After the Game

"What?" Janey was taken aback - again, and my mind immediately went back to our points scoring game in the gym.

"You came top," she continued " - nine out of ten, and it soon became obvious that you were also the real danger. At half time we had a bet to see if anyone would dare kiss you on the field in front of everybody - we figured that would stop you." She smiled slightly. "We've done it before. We're not dykes or anything," she said quickly, "it just kind of puts the opposition off. No hard feelings?" She held out her hand again.

I've never seen Janey stunned into such complete silence before. She just stared open-mouthed but I could tell she was trying to work something out. Janey wouldn't let anyone get the better of her like this. Janey, who was always so completely in charge - always willing to go the extra mile.

She dropped her cigarette, and stubbed it out with her foot. "Ok," she said and took the offered hand. Then, with that mischievous smile I knew so well she said simply, "Do you want to do it again?"

"Do what?" Now it was the blonde's turn to be taken aback.

"Kiss me again," said Janey, still holding the blonde's right hand only now she'd half turned it and I could see her stroking the other's palm with her forefinger. "Only this time I get to kiss you back."

For the first time the opposition captain appeared to be losing her poise. She coloured up then looked around. She glanced at me. "Don't mind me," I said quite enjoying the situation. "You can walk away if you like. I'm not part of this."

"Or you can take a chance." Said Janey, looking up straight into the blonde's blue eyes. Was I imagining it, or was Janey sounding a little breathless, sexy even. I began to think this wasn't just revenge.

The blonde seemed to make her mind up. "Ok," she said apprehensively, "if you want to." Janey let go of her hand and reached up to the blond hair, an echo of her move on the field. "Nine, eh? Well, you're not so bad yourself." The blonde gasped a little, bent her head forward and downward, lips parted slightly. Janey stood up on her toes a little and they brushed lips, their breathing noticeably heavier now. Janey's tongue flicked out, just a touch, not penetrating. The tall blonde opposition captain's eyes few wide open like a startled rabbit but then closed as Janey pressed her lips to the blonde's mouth. My own feelings were taking me by surprise. I couldn't tear my eyes away.

"I can taste your cigarette." The opposition captain murmured, eyes still closed, not pulling away, swaying slightly

"Sorry," Janey murmured back and kissed her again, lightly.

"I don't mind," this, a breathless moan. The blonde flicked out her own tongue and parted Janey's lips a little more then they both stepped in closer, hands which had been resting hesitantly on each others arms and shoulders were now more decisive, around necks and heads, fingers intertwining with hair. Suddenly they were devouring each other. They stepped back to the wall and the blonde, already unsteady on her feet, slumped against it, her arms round Janey's neck kissing her back.

First Janey was dominant, thrusting her tongue into the blonde's open mouth, having it sucked in return, having it bitten gently at first, but then I could see teeth really taking hold. Then Janey was receiving - furious thrusts accompanied by moans and murmurs. each returning kiss taken passionately.

I became acutely aware that someone might come round the corner any minute and as fascinated as I was I stepped away from them and peeped round. All clear so far. When I looked back I could see that things had moved way beyond kissing.

This had happened so often before, me waiting while Janey had a snog and a quick feel but there were some major differences about this encounter; like, it was Janey doing the 'feeling'. As I watched she ran her hands up and down the blonde's ribs pressing her thumbs, then her palms against her breasts. The blonde was doing nothing to stop her as they both carried on kissing and biting. Then Janey was tugging the blouse free from the skirt and running her hands up the inside. I could see her working away at the bra, reaching round behind.

"Just lift it", the blonde gasped between kisses, "it's not that tight." The front of the blouse was rucked up on Janey's forearms so I could see the blonde's bare midriff and ribcage as her breasts popped free. Janey rubbed her palms over them both and squeezed and pulled them. I couldn't help it, I found myself doing the same to mine.

Janey pulled at a nipple, and again thrust her tongue into the blonde's mouth.

"God, I'm coming," the blonde breathed past Janey's tongue, then pulled away, her eyes now wide in startled surprise. "I'm coming," she said again in complete bewilderment, "quick." She pulled one of Janey's hands away from her breasts and thrust it between her legs, lifting at the pleated grey skirt to get it out of the way. The dark stockings were not stockings but tights. Janey's hand was reaching between the blonde's legs rubbing at the harsh nylon.

