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St. Cloud
In the state finals of the flag team competition, Jennifer lead her team with confidence. The maneuvers were executed with military precision and gracefulness that was almost balletic. Even though she wore the same uniform as the other girls on the Devil's Kettle team, Jennifer's unique beauty was bright. Her self-assurance was supreme. She was the captain of her team—the leader. Sitting in the bleachers, Needy was nervous and fidgety for her friend. And Needy was proud. Proud that beautiful, achieving Jennifer was her friend. A friend to a mousey, bespectacled girl. It was a deep friendship, as natural to Jennifer as her shadow; but she never forgot Needy was in the stands. After the team's winning routine, Jennifer turned in the direction where her blonde friend sat and gave her an effervescent wave. Devil's Kettle had won the state finals—the four thousands spectators all knew it—and Jennifer shared that triumphant moment with Needy.
Not only did Jennifer's championship excite Needy, but what the girls were going to do later that night excited Needy too. Jennifer's mother had reserved two hotel rooms, one she shared with Needy's mother, and the other was for the girls. Both Jennifer and Needy knew what that meant—they were on a sleepover in another city.
Later in the hotel room, Needy came out of the bathroom after taking a shower and found Jennifer on her bed, texting someone on her phone. Jennifer didn't even glance up as Needy hovered near her expectantly. After being ignored for a while, Needy moved to her own bed; and folding her legs underneath herself, she sat and waited for Jennifer. Needy waited, but it seemed like she was invisible; Jennifer kept on pecking away at the keys of her phone. After a while, Needy got up and went to her suitcase. She had packed some scented candles to make the night with Jennifer even more special.
Finally Jennifer closed her phone and looked up.
"That was Britney," Jennifer said. "We were texting about Courtney—did you see her jumping around when we won? I thought she'd pee her panties!"
"Have you ever kissed Courtney?" Needy asked.
"What?" Jennifer exclaimed. "Where did that come from?"
"You've seen her in the shower—naked—right?"
"Yeah, and all the girls on the flag team, so what's your point?"
"No point. I was just wondering if you ever kissed her, that's all."
"No, I've never kissed her. Don't be a brickhead, Needy. She's dated Dale since the eighth grade. She's so boring—Dale this, Dale that! Why would you think I'd even want to kiss that?"
"She's hot."
"Don't let your hormones speak out your ass," Jennifer said. "You know you're the only girl for me. Besides, I'm the one who should be jealous—you have Chip."
"Oh! and you've never had a guy."
"Not like you have Chip. I think you two have something special."
"Chip was your idea—I did what you wanted me to. Jennifer: you and I have something special," Needy declared. "Why do you always have to deny that?"
"You might just as well ask, Why did Peter deny Christ?"
"I'm sorry," Needy said. "I'm sorry I brought it up. I just couldn't help thinking about you with those beautiful girls—those beautiful naked girls."
"Those beautiful girls aren't spending the night with me," Jennifer said. "In the locker room, I hopped in the shower and hopped out, so I could go out with you, Needy, and celebrate. Now," she continued, getting up from the bed, "I'm going to take a real shower and pamper myself for you."
Needy smiled bashfully.
While Jennifer was in the shower, Needy dressed in sexy lingerie—a strappy lace teddy ornamented with a discrete number of sequins. The sides and back of the scanty garment were completely open: Needy's naked back was crisscrossed by narrow black straps. She lit numerous candles, arranging them in triads of triangular shapes around the trophy that had been presented to the flag team and received by Jennifer; then she put out the horrible florescent lights. On the night table, she put a bottle of designer vanilla body lotion that Jennifer especially liked. When Jennifer came out of the bathroom naked, the hotel room was aglow with warm candle light; and her porcelain skin glowed like an ember.
"You're beautiful, Jennifer," Needy said. "So beautiful."
A melancholic smile shaded Jennifer's face.
"Wow," Jennifer said, taking in all the candles blazing away on the bureau, as if the scene was an altar. "What's all this for?"
Needy giggled.
"The candles are for you," she said softly.
"And your porno bitch outfit?"
Needy's pale visage flushed bright red.
"Do you like it?"
