Date: Fri, 04 Nov 2005 23:11:51 -0800 From: RC in Sacramento Subject: Munchkin Epilogue This is a work of fiction. It depicts the often sexual relationship between two young girls. If this offends you or if you're not old enough to be reading this stuff, then get out NOW. If, however, you're where you want to be, then enjoy. MUNCHKIN Epilogue by Sacwriter Saturday, the day of Sammie's birthday party, dawned clear and sunny. It was still a bit cool for a pool party, but the high adobe walls around the Cameron house kept the winds out, and everybody was advised to bring a T-shirt for when they weren't actually in the water. The Camerons were all fond of Sammie, and they were also grateful to her, Justine and Kelly for the way they had helped rescue Gia from being assaulted last year. As a symbol of that gratitude Phil had already thrown two huge birthday bashes for the other two girls, but he was determined to make this last one for Sammie the best. Over twenty people had been invited and more were expected to turn out, and there was enough food and drink to feed twice that many. He had even gone to the expense of hiring a band, some friends of Johnny's whom he guaranteed were good. Joe arrived late, just before noon, and smiled when Gia answered the door. Like him she was wearing only a T-shirt and sneakers over a bathing suit, although the smaller boy was also carrying a wrapped present for the birthday girl. Her pretty face lit up like a sunrise when she spied him, although she frowned in puzzlement when she saw who else was at the door. "Hey, Joe! You're looking pretty gruesome. How are you feeling?" The smaller boy grinned, fully aware of the image he projected. The swelling on his face was down considerably, but the bruises had had plenty of time to ripen into their full color, and were only partially obscured by the splint and bandage that now covered his nose. His right arm was also in a sling, still sore from all the previous weeks' abuse. All in all, the smaller teen looked like he had been to a war, and lost. "Pretty good. I slept all day yesterday, after Mattie got home. Oh, your cousin Tom gave me a ride over. He stopped by this morning to look at our garden, and guess what? He wants to give me a job this summer!" "Oh, really?" Gia asked, giving Tom a raised eyebrow. Her cousin shrugged, then hastened to explain. "Yeah, well, Becka called Dad last night and told him about what Joe did at his place. He was really impressed at the way he did that whole verandah without using a single nail. We've been needing more help designing landscaping for some of the new houses we've been putting up, so he had me stop by this morning. And yeah, I liked what I saw." "I haven't decided what I want to do after high school, but Tom was saying that they give degrees in landscape architecture and site planning. If this job works out, I might be going to college next year after all. Hey, where's Becka?" "Out by the pool, helping with the barbecue. Sammie's out there, too. If you hurry, you can show off your cooking skills." Joe grinned and hurried past, leaving Gia and her cousin alone. For a long while they both fidgeted in an uncomfortable silence, neither quite sure what to say. Finally Tom gave a hesitant wave and started to turn away. "Uhh, I think I'd better be going..." "No, Tomas, wait," Gia spoke up, stopping him. "Umm, I wanted to say thank you, for coming to help us the other day. At school, I mean. You didn't have to do that." Tom shrugged. "I didn't end up doing much. Dad and I just sat around glaring at those three punks, until the cops took them away. Besides, I just happened to be the one that was there when Uncle Phil got your call. It could have just as easily been Hector, you know." "Yeah, but it wasn't Hector, it was you. You came, and if there had been trouble for me and Becka, you would have stepped up, too. That means a lot, especially `cause we know how you feel about us." Tom looked away and rubbed the back of his neck, his face beginning to turn red. Finally he seemed to come to a decision, and turned back to speak to his little cousin with candor. "Look, Gia, it's not you, okay? You're family, and so is Becka. I'll always come when you guys need help. And it's not like I don't still love you. It's just, it's what you guys do, you know? It's a sin. The church says it's against God's will. And I just can't ignore that." "Leviticus, 20:13," Gia said. Tom looked up, his eyebrow raised. " `If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them'. Don't look surprised, I think every gay kid in America gets that one thrown at them, sooner or later. "But check out the fine print next time you're reading Leviticus. It also calls for death for anybody who trims his hair or beard, or wears clothing made from more than one kind of fiber. Also for kids who curse their parents, or have premarital sex. You're clean shaven, and I bet that shirt's cotton poly, isn't it? And I've heard you fight with Uncle Manuel, and I've seen you and Marisol making out. "We prefer to think about what Jesus said in Mathew 7, 1 thru 5. `Do not judge lest you be judged yourselves... Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?' "Look, I... I don't want to argue theology with you, Tomas. And I know that you love me, I really do. So let's just leave it at that, and thanks again for the other day." Tom looked at the entreaty in his young cousin's eyes, and found himself nodding. He bent down and opened his arms, and was soon giving her a tight hug, which she returned with a fierce interest. * * * Joe found Becka first, out by the barbecue as Gia had said. He paused when he saw her, stopping to take in the green and yellow bruises on her face, and the splint on her nose that if anything was larger than his. She looked up at his approach, and gave him a huge grin as she waved a long handled fork at him. "Hey, Joe! Tell me, do I look as ridiculous as you do?" "Hell, no. You look worse." "Shaddup. Just for that you gotta help me clean this grill before we put the burgers on. Is that for Sammie?" Joe waved the gaily decorated box. "Uh huh. Where should I put this?" "Tell you what, help me set this grill up and I'll show you where that goes. Also, there's something going on in the game room that you've just got to see!" He nodded and set the wrapped box down, and proceeded to help his friend prepare the barbecue. While they were setting up, Joe took the opportunity to check out the rest of the party goers. There seemed to be about a dozen of them hanging out on the back patio and clustered around the swimming pool, most of them kids he didn't know personally, but whom he assumed must be friends of Sammie's. At the far end underneath the oak trees, he could see Johnny and what were probably his musician friends, setting up their instruments. There was a flat table of grass just in front of the trees, over which a dozen long planks had been laid, forming a crude stage. There was also an outdoor electrical outlet with multiple sockets for them to use, and it was now obvious to Joe that Phil and his family had originally designed the area with just such an occasion in mind. He nodded, thinking that if he did end up designing landscapes, he could do worse than take a few lessons from the Camerons. "Hey, Dad!" Becka called, waving at her father who was carrying a cooler full of soft drinks from the house. "The coals are lit, they ought to be ready in about an hour. I'm going to take Joe around and introduce him to some people, okay?" The elder Cameron grunted and nodded his head, which Becka obviously took for an assent. She grabbed Joe by the hand and quickly made the rounds, introducing him to the other guests. Joe was a little nervous, meeting so many new people, but he soon found himself bemused at how many of them seemed to already know who he was. Their greetings were all enthusiastic, and seemed to fall into two categories; those who congratulated him on beating Harper and his crew single handed, and those who admired him for avenging Becka from the three. It was the last type who made him the most uncomfortable. Didn't they know that Becka had only gotten hurt because of him? He was saved from further discomfort when a long, shapely arm snaked over his shoulder and across his chest, as he felt himself pulled into a warm embrace from behind. He sensed the brush of long, soft hair against his cheek, smelled the scent of green apples and cinnamon, and the warm breath of the birthday girl herself whispering in his ear. "Well, there's my date! I was beginning to think you'd stood me up." Joe turned around, grinning. He handed Sammie his present and then used his good arm to wrap her in a hug that made his bruised ribs ache. "Wild horses, Sammie. And Happy Birthday! You look beautiful." "Thanks. And you look... like it's time to change the subject. Hey, did you see what's happening in the game room?" "I was just about to show him," Becka offered. The other girl grinned, something Joe never tired of seeing. "Oh, God, that was so funny. I almost laughed until I peed!" By now Joe was doubly curious, but before he could question the two girls further, they were interrupted by the cyclonic arrival of Kelly. The girl with the pixie cut blonde hair squealed when she saw her friends, and after a hasty round of greetings she quickly slid into her usual high speed gossip mode. A glance at Sammie and Becka showed them sporting identical expressions of resigned patience. Joe could only stand there, a glazed look on his own face, and the most curious sensation that his ears were beginning to bleed. "...and so Jimmy Cardinale the guy over there in the blue trunks well he's Alice's old boyfriend and he's all p.o.'d `cause she came here with