Prom Ch. 06: Just Friends

The group continued to laugh and joke for a while before someone made the suggestion of playing a drinking game. Jenn immediately answered affirmatively for all three girls and Rachel shrugged at Kevin, encouraging him to join as well. He wasn't going to be drinking all that much, but he could at least hang out with them and have a good time.

Everyone made their way back to the kitchen and sat down around a round table. Rachel tingled again as she noticed TJ making a point to sit next to her. Kevin noticed as well and felt his stomach twist a little bit, even more so when Jenn grabbed the seat on the other side of her. He reluctantly chose a spot across the table, deciding that sitting next to Rebecca wasn't such a bad consolation prize. Still, he'd wanted to be closer to Rachel.

The group settled into the game, and before long, everyone was drinking, laughing, and having a good time. Rachel had long forgotten about Chris, but the excitement he had stirred up in her was still very present. And as she drank more and let herself relax, it began to appear possible that some other guy just might end up the beneficiary of such excitement.

She'd tingled a few times as she'd felt TJ begin to get a little more comfortable with her. His hands had found their way onto various parts of her body throughout the evening. A subtle brush of her leg and a gentle touch on her lower back. It made her shiver each time.

And it hadn't been a one-way street either. Rachel could feel his eyes on her, especially on her boobs, and she hadn't exactly done much about it. To the contrary, she'd leaned into him once or twice, or idly played with the gold heart locket that hung by her cleavage. As their hands playfully explored each other during the game, she felt the warmth of her arousal climb.

But every time it began to get hot, a splash of cold water would bring it back down. As relaxed as she was getting, she couldn't help but notice Kevin's occasional glances from across the table. She'd shivered one time when TJ had pushed further and slid his hand closer around her inner thigh. She wondered if Kevin could tell what was happening, or if he could see any of their subtle touches from where he sat. She felt guilty about it but she didn't know what to do otherwise.

The game went on for a while and definitely had its share of exciting moments. It had a bit of a "strip poker" element to it and several people ended up as victims. Girls (including Rachel) were forced to flash their bras after losing moments and the guys had dropped their pants a few times. Greg had even flashed his bare ass to the group, even though it hadn't been necessary. Rachel felt her arousal climb steadily as the hours melted away and it was beginning to look like TJ had some ideas of his own about her. His touches had become constant and his eyes had lit up like stars when she'd pulled up her tank top each time.

It finally ended and everyone semi-scattered throughout the house. The party had thinned out a bit but there still a decent number of people around. Rachel retreated to chat and gossip with her friends and the boys seemed to go their own ways as well. This left Kevin in a bit of a weird spot and he was actually relieved when he noticed his phone was about to die. It gave him an excuse to go out to his car and retrieve his charger, while also getting some well-needed fresh air.

He'd just grabbed the cord and was heading back to the house when he overheard a few boys talking outside. As he got closer, he realized it was Greg and TJ. They were outside smoking cigarettes on a far end of the front porch. Kevin had learned earlier that it was TJ's house they were in so apparently smoking on the porch wasn't a big deal.

He didn't mean to pry into their conversation, but he stopped as he heard a few words. They were familiar words, about a familiar subject. He'd walked by in mid-sentence but he drew in a breath as he realized regrettably what they were talking about.

"...and those tits. Fuck me, bro. What I'd do with them."

"...did Jim in his car...said she was fucking great at..."

"...that wasn't the only...Chris earlier...what I heard at least."

"...friend goes to Reed...said similar things about...gave tons of head to like..."

"Well, shit. I'm definitely trying to get my dick sucked tonight then."

Kevin felt his heart skip. TJ had said the last part and he'd heard it very clearly. Kevin steadied himself and walked quickly back towards the front door. He'd almost reached it when he heard his name. His heart skipped again.

"Yo! Um, Kevin, right? Hey bro, hold up real quick."

Kevin turned slowly to see TJ nodding from several feet away. He was coming towards him with a bright smile. As he got close, he flicked his cigarette and nodded again, leaning in towards Kevin's face.

"Hey man! You havin a good time? Listen, can I ask you something real quick?"

Kevin swallowed and forced out a polite smile. He was pretty sure what TJ was going to ask and he was dreading it.

