Princes of Mannsborough, Part 14

by Vulgar Argot

(FF, rom)

Marigold watched Dawn with a clinical eye as Thule drove them towards his house. Her first aid instructor at the hospital had been an emergency room nurse who had taken great pains to remind her students that not all injuries were immediately visible or even physical. According to the nurse, it wasn't all that uncommon for a patient to completely avoid physical injury, then die of shock because it went undiagnosed.

She didn't say anything, though. For the time being, Dawn seemed all right. Certainly, at some point, it would hit her what had nearly happened. Just thinking about it was making Marigold quake. It wouldn't be easy, but it didn't have to be shock in the medical sense of the word, either.

Still, Marigold had seen the other side of it, too. Shock could sometimes be incurred by asking too aggressively if a patient was going into it.

Still, Dawn was unusually quiet. So, Marigold watched her carefully while trying not to look like she was watching her.

Even before the car's engine had entirely stopped, Thule was out of the car, bounding across the yard, and into the house.

Dawn and Marigold sat in the car, waiting. Finally, Dawn said, "Do you think we're supposed to follow him inside?"

Marigold shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine."

After they had sat there for another minute or so, Dawn said, "He seems to do that a lot. Doesn't he?"

Marigold nodded, "The bounding thing? Yes. He bounds quite a bit."

They both sat there, not moving for another minute. Then, Marigold said, "Well, shall we go?"

Without inflection, Dawn said, "Yes. Let's go."

They didn't move. After a few seconds, Marigold laughed, "Did Mr. Gaspare make you guys read that awful play, too?"

Dawn didn't answer for a few seconds. Then, she said, "We should really go inside. I'm freezing out here."

Marigold was out of the car in a flash, coming around to open Dawn's door, "Come on," she coaxed. "Let's go inside."

Dawn looked up at Marigold as if she didn't recognize her, " Thule won't mind?"

Marigold shook her head, " Thule won't mind. He's waiting for us." She guided Dawn out of the car, up the walk, and in the front door. As soon as the door was open, she shouted, " Thule !"

Thule came bounding out of the bedroom, concern clear on his face, "What?"

"Get a blanket," said Marigold. "Dawn's going into neurogenic shock."

Dawn turned to Marigold, a look of intense puzzlement on her face, "I'm not..." Then, her knees buckled. Marigold, having expected the faint, caught her friend on the way down, grunting as her own knee's buckled under the sudden weight.

Thule , having disappeared into the bedroom, re-emerged with a silver emergency blanket with the word "ORACLE" etched across it in red. Wrapping Dawn in the blanket, he lifted her up into his arms, scooping her up as if she weighed nothing at all.

"She's fainted," said Marigold. "We need to get her somewhere that her head will be lower than her heart."

In a surprisingly dextrous move, Thule kicked the headrest on the EZ-Boy near the TV. He said, "Put a pillow on the footrest."

Marigold did and Thule placed Dawn in the prescribed position on the chair, wrapping the blanket more firmly around her.

"Now what?" he asked. But, Marigold was already crouching down next to the chair, holding Dawn's wrist, reading her watch, and counting.

After she had an accurate pulse rate, Marigold said, "Just give her a couple of minutes. She should come out of it on her own. She's young and her heart rate doesn't seem to be out of control. She wasn't injured at all today, was she?"

"No," said Thule .

"Okay," said Marigold, "whatever you rushed in here to do, it's probably more important than standing around, waiting for her to wake up. Why don't you go finish?"

Thule said, "I was just checking the police bands. I thought maybe this would be the end of it, that Randy couldn't possibly get away with this. But, the cops are reporting the shooter as a false report and calling the cars back in."

"Well," said Marigold, "why don't you go see if anything new has developed? I've got this taken care of."

Thule looked like he was going to argue, but went back into his room.

A few minutes later, Dawn looked up and asked, "Why am I upside down?"

"You fainted," said Marigold. "I'd like to keep you in this position for a few more minutes, make sure you're getting enough blood to your brain."

"Oo," said Dawn shakily, "Have I ever told you about my bossy nurse fetish?"

"See?" said Marigold, deadpan. "Clearly, more blood is needed."

"I feel stupid," said Dawn.

"For fainting?" asked Marigold, "Don't. It happens."

"No," said Dawn, "for believing June Kane...for running off to have a secret rendezvous with her, for putting myself in such a dangerous position after I swore it would never happen again."

"For that," said Marigold, grasping Dawn's wrist to take her pulse again, "you should feel stupid."

"Doctor Tarr," said Dawn, "your bedside manner sucks."

"My bedside manner is fine," said Marigold briskly. "My armchair-side manner could maybe use some improvement."

"I'm sorry," said Dawn. "I shouldn't have run off like that."

"It's okay," said Marigold, her face softening. "But, it was a very foolish risk."

