Chapter 22

Arianna looked out her bedroom window again, waiting for the moment when Simon would come up to the front door. Her boyfriend would be well-dressed, handsome, and startlingly tall and well-muscled for someone who had just turned twelve.

It wasn't possible. There was no way Simon could be that young with the voice, the body, and the muscles he had. He looked, talked, and made love like an extremely fit 14 or 15 year old, not a 12-year-old kid. It was impossible for Simon to be what he was at his current age, the age he'd lied about and tried to keep from her.

And yet all of it was possible. Simon was 12 and yet he looked, sounded and acted like a teenager.

A hot, romantic prince of a teenager.

The thought jumped into her head out of nowhere, and abruptly Arianna shook her head, trying to will it away, trying to push it out of her mind. Instead, she thought If he's this great at 12, I wanna see him at 16.

No, no, stop. Stop! He lied, he cheated me!

Babe, he didn't think you'd believe him. Maybe he was afraid you'd dump him.

I WILL dump him! He lied to me!

Are you gonna dump that bod, too?

I already decided-

Those abs don't just show up anywhere, you know.

I'm breaking up with him, that little liar!

I let him… I wanted him to do it. I wanted him to be my first. It wasn't just because he's hotter than the sun. It's because he knows me. He cares. He's so quiet, so serious, so mature. We've had sex in this bed I'm sitting on, and every time, he tells me he loves me and makes sure whether I want to do anything. If I just want to cuddle in here, or on the couch, he never complains like Jack would have.

I hate him. I hate him! He lied!

He's my Prince Charming. He has to explain this to me. He will, if I tell him to.

I'm dumping him.

I've got his necklace. I never took it off. I came back here and just went up to my room-

Well I can tear it off and throw it-

I'm never doing that ever-

DING-DONG!

"Eeeps!" Arianna squeaked, jumping about a foot off her bed as someone pressed the doorbell. Mr. Travis was out road-testing the Rolls-Royce after some maintenance or another; he would come back at five, when Arianna had told him to, and not before. There was plenty of time.

A quick glance toward the window told Arianna all she needed to know. She headed down the hall, downstairs, and into the front parlor of the house. Simon was there when she opened the door, smiling modestly, a white rose in his hand.

"My lady," Simon said in that quiet, steady voice of his, the calm, soothing voice she just loved to listen to with her head on his bare chest, "I went to see a florist who could find me the flower fit for a princess. At first I wasn't sure what I needed, but when he showed me the roses, I knew it: Nothing says perfection like white."

"Simon," Arianna said with effort. "It's good you got here early like I told you."

Simon bowed his head slightly. "Yes, my lady. I would never do any less."

"Oh, you could do better, I think," Arianna said coldly.

Visibly startled, Simon snapped his head up and regarded Arianna uncertainly while she glared at him.

"Miss- Miss Arianna," Simon began, falling back on his formal name for her, "I-I hope I haven't-"

"Well, that's just it, Simon," Arianna said, cutting him off. "You haven't."

"M-Ma'am?" Simon stuttered.

"Get inside," Arianna told him. The 12-year-old quickly obeyed, looking worried. After Arianna shut the door behind him, she turned and pointed to the living room, lit chiefly by the fireplace, where Mr. Travis had set a good pile of logs going earlier.

"Miss-"

"Go sit in there."

"Okay. Yes. Yes, Miss Arianna."

Simon quickly went to sit down on one of the two opposing sofas. Arianna normally would have joined him, and part of her still wanted to. But instead, she took the other one, staring him down, waiting.

After almost two minutes of shifting uncomfortably under Arianna's steel gaze, Simon cleared his throat nervously.

"Miss- Arianna… whatever it is, I'm sorry."

"Maybe you should tell me about 'it'," Arianna suggested coolly.

"Uh-"

"Have a nice birthday so far?" Arianna asked.

Simon paled at that. "Uh- what?"

