Chapter 8
Serena didn't even need to read his mind to know that was the kind of look he was trying to achieve. Wanting to tease him a little bit, she let go of her facials for a second, and smiled. "You like being a voyeur huh?"
He grinned at her taunt, and tilted his head boyishly. "It's a nice role to play."
Cocking an eyebrow, she said, "I bet."
Without another word, he lifted the camera, and her lids dropped again. He took more pictures, several of them suggestive, others simply erotic. Under normal circumstances, she would feel embarrassed and uncomfortable in such a provocative situation. But these weren't normal circumstances, and instead of discomfort, she felt...turned on. As the camera rewound, he dropped it, blinked, and asked, "Are we ready for the beach now?"
Serena nodded, then packed up the blanket and squirt bottle as Stanton gathered the rest of the articles. He escorted them to his car, and they drove to Venice beach. When they got there, it was near sunset. Perfect scenery for pictures. They had a repeat cession of the park, Stanton in several sexy poses: Facing the ocean, waist deep in wet jeans and salt water with his back to the sunset, a come-hither look in his eyes; him sitting on his hip with one hand on the blanket and the other one on his bent knee; plus many more.
Then he took the camera from her again, and took shots of her. The first was a close-up with her head and hair damp; one a reverse pose of the first picture he took at the park, sitting on the blanket, looking over her shoulder at him through the lens; her hands tugging the waist band of her sweats low enough to see the panty line, her eyes staring at him lustfully; and finally one of her jumping into the ocean mid-dive. Finally, they sat together in the blanket, snuggled against each other to keep themselves warm. His arms were around her waist, and their fingers locked together in their lap. The pose was so intimate, and they had two pictures left in the camera.
She set the timer, then sat with him again, and the click of a camera blended with the sound of wind and waves. "So, have you decided about Europe yet? Not to nag."
She smiled at his instant gesture to defend himself, even though he didn't need to. "I figured that maybe I could spend maybe two weeks with you, and then come home. If that's alright."
He pressed a kiss to her temple, his chest pressing to her back, and whispered, "Of course it is." Then he kissed her on the lips, and she turned around to feel more of him, the blanket slipped away, chilling her arms. She shuddered. He wrapped his warm arms around her, caressed her, let out a primal groan, then yanked her on top of him. Her arms flailed out, and she accidentally set the timer on the camera. She didn't hear or care. Her arms wrapped around him, and she arched her body to his, a fire of need burning her blood. His grip tightened, and one hand even slid to her butt, squeezing and kneading. She moaned, and pressed her mouth closer to his. The camera clicked, catching them in an act of intimate bliss.
Serena handed over the folder with pictures to Mrs. Bunshue, and she accepted it with a smile. It was Thursday, 3:00. Choosing those pictures of Stanton was the hardest thing she'd ever done, but she managed it.
The first picture was the one with him sitting on the blanket at the beach; the next had his elbow on his knee, staring into the sky at a profile angle. The last picture was when he leaned against the tree, his hands shoved in his pockets, showing the HANES logo on his underwear.
Mrs. Bunshue looked unusually thoughtful and often switched from the pictures to thorough report Serena had made. Her thin glasses reflected the two page paper.
"So...do I get the credit?" she asked meekly.
Mrs. Bunshue exhaled slowly, then smiled up at Serena. "Well, I don't mind telling you that when I first heard that your boyfriend was going to be your model, I was a little skeptical. But you managed to prove me wrong. These pictures are done very well, and they're perfectly appropriate for school. And the report you've done is very detailed. So, you definitely get full credit." To prove her point, she pulled out a red marker, and wrote on a post-it note, 'Serena Killingsworth, E.C.' she handed Serena the folder.
"Have a great weekend Serena."
Serena's broad smile spread to a grin as she left the photography room. "You too."
When she got outside, she felt a strange disturbance in the air. Very strange. She checked her amulet, and sure enough, it was shining brightly from its place at her chest. A push of wind came up behind her, but as she spun around to see who it was, all she saw was La Brea High. Another push of wind came to her, but this time it touched her cheek; soft and insisting, just like a kiss.
She backed up, gripped her bag like a weapon, and felt her power grow; from her core, all the way to her fingertips. "Who's there?" she demanded.
