Barbara L. Clanton - Going, Going, Gone - Suzie's Story Read online

  "Yeah, something like that." Susie smiled. The Johnson kids weren't brats. Nine-year-old Bethany was kind of bitter ever since her dad moved out a year and a half before, but overall she was a good kid. And how in the world could the precious one-year-old baby Emma ever be considered a brat? She hadn't logged enough time on earth to even qualify.

  "Oh, hey," Christy pulled out her phone, "let me take a picture of you guys. I don't have one."

  "Okay." Susie and Marlee stood as close together as they dared in the busy parking lot and posed while Christy took their picture with her cell phone.

  "Thanks. I'll send it to you when I get a sec."

  "Cool," Marlee said. "We don't have many pictures of the two of us."

  "All right, chicklets. I'm outta here."

  Susie gave Christy a quick hug. "Hasta mañana, chica."

  "Yup, I'll see you tomorrow." Christy headed toward her car. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," she called back over her shoulder.

  "Hmm," Susie said with a laugh, "that kind of leaves it wide open, doesn't it?"

  Marlee smirked and shot Susie a suggestive look.

  They were about to get into the van when someone called Marlee's name.

  They turned to see a pretty blonde girl about their age walking toward them. Susie recognized her as the pitcher from Southbridge. When the girl reached them, she completely ignored Susie, but looked Marlee directly in the eye. "Nice game, Marlee."

  "Oh, thanks."

  "I'm a pitcher, too."

  "Oh, yeah?"

  "Yeah, but I don't have near your speed. How do you get so much movement on the ball?"

  Marlee shrugged, but Susie could tell she was enjoying the attention.

  The Southbridge pitcher took a step closer. "So, uh, think you could show me some pitches? You know," she gestured toward the field, "sometime?"

  "Sure," Marlee answered quickly. "What d'ya want to learn? What's your name? You know mine; it's only fair I know yours."

  The girl flicked her long badly-dyed blonde hair behind her shoulders and giggled. "Bree."

  Susie's stomach churned. How dare this chick from Southbridge flirt with her Marlee. She was skating on thin ice.

  Marlee smiled and leaned ever so slightly closer to Bree. "That's a nice name."

  "Marlee's a nice name, too. I saw that article about you winning States in the Clarksonville Courier. That was so cool."

  "Thanks."

  Okay, that's enough. Susie cleared her throat. "Marlee, we gotta go."

  "Okay, yup." Marlee seemed to snap out of the spell Bree had captured her under. She pulled the van keys out of her pocket. "We'll talk later, Bree."

  "Count on it."

  Susie felt her face flush with anger. She glared at the girl, but the girl either didn't notice or didn't care. She apparently only had eyes for Marlee.

  Chapter Two

  Heart-Stealing Pitchers

  MARLEE PULLED THE van onto the barely discernible dirt road off County Road 62. Susie's heart sped up the closer they got to their hidden spot tucked away under the weeping willow tree between two corn fields. Sam had taken Susie there once during the brief time they were seeing each other. Marlee turned off the engine, and they undid their seatbelts.

  Susie turned toward Marlee. "I wish we didn't have to hide like this."

  "It's okay." Marlee swung around to face Susie. "I like being alone with you."

  "You know that's not what I meant. I mean we have to hide and--"

  Marlee put a hand on Susie's arm. "I know what you mean, Jelly Bean."

  "You knew what I meant, Jelly Bent?"

  Marlee nodded and added a seductive smile.

  Susie picked up the hand still resting on her arm, and kissed each one of the fingertips in turn. "I need to thank this pitching hand personally for getting us out of that game."

  "Yeah," Marlee laughed, "what was up with you missing that line drive?"

  Susie groaned. "I was thinking about you."

  Marlee burst out laughing. "Oh, man. Are you kidding?"

  Susie shook her head. "Aay, Santo, I'm afraid not. I thought you were going to strike out that girl and then we could get out of there. I didn't even see the ball coming until I heard somebody yell."

  "You're lucky Coach Gellar didn't chop your head off."

  Susie sighed. "I know. I think it's my season to get picked on. Every season she picks somebody new to harass. Last season, it was Christy."

