Justin Thyme Ch. 10

Monday morning was a big day for Susie. It was to be the first day back at school since the accident, and she was nervous as she prepared for the day. She was wearing her prosthesis, and the decision had been made for her to use her arm crutches, as much as she hated to do so, just to provide the extra stability since she would be walking much more than she had to this point.

She has really matured over the last few weeks, and her relationship with Michael has done a lot to stabilize her. She no longer is the tease she once was, and I noted Michael's influence extended to the way she dressed as well. Her innate sexiness was muted. Not hidden by any means, but she was not as blatant as she had been. She exuded a confidence about herself she had not shown before.

Of course, she was swarmed by friends as she walked through the door, and teachers made it a point to ask how they could make her transition back to classwork easier, and a number of them moved her seat to the front of the class nearest the door to make it easier to navigate the classroom. By the time lunchtime rolled around she was back into the swing of things, but was tired from all of the walking necessary, plus carrying her books on her back so she could use the crutches. She sat down across from me with a sigh and a groan. "I don't remember school being so much work before!"

I just laughed. "You also didn't have to walk on your arms like a lowland gorilla, either."

She made a face at me, and then smiled. "These things were supposed to make it easier to get about, but they don't. They do make it possible, though. I thought Mom was crazy when she insisted I use them, but my stump is getting really tired and sore." She smiled again. "Of course, the blisters from dancing so long with Michael the other night don't help! They are worth every bit of it, though."

"I have study halls for the rest of the day. I can meet you and carry your books for you if that would help. I know Mrs. Clancy would give me a hall pass so I can get there before your next class is out."

"Oh, that's no problem. I've been having all kinds of guys offering to carry my books all day. I actually had two of them get in a fight over it after first hour. I've just had to say I could do it myself. Guys are strange sometimes! That doesn't mean I don't appreciate your offer. By the way, thank you for all of the support you and Rosemary have been through all of this. I really appreciate it, and today kind of brings it into focus."

"We haven't done much. I feel like we have abandoned you for the most part going up to Scottsdale every weekend like we have been."

"I understand that. You've been there during the weeks and have always encouraged me when I was discouraged, and what you did for Michael means so much."

I shrugged. "What we did for Michael is only what we would have wanted someone to do for us in that position. He's a good guy and I think he's been good for you. You're different, more mature and settled."

Susie colored a bit. "He's done a lot to make me look at myself and appreciate myself for who I am, not who I thought I needed to be. I know I was an awful tease before." She reached across the table and held my hand. "I know I teased you a lot with the way I dressed and acted. I'm really sorry. I didn't think about how I made you feel, but I tried to get your attention to make me feel better, to feel attractive."

"Susie, you are attractive, and you've always been attractive. Anyone who doesn't think you are attractive isn't quite right upstairs. I think a lot of you girls just don't understand what really attracts a guy. Oh, sure, some guys are rather superficial in what they look for, but real beauty is much more than skin deep. I've always known you had that quality, but you didn't know it. Michael has been bringing it out of you."

"Thanks, Justin." She squeezed my hand, almost hurting it in her passion. "That means a lot. I always tried to turn you on, trying to get your attention."

"Oh, you got it all right! And, you managed to turn me on more times than you know. I enjoyed it, but at the same time, I wanted more than that. I wanted to be the one who was doing more of the pursuing. Do you understand what I'm saying? It isn't that I didn't, or don't like you, or that I didn't, or don't think you are a very attractive girl."

"I think I do, and thanks. And thanks again for what you have done for Michael. By the way, he's taking me to Prom. Are you going to take Steph?"

I grinned at her. "I'm going with two beautiful girls this year. I'm taking both Stephanie and Rosemary."

Susie was almost wistful as she nodded. "You know, I was really trying to get you to ask me. I'm not sorry, don't misunderstand, but for old time's sake, could I get one dance with you?"

"You have a date. In fact, I'm going to talk with Michael and we can all go as a group. The three of you girls have always been together. I think we ought to keep it that way."

