Naked in School: Jacob and Tiffany - Monday

by Prof. Jack

>>

Well, they called me to the office at last. The Program. I knew it was coming because my family was way too disorganized and stressed out to agree on signing anything. Confused divorces can do that to a family. Anyhow, as I was saying, they called me to the office for the program. Truth be told, I was kind of ambivalent about it. I have my faults, but I knew about them. About sex I knew a little bit. My parents would say too much. Then it sunk in. I was the only student in Mr. Bacon’s office.

Ms. Q. looked at her watch.

Just then the phone rang.

Mr. Bacon picked up the phone. “Yes?… I see. Jacob, are you kidding me? You better be sure I’ll check out the window.” He did.

Then Ms. Q. did.

Then I did too. If there is anything more curious than a teenage female, I’ve never met it.

All three of our mouths dropped. What we all saw should not have happened. And yet it did. Completely oblivious to those watching it, a hovercraft landed by the sports fields. Then somebody got out, acting as though what he did was as normal as parking a Ford.

Tiffany recognized him. She should have known.

Five minutes later Jacob strode in wearing his customary outfit. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes.”

“Mr. Shuman upset because I correct all his mistakes again?”

“Yes, but that’s not why you are here.”

“Then why?” Then he noticed Ms. Q. and me. “You mean? The Program???”

“Correct.” Ms. Q. said.

“Why me? I know precisely who I am. What I am, where I am in my life, this I know already.”

“We still think you can learn something from this.” The principal said.

“And I have no choice.”

“None.”

I watched him strip then. I’ll give him that much. He accepted his fate with clinical detachment. Then I caught him looking at me. “What you looking at?” I snapped.

A look flashed over his face before it vanished. What he said next surprised me. “I’m looking at a very sexy woman. One I would never be bold enough to hope to see naked.”

O.K. I admit it. I was flattered. Here was a guy everybody swore existed in a different world. I could not remember the last time I caught him trying to get a girl. Then I took off my clothes.

He gasped. I nearly blushed at that. I managed not to react. Oh, I’m well aware that almost every other pairing in the program resulted in a long term relationship. But no, I have considered many things, but I never ever thought of dating ‘odd guys’.

Our clothes were gathered up by Ms. Q.

“OK you guys. Time to go.”

Chapter 2 Jacob

My name is Jacob Stone. I am quite probably the last person anybody, and I mean ANYBODY, living or dead, would have thought would be in the Program. I am a scrawny geek. My glasses could be used to set fires. Just hold them between the sun and combustible material and wait. A neat trick one of about two dozen I can pull together from parts of my outfit.

And now I’m going to walk naked around this school. Oh for the love of all things existing. I admit it. This outfit and my very bearing was shielding against my insecurities with girls. When it came to shielding, the starship Enterprise had less then I do. One associate claimed you could hit my defenses with a Mack truck and the truck would implode on impact. Precisely the effect I was going for.

And now all I had was my will power to keep up my defenses against a school and student society that I could have bet my hovercraft hated my un-cool existence. Well that’s ok, my entire life has been a challenge to conventional reality. I never had a habit of insulting the different, or striking those who were different. I did not give a damn about fashion. What I wore, I wore because it was comfortable. A pair of jeans and a comfortable shirt. I had a trench coat whose pockets were filled with all sorts of electronic odds and ends. A lot of scientific equipment was stuck in them as well. A person once bet ten dollars a car was in them. He was right. God in his infinite wisdom knows why, but I had a corvette in the left pocket. It was a matchbox car, but still it was a car. And my crushable, waterproof outback hat. That hat became part of my growing rep when some kids on the football team grabbed it, then ran it over with their car. I picked up, washed it off at home. The next day I wore it into school. By the third period enough people saw the hat was the same to be convinced. And I won another battle against the bullies without lifting a finger.

Ok. This week is going to count as penance for any sins I’ve committed during the 15 years I’ve been on this planet.

And now it was time.

I walked out of the principal’s office into solid wall of laughter. Wall to wall, not one attempt to hide it. That school was so lucky that my hovercraft had no weapons attached.

The first assault on my shields had begun.

After three minutes it only got worse. You’d think Bob Hope and Johnny Carson were performing from all the laughter.

Enough. By all that I sex I was probably not going to get, this was way too much. “I see.”

Chapter 3 Tiffany

All that laughter as he left the office. I actually felt for him. Don’t ask me why, just don’t. Just as I was going to say something, he did.

“I see.”

Talk about cold tones. My freezer was warmer than that. Silence reigned though. I’ll give him points for that. There were few people I know who could silence a hallway of laughing high school kids with two words. Then in a completely even voice he let loose.

“All at once, eh? No lying in wait, no spreading it though the halls, just all humiliate the odd guy seconds after he leaves the office? This is cool behavior? Then thank Gods I’m not cool.”

He said that last sentence with such feeling, it was as if he was passing judgment.

In the shock Jacob strode though the crowd and off towards his class.

No one moved.

And in that moment of shocked silence, I had to wonder if he was right, if behavior like that gave him the right to feel superior? And why was I giving so much thought to a guy who probably never thought about my existence before today?

Then Diane came up. “Guess it’s your turn, eh?”

We started walking to our first class. We sat next to each other in geometry class. The class filled up with the usual people looking and staring. A few were even reaching out to feel me up. How did I feel about that? Truth be told I did not know. The touching was turning me on a bit, but not everybody was a turn on. But only four people had touched me. When Jacob lets loose, he really lets loose.

“Yes. Guess they wanted another cheerleader.”

She looked at me. “You sound unhappy.”

Bill sat down close enough to whisper. “Well, not since they paired Bob and Megan did I see such a varied couple.”

I looked at him like he just announced water was wet. I mean to say anything more obvious was not easy. “And I’d give ten dollars to know what was going though their minds.”

“You are not the only one, I bet.” Bill said. “Possibly the biggest nerd in school history is concentrating every spare brain cell to figure it out.”

Diane looked thoughtful. “You sound like your father again.”

We all laughed.

The class had a sub who had have been from a non Program district. He spent all period being flustered by me. I could read his mind like a third grade book. He wished he could touch me like the students. After about 10 minutes he realized he was not going to be able to concentrate, so he gave us busy work.

The teacher’s stares reminded me why the program was not my idea of joy.

Megan and Bob moved themselves over as the students moved to work with their friends.

Megan glanced at the teacher, then back at me. An evil look started to form on her face, then she visibly got control of herself. “Sorry. I still get those inspirations.”

Bob told her she’d get better. “Besides I think I know your partner, Tiffany.”

“Everybody knows my partner.”

Bill spoke up. “Everybody does not know him. They are aware of him. It’s not the same.”

“But who is he really?” Again with the curiosity? Why? Tiffany would have given her mall money to learn that.

“Nobody knows. That is his problem.” Mike looked around at the class as he said that.

Suzy looked at the group. “Bill’s father?” Bill’s father was a guidance advisor and mental counselor has on him. He was truly perceptive with social problems and determining the mysteries of a student mind. The effect his father had on Bill’s insights was scary at times.

They all thought.

Diane spoke up for all of them. “Could not hurt.”

Then they all looked at me.

Then it sunk in. They had to be kidding. They expected me to tell Jacob to see Dr. Daring? They were in the same hallway as I was this morning, weren’t they? I have trouble telling kids like me they are wrong. How am I, how the hell was I going to tell him he was wrong?

Chapter 4 Jacob

The trip though the hallways went a little better this time. Actually, three people actually asked me to pose. And one girl actually asked if she could touch me. Asked me, of all people. There is a chance, a slim chance for me to enjoy this.

And she actually turned me on. I thought sex had to be something planned, special, the history of Suzy Clysdale notwithstanding.

She actually turned me on.

Turns out we had the same class this period too.

Mrs. Atkins saw me as I entered. “In the program, are you, Mr. Stone?”

I walk into a classroom naked and she has to put a question mark on the end of her sentence? By what stretch of the imagination can she conceive of any other reason that I, Jacob Jehosophat Stone, would ever walk into a classroom naked?

All I said was “It would appear so.”

“Would you like some relief. Your partner is in the class after all.”

The class stared at Jacob. They wondered what he would do next.

That was something I would have liked to know myself.

Then I surprised everybody, including myself. I accepted.

The collective shock in the room could have choked an elephant.

Mrs. Atkins indicated the front of the room. “You have to let people see you getting the relief. Tiffany can borrow the pillow from my chair.”

Tiffany had a look on her face. Shock or surprise, I could not be sure which.

Neither could anybody else.

Tiffany did not move or say anything for a few minutes. Her mind was littered with should I or shouldn’t I arguments.

Finally, a girl in the rear raised her hand.

Oh great. It was Crystal. One of the few girls I thought I had a chance with if ever I could ask her at right time. And if I accepted her offer, it would seem in the future that sex started it, and sex was all I wanted from her. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve no hatred of sex at all. Indeed, I wish at times I got a lot more of it. But still I never was one for taking advantage, or treating people like sluts.

Crystal waited only a minute then got up without waiting for anybody to say anything. She went over to where I was standing, got on her knees and took me inside her mouth. She started sucking with such skill that I had trouble holding back. After a few minutes, I gave in. Crystal drank it all. “You’ve a big one. Girls overlook a lot of flaws for that.”

I didn’t know what to say. I expected none of this. And although nobody would ever believe it, I was incapable of thought of any type. I barely made it back to my chair.

Luckily this class was community civics. I’d been playing that game for two years now.

Peter leaned over. “She got you good, didn’t she?”

Lucy added “Fun, wasn’t it?”

I glared a little. I realize they did not mean anything bad by it. But for the longest time, my life was my secret. If I even thought about women as anything more than a fellow student, I never wanted anybody to know my thoughts. Before the gossiping started, I wanted to see if there was hope. It was going to be a hard habit to change.

Peter and Lucy drew back. They had slightly hurt looks on their faces.

Tiffany told them to relax. She said I’d spent so long holding things in that it annoyed me to have anybody knowing my feelings.

Ouch! Shields at 15%. External cloak must be malfunctioning! Nobody was supposed to be reading me like that!!

It was only with the help of prayer that I did not react to her comment.

Tiffany saw me as I built back my defenses. I put on a pose of somebody deep in thought about the lesson. But I had a feeling this girl saw through my act.

What that could mean I did not even want to think about.

The lunch bell sounded then.

I got up, headed into the hallway and watched.

Tiffany went down the hallway. The guys all followed her like sheep. Several felt her up. She seemed to be getting in to it. But she acted as though there was someone else she wanted to be doing it.

I was all set to think about that when a pair of football players gave me something else to think about.

My most interesting thoughts are always interrupted.

“What do you say we get her after school, Fred?”

He just laughed.

Kevin was at least twice my height and three times as good looking. He never had trouble scoring. Normally I would not concern myself with his plans for girls. I mean, lets be real here. A choice between Kevin and myself could only have one result. My self confidence survives so much because I do not put it in impossible situations. OK, ok, self confidence or ego, the principle still applies.

But this time two things disturbed me. The football player used the words ‘get her’. Also he said ‘we’. I followed them. What I heard next was worse .

Kevin was speaking now. “Get her? I say we fuck her, all of us. Cheerleaders are eager for sex anyway. Plus she’s in the Program. Means she’s fair game anyway. I’ll be waiting behind the stands where the cheerleaders go to get to the parking lot.”

I was so concerned that I did not even notice the three girls that felt me up. Well, I noticed it enough, even smiled and thanked them. But the enjoyment was gone. Tiffany was my partner in this bloody program. No way I could let them do this.

And curse the fates, I find myself thinking that she’d make a good girlfriend too.

To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe…

Chapter 5 Tiffany

I admit it. This crazy program was working. I was starting to examine feelings I would not have thought twice about before. Hell, some of these thoughts, I would not have ever thought once about.

But did I want to?

Did opposites really attract?

Or is my brain catching cold from the lack of clothing.

And I thought my research paper in advanced English was going to give me a brain ache.

I went into the lunchroom. The crowd looked at me a minute, and went back to their eating. Their thoughts were obvious enough. First the lunches in front of them. Then me for dessert.

The lunchroom was large and noisy. The lines moved at various speeds. I picked my food and sat where I always did. Usually I liked the view of the woods surrounding the school. Today the dark sky and branches swinging in the wind only served to remind me that fall had arrived. I know women in the Program ended up wet by the end of the day, but I doubt it was meant to be from a thunderstorm.

I got my food and took my seat by friends.

