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Fox at Bay (Alan23 x Sweetred)

Angela really had lost all sense of what was happening right now. She was walking hand in hand with a boy who couldn't be older then 16. Her daughters age, and they were walking there as if they were a couple.

She let JOhn lead her, to the coffee shop. After he had ordered, she brushed her hand through her hair, fumbled with her necklace, and felt her face was warm and knew she had a blush on her face.

"I umm... What.. What are we doing here?" She asked the obvious question. Of course she knew they were having lunch, but she couldn't find the words. She said it toneless, where she had meant to emphasize the We part. She felt a little uncomfortable, but it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling like when Mrs Leary had pulled her skirt off, it was an uncomfortable feeling because she was afraid of what people would read off her face.

How could this have happened so quickly, without her even knowing what had happened, they are now here together, having lunch, having a lunch date...

*********

Snowflaik looked at Xianna, and saw her spill some of the yoghurt. She had to laugh in her mind, but tried her best not to let it show on her face. Just a simple compassionate smile is what Snowflaik forced herself to give. "Oh God... " Snowflaik called out as if she was shocked, "Wait... hang on... Let me get a napkin for you." She said as she pushed her chair back, and walked over to the counter.

Snowflaik saw several people look at her, and she just stared back at them, as she got a couple of napkins and walked back. She could see people whispering to eachother, and thought it was a lot quieter then usual during lunch break.

As she got back at the table, she almost fucked up and threw the napkins at Xianna's face. But she recovered just in time, and held out her hand, and said in a sugar sweet tone, but loud enough so everyone could hear "Here you go Xianna. And uhmm... I'm sorry 'bout the other day..."
 
Xianna may well have been naive, and a coward, but she was no fool. And, being so familiar with being bullied, she knew the tactics very well. How bullies often pretended to be friends, in order to lull their victim into a sense of security, only to make the trap even more delicious when sprung. She was not fooled by Snowflaik's assumed friendliness.

On the other hand, even if it were an act, this was, she considered on balance, better than outright bullying. At least, to anyone watching, it was simply two friends sitting together. She would be spared the humiliation of being seen to be pushed around by a girl younger than herself. No word could get back to John that his girl (and, even in her extremity, the phrase sent a small chill through her) that would make her look an even bigger fool. She thanked Snowflaik for the napkin and wiped the spilled yoghurt, smiling shyly.

But inside she was tensed for the denouement of the plan. Any second now, she was sure, something would happen. And there was, as usual, absolutely nothing she could do to prevent it.

*****

"What are we doing here?" John repeated. "Urm, we're having coffee, I guess." He shook a cigarette from a pack, offered her the box, then lit his own. He could see her looking guiltily around, as if feeling awkward at being here with such a young companion. No doubt the cafe proprietor thought he was her son, or nephew. Later, he knew, he'd make her acknowledge him as her lover, but as yet it didn't do to push her too far. Apart from risking the careful hold he'd built up, he had a genuine wish not to upset her. He wanted a submissive lover, not a frightened slave.

Under the table, though, that was a wholly different matter. Hidden by the white cloth of the table, he moved her hand onto her leg, touching it just once, carefully watching her face. A single touch might be passed off as an accident, though both knew it wasn't.

He watched her carefully, noting her reactions, as he had been doing since he had arrived at her workplace. Her nervous fussing with her hair, her jewellery, her glasses. Part of it was, he knew, awkwardness a being seen in public with such a young companion. The rest... well, he knew enough to feel even more satisfied. As with Xianna that morning, he knew subconscious flirtatious behavior when he saw it. Her internal conflict was obvious. Propriety required her to distance herself from him, yet he saw a need in her, too, a need to do the exact opposite to repelling him.

Angela Fox had a need. A need he could fulfill.

He leaned towards her, lowering his voice.

"I couldn't help noticing," he whispered, in a voice full of concern, "that your tights were a bit wrinkled. No, don't move. Just stay still."

He slowly put his hands under the table and smoothed the nylon up along her slim legs, keeping his face neutral, but watching her expression carefully.

"Yeah, that feels better," he said. "Honestly, Angie, you really need someone to look after you, don't you?"
 
Snowflaik was smiling as Xianna accepted the napkin, and saw the hesitation on Xianna's face. Of course it made sense that she was doubting her good intentions after all that had happened between the two of them.

Snowflaik sat there for a few minutes, just twisting her thumbs, and watched Xianna closely. She could see the worried expressions on Xianna's face. "I uhm... I want to apologize to you Xianna, for all the bad things I did to you. I mean, you know it's all just joking around right?" She suddenly asked Xianna.

Not waiting for a answer, Snowflaik continued "Look uhm... I think you and John are right. I mean, uhm I think I went a little too far the last couple of days. But uhm well, you know how it is right? like uhm I was a little upset, cause uhm my uhm dog had died and uhm well, I needed uhm to feel good again I guess."

Snowflaik sniffed sadly once or twice, and then with a really sad voice she continued "I uhm.. didn't mean to hurt you or anything, just a little fun you know, but uhm I should have had more consideration for you right, like I know we're not friends or anything, and uhm, well I'm not asking to, but well uhm ... uhm... guess i'm uhm trying to say that uhm I'm like sorry you know".

************************

Angela was completely overwhelmed and dumbfounded, but when John suddenly touched her nylons and corrected them, she was shocked. As if she is struck by lightning she stands up. "I umm I have to uhm go..." She stutters, as she fumbles with her wallet and throws a few Pound notes on the table, without even looking at how much it is.

And within a few seconds, she is out the door. Leaving her lunch and companion behind at the table.

On her walk back to the office, she fights back her tears. And looks over her shoulder a couple of times, to make sure John isn't following her.

She knows she loved the attention. She loved his kindness, loved his friendliness, but she had never seen it coming, when he put his hand on her knees, she suddenly realized that this boy was trying to seduce her.

Sure she would love to date a man again, she would love to feel a man around her again, and she would love to be protected by one. But John is just a boy. He is a boy Xianna's age, he should be dating Xianna, not her. Where did he get the idea that he could touch her like that...

She reached the office building again and was out of breath as she stepped into the lift to go back up to her desk...
 
Xianelle was seething in anger. She'd have liked to have beaten Snowflaik to a pulp, but of course given the two girls' respective fighting ability that was out of the question.

The constant bullying was one thing, but this was another. The bitch was taking her for a fool. Imagine thinking she'd be fooled by this game. It was a cunning scam, to lure her into a false sense of security and then turn on her. Normally, the fear in which Xianna held Snowflaik would have cowed her into pretending to go along with it and escape at the first opportunity. But she was so angry, she could not control herself. Though she knew she'd probably have cause to regret to later, she fund her resentment spewing out.

"Yeah? You didn't mean to hurt me. You thought it was just a game to... t-to rip my skirt off, and leave me standing there in fronot of everyone in j-j-just my knickers." Xianna felt her face going red at bringing this event up, but somehow she was unable to stop herself. "You think it's a game to humiliate and bully me non-stop? To destroy my blouse and drench my skirt and make me walk home half naked? And the way your mother bullies and humiliates my mother at every opportunity? For heaven's sake, Snowflaik, she pulled her skirt down in front of your whole street, and my mother was wearing... well, anyway, she was really embarrassed. I mean... yeah, you did go too far all right. And now you expect us to be friends? You expect me to just forget things like that?"

*****

Most people, in John's position, would have been in the depths of despair. They would reason that they had their prize in the bag, and had blown it by moving too fast and too soon. There was a slight element of this in John's thoughts, but it was by no means his all-pervading emotion.

Instead, he regarded it as a minor setback.

For one thing, though Angela had broken away from him, it had not been in the way another adult woman might have. A more sophisticated, confident woman would have either laughed it off with a gentle reprimand or upbraided him, and put him right back in his place, reminding him of just who the adult was here.

Instead, Angela had stuttered and fumbled and panicked, like a young schoolgirl. She had fled from the place, her lip quivering as if she were about to burst into tears, her face bright red. She had by no means been in control. The sexual thrall in which he held her was intact, save that he might have to work slightly more cleverly than he'd first thought to reel her in - a challenge he relished.

And he knew that despite her sudden departure, a part of her had enjoyed being touched. Sure, it had frightened her - but then, it seemed, most things did.

His first thought had been to call her, and use his apology as a way to arrange another meeting (he was sure he could swing that if he had to, for she was easy enough to manipulate) but he had a certain reservation about giving her the initiative in any way. Instead, he reasoned, his ultimate power over her could be more securely achieved by having her need him, and for her to be the one who approached in supplication.

With most women, waiting for that chance to occur might be a long haul. But, given the way Sianelle Leary (and, for that matter, Snowflaik) seemed to bully Angela at every opportunity, he knew the chance to come to her rescue would not be long in coming. He would wait his chance, and move in at the perfect moment!
 
