One of Two Ch. 01

At the end of the day, I had a drill practice. When I had a practice and Carly had stayed late to work on a play, I would take her home. On that day, she didn't have to stay late so she rode the bus home. The two drill teams (male and female) practiced on the same field so I could see Nancy out of the corner of my eye from time to time. We both were trying to concentrate on our routines but I did notice her smiling as our eyes met a few times. I was still confused. Yesterday I was in love with Carly. No question about it. After last night, …

After practice, Nancy walked back to the armory with me. She was talking excitedly about the weekend trip. Part of me was excited about the trip, the competition, and spending the weekend with Nancy. Part of me was scared of spending the weekend with Nancy.

I still didn't know what I wanted. I still didn't know if there was anything to be scared of. Maybe it was just a meaningless slip. Or maybe it meant exactly what it sounded like. How could I be sure? More importantly, how could I find out without risk to my relationship with Carly?

Nancy and I walked together to the parking lot. I was getting into my car when I noticed she was walking over to me waving her arms.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I opened my door.

"I don't know. My car won't start," she explained. She looked really distraught. "Can you try to fix it?"

"I don't know much about cars, but I guess I can take a look. Get in and we'll ride over."

"Thanks, Sam," she said as she got in. As I drove the short distance to where she was parked, I couldn't help thinking that the only other girl I had been alone with in my car was Carly, and I remembered vividly what we had often done in the back seat.

I raised the hood on her car and looked around, not that I expected to find anything I could fix. This was foreign territory to me. After trying for a few minutes to look like I knew what I was doing, I shut the hood and turned to a very nervous Nancy.

"I don't know what's wrong with it. How about I give you a ride home and your dad can come look at it later?"

She seemed to think about that for a minute or two before she smiled. "That would be great. Thanks."

She got her books and locked the car while I waited with my engine running. She got in and buckled up as I pulled out of the parking lot. I had been to her house a few times so I knew the way. I had even met her parents before. Her father was a veterinarian who had moved into town to take over the practice of an older doctor who was retiring. With all the farmland around where we lived, vets were always in demand. We all thought it was funny that someone with Nancy's last name would become a veterinarian. It seemed to be an oxymoron.

When we arrived at Nancy's house, her father was just getting home. He looked surprised to see Nancy getting out of my car. When he recognized me, he gave me a warm smile.

"Hi, Doctor Hunter," I said as I extended my hand.

"Hi, Sam." Then, turning to Nancy, "Where is your car, honey?"

"I had to leave it at school, Dad. It wouldn't start. Sam took a look at it but he couldn't get it going so he gave me a ride home." Nancy looked scared, like she was going to cry.

"It's OK, Nancy. I'll go take a look at it. I'm just glad Sam was there to give you a ride home." He gave me a smile as he said that.

I was about to leave when he stopped me. "Sam?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Could I trouble you to come with me to the school? If I have to tow Nancy's car, I'll need someone to steer it. I don't think Nancy will be strong enough to do it without the engine running."

Nancy blushed at her father's comment and looked at me. Yeah, the big, strong knight who rescued her. Dr. Hunter was already getting a rope and some tools from the garage.

"Sure. I'd be glad to help."

"Nancy, run in and tell your mom we'll be back in about half an hour."

When Nancy went inside to relay the message, he put the things in the bed of his pickup truck. Nancy came back out. I opened the passenger side door and she crawled in next to her father. I got in and we drove back to school. As I suspected with my vast knowledge of automotive mechanics, Nancy's father didn't do any better to coax the engine into starting than I had done. We tied the rope between the front of Nancy's car and his truck so we could tow it to his mechanic's shop. He told me to turn on the emergency flashers as he got in the truck. Nancy slid in the passenger seat and handed me the keys.

When I looked at her, she explained. "You'll need the keys so you can steer it." When she handed me the keys, her hand seemed to linger over mine for a moment. I was very aware of her touch, and the sweet smile she gave me. The interior of the car suddenly seemed a few degrees warmer.

After we dropped off her car and got back to Nancy's house, her mother asked me to stay for dinner. "It's the least we can do for all your help," she said. Seeing the look of gratitude in Nancy's eyes, I agreed. "You can use Nancy's bathroom to wash up. There's a phone in the bedroom so you can call your parents and tell them where you are," she suggested. Then, "Nancy, come help me in the kitchen."

