Chapter 131

January 19, 2018

Dear Ms. Diary,

[Written January 20-21]

Lana wasn’t too fidgety in Geography class, but we could tell she was excited. At lunch, she let some of that out.

“I’m so excited, I almost can’t stand it.”

Heather replied, “Hey, you’ve got only three classes to go, and one of them is gym, so you can work off some of that energy in our last class of the day ... right before we go to the pitch where you can work off more.”

“Yeah, about that. I know we had a holiday on Monday but having a pitch workout right after gym makes the pitch workout harder.”

“Ah,” Meka replied, “but you won’t have to shower after gym, at least, so you’d have more time to expend even more of your crackling energy,” after which she sent Lana a grin.

Lana pouted and replied, “If I didn’t like you so much, I’d have to dislike you for that,” after which she sent Meka’s grin back at her.

“You’re okay, Girl!”

Lana said, “Thanks. I truly need to figure out how I can live in Elkton for the rest of high school.”

Meka worked us hard on the pitch, although she did not make us do wind sprints! She had us do something different for the practices there, having everyone – even Liya, Brett, Brit, Lana, and Cera – in a big circle doing one-touch passing. Kim told us she was going to spend a rare evening with her parents, but that she would like to visit us tomorrow. We told her to come over whenever, that she was always welcome. Despite the extra drill, we still finished by 4, so Meka drove the horde of us to the J house. It’s only two blocks, but she had the Sprinter. In that two blocks’ distance, I warned everyone that we had company coming for dinner and that we had to start cooking no later than 5, but that I’d prefer earlier.

“Also, the three parents that are in town will be over by 5 or a little later, so we need to be showered and dressed before they get here.”

Civia asked, “What are we making for dinner?”

“Most of us just had this, sort of, but we’re making something in which it’s easy to incorporate help that doesn’t necessarily know much about cooking.”

Civia, her face lit up in hope, looked around the Sprinter to see that no one was guessing, so she blurted out, “Home-made pizza?”

“Civia wins. Yes. Carol is bringing the dough, but we need to get everything else ready so we can have all the toppings prepped. Our two guests will arrive by 5:30 and we need to incorporate the 13-year-old girl into the creation aspect of home-made pizza night. She needs to learn that cooking is fun.”

We were training our new friends on the buddy-wash system in the big W-house shower, so the three of them each needed a partner. Civia ran her spreadsheet, which selected Rhee, Heather, and me. Meka and Gracey decided to go to the J house, while Liya and Civia shared the W-house downstairs shower.

When the six of us were naked and in the shower, Rhee was going to give the instruction, but Lana said, “This is a great shower, but sharing it with my new friends is even better!” She looked around at each of us, shivered, then added, “I’m so going to love this! And you’re all so sexy!”

Rhee grinned at her, then said, “I’m sure you’ll like this.”

She went on to explain the original version, and that we still used it when Civia was with us, as she was not in the sexual aspect of the Gang. Rhee and I ran through a very quick example. When she explained the new version, Lana nearly did cartwheels of rapture.

Rhee continued with, “Although there are a few ways to do it, we’ve settled on one buddy washing the chest of her buddy, from behind, then they continue with the rest of the system. When the two turn around, the backwasher starts by washing the chest of her partner from behind, then carries on.”

As Civia had also assigned the partners, we split into our duos – Rhee with Lana and Heather with Cera. I started Brit and me off by washing her chest. Lana insisted on being the first chest washer with Rhee. Her happiness was unalloyed, as she was disporting in excitement, frequently exclaiming how wonderful Rhee’s breasts were. Heather grinned at me; I grinned back. Although Lana went a bit overboard with her expressions of enjoyment, all three of them liked our buddy-wash system.

“I just can’t help it. I’ve been a bit sex crazy for a long time, but I’ve never been part of anything remotely like this.”

Brit responded to Lana, saying, “I doubt many girls ever have, except our friends here. Just wait until you get to the actual sex part.”

I came back with, “You’re great, Lana. If I were a Victorian writer trying to describe your reactions, I could go wild with my vocabulary. I could use words rarely used now, such as... ‘disport.’ Mom taught it to me ... a couple years ago and I’ve never gotten to use it!”

We dressed casual and re-aggregated in the W-house kitchen by 4:30. Those of us experienced in the house began pulling out anything that might remotely be considered a pizza topping and handed them to the girls around the island that were doing the initial can-opening, jar-opening, and package-opening. Carol arrived a bit before 5.

“Wow, what a great-looking cadre of kitchen staff. I see most of you are wearing aprons. I guess we need to get more aprons, as you girls seem to be filling our house even more than in the past. Do we have any more of your current gang arriving?” When I answered negatively, she said, “That’s probably for the best, as the kitchen will be a bit crowded with this crew, much less with four yet to arrive.”

Carol named Rhee, herself, and me as the pizza-dough rollers, as we had the most experience. The others got out and stacked the various plates, glasses, and other stuff we’d need for the dinner. Dad and Mom arrived together after having met at the D house. Seeing that they weren’t needed immediately, they snuck upstairs for a quick-and-dirty shower. Should that not be “quick-and-clean?”

