Business picked up, and before she knew it, Pammy arrived.
“Hey, girl,” Pammy greeted Amanda, “how goes it?”
“It’s going. I’m so ready for my shift to end.”
“You’re just excited to see Brad.”
Amanda, blushing, said, “And you’re not excited to meet Josh?”
“Sure I am. But a blind date isn’t quite the same thing.”
“I suppose. Can I get you something while you wait? Maybe a soft drink?”
“Are you shitting me?” Pammy said. “I want ice cream, silly. And so does the baby.”
“What would you like?”
“I want two scoops of Rocky Road in a cup.”
“Two scoops coming right up.”
“And one scoop of fudge brownie for baby.”
“You got it.”
Jill sidled up to Amanda. She said, “I assume this is your friend Pammy.”
“In the flesh. Pammy, this is Jill.”
“Hi,” Pammy said.
Amanda noticed Jill eyeing her friend’s pregnant belly.
Jill said, “Is Josh the kid’s dad?”
“Nope. I’ve never met Josh before.”
“Figures,” Jill said before exiting the conversation to sip a Diet Coke kept under the counter.
“Hey,” Amanda said, placing the final scoop of ice cream into the cup, “that wasn’t very nice.”
“So?”
“So you should say you’re sorry.”
“Huh. Your friend looks like the sorry one, getting knocked-up, and now trying to hook up with some other dude. She’s another Monarch Prep slut, huh?”
Amanda’s jaw dropped. Pammy stopped her before she could reply, by saying, “Don’t listen to that bitch. She can’t hurt me with her words, but if she doesn’t watch her mouth, she’ll find out the hard way that I’m not anyone you want to piss off.” Pammy glared at Jill, who, still sipping her drink, watched the two from behind the cash register. “I’ll gut a bitch.”
“Okay, okay. That’s enough,” Amanda said. “Jill, I’ll ring up Pammy. You should take your break before I leave at seven.”
“Yeah,” Jill said. “I could use a smoke.”
Pammy sat at a table by the window to enjoy her ice cream while Amanda tended to clean-up work behind the counter. She handled the customers until Jill returned several minutes late from break. It was nearly seven o’clock when Mr. Plum made an appearance to check the front of the restaurant.
“Everything is plumb dandy, I believe,” Amanda told him.
Mr. Plum, nodding in agreement, said, “Yes, most everything appears to be in order.”
Pammy was waiting for Amanda at the door. They took the bus, as planned, and briskly walked across campus to the Henning house, where Amanda quickly changed into jeans and a yellow blouse. Both girls were busy primping in the bathroom when Mrs. Henning offered Amanda her cell phone for the evening. They were downstairs waiting when Brad and Josh arrived to pick them up.
After the introductions, Brad told Amanda, “You look great.”
“Much better without an apron, huh?”
“Definitely.”
Brad wore nice jeans and a black T-shirt. Nothing special, but he looked good wearing them. Josh had dressed in a green polo shirt which he tucked into his jeans. Amanda got the idea he wanted to impress Pammy. He appeared shy. Pammy, on the other hand, asked both guys trivial questions to break the ice. The long black dress she wore reminded Amanda fleetingly of the Monarch Prep uniform she wore daily but this dress concealed her growing belly more while accentuating her swelling breasts and womanly hips.
“What do you say, boys, don’t we have better places to be?” Pammy said.
“Sure,” Brad said.
Amanda was thrilled they had made it out of the house without Mr. or Mrs. Henning stopping them for introductions. Then again, Amanda was only their foster daughter. She gave them nothing to be concerned about and living under their roof seemed a mere formality, at least to Amanda. Something she had to do until she turned eighteen. Perhaps, so long as she did her chores and stayed out of trouble, they saw the situation the same way.
It didn’t matter. More interesting things drew her attention. For starters, the car parked in the driveway. It looked like a former police patrol car, dark with four doors.
“Is this yours?” Pammy, who had latched onto Josh’s arm, asked Brad.
“Yeah. It gets shitty mileage but can really haul ass.”
The fact that he owned a car impressed Amanda.