"Sorry for scaring you," answered a familiar voice.
Serena just barely lightened her grip on her bag. "St-Stanton? Is that you?"
"In the flesh. In a second." The wind pushed at her feet, and as she looked down, she saw two black shoes forming in front of her. Pieces of Stanton slid into place, one at a time, until finally, she was staring right into his blue eyes.
Serena looked around, but saw no one. "Vanessa with you?" she asked.
Stanton shook his head, a hint of a self-satisfied gleam in his eyes. "Rachel was going through the spell book, and she found a spell for invisibility. Though I'd try it out. I didn't mean to alarm you though."
Blinking, Serena adjusted her bag, and smiled. "Well, does this mean that my transportation isn't your car?"
Stanton chuckled, took her hand, and walked. "No. Sorry about that, but invisibility is a new trick, I don't want to risk anything with you." She smiled at his consideration, and allowed him to open his car door for her.
"How'd we do on that project?" Stanton asked curiously when he got inside.
With a broad smile, Serena set her bag on his floor, then turned to him. "Full credit. Thanks to you." He smiled at her, and drove the car out of the parking lot. He said nothing else, so Serena watched the scenery as he drove to her house. There was something else that she needed to tell him, but the problem was that she wasn't sure if she could tell him this late in the game. 'Would you just tell me already? You've kept me in suspense since Wednesday.' She blinked, and paused.
"I...I've decided not to go. To Europe. I like your idea, but I think that we'll get over it much easier if we spend the time apart rather than together. If you ask me, we'd have more time to come to our senses. If I went, we'd run the risk of a fight. If I didn't, I'd miss you, but I'd get over it, and when you came back, our relationship would get back to what normal was." She closed her eyes, bracing for his response.
"Alright. Seems logical enough." She blinked. Alright, but she still had more to say.
"But if I get to missing you too bad, I might call you up sometime." Her words rushed out of her mouth. "But I hope it doesn't get that bad. I mean I can't spend two minutes with you anymore without wanting you to jump my bones." Serena's eyes widened and her face turned bright red.
He said nothing for a few seconds, then let out a stifled snicker. The stifled snicker turned into a chuckle, then a burst of laughter. She wanted to disappear right into her seat. "You'll excuse me if I take that as a compliment?" he asked between chuckles.
"Sure." she stated, her face heating even more, if that were possible.
"If it makes you feel any better, I can't spend two minutes with you without being delightfully happy to jump your bones." Serena's eyes widened, and she finally turned to him. He turned to her, grinned, and put his car in park. She looked once more at her house. Hoping not to repeat history, she opened the door, grabbed her bag, thanked him, and went inside. Maybe going to Planet Bang would shake off her embarrassment.
Jimena came to pick her up at 7:30, dressed in a black tank top underneath an over-sized tee that showed one graceful shoulder, tucked into tight black pants, and brown boots. Silver bracelets dangled on her wrists.
"Hi." Serena said from her place at the vanity, trying to adjust her eyeliner.
Jimena smiled. "New stuff?" Grinning, Serena dropped the eyeliner. She had a violet spaghetti strap with black lining, a dark leather skirt, and knee-high boots. It was all brand new, except for the boots that she borrowed from Catty.
Serena shrugged. "Yup. Nothing fancy." And Jimena drove them to Planet Bang. The line was unbelievably short, but Serena wasn't about to complain.
"Hey!" Vanessa shouted. Serena spun around, and smiled brightly when she saw Catty, Tianna, and Vanessa all pull up in Vanessa's mustang. Jimena and Serena waved at them as they walked out and rushed over.
Vanessa wore a blue tube top, white Capri's with a brown tie-belt, and white pumps. Catty had a lime mini, pale yellow pants, and green flip-flops. Finally, Tianna dressed in a flame red tank top with ruffles on the sleeves, an orange skirt, and gel strap peach high heels. "What's up?" Catty asked eagerly.
"No mucho." Jimena said.
Vanessa smiled in relief. "Looks like I wont have to sing so much tonight."
Serena was curious, but she was ushered inside before she could ask. They all began to dance, swaying hips, and laughing. She did her usual routine with the girls until her amulet began to glow unusually bright for Planet Bang, so she turned; and found Stanton, Rachel, and Tymmie all staring at her.