Arianna just stared at him, angrier than ever. "How long did you think you were going to lie to me, Simon? Was there anything else? Got another girl in town?"

"No," Simon replied immediately. "I never want to be with anyone else, ever again."

"That's very nice," Arianna replied, doing her best to sound angry. Simon's wary expression said she was doing a good job of it, so she went on, "Must be difficult being in love when you're twelve."

Simon went still. He didn't say anything for almost a minute. "Oh," he finally said in a quiet voice. "You found out."

"Twelve," Arianna hissed. "Who do you think you are? What else have you been lying to me about?"

"Nothing," Simon replied hastily, wide-eyed and frightened. "Nothing, I swear."

"Have you been cheating on me?"

"No! I'd never-"

"What else have you been doing, Simon?" Arianna demanded. Suddenly she was standing over him, shoving him back down on his sofa as he tried to stand up. His mouth worked as he tried to form some new reply, but no words came out. "What else did you lie about?"

"I didn't-"

"You didn't tell me you were eleven, Simon! You didn't tell me my boyfriend was in elementary school!"

"But- but-"

Tears blurred her eyes as Arianna thought of every time she'd been alone with Simon, every time she'd let him touch her, every time they'd gone to bed, been intimate together. A little kid had done that to her, an 11-year-old boy who'd developed better muscles than Jack Merridew.

He'd lied to her, but what he'd done- how he'd done it, didn't seem possible.

"You lied to me!" Arianna cried again, and suddenly she was shouting. "Tell me! Tell me what else you did!"

"I fell in love a second time-"

"Second? Second? I knew you were cheating!" Arianna yelled. "Who is she?"

"She dumped me over the summer."

"I can't imagine why!"

"She dumped me because I'm so young," Simon told her, his hands slightly raised, palms out in a gesture of surrender. "She was my babysitter. Her boyfriend dumped her before I made it home from the island. I wanted to tell her how stupid that guy was, and we- we spent the whole weekend together. Then she went home and realized she'd slept with a kid." Simon's eyes grew distant, his voice pained and bitter at the memory. "I was in love with her. I'd idolized her. She never gave me a chance."

"Why did you lie to me?" Arianna shouted. "You tell me, Simon! You tell me why I shouldn't throw you- just- just throw you out of here!"

"I was afraid," Simon replied, his voice shaking. "I was afraid you'd dump me like Jennifer did. It- I couldn't- I didn't want to have it end like that."

"Why should I believe any of this?" Arianna said, throwing the words in his face. "If you'd wanted me to listen to you, maybe telling the truth would be a good start!"

"I-"

"Fuck you, Simon!" Arianna screamed through tears. "How do I know you're not lying again? You think any of this makes any sense?"

"It doesn't," Simon agreed. "I know. I-"

"I hate you!" Arianna cried. "You lied to me!"

"I did," Simon agreed. "And I'm sorry. But you need to know why."

"Oh, yes, because you were scared," Arianna said scornfully, crossing her arms.

"That's not the real reason."

"So what is?"

"I love you."

Simon looked directly at Arianna as he said it, met her eyes, spoke calmly with significant effort yes, but without hesitation. Arianna felt a shiver, and a little butterfly in her stomach, a hint of the feeling she often got when she saw or thought of Simon.

"For years," Simon said, "I idolized you like all those other guys did, but not because I just wanted to get you to go out with me, or- or any of the other stuff the other guys talk about… when they talk about you."

"You've had the same thoughts, Simon," Arianna scoffed. "Don't pretend."

"I have."

"How often?"

"Lots of times."

"See. See, you're no different," Arianna shot back at him, tearing up again, furious at him. "I should've known you'd be just like them."

"I'm not, Arianna. You'd be even more insulted if I hadn't had those thoughts about you. If I didn't want to do those things with you. I know you think you hate it that so many of the guys here are so crude about what they wanna do with you, but it also means you're desirable. They all want you, and you like that."

"Well… So what'd you really want then?" Arianna huffed. "What'd you really think of me?"

