Brandee's Move Ch. 01

My freshman year in high school had been a hard one. I was new to my town and to make things harder, I had become a faceless student in a school of three thousand other people. By my senior year, however, I had made plenty of friends and I was vice president of the student body. I started my last year of high school confidently; my head held high. That is why it came as such a shock the night after my eighteenth birthday. Both of my parents came into the living room as I was watching television, curled up under a fleece blanket. Their expressions made me nervous. I felt tiny hairs bristling on the nape of my neck. I glanced from one to the other, trying to size up their thoughts. To my dismay, it didn’t work. I sat up straight on the sofa and let the blanket drop to my lap.

“What?” I asked anxiously. “What’s wrong?”

“Now honey,” my father began, “your mother and I have something we need to tell you. We didn’t want to worry you before your birthday had come, but we have to talk.”

“You may be upset,” said my mother, “but we will try to make this work. We promise.”

“Make what work?” I asked confusedly. “Stop talking in circles. What are you trying to say.”

“We’re moving, Brandee,” my father blurted. “To Minnesota.”

My mouth flapped open and closed like a fish out of water. All of the words that I tried to form seemed to evaporate into thin air before they even had a chance to touch my lips. I stared at the coffee table in front of me and said nothing for what seemed like hours. Without so much as another word, my parents silently slipped from the room. I curled up in bed that night and cried. I had no idea what things would be like in my new school. All I could imagine was my freshman year all over again. Before I knew it, my pain slid away slowly as I fell into a deep sleep.

A week later found me driving my Jetta to my new high school for my first day. We were out in the middle of nowhere. This place could not have been any more opposite of my hometown in Boston. Instead of three thousand people in my school, there were only three hundred. To me, moving to Minnesota was a culture shock. I drove for miles without seeing another car and to either side of me were rows upon rows of naked shivering trees.

I felt a sort of betrayal by my parents for making me move here in the middle of December. The Christmas countdown was down to nine days. I would only have one full week of classes before school let out for the holiday break. There was no way I would be able to make friends in that amount of time. All I could think was that the holidays were going to be lonely this year. I was accustomed to spending them with family and friends. This year it would just be family.

The near future abated quickly from my mind as I pulled into a parking space. The butterflies that had been fluttering about my stomach for the last fifteen minutes suddenly seemed to grow wings the size of hawks and threatened to come up and make an appearance. I settled my stomach as best I could and walked briskly into the school, unsuccessfully trying to escape the biting cold. The lobby was buzzing with activity and it seemed like all three hundred students were milling around the office.

“For a tiny hick-ville school, it’s pretty hard to get anywhere,” I thought, getting caught between people every step I took.

I gently pushed my way past the other students until I was at the receptionist’s desk. No one was behind the desk, so I stood waiting patiently for an administrator to come. I waited for about five minutes when I heard a voice from behind me.

“Brandee Santos?” the smooth male voice asked.

I turned to face whomever it was that had spoken to me. A good three or four inches taller than my five foot ten, I faced a young man who seemed to be around my age. I smiled nervously, immediately entranced by his emerald green eyes and friendly, warm smile. Long lashes lapped gently at his high cheekbones whenever he blinked. He had a beautiful copper toned face and a well-trimmed goatee that rested upon a strong mandible. Carelessly spiked, dark brown hair accentuated his look. He was well dressed with a loose black sweater and a pair of khaki cargo pants. I drank in the sight of him and thought I would faint just from being in his presence.

“Y-y-yes, that’s me,” I managed to stammer. I then gave him a quizzical look. “How did you know my name?”

“Seems I’ve forgotten my manners," he chuckled softly. He immediately outstretched a strong large hand to me. “I’m Alex Harrington. President of the student body. I’m here to show you around and help you get acquainted a little better.”

I reached out and shook his hand gently, resting only my fingers in his palm. His hand was so big, I thought it could easily crush my own. His palm was warm, dry, and unexpectedly soft. The heat emanating from his hand traveled down my fingertips and up to my cheeks. I managed to smile back at this modern day Adonis who was standing right in front of me.

“Do you have everything?” he inquired.

“Yes, um, I think so,” I said. I made one last look around me to make sure I had gathered everything I would need. He put his hand on my lower back and escorted me from the office.

“All right then, let’s get the tour started, shall we?”

I followed the guide of his hand and I smiled. Something about the feeling of his hand on my back just spread warmth through my entire body. As we continued to walk, I could feel my face becoming increasingly flushed. It was getting too warm for me so I brought my hands to the front of my pea coat and began unbuttoning it. Disappointedly, I felt Alex remove his hand from my back. I tried not to let on that I had been enjoying it so much. Afterall, I had known the boy not even five minutes. As I slipped the pea coat from my shoulders, Alex gently took it from me.

“Oh, no, I’ll take that,” I said, reaching for it and smiling.

“Nonsense,” he replied. “I’ve got it.” He placed his right hand on my shoulder and smiled warmly. I eased in next to him a little closer and I felt his hand move first to the middle of my shoulders, then slowly down to its previous position. I let out a barely audible but contented sigh as he walked me to our first stop. The auditorium.

Alex opened the door for me and led me down the carpeted isle. A man named Mr. Kline sat in the first row, milling over a stack of papers, the tip of a pen placed curiously in between his lips. The stage lights reflected sharply off his balding scalp.

“Excuse me, Mr. Kline,” Alex interrupted. The man placed his paperwork to the side and, over his glasses, cast a quick look at Alex and me. I smiled as nicely as I could. “This is Brandee Santos, our new student. She just moved here from Boston.” I shot a sidelong glance to Alex. How did he know all of these things about me already?

