Wounded Bird Pt. 02

NOTE TO READERS: This series contains lesbian sex, but it's mostly a study of three young women's relationships. For those of you looking for more sex, you've thousands of stories to choose from. Cheers.

It was the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and the Petrakis household was buzzing with activity. Everything was set for the big bash. Sparklers had been set aside for when it got dark, and the grill was already smoking. It was two o'clock and kids were arriving in small groups.

Unfortunately, the day before, things between Ariadne and Amy got off to a bumpy start. Ariadne had called Amy Friday evening to ask her to help Saturday morning.

"Yassou, fili mou! Could you come over tomorrow before the party and help me set things up," she had asked her friend. "Mostly preparing appetizers, setting out the cutlery and food and drink. The party's not until two, so how does noon sound? Or you can come over earlier, if you want."

Understandably, Ariadne's energy was soaring. The party was a popular event that took lots of planning.

"Uh, sure," Amy replied. "Is it okay if I bring Meredith with me? I've promised to give her a ride to the party tomorrow. She doesn't have a car and has never been to your place, So..."

"Never mind. I can manage it by myself," Ariadne quickly replied.

Ariadne's sudden mood shift seemed odd. "Ari, I'm more than happy to help out. It just makes it easier for me if I bring Meredith with me. Otherwise, I'll have to go back and get her. She's cool. You're going to really like her," Amy insisted. "And she can help set up. It will make her feel like she belongs."

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line. "That's okay. I was really hoping you and I could do it. You know your way around here, and it will give us a chance to catch up."

Amy was confused. Catch up? Hadn't they recently gone shopping for swimsuits? "Well, she can sit in the corner and watch, then. It won't take that much to set up. And it's not like we haven't been seeing each other," Amy felt compelled to point out.

"Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't monopolize your time. Look, it's okay. I'll see you and Meredith at two, then." And with that, she hung up.

"What's with her?" Amy wondered. "Does she have something against Meredith?" She quickly pressed the redial button, but as it rang, she disconnected the call. She realized she was too upset to try and continue the discussion.

"I don't get why she's so jealous," Amy thought. "Can't I have my own friends?" she fumed. "And Meredith doesn't know anybody."

Much to Amy's frustration, Ariadne didn't call back, and Amy couldn't bring herself to make the reconciliatory call either. So, the next morning, Amy put on her one-piece suit underneath her summer shirt and shorts, and prepared to take Meredith to the party at two, as planned.

"Hey, Amy," Meredith called as she skipped over to Amy's car. It was already two-thirty, as Meredith had taken her time getting ready. But Amy had to admit, she looked good. She had on a long-sleeved pullover that only partially concealed her bikini top. And she also had on a pair of very high riding shorts and some open-toed sandals that showed off her blue toenail polish. And she had on the requisite wrist bands, which Amy now understood were meant to conceal her scars.

Amy complimented her friend as she slid in to the front seat. "You look nice."

Meredith smiled in return. "So do you. Since alcohol is out of the question, I got these sodas," she said, placing the pack on the floor between her legs.

"Good choice," Amy noted happily as they headed off to Ari's big bash. There were already lots of cars in the drive and on the street when they arrived, so the girls had to park a few houses away. Music was blasting from the backyard, and they could hear laughter and water splashing as they entered the front door. Ariadne's parents planned to show up later as they were visiting with one of her grandfathers who was recovering from surgery. Right then, it was all youthful, rampant energy.

The newly arrived girls placed their drinks in an ice chest near a table laden with food and beverages, and took in the scene. Amy studied Meredith's face, which was glowing with happiness. She was obviously thrilled to be attending this party. "Well, I definitely want to introduce you to Ariadne, but I don't see her right now. You want me to introduce you to some people?"

"No, that's okay. I'm totally up for some mingling," Meredith noted with a cheerful smile. "This is so great. Thanks so much, Amy."

Young women and men were in line to leap off the diving board, with some doing straight dives and others resorting to the requisite cannonball. The music was blasting out of two speakers on stands, and the smell of grilled meat and barbecue sauce permeated the air.

There was plenty of non-alcoholic beers, water, and juices. But no booze. Even though many of the kids had reached legal drinking age, alcohol was prohibited at these parties, as were drugs of any kind, including pot. The Petrakis were quite strict about this. And while some kids found this to be a drag, even deigning to stay away, most of the kids found the offer of great food, and a fantastic yard with a pool reason enough to party. And there were sparklers and fireworks for when it got dark.

Of course, despite the Petrakis' best efforts, a few of the kids simply drank and got high before heading to the party.

At that moment, Amy saw Ariadne coming out from the kitchen. She was wearing her one-piece suit, which was no surprise, as her parents would not approve of her new bikini. Though they always seemed to tolerate the other girls wearing them, Amy noted with a shake of her head. Still, Amy had chosen to wear her one-piece as well, so as not to upset Mr. and Mrs. Petrakis who had come to consider her family.

Meredith, on the other hand, was wearing a revealing two-piece number. Covering her bottom were two pieces of cloth tied at the side, and her top was pretty low cut with strings around her neck and back. And on her wrists, her strategically placed wrist bands.

Meredith wasn't the only girl showing off nearly all of her body. A few of the other girls were scantily clad as well. As for the guys, they pretty much all wore those baggy, low hanging shorts. Some of the guys wore shirts, while others were bare chested. It was a beach party, only in someone's backyard.

There were frisbees flying about, floating basketball nets, inflatables, and high-powered squirt guns as playful mayhem ruled the day. Amy did plan to introduce Meredith to Ari at some point, but the host was deep in conversation with Susan Colson, another of Ariadne's close friends.

By this time, Meredith had made for the pool's edge and jumped right in. In a matter of minutes, she was screaming and laughing as she was attacked with a flurry of hand splashing from two guys. Amy could instantly see Meredith drawing the boys to her like a magnet attracting highly charged metals.

