CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Day Three: We're now driving west along the freeway – I mean Motorway M3 – towards Stonehenge. I remember reading stories about the place in comic books. For example, about human sacrifices and how druids would do other weird things there on certain days of the year. Kevin once told me that he heard that at times men and women would dance around the stone circle nude. I don't know if we'll be seeing any of that, but still…

Johnny put down his pen and thought for a moment as to what else to write in this latest diary entry. He looked at the others who were sitting in the van. While Chuck Statorowski was driving the van, he saw both Lee and Eddy sitting up beside him quietly chatting to each other about the Royal Ballet School. Lindsay was in the back of the mini-bus looking over some papers that her father had given her just before they had all set off from the hotel. Rolf was sitting beside her, but was not interrupting her work. Instead, he was reading a pamphlet - that Chuck had given to him earlier - about Stonehenge.

Kevin and Nazz were also chatting quietly whilst Jimmy and Sarah were engrossed in playing a video game on their Nintendo console. For their part, Ed and May were talking to each other about cricket and looking forward to their last day in the UK – before heading over to France - where they would see the One-Day cricket international between England and New Zealand. Mr. Statorowski had gotten them the tickets to the Oval Cricket Ground for the game. May had borrowed Lindsay's phone to call Lucy, who said that unfortunately she would not be able to get there herself, but hoped that both her and Ed would enjoy watching the game.

After a few more seconds of looking at the other occupants of the mini-bus, Jimmy sighed, then resumed writing.

seeing the others with their friends makes me really feel like the odd person out here. It kind of makes me wish that I hadn't left Plank behind on this trip, but bringing Plank along would probably have added complications. They are so lucky having boyfriends and girlfriends. I don't think many girls out there would find a big-headed bald kid like me attractive though. Especially one who talks to a piece of wood with a face painted on!

As Johnny was writing, Marie – who was sitting beside Edd just in front of Johnny – was looking at her boyfriend with a wistful expression. Edd was engrossed in looking out at the countryside, but he was holding Marie's hand and was squeezing it to show that he was not ignoring her.

"Oh Cutie", Marie said to herself, "I know you're scared about the prospect of sex, but how can I reassure you that it will be all right?"

Maire remembered a few weeks ago when Edd had come over to her house on a homework assignment. Rod Lonergan – who had answered the door to Edd's knocking – had directed him upstairs to Marie's room. Rod knew how much of a gentleman that Edd was, so he wasn't worried about any hanky-panky going on. The door was ajar, but Edd gently knocked before entering the room.

"Hello, Marie", Edd said as he entered the bedroom. May wasn't there – Marie and May shared the bedroom, but May was over at Ed's at that time - but he didn't see Marie sitting at the desk. Instead, she was laying stomach-down on her bed. Marie wore a pained expression on her face.

"Are you all right, Marie?" Edd gently asked. May turned her head towards him.

"Sorry, Dreamboat", Marie replied, "but I pulled a back muscle and it's hurting. I have to lay down".

"Whatever happened to you to make you incur an injury like that, Marie?" Edd asked with some concern, "I know from past experience that back pains resulting either from muscle pulls or bruising from falling can be extremely unpleasant".

"I was grabbing a box of old photos from the top shelf in my closet when I suddenly sneezed. felt my back starting to hurt. I must have lifted the box from a bad angle and the sneeze caused my back to hurt", Marie explained. Edd saw the box of photos sitting on the floor

"You could have waited until I came so that I could have gotten the box down for you", Edd said with some worry in his voice.

"I'm not a helpless debutante, Double-Dee", Marie replied with some exasperation, "and I know that you mean well, but I can do physical stuff too".

"It was not a rebuke, Marie", Edd said contritely, "but if the statement of mine was interpreted by you as such, I wholeheartedly apologize".

"You're such a gentleman, Double-Dee, which is one of the reasons that I love you so much, but smothering me really isn't the thing to do. Okay?", she responded.

"Well, perhaps there is something I can do", Edd said, "but you'd have to… uh… uh…", he stammered.

"Do what, Oven Mitt?" she asked as she noticed Edd's face begin to turn red.

"Well… Mother showed me massage techniques to help combat back pain", Edd said quietly, "As you know, she is a doctor and she showed me how to do so at her hospital. She was giving lessons in therapeutic massage to people in a class, and I was a part of it".

"You are trained as a masseuse?!" Marie asked with a giggle, "I would never have thought that you of all people would know about any of that!"

"Well, yes I do", Edd answered, "and if you like, I can see if I can alleviate your back pain by using those techniques".

"Please do!", Marie said rather enthusiastically.

"Well… you would first need to uh… remove your upper clothing and then lay back down like you are", Edd said even more red-faced, "so that I will be able to give you an uninhibited massage…"

Edd's voice tailed off as Marie – slowly put herself into a sitting position and unbuttoned the shirt that she wore. She was smiling at him as she did so.

"Maybe I'd better let Mr. Lonergan know so that he can get you to a chiropractor…", he gulped.

Marie had removed her shirt. She was wearing her bra, but she was maneuvering her hands in order to undo the rear hooks. She was slowly shaking her head at him whilst doing so.

"Oh my goodness…" Edd choked out. Marie realized that her boyfriend could pass out on her, so she decided to take mercy on him.

"Turn around, Oven Mitt", she said, "I promise you that when I say you can look back at me that I will be back on the bed. Stomach down", she concluded with a mock pout.

