A Mischievous Plot
By the next day he had completely forgotten his goal. He had three months, after all, so there was no point starting on it right away. He could afford to put it off a couple of weeks at least. Kari would just have to wait.
Brit's birthday came and went just like it had last year; with a bunch of giggling, bratty little girls. Although, now that she was twelve, some of those girls weren't so little any more. A number of them were quite easy on the eyes, especially to a fourteen-year-old like Jeff. Some of them flirted with him through the whole party, but he ignored them; they were still a bunch of immature little brats.
He was more interested in girls his own age, like Kari Williams for instance. Strangely enough, ever since that camping trip last summer he had been thinking of Lissa in that way as well. Oh, he would never do anything serious with her, but he had his fantasies. She was beautiful, intelligent, and just about the only girl that he got along with. He found himself wanting to spend time with her, which was unfortunate because her after-school job kept him away from the house until the evenings.
She seemed to enjoy it, although sometimes she looked tired after work. Sometimes she would be bright and cheerful, while other times she would have a much more subdued attitude as if hoping that time would speed up so that she could just go to bed.
One night she came home from work exhausted. Greg and Allison had gone out to dinner and a movie, and Brit was over at her friend Natalie's house, so that left Jeff to keep Lissa company. He sat with her at the table as she microwaved the plate of food that Allison had left for her and ate it. She didn't seem particularly talkative, so Jeff asked her what was wrong.
"Nothing," she replied. "I'm just tired, that's all. It was a busy day today at work. I hope I don't sound rude to you; it's just that I'm half asleep right now."
"Oh, that's all right," he smiled. "Sounds like you just need to go to bed early."
"No, it's okay. You're so sweet to stay home with me; I don't want you to feel like I don't appreciate it."
"Actually, it's just because I was the only one without something to do," he laughed.
After dinner, they headed into the front room to watch television. They sat down on the couch, and Lissa grabbed one of the throw blankets and laid it over the top of them.
Five minutes later, she plopped her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Lissa," he whispered.
She opened her eyes and glanced around. Immediately she sat back up straight. "Sorry," she said.
"I don't mind," he replied.
"You're okay with me putting my head on your shoulder?" she asked. "It doesn't make you feel uncomfortable?"
"Why would I feel uncomfortable?"
"I don't know... because I might give you cooties or something," she grinned.
Jeff laughed. "I stopped believing in cooties about the same time I stopped believing in the tooth fairy," he said.
"What, the tooth fairy's not real?" she asked in feigned shock.
"She's just a lie spread by the Easter Bunny."
Lissa laughed. "Oh Jeff, you're so fun to talk to. I just wish I had more opportunities to get you alone."
"Er... what do you mean?"
"Whenever Brit's around, you spend too much time fighting with her. It doesn't leave any time for just you and me to sit and talk like we're doing now."
"I know. It's not that I like to fight with her; it's just become a habit."
"Habits can be broken."
"But this one involves two people. We'd both have to stop fighting at the same time."
"If you chose not to fight with her, what's the worst that could happen? So she gets the better of you a couple of times and you end up with a wounded pride. So what? Who cares what she thinks? The rest of us think you're great."
"Thanks, Lissa. I think you're great too."
She smiled, then laid her head down on his shoulder again. "Anyway, since you say you don't mind, I think I'll take a nap."
Five minutes later, she was completely asleep. This time he didn't try to wake her, but just enjoyed the feel of her head on his shoulder, her face so close to his own.
She slept for about half an hour, then sat back up groggily. She gave him a smile, then yawned and stretched. "What time is it?" she asked.
"A quarter after eight," he replied.
"Too early to go to bed," she said in a tone that sounded like disappointment.
"And my company's too boring to keep you awake, apparently," he smiled.
"Oh, Jeff, I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"
"I'm just joking, Lissa. Really, it's okay. You know what you need right now?"
"What?"
"A nice, hot bath."
"That sounds wonderful," she smiled. "Good idea, Jeff."
She stood up, then immediately sat back down again, putting her hand to her head.
"I'm apparently not as awake as I thought," she explained with a laugh.
Jeff rose to his feet and stood in front of her, holding out his hands. "Come on. I'll help you."
She giggled, then took his hands and let him pull her up to her feet. He stepped in and put one of her arms over his shoulders and slid his hand around her waist.
"I'm not that tired," she laughed. "I think I can make it up the stairs by myself."
