Chapter 2
 
_ _
 
            Andrew had almost hoped that his mother’s behavior would
settle after the day was over.  He had figured she would get it out of
her system, and that they might have sex occasionally, but that she
wouldn’t be obsessed with it.
 
            He realized this was probably not going to happen when she
woke him up with a mind-wrenching blowjob and a quick fuck before he
had to get ready for school.  He was a little dazed as he walked to
school, and his friend Steve, who normally walked with him, noticed.
 
            “Hey, man.  What’s up with you today?”
 
            “Huh?  Oh, sorry.  It’s nothing.  Just some crap going on
at home.  Nothing to worry about.”
 
            “You say so,” Steve concluded, looking askance at his
friend.  Figuring it was best to let it lie, he changed the subject. 
“Hey, did you hear that the principal’s out of town for the week?”
 
            “Oh?  What for?”
 
            “Some bullshit state conference in the capital.  He’ll be
gone all week.  Mrs. Fife is in charge until he gets back.”  Mrs. Fife
was the assistant principal, and a much more pleasant individual to
have to deal with.  Mr. Demar, the principal, was an intimidating and
unfriendly person.  He struck Andrew as being evil, somehow.
 
            Andrew was glad for the chit-chat on the way to school, as
it allowed him to take his mind off his situation at home.  Yes, it was
pleasant to have a beautiful woman like his mother throwing herself at
him, but it was disturbing that she had so suddenly changed.
 
            Once in school, Andrew could concentrate his thoughts on
his schoolwork, and so put his problems aside for the day.  That is,
until his English class rolled around.
 
            When he walked in the classroom, the teacher had her back
to him, writing on the chalkboard.  His immediate thought was that they
had a substitute.  The woman up front was wearing an ankle-length tan
dress, with an ivory colored blouse beneath a thin navy-blue button-up
sweater.  Her long, blonde hair was done up into a pony-tail to keep it
out of her way.  Andrew wondered where Miss Walker was as he slid into
his seat.  When the woman turned in his direction, he was astonished to
find that this woman was, in fact, Miss Walker.  Her tone of dress was
completely out of the norm for her, and Andrew stared.  She smiled at
him briefly, and then continued what she was doing.  

            Upon closer inspection, Andrew realized that Miss Walker
seemed calmer, somehow.  She was more relaxed and at ease, and
seemingly more confident than she had been before.  It took Andrew a
while to realize also that the greenish glow he had been seeing around
her for the past week was much dimmer than it had ever been since he
had begun seeing it.
 
            Andrew puzzled over her change in behavior for most of the
class period, but figured it probably had something to do with Mr.
Demar being out of town.  He knew what they had finally done in his
office the other day, and he wasn’t so sure she had been an entirely
willing participant.  He was so distracted with his thoughts that he
didn’t even bother messing with her throughout the whole class.  He was
startled to hear the bell ring, for he hadn’t thought it had been that
long.  He gathered his things, said good-bye to Miss Walker, and headed
out the door.  He could *feel* her eyes on him as he left, but didn’t
dare turn around to verify it.
 
 
 
            As Andrew walked to school the next day, he wondered if he
would ever grow used to his mother’s new behavior.  She had pounced on
him the moment he walked through the door, and he had barely had time,
during the rest of the evening, to get his homework done.  They had
paused long enough to put together a dinner for themselves, not caring
what or whether the other two in the house ate.
 
            He thought he should be more tired than he was.  He had
certainly been far more active in the past couple of days than he
normally was.  But each night, he had gotten a gloriously peaceful
night’s sleep, with his mother snuggled close to him, his arm wrapped
around her.
 
 
 
            Andrew went through his school day, again setting aside his
home-life issues while he worked on his Trigonometry, his Chemistry,
and his History.  As he sat at lunch, eating alone, it occurred to him
that he was not following Rachel’s orders.  She had told him to use the
ring, to practice with it, so that it would grow in power.  He hadn’t
used the ring at all the previous day, and not at all so far today.  He
simply hadn’t had much need for it, having taken care of his father. 
Although there was still his sister to contend with.  He wasn’t through
with her yet.  But how should he use the ring?
 
            His answer came to him when he entered Miss Walker’s class
that day.  Although she was dressed very similar to the day before,
except that the sweater was a burgundy color, her confidence and calm
were gone, shattered by some unknown event or person.  She seemed so
distraught that he didn’t dare mess with her in class.
 
            However, once the bell rang, and school was out, Andrew
felt he needed to find out what was going on, just to satisfy his own
curiosity.  He was slow in packing away his things, and he finished up
just as the last student walked out the door.  As the door swung shut
and the latch clicked, Andrew walked over to Miss Walker’s desk,
focusing very hard on her.  What he was trying now was something he had
not yet attempted, and he didn’t know if it would work.
 
            “Miss Walker?” he said quietly.  She looked up at him, but
he couldn’t read the look in her eyes.  “Is something wrong?”  He was
thinking as hard as he could the words *Trust Me!* and *Confide In
Me!*  She hesitated for several long seconds, and he thought he had
failed, but then she cleared her throat, and motioned him around the
desk.  He leaned against it and looked down into her deep, blue eyes. 
He saw sadness there, and confusion.  He also noticed that the green
aura had gained some of its strength since yesterday.  He waited for
her to begin.
 
            Her voice was very shaky as she started to speak.  As she
did so, her hand dropped something on her desk.  “You… need to take
these home.”  It was another pair of her panties.  Certainly, this
could not be what had her upset?  He continued to wait, figuring there
was more.  He was right.
 
            “Andrew, since I’ve been in this school, I’ve been… oh,
God, how do I say this?  Mr. Demar… he’s got some kind of control over
me.  He makes me do things that I wouldn’t normally do, things I don’t
*want* to do.”
 
            Andrew reached for her hand, which rested atop the
garment.  “You mean, like giving me these?”
 
            “Not exactly.  I want you to have these.”  She blushed as
she said it.  “But, I figured, with him gone for the week, I could
return to my normal self.  This,” she gestured to her outfit, “Is the
way I’d prefer to dress all the time, but Mr. Demar makes me wear that
other crap.  He… called right before your class, to remind me that I
wasn’t supposed to be wearing any underwear while he was gone.  I can’t
leave these here, and he said he would be checking my house when he got
back to make sure there were no undergarments there.”  She was very
nearly in tears as she spoke.  “I have to get rid of them all, or he
will punish me.”
 
            “Like he did on Friday,” Andrew said with no inflection in
his voice.
 
            Miss Walker’s face paled in shock.  “How did you… You
mean…  You know about that?”
 
            Andrew just nodded.  “I followed you on Friday, because you
seemed upset then, too.  I’m sorry, Miss Walker.  I wish there was
something I could do.”
 
            The tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to sob.  He
knelt down and embraced her; she immediately clutched at him, her face
buried in his shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.  They
stayed like that for some time, but the longer he held her like that,
the less control he had over what he wanted to do next.  Finally, she
pulled back away from him, and looked him in the eyes.
 
            “Thank you, Andrew, I don’t know what… I…” her sentence
died off as he moved closer to her.  Their lips touched, and he kissed
her.  At first, she was shocked that he would attempt this, but then
she realized just how good it felt, and she kissed him back, hard.
 
            Andrew was only mildly surprised by the strength of her
kiss.  He could feel his ring tingling, and knew that it was helping
matters along.  He used his arms to gently help her to her feet as he
stood, never breaking their kiss.  His hands roamed over her back as
his tongue slid against her lips.  It wasn’t long before her lips
parted to allow him entrance, and his tongue slipped against hers,
making sensuous, wet contact.  She moaned softly as his hands slid down
onto her ass and pulled her more tightly to him.
 
            They continued that for quite some time before Andrew felt
the growing need to move on.  His hands moved off her ass, and up her
sides, moving around to her front.  He kept very light contact with her
as his fingers moved to the buttons on her blouse.  She broke the kiss
as he began to undo the first one, but it wasn’t to protest; it was
only to lean back to allow him easier access.  His fingers moved slowly
and deliberately down the front of her shirt, stopping at every button,
undoing it slowly, and then continuing on their path down her body. 
The soft, gentle contact of his fingers was beginning to arouse Miss
Walker, and she was swaying on her feet now.  She moved her feet
further apart, so that she would not lose her balance, though she
somehow knew he’d catch her if she fell.
 
            By the time Andrew reached the last button, Miss Walker was
in heaven.  Her head was laid back, her eyes closed and her mouth open
as she gasped with the pleasure of his touch.  As his fingers slipped
inside the shirt to touch her bare abdomen, he leaned forward and
kissed her throat.  He felt her moan at his touch, the throaty purr
vibrating against his lips.
 
            His hands rose, and soon they were resting along the outer
edges of her breasts, lightly caressing the skin there, passing an
electric sensation between them.  His fingers lingered awhile, but then
moved further upward, to her shoulders, pulling the blouse off and
letting it drop.  Miss Walker quickly forced it off her arms and let it
fall to the floor.  She stood before her student bare-chested now, and
was loving every second of it.
 
            Andrew’s kisses moved from Miss Walker’s throat, across to
her shoulder, and then slowly, ever so slowly, moved down to one of her
breasts.  She moaned aloud as his lips began to caress the skin of her
tit, and she arched her back, pressing that tit into his mouth as she
felt his tongue slip across her nipple.  Andrew got the idea, and
sucked the nipple into his mouth, letting his tongue slide its full
length across the erect little nub.  Miss Walker sighed in pleasure as
she felt the wet warmth engulf her breast.  Andrew continued his
ministrations for a while before he moved across to her other tit and
repeated the process.  Miss Walker was running her fingers through his
hair, holding his head against her chest, and moaning almost
continuously.
 
            Finally, Andrew began to slide his mouth further down,
keeping a light contact, and stopping every so often to kiss and lick
at her skin.  He spent some time letting his tongue dance around her
navel, and she squirmed appreciatively above him.  As he finally
reached the waistline of her skirt, his fingers once again began
undoing buttons.  Knowing that on the other side of that skirt fabric
was his teacher’s bare pussy had Andrew’s hands shaking in
anticipation.  It took him a little longer than it should have to undo
the buttons of the skirt, and then he held it in place against her
waist.  He slowly moved his hands down, dropping slowly down her hips. 
As he did, his eyes were riveted on the vee of her crotch, exciting him
with the blonde curls of her pubic hair.  Finally, the skirt slipped
past her hips, and her entire nether region was exposed to him.  Since
her legs were still spread to keep her balance, he had an unobstructed
view.  Her pussy lips were pouting, full and glistening with her juices.
 
            Andrew couldn’t resist the urge, and his tongue slid out of
his mouth as he leaned in.  He slipped that tongue across her swollen
lips, and she shuddered, releasing more of her juices into his mouth. 
He repeated the move, and got the same result.  Then he began to lick
her in earnest, moving his tongue lightly and rapidly across her flesh,
probing her opening with his tongue.  She writhed above him, finally
leaning over to place her hands on the desk so as not to collapse on
top of him.  His tongue continued to dance across her lips, and then
moved up to circle her now-exposed clit.  He flicked his tongue very
lightly over it, and she squealed in ecstasy.  He did it again, and
then sucked her clit into his mouth.  As soon as he did, she let out a
loud groan, and began bucking against him.  He felt her juices pour out
of her, flowing against his chin.  He let his tongue slide out of his
mouth to collect some of the wonderful nectar, but always kept in
contact with her clit.  She continued to convulse over him for some
time, and he kept sucking at her, throughout the orgasm.
 
