Seventeen

Part One1

  X2

It was hot, the hottest day of the year and everything was sweating even the cars belched volcano smoke and sweat rolled off their windshields and smashed headlights and the flies melted on the sidewalks where they stuck to people’s shoes like gum. 3

A short, lanky girl with fluffy blonde hair and a cute button nose was walking down the street with her hands shoved in the pockets of her cut-off denim shorts, tongue flicking out like a lizard’s to savour the tasty pink globs of her fast-melting strawberry ice cream cone. She passed Arcade Galaxy—her favourite place to hang out—and glared at all the overweight, pimply faced nerds who were mopping their foreheads with cheeseburger wrappers while feeding quarters into the brightly-lit pinball and arcade machines. 4

 5

One kid, who looked about eight, had a baseball cap turned sideways on his scruffy head and was whooping like an Indian as he pounded the joystock of Mortal Kombat, eyes growing bigger and bigger by the second as his high score climbed. Annoyed, the girl polished off her cone, sucking the sweet cream off her fingers, and trudged another seven blocks until she was in her own close-knit little neighbourhood that was populated with kids engaged in street hockey and yappy little dogs. 6

The girl’s Barbie pink flip-flops slapped rhythmically against the hot, cracked pavement as she cast a curious glance over at Mr. Holden’s house, admiring his perfectly trimmed lawn, cute ladybug mailbox and all the pretty, purple and white flowers that adorned his driveway. 7

Mr. Holden was her germaphobic next door neighbour and what her mother liked to call a “By the Book” Christian. He was a well-liked music director at the small, overcrowded community church the girl attended regularly and, at twenty-six, had lost his wife to breast cancer. 8

 9

Deeply affected by her quick and sudden death, Mr. Holden turned quiet, distant, and kept mostly to himself. He hadn’t dated another woman since Karen’s passing two years ago, and even though the girl’s mother was always encouraging him to “get back in the game” Mr. Holden would just shake his head and smile his polite, charming little smile that made the dimples wink in his broad cheeks. 10

“I only have eyes for her, Julia”, he’d say, looking defeated. “She’s with God now.”11

Hands planted on her full, shapely hips, Mrs Anderson gave her daughter an icy glare as she skipped down the sidewalk, tank top so short it revealed the perfect amount of deliciously flat, tanned stomach and the itty-bitty silver dolphin piercing that gleamed like a cat’s eye in her belly button. 12

“Jade! Where the hell have you been? I told you to wash the car hours ago.”13

“Oh, sorry mom”, Jade chirped. “I was just walking...”14

“In that skimpy outfit?” Mrs Anderson snapped.15

“Oh, come on! Girls are walking around in their bikinis, mom! It’s too hot to follow the dress code.”16

“Yeah, well, I don’t want people thinking my daughter’s the town slut.”17

Jade rolled her big, olive-green eyes, more embarrassed than pissed off by the comment. At seventeen she was still a virgin, not pretty enough (in her mind) to get fucked, and took pride in her appearance (unlike the rest of her fat, dumpy, promiscuous friends who had different cocks jammed in their pussies every week). 18

She was known as “Jade the Genius” in science class, got straight A’s, was practically worshipped by her teachers, and hated most people. In fact, she prayed each night for everyone to get abducted by aliens, everyone except her and Mr. Holden; the only ones with common sense. 19

Jade had a huge, schoolgirl crush on her neighbour, especially now that he was a widower and spent most of his time in the garden or at church, singing in that throaty, masculine voice if his that Jade loved so much. 20

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Even though her mother used to be good friends with Karen Holden and she was always a kind, sweet-natured woman; the sinful part of Jade wasn’t complaining. Now Mr. Holden was up for grabs, vulnerable as a puppy and equally adorable.22

“The bucket’s sitting there, and there’s the sponge too. I’m gonna pick something up at the grocery store for dinner, maybe chicken or some steaks to toss on the Barbie. Any ideas?”23