"I just thought you were the most wonderful girl in the world. I could tell you put up this big front just so all the stupid boys would leave you alone, but under that, I was sure, there was this girl who was as smart and as funny and great as she was beautiful."

"Oh, articulate Simon's back again," Arianna remarked, but it didn't have the venom she'd hoped for.

Simon hesitated, then went on, "Then I came back from the island like this and I had to pretend I was older. It didn't make sense to my parents so they just avoided it. They pretended I was already fourteen or fifteen. They love me, but they've never known what to do with me anyway. So I started acting older. Girls I went home with never thought twice. I didn't even have to say I was old enough. They just assumed. Then I saw you looking at me like that when I was out running one time and I knew I had a chance. I knew I finally had a chance that day."

Despite herself, Arianna nodded. "I remember. You weren't wearing a shirt."

"I wasn't," Simon replied. "Arianna, I was in heaven just with you flirting with me. All I wanted was to have a chance to be good enough. You waited for a- a prince for years, and I wanted it to be me. That's it. That's all it was. I was going to tell you my real age; I really was! But I couldn't think of when, or how. And every time I wanted to tell you we'd start kissing and we'd wind up in bed and I'd just be- I'd just be falling in love with you all over again."

"Why should I believe you?" Arianna asked, trying to be angry, to hate him. "How'd you even- how could you be eleven?"

"These berries Jack found," Simon replied. "A bunch of us out hunting ate them and we all got like this. We became stronger, faster, we needed to eat meat and hunt and- uh, we jerked off a lot."

"Berries?"

"Yeah. They just amped us up. I don't know what they were, but- You remember Ralph, what he was like before?"

Arianna wanted to shout at him some more, thought about it, was going to, but she nodded instead. "Yes. He's a lot ho- he's different now."

"He is. In a bunch of ways. The island was difficult for everybody but especially for him. But the same process happened for both of us. The berries did the same thing. Steve, too. He's my age and he looks like a teenager. You remember watching me, Steve, and Rob Patterson at the pool one day? I smiled at you one time."

"I know." Arianna fought not to say it, but she added, "I loved it."

Simon's handsome features broke into a smile, that same clever, brilliant, charming expression captured in the locket, where some professional photographer had preserved the moment forever. And while Simon responded so logically, so thoughtfully to everything that he almost never laughed at a joke and rarely told one, his eyes in that picture sparkled with good fun, like he knew the best joke in the world and was thinking of sharing it.

When they talked, Simon was consistently mature and rational. He would just respond logically to virtually anything Arianna said. Didn't matter what it was, he'd just think for a moment and then answer. The best time was always just after, when he'd be lying there with his hands behind his head. Arianna could ask him anything and he'd calmly, intelligently tell her just what he thought.

And then there was this morning, when they'd made love together in the wrestling gym, in the locker room adjoining it, trying out places other than her bedroom. They'd decided they would have to. That aspect of their relationship would have to have ways to continue, they had agreed, after they told her Dad that they were dating.

"I can't take back lying to you about my age," Simon said, startling Arianna out of her thoughts. "But I didn't lie about anything else. Not anything. Think about anything I ever told you. Ask me if you have doubts. I'll look you in the eyes and tell you."

"What you said this morning," Arianna tried, but she had to clear her throat and ask again. "What you said this morning. All the times- the things you told me. Did you mean it?"

"Yes. Every word."

"Have you cheated on me?"

"No. I'd have to want someone else to do that, and there'll never be another girl more beautiful than you."

"Liar," Arianna said, but she was smiling, trying not to cry. "See? You lied again. I can't trust you."

Simon stood up. He was so close Arianna could smell his fine cologne, the mint on his breath. "We still have time before our date starts," he observed. A remark. No more or less. Not the pushy stuff Jack or half the boys around here would have tried. Just a remark that Arianna could interpret and respond to any way she liked.