"No, inside, inside," she urged biting at Janey's ears and neck then returning for another deep snog. Janey's hand was quickly up at the waistband and then down again slipping inside the front of the tights while the blonde held the waistband away so Janey could get in more easily. I couldn't see any more but I could imagine where Janey's finger was going.

"Ooooh, yess," she whimpered, "Oh God, yes pleease." Her face was ecstatic, then she started to moan and clamped her lips around Janey's tongue once more, muffling the long drawn out wail that followed. I glanced around the corner again, surely someone would come looking? I glanced at my watch, I was staggered, barely two minutes had passed since I'd warned Janey the coach would be leaving soon.

The keening wail was dying down, almost to a sob. The blonde had her arms round Janey, clinging to her for support, her head on Janey's shoulder, eyes still closed. Janey was kissing her neck, biting at her hair, she moved her arm slightly. "Nooo, don't take it out yet." The blonde pleaded, "I haven't... quite... finished... yet, ...just... oooh lovely, that's it, ...just one more... please? Mmmmh. Lovely."

She swayed a little despite clinging on to Janey then her eyes flicked open and she looked straight at me. "Sorry about that," she apologised as if she'd dropped a biscuit or something, the refined politeness back in place, "that's never happened before." She began to unwind herself from Janey's neck.

Janey laughed, "me neither." They both pulled away from each other - embarrassment setting in.

"Look at me, I'm a mess," the blonde captain said, "and I'm so wet. God, I hope I don't smell on the bus on the way back." She pulled her bra back down heaving each breast into place before tucking her dishevelled blouse back into her skirt and straightening her tie.

"Wait," Janey said, and turned the blonde half way round.

"What is it?" she asked glancing back down over her shoulder.

"It's alright. Your skirt is tucked into your knickers." Janey pulled it out for her and fluffed out the pleats.

"That was awesome." Janey breathed looking up at her. "Look, I started it to get my own back, kind of..." she took her bottom lip between her teeth, always a sign of contrition, "but when said you didn't mind the taste of my cigarette and then you didn't stop me from feeling your tits... well, I just... lost it. I couldn't stop. Sorry."

"That's ok, really. It was just as much my fault. I didn't want you to stop," said the blonde, "not after a bit anyway. Look, I've really, really never done anything like that before- you won't tell will you?"

"'Course not," Janey replied scornfully.

No, I thought, tough little Janey, it would be more than her reputation was worth back at school if this got round; it would diminish her power with the other girls, they would slaughter her. And as far as the boys were concerned, well you were a lesbian anyway if you didn't put out on the first date - not that Janey had any trouble in that direction - but if it turned out to be true... well, where would that leave her? And me come to that, as her 'best mate' I would inevitably be tarred with the same brush.

"I'd better be going," said the blonde captain, and gathered up her sports bag.

She paused and then spoke again, her poise was returning "Look, when you were really angry with me on the field, and you said...you know... 'Fuck you,'" she reached out and touched Janey's arm, "well come down to Bagshott's one weekend and you can if you want to, fuck me, I mean, properly, really."

She looked straight at Janey "For real, I mean it. I've got my own room and everything."

"Carmel?" We were all startled by the voice as its owner came round the corner. I had been neglecting my self-appointed guard duty. "Carmel, are you alright? We're all ready to go. The others said you'd be along in a minute."

"Miss Wilkes, sorry," said Carmel startled, "I'm just coming." She must have realised the irony of her remark because she coloured up to the roots of her hair. Janey and I both suppressed a giggle.

Miss Wilkes looked at us suspiciously then back to Carmel's still dishevelled appearance. "You haven't been fighting have you?" She probably took us for two low life ruffians who wouldn't hesitate to rough up one of her public school girls over the result of hockey match.

"No," said Carmel hastily, "we were talking about the game, we were saying how much we'd all enjoyed it. We were exchanging names and addresses, you know."

Miss Wilkes softened slightly. "Very well, but we'll be late if we don't go now. We need to get back to school in time for evening prayers or the Rector will have something to say." Miss Wilkes, turned on her heel, "nice to meet you girls," she nodded briefly in our direction, "thank your sports mistress for such a pleasantly spirited game, come along Carmel" and she strode off round the corner.

