***
After four hours of studying with Sarah’s coaching, Kara eventually went to sleep. Connor stood up and made the two of them something to eat. When he finished preparing the late dinner, he brought the two plates and two bottles of water into the living room. They sat together and ate. Now they were sitting so close that their thighs were rubbing against one another. As Sarah ate she leaned back into the sofa with the plate of food resting on her lap. Connor quickly finished consuming his food when he asked, “Sarah, why did you braid your hair?” And that caught her completely off guard.
She sat up almost instantly and looked embarrassed. “Connor, I was not sure how you liked my hair done, so I tried this. Is it unpleasant to your eyes?” She reverted to a very formal way of talking, pulled her braid around her shoulder and became even redder. “May I ask, how do you like my hair, done up?”
“I can’t tell you.” Connor smiled and thought “Please take the bait.”
She smiled shyly and spoke in her quiet and velvety voice. “Then will you please show me what you mean.” She said, setting her plate on the table and pushing her braid back over her shoulder, to rest along her spine. “You fell into my trap, Princess.” Before she could turn her back to him, Connor used his left arm and stretched it across her lower back and grabbed her left hip. He closed his knees tightly together to make a platform for her to sit on. Pulling her up by her left hip, he used his right hand to support her transition by placing it on her right thigh.
Connor noticed that she didn’t gasp or scream, instead she went stone still.
She is now sitting on his lap with her legs spread to keep her balance. With her back facing Connor he leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “Don’t worry, Sarah, all I am going to do is show you how your hair looks best on you.” She still sat rigid so he pulled off her hair tie that held together her braid “Will you please hold this for me?” She took it out of his hands slowly, without looking back. As he slowly untied her braid, she started to visibly relax from his touch. Her shoulders started dropping and her breathing became more even.
When Connor finished unbraiding, he gently finger brushed out her beautiful, silky brown hair. “I truly love your hair when it is down and when the wind catches it and your hair billows. It is a sight I love to watch. I also liked it today when you had it all pulled back in a simple pony tail. It exposed your beautiful neck. Truthfully I wanted to kiss you there when you first walked in.” he said evenly and honestly.
The most amazing thing happened, Sarah turned her body to now sit side saddle on his lap. Those emerald green eyes stopped him from moving even one inch. She was thinking and weighing her options, that much he could tell.
“Really?” She said in a very seductive voice. “Just for today then, I want you to kiss my neck.” As she said that, she reached with her right hand around her head to pull all of her hair from her neck and draped it over her right shoulder and it cascaded over her chest. This now revealed the ivory skin of her throat.
“Am I dreaming…? Who cares about that right now?” “Are you positive?” She answered by closing her eyes slowly and tilting her head back in open invitation.
Leaning in, his lips touched her throat and tremor shot through her body and into his legs, which made his body jolt in a similar way. Silk was the closest he could describe from the smoothness of her skin. She moaned in pleasure and Connor took that as a sign to keep going. She wrapped her arms around him and another tremor went through them again.
And then the moment abruptly cut short.
Hearing footsteps from outside pulled him out of their world and into the normal one. Connor knew his mom just got home from the hospital. Sarah remained sitting on his lap, wanting more, but her eyes were open and filled with passion. She said “That was truly wonderful.”
“It was for me too.” Connor’s voice sounded alien to him. It seemed too husky. He slid his left hand under her legs while with his right snaked around her shoulder blades to effortlessly encompass her. Now standing up with her in his arms, her eyes shot open. He kissed her head and gently stood her up. He tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Answering her questioning look he whispered “My mom just arrived and I think I’d better take you home before things get any hotter between us.”
She nodded in understanding and looked as disappointed as he felt. A moment later, Jenny opened the door and saw them standing not too far away. “Hey kids, how was the lesson?”
They looked at each other about the lesson they just experienced, but Sarah answered. “It went well, Jenny. He is a quick learner if you know how he processes things.”
“Words to live by.” Jenny agreed with a little laugh. She wore a white scrub top and light blue pants.
“Sarah, I will walk you home now.” he said while looking at Sarah. Connor was trying to get the two of them out his mother’s radar because they were both flushed and a mom could always see these things easily.
“Goodnight, Jenny.” Sarah said and grabbed her papers while leaving.
Connor walked Sarah home and kissed her forehead, saying goodnight without words. He walked into the house and into the kitchen. “Goodnight Mom, I’m going to get some sleep.” Connor heard his mother giggle quietly and it dawned on him. That’s where Kara gets her giddiness from.
The rest of the week went about the same for him. He’d run to school, saw Sarah, run home, study with her for a few hours, ending with Connor walking her home. He always ended each night with a kiss on her forehead.
