Katie's Quest Ch. 06

The next seven days were some of the longest of Kieran's life. It was, he reflected, one of the great ironies of the universe that the more you're looking forward to something, the slower time seems to pass. So it was with him as the day of the Florida trip crawled ever closer. Often it seemed as though it would never arrive, but at least he had time to prepare.

On the upside, he was able to see Katie just about every day, both in and outside of school. She seemed eager to spend every spare minute with him, and he was happy to reciprocate. They talked in between classes, they talked as they walked to their next class, they ate lunch together, and in the afternoon he'd pick her up in his truck and they would go do something together. Sometimes they went out to eat before watching a movie at his place, other times Katie would suggest doing something else. At her urging, Kieran went with her to the local art museum and they spent three thoroughly pleasant hours walking through the galleries until closing time. It was his first time being in any sort of museum at all, and he found it much to his liking. Another time she took him to the library, and they spent hours browsing the shelves while Katie urged him to pick a book he felt like reading on their upcoming flight.

Kieran wasn't much of a reader by nature. There simply hadn't been time for it. When he wasn't at school, he was usually busy at his father's shop. But now, thanks to Katie, his horizons were slowly being expanded. Slowly and steadily, she was giving him a taste of what it was like to live in her world, to appreciate the finer things in life: fine art, music, literature. She even took him to see a live orchestra at the city's concert hall, courtesy of the free admission her family name allowed her.

I never knew how much I was missing out on, he reflected mournfully. But then, until Katie walked into his life, he hadn't had any inclination to branch out. His mother's tragic passing robbed him of that, as it had so much else. For so long, Kieran was sleepwalking through life: he got up, went to school, worked, went to bed, and got up the next morning to do it all over again. He went to school and worked hard at the auto shop, and at some point finally convinced himself he was better off keeping everyone and everything else at a distance.

I was so wrong. Katie showed him that. Her kindness, her innate goodness, was what finally coaxed him out of his shell. For the first time in three long, miserable years, he was starting to feel happy. The grief was still there, and perhaps it always would be, but Katie smoothed its jagged edges and helped salve the wounds it made in his soul.

There was no condescension from her, though. Not even a trace of it. Katie wasn't taking it upon herself to civilize a barbarian, rather she was simply showing him some things she enjoyed to see if he enjoyed them too. More often than not he did--to Katie's absolute delight. The two teenagers were becoming very close very quickly. The bond of close friendship between them felt so natural, so right. It was as if they'd always been friends.

Kieran was unable to forgive himself for thinking Katie had a snobbish bone in her body. She was, if anything, more down-to-earth than most. She respected him, respected his choices and his goals and his aspirations. She was the antithesis of the stereotypical rich girl.

It wasn't just a one-way street, though. Kieran also took it upon himself to give Katie a look at his world, too. He taught her how to open a glass bottle using the edge of a table and instructed her on the basics of car maintenance. It was important, so he told her one hot afternoon, that she know how to do some rudimentary repairs if necessary. Katie was all too happy to learn, and the first time he'd seen her in a pair of borrowed overalls, her face smudged with oil and engine grease and her strawberry blonde hair stuck to her face with sweat...

Even then, she was still beautiful. No matter what she was wearing, or what she was doing, Katie took his breath away.

Kieran shook his head, the way he always did when his mind began to wander in that direction. Do not even think it, he snarled at himself, as he counted down the seconds until the dismissal bell rang. Do not even think about trying to turn it into anything more than what it is. It doesn't matter that she's kind and funny and she makes you feel alive for the first time since Mom died, it doesn't matter that she's the most beautiful woman you've ever seen, it doesn't matter how bright her smile is or how much she makes you laugh or that you spend every spare second with her or that you stayed up till 1 am texting her last night.

I can't fall for her. I will not fall for her. We are friends. She is my friend. That is enough.

It has to be enough.

The preparations for the trip went smoothly, to Kieran's relief. Katie was good to her word and quickly obtained permission for both of them to be absent from classes during the duration, while Kieran's father was more than happy to give him the time off work. "Go and have fun while you're still young," he'd said, when Kieran told him about Katie's offer over dinner. "She's right: you've more than earned it. I'll hold down the fort while you're away."

Kieran wasn't sure what Katie's parents thought of her travelling out of state with someone of the opposite sex. Some would say the situation had a whiff of impropriety about it, but if Mayor Petersen and his wife felt any reservations, Katie didn't share them. Kieran was happy not to press the matter. The last thing in the world he wanted was for Katie's parents to even know he existed.

Katie was waiting for him in her usual spot, which was right by his truck in the parking lot. Kieran's serious expression broke into a broad smile and he hurried over to join her.

"Hey!"

