by Liz Thomas
Cassilia nodded. “It is.”
“Then you know how this place works.” Cody growled, “You don’t make a move against the powers that be unless you wanna end up in the ground.”
Cassilia slowly shook her head. “I don’t think I understand.”
Cody quickly glanced over Cassilia’s shoulder to ensure that no one was listening. Luckily, they were virtually alone in the coffee shop. “Yes, you do, if you’ve been here ten years. There are two kinds of people in Black Eagle. The perpetrators and the victims. The perpetrators are some of the richest and most powerful figures in America, but no one even knows they exist. These people do whatever it takes to fatten their paychecks and maintain their aristocracy, no matter what it means for anyone else.” He pointed at himself and Cassilia. “The victims.”
Cassilia was stunned to silence. She always knew there was something funny about this town, but to hear that she wasn’t the only person being victimized…that it was virtually every young person in Black Eagle. “You know what I mean, don’t you?”
Cassilia nodded after a moment. “Yes, I think I do. So how does…how does Alyssa figure into all this?”
Cody sighed, smiled, and shook his head. “Well, shoot, as long as I’m being honest…” He looked at her and continued, “Her father is an oil magnate, or something. Thinks he owns God, that kind of person. Alyssa has had three boyfriends before me. Two of them, he ruined their reputation. The third one? The one who actually slapped her?” He paused and said, “He’s buried not too far from my dad.”
Cassilia gasped, raising a hand to her mouth. “So you’re trapped too…”
“Incredibly so, yes.” Cody replied, grateful to get it off his chest. “So you too, huh?”
Cassilia raised her eyebrows. “Hm?”
Cody gestured towards her. “You said ‘you’re trapped too’. What’s your story?”
Cassilia blushed again. “Oh.” She hadn’t realized her own words, “Well…” She trailed off, looking down. “I’m sorry.” Cody offered gently, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want too.”
Cassilia looked up at him and smiled. “No…if you’re really interested.”
Cody nodded, returning the smile. “I am.”
“Well…I never knew my dad, my real dad, I mean. I think he died overseas or something. Mom didn’t like to talk about him but…” When she became silent again, Cody looked at her. “But?”
She smiled at him, “She always said he was a good man. You really wanna know this?” No one had ever asked before.
Cody nodded eagerly. “Yes, I do, please.”
Cassilia continued, “Anyway, she married my stepfather, Roger, when I was seven. I didn’t even know she was dating anyone at the time. Right after they got married, they moved us here.”
Her expression darkened as she went on. “Roger has three daughters. Mom did her best with them but I don’t think they ever really liked her…except Annalise.”
“Annalise?” Cody asked as he poured them both more coffee.
“Thank you.” Cassilia spoke as she brought the cup to her lips and sipped, “Annalise, yes. My youngest stepsister. She seemed to really like my mom. I don’t know why but Roger discouraged it. Mom really liked Trina. My oldest stepsister…Trina always put up a tough front but I caught her letting my mom clean up her bruises and stuff.”
“Wow.” Cody grinned, “Your mom sounded like a really good person.”
“She was.” Cassilia beamed, “Mom was the best.”
“What happened to her?”
“Cancer.” Cassilia replied sadly, “But a strange kind of cancer. It was a radical new strain, the doctors said. It was aggressive and it didn’t respond to any kind of treatment. She was gone two years after being diagnosed.”
Cody blanched. “You’re joking.”
Cassilia scowled and shook her head. “I wouldn’t joke about something like this. Why?”
Cody was angry. “That’s what my father died of.”
Cassilia’s mouth fell open. “What?”
“I swear, Cassilia. Cancer. Same damn thing you’re describing. New strain, can’t be treated. Died within two years of diagnoses. Bedridden for the last six months, am I right?”
Stunned, Cassilia nodded. “How did you know that?”
Cody slapped the table. “Cause that’s what happened to my dad.”
The two were quiet for a moment, simultaneously saddened and relieved that they were united by tragedy. “It wasn’t cancer.” Cassilia finally whispered.