Dr. Hunter indicated the way to Nancy's bedroom before going his own way to clean up. It felt really strange being alone in Nancy's bedroom. I realized that this was where she was when she made the slip on the phone the night before. Did she lie in bed and think about me after?

I went into her bathroom and washed my hands. There was a basket on the floor for her dirty clothes. Lying on top was what she had obviously been wearing the night before - a pink teddy. I thought about what she must have looked like taking that off to get in the shower that morning. I quickly became erect.

Checking myself in the mirror, I could see that it was obvious. I would have to do something before I faced Nancy's family. I used the phone in Nancy's bedroom to call home and tell my mother where I was. When I told her that I was having dinner with Nancy's family, she told me that Carly had called for me. I felt my reaction in the pit of my stomach. Trying to sound calm, I said I'd call her when I got home. The call did wonders towards taking care of my problem. As I hung up, a thought hit me. This must have been the phone Nancy had used to call me, when she told me she loved me. That should have scared me, but instead it started me on the way to another erection. I knew I had to think of something else, anything else. Standing next to Nancy's bed, I was desperate to come up with something else to think about. I settled on what her father must look like birthing a calf. It almost made me laugh out loud, but it did the trick.

I joined Nancy and her parents in the dining room. Nancy directed me to the seat next to her. The meal was pleasant. Her mother thanked me for "rescuing" her daughter. I brushed it off as helping a friend. I thought a saw a trace of a pained look cross Nancy's face as I said that. Her father said that her car surely wouldn't be ready until at least tomorrow afternoon and looked at me. I knew the unasked question was hanging in the air. Seeing no easy way out, I offered to give Nancy a ride to school the next day. Her face lit up when I said that. My situation was getting more complicated by the moment.

After dinner, she walked me out to my car and thanked me again. I told her that I'd pick her up in the morning. As I was about to leave, she hugged me. My reaction was automatic. I put my arms around her and kissed her before I realized it was Nancy in my arms and not Carly. Feeling her shapely body against mine, I did the predictable thing. I was hard again. She felt it. She gasped and she was smiling when our lips parted. Then I realized what I had just done. I was scared. She was delighted.

"Nancy, I'm sorry. I got carried away."

"That's alright, Sam. I didn't mind," she answered.

"No, really. I shouldn't have done that. I reacted without thinking."

"Well, part of you reacted nicely," she said as her gaze drifted lower to my waist.

I knew I had to get out of there fast. I let go of her and got in my car. The last thing she said as I was closing the door was, "I can't wait for Friday."

Driving home, my thoughts were a maelstrom. Images of Carly and Nancy collided as I warred with my feelings. Who did I want? Carly, of course. So why did I kiss Nancy? Why did I enjoy kissing Nancy so much? I didn't enjoy it. Of course I did. I almost ran a red light due to my distraction.

When I got home, I headed straight for my room. I was afraid to face my mother because she might be able to see on my face that something had happened. As I breezed past her, she reminded me to call Carly.

I shut the door behind me, closing in my problems. I put my books down on the dresser and studied my face in the mirror. Was this the face of someone who had just betrayed his girlfriend? Would I be able to face Carly in the morning and not let on what had happened? Would I be able to talk to her on the phone tonight and not let her hear in my voice what I had done? Would Nancy tell anyone what had happened? That last thought sent an icy chill through my body.

I knew I couldn't put off calling Carly. Delaying it would only call attention to things I didn't want to tell her. I sat on the bed and picked up the phone. I dialed her number as I tried to quell my nervousness. The phone rang and Carly's sister answered it. She recognized my voice right away.

"Are you alright, Sam? You sound like you're sick."

I panicked. If she could tell something was wrong, Carly knew me even better. I took a deep breath and bit my tongue hard. Then, I said, "I'm fine, Lynn. I just had a rough time at practice. Can I speak to Carly?"

I used the seconds waiting for Carly to come to the phone to steel myself.

"Hi, Sam."