Snowflaik kept her face straight and even a little sad as she listened to the outburst of Xianna. Making it impossible for anyone to see if she was genuine or playing a game. She set an apologetic look on her face, and just stood up. "Look, I uhm... I understand you're mad at me. And you have every right to be. And I completely understand you don't trust me. I wouldn't trust me either."

She kept silent for a few seconds, until she continued "But I am dead serious really... I am so sorry Xianna, so sorry for what happened. And I just want you and me to bury everything and leave it behind us."

Then, Snowflaik stood up, pushed her chair back, shrugged her shoulders and said "Look, You can have your payback okay?"

Then, Snowflaik spread her arms out look straight at Xianna, and said "Go on, you rip my skirt off. This is your chance to pay me back for what I have done to you."

Snowflaik stood there for a couple of seconds. Until again, she said "Come on Xianna, this is your chance. Look, almost the whole school is here..." Snowflaik said as she gestured around her.

*******************************

Angela sighed in relief when she reached her floor again, and sat behind her desk. She took a few deep breaths, but her head in her hands and sobbed silently. She just sat there for a few minutes, until her sobbing got less and she felt a little better.

Why did she let it get that far. How could she have given this boy the idea he could touch her? Where did it come from? Those questions all shot through her head.

The rest of her day, passed quietly, she hadn't seen John back, nor had Jane been back. It was a relief and somehow a bit of fear that she hadn't seen John again. She had wanted to explain, but was taken by surprise in a weak moment.

Angela was getting ready to go home again. Gathering her stuff, and she was going to take the bus home, or at least up to Mr. Bradley's grocery store. To get some dinner for her and Xianna.
 
For most people, having something that they have always dreamed about come true is a once in a lifetime event, or, at best, happens only rarely. For two of one's dreams to come true in one day is so flabbergasting as to be almost spooky!

Yet for Xianna Fox, it seemed to have happened. First, there was the matter of John Hartfield. Her and he were... oh, the thought was still a warm feeling in her heart... an item! And though that should have been enough, now here was another dream coming true. Every time Snowflaik Leary had ever humiliated her, Xianna had had one fantasy. That some magic would happen, making her stronger and braver than her tormentor, so that she dared gain revenge, ripping off Snowflaik's skirt and humiliating her, turning the tables. And now, here was the girl actually allowing her to do so!

Xianna's heart sung, and her hands twitched to perform the deed.

And then, she stopped.

Suddenly, she realized just what the younger girl's game was. Before her hands reached the skirt, Snowflaik would fly into action, to defend herself. And this time, she'd have the perfect excuse, because Xianna was patently the aggressor. They'd be another public fight, another humiliating defeat in front of the whole school, and since Snowflaik was by far the stronger Xianna knew it would be herself that ended up skirtless.

She trembled, realizing how close she'd come to falling into the trap and then, knowing that her ploy had failed, Snowflaik would not be above throwing her subtle scheme out of the window and attacking her anyway, Xianna sprinted from the room, preferring the mortification of being seen to run away than the even greater shame of being de-skirted yet again!

*****

It had been a busy day for Sianelle after the phone call. First, they'd been "Home and Away," then "Corrie," then "Eastenders." Then a matinee with Schwarzenegger in it. By the late afternoon, her arm and vagina were sore, and she was so hungry her stomach felt empty. Larder stocking and meal-planning had never been her strong point, and a search of the kitchen revealed she was right out of all of the five food-groups - TV dinners, soft drink, tobacco, packet noodles and ice cream. And Xianna would be home soon, and expecting a meal.

There was nothing for it. She had to zip up the fly of her jeans, slap on some make up, and shift her sorry ass down to the store. And the supermarket was such a long walk, too, especially in the high heels she always favored.

And then, suddenly, a thought struck her. There was always old Bradley's store, a few blocks away. Sure, he was a bit pricey, but it was just this once, and she'd had that win on bingo last week to cover it, and her giro was due tomorrow anyway.

Ten minutes later she entered the store, weaving her way past the crowded stacks of tinned goods, noting with satisfaction that there was only one customer ahead of her. Hopefully, she could be back in time for the start of "Emmerdale," if she hustled.

And then, she saw who the other customer was. There was no mistaking that shock of red hair, the skinny legs, the constant tugging at the jacket as she spoke to Mr Bradley! Even better - now she wouldn't even have to wait.

Striding (as best she could in her heels) towards the counter with her purchases, she pushed by Angela Fox, noticing with satisfaction how the redhead's face turned white, and how she began to shake. Had she wished to be kind, she could have pretended to be in a hurry and asked to be allowed to go first as a favor, giving Angela a chance to save face. But she was, after recent events, in no mood to be kind. Infact, she was right in the mood to humiliate her enemy as much as possible!

"I fink I was first," she growled, laughing inside as Angela shrunk away. "Now, Foxy, you better apologize for takin' my spot in the queue. Oh, and it's 'Mrs Leary,' to you, remember."
 
Angela didn't notice Sianelle walk into the store. She was just getting the last things for dinner and as she put them on the counter, heard that familiar voice. The minute she realized who it was, she knew it was too late to get out. She felt a shiver run down her spine.

Angela looked up at Sianelle and saw the grin on her face as she was told to apologize. "Oh God, not again," she thought, "Why can't that woman leave me alone. I haven't done anything."

Angela took one step back, but didn't notice the rack with bottles of vinegar behind her. "LOOK OUT!" Mr. Bradley shouted, as he saw what was happening. But he was too late. And she bumped into the rack with bottles, loosing her balance, and fell down hard on her butt, Several bottles fell down from the rack, and shattered into pieces on the floor. Angela sat there in the middle of the broken glass bottles, and in the middle of a puddle of vinegar. The smell was terrible, and she just sat there for a few seconds, again her skirt had ridden up, and her spanx were again showing as she sat there. This time however, the spanx were drenched in vinegar.

She heard Sianelle tell her to apologize, and felt tears in her eyes again. From the pain in her butt, and humiliation. "I... I... I... am Ssss...Ssssorry Mrs. L...L...Leary" she mumbled softly, not daring to look up at either Mr. Bradley or Sianelle.

Then Angela dared to look up at Mr. Bradley, who was behind the counter, shaking his head,
She could hear Sianelle laugh, and felt so ashamed and terrible... "Why did she have to be so clumsy? Oh God, and that smell, it was so penetrating. How was she ever going to be able to get rid of that smell?"

Angela tried to get up, but couldn't manage very well. She turned around so she was on her knees, and slowly tried to get up to her feet.

*********************

Snowflaik stood there as she watched Xianna run away. She could understand that the girl had been scared to do what she had offered. She felt disappointed, because she had really wanted Xianna to humiliate her in retaliation, and wouldn't have done anything to stop her. Snowflaik had wanted to undergo the humiliation of standing there in her panties, like she had done so many times to other girls.

She had felt sorry for Xianna. And had made the decision during classes right after she had had her talk with Mr. Hopkins. But how could this not have worked?

She considered her options, and decided to follow Xianna. She walked out of the lunchroom, and into the hallway, but of course she couldn't see Xianna anywhere. Snowflaik walked to the bathrooms across the hall, but she also didn't see Xianna there.

Snowflaik shrugged her shoulders, left the bathrooms, and then walked out of the building, to meet up with her friends. She was sure she would get another chance soon enough...
 
George Bradley had found the scene in his shop most disconcerting. Like many shopkeepers in the area, he knew most of the people round about. He knew Sianelle Leary, one of the toughest women ever to receive an ASBO (though he'd always got in with her well enough himself) and Mrs Fox, the shy, nervous women whom other women seemed to bully incessantly. But it had never been quite as drastic as this. Normally, it was just a case of a veiled threat, and Mrs Fox would have to back down, and suffer the mortification of backing down. This one had been so much mroe dramatic.

So there was Mrs Fox, sitting in a pool of vinegar, with her skirt hiked up showing her legs right up to the gusset and, though he tried not to look, a pair of those long pants that some womwn had taken to wearing, what were they, "Whax," or something. His only recourse, to avoid embarrassing her more (or, for that matter, bursting out laughing, which would not be good for business) was to show true British reserve, and ignore the incident totally. So he concentrated on serving Mrs Leary as if nothing had happened, bagging up her purchases, taking her money, and keeping a straight face as she left, with a giggled "Hey, cute Spanx, Angie," as she went out through the door. Then, he totalled up Mrs Foxes purchases and added the price of the many bottles of vinegar she'd broken - the shop's policy was quite strict, all breakages must be paid for - and waited until she could get herself together, before advising her of the total bill - not specifying the cost of the vinegar, though she'd know, of course, that it was included.