            When she calmed down, Andrew rose from his position,
letting his tongue snake lightly over her skin.  He could tell she was
still very aroused, and now, so was he.  As he stood, she planted her
lips against his, and sucked his tongue into her mouth, tasting her own
juices.  He undid his jeans as they kissed, shoving them, and his
underwear, down  off his hips and letting them puddle at his ankles. 
Miss Walker felt his erection press against her skin, and she moaned
against his tongue.
 
            Andrew took his hand and moved his dick between her legs. 
He let it rest in the groove of her cunt lips, as her juices poured
over his cock, lubricating it for the task ahead.  She was moaning
continuously now, and he pulled himself back from her body slightly. 
As he moved, his dick angled upward, and sought out her hole.  The
first stroke passed by the opening, but the second one found its mark. 
As the head of his cock passed into her pussy, Miss Walker broke their
kiss and moaned out loud.
 
            Andrew pressed slowly into her, as she moaned louder and
louder.  He pulled back some, and pressed into her at a better angle,
slipping further into her.  He nibbled at her neck as he continued to
slowly move inside her, slipping out, and then further into her each
time, until he’d finally buried himself fully inside of her pussy.  He
stopped for a moment, and kissed her on the lips.  She kissed back with
passion, moving her hips against him, encouraging him to get started.
 
            He wrapped her in his arms, and turned them around.  He
then gently laid her down on her desk, his cock still buried fully
inside of her.  She wrapped her long legs around him, to keep him
there, and then he began to move.  His thrusts were slow and easy, and
their movements were in perfect harmony.  She looked up at him with a
great deal of affection, and smiled as he continued to move inside
her.  They kept the pace easy, slow and smooth.  He watched her body
move beneath him, how her tits rolled over her chest as they thrust
together, and then moved apart.  He saw the look on her face intensify,
her eyes gaining a look he hadn’t seen there before.
 
            “Faster, Andrew,” she said quietly, not as an order, just
to let him know what she wanted.  He readily complied, still not
ramming into her, but sliding into her at greater speed.  Her body
moved more quickly against him, her tits now bouncing on her chest. 
Her hair was flung around her head, and her head began to twist back
and forth.  Her moans turned into gasps, and he could tell she was
approaching her orgasm.  Her face twisted into a mask of pleasure as
she cried out one final time, and her pussy clamped down on his dick. 
Her back arched, and her legs pinned him inside her.  He could not have
pulled out of her if he’d wanted to.  She strained for some time, and
Andrew could feel her juices flooding along his dick as her pussy
pulsed.  He had managed to maintain control, and had not come yet, but
he thought she was probably finished for the day.
 
            As she came down from her peak,  she raised her arms to
him, and embraced him, pulling herself up into his arms and kissing
him.  When she broke the kiss, she told him,  “Sit down in my chair.” 
Once he’d begun to sit, her legs slid off his back, and moved down on
the outside of his thighs, her feet on the floor.  She kissed him again
as she began riding his dick.  

            Her movements were fast, but not frenzied.  She knew what
she wanted, but was willing to take some time getting there, and
enjoying the trip along the way.  Andrew, faced with her bouncing tits
in his face, sucked one into his mouth and lapped at the nipple with
his tongue.  Miss Walker cried out in pleasure, and rode him even
faster.  His hand found her free tit, and began massaging it gently,
rubbing the nipple between his fingers.  What had started as a calm
experience was turning into a crazed coupling.  Andrew’s hips were
thrusting upward to meet Miss Walker’s downward plunges, and his
muffled grunts, along with her unmuted cries, filled the room.
 
            Soon, Andrew again felt her body tensing, and he knew her
orgasm was upon her.  Her cunt began rippling along his shaft, and her
body was rocked with tremors of pleasure.  The feel of her pussy
muscles massaging his dick was too much for him to take, and Andrew
finally unleashed his cum into her cunt, filling her up enough that it
leaked down his dick.  Her cries of pleasure turned into one long
scream as she felt his sperm splash against her inner walls, and Andrew
could only hope no one would come looking after that.
 
            It took them both several minutes to calm down from their
experience, neither one of them moving as Andrew’s cock slowly softened
inside of his teacher.  She continued to kiss him, but softly now,
gently.  Even as his dick slid from inside her, she made no move to
rise, and he was in no hurry for her to do so.
 
            Finally, she said, “Thank you, Andrew.  That was something
I really needed today, and it was, by far, the best I’ve had in longer
than I can remember.”  She paused for a moment, and then continued,
“But you realize that we can’t ever let anyone know what we’ve done.” 
As he nodded, she got a mischievous little smile on her face, and she
said, “Or what we’re going to do again, soon, I hope.”  A kiss and a
small squeeze of her ass was all the answer she needed.
 
            As she rose from his lap, she looked down at his dick and
said, “You need to clean up before you dress, or you’re going to have a
big wet stain on your pants.”  She reached for some Kleenex, and then
said to herself, “Oh, what the hell.”
 
            She turned and dropped to her knees.  Before he knew what
was going on, her lips had encircled the head of his dick, and she was
licking off their combined juices.  Had he not just had a massive
orgasm, he would have been hard almost instantly.  Her tongue moved
over his entire dick as she took it further into her mouth.  Once she
had finished cleaning there, she moved on to his balls, and then moved
further out, until she had licked up every last drop of evidence of
their joining.  She then gave his dick one more small kiss, which
caused it to jerk, and then lovingly laid it in his lap.
 
            “Now, I think you can go home without having to worry about
your clothes.”
 
            Andrew rose, and took her in his arms.  He kissed her
warmly.  “Thank you, Miss Walker, for caring.”  He grinned, and she
giggled.
 
            “You can call me Terri when we’re alone.”  She kissed him
lightly.
 
            “Okay, Terri.  He kissed her again, but then he knew it was
time they both left the building.  Andrew’s mother was certain to
wonder where he was by now.  They both dressed, and Andrew grabbed her
panties and put them in his backpack.  That caused him to pause.
 
            “Terri?”
 
            “Yes?”
 
            “Why don’t you bring me all your underclothes?  I can keep
them at my house until we figure out what to do about that asshole.”
 
            Terri looked at him for a moment.  “Thanks, Andrew.  But I
don’t think I can hide a whole pile of lingerie from the class…”
 
            “You could just pack them up and bring them over to my
house.  Here, let me give you my address.”  He quickly wrote it down on
a piece of paper, and handed it to her, kissing her as he did so.
 
            She looked at him with an expression that warmed his
heart.  “Thank you, Andrew.  I’ll call you before I come over, all
right?  And it probably won’t be tonight, I have a meeting to go to.”
 
            “That’s okay.  Whenever.  Just make sure it’s before he
comes back.”
 
            She put the paper in her purse, and hugged him again.  She
gave him another quick kiss as they walked out of the room, and she
whispered, “Thank you again.  For everything.”
 
 
 
            Andrew walked home feeling really good.  He was on the kind
of high he didn’t think he could come down from.  That changed when he
opened the front door to his house.
 
            Now, Andrew had made sure that there was no way his father
could ever touch his mother again.  But it had not occurred to him that
his father and sister might collaborate on a plan to get even with
him.  When he opened the door, he saw his mother just breaking free of
his sister’s grasp.  Joannie had been choking her, and Amber fell to
the floor, holding her hand to her throat, trying to catch her breath. 
Andrew quickly saw that there was a camera set up in the living room,
so that his father could watch the events from the bedroom he was not
allowed to leave.
 
            Joannie was about to go after her mother again, an
animalistic growl exiting her lips.  Andrew’s expression darkened, and
his eyes hardened.  In a voice of calm rage, he said, “Freeze.” 
Joannie nearly lost her balance as she stopped moving.  His mother
looked at him, both pleading and curiosity in her eyes.  She wondered
how he had this kind of control over Joannie so suddenly.
 
            Andrew moved to face his sister.  He released the ring’s
grip on her, but he was now standing between her and his mother. 
Joannie relaxed, with a superior smirk on her face.
 
            “Did you think you’d get away with it, you little shit? 
You think we wouldn’t find a way to get even?  You’re as dumb as that
bitch is-“
 
            *SMACK!*
 
*            *Andrew backhanded his sister so hard she actually spun
around before completely losing her balance and falling to the floor. 
When she turned to look at him, there were tears of pain and anguish
flowing from her eyes.  The look she saw on his face was one of pure,
unadulterated hatred.  She cringed when he spoke, his voice hard; it
was the voice of cool, calculating malice.
 
            “You will pay for this, Joannie Rene Kelly.  You have
enjoyed belittling Mom and me for years.  I am going to ruin you for
that.  I am going to make you wish that you had never been born.”  She
scooted herself further away from him, still sitting on the floor where
she’d fallen.  His whole appearance was one of spite.  She wondered
what worse he could do to her than to make her own father fuck her. 
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
 
            “Go back to your room.  You may not leave your room except
to leave the house, or to go to the bathroom.  Your food will be
provided to you by one of us.  Consider yourself a prisoner in this
house.  You will no longer go out, except as I direct you.  You will go
to school every day, but you will come straight home.  Oh, yeah: you’ll
be walking from now on.  I’m taking the car.”
 
            Joannie nearly ran from the room, just to get away from her
brother.  She figured she’d gotten off easy.  Little did she know he’d
just begun.
 
            Andrew first turned off the video camera, and then moved to
his mother’s side.  He helped her to her feet, and then carefully
looked her over, gently running his hands over her to see if there were
any serious injuries.  Once he was finished, he stopped and asked, “Are
you okay, Mom?”
 
            Amber threw her arms around her son, nearly strangling him
in the embrace.  She wept openly in his arms, sobbing so hard she was
having trouble catching her breath.  He half-dragged her over to the
couch, and sat her down.  He held onto her until she stopped crying,
which took nearly twenty minutes.
 
            Once she had settled somewhat, he wiped her face with a
tissue from the box on the end table.  He could see a couple new
bruises on her face, but nothing as serious as those his father had
delivered.  His sister had no experience with physical abuse, and so
hadn’t really been able to inflict a lot of damage.  His mother smiled
at him as he dried her eyes gently.
 
            “I’m sorry, Mom.  I should have realized that those two
would still be trouble.”
 
            “It’s okay, honey.  You can’t think of everything.  She
caught me by surprise, or I should have been able to fend her off.  But
she yanked my hair from behind, and I just never got a chance to
recover.  You got here before she did anything really nasty.”
 
            “Sorry I was late.”
 
            “That may have worked out for the best.  At least now we
know what they’re up to.”  Amber paused, not sure if she should ask her
next question, but her curiosity wouldn’t let her drop it.  “Andy, how
*are* you getting them to obey you?”
 
            As much as Amber didn’t want to ask the question, Andrew
really needed to talk to someone about the ring, and so he didn’t even
hesitate to answer her.  He first held up his hand.  “See this?” he
said, indicating the ring.  When his mother nodded, he continued, “A
guy gave me this last week.  He told me it was a magic ring, that it
could control people.”  It wasn’t important that this isn’t really what
Isaac had said: it was what he had meant.  “I didn’t believe him at
first, but… Well, I can’t really deny that it works, now.”
 
