“Satisfied?” said what looked and sounded like Charlie.
“Entirely. Can you do males as well?”
“Probably, but I hardly think a mini skirt would suit one.”
“There’s no one to see.”
“Okay.”
Then Amber changed into a replica of himself.
“Hello, twin,” said the other Matthew Rider, dressed in a denim mini skirt and skimpy tee shirt. Actually, the new Rider wasn’t quite the same. His skin was less weathered and there was no sign of beard growth. The original laughed, shaking his head.
“I need more time to get the skin and other things right,” she told him, changing back.
“Do you even do the privates?” he asked.
“Yes, but I’d have to guess about size and things, if I didn’t already know,” she said with a naughty chuckle.
“Okay, I’m convinced. Remind me never to wear denim skirts, they don’t suit me.”
Amber was looking strained.
“Takes it out of you, hey?”
“A little.”
“This is quite awesome, you realise that?”
“Yes, I think I do.”
“When will you tell the team?”
“Will you?”
“Not if you don’t want me to.”
“Then I’ll tell them when I’m ready, is that okay?”
“Fine by me, I’m responsible for your welfare, not theirs.”
“Thanks, lover.”
“Amber!”
“What?” she asked, all innocently.
“Take care. Words spoken in jest are many a fool’s undoing.”
“No jest, Matt, you are my lover.”
“Maybe, but it doesn’t pay to advertise.”
“Do you love me, Matt?”
“You know I do.”
“Do you want me?”
“Always.”
“Even now?”
“Always.”
Her hand snaked out and opened his fly. He felt her cool fingers on his growing manhood.
“Now?”
“Shit Amber! Can’t you control yourself?” he said as he drove off the road onto a forestry track.
Ten minutes later, the car rejoined the road for Woodstock.
Amber snuggled up against the tall soldier.
“I’m going to miss you, Matt.”
“Hmm.”
She remained like that for the rest of the journey, but strangely, Matt felt very much at peace.
Jenny was pleased to see her daughter returned in one piece. She was a little alarmed to see the intimate glances shared between the tall major and Amber. But within seconds, the feelings dissipated and she was unaware that Amber had removed her disquiet as soon as she detected it.
Amber went up to her room, unpacked, putting her clothes in the dirty clothes’ basket or her wardrobe. She lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She suddenly felt depressed. She felt she had outgrown this home and school, as she wanted to go out into the world and explore her horizons.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Charlie came bounding into her room.
“I heard the car, how was it?” she asked.
“Okay.”
Charlie immediately gauged her sister’s mood.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“Rubbish, there’s something. I can tell.”
“Leave it, Charlie, it doesn’t matter.”
Charlie knew when to push and when not to. This was definitely a not to.
“So, where’s your portfolio?”
“My what?”
“Duh, you’ve been at an art course, so where’s your work?”
“Oh, it wasn’t that kind of a course, we did appreciation and studied the great artists. It was pretty boring really,” Amber replied, regretting the need for the lie.
“Mike and I went to a dance last week.”
“Oh, yes? How is he?”
“He’s fine. We snogged,” Charlie said, with a cheesy grin.
“That’s nice,” Amber said, not really concentrating.
“We’re going to the cinema tomorrow, do you want to come?”
“No thanks.”
“There are some other boys coming, you might meet someone,” Charlie said, desperate for Amber to get a boyfriend too.
“No thanks, Charlie, I’m not interested.”
Charlie looked at her sister. She was very fond of Amber, but she too recognised that the pair were drifting apart.
“So, is it true, then?”
“Is what true?”
“You like girls?”
Amber, not concentrating, was caught unawares.
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, you seem very close to old Gab-bag, and everyone knows she’s a lezzy.”
Amber smiled. “No, I’m not seeing Gabby.”
“You didn’t answer the question!”
“Which one?”
“Do you prefer girls?”
“No, Charlie I don’t!”
“So come and meet the boys, then.”
“Charlie, just drop it. I’m not interested in meeting any boys, okay?”
Charlie frowned and flapped her hands in frustration. Her left hand caught Amber’s handbag, causing it to fall to the floor. The near empty packet of condoms slid into plain view.
Both girls stared at it in stunned silence. Charlie reacted first, bending down and seizing the evidence.
“Shit, Amber! You didn’t?”
“So? Put it back, please Charlie.”
“How often, who with, when, how was it?” The words tumbled out in a rush, causing both girls to laugh.
Amber stood up and took the packet from her. She opened the box.
“There are two left, so ten times. As for who with, I’m not telling you. When – every day for the last week, and how was it, you have no idea how wonderful it was.” She put the packet back in her bag and sat on the bed.
“You are never to tell anyone, okay?”
Charlie nodded, her mouth open in shock.
“I thought you were a lezzy,” she stammered.
“I’m not, okay? I tried it and it was okay, but I like men better.”
“You tried it?” Charlie said, her voice dropping to a stunned whisper.
“Gabriella and I were lovers for about a year, but, believe me, there’s nothing like a real man!”
“Gabby and you?”
“Yeah, she’s hot in bed.”
“Amber!”
“Oh, don’t be such a prude.”
“She’s a teacher; she could be sacked for what she did to you.”
“She didn’t do anything, I made the first move.”
“Why?”
“I was curious, don’t you ever wonder what something is like?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I have to do it.”
“Then how will you ever know what is good or not?”
Charlie was silent.
“Anyway, that’s all over now. She’ll have to find someone else,” Amber said.
“What’s it like?” Charlie asked, once she had found her voice.
“What’s what like?”
“You know, it!”
“It? You mean sex?”
Charlie nodded.
“With a woman it’s lovely - sort of soft and really nice. With a man it’s out of this world. It has to be the right man, and you have to be in love. It has elements of the softness that way, but the hardness is fantastic too.”
“I can’t believe you’ve done it!”
“Believe it, girl, I was ready and we both wanted to. He was afraid to because I was so young, but once we did it the first time, there was no holding him back.”
“Do I know him?”
“No.”
“Have I seen him?”
“Maybe. Look, Charlie, I’m not telling you who he is, okay?”
“Is he married?”
“No, divorced.”
“Oh my God!”
“Charlie, shut up! If you don’t like what I tell you, stop asking questions.”
“How old is he?”
“Old enough.”
“Amber!”
“Enough, Charlie, drop it!”
Charlie had gone too far to stop now, so Amber had to tweak her quite hard.
The other girl had a dazed expression for a moment and then looked at Amber with a quizzical expression.
“What were you talking about?”
“The cinema, what film are you going to see?”