Idol, part 1

Author: No One

Contact: a.human.of.no.consequence@gmail.com (comments, advice, criticism welcome)

Story codes: Fg, 1st

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The school bus was filled with loud chatter and excited cries on this Friday afternoon, everyone looking forward to getting home for the weekend. Zoe shared the feeling, but things were getting a little too noisy for her taste so she put her earbuds in to drown out the racket with the awesome music of Shana Belle, her favorite singer.

The catchy melodies soon had Zoe completely forgetting her surroundings, as they often did. She found herself mouthing the words to the lyrics—she knew every line by heart, of course. She must have listened to this album a million times already, but it never got old.

It took her a moment to realize that Nancy, her fourth-grade classmate sitting next to her, was trying to get her attention. Zoe pulled out one earbud. “Huh? What?”

“I said, ‘What are you listening to?’ ”

On the bench in front of them, Zoe’s best friend Jen turned around to face them, rolling her eyes. “Do you even have to ask? She only ever listens to one thing.”

Zoe shrugged. “Shana’s the best. Why would I want to hear anything else?”

“Shana Belle, huh? Yeah, she’s cool,” Nancy said. “But I like Taylor Swift better.”

“What? No way.” This was an argument Zoe had engaged in many times. Taylor seemed to be the more popular of the two for some reason, but Zoe couldn’t imagine why. “I mean, Taylor is okay and all, but Shana is… is…” She struggled to find the right words to express how amazing Shana was. “Her music shows artistry and depth rarely seen in other pop starlets,” Zoe finally said, with an air of authority. It was a line she’d picked up from a magazine, but Nancy didn’t need to know that.

“You’re not gonna win this one,” Jen told Nancy. “Ever seen Zoe’s room? It’s like, Shana posters on every wall, stack of magazines about Shana—who even reads magazines anymore?—all the CDs and the records, a Shana calendar, even. Shana Shana Shana.”

Nancy laughed. “Big fan, huh?”

“I’m surprised she’s not wearing one of her Shana shirts right now.”

“Um, they’re all in the laundry,” Zoe admitted, now a bit embarrassed. So maybe she was a little obsessed. Still, Shana was so pretty, why wouldn’t Zoe want to be surrounded by her pictures? “Well, you’re just jealous of my cool room.”

Jen rolled her eyes and looked like she was about to shoot back something, but Zoe forestalled her. “Anyway! This is my stop, see ya on Monday.”

The other girls made their goodbyes, and Zoe stepped off the bus. She walked the short distance to her apartment building and climbed the stairs two by two up to the third floor, where she lived. She was met with a delicious smell, making her stomach growl. Her mom had Fridays off, and she usually spent part of the day preparing food in advance for the coming week.

“Hi, Mom!” Zoe called out as she took off her shoes and coat.

“Hey, honey. How was school?”

“Good, I guess. There was a test in math, but I think I did okay.” Zoe entered the kitchen, where her mom was indeed busy preparing food—meatballs, by the looks of it. Looking in the pantry cabinet, she was tempted by the box of chocolate chip cookies, but she knew what the reaction would be—”Zoe, you’re gonna spoil your dinner!”—so she grabbed a banana instead.

“That’s good,” her mother replied, stirring a large pot of marinara sauce. “Any homework for the weekend?”

“Nope.” When her mom gave her a skeptical look, she added, “No, really! There was a grammar worksheet, but I did it during lunch break. Um, do you need help with that?” She nodded towards the food, but she was reasonably confident that doing her homework early and actually offering to help would net her enough Good Girl points to get out of chores.

Her mom smiled. “Thanks, but I got it. You can go play until dinner.” As expected.

Zoe pondered how to spend the rest of the afternoon. Maybe watch some TV, or read a magazine. Re-read, more like. She did, in fact, have a big stack of magazines featuring Shana Belle, and she’d pored over each one a hundred times, memorizing every detail about her idol.

Recently, she’d gotten a new one that wasn’t exactly what she had expected, though. She’d spotted it on the rack at the grocery store and noticed a feature about Shana in it, so of course she’d begged to have it. Used to requests like that, her mom didn’t pay much attention to the mag and put it in her cart.

Once home, Zoe had excitedly leafed through her new mag until she found the article about Shana, and found that it was actually a whole photoshoot. And the clothes were kind of… skimpy. Glamour, the mag called it. There was Shana in a bikini, and one where she wore only a small tank top and panties, and some that were even more revealing.

Zoe had never seen Shana quite like that before, and was fascinated by these provocative shots. Shana had to be the most beautiful person in the world. Zoe wasn’t too sure she liked the idea that just anyone could see these intimate photos, but had to admit that she enjoyed looking at them herself. They made her feel a little funny for some reason, like butterflies in her tummy.

Her favorite was one where Shana was wearing tiny shorts and some kind of jacket with nothing underneath. Only her beautiful dark hair falling over her chest kept her boobs from view… though not completely. Just thinking about it made Zoe’s heart skip a beat, though she couldn’t exactly explain why.

That magazine seemed like a fine way to pass the time right now. She kept it hidden under the whole pile because she wasn’t sure what her parents would think of it. As she was walking towards her room, though, the phone rang.

“Sweetie, can you get that? My hands are all dirty here.”

“Okay!” Zoe made her way to the living room and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Hello! Can I speak to Miss Zoe Price, please?” It was a man’s voice that Zoe didn’t recognize. He sounded strangely enthusiastic, like someone you might hear doing a TV commercial.

“Um, that’s me,” Zoe hesitantly answered. Nobody had ever called her “miss” before.

“Good! The same Zoe Price who participated in Star Magazine’s ‘Meet Shana Belle’ contest?”

Zoe gasped. She had nearly forgotten about that contest. She’d filled out an entry months ago, but had never really expected to hear back about it. “Y-yes! Did… did I win?”

“You just might have! If you can answer the following question, which only a true fan of Shana Belle would know.”

Zoe’s stomach twisted into knots. A question. She had to answer this correctly. This was it, the most important moment of her life. A chance to meet Shana! If she missed it, she might just die. No, she had this. She knew everything there was to know about Shana. Favorite food, childhood nickname, every single word of her lyrics. Everything. But what if he asked something weird about recording studios or producers or whatever? Zoe didn’t really care about that stuff.

She was starting to panic when the man continued. “The question is… How old is Shana Belle?”

Zoe blinked. “Is that it?” she couldn’t help asking. That was his big question? What kind of idiot wouldn’t know that?

“Yes, that’s the question. How old is Shana? Do you know?”

“Of course I know. She’s 23. Her birthday is April 16th, so she’ll be 24 in three months,” she added for good measure.

“Zoe.”

“Y-yes?”

“That’s… correct! You have just won a trip to Los Angeles for yourself and a person of your choice, to meet Shana Belle and hang out with her for a day, then attend one of her concerts from a front-row seat!”

“Omigod omigod omigod! For real? Like, the real real Shana?” Zoe blurted out. It seemed like a silly thing to say, but she knew that, for instance, if you went to Disney World, you didn’t meet the real Mickey Mouse. Of course, Shana wasn’t a cartoon character, so that was probably a little different.

“The real Shana! Now, it says here you’re nine years old, is that right?”

“Yes. But I’ll be ten soon. My birthday is a week after Shana’s, isn’t that cool?”

“Very cool. But I’m going to need to talk to your parents to get permission, and sort out the details.”

“Okay, hold on.” She ran to the kitchen, waving the phone wildly. “Mom, Mom! I won! I won!”

Zoe’s mom raised her eyebrows in surprise. “What? Won? Who is that on the phone? I heard you shouting.”

“The Shana contest! Remember? I won!”

“Oh, really? Hang on a minute.” She washed her hands, then picked up the phone. “Hello?”

For a minute or so, all Zoe heard was “yes” and “uh-huh” from her mom, who finally asked, “And this is all expenses paid?” She seemed relieved at the answer.

Zoe wasn’t really listening anymore, though. All she could think about was that she was going to meet Shana. Beautiful, amazing Shana. This was the best day of her life. Well, for now. The day she went to L.A. would be even better.

* * *

The month-long wait before the trip had been a test in endurance, but now, finally, Zoe was stepping off the plane in Los Angeles. It was the first time she’d ever flown, and not only once, but twice—since there was no direct flight from her home state, they’d had to stop in Denver.

Mostly, she’d enjoyed the experience. It had been very impressive to watch the ground and everything on it get smaller as the plane rose into the sky. A sudden bout of turbulence had been pretty scary, though, and she’d had to hold tightly to her mother’s hand.

They’d left at 7 a.m. amid light snow, and now, almost six hours later, it wasn’t even noon, and warm enough to go out wearing a t-shirt. Zoe understood why, of course, but it still seemed magical to her.

“Well, here we are,” her mother said. “Someone is supposed to be waiting for us near the exit.”

Zoe wished she could have brought along her friend Jen—even if the girl didn’t appreciate Shana as much as she should—but the contest prize was only for two people, and a pair of fourth-graders really couldn’t have traveled without an adult. Even Zoe’s dad had to stay home, as they couldn’t spare the money for an extra plane ticket.

Still, now that she was here, Zoe was super excited, literally bouncing up and down with enthusiasm. They fetched their luggage, then she had some fun sitting on her suitcase and rolling around in the giant hallways of the airport. That is, until she nearly crashed into another group of tourists, and her mom made her stop.

When they exited the terminal, there was a crowd of people waiting, some holding signs with names on them, just like she’d seen in movies. It took a moment, but they finally spotted a man who had their names printed on his sign, and went over to him.

“Welcome to Los Angeles,” he said. “My name is Matthew. Please follow me, and we will be right on our way.” He had a British accent and was wearing some kind of chauffeur’s uniform, also like in the movies.

“Do you know Shana?” Zoe asked him as they walked.

“Yes, indeed. I am Miss Belle’s driver and personal assistant.”

“You must be around her a lot, then. You’re so lucky.” When the man didn’t comment, she added, “Are we gonna see her soon?”

“Yes, quite soon. We will be picking her up from the recording studio on our way to her estate.”

Matthew led them to the parking garage, and Zoe’s eyes went wide when she saw what awaited them there. Not just a fancy car, as she might have expected, but a real limousine. It was by far the biggest car she’d ever seen in person, and now it looked like she was about to ride in it.

“Miss,” Matthew said as he opened the door and motioned her in.

Zoe climbed into the car carefully, looking around in amazement. “Wow!” The passenger area was bigger than her parents’ entire car. The “back seat” was shaped like a U and actually covered three sides of the limo. There was even a TV! She sat down on one side, then her mom got in as well, taking the spot in front of Zoe and looking rather impressed herself.

“We will be on our way shortly. There is a minibar with some snacks in the back, feel free to take anything you want,” Matthew said before closing the door.

Curious, Zoe looked around and spotted the tiny fridge above the seat on one side. She scooched over to take a look and found it contained water bottles, different kinds of pop, and various kinds of candy. With a sheepish smile at her mom, she grabbed a Kit Kat bar. “Want anything, Mom?”

“Just a water. Thanks, honey.”

As she nibbled at her candy, Zoe watched the scenery outside stream by, the buildings getting bigger and taller as they drove into downtown L.A. Many were bigger than anything she’d seen back home.

