White Trash Mouse Ch. 05

Chapter Five: Mouse Trap

Rainer slouched at his desk, thoroughly depressed. Despite his very best efforts, he could not get Mouse to talk to him. I really screwed up, he thought morosely. Not only were my grades were improving but...but... Well, he wasn't certain what. That night in the rain had left him confused. Despite what had happened between them that night before her parents had come home, Rainer had been feeling as though she was his friend, period. But something about her stirred his blood and made him want more and more of her.

Even now she sat not so far from him, and it was hell trying to keep his body in check. Mouse refused to even look at him; she was focused intently upon "Pride and Prejudice" and was further along than anyone else. Rainer hadn't gotten very far himself; without her help he was lost. He'd tried talking to Mouse's best friend, Kara, but that had proved an act in futility. Kara knew all of the latest gossip flying around the school, but she didn't know, or wouldn't tell, what it was that made Mouse tick.

I have to find a way to explain to her, Rainer thought, dropping his head into his hands. And I have to apologize, too. It wasn't like he hadn't tried. On the contrary, he'd tried to speak to her every time he saw her, had called her house on numerous occasions, and had even showed up there once. She'd been home; her car was in the driveway. But she hadn't answered the door, even when Rainer had gone around the side of the house and rapped on her window.

As he sat, staring at the words on the page, a plan began to form in his mind. It was absolutely crazy; he could get into a lot of trouble. But Rainer was running out of options and he absolutely had to find a way to get her to listen. If he was going to do it, he'd have to be very careful, and think very quickly. This isn't over yet, little Mouse, he thought, glancing sideways at her. You're going to listen to me one way or another.

*****

Mouse's gel pen squelched on the paper. The messy scrawl was striking dark emerald and almost painfully stark against the white paper. She sighed heavily, scribbling a little bug eyed frog in the margin. I can't believe how bored I am, she thought, chewing on the cap of the pen. I can't believe I miss that arrogant, spoiled brat. But she did. Mouse missed Rainer's company, and it was starting to show. She was trying to remain cool and distant, but he was very persistent.

Using the end of the pen, she flipped back through the notebook idly. A page with black ink, a strange blot in all the color, caught her attention. It was an older poem, one she had written last year, or perhaps the year before. Mouse dropped her eyes to the paper and read the poem over carefully.

'Lies bleed into truth, From wounds that never heal. Once you find a reality Even one inside your mind, Once you find your journey, There's nothing left to find. Because then you depend on others, And lose what is yourself. Your journey is your lie, And you must blame someone else. Behind a wall of glass, The lonely child cries. You cannot hear her words, but She cannot hear your lies. That's what makes her eyes go cold, Like empty, barren space. Yet you will never understand, The smile on her face.'

Mouse scowled. Am I really as cold and alone as all that? She wondered, snapping the notebook shut. The poem communicated her feelings rather well, as far as the passing years went. Even Kara was no balm to soothe her loneliness; Kara was a typical teenager, shallow and self-absorbed. Oh, she's a good person under that, Mouse thought with a sigh. She just hasn't grown up enough to realize it yet.

The excuse sounded good enough in her head. She wasn't very proud of her lack of faith in people, but they hadn't given her much reason to trust them. Mouse pursed her lips around the tip of her gel pen and glanced over to the open door of her bedroom. I'm full of closed doors, she thought. I never open them and try to see what's behind them. Maybe if I did, I could understand...But how could she forgive Rainer for what he had said? She reached out for the mug of tea sitting on her bedside table and jumped when the doorbell rang.

Grumbling, Mouse dropped her pen, shoving it and then notebook aside, and got up. She padded up to the front door, standing on her bare toes to look out the peephole. No one. Odd, she thought, turning the dead bolt, then the normal lock. It's only eight, bit early for ding dong ditch, isn't it? The air held a bit of a chill, but she relished it, stepping out into the driveway. It was mostly dark, with only the dusky gold and purple light of sunset to illuminate the empty street. There was no one in sight; not even a mischievous kid escaping away down the sidewalk.

Mouse turned to go back in and felt someone grab her from behind. Startled, she sucked in a breath, opened her mouth to scream, but she never got the chance. Cloth filled her mouth, muffling any sound she tried to make. Furious, she lifted her foot and kicked backwards, feeling immensely satisfied when her heel connected hard with her attacker's shin and she heard a yelp of pain. Before she could pull the gag from her mouth, her attacker had recovered, and strong hands pulled her own hands behind her back, binding them at the wrist.

Panicking now, Mouse strained against her attacker's hold, trying to turn her head to catch a glimpse of him (it had to be a man, he was too strong for aught else). Another cloth was pulled over her eyes, rendering her world in completely darkness. Please, no, she thought, struggling frantically against the man's strong hold. I don't like the dark! She was forced forward, pushed into what she assumed was the backseat of a car. There were always cars parked on the side of the road; she hadn't noticed anything odd about it. The neighborhood she lived in...damn, no one was bound to say anything about this unless asked by the police.