*****

For Xianna, it was a strange homecoming. Mum was out, presumably getting shopping, and she had the house to herself. If she could be sure Mum would be away a decent amount of time, she could have had a lie down on the bed and a good think about JOhn, who she hadn't seen since that morning. She'd have to remember, she thought, to exchange phone numbers with him the next time she saw him, so they could text. Anyway, you neve rknew when mum might come in, and being caught lying naked on the bed doing that thing nice girls didn't would have been too embararssing for words, so instead she plonked herself down fully clothed, and thought romantic rather than sexy thougts about him, which was almost as good!

It had been the right choice, she realized a few minutes later, when she heard the key in the lock. She recognized mum's tread, (and, of course, who else would it be?) but her mother was walking hesitantly, almost creeping, as if she wanted to sneak in without being seen. Xianna half elt she heard a faint sob. Her mother's footsteps ascended the stairs, still softly and furtively, and yes, she was sure, her mother was crying.

"Damn it," she thought, "what's happened now. Surely that Siannelle Leary hasn't been bullying her again?"

Her first thought was to ignore it, and give ehr mother some privacy, but things nagged at her brain. Even if she had been bullied again, why did her mother feel a need to sneak upstairs? And... and what was that horrible stench?!! It smelled like she'd been in a fish and chip shop... it was...

For heaven's sake, the whole house had suddenly started to smell of vinegar.

Indignantly, she jumped up off the bed and strode to the landing.

"Mum, really," she shrieked, angry at her mother for ruining the day yet again. "What happened this time? Don't deny it - you've let that woman bully you again, haven't you?"
 
Angela came home, and knew Xianna would be home too. She tried to enter the house as quietly as possible. She had to hide the fact she was bullied again, and didn't need her daughter to see or even worse, smell her humiliation again. Carefully sneaking up the stairs, she thought she was in the clear, when she heard Xianna at the top of the stairs ask what had happened.

"Oh um hi Honey," She started off indifferently, "I um was doing some uh groceries when I well, um, I tripped over um a um wire in Mr. Bradley's store, and well, um I lost my balance and sort of fell over um, knocking over um one or two bottles of um vinegar."

She was looking at Xianna as she told her, and saw the disbelieve in her eyes. Well, she was sure she would never tell her the truth. That horendous Mrs. Leary had frightened her again and made her fall. But that was something Xianna didn't need to know.

Angela stepped past Xianna, saying "I'm going to take a shower. And then fix us up some dinner okay?" She didn't wait for an answer and went into the bathroom. Angela undressed quicly, throwing her clothes in the washing machine right away. She hoped the stench would go out, but was afraid she had ruined another set of good clothes. Then she stepped into the shower.

As she stood there, thinking, about the day, she felt warm from John's attention, but she also felt so stupid. Again all things that happened to her passed through her mind. And it got from bad to worse today. First the man on the bus, then Jane, the mailroom girl, and then that damned Sianelle Leary. Why was that woman giving her such a hard time. If only she could have someone around to protect her. And to make love to her. She was a human being too, and she needs some intimacy too. That's probably why the touch of John felt so good. The kind and gentle touch, almost a sexual touch. It made her feel warm and she focused on that feeling, pushing out the bullying. She let her hands slowly and gently caress her own body, he hands over her hips, her buttocks, and stomach. She started to get more and more turned on. Angela cupped her breasts with both hands and gently squeezed them. As she let her thumb flick over her nipples, Gently she massaged her breasts, and then without really meaning to, she let one hand slide down her stomach, one finger slowly moved down her stomach, and went even lower. She spread her legs a little, and slit her finger between her lips, letting out a soft moan "Ohhh John, yes right there" she moaned. But then, as she spoke his name, she stopped the movement of her finger. "No no no I can't be doing this..." She said to herself, as she turned around and turned the water a little colder. "He's just a kid... Sure he is nice and hot and kind, but stop it Angela, you don't want to go there." she reprimanded herself.

Angela quickly washed herself under the cold water, and then stepped from under the shower, towelled herself dry and took her negligee which hung on the door.

***************

Snowflaik was thinking hard on how to be able to talk to Xianna without her running off on her. She suddenly thought of something. There was this other dumb girl, what was her name again? Deidre or something. She had seen Xianna and her talk a couple of times. That might be an option. And well, that was good, because Deidre lived close by Snowflaik.

So Snowflaik decided to wait for Deidre to show herself at the entrance to the backyard. And it only had been maybe 15 minutes until Deidre had shown her face.

When Snowflaik called her, Deidre knew it was too late to turn around and run away, so she waited for Snowflaik to walk up to her.

When Snowflaik stood in front of Deidre, she asked "You know Xianna don't you?"

"Uhu sure," Deidre replied "Why, what's it to you?"

"Don't get an attitude with me Deidre, or I'll kick your ass. It's none of you business. I just want to know if you have her phone number?"

Deidre looked at Snowflaik, and hesitated in answering. Which was enough of a reply for Snowflaik. But Deidre tried to save the situation and said "Uhm... No.. No.. I don't have her number..."

At that moment, Snowflaik pushed Deidre backwards, and pushed her to the ground. Then Snowflaik quickly went through Deidre's pockets. Found some small change in one, which she took out and put in her own pocket. In the other pocket, she found Deidre's cellphone. She took it from her pocket, and stood up again. Looking through the contacts in deidre's phone, she soon enough found Xianna's cellphone number. She copied the number to her own phone, and threw Deidre's phone back at her. "Here, and thanks!" She said laughing as she walked away.

When she was around the corner, she typed in a short message to Xianna. The message said "Xianna, I want to talk to you. Tomorrow morning at the gate to school! Be there! Snowflaik." And then she pushed the send button.

A few minutes later, she decided to add another message. And she typed "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you, just need to talk! It's your last chance to stop me from playin pranks on you"
 
(The next morning)

Though she was far from trusting Snowflaik, Xianna was at the school gate half an hour before school started. After all, she reasoned, what choice did she have? The humiliating fact was that when Snowflaik ordered her to do something, Xianna had to do it. Any defiance would mean she just got bullied more. And, for that matter, so would her mother, and that would lead to more teasing, and even more mortification. It meant that she couldn't arrange another "accidental" meeting with John, but that couldn't be helped. It was so unfair, to be a girl who wasn't any good at fighting, and with a mother who was too weak to protect you!

She did, at least, take the precaution of wearing her least ridiculous panties, the plain green ones which were almost the same as she'd seen other girls wear (save that hers were higher cut than the average) without any embarrassing floral design on them. And she'd taken care not to tuck her blouse into them. If she was going to have her skirt ripped off again, at least she'd make it as dignified as possible.

This, however, meant that she was constantly having to tuck the blouse back in, for her obsessive neatness could not tolerate the way it constantly rode up and came untucked. What with that, and the way her socks were constantly slipping down her skinny legs, she felt a total mess.

At least, though, that morning, she was spared the burden of her mother's company, and more pathetic excuses about how she wasn't really scared of Sianelle Leary. Xianna was by no means fooled by that. When Angela lied, her face went all guilty and she started blushing. And honestly, no-one, not even her clumsy mother, could fall over just like that! But, by leaving so early, she managed to get out of the house while her mother was still asleep. She looked in, very quietly, and checked. Yes, sure enough, there she was, lying on her side, breathing gently. She was wearing her pale green nightgown, the filmy one with the low-cut neckline, a total waste since, after dad had left, no-one had ever shared her bed.

She looked into the distance, and saw Snowflaik approaching. Her mouth felt dry and she knew she was starting to shake.

*****

John had decided to continue with his plans regarding the Fox women, but to try different tactics. His plan this morning was to call at their house, and use as his excuse that he had stopped by to walk Xianna to school. This, he knew, would reinforce the fact in the younger woman's mind that they were an item (since he knew Xianna was so shy and slow on the uptake, she might not otherwise realize it) and, should Angela be there too, it would give him the chance to see how she was thinking about him, after she'd had a night to think about it. If she got all indignant and ordered him from the house, at least he'd know how far his plan had been set back. He was prepared to face her wrath - after all, it was only Angela, and it was hard to be scared of a person so ineffectual!

Even John, however, did not get everything right, for he had forgotten the old adage that time spent in reconnaissance is never wasted! He was assuming either that Xianna would be there alone, or that both of them would not yet have left. Or the house would be empty, in which case nothing much had been lost since it was only a few minutes out of his way.

And, not knowing of the text that Snowflaik had sent Xianna the day before, when he rang the bell it was for a house that contained Angela, and not Xianna!
 