Zoe was growing more and more nervous as they got closer to their destination. She was about to meet Shana. The Shana Belle. A genuine superstar, and just about the most important person in Zoe’s life... other than her parents and close friends. Probably.

What if she said something stupid, or made a fool of herself? She wasn’t even sure if she should call her “Shana”, or “Miss Belle” as Matthew did. Or maybe by her real name? Her head full of Shana trivia, Zoe knew that “Shana Belle” was just an artist name, of course, but she wasn’t sure what people called her behind the scenes.

Worse, what if Shana didn’t even want to hang out with some silly kid? Maybe she’d had to do the contest for publicity, or maybe she thought someone more interesting would win. What if she saw Zoe as an annoying brat?

Her mind occupied by these doubts, Zoe was startled when the car finally stopped in front of a tall skyscraper. Frantically, her eyes scanned the people on the sidewalk. Was Shana here?

There, at the back, leaning against the building, Zoe recognized her instantly, even with sunglasses on—she’d spent enough time gazing at Shana’s pictures to know her anywhere.

Shana straightened up and began moving towards them when she noticed the limo pull up. She was beautiful, of course. Her curly dark hair falling down her back, her slim figure and long legs, everything about her seemed perfect. Zoe had thought more than a few times that Shana must be what an angel looked like.

Shana was wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts, not unlike something Zoe might wear herself on a summer day—though she had jeans on at the moment, because it had been winter when she left that morning. It was a far cry from the fancier—or more revealing—outfits that Zoe had seen Shana wear, but it was actually nice to see the star in everyday clothes, and of course, they still looked fantastic on her. Zoe glanced down at her own chest, wondering if it was tacky of her to wear a Shana shirt today.

Shana was speaking on a phone as she came forward. Zoe felt that there should be a red carpet or something under her feet. Maybe that was more for coming out of a limo at some big event, but still, Shana deserved it. The people on the sidewalk didn’t even seem to recognize her, that was crazy.

As Shana came close, Zoe could hear the last part of her conversation. “Look, I don’t give a fuck if it’s complicated. What am I paying you for? Just make it happen.”

A quick glance sideways reassured Zoe that her mother hadn’t heard the curse word. That was probably for the best. Shana sounded really mad, though. That couldn’t be good. There was no way that she’d be in the mood to hang out with some kid she didn’t even know.

Zoe nervously watched as her idol climbed into the car, but to her great relief, Shana took one look at her then flashed a bright smile.

“Hey there. You must be Zoe.” Shana took off the sunglasses, revealing her beautiful blue eyes. “I’m Shana,” she added with a wink. “Cool shirt. That’s actually my favorite design.”

Zoe giggled and shook the offered hand. Touching the real, actual Shana Belle sent those familiar butterflies to her belly and got her tongue all tied up, so she only managed to nod. She could barely believe this was happening. Shana was just as beautiful in real life.

“I’m Helen, Zoe’s mother. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Belle,” her mom said.

“Oh, please, it’s ‘Shana.’ Nice to meet you.” After shaking hands, Shana turned back to Zoe. “You two had a nice morning, I hope? Flew in?”

“Yes.” Nervous to be talking to her heroine, Zoe’s voice came out as an embarrassing little squeak, so she cleared her throat and tried again. “Yes. It was really cool! My first time flying, ever. We could see the clouds below us and everything! Um, I didn’t like it so much when the plane got all shaky, though…”

Shana smiled. “Yeah, turbulence can be scary at first, but you get used to it. It’s not dangerous. Trust me, I’ve taken the plane hundreds of times and never crashed, not even once.”

Zoe laughed and nodded. Of course, Shana had to have flown so many times for media appearances and touring that there wasn’t anything new Zoe could tell her about it. She tried to think of something interesting to say to fill the silence, but could only come up with, “So, um… how was your morning?”

“Hmm, pretty good, I guess, all things considered. Some annoying crap to deal with, but we finally finished recording the new single, so that’s a relief.”

Zoe gasped. “A new single?”

“Ah, yeah. I guess that’s not public knowledge yet. It should be out in a month or two.” Shana considered Zoe for a moment, a sly smile growing on her lips. She fished in her handbag and pulled out a small USB drive. “Say, I happen to have it right here. Would you like to be the first person in the world to hear it?”

“Omigod yes!” Zoe couldn’t believe her luck.

Shana chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Now, this isn’t the final mix yet. There’s still some… fiddling around left to do, so it probably won’t sound exactly like this when it’s out on Spotify or whatever, but it should give you a good idea.”

“That’s okay!”

Shana plugged the drive into a music system that Zoe hadn’t even noticed, off to one side—this car really had everything!—and after a few seconds, the song started playing.

Zoe was all ears as the first notes came out of the car speakers, taking in the new piece of music. It was beautiful, of course, as she would have expected. A little slower and more melancholy than usual, but still recognizable as Shana’s style. She listened to the whole thing without saying a word, her attention entirely focused on the song.

“Well, what do you think?” Shana asked after it was over.

“Wow, it was soooo good! Kinda different, but still really great. Thank you so much for letting me hear it.” Zoe already felt like listening to the song all over again.

Shana smiled. “You are very welcome. And thank you, I’m glad you liked it so much. I’m thinking the piano should probably be just a smidge softer in that quiet part, though, and the chorus… Well, anyway, I won’t bore you with those details.” She seemed to be taking notes on her phone as she spoke.

“I guess that’s the song I’ll be hearing over and over for the next few months, then,” Zoe’s mom said, apparently trying to be funny.

“Mom! That’s rude,” Zoe hissed. She couldn’t believe her mother would embarrass her in front of Shana like that.

But Shana only laughed. “It just might be, sounds like it’s already a hit with Zoe here. Sorry about that.” She winked at Zoe before turning back to her mom. “Um, you know, come to think of it, this must all be pretty boring for you. Now, this is just a thought, but… My favorite day spa is on our way, best in the city. If you want, we could drop you off there, pick you back up for dinner. Get an afternoon of massages, facial, manicure, all that good stuff. I’m a member there, so it won’t cost you a dime.”

Her mom’s eyebrows rose up, as did Zoe’s, but probably for different reasons. Could she really spend the afternoon alone with Shana, without her mom there to say stupid things and annoy them? That would be so awesome.

“Oh, well, that all sounds really nice, but… I don’t really think I should leave Zoe,” her mom said, though she seemed to be very tempted by the offer.

“It’s not a problem. It’ll just be the two of us, I’ll be sure to keep an eye on her. We’ll probably do karaoke all afternoon or something. What do you think, Zoe?”

“Karaoke together? Ooooh, yes! That would be so cool!” Singing with Shana sounded just like a dream. In fact, Zoe was sure she’d dreamed about that before.

Her mom looked less than enthusiastic about the prospect of karaoke, though. In fact, Shana might have just said the exact thing that was needed to convince her to leave them alone. “Um, yes, that’s not really my kind of thing… and I’ve never been to one of those nice spa places before… Hmmm, well, Zoe, do you think it would be okay if—”

“Yes! It’s fine,” Zoe quickly interrupted.

Maybe she’d been a little too eager, because her mom gave her a look, but then she nodded. “Well, it looks like that’s settled, then. Thank you for the generous offer, Shana.”

“Oh, my pleasure. Don’t worry about it.” Shana pushed a button on the car door. “Matthew, could you make a stop by the spa? We’ll be dropping Helen off there.”

“Of course, Miss Belle,” came the reply through the speakers.

A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of a fancy-looking building. “You can leave the luggage here, just take what you need with you. Matthew will make sure it gets to your hotel room.” Shana pressed the button again. “Matthew, can you go in and set things up so that she’s all covered on my membership? Oh, and get her phone number, okay?”

“Certainly.”

“Thanks.” Shana turned back to Zoe’s mom. “We’ll text you with the dinner plans.”

“Sounds good. Thank you, again. Well, sweetie, I’ll see you later, okay?”

Her mom still looked unsure whether she was doing the right thing, so Zoe gave her a big reassuring hug. “Okay, cool! Have fun, Mom!”

The car door closed, and now she was alone with Shana, sitting right next to her. The singer smiled, and Zoe’s heart skipped a beat. Stop being weird, she told herself. She looked around, trying to find something to say. “This car is so cool. Do you always ride in it?”

Shana chuckled. “Oh, no. It’s a bit much for everyday use, you know? I only use a limo to make a big entrance at some events… or to impress a special guest.” She winked at Zoe, then reached out to brush her cheek.

Zoe felt her face grow warm. Special guest, she liked that. But being so close to Shana made her feel all kinds of weird. Blown away that she was meeting her idol, too shy to actually speak to her, and… other feelings that she couldn’t quite put into words.

Luckily, Shana seemed to be the exact opposite: completely at ease and happy to carry the conversation. “So, are you looking forward to the show tonight?”

Zoe’s excitement quickly got the better of her shyness. “Yes! Omigod, I’ve been wanting to see you in concert for so long! But, um, you never play near where I live…”

“Oh? Where’s that again?”

“North Dakota.”

Shana made a face. “Ah, yeah, um, that’s not really on the typical tour itinerary… Hmm, an untapped market, maybe?”

“I would so go!”

“Then it would be worth it. I’ll look into it.” Shana gave Zoe’s thigh a quick pat. “What songs do you most want to hear tonight?”

As their car resumed its journey, Zoe gushed about her favorite songs, her reserve soon fading away. To her delight, Shana assured her that many of those were on the setlist for the show.

After a twenty-minute ride, the car turned into a wide driveway. Distracted by the conversation, Zoe hadn’t been paying much attention to her surroundings, but now she took a look outside and was very impressed to see the large mansion they were driving towards. It looked like something out of a movie. “Wow! That house is huge!”

“Welcome to Beverly Hills,” Shana said, amused by her reaction. She got out of the car and held the door open for Zoe.

Eyes wide, Zoe looked around at everything while Shana gave some instructions to the driver, who left soon after on some errand or other. The two-story house could probably contain the small apartment she shared with her parents five times over, if not more. She wondered what someone did with so much space.

Zoe was no expert in architecture, but the building looked very modern to her, with large windows everywhere. The yard was beautifully arranged as well, with lots of trees, and hedgerows all around.

Shana came up from behind, putting a hand on the small of Zoe’s back. “Well? Want a tour?”

“Yes!” Zoe followed Shana inside, a bounce in her step. She was having trouble containing her excitement.

The front door opened onto a giant area that combined living room, dining room and kitchen into one open space. All the furniture looked refined and expensive, though Zoe didn’t really know much about that stuff. The entire back “wall” was made of windows, giving a nice view of the backyard and the large pool it contained. This room alone was bigger than Zoe’s entire apartment.

Shana led her around, showing off the rest of the floor, which included a practice room with a big piano, a number of well-furnished bedrooms, and no less than three huge bathrooms.

When they returned to the main area, Shana made a vague gesture towards a spiral staircase leading to the second floor. “And up there is… I dunno. More rooms, I guess?”

Zoe laughed, though she wasn’t quite sure if Shana was kidding or not. “Your house is so big that you haven’t seen all of it?”

