if she didn't, I might actually be on her side in all this."

"Her side?" I asked, but the goddess just shook her head.

"Didn't I tell you to stop thinking so hard and listen?" she asked. I knew better than to do anything else other than nod and clear my mind once more. She looked at me in silence for a moment and then nodded. "That's better."

"I can see that you've realized that Tyche sending you back in time had little to do with a personal vendetta. She was simply placating the Fates," the goddess said, staring off into the distance. She fell silent for a few moments. I waited as patiently as I could. She finally looked at me once more and added, "You're a man and I know what I'm about to tell you will be hard for you to accept, but try. You see, you aren't the lead in this tragedy. You've only a minor role and it's coming to a close."

"What?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. I was fighting hard to understand what she meant, but Artemis was clearly unimpressed with my efforts.

"Zeus, give me strength!" she sighed, but then the goddess's eyes grew sad as she added, "If only you could father."

"Are you trying to tell me that I'm going to die soon?" I asked, shaking my head as I tried to come to grips with the possibility.

"That's not what I said," the goddess said with forced patience. "Although it's certainly a possibility, especially if you resist playing your part."

"What exactly is my part?" I asked.

"Why to father the next generation of gods of course," she replied.

"Of course," I said, nodding, but having no idea what she was talking about. "And doing so is only a minor thing?"

"Rutting like a beast and supplying some seed," Artemis said with a disgusted expression. "I'd call that a minor role. Wouldn't you?"

"You do realize that I have no idea what you're talking about, right?" I sighed, rubbing my temples with both hands. 

"I'm not surprised," she replied with a shrug. "I told the Fates that you wouldn't get it, but they insisted I try and explain it to you. I don't know why they chose me, but that's the Fates for you."

"How can I be the father of the next generation of gods?" I asked. "I'm only a human."

"Oh, I know it doesn't make sense," she said in agreement. "Let's be honest, you're not even a particularly impressive human at that, but the Fates have spoken and they're seldom wrong." 

"But wouldn't any children I have with a goddess be demigods? I mean, it's not like it hasn't happened before. Hercules, Perseus and Archilles are just a few of the gods' bastards by humans." My mind was racing as the words spilled from my mouth. 

"There you go again, being a man," she sighed. "Why would you think any goddess would be willing to have your child? You're done nothing particularly heroic in your life. You don't have anything to offer better than any other man. I've already told you, it's not about you." 

To say my head was spinning was a complete understatement. I was actually feeling nauseous and I didn't think it had anything to do with the beer I drank. Artemis was still speaking, but it was hard to focus on her words at this point.

"By the way, you're mixing your mythologies. It's Heracles, not Hercules. I never much cared for how the Roman's adopted us. Besides, I hate the name Diana. It so common."

"Sorry," I said, at a loss for words for a few moments. Artemis surprised me by waiting until I could form another question. I thought long and hard before asking it. "If I'm going to be the father of the next generation of the gods, then who will be the mother?"

"Now we're getting to the true heroine of this story," the goddess smiled. "You're role could be filled by any man really, but the fates spent thousands of years working toward the birth of the mother of the next generation of gods. She is the key. The time of the next Golden Age grows near. I only hope I'm around to see it."

"Are you going someplace?" I frowned. The goddess shrugged.

"Perhaps," she answered cryptically. "I would be sad to leave this existence, but I do miss my brother Apollo. It will be good to see him again despite him being a man."

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Tartarus of course," she replied. "The gods cannot die, but nothing is forever. When our time on this plane is done, we go to Tartarus."

"And Apollo is there." It was more of a statement than a question. I thought about what she'd said earlier about only meeting female gods. "All of the gods are there. Only the goddesses remain free."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Artemis snorted. "I think the last two thousand years have been great, but nothing lasts forever and our time grows to an end whether I want it to or not, whether Hera wants it to or not."

"Hera is against this?" I asked, not really surprised.

"Yes and no," Artemis smiled oddly. "She's known it was coming just like the rest of us. I think Hera's real issue with it is that she's not going to be the mother of the next generation of gods. She has reason. There are presidencies, but the Fates cannot be denied."

"I don't understand," I sighed.

"I know," Artemis replied in an uncaring tone. "But my task here is ended. I've done as the Fates demanded. You won't be able to absorb anything else I say tonight anyway. Just remember, you have a part to play in the coming of the next Golden Age. It may be minor, but all the parts are important in this tragedy. Don't screw it up." 

It bothered me that she kept calling what was happening a tragedy. I thought that the Greeks called all plays tragedies, but I wasn't certain. Besides, if I remembered correctly, most of their plays did end tragically. I was about to ask her what she meant by it when I heard cries in the distance. Some were human, some not.

"My hunt calls to me," Artemis said, her eyes turning oddly feral. "Remember what I've said here tonight." And with that the goddess ran off into the woods, disappearing in moments.

"Wait! You never told me who the mother of the next generation of gods is going to be!" I called after her, not really expecting an answer, but I was wrong. I heard ever so softly on the winds in Artemis's sarcastic voice, "Tara, of course."

"Of course," I said, completely stunned. 

Tara. The woman I loved, my soul mate. She was the one. The Moirae spent thousands of years playing with the fates of people so that my Tara could be born. It didn't make sense. It couldn't, but deep down I knew it was true. I just couldn't face it.

I let my mind move on to other questions. Things like, what did Artemis mean by the next generation of gods? Why were the male gods sent to Tartarus? Who had the power to do it? Was it the Fates? Hera? Neither seemed to make sense, but I found it hard to believe that Zeus and the others went willingly. Yet no matter how far I let my mind wander, it kept coming back to Tara.

Was she human? I'd thought I'd been protecting her all these months by staying separated from her. Was the reality of the situation that she was actually trying to protect me? Did she really love me or just want me to be the father of her children, whatever they might be? Did the answer to these questions matter in the end? I had no idea. 

"Artemis was right," I found myself saying aloud. "This is a tragedy, or at least I think it is."

I had my ambitions like most men, but Artemis was right about me too. They were small things that would make me happy. I never planned on being someone who changed the world. I'd lived a full life before being tossed back to my eighteen year on body. I'd learned long ago what I was about. I was looking for a simple life. Sure, I wanted to get married and have kids, but not the type of kids that Artemis was talking about.

I'd spent the last six months waiting for the gods to be done with me so I could move on with my life. That dream was gone. Artemis just told me that my living a normal life with Tara was a fallacy. I knew I could walk away from it all, but despite everything, I did love her. I just didn't know if I could survive that love.

"Buddy, are you okay?"

I blinked and looked up. There was a guy standing only a few feet away from me. He looked honestly concerned.

Y-Y-Yes," I stuttered. It was then I realized just how cold I was. I was standing outside half freezing to death while my mind tried to come to grips with what I'd just learned.

"You're pale as a ghost and your lips are turning blue," the guy frowned. 

"I'm g-g-going inside n-now," I got out and turned toward the house. "Thanks." I saw the guy watch me for a moment before he started unzipping his pants. I couldn't help smiling despite everything. I was saved because yet another guy wasn't willing to wait in a line to pee. Maybe Artemis was right about us.

My humor was short lived. I made it inside easily enough, but the place was still packed and I felt suddenly claustrophobic. My life would never be normal again and I couldn't cope with it. The smart thing to do was leave, but I was well beyond doing the smart thing. Instead, I went and got myself a beer, downed it and poured another. It didn't take me very long to finish that one as well.

At that point I looked around, shaking my head at what I saw. The place was still crowded with teenagers having a good time. My eyes bounced from person to person, couple to couple, group to group. These kids had no idea how tough life could be. They had no idea of what they'd have to face in the coming years. I envied them. 

It all felt so unfair. They would live their lives without any interference from the so called gods, while I would have to continue to deal with divine interference for the rest of my life if I followed my heart. Yeah, I was definitely envious of them for a number of reasons, but it all came down to one thing. I was jealous of their normalcy. 

I shook my head a second time and tried to clear it. I noticed a small group of people laughing and gathering in a circle to one side. There was some Irish music playing on a radio. I'd forgotten it was St. Patrick's Day until that moment. I moved to the crowd and saw the O'Shea sisters doing a jig of some sort. I guessed it was from their show. I had to admit that they were very good, especially considering that it was obvious that neither of them were particularly sober. 

The song ended and another song came on, but it was more contemporary. I saw Jake go to Patty and start dancing with her. There were at least three guys circling Bridgette trying to work up the nerve to ask her. I could see why. Patty was a little prettier than her sister, but Bridgette was still beautiful. Her body was amazing too. Add to that the way she carried herself and she could be quite intimidating. I only stared at her for a moment before making my way over. I stepped in front of a guy who was about to ask her to dance. 

"Yes?" she asked, somewhat coldly. I wanted to forget the gods, fate and everything that came with it. I didn't want to forget Tara, but I did want to forget what she was and what loving her meant. We would have our conversation tomorrow, but at this moment that was a lifetime away. This was probably my last chance to feel normal and I couldn't pass it up, so I kissed Bridgette.

"Whoa!" someone said, but I ignored him. Bridgette was stiff in my arms at first, but then she relaxed into me and started returning my kiss. I heard the same guy say, "I'll be damned!"

It felt good to have Bridgette in my arms. She was pretty, slim and frankly, her large, firm breasts felt amazing against my chest. The combination made her one of the most attractive women I'd ever met. She could grace the cover of any men's magazine in the world and not be embarrassed. Yet, despite all that there was something very real and normal about her, and that's what I needed at that moment. 

"What was that for?" Bridgette asked softly when we finally broke apart.

"For reminding me that it was St. Patrick's Day," I said, having no idea what I meant, but for some reason she smiled in acceptance. 

She took my hand and led me to the keg. This girl was obviously in the mood to party. I didn't mind. I could use the distraction. I poured two beers and handed her one. Bridgette surprised me by downing hers and throwing the cup on the floor.

"Let's dance!" she grinned, dragging me to a neighboring room. Bridgette started moving. I laughed and joined her. The room we were in had become an impromptu dance floor. I was never really much of a dancer, but I had fun as we moved to a handful of songs. I'm sure the couple of beers I downed when I first came back inside helped. 

Eventually a slow song came on and I took Bridgette in my arms. We swayed. The party was still going reasonably well, but it had emptied out considerably. There were four or five other couples dancing around us and I was happy to see that Jake and Patty were one of them. They looked good together. Again, I felt envious. It wasn't because of their growing feelings for each other, but because they would be able to deal with those feelings without any interference. 

I was distracted a moment later when Bridgette tilted her head and directed her lips toward mine. We kissed. I didn't love Bridgette. She didn't love me, but it was obvious that we wanted to be with each other tonight, or maybe we just didn't want to be alone. I wasn't sure and in the end I guess it didn't matter. We continued to kiss until the slow song ended and a fast one began. Bridgette pulled back and we started dancing again. I noticed her sister and Jake pull apart slowly.

"Let's get some fresh air," Patty said to him instead of starting to dance again. He smiled and nodded.

"It's pretty cold out there," I warned. Jake shrugged and followed the redhead toward the back door.

"I have a feeling that they'll find a way of keeping each other warm," Bridgette interjected, watching her sister and Jake leave. She smiled, but there was also an odd sadness in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I found myself asking.

"Nothing," she replied automatically, but then she shrugged and added, "I guess I'm still getting over my old boyfriend."

"Aha!" I cried, trying to make her smile. "I knew there was a reason why a girl as beautiful as you was alone tonight. What brain damaged fool let you slip away?" She smiled at my attempt at humor, but didn't laugh. 

"If you don't mind," she said instead. "I don't want to talk about Sean. Tonight's St. Patrick's Day and I promised my sister we'd go out and have a good time." It was obvious that the wound was still raw. I was tempted to push because I thought Bridgette could use someone to speak with based on her reaction, but I didn't. Tonight was supposed to be about fun and talking to her about her old boyfriend would definitely not be that.

"Well, Patty's obviously having a great time," I offered instead. "What can we do to make your night better?" 

"More dancing! More drinking!" she cried, finally laughing again, but the sadness was still there in her eyes. I led her back to the keg and poured two beers again. She drank most of hers and wanted to dance again before I took more than a swallow from mine. I shrugged, put my beer down and took her hand. 

We danced again, only this time Bridgette was a bit frisky. She rubbed up against me every so often, teasing me. It was very distracting to say the least. Bridgette knew exactly what she was doing to me. Oh, she wasn't grinding against me or anything, not like the kids did in my memories of my former life. This was a different time, but what she was doing was causing the expected response from my body.

This continued until another slow song came on. This time when I took Bridgette into my arms I was the one who initiated a kiss. Her teasing got to me, but clearly she was enjoying herself as well because her body molded against mine. There was no way she couldn't feel my excitement pressed against her stomach. The almost innocent flirting we'd been doing to each other was quickly developing into something more. 

"I think maybe we should take a walk outside as well," Bridgette said suddenly, stepping back. I looked down into her eyes. I couldn't tell if she wanted to go outside because she wanted us to be alone or if our closeness suddenly frightened her. I think maybe it was a little bit of both.

"Okay," I found myself saying despite remembering how cold it was outside. I did make sure we found our jackets first.

"Ah, there they are!" Bridgette grinned once we were outside. I assumed she meant Jake and her sister, but I didn't see them until I followed the direction of her gaze. 

"Smart," I said with a laugh. Bridgette was looking at a car with steamed windows. I recognized it as Jakes. "Should we go bother them?"

"I have no idea what they're doing in there, but I can guess. My sister and I are close," Bridgette laughed. "But not that close." I laughed along with her until she added, "How did you get here? It's freezing out here, but I'm not ready to go back inside yet."

"This way," I said, taking Bridgette's hand and leading her down the street to my car. We got in quickly. It was still cold, but not nearly as bad as outside. We didn't immediately start kissing like I half expected. "You want me to turn on the car so we can put the heat on?"

I can't say that I wasn't enjoying myself, but between the cold and all the dancing, I was starting to sober up. Bridgette was a beautiful girl and built crazy hot. I could feel myself responding to her on more than one level, but for some reason I hesitated taking her into my arms again. She was clearly expecting me to do exactly that. For the life of me I didn't know why I didn't, at least not at first.

"No," she replied. "At least not yet." 

"Okay," I said, looking at her once more. I knew that she would let me make love to her tonight. It was all there in her eyes. Only it suddenly hit me that even though we would both enjoy it, it wouldn't be right for either of us. Bridgette was in pain over this Sean. She'd made herself drunk trying to forget him. Maybe having a one night stand would help, but for some reason I didn't think so.

I was fighting to cling to something that didn't really exist. My life stopped being normal, if there is such a thing, the moment Tyche threw me back in time. I needed to accept that. I also knew that I loved Tara no matter what secrets she was keeping from me. 

I was attracted to Bridgette because there was something very human about her and I wanted to stop thinking about the gods. Okay, it didn't hurt that she was gorgeous. Yet, as I pictured Tara I realized that she was the most human girl I'd ever met despite what Artemis said. She was also the most beautiful. 

"John, is everything okay?" Bridgette asked, confused by my expression.

"It's fine," I smiled, taking her hand. "Now tell me about Sean."

"What?" she cried in surprise. "No way!"

Ten minutes later I was holding the redhead in my arms while she cried. Unsurprisingly, her story was a very human one. She and Sean had agreed to date other people when they went away to school, only she'd heard from a friend that he was getting very close with some girl. I had no idea how everything would end up, but I let her talk and held her while she cried. The only advice I offered was that she should talk to him and tell him how she felt.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 06



"It's getting late," she said some time later. "This wasn't exactly what I expected, but thanks. Thanks for listening."

"Not a problem," I smiled, meaning it.

"You do get that you're a fool, right?" she added with a laugh. "I mean, in the mood I was in, I was pretty much a sure thing tonight." I laughed ruefully. It was something Tara would say. I guess that was probably a large part of my attraction to Bridgette. She might not look very much like my girl, but there were similarities. 

"Yeah, but you would have regretted it," I answered. She didn't argue.

"So, what are you going to do about the green haired girl I saw you staring at before?" I knew she meant Tara. Bridgette was no dummy.

"Talk to her of course," I shrugged, causing her to laugh again.

"Sounds like a good idea. Now let's go find my sister. We need to get home."

"Think we should interrupt them?" I grinned as we left the car. 

"I was just kidding before," Bridgette said. "My sister isn't the type to sleep with a guy she just met. Normally, I'm not either."

"The windows are still awfully foggy," I offered as we moved toward Jake's car.

"I didn't say she was a saint," the redhead laughed. "Just that they wouldn't have gone all the way." I joined her.

We knocked on the window and heard some quick scrambling before one of the windows came down. They were both fully clothed although Patty's costume top was a bit off. Bridgette raised an eyebrow at her little sister, but didn't say anything. Patty blushed just the same. 

"It's time to go," Bridgette said, and then turned to me. She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks again."

"Call him," I said pointedly. She nodded and got into the back of Jake's car. Patty and Jake gave me an odd look before saying their goodbyes and closing the window. I watched the back of Jake's car disappear down the street. 

"What a night," I sighed, moving back toward me car. I was almost to it when I realized the engine was already running. I frowned and pulled the keys out of my pocket. I shook my head and glanced through the window. Someone was in the driver's seat. "I guess my night's not over yet."

I moved to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. I didn't recognize the woman in the driver's seat, but she was beautiful and looked more than a little impatient. Surprise, surprise. I slid into the car and pulled the door close.

"Are you the ghost of Christmas past?" Okay, maybe it was a bit disrespectful, but nothing for six months and suddenly two goddesses in one night.

"Smart ass," she replied. "Now put your seat belt on. I need to get you home before this carriage turns into a pumpkin." I couldn't help myself. I laughed. I also searched for my seat belt. It took some time. It was buried deep in the seat and was a simple lap belt. I doubt anyone had ever used it. 

The goddess pulled away from the curb and we drove in silence for a while. It surprised me. I mean, she had to have something to say since she was here and all. It's not like the gods ran a taxi service.

"Maybe I'm just here to make sure you don't drive drunk and kill someone."

Ugh. I guess knowing that the gods could read my mind and accepting it were two different things because I kept forgetting.

"Most humans do," she added. "It's easier on the psyche."

We continued on in silence once more. I did my best to keep my mind empty. I was pretty tired so it was easier than you would think. I actually started nodding off just before we arrived at my house.

"Thanks for the ride," I said, reaching for the door knob.

"You're welcome," she replied. The car door wouldn't open. I looked at her and she smiled. "You're right, we don't offer a taxi service." I sighed. It's not like I really thought it would be that simple, but I guess a part of me hoped.

"Who exactly are you?" I asked. "And are you and Hera friends?"

"Friends?" the woman frowned. "Hera is far too emotional and erratic to have many friends."

"You're avoiding my questions," I sighed.

"You don't say?" she smiled. I frowned and looked into her eyes. They were soft and surprisingly warm. They were old eyes with millennium of history and wisdom.

"Athena," I said in surprise. I don't know why, but visiting me seemed like something that should be beneath her. 

"We all do our part," she shrugged, answering my unasked question.

"So what message do the Fates have for me now?" I sighed.

"They didn't send me," she said, laughing at my tone. I never pictures Athena as having a sense of humor either.

"I'm the goddess of wisdom," she said. "Of course I have a sense of humor."

"Athena, I'm too tired try and follow right now. Can this wait until tomorrow?" she looked at me with a raised eyebrow. The answer was obvious. "Okay, then can you please keep it simple? That's about all my brain can handle right at this moment."

"I can do simple," she smiled. "I hate all the infighting that the gods do. I stopped participating in it a millennium ago. There's nothing smart about it. So because of that I haven't really been involved in what's going on, but I can't deny I'm interested in the outcome. I've been watching."

"Up until tonight when you decided to visit me," I said, holding back another sigh. "Why?"

"Because I like you," she shrugged. "You know what who you are and are comfortable with it. I find that admirable. You're also a decent person, something that's not nearly as common as you might think. For example, I like how you handled Bridgette. Not only didn't you take advantage of her, but you actually tried to help."

"Thanks," I said, doing my best to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. I remembered the feel of Artemis's knife against my throat. I had no intention of irritating another goddess if I could help it.

"You're also pretty smart for a human," Athena added. I knew she'd read my mind again, but decided not to dwell on it. What would be the point? "Yes, definitely a smart one."

"Where is this leading?" I asked, honestly curious now.

"Well, I've never been much for keeping someone in the dark. Also, I think you have a bigger part than most of the others realize."

"So, you don't think I'm just a minor character?" I asked, shaking my head as I remembered the conversation with Artemis. She was so not a people person. Athena laughed for a moment before growing somber.

"There are no minor characters in something like this," she said. "Tara may be the key, but time is running out. You see, if someone doesn't mother the next generation of gods, then they'll be no new Golden Age. If there's no Golden Age then the world will fall into truly dark times."

"Pardon?" I couldn't help myself.

"Can't you feel it?" Athena continued. "Don't you remember how things were in your former life? Earthquakes, the deteriorating atmosphere, tsunamis, oil spills, hurricanes, nuclear fallout, war and even genocide. That's the near future. The planet needs to be renewed and soon." 

"Athena is an environmentalist," I said, shaking my head.

"What intelligent person isn't?" she retorted. "But that's not really my point. My point is that the Earth is dying and a new generation of gods needs to be born to save it."

Okay, so my mind went off in an odd direction at this point. I blame it on the beer and stress. I pictured Tara and me sitting around a kitchen table surrounded by our children. Smokey the Bear and Woodsy Owl were on one side talking about forest fires while Captain Planet and Mother Nature we on the other discussing the ozone. 

"Oh dear!" Athena said and then burst out laughing. I mean serious laughter. Tears actually streamed down her face after a few moments. "You are so lucky that Mother Nature isn't here! She would not be amused."

"Mother Nature?" I asked.

"Gaia," she replied, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"What does she have to do with Greek mythology?" 

"You're serious, aren't you?" she groaned, no longer laughing. "Gaia is the mother of us all. She was the first. She came from Chaos. Her children were the Titans. Her daughter Rhea mothered most of the Olympian gods."

"Sorry," I shrugged. "I know Zeus defeated the Titans and took over, but that's about the earliest Greek mythology history I can remember."

"Well, now is not the time for a history lesson," Athena sighed. "Only, it might help you to understand why Hera feels slighted. You see, as I was saying Gaia is the daughter of Chaos and mothered the Titans. Her daughter Rhea mothered the gods. Hera thought that like her mother and grandmother before her, she'd mother the next generation of gods. It is a logical deduction and she might be right. I don't honestly know."

"Who is Chaos? Is he the first god?" I asked, trying to grasp what she was saying.

"Chaos isn't a he," she replied. "Chaos is an it, and believe me you do not want me to spend the time to try and explain it to you. The odds are you wouldn't understand anyway."

"Fair enough," I sighed. My head was spinning already. "We still haven't come to why you're here."

"To offer you a reward for being the man you are. Like I said, I like you," she grinned. The statement wasn't quite true. There was something more than just kindness behind her offer, but so be it. I'm sure Athena had her reasons and I could use all the help I could get. 

I wonder what kind of reward she was talking about. She looked at me, laughed and answered my unspoken question. "Wisdom of course." Athena was so not what I was expecting. More thought reading. "I seldom am to most people." I had a headache now. I also had a feeling it was going to be a long night. 

"John, I'll make this simple for you," she said as I rubbed my temples. "I can't stay here much longer anyway. The Fates aren't going to be happy with my interference and I expect Hera will be just as angrier. You can ask me one question and I'll answer it to the best of my ability."

My mind spun. I had dozens of questions. How was I supposed to narrow it down to just one? The ones that popped into my head were just the tip of the iceberg. Things like, was Tara human? Did she truly love me? Would we be together forever? What did being the father of the next generation of gods mean? Was it a sperm donation like Artemis inferred or something more? What would my children be like? Hell, was any of this real? Was I insane?

"Whoa!" Athena cried. "I said just one question. Besides, if you search your heart you'll realize you either already know the answer to most of those questions, or the answer doesn't matter anyway."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was right. In my heart I knew Tara loved me. I couldn't care less if Tara was from another dimension, much less human. I loved her and that was enough for me. That realization helped calm my thoughts. I let my mind wander for a while until I finally came up with the question I would ask.

"Oh! That's a good one," Athena smiled. "Go ahead, ask it out loud." I shook my head, but complied.

"What's the most important detail of what's going on that I don't know?" I asked. Athena tapped the fingers of one hand on her lips while she thought of the answer. 

"Hmm," she finally said. "That's not an easy question. There are actually quite a few important details you don't know. Picking just one is tricky."

"You could just tell me them all," I offered.

'That would be cheating," she laughed. "Besides, some things need to be discovered in their own time."

"If you say so," I said, not bothering to hide my frustration. I had a feeling Athena was too smart to be offended by it. For once, she didn't comment on my thoughts. She was obviously distracted by my question. 

"I've got it!" Athena finally cried, looking at me once more. "This will probably be the most helpful answer anyway. Tara has no idea that she's may be the mother of the next generation of gods. She doesn't know just how special she is or how much effort the Fates put into her existence."

"What?" I asked in surprise. "Tara does know? But then why did the Fates have Artemis tell me?"

"Even I don't try and spend a lot of time trying to figure out why the Moirae do what they do," Athena said. "But I expect it was something you needed to know for them to get the results they want."

"I think I need to sleep on what you've told me," I sighed. "Thanks." I was surprised by how much I meant it. This was the first goddess who visited me who was both friendly and helpful. She was also one of the prettiest.

"I'm not that friendly!" she laughed. I didn't think I meant it that way when I thought it, but who was I to argue with the goddess of wisdom who also happened to be able to read my mind? "Like I said, you're a smart man! No get going. Tomorrow's going to be a long day. Your odyssey is far from over and there are rough waters ahead, but you knew that already."

I shook my head and got out of the car. I slammed the door and leaned forward to thank Athena once more, but she was already gone. Six months of nothing and now this. 

I caught myself wondering if Athena could be wrong about Tara not knowing. It was a silly thought considering who Athena was, but Tara had hinted at her being the cause of our difficulties instead of me. I'd blamed our forced separation on me and she said I had it backwards. If she didn't know, then what could she possibly mean?

I noticed that Athena also hadn't picked sides. She let me see that Hera had as much right as Tara did to be the mother of the next generation of gods. Did the Fates have the right to step in and change what seemed the natural progression of things? Did Hera have to right to ignore what the Fates decreed? Yep, I definitely had one hell of a headache.

"Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride..." The words popped into my mind and out of my mouth almost without me realizing it. I could have sworn I heard Athena laughing in the background.

**********

"Fuck!" 

I snapped awake and found myself sitting up in bed. I had no idea what I was dreaming about before I woke up, but it must have been pretty ghastly for me to come awake the way I did. I had a bad feeling about today that didn't make sense. The gods had finally shed some light on what was going on. Okay, so Athena said that there was still a lot I didn't know, but at least things were coming to a head. I would talk to Tara today and we'd see where things would go from there. At least that's what I told myself, but there was a part of me that wasn't certain I was making the right decision. 

I got out of bed and jumped into the shower to get ready for school, but the bad feeling didn't dissipate. In fact, it got worse. It suddenly hit me that I was missing something. As soon as that happened, I knew what it was. Hera. She'd been quiet since our last confrontation, but there was no way she was going to just let today happen without any interference. 

"Great," I sighed as I dried myself and went to my room to get dressed. What choice did I have? It's not like I could think up some grand defense against the queen of the gods. Hell, according to Athena, despite Hera being a bitch, she might be the rightful mother to the next generation of gods. How was I supposed to know?

I'd just have to take things as they came. Hera clearly didn't like me, but all I could do was hope that the Fates had planned accordingly. I mean based on what Artemis said, they wouldn't let Hera do any irreparable damage to me, right? Yeah, I had no idea how true that was either. 

I had a rushed breakfast with the family as usual. Mom and pop spent a lot of the time smiling at each other. I assumed that meant they enjoyed their night. Good for them, not that I wanted to dwell on the details. Cindy spent the entire meal telling us about the party. I enjoyed the meal and did my best to push away my fears of what Hera might be planning.

I grabbed my book bag and left the house with more than a little trepidation. I was running early today for a change, but that was okay. I wanted to try and catch Tara before she left her house. Maybe if we had our conversation first thing in the morning things would settle down. Yeah, I know, not likely, but it was worth a shot.

It was another nice day. The sun was out and it was unseasonably warm. Don't get me wrong, no one would be wearing shorts or a bikini this time of year, but it was nice to only have to wear a jacket instead of a full coat in March.

The car was still where I left it the night before. Well, where Athena left it anyway. I looked at it and grinned. I couldn't help myself. Weird thoughts tended to pop into my head these days and right at that moment I found myself wondering how the goddess Athena learned to parallel park. 

I walked around the car to the driver's side and reached for the door handle. Someone beeped and I waved without looking, figuring it was just another friend from high school, but whomever it was stopped. I turned around with my car door half open and was surprised to see Bridgette sitting in a convertible with its top down. I frowned. Like I said earlier, it was nice out, but not that nice out. 

"Let's go for a ride," she said. I looked at her more closely.

"Ah fuck," I sighed. The woman in the car looked like Bridgette down to the last freckle, but it wasn't her. I was sure of it. Bridgette was a redheaded bombshell. So was this woman, but there was also a humanness about Bridgette that this woman lacked. She also seemed somehow younger, which made no sense considering who and what she probably was. 

"Let's go," she said. "I'll explain once you get in the car."

"No thanks," I said with a nervous smile. 

"Look, it's either spending some time with me or with my mother, your choice." She sounded like she didn't honestly care which a chose.

"Your mother?" I asked.

"Hera," she clarified. "I'm Hebe."

I knew the name, but I couldn't remember what she was the goddess of. I had a vague memory of her being Hercules's wife, but that didn't make sense. Hercules and Hera hated each other.

"Old news," she said, obviously reading my mind. At least this time I expected it. "Hercules was made a full god when he died and mom and he reconciled. She was the one who gave me to him as his wife."

"Really?" I asked in surprise. 

"Really," she laughed, but then grew serious and seemed oddly older as she added, "We had two sons, but they're in Tartarus with their father now."

"I'm sorry." It seemed to be the thing to say based on her expression. She shrugged and smiled, looking youthful again.

"It had to happen eventually," she said. "All things pass. I'm sure I'll be seeing them soon enough anyway, but I'm not here to talk about that."

"Why are you here then?" I thought my question was a fair one. It was also obvious that Hebe had no intention of answering me until I got in the car with her.

"Are you coming or should I let my mother know you prefer her company?"

"Not thinking that's an idle threat," I sighed, shutting my car door and getting in Hebe's convertible. 

"Not hardly!" she laughed, pulling away. 

"Um, do you think maybe you could put the top up?" I asked before we got very far. I'd already zipped my jacket up to my chin and put my hands in my pockets, but it didn't help much. 

