http://www.asstr.org/files/Authors/srb/www/
Read if under 18 in your little corner of the world, like you'll listen. This should appear 
only on my site http://www.asstr.org/files/Authors/srb/www/ F3, Futanari Palace, Pal's 
archive site, and on Pal's Forum.... Also at the Grey Archive, and some other places they 
might end up, they know who they are. 

This is copyright me, so don't call it yours. Feedback can be left here. I created all the 
characters, they are all fictional, and any relevance to anyone living or dead, is incidental

A big thanks out for Basil_Jelly, Theromen and crudebuster, who have beta tested this 
chapter. Their help has been integral to getting it out so quickly. 

This novella contains only romance and kissing. 


What you Need;
Jamie and Phillip: Pwomises


William Brown remembered to duck to protect his head as he entered into the small 
government office. Even in the twenty sixth century the government was notoriously 
cheap about office space, unless you were the top dog. Many of the buildings were built 
or renovated during the most recent population boom, when space was at a premium, and 
had not since been renovated. Thus the caseworkers had to shuffle about in small offices 
like this, even in child services. 

He remembered the first time he had entered Alexandra's office, over seventeen years 
ago, for the original foster child he had taken under his care. He was a bit heavier back 
then, the single lifestyle had him overindulging in everything. Since he was living off of 
his father's wealth he had no job to worry about, and could spend the nights gallivanting 
around with his chums in pursuit of his next sexual conquest. That lifestyle was far 
behind him. He was much happier, starting the day he brought his first adopted child 
home for good. Many more had come under his care in the years between then and now, 
and his visits to his caseworker had ballooned from four a year to what seemed like once 
a week.

Alexandra waved him in. Her back was turned to him, a large hoop earring dangled on 
her ear pressed against the telephone, partially obscured by her graying hair that accented 
the dark ebony color of her skin. She was wearing a vibrant red dress that fit her larger 
frame well, and was a remarkable contrast to her skin tone. He closed the door before 
sitting down on the open office chair, the worn black plastic of the seat made it feel more 
comfortable, more worn in than the newer one, which was currently supporting Alex's 
purse and coat. 

"Sorry about that Will, I know our meeting was ten minutes ago," Alexandra said, 
hanging up. "Just my husband, he wanted to know what I wanted for dinner."

"How is Charles?" Will asked. He had only met her husband once, a long time ago, but 
felt like he knew him well from all of the stories she had shared throughout the years.

"Oh, he's doing well enough. Ever since he retired he doesn't know what to do all day," 
Alex shook her head. "You know I caught him with a half built bookstand watching soap 
operas when I got home last week?"

 "At least he wasn't watching something else," William chuckled.

"I suppose so," she had caught him doing that too, but she didn't like to admit that her 
long hours and widening figure might have turned her husband off of her. 'So long as he 
doesn't cheat on me…' she didn't want to dwell on the thought.

"When are you going to call it quits?" Bill asked, her age has been showing in his first 
meeting with her. She was pushing eighty, but still had a vivacity that people in their 
twenties would envy.

"Oh, looking to get rid of me?" She grinned jokingly.

"No just dreading whoever they pick up out of college to take your place," Will laughed, 
but he was partially seriously, Alexandra always greased the slow moving gears of the 
engine that was the government. 

"Well, shall we get to business?" Alex asked. He was her last case for the day, and she 
was starting to look forward to a romantic dinner with her husband. 

"I guess so, for a change, can we take care of all of the girls at once?" Will asked, aware 
of the answer already. 

"You know, I have to do a checkup for each girl twice a year," Alexandra sighed to 
herself as she punched her login name and password into the computer. She finished off 
the last half of her large coffee in a mouthful.

"I know, but I doubt that either one of us really has the time," William said, looking at 
the empty cup disapprovingly. "You've been working yourself too hard Alex."

"I know, I know Bill," she looked down at the empty cup and contemplated a refill, 
deciding not to do it in front of him. "But, you know…"

"Someone's gotta do something for those futas," Will said, understandingly.

"And regulations are regulations, my hands are tied. I guess your just going to have to 
keep seeing me. I just honestly don't understand the mindset of some people, you know?" 
Alex spit out disapprovingly. "I mean, you have a child together, it's just a normal, 
healthy baby, and still, they just drop it on our doorstep just because, just because she's a 
futanari!" she balled her fists up in anger. "It's just so god…damned upsetting."

"I understand Alex," Will placed his creamy white hand on her wrinkled ebony fist, 
softening their grip.

"Of course you do, you of all people know about it. I've been a caseworker for almost 
fifty years now. But in just over two decades since those nanobots have been released, 
child services have had to deal with an influx of orphaned children. According to this 
report I just got last week," she said, lifting up a pad for emphasis, which ironically didn't 
have that report on it, "These futanaris make up about ten percent of the population, but 
they make up almost a third of the children orphaned, all because they have something 
extra!" Alexandra knew that she was preaching to the choir, but venting helped 
sometimes.

"At least, it's better than the other option available," William said glumly. 

"I guess so. How have they been settling into the new school?" Alexandra wanted to get 
her mind back on track, back on business. She was thankful that she had been blessed to 
find Will. Few people were interested in adoption, even fewer in adopting futanaris. Ever 
since his first unyielding battle to adopt Karen, her admiration for him had only grown, 
and with each child it seemed to her he was the one maturing, not just as a parent but also 
as a person. 

"They're making the adjustment, Karen has been in a public school she decided to join, at 
the start of high school. The other futas, well, they all had some groups or clubs or 
activities so they knew some of the girls, futas, and boys their age. They all have some 
friends, or at least some contemporaries, but they stay close to each other. They aren't 
fans of the hours, but I was spoiling both them and myself a little bit by letting us all 
sleep in. They actually tell me that the schoolwork is easier than when I home schooled 
them, but I don't know if they're just buttering up my bread or not," Will winked. He had 
a lot of 'Daddy's futas'. "Of course, having them all on the honor roll means I let them 
get away with a little extra freedom, now that they have all earned it."

"The is school still accommodating their every need, correct?" Alexandra asked, ever 
since the Planetary Judicature had determined that futanaris were entitled to fair and 
equitable treatment, decades ago, it had been an uphill battle to provide for them. Not just 
an education, but providing adequate restrooms and changing rooms, adequate sexual 
education, as well as extracurricular activities. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as 
she took notes, just waiting for the slightest infraction.

"Yes, everything but bussing, but Karen and I drive them all in," Will said, their house 
was far away from the public school bus routes, and the closest detour would be almost 
twelve miles round trip out of the way. He had chosen a house out of the way and in the 
quiet and peaceful suburb, he bore no love for the city and all of the mischief that 
unattended children could get into. The short commute wasn't a problem, it was nice and 
the traffic was sparse in the suburban town. He didn't like the idea of them being on a 
bus, and liked even less the chance it offered them to play hooky. 

"Well, thank goodness you have the means to support them all, not everyone does," 
Alexandra punched up the long case file on William and his foster children on her 
computer terminal.

"One of the few things father took care of before he passed, was seeing that I would be 
taken care of," William said, a bitter venom in his voice for bringing up his father, who 
he had never been on good terms with, even now after his death. 

"How about their schoolmates?" Alex said, it was now her chance to change the subject. 
She knew that there were few things that made William cross, and his father was one of 
them. "Are they being picked on, sexually discriminated, harassed?"

"Well, children will be insensitive, and there have been some mean ones. Nothing worse 
than what I had to deal with as a child, except instead of calling me a homosexual, wuss 
or a loser, they were once called…a less than appropriate name," William admitted. 

"What has the school done in response?" Alex was ready to file a grievance if she didn't 
hear an acceptable answer. She didn't have to guess the name. The word dickgirl was as 
inappropriate to some as another slur her forefathers were called.

"They have a two strike tolerance policy for sexual harassment, and every student is 
forced to undergo sensitivity training every year. If any of the children call them a 
dickgirl," he said, regretting said it after having offered his shoulder for his children who 
had been slurred with the name, "the child is suspended for a week for a first offense, and 
then expelled for a second one," William explained, understanding her defensiveness. 
"Remember Alexandra, I did my homework on the schools. I made sure they were good, 
that there was no violence, no sexual harassment or crimes and that they will provide for 
my girls. And a generous donation helped."

"You shouldn't have to donate for them to do their jobs," Alexandra pointed out, "Public 
schools are for everyone, and since they forced your futas into public school, we have to 
force them to provide for them. The government has enough money to fund it's own 
foolish ambitions, it needs to take care of the children."

"I know, I know," Will surrendered, he knew he had little chance of winning an argument 
with her. 

"Now that we have all of the general concerns out of the way, let's see, today's inquiry 
was for…oh that's right, little Jamie," Alexandra knew when Will was letting her win, 
but sometimes she wanted to argue it out. 

"The youngest, at least for now," Will smiled. She was the first baby that he had adopted, 
the other girls were largely toddlers or older.

"Still has the speech impediment?" Alex asked, rechecking the history.

"Yes, the poor futa has problems pronouncing l and r sounds, but she's working at it. Her 
lisp has been corrected, thanks to the speech therapist," He had a soft spot in his heart for 
her. Perhaps it was her impediment, perhaps it was just the fact she was the baby in his 
eyes.

"Well, I've received all of the updated medical information, and she checks out fine. 
School reports that she's all As, except for her oral skills, guess that is to be expected," 
Alex made a few notations on the terminal. She didn't bother mentioning that there were 
no scars, no signs of abuse, sexually, physically, or psychologically. William had to 
undergo a full psychological testing and all of his foster children were tested twice a year, 
with all medical visits reported, whether she was rushed to the emergency room or if a 
futa had a cold. There was absolutely no indication he had ever touched one of his 
children, over the hundreds of scans spanning years.

"She does her best, but she is a little shy about public speaking, and doesn't raise her 
hand as often as she could in class," he had gone to parent's night at the school and found 
the teacher very sympathetic. "She's been invited to skip a grade, but she doesn't want to 
right now," He pointed out, proud of his little one.

"I noticed, why is that?" Alex asked.

"Well, that's going to take some explaining…" Will leaned back in his chair, thankful it 
was comfortable, he knew it was going to be bit of a story to tell.

*

"Nuh uh, I'm not gonna tewl!" Jamie shouted, sticking her tongue out at her twin sisters. 
While they weren't sisters either by birth or marriage, they were by circumstance, and 
that made no difference in the eyes of the children.

"Tell what?" William asked, donning his apron as he readied himself to begin breakfast.

"Nuh'ing," Jamie's tongue retracted, and she became very interested on the floor pattern. 
Her brown hair wrapped up in pigtails covered much of her face, colored light brown 
from her Mexican ancestry.  

"She's got a secret," Lindsay explained, looking towards her blond thirteen-year-old twin 
to cue her.

"Must be a juicy one, she won't tell," Samantha joined in. The two of them were the only 
biological sisters, and being twins they were almost inseparable. They had grown up 
together in the orphanage, refusing to be split up, and constantly joined together in 
whatever they were doing, usually causing some mischief. 

"Shut up you two are awways picking on me!" Jamie stomped angrily towards them.

"I know what it is," Karen said, gliding into the kitchen, weaving her svelte body 
between her siblings as she made a b line for the fridge. 

"Shut up you pwomised!" Jamie looked hurt at her sister, her lip trembling.

"I didn't tell anyone, I just said that I knew what it was Jamie," Karen said, drinking the 
orange juice straight from the carton. She walked over and tussled her sister's hair before 
sitting down at the table.

"Jamie, Lindsay, Samantha, go clean yourselves up before breakfast," William said, 
herding the children with his hands. The three futas scampered through the hallway to the 
downstairs bathroom. "And get the rest of your sisters out of bed too!"

Jamie stepped back into the hallway entrance, and looked as serious as most ten year old 
girls get. "You pwomised!" were the only words she said before disappearing behind the 
wall.

"So Karen, what is it?" William asked, thankful that his eldest foster daughter kept her 
ear to the ground. Raising all of the children at once was difficult at times, especially for 
a single father. He was thankful for Karen's maternal role, particularly for womanly 
matters that he was ill equipped to offer advice. He just stocked the shelves with feminine 
products and loathed the four or five days when he had a house full of emotional futas on 
his hands, and wished he had more shoulders for them to cry on, or less ears to hear their 
complaints. Stocking the refrigerator with plenty of dark chocolate and ice cream helped.

Karen looked around, and motioned her finger in a come hither advance. 

"I pwomised," Karen smiled and shrugged as she imitated her youngest sister's 
impediment.

"Oh did you?" Will asked suspiciously.

"If it was something bad, I'd tell. You know that," Karen said, peeling a banana. "When 
she wants to, she'll talk about it. Until then, unless it becomes something I need to tell 
you about, I won't."

"Alright," Will nodded his head. "I can respect her privacy, but if it seems like it's going 
to be a problem, even for a second, you tell me."

"Oh god, don't be that way dad, it's just girl talk," Karen said, chomping on the banana, 
her speech muffled by the wedges of masticated fruit. "Don't you have breakfast to make 
anyways?"

