A Well Lived Life Book 8 StephieChapter 67 A Change in Attitude
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June 1978
I woke up early on Sunday morning, feeling good for the second day in a row. I decided I was going to go to church as well. There was something positive about sitting in church that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
After church, I did my chores and then pedaled over to Bethany’s house for lunch. Her dad made hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill and I ate two of each. Bethany laughed when I had the second hot dog after I’d already had two burgers and a hot dog.
“I’m a growing boy. I rode my bike over this morning, I’ll ride home and I’ll swim!”
She giggled, “Yeah, but it’s funny to see how much you eat. Ed doesn’t eat like that.”
“Ed’s only 12. Give him a couple of years. Puberty will do that to him. Not to mention the energy he’s going to need to put up with my sister!”
That generated laughs from everyone, including Ed, who turned bright red.
Mrs. Krajick wondered, “So, just how well is this pre-teen romance working out?”
Bethany laughed, and Ed looked like he wanted to hide under the table.
“Well, my sister seems to like him,” I said. “And she’s cute, which means because he’s a guy, he likes her. If she gets her hooks into him, he’s done for.”
They all laughed again.
“I think I want to be excused now,” Ed said.
“Come on, Ed, he’s just teasing you,” Bethany said.
“I know; but still! It’s not like I did anything but hold her hand. You held Steve’s hand and you guys are just friends!”
“Well, Ed, there was that little incident of the hug you two exchanged at my house, which I believe even your mom saw,” I teased.
Bethany giggled, “We all did. That wasn’t a friend hug, Ed, you like her!”
“I’m going to go in the other room and die now,” he groaned as he got up from the table.
Everyone laughed. It was good to see Bethany laughing.
“And you, Bethany, giving him a hard time. I seem to recall a pretty nice hug at Graeter’s from you. Ed’s nice enough not to tease you, but now that you’ve teased him, well, that means you’re fair game.”
“Steve!” Bethany exclaimed in dismay.
Mr. Krajick looked concerned, but her mom was smiling.
“Oh, that’s right. You were hiding that from your parents. Can’t let them know you like me. I’m sorry, I guess I let the cat out of the bag.”
“Stop it,” she giggled. “You’re a friend. And look at my dad. He’s uncomfortable.”
“Of course I am, Princess.”
“Daddy, I didn’t mean it that way. I asked Steve to treat me like a normal girl, even tease me sometimes. I’m tired of everyone treating me differently. Never joking or teasing. I need to feel normal.”
“Honey, we’re concerned about you. And we need to keep you safe. Steve seems like a nice young man and all, but I can’t help but worry. Your mom and I just want to keep you safe.”
“I asked Steve to hug me once last week. I never felt safer than when he did that.”
“What?” her dad gasped.
Time for me to step in.
“Mr. Krajick. I want to be clear. I have no designs on your daughter beyond being a friend. But you know what? I hug my friends. I even kiss my friends occasionally. When Bethany asked me to do it, there was nothing more than friendship.”
“Dad, I do feel safe with him.”
“Honey, be careful.”
“I am being careful, Dad.”
“Sir, I will guard your daughter in every possible way, including physically protecting her if need be. She’s my friend. I’d do anything for my friends.”
“Son, I hear you. But double-dates are a bit past friendship, don’t you think?”
“Sir, I hang out with my friends who are girls all the time. Up until May, my best friend in the world was a girl. We had a falling out, but we’re working to fix that. I hope she’ll be my best friend again. My second best friend is a girl, too. My third best is a guy, Larry, who lives two streets over. Honestly, and please don’t tell my mom, there’s more going on between Ed and Stephanie than me and Bethany.”
“I heard that!” came from the other room.
Everyone laughed again.
“Honey, please be careful.”
“Yes, Dad. I’m talking to Doctor Mercer about all of this, and Steve is too; he’s seeing her because the love of his life died. You trust Doctor Mercer, right?”
“Yes, Bethany I do,” Mr. Krajick agreed.
That seemed to end the debate. Bethany said she wanted to take a walk. We got up, and she took my hand in front of her parents and we walked to the front door and down the street.
“Thanks,” she said. “It was fun to have everyone joke around me. It made me feel better.”
“I’m glad,” I replied. “I was a little worried that it was going too far, and I’m sorry if I caused you problems with your parents.”
“The problems will come when you ask me out on a solo date.”
“Do you want me to do that?”
“More than anything. Do you think you could ask me soon?”
“Well, I want to talk to Doctor Mercer about some things I figured out last night, and see what she thinks as well, and you and I need to have a serious talk.”
“About what?”
“About me. About you. About what asking you on a date means.”
“Well, dates are about going out, doing something fun, and getting a good night kiss.”
“Well, yes. But there’s more to it.”
“You mean sex?”
“Bethany!” I protested. “I am not talking about that. I’m not! I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. But that is the problem in the end, isn’t it?”
“If we went out, it might be something we have to discuss, eventually. But now that you raised it, I guess we can talk about it.”
“OK.”
“First of all, you know I date. I’m going out with Anna and Joyce pretty regularly. I’m trying to put my relationship with Jennifer back together. I am not in a place where I can date anyone exclusively.”
“I know, you told me.”
“Yes, but I want to make sure there is no miscommunication. I need to tell you some things that might bother you, OK?”
“Yes.”
“You know I’m experienced when it comes to sex, right?”
“That is pretty clear, yeah.”
“Well, I’ve had sex with lots of girls. Not all the ones I go out with, but lots.”
“Lots like how many?”
“Ten, I think.”
“Wait, you aren’t sure.”
“I could name them, I suppose. But ten seems right.”
“That’s a lot, even for a college guy. You’re only fifteen!”
“You’re right. It’s a lot. But I don’t think it’s wrong to do it. And every one of them was a willing partner. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m not willing to commit to just one person. I’m too young for that.”
“I want to know something,” she said.
Big warning signs were flashing as sirens were going off in my head.
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she whispered, “Are you trying to avoid the subject because you don’t want to have sex with me because I was raped?”
Exactly what I had been afraid of. I was way out of my league here.
“Bethany, any answer I give to that question is dangerous. For both of us.”
“I need to know,” she sobbed.
“You are a desirable young woman. Is that clear enough?”
“No. I need to hear it.”
“Yes, I would have sex with you if that’s what you wanted, and you were ready, and you understood what that meant.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I needed to hear that. I did. I’m still afraid that you won’t, that nobody will.”