"What for?" she laughed, stepping on the gas and making the car go faster. The breeze picked up and I grimaced. 

"First Artemis last night in the woods and now this," I grumbled. "I guess both sides want me to freeze to death!"

Hebe laughed louder and the car went even faster. The houses were going by quickly now. We lived on a long street that passed through most of the town, but at this pace we'd reach the end in a few minutes. That is, if we didn't hit anything. I wasn't counting on that. It was a very rural street and there was bound to be someone taking a walk or pulling out of their driveway. 




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 06



I swallowed my concerns, but only because I knew expressing them was pointless. Hebe was enjoying herself. She continued to laugh as the car sped up even further. We had to be going nearly eighty on a street that was dangerous at half that speed. Hebe continued to accelerate. I hunkered down in my seat because at this point I was freezing again. I also forced myself to look away from the road. Everything was going by in a blur by now anyway. 

"Now this is living!" Hebe cried at one point, drawing my eyes to her. She still looked like Bridgette, only now she had sun glasses on and her long red hair was loose. The wind took it and I couldn't deny she looked amazing. Hebe clearly didn't feel the cold.

"Where are we going?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.

"On a little vacation," she replied. "You've earned it putting up with everything that's happened to you these last seven months."

"That's okay, I'll pass." I knew it was pointless, but I had to try.

"Don't be ridiculous! This was mother's idea and no one turns down one of her gifts." 

"I figured," I sighed. It didn't look like I'd be talking to Tara today. Oddly enough, instead of being mad at Hera, I was mad at the Fates for not intervening. 

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Hebe asked, and then clarified by adding, "Being a pawn of the gods."

"I'd have to say so," I agreed easily, causing her to laugh again. Despite the speed we were going and my certainty that this whole thing didn't bode well for me, I couldn't help but appreciate how Hebe looked at that moment. She was one of the most alive people I'd ever met. She seemed filled with a youthful exuberance. 

"What did you expect?" she asked, continuing to laugh. "I am the goddess of youth after all."

"Seriously?" I asked. I didn't even know there was a goddess for that. I found myself wondering if there were goddesses for everything.

"You'd be surprised! Now sit back and loosen up. It's not everyone who gets a vacation with a goddess." I couldn't argue that so I tried to do what she said, but we were moving far too quickly for me to relax. 

I couldn't look at the road anymore. We were traveling so fast that I was overcome with a nasty case of vertigo every time I did. Oddly though, the cold was dissipating and the wind wasn't picking up anymore despite us moving faster than any car had a right to. I realized that she had to be doing something to keep me alive. I shouldn't have been able to even breathe at the speed we were going. I guess that should have made me feel better and it did in a way, but I didn't feel any safer.

"We're almost there," Hebe offered eventually. I looked over at her. She was smiling in a red halo of hair. Her pale skin seemed to almost glow and her full breasts were impressive in the bikini top she was wearing. I hadn't noticed when her clothes changes, but I couldn't help stare now.

"Wow," I found myself saying.

"Thank you!" Hebe smiled. "This form is impressive, isn't it? I may actually keep it for a while. I haven't been a redhead in ages. Oh, and you might want to cover your ears."

"Cover my ears?" I frowned, but thankfully I did what she suggested because in the next moment the world exploded. A wall of sound slammed into me and the only way I could have survived it intact was divine intervention. That didn't stop my ear from ringing though.

"The sound barrier can be a bitch," she shrugged. That's when I closed my eyes because I the car sped up again, and not just a little faster either. 

I don't know what our maximum speed ended up being or even how long the trip took. Going that fast seemed to do some funny stuff with your sense of time. If I had to guess I'd say it was fifteen minutes before we hit another barrier of some sort. It rattled me so strongly that I didn't notice we stopped for a few moments. The first thing I did notice was that it was warm, hot even. I opened my eyes slowly. 

"Welcome to our vacation island!" Hebe was already out of the car. She had her hands up and open, as if she was offering the place to me. I guess she was in a way.

"More than just the place," she said with a laugh. I felt myself respond despite my fear of what was about to happen.

"Oh relax!" she sighed. "Do you think I brought you all the way here just to kill you? I could have done that at your house."

"Doubtful," I frowned. "I don't think the Fates would have allowed it. On the other hand, there are things worse than death and I'm not sure about the Fates' views on those."

"Athena was right," Hebe laughed. "You are a smart one."

"Thanks," I said, not feeling particularly bright at the moment. After all, I was a prisoner on this island.

"Not really," she said. "You're my guest, not my prisoner. Being a prisoner would mean that we are enemies, but that's not really true."

"It isn't?" I asked, not bothering to hide my disbelief. She would know anyway.

"It doesn't have to be," she answered and I had the feeling that she meant it. "I know you and my mother got off on the wrong foot, but she's really no worse than the Fates."

"She and her priests raped the woman I love," I said bluntly, not trying to hide my anger.

"Mother can be a bit overzealous and more than a little jealous at times," Hebe sighed. "Everyone knows that. What she did was wrong, but you have to understand that she was hurting. Besides, it not like the Fates treated you any better. They had Tyche rip you out of the life you knew and thrust you back here against your will. If that's not rape, then what is?"

It wasn't the same and I knew it, but I couldn't deny my anger at the Fates for what they'd done to me against my will. On the other hand, they were the Fates.

"So what?" Hebe said in annoyance. "Everyone always bows and scrapes to the Fates. Why? It's not like they're omniscient or anything. Sure, they know every person's thoughts and control destiny, but they make mistakes just like the rest of us."

"They do?" I asked in surprise.

"Sure," she replied. "Why do you think they sent you back in time? That's how they fix things. Some things can't be changed after the fact so they choose a human and throw him back in time as an unwitting messenger. They read your mind, see what went wrong and stop it from happening again."

"Wow." Okay, it wasn't the smartest thing to say, but it was all I had at the moment. "How often do they do it?"

"As often as necessary," Hebe shrugged, but then added, "At least I think so. No one knows for sure. I do know that it takes a lot of power and is more than a little dangerous. They also have to be careful. They can't use the same messenger twice. The human psyche can't handle the mind overlay more than once. They tried it. The results were not pretty."

"So then they really can't send me back to my own time," I said thoughtfully. I guess a part of me still hoped despite everything.

"No," Hebe replied. "Not even if they were omnipotent, and they're not. Even if they could make everything else turn out the same, you're not the same person you were the first time around. Your old life is gone. I'm sorry."

I shrugged. I guess I knew it already, but for the first time I actually accepted it. It's not like I had a choice.

"What about Rodger?" I found myself asking. "Why send two of us?"

"I'm not sure," Hebe admitted with a shrug. "Mother thinks that Rodger was the messenger and that you were sent back for other reasons, but she didn't share all of them with me."

"Which ones did she share?" I asked. She hesitated a moment, but then sighed and answered.

"Mother thinks that the other goddesses have it wrong. She thinks that you're the key, not Tara."

I was more than a little confused. How could I be the key? I wasn't the one that the Moirae spent thousands of years playing with fate to produce. That much I was sure of.

"No you weren't," Hebe agreed. "But if mother is right then that doesn't matter. They miscalculated somewhere. They had to or there would have been no need to send you back." I noticed her hesitated again.

"Hiding details isn't going to make me switch over to your side in all of this," I said pointedly. Hebe actually laughed. I think it was at my audacity.

"No, it won't," she said. "How about we go inside and relax before I continue explaining? It's too nice of a day to spend standing by the car."

"How about you finish this explanation and then we go inside," I said impatiently. "I have a feeling that it's important and I don't want to be distracted."

"Okay," the goddess sighed, looking like a little kid who just had her puppy stolen. Years of experience with my niece made me somewhat immune to it though. Hebe grimaced and cried, "No fair!"

"Stop stalling," I laughed, despite the situation. Suddenly, Hebe seemed much older. I thought that it meant she was taking me more seriously, but only time would tell.

"You know that we gods can read minds," she began. "But for most of us it's only one at a time. The Moirae are the exception. They know everyone's thoughts. That's how they control fate. What they don't control is free will."

"That doesn't make sense," I frowned. "If they know everyone thoughts, then they know what people are going to chose when faced with a decision. In that case, is there really such a thing as free will?"

"Definitely," Hebe said. She saw my expression and sighed, adding, "Please let's not get into a deep discussion about the existence of free will. There are people who spent their lifetimes arguing that one and I don't want it to ruin our vacation."

"But..." I began. She cut me off. 

"Okay, we can talk about it in context, but that's it!" She sounded annoyed. I shrugged. If she wanted my help I needed to understand some things. I sat in the car and waited for her to continue. It didn't take long. "You're right that in most cases the Fates know what people are going to do, but remember their knowledge is limited. They can't know how a person will react to a specific situation if the person themselves doesn't know." 

"Why not?" I asked. "If they know the person's every thought since the moment they were conceived to right now, how could they not know what the person will do?"

"You're simplifying humans too much," she explained. "Your race is far more than just the sum of your thoughts. There's emotion, spirituality and sometimes just downright illogical stubbornness that plays into every decision you make. The Moirae are experts at taking all of them into consideration, but even experts make mistakes."

"Okay, I can see that," I said thoughtfully. "But if they can just send someone back whenever they want to tell them what went wrong, what does it matter?"

"Ah, now we're getting to the crux of the matter," Hebe smiled. "The Fates can only adjust things that happened for the last hundred years or so, the length of the oldest human's life time." 

"And?" I frowned. "That seems long enough to me. They can go back generations and change things."

"But what if the problem started further back than that?" she asked, and paused for a moment to let it sink in. "Mother thinks that's what happened to the Moirae's master plan. She thinks they made a mistake and have been trying desperately to correct it. In fact, mother thinks that you aren't even close to the first person they've sent back during this time frame."

"That's interesting," I said, not sure what to make of it though. 

"It's more than that," Hebe snorted. "The one thing the Fates try very hard not to do is send one of the key people back. That's always dangerous and only used as a last resort. They've admitted that you're going to be the father of the next generation of gods. That makes you pretty key."

"Not according to Artemis," I argued. "She seems to think any guy will do."

"Mother doesn't agree," she said. "She thinks the Fates agreed with Artemis at first, but not anymore. No, they're desperate and they sent you back because they didn't have any other choice."

My mind spun, but I just couldn't get a hold on what she was saying. Honestly, I stopped trying after a few moments. It was only giving me a headache.

"I don't suppose I could convince you to take me home now?" I asked.

"Already? Nonsense! We haven't even started our vacation!"

"I didn't think so," I sighed. 

"Don't worry," Hebe smiled. "I'm promise you'll have a good time." She laughed and reached behind her back and undid her bathing suit top, letting it fall to the ground. Hebe spun around slowly, letting me take the sight of Bridgette's body. There was no way I could look away even if I wanted to.

"Wow!" I swallowed. "You're making me regret not taking advantage of Bridgette last night." 

"I know you like this form," Hebe said sexily. "But if you have another in mind, just let me know. I can look like whoever you want, anyone. Oh, and I fully expect you to take advantage of what I'm offering."

"Um, despite looking this young," I said as I continued to stare. "I'm a little old to be seduced into doing what you want."

"No man that's old!" she laughed. "But that's not what I'm trying to do. I'm just in the mood to have some fun! You have no idea how long it's been since I've been on this island. It brings back a lot of fond memories."

"So, I'm alone on a desert island with the goddess of youth who happens to be naked and wearing the form of a girl I find very attractive and you expect me to believe you're not trying to seduce me?"

"First, I'm not naked, at least not yet anyway," she said, but then pulled at the knot of the sash she was wearing around her hips. It fell open and I wasn't surprise to see that she wasn't wearing anything under it. Hebe spun again letting me see Bridgette's small pale ass. She continued until she was facing me once again. I could just make out the soft patch of red hair between her legs. I swallowed hard. Hebe laughed and added, "Now I'm naked."

"And second," she continued. "I didn't say I wasn't trying to seduce you. I only said I wasn't doing it to get you to help my mother." I swallowed hard again. I couldn't help myself.

"Then why are we here?" I asked. It wasn't easy concentrating enough to come up with the question, but somehow I did it.

"Because I promised Hera I'd take you here and work on making you see her side of things," she replied. "And I have and will. You're already questioning what the others told you. If I thought sex would help then I would be trying to seduce you for my mother, but with you I'm thinking words will work better."

"So then let's talk," I didn't quite squeak. Hebe laughed again.

"Oh no," she said, moving toward me. "All work and no play makes John a dull boy. Besides, like I said. I'm looking to have some fun. It's been a while for me. Mom doesn't let me out of Olympus nearly enough." Hebe opened the car door and looked down at me hungrily. She was absolutely gorgeous. There was no denying that. 

"Are you controlling my mind?" I asked, my voice raspy with desire. 

"Not hardly!" she grinned. "Where would the fun be in that?" I looked at her and frowned. She wasn't being completely honest. This was more than just simple attraction. She read my mind and added, "Look, I'm not Aphrodite. I can't make you lust after me like she can even if I wanted to. Any desire your feeling toward me is coming wholly from you." 

I still didn't believe her. There was definitely something unnatural about what was going on here. I started getting angry despite my lust. That was a dangerous combination for me, or at least it had been with Aphrodite's handmaidens.

"Okay," Hebe finally relented, stepping back. "I'm the goddess of youth. All men are attracted to me by my nature alone, but that's the only thing abnormal about what you're feeling. The lust and desire aren't coming from anywhere except inside you."

"I guess that makes sense," I frowned, rubbing my temples. This wasn't the same as what happened with Aphrodite and her handmaidens. I was in control of myself this time, even though I couldn't deny my attraction to Hebe.

"John," Hebe said carefully. "We're going to be here until mother decides to let you go. You're welcome to try and escape if you'd like, but there's no way off this Island without my help. I promise you, we'll talk and I'll explain what I know, but honestly I don't know much more than what I've already told you."

"The Fates won't let you keep me here forever," I said confidently.

"You don't understand," she replied with a sigh. "Time is pretty much at a standstill on this island. Remember that last barrier we hit? Think of it as us breaking into a time bubble. We could spend the next ten years here and when you returned home, it would still be this morning."

"I don't understand," I sighed. "Why would Hera want you to take me here?"

"Mother doesn't tell me all her plans," Hebe replied. "Look, despite being the goddess of youth, I'm not really all that important of a god. I used to be the cupbearer to the gods before I married Hercules. You know what that means? I used to pour them drinks. I'm still not sure if mother meant me as a peace offering to Hercules when he ascended or if giving me to him was a slight."

"Okay, you don't know why, but you must have a guess. Why do you think your mother sent us here?" I asked.

"For me to convince you that she's the rightful mother to the next generation of gods," Hebe shrugged. I looked at her carefully and thought she was telling the truth as she knew it.

"So basically, we're stuck on this island alone together until either Hera decides to let me go or the Moirae decide to act," I said, shaking my head. "The first isn't likely unless I agree to help her and the second isn't likely at all. The Moirae don't care how long I'm here. They only care that I return eventually and father the next generation of gods with Tara. It doesn't matter to them if you and I stay here until I'm old and grey."

"Well actually," Hebe offered with a tentative smile. "There are some benefits of being with the goddess of youth. I won't let you age."

"Great," I grumbled. "At least I'll look good as I sink further and further into insanity." Hebe actually laughed.

"It won't be that bad," she promised. "If you let me, I'm sure I can help the time go by quickly enough."

"Tempting," I said with a sigh. "But I don't think so. It will only add complexity to a situation that crazy enough. Besides, I love Tara."

"And you think I don't love Hercules?" she retorted. 

"Maybe I'm just too old fashioned," I shrugged, getting out of the car and trying to ignore what the sight of her naked body did to me.

"Actually, not old fashioned enough," she laughed. "I'm thousands of years older than you despite my youthful appearance. In those thousands of years I've learned a thing or two. This island is a place out of time. Nothing that happens here between us will affect your love for Tara or mine for Hercules." I looked at her and fought hard against what she was offering. It wasn't easy at all. I swallowed hard one last time and shook my head.

"I can't," I said with as much finality in my voice as I could muster. Hebe looked into my eyes and nodded.

"I agree," she surprised me by saying. "You can't."

"Thanks for..." I began, but she cut me off.

"At least not yet," Hebe interjected. "But we'll be here a while and things change."

"Not this," I said confidently. She just laughed and left me in the car. She turned away and moved toward the house we'd be staying it. It was beautiful, done up with Greek columns, no surprise there. Hebe's walk drew my attention to Bridgette's ass, making me lick my lips and look away. The goddess just laughed louder. I groaned to myself. 

**********

"Ms. Valente would be so proud," I snorted to myself as I reached the top of the steps cut into the mountain. I fought to catch my breath as I stared out over the island that had been my home for...well, I wasn't even sure how long anymore. Oh, it wasn't years yet, at least I didn't think so, but it was definitely months. Thoughts of Rosa made me think to a few weeks back.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 07



"Now this is a great way to wake up!" It came out half garbled as my brain fought its way to consciousness. There were a full set of lips wrapped around my cock doing an excellent job of rousing my body. My mind was slowly catching up.

"You were sleeping so long I wanted to make sure you hadn't fallen into another coma." The voice was Hebe's, but I was willing to bet that the lips weren't. Okay, that wasn't quite true. The lips had to be hers since we were pretty much the only two people on the island. It was just that Hebe got into the habit of looking like different women the first few months we were on the island together in an attempt to seduce me, or maybe it was just fun for her to see my reaction. Knowing Hebe, it was probably a little bit of both. In either case, she still took on different forms occasionally. I had a feeling that this was one of those times.

"No fear of that!" I groaned, reaching down and feeling the full head of hair of the women resting between my legs. It was soft and fine, similar to Hebe's, but not the same. I could tell that much. Hebe was definitely up to her usual games. "And it wasn't a coma. Everything just caught up with me and I passed out."

"For three days?" she asked. "Don't kid yourself. It was a coma. There's no way you slept through what I did to you when I tried to wake you up."

"You might be right," I admitted, feeling my orgasm building already. "I can't see me sleeping through what you're doing right now no matter what." 

"Oh, I did a lot more than this," she teased.

"Really?" I asked. "Like what?" I was tempted to open my eyes, but didn't. I had no idea what form she was in at the moment and it was sort of a kick having some 'unknown' woman taking care of me. 

"Maybe I'll show you," she replied, pausing slightly for effect before adding, "One day."

"Probably the same day that you finally take Bridgette's form again," I sighed. The goddess was punishing me for passing out on her the morning after we first slept together even though I had no control over it. Hebe refused to look like the redheaded beauty again despite driving me crazy in that form for months before beginning her game of looking like a different woman every day. 

"Oh, you won't have to wait that that long," she retorted, making me laugh despite everything. 

I shook my head, taking a moment to remember back to the day I met Gaia. A lot changed when I left Grandmother. I was still trying to digest some of it. She told me the only way off the island was to sleep with Hebe, so I did. I spent the night with the goddess of youth in her true form. I had no idea how many times I had an orgasm, but I was sure that she came even more than me. In the end, Hebe was the one who lay passed on her bed. 

I remembered how beautiful Hebe looked that morning before I went out to enjoy the sunrise and think. Being a goddess, she didn't take long to recover. The sun had just rising when she came out to find me. She was naked and looked like Bridgette. The woman was a red haired beauty, built big up top with all of the firmness you would expect from a dancer. Hebe had tormented me for months with Bridgette's appearance knowing how it attracted me. That morning the goddess of youth planned on rewarding me with the redhead's form for giving her so much pleasure the night before. 

She went to the sea briefly and washed. I remember watching her step out of the ocean, her mass of red hair shined in the morning sun. She moved toward me with a dancer's grace. I'll never forget how sexy her smile was as she reached out her hand for mine. That's all I remembered. After that, the lights went out. 

I woke up three days later. Some of Grandmother's gifts had disappeared, others had faded. I still felt close to the Earth, although not as close as that first night. I could no longer share my emotions with Hebe, although I still could feel hers when they were very strong. The only thing that remained fully was Gaia's block on Hebe's ability to read my mind. Weird shit.

"You seem distracted," Hebe said, stopping. "If you'd prefer I can leave you alone?" 

"No way!" I cried, pulling her up to me and kissing her. She came willingly enough. I knew she didn't mean it. She was just annoyed I wasn't reacting the way she wanted. Instead of just saying that, she threatened to leave. It was her way. Hebe liked to play games. Speaking of which...

"Can I open my eyes or are we playing 'guess who' today?"

"Not today," she replied. "I enjoy our little game, but I have a special treat in store for you." The thought of what her 'special treat' might be made me open my eyes rather quickly.

"Holy shit!" I don't remember jumping out of bed, but I obviously had because suddenly I was at the edge of the bedroom staring at Hebe with horror and more than a little anger. Any excitement I'd felt earlier was gone. "Change to someone else! Anyone else!"

"What's wrong?" Hebe asked, but her body started to shift despite her question. My reaction clearly surprised her because she took her own form. I didn't quite sigh with relief when she was done, but only because I still couldn't fully shake my reaction at who she'd chosen to look like. Hebe saw, shook her head and added, "I hate not being able to read your mind!"

"Why would you pick her, of all people?" I grimaced. "You know what she did to Tara. You know how I feel about your mother!"

"I was in the mood for something a little different," she answered with a shrug. "I thought the anger you felt toward Hera would add a little edge to our love making." I shook my head. Hebe and I had grown relatively close and at one time she could read my mind, so it surprised me that she still couldn't understand certain basic aspects of me.

"I need to go for a run," I said, not trusting myself to say more. Hebe looked at me carefully for a moment and then nodded. She could see that there was no talking to me right now.

I ran so often now that the steps up the mountain were almost no challenge. I made it to the top and tried to calm down. I ran when I needed some time to think. The problem was that sometimes all it did was let me realize just how alone I felt. I missed my family and friends, but most of all I missed Tara. There was no way to tell time on an Island like this, but I was certain that we'd been here at least a year. Thankfully time moved differently here and probably only a matter of minutes or seconds had passed back home. I hadn't missed anything while I was gone, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could survive like this. Sometimes I thought I was slowly going crazy as I waited for only Hera knew what before she released me.

I looked out over the island and sighed. I could still remember how excited I was the first time I reached the top of the mountain. The sight of the second, smaller mountain with the waterfall surprised me. I still had problems accepting my visit to Grandmother was real, but if nothing else, the changes in me made it hard to deny. That was a good thing too because Gaia's mountain was gone now. I'd tried to find the path to it a few times once I came out of my coma, but couldn't. I climbed to the top of this mountain a week later and saw that the smaller mountain was missing. 

There was a nice breeze as I stood there looking out over the island. It was truly a paradise or would have been if the life I wanted to lead didn't continue to call to me so strongly. 

"Well grandmother," I said, knowing she'd hear me. "I did what you said. I slept with Hebe. Frankly, I've slept with her more times than I have any other woman including Tiffany and I was married to her! Well, in one of my lives anyway." 

There was no response. I hadn't expected one, but I guess a small part of me hoped there would be because I was disappointed. Gaia hadn't visited me again since that first time. Hebe said that millennia could pass before one of the gods saw grandmother, but I had the feeling that I'd meet her again. Mother Nature wasn't done with me yet. I could accept that. It was the waiting that was killing me. 

"You made it sounds like I'd sleep with Hebe and be home in days at most. Yet, here I stand! Still on this damned island waiting!" Okay, so my tone wasn't all that respectful, but I had the feeling that Gaia would understand. She wasn't like the other goddesses I met. There was a depth to her that was both intimidating and comforting at the same time. 

I stayed on the top of the mountain all day. I explored the ruins once more. They were as beautiful as always, but by this time I knew them as well as anyplace else. I paused by the fountain that still held water and took a drink. It tasted just as amazing as I remembered. I sometime mused that it was the fountain of youth and maybe it was, but I had no need of it. Physically, I was only eighteen or nineteen. That was young enough. Besides, having the goddess of youth as your bedmate probably did the job just as well. 

I fell asleep for a time and woke to find the sun low on the horizon. It was time to go back. I was hungry and it was late. The trip down the mountain was uneventful. I ran the whole way like I always did despite the growing darkness. It wasn't the smartest thing in the world, but most days I made it without a problem. The few times I had fallen and hurt myself the cuts and scrapes were quick to heal. It was another gift from grandmother I guess, or it could just be the island itself.

I walked the last strip of beach. I needed to cool down after my run and I think part of me still wasn't ready to face Hebe again. She wasn't in sight when I arrived. I sighed in relief and went into the ocean to wash the sweat from my body. The cool water was nice and I felt much better when I was done. 

The house was empty and I was curious as to where Hebe had gone. I took a walk around the point of the island and spotted her watching the sun set. I smiled. She was still in her true form and for some reason that made me feel better. Her dark hair was longer than I remembered, but that was the only difference.

"It's impressive isn't it?" she asked as I joined her, nodding toward the sky. She took my hand in hers. I smiled and squeezed, letting her know I was okay. 

"It's one of the best things about this island," I replied. "Where else can you see such amazing sunsets and sunrises?" Our house was on the northern most point of the island. You could see the sunrise over the eastern waters and set over the west every day. We fell silent and watched the sun complete its trip across the sky. Hebe sighed when it was finally gone. I noticed a sadness about her that was new.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Her pale blue eyes met mine.

"I'm sorry for earlier," she replied. "I had hoped that if you made love to me in my mother's form you might be able to move past what she did to Tara."

"Not likely," I snorted.

"I should have known better," Hebe sighed, shaking her head. "Can you forgive me?"

"It's the past," I shrugged, not sure what else to say. I knew her regret was real. I could feel that, but there was something more to it. I just couldn't figure out what. Grandmother's gift of empathy was not nearly as strong as it was when I first received it.

"Let me make it up to you?" she asked, looking at me in a way that let me know what she wanted. I wasn't sure I was really in mood for what she was offering, but I could tell it was important to her and I cared for her enough to go with it for that reason alone. To be fair, it wasn't difficult. She was beautiful, sexy as hell and the goddess of youth. I smiled, shook my head, but then nodded in acceptance. Hebe grinned knowingly and led me back toward the house. She couldn't read my mind anymore, but there were some forms of communication between a man and a woman that took no words. 

We entered the house and she stopped and looked at me once more. Her expression was serious. Whatever she was about to say was clearly important to her. "You know that you're the best friend I have, right?"

"I know," I replied. I could feel the truth of her words. I wasn't even sure how much Gaia's gift had to do with it. There was no denying that we'd become close. "And you mean more to me than anyone outside of my family and Tara." We fell silent and continued to look at each until suddenly we were in each other's arms. We shared a kiss. It started out almost chaste, but it didn't stay that way. 

I'm not sure who dragged who to the bedroom after we broke apart, but in moments we were laying in each other's arms, our bodies intertwined. I thrust into the goddess of youth and watched the passion in her expression blossom as her orgasm built. Her body was taut with need and desire. There was something more insistent in her movements this time. I found myself responding. Her emotions were a complex blend that I would have had problems deciphering even if I wanted to, but I was too focused on the pleasure we shared to dwell on them. 

Hebe's need was strong. It burned hot and I couldn't help but respond. There was no real foreplay this time, but none was necessary. It wasn't long before Hebe's hips lifted off the bed to meet mine one last time as her orgasm exploded. She cried out and hugged me tight as I thrust into her and spewed deep inside. We stayed in that position until we were both done. I rolled off of Hebe and lay next to her. She surprised me by resting her head on my shoulder and falling asleep. This wasn't the first time we'd slept like this, but normally it took far more than one orgasm to tire out the goddess. 

I lay there watching her for a time. I was physically content, but my thoughts were too unsettled for me to sleep. I slipped out of the bed and stood. Hebe pulled one of the pillows under her head and burrowed into it. She sighed and drifted off again. I smiled at the sight of her despite my odd mood. My stomach growled suddenly and I remembered my hunger. I went to the kitchen to find something to eat. There was always fresh food there.

I took my time and enjoyed my meal, letting my mind wander. It helped, but only a little. I was restless and took a walk afterward. The moon was out in its full glory and I stood on the beach watching it and listening to the waves. A man could be content with this life. It was a shame I wasn't. 

Tara was always on my mind. I missed her terribly and it only became worse with each passing day. I was also worried about my family. Would pop continue to stay in shape with me not there to push him? Would Cindy be okay without her big brother there for her? Would mom's Alzheimer wreck her life sooner without me there to make sure she got whatever treatment was available?

"Relax," I sighed to myself. Hebe had told me that for all intents and purposes time had stopped in the outside world. I wasn't missing anything. The problem was getting my mind to accept it. Hebe and I came to this island over a year ago. I remembered the feeling of coming through whatever barrier separated this place from the rest of the world. I'd tried to find it on numerous occasions, but never felt an inkling of it despite searching across the entire island. I guess it made sense as frustrating as it was. If grandmother could make an entire mountain appear and disappear, the gods could certainly keep me from finding a way off this island. 

I looked out over the water and a thought suddenly hit me. Maybe the barrier wasn't on the island at all. Maybe it was out there somewhere. The question was, even if it was out there, was it close enough for me to reach? It might be just beyond the cove or maybe somewhere in the middle of the ocean. There was only one way to find out. I actually dove into the water and swam a few feet before I stopped and turned around.

"I'm starting to lose it," I sighed. "Even if it's out there and I find it, then what?" I'd be through the barrier and floating in the middle of the ocean. How would that help me? I shook my head and began walking along the shore. The house was just out of sight when I felt something grab my arm. I nearly jumped out of my skin. It took me a moment to realize it was someone, not something. I started to turn to see who it was when I felt someone else grab my other arm.

"Finally!" a female voice said in satisfaction. "We've been waiting for a chance like this!" They allowed me to turn enough to see who they were. I recognized the two dark goddesses. I only saw them once before, but it was enough. I'd forgotten that the Cabreiri were supposed to be checking up on Hebe and me for Hera.

"It's not fair that Hebe wouldn't share!" the other goddess complained. "Now we'll have our fun without her!" 

Their names came back to me, so did the warning that Hebe gave me about them. They were Axierus and Axiocersa, Hephaestus's granddaughters. Hebe told me that they spent a lot of time in the underworld and sometimes did human sacrifices. I tried to break free, but all I managed to do was make them laugh.

"Oh sister! He's a fighter!" The voice was filled with excitement and hunger, but I didn't need to hear it to know that. I could feel it and it disgusted me. I shivered when I felt her tongue brush my shoulder. Her lust and hunger warred with each other. I felt her sharp teeth bite into my shoulder.

"No tasting!" her sister's voice cried. "This one is for play, not dinner."

"I know, but he tastes so delicious!" the first voice moaned. I felt another sharp pain on my other shoulder.

"Doesn't he just?" the second voice laughed. My mind raced despite the pain. These two were clearly insane and I was powerless to stop them.

"Hebe!" I cried, but it only caused the two to laugh harder.

