Away with Anna

Away With Anna


School was going to let out for summer soon, and with the completion of my 8th grade year I would be getting promoted to high school. I was now 14 years old, and I could only guess that classes and tests just got more dull and trying from then on. My newest concern about the rapidly approaching end of the school year was losing some of my friends when we had to go to different schools. I would miss my band mates, and my football team, but nobody more so than Anna.
I knew Anna by means of interrelated friends. My friends knew her friends and her friends knew mine. I had always thought she was the cutest girl in school from the moment I met her. She had shoulder length black hair that feathered out behind her head, a pale white complexion that complimented her freckled, beautiful heart shaped face. Her features made her look like a dame from the old noir movies with thin dark lips and gorgeous cold gray eyes framed by long dark lashes. She was pretty tall for her age, with long legs that tapered to a small-taught butt and perky B cup breasts. I had always liked her, and I had it on good authority that she felt the same way about me. But adolescent cowardice stopped me from pursuing her with a little kid relationship. Our mutual friends would often tease and give us a hard time about it, and before I knew it the end of our school year was upon us and I had apparently missed my opportunity.

Throughout the school year all of the honor-roll kids would periodically get treated to a little reward for being so on track. We would get special lunches or get to watch movies, stuff like that. When the year was winding down, and the only thing left to learn was the promotion ceremony lines, all the good kids were presented a similar reward. While the rest of the kids sat back in class and caught up on late work, all the kids with upstanding grades got to go down to the gym and do whatever they liked to entire day. They had a movie playing in one corner, street hockey out on the balcony and everything in between.
A couple of my friends, Tom and Owen had good enough grades to join me for the free day. Once we got down there we happened across my and Anna’s mutual friend Jenny, to my surprise, with Anna in tow. Owen and Tom snickered and whispered crude things about the cute Jenny as she skipped over to us. Jenny was a short, blonde, curvy little thing who always had the drooling attention of every boy in our grade. She threw her arms around me, “Toph! You get to be here for the freeday? That’s great.” She said. Jenny was always so cheery and bubbly, I loved the energy when she was around, but I found myself looking over her shoulder at Anna. She was dressed in a long-sleeved striped shirt and a short jean skirt, but she was avoiding my gaze and looking down at her shoes sheepishly.
Jenny whispered into my ear “Anna got redistricted. She doesn’t get to go to VP with us.” I didn’t know why she told me this but the news devastated me, this would be my virtual last chance to hang out with Anna. As Jenny pulled away she bore her eyes into mine trying to silently code some message to me, then walked back to Anna and drew her over the bleachers across the gym floor. Anna looked up at me unaware that I had just learned about her departure, she gave me a small smile but her stormy expression looked sort of sad.
Me and my boys played a little basketball, the entire time I couldn’t shake the thought of Anna from my mind. Her and Jenny had stationed themselves across the gymnasium where a tribe of other girls had setup a little makeup salon on the bleachers. I watched as Jenny and a few other girls swarmed Anna and started putting blush and lipstick on her, braiding her hair and whatnot. I wasn’t paying enough attention to the basketball game so Owen suggested we climb up onto the folded bleachers in the dark part of the gym where they were playing the movie and play some games on his laptop so we did. Normally we would have gotten in trouble and the teachers would’ve yelled at us to get down, but on one of the last days of the school year no one really cared.
We relaxed in our little isolated top box and I watched the gaggle of kids scurry around having so much fun, yet completely unaware that the were one day going to drift apart from their friends like I was now. I looked back to where all the girls had set up shop and I saw that Jenny and Anna were now gone.
