M Club Ch. 20

Sean squeezed her hand. "You realize how awkward this is?"

"Pushing my ex and best friend together?" She smiled and got a reluctant one back from him. "I know. I might even regret it a couple times, but neither of you will ever hear about it."

"Now, don't do that..."

"Tough shit, bucko," she said, giving him a wink. "It's my life and I can't have regrets if I haven't made a few bad decisions."

"Not too many, I hope."

Denby shrugged. "Well, there's at least one or two obvious candidates, but the choices that led to them also left a trail of happy memories. I think the trade-off has been in my favor so far."

"Hope so." Sean gave her hand another squeeze. "You do realize this has to be one of the weirdest break-ups ever?"

"I blame you," Denby said, smiling while letting go of his hand.

"Of course."

"Too good an influence on me."

Sean rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"And if you ever hurt Lisa, you know I'm coming after you."

Sean's eyes widened, but he accepted her comment for what it was.

"I suppose we better get to back to work," Den said, picking up another chair. "Don't want to get another punishment."

Sean followed. "Yeah, one was enough. Too much."

They worked in amicable silence for a while until their rack of chairs was ready to haul down to the gym. Denby walked beside Sean as he pushed it, aware of the eyes of their friends on the two of them, eager to know where things stood between them. They would learn soon enough, she figured.

"I do have a question," Sean said when they were alone in the hallway.

"What?"

"Are you coming to my party?"

Denby had been expecting something harder, more personal. His party, however, she hadn't given any thought to. Before the auditorium and break-up, it had just been a given that she'd be at his side for his party and he'd be at hers the following day. After the incident, she'd assumed she wouldn't go, not wanting to face Sean or his mother.

Now, however, after talking it out, she was feeling good. Light. Free.

"We'll see."

#

Denby arrived at commencement with her family -- her parents, older sister, and all grandparents. They soon merged with the crazy crowd of students and family converging upon the foyer outside the gym. It was hard to spot any of her friends and, since they were sitting alphabetically, she wasn't sure she'd be able to catch up with any until after the ceremony.

"We're lining up in the cafeteria," Denby said to her mom. "Meet you back here by the door when it's done?"

"Sounds good, dear."

Denby gave her a quick hug and then started fighting her way through the crowd. Before getting far, though, a hand grabbed her by the arm and began steering her a different direction. She turned, ready to be annoyed, when she discovered it was Andy. He looked good with his hair freshly combed and a shirt and tie poking out under his black robes.

"Uh, cafeteria's that way," she said, but without resisting his lead.

"I know. We have another stop first."

Denby wondered what he was up to, immediately jumping to some silly M Club stunt that was absolutely a no-go from her after what had happened the prior week. Given their tight schedule, though, that seemed unlikely. He had to know better, anyway.

As they turned down a quiet hallway toward the computer labs, he let go of her arm and simply fell in beside her. There was a definite spring in his step.

"You look fantastic, by the way," he said.

"Thanks." She had spent a fair bit more time than usual doing up her hair and applying more makeup than her typically minimalist approach. Her new dress, a pale blue knee-length affair that fit her figure amazingly, felt wasted under the obligatory robe.

"So, uh, where are we going?"

Andy looked over his shoulder, then led her into a tiny hall that had only two doors and an exit from the building. There was no one else around or any sign of a surprise.

"I just wanted to get you alone for a minute, make sure you're okay," he said. Den didn't think that was quite it, but he did sound sincere.

"I'm good, honest."

He smiled. "It's weird, but I believe you."

"Things went better with Sean than I'd expected. I think we get each other."

"Of course you do. You were good together, you know."

Den fought back a moment of doubt. "What did you really bring me back here for?"

There was a twinkle in Andy's eye, a respect for her seeing through him. She liked that look. It reminded her of a couple good times they'd shared.

"Give me your panties."

Denby's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

"Panties. Now." He was smiling, but totally serious. If he'd said it any other way, it would have come out totally silly.

"Uh, this is graduation, not M Club or some party."

Andy shrugged. "So? It's kind of a party, and it'll be dull as hell. Trust me, you'll be far more engaged if you're going commando."

Denby couldn't bring herself to retort to that. He had a point, even if he was crazy.

