Anne's Collection #1: Five Stories

by Anne Eton

  Later that night at the party, the cool kids stared at Beth. She was an interloper in their midst. No one challenged her presence, but Beth could feel eyes upon her.

  “What’s wrong?” Katie asked. She repeated her question, shouting over the music and crowd noise.

  “Sorry. I just kind of feel out of place,” Beth shouted back.

  Katie motioned for Beth to follow her. Passing through a sliding glass door onto the back patio, they walked to the far side of a beautiful pool and sat on a stone bench. A couple made out in a corner behind shrubs, ignoring them. From over a tall hedge, the smell of pot wafted.

  “Now,” Katie began. “Let’s try that again. I couldn’t hear you in there. What’s wrong?”

  Beth looked down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spoil a good time for you. I just felt sort of out of place.”

  “You didn’t spoil anything for me.”

  “Really? You were laughing and talking with all those people.”

  Katie shrugged. “I don’t know them. Whatever. If you don’t feel comfortable, we can just stay out here.”

  Beth’s eyes widened. She tried to convince Katie to return to the party, but Katie was adamant. Finally, Beth smiled. “Thanks. You know, you’re a really nice person.”

  Katie rolled her eyes. “I bet you say that to all the girls.” She slapped Beth’s leg. They laughed, and left the party when Beth’s curfew drew near.

  Over the next couple of weeks, Katie and Beth spent more and more time at each other’s houses. Beth’s parents approved of Katie—Beth had so few friends, and Katie seemed strong and confident. Beth’s parents privately hoped that some of Katie would rub off on their daughter. Apart from volleyball, where she dominated the court, Beth oozed insecurity.

  Katie lived in a large mansion-style dwelling on the outskirts of town. Her parents were never home. “Are you sure you have a mom and dad?” Beth joked on a visit.

  Katie shrugged. “Sometimes, I wonder.”

  At that moment, Katie’s cell phone buzzed. She looked at its screen and grimaced.

  “What is it?” Beth asked.

  Katie held up the phone so that Beth could read a text message. hey, i keep writing you and you never write back. was it something I said. c u ltr? It was from Rick Fixler, the tall alpha male who had been the first to speak to Katie in the park.

  Beth read it twice. “Oh my God!” She turned to Katie. “He likes you.”

  Katie tapped her phone and replaced it in her pocket. “You would think he would get the hint.”

  “Rick is like… oh my God, do you know how many girls would kill to get a message like that from him?”

  Katie made a sarcastic face. “I heard he has a girlfriend.”

  Beth nodded eagerly. “Yeah! She’s a total cheerleader fembot.”

  “Not interested.”

  “Wow. I really respect your principles. I mean, Rick… he would totally tempt me. Not that he would ever look at me, but if he did, wow. You know, Katie, if you wanted, I bet you could be his girlfriend.”

  Katie suddenly shot Beth a dazzling smile. “I’d rather date you!”

  Beth laughed. “I’d rather date YOU!”

  Katie leaned in, quick as a whip, and pecked Beth on the lips.

  Beth staggered back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and laughing. “Katie! Oh my God!”

  “We sealed it!”

  They laughed for almost a minute.

  Two days later, they were walking down the nearby beach town’s main drag. They could see waves crashing in the distance, past the end of the street. Katie stopped to consider two female mannequins in the window of a clothing store. The mannequins wore identical tight, brightly striped spaghetti-strap shirts and ice-cream-colored summer shorts.

  “That’s not exactly your style,” Beth teased.

  Katie looked at her. “Who says?”

  “Come on. All you wear is black.”

  Katie considered the cute outfits. “I could pull it off.”

  “Yeah, right!”

  “Okay, fine. I’ll try one on if you try one on.”

  Beth looked at the window, then back to Katie. “Now?”

  “No, in December, duuuh!” She grabbed Beth’s hand and dragged her into the store.

  In a changing room, Beth stripped down to a black lace bra and plain white panties. She was about to pull on the XXL striped shirt when she heard a voice from above. “Aha. Black lace. How very, verrrry racy for Miss Beth Collins.”

  Beth emitted a high-pitched noise and looked up, contorting to cover herself. “Katie!”