Tom shook my arm “Jenny’s coming.” He said. He pointed her out making her way towards us up on our perch. “Hey what’re you guys doing up there?” she called up to us. Tom always wanted to showout and play the part of the wannabe elder so he answered back. “Nuthin’ just playin some games. You wanna come up little lady?” he held out his hand to her. Both Tom and Owen were leaning precariously on the edge of the bleachers trying to get a better look at the hot little Jennifer, but I stayed sitting back against the stone wall. I liked Jenny and all but all the guys in our grade drooled over her and I knew her pretty well so I always just tried to be her friend as opposed to hitting on her and she was acting suspicious to boot.
“Um no thanks I was going to see if you guys wanted to come out on the balcony with us and feed the ducks.” She said. My two friends scrambled over eachother to be the first one down the bleachers, but something grabbed my pant leg as I went to get up. I looked down to see Anna smiling from between the gaps of the bleacher seats. While Owen and Tom climbed down the front row, I slipped down into the gap between our section of the bleachers and the next. The shadows behind the inner workings of the stands engulfed me, I looked back to see my buddies being led away be Jenny.
The rods and beams that supported the bleachers formed a seamless shadow, behind which was dark and cool compared to the sunny gym outside. The stands sat away from the wall so it created a sort of walkway that led behind every subsequent set of bleachers. I found Anna waiting for me in there. She looked sort of cold and gray in the shadows, but her face was lit up with cosmetics. The other girls had gone to town with blush and eyeshadow and lipstick and whatever else they had. The makeup she wore not only made her look that much more cute, but also older and devilish. The dark liner around her eyes and eyelashes made them all the more hypnotizing, and her lips looked akin to some far off ripe fruit.
She greeted me with her same tiny smile “Hey” she said simply. Her monotone eyes clashed so remarkably with the heavy eyeliner the girls had put on her. “Hey” I replied, she kept looking away all bashful and what little experience I had told me I needed to take some initiative. “Your makeup looks great.” I told her taking a step towards her. Something had happened to her bust, she was wearing something beneath her shirt that brought her breasts together and made them look all the more full. She giggled and played with her hair “Thanks. You think so?”
The small strands of light that made their way through the spaces in the bleachers played a show across our bodies, but the sight of her pale skin in the shade soothed my eyes. “So uh, Jenny told me you aren’t going to Villa Park with the rest of us next year.” I told her. Her face got sad instantly and she turned further away from me. “Yeah, my house got redistricted, so I’m going to East instead.” I screwed up really fast, I had upset her. I didn’t have much experience in the emotional riot that were girls back then so I did the best I could to keep the conversation going on a positive note.
“That’s no good” I said “We’re gonna miss you, I mean I know I am.” She took a small breath “I’m going to miss all my friends so much.” Her voice got small and cracked a little, I wouldn’t have known what to do if she had started to cry. “No, no, that’s not what I was getting at.” I stammered. She turned back to look at me, her eyes were a little watery. I took another step closer to her and put my hands on her arms. “What I’m trying to say is… that I like you a lot. And that’s why I’m gonna miss you.” She gave a small sniff and placed her hand on mine, she seemed to gain her composure a little.
“I always really liked you too.” She said. She leaned in close to me and moved her hand to my chest. I could smell her fragrant perfume, it ensnared my senses and forced me to lose my footing on the situation as blood started pumping vigorously throughout my body. “I was just always too scared to say anything.” She finished. Anna took a step towards me and I had to back up against the cold stone wall. She was tall but I still had to look down at her. Up against the wall we were completely immersed in the shadows. I looked into her eyes. I could see what was left of her premature tears still clinging to the corner of her eyes, and a small run in her mascara. As my heart thundered against her hand on my chest, and a small glint of light and shade flitted across her face I told her “Me too.”. Her mouth spread into a wide toothy smile, she threaded her hands around my neck and her stony eyes locked into mine, she leaned up on her tippytoes, and then we were kissing.