Friday eventually came and after class ended Connor walked up to Sarah. “Hey Princess. I’m sorry, but I am going camping with Granddaddy this weekend. I promised and I always keep my promises.”
“That’s ok. I have to get caught up with the other students work and input the grades into the computer. Connor, tell David I also said hello.” Now she wore his favorite smile on her full rosy lips.
Connor hugged and kissed her forehead. “I will see you on Monday.”
“Later.” And he went home and got some much needed sleep.
Saturday morning came when David let himself in and knocked on Connor’s bedroom door. “Connor, are you awake yet?”
“Yes Sir.” And he got dressed quickly.
Leaving his room he noticed that Jenny and Kara were still asleep. Jenny usually gets the weekends off from the hospital and the two of them usually leave all day and have a girl’s day out.
Walking into the garage Connor attired his usual dark clothing, a brown shirt and pants. He slipped on his hiking boots and walked over to his work bench. He grabbed Tool, a flint stone, a coil of rope and slid it over his shoulder. These were the only things that one truly really need to go camping for one full night out in the woods.
His grandfather twisted the key to fire up the loud engine of his red pick-up truck. Connor opened the passenger door and set the rope in the back of the truck. They really didn’t talk much on their way to a sparsely wooded forest that was about a three hour drive from his house.
Pulling into the desired destination, they both exited the truck. Connor slid Tool into his belt loop and threw the rope over his shoulder while the flint remained inside his pocket. David wore a pair of beige pants and a red and white striped t-shirt. Over his shoulder laid a small sack that held only he knew what. It was best to travel light. David locked the truck and together they walked side by side in silence.
Two hours of hiking later David broke the silence. “This looks like as good as spot as any. I haven’t seen anyone for several hours. I’ll go collect some dry wood and some water from the stream we passed five minutes ago. Can I get you to make the shelter?”
“No problem, Granddaddy.” Connor confirmed in a chipper voice.
As his grandfather disappeared into the forest, Connor went right to work on the shelter. Cutting down five saplings, using the hatchet side of Tool, was a simple task. He also stripped away all of the branches and limbs each green sapling sprouted. Connor then turned Tool over on its ha
mmer end and hammered in two of the saplings into the ground, vertically. He latched one of the straighter saplings horizontally to bridge the two vertical posts that he had previously hammered in. He used the rope still wrapped over his shoulder to do the latching. Using the last two saplings, he laid them both on the horizontal shaft as a backdrop for the shelter. After he finished latching the saplings together the shelter started to take the shape of a simple shelter.
Connor then went off in search of possible coverings to lace the back of the shelter, just in case it did rain. He came upon a fully mature and tall Evergreen tree. It’s beauty shone and the color of the stems reminded him of Sarah’s eyes. Staring for just a few moments, he took out Tool again and cut off a few limbs while leaving most of the tree alone. “This will work out well for the shelter.” He dragged the limbs back to the camp and noticed that his granddaddy returned, sitting next to a nice size bundle of unlit fire wood. “Welcome back.”
“Glad to be back, Son.” Grinning at him, David jumped up and held out an open hand, palm up. “May I borrow Tool and the flint to get the fire started?”
Not needing them anymore, and without saying a word Connor slid Tool out and placed it in his hand along with the flint that rested in his pocket. David started striking the flint on some kindling and showers of sparks flew from each strike. Not too long after, the sticks took the flame.
As Connor was finishing laying the limbs onto the backdrop of the shelter in a weaving pattern, the backdrop had been finished just as the sun began do dip below the mountainous horizon. He grabbed a smoking log and set it in the shelter to remove any bugs or parasites that were tagging along in the bedding and roofing. The windless day allowed the smoke to saturate the shelter.
David asked Connor a question once things finally settled for the night. “I haven’t asked you in a few years, but when you graduate in a few weeks, what are you planning to do as a career afterwards?”
Connor turned to look at him in the eye, like he always has. “I’m not sure. I haven’t been too comfortable working with a lot of people. You of all people know that.” With the shelter complete he walked over and sat next to his grandfather in front of the fire. The smoke had done its job and the critters vacated the area. Connor propped his back against a tree as he continued talking of his plans for the future. “I have always felt at home being an outdoorsman and I think I could be a survival expert or maybe even a skilled carpenter. Even better why not do both.”
“I see.” Connor looked over to see David smiling upon him. “You have become quite strong and have become a good man. I am so proud of you and I always will be. Whatever decisions you make in life, are yours to make and you’ll have my support. Be it love or monetary.”
Feeling a lump in his throat Connor said “Thanks, Granddaddy.”