"No sense taking any chances," replied Jeff with a smile. "Besides, I've got to do something to make up for putting you to sleep from boredom."
Lissa giggled, apparently enjoying his teasing. "Okay then. Up the stairs we go."
They headed into the hall, then made their way up to the second floor, where they proceeded to her bedroom. Once there, she collapsed on the bed, bringing him with her. He found himself staring up at the ceiling with her lying beside him.
"Oops," she grinned. "It was a mistake to lie down. Now I'll never be able to get back up again."
"I helped you up once; I can do it again."
"No, Jeff. Just lie down here with me for a minute. I want to talk to you."
"Talk? About what?"
"About you."
"Me?"
"Yes. I just wanted to thank you for being a great brother."
"What's so great about me?"
"Oh, nothing in particular. It's just all those little things you do."
"Let's see... like pulling off your swimsuit in the pool?"
She laughed. "Exactly," she joked.
"Or groping you on the camping trip?"
"Hey, I was the one who started it, remember?"
"Good point."
"And of course, not telling Dad or Allison that I had wild, hot lesbian sex with our aunt," she giggled.
"Actually, I've got an ulterior motive," he replied. "If I had told them, they probably wouldn't let her babysit ever again, and I'm secretly hoping you'll let me at least watch next time, if not join in."
Lissa grabbed her pillow and swung it into his face with a laugh.
"Hey, what's that for?" he complained.
"For being so naughty."
"Me? It seems to me that you're just as guilty as I am."
"Good point. We're just a couple of perverts, I guess."
"Yeah. Isn't it fun?"
Lissa was silent for a minute. Jeff glanced over at her to see if she had fallen asleep, but she had her eyes open, staring up at the ceiling. Then she turned her head to the side and stared at him.
"Jeff," she said.
"What?"
"Well... since we're both perverts... do you want to do something perverted?"
Jeff's eyes grew wide. "Like what?"
"I just remembered I still owe you from last summer. Remember? There in the tent, Brit was crying, and I told you I would make it up to you."
"Oh yeah, you did," he grinned.
"Well... since I was going to take a bath anyway... would you join me?"
"You want to take a bath together?" he asked, his voice betraying his eagerness.
Lissa nodded. "Jeff, I think it's okay if we fool around this once. But we need to make sure we both understand exactly how far we're going to take this."
"I'm willing to go as far as you are."
"I know, and that's my point. Look, Jeff. I'll admit I'm attracted to you, and it sounds like you're attracted to me too. So we need to make sure we don't do anything we'll regret."
"What are you saying?"
"I want to take a bath with you. I want to be naked with you. I want to touch you, and I want you to touch me. But I don't want to have sex. This isn't about becoming lovers. It's about learning."
"You make it sound like school."
"Jeff, I'm not an experienced lover. I want to explore this with someone I can trust, like you."
"Are you... are you a virgin?"
Lissa grew red. "Um..." she said.
"It's nothing to be ashamed about," Jeff told her.
"Oh, I'm not ashamed because I'm a virgin," she said. "I'm ashamed because I'm not."
"Really?" he asked, astonished.
"I've only done it once. It was a few years ago, before Mom left. I didn't like it, but that was probably just because I wasn't mature enough to understand it. I was just afraid of what you might think of me, Jeff."
He shrugged. "I already think you're a pervert, remember?"
Lissa laughed. "Okay, you have a point there."
"Anyway, if you don't want to have sex, I can accept that. But you have to understand, if a boy gets aroused, he has to find some way to get relief. We don't have to have sex, but I'm going to need to... I mean..."
"Have an orgasm?" she asked.
Jeff nodded.
"All right. What if I do it with my hand? Would that be enough?"
"That would be fine."
"Then you have to do the same for me," she said.
"Okay."
"Good," she smiled. "So now that we understand one another, I don't have to worry. Let's get naked."
Jeff watched in delight as she unbuttoned her blouse. She always wore a button-down blouse and long skirt to work; it made her look older and more professional. It also turned the heads of a lot of the guys at school, he had noticed. There was something sexy about her maturity, and Jeff had had to explain that she was a student to more than one boy who asked what subject she taught and how he could get into her class. There were a few of them that still didn't believe him.
Once the blouse was off and only her bra covered her tits, she glanced at him. "Aren't you going to get undressed too?" she asked.
"What? Oh yeah. I was too busy staring to think straight."