"That's why I told you to show up early," Arianna said. "If you- what happened on the island-"

"I don't know how any of it happened," Simon replied. "I don't know. But I know I'm a Prince because you made me into one. I was afraid but I let that go. I let it go, Arianna."

"Liar." Arianna tried to make it sting, but she started working on the brass buttons that studded the front of that magnificent gray dress uniform, and in seconds Simon shrugged out of it, revealing his magnificent physique in the firelight.

"We have plenty of time, if you want," Simon told her softly. He kissed her. "I love you. I'm yours to the end of the world."

"Prove it," Arianna dared him.

"Everything I am, everything I'll ever be," Simon vowed. "I'm never going anywhere if it isn't with you."

Arianna smiled; this was the romance she'd hoped for, the boyfriend she'd always wanted. But Simon was right that Arianna liked being desired. And right now Simon was overthinking things.

"Simon," Arianna told him, "Shut up and prove it."

ΩΩΩΩΩ

Steve was in need tonight. The regular trips to Desele's and the relief they brought were the only way Steve had stayed sane since the island had changed him. He spent as much as he could, even made extra trips if he got the chance, because his body and mind needed what Desele's was selling.

There wasn't any way around it. Soccer practices, workouts- they were great, and Steve loved them, but he needed sex to just keep from going insane. Patterson was the same way, and he was about as nice and quiet as Simon. But Ralph was different. You didn't argue with Ralph, and he had staked out a claim to that dark-skinned girl whose name Steve kept forgetting. Ralph wanted her, and that was that.

Be great if it could be free, Steve thought, but stuck at an all-guys school, you gotta make sacrifices. Whorehouse is the only chance any of us have. Piggy- Gabriel- he doesn't go. I don't know how he does it.

As they crept out of the woods and assumed a normal walking posture, pretending like they were walking up the road from somewhere in their identical t-shirts and jeans, Steve knew that all three boys were thinking of what they'd soon be doing, their favorite girls and their favorite pastime. It was so close, and the money spent would be more than worth it.

It was really a shame that Simon had to be such a good guy sometimes. Steve would have gladly paid for anything Simon wanted to do over at Desele's, and if he'd only agreed, the two boys could have had a threesome with one of the beauties that worked here. Or Steve could have paid for two girls for each of them. It didn't really matter so long as they had fun, but Simon didn't see it that way. He was in love, a real Romeo, and no amount of pleading would get him to cheat on his Juliet. It was kind of cool, Steve figured, but privately he thought the sex mattered more.

Then again, Steve thought, maybe someday I'll want to fuck one chick all day long, too. Arianna's gotta feel as good as she looks, man. God, I can't even imagine… Simon, you lucky bastard. But you're missing out tonight, man. Definitely missing out tonight.

When he strode confidently in the front door, the woman who was always running the place- Steve kept forgetting her name, too- looked up from behind the bar and recognized him and his companions.

"Oh, hey, Big Three, huh? Tonight's all booked up, Blondie. Gonna have to come back next time."

"Wait, wait- what?" Steve asked, not sure he'd heard it right.

"A bunch of PMI boys showed up half an hour ago and bought out the whole house. Bunch of horny kids just like you; you probably know 'em. We get cadets in here all the time. You're not the only ones."

"I'm confused," Steve laughed. "I got the money-"

"And you can bring it right back tomorrow," the woman answered. "Money doesn't do you any good if my girls are all busy with other boys who got here first."

"You get me my girl," Ralph said dangerously. "The one I always want. You get her and you give me a room or someone gets hurt."

"Don't think we haven't had troublemakers before," the woman warned. "You think you can come in here and talk like that? You won't be coming back. I don't put up with any shit here."

"Yeah?" Ralph was moving toward the counter now. "Yeah? You sure? Maybe I oughta just come over there and-"

"Okay, we understand, ma'am," Patterson said quickly, grabbing hold of Ralph's well-muscled shoulders, then shifting to a bear-hug as Ralph tried to get loose. "We just really like being here."

"Keep your friend's temper at home or none of you are coming back," the woman said, regarding Patterson dubiously.

