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Message-ID: <51972asstr$1127074202@assm.asstr-mirror.org>
From: "Jim C" <jimc_author@hotmail.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} Lucky Stiff by JiMC (01 of 46)--MF, FF, mc, md, magic, romance
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Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 16:10:02 -0400
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This story is copyright (c) 2003-2005.  All rights are
reserved by the author, including that of publication.
Posting on-line is only allowed when permission is explicitly
granted by the author, and then only for the complete story,
including this disclaimer.  Contact the author at
<jimc-author at excite dot com> for more information,
referring to this story ("Lucky Tickets 2: Lucky Stiff").

I explicitly grant permission to post this story to
StoriesOnline.net and asstr-mirror.org.

The following is a work of fiction and is just a fantasy.
Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely
coincidental and entirely unintentional.  There may be
references to people in a historical context, but they are
not really characters in this story.

This is a story that describes sexually explicit situations
in a fictional universe that only vaguely seems similar to
the one we live in.  Most of the characters in this story are
under aged.  However, the target audience is adults (people
over the age of eighteen) with broad minds.

* * *

This is a sequel to the story "Lucky Tickets," and as such,
you may want to read that story first to get a better
introduction to the characters present in both stories.  Like
a lot of sequels, it's not really meant to be read out of
order.

* * *

Chapter 1--Sherry Jordan

        Look out now, 'cause she'll break your heart again
        No one sees what the years have failed to mend, yeh.
        Standin' there beneath the streetlights.
        Telling secrets in the darkest night.
        Heaven's just a stolen kiss away.
                -- Nothin's Gonna Stop Us Now (Chicago)


    Since the beginning of my sophomore school year, I found
myself the object of attention from a few of the girls in my
class.  This was a new situation for me--I had rarely
attracted any notice from members of the opposite sex before.

    The thing that was different this year, of course, was
that I was now dating Kristen Swift, my little blonde
Goddess.  Kristen was a senior, had a long mane of lovely
blonde hair, blue eyes, and a killer body.  Her family was
rich, and I was definitely from the "other side of town." For
some reason, Kristen attended public high school, and I had
known of her for a few years, mistakenly thinking that she
was responsible for my losing the friendship of somebody that
I had once been close to.

    Kristen was also eighteen months older than I was.  That
in itself was unusual in high school.  Usually, it was older
boys that dated younger girls.  Girls seemed to look for
maturity in the guys they dated, and they associated maturity
with age.  The fact that Kristen and I were going steady was
atypical to say the least.

    Apparently, this new situation seemed to make some girls
give me more than a casual glance as dating material.  After
all, if somebody like Kristen found me interesting, there
might be more to me than was immediately apparent.  The level
of my perceived maturity rose proportionately due to the fact
that Kristen thought I was dating material.  Kristen was no
longer the leader of her own clique of girls at school, but
she was well known enough that my stature in school naturally
rose until I was pretty much known on sight by just about
everybody.

    Being naive, I didn't know exactly how to handle this new
attention from the girls, so I simply tried to ignore it.
Some girls saw my reaction and set their sights elsewhere.  A
couple of girls saw my reluctance as a personal challenge.
Somehow attracted by my attitude, they went on crusades to
ensnare me.

    One of these crusaders was Sherry Jordan, a sophomore
like me that I had known since seventh grade.  Sherry's brown
hair was very curly and was so fine as to look fragile.  Her
breasts were on the smallish side.  She wasn't the most
beautiful girl in the world, and I always thought of her as a
shy girl in junior high.  Every time I saw her, she looked
like she was concentrating on something or other, a look that
I guess I associated with studiousness.  Like most of the
girls at that time, Kristen being the notable exception,
Sherry wore what I thought was too much makeup--heavy on
mascara and eye shadow.

    I discussed the attention I was receiving from Sherry
with my good friend Patty, who was a senior at the school.
Patty was a red-headed friend that I introduced to Kristen.
Patty was mildly amused about the way I described Sherry's
actions, understanding that the girls my age were still going
through emotional changes themselves.  She explained to me
how they were just trying out their new wings, so to speak,
and how the air of sexual permissiveness of the mid-1970s
probably had a lot to do with their attitudes as well.

    It was nice having somebody like Patty to talk to.  I
found her to be a remarkable source of insight into other
people's feelings.  What Patty told me made a lot of sense.
In fact, in the past year or so, I had seen some of my male
acquaintances start to notice members of the opposite sex, a
complete 180 degree reversal from their previous attitudes.

    However, as I mentioned, I already had a girlfriend, and
I was very much in love with Kristen.  I had no desire
whatsoever of doing anything that would jeopardize my
relationship with her.  Therefore, I found myself getting
into the habit of trying to avoid Sherry's attentions.

    Of course, this only seemed to make Sherry more
determined in her targeting of me.

    I was therefore a bit nervous when I saw Sherry approach
me in history class, one of three classes that we had
together.  After all, as I said, Sherry was one of those
girls that didn't give up their pursuit of me very easily.

    "Hey, Jim!" Sherry said, batting her painted eyes.

    "Um... hi ya, Sherry," I answered, looking at her the way
that Superman would eye a bar of Kryptonite.

    Sherry continued to bat her mascara-covered eyes, and
pushed out her smallish breasts just a little.  "You ready
for the quiz tomorrow?"

    "The homework was easy enough," I said noncommittally.

