| Barrington Hall Final chapter Part B |
| Alex and Wendy searched her room for a place to hide the book she had picked up at the library. �It�s not like you have to hide it too well, just put it in the bottom of your trunk.� Just as she tossed it into the trunk, a knock came at the door. Wendy and Alex both jumped. Mark opened the door and peeked in. �Wendy, call and let Mrs. Brown know you will be there, then in a few minutes would you go and check on Sarah. I think she can use a big sister right now.� �Sure thing, Dad.� Wendy replied. �Oh, Ricky wanted me to tell you he is working tonight?� Wendy looked at her dad with a frown. �He�s working again?� �His boss from the theater called and needed him, but he will be home by about 11, just as soon as he sweeps up all the popcorn people throw on the floor.� Mark smiled. �That�s not funny, Dad!� �Just make your calls and then check on Sarah, would you?� �Sure,� Wendy replied. After Wendy went in a comforted Sarah, she went to make her call, ate supper in the dining hall then headed to the tv room. With Ricky working until 11 and most everyone else down in the tv room, Wendy decided to take a look at the book she had gotten earlier that day. She waited until Alex had absorbed herself in the show before she slipped out and went upstairs. As she thumbed through the pages and read some of the things it contained, her stomach churned with fear. she wondered how she would ever be able to allow herself to do such things. She loved Ricky so very much but what the book said to do, scared her. She also wondered how Ricky would handle it if she confronted him instead of waiting for him to make the first move. What if he never made the first move? All of the information overwhelmed her and she couldn�t believe how nieve she was when it came to the intimacies that took place between two people who loved each other. Was she even ready to go to that next level in their relationship? was Ricky? Wendy kept reading. When the door to her room opened, Wendy tossed the book onto the floor. �It�s just me!� Alex replied. �Are you learning anything?� �Yeah I�m learning a lot but I have a question for you?� �Shoot.� Alex replied. �You were younger than I was when you came here, so how is it that you know more about this stuff than I do?� Wendy asked. �I�ve spent a lot of time at the library, and that book you�re reading, I�ve already read a few times.� �Now I have a question I want to ask you, Wendy.� Wendy wasn�t sure she wanted to know what Alex wanted to ask, but she didn�t want to be dumb about this topic any longer. �What do you want to know?� �How could you say you are in love with Ricky all of this time, since you were, what, 11? And now you�re 16 and you haven�t wondered just how big it is? �Alex!� Girls aren�t supposed to think about things like that!� Why not?� Alex asked. �Boys don�t like aggressive women. They want to be the one to do the pursuing.� Alex shook her head in disbelief. �Finals are all this week and Ricky will be 18 in three weeks and at the end of summer he will be going off to college. If you two don�t become aggressive before then, it will be the longest two years of your life!� Alex reached down, picked up the book and tossed it onto the bed. �You better figure out something cause you�re running out of time.� Alex closed the door behind her. Wendy threw herself back and stared up at the ceiling. �What am I going to do?� Ricky pulled into the parking lot of Barrington just after 11. The school seemed quiet so he took his shoes off when he came through the front door.. As he walked by the tv room, he saw the flicker from the television so he stepped in to see who was still up. �Dad?� Mark had fallen asleep in the chair with Sarah cuddled next to him. �What time is it?� Mark asked. �It�s close to 11:30.� �How was work?� Mark asked �Long and exhausting.� Ricky replied. �Well you have school tomorrow so you should get to bed.� �You look pretty tired too, Dad. Do you want me to take Sarah up and tuck her in?� Mark picked Sarah up and handed her to Ricky. �She�s all yours, and if you�re thinking about saying goodnight to Wendy, she�s been asleep for hours�. �I won�t wake her then, but I will still take Sarah up.