“Well, I might have been there once or twice,” Shana replied with a wink. “To be honest, most of the time, I live in my apartment in New York. This place here, I guess it seemed like a good idea when I bought it. Like, ‘oh, look at me, I’ve made it big,’ but all that celebrity status stuff is kinda B.S. when you think about it. I mean, the place is nice and all, but… it’s not really me, you know?” She shrugged. “Though it is great for throwing parties.”

Zoe nodded slowly. “Yeah, um… I think I get it. Like, even if I had lots of money, maybe I wouldn’t want something so big. It looks real nice, but I think I’d like a place that’s more… I dunno, cozy?” She hoped she didn’t offend Shana by saying that.

But Shana only grinned. “See? You’re smarter than me.”

Zoe smiled back, flattered that Shana was confiding in her. She’d read tons of interviews with the singer, of course, but this sounded more personal than what Shana usually said publicly. And it didn’t feel like the star was talking down to her, or treating her like a kid, either.

“Well, anyway,” Shana continued, “how about that karaoke?”

“Oh, yeah!”

Shana led Zoe to the section of the room where there was a couch in front of an enormous TV. Usually, when Zoe and her friends felt like doing karaoke, they would simply load up videos on YouTube, but Shana actually had her own karaoke machine with a microphone and everything—now that was money well spent.

“So, pick the song you want,” Shana said, handing Zoe the controller after setting up the system.

Zoe looked through the list of available songs—there were a lot!—and finally selected “Shooting Star.” It was one of Shana’s, of course, and quite possibly Zoe’s favorite song, though there were a few other contenders.

Shana simply smiled and held the microphone out to Zoe.

Reaching out for it, Zoe suddenly froze. The realization had just hit her that she would need to actually sing in front of Shana. All at once, she found herself extremely self-conscious about her abilities.

“Want me to start?” Shana asked, and Zoe was quick to nod.

As soon as the first lines were sang, it became obvious just how talented Shana was. Zoe had known that, of course, but she’d also heard that many pop stars used tricks in the studio to make their voice sound better. Clearly, that wasn’t the case with Shana. With no warm-up or anything, the singer sounded just as perfect as she did on the albums.

Zoe stared, captivated, as Shana sang the first few verses of the tune. It was like her own private show. Even if there wasn’t an actual concert that night to look forward to, the trip would have been worth it for this moment.

Shana glanced at Zoe and winked. “Sing the chorus with me, don’t be shy.”

Zoe got closer to the mic and, in a hesitant voice, began singing the words that she knew so well. She’d done so by herself many times before, but it was a very different experience when the person who wrote the song was standing right next to you. Her voice sounded so weak and unsteady next to Shana’s, she was afraid that she was only embarrassing herself.

But Shana smiled, giving an encouraging nod. That boosted Zoe’s confidence, and she slowly let herself be drawn in by the music. Her voice gained in assurance, and soon enough she was enjoying the duet with her idol. She even sang the last verse by herself.

“Not bad at all,” Shana said once the song was over.

“No way.” Zoe hid her face in her hands, giggling. Shana was probably just teasing her.

“No, really. You’re pretty good, especially when you relax and start having fun. You can’t find your true voice if you’re all nervous.”

Zoe smiled at the compliment. She didn’t think she had a future as a singer, “true voice” or not, but it was still a lot of fun to pretend. And she’d be able to say she sang with Shana Belle, how cool was that?

“Wanna try another?” Shana asked.

Nodding, Zoe put on another of Shana’s songs, something more rhythmic this time.

Shana began dancing—not choreographed like in her video clips, just casually moving around to the beat. Even so, her movements were graceful and alluring. The swaying of her hips, in particular, grabbed Zoe’s attention, and it took her a moment to realize that Shana was motioning for her to join in.

Feeling some heat on her cheeks, Zoe jumped to her feet. She wasn’t even sure why she’d been staring like that, but hoped that Shana didn’t think she was weird. Trying to act casual, she began moving along to the music, mostly imitating what Shana was doing—though with a lot less elegance.

They danced and traded verses, and soon Zoe had forgotten her momentary discomfort. She was having the time of her life singing with Shana. They went through a few more songs, and she bounced around, and sang at the top of her lungs, and it was a ton of fun.

“You don’t have to pick only my songs, you know,” Shana said after the fourth or fifth one of hers that Zoe had selected.

“But they’re the best!”

“Aww. Thanks, sweetie.”

“But okay, um, let’s see…” Zoe looked through the list to see if something by another artist would catch her eye, just to switch it up. In the end, she settled on “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” the Joan Jett song. It was one of her dad’s favorites, and she’d always liked it too.

“Oh yeah, love this one,” Shana said when the recognizable guitar riff came on. It was her turn on the mic, so she began singing the first few lines. She winked as she changed “he” to “she” in the lyrics, making the song about a girl instead of a guy.

Giggling, Zoe did the same for the next verse. It made sense, they were the ones “singin’ that same old song” together, after all.

They took turns with the verses, then sang the famous chorus together. Shana began banging her head to the catchy guitar lick, and Zoe soon imitated her, laughing all the while. By the time the song was over, all that dancing and moving around had made her work up a sweat.

“Phew,” Zoe said, shaking the front of her shirt to try to cool off.

Shana chuckled. “Now try that for two hours under big spotlights.”

Zoe felt exhausted just thinking about it. She’d never really thought about how demanding it must be to perform a concert. “How do you do it?”

“Practice, and regular workouts, mostly.” Shana shrugged as if it was no big deal.

“Oh, yeah, I guess you must practice like this all the time… Sorry, this must be kinda boring for you.”

“No, no, it’s fine. It’s nice to sing just for the joy of it sometimes, y’know? And with a good partner, too.” Shana winked. “This is fun. I’m glad I picked you for the contest.”

Zoe was delighted at the compliment, then a little confused. “Wait, picked? Wasn’t it a random draw?”

“Oh, well… sorta.” Shana looked a little embarrassed. “Okay, don’t tell anyone, but I had to insist on getting the right to veto the contest winner. ‘Cause, like, imagine if some creepy old guy won it, and then I’d have to spend the whole day with him? No way. So in the end, what they did is they drew three entries at random, and I got to choose one as the winner.”

“Oooh. That makes sense.” Zoe could see how it might be very awkward to be forced to hang out with some random person. She couldn’t help grinning, overjoyed to know that Shana had chosen her personally.

Shana nodded towards the windows at the back of the house. “So anyway, how about a soak in the pool to cool down?”

The idea sounded wonderful, but there was one problem. “Oh, um… I didn’t think to bring a swimsuit,” Zoe admitted. “It’s still winter back home.”

Shana shook her head. “Came to California without a swimsuit, huh?”

Zoe rubbed the back of her neck, feeling silly. “I kinda packed in a hurry before bed yesterday…”

“Well, that’s okay…” A mischievous smile spread on Shana’s lips. “We could just go skinny-dipping, if you’re game.”

Zoe’s eyes went wide with shock. Go swimming in the nude? She’d never done that before… at least not since she was a baby. She was pretty sure she shouldn’t do something like that with a grown-up she’d just met today. But this was Shana, not some weird stranger, so maybe it was okay.

The thing that caught her attention the most, though, was that Shana had said “we”. Did the singer intend to go naked, too? Zoe felt her heart race at the thought, and those butterflies flew around in her tummy, kind of like when she looked at Shana’s skimpy photos in that magazine. This time, though, Shana wouldn’t be wearing anything at all. Her cheeks burned as she imagined it.

“Don’t be shy.” Shana took Zoe by the hand and led her to the back door, which she slid open. “See? Nobody can see us out here,” she said, indicating the hedges and trees blocking the view.

It was true. Though Zoe knew there were other large houses around, only a couple of roofs could be seen. The neighbors wouldn’t be able to see anything in Shana’s yards any more than she could look into their houses.

“But we don’t have to, it’s up to you,” Shana added, shrugging. She watched Zoe, waiting on her decision but showing no sign of impatience.

“Well… okay, I guess.” The whole thing sounded pretty embarrassing but… Zoe had to admit that her desire to see Shana naked was stronger than her sense of modesty. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. It seemed so weird. One thing that was for sure was that her parents wouldn’t approve. “But, um, don’t tell my mom... “

Shana chuckled. “Deal. I’d probably be in more trouble than you, actually, so… It’ll be our little secret, okay?” she said, extending her little finger.

Giggling, Zoe hooked Shana’s pinkie with her own. “Okay!”

“Good. Let’s get to it then.” Without further ado, Shana grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it off in one quick motion, carelessly tossing it aside next to the pool. Her shorts soon joined the shirt on the tiles, leaving her in a skimpy bra and matching panties.

Zoe stared. Shana was so beautiful, especially when she wore so little, somehow. Zoe couldn’t keep from eyeing every inch of her idol’s body, though she felt a little creepy doing so. In her view, Shana was perfect from head to toe, and the lacy black bra and panties only highlighted that fact. Is she really gonna take ‘em off? she wondered.

As if reading Zoe’s mind, Shana winked then reached behind her back to undo the bra, letting it slide down her arms and drop to the ground. Without a hint of shyness, she hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her panties and pushed them down her long legs.

Zoe tried to look away, as it seemed terribly rude to gawk at someone’s bare body, but she kept stealing glances without meaning to. Shana was the first naked woman she’d gotten a good look at, other than her mother, and she couldn’t help comparing the two. Shana’s breasts were a little smaller, but looked more firm and shapely, and Zoe was puzzled to see that the spot where she’d have expected Shana to have a patch of hair between her legs was as bare as her own.

The strange sensation in Zoe’s belly was growing stronger as she studied Shana’s nude body. It felt like the butterflies were trying to fight their way out, but in a kind of nice way. It was very confusing, she’d never felt that way with anyone else.

Shana took a few steps around the pool to where the water was deeper and dove straight in. Coming up after a few seconds, she turned towards Zoe. “Well? You gonna join me, cutie? The water’s nice!”

Zoe hesitated. Now that it was her turn to undress, it seemed like a big step. Cutie? Did Shana really mean that? She’d never given it much thought before, but now she wished she was more grown-up and looked more like a woman, so maybe Shana would find her beautiful, too.

She slowly unbuttoned her jeans, pushed them down her legs and stepped out of them, did the same with her panties, and finally pulled off her socks. The t-shirt was long enough to cover her private parts, so that wasn’t too embarrassing… but now it was the only thing left to take off. She wanted to turn around, but Shana had undressed without batting an eye, and Zoe didn’t want to seem childish in the eyes of her idol.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled the shirt up and over her head, held it in front of her for a few seconds then, not knowing what else to do, let it drop to the ground. Shana seemed to be watching her intently, which made Zoe even more uncomfortable, but then the young woman smiled and said, “Come on in, sweet stuff!”

It felt really weird to be naked outside, but Zoe tried to ignore it, reminding herself that nobody else could see. There were stairs leading into the in-ground pool, and she carefully went down one step at a time. The water was nice and warm, but still refreshing after all the exercise from earlier.

At the bottom of the stairs, the water was up to her shoulders. Shana swam up to join her, rising out of the water until her breasts were fully visible. Zoe tried not to stare at them, but with little success.

“You good?” Shana asked.

Zoe nodded. “Yeah… I think. It’s kinda weird, being naked, but…”

“But… kinda fun, too?” Shana completed with a wink.