Diane, Megan, Lucy, Peter, Bill and Bob all were seated at the usual table. Seated on the edge of the table area, they could see and be seen by those they wanted to be seen by. At least my friends were good people. Other end tables were occupied by the worst snobs, the highest and mightiest of the various school cliques. In a different time I’d expect it to be just on the edge of gang warfare.

“Hi guys.” They all chorused hi back.

Then Lucy got right into it. “What do you think of your partner choice?”

I still didn’t know what I thought of it. So I asked them. “What do you guys think of him?”

Quiet. You’d think I asked them to join an orgy or something..

Peter looked at me. “You still do not know, do you”

“Know what?” Diane asked.

Bill looked at her. “I love you a lot, but sometimes you miss the most obvious things.”

Megan asked what we all were thinking. “Bill, what are you talking about?”

“Program partners are selected by the staff.”

Old news I thought.

What he said next made me wonder if his father was sitting at the table instead of him. “Most partner sets were chosen to give complementary support mechanisms. They share at least two classes, have some hobbies in common, and all in all have the potential of being an excellent couple if something was not standing in the way. The Program would remove that barrier, that mental block or mindset that holds back what both would want if only they would truly think about it.”

Oh my God. My soup went cold in my mouth. They would not… they could not… we should not… should we?

But why me? For him? We are not quite from different planets, but damn close.

Peter saw my thoughts. Really, I must learn how Jacob keeps such an impassive face. I’m not sure I like being an open book. What he said next nearly had me slugging him.

“You Tiffany, are sexy and popular, plus you are a cheerleader. You are comfortable with this. Your social life is excellent, there are few parties or events you can go to that you will not seem comfortable. You are the precise example of a cool teenage girl. And to do this you are resisting your natural intelligence. But I at least have seen it slip though on occasion. Classes you keep a C average in and you get an easy A on the final. Also I cannot be the only one who has noticed how easily you seem to grasp things. You’ve got probably more intelligence than anyone at this table, but you have little clue how to use it comfortably. You also are afraid that using it in public will cost you your friends.” He paused to let that sink in. “You should also know that your true friends, such as us here at this table, will not shun you because of that. In fact, a few of us could probably use some homework help.” He let loose a small laugh to relieve the sting of his words.

There should be laws against men being that perceptive.

But still I was afraid to show interest in Jacob. Look I’ve seen him around school. If there was ever a student more certain of his place in this universe and exactly how he felt about it, it was Jacob J. Stone.

Diane, both bless and curse her heart, did it for us. “Ok. We now more about Tiffany then we probably should have. What about her partner? Of all the intelligent men in this school, why Jacob? Why him?”

All eyes turned to Bob.

Bob looked distinctly uncomfortable.

Finally I could not wait any longer. “Well?”

Bob looked sad. “I don’t know if I should. I’m one of the few people he truly trusts around here.”

Bill put down his drink. “Okay, time for me to play my father again. Bob, you would say that he has a good grasp of possibilities, yes?”

“Yes.”

“And you would say that he would know who you’re friends are?”

“He would.”

“Then what makes you think that he would not expect you to release this information, if only to make it easier for Tiffany to be his partner? Doesn’t that sound like the sort of devious move he would make to save him effort he is too shy to make himself?”

“Could be. But I refuse to try to figure a mind as inexplicably complex as Jacob’s.”

Damn. The one source I had for information and he was clamming up. I’ll say this much. The few friends he does have are chosen well.

Just then Jacob walked by. Speak of the mystery, and he shall appear.

Jacob was naked and was on his way to dump his trash. He had no reason really to walk by this table and yet he did. “Is everything going well, Tiffany?”

Tiffany was speechless.

“You seem surprised. At least in the program, we are partners. I know you have no mental shields, not used to this constant staring, everybody trying for something… I’m here… always will be here for you.” He turned to leave. Then he looked back, straight at Bob. “Your discretion I’m grateful for, but I do think in this case you can tell them. My observations of this group lead me to think it will be safe.” He walked away.

I watched him walk away. How did he know?

Everybody looked at Bob again.

Damn him, he made me ask. “Bob, will you please tell me about him?”

Bob looked around, and began. “You want me to tell you about him, or explain him?

“Explain him.” I said without hesitation.

He looked around at us a bit sadly. “Not possible. Nobody totally understands him. Each of his few friends has pieces of the puzzle, but we’ve never sat down to try to put them together.”

He must have seen my disappointed look, because he offered to tell us what he could about him.

I nodded. Some information. I simply needed some more information about Jacob.

“His full name is Jacob Jehosophat Stone. Nobody, and I include his closest friends, knows the history of his middle name. He only uses it when being very formal, or quite emotional. And watch out when he stretches out the ‘ho’. When he does that, the shit is not just about to hit the fan, the shit is about to blow the fan away. When it comes to engineering, he is frightening. Other sciences he is brilliant in. He dabbles in politics. He has a grasp of what could be, puts together future events from only couple of a puzzle pieces. Mentally, he is very secure. You’ve seen his defenses today. Physically, he is scrawny but he acts as though he is the master of whatever situation he is in. And often, whether those in the situation know it or not, he is. He takes those clues, adds his knowledge of observations, using them to accomplish what he chooses to. Trust me, he notices more than you think. He dabbles in things partially because of interest, partially because those actions put him closer to girls he has interest in, but the girls never know until he wants them to because is checking to see if in fact a future is possible with her.” Bob paused dramatically. “You see, this living legend has one great weakness. He is shy. Nobody knows it cause they are so concerned with exterior appearances in this place that they take his unshakable appearance at face value. If you see an emotion, it’s because he wants you to. He has true feelings, but very few people ever know about them. His greatest regret is that the women he really thinks are worth his effort, they are taken. By that I mean he looks for women based on personality, wisdom, wit. Looks are not the top reason.”

You’re stopping there?? How dare you stop there! Continue talking this minute or naked or not, I’m going to leap on you and beat the rest of it out of you!

Bob looked more uncomfortable then he did all lunch. “You really sure you want to know? No, you are my friend. And I am Jacob’s. Even if he so clearly knew this conversation was coming, I cannot be the one to say it.”

I never wanted in my life to rip information from a man as I did just then.

SLAM!!!

I looked where it came from. It was Jacob standing with a baseball bat over a pair of football players. I did not know their names, so I could only assume they were new.

I really tried to listen to what he said next. But I couldn’t.

Bob’s eyebrows raised above his glasses. He said nothing about knowing what was going on over there.

The football players pushed him back and said something back.

Jacob’s hand gripped the bat tighter for a second, then he just tossed the bat at the surprised kid who was holding it five minutes ago.

Like nearly everybody else in that room I was dying to know what was just said.

The lunchroom monitor wanted to know as well. Jacob said a few words that the monitor obviously did not want to hear. “A week’s detention, Mr. Stone. Now stay away from them.”

Jacob left the room as if nothing strange had happened. If nothing else, I admired his ability to turn on and off his feelings and emotions. Even if it was just an act.

I turned to Bill. “Can you tell me this great mystery?”

“I can, but I think this is something you need to learn yourself.”

Would nobody tell me what I needed to know? I just knew I had an anguished look on my face.

Megan looked where Jacob had just left. Then she looked at me. “No. Not in ten million years. Just not possible. I’d have noticed him if he did.”

Bob asked calmly. “Would you have?”

“Really?” Bill added.

“If somebody does not start explaining…” I started menacingly.

Megan said “Ok. I will. Just remember, you wanted to know. You were checked out in the past by Jacob Jehosophat Stone.”

Blanching and blushing should be hard to do at the same time, but I managed it. “And???”

And you were considered too cool. Based on what I’ve heard today, he looked you over, did some investigating, and determined you had only one flaw, but it was a fatal one. You were just too cool for him to think he had a chance.

Chapter 6 Jacob

My English teacher wants me to keep a journal of my thoughts. Like I’d ever release an unedited version of my innermost thoughts. To paraphrase a recent movie phase – you can’t handle the truth!

Ok. Here goes.

Personal log, J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, October 27th.

The day continues. After the initial assaults in my shields, I stabilized my mental defenses. The worst attack was not the laughter in the hallways as I left the principal’s office. In the scheme of things, I expected something like that anyway. I just passed judgment on the ‘behavior of coolness’. The fact that so few people even looked like they were interested in my body was something else I expected. That hurt, this I will admit. Having them read me in the class really was a shock, but one I recovered from.

No, the true attack on all my defenses, all my secure thoughts and control of my fate in this was in my partner. Miss Tiffany French. Of all the girls I ever wanted to have as a girlfriend, the one truly worth the effort. Damn the fates that she was so cool. But for that, I’d have tried. And today I watched her undress in front of me. To say she was sexy is like saying Siberia was cold. She was even more than I expected, and these thick glasses I wear can practically see though walls.

Must divert mind before I do something stupid, like expose my heart to destruction by asking her out.

The Flying Dutchman worked perfectly. My usual ride could not make it so I did a live test on my hovercraft. Excellent. Thrilling. If the other features work half as well, let’s just say that the social hell they inflict on me at the high school will be worth it. Curiosity value might even have let me get a date.

Well, it might have if not for the fact that I started the Program today. If I understand it correctly, it is supposed to expose all my secrets and quirks to and observant world.

I ask, “can this planet take this information”, or even “does the world really care?”

Or is this more of what I’ve come to expect from those who know of me? They use me, and cast me aside when I’ve served my purpose.

Wait a minute. Let’s continue the tests on the Flying Dutchman. Lets try out the remote signal reception.

NOTE TO TEACH… A FEW MINUTES LOST WHILE SWITCHING OVER. NONE OF YOU ARE SMART ENOUGH TO GRASP THE HIGH SCIENCE INVOLVED ANYWAY.

Personal log continues:

I obtained my lunch. To call this slop food should violate the Fair Trade Description act. And serving it should require an Environmental Protection Agency license.

When that was done I looked around. Tiffany was at her table with her friends. How some people can find that many true friends I truly would love to know. It took me a year to find three people I trusted that much.

Hmm. Those friends of hers are no doubt going to play a big part in this game fate has thrown me into. Why me, gods, why me?

Note to self, run this by Bob for editing before releasing this section to the teacher. To begin with, we will stick with first names only.

First we will start with Diane. Girlfriend of Bill. Some artistic skill, mainly musical. She is in the band part of the time. Main claim to fame is being captain of the cheerleaders. Diane is active in groups that set up school dances too. Diane’s perception in choosing Bill as a boyfriend shows that she’s the sort I could have loved. Once again, a good one who is taken.

Next is her boyfriend, Bill. Getting her as a girlfriend, considering he only plays golf, was quite a surprise. Maybe she sees the effect of the fact his father is a guidance advisor and mental counselor has on him. He is truly perceptive, and possibly the only person, that given enough information, would be able to understand me. Should he show the same skills for a few more weeks, I might consider him safe to be my fourth confidant.

Bob. One of my three confidants. He has high skills in science and some skills in people understanding. Plays soccer rather well and was responsible for convincing me to try out. Results of that try out were expected, but oddly enough, at least those athletes did not use my failure to fuel their laughs. I accepted the manager’s position with them. At least it will look like I had athletic interest.

Megan. Bob’s girlfriend, member of a few thinking clubs like academic decathlon club, mock trail club and school newspaper. I expect I should expect a visit from her over the hovercraft.

Hey, I can’t be the only person to notice nothing written in the rules about teens with hovercrafts.

Lucy. School yearbook and camera club. Keeps quiet and thus gets the unexpected shots.

Better check to keep my nude shots out of there. Inside the school is bad enough.

Peter. I’m still not sure about him. Seems to be all over, in everything, but never is he truly given any credit. A mysterious man. Could be asset or trouble. A good note about him is he has no reputation as a gossip.

Ok pawns or pieces in this chess game. Time will tell.

Enough information. Time to act again.

On my way to dump my trash I decided to detour by Tiffany’s lunch table. There I’ll say a few supportive words to the girl who probably will never need my support. Better that she live out the life in that fiction than let her realize just how active I’ve been in her life. Women like to be the players, not the pieces. Also spares me the danger of revealing a crush on a girl I will never be cool enough to have.

Time to make the moves needed.

I walked by her table as casually as possible. Hopefully she never knew I usually left by the other door.

Ah, yes say it like that, and she can take it as she pleases. Oh, for the love of all things lovable, why am I doing this to myself? I know better and yet I cannot bring myself to truly accept the truth. Always I leave an opening in the futile hope that she will one day make a move. The rock of Gibraltar is liable to start tap dancing first. I’ve shattered the expectations of common science and I cannot get that through my head. I truly need help while I’ve some pretense to sanity left.

Of course she had no clue what was going on.

“Is everything going well, Tiffany?”

Tiffany was speechless.

