Cousin in Cargo Shorts

It was the final hour of school on the day before the start of summer vacation. Everyone was gathered in the school gymnasium to listen to the principal’s final address. Justin and his friends were standing toward the back, barely paying attention. They were instead talking about their plans for the summer.

“I’m going on vacation with my family,” Tyler was bragging the loudest. His wealthy family allotted him the most extravagant of their summer ventures. He was always telling his friends about the foreign countries he had visited.

“My family likes to go camping for a week toward the middle of summer but I’ll be around for the rest of the time,” Percy seemed less enthused about his plans than Tyler.

“I’ll be visiting relatives in another state during the July holiday,” Russell informed the group.

“Other way around for me,” Justin chimed in. “My extended family always comes in from out of town. Some of them only stay a few days but my cousin Mel has stayed for the whole summer for the last 3 years. Her parents always volunteer in other countries during the summer and they don’t trust her to stay home alone.”

“Your cousin sounds like a rebel,” Percy was intrigued.

“Is she single?” Russell asked.

Justin tilted his head in thought. He had never asked Mel if she had a boyfriend. The last time he saw her was before they were teenagers. Neither one of them had any real interest in the opposite sex back then.

“Ew, don’t hit on your friend’s cousin,” Tyler scolded Russell.

“We can’t all get pretty French girls at a five star hotel,” Russell turned the comment around on him. “You don’t know what it’s like to be poor. Girls don’t even talk to you without some connection. Can I come over at all this summer?” he asked Justin.

“I would’ve said yes but now that I know you’re just trying to chat up my cousin, I think I’ll pass,” Justin laughed at him.

“Can I come over then,” Percy asked.

“Not you too,” Tyler groaned.

“I’m not like Russ.” Percy punched his shoulder. I just know I’m gonna be bored all summer by myself.”

“You both can come over, but be warned, Mel will be there and if she wants to hang out with us, Mom will make me let her.”

“You’re trying to make it sound like you don’t want to, but I know you better than that.” Russell ruffled his hair. “She wouldn’t come over for three years in a row if you two didn’t get along. I bet you’re better friends with her than us. You just don’t want us to know you’d rather hang out with her.”

Justin shrugged, admitting Russell was not wrong. He was somewhat looking forward to seeing Mel again. She was as annoying as anyone he had to live with for months at a time but they had a lot in common. She was pretty much a tomboy; into sports and video games just like him.

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The final address ended to feigned applause from the students and Justin was finally able to walk home for the day. His mom was sitting on the sofa in the living room watching TV when he entered. “Is Mel here yet?” he bellowed while slamming door to the kitchen entrance.

“Well, you haven’t changed at all in a year,” his mother laughed at him. “You two really get along too well.”

“I just get sick of my friends from school after nine months and any change from them is good,” he made a believable excuse.

“I haven’t started dinner yet because I wasn’t sure when you’d get home. That principal of yours always holds you back too long on the last day. Why don’t you go up and talk to Melina for a little bit while I get started. Just be a little careful.”

“Why?” Justin was confused.

“Well, you haven’t seen her for a while. She might not be as comfortable around boys as she used to be.”

“Why?” Justin was not taking the hint.

“You’ve both hit grown since last year,” she snapped at him. “She’s gonna be on her period at least 3 times this summer so don’t get on her nerves or anything.”

Justin blushed as he realized his mistake. His mother had been trying to be considerate of his embarrassment but he wouldn’t listen. Wanting to exit the conversation, he bounded up the stairs. He tossed his school bag into his room and pushed open the door to the guest room Mel always used. “Welcome back!” he practically shouted.

She sat up on the bed, having been leaning against the wall. She stared at him intently while holding her breath, not knowing how to react to his unexpected intrusion. She was only wearing a simple pair of neon green panties, having gotten distracted reading a magazine right after her shower and forgetting to get fully dressed. Justin wanted to kick himself. His mother had just warned him to be more careful.

This was not the first time this had happened. He had seen her naked several times; they even used to bathe together. But as his mother had mentioned, she had grown since last year. Her breasts were getting larger and she just looked more feminine than he remembered. Though his cheeks were red, Justin was determined not to show off his embarrassment. They had sat around a sweltering house with the AC broken together last year, neither of them wearing a top. It was no different; he told himself.