"Well, I know that now," said Dawn, sounding a little annoyed. Then, more penitent, "Are you mad at me?"

"No," said Marigold, sighing. "I'm mad at me. I was supposed to be watching out for you. I let you slip away. We should have stuck together."

"I didn't think June had a threeway in mind," Dawn pointed out.

"Dawn, I'm serious," said Marigold.

"So am I," said Dawn. "My danger sense was completely off on this. I was so focused on getting laid, I completely stopped thinking. Damn! June Fucking Kane. How could I be so stupid?"

Marigold crouched down and stroked Dawn's hair, "It's okay. I'm sorry if my nerves are a little jangly. I screwed up. Thule was trying to call me the whole time he was driving to the school and I had my phone on vibrate in my purse, which was in the events office."

Dawn grinned sheepishly, "I left my phone home by mistake. I'm not used to having one."

Marigold sat down on the floor, next to Dawn's head, "We haven't been taking this whole thing very seriously, have we?"

"It is a lot more life and death than I thought," admitted Dawn.

"Sorry you volunteered to be the plucky sidekick?" asked Marigold.

"No," said Dawn, shaking her now-flushed head. "He needs all the help he can get, doesn't he? I'm just sorry I unintentionally volunteered for the damsel in distress role."

"Actually," said Marigold. "It's not so bad being the damsel in distress as long as you're rescued in the last act."

"Yeah," admitted Dawn. "Getting to ride off on the back of the white charger is nice."

Thule stepped out of the bedroom. He had stripped off the green shirt and now wore only a towel, draped over the back of his neck, and the khakis. As he emerged, he said, "If you haven't taken it seriously up until now, it's probably because it's been too abstract. Mea culpa." He sat down on the couch.

"How much of our conversation did you hear?" Marigold asked.

"All of it," admitted Thule , his tone faintly mocking. "You didn't really think that I was going to run along to my room and go back to what I was doing while Dawn was passed out in the living room, did you?"

"I passed out?" asked Dawn.

"You fainted," said Marigold. "You were going into shock. How do you feel?"

"Like all of the blood is rushing to my head," said Dawn. "But, other than that, fine."

Marigold took Dawn's wrist again, timing her pulse. After a half-minute, she said, "You should be able to sit up now. If you get light-headed, get your heart above your head."

Dawn frowned, "I already made that mistake once today." Then, she looked around, "Hey, if I fainted, how did I get inside and upside down?"

"You walked to the front door," said Marigold, "then fainted on me. I kept you propped up until Thule came out with the blanket and carried you to the chair."

Dawn spun herself into an upright position, never taking her eyes off of Thule . Marigold covered her mouth as if she were coughing, unable to suppress a chuckle at the look of worshipful adoration in Dawn's eyes.

With her mouth still hidden, Marigold allowed herself a little frown. She now considered Thule and Dawn getting together a foregone conclusion and wondered if her own relationship with him would survive. Dawn hadn't started out her relationship with Thule by treating him like dirt for three years.

For Thule 's part, if he noticed the intensity of Dawn's stare, he gave no sign. His own eyes showed nothing but concern and a sort of casual affection. Marigold snuggled in, drawing her feet up on the couch and laying her head on Thule 's chest. With the exception of Brianne, there probably wasn't a woman in the world who deserved Thule less than she did.

Watching how Dawn looked at him made Marigold realize something else. As lonely a path as he had chosen, Thule had the air of a natural leader. People were inclined to follow him. She'd seen the effect in the people who surrounded him when he held court on the front steps or at lunch. She'd seen it in Dawn and herself and even in Jonas.

Once they went away to college, it would be impossible for people not to notice. Only the warped social structure at Mannsborough High could have let him go unnoticed this long. When that happened, Marigold knew that Thule would be surrounded by people more deserving of his attention than she was. And, no matter what he'd promised, Marigold wouldn't be able to hold onto him then unless she'd become more worthy herself.

"I've got about an hour before I need to start getting ready for the party," said Thule . "I think it's about time I told you what's going on."

"Both of us?" asked Dawn.

Thule nodded, "You already know enough to betray me if you were going to. I trusted you enough to tell you that, I might as well tell you the rest."

So, he did. And, while he covered a lot of details that Marigold already knew for Dawn's sake, he skillfully expurgated any mention of Marigold's complicity.

When he finished, Dawn was wide-eyed. She asked, "But, it's over, right? There's no way they can get away with what they did today, is there?"

"They have before," said Thule , "at least three times. But, maybe. I don't know how thoroughly the Vandevoorts control the police and I doubt the cops have ever walked in right in the middle of it before. But, I'm not relying on that. I still have to go to this thing today." He stood up and started to pace, running both hands over his hair, "I still have to play nice with Randy and Brianne, at least for a little while longer. He groaned and blew out, a gesture of fatigue and frustration.

