Monday morning. Lynn Loud sat on the back porch and keyed the McBride's home phone number into her cell, faint butterfly wings tickling the inside of her stomach. It was a bright, still day, golden rays of warm sunshine trickling through the treetops, and she had been up since just before dawn rehearsing what she was going to say. She didn't know if Clyde would be interested, or if he would even be available. Part of her hoped he would be...but another part hoped that he wouldn't; she wasn't one to be anxious, but here, now, dialing the number, she was.

She put the phone to her ear and let it ring five times, her hands shaking. She was just about to give in and hang up when a male voice filled the line. "McBride residence."

Lynn opened her mouth to speak, but her voice cracked. "Uh, is Clyde there?"

"Yes. Hold on."

For a few long moments the line was silent, then Clyde spoke, his firm voice edged with wariness. "Hello?"

"H-Hey, Clyde," she said, "it's Lynn. Lynn Loud."

"Oh," he said, warming but still bemused. "How's it going?"

"Good. I was just wondering" – here she rubbed the back of her neck – "if you'd want to hang with me and Amber later. We got a game and we, uh, we need a third person."

A long, thoughtful silence followed. Lynn's heart pounded. "Sure, why not? I'm not very good at sports but I'll try."

"That's okay," she said, her throat constricting. "It's easy."

"Alright. What time?"

"Noon?"

"Yeah, that works."

"Alright. Meet us by the playground in the park."

"Okay," he said. "See ya."

"Bye."

She hung up the phone and drew a heavy sigh. Well, that was done. All that was left was to actually do him: She didn't know if that was the easy part or the hard part.

Trying to decide, she got up and went into the kitchen. Leni was standing in front of the stove and humming, the sound of popping grease and the smell of bacon filling the kitchen. A plate laden with crispy brown strips sat by the sink. Lynn thought briefly of sneaking up and taking one, but that talk about stabbing people and shit yesterday kind of creeped her out. She loved her sister dearly, but it wasn't all that long ago that Leni choked Luan unconscious, and would have killed her if Lori hadn't walked in. Where paranoia lurked, there was always the capability of violence.

Lynn started for the living room just as Lori came in, yawning. Her hair was sticking out and dark bags hung under her eyes. "Hey," she said absently to Lynn, then stopped, sniffing the air. She turned, and Leni smiled at her. "Hi, Lori!"

"It's literally the butt crack of dawn...and you're cooking."

Leni shrugged. "My family needs breakfast."

Lori opened her mouth but stopped. "True. I'm sure as hell not going to make it."

"You look like you should probably go back to bed," Leni said seriously.

"Can't sleep," Lori said, opening the fridge and reaching in; she took out a glass of orange juice.

Upstairs, Lynn sat on her bed and shot a text to Amber. Under the covers, Lucy stirred and muttered in her sleep. Last night, they saw Dark as Night, and the vampire in it was so scary even Lynn walked out with an elevated heartrate. Though Lucy fancied herself an aficionado of the macabre, she was so scared she spent more time looking away from the screen than at it. Amber texted back, and shortly Lucy woke, rubbing her head.

"Bad dream?" Lynn asked.

"No," Lucy lied. Lynn knew she was lying because she said it too quickly, and she had a bad habit of doing that when she was lying. She and Lynn had been roommates their entire lives; to her, Lucy was an open book, as she was to Lucy.

"Remember when the vampire broke the kitchen window and crawled through like a spider?" Lynn asked mischievously. "And his face was all rotted and dead...?"

Was it Lynn's imagination, or did a chill run through Lucy. "That part was awesome." This time she ran her words together, another thing she did when she wasn't telling the truth.

Downstairs, Lynn ate her breakfast while mom and dad praised Leni's initiative. Lynn didn't know about that, but she did know that the food was on point. "Where'd you learn to cook?" Lynn asked. "I remember when you used to burn water."

Leni laughed and waved her hand. "You're silly, Lynn. I never burned water, that was Lori who burned water."