Mel calmed down a little when Justin sat next to her on the bed as if nothing was wrong. She smiled and leaned against the wall again, burying her nose in the magazine. He waited for her to find a good stopping point and set it down on the night stand. As soon as she had, he hugged her tightly. “It’s been too long!” he could not hide his excitement. His friends were right; he did like Mel a little more than them. She was his longest lasting friendship.

After returning his hug, she pushed him back to arms length so they were sitting on the bed facing each other. “How was your last day of school?”

“Why does your school get out the day before mine?” he complained. “We can’t even learn anything or get homework.”

“Principal windbag just likes making you stand and listen to him,” she recalled something he told her last year. “Oh, I probably shouldn’t call him that in front of your mother.”

“She calls him that too,” Justin admitted. “Have you gotten settled in? Do you need help unpacking?” he recalled that she hated unpacking from last year. She always lived out of her suitcase until she had gone through her entire wardrobe and had to borrow the wash. Then she always had trouble re-packing before leaving. It was one of her annoying quirks he easily looked past.

“What makes you think I need help unpacking?” she was not happy to be called out on her laziness.

“The fact that you’re still naked,” he reminded her.

“I just wanted to show off how much I had grown.” She made an excuse while sitting up on her knees and shaking her chest toward him. “What do you think?”

“Am I supposed to be impressed?” he tried to hide his red cheeks.

“Boys like staring at girls’ chests right? Are mine interesting to look at?”

“You look fine, as usual,” he did not really know how else to compliment her. She was a little older than him but was a little shorter. They were both lanky and she had darker brown hair, almost a little red. Last year it was as short as his but she had not cut it since then. She had very bright skin that did not tan well despite her participation in sports. For the first time ever he was paying enough attention to her cleavage to realize it was just as freckled as her face.

“Is that all you want to say?” she seemed disappointed in his reaction.

“Does it bother you, having lumps that stick out and jiggle when you’re running?” he was genuinely curious. She grabbed his hands and moved them to her chest, making him cup them. They were softer than he thought they would be. The fact that they were small meant they held their shape and did not sag. He assumed they would be taught like muscles but they were as soft as pudding. Without really thinking, he began to squeeze them to get a better feel.

She winced a little and then closed her eyes. After a while though, she gasped, causing him to pay attention and stop. Her face was as red as his and so were the sides of her breasts. He could not help but stare as she stood up off the bed. He had no idea why it intrigued him so much that her breasts reacted the same way as her face. For a moment he contemplated asking if she would let him touch his own face to her chest.

He quickly shook the idea from his head when he realized how awkward it would be. When he stopped shaking his head he found a pile of clothes dumped out on the bed in front of him from her suitcase. “You offered to help me unpack, right?” She began to sort through the clothes. When she found a pair of cargo shorts, she slid them on. Justin watched her put her full weight on her butt on the bed as she lifted her feet first. Once they were through the legs holes she moved into a kneeling position so she could slide them up. He watched her body twisting as the cloth slid up her thighs and came to a stop snuggly around her slender waist. Again, he could not explain why he was enjoying just watching her get dressed.

He assumed she would put on a shirt next, but she passed up the opportunity several times as he put her clothing away one piece at a time. It was when they came across a brassiere that she put on another layer of clothes. The clip was on the back though, so she turned around to have him connect it for her. He found himself mesmerized by her bare shoulder blades. They were still visible after he hooked the bra, but something about it just wasn’t the same. “You didn’t wear these last year,” he recalled. “You only wore camisoles during special occasions as well.

“I never realized you paid so much attention to my chest,” she teased him. He retaliated by tossing one of her shirts at her face. She quickly put it on and then spun around so he could get a good look at her. “What do you think?”

Once again he was caught off guard. She never used to ask him about her appearance. He felt she wanted to be complimented but it was embarrassing to be too positive for no reason. “Can I see you without your shirt again to compare?” he asked jokingly.

She swatted him on the shoulder as punishment. He moved as if to hit her back and when she flinched he grabbed her instead and dragged her down to the bed again. They rolled around atop her remaining clothes, giggling and tickling each other until the voice of his mother carried up the stairs, calling them for supper.