“Talk to Doctor Mercer, please! I’m totally confused and I have no idea what to do or say.”
“Just treat me like a normal girl, OK? I’ll tell you to stop if I’m uncomfortable.”
“I can try doing that. Right now, all I want to do is keep you safe.”
“I know. You heard what I said to my dad. Can you hug me, please?”
I pulled her into my arms and held her tight. She snuggled close and sighed contentedly.
She broke the hug after about a minute or so and said, “Thanks.”
We walked back to her house, holding hands the entire way. As we walked up the driveway, she said, “Please ask me out on a date. A regular one.”
“I will, but I need to talk to Doctor Mercer first, OK? And you should, too.”
“And when we go on a date, I want it to be a proper date. Promise?”
“That’s up to you Bethany.”
“Good,” she smiled.
She went inside, and I got on my bike. I really needed to talk to Doctor Mercer. I was afraid I had made a huge mistake. But maybe I had helped Bethany. I’d have to continue to be super careful. I needed to talk to Jennifer, so I pedaled to her house. I rang the bell, and she answered.
“Hey. Can we talk for a few minutes?”
“Sure. Come on in.”
We went to the basement.
“I need to ask you something and I need a totally honest answer.”
“OK.”
“Are you really, I mean really, going to be happy with a relationship like I had with Birgit?”
“Yes, though it won’t be exactly like that. I’ll get to have sex with you more than once a year!” she giggled.
“Oh stop! I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”
“Why are you asking?”
“Bethany asked me to ask her on a real date. I’m not sure her parents will agree, and I don’t want to lead her on.”
“Go on a date with her. Kiss her goodnight. You’re not ready to commit to me at this point. I know it.”
“Did you have some secret communication with Birgit?”
“No, I just listened to you and Melanie.”
“OK. I still need to sort everything out and talk to Doctor Mercer. We’ll talk after the 4th.”
“And after you take care of Becky.”
“Do you want a home movie? I’m not sure I could get Super-8 developed with those kinds of pictures!”
“That would be interesting, to say the least. How about Polaroids?”
“You are truly out of control!”
“You just wait!” she smirked.
I just shook my head. We kissed goodbye, and I headed home. I went to find Dad and told him that on my way home I had stopped at Jennifer’s for 10 minutes. I didn’t want someone to see me and say something to Mom and have her think I lied.
I checked the pool chemicals, swam some laps, and then did my chores. I hadn’t vacuumed the pool in a few days, so I did that. I swept the deck and filled the bird feeders. I took a quick shower to rinse off, then ate dinner with the family.
After dinner, I called Melanie because I needed to talk to her. She asked if it was OK to come over rather than talk on the phone, and I agreed. I called Anna to confirm for Monday. Her sister would pick me up from work and bring me to their house, and we could decide what to do from there. They’d get me home before curfew.
When Melanie arrived, we went to the deck to talk.
“What have you and Jennifer been cooking up?” I asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“Wait, didn’t Jennifer talk to you?”
“She did, but about a lot of stuff.”
“I’m talking about the new, wild Jennifer. The one who seems sex-crazed.”
“You have that effect on me!” Melanie laughed. “And apparently on Becky. Why should Jennifer be any different?”
“Because she is!”
“Oh, I get it. A slut like me can be all sexy and do anything, but good-girl Jennifer can’t? Listen to yourself!”
“I never called you a slut! I didn’t!”
“No, but you may as well have. You haven’t really done anything crazy without me involved, have you?”
“No, I guess not.”
“So you associate wild stuff with me. But Jennifer is still pretty innocent in your eyes. And you seem to think it’s wrong that she wants to be a little wild?”
“I guess I do.”
She shook her head, “Wrong attitude. Even the class slut doesn’t put out for everyone, and isn’t necessarily wild. Don’t you think my parents, who are devoted to each other, might have wild sex once in a while?”
“I don’t even want to think about that.”
“Your parents might, too, you know.”
“I really don’t want to think about THAT!”
“Oh please. Where do you think you came from?”
“The stork, of course. Any other answer is just a story to scare little kids!”
We both laughed.
“Yeah, right, Steve, sure.”
“OK, but I don’t want to think about it. I don’t!”
“Listen to you. You’re a prude all of a sudden. Didn’t my mom see us with your cock jammed up my cunt? Didn’t we walk down to dinner with everything just hanging out for them to see? And the idea that our parents actually have sex bothers you?”
“Yeah, it does. But what’s with you and Jennifer and the new vocabulary? She uses ‘fuck’ and you use ‘cock’ and ‘cunt’. I’ve never heard either of you use those before.”
“Prude! Despite having more sex than most of the rest of the guys in the Freshman class combined, you are still a prude. And somewhat conservative.”
“Can we drop this, Melanie?”
“Did she ask you to fuck? Is that the problem? Is that what has you bent out of shape?”
“No. She told me to ‘go fuck Becky’s brains out’ as a ‘goodbye fuck’ like Becky wants.”
Melanie doubled over in laughter.
When she had calmed herself, she said, “OK. I can see why that bothered you. That’s a new one for her. Wow!”
“Yeah. It’s way different from ‘go make love with her’ like she said before. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the ‘new’ Jennifer.”
“You know what, you might need me there when you have sex just to protect you! She might throw you for a loop!”
“Not yet. I have lots of things to work out first, OK? I told her I need to talk to Doctor Mercer and finish things with Becky before we can even discuss moving beyond just making out.”
“Yeah? What about me?”
“That’s actually why you’re here.”
“Oh cool! Your room? Or you have some other place we can go.”
I laughed, “OK, I walked right into that one, didn’t I? But what I meant is to talk about where we are. About us. About how we fix our friendship and move forward.”
“Simple. We keep telling each other the truth, declare ourselves friends, and then go screw each other silly,” she giggled.
“It’s not that easy, Melanie, and you know it. You violated Pete’s trust. That’s a problem for me. It makes it harder for me to trust you.”
“It hurt you that I did that, didn’t it?”
“Yes, it did. Not as badly as Pete was hurt, I’m sure, but how many times did I make the point clear? I lost respect for you. And that’s hard to get back. Before, you were my friend, confidante, and lover. I respected you and trusted you. We loved each other in our own way. We had a common bond in Birgit. All that has changed. Well, except I still love you in that special way.”