Everyone chuckled as Lori looked up from her plate. It was true. One time she made beans and franks, but it was more like beans and rank (good one, Lynn, Lynn told herself). Waaaaay too much garlic.

"That's another reason I don't make breakfast for you guys," Lori said, "you got jokes." She forked a piece of egg and lifted it to her mouth, but it dropped, splattering her shirt yellow.

"And you got yokes," Lynn said.

"Okay, Luan," Lori blurted. Everyone looked uncomfortable and the atmosphere, light and airy just moments ago, clouded with darkness.

When breakfast was over, Lynn volunteered to wash the dishes, and Lucy offered to dry. They stood side-by-side at the sink, one with a sponge, the other with a dish towel.

"Do you think they'll come back on their own?" Lucy asked as she dried a plate. She didn't look up.

"I don't know," Lynn said at length. "I mean...maybe." She certainly didn't see them never coming back. She also didn't see them rushing back any time soon unless something bad happened. Not only was their love forbidden, they had stolen a lot of money and the van. The shame from that alone, when it set it, would probably be enough to keep them away for a long time.

That made her chest hurt.

"I hope they do," Lucy said. "I know Lincoln and Luan weren't really themselves before they left, but I still miss them. And...mom said they could be together...so things will go back to the way they used to be, right?"

Lynn sighed. "Maybe."

Lucy gave her a sidelong look. She and Lynn had been roommates their entire lives. Lynn was an open book to her, as she was to Lynn; Lynn had a bad habit of sighing before a lie...

Lincoln carried the bags to the van while Luan showered. The day was bright and already hot at 8am; across the highway, a flat field dotted with trees stretched into forever, hazy dust hanging over it.

The parking lot was fuller than it had been the night before. He saw a black Altima, a white Chevy Titan, and a green Jeep, its nose facing him. He wondered how much business a place like this got. Sure, it was right on the interstate, but there was literally nothing for miles in any direction. Except Des Moines, and that didn't really count for much, did it?

Inside, he sank onto the bed and stared at the TV. Good Morning America was on. Robert Irvine, with his massive, bulging arms, was demonstrating how to make some fancy dish that most normal people would never taste, and some blonde floozy with a fake smile permanently plastered to her face nodded and looked from the food to the camera and back again in an endless cycle of gaping amazement.

The shower cut off, and a minute later, Luan came out, a towel wrapped around her body. Lincoln looked at her, and nodded appreciatively. "You're gonna make me horny walking around like that."

"Oh?" she asked, a playful hilt to her voice. "Should I lose the towel?" She bent one knee to the side and put her hands on her hips.

"At your own risk."

The towel hit the floor, pooling around her feet. Lincoln's eyes instantly went to the V pointing down her stomach to her sex, his tongue flicking across his lower lip. She strutted over to him and sat in his lap, putting her arms around his neck and leaning close. "You know I just took a shower, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you want to get me all dirty?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

She ran her fingertips through his hair, her eyes wide and filled with love.

Then she shoved him back and mounted him. "You better make this quick, Lincoln Loud. We gotta go." She winked.

"I can be quick," he said, "what about you?"

"Wanna race?"

"Uh...okay." He unzipped his pants and pulled them and his underwear down in one yank. Luan shifted her hips and sheathed him in her hot, sultry channel; she bit her lips and stared sexily down at him. "Squeeze the fuck out of my tits."

"Okay." He reached up, grabbed both of her tits, and squeezed as hard as he could as she began to rock.

"Pinch my nipples."

He did, and she yelped, rocking faster, her slick walls pulsating against him. A part of him wanted to get her off...but a part of him wanted to cum first...what should he do?

Fuck it. She said it was a race.

He shot his arms under her shoulders, drew her close, and kissed her, the taste of her mouth, the clean smell of her hair, and the violent gyrating of her hips combining to push him over the edge: He shot deep into her, widening until he strained against her. She gasped into his mouth as her body seized, her muscles tightening around his throbbing penis.