"Yeah, sure. What's up?"

TJ grinned again and leaned in further.

"Cool. Um, so your girl Rachel. Look, I don't wanna step on anyone's toes. She's not, like-. I mean, you two aren't a thing right? Like, she said y'all were just friends?"

Kevin felt his face get hot and he set his jaw to keep his composure. This wasn't the first time he'd been asked a similar question from some guy who'd set his sights on Rachel. It made his stomach twist every time.

And the worst part was there was no way to throw the guy off the trail without lying and risking looking like an asshole later. He'd simply have to smile and say "no," effectively stepping out of the way for the guy to proceed with his plan.

Kevin's head swam as all he could think about was what he'd overheard TJ say with a laugh just a few moments earlier:

"Well, shit. I'm definitely trying to get my dick sucked tonight then."

He knew Rachel and he knew that she'd probably do it. He didn't know how well she knew TJ, but it had appeared that this party had been their first real acquaintance outside of passing each other at school for a few weeks. And now, just a few hours after learning his name for the first time, she'd likely give him a casual blowjob if he played his cards right.

Kevin swallowed again and snapped out of his trance as he realized TJ was still awaiting his answer. He forced his lips into a tight grin and spoke with a friendly tone.

"No, of course. Nah, we're just friends. She's not my girlfriend or anything."

TJ beamed at the response he'd hoped to hear. He gave Kevin a friendly nod and spoke again, his tone bordering on excited.

"Oh okay! Good, that's what I'd thought. I just didn't want to, like, step in or anything if I had misread the situation."

Kevin simply smiled back, his ears burning. He didn't want to stay in this conversation any longer than he had to so he nodded and turned back towards the door. His hands shook as he made his way inside and processed everything that had happened. He'd seen Rachel and TJ getting a little close during the drinking game and now it was confirmed that TJ would be making his move at some point. He stopped as he located Rachel in the corner of a room, giggling with her friends. She looked happy and loose. And he knew what that meant.

He felt like a dick, but he decided that if he hung out with her for the rest of the evening, maybe he could prevent anything from happening. He justified it in the knowledge that Rachel surely had a history of getting with guys even if she wasn't totally into them. So maybe she wasn't really feeling TJ and maybe he could actually be saving her from being talked into something she'd regret. It was kind of twisted-logic, but it was the best he could come up with.

True to his plan, Kevin stayed by Rachel's side for the remainder of the party. He listened as she joked with her friends and chatted away about school and field hockey and everything else. He even glanced around the room occasionally for signs that TJ was looking to slide in. He knew he was totally cock-blocking the guy, but he didn't care. His jealousy was steering the boat.

The night died down eventually and soon only Kevin, Rachel, Jenn, and Rebecca were left. Rebecca hadn't actually drank that much but Jenn was a mess. So it was good thing they had driven together. They said their good-byes and headed out, leaving only Kevin and Rachel.

And of course, TJ.

TJ was definitely a little disappointed with how things had turned out, especially given the positive signs he'd been getting earlier in the night. It had seemed like a sure bet. But he'd never really gotten a chance to get Rachel alone after the game.

On the other end of the spectrum, Kevin was filled with relief that he'd successfully kept them apart. He'd noticed TJ making his last ditch efforts to re-engage Rachel but the clock had run out. He still felt kind of shitty about it, but what was done was done.

Until all of a sudden, it wasn't.

***

Rachel chuckled to herself as she pulled her face back from the stream of the shower and rubbed the water from her eyes. She could still picture that stupid vase shattered on the kitchen floor. It was amazing how one tiny moment could alter things in such a big way.

But her chuckle died as she could picture something else as well. Kevin's face. His wide eyes and anxious expression as he'd processed what was happening. She'd seen that same face just a couple hours earlier when Jeff had been leading her to the basement. Kevin had known what she'd soon be doing.

Just as he had that night.

***

"Thanks again. This was a lot of fun. I'll see you in school on Monday, I guess."

Rachel's parting pleasantries rolled off her tongue warmly as she began to pull away from TJ's body. She had just given him a good good-bye hug (one that lingered a bit on his end) and she smiled to herself as they decoupled.