"Are you commando?" She asked.

"Damn skippy," he said, unzipping his robe. Holy fuck, he was just going to whip it out to prove it? Here in school with hundreds of people just down the hall?

"Whoa!" she said, grabbing his wrists. "You don't have to show me!"

"Oh, I wasn't going to," he said. "Well, not unless you want me to."

She let him go, perplexed. Andy smiled and finished unzipping. Instead of proceeding to unzip his pants, he reached into a pocket and withdrew a bit of yellow fabric. Panties.

"Lisa's ready to go."

Denby rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. "Of course she is. Did you try to talk her into doing that striptease during her speech?"

"I did, but I don't think she'll follow through," Andy said with mock disappointment. "Still, you can be sure at least a couple of us will be imagining it."

"Perv," she said, slapping him on the shoulder.

He tucked the panties back in his pocket, then held out his hand for hers. "Better hurry."

Denby couldn't believe she was considering it, after everything that had happened. Still, Andy had a way about him that made her feel wild and daring and sexy. She liked the idea of him holding her panties, sharing a little naughtiness that no one else in that crowd would know about.

She took a deep breath. "You're incorrigible." He grinned knowingly as she hiked up her robe and dress just enough to reach under and pull down her panties. She hadn't picked anything special, not anticipating anyone seeing them, but thankfully they were a tasteful pink with white lace trim.

"Thank you, my lovely," Andy said, taking them with care. He folded them up neatly and then, deviously, held them to his nose and took a deep whiff. "Ah, you still got it."

"Perv." She couldn't help smiling, though, as he tucked them away in his other pant pocket.

"Thank God I'm wearing this robe," he said, starting to zip it up. "Commando with a boner is not a suitable combo for this family affair."

"No, it's not," she said. "And you're hard already, just from that?"

Andy shrugged. "Halfway. Why, wanna get me the rest of the way there and make me really uncomfortable?"

Denby knew he was playing with her, treading the fine line between being fun and not overstepping given her recent state of mind. She appreciated that he wasn't being so damn careful, not like her parents or Lisa or Sean.

She lifted the front of her robe and dress, flashing him her bare pussy. He took it in, smiling, and gave her a wink when she let it drop.

"That'll do."

"Perv."

They walked side by side down to the cafeteria, occasionally bumping arm to arm. She almost reached for his hand more than once but resisted each time. No need to stir a pot that had already been shaken to death.

#

Commencement was, as Denby had anticipated, a pretty dull affair. Because they sat alphabetically, she was stuck between a couple classmates she barely knew. Sean and Andy were several rows in front of her and Lisa, as valedictorian, sat up on stage beside the principal. No matter how rough things had been, Denby counted every blessing she had it wasn't her up there. That had to be all kinds of awkward.

Lisa, to her credit, came across as smooth and composed. When it was her turn to speak, she gave a simple but elegant message. For a girl who tended to be on the introverted side, Lisa was a natural born public speaker.

Denby, too, couldn't help but think about their jokes over her stripping before the audience. Lisa might be bold, but she certainly wouldn't try something that absurd. Imagining it, however, made the ceremony more endurable and even got her thinking about her own hidden state of indecency. Was Andy thinking about the two pairs of panties in his pocket? Hopefully he wouldn't be walking the stage awkwardly to get his diploma.

She tuned back in as Lisa wrapped up her speech: "Allow me to leave you with one parting thought as we prepare to go our separate ways. Always stay true to yourself. Don't judge yourself by what others might think of you or expect of you. You're the one who has to live with yourself, all day, every day. If you try to live to someone else's expectations or ideals, you'll never be comfortable.

"So, get out there. Trust your instincts, follow your internal compass, and find that ultimate realization of your truest self."

Lisa's eyes had locked on to Denby with her parting words and Den couldn't help but feel they were meant for her more than anyone. She smiled and led the applause as Lisa took a step away from the podium. Smart girl and, indeed, they sounded like words of wisdom.

Soon after, the band kicked into Pomp and Circumstance and the senior class began the long parade across the stage to receive their diplomas. Denby watched and clapped for her friends, happy for all of them. She was relieved to see both Sean and Andy receive theirs from the principal without any sign of different treatment -- just the usual handshake. She'd been worried, but apparently he'd gotten over it enough to be professional.