The observant grandfather focused his eyes on Connor and smiled again. “Connor, I have noticed a very big change in you recently.”
“What kind of change?” he really didn’t understand the contexts of the statement.
“Since last weekend, when you came back with the young lady who got lost. You tracked her down and brought her back safely. Kara told us what really happened, but she must love her father to not have told us. But if he lays a hand on her, you can handle him. Nevertheless, this Sarah, is she your girlfriend by any chance?” David had hope etched on his expressive brow.
“Why do you want to know?” Connor fired back, now understanding.
“Because you two couldn’t keep your eyes off of each other, the same way I look at your grandma, Rhoda.” David grinned in a very particular way.
“You old horn dog. What are you getting at?” Connor started laughing at his thought. “Yes, we are dating, secretly. Mom and Kara approve of her, but we are keeping it quiet until I graduate for both of our sakes.”
“How does she make you feel?” David’s demeanor became calm.
“I hope you’re not asking what it is we do?” Connor grinned at him
“No my boy, a man never asks another man about his love life. All I am asking is how does she make you feel?”
Thinking for the right word took a minute, it then came. “Complete.”
His grandfather now stared into the fire. “I’m happy for you Connor, you have found your other half. Good Hunting.”
Darkness settled in as Connor watched the fire. He said “It’s time we get some rest.” David agreed and slid into the shelter and went to sleep not too soon after.
Connor felt far too awake to get any sleep, so he stared into the abyss of stars in the night sky. Only one thing stayed on his mind: Sarah. “I hope that you sleep well, I will see you soon…”
When morning came and David awoke around eight. They talked about school, his work in metal working was flourishing, Jenny and Kara, Rhoda and even how Mark has been doing.
They broke down the camp once they both caught up on the events of the past two weeks and cleaned up their mess before the trip came to an end.
They arrived at the truck three hours later and started back home. They arrived at Connor’s house around eleven that night. He told his grandfather “Thank you for the great weekend.” and “Good night.” before he left. Before Connor went inside the house he looked across the street and saw that all of the lights were off so she must be asleep. “Goodnight my princess, I will see you tomorrow.”
The next day at school Connor saw her and felt gladness and contentment just to be near her again, but something seemed just a little off. Sarah kept glancing his way in class, looking very anxious and worried about something. That night when she came over he asked her about her behavior. She replied “A test is coming up for me and I just hope that I pass. It will be the biggest test of my life.”
“If there is anything I may be able to help you with, just let me know.” She looked away quickly and turned red. Her expression piqued his curiosity, but he left the subject alone though and didn’t bring it up again.
On Thursday they had a history test and thanks to all of the help Sarah supplied from tutoring, he felt really great about it. Connor knew all of the answers for each and every question, but out of habit he intentionally made wrong answers. That night Sarah didn’t come over or even call. She must have been really worried about this test of hers.
Friday became memorable to say in the least. Today Sarah was wearing a sky blue blouse and cutoff jeans with silver strapped sandals. As Sarah passed back the graded tests from yesterday, Connor became thrilled to find he earned a ninety four percent. Mark said “Good job, Buddy.” Sarah stood in front of Connor and quietly said “Good job, Connor, you really earned that.”
Sarah returned to her desk for a moment. Looking around to see the faces of his classmates who were reading their scores, only one face held Connor’s attention. Mathew, the football quarterback, glared at his graded paper and his face filled red with fury. Even his fist were clenched and struggled with what he received. “Ha, the golden boy looks angry. He probably failed the test.” That put a gloating smile on Connor’s face. It felt good knowing he did better than his hated adversary.
About ten minutes before the bell rang, Connor heard Sarah say to herself, “That clock is off, I’ll probably need to change its battery.” Pulling out a drawer and rummaging around in it, she pulled out two AA batteries.
Waiting for the final bell to signal that school was over and another weekend began, everyone in the class sat talking amongst themselves and getting anxious for the weekend.
Since Sarah’s form was so petite and the clock hung beyond her reach, she pulled an empty desk up to the wall to get better access to the clock. She then climbed on top of the smaller desk easily. Sarah reached up and pulled down the slow clock, popped out the old batteries and inserted new ones.
Not paying attention to the class left her vulnerable.
As Sarah remained standing on the desk, fixing the time on the clock’s face, Connor saw Mathew getting out of his seat wearing a grin that said ‘You’re
going to get it!’ a grin of mischief and malice. Mathew walk up to the desk Sarah stood upon and her back was to the class so she couldn’t see what was coming. Mathew put his left foot around one of the legs of the desk.
He yanked too hard.
“SARAH!” Connor screamed and started running from his seat in the back of the class.
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