Stowaway Monsters Ch. 01

I got up from my desk and pulled on the hem of my red cotton shorts which had ridden up, and walked the few steps down the stairs it took to get to the door. I peaked outside the window first and stood in place, surprised by who was on the other side. Slowly, I opened the door and was greeted by Joanna.

"Hi, Esther." The young girl softly smiled. As always, there was a hint of mischief in the way she grinned.

I furrowed my brows, a little suspicious about her random appearance. "Joanna...I've been trying to get in touch with you for the past few days now. Where've you been?"

She walked in without waiting for me to invite her and glanced around the place absentmindedly. "I know. Now I'm here, what do you want?"

I couldn't help but notice her clothes again. She was wearing a white Metallica crop top that showed off her slender shoulders, tight navel, and just out of sight, a small tattoo on her right ribcage. I glanced down and, of course, another pair of ridiculously tiny ripped jean shorts clung onto her pale legs.

During my observation, I'd noticed she was a little taller and lowered my gaze on the black platform boots she was wearing. It gave her a little more height so that she was standing just above my nose level, but even so, it didn't detract at all from the noticeable swell of her breasts in her loose top. Her boobs were just a tad bit bigger than mine. Not to mention her asscheeks were practically visible in her shorts. I sighed, forced to finally admit that she was no longer the innocent little girl I knew.

She was definitely related to Kim alright, but I had always thought that she would take a different path in comparison to her big sister. If I had stayed, maybe that would've been true.

"Can we sit down, first?" I asked exasperated, gesturing towards the dining room table. She just stared at me before heading down the hallway without another word. When we sat down though, she was the first to speak.

"Sorry about the other day, you caught me in a bad mood."

I stared at her, puzzled to know that she was actually capable of apologies. Although not anywhere near sincere, it was still appreciated. "It's ok. I was a bit out of line too."

There was another gap of silence. Before I could say anything else, Joanna interrupted. "Do you remember when I was seven, you would walk me to the bus stop when Kim refused to take me?"

I blinked, curious about why she was bringing this up all of a sudden. "Yeah, I do. Kim was never a morning person, always so lazy."

"You would wait for me at my bedroom door, smiling, and hold my hand all the way to the bus stop. Kim would never want to hold my hand because she thought it was so childish." Her face was stoic as she spoke, but there was a softness to her expression and a faraway look in her eyes that revealed to me what she must've been feeling.

She glanced my way and I averted my gaze. "You told me then how you were always going to be there for me. That you'd never leave me alone. You said that as you held my hand and smiled, lying straight to my face."

"Joanna, I -" I tried to speak up.

"You're a liar and a hypocrite, acting like you're sorry when you're not." She glared at me with a venom that shook my core.

"It's not like that, Joanna. I never meant to hurt you. You and I both know I would never ever try to hurt you. What can I do for you to forgive me?" I pleaded, besides myself with guilt.

The memory of us back in those days was as clear as day in my mind. Walking down the road everyday in the early morning light as the slight Michigan chill that crept in the wind bit at our rosy cheeks. My words to her of love and protection which clearly I'd not honored. She was a child then but so was I, young and naive, and I had lied to her without realizing it.

She watched me with steely eyes and leaned back in her seat. There was something in the way she looked at me that made me regret the question, but it'd already been asked. "I'd like to hit you in your lying smug face."

I reeled back and stared at her in shock. The thought of getting punched was a little scary and something I hadn't expected, but it didn't take long for me to accept. All the anger and loneliness that ate away at her while I was gone must've been agonizing, and she deserved her justice. If she truly felt that hitting me would ease the pain, then of course I was going to say yes.

"If that's what you want, then go ahead. I won't stop you." I swore. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw and waited for the force of her knuckles to hit me. A few seconds passed by and I felt the tip of her cold fingers caress my jaw; causing me to gasp. Then, her lips crashed down hard onto mine.

My eyelids fluttered open and I jerked back in my chair, almost sending us both backwards. It didn't seem to faze Joanna though, as she straddled my lap and continued her harsh assault on my mouth. I tried to speak but all that came through was wet muffled nonsense.

