Disclaimers: This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real people are coincidental. If you are under the legal age in your area to read erotic literature, please stop reading this and go somewhere age appropriate. If you are offended by homosexual material, please stop reading this and go somewhere your bigoted little mind can handle. If you're looking for pure sex and plot/character development only get in your way, this story is definitely not for you. The rest of you, please enjoy chapter three of this tale.
Author's Note: Hey guys, thanks for all the wonderful feedback. It definitely makes a guy want to keep writing. I wish I had more time to make it happen faster, but I have this pesky thing called a job. It can be quite a nuisance and a hindrance to my attempts to enjoy life to the fullest.
----------------------- Godsend Chapter 3: Party Quirks
I awoke early the next morning, about an hour before my alarm, excited to face the day. After seeing the popular group from the outside all these years, I was being slowly pulled into their ranks. I had no idea what that entailed, however.
My sister, Angie, was sitting on a stool in the kitchen, next to the food preparation counter, eating a bowl of cereal. Breakfast was usually an informal affair with us kids, especially on weekdays when we had to get ready for school. I reached into the fridge and grabbed a bagel and cream cheese, using one of the chef's knives to slice it. Mom and Dad insisted that all three of us kids learned how to perform the basic household functions for ourselves. They said that, while it was nice to have servants do all the work, it made rich kids turn into useless wastes of space. Dad was also a large proponent of the whole `hard work builds character' rationale. He had my little brother Hektor and I move things around for him almost daily. It was probably the only exercise I got.
Angie sat with her headphones on, doing homework on her laptop, so I knew she wouldn't be very good company. She was always trendy. Today she was in a tight pair of jeans and a tight pink t-shirt. I didn't know why Mom and Dad let her go out like that, especially since she took after Mom in the looks department. Angie was too hot for her own good, and it would get her into trouble.
I pulled up a stool a few feet down the counter to give her space and took a few sheets of paper towel to use instead of a plate. Just because I knew how to do dishes, didn't mean I wanted to practice it more than necessary. When the bagel was done and spread, I took a peach half from a can in the fridge and sliced it on top. The flavor combination was just right. Hektor limped in as I was about to take my first bite.
"Can I have what you're having?" He asked. When he was five, he had gotten a rash that had become so bad he still had scarring from it. The poor kid would never be attractive. Combining that with his limp, I doubted he'd ever find a woman. However, both Dad and Grandpa still had acne scars from their teenage years, and the both landed extremely beautiful women.
I smiled at him. "Sure, Hek. Take this one. I'll make another for myself." I handed him the paper towel with the bagel on it and started the process over again. I had the time to spare this morning.
"Thanks, Stefan," he said, taking it to the servants' table. The counter was too high for him to eat off of. "You're in a good mood this morning."
"You can tell?" I asked.
"Yep. You were humming when I came in."
I hadn't realized I had been humming. I chuckled a bit at myself. "I suppose I was," I told him.
"Why?" Kids are so blunt.
"I made some new friends yesterday," I told him. "That always makes me happy."
"Sounds like you're in love," Angie said, startling me. I hadn't known she was listening. "What's his name?"
"Funny, Angie," I said, shooting her a `shut up' glare. "If you must know, I made friends with Darren Long, Jacob McPhee, and Rona Sheridan yesterday."
She smacked my arm. "No way!" she exclaimed. "They're only three of the most popular seniors in school! And you're already in with Cade Marriott. No wonder you're acting like you just won the lottery."
I smiled. Being only two years behind me, and in the same school, I knew she would understand the significance of those names. "And, to top it all off," I told her, "Rona said that she has a friend who likes me."
Angie didn't look quite so enthused. "Be careful, Stef," she said. "Until you know who it is, don't get your hopes up. It may not be what you're looking for."
"You've been working with Mom too long," I told her. "Your love advice is getting scary accurate."
"I'll take that as a compliment," she said with a smile and closed her laptop. "I'll be in the family room where it's more comfortable. Get me when it's time to go." Angie walked out of the kitchen and down toward the front hall. I always drove her to school, since there really wasn't any socializing to be done in the small amount of free time we had in the morning. After school, her driver picked up Angie and whichever friends were hanging out with her that day, leaving me to do whatever I wanted with my friends.
"So you're friends with the cool kids now?" Hektor asked. He had stuck three spoons into his bagel and was balancing a glass on top of them. I wondered how he never broke any dishes when he did that.
"Yeah," I told him. "It's fun."
"What about your old friends?" he asked. "Are you still going to hang out with them?"
That stopped me dead in my tracks. I had been envisioning myself going to the games and the parties, hanging out after school with the guys and their girlfriends, and having the time of my life. Not once had my old friends been in the mental pictures. I had to find a way to balance the two worlds.
"I hope so," I told Hektor, giving him a more honest answer than the one I wanted to give. I smiled and ruffled his hair. "I'll do my best."