Whenever I heard her say that, I felt like I was melting inside. Her voice was sweetness itself. I looked at her picture on my dresser as I lay back on the bed.

"Hi, Carly. What's up?"

"I called for you earlier and your mom said you were helping a friend. Is everything Okay?"

"Sure, everything is fine. After practice, Nancy's car wouldn't start so I gave her a ride home."

"You're so sweet," my girlfriend told me.

"Then her father asked me to help him tow it to the shop. After that, they wanted me to stay for dinner."

I held my breath. I had left out the last part. I waited to see if she suspected anything else.

"I'm glad you helped her. She's a good friend," Carly said.

If only you knew how good, I thought with fear.

"I offered to give her a ride tomorrow, since her car wouldn't be ready."

I waited again with my breath held.

"Oh, Okay. Yeah, I guess that's the least you could do."

She didn't seem to think anything was wrong. Maybe I'd get away with it. After that, I steered the conversation back to her, to what she would be doing over the weekend. "Missing you," she told me. That made me feel better. We talked about the usual nothings that teenagers in love talk about. Finally, I had some homework to do so I had to go. When she told me, "I love you," I froze. That is exactly what Nancy had said the night before. She was silent, waiting for me to speak.

"I love you, too, Carly. I'll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams."

"I'll be dreaming about you," she said, and then there was a click.

I pressed the off button on the phone before letting out an enormous sigh. What a nightmare my life was becoming. All because of something Nancy had said, a slip up. My insides were quivering with tension. How long could I keep my feelings concealed, I wondered. As long as necessary.

I buried myself in my homework and it was bedtime before I realized it. I got ready and turned out the light. Lying in bed, I finally relaxed. That was when all my fears came rushing back to haunt me. I tossed and turned, trying to sort out what I was feeling. I finally fell asleep, only to be tortured by a dream where Carly was pulling on one arm while Nancy pulled on my other. Both were yelling, "Let go! He's mine!" I was trying to convince them that there was enough of me to go around when the school bell rang.

I opened my eyes and realized it was my alarm clock going off. I got up, feeling as if I hadn't slept at all. In the shower I usually thought about Carly and did what most teenage boys do in the shower. That morning, I couldn't even get it up. I was too scared about what would happen if Carly found out that I had kissed Nancy.

I drove over to Nancy's house and picked her up. Instead of her usual blue jeans, she was wearing a pretty dress that complimented her blue eyes. Her blonde hair was fixed to perfection and she looked lovely. Was that for me? I wondered with trepidation.

We didn't talk much on the drive to school, but Nancy kept looking at me. Looking and smiling. She was obviously very happy. I was very terrified. Two days ago, everything was going fine. Now I wasn't so sure. I thought I wanted Carly. I had never thought of Nancy in a romantic way. She was just a friend. Maybe that was what I was looking for – a friend I could be in love with. No, that wasn't right. I was confused.

"Sam." Nancy was trying to get my attention.

"What?" I asked, still dazed.

"You passed up the school, silly."

I looked around me. She was right. I turned the car around. I was so out of it, lost in my thoughts, that I could have gotten in an accident.

"Sorry, I was distracted."

"I'll say. You've hardly said a word all morning. What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm just thinking about this weekend."

"Yeah, the drill meet," she supplied. "I'm kind of nervous, too. I'm sure we'll both do fine, though. We've been practicing a lot."

When we got to school, we walked to class together. I didn't get to see Carly before class that morning. I didn't catch up to her until lunch. We ate together as usual. I was nervous the entire time, worried that I'd slip up and say the wrong thing. I knew Carly could tell something was wrong, but she didn't press me for details. She was Carly – charming and sweet. We talked about normal things and it felt like old times. I loved Carly. I could feel it coursing through my entire body. The problem was that I was starting to feel the same way around Nancy. Why was my life getting so complicated?

I got through the rest of the week. That's about the only thing I could say about it. I got through it. I had talked late into the night Thursday with Carly. It was the usual teenage stuff, about how much we were going to miss each other. She made me again promise to call her when I got home Sunday night, no matter how late it was. We told each other, "I love you," then hung up to get some sleep. Friday arrived. Nancy's car had been repaired and she was driving herself to school again. Because we were going to be gone all weekend, no one wanted to leave a car in the school parking lot all weekend. My parents were going to park my car at school Sunday afternoon so they wouldn't have to come get me late at night. Nancy told me her mother offered to take me to school Friday morning to save my parents the trip. In return, I could take Nancy home Sunday night. It seemed like a good arrangement.

