The Princess and the Plague : 36

The Princess and the Plague
Part 36
By Anistasia Allread
Edited by Edeyn

Erika's heart sped up. A warmth washed over her body as his tongue explored her mouth. She felt his hand resting lightly upon her thigh. It felt weird having such a large hand touch her in such a way. His hand slowly slid to the inside of her thigh and rested there sending a wonderful shockwave to her brain. A moan escaped her lips. His hand ever so slowly started to slide up the inside of her thigh.

"Julian," Erika said his name around his lips.

"Mmm," Julian persisted. His hand slid up a little more.

"Julian, stop," Erika tried to pull away.

     

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A wall of cool, night air hit and then enveloped Tricia as she exited the building. The crisp autumn air felt good after the sweaty, stuffy air of the dance hall. A few of the students gathered in small groups taking a break to talk without the thumping of the loud music drowning out their words.

Tricia looked about her and found a few girls whom she knew from class giggling. Their dates weren't too far off in a clique of their own. Tricia stood a few steps away waiting to be invited.

"Tricia, right?" one of the girls asked.

Tricia stepped forward and smiled, "Hi Jacklyn. You look pretty tonight."

"Thank you. I had to special order this dress and then have it altered," she bragged.

"Well, it looks very stunning," Tricia flattered her.

"Did you and Erika Summers really both come with Julian Rock?"

"Yes," Tricia smiled.

"So, do you three like have something going? I heard that you were... you know... a lesbian," Jacklyn dug for information.

"I do prefer women," Tricia admitted, "Although, Julian is quite a catch."

"Is that why he's up on the roof with Erika?" Jacklyn asked, pointing.

The other girls in the group giggled nervously.

Tricia turned and looked up. The soft light of the moon splashed the roof with enough light to make out the two figures up there as Julian and Erika.

Tricia's heart stopped as she watched Julian kiss Erika. Fear and rage burned through her veins when she saw Erika's arms wrap around his neck.

"Looks like Erika has a thing for guys," Jacklyn snickered.

Tricia's eyes blurred as tears built up in them. This couldn't be right could it? She had just left Erika telling her that she had feelings for her. Erika did admit that she had building feelings towards Julian, but to kiss him that way in the moonlight on the roof for all the world to see? Tricia stormed off away from Jacklyn and the others. Tears flowed freely down her face as she wove through parked cars trying to be careful not to trip In her heels.

"Whoah, Cinderella, it's not midnight yet," a voice called to her.

"What?" Tricia snapped.

"Chill, girl," the voice beckoned, "It's only a dance."

Tricia wiped the stinging tears from her eyes and looked about her. A small gathering of people stood next to a lifted truck.

"Are you okay?" another voice asked.

"No," Tricia admitted, "I hate this stinking town."

"You'll get no disagreement there."

"What are all of you doing out here?" Tricia asked suspiciously.

"Just relaxing."

A couple of snickers answered.

A familiar scent tickled Tricia's nose, "Oh," her voice took on understanding, "Do you have any more?"

"Anymore what?"

"You know," Tricia stepped closer to the group.

"Dude, she's cool," a girl told one of the others, "She was sharing at Julian's party."

"Mind?" Tricia asked.

The tall dark figure still obscured from the moon light sighed. "Alright," he handed her a small piece of twisted paper.

--o0o--

Oh fuck! Erika's mind screamed.

Her eyes darted for a place to run, to escape this humiliation.

"Oh, Erika," Julian wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight, "I'm sorry. That came out totally wrong."

Erika's eyes began to tear, Oh God, what do I tell him?

"I'm sorry," he repeated. He held her out away from himself so that he could see her horrified, crestfallen face.

"I... I... " Erika tried.

"No. You don't have to say anything," Julian soothed.

Doctor Bob said that the brain tumor was blocking hormone production.

"The, the b-brain t-tumor. I-it b-blocks hormones," she stammered, "It hasn't allowed me to go through puberty, at least physically, I mean."

It was technically true.

Julian stared at her as if she were the Plague. She could just tell, she knew that look. She had seen it hundreds of times.