"Carmel Bellingham..." Carmel called back, as she hefted her bag. "Bagshott's Independent School for Girls, we're in the book. Quick, give me your number. She stopped and fiddled in her bag for something to write on, she found only a pen.

"Come along Carmel," Miss Wilkes called back.

"Janey - Jane Harrison. Here," Janey grabbed the pen and scribbled a number on the palm of Carmel's hand. "It's my mobile - if I ever get any credit - but you can call me on it even if it does run out. Text me!" Carmel looked as pleased as the cat that had got the cream, the dog with two tails, all of those cliché things. She closed her fist around the precious number and gripped it tightly as if she might lose it.

Carmel set off after Miss Wilkes but kept looking back, she mimed dialling a telephone and then held her hands together as if in prayer, mouthing something 'please' I think, then blew a kiss before finally turning and scurrying after Miss Wilkes. We could hear Miss Wilkes fading into the distance as they strode down the path towards the waiting bus. "Are you sure you showered properly Carmel? You'd better have another when you get back to school. And your blouse doesn't look as if it's been ironed at all, and your hair. This is most unlike you; you're usually so well groomed." Carmel rummaged in her bag and pulled out a hairbrush and started tugging it through her long blonde tangles, pausing to look back and wave the hairbrush in our direction before following Miss Wilkes up the steps into the bus. Even at that distance I could see her huge grin. She was one happy girl I thought.

Wow! I let it sink in. I didn't know what to say to Janey. Janey turned to me.

"Don't dare say a word about this will you." It was not a question.

"'Course not, what are best friends for?"

I have to confess that my thoughts on that score were in a bit of a turmoil. Over the past year or two I'd watched Janey with countless boys, giving her all - well, not quite her all - and it hadn't bothered me a bit. She would go out on dates or spend hours with the boys at parties - then tell me all about it afterwards of course - and I would heartily applaud. But girls were just for friends, to share secrets with, to borrow make up from, to talk about boys with. And as far as other girls were concerned Janey and I were an exclusive two-some.

I felt curiously ambivalent. Carmel was a girl who looked like becoming very good friends with my best friend, normally the cue for a serious bout of eye scratching. But then Carmel was for sex, and if she'd been a boy I'd have approved.

I'd felt nothing of this a few minutes before as I'd watched them. Of course, initially I'd approved because Janey was putting one over on her hockey opponent. I'd been lost in admiration at Janey's daring in offering another kiss. I'd enjoyed the way Carmel had lost her poise- her discomfort. I'd even approved when Carmel had agreed because in effect she'd shown submission and accepted Janey's dominance. Job done, Janey wins again.

I'd been intrigued - even voyeuristically excited when the passion crept in but I think that I'd switched to 'watching Janey with a boy' mode by then. No threat to our friendship there. Sex and friendship don't mix, and I wasn't interested in Janey for sex. Obviously Carmel was. Did that make her a non-threatening honorary boy? Or was she still a girl coming between me and my best friend? I'd have to go with my feelings, but right now I wasn't feeling much of anything.

When we got back to our own bus the others were eager to know if Janey had sorted out that "toffee nosed blonde captain".

"Oh yes," Janey replied grinning at me - more or less back to her old self now she was on familiar ground. "I sorted her out all right. She could hardly stand when I'd finished with her."

One or two of them raised a ragged cheer. "Good ol' Janey, look we've saved you and Sarah a seat at the back." They moved to one side and patted the prized empty spaces.

"I'm too knackered for all that back seat singing and stuff, me and Sarah are going to have a quiet little seat by ourselves and sleep all the way home."

This was very unusual for Janey but there was plenty of space on the coach and Janey chose a seat away from all the others. There wasn't even anybody across the aisle. Even more unusually she pushed into the window seat first, she usually liked to be on the outside so she could take part in any "action" or gossip unless she was with a boy. She 'shushed' me when I started to protest, then she reached up to the luggage rack and dragged down her oversized blue and yellow anorak and spread it over the pair of us like a duvet before snuggling up to me with her head on my shoulder as the coach set off. I stared over her head out of the window into the early evening dusk as we made our way towards the motorway and the hour-long journey home. After a few moments I glanced down at Janey. Her eyes were closed, her lips were slightly parted and her breathing had the regularity of sleep. She looked vulnerable lying there, with an innocence that didn't belong. Without Janey on the back seat to keep the party going the coach was unusually quiet and as the darkness outside became more complete the driver dimmed the interior lights. I looked around. Most of the team seemed to be asleep, there was just a quiet murmur of voices from the teachers at the front.