"Well, that didn't take long," Amy sighed, feeling herself slowly deflate, like a pricked balloon. Suddenly, Meredith caught Amy's eye and waved at her. "Come on in, the water's great!"

"In a bit," Amy called back. She sat down on a plastic pool chair and watched her new friend get on the shoulders of Derek Chalmers. Another girl was on a second guy, and they began dueling it out, trying to unseat each other. Every now and then, Meredith would look over Amy's way and smile or wave.

After all the pain Meredith had been through, it was a relief to see her so happy. "This is just what she needs," Amy noted with satisfaction. She watched for a bit longer, until she happened to see Ariadne carrying out a tray of food and realized that she hadn't lifted a finger to help. She hopped up and made her way over.

"Hey Ari, can I help?" Amy asked, being her bubbly best.

"Ah, there you are! No, I've got it," Ariadne replied in an officious manner. Amy stood there and watched as Ariadne headed back into the house.

"She really is upset with me," Amy thought to herself. "I don't get it."

But what Amy didn't know is that Ariadne had been watching the interplay between Amy and Meredith and could see how they were connecting. It bothered Ariadne, for the way Amy looked at Meredith was exactly the way she wanted Amy to look at her.

As for Amy, she was torn. What was it about Meredith that made her feel so out of sorts? Ever since that kiss, Amy had been turning things over in her head. She was beginning to explore the possibility that she was attracted to Meredith, though she also downplayed it as anything serious. And yet, even if she was, Meredith seemed as straight as they came.

Adding to her angst was the guilt she felt for not being there for Ariadne. She could tell that Ari was upset with her for paying attention to this other girl. That made her wonder how Ari would feel if she knew that Amy had actually kissed Meredith!

Amy wasn't going to let any silly outbursts ruin the day, and so she settled into the chaise and took in the scene. She was sipping on her cool drink and munching on some veggies, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up to see Ariadne staring down at her.

"Hey, I could use a hand inside."

"Sure!" Amy replied, jumping up from her chair. She followed Ariadne inside, only too happy to help and hopefully reconnect with her friend.

"I need to chop up some fixings here for this salad. Can you do that?"

"You bet. I love me a village salad!" Amy noted proudly.

"Family favorite." The two girls smiled at each other as they chopped the veggies and readied the other ingredients. Ariadne spoke first. "Amy, I'm sorry if I've been snippy with you," she said.

"That's okay. I get that you think I'm spending too much time with Meredith, but I'm just trying to make her feel welcome. Please don't be jealous."

"I'll try not to, but you seem to be really into her."

Amy stopped her chopping and stared down at the cutting board. "Well, she is pretty interesting. But we're not running off together, if that's what you think."

Their eyes met, and the look on Ariadne's face unnerved Amy. That late-night kiss suddenly appeared in her mind's eye.

"And what do I think, Amy?" Ariadne asked, keeping her eyes trained on Amy.

Amy shrugged, uncomfortably. "I don't know. I get the weird feeling you think I'm attracted to her?"

"Well, are you?"

Amy looked at her with disbelief. "No, of course not! When have I ever been attracted to girls? And even if I was, Meredith's straight as an arrow. Look at her. She's out there making a play for the guys."

"I think, maybe you are," Ariadne then noted, vaguely.

"Maybe I am what? What are you talking about?" Amy asked, feeling frustrated.

"Into girls."

Amy shook her head. "Why does everyone all of a sudden think I'm into girls?"

"Who's everyone?" Ariadne asked, genuinely surprised by this little tidbit of information.

"Well, Meredith..." Amy stopped mid-sentence and made a dismissive gesture with her hand.

"What about Meredith? Come on, Amy what did she say?"

Amy sensed dangerous territory, but Ariadne wasn't going to let her off that easy.

"She made some silly comment about me checking out her body. I know she said it to get a rise out of me. She likes doing that."

"Maybe she does think you're into her. I mean, I see you staring at her."

"She's a friend, Ari!" Amy replied angrily. "You're trying to turn this into something it's not."

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much!" Ariadne replied airily, quoting from Hamlet.

"This is stupid," Amy grumbled, smacking her hand down on the cutting board and looking away.

"Hey easy there. I don't want you cutting yourself." Ari reached down and gently placed her hand on Amy's. Amy stopped what she was doing and stared down at Ari's hand lying atop her own. Her palm was soft and warm.

After moment, Ari then said, "Look, I'm not trying to pry into your private life, it's just that... there's something I need to tell you."

Amy looked at Ari with a look of complete bewilderment. "What is it?"

"I'm gay."

Amy's eyes opened wide, and her face took on an incredulous expression. "Since when?"

Ariadne shrugged. "I've known for a while."

Amy looked back down at their hands touching and read a completely new meaning into her friend's innocent gesture. She moved away from the work station. "Ari, why didn't you tell me?"

Ariadne took a deep breath. She was clearly agitated. "Because I was afraid to. I really like you, Amy. I've been trying to get you to see that for the longest time, ever since we first started studying together. It's been driving me crazy. I figured either you were just straight, or just incredibly clueless. But now, I see you crushing on this new girl in town, and I don't know what to think. Well, whatever. You're clearly not into me. Which is too bad. I think we're pretty good together. We had talked about getting an apartment this coming year. But now I'm not so sure. Maybe Meredith is more to your liking, though I think you're wasting your time. She does seem pretty straight."

Ariadne's sudden ramble left Amy feeling very confused. She looked out toward the pool. Meredith was still roughhousing with the guys. If she was straight, why did she keep making little remarks to Amy about fooling around, and stuff? And why did Meredith kiss her? Maybe that kiss was just not that important to her? Though it sure felt like it meant something...

Ariadne watched as the emotions flickered across Amy's face. She knew she'd touched a nerve. And that's when she made her decision. "Look, you can deny it all you want, but I can see the way you keep looking at her."

"Ari, I..."