“I guess so.” Zoe giggled. There was a kind of thrill to it.

Shana grinned. “I thought you might enjoy it. So… race you to the other end?”

Zoe gave the older girl a dubious look. “That doesn’t sound fair, your legs and arms are way longer. And um… I’m not a very good swimmer, anyway. I’m a little scared of the deep end,” she admitted.

“Yeah? Well, wanna practice that? I’ll help you.”

“Um… okay.”

“Here, climb on my back,” Shana said, lowering herself into the water so that Zoe could do just that.

Laughing, Zoe wrapped her arms around the young woman’s neck, and Shana began slowly swimming towards the deep end of the pool. The direct skin contact was making Zoe feel funny all over again. She was growing a little lightheaded, being so close to Shana, nestled against her beautiful body.

“Okay, now let go, and just hold on to my shoulder. Try to keep yourself afloat,” Shana said, once they were at the other end of the pool.

Zoe did as she was told. With one hand gripping Shana’s shoulder, she kicked her legs as hard as she could to try to keep from sinking. It was pretty stressful to be in a spot where the water would go over her head if she stopped moving.

Shana chuckled. “Not so fast, you’re gonna tire yourself out. Relax. Your body’s naturally buoyant, you don’t need to make such a big effort to keep floating. Do like me.”

Zoe observed Shana’s calm movements and tried to imitate her. There was a moment of panic as she began to sink but she soon managed to find a good balance between exertion and keeping her head above the water.

“Yeah, much better,” Shana said. “And even easier with both hands.”

Zoe hesitated a moment, scared that if she let go of Shana, she’d immediately plunge to the bottom of the pool. Tentatively, she loosened her grasp on Shana’s shoulder, then released it completely, and to her surprise found that she was staying afloat under her own power. “I… I’m doing it!”

“Very good!” Raising her hands above the water, Shana applauded. “See? It’s not so hard. Now, show me how you swim. Here, I’ll hold you up so it’s easier.”

Zoe felt Shana’s hand on her tummy, lifting her up so she could demonstrate her swimming technique. The touch made the butterflies go even wilder, filling her lower belly with warmth. It felt strangely pleasing, Shana’s hand on her bare skin. Zoe squirmed a little, unsure of how to respond to these new feelings and afraid that Shana might think she was weird, but in the end, she decided to just enjoy the sensation.

She swam around a little, Shana giving her tips on how to improve. Zoe couldn’t keep from grinning. She’d never imagined that one day she would be getting singing and swimming advice from her all-time favorite pop star.

After a while, Zoe was feeling more confident in her swimming abilities. She even swam the length of the pool from the deep end on her own, to Shana’s acclaim.

“Phew. I’m getting kinda tired, though,” Zoe said afterwards.

“Yeah, okay, let’s get out.”

Zoe followed Shana up the steps and out of the pool, getting a good view of the singer’s butt in the process. It was perfectly shaped, just like the rest of her body. Zoe tried to look elsewhere, but it wasn’t easy.

“We can rinse off here,” Shana said, indicating an outdoor shower, the kind they have at public pools. Her house really did have everything. Shana walked under the showerhead and turned on the spray, then motioned for Zoe to join her.

Zoe had assumed they would take turns, but she decided this was even nicer, and stepped beneath the streaming water with Shana. Once again, she had trouble keeping her eyes from exploring the young woman’s body. They seemed to want to take in every detail: the fine legs, the curiously bare private parts, the flat belly, the strangely fascinating breasts… When her gaze drifted higher, she met Shana’s eyes, and suddenly realized that she’d been caught staring.

But Shana only smiled warmly. Apparently she didn’t mind at all, if she even did notice. For a moment, it looked like Shana’s eyes might be doing a bit of wandering as well, but Zoe figured that had to be her imagination.

After they were done showering off the pool water, Shana fetched some towels and handed one to Zoe. “Are you hungry?” she asked.

Zoe’s stomach growled loudly in response.

“I guess that answers that!” Shana said. “What do you want? I have, uh… actually, I don’t think my fridge here is really well stocked. But I have ice cream! Ice cream for lunch sounds good, right?”

“Hmm, I don’t think my parents would approve but… yeah!” Zoe said, laughing.

“I won’t tell ‘em.” Shana reached out to hook Zoe’s little finger with her own. This was one secret that Zoe was very happy to pinkie-swear on.

After drying off, Shana began to walk towards the kitchen area, still completely naked.

“Um, aren’t we putting our clothes back on?” Zoe asked, eyeing the pile of discarded apparel still lying near the pool.

Shana turned around and shrugged. “Whatever you want.” She looked around the room. “Nobody here to tell us what to do, though, so we can eat ice cream naked if we want to.”

Zoe giggled. “Yeah… I guess it’s still pretty hot out here, anyway,” she said as she stepped over the clothes and followed Shana into the house. She’d gotten used to being nude by now, and though she wasn’t about to admit it, she definitely wasn’t tired of looking at Shana naked, either. “Don’t you have a swimsuit, though?” she asked, still feeling the situation was a little odd.

“Oh, sure. Don’t really need it when it’s just the two of us, do I?” Shana shrugged. “Besides, it’s fun to be a little naughty sometimes.” She winked, then held up two ice cream containers. “Chocolate or strawberry?”

Eating ice cream for lunch in the nude seemed pretty high up on the list of wild things Zoe had done, but Shana was right, it was pretty fun and exciting. Especially if no one found out. She nodded. “Hmm, strawberry.”

“Strawberry girl, huh?” Shana rubbed her chin thoughtfully, as if pondering the deep meaning of ice cream choices, and Zoe laughed.

Shana served out a huge scoop of the strawberry ice cream in a bowl and handed it to Zoe, then took some of the chocolate for herself. They went to sit on the couch to eat.

“Would you prefer if I put on a swimsuit?” Shana asked after a moment.

“Oh, no, no,” Zoe said quickly. Shana was just fine as she was. “I was just thinking… ‘Cause I’ve seen that photoshoot you did recently and in one pic you had a red bikini on and it was… um…” She hesitated, not wanting to sound like a weirdo if she admitted just how much she liked those photos. “It… looked really good on you.”

“Oh, thanks. Yeah, that bikini was just for the shoot, it’s not really mine.” Shana raised an eyebrow. “So you’ve seen that photoshoot, huh? Didn’t expect you to have that kind of magazine. What did you think?”

Zoe opened her mouth, then closed it, unsure of how to express her thoughts. She had a lot of confusing feelings about that series of very revealing photos. “Um, yeah, it wasn’t really what I expected. But you looked… really, really pretty,” she finally said. “I hope I’m as pretty as you when I grow up.”

“Oh, sweetie, you’re already beautiful.” Shana put a hand on Zoe’s bare thigh, giving it a little squeeze.

Zoe felt her cheeks grow hot. The touch made her heart hammer in her chest, and the words… Did Shana really think that? Or did she mean it like someone would say that a baby is cute? Suddenly, Zoe felt an intense desire for Shana to see her as a woman, gorgeous in the same way that Zoe saw her.

Unsure how to react, Zoe tried to change the subject. “It must be, um… embarrassing to pose like that, though. Like, not wearing much, I mean. And with so many people who are gonna see the pictures.”

Shana shrugged. “It’s not so bad, you get used to it. I’m not ashamed of my body.” She leaned in to whisper, “And anyway, call me vain, but I like to feel hot and sexy.” Straightening, she added, “If that gets some people worked up, whatever, that’s not my concern. Plus, I knew it would piss off my mom.”

Zoe giggled. Shana’s mom had been her manager when Shana was younger. It was public knowledge that the woman had tried to steal a lot of Shana’s money for herself, and the singer made no secret of their falling out in interviews. A terrible woman, in Zoe’s estimation. She could see why Shana might enjoy making her angry.

“What about you, Zoe,” Shana continued, “did you think my photos were sexy?”

Zoe looked up at Shana warily. She thought the older girl might be teasing her at first, but Shana seemed to be watching her with genuine interest. Sexy, she supposed that was the right word. Shana had said she liked feeling hot, and looking at her did make something within Zoe heat up, so that seemed like an appropriate word too. Zoe had never really thought about it in those terms before, but if there was someone who could represent the concept of sexiness in her mind, it was definitely Shana. She gave a quick nod to answer the question, feeling her cheeks grow warm.

“It’s okay, don’t be shy.” Shana’s fingers brushed against Zoe’s hand as she spoke. “Hey, I like sexy girls, too. Nothing wrong with that.” She winked, and her eyes drifted over Zoe’s body, then she looked down at herself. “And I guess you’re getting an even better view than those pictures right now, huh? I’m sure lots of people would be jealous.”

None of this was doing anything to help with Zoe’s furious blushing. Her gaze was compelled to follow Shana’s eyes, once more admiring the young woman’s body. Her sexy body. That idea was awakening a need that Zoe didn’t know what to do with. Her eyes stopped on Shana’s privates, which still puzzled her with their complete absence of hair.

“Um, how come...” she began, but no, she couldn’t possibly ask about that. “No, never mind.” She stuck a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth to hide her embarrassment.

“No no, go on. You can’t leave it at that now. Ask me anything.”

“Well, just… it’s stupid, but… how come you don’t have hair, uh, down there?” Zoe all but cringed as she asked, half-expecting Shana to laugh at her.

Instead, Shana flashed a smile. “Oh, that. I shaved it off, is all. It looks… nicer this way. Sexier. Don’t you think?” She lifted one of her feet and rested it on the couch cushion, as if to give Zoe a better view. Her fingers trailed down her body, briefly brushing her private parts.

Zoe swallowed, her eyes fixed between Shana’s legs. She didn’t want to stare but… Shana had asked for her opinion. There was something strangely appealing about the bare lips of the young woman’s privates, so unlike her mom’s, where you couldn’t see any detail through the hair. On Shana, the shape was plain to see, the lips opened slightly to reveal the inner folds. It looked a little like a flower, Zoe thought, and it was… pretty, in a way.

“Well... yeah, maybe,” she said in a small voice, still unsure about discussing things like that. If Shana thought hairless private parts were sexy, did that mean…? And what had she said just a minute ago? Zoe struggled with the question, but it had to be asked. “Um, what did you mean when you said that you… uh, like sexy girls?”

Shana studied her for a moment in silence, as if deciding on something, then she said, “Zoe, do you know what a lesbian is?”

Zoe nodded slowly. She’d heard the word before, she wasn’t that clueless. “It’s a woman who, um… well… likes other women, uh, that way?” She had a good hunch of what Shana was getting at now.

“That’s right,“ Shana said, then spread her hands. “So… there you have it.”

“O-oh.” So that was it. Shana was a lesbian. Zoe wondered briefly if she should be afraid—the hanging-out-naked thing felt even weirder in this context—but no, she couldn’t possibly imagine that Shana would want to harm her in any way. Her thoughts turned instead to her own interest and strange feelings, and it was like a lightbulb switching on in her head. Could it be… that she had a crush on Shana? Was that what being attracted to someone in that way felt like? She’d never really thought about the possibility before.

“But, um, keep that to yourself, okay?” Shana continued. “There’s nothing wrong with it, of course, but... It’s not anyone else’s business, y’know?”

