Boy/Woman Sex

The Best of Friends – Chapter 5
By
Caliboy1991

The problem with Texas weather is you just didn’t know what you’d get. Wendy’s legs cramped as sweat streaked her face. She picked up the pace, keeping even with Aiden, as they rounded the last road leading back toward their starting point. Less than a week remained until the last month of the year and the temperature was close to eighty.

She wondered where the boy found the energy. After all, it had only been two days since the bullies had hit and kicked him. Before putting on his running shirt, the boy’s bruises stood out on his stomach. He had to hurt, but the pace Aiden kept made Wendy wonder about it.

When they were perhaps a hundred paces from Wendy’s place, Aiden yelled, “Race you!”

And with that, he put on a last burst of energy and pulled ahead. Despite telling herself it wasn’t a contest, Wendy’s legs pumped faster as she raced to catch up. Being four inches taller than the eleven-year-old boy, Wendy only missed winning their impromptu race by a couple of paces.

When the boy reached the concrete parking lot between the first quadplex and the Wendy’s small apartment, Aiden spun around and raised his fists as he gasped, “And that’s how I’m going to win the race!”

Sucking in air, Wendy stuck her tongue out, “I’ll get you tomorrow. I’m still laden with turkey.”

Aiden stuck his tongue out too, “Yeah. Wanna bet?”

They were back in the apartment when Wendy said, “I’ll take that bet. Winner picks the movie tomorrow afternoon.”

“Deal!” Aiden exclaimed as he fell onto the sofa, on top of the blanket still rumpled from where the boy slept.

Enjoying the moment, Wendy collapsed onto Aiden with an explosive “Oof!”

As gently as she could, she tickled his ribs, keeping her hands away from the bruising on his stomach. Aiden giggled, trying to inch away from Wendy as her fingers seemed to find the right spots to make him laugh. By the time they reached the end of the sofa, Aiden’s shirt was on the floor and Wendy’s fingers had touched every rib beneath his skin.

Then Aden surprised her. His hands slid under her t-shirt and dug into her belly. Wendy burst out laughing, partly from surprise, but mostly because she was ticklish and the boy found one of her many spots.

As Aiden went on the attack, Wendy inched back the way she came, along the sofa cushions. She was back to where they had started and the boy’s fingers moved to her ribs, pushing the hem of the t-shirt, exposing her midriff. Wendy couldn’t recall the last time she’d had more fun, just wrestling with a friend. Aiden’s hand grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled upward. At that moment, the young woman remembered she had gone jogging braless. Her small breasts didn’t do justice to the modest, padded a-cups she wore to her classes. It’s not like they jiggled around when she ran.

She grabbed the hem, stopping Aiden just as the bottom part of her swells came into view, “Um, I’m not wearing a bra, A.”

Aiden jerked his hands back like he was burned. His face turned to scarlet, “Oh, shit! I’m sorry, Wen. I thought you had a bra on.”

Seeing Aiden’s panicked response, Wendy took his hands in hers, “It’s okay, Aiden. That’s what I figured.”

The boy’s eyes were still fixed to her chest, even while his hands were close to his stomach, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Wendy loved the boy’s expression and the deep scarlet on Aiden’s cheeks. She knew she ought not to feel this way, but part of her enjoyed the idea of the boy seeing her chest. Given that she had seen him naked already, what would it hurt for him to get a look at her, if he really wanted to?

“It’s okay, A. What’s the worst that would have happened?”

The shade of his cheeks didn’t change as he replied, “Um, I’d have seen your, ah, boobs.”

Wendy leaned forward, tracing her fingers along the boy’s ribs, “You’re my best friend, A. There’s nothing wrong with you seeing my chest. I mean, how much of you have I seen?”

Aiden giggled, “All of me.”

Wendy’s fingers tickled the boy’s ribs, eliciting more giggles until Aiden’s hands returned to her stomach and ribs. Then, as the boy’s fingers seemed to stop about half-way up her ribcage, she said, “You can take it off, if you want. I really don’t mind, if you want to see.”

Aiden grabbed the hem of the shirt and pulled it over her head. The boy sucked in a loud and deep breath as he stared at Wendy’s chest. The nineteen-year-old didn’t fully understand what the boy saw in her chest. Her areolas, a dark brown against her pale skin, were barely larger than an inch in diameter and her nipples were smaller than the eraser on the end of a pencil. Add to that, there wasn’t much swelling of her breast tissue.

Wendy’s chest never received even a second look from the guys in any of her classes. They gave their attention to women with bigger tits. But the look Aiden gave her chest was enough to let her know the one person who mattered liked what he saw.

“What do you think?” Wendy whispered.

Aiden dropped the shirt on the floor, “Wow. Shit. Wow.”

Wendy chuckled, “You’ve got a bigger vocabulary than that, A.”

The boy’s eyes never left her chest, “Yeah, I know. But Wendy, they’re beautiful. I’ve never…”

The enraptured look in Aiden’s eyes said everything Wendy needed to know. Still, he was her best friend, and she enjoyed teasing him, “You’ve never seen boobs so small?”

Aiden tore his eyes away from her chest and looked her in the eyes, “No. I’ve never seen a girl’s boobs at all.”

“None of the girls in school?”

The boy shook his head.

“Online?”

Aiden’s eye flicked to her chest, “It’s not the same, Wen. That stuff’s fake. You’re real.”

The silence that fell between them grew awkward after a few heartbeats. Wanting to fill the empty space, Wendy reached out and tickled Aiden’s ribs, and leaned forward, causing the boy to scoot back, slowly retreating in a fit of giggles.

When the boy reached the end, his hands reached out and found her ribs. Instead of retreating again, Wendy redoubled her attack on his ribcage even as Aiden’s fingers slipped between her ribs. Wendy laughed as his fingers found a particularly sensitive spot a few inches below the swell of her right breast.

As Aiden dug in, the tickling intensified and Wendy redoubled her laughter until her bladder leaked. There was only a slight wetness at her front, but it caused her to fall back to the middle of the sofa. Aiden bounded across the open space and reached out. He found another ticklish spot on her ribs, now just below the soft tissue of her breast’s gentle swell.

Through her laughter, Wendy gasped, “A-, ha ha ha! Sto-“

Another rolling fit of giggles beset her and her bladder slipped again. She brushed at Aiden’s hand, pushing it away. Unaware of Wendy’s dilemma, the boy’s fingers reached in and brushed against the upswell of her right breast. The jolt of the touch caused Aiden to pull back, “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry!”

Wendy didn’t know what to do or say. The tingle in her breast competed with the wetness of slightly peeing herself. Deep inside her heart, she enjoyed Aiden’s touch on her breast. But now wasn’t the time to explore those feelings. Not when she could see a small wet patch darkening the front of her shorts. Gasping for breath, she wheezed, “Jeez, A, you made me laugh so hard, I peed my shorts!”

A look of horror crossed Aiden’s face, “I’m so, so sorry, Wen. I didn’t mean to do that either.”

Even as a younger girl, Wendy had never played with other kids like she had with Aiden. The day had been one of discovery when it came to how ticklish she was. And she had never laughed hard enough to lose control of her bladder before. “It’s not your fault, A. Nobody’s ever made me laugh so hard before.”

Even as she spoke, Wendy felt a sense of relief, sharing so intimate a secret with the boy next to her. The intimacy of their play, coupled with the adorable expression on his face, she felt lucky beyond belief to finally have a friend as close as he. Perhaps that’s why she pulled the front of her shorts down, exposing her panties. Pressing her hand against the wet cotton made her realize she was even wetter than she originally thought.

Aiden’s eyes went from her bare breasts to staring at the white cotton panties. Wendy finally felt embarrassed when she saw the yellow stain on the front, knowing the boy could see the same thing. “Um, I guess I need to change.”

Having already seen Aiden completely naked, she wanted to share with him the same thing, even if part of her mind was telling her it was a bad idea. Wendy lifted her hips and grabbed hold of both shorts and panties and slid them down, exposing herself as completely as she had already seen Aiden.

The stunned look on the boy’s face made her second guess her choice, even as the boy stared at the silky strands of her pubic hair tracing away from her slit. Pursing her lips as she mentally beat herself up, she stood and hurried toward the bathroom, “Um, sorry, A. I’m going to get a shower, get cleaned up.”

Wendy stood in the shower, letting the hot water cleanse her embarrassment. What was she thinking exposing herself to him like that? Things were happening too fast. It was bad enough thinking he wanted to see her tits. God, why would anyone want to see those bee-stings?  And then to let him see her slit? Had she lost her mind?

No matter what her mind threw at her, the fluttering in her stomach was unrelenting. It wasn’t right, she knew, but she had enjoyed letting Aiden take her shirt off. And her body wanted to feel his fingers touching her breast’s soft tissue again, even though her mind told her it was wrong.

She tilted her head and let the water fall onto her face as she wetted her short hair. Rubbing shampoo into her hair, she thought about how much Aiden meant to her. College had been a bust when it came to meeting other students. The idea of pledging a sorority felt alien to her. All the girls in the sororities on campus felt fake, rather like Aiden’s view of online boobs. She didn’t want fake friends. Aiden was the only person she had met since her parents died, other than her father’s attorney, Mr. Benton, who felt genuine. Why couldn’t the boy be older?

In her mind’s eye, she knew his nana wouldn’t raise a stink about them dating if he were sixteen. After all, that’s a small enough age difference. Aiden’s nana would probably not be bothered if he were only fifteen. Even if other people might not feel the same way, Wendy was sure a fifteen-year-old Aiden standing next to her, would be a lot taller than her and people might even think he was older, given how young she appeared.

But what would the boy’s nana think if he were fourteen? Would that five-year gap be too much? Wendy sighed unhappily as she grabbed her loofah and washed her torso. Even if the boy’s nana would be okay with a five-year gap, she couldn’t imagine her accepting an eight-year gap until Aiden grew up some more. The sorry truth was, Wendy loved the boy and she couldn’t shake the feeling, even though she knew she couldn’t be anything more than friends with him, at least until he was in high school. And maybe not even then.

Her soapy fingers slid through the silky thread of her pubic hair. It was as if mother nature hated her. Was it bad enough she had tiny breasts, that instead of a full bush of pubic hair, she only had a thin ribbon of silky hair? Instead of radiating out from her vulva, like a vast bush, it was an inch at its widest, tapering to nothing after a couple of inches from her slit.

A soapy finger on her clit made her bite back a moan. Even though she needed the release, the last thing she wanted was for Aiden to hear her moaning while masturbating. Just thinking of Aiden brought the eleven-year-old into her mind. Despite trying to blink away the image, she saw him as he had appeared, naked and soft. Her finger sank deeper into her folds, pushing past her inner labia until she found her vagina. She sank a finger inside and shuddered at the feeling, as she realized Aiden’s penis would likely only be slightly larger.

The thought of the boy inside her was enough for the rising tide of her orgasm to crash over her. She shuddered, leaning against the glass as her knees buckled. Another wave crashed into her and her eyes flickered from the intensity of the orgasm. Again and again, as her finger pushed into her virgin cave, until she ended up on the floor of the shower, still shaking from the series of orgasms.

Even though Wendy had discovered the pleasure of her own body when she was a bit older than Aiden, she had never cum like that before. Of course, the closest she had come to losing her virginity before was when she and another girl had licked each other during a sleepover her freshman year in high school. The experience hadn’t been very satisfying, and she hadn’t thought she was missing much. Until now.

Just thinking about Aiden had given her the most powerful orgasm in her nineteen years. But as she climbed to her feet, she again felt shame. Not because she fantasized about the boy, but because there was nothing she could do about her feelings for Aiden. For the foreseeable future, all they could be is friends.

***

Although he was slow to respond to Wendy’s reveal, Aiden followed her into the bedroom a few seconds after the girl closed the bathroom door behind her. His heart raced as the image of the young woman’s parts replayed in his mind. The few images he had seen online didn’t come close to stirring in him what he felt seeing the slit between Wendy’s legs and the fine trail of hair going north a short way toward her flat belly.

He sat at the end of Wendy’s bed, and moved his stiffy around in his underwear, trying to make it comfortable as it strained against the fabric. He wanted to pull his shorts down and jack off until he got the tingles. But there was no way he would do that in Wendy’s bedroom. If she saw him doing something like that, she might freak out and not want to be his friend anymore. One thing the past couple of day taught him was, he wanted Wendy to be his friend more than anything else in the entire world.