“No, it wasn’t.” Cody agreed.
He looked up at her and asked, “Your life is pretty bad now, I’m guessing.”
Cassilia looked at him cautiously for a moment and then shook her head, looking away. “I don’t know if I’d call it bad. Roger lets me stay in the house with Trina, Ramona, and Annalise. I get to go to school and I have my own room and everything…all I have to do is take care of them.”
“What does that mean? Roger makes you….?”
Cassilia scowled. “What? No!” She paused and confessed the truth to herself before saying it aloud, “But he wants me too, I know that. I think it’s disgusting. I won’t do that.”
Cody exhaled and appeared relieved. “Yes, it’s bad.” Cassilia whispered, “I never get a break. They call me ‘rat’. I have to do the dishes, make all of their meals, clean all of their laundry, clean the house…and they never even say thank you or anything.”
Cassilia was shuddering and Cody could see she was breaking down. When the first tear fell down her face, he rose from his seat and made his way over to her slowly. She didn’t try to stop him as he wrapped his arms around her and held her closely. He placed his head behind hers and was happy to feel her hands clutch his forearm and hold tightly as she sobbed.
For a few bittersweet moments, he merely held her as she sobbed.
When he spoke, it was quiet and with hesitation. “Listen.” He began. “Why don’t you come back home with me tonight?”
Cassilia immediately pulled away and glowered at him, her face red from crying. “What?! No! You mean all of this was a scheme to get me to sleep with you?!”
“What?!” Cody countered, looking around embarrassingly as he motioned for her to keep her voice down, “No! No! I swear, no! I have a bed—”
She gasped and scooted away from him. “Would you please just listen to me?!” Cody pleaded desperately, “Listen, I will happily take the floor, okay? I figure you could use a break from having to take care of everyone else. Just one night, you can rest and sleep in as long as you want.”
Cassilia’s look softened, and she looked at him apprehensively. “That’s it?” She asked.
Cody nodded, very aware that their waitress was eyeballing them suspiciously. “That’s it. If you feel uncomfortable at any time, you can leave and I swear I won’t try to stop you.”
Cassilia relented. “Okay.” She pointed at him. “But you’re on the floor, deal?”
Cody smiled and nodded quickly. “Deal.”
He stood up and got out of the way as she scooted out of the chair. She pointed at him warningly and said, “But if you whip it out I’m gonna kick you in it.”
In the distance, the waitress laughed.
Cody raised his hands in mock surrender and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
Cody left ten dollars on the table and then followed Cassilia out of the restaurant.
While not in bad shape, Cassilia had underestimated what a ten mile walk would do to her. Cody lived on the eastern shores of Black Eagle, with a relatively modest two-story home that overlooked the bay. She was amazed that he could walk as well as he did, considering that he’d been bedridden a few hours earlier. Now, it was him offering support when she appeared winded. But it had turned into a competition of sorts for her. She wanted to prove that she could make the trip as well as he could.
By the time they finally arrived, she was wishing he’d called them a cab.
The journey itself had
been rewarding. It turned out that they had more in common than parents who died under mysterious circumstances. Neither of them had much family to speak of—Cody didn’t have any, except for a coach—and both of them, at their heart, wanted to get out of Black Eagle. They also both loved the beach and Italian food.
When they finally reached the stairs to his home, Cassilia was completely winded, and sweating right through her clothes. They took a seat for a moment outside his home while she caught her breath. He sat beside her.
After a moment, she turned and took in his home. Although the eastern part of the city was generally frowned upon by the greater population, Cassilia couldn’t see what everyone was complaining about. Cody’s home was a masterpiece of architecture, although she could easily see the neighbors complaining.
Cody’s home stood apart from the others, which had all been built practically atop each other. Where the other homes were identical with beige walls and tan roofs, his was a sky blue affair was a light red rood. A two story home with bay windows on both sides of the front door, his was the only house on the block that had a single-door entrance. “My father commissioned it that way.” Cody explained when he noticed Cassilia’s expression, “He still owned some of the land, even after my mom took off. There wasn’t much the board could do.”