Nodding, Edd turned away from Marie. Marie removed her bra, and briefly thought of calling him right at that moment so that he could see with his own eyes what her topless figure looked like, but she made a promise to him and she knew how seriously he took such promises. She laid down on the bed in the stomach down position.

"I'm ready", she said. Edd turned a breathed a sigh of relief that Marie had indeed did as she promised. With that, he went over to the bed, knelt down to put himself in a better position – the bed was low – and started to massage her back.

"Ooohhhh!", she softly exclaimed so as not to alert Rod downstairs, "your touch is wonderful! Please continue!"

"Where is most of the pain emanating from, Marie?" Edd asked as he continued to massage her back.

"Below the shoulder blades in the small of the back", Marie replied. Nodding, Edd moved his hands to where Marie had indicated.

The next few minutes were pure ecstasy for Marie as Edd used his hands and fingers to expertly massage her back. Edd's mother had instructed him really well, she thought. After about ten minutes, Edd spoke again.

"I think that that is the best that I can do for you at the present time, Marie", he said, "If it still hurts, you should perhaps go and see a chiropractor. But thank you for permitting me to administer the massage".

"No problem, Double-Dee", Marie said as she immediately sat up in order to find out if the pain had gone. However, her doing so let Edd immediately see her in her full topless glory.

"Oh my word…", Edd squeaked out as he blushed and fainted at the sight of Marie's bare breasts before she could cover them with her arms.

"What's happened?" Rod called out from downstairs. He had heard the thump of Edd hitting the floor.

"Shit!" Marie whispered as she quickly put on her shirt. She threw the bra into a laundry basket as she heard Rod walking upstairs. Marie had just finished buttoning her shirt when Rod walked in.

"Double-Dee!" Rod exclaimed as he entered the room and saw him laying on the floor, "What happened, Marie?" he demanded.

"I don't know, Daddy!", she fibbed, "He was helping me get that box of photos down from the closet shelf and after he put the box down, he passed out on me".

Marie pointed to the box that she had gotten down earlier. As Rod was a trained firefighter with paramedic training, he immediately picked up Edd and placed him on Marie's bed. He quickly checked him out.

"He's breathing okay, thank goodness", Rod said, "I suppose he must have hyperventilated some when he took the box down".

"Yeah, sounds like it", Marie hurriedly agreed. She didn't like to think about what Rod would think if he knew precisely what had really happened to have made Edd faint…

Both suddenly heard an 'uhh", sound coming from Edd. They both breathed a sign of relief as Edd came to. Rod pointed to a glass of water that was on the desk. Marie grabbed it and got it to Rod, who held it to Edd's mouth. As Edd drank the water, Rod spoke.

"You gave us both a scare, Buddy", Rod said, "Perhaps you should not take everything upon yourself when getting boxes down from high places. Okay?"

Edd looked mystified for a few seconds, then looked at Marie. He saw that she was wearing her shirt. She also saw the look on her face and knew that she had come up with a lie to cover what had happened. Edd nodded. Marie smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you going to be all right?" Rod asked Edd. Edd nodded again.

"Yes, Mr. Lonergan", Edd replied, "I am extremely sorry for causing undue alarm with what had happened with you and Marie. I feel really embarrassed at my passing out the way I did".

"He's certainly better", Rod said, "That vocabulary usage of his certainly bears that out. But I'd advise you to take things a little bit more easily, okay?" he suggested to Edd. Edd nodded.

"Perhaps we should start back on the homework assignment, Marie", Edd said as he stood.

"Good idea, Double-Dee", Marie replied.

"Sure you're up to doing so?" Rod inquired.

"If there are any problems, I or Marie will let you know, Mr. Lonergan", Edd assured him, "In any case, this assignment is due tomorrow and we really need to expedite in order to complete it by the deadline".

"All right. Were those photographs you were getting part of the assignment?" Rod asked Marie.

"Yes, Daddy", Marie answered, "I was looking for older pictures of Peach Creek as the geography assignment is about inner city and suburban growth patterns over a twenty-year period".

Thank God that part of the story was true, Marie said to herself as she watched Rod leave the bedroom after giving Edd another quick check. She turned back to face Edd, who was looking at her with a pained and embarrassed expression. While she certainly didn't mind him seeing her breasts, she knew that the unexpectedness of it had been a hard jolt to his system. What was it that made him so frightened of seeing them, she asked herself as he stood.

"I am really sorry about that, Double-Dee", Marie explained, "Honestly, I wasn't thinking when I abruptly sat up. Please forgive me?" she said with tears in her eyes. Ed nodded, then sat down in one of the chairs at the deck. Marie sat in the other chair.

"For the moment, shall we forget all of this ever happened and get working on the assignment?" Edd suggested, "because I just wouldn't know what to say otherwise". Nodding agreement, Marie and Ed started to work on the assignment.

As they sat in the mini-bus, Marie could not help but smile at the memory of Edd's 'introduction' to her uncovered breasts. While still somewhat frustrated at his reticence towards the prospect of sex, she knew what a caring person - and great masseuse - he was, and she knew that when the time comes, he would be incredibly passionate and sensual to her. After all, when he did massage her back, his efforts not only alleviated the pain, she felt so sensual-ized by his touch...

"Is everything okay, Marie?" Edd inquired as he looked back at her and saw the smile and faint blush on her face.

"Yes, Oven Mitt", she assured him, "everything's okay. Let's enjoy the sights, okay?"