  Katie’s head peered over the changing room partition. “Yes?”

  Beth gaped, then laughed, trying to hide her ample body. She backed into a corner. “What the hell are you doing!”

  “Profanity, even. There are untold depths to Miss Beth Collins.”

  “Get out of here!” Beth huffed, giggling with embarrassment. She knelt down and picked up her shoe, exposing her chest. She swatted near Katie’s face. Beth’s big boobs wobbled in her black lace bra.

  Katie laughed. “Violence is never the answer.” She disappeared down into her adjacent dressing room. After a couple of minutes, Beth dropped the shoe and quickly pulled on the shorts and striped shirt.

  “We’re like twins!” Katie said as the two of them posed arm-in-arm in front of a mirror on the store’s wall. Although Beth towered over Katie as always, the identical shirts and shorts did give them a silly, fun resemblance. Katie insisted on buying both her and Beth’s outfit. They walked out of the store wearing them, carrying their old clothes in shopping bags.

  As they made their way to Katie’s car, Katie playfully tugged down the right shoulder of Beth’s spaghetti strap. “I don’t think this shirt is supposed to go with a black lace bra.”

  “Katie!” Beth giggled and tried to pull away. Katie held on. The strap was pulled dangerously low, exposing some black lace. “Katie! Quit it!” Beth laughed and yanked Katie’s hand off, galloping away. Katie chased her.

  That night, they talked on the phone. “Today was a lot of fun,” Beth said.

  “I like the beach,” Katie replied. “What if we go back tomorrow? We’ll take our swimsuits and make a day of it.”

  “It’s supposed to be overcast tomorrow.”

  “Perfect. Then nobody will be there.”

  Beth admitted that that made sense. She would bring food and drinks, and Katie would bring the towels.

  The next day, sure enough, the beach was almost deserted under a grey sky. Katie parked and the girls pulled bags from the car. Beth followed Katie down past the oceanfront walk and onto the sand, stopping close to the water. The wind picked up.

  “Brr. It’s cold,” Beth mumbled. She hugged her shoulders, looking up.

  “Don’t pussy out on me now,” Katie warned. She stripped off her shirt and jeans, exposing a blue flower-print bikini underneath. Catching Beth’s stare, Katie shrugged. “I bought it on the way to your place this morning.”

  “They didn’t have black, huh?”

  “Nope. So come on, don’t leave me hanging.” Katie motioned for Beth to undress, then withdrew a couple of beach towels and a blanket from her duffel bag.

  Beth hesitated. She looked around. The beach was completely empty. Slowly, still scanning around her, she pulled off her shirt and unzipped her jeans.

  Katie made a puzzled face. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m just really self-conscious, that’s all.” Beth stood in a plain brown bikini. A tag on the back read, “VOLUPTUO: Custom Fashions for Unique Women.” Even in the dim light, Beth threw an hourglass shadow.

  “Well, there’s nobody around, so relax. Race you!” Katie kicked sand playfully at Beth and dashed toward the ocean. Beth lunged after her, her big breasts bouncing up and down as she ran.

  The girls hit the water at the same time, stopping short. “Oh my God, it’s freezing!” Beth yelled. A wave slapped through them, wetting their bodies from the navel down.
They screamed again, and ran back to the towels.

  “Buh, buh buh. I am so cold,” Beth hissed, teeth chattering. She tried to dry herself off with the towel she sat on.

  “Come over here,” Katie ordered. “We’ll share the blanket.”

  Beth obeyed, hopping over to sit crosslegged on her friend’s towel. Katie snuggled up behind her and pulled a thick blanket around their shoulders, covering them both completely from the neck down.

  “Oh my God oh my God oh my God,” Beth repeated. “I’ll never be warm again.” She laughed, shivering.

  “Just relax. We’ll warm up in a few minutes.” Katie began rubbing Beth’s legs with the blanket, moving her hands inside the cocoon.

  “At least I’m covered up,” Beth said. She sighed.

  “What’s up with that? Haven’t you ever been to the beach before?”

  Slowly, as she watched the waves, Beth began talking about her body and the curse it brought her. How people stared, how it was impossible to be invisible. The words poured out of her faster and faster. Finally, she fell silent, exhausted.