Angela hit her alarm unconsciously. but the ringing didn't stop. But wait, what was that, it's not the alarm. There is someone at the door. Who could that be. she glanced over to her alarm and realized it wasn't her alarm that rang. There was someone at the door.

"Damn," she thought, "who had the nerve to be at the door this early?" As she swung her legs out of bed, and yawned once. She put on her slippers and used the back of her hands to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"COMING!" She shouted down as she slowly walked the landing to the stairs and the doorbell rang again.

She walked to the door, still being half a sleep, and didn't even think of first looking through the spy hole. So Angela opened the door, and was shocked to see John standing there.

"Wha..." was all she managed to get out. As she saw John, she suddenly realized she was only wearing her nightgown, And in the middle of her own sentence, she slammed the door shut before John could even interrupt her. "Oh God..." she thought, as she leaned back against the wall. "How could I just show up at the door like this? What must he think now. God Angela, why are you so stupid to open the door like this?"

As she heard the doorbell again, she pleaded through the door "Please no... Please go away!?"

Then she peeked through the spy hole to see if John was leaving.

******************

Snowflaik was walking to school, and from far, she could see Xianna stand there waiting. "Good," she thought as a smile appeared on her face. Snowflaik hadn't expected to see Xianna this morning. Thought she would have chickened out.

"Hey," Snowflaik said as she walked up to Xianna. Snowflaik tried to walk up to Xianna as friendly and open as she could. Not trying to scare Xianna off. Snowflaik had been thinking about this all night, had hardly slept, and was certain she was doing something that needed to be done.

Snowflaik sat down next to Xianna, looked sideways at her, and took her pack of smokes from her pocket. "You?" She asked as she offered the pack to Xianna. She knew the older girl wouldn't want one, but it was her attempt to try and convince Xianna that she meant well. Snowflaik took one smoke from the pack and put it between her lips. As she lit it, and drew her first breath, she sighed.

"Listen Xianna, I know you don't trust me, and I know you have every reason not to trust me." She started off. "But I have been thinking the last couple of days, and made a decision. I know we won't be friends, that's cause we are much to different, but I do want to help you loosen up. Ya know what I mean? I want to help you get more confident, It's too easy to pick on you. There's no challenge in that. That;s also the reason I offered you to pull off my skirt yesterday in the canteen. I swear I wouldn't have stopped you." Snowflaik continued her waterfall of words, as she looked up at Xianna, and gave her a smile.

She realized all too well that it would be really hard for the girl to trust her, and to even allow her to help. But something had happened. She guessed it was when she noticed too many of her friends turning against her, after she had tried to get both Xianna and John in trouble.

"Listen Xianna, what ever you decide is fine by me. I want to help you. I offer you that I stop bullying you. And that I help you and maybe eventually become friends or whatever. And if you don't want to take my offer it's fine by me too. But just remember it's a one time offer, and if you say no now, don't expect me to offer you again."
 
The point of playing any game is the challenge. Attempt a thing that's too easy, and the fun soon goes out of it. Simply gaining Xianna as his girlfriend would have been so childishly simple that, attracted as he was to her, John might not have bothered. He had entered into this "project" as he was wont to refer to it, seeking excitement, and now, he realized, it was paying off! By suddenly shutting the door on him, actually resisting him (in however cowardly a way) Angela had presented just enough of a challenge to make this game interesting. There was now just enough of a challenge to make it worthwhile.

Yes, he had a lot to think about, as he made his way to school. He noted that Xianna had not been (as he'd half expected) at the place he'd encountered her the day before. That meant, possibly, that Angela was so mad at him that she'd warned her off him. Or, possibly, that she, Angela, still carried a torch for him and was jealous of her own daughter.

He remembered the few seconds sight he'd had of her before she slammed the door. With no make up on, and her eyes bleary with sleep, and that shock of red hair all disordered. And that sexy nightgown which clung like crazy, that even in that short time he'd been able to see right through, and which she had been almost spilling out of. And the look she'd given him hadn't been of hatred, more of fear. She'd actually pleaded with him to go away, as if she couldn't trust her feelings. He was sure that, had he persisted, she'd have backed down and let him in, for one thing he knew well about her was that assertiveness was not one of her strengths.

Well, the game had started. He was already tingling with the pleasure of it.

*****

Although still frightened, Xianna wasn't finding this meeting quite as unpleasant as she had feared. It had been quite good to be offered a cigarette, almost as if she were a normal person, one that got respect. And for Snowflaik to be actually seeking a favor from her, even if it was all an act, gave her the tiniest feeling of power. For someone used to always being the victim, that was a heady feeling indeed.

And, she thought, for that matter, was it necessarily an act? She knew that sometimes even bullies realized that they have gone too far, and suffer guilt. Maybe Snowflaik had genuinely come to understand what a bitch she was being. Maybe even, it was a case that bullying someone as weak as herself was less appealing than actually trying to help her change, so that the new, cool Xianna would be a bigger ego-boost to Snowflaik than being able to bully her. After all, for someone with so much street cred as Snowflaik, gaining more was always going to be difficult... but taking a previously totally uncool kid as one's protegee, and changing her into a hard case... that was always going to carry kudos.

And the clincher was - if Snowflaik wanted to bully her some more, she could do so whenever she wanted. She had no need to make this offer. It wasn't as if Xianna could escape.

"All right," she said nervously, biting her lip. "What if I accept. D-D-Does that mean you'll totally stop bullying and harassing me, totally, and making fun of me because my m-mum's so weak, and speaking to me respectfully? And... and what d-do I have to do in return?"
 
Angela went back upstairs, and knocked on Xianna's door "Xianna... Honey... It's time..." she calls through the closed door.

As there is no answer, Angela knocks on xianna's door again, only a little louder.

Again, there is no response, so Angela opens the door and steps into Xianna's room. "Xianna.... It's ..." Angela starts, but then she notices that there is nobody in the room.

That is an unpleasant surprise. Normally Xianna would still be asleep. This was the first time Angela didn't have to wake her up.

Angela walked back down again, but couldn't find Xianna anywhere. And there was no note, or what so ever. So she picked up her phone from the kitchen counter and punched a few buttons. Then she waited for Xianna to pick up her phone. But no matter how long she waited, there was no answer. The call did not even go to voice mail.

Now Angela was starting to get worried. What could she do... there had to be someone she could call for help.

Only one person came to mind. But did she really want to go down that route? She wasn't sure. But if there was one person who would know what to do, it would be John... Wouldn't it, after all he was a guy from the streets. And he had managed to find out where she worked within a day.

She remembered John had given her his number, and she started looking for it in her contacts.

As she find the number, she hesitantly hovers her finger over the dial button. For what seems like hours, but in reality is not even a minute. Then after she pushes the dial button, and puts the phone to her ear, she waits for John to answer. Her heart beating in her throat, her hands nervously plucking at her nightgown.

****************

"Yes, it means I stop making fun of you in front of others. I won't humiliate you, not will I tease you about your stupid mum. Hah... Have you seen my mum? As if she is Miss World" Snowflaik says to Xianna, as she takes another deep puff from her smoke.

"So what do you say? call it a truce ?" Snowflaik says, as she holds out her hand. "If you accept, well, I do expect you to do what I tell you. Of course you can always ask questions, but still I do want you to do what I tell you to. But it will mean you have to trust me. And I promise, I won't get you into trouble. Snowflaik continues. And adds in a really soft voice, which Xianna probably doesn't hear, "No big problems anyway".
 
John had been half expecting Angela's call, and had worked out exactly how he was going to play it. The righteous, put-upon victim!

"Yeah, and what do you want?"

"What?"

"So how's that my problem? No, I don't know where she's gone."

"(big theatrical sigh) Angela, I just do not BELIEVE this. I come over to your house to see Xianna, and you slam the door on me like I'm a piece of shit. And then, she goes missing, and you're straight on the phone to me. And you don't see how fucking rude that is?"

"For fuck's sake, Angela, there's no point sniffling like that. Yeah, for your information, I was hurt. It was fucking insulting."

"Yeah, well that's how it looked. Shit, I went out of my way to try and help Xianna, stop her being bullied. I even came and helped you out, when Snowflaik was hassling you, 'cos I know you're too weak and gutless to defend yourself. Then you storm out of that coffee shop, and slam the door on me. What am I SUPPOSED to think?"

"It's no good pleading and begging like that. Goodbye."

He cut the connection, and checked his watch. In his private bet with himself, he'd given her twenty minutes before she called again. In fact it was just a few seconds over seventeen. He let it ring a good few times, before answering.

"Yeah, what now?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, you said. Look, I hardly think someone came into your house and kidnapped her. You really need to... " (Another huge sigh, indicating his total martyrdom) "OK, I'll look around the school, and if I see her I'll tell her to call you. What? No, Angela, I can't. I can't force her to call you, or to come home. In case you don't know, that's illegal. OK, well, stay home. I'll call you if I see her, OK."