When the shower turned on, Aiden figured he had a few minutes until Wendy returned and against his better judgement, he pulled his shorts off and his underwear down to his knees, freeing the not quite three-and-a-half inches from its cloth prison. He sighed as he wrapped his fingers around the shaft and thought about Wendy’s body. Perhaps they were small, as she said, but to his eyes, unfamiliar with the real thing, they looked breathtaking.

Then, as his fist jacked his shaft, Aiden imagined the delicate slit scarcely hidden behind soft, straight black hair. Just thinking about Wendy as he jacked off, made the feeling even stronger. And before more than a few dozen heartbeats passed, the tingling exploded and his stiffy spasmed and kicked in his hand. He closed his eyes against the powerful, dry orgasm. He pulled his hand away and let the overhead fan cool him off.

The problem was, even after a few minutes, he was still hard and images of Wendy refused to leave him alone. The only relief he could find was wrapping his hand around his shaft and closing his eyes as he started in again, eager to feel that dry orgasm once again.

He was jacking off, enjoying the gentle tingles that came early in each session when there was a sound at the door to the bathroom and he realized the shower was no longer running. He jerked his hand back as the door swung open and Wendy stood in the doorway with a towel wrapped around her torso. When she spied him, naked from the knees up, his stiffy pointing toward the ceiling, the young woman’s eyebrows shot up.

Silence descended on the room for a long, uncomfortable moment. Then Aiden came to his senses, and he tugged at the underwear bunched at his knees. “Ah, shoot! Um, sorry!”

He was still sitting on the end of the bed, Aiden’s underwear reached the bottom of his backside, but he would need to stand up to slide it up to his waist.

Wendy just stared at him; her mouth wide open in shock. When she closed it, she swallowed, her eyes still fixed on his little stiffy, “Ah, I, um. Maybe I should knock next time.”

The terror Aiden felt at the discovery lessened a tiny bit. His best friend seemed more bemused than angry. He shifted his butt so he could slide the underwear over his backside and then let it snap against his waist. Of course, his erection poked against the fabric and Wendy would have needed to be blind to miss the tent in his briefs. He stammered, “I-, I’m, ah, jeez, I’m really sorry. I dunno what I was thinking.”

Wendy came into the room and said, “Wow, I didn’t realize you were…”

The young woman’s eyes were still fixed on Aiden’s crotch when her voice gave way to more silence. Uncertain what words would salve the predicament he was in, Aiden looked down, crimson faced.

Wendy sat beside him and put an arm around his shoulders, “There’s nothing wrong with doing that, Aiden. Why didn’t you wait for your turn at the shower?”

Aiden blinked back tears, telling himself that Wendy didn’t sound too upset. With the young woman’s eyes on his crotch, it made no sense to ignore the bulge, “I’m really sorry, Wen. It’s just, after playing in the living room, I got, um, ah, hard.”

Wendy’s cheeks reddened, “Weren’t you afraid I’d catch you?”

Aiden doubted the young woman needed or wanted to know how horny he was. How jacking off once hadn’t been enough to get his stiffy to go away. He shrugged, “I kind of lost track of time and, um, the sound of the shower.”

A smile played across Wendy’s face, “Was it because you saw my boobs?”

Aiden breathed easier. If Wendy was really upset, she was hiding it well. He glanced at the towel covering her chest. The towel mostly hid her bumps. Then his eyes darted to the space between her legs, also covered by the towel. “Um, yeah, and down there, too.”

Wendy squeezed his shoulders in a half-hug, “I guess that’s my fault for getting undressed in the living room. Sorry, A, I shouldn’t have done that.”

Aiden knew that was exactly what led him to jacking off, but he didn’t want Wendy blaming herself, “It’s okay. I didn’t mind.”

Wendy’s lips curled even more, “You didn’t mind? More likely, you liked it.”

Caught like a deer in the headlights, Aiden nodded, “Maybe so. Being friends and all, does it bother you I think you’re the prettiest girl I know?”

Wendy leaned her shoulder against Aiden’s neck, “Bother me? No. I think it’s pretty cool, you think I’m pretty. Can I tell you a secret?”

Curious, Aiden nodded, “Sure.”

“I think you’re the most handsome boy I know. I like your blond hair, like the way you smile at me and how much you enjoy being my friend. You make being your friend easy. I know we talked earlier about how I would want to be your girlfriend when you’re closer to my age. But my real secret is I can hardly wait to be your girlfriend and when you get into high school, even if we can’t tell anyone.”

Aiden’s heart fluttered. Wendy liked him the same way he liked her. But two-and-a-half years is a lifetime away when a boy is eleven. Still, he couldn’t help but smiling, “I’ll be almost as tall and almost as old when I’m thirteen. Would you be my girlfriend when I turn thirteen?”

Wendy kissed his cheek, “I don’t know, A. The older you are, the less likely people would be to ask troublesome questions. Including your nana.”

The fluttering feeling in his heart sank. If he were fourteen dating her at nineteen and they had to keep it a secret, how was that different from him being eleven and Wendy being nineteen? It made little sense to him. Still, he reminded himself, Wendy hadn’t freaked out when she caught sight of his stiffy. Maybe she would change her mind.

“I guess I need to get cleaned up,” Aiden said, kicking the shorts from his ankle.

Wendy didn’t let go yet, “You’re not upset with me, are you, Aiden?”

He enjoyed the warmth of the hug, “No, Wen. We’re cool.” Even though he was supposed to get up, Aiden didn’t want the hug to end. Despite everything Wendy said, the hug felt like it was more special than something shared between friends, maybe even between best friends. Despite a tremor of nervousness, Aiden wanted to know if perhaps there was some wiggle room in their friendship for something more. He didn’t want to have to wait nearly three years to see all of Wendy again.

“Um, is it okay for me to get undressed in here, Wen?”

Wendy’s arm remained around his shoulders, “I guess, if you want, A. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

The fluttering in Aiden’s heart returned as he lifted his hips again, this time sliding his underwear down. He pushed them until below his knees. Gravity took care of the rest. He resisted the nearly overwhelming urge to cover himself, especially given his stiffy still pointed to the ceiling. The embarrassment of being naked warred with the thrill of being horny and a growing realization Wendy enjoyed seeing him like this. Probably as much as he enjoyed seeing her.

Wendy’s voice was dry, “You going to get a shower?”

Aiden rested his head against her shoulder, “Yeah. But I don’t want to get up while you’re hugging me.”

Wendy said, “Aww, you’re the sweetest, A.” Then her free arm slid across his chest and she gave him a full hug. Aiden’s body responded; his stiffy twitched, as though happy to be out and about and just inches away from Wendy’s hands.

When the hug ended, Aiden felt a moment’s loss. He rose and glanced over at Wendy before stealing a glance at his own stiffy, “I guess I should get that shower now.”

He felt Wendy’s gaze on him as he headed toward the bathroom. Even though his feelings were tumultuous, Aiden wanted to be whatever it was Wendy needed him to be. Before the door closed, he saw her lay back, her feet nearly touching the floor. For the briefest of moments, her legs were open and he could see between her legs. Then the door closed, and it was time for his shower.

As Aiden washed his hair, he thought about grabbing his small pole and finishing what he had started before Wendy had interrupted him. But the desire to finish showering the smell of the morning run from him was greater, just to see if Wendy would still be wrapped in just her towel.

After a quick soaping and rinsing, Aden dried off. He stopped himself when the towel was halfway around his waist. He flushed as his stiffy bounced in the cool air. Wendy had already seen him several times. There was something exhilarating, letting his best friend see him without even a towel to hide his body.

He opened the door. Wendy was where he left her, still lying on the bed in just her towel. Smiling at the sight, Aiden said, “I’m finished, Wen.”

Wendy didn’t respond. Aiden went over to the bed and saw the young woman sleeping. He crawled next to her, “Wendy.”

The young woman’s eyes fluttered open, “Did I fall asleep?”

“Yeah. But you weren’t asleep for long. I was fast,” Aiden said as he sat cross-legged beside her.

She smirked at him, “You just wanted to see if I was still wearing just a towel.”

Aiden feigned innocence, “What? Me? Why would you think that?”

Wendy, still lying back, turned her head toward him. No doubt she could see the tip of his stiffy over his crossed legs, “I dunno. Could it be because you seem so happy to see me?”

Happy to see her? Of course, Aiden was happy to see… Oh, happy to see her—his stiffy poked over his crossed legs. It felt weird to hear Wendy talking about his penis, but he like the way his stomach fluttered. Uncertain how to respond to her comment about his penis, Aiden said, “I’m always happy to see you, Wen. I’m jelly to your peanut butter.”

Wendy propped herself on her elbow, “How’s that, A? Can’t have one without the other?”

Aiden blushed at the question. The idea of not being without her made his heart pound. He shook his head, “No. It’s just that they’re better together.”

Wendy’s eyebrows rose as a smile played at the corner of her lips, “I like that, A. You think we’re a better together?”

Nodding, Aiden said, “You ever eat a plain peanut butter sandwich?”

Wendy chuckled. Then she sat up and leaned toward him. When her face was nearly touching his, she whispered, “Do you want to know another secret?”

Aiden’s heart raced and his stiffy twitched, “What’s that?”

The young woman closed the last couple of inches, gently touching her lips to his. The kiss was but a heartbeat long, but had there remained a shred of doubt about how Wendy felt about him, that brief kiss blew it away. Breathing fast, Wendy said, “I know we have to wait ‘til your older, but I really like you, you’re my kind of jelly, A. Fourteen is so far away.”

Aiden’s lips tingled. Even his stiffy twinged at the kiss. He knew what love was. After all, he loved his nana. In that moment, when Wendy looked at him, following the kiss, what he felt for her was more real, more solid, and tangible than what he felt for anyone else. It wasn’t right that they had to wait. At school the teachers and principals were great at scaring kids about horror stories of adults hurting kids. He supposed people like that existed. But Wendy was the exact opposite of that. She was loving and kind and she wanted only the best for him; just like a best friend. Maybe now wasn’t the time, after all, his emotions were a riot of confusion and even Wendy seemed like her emotions were adrift too.

Aiden sighed as he reached around Wendy’s neck and hugged her, “I know you think we need to wait. Maybe we do. But I don’t want to. I think we’d make the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I can hardly wait for you to taste my jelly.”

Wendy’s eyes grew round as she giggled, “Oh my God!”

Copyright 2021 – Caliboy1991
All rights reserved

The Best of Friends – Chapter 4
By
Caliboy1991

Wendy took the plates over to the sink as Aiden grabbed a sponge and turned the water to hot. The boy’s nana rested at the kitchen table. She looked worn. Of course, at seventy-five, who could blame her?

Her voice matched her appearance, “You kids sure you don’t want any more?”

Wendy shook her head, “I’m stuffed, Mrs. Frazier.”

She was, but the meal had been overcooked and bland. She ate better at most of the cafeterias on campus. Still, it was time she could spend with Aiden. And after ten weeks of jogging together, he remained her only friend.

When Wendy took the half-eaten plate from in front of the boy’s nana, the old woman asked, “How many weeks until your semester is over?”

“About six.”

“I bet you miss your family. Are you planning on going back to Houston to see them?”

Wendy cut a glance at Aiden, but the deer-in-the-headlights look he gave her told her all she needed to know. He hadn’t told his nana.

The girl set the plate in the sink, “My parents passed away last year.”

She still fiercely missed them, but enough time had passed she no longer teared up when thinking about them.

The old woman smiled wanly at her, “I’m sorry for your loss, dear. It’s been almost ten years since my Harlin passed away. Not a day goes by I don’t miss him. Do you have other family down in the Houston area?”

Wendy let an unhappy sigh slip out. Her parents had escaped from Vietnam with her grandparents. But they had arrived in Houston alone. Even now, close to fifty years later, she had only a handful of her parents’ cousins living in the US. “Just some cousins. But we’re not very close. I’m staying here for Thanksgiving and probably most of the Christmas break.”

Mrs. Frasier grabbed her cane and stood, “Bless your heart. You just plan on spending Thanksgiving with me and Aiden. Unless you plan on spending the day with your boyfriend.”

Wendy’s pale-yellow skin did nothing to hide the crimson in her cheeks, “Ah, no boyfriend. The guys on campus want a taller, blonder, big chested girl.”

Aiden’s nana paused at the door, “That’s their loss. I’ve only known you for a couple of weeks, and even an old woman like me can see you’re a fine girl.”