"She can't help you!" the second sister said, surprisingly me with a kiss full of fire and passion. I could taste my own blood on her lips, but her need overwhelmed my disgust. There was a dark sexual vibrancy radiating from both goddesses along with a twisted hunger. The first forced my body to respond while the second horrified me on a level I didn't even know existed. 

"Sister, it's been so long," the first one began wistfully. "And my body burns with the need for a man! Promise me you'll be patient this time?"

"I want to be, Cersa," Axierus replied. "I burn too, but you know that no matter how patient I am it will never happen. Besides, I'm hungry and he tastes so good!"

"Hera wants him alive. We dare not go against her," Axiocersa added. Her sister frowned, but a little of the madness retreated from her eyes.

"Okay, I promise," Axierus sighed. "But it's pointless. No man has ever survived long enough to bring us pleasure, not since the curse. It's not fair! Grandfather had no right!" I had no idea what she was talking about. What curse?

"Hera says this one is different," Axiocersa said. She didn't sound very optimistic, but there was a sad kind of hopefulness in her voice. I almost felt bad for until she added, "We'll see. If she's wrong, we can always sacrifice him like the rest. He'll feed one hunger or the other."

"There is that," Axierus grinned. "I'm going to the ocean to wash the taste of him from my mouth so I can control myself. I'll meet you in the cave." I felt relieved as I watched the dark goddess move toward the ocean. She had long black hair and the chains she wore did more to enhance her body than hide it, but I was too afraid of her to react.

"Let's go human," Axiocersa said, leading me into the woods. "I want to get started before my sister returns. I haven't had a man since before the gods left for Tartarus. This isn't the first time she's agreed to be good, but she's very bad at keeping her promises when it comes to men."

The cave ended up not being very far despite the fact that I knew there were none on this part of the island. I wasn't surprised. If Gaia could make a mountain appear and disappear, why shouldn't the sisters be able to make a cave appear out of nowhere? My mind was spinning, but I had no idea what to do. For the first time I cursed Grandmother's gift of empathy.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 07



I could feel the almost excruciating primal need for sexual release burning inside of them. I could also feel the hunger. Their insanity twisted their emotions in ways I couldn't possibly understand. The odds of me living out the coming ordeal were not good. I thought it ironic that my survival relied on their fear of Hera. 

"Ah, here we are!" Axiocersa said excitedly as we entered the cave. The first thing I noticed was the heat. I started sweating immediately. There was a pit in the center of the room with glowing blue-white coals that looked hot enough to melt iron. I was pretty sure based on the anvil next to it that it was used for exactly that. The goddess saw my reaction to the searing warmth and grinned, adding, "If you think this hot, wait until what comes next!"

Axiocersus led me to the back of the room. There was a large bed there. The frame was some sort of metal and the workmanship exquisite. I tried hard not to focus on any of the scenes cast in it. Some were absolutely beautiful, but others were horrifying beyond belief. Axiocersus dropped me on the bed and then crawled onto it afterward. 

The dark goddess came to me. I could see the burning desire behind the black pools that were her eyes. I could feel it too. Hebe was passionate, but this goddess's lusts were far stronger and far more twisted. There was an overwhelming need that I'd never felt before. I lay there mesmerized as she kissed me. The taste of her lips against mine was pleasant despite my trepidation. I let my body respond. I focused on her sexual needs and did my best to ignore the dark hunger I knew lie behind them. 

She began kissing her way down my neck. I shivered in anticipation, but of what I wasn't sure. Axiocersa was quite capable of ripping my throat out and dealing with the consequences afterward, but I could feel the rippling of her own wants. She was barely in control of herself and my life mattered little to her.

"Oh! Your shoulders have already started to heal," the goddess said in surprise. I knew the healing was the lingering effect of grandmother's gift. It didn't stop the pain that followed as Axiocersa reopened one of the wounds. Her hunger was clearly taking control. I was ready to fight if it came to it, but I was certain my efforts would be pointless. Thankfully, her sister arrived and distracted Axiocersa.

"Hey! Maybe you're the one who should have made the promise!" Axierus cried in annoyance. Her sister released my shoulder, lifted her head and pulled her sister close. They kissed. That was shocking enough, but then I saw Axierus's hand reach under Axiocersa. They were sisters, but based on what I saw there was no doubt that they were also lovers.

"He tastes so good!" Axiocersa moaned.

"Hera will forgive us," Axierus said, licking her lips. "Eventually."

"That's not really the point," I interjected, realizing where this was going. If I wanted to survive it was time to speak up. Best case, I would probably only extend the time I had left, but I had to give it a try.

"What is?" Axiocersa asked, eyeing the blood on my shoulder.

"That you both want to feel a man inside of you again more than anything else. I can help you with that," I said, praying I was right. Their emotions were so twisted it was hard to tell which desire was stronger. I needed to keep them focused. I decided to use their love for each other. It was my only chance. "All you need to do is focus on pleasing each other."

"And how will that help?" Axierus asked.

"It will keep you distracted from your hunger," I reasoned. "And then I can bring you the pleasure you seek." The two sisters looked at each other. I didn't quite hold my breath. The whole situation was crazy, but what choice did I have? Maybe if they were sated sexually they wouldn't be quite as hungry and I would survive.

"You don't understand," Axiocersa finally said. "You can't satisfy us. No man can. Grandfather's curse brings too much pain."

"Hephaestus cursed you?" I asked.

"Yes," Axierus answered. "Zeus gave grandfather Aphrodite to be his wife. Grandfather showered the goddess with gifts in hopes of winning her heart, but he didn't understand. Aphrodite loved him in her own way. Yet, by her very nature she had many lovers and wasn't about to change her ways just because she was married. It was too much for grandfather."

"What does this have to do with you two?" I asked.

"We let Aphrodite seduce us," Axiocersa sighed. "As you might imagine, she is quite the lover." I didn't have to image. I knew the goddess's ability to drive a person mad with desire. "To please her, we helped her lovers slip inside grandfather's palace. He caught us at it and cursed us as only he could."

"He said that if our desires burned bright enough to go against him, then they would burn strong enough that no man could bare it," Axierus sobbed. "And no man can. We stopped trying to find one a millennium ago."

"There are few gods strong enough to go against grandfather. Zeus could care less about our problem and Poseidon will not interfere. It was part of the bargain grandfather struck when the sea god arbitrated his divorce from Aphrodite. That only left us one choice. We sacrifice to Hades in hopes that one day he will take pity on us. We have always had a special bond with the underworld." 

"Sister, let's let him try," Axiocersa said suddenly. Her sister frowned and looked at her. Axiocersa shrugged and added, "When he fails then we'll have an excuse for Hera." The two exchanged a look and smiled cruelly. They fully expected me to be unsuccessful. I didn't blame them. Hephaestus curse sounded bad. 

"How does the curse work?" I asked.

"You'll see!" Axierus laughed, pulling her sister's mouth to hers.

The sisters fell on each other. I watched for a time. They were quite adept as pleasuring each other. They kissed, caressed and squeezed like only long time lovers could. Their dark skin glistened with sweat as their legs intermeshed. The chains covering them shifted as needed. Axierus bit down on her sister's nipple and Axiocersa threw her head back and moaned. 

The two weren't twins. Axiocersa was taller and built bigger up top. Axierus had the prettier face and shapelier ass. I could feel their lust for each other grow as I watched their bodies slip and slide against each other in the almost furnace-like heat. Their orgasms were building. I couldn't let them have their release without me, not if I wanted to live. I shifted on the bed worrying about how their grandfather's curse would manifest itself, but I had no way of knowing. It didn't take me long to find out.

The object was to survive. I had to keep the goddesses focused on lust and not hunger to do that. I knew of one sure fire method that all women seemed to like. Besides, I always enjoyed pleasuring a woman with my mouth. I figured that was the best way to start. 

I pushed Axierus smaller frame to the side and bent Axiocersa's legs by the knees. Her center was wet and pink. Axierus continued to kiss and bite her sister's breasts as I leaned forward to taste the taller goddess. Her pussy was so hot it literally burned. It was like sticking your tongue into molton lava! I jumped back fully expecting to find my lips gone or burned badly at best. I reached up and found them whole, but even my own touch made them ache now.

"Don't stop!" Axiocersa cried, pulling my mouth back to her cleanly shaven pussy. I saw actual steam rising from it before as her wetness evaporated in the intense heat. I didn't fight her or pull away again although it was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. I wanted her orgasm to be the best possible. My life literally depended on it. The pain was beyond reason. The only way I could handle it was grandmother's gift of empathy. I ignored my pain and focused on Axiocersa's pleasure. Thankfully, there was plenty of it welling up inside of her.

"Oh Axierus! This one is special," Axiocersa gasped.

"Why? Because he isn't screaming and trying to get away?" her sister asked snidely.

"No!" Axiocersa cried. "His tongue is very talented!" I tried to ignore her words. They were distracting me from her emotions and I needed to bury myself her lust and hunger despite the sickness that lied there. They were my only hope. 

I knew when the time came to take her. Her emotions made it obvious. I only hesitated for a moment before shifting up and thrusting my cock deep inside. We both cried out, her in pleasure and me in an attempt to accept the pain. It was near impossible. I buried myself deeper in her desire and need. 

"That's it Cersa!" Axierus cried. "It's been so long since you've had a real man inside of you. Do it! Feel his hardness. Let your release take you!"

"It feels so good!" her sister cried. I watched the two kiss passionately. Their love for each other made them seem almost human at that moment, but I knew better. Yes, they loved each other in their own way, but it was a pale comparison to the twisted lust and hunger I could feel welling up in their souls.

These goddesses were truly evil in a way that I'd never seen before. They were warped far beyond anything a human might perceive. The deeper I buried myself in their emotions the more obvious it became. Their passions were dark and forbidden in ways I can't explain. 

I saner man would have given up and let them kill him, but I guess my sanity was suspect because I refused to surrender. I rode the dark goddess, driving my cock as deep as possible with each thrust. She erupted when she came and screamed so loud that it echoed in the cave. Her juices continued to burn my cock, but I was oblivious. 

"My turn!" Axierus cried, pulling me off her sister and pushing me onto my back. I was surprised to see that my cock was somehow whole. It was an angry red and actually smoking when it popped free of Axiocersa's pussy. The goddess's lust started to dissipate and the pain threatened to knock me unconscious. Axierus saw and growled, "Oh no you don't!"

The smaller goddess straddled my head and pulled my faced up into her pussy. I latched onto her lust and need. It was the only salve for what hurt me. I thrust my tongue inside of Axierus's pussy. The pain was just as bad as before, but I was beyond caring. I was completely focused on the goddess's pleasure. 

It only took a few moments for Axierus to cum, but she wasn't even remotely sated. Her fiery juices sprayed my face. I cried out as the pain grew. I was blinded for a few moments. She shifted down my body and slammed her pussy down on my cock. 

Once my sight returned I saw that she was looking at me with eyes flashing. Axierus leaned forward and crushed my lips with her own and suddenly I knew. She was going to kill me the moment she came again. Surviving the pain had been pointless. I was doomed.

And here's the scary part. At that moment, I could care less. The smaller goddess's teeth scraped my skin bloody as she dragged them from my lips to my neck. I moaned in pleasure. My emotions were too intertwined with the dark goddesses' passion. I couldn't separate myself from them. My mind was adrift in a sea of pleasure and pain. 

"That's it sister!" Axiocersa cried. "Ride him! Doesn't it feel amazing?"

"Too long!" Axierus cried, bouncing up and down. Her nails cut into my shoulders as her teeth dug even deeper in my neck. I lost track of time. She exploded in orgasm and I felt her ready herself to rip out my throat with her sharp teeth.

"We can't!" Axiocersus cried, surprising us both by knocking her smaller sister off of me and onto the floor. "Hera kept her word. We can't kill him!"

"I hunger!" the smaller goddess cried and reached for me.

"No!" Axiocersus snapped, jumping off the bed and tackling her sister. She looked up at me and added, "Go!"

It was time to escape, but I couldn't do it. I'd been enmeshed in their desire for too long. I was overwhelmed with my own need for release. I felt like it was me who hadn't been sated in over a thousand years. So instead of leaving and saving my life, I joined the two sisters wrestling on the floor and somehow pinned Axerus under me. I thrust my cock into her fiery pussy once more. I was so crazed at the moment that I didn't even feel the pain. All I knew was that I had to cum! 

"What are you doing?" Axiocersa cried in surprise. "You fool!" She jumped on top of me, but couldn't dislodge me from her sister. She might have had more of a chance if Axerus hadn't had her arms wrapped around me, holding me tight.

"Oh Cersa!" the smaller goddess cried. "He's going to cum in me! I can feel it! No man or god has done that in longer than I can remember!" I couldn't discern her passion, her lust, her hunger from my own. I was in a place I'd never been before. It was horrible. It was fantastic.

"What?" Axiocersa cried in confusion, looking past my shoulder at her sister. I thrust into the small, dark goddess faster and faster. Axiocersa rolled off of me and watched us. Axerus's legs rap around my hips and pulled me hard and deep with every thrust. Her juices flowed freely burning me. She also used her sharp nails to cut my back. It was painful, but nothing compared to the pain of being inside of her.

"Oh yes! Oh yes!" Axierus cried as her orgasm took her. My own erupted from me. I flooded the furnace between the small dark goddess's legs with my cum. I didn't stop for quite a while. I couldn't. I was still doing it I felt the first bite. I had just enough sanity left to turn to Axiocersa to see if she would help again. Her eyes burned angrily and I realized she was jealous at what I'd given her sister and not her. Instead of helping, she lunged for me. I felt a second set of teeth sink deep. Thankfully, I passed out after that.

**********

"I'm so sorry!"

The words woke me. I wish they hadn't. The pain was almost too much. I was being pulled through the waves toward the shore. The salt water burned my skin wherever the two goddesses bit me. My face and privates were in too much pain to contemplate.

"I knew mother was up to something, but not this!"

I blinked twice and saw Hebe in her true form pulling me. She was waist deep in the ocean and crying, adding her own salty tears to the sea. I groaned when she lifted me in her small arm and carried me from the beach to our bed.

"I'm so sorry!" she repeated. 

"Not...your...fault," I got out, but it hurt. It hurt a lot. I guess the sisters took what they wanted after I passed out and threw what remained into the ocean. I'd never been chum before. 

I realized that Grandmother's gift of healing must have saved me. Still, I was certain that the sisters hadn't done their worse. I was surprised they found the control necessary for them to stop themselves from killing me. I would have bet it was beyond them. I'd felt their hunger. I'd lived it. What kind of hold did Hera have on them to make them forego their darkest desire?

"Drink this," Hebe said, holding out a crystal goblet. "It will help." I nodded and drank. It tasted familiar.

"Ambrosia?" I asked, remembering the last time I'd had some in Las Vegas.

"Yes," Hebe replied, looking at me nervously. I must have looked pretty bad based on her expression.

"I've had it before," I mumbled as my body started to shut down. I needed to rest. "The last time your mother got involved." I closed my eyes and was already half asleep when I added, "You know, for a woman who wants to have my children, she has a terrible way of showing it. I'm starting to understand Zeus's feelings toward her."

**********

"You finally look like yourself again," Hebe smiled. It was a long few days. The ambrosia and grandmother's gift had taken care of my body admirably, but my mind was slower to heal. I had a feeling that it'd be quite some time before I dealt with all the things rolling around in my head, but I didn't tell Hebe that. She felt guilty enough.

"I feel better too," I smiled. It wasn't a lie. I did feel better, just not like myself. It didn't take long after I recovered to notice that I'd lost my ability to feel other's emotions, or maybe my mind just blocked it. I didn't care all that much after what I went through with Axiocersa and Axierus. Grandmother's gift had saved me, but at too high a cost. I still could remember the feel of the sister's emotions. Worse yet, I could remember the darkness in me that responded. I felt dirty, deservingly so. 

"Would you mind if I kissed you?" Hebe asked, bringing me back to myself. I was surprised by the question and even more surprised by my hesitancy. Maybe Hebe knew more of what was going on in my head better than I did.

"No, I don't mind," I said, swallowing with some difficulty. 

Hebe moved closer slowly, giving me a chance to stop her. Her expression was so concerned that it almost made me smile. Her lips touch mine chastely before she stepped back and looked at me. It was right at that moment that I decided I wasn't going to let what happened with Axiocersa and Axierus ruin my life. I could take a lot of things, but the pity in Hebe's expression was too much.

"I'm not made of glass you know," I said, pulling her into a real kiss. I reached for her breasts and squeezed. She gasped in response and our kisses grew more passionately. I rolled her onto her back and Hebe looked up at me with concern. She knew what I planned, but she wasn't sure I was ready. The truth was that I wasn't either. The difference was that I was more afraid that time would only make it worse than I was of not being ready.

I began kissing my way down Hebe's youthful body. I could feel her responding as my lips caressed her neck and shoulders. I enjoyed the taste of her pert breasts and enticing nipples the same way I always did. Hebe shivered in anticipation as I left a trail of kisses down her tight belly. I smiled contently. I could still see her enjoyment despite the fact that my empathy was gone.

Everything was going fine until my kisses reached the soft down between her legs. The burns I suffered left no visible scars, but the memory of them was too much. I couldn't make my lips travel any lower. The desire that had been building in me was suddenly gone, completely gone.

"You don't have to..." Hebe began when she realized my problem, but I stopped her by placing the fingers from one hand over her lips. I needed to understand what was going on inside of me. Nothing she said would help until I did. I sat up and stared into space as my mind raced. I eventually looked at Hebe and realized what I needed to do.

"Don't talk, just listen," I said. "I have to describe what happened out loud or I think that I may never get over it, and you need to hear it or you'll always blame yourself. Think you can handle that?" The goddess of youth nodded slowly. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Where to begin?

"I think I went a little mad while I was with Axiocersa and Axierus." I said, but then paused and shook my head. It was time to admit the truth. "No, I know I did."

"John, it's completely..." I covered her lips again.

"What part of don't talk, just listen didn't you understand?" I asked with a grin. It was forced, but that was the best I could do at that moment. She saw my expression and nodded. I let go of her lips.

"Going crazy was the only way I could survive," I explained. "I can forgive myself that. What I can't forgive was that I had my chance to escape and I didn't take it." Hebe opened her mouth again, but this time she stopped herself when I raised an eyebrow. "That's a good goddess." My tone must have left something to be desired because she made a very ungoddess-like gesture. I laughed. It felt surprisingly good. I sighed afterward because I wasn't done, but the words came easier.

"I know you think it was a horrible experience for me and it was, but in ways you don't understand. The only means I had to survive the pain was to use Gaia's gift of empathy to bury myself in their need. I did such a good job that I lost myself in their lust...and their hunger. I felt it and after a while I liked it." I swallowed once hard, refusing to look at Hebe as I felt my gorge rise at what I was feeling. My words came slower not.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 07



"The worst part was that Axiocersa gave me a chance to escape and I didn't take it. Intellectually, I knew what I should have done, but emotionally I couldn't tell the difference between their desires and my own. All I knew deep down was that I needed release in the worst way and nothing was going to stop me from getting it," I continued, pausing because the next words wouldn't come easily. "So I took it and afterward, the sisters did what they did and dumped my body into the ocean." Hebe placed her hand on my shoulder to comfort me. It helped, but only a little bit.

"So you see," I finished. "What happened to me at the end was more my fault than yours or even your mother's." I finally looked at Hebe, not sure what to expect. There were tears in her eyes. I pulled her to me and hugged her. It was perhaps a little too tight, but she didn't complain. We fell asleep in each other's arms that night and quite a few nights after that.

I don't know how many days or weeks passed, but eventually Hebe's patience with me helped me heal enough that we ended up in bed for something more than sleep. This time when my lips traveled down past her belly I was able to continue with only a slight pause. 

Hebe tasted exactly like I remembered. I took my time and she ran her fingers through my hair almost lovingly. I smiled contently when she finally stiffened in orgasm. I shifted up her body once she was done and slowly pushed into her depths. There was no pain, only pleasure. We moved together until we both had our release.

"That was amazing!" Hebe smiled afterward. 

"Didn't we agree not to lie to each other?" I asked with a laugh. "Don't' get me wrong, it was very good, but amazing? I don't think so. It will be a while before I can do amazing again." She looked at me and laughed as well, obviously happy to see me joking again. I had scars that weren't all healed yet, but they were getting there. 

"I bet I can have you back at amazing in a few days," she grinned, reaching out and stroking my spent cock. It was going to take an effort to get me hard again, but I had the feeling that Hebe was up to the challenge. It didn't take me long to see that she was. I slept that night better than I had in quite a while.

The next few weeks went by slowly. I continued to recover, but although our love making got better there was something missing. I was holding back. I knew it, but I couldn't stop myself. Hebe could sense it too, yet she remained surprisingly patient with me. In fact, she was more forgiving of my problem than me. 

"I'm sorry," I said one night after we were done with another round of mediocre sex. Hebe's head was on my shoulder once more.

"Don't worry," she said, lifting her head from my shoulder and looking into my eyes. I appreciated the fact that she didn't act like she didn't understand. Hebe smiled sexily and added, "In fact, I have something special in mind for tomorrow that just might get you past what's bothering you." 

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's a surprise," she smiled, dropping her head back to my shoulder "But I promise, you'll love it."

"I can't wait." I played with Hebe's hair as my thoughts wandered. She ran her fingers across my chest. It felt very nice. I looked down at Hebe and realized that we were even closer than before. In fact, if I didn't have Tara and she didn't have Hercules, I could probably love her.

Tara. I frowned as I realized that I hadn't let myself think about her much since I recovered from Axiocersus and Axerus's attack. That was odd. No, it was more than that. It was frightening. I thought I was mostly recovered from my experience with the Cabreiri with the exception of the sex thing, but suddenly I wasn't so sure. The almost maddening desire to return to the real world, my family and Tara that plagued me before my time with the sisters was all but gone. I knew that was bad. It was clear that something inside of me was broken. I just hoped that it would heal with time. Thankfully, on this island the one thing I had in abundance was plenty of that, time.

I couldn't sleep for a while because my mind was spinning. At one point I realized that I was seriously considering giving Hera what she wanted. All I had to do was sleep with her and make her the mother of the next generations of gods and all this craziness ended. That was something I wanted very badly. Yet, there was also a deeply angry part of me that would never let that happen now. 

I wondered if Hera realized what she'd done by letting the sisters have their way with me. Maybe I didn't know all the repercussions of my experience with Axiocersus and Axerus, but I did know that I was now even more committed to not giving Hera what she wanted. It seemed to me that whatever she was planning had backfired. Oddly, it was that thought that comforted me enough to let me drift off to sleep. 

**********

"Happy birthday John."

I heard the voice and smiled. Hebe could sound like anyone she wanted to, but she frequently just used her own voice. Today was clearly different. I knew that voice. I smiled and opened my eyes. Bridgette stood next to the bed in nothing but a big green bow. Somehow it covered all the good parts, but she was still quite a site.

"It's not my birthday," I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and sitting up.

"So then you don't want your present?" she asked with a half smile.

"I didn't say that!" I laughed. "Just give me a second to gather my wits."

"If you unwrap me," she said sexily. "I can help with that."

"Now that's a thought," I said, reaching out and undoing the bow. It unraveled from her in a way that made my breath catch. I'd forgotten just how enticing her body was. Her breasts were even more impressive then I remembered. 

"You like?" she asked, already knowing my answer from my expression. That didn't stop me from replying.

"I like," I said, reaching for her and pulling her into bed with me. She came willingly enough. 

We kissed briefly before she moved down between my legs. The thought of finally being with Hebe in Bridgette's form had me ready in record time. I grabbed hold of her full, thick head of red hair as she worked my cock with her talented mouth. She pushed my hands away and looked up at me. She still held my cock between her full lips and it felt amazing, but the passion that burned in her eyes caught my attention. I frowned. There was something different about it his time. 

"John, it's time that you accept the changes that being with Axiocersa and Axierus made to you," she said, lifting off of my cock and sitting up. Her hands went to her heavy breasts. My eyes followed them. "You're not the same man who arrived at this island. You're more than that. You've been holding back ever since your night with the Cebreiri and it's time for that to stop. I want you to take me. I want you to use me."

"I don't understand," I frowned, glancing up at her. She smiled before looking down at her chest. My eyes followed hers. Her hands came into view and she squeezed her nipples.

"Yes you do," she insisted. "You've been too controlled. That's what's stopping our nights together from being amazing. You're afraid of letting yourself go because you're scared to death that you somehow absorbed the sisters' twisted perversions when you buried yourself in their emotions."

"And what if I have?" I asked, swallowing hard. She surprised me by shrugging.

"Then so be it," she said. "We are a sum of our experiences. You can't change that. The only choice is to accept it and move on."

"I don't think I can do that," I nearly whispered.

"You're overreacting," she said, letting one hand slip down from her chest to between her legs. She moaned in pleasure as her fingers pushed through the thick nest of red hair there and touched her center. I knew she was trying to excite me enough to get me past my fear of losing control and it was working on many levels, but it didn't feel right.

"I don't think I'm ready for this yet," I swallowed.

"You're as ready as you'll ever be," she argued. "Why not let yourself go now and see what happens?" I still hesitated. She saw and pushed two of her fingers deep inside herself. I could smell her excitement and a moan escaped my lips. She smiled confidently.

"What if I lose it?" I asked.

"I'm a goddess. You can't hurt me," she said, and then surprised me by laughing and adding, "At least not in a way I won't like. Maybe you've forgotten, but I've been with Axiocersa and Axierus myself."

"True," I said thoughtfully, remembering the sight of the three women together. I'd only seen them briefly, but Hebe was clearly enjoying herself at the time.

"And isn't it better for you to find out the extent of the damage the sisters left behind now, while we're alone on the island? You don't want to see Tara again until you know the truth." Her words struck a chord. Maybe that was why I didn't want to go home so badly anymore. I was afraid that whatever was broken inside of me might hurt Tara.

"Yes," I said slowly. "Yes, it is."

"Good!" she said sexily. "Because I'm ready for what comes next." She pulled the two fingers from between her legs and lifted them to my face. They glistened with her excitement. The smell was intoxicating. I took her wrist and brought her fingers to my mouth. The wetness on them was hot and sticky. The taste had my cock straining for attention.

"More!" I growled, letting my control slip and feeling the passion I'd been holding tight to begin to escape.

"Of course," she said lustfully. "But why not take it directly from the source?" She then pushed me onto my back and climbed on top of me. In moments we were locked together. Her mouth and tongue caused my stiffness to throb while her thighs squeezed my head, letting me know her need. I took hold of her slim hips and thrust my tongue through the thatch of dark red hair between her legs. She cried out and ground her pussy against my mouth when my tongue finally pushed inside of her.

Hebe could be aggressive in bed when she chose to be, but today was something different. She clearly wanted to push me into losing complete control. I knew her well enough to know that it was for my benefit, and because she cared so much and wanted to help me I gave in and let myself go.

I'm not sure which one of us came first, but our orgasms were only moments apart. Her juices flooded my face. I took in as much as I could before I remembered how painful something like this would be with the Cabreiri. I hesitated, but there was no pain now and the taste was amazing! I made myself forget the sisters for the moment and went back to enjoying the taste. 

"John, I need to feel you inside of me!" she moaned, obviously still excited despite her orgasm. I wasn't really surprised to feel that my cock was still semi erect considering the fact that she was stroking it now.

"Soon enough," I smiled, rolling her off of me and onto her back. She spread her legs wide, letting me know what she wanted, but I wasn't ready yet. Instead, I moved up her body and buried my face between her heavy breasts. 

I'd dreamed about doing exactly this many nights over the last year. The reality was far better. I took first one nipple in my mouth and then the other until they were both stiff with need. I reached down between her legs and thrust two of my own fingers deep inside of her. I worked them in and out of her until she cried out and came again. 

I shifted on the bed while she caught her breath and straddled her stomach, resting my stiffness between her large breasts. I reached down with both hands and squeezed them together, wrapping my cock in a cocoon of her flesh. I began working my hips back and forth. This wasn't the first time I'd done this with Hebe. Bridgette's form wasn't even the largest breasted woman that Hebe shared with me, but for some reason it felt better than ever before. 

I glanced up at Hebe's face expecting to see her smiling lustfully. She liked to bring pleasure and she knew how much I'd been looking forward to doing exactly this, but something in her expression made me pause.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Of course," she smiled, not quite meeting my eyes. "It's just that I really want to feel you inside of me right now."

"Is that all?" I laughed, pulling out from between her breasts and shifting down. She rolled over onto her stomach as I moved. Bridgette had a tight, relatively small ass and all the dancing she did made it shaped perfectly. I took a moment to enjoy the site of it before pushing inside of her from behind. She lifted her hips to give me better access.

"Oh yes!" she cried excitedly. "Fuck me John! Fill me with your cum!" I shook my head. I wasn't nearly ready to orgasm yet, but clearly she was close. 

I took hold of her hips and began pushing in and out. Bridgette was tighter than I expected. It felt very nice. What felt even better was what she was doing with her muscles every time I pushed inside of her. I'd found out just how talented a lover Hebe could be during our time together on this island, but today she was pulling out all the stops! I stopped worrying about everything and let myself live in the moment. 

My fears about the lasting effects of what the Cabreiri had done to me were turning out to be groundless. My control was pretty thin at the moment and all I could think of was giving Hebe what she wanted. My own needs were growing very quickly. I was certain that this next orgasm would be one of the best we'd ever shared.

"John! Please!" she gasped out. I frowned, knowing she wanted something, but not what. She told me a moment later. "Make it hurt! Please make it hurt!"

My frown grew more obvious. Hebe and I had upon occasion shared rough sex, but this wasn't the same thing. She'd never asked me to give her pain before. She knew me well enough to know that wasn't my thing. Sure, I liked to be aggressive at times and I could get off by spanking a girl who liked that sort of thing, but she wanted far more than that. I could hear it in her voice.

I realized that she might have been doing it to push me into facing what happened with Axiocersus and Axerus for my own good, but it didn't feel right. I continued to work my cock in and out of her, but I slowed down as thoughts started popping into my head. 

The first thing that hit me was that Hebe had been very careful not to push me too hard since my stay with the Cabreiri. I knew it was because she cared for me and wanted me to heal at my own pace. Yet, today she'd been pushing hard. Why the sudden change? 

The next thought that crossed my mind was trickier. Hebe's made a lot of good points in her argument today, but now that as thought about it I realized that her tone was odd. I'd been distracted at the time by my own feelings and my desire for Bridgette's body. I replayed our earlier conversion in my head. Was her tone really that impatient or was I imagining it now? 

I looked down at her and saw her lifting her hips to meet my thrusts. Her hair was an alluring red mass haloing her head. Her nails were digging into the sheets. Her cries of passion echoed. All in all, she was an amazing site of lust and need. Yet, instead of focusing on that I had a sudden urge to look into her eyes. 