“You seem surprised. At least in the program, we are partners. I know you have no mental shields, not used to this constant staring, everybody trying for something… I’m here… always will be here for you.” He turned to leave. Then he looked back, straight at Bob. “Your discretion I’m grateful for, but I do think in this case you can tell them. My observations of this group lead me to think it will be safe.” I walked away.

One move down, one more to go. God save me from my quixotic moments. On second thought, cancel that. Those are the only moments I really feel like I’m accomplishing anything.

Next I walked over to those football players. The ones who thought Tiffany would make a good sex toy. Look, she is sexy as hell, but does not make her a toy for men. Even if the program permitted such things, I certainly was not going to.

I went over to their table and stood there. Their friends noticed me, pointed me out. The two players I was concerned about ignored me. They talked about the latest game, the drug scandals and whether a certain school really should be punished for using sex to recruit players.

Being ignored by such people I was used to, but this time I needed to provoke a reaction. “Excuse me gentlemen.”

“Fuck off.” Kevin said.

Fred just tried to push me away as somebody was walking by with a baseball bat.

Executing dodge course… scan for useful tools… person walking by within reach with a bat… grab for bat… bat acquired… scanning for striking spot… target acquired… aiming… firing now…

SLAM!!!

I do think I have their attention now.

“Gentleman, and I only use that term out of politeness, I know what you are planning to do to Tiffany. I strongly advise you two not to do it.”

They looked at me like I was filth.

“You are a scrawny little geek. Stay out of this and we won’t break your bones.” Fred said.

Kevin followed Fred’s statement with “You are just upset cause you’ll never get any, from her or anybody else. She’s a cheerleader and she’s in the Program. Two reasons that she’s there for our pleasure.”

Fred finished it off with “Now get away or we’ll beat you right here.” He shoved me back a few feet.

I admit it. I was truly annoyed. No make that really pissed.

Targets in sight. Weapon ready. Select target. Left target selected for first hit. Prepare to strike… COMMAND OVERIDE… remember the plan… standing down…

I returned the bat to the surprised ball player who thought he was holding it.

I then turned around. I figure I might as well sit on the bench I usually do. Maybe I might get a few reasonable requests if nobody else saw them asking. Only time I have any hopes anyway is when nobody else is watching. Or is it that the only time I’m brave enough?

“Excuse me Mr. Stone.”

I looked up and saw the lunchroom monitor. “Yes.” I sounded as unconcerned as I could.

“Care to explain what just happened?”

You should have expected that, Jacob. Questions are always asked before you are ready to give answers. Now is not the time to release information. I will never make that mistake. Hmm, lets try blunt truth. “What just happened was that I just slammed a baseball bat into that table over there.”

“The entire lunchroom knows that. Why?”

“It pleased me to.”

The lunchroom monitor lowered his voice. “You are not that stupid. Whatever you did, you had a reason. Just tell it to me.”

Just my bloody luck that they start to have faith in my judgment today. Well, as much as he deserves a reward for his perception, I cannot imperil this project. “I do have my reason.”

“Then tell it.”

“No.”

“You leave me no choice.” He whispered. Then he spoke in a tone meant to carry. “A week’s detention, Mr. Stone. Now stay away from them.”

Perfect. The game continues. And as far as I can see, the talking has started up again as though it was just another fight. Excellent. Very excellent. Mistakes are not to be repeated and sorrows shall be spared me.

I left the room and went to my bench. I had something else to think about. Tiffany. What I overheard while eating, could it be true? Is the school playing games in which I am the pawn? Does anybody really think there is hope for me to ever have a relationship with somebody as good as her?

I watched the storm front approach with amusement.

Chapter 7 Tiffany

I think I just fulfilled the dreams of every male in this gym class. I'll bet my country music collection that the boys in this class have wanted to see me naked during class since the semester started.

Boy, it was turning me on.

Today's sport helped us all out. That was possibly the most fouled game of basketball in high school history. All the boys kept bumping into me, rubbing me, often grabbing me instead of the ball. Our teacher was not interfering much either. I was soaked by the end of the game. And it wasn't from sweat either.

Enough of this. My mother's morality lectures on the evil of sex be damned. I needed it and I needed it bad. As soon as the game was over I rushed to the men's shower room. According to the program rules, I was to wash up here after gym class.

Hell take me if that is what I'm thinking about.

Joe was first though the door and he made a beeline fore me.

I didn't even let him ask. I just grabbed his hand and shoved it in my pussy. He was supposed to be making the request and doing the action according to the rules. That was the whole purpose to the reasonable request system. But I could not help myself. I needed release and I needed it now. I moved his hand in and out of my pussy as fast as I could. I have been aching too long. In about 2 minutes I came screaming.

Joe looked at his soaked hand as if he was surprised it had not been torn off by my attack.

The other guys looked disappointed. They all wanted to be the first to get me off this week. Even a blind man could read it in their faces.

Lucky for them I was just getting started.

"Ok guys. We all know what we want. We only have time for one. Decide, but don't keep me waiting."

Oh dear. I didn't mean to cause a fistfight. Either I was far sexier than I was ever told, or they just wanted a fight and I was the excuse of the hour. The teacher didn't care. He gave the fighters detention, told me I'd be hearing about this after he spoke with Ms. Q.

As if the fight ruining my chance to get laid was not bad enough. I might just have to explain to my parents that due to misbehavior, I have to spend another week naked. The same parents who would probably go though the roofs. I was never much for prayer, but I found myself praying for god to spare me the fate of having to explain to two divorcing parents, each of who think they and they alone have all the answers I need. The problem is I am beginning to wonder if they really know the questions.

Chapter 8 Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, October 27th.

Study hall. The school said I had to take one this year. I'm still waiting for them to give me a good reason why. Look. For school purposes, this is a complete waste of time. I'm usually done with my homework almost before the teacher is done assigning it.

You guys want to know what I do with this time? Why I'm buried in papers if none of the papers has nothing to do with schoolwork? All right, I'll tell you. I'm working on plans for my hovercraft. Next you're going to tell me that hovercraft in some form had existed since the seventies. Don't waste your breath. What I did was take a scientific curiosity and make something of it for my daily use. Now you are probably going to ask "why?" Oh, you are all so predictable. However can you all expect me to respect the intelligence of people no more predictable then rats trapped in a simple maze? I built the Flying Dutchman because there are no traffic laws for driving hovercraft on the roads. Give me another 6 months and I can have a model that your six-year-old nephew could use legally. Make that 9 months and I can have a model that anybody with basic language skills can direct by voice power. That part was easy. The part that took so long involved the density drive, don't ask about that. Just don't. Sixteen months it would take me to get you guys to grasp the extreme basics of the theory. The rest of it was taking current and theoretical technology and getting it to mate in ways few people outside the science fiction field would even consider.

The preceding notations are for those who give a damn how I get around.

Today, none of this mattered. What was important today was that I was trying to find ways how I could enjoy the program. First off, I figured that with a week of walking around this school naked, even I should be able to get laid. I'm probably the last virgin in this school anyway.

Enough background information.

Time to do something that the readers of the log will not be falling sleep reviewing.

I looked around the class. Not too many girls in here, so it usually was quiet on the flirting side. Hold on, how did I miss this? Suzy Clysdale is in this class. For those even more oblivious to the social scene then I act, she is the school slut. To say she is easy is to over rate the concept of easy. I have never heard of her turning down a man. And given my sources and what I tend to learn, whether I care to or not, that is saying something.

So I did something stupid. I went and asked her out.

Yes, you did read correctly.

I got up, went over to the desk of Miss Suzzette Clysdale, and asked "Will you go out to dinner with me?" Basic line, no exterior references, no bullshit, no nothing. Just a simple request.

She laughed. In my face.

I just nodded and walked away. Remember what I said about saying something. This really did say something. It said I am worthless scum. No woman could possibly want me if I can't even get the school slut to consider sex with me.

Lets be logical here. To decide against sex with me, she had to consider it. I think that is really what hurts me. Not that she refused, but that she refused so quickly. It was that she seemed to think that there was nothing about me that was worth thinking about.

The laughter did not help either.

Oh hell, who was I kidding? What blind presumption had I that any girl would want me for sex? Look as they may at my cock, but want to have sex with me?

Just because you are in the program, Jacob, does not guarantee sex. It guarantees that you are exposed to the eyes of all and sundry. It lets said all and sundry choose to touch you. It lets them see if anything about you is fantasy material. But the one thing it does not do is guarantee sex.

Next period I had gym. We played volleyball. Oddly enough this is one of the few sports at which I am not a complete failure. I'm not that strong normally, so I cannot get into a battle on the net. The other person would just beat it back, right though me and into the floor. But serving, when it comes to serving, there I shine. I can put the ball anyplace I please. A 5 serve rule was instituted because I was so able to put the ball in between the players of the opposing team with frightening ease. So would anybody else with a good grasp of the laws of physics and a good eye as to who is paying attention. So all I had to do is let the others hit the ball and stay out of the way.

This worked until Becky noticed me. Apparently a big cock counted as distraction material. Apparently mine was big enough. I was in the front row. She was across the net from me. The way they had the ball coming, I had no choice. Bad as I was, I had to try to make the return. I did. Barely. I heard a gasp as I came down from the jump. The girl in front of me was staring at my cock. Her teammates shouted at her to hit the ball back. She managed to keep the ball in play. She got her revenge though. She waited till I was ready to serve again. "Hey Mr. Big."

Ok. I'm male. I just cannot ignore a sexy girl. Even if my self taught mental training was up there with the Jedi. I tried though.

"Tell me," she said next "have you ever serviced girls as well as you service that volley ball?"

Oh I tried to ignore her. After last period I had no hope I'd ever get sex in this school. Suzy was probably laughing my failed attempt to pick her up to every friend she ever had.

"Meet me in the shower after class and find out."

Not since this morning did I silence a crowd with my words. But there are times that I am epically stupid.

Even as I said the words, I knew that this is the stupidest thing I ever did. No computer existing can possibly measure the sheer stupidity of my comment.

"Score this next point off me and you can score with me." The silence deepened. We could hear the water in the pipes behind the wall.

I should have let it go. I was only inviting more trouble. But as I said, there are times I'm epically stupid. I snapped "Agreed."

Everybody got into position. Her team was acting to protect Becky from her words. My team was going to help me score. Like they truly believed Becky would keep her promise.

I got the ball, looked around, and did some calculations. I served.

For once everybody in the entire gym followed the ball from my serve.

It went up… to within inches of the ceiling. If it hit the ceiling, it would have been called a bad serve. Then it fell.

"You blew it. It's going to land on your side of the net." She said.

I smiled. I planned it to look that way from up there. But there was just a slight angle to the down portion of the serve. And the ball would be almost net level before they noticed it. Thud. The ball hit the floor. On her side of the net right in front of her.

The sound of jaws dropping should have reminded me of the anvil chorus.

I said nothing about her dare. Whether she paid off or not, that serve at least would prove that in this sport, you should not challenge me.

Nobody said a word on the event.

The game ended 5 minutes later. I never got to serve again, but I managed to keep from blowing any points. It was called a tie with ten minutes left in the period. I guess the extra shower time was supposed to be for Program benefits.

This should be amusing.

Now how to play this. Ah yes, standard unconcerned calm, as if all that happened was some deep plot the lesser mortals do not know.

I went in and showered. Dressing was not a problem so I decided that I should not be the only person getting a show. I turned to look when I heard someone behind me.

Becky. The tease.

I'll just put on a smile and see just how far she'll let this go.

"I have a reasonable Request."

I nodded. "How can I help you?"

"Let me wash you."

Thank god for my self control. She will never know how much I want this, or given how sexy she looks, her. "Agreed."

Becky was thorough. Especially when it came to my cock. The way she touched it, the thoroughness she did it, I got hard before I could help it.

I got another gasp. "It looked impressive before… but this…" You know, the Program never said anything about what I was or was not allowed to do to the person asking the reasonable requests. Some rules were there on how far they could go as far as pain and such things, and plenty of rules on how cooperative I had to be with their wishes, but nothing about the requesters. I wonder… I reached with my hands, felt her chest. My hands went to her breasts. I started out gentle. Some support plus a little rubbing.

She pressed them into me.

Ok, she did not slap me. Let's try the nipples.

Not so much a gasp this time as a moan.

The rest of the girls in the shower tried to look like they were unconcerned. I didn't believe it. They were paying attention, or I'm a drunk. But at this point I really was not truly concerned about their acting or their acts. Something far more interesting was at my fingertips.

The nipple work I kept up a bit longer then realized time was passing. I maneuvered her against the wall and started kissing. Shy and tentatively, but still kissing a sexy girl. Becky kissed back.