"Yes ma'am. What do you want to eat?" he asked, resigning himself to house chef, one 
of the few parental responsibilities that he was both good at, and enjoyed doing. It always 
seemed one or the other. 

"Oh, I'm just having this," Karen answered, still finishing the banana.

"You know how important breakfast is," He said, starting to preheat the stovetop. She 
had been dieting, and he would rather see an extra ten pounds on her frame than have her 
starve herself. 

"Oh daddy, I'm going out to eat with Dylan and Heather, I told you about this 
remember?" Karen gave him a no duh look. "The high school has the day off, the 
teachers are having a conference."

"Oh that's right. Then why are you up this early?" He asked, as he started transferring the 
contents of the fridge. 

"I told Jamie I'd give her a ride in today," She smiled. "I pwomised."

"Oh, more of this secret?" Will glanced back over his shoulder. 

"Mhmm," Karen mumbled, her mouth filled with bananas.

Will set out to begin cooking breakfast. It was quite a task for a single person, but he was 
fortunate that his daughters filtered in and out, some eating before showering, some after, 
some wolfed it down while others nibbled. He had thought about hiring a cook a number 
of times, but he liked making food, and could afford to order out from various health food 
establishments whenever he wished. And sometimes Italian or Chinese to treat the 
futas…or when he felt like treating himself, usually on Friday or Saturday night. 

Sixty eight silver dollar pancakes, forty two French toast, eight fried egg sandwiches, 
four cheese omelets, two pounds of bacon, more scrambled eggs than he could count, and 
plenty of juice, milk, and even a couple of cups of coffee later, he had dining room of 
filled tummies. He always cooked more than they needed but it all seemed to get eaten.

"Alright futas clean off your plates then let's get going!" Will clapped his hands, his 
usual cue for his daughters to get going.

"Come on Jamie," Karen pulled the chair out for her sister, "It's time we make like a tree 
and get going."

"Ugh, I don't wanna move," Jamie groaned. "I ate too much."

"Oh, you'll feel fine. Don't forget your lunch," Karen handed Jamie her backpack, a pink 
plastic little book bag that had a cute puppy on it, drawn in the new super cute Martian 
style of animation. 

"Thanks, wet's get going," Jamie lurched forward slowly, clutching her tummy. 

"Uh, uh, aren't you forgetting something?" Will asked, leaning down.

"Sowwy daddy," Karen walked over, giving her father a hug and planting a kiss on his 
cheek. "See you aftew schoowl!"

"Alright hon, you know your leaving a little early?" Will thought out loud, few of the 
girls wanted to get to class early, although Jamie was one of the few. 

"Yeah, I know, it's okay," Jamie had asked her sister specifically to leave early.

"Come on short stuff, let's go," Karen said, leading her downstairs to the garage. She 
flicked the light on and smiled. In celebration of both her sixteenth birthday and her 
honor roll status throughout high school her foster father had bought her a car, with two 
stipulations. The first was that she was to help drive her sisters when they needed a ride. 
The second was that she was expected to maintain her honor roll status. Her father trusted 
her driving well enough that he didn't bother to establish conditions. 

But it wasn't just that she had a car, it was the car she had. While her father drove a rather 
boring and bland yet functional minivan, whose main attraction was the fact it could seat 
a dozen, he had given her something altogether different. Karen didn't have a lot to her 
name really, but she was happy with what she had. She did very well in school, and was 
almost the valedictorian. She was looking forward to graduating in the spring; she was 
planning on going to university in the fall. Her father attended to her every need for the 
basics and then some, and her weekend job guaranteed her spending money, if not much 
free time.

But this was her pride and joy, her favorite thing after her family and Dylan and Heather. 
She loved her red rocket, a red sports car with all of the options. And thanks to the DNA 
lock, she could guarantee that no one besides her, and her father, would be able to start 
the thing. Her father even paid both her insurance and the energy bill.

"Wow Kawen, I can wewwy sit up fwont?" Jamie was ever so impressed with her sister's 
car, and hadn't gotten a chance to sit up front yet. For some time she was too young, her 
booster seat wouldn't fit in the small backseat, and she always had to jealously watch her 
older sisters drive away from the large boring brown minivan's second row.

"Of course Jamie, just remember to put on your seatbelt," Karen said, unlocking the door 
via her remote key chain.

"Suwe thing," Jamie climbed into the seat, and proudly put the seatbelt across her body. 

"So, who is this boy anyways?" Karen asked, starting up the car. She let the car idle for a 
few seconds before opening the garage door. 

"You wewwy pwomise you didn't tewl anyone about him?" Jamie asked concerned. Sam 
and Lindsay would tease her, and it was harder for her to defend herself against the two 
of them. 

"I promise," Karen said as she began to inch forward. The garage was a kind of blind 
spot, and she was always a little afraid one of her sisters would jump out in front at the 
most inopportune moment, after what had happened before. She honked every time, just 
to be sure.

"Even daddy?" Jamie knew that her sisters and her father were different matters entirely.

"I didn't tell him, and he did ask. I promise, anything you tell me about is a secret. Unless 
it's something that dad has to know about, I wouldn't go behind your back," Karen 
smiled at her little sister, without breaking her concentration on the driveway in front of 
her. "So, tell me about him."

"Weww, he's eweven, he's tawl, and smawt, he's got bwack haiwr, he's in my gwade but 
not in my cwass. He wikes to pway soccah, I usuawy watch the boys pway. He's awways 
nice to me, and nevew makes fun of me when I tawk," Jamie could picture him in her 
mind.

"So, what do you think?" Karen asked, glad to be on normal streets.

"About what?" Jamie looked over.

"About him," Karen checked the time, she was glad she had some caffeine, it helped her 
move about this early in the morning. 

"I wike him," Jamie admitted, trying to explain what she was feeling.

"Well, if you like him, and he likes you, that's a good thing," Karen smiled. "Nuff said."

"Yeah, but his fweinds wewe making fun a him," Jamie said, recalling recess the last 
week. It had all seemed so storybook before his friends had come over and ruined their 
stolen moment.

"It's hard sometimes sis, some people have problems. It's happened all throughout 
history, you know? I read about in history class, people used to have problem with others 
because of their race. Women couldn't even vote in some places for hundreds and 
hundreds of years! Sexual preference was a huge problem for a while too, still is for some 
dummies. People just don't like what they don't get, it's the same story over and over," 
Karen stopped her car for a second at a red light. "Just remember, it takes time, and 
hiding things away won't make then change their minds."

"I guess. But what about you?" Jamie scratched her head.

"Well, I don't know how to explain it really, but I, well, uh," Karen said, trying to find a 
good way to describe her orientation.

"You wike boys and girwls, wight?" Jamie wasn't dumb, she had seen the way that 
Heather, Dylan, and Karen looked at each other.

"Well, basically yeah. I mean, I don't have a thing against futas either, I'm attracted to 
them but I haven't found one that I like, and adding another person…you know, uh, never 
mind don't worry about that right now sis," Karen stopped herself before she got into the 
intricacies of sex with three genders. Adding another futa would change the dynamic of 
the relationship, not just sexually, but also the interpersonal dynamic that she didn't know 
how to begin explaining to her nine-year-old sister.

"But, weww, I mean I wike girwls and futas, but as fweinds. I kinda wike Phiwwip 
diffewent. Wike, I feew awl diffewent," Jamie said, trying to explain her attraction.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that, it's considered normal for girls to like boys, and 
most people don't realize that futanaris tend to break pretty evenly for being hetero, 
homo, bisexual, and trisexual," Karen said, looking over. "Err, I mean, between liking 
boys, girls, or futas, or any group of them."

"Okay, but what about his fweinds?" Jamie asked.

"What about them? It's your relationship, it's about you two," Karen knew that it wasn't 
going to be as simple as that.

"Weww, wike I said they are making fun of him, cuz of me," Jamie was a little ashamed 
of it, she didn't want to be a burden to him, she cared enough for him.

"Well, oh hold up, I'm going to pick Dylan up first, he's on the way, okay?" Karen had 
meant to bring it up earlier. She had promised to drive her to school to talk about this, but 
never brought it up. "I just don't want to have to backtrack."

"I, I guess so…you didn't tewl him did you?" Jamie felt a shiver down her back. She had 
heard her say that she didn't keep secrets from her boy and girlfriend.

"Jamie, I swear, I didn't tell anyone anything," Karen said, finding her sister's shyness 
adorable.

"Oh, okay," Jamie's body relaxed.

"You know, you might want to talk to him about it too, I mean after all, he is a boy who 
likes a futa. You might be able to learn a thing or two about how a boy feels," Karen 
offered, she knew a lot of guys in school who had dealt with the subject, but not from 
their point of view.

"You wewwy think so?" Jamie hadn't considered asking another boy about it, she didn't 
want anyone else knowing about it.

"It's worth asking. And trust me, he can keep secrets too," Karen said, honking the horn 
twice. "Here he comes now," Karen pointed at the good-looking trim teenager making his 
way over to her car.

"Heya Karen," Dylan leaned over to the driver's window, kissing her on the lips. He 
pushed his long, black hair back. "Heya, Jamie right?"

"Yes! Hi Dywan!" Jamie smiled, happy he remembered her. "Oh I shouwd get in the 
back." 

"No, don't worry about it. Besides, I like your sister's backseat," he grinned at his joke 
and deposited himself in the back of the car. 

"Hey!" Karen smacked him lightly on the side of the head.

"Sorry, sorry," Dylan rubbed his head in fake injury.

"Well, we were just talking about you?" Karen said, checking behind her before she 
pulled out.

"Oh really?" Dylan put his seatbelt on.

"Yeah, it seems little Jamie here has her first boyfriend," Karen smiled.

"Weww, we aren't wewwy boyfweind and futafwiend yet…but we both wanna be!" 
Jamie added enthusiastically.

"Well, good for you. First loves' are always so sweet," Dylan was wondering where he fit 
in here.

"Yeah, but she's having a problem, her little Romeo is having some trouble with his 
fellow Montagues," Karen explained.

"Huh?" Dylan scratched his head.

"God, don't you read?" Karen chided disapprovingly.

"Read what?" he asked, dumbfounded. 

"It's Shakespeare, only the greatest writer to ever pick up a pen," Karen sighed, while 
Dylan was a good person and a good boyfriend, he just didn't appreciate her love for 
literature. 'At least Heather can quote Macbeth and Othello' she thought.

"I haven't even picked up a pen," he argued.

"Fine, the point is he's being hassled by his friends," Karen didn't know why she 
bothered with the literary analogies. 

"Why?" he wasn't getting it entirely.

"Why else you dummy!" Karen said, flinging her arm back wildly, trying to hit him and 
failing. "Maybe because she's a futanari?"

"Oh, the whole futanari…thing. Well, it's tough for some guys to get over. A lot of times 
guys kind of make fun of other guys who like futas, for different reasons. Some like them 
and don't want to admit it. Some are jealous. Most just don't know how to deal with stuff 
and think that it's gay or something. Some of them just have a problem with it and just 
make fun of whatever they don't get, and trust me, you hear everything in the boy's 
bathroom," he didn't want to start talking about what he had heard and said.	

"Wewl, what do I do?" Jamie asked, she wished she had her pad out to take notes. 

"I don't know, it depends on what they are doing. If they're just giving him a little sh, uh, 
if they're just teasing him, just take it and teasing them back. Guys do that a lot, hassle 
each other about different stuff. You can't seem like you can't take it, or else you sound 
like a…wuss, and it won't stop. So his best thing is to just turn it around and make fun of 
them," He said, wondering if this was the best advice to give a ten year old. 

"Do they ever hassle you about me?" Karen turned around, wondering. He hadn't ever 
said a thing to her about it, but she knew he never wanted to seem weak in front of her. 
'Even though I could kick his butt,' she mused.

"Yes, but they're just jealous," he said, putting his arm on Karen's shoulder. "Besides, I 
just tell them you're a lot better than their four girlfriends and thumb," he snickered. 
"And they'd all give their left…uh, they'd all wish they were in a relationship with a 
woman who looked half as hot as you or Heather, and I'm lucky enough to be with both 
of you."

"Aww, that's sweet," Karen grinned. She knew he was just sweet talking her, but a 
compliment was a compliment.

"But what about me?" Jamie asked. "What if they do mowe than tease him?"

"Oh sorry, uh, well, basically if they are being really bad, then he's got to stand up to 
them. If they keep harassing, just talk to a teacher or something," he explained. "I had to 
defend Karen once." 

"What?" Jamie and Karen said in unison.

"Oh, this was a while back, with Johnny, you remember him Karen we still hang out 
every now and again. Once we were over his place he had a few too many and was being 
a jerk, he's a completely different person when he drinks. I had a few too and was trying 
to be all stand up and stuff, and wiped the smirk off his face. He got me pretty good too. 
Then we came back in, and had a few more cold ones, and got over it," Dylan said, half 
telling the history, half boasting.