“I love you too, Steve.”
“OK. That’s the basis for moving forward. Let’s just take it one step at a time and fix our friendship first. Teasing is OK, but please don’t push it too far. The best way to get what I think you want is to be my friend and let it happen naturally, if at all.”
“OK.”
“I have a serious anger problem I need to work through. I think I’m over being sad. Now I’m just mad at everything that happened. I talked with Jennifer and figured out a lot of things. I think once I get past the anger, I might, just might, be able to be in a long-term relationship of some kind. And it’ll probably be with Jennifer.”
“Wow! It’s only been like two weeks. Already you’ve moved on?”
“No. I just admitted to myself that I probably always was going to be with Jennifer. I would have tried really hard, but in the end, we have a connection that I never had with Birgit. Oh, that might have developed if I had been with her in Sweden. Or it might not. But now it can’t. Does that make me sad? Yes. But not crying, breaking-down sad. It does make me mad at whatever took her from me. I mean red-faced, fist-poundingly angry.”
“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be mean.”
“Don’t worry! I didn’t take it as being mean. But I’m angry with you, you know? For what you did to Pete, for trying to use me to cover it up, for lying to me and Pete, and for your refusal to talk to me for two months.”
“And Jennifer?”
“I’m angry with her, too. For different reasons, of course. And I’m angry with Becky. And I’m angry with Birgit for dying. And I’m angry with myself for all the dumb stuff I did.”
“You weren’t kidding.”
“No, I wasn’t. I think I need a swim to cool off. Can we talk later in the week after I see Doctor Mercer?”
“Sure.”
I walked her to the door and hugged her goodbye. I put on my trunks and swam 50 laps as fast as I could. I was breathing rather hard when I got done.
“Wow, Big Bro, that was some serious swimming.”
“Just working out some anger at the world.”
“You aren’t mad at me, are you?”
“Nah. Well, maybe for sneaking a peek at me naked and spying on me having sex, but I know you need your cheap thrills.”
“Eww!”
I laughed, “No, Squirt, I’m not mad at you for anything at all.”
I gave her a quick hug and went to rinse off and write in my journal. I was pretty happy with the progress I had made. I was moving past the sadness to anger. I was telling people why I was angry. I was being as honest as I could.
I slept well again; that was real progress.
Work on Monday was normal and Jennifer and I had lunch. At quitting time, I saw Anna and her sister waiting for me. Andreas joked that I had added more girls to my harem.
I shot back, “I’m not paying them.”
He laughed, “You always pay, Steve. It’s just not always money that changes hands!”
I laughed at that. I’d have to remember that one.
I hopped in the car and greeted the girls and asked what was on the agenda.
Her sister, Gina, said, “Sex, of course. What else would I be doing when Mom and Dad leave us alone at the house?”
Two could play at that game.
“No thanks, Gina, you aren’t my type.”
She spluttered, “Not with you! Gross.”
“You couldn’t handle me. Let me know when you need a real guy.”
“Right, you’re what, fifteen like Anna?”
“Yeah, fifteen. But I’ll bet your boyfriend never gave you nine orgasms in a row, never screwed you for 30 minutes straight non-stop, never French kissed you after he came in your mouth, and never licked your pussy after he screwed you.”
Anna turned bright red, her eyes got wide, and her mouth gaped.
Gina shouted, “Bullshit! You never did any of those things.”
“I have references. Want their phone numbers? They’ll tell you. Or get Anna’s permission and I’ll show you.”
“With you? A little boy? No chance. I say you’re full of shit.”
“Say what you want; it doesn’t make it any less true. As for little, well, no; slightly above average. But I know what do to with it.”
The ride was quiet after that. I hoped I hadn’t scared Anna off.
When we arrived at their house, Gina was giving me evil looks. We walked inside and I saw her boyfriend pull up behind her car. I decided one more dig was necessary.
“Last chance Gina. Ditch your boyfriend, get Anna’s permission, and I’ll show you what it’s really all about. Or you can just have lousy sex with your boyfriend. Your choice.”
Anna laughed at that one. Gina didn’t respond. She took her boyfriend to her room and slammed the door. I had won. It served her right.
“I’m sorry about that,” I said quietly to Anna.
“It’s OK. I don’t think she’ll bother me about this anymore. I hear how long they take. But are you serious? 30 minutes? They take like five at the most.”
“Yeah, it was a special situation. I can’t really promise that. But it did happen.”
“But all those other things? You really did those?”
“Let’s go sit down and talk, OK? I owe you a serious apology.”
She grabbed a couple of bottles of Dr Pepper from the fridge, my second favorite drink after Coke. I sat at the kitchen table to make the conversation less threatening.
“First, I’m sorry I was so harsh with your sister. I was pretty crude in what I said, and I shouldn’t have done that. I’m still working through all my issues with Birgit and my friends. By the way, Melanie and Pete split up.”
“Oh, that’s sad. They were great together.”
“Yes, they were. But she made some mistakes and now they’re apart. I don’t know if they can get back together or not.”
“Because of you? You didn’t do it with her, did you? She was practically begging.”
“She was. And no, I would never do that to Pete. I have way too much respect for him.”
“Good. I’m glad. I wouldn’t have been happy with you if you had done that.”
“I wouldn’t be happy with me either! But I do need to say that I do have sex with other girls. Just not Melanie. I can’t remember if I ever said that directly to you, but you need to know that.”
“Yeah, I know. You’re pretty experienced, from the things you’ve said to me and what Melanie said. Not to mention what you said tonight to Gina! Was all that true?”
“Yes. I’ve done all that and more.”
“More? What more is there?”
“A lot. Don’t worry about it, OK? It’s nothing really important.”
“But isn’t some of that stuff really gross and disgusting?”
From my perspective, it wasn’t gross or disgusting, it was just really, really strange; to innocent Anna, me saying that it was OK, might push her away forever. She knew I’d done it, but didn’t know my opinion of it, beyond ‘strange’.
“I don’t think so. But nobody should ever do anything they don’t want to.”
“Can I ask you some questions?”
“Sure. Just be sure you want the answers, OK?”
“Uh, yeah, I guess. You mean I might be freaked out by some things?”
“Exactly.”
“So you’ve had blowjobs. And the girls let you shoot in their mouth?”
“Sometimes, yes.”
“And then what do they do? Spit it out?”