We ground our bodies against each other.

Then I felt some moisture on my cock. It felt like I was between her legs. Some more kissing and grinding, then it was in her. I must have slipped my mask somehow because she said, "It's good."

And she was tight.

By the way, did I mention before I was virgin. A virgin who could not get a date with the school slut? Even my vast imagination or my serious grasp on possible realities could not have predicted me fucking.

Fucking is the only word for it. Because that's what she told me to do next. "Fuck me. Just keep pushing it in me. To hell with school."

Somewhere in the background the bell rang. Who cares?

Correction. I would not have cared if the building were collapsing about my ears. I started to push in and out faster. It just felt right.

Becky's body certainly agreed. "Fuck me! Fuck me harder.

"Yes, oh yes!" She screamed and came.

At least that is what I think she did.

I know I certainly did.

The sex over, reality sunk in. We did a quick shower and she dressed. She seemed stressed about being late, so I told her to take a pen and paper and write the following. "I made her late giving into reasonable requests. As the Program guide has no penalties listed for times spent in doing or accepting reasonable requests, I trust she will not be punished."

She did so with a curious look on her face. "Will this work?"

"Trust me." I said as I scribbled my name. "Either it will get both of us off the lateness hook, or it will put all the trouble on me. Something incidentally that I have no trouble with."

She left quickly.

Truth was utter confusion reigned in my head.

Thank god for my autopilot skill.

I went to my next period class with my best `don't question me, I have my reasons' look.

Chapter 9 Tiffany.

Well, this is the class where the program students are used to explain the lessons or be the tools for demonstrations of lesson points.

Hold on.

Where is Jacob?

He'd never ducks a class. Not even this one, today. Jacob just has no fear. Places angels fear to tread, he just does not go there, Jacob sets up housekeeping.

Ms. Q. was curious as well. "Do you know where Stone is?"

"No." I had to admit.

After a few minutes, she decided to continue anyway. "Lets begin. Jacob will just have to answer for his actions."

"He always has one," A comic said…

General laughter.

"Ok. Ok. Lets begin. Today we are going to talk about sexual experiences."

Just then Becky came in. She handed a slightly moist note to the teacher then took the empty chair next to me. Now only Jacob was missing.

Ms. Q. read the note. "I'll just see about this. As I was saying, today's class we will talk about sexual experiences. Namely we will talk about the losing of a person's virginity."

Jacob walked in at that point. He calmly nodded to Ms. Q. and sat down in his usual seat.

How, how in the name of my Meatloaf CD collection can he do such nervy things so calmly? A stranger would think he was the teacher's equal. "Did I miss anything of interest?"

Ms. Q. gave him the sort of grin that usually drives men to run for the hills.

Jacob did not even flinch.

I found myself wondering if he was just plain crazy. Even he had to recognize that danger sign.

In a frighteningly sweet voice she asked, "Did you write this note?"

"Note?"

"Becky's note."

Jacob did a brief look around the room. It was as if something had escaped his notice.

It was kinda cute.

Then he looked straight into the teacher's eyes and said, "Yes, I did. Any questions?"

"Just rest assured I'm going to study the booklet carefully after class. This was a daring move, but rest assured you will be punished if you are wrong."

Jacob just gave a self satisfied smile.

"Today we are going to tell about our first times. According to that booklet you are so good at quoting, you have to cooperate with the teacher's lesson plans."

I never saw a man's face change expressions so quickly. It went from a semi smug smile to utter impassivity.

Ms. Q. gave a smile at that. "Ok. Tiffany. You start off."

I stopped smiling. In front of the man about whom my feelings were really confused, I was asked to tell about my first time.

I took my breath, and began, or tried to.

I mean I never thought this was the sort of thing you talked about to the entire class. I could see telling my best friend if the subject came up. A slumber party amongst close friends perhaps. Some man at a party if I was drunk enough to forget myself. But an entire high school classroom? Just how much nerve do they think this teenage girl has?

Well, rules, at least for me, are rules. "My first time was in the courtyard at my church. I thought we both were in love. Turned out I was in love. He was in lust. Shortly afterwards I found out he was sleeping with six other girls. Including two of my friends." I never knew I could put such venom into my voice.

I knew it was bad when Jacob had a look on concern on his face as he came over. Lord help me, I think it was an honest emotion too.

"You Ok?"

I couldn't say anything. I'd spent the last 9 months trying to wipe the memory from my life. I convinced my parents to change my high school, avoided the old crowd like the plague and went on with my life. I even searched out other boyfriends to have sex with so I could cover the memory of that jerk completely.

Then he sat on my desk, ignored my body, ignored me completely somehow and spoke to my pain. "You were hurt, but he is just one man. Be grateful you met his type to start, for now you can truly appreciate the men in your life that are worth it. Such men do exist. Men that will care for your feelings as much as they care to feel your body. They will understand the sheer blessing it is to have you in their life." Was that a tear on his face? "The type of man I'm describing I know they exist. With the exception of looks and being cool, I am such. One day you will have the man you deserve. I can only pray he'll treat you as well as I want to."

I could not help it.

I was seriously touched.

I cried. I cried and cried and cried.

There was some sort of snickering and laughter behind me, but I just could not stop crying.

Jacob did another emotion change. He rounded on them. "Shut the fuck up."

I never heard such anger in him before.

Neither did the teacher it seems. Ms. Q. rushed to get between them.

"Listen to me closely. If you do not shut the fuck up here and now, naked or not, I am going to come over there and bloody damn well beat whatever brains you have out of the pathetic excuses you have for heads."

I heard it twice that time. Curses. Jacob never used normal curses. That he did that for me clinched it. To hell with being cool. I had to have him as my boyfriend. No matter his faults, no matter what flaws he has, I needed a man like that in my life. Ms. Q. told Jacob in no uncertain terms to go back to his seat. She made sure that she stayed between Jacob and those who ticked him off. Very smart woman.

Jacob took the hint.

When he reached his seat, he sat down as though all his energy was gone. He made no attempt to keep up the posture of a man who knew it all, had all things in his presence performing according to his plans.

For once he seemed like a high school kid.

Ms. Q. returned to the front of the classroom. "So a first time can be both good and bad. We learn from this that the partner does not always live up to the expectations we have. Those in such a relationship must decide if the sex is worth the effort."

The class thought about that.

"Jacob, your turn."

Jacob looked up. He shook his head.

"Come on. You have to tell us." The teacher pushed.

He sounded as though he was so spent with emotion that speaking was almost beyond him.

Various other students either called out some encouragement or some prodding.

"I cannot."

There was no emotion in his voice. No challenge. It was the voice of a man who had tried to keep up an impossible image and failed. I found myself muttering, "Who's going to sing those songs, who's going to stand that tall, who's going the fill his boots, who's going to tell the tale of the Wabash Cannonball?" under my breath. Apparently I was not as quiet as I thought I was. Jacob's mouth hung open. He gave me the most surprised look I have ever seen.

"Can you tell me why?" The teacher asked.

"Because gentlemen do not kiss and tell. And Jacob Jehosophat Stone is at the very least a gentleman."

Chapter 10 Jacob.

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, October 27th.

What in the Hades just happened back there?

Cancel that question. I know precisely what just happened. A girl let me touch her. Then we did it. We went all the way.

Jacob Jehosophat Stone just got laid.

Why hasn't the universe ended yet?

Talk about confusing. The school slut laughs in my face when I suggested a date only. Next period a sexy girl lets me have sex with her. What am I supposed to think? I know Becky's behavior was Program influenced, but how am I supposed to handle it the next time I see her?

Next class is here with Ms. Q. Her and her program. It will either be hell or heaven in my opinion. Come to think of it, today it has been both already.

Time to assume my usual persona. To Hades with never let them see you sweat. I never want them to see anything of my true self before I am certain it will not hurt me.

I walked in calmly to her class and moved to my seat. "Did I miss anything of interest?"

Ms. Q. gave me the weirdest grin. She was plotting something. Of that I was certain. I just looked back as though absolutely nothing could be happening. In an odd tone, she asked, "Did you write this note?"

"Note?" Only one note did I write, but she is not in this class.

"Becky's note."

I did a brief look around the room. Becky grinned at me.

My mind went into overdrive with various responses and strategies. I decided the blunt truth would serve best. I looked straight into Ms. Q's eyes and said, "Yes, I did. Any questions?"

"Just rest assured I'm going to study the booklet carefully after class. This was a daring move, but rest assured you will be punished if you are wrong."

I just gave a little self-satisfied smile. Perfect.

Either way, Becky will not get punished. No way I want her to get any punishment from the pleasure she gave me. Then again, am I being naive here? For all I know she might be considering a relationship with me. What does she know about me besides those ten minutes? And more importantly, what do I really know about her? Ok Jacob. Something to think about on the flight home.

"Today we are going to tell about our first times.

According to that booklet you are so good at quoting, you have to cooperate with teacher's lesson plans."

No. Not just no, but hell no. Tell me she did not just say what I think she said. Look fates, I don't think I've annoyed you guys that much… have I?

Ms. Q. gave me a smile. "Ok. Tiffany. You start off."

I looked at Tiffany.

She did not look at all comfortable. Only reason for that that I can see is that she is in love with some man in this class. She seemed to have difficulty speaking. "My first time was in the courtyard at my church. I thought we both were in love. Turned out I was in love. He was in lust. Shortly afterwards I found out he was sleeping with six other girls. Including two of my friends." Such hatred in her voice. Such hatred no person should ever feel at her age. Time to be her partner.

I'd rather be her boyfriend, but we all know that the fates would never let me be that happy.

Oh, cruk. Two sexy women haunting my mind, and the first day of the program is not even finished. However is this supposed to help me?

Priorities, Jacob. You can figure out the mysteries of the universe later. First be a partner to Tiffany.

I got up and walked over to her seat. By the time I reached her seat I was making no attempt to hide my concern. "You Ok?" Tiffany said nothing. She didn't have to. Her pain was obvious

And I hated it. I'm not much for watching people suffer if I can help it, but God help me, I am actually falling in love with Tiffany.

To hell with the consequences. I'll tell her the truth, feelings and all. At least the sheer silliness of us being a couple will get a smile on her face.

I went to her seat and sat on her desk. I looked at her, but not at her body, her face or her tears. I did my best to make it obvious I was speaking to her pain. I can only hope she understands that. "You were hurt, but he is just one man. Be grateful you met his type to start, for now you can truly appreciate the men in your life that are worth it. Such men do exist. Men that will care for your feelings as much as they care to feel your body. They will understand the sheer blessing it is to have you in their life." Wetness on my face? Am I crying? "The type of man I'm describing I know they exist. With the exception of looks and being cool, I am such. One day you will have the man you deserve. I can only pray he'll treat you as well as I want to." Those reading this log will never believe the energy saying those words took out of me. The most strenuous exercise program the school ever forced me to do was far easier than this. Then she started to cry. The memories that hurt her, or my words, I could not tell which caused the tears.

I who twist the laws of physics like taffy still cannot understand women.

I just sat on her desk looking concerned. I said all I could say, all that I could think of that crying girl in her circumstances needed to here. The girl seemed to still be in pain and I had no clue what to do next. I truly hated this feeling of helplessness. Then I was given a problem I could deal with.

There was some sort of snickering and laughter behind her. I rounded on them. "Shut the fuck up." I was so close to losing the last vestiges of my self-control. Who cares if they could beat me up easily? I certainly did not.

Ms. Q. rushed in between us.

Like I gave a damn about that. My attention was solely on the annoying bastards a couple rows back. I let them know it too. "Listen to me closely. If you do not shut the fuck up here and now, naked or not, I am going to come over there and bloody damn well beat whatever brains you have out of the pathetic excuses you have for heads."

I admit it. I moved past the cold tones of restrained fury and emotions were showing though.

"Jacob Stone, get to your seat and sit down this minute." I held my spot for a moment, then nodded my submission. The teacher stayed between the objects of my anger and me. Wise woman.

But maybe not the wisest act on my part. Sitting in front of Tiffany, I had my adrenaline going, I had a purpose, I had reasons to act and get my mind off the confusions of the last three periods. Now all I am is a spent hulk, all feeling and energy gone. And I still had my operation running. I hate to admit it, but I think I'm losing track of where my emotional plots are going. And the program was supposed to help me with this.

HA!

Ms. Q. returned to the front of the classroom. "So a first time can be both good and bad. We learn from this that the partner does not always live up to the expectations we have. Those in such a relationship must decide if the sex is worth the effort."

I thought about that.

"Jacob, your turn."

I looked up. I shook my head.

