Gun Culture Chapter 3 free porn video

"Yeah, ok," Ms Oates said, turning back behind the door of her small office. She handed me a skirt, underpants and a white blouse, but for a moment I thought she looked at me a little reproachfully, as if it were my fault. "Leave that with me and I'll pass it on to the Headmaster," she said, pointing at my bag. Her eyes flicked over my friends without changing expression and I picked up the impression that she was not pleased with any one of us for some reason. The reason became clear when having sorted my kit out, Amie and J.J. started walking towards the door. "Hey, hold on," Ms Oates told them. "Just because I have to put up with this freak stuff doesn't mean you are the real thing," she said. "You can get your sick minds changed in the boys, or you can change out there in the corridor, but I'm not letting any freaks in with my girls." "You want us to get changed in the boys?" J.J. asked, her lip curling. Amie nudged her. "Yeah, that's right," Ms Oates said viciously. "Go get changed where you belong, because you sick freaks are not and never will be girls no matter how much people bend for you." I pulled on J.J.'s arm, remembering what Hellcat had told us, and we all walked towards the boys entrance. J.J. and Amie paused, not daring to venture in, and I knew I had to take the initiative here. I pushed open the door, hoping that it would be the last day I would have to. As I stepped around the corner, I half expected someone to look at me, at my chest and start shouting for us to get out, but no-one did. We walked right past most of the two years, some of whom were just getting changed normally, some of which were pushing each other and fooling around. None of them seemed to notice us as being out of place. Hank and Leon were near the bottom of the room and they waved at us, seeing our approach. I turned, to check that Amie and J.J. were still with me and I saw them huddled together, walking just behind me and looking at the people around them with frightened faces as if they were going to be discovered at any second. Instinctively I knew it wouldn't happen though. Some part of me knew that what these boys were seeing were boys walking down the room. Or perhaps just girls that were unworthy of interest in the same way as the girls next door were. I didn't know. It was all fairly confusing. I knew I had to take the lead in this because the two of them were way out of their deapth now. I knew if I went first, they'd see the result for themselves. I don't know how I knew, but I knew that our secret was safe because no two interpretations could exist at the same time. It was weird how I knew, but I think it was some string of thought that had filtered through to me from Hellcat. Hank and Leon were sitting together, but unusually Jamie wasn't with them, looking across the room, I saw him sitting on the opposite wall, talking animatedly to Teloni who was replying with just as much fervor and grinning, as was Jamie. His eyes flicked up to me and he smiled. "Come on," Hank said. "You girls have to get changed, or Mr Cricket will have a fit." I heard one of the girls gasp from behind me, but I turned back to them, giving them a smile to say it was alright. "Yeah, ok H-Hank," I said. Amie and J.J. looked with frightened faces between me and Hank and then followed close to me. I put my clothes down on the bench and with an effort, mastered myself enough to pull my top over my head. Amie and J.J. sat next to me, watching me with scared and puzzled eyes. I knew that Amie would get it first, but J.J. wouldn't be far behind. I bent down so I could whisper to them without the others hearing. "Look at t-their f-f-f-faces," I said. "N-N-N-N-N-N-None of them are eyeing us up, are t-t-they?" The two looked around, and I saw the realisation creeping across their faces. Then J.J. turned back to me. "Teloni is," she said. "He's watching you." "I d-d-don't kn-n-n-now why, b-b-but t-that's a little d-d-different," I told her. "I c-c-can just f-f-feel it. I t-t-think it's s-something to do w-w-with Hellcat." Without giving myself the time to feel embarrassed although I knew it was creeping up on me with every passing moment, I released my skirt and pushed my shorts down. Once I did that it was surprisingly easy to keep going. The chatter continued, and nobody shouted comments at me, to them I was just a boy differently shaped, just like Hellcat had said. Even dispite the fact that I was pulling on another skirt, it still didn't cause a raised voice or even a comment from next to us, where Leon was talking to Hank about one of the new wrestlers who had come on the scene called Cyclone. Next to me, Amie began nervously to follow my example, watching the faces around us for roaming eyes. It was the first time I had seen her almost naked and I was impressed, she might have been small, but she was well proportioned for that. As J.J. nervously opened her bag though, I heard her gasp softly. Thinking that she had received something similar to me I turned, but there was no smell coming from hers, I knew that immediately. Amie looked down into her bag aswell and then her eyebrows went up, but she didn't seem badly surprised. I bent to look too. She had a boy's outfit in her bag. Socks, shorts, and t-shirt. The same as the others around us were in varying states of acquiring. She looked up at me and I shrugged. "B-b-best j-j-just to g-get on w-w-with it." I whispered and I saw resignation coming into her eyes. The tables had been turned between us now, and I was the one showing her how to be a boy. I didn't enjoy the feeling, I'd much rather the two of them were at ease and it was me who was slightly uncomfortable, but we had to do what was apparent. "Hey Angelina," Jamie called from across the room. I turned, hardly worried at all now. Both him and Teloni were looking at me. Jamie beconned me over and my thoughts went immediately to the shirt which was on the bench. I could reach for it and pull it on, but somehow I was scared to. Girls were self conscious about their chests in ways that guys were not, and right now, I had to maintain a kind of distance and allow as few girlish impressions as I could otherwise the spell that was protecting me and my friends might fail. Jamie beconned again and I walked over. "Show Teloni that amulet you have," Jamie said. "I was just telling him how it helps with your stutter." I lifted it up from my chest, pulling it over my head, trying to pretend that my heart wasn't about to explode. Then I bent down onto my knees and held it up so he could see it. Teloni put his hand underneath it, looking at the design of it then he let go. "Shit, that's nice," he said. "How long have you had it?" "Since I w-w-was f-f-five," I said. "When I g-g-g-get c-c-confused I just c-c-channel all my anxiety into it. The s-s-s-silver is v-very absorbant." "Yeah. I heard about that," Teloni said. "A lot of black magic, and witchcraft pendants are made of silver, it's said to be more potent." "Red," Jamie started. "I know it's your house and your party and everything. But do you mind if Teloni comes along tonight too?" "Huh?" I said, taken aback. I'd thought it was just going to be me and J.J. and perhaps Amie, but for a moment I thought that reality had changed things round again so I said "Ok." I turned and walked back towards my shirt, slipping the pendant back over my neck. "Thanks Red," Teloni said from behind me, I turned and smiled and I think he might have started to blush a little. But I turned back and pulled on my shirt, quickly should the embarrassment begin to happen. When I looked back though, Teloni and Jamie were talking again. J.J. was pulling on the shorts with her bag propped up next to her on the seat, covering most of what she was doing from the rest of the room. She was almost beetroot red and I sat down next to her. I wondered if they were both regretting offering to help me now. I couldn't blame