I was just beginning to doze off myself when Janey stirred. I looked down. Her closed eyes and steady breathing hadn't altered. There were just a couple of strands of dark hair that had fallen across her eyes. But she wasn't asleep. Under the puffy anorak her hand found mine and she pulled it across to her left breast and pressed my fingers into the soft flesh. I stiffened and started to pull away. "Shhh," she whispered, even though I'd made no sound. Then opened her eyes and looked up at me. "Why not?" She whispered, holding my hand in place, "you've done it before."

That was true, but not for years. Around the time we got our first bras, Janey first of course, she was always ahead of me, we had played around in the sorts of stupid little ways that I guess most girls do. I remember it gave me butterflies in my tummy when we used to scuttle off to one another's bedrooms and lift our tops up and undo our bras so we could feel each other. But then I always felt a little "dirty" and wanted to stop long before Janey did. Janey's older brother had told us that if you rubbed them they grew bigger. We'd done it a couple of times, Janey had even got some baby oil after I'd complained it made me sore.

"That was ages ago I whispered," trying to pull my hand away, "we were just kids".

"So?" hissed Janey. "It's alright for Carmel, I didn't get any back there, and there're no boys on this bus to fool around with." I couldn't deny the logic of that. Janey used to end most school bus trips with her underwear in her bag. "So you'll have to do." The logic continued.

"Besides," she whispered on, "you got randy back there too, I saw you." That logic was also uncomfortably undeniable. "No-one will know, and I want you to." All the while she continued to press my fingers into her breast. "I want you to." She repeated and as I gave in I thought, "Oh well, why not? It's not like I was really doing anything."

"Ok I whispered, and bent down and kissed her hair.

"Mmmmh", she sighed contentedly and her eyes closed again as she snuggled back up to me. She undid a couple of buttons on her blouse and I slipped my hand inside and rubbed the soft mound. I could feel the nipple against my palm through her bra; Janey didn't need any padding. "Inside" she whispered, eyes still closed. I slipped a finger inside the elastic casing and felt soft warmth of her. Slowly so as not to betray what I was doing to the outside world I eased my hand right inside the bra cup and squeezed Janey's breast rhythmically. The strength of the casing was restrictive though and I wasn't surprised that Janey wanted more. "Undo it," she breathed.

I started to move my hand round her back "Sit up, a bit," I said.

"Wait silly, it's at the front." She stifled a giggle. "Don't you know anything about girls?" I giggled too. A front loader, of course, I should have guessed. With Janey it was anything for ease of access. Under cover of shifting her position to get more comfortable she helped me to undo the clasp and the loose cups of the bra fell away as her breasts came free. I rubbed my hands over both of them, moving from one to the other in turn, squeezing and pulling. They were a lot bigger and heavier than the last time I'd done this. Janey purred like a contented cat. "That's better," she said.

All the rest of the way home I played with the softness of her, keeping my movements gentle under the anorak so they wouldn't be obvious to anybody glancing our way. I traced the underside of each breast against her rib cage with one finger, feeling the moistness gathered there. I lifted each in turn with my whole hand before releasing its weight. As it fell back into place I kept just enough contact so that the nipple scraped against my palm with the movement. I stroked her nipples and pulled gently at them. Sometimes I put my thumb on one nipple and stretched my span so I could reach the other with my middle finger. I moved them both in unison. I soon learned exactly what she liked best, what brought the low moans, how to get the best reaction from her. Janey was in seventh heaven. I never realised before just how much she enjoyed being played with. I was getting randy too but when Janey slid her hand up to my breast and gave it a little squeeze I said a firm but quiet "no" and gently removed it.

As we neared home I realized that while I was busy up top Janey had been quietly working down below. She started to shift about a bit and had to stifle the moans. She looked up and said breathlessly, "I don't suppose you want to finish me off?"