It was from Cindy and Tracy's ranks of friends that I chose my sexual companions. They were both part of the popular crowd, members of the elite and in my previous life I would have been intimidated as hell to be at a party with them. But now things were different. I could not bring myself to be intimidated by teenagers, but oh how I lusted after them. I rarely left a party without using one or more of the condoms I carried with me at all times. I got to sleep with girl after girl from my fantasies and it was usually THEY who would approach me thanks to an underground reputation I had developed among the females.
The guys at these parties, who were for the most part older than I, either seniors or college freshmen, were oblivious to what I was doing. Despite my reputation with Fairview they considered me harmless, even as I was taking their girlfriends out for a little walk while they were playing a game of quarters or having someone pour beer down their throat with a beer bong. They wondered what I was doing there of course. I was inevitably the youngest male in attendance and none of them ever chose to converse with me.
That was fine with me. As long as they saw me as no threat when they spotted me talking amongst the girls or having a private conversation with one of their girlfriends.
Tracy told me once that many of them thought I was gay. They didn't tease me about it because of Richie Fairview but that seemed to explain why I chose to hang out with the girls instead of trying to come over and talk football or cars. I never tried to convince them otherwise although the queer logic of this amused me to no end. A guy wants to hang out with girls so he must be gay.
I had careful rules about my relationships during that summer. I generally didn't sleep with anyone more than once and I made it clear that I desired no sort of commitment or ongoing relationship. I was in it for the sex and the sex only. Most of them understood this. They were in it for the sex too and happy that I was happy to keep my mouth open while it was on their pussy and closed afterword. I had two exceptions to this rule however: Cindy and Anita. I continued to sleep with both of them on a regular basis.
It was nice. They both understood the rules, especially Anita who had no desire to have anyone find out she was boffing a teenaged boy. They were also both on birth control so I didn't have to wear a condom with them. It is nice to sink bare flesh into bare flesh for a change of pace.
Except for the rift with Mike and except for the absence of my discussions with Nina, which I missed, it was quite a pleasant summer. The best one I'd ever remembered to that point.
I got my learner's permit that August when I turned fifteen and a half. Dad then 'taught' me to drive.
"You've caught on to this remarkably quick." He said, looking at me with something close to suspicion the first day. "Tracy hasn't been letting you drive, has she?"
"No Dad." I assured him, expertly changing lanes, feeling ecstatic to be behind the wheel after, how long? More than six months? "I guess I just have a knack for it."
"Some knack." He said. "I guess we won't have to go out all that often, will we?"
September brought the start of my junior year and Tracy's senior year. I had a whole new slew of classes and subjects that I'd chosen a few weeks before. I was particularly pleased to find that I no longer had to take PE.
My first period class was Introduction to Molecular Biology. Mrs. Crookshank taught it and it was a subject I knew little about. I'd taken it so that I could relieve some of the boredom of school by learning something new. I walked into class the first day and Mrs. Crookshank greeted me stiffly.
"Billy," She nodded. "It's nice to see you again this year."
"Nice to see you too." I answered.
"Do you like to read about molecular biology too?" She asked me next.
There was a hint of teasing sarcasm in her face. "No Mrs. Crookshank." I said. "I'm an MB virgin."
Before she had a chance to reply I turned to find a seat. I saw that Nina was in the class. She was sitting in the front row and all of the desks around her were empty. She gave me a weak smile, perhaps wondering if I was going to speak to her or not after the summer.
"Hi Nina." I greeted, walking over and taking the seat next to hers. "How was your summer?"
It turned out Nina was also in my third period class; Geometry. I sat next to her there also. When the lunch bell rang we walked together to the cafeteria. We found our normal seats and began to talk as we ate. After only a few minutes it was if we'd only done this yesterday.
"So you still want to be a doctor?" I asked her as we waded through the cafeteria's version of stroganoff.
"Oh yes." She nodded. "That's why I'm taking molecular biology. You have to be heavy in the science classes to get in. Especially if you want to get a scholarship."
"Where is it you want to go?" I asked her.
"Anywhere they'll take me." She said. "But I'd prefer U of W at Seattle. It's a top rated school but close enough so that I could commute home on vacations. If I get a good car that is. My parents don't have that much money."
"Mine either." I agreed. "I keep trying to get my old man to invest in the stock market but he won't do it. I don't think he trusts my predictions of good stocks."
"Do you still want to study business?"
"I don't really WANT to." I said. "But I think that I should. I think that's where my fortune lies."
She giggled, an action she would have been incapable of a year before. "Still gonna make that fortune huh?"
"I think I'll have a good head for investment." I predicted.
We ate in silence for a moment and then I asked, "Do you follow all that molecular biology crap? I mean today was only the intro but it seemed pretty deep to me. Quite a change from A amp;P."
"Yeah." She nodded. "I've read up on it a little over the summer. Trying to get myself a little edge you know? But you know what confused me?"
"What?"
"The geometry. It sounded like he was talking in Latin."
"He was." I affirmed. "But I think I got that handled. It's mostly just memorizing formulas it looks like. The actual math part is the algebra that we learned last year. If you can memorize the formula, you got it nailed."
"You must have a head for numbers." She told me, taking another bite.
"I never did before." I muttered.
"What's that?"
"Nothing." I answered, an idea suddenly striking me. "Listen, maybe we can help each other out. Why don't we get together and study a couple times a week? You can help me with the biology and I can help you with the geometry?"
She looked up at me, speechless, her face reddening.
"You okay?" I asked, wondering what I'd said to embarrass her.
"You want to… study with me?" She asked.
"Sure." I said. "Why not? We can either do it at your house or mine. You don't live too far from me, do you?"
"No." She shook her head. She gulped. "Are you sure we should do that?"
"Study together?" I asked, confused. "Of course I do. What's wrong with that?"
She looked at me hard for the longest time, various expressions crossing her face; fear, doubt, elation, disappointment, determination. "Nothing." She said finally. "When can we start?"
"I don't know." I said, still confused. "How about whenever we get stuck on something. It's probably gonna be often the way I see it."
Her face cleared a little bit and she seemed more composed. She giggled a little and shook her head.
"What's wrong?" I asked, nearing exasperation.
"Nothing." She chuckled. "Just thinking weird thoughts."
"I get those a lot too." I told her, still wondering what had gone through her head.