  “Can I say something?” Katie asked. All while Beth had been talking, Katie had kept rubbing her: first her legs, drying them, then moving her bare hands gently up and down Beth’s back and torso. “I think your body is beautiful.”

  “Yeah, right.” Beth brushed her face with the blanket, pulling it tighter around them.

  “I mean it. Your body is curvy and strong and feminine. You’re so lucky, and you don’t even know it.” Katie’s hands kept moving over Beth’s skin, massaging her shoulders, slipping down her sides, rubbing her stomach.

  “I guess.” After a long pause, she added: “But you might feel different if your nickname was Big-boobed Beth.”

  In response, Katie’s hands slipped under Beth’s breasts. Beth inhaled, but did not move. Slowly, gently, Katie began to massage. Beth’s nipples immediately grew hard. Katie’s fingers drew slow circles around them as her fingers moved over the bikini top’s fabric.

  Katie rested her head on Beth’s shoulder. “I love your boobs,” Katie said. “And so should you.”

  Beth breathing grew deeper and deeper. Finally, she turned her head. “Katie…”

  She closed her eyes as Katie’s soft lips touched hers. The kisses were gentle, light. Katie kept massaging Beth’s chest. Her tongue touched Beth’s lips; after a moment, Beth opened her mouth. They made out slowly, feeling the heat rise between them.

  Finally, Katie pulled away. “Do you have a tent?”

  Beth opened her eyes. “A tent? Yes, I have a tent. My family does.”

  “Tell your parents that you and me are having a sleepover tonight. We’re going to camp in your back yard. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Let’s get out of here.” Katie glanced behind them. On the oceanfront walk, a man pretended he was watching the ocean.

  Katie dropped Beth off at her house before driving to her own home to change and pack. Beth’s mom and dad said that they thought the girls’ backyard sleepover was a great idea. Her father dug the camping equipment out of the garage, and her mother defrosted hot dogs from the deep freeze. Katie arrived a little after seven, carrying a backpack.

  Katie grinned. “Can I borrow a sleeping bag? My family doesn’t camp a lot.”

  Beth nodded. “Of course. You can use my mom’s or dad’s.”

  In the backyard, Katie and Beth laid out the tent in an area illuminated by the exterior house lights. After staking the canvas floor to the ground, they assembled the poles and finished putting up their shelter. They deposited their sleeping bags and other stuff inside before returning to the porch. Lighting the camp stove, they grilled frankfurters with wire hangers and toasted the buns. As they finished eating their hot dogs, Beth’s parents walked out of the house.

  “Having fun?” Mr. Collins asked, smiling.

  “Yeah,” Katie said.

  “Yes, sir,” Beth answered.

  Beth’s mother turned to her husband with a worried expression. “Do you think it’s safe?”

  He rolled his eyes. “They are fifteen feet from the house.”

  “Well, I’m just saying…”

  “We will be fine, mom,” Beth interrupted.

  After reassuring Mrs. Collins, the girls began clearing up their plates and cups.

  “You can give those to me,” Beth’s mother said. “So, we are leaving the back door unlocked, and you have your phone, Beth.”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you want us to leave the outside lights on?” Mr. Collins asked.

  “That would be great,” Katie said before Beth could answer.

  “Okay. Goodnight.” Beth’s father turned back for the house, gesturing for his wife to accompany him. Beth and Katie waved and watched them disappear inside the house. After a short while, the interior lights went out.

  The girls made small talk. Finally, Katie yawned.

  “You need to brush or anything?” Beth asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Me, too. The bathroom’s inside to the right. I’ll go after you.”

  They brushed and changed—Beth into pajamas, Katie into a T-shirt and shorts. They exited the house and entered the tent. A propane lantern burned inside.

  Your folks are really nice,” Katie said. She zipped the tent entrance closed.

  Beth smiled. “I’m glad you like them. They’re the best.”

  Katie looked at the two sleeping bags. Beth had unrolled them and placed them neatly side-by-side. “Can we lay those flat?”

  “Sure.”

  They unzipped the bags and laid one on top of the other, forming a big soft surface. Katie opened her backpack and withdrew a small boom box. Raising the antenna, she dialed the tuner until she found a clear FM frequency. “Love songs coast-to-coast,” trilled the radio station’s tag ID. A soft Top 40 hit followed.

