The Theft of Jessie Gray

Author's Note: Welcome back, dear readers, for another new story. This one is a bit ahead of schedule, but my gracious patrons agreed to let me get it out to you all a bit early. It is an enthusiastically consensual story, though with some slight elements that could cause discomfort in select readers. All characters depicted are of age. Personally, I'm happier with this one than I am with most of what I write when it's freshly completed, so I hope you lot enjoy it as well. Now, thank you to everyone who drops by to give this a read and on with the show.

***

The heavy, insistent beat of a relentless bass line cranked up entirely too loud pulsed back and forth between Lily's ears and her brain. The teen had decided pretty quickly that Club 77 just wasn't her kind of scene. A few of her school friends had dropped by for the place's grand opening and spent the next few weeks positively raving about the party, but Lily wasn't as impressed. The club was more rock than pop with a bit too much grunge and a bit too little flash. In the grand scheme of things, though, it didn't matter all that much. With the mood they were in, she and Jessie could have celebrated in a disco parlour.

It was hardly the first time the two girls had gone out dancing together. They had, after all, been inseparable ever since the second grade when they first bonded under the thumb of their mutual bully, Deb Connors. From there their friendship had only grown. In fourth grade, they had each earned themselves a month long suspension for a prank their classmates still talked about in hushed tones. In the sixth, Jessie had dragged Lily along with her to volleyball tryouts and the pair had made their first team together. Come middle school it was only natural that Jessie was the first person Lily came out to around midnight one evening after the pair had spent several hours watching old movies and swapping more than a few practice kisses. While the blonde hadn't returned her best friend's affections, she had never held them against her either.

The pressures of high school might have broken some of their peers' friendships, but they had only served to bring Jessie and Lily closer together. Every year the girls would tinker with their schedules to get into as many shared classes as possible. Not once but twice Jessie had even chosen to turn down a spot in their school's top choir in order to stick with Lily in the general chorus. (Though, to be fair, her nerves had played into that decision as well.) Perhaps most importantly of all they had spent each and every fall and winter together as stalwarts of their school's volleyball team. Even when the season ended and Lily went off to run track while Jessie focused on her photography (Lily had, of course, been her first model before the blonde decided she preferred nature shots) they hung out at least a few evenings every week. As such, it had surprised none of their teammates when the pair of besties had bailed on the volleyball seniors' end of season party to go out clubbing together instead. Thanks to a pair of mediocre fake Ids coupled with some top notch flirting on Lily's part, they were young veterans of several of their home city's more youth oriented nightclubs.

It has been a hell of a run, Lily thought while she leaned back in their booth and waited for Jessie to return with another pair of drinks, and it just might be getting better. Even had she a genie all her own there wasn't a single thing the teen would have wished to change about tonight. Sure the state tournament might have gone to hell in a handbasket, but a regional title was still the best result their school had managed in decades and the whole team had been riding the high all week. In such a euphoric mood, Lily had thrown caution to the wind and spent the night flirting more openly with Jessie than she had allowed herself to do in ages. To her utter jubilation, instead of Jessie's usual flustered awkwardness the blonde had been responding with coy smiles and even a few giggles. Whether it was due to the joy of triumph, the buzz from their drinks, or something having changed between them in an indescribably wonderful way Lily honestly didn't care. She was too busy seizing the moment and hoping against hope that the night might end with her and Jessie fooling around for the first time since that fateful night when they had last practiced making out.

The thought of what the two teens might get up to once back home was enough to draw tingles up Lily's spine and a Cheshire grin to her lips when she caught sight of Jessie returning. It was going on two months since she had broken things off with her second girlfriend and the young lesbian was starting to get unspeakably horny. If Lily was being honest with herself, Kelsey had been nothing more than a rebound girl after She Who Must Not Be Named shattered her heart into tiny little pieces then stomped on them, baked them into a cake, and made her eat it, but if nothing else the sex had been spectacular. With that outlet abruptly denied to her, the teen's libido had been enduring an endless feedback loop. For whatever reason her own fingers had never been as satisfying as another girl's, and she was just dying to be eaten out.

