Paula moved her head forward and touched the lighter flame with her cigarette.  Taking a long draw she sat up on the bed as consciousness increasingly caught up with her.  It was still dark outside as she opened the curtains and the window wide, but left the light off.  If her father had smelt the smoke and caught her smoking in the bedroom there would have been the almost inevitable shouting match.

Paula watched the end of the burning cigarette, almost mesmerised by the glow and the gently spluttering ring as the paper burnt away.  She looked across at the neighbouring house.  No sign of life there yet.  What day was it?  Tuesday, a normal school day, but hopefully one like most weekdays.

As she smoked that first cigarette of the day Paula's mind wandered. She thought back to how her life had been changed and enriched, how her sexuality had been first awakened and then nourished, until today she was a very sexually experienced female.

Stubbing out the cigarette Paulas hand wandered towards her crotch area.  She half-sighed as she realised she needed a release. She had been thinking about that neighbouring house and how probably right now Bob and Jenny were having sex.  Her hand played over the patch of hair and two of her fingers pushed gently at her lips.  She lay back and opened her legs.

It never seemed to take long nowadays to become damp.  She didn't need to look as her fingers reached and stroked her clitoris.  As if on command and coming to attention the clitoris began to swell and harden.  There was no need today to use her vibrator; her fingers didn't have batteries but they knew how to give a lot of pleasure.

The first waves of pleasure were arising, her hips were moving upwards and back down again, her head lightened, her mouth felt dry, the slow gentle waves of pleasure gave way to a storm of delight, rolling on for maybe  twenty seconds before easing down. She could feel her ears burning and knew without looking that her neck and upper chest would have that tell-tale red marking that an orgasm always seemed to do to her.

It had been nearly five years since her first orgasm, but they still never failed to give a warm glow.  As an eleven year old though you don't really understand what is happening and what the future holds. Paula remembered her first and smiled. Somehow she had been imagining she was riding a horse.  The pillow was the saddle between her legs.  She was racing and had to urge the horse to go faster.  Clamping harder on the pillow she was moving and getting excited by the effort, the whole bed was shaking, and then with the finishing line in sight she had to make a final effort. But the race never finished, Paula cried out as a feeling of warmth and throbbing took over between her legs.

Paula's mother had heard the noise and came into the room.  She  understood immediately what had happened to Paula.

The next day when alone, her mother explained in a very sympathetic way about masturbation and orgasms.  There was none of the recrimination she knew she would have got from her father for he always seemed to be uptight and had little time for his daughters.  Her mother was so different, sensible but light-hearted, always available to give advice without too many embarassing questions.

Paula started her periods that year and came to dread them.  There seemed to be no logic behind the timing or the severity of bleeding and most times she had cramps and headaches.  Nothing she had read or discussed with her mother gave any clue or remedy as to the discomfort and Paula only hoped that this was not going to go on for the rest of her life.

Relief came when her mother took her to the doctors and it was proposed that she went on the pill.  After about four months the discomfort eased. She continued to masturbate regularly and enjoyed the feeling.

When questioned her mother had told her that it was a natural experience giving pleasure, and yes she did do it herself in addition to, and not in any way as substitute to, having sex with her husband.  Paula had wanted to know could she do it during her periods and her mother had recommended that if that was what she wanted to do then it would be better to switch to tampons.