  Katie grinned at Beth. “Cheesy.” She let the station play.

  Beth smiled back. She was too nervous to speak.

  Katie placed the pillows so that they would be lying with their heads toward the entrance. “Ready?”

  Beth nodded.

  Katie extinguished the lantern. The girls felt their way cautiously as they lay down, letting their eyes adjust to the darkness. “If anybody approaches, we’ll see their shadow on the tent,” Katie said. She pointed at the fabric walls, glowing from the house lights.

  “Good,” Beth said. She exhaled. “I was kind of worried about that.”

  Katie grinned. “We have an early warning system.”

  Beth laughed. The girls could see each other in the dim light now. Katie touched Beth’s face, and kissed her. Beth responded. They made out softly, unhurriedly, holding hands in the dark.

  After some time, Katie raised her hand to touch Beth’s hair. As she moved her arm, her elbow brushed Beth’s breast. Beth stiffened.

  Katie pulled back. “What’s wrong?”

  After a long pause, Beth spoke. “This is all… I’m kind of overwhelmed.”

  “Okay. In a good way, or a bad way?”

  “I don’t know.” Beth squeezed Katie’s hand. “I never thought… I honestly never believed I would be doing anything like this with a girl.”

  Katie waited.

  “I mean,” Beth continued, “I’ve never even had a boyfriend. You know? And certainly never a girlfriend. But that’s cool, I’m fine with it, I think you are, just, the greatest person ever. But…”

  “Go ahead.”

  “I don’t know where this is going.” Beth looked at Katie’s fingers, interlocked with hers.

  “Do you want to stop?”

  Beth paused again. “No,” she said carefully. “I just… I need to know where we are, and what this is.”

  Katie squeezed Beth’s hand. “How about, I like you. A lot. I might even love you, Beth Collins.”

  Beth raised her face to look into Katie’s eyes.

  “And,” Katie continued, “I want to be with you, and share your bed. If you
want to go steady, be monogamous, tell the world that we are a couple, whatever you want, I’m down with it.”

  “I don’t know what I want,” Beth whispered.

  “You know you don’t want to stop. Right?”

  Beth nodded.

  “So, what if you just let go. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

  Beth kept looking into Katie’s eyes. Finally, Beth nodded. Katie kissed her again, and began unbuttoning Beth’s pajama top. Beth did not resist.

  Katie licked Beth’s lips playfully. Beth opened her mouth. Katie explored Beth’s mouth with her tongue as she gently raised her own body above Beth’s. Katie’s hand slipped into Beth’s unbuttoned top. She touched Beth’s bra, squeezing and kneading her big breast. Beth accepted the touch passively.

  “You wear a bra to bed, huh?” Katie teased.

  “I have to,” Beth replied seriously. “You have no idea what it’s like.”

  “I think this may be an occasion where you should take it off. No, on second thought, wait. Let me.” Katie slid her hands around Beth’s warm torso. Beth lifted her shoulders, trying to help. Katie found the bra strap and unclipped it. Beth laid back down. Katie slid her hands under the pajama top and pushed the bra up over Beth’s gigantic boobs.

  “Black lace again. Nice,” Katie said.

  Beth smiled. “I meant to tell you, at the store. This is the only brand of bra that fits me comfortably. And it only comes in black lace. I guess I could get one custom made, but…”

  As Beth rambled on nervously, Katie pulled the unbuttoned soft flannel top wider, completely exposing Beth’s bare chest. Her breasts, impossibly big and firm, had revealed themselves to a lover for the first time. Katie rubbed her open palm in circles over a nipple. Beth’s voice trailed off. Katie watched Beth’s boobs rise and fall with every breath she took.

  “Beth,” Katie said huskily. “I’ve been wanting to do this from the first moment I saw you.” Katie lowered her mouth to Beth’s mountainous bosom, licking and sucking her nipples into pebbles. Beth made a small noise and grabbed handfuls of the sleeping bag. “I wanted you,” Katie whispered, teasing Beth’s nipples with her teeth. “So much.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Beth asked, near tears. She cupped the back of Katie’s head, kissing her hair.