            His mother sat for a moment, thinking it over.  She briefly
wondered if he had used the ring on her, but immediately decided that
she didn’t really care.  “Okay.  I was just curious.  So, you can make
people do what you want them to, hmm?  I bet that’s a lot of fun for
you.”  She nudged him and winked.  His crimson blush was her answer.
 
            “Um… Mom?  I’ve um… sort of been… well… There is this
teacher at school… and…”
 
            “Let me guess,” his mother interrupted.  “That’s why you
were late?”
 
            He just nodded.  His mother tried not to laugh at him.  He
wouldn’t understand.
 
            “Honey,” she said, placing her hand against his cheek, “I
don’t care if you screw every girl in the school.”  Her eyes grew
mischievous as she said, “As long as you save some for me.”
 
            Andrew leaned in and kissed his mother passionately, by way
of an answer.
 
            Andrew broke their kiss and stood up.  His mother was
surprised to see his expression change so rapidly.  “Now, it’s time to
deal with those two,” he said, his eyes dark and forbidding.  “Mom,
just… How far will you let me go?”  Even though he had all the power,
Andrew desperately needed his mother’s acceptance of him.
 
            “Andy, do whatever you want to them.  I’ve spent the last
nine years putting up your father’s abuse, and I’m sure he deserves
whatever you’ll come up with for him.  As to Joannie… Well, she’s
always been a bitch.”  His mother’s vehemence surprised him, but he
figured she was finally letting out all the frustration that had been
pent up all these years.  He nodded his head as he went to the phone.
 
            His plan was simple:  He was going to ruin Joannie.  She
depended on her popularity in school.  She kept it by only hanging out
with the coolest kids, and never dating someone who wasn’t either on
the football team, or extremely popular.  That was about to change.
 
            “Hello, Mrs. Sherber.  This is Andrew.  Is Steve around?” 
His mother looked at him quizzically while he waited for Steve to pick
up the phone.
 
            “Steve!  How’s it hangin’?… That’s cool.  Look, I have an
odd question to ask you.  What do you think of my sister?…  Yeah,
that’s about what I thought.  You ever, uh… think about asking her
out?…  What if I could guarantee that, and a lot more?…  That’s exactly
what I’m saying…  Okay, get yourself ready.  She’ll be there in about
an hour.  Bye.”  He hung up the phone, and looked devilishly at his
mother.
 
            “Killing two birds with one stone: punishing Jo, and doing
a favor for Steve.”  He raised his voice and hollered, “Joannie, get
your ass in here!”  Joannie came into the room almost timidly, fully
cowed by her brother’s brutal attack on her person.
 
            “Y-yeah?”
 
            “You have a date tonight.  With Steve Sherber.”  He saw the
look in her eyes, the look of disgust and loathing.  He really enjoyed
what he was going to make her do.  “That’s right, my friend Steve. 
First, you’re going to take him out for dinner.  You will pay.  You
will be pleasant and charming.  If he asks you to dance, you will, and
you will dance close.  Then, after dinner, you will take him up to Mill
Road.  You will neck with him, and then you are going to fuck him.” 
Joannie’s eyes widened.  He couldn’t possibly be saying this,
especially with their mother in the room… but she saw that their mother
was actually *enjoying* the situation.  Andrew continued, “You will
make him come four times tonight.  Once in your mouth, twice in your
cunt, and once in your ass.  This may happen in any order you choose. 
I *will* ask Steve about it, and if you don’t do as you’re told, you
will regret it.  *Is that understood?*” he asked menacingly.
 
            Joannie nodded fretfully.  Andrew dismissed her to get
ready for her date, and then he and his mother went to the kitchen to
make themselves some dinner.  They chatted about little things, but
didn’t talk about anything serious until Joannie left for her date with
Steve.  By then, they had finished their meal.
 
            “Jayce, get the fuck out here!” Andrew screamed,
deliberately avoiding the title “dad”.  Jayce came out into the living
room and stood before his son and his wife.  He feared, having seen how
hard he’d hit Joannie, just what he might do to him.
 
            Andrew paced back and forth in front of his father,
thinking up just what he wanted to do to him.  He knew the only two
things his father had left were his job, which he liked, and his
daughter, whom he obviously adored.  Then Andrew thought up a plan.
 
            “From now on, you will always carry a quarter with you. 
Every time you enter Joannie’s room when she’s there, or if she enters
the room when you’re there, you will flip the coin.  If it comes up
heads, you will do nothing special.  However, if it comes up tails, you
will throw her down on the bed, rip off her clothes, and fuck her until
she comes twice.  You will not concern yourself with her comfort, but
she *must come twice*.  I don’t care if it takes you four hours to do
it.  Is that understood?”
 
            Jayce shook his head balefully, and lowered his eyes to the
floor.  By decree of his son, he’d just become a child molester.  Even
if Joannie was nearly eighteen, it was still illegal as hell, and if
anyone ever found out…  Of course, Jayce was fairly certain that Andrew
was screwing Amber, but he couldn’t prove it, and he was sure that, if
Andrew wanted to get him arrested over Joannie, he would have proof.
 
            “Good, now get your sorry ass back to your room.  Oh, by
the way, your dinner is on that tray by the doorway.”  It was the same
food his mother and he had eaten, except that by now it was pretty much
cold.  Jayce picked up the tray without enthusiasm, and carried it back
to his room, closing the door.  Andrew and his mother could both hear
the sobs coming from behind the door.  Neither of them felt a shred of
sympathy.
 
 
 
            Andrew awoke the next morning, well-rested as usual.  His
mother was not beside him, however, and that was most unusual.  He
fretted about it as he got dressed and ready for school.
 
            He found her in the kitchen, drinking her morning coffee. 
She was reading the paper and she didn’t hear him come in.  He bent
down and kissed her at the base of her neck, and she moaned softly.  He
could tell she was distracted, though.
 
            “Something the matter, Mom?”
 
            “Andy, we need to talk a minute.”
 
            Andrew sat down in the chair next to hers, and waited for
her to begin.  He noticed that she was very hesitant to start the
conversation, and he wondered if she’d finally grown tired of him, and
would now want some kind of more permanent, platonic, arrangement.
 
            Finally, Amber cleared her throat and begun.  “Honey, these
last few days have been wonderful.  I mean that.  You’ve been gentler
and sweeter to me than Jayce ever was, even when he was a decent man. 
But you know, things can’t go on like this.”
 
            Andrew said nothing, waiting for his mother to continue.
 
            “Sooner or later, Joannie or Jayce is going to say
something to someone, and we’re both going to be in big trouble.  And I
don’t want that to happen.  I don’t want to lose you, baby.”  Her voice
quivered with fear and sorrow.  She was terribly concerned about this
issue.  “I can’t live without you.”
 
            Andrew moved quickly to her, pulling her up out of her
chair and holding her close.  She rested her head against his chest,
her eyes closed.  His hand smoothed her hair.  “Don’t worry, Mom,”
Andrew said comfortingly, “I’ll take care of those two.  They won’t be
a problem.  By the time I’m done, nobody will listen to a word they
say.”
 
            Amber looked up at him with a questioning glance, which he
answered with the words, “Trust me.”  She nodded, and embraced him.  He
wished he had time for more, but he was about to be late for class as
it was.  He gave her a quick, but meaningful, kiss, and scooted out the
door.  He noticed, as he drove away in what was once his sister’s car,
that his mother watched him leave from the doorway.
 
            On the way to school, he noticed Steve walking, as usual. 
He stopped to let him in the car.  Steve looked dazed and somewhat
confused, and very, very tired.
 
            “Hey, buddy,” Andrew said brightly, “How are things?”
 
            Steve looked at Andrew as if he had just sprouted wings. 
“How are things?  Do you have *any* idea what happened last night?”
 
            Andrew hoped that what had happened was what was supposed
to have happened, but he wasn’t about to admit to it, yet.  “Why don’t
you tell me?” was all he would say.
 
            “Shit, Andrew!  Your sister screwed my brains out!  We
didn’t get home until after eleven!  Damn, man!  She put Selma to
shame!”  Selma had been Steve’s one previous sexual encounter, and he
had told Andrew the experience had been mediocre at best.
 
            “Glad you enjoyed yourself.”
 
            Steve was suspicious.  “Is this some kind of game with you
two, man?  What, were you in the bushes taking pictures?  Am I gonna be
the laughingstock of the school again?”
 
            Andrew actually got a little ticked at that remark. 
“Steven, when have I ever done that kind of shit to you?  Anyways, I
don’t like my sister, and she certainly doesn’t like me.  How likely is
it that the two of us would plot *together* against my best friend?”
 
            Steve backed off after that.  “Okay, okay.  Sorry.  It’s
just that… well, this is really *weird*, man.”
 
            “Don’t worry about it.  Jo is going to be doing a lot of
‘really weird’ things in the next few weeks.  You were just the
beginning.  And don’t be surprised if she sits with you at lunch.” 
Andrew just winked at him, as Steve gave him a disbelieving stare. 
Just then they pulled into the school parking lot, and it was time for
them to head off to classes.
 
 
 
            Sure enough, at lunch, Jo was seen sitting at the “geek
table”, right next to Steve, who was doing his level best, as Andrew
had asked him, to pretend that her presence was a normal thing.  Andrew
was not sitting at that table, but was sitting alone, across the room.
 
            Well, he started off alone.
 
            “Can I sit down, Andrew?”
 
            He looked up, distracted.  He had been paying attention to
his sister’s behavior.  It turned out to be Charlotte, his sister’s
former best friend.  “Oh, hi Charlotte…er, Charli.  Sure.”
 
            Charli sat down before noticing the direction of Andrew’s
gaze.  Her mouth dropped open.  “What is your sister doing at *that*
table?  Come to think of it, why aren’t you at that table?  It’s where
you usually sit.”
 
            Andrew, without much in the way of thought, said, “Now,
Charli, if I were sitting over at that table, would you have come over
and sat by me?”
 
            She blushed at the mild rebuke.  “Andrew, I want to thank
you for helping me.  I don’t know what you said to her, but Jo has left
me alone ever since last Friday.  It’s been a great week.”
 
            Andrew looked at her for a moment, and became serious. 
“Would you like to repay the favor?”
 
            Charli got a little concerned.  What would he ask from
her?  Then she relaxed.  If he’d wanted sex, he could have had it last
Friday.  “Um, sure.  What do you need?”
 
            “I need help ruining Joannie’s reputation.  I am going to
destroy my sister.  I am going to make her the biggest outcast in the
school.”
 
            Charli worried briefly over the vicious look in Andrew’s
eyes as he spoke, but she knew she would help with this task.  “Sure,
Andrew.  What do you want me to do?”
 
            For the rest of the lunch period, Andrew outlined exactly
what he wanted her to do, and when.  She looked a little surprised at
some of it, but she agreed to cooperate with him.  By the time she left
the lunchroom, she’d decided that she might actually enjoy getting back
at Joannie for all the crap she’d had to put up with.
 
            And, after all, she was repaying a favor to a really cute
boy, who really wasn’t that bad, after all.  Was he?
 
