Paul Mall - Take A Toss With Tess

"Well, you'll still be the envy of all the girls in school if that story gets around… virgin or no virgin. All the girls dig Jack." Jeanie decided to pass the story around and Tessie decided to let her.

Before long, the class was filled and the teacher was trying to take attendance. "Please sit down – take your seats!" he shouted several times, finally giving up and marking everyone present. Mr. Keyes hated homeroom. After taking attendance, there was nothing to do but see that coats were hung up, the closet locked, the aisles cleared, and that everyone remained quiet until the bell rang for First Period. He saw himself as a race starter, readying the horses at the gate. He had to get the students behind the mark, one foot on the white line, ready to go at the sound of the bell.

Mr. Keyes turned away when one boy gave the finger to another, he tied his shoelace when Doris kissed Richard's ear, and he yawned when the class toughie threatened to beat the shit out of the class ass-kisser. Every day the same. At least they gave him a chance to teach during the second and forth periods… at least he made an honest attempt.

A voice came over the loudspeaker, announcing that it was time to rise and say "The Pledge of Allegiance." Almost all of the kids rose, their hands placed over their hearts, some of then really saying the words. Tessie flirted with Joey in the nest row.

Jeanie had a thing for Joey, and since Jeanie had gone and lost her virginity before Tessie did, Tessie figured that gave her the right to try to win Joey as a boyfriend.

During the "Star Spangled Banner," when more kids sat down, Joey flirted back, and, on the way to First Period, he asked her if she'd like to stop for a coke after school. She accepted, of course, and then ran to catch up with Jeanie, to tell her.

Jeanie was thoroughly pissed, and she snubbed Tessie all the way through Fifth Period. Then the two girls met in the Third Floor Bathroom, shared another pep pill, and became good friends again, each bubbling with chatter about what some boy had said to either of them, who had passed what note to whom, and what teacher was a fuck about term papers or assigning books. By the end of Seventh Period they were plotting together, planning strategical moves on how each would try to seduce Mr. Keyes. They agreed that the slightest hint to Mr. Keyes that they were trying to make him would do him in. But they were going to do it anyhow.

When Tessie left school, she was in a very up mood, and she waited for Joey by the main gate, smiling at the yellow sun and feeling giddy about Spring finally showing itself. She spotted Joey running down the steps of the school towards her, and she felt good that he was so eager to meet her.

"Hi! Waiting long?" Joey dropped his books and bent down to pick them up, his glasses sliding down his nose as he lowered his head. He was late.

"No, just a few minutes."

"Good." He stood up and adjusted the books under his arm again. "Feel like walking?"

"Where to? I thought we were going to Nick's for a coke?"

"Oh! I never go there… too crowded."

Nice, Tessie thought. He wants to be alone with me. "Where do you want to go, Joey?" Her voice flirted with him.

"There's a candy store about three blocks from here. They have a book rack in the back… and then I have to go to the library. Want to come?"

"To the library?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay

Tessie handed Joey her, books and he looked at then, taking a few minutes to figure out that he was supposed to carry them for her. He wondered why, but took the books anyhow. They walked the three blocks to the candy store in silence, and, when they got there, Joey ordered two small cokes and then looked at the books while Tessie sipped her soda, alone at the counter.

On the way to the library, Joey told Tessie all about the author who wrote the book he had just bought. He told her all about the book, and all about the books that he had to find in the library. He told her all about the paper he was going to write, and about the ideas he had on the subject assigned to him. At the library, he went from shelf to shelf, pulling out books, putting them back, occasionally pausing to jot notes into a black and white notebook. Tessie sat at one of the tables, alone, watching him.

He's crazy, she thought.

When they left the library, Joey invited Tessie to his house, to see his book collection and to listen to music. Tessie figured that he had his school work done and was now ready to settle down to regular boy-girl games. She accepted the invitation and they walked the several long blocks to his apartment. He lived on the first floor of a twenty-family building.

Joey walked her through the alley next to the building, and then to the back of it, stopping under the last window.

"You stay here and wait for me," he said, looking around.

"Why? Where are you going?" Tessie was confused, and getting angry.

"My mother is home and I don't want her to know anyone is in the house. It's. a thing I do… when I want my privacy. You'll see. Just wait here."

Tessie stood there, waiting for whatever Joey was going to do. When he left, she began to feel nervous. Maybe he really is crazy and is up to something horrible. Tessie backed herself against the brick wall. The window suddenly slid open behind her, and she jumped, a yelp escaping her lips.

"Sassh! Here… I'll help you climb in." Joey was leaning out the window towards her, his arms extended.

"Hurry up, and be quiet!"

Tessie shrugged, handed him her pocketbook, and let him help her climb through the window and into his bedroom.

"What's this all about?" she asked, looking around the pale blue room, noting first the wall of books, then the large stereo and then the bed, covered by a brown, worn-thin spread The bed looked comfortable. "What's going on?" she whispered

"My mother is in the nest room." He clicked on the stereo and turned up the volume. "I told her that I had a lot of studying to do, and a paper to write. She thinks I'm all alone in here." He pointed to the lock on the door. "And now she won't disturb me… us… for at least two hours… till dinner." He smiled, sheepishly.

Tessie giggled, flopping down on the bed, bouncing on it. Maybe. he isn't so crazy after all, she thought. "What's that playing?"

"Bowie!"

"Yuk, he makes me sick."

"You probably don't understand him."

Tessie frowned, but turned toward his books and changed the subject. "You sure read a lot."

"Of course, I read a lot. I love to read"

"Did you read all those books?" she pointed to the hundreds of books on the shelves.

"Oh!"

She looked at him, studying his features, noticing for the first time how very good looking he was. Black shiny waves of hair, thick hair, the kind of hair you want to burrow your fingers in, framed his rugged face. The glasses he wore magnified his brown eyes, eyes dark enough to make you wonder what secrets they hid. And his lips, kissing lips, soft lips, smiled sexily.

"Uh – you want to hear a special record?" He rocked on his heels, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his black pants.

"Which one's that?" Moisture collecting in her slit, she appraised the expanse of his chest, noting the black hairs there and thinking how manly he looked, with his white shirt opened that way.

"Uh-no… I mean, is there something that you want to hear… a particular record? I have a lot of -"

"No, nothing special. You can play whatever you want" She posed seductively on the bed, fluttering her eyelashes as she spoke.

"Oh!" His forehead wrinkled.

Tessie giggled as she watched him absorb the full meaning of her words. Repositioning herself on the bed, sitting Indian fashion in the center of it, she toyed with the top button of her white crepe dress. The dress buttoned down the front, and the way she touched at it drew Joey's attention to her breasts and how easily accessible they were. Just two buttons would bare them. Her thighs parted… only a fraction of an inch, but enough to allow the front panels of the dress to separate, showing flesh all the way up to her crotch.