    "I can't get it, though," Sherry said.  "All of those
dates." She shuddered at the thought of actually having to
remember something.  "Maybe you could help me?"

    "I'm going out after school..." I said.  "With Kristen,"
I added, to emphasize my loyalties.

    I saw a strange look pass in her eyes briefly.  "That's
all right.  We both have fourth period lunch.  We'll meet
then." Without giving me time to object, Sherry gave me a
sweet smile and walked away toward her desk, wiggling her ass
a bit more than I had ever seen her do before.

    "Wow, man.  That chick's hot!" a classmate of mine named
Fred offered to me.

    "Yeah," I agreed, thinking if something is hot enough, it
will burn somebody eventually.

    I figured that fourth period lunch would be a good time
to deal with Sherry.  After all, both Kristen and Patty also
had lunch during that period, and I usually ate with the two
of them.  Sherry would find me surrounded by two twelfth
grade girls.  I snickered to myself, congratulating myself
for having gotten away from Sherry yet again.

    As I walked from third period music to the lunchroom, I
smiled in anticipation of Sherry having to deal with Patty
and Kristen in order to talk with me at lunch.

    Suddenly, I felt somebody tap my shoulder.

    I turned around and my heart dropped as I saw Sherry
standing behind me.  "Hey, Jim!"

    "Um... you wanted to meet at lunch, right?" I asked.

    "Oh, the lunchroom is so noisy.  The music room is empty
this period and I've heard that Mr. Proilet has allowed you
free rein to come and go into that room as you please.  Isn't
that right?"

    "Well..."

    "I brought my history book," Sherry continued, holding
the book in her hand.  "We could discuss tomorrow's quiz in
relative quiet."

    "I don't know..."

    "Oh, come on!" Sherry said, tugging my arm back toward
the music room.

    Oh, fuck.  Kristen and Patty were definitely going to
notice my absence in the lunchroom.  Moreover, on more than
one occasion, Kristen and I met in that music room for a
little rendezvous during lunch period.  It wouldn't be unlike
Kristen at all to check on that room to see if I was just
spending time working on arrangements for the jazz band.

    "This isn't a good idea," I said to Sherry who simply
ignored me, continuing to pull me into the music room.

    Sherry wasn't a member of the band, but she seemed to
know the layout of the music room.  As we entered the room,
she found the Do Not Disturb switch that connected to a red
light outside the room, indicating that nobody should enter
the room.

    This confirmed to me that Sherry's intentions had nothing
whatsoever to do with History.

    "Sherry, I don't think you should have..."

    "Oh, shut up, Jim," Sherry said, exasperated.  Now inside
the room with the door shut, she simply turned around and
pulled my head down to hers.

    Sherry's kiss surprised me.  I attempted to say
something, but she kept my face on hers, and as I opened my
lips, she simply slipped her tongue into my mouth.

    Despite my not being a willing participant in this
action, I found Sherry's actions were making me aroused.  I
was more than a little surprised when I felt one of her hands
leave my neck, quickly moving to my crotch.

    Sherry cooed as she felt my erection, and she started to
lower my zipper.  I tried to muster all my will power to say
"NO!" to her, and finally wiggled away from her.

    "STOP!" I said, rather forcefully.

    Sherry looked at me, dumbfounded.  Apparently, it didn't
occur to her that I would really refuse her affections.  Boys
just didn't do that!

    The two of us were breathing heavily.  I saw frustration
in Sherry's eyes, as she contemplated her next move.

    I had to move fast, so I did.

    Luckily, I had my attachÈ case with me.  I fumbled with
it and hastily opened it and pulled out a ticket from my
ever-present roll, handing it to Sherry.

    Sherry looked confused, but took the ticket, and intoned
the words, "You have one wish."

    I pointed to one of the practice rooms, and said, "Go
into that room, and don't make any noise.  Wait patiently for
me to return."

    "Your wish is my command," Sherry intoned, and she
obediently moved to the practice room.

    Whew.  That was close.  Now, what should I do with her?

    I needed to talk with Patty.  She already knew about
Sherry, although she had doubted that Sherry would actually
get as explicit or as obvious as she had just acted.  I
needed Patty's ideas right now.  I walked out of the music
room, and headed for the lunchroom.

    I heard a familiar voice call out, "Jim!"

    I looked up and saw both Kristen and Patty.  "Um... I was
looking for you two."

    Kristen looked beyond me and saw the Do Not Disturb light
was on.  "Oh?" Kristen asked, knowingly.  "Both of us?"

    I sighed.  Kristen thought that I had planned a little
rendezvous for the two of us.

    Apparently, Patty thought the same thing, and started to
excuse herself.

    "No, Patty.  Wait."

    Both girls looked at me in surprise.

    "Come into the music room.  I need to talk with the two
of you."

    We entered the room.  I saw Sherry's book on one of the
seats, reminding me that she was still waiting patiently for
me in one of the practice rooms.

    "What's this about?" Kristen asked.

    I turned to Patty.  "Patty, remember when I told you
about the girls in my classes and how their feelings toward
me have changed recently?"

    Patty nodded, confused.

    Kristen also looked confused.  I hadn't told her about
this--I hadn't wanted to get her upset.  I now realized that
I didn't have much choice.

    "Kris, I only told Patty so I could get advice," I
explained.  "Since the beginning of school this year, girls
seem to be more interested in me.  Patty and I worked it out
that because you seem interested in me, and that Wendy,
Patty, and Patrice also hang out with me, that I might be
somebody worth looking into."

