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| Stories Bingo’s Home Bingo’s Lair |
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Walking the Dog — Chapters 17 and 18 |
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Chapter 17 Lisa had never been to Mrs. Stevens' and Mrs. Stevens was on her best behavior, which included knowing my name. I had to say I was a little disappointed. Lori and Trish were already there. Lori had cut school after lunch and I think Trish might have also. The three of them were in the kitchen making fudge. Mrs. Stevens left Lori and Trish to finish and sat down with us in the living room. Princess limply wagged his tail a few times and one of the cats, Nasty, black with a white nose, slept on the back of the couch. "I understand you're going to choose your steady today, Jason." "Jasper," I said. Lisa giggled in the chair across from me. "I think we have it worked out." "We?" As if Mrs. Stevens didn't already know. "You'll tell whoever?" "Tell who what?" She smiled at me. "I think the ground is almost dry enough to start digging in the garden." "I'm going to be pretty busy, Mrs. Stevens." She waved her hand while turning to Lisa. "I have an idea how he met the other girls, I didn't think Jay . . ." "Jasper," I said. "Stop interrupting. Jasper had it in him. But then the scrawny ones are often surprising in their," she paused, gave a grin, "eagerness, while the big ones just want to crush you and snore. Wally wasn't huge." "Except." Mrs. Stevens glared at me. "Thank you. Except in a certain way. This boy is no match in that department though few were then or are now." Lori and Trish came in. "It's in the oven," Lori said. Trish sat next to her grandmother; Lori sat on the floor next to my chair. "Well," Trish said, flapping her arms. "Well to you too," Mrs. Stevens said to her. "You have the deportment of a three-year-old." "It's Jas' influence." "Dear, jazz then or rock and roll now never lived up to their reputations of turning respectable adolescents into drooling idiots." "Punk," Lisa said. "Rock and roll is acceptable now. Classic rock schmaltz on the radio 24/7. Part of the fascist conspiracy." "Funny. I thought the Nazis wouldn't like rock and roll. Don't fidget dear." Mrs. Stevens put her hand on Trish's knee. "I want to hear what Jas has to say." Mrs. Stevens leaned close to her and said loudly, "You need to learn how to spread your affections more broadly. I think I can smell the fudge now. Princess? Smell the fudge?" All Princess wanted to do was sleep. Nasty looked at me, laid his head back down. Lori slowly stroked my calf. Lisa winked at me and returned her attention to Trish and her grandmother. Everyone was working at keeping this light. I'd been listless, had a tendency to drift off, like now, or walk in circles. Mom said I had to make up my mind and soon or I'd be walking her all hours day and night. She sat me down after school last week and said, "You need to do something, Jasper. I'm ready to retire and you'll be my last walker. If I'm not allowed to retire in grace I'll walk you into the ground. I mean it. We're all waiting, Tracie included." But it wasn't easy to turn away. No easier than it had been for Tracie as I was learning. Would we ever be back together again? I couldn't tell from one moment to the next. It seemed crazy to accept such intimacy as we'd had with another. Not just sex, the intimacy of sharing my life and theirs. I never would decide yes when I was eighteen, was not sure like Trish or Lori thought they were. And not even on the fence like Lisa sometimes thought she was. "I can't imagine you ever retiring, Mrs. Johnston." "Barbara." She smiled. "You're right. There will be other walkers, at least until Trish turns eighteen, perhaps until Mike does. But I'm ready to lead a less active role. Marge needs help, she's as old as my mother and sometimes it's too much for her." "Jas," Lisa said. She stood by me; we were alone in the living room. "They're taking the fudge out of the oven. Are you all right?" "I'm okay." "Already having second thoughts?" "Of course I'm having second thoughts." I tried to say it so she'd know I wasn't serious. "Once it's cool, we can eat the fudge with or without ice cream," Mrs. Stevens said coming into the room. "I hated how Wally would nod off like you, Jasper." She sat on the couch next to Princess who wagged his tail. "Though Wally nodded off after wild sex. Not in the mist of a tea. What's he drinking?" "Lisa's her name," I said. "The same tea as usual." "Jerry wants that licorice shit again," Mrs. Stevens yelled. Lisa pulled a chair next to mine. Trish brought a cup to Mrs. Stevens, went back into the kitchen. "What'd you do to her? She's almost civilized." "Nothing." "Whatever it was, as if I can't guess, it ruined her. I want my widdle girl back." "Grandmother." Trish sat on the couch; Lori handed Lisa and me cups and went back into the kitchen. "Same as me?" I asked Lisa. "The Licorice shit? Yes. It smells absolutely revolting." "Like Mountain Dew." "I don't know how anyone can drink something the same color as piss." "Piss isn't that bad," Lori said sitting in Lisa's old seat. "What can I say?" Mrs. Stevens settled on the couch. Princess gave a soft moan and went back to sleep. "Speechless, grandmother?" "No. I was just remembering that it wasn't until I was a little older when I knew