Author: Old Softy
Title: The Collar Around the Heart
Summary: James is sixteen today, and his birthday present is pretty unusual. But the future is a foreign country; they do things differently there.
Keywords: mf ScFi rom 1st slave bd oral anal
Part: Chapter 7 of 14

Chapter 1 is at http://www.asstr.org/files/Authors/Old-Softy/The_Collar_around_the_Heart/The_Collar_1.txt

DISCLAIMER: This work of fiction contains sexual situations not 
suitable for children. It may not be reproduced in any way where 
readers are charged for it. Copyright reserved Old Softy 2007 

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Chapter 7 - Friday Morning



I awoke to the sunlight streaming in through the windows and the ease
that comes with a really good night's sleep. The sheets were just the
right temperature, and I writhed luxuriously under the covers,
wriggling my toes. I felt like a million pounds, and even better, there
was a smell of buttered toast hanging on the air.

Annie! She had slept with her head on my thigh, but now there she was,
at the side of my bed all got up in her little maid's uniform.

Breakfast was none the worse for being a repeat of yesterday. This, at
least, I could get used to. I got up to use the loo, and let her lick
my penis clean afterwards. It seemed quite natural, indeed oddly
sensible, this time. Getting dressed was also normal, although it was a
change to have clothes handed to me just when needed, while slender
fingers tugged things on and did up buttons. It was somehow just easy
and efficient.

Admiring the result in the mirror, I paused at her side. Considering
what we had done last night, it was odd to see her kneeling so
demurely, as if she were some innocent schoolgirl. Her gaze was locked
on the swirly carpet even when I reached out to touch her cheek. She
did look up when I touched her nose, and squeaked when I gently tweaked
it. Her eyes widened at my grin but she managed to stay straight-faced.

"So, are you just going to sit there, no matter what I do?"

"Of course, Boss."

Hmmmm, I could have some fun here. I dropped my hand down to run my
fingers around the underside of one cloth-covered breast. The warm,
soft weight of that little shape was delightful, and this morning there
was no brassiere under that blouse. Maybe she did not like the feeling
of constriction. I flicked the nipple with the back of my thumb. "Even
this?"

"Yes please, Boss!"

I laughed. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be demure and reluctant?"

"Not unless you want it, Boss." Her determination to please me was
bemusing. She carried on. "Look, Boss, I was always yours to take
anyway, but after last night..."

Last night. Maybe that had been a mistake, but — what the hell, it
was done now. "Yes, I'm sorry about that. I did not mean to take
advantage. It just sort of happened. But you really don't have to do
that again if you don't want to."

She looked dismayed at my suggestion. "Boss! I do! I have to look after
you, to make sure you are properly relieved. And..." she paused and
looked up, her eyes very green as she gazed at me. "You can't believe I
wouldn't like it, now I know what it feels like. To have you... Boss,
the thing that happened to me, does that happen to a man? Is that what
it feels like for you?"

I frowned at her, puzzled. "I am not sure actually." How could I tell
what she had been feeling? But then the memories floated in front of me
— her little throaty cries, the feeling of her clinging to me as her
body convulsed. I nodded "But I suspect it is something pretty
similar."

"No wonder they all want to do that with their collars. Never mind
chocolate!" She snapped out of her reverie. "Anyway, I would do it
again any time, you must know that. Where ever you like. In fact, Boss,
I noticed you might want some relief right now. We have plenty of time
before you have to get ready for school."

Despite being a bit presumptuous she was not wrong, I realised. On the
other hand if I just went along with her every time she thought I
looked a bit randy, I would be doing nothing else this weekend! "No, I
can't do that. What I need is a cold shower instead. Perhaps you should
have one as well?"

Her look of horror was lovely. "Or a cold bath. Yes, I think you need
to get used to cold baths," I continued. "Practicing abstinence is good
for you, you know. And why aren't you wearing proper underclothes? I
know we had bought a corset for you. Put it on at once. There is too
much lax behaviour around here," I finished sternly.

Her face was a picture. "Oh. Yes, of course, Boss. Um. Should I clear
up first?"