� Mark turned off the tv and headed up to bed. Ricky carried Sarah to her room, placed her in her bed and covered her up. On his way past Wendy and Alex�s room, he paused, turned the knob and peeked in. The light next to Wendy�s bed was on, but Wendy was sound asleep. Ricky tiptoed in, hoping to be able to turn out the light without waking anyone up. As he reached for the switch, he saw a book lying next to Wendy on the bed. Thinking it was a school book, he picked it up. A knot developed in his stomach when he read the cover. He held the book just under the light to make sure he had read it correctly. He opened the book and quickly looked at a couple of the pages. A smile came across his face. He closed the book and slipped it under the bed. He knew Wendy hadn�t meant to fall asleep with it next to her. Ricky slipped out and gently closed the door behind him. �Well I�ll be!� he whispered Ricky had a difficult time in class during finals. All he could think about was that book. He had to shake it for now because these test grades were what was going to keep him from failing this particular class. Through the day he deliberately avoided Wendy at because he needed time to absorb what he had discovered without acting suspicious. He had been wanting to talk to her for along time about the way he was feeling, but didn�t think she was ready. Know he knew she was. He knew he had to talk to her now, or risk losing his nerve. When Alex and Wendy walked into the cafeteria at lunch, Alex nudged her. �Get your lunch and go sit with him.� Wendy collected her food and took the seat next to Ricky. �Hurry up and eat, Wendy because I want to go for a walk before lunch is completely over.� �Wendy took a few bites. �I�m not all that hungry, so we can go now if you want.� Ricky picked up both their trays and deposited them. He took Wendy by the hand and led her from the cafeteria. �You two, only have about 10 minutes, so don�t go past the courtyard.� Mark instructed. Ricky knew he couldn�t say much to her in the courtyard because other kids would be there too, still they went outside and sat down under the tree in the grass just off to the left of the courtyard. �I�m really sorry I�ve been working so much lately, Wendy. It�s just I am trying to save up as much money so I can buy someone very special a really nice birthday gift in October, since chances are I will be away at college.� �That doesn�t make any sense. I�d rather spend the small amount of time we have left together, instead of getting a gift.� Ricky reached over, gazed into her eyes, rubbed her cheek, then leaned in and placed his lips on hers. Wendy felt like she could melt. With all she had been thinking about and all that Alex had said, Wendy could think of nothing more than just how big it might be! She hated thinking about it while he was kissing her, but maybe that�s when she should be thinking about it. Wendy felt so confused. Ricky slowly separated his lips from hers. Ricky continued to rub Wendy�s cheek. Barely above a whisper, Ricky spoke �The other day when you came into the library, I told you I couldn�t talk to you about what was bothering me, not then anyway, Remember?� �I remember,� Wendy replied. �Well tonight after dinner, I�m going to ask dad if we can go for a short walk, because I think I�m ready to talk to you about what I�ve been feeling.� Wendy�s heart started to race. She thought to herself. Now don�t get too excited, it might be something totally different than what you�re thinking. She hoped Ricky couldn�t tell she was about to burst. �You�re not breaking up with me�� Wendy didn�t get to finish her sentence because Ricky placed his finger on her lips. Ricky Looked deep into Wendy�s eyes. �You are absolutely the love of my life. You changed my life and who I was when I came here by being just who you are. My heart melts in your presence. I will be there for you forever and I will always love you.� Wendy could no longer contain herself. She threw her arms around him and pressed her lips against his with the most freed passion she had ever mustered. If they had been alone and not under a tree in the middle of the courtyard, she would have given herself to him right then and there. After school, Wendy drove her mothers car into town to work at the bookstore. What was supposed to be two hours, turned into four and Wendy didn�t get back to Barrington until almost 8. It frustrated her because not only had she missed dinner, but she feared she and Ricky wouldn�t be allowed to go on their walk. She raided the kitchen for leftover chicken, scarfed it down and then went to find Ricky. He was in the TV room along with Sarah, Alex, Jacob, Mom and Dad. Wendy sank down in the sofa next to him. She feared their talk would have to wait until another day. Ricky whispered. �How was work?� �Tiring,� she replied. �What are you watching?