"What happened then?" Karen asked, this was all news to her.

"Nothing, the next day he didn't even remember it, he came up and asked me, 'Who did I 
fight last night?'" Dylan laughed, and then looked at Jamie, "But uh, yeah don't get in a 
fight." 

"Oh," Jamie thought about things for a bit. "Okay, thanks I wewwy appweciate it," Jamie 
said.

"No problem short stuff. Sucks you have to go to school today though," he looked up, it 
was a nice day, even if it was supposed to rain.

"I wike schoowl," Jamie said honestly.

"Well I guess you would, seems like all of Karen's sisters are as smart as she is," he 
smiled, hoping that all of his kind words were being picked up.

"It isn't that hawd," Jamie said, she had grown up in a house where everyone did 
schoolwork together, where it was assumed that homework came before playing. 

"Yeah, all you have to do is actually read the assignments," Karen joked as she drove up 
to the front entrance of the school. 

"Ouch. Well, have a good day at school," Dylan resigned himself to being the dunce. 

"Suwe, whewe are you two going?" Jamie undid her seatbelt.

"I told you last night. We're going to meet up with Heather, I'm taking all of us out for 
breakfast," Karen smiled. She had been looking forward to a day off of both work and 
school for a while, and she was happy to spend it with both her boyfriend and girlfriend.

"Oh yeah, I fowgot," Jamie smiled, it sounded like a good time.

"Probably just thinking about your own thing," Karen laughed, she remembered her first 
crush, just hoped that it would go better.

"Thanks Kawen, I'll see you at home," Jamie leaned over to her sister, extending her 
arm.

"Have a great day sis," Karen said, hugging her. 

"Bye Kawen, by Dywan!" she jumped out of the car, waving as she skipped to school. 

"God she's adorable," Dylan said, getting into the front seat. "She's so cute, like a 
cartoon character."

"I know, but I just feel bad for her because of her speech impediment. She says the kids 
don't mock her but…well, at least it's getting better, it was worse when she had a lisp 
too," Karen said, waiting for a couple of kids to get out of her way before inching 
forward. She never liked driving with so many children around they made her anxious.

Jamie was the first child in class, and as such her teacher granted her permission to do 
attendance. The rest of the children read the attendance out loud, but she opted instead to 
just make a check mark or an X next to each child's name. Rodrigo Ramirez was a name 
in particular that gave her trouble.

Once class began, Jamie's eyes were glancing up from her school pad at the clock. She 
did her best to pay attention to the teacher, but her father had already taught her 
multiplication tables. She still did all of the exercises, and double-checked them just like 
she had learned. Either her father or Karen would check it for her. And if she had erred 
they would patiently explain it to her, it was how she learned it in the first place. She had 
even finished her homework before the classical music began, signaling the end of class.

Unlike some schools, her teachers rotated from room to room, while the teacher's aide 
kept an eye on class. Karen had told her that in her school they walked from class to 
class, Jamie envied her. She wished she had the chance to walk around, she would get 
sore sometimes from sitting down for so long. 

"Hey Jamie!" said Jamie's best school friend Leah, as she tapped Jamie in the shoulder 
with her finger. 

"Heya Weah," Jamie said, turning around. Leah was one of the few people who didn't 
even smirk about her speech. She had once said she liked being called 'Weah' better than 
her normal name, but Jamie thought she was just being nice. She was a cute little girl 
with fair complexion and natural blond hair. She was a couple inches shorter than Jamie 
was, despite being a year her elder. 

"What did you get for problem twelve?" Leah whispered. She was no good at math, and 
usually got an answer or two from her friend for the homework, at least for the hard ones.

Jamie looked around, making sure the teacher's aide wasn't checking in on her, and 
whispered "Thiwty."

"Thanks, that's what I thought," Leah lied, writing the answer down. "So, what's up with 
you and Phillip?"

"Nuffin," Jamie thought for a second before saying quickly "Why what? Did he tawlk 
about me?"

"No, I was just wondering…He's cute, you two would make a nice couple," Leah 
giggled.

"I just don't know if he wants to be with me," Jamie sighed. "It's not him, it's his 
fweinds."

"Boys are gross," Leah complained. She didn't understand her friend's attraction to him. 
He was a cute boy, but she still felt that boys weren't worth her time yet. Perhaps when 
they matured they would be. But even she agreed that Phillip was quite a catch.

"Yeah but I wike Phiwwip, he's different," Jamie smiled just thinking about him. "I can't 
wait untiwl wecess," Jamie turned her back around as she heard her teacher, Mr. 
Fitzgerald enter the classroom. Her next subject was social studies, where they were 
studying the local history of the area. It was a topic that held little interest for her, she 
didn't really find it interesting what happened hundreds of years ago, but she still paid 
attention. Memorization was her problem she found it boring. She had read the 
homework, and raised her hand twice during the lesson. She was even called on and 
answered the question right, and nobody in class made fun of her. That time.

When the classical music returned, the students shuffled out of class, herded by the 
teachers to make their way to the cafeteria. Jamie opened up her backpack, her father 
made her lunch for her every morning before breakfast, while she slept. Most of her older 
sister's wanted to have the school lunches, but she liked the way her father made lunch. 
The crusts were cut off, there was only a slight amount of mustard. The chocolate milk 
was wrapped in a thermo cooler, which kept it nice and cool, and her fruit, this time a 
banana, was always fresher.

She grabbed the bag and filed along with the other children to the cafeteria on the first 
floor. It was fairly large, as it was initially built for high school students. When the new 
school was created the younger children were moved there. Instead of accommodating 
ninth through twelfth grades, it was instead being used for third through fifth, and the 
extra space was noticeable. Most of the children were waiting in line to take their meals, 
and Jamie took a spot nearest to the exit to courtyard used for recess.

She sat there, her foot nervously bouncing up and down. With her back against the wall, 
she could see the entire cafeteria. She nibbled nervously on her sandwich, finishing it 
before Leah bought her lunch and sat down.

"So, what's up with lover boy?" Leah asked, giggling.

"What? What did he say?" Jamie nearly spit her chocolate milk out.

"Nothing, are you gonna go talk to him or not?" Leah pointed, trying to make it seem 
subtle, but failing spectacularly.

"Weww, I was gonna but…it feewls, I'm so newvous," Jamie wanted to will him over. 
She was hesitant, looking at him joking with his friends, laughing, just seeing his smile 
made her feel weak.

"Wait a minute," Leah looked around the cafeteria. "Hey, Louis!" she shouted, waving at 
her older brother. He looked over for a second, finding who was calling his name, and 
turned back around. "Louis get over here! Louis get your butt over here!" she continued 
to call out, ineffectively. "Louis come over here or I'm going over there!"

The boy threw his head back and trudged over. "What do you want sis?" he asked 
irritated.

"You know Phillip Quinn?" Leah looked over at the table he was sitting at.

"Yeah, he's on the soccer team. What about him?" Louis didn't want to speak with his 
sister as she embarrassed him.

"As him if he wants to see to Jamie at recess," Leah said. Jamie's face became beet red, 
and she shrank in her chair.

"What? No way!" Louis turned his back to his sister to leave this conversation.

"Yes way, or I'm gonna tell mom about your secret stash," Leah said, with an evilly 
sweet tone.

"You wouldn't," He said, turning around.

"Try me big bro. Now do something nice and I'll forget about it," Leah smiled nicely at 
her brother.

"Fine, wait here," he swore under his breath. Watching the amused grins on his 
schoolmate's faces, he walked over to the table that Phillip was sitting at, along with four 
of his friends.

"Phillip, what's up?" Louis asked, nodding his head.

"Uh, nothing, what do you want Louis?" Phillip asked. He had seen Louis's approach 
from across the cafeteria after talking to his sister, and more importantly, Jamie. 

"Look, just go talk to Jamie at recess, okay?" Louis said, turning around, hoping his 
message would be so simply conveyed.

"What?" Phillip asked, he felt all the eyes of his peer fall upon him.

"Oh, god Phil? You still messing with that futa-girl?" Asked Jason, Phillip's best friend 
and the main antagonist about his affair.

"Uh, look guys, it's," Phillip was struggling for the words appropriate to describe his way 
out of his situation. The more he stared into his Salisbury steak, the more apparent it 
became that it was not forthcoming.

"Oh come on man, god, you'd rather hang out with one of those futas than hang out with 
the guys?" Jason chewed out his best friend.

"Uh, look, I mean, we uh, we still hang out, uh," Phillip mumbled.

"Oh god, and for how long, huh? First it's recess, then it's every recess, then it's after 
school, before school, you're just gonna ditch us for some girl? Not even some girl, you 
know she's a futa!" Jason ragged.

"Look, uh, she's, she's nice, I mean I still want to hang out with you guys, but," Phillip 
was trying to bargain and was failing spectacularly. 

"But what? You want to hang out with her more?" Jason continued to rag.

"Look, you two can fight this out later, do you want to or not?" Louis asked, tired of 
hearing Jason whine. They sounded like an old married couple.

"Uh, y-yes," Phil said meekly. 

"I knew it!" Jason threw his hands up in the air disapprovingly. 

"Yeah, see you at practice," Louis shook his head, wondering how his sister found his 
stash of adult comic books. He had bought them from a kid in junior high school for forty 
credits used, and hid them in a hole in the floorboard of his room. 'She better keep her 
trap shut for this,' he thought, just wanting to finish his chicken patty, which he assumed 
was probably cold by now.

"Wewl?" Jamie asked hopefully to Louis when he was still two meters away from the 
table.

"He said yes," Louis didn't even look at her gleeful expression. "That's it Leah, you tell 
mom and I'm gonna delete every game on your computer." It wasn't an empty thread, he 
had done that before and had been punished for it. He marched away, all of the running 
around had actually spoiled his appetite, and the greasy chicken patty now seemed a 
disappointment.

"What did he have?" Jamie asked, eyeing the teacher's aide. When lunch was halfway 
done, she would open the door for recess, any child wanting to go outside could, anyone 
wanting to stay inside could as well. During bad weather days they didn't open the doors, 
but children could spend time in the library if they were so inclined. She was just glad 
that the rain was holding up so far. 

"I don't know," Leah smiled. "He's got something, he always does. When I find out what 
it is, I won't tell mom or dad." 
 
Jamie heard the lurching sound of the doors open, and positively jumped out of her chair, 
knocking the chocolate milk carton over. It spilled forth, but she didn't notice it. Leah 
grabbed her hand to stop her for a second. 

"What is it Weah?" Jamie asked, practically tugging the girl outside.

"Wait until he's alone first," the blond girl advised, before releasing her hold. "Good 
luck."

Jamie was one of the first children outside, and as such she saw the rest of the children 
filtering out. She stood near the soccer field, waiting. Phillip oftentimes would play 
soccer during recess, and she would watch and admire from near midfield. She watched 
and waited, but none of the boys who usually played assembled, and she felt vulnerable 
out in the open, alone. Her eyes lit up when she saw him exit the cafeteria, but she took 
her friend's advice. She yearned to run up to him but held back. He talked to his friends 
for a minute, yet to her it felt like an eternity. Then he began to walk away from them, 
and she waited yet another agonizing minute before she went in.

"Hey Phiwwip," Jamie said, dashing over to the auburn haired boy a year her senior. He 
had a few inches on her, but he was about average height for his age. 

"Hey Jamie," Phillip said, looking around, thankful that his friends were out of sight.

"I um, can we, I mean wouwd you wike to tawk?" Jamie asked, noticing his nervousness, 
but she couldn't tell if his awkwardness was from his friends, or his heart. Her own heart 
was racing.

"Sure," Phil said, eyeing the playground. The small school allowed for most children to 
know one another, and he could tell which areas were safe, for now, and which to avoid. 
"How was school?" he asked. He stared at her hand and then decided to wrap his hand 
around hers.

Jamie nearly squealed at the contact. "Oh, wewl, it was okay. We had math and histowy 
today, but I alweady did my homewowk," Jamie said, smiling at him. "Um, how was 
your day?"

"It was okay," He said, leading her to a large old tree, which was shady, out of the way, 
and most importantly, a good spot to not be seen. Some kids had carved their initials in it, 
some with hearts, others were crossed out. He wondered if he might do it some time, it 
just seemed like the right thing to do. 'Of course we're not technically going out yet' he 
mused.

"Oh, um…" Jamie knew what she wanted to say, but the words would not come so 
easily. And she was a young girl accustomed to having difficulty speaking.

"I had a good time last week, when we hung out," Phillip said, he too was struggling to 
find dialogue.

"Me too!" Jamie said, a bit too enthusiastically. "Um, maybe, maybe we couwd hang out 
again?"

"I'd love to," Phillip said, regretting the word love a moment later. He would rather have 
used like, in that instance. He liked Jamie he didn't love her.

"Gweat! How about aftew schoowel?" Jamie smiled happily, looking down at her hand, 
holding his. Both were clammy, the uneasy perspiration of a first love. Her mouth 
dropped as she felt his grasp loosen.

