This Is Our Story Ch. 11

Now to talk to Miss C. With no time whatsoever to process what had happened, all he knew was that it had been exciting, confusing, and probably quite wrong. After he gave himself a moment to calm down from making out with Heather, he stole into the editor's office, where she was waiting. This time, she was on the small couch. (Conner knew it was called a loveseat, but under the circumstances he made himself think of it as a small couch.)

"We should talk. Mind closing the door, Conner?"

It was easy to imagine a scenario in which a teacher lured a student into such a situation after school. No witnesses, doors closed, building empty. Then they would force themselves upon the poor young person. Only here, it was Miss C. For one, he couldn't imagine her as some kind of sex predator, and for two, if she did force herself on him, he had no doubt that he'd be forcing himself right back. With finals occupying his waking hours, he hadn't so much as masturbated in most of a week. Now after the most sexually charged day of his adolescent life, he somehow still hadn't gotten off. His cock was a major liability at this point.

"Have a seat," she said, patting the open spot next to her.

Conner thought it might be safer -- from temptation, that is, as definitionally she couldn't violate the consenting -- to take the desk chair a few feet away, but he didn't want to be rude. "OK," he said, settling in nervously and waiting for her to start.

"First off, how did it go with Heather?"

He blinked at the unexpected question. "Uh, great, actually. She... changed her mind. We're going out later tonight." He couldn't tell herhowhe'd changed her mind, so he kept it vague. "We'd still be, um, talking, but she had to catch her ride. Oh, which reminds me, I need to get moving. My stepsister drove me today, and she's waiting for me. Can we talk later? I promise I won't say anything to anybody, if you're worried."

"I can give you a ride," she said dismissively.

Conner supposed he was curious enough to have this talk that he could endure the awkwardness of it. Besides, speaking of awkward, he didn't want to be there when Angelica started rewarding Owen for his finals performance. As he pulled out his phone to text Angelica and Owen, she addressed the other part of his response. "As for Heather, that's great, Conner! I'm so proud of you. Maybe I misjudged the girl's taste. That's exactly how I wanted this to play out."

He hit send in his text to Angelica. Then her words sunk in. "Wait. Miss C...?"

The woman smiled. Had she put on perfume? "Kristy."

"Kristy, sorry, but--"

"Oh come on, you really thinkHeather Blake was going to get a C- on her exam? It wasn't even a hard test. I think the lowest score I've seen so far was a C, and that was... well, it wasn't Heather Blake, I'll say that. But I knew you'd stand up for her, and you did it brilliantly."

"Wait, I don't get it... Did you...?"

"Set you up to be the hero? I sure did."

Confusion tore through him, and as the memory of Heather's dejected sobbing returned, some anger followed it. "You tanked her score on purpose? Why would you do that! What if I hadn't said anything? Would you have let her lose her college money?"

"Honestly, it never occurred to me you wouldn't intercede. I suppose if you hadn't, I would have altered the grade and told her in January that I'd made a mistake." She noticed his expression. "Are you upset?"

"You lied to me!" Conner snapped.

"Only because I know where your strengths lie. Kindness? You bet. Acting talent? Let's just say there's a reason you're the head of the annual and not of drama club."

"So that whole thing... that was just a setup to give me a second chance with Heather? You knew about her situation with her grandfather and everything?"

"I did. And for the record, I would never maliciously wreck any student's dreams like that, especially not over a few points on one day on one test."

Conner mulled this over. It seemed well-intentioned, and hadn't actually caused any problems. "But... why? I mean, I know we're, you know, friends, or whatever, but why would you do that for me?" His mind caught up with his mouth, and he quickly remembered to add, "Plus, what the heck was with that kiss? If you were trying to set me up with Heather, why do that?"

She folded her arms beneath her breasts. "I keep telling you, there's nothing I want more than for you to be happy. I guess I'll repeat it until you believe me."

Conner eyed her suspiciously. "You kissed me -- with your tongue -- because you want to see me happy."

"It didn't make you happy?"

"Well, yeah, obviously, but--"

"No buts. That's why."

"So any time I want to kiss you I just have to say I'm sad?"

She leaned ever-so-slightly forward. "Are you?"

"No! I just got a date with a girl I've had a crush on for a year!"