He smiled as he broke the connection for a second time. She was now eating out of his hand.

Half an hour later, having had his name ticked off at role call, and arranged one of his friends to cover for him ("He's got the squits, Miss. I think he had to run to the bog.") he made his way over to Angela's house, and knocked at the door. He wondered if she was still wearing her clinging nightgown.

*****

The day before, one of Xianna's dreams had come true - she'd got herself a boyfriend (even if he hadn't been seen since.) Now, today, it looked as if her other wish was also going to happen - one that was even less likely. She was fast realizing that Snowflaik wasn't playing a game, that she was genuinely contrite at what she'd done, and really wanted to help. At last... the thing Xianna had always wanted.

She actually had a friend.

Sure, it was humiliating having to accept tutoring on how to be cool from someone younger than yourself. But not nearly so bad as being bullied by them. She began tucking her blouse again then, realizing from Snowflaik's look how dweeby that was, instead gave a shy grin and pulled it our of the waist of her skirt entirely. It was probably the first time in her life she had willingly violated a school dress code.

"OK," she agreed, shaking Snowflaik's hand. "Give me one of those cigarettes, and then tell me what I need to do!"
 
The conversation on the phone was not really what Angela had expected. But she realized she had been too rude, to just slam the door in his face. But what else could she have done? She wasn't decent when he called at the door unannounced. Why had she gotten the idea he had been there to see her. Of course he had been looking for Xianna. They were in the same school after all, so of course he was looking for her.

As Angela only worked for the company 3 days a week, she had every Friday and Monday off. So today was her first day off. And she usually cleaned the house on Fridays. After the phonecalls she had with John, she didn't feel to well. She actually felt guilty for asking him to keep an eye out for Xianna. She tried again to call Xianna. But again, the phone went to voicemail. This time she left a message "Xianna, honey, it's mum, honey where are you? Please call me I'm worried..."

Then Angela went upstairs, changed into her home dress, which Xianna hated, and always said it made her look like a woman who walked straight in from the 50s. But Angela found the dress most comfortable on cleaning day.

Then, as she came downstairs again, she again tried to call Xianna. But of course there was no answer again. While she waiting for the phone to be answered, there was a knock at the door. She walked to the frontdoor, the phone still at her ear and opened the door, without taking a peek through the spy hole.

Just then the phone went to voicemail, and Angela said "John...?" followed by the disconnect button. "Wha... What are you d..d..doing here?" She asked. Knowing he should be at school, and worried that something bad had happened to Xianna, she started shaking, and ran her hand through her hair, followed by the plucking at her eyebrows.

Angela holds open the door for John, and steps aside, to let him in, as she looks up to him with fear in her eyes.

**********

Snowflaik smiled broadly, as she offered Xianna the pack of smokes. Xianna took one of the smokes, and looked up at Snowflaik, as she put the smoke between her own lips, and let Snowflaik light it.

Snowflaik had to laugh out loud after Xianna took her first deep breath of the cigarette. "Haha," she said "I should have warned you, everybody breaks out in sweat and coughing at their first smoke." She patted Xianna on her back with a flat hand.

"Well, what we are going to do first, is have a look at your wardrobe. Some of the stuff you wearing is so childish. And then we'll get you some cool stuff. And you'll be hanging out with me and my friends more. And finally, you have to earn our respect of course. Which you can do, by pulling a prank on someone. Teachers are bonus points."

Then Snowflaik saw a first grader walk towards school. She turned to Xianna and said, "There's your first test. See if you can get that girl down on the ground. Make sure everyone notices you doing it of course, otherwise there's no use in doing it."
 
John deliberately kept a stern expression on his face, as Angela opened the door. He was determined to make it plain he was still angry at her for her treatment of him, and that he was doing this only for Xianna's benefit. He stalked past her, into the passage, and saw for himself the doorway to the lounge, to which he made uninvited.

The problem was, it was a little to keep a stern expression on one's face when one is trying hard not to burst into laughter. He had only ever seen Angela in corporate attire before, and what she was wearing now had involuntarily caused his face to threaten to break into a guffaw. Unlike most women, she was obviously not nearly confident enough to wear modern attire, and the dress she had on looked like something Tara Gregson would wear in her alter-ego as "Alice" in "United States of Tara!" It was an off-white affair, calf-length, with a swirling skirt and a sleeveless bodice, and had probably been fashionable sometime around the very early sixties. Her hair was a mess, though she had obviously made some attempt to tidy it.

At first he ignored her question, and plonked himself on the couch, lighting a cigarette, and obliging her to scurry around and find the one ashtray in the house, for neither Angela nor Xianna (until today, at least) smoked!

"I found her," he spat out, keeping his mouth in a firm scowl. In fact, he'd simply sneaked a look at the register, and noticed she'd been marked off, then confirmed from one of his friends that she'd been seen talking to Snowflaik Leary - which probably meant she was going to be bullied, but that only suited his plans more, for then she would need comfort from him later. "She's at school, right where she should be, totally safe. To be honest, from what I've got from her, I think she's a bit embarrassed about you, which is why she isn't taking your calls."

He knocked ash into the ashtray, stood up, and ground out the butt.

"Anyway, I know I'm not welcome here, even though you don't mind using me when you need me. So I'll piss off, now."

*****

Xianna hesitated. Hanging around and being cool was one thing - actually bullying others was another. Having been bullied so many times, she knew how bad it could make you feel. Not to mention that it could get her into trouble.

On the other hand, if she didn't do what Snowflaik had said, that would be the end of them hanging out together. And Snowflaik would bully her even more. She had to do what she was told - for her own future peace. She squared her shoulders, stooped to hitch up her socks, remembered this was uncool, and straightened up again. Then she walked with what she hoped was a confident swagger (though it just made her look as if she had a really bad itch) towards the tiny 12 year old, who she dimly recalled having seen around the school.

"Hey, you, Moira Drumknott," she snarled, in what she intended to be a scary voice, but which came out as if she had a bad cough. The remains of her first cigarette were still making her throat tickle, and as she tried to snarl, she gave way to a bout of coughing. Every head turned to look at her - well, after all, hadn't Snowflaik said to do this as publicly as possible? "Yeah, you. I decided I don't like you, so I'm gonna push you over!"

Moira gave way to a fit of the giggles. Funny, she had never known Xianna Fox to make jokes with the younger kids, she was always too shy. And with a real bully, Snowflaik Leary, so close, doing a piss-taking impersonation of a bully seemed a dangerous activity.

"What are you laughing for, you cheeky little cow," Xianna went on, turning red, and trying not to stutter. She felt herself starting to shake, and just managed to hold herself together. After all, this girl was smaller than her, and five years younger. What was there to fear? She ran at Moira, growling, and at the last moment pushed out her arms stiffly, her palms outwards, to push the smaller girl over.

"Hey, what are you doing, you silly bitch?" screamed Moira, her eyebrows shooting upwards, as Xianna collided with her.

Unfortunately, Xianna was far too unco-ordinated for her push to be effective, and not nearly strong enough to push Moira over. Moira's initial amusement turned to anger as she staggered a few steps backwards, at this unprovoked attempt to bully her.

"Dirty cow!" she screamed. "Attacking me like that! What did I ever do to you?"

Angrily, she pushed back, and Xianna went flying, rolling over, her legs in the air, her skirt rucking up around her waist showing the green panties of which she had been so proud. "Fucking nerve," Moira continued, stalking away, dusting off her hands.

Xianna sat on the ground, blushing furiously, trying not to burst into tears!
 
Angela was completely overwhelmed with the aggressive attitude John displayed to her. "I uhm... uhm... You..." She tried to apologize, but John had surprised her and she was to overwhelmed to even think straight. The way he had barged into the house, had done the trick, as she had displayed to him when she handed him the ashtray. Normally Angela didn't allow guests to smoke in the house, but she hadn't even questioned John's cigarette, and just got him the ashtray.

She was very relieved that Xianna was okay. She had known deep inside that it was probably nothing, but still she worried when things didn't go the way they usually went. She stood there watching him for a while, as she was nervously adjusting her dress.

"No.. Please... s...stay a little longer...," Angela pleaded to John. "I am sorry I was so rude earlier. Really I am, its just that... that... uhm well... I uhm didn't expect you uhm at the door..." Angela said, as she ran her hand through her hair. "Maybe uhm... You uhm like a drink?" She asked as she made her way to the kitchen. Not waiting for an answer, she walked into the kitchen to make her and John some coffee. But as she passed the mirror in the hallway, she realized she was wearing her old dress, and her hair was a mess too.