It wouldn't have taken much to push her off, I was taller and the older adult, right? But she had the element of surprise and her startling aggression had thrown me out of a loop. I reached up and grabbed her arms in an attempt to pry her off but she just yanked on my hair while gripping the chair behind me to lock herself in place. I yelped in pain but the sound was swallowed by her invasive kiss.

Then, I felt the hand on the chair slide past my shoulders and brush my left breast before squeezing it roughly. The pain was sharp and unexpected, forcing another yelp out from between my abused lips. She kneaded my C-cup breast while I struggled under her and circled her thumb around my hardening nipple. Around and around while occasionally pressing her thumb into it. The sensation was so humiliating, not only because of the erotic action itself but because of my own shameful response and wrongful feelings that were growing. I could only grasp at her hand for her to stop.

If that wasn't worse enough, the faint damp feeling of her lithe tongue began to poke at my lips; demanding entry. When I didn't give it to her, she squeezed my breast again, making me wince. But I wasn't going to give in. I kept my lips shut tight and when she realized I wasn't going to open up anytime soon, she stopped kissing me altogether and clawed at my jaw; forcing me to look up at her.

The irises of her mint green eyes bore into me and I could only stare back; trying to comprehend what the hell just happened. I couldn't read her inexplicable expression - what she might've been trying to tell me through her eyes - and she seemed almost disappointed. Not a second later, she pushed herself off me and walked out the door.

I sat there dumbfounded - breathless for several minutes. The taste of her lips still lingered on my own.

A flurry of things ran through my mind in the subsequent coming of days. Joanna's behavior had been nothing but erratic and with this latest installment, I didn't know what to make of her anymore. She'd been standoffish, disrespectful, and completely inappropriate. And yet, somehow, underneath it all, so forlorn and vulnerable. I couldn't find it in myself to be angry, but that didn't mean I was going to let her slide.

There was also the issue of my own complicated feelings, but that I would deal with later.

If she wanted to prove she wasn't a child anymore, she needn't prove herself any further. I couldn't ignore the woman she'd become. Just thinking about that kiss burned my cheeks and, involuntarily, my mind would shuffle through the images of her bare skin uncovered by her clothes. The salacious thoughts made me feel ashamed and dirty. I'd never thought of another girl like this before and although Joanna had made herself clear, all I could see still was the little girl in my memory filled with innocence and glee.

It seemed like I would never reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Trying to decipher her intentions and her reasonings was starting to become pointless. It was as if I was only seeing a small part of a very vast canvas. So, I wasn't at all prepared to see Joanna again when Kim invited me over to her apartment.

She'd told me that she wanted to chat over dinner. She added that I bring any overnight items because it was bound to be long, all our catching up. What she didn't tell me though was that Joanna was also going to be there. I figured she thought it'd be a pleasant surprise.

My chest tightened into a knot as Kim opened her door and there Joanna was in cotton shorts and an oversized sweatshirt; lying on the couch beneath a massive window overlooking the downtown traffic below. She was on her phone but rose her gaze as I entered the room tentatively.

"Tada! Joanna's here too!" Kim excitedly whispered and leaned in closer so only I could hear. "I think she's gotten over the whole thing, so you should be in the clear. Said she wanted to spend some time with us."

"W-Why is she here, though?" I tried not to make my discomfort obvious.

"Oh, she was already here. Just hangin' out with her big sis. When I said you were coming over though, I didn't think she was gonna stay long. But she told me you guys were cool, now? Wanted to stick around for a few. It's cute that you guys made up." Kim wrapped an arm around my shoulders and jiggled me about.

I glanced back at Joanna lounging on the couch. She was on her phone again, purposefully ignoring me. If only Kim knew her little sister was far from over anything with me. I wanted to pull Kim aside and tell her what'd happened between us. I wondered if that was the right thing to do, but the words wouldn't form on my tongue. Instead, I came in and sat on one of the stools that decorated the kitchen counter while Kim grabbed me a drink.

"You want a beer?" She asked as she rummaged through her fridge. I nodded and tried to ignore what I knew were Joanna's eyes on me. I could feel her cold gaze perforating the back of my head; burning my neck and ears up and drilling right through me. I felt so pathetic, letting her get to me like this. "You want one too, Joney?" Kim added as she set my beer in front of me.