"Good. Now, a more important question. I realize I've been awfully forward with you today. The provocative touches, my attire, and of course, the kiss. Did I make you uncomfortable?"

He took a moment to consider. "Kind of, I guess. But not in a bad way? More like... I really like you, and I respect you so much, but you're a teacher. You know? This was so... unexpected, and I guess I don't know how to respond."

She relaxed her pose. "Respond however you like. But it's important to me -- very important to me -- that if I do those things, you enjoy them. If you don't, simply say so, and I'll never do them again."

Her behavior was getting weirder and weirder. "How could I not enjoy it? I've just never, you know, had an older woman come onto me. Not that you're old! Just... you know."

"I know."

She uncrossed her legs, then crossed them in the other direction. Her skirt rose a little higher on her long legs, and he could almost see her underwear from this angle. With his testosterone flowing like a river thanks to the events of the past hour, Conner couldn't help but admire them.

She evidently noticed. "Do you want to touch them?"

His jaw literally dropped. "Miss C!"

"Do you not want to use my first name? I'm only offering because I want you to see me as a person. A friend. Someone you can turn to, with anything."

"I'm sorry. I do want to, and it's really cool of you. I mean, you're obviously so, so pretty."

"Obviously?" she said wryly.

"I mean, you're basically the hottest teacher in school." He clapped a hand over his mouth in shock at his own words, releasing it only to apologize. "I can't believe I said that. I'm sorry, Miss C."

Only she didn't look offended -- or surprised, for that matter. "So it's No to calling me Kristy, then."

"I'm sorry! I'd like to, and it's so cool of you to offer. Hard habit to break though, after having you as a teacher for three and a half years."

She smiled at being reassured that it was a welcome gesture. "Well then, we'll need to build some positive associations with it." The teacher took her pupil's hand and placed it on her knee. "Now look at me, and call me Kristy."

He made himself look up from his hand. It was on his teacher'sleg for Pete's sake! "K-kristy."

"Good." She slid it a few inches higher up her leg. His palm was resting on her skirt, but his fingertips were on what he now realized was stocking-covered thigh. How had he not noticed before? "Say it again."

The lump in his throat was making it hard to say anything. How was touching his teacher's leg getting him as excited as sucking on Heather Blake's tits?! "Kristy."

"There you go." She moved his hand substantially higher, up to the top of the slit in the side of her skirt. He was at mid-thigh now, nearly to upper. His index finger could barely feel the texture of the tops of her stockings. "What's my name, Conner?"

He surrendered his battle to look her in the eye. If she'd let him touch her thigh, surely she wouldn't begrudge him looking. "Kristy."

"That's right." Her next maneuver was smaller, but so much more impactful. This time, she slid his grip laterally so that his entire hand was on skin rather than fabric, and then a mere inch or two higher, and his fingertips disappeared beneath the skirt. "Who am I."

Conner was as turned on as he'd ever been in his life. He had his actual hand literally up Kristy's skirt.Aha! I actually thought of her by her first name! "Kristy."

"You hesitated. Again, Conner. Who am I?"

"Kristy!" he blurted.

"And what am I?"

His capacity for rational thought was practically nonexistent. "Uh, my teacher?"

She rubbed her thighs together around his hand. "The hottest teacher in school, I believe you said."

He nodded dumbly. "Yes, Kristy."

"I think you've nearly gotten it down now, but let's be sure." He had to lean into it now, and could no longer see any part of his hand. His fingers swept over the subtle ridges of her stockings, then onto an expanse of warm, smooth thigh. She didn't stop there though. The English teacher guided her student's wrist until his hand slid all the way up her hip. Doing so had required him to lean so far forward his hair was brushing against her breasts. His exploring hand felt a bit of fabric again, but it was like a ribbon, it was so scant. Was that her panties? What on earth was she wearing under there?

"Say my name, and make me believe it, Conner."

"Kristy. You're Kristy, and only Kristy, and always and forever Kristy."

She smiled. "Very good. Now you're welcome to keep your hand there, of course, but you look like you're about to pinch a nerve in that posture. I believe you've discovered my underwear; when you do pull your hand out, it's up to you whether or not that comes with."

Any other day, Conner would have chickened out and pulled his hand back like she had a snapping turtle between her legs. But that day, he was too fucking horny to decline an offer like that.