"Well, well, well, what do we got here?" said an insulting and demeaning voice. Jamie 
looked up and saw the shadow of Emanuel Rodriguez. He and two of his cronies stood 
before them. She didn't know them very well, except that Manny was a bully, and that 
she always stayed away from him. The only time he had ever spoken to her was an insult 
about her speech impediment.

"Looks like we got ourselves a couple of lovebirds," One of his cronies said, clasping his 
hands together.

"Looks like your right Gary," said the other crony. 

"Just leave us alone," Phillip said, standing up. Jamie followed him and stood up, but 
Phillip stepped forward, putting his body between her and the three bullies. Jamie felt 
safer, slightly, behind him. She glared into the crowd, but could find no teachers or aides.

"Aww, you know what guys, I think they wanted a little privacy, is that right?" Manny 
stepped forward, right into Phillip's face. "I wonder why that is?"

"Probably doesn't want anyone to know," Gary spit on the ground, almost hitting Jamie's 
shoe. "What do you think Derek?"

"Probably," Derek echoed.

"What are you tawking about? What don't we want pepowle to know?" Jamie tried to 
show resolve. Instead the fear in her voice became apparent, and she wished she hadn't 
opened her mouth.

"Oh that's right, it's the retard, get a load of that," Emanuel laughed, "I should have 
known."

"Known what?" Derek asked with a mock innocent tone.

"That Phillip here loves retard wiener," Gary shouted, and the three of them burst into 
laughter.

"Just, weave us awone," Jamie sniffed, she wanted to cry but not in public, not this way. 
She wished she were at home, that she could cry on her bed into her pillow, surrounded 
by various plush animals that knew all too well the torment she had to deal with because 
of her speech. Through her misty eyes she spied her friend Leah, who looked right at her. 
She watched the girl run away, and all her hopes of help fade away as her best friend 
disappeared behind a building. 

"Yeah Gary, wet's weave them awone," Derek mocked.

"After all, Phillip here doesn't want everyone to know how gay he is," Emanuel said. 
"Why do you think he hides away back here? He even has one of those girls with a secret 
dick, in case someone's stupid enough not to notice that he's in love with retard wiener."

"Shut up Manny," Phillip bit his tongue so hard he could taste blood. He wasn't prone to 
violence, but he couldn't stand to hear Jamie called a retard anymore. It wasn't about him 
anymore.

"Oh don't worry, we won't tell the whole school that," Derek said, looking around for a 
second before chanting, "Phillip loves retard wiener!"

"Hey hey, that's not nice Derek," Emanuel said disapprovingly, "Phiwwip woves wetard 
wiener." 

"Shut up Manny!" Phillip growled, he wanted to knock him out cold, but knew that he 
was outnumbered. He didn't anticipate Jamie being of any help in battle, and couldn't let 
her be hurt. 

"Your wight!" Derek laughed.

"Phiwwip woves wetard wiener," The triumvirate chanted. "Phiwwip woves wetard 
wiener! Phiwwip woves wetard wiener!" 
 
"S, stop it, pwease," Jamie bit her lip, and closed her misty eyes, the tears forming fully 
in the corners.

"Phiwwip woves wetard wiener," they continued to chant.

"Hey Manny," screamed a voice behind him. "Why don't you stop picking on a little 
girl?" Jamie's eyes opened to see the body of Emanuel flying backwards onto the ground, 
his two sidekicks being flung forward. She looked up, surprised to see Leah there, with 
two boys. Jamie recognized them as Leah's twelve-year-old brother Louis, and the boy 
whose opinion Phillip had been so worried about.

"Jason?" Phillip asked, staring forward at his best friend, who had come to his rescue, 
personally dragging Manny down while Louis shoved the other two forward.

"You little asshole!" Manny shouted, pulling himself up out of the dirt his arm wound up, 
ready to deliver a vicious knockout punch on the boy who had knocked him down. But 
that blow never came, Louis's arms like a snake wrapped around Emanuel's, leaving the 
bully open to assault. 

Phillip lunged forward, in the momentary confusion of his body falling upon Manny's, he 
locked his knees in place under the other boy's elbows, before pummeling him a barrage 
of flailing punches. Phillips fists were raw and unfocused, yet the series of blows 
cathartic. He felt like he was noble, that he was fighting righteously to defend his 
futanari's honor.

A crowd quickly formed, as they do in schoolyards, and the inevitable chant of "FIGHT" 
began soon thereafter. Jamie was screaming at the top of her lungs, cheering on her hero, 
tears of sadness being replaced with lust for revenge. He could see Louis and Jason hold 
back the two cronies, keeping them from helping their paisano. They weren't putting up 
much of a fight, both were afraid for their own safety. Phillip felt a fleeting pang of guilt 
that he needed their help, but his attention quickly refocused to fighting Manny.

Phillip was not an experienced fighter, Manny however was. He flung the schoolboy off 
of him after sustaining the attack, and performed a pendulum kick, swinging his leg 
around Phillip's ankle, tripping the boy. 

Phillip landed on his side with a thud, but he was quick to jump back up. He swung at 
Manny, throwing his entire body at him, but missed him entirely, feeling the pain of 
failure momentarily. Manny landed three jabs in quick succession in his stomach, 
Phillip's abs began to ache from the pain. He stepped back, tasting the flavor of blood in 
his mouth where he had bitten down on his tongue. One glance at Jamie was all that he 
needed for inspiration, and a remind of what he was fighting for.

Phillip assumed a martial arts pose, he had no experience but he knew he was supposed 
to protect his center when fighting, and he had a feeling that was true. He simply stood 
with his left shoulder facing him, his arms drawn more like a boxer than a martial artist. 
Manny swung forward, Phillip narrowly dodged it, feeling the periphery of his fist glide 
against his. He aped a boxing move he had observed previously, called an uppercut, 
landing squarely on his chin and knocking the bully backwards, largely from surprise 
more than the actual force of the punch. 

Manny spit angrily on the ground, watching his phlegm hit the asphalt. He looked at a 
nearby rock, sneering viciously as he grabbed it, planning to throw it as hard as he could 
at Phillip's head. He wound up as far as he could, looking much like a young fireballer 
reaching back for a little extra to finish off the batter. 

Phillip stepped back, finding the crowd had tightened, if he was going to dodge the rock 
it was going to be very close. He raised his arms in defense, waiting for a blow that never 
came. Jason's arm grasped Manny's hand, flinging the rock back before it could leave his 
clutches. In doing so he left his face open. Manny got his revenge, delivering a left hook 
momentarily. 

"Now stop it this very instance!" shouted a teacher's aide as she parted the crowd. She 
grasped the two by their shirts, pulling them apart. Another teacher emerged a moment 
later, and the two were able to hold Jason and Emanuel apart from one another. Much of 
the crowd sheepishly dispersed.

"Emanuel Rodriguez, I cannot believe you are fighting again!" chided the aide, Mrs. 
Johnson. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in?" she asked rhetorically. 
She looked over at Jason, still in the clutches of the teacher, whose name neither Jamie 
nor Phillip knew. "And what about you Jason? You know better! Why were you 
fighting?"

"I wasn't fighting him I was," Manny tried to argue, but his attempts weren't swaying the 
opinion of the aide, who had already dealt with him fighting more than once before.

"I'm not talking to you," the aide said, twisting his arm slightly, not enough to hurt him 
but enough to shut him up. "Well Jason?"

"I don't know ma'am," he said, flashing a look from the corner of his eyes before staring 
at the ground. 

"You don't know? Well maybe two weeks of detention will remind you? And your 
parents will hear of this! Right after the principle does," she announced, hearing the 
classical music that signaled the end of recess. "Bring him as well. The rest of you, back 
to class now! Anyone who is late will get detention!"

Jamie fought her way through the crowd to talk to Phillip, her body was struggling 
upstream but she was able to get a hold of him. "Oh my god Phiwwip!" she said, her 
knees weak, her eyes still teary, her heart racing as if she had sprinted a marathon. She 
wanted to hug him, but felt guilty already. His hand grasped her, now clammy from the 
heat of battle, and tugged slightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, following the crowd as they shuffled back into the cafeteria 
on their return trip to class. His instinctive reflex to fight had kicked in, but he was 
worried about her. Not just physically, but what they said were hurtful to her feelings, 
and he was well aware of her sensitivity.

"Oh I'm fine," she said meekly. "I'm, I'm sowwy…I didn't…"

"It's not your fault," he said, trying to sound like a graphic novel hero. His voice, 
crackling, didn't convey the same strength of force, his stomach still felt awful and his 
heart was racing from all of the adrenaline coursing through his system.

"You, you wewe so bwave," she choked out.

"I got lucky that Jason was there," he said, attempting to sound nonchalant, and failing. 
He worked hard to walk normally, and not give any sign of how bad his stomach was. 
"You still want to hang out after class?" 

"Suwe!" she said quickly, squeezing his hand tightly as they marched through the 
cafeteria. 

"How about your house, after school? I have practice most of the week and Friday I, 
well, promised Jason that we would hang out," Phil said, scratching the back of his head. 

"Suwe, that sounds gweat! I'd w, I'd wike to spent the aftewnoon with you," Jamie 
smiled from ear to ear.

"Okay, my mom will drive me there when I get out," he smiled, lifting their embraced 
hands. "We have to pick my little sister up from Kindergarten first, then we can drive 
there."

"It's a date," Jamie said, biting her lip a second later. "I mean, uh, weww…"

"It's a date," Phillip smiled, recognizing their tryst for what it was. He gazed into her, 
unsure eyes colored verdant green softened, with his tacit acknowledgement of romantic 
quality of their meeting.

"No holding hands!" cried the overbearing voice of an aide, "Move along to class you 
two!"

"I'll see you after school," Phillip released his grip and walked backwards down the 
opposite hallway. Jamie watched for a moment, her heart aflutter before turning around 
and walking towards her own classroom. She felt like she was walking on clouds, that 
nothing could change the happiness she was experiencing.

She glided into the seat of her desk, her elbows firmly attached on the desktop, her head 
rested dreamily in the palms of her hands. The classical music, a Neo Romantic song 
from hundreds of years passed seemed all the lovelier. 

The entrance of her English teacher, Ms. Eaner, abruptly ended her fawning. At five foot 
ten, shorter with her back bent forward, a result of a lifetime of poor posture, she was a 
loud and cantankerous teacher. Well known by many for her strict rules and propensity to 
deliver detentions to whomever she wished, oftentimes for little reason other than 
because she had said so. Many students knew Jamie as a teacher's pet, but unlike the 
other teachers, Jamie avoided her at all costs. 

The other teachers greeted the class before starting their lesson, but Ms. Eaner went 
straight to business, starting the class early. She began writing a sentence on the 
chalkboard, remaining silent. The class knew from experience that once the spinster 
started it was time to shut their mouths. Jamie winched as she saw her friend Leah show 
up, just as Ms. Eaner turned around from writing the first sentence on the board.

"Leah Davis! What are you doing late for class?" Ms. Eaner asked crossly. 

"The music is still playing," Leah pointed up towards the speaker. 

"I do not care, the music does not begin the class, I do," Eaner chided. "And you will 
address me properly!"

"I'm sorry Ms. Eaner," Leah had plenty of experience lying to this particular teacher. "It 
won't happen again."

"It had better not young lady," the spinster lectured, "I experienced first hand how bad 
your brother was, he was a little monster!"

"Your wrong, my brother isn't a monster," Leah said timidly, her eyes dropping to the 
floor as she regretted it a moment later.

"I'm sorry? What did you say?" the old maid barked out, leaning over the young girl.

"I, I said," Leah felt a sudden burst of confidence at the realization she was already 
committed. She raised her head, glaring her teacher squarely in the eye, no longer 
concerned with rebuke and said "Your wrong my brother isn't a monster, Ms. Eaner."

"You impudent little, how dare you address your elder so? You can reconsider just how 
mistaken you are when you spend the rest of the afternoon in detention Ms. Davis! Now 
back into your seat, you have wasted enough of the class's time with your nonsense!" 
Ms. Eaner wished she could smack the child, but hadn't been able to do that since her 
short time teaching in Catholic school. 

Leah looked at her friend and rolled her eyes before she sat down in the desk behind her. 
She whipped out her pad and began to sketch an image while her teacher went on about 
hanging participles. 

Leaning back in her chair, Jamie could hardly contain her happiness. She was certainly 
not paying any attention to her teacher, Ms. Eaner. Jamie found the English lesson 
boring. It was dissecting and describing the parts of a sentence. Her enamored smile 
reached from ear to ear as she recalled fondly her hero coming to her rescue. Her mind 
kept rerunning over his outbrave stand. Jason's activity in her replay was trivialized to a 
minor role. 