Nancy and her mother picked me up at home. At school, we unloaded our baggage at the armory where a school bus was waiting. As Mrs. Hunter was telling Nancy goodbye, she looked straight at me.

"Sam, take care of my little girl."

"Oh, Mom. I'm not your 'little girl' anymore. I'm eighteen now," Nancy protested.

"You may be eighteen, just barely, but you're still my little—"

I cut off their lighthearted arguing with, "I will, Mrs. Hunter. I'll get her home safely Sunday night."

Satisfied with my answer, her mother left. Before long, we were on the bus and settled in for the six hour ride. I was sitting with a group of our friends near the back, sharing the seat with Nancy. We talked to pass the time. After lunch, some people were starting to nap so the conversation died off. Nancy and I were talking just to each other, about Carly strangely enough. Nancy wanted to hear about how Carly and I had met. I told her of the previous summer, but I left out the part about Carly wetting her pants. Nancy was saying how lucky Carly was to find me when she leaned against me. I couldn't help noticing how nice that felt. Nancy put her head down on my shoulder like she was going to take a nap, only she didn't go to sleep.

We kept talking about the past summer and what we had done. Hers was spent preparing to move and saying goodbye to friends. We also talked about what we were going to do after graduation. We were both going on to college.

When we arrived at the hotel, we were assigned rooms in groups of four persons. The boys were together in one block of rooms and the girls in another, with the chaperones staying in the rooms in between - the usual arrangement. We had fun though all were well behaved. No one got caught doing anything they shouldn't have been doing. Saturday night after the meet was finished, we had some free time. A group of us went to eat at a pizza parlor and saw a movie. Nancy sat with me and it was like we were on a date. I felt a little guilty about that. I knew it wasn't really a date. It was just a group of friends, though Nancy was sticking close to me.

We got a late start on Sunday. We were allowed to sleep a little later, and then we attended the awards ceremony before changing and loading the bus. The weather was warm so everybody was glad to get out of our uniforms and into shorts and t-shirts. Nancy's shorts were really short; she looked great in them. I found that I couldn't help wondering what she might look like out of them. Thinking of Carly helped me to curb those thoughts. It was mid-afternoon when we finally headed for home.

Like on the trip up, Nancy sat with me. Most of the seats were occupied by couples, though Nancy and I were one of the few couples sitting together who weren't dating. It was known that I was dating Carly, of course, and Nancy wasn't dating anyone. More people slept on the way home so Nancy and I talked mostly to each other. I asked her why she didn't have a boyfriend and she told me that all the good ones were already taken. I felt a spasm of fear run through me.

Nancy turned to face me directly and said, with much sincerity, "If you ever break up with Carly, I have first dibs on you."

I think I stared at her, hearing her words but comprehending them slowly. She watched me for a few moments, then broke out laughing.

"You looked so serious, Sam. You know I'd never do anything to tear you two apart."

"I know, Nancy," I answered, not fully believing either one of us.

The sky had been growing darker all afternoon. Rain finally started and the weather turned cold. The sudden change from the front we were passing through left us unprepared. We had been expecting it to be hot. I was able to reach my suitcase and retrieve a light jacket I had brought. Nancy and I put our feet up on the seat and huddled beneath the jacket. With our bodies pressed tightly beside each other, we kept each other warm. Darkness fell and it got colder.

Looking around, I couldn't see much but it appeared that everybody else was either sleeping or staring out the windows. Maybe a few couples were doing something more but it wasn't apparent. From time to time, we passed near a streetlight that cast a dim glow into the interior. About all I could make out in those brief moments was Nancy's blonde hair on my shoulder. I was very aware of her bare leg against mine. It was impossible to keep from touching while both of us huddled under the jacket. I certainly didn't mind. I thought about putting my arm around her to keep us together. It would keep us warmer, but I was worried someone might see that and get the wrong idea.