Zoe gave a serious nod, feeling honored that Shana would trust her with something so personal. “I promise,” she said, then a moment later, she cracked a smile and extended her pinkie. Shana grinned back and hooked it with hers.

Lost in thought for a moment, Zoe remembered something she’d read recently. “Hmm, the other day, I read online that you were dating one of the Jonas Brothers. I wasn’t sure if it was true… but I guess it’s not.” The gossip had made her a little angry at the time, though she couldn’t have explained why. Could it be that she was… jealous?

Shana made a disgusted face. “Ugh. Yeah, that’s some media bullshit. Talk to a guy for a few minutes, someone snaps a picture, then suddenly you’re ‘dating.’ Fucking vultures.” She gave herself a shake and looked embarrassed. “Err, sorry about the… language.”

Zoe was a little surprised at the outburst, but she giggled and said, “It’s okay.” She could understand how dealing with that kind of press would be very annoying. She couldn’t help feeling relieved that the rumors about Shana and What’s-his-name were false, though that brought to mind another question. “Um, do you… have a girlfriend, then?”

“No, I’m single right now.” Shana’s lips curled up, and she winked. “Why? Did you want to ask me out?”

Zoe’s cheeks had just begun to cool down, but now she was sure she was red as a beet again. Her thoughts tumbled around in her head and she had a hard time getting them out. “What? N-no! Well, I mean… It’s not… I’m… You wouldn’t…” Fighting to still her racing heart, she took a deep breath. “Even if I did… I’m just a kid, not… sexy or anything.” This was silly, Shana was just teasing her, wasn’t she? There was no chance that the older girl would like her in that way.

But Shana studied Zoe for a long moment, her expression difficult to read. Just when Zoe was beginning to get uncomfortable with the scrutiny, Shana seemed to nod to herself, then said, “Wanna know a secret?”

“O-okay.” Zoe wondered where this was going.

Slowly, Shana leaned in until her mouth was right next to Zoe’s ear. “I think you’re very sexy,” she whispered.

“R-really?” Zoe’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. Shana Belle thought she was sexy? Very mixed feelings were bubbling up inside her. On one hand, she was pretty sure that Shana wasn’t supposed to say stuff like that to a nine-year-old… but on the other, she was realizing that her feelings for her idol might run deeper than she’d thought, and now Shana was admitting that she felt the same way? The superstar Shana Belle thought she was pretty… and attractive? Zoe couldn’t help feeling thrilled.

“Really,” Shana assured her. She looked deep into Zoe’s eyes, a strange smile playing on her lips.

“Do you feel, like, butterflies in your tummy?” It sounded dumb once the words were out of Zoe’s mouth, but she had to know if Shana felt just like she did.

Shana chuckled. “Butterflies, huh? Yeah, you could put it that way. You make me feel all warm and fuzzy in here.” She put a hand on her belly, then slid it a little lower.

“Oooh, yeah, that’s it! I thought it was just me being weird…”

“Nothing weird about it, sweetie. It’s very normal.” Shana took one of Zoe’s hands in hers. “So… sounds like we’re both into each other, huh? I wonder, what are we going to do about that?”

“Um, what… what do you mean?” Zoe was feeling pretty overwhelmed by everything that was happening, and Shana’s touch wasn’t helping her think calmly.

“Well… if you wanted, I could show you some lovely fun that girls can have with each other.” Shana caressed Zoe’s hand, lightly tracing lines and circles with her fingers.

Zoe knew that Shana wasn’t talking about the same kind of fun they’d had until now. “Um, you mean… like… d-dirty stuff?”

“Some would say that, yeah. I don’t think it’s dirty. I think it’s beautiful.”

Zoe’s heart felt like it was trying to beat its way out of her chest. Shana wanted to do dirty—beautiful?—things with her! She should be alarmed, and was a little scared, but also… curious, maybe? What did Shana have in mind exactly? Whatever it was, though, Zoe knew that it was wrong. “Um, I don’t think we’re supposed to… do stuff like that…”

Shana laughed. Not in a mocking way, but she seemed to be amused. “Oh, definitely not. Your parents would be very mad at me. But…” She waved all that away. “I’m more interested in what you think. Are you curious at all? About sex? I’d love to teach you anything you want to know.”

Zoe could only stare, at a loss for words. Sex? Was that what they were talking about? She’d never really given it that much thought before. She knew about the birds and the bees, of course—she wasn’t a baby. She knew which part was supposed to go where, more or less, but that had always seemed a little weird to her.

And sex between girls? There, she had no clue. Wondering how that would work had never crossed her mind. This afternoon, being naked with Shana, had put a lot of strange thoughts and feelings into her head, though. The thought of touching Shana’s body didn’t seem so bad… In fact, it was making her feel all tingly.

Before she could answer, though, a sudden cold sensation on her belly made her yelp in surprise. Being so wrapped up in their conversation, she’d completely forgotten about the ice cream bowl she was holding. Now the spoon had just fallen out, spilling melted ice cream on her.

“Oops, careful there,” Shana said with a smile.

Zoe giggled, happy for the break in the tension. She looked around for a napkin, a tissue... anything to clean herself up.

“Here, let me,” Shana said, then before Zoe could respond, she swooped down and lapped up the spilled ice cream right from Zoe’s belly. Her tongue felt burning hot compared to the ice cream, and the warm sensation seemed to spread through Zoe’s tummy and down between her legs.

Straightening up, Shana flashed a grin. “Yummy. Even tastier than from the bowl.”

Zoe snorted, and gave Shana a disbelieving look. She doubted that eating ice cream off of somebody made it taste better. Still, Shana’s tongue on her skin had felt… nice, she thought. Exciting, even.

“What? It’s true. Here, you try it.” Shana took a bit of ice cream in her spoon, then let it drop straight on her belly. Immediately, she gasped and grimaced. “God, that’s cold! I didn’t think this through.”

Zoe nearly fell off the couch laughing, but in time she managed to kneel next to Shana and lean in towards the glob of ice cream. She paused a few inches from her goal. Suddenly, this felt kind of naughty. Her eyes drifted down and she realized that her face was very close to Shana’s private parts, all hairless and… sexy. Embarrassed, she quickly averted her eyes the other way, and got a close-up view of Shana’s breasts instead. Just as sexy, somehow.

Feeling herself blushing, Zoe decided to finish this quickly. She opened her mouth wide and captured the small lump of ice cream, using her tongue to scoop it in. Her lips touched Shana’s skin—just like a kiss, she thought. The sweet taste of chocolate spread on her tongue, but with another faint flavor that was hard to define. The taste of Shana, she supposed. The whole experience felt very intimate, and it made the fuzzy feelings in her belly grow more intense.

“So? Tasty, right?” Shana asked after Zoe sat up.

Zoe wasn’t sure the taste of the ice cream itself was better, but for sure there had been something thrilling about eating it off Shana’s body. Maybe that’s what the older girl had meant. She nodded. “Um, is that part of the… ‘fun’ between girls?”

A smile spread on Shana’s lips. “It can be.” She reached out and touched Zoe’s cheek, brushing her fingers against it in a gentle caress. “What I’d really love… is to taste it from your lips.” She looked deep into Zoe’s eyes, and after a moment added, “Do you think that would be okay?”

Zoe stared back at Shana. A kiss, that’s what she was talking about. To kiss Shana, on the mouth. To kiss her idol, her… crush.

She knew she shouldn’t. Her parents would be furious. She was just a kid, Shana an adult. It was wrong. It was everything she’d been warned against.

But at that moment, all that faded into the back of her mind. All that existed was Shana’s amazing blue eyes looking into hers, their naked bodies, the warmth Zoe felt inside her. In that perfect instant, she knew she’d agree to anything Shana wanted. Slowly, she nodded again.

Zoe watched nervously as Shana leaned forward. The older girl’s eyes shone with something Zoe didn’t quite recognize. Then soft lips brushed hers, and all those funny feelings inside her suddenly grew even stronger. She felt strange and lightheaded and wonderful.

Shana’s tongue darted out and licked Zoe’s lips, making her giggle, then it slipped into her mouth. Taken by surprise, Zoe wasn’t sure how to respond at first. She’d seen people French kissing in movies, but she’d never thought about how exactly you did it. She let herself be guided by Shana’s tongue, prodding and twisting around hers, and tried to match the older girl’s movements. Shana still tasted a little like ice cream. The whole thing was pretty funny, actually, and Zoe nearly burst out laughing, but managed to control herself.

She saw that Shana had closed her eyes, and did the same—which was what they did in the movies. With her attention now entirely on their tangling tongues, she lost herself in the kiss. It felt like she had an intimate connection to Shana, like they were speaking a secret language that only the two of them could understand.

When Shana pulled back after some time, Zoe slowly opened her eyes and found the older girl looking at her. They smiled at each other.

“Mmmm,” Shana said. “What do you think?”

Zoe felt a deep blush creeping across her cheeks as the realization fully hit her: she’d just shared her first-ever kiss—a tongue-kiss, even!—with Shana Belle.

“It was… nice. Um, real nice.” She shook her head, unsure of how to describe the feelings coming over her. “I kinda feel tingly all over.”

Shana grinned back. “Me too.” Then she got serious. “But… now, listen, this one’s really important, okay?” One more time, she extended her little finger towards Zoe for a pinkie swear. “You cannot tell anyone about this. Obviously not your parents, but not even your best friend, okay? I would get in really, really huge trouble if anyone at all knew. They’d never let me cut another record. My career would be done. You understand that, right?”

Zoe nodded slowly. She knew that they totally weren’t supposed to be doing stuff like this. She couldn’t even imagine what the grown-ups in her life would say about it. But while she still felt a little nervous about it all… the kiss had been really nice. And of course, the last thing she wanted was to endanger Shana’s music career. She hooked the offered pinkie with hers. “I won’t tell anyone. I swear.”

Shana’s smile returned instantly. “Good girl.” She leaned forward until her forehead touched Zoe’s, and they gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment. “God, you’re so pretty.” Then her lips were on Zoe’s again.

Zoe knew what to expect this time. When she felt Shana’s tongue push between her lips, she welcomed it into her mouth. Their tongues moved together, like a dance, and once again Zoe felt that lovely tingly feeling all over her body, especially in her lower belly, even between her legs.

This time, Shana let her hands wander over Zoe’s body as they kissed, lightly caressing her back, her arms, her thighs. Zoe felt goosebumps appear on her skin wherever those fingers roamed, but it wasn’t unpleasant—on the contrary, Shana’s touch filled her with excitement.

They kissed for what felt like a long while, though Zoe wasn’t quite sure exactly how long. Somehow, it seemed difficult to keep track of time in Shana’s arms. When the kiss finally broke, she found herself a little out of breath.

She offered Shana a shy smile. “You were right. This stuff is, um… pretty fun.”

“Isn’t it?” Shana smiled back, her eyes full of mischief. She took one of Zoe’s hands and brought it to her lips, depositing a few kisses on the back of it, then on the palm. “Mmmm, there are so many things I want to teach you,” she said, her voice sounding a little weird, more hoarse than before. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “But um, listen… okay, I probably should have led with this, sorry… but I need you to know that if I do anything that you don’t like, or that makes you uncomfortable, you can tell me to stop and I will, right then. You’re the boss, okay?”