She giggled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
He pulled his shirt over his head, letting it drop to the ground. As unfastened his belt, Liss slid her skirt down. Now she was in only her underwear. She waited for Jeff to drop his pants to the floor and step out of them.
Then she turned around. "Would you mind unfastening my bra?" she asked.
Jeff's heart was pounding in his chest as he reached for the clasp. He fumbled with it for a second; it was the first time he had ever unfastened a girl's bra. It came loose, and she slipped it off her chest and dropped it to the ground.
When she turned around and put her hands on her hips, he nearly had a heart attack. Granted, it was the third time he had seen her tits, but it never got old.
"What do you think?" she grinned.
"Wow!" he exclaimed, staring at her bare chest. "I... wow!"
She laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment too," she said. "Now your turn. Take off your shorts. And you'd better have an erection, or I'm going to feel insulted."
He slipped his shorts down, letting his rock-hard dick spring free. Her grin widened when she saw it. "Just like I remembered," she said. She then slipped her own panties off, letting Jeff see her pussy for the first time.
It had a nice, neat crop of hair around it, the same color as that on her head. It looked, in its own way, as beautiful as Rachael's or Allison's.
"I'm going to start filling up the tub," she said, then headed into the bathroom. Jeff followed her, staring at her body. She leaned over and turned on the hot water, then held her hand under it for a minute as it warmed up. Once she was satisfied with the temperature, she pulled the latch to plug the drain. Then she stood back up, turned around, and hugged him. It was a wonderful feeling; the only other woman who had rubbed her chest against his was Rachael, so it was still quite a new experience for him. Lissa was still slightly taller than him, but in the past year he had grown over four inches, and he would soon pass her up.
It felt especially nice to have his cock pressed against her abdomen. The pressure was exciting, as was the heat of her body.
Too soon she pulled away, but she kept her hands on his shoulders and smiled at him. "I love you, Jeff," she said.
"I love you too, Lissa," he replied.
"Good. Girls like to hear that. So remember that, especially if you ever do get together with your true love Kari."
"Right now I couldn't care less about Kari," he grinned.
"Whatever happened to your adoration and undying devotion?"
"Oh, it's still there. It's just kind of hard to think about it when there's a gorgeous, naked girl standing in front of me."
She giggled. "Thanks, Jeff. You certainly know how to compliment a girl." She glanced over at the tub. "Let's get in the bath," she said.
Jeff was all too happy to oblige her. She slipped into the tub and turned off the water. She lay back against one end of the tub, and Jeff took the other. All of the bathrooms in the Primdale house had large and deep tubs, so the water rose to their chests with them half-reclined like they were. Jeff loved the sight of the tiny waves lapping against her nipples; it was amazingly erotic.
Lissa raised one of her legs out of the water and pointed it at him. "Let's start by washing each other's feet," she said.
"Does that turn you on?" he grinned.
"Just a little," she admitted. "It's like a foot massage."
"Okay," he said, reaching for the liquid soap. He poured a little on his hand, then rubbed it all over her foot. She closed her eyes and smiled with the sensation as he massaged it. He was surprised to find that it didn't bother him at all; normally if she had her feet this close to his face he would complain and tease her about how smelly they were, despite the fact that they weren't smelly at all. Besides, he wanted her to wash his feet as well.
After he soaped up her foot, he began to work on her leg. It was nice and smooth, and very sexy. He spread soap all over it up to her knee.
When he announced that he was finished, she lowered her leg into the water, rubbing her foot against his crotch.
"Hey!" he laughed, and she giggled.
"Oh, come on, you can't say that doesn't feel good," she insisted as she rubbed him with it. Actually, it did feel kind of nice.
"You just caught me off guard, that's all," he replied.
She lifted her other leg out of the water, and he went to work on it as well. She continued to tease him with her other foot, tickling his cock and balls with the toes.
Once he finished with her other leg, she slipped it under the water to join the first. Now he had both her feet teasing him. She trapped his cock between her two big toes and began to rub them up and down.
"Hey, if you keep doing that you're going to finish me off before we get to the real fun," he told her.
"We can't have that," she grinned, drawing her legs back. "Now let me wash your feet."
He handed her the soap, then lifted one leg out of the water. Lissa set to work immediately, and he was surprised at how good it felt. He had never had his foot massaged before, but this felt very nice. All of the tension of the day seemed to vanish in her capable hands.