Julius Brown and she's acting like such a beeyotch you know what I mean she's just strutting around on Julius' arm like look at me I'm so fine I upgraded to someone on the football team and... ohh." Kelly's eyes had suddenly gone big and round, and Joe saw that she was staring mesmerized at something over his shoulder. Curious at what could cause such a change in the young chatterbox, he turned and followed her gaze, only to find his own eyes trying to pop out of their sockets. Striding across the lawn and waving at them was a vision straight out of the pages of Playboy magazine. Wearing a high cut bikini that didn't contain enough fabric to make a decent sized handkerchief, was the hard-bodied form of Roosevelt High's newest cheerleader, Tristen McCormick. Although the brief shorts and tied off T-shirt he had seen her in before had hinted at the lushness of her figure, Joe was amazed at just how much it had also concealed. Long legs, a taut belly, and impossibly large and firm breasts, were all carved out of well toned muscle that seemed to radiate with good health. And the graceful way she moved, with the confident air of a true athlete, had the eyes of almost every male in the backyard following her like iron filings to an electric magnet. the mute girl signed to him, grinning. Joe found himself grinning back. "Yeah, I am. Umm, do you want me to speak for you?" he asked. "Yeah. Sure. Uh, Tristen wants to thank you for inviting her to the party, Sam." Joe spent the next ten minutes translating for Tristen. He was glad to do it, she seemed like a really nice and open person, even aside from being drop-dead gorgeous. And Sammie seemed to like her, too. He glanced over at Becka, and found himself grinning, seeing how she appeared to be just as enthralled as everybody else by the pretty girl from Alabama with the exotic mixed eyes. Kelly had indeed been uncharacteristically quiet, Joe realized. He snuck a glance at her out of the corner of his eye, and had to work not to smile. The short blonde girl did appear edgy, and in fact her eyes seemed to be trying to look everywhere except at Tristen. Another glance at Sammie and Becka showed that they were also aware of Kelly's predicament, and Becka at least wasn't even trying to hide her amusement. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I think that's, uh, that's what it is," he answered evasively. At that moment he truly missed having two useable hands, it would have been so much easier to hold this conversation privately in sign language. And from the amused look on her face Tristen was aware of his predicament, and was enjoying it immensely. Joe watched Tristen's flashing fingers, reading the raw and explicit comments, and felt the blood rising to his face, turning what he could only imagine as an almost neon shade of red. He checked out the other three girls, who were looking at him curiously. "Umm, Tristen, are you sure you want me to translate that? I mean, all of that?" The southern blonde laughed silently. With a final wave she turned around and walked away, her well rounded bottom swaying hypnotically under its tiny covering of fabric. Joe watched and shook his head, as Becka let out a sigh of air next to him. "Wow. Now that girl can move." "Yeah, she sure can. Oww!" Joe said, as he painfully flexed the shoulder that Sammie had just punched. "Eyes front, Mister! Just remember whose boyfriend you are." The words may have been angry, but her tone was light, and Joe was glad to see that she seemed to be taking the whole thing as a joke. She was grinning at him, and he decided the most prudent thing to do was to grin back. "Umm, Joe?" Kelly said, coming forward hesitantly. "Was... did Tristen say anything about me?" "Umm... yeah. Uhh, she said she really like the way you looked in that bikini," he temporized. No way was he going to tell her what else the other girl had to say! Even so, Kelly turned an extremely cute shade of pink, but then reached out and grabbed him by the arm. She dragged him a few feet away and urgently whispered something into his ear. Joe pulled away, and looked at her in round–eyed surprise. After a moment he nodded his head, to be gifted by a delighted grin from the cheerleader, just before she ran off... in the same direction as Tristen had just gone. "Hey, what was that all about?" Becka asked, as she and Sammie came over. Joe just shook his head, obviously still bemused by recent events. "She, uh, she just wanted to ask a favor. She wanted to know if I could give her sign language lessons." The two girls could only look at him in surprise, their eyes gone wide and their jaws dropping. And then as one all three teens turned to stare across the yard at the retreating form of their friend, each of them lost in their own thoughts of unfathomed depths and bizarre possibilities. * * * Inside the house Sammie left them, taking