� �An old John Wayne movie. Been on for about an hour now.� Wendy looked around the room and it seemed as though everyone was engrossed in this old movie, including her father. She had to figure out a way to get Ricky away from the TV so they could have a few minutes alone. Wendy thought of what Alex might say if she were in this situation. �Ricky?� Wendy whispered. �What?� he whispered back. Wendy leaned in, cupped her hand around his ear and whispered quietly enough so only Ricky could hear. Ricky started choking, then glanced at Wendy. He jumped up and pulled her from the sofa. �Oh my God, Wendy. I can�t believe you just said that!� Ricky had a hard time catching his breath after choking. He had forgotten both Patricia and Mark were in the room. Wendy suddenly felt as though she had broken some cardinal rule of etiquette. Maybe she spoke too soon but she couldn�t tell by Ricky�s response. She prayed Ricky wouldn�t think the was a bad girl for saying what she had. They had gotten the attention of their parents as Mark turned the volume down. �Dad, �I really need to talk to her and I don�t think this is the room because everyone is watching TV, so can we go on a walk?� �Mark looked at them with suspicion. �You two may go outside into the courtyard and if I come to the door you had better be there or hell is going to be paid!� Ricky took Wendy�s hand and they ran outside. They sat down on the bench just under the light. Ricky placed his hand on his chest and coughed again. �I can�t believe you asked me if I wanted a blow job for my birthday, with mom and dad sitting there right in the room! What were you thinking?� Wendy felt like she was being chastised by Ricky and she hated it. �Well you�re mind has been everywhere else but us, so I had to get your attention somehow!� �Well you got it!� He replied. Wendy voice softened. �I know stuff has been bothering you lately. In the library you said you weren�t ready to talk to me about it, but I can�t wait any longer, Ricky. I need to know.� Ricky wrapped his arms around Wendy and leaned his head on hers. �I told you earlier today how much I loved you and how much our relationship means to me. I love spending every minute that I have, with you, but lately it�s been difficult because I�ve been needing more from you than I thought you were willing to give. I�ve tried really hard to control my feelings, to keep them under wraps, but when you say something like what you just said to me, it makes everything I�m trying to control, impossible. That�s why I�ve been trying to keep busy. At night it�s really difficult because I can�t stop thinking about you.� Ricky took his arms from around her, and turned sideways on the bench. He took Wendy�s hands in his. When you walk into the room I want you more than you can ever know. What am I supposed to do? I�m almost 18 and I can�t control it anymore. I dream about you every night, about holding you, about kissing you, touching you, seeing you, caressing you and kissing you all over your body.� Ricky looked down. �I don�t want to dream about doing those things to you.� He reached up and caressed her cheek, then looked into her eyes. �I want to do those things to you. I want to take you into my bed and make love to you, over and over until nothing else matters.� Hearing the actual words made it suddenly more real than Wendy anticipated and she felt her cheeks blush. She couldn�t speak or look directly at Ricky. She had pushed this, and now the moment had arrived. Ricky would need an answer from her one way or the other. Wendy began to regret the whisper, but knew it was too late to take it back. She had to face the fact that Ricky wanted her. There was no turning back. Wendy�s voice quivered. �I�m scared,� She whispered. Ricky leaned over and kissed her lips. �I know you�re uncertain, I can see it ,and I can hear it in your voice, but we both know it�s what we want. It�s what I�ve wanted for such a long time, and deep down it�s what you want too, isn�t it?� Wendy looked up. Her stomach tied a million knots. �Yes, it�s what I want too!� she replied. � Wait until Midnight when everyone is sleeping, then come to my room.� Ricky placed his hand under Wendy�s chin. �Will you be there?� he asked �I will be there, Ricky. I will be there.� Ricky wiped the tears from her eyes. Wendy leaned in and placed her head on his chest and Ricky wrapped his arms around her. Ricky heard the side door open. �You two, it�s time to come in now!� Mark had come to check on them. They heard the door close. |
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