"Sit down," said Marigold, patting the couch next to her, "We can't have you going off to battle without your A game." Thule sat down and she began to massage his shoulders, kneading the flesh of his back. Thule sighed in pleasure and relief.

"Not too much," said Thule , "My A game doesn't come out if I'm too relaxed."

Marigold chuckled, "I don't think I have the strength to get you too relaxed. You're safe in my semicompetent hands."

Thule sighed contentedly and leaned back against Marigold, laying his head on her shoulder, and closing his eyes.

"Hey," said Dawn, chuckling uncomfortably. "Get a room, you two."

Thule gestured vaguely towards his room, "No time," he muttered, "and I would be too relaxed afterwards." The last word was elongated by a yawn.

                                     -=-

After Thule went into his room to get dressed again, Dawn stayed wrapped in the blanket, holding it as tightly as she could and not speaking.

"Are you okay?" asked Marigold.

Dawn shook her head in the negative, but said, "I'm okay, I guess."

Marigold gave her an even stare, "You don't seem okay. You seem kind of freaked out."

Dawn nodded, "I am. I just don't know how I'm going to deal with my parents after this."

Marigold raised an eyebrow, "What are you going to tell them?"

Dawn shook her head, "Nothing. They're just...a lot to deal with when I'm in the best of spirits. After I went to Randy's party and narrowly escaped the first time, they tore into me about coming home late. It was...not a good situation."

Marigold made a snap decision, "So, come home with me today."

Dawn shook her head, "No. I wouldn't be very good company. I should just go and face the music."

"Don't be silly," said Marigold. "Dawn, I realize we haven't known each other very long, but..."

"We've known each other since I was in the ninth grade," said Dawn. "We used to cheer together."

Marigold didn't remember, but didn't say so. Instead, she tried again, "All right. We've known each other for a while, but we haven't been friends for very long. Still, I have to ask...Am I going to have to be perfect to be your friend?"

"What?" asked Dawn, looking deeply puzzled. "No. Of course not."

"Good," said Marigold. "Because I'm not--not even close. If my friends were, I would find them insufferable. Whatever flaws you have, I expect you to keep them so that I don't look too bad in comparison."

Dawn's smile was uncertain, but she said, "All right."

Marigold nodded, "Good. I have an afternoon of vigorous tanning and light studying planned. Does that meet with your approval?"

"Oo," said Dawn. "I'm not sure about the tanning bit. Any time I get sun, I freckle."

"I know," said Marigold. "It's part of that sexy girl-next-door thing you've got going."

"What?" asked Thule , emerging from his room, "The freckles?" He smiled, "Definitely. Oh, and the blushing, too."

                                     -=-

Once Thule had dropped them off, Marigold said to Dawn, "I'll have to introduce you to my parents. They're a little bit scary, but don't let them put you off. They mean well."

As soon as she opened the door, Jonas yelled from his office, "Marigold, is that you?"

"Yes, sir," she called back. "And I brought a friend over."

Jonas came to the front door. He was wearing blue jeans and a gray cardigan, "Hello," he said peremptorily to Dawn, "Hon, can you come in my office? I think I deleted something I shouldn't have."

"Let me see," said Marigold, following him inside.

Jonas brought her into his office, around behind the desk, "Look," he said, sounding flustered, "I had a spreadsheet open. Then, I hit something and now it's blank."

Marigold looked it over, "Do you have any idea what you hit?"

Jonas looked helpless, "Something near the bottom, I think."

From the other side of the desk, Dawn said, "Did you maybe change spreadsheets?"

"How do I do that?" Jonas asked.

Dawn came around the back where Marigold and Jonas were standing. Taking the mouse, she clicked once and columns of numbers appeared on screen, "Is that what you're looking for?"

"That's it," said Jonas, clapping his hands once in relief, "How did you know to do that?"

"Office automation class," said Dawn. "I accidentally did what you did in the middle of the midterm. I almost started crying before Oksana showed me what I did wrong."

"Office automation," said Jonas, his voice somewhat distant. "Marigold, did you ever take that?"

"No, sir," said Marigold. "I would have liked to, but it would have conflicted with either honors French or AP chemistry, both of which had higher differentials."

"Right," said Jonas, "differentials. Marigold's going to be Valedictorian."

"I know," said Dawn.

"Well," he said, "I won't keep you two. You've obviously got better things to do than listen to an old man complain about these damned machines. It was nice to meet you, ummm..."

"Dawn," said Marigold. "And, you haven't met her yet."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Jonas. "Where are my manners? It's nice to meet you, Dawn."

"Dawn," said Marigold, "this is my stepfather, Jonas."

Dawn shook Jonas's hand, "It's nice to meet you, sir."

Jonas got a pained look on his face, "Don't call me sir, please. Only Marigold calls me that. She didn't want to call me Jonas once I married her mother."

Marigold said, "When was I ever allowed to call you Jonas?"