"Stop it, Amy. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"How can you say that?" Amy felt hurt.

"Because I'm not officially 'out' yet. Nobody knows except you. So, you have to promise not to say anything to anybody. If my parents ever found out, they'd kill me. You know how narrow minded they are."

Amy did know. Ari's parents were very conservative, and religious, and were not shy about voicing their disapproval when it came to homosexuality and promiscuity.

Ari continued. "As for how I feel about you, just pretend I never said anything. I don't want it to ruin our friendship."

"Of course, it won't ruin our friendship," Amy quickly countered, her nerves shaking.

"Anyway, I won't pressure you. I was hoping that maybe you and I might make a go of it, you know, after we were out on her own, but I can see that's not going to happen."

And with that, Ariadne started adding the olives, oil and feta to the salad, and the two girls finished up without saying another word, even though Amy's brain was busy trying to make sense of all she'd heard.

There were a few moments when Amy thought she might reopen the conversation, but she never could find the right way or the sufficient courage to do it.

===========

With the arrival of the salad, the guests started filling their plates and finding a place to hang out and eat. To Amy's relief, Meredith rejoined her.

"Whoo, that was the most fun I've had in years," Meredith exclaimed, her body and hair dripping wet. In fact, Amy could see her erect nipples poking into her soaking wet bikini top, and the sight of them made Amy's heart thump a little harder.

She started to scrutinize Meredith's partially clad body. Thanks to the top she had on, Amy got to appreciate just how nice Meredith's breasts were. Though Amy thought she should be careful, because with that pale skin, she might get sunburned.

"Maybe I should mention it to her?" Amy immediately scratched that idea, embarrassed to be thinking such thoughts, especially after what Ariadne had revealed to her. To think that her best friend was a lesbian. How did she miss that? And all these signals she'd been sending? What the hell was going on?

Meredith meanwhile had picked up on Amy's wandering eye, surreptitiously checking out her body. But she didn't make an issue of it. Truth is, she enjoyed the attention. "Want some food?" she asked her friend. "I'll get a plate for you."

"Thanks. How about a burger and some salad?"

"Coming up!" Meredith skipped off to get Amy and herself a couple plates of food. When she returned, she asked, "That's Ariadne, right? Your bestie?" gesturing toward the Greek girl who was collecting some empty bottles.

"Uh, huh," Amy nodded.

"I'm going to go say hello to her. I need to thank her for the invite."

Amy wanted to stop her, but Meredith was already on her way over to where Ariadne was, leaving Amy sitting by herself, watching her two friends from across the yard.

"Ariadne...?" Meredith's cheery greeting jarred Ariadne from her tasks. "I'm Meredith, Amy's friend. I know we've never met, but I wanted to thank you for inviting me to this awesome party. You've got a great place, and you've really done an amazing job."

Despite her initial dislike of Meredith's claim on her friend, Ariadne was instantly disarmed by this new girl's open and friendly manner. "Well, Amy kept going on about how wonderful you were, so I'm glad we finally got to meet."

Meredith perceived just a hint of aggression, but let it slide. "Well, I'm afraid Amy may have exaggerated my good qualities, but I know you and her are close friends, so again, thank you. It's been a long time since I've had this much fun."

"Yeah, you and Derek were really whooping it up out there," she noted, hoping to gain some insight into Meredith's sexual inclinations.

But Meredith just shrugged. "Have to whoop it up with somebody." Her answer was vague and absent of useful information.

Ariadne carried a few bottles into the house and Meredith followed. As soon as she stepped into the kitchen area, Meredith noticed several paintings hanging on the walls. She walked over and studied one of the smaller works. "I love this pen and ink landscape," she said to Ariadne.

"It's my mom's. She collects art," Ariadne explained.

"Your mom collects art?" Meredith asked, her mouth agape. She slowly made her way back to Ariadne. "She's got good taste," she added. "Hey, can I carry anything?"

"Sure," Ariadne replied, handing Meredith a large bowl of vegetables. "Amy told me that you were an artist. She said you did some artwork for her," Ariadne noted, feeling the need to bring up that fact.

"Oh yeah," Meredith replied, not the least bothered by the direction of the conversation. "Yes, I did. I enjoy making art for my friends. Has she shown it to you?"

Ariadne shook her head. "No, she hasn't."

"Well, you should ask her. I could do one for you, if you want. In fact, I'd love to do a large abstract for that empty wall space above your fireplace," she noted with the confidence of a contractor assessing a project. "Something with some blue and yellow and lots of flowing lines..."

"Well, you can talk to my mom about that. My parents should be home soon, and I'm sure she'd be interested in talking art with you."

"I would love that," Meredith replied, her eyes lighting up with energy.

Ariadne couldn't believe how self-assured this girl was, literally offering to create something to hang in their house. In the pause that followed, Ariadne decided to broach a more sensitive subject. "You know, Amy seems to really like you."

Meredith turned and squinted her eyes in Ariadne's direction. "How do you mean?"

"I think you know," Ariadne gently challenged her.

Meredith stopped and stared at Ariadne. "I'm not sure I do. You know her better than I do. Is she gay?"

The question caught Ariadne off guard. "So, there's nothing going on between you two?" Ariadne asked, deciding to put it out there.

Meredith gave a sly smile. It was now quite clear to her. "Not that I'm aware of. Don't worry, I'm not going to steal her from you."

Ariadne was not prepared to have her agenda outed so quickly, and to her dismay, she didn't handle it as smoothly as she would have liked. "I'm not worried you'll steal her from me. You two can do whatever you want," she huffed. "She's not interested in me, anyway."

For Meredith, the cat was fully out of the bag. There was no question where Ariadne's affections lay. The thing is, Meredith empathized with Ariadne's predicament. It isn't much fun harboring feelings for someone who doesn't acknowledge them. A couple of years ago, she had fallen head over heels for a French musician, and came very close to sleeping with him. But then he returned to France without even saying goodbye. If he had asked her, she would have gone with him.