"Got it, yes, ma'am," Patterson agreed. "Okay, let's go, guys."

It took considerable effort, but Steve and Patterson finally managed to hustle Ralph outside before the dark-eyed boy managed to get free and start tearing up the place. Once out in the parking lot, Ralph shoved them both off him, swearing violently.

"Goddamn it, goddamn it! I knew you'd do this!" Ralph barked, swinging at Steve abruptly. "You stupid little shit, you promised, but I should've known better!"

"Leave him alone, Ralph; it isn't his fault!" Patterson insisted, getting in the way.

"I'm sorry, man!" Steve insisted. "I didn't know a bunch of guys were gonna show up and buy the place out. I didn't even know you could do that!"

"You just stay away from me," Ralph warned, glowering. "I'm going back by myself. You just worry about you, motherfuckers."

"Ralph-"

"Fuck off," Ralph told him, and with that he strode off into the dark, hands jammed in his pockets.

"Well, great," Steve grouched. "That's just brilliant."

"It's not your fault, man."

"I don't get it," Steve said, watching Ralph go. "Jeez, I mean, I need this, too, but… I just hope he doesn't take this too personally."

"Yeah," Patterson said. "Well, let's give him a minute and get headed back. I guess we don't get any tonight."

"This fucking sucks," Steve sighed, feeling defeated. He started the walk back, feeling like he'd done something wrong. He had always needed to be friends with someone more important, more imaginative, more charismatic. Simon had come along and told Steve to be his own guy, or whatever.

And the one big project Steve had tried to run, getting himself and two other guys to Desele's, he'd managed to mess that up! Even if it wasn't really his fault, Ralph blamed him. Steve was supposed to keep Ralph calm and he'd screwed it up.

"Don't blame yourself," Patterson said, walking calmly beside him. "You didn't know. It wasn't like we could call them and check."

"Yeah."

"Seriously, Steve. This isn't your fault. Nobody's mad at you."

"Ralph is."

"Just give him some space for right now. He should be fine."

"What if he's not?"

"Then we'll figure something out. Seriously, we'll be fine."

"I need to get laid so bad-"

"Hey, you don't have to tell me. You want a new Playboy? Might help you get through one more night alone."

"Steve's never alone," the blond boasted, puffing out his chest. "I always got girls to fuck, man."

"Not tonight, my guy. Not tonight."

Steve laughed. "Yeah. I know."

ΩΩΩΩΩ

With his locket tucked neatly under his white t-shirt, and the t-shirt concealed as always beneath the tight-fitting gray dress jacket, Simon took a certain pride in going to class, to practice, to anywhere and everywhere with the love of his life with him.

It was intoxicating being in love, especially with a princess, especially with Arianna. She was bossy, demanding, and stunningly brilliant, witty, and beautiful. Simon wanted no one else but her, not ever again in his life. He'd lost Jennifer, but Arianna had given him a second chance. Simon was going to use it the right way. He had to. Life without Arianna was no longer conceivable.

The older boys knew he was seeing someone. In the barracks, he was widely taken for years older than his real age of twelve, and he sometimes hung around, watching and listening, in one of the barracks rec rooms. That was how he kept his ear to the ground, fit in at least adequately with the age group he looked to be part of.

Deemed a romantic due to his eloquence and quiet nature, Simon had avoided the usual graphic boasting about his girlfriend and his latest sexual exploits, leading more than a few boys among the high schoolers to make any assumptions they wanted. Simon got asked about what he was and wasn't doing, or got teased about what he had to be doing, all the time.

They had no idea, thankfully, that Simon was seeing someone right here on this campus, right over on Faculty Row, in fact.

Having managed to convince Arianna that he was in earnest, Simon was determined to make things right. Today was the day Simon would formally introduce himself to Lieutenant Colonel Lovejoy. Together, Prince Charming and Princess Arianna would tell the Dean that they were dating, and hopefully, receive his permission to continue doing so.