He broke the kiss and whispered in her ear, "I win."

"Fuck you," she chuckled and pushed herself up.

In fifteen minutes, she was dressed in a blue romper that bared her shoulders and came down her legs just far enough that you couldn't see what was between them. "Where'd you get that?" he asked.

"Leni gave it to me when she left for Chicago." She sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair. "I never wore it because...I don't know...I guess...it felt too happy, you know? And I wasn't happy."

Lincoln's heart broke. He put his arms around her shoulders from behind and kissed her neck. "You look sexy in it."

"Thank you. I want to look sexy for you."

"You could wear a burlap sack and still be sexy, but this is good too."

She finished brushing her hair and started to put it in a ponytail, but Lincoln stopped her. "No, leave it down. It looks really good."

She looked at him. Her hair, so soft and full, spilled down her shoulders, framing her face like a wedding veil. "You think so?"

He nodded, his heart plodding. "I am dumbfounded by your beauty."

"No, you're just dumb," she laughed, and kissed his cheek. "Come on. Let's get started. I wanna get out of Iowa today."

Outside, they climbed into the van, Luan taking his hand in hers. "I don't know how much more of this my butt can handle."

"The seat...or my dick?" Lincoln asked slyly.

"The seat."

Lincoln shrugged. "It's going to have to take a lot. It's a big country. Lot of open roads between here and Cali."

Luan sighed. "I know. That's the problem."

She threw the van into reverse, backed out of the spot, and drove onto the highway. Behind them, a green Jeep Grand Cherokee pulled out of its spot and followed...

Lynn met Amber at the end of her street. She was wearing a pair of gym shorts, tennis shoes, and a simple black T-shirt...a simple outfit Lynn thought, but she still looked sexy as hell. When Lynn saw her, she grinned and waved. "Hey, babe," Amber said, and they kissed, sharing a smile between them. "You ready for this?"

Lynn sighed. "Yeah."

"You're nervous, huh?"

Lynn shook her head, and Amber put her hands on her hips. "Come on, Loud, we've been together three years. I know you. You're nervous."

Lynn rolled her eyes. I'm an open book to Lucy and Amber, I guess. "Yes. I'm nervous."

Amber clapped Lynn on the arm. "It's okay. I'm nervous too."

Hand-in-hand, they started for the park. In the past few hours, the temperature had risen, and the heat of the day was almost uncomfortable. By the time they reached their destination, Lynn's brow and palm were both sweaty. A gang of kids played on the equipment, squealing with laughter. She scanned the sidewalk, and saw Clyde sitting on a bench, his legs crossed at the ankles and his arms resting on the bench's back. When he caught sight of them, he nodded.

"Hey, Lynn," he said.

"Hey," she said. Realizing he had never been introduced to Amber, she said, "this is my girlfriend, Amber."

"Nice to meet you," he said.

"You too."

An awkward silence followed. "So...what's this game you guys wanna play?"

"Well...actually, we're gonna head back to Amber's place and play," Lynn said, hoping her voice sounded as smooth and free of nerves to him (and Amber) as it did to her.

Clyde shrugged. "Alright." He got up and stretched. "Lead the way."

They walked three across down the sidewalk, Lynn letting go of Amber's hand because, seriously, the sweat was starting to get gross. A not entirely easy silence hung over them. Lynn racked her brain for something to say.

Thankfully, Clyde spoke first. "So, how's Lincoln?"

The mention of her brother's name sent a ripple of pain through her chest. It made sense that he didn't know, but for some reason Lynn expected him to. "Well...he and Luan ran away on Saturday."

"What?" Clyde asked, whipping his head around.

Lynn nodded. "They took the van."

"You're shitting me." His eyes were wide and his jaw slack.

Lynn shook her head.

"Wow," he said. "Why'd they do it?"

"I-I can't really say. Just don't worry about it."

