“…know that the spades are the sounds of a soldier; know that the clubs are weapons of war,” crooned the soft female voices as they floated out of the window of the teacher’s lounge, “know that diamonds mean money for this art; but that’s not the shape of my heart…”
“What bloody soppy music,” said the young woman, walking past the window and behind the bike sheds, hidden from view.
“What are we doing back here?” said her erstwhile companion. To look at them, it was hard to believe that they both were sixteen, and nearing the end of there tenure at secondary school. Jade, the taller one, looked older, all pale skin and eye shadow. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, unruly yet quite attractive, as she stood with her uniform unbuttoned to reveal as much of her ample chest as possible with out it falling out. Erica, the shorter of the two, looked a few years younger, with her hair braided up and done up with a bow, and her uniform buttoned so tight, that if you listened carefully you could hear it creak. Although not unattractive, fate had conspired to make her intelligent, sensible and nice. At school, these qualities, especially her kind and thoughtful nature, were an incredible handicap. People made her life a living hell on earth. Not that she minded because as she said if life gives you lemons, you should better make lemonade. Yes, she was that naďve.
It was that kind and thoughtful nature that had allowed her to hook up with Jade. She had transferred to their all-girls school about two weeks prior, and had got into her first fight within hours, smacking one girl with dinner tray and near-drowning another in the stew. Jade the psycho, the rumours went, Jade the mental patient, Jade the lesbo. Erica, on the other hand, believed that all people had good buried inside them, and that all she had to do was dig it out. In the back of her sweet, naďve mind, it struck Erica that Jade was, like her, an outsider.
So Erica tried to make friends with Jade. Jade had sized her up like a dog eyeing up a piece of meat. She had smiled and said to Erica that she was not a people person, and that she should run along. Erica persevered, pestering Jade incessantly day-in, day-out. She was met by indifference, abuse and finally threats of violence, and still she persevered. She persevered, until Jade took notice of this little mousy girl and said with typical sarcasm and a glint in her eye, that Erica could be her friend. That was a week ago.
“What are we doing here?” repeated Erica.
“We’re going to have a smoke,” said Jade, taking a packet of cigarettes out of her jacket pocket.
“Um…I’m sorry, I don’t smoke. It isn’t nice.”
“Really?” said Jade, pulling out her silver lighter, the sun glinting off of its hilt and into Erica’s eyes. “Well, I guess that means I’m not a nice person, eh?”
“I’m sure you are,” said Erica, shielding her eyes from the reflected sunlight.
“Come on, just one puff.” Jade lit her cigarette, and held it out for Erica.
“No thanks.”
“Suit yourself,” sneered Jade, as she took a long drag of the cigarette, and then blew it into Erica’s face.
“Jade!” coughed Erica, as the second-hand smoke entered her lungs. It smelt funny, like flowers and lavender, and something else. Something she could not place, but a smell that she knew.
“Go on, fuck off and play hopscotch!” said Jade as Erica walked off. “You’ll be back,” she added.
After school, Erica went home. She sat down and ate her dinner with her family, done the dishes, watched her hour of television and settled down to do her homework. All the time she could smell that smell of smoke. As she sat and worked the enigma that is final year calculus, she fidgeted and moved uncomfortably on her seat, like she had an itch she couldn’t scratch. She slept badly, tossing and turning, full of vivid dreams that she couldn’t remember.
The following day, it seemed Jade was avoiding her. She wouldn’t acknowledge her in class. She couldn’t find here during morning break. Lunchtime rolled around, and Erica was worried. Maybe she had upset her by walking off the day before. She had to apologise, if she could find her. Suddenly she remembered about the bike sheds. She made her way through to the bike sheds, and found Jade, sitting there and just smiling.
“Knew you’d come,” she said, cigarette, between her lips. She inhaled and then blew a smoke ring above her, “so?”
“I’m sorry; it was rude of me to walk off like that.”
“It’s ok. I shouldn’t have tried to pressure you into smoking.” Jade looked uncomfortable, embarrassed even.
“That’s ok, I think we both over-reacted.”
“Thanks,” Jade smiled, not her usual sardonic smirk, but a smile of genuine warmth. She motioned to put the cigarette to her lips again, but stopped. “Do you mind if I smoke?” she asked.
“I…” Erica stopped in mid-sentence. She was going to say no, but she thought about how much courage it must have taken to apologise like she did. “No, go ahead.”
“Thanks.”
And as they sat in the bike sheds, Erica and Jade talked and talked and talked. About each other, their lives up to this point, the perfect man and about how school sucked. They laughed as the pale streamers of smoke coiled and wound around them. Erica had never felt so happy and relaxed in her life. She never thought she could be this open with anyone. All too soon, lunchtime ended.
After school, Erica went home. She sat down and ate her dinner with her family, but thought about Jade and the fun they had talking. Erica did the dishes, but remembered how relaxed she was with Jade. She watched her hour of television, but wished she was talking to Jade again. She tried to settled down to do her homework, but all the time she could smell that smell of smoke. As she sat and worked on the erosion process, she fidgeted and moved uncomfortably on her seat. She slept badly, waking up hot, bothered and sweaty.