Joe's present with her to leave with the others on the kitchen table. Before she left she gave him another kiss on the cheek, and a smile that promised more to come. Or at least that's how he chose to interpret it. He was grinning after her when Becka ruffled his spiked hair to bring him back to the present. "C'mon, you stud, I want to show you something." Joe followed her up the stairs to the third floor, the same one he had stayed on when he was a guest there. This part of the house had been designed as guest quarters for any visiting members of the extended Cameron clan, and was similar to the second floor where the family lived, except that the rooms were smaller and there was only one central bathroom. Since they had been living in the house for less than a year some of the rooms were still unfurnished, and were being used for general storage. One room, though, had been set up for a different purpose. The Game Room had been designed with the Cameron's family poker night in mind, and the central piece was a large, felt topped card table large enough to seat eight people. There was an entertainment center in one corner, which held a twenty-one inch TV and a CD player, along with an old fashioned turn table stereo. Another corner held bookshelves stocked with board games, decks of cards, and an oak dispenser filled with red, white and blue poker chips. A third corner held a small table, under a dumbwaiter that emptied two floors below in the kitchen. The door to the game room stood open, and from all the way down the hallway Joe was still able to hear the familiar sounds of some sort of match going on. He tried to ask Becka a question, but with a finger to her pursed lips she quieted him, and with a gesture to follow she silently led the way to the open door. Joe peaked into the room past her shoulder, and was only slightly surprised to see Milo Michaels, Art Julian, and the rest of the D & D Kings sitting around the card table deeply ensconced in one of their role playing games. But what did almost shock him speechless was who else they were playing with. "You are leading the way down the darkened corridor, when a mummified demon suddenly comes at you from around a corner," Art intoned, reading from a card. As before, Art was playing the role of Dungeon Master, but unlike the previous games he was now wearing a large cowboy hat on his head in place of the lost Viking helmet. Another difference was that instead of street clothes, all of the Kings now wore the T-shirt and swim suit that was the uniform of the day for the pool party. "Even dried and desiccated, and wrapped in moldering bandages, the demon is huge. It fills the narrow corridor, and there is absolutely no way around it. Teeth gnashing and emitting a horrendous moaning sound, it shambles towards you. What do you do, Bitsy?" Bitsy? The same character that the Kings had foisted off on Gia to humiliate her? Joe raised his eyebrows and shot a look at Becka, who just grinned back and motioned for him to remain silent. "Okay, I... waitaminnit, what am I still wearing?" Justine asked. The cute little red head was sitting directly across the table from the King of the Kings, a small, expectant smile on her face. To a suddenly curious Joe, she seemed to be blithely unaware of the rapt attention she was getting from the other gamers. "Uh, regular underclothes, and a simple shift," Art answered. "What's a shift?" "It's like a slip, I think," Milo offered. "Oh, cool. Okay, so I rip off my shift, and I throw it at the demon mummy. Like this." With a fluid movement Justine rose to her feet and pulled her `Hello, Kitty' T-shirt over her head, and then balled it up and tossed it against the far wall. When she sat down, all four pairs of eyes were glued to the dark blue bikini she was wearing. Seemingly oblivious to their stares she smiled sweetly and gave her shoulders a quick shimmy. "And then I shake my boobies at him. Right?" A collective moan rose from all four of the Kings, and Joe almost lost it then. He had to clap both hands over is mouth to strangle the sounds of laughter, as Becka grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dragged him back down the hallway. By the time they had reached the stairway, both of them were giggling like little kids. * * * Becka stopped on the second floor, and led the way to her and Gia's room. Once inside she closed the door, and then she and Joe finally gave in to their hilarity. He fell on the bed, laughing and snorting out loud, while Becka looked down on him and grinned. "Oh, God, I think I broke something," he gasped, clutching at his middle with his good arm. "Doesn't Justine realize what she's doing?" "Hell, yes, she knows. We told her and Kelly all about Bitsy and that last game those dorks played with Gia. She's been doing this all morning, that's about the third game they've played." "So, what. She's