    Patty nodded, remembering our conversation.

    "You're not thinking of leaving me, are you?" Kristen
asked.  I saw from her amused expression that she didn't seem
upset at this revelation.

    "No, Kris," I assured my love, "you're my one and only."

    "So, what's this about?" Patty asked.

    "Well, there's one girl that has been a bit more
persistent than the others; one that doesn't want to take
'no' for an answer."

    "And you want advice?" Patty asked.

    "Or do you want me to kill her?" Kristen asked, still not
completely serious.

    "No," I answered, "I just want you to understand."

    "Understand what?" Kristen asked.  She sounded as if she
was getting a bit exasperated.

    "Give me a second," I said, sighing.  I took my attachÈ
case and went into the room where Sherry was still waiting.

    The two girls watched me enter the practice room.  I saw
Sherry simply waiting there.  She went to say something as I
handed her another ticket.

    "You have one wish."

    I exited the closet, pulling Sherry behind me.

    Kristen's bemused expression turned dark.  "You have a
girl in there?"

    "Wait, Kristen," Patty said.  "Look at her."

    "He's got her in the power of a ticket!" Kristen spat.

    I turned to Kristen and said, "Trust me, Kris."

    Kristen's expression didn't soften, but her mouth closed.

    I returned my attention to Sherry and said, "Until I say
the phrase 'Truth serum off,' you are obligated to tell me
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  You
will simply stand there and answer my questions, ignoring
everything else."

    "Your wish is my command."

    Turning my attention back to the two seniors, I said,
"You both know that she cannot lie right now.  I'll ask her
right now if I have betrayed you, Kristen.  Or do you trust
me?"

    Kristen looked me in the eyes, and her expression finally
softened.  "I trust you, Jim."

    "I was thinking about using a ticket to take her mind off
me, but I wanted Patty's advice--and yours--before I did so.
You both know how tricky these tickets are."

    Both girls nodded.

    "Anyway," I said, turning back to Sherry.  "I still want
to set the record straight.  Sherry, why did you come into
this room today?"

    "I came here to kiss you, Jim," Sherry intoned.  "I was
going to fondle you and make you shoot off.  If I had to, I
would give you a hand job."

    "But why?" I asked, almost automatically.

    "My cousin said she'd pay me a hundred dollars if I did
that here in the music room."

    "Your cousin?  Here in the music room?" I asked, not
understanding.

    "I saw you come in here last week with Kristen," Sherry
explained, still using her monotone voice.  "I put my ear to
the door and heard what you two were doing in here.  I told
my cousin, and she dared me to do it with you.  She even told
me that she'd pay me another hundred dollars if Kristen walks
in and you're naked.  If not, she wanted me to steal you away
from her, and I could use the hand job as blackmail material
to make you leave Kristen."

    "Why would your cousin want that?" Patty asked.

    Sherry didn't answer.  My wish had only been for Sherry
to answer my questions, and to ignore everything else.

    I turned to the other two girls and saw a look of shock
on Kristen's face.

    "Kris, I didn't know how far she was willing to go.  This
thing about Sherry's cousin has thrown me for a loop." I
turned back to Sherry.  "Who is your cousin?"

    "Dale Hardy," Sherry answered.

    "Oh, shit!" Kristen said, and ran out of the room.

    I looked at Patty in shock at Kristen's outburst.  "What
just happened?"

    "Dale Hardy was the girl that Kristen got kicked out of
high school, Jim."

    "Oh, fuck!"

    "Jim, I need to talk with Kristen.  I'm afraid she'll do
something drastic."

    I nodded dumbly at Patty.

    Patty went to leave and said, "You'll need to get Sherry
out of here.  Um... make her think she failed, that you don't
seem to like girls that come on too strong.  Have her forget
what happened in here."

    "OK," I said, but Patty was already out of the room.
"So," I asked, turning to Sherry knowing that the two of us
were alone, "do you love me, or were you just putting me on?"

    "I love you, Jim," Sherry said, her voice losing its
monotone and becoming more animated.  "I've wanted you to be
my first boyfriend, my first lover.  I'd have come with you
in here even if Dale hadn't offered me money.  Dale just gave
me the idea."

    "Love me?" I asked, surprised.  "You hardly know me!"

    "Not true," Sherry said.  "I've watched you in earth
science and English last year.  You didn't notice, but I
liked you.  I saw you playing the piano here at the high
school for 'Annie Get Your Gun' last year.  I bought a ticket
for every performance.  I think I've been in love with you
since seventh grade."

    Oh, shit.  I didn't need another person falling in love
with me.

    However, there was something about Sherry, and the fact
that I knew that there was no way that she could be lying to
me, that made me consider what she said.

    "So, why am I getting the attention now?  Because of
Dale?"

    "I saw that you were going with Kristen," Sherry spat.
"I hate her!  She has everything in the world!  She fucked
over my cousin!  Now, she's taken the one boy that I always
wanted!  You didn't seem interested in anybody last year, but
now you're going out with her, probably because of all her
money."

    I looked at Sherry, stunned by her venomous remarks.  Did
she truly think that I was only interested in Kristen's
money?  Is that what other people thought?

    I sat quietly, looking at Sherry standing with her tear
stained face.  Somehow, I would need to clean up this mess,
and I had no idea how to do so.

    "Truth serum off," I said.