She felt a prod on her back, and knew that Leah was trying to pass a note. She waited a 
moment for the teacher to write the next sentence on the electronic bulletin board. 
Passing notes in class had advanced in five hundred years time. Ever since the 
widespread use of pads in the classroom notebook paper had been replaced. The move 
was as much economic as it was ecological, the old generation of computers had become 
easy to manufacture, and cheaper than printed-paper. Instead of passing notes via paper, 
they were now sent via electronic communication. The communications using the 
school's network were monitored very closely, to prevent the very note passing they were 
using, but Leah was an enterprising little girl, and had found a protocol that the school 
was not able to monitor. Or rather, she had her brother find it for her.

Jamie pushed a button on her pad and brought up an image Leah had drawn. It was a 
picture of Ms. Eaner chewing out an innocent looking student. She was drawn as an 
ancient hunchback with smell lines coming from her butt, livers pots and blemishes, with 
a caption reading 'Ms. Meaner'. Jamie tried to diffuse a smile from her face as she 
examined all of the features of the caricature. Leah was quite the humorist artist. 

All of the ribaldry humor of the moment drained away as the shadow of the caricatured 
individual loomed over her. 

"Ms. Brown just what in the name of decency are you looking at?" Ms. Easter barked at 
her. Jamie quickly clicked on the delete button on her pad's touch screen interface, but it 
was too late. 

"So, I'm Ms. Meaner am I? You know the penalty of drawing pictures in class young 
lady! And insulting a teacher, with vulgarity as well, I really thought you had your head 
on straight," Ms. Eaner lambasted Jamie. "I hope you enjoy spending the rest of the week 
in detention!"

"The week?" Jamie asked, wishing her eyes could turn around and look at Leah. She 
knew if the image were still on screen for her to prove she hadn't drawn it, she would 
receive detention for passing notes. 

"Would you like more?" Ms. Eaner asked sternly. 

"No ma'am, I mean, Ms. Eanew," Jamie slumped down into her chair, arms folded. She 
didn't listen to a word for the rest of the class, she simply sat there, staring at her blank 
pad wishing that she could will the time to pass by quicker. The class dragged until the 
music began to play over the loud speaker, and the old spinster left the classroom, 
making sure to talk to the new teacher on his way in that Jamie had been given detention.

"Hey, um, Jamie?" Leah asked from behind. Leah had sought for most of the class to find 
the appropriate words to voice her apology. 'I'm sorry' seemed so cliché to her, and it 
seemed to lack the emphasis behind it she wished to convey.

In her frustration, Jamie didn't turn around or otherwise acknowledge her, she maintained 
her stoic face buried in her crossed arms, pouting.

"Look, I'm really sorry, I never meant to get you in detention, I swear it. Please don't 
hate me," Leah dropped her head in deference.

"I don't hate you," Jamie said, turning her head to the side only to say it, returning her 
gaze momentarily.

Leah wished she could give some kind of response, but resigned herself to making it up 
later. The next class was their creativity course of the day, some days they had gym, 
others they had music appreciation, sometimes they read poetry, but today they were 
drawing. Not just drawing but drawing with real paper and pencils, this was the only time 
most children actually used paper and pencils. 

Leah took her time, slowly etching the desired image. She enjoyed drawing, but usually 
worked in cartoons, particularly imitating the Martian animation, primarily because it 
was both cute and easy. All of her friends seemed to like it, so she just stuck with what 
worked. Now she strove for realism, attempting with her unskilled hands to draw 
accurately instead of creating parody. She finally understood the meaning behind the 
phrase, 'that's why pencils come with erasers'. Unlike the rest of the children in the class, 
she spent the entire period sketching, and editing the work. The art teacher was laid back, 
and generally left the children to their own devices, as long as the class was kept in 
check. Many of them were supposedly comparing their pictures, while in actuality they 
were just chatting. 

The music began to play, and all of the children filed out of the room, except for Jamie 
and Leah. 

"All right Jamie Brown, Leah Davis, pack up your belongings and follow me, detention 
is in the library," The aide said firmly but politely.

"Coming," Leah said, rolling the picture up, keeping it in place with her elastic hair band. 

"Alwight," Jamie said, grabbing her picture and her pad, and stuffing them in her 
backpack, zipping it up she got to her feet and followed the aide, hearing the shuffling 
feet of Leah behind her. 

The trip to the library was a short one, they simply went down the hallway near the 
entrance, and sat down at the first available table, near the librarian. She was an elderly 
lady, nice to children who behaved, especially so to Jamie. The concept of a library had 
changed in the twenty-sixth century, since nearly all pads could contain volumes of 
information, all of which could be accessed on the school's network. Instead of being a 
book depository libraries had become more a research center, where groups of children 
could make use of better computers, and where subject matters could be easily researched 
on more powerful computers, comparing and contrasting them, as well as allowing for 
advanced computer modeling and three dimensional projections, for example. Perhaps 
most importantly the chairs were padded and comfortable. Once seating the two 
schoolchildren the aide left the two as quickly as she could to make her way home.

"I'm sorry Jamie," Leah said in a hushed tone, as soon as the aide left. "I didn't mean to 
get you in trouble."

"I know," Jamie said, taking her pad out as she prepared to do her homework. "It's just," 
Jamie hung her head down on the desk, trying to hold back the tears, "I was gonna spend 
the aftewnoon with Phiwwip, and now I can't!"

"I'm so sorry," Leah said, her foul mood from having betrayed her friend had grown 
worse. 

"And he's gonna think I dumped him cause I won't be awound," Jamie wanted to cry. 
She lifted her head, hearing the sound of a chair being pulled out.

"What are you two in for?" Jason asked, turning the chair around before plunking himself 
down. 

"I didn't even show up late, but that mean old witch Ms. Meaner gave me detention," 
Leah said angrily.

"What about you?" Jason asked, wondering why Jamie was in such a foul mood. He 
didn't notice at first but she seemed on the edge of tears.

"I sent her a drawing I did of the witch," Leah defended her friend's honor. 

"So?" he asked, understandably wondering how the story ended.

"I sent her the drawing, Ms. Meaner saw it. She didn't snitch on me," Leah explained.

"Well, I guess we share something in common then, we both screwed ourselves to get our 
friend's out of trouble," Jason tried to uplift the mood.

"But, but now I'm not gonna see Phiwwip," Jamie choked on her words, trying to stem 
the tears.

"Well geez, it's not like you two are in love, don't overdo it," Jason sighed. "I mean 
seriously, just take it easy already. For all you know he has futanari fever."

"What's that?" Jamie looked at Leah. Jamie was accustomed to most of the stories and 
mythos about futanaris, but this was a new one to her.

"Some boys uh, like futas because they're futas, not because of who they are," Jason 
explained. "Just like some guys like Asian girls, or skinny girls, or whatever."

"You, you mean he onwy wikes me because I'm a futa?" Jamie asked, teetering on the 
brink of bursting into tears.

"Don't pay attention to him," Leah said comfortingly, "He's just jealous because you're 
stealing his friend away from him."

"Hey, if you remember right, I saved his butt, and yours," Jason reminded, leaving out 
that it was at Leah's insistence. 

"I, I didn't get a chance to thank you," Jamie sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I mean you 
wewe with the teachew and we had to go to cwass."

"It's fine," Jason wasn't the terribly rude kind, had he known about her fragile emotional 
state he might never have brought up the entire futanari fever myth. Not so much a myth, 
but more locker room chatter between inexperienced boys who little to go on beyond 
their baby sisters changing and internet pornography, spiced up with what the older boys 
said. "Thank goodness Phil went all Marshall Law on that jackass Manny."

"Marshall Law?" Jamie wasn't familiar with the name.

"It's some superhero or something, my brother adores him," bored did not begin to 
explain Leah's tone.

"He's not a superhero, not really. He was this supersoldier built by the a secret project 
that was a subdivision of the Planetary Information Agency specifically to combat the 
evil Martians after M-Day. He specializes in close quarters combat and small arms, and 
stealth, he's a badass," Jason reported to the two girls, who were under impressed. 

"Yeah, a superhero," Leah repeated.

"No, he's not a superhero, geez, you girls just don't get it. Anyways, Phillip absolutely 
adores the guy," Jason pointed out. "Plays the video games, has all the graphic novels, 
everything."

"So, so he was twying to be wike him? How?" Jamie asked.

"Oh, he's always been like that, he just tries to be a tough guy, beating up the bad guy, 
not showing any weaknesses, sticking up for his girl and all that," Jason explained. 

"Futa!" Leah said, trying to be sensitive to her best friend. Most people flippantly call all 
futas girls, which they are not, and Jamie sometimes got down about that. "He's sticking 
up for his futa."

"You're here for detention, now please keep your voices at a reasonable level," the 
librarian said, giving them a look then returning to her romance novel.

"Sowwy," Jamie slinked in her chair.

"I, I made you something," Leah said, opening her backpack delicately. She had tucked it 
carefully and had managed to maintain it from becoming crumpled or ripped on the short 
travel.

"You, you dwew this for me?" Jamie asked, looking at the image, for a moment the 
misery of her existence were dissolved.

It was a picture of herself, along with Phillip. The two of them were etched in pencil, in a 
realistic style, even shaded in some areas. What made her smile the most was the way she 
had captured them holding hands, their eyes caught in a loving gaze. Underneath it all 
read the caption 'Phiwwip and Jamie' with a signature of 'Sorry Jamie, BFF Leah Davis 
9/28/2538'. Jason got up from his chair and examined the picture, it was well drawn even 
if he didn't approve of the subject matter. It upset him, because in some small measure it 
seemed to validate their relationship, adding credence to it.

"I wanted to make up getting you in trouble," Leah apologized, happy to see Jamie's 
mood improve, ever so slightly. "Do you like it?"

"I wove it," Jamie was at a loss for words at how much the image meant for her. The 
realization that right now, it was merely an image of what she did not have. "But it 
doesn't matter now," Jamie sighed to herself.

"Why doesn't it matter?" Jason resigned himself to being a part of the conversation. If 
nothing else, some intelligence gathering would help his cause.

"We wewe gonna hang out togethew aftew schoowl, but he's gonna think I dumped him 
because I won't be thewe," Jamie lamented.

"Call him," Jason suggested, he was beginning to feel awkward with this emotional futa, 
and somewhat to blame with the hard time he had given his friend. Before actually 
talking to Jamie, she was just that futa, now she was realer. 

"Hey yeah, just give him a call and explain it to him, you two can do something another 
time!" Leah tried to latch onto the ray of hope.

"I don't have his number," Jamie answered depressed.

"What about you?" Leah asked, "You're his best friend, get your communicator out!"

"They took it when they brought me into the principle's office, I won't get it back until 
my mom gets here, and she's gonna kick my butt after all of this, fighting in school, god 
I'm gonna get it," Jason leaned back in his chair. "I'll be lucky to only get grounded for a 
month."

"I gotta cawl my daddy and tewl him," Jamie grimaced, afraid as she looked at the 
comm. She hit the first number on the speed dial, her father's comm line, and waited a 
moment.

"Hi honey, I'm just about to pick you up," William said cheerily from his headset 
communicator. 

"Uh, daddy, I'm staying wate today," Jamie 

"Oh alright honey thanks for telling me, I'm going to have to have Karen pick you up 
then, just call her and let me know. I have to take Sue and Kyle to the dentist today, so I 
won't be home for a bit," William was oblivious as to why his daughter stayed late, and 
had naturally assumed nothing had gone wrong. She had never been given detention 
before.

"Oh, okay, I'll cawl Kawen then," Jamie said nervously.

"Okay honey, I'm going to have to let you go but I'll see you tonight, okay?" he hated 
talking while driving, he just never felt safe. It was different driving a large van, even 
though he had one for more than a decade, he felt like he was driving a bus.

"Okay, bye daddy," Jamie was relieved that she got off the hook so easily, for the time 
being. Her father was nice, but he was certainly capable of doling out punishment when 
her or her sisters misbehaved.

"Buh bye Jamie," he said reassuringly, wondering in the back of his head was going on 
with Jamie. But a left turn later, and he was focused back again on driving.

"He took that well," Leah noted.

"I didn't tewl him weally, but he's not even going home, he's going to the dentist," Jamie 
explained.

"So don't you have like, a billion sisters?" Jason had heard Phil remark on that more than 
once, "Just call one of them." 
 
"I don't know who is home," Jamie looked at her phone.

"Well, you can't leave him out in the rain," Jason pointed out at the window, the dark 
clouds were beginning to perspire. 

"Youwe wight," Jamie hit the second number on her speed dial, and tapped her foot in a 
feeble attempt to relieve some tension. She had to wait for it to ring four times, and had 
begun to wonder if anyone would pick up. Many of her sisters didn't bother picking up 
the house phone, they instead choose to answer their own personal comm lines. 

"What is it Jamie?" Lindsay asked, annoyed. She was watching a three-dimensional talk 
show with her twin, the type their father would discourage if he were around.

"Hi," Jamie said, unsure as to which of the twins she was talking to. She could tell in real 
life, but on the phone it was difficult. "Uh, I gotta stay wate at schoowl."

"Okay, call dad or Karen, he's not here right now, Sue and Kyle are gonna get their teeth 
drilled," Lindsay almost hung the phone up.