 
 
            Andrew’s Wednesday maintained its usual boring level, until
he got to Miss Walker’s class.  She was still wearing her long dress
and sweater, though today the color choice was yellow.  He took note of
the light surrounding her.  What had once been green was now a mix of
green and orange.  It was somewhat distracting until he adjusted to it.
 
            Miss Walker spoke for a shorter period of time than usual,
and then gave the class a lengthy assignment for the day.  She sat at
her desk for some time, grading papers, while the class worked.  She
reached a certain point, however, where she stood up and walked around
her desk, approaching Andrew’s seat.
 
            Andrew looked up, startled.  He had to do the assignment
like everyone else, and so was studiously working away at it.  Her
presence at his side was a sudden, but pleasant, distraction.  She
knelt down beside him, placing the paper on the desk.  It was his
paper, but it was marked with a 95, so he didn’t understand why she
would want to talk to him about it.
 
            “Andy,” she whispered, quiet enough that the students in
the next row wouldn’t hear her, “Would it be okay if I brought… those
items… over to your house this evening?”
 
            Andrew, relieved that she was just trying to be discreet,
looked at her and nodded, as if admitting comprehension of something. 
It was much harder to keep the charade up with what she did next.
 
            The design of the desks made it possible, and Terri Walker
had already considered this.  Her hand slid beneath the desk top into
his lap, and caressed his quickly-hardening shaft.  She leaned a little
further in, and whispered,  “Would it also be possible for us to get in
a little fun this evening?”
 
            Andrew was having trouble concentrating on her words.  He
had not expected her to react so forcefully to his commands.  He
wondered if he was misusing the ring’s power somehow, causing it to do
more than he asked.  But he wasn’t about to refuse the beautiful
teacher a roll in the sack, if that’s what she wanted.  He nodded,
wetting his lips as he did so.
 
            Terri gave him another squeeze before she let go, and stood
back up.  She left the paper on his desk as she returned to hers.  He
tucked it into his notebook before returning to his work, and that gave
him a chance to adjust himself.  He was sure that no one else in the
class had a clue that the teacher and one of her students had just made
a date.
 
            When the bell rang, and the students started streaming out
the door, Miss Walker said, “Andrew?  Could you help me carry some
things to my car?  They’re a bit heavy, and I don’t think I can make
it.”  Of course, Andrew thought this was merely a subterfuge, and so
quickly agreed.
 
            Once the class had emptied, he moved toward her, but she
held him away, gently.  “Later, lover,” she cooed.  “Right now, I need
your *other* muscles.”
 
            It turned out that she really did need a box of books
carried to her car.  She simply hadn’t wanted any other student to know
which car was hers.  Andrew was stunned when she pointed to the navy
blue 1982 Ford Mustang convertible in the parking lot.  He was certain
this car had belonged to a student, though he’d never seen anyone
driving it.  Now he knew why.
 
            Once he placed the box in the trunk of her car, he didn’t
quite know what to do.  He certainly couldn’t give her a kiss in the
school parking lot; too many people might see.
 
            Terri solved the problem for him.  “I’ve got to get going,
but I’ll drop by around seven, if that’s okay?”
 
            Andrew nodded his acceptance, and she climbed into the
car.  Its motor purred to life, and she dropped it into gear and drove
away.
 
 
 
            Things were normal when Andrew arrived home this time. 
Well, normal, for what his house had become.  He could hear his sister
in her bedroom, moving around.  And he could hear his mother in the
kitchen, which is where he went.
 
            Amber was making something or other in the kitchen when
Andrew arrived and kissed her on the cheek, wrapping his arms around
her.  “Hi, Mom,” he said unnecessarily.
 
            “Well, hello there, young man.  You’re home early.  Teacher
not want to play today?”  The question could have been a sign of
jealousy, but her tone clearly indicated that she was teasing him.
 
            “She’ll be over later.  That doesn’t… I mean…”
 
            Amber knew exactly what he meant.  “You can have girls
over, honey, I don’t care.  I would prefer you entertained them in your
room, though.”
 
            Andrew let out a sigh.  He hadn’t really thought that
through when he’d accepted Terri’s request, and he was relieved that
his mother really seemed to be okay with it.
 
            “Whatcha makin’?” he asked, more to change the subject than
anything.
 
            “Cheesecake.”  Andrew stifled a laugh at the thoughts that
ran through his mind.  He did chuckle a little though, and Amber heard
him, smiling at the thought.
 
            “Strawberry or plain?” he asked, trying to control himself.
 
            “I am *never* plain, son!” Amber said with mock gravity. 
At that point, they both lost it, and had a good laugh.
 
 
 
            Andrew was working on his homework, in his own room,
undisturbed.  This was unusual for the past week, so he was enjoying
himself, even if the damned Trig problems weren’t sinking in.  He
didn’t hear the doorbell ring, so engrossed was he in his study.  He
*did* hear the knock on his bedroom door, though.
 
            “C’mon in,” he said.  He thought it would be his mom.  He
wasn’t expecting Miss Walker, and so he stared.  Not that there was
anything unusual about her appearance, but to see her here, in his
house, in his bedroom, it was just a little overwhelming.  “Oh, hey,
Miss… uh, Terri…”
 
            “Don’t get up,” she said, as she saw him begin to maneuver
off the bed.  She set the suitcase down next to the dresser.  “The look
your mother gave me when I brought this in…”
 
            Andrew laughed.  “Yeah, I imagine I’ll have a little
explaining to do after you go home.”
 
            She smiled as she closed the door behind her.  As she
reached up to undo the buttons on her sundress (she had changed since
school), she said to him, “I can’t wear any of this for Brad… um,
that’s Mr. Demar… but I wanted you to at least see what I look like in
it.”  As the dress slipped from her shoulders, beneath it was a light
blue satin chemise that came to mid-thigh, and revealed a fair bit of
cleavage.  It wasn’t the raciest piece of lingerie he’d seen, but on
her it had him hard already.
 
            She walked over to him, and sat down on the bed.  She
turned and sat back against him, shoulder to shoulder.  He wrapped his
arm around her shoulders and she snuggled, turning slightly toward
him.  She looked over at the homework he’d been doing.
 
            “What are you working on?”
 
            “Trig.  Damned stuff isn’t sinking in, either.”  Just then,
he realized he’d cursed in front of her.  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t-“
 
            She cut him off with a finger to his lips.  “I can curse
just like everyone else, Andrew.  Besides, I think we’re past the point
where cussing is going to matter.”  She craned her neck up and kissed
him warmly, but she kept the passion to a simmer.  She broke the kiss
and laid her head against his shoulder.  “So, how was your day?” she
asked, to get back into a conversation.
 
            “Oh, same old stuff, trying to learn something, plotting
against my sister, hating my dad, just the usual teenage stuff.”  Just
then, there was a loud thump from the next room, and then a muted
scream.  This was shortly followed by squeaking bed springs and cries
of passion.
 
            “My word, what’s that?” Terri asked.
 
            “Sounds like Dad’s quarter came up tails,” Andrew answered
without thinking.  Then, seeing her questioning gaze, he said, “My
father is punishing my sister.”
 
            “But that sounds like…”
 
            “It is.  It’s a long story.  I’ll tell it to you someday.”
 
            “Okay.”
 
            “So, how was *your* day?” he asked, to get her mind off it.
 
            “Well, it started out pretty dull, but it picked up near
the end.”
 
            “Oh?  What happened near the end?” It was as if they had
entered into some role-playing game without any defined rules, but he
was okay with that.
 
            “I made a date with one of the cutest guys in school.”
 
            “Really?  Well, I hope he knows how to treat a lady.”
 
            “Oh, does he.”
 
            Andrew’s hand slipped down from her shoulder to caress her
back.  He could feel the tightness there, though it seemed she was
beginning to relax.  Perhaps the ritualistic discussion had been
important to helping her unwind.  He knew something that would work
faster.
 
            He gently maneuvered her so that she was sitting up, facing
away from him.  His hands kneaded the muscles of her shoulders, gently
but firmly working out the knots of stress that were there.  He noted
that her aura was almost entirely orange now, with only tinges of
green.  He still didn’t know what that meant, but vowed to ask Rachel
about it when he saw her.  Then he brought his attention back to the
lady before him, and he moved his hands down to her shoulder blades.
 
            His fingers swept deftly across the surface of her skin,
prodding and manipulating the flesh beneath them.  Terri leaned forward
slightly, allowing him greater access.  She tried to take off the
chemise, but he wouldn’t let her.
 
            “I want to take that off later.”
 
            She acceded to his request, and he continued massaging her
back.  By the time he reached her lower back, he could see that she was
far more at ease.  He shifted his legs, so that she was sitting between
them.  Then, with his hands on her hips, he softly pulled her backward
until her ass rested tightly against his crotch.  She leaned back now,
her head resting on his shoulder, tilted back, her eyes closed.  Andrew
had a nice view down her chemise into the valley of her tits.  His
hands drew little circles at her hips, letting her body be soothed by
the calm atmosphere.
 
            Once he felt she’d been relaxed enough, he moved his hands
to lift her lingerie up to her waist.  She was still fully covered in
the front, but now the back of the garment was bunched up so that she
could feel the denim of his jeans against her ass cheeks.  His fingers
then slid along the fabric up her front, making light circles on her
abdomen.  Her back arched slightly as she tried to get greater contact,
but he backed away.  He whispered into her ear, “Not yet, Terri.”
 
            She moaned in response.
 
            His fingers traced their way back down, until a hand rested
on each hip, just below the bottom of her chemise.  Then his fingers
started back up, only this time snaking their way beneath the garment,
traveling along bare flesh.
 
            Terri was moaning continuously now, feeling the light
strokes of his fingers dancing across her skin.  The closer he came to
her breasts, the faster her breathing became, and the more ragged.  As
his fingers finally brushed the bottom of her tits, she groaned in
anticipation.  Finally, as if he sensed that she could not take it
anymore, his fingers nimbly caressed her tits, seeking out and finding
her very sensitive nipples, and stroking them softly.
 
            “Oh, baby,” she moaned softly, “That feels so good.”
 
            His hands dallied for some time on her wonderful globes,
but then they moved upward, quickly but still gently, trailing along
her skin until they reached her shoulders.  At this point, her chemise
was bunched around Andrew’s arms, and they maneuvered to get the
lingerie off her.  Having succeeded, he set it gently on his
nightstand, and then returned his attention to the now-naked teacher
sitting against him.
 
            His hands returned to her tits, the pressure from his
fingers only slightly firmer.  She began to writhe next to him, he
could see the moistness of her cunt.  He turned his head and kissed the
nape of her neck, using his tongue and lips as he moved from there
toward her jaw line, and then along her jaw all the way to her chin. 
Once he got there, she turned her head, and their lips met with passion
and urgency, their tongues immediately seeking each other for a warm
and wet caress.
 
            As they kissed, Terri turned herself within Andrew’s arms,
and pressed herself against him.  Her hands fumbled with the zipper on
his jeans, but eventually got them undone.  She yanked his shirt free
of the pants, and then pulled it up and off roughly before returning
her mouth to his.  Her actions were feverish as she nearly clawed at
his pants to get them off.  He lifted his hips as best he could to
assist her, all the while thanking his foresight in having removed his
shoes and socks long before she arrived.
 
