No Picnic, part four

I was furious about everything by then, simply everything. I saw that I just had to do something, anything on this day, whereby just once boys could get the better of girls. And suddenly I knew what it was. Holly had her back to Kyle’s friend as she celebrated and he was gazing hopelessly at her. Before I could let myself think any of the thoughts that would stop me, I strode over to the little girl, took the hem of her skirt in both hands, and whipped it all the way up.

The eyes of Kyle’s friend grew huge as saucers.

“White ones,” he said, in a conversational voice.

The next second though he was hollering aloud: “White ones! They’re white! White with white lace on the legs!”

Holly’s face was brick-red. She looked as if nothing of this kind had ever happened to her. Kyle and Jessica were wearing absolutely identical stunned gawping expressions, whilst the latter’s mother looked just about ready to explode with rage. Meanwhile, I was somehow managing to feel pretty good and terrified all at once!

Then Jessica’s mother did explode, just as I’d predicted.

“How could you?” she stormed at me. “You horrid boy! And you a guest at our home! Shame on you! And my poor Holly just an innocent little girl!”

I went crimson, but from indignation not shame. After all, the way her precious little Holly had devoted the last weeks and months to tantalizing Kyle’s friend, she could hardly be as innocent as her mother thought!

“Well, I won’t have you in my house ever again,” that one went on. “You can go back home right now and tell your parents what you did!”

“He can’t, Mum,” Jessica put in. “He’s got to stay the night.”

This was news to me, and apparently to Jessica’s mother too, for she flung at her elder daughter: “What?”

“Well, you told me to put my school uniform in the wash,” said Jessica.

“Because that blouse looked and smelled like you’d got in the school pond with it on,” her mother agreed. “Now kindly tell me what on Earth that has to do with anything else?”

“I put his in the wash too,” Jessica explained. “It won’t be dry until morning, and they won’t let him on the school bus if he hasn’t got his uniform on.”

Her mother looked about ready to snarl.

“Then telephone your parents and tell them,” she commanded me. “Then you boys can all go straight to bed!”

“Not my friend here!” Kyle shouted at once. “He gets a bit of quality time with Holly first. Unless you want your precious little girl to break her word,” he added smartly.

The fury Jessica’s mother showed then, at being trapped by a little boy’s argument, almost made up for how she and her daughters had trounced us in the game.

“A promise is a promise,” she said at last, defeated.

The last traces of sun were still in the purple evening sky at the end of this hot, hot day. Kyle’s friend and Holly were snug behind the same closed door, and I was happy for him and glad to have helped. I was also happy for Kyle, if only because he was cute enough to find one day soon what I was still looking for.

Jessica was supposed to be finding me a pair of his old PJs, but she hadn’t got back to me yet. I sighed, and looked along the empty upstairs landing.

Today seemed to have gone on forever. Like something else I could mention.

Suddenly I smelled, not saw, that I wasn’t alone. It was rose-petals and a very familiar brand of perfume. I whirled around to see Jessica, smiling outside her bedroom door. She’d changed her bikini and sunhat for a short pink nightdress with matching pink bloomers showing underneath, all so light they looked as if they were spun out of candyfloss. The sight of her almost stopped my heart.

“Y-You’re not mad at me!” I breathed.

“Are you kidding?” Jessica laughed. “Taking that little Missy down a peg or two’s just what she needed. Cleverest thing you’ve ever done! Besides, Mum’s the only one who’s mad. Holly’s wanted to get with that little cutie ever since Kyle started bringing him home to tea. She was just interested in seeing how long she could drag it out!”

Jessica gave me an unmistakable smile, her blue eyes sparking. “Which all means,” she continued, “that as of now you’re allowed to touch me!”

I could only stare. “Really?” was the one word I finally managed to gasp.

“Yes,” Jessica told me gently. Then she went on: “Besides, I’m so sick of my little sister doing better than me! If she gets to have some fun tonight, I do!”

She drew me close, and the press of her against me, with her lips on mine and the smell of rose-petals all around, is where the story ends.

THE END (told you!)