She was embarrassed with her own appearance, and brushed her dress, trying to neaten it a little better. She also used her hands to brush through her hair, trying to fix it up properly. But she saw that it was no use, her hair went all ways, but the way she wanted it to.

She continued into the kitchen and made 2 mugs of coffee. Not knowing if John took milk or sugar, she put both jars on a plate, together with the mugs, and walked back to the living room, where she hoped John would still be sitting.


*****************


Snowflaik burst out laughing at the failed attempt of Xianna trying to bully the 12 year old. As she saw it all went wrong, she hopped off the wall she had been sitting on, and walked over to Xianna still laughing, she held out her hand to Xianna.

"Come on Xianna, you can do better then that. Don't worry about it. Guess you're no good for bullying, that's okay. It was just a test to see if you would have the guts to at least give it a go." She said as she pulled Xianna to her feet.

"At least you've got more courage than that dumb mum of yours. Did you know she even hid in the bushes the other day, because she saw me coming? I bet she didn't even dare tell you did she ?" Snowflaik said, as she patted Xianna on her back.

"Let's go in, I'll meet you after school again, and we'll work on your looks. We have to at least get you some decent panties, instead of these stupid childish panties." Snowflaik said, as she gently pushed Xianna towards school.

Snowflaik was still laughing, but inside she realized the task she had taken on, would be a lot harder then she had expected. Damn this girl was almost crying again, and let herself get pushed over by a 12 year old nerd.
 
It really was all so easy, thought John.

Most adult women, when a young school kid burst into their house, would have immediately asserted their authority, and either kicked him out or, at least, made him mind his manners. He'd lit the cigarette as an experiment, knowing instinctively that Angela was not the sort of woman who would smoke, and the experiment had worked perfectly, and told him all he needed to know. She was so frightened of everyone she encountered, so totally submissive, that she would defer to anyone she encountered, even within her own domain. The way she had scuttled to find an ashtray, and then hurried off to make him coffee, showed just how in thrall she was, to him, or to anyone else who chose to assert their authority over her.

The best of it was, it was obvious that at some deep level, Angela knew just how pathetic she was, and was resenting it, was angry at herself. She would obviously have preferred to be assertive enough to protect herself, resented the way everyone she encountered humiliated her, but was impotent to so anything to prevent it. The way she kept fussing with her hair, smoothing her dress, showed how nervous she was, how keen to make a good impression, like a nervous young girl desperate to stand well with adults. As if their age roles were reversed.

It struck him that with very little effort, he could do whatever he wished to her. He could make her kneel before him to serve the coffee. Take off all her clothes. He could make her hand him the keys to the house, or take her sexually. Whatever he wished to do. She was fortunate, he reflected, that he had some regard for her, for though he was not above enjoying her helplessness, he would not do anything that might harm her.

When she returned, shaking so much that the coffee was spilling over the mugs, he took the tray from her and set it at the small coffee table by the couch. She went to sit on an armchair, still plucking at her dress and pushing ineffectively at her hair, and sat down, crossing her legs and nervously tugging at the hem of the dress, though in the brief second or so it took her to seat herself, he was able to verify that she was not wearing her spanx today, and instead had on a pair of shiny, cream-colored panties.

"OK, then, I guess I can stay a while," he replied, still faking anger at the way he had been treated earlier. The way that even in her own house, she was looking demurely down at the floor showed that he was very much in command. "Look, Angela, I know why Xianna won't return your calls. She didn't say it outright, but she let slip enough to make it obvious - she isn't much good at hiding things."

He sipped his coffee, enjoying her apprehension.

"She's ashamed of you. Ashamed of the way you can't protect her, so all the other girls bully her. Of the way you let other women victimize you. Of how you can't get a boyfriend. Sorry to tell you, Angie, but she thinks you're a total loser."

He locked eyes with her, to see what she would say in response.

*****

It was coming home to Xianna that having Snowflaik as a friend was almost, if not quite, as embarrassing as having her for an enemy. At least being bullied by Snowflaik wasn't quite as humiliating as losing a fight to a 12 year old. And when Snowflaik mentioned her mother, Xianna felt her humiliation meter shoot off the scale. To have a mother so uncool and useless was the worst burden an insecure young girl like her could carry. Had she learned that Angela had been bullied by Sianelle Leary again would have been bad enough. To learn that even Snowflaik could terrify her, forcing Angela to hide in the bushes, plunged Xianna's self-esteem to even lower depths. She felt ready to burst into tears.

It was almost a relief when Snowflaik switched the conversation to one that, ordinarily, would have been embarrassing in itself. To have her best, sexiest panties mocked was deflating, but less so than having her mother laughed at. Not that it was any picnic in itself. At first, she thought of inventing a lie, claiming that she was wearing this pair only because it was a certain time of the month, but she remembered that Snowflaik had done so many things, such as flipping her skirt up or ripping it off, that this lie would not work.

"M-My mother won't let me wear other p-p-panties," she admitted, in a small voice. "She says only fast girls wear g-strings and stuff. Oh, Snowflaik, it's so unfair. I want to be cool, I really do, but with a mother like hers, it's hopeless. Oh, can't you help me. Can't you help me be like you?"
 
Of course Angela knew that Xianna resented her lack of courage and she also knew that Xianna was very much aware of the fact that Angela told her a lie every time she was bullied. But she hadn't realized how much it made Xianna feel ashamed of her. It hurt her tremendously when John told her. She wanted only the best for her daughter. But the words John said to her made her realize how incapable she was of protecting Xianna and even worse how big the impact of her own insecurity was on Xianna.

Angela had to fight hard to try and keep from crying in sorrow for her daughter. There had to be something she could do to make Xianna feel better about her. There just had to be.

Angela just looked at the mug of coffee in her hands, and saw her own hands shaking. She just sat like that for a long time. Not daring to look up at John again. until she finally found a way to speak. "S.. She.. really thinks that ? " Angela asked with a squeaky voice.

Her eyes were still on the mug, and she just didn't know what to do anymore. Here she was, sitting opposite a boy Xianna's age, and feeling so bad, oh how much she longed for a man in her life, who would help her protect Xianna. The poor girl was suffering so bad because she was so incapable of protecting her.

"J... John...?" Angela said in a really weak voice, "Wh... What... Can I do...?" She asked. "H... How can I show Xianna that I can protect her? She started to sob, as she continued "She.. She.. I.. I.. I want to help her John.. But its just... there's... Oh please John, am I really such a bad mother for my little girl?" Angela managed to get out in her still weak and sobbing voice.

****************

"Xianna, listen to me. You think it's easy to be me? Well, you're so fucking wrong. You think my mum is cool and easy? Well she isn't you know. My mum is just a stupid as your mum is, only in a completely different way. My life isn't as easy as I make it look. People expect me to bully you, and to bully others. Meanwhile, the childservices are bugging us, because of the problems I can't seem to get out of. Threatening to take me away from home." Snowflaik said as she didn't look Xianna straight in her face, but had her head down, and drew lines in the sand on the pavement.

"But," Snowflaik continued, as she looked up at Xianna with a smile on her face, "I will help you change a bit. We'll make you a bit cooler. Okay?"

The Snowflaik turned around, and walked towards the school entrance. She knew Xianna would follow her, and said "Just make sure you are here after school, and we'll start changing you. And for now, just piss off, and let me be."

Snowflaik walked up to her friends, and one of the girls, Janet, a tall girl, who had died her hair white with pink strips at the ends, asked "Hey Snow, what ya doing with that stupid loser?"

Snowflaik walked up to the girl, and stood right in front of her really close. She was a lot smaller then the tall girl, but Janet backed up slightly, as Xianna said "Listen Janet, you mind yer own business and leave me be okay," and as she turned around and looked at each girl and boy in the group she continued "If I catch either of you bugging her, you'll get me on yer ass okay. So leave it, and you'll find out soon enough."

The other kids in the group saw the look in Snowflaiks eyes, and realized she meant what she said and that she was planning on something, they'd better not interfere with.

Just then the last bell rang, indicating the start of the school day. Again Snowflaik would be in her class too late. But she felt good about it for a change, she felt good about her decision to help Xianna. But she knew she had to keep it low profile so her mum wouldn't hear about it either.
 
John had really been a tiny bit hurt by Angela's running away from the coffee shop, and later, slamming the door in his face, though much of it had been the way this demonstrated he didn't have as much hold over her (yet) as he'd thought more than the insult. He had carefully faked his anger and indifference when insulting her, but his personality was not, by nature, sadistic, and the way Angela was obviously upset did melt his heart a few degrees. Not to mention that the sight of her, sobbing, trembling and blushing made her look amazingly sexy, the sort of woman you wanted to comfort and protect.