"It's not that, um, someone is coming over the house, I need you to wet him know I got 
detention," Jamie was reticent to tell either Sam or Lindsay, but she had to tell someone.

"Him?" Lindsay's interest was suddenly peaked. "Who is he?"

"He's a fweind, and we were gonna hang out but I had to stay wate and I can't cawl him, 
so pwease just tewl him I'm sowwy and we can spent time together water and have his 
mom bwing him home," Jamie explained.

"Why did you decide to stay after school?" Lindsay inquired.

"Um, I kinda, got…detention," Jamie mumbled.

"Oh ho! What did you do, slobber all over his face in class?" Lindsay pictured the image.

"Shut up! Nothing wike that! Ms. Eaner was being mean was awl, pwease don't tewl 
daddy, I'll tawk to him when I get home, and pwease just send Phiwwip home with his 
mom and I'wl expwain evewything," Jamie did not know what to expect out of her.

"Oh don't worry Jamie, we'll take good care of Phillip," Lindsay said, hanging the phone 
up. She was upset at first, she had to stop seeing the show, now she was happy, she had 
found some new entertainment. She bounced along into the living room, noticing the 
inquisitive stare of her twin sister.

"I know something you don't know," Lindsay said in a sweet singsong voice to her sister.

"What…?" Samantha began to ask, before looking into her twin sister's face. The two of 
them always had an indescribable link, an empathic connection. It gave their other sisters 
fits when they played Pictionary. "Jamie's secret?"

"Good one!" Lindsay congratulated her sister. "He's arriving shortly."

"He? Oh, it was a good secret," Samantha postulated. "Then where's she?"

"Detention, she wants us to send him back home," Lindsay grinned.

"Detention eh? Well, it would be rude to just send him packing, after all, if he's dating 
our lil sis, we ought to make sure he's trustworthy, don't you think?" Sam's mind was 
forming a plot.

"Well, now that's just downright sisterly of you," Lindsay's brain was calculating the rest 
of the plot "Shall we greet our sister's little man?"

"Seems like the right thing to do," Sam turned the television off. She checked her 
makeup in the mirror, joined a moment later by her sister. They prided themselves on 
their appearance, hitting puberty early for their grade helped. "Let's get moving, can't 
keep him waiting."

"Sure sis," Lindsay opened the front door for her, stopping to grab an umbrella before 
stepping out into the rain. The umbrella was large, and the two were able to hide from the 
raindrops under it. It wasn't pouring, but neither was it misting, just a slow and steady 
rain. Their wait wasn't long, only a few minutes after coming out a large white minivan 
drove up to the entrance to the driveway. 

"Hello, is this the house where the Browns live?" Asked Phillip's mother, as she rolled 
down the window.

"Yes ma'am," Samantha said, trying to sound as polite as she could. "We didn't want 
Phillip to get wet, so we were waiting for him."

"How thoughtful," Phillip's mother remarked. Sam and Lindsay walked over to the 
passenger door, Sam opening it while Lindsay extended the umbrella. 

"Let's get inside before we get wet," Lindsay said.

"Uh, okay," Phillip stepped out of the car, turning towards his mother and little sister, 
"I'll call you when I'm ready to go home. Bye mom, bye Kim."

"Okay Phillip, just call me when you want to have dinner, and I'll have dad pick you up," 
she said, before rolling up both windows and driving off.

"Where's Jamie?" Phillip asked, a bit confused.

"Oh, she had to stay after, detention, that Ms. Eaner can be such a bitch," Samantha 
shrugged her shoulders, "But I'm sure that she will be out soon. Until then, we thought 
we would keep you company. You don't mind spending some time with us, do you 
Phillip?" Sam smiled sweetly, her twin sister followed suit. 

"N-no, that's fine," Phillip agreed, he was getting a strange vibe from his sisters, so much 
he didn't even question how they knew his name. He was desperately trying to remember 
what Jamie had said about her sisters. She had so many that keeping track of them was a 
problem for him. 

"Here, you're a big strong boy, why don't you hold this for us?" Lindsay thrust the 
handle of the umbrella into his hand. 

"Sure," Phillip did his best to hold up the umbrella, it was a bit of a challenge because of 
the weight and the wind. He clutched it with both hands, trying to prop it up strongly.

"Oh I'm getting wet," Lindsay jumped, wrapping her body around Phillip's, for the 
implied reason to stay dry. 

"Oh me too!" Sam wrapped her body around Phillip's other side, her hands folding with 
her sister's, their bodies wrapped closely.

"Uh, it's not raining too much," Phillip said awkwardly. It wasn't just the nearness of the 
two futas, it was having the first breasts that had touched him since nursing. Having four 
breasts scrunched up against him made him feel very apprehensive. 

"Oh, but I don't want to get my shirt wet!" Lindsay explained, voicing a falsely feminine 
voice.

"Me either!" Sam joined in, backing up her sister as usual.

"Okay," Phillip said, trying to stumble towards the door, with the twins latched onto him. 
It took him a while even on the short walkway, and he thought they probably got wetter 
due to how long it took to get inside.

"Oh I almost forgot, we didn't tell you our names," Lindsay remembered.

"Oh that is right sis, Jamie told us your name, but she didn't tell him ours!" Samantha 
shook her hair, feeling a few drops of rain drip off. She opened the door and let them all 
in. "I'm Samantha, or Sam for short, and this is my sister Lindsay."

"Well, it's nice meeting you," Phillip tried to sound polite.

"I'm sure that Jamie must have told you ALL about us," Lindsay smiled.

"Uh, well, she talked about her sisters, but uh," Phillip was racking his brain to remember 
which sister was who, "But there's so many of you."

"Well, I guess that's true," Sam pouted a bit, sticking her lip out. 

"Oh sis, don't be that way," Lindsay put her hand on Sam's shoulder, "Besides, this just 
means we get to make a good first impression."

"Your right sis," Sam perked up, kicked off her sandals, and walked to the couch. Patting 
on the couch cushion next to her she said "Come on, let's relax."

"Well, okay," Phillip walked slowly towards the opposite end of the couch and sat down. 

"Scoot over," Lindsay tapped him twice on the shoulder. Phillip didn't bother to argue 
that she could have just sat down right there instead of him having to move to the center. 
He wanted to seem like a stand up guy to Jamie's family, but he felt awkward sitting in 
between the two of them.

"Now, what are we going to do?" Sam leaned back, tapping her finger on her chin. 

"Let's play a game," Lindsay suggested.

"A uh," Phillip's voice cracked, he took a deep gulp and coughed, "A game, what kind of 
game?"

"How about, truth or dare?" Sam suggested, her eyes lighting up.

"Oh! Good idea sis!" Lindsay pointed, knowing her sister had hit the mark. "You know 
how to play right?"

"Uh, y, yeah I think," Phillip had seen people in movies play the game, but hadn't 
himself. 

"You think? Well, how about we explain it, okay?" Lindsay asked innocently, fluttering 
her eyelashes. "We each take turns asking each other a question. If you don't want to 
answer the question, then you say dare, and you have to do something the person who 
asked tells you to do."

"Okay, I heard that you ask truth or dare first," Phillip recalled.

"Oh, you can do it, but I think it's funner this way!" Lindsay put her hand on his arm. 
"Now, it's very important to remember, there is a chicken card you can play. If you don't 
want to answer, and you don't want to dare, then you can play the chicken card. But you 
can only use it once, so don't waste it. I'll go first…" 

"I don't know Lindsay, he is the guest, let him go first," Samantha suggested, "After all 
it's only fair.

"Oh you know that's right," Lindsay nodded at Phillip, "Go ahead, ask away."

"I, I don't know what to ask," Phillip confessed.

"Just ask anything, don't be so shy," Samantha encouraged.

"I don't know, how old are you two?" he asked, knowing it was a weak question.

"Oh, we're both thirteen, fourteen in a couple months. My turn, Phillip, do you like 
Jamie? Not just like, but like-like?" Lindsay started out playing nice.

"Uh, yeah, yeah. I got in a fight today, because someone was harassing me and Jamie," 
Phillip tried to sound stoic and brave, omitting the help that Jason and Louis offered.

"You got in a fight? Wow Phillip, you are gallant, strong too," Lindsay clenched his 
bicep muscle, pinching it harder than he would have liked. He didn't seem the fighting 
type to her, but she noticed he was trying to act tough.

"My turn, Philly, is my sister a good kisser?" Sam put her hand in front of mouth as she 
giggled, laying it on thick.

"Uh, I, I don't know…I haven't…actually…kissed her," he scratched the back of his 
head. He was thankful he omitted the 'yet' at the end of the sentence.

"Aww, and a gentleman too!" Sam leaned in, smirking. "Okay, your turn Philly."

"Uh, Samantha, are all of your sisters futanaris?" Phillip asked a question he knew the 
answer to, trying to change the subject.

"Oh yeah, I think daddy is collecting futas," Sam laughed. "Although me and Lindsay 
here are real sisters, we still consider all of our sisters family. We're just especially close. 
Jamie was the first futa daddy adopted as a baby, I guess you could say she's in mint 
condition," Sam chuckled at her own joke. "Get it? Because you haven't kissed her yet?"

"Okay, Phillip, why do you like little Jamie?" Lindsay asked, noticing how 
uncomfortable his body language was.

"Uh, well, she's smart, and nice, and pretty, and uh, we just get along," Phillip found it 
difficult to answer the question. Poets have spent millennia trying to describe love, and at 
ten years old he had yet to amass a proper working description of his initial attraction. 

"Philly, doesn't her speaking problem bother you?" Sam chimed in.

"Uh, well, I think it's kinda…cute," Phillip was embarrassed, but he found it cute in its 
own way. "I mean, it's nice, I don't mind it."

"Aww, that is so nice of you," Lindsay cooed. "Your such a sweetheart Phil. Okay, your 
turn, ask away."

"Uh, Lindsay, how do you get along with Jamie?" he figured it was futile to try to steer 
this conversation, but he had to try. 

"Oh, well, we get along all right," Lindsay wasn't sure the reason behind the question. 
'Did Jamie tell him about us? Are we playing with him or is he playing with us?' she 
wondered. "We have our little tussles here and there, but at the end of the day we're 
family."

"Okay, Phillip, who do you think is cuter? Me or my sister?" Lindsay leaned in, her shirt 
creating just a hint of cleavage of her small budding breasts.

"Uh, y, you two are twins," he said awkwardly. 

"Nuh uh, you didn't answer the question," Lindsay shook her head, admiring the boy's 
resolve. His eyes didn't once dip down. 'Jamie picked a good one' she thought. "Now 
you gotta play by the rules, and the rules say you have to answer the question, or pick 
dare."

"Uh, I, I guess Sam," Phillip winced at hanging to make a decision. He had next to 
nothing to base the choice off of the twins were identical. They had the same kind of 
makeup on, they were both endowed for their age, and they were even wearing similar 
clothes. He just was concerned about what kind of dare he would get.

"Why me?" Samantha grinned at her sister for having won the little contest.

"Uh, I, I like your hair better," Phillip had just made a random guess at a question he 
knew he couldn't answer. "Are, are you both just gonna ask me questions?"

"Well we want to get to know you better," Samantha smiled. "Okay my turn, let's see…"

"Wait, I didn't get my question," Phillip said, slightly indignant as he felt he had been 
cheated.

"Oh yeah you did, 'are you both just gonna ask me questions' remember?" Lindsay 
reminded. "And Sam answered, those are the rules."

"Oh uh, I guess I did ask a question, but I was gonna ask another one," Phillip knew it 
was a technicality, but there wasn't much else he could do about it. Rules were rules, and 
he didn't want to seem unfair.

"Well save it for your next time. Now, you know what a futa is, tell me, are you really 
okay with it?" Sam lifted an eyebrow. "Not like some guys are, in the 'Oh I'll look at 
your butt and ogle your boobs if your hot, but I don't want anything else to do with what 
makes you different from a girl'."

"Y-yeah," Phillip's voice cracked again, he cleared his throat trying to stop it. "I, I mean I 
have a cousin who is a futa, and we get along great."

"But your not dating your cousin now, are you?" Lindsay smiled, trying to calm him 
down a little bit. 

"No, but, I mean, I'm not uh, I'm not really worried about that, I mean, I'm not trying to, 
you know, have…sex with her," a flabbergasted Phillip looked down at the ground, 
blushing.

"Oh, what a gentleman!" Lindsay smacked him on the shoulder, noticing his shade of 
red.

"Uh, th, thanks," Phillip was really embarrassed at talking about these kinds of things. He 
knew the differences between genders, but he hadn't even hit puberty, his sex drive was 
next to zero, and he wouldn't even begin to know what to do with a young girl, let alone 
a young futa if they were going to try to have sex.

"Your turn Philly," Sam nudged him with her foot, her toes wiggling on the top of his 
ankle, where his shoe ended. "Ask away."