"Come on. You have to tell us." The teacher pushed. Various other students shouted out some encouragement or some prodding.

"I cannot."

There was no emotion in my voice. I was tired of putting up the images the school expected. Who did they think I am that I'm supposed to feel no pain, no sadness. What makes them think that I am really above all that happens around me? Have they no clue how much effort playing this living legend involves? And what epic delusions lead them to think I want to?

Who the hell am I trying to fool. I will never be permitted to be just me.

Tiffany was muttering, "Who's going to sing those songs, who's going to stand that tall, who's going the fill his boots, who's going to tell the tale of the Wabash Cannonball?" under her breath.

My mouth dropped open. The fates only know how surprised I look. How in the name of all the imagined realities could she understand me so well?

"Can you tell me why?" The teacher asked.

"Because gentlemen do not kiss and tell. And Jacob Jehosophat Stone is at the very least a gentleman."

"You heard me make this a class action under the program. You willing to get in trouble over this?"

"I have only been in the program for about 6 hours. My ethics and beliefs about being a gentleman I've held far longer."

Ms. Q. seemed surprised. "Consequences or not, I have to respect your stand. Students, it is not often that you run across a person willing to keep such secrets in a high school. More often, male teenagers who have had sex are willing to boast to all and sundry if only to look like a bigger man on campus."

"Oh great. More feeding of a legend." I muttered under my breath.

"You do not want to be praised?"

"No. For I no longer know any more whether it is the living legend that is being praised or the male forced to play the role by the expectations of everybody around him." He said tiredly. "I am Jacob Jehosophat Stone. But none of you truly know who that is. You know the legend. The person who seems to play chess games with fate, who is a science nerd, who grasps many things and expresses interest in more. You know the man who goes out of the way to accomplish many things for many people. You know the man who never does anything to benefit himself alone. Some of this is the true me. Some of this are things the true me can do easily enough to play a role that will get him somewhat accepted. But everybody judges people who are different. 26 minutes into my first day I knew I had to do some act or I'd be so tormented by those who call themselves cool that I'd get nothing done that I truly wanted to." Nobody seemed to know what to say to this. I finished it off with a question. "How many of you really care about the true me?"

Becky raised her hand. "May I say something?"

The teacher called on her, glad for an excuse to move beyond what was said. Ms. Q. wondered if the program was slowly destroying Jacob.

Becky spoke up at that point. "Back to the lesson. Jacob. We honestly are curious. You probably choose your dates more carefully than anybody else in the school. Can't you tell us something?"

"Very well. She is in this school."

Now Tiffany was curious.

"In this class?" Becky pressed.

"No comment."

Whatever is Becky trying to say?

"Well, if she is in this school, she knows of your legend. And you can bet no girl would do anything with you if she did not expect to be gossiped around."

I looked at her. Was she actually giving me permission to tell about our fuck in the shower?

Becky took away my suspicions with her next statement. "She would be honored that you acknowledged what happened. Even if she thought she was just seducing a legend, she is proud to be your first."

The tense changes made her point obvious. Permission was being given.

The other girls in the room were looking at her. Ms. Q. took the lead from Becky. Ten years teaching teenagers made it easy for her to grip what was truly being said. "Well Jacob?"

"Very well." I looked up at the clock. "I lost my virginity about 30 minutes ago."

The room went so quiet that everybody could hear the ticking of the clock.

Having started, I continued. "It happened in the girl's shower area. Men in this high school dream of getting in there while the girls are naked and showering. Thanks to the Program, I am supposed to wash in there this week. It started as a reasonable request, but I decided to experiment with the rules a bit. There is nothing in the book that said I could not try anything with the requesting girl. So I did. Apparently what I did was right because she started to say `fuck me'. I may be odd, but I'm not stupid. That's when it happened."

The moist note on Ms. Q's desk made a lot more sense to her now. "How did you feel about this?"

"Confused. I enjoyed it, and yet I was under no illusion that it would have ever happened without this Program. Plus I have find myself having quite… the word I think is crush… yes quite a big crush on another girl."

Tiffany wondered if she was strong enough to act on her new resolutions.

Chapter 11 Tiffany

Science class went as it usually did. Jacob and Mr. Schuman got into a deep argument again on the fundamental interactions of density as it related to forces within reality. They went at it for ten minutes again, losing the rest of us 3 minutes into the argument.

I did sit next to him though. I didn’t do anything else to get his attention. I just watched him scribble the answers to the science experiments in the lab book before Mr. Shuman finished explaining.

In other words science class went as it usually did.

After class I headed to the doorway where our clothes were.

Diane caught up with me. “Ready for practice?”

“Yep. But those dark clouds out there have me worried. I have to practice naked, you know.”

“Miss Asder will bring us inside if it starts to rain. Program or not, she does not want her cheerleaders to get sick. See you there.”

“Hold up. I forget, will my clothes be at the front door box, or would they have it at the area we’ll be practicing at?”

“They’ll be at the front door.”

I went to the front door. The crowd was a bit smaller than I expected. I wondered why, while a couple of students asked me to pose. The poses became lewder and lewder and a few of the poses included hands between my legs and on my breasts.

The lack of a crowd could not have been because of Jacob’s speech outside the principal’s office. The effect of that speech on teenagers would have ended about lunchtime. And the entire school was not in Ms. Q’s class when he dropped his bombshells.

And there is no storm possible that would distract men from wanting to see a naked cheerleader.

Something is up.

I took my usual shortcut to the stadium. I cut across the track fields, past the soccer fields and ducked though the area where the girders held up the stands.

There was a bit of rumbling in the sky. It looks like a thunderstorm was about to start. Moment’s later rain started to fall.

Then I started to fall.

Hands caught me.

“Thank you…” I started.

Two voices said “Your welcome.” They spoke in unison.

Oh no. I didn’t trip. I was tripped.

Kevin helped me up, and then he pushed me against the support girder. It felt cool and stiff against my back.

Then he kissed me hard. No request, no look that seemed like it was asking ‘may I?’

Two boys had been hiding behind the stadium where they knew I would pass. One trips me right into the arms of the other, who was already in position to catch me before I even knew I was going to fall.

I was not too sure I liked this.

Then Fred spoke up. “Fuck the little slut hard. All cheer leaders like it that way.”

Correction. I was certain I did not like this.

“No,” I protested. “No sex. I don’t have to go that far. Even the Program rules say that.” I was terrified, barely able to speak. I shook more then a bowl of jelly.

This could not be happening to me. Not here on school grounds. When did I ever do something to deserve this?

Kevin bit one of my breasts with his teeth and put a finger up my pussy. His weight pushed me uncomfortably into the girder.

Chapter 12 Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, October 27th 2006.

If nothing else does it, this log entry will show that I’m not the living legend people think I am. I nearly blew an operation that could have cost me the woman I had fallen in love with.

They say I always know what I’m doing.

They are right.

What they do not know is that this self-awareness does not stop me from making mistakes. It just makes it so that I’m far more aware of my mistakes.

Ignorance may not always be bliss, but comprehension can certainly hurt.

Anyway, this log entry shall start with me sitting in detention after school.

“Well Jacob, what are your plans for the dance this Friday?” Mike asked.

Mike was another of my confidants. He was accepted by most everybody and was possibly the most popular confidant I had. As such he became both my friend and my information pipeline. He would also talk me into the occasional school function to help me feel like I had some high school life. He wants to help me, but everything I did from simply being there to what I said and did only fed the legend I was rapidly growing to hate.

“I’ll help set things up, but I’m probably not going.”

“Why not?”

“You might say it is because I will have spent the week doing the male version of Lady Godiva.”

“You are not to happy, are you?”

“I’m not sure anymore. I’ve two women on my mind. One I have fucked, the other I’m falling in love with.”

Mike could not hide his surprise. “Fucked?? Falling in love with??

To Mike’s surprise I leapt to my feet as he was finishing his questions. “Damn it. And I nearly forgot!”

I started moving towards the door with the attitude of a man who seriously expected the world to end if he did not get where he had to in four minutes.

My world would end.

And it would be my fault.

The teacher monitoring the detention wanted to know where I was going.

“To stop trouble.” was all I wasted time saying.

Damn this Program for getting me so distracted that I couldn’t even keep track of one simple problem.

I was running now. Very fast. I was dodging people and ignoring everything said at me. Only one thing mattered. And if I had to give myself a heart attack getting to her I would gladly do so. I was moving like a track star with radar.

Somebody was opening the front door of the school.

I ran them over with absolutely no guilt whatsoever. As soon as I cleared the stairs I started moving to where I parked the hovercraft. Things like the cold, the starting thunderstorm, and the other moving cars in the parking lot, these did not attract my attention.

Stomach heaving, I entered my code into the door. It opened. I raced in, threw myself into the command seat, and grabbed the situational helmet and shoved it on my head. Overkill or not, I had blundered this mission enough. I ignored the preflight checklist completely as I activated the engines, turned on the computer and slid up the power on the hoverjets to maximum.

Both hands slammed on to the flight controls as I pulled out of the spot I was parked in. I swerved in and around the parking lot traffic with the same sort of disregard for common traffic that I usually held for the rules of normality.

As I was pulling around the stadium I heard a scream.

Her scream.

A knife to the lungs could not have hurt me more.

As I came around the corner I went to navigating with one hand. The other hand was stretching for the engineering panel. Then and there I realized something else I should have done during lunch to set up for this. I hectically rewrote the capability parameters to a pair of hoverjets to convert a couple of them into high-powered air guns.

My left hand was still navigating by itself.

Note to the readers. Even if you built your transport from the ground up, it’s not a wise thing to steer without even looking at the controls. Steering by the force is something out of fiction. Luke Skywalker I never claimed to be, but I think I gave a passable imitation of his steering over those fields.

As Tiffany and her attackers came into view, I switched my attention fully to the situational helmet. I was most certainly not going to blow this shot. I targeted the ship’s new air guns at Fred first. He was standing clear and therefore an easier shot.

Steady…. Steady… fire!

Fred flew back a foot.

Nowhere near enough. I upped the power to quarter strength.

Fred saw me by now. He had no idea apparently what was going on and stood there like a deer in a trucker’s headlights.

Thank you Fred for making the shot easier.

I jabbed my finger on the appropriate button.

The air jet fired. Fred flew back about 15 feet.

I smiled beneath the helmet.

Then Tiffany pushed Kevin away. Then I saw her kick him a little further away.

Perfect. A quick check of the numbers and angles showed he had been pushed just far enough away.

I pushed my button again. The shot must have got him just right, because he flew back about twenty feet.

Next I hit the exterior communications grid. Or speakers for the non Dr Who/ Star Trek fans among you. “Tiffany, get your sexy ass in here.” I hit the button to open the door.

Tiffany gave the hovercraft a befuddled look.

You’d think it was the first time she saw such a vehicle.

Kevin and Fred started to come after her.

Tiffany decided that the two angry would be rapists were far more worrying then the odd craft in front of her. She scurried through the door.

I hit the button again.

The two attackers got pushed back about 16 feet this time. They picked themselves up as I spoke again. “Now might be a wise time to run away… before I see what full power can do.” I sounded quite conversational.

Even they were not that dense. They started to run away.

Tiffany started to relax. She had a sneaking suspicion that she knew who the man under the helmet was. She even looked around curiously.

I spun around in the chair. “Welcome to the Flying Dutchman, Captain Jacob J. Stone commanding.” I switched the data function to the various screens and pulled of my helmet off.

That helmet was not to be worn by a naked man.

Chapter 13 Tiffany

I screamed. Very, very loudly.

Kevin moved his hand from my breast to cover my mouth.

When my scream ended and my eyes opened I saw something I never saw before outside of the movies.

Then Fred seemed to fall back. I could not see a reason why.

Suddenly there was a strong gust of wind.

Unnaturally strong.

Fred flew back a good distance.

Kevin slackened his grip as he turned to see what caused it.

I pushed with all my might. As soon as there was space enough, I raised my foot to kick/shove him away. I started running.

There was another strange burst of wind. When I got the nerve to look back, Kevin had been pushed back a good distance too.

Then I heard somebody say “Tiffany, get your sexy ass in here.” A door opened in the side of the craft. The voice seemed familiar, but I was just too stressed out to place it. And I was not getting into anything that looked like it escaped a science fiction movie.

I saw Kevin and Fred coming after me.

Suddenly leaping into an odd craft was not such a bad idea. Especially when compared to those two guys coming after me. I jumped though the door.