    Sherry shook her head and looked at me.  "Did... did what
just happen... really happen?"

    I sighed, and handed Sherry another ticket.

    "You have one wish," Sherry intoned.

    "I wish that you will forget what happened in this room,"
I said, remembering Patty's instructions.  "Instead remember
that you tried to kiss me, but found that I was repulsed by
your heavy handed tactics.  And..." I let my words drop off,
keeping Sherry from "finalizing" the wish.

    I paused, thinking about what Sherry just told me.  Had
she really been infatuated with me for all that time?  I
never noticed it if she had.

    I realized that Dale probably knew about Sherry's
infatuation and simply used it to get to Kristen.  Sherry
wasn't really the one at fault here.  There was something
else.  I couldn't let Sherry think of herself as a failure.
She seemed so... so vulnerable.

    "And," I continued, "as you leave this room, you will
turn and give me a tender kiss.  It won't last too long and
it will just be our lips touching." I felt that I had to give
Sherry something for baring her feelings to me the way she
had done.

    "Your wish is my command."

    Sherry blinked again, and said, "Um... I'm embarrassed.
I'm sorry I touched you like that..."

    "Don't worry about it," I said, feeling like I had
somehow done something wrong to bring this problem on myself.

    "I... I think I should leave," Sherry said, quietly.

    I nodded.

    Sherry moved toward the door, but stopped as she walked
next to me.  She moved upward and pursed her lips for a kiss.

    I looked at Sherry for a couple of seconds, and realized
that my wish was preventing her from actually touching me
with her hands.  I needed to bend down to kiss Sherry.

    I did so.

    It was not a very romantic kiss.  There were no tongues,
and no touching of either of us, except for our lips.

    Nevertheless, the kiss moved me.

    After Sherry left, I sat alone in the music room for a
few minutes and pondered the situation.

* * *

    When I returned to the lunchroom, neither Patty nor
Kristen were there.  That worried me a bit.  I knew that
Kristen could easily go off the deep end and do something
stupid.  Knowing that Patty was with her (at least, I hoped
she was) gave me a bit of hope, since I knew that Patty had a
good head on her shoulders.

    I was somewhat surprised to see Camille in the lunchroom.
Camille was a lovely cheerleader in twelfth grade and was one
of Patty's closest friends.  I knew that she didn't have
fourth period lunch.  Camille saw me and started heading
right for me.

    "Jim!" Camille said.

    "Cammy, what are you doing here?"

    "I've got a substitute teacher in physics class," Camille
explained.  "My National Honor Society card allows me to go
to the library.  I wanted to talk with Patty at lunch, but
when I saw her, she was with Kristen.  She told me that I
should talk with you."

    I hadn't known that Camille was in the honor society.
After all, I knew her predilection for skipping class.  She
was also a cheerleader to boot.  National Honor Society
material?  I was a bit amazed.  "Talk about what?" I asked
her.

    "Patty said something about a girl named Sherry.  In
addition, I noticed that Kristen looked furious at the
mention of her name.  Can you tell me what's going on?"

    I sighed.  "Do you know Sherry Jordan?"

    "She's a small girl, the brunette with the permanent
perm?" Camille asked.

    Camille's description brought a quick smile to my lips.
"Yeah, that's her."

    "Isn't her cousin Dale Hardy?" Camille asked, her eyes
getting wide.  "Uh, oh... I think I'm beginning to get the
picture."

    Camille led me to a set of tables that were empty so we
could sit and talk in relative privacy.

    I brought Camille up to date.  "Sherry's been in love
with me since seventh grade, she told me.  Dale offered her
money for her to get me into a compromising situation with
her and have Kristen find out.  She even told Sherry to try
to blackmail me into dumping Kristen for Sherry."

    Camille whistled.  "Shit.  Dale doesn't take prisoners.
Dale and Kristen used to be close, though.  What's going on
with them?"

    "Kristen's dad got Dale thrown out of school," I
explained.  "I think he arranged for her to attend St. Jude's
Catholic school on a 'scholarship' in order to get her out of
here.  I thought she was no longer an issue."

    "Dale doesn't forget, Jim," Camille pointed out.  "Dale
was a friend of my sister's, you know."

    Actually, I hadn't known that.  Ages before, when I was
quite younger, Camille's sister Debbie used to baby sit me,
although I couldn't really remember much about that.  "I'll
take your word for that.  Anyway, Sherry's in the middle.
She really has feelings for me.  Moreover, she hates Kristen
because of what she did to Dale, and because Kris and I are
going together.  On top of all that, she thinks that I'm only
in love with Kristen for her money."

    Camille was silent for a minute.

    "How do you know how she feels?  Did she tell you?  Could
it be she was just telling you in order to get you to go
along with her?"

    I shook my head.  "Camille, you know that I can be very
persuasive when I want to know something.  What she said is
the truth, without a doubt."

    Camille looked at me solemnly and after a few moments,
she nodded her head.  I didn't think she knew about the
tickets, although she had once been under their influence.  I
figured that she simply considered me a very persuasive
person, a thought that I didn't try to discourage.  Camille
continued to think silently, and I waited patiently.

    The expression on Camille's face showed that she just had
an idea.  "What do you know about Sherry?  Did she do any
sports in junior high?  I think I remember her doing
something like gymnastics."

    "Yeah," I said.  "She was pretty good on the gym team.
The school came in third in the regional tournament--almost
good enough to qualify for the All State tournament.  I think
she did floor exercises."

