WARNING! EROTICA!

11.

~ Norma dreamed of Alex that night. It was the kind of dream that couldn't be real, but one that she wanted to exist in forever. A place where she felt safe and beautiful always.

In the way of all dreams, she couldn't remember how she arrived, but she and Alex were dancing together; surrounded by a heavy fog. Their movements concealed from prying eyes and they seemed to be all alone. She could feel his chest press against hers and it wasn't unpleasant. She could also feel something else swelling between them that made her slightly embarrassed. She looked around in the heavy mist and could faintly see people watching them.

"They'll see us." she whispered to her dance partner. He only pulled her closer and she could now feel that hardness pressing dangerously close between her legs. Norma allowed a gasp of delighted surprise. The heat coming to her face as she thought about what it meant.

"They won't see us." her dance partner promised and moved her away from the onlookers and deeper into the fog. Norma wondered if she dared to make the move. To signal to him that she wanted to wrap her legs around him and throw caution and politeness to the wind.

She only remembered pulling at his pants when her alarm clock went off and the dream melted away.

Norma jerked out of bed with a start and hit her alarm clock. She had a good hour and a half to get ready for school and she desperately wanted to fall back asleep and finish the dream she was having. One where she and Alex were alone and pulling at each others clothes. It had felt so nice and exciting that she didn't want to let it go.

Her breathing was hard and her body seemed more alert than normal. As if it had been expecting something and didn't understand that something wasn't real.

Fanny was still snoring in her own bed across the large loft. Her mother was always a heavy sleeper and alarms didn't usually wake her.

Norma was still breathing hard. Her body was almost painfully wanting some relief after such a dream. Without even realizing what she was doing, her hand wandered down between her legs where she could feel her own wetness under her panties. A hot, tender part of her body that responded more violently than she was used to. She pulled up her t shirt; daringly exposing her breasts to the cool morning air and wondered if Alex would like the way her body looked. Her hips were moving in time to how she wanted him to take her.

Her imagination was a flurry of activity as she visualized how he would kiss her. How gentle and kind he would be at first, but soon his own needs would come out. Needs that would damned his lover and full satisfaction from her.

Norma felt herself suddenly climax in a way she didn't understand. Her body too overstimulated and hot. Her fingers unable to touch herself now that everything was so sensitive and alert.

She pulled her shirt back down and could feel everything relax. Her imaginary lover kissing her and telling her how beautiful she was.

Norma let out a slight groan, slipped off her now damn panties and went to take a quick shower.

~ Fanny must have come home late last night and fixed herself something to eat. She'd once again left the kitchen a mess after Norma had cleaned up.

Norma looked distastefully at the half empty pizza box in the fridge, the jar of pickles and some microwave burritos in the freezer. Her mother was a huge fan of junk food. It was like she was still a teenager the way she would constantly snack on potato chips and never ate anything of substance. Fanny Calhoun wasn't the type to stock the kitchen with fresh fruit and if Norma hadn't taken it upon herself to eat better, she would end up feeling and looking as sick and bloated as her mother did.

Norma tore out a page from her notebook and scribbled that she would be home late because she now had an after school job. She glanced at her mother snoring away. Her dirty laundry still scattered all over her and the new rabbit fur coat she'd somehow acquired already looking dirty, was tossed on the floor.

'I'll have to do laundry.' Norma thought bitterly and wondered where she could find a decent laundromat.

She balled up her note and threw it away. Fanny wouldn't notice she wasn't there. She came home past 3am anyway and what was the point of telling her mother she had a job? So the older woman could steal from her the way she always did?

Norma grabbed her backpack and coat and headed for the door.

~ Alex almost missed Norma's hasty exit from the old newspaper building and had to call out for her to stop

"Norma!" he said sensing if she moved any faster, she'd be running. She looked nice today. Her trademark color of any shade of blue was apparent in an oversized cable knit sweater. It was the kind of look that made it seem she'd stolen it from a boyfriend but on her, it looked charming.

She turned around and saw him, her face lovely in the morning, but soon becoming suspicious as he approached.

"Where were you yesterday?" she accused sharply. Alex paused. He wasn't used to girls being so blunt with him and Norma wasn't the type to waste her time flirting.

Still though, he found he was a little smitten by how honest she was. Normally, girls would put up an act to try and win him over. Try to be everything they thought he wanted. Norma didn't seem to want to play such games.

"I had a family thing. An emergency." he said softly.

Her eyes grew soft.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked with honest concern.

Alex tried to brush off his mother's latest problem as though it were nothing.

"Everything is fine." he lied. He found it was hard to look at her and lie. Her face seemed to demand he tell her the truth, so he looked at the new Sheriff's station instead.

"My dad's new office." he said trying to feebly distract the conversation.

Norma didn't seem to care about the new offices.

"Oh." she said not looking at the building that would slowly fill up with deputies in the next few weeks.

"I wanted to take you to school. We have lots of time if you want to drive around." he offered and waved to the station wagon.

She looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded.

Alex had taken the time to clean out his car last night so Norma would have a place to sit. She seemed the type of person who hated any kind of a mess and Alex wasn't the neatest person. But she seemed happy to not have to walk to school.

"It's not raining." she said simply when she got in beside him.

"We might have a few warm spells before fall really kicks in." he told her feeling stupid for making such small talk.

He pulled out into the town square.

"Sorry I wasn't there to take you home yesterday." he told her.

"It's alright." Norma said looking at the downtown area with interest now that it wasn't raining. Alex made sure he drove a little slower so she would have a chance to see the buildings and shops.