For Meredith, that experience was almost as bad as having someone you're not interested in chasing after you. Unrequited love sucks. Thus, the reason we have so many songs about it.

"I promise you, there's nothing going on between us," Meredith assured Ari. "Amy's probably just figuring it all out, you know. Is there somewhere I can smoke a cigarette?"

The conversation was apparently over. "Well, the smokers usually gather at the back fence, over there. Just please don't toss any butts on the ground."

"I know it's a disgusting habit, but not as disgusting as littering," Meredith proclaimed proudly. And with that, she headed toward the back fence for a smoke.

After her smoke, Meredith ditched the guys and hung out with Amy poolside. Part of her strategy was to get a better sense of Amy's affections. She did wonder if Amy was crushing on her. But it made much more sense for Amy and Ari to be together. Meredith didn't do relationships.

"I had a nice visit with Ariadne," Meredith began.

"Oh?" Amy answered, suddenly very interested.

"Yeah, I like her. I can see why you and her are such good friends. She definitely isn't happy about you and me being together."

"She told you that?!" Amy was upset.

Meredith quickly attempted to defuse her anger. "Don't worry, I told her there's nothing going on with us."

Meredith's casual dismissal didn't sit right with Amy, but she let it go. "Okay, thanks for setting the record straight," was all she could come up with.

Meredith sensed Amy's tension. "There isn't, you know. So, you and Ariadne can be together, if you want."

Amy bristled at the assumption. "I'm not interested in Ari in that way, Meredith."

"I guess I misread your situation. Sorry."

Just then, Ariadne's parents came out back and walked straight over to Amy to give her hugs. Meredith hung back and watched as Ariadne's parents fawned over Amy as if she were their very own daughter.

Finally, Amy turned to Meredith and introduced her to Mr. and Mrs. Petrakis.

"Ariadne tells me you are an artist," Mrs. Petrakis inquired of Meredith.

Meredith's face lit up. "Yes, I was inside and got to see some of the paintings and drawings you have. I really liked that pen and ink landscape."

"Isn't that lovely? It's by a local artist, Chad Davidson. Do you know his work?"

"Uh, no, I'm afraid I don't," Meredith replied with a shake of her head.

"Well, you should come by our gallery and see his show. It's the Jansen Art Gallery, downtown."

"Are you the director?"

"I sit on its board. The director is Lisa Charbonneau."

Meredith nodded as she took it all in. "I'd love to come by and see it. Maybe I could show you some of my work sometime?"

"By all means," Mrs. Petrakis agreed, not wishing to dash the aspiring young artist's ambitions. After all, she had no idea if the girl had any talent or not.

But Meredith was now glowing with energy. "I'd appreciate that. I mean, I'm still finding my way, so I'm always open to getting professional feedback. I paint in watercolor and acrylic and like to draw with crayon and charcoal, too. I have a website where I post images of some of my work, and I have a studio at home..." Now that Meredith had Mrs. Petrakis' ear, she didn't plan to waste a minute.

"I'd love to see your work," Mrs. Petrakis replied.

The next thing Amy knew, Meredith and Mrs. Petrakis were heading into the house to look at some more of Mrs. Petrakis' art.

=============

As the first firecrackers were set off and sparklers were lit, everyone at the party took their seats to watch the show organized by the county fairgrounds. The county park was a quarter mile away, but the largest explosions easily cleared the neighboring trees, and were visible from the Petrakis' backyard.

Amy looked about for Meredith, but she couldn't find her. However, Ariadne had walked over and sat down next to Amy, and the two friends watched the explosions of color appear high in the sky over the housetops.

At one point, Ariadne put her arm around Amy. She meant it as a friendly gesture, but Amy stiffened right up. Ariadne removed her arm, and scooted further away.

Amy looked over at Ari who was staring at the fireworks, her whole demeanor radiating coldness and distance. Amy wanted to tell her friend that she just wasn't wired that way. But then, she thought of Meredith, and wondered if that was true. Or was it a convenient lie? It had hurt when Meredith said there was nothing going on with them, and Amy knew that it only hurt because she wanted there to be something going on.

Ariadne had read Amy perfectly. She was into Meredith. Later, as the party broke up, Meredith finally appeared. Mrs. Petrakis also came out to say goodbye to the girls.

"Bye, Ari. See you soon?" Amy offered as she hugged her friend, hoping to put their little spat behind them.

"Sure," Ariadne answered in a non-committal way. "Give me a call."

"Ready to go?" Amy asked Meredith. "Got everything?"

Meredith nodded while Mrs. Petrakis drew Amy to her. "Always good to see you, Amy. And I'm very impressed with your friend. I had a peek at her website. Quite the talented young lady! I look forward to seeing some of your preliminary sketches, Meredith," she said to the aspiring young artist.

"Mrs. Petrakis has commissioned me to do a painting to hang above the fireplace," Meredith explained proudly to the group, her blue eyes alive with energy.

Ariadne and Amy both looked at Meredith in astonishment.

On the drive home, Meredith did most of the talking, explaining her idea for a painting that would adorn the Petrakis entryway. "She is so connected to the art community, Amy. She knows several gallery owners, and says she'll talk to them about my work. Who knows, maybe I can get into one of them?"

Amy congratulated her friend, who was very excited, and then they talked a bit about the party and the fireworks.

As they arrived home, before Meredith got out of the car, she turned to Amy and said, very seriously, "Amy, I don't want to come between you and Ariadne."

"Why would you say that?" Amy huffed.

"Because she's really into you, and I don't want to mess that up. She is such a smart and lovely person, you two would be great together."

"Meredith, I know you mean well, but we're friends, that's all," Amy replied, hoping to set the record straight. But Meredith was not put off her charge.

"Okay, I get that. But you should at least think about it. Don't knock it until you've tried it." She winked.