them if they were. I would have probably been just as embarrassed had we made it into the girls room. Jamie shouted across the room to us again, obviously at least semi aware that we were still girls. "Yeah, that's what I like to see." Then to Teloni, though so it carried across to us. "J.J.'s got the best legs in the school." "Not as good as mine though," Hank said, displaying his hairy legs, then returning to his conversation about wrestling with Leon. I looked across at Amie who looked a little nervous still but seemed to be getting over it. J.J. just sat there embarrassed though. I put my arm around her. She was shaking underneath my arm. "Don't w-w-worry J.J," I said. "They're n-n-n-n-not g-going to n-n-n-n- notice anything, or they w-w-w-would already have d-d-done. It's all j- j-j-j-just s-s-s-s-s-s-superf-f-f-fical." She looked up at me, and I knew she was making herself ill with it now. She couldn't take much more. Amie put her hand across J.J.'s back aswell. She didn't reply for a second, just took a shuddering breath. Then she turned to me. She looked almost green. "It's not that," she said, her voice a little more than a whisper. "I pulled these on and..." Amie gasped, looking at J.J. in stunned silence. For a moment I didn't realise what had happened, then I did too. I looked down at the shorts and felt an ominous feeling. Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought that I could see the lumpy tube sitting there under a larger fold in the fabric. "Oh jesus," I breathed. "I'm going to kill her," J.J. said bitterly. I could tell she was scared almost to death. "J.J. d-d-don't w-w-w-worry about it. It'll go j-j-j-j-just as quickly as it c-c-came," I said. "I know a little from w-w-w-what c-c-comes through from HC, but she s-s-s-s-said everything would r-r-r-revert b-b- b-back. I think as s-s-s-s-soon as you get d-d-d-d-dressed again, it'll g-g-go away..." I trailed off, trying to banish the sight of something I couldn't see from my mind. Amie leaned closer now so she was whispering into J.J.'s ear. "You're ok," she said. "You still have your boobs. They're your guarentee." J.J. turned and looked at her and for a moment I think I felt the hope sparking up in her. "HC s-s-said there'd b-b-be a f-few unpleasant s-s-side effects but t- that it would all g-go b-back." J.J. looked up at me. "I don't know how you stood it," she said, turning to look at her feet, although I knew where her mind was. She took a long breath, trying to master it, but I had the feeling as doubt crossed her face again that she wasn't winning. I had an idea then, and I slipped the silver pendant from around my neck, recognising that it could help more with J.J. just now. I offered it to her and she looked stunned. "Red. You need that," she said. "Besides, I don't believe in magic." "Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You d-d-d-d-d-d-don't h-h-h-h-have to," I said, pushing it a little more towards her. "It b-b-b-b-b-believes and t-t-t-t-that's enough." "Just listen to you," J.J. said, horrified. I didn't say any more, I just offered her my pendant again. She took it after a moment and slipped it around her neck, tucking it into her shirt. It happened in a moment, her face seemed to look startled for a moment, then she smiled. It wasn't a happy kind of smile, but it was a coping one. I sat back against the wall, feeling a knot of terror forming in my heart. I repressed the feeling though. The pendant had been with me for so long that I knew it's ghost was still on my chest. I could cope without it for today, and there was no doubt that J.J. would end up being traumatized if I didn't help her through this. I remembered how it had felt for me after years of acceptance, and I tried to superimpose that image of myself onto me now. It felt unclean and clammy. I made a deal with myself, that when I got my pendant back, I would run it under a hot tap to pull all the feelings of filth that J.J. was putting in back out of it. They would filter back out easily because the metal was used to me, and they'd run off in the water and be lost forever. There was no doubt that J.J. looked happier now. The colour had gone from her but she was fine. She looked up at me. "Thanks Red," she said, and I knew she meant it as much as anyone could mean it. I had thrown her a lifesaver and we both knew it. I looked over at Amie and saw that she was half in tears, though from joy or sorrow, I didn't know which. She gave J.J. a hug and then let go of her. Jane took in a long breath, then let it out again, I could almost hear her heart slowing down. "N-n-n-n-n-n-...." I gave up trying to say no problem, but Jane knew what I wanted to say. She looked at me with a new kind of respect. We filed out into the playground, and as usual, all the boys and us from one changing room stood in one line, all the girls in another line about ten feet apart as the register was called out. Today though, Ms Oates had barely stepped out into the open when she did a double take in our direction. "Amie, Angelina, what are you doing there?" she asked. "Get back over there." She pointed at the other group, and though we were reluctant to leave J.J. alone we had to move. As I looked back at her though, I knew that something had changed in her now. The pendant had brought on a transformation as potent as my own. J.J. was actually smiling, looking down at the floor, but there was a smile there. I nudged Amie and though she still looked a little nervous, I knew things were going better for her now. I saw Teloni watching me too from the boy's side and this time there was little doubt that he was taking me all in with his eyes. He was smiling too and I smiled back. Now that J.J. had smiled it was kind of contagious between us three. But my eyes drifted past Teloni's shoulder and I saw Kirk just behind him, grinning back at me as though I'd smiled for him. I heard my name being shouted and I tried to call out "H..." But I couldn't do it, I was paralysed without my pendant but I knew it was worth it. Ms Oates just glanced up at me then continued on with the register. I saw Hank next and he was looking at me puzzled, he must've detected the difference in me. I tried to smile back, but I remembered Kirk's grin and the feeling of his hand on my arse. "Ok," Ms Oates said, putting the register back under her arm. "We're playing baseball today, mixed teams. Hank, you're team 1 leader, Elenor, you're team 2 leader. Step out and start picking your teams. Hank picked Leon first, though that was no great surprise, the two of them were thick as thieves most of the time. Elanor picked her friend Marybeth, a really true hard-core gothic mountain of a girl, no-ones favorite person but one hell of a good thrower. Next Hank picked out J.J. He must've noticed she was looking a little down. Elanor picked Kirk next, no great surprise there as he was her boyfriend, or at least they both said he was. Hank picked out Amie next, again no surprise that he was getting his crew first. Then, to my surprise I saw Elanor's eyes fixing on me and I felt a sinking feeling. She called my name next and I was so stunned that at first I didn't move. Someone pushed me from behind and I started forwards, shocked and trudging towards the group of people I most hated in the world. I stood apart from them as Hank picked Jamie next and the remainder were divided up between the two teams. The majority of our side were girls, and Hank's side was mainly boys, but that's how it usually ended up eventually. "Ok," Ms Oates bellowed, cutting through the inevitable babble that had sprung up. She waved her hand in the direction of the baseball field and we began walking in that direction. "Captains, decide on you team placements and strategy now," Ms Oates called, and I knew I was going to get the worse end of a deal. Kirk slipped back to me at one bit and tried to talk to me. "Hey girl," he said. "Good to see you wanting to be on my