“Okay!” Zoe hadn’t really imagined that Shana would do things she didn’t want, but it was still reassuring to hear. She wondered what else Shana could have in mind.

“Good.” Shana pressed her lips to Zoe’s hand once again, then looked up. “More kisses?”

Zoe giggled. “Y-yes,” she said softly, still feeling a little shy about the whole thing. Her day sure had taken an unexpected turn. The look in Shana’s eyes promised more surprises and, though nervous, Zoe found herself eager to find out what they might be.

Shana began to kiss her way up Zoe’s arm, which didn’t help with the giggling fit. It felt nice, though, each brush of the lips leaving her skin tingling. Once she reached the shoulder, Shana paused a moment and met Zoe’s gaze, then kissed her mouth again.

Zoe was happy to go for another make-out session. This one didn’t last as long, though, and she was a little disappointed when Shana broke away. That is, until the older girl moved down and started nuzzling her neck, revealing a new kind of pleasure.

“Mm, this is nice,” Zoe said, surprised. “It’s funny. I didn’t think my neck could, like, feel so good.”

“I think you’ll find that most body parts can feel good, if you touch or kiss them in the right manner.” As if to demonstrate, Shana flicked her tongue at Zoe’s earlobe, then sucked on it gently.

“That tickles!” Zoe gasped. “But in a nice way.”

“Yeah? Then how about…” Shana slid her hand over Zoe’s tummy, then higher up until she reached her chest. “...over here?” She traced little circles around one of Zoe’s nipples with a fingertip.

Zoe squirmed a bit. That felt ticklish as well, and sent a shiver through her body. She could feel her nipple stiffen at Shana’s touch. “Yeah… not bad,” she said, uncertainly, embarrassed that Shana was touching her flat chest.

“Just not bad, huh?” Shana sounded slightly disappointed. “I guess you’re still really young. That gets more fun when you get a little more... developed.”

Zoe couldn’t keep her eyes from drifting over to Shana’s breasts. She wondered if hers would look as beautiful one day. “Um, like yours?”

“Yeah. Just like that.”

Zoe hesitated. Did Shana want to be touched there? She wanted to make Shana feel good too, but… She began to raise hand, then let it drop. No, she couldn’t possibly do that. Could she?

It was like Shana could read her mind. “You can, if you want,” she said, with an encouraging smile.

Heart racing, Zoe brought her hand up again. She wasn’t even sure what to do, but followed Shana’s example and traced a circle around a nipple with her thumb. When Shana breathed in sharply, Zoe got scared and stopped. “Is t-this okay?”

Shana quickly nodded. “Mmmm, more than okay. It feels great, keep going.”

“O-oh.” Reassured, and happy to give Shana pleasure, Zoe resumed her movements. She teased the nipple with her finger for a while, then tried out some other things. She cupped the breast with her hand, the nipple very stiff against her palm, then gave it a little squeeze before starting over with the other one. Shana’s boobs felt nice and firm… and very exciting to play with, she had to admit.

Judging by the happy sounds Shana was making, she was enjoying it a lot too. She was watching Zoe intently, biting her bottom lip, and her breathing was getting a little funny. After a moment, she cupped Zoe’s chin and brought their lips together again.

The kiss felt more urgent this time, more… passionate, maybe that was the word. Shana’s mouth was hungry, and Zoe felt a need of her own growing in response.

“You’re such a little hottie,” Shana breathed as their lips parted.

“T-thanks,” Zoe replied, her voice shaky. She still had trouble believing all this was really happening, that Shana was attracted to her, that this sexy older girl thought she was hot. She wondered what was next. Should she play with Shana’s boobs some more, or kiss her again, or…

Finally, she decided to ask. “Um, so, what else feels good?”

Shana’s eyes shone brightly with excitement. “Well, there’s still the one spot, that place that feels the best of all.” She carefully placed her hand on Zoe’s thigh. “I think you know where that is, right?”

Zoe thought that yes, she did know which spot that was. When Shana’s hand started going up her leg, fingers trailing along her inner thigh, she was even more certain. She found herself short of breath as Shana’s fingers drew closer and closer to her intimate place.

Shana stopped an inch short of her goal, then met Zoe’s eyes. “Is this okay?”

Zoe swallowed. What was she supposed to do? Nobody should be touching her private parts, she knew that, but… this was Shana, who she loved and trusted. And everything they had done up to now had been great. Lost in those beautiful blue eyes, she felt herself nod.

Shana smiled brightly. “You’ll see, it’ll be magical.” She gently brushed Zoe’s privates with a finger, from bottom to top then back again.

The touch felt electric, like a little shock spreading out from between Zoe’s legs. But not a bad one, like if you play with a wall socket, more like a happy jolt of pleasure. She saw Shana waiting for a reaction, and said, “That kinda… tickles.” That wasn’t really the right word, but she wasn’t sure how to describe the feeling.

“But… in a nice way?”

“Y-yeah.”

Shana began to press forward with her finger, slowly sliding it between the little lips of Zoe’s sex. For a moment, Zoe was afraid it was going to hurt because the finger felt rough against her sensitive skin down there, but Shana’s movements were slow and careful. Suddenly that finger seemed to move effortlessly, much to Zoe’s relief, tracing up and down along the opening of her slit.

Shana flashed a knowing smile. “Mmmm. Yeah, I’d say you’re definitely enjoying this.”

Zoe felt like she was missing some kind of joke, but her mind was on other things. She was enjoying it, that much was certain. In fact, it seemed to be feeling better and better, and she found herself very disappointed when Shana suddenly took her hand away. Puzzled, she glanced up at the older girl.

Shana sat up straight on the couch, opened her legs, and patted the spot in front of her. “Here, sit between my legs.”

Zoe seated herself as indicated, leaning back against Shana. “Like this?” She could feel Shana’s hard nipples poking at her back.

“Just like that,” Shana said, bending down to kiss Zoe’s cheek, her ear and her neck, making her giggle. Then that hand was back between Zoe’s legs, a finger between the little lips there, and the giggles turned to a moan.

Zoe was beginning to see what was “magical” about this. She wasn’t even sure what Shana was doing to her, but it felt so good, especially when the girl’s finger brushed the top of her privates.

Little cries kept escaping Zoe’s lips, even though she didn’t mean for them to. The craziest thing was that the pleasure just kept building up. It had been pretty nice at first, but now it was… so much more. It felt like what those butterflies had been waiting for all along.

Shana’s fingers moved faster now, and there was a pressure growing in Zoe’s belly. With some alarm, she realized it was beginning to feel kind of like… “Uh, wait. Shana. Stop.”

Shana’s movements quickly paused. “What’s wrong, baby?” she asked, concern in her voice.

“I feel, uh… I think I need to go to the bathroom.”

Shana chuckled. “Ooh, I see. No, it’s okay. You won’t pee, don’t worry.” She resumed moving her fingers. “It’s normal. Just let it come, it’ll be wonderful.”

Zoe still felt a little anxious, but she trusted Shana, and tried to relax. That strange pressure continued to build, but with it came more and more pleasure. How could this feel so good? What was it leading to? Her whole body grew tense, and she was beginning to think she couldn’t take much more. Then there was a kind of crazy surge in her body, and she stopped thinking altogether.

Her hands gripped Shana’s thighs and her back arched as the best feeling she’d ever had filled her, wave after wave of pure pleasure spreading out from between her legs. She’d never imagined anything like this. It seemed to go on and on, leaving her breathless.

After some time—it felt like a while, but Zoe wasn’t sure, it might have been only a few seconds—the intense sensations faded away, and she slowly became aware of her surroundings once again. She was panting, and Shana was holding her tightly, nuzzling her hair.

“What… wow. That was… amazing. What was that?” Zoe said, the words clumsy on her lips.

“That, my darling, is called an orgasm. Or coming,” Shana explained, then leaned over to kiss Zoe’s cheek. “And it’s the best thing in the world, isn’t it?”

Zoe laughed, still feeling giddy from the experience. “I… yeah, I’d say so. It was… wow. I didn’t know something could feel so good.”

“I take it you never touched yourself like that, huh?”

“N-no.” Could she make herself feel like that? “Sometimes in the bath, it feels a little funny when I wash, like, down there, y’know? But I never did it for long… and it never felt like that.”

“Yeah, it’s better if you’re already turned on… and I’d say it’s generally better if someone else does it for you. For my part, I’m honored to have given you your very first orgasm,” Shana said, giving Zoe a big hug.

Giggling, Zoe shifted around to face Shana, and hugged her back. “Thank you.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure, believe me.” Shana gave Zoe a soft peck on the lips, then her smile turned playful. “Want another?”

Zoe let out a surprised laugh. “Now?” She’d barely recovered from the first one… but seeing the look in Shana’s eyes—that sexy sparkle of excitement that she was beginning to know well—made her all tingly again, and she grinned back. “Yeah!”

“Good.” Shana gave her another kiss. “Let’s go to my room this time.”

Doing it in Shana’s own bed sounded even more thrilling. Zoe bounded to her feet, but she soon realized that her legs were all weak and shaky, and she had to windmill her arms to keep from falling onto the coffee table.

“Whoa, careful there,” Shana said, reaching out to steady Zoe. “You’ll usually feel a little wobbly after coming. It’s normal, but take care and don’t break your neck.” She chuckled, as if she’d suddenly thought of something funny. Without warning, she put an arm under Zoe’s knees and another at her back, and lifted her straight off the ground. “Let me help you, my lady,” she said, grinning.

Wrapping both arms around Shana’s neck, Zoe buried her face against the other girl’s chest, laughing. She was a little old to be carried around like a baby, but if it was Shana doing the carrying, she didn’t mind too much. She imagined herself as a princess being carried by a noble lover, and felt her cheeks heat up at the thought.

As Shana took her towards the bedroom, another idea rolled around in Zoe’s head. “So, um, this will sound dumb, but… I can get a, uh, orgasm on my own, just by touching myself?”

“Sure. You’ve never heard of masturbating?”

“Oh. Um, yeah, but…” She had, but she’d never given much thought to the process, or to how good it might feel. “I kinda thought that was… something boys did, I guess… or bad girls, maybe.”

Shana laughed. “Well, sorry to say, but I think you qualify as a bad girl now. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!”

Zoe smiled. Being a bad girl didn’t seem so bad, now. Sure, they’d done dirty stuff but… it had been wonderful. Beautiful, as Shana had said. She couldn’t wait to try more of it, if she was being honest with herself.

They reached a tastefully decorated bedroom, with a big bed with a dark blue cover at the center. Zoe shrieked when Shana suddenly threw her onto the bed, but the landing was actually very soft. In fact, this had to be the softest bed she’d ever touched. Still, she stuck her tongue out at Shana for the scare.

“Oh? What was that?” Shana got on the bed and crawled up close to Zoe, until their faces were less than an inch apart.

Realizing what the older girl wanted, Zoe slipped her tongue out again, and Shana took it into her mouth, gently sucking on it.

That quickly turned into a passionate kiss, and Zoe’s heart rate sped up all over again as they made out. She felt Shana lightly push her down until she was flat on her back, all without breaking their kiss. She knew what the growing warmth between her legs meant now, and found herself eager for Shana to touch her again.