"What?" asked Jonas, "Oh, right until the wedding day. Then, you asked me what you should call me now and I told you not to dishonor your father's memory, but to find something appropriate. You came up with 'sir.'"

"I did?" asked Marigold, "Wait. I did, didn't I?"

Jonas nodded, "Yes. Now, if you two will excuse me, I lost an hour on this stupid spreadsheet already." As he was shooing them out of his office, he said, "Again, it's nice to meet you, Dawn. Thank you for figuring out the spreadsheet thing." Once they were out of the office, he closed the door behind them.

Dawn giggled, "I thought you said he was scary."

"I know," said Marigold, "He was mellow and vaguely befuddled. I wonder if he's got low blood sugar or something." Then, as if thinking of something else, she said, "We're about the same size, other than those legs of yours. If you want to swim or sunbathe, I'm sure that I've got something that will fit you."

"That would be great," said Dawn. Up the stairs they went.

Upstairs, Marigold opened her walk-in closet, "I've got some stuff I bought for New York and never got around to wearing, other than to try it on in the store."

"Oh," asked Dawn, looking around Marigold's room, "What were you doing in New York ?"

Marigold emerged hurriedly, closing her bedroom door, locking it, and turning on her stereo. Paul Desmond's "East of the Sun," emerged from her speakers. When Dawn raised a quizzical eyebrow at her, Marigold said, "Sorry about that. My parents don't know I went to New York . They think I was at my aunt's."

"So," asked Dawn, dropping on the bed and sliding into Indian-style, her elbows resting on her knees, "what were you doing in New York ?"

Marigold sat down next to her, mimicking her pose in perpendicular, "That was where Thule took me the weekend I lent you my blouse. We stayed at this gorgeous hotel overlooking Gramercy Park ."

Dawn grinned, "Really? He is so romantic."

Marigold laughed. Then, once she started laughing, she found it hard to stop. Soon, she was gasping for air.

"Obviously," said Dawn, puzzled. "I said something funny."

"Let's just say that 'romantic' is not the first word that comes to mind about that weekend," said Marigold, holding her ribs from laughing. Then, after thinking about it some more, she said, "Although, it was incredibly romantic, too." Before Dawn could ask any more questions, Marigold went on, "Now, let's see what I have that you can wear."

"No," said Dawn, "you can't just say something like that and then leave me to wonder. What happened in New York ? Did you fight? Did he ignore you and spend all of his time focusing on work?"

Marigold started giggling again. Dawn waited patiently. Finally, when the giggles had subsided, Marigold began to explain, in some detail, what the weekend had been like. Dawn already knew more about Thule and Marigold's relationship than anyone else and Marigold thought she would burst if she didn't find someone to share all the details with.

"Oh...my....God," said Dawn slowly, awe clear in her voice. "He really is romantic. Isn't he?"

Impulsively, Marigold wrapped her arms around Dawn, hugging her, "I thought I was the only one who would think so."

"Lord, no," said Dawn, fanning herself with her hand. "Now, I'm starting to wonder if I didn't waste my high school career by not finding some boy to make miserable so he would do that sort of thing to me. What did you do to Maya to make her go medieval on you? Is it something I could duplicate?"

Marigold shook her head emphatically, "No, Dawn. You do not want to do what I did. I would give up anything...not to be the person I was back then."

Dawn twisted so she could look Marigold in the eye, "What did you do?"

Marigold shook her head harder, "No. Dawn, you're the first real friend I've had since Maya. I don't want you to hate me."

"Hey," said Dawn. "If I don't have to be perfect to be your friend, you don't have to be perfect to be mine."

In spite of herself, Marigold smiled in recognition of her own words, but said, "Believe me. Perfection is the least of my worries. I..."

Dawn didn't say anything. Looking up at her, Marigold said, "Did you learn that trick from Thule ?"

"What trick?"

"Where you don't say anything so that the person you're talking to will blurt something out to break the silence."

Dawn shook her head, "I don't know that trick. I'm just trying to figure out how to get you to tell me what you did without being a total pest."

Marigold took a deep breath. Slowly at first, she found herself telling Dawn everything about her friendship with Maya. Dawn listened and asked a few questions, but mostly sat quietly, absorbing it all.

"Wow," said Dawn when Marigold was done talking. "That was pretty shitty of you."

Marigold nodded. Her face was tear-stained, but she didn't remember crying, "That's a bit of an understatement."

"You're not telling me everything, though," said Dawn.

Marigold looked puzzled, "I didn't leave anything out."

Dawn frowned, "Thule took you to New York to get revenge for something you did to his girlfriend years ago. But, you were clearly in love when you got back. Hell, the two of you were clearly in love before you ever left. I can't believe I misjudged Thule so badly to think that he would fall for you if what you just told me was the whole story. Why did he forgive you?"