Clyde started to speak, but inferred from the pained expression on Lynn's face that dropping it really would be best.

"So, Clyde," Amber said, "what do you like to do?"

"Paintball," he said. "I'm big into paintball."

"Yeah?" Amber asked, a note of appreciation in her voice. "Paintball's fun. You have a crew?"

"Yeah, me and some guys from school go out two or three times a month. Sometimes we camp overnight. You know, make an event out of it."

"I always figured you were too soft for something like paintball," Lynn said, only half teasing.

He spread his arms. "Well, people change. I never thought I'd see you holding someone's hand, but here you are. Big bad Lynn Loud tamed at last."

Amber chuckled, and Lynn shot her a dirty look. "I'm not tamed."

"Oh...pussywhipped?"

Amber laughed out loud. "Yes, she is."

"I am not!" Lynn cried, her cheeks blushing.

"I have her wrapped around my little finger," Amber said, nudging Lynn in the ribs. "I say jump and she asks how high."

"Fuck you, bitch," Lynn said sullenly; she couldn't entirely suppress a smile, though. She was kind of pussywhipped. And she liked it.

They turned onto Amber's street. Her house was the fifth one down, the yard enclosed by a chain-link fence. In the living room, Amber shut the door and Clyde looked around. "An old woman lives here, doesn't she? Or is it a gay man?"

"My grandma," Amber said, kicking her shoes off. Lynn did likewise.

"My dads have similar tastes."

"You have two dads?" Amber asked.

"Yeah. I mean...they obviously aren't my real parents, I'm adopted, but...yeah, they're my dads and I love them."

"That's cool." She gave Lynn a sidelong glance and nodded toward her room. Lynn nodded.

"This way, Clyde," Lynn said, and Clyde followed.

In Amber's room, Clyde stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorframe. Amber went over to her desk and opened a drawer. Clyde did not see what she took out, but Lynn did: A condom.

"Have a seat, McBride," Amber said, nodding toward her bed, "you're making me nervous standing there like that."

Clyde shrugged and went over to the bed, sitting, his knees wide apart and his forearms resting on the tops of his thighs. Lynn remained standing, her stomach rolling with nerves.

"So what's this game? What do we need?"

"Well," Amber said, walking over to him, "we need a bat and two balls, but me and Lynn don't have the...necessary equipment. " Lynn's heart was starting to race. She suddenly wondered what Amber would look like as she rode him, and wanted to see very badly.

Clyde's brows furrowed. "What the hell kind of balls are you looking for? You have every ball known to man in - " his mouth snapped shut when Amber pushed him back and mounted him, her knees caging his legs. Her back arched and her butt pointed in the air. Lynn felt her loins beginning to stir.

"There's one kind of ball I don't have," Amber said, looking into his eyes. She ran her hand down his stomach and squeezed his crotch. He let out a shocked gasp. "I-I-I thought you and Lynn were..."

"We are," Amber nodded, "but we decided we wanted to...see what all the fuss is about. Right, babe?"

Lynn nodded.

"And hey, we're both still technically virgins. Might as well get that out of the way. Are you a virgin, Clyde?"

Clyde gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing furiously. His eyes were wide, stricken. "Uhh..."

"You are, aren't you?"

Hesitantly, Clyde nodded.

"Well, today's your lucky day, because you have two beautiful older women who want to have sex with you. Does that sound good, Clyde McBride?"

"Y-Yes."

Amber chuckled. "There's a catch though."

Clyde blinked. "W-What?"

Amber looked at Lynn. "My lovely girlfriend and I are competing with each other. The first one to make you cum gets bragging rights. The catch is: Don't cum with that bitch over there. Cum with me."

"Don't cum with her, she's the bitch," Lynn said.

