You Only Learn Twice

"The first night Ashley and I were at the conference, I took my meds and I went to sleep around maybe 11 PM after we returned from the first competition. So, the lights were off and I was snuggled in my bed, but I heard my name being whispered from the other bed. This girl was so small and her voice was so high-pitched and innocent, it was hard to believe she was a senior. But, we started to talk about ourselves and ask questions about our likes and dislikes in order to fall asleep. And then BOOM. That was when the bomb dropped in the conversation."

"What did she ask you?" I asked, aghast at the edge of my seat. "What happened next?"

"She...she asked me to take her..." he choked out under his breath.

"What?" I shook my head, not able to comprehend everything at once. "'To take her?'"

"Well, the first questions she asked were science-questions, but they were so DAMN awkward to answer! 'What does sex feel like?' 'How do women orgasm?' 'Do all men cry out when they orgasm?' Then after I answered all of them as truthfully as I could, she asks me 'How do you have sex?' I had gotten such a hard-on from the questions...but I gave her a firm 'no' as she pled with me to be her first! She was accepted to Whitwell University on top honors to become a biologist, so you would assume she knew the details of sex already, especially in a public high school!"

"And then she started to cry, didn't she?" I rolled my eyes, recalling the girl's personality as if it happened yesterday.

Mr. Crown had tears coming to his grey, wolf-like eyes. You could tell his mistake will always haunt him. I reached out and took a hold of his large, furry hand to comfort him. He smiled up at me through his tears, grateful for my selflessness.

"Then all I remember is getting into her bed and wrapping my arms around her to comfort her, but I was so excited from missing my wife and then answering those questions... I pushed her down onto the bed, wiggled her out of her pants and I entered her so gently. Ashley let out little moans of discomfort, but never wanted me to stop. Matter of fact, she stridently begged me to continue after the wince of pain disappeared. I kept pumping and pumping, her tissues were so tight and soft around me and I had never been that fragile with anything in my life...Ashley felt so good and her tiny cries teased me on... We were in missionary and I didn't have a condom, so I was going to pull out before I even arrived at a climax. But, not wanting to let me go, she pulled me in with her legs and I couldn't get away. For a small teenager, her strength was uncanny and ridiculously unexpected. I struggled against Ashley's grip and shouted at her to let me up, but she did the opposite. Faster and faster, she thrashed her pelvis around to force me to come so deep inside of her. I lost control and begrudgingly, I...I..."

I gasped, gripping his hand. "Did she become pregnant?"

"Well," Mr. Crown began to sob, trembling at his recollection. "At first, she did. But, she didn't make it to four months before...she lost."

My mouth must've hit the floor by then. My heart stirred as my teacher tried to conduct himself in my presence. Ashley must've told Mr. Wilbur out of confidence, because she ended up a victim like me due to our academic spotlight and close-knit relationships with our teachers.

"She suffered a miscarriage," I nodded, feeling tears coming to my eyes as well. I tightened the grip on his hands as he did mine. "This has Wilbur all over it."

He shut his eyes and began to shake his head, trying to pull himself together in front of me. Kenneth Crown was no villain, but a man who had a passion for chemistry and sharing that with young people. It sounds like Ashley was so infatuated with Mr. Crown that she wanted to trap him in an adult situation. Although he was turned loose physically, he was still bound to his mistake emotionally.

"The sad thing," he sniffles while he wiped his eyes. "Is that I'm still emotionally invested in what happened. That was my child, no matter how it happened. Then one day in June, Ashley came to school dressed like a spun druggie to tell me the news. Her tone of voice was so spiteful and vindictive... I didn't want you to find out, especially from Wilbur."

"Crown," I proclaimed to him with a peeking smile. "I'm a girl of Fluorine. No one is stealing my joy, not today, not ever. I'm here to help people cope by taking that one negative particle and stabilizing their lives. It wouldn't have changed my perception of you or made you any less of a mentor in my life. It was in the past and it was a mistake."

"If only our lives worked on such an unbelievable molecular level," he choked out a laugh. "Science is amazing, that's why I've dedicated myself to teaching it to wandering, blossoming minds."

I was relieved when Mr. Crown pinched my thumb playfully and finally beamed his usual, jubilant smile. I replied with solemn laugh and encouraging smirk. There were twenty minutes before I had to leave, so I decided to pander and ask more questions. Some aspects still weren't adding up.

"So, how did Wilbur find out?" I instigated while adjusting myself in the chair. "You both belong to different departments, making it a stretch."

"Ashley mentioned it to him," he said distastefully. "The way it sounds to you is probably like a stereotypical, stale, teenaged romance. She betrayed me and swept my biological attachment alongside. I know it's normal to become like that when you've fathered a child. Believe me, my wife and I have three kids. Even a professional would come in here and tell me to get over it and focus my energy on what I am still blessed with."

"So," I responded quizzically. "He basically wormed his way around for three semesters to collect a triangle of secrets and unleash it for his own pleasure and enjoyment, knowing that we couldn't reveal it without a media frenzy?"

"In a nutshell," Mr. Crown shrugged off, walking over to his laptop. "But, what would he gain from it? By the way, where is Ace? I never had to opportunity to formally meet him."

"Ace has been trying to stay on the bus, so he doesn't come into a building full of children and rip someone's throat out. After watching someone force themselves on your soul mate, you'd tend to have hard feelings..."

"Anna, I really didn't mean-" he hesitated, shying away behind his desk.

"I know, Crown," I interrupted, attempting to hide my mixed feelings. "We were all drugged out of our minds, but it was comforting knowing that it was you. At least it wasn't a stranger who had a disease or came inside of me. You and Ace are the only men I'd trust with myself, sexually or casually. Somehow, the power of a mutual orgasm alters the dynamic of one's relationship. I don't want any tension between us, especially when we attend the Decathlon!"

"You better not..." Ace interjected, suddenly in my mind.

I let out a deep growl to keep him quiet. As if Mr. Crown overheard it, he smirked at me and hand up his right hand, as if swearing on an Bible.

"There will be no tension," he proclaimed aloud. "The release of chemicals in the brain causes the tighter and more complicated bond. It's crazy how we were designed to have a spouse. I should call my wife and plan something special for her tonight."

"Awww, that's so sweet," I nodded my head, and then reached out to shake his hand. "Cherish her, Mr. Crown. You created three beautiful children with her and she needs your heart and your soul... Now, it's lunch time! I'll see you during chem."

When I gathered my stuff and hurried toward the stairwell, Mr. Crown peered out of the doorway again to capture a glance of me.

"We got this, Flo!" he called out in confidence. "This year will end with bang!"

I disappeared down the stairs, excited for the zesty savor of seasoned salami and virgin cheddar cheese. I have to admit that besides what happened with Wilbur, my outcome was rather successful. My life slowly returned back to normal and Wilbur was remained quiet since he got what he wanted. Ace and I had to walk on eggshells in order to preserve our relationship and protect each other, realizing that both of our lives could be in jeopardy in an instance. Although our telepathic abilities remained a mystery, I made it out alive and with my "wolf..." ;)

*3^rd story in 'You Only' series coming out by Christmas 2013 (hopefully)!*