The end of period bell interrupted us. I hadn't realized how late in the hour it was. I quickly gathered our trays and stood. Susie grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "You know something, Justin? I really love you, and I think I always have. It isn't the same as Steph or Rosemary, nor is it what I think I'm feeling for Michael, but I love you, and I always will." She leaned over the table and pulled me toward her enough to kiss me on the cheek. "Thank you for always being there for me," and she turned and started for the door. It's funny, but I felt that kiss on my cheek for the rest of the day, and it meant more to me than anything else she could ever have done.

Michael made arrangements to pick Susie up directly outside the door when school let out since he did not have a handicapped placard for his car. The arrangement earned Susie more than a few envious looks as she maneuvered her way into Michael's new CTS, and he closed the door for her. As he entered the car she said, "You make me feel like a princess being picked up rather than just a girl being picked up from school."

"Little One, you are a princess, and I expect to treat you as such, whether you like it or not!" He grinned over at her as he slipped the car into gear.

"Oh, I like it, all right! And I hope you keep on doing it, since you are my handsome prince." He made a face, but grinned again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I walked into the house at a little after seven in the evening to find no one around. I had gone over to the store right after school to pick up some of our electronics for the house and got to talking with Jim and the guys. Of course I had to take a lot of grief from the guys about the 'brothel' I was building before Jim and I were able to sit down and discuss some of the issues I was facing. I dearly wanted to run all of the necessary wiring without having to break into the walls or run it on the surface. We had discussed going wireless, but I really wasn't certain about changing batteries every thirty to forty-five days. Jim showed me some new photo-voltaic cells that were much more efficient and cost effective than any we had stocked before I left the store. I was still a bit dubious because some of the ones we had sold in the past were garbage, to be kind. I know Jim lost his shorts on some of them that he replaced, even after the warrantee expired, when they failed.

I agreed to take some of them with me and use them for a test over the summer, leaving me time to change back to either batteries or wired before school started and the girls moved in.

Right now, I was tired and in not a very good mood. I really couldn't tell you why, because I had a good time jawing with the guys at the store, and I always had a good time with Jim, but frankly I was in a funk.

Dad flew out to Los Angeles for a trade show early this morning, and would be out of town until Wednesday of next week, and I got a call from Mom while I was at the store saying she had a dinner meeting that would be going late this evening, so Rosemary and I would have the house to ourselves. That should have put me in a good mood, but even that didn't shake me out of my funk. I laid a folder of technical data on the counter and went to the fridge to get a Coke when I heard the noise from the pool area and glanced outside. Then I remembered why I was in such a bad mood. Rachel Salazar, a cousin on Mom's side, was here for a couple of days during her college Spring Break. What she planned to do while Rosemary and I were in school I didn't know, but we had to entertain her in the evenings.

Rachel and I did not get along at all. When we were little kids the three of us were practically inseperable, but when she started growing tits everything changed. We used to swim naked together until she started developing. I said something about her tits once, and she said I had a baby dick. That was the last time we swam naked, and about the last time she and I had a good word for each other.

She decided I was a nerd and a geek, and therefore I was beneath her. When she became a cheerleader at her school she was totally insufferable. Rosemary had to put up with her, but I would hide in my room whenever she was around. That didn't mean I didn't sneak peeks when she was wearing a bathing suit, though. I did mention she had grown tits didn't I?

Stephanie and Susie were both over as well, so I grabbed the technical data from the counter and hurried on up to my room, where I locked the door and settled down to read with some good music going. I had been missing my music while working on the house weekends, and had been so busy I had not really spent any time relaxing to it during the weeks either. Music can really help me get my mind right when in a bad mood, and by the time I had finished listening to Scheherazade I had mellowed out considerably.

I heard the girls coming up the steps and remembered the Koala at the last moment. In the last several weeks I had not even bothered turning it on. After all, when you get the real thing, why bother with watching. I did mention Rachel had grown tits though didn't I? While not massive, they were larger than Rosemary's or Susie's, and I wouldn't mind getting a good look at them. I just didn't want to have to put up with her garbage to do it. I wouldn't mind a good look at Susie's either for that matter, and I always like to look at Rosemary and Steph. All four at once was just icing on the cake.