"I... I... " she really didn't know what to say.

"Shhhh," Julian shushed in a calming tone as he he pulled her into another embrace, "It's alright, Erika. I like you just the way you are."

"But..." Erika protested.

"Hush. You said that your medical issues weren't to be a matter tonight," he reminded her, trying to soothe her, "Let's forget all about this." He kissed her forehead, "Shall we go back into the dance?"

Erika held still, not knowing what to do.

"Here, dry those tears and blow your nose," he kissed her tear-stained cheek.

Erika didn't know if she wanted to run home and crawl into bed or throw her arms around Julian and kiss him.

She settled on cleaning herself up and taking his arm before descending the stairs.

The two were assaulted by the volume of the music as they entered the Homecoming.

"There you are," Taylor grabbed Erika's arm, "Sorry, Julian, we need her for the ceremony."

Julian smiled, "As long as I get her back."

"What happened to your face? Never mind. Let's get you cleaned up, they're about to introduce us."

Taylor steered Erika up some stairs that went behind the stage where the band and disc jockeys had been taking turns.

"I thought they did that last night?" Erika was bewildered.

"Yes, to the public. This is to the school, and where Melinda and Greg are presented and have their dance."

"So, why do I have to be here?"

"'You're in the court. We support Melinda, not only because she is the Queen, but also because she is on the squad."

"Okay, fine," Erika stopped fighting.

Taylor used a Kleenex and rubbed at something on her cheeks.

"It's not too bad. Just a touch up here and there," Taylor murmured as she pulled out her makeup bag.

--o0o--

Erika stood at the base of the stage and watched, as Melinda and Greg took the dance floor. The music started as they swayed gently together. Greg was a bit stiff in his dancing, but what could she expect from a football player?

Erika watched as the Taylor and the other Junior Princess stepped out onto the floor and began dancing with their dates. Erika looked over at the other Sophomore Princess and together they stepped forth.

Erika sought out Julian. With a proud posture he took her waist and began dancing with her around the floor, putting the upperclassmen to shame in their swaying back and forth.

"I can't find Tricia," Julian stated.

"Did you look out front?" Erika asked.

"I only saw a couple of people mingling by the cars. Oh, and the stoners toking up at the back of the parking lot."

"Pot heads are here?" Erika was alarmed.

"Yes, so?"

"Tricia uses," Erika informed him, "Recreationally — so she says."

"Why would she do that during Homecoming?"

"I don't know," Erika shrugged, then as the thought occurred to her, "You know she is jealous of you?"

"Of me? Why?"

"She's scared that she may lose me... to you."

"Will she?" Julian didn't sound concerned, but instead elated.

"The jury is still out," Erika bit her lower lip.

"Shall we go find her?" Julian asked.

Erika nodded, "As soon as this song is over."

--o0o--

Tricia, feeling much more mellow, accepted two Altoids from one of the girls and popped them into her mouth before heading back to the dance hall. She didn't know if she should try and find a ride home or just wait for the lovebirds to drop her off.

Just as she was reaching the door, it swung open bringing her face to face with Erika and Julian.

"There you are," Erika greeted, "We were getting worried about you."

"Sure you were," Tricia pasted an acidic smile on her face.

"I came out here looking for you a few minutes ago," Julian confessed, "I didn't see you."

"I was just talking with some friends," Tricia smiled.

Erika sniffed the air about her girlfriend and asked, "you been smoking?"

"Just a hit or two. Nothing that'll kill me," Tricia admitted.

"Let's get her home," Julian frowned.

"Trying to get rid of me, huh?" Tricia waved a hand at Julian to fend him off, "I found her first!"

"Come on, Tricia. I think we should call it a night," Erika took Tricia by the arm and turned her around towards the car.

Julian held open the door and made sure Tricia didn't hit her head as she sat down in the back seat behind Erika.

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Erika turned to face her girlfriend, "What's gotten into you?" she hissed before Julian got into the car.

"I saw you, Erika," Tricia whined, "I saw the two of you up on the roof. Making out.

