Written by: TVM (mrtvm@mrtvm.com)

Archive: www.asstr.org/~TheVertManArchive/Stories/Scent/Index.html

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"How can I make this trip seem normal?" I asked myself as I stood in the bathroom at home and looked at myself in the mirror. Make-shift bun hair-do, orange jogging pants and a U of M hoodie that Patty (my older sister) had sent me weeks ago. I heard a horn blow and knew instantly that it was the person I'd gotten up specifically for: Emily. We were on our way to Wal-mart on this early and surprisingly (no to) cold of a Saturday morning. I came thundering down the steps and found that Mom (Hui Ying) was already at work on her usual weekend project: baking.

"Mom, I'm going to the mall with a friend," I said as I came into the kitchen still yawning. Seeing Emily's car was sitting on the curb I wanted to take as little time as possible explaining. "Be back in a few hours."

"Who you go with?" Mom asked in her broken english. "Hana?"

"It's my friend Emily, mom, I explained it last night that I'm picking up a computer for a friend at school," I said.

"I don't like you running around with older woman," Mom said as I rolled my eyes. "She might take advantage of you."

"If she even mentions it I will tell you," I lied. Though I'm not sure what I'd do if it really did go beyond flirting.

"No you won't," Mom said as I laughed. "You probably enjoy it."

"You are a horrible old lady," I said as she laughed at my blushing. "I'm going now and I'm gonna have wild unprotected sex with my teacher."

"You da horrible one, Patty junior," Mom said as I snatched my coat off the rack and she chased me out of the backdoor. I was still laughing when I came down the steps onto the sidewalk and Emily's passenger side door slid open and she smiled as I got in.

"You look...awful," Emily said with a sour face as I closed the door and glared at her.

"Thanks a lot," I said in protest as she grinned.

"Those hideous orange jogging pants and hairy legs really turn me on though," Emily said with a eye brow raise to suggest more.

"My legs are not hairy," I said as I reached down to rub the smooth skin below my jogging pants (they were rolled up to about mid-calf). "Smooth as a babies butt."

"MMMMM they sure are," Emily cooed as she rubbed the same spot. "Is the rest of you the same way?"

"Knock it off," I giggled as I pushed her hand away and saw she'd taken me seriously.

"You're right, that was way out of line and I'm sorry," She said as she looked away.

"I was kidding..."

"I have a problem," She blurted out.

"No you don't," I said. "I like it when you flirt with me."

"You do?" She asked with a half-smile.

"Yes," I said. "It's fun. Especially after learning how big of a dork you are."

"How am I a dork?" She asked as she finally pulled away from the curb.

"Well last night when you attempted to dance with me was pretty dorky," I said as she laughed.

"And you, miss two left feet, are any better?" She asked as I started laughing as I pictured us both last night at her place trying to dance and failing horribly. We were both still laughing as she pulled into SuperOne not to far from Walmart and things suddenly got a bit more serious.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"I need to pick up some stuff," She said as she looked down. "I tried to tell you this earlier..."

"Tell me what?" I asked and fearing now she had something horribly wrong with her.

"I have a problem..."

"You've said that already now tell me what it is," I said.

"I like younger girls," She said softly and dared not look at me. A shock washing over me at that moment as I considered the possibilities of this bombshell. "I just wanted you to know because you're like the only friend I have in this whole freakin town to talk to."

"How young?" was the first question my brain decided to ask.

"You young," She said as she looked over at me finally. "And it doesn't help that you're Asian and girls like you really do it for me."

"Are you fuckin' with me?" I asked as she laughed.

"Not at all," She said with a smile. "But if that makes you uncomfortable I promise I'll stop flirting and everything. Just straight friends from now on."

"Yeah right," I said as I pushed her shoulder playfully, "Like you can keep your hands to yourself flipping my skirt up to see if I was wearing a thong."

"I can, I promise," She said before I pushed her again and she latched onto my wrist and gave me a daring glare. Both of us starting to giggle as a wrestling match ensued and she began losing when I pinned one of her hands against the drivers side door and one against the seat and finding myself crossing over the center console and settling in across her lap as she giggled uncontrollably.. "Let me go you skank."

"See told you, can't keep your hands off me," I giggled as she glared at me and then stopped struggling.

"You're so right," She said with a kinda of a dazed/dreamy look in her eyes as she leaned up and kissed my chin softly. "Asian girls do it for me, Hana, you do it for me."