"I, What uh, what do you think about me, y'know, being with, I mean uh, y'know dating 
your sister?" Phillip asked, unsure of the appropriate words. They weren't really dating, 
but being with sounded too sexual to him after talking about sex, and he wanted to say 
going steady, but he wasn't yet sure on the terminology.

"I think that you're a nice guy, she could be with much worse," Sam realized after she 
said it that it was true. 

"I mean, a lot of guys say that futas, uh, well, y'know…kinda don't like boys really, they 
like girls and other futas," He quoted the stereotype.

"Hmm, well that's some futas, but you know, everyone's different. A lot of futas say that 
guys don't want them because they're afraid of, well, let's just say boys' already have 
one, and don't want another," Lindsay didn't want to take things too far with him. "Have 
you ever kissed a futa Philly?"

"N, no," Phillip gulped. The two were only two years older than her, but they seemed to 
carry an air of maturity around them that made him feel inadequate. He felt like his 
masculine aura was cut through my their feminine sensuality, made the worse by being 
outnumbered. 

"What about you Phil, you said that you don't want to have sex, not right now, but do 
you think you would be able to…do that? That you'd be able to satisfy a futa, both of the 
dual forms?" Sam asked.

"I uh," Phillip took a deep gulp, deciding that he had to say the next word, "Uh, dare."

"Oh, let's see," Sam feigned pondering for a moment, "I dare you to…kiss me."

"W, what?" Phillip's body became stiff.

"Oh come on Philly, you said you like me more, so just gimme one, nice, innocent kiss," 
Sam leaned in. "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone."
 
"I, I can't do that to Jamie," he said, leaning back from Sam's unwanted advance.

"Oh, but you haven't even kissed a futa yet, how do you know you wouldn't like it?" 
Sam asked, leaning past him towards Lindsay. Lindsay leaned in, and the two of them 
shared a quick kiss. "See? No harm in a quick little innocent kiss."

"I uh, I'm gonna uh, use my chicken card," He mumbled, finding the kiss in front of him 
erotic. He was embarrassed at enjoying their kiss, it felt like a kind of betrayal to Jamie.

"Oh, poo," Sam pouted again, sticking her lip out further. The two of them leaned back 
giving each other a look, part of them impressed at his fidelity, part disappointed. "Well 
it's your turn there Philly."

"I uh, don't really know, what to ask. Uh, w, when is Jamie coming home?" He sputtered 
out, wishing he hadn't come.

"Hard to say really, it depends on when dad or Karen picks her up, and when she gets 
out. That librarian really likes her though, so who knows?" Sam shrugged, still a little 
rattled at being scorned, but was starting to respect this little boy, most kids in her class 
wished they could kiss her. "Okay Philly, do you want to kiss Jamie?"

"Uh, I, uh," Phillip flustered, "D-dare."

"Okay Phillip, I dare you, to close your eyes, and keep them shut, until I say so," Sam 
was barely able to contain herself, as she saw Lindsay eyes, eagerly anticipating the next 
action.

"Y, you're not going to k, kiss me are you?" he asked, tepidly.

"No, I pwomise," Sam mimicked her sister's mannerism, "I promise won't kiss you. But 
the fun is not knowing what the dare is."

"Besides Phillip, you agreed to play the game, don't be a spoil sport," Lindsay added.

"I promise I won't do anything that will hurt you, it'll be funny," Sam added, taking her 
communicator out. "And you played this far, we answered all your questions. If you want 
to quit, it's only fair that we all get to finish this turn."

"If you promise," Phillip closed his eyes, hoping that she would keep her word. He didn't 
know what to expect, if he was with his buddies they would probably dump something 
gross like old food on his head, or another unsavory action. 

Samantha kept her word, she had no intention of kissing the boy, but Lindsay did. She 
lifted her body, able to move it without raising the boy's notice. He sat there, motionless 
but his body language denoted the awkward tension throughout his body. She moved 
over, feeling the rapid hot air of his breath blowing from his open lips on her. She leaned 
slowly, hoping that he wouldn't notice as the distance between their faces shrank and 
shrank. Samantha aimed her communicator, the camera ready recording everything.

"Phiwwip…what…the…hewl…" Jamie's jaw drooped open, and her heart sank in her 
chest as she saw her Phillip sitting on the couch, eyes shut, while Lindsay's lips were but 
moments from his. Phillip's eyes opened at the sound of Jamie's bewilderment, seeing 
Samantha's impending lips. He then stared into Jamie's hurt eyes, knowing there was no 
explanation worthy of excusing this. His worst fears of betraying her had come to life.

Jamie had lived a rather sheltered life. Unlike some of her sisters who had been placed 
into foster care during their toddler or young adolescent age, or had been in orphanages 
for years, she was adopted as a baby. She had heard her sister's horror stories about how 
bad orphanages were, and was happy that she had been spared that sad time. Since she 
had been adopted her as a baby, there was no feeling of separation from her parents, 
whom she had never known. They hadn't even named her. William simply was her 
parent. Her life at home was mostly happy, her sister's teased her on occasion but they all 
loved her, and she loved them. Even with her speech impediment and all of the insults 
she endured because of it, her life was a happy one, with more smiles than frowns, and 
more laughs than tears, never hungry and with a family that loved her.

All of this made her sadness and anger all the harder for her to deal with.

"You…wittwle bitch!" Jamie threw down her backpack and ran at her sister in a rage. 

"What the?" Lindsay's head turned around to feel a slug on the chin from her diminutive 
sister's knuckle, the force of the blow sending her back onto the arm of the couch. 
Jamie's eyes were soaked in tears, blurring her vision as she swung wildly at her sister, 
scattering her hits across the front of her body in a fitful rage. Lindsay's hands rose, 
trying to shield her face and body from the onslaught. She groaned in pain and confusion, 
only half understanding what was going on.

"Jamie get off!" Karen tried to pull the small girl off of Lindsay, but the young girl was 
tenacious in her fury. Karen thought she was making headway until Jamie twisted her 
way out, winding back before landing a powerful blow, nearly hitting Lindsay in the face. 
Karen couldn't wrangle the small girl, who attacked her sister once more, until Samantha 
came to her twin sister's defense. With her aid Karen and Samantha were able to pull the 
girl off of Lindsay, who was shedding her own tears. Phillip watched the scene with 
horror, only beginning to understand the way in which he had screwed it up, as he 
believed it his fault.

"What the hell Jamie?" Samantha asked angrily, as she tended to Lindsay. For a young 
girl Jamie had struck her hard, leaving bumps and bruises her on the side of the face and 
on the arms. 

"How couwd you?" Jamie asked, her fury replaced with sullen tears of grief. 

"We were just playing," Sam wiped the tears from Lindsay's eyes, dabbing at her eyes 
with her shirt.

"You two got so much I just wanted to have on pewson who cawed about me and you 
had to steawl him away! You two make fun of me so bad, and I take it awl, but you had 
to destwoy the onwy thing I weawwy cawed about!" Jamie began to bawl. She broke 
down, her knees knocked until they collapsed, her body still held up by Karen to prevent 
a rematch. "And you Phiwwip, how couwd you do this to me? I wiked you, I weawwy 
weawwy wiked you! If you don't wanna be with me why wouwd you do this to me? Is it 
just futa fevewr, is that it? You don't care about me you just wanna be with a futanawi, 
any one wiwl do? Youwr nothing but a big jewk you know that! I'm sowwy I evew met 
you! I hope you have fun with my sistewr because I'm nevewr speaking to you again!"

"We, we didn't try to steal him away," Lindsay's voice, usually full and boisterous was 
oddly solemn. "We were just playing along with him. I didn't even kiss him, and he 
didn't know I was going to."

"What?" Jamie was hurt, confused, angry and jealous all at the same time. Her face 
covered in tears looked at Lindsay, realizing for the first time just how badly she had 
attacked her sister, and was feeling guilty for that on top of everything.

"He didn't know, alright?" Lindsay shouted angrily. "He didn't know," she choked and 
began to cry again, her tears smudging the makeup on her face. 

"He…didn't…know?" Jamie's heart seemed to sink even lower in her chest, were it 
possible. Not only had her sister betrayed her, but all of her negative things she said about 
Phillip…she felt the cool tears on her face drip down, her nose was running, but she 
could not wipe it off with her hands held by Karen.

"No Jamie, we were just going to play a prank on you, he didn't know anything about it," 
Samantha consoled her sister. "What the hell did you do?"

"I, I'm really sorry," Phillip said, not knowing what else to say. "I, I never meant to kiss 
your sister, I should go." He stepped up, taking one last look at the scene that had 
unfolded before him and bolted outside the front door.

"K, Kawen, pwease, can you give him a wide home?" Jamie looked up at her sister, and 
looked at the rain, which had picked up to a deluge during the car ride.

"Yeah, yeah, Lindsay, are you going to be okay?" Karen looked at her sister, still sobbing 
quietly on the couch. She nodded her head.

"I'll take good care of her, but we're going to have to tell dad," Sam continued to 
console, dabbing her face with a paper tissue.

"Yeah, yeah we are," Karen looked at the door, Phillip had left it open slightly, and she 
could see him walking down the path, starting to soak. She grabbed the nearest umbrella 
in one arm and held carried Jamie's limp body in the other, and ran out the door. In a few 
steps she managed to make it to Phillip, almost slipping on the wet pavement. "Let me 
give you a ride home, come on."

"N, no," Phillip sniffled, thankful that the rain hid his tears. "I'll wait for my mom."

"That's ridiculous," Karen put Jamie down, moving the umbrella over the three of them. 
"Look, let me give you a ride home, there's no good in standing out in the rain and 
making yourself sick."

"I, I just need to call my mom or my dad to give me a ride," Phillip tried to dial the 
number, but his rain slick fingers constantly misdialed. He could barely see the screen, it 
was so obscured by the rainwater.

"Come on, don't be that way, just let me give you a ride, okay, I'm not like Sam or 
Lindsay, I just want to help," Karen leaned down, feeling Jamie's body hide behind hers. 
"Just trust me, we'll drive straight to your house."

"Uh, you," he looked at her, almost asking if she promised, before remembering that 
Samantha had promised as well. "O, okay."

"There you go, come on, the garage is this way," Karen pointed him there. The three of 
them walked in silence, Jamie kept trying to keep Karen's body between her and Phillip, 
out of shame. She wiped her nose, feeling very self-conscious. Karen unlocked her car 
via the key chain, and opened the door, letting Phillip get in back. Jamie climbed in the 
front door, trying to avert his gaze.

"Where do you live?" Karen asked, looking back at Phillip. 

"Uh, 514 Sunshine Avenue," He said, staring out the small window of the sports car. 
Jamie's actions may have been a mistake, but that did not change him and his role in it. 
He had erred in trusting Jamie's sisters, but he shouldn't have been there. She did not 
trust him, with good reason after what happened. What was worse to him, was that he felt 
like Jamie was right to not trust him, that he had erred so greatly as to abuse her trust 
beyond repair. 

Karen put the directions into the onboard computer, and it gave her the complete 
directions, including satellite view of the path there.

The drive was a quiet one. Karen put the radio on low to try to lighten the atmosphere, 
with little effect. She drove extra slow, the rain slick streets made her cautious, and the 
cloud cover was so thick it seemed dark as night. The prolonged ride only made the ride 
even more tortuous to Jamie, as she realized what she had done, and pondered what she 
should do. She wanted to weep, she wanted to beg for forgiveness, she wanted to go back 
in time and fix everything.

'Oh god I told him I liked him. I told him I really liked him. Then I said he had futa fever 
and called him a jerk and said I'd never talk to him again. How can he ever forgive me? 
And Lindsay…god what did I do? She was being mean but how could I hurt her like 
that? Not just hurt her, I beat her up, how can she ever forgive me?' Jamie kept rerunning 
the same scene over and over again in her head. She could catch the occasional view of 
Phillip in the rear view window, his eyes never moved from outside the window.

"K, Kawen?" Jamie said, breaking a twenty-minute silence.

"Yeah?" Karen glanced her eyes down at her sister, who seemed to shrink in the same 
seat she had once been so happy to sit in not twelve hours ago.

"C, can you pwease buy me a dwink," Jamie asked, fumbling through her pocket to try to 
find the two credits for something. 

"Yeah, don't worry about it, I got you this time," Karen said, looking at the convenience 
store. It was as good a place as any, and being on the right side of the road made it easier. 
She opened up her purse between the seats and fumbled for a minute. "Here you go hon, 
this should cover it," Karen handed the bill to her.

"Uh, Kawen, couwd you pwease get it for me?" Jamie asked, glancing her eyes back.

"Oh, sure thing, Phillip, would you like anything?" Karen asked, he shook his head 
negatively, quickly returning his gaze. She stepped out the door, dashing to the store to 
stay relatively dry. 

"Phiwwip, I, I'm so sowwy," Jamie turned around in her chair, tugging on the seatbelt to 
allow for more freedom of movement. "I, I was the jewk. But I weawwy weawwy wike 
you Phiwwip, and seeing you awlmost kiss my sistewr, it was too much. I don't wanna 
stop tawlking to you. I wanna be with you, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna be your 
futafweind!" 