As he reached the front door, Simon knocked carefully. How I won this girl, I'll never know, he thought, hardly for the first time. I know she's got a weakness for confident guys with tight abs but, still. It doesn't seem real sometimes.

The door opened promptly, and Arianna was there, resplendent in a navy blue sweater and tight-fitting khakis. Her jet-black hair gleamed as the afternoon light hit it. She could have outshined all the stars.

"Hi," Simon said intelligently. "Uh- I mean, I'm honored to- I was gonna say-"

"Get in here," Arianna told him.

"Yes- yes, okay." Simon hurried inside dutifully.

"When Dad gets here," Arianna began, closing the door behind him, "you're going to act like you really are twelve. You look- well, you don't look twelve. But you're going to act it. Right?"

"Sure."

"We need to keep him from thinking about- you know. How old you actually are. Or your body is. No berries!"

"No berries," Simon agreed.

"Okay. So. Go on over and sit down, and I'm gonna ask you the stuff I know he will…"

ΩΩΩΩΩ

Dean Lovejoy returned from his office early with a sense of trepidation; he'd known for a while know that Arianna was getting older, that she was growing up. He'd known she was becoming quite beautiful, and sure enough, at least one boy had come sniffing around.

The one Arianna had told him about, the one who was waiting to meet him, was a boy Lovejoy knew attended the Lower School. He was a twelve-year-old boy, one of the few who had survived after that plane crash in the Pacific had left a whole group of cadets missing for weeks.

It was strange that Arianna was asking for his approval to date a boy three years younger than her, a boy still a whole year away from becoming a teenager, but God knew that if he were still alive, that relentless charmer and self-proclaimed ladies' man Jack Merridew might have been waiting at the house instead. Arianna made quite a business about being disdainful of all boys, but she had a weakness for the handsome, fit, and popular ones, and Jack had been all three.

Well, she's seeing someone else instead, Lovejoy thought gratefully. Good grief. Jack Merridew- or somebody just like him- dating my daughter? I don't even want to think about it. Whoever this kid is, he must have made quite the impression. He just turned twelve the other day.

With that last thought, Warren Lovejoy unlocked the front door and headed in, automatically checking himself, verifying that his Air Force uniform was up to standard. He removed his dress hat, instinctively tucking it under his left arm, his hand gripping the brim.

The boy Arianna wanted Warren to meet was sitting on the righthand sofa in the living room, looking apprehensively around him, as if he was not quite sure he belonged here. His face showed every bit of his youth, but he was oddly grown-up for a boy of twelve; Simon looked more like a handsome fourteen or fifteen-year-old. He was definitely old enough to shave, and when he stood up and greeted Warren, he did so in a teenager's deepening voice.

"Good afternoon, Colonel Lovejoy, sir," Simon offered, nodding respectfully. He wore red sergeant's stripes on each sleeve, and had clearly paid meticulous attention to every respect of military detail before coming over here. His black leather dress shoes shone like grounded stars in the firelight, his brass was spotless and gleamed magnificently, and his gray wool uniform had not a wrinkle or spot of lint anywhere. As disinclined as Warren was to approve of anyone trying to date his daughter, he mentally gave Simon a point in his favor.

"Simon," Warren replied, carefully reaching out to shake hands with the cadet. "Thank you for coming today."

"Yes, sir," Simon said, bobbing his head again in that half-nodding, half-bowing gesture. Maybe that was something he did when he got nervous. "I was hoping I could meet you, sir. Arianna said I should meet you."

"Please, have a seat," Warren said, gesturing to the sofa Simon had been waiting on, while he took the other. Once comfortably settled, Warren set aside his dress uniform cover and looked directly at Simon, whose green eyes looked a little worried, but at least honestly so, without any cockiness or arrogance to be seen. Another point in his favor, because Jack Merridew, or any boy of his stripe, would have been trying to be just as sneaky and 'charming' as they were with anyone else.