A grin slowly spread over Mr. Kline’s face. “Well, Brandee,” he began, “welcome to Canton High School. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I reciprocated. I looked in awe upon the auditorium. This tiny school had a very modern electronics system for their stage productions. I whistled softly.

“Like what you see?” asked Mr. Kline. “It’s state-of-the-art.”

“You’re not kidding,” I said, still in awe. “Our school had nothing like this back home. And we are in a huge city with a fairly good reputation for the performing arts. This is probably the most advanced technical equipment I’ve ever seen used in amateur settings. I’m impressed!”

Mr. Kline’s grin spread from ear to ear. “Ah, an aficionado of the arts! Tell me, Brandee, do you act?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact I was leading lady in all six plays back at my old school. I’m hoping to go to a performing arts school back in Boston after I graduate. Then, of course, it’s out to California to pursue my dream.” My mind began to wander to fantasies of my future life, my fame, and my fortune. Alex’s hands on my shoulders quickly stirred me out of my just beginning fantasy. He stood behind me, his face so close I could barely feel his downy breath cascading past my cheek.

“You know, Brandee, we’ve been conducting auditions for this last week for the upcoming spring play. Would you be interested in auditioning? We still haven’t filled the role of Emma, our leading lady.”

It was my turn to grin from ear to ear. “I would love that! When can I try out?” I asked eagerly.

“Right now!” he replied just as enthusiastically. “I’ll have Alex, here, read lines with you. I have just cast him as our Jean.” He held up the top paper to prove his previous statement. Alex gave a quick squeeze to my shoulders and laughed half-excitedly. He reached forward to shake Mr. Kline’s hand.

“Wow, Mr. Kline. I don’t know what to say except, well, thank you!” Alex said, beaming.

“Well you two, get up on stage and I’ll call out a prompt. There aren’t any scripts, Brandee, so you will do this impromptu. Just flow with it.” Alex grabbed my hand and quickly ascended the steps to center stage. “Okay. The time frame is the present. Brandee and Alex, you two are long time lovers but Brandee has just found out that she must move far, far away. You’ll never see one another again. I want to see – no,feel the passion between you. All right. Begin scene.”

I looked up slightly into Alex’s green eyes. I began to get nervous. My mouth was slightly agape and I couldn’t force a word out. He looked down, grasped my hands gently and ran his thumbs over the backs of my hands.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “You’ll be fine.”

I closed my lips and swallowed hard. With a squeeze of his hands, I began.

“Alex, we must talk. About us.”

“I’m listening,” he replied.

Alex brought his hand up to my face and let the pad of his thumb trace my cheekbone. Instinctively I placed my hand upon his, closed my eyes, and rolled my head just far enough to kiss his gentle fingers. When looked back at him, he was gazing at me through half-closed eyes, a smile tugging tenderly at the corners of his soft, supple lips. I moaned quietly, his touch transforming my body into jelly. I felt like I was falling in love with a boy I had just met.

“This is hard,” I told him, “and I don’t want to hurt you. So please, bear with me.”

“Nothing you can say or do would ever hurt me. You’re not capable of that. I can see it in your eyes.”

I looked into his eyes and he looked back into mine earnestly. I spun from him and looked away at the opposite side of the auditorium. I was breathing hard; the intensity of our acting was getting to me.

“You don’t understand,” I said, tears suddenly apparent in my voice. I wasn’t sad or extremely happy, so why was I crying? I surprised myself with the level of emotion that was surging through my body. “I have to leave you! We’ll never see each other again!”

He took a step toward me and put his hands upon my waist, spinning me around and pulling me in tight to his chest. My breasts pushed into him and I became nervous thinking that he might be able to feel my nipples protruding from beneath my shirt. His hands applied a wonderful pressure to my hips that made my knees go week and the bottom of my belly tingle. He was getting me aroused! He reached up to swipe a tear from my eye as he snaked his other hand to my lower back and pulled me closer. My breathing quickened. My pelvis was mashed against his and although I had never felt or even seen a man’s hardened sex I knew that was exactly what I felt growing between Alex’s legs. I could feel my own begin to get wetter, my panties getting more soaked by the second.

He hadn’t said anything but I felt the need to reply.

“Oh, Alex,” I said in no more than a whisper. “Oh, I don’t want to leave you. But I must, I must leave. Can you not understand that? My parents are moving and I have to go with them. Thousands of miles away. Just let me go. It will be easier this way.”

His grip lessened and I began to slowly push away from him.

“Wait,” he said, catching my hands and pulling them to his shoulders. “Please, Brandee, just one last kiss. That’s all I want.”

“I should just go…”

“Please,” he said huskily, his voice urgent.

No more words were said. He captured my face within his hands and pulled it toward his slowly, gently. I closed my eyes as I felt my lips brush his. He pushed the kiss no further. His lips simply rested on mine. He was so soft and sweet. We stayed that way for about ten seconds and I finally pulled away, breathless. I turned, head down, and walked to the edge of the stage. Mr. Kline, whom I had nearly forgotten was watching it, stood up, beginning the cliché slow clap.

“End scene!” he exclaimed. “That was fantastic! Wonderful! I’ve found my new Emma!”

I turned to him awkwardly, trying to smile, wiping away the mysterious tears.

“Thank you, Mr. Kline. Thank you so much. I can’t wait for rehearsals. Thank you!”

Alex walked over to me and placed an arm around my shoulders. “Congratulations…Emma.”