“Actually, I’ve never had that happen, but yes, they could spit it out. But every time I’ve cum in a girl’s mouth, she’s decided to swallow.”
“Really? You’re not just messing with me?”
“No. I’m not messing with you.”
“And you really lick a girl like you said?”
I decided to use her language rather than be blunt or crude.
“Yeah, I really like doing that. I like it more before I shoot in her, but either way is OK.”
“And you really can give a girl who many orgasms?”
“Well, that was a special time and a special girl. But usually I’m able to give girls multiple orgasms.”
“So you’re better than that idiot Rick! I’ve heard Gina complain to her best friend that she only gets one, and sometimes none.”
“Then I was right. Rick doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
She sat there obviously contemplating. I decided to make things easier for her.
“Let’s go to Wendy’s and get some food, OK?” I suggested. “Then we can decide what to do. There’s a mini-golf course by Wendy’s, if you want. Or the bowling alley is close enough to walk.”
“Sounds great! Let’s go!”
I sensed a note of relief in her voice, making it clear that I’d made the right decision.
I took her hand as we walked to Wendy’s. She squeezed mine a few times as we walked. We talked about our Summers and about the next school year. We were both looking forward to being sophomores. I told her I looked forward to playing against Turpin in chess and hoped I would face her.
“You just want that strip chess game!”
“I think our chess coaches might object if we started taking off our clothes during a tournament!”
We both laughed. I felt that was a good sign that she wasn’t upset with me for what I had said to her sister. Once we arrived at Wendy’s, we ordered our food, and after it was prepared, I directed us toward a booth. When I sat down, she sat down next to me instead of across from me and sat super close. We ate shoulder-to-shoulder and continued chatting. She hadn’t finished her Frosty when I finished eating, but she said she’d finish it on the way back to her house. That ruled out bowling or mini-golf.
I couldn’t hold her hand, but I decided to test the waters. I slipped my arm around her waist and we walked that way while she finished her ice cream. We passed a trash can, and she dropped her empty cup and spoon into it, and then put her arm around me. We walked the rest of the way to her house with arms around each other.
At her house, she grabbed two bottles of Dr Pepper from the fridge and said, “Come on.”
I followed her to her into her room. She’d changed things a bit and there were two beanbag chairs. That was less awkward than sitting on the bed, I thought. She shut the door, turned on the radio and then sat in the red beanbag chair, I sat in the blue one.
“Gina’s still in her room with Rick. I laugh because she pretends like they’re doing it the whole time, but I’ve listened and I know they spend most of the time talking and stuff.”
I laughed, “So you think I really got to her, then, huh?”
“She’d be completely beside herself if I actually had a better experience than she did.”
“Well, if it’s with me, I am pretty sure you would. Of course, she’d never believe you even if you did. At least she’d never admit to believing it. She’s lying about how good Rick is, right?”
“Yeah, you’re right about that, I’m sure.”
“Please don’t compete with her. When you’re ready, do what you want, when you want, with whom you want. Don’t pay any attention to your sister.”
“Can we talk about something?”
“Anything you want,” I answered, wondering what she was thinking.
“You remember that night when we were with Pete and Melanie and we were making out?”
“Of course.”
“I really liked what you did, but I wasn’t comfortable with them being in the room. I would have let you go further if we were alone like we are now.”
I took the hint and pulled her to me. I kissed her gently and then when her lips parted, pressed my tongue into her mouth. I shifted to wrap my left arm around her as she battled my tongue and she managed to get her tongue into my mouth. I ran my hand across her back and down to her butt. I squeezed one cheek, and she pressed her body closer to me.
I moved my hand to her hip and ran it slowly up her flank, under her arm, and then moved to cup her breast over her t-shirt. I rubbed her nipple with my palm and she moaned into my mouth. I carefully slid my hand down her side to her hip and then down her bare leg to her knee. I moved from outside her top leg to the inside of her bottom one, as she lay on my left.
Ever so slowly I moved my hand to her inner thigh and made brief contact with the crotch of her shorts. She twitched at the contact but didn’t stop kissing. Exploring further, I pulled her t-shirt out of her shorts and slid my hand underneath to touch her flat stomach. I waited briefly while we kissed and slid my hand up to cup her breast through her bra.
I squeezed her breast in my hand and then tweaked her nipple between two fingers. Her kissing became a bit more frantic and forceful. Remembering what I had done last time and where she stopped me, I moved my hand to her back and managed with a little effort to unhook her bra, one-handed.
I quickly moved my hand back to her luscious breast. It felt firm and warm under my hand, and her nipple was pressing hard into my palm. I broke the kiss and sat up slightly. I looked her in the eyes and watching for any sign of protest grabbed the hem of her t-shirt. I gently pulled it up, and she shifted and raised her arms so I could pull it over her head. I did the same with her pink frilly bra.
Last time, the lights had been out. Now I had a view of her beautiful breasts. They were about the size of a half grapefruit with light pink areolae and nipples.
“You’re beautiful!” I whispered as I lowered my lips to her nipple. I kissed her then opened my mouth and took her into it. I gently suckled on her breast while my hand gently held it. There was a hint of some kind of lavender body spray or perfume that was intoxicating. She sighed deeply.
She had said she would let me go further, so I moved my hand from her breast and moved it down her torso until I came to the waistband of her shorts.
I broke the kiss and looked her in the eyes and said, “Is this OK?”
She exhaled hard and nodded.
I kissed her gently several times as I slipped my hand under the waist of her shorts and slid my fingers over smooth panties, feeling the softness of her pubic hair under the material. I continued down until I felt the ridges of her labia under her panties and found a small wet spot. The heat was incredible.
I moved my fingers up and down between her legs. This was a rare experience for me. Usually my partner and I would already be naked before any serious intimate contact happened. This was a total turn-on. I was amazed at how hard I was. I increased the pressure slightly, and she started slowly moving her hips up and down. I could feel the wet spot spreading. I wanted to touch her!
I pulled my hand up to the waist band of her panties and pushed my fingertips underneath, waiting for a negative reaction. When I didn’t receive any, I moved my hand in one continuous motion over her soft pubic hair and onto her slit. I cupped her mons in my hand and applied a small amount of pressure.