"Well, I'm also sorry for…" he said awkwardly.

"For what?" she asked. Her backpack clutched tightly to her chest and she wouldn't stop starting at him with those impossibly soft eyes of hers.

Alex felt a little nervous. It was a new sensation for him to feel nervous in front of a girl like this.

"For hitting on you yesterday." he explained. "You were right. You're new, you don't need that kind of attention."

Norma looked away from him and strait ahead.

"Oh." she said simply.

"It was rude of me." he explained and she didn't argue.

"Anyway." he said after a long pause. "I… still want to drive you to school. People will think we're going out or something and… I don't know." he finished feebly.

"People will think I'm your girlfriend and not try to hit on me?" she asked.

"Maybe." he said trying to force a laugh. Why was everything suddenly so awkward and strange?

He was worried she'd be mad at him but she was smiling.

"Unless you want to go out with George Heldens." he said sadly.

Norma shook her head and Alex felt the pressure in his chest ease.

"Let's go out after school today." he said. "Just a movie and coffee, no pressure."

Norma looked thoughtful.
"I… I got a job yesterday. I'll be doing some babysitting everyday after school." she told him. Alex could tell she wasn't making an excuse. That she wanted to see him, but was obligated somewhere else.
"That was fast." Alex tried to laugh feeling embarrassed. "Where?"

"Some business man named Nick Ford. It's his daughter." she clarified.

The name sounded familiar and Alex remembered his father talking about someone named Nick Ford over the phone.

"He's new in town to." Alex said sadly.

Norma nodded.

"He's a friend of George and Christine's parents. Christine helped me get the job and George drove me out there yesterday." she explained.

Alex nodded. He'd never noticed George Heldens before, but suddenly hated him.

"Well, maybe Saturday?" Alex asked.

Norma looked dubious.

"We have rehearsals for the play on Saturday." she said. "Then I'm helping Christine with her campaign."

"Sunday." Alex said with determination.

He saw a faint smile flight across her lips and knew he'd won.

They were driving up to the school now and he saw the curious looks from people he'd known all his life.

"Sunday." she said with a faint blush coming to her cheeks.

"I'll take you to your babysitting job after school to." he promised quickly. He wasn't going to let someone like George Heldens swoop in half the time.

"You don't have to." she said quickly.

"No, I want to." he interrupted. "I'll meet you here right after the bell rings."

Norma glanced back at him and he saw her cheeks were brightly pink.

"Fine." she relented and got out of the car.

~ Norma was acutely aware that she was now the subject of much interest in school. Today marked the second time in a row Alex had driven her to school and it hadn't gone unnoticed. She was receiving curious looks from her peers in the hallway.

George had apparently heard the gossip and seemed spurned by the scandalous situation. He left Norma to dance with Maggie in class while he found another, more willing, partner.

"So." Maggie said as Norma practiced leading for once. "Everyone says you're Alex's girlfriend."

"I'm not." Norma said trying to keep pace with the music. She didn't like this line of questioning and found the whole thing embarrassing.

Yet, she was a little flattered that Alex had given her so much attention. That he'd shown up at her home that morning. Almost as if she'd willed him to be there with her dreams.

"He doesn't drive anyone else around town." Maggie pointed out stiffly and avoided eye contact with her partner now.

Norma had a suspicion that Maggie must have carried a candle for Alex for a while now.

"It's just because I'm new." Norma tried to argue.

"Well, stop it." Maggie warned. "You have George Heldens upset about it and it's very petty to come in here and play games with two boys who like you."

Norma was about to argue with her. She wasn't doing this on purpose and didn't want Maggie or anyone else to think she was playing games. The teacher called for a change of partners and Maggie left. George quickly slinking in her place.
"Hi." Norma said irritably.
"Hi." George responded.

They danced in silence for a while. Norma feeling stiff and unlovable as George, who'd obviously been practicing, moved her around.

"I have to ask." George finally said. "Am I wasting my time with you? I just, I don't want to embarrass myself if you want to be with someone else."

Norma felt her heart break a little. She didn't like George that way. Her heart didn't flutter wildly and her stomach didn't do backflips for him. She didn't feel that rush of happiness with him the way she felt when Alex drove her to school that morning.

"I don't want to be with anyone." Norma lied. She wanted to be with Alex. Wanted to have their Sunday date and wanted to sing it on the mountain tops. But she kept restrained. She didn't want George to think she was teasing him for sport.
"Alex-" George pointed out.

"I told him the same thing." she said honestly. "He says he just wants to be friends. That's all."

"Men like him never want to be just friends with a girl like you."

Norma pulled away from him.

"A girl like me?" she said sharply. A harsh image flooded her mind and she could see how George must really see her. A cheap and easy girl from a Florida trailer park. A girl who would eventually end up like her mother, never aspire to anything and with no morals. Who dressed in a rabbit fur coat and leather pants far too young for her real age. Someone he could practice on and laugh about later.
"What do you mean a girl like me?" she dared him.

George looked innocently lost and confused.

"A nice girl." he shrugged helplessly. "You know, a pretty girl."

They had stopped dancing and George realized he'd said something wrong.

"I'm sorry." he apologized although it was clear he didn't know what he'd said to upset her.

Norma took a second to breathe. No one here knew what she'd been back in Florida. They didn't know she was pretending to be something she wasn't.

"No, I just… you're right I don't want the attention. From anyone." she clarified and allowed George to slip his hands into hers so they could dance again.

"Still friends?" George laughed nervously.

Norma tried to smile but it didn't feel as real now. She felt wounded and couldn't explain why.