"I'm glad to finally meet you, sir," Simon said. "Arianna- it's a privilege to be seeing her."

Christ, he talks like he just discovered girls exist, Warren thought, and for a moment he struggled to suppress his laughter. Well, at least that clears up one worry. He and Arianna sure haven't been 'doing anything.'

Sure, Simon looked and sounded old enough for it, but he didn't seem to quite think that way yet. He was a polite young man, but still grounded in a kid's thinking. Old enough to appreciate Arianna's beauty, but not quite old enough to think of some rather typical male reactions to it.

"Arianna speaks quite highly of you," Warren said neutrally.

"Yessir," Simon replied. The head-bobbing thing again. "We didn't want to go seeing each other without telling you. I like her a lot, sir."

"How did you happen to meet Arianna?"

"Well, I was out running, sir, and I almost ran into Arianna when she was heading back to the house here. Those big trees that line the street- I didn't see her, so I turned so I wouldn't hit her, and I hit the ground instead."

Startled by the mental image that gave him, Warren laughed. "Well, I guess you couldn't have staged that."

"Nossir," Simon agreed. "I scratched my hand a bit, but she wanted to get me to the infirmary, and we started talking and we had a lot in common. I really liked her so I started making up reasons to keep running by Faculty Row so she'd see me. And I'd see her at the pool sometimes. We kept talking and then we decided we'd better talk to you."

"And I appreciate the both of you doing the right thing and being honest," Warren responded. "You have a reputation as a polite and intelligent young man. I will admit, I am surprised my daughter is dating someone this young, but if I didn't know better, I'd think you were her age."

"Uh… yessir," Simon agreed after some hesitation. "I guess the island was- I don't know, sir. I just grew up a lot out there."

"You emerged as the leader of the group of boys who survived, despite Ralph Meyers being senior. A remarkable accomplishment for a cadet private."

"I just tried to help, sir."

"And you can't explain why you look and sound like a teenager now?"

"No, sir. I have no idea, sir. I guess I just hit- uh, I guess, must've been, uh, puberty." Simon cleared his throat.

Good grief, he doesn't even seem at ease talking about that, Warren thought. Well, I could just kill him and keep my reputation as the overprotective father, or I could let this kid have his fun until he gets more used to puberty and starts getting ideas. Then I'll kill him.

"Well, you certainly grew up pretty fast, in more than one way," Warren observed. "I'm not sure how to explain your age versus your appearance, Simon, but everything I've seen and heard of you has been exemplary. If you're going to be seeing my daughter, you will be a perfect gentleman with Arianna. If she or Mr. Travis tell me you've been anything else, you will answer to me and I will make a decision accordingly."

"Yessir."

"Simon, you're on the Cross Country team, correct?"

"Yessir."

"You've done extremely well so far. Once I knew we'd be meeting, I decided to check up on you, and during my stop at the Cross Country coach's office I heard only praise. You have earned a reputation as an honest and diligent young man with great athletic, academic, and leadership potential."

"Thank you, sir."

"But if you screw any of that up, Simon, it had better not be with dating my daughter. Mr. Travis knows to keep me informed about you two. You'll be allowed some privacy on your dates, but that will be up to my and his discretion. You will do the right thing, or I will make sure of it. Am I understood?"

"Yessir," Simon agreed, bobbing his head some more.

"Good. Now go upstairs and come back with Arianna."

"Yessir." Simon practically sprang up from the couch and bolted from the room, looking greatly relieved. He came back a minute later, holding hands with Arianna. The both of them looked apprehensive, but seemed calmer around each other. Even young Simon didn't look so green around the gills anymore.

The couple sat down on the sofa across from Warren Lovejoy, and he watched the way Simon instinctively went to put an arm around Arianna's shoulders, realized where he was and settled for taking Arianna's hand again instead.

"Arianna, as Simon already knows I have decided to allow you two to see each other. There will be rules and conditions to this, and I have informed Simon he is expected to conduct himself like a gentleman. But I want to ask- are you sure you want to be seeing a boy almost four years younger? You'll be turning sixteen next year."