"OHMIGOD..." I whispered as she kissed down the side of my neck for a long moment and ignited my hormones in a flurry. While I still had control (her hands in mine) she simply took it away over the next few moments as she slipped her hands free from mine. Then pulling me down to her gently and as the seat reclined a bit she kissed my chin once more and then my lips. I instinctively fed her my tongue and moaned into her mouth as mine met hers. My hands slid into her long red hair as she slipped her arms around me and kissed me so perfectly it curled my toes. But just as I was seriously getting in the mood my mind clicked back online and reminded me where we were. "...stop, stop!"

"What?" She asked in a panic as I moved back to the passenger seat in a rush. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No you didn't," I said as I took her hand in mine and laced our fingers. "Look where we are."

"OH GOD I'm so stupid," Emily said as I laughed and shrugged as she pushed my hand away in protest. "Seriously I didn't do anything wrong?"

"Not yet," I said as she blushed a crimson red so noticble I raised my arms in victory as I slid out the passengers side and walked off laughing. Squealing when I heard the crunch of snow under foot and looked back to see her coming after me.

"Do you really have to go?" Mindy asked mom (Caroline) as she walked with her to the elevator.

"Yes we do," Dad (Jonathan) said firmly. "We have business at home and besides you two will be home in a few weeks anyway."

"Wait for me!" Kimmy squealed as she came charging out of our room and pulling her bag behind her as everyone laughed. "Don't leave me."

"Why not?" Dad asked as she stopped in front of him and looked up with a mean look on her face.

"Because Daddy, I belong to you now," Kimmy stated matter-of-factly. The elevator dinging as it arrived and opened to reveal Chi on the other side. "I'm leaving, Chi."

"Why? I thought you were gonna go to school here," Chi asked as Kimmy met her and held her arms up to be picked up. "You're not?"

"I'm only 6," Kimmy said after Chi had picked her up. "You didn't know that, huh?"

"You're funny," Chi said to Kimmy with a giggle. "I'm gonna miss you."

"You come visit me in California?" Kimmy asked.

"We'll see," Chi said as she hugged her and sat her down as she walked off rather quickly and appeared to be tearing up a bit. "I like her lots."

"She likes you lots too," I said as I picked my little sister up. "You're gonna be good till Mindy and I get home?"

"Yes I will," Kimmy declared.

"How come she doesn't have an accent?" Mindy asked as all of us piled onto the elevator.

"She was raised from birth in an English speaking orphanage," Mom said. "All of the girls on the adoption list were."

"Well it looks like our car is already waiting on us," Dad said as we reached the main floor. Natalie (Palmquist), the OSH RA coming out to meet us.

"Headed back to California?" Natalie asked as Mindy and I dumped the bags at the front doors.

"We are indeed," Dad said. The driver (Gerald) coming to meet us and taking the bags away a few moments later. "And I must say that I feel a lot better about having my girls in this dorm now that I know who is in charge."

"Thank you, sir," Natalie said with a wide grin. "I just try to keep an eye on things."

"Oh you do, huh?" I asked as I pointed outside where Mom and dad's driver had found himself drawn into a snowball fight from two unseen parties. "Do you always allow people to be attacked like that?"

"I'm gonna kill Laney and Randi," Natalie said as she grabbed her coat and marched outside to find that Gerald was now returning fire and suddenly had some help as Shelby appeared from behind the car and started firing in Laney's direction. "KNOCK IT OFF!"

"Why?" Randi asked as she appeared from behind a bush. "He started it."

"Yeah he started it," Laney chimed in as she appeared from the other side.

"Wrong, I started it," Shelby said as she fired a snowball right over Natalie's head as every laughed. "Gerald was just defending me when they started double teaming me."

"Gerald!" Dad warned with an amused smile.

"See we didn't start it!" Randi said as her and Laney joined us. Kimmy (with her coat now on) went to hug Laney and Randi.

"OK, so I was wrong, you'll no doubt start one before the days over," Natalie said as everyone giggled.

"She's such a hot head," Laney said as her and Randi nodded in agreement and simultaneously plopped hand fulls of snow on top of Natalie's head and ran off laughing.

"You two are gonna get it," Natalie said as she chased them around the side of the building. Kimmy running to look and see where they were headed.

"Sir, if I am still employed we really should be leaving for the airport," Gerald said as he came up to meet us.

"Bye Mom, bye Dad," Mindy said with a hug. "Call me, OK?"

"Bye my sweet girl," Mom said as Dad hugged me.

"We're coming back for one of your games this year," Dad said as I walked him to the car.

"I hope so," I said as they hugged me and then Mindy (not a classic Dad move).

"HOLD ON," Dakota squealed as she came charging across the snow. Arriving nearly out of breath to hug Mom before she left. "Can't let you leave without saying goodbye."