Erika blanched. They were seen?

"Half the school saw you," she elaborated.

Julian opened the door and slid in behind the wheel, "Okay, let's get you home."

Julian started the car and sighed heavily as he pulled out of the lot, "I really like you, Tricia, but if you're going to get stoned at every event, then I don't want to be around you. I can't be around you. I'm the swim team Captain, I can't associate with stoners."

"Julian," Erika protested in warning.

"I can't have even the stigma of associating with druggies..."

"Julian," Erika raised her voice.

“Even if I happen to accidentally inhale second hand smoke, I can get kicked off..."

"Julian! She saw us!" Erika yelled.

"...the team," Julian finished. He lowered his voice, "Saw us what?"

"She saw us on the roof," Erika trailed off.

"Making out in the moonlight," Tricia lay her head back, "Can we run by Jack in the Box? I could go for some tacos about now."

Julian groaned.

The car ride to Tricia's house was quiet. Julian kept his eyes on the road, his hands clenched on the steering wheel. Erika looked straight ahead darting looks over at Julian from time to time.

"You know you really need to pick one of us," Julian said softly.

"I know."

"I hope it's me, but if it isn't, I just want you to know that..."

"I thought we were going to Jack in the Box," Tricia leaned forward.

"We're getting you home," Julian told her.

"But I've got the munchies."

"Tricia," Erika turned to face her, "I'm sorry that I hurt you tonight, but you went and got yourself stoned. The best place for you right now is to be safe at home."

Julian pulled into Tricia's driveway.

"I'll be right back," Erika told him. She got out of the car and helped Tricia out and guided her up to the front door.

"I'm sorry," Tricia told Erika.

"What for?" Erika asked.

"For ruining your Homecoming."

"It wasn't ruined, just turned out differently."

Tricia wrapped her arms around Erika's neck and pulled her close, saying, "You smell good."

"You smell of pot."

"You can smell it?" Tricia pulled back a little.

"Only when you are hugging me."

Erika found Tricia's lips pressed against hers. She was a bit shocked at first, but closed her eyes and reciprocated the kiss.

"I love you," Tricia told her after pulling away.

"love you, too, Tricia."

Tricia didn't reply. She opened the door and entered her house.

Erika looked at Julian in the car, who was giving her a strange look. Erika shrugged. Her heels made soft, clicking noises in the quiet night as she walked back to the car.

Erika folded her skirts behind her, and slid into the passenger seat next to the tall, handsome young man. "What shall we do now?" she asked.

"Are you hungry?" he inquired.

Erika shook her head, "Not especially."

"Shall we find someplace to be alone?" Julian suggested.

Again Erika shrugged, "I guess."

Julian pulled out of the driveway and turned on the radio allowing each to their own thoughts.

--o0o--

The scent of her filled his nose. It was sweet, feminine, but with a slight spicy undertone. She filled his nostrils, his car with a perfume that he hoped would linger for a few more days.

She looked incredible, even now, biting her lower lip in worry, she was beautiful. He hoped that her tumor wasn't going to cause too many health issues. She hadn't started puberty yet, would that mean that she would start getting acne? Or grow several inches? Julian had always been attracted to smaller girls, if she started growing, would she lose her appeal? Would she grow out of her spunky, cuteness into a tall willowy woman like his sister? Or would she put on some weight like he had seen his sister's girlfriends do? She'd probably look more like her mother. Julian snickered to himself. Looking like her mom was definitely a good thing.

Now, if only he could convince her to break up with Tricia and be with him. Tricia seemed nice, but she used marijuana. She didn't seem to be a stoner, getting high everyday, but even more than once or twice a year was too much for him right now. He had training, The one main reason for his big party every year was to be a last harrah for drinking or smoking, it was the last time he could do anything as fun and irresponsible as that before his heavy training began before swim season started. He also had a reputation to protect. Other than his one big party, he was known to be a good student, and a moral, upstanding citizen. He couldn't risk being associated with hanging out with druggies or stoners. Tricia was pretty, she was sweet, smart, and quick witted, but she did some pretty stupid things sometimes.