            Now, down to just his underwear, her movements were a
little more cautious, but just as urgent.  She hooked her fingertips
under the waistband of his briefs and pulled away and down.  She moved
herself around as she pulled, and soon the briefs joined the pants in a
heap on the floor.  Her hand then encircled his prick, softly stroking
it.
 
            “I want this,” she growled as she squeezed his dick. 
Without letting him have much of a say in the matter, she slid her body
along his, until her cunt lips rested against the head of his cock. 
There, she stopped.
 
            “Please, tell me I can have it.”  Her voice was nearly that
of a little girl, pleading with her parents for an ice cream cone. 
Andrew was ready to burst with anticipation: all he could manage was a
nod.
 
            With a hiss of pleasure, Terri impaled herself on his
cock.  She pushed down until he was fully inside her and their pubic
bones were touching.  She froze in that position, just enjoying the
sensations of it.  He took one of her nipples into his mouth and
flicked his tongue across it, sending shivers of joy throughout her
body.  The feel of it was just too much, and she had a small orgasm on
the spot, squealing with the bliss of the moment.
 
            When she came down from her climax, she looked deep into
Andrew’s eyes.  Keeping full eye contact, she began to move on his
dick.  Using her legs, she raised herself up until just the head of his
cock was inside her, and then slammed herself back down onto him.  Her
first few passes were slow, but the pace quickly revved up to a
frenzy.  Yet, through it all, her eyes remained locked onto his, never
once wavering.
 
            Andrew’s hips were thrusting upward to meet each of Terri’s
down strokes, and they were both grunting with the passion and exertion
of the moment.  As they approached their climax, they once again began
to kiss, their tongues tangoing against each other as their bodies
moved frantically on the bed.
 
            It was soon more than Andrew could take, and his cum burst
forth, spewing into her cunt and filling her up.  The sensation drove
Terri over the edge, and her pussy clamped down on his dick, convulsing
in waves along his shaft.  They continued to thrust against each other,
though not as strongly.  Their lips remained locked throughout.
 
            Eventually, their orgasms died out, but they continued
kissing long after.  It settled from a kiss of dire passion, into a
heart-warming embrace of lips.  Finally that, too, gave way to calmness
and contentment, and they lay against each other, her head resting on
his shoulder, his arms around her, his back against the headboard. 
Neither of them spoke, they just enjoyed the moment.
 
 
 
            Andrew awoke the next morning fully rested, as he had since
receiving the ring.  After Terri had left, Andrew had made his way to
his mother’s room.  It wasn’t long before she had him excited, and they
spent several hours making love, until they fell asleep in each others’
arms.
 
            His mother stirred only slightly as he kissed her good
morning and then slipped out of bed.  He could make his own breakfast;
there was no reason for her to get up just yet.  He moved about quietly
in the bathroom, and then he dressed and left, closing the door softly
behind him.
 
            As expected, his father and sister were already gone.  He
looked into their room, and saw one of Joannie’s outfits lying on the
floor.  He picked it up, and saw that it was completely in tatters.  He
smiled to himself, knowing that his father was following instructions
very nicely.
 
            He was in the kitchen eating his breakfast before Amber
came out in her robe.  She immediately moved to him and gave him a warm
good-morning kiss, which he returned enthusiastically.  She let him
return to his breakfast as she made herself some coffee, and then sat
down next to him.  They sat in silence, just enjoying the company of
the other.  Neither said anything until just before Andrew left for
school.
 
            “Andy?  You know, sooner or later, your father is going to
get tired of this, and he’ll leave.  We don’t have any other income but
his.”
 
            Andrew stopped and considered.  He could make his father
stay, but did he really want to?  He decided that, no, he would rather
have him gone.  So that meant they had to find some other source of
income.
 
            “I know, Mom.  I’ll think of something, okay?”
 
            “Okay, baby.  I love you.”
 
            “I love you, too, Mom.”  He leaned over and gave her
another kiss, and then he hurried out the door.
 
 
 
            Andrew picked Steve up on his way to school.  Steve was
still glowing from his night with Joannie.  Andrew smirked as he got in
the car, and then put it in gear.
 
            Steve didn’t say much until they got near the school. 
Then, he perked up and said, “Oh, I almost forgot!  Did you realize
your sister was flirting with *Jake* yesterday?”
 
            Andrew tried not to laugh, but he chuckled anyway.  He
said, “What’s the matter, you jealous?”
 
            Steve flushed crimson.  He retorted, “No, but what’s with
the queen slut’s interest in us geeks all of a sudden?”
 
            Andrew became serious for a moment.  “You wouldn’t believe
me if I told you all the sick, perverted shit my sister does.  But I
think it’s getting to her.  She’s becoming more and more erratic.  I
think you may see some of the things she’s been hiding in the next few
weeks.”
 
            “Oh.  Well, damn.  It would figure.  She’d have to be
fucked in the head to want to go on a date with me.”
 
            Andrew punched him in the arm as they got out of the car at
the school.  “Cheer up!  It got you laid, didn’t it?”
 
            Steve laughed as they separated to go to their individual
first hour classes.
 
 
 
            Sure enough, at lunch time, Jake Salton had Andrew’s sister
hanging off his arm.  It was clear that Jake was riding on cloud nine. 
Andrew snickered a little to see his sister brought so low in this
manner.  He was rewarding his friends and getting even with the bitch
at the same time.  He considered the thought with a smile as he sat
down at an empty table in the corner.
 
            It wasn’t empty for long, though.  Charli joined him almost
immediately.  She sat down and began to eat her lunch without even
saying hello.
 
            “Something wrong, Charli?”
 
            “Hmm?  Oh, just home problems.  I don’t want to bother you
with them.  Sorry if I’m a little down today.”
 
            “See who my sister’s palling around with these days?”
 
            “Hmm?” Charli asked, turning to look.  “Oh, my God!  That’s
Jake Salton, only like *the* biggest outcast in the school!”
 
            Jake had become an outcast through an incident in junior
high where he had, purely by accident, destroyed an entire class’s test
papers, forcing them to take the whole thing over again.  Ever since,
he had been shunned by the school society.  It was this sort of
unfairness that Joannie believed in, and Andrew despised.
 
            “Guess she’s slumming these days.”
 
            “Yeah.  Oh, I almost forgot.  When did you want me to start
telling people about her… other quirks?”
 
            “Oh, you can start tomorrow, I think.  No point in rushing
things.  We’ve got time.”
 
            “Okay.”  Again, she attacked her lunch.
 
            “You sure you don’t want to talk about it, Charli?  It
might help.”
 
            She set down her fork, and looked at him in silence for a
moment.  Then she sighed, and said, “My dad’s been cheating on my mom. 
She found out about it last night, and now there’s all this talk of
divorce, and custody, and all this other shit, and I just really don’t
need this right now.”  Her eyes were brimming with tears, and Andrew
reached over and took her hand out of pure instinct.  She clasped his
hand, hard.
 
            They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, without
saying a word.  Because they were in a corner, the rest of the
cafeteria couldn’t see what had happened, which Andrew thought was a
good thing.  He was really beginning to like Charli, and he didn’t want
to embarrass her in front of everyone.
 
            Finally, she took her napkin and wiped her eyes.  She
smiled over at him warmly by way of thanks.  Finally, he released her
hand, not wanting to make it appear to be an advance.  He said,
“Anytime you need to talk, feel free to call me, or even come over, if
you like.  I’m told I’m easy to talk to.”
 
            “You are,” she said with a smile.  “Thanks, I’ll remember
that.”
 
            They ate the rest of their lunch in serene silence, sharing
each others’ company, but not needing to fill the void with words.
 
 
 
            The rest of Andrew’s school day was fairly normal.  Even
his relationship with Miss Walker had settled down.  He stopped
manipulating her during class, so that she could just feel comfortable
and do her job.  She rewarded him with a short necking session after
school, but she had another meeting to go to, so they couldn’t have too
much fun.
 
            On the ride home, Andrew wondered what kind of weird
pattern his life was going to settle into, with the ring driving
everything he did, or so it seemed.  He saw a strange car in the
driveway when he got home, and he immediately went on alert.  Had his
father thought of something that Andrew had not protected against?
 
            He entered the living room quickly, but was immediately
relieved to see that his mother was fine.  The strange car belonged to
Charli, who looked to be holding herself together by the barest of
threads.  She stood up as he entered the house, trying to give him a
smile, but failing miserably.  Amber caught the look, and adroitly
slipped from the room, giving Andrew only a nod in greeting.
 
            As soon as his mother was out of earshot, Charli went to
Andrew and buried her face in his chest.  The sobs came quickly, and
harshly.  Andrew wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him,
holding her as gently as he could, letting her know he was there for
her.
 
            While Andrew had made the offer with sincerity, he had
never expected her to take him up on it.  Certainly not this quickly. 
But here she was, crying in his arms.  Had the ring had an effect on
her other than what he’d intended?  He had no way to know.  He directed
her back to the couch, without letting go of her.  They sat down
together, but she kept her face sheltered against his shoulder.  He let
her cry, not knowing what else to do.
 
            It took her several minutes to cry herself out.  She
sniffled a bit, and Andrew got her a tissue, which she used to wipe her
eyes and then blow her nose.
 
            “I’m sorry, Andrew.  I shouldn’t be laying all this on
you.  It’s just you’re such a nice guy, and life has gotten so *hard*
all of a sudden, and…”
 
            Andrew stopped her with a wave of his hand.  He kept his
arm around her protectively while she settled from her sobbing.  “It’s
okay, Charli.  I meant what I said: you’re welcome here any time you
need to get away.  I’m kind of glad you felt you could come here, what
with bitchoid around.”  He was referring to his sister, of course.
 
            “I didn’t even think about her when I came here,” Charli
answered.  She didn’t understand Andrew’s smile, but didn’t really need
to.
 
            “You want to tell me what happened?”
 
            “When I got home, it was nothing but more yelling and
screaming.  And, I didn’t tell you at school, but my grandmother died a
few weeks ago, and one of my aunts went in for surgery.  All this…
*stuff* keeps piling up, it’s like life won’t leave me alone!”  She was
on the verge of tears again, and he hugged her more tightly.  He sat
back on the couch, and she followed him, leaning against him for
support.  He didn’t know what to tell her.  Except for his father,
Andrew’s life had never really been all that hard.  He had no
experience to draw from.
 
            He didn’t, and couldn’t, know that Charli didn’t want
advice, or help.  What she wanted was exactly what he’d given her:
moral support.  He’d been there when she needed him to be.  She tried
to gather herself together, but even that seemed a difficult task these
days.  It seemed easier here, though, in Andrew’s arms, sitting on his
couch surrounded by a peaceful environment.  Or at least, it was
peaceful for the moment.
 
            Andrew was making damned sure of that.  He’d made sure his
father and sister would be silent while Charli and he talked.  It was a
new application of the ring, since he wasn’t looking at the people he
was trying to affect.  He wondered for a moment what its range was, but
then brought his thoughts back to the young lady sitting against him,
who needed him just now.  He just wished he knew what he could do for
her.
 