“Steak sounds perfect”, Jade said, her mouth already watering. “I’ll get to work on that car.”24

Mrs Anderson smiled. Her lips, full, ruby, and sensual like her daughter’s, pulled back to reveal a mouthful of small porcelain teeth, glinting like cracked bits of crystal. 25

“That’s my girl...such a good, proper girl. Your tummy better be covered when I get back.”26

Jade couldn’t help but giggle when her flustered mother trotted off, car keys jingling as she clicked up the front steps.27

“A good girl...we’ll just see about that.”28

X29


Her mother was often busy, tied up with work, the new baby, and the hundred other things that needed to be done around the house; including her upcoming baby shower and Rachel’s dumb wedding. 30

Jade took an ice-cold bottle of Coke from the fridge and pressed it against her smooth, sweaty forehead, sighing in content as the frosty glass cooled her skin. She peeled off her shorts, tank top, and undergarments, gasping as the humid air blew against her wet pussy lips. Unaware of the fact that all the windows were open, Jade languidly trudged upstairs in search of her bikini, giving every car that passed her street a luxurious flash of T and A.31

The cherry-red bikini with the yellow polka-dots lay, pretty as a picture, on Jade’s bed that was covered in Vogue magazines, cosmetic cases, and stuffed zoo animals. 32

She surveyed the dainty, innocent room of a typical seventeen-year-old girl who wanted to be like everyone else: little pillows trimmed in pink lace, glossy posters of Hollywood heartthrobs, and a guitar-shaped schoolbag stuffed full of half-finished homework assignments, a math text book with coffee-stained pages, glow-in-the-dark condoms (just in case) and a Hello Kitty lighter.33

Jade slid the bottoms over her long slender legs made honey-gold by the sun, smiling as the airy fabric brushed up against the moist curls of her pussy, soft as kitten fur. The cups were too small for her large, lusciously round breasts, so every time Jade bent down they spilled out like two plump, alabaster melons, making her rack the finest eye candy around. 34

After slathering herself in suntan lotion, Jade grabbed her tiny, apple green boom box—the one covered in Scooby-Doo stickers—and marched outside, breasts bouncing, her feathery blonde hair fashioned into a high, elegant bun held by chopsticks and two gel pens. 35

Placing the boom box on the work bench, Jade put her favourite Beatles CD and cranked up “She Loves You Ya Ya” full blast, not caring if Mrs Pennyworth, that old, wrinkled crow, would holler “TURN THAT RACKET DOWN!” 36

The Boys of Summer, a group of deliciously sculpted, bronzed and blonde-haired hunks who liked to visit Jade’s house often, were loading up their Jeeps with surfboards, beer, and Frisbees, their beautifully muscled backs pearled with sweat. Every girl knew that the Boys of Summer were nothing but trouble, and if you were dumb enough to mess with them then you deserved to get your heart cloven in two, which is what had happened to most of Jade’s ditzy friends.37

So, whistling to herself, Jade blissfully ignored the catcalls, waves, and kisses that were blown like dandelion spores from their lips. She squeezed the warm, soapy water from the sponge; washing, scrubbing, and polishing every square inch of her mother’s beloved midnight-blue corvette. 38

She said you hurt her so
She almost lost her mind
But now she says she knows
You're not the hurting kind39

Eyes closed, skinny hips rocking to the beat, Jade took the hose and washed away the bubbles, the tiny rainbows trapped within those gossamer orbs, water dripping from her thighs, breasts, and stomach, sliding down the smooth, peach-shaped curve of her buttocks, the toned backs of her thighs. 40

She was unaware of the car that pulled into the driveway. A tall, handsome man climbed out, his mind a vacant whirlpool of gospel music and Bible verses, his life tranquil as the glassy, clearest water of the calmest lake. Mr. Holden could see the hose; smell the crisp, summery smell of washed linen, wet cement, and the baked perfume of sun-warmed skin. 41

He took off his stylish, silver-rimmed glasses, rubbed the fogged lenses, and slid them back over his nose, shaking his head in disbelief at the glorious sight held before him. 42

