The Price of Falling (13 page)

When the show was over I congratulated myself for sticking it out. It wasn’t as bad I was expecting either, in fact I found some of their songs and the visuals that went with them were...interesting. I knew my parents would definitely not approve though.

We headed back to the parking lot, trying to remember where we’d parked the cars. Upon finding them Bex pointed out someone had backed into my rear license plate. I was horrified. Inspecting the damage I wondered how much it would cost to fix. The car that was parked right behind us had a tow bar on it, which was still poking into my crushed license plate.

‘Let’s key their car!’ AJ exclaimed, fishing in his pocket presumably for his keys.

‘No, don’t,’ I said hurriedly. ‘Let’s just go. My insurance should cover it.’

‘Let’s swap cars,’ I heard Jessica’s voice then, silky smooth.

Oh great.

I could see Jason and AJ glance at each other, exchanging silent words. Then AJ grinned and charged off towards Steven’s car. Cat and Bex, as usual, followed him.

‘I call shotgun!’ Allie, who was Jessica’s friend, leapt to my passenger door and guarded it.

Jason did not look happy, especially when Jessica took him by the hand and asked him to sit in the back with her. So on the way home Allie sat next to me, while Jason and Jessica sat in the back with Robin. I had to admire Jessica’s persistence. At least Allie was good company. She put the radio on and swayed in her seat to the songs.

After about an hour I heard the beginnings of an argument starting between Jason and Jessica.

Poor Robin, I thought.

Allie turned the music up but a few minutes later we couldn’t drown them out much more. I was getting a headache. They were arguing about Jason not seeing her, as far as I could tell. When they showed no signs of abating I flashed Steven’s car ahead of us and pulled off the freeway. Steven’s car slowed down too. I cut the engine, cutting the music at the same time. I said calmly, ‘One of you needs to go to the other car. I’m not moving until then.’

They both looked pretty annoyed. I was tired and didn't care. I took my keys and got out, flicked my seat forward and leaned to rest against my car.

After a moment I watched Jason scramble out, closely followed by Jessica. They then proceeded to argue by the side of the freeway. I pushed the driver seat back and sat sideways, waiting.

‘Let’s just leave them here,’ Robin mumbled.

‘What’s up with them?’ I asked Allie. I turned to glance behind me as she shrugged.

‘Well, Jess thought they were going together, but I guess Jason didn’t.’

I nodded. I'd figured as much.

We let them argue. I didn’t think I had any authority to jump in, that’s why I’d flashed down Steven’s car, because I’d hoped he would. Steven obviously knew better than to get involved. Eventually AJ got out of Steven’s car and calmly walked over. He stood in between the warring couple and gently but forcibly pulled Jessica away. We watched AJ push her into Steven’s car in his place, and thankfully they drove off.

I waited for AJ to come back. He came around the passenger door and opened it. He looked at Allie, then glanced in the back. ‘I think I deserve shotgun after that.’

Allie unbuckled without a word and climbed in the back with Robin. AJ sat up front as I stood up again. Jason, after shooting AJ a glare, climbed into the back seat and fell into a mood the rest of the way home.

Just another typical evening of drama for them.

I was falling behind in my studies. I didn’t seem to have as much time to do my homework. I still went to football practice pretty much every day after school, but in between finding Jason, doing what Jason wanted or waiting for him most days, my time just disappeared. I was loathe to spend my weekend doing assignments, especially when I knew Jason would be around somewhere.

Coach told me I wasn’t concentrating enough. As we were getting changed in the locker room Allen and Johnny asked if I was OK.

‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ I told them.

‘We ain’t seen you much, dude.’

‘Sorry. I’m real behind in um, Math.’

‘Never bothered you before,’ Johnny shrugged.

I tried to hang out with them when I could but found I'd get restless, wondering what Jason was doing, or if he was with anybody else.

As we jogged out onto the field for practice I did a double take. I could see Jason and the others sitting on the bleachers. School had finished, so they could sit and watch the practice if they wanted. I wished they wouldn’t though. I was distracted enough as it was.

I could hear AJ and the girls cheering when we started practice.

‘Yeah! Go, Cougars!’ they shouted.

‘Miaow!’ someone teased, laughing.

‘What are those pot-heads doing?’ Allen glared. ‘Let’s go kick their asses.’

‘Just ignore them,’ I told him, hoping no-one could see me flush under my helmet.

Chapter 6

I decided not to claim on my insurance for the crushed license plate. It would work out cheaper if I just bought a new one. Sixty-eight dollars. What a rip off.

I tried not to look at how much money I’d already let slip through my fingers. I got another shock when Jason was driving my car down the dirt track. As usual he was going too fast and hit a tree stump which was sticking out into the road. The car jolted with the force. He pulled over so we could get out and inspect it.

‘Whoa,’ he said, looking down at the smashed light and big dent in the front panel. The paint work was scratched to hell.

My fingers wound through my hair in alarm. ‘I
told
you to slow down!’