            They sat there for a long time.  Amber surreptitiously
checked on them from time to time, but didn’t interfere.  Her maternal
instincts told her that Charli was not like Terri, that Andrew was not
just “having fun” with her.  Of course, this was obvious with what had
gone on, but still.  Amber knew this could be more serious.  Strangely,
she didn’t feel jealous of Charli.  She only hoped the girl would
perhaps let her share Andrew from time to time.
 
            After a while, Charli started to move in Andrew’s embrace. 
He immediately let go, not wanting to imply anything.  Charli turned
into him slightly, so that she was leaning against him, but could still
look at him.  He returned his arm to her shoulder, and she smiled at
him.
 
            “Thanks, Andrew,” she said quietly.
 
            He smiled back at her, but didn’t say anything.  Nothing
needed to be said.  After a few more minutes, Andrew realized what time
it was getting to be.  “You want to stay for dinner?”
 
            She sat up slowly.  “I wouldn’t want to be a bother…” He
could also tell she didn’t really want to go home, either.
 
            “Mom?” Andrew called out.  When she came to the doorway, he
asked, “Can Charli stay for dinner?”
 
            “Of course, dear.  It’s not much, we’re just having
meatloaf.”
 
            Andrew leaned over and whispered to Charli, “My mom’s
meatloaf is like nothing you’ve ever eaten.”
 
            Charli giggled, which was a nice sound for Andrew to hear. 
“You sure it’s no bother, Mrs. Kelly?”
 
            “No problem at all.  We always have leftovers, anyway.”
 
            “Thanks, Mrs. Kelly.”  When she had left the room, Charli
turned back to Andrew and said, “And thanks to you, too.”  She embraced
him in a soft hug that they both enjoyed for a while.
 
 
 
            The night passed quickly, and it was all too soon to the
point where Charli had to go home before it looked inappropriate. 
Andrew showed her to the door.
 
            “Thanks again, Andrew.  I don’t know who I would have
turned to if you hadn’t been here.”
 
            “I’m just glad I could help.  And the offer still stands:
feel free to drop by any time.  Our door is always open for you.”
 
            She blushed a little, but smiled.  He’d managed to get her
to smile more as the evening wore on.  She hesitated a moment, and then
she leaned in and gave him a soft but very warm kiss.  He lightly put
his hands on her hips, and kissed back.  It wasn’t necessarily an
implication of things to come, but it certainly didn’t rule them out. 
He broke the kiss off, and then hugged her.  She immediately hugged
back strongly, needing to know he was really there, that this wasn’t
just a specter of a hope.
 
            Finally, she had to let go, and go home.  She parted with
him, saying, “See you at school tomorrow.”  He nodded, and waved as she
got in her car.  He felt his mother behind him before she put her own
arms around him.
 
            “She seems like a very nice girl.”
 
            “She is, Mom.  If people would just quit screwing with her
head, she’d be great.”
 
            “I like her.”  It was as much as she would say, but Andrew
knew what she meant, anyhow.
 
            “Thanks.”
 
            “It’s late, honey.  We should go to bed so you can get your
rest.”
 
            “Why do I have the feeling that *rest* is not what you have
on your mind?” he asked playfully.
 
            It wasn’t.
 
 
 
            Andrew was surprised at having to wait for Steve when he
arrived to take him to school the next morning.  A few minutes later,
Steve hustled out to get into the car.
 
            “Sorry, my dad was on one of his rants, and he wouldn’t let
me leave.”
 
            “I know how that goes.  What was it this time?”
 
            “The electric bill.  Same old shit.  You know, it’d be nice
to be one of those rich families with money, so that we wouldn’t have
to worry about it all the time.”
 
            “I hear you, pal.  So, how are things otherwise?”
 
            “Not bad.  Hey, what’s this I hear about you and Charlotte
getting hooked up?”
 
            “Huh?  What have you heard, and from who?”
 
            “Just that you’ve been sitting with her at lunch a lot
lately.  Someone said they saw you holding hands yesterday.”
 
            “Who?”
 
            “Mark.”
 
            “You should know better than to listen to that twit.”
 
            Steve let the issue drop, but he was hardly convinced. 
Andrew dropped him off at the front door, and then parked the car in
the school parking lot.  He realized, after he got out, that he’d
parked right next to Charli’s car.  *Coincidences,* he thought to
himself dryly.
 
 
 
            The school day passed by uneventfully, nothing of any real
interest going on.  Andrew kind of wished he had another teacher as
pretty as Terri, so he’d have someone to “play with” in the mornings,
but he didn’t.  His teachers were all old hags, except for his history
teacher, who was a man.  Andrew tried to keep his attention focused,
but he even had to catch himself from yawning in class.  He’d never
been this bored.  He wondered what was the matter with him.  *Has my
out-of-school life become so hectic that normal activities are dull by
comparison?*
 
            At least he had lunch to look forward to.  If nothing else,
his sister would be further embarrassing herself with the “geek squad”,
as the rest of the school called them.  He had never quite been a
member of this group, though because of who his friends were, some
people did include him.  He had enough other friends in the school that
those that didn’t like him for associating with the geek squad could go
jump in a lake for all he cared.
 
            He chose his usual table, across the room from the geek
squad.  Looking, he saw that Joannie was already there, sitting between
Jake and a guy named Sal.  Sal was actively ogling her, and she was
eating it up.  She laughed at what Andrew knew were pitiful attempts at
jokes, and she chatted freely with the two of them.
 
            Andrew’s attention was diverted when Charli entered his
field of view.  Her demeanor had been somber until she saw him, and
then she brightened.  She set her food tray down, and then leaned over
and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
 
            “Hey, Andrew.  How’s lunch?”
 
            “Hi.  Same old crap they’ve been serving us all year.”  He
lowered his voice and said, “Not that I minded at all, but you didn’t
have to kiss me here.”
 
            She looked at him strangely for a minute, not sure what he
meant.  Then she smiled at him.  “Andrew, we’re not hiding anything. 
As a matter of fact, I’d be kind of glad if you were to ask me out
sometime.”
 
            Andrew was a little dazed.  “I thought you said I wasn’t
your type.”
 
            She put her fork down and looked at him.  “When I told you
that, I don’t think I was sure what my type was.  I’d been hanging
around your sister too long to know what *I* wanted.  But, since I’ve
been… free of her, I’ve done a lot of thinking.  And besides, you’re
the nicest guy I know.”
 
            “You sure you’re not just saying that because I got Joannie
to leave you alone?”
 
            “Yes, I’m positive.  Now, about that asking me out…” she
was persistent, he had to give her that.
 
            “Okay, okay,” he surrendered, laughing.  “How about
tomorrow night?  We can go out to a movie, maybe?”
 
            “Cool.  Around six?  We can have dinner first.”
 
            “Okay, six it is.  Um, Charli?”
 
            “Yeah?”
 
            “Does this make you my girlfriend, or does it just make us
a couple?”
 
            Charli laughed at him, but not meanly.  “Andrew, no one’s
ever had to ask me that!”  She settled down a little, but kept
smiling.  “Do you want me to be your girlfriend?”
 
            Despite her smile, the question was a serious one.  He
thought about it for perhaps a microsecond before answering.  “Yes.”
 
            “Then I guess I’m your girlfriend.  Gee, I’ve never had a
boyfriend from the geek squad before.  Oops, I’m sorry, Andrew, if
that-“ he waved her off.
 
            “Nah, I was just thinking about that when you came up. 
Nobody treats me like one of them since I stopped sitting over there,
anyway.”
 
            She nodded.  “Yeah.  But your sister has been getting
razzed pretty heavily.  Oh!  I forgot, I’m supposed to start spreading
her dirty little secret today, aren’t I?”
 
            “If you would.  You don’t have to, you know.”
 
            “Yes, I do.  For you, and for me.  To get even.  She
deserves every bit of it.”
 
            Andrew smiled at her.  He was a little surprised at how
much she’d changed in just a week, but accepted it as her showing him
who she really was.  And he could hardly blame her for the need for
revenge: he was fulfilling his own, after all.
 
            The bell rang soon after that, and Charli gave him a warm
kiss good-bye before darting off to her next class.  Andrew strolled to
his next class, barely making it before the bell rang.  He didn’t care:
all was right with his world, at least for the moment.
 
 
 
            The rightness of his world was slightly invaded in Terri’s
class.  He could sense that she was not entirely calm, all throughout
the hour.  When the bell finally rang, Andrew didn’t even move from his
seat.  Terri saw him, and nodded.  They waited until all of the other
kids left for the day.  As he stood up, she came to him, and embraced
him.
 
            “I’m going to miss this,” she said.
 
            “What?” he asked, surprised.
 
            “Andy, I know we’ve gotten close.  But with Mr. Demar
returning, I’m not going to be able to see you like this very often. 
He’ll know, and that could get us both hurt.  Do you understand?”
 
            Andrew understood all too well.  Someone else was now
telling him what he could and couldn’t do, just like his father always
had.  Only, this person had magic on his side.
 
            *Well, so do you,* his mind reminded him.
 
            *But am I strong enough?* he asked himself.
 
            *You will be.*
 
            Andrew kissed Terri softly and gently.  He continued to
kiss her for several minutes, but neither of them made a move to
advance to another level.  Finally, he broke it off, knowing they both
needed to break this cleanly, at least for now.
 
            “I understand, Terri.  And I promise you that I will find a
way to get that man out of your life.  For good.”
 
            There were tears in her eyes as he left, but he dared not
look back, or his resolve to leave her, as she had asked him, would
shatter.
 
 
 
            Andrew was riding around town.  He’d gone home to change,
and then told his mother he’d be back later.  He told her that if it
looked like there was going to be any trouble from the “Bobbsie Twins”
as he put it, to leave the house and wait at a neighbor’s.
 
            He was trying to reason out what he should do about Terri. 
He couldn’t leave her to be used by that thug.  As he continued
driving, his thoughts became less and less clear on that issue, and he
began to consider other problems he had to deal with.
 
            As he was driving, he finally decided what he wanted to do
about his father, to get him out of their lives.  He still didn’t know
what they would do to live on, but…
 
            Just then, a patrol car drove alongside him on the
highway.  He looked over to see a very nice looking black officer
behind the wheel.  She wasn’t chasing anyone, just running her normal
rounds.  He realized that she could be useful to him in the near
future.  The ring made sure she would follow him.
 
            He could see the officer radioing in to her dispatcher.  He
wondered just what she had said, but her lights never came on, nor did
she signal him in any way, but just kept following him.  He pulled off
the highway onto a smaller road, one he knew led into isolated country.
 
            Five minutes later, he pulled to a stop among some trees. 
There were no houses for miles, and no signs that anyone used this
road, which had become a mere dirt path by now.  The officer stopped
her car fifty feet back, and stepped out almost immediately.  He rolled
down his window to wait for her.
 
            She approached slowly, as would be the norm in a traffic
stop.  She acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
 
            “May I see your license and registration, sir?”  Her voice
was honey-sweet, and he did as she asked, calmly and politely.  He
looked her over as she looked at his license.  Her light chocolate skin
was accented by her jet black hair, set back in a bun.  Her dark brown
eyes scanned him with clinical interest, and her pink lips pouted
naturally.  Her uniform swelled to cover her ample chest, and her legs
were obviously lean and toned, though they were hidden behind dark blue
fabric.
 