Phillip blinked, turning his eyes around to her. He was the one now struggling for words 
as he gazed into her eyes, knowing that she meant what she said. 

Karen opened the door, slightly out of breath from running to the car. Jamie wished that 
she had taken her time, after spilling her guts so she hoped for some kind of response 
from "Okay, Jamie I got you a soda, I got you one too Phillip," she handed the two of 
them drinks as she adjusted the seatbelt. His silence further reinforced her feeling that 
their relationship was over.

Phillip thought on her words during the rest of the car ride. She had every reason to be 
angry, if Phillip caught her almost kissing another boy, he might have kicked the kid's 
butt as well. He had gotten into a fight just to defend her honor before, trying to be the 
big shot he knew he wasn't, not really. And he did like her, even if she had said some 
hurtful things before he knew that it couldn't have hurt her nearly as much as he had. His 
mind continued to work, the car continued to move, and the rain continued to fall. 
Progress on all fronts was slow, but happening.

"Here we are," Karen announced, realizing that it was unnecessary to tell a kid they were 
at the house he lived in. She poked the umbrella out the door before stepping out and 
moving the seat up. "Want to borrow it?"

"No, I'll just walk it," he stepped out into the rain. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem, sorry things got out of hand," Karen said, covering him with the umbrella 
as far as he arm reached, before closing it and reseating.

"Wewl, thewe he goes," Jamie sniffed, feeling the corners of her eyes begin to well up. 
She didn't know if she had any more tears to cry. She couldn't even raise her eyes to look 
at him anymore, her sullen eyes were staring at the ground but not seeing anything. 

Phillip walked slowly in the rain. His already wet body was further soaked by the 
torrential downpour. His body was cold, his teeth chattered, and he felt numb from the 
biting wind that sent a shiver down his spine as he trudged home alone. He stopped, 
feeling the thick and heavy drops pelt him from above for a moment while making it to 
the steps up towards his house. He had a moment of clarity as he stood in the cold rain.

'I was wrong. She was wrong,' he thought to himself. 'We were both wrong.' His head 
turned around and he looked at Jamie, the rain obscured his vision so badly he could 
barely make it out the outline from where he stood. He realized what was most important. 
'I wike her' the corner of his lip began to turn upward. "I wewwy, wewwy wike her. And 
she wikes me too.'

He turned his body around, even for a child his muscles ached, his joints were stiff, the 
cold had seeped into him and home was just a few more footsteps. He wanted to be warm 
and dry, safe inside of his house. Yet instead he ventured back into the torrent. His feet 
moved slowly, his jeans felt like gargantuan weights burdening his every movement, yet 
he persevered, trudging through the flooded stone walkway back to the street. He pressed 
on, and with every step his eyes could make out Jamie's face nearer and clearer, the 
perfect inspiration. He made the first step, and he could see it was her tied up hair, 
another forward pace and he could make out her cute small nose, another step and he 
could make out her verdant eyes, that were red from tears, and as he stood at the window 
of the car he could recognize the tears streaming down her face themselves, and he knew 
they were no illusion cast by rainwater.

He didn't feel macho anymore. He didn't feel tough. He didn't feel like a graphic novel 
hero. When he dropped all of the fake notions of what he was trying to be, he came to a 
conclusion. 

He did feel one thing, he felt deeply for Jamie, and he knew if he did one thing today, that 
was what he had to do. The girl he cared about was sad, weeping, and he knew that his 
mission was to stop that. Not because it was what Marshall Law would do, because it's 
what he wanted to do.

Jamie's head snapped at the rapping sound on the window. She lowered it down, wiping 
her red tear covered eyes to see Phillip standing up before her. "Ph, Phiwwip?" she asked 
stifling her weeps. 

"Jamie, I'm sorry," he said, trying to will his teeth to stop chattering. 

"No, I'm sowwy," Jamie choked on a sob for a second.

"We're both sorry," he announced, attempting to add some finality to the statement. 

"I don't wanna stop being fweinds," Jamie smiled tentatively. She cared about him 
enough to not lose him forever.

"I don't want to be friends," he said, noticing the hope on her face dashed. "I…want to be 
your boyfriend. If, if that's okay with you?"

"You, oh Phiwwip," she wanted to weep, but she was all cried out. Instead she reached 
her arms out, wrapping them around his soaked shoulders. She could feel the cold 
emanate from him. His teeth chattered, she could see the mist blow from his steamy 
breath into the frosty air. She didn't see it affect him he seemed to stand resolute. 

"Well?" he asked, feeling the comforting warmth radiating from her soft, delicate skin. 
"Will you be my girl, I mean, my futafriend?" 

"Oh Phiwwip, I want that so much! God I wewwy wike you so much, that's awl I 
wanted," she reached down into her heart and delivered her truest smile. "When I saw 
you thewe awlmost kissing my sistew I was so afwaid you didn't wike me."

"I, I really like you too," He didn't know how to explain, and he wasn't trying anymore. 
He was just being himself now. "Being with your sisters, almost kissing her…felt so 
wrong."

"I, it's okay," Jamie imaged in her mind Phillip being the first to kiss her. The kiss was so 
devastating before because felt entitled to it. It felt like someone had stolen her first kiss, 
that he had chosen another. For now she was just happy to be his futafriend, to have the 
chance to hug him as they did now, or hold his hand was enough for her. 

"No," Phillip looked down at her, his nick stiff, still being pelted by hard rain. "I get why 
you were so angry, you have every reason to not trust me."

"I, I do twust you Phiwwip, I just don't twust them," Jamie tried to chuckle to alleviate 
the tension of the moment. "I, I just wanted to be the one to kiss you, not them."

"Y, you do?" Phillip stared at her lips, watching the faint movements as he contemplated 
kissing them. 

"Yes!" she blurted out. "That's why I got so angwy!"

"I, I want to kiss you too," He finally admitted it to himself, he didn't just want to kiss 
her because that's what a man should do. He wanted to kiss her because he liked her, he 
truly and deeply cared for her, and that's the only reason he needed. Tears of joy sprung 
from his eyes, obscured by the rain as he smiled, watching her weak cheeriness regain 
vitality. His next concern was trying to find some hidden way of making his first move.

"I I, oh god Phiwwip!" as soon as she heard him say it she nearly jumped up in her seat to 
meet with his lips. Taking some advice from Karen, 'Sometimes you have to take charge 
of things'. She had pushed out of her mind Emanuel, Ms. Eaner, her twin sisters, 
everything. It was now just the two of them in her eyes, all previous obstacles to their 
relationship were behind them.

In a flash Jamie took charge of her unbridled romantic desire, kissing Phillip squarely on 
the lips, taking him by surprise. His cold lips didn't bother her, it sent a shiver down her 
spine that only intensified her first kiss. Jamie closed her eyes, feeling electricity run 
through her. Her entire body felt alive, like every nerve was attached to her lips and 
feeding off of the kiss. Phil had his eyes shut, his mind much like his lips were fully 
focused on Jamie. In her tender embrace he could no longer feel cold, the heat from her 
body seemed to radiate into him, warming every inch of his being. Nature was no 
obstacle for him, he felt time stand still as he pressed his virgin lips up against hers. The 
weight of the world lifted from their tiny shoulders, and for a moment, they were in their 
little slice of paradise. 

"Wow," Jamie said, pulling her head back. She couldn't tell how long they had kissed, 
but wished it would never stop. A futa had to breathe eventually though.

"Wow," he echoed, as much at a loss for words as she was. He wasn't trying to seem 
masculine any longer, he felt like he was all that was man.

"I, thank you," Jamie smiled, basking in the glow of her first kiss.

"Your welcome, I mean thank you, I mean, uh," He scratched the back of his head. "I, I 
should probably go in," he turned his head and coughed, "But uh, I'll see you in school, 
my beautiful futafriend."

"Y, yeah, I'wl see you in schoowl, my handsome boyfweind," Jamie grinned proudly at 
finally being able to say that.

"Okay, I'll see you soon Jamie," he smiled, and let go of her. He ran back to his house, 
turning to look at her and wave disappearing behind the door a moment later.

"Goodbye my boyfweind Phiwwip," Jamie swooned, her heart all aflutter. She had gone 
through every emotion she knew of today, but most importantly, she experienced her first 
kiss. 

Karen didn't have the heart to remind her she probably had a month's worth of being 
grounded at least for what she had done today, not that Sam or Lindsay were going to get 
off easy either. She wished she had her comm out to record the whole thing, but was 
happy enough to just be a witness to the event, even if she did feel a little awkward. She 
checked for any traffic before making a three-point turn and heading back. She knew her 
night was going to be a long one, she was just happy she had spent most of the day with 
her boy and girlfriend.

*

"That is quite a story," Alexandra said, appreciating most of it for what it was. 
Sometimes being a caseworker the children seemed like cases, instead of human beings. 
But she didn't get to go to the birthday parties, she didn't get to dress them up for school 
or play games with them, she just found them the happy homes, and was pleased when 
they made it. She was pleased enough that she was able to raise her large family, and 
knew firsthand the joys of child rearing. "But how did you learn all of that?"

"Yeah, it was hard to piece everything together," William admitted. "Jamie told me 
everything she knew, and Karen did too, she would have told me without Jamie's 
consent, but Jamie knew what she did was wrong. Once kids know they are in trouble, 
they'll usually spill their guts."

"I don't know about that Will, and that still doesn't answer everything," she added, 
knowing that even the best of children kept secrets. 

"Well, a hidden nanny cam in the living room helped. And you might be surprised at 
what Jamie was willing to offer up, once she knew that she was already in hot water," he 
answered. "She would have bragged about most of it anyways, I doubt she could have 
held her first romance in."

"You couldn't have seen all of that, or even have it explained to you," she pointed out, 
letting him win an argument for once. She could ask if there was a cam at the school, or 
one in Karen's car, but she knew the negative answers to those already.

"You know I have to ask this question, how were they punished?" Alex asked, sad that 
the pleasant story had to return to work.

"Jamie is grounded a month, no games or television, and she has to do some extra chores 
around the house. She's picking up for Lindsay's chores specifically, which means 
washing dishes, at least the plates. Won't let her near the knives or forks, and most of the 
plates aren't too bad. As for Sam and Lindsay, they're both grounded for three weeks, 
and no communicators for a week. They all made up eventually, the twins even jokingly 
refer to Jamie as 'Rocky' now, despite my attempts to discourage that," Will reported, 
amused even if he would not admit it to the girls. 

"Well, I can see why she doesn't want to advance a grade Will," Alex looked at the 
school report. "It usually has a negative affect on the child in any case, losing their 
friends and getting out of their routine. And going back down can shatter their 
confidence. It's better off in the long run if she takes the time and just stays the little fish 
in the big pond."

"Well now that she's getting all the detentions, she probably wouldn't qualify anyways, 
on the grounds of her actions," William admitted, with a smile.

"You seem rather happy about that, I don't have to tell you about how her detentions 
reflect on her academic performance, as well as your parenting," Alex knew he was 
hiding something.

"Oh, it's nothing really. She can't spend time with him because she's grounded," he 
shrugged his shoulders, he felt there was no other way of doing it. To allow him to come 
over with no form of entertainment would just be an invitation for them to further their 
relationship beyond what ten and eleven year olds should do, in his opinion. He wasn't 
especially happy that they had started kissing already. 

"And she's misbehaving because of it?" she stopped short of simply saying 'and?' She 
knew there was another part to this story, and that Will was making her wait for it on 
purpose. If it were another parent she would be concerned that the child was acting out in 
an attempt to get attention.

"Yes, a little bit," William grinned. "But so is he. They're dating in the library, under the 
librarian's supervision. Rather eloquent solution, they spend time together, both of them 
are all A's and they can't do anything they shouldn't with a chaperone."

"Worked the system to their benefits, you better keep an eye out on her," Alex made the 
final notations on her case file before saving it. 

"They have my blessing, even if I think it's a little early for them to kiss," He chuckled 
remembering how nervous he had been when he found out that Karen was sexually 
active. 

"Oh you don't know, it might surprise you with some girls," she said coyly, remembering 
her own first crush.

"I'm not even sure if I should ask," he shook his head. "So I won't."

"You know it won't be more than a couple weeks until our next meeting, right?" she 
asked, checking the computer's automated appointment.

"I know, I look forward to it, after managing a futa baseball team I'm eager to report the 
big game story," he said, stepping up to stretch his legs out. "But that's for another time. 
Until then."

"Until then," she stood up, and got the door for him, "Take it easy."

He gave her a short hug, saying before he left "Alex, take it easier." He whistled as he 
booked down the hallway, decided that tonight was a good night for pizzas, if he could 
only organize what everyone wanted, a task fit for a mathematician. 



(This file was created by SomeRandomBastard (at) yahoo (dot) com, so send all flames 
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A critique, comments, flames, any responses are welcome, if they are pro, and then I'll 
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