She turned to follow Kevin out of the door when her elbow clipped a vase on the kitchen counter. The moment unfolded in slow motion and she could only stare dumbly as the green, glass orb slid from the counter and crashed loudly onto the floor. Truthfully, Rachel was pretty drunk and her coordination wasn't exactly at its peak. Glass shattered and array of defenseless daylilies scattered limply about. Droplets of water splashed her feet and she shrieked in embarrassment at what she'd done.

After a moment of stunned silence, she looked up at TJ with wide, apologetic eyes.

"Oh my GOD! I'm so, so sorry! I'm such a klutz! Oh my God, was that, like, expensive or nice or something? Dammit. Look, I'll clean it up! And I'll pay for it. For real!"

TJ watched as the pretty (and certainly buzzed) girl he'd been targeting all night rambled on in embarrassment. The vase wasn't some collector's piece or anything, but he did wonder if his parents might notice its absence when they got back the next day. He was about to tell her it was no big deal when his eyes flashed towards her body. She'd bent over to assess the damage and her large, seemingly perfect tits were hanging tantalizingly in almost full view. He swallowed.

He had an idea.

Reaching forward, he put his hand on Rachel's shoulder as she stood hunched over the broken glass. His touch shook her from her mini-panic and she looked up at his face with wide eyes. She relaxed a little at his warm and friendly expression, but a shiver quickly followed as she saw his gaze dart down to her completely-open shirt. She swallowed as he spoke.

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down! Hey it's fine, seriously. You don't have to pay for anything. Don't be ridiculous."

Rachel started to stand back up, fully aware of his eyes roaming all over her. She grinned at him apologetically and began to speak again. But he cut her off, finishing his thought.

"But you could stay for a bit and help me clean it up. You know, if you felt bad..."

Rachel froze and stared directly into his eyes. Tingles shot through her fingertips as she processed what he was saying. They'd obviously been doing some flirting earlier in the evening and she could still vividly recall his probing touches on her legs and back during their game. She'd actually been a little surprised that he hadn't approached her later in the night. But that was probably because she'd been with-.

Her eyes widened and she turned back around to face Kevin. His expression was tight, almost nervous. She could tell he was trying to look casual but she knew him well enough to see through it. She felt guilt beginning to seep in to her system. She hated making him feel awkward or uncomfortable in these situations. But she was also pretty turned on.

She swallowed and tried to think. She felt excitement building in her stomach and she wasn't sure what to do or say. She turned back to TJ and bit her lip as she let the words tumble out.

"I, um-. Well, okay. I mean, of course! It's just that I think we were about to go and..."

She spun around to look Kevin for some support. Maybe he could make her choice for her.

Kevin steadied himself and picked up on her signs immediately.

"Oh yeah, I mean I'm her ride and everything so I think we gotta get going." He paused and switched gears. "Or hang on, we could both help you real quick before we go."

TJ smiled back, alternating his gaze between them. He thought quickly and turned to Rachel as he shook his head.

"No, no. It's cool. I can give you a ride home as soon as we're done." He looked back up at Kevin and nodded. "Seriously, dude. I don't mind at all. I don't want to jam you up."

Rachel tingled again as she felt the ball being hit back into her court. TJ had proposed a viable alternative and it was now her move. She studied his face and felt her stomach flutter again. Was he implying something by having her stay to "help him clean up"? She considered the notion. They certainly had been flirting earlier in the evening...

"Um, okay. I mean, if you don't mind. Like, I don't want you to have to go out of your way or anything."

TJ grinned brightly and shook his head. He had her. He just had to seal the deal.

"Are you kidding? Of course not. It would be my pleasure."

He smiled to himself as he watched her intoxicating chest rise and fall to her quickening breaths. Oh it would be his pleasure, all right.

Rachel swallowed and nodded back. She turned around to face Kevin and again flinched at his expression. She could see the gears turning in his brain. He could tell TJ was trying to get her alone at last. She felt her stomach drop again but she fought the feeling back. Maybe TJ really did just want help cleaning up. And she wasn't Kevin's girlfriend. She couldn't just sit out her life or walk on eggshells when he was around. It wasn't fair to anyone.

"Um, all right, Kev. I guess I don't need a ride." She smiled warmly and tried to sound reassuring. "It's better anyway. I'm not on your way. It's easier for you."