Like he had done to her, she lathered him up all the way to his knee. When she finished, he decided to give her a taste of her own medicine, so he lowered his leg into the water and pressed his big toe against her feminine slit.
Lissa squealed in surprise and delight, then they both burst out laughing at her reaction. But he didn't take his foot away.
As she washed his other foot, he continued to play with her down there, noticing that not only was she spreading her legs wider and wider as the foreplay continued, but her pussy was beginning to open up. Her clitoris had emerged, and he made sure not to neglect it, just like Rachael had taught him. But there was something else he wanted to do, if Lissa was willing. Experimentally, he pressed his toe against her opening, this time pushing a little harder.
She obviously felt it, because she gasped. He glanced into her eyes for confirmation that it was okay, and the smile on her face told him all he needed to know. He pressed a little harder, and suddenly he felt his toe slide inside of her.
Lissa shuddered as she closed her eyes and sighed. She released his other leg, and he brought it down just above the other one, where he rubbed it against her clit. Both feet worked in unison how, and he watched her body begin to move in rhythm with his toes.
Her hands unconsciously went between her legs, where she took hold of his feet and directed the action. He was more than happy to oblige her; he liked giving her this kind of pleasure. Her breaths were deep and heavy now, and he watched as her chest came out of the water as she inhaled then submerged again as she exhaled. He was enjoying the view immensely.
Then she stopped and stared at him, pushing his feet away.
"What?" he asked, concerned. "Did I do something wrong?"
No, you did something right," she explained. "But the same thing applies to me as applied to you. I don't want to finish before we get to the real fun either."
Jeff laughed. "I don't blame you."
Lissa rose up on her knees, bringing her torso all the way out of the water. Jeff stared at her beautiful chest as she slid over to him. "Sit up," she said.
"What?"
"Sit up," she repeated.
Jeff did as instructed. Lissa wormed her way behind him, then gently guided him down into the water until he was submerged up to his neck and his head rested against her chest.
"Now relax," she told him. He closed his eyes.
She put her hands on his shoulders, and then ran them down his body to just above his cock. Then she drew them back up again and repeated the motion. He sighed in pleasure as she massaged his chest like that. It was absolutely heavenly to be lying here on her breast as she ran her hands all over his body.
She continued it for five minutes, then got a little bolder and let her fingertips brush against his shaft. He moaned as she did that, which she obviously took as a signal to continue because she did the same thing each time she went down. It was almost incidental contact, designed not so much to stimulate him as to just keep him aroused.
After another five minutes, Lissa said, "Okay, let's switch places."
"Do I gotta?" he asked playfully.
"No, you don't gotta," she said. "You don't have to rub your hands all over my boobs if you don't want to. We can just--"
Jeff hurriedly rose up and turned around. Lissa giggled as he grabbed her and pushed her forward so he could get behind her. She lay back against his chest, and he found this position just as comfortable as the previous one. He put his hands on her shoulders, then slid them down to her gorgeous breasts. Instead of continuing or drawing them back up again, however, he left them there, rubbing and squeezing and massaging her tits. They felt so wonderful in his hands, so soft and fun to play with. He focused especially on the nipples, squeezing them between his fingers or teasing them with just his fingertips. They grew hard as he stimulated them, and he knew that she was enjoying this.
"Lower," she whispered.
"What?"
"I want to feel your hands between my legs," she said.
Jeff moved his hands down her body, but couldn't quite reach his destination. So Lissa sat up and leaned back so that her head fell back over his shoulder. Her neck so close to his face looked too inviting for him to resist, so he kissed her there. She moaned in pleasure at the contact.
Jeff brought both of his hands down between her legs, where he began to rub her. He enjoyed the feel of her swollen lips and the cute little bud at the top as he ran his fingertips all over her. Once again her breathing became heavier as her body responded to the sensation. He watched as her breasts thrust out with each breath. Her hands went to those breasts and rubbed them as he took care of her pussy.
He continued to nibble at her neck, which served to heighten her arousal. Her whole body was rocking back and forth by now; she was obviously lost in the pleasure. He enjoyed seeing and feeling her like this; he felt a kind of pride at being able to give her this much pleasure.
He slipped a couple of fingers inside of her, and she cried out. His fingertips on her clitoris seemed to drive her into a frenzy. She didn't even try to conceal the sounds she was making, but screamed them out loud enough for everyone in the house to hear. It was fortunate that they were the only ones at home.