He’s only interested in what he can get from you.
Jill’s haunting words cast doubt in her mind.
You won’t keep him for long.
She wondered if Josh’s interest in Pammy revolved around her obvious willingness for sex. Well, if Brad expected anything anytime soon, he would be sorely disappointed. She tried to push those thoughts from her mind and instead enjoy the evening.
Pammy and Josh sat in back, Brad and Amanda in front. A clock on the dashboard displayed 8:42, and Amanda informed her date of her midnight curfew, which seemed the earliest of the group, although Josh said that his parents allowed a little extra time to escort his date home at midnight. Pammy and Brad both seemed cool with the curfews.
Brad decided to cruise around to kill time instead of arriving early to the party which was across the state line, at a friend of a friend’s house. They laughed and joked. Amanda enjoyed listening to the amusing stories Brad told, mainly at Josh’s expense, stories that got Pammy to giggling. Eventually, Pammy and Josh seemed to develop their own backseat amusements, leaving Brad and Amanda to their own discussion.
“I’m glad you’re here with me tonight, Amanda.”
Amanda smiled. “Me too.”
Darkness had fell and Amanda didn’t see Brad reach across the seat. His hand rested on hers. Their fingers entwined. He gave a gentle, meaningful squeeze, thus loosing the hoard of butterflies in her stomach.
“Do you go to alot of parties?” Amanda asked.
“Some. You?”
“Not really. I’m not really a partier—but I wanted to come.”
“We could have done something else. I just thought—”
“It’s fine. I want to go.”
More laughter erupted from the backseat.
Brad said, “They seem to be getting along well back there.”
“Yes. Maybe a little too well.”
“Is there such a thing?”
“I don’t know.” Amanda paused. “Will there be alcohol or drugs at the party?”
“There will be a keg. Any drugs will be kept on the down-low.”
“I don’t like to lose control.”
“That’s cool. I don’t do drugs. Since I’m driving I’ll probably just nurse a beer.”
Amanda, smiling, squeezed Brad’s hand.
Brad said, “I suppose we’ve killed enough time.”
* * *
They arrived at an older home set back on some land. Cars packed the long driveway and both sides of the two-lane road leading up to it. Brad parked the car on the shoulder. Music, laughter, and loud voices could be heard coming from the house. The crowd of party-goers had spilled out of the house onto its large wraparound porch and into the surrounding yard.
“Shit,” Pammy exclaimed. “When you said this was going to be one hell of a party, you weren’t joking.”
The way Pammy wrapped her arm around Josh’s waist mildly surprised Amanda. Still feeling a little uncomfortable, she rounded the car to join Brad, who took her by the hand. In addition to the noise, light spilled out of the house from all windows. Along with porch lights and a large floodlight mounted on a detached garage, plenty of light illuminated the area. As they approached the house they encountered two people manning a folding table.
“Five bucks apiece,” one guy said.
Brad handed him a ten-dollar bill, and said, “She’s with me.”
The other guy, a skinny goateed man wearing a White
Zombie T-shirt said, “Let’s see your hands,” and stamped them with black ink.
Josh paid the cover charge for Pammy and himself.
“Where’s the keg?” Brad asked a guy holding a plastic cup of beer.
“Around the side of the porch,” the guy said as he pointed with his other hand.
“I could really use a beer,” Josh said as they pushed their way onto the porch.
“I’m counting on you,” Brad said, “to really put them away. Since I’m driving someone has to drink our money’s worth. Unless Amanda drinks like a fish.”
“Do you?” Pammy asked.
“Not likely,” Amanda said. “Someone has to make up for Pammy, though, since she can’t drink.”
“The hell I can’t. I’m only going to have one, but I will have one.”
“Wow. Are you sure?” Amanda couldn’t believe her ears.
“Sure, I’m sure. No biggie.”
No biggie? She thought drinking while pregnant wasn’t recommended but Pammy must certainly know what she should and should not do, more so than Amanda.
They found three kegs manned by three guys about their age and two obviously several years older.