"Angela, it isn't your fault," he said, softly. "It's just that some women are more confident and stronger than others. Some of those stupid kids at school make fun of Xianna, saying her mum's a useless dweeb who can't fight, and she hates you at the moment because she's embarrassed by the way they make fun of you both. But that doesn't make you a bad mother. I mean, you're kind, and you care about her, and you work and support her. Not all mothers manage that. And hey, a lot of girls are embarrassed because their mothers are ugly, but Xianna can't complain there, can she, 'cos you're really pretty. All you need is a bit more confidence. And maybe," he winked, "some guy that appreciates you, and builds up your self-esteem."

And then, suddenly, with that rapid change of voice-pitch that he had perfected.

"Stand up. And come over here!"

*****

Xianna felt very weird as she sat in class. Her life had changed so much in just a day or so.

Two days ago, she had been the total loner, who no-one had any time for. Now, she had a boyfriend (and the thought of that still made her tingle inside) and a friend (well, sort of.) Somehow, despite being trashed by a girl five years younger than herself, he had managed to pass Snowflaik's test, and been accepted, on a kind of probation.

She thought about what Snowflaik had said, and it seemed to make sense. The younger girl probably, in her own way, was suffering just as much as she was. Sure, she didn't have to deal with humiliations like being bullied, or seeing her mother bullied, or having to wear ridiculous underwear. But having to constantly worry if social security was going to take you away from your mother, and having to live up to her hard reputation probably caused their own kind of stress.

And Mrs Leary, she saw was, in a way, just as pathetic as her own mother. OK, she didn't have to suffer the embarrassment of being bullied and mocked in front of her own daughter, but she did have to back down to whoever the government sent, and please them, just as much as Xianna's mother had to kowtow and back down to other women. And both of them, judging by what Snowflaik had said, were desperate to have men in their lives, yet unable to find anyone.

Xianna wasn't quite confident enough to leave her blouse untucked for the school day, and upon taking her leave of Snowflaik had retired to the washroom and tucked it in, but inside her mind she was now a hard street girl, the friend of the ice-cool Snowflaik Leary, and the girlfriend of the tough, capable John Hartfield. If only her mother wuold stiop being such a dweeb, she thought, things might be looking up in her life at last!
 
Angela was in thoughts, feeling really sad. The words John had said to her had really hit her hard. It wasn't like she didn't know Xianna loves her. And it wasn't like she didn't realize Xianna resented her mother for not being able to support and protect her. But it was another thing, to be told so by someone else.

She was sobbing and smiling all at the same time. It had been so long ago since anyone had said to her that she was pretty. She didn't feel pretty at all. Though she did her best to always look good, she never really had the feeling she was pretty. And now a young boy told he She was pretty. That did something to her. She was still sobbing, but managed to give him a tiny smile.

Then as if struck by lightning, Angela got to her feet. She stood in front of the chair she had been sitting on, and ran her hand through her hair. Then took off her glasses, and held them in one hand, as she used the back of her other hand, to clear the tears from her eyes, before putting the glasses back. Then her hands dropped to her side, and started fumbling with the hem of her dress. She was contemplating what to do. She didn't want to insult and make John mad again, like when she had thrown the door in his face. But was she going to let a young boy order her around ?

Well obviously she was going to let him boss her around. As she walked towards John slowly. With both her hands fumbling at the hem of her dress, which suddenly felt so silly. If she would have known John would come by, she wouldn't have worn this dress. But now, she felt so stupid in this dress, she wished she had worn her jeans, which she had only one pair off, but she wore them usually on her day off.

Then when she reached John, she stood in front of him, her knees shaking lightly, and her hands plucking at the hem of her dress, as her eyes were turned down, looking at her own feet. Why the hell did she do as he said, he hadn't even asked her, no her had ordered her, and she was just going to follow his orders? Angela was full of doubts and just didn't know what else to do anymore, but wait and see...

*************

Snowflaik got into several arguments during the day, mostly from friends who didn't understand why she was talking to that stupid Fox girl. They couldn't understsand what her business was with Xianna, nor did they want to know. It seemed like a lot of Snowflaik's friends were turning their backs on her. Accusing Snowflaik of double crossing them, making them look bad and things like that.

At one moment during the first break, she got into a fist fight with Charley, a 14 y/o who was stupid enough to call her a bitch in her face. Well if there was one thing Snowflaik would never accept, it was a younger boy calling her a bitch.

The boy was a little stronger then Snowflaik, but she did manage to give him 2 black eyes, where he only managed to give her 1 black eyes and some scratches on her lower arms. Not to mention the teeth mark in her upper arm, when he felt he was going to loose, he had bitten Snowflaik. That cost him a lot of support from his friends. But at least didn't make him look that bad. As it gave him an opportunity to plant his fist up against Snowflaiks left eye.
 
It was amazing to John how easy it was to make Angela obey him. Perhaps it might have been possible to manipulate a kid of his own age this way, but for a fully grown woman to do exactly as he said, without being able to control herself, was something else again. He watched as she fussed with her hair, wiped her eyes, tugged down the hem of her dress. Her eyes were still red-rimmed from crying, and there was the beginning of a blush on her face. Obviously, a lifetime of being dominated by others had broken down all her resistance. She no longer had agency or control over her own actions. One had only to speak firmly, in a tone that expected to be obeyed, and she would comply.

It was a good thing, John reflected, that it was he, who had some regard for her, that was in control. A truly unscrupulous person might do anything to her.

Instead, he did things that he enjoyed, yet would not harm her. They simply demonstrated that she was under his control.

Firstly, he reached up and gently fixed her hair, pushing the fringe of her red hair back, out of her eyes. His hand came away slightly wet, showing how strongly she had been crying. Normally, for a 16 year old kid to do this uninvited to a woman, and in her own house at that, would have invited a wrist-slap at the very least, but Angela made no move to resist.

Emboldened, he hooked his finger under her left bra-strap, that had slid into view at the armhole of her dress, and slid the strap back into place. Softly pushed open her lips, and wiped his finger over her teeth, to remove the lipstick that marred their perfect whiteness. Then he reached down, grabbed the front of the hem of her dress and tugged it sharply downwards, removing the worst of the wrinkles that had formed around her midriff as the dress had bunched up.

Then he took both of her hands, held them up to his mouth, palm down, and kissed the back of each one in turn. He parted them, leaned forward, and moved his mouth to hers, meeting her lips with his, and sliding his tongue, just once, into her mouth.

Then, abruptly, he stood back, smiling, awaiting her reaction.

*****

Xianna was undecided as to how to spend that lunch break. A few days ago, she would have sought out some hiding place, to avoid the constant bullying and humiliation that followed her wherever she went. The library, perhaps, or the seat near to the staff room, or some place at the rear of the playing fields where she could be alone. Now that she could go wherever she wanted, without fear (for no-one would mess with Snowflaik Leary's friend) she was at a loose end.

Her first thought was to seek out John, but he was nowhere to be seen, which didn't surprise her overmuch. She knew that he tended to come and go as he liked. In any case, to go looking for him showed how desperate she was to see him... and even Xianna knew, that was hardly the way to keep a guy interested. It was the same with Snowflaik. If she got too pushy, she felt, Snowflaik would soon grow tired of her. The younger girl had specified they'd meet at the end of the school day. Pushing herself on her before then could well end the delicate semi-friendship they'd built up.

And then, an idea came to her. She remembered that in the food cupboard at home was a tin of red salmon, one of her favorite foods. Instead of eating in the school cafeteria, the same old pasta, or shepherd's pie, or fish and chips, or whatever delicacy they had today, she'd sneak off home, have a salmon and mayonnaise sandwich with fresh brown bread, and a proper brewed coffee. It wasn't far, and she could easily be back before the lunch break was over. Then, not only could she have an enjoyable lunch for once, but would, that evening, be able to airily drop into the conversation "Oh, I didn't stay at school, today - decided I felt like going home. Yeah, sure, I know it's against school rules - so?" Which would not do her street-cred with Snowflaik any harm.

And so it was that about the time John was calling Angela towards him, Xianna was half way home, entering the alleyway that led to her street.
 
A shiver ran down Angela's spine, as she felt John's tongue slide between her lips into her mouth. She had completely lost it when John started his seductive play with her hands, and now when his tongue slid in her mouth briefly, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his tongue in her mouth. As he stepped back, she still had her eyes closed, and her mouth slightly open. Angela's nerves were tight and tense and the kiss had made her feel like a drug. Now she wanted more, but still her thoughts were objecting and pushing away her feelings. "This can't happen, no no no... This can't happen, I can't let this happen" raced through her mind, but her body told her differently. She now realized more then before that she needed this, she needed a man to touch her, to seduce her, to hold her.