‘Hey, chill out, I’m sure it’ll be fine.’

‘Easy for you to say,’ I snapped. ‘I’m the one paying for it.’

I took my car to the shop the next day. They gave me a loan car while I waited for the bad news. It wasn’t great. They fixed everything, it looked good as new but the bill came to nearly three hundred and seventy dollars.

I was pretty mad.

‘You’re not gonna let me drive it again are you?’ Jason asked when I told him.

‘Not unless you want to pay for your mistakes,’ I sighed.

‘How about I give you something in return?’

I must have looked confused. ‘Huh?’

‘Just come over Wednesday and I’ll show you.’

I hoped what he was offering was what I thought it was. I couldn’t get out of the locker rooms fast enough after practice, and sped round to his house. I let myself in the back door as usual and found him upstairs in his room. He’d been sitting on the bed reading a Math text book, of all things, but sat up when I’d come in.

‘Hey,’ I greeted, bristling with anticipation.

He smiled in return then pulled his top off. It was usual for us to get right down to it, as we were always pushed for time. I started throwing my clothes off as well, I was already hard. When we were both naked and I had him laid down on the bed I kissed him hungrily.

This was the only time he was all mine, I didn’t have to share him with anyone else. I was always over-eager I suppose, a typical horny teenager.

As I kissed down his neck I heard him say, ‘So, you want to do it then?’

My face burned as I looked at him. ‘Do what?’

‘Do you want to fuck me?’

My cock twitched in response. I swallowed, nodded. ‘But I thought you said...’ I trailed off, unsure.

‘Yeah well,’ Jason pushed me away as he got up. ‘Don’t be expecting any more freebies, OK?’

He opened a drawer on his dresser and handed me two items, a condom and a tube of something. My hands were shaking. I read the tube was a lubricant. I had no idea what to do.

‘If you wanna do this, put the rubber on,’ Jason told me.

He’d picked up his pillow from the bed and dropped it on the floor. I did as he asked, I knew how to do that at least. I’d been with girls before.

He must have guessed I wouldn’t know what I was doing. He instructed me through everything, told me to use the lubricant on myself after putting on the condom, then to smear it on my fingers. He leaned over on the edge of the bed, resting on his elbows as he waited for me. I didn't know how he was so relaxed, I was practically shaking.

I did everything he asked, I knelt down and pushed one finger inside him slowly, then another. Like being with a girl, I thought. Although I’d only played around with a girl once, the other times had been an inexperienced rush straight to the sex. It never occurred to me to do foreplay.

I was relieved Jason had his back to me, I was altogether too nervous to worry about catching his eye. I tried to concentrate on what he was telling me to do, staring at the pale skin of his back, his long hair trailing down behind. My other hand gripped at his thigh, holding on hard enough to pinch bruises; I was so excited I barely even noticed. I had two fingers inside him and could feel something a little way up, a little nub of flesh that whenever I brushed against he made a noise like he was trying not to cry out.

‘Now?’ I asked, pleaded. He didn’t reply but nodded his head. I pulled my hand away and gripped his hips, bringing him down to sit on me. When I pushed into his ass it was deliciously tight, and felt so hot it was searing. I gasped, surprised at how good it felt. It was amazing. I pushed harder, instinct taking over. Every time I moved he would moan, as if unable to stop it. I liked making him do that, and started thrusting hard, pinning him against the bed. My arms were wrapped around him, gripping the sheets. I loved it, I was instantly hooked.

When I was getting dressed later he said, ‘If you wanna do that again you gotta pay for it.’

I knew he was gonna say that, I thought.

We had a new routine now. Lots of foreplay, then sex. I couldn’t go back to just blow-jobs now. I bet he’d known that would happen. By this time I was giving him more money than I’d wanted to. I may have been pounding his ass into the bed each time but he was the one screwing me.

I didn’t care, I loved it. I thought I was getting better too. I judged myself by the noises he made. I knew sometimes he would lay it on for me, like when I kissed down his body I knew those soft moans were for show. But when I managed to get it right and he cried out almost in surprise, I knew that was real. I drew it out, making our play last longer. We were starting to use the full two hours without realizing.

Once we were still dressing when we heard the front door close. We looked at each other in panic.

‘Damn it,’ Jason whispered. ‘Hurry up.’

I threw on the rest of my clothes. ‘What do we do?’ I said quietly.

‘I’ll go down and signal you when it’s safe to leave.’

I wasn't used to sneaking around. I didn’t exactly have fairy foot-steps either. Jason slipped out of the door. I waited, holding it open a crack to watch him disappear downstairs.

‘Jason!’ I heard a woman’s voice from below. ‘Come clean up this mess!’

‘What mess?’ he replied.

‘That mess in there!’

Her accent sounded normal. I had kinda been expecting something different, but she just sounded normal American.

‘What mess?’ Jason said again. ‘That’s
one
goddamn plate!’

‘Don’t use that word, young man! Don't you have any respect?’