Most guys dreamed of love triangles similar to this. Julian was starting to see it as a massive headache. He had to work out a way to get Erika without turning her against Tricia or Tricia against either of them.

Julian sighed as he stopped at a red light.

--o0o--

Erika felt overwhelmed. Part of her wished that she could join Tricia in her drug induced haze. So much was going on. Tricia shouldn't have gone off and smoked a joint, but she couldn't put too much blame on her — how would she feel if she had witnessed Tricia and Julian on that rooftop? She would have felt betrayed, she would have wanted to escape, too, to dull the feelings. Right?

Here she was, on the night of the Homecoming dance with senior Julian Rock. Who'd ever have thought that she of all people would be sitting beside the Captain of the swim team. Who ever thought that she would even like boys? Well, did she like boys? She liked Julian. At least, she felt like she liked him. She felt safe when she was with him — like he was her own personal bodyguard. She liked his broad shoulders, his slim waist and large hands. Her mind flashed back to the rooftop, his hands cupping her breasts. Well, her breast forms. She tried to imagine what it would feel like if she had breasts. Was it normal for a guy to want breasts? She wasn't a guy anymore, she was a girl. Therefore it should be perfectly understandable for her to want to feel his large hands cupping her breasts. Don't forget those lips either. Firmer, stronger than Tricia's. A totally different feeling when he kissed her. Their aroma's were different as well. Tricia's sweetly floral with a touch of fruitiness, Julian's musky with a hint of spice and dash of... of... well, of manliness, strength.

Then there was this stupid tumor in her head. She had to decide whether to live with the blasted thing or have it removed. If she had it removed she would start puberty as a boy. She had worked so hard to the to the point where she was comfortable as a girl, and now she was being told she would have to switch back?

She sighed aloud.

"What?" Julian asked.

"I just have a lot going on in my brain," Erika explained, "Where are we going?"

"Someplace to be alone. Some place I feel safe," Julian's eyes warmed as he spoke.

"You aren't going to tell me?"

"'You'll figure it out in just a moment," Julian pulled off the main road.

"This is your 'safe' zone?" Erika wondered.

Julian smiled sheepishly, "I spend enough time here, why wouldn't it be?"

Julian parked the car and jogged around to assist Erika out. His strong hand engulfed hers. His assistance was firm, yet restrained as if holding a crystal vase just enough to keep it safe without allowing it to fall to the floor and shatter.

Julian offered his arm. Erika wrapped hers through his and hugged it as she had seen other girls do at school or on movies.

"inside or outside?" Erika asked.

"Inside," Julian smiled down at her.

"Is your uncle the janitor here too?"

"No. Let's just say that I have connections," he winked.

Julian led them up to some glass doors. He pulled out a key and opened it. The smell of chemicals and chlorine assaulted her nose.

She shook her head, "I can't believe that the pool is your 'safe' area."

"This is where I come to think," Julian shrugged, "Sometimes I do it in the water, sometimes just sitting pool side."

Just a few lights in the pool lit the large room with more of a glow than an actual light. An undulating wave pattern moved across the ceiling.

“The smell of chlorine is so... romantic," Erika mocked.

"'You'll learn to like it."

Julian led her along the pool's edge towards the other end where two diving platforms stood like large, awkward, flat-capped obelisks.

Julian took her to the ladder off the tallest of the two, "Um, are you afraid of heights?"

Erika shook her head.

"Ok, I'll go up first so that I'm not looking up your dress."

"You're so gentlemanly," Erika teased.

She watched as Julian scampered up the steps with ease, then she slipped off her shoes and kicked them to one side before following at a more unsure pace.

Julian stood at the top of the ladder, took her by the arms and almost lifted her up as he set her on the platform. She felt Julian's hand on the small of her back, as if she was so light that she was going to blow away. Erika looked around for the first time since placing her foot on the bottom rung of the ladder.