"Definitely. But before you do that, you had better take all your
clothes off and get on the bed." She stared at me blankly. I carried on
slowly, as if considering the options. "On your back would be best. With
your legs open."

She stood up uncertainly, and half-heartedly started on the buttons of
her blouse, then stopped in evident confusion. "Boss?"

I couldn't help it. Just one more look at her expression, and the
laughter I was trying to hide bubbled out. "You do know you are very
easy to tease, don't you?"

She blushed a delightful pink as understanding dawned, and smiled
bashfully. She knelt again at my feet and addressed my crotch. "Boss,
do you really want to do some sex?"

"Yes, of course I do. You are sweet and sexy and I can think of nothing
better right now than to bury my prick in you. But I can only do it on
one condition," I added seriously.

"What's that, Boss?"

"Do you want to have sex with me?"

"Of course, I will do whatever you ask!"

"No, that is not the question. Do you want to?"

She looked up and her wide eyes gazed into mine. "Oh, yes, Boss. I have
been yearning for something ever since you put your towel around me on
the first day. Last night I discovered what it was. It was the most
wonderful thing ever to have happened to me, and even if it wasn't, I
would still want to do it. Just because it makes me so happy to please
you."

Her face became more sombre. "Boss, I know the score. I know that I
might never see you again after Sunday. But I will never forget you.
Now, I know it is possible for a Master to be so much more to me than
just an owner. Even if I never see you again I will always carry around
the hope of ending up with someone like you."

I returned her stare, confused. All right, in some strange way she had
forgiven me for what I was going to do on Sunday. I didn't know how I
felt about that. And — well it was good that she thought I was a nice
first master, but I had hardly done anything special for her — quite
the converse.

I shook my head then shrugged. One thing I did know, though — I
wanted to get inside her again, as soon as possible. "I will take that
as a yes then. So, how are we going to do this?"

"Oh, just say which position you want Boss, — we have been taught
them all. Inferior supine, superior supine, anterior erect, submissive
dorsal..."

"Hold your horses" I interrupted, laughing. "Have you ever actually
done any of these?"

She hesitated. "Not as such, Boss. But the pictures were very clear,
and we practised all the moves." She sounded a little disappointed that
I was casting any doubt on her skills.

"Hmmmmm. You just hop up, and I think we will play it by ear."

She slipped her panties down — such a small and easy action — and
climbed up on the bed. In a second she was arranged on her back, skirt
round her waist with her hands under her knees holding her legs open so
she was completely on display. It was odd that all she had removed from
her normal working clothes was that little triangular scrap of cloth
— and now it was all open to be inspected.

My curiosity almost matched my arousal. After all, this was what the
collar was for. I was going to learn how a girl's bits work, and the
idea of becoming really good at getting a girl off suddenly made me
feel better about hiding all this from Liz. It was just a lesson,
wasn't it, and she would benefit from it in the long run.

It was amazing to have it all laid out for my attention. Each sweet,
shiny fold, every little corner and cranny was mine to touch and
explore and fondle while I checked her reaction. Mesmerised, I ran my
fingers over the smooth dry silken skin of her inner thighs and bottom
cheeks before revelling in the contrast of the hot slick cleft at her
centre. The biggest gasp came when I brushed the funny little pea-sized
nubbin under the triangle of skin at the top. This must have been the
bump that Liz had been so keen on. Seemed pretty effective on Annie,
too!

I got my prick out now, and just rested it against the warm slippery
folds of her opening for a moment, before pushing gently. With the
faintest gasp from her, it slid in as if it was meant to. I tried out
half a dozen long slow exploratory strokes. It was so different from my
quick desperate fumbling with Liz, or even my magic dream from last
night. This time I could feel and see exactly what I was doing.