I lowered my head to suckle her breast once more and began moving my fingers up and down her damp pussy. She was moaning softly and slightly moving her hips. I wondered if I could move to the next step or not. The worst that could happen was that she told me to stop. I released her breast, pulled my arm from behind her and shifted so I could plant tiny kisses on her stomach. I kissed along the waist of her shorts and brought both hands to her hips.
June 15, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “That’s everything, I think,” I said. “My luggage is in the trunk of the car, I have my passport, tickets, and money, both dollars and yen. I can’t think of anything else.” “I’ll see you in five weeks,” Elyse said, giving me a quick hug. “Did you see they rioted in Vancouver last night because they lost the Stanley Cup?” I chuckled, “Only Canadians would riot when they LOSE the Cup! I did see that on the front page of the Trib. Are we ready?” “Michelle and...
August 1981, Chicago, Illinois On Sunday morning, I made my usual call to Karin. I described everything in the apartment and all the things I’d done during the week, including the reception. Both of us would start school in a week and we were both looking forward to it. When we finished talking, I went out for my run, showered, and ate breakfast. I made some tea, started a load of laundry, and then turned on the stereo. I put on an REO Speedwagon album and then relaxed on the couch with the...
August 21, 1989, Chicago, Illinois “Unbelievable,” I said when I read the headline from the Chicago Tribune. “It says here that Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki was nominated to be Prime Minister of Poland.” I hadn’t had a chance to read the paper on Sunday because it hadn’t been delivered before we left for the race track in Michigan. “So now what?” Kara asked. “We’re in totally uncharted territory. Your guess is as good as anyone’s right about now.” “Steve, do you have a minute?”...
July, 1983, Chicago, Illinois I woke up early on the First of July, because my body clock was still set to Swedish time. The flight back had been long but uneventful, and I was happy that the businessman in the seat next to me hadn’t wanted to talk. I read, wrote some longhand journal entries, ate, and generally relaxed while the plane zipped over the Atlantic. I’d come home, taken a sauna, eaten a light meal, and gone straight to bed, not bothering to check messages, look at the mail that...
June 1977 When I got home, I grabbed a Coke and some chips and went right to my room. I didn’t think I could deal with my parents or Jeff or Stephanie. I just needed to be by myself. That wouldn’t seem odd to anyone, because I often went to my room to read. In addition, I now had the TV I’d received for my birthday. I flipped it on to WXIX Channel 19 and reruns of Gilligan’s Island and Green Acres played in the background while I read. I had to get my mind clear for the final exams that...
July, 1982, Milford, Ohio I woke up early on Friday morning to make breakfast for Kara and her mom before she went to work. Mrs. Blanchard was surprised, but very pleased. After her mom left for work, Kara gave me a fierce kiss. “Thanks for staying in and cooking breakfast for us,” Kara said. “I hope that doesn’t cause you trouble with Stephanie, with you breaking your normal routine.” “Don’t worry about it,” I said, kissing her back. “We got in a bit later than I expected, and she’ll...
July, 1983, Chicago, Illinois After Rosie left, I stripped the sheets from my bed, as well as the cover of the duvet, and tossed everything into the washing machine. I lit a lavender candle in the room, and then swept and dusted. I did a quick spot-check of the rest of the house and noticed that the tub in the sauna needed to be cleaned. I scrubbed it, then mopped the sauna floor with a damp sponge mop. I finished cleaning the sauna about the time the washing machine finished, so I moved...
May 26, 1991, Iron Mountain, Michigan “Shall we see if we can find a farm?” I asked at breakfast on Sunday morning. “That sounds like a great idea,” Jessica said. “There’s a visitor’s bureau in town,” Kara said. “I saw it when we were here the first time.” “I’m sorry I ruined that vacation,” Jessica said. “Ruined?” I protested. “Are you kidding? Getting you back was way more important than a few days of vacation!” “I agree,” Kara added. “Jess, you know exactly how bad off Steve was...
August, 1984, Chicago, Illinois The rest of the week proceeded as expected - class on Wednesday, as well as the usual visit from Penny, work on Thursday, and class on Friday. Kara and I had lunch together at IIT, Sofia practiced her driving and parking, and I hung out with Mark Agnini after class for beers. Staci and I got into a couple of interesting debates about the Old Testament that Mark had to break up to allow others in the class to participate. She was very much of the ‘directly...
March 25, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “What time do I need to have you home?” “8:00pm will be fine,” Misty replied. “My parents are in Normal visiting my brother at Illinois State. They aren’t supposed to be home before 10:00pm.” Misty and I were in my car on the way to the NIKA apartment which, fortunately, was not being used. With our expansion, it was in more or less regular use, and that meant I didn’t have access to it as often as I would have liked. I was glad there had been a delay in...
January 17, 1989, Chicago, Illinois “What time do you have to leave this morning?” Kara asked as we showered together on Tuesday morning. “About 8:30am,” I said. “I’m driving over to get Jeri, then heading to O’Hare. We have an 11:00am flight. Assuming all goes well, we’ll be in the office by 3:00pm Pacific time. We’ll spend a couple hours going over the software then go to dinner. The demo is tomorrow. Our flight back on Thursday leaves LA at 11:00am, so we’ll be home by 8:00pm, I...
June 1977 Friday ended up being a non-event. The more I thought about it, the more I was sure that there was no way on this earth I could say what happened between Birgit and me was a sin. Calling it a sin would debase it into a meaningless act. I could never do that. And the more I thought about Jennie McGrath, the more sure I was that I couldn’t call what she did for me a sin, either. If the church was right, I was going to hell. And frankly, there was no way that could be true. So I...
July 22, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Albert, do you have everything packed?” Mom asked. “Yes, Mom!” I replied, rolling my eyes because she’d asked before I went to bed. “He’ll be fine, Babe,” Dad said. “Let’s walk to the hospital.” I usually didn’t get up early, but Dad had suggested it would help Mom if I walked to the hospital with her because I was leaving to see Jane for three weeks. Mom, Dad, Aunt Kara and I left the house and headed down the sidewalk towards the hospital where Mom and...
May 14, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “Start talking!” Melanie demanded when I sat down in her office about an hour later. “There isn’t much to say. Katya found the information for me when I asked her to look into several things about Brandon Littleton, Kevin Lomax, and John Milton.” “Do you know more about him?” “A LOT more. I don’t think you want to know.” “Probably not, but I’m your criminal defense attorney, and even though San Antonio doesn’t have you involved in this, you know the CPD...