"Hey, you." Katie beamed. "How was your afternoon?"

"Boring as hell. I could barely concentrate." The words tasted like acid on his tongue, because they weren't true. People were starting to notice how much time Katie was spending with him, and the school's rumor mill was already kicking into overdrive. More and more, Kieran was noticing how girls put their heads together and whispered when he walked by, and many of the boys sent him dirty, envious looks during class. No one outright confronted him about it, but it was clear the rest of the student body was starting to draw their own conclusions. Kieran hated the scrutiny, but did his best to ignore it. What other people thought wasn't his problem. And it's not like Katie sees me that way in the first place. We're just friends, nothing more and nothing less. That is enough. It has to be.

"Why, are you excited for the big day tomorrow?" Katie teased, jarring him back to the present. She leaned in a little, and Kieran couldn't help noticing that an extra button on her uniform blouse was left undone. It exposed a small glimpse of creamy smooth skin and the gentle swell of her breasts, just enough to be tantalizing without venturing into immodesty. An accident, surely, he thought. Katie would never do something like that on purpose. The button just came undone and she didn't notice, I'll bet.

He was wrong, of course. Katie was giving him a sneak peek very much on purpose, teasing him a little to see how he reacted and test the waters.

"Yes," he said, tearing his eyes away with an effort. Katie's blue eyes sparkled with mischief, but she pretended not to notice. "More than anything. I can't believe it's almost here."

"Did you pack everything?" Katie pressed. "You went down the checklist we put together?"

"Every last one," he confirmed proudly.

"Me too. I've got my suitcase ready to go. I've got my sunscreen, my beach towel, my swimsuit..."

The image of Katie in a swimsuit flashed through his mind and his cock immediately came to rampant attention. Katie noticed immediately but prudently decided to pretend she didn't. Nor did she give any hint of the warmth that started pooling between her thighs.

"Y-you think we'll be at the beach a lot, huh?" Kieran asked.

"Of course we will! We're not going to be at Disney World every day while we're down there. I've made sure to set aside some days to do...other stuff."

"Like what?"

Something...odd flickered in Katie's eyes, a gleam that looked almost hungry, but it was there and gone so swiftly he wasn't sure he really saw it at all. It must have just been my imagination. "Well, aside from going to the beach, there's lots of restaurants and clubs and stuff like that. Orlando's got a great nightlife!"

"Sounds really good to me," he said. He meant it too. This was the first real vacation he'd been on since before his mother died.

"So, how do you want to spend our last night before we head out?" she asked. "I was thinking we could go bowling or something. There's a really great bowling alley a little ways away. It's a bit of a drive, but really worth it."

"How far is it?"

"About half an hour. That sound okay?"

"Sure, as long as you're not breaking curfew or something."

"Please." Katie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "My parents trust me and they know I'm responsible. I don't have a curfew per se, as long as I come safely and don't do anything stupid."

"Like being out with a guy past 11?" Kieran asked, pretending to scold her.

"Why, Kieran Callaway, are you saying you can't act like a civilized man in the presence of an unmarried woman?" Katie asked, putting her hands on her hips in a melodramatic display.

They glared at each other for a few seconds, then dissolved into helpless laughter as they got in the car. It felt good to laugh. He was doing it much more often lately. Another thing I have to thank her for.

Katie, meanwhile, was so filled with anticipation she found it difficult to sleep the last few nights. This was it. This was the moment, the time she'd been planning and preparing for six long years. The grand plan was about to reach its climax, and what a climax it would be! She so eager and excited to lose her virginity to Kieran, it was all she was able to think about. Her mind kept playing out one scenario after another, imagining and then discarding a thousand ways in which that magical, life-changing moment would happen. She'd been refreshing her memory on the art of sex in her spare time, using books she kept hidden beneath a false bottom in one of her bedroom drawers. Should she and Kieran do it in missionary first before moving on to something a little more creative, or would Kieran prefer for her to ride him cowgirl-style, bucking and grinding her hips as she took his cock into her virgin, untouched pussy? She'd briefly considered doggystyle, but decided to save it for later. She wanted to look Kieran in the face, at least for her first time. After that, she was happy to try just about anything. She and Kieran were about to embark on an amazing journey together. When they returned, neither of them would be the same again.

And Kieran. Sweet, innocent, Kieran...Katie fought the urge not to melt against him as they piled into his truck. Katie noticed, particularly over the past couple of days, that her heart began to beat much faster every time she was near him, and he tended to intrude upon her thoughts no matter how much she tried to focus on other things. Even the briefest moment of physical contact when he helped her into the cab made her stomach erupt in butterflies. He was starting to affect her in ways she hadn't anticipated, but Katie just took it yet more proof that Kieran was a perfect match.