Cassilia smiled. “Your dad sounded like a brave man.”
Cody looked at her and returned the smile, nodding. “He was. Dad was the best.”
The two looked at each other just a bit longer than either wanted to acknowledge and then turned away. Cassilia was suddenly aware of how much she was sweating. “You wanna go in now?” Cody asked, surprising her.
She turned to him slowly, wistfully, and said, “Listen, Cody.” She tried her best to sound firm but knew she only sounded timid, “I don’t know what kind of girls you’re used to, but I’ve never been in another boy’s home. You promise me that you’re not gonna try anything?”
Cody nodded. “You have my word. Like I said, you can have the bed. If it makes you feel any better, I can sleep downstairs.”
She shook her head. “No, that’s fine. You can sleep on the floor. Thank you for letting me have the bed.”
Cody smiled, grateful he could at least be close to her. “No problem.”
He stood up, pulling his keys out of his pocket and quickly finding the one for the front door. As he entered the key in the lock, Cassilia rose slowly and spoke shyly. “May I please take a shower…” She whispered. Cody whirled, wide-eyed and surprised. Cassilia raised her eyes, keeping her head down. “I’m really dirty…” Her voice got softer with each word, “That was a long walk.”
Cody nodded slowly. “I’ll give you some clothes.” He offered quietly, “And the door to my shower locks from the inside. I promise you; I won’t bother you.”
A few minutes later, Cody had completed a tour of his home and taken an apprehensive Cassilia upstairs to his bedroom. The house was modest, sporting only a front room and kitchen. Cody enjoyed cooking as a hobby and his kitchen was state of the art.
His front room was surprise. She hadn’t expected him to be much of a reader, but to the left of a wall-mounted flat screen TV was a bookshelf that was built into the wall and took up half of it. The bookshelf was stuffed with the works of Hemingway, reprints of Shakespeare and even the completed works of Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou.
“You read?!” She blurted, and then immediately felt foolish out of fear she’d insulted him. He’d merely smiled and recited a few lines from Langston Hughes. Cassilia had smiled so brightly that she’d nearly given her newfound affection away. Cody had noticed and downplayed it.
He’d then taken her to the upper part of the house. It was a three bedroom; one room was all his own, and the adjoining bathroom was as big as her attic. The shower was an enclosed unit with rectangular heads built into the angular ceiling, managed by touch-screen displays on the wall. It was built into a massive bathtub that looked more like a Jacuzzi. The toilet was several feet away from the shower, and Cody had way too much room on his sink for the few items he kept there.
He had left her in the bathroom, returning a few moments later with sweats that were too big for her. She had given him a funny look when she held his sweatshirt up to her body. “I promise, it’s all I’ve got.” He grinned as he responded. “I already turned down the bed for you, and I’m sleeping across the room on the floor. You can get dressed in here and come to bed whenever you’re ready.”
Her look softened as she realized he was truly giving his best efforts. “Okay. How do I work the shower?”
Cody stepped past her into the bathroom and pulled open the shower door. He pointed to a display on the right wall. “It’s all digital.” He explained. “Just press this and it’ll walk you through it.” He hesitated. “Do you want me to set it up?”
Cassilia smiled graciously and shook her head, holding his clothes to her body. “No, thank you. I’ll figure it out.”
“Okay.” Cody said uneasily. He stepped past her, exiting the bathroom. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”
His last act before leaving was to show her how to lock the door, and then he closed it behind him.
Cassilia stripped slowly. She didn’t remember the last time she’d worked up that much of a sweat. She didn’t like the sight of her own naked body so she stood away from the mirror.
She lifted her shirt off first, which was soaked from the workout. She then slid her pants down her legs and stepped out, leaving them in a neatened pile beside the door.