But Shana seemed to have other ideas. She sat up, and examined Zoe for a moment. “Say, why don’t you try touching yourself now? Y’know, get a feel for it… so to speak.”

Zoe hesitated. It sounded really embarrassing, and she’d prefer if Shana did it, but… She did intend to explore this masturbation business later, now that she knew how great it could feel. Maybe practicing while there was someone to guide her would be a good idea.

She slid a hand down to her lower belly. “Um, I just rub my… down there?”

“More or less. What do you call that place down there?” Shana asked, looking pointedly between Zoe’s legs.

“Um… my private parts, I guess?”

“That’s one way to say it… Doesn’t sound very sexy, though.”

“Hmm. What else do you call it?”

“Oh, there are lots of words… Some girls say ‘cunt,’ for instance.”

Zoe’s eyes went wide. “That’s a really bad word!” One time, her mom had been zapping through the channels on TV looking for something to watch and stopped on some show or movie. Then someone said that word, and her mother very quickly changed the channel again. She put her hands on Zoe’s ears, as if that would block what she’d already heard, and told her to never repeat that word. The next day, Zoe had noticed that the HBO channel was now blocked with a PIN.

Shana chuckled. “Yeah, I guess some people think that. ‘Pussy’ is another word that’s very common.”

“Like a cat?” Zoe had heard that one too, but mostly as an insult.

“Sure. Just as cute, too.” Shana winked. “Though I guess yours is just a little kitty.”

Zoe laughed. That was a funny word for it, but she liked it. She moved her hand lower until she touched her… kitty, and began slowly rubbing it with her fingers, up and down. “Like this?” It felt nice, but nowhere near the kind of pleasure Shana had given her.

“Yeah, you can start out like that.” Shana was watching very attentively. “Then you can slip a finger between your lips, like I did. That usually feels better. Be careful, though. Don’t go too deep, or you might hurt something.”

Zoe tried it, pushing harder with her middle finger until it slid between her lips. She made two discoveries in that moment: that it felt more sensitive and pleasurable in there, and that it was quite moist. “Uh, it’s wet…”

“Very normal. When you’re… in a sexy mood, you get wet so that it’s, y’know, all slippery and nice. Makes it easier to have fun,” Shana explained, all smiles.

“O-oh.” That sounded a little weird… but practical. It did make her finger slip around smoothly, and she soon was rubbing herself with enthusiasm. Shana was right, it did feel much better this way.

“Mmmm, yeah, just like that,” Shana said softly. She sounded like she was enjoying herself, too. “There’s like a little nub near the top, called the clitoris, or just the clit. That’s the part that feels the best, but it’s very sensitive, so don’t rub it too hard.”

Zoe did remember how the strongest feelings had happened when Shana rubbed the top of her privates. Feeling around, she found the nub in question. Pressing down on it made her gasp. It was sensitive for sure, but it felt amazing. Trying to be gentle, she began moving her finger in circles over this nub, her “clit,” and couldn’t keep a moan from escaping her lips.

She glanced at Shana, who was biting her bottom lip, eyes fixed on what Zoe was doing. It sounded like the older girl was getting a little out of breath herself, just from watching. Zoe was beginning to suspect that Shana had asked her to do this at least partially for her own benefit. Playing along, she gave the older girl what she hoped was a sexy stare and murmured, “You like watching me touch my kitty?”

A low groan came out of Shana’s mouth. “God, yes… You’re so fucking hot,” she whispered, her voice sounding hoarse. “I mean… eff-ing. Or whatever,” she added after a moment, but it sounded like proper language was far from her most urgent concern.

Zoe smiled. She loved the effect she was having on Shana. It made her feel… grown-up. Sexy. She spread her legs wider to give Shana a better view and kept rubbing herself.

“Mmmm. You are a bad girl,” Shana said. “It makes me want to do very naughty things to you.”

“Like what?” Zoe liked where this was going. It was crazy how she’d been so nervous about this “dirty” stuff just earlier, and now she couldn’t wait to find out what “naughty things” Shana had in mind.

The young woman knelt in front of Zoe, looking up. “I wanna kiss your kitty.”

Zoe laughed. “Kiss it?” She wasn’t sure if Shana was serious.

“It’s another thing that’s very fun, you’ll see.” Shana leaned forward and began to trail her lips up Zoe’s inner thigh.

Withdrawing her hand, Zoe raised herself up on her elbows, eyes wide as she watched the older girl come closer. Was Shana really going to kiss her there?

Anticipation rose when Shana reached the spot where Zoe’s leg met her groin. She paused a second and their eyes met. Then she pressed her lips into Zoe’s kitty—once, then another time, then again and again, covering the intimate area with kisses.

Zoe stared, hardly believing what was happening. But she was even more surprised when Shana’s tongue slipped between her little lips and began licking her! She’d had no idea it was going to be a French kiss. It seemed like such a crazy thing to do… but Shana was purring with pleasure, as if she was enjoying a fine meal.

Zoe couldn’t argue with the results, though—Shana’s tongue felt amazing. After a moment, she fell back on the bed, closed her eyes, and lost herself in the moment. “Oooh. That’s sooo good.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Shana agreed without stopping for a second.

As great as it felt, it was still a weird sensation to have a tongue bathing her private parts. Zoe had no idea that was a thing that people did. It was a thrill for sure, though. Maybe it was even more exciting because it was so dirty?

Whatever the case, Zoe’s pleasure was rising fast. Every little flick of Shana’s tongue sent delicious shivers through her body, and she felt that tension within her building up, just like it had before. Soon, she couldn’t help but moan in time with Shana’s movements.

As if sensing her growing delight, Shana began to focus on Zoe’s clit, teasing it with her tongue.

Zoe cried out as an even more intense wave of pleasure hit her. She still had a hard time believing her body could feel this good. But she knew this wasn’t even the end yet, as she could now recognize the signs of another orgasm drawing closer. “I think… I’m g-gonna…”

Before she could finish her sentence, that explosion she’d been expecting rocked her to the core. Just like before, her body tensed and pure ecstasy filled her completely. Shana’s tongue was a magical tool of pure joy, the way it made her feel. This orgasm was even more powerful than the last one, shaking her from head to toe.

As she slowly recovered, Zoe realized that her thighs were tightly clamped around Shana’s head. “Oh! S-sorry…” she stammered, quickly releasing the older girl.

“That’s quite okay,” Shana said, smiling. Lying down next to Zoe, she wrapped her arms around her. “I love that you’re enjoying your first sexual experience so much.”

That comment gave Zoe pause. “So… this is sex?”

Shana raised an eyebrow. “Well, yeah… One of many ways to have sex. Is that okay?”

Zoe had sort of known that’s what they’d been doing, but hearing it out loud made it more real somehow. I’ve just had sex with Shana Belle. The words sounded strange in her mind. She’d certainly never expected anything like that to happen today. She hadn’t expected to give much thought to sex for years, actually. But now it had happened, and she felt… good, happy. “I think so. Sex is… pretty great.”

Shana grinned. “It really is, isn’t it?” She gave Zoe a tight hug, then drew her into a heated kiss.

Zoe could feel the passion behind the older girl’s kiss, and realized that Shana might appreciate some pleasure of her own. “Oh, um, do you want me to… make you feel good, too?”

“Well, if you want to, I’d love that for sure.” Shana caressed Zoe’s cheek for a moment, then brought their lips together again.

As they kissed, Zoe put a hand on Shana’s thigh, then slowly slipped it up until she was almost touching the girl’s privates. She hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.

“It’s okay,” Shana said, breaking the kiss. Giving Zoe a nod of encouragement, she spread her legs for better access.

Zoe took a moment to examine Shana’s kitty. Her pussy. Her… C-word. The lips were open like flower petals, and the inside glistened. It looked inviting, sexy. Tentatively, she brushed the moist flesh with her fingers, and felt Shana shiver in response.

Seeing the older girl’s encouraging smile, Zoe pressed a little harder, and her middle finger pushed past the pussy lips. Shana was very wet in there. It felt a little weird, but to Zoe, it was a good sign. It meant that Shana was enjoying it, right?

“Mmmm,” Shana moaned, definitely sounding happy with what was happening.

Zoe began moving her fingers up and down, as the other girl had done for her. Soon she was grinning with delight, fascinated by Shana’s little gasps and sighs, trying to figure out what gave her partner the best feelings. Not surprisingly, touching Shana’s clitoris got the biggest reactions.

“Oh yes, baby!” Shana mewled, then when Zoe brushed her clit again, her eyes went wide open. “Oh!” she cried, louder this time. Her thighs closed tightly around Zoe’s hand and her eyes rolled back in her head as her whole body shook and trembled.

It was actually a little scary, and Zoe really hoped it was because Shana was feeling good, and not that she was having some kind of seizure. She was relieved when, after a moment, Shana took a deep breath and a smile spread across her lips.

“Oh, wow,” Shana said after she’d caught her breath a little.

“Did you… get the, um, orgasm?”

“Yes.” Shana laughed, sounding a little surprised. “That was quick. You had me so turned on!”

“Turned on?” This was the second time Shana had used that expression, and Zoe thought she got the meaning, but wanted to be sure.

“Yeah, like… excited, horny, in the mood for sex. Y’know, all wet and ready.”

“Oh, right.” Zoe smiled. “Yeah, you were… pretty wet down there.”

Shana grinned back. “Well, I think you’re to blame for that, you sexy little thing,” she said, before kissing Zoe once again.

As she enjoyed the kiss, Zoe decided that she could get used to being called sexy and hot. It made her feel warm and fuzzy all over. Oh, and the kissing, she could definitely get used to that, too. She could never get tired of the way that made her feel, getting goosebumps as her tongue danced with Shana’s.

“So… it was good, right? The orgasm?” Zoe asked after they drifted apart. “I did it well?” She was pretty sure she knew the answer, considering Shana’s reaction.

“You did it perfectly. It was great, thank you.”

“Want another?” Zoe smiled, echoing what Shana had said earlier.

“Mmmm, I like the way you think, sweetcheeks. I won’t say no to that.”

As Zoe slipped her hand between Shana’s legs again, she thought it might be a good idea to try nuzzling the older girl’s neck, as Shana had done to her earlier. She began by kissing the spot right below the ear, then worked her way down to the collarbone. It sounded like Shana was enjoying it, judging by the sounds she was making, though that could also be because Zoe had her fingers moving between the girl’s pussy lips.

Glancing down, Zoe saw that Shana had a hand on her own breast, teasing the nipple between two fingers. Wondering if a kiss there would feel good, Zoe decided to give it a try. After all, it had felt amazing when Shana had licked her kitty, and while she wasn’t sure she was ready to go that far, maybe licking a nipple would feel really good as well.

Moving down to the unoccupied breast, Zoe gave one nipple a quick kiss, then flicked it with her tongue, watching for a reaction. Encouraged by Shana’s excited gasp, she continued, kissing the soft flesh and tracing little circles around the nipple with her tongue. It was actually pretty fun. “Is this nice?”