“So, how should we do these Stone’s songs?” Phil asked at our rehearsal session. “I think we all know the music, we just need to come up with a pretty awesome arrangement; we don’t want to sound like yet another cheap cover band.” “I had some ideas, if it’s okay for me to make some suggestions,” Allison said. “Of course it is,” Phil said. “Everyone can have a say, there’s no rule that says you can’t participate in the discussion.” “Thanks, Phil, I guess being the newest here, I’m a bit...
May 11, 1992, Chicago, Illinois Monday was turning out to be a LONG day. After my run and talk with Gina, and my talk with Elyse, I had a full day at the office scheduled. First was our leadership meeting in the morning, and then I had status meetings with each team. At lunch I’d gone to see Siobhán and explained that I was going to break off the sexual relationship, but that I wanted to remain friends. She was disappointed, but admitted that Thursday would have been the last time, since she...
January 19, 1989, En-Route from LAX to ORD When the engines of the plane started, Jeri reached over and took my hand. She held it while we pushed away from the gate, and taxied for takeoff. Her grip tightened a bit as we hurtled down the runway, but nothing like the death grip she’d had on my arm for the flight out. The plane roared its way into the air and once we leveled out, Jeri’s grip loosened but she didn’t let go of my hand. “How are you doing?” I asked with a touch of...
September 1982, Chicago, Illinois The weekend was quiet and besides homework, I worked on the program changes for Frank, called Karin, Tatyana, and Kara, and hung out with my usual study group. Monday was refreshingly normal. On Tuesday morning, I handed Katy my completed intake form. She put it in an envelope and stuck it in her bag. She said she’d let me know soon about the interview. On Tuesday afternoon, after having lunch with Stephie, I made my rounds and then I headed over to Sigma...
October 1982, Chicago, Illinois The drive back to Chicago was as uneventful as usual, and I arrived at the apartment just before 6:00pm. When I arrived, Elyse and Stephie were sitting on the couch and Jackie was sitting on the loveseat. Stephie hopped up as I opened the door and greeted me with a hug and a kiss. “Hi, Peaches!” I said. “Glad you’re home, Yankee!” “Hi, Steve,” Elyse and Jackie both said. “Hey,” I replied. “How was the weekend?” “Well, it was just Kurt with me, Stephie,...
June 11, 1989, Chicago, Illinois It was just after 3:00am when I kissed Trish goodbye. She’d been an enthusiastic, energetic, and adventurous lover. We’d done just about anything either of us could think of, though her breasts weren’t large enough for a tit-fuck. The last time had been in the shower where we’d ostensibly gone to clean up afterwards, but instead I ended up taking her from behind as she leaned against the wall of the shower. “I think I’ll have you again, Steve Adams,” she...
May 1978 The first couple of weeks in May were busy with school, work, and friends. Except for Becky, I didn’t even have any dates. But I was OK with that. Well, almost OK. I wanted to see Anna, but it likely wasn’t going to happen until school was out. I had tutoring sessions with Melanie, but she still wouldn’t talk to me about anything other than Spanish. Barely a hello. I was grateful for the tutoring, but it was maddening seeing my friend this way. I hoped someday she could understand...
March, 1982, Milford, Ohio As I drove along I-65, I thought about what Stephanie had asked for and what Bethany had said without even knowing about the request. Of course, because Bethany and I were so in tune, she might have actually had an idea that I was struggling with getting involved with my sister again. I kept turning it over and over in my mind and I kept coming to the same conclusion — that I shouldn’t do it. I was torn between doing what Stephanie wanted and doing what Kara and...
September 7, 1992, Chicago, Illinois “That went reasonably well,” Michelle said when her parents drove off. “There were a few times I thought my expression would give away something I shouldn’t. You were messing with me, weren’t you?” She grabbed both my hands and smiled, “I was telling the truth, in my own way. Thank you!” She leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “So, what’s left?” I asked. “To visit UofC tomorrow and formally withdraw from classes. To spend some time with you and your...
October 1981, Chicago, Illinois I arrived back at the apartment just before 10:00pm and saw the address for the party. I decided I wasn’t particularly interested in going so I put on some music, poured myself a glass of wine, and started reading more about Russia. I was alternating between the history and culture book and the Communist Party book, decided on the history and culture book for this time. I didn’t get much reading done because I was thinking about Tatyana, which led me to...
January 23, 1996, Chicago, Illinois “Father, bless!” I said, greeting Father Basil with upturned palms. “Bless you, Stephen,” he said as I kissed his hand. The waiter showed us to a quiet table along the wall of Roditys in Greektown. He took our drink orders and was back quickly. We placed our food orders right away and he left to put them in with the kitchen. “I’m not quite sure how to address this, so I’m just going to ask you bluntly. Are you the father of Michelle’s baby?” I shook my...
June 29, 1995, Chicago, Illinois On Thursday, I finally had lunch with Melissa again, something I hadn’t been looking forward to. Much like with Cèlia, Melissa and I had passed an inflection point and I was left with sub-optimal paths forward. I’d been struggling with the possible solutions, and all of them had pitfalls. When I walked into Takumi, I had something of a plan. Whether it was good or not would only be known once everything played out. “I spoke to my wives,” I said after we’d...
December 5, 2000, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota “I had a good time last night,” I said. “I was surprised you invited a friend!” Mary laughed as we walked into the exam room, “Naomi had a good time as well. You know what a Resident’s life is like.” I nodded, “No social life.” “Exactly. You guys seemed to hit it off pretty well.” “Yes, but I’m not here for that!” “You’re everywhere for that, and you know it!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s just say that you hit the sweet spot -...
March 1980, Hovås/Göteborg, Sweden I woke early as usual, but just enjoyed being in bed with Katt. When she woke, she hopped out of bed and pulled a robe out of her closet and handed it to me. “There’s a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. Go have your shower, then we’ll have breakfast after I have my shower.” I quickly showered and brushed my teeth, and went back to Katt’s room. She went to shower and came back a few minutes later. She dressed, and I got a very good look at her sexy body...
April 5, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “You missed cuddles this morning!” Birgit said accusingly when I walked into the house about 9:30am. “I know, Pumpkin, but I had a work emergency and had to go see Aunt Joyce and Grandpa A.” “And now we have to get ready for karate!” “I know. We’ll have some family time this afternoon. I don’t have any plans.” “Good!” I hugged her and the rest of the kids, then went to find Kara. We hugged and kissed, and went straight upstairs to get ready for...