That's when the truth finally hit me. My subconscious had moved faster than my conscious. I could always tell Hebe was herself no matter what form she wore from her eyes. My subconscious had given me the desire to look into her eyes because it knew that the woman under me wasn't Hebe. I should have known. She'd been avoiding making eye contact for more than a few seconds all morning. That wasn't like Hebe at all. Hell, we'd barely even kissed! That wasn't like her either.

I was completely stunned, though my body continued to go through the motions. If it wasn't Hebe under me then I knew full well who it had to be. Hera had found a way of getting what she desired without my consent. She used me, her daughter, the Cabreiri and probably many others to get me into this situation, but it wasn't too late. I could stop now and ruin her plans.

"John! Please make it hurt!" she cried again, but this time it was Hera, not Hebe making the request. It was more than I could handle. Something inside of me snapped. My control was gone. I hadn't realized just how much rage and pain I'd been holding in. It all came tumbling out at once. I would have been horrified, but I was numb to everything but my desire to hurt the goddess under me...and hurt her I did.

I fully expected Hera to throw me off of her and destroy me, but she took everything I gave her. Worse, she enjoyed it! I lost track of time. I lost track of my sanity. She wanted my seed inside of her. I gave it to her. I came in every orifice she had, in every painful position I could think of and some that seemed to happen all on their own. I hurt her. I hurt her badly, but every bruise I gave her disappeared moments later and every pain seemed to do nothing more than excite her.

I'm not sure how long we were together. I do know that I passed out at the end. I probably would have stayed that way for quite some time if Hera didn't do something. I woke up instantly, physically rejuvenated, but emotionally spent. I was myself once more, but I wasn't sure that was a good thing.

"That was very enjoyable," she said. "See, I told you that you couldn't hurt me. Not really, anyway." Her eyes were just as cold and cruel as I remembered. How had she hidden that from me? I watched as Bridgette's form slowly shifted and disappeared. Hera was now standing beside the bed looking down at me. She had one hand resting on her stomach protectively. I knew what that meant. Hera had won and I'd helped her do it.

"Are you going to kill me now?" I asked, not really caring what her answer was at that moment. She smiled cruelly and raised her hands to the sky. For the first time since I'd been on the island the sky grew dark and the wind picked up. The rain didn't begin slowly. It came down in sheets, obscuring my vision. There was a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning, and then nothing.

**********

"John, are you okay?"

I opened my eyes and found myself lying on the beach. I felt terrible. I'm sure I looked even worse. Somehow I survived the deluge Hera dumped on me as she left the island. Hebe was looking at me in concern.

"Not really," I sighed, sitting up and dusting the sand and seaweed from my hair and face. "Your mother got what she wanted."

"She usually does," Hebe sighed.

"Did you know what she was doing?" I asked, looking at her carefully. I had to give Hebe credit. She met my eyes when she answered.

"Yes, I did," she replied. I felt oddly betrayed despite knowing that from the beginning Hebe was only with me to do her mother's bidding.

"Why are you here? Have you come to gloat?" I asked, trying to hide my pain with anger. It wasn't hard. My emotions were a complete jumble as were my thoughts.

"No John, you know me better than that," she sighed. "I came to make sure you're okay."

"I'm great, thanks for coming," I snorted as I tried to stand. It took three tries. I still might not have made it if Hebe didn't help. I accepted it reluctantly. That didn't stop me from adding snidely, "Now what are you going to do? Going back to being cupbearer of the gods?"

"John, that's beneath you," Hebe said sadly. She was right, but I didn't care. I was tempted to add a few more choice words. Instead, I remained silent. Hebe was smart enough not to speak. It didn't take me long to realize that as mad as I was Hebe, I was angrier with myself. I'd let Hera play me. 

"I hate your mother so much I can taste it," I said into the silence. "But I have to give her credit. She did quite a job on me."

"What do you mean?" Hebe asked. I think she was honestly curious about what I was saying, but she probably would have asked her question anyway to keep me talking. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before answering.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 07



"She planned for the possibility of me figuring out that it was her in Bridgette's form and not you."

"You guessed the truth? Even without Grandmother's empathy?" Hebe asked in surprise.

"You and I have shared a lot on this island," I answered with a sad smile. "Did you really think I wouldn't figure out that she wasn't you just because I couldn't feel her emotions?" Hebe looked away for a moment. I'd like to think it was out of guilt, but I didn't know anymore. Hera wouldn't have been able to play me as well as she did without her daughter's help.

"Then why did you give her what she wanted?" Hebe asked once she was able to look me in the eye again.

"You were right when you said that I wasn't fully healed after my experience with Axiocersa and Axerus," I said, swallowing with some difficulty. I rubbed my chin momentarily as I built up the nerve to continue. "But I don't think you ever fully understood just how much I hate your mother. I became enraged when I realized it was her in Bridgette's form and not you, and because of what happened with the dark goddesses I wasn't able to control it. Your mother was begging me to hurt her and I did. I couldn't stop myself." I wasn't proud of what I'd done, but there was little I could do about it now.

"I lost it completely," I continued. "I learned well from the sisters and I did my best to share that knowledge with Hera. I did things to your mother that would have made Axiocersa and Axerus proud, maybe even impressed them. I did things my mind refuses to remember. The hunger to hurt her twisted together with my lust and I let them both have their reign." 

"John..." Hebe began, but I cut her off. I could hear the compassion in her voice. It was too much. I fought back my tears. I so needed the person who had been my one and only friend for the last year, but she was gone. In truth, she'd only existed in my imagination. That woman could never have done with Hebe had.

"Don't!" I snapped. I took a few moments to steady my breathing and gain a semblance of control over my emotions before adding, "Not now. Not after what happened. You know me as well as anyone else, probably better because I was able to talk about both my lives with you. We shared on a level that convinced me deep down that we were close friends and God knows I needed one of those. I guess I should have known better. Friends don't do what you did to me." Hebe looked miserable and I felt momentarily guilty, but I couldn't stop what I was saying even if I wanted to.

"I still wasn't right after the sisters and you knew it. You knew how I felt about your mother. You knew how badly I'd handle what finally happened. You knew it all, but none of it stopped you from handing me over to your mother."

"I'm so sorry," Hebe offered. 

"Are you? Are you really?" I asked. I didn't give her a chance to answer. "Because we both know that you'd do the same thing all over again if faced with the same situation." Hebe didn't bother denying it. 

"John, I don't think you understand just how momentous the creation of the next generation of gods is," she said slowly. "Honestly, it was too important to leave in the Fate's hands. Hera is the logical choice to mother them. You'd see that if you just gave my mother a chance." 

"Gave her a chance?" I cried, my voice actually cracking with emotion. "To do what? She raped the woman I love. Hell, she had Axiocersa and Axerus rape me for all intents and purposes, and then she used that rape to twist me into giving her exactly what she wanted. Give your mother a chance? Are you insane?!"

"But..." 

"Do you want to know the worst part?" I interjected before she could complete her sentence. "She actually enjoyed it!" 

"Mother would," Hebe said. "She hates men. Maybe that's fathers fault, but after all this time the reason doesn't matter. The truth is that I think it's impossible for her to actually make love to a man. She seldom even has sex with one. What you two shared was angry and twisted. That's something she could accept from a man."

"That's sick!" I snapped. "She's sick! And yet, somehow despite that you think she's the right person to mother the next generation of gods. How?"

"I see why you would think of it as sick, but don't you also see just how sad it is too?" the goddess of youth asked in reply. I took a deep breath and let it out. It didn't help. Sure, on an intellectual level I could see what Hebe was saying, but that didn't make what happened okay. 

"Sick or sad, it doesn't matter," I replied. "How can you possibly think that a woman who willing gives someone to the Cabreiri would be a fit mother?"

"You're only seeing one side of her. I never said mother was perfect," Hebe answered. "But none of us are and things are never as black and white as most of us would prefer. Mother is the best choice and if you were thinking objectively, you'd see that."

"Not likely," I snorted.

"You just said you had to give her credit for what she'd pulled off," Hebe argued. "Mother found a way of cancelling out your empathy so that you would have sex with her in Bridgette's form without realizing it was her. She also found a way of pushing just the right buttons so that even when you did realize it was her you would still give her what she wanted."

"Hitler was brilliant in his way too. He almost took over the world," I retorted. "But that doesn't mean I want him to parent the next generation of gods either!"

"Then who else?" she asked. 

"Tara," I answered without hesitation.

"Of course," Hebe sighed, shaking her head. "John, just because you love her that doesn't mean she's fit to raise the next generation of gods. We're not talking about normal children. We're talking gods. Don't you think that's too daunting of a task for a mere mortal? Do you really think the mother of the next generation of gods should be a human?"

"Why not?" I replied. "The father is."

"That's crazy," Hebe said, and from her tone I knew she meant it. There was no point arguing the merits of Tara or any other human mothering the next generation of gods with the goddess. I saw that now. Hebe, being a god, simply couldn't see it. 

"Even if I agreed with you that it should be a goddess," I said. "Why Hera?"

"John, mother believes that she was created for this task and I can't disagree. She's been working toward this day for eons. She's the most powerful goddess. Believe it or not, she loves children. Who else makes sense?"

"Hera is a vindictive and cruel bitch," I said, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. "That's not the type of person I want raising kids."

"She did okay by me," Hebe said with an odd smile, and suddenly I realized just how offensive my comments about Hera's ability to parent were to Hebe. It didn't make me like Hera any better, but I decided to back off. No one should denigrate a mother to her child. 

"What about you?" I asked, shifting the conversation away from Hera. "I don't really know any other goddess, but I have met a couple. If the mother of the next generation of gods has to be a goddess, then why not you?"

"That's ridiculous!" she answered.

"Why?" I argued. "You're far more level headed than your mo...than most. You have compassion, something that many of the goddesses I met seem to lack. You..."

"John, haven't you figured out that I'm not nearly ambitious enough to want to be the mother of the next generation of gods?" she interjected.

"When did motherhood start being about ambition?" I retorted. 

"John, there are other reasons why I'm unfit for this task, but there's no point in continuing. What's done is done," Hebe said. "Mother got what she wanted."

"God, how I hate her!" 

"John, hating mother is pointless," Hebe sighed. I knew she was right, but the hate was the only thing keeping me going right at that moment.

"It's all I have left," I shrugged.

"Not really," she disagreed. "You're alive."

"Um, hurray?" I snorted. 

"You feel that way now, but it will change in time," Hebe said confidently. I knew she was right. I didn't have a death wish despite everything that happened.

"So, now what happens to me?" I asked, sick of the feeling of powerlessness that plagued me this last year. "Frankly, I'm surprised your mother let me live."

"It took some convincing," the goddess smiled. "And quite a bit of pleading, but she owed me for helping her."

"Thanks." I even meant it a little bit. I was going to have to accept and live with the fact that I made Hera, a true monster no matter what Hebe believed, the mother of the next generation of gods. That was going to be a tough one, but what choice did I have? "What are you plans for me?" She looked at me oddly for a moment before answering.

"I can't take you off the island. Mother wanted you dead, but was willing to let you live as long as she sated here." I wasn't remotely surprised. That didn't stop Hebe's words from hurting on a gut wrenching level. Hera was never going to let me go. Any hope I had of returning to either of my lives was fading fast.

"So she can keep an eye on me," I said, shaking my head. 

"You're probably right in concept," Hebe said. "But for the time being mother is so focused on her pregnancy that I think she just wanted you out of the way."

I couldn't fathom surviving very long on the island by myself. My feelings must have showed on my face because Hebe reached out and touched my arm to get my attention. I looked into her eyes and saw her smile.

"Don't worry, I'll stay with you."

"Why would you do that?" I frowned. "You're a goddess. Besides, I'm sure your mother has more plans for you." Hebe hesitated. I could tell she had something on her mind, but not what. 

"Mother has what she's always wanted. She doesn't need me anymore."

"Fine," I said in confusion. "But that still doesn't explain why you'd be willing to stay on the island with me. My part is done."

"John, you aren't the only one that was affected by our year alone on this island," the goddess of youth said. "And the closeness you felt was real, only I think it was more than just friendship." 

"What?" I asked. I realized what she was implying, but it made no sense. Hebe watched me as I tried to digest her news. It didn't go down easily and frankly, didn't make sense on a number of levels. The goddess of youth saw me struggling. 

"You really never saw it, did you?" she asked rhetorically. She waited a few moments longer before adding, "John, I love you."

"That's impossible," I said, my mind racing for sanity and losing badly. "You love Hercules."

"Yes, I do," Hebe agreed. "But I'm not in love with him. You know Heracles was an arranged marriage. We learned to respect and care for each other over the years. It even turned to love when we had our sons, but we were never in love. You're the first man, god or human I've ever truly loved."

"I care for you too." I'm not sure why I said it. I think I was just stalling as I fought to regain control of my thoughts. It was the truth, but only part of it. I did care for Hebe. I also felt totally betrayed by her. How could she possibly think we could stay together after what happened?

"John, we could have a good life together. You're stuck on the island anyway. Wouldn't it be better to have me here with you? I wouldn't mind. I've had more peace and pleasure here with you than I with anyone else, anywhere."

"This is crazy," I said, only half listening to her. "I don't want to sit on this island waiting to die."

"You won't. You'll never age here, not with me at your side." Hebe clearly didn't understand me. Her words were meant to comfort, but all they did was horrify me. It was time to set her straight. 

"Hebe, you don't love me," I said slowly. "If you did, you would never have let your mother do to me what she did." She started to open her mouth to argue, but I continued before she could say anything. "You're in love with the freedom the island gave to you. For you it was one long vacation in a place of peace, introspection and pleasure."

"What we shared..." she began, but I cut her off.

"Don't you understand? It's not the same for me. This island is a prison, a gilded cage keeping me away from the ones I love! I won't deny that during our time on the island we grew close. We told our stories to each other in more detail than probably either of us planned. Sure, it caused a bond, but love? No."

"I thought of you as a friend," I continued. "Even a good friend, and in many ways I guess you were, but not in the ones that mattered."

"You've made your decision," she said, clearly hurt. 

"Hebe, my decision was made long before I met you," I sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't love you and wouldn't have even if you hadn't helped your mother. You're not Tara." The goddess of youth didn't look particularly youthful as she nodded in acceptance.

"What will you do on the island all by yourself?" she asked.

"I have no idea," I answered glumly. I was already starting to think it would have been better if Hebe simply let Hera kill me, but I kept that thought to myself. It would only hurt the goddess and there was no point. I would never forgive her for her part in her mother's plan, but I wasn't angry at her any longer, at least not enough to try and hurt her with my words anymore. 

"Would it be so bad to continue to share the island with me? As friends, if not lovers?" There was a part of me that was sorely tempted to take her up on her offer. My insanity with Hera was only a short time ago and I felt raw inside. The thought of being trapped on the island all alone for only the gods knew how long made that rawness bleed. Frankly, I had no idea what was holding me together.

"It wouldn't be the same after everything that's happened. More important, it wouldn't be right or even fair," I said slowly. "To either of us." She stood silently watching me for a time.

"You're wrong about my feelings," she finally said. "I do love you despite taking my mother's side. You've lived long enough to know that life isn't that simple. Neither is love."

"Maybe not," I sighed. "But let's just say it is for me." Hebe didn't bother arguing and I was thankful. I was way past my breaking point. Hebe stared at me once more. Her sadness was plain to see, but there was nothing I could do about it. She stepped closer to me. I didn't back away. The kiss was gentle. It wasn't overly long, but it wasn't a peck either.

"Goodbye John," Hebe said softly as she backed away.

"Goodbye," I replied. 

A moment later she was gone and I was left alone. Part of me wanted to lie down, fall asleep and never wake up. The rest was in far worse shape. I was reeling. No, reeling inferred an ability to right one's self. I was beyond that. I was going to crash hard. Nothing could stop that. There was even a chance I wouldn't recover from it, but at this point I could care less. 

The dark goddesses had set me up for Hera and she'd delivered the knockout punch. Hebe's declaration of love only made it worse. She was the one who laid the ground work for my fall. 

I had the sudden urge to scream, but there was no one on the island to hear me. I felt a sick laughter bubbling up and it frightened me. I started running, but it didn't help. I couldn't escape myself. I pushed hard. I'm not sure what I hoped it would do, but at least it made me too out of breath to start raving like a lunatic. That was something I guess.

I stumbled onto a path I didn't recognize. That should have set off all kinds of warnings because I knew the island too well for there to be such a trail in existence. I was beyond caring. I pushed myself even harder. My body was soaked in sweat as I moved deeper into the trees. The island wasn't that wide and I ran for far longer than it should have taken for me to reach the other side. 

Time passed and the trees disappeared to be replaced by bushes, which were them replaced by brush. The island was always warm, but the temperature turned hotter with every step. I didn't remember when the striated walls of rock began rising on either side of me. The brush grew thinner and drier. I heard small animals scurrying out of my way as I ran. I didn't bother to look up and see what they were.

I'm not sure how long I ran. I was in my own world. It grew darker and I was exhausted. I started stumbling and fell. I picked myself up and continued on. I did the same twice more before the sound of a coyote howling at the moon finally broke me from my trance. I let out a howl of my own and the night grew eerily silent for a few moments. My chest heaved as my lungs fought for air. I came back to myself slowly.

I had no idea where I was or how I got here. Okay, that wasn't quite true. I was obviously in a desert. I could no longer see the colors in the striped rock in the distance because of the darkness, but I could still see the walls themselves. It was equally obvious that I wasn't on the island anymore despite the impossibility of it all. Hera wouldn't have let me off the island and there weren't many who would chance her wraith. In fact, I could think of only one.

"Grandmother," I guessed. My voice was hoarse. 

"Grandson," Gaia replied from behind me. She was smiling sadly as she walked toward me. I could hear the different sounds of the nighttime desert as its denizens woke and added their voices to the surrounding darkness. A coyote passed behind her. I found myself wondering if it was the one who broke my trance, but I guess it didn't matter in the end.

"I'm lost," I said softly.

"And broken," she added. "But don't worry. You can be fixed. After that, it will be no great feat to find your way back."

"You'll help me?" I asked.

"Of course," she replied. "But first you need to sleep. Your pain is too new, too raw. Rest and we'll see what can be done."

"Thank you Grandmother," I said as I settled on the ground. It was hard and should have been uncomfortable, but somehow it was as good as any bed I'd ever slept in.

"Don't thank me," she said gently. "Your part in all this isn't over yet." Despite that news I closed my eyes and drifted off.



High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 08



The beeping woke me. I tried to open my eyes, but it took too much effort. I hurt. I hurt in places I didn't know existed. I lay there for some time listening to the sounds surrounding me and smelling the odors of what could only be a hospital room. What happened? How had I gotten here? The last thing I remembered was sitting through Mr. Hargrove's lecture on the first day of my senior year of high school. God was that man boring!

I felt the little strength I had disappearing and despite my confusion and fear, I let myself begin to drift off, but something brought me back. It was a sound. Someone was sniffling. I fought to open my eyes. I succeeded eventually. There was someone standing over me, but I couldn't focus enough the make out features. The figure was obviously female and she was crying.

"Tiffany?" I guessed, but it wasn't her. The body shape was all wrong. I blinked a few times and slowly my sight returned. The girl hovering over me had dirty blond hair with pink highlights. Weird. There was honest concern in her expression that turned to relief when she realized I was awake. 

"You had me scared there for a while Johnny," she said with a grin as she wiped away her tears. I knew her, or at least I thought I did, but right at that moment my drug impaired mind couldn't put a name to her face. It didn't help that a nurse came racing in, saw that I was awake and frankly, looked more than a little shocked. The strange girl reached out and brushed my cheek with her hand. "You're going to be alright. The best thing you can do right now is rest. Everything will be okay."

Her confident tone and comforting words calmed my fears somewhat, but I still wanted to find out what happened. I also wanted to ask her name, but the nurse was directing her to the door rather forcefully.

"You're not supposed to be here. You have to go," the nurse was saying. "I need to page the doctor."

The girl nodded in understanding. I wanted to argue, but the medicine I was on and my sheer exhausting were too much. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I felt myself falling back to sleep and could do nothing to prevent it. The last sight I saw was the girl glancing at me over her shoulder as she walked through the door. She was smiling and wiping one last tear from her cheek.

**********

I woke up slowly. This time is was people talking that forced me to consciousness. I was even more tired than before, but at least the pain had lessened. Of course, that might have been the drugs because I was clearly on something. My mind was doing funny things. I was too exhausted to open my eyes so instead I listened.

"I'm sorry Mr. Simmons, but I really can't tell you more than that," a male voice said. The tone alone said the speaker was a doctor of some sort. "We still can't find a reason for John's seizure, but whatever it was caused a complete systemic shutdown. Frankly, it's a miracle that he actually woke up from his coma."

"My boy is a fighter." Pop's voice was proud, but also strained. He was worried. I could hear that. I wanted to comfort him, but between the exhaustion and medication it was impossible. I couldn't control my body.

"We won't know the lasting effects of his attack for weeks yet, but there will be some," the doctor's voice warned. "This is going to be a long, arduous battle and John's going to need both of your help to face it."

"And he'll have it," my mother's voice promised. "But I bet you he surprised you again. John's special."

"We'll see," the doctor said, his words meaning to comfort, but his tone doing anything but. 

**********

"Thanks for inviting us to visit Mr. Simmons."

My eyes fluttered open. I knew that voice. It was my friend Jimmy. I was unsurprised to see Mike with him. They were my two of my closest friends. I'd played football with them since Pop Warner. I tried to say hello, but nothing came out.

"I thought it might do John some good," my father said, watching me carefully. Pop looked exhausted. My heart went out to him. "He was able to talk a little yesterday with his mother and me. He seemed more concerned about the football team than anything else so we thought seeing you two might help."

I'd talked to my parents yesterday? I didn't remember that. 

"Sounds like John," Mike smiled. "He eats, sleeps and breaths football."

"Just like some others I know," my father teased, but he didn't smile. His expression was worried as he continued to watch me.

"How is he?" Mike asked, obviously meaning me.

"He was better yesterday, but the doctors had to up his medication last night because he had a relapse," my father replied. "Oh the other hand he's awake, which at one point the doctors were confident would never happen."

"I'm sure he'll be fine in time Mr. Simmons," Mike said, placing his hand on my father's shoulder.

"Me too," my father replied, sounding less certain than he did when he was talking to the doctor. At least my memory of waking up that time was still intact. I was betting that the upping of my medication somehow robbed me of my memory of yesterday. I wondered how many other times I'd come awake and no longer remembered.

"Why don't you talk to him about football?" my father said, patted Mike's hand before moving away from me to make room for them. "He'd like that."

"We played our first game last night," Jimmy began. "We won, but it wasn't the same without you." He proceeded to tell me about some of the key plays in the game. It was killing me that I missed it, but his talking did make me feel better.

"Of course, you know Coach Riley," Mike sighed. "We beat the other team by two touch downs and he still spent the entire bus ride back telling us what we did wrong." I didn't quite shake my head. Coach Riley was a character. He wasn't my favorite guy in the world, but he did get results. 

"Sounds...like...him," I was finally able to force out. My voice sounded terrible to me, but both Jimmy and Mike smiled when they heard. Pop looked relieved. I was able to squeak out a few more words during their visit, but quickly grew tired. I don't remember them leaving, so either I passed out somewhere in the middle or the medication robbed me of the rest of their visit.

**********

"Good morning John." I opened my eyes and there was a young woman standing by the door looking at me with an expression that seemed to me a little too intent. I had no idea who she was. She seemed very young. Her hair was brown and she had pretty blue eyes. 

"Hi," I croaked. My voice sounded like I hadn't used it in a long time. I still felt terrible, but I knew I was getting better. It was just slow going. "How long have I been out of it?"

Whoever she was, she ignored my question. Instead, she moved closer. Something about her expression made me think she wasn't as young as I originally guessed. She surprised me by taking my chin in her hand and holding my head steady. My heart beat faster. I thought she was going to kiss me.

"You're not that lucky," she laughed. I had no idea what she was talking about, but I didn't like her tone. I reached up to push her hand away. It took some effort. It was then that her eyes locked with mine. I froze. I'm not even sure why. She starred into my eyes for what felt like an eternity before releasing my chin and stepped back. I suddenly regained control of my body. My hand flopped back down on the bed.

"What just happened?" I frowned, feeling oddly confused.

"Nothing much," the girl shrugged. "The three hags are in a lather. They keep saying something big has changed, but they can't name it, which frankly, should be impossible. They think it has something to do with grandmother, but she's become even more of a recluse than usual."

"What?" I asked, my confusion growing.

"Don't worry about it," the girl said. "You're clearly just a confused eighteen year old."

"What else should I be?" I frowned.

"Older," she replied. "And somewhat jaded, at least according to your friend Rodger."

"Huhn? Rodger who?" I asked. She didn't bother responding. I tried to understand what she was talking about, but it was a waste of time. I did come to the conclusion that either I was losing it or she was. I shook my head and decided that it was her. There was definitely something not quite right with this one, which was a shame. She was pretty hot. I found myself attracted to her despite the oddity of the situation. I was guessing that she'd be pretty crazy in bed.

"You have no idea," she smirked, her eyes once more focused on me. Had I said that out loud? 

"Certainly not about you," I snorted, not knowing how to take this girl, but too tired to try and figure her out any longer. "Why are you here?"

"Be thankful I am," she replied. "Mother sent me to do more than just make sure you're who you think you are. She also sent me to speed up the healing process." 

"What are you talking about?" I asked in frustration.

"Don't worry about it," she smiled. I was about to try another question when she placed her hands on my head. I was stunned speechless, not with pain or pleasure, but with simple relief. I hadn't realized how much discomfort I was in until it was gone. I was unconscious a moment later.

**********

"Three weeks? I've been out of it for three weeks? What about football?" I knew it was a silly thing to say considering how close to death everyone said I had been, but I'd put a lot of effort into getting in shape this summer. I wanted to go to a good college and was banking on at least a partial scholarship. Three weeks meant that the season had already started. It meant that someone else had my position. I bet it was that prick Brian! Asshole!

"The team somehow survived without you," mother said, rolling her eyes. Pop frowned. He understood.

"That's not important right now," he said in the tone he used when he wanted me to know what he was saying was important. "What is important is you getting better and out of this place." Pop was right. I knew he was, but it was hard.

"I feel fine, great even," I said, knowing he didn't quite believe me. Neither had the doctors who came in earlier. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I didn't want to rehash this argument again, but one point stuck in my craw.

"How can the doctors have no idea what happened?" I asked yet again. According to my parents one minute I was in class listening to Mr. Hardgrove and the next I was having convulsions on the floor until I finally fell into a coma. That was pretty much all anyone knew.

"John, I know this is difficult to accept, but getting angry isn't going to help," my father said. Again, I knew he was right, but knowing and accepting were two different things. I felt lost and confused. I loved my parents, but they weren't helping. I knew who might.

"Where's Tiff?" I asked, and saw my parents exchange an odd look. "She's okay, isn't she?"

"She's fine," my mother said, obviously annoyed for some reason. I knew it wasn't at me, but that left only my girlfriend which didn't make sense. Mom liked Tiffany.

"We called her and let her know you're awake," pop added. "She's planning on visiting as soon as the doctors say it's okay." That didn't make sense. Why would the doctors let Mike and Jimmy visit and not Tiffany?

"Doctors? What do they know! I want to see her," I snapped.

"Not yet," my father said in a tone that brooked no argument. He didn't understand. I loved Tiffany and needed to see her, but I knew him well enough to know arguing would be pointless. I couldn't wait until next year when I went away to school and finally got my freedom. I loved my parents, but sometimes they were a little overbearing.

"John, you have no idea how happy I am to see you awake and yourself once more," my mother said, changing the subject as she reached out and squeezing my hand. I knew she was doing it on purpose, but the concern in her eyes was very real. So were the sudden tears. "We'd thought we lost you." 

"Mom, I don't know what happened, but I'm fine now," I said, meeting her eyes and letting her see that I was serious. I forgot my annoyance at being denied a visit by my girlfriend. "I'll be out of here in no time."

"I hope so," she smiled through misty eyes. My own threatened to well up, but I forced myself to smile instead. 

"Just be sure to have some of your stew ready," I joked. "I'm going to need to bulk up after lying in bed so long."

"I'll make your father stop on the way home so we can get the ingredients," she grinned. "This way I can make it whenever you finally leave this place."

"Speaking of which," I said looking at my father.

"I'm not sure," he shrugged. "The doctors still want to take more tests, but I think they'll be done before the week is out."

"Another week?" I cried in disbelief. "No way!"

"John, you'll stay until they say it's okay for you to go," my father insisted. I wanted to argue, but I knew it was a lost cause. 

"Fine!" I snapped. "I'll stay one more week, but if they can't find anything wrong with me I'm out of here next weekend and back on the football team." My mother hesitated at responding, but my father nodded.

"Agreed," he said. "If they can't find anything wrong with you and you're in good enough shape."

"I am," I said confidently. "If they'd let me get out of this bed I'd prove it to you." 

"We'll see," my father said, giving me a kiss on the forehead. 

"We'll be back tomorrow with your sister," mom added as she kissed my cheek. "Cindy has been very worried about you."

"Tell her to give me a call when you get home," I sighed. "I'll convince her I'm okay."

"You'll talk to her tomorrow," my father said pointedly. "Right now, you need to rest."

"Dad, I'm fine. Really," I argued.

"John, I'm your father," he said in that tone. "You've been through a lot whether you want to admit it or not. I don't know what happened to you, but it obviously took a lot out of you. Give yourself a chance to heal." I wanted to argue, but there was no point. Pop could be stubborn sometimes. The weird part was that I really didn't feel tired.

**********

"You can't be serious!" I snapped. How could everything fall apart in a mere three weeks? Okay, four weeks if you include my week long battle with the doctors to leave. They'd finally agreed to let me out when they exhausted every test known to man and all the results came back normal. They were calling it another miracle, but I could care less just as long as I was out of the hospital the next morning. I told my parents earlier in the day and that's when dad told me Tiffany was stopping by.

"John, I'm sorry," Tiffany said. She looked beautiful as always, but that only made things worse. "I didn't plan this. So much has happened since school started. First there was your fit and coma, and then the whole Rodger Williams' thing."

"What Rodger Williams' thing?" I frowned in confusion.

"You mean you don't know?" She asked in surprise.

"I know Rodger," I frowned. "I mean, we're friends, but not really that close. What happened?"

"I probably shouldn't tell you," she sighed, but then continued. "He killed his father and then committed suicide about a week into the school year. Turns out his old man was beating up on him and his mother."

"Wow," I said. "That's terrible."

"Yeah," Tiffany agreed. "He left a suicide note. The police aren't releasing the details, but he supposedly mentioned something about you and your coma in it." 

"I wonder what?" I frowned. Tiffany just shrugged. We both fell silent for a few moments, but despite the sad news about my classmate, I couldn't help focusing on my own personal hell.