            He waited, and she eventually handed his identifications
back.  She paused, not quite sure what she was doing.  A natural
reaction, given that she wasn’t doing it of her own free will.
 
            “You didn’t have a reason for stopping me, did you?” he
asked, tauntingly.
 
            “No… no, sir, I guess I didn’t.”
 
            “That’s mighty rude of you.  I think that, to make up for
it, you should show me your tits.”  He hardly needed to talk, but he
was having fun with this, and he needed a release.
 
            She leaned down into the window and looked him square in
the eye.  “Did you say you wanted to see my tits, sir?”
 
            He nodded.  “Yep.”
 
            “I think you’d best step out of the car.”  She opened the
door for him, and he stepped out of the camaro, resting against the
back fender.
 
            She approached him then, her manner overtly threatening,
but if she had meant it, she would never have gotten so close.  Her
eyes were boring in to his, and she was so close that he couldn’t look
down.  She was roughly his height, and her face filled his field of
view.  She stood like that for a moment.  He knew she was doing
something, but he didn’t want to break the game, so he couldn’t see
what.
 
            Then she stepped back.  Her uniform was undone, and she
pulled it open.  She was wearing a black lace bra that accented her
brown skin nicely.  She let go of the uniform shirt, and took hold of
the top of the cups of her bra.  She pulled heavily on them, until her
tits popped free of their confinement.  Her voice dripped with sugar. 
“You mean these?”
 
            “Oh, yes.  Very nice.  But, you know, I think you’ve
harassed me more than this is worth.”
 
            Before he could say another word, she moved to him again. 
This time, her look was almost pleading.  Her tone was pouty.  “What
else can I do for you, sir?” she asked, before her lips made soft
contact with his.
 
            They kissed for a moment, and Andrew reached around her,
grabbing her ass and pulling her into him.  He could feel her heavy
tits pressing against him, still being forced up by the bra they were
no longer in.  He then broke their kiss, and moved his hands to her
shoulders, pushing her back slightly.  Before she could react, he
leaned down and took one nipple into his mouth.  She gasped at the
sensation, his tongue running little circles around her areola.  He
moved quickly to the other nipple to repeat the treatment.  The officer
was panting now, excited by the treatment.
 
            When he was through, he backed away.  “You know, I think
you’d better just take off all your damned clothes.  You really annoyed
me.”
 
            The officer was quick to comply.  The ring made sure of
this.  She was fully out of her uniform in less than a minute and a
half, by Andrew’s estimation.  She stood before him, naked and waiting
for his next order.  He circled her, and placed his hand on her ass
cheek, squeezing it.  She sighed with the sensation.
 
            He moved her to the front fender, and said, “I think you’d
better assume the position.”  She put her hands on the hood and,
without being bidden, spread her legs as far apart as she could.  From
where he was standing he could see the bright pink of her inner lips,
set off from her dark skin.  He moved behind her and stuck his finger
into her cunt.  It came out wet and sticky.  He sucked it into his
mouth, noting she had a pleasant taste, but really noting that she was
ready.
 
            He undid his pants and shoved them down his hips.  He
pulled his briefs down, too.  His cock stood out, already fully erect. 
He stepped forward, and positioned himself before thrusting into her. 
His large cock stretched her uncomfortably, and she screamed with the
first sensation.  He reached up and grabbed hold of her tits as they
swung from her chest.  He mauled them as he pounded into her pussy,
making her grunt and cry out with each thrust.
 
            “Oh… my… it’s… so… big!” she managed to get out.  He
continued to molest her nipples, and pummel her twat until she came in
an ear-splitting orgasm.  She screamed and squealed until her throat
was sore, he was sure.
 
            He was about to take it out and try something else when she
stopped him.  She lifted one leg so high she was nearly doing the
splits, and turned herself around on him, all the while massaging his
dick with her cunt muscles.  Once she was facing him, she backed them
both up to the fender of the car.  It had been off and in the shade for
long enough to make it, if not comfortable, at least not burning.
 
            Keeping him inside her, she hopped up onto the fender.  She
spread her legs, putting an ankle on each of his hips.  She was a very
agile girl, he noted.  She wrapped her hands around the back of his
neck, and demanded, “Pound your mama raw, handsome!”
 
            A fleeting thought passed through his mind to tell her he’d
already done that, but he knew what she really meant.  He grabbed her
hips for control, and began thrusting again.  Watching the woman’s tits
bounce on her chest as she cried out with each thrust was very
enjoyable.  The squeezing action of her pussy on his cock was even more
so.  She threw her head back and moaned, her eyes closed as he rocked
her tight little ass back and forth on the hood of the car.
 
            He started to slam into her, trying to bring her off, as he
knew he was coming close.  She started to scream in rhythm with their
movements, and came as he did, shrieking in ecstasy as he grunted with
each thrust into her.
 
            They soon came down from their high, and he slipped out of
her.  She climbed off the hood, but made no move for her clothes.  He
went back and sat in the driver’s seat of his car, motioning her to
come to him, which she did.
 
            “Now, I can’t get dressed with this all wet,” he said,
indicating his dick.  He had enjoyed it when Terri had done it, so he
figured he’d make his little fucktoy do it as well.  “Clean me off with
your mouth.”
 
            Rather than kneeling in the dirt, the woman squatted, again
showing her agility and strength.  She took his cock into her mouth,
using her tongue and lips to clean off all of the juices.  After she
had gotten it all, her tongue lapped up any strays that lingered around
the area.
 
            After she had finished up, and was getting dressed, Andrew
felt just a little guilty about having used her so blatantly.  But, he
figured she’d never remember the experience in a negative way, so it
would be all right, as long as he didn’t make a habit of it.
 
            She gave him her personal information before she left.  Her
name was Tasha Dobson.  She had been on the force for only two years,
and the call she had made to her dispatcher was to tell them she was
going to lunch.  Andrew smiled at that as he started the car and drove
home.
 
 
 
            It was a little early for him to be here.  It was only ten
o’clock, but since he had a date, he wanted to get an early start with
Rachel.  He parked the car in the empty driveway, and got out.
 
            The old lady was waiting for him on the porch.  “Good
morning, young man.  Rachel will be found in the same place as last
time.”  She indicated, unnecessarily, the proper direction.  “And
remember to close the gate.”
 
            Andrew followed the same ritual as last time, walking
through the gate, making sure to close it, and walking down the path. 
He found Rachel tending to some flowers in the garden.  He watched from
a distance for a moment, seeing how her hair swirled about her face,
and how her blouse clung to her form.  She sensed his presence and
turned to smile at him.
 
            “You’re here awful early.”
 
            “I have… er… a date.”
 
            She hid her smile from him.  “Oh.  Well, no matter, I have
no plans for the day.”  She walked over to him and kissed him warmly on
the cheek.  “Let’s get started, then.  I suppose I should ask if you
have anything you’d like to talk about that happened in the past week.”
 
            “Actually, yeah.  You mentioned auras once, and I’ve been
seeing one around my teacher.  Can we talk about that?”
 
            “Okay.  Let’s sit.”  They sat together on the bench, just
far enough apart so that she could turn and face him while speaking. 
“Everyone has some kind of aura.  But, you won’t be able to see most
auras yet.  You don’t have enough control of your magic.  The auras you
will see right now are caused by the ring, and are directly related to
its magic.”
 
            “I don’t understand.”
 
            “The ring possesses the power of control.  It will allow
you to see auras of control around people.  The aura you’re seeing
around your teacher comes from Mr. Demar’s domination of her.”
 
            “Okay… um… do colors mean anything?”
 
            “Hell, yes!” she said with a chuckle.  “All magicians have
a specific color aura.  It identifies the method of their magic.  When
a magician affects a ‘victim’, the victim’s aura is altered to signify
their controlled status.  I’m simplifying a bit, but that’s basically
how it works.”
 
            “You said, when we met, that you could tell the difference
between a magician’s aura and a victim’s aura.”
 
            “A normal individual has a dim, but settled aura of random
colors, often affected by mood.  A magician’s aura is steadier than
that of a normal person, or one of their victims, and, when they use
their magic, their aura will pulse, growing brighter and then dimming
in waves.  It will grow in relation to how much magic they’re using. 
If a magician uses enough magic, his aura will look white, no matter
its normal color.  A victim’s aura, as you have seen, is more
tormented.  This is because it is in conflict with the victim’s natural
scheme.  Also, the ‘victim aura’ will fade if the controller’s hold on
the victim lessens.  This can happen for any number of reasons.”
 
            “Like if he were to go out of town.”
 
            “Yes.”
 
            “Why would I ever see two aura colors together?”
 
            “You won’t.”
 
            “Um… but, I did.”
 
            “Where?”
 
            “Around my teacher.  Her green aura started to be mixed
with an orange-ish aura.  Did I do that?
 
            “No, if your power had taken over her, the aura color would
have switched entirely.  Demar’s ‘victim color’ is green.  I don’t know
what yours is.  I am not sure what is happening.  I will have to visit
her.  What is her name?”
 
            “Terri Walker.”
 
            “Oh, yes.  The English teacher.  I am familiar with her,
though we have never met.  I do not know what the cause of this mixed
aura would be… but I will find out and let you know.”
 
            “Thanks.”
 
            “Did anything else happen?”
 
            “Well, yeah, but nothing I need to ask about.”
 
            Rachel hid a smirk by turning her head.  She turned back
with her usual stoic expression and said, “Okay.  Then, today we will
learn some basic battle techniques.  You are going to need these if you
are going to face Mr. Demar to challenge him.  That *is* your goal, is
it not?”
 
            Andrew’s eyes darkened.  “Yeah.”
 
            “Good.  Let’s begin.”
 
            She led him back down into her work area underground.  It
had been cleared of all furniture, to give them plenty of room to work.
 
            “First, we will start with a basic fireball attack.  You
have to decide on the intensity of the attack.  Is it to simply hurt
the person, or is it intended to move them?  Will it burn, or will it
merely be energy?  These are questions you have to answer before you
can formulate the spell.  We shall start with a simple, burning
fireball.  It’s not intended to push people around, it’s just going to
hurt like hell.”
 
            “Okay.  What do I do?”
 
            “The incantation is ryflab ginbur, and you move your hands
like so,” she said, showing him the motions.  “Now, you try it.  At the
wall, please, not at me.”  She smiled to show she was teasing.
 
            He concentrated on his hand motions, and, as he reached the
midpoint, he uttered, “Ryflab ginbur!”.  A small ball of blue flame
arced across the room and impacted the wall, leaving a scorch mark.
 
            “That’s good!” Rachel enthused.
 
            “Kind of wimpy though,” he mumbled.
 
            “Andrew, you weren’t sure that would work at all, were you?”
 
            “Not really.”
 
            “That’s why it was so wimpy.  Remember, the magic relies on
*belief*.  Now that you *know* it works, try it again.  And say the
words a little earlier this time.”
 
            “Okay.”  He started moving his hands, and said, “Ryflab
ginbur!”  A large ball of blue-white flame fled from his hand to impact
on the wall.  A large scorch mark and some residual flames were left
behind.  Rachel put out the small fire that remained.
 
            “Damn!  I didn’t think you’d have that much power to it!” 
Rachel cried.  She explained, “I coated the room with magic so you
wouldn’t burn the place down.  That fireball burned right through my
spell, and nearly started a fire!”
 