what piss tasted like. Now fudge . . ." Trish had this look on her face. I said, "She was speaking metaphorically, Mrs. Stevens." "Still." Mrs. Stevens took a sip. "Are we all drinking this licorice shit?" "Isn't it funny," I said, "how the conversation here develops into certain subjects? I'm ready to make my announcement." Trish jumped up. "I can do without a cheerleading section." Trish sat down and crossed her arms across her chest and grinned. "Well?" "Lisa and I are going steady." Lori and Trish clapped and hooted. "Kiss. Kiss. Kiss." Trish said. "And." "You have to kiss first." Trish pointed. "Or else it's not official." "It takes more than kiss to make it official, dear," Mrs. Stevens said. "At least it did in my day." "When men were men and women were women," Lori said. "That's right. When men were men and women were women." "It's not like that anymore, Grandmother. Lisa can be a woman or a man." "I know. It gets confusing." Mrs. Stevens slowly shook her head. She had a smile on her face and I think she was working out the possible permutations. "And Trish is also going to be my steady," I said. "I'll walk Trish," Lisa said. She took my hand, held it to her lips and kissed it. "Lori will be my steady." "And I'll walk Lori," I said. "And mother." "And Mrs. Johnston." "Do you think the fudge is cool enough?" Mrs. Stevens said. "I'll check in a minute," Lori said. "Tell the rest, Jas." "When Lisa turns eighteen, Trish and Lori will be my steadies. If I last long enough. I'll be too busy to walk Mrs. Johnston." "You'll be too tired to hold your head up in school." Trish came over and kissed me. "Thank you." She kissed Lisa and sat between us. "Such shenanigans." Mrs. Stevens put her hand over her eyes. "Well I never. Go check the fudge." Trish came back into the room, gave Princess a pet. "The fudge is ready." "I'll help her," Lisa said. "What's her name again?" Mrs. Stevens asked. "Lisa," Lori and I said. Mrs. Stevens sat on the couch. "You'll still come and visit me?" "Of course we will," Lori said. "You, too?" I nodded. "And you'll take good care of my two sluts?" I nodded again. "I'll pass it along. Can I watch? After we have our fudge?" "I need to go soon to walk Mrs. Johnston." "Barbara," Mrs. Stevens said. "I don't care if you're here. I want to watch the new girl with my two." She grinned. "You get first taste, Grandmother." Trish brought a plate in. We watched Mrs. Stevens as she savored a bite. She smiled. "It's good. Not great, because Mr. Whatshisname came and in and we rushed. But good." Lisa sat next to me and took my hand.
Chapter 18 I heard a giggle and felt the bed move. My eyes were open and it was still dark. "What time is it?" "Time to get up," Trish said. They moved on the bed next to us, the giggling had stopped. Trish held my arm across her breasts. "I'm too tired to move," I said. Last night had been one of those that seemed to go on forever. Walking Mrs. Johnston was never the same twice in a row. Sometimes it was quick and fun, usually because I'd get to meet someone interesting or there'd be a party and I'd meet someone I knew who, like me, couldn't participate because they were too young. "What time is it?" "Seven." I groaned. Three hours of sleep — I was still a growing boy. I fell back asleep. When I woke the second time it was actually lighter. The bed was almost empty; Lori snored next to me. "You two better get up," Trish said, toweling her hair. "The bathroom is free." She walked across the room, turned on the lamp by the bed and looked down at us. "You both are pathetic." "I feel pathetic." "My heart bleeds for you. Wake up Lori. Lisa has breakfast ready." Trish tossed the towel on the bed and put on a pair of underwear. My room had been invaded by all their things, clothes and stuff, and as near as I could tell it all was pretty much communal. I think the last time I'd seen those underwear Lori wore them last week. The nice thing was I didn't have to worry about stuff like cleaning house, washing dishes and clothes. They did almost everything. "Get Lori up." Trish left the room. "Lori," I said. "Time to get up." I watched her face while leaning on my elbow. I touched her cheek and when her eyes opened, after that bit of animal fear was gone, kissed her. Lori wasn't one to stay still. She wrapped herself around me while we kissed, body against mine, arm and leg over me. "Breakfast is ready," Lisa shouted. Lori and I kissed again. I don't know why they did this to me since they knew I hated to leave the bed with a hardon. For some reason I always got to use the bathroom last. "There's no time, Lori." It was never easy to argue with Lori. I was in her and trying to make it as quick as possible when Lisa walked in the room. "Isn't that just like a man? Always having his cock up someone's cunt. Like we don't have anything better to do." "I'm not complaining," Lori said. Her hands pressed on my ass. I went faster. "Seven twenty-seven and counting." Lisa gave my rear a swat and went to the dresser where she finished dressing. She took the longest; it was because of her gear as she called it. Chrome pins, chains and stuff she arranged as part of her costume. Trish stood in the doorway. "Are they at it again? You two. Breakfast is getting cold." She asked Lisa. "Do I need these or not?" Trish usually didn't wear panties. It was a fashion statement or something. Next