We were locked in a deep kiss for what seemed like eternity. I had been growing my hair out that entire year so that I could get it braided. I had finally achieved the minimum length and for my promotion ceremony I had gotten my hair twisted into (very) tight straightback cornrows. My head was still tender and ached to the slightest touch and as she wrapped her hands around my neck it excited a dull pain across my scalp, but I ignored it. She hung from my neck in a romantic fashion, and I could’ve sworn that she hiked up her leg the way the older women in the movies did. She savored every second with her eyes shut. I leaned in as our lips exchanged energies and I wrapped my arms around her.
I pulled us apart but held her close to me. She opened her eyes and found mine inches from hers. A mischievous grin rolled across her face, and I felt a similar smile play across mine. For a second in time all was well with the world as we gazed into one another’s deepest recesses, then instinct took me over.
I grabbed her hips and snatched her off of her feet, then turned to pin her between the wall and myself. Anna didn’t miss a step and pressed the soles of her shoes to the wall sticking her knees out, allowing me access to the bay betwixt her thighs, which held me tight as I held her. I might have chuckled slyly. Now with her hands still tied around my neck, she was positioned slightly above me. Her gorgeous gray eyes were still fixated into mine, her feminine fragrance washed over me even stronger, and I could still taste her tangy lip gloss on my own lips.
We kissed again, this time our lips parted and our tongues danced around one another’s. I decided to show her what I knew of kissing. I trained my tongue into every crevasse of her mouth. We went on for what could have been days my love muscle growing and pulsing within my pants the whole time. Pressed hard against the heat of Anna’s pelvis, my piece begged at the chance to meet it’s new friend.
I massaged the inside of her mouth, moving about her tonsils and teeth. Then I pulled away not bothering to check her expression this time. I kissed down her chin to her neck and sucked there for a moment. I pulled away the collar of her shirt and bit into her soft neckline, She gave a little “Oh!” and dug her nails into the nape of my neck in return.
My one free hand found her bare leg leading out from her skirt. When our skin made contact she made a small gasp. I thought I might have gown too far, but she responded by licking my ear. My hand crept further upwards to her thigh beneath the jean material. She bit onto my ear, and ground her hips forward against me. The warmth between our bodies ignited in contrast to the cold, dark shadows we were entwined in. I moved my procession back upward and reciprocated her ear nibble. She had to release my earlobe in order to elicit a small whine. My hand finally found it’s way to her backside and I could feel her smooth cotton panties beneath my roving palm. I found I could support her entire weight just by pressing our hips together. With my newly freed hand I quickly sought out her breasts pressed against me, and quickly maneuvered to rub them outside her shirt. The soft sighs that resulted from her were sweet music to my ears, and it set my blood on fire.
I would have sealed the deal right then and there with no shame, but Jennifer’s voice case resonating through the seating tunnel “Time’s up lovebirds! Miss Briggs is coming this way.” I only had time to think of Ms. Briggs’ scorn should we get caught before I let Anna down gently and darted out onto the basketball court, leading my companion out by the hand. Sure enough Ms. Briggs was giving us the eagle eye, as we came out to meet Jenny.

Jenny lead us both out onto the balcony that overlooked the school’s pond, where a handful of kids were still playing floor hockey. Tom and Owen were still leaning at the edge of the terrace, looking sulky and halfheartedly tossing chunks of bread into the water. When they spotted us coming back Tom snorted “Where’ve you guys been?” both him and Owen smirked at me. I went to make something up but he cut across me “Nevermind, I’m bored as shit. Let’s sneak outback so I can smoke.”
Normally most teachers wouldn’t just let you stroll out even if it was a free day. But 3 years of ill behaved middleschool classes left us with a masterful tact for skipping class. All you had to do was have a good story and listen our for the sound on teachers’ keys. We didn’t even have to be shifty as we left, the teacher’s that were watching us were either lax or otherwise preoccupied. All 5 of us left with our arms interlinked Tom to Jenn, Jenn to Owen, Owen to Anna, and Anna’s hand was tightly interlaced into mine as we sauntered out into the hall.