After a few more minutes of this, she reached the peak. "Oh my god, Jeff!" she screamed. "I... I... I..." He could feel her walls closing tightly around his fingers as she gave one last cry, before collapsing back against him and panting in exhaustion.
He removed his fingers then wrapped his arms around her stomach and held her there for a minute. She rested there in his arms for a while as her heart rate slowed and her breathing came under control.
Finally, she lifted up her head.
"Oh, Jeff!" she breathed. "That's the first time a boy's ever given me an orgasm. That was wonderful."
"But I thought..." he said, confused. "I thought you said you weren't a virgin."
"I'm not," she replied. "The boy who took my virginity never actually brought me to orgasm. That was one of the reasons I didn't like it."
"So it doesn't bother you that the first one to do that to you is your brother?"
"I'm glad it was you. I don't think I could have done it with someone I didn't trust. Thank you so much, Jeff."
"Well, you can thank me by reciprocating," he grinned.
Lissa laughed. "You got it," she said.
She scooted forward, then turned around. She put her legs over the top of his so that she was practically sitting on his lap. Then she put her arms around his shoulders and drew him in until her tits rubbed against his chest.
"I want to be face-to-face this time," she told him. "I want to see the pleasure on your face when I drive you crazy."
"Sounds good to me," he said, sliding his arms around her waist.
Lissa let go with one of her arms and moved it down between them. He gasped as she closed it over his cock. Then she began to stroke it up and down.
She started slowly at first, letting him get used to the feeling of her hand and the waves of pleasure running through him with each stroke. Then, bit by bit, she increased the tempo. Jeff began to thrust his hips forward as his body reacted unconsciously to the stimulation.
His big sister leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips as she continued her stroking. It was different from a kiss between siblings, or even that kiss last Christmas that had started out teasing but ended up anything but innocent. This one was tender and caring, but at the same time passionately erotic.
Since she had made plenty of noise earlier, Jeff didn't feel any self-consciousness about doing the same, so he began to moan as her hand continued to stimulate him. The look on her face suggested that she was enjoying the sounds he made just as much as he had enjoyed the ones she had made earlier.
Faster and faster she moved, and the pleasure increased. He knew he wouldn't last much longer, and didn't want to. He wanted her to bring him over the edge with her hands. The thought of having his big sister do this to him was deliciously naughty.
The pleasure began to build, and he knew it was about to happen. He didn't try to stop it, but simply let it go.
The first spurt shot all the way up to Lissa's chest, coating her tits. The second made it almost as far, and the third merely landed on her stomach. There were several more after that of diminishing power until finally it was over.
Lissa released his cock and stared down at her body with shock. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "There's so much!" She began to giggle in embarrassment.
"It's your fault, you know," he said. "You're the one who got me this excited."
Still laughing, Lissa climbed off his lap and pulled the lever to let the water drain away. She stood up, and held out her hands to him.
"Up," she said.
He took her hand and let her help him to his feet. Then she turned on the faucet and pulled the knob to turn on the shower.
She rinsed away all of his cum off of her body as the water drained out of the bath. A few minutes later they stepped out of the tub to dry each other off.
Although it wasn't quite as fun as using a blow dryer, Jeff enjoyed drying his sister with a towel as well, especially since she did the same for him. She took his hand, and then they headed back into the bedroom where they plopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, just like they had done before.
"Jeff," said Lissa after a few minutes.
"Yes?"
"Did you have fun?" she asked.
"You bet I did!" he said enthusiastically.
"Me too."
"Good."
"Jeff, maybe we shouldn't do this any more."
"Why not?"
"Well, because it's not right. I'm glad we did it this once, but I don't think it's a good idea to continue. I just don't want to give you the impression that this kind of thing is all right to do."
"But it didn't hurt anyone, and we both enjoyed it," he protested.
"I know, but... well..."
"What is it, Lissa?"
"The truth is I'm worried about Brit."
"Brit?"
"Yes. I'm old enough to know what I'm doing, and you... well, you're a boy."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just that you're not as emotionally fragile as a girl. To you, this is just a fun time, but something like this could be damaging to a girl like Brit."
"So what? I don't have the slightest inclination to do this with her. Not only is she too young, and my sister, but the two of us don't even get along. We wouldn't even be able to keep from fighting long enough to even think of getting naughty with each other."