    Camille's face turned into a grin.  "I think I can handle
Sherry for you, but we'll need to talk with Patty."

    "What's your idea?" I asked.

    "It's just the germ of an idea now, Jim.  Let me think on
this a bit."

    "I guess," I said, a bit disappointed that Camille didn't
want to confide in me.

    "Oh, you!" Camille said, playfully rubbing the hair on my
head.  "OK.  Let's say Sherry has two problems: her
unrequited love for you, and her hatred of Kristen."

    "All right."

    "You have a problem with Sherry.  You seem to think
you're responsible for her feelings." Camille looked up at
me, sharply.  "Um, Jim... you aren't, are you?"

    I shook my head.  "No, Camille," I said, wondering why
she would ask that.

    Camille looked into my eyes and then nodded.  "All right.
Kristen has her own problems with Dale.  Patty is probably
working on that problem with Kristen right now.  That leaves
just you and Sherry.  Maybe the two of us can fix that
problem."

    "How?"

    "Well, you're not about to leave Kristen anytime soon,
right?"

    "Not a chance," I said emphatically.  "I love Kristen."

    Camille smiled.  "I know you do.  Therefore, if Sherry
wants to get closer to you, she's going to have to change her
mind about Kristen.  You'll need to do that."

    I found myself nodding at Camille's advice.

    "You can't force Sherry to like Kristen, Jim," Camille
warned me.  There was a look in her eyes that showed concern.
"You cannot mess with her feelings."

    "What do you mean?" I asked, wondering what Camille knew
about me.

    "I mean, you need to show Sherry reasons why she should
like Kristen.  You love Kristen, so that should be easy for
you."

    I looked at Camille, but I didn't see anything that
suggested that Camille knew about my tickets.  "What about
you?"

    Camille grinned.  "Sherry's other problem is that she's
too fixated on you.  I will help her find another focus for
her life."

    "Another boyfriend?" I asked, shaking my head.  "I don't
think that will work."

    "Perhaps we could find her another boyfriend, but maybe I
can help her find some better ways of spending her time."

    "Like how?" I asked, intrigued.

    Camille furrowed her brow.  "Well, you could break the
ice by mentioning her gymnastics if the three of us ever get
together."

    "You, me, and Sherry?" I asked, smiling.  "That's not
likely to happen anytime soon."

    Camille shot me a mischievous grin.  "You can never
tell." The class bell rang, and the two of us found ourselves
having to end our conversation.

    "Gym class, Jim," Camille said, giggling.  "Say 'hi' to
Coach Dillard for me."

    I gave Camille a look while shaking my head.  I still
remembered the time that Camille barged into the boys' locker
room looking for me--as we were dressing--much to the chagrin
of the coach, not to mention the boys that were dressing!

* * *

    I thought about Camille's suggestion.  She was right in
that I needed to do something to change Sherry's mind about
Kristen.

    Of course, the first method that sprang to my mind was
the lucky tickets.  Although they had never failed to make
people change their minds, I was a bit reluctant to use them
in that way.  Using them as a "truth serum" was usually
pretty safe, but I found that occasionally, something
unexpected would happen when a wish would go further than I
actually expected.

    An example of wishes having unintended consequences
involved Kristen, who was now the love of my life.  A few
weeks before I really knew Kristen, I had been of the opinion
that she was a self-centered bitch and that she had been
responsible for my losing a friend many years before.  I had
been wrong in that characterization of Kristen at the time,
but in a fit of revenge, I used the tickets in anger to
attack Kristen sexually.

    I offhandedly made a wish that she would be addicted to
my dick and sperm.  To my horror, I found out that I
accidentally managed to turn her into a strung out junkie in
less than a day.  Fixing this problem and others like it
turned out to be surprisingly difficult.  I found out that no
ticket could be any more powerful than any other ticket.
That means that I can't use a ticket to override the effects
of a wish that I had already made.  I thought long and hard
about trying to fix Kristen's addiction, and I think that I
was able to lessen its effects, but had never been able to
remove them completely.

    I decided that I was not about to make that same mistake
with Sherry.

    In gym class, I was relieved that inclement weather
forced us to play dodge ball in the gymnasium instead of
football outdoors.  It was a no-brainer exercise, and I was
able to give Camille's advice about Sherry some serious
thought.

    It didn't take me long to come up with the obvious
solution for dealing with Sherry: talk to her!  We had
English together in eighth period at the end of the school
day.  I could make it a point to talk to her then.

    Having successfully dealt with Sherry for now, my mind
went to other things.  I was worried about Kristen's reaction
to finding out that Dale Hardy seemed to want to go after
her.  I was glad that Patty was around to help her deal with
it--I couldn't think of a better person for somebody to
confide in than Patty.

    Thinking of Patty brought Camille to mind.  Camille was a
cheerleader in twelfth grade, and one of Patty's closest
friends.  She had hair similar to Kristen's, long and blonde,
but Camille's face was more oval than Kristen's was.  In
fact, it was amazing how much Camille looked like Marcia from
the _Brady Bunch_ television show.

    Camille liked to joke about sex, and on more than one
occasion, hinted that she'd like to have some recreational
sex with me.  Camille had recently toned down that kind of
joking with me, and I had recently come to decide that sex
should be an intimate act between lovers.  For that reason, I
tried to avoid Camille, since it was obvious that she didn't
seem to feel the same way.  Another good reason was that
Kristen had a jealous streak.  Being skilled in the martial
arts, Kristen could seriously injure Camille while in a fit
of jealous rage.