"And what about you?" Amy challenged her friend. "You're the one who kissed me. I didn't kiss you!"

"You mean when I did this...?" Meredith leaned in and pressed her soft, warm lips to Amy's closed mouth. Meredith's lips began to slide lightly back and forth over Amy's tightly clamped mouth, hoping to tease it open. Amy picked up the subtle flavor of cigarette smoke.

Gradually, Meredith's tactics bore fruit and Amy relaxed into the kiss. Her mouth did open, her lips parting, then closing together and then parting again. When Meredith's tongue began to brush along Amy's lips, Amy snaked her hand around Meredith's head and began to kiss more urgently.

Meredith's hand did the same and the girls scooted closer so that their lips opened fully wide, their tongues now dancing and twirling. When Amy's hand fell on Meredith's thigh, Meredith pulled away, breaking their kiss. The girls sat there in the front seat panting for breath.

Meredith stared into Amy's wide eyes. She smiled knowingly. "I kissed a girl, and I liked it...." There wasn't much of a tune in her voice, but the allusion to the song was not missed by Amy.

Amy felt as if she'd just been manipulated, and her anger flared for an instant. But it quickly dissipated, for she had liked the kiss. But she was also feeling a good deal of confusion and mistrust for the whole sequence of events. Finally, she managed to voice her frustrations. "Is this some sort of game you're playing?"

Meredith gave Amy a quizzical look. "Don't be so serious. There's nothing wrong with kissing. It's good practice," she added in an upbeat tone.

"I don't need practice kissing," came Amy's frustrated reply.

"I'll say," Meredith playfully teased. But Amy responded with an unfriendly glare.

Meredith's hands shot up in surrender. "Okay, okay, I was just trying to help."

"Well, I don't need any help," Amy huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

Amy's words rang hollow and Meredith knew it. Years back, she hadn't thought she had needed help either. She'd been terribly mistaken. But before her mood darkened, she recalled how great a day she'd had.

"Fine. I'll mind my own business from now on. I just want you to know that I had a splendid time today and it meant a lot to me that you got me invited to Ariadne's party. So, thanks for being a great friend."

After an unresponsive moment, Meredith continued. "Amy, you hardly know me. Look, I'm not anywhere near stable enough to be with somebody, whether it's a girl or a guy. I don't do relationships. I can't. I can barely cope as it is. If it weren't for my art..."

"I know, you'd kill yourself," Amy snapped. As soon as she said it, she wished she hadn't. Meredith looked pained and Amy felt awful.

"I'm sorry," Amy mumbled, clearly ashamed with herself. "That was a horrible thing for me to say. I really didn't mean that."

Meredith's cold stare sent chills down Amy's spine. Then, with a sharp exhale of air through her nose, she got out of the car, leaned on the open window and said with an edge to her voice. "I may not always be the best person, but I've been totally upfront with you. One hundred percent."

Meredith grabbed her bag off the back seat, slammed the door and started for her house. She was at her front door when, in a moment of desperation, Amy jumped out of her car and called out, "Meredith!"

Meredith turned around sharply and stood her ground. Her face was clouded with hurt and disappointment.

"Thanks for being honest with me. Anyway, I'm glad you had a good time."

The tension in Meredith's body slackened. "It was a great day." She gave her trademark salute and disappeared into her house.

Amy stood for a moment in a daze, wondering why she'd lost her cool so easily.

============

After Ariadne's pool party, Amy did not see or hear from Meredith for nearly two weeks. She sent off a short text, 'Still friends?' but never heard back.

Amy knew that Meredith wasn't the best two-way communicator. She also was aware that Meredith spent hours in her art studio. But she worried that the way she reacted when Meredith kissed her and then suggested she make a play for Ariadne had put Meredith off. She'd behaved terribly and had handled the situation poorly.

She also hadn't spoken with Ariadne during that time either. Their last time together that evening poolside had ended awkwardly as well. So, it was quite the shock when one afternoon, Ariadne pulled into Meredith's driveway. Amy watched from her bedroom window as Meredith ran out to the car, carrying a backpack and hopped in.

The idea that Ariadne and Meredith were spending time together was hard to take. Especially because Ari was initially upset that Amy was friends with her in the first place. How quickly that had changed! She also knew that Meredith was planning to create some art for the Petrakis home, so it would make sense that Ariadne might see more of Meredith. Even so, it hurt to be on the outside looking in.

It would be August soon, and Amy's family was planning a couple of weeks camping up north of Boston. Her brother, Brendan was going to join them, which was usually an occasion for fun times. But being on the outs with both Meredith and Ari had cast a gloom over the trip.

Ariadne's family was also leaving town for the better part of August. After that, came Labor Day and then it was back to school. Summer was slipping away.

Later that same day, Amy heard the car engine and looked out to see that Ariadne had driven Meredith home. "Thanks for the ride, Ari," Meredith said as she got out of the car. "I'll give a call in a few days."

Ariadne said something, and Meredith laughed.

Amy frowned. Meredith had actually called her Ari. That was Amy's special name for Ariadne. To make matters worse, neither of her supposed friends had bothered to invite Amy along, let alone say hello.

Amy decided when she got up the next morning to connect with Meredith, even if it wasn't welcome. She also thought about connecting with Ari, and finding out how she was. They'd spoken about getting together for an evening swim. They'd even bought those two-piece bikinis for the occasion.

Amy knew that Meredith loved to sit out back and work on her art. So instead of texting or ringing the front doorbell, she decided to see if Meredith was in her backyard sketching. There'd be nothing wrong with dropping by to say hello.

Amy quietly made her way around the side of the house and peered over the gate. Sure enough, Meredith was reclining on her chaise lounge. Her legs were drawn up, but she wasn't sketching on her pad. That's when Amy noticed that her arm was between her legs.

"Oh my god," Amy gasped, her hand going over her mouth. She could see Meredith's hand moving in a very recognizable way.