side." He paused then continued. "You know I haven't washed my hand yet. I can still smell you on it." He took a deep sniff of his hand then held it out under my nose. "Can you smell it too?" His fingers actually touched the underside of my nose and brushed against my lips, I felt sick at the thought and that's exactly what he wanted. I realised I was playing into his hands, but I was too revolted by him not to play along. I gagged. "Oh come on, it's not that bad," Kirk said, musingly. He sniffed his hand again. "G-g-go.....a...a..." I tried but I couldn't imagine the ghost of my pendant still there. It just wouldn't come. "It's ok," Kirk said, dismissively. "You don't have to talk, not at all. With my big fat cock in your mouth you wouldn't be able to anyway." "F-F-F-F..." I started but I just couldn't find the words. It seemed I had slipped back down to my worst stutter ever since the silver had gone from me. Ms Oates must've heard me try though because she told Kirk to leave me alone. Kirk wandered back up to Elanor's side without comment. Then she turned and looked back at me and I knew by the look in her eyes that I was about to pay for everything I had done. I realised even though it was Kirk who wouldn't leave me alone, in her eyes it was me who couldn't leave Kirk alone. I looked down at my shoes, feeling the depression beginning. I'd battled with depression for most of my life, it was just a standard thing for me, as much me as my stutter, but now I felt it like a sweeping white snow-storm and I knew it was going to be a long time shifting. When we arrived at the field, Hank won the toss and chose to bat first. Our team converged into a rough circle with me as far on the outside as it was possible to be. It was Elenors voice that announced my sentence first, shouted with merry glee. "Redtard... Shortstop." Gingerly I took up my position, donning the football helmet that I knew was probably going to save my life today, and the brown glove to protect my fingers. I knew I didn't have much of a chance really, there was Elenor who was no pixie on first base, and Marybeth pitching, both of whom could be expected to pass to me more frequently than anywhere else. As Hank stepped up to the plate, I wished him good luck, hoping that he'd hit the ball first so that he'd get the lead, and secondly so that I wouldn't have to catch it. Crouching there as Marybeth prepared to swing, I watched her carefully. She was auditioning for the pro-team next month, and would probably end up a rising star, but she was evil too. She had a mean streak in her and she loved bullying. Not quite as much as Elanor and Tiggy, but certainly a fair match. I realised I was sweating and the match had barely started. I didn't even see the first ball, it was just a streak of white and then the thump against my hand that felt like a dump truck had just crashed into my glove. I felt my fingers burn immediately with the impact and I tossed the ball lightly back to the centre. "Strike one," Ms Oates said from behind me. "Hank," I whispered. "J-just run..." Marybeth's eyes met mine again and I knew she knew what she was doing, her sole purpose in this game was to systematically punish me. Another streak of white, I raised the glove and I felt the helmet rattling against my skull. My head went back and I felt like a ragdoll as I crumpled, again striking the floor with the helmet and seeing stars. Hank looked back at me, the bat hanging by his side. "Lowball," Ms Oates declared, looking down at me with interest. Hank grabbed my hand and pulled me back up. Ms Oates looked into my eyes for a moment, then declared me fit to carry on. Just for a moment I wished I hadn't had the helmet on for one of those cracks, then I'd be worse and be excused from play. I shook my head, still trying to get rid of the ringing blow from my ears and Marybeth's hateful eyes met mine again. The streak of white came again and this time I was ready for it. I closed my hand around the ball, then I dropped it at my feet. Hank began running as shouts rose up for me to pass to first base. I put my hand down and my acting was beautiful as my hand pretended to roll across the ball unintentionally. Marybeth started forwards and I knew I didn't have the time. Hank had almost reached Elanor now, so I picked the ball up, holding it with the wrong arm, as though it were a shot-putt. Then, I tossed the ball high up into the air in the direction of Elanor who I saw, had foolishly expected me to do my job against my friend. The ball went high over her head and Hank went for second. The ball bounced twice in which time Hank reached third. The fielder picked the ball up, but Hank only had to glance at me to know I wasn't going to catch it. The fielder threw the ball, and hank ran on. I could easily have caught it, it wasn't thrown with the venom of Elanor, nor with the skill of Marybeth. Instead, as the ball came towards me, I sidestepped at the last moment as though loosing my nerve. Hank hit home. Marybeth spat into the dirt as one of Hank's team retrieved the wandering ball and tossed it lightly back to the centre. She and Elanor knew my game now, and they blamed me, for they having picked me in the first place. I wondered how they could have possibly driven themselves towards that conclusion, and how they had expected me to betray myself to the only people who meant a damn to me in this school. I gazed coolly back at Marybeth's eyes and I knew I'd passed some kind of barrier with her now. Yes, she subscribed to the idea that I should be punished, but she also wanted to win, and she knew she'd never be able to do that with me here. She walked over to Elenor, having a quick conferral but Elenor shook her head and said something back. Marybeth paused and then returned to centre as Amie stepped up to the plate. Marybeth had to choose then as to whom she wanted to hurt the most. She must've decided Amie because her first ball cracked off her head, knocking her backwards into me. "Foulball," Ms Oates said as I pushed Amie back unsteadily to her feet. Ms Oates wasn't a pushover when it came to getting out of sports. She gave detentions for other days to those of us who forgot to bring our kit, or tried to get out of it in other ways, and then made us run laps, or do other more strenuous fitness exercises for detention. She was a firm believer in the violence of American Football, and the healthy outdoor air in chilled rain. She was not one to think twice about a few friendly cracked skulls in a nice team match. She did however let Amie totter to first base in protest of the foul Marybeth had played. Next up was a boy from the second year that I didn't know very well. His name was Martin and he was an outdoor sporty type, but that's about as much as I knew. Again, the eye-contact with Marybeth and to me it felt just as difficult to take as the forthcoming ball. This time the ball came around in a sweeping ouside curve, faster than her usual throw. Martin swung and missed and I felt the ball touching the top of my glove before bending it back and landing six feet into my chest. I've never felt such pain in my life as I did just then. I couldn't even breathe. The ball bounced off my ribs sending shivers of further pain through me and dropped down into the dirt as I fell back onto my back, desperately trying to breathe. I honestly thought for one long moment that Marybeth had shot me. I clutched my balled fist to my chest, trying to take in a small breath, but coughing it right back up again. Ms Oates bent down put my head up a little onto her foot. The incline helped a little and I felt my breath steadily coming back to me. After a moment, she told me to go and sit on the sidelines until I had recovered and then called Elenor in to replace me. I sat with Hank on his team bench and watched the next few batters. Amie was caught at second base and she came and sat down with us. "Janus has your pendant, doesn't he?" Hank