"So, I fall into a coma and you dump me," I said slowly. "Interesting."

"John, I know it feels that way to you," Tiffany said slowly. "But let's be honestly. We've only been dating a few months and Brad..."

"That reminds me," I interjected angrily. "Tell your new boyfriend to expect a visit from me as soon as I'm out of this place!"

"Do you really hate me that much?" Tiffany asked.

"Not you, him," I replied succinctly. "I love you. You know that Tiff." She looked at me for a moment.

"If that's true, then let me go," she said softly. "And leave Brad alone. Neither one of us planned on this happening, but he was there for me."

"I bet!" I snorted.

"John, it wasn't like that," Tiffany sighed. "Brad and I have always been good friends. You know that. He's your friend too."

"Was my friend," I growled. "Before he stole my girl."

"Oh John! Grow up!" she snapped suddenly, but then calmed down remarkable fast and added far more softly, "I had to this last month." She was staring off into space as her expression turned forlorn. "You fell into a coma and the doctors had no idea what happened, but it was bad. They weren't out and out saying it, but it was obvious that they thought you would never come out of it. " This wasn't the girl I remembered. Tiffany had changed. There was something different about her. I could almost feel bad for her. Then again, she was breaking up with me.

"And this made you want to dump me for Brad?" I asked.

"No," she replied, looking at me once more. "But you have no idea what I went through. Brad was there for me when you got sick and he was there for me when the whole situation with Rodger happened. It was after Rodger's funeral that we..."

"You know what Tiff," I said, cutting her off. It was too hard to hear her continue. I was done feeling bad for her. "Save it. Say what you want, but the bottom line is that I fell into a coma and you fell in love with another guy. I got it. Have a nice life."

Tiffany tried to say something else, but I rolled over in my bed and ignored her. She gave up and left after a few minutes. I lay there feeling miserable. The only saving grace was that I'd be out of the hospital and able to get my life back together tomorrow.

I decided that the best thing I could so was forget Tiffany and focus on the important stuff in life like making the football team and getting a scholarship. The rest of my life depended on it. I had plans and nothing was going to screw them up. 

*********

"John! Done with your Sleepy Beauty bit I see," Jimmy grinned as we bumped into each other in the school parking lot. "Nice to see have you back." 

"Nice to be back," I smiled as I locked the car door. "And thanks for visiting." This was my senior year and I was looking forward to it despite everything that had happened. "How are things going?"

"Okay," he shrugged, but then he smiled and added, "Of course, we could use a good outside linebacker."

"What about Brian?" I asked. I knew I was better than Brian on my worst day, but I was afraid it would take time to convince the coach and frankly, I didn't have a lot of that to play with. I'd already missed three games.

"He did pretty good," Jimmy replied. "But he's not you. Besides, he blew out his knee last game."

"That sucks," I frowned. I never much cared for Brian, but a blown knee was serious shit.

"For him," my friend grinned. "For you, not so much."

"That's just wrong," I said, but then laughed. I was relieved despite feeling bad for Brian because now I wouldn't have to waste time getting my position back. It looked like I hadn't totally blown my chance at a scholarship. Besides, I was looking forward to playing. Jimmy and I bullshitted for a few minutes as we made our way out of the parking lot.

"I've got to go," he said as we neared the school. "I'm meeting Jenny in the cafeteria." I didn't quite roll my eyes. He'd been trying to get into her pants since sophomore year. He didn't have a prayer.

"Good luck with that," I snorted. "She's so out of your league."

"Don't I know it," he laughed. "But a guy has to hope."

"If you say so," I replied with a shake of my head.

"See you after school at practice."

"For sure," I said as we went our separate ways.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 08



I was always part of the popular crowd in school, but today just about everyone said hello to me. It got to the point where a small group actually had me surrounded. I hadn't realized that surviving a coma would make me a celebrity. They were asking all types of questions like what it was like until Mr.Prestin broke it up. The bell was just about to ring. I made my way to my first class.

"Hi John." I turned and saw Pamela Stevens smiling. She was always cute, but this year she seemed to have blossomed, or at least her boobs had. Don't get me wrong. They weren't huge or anything, but they were certainly more noticeable. I tore my eyes away from them and focused on her face as she continued speaking. "I heard you were back. I also heard you and Tiffany broke up." 

I realized that there was more to the differences in her than simply bigger boobs. It was in the way she carried herself. She seemed more confident and comfortable in her own skin. 

"Yep, I'm a free man," I smiled. "By the way, I like your hair." 

"Thanks," she replied, primping it with a grin. She was flirting with me, not that I minded. Obviously, a lot had changed with Pamela this past summer, all of it promising to make her much more popular this year. The fact that I seemed to have caught her interest only made it better. Things were looking up. 

I spent the past weekend focusing on getting ready for football, but I couldn't stop myself from also thinking about my love life and everything that happened. In the end, I decided that if Tiffany wanted out, then so be it. There were plenty of fish in the sea. Of course, sometimes I wasn't so sure if giving her up without a fight was the right decision, but this wasn't one of those times, not standing here in front of Pamela. The bell rang, distracting me from my thoughts.

"I have to go," she said. "I can't be late to class, but we should talk. I think we have the same lunch period this year. Why don't you come find me?"

"Sounds like a plan," I grinned, making her smile grow wider.

"See you then," she replied and disappeared down the hall. 

I wasn't quite whistling as I arrived at my first period class. I was feeling pretty good despite having to deal with one of Mr. Hardgrove's lectures. Hopefully, this one wouldn't put me into a coma like the last one did. I was just about to walk in when I saw them and my good mood dissipated like so much smoke. 

Tiffany and Brad hustled past me hand in hand obviously running for their first period classes. I might have decided to let Tiffany go, but Brad was a different thing altogether. No one gets away with stealing my girl, especially not when I'm in a coma. I was sorely tempted to deck him, but that wouldn't accomplish much except get me suspended and that would interfere with me regaining my starting position on the football team. I saw Brad watching me out of the corner of his eye. He looked nervous. Smart man, but there'd be plenty of time to deal with him later. I forced myself to look away as I entered the classroom.

"You're late Mr. Simmons," Mr. Hardgrove said, but he was smiling as I sat in a free seat. "Welcome back. Let's hope this lecture will go a little more smoothly than the last. I've had students tell me I was boring before, but you're the first to fall into a coma." The whole room froze in surprise. I totally forgot about Tiffany and Brad for the moment.

"Wow!" I said, shaking my head. "I disappear for a month and all kinds of crazy things happen. No disrespect meant Mr. H, but when did you develop a sense of humor?" Mr. Hardgrove surprised everyone by laughing. Of course, that didn't stop us all from being bored to tears fifteen minutes later. I might have discovered Mr. Hardgrove's sense of humor, but that didn't make his lectures any more interesting. 

*********

"Simmon, good to have you back," Coach Riley said. 

"Thanks coach," I replied as I stepped on the field. The equipment seemed heavier than I remembered, but I knew I'd get used to it quickly enough. "Good to be back."

"Think you'll be ready for Saturday's game?" he asked. 

"Sure thing," I said confidently. 

"That's the spirit!" he laughed, slapping me on the back. Jimmy looked at me from behind the coach and rolled his eyes. I had a hard time not laughing. I guess Riley was a good coach in his way, but not many of the players liked him.

Practice was a lot tougher than I hoped, but not as bad as I feared. I was exhausted by the time it was over, but no more than anyone else. I had no real competition with Brian hurt, but then again I wanted to do more than just start. I wanted, no needed, the college scouts to notice me. 

I showered and took the bus home. I walked into my house and saw my sister Cindy at the dining room table drawing. I took a look at the picture and grinned.

"Pregnant Bear?" I asked.

"It's a dog," she snapped. Cindy was actually a good artist. I just liked teasing her.

"How was it?" my father asked from his chair in the living room. He put down the newspaper and stood. I was surprised to notice that his stomach was starting to bulge slightly. Oh well, I was sure he'd work it off eventually.

"Tough," I replied honestly. "But good."

"You look exhausted," my mother said in concern as she entered the room from the kitchen.

"I am," I grinned. "But I'll be fine after a good night's sleep."

"I'm still not so sure about this," she said nervously. "You were in a coma only a week ago."

"Two and a half weeks ago," I replied. "Admittedly, I was so drugged up for the first week after I came out of it that you probably couldn't tell the difference, but I'm good to go. Doc Rivers cleared me."

"You and your father bullied him into it," mom frowned.

"Mom, I don't know what happened and neither do the doctors," I said with forced patience. This wasn't the first time we'd had this conversation, or even the fifth. "The bottom line is that all of my tests came back fine and I feel great." 

"Doctor Rivers may have cleared you, but Doctor Hammond refused and he's been your doctor almost since you were born. Besides, even Doctor Rivers told you it would be a bad idea to play football after what you'd been through." Thankfully, my father stepped in.

"Babe, we gone over this all before," he said. "John promised to stop if he feels anything is wrong. We can't let this one episode change his entire life. The boy wants to go to a good college and a scholarship would go a long way to helping." Mom nodded, but she clearly still had reservations.

"When are we going to eat?" Cindy called from the other room. My mother frowned, obviously remembering dinner. 

"Soon," she said, making her way back to the kitchen. "Cindy, set the table."

"Awe mom! Isn't it John's turn yet?" my sister yelled back, making me laugh. Mom had been letting me slough off on chores since I came home.

"I got it," I said despite being tired. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed the plates. I caught my mother looking at me with a worried expression as she stirred the gravy on the stove. I grabbed her with one arm on the way by and lifted her, giving her a big kiss. "Mom, I really am fine."

"Put me down!" she snapped, but she was finally smiling. That was better.

********

I was at my locker the next morning when I saw her. I'd forgotten about the girl who was watching over me the first time I woke up at the hospital, but the dirty blond hair and pink tips was pretty much a dead giveaway. This time I recognized her. It was Tara Kingsly, the prettiest girl from grammar school. I had a crush on her back then, but now she was just too weird. Don't get me wrong, she was still hot, but in a scary way.

"Hello Johnny, feeling better?" she said as she walked up and opened her locker.

"Yes," I replied. The odd combination of good looks and weirdness always made me uncomfortable around her. It had since the first day of high school. Actually, it was more than that. There was something about her. I can't explain it. "Um, why were you in my hospital room?" She looked at me and shook her head. She obviously could feel my discomfort.

"Let's chalk it up to morbid curiosity and leave it at that," she said, grabbing a book out of her locker and disappearing before I could question her further. 

"That's one strange girl." I turned at the voice and saw Mike staring after Tara.

"Amen," I said, watching her as well. 

Thoughts of her reminded me of my other visitor, the brunette with the pretty blue eyes and crazy monologue. I couldn't remember everything she said, but then again it was all pretty nuts. I shrugged to myself. Maybe, unlike Tara, she was just a drug induced hallucination, but then again she said something about speeding up my healing process and even I couldn't argue that I recovered remarkably fast.

"Big game this weekend," Mike said, changing the subject.

"Yep," I replied, slamming shut my locker. "I'm looking forward to it."

*********

"Hey Pamela," I said as I walked up to our lunch table and sat across from her. It was Thursday and we'd been sitting together all week. We were hitting it off surprisingly well. 

"Hello John," she replied with a warm smile. I returned it. We'd talked a lot these last few days, mostly at night over the phone, but also at lunch. I'd learned at least part of why she seemed different this year. 

It turned out that Pamela's parents bought a shore house this past summer and her family all but lived there. She'd made some new friends. She didn't really get into specifics, but the end result was that she seemed much more comfortable with herself now. I found it very attractive. 

I wasn't the only one noticing the difference either. Pam was always a nice girl who had a lot of friends, but this year she seemed to slip into the in-crowd with no muss and no fuss. The part I liked the best about the change in her was that despite her growing popularity she was into me for some reason. The feeling was quickly becoming mutual. 

"Halloween's coming fast," Jimmy was saying to Jenny. She was sitting next to Pam and he was next to her. "I'm having a big bash this year." She nodded, but didn't seem that interested. I shook my head. Poor Jimmy. I'd watched him get shot down all week with her. On the other hand, I had to give him credit. The boy simply refused to give up - either that or he was a masochist.

"I've already got my costume picked out," Mike said as he walked up and put his tray next to mine. "Tracy's too." His girlfriend rolled her eyes as she sat on his right.

"You aren't really dressing up as a caveman, are you?" Tracy asked.

"Yep," he grinned. "And you're going to be my cavewoman!"

"Let me guess," I joked. "Fred and Wilma?"

"I don't know," Tracy smiled. "I think I look more like Betty."

"Well I'm no Barney!" Mike insisted.

"Fred and Betty?" Jimmy dead panned. "That's just wrong!"

"I don't know," I smirked. "Bambam looks more like Fred than Barney to me."

"Now that's wrong!" Pam laughed. We continued to joke about the Flintstones for a few minutes until Jenny chimed in. 

"Barney and Bambam are the only blonds," she said. "Genetically speaking, it's far more likely Barney is the father."

"Geek alert!" Mike snorted. He liked to tease Jenny. She was a bit of a science geek, but then again a redhead as hot as she was could be any kind of geek she wanted and would still draw more than her share of attention. 

"Please!" Jimmy snorted. "Neither Fred or Barney are Bambam's biological father. He was adopted."

"Somebody spent way too many hours watching Saturday morning Cartoons," I said, shaking my head. There was a general laughter before the subject switched. Somehow we ended up on politics, which was more than a little unusual, but then again Jenny was the one who started the conversation. I thought about chiming in, but truthful I could care less. All politicians were liars and thieves. Everyone knew that.

I focused on eating. I was just finishing my chocolate milk when I noticed something going on at one of the other tables. It was halfway across the hall, but a number of the people at it were laughing pretty loudly. The one who caught my interest was Tara. Her face lit up while she was laughing. 

She was sitting with the burnouts. I didn't know most of them, but I remember John from grammar school. Maybe it was because we shared a first name. I thought the girl next to him was his girlfriend. Her name was Janice. No! Janey, her name was Janey.

John has a plastic cup filled half filled with milk. He was putting the leftovers from his plate into it. It was pretty gross even from here. As I watched one of the lunch ladies moved over to their table. I don't know what she said, but John's answer made his tablemates laugh even harder. The lunch lady said something else and John shrugged, picked up the plastic cup and drank its contents. 

"Gross!" I said, shaking my head. That didn't stop me from laughing.

"What?" Mike asked. I pointed to the other table. He looked and shook his head, quickly catching on to what was happening. He grinned and added, "She looks like she's going to be sick!" He was talking about the lunch lady.

"I don't blame her," I said, shaking my head. "I'm pretty queasy watching from all the way over here."

"What's the big deal?" Jimmy shrugged. "It all goes to the same place anyway?"

"Eww!" Jenny cried. "And on that note, I'm off to the library. I have a test to study for." She got up and left.

"Son, you have a way with words," Mike said, looking at Jimmy.

"What?" he asked.

"You don't have any sisters, do you?" Tracy asked.

"What's that have to do with anything?" Jimmy asked.

I was only half paying attention. I was still focused on the other table. Okay, Tara. I wasn't even sure why. 

"John," Pam said, reaching across and touching my hand. "We're still getting together after the game, right?" I refocused on her. She was frowning for some reason.

"Sure," I replied. "There's an after game party at Jimmy's house."

"As usual," Jimmy smiled. "If we win. If we lose, then forget it."

"We won't," Mike said confidently, sounding like the team captain he was. 

We bullshitted until the bell rang. I got up and carried Pam's and my tray to the garbage. John was there with his group of friends.

"That was pretty gross," I offered, causing him to grin.

"It all goes to the same place," he shrugged.

"That's what I said!" Jimmy cried, earning groans from the people from both tables. There wasn't a lot we jocks and the burnouts agreed upon, but this was clearly one of those things. 

We left the lunch room in mass. People started splitting off to go get ready for their next class. Tara wasn't really walking with me, but then again our lockers were pretty much next to each other. She was a little ahead of me and I caught myself checking out her ass. 

"See you later John," Pam said as we passed her locker. She surprised me by giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. 

"Later," I smiled, forgetting about Tara for the moment. Things were definitely looking up for me and Pam. The rest of the trip to my locker was uneventful, at least until I opened it a little too quickly and my book bag fell out, the contents spewing all over the floor. "Shit!"

"Smooth move," Tara grinned, but she also bent down to help gather everything.

"It's a gift," I sighed, making her laugh. It didn't take long to pick it all up. Tara handed me what she gathered and somehow our hands touched, but only briefly. Our eyes met at pretty much the same moment and I found myself remembering the crush I once had on her. I paused for just a moment before I took my stuff from her and threw it in my locker. 

My fingers felt tingly where they touched hers. I knew what that meant. I shook my head, surprised to realize that I still had a crush on her despite how much she changed and how little we had in common these days.

"Are you seriously going to play football this weekend?" Tara asked without preamble as she opened her own locker and grabbed her books. "Don't you think that's a little crazy, considering?" I knew she was talking about the coma. 

"You know, I already have a mother," I joked. Tara seemed only mildly amused and certainly not put off. I sighed and added more honestly, "How else am I going to get that scholarship?" She shook her head.

"There are more important things than going to some big name college," she said. "Like your health."

"I'm fine," I insisted. "Great even."

"That's not what she said!" Jimmy chimed in as he joined us. I blushed. Goddamn Jimmy sometimes. He'd gotten me good. On the other hand, at least his arrival got Tara off the subject of my coma and football. 

"That true?" she teased me, obviously not embarrassed or even annoyed by his comment. 

"You know," Jimmy grinned. "He's been in a coma recently. I doubt he could handle someone like you right now. Me, on the other hand..." 

"You'd never survive," Tara said with a laugh. I was certain Jimmy was going to have a quick comeback, but before he could get it out, she continued. "Besides, don't give up on Jenny just yet. You've got move of a chance than you think." She'd stunned him with that one. 

"What?" Jimmy asked. "Do you think so?" Tara grinned knowingly and then walked away without another word.

"Yeah, two chances," I chimed in. "Slim and none."

"Asshole!" he snapped, causing me to laugh. 

I tried not to watch Tara as she left, but my eyes did drift after her once or twice. She wasn't like any other girl I knew. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

**********

"I love Friday practices!" I grinned as I stood under the flow of water. I was showering after practice as usual, although today it almost wasn't necessary. 

"What's not to love?" Jimmy grinned. "It's short and sweet. We do our normal warm ups and then just walk through all the plays."

The showers were in their own tiled section of the team's locker room. There were two posts in the middle with four heads each and all eight were occupied. We generally didn't bullshit much while we washed because there were always others waiting for their turn and we didn't want to miss the late bus, but it was Friday and practice ended early.

"You got a hot date tonight Jimmy?" one of the guys asked.

"Don't you know it!" he grinned. I knew he was full of it. 

"Yeah, with his friend Lefty," I interjected, making a rude gesture with my left hand and causing general laughter. Jimmy opened his mouth for a retort, but Mike jumped in first.

"Just remember the team curfew," Mike said. "Don't let Lefty keep you up all night."

"I always up all night!" Jimmy grinned. He was pelted by more than one washcloth.

"By the way, I was serious about the curfew," Mike said afterward. "And I wasn't talking to just Jimmy." Mike didn't want anything to go wrong with tomorrow night's game. It was against a team that beat us last year. He was planning some serious payback.

"Hey, did anyone else notice Coach Bo talking up Ms. Valente?" Carlos grinned, thankfully changing the subject. 

"Can you blame him?" I snorted. "That's one hot piece of ass!"

"Says the guy who gets tongue tied every time he's around her," Jerry teased. He was in my gym class. I laughed along with the others. 

"Don't worry about John," Mike said, coming to my rescue. "He's pretty hot and heavy with Pam. I hear she had a wild summer and we all know what that means..."

"Lucky dog!" Jerry groaned. "First Tiffany and now Pamela."

I frowned a little at mention of Tiffany, but she was the past. It still hurt sometimes, but mostly because I felt foolish. Brad was my friend and stole my girl. I hadn't forgotten that, but it was less important as time went by. Besides, at the moment I was more interested in what Mike heard about Pam and her 'wild summer'. Of course, I sure as hell wasn't going to ask him now with everyone else around. It was safer just to act like I knew.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 08



"Thank you, thank you," I grinned and took a bow. 

"Asshole," Jimmy said, shaking his head.

"Jealous?" 

"A little," he laughed in reply. "Then again, Jenny is hotter than both of them."

"Arguably," I agreed easily enough. "Of course, you don't have a shot with her and everyone knows it."

"Not everyone," Jimmy retorted.

"Okay," I snorted. "Everyone except you and Tara Kingsly."

"And are you really going to trust her judgment?" Mike put in. "That's girl is crazy!"

"But hot," Jerry sighed. "It's a shame she's so way out there. I tried talking to her last week and I didn't get anywhere. Frankly, it felt like she was laughing at me the whole time."

"She's that way with pretty much everyone," Mike put in, and then looked at me and frowned. "Well, everyone but John."

"Hey! You're right!" Jimmy cried in realization. "In fact, you should have seen her flirting with his yesterday after lunch.

"Not another one!" Carlos groaned.

"I'll pass," I said, shaking my head. "That girl is scary. Besides, I've yet to close the deal with Pam. Let's not rush things." 

"It's only a matter of time," Mike said confidently. "After all, you are our all-state linebacker and we are so going to take states this year." I shook my head. Mike saw and added, "I'm serious. Look at me. I'm not the best looking guy, but I've got Tracy. I figure it's one of the perks of being the team captain." I thought Mike was selling himself short, but I sure as hell wasn't going to say that now.

"The girl needs glasses," one of the other players chimed in. 

We finished showering and got dressed quickly. The late bus wasn't schedule for a while yet. I could have gotten a ride with Mike, but he already had a full car. I wasn't in the mood to squeeze in so I passed. I went outside to wait for the bus.

I notice a small group of people walking toward the back field. I couldn't see it from where I was. The JV football team usually practiced there, but they had an away game today. My curiosity got the better of me. I followed them. We rounded the last corner I saw that there was a soccer game going on. I didn't know much about soccer and frankly, I could care less about it, but it was something to do. I moved closer.

Ten minutes later I was thinking about going back to the bus stop. It was our varsity team and it didn't take someone with knowledge of soccer to see we sucked. I had no idea what the score was, but in the short time I'd been watching the other team scored twice.

The only bright spot was one kid on offense. He was pretty good, but without support even he couldn't do much. He did get a shot on goal once or twice, but neither went in.

"Not all soccer is this bad," a voice said from behind me. "You should see the World Cup." I turned and saw a woman standing there. I had no idea who she was, but there was something unsettling about her. She was obviously talking to me. There was no one else near us.

"You related to someone on the team?" I asked politely.

"Zeus no!" she snorted, and then shook her head, adding, "This is downright painful."

"If you're not related to someone then why are you watching?"

"I'm not really," she replied, facing me for the first time. "I came here to talk to you."

"Me?" It was a bit creepy the way she was looking at me. 

"Yes, you," she replied succinctly. "I'm here to warn you. Stay away from her. The Fates have plans for her and they don't include you. If you get involved with her their vengeance will be swift and I'll be the one delivering it."

"Hunh?" I asked, totally confused. "Who are you and what are you talking about?" The woman actually sighed.

"I'm Nemesis, but I can see that my name means nothing to you," she replied. "And the Fates are...well, the Fates." I had a vague recollection of the Fates having something to do with Greek mythology, but that was about it. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said, shaking my head.

"What do they teach kids in school these days?" the woman snapped, but then shook herself and refocused on me. "Look, the bottom line is stay away from her and you'll be a happier man."

"Seriously?" I asked, unable to stop myself. 

"I'm dead serious," she replied, looking at me in a way that made me swallow with some difficulty. "You do not want to cross me, or the Fates for that matter."

"Okay," I said slowly, deciding to humor the woman. She was even more crazy then the dark haired girl from the hospital. Of course, I could have imagined that one. This one, not so much. "Just one question. Who is the 'she' you're talking about? Who do you want me to stay away from?"

"Tara, of course," the woman replied.

"Of course," I said, nodding slowly, but having no understanding of what was going on. "Tara Kingsly?"

"Is there another?" the woman snorted. I was sure there were plenty of girls named Tara, but I had the feeling that bringing that fact up right at this moment would be a mistake. I don't know why, but this woman scared the crap out of me.

"I guess there's hope for you yet," she smiled. It wasn't particularly pleasant. I decided that it was time to leave.

"Well, nice meting you," I said carefully and started to step away. 

"One more thing," she said, stopping me with a look. I felt like a bug under a microscope. "Something's going on that even the Fates don't understand. You aren't in their plans and they've been working toward this for a millennium. They say that something changed and you've become problematic at best."

"You're also under Hera's protection for some reason and that's bad news. It offers you limited protection, but only for so long. The feeling is that she is planning on using you. I'd advise not letting her get what she wants."

"Hera? Isn't she the goddess of the fields or something?" I frowned. "And what exactly does she want?"

"Fields or something?" Nemesis asked, shaking her head. "Seriously? Hera is Zeus's wife and one of the most powerful gods."

"Interesting," I said, not sure how else to react. "And what does this have to do with me?"

"We don't know," she replied. "And that's saying something for the Fates." I had enough.

"Lady..." I began, my frustration rearing despite my fear. I was going to tell her just how crazy I thought she was!

"I wouldn't," she interjected, holding her pointer finger up, tilting her head slightly and raising her eyebrows in warning. My sense of self-preservation returned full-force and I swallowed what I was about to say. She smiled and added, "Better." That didn't stop her from reaching out and grabbing my shoulder. She didn't have a particularly strong grip, but that didn't matter. My body locked up at her touch and my shoulder burst into pain. 

"By the way, this is your one and only warning." I heard the words, but couldn't make sense out of them until she removed her hand and the pain dissipated. She was gone by the time I was able to focus again. I don't mean she walked away. She had simply disappeared.

My shoulder was throbbing. I lifted my shirt and saw the burn marks on my skin. There was an actual hand print where the woman had touched me. I stared at it for a few moments before letting my shirt go. I stood there feeling numb despite the pain. What had just happened?

"Hey Buddy, are you okay?"

I was startled by the voice. I looked up and there was one of the soccer players. It took me a moment to recognize him as the one decent player on the team. I glanced around and realized the game was over.

"Did you just see a woman with me?" I asked.

"No," he frowned. "You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," I said in a tone that didn't even convince me. He frowned.

"Look, I want to make the late bus," he said. "So I need to get into the locker room and get changed, but if you need me to..."

"I'm good," I said more strongly. It still wasn't true, but sharing my problems with him wasn't going to help. He hesitated a moment longer.

"Well, I'm Jake if you need someone to talk to later," he offered. I could tell he was serious. Who knew a soccer player could be so cool?

"John," I replied, and then added with a grin, "I'll see you on the bus, but only if you hurry." He smiled and started jogging toward the locker room. I made my way to the bus stop, still in a daze. 

The conversation with the woman was way past surreal. It was out and out crazy. The one with the blue eyed brunette at the hospital was odd enough, but I was still mostly out of it at that point. She also wasn't very specific. I was willing to chalk it up to the coma or maybe the drugs the doctors were giving me. This was different and far more concerning. I'd either just had a conversation with a crazy lady or I was losing it.

Had I imagined her? Jake hadn't seen her, but I guess it was possible that he missed her, especially if she could disappear like she seemed to. Disappear...yeah, that made me feel better. And don't forget her parting gift. The pain in my shoulder had dissipated, but I remember it well enough. 

So here I was, either crazy or facing a woman who could both disappear and burn my shoulder with a touch. I didn't need to be a genius to figure out which was more likely. Unable to resist despite the obvious answer I lifted my shirt from my shoulder one more time. The burn marks were gone. 

"Shit!" Yep, I was definitely losing it. I took a couple of deep breaths trying to convince myself that everything was okay. 

"Sure, hallucinating isn't that big of a deal," I snorted to myself.

The question was what should I do about it? I mean, I could tell my parents, but after the coma something like this would probably make them put me back in the hospital. I didn't want that. Sure, I was scared, but I didn't want to ruin my chances of going to a good college, and ending up back in the hospital would definitely do that. Besides, the doctors had already done all the tests they could think of. What would going back solve? 

I knew I wasn't being particularly rational at the moment, but then again this wasn't a rational situation. Maybe this was just my subconscious's way of dealing the residue of whatever caused my coma. Yeah, I know how lame that sounds, but...

I decided the best approach for the moment was to take it slow. I could always tell my parents if it got worse. The important thing was not to blow my chances at a scholarship. My first game was tomorrow night and I couldn't miss that. I told myself that I simply had to hold it together until just after football season. I needed to show the scouts who were interested in me last year that I was ready. 

I didn't really feel better by the time the bus came, but at least I stopped talking to myself. I stalled the bus driver until Jake came running out of the school. I owed him that. We sat together and bullshitted. It helped distract me and like I said earlier, he was pretty cool for a 'foot fairy'. Still, I couldn't stop my mind from occasionally wandering back over my conversation with the woman. 

The first thing I promised myself was that I would stop over at the library soon and do a little research about the Fates and Hera. Maybe it would help me figure out what my subconscious was trying to tell me. It was at least worth a try.

The second thing I promised myself was to avoid Tara Kingsly until I figured out what was going on. Something or someone didn't want me to go near her. That was either some crazy woman who scared me more than I wanted to admit or my subconscious. Either worked for me. 

Not that staying away from her would be hard. Sure, our lockers were close together and we had lunch at the same time, but we ran with different crowds. Okay, so she was pretty and for some reason we were getting along better recently, but it wasn't that long ago that she used to intimidate me, although I was never sure why. 

I was still more than a little confused, but at least I had a plan of sorts. Although, if I was being honest with myself then the only thing that I felt remotely confident in was that I'd probably end up in a Looney Bin before this was all over. 

I made it home without any other hallucinations popping up. Score one for my sanity!

Having dinner helped. Mom was a great cook and her food hit the spot. Pop asked about football and we talked about what happened during practice this week. It was our normal Friday night routine and it was very comforting. 

"So, what are you doing tonight?" he asked once dinner was over. 

"Some of the guys are meeting up later at Darby's," I replied. Darby's was a local ice cream parlor. "But I'm not sure I'm up for it. Big game tomorrow."

"You might as well go," mom put in with a smile. "You sound like you could use a distraction. Besides, you don't want to just sit here all night with us old people and worry about the game."

"What old people?" pop deadpanned. My mother rolled her eyes, but she was smiling as her eyes met his. It was obvious that my parents were still very much in love. I shook my head and I smiled. I hoped that one day I'd meet someone who made me feel the same way. 

Just a month ago I thought that it might be Tiffany, but then the whole coma thing happened and she dumped me for Brad. At least I found out before I really fell for her. My mind wandered to the other woman in my life at the moment.