"People change, Jeff. And remember, I'm hoping you two learn to like each other eventually. I'm just worried that if you ever do, well, maybe you'll end up doing something like this to her."
"I guess I can see where you might worry," he nodded. "But you don't have to, really. I may fight with her, but I would never do anything to hurt her. She's completely safe with me."
"Thanks, Jeff," Lissa smiled, then rolled over on top of him and kissed him on the cheek. "Now let's get dressed. Dad and Allison should be home soon, and it wouldn't do to have them find us like this. They might jump to the right conclusion," she winked.
Life was good for Jeff the next couple of months. Although there were no more incidents with Lissa like the one in the bathtub, the two of them were good friends. Lissa was fun to be around, and Jeff enjoyed spending time with her. Of course, whenever Brit was around there were conflicts, but even those were kept to a minimum.
Something still nagged him, though. He remembered he was supposed to do something, but he had forgotten what.
In the mean time, he continued to worship Kari Williams from afar. Springtime brought thoughts of love and romance, and Jeff really wished he had the courage to go talk to her. But what business would a guy like him have talking to someone as beautiful and popular as her?
It was the same every day. He would get to school, see her down the hall, try not to stare, daydream about her in his classes, and then come home. At least it wasn't affecting his grades; he was doing well in all of his subjects so far, and with the end of the school year approaching, it looked like it would all end on a high note.
About a week before the last day of school, something happened that very nearly gave him an opportunity to meet Kari. He was sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch and avoiding staring at Kari across the room, when he noticed tears in her eyes. She was sitting with a group of her friends, who all had looks of sympathy on their faces.
Suddenly, Kari broke down crying. A few nearby kids snickered at her, and Jeff had an overwhelming urge to run up and punch them. But he had always been afraid of fighting, so he just sat there.
He wanted to go talk to Kari, to give her words of comfort, but he didn't know what he would say. Besides, maybe that would just make things worse. Maybe she just wanted people to leave her alone right now.
The bell rang to signify the end of lunch, and he felt disappointed at the lost opportunity.
Later that day he was talking to his friends when one of them mentioned Kari's outburst in the cafeteria. Jeff asked if any of them knew what it was about, and Rick said he had heard from his friend Vanessa that Kari's father had told her she had to go to summer school to make up her bad grades in math.
Now Jeff really felt bad for her. Her father was the P.E. coach at the high school. Jeff was taking P.E. from him, and the man was downright scary. He could imagine him yelling at Kari for her low grades; it was no wonder she was crying. Plus, to have to go to school all summer was something he considered cruel and unusual punishment.
Once again he wished he had the courage to talk to her about it. But he had never been to summer school, so he couldn't give her any words of hope there. He really couldn't think of anything to say that would cheer her up. So all he could do was just hope that she felt better soon.
The next day she seemed to be at least a little more cheerful, for which he was glad. But there was still just a bit of depression about her, especially any time her friends brought up their plans for the summer. She would go silent, just smiling at them to hide her melancholy.
It went on like that for another week, until the last day of school arrived. Jeff was too ecstatic to worry about it any more; summer vacation was about to begin. That meant no more school, and although it meant he wouldn't see Kari for a few months, it did mean more time to spend with Lissa and Allison. He couldn't wait for the last bell to ring and grant him his freedom.
Even though the last couple of hours dragged by, finally the school day ended, and he hurried out to the bus. As usual, he sat across the aisle from Brit, and they rode home in silence.
As soon as Jeff got home from school, Allison put an arm on his shoulder and gently but firmly guided him upstairs to his room. Once there, she closed the door.
"All right, Jeff, we need to talk."
"About what?" he asked. This didn't sound too good. He had a feeling that his summer vacation was about to be spoiled.
"Remember what I said back in March? About you getting a girlfriend?"
Jeff groaned. So that was what this was about. He hadn't really put much effort into it, and now it was coming back to haunt him.
"So you do remember," Allison commented. "All right, I take it you haven't found a girlfriend?"
Jeff shook his head.
"Then it looks like it's up to me."
Jeff's eyes opened wide. What was she saying?
She nodded toward the book in his hand. "Your yearbook?" she asked.
Jeff nodded.
"Perfect. That's just what we need. Come sit down here on your bed and we'll go through it together."
"What?" he asked. "What are you..."
"Unless of course you already have a girl picked out."
In a sense, he had. He just hadn't expected to have to admit it, especially to Allison. He didn't move, keeping the book clutched tightly against his chest. There was no way he was going to tell her who he had a crush on! The embarrassment would kill him!
