It Started On Skull Island – Chapter 3

It Started On Skull Island – Chapter 3

Brian Whatcom and Ted Campbell sat quietly in the early afternoon shade, relaxing sore and tired muscles. They’d spent most of the morning taking stock of the damage to their sailboats after being swamped or overturned by a storm out on the lake two days earlier. Brian’s craft would need a new mast and rigging, plus some fibreglass repairs to the hull. Ted had fared a little better, but would need a new mainsail before he could use the boat again. Like Brian’s, his hull would also need some cosmetic attention.

Enjoying the summer sunshine, the boys felt a nap coming on. They’d been working on the sailboats since eight o’clock, and the warmth of the sun soothed their tired muscles. Suddenly, a shadow blocked that warmth, and Brian opened his eyes to see the shape of a young female. He squinted enough to see that it was his girlfriend, Marsha Middleton, accompanied by Ted’s girlfriend Denise McCurdy.

“Hey, you two slackers,” Marsha teased, “get off your lazy asses, and let’s get back to work. How are we supposed to learn how to sail if you guys just sleep all day?” She squatted down beside Brian, kissing him softly but passionately, her tongue snaking between his lips and dancing around inside his mouth. He reached up to caress the back of her head, pulling her closer to himself. Marsha moaned suggestively at her boyfriend’s attentions.

“Oh for God’s sake, would you two go get a . . . “ Ted started to tease the two lovers. His cryptic comment was cut off as Denise covered his lips with hers. She held him to her, pulling his head tightly to her lips, muffling the sounds of his cynical comments. He gave up trying to be a smart-ass and relaxed in the warmth and enjoyment of Denise’s affections.

Marsha broke their kiss, and slowly opened her eyes, gazing at her boyfriend’s smiling face as he savoured the happiness she invoked in his soul. He held her gaze for several seconds.

“Dennie, I owe you one, for getting Mr. Motor-mouth to shut up” Brian offered. “It’s bad enough that we both missed you two girls. I can do with out his smart-mouthed bravado, thank you very much.”

Releasing Ted from her lip-locking kiss, Denise muttered something to him that sounded like a private intimate comment before responding to Brian’s thank-you.

“Yeah, he does tend to be a bit of an asshole, sometimes, doesn’t he? But that stupid mouth of his needed something to keep it occupied, and it makes a great excuse for a deep kiss” she returned.

“So,” Brian inquired, “did you two come down here to help, or to take our minds off our work? We won’t get a damned thing accomplished if all you have in mind is sex, you know. Not that I’d say ‘No’, but the open deck of this marina isn’t exactly the ideal place to have an orgy. And if we’re going to spend the day doing something other than getting these boats back in shape, might I suggest that we take Ted’s advice, and go get a room somewhere?”

“Mmm,” Marsha injected, “I like the sounds of that! I could quite happily relive that night on Hansen’s boat with you two guys! God, just thinking about some of it is making my panties all wet!”

“Yeah, that really was something else, wasn’t it?” Ted put in. “It’s all I’ve been able to think of for the last day, and every time I do, I get a hard-on! Then I remember how Dennie sucked me, and I almost cream in my shorts, every time!”

“Yeah, so I see” Denise observed, her eyes glazing over as she caught sight of the bulge in Ted’s work-pants.. “It looks like you’ve got one now, too. We could slip into that work shed over there, and I’ll do something about it for you. After that night, I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of sucking your cock! Mmm, just thinking about licking your shaft is making my pussy wet!” She stood up and showed Ted the crotch of her white linen shorts, and the growing discolouration that her oozing juices were creating.

“Now who needs to go get a room?” Brian asked, the brazen show that Denise was putting on affecting him, too. “Buddy, I think our work here is done for the day. What say we scoot out to Memorial Grove and go swimming for the afternoon? These two little minxes are giving me a throbbing hard-on with all their talk. Let’s see if they can put up, before I have to tell them to shut up!”

Marsha gave Brian’s shoulder a slap, sneering at him with mock indignation. That look lasted all of eight seconds before she relaxed, then suggested that they either get to work, or go swimming at the Grove. Ted was all for it, but Brian had reservations.

“Look, we’ve still got to deal with Old Man Hansen, and it would help if we all got our story straight first. I’d tell him that somebody was using his boat to show off to someone onboard, and they swamped us. Then later, when we got to shore, we found the boat just drifting, with no one around. All we wanted was to return his speedboat, and get back home ourselves” Brian went on as he concocted a plausible tale. “Oh, and I might even mention that his cockpit reeks of what smells like booze and sex. I’m not mentioning Skull Island, though, unless he specifically asks.”

“Has anyone told the Lake Patrol people where Jeff was?” Ted inquired.

“I know I haven’t” Brian replied. “Have either of you two girls called the Patrol yet, out of curiosity?” Marsha looked at Denise, who shook her head, before answering.