When I parked in the school parking lot, we got out of the car and Angie turned to me. "Stefan, listen to me," she said softly. "You're not used to being on the inside, so I'm going to give you some pointers. First: don't try too hard. I know you want this, but you have to almost pretend that you don't care about it. Let it happen, don't make it happen."
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked her.
"Can't it be because you're my brother and I want you to succeed?" I raised my eyebrow and looked sideways at her. "Fine," she said. "I don't want you to embarrass me, and it would be easier for my popularity if I was part of a family legacy. OK?"
I sighed. "Well, at least I know I can trust those reasons, even though I think they're shallow."
"Which brings us to rule two," she told me, "teenagers are selfish and shallow. It's their nature. The cool kids are no exception. If they're doing something for you, they have an ulterior motive, period. The sooner you accept this fact, the sooner you'll truly fit in."
"I know," I told her with equal softness. "I found out yesterday when I talked to Darren. I told him I didn't need or want anything to help him out of a bind he was in, but he insisted that some payment was imposed."
This time Angie was the one with the raised eyebrow. "What did you do for him?" she asked.
"Now sis," I said. "That's his business. I'd be going back on my part if I told you."
"Ooh," she exclaimed, as if I`d just told her everything. "You're keeping an embarrassing secret of his to yourself. That's good. If it stays a secret, you'll have his trust, which will give you more leverage. If it leaks, you'll have an opening to move higher in the social order. You can't lose with a secret."
The first bell rang, stopping us short. "I'll give you more rules later," she told me. "Until then, don't make me deny that you're my brother."
I watched her go, amused and slightly alarmed at her completely mercenary view of high school. Grabbing my bag, I dashed toward the school as well, almost running over Jacob.
"Oh hey, Stef," he said. "Got a call from Darren last night. Everything is set for the exemptions list. Your friends aren't going to know what's going on, though."
"I really don't think they'll mind," I said with a grin.
"You got a mint?" he asked.
The request would have thrown me off if Cade hadn't asked me the same thing a million times. "Sure, man," I said, reaching into the front pocket of my backpack and pulling out a tin. "Here."
He took one from the tin I was holding open and popped it in his mouth. "Thanks," he said around it. "Hey, we're having a little thing after school today. Wanna come? It'll just be some of the guys for a while, till the girls show up. Then the party'll really pick up."
I was being invited to a party? Me? It took a while to recover from the shock. "Guess not," Jacob was saying.
"No, no," I said, trying to cover. "I was thinking about something. I'd love to come. Where is it?"
"Mike's house. Just meet me after school and you can tail me there," he told me. "See ya later." I shook my head after he walked away, wondering what had just changed in my life to make all of this happen. I certainly hadn't been trying anything new. The only change was that strange and painful light. If that was what was making everything else go so well, perhaps I was going to get to like it better.
As the day went on, the only one of my original friends I saw was Kelly. It took me a while to remember that they were scheduled to use one of the conference rooms at lunch to play a fantasy card game, so I wouldn't be seeing them that day unless it was in passing. That left just Kelly and I for lunch.
"We still on for a movie tonight?" Kelly asked.
"Shit, I forgot," I told her. "I told Jacob I'd go to this party they were having. Can we reschedule for another night?"
Kelly looked pensive for quite a while. I felt the hands of the clock ticking the seconds as if they were minutes. I knew she'd be upset about dropping her plans. The question was: how upset was she going to become?
"Get me invited," she said quickly. I snapped back out of my reverie and shook my head, not sure what it was she had just said.
"Did you just tell me to ask them to let you go to the party?"
"Look" she said. "As much as I don't want to be in the presence of those people, I can't really pass up the chance to study whatever effect this glow has."
I felt sick, suddenly. "You don't think it'll happen again today, do you?" I asked.
"I'd rather not take the chance that it will if I'm not there to witness," she told me. "Besides, the two initial victims might be there together, which makes it a prime opportunity for an encore."
"You just wanna watch them kiss," I said slyly.
"Side bonus," she said without hesitation. I nearly spit out my soda.
"You know you're terrible," I said with a chuckle. "But I'll see what I can do anyway."
It wasn't until after school that I was able to catch up with Jacob. "Hey, is it ok if Kelly comes?" I asked. Jacob looked uncomfortable. "What is it?"
"It's just...we want to do guy stuff until the girls get there. She's not a guy."
Kelly was walking up as Jacob spoke. "So, no go?" she asked.
Jacob was really straining now. I could tell he didn't want to let down a girl, even Kelly. "How about if she waits until the girls arrive?" I asked.
He thought about it for a moment, and I could see the tension leave him.
"You can, but...I thought you didn't want to hang with us," he said.
"That hasn't changed," she said honestly. "I'm only interested in the glow."
Jacob turned on me, his eyes wide. "You said you wouldn't tell!" he hissed.