Whoah, they were high up. She was not closer to the ceiling than to the surface of the water all of those meters below her. If she had been afraid of heights, she'd probably be a lot like Katie right now, clinging to the aluminum railings, blubbering for it all to end. Julian gently urged her towards the edge of the platform.

"This is where a lot of people get freaked," he told her with a twinkle in his eyes.

Erika looked over the edge. The water's surface wasn't visible, but the bottom of the pool sure was. Way, way down there.

"Wow, that's a long way down," she raised an eyebrow, "Have you ever jumped from up here?"

"Yeah. I'm not a diver though, that's Stan's thing."

"Tricia was teaching me to dive last summer," Erika volunteered.

"That's right, Tricia said something about that."

Erika nodded, "She was helping me learn a backflip when I hit the back of my head on the board. I got a few stitches."

"Where?" Julian came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Erika reached a hand up and gently moved curls out of the way and pressed her finger to the spot.

Julian's lips pressed lightly against her hand. Erika smiled to herself as a warm wave of happiness washed over her. His lips lightly moved up her arm. The hand on her waist slowly turned her, as he took her hand in his other hand. His lips slowly and tenderly caressed up the inside of her wrist. The touch of his lips sent a tingle up her spine followed by goose bumps up the back of her arms. His lips moved to her shoulder. Erika couldn't help but to arch her neck to one side, allowing his lips to trace the little hollow of the side of her neck to her cheek. Erika turned to him her lips meeting his.

Could one hold their breath for an hour? Erika wanted to hold her breath for at least that long. She didn't know how it happened, but when they did part to take a deep breath she found that she was sitting on the platform, Julian sitting beside her, smiling and looking lovingly into her eyes.

Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. A bit of lip gloss was smudged on the side of Julian's lip. Erika used her thumb and wiped it off. Julian twisted his head and kissed it then leaned in, with one hand resting on her cheek he sought out her lips again.

Erika's heart sped up. A warmth washed over her body as his tongue explored her mouth. She felt his hand resting lightly upon her thigh. It felt weird having such a large hand touch her in such a way. His hand slowly slid to the inside of her thigh and rested there sending a wonderful shockwave to her brain. A moan escaped her lips. His hand ever so slowly started to slide up the inside of her thigh.

"Julian," Erika said his name around his lips.

"Mmm," Julian persisted. His hand slid up a little more.

"Julian, stop," Erika tried to pull away.

"Stop what?" Julian teased, still nibbling at her lips. His hand slid just a millimeter higher.

His hand was only an inch or two from her male bits. Erika pushed — hard — on Julian and twisted. "Stop it!" she demanded.

"Okay, okay," Julian raised both of his hands. His smile was genuine, but his eyes betrayed a bit of hurt.

Erika's adrenaline was pumping, her heart near fluttering. "I can't do that."

"Can't do what?" Julian asked.

"I can't have you touching me there," Erika's voice quaked.

"I thought you were enjoying it," Julian was puzzled.

"I was, but I'm not like other girls."

"I know. You haven't gone through puberty yet. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I just can't."

"What can you do?" Julian's voice took on an edge.

"Right now?" Erika asked, "We can kiss."

"Kiss," Julian's voice dropped, "That's it? Kiss?"

Erika nodded.

Julian flopped on his back and stared up at the patterns that the underwater lights were making on the ceiling. Erika noticed the bulge in his pants.

"I'm sorry, Julian. That's all I can give you right now," Erika said firmly.

Julian was quiet.

Erika fell silent. Her eyes darted to Julian and then stared off into space across the building, then back at Julian. The only sound in the room was the distant roar from the air ducts and their breathing.

"Could we go?" Erika broke the silence.

"I guess," Julian didn't move.

"I do like your private place," Erika offered up.

Julian grunted.

"I do like you, Julian. I just can't go beyond kissing at this point."

"Fine," Julian sighed with a bit of resentment in his voice. He elbowed himself up, saying, "It's just really hard controlling certain... urges, when I'm with someone as beautiful as you."

Erika blushed, "I'm sorry," she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before getting to her feet and starting down the ladder.



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