Model Student

by C. J. Washington

  ***

  Two days seem to pass in the blink of an eye and before we know it we’re loading up our cars to go to the airport. I think I may have over packed when I look at the small amount of luggage everyone else has.

  “It’s a good job we’ve got that spare bedroom. You still need a walk-in closet on a road trip.” Asher laughs as he helps me load my bags in his truck.

  “Hey, I’ll have you know this could have been a lot worse. I’ve left room for shopping.” He nearly falls off the bed of the truck at the news. Unfortunately, I’m not exaggerating.

  “Remind me to never take you camping.” He chuckles. “I’d be bent over like a question mark and loaded up like a donkey carrying your pack about.”

  We drive to the airport and onto a private runway where my Dad’s old company jet is waiting for us. The crew load our bags as we take our seats and strap in. Two hours later we land at Myrtle Beach International Airport. We disembark and I walk everyone to a private hanger where the ‘bagos’, as Colby has now affectionately named them, are waiting for us.

  The routes and destinations are all programmed into the GPS. The guys immediately run to them and do the checks advised in the video tutorial the company sent us to watch. They’re so excited. Michael, Glen and Anthony flip a coin to see who drives first. Tate and Radley do the same.

  If we were to drive straight back to Texas from here it would take eighteen hours so with two and a half weeks, we can take it easy and be pretty flexible in our time management. Michael gloats as he’s driving first and their bago is the lead vehicle. This all got sorted when I wasn’t there apparently. I don’t care, I nearly crapped my pants driving Asher’s truck, I want nothing to do with controlling the bago. We’re all keen to get started so we set off for the short journey to the boardwalk area. Asher is loving this already.

  “You ready for a trip of a life time, Bow?” I’ve never seen him smile so wide. I’m about to answer when he finds the horn. It’s so loud it scares the crap out of me. “Oops.” All the other bagos honk back.

  “You secretly wish you were a trucker don’t you?” I giggle at the utter delight on his face as we drive along.

  “What young boy doesn’t dream of being a trucker at some point?…. Want a life on the road with me, Bow? We can both get fat eating at truck stops, buy t-shirts from everywhere we go, have sex in random gas station bathrooms and let Jesus be our co-driver.” I can’t breathe I’m laughing so hard.

  “I’m so getting you a t-shirt that says that!” God, I love him.

  We have an audience when we pull onto the RV Park. Now I’m really glad I’m not driving. There’s no way I’d attempt to park this thing with people watching. I’d get severe performance anxiety, Asher does it like he’s done it a thousand times before. We all meet up at the front of Colby and the girls’ bago.

  “It’s walking distance from here into the centre so I say we get ourselves ready for a night out and get some dinner. Then we can scope out where to go tomorrow for New Year’s Eve.” I suggest.

  “Let’s make it quick then, I’m starving.” Michael says.

  Twenty minutes later I come out of the bago and someone lets out a little scream behind me. I spin to find a group of teenage girls. Glen comes running around from the back and pushes me behind him.

  “Are you Bells Stratton?” One stutters out. I nod and smile. “Could we have a photo with you?”

  “Sure.” I see Glen tense up. I take the girl’s phone and hand it to Glen. The girls gather around me and he takes the shot. Just then Asher comes out.

  “What’s going on here?!” He sounds angry and is eyeing the girls like they’re terrorists or something.

  “I’m just taking a picture with these lovely girls.” I keep my smile in place but glare at him and Glen. I sign some autographs and thank them for coming over.

  “What the hell has gotten into you two? They’re three teenage girls. This is going to happen from time to time. I’m not in danger for god’s sake. What were they going to do?…Facebook me to death?”

  “Sorry, baby, I guess I’m not use to seeing it that’s all.” He doesn’t look very sorry.

  “It’s fine. Let’s just go.” I suppose he’s right. He’s never really been with me in public without my disguise. I’ll cut him some slack.