asked me. "I can see it around his neck." He pointed at J.J.'s back. "You mean Jane?" Amie said without thinking. "Who?" Hank asked. "No, Janus." Amie's eyes met mine. We both looked again at J.J. and it was true that she looked a little squarer than she had before. She'd lost her curving frame. She looked more like the guy next to her now than she'd ever done in her life. We had to get her out of there and back into her ordinary clothes. Things were going wrong now. I looked across at Amie and she looked as scared as I felt. "What?" Hank asked. "What'd I say?" Amie thought quickly, and I already saw the plan behind her eyes one second after I made eye contact with her. "Ms Oates?" she shouted, attracting the teachers attention just before Marybeth's pitch. Ms Oates came over, clearly having more respect for Amie now than she had shown earlier. I wondered what would have happened had I decided to wear shorts today instead of being brave enough for a skirt. I tried to remember Hellcat's assurances that everything would go back to normal afterwards, but somehow I couldn't imagine it. It felt like J.J. was setting herself a new normal and that wasn't good. "What is it Amie?" she asked. "Ms Oates, I'm not feeling too good. I think I might have a concussion," Amie said. Ms Oates considered. "Very well, go back up to the school and see the nurse, if she says you're not fit to play then go get changed and come back out." "Maybe it'd be best if someone went with me," Amie said, shifting Ms Oates into position where she wanted her. "Can J.J. walk me back up?" Ms Oates turned, ready to shout J.J. but Hank interrupted. "Ms Oates? I'll do it. J.J.'s about to bat anyway." "Yes, ok Hank," Ms Oates agreed, already walking back to position. I looked across at Amie and Hank caught our frightened eyes. He made an impatient noise and got to his feet. "Honestly, I don't know whats come over you two," he said reproachfully. "When you feel like letting the rest of us in on the "perilous situation", please do tell me first." He stood, then turned back to face Amie who looked a little green. She was trapped and she knew it. She'd outsmarted herself. She gave me a desperate look as she got to her feet, then she turned and walked back up towards the school. J.J. took the plate now, and I saw a kind of smile on her face. I knew she was enjoying herself now because I'd told her that there was no danger for her, and now I knew I had been so wrong. As she turned a little to the pitching stance, I saw her chest and I gasped as I realised that her tits had all but disappeared and she hadn't noticed. Infact... Oh god, they had disappeared. Those little points on her shirt that I could see, they weren't even flesh, it was just the cups of her bra. She hadn't even noticed. I had to get her attention before it was too late. But as I tried to get in my breath to shout, my throat just closed up and I coughed. J.J. swung, hitting the ball first time but it landed just behind second base and she only got to first. I swear I could see her shoulders beginning to widen, even as I watched the T-shirt seemed to move. She was... She was... He was wearing a bra. I blinked. Why was Janus wearing a bra? It wasn't like him... or was it...? Ok, I guess there had always been something odd about him, but... ....but... The next batter hit a home run and Janus preceded the victor around the rest of the lap. As he came over to the bench to sit down I smiled uneasily at him, wondering why I felt so anxious. As he sat down, he pulled my pendant from around his neck and slipped it back over my head. "Thanks Red," he said, his voice strangely high pitched. I held the pendant in my hands for a few seconds, letting the coolness flood my hands, wondering why the image of a hot tap came to me suddenly as I held it. "C-c-c-congratulations," I stammered, feeling my voice coming back to me. "Thanks," he replied. "Where's Amie?" "H-H-Had to g-go b-b-back up to s-s-school," I said, wondering why I didn't believe it. I bent closer, knowing I had to ask him. "Janus?" I whispered. "W-W-W-Why are y-you w-w-w-wearing a b-b-bra?" Janus drew back, looking at me fearfully. "Don't you remember?" He asked in a strange voice, still in that high alto that was unusual. "Huh?" "Wait, what?" "W-W-Why..." I started again but he cut me off which again was entirely unlike him. "No, what did you call me?" he interrupted. "H-H-Huh?" I said, feeling the panic rising again. I concentrated on the pendant, and let it take away most of the bad feelings. "J-J-J-J..." I stammered, hating that he was doing this to me. It was like he was deliberately stoking me up so that I couldn't speak. It was so unlike him. "Ok, slow down Red," he said. "Start again." I took another breath. My pendant seemed to be burning between my hands. "I asked w-w-w-why are y-you w-wearing a b-b-bra..." I said. "Yeah, I was wondering that too," came a voice from behind Janus. As he turned back towards the speaker, I saw hands plucking at the strap across Janus's back. There was no hiding it now. "Get off." Janus said, pushing the boy away. He turned back to me. "Ok. Red, this isn't funny any more," he said, and I heard his voice dropping back down to normal. I wondered what had happened. I just looked at him blankly. Suddenly a deep part of me wished that Hank was still here. He'd be able to deal with this. I knew it was cowardly of me to admit it, but Hank had a certain amount of control over the people in his presence. It just came naturally, he was a born leader. Janus grabbed my arm and I began to feel a little afraid of him. "H-h- hey, g-g-get off," I said quickly. "Red, where did Amie go?" he asked. "B-b-b-back t-t-to t-t-the s-s-school," I stammered. "Hey, J.J. stop it. Look, you're upsetting her," said the boy behind him. Janus was up in a flash and running back towards the school. I watched him go, completely puzzled. I knew it was a totally cleche thing to think, and even bearing in mind the fact that I used to be one. I really didn't understand boys sometimes. J.J. ran back to the school as fast as she could. As she ran she could feel that horrible organ in her shorts moving around. She put her hands up to her chest and felt the smoothness of the cloth where she felt sure she should have had breasts. Things had gone wrong, she was sure of that. She half didn't know who she was any more. She knew she should have had breasts in that bra around her, but she couldn't remember what they had felt like. It was playing tricks with her mind, just as Hellcat had said. It had conquered Red's mind already and that was the strangest thing of all. Red should have had the most resistance to the effect of whatever it is. She had Hellcat herself. Her and Amie had nothing. She turned the corner back onto the playground and nearly cannoned into Hank who was walking back. "Hank," Jane asked, "where's Amie?" Hank took in Jane's out of breath, wide eyed condition and his eyes narrowed. "Why?" he asked, folding his arms and looking at her accusingly. "What?" Jane asked, suddenly recognising that her voice was an octive lower suddenly. "Come on don't play games, where is she?" "No way dude," Hank said. "You've been playing games with those two. Now I want to know whats going on." Jane moved to step past him, but Hank caught her, pushing her back against the wall of the building. "J.J.? Whats happened to you man?" he half hissed. "And why in heaven's sake are you wearing a bra? Did those girls put you up to this? Honestly, you can tell me if they did. Was it a dare?" Jane felt tears welling up in her eyes, she was trapped now and not even Hank understood. Not even Red. She had to get away, she had to find Amie. Hank looked stunned as he held her arms. "Jesus," he said, as if suddenly realising. "You're a sissy?" He guessed. He shook his head, then looked back, himself again. "Look, I don't care what you are J.J., I love you man, just like every other one of the club. Now