He really was a great guy, Katie was amazed he wasn't in a relationship already. He's chivalrous, considerate, open to trying new things...that boy is practically made to be some lucky girl's boyfriend.

Katie prided herself on her self-control. Her mind and body almost never got the best of her. But for just a moment, for the briefest second, Katie's brain conjured an image of an alternate future, a future where Kieran was her boyfriend or perhaps even her--

She firmly and quietly and very thoroughly derailed that train of thought. Kieran was physically attracted to her, that much she knew, but he'd never given any indication he saw her as more than a friend. Nor was she inclined to press the matter. Her plans left no room for a man in her life, and that was by design. Silently, Katie repeated the statistics to herself, reminding herself that most relationships did not go the distance, that half of all marriages failed in the end, and that Kieran himself didn't deserve to be tied down with a child at the age of 18. It was for his own benefit as well as hers.

And yet, the tiniest feeling of doubt remained. Katie chalked it up to her emotional side getting the better of her and decided to ignore it. Perhaps I'm just overthinking it. After all, she and Kieran were going to make a baby together. It was only natural to feel some sort of bond with him, especially since they were spending so much time together in the days leading up to the trip. Their friendship, though new, was growing deeper and closer all the time. It was okay to get emotional and even a little clingy, as long as she didn't lose perspective. That was the key.

As he drove, Kieran was clearly doing his best not to look at the swell of Katie's perky breasts. Her lips quirked in the tiniest hint of a knowing smile. If you're enjoying that, just wait. You're going to see far more of me than this very soon.

She wondered what he would look like naked, what his cock would feel like when she took it into her hands. She'd never held a cock before. Would it pulse in her grip, throbbing as she wrapped her slender fingers around it? Would it be smooth against her palm? Would have its own peculiar taste when she took it into her mouth to give her first blowjob?

Katie knew none of the answers to these questions, but she could hardly wait to find out.

She beamed at him when he pulled to a halt in the parking lot outside the bowling alley. Ever the gentleman, he got out and opened the car door for her. Katie made sure to brush against him ever so slightly as she clambered from her seat. Her uniform skirt swayed in a stray gust of wind, giving Kieran just the slightest glimpse of her toned, slender thighs and buttocks. Katie smothered a giggle. It was rather unfair, but she enjoyed teasing him like this. It helped nurture the natural attraction between them, and honestly, she enjoyed the naughty thrill of it. It excited her as much as she excited him.

The bowling alley was a little busy, but not too bad. Katie and Kieran both picked up some shoes from the teenage girl behind the counter and chose a lane at the far end. Kieran tried to hand her the ball but she brushed it off. "You go first. I'm curious to see how you do."

"Then I'll try not to disappoint you," he said drily.

"You won't." Katie said in a matter-of-fact way. I'm sure you'll exceed every expectation, in more ways than one.

Kieran took a second to get into the proper stance and let the ball rip. It bounced once, twice, then three times before it rolled down the lane at a fast clip and slammed into the pins. All but two of them were sent sprawling.

Katie gave him a playful punch on the arm as she went to take her turn. "See? What'd I tell you? Now watch this!"

She leaned forward, giving Kieran a good view of her shapely rear. The ball left her hand, but instead of rolling in a straight line, it veered off to the left and fell into the groove on either side of the lane, rolling past the pins harmlessly.

"That was worth watching," said Kieran with a smug grin.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up," she retorted, but she was laughing when she said it.

The game went on for another hour and a half, though to Katie it seemed like a fraction of that time. Kieran bit his lip, clearly trying to choose his words with care. "Hey, uh, Katie?"

"Yeah?"

"Look, I don't want to be a downer, but it's almost eight o'clock and our flight leaves at eight tomorrow morning. Is it okay if we go home a little early so we get enough sleep?"

"That's a good idea, actually," she said, giving him a warm smile and touching him briefly on the arm to show she wasn't offended. "And remember, boarding is usually about half an hour before the plane actually leaves, so we'll have to be at the gate by 7:30 at the latest, which means we'll have to get up--"

"Super early," Kieran finished.

"Super early," Katie agreed. "I've already scheduled an Uber, and he'll pick me up before swinging by your place. Don't worry, I think we'll get there in plenty of time."

"Sounds like a plan." His face reddened. "Thank you for asking me to come with you. It's...it means a lot."

She almost melted right there and then. Her loins became wet and ached with longing. "I'm the one who should be thanking you," she said fervently. "It's like I told you earlier, you deserve to have some fun." And what fun you'll have! "I promise you, this will be a trip we'll always remember."

Even Katie herself didn't know how prophetic that statement would prove to be.