Then I stopped. I knew that I was in some craft at school piloted by my rescuer. But I swear it looked like something out of a science fiction show. There were buttons, knobs and switches in patterns that made sense obviously to the guy flying it. There were several screens that were blank, but that did not seem important. The guy was wearing a large helmet. He sounded like he was speaking into a microphone. “Now might be a wise time to run away… before I see what full power can do.” He sounded as though this was a completely normal thing to say.

There was only one man I knew that could say something like that and sound normal. And didn’t I see him park some sort of hovercraft before school started?

I relaxed a little. I started to look around a little more. They were right with what they said to me at lunch. I was smart. Maybe I should start using my brains to do more than just keeping my skull from imploding.

The man spun around in his chair. “Welcome to the Flying Dutchman, Captain Jacob J. Stone commanding.” He flipped a few switches and pulled off his helmet.

I really should have known.

“Did they hurt you?” he asked me.

“He would have had I been a virgin.” I tried to be flippant, I really did.

I do not know why I wasted my time. He read me like a textbook.

“You are not that good a liar. Sit down while I take this thing to a parking space near the principal’s office. We have to report this.”

I asked plaintively “Do I have to?”

“Yes, Tiffany, you do. If not, they will only get away with it. Then they will think they can attack any woman they want.”

Jacob steered the craft to a parking spot near the main entrance. After shutting it down he helped me down to the ground.

He looked around sadly. “A shame. All that just happened and still it looks like a quiet country school. At my old school by now there’d have been a crowd of people asking questions and helping you.”

“Let’s go inside then.” I led him into the building and to the principal’s office.

We walked into a meeting. The cheerleading and football coaches were there, looking at the principal. So were Kevin and Fred.

“The bully and his girl return.” Fred said.

Jacob had no expression on his face.

But I was learning to guess what was cooking in his head. Despite the legend we all know, he is all too human.

The coach Koke, the school football coach glared at him. “Say something. Is what my star players said true? You set them up?”

Jacob just looked at him. His lip twitched slightly.

The football coach pressed him for a response. “You used the fact that Tiffany was naked because of the program to lure them out behind the stadium to attack them. They told me you snuck up in that tribute to science fiction and attacked them.”

I reached for Jacob’s hand. “I’m ok, remember.” I whispered. “Let’s just deal with the reports and get on with our own lives.”

He spoke evenly. I could feel his body trembling slightly, but his voice was completely even. “Now why ever would I do such a thing?”

Kevin told him it was because he was an un cool geek who could not get a date normally, so when he got partnered with a cheerleading slut, he saw a chance to get even with the cool people of the school by setting up a trap to ruin them.

He just shook his head. “You are truly an ass.” He spoke in the most even tone I’ve ever heard.

I really wanted to know how he was able to stay so calm.

Because suddenly I could not. All my suddenly discovered love exploded into a need to defend Jacob. “Have you any idea who you are challenging?”

Ms. Q. raised an eyebrow.

Mr. Bacon started to look stern.

Coach Koke glared and started to angrily retort.

Jacob held my hand, trying no doubt to calm me down.

He might as well have tried to calm an erupting volcano.

There was no way I could have stopped what was coming.

And you know what? I didn’t want to.

“This is Jacob Jehosophat Stone! His actions in the sciences defy belief, the legend we forced him to live up to is worthy of Hollywood. That he tolerated this much stupidity in one meeting is a testament to the concept of patience. If I were in his shoes I would have…”

Jacob put a finger on my mouth.

What the hell? I was just getting into it, defending him!

Then he showed me how such speeches should be done. “You epic examples of stupidity. You dare question the methods by which I, Jacob Jehoooooosophat Stone choose to act?” Then he let his temper loose. “How dare you? With luck and a group of MIT graduates the lot of you could possibly put together a replicar kit, you think that the builder of the Flying Dutchman is a fool? Does my reputation mean nothing to you, Mr. Bacon, Ms. Q? My time as a political activist would not have been possible if I had no ethics. And at least two people in this office should know enough about my quixotic nature to know I would never use a woman as bait in such a clumsy plot. Damnation!! I fucking love her and you think I’d just offer her up as enticement to an attack by those pieces of shit? How can anything that stupid manage to survive infancy?” He paced a bit. “A plan was under way. I’ll grant you that. I overheard those two planning to assault Tiffany after school. And I had to set this up! You want to know why?” Jacob was shouting, his self-control gone out the window, “Because of Debbie Kutzman. I do not know if the lot of you remember her, but she was the last girl in this school I fell in love with. I heard though my methods of some kids plans to beat her because she got the part in the school play that they wanted their friend to get. I told Mr. Bacon, who promptly set up protection for her on school grounds. So they went and attacked her at home. Beat Debbie into a coma they did. Then they managed to disappear. Three months on life support she spent just to spend the rest of her life in assisted living because I made that mistake before. Never again. Never fucking again. I admit I cut it far closer than I wanted to, but now it will be much harder for those two to escape the penalties. In this case, do not question the actions of Jacob Jehoooosophat Stone.” He stormed from the room.

My cheerleading coach moved to my side. “I should have known. You go catch up with your new boyfriend.”

I went outside, caught up with him, and asked him if he’d wait and give my coach and I a ride to our practice field.

He agreed. Jacob sat at the controls and set things up for take off. Then he got up. “I’ll be right back.”

I was flabbergasted. He left me alone in here! Talk about trust, I’ve known friends who would not let their partner/significant other drive his or her car even after they were married. And he left me alone in here, already.

He is a trusting fool. If I pushed the wrong buttons, nobody knows the damage I could do. I decided to look around anyway.

The ship had three seats. There was a center seat with controls, that according to a post – it note, were to be wired into the rest of the system to control the ship from that seat. The right chair had buttons and what looked like one of those squeezable toys you toss to your dog. The screens had the exterior view, a map system down to little symbols for traffic directions and one screen that had current speed and such on it. To its right there was a bunch of switches with controls labeled according to ground flight, sub orbital flight and orbital flight. Also present on this wall was something labeled communications.

Orbital flight? Maybe he is really crazy after all. I’ll grant he can build a hovercraft. After all, I’ve ridden in it. But how does he expect to have this thing reach space?

The left seat had a few more controls. Most of them seemed to be labeled relating to engineering details. Environmental controls were here as well. The sidewall had digital readouts for multiple engines.

What’s this? Density drive? What in the name of NASCAR is a density drive?

That’s it. At some point I’m going to demand a lot of answers about this thing.

Jacob came back at the point. He was carrying our clothes.

“Why do you have them? We can’t get dressed yet. You have soccer and I have cheerleading practice.”

He looked concerned. “They have friends. Are you really in the mood to run any more of a gauntlet then you have to?”

“Good point. When is soccer practice going to be over?”

“Between four and four thirty.”

“Cheerleading ends at 5pm.”

“Then I’ll wait for you.”

“Good.” I smiled sexily at him. “Did you hear what my coach called you?”

He smiled hesitantly. “I did. Words I never expected to hear I heard her say.”

I saw him looking at me. It was as if he wanted to say something, do something more. Just as he started to move, I heard a knock on the outside.

“Damn.” he muttered as he reached over and flicked a switch.

My cheerleading coach was outside. She did not look happy.

“Come aboard.” Jacob said as he went to the controls.

Coach Cane, my cheerleading coach came aboard. She looked around a bit.

Jacob told her to sit in the empty chair and touch nothing. He then squeezed the ball with his right hand, and with the left hand he started keying in things.

The hovercraft started moving. It was such a smooth ride that I started thinking something very interesting.

For all our feelings, we still have not told each other directly what we feel. I fell in love with him this afternoon in Ms. Q’s class. He stopped trying to resist his feelings for me this afternoon. We needed to talk. We both are feeling the love, we just needed to tell each other.

As we arrived at the cheerleading fields, my coach looked really uncomfortable.

Jacob parked as close to the building as he could. He obviously did not want the worsening thunderstorm to get me anymore wet then it had to. “How did it go?”

“Nothing happened.”

I beg your pardon?

Jacob echoed my thoughts in a shocked tone. “Nothing?”

“Nothing happened. Despite the evidence and all, that football coach talked the principal out of suspension. It seems they are vital to our attempts to winning the championships.”

To tell you the truth I expected this. This school is so sports proud that unless those two were caught over my dead body with knives dripping blood, nothing would happen to them.

Jacob seemed to have heard only a few of Coach Cane’s words. “Suspension? It should have been expulsion. That they got away with it makes me ashamed to be connected with any sports program. But no matter. The school board meeting is coming up this Thursday. I’ll let loose on this decision. They are about to learn that I do not make good speeches only to them.”

Cane looked at him. “What are you planning?”

“Simple. I’m going to attend the meeting with evidence and all but destroy those two.”

“You can’t do that!” she gasped.

Poor fool. You really do not know him, do you? Only one day into the program and he has done more things I’ve reserved for Hollywood movies to doubt that he would do anything. I cannot let her set him off. I doubt he’s got his control back yet.

“Coach, I wouldn’t say that if I were you.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” my coach asked.

“Because I can.” There was a hint of warning in Jacob’s voice.

I saw the two of them about to get head to head. “Please, let me decide.” I begged. I figured that would prevent any further fights.

Jacob parked the craft. “Would you like a ride home?”

“Certainly.”

Perfect. Gives us some talking time.

Chapter 14 Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, October 27th 2006.

I really hate those interruptions. I was so ready to take her in my arms when her coach came back. Ah well. I just have to arrange things so that we are alone sometime. I have to find out whether she loves me, or do I write today off as another quixotic episode in my growing legend.

I’ll tell you this much.

If I lose her, if I find out that I never truly had her, I’m going to give up on love. I’ll make it sink though my thick skull that no girl could every love me. I will also despise my life.

Suicide, you readers ask?

It could be a course of action, except for several reasons. One, it would be the easy way out. And I can count on one hand the number of times I took the easy way out. Two, I seem to be doing some good in politics. I used to think that if only one person’s life had been improved, changed for the better, then all the pain I’m going through was worth it. Hmm. I just have to keep reminding myself of that. My constant helping of various groups are giving others the benefits and joys I do not permit myself. Why should I enjoy my life? I’m only living it for the benefit of others anyway. And now for the other reason I muddle on. I seriously believe all the Gods got together and voted me too annoying to die. They’d much rather torment me on this earth.

Those who the gods would destroy, they first make lead my life.

Enough with thoughts nobody gives a damn about anyway.

We left off with me parking the Flying Dutchman by the door near the cheerleading field. I then walked to the soccer field.

More proof that I had way too much on my mind. What student, sane or otherwise would want to walk across three fields completely naked?

I fully expected to see everybody had been sent inside. I should have known better. What, in all that I’ve ever overheard about sports makes me think they would be smart enough to come in out of the rain during a thunderstorm?

At least Tiffany gets to be inside for practice. So long as I’m inside something warm by 5:30pm, I should avoid being sick.

“Afternoon, Coach Bromby.” I did my best to sound like I was completely unconcerned to be standing naked in a heavy thunderstorm.

“Where the hell were you, Stone?” he demanded.

That’s what I liked about him. He did not care if you were a living legend or a pile of padding. Your skills mean less to him then who you were, your development. Of all the adults in the school, he was the one I truly trusted.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” I said as I looked at the crowd of muddy soccer players. “There was an incident involving a cheerleader, two football stars, and in the end also including the principal, a football coach, the cheerleading coach and Ms. Q.”

“Why can’t you have any small incidents?”

“Often I have asked myself that same question.” I responded. “The gods seem to be amused by tormenting me.” The team members went through their routines. As far as I could tell, the fish in the river were dryer then these players.

Bromby looked at me. “Ok. Spill it. Why and what happened?”

I thought about telling him. I was no longer running it as a quiet operation. In fact, with all the people involved, I’d be surprised if it was not making the school gossip circuit even now. What the hell? Maybe he would let slip some information I can use. “Ok coach. It all started just before lunch when I overheard Fred and Kevin talking about assaulting and using Tiffany. They said that because she was naked, in the program and a cheerleader, she was fair game for fucking. I did not agree. But last time I ran to the school staff for help, the villains just waited till they could get her at home. I was not going to risk Tiffany getting beaten into a coma, so I set them up. Problem is I was so distracted by my increasing feelings for her that I lost track of the time. I had to run out of detention naked, race to my hovercraft, race to her, building a weapon with almost no materials and using it to drive Fred and Kevin back. Next we headed to the main office to report it. The football players made it first and tried to accuse me of setting a trap. Their coach backed them up. In the end, from what’s her name, Cane, that’s it, coach Cane told us afterward, the players got off without any punishment.”

“None?”

“None at all.” I had no energy left for anger. I did all I could and it was not enough. I’m going to have to live with the bitter results of that for some time.