I understand this is something you might want to keep to yourselves, so I won't tell anyone else about it, but you've got to be more careful man. Jane was crying now and she felt ashamed. She loved Hank too, but this seemed too much. "....Amie," she managed. Hank blinked and stepped back, coming back to himself. "Yeah, ok," he said. "She's in the nurses office. Go see her then go sort yourself out and take that stupid thing off, at least for now Janus. What you do is your business, but you wouldn't want Jamie to notice. You know what his mouth is like." Jane didn't reply, she'd wanted to turn and fly, but she'd picked out the name that Hank had called her that time, the same name that Red had called her. Janus. Things were wrong, they were so wrong. She slid along the wall a little, then bolted for the school. Amie was standing in the corridor there, looking nervous. She must've slipped away from the nurse. "Jane!" Amie said, leaping forwards. "We tried to warn you, but it didn't work..." She saw Jane's tears and came forwards, pulling her into the boy's changing room. She pulled J.J back with her and there was a long moment when they seemed to pause in the air and then Jane felt the pair of them turning and her back touched the cool tiles of the floor, Amie coming down with her. Amie's hands pushed up Jane's shirt and unhooked the bra deftly as she sat astride J.J. Jane felt her pressing down on him and realised that something was wrong now, she was pressing herself down onto his groin. This wasn't right. There was something in Amie's eyes now that seemed to cover the small sencitive girl Jane knew. Amie's hands pushed down his shorts and then the panties till his new and stirring organ was exposed. Jane would have felt a little self-concious if she wasn't so shocked at this transformation in her friend. Amie's hands went underneath her sports skirt and shifted something underneath, then she dropped her skirt over the top of his organ and he felt it punch into her warm flesh. Amie groaned and Jane almost screamed. Amie's hands picked up Jane's own hands and placed them on her chest. Jane could feel the nipples, rock hard under the thin bra and he was surprised at the enjoyment he felt. Amie rocked back and forth, sliding that strange, but comforting appendage in and out of herself. "Oh Jane," she breathed. Jane was surprised, and stunned. So this is what it felt like for guys. Was this how it felt when he and ricky had done it, how it felt for Ricky. Jane stroked Amie's chest, feeling himself sliding deeper and deeper into the little warm flesh. She was so small, this girl, like a china doll. He had to be so careful with her. Janus felt the push as more of his manhood returned to him. He let one hand drop to Amie's hip, guiding her along even as she gasped at the sudden expansion. Her eyes widened and he looked up into them. There was something they had to do, something strange and unusual. Janus mused for a second, watching her writhe. It was probably just the cosplay. It wasn't important. "Oh dear jesus," said a voice behind Amie. Amie yelled, sliding up and out, tucking her pants back into place, perfect in a second, but Janus wasn't so lucky. He reached down, pulling his shorts back up. Hank stood infront of them now, looking between the two of them. "I knew there was something wrong when you asked specifically for J.J." Hank mused, speaking to Amie. "Red was trying to warn you against the idea wasn't she? She knew all along and kept it quiet." Hank stepped forwards, reaching down for Janus's hand. He hesitated then took it, the bra sliding out the back of his t-shirt and slithering onto the floor. "That's probably why Red's been so temperamental too I bet," Hank said, looking into Janus's eyes. "She's been worried. It's all making sense now." "How could you do that Janus?" Hank asked, watching him carefully. "You know Leon has his heart set on her." He turned and looked at Amie. "And you Amie, how could you do that to him?" Amie began to cry and Janus knew he had to say something. "Look Hank..." "What?" Hank demanded, moving closer, so that he actually appeared threatening. "What Janus?" he demanded again through partially clenched teeth. "Go on, say something. I dare you." Janus hesitated, he didn't want to fight with Hank. "If Red wasn't so fond of you right now Janus, I'd smash your teeth in," Hank said. "And look where you got her aswell. Red was nearly arrested because she was so worried about you and Amie." "No, stop it Hank," Amie cried, she was really crying now and Janus felt for her, but inside he knew he had to do this, he had to keep eye to eye with Hank. "I'll give you tonight," Hank said bitterly. "Just tonight, at Red's party for you both to confess to Leon. Otherwise I'll announce it," Hank said, pausing. "Yes it will be bitter and the group will suffer, but this is cancer that you two are causing, and we're going to have to suffer to get better. If I have to announce it, you'll both be kicked out of the hanger. You can form your own club and screw each others brains out in secret. But you WONT carry on like this. I won't let you upset Leon, and I won't let you harm Red. Especially when that girl has enough to worry about with her own problems without you adding yours." Hank paused, staring into Janus's eyes. He looked back, afraid but stolid. He wanted to tell Hank to shut up and to smash his nose in to stop him from spreading the news of their indescretion, but he remembered what hank had said only a few minutes before. I love you man. "Hank. No," Amie wailed, but Janus knew she wasn't in a fit state to make sense now. "It's not what you think. Please." She wailed. Hank stepped away from Janus then turned and left. He'd said his bit and they'd have to confess. It was the only way to stop people choosing sides and tearing the whole gang apart. Amie sank back against one of the walls sobbing. Janus watched her, noting her crumpled legs and loose posture. She was in torment because it was she who had led him. She'd pushed him in here where Hank could get to them, she just hadn't realised. "Amie," Janus began, looking at her. "I'm sorry." Amie didn't respond, she just lay there looking like she had no energy left at all. Finally, after a long moment, Amie turned her face away. "What happened to us..." she cried softly, then she froze. Janus stepped closer, hating himself for letting her do this to him, and him to her. It wasn't right, there was just something increadably wrong about all of this. They both liked Leon. "Oh shit," Amie breathed, her head coming forwards, as though she'd seen something. Janus looked but didn't see anyone down that end of the room. Amie turned her head, and the tears were gone from her eyes, she looked a little scared, but... "You're not Janus!" she said. Janus blinked. "What?" Amie shook her head, for the first time a gleam of light appeared in her eyes, she was back on her feet in a moment and clutched at his arms. Janus couldn't understand that, he'd never actually understood most people come to that, but girls were especially puzzling. Its just how they were, and part of the attraction. "You're Jane!" Amie said. Janus stared at her as though she'd gone mad. "Jane...?" she repeated, frowning. "Amie, maybe you should calm down a little bit." Janus said. For the first time, Janus saw a flicker of doubt in her eyes and he was glad. She had almost looked insane for a second, filled with some purpose. Then Janus had an idea. "Amie, this isn't about the cosplay thing is it?" Janus asked. Amie actually looked a little surprised but Janus could read in her face the fact that that had shook her a little. Maybe it was about that after all. Amie shook her head, as if there were weeds growing around her, trying to smother her mind with their tentacles. Damn it, now he was getting horny again. Great! "Jane!" Amie repeated, looking right into Janus's eyes. For a second he saw the idea in her