Who is this man? Mouse wondered, wriggling her hands against the bindings holding her. What could he possibly want with me? It occurred to her that it had to be someone she knew; the whole thing seemed planned. When she found out who this nutcase was...well, she was even going to be more infuriated than she was now. Or more terrified.

*****

Rainer chewed on his lower lip fretfully and shifted in the soft, comfortable lounge chair in the corner of his room. It wasn't very comfortable at the moment. Her stared at Mouse, bound, gagged, and blind-folded on his bed, and finally lying still after wriggling and fighting for quite awhile. What the hell am I doing? he wondered, standing from the chair to pace around the room. I could get in so much trouble. Why am I doing all of this for one small, mousy, stubborn...Rainer's thoughts trailed off as Mouse stirred, stretching restlessly on the bed, and moaning low in her throat.

"I'm sorry," Rainer said softly. "I guess that hurts. I didn't think of that."

Mouse went still, but she couldn't respond due to the gag in her mouth. She recognizes my voice, Rainer realized. There was nothing for it now. He paced to the side of the bed and reached for her, lifting her head gently and untying the blind fold. As it fell away, he met her eyes; the normal soft, liquid brown was full of fiery, angry sparks. He backed away from her, deciding it was not yet a good time to untie the gag or loose her wrists.

"Now, I know what you're probably thinking," Rainer said, pacing the room as he talked. "And yes, this is crazy. I know that. But I've been trying for days and days to get you to just listen to me. I know that I should have told my mom the truth. And I'm sorry I didn't...but you don't know my mom!"

Mouse just glared at him angrily. Rainer winced, and finally stopped his pacing, settling down on the very end of the bed. Out of reach of her feet. Even though she wore no shoes, she had strong legs; he could bet she had quite a kick.

"Do you think I would go through all this trouble if I wasn't sincere?" Rainer demanded. "I don't know why...I have no clue...but I know I'm not going to just let you walk out of my life! Whether you like it or not, we are going to fix it, and I'm not letting you go until we do!"

Mouse's expression had changed from angry to somewhat skeptical and somewhat amused. Rainer took that as a good sign. He inched across the bed, keeping a wary eye on her, and gently began to untie her gag. As it slipped free from her mouth, she inhaled deeply. He dropped his fingers to her mouth, gently tracing her chapped lips. Rainer felt bad for using a gag on her...until she opened her mouth and bit down on his finger, hard.

"Ow!" Rainer cried, jerking his hand back.

"Serves you right!" Mouse snarled. "Who do you think you are? How dare you put me through that? I should have you arrested!"

"What part of 'I'm sorry' don't you understand?" Rainer growled.

"The part where you think I'm going to forgive you!" Mouse snapped.

Rainer stared at her. She was stretched across his bed with her hands bound above her head; he had changed their position before laying her down so she would not be too uncomfortable. She hadn't been wearing her glasses, so he could see her face, her large, expressive eyes, her pert nose, her full mouth, all of it, so well. As usual when she was at home, Mouse had been barefoot, and she was wearing shorts. Her anger put sparks of gold in her eyes and roses in her pale cheeks. Rainer found himself laughing softly.

"What's so funny?" Mouse demanded, struggling hard against her bindings.

"You're just so beautiful," Rainer murmured, settling onto the bed once more.

Mouse blinked a few times, staring at him. The anger faded from her face. Rainer cradled her cheek against his palm and bent over her, brushing his lips against hers. He felt her timid response, the bare movement of her lips that made his body tighten in response. He rested his hands against her hips lightly, nudging his fingertips beneath her t-shirt. Mouse sighed softly against his mouth, and he lifted his head, gazing down at her.

"Do you trust me, sweetheart?" Rainer asked. "I want...I want to do something..."

Mouse's cheeks went hot. "What are you going to do?"

Smiling, Rainer leaned forward, pressing his lips to her ear. He felt her shiver as he whispered his intentions, then caught her earlobe between and nibbled gently. His hands traveled up over her sides, pushing her t-shirt up until he exposed her breasts. Lounging comfortably at home, she hadn't been wearing a bra, either. Rainer cupped one of her breasts, gently thumbing the rapidly stiffening nipple. He kept his eyes on her, barely breathing, until he saw her short, shy nod of consent.

Swiftly he unfastened her shorts and pulled them down. Mouse squeaked softly, her eyes dropping to the side. Smiling, Rainer trailed his hands over her stomach, appreciating the trembling of her body. He hooks his fingers into the waistband of her panties, and tugged. She didn't look at him, and her face was bright red, but she lifted her hips, making it easier for him to slide the panties off and toss them to the side. He moved closer, kneeling and pulling her legs of his thighs.

Mouse gasped softly as he brushed his fingers over the V of dark curls between her legs. She squirmed, her eyes widening, and pushed herself up onto her elbows. Rainer dropped his hands back to her thighs, holding her in place, not allowing her to struggle away.

"Shhh," Rainer soothed. "Just relax, baby."