Before Clyde could respond, Amber dipped down and unzipped his jeans. He was wearing black boxers: His pulsing member pushed against the fabric, making a sizeable tent. Amber looked over her shoulder at Lynn with an evil smile. She turned back to Clyde, hooked her fingers into his underwear, and dragged them down. His erection popped free, and Amber marveled at it, from the crowned head to the throbbing vein running down one side. She tentatively reached out and touched it. "It feels weird," she said. Lynn leaned forward to get a better look. It reminded her of a hairless rodent, and she crinkled her face.

"Here, Clyde," Amber said, tossing the condom onto his chest. "Safety first."

With trembling fingers, he ripped open the package and took out the condom. He rolled it down onto himself, but it didn't look right. "I think it's upside down," Amber said.

While Clyde rolled it the other way and fought to get it on, Amber stripped naked, a smile touching Lynn's lips. "You ready?" she asked.

"Yeah," Clyde said.

"I'm gonna make you a man, Clyde," Amber said exaggeratedly. She climbed onto him, and Lynn came over to the edge of the bed, kneeling down just as Amber sank onto his dick. His eyes widened and he drew a sharp intake of breath. A look of pleasure crossed Amber's face, and she let out a little sigh that made Lynn's loins ache. She leaned back and rolled her hips, her taunt stomach and perky breasts forming a sinfully beautiful mosaic. "You can play with my tits if you want," she said breathily.

Licking his lips, Clyde reached up and took her breasts in his hands. He rubbed them slowly, clumsily. Amber threw her head back and increased her speed. Lynn watched, enraptured, her breath coming in short gasps and the crotch of her panties dampening. Seeing her fuck from afar, Lynn was struck by how beautiful she was, how perfect and well-made. That's it, there must be a God, because creatures like Amber Paulson don't just happen.

Clyde was panting, his hands on Amber's hips. Lynn was so caught up in watching her girlfriend that she'd forgotten this was supposed to be a competition. She leaned close to Clyde's ear. "Don't you dare cum with her, I will whip your ass. I mean it, Clyde, don't cum with her."

Amber was rocking faster, faster, one hand threaded through her hair.

"Don't do it, Clyde."

Amber let out a small moan as she came, grinding herself roughly against Clyde. She stopped, sitting tall, her chest rising and falling. "Did you cum?" she asked, and Clyde shook his head.

She sighed. "Alright, you're up, Loud."

Lynn got up, yanked down her shorts and underwear, and waited for Amber to move so that she could mount Clyde. She maneuvered herself so that his head pressed against her opening. "You ready, McBride?" she asked.

Clyde nodded.

Lynn took a deep breath. Here goes. She lowered herself down slowly, the way a girl might lower herself into cold water; his tip parted her lips and sank into her, filling her and straining against the rippling panels of her slick shaft. He bottomed out, and she lifted herself up, her head cocked. It didn't feel much different from a dildo. That was disappointing.

She took him deep inside of her, then let herself fall forward, planting her arms on either side of him. Their faces were inches apart, his eyes wide. She grinned at him and slid her hips down, then up, down, then up, getting faster with each pass. Soon, she was slamming into him, the friction in her sex getting hotter and hotter until fire swept through her stomach. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her. Up and down, up and down, up and down. She could feel her climax approaching. Now she could stop it if she wanted to...now she couldn't; it was a train racing downhill.

Clyde hitched and cried out, his rod growing inside of her before bursting. She could feel his hot passion filling the condom. The sensation threw her into her own orgasm: She clenched her teeth and cried out, Clyde holding her close and jerking his hips spasmodically. Her body trembled as that train passed through her, then fell limp when it was gone.

For a moment she lay limply on top of him, then rolled onto her back; she and Clyde both fought to catch their breath.

"How was it?" Amber asked from the foot of the bed. She was wearing her T-shirt and her underwear.

"Fucking awesome," Clyde said.

"It was okay. Not a whole lot different from the toys."

"Yeah," Amber said, "I think it was the condom. You have to be skin-to-skin to get the full effect."

"You wanna do it again sometime?" Lynn asked.