    When Patty's aunt passed away, Patty joined her mother in
New Jersey to attend the funeral.  During that time, Patty
arranged for Camille to take her place temporarily as my
personal adviser and confidante.  In the week that Patty was
away, I actually grew to know Camille more and our friendship
blossomed.  Her hints for a sexual liaison lessened, although
she continued to occasionally make outrageous puns involving
lewd sexual acts.  She actually described herself as a slut!

    I found Camille to be a very smart person and a good
friend.  She, like Patty and Kristen, treated me as their
equal, despite the fact that I was two grades lower than them
in school.  In the absence of Patty, Camille was a person
that I could turn to if problems came up.  She was discreet,
intelligent, and quick-witted.

    I noticed Camille's lack of wisecracks during lunch.
That alerted me to the fact that she thought the situation
with Sherry, Dale, and Kristen was serious.  I made a mental
note to take extra care with Sherry when I talked to her
later.

    As I was thinking about these things, a red ball
approached me, and I didn't even notice it until almost the
last second.  I knew that I didn't have a chance in hell of
catching the ball, so I twisted my body to prevent any damage
to important organs as the coach blew his whistle calling me
out.  I headed to the sidelines, content to pretend to watch
the other boys play, while trying to continue to think up
ideas on how to handle my end of things with Sherry.

    Seventh period came, and I survived a pop quiz in French
class.  I filled in the answers automatically, and I was
getting concerned that I still hadn't come up with any
concrete ideas for dealing with Sherry.  The part of me that
likes to procrastinate was thinking about waiting until
tomorrow, but I quickly shrugged off that idea.  It was
obvious that I needed to do something because the situation
could easily get worse if left alone.

    The bell rang, signaling us that we needed to head for
eighth period.  About halfway to class, I noticed that Sherry
was in front of me.  I quickly moved toward her, and said
"Hi, Sherry."

    Sherry looked at me and her eyes opened.  "Oh, Jim.  I'm
really sorry..."

    I cut her off.  "No need to apologize again, Sherry.  It
wasn't entirely your fault.  You need to realize, though,
that I am in love with Kristen.  We've only been going out a
few weeks, but it is very serious between us.  I'm not after
her money, and you should know that."

    Sherry looked at me, surprised.  "I never said that you
were after her money!"

    Oh, shit.  I had told Sherry to forget what happened in
the music room, and I now realized that this included her
outburst about me.  "No, I just wanted to assure you that the
two of us really love one another.  I can see how somebody
could get that idea if one doesn't really know Kristen."

    "Oh," Sherry said, looking a bit guilty.  "I know that
the two of you are dating, but..." Her eyes dropped again,
and she let the sentence hang.

    We were near the English class, and the bell was about to
ring.  I steered Sherry into the classroom and said, "Sherry,
let's talk about this later.  I think the two of us really
need to talk to one another.  I like you... I really do, and
I want us to be friends.  Close friends."

    Sherry had a shocked look on her face as I walked to my
desk.

    The topic for that day was exposition writing, or, as my
English teacher, Ms. Taylor put it, writing to persuade.  I
thought it an appropriate topic, actually, considering my
need to persuade Sherry about some things.

    During the class, I stole glances at Sherry, who looked
disturbed.  Maybe I laid it on too thick in my last remark to
her, but I needed to get Sherry to stop hating Kristen.  To
do that, I needed to become a friend to Sherry.

    I considered whether my actions were honorable.  After
all, I was seeking Sherry's friendship with an ulterior
motive in mind.  My motive was to prevent a bad situation
between Kristen and her.  As I mentioned earlier, Kristen
knew martial arts and she also had a jealous streak--two
things that made for a dangerous combination.  I didn't want
Sherry hurt, emotionally or physically.

    Something in Sherry's revelation to me earlier that day
tugged at my heart.  I had been completely unaware that she
had been infatuated with me for so long.

    Now, just because a girl has had a crush on me doesn't
mean that I really have any obligation to her; that sort of
thing didn't strike me as being fair.

    On the other side of the coin, however, I had not known
that about Sherry's feelings, and I realized that part of the
reason that I didn't know was my own fault.  I knew that I
used to be more than a bit self-centered and conceited back
in junior high, and I probably still had traces of both of
those character flaws.  Recently, I started changing my
outlook from just thinking about me, to thinking about
Kristen and the new friends that I was now making.

    Now I had Sherry suddenly thrust into my world.  I didn't
know her very well, and I realized that I would probably have
to rectify that.  Of course, I would have to let Kristen know
my intentions and motives as well, or things could get even
worse.

    I didn't know if Sherry's infatuation with me would
interfere with the two of us being friends.  I had never
dealt with anything like this before.  I knew that I needed
to talk with either Patty or Camille about this in more
detail, but Camille told me that she might be able to help
Sherry somehow find another focus.  I had no idea what
Camille meant by that, or if she really had anything planned.
Either way, I was determined to do right by Sherry.

    When the bell rang to signal our release from school, I
saw Sherry bolt for the door.  I think I might have
frightened her with the things that I said earlier.  I was
closer to the exit, however, and managed to catch up with her
easily.

    "Sherry, can we talk for a few minutes?  School is over
now, and I feel we really need to talk."