I thought about Pam. She was nice and fun to hang out with, but suddenly I realized that I couldn't see it. I can't even explain why. I mean, I was attracted to her, but I couldn't see myself settling down with her. Of course, it might be too early to tell. Not that I was looking to fall in love, not with college coming next year...especially not after what happened with Tiffany. I had time.

My mind drifted to some of the other pretty girls from school. Some, like Tracy were off limits. She was Mike's girl and it had little to do with him being the football team captain despite our earlier discussion in the locker room. They were the perfect couple.

Jenny was hot and a redhead to boot, but she really wasn't my type. She was wound too tight and frankly, was too easily offended. Besides, I couldn't do that to Jimmy despite the fact that he had no change with her. I almost felt bad for him when Tara fanned his hope in that area. 

Tara. I knew it wasn't the smartest thing to think about her after what just happened. The problem was that if I was being honest with myself then I had to admit that there was something about her that got to me. 

What was I thinking? I shook my head and focused on that simple fact that Tara was so damn strange. I could just imagine my parents' reaction to my dating her. Date Tara? That was crazy. 

"Can I borrow the car? I want to take a ride to the library before I got out," I said suddenly, remembering my earlier promise to myself to look up the Greek gods. Pop was clearly surprised, but didn't comment. I wasn't the studying type although my grades were good. 

"Sure," mom smiled. "I'm glad you're working at catching up on your classes." I nodded. I hadn't really planned to do any school work, but I still did have a lot of catching up to do. I grabbed my book bag and mom's keys before slipping out the door.

I spent about twenty minutes looking up the Fates, Hera, Nemesis and the Greek gods in general. It only confused me more. I borrowed a couple of books to take home for later because after my initial research I decided that I didn't want to think about it tonight. Instead, I cracked open my book bag and actually worked on catching up on some of my classes. An hour later I stood and stretched. Enough studying. It was time to go out.

Darby's was packed as usual, but my friends already had a table. Carlos, Jerry and two other teammates were sitting in a booth. They made room as I joined them. We spent a little time talking about the game and a lot more talking about girls. Nothing new there. 

The two other guys had a double date later and left after we finished our ice creams. Carlos, Jerry and I hung out for a bit longer. We were just about ready to leave when three girls walked in. Pam was one of them. She saw me, smiled and came over.

"I was hoping I'd catch you here," she said. Her eyes were a little shiny and from her tone I could tell she'd been partying. She looked just as good as always, only her mass of blond hair looked a little wild tonight. I liked it. 

"What happened to your sleepover?" I asked, moving in and giving her room to sit. She was supposed to be spending the night with some friends.

"We got bored and decided to come out for some ice-cream," she replied, sitting next to me. 

"I'm not sure if it was boredom or a simple case of the munchies," the tall, thin brunette who came with her put in with a laugh as she and Pam's other friend joined us. The third girl was also a brunette, but she was shorter with much larger breasts. Carlos and Jerry were quick to make room for them as well. It wasn't long before we were all packed tight in the booth. Pam's thigh suddenly pressed up against mine. I turned to her and her eyes met mine. She smiled sexily. Things were definitely looking up.

Introductions were made and Carlos, Jerry and the two girls quickly paired off. Carlos with Angela, the short, big chested brunette and Jerry with Carla, the tall thin one. We sat through the ladies eating their ice-cream and every one chipped in when the check came. Of course, the ladies excused themselves to the bathroom before we left. Pam was smiling that sexy smile again when they came back.

"You know," she said. "My parents are out and won't be home until late. We're going back to my house to hit up their liquor cabinet again. You three feel like hanging out a little longer?" 

"Definitely," Carlos answered quickly. He was obviously very much into Angela. On the other hand, everyone knew Carlos was a horndog. 

"Sounds like a plan," Jerry smiled. I hesitated, but one look at Pam and the decision was obvious.

"So much for the team curfew," I shrugged. 

"Don't worry, you'll be home before it's that late," Angela said, looking at Carlos pointedly. She clearly had his number. "We want to hang out and have a little fun, but nothing too crazy." Carlos didn't look put off at all. Knowing him, he took it as a challenge. 

Pam's house was very nice and the liquor cabinet well stocked. I stayed away from the hard stuff because we had an important game the next night, but after a while even I was feeling no pain. The lights were low and there was a movie playing on the television, but none of us were paying attention. I'm not sure who started it, but suddenly all three couples were making out. 

Pam turned out to be a very good kisser. I couldn't resist brushing my tongue against her lips after a while. Thankfully, her mouth opened slightly giving me access and our kisses grew more passionate. 

"Keep youth hands to yourself!" I heard Angela said at one point.

"Spoilsport!" Carlos snapped in reply. It was obvious that neither one of them was really angry, but their exchange was funny enough to make us all take a break from our kissing to laugh. Five minutes later we were at it again, maybe not even that long. 

I lost track of time for a while. I was betting that everyone else had as well. Pam's lips were full and soft and I loved the feel of her breasts pressed against my chest. I wanted to reach between us and squeeze them, but I didn't want her to get mad and stop kissing me so instead I rested one hand on her shoulder, letting my thumb creep toward her breasts ever so slowly. 

She had to know what I was doing, but she didn't stop me so I became more brazen. I finally reached between us and cupped one of her breasts. She didn't react badly so I squeezed. For a moment her kisses became even more passionate, but then she suddenly pulled back from me and stood.

"I want to show you the house," Pam said, holding out her hand. I was disappointed because I figured she wanted to take a break to slow things down. 




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 08



I took it as well as I could and stood. The others were oblivious to us. I glanced at them. Carlos still hadn't gotten very far with Angela, but Jerry had his hand under Carla's shirt. I shook my head as I took Pam's hand and she led me out of the room. 

Pam quickly led me down the hall to a door. She opened it and led me in. As soon as we entered I realized we were in her bedroom, but before it fully registered she shut the door and pushed me against the wall. Her lips were back on mine and her tongue thrust into my mouth.

'Holy shit!' I thought. 'Mike was right! She is a wild one!' This time I didn't hesitate in reaching up and squeezing her breasts. Her only response was to moan into my mouth. We made out for a few minutes with me feeling her up and her grinding against my now rock hard cock.

I'd only ever slept with Tiffany, and then only after almost three months of dating. I dated a few girls before her, but I'd never gotten much beyond heavy petting with them. I had the feeling that if I played this right, I could get a bit further with Pam despite this being our first time alone together. The question was how fast to push it? 

I needn't have worried because a moment later Pam reached between us and started rubbing my cock through my pants. It was my turn to moan into her mouth.

"John!" she gasped eventually, kissing my neck now. "I'm not going to sleep with you tonight, but I'm drunk and horny." There was a part of me that was stunned by her words. Girls just didn't talk that way! On the other hand, she just had and I had to deal with it. I had to say something in reply to such a statement. I went with honesty. 

"Me too!" I groaned, continuing to caress her breasts.

"Then let's help each other," she mumbled between kisses. I wasn't sure what she meant, but a moment later she started unbuttoning my pants. My cock sprang free like a rocket from its Launchpad. My poor underwear had no chance of holding it in place. Pamela saw and smiled, adding, "Very nice."

I was completely unprepared for Pam and what she did next, not that I tried to stop her. She actually dropped to her knees and took my cock into her mouth! Tiffany had helped me out upon occasion, but this was different. It was so slutty!

"Fuck!" I snapped and started cumming. "Sorry!" Pam let go of my cock in surprise. That only made my cum spray across her face and shirt. She hesitated a moment longer before shrugging to herself and falling on my cock once more. She was drinking it! She was drinking my cum down! Oh man! I felt a few extra spurts shoot free. 

I had some difficulty remaining on my feet afterward, but thankfully I was still leaning against the wall. Pamela stood when I was done and wiped her mouth. She also reach to the towel hanging behind her door and used it to wipe the rest of my cum from her face.

"Sorry," I repeated. "I'm not usually that quick, but it's been a while and well, you're just so hot!"

"It's okay," Pam smiled. "As long as you're willing to return the favor."

"Return the favor?" I asked in confusion. She looked at me, shook her head and took my hand once more. She led me to her bed and I felt my cock stiffen ever so slightly despite its recent eruption as she undid her pants and let them drop to the floor. 

"I'm not going to have sex with you, so don't get your hopes up," she said, making sure I understood she was serious. "But a girl needs relief too."

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, curious. It was embarrassing to ask, but how else was I going to learn what she wanted?

"Use your tongue to help me relieve some of this horniness, like I helped you." 

I was spellbound as she started using two fingers to push through the patch of blond hair between her legs. I saw the pink peeking through and licked my lips. I finally understood what she wanted. I'd never done it before. Honestly, I was a little nervous, but that didn't stop me from getting into bed and thrusting my tongue between her legs. I quickly learned that I liked the taste. In fact, I liked it so much that I drove my tongue deep.

"Go slower," Pam directed. "And use your tongue on the outside." My earlier embarrassment came back, only this time it was stronger. It had to be obvious to her that I had no experience in this, but thankfully she didn't get mad or laugh. Instead, she just told me what she wanted. I did what she said and felt good when she started moaning. She continued to give me direction for the next few minutes until she was finally ready to cum.

"Oh yes!" she moaned. "Right there at the apex!" I'd heard about a clit, but this was the first time I realized what it was. I loved how she reacted to me licking it. Pamela was looking down at what I was doing and using both her hands to pinch and squeeze her nipples.

I watched as she neared her orgasm. Her pussy began to pulse. I was mesmerized by the opening that kept appearing and then closing. The blond patch of hair between her legs was soaked at this point and I knew she couldn't hold on much longer.

"Now rub the apex with your fingers and thrust your tongue deep!" she cried. I was happy to oblige. A moment later she gasped, "I'm cumming!" Pam's blond haired pussy pulsed one last time and then remained open as her fluid literally sprayed from her. I drank it down. It tasted so good that I didn't want it to be over even after she was finally done so I refused to stop, although I did ease off a little. 

"John, I'm done," Pam said, sounding a little embarrassed now. I looked up at her. I was sure my face was a mess, but that didn't stop me from smiling lustfully.

"Do you mind if I continue?" I asked. "I want to make you do it again."

"Again?" she asked incredulously. "I'm not sure I can."

"Leave that up to me," I grinned, making her laugh despite her embarrassment. She never actually agreed, but then again she didn't try and stop me any further. I was at it for a few minutes before she moaned in pleasure.

"You're a quick study," she mumbled softly, rubbing her hand through my hair. I didn't bother replying. I was horny as hell once more and wanted her to cum again.

"Tell me what will make it feel better," I demanded and she did. I can't say I worked her body over expertly, but I did the best I could and she seemed to appreciate it. The only problem was that I couldn't seem to get her over the crest of her building orgasm.

"What's wrong?" I finally asked.

"Nothing," she panted, looking at me oddly. 

"Tell me what you want," I demanded, knowing she was holding something back.

"No!" she cried. "I can't! It's too soon!" Okay, I wasn't the most experienced guy in the world, but I wasn't stupid either. I knew what she wanted and that only made my own need harder to fight against. 

"You want to feel me inside of you," I said, surprised by how confident I was feeling. I was using my fingers against her clit like she showed me. She clearly enjoyed it. 

"No!" she cried, but then a moment later she moaned and changed her mind, "Yes! But it's wrong! I wouldn't even have gone this far if I wasn't drunk and so damn horny!"

I continued to use my fingers to pleasure her as I moved up the bed. My cock was so hard that it actually slapped against my stomach as I shifted. She saw and moaned. I lay on top of her and pressed my cock against her pelvis. 

"We shouldn't!" she moaned, but her legs slid open granting me access. 

I shifted my hips and her eyes got bigger as the head of my cock bumped against her opening. I kissed her passionately as I pushed my cock in slowly. Pam's pussy was hot, wet and tight. It felt amazing! She was one constant moan until I hit bottom.

"You're bigger than Lance!" she gasped out. I had no idea who Lance was, but now wasn't the time to ask. Instead, I started thrusting in and out of Pamela's tight, blond haired pussy. She moaned on one particularly deep thrust and added, "I hope you don't cum as quick this time!" I took that as a challenge.

"Not until after you do," I said confidently. I figured it would be easy considering that I'd already cum once, but it actually ended up being more than a little difficult. Pamela wasn't Tiffany. This girl moved while you fucked her. Her nails gently raked my back and at one point, she grabbed my ass and quickened the pace of my thrusting.

"John, I'm close!" she finally moaned. "But I want to feel you cum in me at the same time!"

"But..." I began. 

"It's okay!" she insisted. "I'm on the pill!" 

The pill? Wow! Most girls didn't go on the pill while still in high school. I mean, she was eighteen and all, but still...Pamela really was a slut! Lucky me!

"Just tell me when!" I grunted, fighting hard against my orgasm and burying my face in her neck. I kissed and licked the salty sweetness of her skin there.

"Now!" she cried, her pussy clamping down on my cock. "Please now!"

"Yes!" I grunted, letting lose a torrent of cum. I felt her pussy pulsing against the length of my cock as she came. Our bodies meshed for what felt like an eternity, dancing against each other in release.

"Wow," she said when we were both spent. 

"You said it," I said, rolling off her with some difficulty. We lay there panting. A part of me was still stunned by what happened, but I couldn't deny how much I liked it. 

"That was a bit more than I planned," Pam said slowly. 

"Me too," I laughed. Pam didn't join me. I lifted my head and saw her frowning. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," she replied. "I shouldn't have done that. I barely know you."

"Then why did you?" I asked. 

"I don't know," she replied, but then she frowned and added, "I mean, I really was horny and a little drunk, but it's not like you forced me." I had no idea what to say to her to make her feel better so I just waited patiently for her to continue. "I've also had a crush on you for years and I guess when you and Tiffany broke up I decided to go for it, but I wasn't expecting this, and certainly not this fast." She fell silent again and I found myself thinking about how much she'd changed between junior and senior year. 

"The summer definitely changed you," I offered, not sure what else to say.

"Sometimes I wish it never happened."

"Lance?" I guessed.

"Yes, Lance," she sighed. "He was staying with some friends at a house they rented. They were college students on summer break, but he was only a year older than me. We got along great and I loved hanging out with him and his friends. They talked about everything and it opened my eyes to a lot."

"And then for my eighteenth birthday they threw a big party for me," she continued. "I got drunk and tried to kiss Lance. Instead of taking advantage, he brought me back to my house so I could sleep it off. I was so embarrassed the next morning that I avoided him and his friends for three days. That's when he showed up and explained it to me."

"What?" I asked, honestly curious. It was one of the weirdest conversations I'd ever had. Well, not including the one with the crazy lady, slash hallucination. I mean, I'd just slept with Pamela and we were talking about some other guy. Weird shit.

"Lance told me that he cared for me," she replied. "He said he cared for me a lot. That's why he refused to take advantage of me when I was drunk."

"So what happened?" I prompted when she fell silent.

"What you'd expect," she replied, blushing again. "He was my first love and my first. We spent the next month and a half together. He was very open and patient. We learned everything about each other, including what we liked sexually. My parents would die if they ever realized how often we slept together." I knew what she meant, but I didn't want to dwell on her in bed with another guy. I realized that it wasn't because I loved her or anything. It just felt weird considering.

"How did it end?" I asked.

"Badly," she sighed. "He said he loved me and that he didn't want me to be tied down during my senior year of high school, but I think the truth was that he didn't want to go steady with a high school girl while away at school."

"Have you spoken to him since?" I asked.

"No," she sighed. "He called a few times, but I wouldn't talk to him." 

"He called?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes, why?" she asked.

"How many times did he call?" I asked, ignoring her question for the moment.

"I don't know," she frowned. "I told my parents not to bother telling me after the first five times."

"Five times," I repeated, shaking my head.

"He was just calling because he felt bad about dumping me," she insisted. "I don't want his pity."

"Pam, most guys wouldn't bother calling a girl after they broke up with her," I said honestly. "And even if they felt guilty, they wouldn't call five times."

"Then why did he call?" she asked. I shook my head. 

"I can guess, but I don't know," I said, not wanting to get her hopes up despite the obviousness of it all. "Why not call him back and find out?"

"I can't do that!" she snapped. 

"Then give me the number," I said, surprisingly myself more than her. "I'll call and see what he wants." It was a bad idea and I knew. I could just picture it. 

'Excuse me, but do you still love Pamela? Because I just fucked her a few minutes ago and all she's doing now talking about you.' Sure, that would go over well.

"That's crazy!" she cried, but I noticed her glance toward the draw of her night stand. I opened it and there was his number, with his name written over it with a heart around it. Seriously. 

Pamela had a phone in her room and I grabbed it and started dialing. "Don't you dare!" she cried, jumping out of bed and grabbing her robe. She wrapped it around herself and tied it instead of trying to stop me. Go figure. 

"Hey," I said to the voice that answered the phone after the seventh ring. "Is Lance there?" 

"Who's calling?" the guy on the other end asked. This was obviously a hall phone in Lance's dorm.

"You wouldn't!" Pam whispered. I rolled my eyes.

"Tell him it's Pamela Stevens," I replied.

"You don't sound like a Pamela," the guy snorted, but then I heard him yell the information down the hall. I could literally hear the sound of someone running over the phone.

"Pam?" a male voice asked. The excitement in his voice was priceless, so was the nervousness. Instead of answering, I held the phone out to her. Pam hesitated. "Pam, is this you? Are you there?" She reached for it almost tentatively.

"Hello Lance," she said softly. 

"I'm so sorry!" I heard him cry over the phone and didn't bother to stick around after that.

Carlos was still on the couch with Angela, but Jerry and Carla were gone. I wondered if she'd kicked him out or if they'd borrowed a bedroom. Carlos had finally gotten his hands under Angela's top, but that was as far as he got and she quickly pushed them away when I entered the room. He gave me a nasty look.

"It's almost past curfew," I shrugged. "And I'm leaving. If you want a ride, it's now or never."

"You should go," Angela put in. "Pam's parents will be home in a half hour anyway."

"Dammit!" he snapped, but then he stood. "Angela, please right down your phone number while I go get Jerry." That was one mystery down. Jerry was still here somewhere.

"And if I don't want to give it to you?" she asked.

"Then I'll have to join a monastery and become a monk," he replied, causing her to laugh.

"I supposed we can't have that," she said slowly. "You'd corrupt all the other monks." This time it was Carlos's turn to laugh as he left to get Jerry.

"Where's Pam?" Angela asked me. 

"In her room," I replied. "Talking to Lance."

"She called Lance?" the short brunette asked in surprise. I actually smiled.

"No, I did," I replied. 

"You called Lance?" This time the question was even more incredulous. 

"She loves him," I shrugged. "And based on how the conversation started, I'm guessing he returns the feelings."

"So I guess that means you didn't get lucky," Carlos grinned as he rejoined us. I shrugged. I didn't want to lie, but the truth wasn't really his business. Besides, I doubted if he'd believe me even if I told him. I sure as hell was having problem with it and I lived it. Jerry came stumbling out of the hallway still buttoning his shirt.

"That's girl..." Angela said, shaking her head. Jerry just grinned dumbly. Carlos and I got the message.

The car ride was as short as I could make it. I dropped Jerry off first. Carlos spent most of the time driving to his house talking about Angela. He clearly liked her. It would be interesting to see how that ended up.

I sighed in relief once I got home. I'd missed the team curfew by an hour, but slipped in under the wire on my parents' curfew. That would do.

I showered quickly and went to bed, but had problems falling asleep. I really wasn't sure how to take what happened tonight. I mean it's not like I loved Pam and I did get laid and learn quite a bit on how to pleasure a woman, but it was all just too weird. 

Of course, now I'd have to find another girlfriend. A face came to mind unasked and I pushed it away. That was so not going to happen. 

"I need to go to sleep," I sighed to myself. "Big game tomorrow." Still, the last thing I remembered was a smiling girl. She had blond hair with red ends.

**********

"How are you feeling?" my mother asked, just like she had every morning since I came out of my coma. 

"Good," I smiled as I sat at the table and ate breakfast. Saturday morning was one of my favorite times and despite what happened after practice at the soccer field, I really did feel good. I'm guessing some of it had to do with my night with Pam. I was happy I helped her get back together with this Lance guy, but it was too bad that last night would only be a onetime thing. I had the feeling that Pam still had some things to show me. I guess I'd have to learn them from someone else now. I shook my head.

It was game day and I decided to forgo thinking about anything else. This was my senior year and I was supposed to be having fun. I decided to chalk up what happened with Pamela as just that, fun. 

My little sister Cindy was a bit more bubbly than usual, but I was in such a good mood that I didn't let it bother me. Somehow we ended up talking about some of our old vacations and started laughing. I was surprised that Cindy remembered the time we went to the horseback riding ranch considering how young she'd been at the time, but she recalled with surprisingly clarity the time I fell off the horse. It was a pretty funny story and I laughed along with her. So did mom. After a few moments even pop put down the newspaper and joined in the conversation. The laughter helped settle my mind and I was feeling even better after the meal then I had at the start.

"John, would you mind going to the grocery store for me?" my mom asked after we were done. "I need some laundry detergent and the box is too heavy." 

"Sure," I said, trying to hide my annoyance. I hated going to the store, but mom always bought the laundry detergent in bulk and the box of powder was pretty heavy.

"Thanks," she said, handing me some money with a smile. "Feel free to buy some snacks." My annoyance dissipated.

"John, get Devil Dogs. Please!" Cindy half asked, half begged. I nodded and laughed, leaving the house with Mom's keys. The trip to the grocery was uneventful until I got on line. The place was packed and they were short cashiers. I was lucky enough to find an express line with only one cart waiting. That's when I saw her.

"Hello Johnny," Tara smiled. She was in the next line over putting her groceries on the counter.

"Hey," I replied, not sure how to react. I'd promised myself to avoid her, but here she was. Damn!

"Planning on doing some laundry?" she asked with a grin.

"Mom asked me to pick it up," I replied, feeling embarrassed for some reason. "You?"




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 08



"I do the grocery shopping in my house," she replied. "My father thinks the five basic food groups are cake, ice-cream, cookies, candy and anything chocolate." I was about to ask about her mother when I remembered that her parents had split a few years earlier.

"A man after my own heart," I joked. Sure, I was trying to avoid Tara, but that didn't mean I had to be rude. Besides, I was learning that she had a pretty good sense of humor. Tara just rolled her eyes at my comment and changed the subject.

"Have you caught up on your classes yet?" she asked. 

"Getting there," I replied. "Believe it or not, I spent an hour at the library last night."

"A Friday night?" she asked in obvious surprise. "You really are trying to catch up!"

"Well, I don't know about that," I grinned sheepishly. "Honestly, it was pretty much the only real time I spent on it. The teachers are being pretty cool about it."

"Of course," she grinned. "After all, you are one of the star football players."

"Have a thing for football players, do you?" I teased before I could stop myself. Why the hell was I flirting with Tara? It didn't make sense on any number of levels. It's not like we got along. Honestly, until recently talking to her generally made me feel uncomfortable, yet here I was cracking jokes with her. 

"Not hardly," she snorted and went back to checking out.

I continued to watch her. Maybe my attraction to her had to do with the 'warning' I received last night? Was it simply a matter of my subconscious telling me to stay away from her because the truth was that I was actually interested in Tara? I mean, she was one of the prettiest girls is school. No one argued that. She was just so weird.

"Do I have something on my face?" Tara asked, obviously catching me looking at her. Oddly, I didn't feel embarrassed at being caught.

"You know, I never understood what happened to you after eighth grade," I found myself saying. "Something changed more than the make-up, hair and clothes." I could see that my question surprised her, made her angry in fact, but a moment later she smiled sadly and answered far more calmly then I expected.

"Maybe one day I'll tell you," she said. By that time I was putting the few things I had on the conveyer belt and she was checking out. The conversation died again, but I found myself still watching her. I had the feeling she knew, but she didn't say or do anything other than smile slightly. 

I walked toward mom's car in a bit of a daze. I was carrying the box of detergent and single bag of snacks. Things had become crazy ever since my coma and just when they were starting to get back to normal last night at the soccer field happens. That was bad enough, but I come up with a plan to deal with it all and less than twenty-four hours later I bump into the one person who could screw it all up and flirt with her. 

I'd say it was fate, but according to Nemesis or my subconscious depending on which delusion I chose to go with, the Fates were against her and I being together. 

I was halfway across the parking lot when I noticed Tara loading her car. She really was pretty, sexy too if I was being honest with myself. I caught myself wondering what it would be like to kiss her. Would dating her really be that dangerous? 

This time she didn't see me watching her so I allowed myself to dwell, so much so that I didn't notice the car, at least not until it hit me. The odd part was that as I went flying I saw the driver. I could almost swear it was the woman from my hallucination, Nemesis.

'I warned you,' a voice said in my head. 

I landed pretty hard and pain shot through my body. It was so bad that I forgot about the woman and the voice. The last thing I heard before I passed out was a cry.

"Johnny!" It was heart wrenching to say the least, but for some reason it made me feel better. I knew with a certainty I couldn't explain that somebody loved me, and for some reason that made it all okay.

**********

"Not again," I sighed as I woke up to the smell of the hospital. I felt pretty bad, but still nowhere near as bad as the last time. I wondered if that was progress of a sort.

"You do seem to be making a habit of this." Despite everything I felt myself smile. Someone was holding my hand and I knew that voice. I opened my eyes and there she was, Tara. She looked tired and worried, but also relieved now that I was awake.

"What happened?" I asked, everything was a little foggy.

"You were hit by a car in the grocery store parking lot," she replied succinctly, and then added angrily, "The driver didn't even stop! The police are looking for him."

"Him?" I frowned as my memory of the accident slowly came back. Nemesis. Or maybe not. Maybe my mind just remembered her as the driver. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that. 

"Him, her, they don't really know," Tara replied. I was either sane or not, but thinking about it right now wasn't going to help. Besides, I had other things to worry about.

"What time is it?" I asked, letting go of her hand and trying to get out of bed. Pain shot through my ribs and my right arm and shoulder throbbed. It was then I noticed the cast on my arm. I fell back into the bed gasping in pain. "How bad am I?" 

"You've been out for about two hours," Tara replied, doing her best to help me settle back into a comfortable position. "And the doctors say you have a dislocated shoulder, two cracked ribs, a large number of contusions and abrasions, a broken arm and a nasty concussion. They're also concerned about internal bleeding."

"I'm going to miss the game, aren't I?" I asked. It was a stupid question considering, but it slipped out anyway. 

"Seriously?" she asked, obviously annoyed. "You just got hit by a car and all you're worried about it a stupid football game!"

"It's not the game," I sighed. Finding out about my injuries caused whatever energy I had to disappear. "It's what it means to my future."

"Johnny," she said, suddenly understanding. "You'll have a bright future no matter what. You're not the type to let one little setback ruin everything."

"Little setback?" I asked. "Football was my free ride to a good school."

"So now you'll have to work and pay for it," she shrugged. "It's not like your grades are bad or that you're afraid of work."

"She not wrong," a voice said from the door. I turned and there was mom. She looked relieved to see me okay despite my injuries. Pop was right behind her.

"Mom? Dad? How did you know I was here?" I asked in surprise.

"I called them as soon as we arrived at the hospital," Tara answered.

"We arrived?" I frowned.

"You didn't think I'd let them take you to the hospital by yourself?" She asked in return. "I rode in the ambulance with you."

"What about your groceries?" I asked.

"What about them?" she shrugged. I shook my head, which didn't help the pounding there. I also squeezed her hand in thanks. I don't know why, but I felt better knowing she hadn't left me alone while I was unconscious.

"You're the one, aren't you?" pop asked as he and mom joined Tara at my bedside. 

"Pardon?" Tara asked.

"There can't be two girls with hair like yours," pop continued. He wasn't being critical, but even I had no idea what he was talking about. "The nurses said that a girl visited John frequently while he was in a coma, but we never saw you and her description didn't help. John never mentioned a Tara before." 

"Yes, he did," my mother interjected as she stood on the opposite side of me from Tara and held my free hand. "In eighth grade." She then turned to me and asked, "Is this the same one?" I was embarrassed, but I nodded. Mom smiled and added, "I thought so."

"Are you the one who visited John while he was in a coma?" pop asked. It was pretty obvious, but I guess he wanted confirmation.

"Yes. I used to come early in the morning before school," Tara replied. "Dad was working late on a project at the time and that was the only time I could borrow the car." She didn't seem remotely embarrassed for being caught visiting me. 

"She was here when I woke up the first time," I admitted slowly, remembering. "I never mentioned it because at first I thought I'd imagined it." Tara and I exchanged a look. I had no idea what it meant, but again, just looking at her made me feel better. I noticed mom smile as she watched us.

"So, what happened?" pop asked, thankfully changing the subject. "I mean, I know you got hit by a car, but what do you remember?" 

"Well," I sighed. "I was in the parking lot walking toward mom's car when I became distracted. The next thing I knew I was flying through the air."

"Distracted?" my father frowned. "What distracted you?"

"Not what," I smirked despite the situation. "Who." Tara took one look at my expression and released my hand.

"You are not going to blame me for this, are you?" she asked in annoyance.

"No, I'm going to blame whoever hit me," I replied, reaching out for her hand until she took mine. Of course, I couldn't stop myself from smiling and adding, "You, I'm simply blaming for the distraction." She tried to let go of my hand again, but this time I held tight.

"You two sound like an old married couple," pop snorted. This time even Tara blushed. Pop just laughed at our expressions and added, "It's a shame you're not dating. Or are you?"

"He's dating Pamela Steven," Tara said quickly.

"Not anymore," I found myself replying. 

"Really?" Tara asked in surprise. "You mean the rumor I heard this morning is true? Did you really call her old boyfriend and get them back together?" 

"It was more complicated than that," I sighed. "But essentially, yes."

"More complicated," Tara repeated, looking at me strangely. I had the feeling that she could read exactly what happened from my expression. I blushed again, but after a moment she shrugged and let it drop.

"The doctor said that they were keeping Johnny overnight for observation," she said to mom and dad. She then proceeded to tell them everything else they said. I lay back and rested. 

My mind was having problems absorbing everything that had just changed in my life. My football scholarship was history for all intents and purposes, and with it went most of my plans. I should have been devastated, and truthfully I large part of me felt that way, but Tara wasn't wrong earlier. I could still go to a decent college. It would just be harder. College was expensive, but not ridiculously so. If I stayed focused on my grades and got a good job, I probably could do it. 

And then there was Tara. She cared for me in ways that no one else ever had. I know it didn't make sense, but I knew it was true. I could see it in her eyes. Things had just gotten a whole lot more difficult now that I was done with football, but with her by my side I just knew it would all work out. You see, logical or not, I was convinced she was the one.

Tara had dropped everything when the accident happened and stayed with me. That meant something. I woke up to her worried and caring face, the same as I had after waking from the coma. That meant something too. She was the one at my bedside every morning during my coma, not my girlfriend who ended up leaving me for another guy. 