Amanda couldn’t specifically recall when she last drank beer but knew she didn’t dislike it, although she hadn’t quite acquired a true taste for the stuff.
Brad and Josh bumped into someone they knew from school. They introduced the girls to their friends, who seemed indifferent to the introduction. They hadn’t been there long when Pammy announced that she needed to find a restroom.
“We’ll be right back,” Amanda said.
“No worries,” Brad said.
“I’ll grab us a couple beers,” Josh said.
The girls entered the house through the front door. The house, while large, was wall-to-wall people, most of whom appeared to be in high school. Occasionally she noticed older, long-haired and tattooed guys and gals mingling together in various parts of the house. Pammy asked someone for directions to the bathroom but simply received a dirty look.
“Bitch,” Pammy said, roaming toward a busy staircase. “We’ll try upstairs.” She had to raise her voice to be heard over screeching rock music.
They found the bathroom occupied. A stoned-looking guy stood next in line, smoking a cigarette. He looked them over, and said, “You ladies looking to score? I’ve got weed, X, and crank.”
“No, thank you,” Amanda said.
“How about you?” he asked Pammy.
Amanda replied, “Can’t you see she’s pregnant?”
The guy nodded in a way that conveyed he had noticed and liked what he saw.
The bathroom door opened and a pair of skanky-looking girls exited, and the drug dealer darted inside.
Amanda said. “Can you believe that guy? He practically molested you with his eyes.”
Pammy teasingly caressed her body. “Who wouldn’t want some of this?”
A grin lit on both their faces. “I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t pass at the chance. He would have to get in line behind Josh, though. You two seem to be hitting it off.”
“Yeah, Josh seems fun. Kinda young and immature, but sweet, in a puppy-dog sort of way.”
“Who doesn’t like puppies?”
“True. But I prefer Rottweilers.”
“You’re so bad.”
“I know.”
“How about the pitbull in the bathroom?” Amanda teased.
“He’d do in a pinch.”
“Ew.”
“What about Brad?”
“What about him?”
“You’re the one with puppy-dog eyes around him.”
“Oh, my gosh. Am not.”
“I’m afraid so. In fact, I believe you want him … doggie-style.” Pammy chuckled.
Just then the bathroom door opened and out walked their would-be dealer.
He said, “Sure you two don’t need me to hook you up with anything?”
“We’re sure,” Amanda said as she rushed Pammy into the bathroom. No way did she want to stand outside alone.
They exited minutes later and Amanda found herself nervous. She didn’t know anyone here except for Pammy and Brad, and she didn’t know him that well at all, but wanted to get to know him better—a somewhat stressful proposition. But how well did she really know her one and only friend? Pammy obviously had experienced more of life than Amanda had. But, whoa. Drinking while pregnant? Not being put off by the drug dealer? Getting fresh with Josh in the backseat? Amanda didn’t really know what to think. She didn’t want to think about any of this at all, really. At least until later, if ever.
A little alcohol would help calm her nerves. She hoped they would find the guys right where they left them. On the porch near the beer kegs.
As they wormed their way through the crowd downstairs, slowly but surely, Amanda felt an odd sensation. A warm pressure on her bottom. Just as she realized someone was groping her, she felt the hand cup a buttock and fingers slipping between her thighs. Amanda pushed against a random stranger, trying to escape the violation. Before she could break contact, she felt a probing finger slide across her womanly crease.
“What the heck,” she said, whirling around to confront the person. Thank goodness she was wearing slacks.
Matt, the dude getting a blowjob the day she had picked up her uniform, was standing directly in front of her.
“Hey, there. Amanda, isn’t it?”
She replied with a slap across his face.
“And don’t you forget it,” Amanda said.
“Whoa, Amanda,” Pammy said. “Matt, what the hell did you do?”
“You know this A-hole?”
“Of course, she knows me.”
“Almost everyone at Monarch Prep has met this fucktard, unfortunately. He gets around.”
Matt bobbed his head in appreciation. He said, “Why thank you, Pammy-licious.”
“Pammy-licious? Gross.” Amanda thought she might be sick.