On stage, she stepped out of line for a quick moment to give Lisa a big hug.

"Great speech!" she said.

"Thanks! I was so nervous."

Denby smiled and leaned in close so no one else could hear. "Well, at least you gave your panties to Andy for good luck."

Lisa's eyes widened, and she smiled. "You too?"

Denby just winked and hopped back into line. The principal clearly had seen their exchange, but he merely gave her a congratulations and handshake as he handed over her diploma.

"Thank you, sir," she said, surprised how relaxed she felt in this moment. He seemed to hear her sincerity and smiled.

"You're welcome," he said. "And congratulations. You earned it."

Denby followed the line back to her seat, endured the closing remarks, and then sent her cap flying with the hundreds of others. Finally, officially, it was done. She was free of school, childhood, and her promise to not have sex. They didn't line up in importance quite the way she'd expected they would have a week or two ago.

She made a point of crossing paths and getting pictures together with Lisa and a dozen of her other friends, making promises to keep in touch over the summer and next fall as they went their separate ways. Andy found her and just gave her a knowing look and a quick hug. He didn't offer to return her panties, which was probably for the best.

Sean also tracked her down and she happily hugged him. There was still that familiar warmth in his embrace and a big part of her wanted him to lean down so she could kiss him. But, no, she'd closed the door on that and she'd be disappointed in herself later for being so weak.

"We're free," he said.

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

He nodded. "And a bit daunting."

"Yeah." She let that thought dangle until the silence became awkward.

"I suppose I should get back to my family," Sean said, surveying across the top of the massive crowd thanks to his height.

"Me too," she said, feeling like she owed him more than that. "And, uh, I should be able to swing by your party later. Probably toward the end."

Sean perked up at that. "Great! See you later, then."

Denby smiled, even if she was nervous about having to face his mother again. Lisa's speech came back to her, though -- don't judge yourself by what others might or might not think of you. It would be okay.

#

It was okay.

Denby spent the afternoon making quick appearances at several of her friends' parties. She met up with Lisa around dinnertime and agreed to hit Sean's party last and together. Lisa knew Andy would already be there, as well as a few of their other guy friends. She'd also bumped into Vida who'd said she might pop in to say hi. With other friends there, M Club wouldn't be able to come up.

They arrived at Sean's about fifteen minutes before the party was scheduled to end. There were still several cars and trucks parked on the street out front, but the party was clearly winding down from the general demeanor as they were let in the front door by Sean's younger brother, Ryan, who informed the girls that Sean was downstairs.

Mrs. Gregg spotted them across the living room and intercepted them before they could move. She was congenial and appreciative of them coming, then offered them drinks and food, much of which was still sitting out in the kitchen. They both declined on account of having eaten too much already today.

"The boys are downstairs," she said. "I think they're about partied out. Things are breaking up and once we get everyone else out and clean things up a bit, the rest of us are going to go catch a late movie."

There was something about the way she said it which suggested it was a pointed message for them. Was she implying that she expected an impromptu M Club send-off party down in their basement? Denby couldn't help but blush, despite her best efforts to pretend she didn't catch the subtext.

"Sounds good, Mrs. G," Lisa said. "Have fun."

All Denby could manage was a nod of acknowledgement before getting dragged down the stairs. She'd expected to find a bunch of Sean's friends down in the basement family room, but it was just Sean and Andy. Both looked up from the couch where they were kicked back with feet up on the coffee table and smiled.

"You made it," Sean said.

"Now the real party can start," Andy added with waggling eyebrows.

Denby rolled her eyes. "Not likely."

"Not until the parentals are gone, anyway," Lisa said, nudging Denby in the side.

"Geez," Denby said, shaking her head in mock outrage. "Haven't you learned your lesson? Any of you?"

Her friends almost looked chagrined. Almost. Incorrigible.

"Well, we're not at the school," Andy offered. "That's something, right?"

To Denby's relief, the topic of conversation moved on to some of the parties they'd attended earlier in the day and other subjects around graduation. Safer territory. Much as Den had wanted to steer clear of the M Club stuff that had caused all the problems, she couldn't deny the temptation given how much fun she'd had leading up to that point. Only now, with her and Sean being over, how weird would it be? Better to not even find out.