After a few moments I withdrew and tapped Annie on the thigh. "Over on
your front, now." She complied, quickly and eagerly clambering onto her
hands and knees, to present her rear. I flipped her skirt over her back
so I could see everything I was doing, and admired her gorgeous bubble
shaped buttocks framed in the white straps of her suspenders and
stockings. I stroked one hip, enjoying the sensuous warmth of her skin.
She froze, and twisted her head to look round at me, imploring silently.
I tapped the inside of her thigh, and she immediately spread her knees
and dropped down on her elbows, resting her head on the covers.

Again, I slowly pushed my penis inside her. It was amazing to watch it
disappear into her body, which apparently took it with pleasure not
discomfort. I wondered what it felt like. The little pucker of her anus
changed, actually clenching as I bottomed out inside her, and dilating
again with my measured withdrawal. I touched it experimentally, and it
winked like a live thing, a sea anemone displayed between her bottom
cheeks. "Yesss, Bossss," she hissed. Unable to resist the invitation, I
swiped my finger in some of the slick juice from between her legs and
felt the texture of the rim of the little pucker before pushing on in.
The skin inside was as thin and soft as oiled silk, but the ring of
muscle it covered was so strong as it gripped my knuckle. God, as I
wriggled it around I could feel it against my prick actually inside
her, and she was jerking against me in her excitement. This was sooo
hot!

I pushed this way and that, and as I experimented with different angles
and depths of stroke, I tried to gauge the effect from her moans, but I
couldn't concentrate that well. Something must have worked because she
cried out "Ooohhh... OOOHHH... Master!" and a series of convulsions
washed over her before she collapsed on her side on the bed.

In her spasms she had pulled herself right off me. Through her panting
she gasped, "Sorry Boss... I couldn't... hold on... do you want to...
get back... in me again?"

"Just stay there," I murmured. I tugged her hips towards me and pushed
her knees up to her chest. The sight of her luscious nether lips
protruding between the top of her thighs and her bottom was
irresistible. I tentatively pushed myself against those slippery, plump
fingers of flesh. She wrapped her arms around her legs and hugged them
to herself as she realised what I was doing, and in a second I was in
again. It seemed natural to follow that with my thumb into her anus,
and everything became tighter and hotter. It was really odd to be at
right angles to her body while I penetrated her from behind, and she
twisted round to gaze at me, eyes wide, as I pumped into her. She was
so tight and her groans made such hot music that I did not last long.
My balls emptied into her: two, three, four spasms, while my whole body
clenched and shuddered. She was still staring at me with an unfathomable
expression as I collapsed on the bed in front of her.

When I had recovered myself, and got up to wash and sort out my
clothing, I suddenly thought of the time. One glance at the clock, and
I was grabbing stuff and heading for the door. Shit, we had spent
forty-five minutes engaged in that little diversion, and now I was
going to be late for school.

They were doing it again! Every girl was at it, staring again. Well,
all right, if I was scientific and counted them, probably only half of
them. But at least that, and, now I thought about it, the prettier and
more fashionable half at that. So, why was I the gossip topic of the
week amongst the Vogue set, then?

Literature was not always boring. Shakespeare was a hero of mine, and I
had loved the Steiner last month. But at the moment we were studying
Aldiss, which put me to sleep at the best of times. I had plenty to
think about so I was concentrating even less than usual, but the lesson
slipped by without my being called to task, and without my resolving any
of the distractions that were muddling my head.

It was weird bumping into Madeline and Charlotte in the quad
afterwards. I was not sure what I was expecting, but embarrassed
politeness was not on the list. I just said "Hello" back to them, and
wandered on to Natural Science, puzzled.

After another lunch ignoring the stares and giggles of endless girls
seemingly curious about my every movement, I set off early for History.
As I allowed myself to be carried along by the flow of bodies in the
corridor, I caught sight of Penelope's distinctive figure in the
distance. With last night fresh in my mind, I stopped to watch her with
particular interest as she swept through the crowd, a couple of acolytes
in tow. It was not just her height, although she was taller than any
girl around her; it was the way she held herself, with the unconscious
grace and bearing of a princess — that's what grabbed your attention.
And she really was extraordinarily beautiful, I realised. But more than
that; there was a strength of purpose to her; a vitality in her face,
that caused them all to hang on her every word. She was a queen
compared to the rest of them.