just playing with their heads?" "Got it in one, Einstein. And having a lot of fun doing it, too." Becka plopped down on the bed next to him, then bent over and reached for something on the floor. When she sat back up she was holding a familiar red and white Igloo cooler. Joe looked at the drink carrier warily. "Uh, Becka, I don't think that's such a good idea. I mean, your father's right downstairs this time—" "Relax," she said, reaching into the cooler and pulling forth a purple can, dripping with sparkling drops of icy water. "Grape soda. We only bought one six-pack, I knew it wouldn't last so I snagged it for myself. Here." She dropped the can into his lap, which made him yelp as the cold moisture hit the bare skin of his thighs. By the time he had extricated it Becka had already produced her own and popped it, and presently the two of them were leaning back against the headboard and enjoying the smuggled treat in silence. For the next half hour he and Becka just hung out, enjoying the simple pleasure of each others company. He told her about her cousin's job offer, and she told him the latest news about the case against Harper and his stooges. She drew him out about his parents, and his life before coming to California. He watched the animation on her face when she talked about her future plans for going to art school. And sometimes there were just long, comfortable silences, where neither felt the need to say anything at all. It was during one of the latter that Joe found himself looking at the tall blonde girl sitting next to him, and feeling something akin to wonder. Was it really only nine days ago that he had first seen Becka standing by his locker, and felt the panic roiling in his stomach? It seemed like a lifetime! And in that short period she had stormed through his world like a hurricane tearing through a trailer park, one that picked everything up and turned it upside down in its wake. Oh, yeah, that was Becka Jackson-Cameron, alright! A force of nature, as unpredictable as she was unstoppable. He was different now, so different, and it was all because of her. She had taken away the bull's-eye on his back that he used to blame on her, given him back his pride and his confidence. She had ripped away the face that he had always shown like a mask, the eternal victim. The Munchkin. And he would never wear that mask again. Becka must have seen something of those thoughts on his face, she smiled softly and asked, "So, do you still have that crush on me, Joe?" "Oh, yeah. Always. It's the cross that I'll just have to bear." She barked a laugh. "Oh, funny man. And you can still accept the fact that I'm gay, and nothing's ever going to happen between us?" Her words had been said lightly, but he knew there was still an undertone of serious there. Joe bit the inside of his lip and gazed upwards, as if he was giving the matter deep thought. "Wee-elll, not entirely. Now, I wouldn't ever want to come between you and Gia. But, if you should ever be in the mood and want to experiment... you know, maybe take a ride on the other side of the track...?" Becka hung her head and let her long blonde hair fall across her face, but Joe could see her shoulders heaving at her silent laughter. Finally she looked up at him, a serious expression that was belied by the sparkle in her eyes. "Okay, Joe, it's a deal. If I ever get the urge to give boys a try, you'll be the first one I call." She paused for a second, studying something in his eyes, and then seemed to come to a decision. "Aww, what the hell," she said, and then reached over and cupped her hand behind Joe's neck. In a moment she had pulled the surprised boy to her and planted her lips squarely on his. It was the first kiss Joe had had since his girlfriend in Michigan, almost four years ago. And it was lightyears different than those fumbling, clumsy acts he had done with Gretchen Smalley in her family's garage. It was soft and hard at the same time, and it burned with an electric fire that he could feel all the way down to his belly. And it hurt like hell! "Oww! Owowow-oww! Ooo, that smarts!" Becka said, clutching her bandaged nose as she pulled away. He could see her face turning red as she tried to laugh and wince at the same time. Joe felt his own beak tenderly, as tears stung his eyes. "Ouch. Yeah, not a good idea. Two people with broken noses should never, ever try that. You okay?" Becka laughed again, a rueful sound directed at herself. "Yeah, I'm fine. How about a raincheck on that kiss?" "Deal. Hey, you think your Dad's done with those burgers yet?" "Yeah, I bet he is. C'mon, let's get down there before my bottomless brothers eat it all. Oh, and Joe?" She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "If you ever tell anybody about this, you're a dead man!" Joe grinned all the way back down to the party. Hell, who'd believe it, anyway? (end)