That was more than just caring. That was love, and I was quickly realizing that it wasn't one sided. Sure, she was strange, but she was also one of the most real people I knew. I didn't understand why she did some of the things she did, but I knew she never did anything to hurt someone intentionally. 

Something had changed in her life between eighth grade and high school. That much was obvious. Yet, as I thought back to grammar school I remembered all the conversations we used to have. Sure, back then I wasn't confident enough to ask someone like Tara out, but that didn't mean we weren't something more than friends. 

I spent all that summer preparing to ask her out when we started high school, but instead I froze the first time I saw her. She was wearing all black. Her hair was cut short and dyed blue. She had a nose ring and pale makeup. It was like I was seeing some alien who had taken over her body.

It was worse when we finally did talk. She wasn't the same. She talked about things I didn't understand and she looked at me with a sadness that scared me. Frankly, she seemed a little crazy to me at the time, but whatever had cause it must had disappeared over time because the girl I'd talked and joked with this week was much more like the girl I remembered in grammar school. Maybe I had changed as well. 

"John, are you okay?" my mom asked. I blinked, realizing I was half asleep.

"Yes," I replied. "Just tired."

"I'm not sure if you should fall back to sleep with the concussion and all," pop frowned. "Let me go find a doctor." He didn't quite storm out of the room, but he was clearly a man with a mission.

"I'd better go after him," mom sighed. "You know how he can be. He'll scare the poor nurses. Besides, they'll be paperwork to fill out and your father hates that."

"Don't worry," Tara said. "I'll stay with Johnny until you get back."

"I know dear," my mother smiled, patting both our hands since they were still clasped together. "By the way, assuming the doctors let John out tomorrow, why don't you come by for dinner?"

"I would love to," Tara replied, but then turned to me and added, "If it's okay with Johnny?"

"Well, I wasn't planning for our first date to be at my parents' house, but I guess it works," I laughed, but only briefly. Laughter was definitely not good for my head.

"Are you asking me out?" Tara asked, squeezing my hand tighter. I was willing to bet she didn't even realize it.

"Of course," I replied. "It's long overdue. I wish I'd had to guts to do it in eighth grade."

"Now works fine for me," Tara said, leaning over and actually kissing me. It was brief, but her lips felt very nice against mine. Of course, that didn't stop me from being embarrassed. After all, my mother was still by the door watching us. I glanced her way. Mom was grinning as she turned and went after my father.

"This will never do." My head snapped back around. Tara was still next to me, but the voice wasn't hers. It was Nemesis's. She was sitting on the window sill with her arms folded watching us. If looks could kill, I knew I'd be dead. She stood and took a step toward me. Tara stepped in front of her.

"Who are you?" she asked. 

"You mean you can see her?" I asked in surprise.

"Of course," Tara frowned. "What's going on?" Nemesis ignored her and focused on me.

"You were warned," she said pointedly. "And punished, but still you persist. There is only one penalty for that." She reached for me and I remembered the pain in my shoulder from the first time she touched me. I was certain this time her touch would be deadly.

"Stay back!" Tara snapped. 

"Tara dear, this is for your own good," Nemesis said in a completely different voice. She touched Tara.

"No!" I cried, trying to get out of bed, but it was too late. Yet, instead of crying out in pain or falling Tara simply froze. Nemesis stepped around her and reached for me. There was nothing I could do to stop her in the state I was in. I was certain I was dead, but then there was a flash when her hand was only a foot away from me and Nemesis cried out in pain.

"Seriously?" My head snapped back around again. Standing in the doorway was the brunette with the blue eyes from my first visit to the hospital. 

"Hebe!" Nemesis cried. The name was familiar from my research on Hera. I was pretty sure Hebe was Hera daughter, or maybe her granddaughter. 

"What did you expect?" the goddess replied, walking into the room. "Did you really think mother would let you kill him?"

"Your mother is mad!" Nemesis cried. "She's trying to go against the Fates. Tara is the one. They will not let a mere mortal be the father!"

"You underestimate mother," Hebe retorted. "She has worked toward this day just as long as the Fates, possibly longer. John is the one, not the girl, and mother will not let anyone else usurp her role."

"You're wrong and so is your mother!" Nemesis snapped.

"You know," I sighed in frustration. "I'd be just as confused if you were having this conversation in Greek." They both ignored me. No surprise there.

"It doesn't matter," Hebe shrugged. "Time will tell, but you know the rules grandmother gave us and you broke them. That means off to Tartarus you go. Have fun and say hello to father, Hercules and my sons for me."

"Bitch!" Nemesis snapped, but she seemed oddly cowed. That didn't stop her from looking at me and adding, "You would have been better off letting me kill you. You'll regret it by the time Hera gets done with you." I wanted to ask her what she meant, but she literally disappeared.

"You've been a bad boy John," Hebe said. "So no healing for you this time." I watched as she walked over to Tara. She was looking at her rather oddly.

"Tempting," she said softly, more to herself than me. "But I have no desire to deal with grandmother's wraith." I swallowed with some difficulty when she reached out and touched Tara, but all that happened was that my new girlfriend woke up. She looked confused for a moment before focusing on Hebe.

"You!" Tara cried angrily. In fact, I'd never seen her so mad before. Still, the fact that Tara could see the brunette was oddly comforting, at least I hadn't hallucinated the woman. Or was I was hallucinating the whole thing...

"Hello Tara," the brunette smiled.

"You know each other?" I asked, not bothering to hide my confusion.

"Yes and no," she replied, turning to Tara and adding, "Should I explain it or do you want to?"

"I will," Tara said. "But not right now. He has a concussion. Why are you here?"

"I'm just passing through," Hebe replied with a shrug, turning and walking back toward the door. She paused before leaving. "I'd tell you two to stay away from each other, but it's pretty obvious it would be a waste of breath. That's too bad. This isn't going to end well for either of you." She left without another word.

"John, what happened?" Tara asked as soon as we were alone. She was back at my bedside holding my hand. "One second I was standing between you and that crazy woman and the next she was gone and Hebe was here."

"I really hope this is not a hallucination," I sighed to myself before looking up at Tara and adding, "And who is Hebe? How do you know her?" We stared at each other for a few moments. I thought she was going to tell me, but just at that moment my father returned with a doctor. Tara and I exchanged a look. We needed to talk, but not right now.

**********

"Good morning Johnny," Tara said, waking me. She was once again holding my hand, but her expression was almost sad for some reason.

"I take it this is an early morning visit again," I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Yes," she replied, but she didn't smile. "I didn't sleep much last night. I need to tell you something that I'm sure you won't believe, but after what happened last night you need to hear it. Think you can handle it? How's your head?"

"Fine," I replied, sitting up in bed. My head still hurt, but my brain was functioning once again. That was something. Besides, I really wanted to hear what Tara had to say.

"I'm going to tell you a story," she said slowly, as if gathering her courage. "I want you to listen to it all before you ask any questions. Afterward, I'm going to leave you alone to think and decide how you want to deal with it. We'll talk later."

"Okay," I said settling back. It sounded like this was going to be a long story.

"Once there was a girl," Tara began. "She was a typical young teenager, spending her last summer before high school with nervous anticipation. One day, her mother's brother came to visit. Her uncle Kyle traveled a lot and visited rarely."




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 09



Author's note:

Last chapter...finally! Thanks to all of you who stuck with it. I hope you enjoy the conclusion. 

I've stalled on posting this chapter for quite some time for one basic reason. There's no sex in it. Yes, I know the site is for erotic fiction, but I couldn't find a way of putting it in that didn't seem contrived and after all the time I'd put into writing this and you put into reading it, I didn't want to ruin the ending by forcing it. On the other hand, it didn't seem fair to not mention this little fact before you started reading the chapter.

Regards,

JD

**********

Have you ever looked madness in the eye? I mean true madness. Insanity on the level that strips an individual of any humanity they once held. If you have, then you know. It's horrifying in a way that can't be described, only felt.

"Awake again? Finally!" I would know that voice anywhere. It belonged to the monster that fueled and filled my nightmares. I resisted opening my eyes because once I did the pain would return. Well, that and I was slowly becoming convinced that you could only look into the eyes of madness for so long before it began to infect you.

Of course, if I kept my eyes closed too long the pain came anyway. Hera would not be denied her pleasure.

I dreaded the thought of seeing her ecstasy as she fulfilled her ever growing need for vengeance by scouring my body with as much pain and torment as she could devise. Seeing her literally dancing in my blood when she was done took a little bit of my soul each time, or at least that's how it felt. Yet despite that, I pried open my eyes with some effort. They were crusted over with salt and sand. I had to blink for several seconds to break through the crud covering them.

The weather was perfect. The weather was always perfect in the small rocky cove that had become my new home, my prison. I'd studied every inch of it that could be seen from my vantage point without ever touching the ground. The chains that held me a mere six inches off the sand were heavy, but I'd gotten used to the weight as time passed.

I was almost certain that I was once again on the island Hebe and I had shared a lifetime ago. It just felt right, but I didn't remember the cove from my first visit and I'd explored that isle in detail. That didn't bother me too much. I remembered Grandmother's mountain and waterfall appearing and then disappearing. The gods could do amazing things and Hera was one of the strongest. I made myself look at her.

"That's better," she grinned. There was nothing friendly or warm about her words or her smile. The hatred and loathing for me that came off of her in waves were only matched by my feelings toward her.

I'd only truly loved one woman in my life, or lives, depending on how you looked at it. Tara was my soul mate. She was as far from perfect as I was myself, but that didn't matter. Our love was perfect and that made all the difference in the world. We shared an entire lifetime together that I had no memory of because of Hera. Instead, my memory was of a life of loneliness. That by itself was reason enough to hate the goddess.

The rest of the gods, particularly the Fates were just as much to blame for keeping Tara and I apart, but their interference was less vindictive. On some level, despite my anger toward them, I understood that their actions weren't personal. I could see it from their viewpoint when I forced myself to be objective.

It was time for the next generation of gods to be born and take up their responsibilities. If that didn't happen soon then Armageddon would arrive. Destroying the lives and happiness of two people would be worth that price from their viewpoint.

It could be argued that Hera was doing what she did for the same reason, but I didn't believe that. Frankly, I'm pretty sure she could care less about the possibility of Armageddon, or at least that her concerns about it were far less important to her than her own desires and ambition, and that's why she hated me so much.

Hera had worked millennia toward her goal of being the mother of the next generation of gods. I was the means to her end. Yet, I'd refused to give her what she wanted. Instead, I made Tara the mother of the next generation of gods like the Fates wanted, although not in the way they expected thanks to Grandmother.

I'd taken Hera's dream away from her and she didn't react well. In short, she'd gone completely mad. The concept of a being with her power doing that was horrifying not just to me, but to the other gods as well. I could see it in their expressions in the beginning when they watched Hera punish me. They had no idea what to do about it, but they knew they'd have to do something eventually. Currently, her madness was focused on me and me alone, but that wouldn't last forever, or at least I wouldn't.

I could remember the pity in their eyes as they watched Hera. It wasn't an emotion I shared. To them she was a fellow god, in some cases even a mother or a grandmother. I knew Hera for what she really was, a monster. I think maybe they started to see the truth as well because after a time they stopped coming. These days it was just Hera and me.

I understood why all of the gods agreed that Tara needed to be sent back in time after my death in the lifetime where we'd lived out our lives together, but it was Hera who had her daughter Hebe send Tara back to be raped by her uncle a second time. Then, after my own trip back in time, it was Hera I found in the hotel room in Las Vegas with her priests raping the woman I loved yet a third time.

I would have hated her to the grave and beyond for either of those actions alone, but then Hera had Tara killed while I slept under Grandmother's care. At that point Hera and I both believed that I'd given her what she wanted. There was no reason to kill the woman I loved. No reason except one simple truth. Hera was a monster.

I was horrified to my core when, after being sent back in time a second time, Hera ordered the Cabreiri to kill Tara yet again. I stood transfixed as their blades entered my love's heart and brain, but despite that, I wasn't surprised. I accepted Hera for what she was by then even if no one else did. Killing and raping were what monsters did.

I'd been able to save Tara using the power Grandmother gave me, but that didn't change what Hera was. She deserved whatever pain and suffering I caused her. I think that was why I continued to open my eyes to face her each time she returned to punish me again. It was all that was left to me to do to show her that I knew the truth and that no amount of pain and suffering would change that.

"Not bored yet?" I asked flippantly. It would cost me, but then again, Hera didn't need an excuse to hurt me and it wouldn't be long before she did her worse yet again, no matter what I said. I had no idea how many times we'd done this, but it was more than enough to drive a normal person insane. I'd stopped counting as the days, weeks and possibly even months went by.

"I see you've finally recovered enough to make this fun again," she replied, her purple eyes looking somehow snakelike and cruel. I forced myself to meet them. She didn't quite frown when I did, but I could tell it bothered her.

"Yep, I feel good to go," I said with as much defiance as I could muster. Honestly, I did feel pretty good physically at the moment. I always did when Hera first returned. It no longer surprised me, but there were moments where the surrealism of it hit me. Moments like now.

I was chained to a pole in the patch of sand near in the middle of the cove. There were low cliffs nearby, the bottom section of which had water marks at eye level where the tide rose to its peak. I don't remember eating or drinking since I returned to the island. I should have died from that alone a multitude of times, but Hera clearly had other plans. 

She always came when the tide was low to do her worst. She would walk in circles around me, making sure her abuse was evenly distributed. My blood would cover the sand around the stake by the time she was done. Sometimes, after I'd been beaten and tortured almost senseless, I would notice the mix of sand and blood ooze up from between her toes. It covered her feet and made her smile in a way I refuse to describe.

Each time, just before the tide threaten to wash away what remained of my torture she would strip off whatever she was wearing and begin to dance around the pole, her movements lewd and downright vulgar. She even reached out to touch me at times, but I was pretty sure that was just to see my revulsion, or at least that's what I hoped.

I was convinced that her madness always peaked at that time. She seemed somehow empowered by this sick act. The bloody sand would splash up and cover her as she stamped her feet to music only she could hear. Frequently, her movements were so vigorous that the bloody mix would actually reach her face and cheeks.

Hera would stand panting afterward, with the gore that had once been part of me dripping down her body. Her expression twisted in some sick, horrific, triumphant smile that made no sense to me.

The tide would come in once she was done and gone. In time it would wash away my blood, leaving the sand clean and ready for her next visit.

I could mark time by how high the water was on my body. Each inch set more of my body on fire as the salt water seeped into the open wounds Hera left. I should have died a thousand times, but I didn't. Not even when the tide became so high that it actually covered my head. I can remember drowning on multiple occasions. Yet, afterward I would always awake to Hera's cruel voice once the tide receded again.

My body would be whole despite whatever she did to me. I'd lost eyes and even limbs during my time with Hera, but when I awake, they are always back. Or perhaps I just imagine they are. After all, I'd been staring into Hera's eyes a long time.

I spent far too much time thinking about the special kind of madness Hera must have. After all, she would torture me for hours, leave me for all but dead, and then heal me to perfect health to start all over again. This happened twice a day. In her lunacy, her torture and healing sessions followed the tides like clockwork.

The only thing that I spent more time thinking about than Hera's insanity was my own. I knew no one could survive the type of attention I was getting from Hera and keep the madness at bay. Yet, although I typically slept during the time between when the tide begins to recede until the sand is clear once again for Hera's cruel dance, sometimes I'm awake and I feel...well, I feel like myself and that's impossible, so I know I'm mad. That's the only explanation that makes sense.

I never know what to make of my insanity, but mostly I try to simply accept it. It's not like I could cure myself even if I did understand it. Besides, I'm not sure I'd want to. After all, what good would it do me while I was still in Hera's clutches? I was better off remaining the way I was.

This was my reality now. Sure, I was a mix of pain and despair, but there was also a pureness of hatred for Hera that somehow gave me strength, or at least a reason to continue.

Yet deep down, I knew that it wasn't quite true. I couldn't live on hatred alone, even in my current state. Sure, it helped me persevere for a time, but eventually Hera's torture stripped me of everything including that. Well, everything except for the memory of a single smile.

I could see it now, crooked, but warm and loving. These days it remained in my mind's eye even when the pain came. Tara's loving and playful eyes filled me and somehow blocked out the worst of what Hera did.

It was as if I somehow separated into two different people when Hera began her torture. One was tied to the pole and enduring as best he could what Hera heaped upon him. He screamed out his hatred and pain to no avail.

The other pulled away from my body and reached out to Tara. She greeted him with open arms and that imperfect perfect smile of hers, protecting the spark that made me unique. On some level I knew it wasn't real, but in some ways it was the only real thing left in my life.

After Hera was done with her dance and she disappeared the two versions of myself came back together in a way that somehow comforted the former while leaving the latter intact. The sea water would be receding by this time and I would feel strong once more, almost hopeful. And that was the most telling detail of my insanity. Hope was an impossibility, yet I felt it just the same.

********

The seagull's flapping wings woke me as it settled on top of the spike I was tied to. I noticed it was one of the larger ones. She was a beauty, her feathers a mix of white and soft gray. I imagined that I could feel her little heart beating as she swallowed the fish she had caught a few moments earlier.

The seagull looked down at me afterward. I smiled. What else could I do? I guess I should have been worried since I was unable to defend myself if she decided to attack, but I wasn't. Could she really do worse than Hera had already done? Besides, she wasn't going to attack. I was just a curiosity to her. This proved to be true a few moments later when she flew off in search of more food.

I watched her go and smiled. Her wings were larger than I expected when I first saw her. They flapped for a few seconds and then bent to catch the air current as her feathers fluttered in the breeze. I dwelled briefly on the miracle of natural flight. I tried to imagine what it would feel like. I lost myself in that dream for a time.

The water level was just below my knees. I had no more than an hour left before Hera returned and the cycle of pain and torture continued. The realization should have bothered me, and I suppose it did on some levels, but whatever emotions someone would typically have to this situation were burned out of me long ago, or at least blocked in a way that left me somehow calm and in control. I'd felt them too often without any real chance of succor to continue to let them have their way with me.

So, instead of gibbering like a lunatic I took the peaceful times between Hera's visits to enjoy the world around me despite my current limitations in seeing it. I knew that just because I wasn't gibbering, that didn't mean I wasn't a lunatic, only that I refused to act like one.

The blue green of the water below me was as beautiful as any beach resort. Hera had me tied facing the water at first and the sight of the ocean and the sky meeting was spectacular, especially when the sun rose. Now I faced the small cove and the low ridge surrounding it. There was beauty there as well, but I missed the horizon.

Hera shifted the direction I looked to cut off my view of the sea, but not because it was beautiful. She did it so that I could no longer see the tide moving close each time it rose. She wanted me focused on my pain and not the relief from her torture it brought. I think she also liked the fact that I had to watch the water recede as low tide came and announced her return.

I could see a school of small, shiny fish like the one the seagull had eaten shimmying a few feet away. Eventually they moved around the pole looking for food at its base. Some of them swam between my toes briefly. I watched and smiled until the water receded enough that they had to move deeper into the ocean.

I wasn't expecting Hera for another fifteen minutes when I felt a shiver along my spine. Someone was coming and it wasn't her. I looked up from the water and out over the small cove. I knew its every detail and would have been able to spot the slightest stone out of place, but there were none. I frowned, but it only lasted a moment. Hera's daughter appeared directly in front of me no more than ten feet away. Hebe didn't look at me at first and when she did, she frowned.

"Where's my mother?" Hebe asked.

"I don't know," I replied. "But she will be here soon. The tide is almost low enough." Hebe continued to stare at me.

"You look well," she said, clearly surprised.

"I am, physically," I said, shrugging despite the chains holding me. "Your mother is quite adept at healing, though not painlessly. She likes to wait until my wounds are on fire from the salt water."

"You sound okay as well," Hebe said, moving closer.

"I am," I smiled. "Of course, I'm quite mad, but that's to be expected. Although, I'm still a fair bit better off than your mother, monster that she is." That brought the frown back to her expression, but by this point I could care less.

"You should have given her what she wanted," Hebe replied. "In the end, she'll get it anyway."

"I don't think so," I smiled. There was nothing Hera could do to me to make me give her a child. Besides, Tara already carried the first of the next generation of gods. "And frankly, I'm not ever sure she wants it anymore. She's done so many horrible things to me that my mind simply refuses to remember most of them, but none of them involved us having sex. She hasn't even broached the subject in her mad ranting. All she talks about is vengeance and pain. Well, that and power."

"Mother will recover her senses eventually," Hebe said, more to herself than me. "She always does." I looked at her and saw that deep down she knew better, but it wasn't something she was willing to face.

"You're smarter than that," I said, shaking my head.

"You don't know anything!" she snapped angrily.

"I know you," I insisted without heat. "Or at least knew you. You won't remember it, but we once spent a fair bit of time alone on this very island. We became lovers here and friends of a sort. You told me that in some ways it was the most satisfying time of your life."

"You are mad," she said, looking at me oddly.

"Agreed," I said. "But it happened. I remember."

"And yet here we are," Hebe said, clearly still not believing me. I was pretty sure I could convince her of it, but what would be the point? I wasn't even sure why I brought it up other than to have a conversation with someone other than her mother.

"You know, despite what you did to me and your being Hera's daughter, I still find myself feeling bad for you at times," I continued. "I think maybe you really are trying to do what's right, but at this point it's all so pointless anyway. Your generation of gods is done with the new one growing inside of Tara. My child's birth will be the end of an age. I wonder if the next will be better. I sincerely hope so."

"We will survive," she replied confidently.

"Like the Titans before you?" I asked. "I hope you're ready to spend an eternity imprisoned in Tartarus."

"It won't come to that," Hebe replied. "The next generation of gods will need us. We can help them."

"Do what?" I snorted. "Learn how to be selfish and childish? Let's be honest. You're generation for the most part is a bunch of powerful juvenile delinquents. You are constantly infighting and destroying everything around you. You use mankind as cannon fodder and think nothing of it."

"We are what your kind made us," she replied, looking surprisingly old for the goddess of youth.

"Of course," I agreed. "But we've grown and changed over the last few thousand years whereas you've stayed the same. That's why it's time for the next generation of gods. I bet if you ask Gaia, she'd tell you."

"I don't need Grandmother to explain what obvious," she retorted. "Mankind never truly changes. Without the gods you'd destroy yourselves. You're doing it now that the gods are distracted by the war between Hera and Zeus."

"War?" I frowned.

"You don't think simply impregnating your girlfriend would end the conflict, did you?" Hebe asked. "We're searching for her and no matter where Zeus has hidden her, we'll find her soon enough." I had no doubt what they'd do once they found Tara.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 09



"It will never happen," I said with a conviction I truly felt despite the fact that the gods were known for their scheming. Tara was safe. I had to believe that or all this was for nothing and that was unacceptable. "Even if you do find her, do you really think Grandmother will let you harm her or the baby she carries considering she was the one who made it possible?" Hebe frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but that's when Hera appeared between us.

"What are you doing here?" she said, interrupting her daughter. Hera was clearly annoyed. I was betting she didn't want anything or anyone to interfere with the pleasure what came next.

"Mother," Hebe said, clearly nervous as she offered Hera a slight bow.

"I told you not to bother me here," Hera replied. I looked at her while she spoke with her daughter and frowned. I noticed for the first time her purple eyes were glowing. I thought that perhaps they had begun doing it some time ago, but it was hard to remember. I blocked much of my time with Hera from my memory. I don't think the glow started all at once. I think it appeared in stages, over time, but I couldn't be sure.

"We need to talk," Hebe replied. I thought she was being rather brave, but then again, she was Hera's daughter. If anyone could get through to the purple-eyed monster in front of me, it would be Hebe.

"Heh, purple eyed-monster," I snorted, realizing how that sounded. I was just mad enough to find it amusing. "Not quite the original meaning, but it works." I actually started to laugh at my own insane humor until Hera reached out and used one of her thumbs to pluck out my right eye. Unsurprisingly, I screamed.

Now was typically the time that the part of me that was unique split off, but I wanted to hear what Hebe had to say. Of course, the pain was so bad that listening wasn't easy.

"Something is wrong," Hebe continued. "Zeus and those with him are acting oddly."

"I told you, they are yours to deal with," Hera snapped in reply, obviously uninterested in the news. She used one of her nails to cut me along the length of my torso, but it was a shallow cut and the pain was barely noticeable after losing my eye. Hebe glanced my way, but then shrugged to herself and continued.

"Also, we cannot find the girl anywhere," she added, despite her earlier bold words about tracking Tara down. "And as far as we can tell none of those in Zeus's camp are missing, so none of them are protecting her. That doesn't make sense."

"That's your problem, not mine," Hera replied offhandedly. She was no longer looking at Hebe. Her glowing purple orbs were locked on me. There was a hunger there that sent a shiver down my spine despite how much I'd been through with her. "Now leave me. I have much to do before the tide returns."

Hebe looked at her mother and didn't quite shake her head. Her expression was beyond simple sadness. I could understand. I might only have one eye left, but I didn't need both to see Hera's madness.

"It's no use talking to the purple eyed monster," I said, grinning. "Everyone knows you can't reason with it. It has a one track mind." I'm sure I looked quite crazy tied there with a wide grin and a gaping, bloody whole where my right eye used to me. I don't know why my mind decided to lock onto a locker room sense of humor right at that moment, but I could tell it was annoying Hera, so I went with it.

"Mother, you should probably move from the island," Hebe said, clearly changing the subject. "It is Grandmother's and it grows unstable now that she's disappeared."

"Don't worry," Hera said with an odd smile. "I'm perfectly safe here. Go and don't interrupt me again." Hebe looked at her mother once more and then slowly faded away. She looked ready to cry, but there were no tears, at least not yet. I didn't dwell on that. Instead, I focused on what I'd learned.

Grandmother had disappeared? Well, it's not like she hadn't done it before. I wondered what she expecting my time with Hera to teach my soul this time? On the other hand, there was disappeared as in off biding her time and waiting for something special to happen before returning, and there was disappeared as in gone. The second made no sense, but if not that then why was Hebe worried about the island?

"If Grandmother was truly gone then the Island would be the least of the troubles. Gaia is the earth mother and keeps the natural order of things. Without her it would all end. Now that would be an impressive Armageddon." I hadn't realized I spoke the words out loud until Hera eyes lit with anger.

"I think it's time we began our fun," she said, reaching out. "Let's start with a little conversation between this purple-eyed monster and the one between your legs." Hera's teeth gleamed menacingly. They suddenly seemed far bigger and sharper then I remembered. Her hand squeezed cruelly and she bent forward toward me. There was nothing sexual in what came next. Somehow I was able to scream even louder than I did earlier when she plucked out my eye.

**********

The water was chest high when I awoke. I was no longer in pain so I knew the tide was on its way out, but there were hours left to me before Hera returned. That didn't stop me from thinking about her.

Hera's cruelty never lessoned, nor did her madness. Yet, each time she returned she seemed a little different, and I don't just mean the glowing eyes. She seemed stronger. That much was obvious by how quickly she healed me after each of our sessions. At first, the tide was almost completely out before all of the pain disappeared. Now I was pain free almost before the tide gained its full height.

I was worried for the first time in a long time, ever since Hebe's visit. I had so many questions and no way getting answers for any of them. What was Hera doing on Grandmother's island between her visits to me? Was she somehow taking power from it now that Gaia had disappeared? Had Grandmother truly disappeared? If so, what did it mean?

So many unanswered questions, but the one that concerned me the most was what did Hera plan on doing with her new power? I was afraid I knew the answer and it wasn't just to continue to exact her vengeance on me. I almost wished it was. No, Hera would use it to find Tara and destroy her. Hera wasn't one to give up and mad or not, she still wanted to be the mother of the next generation of gods.

I was so locked in my thoughts that I didn't see the small pod of dolphins until they were almost next to me. There were five of them and they were in a playful mood. One of them even swam around me and blew air bubbles out of its blow hole that tickled my skin. I smiled warmly at them and forget my fears for a time as I watched them frolic in the surf. I didn't think they typically came this close to the shore, but I appreciated the visit. They left when the tide demanded it, but I was in a better mood by the time they were gone.

I was suddenly certain that this was all part of Grandmother's plan. She was up to something. That much was certain. Gaia had chanced quite a lot by sending me back in time a second time. She wouldn't have done that without there being a way for this all to work out for the better and I refused to believe that Hera getting what she wanted would be the result.

**********

Hera was with my body and there was pain, but that was to be expected. My soul traveled. Tara's warm and loving smile was there waiting for me. It turned to a crooked, laughing grin when I reached her. I buried myself in her love and caring and the pain became something distant and unimportant.

I stayed enmeshed in my dream as the pain finally receded and the tide came in. I held on to the image of Tara for quite some time afterward. She was a warm glow in my mind's eye that kept the little sanity I had left in place.

My soul meshed with hers once more because I knew it was time to go and I didn't want to leave. That's when I felt the small spark with us. It was fragile beyond understanding, but it was there.

Tara's smile was content and full of a different kind of love as we viewed the spark together. I guess it made sense. Why wouldn't I include the child we shared in my dream? Only, it was so beautiful...

I wanted to stay and bury myself in the feelings I was having, but deep down I knew that if I did then the connection between my soul and my body would be severed forever. I'd never find my way back.

Still, I was tempted because this dream was so far removed from the reality I was currently living and so full of love that it was near impossible to give it up. In the end I returned to my body, but only because I knew Grandmother's plan wasn't complete. There was something that still needed doing. I didn't know what yet, but I knew it was important.

**********

The pain began as always and I started to let myself drift once more. I knew my insanity was growing because these days I almost looked forward to Hera's visits. I still hated her with every ounce of my fiber. Yet, each time she visited my soul would soar away from my body and go to that place where my sanity was held. My soul would touch Tara's and our unborn child's and nothing mattered, not even my hatred with Hera.

I knew it wasn't real, but it felt that way and at this point I'm not sure it mattered. Sometimes I thought it was as close to Heaven as I would ever get and because of that I no longer dreaded Hera's visits. She could tell and it angered her, but there was nothing she could do to hurt me more than she already had.

This wasn't the only sign that my madness was growing. For example, now when I returned to my body everything looked crisper, more real. The little cove had been my prison and home for so long by this point that I imagined it was part of me. I could feel it. I could sense the animals from the smallest insects to the burrowing sand crabs to the seagulls that nested along the edge of the small cliffs, but it was more than that.

Everything seems so much more alive. I could sense the rocky cliffs, the crumbled stone at their bottom and the sandy patch beneath me despite all of them being inanimate. Even the air seemed like a living breathing entity at times.

My only memory of this place was being tied to the pole, held above and away from everything, yet I knew everything in my little cove better than anyone else. I could tell you the texture and temperature of every inanimate object. I could tell which of its denizens were hungry and which were tired.

I thought perhaps I could do all this now because of the way I was escaping Hera's torture. I thought maybe despite my returning to my body, my soul wasn't fully meshing with what had been left behind. Maybe what I was seeing was how the soul saw things.