“Not us. Why would we want to see Jeff Hansen rescued? After what he tried to do to Dennie, I’d like to see the bastard rot out there first!” Marsha growled, the anger in her voice reflected in her eyes.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Ted spoke in anger, “but we should let someone know. After all, if we press charges against him, they’ve got to pick him up to answer them. Otherwise, the whole thing will get thrown out, and we’ll be right where Lucy Rasmussen is. How the hell that girl could let a slime-ball like Jeff off the hook like that is beyond me.”

“Actually, I’d like to talk to Lucy” Brian mentioned. “If we could convince her to testify for us, and tell of what really happened to her, maybe they’d throw Hansen in the can for a good, long time. But we’ll have to get her on our side first. Any ideas?”

The three teens looked pensive for a few moments before Denise came up with a possible idea.

“Brian, you know Roger Wilson, don’t you?” Denise inquired. Brian knew him, but not well. However, if Denise had an idea, he was quite willing to hear it.

“Yeah, I know Roger, on a casual basis. Why? What did you have in mind, Dennie?”

“Well, Lucy had a thing for Roger a while back, I think. If you could convince Roger to take Lucy out a couple of times, we could all chum around, and give her something she seems to really need. A bunch of friends, and maybe even a decent boyfriend.” The other three looked at Denise like she’d lost her marbles. “Oh come on, you guys!” Denise reacted. “Lucy’s actually a hell of a nice girl. She’s just shy, and I don’t think the stories about her and Hansen are helping either her self-esteem, or her reputation. I mean, what if it was me in her position? Would you guys just leave me to wallow in pain, feeling disgusted with myself because some animal like Jeff tried to rape me? I don’t think so! I think we owe Lucy some support, if for no other reason than she’s in our class at school.”

“What make you think she’d want to hang around with us?” Marsha wanted to know. “It’s not like we’ve ever been good friends with her. She’s not stupid, and she’ll figure out that we’re trying to get her to spill her guts as soon as the subject of rape comes up.”

“That’s where Roger comes in,” Denise continued, “because if we can get him to talk Lucy into opening up about it, she’ll figure he’s just trying to be helpful, and knowing Roger the little I do, she’ll probably be right. That’s why I thought of him.” Brian considered Denise’s suggestion for a couple of minutes, realizing that she had a good argument.

“Yeah,” he finally proclaimed, “I think you might be right, Dennie. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? Lucy and Roger don’t actually hit it off? The four of us can still be there to support her, right? Or maybe she and Roger will get together, but Lucy still won’t spill. We’ll at least have had something to do with their getting together, and maybe we’ll all end up being good friends anyway. I’ll give Roger a call, and talk to him. We’ll see where it goes from there.”

“Good. I’m glad that’s settled” Marsha piped up. “Now, are you two guys going to take us out to the Grove, or are we going to do you right here at the marina?” The lustful gleam in her eye said that nothing more would be happening with either sailboat that day.

“Typical females” Ted groaned. “Whatever they want, they always want it yesterday!”

“Not true” Denise replied. “We both had it yesterday, and it was so good, we want it again today!” Her comment brought gales of laughter to all four teens.

An hour later and the four were on their way to Memorial Grove. Brian decided that their outing would be as good a time to bring Lucy into their little group as any. He called her up on his phone as they went.

“Lucy?” he asked when she answered her phone. “It’s Brian Whatcom calling. We’re on our way over to Memorial Grove, and wondered if you’d like to join us . . . Well, there’s me, Marsha Middleton, Denise McCurdy, and Ted Campbell, so far. The girls wanted me to invite you along, and Roger Wilson, if I can get hold of him . . . yeah, it’s sort of a ‘School’s Out’ party . . . just the six of us, so far . . . you would . . . great! I’ll call Roger and see if he can come too. Do you need a ride out . . . okay, how about if I get Roger to pick you up and we’ll see you there . . . oh, and if I can’t get hold of Roger, I’ll come over and pick you up myself. Matter of fact, I’ll call you back and let you know, one way or the other . . . Excellent! See you in a bit.”

Brian’s call to Roger yielded the same result, and Roger was more than willing to pick Lucy up. He returned a call to Lucy and let her know the score. Feeling pleased with himself, he wrapped an arm around Marsha’s shoulders as he drove towards the Grove park. Roger and Lucy joined then about a half hour later.

The enlarged group all took off for the water, playing and splashing as the guys challenged the girls to water polo. Despite their bravado, the guys got their asses kicked as the girls won three consecutive games. Feeling a little like underdogs, the guys then challenged the girls to volleyball. The scores were al little closer, but the girls still won by a handy margin. Tired, hungry, and thirsty, they all retired to the beach blankets that Brian kept in the trunk of his old car. Ted and Denise paired off, as could be expected, and Marsha sat as close to Brian as she could. They went out of their way not to make their new acquaintances feel left out, almost encouraging Roger to make some kind of move to show Lucy that he felt attracted to her. By the look on his face, that wasn’t too far from the truth.