"I'm sure glad you did," Mom said as she hugged Dakota. "But you're gonna freeze your legs off in that skirt."

"Thanks Mom," Dakota said sarcastically.

Mom laughed and hugged her one more time before her, Kimmy and Dad rode off for the airport.

"Wanna come back and spend the day with me?" Mindy asked Dakota a few moments after Mom and Dad had left.

"Nope," Dakota said as she kissed Mindy and then walked off.

"Then why are you walking towards my dorm?" Mindy asked as Shelby and I giggled. "THAT'S FUCKING RETARDED."

"Those two are nuts," Shelby said after Mindy had walked off and soon caught up with Dakota. The funny happenings hadn't yet concluded as just then Natalie reappeared from beside the building with Laney and Randi in front of her and not looking happy. "What's going on?"

"These two are grounded," Natalie said as she pointed her to her two captures. "Grounded to helping me clean out the supply closet."

"It's unfair," Randi complained half-heartedly. "We're being singled out cause we're white."

"Slave labor is fine with me," Natalie said as she pushed the two along as the giggling started.

"Seems like we got the room to ourselves for a few hours," I said. "Hana and Max won't be back till late afternoon and it looks like Laney is grounded for a long while."

"I noticed," Shelby said as she smiled and took my hand in hers. "You thinking what I am?"

"That we could take a nap in peace?" I asked as I rolled my eyes.

"Or maybe something more," Shelby said as she smiled.

"Sounds like fun!" I said as we headed to the room and to a time that was a lot more eventful than you might think.

"MOLLY!" Chloe screamed in excitement as she came running to meet me as I came up the walk in front of Keller-Montgomery Hall. "My dad said I could go!"

"Really?" I asked as she stopped in front of me and kissed me.

"MMMM oh yeah," Chloe cooed as she kissed me again only this time with a bit of tongue involved. "Holly already said you could go."

"Technically she didn't," I corrected Chloe as we walked towards the building now holding hands. "And she's here cause that's her car."

"So we can ask her and oh yeah, Dad said I had to spend New Years Eve with him," Chloe rambled as we walked inside.

"That's fair," I said as Chloe smiled and we stopped as we saw a collection of girls sitting around the main lobby, not an unusual site, and Maggie in the office talking on the phone involved in a very animated conversation. My new friend Melanie (Stockton) being one of the numerous girls. "What's going on?"

"Maggie's trip home has been cancelled because we don't have any place to go," Melanie said.

"You're not going home?" I asked Melanie.

"Mom is broke and can't afford it," Melanie said. "Half the girls in here are in the same situation."

"My parents are too busy traveling in China to give a fuck about me or my sister," Paige Nash offered up. One of Melanie's second floor neighbors.

"That sucks," Chloe said as I nodded. Looking back as Holly came in the front door. "Hey sexy!"

"Hey to you too," Holly said as she grinned at my girlfriend. "Any news about your trip?"

"I can go but I have to come back and spend the new year with Dad," Chloe said. "Compromise. Molly can go right?"

"You'll be back for New Years?" Holly asked me.

"I guess so," I said in confusion. "You never did say I could go."

"You can go but you have to be back when Chloe does," Holly said as I smiled. "Is that a good compromise?"

"Yes it is," I said as I hugged her. "Mom and Dad would still be screaming about me even asking."

"Speaking of Dad, the bastard got out of jail," Holly said.

"He was still in for contempt of court?" Chloe asked.

"Yep, I guess old Judge Lipscomb was serious," Holly said as we laughed. "And don't be surprised if he's not done causing trouble."

"What can he do?" I asked. "He can't make me go home."

"I'm sure he'll do something," Holly said.

"I'd love to hang his ass from a tree by his nut sack," Chloe said as Holly I agreed and laughed.

"OK, here's what's happening," Maggie said as she came out of the office. "Mr. Woods is on his way over to make arrangements for you guys."

"Why do we need him?" Paige asked. "Suddenly he needs to be involved in every decision?"

"He's the school president so yes he does," Maggie said as she gave Paige an odd look.

"But students stay over the break every year," Paige said. "Sounds like to me he's on a power trip."

"And it sounds like to me you need to shut up for a while," Melanie said to Paige, "Bitch, bitch, bitch."

"Mr. Woods is doing all he can for the students," Maggie said. "He's even giving up his Christmas to make sure we get one."

"How?" Paige asked.

"He's hosting a Christmas party with food and drinks and everything," Maggie said. "Everyone on campus is invited."

"That sounds fun," Melanie said as most everyone else agreed (except a still pissy Paige).