Serena didn't even need to read his mind to know that was the kind of look he was trying to achieve. Wanting to tease him a little bit, she let go of her facials for a second, and smiled. "You like being a voyeur huh?"
He grinned at her taunt, and tilted his head boyishly. "It's a nice role to play."
Cocking an eyebrow, she said, "I bet."
Without another word, he lifted the camera, and her lids dropped again. He took more pictures, several of them suggestive, others simply erotic. Under normal circumstances, she would feel embarrassed and uncomfortable in such a provocative situation. But these weren't normal circumstances, and instead of discomfort, she felt...turned on. As the camera rewound, he dropped it, blinked, and asked, "Are we ready for the beach now?"
Serena nodded, then packed up the blanket and squirt bottle as Stanton gathered the rest of the articles. He escorted them to his car, and they drove to Venice beach. When they got there, it was near sunset. Perfect scenery for pictures. They had a repeat cession of the park, Stanton in several sexy poses: Facing the ocean, waist deep in wet jeans and salt water with his back to the sunset, a come-hither look in his eyes; him sitting on his hip with one hand on the blanket and the other one on his bent knee; plus many more.
Then he took the camera from her again, and took shots of her. The first was a close-up with her head and hair damp; one a reverse pose of the first picture he took at the park, sitting on the blanket, looking over her shoulder at him through the lens; her hands tugging the waist band of her sweats low enough to see the panty line, her eyes staring at him lustfully; and finally one of her jumping into the ocean mid-dive. Finally, they sat together in the blanket, snuggled against each other to keep themselves warm. His arms were around her waist, and their fingers locked together in their lap. The pose was so intimate, and they had two pictures left in the camera.
She set the timer, then sat with him again, and the click of a camera blended with the sound of wind and waves. "So, have you decided about Europe yet? Not to nag."
She smiled at his instant gesture to defend himself, even though he didn't need to. "I figured that maybe I could spend maybe two weeks with you, and then come home. If that's alright."
He pressed a kiss to her temple, his chest pressing to her back, and whispered, "Of course it is." Then he kissed her on the lips, and she turned around to feel more of him, the blanket slipped away, chilling her arms. She shuddered. He wrapped his warm arms around her, caressed her, let out a primal groan, then yanked her on top of him. Her arms flailed out, and she accidentally set the timer on the camera. She didn't hear or care. Her arms wrapped around him, and she arched her body to his, a fire of need burning her blood. His grip tightened, and one hand even slid to her butt, squeezing and kneading. She moaned, and pressed her mouth closer to his. The camera clicked, catching them in an act of intimate bliss.
Serena handed over the folder with pictures to Mrs. Bunshue, and she accepted it with a smile. It was Thursday, 3:00. Choosing those pictures of Stanton was the hardest thing she'd ever done, but she managed it.
The first picture was the one with him sitting on the blanket at the beach; the next had his elbow on his knee, staring into the sky at a profile angle. The last picture was when he leaned against the tree, his hands shoved in his pockets, showing the HANES logo on his underwear.
Mrs. Bunshue looked unusually thoughtful and often switched from the pictures to thorough report Serena had made. Her thin glasses reflected the two page paper.
"So...do I get the credit?" she asked meekly.
Mrs. Bunshue exhaled slowly, then smiled up at Serena. "Well, I don't mind telling you that when I first heard that your boyfriend was going to be your model, I was a little skeptical. But you managed to prove me wrong. These pictures are done very well, and they're perfectly appropriate for school. And the report you've done is very detailed. So, you definitely get full credit." To prove her point, she pulled out a red marker, and wrote on a post-it note, 'Serena Killingsworth, E.C.' she handed Serena the folder.
"Have a great weekend Serena."
Serena's broad smile spread to a grin as she left the photography room. "You too."
When she got outside, she felt a strange disturbance in the air. Very strange. She checked her amulet, and sure enough, it was shining brightly from its place at her chest. A push of wind came up behind her, but as she spun around to see who it was, all she saw was La Brea High. Another push of wind came to her, but this time it touched her cheek; soft and insisting, just like a kiss.
She backed up, gripped her bag like a weapon, and felt her power grow; from her core, all the way to her fingertips. "Who's there?" she demanded.