The young girl, about seventeen, was washing her car in a soaking wet bikini, the thin red fabric clinging to her perfect body, accentuating every curve in explicit, almost pornographic detail. 43

As she leaned forwards, sponge squeaking against the windshield, her full breasts plopped out of the flimsy top, nipples jutting out of the fabric as if to tease him. Her hair was wet too, so blonde and beautiful against that svelte, angelic skin, shoulders pulled in like bat wings the harder she scrubbed, breasts swaying with each violent thrust, her hips pumping up and down as she rode the slippery blue hood of the car with a raw, heated force, water spraying all over the place, bathing her face and chest and hair.44

You know it's up to you
I think it's only fair
Pride can hurt you too
Apologize to her45

Coated in sweat, Mr. Holden took out a handkerchief and mopped his glossy forehead, unable to deny the arousal that was creeping into his body like a moist, tar-black worm. It slithered into his thoughts, filling up his mind with gross, sinful, deliciously perverted fantasies of this under aged, half-naked girl’s legs wrapped around his waist as he plunged into her sweet pussy, sucking those luscious nipples right through the wet fabric, his cock making lewd squelching noises as he pumped in and out of her tight, velvety, pink hole... 46

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
With a love like that
You know you should be glad 47

“Mr. Holden!” 48

Jade turned off the radio and gave her aroused neighbour a shy, dainty wave.49

“How was Church?”50

“Fine”, Mr. Holden said. He was blushing again, tomato-red and glazed in sweat, his pores oozing desire just like the pre-cum seeping from the head of his stiff cock. 51

“Hey, are you okay?” 52

The girl adjusted her top, shaking water out of it so her tits jiggled up and down, nipples poking out like two teasing eyes. The fabric was so drenched that Mr. Holden could even make out the outline of her areolas. He imagined their color, what they would taste like on his tongue, between his teeth... 53

“I’m fine”, Mr. Holden said, and shielded a raging hard-on with his heavy choir books. “I’ve been locked up in that stuffy church all day, you know. I guess the heat’s starting to take its toll.”54

“Get a cold shower”, she suggested. “That always helps me.” 55

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll do that.”56

“Well, I better get back inside. My mom will be madder than a wasp in jam jar if she catches me standing out here like this! See you in church tomorrow!”57

Jade picked up the hose, letting water drip all over her breasts, and swaggered back up the driveway towards the garage.58

“OK, Tell Julia I said hi!” Mr. Holden called back, and starting jogging towards his own house; desperate for the release he so badly craved.59

X60


The next morning Jade woke up, refreshed as iced tea, her lovely green eyes still lust-filled from the wonderful and all-too vivid dream. She dreamt of a sticky July summer filled with sprinklers, water parks, heart-shaped sunglasses, half-melted popsicles, and boys hovering around her like a whirligig of fireflies. Jade remembered the ones she used to catch in pickle jars with her beloved Uncle Sam and the neighbourhood kids, their bare feet scampering across the warm yellow grass.61

But now, now the fireflies were all dead, sinking to the bottom of the jars like snowflakes, like the ghostly grey ashes that fluttered like dead leaves from her mother’s cigarettes. She would just sit there, stiff and pretty as a mechanical doll, puffing on the thing until she vomited tar-black phlegm that leaked from her perfect lips like motor oil.62

“He called today, Jade.”63

Snorting, Julia cast her daughter a look of disgust, the smoke curling in dragon-puffs around her porcelain wrists.64

“He wants to see you. I hate him, I fucking hate that bastard. The only thing he’s gonna see is my knuckles jammed down his throat if he calls here again.”65

Andrew, Jade’s daddy, would be in Vegas somewhere, his black hair slicked back from his forehead that was high, pale, and smooth as glass. She wondered why he had called, if he was huddled in a phone booth on the corner of some windy street thick with pollution, people, and music. Or maybe he was holding a cell phone to his ear, the other trying to blot out the booming music of some popular club, a club with nude dancers and bars that were lit up like pinball machines. 66