  I walk with Pepper and Janie catching up on some well-deserved girl talk. They make me laugh telling me Colby wants to buy CB radios so they can use trucker lingo. I tell them what Asher said and we all giggle like crazy. It’s great to be stretching my legs. I feel like I haven’t been anywhere in ages. Janie and Pepper are wearing heels too which I’m happy to see. Pepper whispers to me that she has emergency mini pumps in her bag. We eat at a lovely little restaurant and ride on some amusements. Then we settle in at a bar overlooking the ocean and have a great night drinking and dancing with some locals.

  The next few days we travel into the north of Georgia. The Appalachian Mountains are a beautiful sight to behold. We go on a couple of trails and hikes in the hilly regions. Janie agreed with me that nature would be a lot nicer without bugs and with air conditioning. The best part for me was when Pepper got chased by a squirrel, prompting Colby to start chasing the squirrel to stop it.

  At one point Colby shouted “someone shoot the fucking thing!” They ran in big circle for a couple of minutes until eventually the squirrel disappeared up a tree. Colby muttered about the demon squirrel as he caught his breath. I managed to catch it on my phone. That video is going on youtube. When Pepper saw it she burst into laughter and accidentally giggle-snorted turning her face as red as her hair, which had us all hanging on to trees to stay upright from laughing so much.

  It seems love is in the fresh hilly air. Pepper has started to hold Colby’s hand and letting him put his arm around her. It’s early days but a great step forward in my opinion. Colby looks as proud as a peacock at this new development. One night I talked to Asher about another possible coupling going on.

  “Have you noticed anything between Radley and Tate?” I ask hesitantly. Who knows how he’ll react to this.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think there’s some chemistry there.” I’ve noticed a few lingering glances and secret smiles exchanged between the two.

  “You mean like in a gay way?” Such a guy way to put it.

  “Yes. I mean they seem attracted to each other.” Then Asher shocked me.

  “I hope so. It’s about time Tate came out of the closet.”

  “What?” I had to be sure I heard correctly. I certainly wasn’t expecting to hear that.

  “Well Colby and I noticed it when we first met him. He never looked at us like he liked us liked us but he checked out a few guys when he thought we weren’t looking. Also, he kisses lots of girls yet only a few have ever stayed in his room overnight and we overheard two of them the morning after saying that he passed out drunk, only Tate never gets that drunk. He never bothers saying anything so we don’t either. We just let him assume we think he’s straight. I hope Radley’s who he wants. I like the guy.”

  “Me too. Radley’s not out either. If we’re right I hope things work out and they don’t feel they have to hide it from us.”

  I spent the next ten minutes looking at euvery girls dream guy sat next to me. God, to hear him being so open about his friend after watching him get sweaty on the hike has me all kinds of stirred up. We’re meant to be meeting up with everyone in twenty minutes so I better make this quick. I drop to my knees in front of him.

  “What’re you doing, baby?” I put my hand over his cock and start to rub along it through his shorts. I love to feel him hardening in my hand. I pull his shorts and underwear down and start to stroke him.

  “I want to show you how much I love you.”

  “Bow, don’t think you need to do this to make me feel loved. That said, you’ll never hear me complain about it either.” His chuckles aren’t short by his moan.

  Now fully hard I lick up his length. Wetting
him ready for my mouth. I circle the head with my tongue and lick up the small drop of pre-cum from his slit. Asher hands find their way into my hair. He never takes over, he just has to have his hands on me. I take him into my mouth and suck and lick the head of his cock and work the rest with my hand. His hips start to gently move with my rhythm so I take him deeper. I suck harder every time I move up. I stroke the soft skin just behind his balls and he groans loudly, emptying himself into my mouth. He slumps back, breathing hard.

  “Fuck, baby, you’re good at that. I feel like I need a nap now.” I sit on his lap and he starts to unbutton my shirt but I stop his hand.

  “No time for that, honey. We’ve only got five minutes. Don’t worry though, you can make it up to me later.”

  “You know I will, shit I’m getting hard again just thinking about it.”