Wendy felt the warmth in her face at the compliment. It was clear from the look on the old woman’s face she’d meant every word. “I haven’t met many boys who’d agree with you, Mrs. Frazier. All the boys on campus turned their noses up at me.”

The old woman rested her hand on the door sill, “Just call me Nana.” Then she pointed with a shaking hand at Aiden, who glanced her way, “I wager there’s at least one boy who disagrees with those stupid boys on campus.”

The boy looked away. His ears were crimson, “Nana! Jeez.”

Wendy couldn’t have turned any redder if she tried. The incident with forgotten clothes in her shower had only been a few days ago, but already she felt a subtle shift in her friendship with Aiden. He was even more deferential than before, as though trying harder to please her. She hadn’t minded the slight change. If anything, it made her enjoy time spent with Aiden even more.

Aiden wiped his hands on a towel as he scowled at his nana, “Wendy’s my friend. Don’t make it weird.”

Wendy followed the boy’s nana into the living room, where the old woman collapsed with a sigh into an old, worn recliner where she grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels on the TV. Taking a spot on the equally worn couch, Wendy waited for Aiden to come into the living room and sit next to her before saying, “Nobody could have told me my best friend in college would be a sixth grader from across the street.”

The hooded expression Aiden gave her made Wendy feel warm, even as the boy said, “I guess you’re a half-way decent friend too.”

The playful tone in the boy’s voice brought a smile to Wendy. She dug an elbow into his ribs, “Half-way decent friend? Who’s the one who lets you win our races? Or tutors you in math and science?”

Giggling at the way her elbow touched his side, Aiden gasped, “O-, okay. Maybe a little bit more than half-decent.”

When they stopped laughing, Nana said, “Since starting the sixth grade, school has always been really hard on Aiden. A lot of the other kids have been just plain ugly toward him and the friends he had in elementary school transferred to other schools this year. Wendy, you’re the only friend Aiden has. And while I wish with all my heart that he’d make more friends in school. But it’s hard when you’re the odd man out.”

Wendy felt a familiar pang. Even though she made friends in junior high and high school, she understood all too well being the odd one out. Maybe that’s why she felt a kinship for Aiden that went beyond simple friendship. “That’s just one more reason I’m glad Aiden’s my friend.”

Nana stopped channel surfing, leaving it on a game show, “When Aiden first told me he was jogging before school with a college girl, I wasn’t sure I liked the idea. After all, there’s a bit of a difference in age. But I saw how much he enjoyed his morning jogs and figured it was good for him. And now that I’ve had time to meet you, I realized you kids have a lot in common. And I’m glad y’all are friends.”

After the game show ended, Nana stretched, “These old bones get tired a lot earlier than they used to. I think I’m going to turn in.”

She groaned as she climbed to her feet and grabbed her cane. When she got to the hallway, she turned, “Aiden mentioned a race, coming up in a couple of weeks. Are you doing it to?”

Wendy nodded, “Yes, Mrs. Fra-, ah, Nana. It’s the first Saturday in December. I think we’re both ready and we should do well.”

Nana nodded slowly, “I’ve got a couple of girlfriends who’re planning a trip to one of the riverboat casinos in Louisiana. They’ve been badgering me to go for a coon’s age. But with taking care of Aiden, I just haven’t found the time.”

Wendy could sense the question, “Are they going the same weekend of the race?”

Nana dipped her head, “Yes. Just for a couple of days. Would it be okay if he stayed with you?”

Wendy’s stomach did a flip. As her friendship with Aiden grew, she never imagined the boy’s nana would ask her to let him stay with her. It felt weird how she wanted to spend so much time with the boy, but he was her only friend and she enjoyed her time with him. She found herself nodding, “Are you sure, um, Nana? You hardly know me.”

The old woman dipped her head, “Aiden adores you. He’s an excellent judge of character. It’s clear he trusts you and I trust him.”

Wendy looked over at the boy next to her. His eyes shone, “Is that okay?”

She leaned against him, enjoying the touch of their arms and legs, “Of course it is.”

After she heard a door down the hall close, Wendy put an arm around Aiden’s shoulder, “Your nana’s really nice, A. You’re lucky to have her.”

“I know. Sometimes I wish my mom was still around. But, if she’s strung out on drugs, even though Nana’s getting old, this is so much better.

Wendy had never known anyone who abused drugs so much that it affected their relationships. Something inside her ached, knowing Aiden would never have the relationship with his mom that she had with hers, even if her mom had been taken far too early.   

Aiden controlled the remote control after his nana retired to her bedroom, and he put it on a police procedural. Wendy didn’t want to stay too late; she still had homework she wanted to finish before Sunday. But when Aiden leaned his head against her shoulder, she settled back and watched TV, enjoying the close company of her young friend.

Two hours later, she glanced at her phone. It was already ten in the evening. Where had the evening gone? A glance at Aiden gave her the answer. He was nodding off, still resting his head against her shoulder. With an unhappy sigh, Wendy murmured, “Hey, A. I need to head on home.”

When the boy stirred, his head brushed against her padded bra before he sat up, blinking his eyes awake, “Wha?”

Wendy slid from the dilapidated couch, “Aiden, I need to head home. It’s late.”

The boy yawned, “What time is it?”

“Ten.”

Aiden’s eyes popped open, “Ten? Dang. How long was I out?”

Wendy stretched as she stood, unaware she was exposing her midriff to the boy. “Not long. You want to lock the door behind me?”

She stepped onto the darkened porch and turned. Aiden stood in the doorframe, “Thanks for hanging out with me tonight. Sorry I fell asleep.”

Wendy grinned as she realized how much she enjoyed spending the day with the boy. They had been inseparable since meeting up in the morning, fourteen hours earlier, before their jog. “I had fun. I’ll see you bright and early on Monday.”

The boy smiled, “Cool.”

Before turning to go, Wendy leaned down and planted a kiss on Aiden’s cheek. She tousled his hair, “Awesome. Until then.”

***

 Aiden slid his bookbag’s strap over one shoulder when the bell sounded. The only good thing about school was it released early the day before Thanksgiving. He kept his eyes on the worn and broken tile floor as he hurried toward the door. He could see the neon-red EXIT sign in the distance when someone grabbed him by his book bag and nearly yanked him off his feet, pulling him into the boys’ restroom. It was the Wheaties Thief’s two friends. The taller of the two, who was a foot taller than Aiden, leered, “Check it, Tyree. This stupid cracker still needs to be taught a lesson. I bet anything he’s the one who snitched on Dashawn. And you know what they say about snitches.”

The other boy, a few inches over five feet, shoved Aiden against the side of a metal stall, “Snitches get stitches. And We’re going to fuck you up, snowflake.”

Stilts, as Aiden thought of the taller one, hit him against his shoulder. It didn’t hurt much, but the eleven-year-old folded up, trying to protect his stomach. He immediately regretted the action when the other boy hit him in the back, knocking Aiden to his knees. Then Tyree grabbed his shirt and pulled it up, “Check it. This saltine still wears tighty-whities!”

Stilts grabbed the exposed material and yanked on it. Aiden howled when the material grabbed his balls and penis. The older boy kept yanking on the fabric until a ripping sound filled the restroom. Then he released the ruined elastic band, letting Aiden fall to the floor as he and Tyree burst into laughter. That instant was what Aiden needed. He shot forward and was on his feet before the other boys could react. Then he grabbed the door and slammed it open as he raced toward the exit.

It hurt to run. Every step was a reminder whatever was left of his underwear was wedged tight between his ass-cheeks. But getting caught would be worse. Everything he had learned over the past few months he put into practice as he sprinted toward the pedestrian causeway running under the highway that separated his intermediate school from his neighborhood. A fleeting glance behind showed his tormenters hard on his heels.

Aiden flung himself down the ramp and through the entry into the causeway. He pumped his legs as hard as he could as the world around grew dim in the tunnel under the road. Still, when he burst back into the sunlight, the hard pounding on sneakers on concrete was right behind him. He raced along the sidewalk that skirted the college campus. It was dead. Most of the students had fled town by noon in their haste to start a four-day weekend.

Even though his legs burned, Aiden felt like he could run for as long as he had to. When he crossed one of the cross-streets, the sound of pursuit sounded like it wasn’t right on his heels. A few blocks further on, he chanced another glance. Both boys were a dozen paces behind him, but still pursuing him. Then, as he passed by the quadplex buildings behind which Wendy lived, one of his shoelaces came untied. His shoe slipped, and he tumbled, falling onto the grass beside the sidewalk.

Then the other boys were on him. Stilts slammed his foot into Aiden’s stomach, “Fuck you, cracker. You thought what we were going to do was bad. Now you’ll see what happens when you fucking run!”

The other boy fell on top of Aiden, slamming an elbow into his head. The eleven-year-old saw stars as he yelled for help.

Another kick left the boy too breathless to shout anymore when another voice shouted, “Hey, you kids. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

In the distance, a siren pierced the quiet of a neighborhood where nearly all the students had left for a long weekend.

Stilts, ready to place another kick, cocked his head and then tore off, racing back toward the highway. A moment later, Tyree followed. Aiden curled into a fetal position, his body wracked with pain. A moment later, a familiar voice said, “Holy shit, A. Who were those kids?”

Aiden opened his eyes. Wendy knelt over him as the sound of the siren retreated in the distance. The boy croaked, “You called the police?”

Wendy took him by the arm and helped him to sit up, “No. Lucky coincidence. I should’ve.”

It hurt to shrug, “Won’t do much good. They live in the projects.”

The nineteen-year-old helped him to his feet. He hurt all over. She said, “I can take you home. Your nana can help.”

Aiden shook his head. There wasn’t anything his nana could do. “N-, no. Can I get cleaned up at your place?”

With her arm wrapped around his waist, Aiden hobbled over to the small apartment behind the quadplex buildings. Once inside, Wendy sat him on her expensive sofa and then sat beside him, “Let me check you out, A. Those assholes were working you over.”

She lifted his shirt; the boy winced at the pain and she swore, “Those fuckers! That’s going to leave a nasty bruise. She pulled Aiden’s shirt off and he looked down. His stomach was a deep, angry red. And it hurt worse than he could have imagined.

Wendy lightly touched his bruised stomach, “A, we really should get this looked at. What if he broke a rib?”

Aiden shook his head, “No! It’s just bruised. I don’t think he broke anything.”

The last thing he wanted to do was involve his nana. Going to the ER was out of the question. Wendy gave him a skeptical look, “We’ll see. Take a deep breath.”

While it hurt to draw in a deep breath, Aiden didn’t feel any sharp pains along his ribs. Of course, Stilts had kicked him in his stomach, not his ribs. “I can breathe fine, Wen. I’ll be okay.”

Wendy had him face away from her as she looked at his back, “You’re going to bruise here too. What the hell did they do to your underwear?”

A quick look at his waist showed Aiden his elastic waistband up to his belly button. The back felt like it was pulled even higher. “Um, wedgie.”

Wendy shook her head, “Those boys better hope I don’t see them again. You need to get your underwear back in place. You can use my bathroom.”

Aiden hurt all over when he stood, but he hobbled through Wendy’s bedroom to her bathroom. Once he closed the door, the boy unfastened his pants and let them fall to his feet. His penis was a small bulge against the tight white fabric. He tugged on the material until he unwedged himself. The elastic was shredded and threatened to fall past his waist. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Stilts had pulled so hard, he tore the cotton fabric loose from the waistband.

When the tears spilled over his cheeks, it wasn’t from the pain in his body, but the humiliation of not being able to protect himself from bullies like Stilts and Tyree. He wiped at his eyes as he let gravity do its work. He stepped out of the ruined underwear and pulled his pants back on.

When Aiden stepped out of the bathroom, Wendy sat on her bed waiting for him. When her eyes went to the torn underwear in his hands, the boy dropped them and cried, “I hate it there, Wen. Every fucking day, it’s the same shit!”

Until then, he’d been good about watching his mouth, but between the harsh language Wendy used when she rescued him and his own despondency, Aiden didn’t care about it anymore. All the teasing since the start of the school weighed on him and when Wendy held her arms open, he shuffled over to her and let her draw him into a hug.

***

Wendy gazed on Aiden’s small, sleeping form. Still shirtless, the boy’s chest rhythmically rose and fell. The ugly red on his stomach was in the first stages of turning black and blue. She blinked back tears of rage at the boy’s tormenters. Something had to be done to stop the bullying. She didn’t know what to do, yet. But there was one thing she had to do.