As she approached I decided not to just slide off, as I normally would
have. She turned round at my greeting, and hesitated for a second. For
that second my heart sank — I had made a mistake and set myself up
for a classic rebuff. But then she smiled, a real smile, and I couldn't
help smiling back. When she looked at me like that, it was impossible to
resent her.

"Hello, James. Good to see you — I was just telling Emma and Claire
here that we will be pulling out all the stops tomorrow night."

"Oh, yes, be there or be square!" I said cheerfully before my brain
woke up. Too late, I cringed at the words. But Emma and Claire (I
wondered which one was which) both laughed as if it was the wittiest
thing they had heard today, and repeated their promise that nothing
would keep them away.

"See you tomorrow, then," said Penny, dismissing her friends. Then,
surprisingly, she took my arm and turned me away. Looking back, I
noticed the two girls smile and wave wiggling fingers at me rather than
her. Odd. Five paces down the corridor Penny glanced over her shoulder
then whispered, "Just stay away from those two, alright? They are no
good for you."

"What? No good for what?" I queried, mystified.

"What do you think!" she exclaimed. For a second she seemed irritated.
"You can do much better than either of them, that's all."

"I... well, if you say so." Maybe she thought they wanted me to ask
them out, which was ridiculous, but I did not dare question her. "Hey,
Penny, I saw Madeline and Charlotte earlier and they were nice to me!
What's going on?"

"Oh, the Maddie and Charlie thing is simple. I warned them off. You
shouldn't have any more trouble from them, but just let me know if they
ever get stroppy. By the way, I also put the word out that you are now
on the good-guy list, so that should apply to any of the girls around
here."

"Wow. Thanks," I said, wondering what the "good-guy" list was. It was
pretty clear that in this school, having Penny on my side was a free
pass. The truce from last night was beginning to look like rather good
value. "So is that why every girl is staring at me? I was wondering if
it was just my imagination."

She looked at me oddly for a second. "Well, I was going to ask you
about that. There is a whisper going around about your fund. It is
supposed to be over two hundred kay. Two hundred and forty seven, to be
exact. That's not true, is it?"

I remembered to close my hanging jaw, and then opened it again to
answer her. "Well, yes. But how did that get about? I only knew the day
before yesterday and I certainly haven't... " I trailed off as the
answer floated like scum to the top of the pool. "My Mother," I
whispered. She could have dropped a hint to selected "friends,"
particularly those with daughters already out, and those daughters
would have been primed and aimed in my direction.

Penny nodded and smiled to herself. "Well then. So now the whole school
knows, or certainly the female half. They are going to be queuing up
from here on in, so make the most of it!" My face must have revealed
how I felt because she laughed and went on "Come on. Most chaps would
be rubbing their hands in glee! Where is your spirit of adventure?"

"Do me a favour!" I protested. "Look, you know what I'm like with
supper parties and fancy dress."

"Even if you get to poke them afterwards?" asked Penny, looking at me
with real curiosity.

I winced at her bluntness, but replied, perhaps a little primly "I can
get as much sex as I want closer to home, thank you."

"Ah, yes, your little collargirl."

"No, not so much that..." I hesitated but decided not to try and
explain about Liz. "No, I am not going to give details. But, anyway...
oh hell, it's just the whole thing. It's like being a budgie in a room
of cats."

"Shark bait, more likely," corrected Penny, cheerfully. "So you really
don't want to go out with anyone? No-one at all?" I shook my head
firmly. She regarded me with an appraising gaze. "You really are an odd
one, James." The pause lengthened while she seemed to be trying to
decide something. "Actually I could hold them off for you, if you
wanted."

"Would you? How?"

"Well, we girls have this thing where if one of us calls dibs, the rest
of us stand back for a bit. Don't queer the pitch, you know." She was
looking at me cautiously. "So if you really want, I could... I mean it
would only last a couple of weeks, but it would give you a bit of time
to get your bearings and..." she trailed off and to my surprise, was
now looking almost nervous, in a very un-Penny-like way. She was
unconsciously tugging at her left ear lobe, which gave her an
endearingly vulnerable air. "And... um... we ought to actually go out
together, towards the end, you know, to... um..."