For the third day running, she met Jade behind the bike sheds. Jade was already puffing away on her cigarette, and smiled as she sat down. Again they started talking about all the things under the sun, whilst Jade smoked, chaining from one cigarette to the next. Because they were sat so close, as good friends do, Jade ended up blowing a lot of smoke into Erica’s face. Erica considered complaining about this, but she thought that it might sound a bit rude of her. Beside, the smell wasn’t disgusting, quite nice actually, sweet and flowery. And so they talked openly until the topic of sex came up.
“Sex?!” exclaimed Erica, taking down a gulp of smoky air.
“Yeah,” smiled Jade, “you mean you’ve never?”
“Of course not,” said Erica. She felt odd, dizzy and slightly sick, but happy in a detached way.
“Why not?”
“Good girls wait until they get married, and only then for procreation.”
“Married?” Jade shot her a look that was so old-fashioned, it could be described a prehistoric.
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“What you never even thought about it?”
“Not really.”
“What about playing with yourself? You must have done that!”
“No.”
“Why not? It’s perfectly natural? Don’t you know how?”
“Yes, but my mother said that only bad girls do that.”
“Am I a bad girl?” asked Jade, puffs of smoke shooting into Erica’s face as she spoke
“Um…” Erica stuttered.
“Am I a bad girl?” Jade caught Erica fully in the face with a stream of smoke that filled her lungs as she tried to breathe.
“No Jade,” coughed Erica.
“Then your mother is wrong?”
“I guess so.”
“Just you remember that,” said Jade as the bell that signaled the end of lunchtime rung again.
All this time spent with Jade had not gone unnoticed. As Erica left the school that day, she was descended upon by a group of girls she knew well; Tanya, Nikki and Jane. Of the three, Jane was most obviously the leader. She was smart, witty, attractive, and unbelievably bitchy. She often picked on Erica for no better reason than that she was bored. The other two just followed her in the way reminiscent of a wolf pack.
“So, I see lesbo Jade has got a new friend,” said Jane, as the others sniggered. Erica just kept on walking.
“Lesbo, lesbo!” Shouted the other two, keen to join in the game.
“Do you go down on her, or are you the dominant one,” continued Jane.
“Shut up,” said Erica softly, without looking.
“What was that lesbo? Did the little lesbo speak? Come on lesbo, lets hear you! Or are you still day-dreaming of Jade?”
“I said,” Erica turned to face the other girls, “shut…the…FUCK…up!”
“What?” Said Jane, startled, as Erica inwardly wondered about her choice of words.
“Shut the FUCK UP!” she bellowed into Jane’s face. By now, other pedestrians had started to watch this piece of street theatre.
“You stupid little tramp!” said Jane, grabbing hold of Erica’s uniform, and giving it a shake as if to punctuate each word. “Do you know what you are doing?”
“Yes, this!” And with that, Erica balled up her fist and punched Jane square in the nose. What had come over me, Erica thought as all three of the girls dragged her to the ground and started to punch and kick and slap as hard as they could. Why did I fight back, she thought, as they someone pulled the girl off of her. Did I feel something for Jade, she thought as they spat and jeered as they walked off.
After school, Erica went home. Her parents were shocked to hear what happened. Her mother cried, and her father started to shout, saying that he was going to get the police or the press of the local MP involved in this. Erica knew better; after all, Jane’s dad was a chief inspector in the police, not to mention a very active member of the board of governors of the school. She was let off of chores, and didn’t feel much like television. She didn’t do much of her homework, and went to bed, all the time thinking off Jade.
Jade was waiting as usual, behind the bike sheds. Erica settled beside her, and felt comfortable in the smoky surroundings. Jade smiled a knowing smile at her, and took another long, hard drag.
“What?” Said Erica, knowing that she should have said pardon.
“Nothing, I just heard about you and Jane.”
“Oh, really.”
“I just have to say that it was really…”
“Yes?” Erica waited on Jade’s next words.
“Really…”
“Yes???”
“…Stupid of you to take on three people.” She laughed, until she saw Erica’s face. “What? Did you think I was going to thank you?”
“Well…”
“Wrong. If you’re going to attack someone, you have to do it right.” Behind them, there was a scream.
“What was that?” Said Erica, turning.
“Probably Jane finding a dead rat in her locker. Like I said, do it right.” And with she smile a most evil smile, which struck Erica as possibly the beautiful thing she had ever seen.
After school, Erica went home. She sat down and ate her dinner with her family, but argued with her mother. Erica left the dishes, and went up to her room. She left her homework. As she lay there, her hand moved to her vagina, moist from thinking about Jade, and played with herself. As she stroked herself toward climax, she could see Jade in her mind smiling, and smell the smoke all around her. She hardly slept at all.