By the time Jessie arrived and was sliding into their booth, her brunette friend was about as flushed as a girl could get. The blonde didn't notice, though, and it wasn't because the club lights were turned too low. Lily was well aware that her best friend was about as innocent as it was possible for a teen in the internet age to be. Puberty had hit her like a freight train, and it had been less than two years since that curse finally transformed to a blessing. She might be beautiful now, but being constantly overlooked during the lean years had left Jessie much too shy to handle the flood of attention she had inevitably received from what seemed like every guy with a pulse since coming into her own. So shy that Lily knew for a fact she had never so much as gone on a date, let alone started rounding the bases.

"Thanks, babe," Lily greeted her friend once she had settled in, reaching across their table for one of the drinks as she did. "You got a few dances left in those sweet legs, or are you thinking it's time to get out of here once we finish these... whatever the hell they are?" The teen shook her head in dismay at Jessie's latest selection, sending the short brown hair of her pixie cut bouncing. Four years since they had shared their first hard lemonade and she still regretted not holding out for a can of beer. Maybe then the blonde wouldn't have wound up with a taste for weird fruity crap like whatever they were drinking now.

"Yeah, I think I am tired enough to call it a night. If that's okay with you," the blonde answered. "Will, uh... will Justin be home? You know what my parents think about us drinking." Unless she was singing, or just particularly excited, Jessie's voice was almost always soft and pretty. It was an unusually perfect fit for a shy beauty like her, and something Lily wouldn't change for all the world. Against the atmosphere of a club, however... it did leave Jessie frequently bordering on inaudible.

"What about Justin?" Lily leaned in, the move drawing a slight grimace from her friend.

"Is he home?" Jessie tried again. Her voice was barely louder than the first time, but it was enough.

"On Friday night? Nah. We'll have the whooooole place to ourselves," the brunette flashed her bestie the finest mischievous grin in her arsenal, a true masterpiece honed over years of practice which drew just the blushing smile she hoped to see in return.

"Oh..." Jessie bit her lip for a moment, her blush only rising. "Uh, alright... we can go," she finally agreed.

It was normal enough for the two teens to wind up alone at Lily's place on the weekends now that she and Justin shared an apartment. Then twenty two years old, her brother had already been a grown man fresh out of college when their parents had passed away in a car accident freshman year and so had become her legal guardian. Unable to handle the memories or care for the large house they had grown up in, the two siblings had moved into a nice apartment just far enough away to feel different yet still familiar. They got on well enough that Lily had never minded the arrangement, and Justin's job on the managerial fast track with a major firm in the city meant he was more than capable of taking care of her until she turned twenty one and gained control of her own trust. Between work and a long, serious relationship with his girlfriend of four years he had often been busy for one reason or another leaving the apartment vacant for the girls. The latter had recently come to an abrupt end, but Lily was pretty confident he would still be out doing something on Friday night. He always was.

Gulping down the last of Jessie's ridiculous fruity concoction, Lily practically bounced out of her booth, followed a bit more sedately by her blonde friend. The pair quickly waved goodbye to a couple of Jessie's cousins who they had happened upon earlier in the evening, then made their way out front. Rather than wait for a ride from one app or another, Lily flagged down the first cab she saw and they slid into the back, trying to ignore the musty smell of sweat and junk food wafting back from the driver's seat.

Between a gruff driver and a trip too short for much of a real conversation, the girls instead spent the ride pulling ridiculous faces at one another and then giggling like the schoolgirls they would remain for just a few more months. Once inside Lily's building, they spent the elevator ride trying, and dismally failing, to suppress their giggling so as not to draw the ire of the condescending old woman from up on five who was in the car with them. By the time they reached her front door, Lily's heart was pounding in her chest at the thought of how she hoped the rest of the evening would go.

The exhilarated teen was so distracted she didn't even notice the familiar sound of a tv greeting her, only stopping dead when she stepped through the door and saw Justin relaxing on their couch.

"Hey sis..."