  "Yeah, I saw that at our last game against you guys last spring. Coach Gellar really lit into her." Marlee reached behind her seat and pulled a Styrofoam cooler closer. "Do you want a coke or water?"

  "Water."

  Marlee handed her a bottle of water and took one out for herself. "You know, you only have one more school season left with Coach Gellar and then you're free."

  "I don't know if I'm gonna survive it. I hope my coach in college isn't like that." Susie desperately wanted to go to the same college as Marlee, but Marlee never brought up the topic. Susie took a long pull from the bottle hoping Marlee would take the bait and talk about it. No such luck.

  "I like Coach Speers. She's calm, but smart. She knows how to motivate us without yelling."

  "Your coach is cool." Susie rolled her eyes, "Coach Gellar's philosophy is what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. You know?"

  "Tell me about it." Marlee rubbed the shoulder on her pitching arm.

  "Hey, I promised to rub that out for you." Susie tossed her bottle into one of the van's cup holders. "C'mere." She gestured for Marlee to lean in closer. Marlee started to turn around to present her shoulder, but Susie said, "Nuh, uh. We've been here for over three minutes, and you haven't even given me my three month, one day anniversary kiss yet."

  Marlee whipped back around and murmured, "Happy anniversary, sweetie."

  Susie's heart swelled. "You called me sweetie." No one had ever called her that before.

  "Less talking. More kissing." Marlee leaned forward, her face mere inches away from Susie's.

  Susie closed the gap and kissed Marlee's soft and tender lips. She put a hand behind Marlee's head to pull her closer and ran her fingers through Marlee's short hair. Marlee put a hand just below Susie's throat and rubbed the fabric of the uniform jersey.

  Susie groaned when Marlee pulled out of the kiss.

  Marlee looked at Susie with longing. "Let's get out of these seats."

  "Okay."

  Marlee pointed to the blanket in the back of the van placed there for their private moments. "Inside or outside?"

  Susie grinned. "I remember when you used to be the shy one."

  Marlee smiled, but repeated her question. "Inside or outside?"

  "Outside. It's July. We'll be stuck inside the van or worse, my car, when it gets colder."

  Marlee nodded in agreement. They met on the passenger side, and Marlee spread the blanket under the willow tree.

  "Here," Susie said, "sit down, and I'll massage that shoulder for you."

  "Mmm," Marlee moaned in agreement and sat down cross-legged on the blanket.

  Susie sat behind her and placed both hands on her non-pitching shoulder. "The usual spot?" Susie began to rub the strong shoulder muscles.

  Marlee nodded. "All those playoff games in a row messed me up."

  "Christy hitting you with a pitch is what messed you up."

  "Yeah," Marlee agreed. "That feels so good. Can you go for the knots next?"

  Susie dug her thumbs in at the hard knots in Marlee's back. "I'm sure being New York State champs was worth all that extra pitching."

  "Yeah. Coach Gellar must have been pissed when humble little Clarksonville knocked your powerhouse East Valley team out of the playoffs."

  "Dios mío," Susie said remembering the day they lost. "She reamed us out good, but she took it mostly out on Christy."

  "Christy didn't need that, especially with all that stuff she was dealing with back then."

  "I hope she finds what she's looking for in California." Susie
hugged Marlee from behind and kissed the shoulder she had been massaging.

  Marlee moved her shoulder around. "Ah, that feels so much better. I should probably put ice on it."

  "I know something better than ice." Before Marlee could ask, Susie trailed several kisses along the newly massaged shoulder. The trail continued up Marlee's neck. She suckled the soft skin of Marlee's earlobe.

  Marlee moaned and reached overhead and behind her to stroke Susie's head. It wasn't long before Marlee turned around, and they kissed again under the shade of the willow tree. Susie put a hand on Marlee's chest and gently pushed her down on the blanket. She lay on her side and stroked Marlee's stomach as they kissed. She reached lower and ran her hands from hip to hip.

  Marlee moaned and pulled away.

  "Too much?" Susie stopped her hand motions.

  "You--" Marlee cleared her throat. "You make me feel so much. I just, I--"

  "It's okay, mi vida." Susie gave her a reassuring smile knowing that they had to go at Marlee's pace. She twirled a lock of Marlee's short blonde hair around her finger. "You have the prettiest color hair."