Marigold shook her head, "I don't know. I know it sounds crazy, but I don't think he needed to. I think he'd already forgiven me before that weekend. The revenge was just...something he did for Maya...and because it was the right thing to do. I don't...entirely understand Thule ."

Dawn nodded, "He does march to the beat of a different drummer, doesn't he?"

Marigold, who hadn't even realized she was crying, shook her head miserably, wiping tears away from her eyes. "Oh, Dawn," she whispered, "I don't deserve him."

Dawn muttered a sympathetic sound and drew Marigold into her arms. As Marigold cried herself out, Dawn rocked her like a child and pet her hair. Marigold clung to her, holding on to Dawn's shoulder and burying her face in Dawn's neck. The response was startlingly Thule-like. When Dawn kissed her on top of the head, Marigold gave a little shudder of pleasure. She wanted so badly to tilt her head back and be kissed properly. That sort of kiss meant forgiveness, absolution.

Dawn leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, then on the cheek. Marigold trembled in anticipation, but seemingly at the last second, Dawn pulled back.

"So," asked Marigold. "Do you hate me?"

"No," said Dawn, quickly reassuring her, "not at all. And, you need to stop beating yourself up about Thule . I've never seen anybody in love as the two of you. You two are going to be together forever."

"Eventually," said Marigold. "I hope. At least, I think I hope so. Christ, I don't know what I mean. I hope you're right...I think.

"Of course I'm right," said Dawn emphatically. "Now, why don't you go wash your face so that we can get some swimming done before he gets dark."

Marigold nodded and slid off of Dawn's lap, "Second dresser on the right, third draw, is this season's bathing suits. If you see anything that looks good on you, grab it." Then, she went into the bathroom to wash her face. When she emerged, Dawn was rummaging around in the closet. Marigold stepped in behind her to see if she needed help.

Dawn rose from a crouch, bare from the waist up, "Tell me what you think."

Marigold glanced down and asked, puzzled, "About your...."

"No," said Dawn, slapping her playfully on the arm, "I'm going to try on a top." Seeing Marigold blush, she added, "You really thought I was asking about my chest, didn't you?"

"Well," admitted Marigold, the flush rising in her cheeks, "I haven't really had much experience with girl talk. I don't know."

Dawn slid on a red bikini top, relatively demure as the type went. She held her shoulders back so that Marigold could get the full effect, "What do you think?"

"Oh," said Marigold, surprised, "it looks really good on you, like you picked it out yourself."

"It doesn't look too...chesty?" Dawn asked.

"I'm the wrong person to ask," admitted Marigold.

"Oh," said Dawn, getting flustered, "I didn't mean that you..."

"No," said Marigold, blushing again herself, "I wasn't saying....I just mean that Elliot hated my chest, so I always thought that it was hideous."

"Oh, no," said Dawn, horrified, "you have great breasts." Realizing what she had said, Dawn blushed a deep crimson that went all the way down into her cleavage.

They both stood there, blushing for a minute before Marigold said, "Why don't you hand me the black one?"

Dawn did and Marigold backed out of the closet. Once she was around the corner from where Dawn could see her, she leaned against the wall and laughed silently to herself, getting it out of her system as quickly as possible.

She was in the middle of changing when she felt Dawn's eyes on her back. As she turned, Dawn asked, "So, how do I look?"

Marigold said, "Oh, that is so unfair."

"What?" asked Dawn, looking confused.

"I bought that one because it elongated my legs. Now, you wear it and it looks like it's made for you, particularly in the legs. I hate you. I want long legs like yours."

Dawn laughed, "What are you talking about? You have very pretty legs."

"Maybe," said Marigold, "but I'm so short."

"I think you're just right," said Dawn.

Marigold snapped on her top, "Well, I thank you for saying so. Are we ready to go?"

                               -=-

Marigold's top didn't stay on long. As soon as she got out to the poolside, she unsnapped it and took it off. Dawn looked around, "Is it okay to...?"

"Sure," said Marigold, "Jonas accidentally saw me topless out here when I was sixteen. He was too embarrassed to look me in the eye for like two weeks. If he needs to get a message to us, he'll send my mother out and she's not here yet. We'll be able to see her coming up the street a long ways. There's a fence around the pool and a fence around the yard. We might as well be indoors."

"All right," said Dawn, still sounding uncertain, but stripping off her top.

"Oh, wow," said Marigold, "you're starting to freckle already." She patted the towel in front of her, "Come over here, so I can get some sunscreen on you."

Marigold had settled on a plan, one she thought everyone involved would benefit from. But, now that she'd committed to it, she wasn't sure how to proceed, having never been on this side of a seduction. Truth be told, she'd never really been seduced, either.

Because she was facing Dawn when she rubbed lotion into her shoulders and neck, Marigold saw the other girl's lip quiver and eyes flutter shut at the first touch of her fingers. Dawn regained her composure in a moment, but Marigold knew she hadn't imagined what she'd seen.