Rachel has long black hair that will reach to her butt if she has it down, which she did tonight, in a long braid. She was wearing a little bikini that was nothing more than two little triangles held together with little pieces of string, and a tiny little thong that was nearly invisible from the back, except for the string across the top. A quick pull of the string and her bra popped loose, and Rachel lifted it over her head, freeing those boobs I have wanted to see for a long time now. She had amazing brown areolas that were about the size of the old half-dollars, and nipples that just begged to be sucked and played with.

I felt myself hardening even before she reached down and untied the bottoms and let them fall to her feet. Her pussy was clean shaven, as it would have to be with that tiny little bikini. Her pussy lips were large and pronounced and were made to be fucked. She leaned her head back and swung her braid around over her shoulder, which of course also set her tits to swinging and bouncing on her chest. I watched as she untied the end of the braid and combed her hair loose with her fingers, then spread her hair over both boobs and combed through it, carefully untangling any snarls and tweaking her nipples with her finger tips as they went by.

The other girls had also undressed, and were in the process of drying off, giving me flashes of boobs and pussies as the towels covered and uncovered them. Of course, I was quite familiar with Rosemary and Steph's bodies, and had seen Susie's, although it had been some time. I was torn as to where to look, with Rachel's body being new to me it caught my eye, but as I saw the haughty look that never seemed to leave her face, and I listened to her catty comments I found myself appreciating the other three girls even more. I felt kind of guilty looking at Susie, feeling she belonged to Michael, but it didn't stop me from admiring her charms. I would never make a play for her, but it didn't mean I didn't appreciate her beauty. Rachel, on the other hand, really left me cold. Beauty may be only skin deep, but ugly goes to the bone. It was beauty on the outside, and that is where it ended. I was so glad she didn't go to ASU, and we didn't have to rent her a room!

I stroked myself to orgasm while watching the monitor, but I found it totally unsatisfactory. I really wanted to be with Stephanie tonight since I had missed her over the weekend, but that was obviously not going to happen. I settled for some physical relief, but was terribly disappointed by the lack of intimacy that I wanted, no, that I needed. I turned off the monitor before Rachel finished drying or dressing and tried hard to focus my attention on the data sheets I needed to familiarize myself with. The more I tried to read them the more they were just words that projected no meaning. I plugged in Canon in D and cranked the volume loud enough to immerse myself totally in it and let the sound waves wash over me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael was sitting at the table in his condo with his parents, eating at home for the first time in a long time something other than fried eggs or cold cereal. He had not done the cooking, obviously, and he was enjoying his mother's cooking.

"What are your intentions with Susie, Son?" asked Jeff. "Your mother and I both like her, so don't take my question as a pejorative."

"I'm really not sure, Dad. I really, really like the girl, and her parents and I get along really great. They've been awesome, in fact, giving me a key to the house so I could be involved in her therapy. I wouldn't have done that for someone I knew so little, but I guess the trust I had built up with Susie swayed them. I have given it back, by the way." Michael sat there in thought for a few moments with neither of his parents breaking his reverie. "I'm going to take my time with her and see where it goes. Like I told you before, she is unlike anyone I've ever been with before, and is not impressed with my money, nor does she even have a clue how much I have, other than I've been able to do whatever was needed for her. She doesn't like me doing things for her. She thinks I'm spoiling her, or spending too much. It's a welcome change from Silvia, and that's for sure!"

Jeff snorted in agreement, while Joanne had a look of distaste as if she smelled something foul.

"I had about given up hope of finding anyone like Mom, here, and had really quit even looking."

"Thank you. That was sweet."

"I mean it, Mom. I've been evaluating all of the girls by you since I grew up enough to understand." He paused again, obviously deep in thought. "There are two things that keep me from going after her, and I don't know what to think about them. First of all, I don't think tragedy is a good platform to build a relationship, and I'm afraid she looks at me like to much of a hero who can never fail her. That is a recipe for disappointment. Secondly, she hasn't been raised like I have and doesn't have the same belief system. It's not that she isn't a good person; she is, but sometimes she is not as modest as I would like her to be."