They both tried to hide sheepish grins as they trotted into the kitchen. Mrs. Weller was pleasantly surprised by how well they were getting along. She was part of the faction that believed opposite genders could not be friends. She really was worried they would have changed too much over the past year to get along anymore.

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After supper, the two of them went out to the front porch to sit and catch up. There was a double seated rocking swing hanging from the port roof that they always enjoyed sitting on. They watched the neighbor kids playing in the yard and what few cars drove by as the daylight started to fade. Mel’s bright skin lit up with the same orange hue as the sky, mesmerizing Justin again.

As she talked he mostly nodded in response while watching her. He was so focused he could see the goose bumps forming on her arms as the temperature steadily dropped the darker it became. Mel was a little surprised when moved one of his legs to the other side of her so he was sitting behind her. He then began to rub both of her arms at the same time, trying to warm her with the friction.

She lowered her head so he could not see her blushing. They stayed that way until the sunlight had disappeared and the only thing lighting up the porch was the blue glow of the electric bug zapper hanging next to the swing. They had run out of things to say a while ago and were just sitting, her practically in his lap. They jolted and she stood up when the sound of a bug getting fried by the zapper startled them.

They both entered the house at the same time, looking at their feet shyly. “About time you two came inside.” His mother was watching TV on the couch again. “You can stay up until midnight because there’s no school but don’t be loud,” she warned them.

“I’m gonna take a shower before bed,” Justin announced before heading to the stairs. Mel followed him up the stairs before announcing she would take a shower too. He turned around just in time to see her taking off her shirt. He stared at her bra for a moment before responding. “Didn’t you shower when you arrived?” he reminded her.

“So? I like showering with you.”

“That was last year,” he argued.

“Has something changed from last year?” she tried to play dumb.

“There isn’t room for us both anymore,” he gave a simple but effective excuse. She frowned as she watched him enter the bathroom. He gave one last glance at her chest before closing the door.

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The following morning, Mel woke up at what she thought was an early time. To her surprise the bathroom door was already shut and she could hear Justin humming behind it as he brushed his teeth. As it was summer, Mel had slept in a simple shirt and panties. She contemplated returning to her room to get some more appropriate clothing but decided that after yesterday, it would not matter.

Justin was a little surprised when the door to the bathroom opened and Mel walked in, yawning exaggeratedly. If he was at all disturbed by her lacking attire she might be able to play it off as being too asleep to realize she was being immodest in someone else’s home. When he saw what she was and was not wearing, he quickly adopted a straight face. Just like yesterday, it was time to pretend everything was normal.

She had her toothbrush in hand, having only just unpacked it, but she borrowed the toothpaste that Justin and his mom used. She leaned on the edge of the sink and stared at the mirror with a bored expression. Justin slowed down his brushing to watch her. Her hair was a little longer than his and therefore stuck out more. Toothpaste had already started to froth from her mouth and covered her lips almost entirely.

The thought that came to Justin’s mind was that they must taste like mint at the moment. He did not even consider the fact that his mouth was already full of that same flavor. When he did notice, he quickly spit it out and rinsed his mouth. He then checked his reflection and confirmed he did not need to comb his hair.

He turned to look at Mel to determine if she needed to brush her hair at all. Rather than her head, his eyes were drawn down her slanted back to her waist. If she were standing up straight her shirt would be hiding her panties from view but with her leaning against the counter her round butt was sticking out.

Her neon blue panties reminded him of a bikini his mother often wore at the beach. He really wanted to touch them for some reason. When she noticed him staring, he snapped his eyes back to her head. “You’ll need to brush your hair,” he stuttered.

She looked around the bathroom counter and located his mother’s hairbrush by the sink. She handed it to him with her left hand while continuing to brush her teeth with her right one. As her hair used to be short, Justin had never combed it before but he had run a blow dryer for her in the past. He moved to stand behind her so he could see the back of her head and the front in the mirror.

With her leaning forward, it was hard to reach her head without touching her butt with his torso. Already looking for an excuse to touch it since before, he did not even try not to. She giggled when she felt him pressing against her from behind. She slid further toward the sink and rested her elbows on the counter.

As he worked on her hair she finished brushing her teeth.