  "I love yours, too." Marlee reached up and ran her fingers through Susie's long auburn tresses. "I love it when you wear your hair loose like this."

  Susie smiled without breaking eye contact.

  "Oh, God," Marlee shut her eyes for a moment. "You suck me in with those brown eyes of yours every time."

  Susie's smile grew wider. "Let's not even go there, Miss crystal-blue eyes."

  Marlee pulled Susie closer, and Susie laid her head on Marlee's chest. Susie was dying to take their relationship to the next level, her body ached for it, but Marlee obviously needed a little more time before they went further. For now, Susie would have to ache in silence.

  Marlee stroked the head resting on her chest. "So, tell me about the first time you knew."

  "Again?" Susie lifted her head to look at Marlee and grinned.

  "Again." Marlee pushed Susie's head back down.

  "Okay." Susie draped an arm across Marlee's tight stomach, like she had imagined doing just before she made the error in the game. "Well, you know about Sam's yearlong crush on Lisa, right?"

  "Yeah. Well, I didn't know about it back then."

  "Okay, so me and Christy are totally teasing Sam on the bus, and I said something like, 'So are you going to get her phone number this time?'"

  "And what did Sam say?"

  "She told me to shut up, of course." Susie trailed her fingers gently along Marlee's stomach. "She turned beet red, though, and then Christy said something like, 'Lisa's probably going out with that cute blonde pitcher of theirs.' Sam looked so devastated. It was as if the thought had never occurred to her."

  "Did you think I was cute?"

  Susie picked her head up and flashed Marlee a look of disbelief. "Of course I did. All Sam and I ever talked about was the Clarksonville softball team, so I thought about you a lot actually."

  "I thought about you, too, but you didn't know I had a major league crush on you then, did you?"

  "Nope. And especially not when you threw that pitch at my head."

  "Ahh, c'mon," Marlee groaned. "It slipped. Am I ever gonna live that one down?"

  "Probably never, mi vida, but, hey, it's kind of what brought us together."

  "I guess."

  "So, anyway, you knocked me down, I picked myself up, and got right back in the batter's box. You were turning the most glorious shade of red. You were so cute that I think I fell in love with you right on the spot."

  "You grinned at me. I thought you were plotting your revenge."

  "No way. I was plotting how to get your cell phone number. I asked Christy if I could invite you guys to hang out with us at her house. She was cool with that. You know how she likes to party."

  "Yeah really."

  "So I gestured for Jeri to come over. I feel bad. I kind of used Jeri to get to you. I didn't really know her that well. My dad knew her dad and all, but I was desperate. I said, 'We're having a party Friday at Christy's. Why don't you guys come out? The more the merrier.' Then I nodded my head toward you and Lisa."

  "I saw Jeri talking to you guys," Marlee said. "I should have walked over. I was too shy, I guess."

  "If you had, we could have saved a whole lotta time and gotten together so much sooner."

  "Oh, man, the whole world would have seen how much we liked each other."

  "No kidding, but don't forget that somebody had un novio."

  Marlee inhaled through her teeth. "I know. Me having a boyfriend must have been totally confusing for you."

  "Yeah, just a bit."

  "One time when I was kissing Bobby, I imagined I was kissing you."

  "You did?"

  "Yeah." The embarrassment was clear in Marlee's voice. "I started getting excited and kissed him harder."

  "Dios mío."

  "Yeah, he thought I was totally responding to him. When I realized what was happening, I made him take me home."

  "What a tease," Susie said with a grin.

  "I didn't mean to be." Marlee grimaced. "He pretty much broke up with me right after that."

  "Sorry."

  "Nah, it gave you and me the green light."

  "Ahh, very nice." Susie reached under Marlee's shirt and ran her finger nails lightly across her stomach. "So that day at the field, I saw you watching me and Christy talk with Jeri."

  "You did?"

  Susie nodded. "I smiled when you glanced over, but you looked away so fast you must have gotten whiplash."

  "I didn't want you to catch me staring at you."

  "Again, you might have saved us some time."