    Sherry had an uncertain look on her face and she shook
her head.  "Sorry.  I have to get home.  My mom's expecting
me..."

    "It will be a few minutes before the buses leave.  Let me
at least walk you to your locker."

    Sherry shrugged and we walked down the hallway.  It was
crowded with students in three grades looking to escape from
the school another day.

    "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable before," I said.
"You've been willing to talk to me in every class up until
today.  What's changed?"

    Sherry looked at me.  "I made a fool out of myself with
you.  You don't like me."

    I shook my head.  "I don't know you.  I think if we get
to know each other, we would probably like each other.  Is
that so difficult?"

    We stopped at Sherry's locker.  Patty saw me, and noticed
Sherry, who had her back to her.  "Excuse me, Jim?"

    "Yeah, Patty?"

    "I'm going to be getting a ride with... a friend.  Cammy
said she'd be happy to give you a ride."

    Patty was telling me in a coded way that she was going to
be going home with Kristen alone today, and that Kristen
wouldn't be giving me a ride.  Instead, I'd be getting a ride
in Camille's red Toyota.

    "Cool, Patty," I said, smiling.  "See you around."

    "Who was that?" Sherry asked.

    "Patty Nadal.  She's a friend of mine."

    "You seem to hang out with a lot of seniors," Sherry
remarked.

    "Well, Camille--the girl Patty was talking about--used to
baby sit me with her older sister.  Camille is Patty's best
friend."

    Sherry nodded.  "I guess.  So, do you still think that I
don't know you?  You're Jim Crittenhouse, the music whiz.
You used to hang out with Jack Williams, although I don't see
the two of you together much anymore."

    I smiled ruefully.  "Jack and I don't have any classes
together.  His sister is a close friend, too."

    Sherry shook her head.  "You're a regular Lothario,
aren't you, friends with all those senior girls?"

    "Maybe they see in me what you see in me, huh?" I
shrugged.

    Sherry blushed crimson and didn't answer.

    "But at least I know those girls.  You seem to know me.
What's my favorite color?"

    "Blue," Sherry said automatically.

    I was stunned.  How did Sherry know that?

    "Hmmm, then what's my favorite band?"

    "The Beatles are your favorite of all time, but your
favorite performer is Elton John.  I heard you do _Honky Cat_
over and over in Mr. Thurd's music class after school once,
and you told whoever it was with you that he's your favorite
keyboardist."

    I was completely shocked.  Sherry really did know a lot
about me.  Finally, I said, "You definitely seem to know me.
What should I know about you?"

    Sherry once again looked uncertain.  "Jim, I need to get
to the buses.  My mom expects me home in a half hour."

    Camille found me just at that time.  "Hello, Jim.  Who is
your friend?"

    Sherry looked up.  "I'm Sherry... Wait... Is this the
Camille that your friend mentioned--Camille Lombardi on the
cheerleading squad?"

    Camille's smile was broad and unforced.  "Here, I am...
the one and only!"

    "I'm Sherry Jordan," Sherry said shyly as she offered
Camille her hand.

    Continuing to smile, Camille shook Sherry's hand and
said, "I'm really glad to meet you."

    Sherry finally smiled.  "Well, excuse me, but I really
need to get to the bus..."

    "I'd be happy to give you a ride, Sherry.  I was just
here to find out when Jim wanted to leave.  I'm driving him
home as well."

    "Oh, I can't..."

    "Sure you can.  How far away do you live?"

    "About five minutes away."

    "Piece of cake," Camille smiled.  "How long does the bus
take?"

    "Um... about twenty minutes."

    "Fine.  I'll find the two of you in the parking lot in
ten minutes.  You'll be home in plenty of time." Camille
smiled a truly lovely smile and left.

    Thank goodness for friends like Camille.  I now had an
additional ten minutes with Sherry.

    Sherry didn't seem to know what hit her.  "You didn't
tell me that you were friends with Camille!"

    I laughed.  "I told you that Camille was Patty's friend.
You mentioned that she was a senior, so I thought you knew
who I was talking about.  However, this points out something
interesting.  You don't know everything about me, do you?"

    "Point taken," Sherry said, continuing to smile.

    "Let's walk to the bench outside the school, shall we?"

    Sherry nodded and the two of us walked to one of the
benches just outside the school.  Luckily, they were all
mostly empty, most kids wanting to spend as little time at
the school as was humanly possible now that school was over
for the day.

    "So, you were about to admit that you don't know a thing
about me," Sherry said, taking the initiative.

    I shook my head.  "That's not entirely true.  About a
week after school started, I started getting attention from
girls in my class, including you.  One of the guys today
referred to you as 'hot,' by the way.  Did you know that?"

    Sherry blushed, and said, "Well, I noticed you before you
were going out with Kristen, actually."

    "Yes," I said, now getting into my prepared speech.  "I
guess I was a bit conceited and self-centered before.  I
admit that I never really noticed you.  More is the pity,
actually."

    "Huh?"

    "Maybe the two of us would have been friends last year.
I've found in the past few weeks that having friends is very
important.  I used to think that I knew everything, but
talking--actually talking--with people like Kristen, Patty,
and Camille, I found out that other people know many things
that I didn't know; things that were important."

    Sherry nodded, not knowing where I was going with this.

    "One thing that I learned is that if I have an
opportunity to become a friend to somebody, it's an
opportunity worth taking."