mind and he felt something gripping his soul. He felt scared now, as though Amie was close to making a revelation that he didn't want to hear, something which would strip away everything he was and leave him gasping and broken. "I know you're in there!" Amie said simply. "You have to get back to me. You're not Janus and you never were. Don't you remember Hellcat?" "Hellcat?" Janus asked, feeling the word sliding home, but not understanding the significance of it. What would Red's new gun have to do with this? "Look!" Amie said, turning, pointing towards the back of the room. "Don't you remember getting changed over there?" "Well.... Yeah..." Janus said, feeling deeply uncertain now, he didn't really want to listen to Amie. Every part of him wanted to shut her up but he couldn't do much more than listen because her words were striking a morbid curiousity in him. Amie was a good friend, he wanted to understand her better so that he would know how to help. "You remember Red giving you her pendant?" Amie persisted, she had fervor in her voice now and that scared Janus almost as much as the insanity in her. "Well.... Yes..." he said meekly. "She was trying to cheer me up." Amie laughed, it was a cruel sound and Janus felt himself taking a step away from her. She wasn't who he thought she was now, she was something else. The idea was dead and buried by science, but Janus had a strange conviction that he was looking at a modern day witch. "Think Jane!" Amie almost shouted. "Red wouldn't just have given you that because you were ill. You know how much that thing means for her. She gave it to you because you'd just grown a dick!" The absurdity of it was the first thing that struck Janus, it was actually funny the way Amie had said it. She was watching him now, her chest heaving with the effort she'd put into.... The performance... but.... Janus remembered the cold clammy feeling of that organ sitting across his thigh, he remembered the sickness that had welled in him at the realisation and the grimace that had shook his face as he confided it's sudden, yes sudden existence to Amie and Red. Oh my god. Jane stared at Amie. "What the hell has happened to me?" Jane asked. "I... I was convinced.... Shit I really was...." Amie looked at her, the insane look leaving her face. She had almost been ready to start shaking Jane. She knew that. "Jane," Amie said deliberately. "Get changed back, and we'll go hide in the toilet somewhere until things turn back." There was no hesitation. Jane stepped forwards. Hank stood amazed. He'd left the two alone then ducked back in to listen to what they were going to do. He was damn sure that the two of them weren't going to tear his club apart, just because they wanted to do the nasty. If they wanted that then fine, but they had to do things properly and in order, and they were both using Leon like he wasn't worth a damn thing. The club had done so much for everyone, yes including him, because he'd known from the start it would and had been tentative at first, but as the people started to change around, especially when Red took out that pendant and told them it's history and they came up with the idea between them of putting all that weight into it. It had been especially at that moment when Hank knew he'd done the right thing. Red had been broken before she joined. She'd been sad and bedraggled, she didn't even take care of herself because the bullying always spoiled her. She had been pushed into bushes, and beaten up just at the merest whim of the playground mobs. Then she'd changed. She'd become vibrant again, and she actually started trying to talk, not just when she was forced to. Hank, in part, had done that. And he felt an incredible pride and love for Red because of it. The others too had been epics in their own ways, perhaps not as fantastic a change as Red, but they all had meaning. And now, Janus and Amie were perverting all of it for themselves. Hank knew that neither of them would perhaps mean to do what they were doing. They weren't vicious people, nor did he think they had any desire to leave the group behind them which could perhaps have solicited this type of behaviour. Hank listened to Amie crying and it broke his heart inside. He felt shattered by what he had to do because Amie had exhibited a lot of the Red scenario. She had been introvert and the club had brought out her strength, it had given her confidence. Janus was trying to console her. For a moment Hank hated Janus because he was doing what Leon should do. But Leon didn't know, just as he hadn't. Red knew, but she was scared of the implications, so she hadn't done anything about it. She'd just bottled it up until it came out. Hank wasn't upset by Red's actions, Tiggy had probably deserved it really. The general feeling amongst the male population of the school was that Tiggy had worked her way through at least thirty percent of the school, and probably one or two teachers too. She had undoubtably deserved whatever she had got, but it was a step for Red too. A big one. Hank listened in stunned silence as Amie burst out, "You're Jane!" That was exactly the same thing that Red had called Janus. Things were lining up in his mind now and he didn't like the way they were leading. Ok, so Janus had done something he shouldn't have done perhaps, but were the two girls conspiring together in someway. It sounded like some kind of mental campaign against Janus somehow, and it was obviously working. Janus had been wearing a bra and had even cried when Hank had grabbed him. Maybe their tactics were getting through to him. Hank felt a little fear grip him. What were the two girls up to? It's true that Janus had never been exactly the muscle bound monster that men were supposed to be, but he sure as hell hadn't blubbed infront of him before, or worn any girl's underclothes. On some level, Hank was a little frightened by the power that the two girls seemed to have over Janus, but if it were indeed the cause of all this then why was Red part of the plan. She wasn't at all like this. Hank's father said that you could never really know someone, but even he had said sadly that Red had problems when he'd met her. To do something like this, you'd have to be a mastermind of tactical persuasion. If anyone at all Amie was the stronger of the pair mentally. Perhaps then, he should just go talk to Red. Hank nodded. That's what he should do, yes. But he would wait a while too, to see if he could hear more. Janus was trying to calm Amie down now. "Is this about the cosplay thing?" he asked. Hank felt his plan beginning to take shape now. Yes, naturally cosplay would have been a weapon against Janus. Perhaps Amie was blackmailing them both with something? "Jane, you have to get back to me. You're not Janus and you never were." Hank heard. Amie was insane. You could hear it in her voice, in every word there was an expression of a horrible picture. This had gone too far, things were much much worse than he'd realised. Hank pushed himself away from the wall. He'd hold down Amie like his father had told him to, Janus would help him once he saw what was happening. With Janus holding her, he'd phone for his father and they'd get Amie locked up and with the help she needed. There was no doubt who the ringleader of this game was now. "Don't you remember Hellcat?" Amie asked. Hellcat, that was Red's new gun. Hank paused. On the one hand things could perhaps wait for a little longer. There were no sounds of violence coming from next door, so although there was urgency, there wasn't nessessity yet. Hank realised he'd have to kick Janus out after this. There was no question really now. If there ever had been. "Don't you remember getting changed over there?" Amie asked. Once again Hank felt almost compelled to listen to her. He wanted to know more about what was wrong with her because in spite of all this. He liked Amie. She was like a smaller, less problematic Red. Or she had