Amy was no stranger to masturbating, but this was the first time she'd ever witnessed someone in the act. Try as she might, she couldn't look away. Meredith's eyes were closed and her jaw set, her face totally focused on getting herself off. Her arm wasn't moving much, but Amy could see that her fingers were busy.

Amy held her breath as she took in the scene. Meredith's vocalizations soon became audible and her pacing quickened as she neared the point of release.

Suddenly, Meredith's body rose up off the lounge and then fell back down as she attained her climax. Her legs extended straight out in front of her and stiffened. She held the pose until eventually, her body relaxed and her head fell back and lolled to the side.

Amy was about to slip away when she felt a surge of boldness. Without a moment's hesitation, she strolled into the backyard.

"Hey, Meredith!" she called out as she walked briskly through the side gate and over to where Meredith was recovering from her orgasm.

"Huh, what? Shit!" Meredith gasped, nearly falling out of the lounge. Meredith saw Amy approaching, and quickly grabbed her sketch pad off the table and placed it on her lap to cover up the fact her shorts were still unzipped in front and her hand was down the front of her panties.

"Damn, Amy, you scared me half to death. What are you doing here?" she asked, nervously, while surreptitiously extracting her hand from her panties.

Amy had difficulty keeping a straight face for she had literally caught Meredith with her pants down. Lord knows, she had put up with plenty of teasing from Meredith. It was now time for a little payback.

"Well, I haven't seen you in a while. I was wondering what you've been up to," she answered, smiling slyly down at her friend. She was doing her best not to give away what she'd just witnessed, but the discomfited look on Meredith's face was too funny.

"Not much. Mostly, I've been busy sketching out ideas for Mrs. Petrakis' painting," Meredith answered, her hand with its wet fingers still tucked underneath her sketch pad.

"Can I see?" Amy asked, holding out her hand for the sketch pad.

"They're just sketches, nothing worth looking at," Meredith quickly answered, refusing to hand over the pad.

"Aw, come on, let me see," Amy urged. And without any warning, she reached down and snatched the pad away.

"Hey," Meredith called out, contorting her body in her effort to conceal the fact her shorts were open in front. But Amy wasn't going to let her off that easy. She clutched the sketch pad to her side and stared with open amusement at the sight of Meredith with her shorts open.

"Why are your shorts open?" Amy observed with curiosity. Then, as if it finally dawned on her, she began her teasing. "Oh, my god, you saucy girl. You weren't sketching at all," she laughed.

Meredith was clearly embarrassed, but instead of getting angry, she decided to play it cool. "Yeah, so what? You mean to tell me you don't play with yourself?"

Amy blushed. "Of course, I do. Just maybe not out in my backyard where someone could see me," Amy teased. "That was quite the show."

"Wait! How long were you watching for?"

"Not long. Just caught the end," Amy said, doing her best to keep from laughing. Then remembering her politeness, she asked, "Should I leave you to it?"

Meredith smirked. "No point in that now. Could you hand me that towel? My fingers are a little... goopy." Her use of the word 'goopy' caused both of them to laugh.

"TMI," Amy protested as she reached down for the towel and imagining Meredith's goopy fingers.

She handed the towel to Meredith who made a show of wiping her fingers on it. She then set the towel down, raised her ass up and tugged both her shorts and panties down her legs. Upon removing them, she dropped them on the ground next to the chaise.

Amy stared in disbelief as Meredith used the towel to wipe herself between her legs. When she finished, she chucked the towel toward Amy.

"Ewww!" Amy cried out, stepping aside to avoid the towel.

Meredith laughed from the chair. "Want to try it?" she asked playfully.

"Try what?" Amy replied, not understanding. But when she caught the impish smile on Meredith's face, she knew.

Meredith's smile broadened upon seeing Amy's eyes widen in shock. "It's a lovely day. You can use the lounge if you want. It's really quite freeing, doing it out in the open air."

"I think I'll pass," Amy smiled politely, though her voice was shaky. "Maybe next time."

Meredith shrugged. "Okay, though we may never have such a lovely day as this," Meredith warned, lying back on her lounge and looking up at the cloudless, blue sky. As Amy stared, Meredith pulled her feet up onto the chaise.

Amy wanted to tell her friend to cover herself up, but she didn't. For despite her internal protestations, she liked seeing Meredith showing off.

"Nothing like a good come," Meredith sighed, placing her hands behind her head.

To Amy's amazement, the girl had somehow managed to turn the tables on Amy, and was now the one doing the teasing. Amy wanted to turn her eyes away, but she kept staring.

Meredith saw Amy staring and opened her legs even wider, placing them on the ground on either side of her lounge chair. "How's that? Better?"

Amy rolled her eyes while flashing a fake smile. "If you're trying to shock me, it won't work. It's nothing I haven't seen before," she replied rather vaguely. But Meredith wasn't going to let her friend off that easy.

"Oh, really? Whose did you see?"

Amy shrugged, knowing that she hadn't really seen that much. "Girls at the gym. Pictures in books and on the web. That's all." As she talked, she studied the neat patch of brown hair just above Meredith's sex, noting how neatly the surrounding area had been shaved, but soon her eyes drifted lower. Meredith's pussy was fleshy with large, thick inner folds. It was obvious that she'd been playing with herself. After a moment, she grew serious.

"Meredith, are you into girls?" Amy questioned her friend.

"Depends on what you mean by being into them," Meredith replied, artfully parrying the question.

Meredith knew Amy was not satisfied with her answer. "I've seen naked female models in drawing classes, and enjoy sketching their bodies. But I've never had sex with one. I have had sex with a couple of guys, and I enjoyed it, for the most part. I might consider hopping in bed with a girl, if the situation were right. I imagine plenty of artists end up sleeping with their models. Picasso... Gaugin..."

Amy took in the information, though she felt that she'd been misled in some way. After a beat, she said, "You know, I haven't seen much of you lately."