Leaving the boy asleep on her bed, Wendy left her apartment, locking the door behind her and hurried across the street and over the broken concrete of the walkway to Mrs. Frazier’s house. She knocked on the door and waited. The third time she knocked, the door rattled and a moment later, the old woman stood before her. The boy’s nana looked older than her seventy-five years. Her nose was red and her eyes were runny.

She wheezed, “Mercy me, Wendy. Are you okay?”

Wendy felt tempted to step back. Whatever Nana Frasier had, she didn’t want it. “I’m the one who should ask the question, um, Nana.”

The old woman smiled weakly, “Blasted cold, I think. Have you seen Aiden? He should have been home an hour ago.”

Wendy gestured toward her place, “A couple of older boys were beating on him when he was coming home. I chased them off, but he didn’t want to come home and have you worried. He’s taking a nap right now.”

Nana shook her head, “He hates that stupid school. The teachers don’t teach like they’re supposed to, and the kids are absolutely beastly. Well, some of them. Is he okay?”

Wendy bobbed her head, “I think so. Some bruising. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Nana leaned against the doorway, “Nothing about twenty hours of sleep and NyQuil won’t fix. I know I had invited you over for dinner tomorrow. But I don’t think you want what I’ve got.”

Wendy certainly would not try changing the old woman’s mind, “No problem, Nana. What about Aiden? If you’re contagious…”

The boy was already slated to spend a couple of nights at her place the next weekend. Still, Wendy didn’t want to push.

A look of tired relief crossed Nana’s features. “I hate for him to be a bother, Wendy.”

“It’s not a bother at all, Nana. Y’all are my friends and it’s the least I can do.”

 “Thanks, Wendy. You’re a saint.”

She blushed at the praise. “I doubt that. Is it okay if I take him out to eat tomorrow? Thanksgiving and all.”

Nana rubbed her nose with a tissue, “Of course. Let me fetch him a change of clothes for you.”

Wendy felt relief when the boy’s nana closed the door and left her waiting on the porch. Even if all the old woman had was a common cold, she didn’t want it, or Aiden to catch it either. More than that, she had worried about trying to explain about the ruined underwear. With Nana offering to get a change of clothes, maybe mentioning that wouldn’t be necessary.

A few minutes later, the door opened again and Nana handed her a school backpack, “Here’s a couple of changes of clothes, just in case you keep Aiden until Friday.”

Wendy took the backpack with a thanks. When the door closed, there was a loud sneeze from the other side. A loose windowpane rattled. Vowing to wash her hands thoroughly, Wendy hurried back to her place. Despite the unfortunate set of circumstances that left Aiden to stay with her, she was still happy at the prospect of having her only friend stay with her for a couple of days.

Later, back in her apartment, Wendy wiped her hands on a hand towel as she stood over Aiden, who still napped. The angry red welts on the boy’s stomach were slowing changing to a purplish-black. Aside from a bruised ear, his face was unmarked. She clenched her fists; just like bullies to hit someone weaker than themselves where their injuries could be hidden. Aiden’s blond hair would likely hide the ear from casual inspection. And despite her anger, Wendy felt only relief her friend’s face was unmarked.

Over the past few months, the boy filled the hole in her heart left festering by her parents’ deaths. She touched his forehead, brushing aside a blond lock of hair. Her fingertip traced over his eyebrows. Most boys, as they near adolescence, their eyebrows thicken and darken. But Aiden’s brows were fair and thin. His nose was straight, short, and unblemished. Even his lips, now relaxed in sleep, were full and red.

The boy whimpered, and his eyelids fluttered. He mumbled, “No, don’t hit me.”

Wendy pulled back her hand until Aiden’s eyelids stopped fluttering and his deep breathing resumed. She rested her hand on his chest and left it there, enjoying the warmth of his bare skin and the steady, even riding and falling. She lost track of the afternoon. As the shadows of twilight fell across the window over the bed, she replayed their conversation about their age differences and dating. At the time of their conversation, she hadn’t been entirely sure she was being honest with Aiden, even though she liked him more than anyone else.

Now, though, there was no doubt in her mind. She positively adored the sleeping boy. At least for now, there was no way for her to express the love she felt in anything other than friendship. She vowed she would be the best friend Aiden could possibly have. And together they would figure out how to end the bullying.

Eventually, Wendy ordered from a pizza shop near campus and when the food arrived, she set the pizza on her bed, “Hey, A. You hungry?”

The boy groaned as he sat up. He yelped when he touched his stomach, “Damn, it hurts.”

Wendy rested a hand on his shoulder, “Like you said, A, it’s just bruised.”

The boy was halfway through a slice of pizza when he said, “What time is it? Shoot, Nana’s going to kick my butt.”

Wendy pointed to the school backpack at the foot of the bed, “No worries. I stopped by your nana’s while you were sleeping. Did you know she’s got a pretty nasty cold?”

Aiden swallowed a bite of pizza, “I knew she wasn’t feeling very good. Maybe I should go home.”

Wendy held up her hand, “Not so fast. She doesn’t want to give it to you. She asked me to let you stay here tonight. We can check on her tomorrow.”

Aiden settled on the bed and grabbed another pizza slice, “Really? Like a sleepover?”

The last time Wendy had been to a sleepover had been in junior high school, when she was a year or two older than Aiden. Thinking back to eating junk food, being scandalized by rap music with explicit music and listening to too much gossip, she found herself nodding, “Yeah.”

“Cool, what do you want to do? Watch a movie?”

“What do you have in mind?” Wendy asked.

After they agreed to the movie, she eyed the boy who wore nothing but a pair of blue jeans. She grabbed the school backpack from the floor, “Do you want to get cleaned up before watching a movie?”

A flush filled Aiden’s cheeks as he glanced at himself, “Yeah.”

He opened the backpack and Wendy glimpsed a pair of red and blue underwear on top of other clothes. Aiden pulled them out first. His face grew redder, “Um, I guess Nana didn’t see my other underwear. these are, um, older.”

Seeing the boy flustered over underwear made Wendy like him even more. She said, “I think you’d be cute in a pair of-“ she looked at the underwear closer, “Superman underwear, A.”

The boy looked at her, as though trying to see if she were being serious or was just teasing him. Wendy wasn’t entirely sure herself, other than she knew she wanted to see him in them. She grabbed the underwear from him and rummaged through the collection of clothes Aiden had pulled from the backpack, grabbing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. “Come on, Clark Kent, let’s get you changed and we can watch a movie.”

She set the change of clothes on the countertop in the bathroom. When Aiden came in, Wendy said, “I’ll wait outside. If you need any help, let me know.”

She had barely closed the door when Wendy heard Aiden, “Ouch.”

A few heartbeats later, his cherubic voice rang out, “Wen.”

Uncertain what she’d find upon opening the door, Wendy cracked it open, “Yes?”

In a voice tinged with defeat, Aiden said, “I-, it hurts too much to unbutton my pants.”

Wendy slipped into the bathroom. The boy faced the mirror over the countertop, still wearing just his pants. The look of shame on his face was almost too much. “What’s wrong?”

Aiden reached for the button and zipper on his pants and grimaced. “It hurts too much.”

Wendy knelt beside him, “Do you need my help, A?”

The boy bit his lower lip and looked at the ceiling before finally nodding. “Yeah. But promise me.”

“What?”

He sighed, “Promise me you won’t tell my nana about this. Or anyone else.”

As if she would tell a soul the boy needed help to remove his clothes. Not in a million years. “I promise, A. Just between us.”

Aiden turned to face her. His cheeks were bright scarlet, “Okay.”

Still kneeling, Wendy touched the boy’s stomach. He flinched before seeming to relax. Then she unfastened the pants’ button, revealing the top of the boy’s smooth pubic area. She looked up at Aiden and gave him an encouraging smile, “You’re doing great, A. We’ll have you changed out quick as a flash.”

There was a tremor in her hand as she took hold of the zipper. It took everything inside Wendy to still her hand as she drew the zipper down. From there, it was a simply matter of tugging on the waistband of the pants for them to fall to his knees.

What had once been masked behind the foggy glass of her shower was on full display two hand spans away from her eyes. Unlike her second cousin, Aiden was circumcised. He was soft; less than two inches long from base to tip. Unlike the pictures Wendy had seen online of naked men, Aiden’s balls were drawn tight against the base of his flaccid tube of flesh.

Realizing she was staring, Wendy pulled the boy’s pants down and helped pull each leg off and then rose, “Okay. Clark Kent, time to turn into Superman.”

With that, she knelt again and held open the colorful underwear for Aiden to step into. Once the boy’s feet were through the openings, Wendy pulled them up until she gently let the elastic band rest against his waist.

Despite the turmoil Wendy felt inside, she grinned up at him, “And in an amazing transformation, Clark Kent turns into Superman.”

Although he was still beet-red, Aiden giggled, “Thanks.”

Wendy managed to get the pajama shorts on the boy. But when she tried putting the shirt on, he was too sore. While stuffing the clothes he didn’t need back into the backpack, Aiden said, “It’s okay. I don’t usually wear a shirt to bed, anyway.”

“No problem, A. You’re supposed to be comfortable at a sleepover.”

Wendy wanted to change into something more comfortable before settling in front of the TV for a movie. She knew she should send Aiden into the other room while she changed. But she had already let him see her in her pink underwear. It would also be hypocritical to make the boy go into the other room when she had just seen every square inch of his naked body a few minutes ago.

She glanced at the boy who sat on the end of the bed, and unfastened her pants. As she was sliding them down, revealing a pair of white panties, she said, “Gonna have a sleepover, gotta dress for it. Right, A?”

Aiden squeaked, “Um, Wen?”

Wendy rooted around in her chest of drawers, “Yeah?”

“Should I—“

Finding a pair of green shorts, Wendy said, “You can stay. Just putting on some pajamas.”

She found a tank-top in another drawer and turned away from Aiden. Wendy always wore a bra under her shirt when she had class, and she hadn’t taken it off yet. But she never wore one to bed. She tossed her shirt into a hamper and then reached her arms around her back and unclasped the hooks. Then she slipped the cotton fabric off and sent it sailing after her shirt. She felt liberated and guilty, knowing her eleven-year-old best friend was gawking at her bare back.

After sliding the tank-top on, Wendy turned around. Aiden’s eyes were still big. The young woman gave him a wink and took him into the living room, where they settled onto the sofa and turned on Netflix. They were only a few minutes into the movie when Aiden leaned his head against Wendy’s shoulder. At that point, she moved her arm and draped it around his back. The boy responded by laying his head against the side of her chest.

The nineteen-year-old followed the movie, mostly. But thoughts of Aiden were never far away. Even though she hoped Nana would recover quickly from her bout with a cold, Wendy also hoped the old woman would let her grandson stay with her for much of the long weekend. Already, this was shaping up to be the best Thanksgiving since her parents died.

***

“Do I have to tuck my shirt in?” Aiden stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. The shirt was a white button-down dress shirt. It was the only dress shirt he owned. It wouldn’t have been his choice for Thanksgiving lunch, but Wendy had insisted he wear the nicest clothing his nana had packed.

Wendy sat next to him, in front of a make-up kit, applying some mascara. She wore a maroon skirt and beige blouse. Why she thought she needed makeup was beyond Aiden. All dressed up, she looked even better than usual. And that was saying something because Wendy always looked good.

The young woman nodded, “You should. That shirt and dress pants make you look mature. Leaving the shirt untucked, well, takes away from the mature look.”

Aiden wanted Wendy to think of him as mature. Especially after last night. He had felt mortified when the young woman helped him out of his pants. Nobody had seen him naked in a long time, except Brian and Derrick, and they didn’t count. And now that Wendy had, what must she think of him? Aiden knew he was smaller than a lot of the other boys in the intermediate school and hated how immature he looked down there. Still, if Wendy thought he looked mature with the shirt tucked in, then tuck it in he would.

It hurt to push the shirttail into his khaki pants. Aiden’s bruises were frightful to see. And they hurt like hell too. But he gritted through the pain until his shirt was neatly tucked in his pants. Wendy glanced at him as she applied some stuff to her lips. “Nice, A. You look very handsome.”

Her praise alone made it worth the effort. As he waited for Wendy to finish getting ready, Aiden felt conflicted. He hated how his nana was sick, but could hardly contain his happiness at getting to spend the night at Wendy’s. Her sofa was softer and a lot nicer than the one in his nana’s living room.