Jennifer put forth a hand and took Needy by a lock of her blonde hair, by which she gently pulled her close. And lifting up Needy's face, Jennifer kissed her lightly on the lips; then she put her mouth by Needy's ear. Needy could feel Jennifer's hot breath.
"It's very sexy," Jennifer whispered, and then gently nibbled on Needy's earlobe.
"I bought it for you."
"You're always so thoughtful," Jennifer said, enveloping the blonde girl with her arms and kissing her.
"I brought that vanilla lotion you like, too."
"You love me too much, Needy," Jennifer exclaimed. "I was foolish to give you up. I'm so jealous of Chip. He matters to you now."
"Let's not talk about anything else," Needy said. "It's just the two of us here." And she caressed Jennifer's heart pendant.
Jennifer sighed and released Needy from her embrace.
"It won't ever be 'just the two of us' anymore," Jennifer said.
Needy frowned. "Kiss me again, Jennifer," she pouted.
Needy's enormous blue eyes and her pleading girlish pout were impossible to resist.
They settled on the Jennifer's bed, and Needy eagerly offered her mouth the the dark-haired Devil's Kettle beauty. But in the middle of the third lustful kiss, Jennifer pushed Needy away.
"I don't think we should do this," Jennifer said.
"Huh?" Needy was in shock.
"Well, you are dating Chip now. It wouldn't be right."
"Since when has something like that ever stopped you?" Needy had a sour look on her face.
"That's why we can't continue," Jennifer said. "I don't want you to be like me. I don't want to turn you into a ho who cheats on her guy." She got up and reached for her robe.
"But..." Needy said, and trailed off. The expression on Jennifer's face told Needy that she was going to do the right thing. "Why did this get so complicated?"
"We're not little girls anymore. We can't run into the backyard and crawl into our pink pup tent."
Needy's expression was even darker now. Hurt and anger twisted her usual gentle features.
"I'm sorry, Needy," Jennifer said, turning away. "The look on your face is breaking my heart."
"No," Needy said, "You're breaking my heart."
Suddenly a flame leapt up from the wastepaper basket.
"Damn it, Needy!" Jennifer shouted, while grabbing a pillow from the bed and smothering the basket. "You've got to put out the matches after you light the candles."
"I did."
"Apparently not!"
Then a strange thought occurred to Jennifer.
"You started it, Needy!" Jennifer exclaimed. "You started the fire in the carriage house and all the others, you little firebug!"
Suddenly something hit the wall near Jennifer's head. Thump. Jennifer bent down and picked it up.
"It's my deodorant," she said, puzzled. "I set it by the sink in the bathroom."
Then she looked at Needy inquisitively.
"What?" Needy said defensively.
"How did you throw that at me?"
"I didn't," Needy protested. "I wouldn't do that, Jennifer."
"You've always had that bizarre–Needy–crystal ball power to know what I'm doing. These are more of your abilities, aren't they?—crazy poltergeist shit!"
"No! I swear it's not."
"Fuck. I've made a mistake. I thought fixing you up with Chip would help you, but you're still a neurotic mess."
"No, I'm not. I'm in love with you like I've always been."
"I don't know what I'm going to do with you. Holy Jeebus, give me strength!"
"Nothing's wrong, Jennifer. I'm fine," Needy said. "Nothing's wrong. You're right. We can't do this. It's not right. It wouldn't be fair to Chip. You're right. Nothing's wrong. I understand. You're right."
"Yeah," Jennifer said. "We've established that. I'm right. Take a deep breath and calm down before your brain starts smoking."
Needy was twisting some of her blonde locks and rocking back and forth anxiously.
Jennifer touched Needy's face gently.
"Are you okay?"
Needy nodded.
"I'm sorry. Oh, Needy. I'm so sorry. I guess I've been blind to how much I've hurt you over the years, my sweet, sweet friend."
"It's not your fault, Jennifer."
"Yeah it is," Jennifer sighed. "I'm wild, and I'm not very good at relationships; but I do know that our relationship is the most important I've ever had. I don't want to fuck that up, Needy. If Chip ever suspected that you cheated on him, he would be hurt; then if you two broke up, you might resent me for it. Honestly, I never thought you two would last so long. You've always liked girls—you've always liked me."