The next day, she met Jade for lunch. After they ate, they walked to the bike sheds, where Jade lit up again. Erica inhaled deeply as the smoke was blown in her face. Unconsciously, her hand moved towards her groin. Jade smiled as she watched her friend, lost in the coils of her smoke, start to rub.
“So you’re a bad girl now?” Said Jade.
“Oh,” stuttered Erica, her hand jerking upwards, “I, sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about.”
“It’s just, I, I did it for the first time last night.”
“Really? How was it?”
“It was fantastic!”
“Was your mother wrong then?”
“Yes, she was.” Erica paused, “silly cow,” she added.
“So I expect she was wrong about other things then.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Like cigarettes?”
“I suppose so.”
“Do you want to try one to find out?”
“Yes please!”
“Ok,” Jade tapped her pockets in a theatrical way. “Fuck! Sorry this is my last one,” she said with a smirk.
“Oh crap. Are you sure?”
“Well, I have some at home.”
“Can I come round?”
“Not tonight. But tomorrow’s Saturday. You can spend the whole day.”
“Cool,” Said Erica.
After school, Erica went home. She sat down and ate her dinner with her family, and apologised for the previous night, and asked if she could go and see a friend tomorrow. Her mother, who worried terribly about her, was nervous, but as Erica had never really had any friends, she thought it was for the best if she went. Erica did the dishes, watched her hour of television, settled down to do her homework, and went to bed, to play with herself.
Erica positively skipped to the address Jade had given her. It was not as she had expected. It was a luxury flat in the middle of town. She rang the doorbell, and waited. Jade answered the door, dressed in tight halter-top, and a tight pair of jeans. Erica suddenly felt awkward in her sensible blue blouse, and long brown skirt.
“Come in,” said Jade as she walked into the living room.
“Ok,” said Erica, “um, Jade, are your parents here?”
“No,” she said as she sat down on the leather couch, “I live on my own.”
“Oh.”
“Sit,” said Jade with an abruptness of tone that made Erica’s legs comply without intervention from her brain. “That’s better. Now I expect you want the cigarette, eh?”
“Well, I…”
“Of course you do. I got these special for you.” Jade placed two cigarettes in her mouth, and lit them, puffing them to a bright orange glow. “Here you go,” she said as she took one from her mouth and placed it into Erica’s. Erica tried to back away, but finally took the cigarette between her lips. As she timidly took her first drag on the cigarette, she was aware of the smoke filling her lungs, her body, and her mind. She felt dizzy, then calm, and then relaxed. She was aware of certain wetness in her panties. She first thought she had wet herself, but this was different. She removed the cigarette from her mouth, and exhaled.
“Good?” said Jade, her arm around Erica’s shoulders.
“Oh yes,” said Erica, taking another drag. And sat back and relaxed, letting the smoke fill her relax her, until she was as pliant as a rag doll. The smoke relaxed her whilst at the same time exciting her. She recognised that the wetness that she felt between her thighs was a sign of that. She turned to Jade and smiled, “thanks,” she said.
“My pleasure,” said Jade, as she placed her hand on Erica’s leg, and slowly moved it up her leg until it was under her long skirt, where she rested it onto Erica’s panties. And then she began to rub.
“What’re doing?” mumbled Erica, a bolt of pleasure shot up her body, a thousand times better than when she was on her own. She bit her lip.
“Why I’m fucking you with my hand. Do you want me to stop?”
“No. Please don’t,” said Erica, extracting the cigarette from her mouth in a trembling hand. Jade lent over and kissed Erica fully on her lips, blowing her smoke into mouth. All the time she was thumbing Erica’s clitoris through the fabric of her panties. With one swift movement, she slipped her hand inside the panties, and pushed her fingers into the wetness inside. With a practiced hand she fondled Erica, bringing her closer and closer to climax. And then she stopped, resting her thumb on Erica’s clitoris, holding it in a constant state of arousal, but not letting her climax.
“Who do you love?” said Jade.
“You,” replied Erica, desperate to cum at Jade’s hand.
“And who do want?”
“You, Jade!”
“And who do you obey?”
“You, Jade, YOU!” And even as she said this, she knew that this was an incredibly strange thing to say. But moreover, she knew that is was the truth, that Jade owned her.
“Pardon?”
“I obey you, Jade.”
“Good girl,” said Jade, and with a deft flick of her thumb, she brought Erica’s orgasm to fruition. Waves of pleasure passed through Erica’s body, shaking uncontrollably as they did, to the point of unconsciousness. She looked at Jade, with tears in her eyes.
“I love you Jade.”
“Show me,” and with that she opened her jeans up and shrugged them off to reveal her naked and shaven vagina. Hesitatingly, Erica moved forward and placed her hand on crotch. “No,” said Jade, looking her straight in the eye, “with your tongue.” Erica froze, her gaze locked with Jade’s before she lent forward and began to lap at her mistress’s clit with tongue, unable to resist her.
“Good girl.”