Matt feigned innocence. “I don’t know why she slapped me, though. I didn’t do anything.”
“The heck you didn’t. You touched me—not cool.”
“So what?” Matt said. “It’s no big deal. See? Pammy will let me touch her.”
Pammy batted away his hand.
“I’m here with someone, so keep your mitts to yourself.”
“But your tits are so big now that you’re carrying my kid.”
Amanda felt her stomach threaten to flip. “Matt? Seriously?”
“The kid isn’t yours, asshole.”
“Of course it ain’t mine. Fuck. Whose is it? Wait, no. I don’t care.”
Amanda’s eyes jumped from her friend to her molester and back again. “You … ? And Matt … ?”
“It’s not his. I never fucked him.”
Matt smirked as he grabbed his crotch. “You haven’t fucked me yet.”
“Well,” Pammy said, a phony smile spreading across her face, “it’s been nice catching up, fuck you very much.”
Amanda stabbed a finger at Matt’s chest. “You leave us alone tonight. And if you ever lay a hand on me again, you’ll be lucky to get it back. Understand?”
Matt clutched his chest in mock heartbreak.
“Come on,” Amanda said, “let’s go find our dates.”
As Pammy stepped past a still “heartbroken” Matt her knuckles swung unsuccessfully at his dodging crotch. Giggling, Pammy wrapped an arm around Amanda’s shoulders.
“Sheesh,” Amanda said. “Some people.”
“Forget him. He’s not worth a second thought.”
Easier said than done. The two obviously had a history. That kind of information wasn’t easily erased from memory.
They found their dates still on the wraparound porch but much closer to the front door. Both guys carried plastic cups of beer in each hand, one of which they offered to them.
“Thank you, Brad.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Amanda watched her pregnant friend take a
gulp from her cup. Pammy also slipped an arm around Josh’s waist. Amanda’s concerns, though, slipped away as Brad’s fingers entwined with her own. The couples stood there talking and Brad told them about a beer bong a group of guys had used to shotgun beer while they were gone. A raucous, testosterone-fueled chant of do it from the direction of the kegs alluded to more shotgunning activity.
“I’d like to see you shotgun a funnel of beer,” Pammy told Josh.
“Ooh,” egged Brad, “sounds like a challenge to me.”
“Don’t think that I won’t,” threatened Josh.
“Oh yeah?” said Pammy. “This I gotta see. How about you, Amanda? Wanna give it a shot?”
“Oh, no. Not me. I’d drown.”
“You wouldn’t drown,” Brad said. “But you might end up spilling beer down your shirt.”
“In that case I’m definitely not going to try it.”
“You’ve hardly touched your beer,” Pammy said. “I’ve drank more than you have.”
“Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“Drunk, no. Buzzed, sure. Bottoms up, girlfriend.”
Pammy’s clear plastic cup was half empty. Amanda’s was still almost full and she lifted the cup to her lips to take a drink. Pammy, with an ornery grin, lifted her hand to tip the bottom higher up. Amanda guzzled beer before pulling away from her joking friend.
“Happy now?” Amanda said, grinning. She licked beer from her lips and inspected her cup. About a third remained.
Pammy, clutching Josh by the arm, pulled him toward the kegs. She said, “Now, it’s your turn.”
“Are you trying to get me drunk?” Josh said, repeating Amanda’s question.
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
“In that case …” Josh stopped to drain his cup. “Let’s go.”
Pammy flashed a smile at Amanda and Brad as she said, “What a nut.”
Amanda and Brad followed their friends in search of the beer bong.
Soon, the funnel sloshed with beer. Pammy, thumb plugging the tube, positioned the contraption above Josh’s tilted head.
Amanda joined Brad and the crowd of guys wearing football jerseys in chanting do it. Josh did in fact do it, to much fanfare, including a bouncing Pammy. Her jostling, milky breasts reminded her of their encounter with Matt. If the two had not had sex, did she give him a blow job? Behind a building at school? Amanda tried to shake the image. Josh, in an obvious attempt to win over Pammy, jokingly took her tumbler of beer and downed it, prompting Amanda to raise her drink as well.
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