After Wendy finished, Aiden experienced another first; riding in the young woman’s car. Even though Wendy owned the quadplex buildings, her car, a Honda CR-V, was a couple of years old. Unlike his nana’s older model Oldsmobile, Wendy’s car was clean, both inside and out.

When Wendy pulled into the parking lot of a high-rise hotel, Aiden’s curiosity got the better of him, “There’s a restaurant in there?”

As they headed toward the hotel’s front doors, Wendy said, “Yep. A rather nice one. My parents and I ate here when I came to visit the campus my junior year of high school. They actually have a buffet set up today.”

Aiden felt grown up, going through the buffet line. Even at the table for two he shared with Wendy, they talked about the five-k run coming up the following weekend. When they exhausted talking about the race, they talked about their favorite movies. Wendy truly seemed interested in what he had to say, even if he liked action and comedy movies and she preferred fantasy and romance movies. By the end of the meal, the young woman had gotten him to agree to watch one of her favorite movies, The Princess Bride.

By the time they returned home, the afternoon was mostly gone. Wendy said, “I could stand to walk off a little bit of our meal. Want to go with me and check on your nana?”

Aiden knew it was the right thing. But he didn’t want the time with Wendy to be at an end. Spending time with her had quickly supplanted everything else as his favorite thing to do. But he nodded and fell into step beside the young woman as they crossed the road.

Wendy said, “Tomorrow’s run is going to be brutal. All that food. I bet I waddle instead of run.”

Aiden touched his stomach, which was still sore and tender, and full. “Even if I hadn’t eaten like a pig, I’d probably still jog like a duck.”

They reached his nana’s house, and Wendy rang the doorbell. A few minutes passed before Aiden heard the familiar thump of Nana’s cane on the scarred wooden floor. There was a snick of the deadbolt sliding and then the door opened. His nana’s nose was swollen and red. Even though she smiled when she saw him, her voice was hoarse, “Aiden, how was Thanksgiving Dinner?”

Inwardly, the boy winced. Compared to how Wendy described her, his nana sounded even worse. “It was good, Nana. But I missed you.”

The old woman waved the comment away, “Pshaw! You go out to eat with a pretty young lady and then tell me you missed me. Lies.”

Despite his nana’s appearance, she still managed a weak smile.

Wendy said, “Goodness, Nana. Do you need me to get anything from Walgreens? Medicine? Food?”

Nana shook her head, “That’s so sweet to ask, Wendy. I hate to impose further, but do you think you can keep Aiden again this evening? It’s taking me longer to get over this damned cold.”

Aiden’s heart soared at the request, even as he felt terrible for his nana. His stomach fluttered when Wendy put a hand on his shoulder, “Of course, he can. If you need a few days to recover, take it. If it’ll help, I can make sure he gets off to school Monday.”

Gratitude replaced the humor in his nana’s eyes. She said, “Are you sure you don’t mind? Aiden can be such a handful sometimes.”

Aiden groaned, “Nana! I’m not that bad.”

Wendy chimed, “I enjoy Aiden’s company, Nana. He’s a perfect gentleman.”

Nana turned, sneezing behind the door, “I hate this damned cold. You just let me know if he stops being a perfect gentleman. If he’s behaving so well, it’s probably because he sees you as more a friend than an old adult like me. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Wendy laughed along with Nana. Aiden scowled at his Nana’s attempt to embarrass him. Still, after his nana closed the door and he and Wendy were returning to her apartment, he was on cloud nine. The sleepover would last for the rest of the long holiday weekend.

Back inside Wendy’s bedroom, she said, “After we get changed, what would you like to do?”

Aiden liked the idea of cuddling on the sofa again, “We could watch that Princess movie you like.”

Wendy’s eyes lit up, “Cool. I really think you’ll like it.”

She picked up his backpack, “You need any help to get changed tonight?”

The boy knew she was referring to the previous night, when he was too sore and in too much pain to unfasten his pants. While he was still in some pain and almost as sore, he thought he could probably manage it. On the other hand, despite how embarrassed he was about her seeing him, there was also something that would enjoy the closeness of her help. Still, maybe it was more mature to do it himself, “Let me try it.”

Although there was some pain in his stomach as his fingers unfastened the buttons closest to the bruising, Aiden managed to unbutton himself. He stood and slid the shirt off, setting it next to his backpack. Then he flushed as he managed to unbutton his pants. He paused before grabbing the zipper. Should he go into the bathroom? Remembering Wendy changing in front of him before lunch, he tugged on the zipper and pulled his pants down and off.

Standing in front of Wendy in just his Superman underwear, there was a twitch between Aiden’s legs. Although he was soft at the moment, that was about to change. Even though he adored the young woman, the idea she might see him with a stiffy made him uncomfortable. He grabbed the same pajama pants from the previous night and slid them over his slight frame, even as he tried to ignore the growth in his underwear and hoped Wendy wouldn’t spy the slight indention in his pajama bottoms.

Aiden knew he ought to feel uncomfortable with Wendy’s eyes ranging across his body. Instead, he felt a growing sense of familiarity, seemingly normal between the closest of friends. Still sitting on the end of the bed, Wendy unbuttoned the beige blouse until the white cups of her bra came into view. Then, she slid the shirt off her shoulders, letting the fabric fall to the bed. Aiden’s eyes were fixed on the padded cups and the modest chest hidden behind them.

Then, she rose and turned away from him, saying, “A, can you unzip my skirt?”

Aiden felt as though he were touching something forbidden when he grabbed the zipper and tugged it down. Once the boy could pull the zipper no further, Wendy, with her hands on her hips, pushed the skirt down, where it bunched at her feet. She wore a pair of white panties, which perfectly matched her bra.

In his pajama shorts, Aiden felt himself stir. The part of him that had chubbed a bit when Wendy saw him in his Superman underwear, was a hardened stiffy, distending the multiple layers at his groin.

“Thanks A,” Wendy said before walking over to the chest of drawers. She pulled a spaghetti strap cami and held it in front of her chest, “Whatcha think?”

Aiden forgot his penis poking at the front of his shorts as he stared at the young woman. He thought about how he had seen her naked back earlier that morning and wondered what she looked like with nothing covering her. But he liked his friend way too much to tell her something like that. “Um, yeah, you’d look pretty in that.”

“Cool,” Wendy’s cheeks blushed red as she came back over to him. She turned her back to him, “You don’t have to if you don’t want…”

Her voice faltered. Curious about what she was about to say, Aiden asked, “Do what?”

Wendy finished, “Um, my bra. If you want, you can unhook it.”

Aiden was stunned. Taking a girl’s bra off was the stuff he fantasized about. But this wasn’t just any girl. This was Wendy, who was, without a doubt, the best friend he’d ever had, even if she was eight years older. His voice squeaked, “Really?”

Wendy turned her head far enough around for him to see her face as she said, “Only if you want to, Aiden. If you don’t want to… it’s just I thought you might.”

Aiden gasped, “No. Ah, I mean, yeah. I don’t mind.” His hands shook as his fingers touched her milky-yellow skin above the clasp on her bra.

Wendy faced away, “Do you see the little hooks? There are four of them. Just unhook them for me.”

It was impossible for Aiden’s fingers to not shake, but even so, Wendy was patient as it took him several tries on each clasp to unhook the bra. But once the boy finished, the young woman pulled the bra forward, unthreading it through her arms.

Aiden’s hand remained on her back for a few heartbeats. The soft heat did nothing to make his stiffy go away. He decided her back was perfect. Wendy raised her hands and slid the cami over her torso until the boy had no choice but to remove his hand.

The young woman turned around and gave him a peck of a kiss on the cheek, “Thanks, A. I hope I’m not embarrassing you.”

As close as he was to Wendy, she also intoxicated Aiden. He shook his head, “N-, no. I don’t m-, mind. We’re friends.”

Wendy flashed him a smile. Was there a hint of relief in it? Before Aiden could decide, the young woman said, “Best friends. A. Now, you ready to watch what is possibly the best fantasy movie ever made?”

Before joining him on the sofa, Wendy donned a pair of gray shorts. They were even shorter than Aiden’s pajama shorts, which didn’t come more than halfway to his knees. And just like the previous night, Wendy put her arm around his shoulder, letting him rest his head against the side of her chest.

As the movie started, Aiden identified with the sick grandson. He wasn’t sure what to make of the other characters, although Wendy was right. The movie was definitely a fantasy. But as it progressed, Aiden forgot about being held by Wendy. He forgot about his body sporting a frequent stiffy, and just watched the movie. By the time the Man in Black and the Spaniard fought their duel, he was hooked.

When the movie was over, he glanced over at Wendy, “That was awesome. Maybe we can watch it again soon.”

Wendy squeezed his shoulder in a half-hug, “As you wish.”

Aiden’s stomach fluttered as his heart quickened. Wendy used Wesley’s code for when he wanted to tell Buttercup he loved her. Uncertain how she meant it, the boy just smiled, “Cool.”

Wendy rose, “You ready to work off our turkey dinner come tomorrow morning?”

Aiden groaned. Normally they were jogging on Fridays by six thirty in the morning. “Can’t we sleep in?”

Wendy playfully tousled his hair, “Fine, but no later than eight.”

Mollified, the boy bobbed his head as he reached toward the end of the sofa, grabbing the sheet and blanket.

Copyright 2021 – Caliboy1991
All rights reserved

The Best of Friends – Chapter 3
By
Caliboy1991

The following Saturday, Wendy stepped out her door at eight in the morning and saw Aiden stretching in the quadplex’s parking lot. At his feet was his school bookbag. When he saw her, his face lit up into a smile and he grabbed the bag and hurried over.

“Did your nana send you over with all your homework?” Wendy said with a laugh.

Aiden laughed as she stepped aside and let him inside. “No. Although if you’d let her, she’d have sent it all over. I hope it’s okay. But I realized last week, if you’re going to be tutoring me, it might be easier on your nose if don’t stink up the place after we finish jogging.”

The boy placed the bag on the couch, facing away from Wendy. Her eyes rose in surprise. She’d tried to make him feel comfortable when she’d smelled his sweaty body while they were studying. Still, the idea of the boy taking a shower in her bathroom didn’t bother her. In fact, a part she was trying to ignore rather liked the idea.

“Sure. You can use the shower first when we get back, before we look at your homework.”

She liked the way he smiled at her when he said, “Thanks.”

He looked down for a second before continuing, “Ah, I’m sorry about my nana last week. She can be a handful the first time you meet her.”

Wendy opened the door and stepped out, “Don’t apologize for her. I had so much fun meeting her. It’s nice to know that she’s okay with me tutoring you.”

Aiden followed her out to the street, laughing. “Yeah. I can stay all day if it’s okay with you. If I’m going to stay past dinner, she told me to let her know.”

Wendy hadn’t thought that far ahead. The idea of hanging out with Aiden all day appealed to her, “Cool. Let’s stretch and warm up.”

Normally, they jogged Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at six thirty each morning, and at eight on Saturdays. They upped their game to three miles over the past couple of months. Almost the same distance of the five-k run coming up. This morning’s run was also three miles, and they finished up in less than forty minutes.

When they returned to Wendy’s place, she got a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and said, “I’ll show you my shower.”

She opened the door to her bedroom and Aiden stopped at the door as he saw her king-sized bed. “Jeez, Wendy. That bed’s huge!”

He was right, she thought. But Uncle Walt had been insistent. And generally, when Walt Benton was insistent, Wendy learned it was best to give in. She giggled a bit as she said, “Well, room to grow.”

She nearly regretted the comment as Aiden’s cheeks colored. Wendy wondered how his imagination played with what she had said.

She went over to the bathroom door and turned on the light, “Here’s the bathroom. I hope you don’t mind. When they built this place, all they put in was a shower.”

Aiden brushed past her as he walked over to the shower. “Holy shit! That’s a shower.”

Wendy tousled the boy’s hair, “Language.” Then she nodded and over to the shower door. “Yeah. But I like it. It’s fun. Pull the knob in the center there and you’ll turn on the water. Turn it to the right for cold, to the left for hot.”

When she looked over at Aiden, he was pulling his shirt off. His skin, normally hidden under his shirt, was a milky white. Not too different, she thought, to her own milky yellow skin. There wasn’t an ounce of fat that she could see. Instead, there was a bit of muscle tone on his abs. She realized it nearly mirrored her own, developed over the past couple of months.