Making another quick decision, Marigold went from using her clinical touch, the one she had learned as a candy striper, to what she had used to massage Thule . Marigold was already coming to think of it as her "probably platonic," touch--somewhat sensual, but with an edge of plausible deniability in case Dawn reacted badly.

Slowly and deliberately, Marigold worked her way up Dawn's neck, down her arms, and across the top of her chest. As she worked, Marigold kept Dawn engaged in conversation. For the most part, the conversation was light and inconsequential. Marigold hadn't engaged in a lot of small talk with her classmates in the last few years, but found she had a natural gift for it. The conversation meandered from topic to topic with Marigold consciously avoiding only two topics: what her hands were doing and what had happened (and nearly happened) today.

Dawn, for her part, seemed happy to let Marigold drive the conversation. and the application of sunscreen. With the hot sun beating down on her, she kept her eyes slitted and spoke with a languid drawl.

"Lie on your back," said Marigold. "I want to get your legs and stomach."

Dawn smiled as she complied, "Yes, Nurse Bossy."

"Hey," said Marigold, feigning sharpness. "That's Doctor Bossy."

Marigold continued to take her time, enjoying the conversation as much as the feel of Dawn's flesh under her hands. This sort of talk would never have been possible with her old social circle where every word had to be carefully considered for orthodoxy lest it be repeated to Brianne or June or one of their lieutenants. Comparably, what Marigold was trying to set in motion would have been such a violation of social orthopraxy that spoken heresy hardly seemed to matter.

As Marigold got closer to running out of other places to rub in lotion, she considered Dawn's chest. Truth be told, she didn't even know what the protocol was for these sorts of things anyway. She didn't know if telling Dawn to do her own chest would be a clear rejection or touching them an obvious pass. Deciding to go with what worked so far, she struck a middle ground. Without breaking the flow of conversation, Marigold allowed her touch to become clinical again as she slid her hands up the sides of Dawn's breasts.

Dawn's eyes flew open. For a moment, Marigold's heart seemed to stop. But, there didn't seem to be rejection in those eyes--only curiosity, a hint of excitement, and a question.

"Can't have these burning," said Marigold. "They can be very sensitive to the sun."

Dawn closed her eyes and nodded, a half-smile on her lips, "You're the doctor."

Marigold finished with Dawn's chest, directed her to roll over, and repeated the treatment on her back. With less erogenous areas to worry about, Marigold massaged the lotion into Dawn's back and legs. Several times, Dawn let out a sigh of pleasure which Marigold pretended not to notice.

When there was no visible spot on Dawn left untouched, Marigold handed her the lotion, "Now, do your face. Then, do me, please."

At first, Dawn's hands were not as steady as Marigold's had been. But, Marigold guided her with nods and words of encouragement. Soon, Dawn was rubbing the lotion into Marigold with the same vigor that Marigold had used on her.

As Dawn's hands inched closer to her breasts, Marigold could feel her own heart beating faster and her breathing getting fractionally shallower. When Dawn paused with her hands on Marigold's ribs, Marigold cleared her throat and said, "Make sure you get everything. My prom dress is pretty revealing and I would hate to have patches of sunburn showing.

Dawn's hands on her chest were not at all clinical. Several times, the heels of her hands brushed Marigold's nipples until Marigold had to bite her lip to avoid moaning out loud. When she finally did gasp, Dawn looked up, her face guilty as if she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to.

Marigold wasn't sure if Dawn was overtly making a pass or just thought she was getting away with something. Besides that, she didn't know when her mother would be home and doubted she'd be able to keep an eye out for the car if things proceeded much further. Reluctantly, she said, "Maybe we should move on to my back now." When Dawn's look of worry deepened, Marigold gave her the sauciest smile she could manage before rolling over.

                               -=-

The next few hours passed in relative idyll. They alternately swam and sunbathed, read, talked and laughed. Most of what Marigold would remember of that afternoon was how much they laughed. It was the sort of friendship she hadn't had in years, if ever, the sort of friendship she should have had with Maya if she hadn't poisoned it from the very start.

At the same time, she kept up her flirtation with Dawn, touching stroking, hugging, staying closer than mere friendship granted permission for. Marigold thought she was incredibly bold, but Dawn still seemed afraid, unsure of whether she was being seduced or just reading too much into Marigold's affection. Marigold felt like she was being a horrible tease and had to remind herself that it wasn't really teasing if she intended to make good her promises.

As darkness became an undeniable fact, they went inside. Holly looked up from her cooking, "Oh, Marigold, I didn't know you had company. Will she be staying for dinner?"

"If I can..." said Dawn. "I didn't realize how late it was."

"I hope you like ham," said Marigold.

"Don't be silly," said Holly. "We finished the ham on Wednesday. Tonight is lasagna and meatballs."

"That sounds great," said Dawn. She looked into the pot of red sauce, "It smells great, too."