"I've been busy working on some new art pieces. And I'm trying to finalize my ideas for Mrs. Petrakis' commission."

"Yeah, I saw that Ari's been picking you up."

"Spying on us now, are we?" Meredith grinned as she stood up, still naked from the waist down. She started to gather up her shorts and panties. "Listen, I need to take a shower. I'm a little sweaty," she winked. "You want to join me? Save water, shower with a friend."

Meredith, still naked from the waist down, stared at Amy, waiting for Amy to respond. Amy's mouth kept opening and closing, but nothing came out. She really wanted to take Meredith up on her offer. She had never showered with another person. But her courage failed her.

"No, I think I'll pass. Maybe next time."

Meredith's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?" Her voice dropped into her lower register, and her mouth took on a devilish smile.

Amy paused. She remembered thinking that Meredith was the perfect person to help her be more adventurous. Exhaling dramatically, she made her decision. "Okay, I'll join you," Amy declared with as much newly gained confidence as she could muster.

"Atta girl!" Meredith cheered. "Last one in's a rotten egg," she challenged, as she started running toward the sliding back doors, her bare ass jiggling all the way.

Amy dashed after her. The two girls bounded up the stairs with Meredith's bare behind and whoops of laughter leading the way. Amy's pulse raced as she followed Meredith into the main bathroom. Once inside, Meredith pulled down a second towel for Amy and immediately started taking off her top.

Meredith wasn't wearing a bra, and Amy suddenly found herself staring at two perfectly formed breasts. She thought they had looked good at poolside, but seeing them fully bared was even more impressive. Her nipples were a light pink, and rather squat. With a little coaxing, those spongy nubs might make more of a show.

"Quit staring at my tits and get those clothes off," Meredith teased, amused to see her friend ogling her body.

Amy snapped to attention. "Yes ma'am," she giggled, as she quickly undid her shorts and let them fall about her ankles. After kicking them free, she pulled her tee over her head so that she now stood in just her bra and panties.

"Nice underwear," Meredith noted with an approving nod.

"Thanks. I got them at 'The Boutique.'" Amy liked that Meredith had noticed, for it was her favorite navy-blue set. She then watched as a naked Meredith sashayed over to her and took hold of her elastic shoulder straps. Tugging them outward, she eased them down Amy's arms.

Amy reached behind her to undo the clasp when Meredith stopped her.

"Let me do that," she said, moving behind Amy. As soon as the back clasp was released, Amy felt the weight of her breasts as they lost their support. She eased the bra down her arms and dropped it to the floor to join her other clothes.

Amy sucked in air as Meredith pressed her body to Amy and wrapped her arms about Amy's waist. With a hum of pleasure, Meredith's hands eased upward to cup Amy's breasts from underneath.

"Feel nice?" Meredith whispered into Amy's ear as her palms cupped Amy's breasts from underneath.

Amy shut her eyelids and hummed in agreement as her nipples stiffened in reaction to the open air.

Meredith's hands were soon on the move again, her warm palms sliding up to lightly tease the tips of Amy's nipples. The feathery contact was heavenly, and Amy vocalized her pleasure with a hissing sound as she sucked in some air.

"Oh!" Amy cried out as Meredith gave Amy's nipples a firm pinch. The sudden sensation sent a spike of energy surging downward to Amy's nether regions.

"Now for those panties."

Amy felt Meredith take hold of her panty waistband from behind and tug them down her body. Her gusset briefly clung to her damp sex before giving way as Meredith urged them down to her ankles.

Amy kicked the pair free of her feet just as Meredith stood up and drew close to her again. Amy felt her bare ass coming in contact with Meredith's soft pubes, and realized that it was sexy to be held in this way.

Staring down at her strip of black pubic hair, she held her breath as Meredith's delicate hands snaked around her hips to gently massage the indented areas to either side of her sloping mound. The contact sent a jolt of pleasure straight to her sex.

Meredith leaned in close to Amy's left shoulder. "It was so much fun pleasuring myself out there in the backyard," she whispered, her warm breath caressing Amy's ear. "You must be ready for a good come."

This was new territory for Amy. "Uh, yeah. Right now?"

"Sure. Go on, I want to watch you. It's only fair, seeing as you got to watch me. Then we'll take a nice hot shower, and get all clean."

Meredith's words began to have an effect on Amy. There was a heat building between her legs, and she was sure she could get there with little trouble. Still, touching herself in front of Meredith felt... too scary....

"Nnnh, I don't think I can," came her anguished reply. She wanted to try it, but something kept holding her back.

"Here, I'll help you," Meredith whispered as she reached down with her fingers to lightly caress and toy with Amy's labia.

Amy cussed as Meredith's fingers pulled her petals open. "Meredith, I--I don't think..."

"Shush..."

The feel of Meredith's fingers was unlike anything Amy had felt before. No one had touched her there, and it felt lovely. In barely a few seconds, she was melting under the ministrations of those magic fingers. As Meredith gently toyed with her, she began planting soft kisses along Amy's neck and shoulder.

The onslaught was too much for Amy to resist. Throwing caution to the wind, she leaned back and parted her thighs a bit more.

Meredith giggled as her fingers became more active. In what seemed to Amy like no time at all, Meredith's fingers were artfully massaging the sensitive places. Her touch was just right. It wasn't too hard or unpleasant at all, and to Amy's relief, she was now very wet.

"Oh, things are starting to happen," Meredith whispered sexily into Amy's ear as she extracted more fluid from Amy's center. "You want me to put my fingers inside you?" Meredith asked.

"Uh, yeah, just a little bit..." came Amy's dreamy reply.

Meredith dragged her fingers through the folds of Amy's pussy, gathering the liquid.

"Ohhhh! Oh, god, yessss," Amy sighed as Meredith worked her index and forefinger in deeper, coaxing out more pleasure for her friend. Her thumb elicited another gasp from Amy as it pressed down onto her clitoral hood.

