Haven't forgotten about this story. Will add to it as I can
"Still running late?" Kate asked Mrs Arnott at the beginning of the next school year.
"Of course," Mrs Arnott said as she ushered Kate inside. "I actually think he's spending even more time in the bathroom now," she admitted as she cast a glance at her son's friend.
A teenager now stood before her. Kates skirt was now mid thigh and not regulation length at all. A smattering of make up covered her face and she'd pierced her ears again by the looks of it.
She wasn't the only one to have grown up. Over the summer, puberty had finally hit Steve as well. He'd had a growth spurt so was once again taller than Kate but still not the tallest in the class. His voice was beginning to break. Mr Arnott had had to show him how to shave and Mrs Arnott had had to introduce him to underarm deodorant.
"Steve! Will you get a move on!" His mother shouted up the stairs.
"In a minute!" Steve answered back. He was in front of the mirror applying gel to his hair as the hairdresser had shown him at his last visit to the salon.
His appearance was now very important to him. He wanted to impress the girls, and one girl in particular. The girl that was currently downstairs in his kitchen.
Steve had begun to think of Kate a little differently than before. He'd even had a few nice dreams about her recently and woken to find the front of his underwear was wet and sticky. He'd been a bit embarrassed about it and hidden the underwear from his mum. There were somethings he didn't want her knowing about.
Finally deciding his hair was good enough, Steve headed downstairs. Kate was at the fridge helping herself to some orange juice by now totally comfortable with the Arnott family and felt very at home with them.
She paused as she saw Steve enter the kitchen. He'd had his hair done since she'd last seen him. It looked good she thought but wasn't going to tell him that. "About time," she said instead.
"How was your Dad?" Steve asked as he took his seat at the table, ignoring Kate's scolding.
Kate shrugged her shoulders. "Alright," she said simply. In truth it hadn't been a week she looked on favourably. It wasn't his fault but not spending that much time with her, he didn't really know what she liked doing.
They set off for school walking together side by side as they usually did. As they approached the building they were joined by more and more of their fellow pupils.
"Steve!" They heard someone shout and both turned to see it was Matthew Cotton. A boy in their form class who was also the class clown.
"Alright," Steve greeted as Cotton wrapped his arms around both Steve and Kate's necks.
"Dot!" said Kate, calling him by his nickname slightly exasperated at his exuberant greeting.
"Oi! Cotton!" they heard from across the teacher's car park and saw another class mate heading towards them.
"Nige!" Dot greeted his friend before running over to him and putting him in a friendly head lock. They were soon engaged in a mock fight in the middle of the car park.
"What on earth is going on?" a rather severe looking female asked them. "Both of you to the headmasters office immediately!" she barked.
"What?" said Matthew. "But term hasn't even started yet!" he pointed out.
"I don't care," the woman retorted. "Off you go. The pair of you. Now,".
Matthew and Nigel did as they were told, giving an eye roll to Steve and Kate who were watching from the side.
"Who the hell is that?" Steve asked Kate as they made their way to their form room.
The answer came a little later that morning in the new year assembly. Patricia Carmichael. The new, and very formidable deputy head of the school. This was not good news.
Three years into their school life, Steve and Kate were both popular members of the class. So much so, that they were both made Captains of the Year 9 Football teams.
They took their roles very seriously and made sure all members of their respective teams attended their training sessions every Thursday after school.
Training included practise matches as well as fitness training in the gym. On one such evening after most of their friends had left, Steve and Kate were the only ones left in the gym. They were close friends but also quite competitive and were currently trying to see who was strongest by means of an arm wrestling match.
Steve accused Kate of cheating when she won their third contest putting her 2-1 up at which point things progressed to a full wrestle-cum-tickle assault with Steve trying to prove he was the strongest.
Eventually he found himself on top of Kate whilst she squirmed beneath him on a gym mat as she tried to evade his clutches.
"Get off!" She laughed hysterically as she tried to free herself.
"Just admit you cheated and I'll leave you alone," Steve retorted.
"Never," Kate taunted, knowing Steve would retaliate.
She wasn't wrong and Steve was soon recommencing his tickling when he accidentally groped Kate's breast. His hand stayed there long enough to realise what it was that he was touching. It was nice he realised and fit his hand perfectly.
Unfortunately, it was at this point that Steve's lower body also realised how pleasant it was and, still unable to control his erections, Steve found himself getting hard.
Embarrassed he quickly got off Kate and ran to the boys changing room, leaving Kate a little perplexed at what had just happened.
"Steve?!" She shouted after him but he didn't reply.
Worried that she had maybe hurt him during their struggle, Kate quickly headed to the girls changing room to change. She waited outside the boys for a little while but it soon became evident that Steve had already left. It was possibly the first time that Kate had walked herself home from school.
Wanting to apologise for upsetting Steve, Kate headed to Steve's home.
"Is Steve here?" Kate asked Mrs Arnott when she opened the door to her knock.
"Yes, he's just got in. Rushed upstairs to his bedroom," Mrs Arnott informed Kate. She had thought his behaviour a little unusual. "Has something happened?".
"I don't know," Kate said. "We were play fighting and then he just ran off," she explained. "I wanted to see if he was ok. Did I hurt him because I'm very sorry if I did,".
"I'll go see," Mrs Arnott said before heading to her son's bedroom. "Steve?" she said gently as she tapped on his door. "Can I come in?".
"Yeah," Steve replied.
"I've got Kate at the door worried she's upset you,".
"I'm fine," Steve replied but Mrs Arnott knew he was lying.
"Ok," she said. "Shall I send her up?".
"No!" Steve replied. "Just tell her I'm not feeling well and I'll see her tomorrow morning," He suggested.
"Ok," Mrs Arnott said before doing as he had said. It wasn't long before she was back in her son's bedroom. "Are you going to tell me what's really going on?".
"I accidentally touched Kate's boob and I got a bit excited," Steve confessed awkwardly.
Mrs Arnott couldn't help but smile a bit at her son's admission.
"I didn't mean too!" he said defensively. "It just happened. I can't control it and I didn't want her to feel it,".
"I know," Mrs Arnott said as she sat in the bed beside Steve. "You will learn to," she advised him. "So…..do you like Kate then?" she enquired. She had wondered whether her son's friendship with Kate might progress as they got older.
"Yeah," Steve admitted.
"Well she's a nice girl," Mrs Arnott agreed. "Does she like you back?".
"Dunno,".
"Well she's currently very worried that she might have upset you somehow which might be a sign," Mrs Arnott pointed out. "Maybe you should tell her how you feel and find out if she feels the same way,".