"I'm sure, Dad," Arianna said. "Simon's a wonderful guy."

"Sir, can she keep coming to my Cross Country meets and practices?" Simon asked.

"I don't see why not, as long as the usual standard for your behavior applies."

"Yessir."

"Dad, can I have a boyfriend without Mr. Travis following me around the whole time?" Arianna asked. "He was telling me about all the new rules-"

"I was just telling Simon that you two will be allowed some privacy, but I had better not get any hint that it's being taken advantage of. And if Simon doesn't behave himself, you should slap him then and there."

"I'm allowed to kiss him, aren't I?" Arianna asked, sounding like she wanted to complain.

"Yes," Warren allowed reluctantly, "but nothing excessive."

"But how-"

"We'll talk about how to define that, if we need to," Warren told her.

"Dad," Arianna said carefully, "I wanted to ask Simon to train me to be a runner. He knows so much about fitness, I could hire him as my personal trainer. Can I do that?"

"I hope this isn't just an excuse for free dates outside of the rules," Warren said with a warning tone.

"She's been thinking about it a lot, sir," Simon spoke up. "Arianna has been asking me a lot about fitness, what I do and how I do it. She comes to the Cross Country events partly because vehicle/details/77340626they interest her. She already does some running on her own and I was going to help her work to improve on some basic things."

"You didn't tell me you were this interested in athletics, or fitness," Warren said, looking curiously at his daughter.

"Um- well, I got interested, after staring at- talking to Simon, talking to him, about things, and boys- gyms." Arianna blushed crimson, clearing her throat and looking away. Simon looked at her while she was recovering her composure, and the obvious, earnest concern on his face earned him another point.

"Well, I think it might not be the best idea for you to have your boyfriend also be your personal trainer-"

"But Dad! I-"

"-but, if Simon really does have some good qualifications, maybe we can work something out."

"Okay, Dad," Arianna fussed. "Simon's just a boy, you know. He'll do what I tell him."

"He's quite young," Warren allowed, "but one thing that means is you have to be responsible and not take advantage of him. Or boss him around."

"Yes, Dad."

"I didn't think your first boyfriend would be three years younger," Warren went on, "but I think Simon is capable of behaving himself. I'm willing to trust him if the both of you agree to the rules I will be setting out. I will be fair about this, but that does not mean I will give you everything you want. There will be limits and restrictions and they will not be negotiable."

Arianna looked displeased, but Simon just replied respectfully, "We understand, sir."

"Good. Thank you for coming, Simon. I'm surprised my daughter wants to date a cadet this young, but, I suppose it can be allowed."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

ΩΩΩΩΩ

Ralph watched in fury as Simon strode off from his latest visit to Arianna's house, looking just as happy as you please. He'd gotten some yet again; Ralph had paused to 'tie his shoe' while on a run and while he hadn't heard anything from that upstairs bedroom window, he just knew what he would've seen if it were at ground level. Simon was having just a great time, and he didn't care what had happened to Ralph. Maybe he didn't even remember.

Deprived of his one source of release, his one chance to really have his authority respected, Ralph had been in a rage ever since last night. He couldn't think straight. He'd lost so much and now Simon was getting it from the Princess while Ralph had to do without. Well, he'd find a way to get even. He knew just how to set this right. Steve, that horny little twerp, had promised to set Ralph up at Desele's, and he'd failed to live up to his promise. Ralph had been the leader once, and Steve obviously needed a reminder.

A/N: 7-4-2021.

It's difficult to believe that I last posted to this story 7 months ago, but here we are! I wrote most of this chapter a while back, but ended up getting distracted by other things and my writing just stopped for a long while. I had to decide on whether to try and finish the entire story in Chapter 22, or end it here and leave the finale to Chapter 23. In the interests of at least getting something posted for the first time in a long while, I figured I would go with the former option.

As always, reviews are welcome.