Joanne reached around the table far enough to put a hand around his neck and pull him to her in a hug. "Son, you have really grown up in the last year. As much heartache as Silvia was to you, and to us, I really think that was a good experience. It didn't jade you, but it taught you to evaluate carefully. She can learn. Do you think it would be helpful for me to have a little 'girl time' with her?"

Michael nodded. "If you can find the time I would like it very much. I really like Susie, and there are some things I'm having trouble telling her. For one thing, I'm escorting her to her Senior Prom, and I know most of the girls will be wearing totally inappropriate dresses, and I'm afraid of what Susie would choose."

"Maybe I could recommend my dressmaker, and a custom dress, as my gift?"

"I wasn't expecting you to buy the dress!"

Joanne just waved a hand dismissively at him. "I'll give her a jingle right after dinner and set something up. We have to be in town for the hospital board meeting tomorrow and Wednesday anyway. Leave it to me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Rosemary's room Michael was the subject of the conversation at the moment.

"Susie, who was that cute guy in the Caddy that dropped you off here this afternoon? He's cute?"

"That's Michael Borden. He's the guy who ran into Stephie and me, but he's a really sweet guy who has been making sure I get taken care of properly."

"Yeah," said Stephanie. "He was at my house the next day with a big bouquet of roses to ask my forgiveness for hitting us. Even though my car was nine years old he bought me a brand new, well, last year's model, Malibu to replace it since the insurance company was dragging their feet about replacing the car. The wreck wasn't really his fault at all. He was at a party and drank some spiked punch and didn't know he was under the influence because he doesn't drink. He has been taking good care of both of us, and he and Justin have gotten to be good friends."

"He must be rich!" Rachel said. "Are you trying to catch him?"

"I don't know if he's rich or not. He sold a computer program my dad uses and likes, so he's doing OK. He doesn't seem to need anything. I'm not really trying to 'catch' him, although I really like him a lot. He's different than most of the other guys I know. He isn't trying to get into my pants all the time, or trying to cop a feel or sneak a peek. He acts like he likes me, but I really don't know. He's going to take me to the prom, and we had a really good time dancing the other night."

"Wow. Sounds like he's doing all right. I'd be trying to catch him for sure! Maybe I'll give it a whirl."

"Why? So what if he has money. It's just stuff. I want a guy who wants me, not his money."

Rachel shook her head as she pulled a low-cut tank top over her head. "I'll be happy with the 'stuff' as you call it. With enough money you can buy your own happiness."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I gave up on trying to comprehend the data sheets in my state of mind and I threw on some old shorts and a tee shirt and made my way to the kitchen to scare up something to eat. I saw the girls had ordered in a pizza, but I didn't find any leftovers, so I broke out a packet of Ramen, to which I added some garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, onion, and a handful of browned ground beef to give it some flavor and made myself some soup. I was eating it when the girls made their way down the stairs.

"Hey, Justin. I didn't hear you come home. If I had known when you were coming I'd have ordered enough pizza for you, too."

"No problem, Rosemary. You were in the pool when I got home." I got a big smile from Susie, and Steph gave me a little hug, which garnered a barely veiled sneer from Rachel. She didn't even bother to speak, but then I guess it was even, because I didn't either. "How's the leg after school today, Susie?"

"It's sore and tired, but the pool helped. I think I'm going to have to leave the prosthesis off for tomorrow, though. I still have blisters from dancing Saturday night." She gave me a big grin. "It was worth it, and don't tell Michael! He's already trying to baby me too much. I have to toughen it up somehow, and I don't know a more enjoyable way. This weekend I get to try the spring and try running again if it heals up enough between now and then. I really miss running."

Her phone rang just then, and she excused herself to answer it, and hopped into the living room to get away from our talking. It was only moments before she hopped back in to the kitchen with a big smile on her face. "That was Joanne. She wants to pick me up from school tomorrow for some 'girl time' so we can get acquainted away from the guys. She's cool. I really like her!"