Jade imagined the candy-colored strobe lights, the bodies of women blowing kisses in the dark; their hands groping flesh, lips cherry-red and cheeks smudged with inky mascara tears. There would be billboards and celebrities carrying around their little poodles with rhinestone-studded collars, silicon-breasted beauties and rock stars leaping like grasshoppers across huge, black velvet stages, their guitars raised above their heads like halos.67

“I’ll be stuck in this little hick town forever”, Jade said, feeling like a hermit crab that was forced to live in a rusty tin can. She thought of boring Church and Mr. Holden—cute, young, single Mr. Holden—the way his eyes drank up the gentle curves of her body as she washed her mother’s car. 68

“I only have eyes for her, Julia.” 69

His mocha-skinned, beautiful wife smothering him in big wet puppy kisses, long arms draped across his broad shoulders.70

Yeah, my ASS you do, an evil, feminine voice hissed in Jade’s mind, and she couldn’t help but giggle. He wanted her. Mr. Holden was twenty-eight, obsessed with God, and he wanted her—everything about her. Yes, Karen had been underground for two years, but in those two years Mr. Holden had wept, prayed, and sold his soul to God and his garden. Flowers bloomed in every step he took, blood-red petals unfurling from the cracked, dry, orange earth, their thorns slicing open his creamy skin like scalpels, bleeding him dry.71

Jade smacked her lips to evenly apply the pink, shimmery gloss, making it gleam. She played up her almond-shaped green eyes with a dusky, deep-purple shadow, fanning it out at the corners like an exotic dancer. 72

“You want me, don’t you?” Jade said in soft, sultry whisper, bending down just enough for ample cleavage, her kohl-lined, emerald eyes sizing up the knock-out bombshell in the mirror. 73

Baby Rueben started to cry, his wails high-pitched as he beat his fists against the crib. Jade looked at his face—scrunched up and bright red like a little demon. She always called him that: “Demon baby” because he never stopped crying.74

“What the hell are you doing?” 75

Her mother patted Rueben’s curly head like a dog, blowing smoke rings into his already enraged face. 76

"We’re gonna be late for church...again.”77

Jade crinkled her nose. “Ugh, isn’t it too early to be smoking those cancer sticks?”78

“Isn’t it too early to be dressing like a whore?” Mrs. Anderson retorted, and ground out the orange butt with her high heel. “No time to enjoy it, anyways. What’s with the get-up?”79

“Get-up?” Jade blinked at her mother stupidly. 80

“This...” She waved her frail, white-knuckled hands in the air so they floated like spider legs, gesturing at Jade’s short, lacy black dress with the matching platform heels and cream stockings that she had found in her old toy box.
“You never dress up for church—ever. Why the sudden change?”81

“I-I don’t know...” Jade averted her gaze so she was staring at her tanned, beautiful legs, the cigarette butt squished into the green shag carpet like a dead fly. “Maybe I’m getting older, more sophisticated.”82

“Older, yes, but nobody likes a sophisticated, stuck-up bitch”, Mrs Anderson growled. “Or book worms, for that matter. Your room’s practically a library.”83

“Can we talk about this later?”84

“It’s just in one ear and out the other with you, Jade. Just like your deadbeat father.”85

“Don’t talk about dad like that”, Jade seethed, her blood simmering with rage. 86

“You’re right, there’s no point in talking about him; he’s a loser. Now, get your sassy ass in the car before I belt it purple.”87

FUCK YOU Jade screamed, her brain flashing with the ugly, crimson red letters.
She wanted to call her mother a cunt.
She wanted to say how much she hated her mother’s guts, her tobacco-stained lips, the smell of her cheap perfume and shitty cooking.
But, like a submissive dog trained by its abusive owner, she slunk past her; lashes jewelled with tears, and fought the urge to cry so the mascara wouldn’t run.88

X89

End of Part 190