    I didn't have much more prepared, so now I was going to
have to wing it, depending on how Sherry reacted.

    "I see," Sherry said, slowly.  "This is the 'let's be
friends' speech, isn't it."

    "No, Sherry," I said.  "I'm not breaking up with you.  I
want to get to know you better.  It wasn't until I really
knew Kristen that I realized that I loved her.  Don't you
deserve the same chance?"

    Sherry's eyes lit up.  "You mean...?"

    "I'm not making any promises, Sherry," I said, wanting to
make that perfectly clear.  "I'd like to get to know you.
You said you had problems with History, I might be able to
help you with that."

    "I, um... lied about that," Sherry said.  "I got an A in
both quizzes so far this year."

    I smiled.  "I know.  I do want something from you."

    "What's that?" Sherry said, looking suspicious.

    "I want a friend.  I don't want a girlfriend on the side.
One thing that can destroy a friendship is jealousy, and
treating you like a girlfriend wouldn't be fair to you, or to
Kristen.  Right now, Kristen is my girlfriend, and she's done
nothing wrong whatsoever to deserve to be treated unkindly."

    "She's done nothing wrong?" Sherry said, a bit emotional.
"I know some of the things that she's done."

    "To you?"

    "No..."

    "How about to me?  Is she hurting me by dating me?"

    "No, but my cousin..."

    "Your cousin is Dale Hardy, right?"

    "Yes, and Kristen got her kicked out of school."

    "Because Dale tried to blackmail Kristen," I said,
arguing Kristen's case.  "Dale was spreading vicious rumors
about Kristen.  Did you know that?"

    Sherry shook her head at me.  "You don't understand."

    "No," I admitted.  "Dale is your cousin, and deserves
your loyalty.  Likewise, Kristen is my girlfriend, and until
you give me something specific, I want to remain loyal to
her.  I also got my information from Patrice Williams and
some of the boys that heard Dale's rumors."

    Sherry was silent, but I knew that she still had feelings
about this.

    "You see, Sherry, there are two sides to every story."

    "Maybe," Sherry said, still not sounding convinced.

    Camille came over and found the two of us at the bench.
"Are you guys ready to roll?"

    "Sure," the two of us answered together.

    Sherry and I followed Camille into Camille's red Toyota
station wagon.  I intentionally maneuvered so that I was
sitting in the back seat of the car.  I was still curious as
to what Camille's ideas were for Sherry.

    Camille started the engine, and asked Sherry where she
lived.

    "I live on Rogers Street," Sherry said.

    "Near the park?" Camille asked.

    "Yeah."

    "Cool.  You're right, only five minutes away, and it's in
my neighborhood!"

    Sherry smiled.

    I remembered Camille's suggestion from lunch period.
"Cammy, Sherry is on the gymnastics team."

    "Really?" asked Camille.

    Sherry turned beet red and nodded.  "You knew that?" she
asked me.

    "See," I said, smiling.  "I do know some things about
you."

    Sherry smiled a bit nervously, and she nodded her head
again.

    Camille took the cue.  "You know, Sherry, the
cheerleaders are having mid-season tryouts pretty soon.  If
you need a sponsor, I'd be happy to put in a good word for a
gymnast."

    Sherry laughed.  "Me?  Do you really think I could be a
cheerleader on the varsity squad?"

    "Jim says you are on the gym team, right?"

    Sherry gave me a glare.  "Well, yeah."

    Camille continued, "You've got the build, you know the
basic moves, and you know how to memorize routines.  You are
also used to wearing uniforms that don't hide much.  You
could be a perfect cheerleader."

    "You really think so?" Sherry asked.

    "I know so.  I'll talk with Lynette Robbins tomorrow."

    "Groovy," I said.  "Now I'll have two cheerleaders for
friends."

    Sherry turned toward me and playfully punched my in the
shoulder.  "You pig!"

    "You know what they say about cheerleaders?" I said,
flashing Sherry a big smile.

    "No, Jimmy," Camille said, emphasizing that nickname I
disliked to let me know that I may not have said the right
thing.  "They just say that about me."

    That broke the three of us up, but I got the message from
Camille to be careful about what I said.

    Sherry pointed out her house on Rogers Street, and
Camille pulled into the driveway.

    "Thank you for the offer, Camille," Sherry said.  "Let me
think about it tonight."

    "All right.  When do you have lunch?"

    "That would be fourth period."

    "Cool.  Jim does, too.  Tell Jim your decision tomorrow,
and he knows how to get in touch with me or one of my
friends."

    "Thanks again," Sherry said, getting out of the car.
"And thank you, Jim."

    "For what?" I asked.

    "For wanting to be a friend," Sherry smiled.

    I watched Sherry enter her house.  I felt that Camille
and I had successfully averted disaster with Sherry.

    "You're serious about the offer?" I asked.

    "I'm totally serious about cheerleading, Jim," Camille
said.  "I wasn't kidding.  A gymnast like her would be more
qualified than most of the untalented bimbos that we normally
have as candidates.  That's why we require sponsors."

    "All right.  I just don't want her to get hurt."

    "I know, Jim.  I know how much you care about people.  It
didn't take Patty to convince me of that, you know."

    For some reason that I could not describe, I really felt
great hearing that from Camille.  I was silent as Camille
drove me to my home.

--
jimc_author@hotmail.com

JiMC is only a pseudonym.  Respect my privacy and I'll respect yours

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