September 3, 1989, Chicago, Illinois “Good morning, Sensei,” I said, bowing to Sensei Jim. “Good morning!” he said waving me to a chair in his office. “How was your trip?” I asked. “Enlightening. I spent most of my time acting as a manservant to Sensei Robert and Sensei Hiro.” “He who will lead, must first serve,” I said. “Someday, I’m going to send you to Sensei Hiro, should he live long enough. You understand.” “Does that mean you are now 6th Dan?” I...
October 29, 2000, Chicago, Illinois Birgit followed me as far as the stairs, then scooted upstairs when I went to the front door and opened it. “Hi!” Sophie said. “Hi!” I replied and held the door open so she could come into the house. I closed the door behind her then led her to my study where I waited until she went in, and then walked in, closing the door behind me. I nodded to one of the wingback chairs, she sat down in one, and I sat down in the other. “Is something wrong?” she...
August, 1983, Chicago, Illinois I walked in the near 90°F heat to Carla’s place. I was grateful that the humidity of the morning had dropped significantly; otherwise the heat would have been unbearable. By the time I walked up the steps to the apartment over the photography studio and knocked on her door, I had broken into a light sweat. Carla answered almost immediately and invited me inside her studio apartment. The air was moderately cool, and the window air conditioner was running full...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio On Tuesday morning, I kissed Kara goodbye and headed to my parents’ house for my usual morning routine with my little sister. She was happy that I could spend the morning with her and asked to take a walk, so we weren’t in the house with my mom. “Let me guess — this walk will end in the clearing,” I said with a smile. “Yes,” she said, taking my hand as we walked down Overlook towards Klondyke. As usual, we turned around and walked back, taking the path to the...
March 13, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Steve!” Ailea said when she opened the door. “Hi,” I replied, accepting the offered hug. There was no touching of lips, just of cheeks, and I wondered if I’d misread her intentions at her birthday lunch, or if, perhaps, she detected my reluctance to return the offered affection. “Lunch is ready, so go ahead and sit. I’ll bring it in from the kitchen.” I went to the low table, sat down, and a minute later, Ailea brought miso soup and sushi, our usual...
April 3, 1997, Dallas, Texas “Remember what I said about drinking too much,” I said, as I poured bourbon into three cups. We’d stopped at a liquor store, bought a bottle of Blanton’s, and then returned to the small suite I’d reserved at the Westin. Deborah’s room was down the hall, and Krissy’s was two floors below. Krissy’s comment had caught me a bit off guard, but I hadn’t reacted visibly. I didn’t know her quite well enough to know if she’d been teasing with Deborah, so I was being...
March 28, 1991, Chicago, Illinois “This day belongs to you, Kara!” I said when the three of us woke on Thursday morning. “Happy birthday!” Jessica said. “Thanks,” Kara replied happily. “I think I’d like an amazing birthday fuck from our husband, and then a nice loving shower with my wife!” Kara said. “Do we have enough time?” I asked. Jessica giggled, “I set the alarm for thirty minutes earlier!” “Then let’s not waste any of it!” I said pulling Kara to me. Kara’s squeals as I plunged...
September 4, 2000, Chicago, Illinois On Monday morning I went to my study to make a surreptitious call to ensure that the surprise I’d planned for Kara was still going to happen, and after confirming that it was, Jesse, Matthew, Michael, and I began preparing for the Labor Day party by getting beer and soda into coolers, getting the grill ready, setting up tables and chairs in the backyard, and ensuring the liquor cabinets were stocked while my wives and daughters worked on food prep in the...
September 1, 1987, Chicago, Illinois “I heard that you have some kind of plan to help Ed,” I said to Connie. “There’s no plan,” she replied. “A witness who saw the shopkeeper alive after Ed left came forward.” That sounded convenient, and I wondered if the witness was real or someone that Anthony had put forward to solve the problem. Certainly, the videotape was real, because I couldn’t imagine how Anthony could have faked that, but the witness? Who knew? “So is he being released? Or is...
August 17, 1997, Chicago, Illinois We finished lunch and Marissa and the younger kids went to play, but Natalie sat with the adults to talk, with coffee, tea, or soft drinks. The Sarcus were very comfortable, but the Heaths were still struggling. But, vitally, they hadn’t left and hadn’t insisted Natalie leave the group. “Can you explain how you developed this attitude and approach?” Chris asked. I nodded, “It started when I was just a bit younger than Natalie. My mom was a total control...
September 1977 One thing was obvious to me. I was much more at ease in school than I ever had been before. Part of it was basically being with the same kids for the third year in a row. A bigger part of it was thanks to Jennie McGrath, Birgit Andersson, and Melanie Spencer. I had a lot more self-confidence and felt really comfortable talking to girls. Jennifer Block played a small role in that as well, as my confidante and advisor. Our discussions of sex had continued, and we talked a lot...
July 1979 — Falkenberg, Sweden On Friday, when I got back from my run, Pam was in her bra and panties again. I whistled at her, she giggled, then finished dressing. I showered, and we went to breakfast and finished up our last day. Once class was done, we were pretty much free. On Saturday, we’d have several optional activities and then on Sunday we’d head back to our host families. After dinner on Friday, I took Pam’s hand and we walked towards the river. It was quiet and peaceful, and...
July 1980, Over the North Atlantic We reached cruising altitude, and I settled back to read my book. Pam raised the armrest between us, snuggled close to me and read as well. The cabin crew offered drinks, and I had my first Coke in a year! Meal service began about an hour and a half into the flight. After the cabin crew picked up the trays and offered drinks again, they passed once more, offering headsets for the movie. Trevor and Maria took them, but Pam and I didn’t, instead we turned on...
July 8, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “Is it really that surprising?” Leah asked. “I suppose not,” I replied. “I just didn’t read too much into the kiss on the cheek.” “I didn’t think it was a good idea to kiss you on the lips with all those people around, because I had no idea who they were or what they would think. You were VERY careful with our dance, so I kind of followed your lead.” Which showed very mature thinking on her part. Both of these girls were exactly the kind of students I...