She smiled, not really aware that she lingered, running her eyes over Aiden’s body. “I think you’ve got it from here. Let me know if you need anything.”

She closed the bathroom door behind her and headed back to the living room. Although it was still a few hours away, she wondered if she had anything in the kitchen for lunch. She opened her fridge, ignored the bottles of water that filled up most of it. The cupboard, metaphorically speaking, was bare. It didn’t surprise her. When Uncle Walt had enrolled her in the university, he included a meal plan for her. She could eat all her meals during the week in one of a half-dozen cafeterias on campus. Additionally, she had a debit card against which she could use to pay meals on the weekend. She closed the fridge and decided she’d see if Aiden wanted to eat in the closest cafeteria. She used her phone to check her debit balance. Her eyes rose in surprise. Uncle Walt had topped it off again. Over a thousand dollars. She shook her head. Since her parents’ death, her dad’s attorney had been like the favorite uncle Wendy never had.

“Funds? Check!” She whispered to herself. Lunch would definitely be at one of the campus cafeterias. And if Aiden stayed for dinner, she had that covered too.

Back in the living room, she saw his bookbag on the couch, “Oh, shit,” she muttered, “Aiden will need his clothes.”

She picked it up. It was fairly heavy. She didn’t think the boy would mind it if she pulled the textbooks out. Unzipping the bag, she saw a pair of superman underwear on top of a pair of shorts and tee-shirt. Wendy flushed at seeing Aiden’s underwear. The superhero apparel was a simple reminder that Aiden was still just a boy. She pushed her thoughts aside as she fished through the bag and found his math book.

She closed the bag and carried it back into her bedroom. She was approaching the bathroom door when Aiden called, “Wendy!”

Standing next to the bathroom door, she said, “Yes?”

“Where are the towels? I don’t see them?”

Wendy silently cursed herself. When she’d taken a shower last night, she’d not bothered putting any fresh towels out. She said, “They’re in the cabinet closest to the sink.”

A moment later, Aiden’s voice was more distressed, “Ah, Wendy!”

“Yes?”

“I forgot my clothes!” there was a note of desperation in the boy’s voice.

Feeling for the boy’s predicament, Wendy said, “I’ve got them here. Is it okay for me to bring them in?”

There was a bit of hesitation before she heard, “Yeah.”

Wendy opened the door and slipped into her bathroom. The glass on the shower wall was foggy. Aiden’s head and right shoulder poked out from the shower door. He probably thought the foggy glass blurred the rest of his body. His form, though, was easy to see through the condensation. Wendy bit back a gasp; Aiden’s penis was visible despite the fog-created distortion on the glass.

He appeared distressed. “I’m so sorry, Wendy. I shouldn’t have forgotten my clothes. I’m an idiot.”

No matter how she tried, Wendy couldn’t keep a smile from her face. For reasons she didn’t understand, she found Aiden’s distress endearing. After setting his bag on the counter, she grabbed a towel from the cabinet. She considered setting it on the counter or crossing over to the shower and handing it to him. The latter won out. She hurried over to the boy and put the towel in his outstretched hand.

She focused on his face, where ringlets of wet blond hair hung down to his eyebrows. His blue eyes were still round from his predicament and he bit his lower lip as Wendy said, “Here you go.”

With that, she turned and hurried from the room. Her own emotions threatened to get the better of her. When the door closed behind her, she sat on her bed. She’d definitely caught a glimpse of Aiden’s boyhood. The fog on the glass hadn’t hidden that from her. And despite trying to blink it away, she couldn’t shake it.

The image made her think of a long-forgotten memory. A few years before, Her Aunt Kim, who was actually her mom’s cousins, came for a visit because she was having problems at home. She brought her kids with her. That included a son, Tuan, fifteen, and a daughter, thirteen-year-old Binh.

It had been fairly late, and Wendy had gone to take her shower. The bathroom door had been unlocked and when she’d opened it, she saw Tuan, sitting naked on the toilet with his hand wrapped around his penis.

Wendy had closed the door right away, but the image had never gone away, even though she’d never mentioned it to anyone. And Tuan, to his credit, pretended nothing had happened. Still, one stereotype that plagued Vietnamese men proved true, at least as far as Tuan was concerned; they were small. Thinking back on it, Wendy was pretty sure Tuan hadn’t even been four inches. And if what she’d seen in the shower wasn’t too distorted by the foggy glass, her eleven-year-old jogging buddy wasn’t that much smaller than her fifteen-year-old second cousin.

Wendy tried to shut the thought away even as another one came unbidden. What would Aiden look like at fifteen? Despite herself, Wendy was pretty sure he’d beat just about any Vietnamese man by then.

“Okay, girl,” she whispered. “Get a grip.”

By the time the bathroom door opened, Wendy had, as best as she was able, locked those images away. Aiden had put on his shorts and was vigorously toweling his blond hair. His shirt shook around in one of his hands. “Thanks, Wendy. That was a lot better than the old bathtub at Nana’s.”

Wendy took the towel from the boy and helped him dry his hair. “Yeah. I wasn’t sure about it when I moved in, but since then, I’ve become a believer.”

She set the towel on her bed, “Let’s see?”

She pulled him close and pushed her nose under his armpits and against his bare chest and then pulled his head down to her face. His body smelled clean and his hair smelled of her strawberry shampoo. Wendy felt a fluttering in her belly as she realized how nice Aiden smelled and how she enjoyed holding him.

Even as Aiden giggled, she said, “I definitely approve. No more stinky jogging boy.”

Still laughing, Aiden said, “But you said I didn’t really smell last week.”

Sticking her tongue out at the boy, Wendy said, “I lied. Go on and get your math book.”

When Aiden returned, he sat down beside her on the bed, his shirt forgotten next to him. It only took a few minutes to figure out what Aiden had covered since the previous Saturday, and she quickly went over the assignment and left the boy to do an exercise while she went for her shower.

***

As Aiden worked the assigned problems, he set the pencil down. He simply couldn’t focus. Even though Wendy had said nothing, it still embarrassed him that not only had he forgotten his clothes when he’d gotten in the shower, he’d not been able to find the towels.

And despite the foggy glass, when Wendy had come in and given him a towel, he worried that she’d seen his little dick. Compared to assholes like the Wheaties Thief, who had been hauled off to juvey a few weeks before, Aiden had nothing of substance between his legs. He sighed as he felt the little beast stir. The last time he’d measured it, it wasn’t even three and a half inches. And unlike a lot of the other boys in school, he was still too immature to produce any sperm. No, it was better to think Wendy had seen nothing. And even if she had, she’d never be interested in him that way. After all, he was lucky to have her as a friend. He should be thankful for that.

By the time the water stopped in the bathroom, Aiden had finished the assigned problems and laid back on the bed, running his hands along his belly, feeling the muscles under his skin that even a few months before hadn’t been there. It was the most comfortable bed he’d ever been on, and that included when he’d climbed into his nana’s bed when he’d been little.

A few minutes passed until the bathroom door cracked open and Wendy’s head stuck out. “You’re not going to believe what I did.”

Sitting back up, Aiden looked at her. Besides her head, he could also see part of Wendy’s bare shoulder. She added, “Apparently, you’re not the only person to forget your clothes. I forgot mine, too.”

Giggling, Aiden said, “It must be contagious.”

The girl giggled, “Yeah. Anyway, I need your help. Please.”

Aiden slipped off the bed as the girl said. “Go over to the chest of drawers.”

Aiden walked over to it and looked back at Wendy, “Okay?”

“Open the top right drawer.”

Aiden flushed when he saw a drawer full of panties. There were white ones, black ones, polka-dotted ones and even a lacy pink one. Looking back at Wendy his voice was strained, “Which one?”

With a shrug, Wendy said, “I don’t care, any of them will do.”

Aiden grabbed the lacy pink ones and said, “How about this one?”

Aiden felt his tummy flip as Wendy’s face turned red, even as she said, “That’s fine.”

As the boy padded across the room, he could feel his erection poking at his shorts. As Wendy reached out her hand to take the pink lacy panties, a small part of her chest came into view; Aiden glimpsed the modest curvature of her left boob.

As Wendy took the panties from him, Aiden couldn’t help saying what he was thinking, “These are pretty.”

Part of a giggle escaped the girl’s lips. To Aiden, her voice seemed slightly strained, “Yeah. I bought them at the beginning of the school year.”

Like most of the boys in the intermediate school, Aiden had tried to sneak glances up girls’ dresses and skirts. He had an idea that Wendy had bought them to look pretty for a boyfriend.

He hadn’t retreated yet from the bathroom door, even as Wendy’s head and shoulder retreated around it. “Um, do you like wearing them?”

There was rustling from the other side of the door, “Dunno. Haven’t worn this one yet.”

It was hard thinking of Wendy as just a friend when she was just on the other side of the door putting on lacy pink panties. A moment later, her head poked out, “There are some tops in the drawer next to the panties. Can you bring me one?”

Turning, Aiden opened the drawer. And just like with the panties, there were white bras, cream bras, sports bras of various shades, and a lacy pink bra that matched the panties he’d just given to Wendy. He grabbed the silky material and headed back to where Wendy’s head had reappeared.

As Aiden handed them off, he said, “Will this work?”

Wendy flushed a bit as she took them, “Yeah. It matches.”

Keenly aware of the fluttering in his stomach and the stiffy in his shorts, Aiden retreated until the back of his legs found the bed. Wendy disappeared again, presumably to don the top. He shifted his penis in his shorts as he wondered what the older girl looked like in the frilly panties. Then the idea popped into his head that he was making Wendy uncomfortable, even though she’d accepted the underwear he’d selected. Despite his butterflies and his stiffy, the last thing he wanted to was make Wendy uncomfortable, when all she wanted from him was friendship.

He spoke up, “You want me to get you shirt? Shorts?”

After a delay the boy couldn’t help but notice, the girl called back, “I’m good.”

When the door opened, Aiden sat down on the end of the bed and drew in a sharp breath as the nineteen-year-old came into the room. The panties hugged Wendy’s hips. Modest enough to cover what needed covering while still hinting at what was hidden. Narrow pink straps looped around Wendy’s shoulders, holding the small, pink three-quarters cups in place. The pink, frilly hem at the top of each cup tastefully covered everything it should, while still leaving exposed the low rise of her upper breasts.

Wendy blushed, her cheeks a bright crimson as she stood in the middle of the floor, her eyes fixed on some spot on the carpet. Only in Aiden’s dreams had he ever seen anything as beautiful as the girl, vulnerably standing in front of him. Despite his innocence and naivety, somehow, he sensed the girl could have hurried into the room and grabbed the rest of her clothes. His mind reeled at the thought that Wendy could ever need his approval. Surely that couldn’t be it, his mind argued. After all, they were supposed to be friends.

But the way she’d paused as she’d come back into the bedroom stirred something in his heart and he said, “Wow, you look really pretty.”

Aiden’s heart fluttered as Wendy’s eyes came back up and met his. “Thanks, Aiden.”

The boy added, “I don’t know why you haven’t worn them before.” Aiden felt his cheeks grow hot and flushed as he continued, “You, ah, um,”

Wendy sat down beside him at the end of the bed, “Yeah?”

Aiden’s voice squeaked a bit as he finished, “look sexy.”

He felt a release of tension as Wendy giggled, “Thanks, I needed to hear that. I bought them when I came to school here, thinking that I’d get asked out by some of the boys in one of my classes. None of those boys have even looked at me twice. They think I’m too short, too small. I think some of them still think I’m just a kid.”

Aiden didn’t know what to say. Wendy had never expressed herself like this before. His insides were jumbled and his stiffy was still poking at his shorts, no matter how much he wished it would leave well enough alone. He knew he needed to say something. Doing nothing seemed wrong somehow.

He put his arm around her shoulder and whispered, “Those guys are stupid, Wen. You’re not too short or small.”

Wendy leaned her head against his, “You’re the sweetest boy I know, Aiden. Thanks.”

She slipped her left arm around his back and gave him a one-armed hug. With a lighter note in her voice, she added, “Seeing as you didn’t mention it, I guess you think I’m a kid, though.”

Aiden could hear the playfulness in her voice. He wanted to match her tone, but what she said struck close to home. When she was as close to him as she was, his feeling for her were terribly confusing. He knew Wendy needed a friend, and that’s what he was supposed to be. Right? But the fluttering in his stomach was strong. Way stronger than feelings normal for just a friend. Was this love? There wasn’t any way Wendy felt the same way. After all, she was a nineteen-year-old woman, and he was just an eleven-year-old boy.