"Penny!" I exclaimed in surprise. I thought I understood the words, but
the meaning was, well, impossible. "Are you asking me out?" The one
thing more shocking than a girl asking a boy out, would be Penelope
thinking of me that way!

"Of course not!" she blustered. But what was that? I watched the flush
spreading across the top half of her cheeks with amazement. Penelope
Jones, blushing!

"I would be delighted to accept, Miss Jones," I said, in my best formal
voice and dropped a half bow old Moxley would have been proud to see.
Inside I was cackling with glee.

"Alright, alright!" she snapped, aiming for aloof but not composed
enough to pull it off. "Just forget it! That's the last time I..."

"Hey, hey, I was just teasing! I'm sorry," I interrupted, and smiled at
her, meaning it. I was delighted to see her frown crack in spite of
herself. "It was a really nice offer, to put your rep on the line for
me," I carried on, "and I am glad to accept. And I would be even more
pleased to take you out next week if you would care to put up with my
company for one evening."

She hesitated, and I realised that I actually wanted her to say yes.
Then she nodded fiercely. "Yes. All right then. Thank you." She
stretched up to peck me on the cheek, and spun away to walk briskly
down the corridor. "See you tomorrow," I heard her say, presumably to
me, over her shoulder.

I wandered off to Etiquette, my last lesson, bemused. Wow, I thought.
What the hell do I make of all that? And what have I let myself in for
now?

It was ironic that although I had the misfortune of sharing a lesson
with Vince Murdoch in only one subject — it was Etiquette. That made
one more reason to drop it at the end of the month. I could not imagine
why he bothered to turn up. He stayed on at school for the rugby —
fair enough — and I knew that they insisted the sports chaps did a
minimum of "academic" subjects. But Etiquette?

For the first time ever, I actually watched him out of the corner of my
eye, and one reason immediately became apparent. The girls. The room
was, of course, segregated: girls to the left and boys to the right.
Vince sat not at the back, but in the centre, where he could leer at
most of the females. Amazingly, one or two of them actually smiled
back, and, now I was looking for it, there was the odd flutter of an
eyelid, and I could swear Jennifer Hurley was shifting so that her bust
was in a better profile to him. Were they all nuts?

After quarter of an hour he grew bored with surreptitious flirting and
got out that zapper he had shown me yesterday. He was toying with it,
and then every now and then he would lower it below the edge of the
desk, and press a button for a few seconds. For some reason this seemed
to give him great pleasure, and I could not believe his satisfied smirk
at playing with the toy.

Presumably it was a spare zapper, because if it was in use the collar
it was tuned to could not be more than five hundred yards away from it,
and why would Vince want to bring his collar to School? There was
actually a waiting room you could park a collar in if you ever had to,
but it was hardly ever used.

Again, the lesson flew by without my noticing. Old Murchison was
winding up, used to being ignored by half the class, and Vince was
already out of his chair by the time Murchison had finished. I woke up
when he stopped by my desk. "Hey, Pilsbury, I saw you watching me with
the zapper. Wanna go? Its fun."

"Er, thanks, but I'll pass. I don't really see the point." I was trying
to turn him down diplomatically, without making it too obvious that
playing with an un-tuned zapper was a pleasure only for complete
idiots.

"Ah, go on. I haven't done it for five or six minutes. It won't know
what to expect. Just go for the 1, to wake it up, then we will give it
a blast of 3 to keep it on its toes. Here, you do the 3." He pressed
one of the buttons, and grinned. "Whoops!" He laughed, and tossed it to
me

"What... what's on the other end?" I asked with horror and a sinking
realisation.

"My slut, of course. The one I was telling you about yesterday. Come
on, you do that and then we can go over there and watch it wriggle
while I finish it off."

I pretended to press the Three for a few seconds. "There, that will
shock it," I said trying to be convincing.