***

For the past few weeks Justin had felt like he was stuck in the doldrums. His breakup with Gwen had been... unpleasant, and he was taking it hard enough to feel off his game at work and in his private life alike. In all honesty, their relationship had been on the rocks for half a year or more, but he had held out hope they could still work things out. In the end, though, what the two young professionals had wanted out of each other was just too different. So they had gone their separate ways. For good this time.

It wasn't like the world was ending. He was still a young man in his prime, there was plenty of time to find someone else. And it wasn't like his prospects were slim. He had a steady job with good wages and no ceiling on his advancement. He had been a high school athlete who was into intramurals at university and still kept care of his body. He was a charismatic guy and downright handsome to boot. All of these were very good things. Hell, he could probably land any girl he wanted.

It still hurt.

A few of his buddies had invited him out for drinks after work tonight, trying to sell him on one of the local comedy clubs that was supposed to be pretty popular. He had begged off, though, certain they would spend the entire night pushing him to get back in the game and trying to set him up with every unattached girl in the room. They meant well and he loved them for it, but if he heard George drop his lonely cousin's name into conversation one more time... No, what Justin needed was a nice quiet night in to calm down and reset, so that was what he was doing. Lily was off somewhere partying with her school friends so he had the place to himself and could just chill. And miracle of miracles, it was working. By the time the apartment's front door creaked open around ten minutes into the third movie of his 'lighthearted fun marathon' he felt better than he had in, what, months? So there was a casual smile on his face when he rolled his head to the side and glanced over towards the source of the giggling so suddenly intruding upon his peaceful evening.

His sister was the first to come into view, looking as she always did save for the fact her usual black jeans and leather jacket had been replaced by her slinkiest party dress, the one their father would probably have had a heart attack seeing her in had he ever had the chance. Lily had never been afraid to embrace every stereotype thrown her way, fitting the part of the sporty teen lesbian to a T. She wore her short brown hair in a wild pixie cut, shunned most makeup, and engaged in a relentless athletic schedule that kept her coltish body trim and fit enough to have easily drawn her brother's eye were she any other girl. At the moment, she also happened to be sporting a rather irate expression that didn't seem to mesh with the giggling from just a moment before.

About a second after Lily passed through the door she was followed by her best friend and dedicated shadow impersonator, Jessie Gray. The trim blonde had been tight with Justin's sister for about as long as he could remember and he had watched with casual interest as she gradually grew into the kind of girl who turned heads. Standing at 5'9" or perhaps 10" Jessie was a good height, just a couple inches shorter than himself, with enough curves on her athletic frame to draw plenty of male interest even clad in jeans and a plain shirt that starkly contrasted against her friend's provocative dress. Long, golden blonde hair fell down the teen's back in waves. Up above, those tresses framed a pretty face with big doe eyes the perfect shade of pale, corn flower blue and a pair of nice full lips that more than a few of his friends had confessed to fantasizing about having wrapped around their cocks. Still, gorgeous as she was Justin's interest had never been more than casual. It was no secret that his sister had it bad for her best friend and he had been in a committed relationship pretty much since the teens had hit puberty.

"Hey sis, hey Jessie," he called over to the girls.

"Hi Justin," the blonde answered, her smile seeming even more shy than normal, if that was at all possible. Were it not for the fact he had watched her act similarly with nearly every person she ever met, Justin would likely have spent the last few years under the impression Jessie was nursing one hell of a monster crush on him. With how shy she was in general, though, he had never read much into blushing greetings like the one he had just received. Lily, on the other hand, seldom greeted him with such a ferocious scowl. He really wasn't sure what he had done to deserve her ire, but he was in a good enough mood to hold out his bowl of popcorn as a peace offering nonetheless.

"You girls want some butter and air? I just fired up an excellent movie."

"No, we..." Lily started, but before she managed to refuse the invitation Jessie was already halfway over to the couch.

"Is that? It is! How did you know I was coming?" The blonde gushed, her face lighting up at the sight of her all time favourite movie.

"Hey, I'll not turn down credit for happy accidents," Justin chuckled, pulling the popcorn back onto his chest and shifting a bit to one side. "Hop a seat, blondie," he offered, patting the now empty cushion beside him.