Cody had been correct; the shower controls had been easy enough to figure out. A single panel activated every stream, and there were nozzles for the front, back, both shoulders, and overhead. There was also a built-in bench that lined the wall.
She’d never seen anything like this. She activated every single nozzle and let the hot water wash her troubles away.
No. No, I’m not gonna do it.
At last, Cody understood what those angels on everyone shoulders meant in the cartoons. He was battling it out with the bad guy angel now.
He sat on his bed, the one he’d turned down for Cassilia, and looked out across the city to the left. His arms were folded, his legs raised, and his cock so hard it hurt. Of course, he’d given his word that he wouldn’t interrupt her in the shower, and on his father’s grave, he would not.
But the fact that she was right there, naked, sopping wet in his shower, it was almost maddening.
He could hear the water running, and based on the force, she had ever nozzle on her. His imagination began to go crazy as he imagined her in the shower, hands running through her hair as the water trickled off her high, full breasts—
His cock throbbed in his pants and he sighed in frustration. He looked to the door and tried to hear what she might be doing.
Of course, you’re supposed to stay out of the shower. But there’s nothing wrong with listening at the door, is there?
Cody rolled his eyes, silently chastising himself. Suddenly he was twelve years old again.
His cock was throbbing relentlessly, threatening to burst free of his boxers, which suddenly felt too tight. He couldn’t take his eyes off the door, off the beautiful, wonderful naked girl in his shower on the other side.
I’m going straight to hell for this.
Resigned, and praying he wouldn’t get caught, Cody slowly got off the bed and sauntered over to the bathroom door.
Having warm water run over every inch of her body was the most relaxing thing Cassilia had ever experienced. Shee was surprised to learn that the flat shower heads angled in their slots, she was now relaxing on the bench furthest from the door, letting every jetstream wash the stress off her body.
Her lower half tingled suddenly as one stream found her clitoris and pulsed it rhythmically. At first, she was flushed, and embarrassed. She quickly sat up, clearing her throat and closing her legs protectively. It was one thing to masturbate at her house, or even in a private shower. But in the home of
a boy she didn’t know all that well?
But I need this so bad…
Slowly, she relaxed, sliding down even further onto the bench, running her hands along her inner thighs as the water found her sweet spot once again, and she gasped. She kept her breathing quiet as she began to enjoy the water.
I can’t believe I’m doing this.
Yet, there he was, on the other side of the locked bathroom door. At least, he hoped it was locked. It had crossed his mind to jiggle the handle just to see what happened, but his better judgment had won out.
He leaned against the exterior door jamb with his left hand and overpowered guilt, his right hand quickly and quietly undoing his pants. His cock was waiting for him.
Cassilia must’ve liked her showers hot, because steam was emanating and rolling up like clouds from the space between the bottom of the door and the floor. He imagined her back there, naked, sopping wet, and enjoying every spray that rained down upon her beautiful body.
“Uhh…” He immediately sat up, clasping a hand to his mouth and keeping a firm hand on his cock. He hadn’t even realized that he had started stroking.
He could feel his heart racing, and all but one part of his body had gone icily cold as he prayed Cassilia hadn’t heard him.
When the water didn’t shut off, and there were no footsteps approaching the door, Cody slowly resumed. He stroked his cock up and down, wondering what it would feel like to have it inside Cassilia as he pressed his left hand over his mouth, forcing himself to be quiet.
Oh, God…
Cassilia breathed slowly yet hard as she arched her back, the shower spray coursing along her clitoris. Her pussy pulsed with the pressing sensation of gentle, yet forceful and relentless water that urged her onward towards that much needed orgasm. She reached behind her for something to grasp as her legs began to tremble. There was only the wall so she pressed her palms against it, forcing her legs to remain open to the shower until—
She came violently, her entire body shuddering as she slammed her legs closed, rubbing her knees together as she breathed rapidly, her clit vibrating like hummingbird wings and sending warm waves of ecstasy racing through her body. Her high breasts reacted by firming up her nipples, and she took hold of them, massaging them tightly, lovingly.