"We're headed out to the movies," Mrs. Gregg yelled down the stairs about fifteen minutes later. "Have fun!"

Denby half blushed at her parting words. Was she setting them up for the opportunity to "have fun" in that context? It was so weird to think of a parent not only being okay with their M Club activities, but practically endorsing them. Maybe Den was just reading too much into it.

No one else, thankfully, took that as the signal to strip naked and start masturbating. Rather, they just picked up their conversations as if nothing had changed. Denby forced herself to settle back and relax. That ended up with her analyzing every little look and word exchanged between Sean and Lisa. It was subtle, but there was definitely something there. That was a good thing, right? Den desperately tried to convince herself it was. It had seemed so sensible earlier.

"I need a drink," Denby said, standing abruptly. "Get anyone anything?"

Lisa asked for a soda and Sean declined, still working on one. Andy hopped up and offered to come along.

"I can get it," Denby said.

He shrugged and smiled. "But I don't know what I want yet."

Denby sighed and let him follow along. At least it wasn't Sean and Lisa. Halfway up the stairs, she got the sense he was watching her ass. She knew it looked good in her new dress. With a smirk, she gave it just a little extra wiggle with each step.

In the kitchen, they stood side by side, peering into the fridge. Den grabbed a soda for Lisa and a bottle of water for herself. Andy hemmed and hawed until finally selecting a soda.

"Think they're making out?" Andy said as he cracked his soda.

Denby shook her head. "Seriously? You're going there?"

He shrugged. "Just wondering. I mean, they're sort of a couple now, right? The way it happened, I figured you'd be okay with it."

She suspected he was testing her. Probably with good reason.

"Sure, I'm fine with whatever they do."

"Uh huh." He looked arrogantly indifferent. She slapped him lightly on the arm.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He smiled. "It's okay to be jealous or weirded out, at least. I mean, I am. Lisa and I were supposed to be friends with benefits. And now, well, she's back to just friends after almost no benefits. Once again, my best friend seems to be with the girl I'd like to be with."

Denby groaned inwardly. She'd been so focused on her own feelings, she hadn't considered Andy's situation. Granted, it was different, but not that much. "Sorry."

"Well, shit happens," he said, hardly sounding broken up over it. "We'll move on."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"If it'd help, you could give me a blowjob." He said it so straight, so matter-of-factly, Denby's jaw literally dropped.

"Excuse me?" She wasn't mad, just...stunned.

He smiled. "Well, you did suggest you wanted to, back when we were in the library together." He wagged his eyebrows at her.

Denby remembered well that episode, how they'd told each other what they wanted to do to the other, barring relationships and other impediments. Fuck, that had been so hot. In that moment, she really had wanted to do those things to him. With him. His offer, joking as it might be, was probably sincere.

"Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?"

Andy shrugged. "Well, it's a standing offer on my end. No pressure, just putting it out there."

"Thanks. I'll keep it in mind. I'm just...not sure what I want right now."

A tentative knocking at the front door broke the somewhat awkward moment. Andy went to answer it while Denby trailed a short distance behind. He peered through the window and then pulled it open to welcome Vida and Leon.

Vida, dressed in a sharp, figure-hugging blouse and flowy skirt, gave Andy a big hug. Leon, next in, looked nearly as good with polo shirt and cargo shorts leaving plenty of his muscles on display. Vida gave Denby a big hello and hug as well, while Leon nodded politely, eyes briefly taking in Den's dress.

"Awful quiet," Vida said. "Did we miss the party?"

"Just like you planned it," Andy said, giving her a wink. "The others are downstairs, and the rest of the family is gone for a couple hours."

"Good," Vida said with a wide grin. "Then it's time for the real party."

Denby refrained from rolling her eyes. She felt the inevitable tug of another M Club event drawing them all in. Leon still wasn't official, but did it really matter? With school over and summer jobs and schedules about to begin, this very likely was the send-off to whatever was left of the club anyway.

Andy showed the newcomers to the kitchen for drinks and then they all went downstairs. If Sean and Lisa had been making out, they were good at hiding it. Denby flopped down in a recliner while the others got caught up and welcomes were made all around.