been. "Do you remember Red giving you her pendant?" Yeah, that was strange too now that Hank thought about it. That pendant was like a little person to Red. She took care of it and loved it, probably more than was good for her, but because it did so much for her there didn't seem to be a problem. She had given that thing to Janus for some reason, like it was just some stupid lucky charm. It couldn't have done anything for Janus, he was hardly there when Leon gave Red the idea, he didn't see Red's eyes watching the pendant, studying it all that night so that Leon eventually made that string for her which was more durable than the crappy silver it had been on before. That pendant meant more to her than probably any of them could, perhaps even more than her mother did. But that would perhaps have been Red's weakness, that could have been the metaphorical brick that caused the building to collapse? That was Amie's hold on Red? Hank shook his head, it wasn't really possible. Besides, Red had her pendant again, he'd seen it in her hands at the match. It was hers and back with it she would be as much herself as she ever was. There was no way that Amie could influence her with it when it was in Red's possession. "You know how much that means for her," Amie continued. "She gave it to you because you'd just grown a dick!" Grown a dick? This was so bad it was almost unearthly. That would perhaps be Amie's madness. "Grown a dick?" would that be Amie's expression for reverting to Janus's masculine nature perhaps? It was possible. "What the hell has happened to me?" Janus said meekly. Hank knew Amie had gotten back through to him. Her madness had hold of his reigns again. Hank knew he wasn't going to learn much of anything more here now, except perhaps what pleasure Amie derived from doing all this to Janus in the first place. Perhaps she'd always had a thing for him. Hank wondered if he should confront them now, but decided against it. They were unsuspecting at the moment, let them remain in ignorance until he had talked to Red. She at least had a grain of sense in her that never dried up. Amie used Red, just as she was using Janus now, but the thing was that Amie didn't need to continue using Red as she did Janus. And like he knew, Red with her pendant was about as safe as Red ever gets. She would be herself and Amie wouldn't be able to influence her any more. Besides, her involvement had probably come to an end if she had it back. Things had suddenly become much more complicated. Hank wondered if perhaps he should just phone his father and explain the situation a little. It would take some convincing him, but there were a few people who had looked at Janus and sniggered because of the bra. They'd be able to back up that part of it and that would probably be enough for an investigation, especially if Amie really was as deep as she seemed to be. One thing was for sure though. The club had heard it's deathknell now. It was going to be practically impossible to continue it, they'd have to drop Amie and Janus, and if the real worst came to worst, Red would have to go, and she was one of the main focal points of the collective group. She meant a lot to people and Jamie for example had joined up because he'd seen the change in her. It was Red's charm in a way. He'd seen the way that Teloni was looking at her, and a part of him hoped that Teloni liked guns. Even while the rest of him had seethed because of how much of an emotional investment he had made in Red. She represented weeks of work, and Teloni had the opportunity to bring all that crashing down again. That was what hank resented, but on the other hand perhaps new blood would be the fresh spirit the group would need after this. It would certainly keep Red interested if this whole situation made her perception of the worth of the group, devalue. "Come on, get changed and we'll go wait in the toilet..." Hank heard, but the rest of the centance was inaudible because the showers just off the side of the changing room started up at that point. They were on their cleaning cycle. Hank waited for them to finish, and sure enough, after a minute they did. "Didn't you wonder why we were getting changed in the boy's changing room?" Amie's voice asked, although Hank wasn't sure if she was speaking to him, or to Janus. There were footsteps too. Hank slid behind the shower cubicle out of sight and heard the door opening behind him as the two went out into the corridor. He'd nearly been discovered, his heart was racing now. That was odd too. Amie and Red had been changing in the boy's changing room today, he'd hardly even thought about it and that was strange because he remembered seeing Leon beconning Red over to them and she going over with nothing on her chest but her bra. Had the girl's side been full? How could it have been full, there were less girls than there were boys in the year and their changing rooms were the same size. Now that he thought about it, everyone else had just accepted their presence in the changing room too, even Teloni who he supposed would not have even had time to understand why such a measure was taken because it was so far out of the range of belief that it was practically inconceivable. Why had he not thought? Hank stepped out of the shower cubicle and just to be completely sure he wasn't barking up the wrong tree he stepped into the changing rooms, walking down until he was where Red had been getting changed. Yes, there were her clothes, sitting on the bench, items that were unquestionably feminine. She shouldn't have been able to get two feet inside the door. Yet she had, and not one of them had questioned it. Amie must've been some kind of super genius to have gotten around that one. It was well... impossible... Not only had she got Red in here with Janus, but she'd smuggled herself in too, even though her things were gone now. Hank remembered the look of her as she had bent down infront of Jamie and Teloni, he remembered the swell of her chest visible under her arm, the bra pale blue against her skin, and her legs as smooth as silk. He'd seen all that, he'd processed it and understood it, but he simply had not been in the remotest sense attracted to her. It was almost like she'd become a boy, without actually being one. He'd felt little more for her than a tempered version of the usual feelings, but with as much compassion as if it had been Janus kneeling there half naked, or Leon. One thing was for sure though. He had to talk to her. He still believed that she was still herself because Red had that part of her that she hid away from all the bullying. As Leon had explained it, she had a copy of herself deep inside her mind that looked out on the world with clinical precision. That part of her was always there, always aware and completely unchanging. It was the part of her that allowed the pendant to be used as carrier to all her bad feelings arising from her inarticulacy. She normally reserved that part of her at school, but Hank knew that if he said things the right way they would go straight to that core of her and come back with answers. Not for the first time, Hank wondered what would happen to Red the day that the pendant broke in her hands. She often held it with a grip that she didn't feel when she was trying to say something. It would break one day, and there was little chance of prying it away from Red to get some maintainance work done on it perhaps... Or until today it had seemed that way... Hank couldn't help but admire Amie for what she had done. He didn't know how she'd done it, but it had unquestionably been the work of a mind indescribable. She had twisted Janus, ok that at least was semi-possible. Janus might just have had a predeliction towards S&M in him. But She had defied belief and impossibility with her other two feats of getting that pendant away from Red with her blessing, and smuggled the two of them into the boys room without even a degree of suspicion. He