Allison put her hands on her hips in that manner that she did when she was angry. "Go sit on the bed, now!" she told him in a commanding voice. It was the first time she had used that voice on him, and in truth, it was a little scary. Almost trembling, he strode over to his bed and sat down. She sat down next to him and then pulled the book out of his petrified grip.
Instantly her manner changed, and she was back to that bright, cheerful Allison that he knew and liked so well.
"Now there are two ways we can do this," she smiled. "In my experience, boys your age always have a crush on some girl. It may change two or three times during the year, or it may last your entire junior high and high school career. It may even be more than one girl at a time. But you're never without a crush. So, option A. You can tell me who it is so I can start making plans. Option B. I go through the yearbook and start looking up all the prettiest girls so that I can call them up and ask if they want to go out with you."
"You wouldn't!" he exclaimed, aghast.
"Oh, wouldn't I?"
Jeff was in a panic. If she started calling all of the girls, his life would be ruined until graduation. He would be the laughingstock of the school.
"Look, Jeff. I can do this more subtly if you want, but I don't have time to do it for every girl in the yearbook. So narrow it down for me. Give me a name."
"I can't..." he croaked.
"Fine." She reached for the phone on his nightstand.
"Okay! You win!" he exclaimed. "But it's not a crush. I just think... I think she's pretty, that's all."
"You don't need to lie. There's nothing wrong with it. Just tell me who she is so that I can start planning."
Jeff sighed. There was no way out of this. "Kari Williams," he mumbled.
"Well, she's got a nice name," said Allison. "At least it's not a Bertha or Hildegard or something like that." She opened the yearbook and started scanning down the faces.
"Page twelve," Jeff sighed in defeat. Now that he was committed, he might as well go all the way.
Allison grinned. "So you just happen to know the page number of this girl that you just think is pretty."
"Fine. I like her. Is that good enough?"
"Good enough." She turned to page twelve and looked for Kari. Jeff couldn't have been any more embarrassed if he had drawn a red heart around her picture.
Allison's grin turned into a broad smile once she found the photo she was looking for. "Well, I'll say this, you certainly know how to pick them. She's really beautiful."
"If she wasn't, I wouldn't like her, would I?" he asked.
Allison laughed. "I suppose that's a conversation for another time," she said. "Remind me to lecture you some time on picking a girl for her personality and not just for her face. Or boobs, for that matter."
"Allison!"
"Okay. Tell me about Kari."
"Well, she's in my grade. In fact, she's one of the few kids younger than me in my grade. That's what first got me interested in her. I used to think older girls were..."
"Intimidating?" offered Allison.
"Yes. Intimidating."
"I'll bet Rachael changed that really fast."
"Boy did she ever! But anyway, since there were only a few girls in my grade younger than me, and since Kari's very pretty, well, now you sort of see why I like her."
"What about her personality? Is she nice? Or is she a real bitch?"
"Oh, she's very nice."
"To you?"
"Honestly, I don't think she knows I exist."
"We'll count that in our favor."
"Oh gee, thanks."
"I didn't mean it like that, Jeff. I just mean that if she's never met you, then she doesn't have any preconceived notions, positive or negative. A good first impression will make a huge difference. So what are her hobbies?"
"Well, she's on the JV volleyball team at the high school. Next year she's going to try out for the varsity team."
"The athletic type. That's a point against us, since you don't like sports. But that's okay. We can work around it. Is there anything else you know about her?"
"Her dad teaches P.E. at the high school. He's also the assistant coach for the varsity basketball team."
"Again, that doesn't help us, unless you want to try out for basketball."
"Too short."
"Right. Okay, anything else? What about her grades?"
"Well, I probably shouldn't tell you this. It's not really nice. But then again, pretty much the whole school knows."
"What?"
"Last week she... she broke down crying during lunch. She told her friends that her dad was going to make her go to summer school because she got a bad grade in math. A lot of the other kids laughed at her because she was crying, but I felt really bad."
"Did you say anything to her? Something to comfort her maybe?"
Jeff shook his head. "I wanted to, but I was afraid to approach her."
"All right. Her father coaches basketball and she's not particularly good at math. This is going to be easier than I thought."
"What?" Jeff asked, startled.
"Sounds to me like she needs a math tutor," Allison grinned. "Do we know anyone that could fit that role?"