Bromby seemed like he had something to say. He looked like he was trying to find the words to tell somebody their beloved pet was dying. Finally he shook his head. “I can’t. I want to, but the rules prevent me. Please don’t ask me, Jacob.”

Fair enough. What I need to know, I tend to find out in the end.

I went over to where Bob and Megan were talking. In addition to being my friend, Bob was an excellent goaltender. Even slipping and sliding in the heavy rain, he was doing a great job of stopping the shots.

Megan was the bookkeeper. She kept the records of the games, the shots and angles and who scored what. She was standing off to the side of the goal posts. “Hi Jacob.”

“Hi Megan.”

“What was the talk with coach about?”

The coach called a break at that point. Bob came over to where we were standing. “What are you two talking about? Hi Jacob.”

“He was just about to tell me what he and the coach spent so long talking about over there.”

“I was?” I asked with some humor. Someday people will stop being so confidant forecasting the unpredictable.

“You were.” She sounded unshakably certain.

Could it be that she sensed I was in a mood to talk? Could it be that those in love lose their ability to hold secrets? What will this do for my life as I know it? The hell with it. Maybe they might be able to help. Something I must still do about those two football players. But at the very least, I’ll try to keep it like a quixotic game. I toned down the importance of a few of the feelings and changed a couple words, in the retelling of the rescue attempt.

Bob looked at me as though I was hiding something.

No surprise there. I do not choose my confidants because of their stupidity. Roughly 18 other reasons, yes, but not their stupidity.

All I said was “As it stands I’m not happy with the current results.”

Megan looked at Bob. “Tell him.” She went off to give us some privacy.

He watched his girlfriend walk off, then he looked at me. “Look, I’m no expert with words, so I’m just going to have to tell it straight. There are a lot of people around here that think coach Koke sexually harasses his girl students.”

I looked at him calmly. More things were cooking in my head now. Odd bits and pieces were starting to fall into place. Still, it was not enough to do more than I had already done. Hold on! Perhaps this is a chance. “Proof? You have proof, please tell me you have proof?”

Bob heard the hope in my voice. “None good enough. He attacked my sister’s best friend, Becky. Or as far as we could prove, she talked to him. You see, the football program is so important to this school that without major independent evidence, nobody is going to act against him. She said she was going to the police, then the next day she asked us all to drop the matter. According to my sister, they bought her off with a scholarship to the local 4-year college and a promise never to put her in his classes again.

Damnation and hellfire. So much for it being easy. I guess I’ll just have to do this the hard way. But those football players would make a big enough mistake. Of that I was certain. I just had to insure nobody got hurt. Well nobody I cared about. No, I cannot be like that. Damn my ethics.

Megan gave me another look. “That is not the only thing worrying you, is it?”

What, is my brain issuing press releases today?

“No. It is not.”

“Tell me. You know you can trust me.”

Did I know that? I know what I have observed, and that Tiffany is her friend. That is probably reference enough for now. “Ok. I’m falling for my program partner. So much so that despite how I usually act, I have let it slip how I feel about it. This I did despite knowing for a scientific fact that I’m just too un cool to ever win somebody like her. No matter how kind or caring, in this life it seems looks are more important than romance. That’s even assuming I’m good at romance anyway.”

“How would you put this…” Megan started “I have it. You cannot possibly be that stupid. If a girl is worth winning, looks will not be important to her. And you have more of a romantic nature then most people I’ve ever met. Any girl you truly deserve will see that.”

I looked at her. Such wisdom from a high school girl. Frightening.

Chapter 15 Tiffany

I’d like to say cheerleading practice was fun, but today I cannot. Ignoring the events of today, my chest bouncing around like a pair of basketballs killed my balance quite nicely. I would pay serious money to see whomever came up with this program go through a couple of cheerleading practice sessions. The activity might change their minds about how wonderful an idea this is. Plus what else happened this afternoon. I’d heard horror stories of stress and breakdowns before, as the schools have learned, it became rarer to have them. But assault. Nearly every year had about 5% assault or rape victims. It amazed us all that it was even allowed to continue this long. Usually though, the police are called in, expulsions followed. It did not make up for the rapes of course, but the program people would point to it and say justice was carried out. One spokesman actually said that this was a good way to find out who would be a sex criminal and remove him quicker from society. I would love to know how he escaped being killed by any women present.

Justice. Ha! I was assaulted and nothing happened to them. Nothing. I know football is important around here. But is winning games supposed to be more important then the law, or more importantly, my health?

I went through the routines without killing myself, which is always a plus.

Coach Cane told us to gather outside her office, she had a couple of announcements. She then went in her office for a moment.

I sat next to Diane.

“Well?” she asked.

There could only be one thing she is asking about.

I put on my best innocent look and asked back “Well what?”

“What do you think of him now?”

If only you knew. I just looked back at her with a curious expression on my face.

“What do you think of him? Do you understand him better?”

I think of him more than I thought I ever would. And I understand Jacob Stone better then he probably feels comfortable with.

But what would others think? I know how he feels about me, I know he loves me, and I’m starting to love him. So what if he used me as part of a risky plan to trap my attackers? Men I thought loved me have used me worse. All they ever wanted from me was sex. At least he acts like there is more to me than a body.

I asked her what she thought of him.

Diane smiled. “He is a man about to make the biggest mistake of his life. He loves you, knows it, and if the rumors can be believed, has even admitted it to you in front of an entire class. But he also seriously thinks that he is not good looking enough or cool enough to try dating you. If somebody does not get it through his too smart head that he is better in many regards then most women deserve, he’s going to decide he was an idiot for saying what he did.”

“Are you saying I should tell the most self confident student this school has ever seen that he is not being confident enough?”

“If you think about him the way I suspect you do, yes.”

“What makes you think I have feelings for him?” Well, I do, but I do not want the school to know about it until after I talk to him.

“Hey, I’m not the one who broke into tears during class after he showed his concern.”

“That’s gotten around?”

Diane smiled evilly. “Everywhere.”

The strange thing is, I wasn’t upset over it.

Coach Cane shouted for attention at that point. She discussed the various routines we would be doing for the game, the routines for School Spirit Day on Friday, and possible ones for the homecoming game a week from Saturday.

What she said next embarrassed me.

“Speaking of football, that brings us to my next point. Today Kevin and Fred tried to assault Tiffany. Jacob stopped them in his usual dramatic manner. I cannot say much more, but I ask you all to watch each other’s back. Because football is so important to the school, the two were not punished. I’m sure you all know that this is going to start a feud between those two and Jacob. I ask you to do what you can to keep those players you are dating from getting involved. I also want you to support Tiffany. Some of you will hesitate to help Jacob. Though wrong, I understand why. Just keep an eye on Tiffany. She is one of us at least.”

Well, it’s even more out in the open then before. “Do not worry about Jacob, he has this annoying habit of surviving what fate throws against him,” I said. “Those with boyfriends on the football team should warn them that Jacob is not done.”

“What is he up to?” the coach demanded to know.

“He hasn’t told me anything, but think about who we are talking about. Since when is he known for actually giving up? Something is cooking in that head of his or I’m a beach ball.”

“Well then, you try to keep him calm,” Cane said. “You are cheerleaders. Everybody likes you. So use that to keep everybody from going to war with each other. Ok. Practice is over. Every body can go.”

Another cheerleader spoke up. Heather. She was dating the quarterback. “Like anybody would stand up for that geek.”

As we headed to the door I heard a voice. “Underestimate me all you want, Heather. Just keep your boyfriend from crossing me on this.” Jacob was dressed and leaning against the wall like it was his usual hangout.

Heather got right in his face. “So what if he does? He’s the captain of the football team and you are just a geek. He can do what he pleases to you.”

I waited for the explosion. Today’s events had pushed him past his limits in several different ways. I doubted he had the patience to deal with this girl giving him an attitude right to his face.

He just gave a small grin. It seemed completely calm, as though today was a typical day for him. “You amuse me. Tell those people you favor that it is their choice if they choose to cross me. But then, how I choose to react is my choice, too.” He gave another of his grins that hinted of plots underway.

Heather made as if to push him, then fell. Jacob is nimble on his feet when he chooses. He moved out of her way before her hands made contact to shove him.

Then Jacob offered to help her up.

I love him, but for a genius, he can be so dense about human nature at times.

Heather took his hand and yanked hard.

He was yanked off his balance and fell into the wall.

Heather laughed.

He just stood back up. “You are not worth my time.” Then he turned his back on her and came over to me. He pointed to a bag he had put on the stands. “I brought your clothes. As much as I enjoy seeing you naked, the thunderstorm is a bit cool to go running around nude in.”

I went over to my clothes and found them neatly folded. I really must teach him to at least some of the time act like a normal teenager. I got dressed and walked with him to his hovercraft.

Jacob opened his hovercraft, and then offered his hand.

Heather’s voice was heard behind me. “You crazy? Don’t get in that thing. It won’t get you anywhere.”

Jacob just went to the controls and went though the preflight checklist. I could tell from the way he was hitting the keys that he didn’t like Heather’s attacks on his craft.

“That thing can’t keep up with a brick on wheels.” Heather said as she pulled up, gunning her engine suggestively.

I thought about it for a minute. Why not? I could use a few laughs. “Jacob?” I asked in my sweetest voice.

“Yes?” He was nosing the hovercraft into position.

“Want to do me a favor?”

“Anything. What do you want?”

“Accept Heather’s challenge to a race.”

He was quiet for a minute. “Is she driving anything impressive?”

“Just a Ford.”

“Ok. Set it up.”

I opened the hatch and shouted to Heather. “Rollings road from the farm to the river?”

She looked at me like I was the one who had hit her head against a wall. “You in that thing against me in this car?”

I smiled evilly. “Wanna bet?”

“What can you afford?”

“Loser has to suck Jacob’s cock before school, and tell everybody why. Plus the loser must make him enjoy it.”

Jacob had a hard time staying quiet at this.

“Your crazy!” Heather spat. “No way. Just no way!”

“Afraid?” I asked.

Her look should have cracked the shell of Jacob’s craft. I said before that if there was anything more curious than a teenaged female, I’ve never met it. The same thing can be said about our pride.

“You’re on,” she spat.

I directed Jacob to where the race would be. As we maneuvered into position, I saw a crowd had showed up for this.

“You sure this is safe… no police cars?” Jacob asked.

“This is a private road. Nobody but high school students uses it.”

“Ok. Let me know when.”

When I turned around I saw that they let Heather start. They were laughing about it.

“Go Jacob, go!!” I shouted. I grabbed something and held on.

He squeezed the sponge ball like thing, and slid a few controls.

Heather was already a third of the way down the stretch. She had the shit eating grin of somebody who knew she had already won. Everybody was cheering her onThen I started to smile. Without any feeling, I saw the distance decreasing. I saw him ease up then. She pulled away. “What are you up to?”

“Relax,” he said confidently, “4… 3… 2… 1… NOW” He hit several controls.

Heather knew she had won. She was planning to rub this in for weeks. Another few minutes and… WHAT THE HELL? She watched the hovercraft race right by her, making very little noise and acting as if this was a piece of cake. She stopped her car as soon as she could after passing the river bridge.

I told Jacob to go back. I wanted to rub this in.

Heather watched Jacob’s hovercraft simply turning as though on a rod, and head back. She was pissed. When it stopped and the hatch opened she shouted, “You cheated. I’m not paying off.”

I heard some chuckles at that from behind me. “If your skill in sex matches your driving skills, that’s no big loss.”

Heather looked like she wanted to shoot us.

I didn’t care. “At least he cares enough to indulge me. Maybe I’ll talk him into a few more races.” I gave the crowd of stunned and somewhat angry teenagers my best shit-eating grin and told Jacob “Thanks for going lightly on them. Time for us to head home.”

I gave him directions to my place. It was 25 miles deeper into the middle of nowhere in a small place called Oldsman Village.

He pulled up, let me off and handed me my bag. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” It was obvious he had something to say.

Fair enough. I had a few things to say too.

“Care to come in?” I asked him.

He jumped at the chance.

I showed him around the house. He was polite about it, but I could see he was holding back opinions about the mess caused by my parent’s last fight.

“Want a soda?”

“Sure.”

I got him a soda, sat him on the couch and sat down next him. Possibly closer than any girl had sat to him before. “What you said earlier… did you mean it?”

Ok. So I will never win any awards for subtlety. After a pause, he said, “Yes. I hope I have not upset you by saying these things. I know you are too good for me.”

“No, that’s not true. Today I learned that there are great men out there hiding in crowds I would never have thought to look in. You are one. In fact you are the one I want. Nobody ever went though the efforts you have on my behalf. We should go out.”