It wasn't easy with only the one hand, but Kristy helped him, wriggling as needed. "You... you wore a bright yellow thong... to school?!" It dangled from one of his fingers like a flimsy Christmas tree ornament.

"Sure. I hate panty lines. And I figured nobody's going to see it anyway, unless I want them to, in which case, I wanted them to see something cute. Right?"

"'Cute' is one word for it," he murmured. As the garment dangled back and forth, he realized there was a slightly darker spot in there, more banana yellow than the item's neon tint. But... "Kristy, are you... is that...?"

"You told me I'd been making you happy and felt up my thigh. Was I not supposed to react? I'm only human, Conner."

"You're more than merely human. You're... amazing." He stopped himself from elaborating. "Sorry. Heather and I, um, kinda made out a little bit, and I'm so horny I could explode. It's making me crazy."

She arched a neatly sculpted eyebrow. "Would you like me to make you sane again?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're sexually frustrated. Nothing clears your head like brushing the cobwebs off your ding-dong."

"I... You... We can't..."

"If you don't want to, that's fine. I'm only offering. I hate to see you frustrated like this. If there's anything I can do to help alleviate it, say the word."

Conner took a deep breath. He could hardly believe this. While he wouldn't say he'd had a crush on his teacher, he'd be lying his ass off if he said he'd never noticed she was a thoroughly attractive woman. Kristy had definitely graced his fantasies more than a few times over the years, try as he might not to notice. Now here she was, essentially offering to give him whatever he wanted...

"Come on, Conner. Let me make you happy. I want to."

He shook himself. "There's that word again... Why are you so..."

It hit him in an instant. How could he have been so dense?! In this very classroom, she'd said those words.I just want you to be happy. Or something like that. He'd recorded it in TIOS because it had moved him, and he'd wanted to record the memory. (Which was the whole darn reason he'd joined yearbook, he fumed inwardly, not to embark on a campaign of sexual conquest!)

How long ago had that been? Ah yes, it was right before he'd decided to break it off with Hailey and go back to being the good guy. Right before Kristy had started giving him all that one-on-one attention, all the extra feedback on his projects, helping him hound the staff to follow directives. Come to think of it, she'd just plain been nicer to him. He could remember little compliments, small gestures of affection. Even that day in the car, in her spandex running outfit, when she'd told him to call her by her first name and given him that peck on the cheek. (It didn't hold a candle to today's affections, but still.)

"Oh no. M-- Kristy, I think I may have done something bad. Oh, shit."

In a flash, he hopped over to the desktop computer and logged in, the thong discarded without ceremony on the tile floor. Kristy followed him, sitting on the desktop facing him like she had that morning. "What's wrong? It's winter break, Conner. You can give the work a rest. Whatever it is, it can wait a few weeks, I promise you." She flashed a pitying smile at her dutiful editor-in-chief.

Conner barely heard it. The moment the desktop loaded, he double-clicked the TIOS icon, and then logged in. He opened the spread for Kristiana Coszic-Lewandoski, and there it was.All I ever want is for you to be happy.

He remembered that there had been more to it, that she'd said something about how she had certain students with a special place in her heart, and he was one of them. Why hadn't he recorded the rest of it? What had he been thinking? He'd been so worked up that day, so consumed with making a sex toy out of Hailey, that he'd made his most obvious blunder yet. How did he keep doing this to people?!

"What's that?" she asked, pivoting her head to look at the screen. "Aw, you wrote that down? I remember that day. How sweet of you."

Once or twice, he'd actually wondered if his teacher had some kind of privileges in the system akin to his own, but the blasé way she reacted to reading that confirmed in an instant that she did not. This was all too damn weird, and finally, he was going to say something to someone. Owen had looked at TIOS as a genie, but whatever it was, it was no idle wish granter. He needed someone who might have some kind of insights into what the hell was really going on.

"Kristy... I need to tell you something about TIOS."

"Oh?" She didn't seem fazed by the fact that he'd suddenly lost interest in her offers mere moments after spotting the evidence of her arousal on her discarded thong. (Not that he had; this was just more important.)