Jeff's surprise gave way to understanding. Of course! It was absolutely perfect.
"And now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll make a call to Mr. Williams," she said. "What's his first name again?"
"Allen."
"All right. I'll see you in a minute."
She left him there and headed downstairs to make the call. Taking a moment to look up the number in the phone book, she dialed it and waited for the answer.
"Hello?" a girl's voice on the other end of the line greeted.
"Hello. This is Allison Primdale. Am I speaking to Kari?"
"That's me," the girl replied.
"Hello, Kari. I was wondering if I could have a word with your father?"
"Just a minute."
A few seconds later, a man's voice came onto the phone. "This is Allen Williams," he said.
"Hello, Allen. May I call you Allen? My name is Allison Primdale. You don't know me, but I have a favor I would like to ask you."
"I know your husband," the man said. "We used to sometimes play racquetball together. So what can I do for you, Mrs. Primdale?"
"Oh, please, call me Allison. It's about my stepson, Jeff. Do you know him?"
"Of course. He was in my P.E. class this year."
"Well, I'm not exactly sure how to put this... Oh what the hell. He's a bit of a couch potato. Spends most of his time in front of the TV or the computer, or with a book in his hand. Mind you, I'm not really concerned about the book part; I think it's healthy for a boy his age to read. But he's not particularly physical. I'm sure you're aware he doesn't do so well at sports."
"Well, now that you mention it, yes. I didn't want to get on his case about it in class this year, but you're absolutely right."
"Well, I had an idea. In my opinion, he just needs a start. I think if he were to start in on some kind of routine, he would get into the habit of working out every day. A little push and the change would be tremendous. So I need someone to coach him, say, for a month."
"I'm not sure I have the time, Mrs. Primdale. Allison. I've got basketball camp coming up at the beginning of July, and I need to make plans for my daughter to go to summer school."
"Actually, I'm glad you mentioned that, because I wouldn't dream of asking you to do this without something in return. I'm actually quite aware of your daughter's shortcomings in math."
"Let me guess. Jeff told you about that incident in the cafeteria."
"Yes he did. You see, it bothered him all the rest of the day. Nearly broke his heart, poor dear. He's always been a bit sensitive like that. He always hates to see people hurt. So after school he asked me if there was anything I could do to help. You see, Allen, I used to teach high school mathematics. I would be happy to tutor your daughter for the summer. I think it's quite clear that she doesn't want to go to summer school. Maybe it's the embarrassment, maybe it's that she wouldn't get to spend time with her friends, that sort of thing. I'm willing to make my schedule as flexible as she needs, so she won't have to miss out on anything, and of course, private tutoring doesn't have quite the stigma of summer school. So what do you say? You train Jeff until your basketball camp starts. I'm not talking about professional quality training here. A couple of hours a day, maybe. Whatever you think he needs. Once you see that he's into a routine and doesn't need your help any more, feel free to stop. In exchange, I tutor Kari all summer. If you want, I'll give you my personal guarantee that she'll get an A on the first math test of the school year."
"I don't know. It sounds tempting, but I'd like to talk it over with my daughter first."
"Of course. Tell you what. Do you have our number here?"
"I should."
"Okay, go ahead and talk it over with Kari. Call me back tomorrow evening after you've made your decision."
Allison returned to Jeff's room and reported on the phone call, adding that she thought it was a good sign. Jeff wasn't particularly happy that he would have to spend time with Allen Williams; the man had been a little intimidating at school, but at least he would get a chance to meet Kari.
The next night Jeff was in his room when he heard the phone ring. Knowing who it would be, he waited in anticipation as Allison answered it downstairs. He couldn't quite hear what she was saying, but from the tone of her voice it sounded positive. She continued speaking for several minutes, then hung up and ascended the stairs to his room. He opened the door almost before she knocked.
"So it's all settled," she told him. "Monday morning you start getting in shape. Kari's father is going to train you. You go over to his house every morning to work out in his weight room, then in the afternoon he brings you two back here so I can tutor her."
"What?" Jeff demanded. "You're going to embarrass me in front of Kari? After she sees how out of shape I am, she won't want to have anything to do with me."
"If she's so shallow as to judge you based upon your current physical fitness, she doesn't deserve you."
"Okay, fine. Just remember, this was your idea."
"Don't worry. By this time Monday night, you'll be thanking me."
Jeff nodded. He hoped she was right.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.