walked back out to the pitch, taking his time, wondering how he was going to ask Red about all this. He was halfway across the field when he heard Ms Oates whistle and his name being shouted. He ran over, aware that she looked very angry. "Where have you been Hank?" She demanded. "I thought I told you to come straight back." "Yeah, I'm er sorry miss," he said hesitatingly, his mind didn't seem to want to come down from the thoughts that were buzzing around inside him. "Did you take Amie to the nurse?" Ms Oates said, sencing a little of his distress. "Oh, yeah. No problems," Hank said. For a moment she just looked at him, wondering if she could coax more out of him, but in a second she decided against it and became impatient again. "Well you missed the changeover!" She snapped. "I had to put Teloni incharge of your team, and because Angelina is still not fit to play, I guess it's unfair that your side should have a player advantage, so go sit down and next time don't dawdle." Hank watched her, then trudged over to the bench. Red was sitting there alone again, she'd obviously recovered but she hated sports with a passion and would have taken the excuse to have sat play out anyway. She looked up at him, smiling brightly. Now she had her pendant back she was happy again. Hank wished with a smile that Red wasn't quite so attractive as she was. She could break an Indian fakir's trance with that smile of hers when she was in the right mood. "I w-wondered w-where you'd g-got to," I said as he sat down next to me. I felt the thrill that always came when I hardly stammered at all. The pendant was like an icecube on my chest now, and I felt as cool as I would ever be. "Did y-you s-see Janus?" I asked. "He j-just l-leapt up and r-ran. I t- think he n-n-needed the t-toilet or s-something." "Yeah, I saw him," Hank said, sencing that my mood was good. He put his arm around me, and I saw that something was troubling him. "You look l-lost," I said, turning my eyes away from Teloni who was looking strangely attractive in a way I wasn't sure if it was good or bad. It was all to do with the way his legs and arms moved, the t-shirt stretching across his shoulders like he was some bronzed shining statue of divinity. It was all about power this feeling for him, a feeling that I could control him if I wanted to, I could harness him in the same way I could harness a horse. But something more than that too because Teloni wasn't just a horse. He was a mind, and that would make me a conqueror. I slowly became aware that Hank had said something and I hadn't heard a word of it. "What?" I asked, "S-s-sorry, I w-wasn't paying attention." Hank chuckled, his arm across me hugging briefly as he looked at the new pupil. "I guess he is good looking in a way," Hank whispered. "H-H-Hank!" I said, nodding to the proximity of the teacher and the team waiting to bat, all of whom would like to get their hands on a piece of gossip like that. "Lets go back to the fence," Hank suggested, and I nodded. I knew I was going to have to tell Hank he needed to back off a little, that I wasn't his girl, and I knew it was going to be more than difficult to make him see that. I got up and stepped back over the bench, then walked back around ten paces to the high fence which backed into the yards of the residential sections next to the school. "So..." Hank said, looking at me. He wasn't smiling. "Yeah, ok," I said. "I t-t-think Teloni's a g-g-good l-looking g-g-guy." "Oh? You think he's boyfriend material then?" Hank asked. I checked his eyes for sarcasm, but he wasn't being awful. There was a lost kind of look in his eyes and I knew he knew the truth. He couldn't claim me any more than I could claim him, and I just didn't think of him that way. It would overrule all the other feelings from my boyhood that I had had of Hank, a lot of which were as precious to me as the group was. "Yes," I said softly. "I d-d-don't kn-n-now, but I t-think he m-m-might be." I was loosing that coolness in me now, the pendant could only do so much and it's effect had kind of stockpiled, now it was having to fight. Hank must've noticed because he lapsed back into quiet. "Red. You know I love you, don't you?" Hank said. "I love all you guys equally but you most of all because you were my triumph. You were the girl that made me believe that the club was not just about guns but about helping each other." I put my hand around his arm, it didn't seem right suddenly that we should be apart for this, there had to be a kind of contact between us, otherwise the words would be cold and less meaningful. "I kn-n-n-now Hank," I said. "And I l-love you t-too. But as a f-f- friend. I'll n-n-n-n-never h-have another f-friend like y-you and Leon in the w-w-world, and any d-d-d-damn b-b-b-b-boyfriend who m-m-m-m-makes m-m-me c-c-choose b-between you t-two and h-him will be out on h-his ass n-n-n-no m-m-matter h-how m-m-m-much I c-c-care." The words were cold, dispite my effort. They came right out of the part of me that was the pendant, and as such they were even more true because of it because they were fuelled by the emotions that everyday I repressed into that silver. "You have a way with words," Hank said softly. I looked at him to see how he meant it, but I couldn't find the answer in his eyes. They still looked a little scared. "I wish I was as articulate sometimes." I laughed. "Do you want Teloni to be brought in to the group?" Hank asked. "He'll probably have to be anyway." "How'd you m-m-mean?" I asked. It wasn't the bringing in bit, it was the assumption that he would have to join. I wondered if Hank knew something that I didn't. Hank shrugged. "Jamie and him were chatting away like maniacs. I swear I have never seen Jamie talk so much before. And Teloni was giving him it right back too." I laughed, thinking of the idea of Jamie talking more than usual. It was practically impossible because he talked so much anyway. Again though I noticed Hank's unease and I realised that it would take a while for Hank to trust the new kid, and the trust was a big thing with us. We all knew Hank's father was the sherrif and what we were doing was practically illegal, so anyone who turned bad in our group could potentially be very damaging. Of course, in such a situation the hanger would have to be torched, the bullets and guns hidden away. That was one of the reasons why we kept our supplies of bullets and other things around a mile below the surface in the tunnels of the mine inside weather proof containers. We were very careful and the whole place could be destroyed in an hour and the supplies would resist all but a complete and detailed search of the mineshaft tunnels. The kind of search operation that would pre-empt such a scouring of the mine tunnels would only be if one of us had killed someone with our guns, in which case the legality of the club would be a minimal concern. Only two people knew the way to the containers, Leon and Hank and both of them understood the importance of the secrecy. They had taken me along once but the journey there had so many changes of direction that I quickly got lost as was their intention. One thing I was sure of, returning from that trip, was that we had enough ammunition to last us forever. "I guess in a way, you're kind of like a daughter to me," Hank mused. "I don't want to see Teloni turn out to be a piece of shit and that he has demolished everything we did for you." I grinned. "Don't w-w-worry about t-t-that. N-n-n-n-nothing c-c-could erase w-w-w-what you d-d-did." "What is Amie doing with Janus?" Hank said, almost offhandedly. I paused, looking round into his eyes. It was a strange moment for me, right there. I recognised the anger in him first and I felt afraid. Hank was a big guy, a budding football star if ever there was one. But he was ruthless too in a way. I guess his mind must've just jarred me off guard because for a moment it was hard to think who he meant when he said Jan