Despite working from behind, Meredith had a long reach, and she was effective. Meanwhile, her other arm cradled Amy's torso, just below her breasts. Amy's body was buzzing with pleasure, her loins rocking in time to Meredith's delicate probing, and her leg and ass muscles flexing and tensing in an effort to reach that elusive climax.

"Uh, uh, uh, uh..." Amy grunted breathily as Meredith's fingers became more active.

"Come on, Amy. You're almost there..." Meredith urged, her warm breath tickling Amy's ear.

"Oh yes... yes... I'm going to come... I'm so close..." Suddenly, Amy's body tensed, and her legs began to quiver. There followed a powerful jolt. "Ah!" she cried out as a warm, wetness began flowing out from between her legs.

She was vaguely aware of Meredith humming into her ear. But only vaguely. Right then, her orgasm occupied the center of her world. Meredith had stopped fingering her, but continued to hold her, which was a good thing, for she would have slumped to the floor.

Meredith continued to hold Amy until the spasms passed. Amy had no idea when she drifted off, but Meredith's soothing voice brought her back to the present moment.

"Ready for that shower?"

"Uh, huh," Amy replied in a dreamy voice, buoyant and void of tension.

Meredith was pleased to see her shy friend enjoying the afterglow. She released Amy and tended to the taps. Soon, the two girls stepped into the narrow stall and wallowed under the cool spray.

"Here, let me wash you down," Meredith said, as she put some liquid soap on a thick sponge and began washing Amy's body. Amy just stood there, still buzzing from her orgasm. Meredith started around Amy's neck and shoulders, and Amy stared at her smallish breasts as they jiggled. The girl's nipples really were quite small and flat.

"I love your nipples," Amy told her friend. "They're cute."

Meredith looked at Amy for a moment, her expression one of curiosity. She glanced down at her nipples and wrinkled her nose. "They're too tiny."

"No, they're not," Amy assured her friend. "I like them," she said, feeling a flash of warmth on her face.

"Well, okay then, it's official: you like my nipples." Meredith began soaping her way down Amy's chest. "But I'd gladly trade them in for your pair," she noted as she ran the washcloth over Amy's left teat.

"Mmm," Amy, hummed as the contact sent a shiver through her body.

Meredith giggled. "Sensitive, are we?" She leaned into Amy, so she could reach her arms around Amy's waist and wash the girl's butt. Then, she got down on her knees and to Amy's amazement, began to wash Amy's legs and feet.

"Spread it," Meredith ordered.

Amy set her legs further apart, and Meredith gently washed Amy's pussy, sending zings of pleasure to the ends of her toes and fingers. Amy thought it a good idea to press her palm against the tiled wall for support.

Meredith stood up and handed the sponge to Amy. "Your turn."

Amy was disappointed that Meredith had stopped, but agreed that it was time to return the favor.

"Can I use this sponge?" she asked, taking a large, brown sponge off one of the shelves.

"That's my favorite," Meredith nodded approvingly, as Amy began to soap up Meredith's body, starting with her neck and shoulders. She loved squeezing the sponge and watching how the soapy water ran down Meredith's chest, and over her breasts, leaving a trail of bubbles.

Soaping her friend was the perfect way to get to know her body. 'This is what it means to be close to someone,' Amy thought. 'Really getting to know each other.'

She moved around to Meredith's back, and studied the way her lower back sloped into her creamy white butt cheeks, and how her muscles flexed as she soaped the back of her thighs. Eventually, she returned to Meredith's front, so she could pay more attention to her breasts. Even though Meredith's nipples were small, she was sure they were as sensitive as hers were.

She got her answer as she lightly ran the sponge over them. The gesture caused Meredith to suck in some air and arch her chest forward.

Amy giggled. "Sensitive, are we?"

Her friend's smile made Amy feel warm inside. She was so happy. All her nervousness was gone. Being with Meredith was okay. It wasn't awkward, and it didn't feel dirty.

"Okay, spread it," Amy commanded, borrowing from Meredith's playbook.

Meredith laughed as she set her feet apart. She groaned with pleasure as Amy carefully worked the sponge between Meredith's legs. She kept quiet, working in a business-like manner.

Satisfied that Meredith's lady parts were clean, she stood up and waited for Meredith's eyes to open. The girls stood opposite each other, the spray of water cascading over them. Amy leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Meredith's lips.

Meredith pulled back in surprise, but before she could say or do anything, Amy leaned in and kissed Meredith again, this time fully on the mouth. Meredith resisted at first, but soon she started kissing back. For a few seconds the girls shared an open-mouthed kiss, breathing through their noses as their tongues danced together. But when Amy slid her hands down Meredith's waist, Meredith pushed her away.

"Okay, okay, that's enough. Easy girl..."

"Sorry," Amy offered.

"Hey, no worries. It's okay..." Meredith assured her friend. "I just think it's time to get out before we run out of hot water."

"Yeah, good idea," Amy agreed, breathing hard and wondering what had happened.

As Meredith turned off the taps and exited the shower, Amy tried to collect herself. She was embarrassed that she'd lost control. But Meredith didn't seem at all upset.

"Come on, let's get dressed. I need to clean up the house a bit before my mom gets home."

Amy was still a bit out of it as she dried herself with the spare towel. All the while, she kept looking over at Meredith, hoping to make eye contact. But Meredith stayed focused on her own business. And so, Amy used the time to admire Meredith's body. When Meredith bent over to dry her calves, Amy found herself checking out the girl's very cute butt.

Amy gave her head a shake. Perhaps it was the intimacy. Or maybe it was nothing more than Meredith's irresistible personality. But whatever the reason, Amy found herself attracted to Meredith.

It was obvious to Amy that Meredith's mood had shifted, and she feared she may have taken things too far. Though considering all they'd done, it didn't seem as if she had. Once the girls were dressed, they agreed to get together soon, and with that, Amy made her way home.