Or maybe it was Hera. She continued to grow in power and maybe when she healed me she was doing more than she realized. Maybe whatever she was doing to take the power from Grandmother's Island was changing her powers, making them more like Gaia's. That would explain my connection with the world.

Or maybe the answer was far simpler. Maybe my madness had finally taken control. That certainly seemed like the most obvious answer to me, but if it was then so be it. At least I had Tara and our unborn child, real or not.

I could see their glow off in the distance and I smiled as I approached. I was almost there when I felt something change. I paused and frowned in concern, but whatever it was had nothing to do with them. How could it? They weren't real.

Yet, there was something and I couldn't ignore it. I let myself be drawn back to my body looking at the glows in the distance with sadness and regret. I prepared for the pain as best as I could, but it was pointless. Some things you couldn't make yourself ready for no matter what.

Hera was in the middle of her sick pleasures. She'd yet to cut off any of my body parts this time, but that would come in time. There was no arguing that she was very skilled at what she was doing. There was already a puddle of my blood underneath me. Of course, to be fair, most of what she did would have killed a normal human far too quickly for her enjoyment. I guess that's why she was sure to keep me alive.

I found myself briefly wondering if Hades was happy with what she was doing. By all rights, he should have had my soul in the underworld a thousand times over.

"I supposed that's neither here nor there," I mumbled through bloody lips.

"He speaks," Hera said coldly, trying to hide her surprise. I'd stopped talking to her a long time ago. There just didn't seem to be a point anymore.

"We're getting company," I said in explanation, somehow knowing it was true. Hera frowned, but before she could respond the air around her shimmered. Hebe appeared first, but many others followed afterward. The cove seemed to expand to make room for them all. I knew it didn't make sense. Yet, I also knew that it was true. I could feel it.

"Mother!" Hebe cried. "They're coming!" She was girded for war, if war entailed using swords and shields. I guess for the gods it did because they were all geared similarly.

"Who?" Hera asked in confusion.

"Zeus and the others!" her daughter replied. "I told you they weren't acting normally. I don't think they have the woman and unborn child. Frankly, they seemed to be searching for them almost more frantically than we were."

My heart skipped a beat. If Zeus didn't have Tara and our child then who did? Was one of the other gods taking a hand? It would have to be one of the more powerful ones, but that didn't seem likely. Was it the fates? Or maybe Grandmother? My mind whirled at the possibilities.

"But why are they coming here?" Hera asked.

"This is the only place left to search," Hebe replied. "They think you were somehow able to steal the woman from them and secret her here."

"I have no interest in the woman or her unborn child," her mother replied in annoyance. The weird part was that I found myself believing her. Oh, I was sure Hera would have them killed when she found them, but something significant had changed. I just couldn't figure out what. It would have to be something big for Hera to give up on being the mother of the next generation of gods, if that's what she had done. Or maybe, like with me, her madness had finally taken over.

"Mother..." Hebe began, but there was a strike of lightning despite the clear blue sky and suddenly Zeus was in the cove. He carried something spear-like that literally looked like a lightning bolt. It made it all but impossible to look directly at him. His supporters began appearing right behind him dressed for war as well.

The cove had grown considerably and the two sides faced off immediately. I recognized some of those present on both sides, including the ones I'd met. Aphrodite, Nemesis, Artemis and even Tyche stood on Zeus's side of the conflict while Hades, mad Axiocersa and Axierus were on Hera's, but there were so many more who I couldn't even guess at. In moments the two sides were at each other's throats.

"Hera!" Zeus cried, frightening in his rage, or at least he would have been if I was able to be scared anymore. "What have you done with her!"

"Zeus," Hera said, suddenly smiling. Her purple eyes glowed far more intensely than usual. No sophomoric jokes came to mind this time. "This is a little earlier than I planned, but so be it. I finally have the power to deal with you."

She reached out with both hands toward her husband and grabbed the air as if she was taking hold of his chest. Zeus cried out in pain. He obviously felt what she was doing despite his attempt to shield himself. He tried to lift the lightning bold in his hand, but Hera made a motion with one hand and smacked it away despite the distance between them. It landed into the water and sizzled, a cloud of steam bellowing into the air. The fighting around them died down somewhat as some of the other gods from both sides couldn't help pause in their fighting to see what was happening.

"It's no secret that you were a terrible husband," Hera said with a cold calmness that made me pity Zeus. "I could have forgiven you that, but you honestly care for the humans. You let them turn away from us when you could have demanded their obedience for eons. That I can't forgive."

"Mother! No!" Hebe cried, having an inkling of what was about to happen. The goddess of youth had chosen her mother's side in this war, but that didn't make her love her father Zeus any less.

Hera ignored her daughter. In her madness, I doubt very much that she even heard Hebe. Instead, she ripped her hands apart as if tearing through paper. There was hate and madness in her eyes and spittle at the corners of her mouth.

Zeus, father of the gods and the strongest among them disappeared in a red haze as his body literally disintegrated in a bloody mist.

There was a stunned silence as the rest of the gods stopped fighting. It didn't matter which side they were on, they lowered their weapons. Zeus was gone and that was unimaginable. The gods didn't die. They lost battles, wars even, but in the end the losers were sent to Tartarus, not killed. That wasn't possible. Yet, Zeus was gone. They could all feel it.

"Hera!" three voices cried as one. I didn't see them appear and I had never met them before, but there could be no doubt about who they were. The Moirai, the Fates. Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. Three women, one old, one young and one middle aged, all of them beautiful in their own way. I could not remember which one was which, but in the end it didn't really matter.

"What have you done?" the eldest of the three added.

"What needed to be done," Hera replied. "He was weak."

"Killing Zeus won't make you the mother of the next generations of gods," the middle aged goddess said.

"That's already been decided," the youngest added. Hera's laughter rang out. It was quite mad, but also knowing.

"There will be no next generation of gods!" she cried confidently. "There is no need. I now have Grandmother's power and I will set things right." The three Fates stared at Hera each with the same tilt of the head, clearly seeing something that was beyond me. Afterward, they nodded as one.

"You have a piece of Gaia's power," the youngest said.

"But not all," the middle aged one added.

"No god could handle all of it," the eldest said confidently.

"Time will tell," Hera grinned. "But in either case, I have more than enough to deal with you all if necessary." The Moirai looked unconcerned, but they fell silent. If I didn't know better I'd swear they were waiting for something, but what?

Instead of remaining focused on the Fates, I looked from god to god. I didn't know most of them, but their expressions said it all. It didn't matter which side of the conflict they were on. Every single one of them was clearly afraid. Hera being the mother of the next generation of gods was one thing. Hera taking Gaia's place was something else entirely, especially in her current state.

"What of Grandmother?" Hebe asked.

"Isn't it obvious? She's gone." Hera's words were met with shock and disbelief.

"That's impossible," golden Apollo insisted, voicing the general consensus.

"Is it? Can any of you still feel her presence?" Hera asked, but then answered her own question. "No, you can't. It's because she's gone."

"Maybe she's hiding it?" her daughter suggested.

"My mother was a solitary goddess who no one would see for generations at a time, but seeing her and feeling her presence are two totally different things," Hera continued, her tone condescending. "She was the most power being in existence, but she was also tied to the Earth in ways that you can't imagine, and because of that she couldn't hide her existence from us, from me."

Apollo looked off into the distance, not focused on anything specific. He was obviously using his senses to seek Gaia. He wasn't the only one, but based on the expressions of those searching none of them were finding Grandmother.




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 09



"No, she's gone," Hera insisted. "You feel her power here on this island, but not her."

"But why?" Hebe asked, still not quite believing.

"I don't know the specifics of why she chose to leave. None one does except her, but I can guess. Think of the number of hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunami's and other natural catastrophes that have occurred recently."

"What are you saying?" Apollo frowned.

"I'm saying that Gaia was obviously having problems controlling her powers," Hera answered with forced patience. "And that she chose to leave before she lost control completely."

"Leave?" Hebe asked. "Where would she go?"

"Back to her progenitor, Chaos," her mother replied. This was met with utter silence. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Think about it. Where else could she go?"

There was a confidence in Hera's voice that brought a wave of sadness over me. The other gods were obviously starting to accept her conclusion. I wasn't convinced so I reached out with my own senses and tried to find Grandmother, but to no avail. I don't know why I thought I would be able to find her even though the gods couldn't. I guess somewhere deep inside I felt that my bond with Grandmother was special. Yet, whether that was true or not, I couldn't feel her either.

Grandmother gone. The whole concept was impossible. She was power personified, but it was more than just that. Her eyes held a deep compassion and understanding. What would the world be without that? 

"But she's the Earth Mother," a goddess I didn't recognize said, not in disbelief, but in confusion.

"She was," Hera agreed. "But now that she's gone someone else needs to fill that position. That someone is me. As the Fates said, I've already taken a piece of her power. In time I'll absorb it all." The thought sent a shiver through me.

"And I'll do a better job than my mother. I may not be as powerful as she was yet, but I have a plan. The old woman spent her strength working at keeping the Earth whole and healthy despite all the damage the humans have done to it almost from the beginning of their existence. That was her mistake. The easiest way to protect the Earth from humans is to destroy them one and all."

The announcement was said as if she was not only stating the most obvious solution, but the only one that made sense. It was horrifying to me on so many levels, but that didn't mean it surprised me. Hera's strategy fit the monster she had become. 

My body ached from her attention. I remained chained to the post, my blood dripping down my torso and on to the sand. I couldn't believe that at one point, a lifetime ago, I was half convinced that Hera was the right choice to be the mother of the next generation of gods.

Maybe the madness at losing to the Fates and Zeus had changed her into the monster I saw before me, but I wasn't convinced. It's not like she was a font of kindness and compassion before. As far as I was concerned, she was a cold, cruel goddess even in the best of times. 

Whether I was wrong or right about when and how she became a monster didn't matter in the end. Whatever Hera once was, she was a monster now. She was ready to drag the world down into madness. I wanted to fight her, but there was nothing I could do to stop her.

"It's the perfect plan," Hera continued almost gleefully. "It always was. The humans are a locust that must be destroyed."

"You're forgetting a few things," a new voice said. I was getting tired of the gods popping up out of nowhere, but this one was clearly different. First off, she wasn't dressed for war. She was dressed in of all things, a pair of jeans that looked comfortable and plain white tee-shirt. Second, she wasn't ignoring me. 

Blood occasionally dripped into my eyes from a shallow wound on my forehead and I would blink hard until I could see again. The goddess stepped up to me and began using a white cloth to help clear my sight and stop the bleeding. I recognized her from our only meeting.

"Athena," I whispered somewhat hoarsely in greeting.

"Hello John," Athena smiled. She said it in a way that made me feel like she knew me, but that was impossible. We hadn't met during this life time and the even the gods couldn't remember the history that was rewritten when someone traveled back in time. On the other hand, there was something in Athena's eyes. 

I remembered her telling me that she wasn't on Hera or the Fates' side. I'd assumed that meant she was neutral, but this was Athena, the goddess of wisdom and staying out of the fight that could result with the world ending in Armageddon didn't sound smart to me. So, if she wasn't working with Hera or the Fates, then who? There was only one other answer that made sense. Gaia.

"You have a very expressive face," she said with a smile. "It's almost as good as being able to read your mind. My opinion of you hasn't changed. You're obviously still a smart one." Her words brought back a sense of hope as a thought struck me. 

Grandmother had held my memories when I first arrived back in time this last trip. She had clearly shared some of them with Athena. This was about to get very interesting. Hera was watching us very carefully. 

"Get away from him!" she snapped angrily.

"Relax," Athena said calmly. "Unlike you, I have no desire for Grandmother's power." I didn't quite understand that comment, but Hera didn't really give me any time to think about it.

"Back away from him or you'll join Zeus!" Hera demanded. Athena sighed and rolled her eyes at me. I smiled through my pain. I'd liked her the first time we met and I had a feeling that my opinion wouldn't change today. She shrugged up at me and stepped away.

"Okay," she said to Hera. "But let's be honest, if things keep going down the path you've laid out, I'm going to be joining him sooner or later anyway. Actually, I expect most of us will be."

"Of course, you used quite a bit of Gaia's stored up power killing Zeus," she continued. "And although you have plenty more, you really can't afford to keep killing us, at least not yet."

"Why are you here?" Hera asked. She might be crazy, but she wasn't stupid. She knew Athena was right. Besides, no one ignored Athena's wisdom when she offered it.

"Just to remind you of a few things," Athena said. 

"What things?" Hera asked.

"Well, the most obvious is that Grandmother would never have left without a plan," Athena said. She glanced my way meaningfully, but then refocused on Hera and added, "Oh, and I think we both know it wasn't to leave you with her power. Despite what you think, it will kill you eventually."

"I'm willing to chance that," Hera said with false confidence.

"I expect so in your currently state," Athena replied. "But you're forgetting something, or should I say someone?" Tara. I hadn't forgotten about her. I could never do that, but I had forgotten how important she was to the world and Grandmother's plans now that she carried our child. "Do you really think Grandmother put all that effort into getting the next generation of gods started only to have you destroy it?" 

"Is that where Tara is?" I asked. "Is Grandmother shielding her?"

"Not Grandmother," Athena replied, meeting my eyes, willing me to see something that was completely obvious to her.

She was being careful. Clearly, she had something to tell me, but couldn't come right out and say it. I had the feeling that if she tried then she would join Zeus in oblivion despite how much of Hera's stolen power would be drained. Whatever it was must be important if she was willing to chance Hera's wraith.

The problem was that I didn't understand what she was hinting at. Maybe I was being dense, but then again she was the goddess of wisdom while I was just human.

Well, not just a human according to Grandmother. That made me start thinking. Athena was right. Grandmother would never have left without a plan. I thought about what Gaia said the last time we met.

I was human, but I was also a Child of Earth. The first ever since Gaia first started having children and spreading her powers amongst them. My ancestry could be traced back to each of the multitude of being standing in the cove right now. I had a touch of all their powers and therefore Grandmother's, but none of them strong enough to manifest, at least not until Grandmother woke them.

Even then, they were weak compared to the power of the gods. I would never have been able to replace Zeus as the father of the next generation of gods if not for Grandmother's gift. She lent me the power necessary, or was it more than that? 

The truth struck me so suddenly that I lost my breath and forgot about my pain. I met Athena's gaze and she nodded once slowly. 

Hera wasn't taking Gaia's power from the island. If she could do that she would have done it long ago. She was taking it from me. Each time she danced in my blood after she was done torturing me she pulled the power from it into herself. I was the spigot that granted her access.

Hera wasn't keeping me alive to torture me. The truth was that she wasn't keeping me alive at all. That was Grandmother's power. I'm sure Hera's original plan was to kill me as soon as she was done with her vengeance, but my death wouldn't come. That's when she realized what was happening and came up with her new plan.

Grandmother's power was that of the Earth itself. She was born of Chaos and had been its conduit since the beginning of time. I was a Child of Earth, but that didn't put me on par with Gaia. I was an imperfect replacement at best. That's how Hera was able to manipulate me. I had access to Grandmother's power, but wasn't strong enough to hold it all. Most of it remained at its source. 

Hera's twisted mind had devised a way in which she could make me pay for ruining her original plan while feeding her the power she wanted so desperately. She chained me to the post so that my feet didn't touch the ground. I would have been able to sense more of the world if I did and she didn't want that. More important, I would have absorbed Grandmother's power faster than Hera could draw it from me. I wasn't Gaia, but unlike Hera I was a Child of the Earth. The power flowed into me even when I wasn't reaching for it. 

Hera took her vengeance and Grandmother's power when the tide was out and I was at my weakest. The incoming tide reconnected me to nature more directly as it rose and covered my body. I would begin absorbing Gaia's power from the water itself and it would heal me. Equally as important for Hera, the cycle also gave her time to cope with the power she was stealing. 

What she didn't understand was that as time passed and my bond with the Earth grew stronger I didn't need direct contact to it to pull power from the vast reservoir. That's why I was healing faster and faster. That's why I felt a special kinship to the cove and the animals that lived here. 

Despite that, I wasn't foolish enough to think that I was supposed to take Gaia's place. If that were true then my connection with the Earth would be far strong then it was. No, Grandmother's power was for another. 

The prophecies foretold the coming of the next generation of gods. The assumption was that they would be like the Greek gods and the Titans before them, but this generation was going to be different. I was the Child of Earth from the prophecies and Tara was the Child of Man. Our daughter was going to be a combination of both. 

The next generation of gods would be the best of both worlds. It would begin and end with the birth of Tara's and my daughter. That was Grandmother's plan. Unlike Hera, who wanted to obliterate mankind and horde power, Gaia believed in us so much so that she was willing to give up her power for us. 

She gave it to me to help combine two the conflicting prophesies. With that done, I was now simply holding on to it for safe keeping until Tara and my child was ready for to take it up. 

"If Grandmother's not hiding the girl, then who is?" Hebe asked Athena, clearly confused.

"Me," I said, answering Hebe's question, knowing it was true. It was time. I could feel it. I allowed myself to remember some things I'd been blocking. 

I looked down at my bloody body and willed the wounds closed. They began to obey, but too slowly so I looked at the water still a few feet away and called it to me. It came willingly in a swirling torrent that covered me for a few moments and then fell back to the sand. Everyone in the cove was watching me by that time. I stepped away from the post, the chains falling free. Athena smiled.

"You?" Hebe asked in confusion.

"Yes me," I answered. "I protect the ones I love. Tara is safe. Our daughter will be born soon and with her birth will begin the time of the next generation of gods."

"Never!" Hera cried, reaching out toward me the way she had to Zeus. Her purple eyes glowed inhumanly and I felt what she was trying to do. I could sense the Earth power trapped inside of her. I had only an instant to react. I reached out to it and pulled it back into me. 

Hera screamed and it took me a moment to realize that I'd done far more than I planned, but in the end I was satisfied with the results. Honestly, more than satisfied. It seemed a fair punishment for what Hera had done to me and Tara.

All of the gods' powers came from the same source. In my haste to take the power she stole away from her before she could use it to destroy me, I not only took it, but also the gifts Grandmother had bestowed on her at her birth. In short, Hera was completely powerless and she could feel it. For her, it was probably her biggest nightmare. She dropped to the ground as if someone had knocked her feet from under her and began sobbing. Hebe ran to her.

"Ouch, that had to hurt," Athena said, sounding relieved, but also somewhat sad. There was a stunned silence from the rest of the gods as they absorbed what I'd done. 

"But if you could do that, why did you let her hurt you for so long?" Hebe asked as she tried to comfort her mother.

"I realized the truth some time ago," I explained. "But at first I was too weak to do anything about it, and then afterward I realized that if I disappeared from your mother's care then she would focus on something else, someone else. Tara. I couldn't have that. So instead, I used Grandmother's gifts to take Tara away from Zeus and put her in the safest place I knew as my bond with the Earth continued to grow."

"Why take her away from us?" Apollo asked. "We were protecting her."

"Because I didn't trust you," I answered honestly. "Everyone knows the gods are fickle. Besides, Hera's followers were searching for her and they thought some of you were protecting her. I didn't want to chance them finding her."

"How did you take her if you were stuck here, chained to the post?" Hebe asked.

"That was the easy part," I smiled. "Tara and I are soul mates. The connection between us is unbreakable. The hard part was opening the way to where I wanted to hide her. That drained me almost as badly as saving Tara from death had done."

"So basically," Hades put in. "You used your power to hide Tara away from us all. You let us fight against each other simply to distract us from the truth." I didn't bother denying it.

"Yes," I said without guilt. "But unless you were on this island where time runs far faster than in the outside world then only a few moments passed and the fighting couldn't have gotten that far, even for the gods. Yet, even if that wasn't true I would have done it anyway. It was necessary. So was my staying with Hera, and not just because of what she'd do. If I'd escaped her then you all might have guessed that I was the one who had Tara hidden away. It was much smarter to remain with Hera and let you fight among yourselves."

"But what mother did to you was..." Hebe began, but the memories of what she saw and I'd lived were so horrible that she couldn't finish. Instead, she asked, "How did you survive it?"

"It was necessary," I answered with a shrug. "Hera drove me to the brink of insanity and then over it, but throughout it all I never lost sight of my goal. I blocked out what was necessary including my knowledge of my place in Grandmother's plan. I had to. If I'd let myself know that I could escape Hera then there was no way that I could have made myself stay during the worst of it, and I had to stay because that was the best protection for Tara." 

"Why tell us now?" Apollo asked into the quiet that followed. The gods were having problems digesting what I was telling them. I didn't blame them. It sounded insane to me too, but it had worked and that was enough for me.

"Because it's time," I said confidently. "I'm finally strong enough to send you all on your way to Tartarus." It didn't take them long to realize what I was saying. Their time, like the Titans before them was done. 

"The child comes," Athena said softly. I hadn't planned on telling the gods that because it would let them know Tara was on the Island somewhere, but I was unsurprised that Athena guessed. I waited for their reaction, ready to do what was necessary.

"So, it's finally happened," Apollo said, sounding somewhat melancholy. It was understandable, considering.

"Nothing is forever," Athena put in, accepting the inevitable. 

"Tartarus," Hades added with a frown, clearly not looking forward to spending the rest of eternity there.

"It's not where you are," Aphrodite offered. "It's who you're with." I wasn't sure if that was a good thing for the gods or not considering how much infighting they did. 

"No!" Hera cried suddenly, jumping up and running toward me, hands outstretched. She looked like she wanted to drive her nail into my eyes. It wouldn't be the first time. 

I could hurt her now. I had the power. I could do all the things she did to me, but what would be the point? Whatever sanity she had left was gone. I lifted my hand and the sand under Hera's feet came alive. It held her in place until Hebe caught up to her.

"You know, I think this is in part why Grandmother left when she did," Athena sighed. "I don't think she could have brought herself to deal with Hera's growing madness. What mother could?"

"Each generation of gods has begun with the castration and banishment of the ruler of the last generation. It happened to Cronus and Uranus before him," another god put in sadly. I hadn't met him before, but I knew he was Poseidon from the trident her carried. Well, that and I could feel his power. He was clearly one of the strongest gods. Zeus was his brother and Poseidon's mind was clearly on his loss. "This one has an even darker beginning. Let's hope it isn't a foreshadowing."

"It isn't," I said confidently, suddenly knowing what needed to be done. I reached out in a way that I myself didn't fully understanding. I can't explain what I saw or how I saw it, but one moment there was nothing and the next Zeus stood between his brothers once more. 

No, that's not quite true. I didn't create Zeus from nothing. I simple reformed him from all the microscopic bits Hera created when she destroyed him. It drained me, but the Earth quickly replaced what I used. I wasn't grandmother, but I was a Child of Earth.

"Brother?" Poseidon asked, not quite believing. Zeus nodded and exchanged a look with both his brothers. I don't know why, but it surprised me to see a tear in Hades's eye. 

"Why?" Zeus asked, turning to me. "Why bring me back?"

"Because I don't want my daughter's birth to be marked by your death," I replied honestly. He seemed to understand. He'd been forced to castrate and imprison his father in order to take over. That had to be a painful memory no matter how necessary.

"Daddy?" Hebe asked, not quite believing. She sounded as young as she looked for once. "Is that really you?" 

"Of course," he smiled, and suddenly the funeral like mood dissolved as Hebe ran and jumped into her father's arms. The gods were a completely dysfunctional family, but a family none the less. Having Zeus back seemed to make most of them happy. 




High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 09



"Tartarus awaits," the eldest Fate said suddenly.

"It's time for you to go," the middle aged one added.

"The child comes," the youngest added. I could feel the truth of their prediction. I wanted to go find Tara. No, I needed to. 

"Good luck," Athena said to me, smiling once more. "Not that you'll need it. You and Tara will be good parents."

"Thanks," I said as I watched her fade. The rest of the gods joined her one by one until only the Fates, Zeus, Hebe and Hera remained. Hebe was holding onto her mother. I was surprised when Zeus moved next to her and helped. 

"She wasn't always this way," he said, as if reading my mind. "Maybe without her powers she will return to herself." He didn't sound hopeful. 

"Thank you for returning my father to me," Hebe added.

"Gods can't die," I smiled. "Not really." She returned it and then they too disappeared. That left me facing the three Fates. 

"You did well," the youngest smiled. "But don't leave this island until your daughter is ready to take on her powers."

"Time moves much faster here than anywhere else. A day here in less than a second in the outside world," the middle aged one added. 

"You aren't meant to use the power you hold and if you had to face the challenges of controlling nature at normal speed for any amount of time," the eldest added with a sardonic smile. "Well, let's just say it wouldn't go well."

"I got it," I sighed. "Armageddon, again." The three exchanged a look and laughed. It was eerie because their laughs were so similar.

"Don't worry," the oldest said. "The planet will survive until your daughter is ready."

"And you won't miss much at all," the middle aged one added. 

"You'll have plenty of time for senior year of high school," the youngest grinned. "Again."

"Gee thanks," I said, surprising myself with a laugh.

"Gaia chose well," the eldest said with a kind smile before disappearing.

"But then again," the middle aged one added, also smiling. "We knew she would." She disappeared as well.

"Did you?" I asked in surprise. "I thought you three wanted Zeus to father the next generation of gods with Tara?"

"Sometimes, even the Fates must play their part," the youngest laughed and then faded, leaving me alone on the island. Well, not quite alone.

I walked out of the cove and toward the mountain that hadn't been there a moment before. I grinned and started jogging toward it. A moment later I was running. My feet flew across the ground and I reached Grandmother's waterfall far faster than I should have been able to. Tara was standing at the edge of the water, her hand rubbing her clearly pregnant belly. She was watching the waterfall, but must have heard me arrive. She turned toward me. Her eyes grew big briefly and then she smiled.

"It's about time!" she sighed in relief. "Or maybe I should say that you're just in time. My contractions are starting. I hope all that power of Grandmother's you're holding onto makes you a decent midwife."

"I guess we'll see," I laughed, going to her and hugging her close. "Thanks for being my sanity. You and junior here." My soul had traveled here to the shelter Tara offered every time Hera tortured me. I'd forced myself to think of it as a dream, but deep down I knew the truth. I hadn't seen Tara in almost ten months subjectively, but I'd felt her love every day. It was my anchor.

Tara saw my expression and looked at me seriously. I knew what she wanted, but I didn't want to share it with her. She had been the harbor for my soul, but she didn't know what I'd been through, not really.

"It was bad," I said in answer to her unasked question. "Very bad."

"Show me," she demanded. "I've been here forever with no contact with the outside world except for your tormented soul. What happened? More important, what happened to you?" I wanted to hide it from her, but the truth was that she already knew the worst of it. Besides, Tara would never let me get away with it. She loved me too much. I opened myself to her, mind, body and soul.

Ten months was nothing compared to the lifetimes we shared when we first discovered how Grandmother's gifts could let us open up to each other, but it was a tough time for both of us. My time was painful beyond imagination, but Tara had more than her share of fear, for me and for our child. We comforted each other in ways that only we could. In the end we were both wiping tears from our eyes.

"Junior? Seriously?" she asked with her crooked grin. It took me a moment to realize what she was talking about. I hugged her again, laughing through my tears.

"I guess we'd better come up with a better name than that," I said afterward. "Something appropriate considering who she'll be one day. Not Gaia though. That just seems wrong. Something earthy."

"If you suggest Mud or Dirt I will kill you," Tara said offhandedly. I snorted, but didn't laugh this time.

"This would be easier if it were a boy," I teased. "We could call him Clay, or Pete even."

"How about Blossom?" Tara asked. We were holding hands now, standing in the water and looking at the waterfall together.

"Now that's just cruel," I answered.

"Maybe," she admitted with a sigh. It was one of the most surreal moments in my life. You have no idea how it felt to be standing there joking and discussing possible names after everything we'd been through.

"How about Terra?" I asked.

"You really want to give that name on our child?" Tara asked in reply. "I mean, she probably will be a terror, but..."

"Fair point," I laughed, but only briefly.

"How about Maia?" Tara asked suddenly. I smiled because it was the first serious suggestion she'd made.

"I like it," I replied with a warm smile.

"Good," she replied, wincing. "Because little Maia seems to be in a rush to be born."

"Well, she is your daughter," I snorted. That's when Tara, my soul mate, the woman I'd faced down the gods for said a very un-lady like word. I tried to hold in my laughter because she was obviously in pain. I failed, which of course caused quite a few additional descriptors to escape Tara's mouth. In fact, the only way I could stop them was by kissing her. By that time the contraction had stopped so it was far more pleasant than either of us initially planned.

"I love you," she said afterward, resting her head on my shoulder.

"And I you, more than life itself." 

We were at peace for the first time in a long time and we stayed like that until her next contraction came. That brought the reality of the moment back in full force. We were about to be first time parents.

"You know, I wasn't kidding about the midwife thing earlier," Tara said.

"Don't worry," I said with a confidence I didn't necessarily feel. "We'll figure it out."

"Would you care for some help?" 

I knew that voice. My head snapped up and there she was, Grandmother. I was relieved on so many levels that I couldn't list them all. She had just stepped from beneath the waterfall and was making her way toward us. 

"You're not gone!" I blurted out.

"I was," she smiled. "But my progenitor agreed to let me return briefly so that I could show your daughter what she needs to know."

"Briefly?" I asked.

"Subjectively," she answered. "It shouldn't take more than a few hundred years."

"Care to take your power back from me?" I asked. "Frankly, it's unsettling."

"You'll get used to it after a decade or two," she laughed. "Or not."

"Then you're not going to take it?" I frowned.

"I am not as I once was. It's not mine to take," Gaia replied, no longer laughing. "It's your daughter's, when the time is right."

"Um, you mentioned some help?" Tara gasped as she squeezed my hand, hard. Her contractions were clearly getting closer together. I exchanged a look with Grandmother and then focused on Tara, forgetting everything else for a time.

Afterward, I didn't remember much other than doing my best to comfort Tara. Grandmother handled the actual delivery. Maia came out pink and healthy with quite a set of lungs. Her cries echoed across the island, but they didn't last long. 

We were in a small open aired house made out of stone. I'm not sure how it appeared, but it did and I carried Tara to it soon after Grandmother arrived. I wasn't sure what the bed was made out of, but it was comfortable and after everything was done I climbed in next to Tara who was feeding our daughter.

"I will see you soon Grandchildren," Gaia smiled. "Relatively, but for now enjoy your time together."

"Thank you," I said with as much meaning as I could put into it. Grandmother nodded and left. Tara didn't notice. She was too focused on watching Maia eating to register what was going on around her for a time. I lay there watching until our daughter fell asleep until Tara looked at me.

"You did it," I smiled warmly.

"We did," she agreed, her eyes filling with tears. I leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. 

I had no idea what the Fates had planned for us eventually, but I had the feeling that our time on the island would be peaceful. After that, we'd deal with whatever came, even if it was senior year of high school again.