"True, I've always loved you," Needy said, "but here's the strange thing: even though Chip has a penis, when he kisses me it's almost like you are kissing me."
Jennifer laughed. "Yeah, at Christmas when he kissed me under the mistletoe, I thought the same thing—I thought it was like you were kissing me. That's freaktarded!"
"Yeah," Needy chuckled. "So what do we do now?"
Jennifer produced a bottle of peach schnapps.
"We continue to celebrate my victory," she said. "We get drunk and talk about old times like two boring upper middle-class suburban housewives we will too soon become."
"Oh," Needy said, "I don't think you'll ever be a boring housewife, Jennifer. You were born under a special star. I've always known that you're too big for Devil's Kettle or a ticky-tacky housing track. Your impact will be profound."
Jennifer poured some schnapps in the plastic cups on the nightstand. She handed one of the cups to Needy.
"Here's to the future then."
"Here's to our future," Needy said, raising her cup and caressing her heart pendant with her free hand. "Best Friends Forever."
"Always," Jennifer echoed. "Best Friends Forever."
With their legs folded up, the girls sat, each on her own bed in a terry clothe robe. They drank and talked, but fatigue quickly overtook them. The physical exertion and excitement caught up with Jennifer; and Needy couldn't help being depressed. Jennifer dozed off first. Needy kissed her lightly on the forehead, tied her own hair up, and went to bed.
But later, Needy awoke when Jennifer slipped into bed with her, as she had slipped into her sleeping bag in the pink pup tent years ago.
"I've missed you, Needy, my girlfriend," Jennifer sighed, as Needy lifted her head from her pillow.
"Oh, God, oh, God," Needy whispered, "I love you so much, Jennifer!"
They kissed. Jennifer captured Needy's little pink tongue and sucked on it like candy. Their hands were everywhere at once. Breathless, they finally pulled their mouths apart and rested a moment. In the faint city-light that filtered through the blinds, Needy could see a tiny string of spittle hanging from Jennifer's lip; and she wiped it away gently with her finger. Jennifer smiled and kissed Needy on the nose.
Needy threw the covers aside, and Jennifer lay on her back. Needy began with Jennifer's feet. She caressed them and kissed them. And while Needy did this, Jennifer felt drops falling on her feet. Jennifer propped herself on her elbows; Needy, with her big eyes rimmed with tears, looked at Jennifer—their eyes met for a moment in the half-light, as Needy reached for the lotion setting on the nightstand. Silently, Jennifer watched her, as if watching a mysterious religious rite. Needy put a dollop of lotion on each foot and massaged them with great devotion. All the while, she kissed Jennifer's feet and wept, shedding tears on them. When the anointing was finished, Needy untied her long blonde hair; and by nodding her head side-to-side slowly, she brushed Jennifer's feet with her golden tresses. When Needy was done, Jennifer whispered to her:
"You're forgiven."
Then Jennifer lay her head back down; and Needy with her long blonde hair brushed Jennifer's entire body languorously, sensuously. After which Needy spread Jennifer's thighs apart and caressed them with her small soft hands, educing murmurs of delight from her partner. Jennifer's heart quickened. Needy was powerful—her touch could excite the dark-haired Devil's Kettle beauty. She knew what touch would most please Jennifer, what pressure, what stroke would most excite her. Alternately, Needy applied her tongue and a finger to Jennifer's opening until she cried out in ecstasy and her back arched prominently.
When Needy swapped places with Jennifer, the light filtering through the venetian blinds was growing brighter—the sun was rising. Needy's body was quivering with excitement even before Jennifer began her ministrations. Usually, Needy would close her eyes; this time, she kept them open. As her sexual excitement grew, the morning light, despite the venetian blinds, grew brighter and brighter. The Light fascinated her, but it did not hurt her eyes. Jennifer seemed to be glowing with the Light.
As ecstatic convulsions quaked her body, Needy swore that she saw the Dove in the glory that filled the room; but she could not keep her eyes open. Her orgasm was the most intense that she had ever experienced. Her cries were choked in her throat, and became a strange high-pitched chirping sound. Although her eyes were shut, she saw colors. Bright colors. Blue, purple, and scarlet.
Needy's vision had sound too. She heard Chip's voice say:
"...Yet a little while is the Light with you."