Marigold grinned, "Mom, would it be okay if Dawn stayed over tonight?"

Dawn looked startled, but Holly just said, "It's fine with me, but check with Jonas."

Marigold stepped into Jonas's study, "Jonas," she said quietly. "Dawn's had kind of a rough day today. Would it be all right if she stayed over tonight?"

"Sure," said Jonas, "if it's okay with her parents. Is it something I can help with?"

"No," said Dawn. "It's just boy troubles. Nothing serious."

"Boys are nothing but trouble," grumbled Jonas good-naturedly, "I used to be one myself. You stay away from them."

"Yes, sir," said Dawn. She glanced meaningfully at Marigold, "I'll see what I can do."

                               -=-

When Marigold heard the shower start, she had to resist the urge to slip into it with Dawn. She felt certain now that the two of them were on the same wavelength. But, they were expected downstairs for dinner. Reluctantly, she took her clothes down to the guest bathroom for a quick, solitary shower. As she stood under the water with her eyes closed, her fingers snaked down between her legs. None of the old hesitancy was there. She still felt a little guilty about it, but knew that, as sins went, it was about as venial as they came. Still, she touched herself only lightly, preferring the longing ache she felt right now to a quick fix.

Downstairs, over dinner, Holly asked, "Should I make up the guest room for Donna?"

"Actually, Mom," Marigold corrected gently, "her name is Dawn. And, I thought she could stay with me. That way we can stay up for a while before we go to sleep and talk or...do girl stuff."

Holly nodded, approval obvious in her face. Dawn kept her face carefully neutral. Marigold smiled and dished herself more salad.

As Dawn and Marigold were sitting, chatting in the living room, the television droning in the background ignored, Jonas stuck his head in, "Dawn," he asked, "will you be joining us for church tomorrow?"

"Sure," Dawn said, "I haven't been to church in years."

"Great," said Jonas, "You two don't stay up too late, then. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Jonas," said Marigold.

They sat there talking for another half hour or so, the conversational pauses becoming longer and more meaningful.

Finally, Marigold stood up, "We should get to bed, then." Dawn nodded and followed her upstairs. Once the door was closed and locked and the stereo on low, Marigold asked, "Do you want me to find something for you to sleep in or..."

"That would be great," said Dawn a trifle too quickly.

Marigold went into the closet and emerged with a long, white t-shirt that read, "Windows 2000 beta."

"You have vendor t-shirts?" Dawn asked, holding it.

"Actually," said Marigold, "it's Thule 's. It got mixed in with my luggage in New York ."

Dawn looked at it uncertainly. Marigold added, "I did wash it. I just haven't given it back yet."

"I just don't know if I should wear Thule 's shirt," said Dawn. Marigold was confused by the statement until she saw a look that could only be described as reverence in Dawn's eyes.

Not wanting to Marigold shrugged, "Suit yourself. I could find you..."

"No..." said Dawn, deciding quickly, "I'll wear it."

Marigold smiled and started to undress.

Later, after ablutions had been done, Marigold asked, "Do you have a side you prefer?"

"I don't know," admitted Dawn, "I've never shared a bed before."

"Never?" asked Marigold, cocking an eyebrow.

Dawn shook her head, "Never."

"Well," said Marigold sitting on one edge of the bed, "I like this side. Why don't you get in over there?" She slid under the sheets. Dawn got in awkwardly, staying as far away from Marigold as she physically could without falling out of the bed. Somehow, whatever rapport they'd had earlier had faded with the setting sun.

As Marigold turned off the light, she decided that, whatever the outcome, nothing would be served by leaving things uncertain between them another night. Lying on her side facing Dawn, she said, "You can move a lot closer. I don't take up a lot of bed."

Dawn scootched closer to Marigold, lying on her side and facing away. Marigold curled up closer to her, moving in a little at a time until she was spooning Dawn. Her hand lay gently across Dawn's stomach, her fingertips gently teasing through the shirt.

For a few minutes, she just held Dawn there, listening to the other girl's shallow breathing, feeling her body quiver with anticipation. Then, Dawn said, "Marigold, you know I'm...you know I like girls, right?"

Marigold's hand slid down to the bare flesh just below the bottom of the shirt and above Dawn's knee, "I've heard you say so," she said. Her hand slid up under the shirt, tracing a line up Dawn's inner thigh, "but, I have yet to see you do anything about it."

Dawn rolled towards Marigold. Marigold wrapped her free hand behind Dawn's head, drew her in and kissed her, slowly and sweetly. Dawn's mouth opened and her tongue darted out. Marigold's hand slid up to rest on Dawn's bottom, fingertips stroking the silky material of her underpants. As the kiss went on, she slid Dawn's panties down and free, her hand coming back up to the already moist place between her friend's thighs. Dawn sighed in pleasure as Marigold's fingertip teased their way inside of her.