She knew that made little difference and Kevin's reaction confirmed it. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat as he leaned in and spoke. His voice came out rambling.

"Look, no, it's cool. I can just stay and-, I don't mind and it's fine to bring you home since I -."

Rachel stepped into him and cut him off as she put a hand gently on his arm.

"Kevin, it's fine. Really. I'll be fine."

She smiled at him and leaned in to give him a hug and a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for picking me up and for putting up with my friends. I'll call you tomorrow or something, okay?"

Kevin stood frozen as she pulled back. He barely registered her words. But her touch snapped him back. He had a sinking feeling that he knew what was going to happen next. What she'd likely be doing soon. He tried his hardest not to picture it in his head.

He nodded gently and forced out a smile. With a quick glance back at TJ, he turned and headed for the door. As he stepped out and went to close it behind him, he looked back a final time, just in time to see TJ step in closer to Rachel and put his arm behind her waist. He swallowed and shut the door.

Rachel flinched at the sound of the door closing but another stimulus redirected her attention. She shivered as TJ's hand snaked smoothly behind her waist and rested right on top of her jeans. She felt the nervous excitement flood back into her and she turned to face him. She looked up at his face and sucked in a breath as his hand moved teasingly behind her.

Shaking away her excited tingles, Rachel wriggled slyly out of his probing grasp. She raised an eyebrow up at him and smiled with her best casual expression, feigning total ignorance at any of his suggestive intent.

"So, did you have, like, some towels or something?"

She kept her innocent act up as TJ grinned and down at her with a touch of playfulness in his eyes. He was about to reach for her again when she turned away from him and faced the counter behind her. Locating a roll of paper towels, she hastily pulled out a few sections and ripped them into a loose wad. She turned back to TJ and prepared to move into the next phase of cleaning. But he showed once again that he had other plans.

Rachel gasped as TJ stepped closer into her body, gently guiding her up against the counter and drawers behind her. As she looked up at him with surprise, he grinned warmly and leaned in close.

"Hold up there. There's just something I've wanted to do all night first."

Rachel held her breath as TJ lowered his face into hers and kissed her gently. Her stomach flipped excitedly, and on instinct, she returned his kiss without hesitation. Emboldened by her reaction, the tenderness of his contact progressed quickly into a much firmer phase. He pushed in closer, and within seconds, their tongues were darting playfully around each other as short, excited breaths escaped their mouths.

Rachel closed her eyes and let her arms fall lazily to her sides. The wadded up towels in her hand pressed into her hip and she began to let herself go. She pushed up onto her toes to get a better angle. He seemed so tall. Rachel wasn't short, about 5'6" or so, but TJ seemed to be almost a foot taller. She smiled to herself as her head swam. Things sure had moved quickly.

A noise from outside startled her from her thoughts before instantly filling her stomach with a combined twist of guilt and excitement. It was a car pulling away from the house. Kevin. He hadn't even made it down the driveway before she'd let TJ put his tongue in her mouth. Rachel grimaced at the thought.

She pulled back from the kiss and shot TJ a sarcastic smirk.

"Well, I'm glad you got to do that. But I think I have some cleaning to do."

She started to sidestep out away from his body but her movement was halted. TJ had a firm, but playful, grip on the bottoms of her navy tank top. Rachel gave his hands an acknowledging glance before looking up at him with a shake of her head.

"Um, you're going to have to let go if you want me to-."

TJ cut her off, keeping his grip on her shirt.

"Well, I was thinking, you do kind of owe me. I might catch some shit from my parents now. So you can get to your cleaning up, but I get to keep this while you do it."

Rachel cocked her head in confusion, before breaking into a reddened grin as she comprehended his meaning. She watched TJ's eyes trace down to her teasingly-exposed chest and she recalled his enthusiastic reactions from earlier in the evening when she'd flashed him and the others during their game. He was going to let her clean up, but he wanted her shirt off first.

She started to say something to brush him back, but the words never came. Her thoughts of Kevin when she'd heard his car had conjured immediate guilt, but the tangible signal of his full departure had now actually pushed excitement back into her belly. It was sort of liberating. He was completely gone now and with him went the ominous cloud of ambiguous awkwardness that accompanied his presence when she was also around other boys.