"Well that was one way to spend an afternoon," I said after a long silence that followed our aborted 'love making'. The event that featured, and no I'm not kidding, a knee to the groin (mine).

"I'm sorry," Cindy said from beside me. "I guess I wasn't ready."

"We were both nervous," I reasoned. "We could...maybe...possibly...try again?"

"I don't think so," Cindy said. "I'm gonna go home and become a nun over Christmas break."

"You are not," I said as she sat up and turned her back to me. A long moment of silence filling the room before Cindy's phone started ringing. "Who would be calling at a time like this?"

"It's...Molly?" Cindy asked as she picked up her phone from the bed side table. "I better get this it might be about the story we're turning in tomorrow."

"So suddenly that's more important than me?" I asked. But she refused to answer and instead simply flipped open her phone and said, "Hello?"

"We're gonna talk about this sooner or later, Icey," I said as I rolled out of bed and wrapped myself in a sheet and left the room with a slamming of the bedroom door. Thankfully, at that moment, I was the only one in the common room.

"What's wrong with Shelby?" Molly asked as soon as Shelby had left the room with a slamming of the door. "She not getting enough?"

"It's nothing," I lied. "What did you need?"

"I finished the rewrites on the story from the notes we made at the library the other day," Molly said. "I was gonna bring it over and let you read it."

"Maybe I'll just come over there and see it," I said as I sat up. "I wanna see Mindy anyway."

"No need to," Molly said. "Just check your email when you're done fighting with Shelby."

"We're not fucking fighting," I fired back.

"You may not be fighting but you sure do seem to be upset," Molly surmized. "What's up?"

"Like you care..."

"Don't even start about us not being friends Icey and tell me," Molly said.

"Shelby and I tried to make love and it didn't go to well," I blurted out and heard her laugh. "Why are you laughing? This is a disaster."

"No it's not," Molly said. "It happens to everyone."

"To you and Chloe?"

"Yes, a few times," Molly said as I took a relieved breath. "It's weird and scary and confusing."

"I swear I thought I was the only one," I said.

"You're not," Molly assured me. "Sometimes one or both of you just isn't into it."

"What do I do?" I asked and hoped that she had an easy solution.

"Try it again," Molly said as I felt the pressure of the world back on my shoulders. The frustration, the let down...everything. "Only don't rush it. Did you?"

"Bingo," I said softly. "But I don't wanna go through that again."

"Then you'll be the frozen virgin?" Molly asked as I started laughing. "Popsicle goes the cherry?"

"Shut up," I said amidst my giggles. "Send me that stupid story while you're at it."

"Cindy?" Shelby asked as she popped her head in the door. "What's so funny?"

"I'll send you that story," Molly said. "Go talk to Shelby. Go slow."

"Thanks for the advice, bye," I said as I hung up and turned back to my girlfriend.

"What was so funny?" Shelby repeated.

"Molly was making fun of me," I said. "Called me the frozen virgin."

"And you didn't threaten to pound her for that?" Shelby asked as she came in and closed the door.

"No because she gave me some good advice," I said as I stood and joined Shelby. "She said we're not the only ones who didn't get it right on the first try."

"I told you that a half hour ago," Shelby said as I nodded and tried to kiss her. "No, I'm still mad at you."

"Yes, cause I love Lucy," I said as she started laughing and backed away as I came after her. "Come back here."

"No..." Shelby said as she followed my eyes and saw that Laney was now standing by the door to the hallway with a knowing smile on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," Laney said as she closed the door behind her. "Oh crap, you're both in bed sheets and...I could not have worse timing?"

"We've come to expect that," I said as Shelby laughed and Laney gave me a sour face.

"Hey I cleared out and gave you guys the space you wanted and this is how you treat me?" Laney asked as she pooched out her lip and tried to look pathetic. Doing a good job of it too. Shelby giggled as she hugged her from behind. "You don't love me."

"No we don't," I said as she gave me a shocked look as I joined them and hugged her so she was smushed between me and Shelby. "But we do tolerate you."

"Take that back Ice Princess," Laney commanded with a poke to my side that sent me jumping away and my sheet coming undone enough so you could see a lot (if you know what I mean). "OHMIGOD."

"MMMMM I know, right?" Shelby asked as her and Laney giggled and nodded their heads in unison as I scrambled to cover back up. "Threesome?"

"Let's set the date after seeing that," Laney said as her and Shelby laughed and I slipped on a pair of shorts and then a shirt. "What do you say to that, Cinderella?"

"I say you're dead," I replied as I took off after Laney as she broke away from Shelby and went running down the hall laughing.