Teaching Eden Ch. 05: The Prodigal

Eden found it hard to be back at work the next day. Her body felt sore from Pedretti's caning. Her soul felt fractured from learning about Michele's impending departure. On top of that, she had hardly slept. At recess, Eden sought out her ex-girlfriend. She found her in the teachers' lounge. Michele was pulling a face while drinking a cup of tea. Eden thought that this was at least one constant at a time when her very existence seemed to be in flux.

"Michele, it's good to see you. How are things?"

"They've not changed much since I saw you yesterday, Sums." Huisman looked slightly puzzled.

"Well, I think one thing has changed. Something I kinda wish I'd heard from you and not Pedretti."

Michele looked disconsolate. "He wasn't meant to tell you. I asked him not to. The man is nefarious."

"Well I know now. What the fuck, Michele?"

"Not here, Eden. Can we step outside?"

The two women walked through a door and out to a small garden, nestling between two wings of the school. Michelle sat on a wooden bench and Eden joined her. The coach spoke. Her head bowed over her tea.

"So. The thing is, I got this job offer. It's in LA. Coaching a uni football team." She paused and a smile briefly flickered across her lips. "That's college soccer in Americanese."

Serious once more, she continued. "This was a while ago. I said a West Coast move was a big deal and that I needed some time They gave me four weeks to think about it. That was three weeks ago."

"And you never thought to tell me?" Eden was incredulous.

"No, Sums. Because I wasn't going to take it. I was going to stay here with you. There were some things at Burnell I wanted to put behind me. And it would be nice to see a bit more sun. But I thought we were a thing. And then..."

Eden made a mental note to bring up the things that Michele wanted to put behind her. But she didn't want to deflect from the central issue. "And then? I do something stupid and you want to run? You don't want to try to sort it out?"

"But, Eden, I was already worried. You're sort of wild. And... and I'm really not. And... and I thought one day you'd wake up and think 'fuck this boring life for a game of soldiers,' and where does that leave me?"

"I don't know what soldiers have to do with anything, but why not talk to me, Michele?"

"Because you were already getting cold feet. I called you my girlfriend and you nearly had an aneurysm."

"That was a misunderstanding. And I was kinda scared myself. And anyway, I was going to tell you..."

"Tell me what, Eden?"

"Tell you that I love you, of course."

Michele sat back, her eyes closed as she raised her face to the sky. When she spoke it was one, drawn-out word, powered by a lengthy exhalation. "Fuck!"

She stayed silently like that for some time. Eden waited, increasingly anxiously.

"I don't know, Sums. I don't know. And there's boys to consider. You're a self-proclaimed cumslut, aren't you? I'm not so sure a girl like me could keep you from craving cock. It must have been weeks, right?"

Eden was suddenly looking anywhere but in Michele's direction.

"No, Eden. No. Not just hours after..."

"I'm sorry, I really had no choice. You see, just like you, Pedretti..."

Michele, clearly gripped by strong emotion, raised her hand and loudly said, "No! Don't you dare bring up anything about me and that man."

She glared at Eden with a hostility the younger woman had never seen before. "So you've been getting cozy with Pedretti, have you? I guess you know what he made me do. This is what I mean, exactly what I mean. I'm still traumatized by the experience. You probably came three times."

"I'm sorry, Michele. I was so confused, so angry." Eden knew she had to confess more. Maybe it was best to get it out in the open all in one go. It couldn't be any worse, surely.

"And... and... Luke. I... I let Luke fuck me while Pedretti watched. And yes, I did cum. But... but, when I heard you were leaving. When I heard that. Suddenly nothing else mattered."

Eden realized that she had tears running down her cheeks. "I think I worked out that I just want you, Michele, not anything else."

She waited. Not knowing whether to expect a hug or a volcanic explosion. She got neither. When Michele spoke, she had an icy tone to her voice. "So with Johnson's cum still inside you, and probably Pedretti's as well, you suddenly discover everlasting love, right?"

Michele stood and silently walked back into the building, shaking her head. Eden held her face in her hands and sobbed.

A whistle sounded and Eden realized it was time for classes to recommence. Thankfully she didn't have to teach immediately. But then she remembered. Melody. She was meant to be seeing Melody. Fuck!