Amber shrugged. "We could. I just had him put it on in case he came too soon, but, I mean, I'm kind of impressed he made it through both of us." She looked at Clyde. "You wanna do this again?"

"Totally," he said dreamily.

"Lynn?"

Lynn nodded. "Yeah. I wanna see how much different the real thing is."

"You get to come back for seconds, you lucky dog," Amber said, and whacked Clyde's leg. "I'm kind of pissed you came with her, though."

"Sorry," he said. "I-I used to have a thing for her. If that makes you feel any better."

Lynn's head whipped around. "What?"

Clyde looked at her, his face blushing. "Yeah. I had a crush on you."

"I thought you were into Lori."

Clyde shrugged. "What, a guy can't have two crushes at the same time?"

"Well, don't fall in love; I'm taken."

"Nah, I'm over it. The sex was good, though. With both of you."

"Thanks," Amber said. "You weren't too bad yourself. For a virgin. Move your hips a little more next time."

Clyde nodded. "If it gets me back in you guys' pants, I'll do whatever you tell me." He winked. "Now, I hate to cum and go, but..."

Failure. Queer. Piece of shit.

Wayne DiRosario stirred, a lightning bolt of pain snaking up his right leg. He winced and tried to move it, but it was heavy and limp.

Killers. Criminals. Getting away.

What happened? The last thing he remembered he was waiting to strike and...

...his eyes flew open. Bright morning sunshine flooded the Jeep. He sat up, hissing at the pain in his lower back, and put his hand to his aching head. Across from him, the van sat where it had the night before.

She put him to sleep with her vampire voodoo magic. Had to be. Damn it.

Seething, he threw the door open, got out, and pissed against the Jeep's back bumper. Done, he zipped up his pants and got back behind the wheel. He checked his watch; it was almost eight.

Failure. Fell asleep. Stupid.

"Shut up," he growled. "She put me to sleep."

This was getting out of hand. The more time passed, the more powerful she became. Soon, she would be able to kill him with a single thought. He had to end this. Today. Hell, now.

He reached for the M4, but froze when one of the doors along the motel walkway opened, and Lincoln and Mother came out. Mother was dressed extra slutty today in a short dress that left her shoulders bare. Lincoln's eyes crawled lasciviously over her sun-kissed skin. He looked up, and Wayne ducked down, his heart shooting into his throat. Lincoln must not have seen him, for he and Mother got into the van and backed out as though everything was right and normal in the world. Wayne waited until they were out of the parking lot before throwing the Jeep into drive and pulling out behind them. At the motel's entrance, he saw them approaching the highway. He couldn't let them get away again. If he did, Mother would gain strength and he would be done for.

Punching the accelerator, Wayne followed, pulling onto the highway three car-lengths behind, a red Subaru separating them. The trick to tailing a mark was to not let them know you were tailing them. In this case, he didn't have to worry about that because Mother already knew he was there. Still, old habits die hard. When he was on the Detroit police force, he was drilled with enhanced investigative techniques. He lived them, slept them, made love to them.

Hurry. Getting away. Killers. Mother. Lincoln.

"They're not getting away," Wayne said tightly, "I know what I'm doing."

Failure. Stupid. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Gritting his teeth, Wayne turned on the radio: A happy, up-tempo oldies song flooded from the speakers, and the voice fell silent. Wayne tapped the steering wheel as the highway curved, the van never leaving his sight. It pulled ahead, and he closed the gap, swerving around the Subaru, which honked at him. He felt good. It was almost over. As soon as they stopped, he'd grab the M4 and send them to hell with all the other killers. He flashed a sickly grin as he imagined their bodies jerking and spinning, bullets tearing off chunks of their flesh and ripping away their faces. Should he burn their bodies too? He didn't think he needed to burn Lincoln, but he probably should burn Mother, since she was a voodoo magic vampire.

"I'm coming, Mother," he said, and smiled. "I'm coming for you..."