"That wasn't nearly long enough. Never mind, let's go and take a look
at it," and he marched off with me trailing in his wake. Sure enough,
we were heading in the direction of the collar waiting room.

"The Four, now, I can only use for five or ten seconds," he remarked
conversationally as we strode along. "It makes a real mess when I give
it too much. Last time there was puke and shit all over the place.
Luckily I had a collar on hand to clean it up with!" and he sniggered.

Christ, how do I get myself into these messes, I thought to myself.

The stark room was chilly and unoccupied except for the one collargirl.
It was strikingly beautiful; indeed unnaturally so. Usually, enhanced
sex mods did nothing for me — in fact it made me feel a bit queasy
just looking too closely at a collarslut with all the surgery.
Something about the huge high spherical breasts, narrowed waist and
oversized buttocks makes them look unbalanced. And then there are the
impossibly long stretched calves on top of those weird ankles — you
know, twisted so the collar can only walk in six-inch heels. They are
almost alien. This one also had the full lips, the big eyes, the lashes
and the thick, long, lustrous hair, but — and this was the difference,
I realised — underneath was a girl who had been attractive to start
with. Somehow it all worked, and the result was perversely arousing.

It was already kneeling, but at the sight of the door opening it
dropped its forehead to the floor. The door shut firmly behind us and I
was suddenly aware of Cribbens standing there, leaning his back against
it. Christ, where did he spring from?

"Strip!" commanded Vince curtly, and the thing hastily and skilfully
slipped out of the strappy PVC costume it had been wearing. It left on
the thigh-high shiny skintight boots, and it was still wreathed in
jewelry — or, no, they were slender shining chains. I caught my
breath as I saw how they were attached. From the collar to rings
through its nipples, they ran, and then joined between its breasts to
another one rising from between its legs. I could not see clearly, but
my mind winced at the thought of what piercing might hold that end in
place.

"So, here we are then, Pilsbury. What do you think?"

I muttered something vaguely flattering, without managing a coherent
sentence.

"Seeing how you turned down that little bit of cunt I had lined up
yesterday, how about some of the real stuff?" He held out the zapper
and I could see his thumb hold down the yellow No. 3. The collarslut on
the ground shivered and tensed, but otherwise it held still, not
betraying what was ripping through its spine. Do collars get
desensitised, I wondered? And then was shocked by the "whump" of his
boot catching it under the ribs, right over its kidney. It fell to the
floor with a soft grunt and curled up, writhing and gasping while he
kept his thumb down.

"Yeah, let's have a go, then, Vince. Mind if I take a look at it?" I
asked, struggling to keep my voice one of careless enquiry, and holding
out my hand for the zapper. I managed to suppress my sigh of relief when
amazingly he released the button and handed it over with a smirk.

"Very pretty," I mused, as I shifted its shoulder with my toe. Trying
to make the movement look brutal, while actually being as slow and
gentle as I dared, I turned it over on its back with my foot. Now I was
close up, I could see the fading bruises along its sides, and strange
white lines across its thighs and flanks. I had a sinking feeling that
I knew what had caused them, and I knew I should report Murdoch to the
RSPCC. But, although old and well respected, the supposed protectors of
collars' rights were actually nearly toothless, and with Murdoch Senior
around, how far would I get? Despite the marks of abuse, I could not
help staring at the swelling bare mound of its sex, the slit so brazen
and available at the top of its long thighs. Sure enough, the end of
that chrome chain was tethered to a ring through its labia.

"Well, you want to take it on the floor, or shall we bend it over the
back of that chair for you?" offered Vince, with a breezy charm.

Alright, this was too weird. I could not fathom his angle, but this had
to be some kind of trap or ploy. Quite what, God only knew. It could not
be blackmail — I had no girlfriend to upset, and no one would bat an
eyelid at my shafting a collarslut, even on school property. In fact if
anything, it would probably raise my standing around the school.

Was he going to wait until I had my penis out and then laugh at it?
This was all too elaborate for such a simple trick. Despite its
condition, the sight of the collarslut displayed on its back was
beginning to get to my cock, but there was no way I was gong to accept
this sort of gift from Vince Murdoch.