But he was powerless to stand before the hurricane of his emotions, unable to control them. Feeling her hug, he knew it was just something between friends. That’s why he regretted, almost immediately saying, “No. You’re just perfect. But if you were a kid, I don’t think I could stop myself from asking you to go steady with me.”

Wendy’s grip around his shoulders didn’t change, but there was a slight shift in her demeanor. Aiden was afraid she would tell him how silly he was. Instead, she breathed, “Really?”

The boy’s emotions were a rollercoaster. Her soft voice took him by surprise. Uncertainty floated him, “Wen, I’m sorry. I’m being stupid.”

The girl’s hug grew warmer, “Don’t say that, Aiden. It’s really flattering that you would ask me out if we were closer in age to each other. I was just thinking about what I would do if you were closer to my age, because I really do like you. You know that, right?

“As friends?”

Wendy squeezed him in her hug, “Of course, as friends. I’m really glad we met because you’re a good friend. But I’d be lying if I told you I hadn’t wondered what our friendship would look like if you were eighteen.”

Aiden’s cheeks grew hot at her implication, “Are you saying if I was a year younger than you, you would let me be your boyfriend?”

Wendy nodded, “Sure. Would you want me as a girlfriend if I was a year older than you?”

Aiden saw the truth in the young woman’s voice. She felt the same way as he did. Yet there wasn’t much they could do about it. Too many years separated them. Still, he wondered how narrow the gap would have to be for them to be more than friends.

“A year difference? Heck, yeah. What if we were two years apart? Would you be my girlfriend then?”

Wendy cocked her head to one side, “Hmm, me at thirteen or you at seventeen? We’d still be pretty close. Yes, I’d date you even then. What about a three-year difference, Aiden?”

Although he couldn’t imagine a fourteen-year-old girl giving him the time of day, but if she were Wendy? “Yeah. That’s not too big of a difference.”

She nodded, “True. I’d date you if you were sixteen. I’d even date you if you were fifteen, although I’m not sure what your nana would think.”

Four years. That was the half-way point between the two of them. If Aiden were four years older and Wendy four years younger, they would be the same age. Even though he was in the girl’s embrace, the boy felt the distance and sighed. “At least we’re friends.”

Wendy shocked him when she leaned in and kissed his cheek, “That’s right. Nobody can say anything about us being friends. Also…”

Her voice faded into a mysterious silence. After Aiden turned his head to look at her, Wendy continued, “Who knows what the future holds? You won’t be eleven forever.”

Aiden asked, “So, if I was fifteen, you’d really say yes?”

She smiled shyly and nodded.

Copyright 2021 – Caliboy1991
All rights reserved

The Best of Friends – Chapter 2
By
Caliboy1991

Aiden pulled his pillow over his head when his Spiderman alarm clock blaring at him in the darkness.

“Too damned early,” he moaned as he fumbled around for it, trying to find the snooze button. As his fingers grabbed the clock, he thought about those older boys who would happily make his life a living hell. The only way to get away from kids like that was to be stronger or faster. Stronger was probably out of the question, so faster it would have to be.

When he turned off the alarm, he swung his feet out of bed and stood up. He padded from his room and over to the bathroom and had to wait for his morning wood to go down before he could pee. After that, he put on the same pair of shorts he’d worn on Saturday and a clean tee-shirt. He headed toward the front door when he saw a light from the kitchen.

Nana called out, “That you Aiden?”

“Yeah, Nana. Gonna go for a jog before school.”

“Alright. Make sure you get back with enough time to shower.”

He closed the door behind him, “Yeah. I know. Hygiene.”

Like most pre-teen boys, hygiene was still a dirty word. Although he conceded showers served a good purpose when you needed some privacy to jerk off.

He stood on the old porch and looked down toward the quadplexes, hoping to see Wendy in the predawn light. There was nobody over there that he could see. The boy navigated the broken concrete walkway between porch and street, casting glances every step or two up the street. By the time his feet had reached the street’s asphalt paving, Aiden realized he’d been looking forward to jogging with Wendy.

He stretched his back and his legs and as he stepped onto the empty street, he looked up to see the Asian girl jogging toward him. He flashed a smile as she stopped in front of him and while jogging in place, and said, “Good morning, Aiden. Ready?”

“Yeah!”

By the time Aiden’s legs started burning, they jogged a bit further this morning than they’d done on Saturday. He slowed to a walk as his knees felt like Jell-O. He had a long way to go before he could jog the two-mile route that looped around the college.

“Oh, thank you,” Wendy gasped after sucking in a big lungful of air. “I was afraid I’d fall over dead, if we’d run much further.”

Aiden’s nod would have been more vigorous had he been less winded, “It’s supposed to get easier.”

He fell into step beside Wendy as the road curved, becoming their street. As they walked, the girl asked, “What time do you have to be at school this morning?”

“Eight.”

The girl glanced at her watch, “Are you going to have enough time?”

It was a couple of minutes past seven. The walk to school was less than fifteen minutes. “Yeah. Even time to get a shower before I go. What about you?”

“My first class is at nine.”

Curious, Aiden said, “What kind of class is it?”

“English literature.”

Aiden shrugged, “Sounds boring.”

Wendy said, “Well, next semester I’ve got to take research English.”

Aiden cocked his head, “What’s that? Your English is good enough. Why research it?”

Aiden was a bit put off when the girl giggled, “No, it’s about writing research papers and stuff. I’m not looking forward to it, either.”

Mollified that Wendy wasn’t really laughing at him, Aiden said, “I’d rather do English than math.”

“Not me,” the girl replied. “Give me negative equations any day over a split infinitive.”

When they reached the quadplex, Aiden realized he’d enjoyed the run, not just for the exercise, but because he enjoyed the older girl’s company. “Wednesday, same time?”

“Sure,” Wendy said, “You better hurry or you’ll be late.”

***

Wendy swerved into the quadplex’s parking lot as she turned her jog into a walk. She glanced down at her watch. She and Aiden had finished their two miles in twenty minutes. Now that October was nearly over, it wouldn’t take long for the cool air of the Friday morning to make her arms and legs cold. She didn’t have any classes before noon on Friday, so she was tempted to go back to bed after a hot shower.

Aiden walked around in circles as he caught his breath, “How fast this morning?”

“Nineteen minutes and forty-five seconds.”

The boy preened, “That’s a new record. If I hurry, I can get cleaned up and get up to school early.”

Over the past two months, Wendy had grown to know the younger boy pretty well. Certainly knew how much he hated the school and why. “I didn’t think wild horses could drag your lily-white butt up there before the first bell.”

He stuck his tongue out and said, “I’m failing math. If I don’t get my grade up, Nana’s going to kill me. One of the teachers has a study hall before school.”

Apart from the near-constant bullying, Aiden talked little about the school, other than to tell her how much he hated it. Even so, she assumed he was doing well, given how bright he was. Still, she empathized. While she’d done well in school and had several good friends, part of her had always felt like she was slightly out of phase with her friends. While both her parents had been grounded in their Vietnamese culture, it didn’t resonate with her like it did with them. She’d been of their culture, but not in it. And at school and with her friends, she’d been in the culture, but not of it.

She wanted to think that her situation had been worse than Aiden’s. But she’d gone to a good school, and had parents who cared. Wendy knew Aiden’s situation was far worse. The school was failing. A majority of the students didn’t have parents who cared about helping their kids. Poverty was rampant and life was hard; sometimes even brutal. The school district had a dropout rate of over twenty-five percent by the time kids were juniors or seniors.

Wendy said, “We can’t let your nana kill you. Why didn’t you ask me for help? I’m pretty good with numbers.”

The boy’s face colored a little as he shrugged. “I didn’t want to be a bother.”

Aiden’s expression made Wendy wonder if there was more to his reluctance than his response showed. She’d grown fond of the boy over the past couple of months and now considered him a friend of sorts. And she figured she’d become something like a friend to him as well. And if there was anything she could do to help him pass math, she’d be happy to do it.

“It would be more of a bother if you failed. Why don’t you bring your math book over here before our Saturday jog? After our run, we’ll figure out a study plan.”

Aiden’s expression turned hopeful as he stopped his circular walk. “Are you sure it wouldn’t be a bother?”

Wendy shook her head, “Not in the least.”

That Saturday, when Wendy opened her front door at eight, Aiden was walking circles in quadplex’s parking lot. He had a textbook under his arm. She waved at him, “Hey!”

The boy trotted over and said, “Are you sure about tutoring me? I understand if you’ve changed your mind.”

Wendy opened the door and waved him in. Once Aiden was inside, she closed the door and stuck her finger in his face. Despite the differences in their ages, she liked Aiden, even if it was simply friendship. From their first runs, he’d been unfailingly polite and friendly. And unlike the men she’d talked to at the college, he was deferential toward her. Growing up in Henry Nguyen’s house, a man deferring to a woman was something she seldom saw. And seeing it in Aiden made Wendy realize she valued that trait.

“Now, listen here, Aiden Frazier. I said I’m glad to help you, and I meant it. If I hadn’t wanted to tutor you, I wouldn’t have offered. Now shut up with trying to weasel out of it.”

The boy’s eyes were round as saucers. They’d gone jogging together close to forty times, and Wendy hadn’t known she’d had it in her to dress him down like that. From his look, neither had Aiden.

He stammered, “Uh, okay. Thanks, I think.” A moment later a glimmer of a smile tugged at his lips and Wendy felt a rush of relief that she hadn’t hurt his feelings.

Feeling particularly fond of the boy at that moment, she gave him a hug and said, “Set the book down and let’s go jogging.”

***

Aiden’s belly lurched when Wendy gave him a hug. In all their time jogging together, the only time he recalled the two of them touching was when they’d run into each other that first day. Now, as Wendy released him, he felt butterflies in his stomach as he realized he liked her hugs.

As he set the book down on the desk in the dining area, Aiden looked around. Wendy had told him her home was more like a small apartment than anything else, and now that he’d seen it on the inside, he agreed. Even so, the furniture was nice, the wooden floors were smooth and polished. Even the paintings on the wall looked expensive. Wendy was already out the door when she said, “Come on; we’re burning daylight.”

They made a few changes in their run today, adding another half mile by taking a detour through the heart of campus. And after they slowed to a walk as they reached the quadplex, Wendy said, “Do you know how many kilometers are in a mile?”

Aiden sucked in a lungful of air and liked that he didn’t feel too winded even after going two-and-a-half miles. “Uh, like two?”

Wendy walked around for a moment as her body worked to cool down. “Close. There’s about one point six kilometers in a mile. Now, how many miles are there in five kilometers?”

Aiden’s eyebrows nearly knitted together as he worked the math in his head, while he walked around, unwinding from the run. There was a note of uncertainty when he answered, “About three?”

Nodding, Wendy headed toward her small apartment, “Close. Did you know there’s going to be a five-k run the week after Thanksgiving? I was thinking about entering.”

Aiden knew he was getting better, stronger and faster. The idea of competing sounded fun. “Can I?”

Wendy nodded, “They have divisions for all ages. I’ll get us registered. Come on, let’s go take a look at your textbook.”

Aiden grabbed the textbook from the desk and sat on the couch. Setting it in his lap, he opened it to his current assignment while waiting for Wendy.

She brought over a couple of bottles of cold water and sat down beside him. “Okay, Aiden, so let’s see where you are.”

Aiden listened as Wendy explained how letters represented numbers when the number was unknown. As the freshman college student talked and pointed to an example in his book, the boy realized Wendy’s milky pale-yellow leg pressed against his pale leg. He tried focusing on her voice, although he felt a fluttering in his belly and a tingling where the girl’s leg touched his own.

“So, tell me what X means on question number three,” said Wendy.

Aiden blinked, tearing eyes away from where their skin touched. He found the question and read it, “Uh, X equals eight.”

Wendy nodded, “That’s right. But why?”

The tingling in his leg didn’t go away as Aiden worked out the math in his head. “Well, if twelve plus X equals twenty, then to find out X, you can subtract twelve from twenty. So, X equals eight.”

Wendy smiled at him, “See, you’re getting it. Look, there’s an exercise on the next page. Twenty equations. There’s some computer paper on the desk. Why don’t you work them while I go get cleaned up? Alright?”

Wendy put her hand on his shoulder and used it to help her stand up. As she started back toward her bedroom, Aiden took the book from his lap and barely bit back a gasp as he noticed his penis poking up in his shorts. Had her touch done this?