she had to decide whether to wear a dress or jeans. She took almost as long as Lisa to get dressed. I gave myself three seconds to catch my breath, kissed Lori and we went off to shower together. You conserved water that way. Lisa knocked on the bathroom door. "Seven thirty-five." There was never enough time in the mornings, not even on weekends. I stopped playing with Lori's soapy breasts and we rinsed off. Breakfast was eggs and toast. The eggs were scrambled and didn't taste half bad almost cold. Lori was dressing; sometimes she did without breakfast even though we nagged her. I finished dressing and grabbed my bookbag as Trish waited impatiently for me. Lisa and Lori had already left. Dad was over at Dawn's which made things awfully convenient for us. My bedroom wasn't big enough but hardly anyone complained. Lori's and Trish's parents put up with this because of who Lori and Trish were, and looked to become. And also because of who Lisa and I were — walkers. Not many people were thrilled with the arrangement, except for Mrs. Stevens. Mrs. Johnston didn't seem to mind except she missed seeing her daughter more. I think she was glad to not have the job of waking Trish up in the mornings. Trish dragged me down the steps. Lisa and Lori were on the street, began walking when they saw us. We almost never were late for school and since I hadn't gotten home until close to four I couldn't see how anyone would have any basis for complaint. "Hold still," Trish said. She straightened my collar. She got that look on her face, pushed me against the building and we kissed. The kiss didn't do anything to that look. "Say you love me." "I love you. I love Lisa and Lori too." "Say you love me." Her hands held the small of my back. "I love you." It was true. The look blossomed, included every inch of her face, not just her eyes. The school bus passed us. I don't know if they were cheering us or Lori and Lisa a few feet away. She let go of me. "Three minutes," Lisa shouted. Lisa's timekeeping was a joke. We took her seriously, as seriously as she expected us to. Each of us gave benefits to the group. Among Lisa's were her determination to be on time and ability to wake up early in the morning. Lori's were a joyfulness at doing things that no one else enjoyed, like washing dishes. Trish loved to cook. I don't know what I offered; it must have been something useful because they kept me. Some readers will say, because of your cock, but it wasn't that. Sex was an important part of our lives but we all did it with one another and they could have just as well done without me. Maybe what I offered, and Lisa too, was something I'd learned as a walker. Whatever it was I couldn't put my finger on it and it didn't seem to matter. Trish held my hand for the last block to school. Besides our abilities in daily life, each offered something less tangible. Trish had a fierceness, Lori a lushness and Lisa a playfulness. Again I don't know what I offered; probably it wasn't at all what I thought it was and maybe what I was trying to do was actually annoying at best. If we ever had a minute I would ask them. In front of the school, Lori was trying not to see Frank. She was trying less hard as time passed. Lisa had her art friends, after hugs she left us. Mr. Johnston dropped Tracie off and went to park his car. I had him for English in a couple of hours. Tracie looked good but was probably as tired as I was. She stood on the sidewalk and seemed a little lost. Being Family in high school was probably harder than being a walker. She wasn't expected to assume full responsibilities, no one was until they were nineteen or twenty. Tracie's shift in status and because of her reaching eighteen required a realignment. New friends, new fatigue, new everything. Graduation was still a month away for her and was assured, even if she skipped the next four weeks. She saw me, and Trish and Lori standing next to me. I couldn't tell what she was thinking; I was confused myself. "I'm going to say hi to my sister," Trish said. She let go of my hand and left us. "We'd better go," Lori said. "Okay." I turned from Tracie and let Lori take my hand. I wondered what Tracie thought and wondering saw us for a moment from outside, Trish, Lori and me. We were awfully young and didn't know what we were doing or the full implications. Back in myself I thought about still loving Tracie but needing to stay away. That was hard. I yearned to be with her, would give up everything to be with her which wasn't true. I couldn't and wouldn't. I loved Trish and Lori and Lisa and they were who I had now and who sheltered me. Like Tracie had. "Walk me after school, Jas?" Lori asked. I nodded as the bell rung. "Lisa and Trish will be there too." "Okay." "It'll be Trish's first time." I hadn't known that. Trish was someone whose immaturity was racing to catch up with their agelessness. "Don't rush off," Trish said next to us. "Did you ask him?" "About this afternoon?" Trish held my arm; Lori held my other hand. "Yes." "And you will? Great. Now we can ask Lisa." Trish gave my arm a squeeze. "What are you two up to?" Lori squeezed my hand, let go. "See you at lunch." As she left us I asked again, "What are you two up to?" "Gotta go, Jas. Thanks and love you." She left me wondering again what had I gotten myself into. Walking
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