Eden took a tissue from her pocket and dabbed her eyes. Maybe she should cancel. But she didn't want to let her student down. She took some deep breaths and tried to compose herself.

Melody was already in the room when Eden entered it. She was slumped in a chair. Her customary pose.

"Good morning, Melody. I hope you had a nice weekend." Eden was aware her voice was wobbling and a little cracked.

This seemed to rouse Melody out of her normal passive-aggressive stupor. "You OK, Miss? You sound funny."

"Yes, I'm fine, Melody. Thank you." Suddenly Eden couldn't pretend any more. She couldn't be the adult. "No. Actually. I'm not OK at all. Can we... can we maybe do this tomorrow?"

Eden dropped her head into her hands. She heard Melody's chair scrape the floor and expected to hear the door slam. Instead, she felt an arm around her shoulder and a very different voice say, "want to tell me about it, Miss? I'm kinda an expert in upset."

Eden looked up and saw a sad expression conveying sympathy and understanding on her student's face. Maybe all it took to reach her was trauma response. Perhaps Melody empathized with that. These thoughts came and went quickly. They were replaced by a suddenly overwhelming need to talk to someone. Anyone.

Eden thought ironically that she had done much less professional things with a pupil than confide in them. Still she hesitated. But the stifling ache in her chest seemed more important.

Suddenly the dam burst and Eden found herself telling Melody everything. Well maybe not everything. She left out the exhibitionist stuff. And Luke's role. And obviously she wasn't going to mention her evening with Pedretti. Nevertheless, Eden had the distinct feeling that Melody was putting two and two together as she unburdened herself to her.

When Eden finished her story, Melody squeezed her hand. For maybe two minutes, she said nothing. Then, calmly and collectedly she began to speak. "So, Miss. I get it. You don't know what you want. I don't think any of us get entirely what we want. Certainly not me. But I think you need to figure out what's most important to you. Is it love and hearts and stability and being settled?" She paused almost imperceptibly. "Or is it having your face painted by two cocks?"

Melody's tone had changed not an iota as she uttered the final sentence. At first, Eden thought she must have misheard her.

Melody looked at Eden and smiled. "See, Miss. Luke's my only real friend here. It's not like that. Not at all. But misfits attract -- or misery likes company. To be honest, I'm jealous. You just lived out one of my fantasies. Though, for preference, not with Pedretti. I've not been able to convince any of the guys on the site to tag team me yet."

Eden's head was spinning. 'Site...?' 'Tag team...?' 'What the fuck...?' The thoughts went rushing through her head. She suddenly felt less upset. And suddenly looked at Melody in a very different light. But it was still a lot to take in.

Melody smirked at the older woman's confusion. "Come on, Miss. You can work it out. Do I need to show you?"

Melody pulled out her phone, flicked her fingers over the screen, and handed it to Eden, whose eyes grew larger and larger as she scrolled down.

The face was always cut off. But the jaw-line, the mouth, the stray hair. It was quite clear who the subject of the photos was. Melody tied Shibari-style. Melody's ass with the same type of red welts across it as still made sitting uncomfortable for Eden. Melody with cum in her mouth and on her face. Shit!

Eden struggled to speak coherently. "So... so... this is your hobby? And Luke too. He told me..."

"No. Not Luke. Though he likes to see the photos. You were his first. He can't stop going on about how amazing it was. Just to me, of course. You don't need to worry."

Melody paused, the smirk back on her face. "You're not shocked are you miss? After what Luke told me about last night, I thought maybe you might be, well, interested."

Eden told herself she was a teacher. An adult. A person in a position of responsibility. The rapid beating of her heart and warmth in her chest told her something else.

"Melody. We... we can't look at these here. It's not appropriate. Not safe. But..." She took a deep breath. "If you want to come to my house later..."

Eden couldn't believe the words had passed her lips. Maybe Luke had been her Rubicon. Perhaps this was getting out of control. Yes. Yes of course it was. She should stop things, before they went too far.

"Sure, Miss. I have some photos of me with other girls. You might like that."

Eden did a passable impression of a goldfish. It was normally her revelations that shocked others. This was new for her. New and -- if she was honest with herself -- incredibly stimulating.