  Marlee laughed. "After the game, when you whispered in my ear about serving you up a grand slam pitch? I just about had a coronary."

  "I remember how good you smelled."

  "I did? You never told me that. I was all sweaty and gross from the game."

  "Mmm. You don't smell bad after games, Marlee. You smell like--"

  "What?"

  "You smell like you, my heart-stealing pitcher." Susie burrowed her nose into Marlee's uniform jersey.

  "Is that a good thing?"

  "Mm hmm." Susie sat up on one elbow and gazed into Marlee's eyes. "A very good thing." She brushed a lock of hair off of Marlee's face and caressed her cheek. She let her fingers move over Marlee's mouth. Marlee opened her mouth slightly as her breathing got heavier. Susie traced Marlee's lips with a finger and then slid her finger in slightly. Marlee caught the finger in her teeth and ran her tongue along the tip.

  "Kiss me," Marlee said around the captured finger.

  Susie scooted up higher on the blanket and gently extracted her finger. She pressed down gently on Marlee's lips with her own. Marlee threw her arms around Susie's neck and pulled her closer. Susie felt the blood rush to her face when their bodies pressed together. Dios mío, how she wished she could feel Marlee's actual skin against hers, but she wasn't going to rush her.

  Marlee pulled Susie away for a moment, her breathing labored. "I want--"

  "What, baby, what do you want?"

  "I want you on top of me," Marlee whispered shyly.

  Susie didn't hesitate and threw her leg on the other side of Marlee's. She let the weight of her body fall gently.

  "Mmm," Marlee moaned. "That's so nice."

  Susie held herself up with one arm so she wouldn't mash Marlee to bits and leaned closer for more kisses. She felt Marlee move rhythmically beneath her. A rush of heat flushed Susie's body as they rocked together.

  "Oh, God," Marlee said. "I want to feel more of you." She tugged on Susie's uniform jersey.

  Susie shifted her weight off Marlee and sat up. She encouraged Marlee to help tug the shirt off. Susie felt the warm July breeze on her bare torso covered only by her sports bra.

  Marlee ran her fingers over Susie's bare stomach sending delicious shivers through Susie's entire body. Just as Susie leaned in for another kiss, Marlee jerked her head to the side. "Do you hea
r that?"

  "What?"

  "It sounds like a car."

  They sat stone still for a moment.

  Susie heard the distinctive rumble of an engine approaching. "¡Mierda! It's heading right for us. C'mon."

  Marlee threw Susie's shirt at her and leaped up. She grabbed the edge of the blanket in panic and pulled at it before Susie was done putting her shirt back on. Susie leaped off the blanket and couldn't help the nervous giggles bubbling up from her stomach. Marlee started giggling too as she balled up the blanket. Laughing hard, they flew toward the van, tripping over each other on the way. Once inside, Marlee gunned the engine, threw it into reverse, and took off as if their lives depended on it.

  Chapter Three

  I Saw You Kissing Her

  "DIOS MÍO," Susie said in frustration. "I can't believe we almost got caught by that farmer."

  "You don't think he saw us, do you?" Marlee slowed the van down. She had been speeding down C.R. 62 as they made their getaway.

  "Nah. I'm just glad his stupid tractor was slow, 'cuz that gave us time to get the hell out of there."

  They drove around East Valley for a while trying to find a good spot to be alone, but every time they thought they had privacy, a car would pull up, or somebody would walk by. The last place they tried was an elementary school parking lot, but apparently there was some kind of school function going on that afternoon, and their privacy was, once again, invaded.

  Marlee banged the steering wheel in obvious frustration. Susie figured Marlee was as frustrated as she was. After a while, Marlee pulled the van onto Susie's street and then into her driveway. The three bedroom two-story house sat on an acre of land, giving the house and yard plenty of elbow room between neighbors.

  Marlee grinned. "We have to find a new spot now, you know."

  "I know."

  Marlee put the car in park and turned off the engine. "Oh, your house is so cute."

  "Thanks. A whole acre is a bitch to mow, but it's nice."

  "Can I come inside?"

  "Umm--" Susie hesitated.

  "C'mon. You met my mom."

  A thousand thoughts rushed around Susie's brain, and she couldn't think of a single response.