"Wait," said Dawn when the first kiss broke, "I thought you were the one who told me less than a month ago that I was too pretty to be a lesbian."

A month, thought Marigold. It might as well be a million years ago. The person she'd been then was barely recognizable now. But, that was too much to explain. So, instead, she just said, "I was right." Sliding a finger deeper inside of Dawn and kissing her briefly again, she added, "Much too pretty."

Dawn gasped and trembled. Marigold slid her finger out of Dawn, rubbing wetness on her outer lips. She teased Dawn's clitoris and planted small, gentle kisses on her mouth. Soon, Dawn's hips were rising and falling, the pleasure building up her body. But, she was fighting it.

"It's all right," whispered Marigold. "No one will hear us if we keep it reasonably quiet."

"It's not that," said Dawn, her voice coming out as a moan. "It's... Thule ."

Marigold chuckled, "I told you before. I love Thule and want, one day, to be with him forever. But, not yet. He understands that. Neither one of us is ready for forever yet."

Dawn writhed, caught Marigold's wrist, and guided her friend's finger deeper inside of herself. Within a few seconds, her body was trembling, a harsh moan escaping her lips. Marigold slid down the length of the bed, sliding Dawn's t-shirt up so that she could lay her head at the apex of Dawn's thighs. Then, her tongue darted out, teasing, licking, probing, working around and past her finger. Dawn's moans were low and guttural.  Marigold tried to remember what Thule had done to make her so crazy and, while she doubted she approached his facility in the field, received no complaints from Dawn, who gripped her by the hair, holding her in place.

"Oh, God," Dawn whispered loudly. "Oh, Marigold. Oh, please don't stop." For a long time, Marigold obliged, her hands sliding up to push away Dawn's t-shirt until Dawn got the hint, stripping herself and then Marigold.

Marigold slid up to put her head back on the pillow, kissing Dawn. Meanwhile, her finger continued to probe, now joined by a second one. As she kissed Dawn, Dawn's hand snaked down, slid inside of Marigold's panties, and between her legs. Marigold wiggled to give Dawn a better angle and soon, Dawn was stroking her clit while Marigold returned the favor. Both of them sussurated their pleasure, moaning occasionally, Dawn's entire body trembling with pleasure, Marigold's gaining ground quickly. Then, Dawn slid down, one hand and her lips stroking and teasing Marigold's breasts. Marigold felt herself lose control and came, moaning into the pillow. Dawn kept stroking and licking Marigold's nipples, using her tongue like a cat would until Marigold felt her neat, even progression of orgasms starting to fray, tumbling in on her now, one on top of another. As she lay there with her eyes rolled back in her head, she thought abstractly of how absurdly inefficient it was to pile so much pleasure on her all pell mell like that. Surely, it must be spilling out of her body, soaking the sheets and carpet. All she could reach of Dawn was her head. So, she held on for dear life, swearing to herself that she would get even with Dawn when she could.

She got the opportunity. When Dawn slid back up into her arms, now coated in a thin sheen of sweat, she slid two fingers back into Dawn, fucking her fiercely with them. Dawn's hips rose and fell, her eyes closed against the pleasure that washed over her. Then, Marigold slid one finger out of her and teased Dawn's anus with it. Dawn's eyes flew open in startled surprise. Whatever she saw in Marigold's eyes caused her to shudder and moan, but she didn't speak, only pushed Marigold's face into her chest. Marigold kissed and licked Dawn's nipples, knowing how good it must feel to be on the receiving end. Their two bodies writhed together like caducean snakes, seeking and giving pleasure.

Three times, Marigold lay back, thinking she was spent. And, three times, Dawn convinced her otherwise, licking, teasing, and penetrating. The fourth time, she caught Dawn before she could pounce again, "No more," she begged, "please....I can't. I can't take any more. You have to stop."

"You started it," said Dawn, pouting, but she acquiesced, coming back up to lie in Marigold's arms, her hand gently stroking Marigold's bottom.

"I've just wanted to fuck you for so long," said Dawn. "So very long."

"You have?" asked Marigold, surprised.

Dawn nodded, "Since we were cheerleaders together. You were the first girl I ever realized I wanted. You were so pretty and so sad. I just wanted to hold you and make love to you."

Marigold, who had given up cheerleading her sophomore year, was taken aback, "That long?"

Dawn nodded, then seemed to correct herself, "That long ago. It wasn't until you got up and walked away from Brianne that I really started to feel it again. That's really why I followed you to Thule 's table."

Marigold nodded, taking in this new information and wishing she could say something similar. But, she knew it wasn't true. She'd wanted Maya a long time ago and pushed her away, partially to remove the temptation.

As she lay there thinking, Marigold felt a change in Dawn's breathing, indicating that she had fallen asleep. Marigold took one last glance to make sure that the door to the hallway was locked and followed suit.