  Asher

  We’re a week into the trip now and it’s going far too fast for my liking. Bow says we should do it across California next. I’m going to make that a reality because spending this time with her has been amazing. I love glancing across at her while I’m driving to see her reading her kindle or doing crosswords. She sings along with the radio, butchering any song she knows and I love that about her too. She’s completely herself with me as I am with her.

  Our next stop is Birmingham, Alabama. Bow keeps humming ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and doesn’t realise it. I feel like I should whistle ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’ to balance things out. I’m getting myself prepared to hold my temper going into a city. Bow’s been recognised a few times already but in a big city like Birmingham it’s bound to happen more often. We had an argument over her having her picture taken with people when Glen found a few posted on twitter.

  She argued that it’s the nature of her job and she’d never turn down someone who asked. I argued that it could uncover her secret at College. It was a poor excuse and she knew it but I couldn’t think of another argument. I couldn’t very well tell her the truth, that whoever is after her could use the photos to track her. We haven’t heard any more from the psycho, even so, I’m not relaxing even slightly until I get her back home.

  We spend two whole days in Birmingham soaking up the history. We had a night out in the loft district, ate roasted peanuts from Morris Avenue, Bow found some unusual shops nearly clearing them out of stock and we strolled around Linn Park. We ate at a Café DuPont and experienced what life was like when the sky scrapers at the ‘heaviest corner on earth’ were built. Anthony and I particularly enjoyed that.

  I’m about to ask Bow if she wants to go out tonight when Glen knocks on the door. “Hey. Do you fancy watching Saw? The guys are planning on having kind of a boys night.”

  I school my face and turn to Bow. “Go ahead, Asher. I wouldn’t mind a girls night myself. I’ll head over to Pepper and Janie. Go, have a good time. Come and get me when you’re done.” I nod and give her a deep kiss, then follow Glen. I knew things were going too well.

  I step into their bago and instantly feel suffocated. These things are anything but small, it’s my worries that are creeping up and choking me. I force myself to take a couple of deep breaths and face the guys. Colby gets up to stand next to me, offering his silent support. I appreciate it.

  Glen begins. “Bow got another letter. The photo is the first one those fans took of her in Myrtle Beach.” The photo shows up on the TV. It looks like Bow’s throat is cut and the girls around her now have devil horns and blood dripping from their mouths. It’s sick. “The map with it is of Georgia. The whole state is circled.”

  “He’s tracking her.” I point out. My nightmare voiced in three little words.

  “That’s what I think as well.” Glen adds. “He’s doing it through fan photos posted on social media. They’re all tagged with the location it was taken.”

  “I don’t care how she feels about it, she’ll have to wear her disguise when she’s in public.” Michael hollers.

  “I’m gonna have to tell her some of this that’s going on. If we don’t she could take unnecessary risks and she sure as hell won’t do it just because we ask her to. We don’t have to tell her about the maps or the other photos. That image is fucked up enough. I’ve already argued with her about fan photos. This will drive my point home and hopefully be enough to persuade her to put on her disguise.” All the guys nod even though no one wants her to see this. “I’ll go and get her now. She’s more likely to accept it if she thinks it’s not me overreacting and being paranoid or jealous when she sees that you all agree too. Maybe that way we can avoid showing her that picture as well.”

  I walk out before I can change my mind. I wanted to protect her from this. I feel like a failure. I knock on the bago door. Bow opens it.

  “Hey, honey. That was a very short movie.” I take her hand and rub my finger over the soft skin. While savouring the content look on her face. She must see something very different on mine.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “There’s something you need to see.”

  “What is it? Asher, you’re scaring me.” Her voice is shaky now.

  I cuddle her into my chest and run my fingers through her long silky hair. “I don’t want you scared, Bow. Ralph has sent us a photo that you need to be made aware off. If you don’t want to see it, that’s fine. I have to ask you either way to wear your disguise in public for the rest of the trip.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “As a heart attack.”

  “I’ve seen lots of my photos defaced and sent to me with rude words on them. I bet it’s not too bad. Some people just aren’t all there.”

  “It’s bad.”