            “I’m sorry.  I guess I-“
 
            “Don’t apologize!  I had no way of knowing how strong you’d
be, once you knew you could do the magic.  Let me just re-cast the
spell a little stronger, so we can keep working.”
 
            “Will it always be that powerful?”
 
            “Well, we’ll teach you to control how strong you want it. 
And, of course, as you use it in battle, you’ll get tired, and that
will reduce its strength quite a bit.  You’ll see, as we work today.”
 
            They worked for several hours, only taking a quick break
for lunch.  Rachel taught him all of the fireball techniques, and
several other maneuvers as well, before it was time for them to wrap
things up.  She rematerialized the couch for them to sit on.
 
            “That’s a neat trick.  Where do you hide the couch?”
 
            “In another dimension.  One of these days, I’m going to
have to clean out that particular closet.  I’ll show you how to do that
next week.  It’s a useful trick to know: it means you don’t have to
carry everything you need all the time.”
 
            “Cool.”
 
            They talked for a little while, but Andrew knew he had to
try again.  He leaned in and kissed her, his hand on her shoulder.  She
kissed back, her tongue softly invading his mouth.  As their tongues
dueled, his hands caressed her back, slowly making their way downward. 
Finally, he reached her ass.  He could feel her resisting slightly, but
she didn’t break their kiss as she had last week.  He wasn’t using any
physical force, so he figured she couldn’t break his magic.
 
            He fondled her ass for a while, continuing to kiss her, and
then he pushed her backward on the sofa.  She was lying beneath him,
her legs separated, allowing him between them, and his hands rested on
her shoulders.  He reached one hand up to caress her face, and the
other headed toward her chest.
 
            That’s when Rachel finally broke their kiss.  She was a
little breathless, and Andrew stopped immediately.  He didn’t get off
her just yet, though.
 
            Rachel finally managed to say, “You’re getting stronger a
lot faster than I expected.  I really thought I’d be teaching you for
two or three months.”
 
            “Well, I like *this* part of my training, anyway,” he said
playfully.  She graced him with her rarest of smiles, that one she
saved for friends.
 
            “Always glad to be of service,” she said.  “Anyway, you
lost this week, but not by much.  You keep practicing, and you’ll beat
me yet.”  *And I look forward to it when you do*, she thought to
herself.  “But, if you don’t go home now, won’t you be late for your
date?”
 
            Andrew looked at his watch: it was 4:30.  “Yeah, I will. 
And I don’t think I should be late for my first date with a new
girlfriend.”
 
            “Very bad form,” Rachel agreed.  She led him out of the
workroom, and out to the garden.  They walked together down the garden
path.  This time, she accompanied him to the front yard.
 
            “Nice car,” she commented.
 
            “Used to be my sister’s.  I’d prefer a pickup, really, but
this at least gets me around without having to bum a ride.”
 
            “True.”  Rachel leaned against him and kissed him again. 
“Encouragement,” she said after breaking the kiss.  When she saw Andrew
looking toward the old lady, she said, “Don’t worry about her, she
won’t bother you.  Actually, she kind of likes you.”
 
            “That’s good to know.  I guess.  Well, I guess I’d better
get going.”
 
            “Oh, wait!  There’s something I needed to give you.  It’s
in the house.  Wait here, please?”  Andrew nodded and she dashed up the
steps and into the house.  Andrew watched her go, her body moving
lithely, her legs moving smoothly beneath her toned ass.
 
            She came back in just a moment with a small box.  When she
got back to where he stood, she opened it.  “I just remembered that I
am supposed to give you this,” she explained, digging in the box. 
“It’s never done us any good, but we’re told it only works in
conjunction with other magic, anyway.”
 
            She handed him a golden amulet.  On one side was a picture
of a dragon, only one that had a bird’s beak, and almost feathered
wings.  On the other side was a strange set of grooves that reminded
him of something.  It took a moment to recognize it from the door to
her workshop.
 
            “What is this symbol?”
 
            “Honestly, I don’t know.  I was told by the same forces
that told me to expect you that this symbol would protect me until my
task with you was completed.  Obviously, someone wants very much to see
that you are trained.”
 
            “Hmm.  Okay, so does this thing *do* anything?”
 
            “You’ll have to put it on before I can know what it does. 
Sorry, but just sitting there, it doesn’t seem to have any magic at
all.”
 
            “All right… I guess.”  He slipped the amulet over his neck,
the thin silver chain resting cool against his skin.  Strangely, as
soon as the amulet rested against his skin, he first felt a wash of
power run from his ring to the amulet, and then back.  Then, to his
astonishment, the amulet seemed to disappear.  “What the…” he reached
for it, and could still feel it in place.  He tried to put his fingers
beneath the chain, as if to take it off, and had no trouble doing so. 
Satisfied that he could take it off if need be, he left it where it
was.  “So,” he said to Rachel, “What’s it doing?”
 
            Her eyes had grown wide as the power rushed over his body. 
She had not expected the talisman to contain quite that much strength. 
“It is a… magic shield.”
 
            “Shielding against what?”
 
            She smiled.  “No, it is a *magic* shield.  It protects you
from other people’s magic.”
 
            “Oh.  So, you mean, like they can’t hurt me now?”
 
            “I don’t know how strong it is.  I wouldn’t want to stand
in front of an oncoming fireball with it, but I’m fairly certain it
will ward off any subtle attempts at magic against you.”
 
            “Neat.  I guess that will be useful… somehow.”  He smiled
at her as she closed the box it had been in.  “I guess I’d better get
going.”  He gave the old lady only a cursory glance before he kissed
Rachel again before getting in the car and driving off.
 
 
 
            Andrew pulled up in front of Charli’s house, but didn’t
even have a chance to get out of the car.  She immediately opened the
door, walking to get in.  As she closed the door, she leaned over and
kissed him.  He was a little surprised she was this eager.  He wondered
if something else might be motivating her.
 
            “Not going well in there?”
 
            “Nothing goes well in there lately.  But I don’t want to
talk about it.  Tonight is supposed to be just us having a good time,
okay?”
 
            “Suits me.  Where did you want to eat?”
 
            “Caroline’s okay with you?”
 
            “Absolutely.”  He put the car in gear and headed off. 
Caroline’s was a small seafood restaurant in the better part of town,
but which still kept its prices reasonable.  This meant it attracted a
lot of couples, and they wouldn’t stand out at all.
 
            Andrew took a second to admire Charli’s outfit while they
were at a stoplight.  It was hardly fancy; merely tight jeans and a
light blue blouse, but against her brown hair and blue eyes, it all
worked as a package.  He got his attention back on the road as the
light changed, but couldn’t help sneaking peeks at her.
 
            Dinner was not the best.  The waitress was inconsiderate,
the food was slow in coming, and the place was loud.  Neither of them
really noticed; they were too busy paying attention to each other. 
Charli talked freely about her family, and her past.  She rarely
mentioned school or friends, so Andrew figured she’d not made many new
ones since she’d parted with Joannie.
 
            For his part, Andrew kept his comments short.  He answered
her questions about his family, but he did not have a good family life,
and he hardly ever saw any of his extended family.  He talked about his
friends at school instead, carefully directing conversation away from
any other females.
 
            Finally, they had finished their meal, and were ready to
leave.  As Andrew went to leave a tip for the waitress, Charli was
surprised.  “You’re going to leave a tip, after the way she’s treated
us?  We only saw her twice.”
 
            “Charli, look around.  This place is packed, and she’s the
only waitress on duty.  I’d bet her coworker called in ‘sick’.  She
looks to be our age, probably saving up money for college.  If *you*
were working here, I’d want someone like me to leave you a tip.”
 
            Charli smiled at him.  She hadn’t realized how deep his
regard for others went.  She watched him leave a generous tip, and they
headed off.  After paying the bill, they left for the movie.
 
            The movie was another disappointment, at least for Andrew. 
But Charli seemed to enjoy it.  *Of course,* he thought, *she ought to,
since she picked it out.*
 
            As the movie played on, Andrew’s mind wandered.  He
couldn’t concentrate on the life of the poor woman on the screen who
had suffered this heartache and that depression.  His mind traveled
over the events of the last couple of weeks.
 
            Thinking along these lines brought him to a problem.  *What
about Charli?  I can’t really expect her to go along with being my
girlfriend under these circumstances.  I mean, hell, I’m sleeping with
my mother and my teacher!  How can I even ask her to be my girlfriend
like this?  It’s not fair to her.  But, if I break up with her, what
the hell am I supposed to say?  ‘Uh, gee, Charli, you’re nice and all,
but I’m already dating my mom…’  Oh, I’m sure that would go over well!*
 
            Andrew considered his options for the rest of the movie. 
His arm rested on the shoulder of the center of his little controversy,
and she was leaning against him, completely oblivious to the mental
turmoil going on next to her.
 
            As the credits rolled, Andrew snapped to, and gave a glance
to Charli.  She wasn’t crying, so he figured the movie had a semi-happy
ending, not that he’d been paying attention.  The two were slow getting
up, not feeling like getting caught in the crush of people.  They sat
there, not saying anything, each alone with their thoughts.
 
            Once the people had cleared, Andrew helped his date out of
her seat, and they walked out of the theater.  He opened her car door
for her, and then got in his side.  She looked as if she wanted to say
something, so he didn’t start the car yet.
 
            “Thanks for the movie.  It’s been a great night.  I guess
we’re supposed to go up to Mill Haven now…”  She let the thought trail
off.  Mill Haven Road was the make-out spot for all the teens.  Right
about now, it was probably becoming a little crowded, even for such an
empty area.
 
            Andrew put his hand gently over hers.  “We don’t have to do
anything more, Charli.  I didn’t, and don’t, expect anything from you. 
I had a great time.  We don’t need to do anything you’re not ready
for.  So… my house, or yours?”
 
            She beamed him a big smile.  She considered for a second. 
“Mine, I guess.  I don’t want to be out too late.  No need to give them
a reason to yell some more.”
 
            “I suppose not.”  He drove her home in silence, actually
thankful that the night was coming to an end, though he thoroughly
enjoyed her company.
 
            Once there, he got out to let her out of the car.  He was
going to walk her to the door, but she stopped him.
 
            “There’s a porch light up there.  There’s not one down
here.”  She kissed him hotly, and he reciprocated automatically, his
hands falling on her hips, his tongue asking for, and getting, access
to her mouth.  They kissed for several minutes before Charli finally
pulled away.
 
            “Thank you for understanding, Andrew.  And for not
pushing.  *And* for taking me out in the first place.”  She giggled a
little.
 
            “It was my pleasure,” he answered, telling a lie and the
truth at the same time.  “I guess I’ll see you on Monday, huh?”
 
            “Count on it.  If not before.”
 
            Although he smiled, he kind of hoped it wouldn’t be until
Monday.  He really needed to consider what to do about her.  He had
decided during the movie that it just wasn’t fair to treat her this
way.  She deserved better than he was giving her now.  But how to
handle it?  He didn’t think he could break it off with his mother at
this point, and at the very least he had to finish his business with
Mr. Demar and Terri.
 
            *What the hell do I do?*
 
            He didn’t get an answer by the time he got home.