"Ah, sorry, Vince, thanks for your offer, but I usually need a bit more
privacy for this sort of stuff. Another time maybe?"

"No sweat my friend. Why don't you borrow it for a couple of hours, or
take it home at try it at your leisure? Tell you what. I'm coming to
your bash tomorrow night. Why don't you hang on to it until then? I can
pick it up from the ballroom after the do."

Curiouser and curiouser! I had no idea what was going on, but just on
the principle that whatever Murdoch wanted must be a bad idea, I began
to shake my head. Now, what excuse could I come up with? But then he
carried on.

"You'll need a whip. Borrow mine, it's more fun than the zapper any
time. Oh, except for when you're looking for a nice spasm. Here's a
little hint. While you're giving it some stick, just before you cum,
zap it with some number four, just enough to get its cunt to twitch. I
tell you, the feeling is something else!"

The girl on the floor did not move, but closed its eyes for a second. I
wondered what a warm bath and a soft bed would mean to the thing; maybe
some attention to its bruises, and if nothing else, getting it away
from this madman for a day. And... well it had nothing to do with my
decision, of course, but I had heard that those things had special
muscles inside them that they were trained to use during sex. Not that
I was going to, but still... 

"Well, Vince, that's really kind. Perhaps I will take you up on your
offer. What, should I just take it with me now?"

"No, I was going to have a quick go, and I promised Cribbens a turn.
But you don't have to hang around waiting. I'll drop it off round your
place in an hour if you like. And I'll pick up yours at the same time."

My hand was half way across the gap between us, returning the zapper,
before those last words reached my brain, and froze it. The middle of
me dropped away into a cold pit. There it was and I had walked straight
into it. He saw me falter and his satisfied sneer of triumph said it
all.

"Ah, what were you going to pick up, Vince?" I asked, prevaricating
hopelessly, and ending in an unfortunate squeak.

"Why, fair dos, Pilsbury. You are so happy to borrow mine, and I know
you will want me to try out yours. A simple swap for a day or two —
unless you just want to hand yours over first?" His voice had lost the
warmth of a moment ago, and he loomed forward without actually moving.
I stepped back — right onto Cribbens' toes. He gripped me by my upper
arms, to stop me tripping sideways. Kind of him — except that he did
not let go.

"Um... but she's... it's... not ready... it's not well, I'm having it
seen to, and ah, I forgot, I'm really busy tomorrow with preparing for
the Ball and everything, so maybe next week would be better, and..." I
trailed off, my mind a puddle of ice-cold treacle.

"Not backing out, I hope," he growled. "I could be very upset with
someone who offered to swap me his collar for a few days and then
welched on the deal." Cribbens, I could tell without effort, had very
bad breath, and the warmth of his bad breath spread up the back of my
neck.

"Ah, no, Vince, certainly not." I squeaked. "But I really can't do it
now. Not till Monday. No need for you to go to any bother. Monday, I'll
bring mine over; you can have it for the week. And there is no need to
bother giving me yours, you know, if you don't want."

"Oh, but I insist. It's a deal. We swap for one week, starting on
Monday. After school, let's say five o'clock at my front door." He
leaned forward until our noses were almost touching. His breath was as
bad as Cribbens'. Maybe it was something to do with the whole "not
caring what other people thought of you" thing. "You do know what
happens to people who renege on a deal with me, don't you?"

"Um, I couldn't say, Vince. But you don't have to worry. You can rely
on me."

I leant against the wall outside the waiting room wondering if I had
managed to hide my shaking until I had reached the door. Probably not.

So that was it. I would have to return her now. I had until five p.m.
Monday to get Annie safely out of Cricklewood.

And then I was dead.



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Chapter eight is at http://www.asstr.org/files/Authors/Old-Softy/The_Collar_around_the_Heart/The_Collar_8.txt

If you liked it so far, drop me a line to 
'oldsofty  @  hotmail.co.uk' (don't forget to remove the spaces)