He trailed his hand up her thigh, to the soft, wet flesh between her legs. Rainer stroked her with the tips of his fingers, teasing her until she dropped back to the bed, watching him from beneath heavy lids. He watched as her eyes turned a liquid golden brown beneath the sexy dip of her lashes. Wetness dampened his fingers. Rainer drew his hand away, and Mouse moaned, her hips lifting, her mouth curling into a pout. Perfect, he thought, catching her thighs to pull her hips into the air. Just what I wanted...

The first touch of his tongue against her swollen clit made her cry out in surprise. Rainer pulled the little nub of sensitive flesh into his mouth, suckling gently. Mouse moaned and squirmed, her hips bucking restlessly against his mouth. He shifted his grip on her, positioning her legs over his shoulders, and began laving his tongue over her in long, sure strokes. Her fingers gripped the bedspread, holding to it tightly, as her back arched off the mattress. Rainer dipped his tongue inside her and felt her body clench.

"R-Rainer!" Mouse stammered breathlessly.

He was surprised she could even speak. Laying a hand on her belly, he felt the tension that was building inside her. Reaching out, he took one of her hands, pulling it from its death grip on the blankets to rest in his hair. Mouse immediately curled her fingers in his hair, holding him close. While the gesture turned him on, it was completely unnecessary; he had no intention of stopping until she came.

Rainer continued to lick and suckle gently on her clit until he felt her still beneath him. The warm rush of feminine honey that spilled down her thighs was quickly lapped away. As his tongue continued to work, he listened with intense satisfaction to her loud cry of pleasure. He continued to lap at her gently as she panted, her body shuddering with aftershocks, and finally released her when she had calmed a little. Rainer said up, pulling her legs down from his shoulders to rest on the bed, and studying her. Sweat glistened over her skin, giving it a pearly sheen.

While she continued to get her bearings, Rainer stretched out next to her, lazily stroking her breasts and belly. When she at last turned to gaze at him, he graced her with a charming smile. Mouse scowled.

"Don't look so damn pleased with yourself," She grumbled.

Rainer chuckled. "But I am pleased with myself. And I would guess that, despite your grumpy demeanor, you're quite pleased with me as well."

Mouse blushed and looked away. Reaching out, Rainer cradled her chin, and turned her gaze to his. He brushed his thumb gently along her lips, drawing a contented sigh from her. Stubborn little Mouse, he thought, smiling. You act so tough, but there's a soft side to you too. Rainer put his arms around her, drawing her close, and kissed the top of her head.

"Tell me something, sweetheart," He said.

"Hmm?" Mouse murmured, snuggling against him sleepily.

"What's your real name?" Rainer asked. "I can't believe your parents named you Mouse."

"My parents didn't," Mouse replied. "However, that's what my foster parents tend to call me."

"You're adopted?" Rainer turned his head to stare at her.

Mouse nodded. "Sure am. I don't remember my real parents too well."

"I'm sorry," Rainer said. "But that doesn't answer my question."

Mouse sighed heavily and sat up. She retrieved her panties and shorts, pulling them back on. For a moment he worried that he had offended her, but soon she was sitting next to him once more.

"My name is..." She hesitated, then sighed. "Evelyn."

"Evelyn," Rainer repeated, savoring the sound of it. "Beautiful. Why would you put up with being called Mouse?"

"Because Mouse fits me," She explained. "Evelyn sounds elegant and sophisticated and pretty. A whole bunch of things that I'm not."

"Nonsense," Rainer scoffed. "Okay, well, I don't really know about elegant or sophisticated...I think you need to be at least twenty-five before those words apply, or something. But you're definitely quite lovely."

Reaching out, he took her hands in his. She lifted her gaze to watch him as he laid little kisses along her knuckles. Rainer was pleased to see that she didn't look away from him this time. Maybe I'll warm your heart yet, little one, he thought, lifting his head and drawing her near. She allowed him to pull her into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," Rainer said. "I know I shouldn't have done that. I just...I wanted you to listen to me so badly. I really am sorry for what I said. I miss you. I miss your company. And I miss your superhuman understanding of people like Charles Dickens and Jane Austin."

Mouse laughed. "Oh, I see. You miss your good grades, do you?"

"Actually...I miss the sound of your voice when you read to me," Rainer admitted quietly. "And the way you explain everything...the expressions on your face, the gestures you make with your hands..."

He trailed off, and he could feel himself turning red. He hadn't meant to say that much. In fact, Rainer hadn't realized that those feelings were there. Mouse lifted her head from his shoulder, raising her hands to cup his face. She gave him a wan smile, an expression that was both exasperated and hopeful.

"All right, Rainer," She said. "I forgive you."

He didn't need her to say it. Rainer could hear the words hanging in the silence between them. This time. She was going to forgive him this time, but she might not if he did something like this again. He was going to have to stand up to his mother eventually, no matter what. Rainer still wasn't certain why he wanted it, or how it had come to be, but he was determined to keep his stubborn little Mouse in his life.