November 8, 1993, Chicago, Illinois A dark fog swirled before my eyes as I tried to take stock. My head hurt, badly. I felt something on my face and realized, dimly, it was an oxygen mask. My right hand was uncomfortable and I recognized the feeling of an IV and pulse-oximeter. My left arm ached fiercely. On my chest I felt the pads and wires of an EKG. I didn’t feel anything else wrong as I continued taking inventory. I tried to open my eyes, but the fog didn’t clear. I tried to speak, but...
August, 1983, Chicago, Illinois In the morning Anala and I ran as we had the previous time, then showered together, carefully washing each other’s bodies in an intimate but non-sexual way. After our shower we went to the kitchen and I made breakfast and we sat down to eat. “Steve, may I make a suggestion?” she asked. “Sure.” “Broaden your circle of friends. Other than me, all of you are white, nominally Christian, 20-year-old Americans. And you don’t invite me to your Sunday...
June 23, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Steve,” Kimmy said over the intercom, “I have a Suzanne Aavik for you.” “Thanks,” I replied. “Put her through, please.” A few seconds later, Suzanne was on the line. “Hi!” she exclaimed when I greeted her. “I’m in Chicago for three weeks. Can I still run away and join the circus?” I chuckled, “You might want to find out what the circus is actually like before you join! If you’re free, you’re welcome to come to the house tomorrow or Sunday and meet the...
March 1979 Monday was back to the normal routine of school. Debbie Courtney, who lived across the street and had turned fourteen the last week in February, started flirting more with me on the bus each day. Debbie Vaughn, who lived just down the street, would turn fourteen on March 16th and invited me to her birthday party. And Donna Woody, who lived just down the street in the other direction, would turn fourteen on March 20th. She had made it clear what she wanted for her birthday, and in...
June 2, 1990, Chicago, Illinois “My office, please,” Sensei Jim said after class on Saturday. I followed him to his office and waited for him to bid me to sit. He did, and I sat in the usual chair across from him. “She has a real problem, you know that, right?” he asked. “I do. That’s why I insisted she start seeing a counselor.” “I run a huge risk having her here with that kind of temper and her violent acts.” I nodded, “I understand. May I ask what you intend to do?” “I really don’t...
February 21, 1991, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Sweetheart!” I said, greeting Bethany at the door. “Uncle Steve!” Nicholas exclaimed. I took him from his mom and he hugged me tightly. “Is Jesse with his moms?” Bethany asked. “Yes. They won’t bring him back over tonight so you and Nicholas can surprise him in the morning.” “Perfect!” “How was the drive up?” “The same as usual. Just a bit of traffic in Northern Indiana. Otherwise, smooth sailing. It was driving the other direction that was a...
November 4, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Good morning, Sensei,” Miyu said when Kara, the girls, and I walked into the dojo on Saturday morning. “Good morning, Miyu.” “Do you have a moment, please?” I nodded and we went to the small practice room for privacy, as Sensei Jim had a family in his office. “What can I do for you?” “I need you to meet a young man,” she said. “I think you might be taking this ‘not do anything without permission’ a bit too far!” Miyu shook her head, “No, I’m not....
May 1979 The limo dropped me at home about 9:00pm. I took my stuff to my room, stripped, and hung up the tux. The rest of the things went into the hamper. I took a shower, put on shorts and a t-shirt, and walked down the hall into my dad’s office. I saw no reason to put this off any longer. “Stephen, you need to explain yourself!” my mom demanded. “I was in Mrs. McGrath’s, well, Mrs. Sanders’ now, wedding, as I said.” “You walked her down the aisle! You’re sixteen and not even related to...
November 3, 1990, Chicago, Illinois “I still don’t understand why you told everyone to leave Katy alone last night,” Elyse said on Saturday morning. “Because we weren’t going to talk her out of it. I could tell by the way she told us. I hoped letting her sleep on it would allow her to hear what we had to say. Obviously I was wrong.” “I was surprised that she wouldn’t talk to Jennifer at all,” Kara said. “I thought Jennifer would be the one to get her to listen to reason this morning.” I...
February, 1983, Chicago, Illinois Our first joining since the previous summer was slow and sweet, trying to express our deep love for each other through the motions of our bodies. When we finished, Karin held me tight and refused to let me move off of her. “Sleep there, please,” she whispered. I kissed her once more then adjusted my pillow so that I could rest my head next to hers. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but it was what Karin wanted. The feel of her firm body under mine,...
July 3, 1996, Chicago, Illinois I blinked several times and took a breath before responding. It didn’t help. The best I could do was contain my visceral reaction at her completely out-of-line request and her wrong-headed assumptions when she had NO idea what had happened in my life the previous eight months. “What makes you think you can make that request after refusing to talk to me for nearly eight months? And equally importantly, without explaining Alexi? And without giving me the first...
August 12, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “Fuck ‘em all,” I sighed. “Especially Donald Fehr. Running to Federal Court, the NLRB, and Congress? I’m really tired of the government putting its thumb so heavily on the scale.” “Well, we’re not going to resolve that problem today,” Elyse said. “Jackie and Jeremiah want to come over.” I chuckled, “Why am I not surprised? I bet you anything he had a rough sketch done ten minutes after they hung up the phone.” “They want to discuss options. Kimmy felt...
July 1983, Milford, Ohio My drive to Ohio was filled with wild swings of emotion. After quickly driving Anala home I had set out for Milford, driving as fast as I thought I could get away with, slowing only when warned to do so by my radar detector. I’d told Nancy that I’d come straight to her house and asked her to call my dad and let him know so that Stephanie wasn’t worried. I pulled into the Blanchards’ driveway at 3:30pm, having managed to avoid any run-ins with the Indiana State Police...
June 1980, On the Train, and in Abisko, Sweden As the train sped across the Swedish countryside towards Stockholm, I reflected on the fact that there were less than three weeks to go until I had to be in Copenhagen to board a flight home. I was torn between wanting to go home and wanting to stay, but in the end, I didn’t have a choice. I really liked my life here, the freedom I was given, the friends I had and, the respect I had from adults. I hadn’t run into a single adult who had treated...
May 18, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “As I said last time, today we’re going to talk about decision making and how to make good decisions. I think we’ll start with what I think has to be the easiest decision with the least controversy - is it ever OK to drive drunk?” “No!” came a chorus from several of the students. “And yet, people do that every day,” I replied. “And they die or kill people because of that bad decision. You have to ask yourself why people would drive drunk; and often it’s...