As we made our way down passed various classrooms, my pair of friends orbited close to Jenny cracking jokes and trying to garner her attention. I stuck close to Anna our hands still locked together. We trampled down a flight of stairs, I did the chivalrous thing leading her down the last step, and held the door open for her.
We decided to duck into the cafeteria bathrooms, the girls on this side and the boys across the floor. Before we parted Anna and I lingered in separating, she looked into my face and I could feel myself smile, but she didn’t return it for some reason. It was fun playing sweethearts and all but had I done something wrong?
I tailed Owen into the restroom, and found them both staring me down. “You sly bastard.” Owen jibed and I tried with all my might to look innocent. It probably didn’t show or matter but I attempted to show no emotion for as long as I could stand it. But after a few gritty seconds my face exploded into a great beaming grin and I erupted into laughter. I tried to shake it off saying “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” They obviously didn’t believe me, Tommy rattled his head while he stood in the urinal.
“Whatever man,” he said smiling “you guys were probably going at so hard, you might have swapped freckles!”. He could have been right Anna and I both had a handful of freckles across the bridge of out noses, but I still was never one to ‘kiss and tell’. I stepped up to the free urinal and let my stream go all the while trying to look nonplussed.
Tom withdrew and went to the sink behind Owen, I repeated myself to them saying nothing happened. “Dude, Anna’s always had a thing for you, it’s not a big mystery when you guys disappear at the same time.” Owen told me. “You might have waited too long.” He sighed. “Yeah Jenn told me that she was going to a different school.” I answered. Tom looked into the mirror and shook his head again “Not that.” He said “There’s always a way around distance if you really like the girl. Jenny said that she was hooked up with this high school guy already. She says Annie’s crazy for being with him and he dunnit treat her right.”
It all came together after that. Anna had a boyfriend, a sad one apparently, Jennifer didn’t like him or the way he acted so she was trying to get her together with me. It wasn’t exactly noble, but this mystery guy was supposedly so bad that it warranted Jenny’s concern, even the concern of a few other girls who helped to doll her up for me to whisk her away. I really wanted to, in my eyes she deserved nothing but the most flawless of honorable treatment (as do all women in my mind) but not for her friends’ piece of mind… for hers. In my adolescent years of clueless bliss, I wanted all the best things for the beautiful women of the world, especially Anna, I’ve always been the guy willing to pay proper tribute for entrance to a woman’s temple.
“I say you go for it!” Owen blurted, “Why would he even need our advice on that?” Tom teased. I went up to the sink to wash my hands and examine myself in the mirror. I had microscopic smudges from her little spots of running makeup on my cheek and mouth, and tiny patches of glitter here and there. I kind of smiled to myself and tried to wipe it off with a paper towel. “She obviously wasn’t against the idea her friends put her up to was she?” Tom said “Looks like she wants you to be her man instead, if you ask me.” He was right, he was absolutely fucking right. Not only was it possible for me to rescue her, flatout runaway and fall in love, but it was damn near my duty. Instantly my mind was filled with Geminian fantasies of being Anna’s knight in shining armor.
We left the bathroom and filed to the other side of the cafeteria. I was in revere as we went, trying to plot my rescue plan. I had to get Anna alone again, then we would runaway. We parked ourselves against the wall outside the girl’s restroom and waited for them to emerge. The eternal question ‘Why do girls always take so much time to do everything, most commonly; go to the bathroom?’. We waited for atleast ten minutes before they came back out.
The two girls emerged smiling and giggling like they new something we didn’t. If possible Anna grew cuter since she had went in, her makeup had been touched up with the smudges wiped away. “Welcome back girls.” Thomas said holding his arm out for Jenny to take. She chuckled and snuffed him, walking right past him and clasping onto Owen. Tom’s jaw fell open and Anna spun onto my hip lacing her hand into mine.
Owen and I pulled open the doors to let the girls walk in, and the open stairwell amplified a small noise coming from behind us… keys.