The doorbell rang at 5:21, so I doffed my apron, and joined Carol in meeting the Randles. Dad and Mom were coming down the stairs then, so I waited for them to greet Emma and be introduced to her daughter.

“Maren, please meet the four people whose house this is, although a lot more live here occasionally to frequently, at least that’s my understanding.”

Emma introduced my three parents and me to her daughter, who was tall, like Civia and about Civia’s height. Her handshake was so-so, but her nervous smile was cute.

I told her, “There’s no need to be nervous. We have a lot of girls here that are, like me, just a bit older than you, and one that’s younger. We won’t bite you, although I do hope you’ll help us finish up the prep work for the dinner we’re making. Everybody here loves it, and I’ll bet you’ll at least like it.”

Nervously, she answered, “Sure. I’ll help.”

I separated Maren from the parents, leaving them to gab in the living room.

As we hit the kitchen entryway, I said, “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Maren. I’ll bring her around.”

I could hear Civia, who was busy at the island with some task, her back to the entryway, say, “Huh. A friend at school is named Maren.”

The Maren next to me asked, “Civia?”

Civia wheeled around, her eyebrows flying to her hairline, as she loudly stated, “Maren? What are you doing here?”

I give Maren credit, she came back immediately with, “Apparently having dinner with you. What else would I be doing here now?” Civia worked through the girls between the island and the entryway and stood in front of Maren, who stated, “I guess these are those crazy friends of yours that play soccer.”

I could see that the four parents had approached the entryway but hung back to watch what happened. Emma’s focus seemed to be particularly concentrated on her daughter.

Civia responded, “Yes. Let me introduce you. You met Beth, right?”

When Maren nodded, Civia began introducing the others. I drifted out to the parents.

Looking at Emma, I said, “That’s pretty crazy, huh?”

Quietly, Emma answered, “It is. Maren’s been trying to ... get Civia to be a better friend, but Civia keeps putting her off, apparently for you girls. She tells me that they get along well at school, at least partly because they’re both quite smart and appreciate that in the other. Granted, I’ve had to interpret a lot of this, but Maren’s been torn between hanging onto Civia because she’s the only girl in the school she’s met that she likes, and rebuffing her, as Civia doesn’t seem interested in deepening the friendship, keeping it something that stays at school.”

I said, “We’re probably responsible for most of that, as we keep her pretty occupied, what with soccer practice after school, and two or three sleepovers a month here.”

I looked at Mom for a few seconds as she looked at me, then nodded. I turned back to Emma.

“I don’t want to intrude in your relationship with Maren, but let’s see how this evening goes. If it seems like it might work, we could suggest to Civia that she could invite Maren here occasionally. Civia is still learning how to have friends, as we ... five of the girls here, now, were her first friends, and she’s one of our best friends, despite the three years’ difference in age.”

“I’ve seen you girls in action. I’d have no qualms with her spending time here, particularly if she absorbs the responsibility you girls seems to have in spades. I notice that you’re all making dinner again.”

“We’re having Civia’s favorite home-made meal here, and she’s really come to love cooking, although her mom also instilled some of that in her. I remember our talk last summer, Emma, about Maren. Perhaps if she sees Civia truly enjoying herself while cooking, she might see cooking in a better light, and I must admit to picking this meal because it’s easy and fun.”

“Exactly.” Emma turned to Mom, saying, “I was blown away by these girls, particularly Beth, when I watched her figure out what she’d need to make a lamb crown roast, ordered it, then asked one of you to pick it up at the store. I’ve never seen ... or even heard of young teenagers like that.”

“Oh, we had our difficulties with her, but, oddly enough, not since she became a teenager, or a little before that. She and the other four, at least in summer, make most of our dinners, and they’re not only no trouble at all, but of inestimable help in keeping the house and our sanity intact. They’ve been an absolute joy since they’ve all been living here. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”

I blushed and said, “Thanks, Mom.”

Emma said, “I’d be ecstatic with ‘not a problem.’ Oh, she’s mostly fine, but my ... marriage situation has made it difficult on her, so I give her a lot of leeway ... perhaps too much, because my problems negatively impact her so much.”

I called out loudly, “Civia. Front and center!”

She was not in front of me in a flash, but it was not at all long, either, and she asked, “What do you need, Captain?”

I rolled my eyes at her, at which she grinned, then said very quietly, “Your friend seems not to like cooking. Perhaps you can show her how fun it is.”

She casually looked over her left shoulder, then at me, and nodded, returning to whatever her task was.

Rhee came over, looked at the parents, then said, “We often have home-made pizza night as uber casual in the kitchen, preparing and eating pizzas at nearly the same time. The crowd’s probably too big to do that in the kitchen. Should we keep one of the ovens just as a warming oven and eat on the deck. I worry a bit about that, as it’ll be harder to keep the pizzas hot by transporting however many we’d need to keep this crew happy for more than a couple minutes up there.”