"Sorry for scaring you," answered a familiar voice.
Serena just barely lightened her grip on her bag. "St-Stanton? Is that you?"
"In the flesh. In a second." The wind pushed at her feet, and as she looked down, she saw two black shoes forming in front of her. Pieces of Stanton slid into place, one at a time, until finally, she was staring right into his blue eyes.
Serena looked around, but saw no one. "Vanessa with you?" she asked.
Stanton shook his head, a hint of a self-satisfied gleam in his eyes. "Rachel was going through the spell book, and she found a spell for invisibility. Though I'd try it out. I didn't mean to alarm you though."
Blinking, Serena adjusted her bag, and smiled. "Well, does this mean that my transportation isn't your car?"
Stanton chuckled, took her hand, and walked. "No. Sorry about that, but invisibility is a new trick, I don't want to risk anything with you." She smiled at his consideration, and allowed him to open his car door for her.
"How'd we do on that project?" Stanton asked curiously when he got inside.
With a broad smile, Serena set her bag on his floor, then turned to him. "Full credit. Thanks to you." He smiled at her, and drove the car out of the parking lot. He said nothing else, so Serena watched the scenery as he drove to her house. There was something else that she needed to tell him, but the problem was that she wasn't sure if she could tell him this late in the game. 'Would you just tell me already? You've kept me in suspense since Wednesday.' She blinked, and paused.
"I...I've decided not to go. To Europe. I like your idea, but I think that we'll get over it much easier if we spend the time apart rather than together. If you ask me, we'd have more time to come to our senses. If I went, we'd run the risk of a fight. If I didn't, I'd miss you, but I'd get over it, and when you came back, our relationship would get back to what normal was." She closed her eyes, bracing for his response.
"Alright. Seems logical enough." She blinked. Alright, but she still had more to say.
"But if I get to missing you too bad, I might call you up sometime." Her words rushed out of her mouth. "But I hope it doesn't get that bad. I mean I can't spend two minutes with you anymore without wanting you to jump my bones." Serena's eyes widened and her face turned bright red.
He said nothing for a few seconds, then let out a stifled snicker. The stifled snicker turned into a chuckle, then a burst of laughter. She wanted to disappear right into her seat. "You'll excuse me if I take that as a compliment?" he asked between chuckles.
"Sure." she stated, her face heating even more, if that were possible.
"If it makes you feel any better, I can't spend two minutes with you without being delightfully happy to jump your bones." Serena's eyes widened, and she finally turned to him. He turned to her, grinned, and put his car in park. She looked once more at her house. Hoping not to repeat history, she opened the door, grabbed her bag, thanked him, and went inside. Maybe going to Planet Bang would shake off her embarrassment.
Jimena came to pick her up at 7:30, dressed in a black tank top underneath an over-sized tee that showed one graceful shoulder, tucked into tight black pants, and brown boots. Silver bracelets dangled on her wrists.
"Hi." Serena said from her place at the vanity, trying to adjust her eyeliner.
Jimena smiled. "New stuff?" Grinning, Serena dropped the eyeliner. She had a violet spaghetti strap with black lining, a dark leather skirt, and knee-high boots. It was all brand new, except for the boots that she borrowed from Catty.
Serena shrugged. "Yup. Nothing fancy." And Jimena drove them to Planet Bang. The line was unbelievably short, but Serena wasn't about to complain.
"Hey!" Vanessa shouted. Serena spun around, and smiled brightly when she saw Catty, Tianna, and Vanessa all pull up in Vanessa's mustang. Jimena and Serena waved at them as they walked out and rushed over.
Vanessa wore a blue tube top, white Capri's with a brown tie-belt, and white pumps. Catty had a lime mini, pale yellow pants, and green flip-flops. Finally, Tianna dressed in a flame red tank top with ruffles on the sleeves, an orange skirt, and gel strap peach high heels. "What's up?" Catty asked eagerly.
"No mucho." Jimena said.
Vanessa smiled in relief. "Looks like I wont have to sing so much tonight."
Serena was curious, but she was ushered inside before she could ask. They all began to dance, swaying hips, and laughing. She did her usual routine with the girls until her amulet began to glow unusually bright for Planet Bang, so she turned; and found Stanton, Rachel, and Tymmie all staring at her.