And Michele? Well fuck her! Eden was still young. She still wanted to explore sex more; much more. Right now, she really wanted to explore it with Melody.

"You OK, Miss? You've gone all funny again. Is it a date?"

Eden was still struggling with words, but nodded and eventually managed, "eight o'clock?"

"Sure. See you then, Miss. Am I dismissed?"

Once more Eden nodded. As Melody departed, she felt an uncontrollable urge for some alone time in the restroom. Putting an exploratory hand inside the waistband of her pants, she withdrew it with her finger-tips damp.

"Fuuuuck!"

The rest of the day was something of a blur for Eden. Thankfully she only had algebra to teach, and she could do that in her sleep. Michele tried to talk to her in the afternoon, but Eden blew her off. 'I've had enough of her bullshit,' she told herself. One thing was on her mind. Melody. Melody nude in her bed.

At home, Eden wondered why she had said eight. She was unable to focus on cooking and didn't feel hungry anyway. She had remembered the URL of Melody's site; sometimes the way her brain worked was helpful. She typed it into her 'phone. Understandably, you had to register. Eden had an email account that she used for such things. You had to upload a profile photo too. She took a selfie with the top half of her face out of frame.

Then she stopped. This was crazy, right? Stalking. At the very least she should ask Melody first. As she put her 'phone down, it beeped. A message from Melody.

The words mentioned warming Eden up. There were a series of attachments. Eden couldn't take her eyes off the first photo. No obscured features. No grainy quality. Melody's face, as clear as crystal, down to the saliva trailing from her outstretched tongue to the pussy of a woman whose face was out of shot. But it was Melody's eyes that captivated Eden. The hunger in them. The desire. Eden realized that she had her hand between her legs and was stroking the crotch of her pants.

She checked the time. Only 7:30pm. Removing her pants and settling back down on the couch, Eden opened the next photo. Melody was lying back, a woman -- maybe the one from the first photo -- had her head between the teen's legs. Melody was looking straight into the camera with a 'what are you staring at' expression on her face. Eden's fingers caressed the front of her panties.

The next seemed to be from a different day. Melody's hair was a little shorter. She was tied again, but in a less decorative manner. An older woman, wearing a leather corset, held a Hitachi to Melody's pussy. The younger girl's face was screwed up in something between ecstasy and agony, her arms were straining against the ropes that bound her. Eden slipped her hand inside her panties. Porn had never really worked for her, but porn when one of the protagonists was about to knock on your door? That was quite a different thing.

The final photo was simpler. A close up of Melody, extending only as far as her nipples at the bottom. Her face was flushed red, she was smiling radiantly, and both her chin and the area around her mouth glistened. Pussy juice has a certain, distinctive optical property. Eden's fingers penetrated her vagina and she began to finger herself. Placing her 'phone on a convenient cushion, Eden also found her clit.

Ten minutes later, when her doorbell rang, Eden answered it nude from the waist down. Their lips collided and Melody's fingers found Eden's dripping opening before the door had even closed.

Michele walked slowly the short distance between her house and Eden's. As if taking her time would somehow allow her confused mind more space to see things clearly. She was angry. So angry. But even her anger betrayed her broader feelings. She was angry because she cared. Part of her really wished she didn't, that she could let go. But the bigger part just wanted things back to normal.

She had been too harsh on Eden. The mention of pandering to Pedretti's kinks brought back bad memories. But Michele knew deep down that part of her anger was not to do with what she had done with the Principal, but how she had felt about it. How she had reacted. She also now recognized that Eden had stirred similar memories in her. Ones she would rather forget.

Maybe the short walk had helped. Michele had closed her door knowing only that she wanted to see Eden. She now understood what she wanted to say to her.

Perhaps Michele was so absorbed in her thoughts that other things were on autopilot. Without even noticing that she had done it, she was inside Eden's house, having opened the door with the key she still had. It occurred to Michele that she had been meaning to return it, but could never quite bring herself to do so. Then she heard the noise...

From the living room came squealing and moaning. Sounds she was all too familiar with. Michele felt both her temper rising and an aching sadness, each vying for supremacy in her troubled psyche.

Part of her meant to confront Eden. Part of her meant to leave. The superposition of these two states had Michele simply standing at the living room door. Standing and looking.