"Sure." A monotone voice uttered in the distance. A moment later, the same voice was humming right next to my ear, making me jump, "not that cheap piss water, right?"

"Fuck that." Kim snorted as she slid the cold bottle down the counter.

I held my breath at Joanna's stinging closeness, but couldn't stifle the thunderous hammering of my heart. My hands had gone clammy and suddenly, I was feeling self-conscious. She was behind me, so close and near that her breasts grazed and nuzzled my back. There was nothing I could do but sit there as quiet as a mouse. I could feel her cool breath tickling the slender curve of my neck and when she leaned forward to grab her beer, she pressed her chest deeper into my back and brushed the side of my arm with hers. It was suffocating.

She walked away without another word and I could hear a soft plop as she sat back on the couch. Inwardly, I drew a mighty breath and unsteadily blew out through tight pursed lips; trying to regain my composure. I needed to calm down.

"How's your dad, by the way?" Kim popped the cap off her own bottle and took a swig while leaning on the counter.

"He's fine," I replied, trying to sound as normal as I could. I inhaled again to shake off any residue nerves, "hasn't remarried or anything, but he's doing great."

"Your dad was always the sensitive type. I bet it must've been a couple of years before he even let you say hi to a boy." Kim joked.

"Three years, actually. Even then, I had to meet my boyfriends after hours and miles away from the house." I was lightening up and even sipped from my drink to encourage a brave heart.

"You seeing anyone, now?"

There was a slight hesitation to my answer, because although it shouldn't have mattered, Joanna was undoubtedly listening. "N-No. Not currently. You?"

"Yeah, my boyfriend, Jared. We've been seeing each other for six months now. He's a dreamboat but can be annoying as fuck when he nags." Suddenly, Kim was chuckling to herself, as if something came to mind. "At least with you, I can get you to talk about your love life. Joanna won't even tell me anything. I fear she might be playing for the other team with all her silence."

I laughed nervously, not really wanting to talk about Joanna and her "mysterious" sexuality less I give myself and our encounter away.

"I kissed someone a couple of days ago." Joanna suddenly interjected. My heart seized and my ears grew red. I didn't dare turn around.

This seemed to rile Kim up, probably because she hadn't expected her little sister to go along with her teasing. "Ooh, finally, I get a little something. With who? A boy from school?"

"With someone I hate." Came Joanna's nonchalant and cryptic reply. I begged in silence for her to not go any further. I knew she was messing with me, trying to get under my skin, and for Christ sake I was giving her the satisfaction.

"What? You kissed someone you didn't like? What the hell for?"

Joanna's response was delayed; purposefully holding me near the edge of the cliff because she could. Because she was cruel. "I wanted to punish them for hurting me."

There was a moment of silence before Kim let out an awkward laugh. "Okayyy, little maniac. You could've just said you weren't seeing anyone." She turned to me and shrugged her shoulders. "Anyways, I ordered some Chinese takeout, you hungry, Esther?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm starved." But I wasn't really, I just needed something - anything to distract me before my nerves shriveled up and combusted into a million pieces.

Like Kim had predicted, the night had gone into the late hours. What she didn't expect, of course and however, was Joanna's decision to stay the night as well. The younger girl shrugged like it was all a mere coincidence, but whenever she looked at me with those unforgiving and esoteric eyes, I knew it was nothing but deliberate.

Being so consumed by her the whole time I was there and wanting an escape, I'd ended up drinking myself drunk. Stupid me. Kim refused to let me drive home and insisted I stay over.

Of course, she didn't have another spare room in her small but glamorous little apartment, just the one and then her own bedroom. But it was fine, she said. I could share with Joanna. Had I really been lured like a naive little mouse all this time? It felt like it.

It was past midnight when we headed to bed. The lights were off in the quiet bedroom tucked in the corner of the now dark and empty apartment when I finally entered. I'd sobered up somewhat after finishing a long shower, but regretted not drinking some more so that I would've been shit-faced drunk and out like a light-bulb. I could've just slept through the night without incident. This in-between tipsy bullshit wasn't good for me or my alcohol stained judgment.