“You know,” Denise began to comment to Lucy and Roger, “you two make a cute-looking couple” Lucy’s expression instantly changed to one of fear, and she jumped up and began running down the beach. “What? What did I say wrong?” Denise quizzed the other four. Before they could answer, she was up and running after Lucy, screaming for her to stop. When Lucy ignored her pleas, Denise put on a burst of speed, finally catching up with the scared young teen and grabbing her arm in an effort to stop her flight.

“Lucy? What’s wrong? Why’d you run off like that?” Denise wanted to know.

“Because . . . because Roger and I aren’t a couple, and probably never will be. No one would want a girl like me! No one! Why did you even ask me out here this afternoon anyway? Were you feeling guilty? Or was it pity? Pity for the stupid girl that got herself raped? And why Roger? Is it because you thought you’d do him a favour and find him a girl with a loose reputation? Fuck you, Denise McCurdy! Go fuck yourself! Just leave me alone!”, and Lucy covered her face with her hands, attempting to hide the tears that had started to run down her cheeks.

“Lucy, it’s nothing like that!” Denise almost screamed. Gaining control of her emotions, she continued. “Listen, no one here is judging you for anything. And that crap about a reputation because you were raped is just a load of bullshit! I knew you were interested in Roger, and we decided that having a party out here would be a good way to celebrate the beginning of summer. We put two and two together, and figured we’d see if Roger felt like we do.” Denise paused to catch her breath before continuing.

“Listen, Lucy, no one thinks anything bad about you for what happened. We were all a little disappointed when you wouldn’t testify, but that’s in the past. Look, there’s four people back on that beach that would really like to be your friends, and there’s another one standing in front of you. So how about you quit feeling sorry for yourself and come join us? If anyone should feel guilty, it’s me, for not being a better friend when the rumours were flying. For that, I really do apologize, from the bottom of my heart.” Denise stuck her hand out as a peace offering, and when Lucy tentatively accepted the handshake, Dennie pulled her new-found friend close in a warm and welcoming hug. “Friends?” she asked.

“Umm, yeah. Friends” Lucy replied, a smile spreading across her face. “Oh, and Denise? Thanks. I think I’ve needed this for a long, long time.” The two slowly walked back towards the blanket. Half way there, Roger ran up to them, a look of concern on his face.

“Lucy, you okay?” he wanted to know. “Geez, when you took off like that, I didn’t know whether to follow or not. I guess I should have, and I’m sorry. It did make me realize, though, that I’ve wanted to get to know you for almost the whole of last year. I guess I was as scared of you as you seem to have been of me.” Lucy looked deep into Roger’s eyes, and saw something that she hadn’t realized before. Roger Wilson, the boy she’d had a crush on for as long as she could remember, was genuinely concerned about her, Lucy Rasmussen. Despite being with the girl that had chickened out in court, he really showed a special ‘something’ in his face, and her heart felt like it skipped several beats.

“Yeah, I’m okay, Roger. But thanks for asking, and for caring. Denise tried to explain why we were invited here, and I think I owe her an apology for jumping to conclusions. Maybe what I need is some friends, real friends, that actually give a damn. It feels like a long time since I let anyone be my friend. Some day, maybe, I’ll be able to talk about it. But for now, let’s all just have some fun together and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Would that be okay?”

“Sure would” Denise and Roger said in unison, then Roger added, “as long as you’ll help me whomp these brats at a return match of volleyball. I think we need to reorganize the teams. Too bad there isn’t another couple . . . “ and he paused, realizing the gaff he’d just made, “I mean . . . umm . . . well, you know what I mean. We need two more people to even the teams out. A boy and a girl would work perfectly, though, wouldn’t it?” Both girls began to laugh, and Lucy clasped Roger’s arm with both hands, clinging to him with a feeling of hope that she hadn’t allowed herself for so long.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Lucy giggled, “ and you’re right. Another couple would make things easier, especially if you and I are going to kick these swamp rat’s asses!” Denise started to sprint back to the blanket, and the trio of close friends. When she got back, she plunked herself down next to Ted, and joined the other three as they watched Roger and Lucy making eyes at each other, almost lost in a world of their own.

“Looks like your idea paid off,” Marsha whispered to her friend, “I think I see some sparks starting between those two.” The foursome all smiled at the observation, and continued to survey the newly-forming couple while remembering their own romantic beginnings.

Returning to join their new-found friends, Roger and Lucy sat down, with Lucy sitting a lot closer to him than she’d sat with anyone since the assault. She felt comfortable in his presence, and she realized that this was the first time she’d actually had fun in a very long time.

“Okay, we need another couple right about now,” Roger announced, “because Lucy and I are planning to kick your asses at volleyball.