"Relax, man," I said. "She was there with me. You're telling me you never once saw her in my car?"
"She was there and we didn't swear her to secrecy?" Jacob exclaimed.
I looked sideways at Kelly, who seemed pleased that, once again, the fact that she was there had slipped the mind of our present company. "Who's she gonna tell? Me?" I asked.
"You have a point there," he admitted. "Still, she should be sworn to silence."
"Well?" I said. Jacob looked at me confused. "Oh, for gods sake, she's standing right here. Ask her to keep your secret."
He turned to her as if seeing her for the first time, and actually looked surprised to see her. "Well, Kelly," he asked, "can we have your word that you'll keep what happened yesterday a secret from everyone?"
"Can I watch you guys to see if it happens again?" she retorted. The girl was shrewd.
"Done," Jacob said. "Anywhere you're allowed to go, you can watch us. I don't think it'll happen again, though."
"Why not?" Kelly asked. "Do you have experience with strange energies that cause unforeseen sexual actions among males? Do you know for sure that you'll never be forced into following that impulse again? Or are you just wishing to never go through it again and announcing those wishes as facts?" Jacob stood resolute and opened his mouth to speak. "Be completely honest," Kelly added.
"The last one," Jacob replied, crestfallen.
"Well," Kelly said, "if I can find out what's causing it, I can find a way to stop it."
"Then you're definitely coming to the party," Jacob told her. "Anything you can do to stop it will make us all owe you a large number of favors."
"I will do my best," she said solemnly.
"Then let's go," Jacob announced. "You ride with Stefan, since only he can see it coming, as far as we know."
It wasn't far to Mike's house, which was a modest light blue split-level home with a freshly cut lawn. There really was nothing remarkable about it, but I was starting to feel oddly. I parked on the street behind Jacob's car and Kelly opened the door, bolting out.
"Jacob, you ok?" she asked, banging on his car door.
I was getting out of the car quickly now, and I rushed over to them. Jacob slowly opened his door so Kelly would back up, and stood up. "I'm fine," he said, looking at her as if she had just grown another head. "Why? What's going...?" He didn't finish his sentence. Instead he was staring at me with his mouth still open. "Is that the glow?" he asked Kelly.
"Yeah," she said, "but I don't think it's hurting him like it did last time." I looked down to see my stomach glowing through my shirt.
"If I'm glowing, and nothing is happening to you," I began, "then..."
"Mike!" Jacob and I yelled together, rushing to the house. Kelly was close behind. We barged in and Jacob lead the way down to the basement. Something in the back of my mind groaned when our fears were confirmed.
Mike was a big guy, about six-one, with short brown hair and covered in muscles. He played defense for the football team, so his size was a definite advantage on the field. At that moment, however, it was getting in the way as the star of the track team, James Delgado, was straining to kiss him. James was only five-seven, with blond hair that fell into his blue eyes. Both of them were covered in an orange glow.
"Guys, stop!" Jacob yelled.
I grabbed his shoulder to keep him from running over to them. "You don't know what will happen," I warned him.
"They're...glowing," he stammered. "This is how Darren and I were?"
"Yes," Kelly said. "Hey Stef. Let him go try to break them up, I want to see what happens."
I let him go, but said, "I don't think that's a good idea, Kelly." It was too late, however, and Jacob rushed to them. Kelly grabbed my arm immediately and started watching.
As soon as Jacob touched Mike's arm, the glow caught him as well. His eyes glazed over and his hand slipped across Mike's back. Jacob was taller than James, so he had little trouble when he leaned over and started kissing Mike on the neck. Mike tilted his head back and let out a soft moan of pleasure.
James was taking the opportunity to run his hands up under Mike's t-shirt.
As the shirt passed his chest, James began flicking his tongue over Mike's nipples and Jacob ran his hands over Mike's chiseled abs. Mike was whimpering now.
"This is for science," Kelly said, letting go of my arm. She rushed over to the guys and reached out a tentative finger toward Jacob's back. Taking a deep breath, she closed the final distance and touched him. Nothing happened. "Anything?" she asked.
"No," I told her. "They're still glowing and you're not." She touched each one of them in turn, touching skin-to-skin, just in case that was what it took. Each time, she received a "no" answer from me. She returned to me and held my arm again. I thought I could sense disappointment from her.
"Guess it only works with males," she said in an even tone. Yes, she was definitely trying to hide her feelings behind scientific reason. She wanted to get pulled in. I wasn't sure whether that would have been better or worse to watch.
Jacob was now nibbling on Mike's ear, and James was kissing his way down Mike's stomach, to the waistband of Mike's jeans. His belt was slowly sliding open.
I couldn't take it any more. "Stop!" I yelled, with all the passion I could muster behind it...and they stopped.
Completely.
Questions? Comments? Wanting to exorcise the demon from my skull? Email me (Joe) at academygm@hotmail.com