My deadpan eyes automatically flickered to the bed and, of course, there was Joanna. She had her back to me as she laid on the side of the bed closest to the window. Her red hair looked like wine flowing over the back of her pale shoulders and onto the pillow beneath her head. It seemed like she was sleeping - really sleeping. I watched the outline of her shoulder and ribs rise and fall underneath her dainty camisole top.

I was dressed in a pair of linen pajama shorts and a thin long sleeve, yet the rising heat that permeated throughout my body was inescapable. I blamed it on the alcohol and on my mothers' genes for always getting so pyretic when I drank too much. Joanna may have had me squirming like an ant under her thumb, but I was still the adult. I wasn't scared of sharing a bed with her, although it was a relief to know she was already asleep. I sighed inwardly: there was no point in delaying the inevitable.

Gently, I slightly pulled down the blanket covers and eased myself underneath; clutching as close to my side of the edge as possible. My heart palpitated inside my chest but eventually subsided as I made myself comfortable under the moonlight's soft glow that enveloped the entire room. Then, there was nothing. A peaceful silence saturated the air for a long time, as if the room had been suspended in motion.

My eyelids fluttered narrowly as I left my apprehensions behind with my drifting consciousness. The state of nothingness that consumed the room allowed me a breath of air for once despite Joanna being so close, and I found myself easing into a quiet sleep. Just as my heavy eyelids began to seal shut for good, however, I felt the blankets shift and a low voice break the silence.

"Hey, are you still mad about the kiss?" Joanna's sleepy voice traveled through the still air. My back was to her, but I could tell she was on her other side now, facing me.

I pursed my lips. I needed to stand my ground, be the adult, show her that she'd done wrong. Realizing my laughable behavior since the day she'd kissed me, I knew that now was the time to speak my mind.

"Yes. It was inappropriate. I don't know why you're acting the way you are, but I'm not playing your games anymore, Joanna. I'll forget everything that happened as long as you stop whatever it is you're trying to do." My eyes were shut closed in the darkness and I had my arms curled to my chest. I hoped she was reappraising her actions till now - because she wasn't saying anything - and that she'd learned her lesson. I was still willing to forgive her after everything. At least that's what I hoped for.

A jolt of icy goosebumps riddled my body when, suddenly, I felt the supple sensation of her soft lips on my shoulder. I shuddered in shock and, embarrassingly, arousal as she peppered me with airy and sensual kisses. I could feel the fight in me gradually dwindle and wither away the more she kept on.

"Stop, Joanna..." I begged weakly. My hands were clenched tight against my trembling mouth and chest; mortified that I was being rendered powerless from her mere kisses and, more pressingly, by my body's growing betrayal.

She moved closer into me and caressed my right arm in her hand; molding herself into the arch of my back. All I could do was stay still and try to hold myself together as she continued kissing every nook and cranny of my shoulder; the rigid atmosphere between us soundless except for the noise of her lips smacking with every kiss.

I burrowed my face into my pillow to hide the profuse blush that set my cheeks ablaze while I feebly pleaded in vain. As I twisted my body, the round and pert swell of my backside naturally upturned with the motion, which Joanna was quick to notice and take advantage of. She scooted closer and pressed her hips into my ass; tucking a leg between the gap of my thighs and successfully heightening my sensitivity.

"There you go lying again. And what did I say about telling me what to do?" Joanna breathily whispered into my ear. I shrunk like a child as she scolded me. She tucked my long black hair to one side, exposing my neck, and laid tender wet kisses along the trembling skin. "Your body is more honest than your mouth is. I know you liked it when I kissed you, and how you like it right now..." Sliding her delicate hand down my arm and off my elbow, she slipped her nubile fingers under my shirt and started to stroke and lightly scratch at my flat tummy.

Instantly, I shivered and tried desperately to suppress my moans. But the feverish heat that festered around my stomach under her touch bloomed throughout my body and was almost unbearable. I squirmed in place and shoved my face deeper into my pillow.

Suddenly, her hand was on my shoulder and she was turning me over so that I was on my back. I turned my head away, too embarrassed to look her in the eyes, but no matter, because without pause, she plunged her mouth onto mine and kissed me deeply.