Eden was nude and on the couch. Michele recognized Melody, even from behind. She was still in her school uniform, though her panties were with Eden's shirt on the coffee table. The younger girl's head was buried between Eden's thighs. Eden's eyes were closed. One hand on Melody's head, one squeezing her left breast.

Michele felt a scream rising in her. She felt the need to break things. Then she looked again. Really looked. At Eden's face, so absorbed in pleasure, an expression Michele knew well. Her alabaster skin glowing. The curves of her body, ones that Michele had traced every inch of. She listened to the sounds of Eden's growing excitement. Anticipating every whimper and sigh, knowing how she would respond. Thinking what Michele would be doing in Melody's place.

Melody? She almost didn't register. Michele felt as if she was having an out of body experience. That she was looking down at herself pleasuring her beautiful lover. She could taste Eden as Melody tongued her. She could feel the warmth of Eden's body as Melody's face rubbed against it. She embraced Eden's surging passion as Melody drove her closer and closer to release.

Again on autopilot, Michele noticed that she had her hand inside her sweatpants. Inside her panties. Inside her aching pussy. As Eden surfed a tsunami of pleasure, Melody's tongue and fingers driving her wild, Michele felt her own excitement rise and rise. Rise like it had when she had masturbated for Pedretti. When she had exposed her inner self, both physically and metaphorically to him. When something had become unlocked in her. Something she had been struggling to lock up ever since. Something she didn't want to be true, but which she knew was undeniable.

Eden was now panting. Both hands entwined in Melody's hair. Her body twisting in ecstasy. The pants became groans. The groans culminated in a scream.

Two seconds later, Michele's own feelings overwhelmed her. She came violently, her body shaking and reverberating, echoing Eden's orgasm. Michelle had been furiously biting her lip, but a whimper somehow escaped from her.

Melody didn't react, her ears maybe muffled by Eden's thighs. But suddenly Eden was looking straight at Michele. At first the only emotion on her face seemed to be astonishment. Then it mellowed into something else. Something that Michele felt as well. Was it maybe connection?

Michele didn't wait to see more, nor to speak to Eden. She had intruded enough. She wanted to talk. To better understand what that shared look had meant. But tomorrow. Tomorrow after Melody had gone.

The sun shining through her bedroom window woke Eden. She had been too busy last night to bother with the drapes. Her and Melody had fallen asleep together a sticky, sweaty mess. Turning, she saw an empty space beside her. Eden wasn't that surprised. She wasn't even disappointed. She remembered being Melody. Sex being something to be enjoyed before moving on to the next adventure. But she was Melody no more. That was something that Eden had known about for some time. What was different today was that she had finally stopped fighting against reality.

Picking up her 'phone, there were two messages. The first was from Melody.

That was great, Eden. I wish you had let me take photos. Think what Luke is missing out on. Maybe we could do that again sometime?

Eden smiled. She had finished messages with similar words many times. She had never really meant them and assumed the same went for Melody too.

She typed a quick reply.

You're an animal. A delectable, gorgeous animal. But an animal. A wild one. Enjoy your freedom. And maybe give Luke a chance. He's a pretty good fuck you know.

Eden was glad it was an encrypted messaging service they were using.

Melody had been fun. A lot of fun. Something in the look she had exchanged with Michele had told her that she had permission. That it was OK. Eden had made the most of it. But the night had also felt like a swan song. Yes she was twenty-five. But she'd soon be twenty-six; maybe it was time to grow up just a little bit.

Eden opened Michele's message.

I hope we're cool. I feel we maybe are. But I could be wrong. Can we talk later? ❤️❤️❤️

Eden looked at the last three characters for a few minutes. Then she replied.

I'm up. Melody is gone. Shall I come to you?

She thought for a second or two, then added ❤️❤️❤️.

Michele said that she was on her way.

Good. I'll put the kettle on.

Michele's reply was a simple 😱.

At present, I see this series as marking the end of Eden's Explorations, at least from a temporal perspective. I plan an earlier story set in NYC, when Eden is in grad school. It's tentatively called The Garden of Eden. It's possible I also write another story from her college years. And never say never, perhaps a more mature Eden will reappear one day as well. If so, I hope she's still with Michele.