“Very nice, baby. Good initiative. I think you’re… ah!”—she cried out when Zoe’s fingers brushed her clit—”a natural. You can, um… you can try putting your fingers all the way inside my pussy, if you want.”

Zoe froze for a moment. Put her fingers inside? Did grown-ups do that, too? It did make some sense, she thought, since a boy was supposed to put his thing inside during sex... Maybe fingers would feel just as good, too.

Tentatively, she prodded around Shana’s privates until she found the hole, then carefully pushed the tip of her middle finger in. “L-like this?”

“Mmmhmm, just like that. Go on, don’t worry.”

Zoe slowly worked her finger deeper, watching it disappear inside Shana. It felt all warm and wet. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do once her finger was all the way in, but then Shana started moving her hips, making that finger slide in and out.

Zoe quickly got the idea and  began meeting Shana’s movements—thrusting when the girl pushed her hips forward, withdrawing all but the tip of the finger when she pulled back. Soon, she had Shana moaning in time with their rhythm. The older girl’s legs were wide open as she eagerly thrust her pussy against Zoe’s hand, her body glistening with sweat. It looked so dirty. It looked really sexy.

“What is this called?” Zoe asked.

“This? Aah! Fingering, I guess. Or finger… uh, eff-ing.”

Zoe giggled. That made sense. “Feels good?”

“Oh yeah. You can use more fingers, too. Or…” Shana suddenly stopped in mid-motion. She glanced at the hand between her legs, then met Zoe’s eyes with a thoughtful look. “Hmm, actually… can I ask you to try something a little weird?”

“Um, okay?” All of this had been “a little weird” for Zoe.

“You put your fingers like this,” Shana explained, touching the tips of all her fingers and her thumb together, “then get them nice and wet and, um, push all the way inside. Slowly.” She mimicked the gesture.

Zoe looked at her hand, looked at Shana’s pussy. “You mean… with my whole hand?”

Shana nodded, biting her lip. “Uh-huh. You have tiny hands, it’ll be fine!”

That did sound really weird, all right, but it seemed to be what Shana wanted, so Zoe agreed. ”Um… okay, if you say so.”

She touched her fingers together into a point and put them at the entrance to Shana’s vagina. It was really wet down there, so she had no trouble getting them all slippery. She began to carefully push in, though it seemed to her that the opening was way too small for this.

“That’s it, nice and slow,” Shana said. She was taking deep breaths as Zoe’s hand very slowly made its way inside her.

“Are you sure it’s gonna, uh, fit?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. Babies come out of there, y’know?”

Zoe supposed that was true, though she wasn’t even sure how that was possible, not when Shana’s vagina already felt so tight around her hand. Still, sure enough, inch by inch, she managed to go even deeper. Then once she was past the knuckles, the rest went more smoothly, and suddenly she found herself wrist deep inside Shana’s body. “Whoa!”

“Oh, God!” Shana cried out.

“Are— are you okay?”

“Yeah, baby, I’m—oh, shit… I’m just fine. You’re wonderful. Ooooohh, yeah. Now… now, start m-moving back and forth. But slowly.”

Zoe did as she was told, pushing forward a little bit, though there wasn’t much space to move, then pulling back, then repeating her motion. It felt so weird to have her hand literally inside someone else, but Shana seemed to be enjoying it, with lots of moans and omigods. “This feels… good?”

“Mmmm, yeah. It’s intense.” Shana began moving her hips, pushing against Zoe’s hand.

As long as she’s happy, Zoe thought. Pushing how strange the situation was out of her mind, she threw herself into the task, doing her best to give Shana as much pleasure as possible. The older girl was breathing hard now, and Zoe wondered if she was going to “come” soon.

Glancing down, she spotted Shana’s clitoris, a fleshy pink button at the top of her pussy. She remembered well how amazing it felt when Shana licked hers. She eyed the little nub, wondering what it would taste like. She glanced back up at Shana, but the other girl wasn’t paying attention, lost in her pleasure.

Slowly, Zoe leaned forward until her face was only a few inches from Shana’s pussy. There was a pretty strong aroma that was difficult to describe. The smell of sex, maybe. That erect clit looked kind of cute close-up—almost inviting. She hesitated a moment, took a tentative lick, then paused to mull over the taste. Unusual flavor, but not bad.

Shana’s response was immediate. “Aaah! Zoe! Fuck, yes! Lick my clit. Please!”

Zoe was a little startled by such a strong reaction, but told herself it must feel really good, so she did as Shana asked, flicking the little bud with her tongue as best as she could.

Shana gave a loud cry, then after just a few seconds, her body went all stiff, which Zoe now recognized as the start of an orgasm. After that Shana bucked and jerked wildly, coming out with mostly incoherent moans, but there were a few dirty words in there.

Zoe felt Shana’s pussy clamp down tightly around her wrist. It seemed to throb, possibly in rhythm with the waves of pleasure the older girl was feeling. She kept her tongue going, hoping to drive Shana completely wild.

“Okay, Zoe. S-stop,” Shana said. She took a moment to catch her breath when Zoe obeyed. “Sensitive d-down there,” she explained. “Now take out your hand, really slow.”

Zoe did just that, gently extracting her hand. Though Shana’s vagina now seemed to want to suck her in, she eventually managed to wriggle free. Wrinkling her nose, she examined her gooey hand, unsure what to do with it.

“Here.” Reaching for a large box of tissues on her nightstand, Shana handed her a big handful of them.

Zoe cleaned herself up as best as she could manage, then Shana drew her into a big hug.

“You’re so amazing, that was wonderful.” Shana covered Zoe’s face in little kisses, making her giggle. “Thank you for… indulging my dirty kinks.” She lay back on the bed, pulling Zoe along, snugly nestled in her arms. “I’m so happy I met you.”

“Me too!” Zoe hugged Shana just as tightly. The day had been awesome in many unexpected ways. She’d known that meeting her idol would be great, but now Shana had shown her what felt like a whole new world. She’d remember their time together forever. Then came the realization that this time would soon be over, and she felt tears sting her eyes. “Oh, Shana… I don’t wanna leave you!”

“Oh, babe, I don’t want to either. I wish you could stay with me all the time, but that’s just not possible. But hey, don’t cry. That doesn’t mean we’ll never talk or see each other again.” Shana gently wiped the tears from Zoe’s eyes. “Do you have your own phone?”

Zoe shook her head. “No, I’m not allowed… I guess I can give you Mom’s phone number, if you wanna call?”

Shana made a face. “I was hoping for something more… private. You know, if we need to talk about secret stuff.” She winked. “Do you have a laptop or something that you can use by yourself?”

“Yeah! I borrow Mom’s laptop to watch YouTube and stuff. She doesn’t really check what I use it for.”

“Great. I think we should set you up with a secret email address—one that you won’t share with anyone else—and then use that to talk privately. We’ll see what else we can do from there. I’ll show you how to avoid leaving traces in your mom’s browser, too.”

“Okay, sounds good.” That was all fine, and Zoe was happy to keep in contact with Shana—even a little excited to be playing spies with secret communications—but she felt like she was going to miss the… more physical stuff a lot. “But I wish we could still do… you know,” she added, running her fingers over Shana’s belly.

“I really wish so too. But I’m afraid that for now, you’ll have to be a ‘bad girl’ and take care of those needs yourself. Not as much fun, but it does the trick. Think about me when you do, huh?”

Zoe laughed, but felt herself blushing a little. It all seemed rather embarrassing, but she was pretty sure she would have to do some experimenting in that direction. Orgasms felt way too good to pass up! And she had no doubt that images of Shana would be dancing in her mind whenever she touched herself that way.

“But for now,” Shana continued, glancing at the wall clock, “well, we do still have some time…”

* * *

They did make love one more time that afternoon, and even took a shower together. That was fun, soaping each other up… and sexy, too. Then Shana helped Zoe set up her new email address, and they chatted for a while.

After that, it was time for dinner, and they met up with Zoe’s mom again—though Zoe would have preferred to be alone with Shana, grateful as she was that Mom had accompanied her on this trip. They went to Shana’s favorite Indian restaurant. Zoe liked it a lot, though it was way spicier than she was used to and she had to drink several glasses of water.

Then, finally, it was time for the concert.

It was amazing, incredible, magical. All that Zoe could have hoped for and more. She sang her heart out to her favorite songs, enthralled by the impressive choreography and cool special effects, all from an awesome front-row seat.

Her gaze was locked on Shana all night. She’d always loved her idol’s dancing, but now the graceful movements seemed to take on a sexier flavor in her eyes. The body that she now knew so intimately, swaying to the music, twisting, slinking and strutting her stuff… Shana was red hot. Watching her, Zoe felt those now familiar butterflies stir in her stomach. This time, she welcomed the feeling.

A few times, Shana looked right at her, even gave her a wink at one point. That made Zoe feel so special, the only one in this huge crowd to have such an intimate connection with the singer.

After the show, Zoe and her mom went backstage, flashing their V.I.P. badges, to see Shana and say goodbye. The star was busy signing autographs for a mob of fans, so they had to wait a while. Zoe had already gotten all her  recordings signed that afternoon, so she was all set on that count, even though Shana had winced a bit when she saw how many of her releases Zoe had packed—everything she’d ever done, in multiple versions.

When they finally got close, Shana saw Zoe approach and frowned. “You look familiar…”

Zoe tried to act as if she was offended, but just ended up laughing, then Shana gave her a hug. Not as close or long a hug as she would have liked, but she understood that they couldn’t show that kind of affection in public.

“So, how was the show? Up to your expectations?”

“Omigod it was soooo great! You were amazing!”

Shana chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Thanks, sweetie. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

“Sorry, um, is there a bathroom around here?” Zoe’s mom interrupted.

“Sure, right around the corner over there.” Shana pointed.

“Thank you. Zoe, I’ll be right back.”

“Okay!” Zoe watched her mom walk away, then turned back to Shana, who had a rather mischievous smile on her lips.

“C’mere, you,” the singer growled, pulling Zoe into her dressing room.

As soon as the door was closed, Shana’s lips found Zoe’s, and they exchanged a hot, passionate kiss.

“W-wow,” Zoe said, taken by surprise, but in a most delightful way. Her pulse was suddenly racing.

“Mmmm. Too bad we don’t have time for more.” Shana caressed Zoe’s cheek. “I’m gonna miss you. But hey, I slipped a word to my tour manager about maybe booking some shows in some less traveled areas—like, say, North Dakota—and she thinks there might be some potential there…”

“Really? That would be so cool!”

“Yeah. It wouldn’t be for a while, though, but y’know… let’s hang out if I come around, huh?”

“Yeah! I really hope it happens!” As great as it would be to see Shana perform again, Zoe was even more excited about spending more time alone with her. She could probably convince her mom to allow that.

“Me too.” Shana gave Zoe another kiss, quicker this time. “Well, we better head back out before your mom starts looking for us.”

Zoe’s mom did meet up with them a minute later, and they exchanged goodbyes. Though Zoe tried hard not to cry, a few tears still ran down her cheeks. Even Shana got a little misty-eyed.

In the end, as she walked away, Zoe took a last look back, and saw Shana blow her a kiss. She thought about the amazing day they’d had together, the unexpected but wonderful discoveries she’d made, and took comfort in the possibility that she might see her idol again someday.