He turned and looked behind the couch as Wendy entered her bedroom. Before the door closed behind her, Aiden saw her pull the hem of her tee-shirt up and caught the briefest glimpse of her bare back.

He glanced down at his shorts and felt his dick twitch. He couldn’t help glance back at the closed door. Even though Wendy was gone, his leg still tingled where her leg had touched it. Over the past couple of months, he came to like Wendy a lot, if he were honest about it. But his body had never responded like this when they’d gone jogging. Even though he thought Wendy was very pretty in her own way, he’d never thought of her like he frequently thought of some of the girls in his class. Like the sun rising on newly planted corn, he realized she was actually friendlier and nicer than any of the girls he’d thought about at school. Still, despite being eleven and naïve, he knew well enough to know that Wendy was way out of his league. Still, it was hard to forget seeing her bare back before she closed the door.

He grabbed the paper from the desk and put his textbook back on his lap as he tried to focus on the equations. Anything but the bulge in his shorts.

***

Wendy closed the door to her bedroom as she pulled her shirt off. A quick sniff and the shirt sailed across the room and into the hamper in the corner. As she pulled the rest of her clothes off and headed toward the shower, she found she enjoyed helping Aiden. The boy was keen to learn. He just needed someone to help him connect the dots.

As water poured out of the showerhead, Wendy realized that even though her freshman year at college wasn’t turning out how she’d expected, she was enjoying parts of it. The highlight of her week was her jogs with Aiden.

As she lathered herself with body wash, Wendy muttered, “Shame he’s not in college, yet. What’s a girl to do when the best man she’s met since starting college is eleven years old?”

She’d gone to a couple of campus events since the start of the semester, hoping to meet somebody. But she’d struck out each time. She ran her hand over her stomach. It was more toned than it had been when she’d started jogging. Her legs were firmer, too. But none of that had been enough to entice any of the guys she’d met into expressing any interest in her.

As she let some conditioner do its magic in her short-cropped hair, she muttered to herself, “Why’s it so hard to find a guy who’ll treat me like I matter? I just want someone who wants to be around me, who likes me for me. I wouldn’t mind if he was smart and witty, too.”

She turned off the water and said, “Oh, who am I kidding? The only men in my life who are worth a damn are Mr. Benton and Aiden, and both are as unattainable as a snowstorm in July.”

Back in her bedroom, as she toweled off, her thoughts came back to Aiden. She enjoyed sitting next to him as she explained his math homework. The boy was smart. She enjoyed it when she could see his innate intelligence in his eyes. But the school was failing him and if he couldn’t get ahead on his own, within a few years, Wendy could see Aiden getting further and further behind, just like so many other kids in the school district.

She couldn’t do anything about the other kids, but she felt something in her heart for the boy, and said to herself, “I can keep him from failing. I will keep him from failing.”

With that promise still on her lips, she decided Aiden should get started on the next exercise after the one she’d already assigned. She wrapped the towel around her body and opened the door, “Hey, Aiden, are you finished with the exercises, yet?”

The boy craned his neck and looked back from the couch. When his eyes grew round, Wendy wondered if she should have gone ahead and gotten dressed first. But she was excited about helping her young friend and she pushed the thought aside, as the boy, eyes still wide, nodded.

“Good,” Wendy said, “Go on to the next page. There are some more exercises there. Get started on those and when I’m dressed, I’ll look them over.”

Closing the door, whether she should have opened the door covered in just her towel was on her mind. Given how wide Aiden’s eyes had grown and the goofy smile on his lips, Wendy suspected the boy may have enjoyed seeing her wrapped in just a towel.

A smile played across her face at the idea someone would find her interesting. After two months of trying to catch the attention of several of the guys in her classes, she was ready to give up on any sort of relationship. And to be honest, she felt flattered anyone, even an eleven-year-old, gave her more than a single glance.

After sliding a clean pair of panties on, Wendy glanced down at her chest. The modest swells hardly poked out from her body. They didn’t even jiggle enough for a bra to do what it did for most women–hold the girls in place while exercising. Usually, she didn’t bother with wearing one when she went jogging in the morning. And putting one on now was more trouble than it was worth. She wasn’t planning to go anywhere, and she didn’t think Aiden would notice. And in the unlikely event he did, it surprised Wendy to find that she just didn’t care. So, she donned a matching green tee-shirt with the college’s mascot on the front and a comfortable pair of shorts.

Wendy left her black hair to air dry. She wore it short in the back, well above the collar. While she liked its low maintenance, sometimes she thought that her preference in keeping it short may have contributed to some guys in her classes not giving her a first glance, let alone a second.

She gave herself a last glance in the mirror and nodded. She ran her hand across her shirt. Her boobs’ subtle curves gave scant definition to her shirt; they were barely noticeable, and that was only if you really looked. With a nod, she headed back into the living room, where Aiden was bent over his textbook.

Taking her seat beside the boy, she watched as he scribbled some numbers on the sheet of paper. She asked, “How’s it going?”

Aiden let the pencil fall into the crack where the textbooks’ pages met. “I think I’ve got it.”

“Show me.”

Wendy leaned against the boy and watched as Aiden worked through another problem. She could smell the boy’s sweat. It had dried to his shirt, which felt clammy as her arm pressed against his sleeve. There was an odor to Aiden that wasn’t altogether unpleasant. She guessed it was simply the smell sweaty boys give off after a hard day at play, or in Aiden’s case, a good jog.

When Aiden finished the problem, he glanced at her, “What?”

Wendy felt self-conscious. She didn’t really want to admit to smelling him. “Nothing. Just noticed your shirt’s still a little clammy.”

Aiden’s cheeked grew red as he sniffed at his shirt. He frowned a bit. “Sorry. I didn’t notice I smelled.”

He looked uncomfortable, which was the last think Wendy wanted. She said, “It’s no biggie.” She leaned in and smelled his shirt, “See, I don’t smell hardly anything at all. You’re fine.”

It was a lie. The smell of his boyish sweat still lingered in Wendy’s nose. But Aiden had returned to the problem.

It didn’t take him long to finish the second set of exercises. When he finished, Wendy took the textbook and checked his work. While she did that, she turned on the TV for him. After seeing that Aiden had answered all the questions correctly, Wendy closed the textbook.

“You did well. An A-plus.”

The boy’s face lit up, “Cool. If I have any questions with my homework this week, can I bring it over to you?”

“Sure.”

Wendy hadn’t seen this particular Avengers movie yet, so she propped her feet up beside her and settled in next to Aiden and watched it with him.

***

Aiden was still staring at Wendy’s bedroom door after she’d closed it. He blinked a few times. Had she really just been standing there wearing nothing but a towel? He slowly shook his head as he felt his penis poke against his shorts, again.

He pushed his textbook down as his mind played back what was now seared there. Wendy’s black hair, still wet, fell over her forehead. The towel, wrapped under her arms, covered her from her breasts down to several inches above her knees. She was just about the prettiest girl Aiden had ever seen. And even though he knew she’d never be interested in a shrimp like him for a boyfriend, he was happy that she was friendly toward him.

Even while he focused on the math problems, Aiden’s erection never entirely went away. And when Wendy came back out wearing a matching green tee-shirt and shorts, his little stiffy returned. He was thankful for the textbook and its strategic placement. After he finished the problems, and Wendy took the textbook to check his work, he crossed his legs and prayed that the way his shorts bunched up that she wouldn’t see his stiffy’s outline in his shorts. Once he had the latest Avengers movie playing on her TV, he was able to forget about his erection until Wendy finished grading his work.

After setting his textbook aside, Wendy put her feet on foot rest that matched the couch’s leather and watched the movie with him. Even while following Ironman’s antics, Aiden couldn’t help noticing Wendy’s arm pressed against his. And smell the strawberry fragrance of her shampoo.

When the movie ended, the streaming service queued up the sequel. Wendy said, “I’ll order some pizza and we’ll watch the next one.”

Aiden was game. He enjoyed sharing the pizza with Wendy as they watched the second movie. By the time the credits rolled, he could see the evening sun and realized he’d spent most of the day with Wendy.

“Oh, shit!” he muttered, as he moved his arm away from Wendy and stood. “I gotta get on home. My nana is going to be pissed.”

Wendy got to her feet, “Didn’t you tell her I’d be tutoring you?”

Aiden nodded as he grabbed his math textbook, “Yeah. But she thought I’d be home by noon.”

Wendy swore when she looked at the clock, “After five? Damn, where’d the day go?”

Aiden feared his nana would be worried sick and as he grabbed the door handle, Wendy said, “I’ll come, too. I haven’t met your Grandma yet, and I’m sure she wants to know who’s tutoring you.”

Aiden shrugged and said, “Maybe you can keep her from grounding me.”

When they reached the street, Aiden looked toward Nana’s house. Aside from the lit porch light, things looked normal. As they reached the crumbling concrete walk that led to his nana’s porch, the old woman opened the door and hobbled out onto the porch, leaning on her cane.

Aiden broke away from Wendy and hurried forward, “Sorry, Nana, I lost track of time.”

Instead of anger, there was a hint of relief in his nana’s tired voice, “I was wondering. Is this the young lady who’s tutoring you?

Aiden felt relief wash over him. He smiled and grabbed Wendy’s arm and pulled her toward his nana, “This is Wendy Nguyen,” he made sure to carefully pronounce the last name correctly, like Wen.

“Wendy, this is my nana, Wanda Frazier.” Aiden felt a bit silly calling his nana by her name. After all, she’d always be just Nana to him.

“Howdy, Mrs. Frazier,” Wendy drawled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

His nana nearly lept back, “Heavens, Aiden. I didn’t believe you when you said your young lady talks just like you.”

She recovered, “I’m so sorry, Ms. Wendy. What a horrible impression I must’ve made. The only Vietnamese folks I’ve talked to have pretty strong accents.”

Aiden smiled at his gran. She hadn’t really believed him about Wendy’s accent matching their own. “I told you, Nana.”

Aiden felt a tingle as Wendy tousled his hair, “I’m sorry about the time. We got some good studying in and then I let Aiden watch a movie and before I knew it, the day was gone.”

Aiden’s relief grew as his nana said, “I figured it was something like that.”

As the boy reached the door and turned to wave goodbye at Wendy, his nana said, “I’m just about done cooking supper. While I can’t speak for Aiden, I’d be mighty pleased if you’d stay and eat with us.”

The boy’s heart skipped a beat when Wendy nodded, “Sure, why not?”

The three of them sat around a small table to one side of the kitchen. Aiden learned more about Wendy in that hour than he learned in the past two months. He’d not even known who the Vietnamese Boat People had been. Of course, public schools being what they were, he knew next to nothing of the Vietnam War, even though Nana’s first husband had fought in it fifty years before.

He also learned Wendy was a great friend. He flushed at her constant praise, whether it was how well he had done the math exercises or as her jogging partner.

Nana gave a tired smile. “That’s my boy. Aiden’s my little angel.

His nana recounted about how Aiden’s mom disappeared from rehab, and left him with her, a seventy-five-year-old woman.

After dinner, as Wendy was leaving, Aiden followed her and Nana onto the porch. It was dark outside, save for the dim light cast by the porch light.

Nana said, “It was so nice to meet the girl that Aiden has been going on about for weeks now.”

Aiden flushed at the old woman’s words, although he knew they were true. In a world as hard as his, time with Wendy was the best part of his week.

Wendy grinned at him as she said, “The pleasure’s been mine, Mrs. Frazier. If I wasn’t training with him, I’d be a recluse, hiding out in my apartment between classes.”

Aiden’s eyes arched as his nana patted Wendy’s arm, “Then I’m doubly glad the two of you ran into each other.”

Aiden joined the women in laughing. His nana had laughed hard when he told her how he and Wendy had first met. She leaned heavily on her cane and sighed. She sounded old, “School this year is hard on Aiden. I’m… we’re grateful you’re tutoring him.”

In the poor light, it was hard to tell if Wendy was blushing at the praise. She said, “I’m glad to help, Mrs. Frazier. Aiden’s welcome anytime.”

His nana waved as Wendy started down the stairs, “Careful there, Wendy. I may just send him over every time he’s got homework. Or when I need a break.”

Wendy turned and waved, giving Aiden a quick wink, “That’s fine with me.”

Aiden’s head spun as he watched the petite nineteen-year-old head back toward her place.

Copyright 2021 – Caliboy1991
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