Conner started at the beginning, how it had asked him to confirm editor-in-chief status, how he'd switch Hailey and Hayleigh's pictures. For now, he didn't specify exactly what quote he'd used that had made TIOS create a profile for Angelica, but he explained how suddenly she was back in high school. He shared some of the small tweaks he'd been doing over the past couple months, and where he'd detected anything, the more banal effects he'd witnessed. His only omission was what he had done with Heather. He couldn't say why, exactly; only that he didn't want her to think that he'd only managed to get a date with her by cheating. It seemed like Kristy's scheme to hook them up would have worked even without it.

Through it all, his teacher listened impassively. He'd see if she'd maintain it once he told her what he'd done there. "Which brings us back to you, Kristy. I wrote down this quote because what you said to me that afternoon really got through to me, and I didn't want to forget it. Only I didn't realize that it would change you like this, make you so... well, like this. And I'm sorry, and I wish I knew how to undo it, and if you have any suggestions, I'm game."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as he finally ended his tale. "Conner, that's... that's a very colorful story. But what you're saying, that's not possible. You understand that, right? It's only software. It's really good software, but that's it."

He sighed. "I can prove it to you. Look..." Then, Conner used the same trick he had with Owen, bringing up an old sext pic of Hailey (in Hayleigh's body) and showing it bit by bit, having her describe it as he went along. She was a good sport, considering he didn't have any pictures of her that were fully decent. Finally he scrolled the picture up to reveal the face, and much like Owen had, she gaped at what she saw.

"That's... that's Hailey McManus! But it's not... how..." She shook her head for a moment. "You... You were serious. That means you really did change me.That'swhy I've been so concerned about you lately. Oh my gosh!"

Conner averted his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I really only wanted a memory of how nice you were to me that day."

She looked down at him with impressive severity. "You said there's no way to undo it?"

"Nothing I've found. I'd hoped maybe you'd know something, but from your reaction, I'm taking it you haven't seen anything like this in your user experience."

"No, no reality-altering consequences on my end," she said dryly. "But that's a good thing, at least for me. You'll need to be very, very careful what you input, but so far it all sounds fairly benign. Maybe not for your stepsister, but it sounds like Hailey and Hayleigh are oblivious, as is everyone else regarding the change. As for me... I guess I should be thanking you."

"Thanking me?! What the heck for?"

"For one... I was this close to turning in my resignation at the end of the year," she said, holding up two fingers. "I was feeling burned out, uninspired, overworked and under-everything-elsed. I was spending all my nights planning lessons and grading essays, and I wasn't feeling it like I used to. Then this came along, and suddenly... I had a purpose again. I looked forward to coming into work, just to see a smile on your face. To help make your experience here... well, happier."

"Oh. I never would've guessed..."

"Besides, that's only half of it. Impress me with what you remember from your vocab lessons, Mr. Editor-in-chief. What does 'tautology' mean?"

He thought. "That's where something defines itself, right? Like, 'it is what it is.'"

"Basically. And that's what we have here. You made it so all I wanted is to make you happy, which gives me the chance to make you happy. Which is all I want. See?"

"Uh, no?"

"I'm saying, I've been given a chance to have everything I want. It might not sound like much to you, but to me... you have no idea what it feels like to hear you tell me I've made you a little joy, Conner. No idea." She glanced over to where her thong lay crumpled up on the floor. "Or maybe you do."

Conner frowned. "That feeling isn't real, though, Kristy. TIOS did this to you."

"Maybe, but it feels just as real. Put it like this. Right now, I can make you happy, and that makes me feel great about myself. Do you know how rare a thing that is, to know exactly how to self-actualize, and to have the means to do it right there at hand?"

"Uh, no. I guess not."

"Well trust me, it's a blessing. Plus, let's look at it the other way. If you tried to undo all this, that would mean I wouldn't want to make you happy any more. Hell, I'd probably downright furious about what's happened today. And as things stand, that would make you unhappy, so I never want that to happen. I'd fight to stop you, if I could find a way to do it without upsetting you."

"Which is what you're doing now, saying all this. Right?"

She smiled. "Smart boy. Just believe me when I say, I'm happier like this."

He frowned. "I wish I could say the same."

"Oh, sweetie." She scooted so that she was right in front of him. "You're upset again. We keep going in circles."

"Sorry. This is... I didn't mean you. If I'm unhappy, it's not your doing, OK?" Fresh guilt tore at him, but the best he could do was try to reassure her.