Jacob had a lot feelings cooking in his head, but only asked, “You want me?”

“I really want you.” I threw in a bit of suggestiveness for good measure.

“But do you love me?”

I was all set to answer when I heard a voice from the doorway. “Who are you to ask my daughter that?”

Chapter 16 Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, October 27th 2006.

I did something else I never did before. I waited after school longer than I had to. Even more amazing, I was waiting for sexy Tiffany.

Listening to what was being said in their little post practice chat was most amusing. These people thought they were going to successfully interfere in my plans? This should be good for a laugh or two.

Then Heather spoke. She was another cheerleader, who was dating the quarterback. “Like anybody would stand up for that geek.”

What a perfect time to announce my presence.

“Underestimate me all you want, Heather. Just keep your boyfriend from crossing me on this.” I was dressed and leaning against the wall as if I did this every day at this time.

Heather got right in my face. “So what if he does? He’s the captain of the football team and you are just a geek. He can do what he pleases to you.”

I just gave her one of my annoyingly calm grins.

“You amuse me. Tell those people you favor that it is their choice if they choose to cross me. But then, how I choose to react is my choice, too.”

Heather tried to push me. She fell when I stepped two feet to the left.

I think I made my point.

I reached out to help her up.

Heather took my hand and yanked hard. That pulled me off balance and I hit the wall.

Apparently I had not made my point.

Heather laughed.

I stood back up. “You are not worth my time.” I turned my back on her and went over to Tiffany. I pointed to a bag I had put on the stands. “I brought your clothes. As much as I enjoy seeing you naked, the thunderstorm outside is a bit cool to go running around nude in.”

Tiffany went over to the bag, got dressed and walked to my hovercraft with me.

I opened the hovercraft, and then offered my hand.

I heard Heather’s voice from outside the Flying Dutchman. “You crazy? Don’t get in that thing. It’s not going to get you anywhere.”

I went to the controls and went though the preflight checklist. Her comments must have annoyed me more than I liked because I was hitting the buttons harder than I needed.

“That thing can’t keep up with a brick on wheels.” Heather said as she pulled up, gunning her engine suggestively.

She must be kidding me. Compared to this thing, she was driving the brick.

Tiffany called back to me sweetly, “Jacob?”

“Yes?”

“Want to do me a favor?”

Stupid question. I would swim naked through a volcano for her. “Anything. What do you want?”

“Accept Heather’s challenge to a race.”

“Is she driving anything impressive?”

“Just a Ford.”

“Ok. Set it up.” This might be amusing. Besides, if I want to have any chance with her, I must indulge her wishes.

Tiffany shouted to Heather. “Rollings road from the farm to the river?”

“You in that thing against me in this car?”

“Wanna bet?”

“What can you afford?”

“Loser has to suck Jacob’s cock before school, and tell everybody why. Plus the loser must make him enjoy it.”

I did not just hear what I think I heard.

“Your crazy!” Heather spat. “No way. Just no way!”

“Afraid?” Tiffany asked.

“You’re on.” She said.

She gave me directions to where the race would be.

“You sure this is safe… no police cars?” I asked. Police troubles I did not want to have to explain to my parents.

“This is a private road. Nobody but high school students use it.”

“Ok. Let me know when.”

I looked back out the front to see Heather’s car go racing ahead.

Chapter 17 Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, October 27th 2006.

“Go Jacob, go!!” Tiffany shouted.

I squeezed the activation release control and engaged the primary engine at three quarters strength. As I watched, the distance was decreasing rapidly.

Too fast. I was gaining too fast. I wanted to prove that if I had to play their games, I would win as easily as I could. I knocked the power down to 40% and let her pull away.

From behind me I heard Tiffany demand, “What are you up to?”

Really, she should have learned by now to trust me.

“Relax… 4… 3… 2… 1… NOW” I hit the thrust release control, shoved everything up to maximum and sat there calmly as I raced past her as if she was riding a turtle.

YES! That should please Tiffany.

If I were pressed, I would have had to admit that I rather enjoyed it myself.

“Let’s go back.” She certainly sounded pleased.

I parked the Flying Dutchman 15 feet away from Heather’s car. I opened the hatch and went to stand behind Tiffany.

Heather shouted, “You cheated. I’m not paying off”

Oh dear, she sounds annoyed. Tough. Treating people like pawns because of who she is and whom she is dating.

Yes, yes, I know I do the same thing. But I do not do things only for my ego. Others always benefit from my actions.

As for her cheating comment, time to deflate her.

I raised my voice so it would carry and chuckled slightly. “If your skill in sex matches your driving skills, that’s no big loss.”

I went back to the controls. My job was done here, but I’d hang around until Tiffany was done with her statements. I’ve learned long ago that you should never interrupt a teenage female showing off. Such a thing is a very dangerous thing to do.

She said what she wanted to say and told me “Thanks for going lightly on them. Time for us to head home.”

Her directions lead me to a house in Oldsman Village. It was a nice looking area to live in, even more country then Riverpoint. Then again, I’m still having culture shock from moving from Upper Darby, to as I humorously think of it, the boondocks of civilization.

I drove up as close to a door as her driveway permitted. I’d like to get her wet, but not by long exposure to a thunderstorm. I helped her down, and handed Tiffany her bag. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” I had something to say, but could not figure a way to say it. I’d gotten advice on the subject all afternoon and still I was unsure how to go about talking about it with her.

“Care to come in?” she asked me.

I jumped at the chance.

She showed me around her parent’s house. It was ok. It could have been excellent if not for evidence of fights here and there. A more frightening detail was the evidence of fundamentalist religion though out the house. And those family pictures. I have not met the father, but the mother… now she looked familiar. Worryingly so.

She led me to a sofa and asked, “Want a soda?”

“Sure.”

Tiffany got me a soda, and sat next to me.

She was close enough to me that I could feel the heat of her body. I hope that did not mean she was coming down with a cold.

Then she asked me the most loaded question I had heard since my parents were trying to find out what I knew about sex. “What you said earlier… did you mean it?”

After a pause in which I gathered up all my nerve, I said, “Yes. I hope I have not upset you by saying these things. I know you are too good for me.”

To my surprise Tiffany looked softly at me. “No, that’s not true. Today I learned that there are great men out there hiding in crowds I would never have thought to look in. You are one. In fact you are the one I want. Nobody ever went though the efforts you have on my behalf. We should go out.”

Some of those things I’ve heard all too often.

But two of those sentences were new to me. I chose one of those sentences and asked, “You really want me?”

“I really want you.”

Was that a hint of sexual suggestiveness I was hearing?

One final question needed to be asked. At least for me. But then I was never a typical male to begin with.

As calmly as I could, I asked, “But do you love me?”

Tiffany started to respond when we heard a voice from the doorway.

“Who are you to ask my daughter that?”

Damn, the spell was broken. I think parents have some built – in ability to know the most inopportune moments to show up. I turned to get a good look at Mrs. French.

Tiffany stood up to do the introductions. “Mom, this is Jacob, Jacob, this is my mother.”

Mrs. French and I were staring at each other.

It was obvious that we both recognized each other.

“Oh no. By all that is democratic, no. I’ve not annoyed the universe that much, have I?”

Mrs. French said, “I could ask the same thing.”

We both said “Tiffany…” then stopped.

I waved my hand in a ‘you go first’ gesture.

“Tiffany, of all the men outside our church, you had to bring home the biggest pain in my side. This is Jacob Jehosophat Stone, and he through political skill and nerve has ruined many of my political actions. In the months since he first showed up on the political scene, he has done more to upset the status quo politically then any other person I know. He acts to get things done, working with others to do what he thinks is right. Unfortunately, politically, we do not agree.”

I returned the favor. “Mrs. Rachael French. Possibly the biggest political thorn I have in this county that is not in any office. Your dedication and sincere beliefs make you both my most respected and my most annoying opponent.”

The two of us glared at each other as often we did at community meetings.

Tiffany stood between us. She said, “Mother, do you have to?” and gave me a ‘please don’t’ look.

I stood down at once.

Her mother held her look for a couple minutes, and then she said, “I suppose there were worst choices you could have made.”

“That’s good, because I do love him.”

I offered a compromise. “How about while we are in Tiffany’s presence, we avoid political fights?”

Her mother agreed.

“When is your father getting home?” I asked Tiffany.

“Get out!” her mother shouted. “Get out now!!”

Tiffany grabbed my arm as I went to get my coat. She then told her mother, “He does not know.”

Her mother was still furious. “Just don’t ever mention him when I’m in the house. The two of you can talk about him all you want, but not when I’m in the house. Understood?”

I nodded. At least concerning the possibility of dating Tiffany, I had to stay on her good side. Considering my political dealings with her, this is going to be a real challenge.

“So what did you do today in school?” Mrs. French asked.

“They put me in the Program.”

I didn’t say anything, but given the right wing fundamentalism indicated by the stuff in the house, I was thinking talking about her father would have been a safer subject.

Chapter 18 Tiffany

I made the introductions. “Mom, this is Jacob, Jacob, this is my mother.”

Why were my mother and Jacob looking at each other like a pair of prizefighters?

“Oh no. By all that is democratic, no. I’ve not annoyed the universe that much, have I?” Jacob spoke with the tone of somebody who thought the fates stayed up nights coming up with new ways to torture him.

My mother said, “I could ask the same thing.”

They both said “Tiffany…” then stopped.

Jacob indicated with a wave of his hand that my mother should go first.

“Tiffany, of all the men outside our church, you had to bring home the biggest pain in my side. This is Jacob Jehosophat Stone, and he through political skill and nerve has ruined many of my political actions. In the months since he first showed up on the political scene, he has done more to upset the status quo politically then any other person I know. He acts to get things done, working with others to do what he thinks is right. Unfortunately, politically, we do not agree.”

Jacob went next. “Mrs. Rachael French. Possibly the biggest political thorn I have in this county who is not in any office. Your dedication and sincere beliefs make you both my most respected and my most annoying opponent.”

The two of them glared at each other.

I moved between the two of them. I had a man worth keeping and it would not help my home life much if my mother hated him.

Then again, my home life has not been perfect either.

I asked, “Mother, do you have to?” and gave Jacob a ‘please don’t’ look.

Jacob relaxed.

My mother stared at him a little longer and then she said, “I suppose there were worst choices you could have made.”

“That’s good, because I do love him.”

Jacob offered a solution. “How about while we are in Tiffany’s presence, we avoid political fights?”

My mother agreed.

“When is your father getting home?” he asked me.

Opps. Should have warned him about that subject.

“Get out!” my mother shouted. “Get out now!!”

He nodded respectfully and went to get his coat.

I grabbed Jacob’s arm as he passed me, stopping him.

I next told my mother, “He does not know.”

My mother was still furious. “Just don’t ever mention him when I’m in the house. The two of you can talk about him all you want, but not when I’m in the house. Understood?”

Jacob nodded his head.

“So what did you do today in school?” my mom asked.

“They put me in the Program.”

“The Program?”

“Yes. Both you and he who is to not be named in this house both received the paperwork. Remember I handed you the booklet for the Naked in School Program.”

“I remember it. I thought it was a very bad joke planned by your boyfriend of the time. You cannot possibly mean they made you walk around naked? And let people touch you without hindering them? And wash in the men’s locker room?”

I kept my voice carefully neutral. “Yes. If you are so against it, why did you not sign the exclusion form?”

She had no response for that. “Did they at least you give a partner, since everything else about the Program turns out to be true?”

“Yes.” I kept my voice carefully neutral. The two of them seemed to about ready to blow at each other at a moment’s notice.

“Do I know him?”

“You do now. More than I thought you did.”

My mother gave Jacob a look at that news.

He just nodded.

“You?”

“Me.”

“That explains your sudden interest in my daughter. You try to have her yet?”

How DARE you, mother? Just because your relationship with dad is a failure, you have to treat all men the same?

Jacob simply got up, looked at my mother, and got his coat. “Never, not even in our rowdiest political battles, did I think you could be so contemptible. I am ashamed to think I could have ever thought to have any truce with you.”

My mother looked like she was going to explode.

Jacob ignored her. “See you tomorrow, Tiffany. I will be thinking of you.”

I went to the door and gave him a tight hug. “I love you.”

If anybody had told me in Mr. Bacon’s office that I would be saying this to him, I’d have shattered a lung laughing.

I watched him get in his hovercraft and drive off.

Then I did something else I had not done in a long time. I spent 15 minutes telling my mother off for what she had just done.

~Continued~

>>

If you enjoyed this story please take a moment to email the author by using the contact form on the contents page. Back Main