  “I need to see it or I’ll just constantly wonder if it’s any different from the crap I’ve been sent in the past. You guys tend to be a bit over-protective. Maybe I can ease your fears then.” She wasn’t getting it and now she’s trying to help me. Would I ever get this boyfriend thing right?

  We walk into the bago. Bow looked at all the guys trying to get a read on the situation. “You guys all know about this?” A chorus off yeses answer her. “And you all think I should wear my disguise from now on?” At their fervent agreement she shakes her head. She thinks we’re overreacting. I wish we didn’t have to burst that bubble. “You guys should have seen some of the crap I’ve been sent in the past then believe me you wouldn’t worry so much. Show me the picture.” She sounds almost smug.

  Glen clicks a button on his laptop and the gruesome image fills the TV screen. Bow gasps and steps back. I steady her and put my arms around her waist, pining her to me. I hear her sniff and know she’s getting upset. Her eyes haven’t left the screen. I signal to Glen to turn it off, he does.

  “Why would someone do that?” She suddenly spins and bursts into full on tears on my shoulder. I hold her tight and rock in place to calm her. Michael walks over to us and rubs her back. She’s as stiff as a board in my arms. Her cries eventually quiet and she slumps into me.

  “We don’t know. We just want you safe, B.” Michael’s says. She nods.

  Chapter twenty two

  Asher

  Bow woke up from nightmares twice last night. Each time she almost burrowed underneath me to go back to sleep, like she needed to be totally surrounded to feel safe. I have a feeling it would have been worse if she hadn’t spoken to Ralph. He can calm her down better than anyone. I can see her trying to look unaffected this morning but there’s a fragility to her that wasn’t there before. Everyone picks up on it.

  Today we’re driving to Jackson, Mississippi. Bow falls asleep on the way. I’m glad she’s feeling relaxed enough to sleep. When we arrive at our RV Park, Bow seems jittery. She disappears and comes back in her disguise after seeing how many people are milling about. I hate seeing her like this. She’s lost her spark. Her enthusiasm is gone.

  I end up dragging her out when her excuses to stay inside border on the ridiculous. There is no need to “check that nothing’s been broken in the spare bedroom when we hit that bump in the road the other
day.” She’s worried and frightened, I get that but I won’t allow her to ruin this trip for herself. We visit the Capitol Building and luckily Bow gets swept up in the history. It’s good to see.

  Over the next two days we visit amusements, shop and spend an evening drinking at a roller derby tournament. It was hilarious. Bow joked that she’d like a go but only if Michael and I were on her team so she didn’t get bashed about. The next day I snuck out with Colby and Anthony and brought everyone roller skates.

  We had so much fun skating around the park. Colby didn’t understand the concept of slow and steady. He’d power forward and end up on his ass every time. Personally, I think he did it on purpose because after every bruise and scrape Pepper fussed over him. She seemed to forget that the guy is a college football player and is regularly tackled, bruised and battered throughout a normal game.

  Everyone was crap at skating, always grabbing on to someone when they started to fall, usually dragging that person down with them. Janie was the only one who picked it up, eventually spinning and skating circles around all of us. Bow barely moved with her skates on. She’d never done it before. Her legs were so stiff that I ended up pushing her to roll her forward and as soon as she started to move she’d scream. Michael suggested maybe she’d be better off if we found her skating heels, earning him a playful slap.

  Our final stop before being back in Texas is New Orleans, Louisiana. We have four days left and we’re spending three of them here. We can travel around Texas anytime. Bow is the most excited about this stop. Our first afternoon and night is spent on Bourbon Street. We could spend our entire time in New Orleans just on this street and still not experience all it has to offer. There are so many music clubs, pubs and restaurants that we want to go into that we’d have to split up to hit them all.

  Tonight Bow seems back to her old self and arranges for us to have a private tour of the French Quarter in a horse drawn carriage. It got surprisingly unsettling when the guide talked about voodoo. That shit is too freaky for me. We’re all sat around outside the bagos totally stuffed and a bit drunk when Bow leans over and whispers in my ear, “meet me in the bago in five minutes. I want to earn some mardi gras beads.”