Still standing by the door with a grim expression Lily groaned in frustration, but if her best friend even heard the noise it wasn't enough to change her mind. Jessie practically vaulted over the sofa's armrest to land in the exact spot from which she had first seen the film in question several years prior. The blonde's enthusiasm sent her bouncing into Justin and threatened to send his popcorn flying, but he somehow managed to both corral the bowl and keep it free of her hair. A true miracle, that.

"Whoa, easy there, kid," he chuckled, turning back over towards the door. "Come on, sis, you know you like this one too..." For a second Lily looked like she was about to scream at him, but the moment fizzled out. Instead she just rolled her eyes with a huff and reluctantly plodded over towards the living area, falling into one of the vacant chairs with a visible pout. If this is what teenage daughters are like... Justin mused, shaking his head as he turned back to the tv.

Before the older brother's eyes could settle back on the screen, though, he felt the none-too-gentle nudge of an elbow into his ribs. Glancing down at his side he saw Jessie shooting him a sad puppy dog look. "Could you start it over, please?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," he teased, dragging out every word. "That's a lot of work. What'll you give me in return?"

"Uh... I," she glanced away, chewing on her lower lip as she tried to think up a suitable answer. Serious interest or no, it had always been great fun teasing a girl as easily flustered as Jessie and as he looked down at her, it occurred to Justin that his newfound period of free agency might just be the perfect chance to have some lighthearted fun at the shy teen's expense.

"How about a kiss, huh?" he suggested, grinning as the blonde's wide eyes darted back to meet his own. Her cheeks, already flushed from drinking, visibly reddened at the proposal. Much to Justin's surprise, though, she didn't back away.

"I, um..." her pale blue eyes didn't waver, locked on to his own as she bit her lip hard. "Alright..." she murmured after a long moment, the word barely above a whisper.

Unexpected, Justin thought, but not unwelcome. For just a moment he gazed into Jessie's eyes to make sure she meant it before leaning in to plant a kiss on her full red lips. A protest of "Justin!" came from his sister's spot across the room, but their lips had already met before the word was even finished. A moment later and he heard her scoff and turn away.

Jessie stiffened as Justin's lips made contact with her own, but a moment later she relaxed a little and fell into the kiss. To his surprise the teen wasn't entirely passive, her lips moving with his own. There was no tongue involved and her mouth remained closed, but Justin could still taste the faint alcohol on her breath and, he thought, a hint of cherry lipstick as well.

Their kiss ended as abruptly as it had begun, Justin raising one eyebrow as he pulled away. Gazing down at her, he saw Jessie was breathing a little heavier than before and smirked. "Well now, what have you been up to lately?" he teased, voice barely more than a whisper. The teen didn't reply, though, just blushing a little deeper and turning away.

"Alright, a deal's a deal," he announced in a louder voice, settling back into his spot on the couch. Picking up the remote beside him, he fiddled with its buttons until the movie was back at its beginning once more.

"Thank you," Jessie's quiet voice could barely be heard over the tv.

"No, no, thank you," Justin answered, glancing down at her again. This time, though, her eyes were locked on the screen so his own only lingered briefly before returning there as well.

With that the trio settled in to watch their movie, its familiar glories playing out before their eyes yet again. Lily lay curled up in her usual awkward fashion on one of the two chairs positioned between the couch and screen. Most who witnessed the way she routinely contorted her body on such occasions were left flabbergasted as to how such a position could possibly be comfortable, but the teen always swore by the habit and those who knew her well had long since stopped questioning it. Behind her and out of view Justin had resumed his earlier position at the center of the couch, though he had straightened up enough for the popcorn bowl to perch in his lap rather than atop his chest. Beside him rested Jessie, but where the siblings were cozily nestled in she was anything but. Every minute or two the blonde would shift her position, curling up against the armrest for awhile, then tucking her legs under her body, then stretching them out towards the coffee table... Around twenty minutes into the film yet another round of repositioning saw a stray elbow catch Justin in the side and he decided he'd had enough.