As the seconds passed, and Angela stood there with her eyes closed and mouth open, she slowly opened her eyes, and looked up at John, with a look of fear on her face, and she tried to speak, but was completely unable to form any words. She had her eyes on John, and wanted to walk up to him, to move her own mouth to his, to take the lead and kiss him again, feel his tongue in her mouth again, taste his mouth, but her feet felt just as numb as the rest of her body.

All she could do, was drop her gaze to the floor, and she just stared at her own feet, not knowing what to do next. Then, in a bold moment, she finally dared to take a step forward, and moved closer to John, standing really close in front of him, she let her eyes slowly move up his body, taking in his slim and boyish figure. She realized she shouldn't do this, but her body was so full of desire. When her eyes met his, she leaned forward a little, until her mouth was close to his mouth, and she whispered "Ohhh John... We.. I... We... can't do this... I'm.... You are... You are so young.." She managed to say, as she knew he could feel her breath on his mouth as she said that and she had to resist to not press her mouth onto his mouth. Instead, her eyes focused on his lips, as her hands were nervously fumbling with the hem of her dress.

"Oh dear Jesus, I can't resist..." Angela thought, as she suddenly did press her mouth on his mouth, and kissed him, with her lips parted slightly, and her tongue slowly moving out, pressing her tongue against John's mouth.

Completely unaware of what was happening around her, Angela didn't hear a key being inserted in the frontdoor, nor did she hear the key turn or the door open.

******************

Snowflaik watched from a distance, as she saw Xianna leave the schoolyard. Just a few minutes before Snowflaik had given another one of her friends a few punches because of some lame remarks she had made about Xianna. Snowflaiks friends didn't know why and what had made Snowflaik change. And most of her friends at school didn't like the change. Snowflaik just wasn't fun to be around anymore. Sure she still had a big mouth and she still had the guts to do anything, but something about Snowflaik had changed since the day before. And her friends didn't like that.

As Snowflaik saw Xianna leave the yard, she didn't think for too long, and decided to follow Xianna from a distance. Just to check what she was up to. Xianna never had had the nerve to leave the school yard during the day, but now she was. "Just what is that girl up to?" Snowflaik asked herself.

When Xianna was halfway down, Snowflaik knew where she was going. "She's going home... What for..." she asked herself, she still was following Xianna from a distance.

She was in the alleyway, from where she had a good view of the house where Angela and Xianna lived, if she stood at the left side of the alley, she could see the front door to the house, and she just stood there, as she watched Xianna open the door and go inside.

When the front door had closed again behind Xianna, Snowflaik contemplated shortly, to go back to school, but decided to see if there was a way for her to peek in and see what Xianna was up to. So she moved swiftly, and ran across the street. Then she slowly moved towards the Fox home, and tried to see if there was a way to peek inside from the front. The window curtains were fully closed, so there wouldn't be an option to peek from here.

Snowflaik walked a little further up the street, until she reached an alleyway, which she thought would lead to the back entrance of the homes on this side of the street. She sneaked into the alleyway, and counted the number of houses down to where she thought the home of Xianna would be. There was fence around the backyard, but it wasn't too high, so if she had something to stand on, she could look over the top of the fence. Snowflaik looked around, and saw a rusty old metal garbage bin at the end of the alley way. She moved quickly and got the bin, which she then put behind the fence, and as she climbed on, she could just peek over the top the fence, and had a clear view of what was happening inside...
 
Xianna had really not expected anyone to be home today. Though she knew Friday was not one of the days her mother worked, nevertheless Angela usually did not sit home all day on her days off. She went shopping, or on other errands. She fully expected to have the house to herself.

Her original plan had been to head straight for the kitchen, to make the sandwich she craved, but as she entered she heard the sounds of movement from the lounge. Her mother's voice. The phrase "you are so young..." with a trace of fear and guilt, but then her mother habitually had that tone in her voice, no matter what was under discussion. And then came a small moan, which meant, Xianna suddenly realized, that Angela probably had a man in there with her.

While it was slightly embarrassing to accidentally overhear her mother obviously indulging in romantic interaction with a man, Xianna's main emotion was curiosity. After all, since she'd split with dad, mum had no been especially lucky in her romantic life. She had virtually thrown herself at man after man, and been rebuffed every time, her obvious neediness and lack of confidence a millstone around her neck. Xianna did not begrudge Angela having found someone at last. "After all, I've got a boyfriend," she thought, happily. "Why shouldn't mum? It's probably that guy from the bakers."

True politeness, of course, demanded that Xianna either ignore the situation entirely and go about her business, or at least cough loudly and give her mother and the unknown guy a chance to break whatever clinch they might have been in before entering. But she was intrigued to see what kind of man mum had finally managed to snare. So, feeling a bit guilty, she crept up towards the door and peeked around.

And then, her mouth fell open in a scream, and she stormed into the room.

"YOU!" she screamed, staring at John, who looked back at her with a mocking smile, totally unashamed at what he had been doing.

Xianna felt as if she were in some kind of weird dream. There was mum, her dress all crumpled up, her face red with blushing, and obvious signs of having been crying. John, looking totally in command of the situation, smiling at them both. Xianna was torn. Part of her wanted to scream abuse at him. As if cheating on her wasn't bad enough, to do it with your own girlfriend's mother!!! But the other part of Xianna wanted to do exactly what Xianna always did when she saw John. Her own face colored up into the usual blush, she found herself stooping to pull up her slipping socks, hastily tuck in her wrinkled blouse, push at her flyaway hair.

"Oh, hi, babe," John said, walking towards her and kissing her. Xianna returned the kiss, totally helpless in his presence as she always was. But she fought within herself, forcing herself to be strong.

"J-Just what's going on here," she said, glaring daggers at her mother. "I don't believe this! That happens to be my boyfriend!" At her own words, Xianna felt her blush going into overdrive. It really was an awkward situation. And the way John did not seem the slightest bit upset at being caught was making Xianna totally flustered.

Though John looked outwardly calm, he was hiding the fact that he was squirming with delight. The fact that both the Fox women were staring with hatred and jealousy at each other, both of them blushing beet-red, was an huge sexual charge to him. Had it been any other two women, they would have probably leaped at each other, but since both Angela and Xianna were cowards he knew that was a bonus he couldn't expect! He watched with interest, to see how they would both deal with the situation...
 
Angela was shocked. Caught by her own daughter, she felt like a little kid who got caught stealing candy. Her face turned completely red, as she fought back the tears. "I.. I... uhm..." Angela stuttered, as she couldn't find a single word to say. She looked at Xianna, and saw her daughter blushing, but she could also sense the anger her daughter tried to hide from her.

Angela just stood there, not knowing what to do, and again tried to speak "I... Y..Your boyfriend?" was all she managed to bring out. Her voice was completely unsteady, and she looked from John, who was smiling at both of them, to Xianna, who was looking angrily at her.

Then Angela couldn't take it any longer. She walked really slowly towards Xianna, and knew she had to do anything to try and save the situation. "I... T... T...This isn't what you think honey," She started to say, as she stood in front of Xianna. Angela completely ignored John, and continued "J... John j..j..just came over because I... I... I was worried about you honey... Y..You were gone this morning and... and..."

Tears ran down Angela's face, as she realized the excuses she was telling her own daughter made no sense at all and were a complete waste of time. She ran her hand through her hair, brushing away the loose hairs that hung in front of her face. Again she looked up at Xianna, and she lifted her hand up to Xianna's face. With the back of her hand she brushed Xianna's cheek hoping Xianna wouldn't run away from her at the gentle touch. All Angela could think of at that moment was just how much her daughter had seen before she had burst into the room. And what was that she had said, was John her boyfriend? And now here she had been kissing her daughter's boyfriend, and how much further would it have gone if Xianna hadn't walked in on them.

"I.. I .. I didn't know honey... Honestly, I didn't know..." Angela pleaded at her daughter. "Please honey... please... don't get mad at me..."

*******************

"Was that John? And what the hell... that old bitch was all over him... Oh man.. this was so good" Snowflaik thought as she peeked in through the window. Then she saw the door open and Xianna walk in. Snowflaik was smiling and hoping for a good fight between the mother and daughter. She didn't get to see a fight however, and couldn't hear a word being said. But she saw everything that happened, from John kissing Angela, and then when Xianna came in, kissing her. Then she watched some more, and saw Angela approach Xianna, and lift up her hand.

But then, Snowflaik lost her balance, she tried to grab the top of the fence, holding herself up, but failed, and the metal garbage bin tipped over under her with a racket. Snowflaik fell down backwards. She landed on the ground, and bumped her head hard on the pavement in the alleyway.

She sat there for a few moments, cursing at herself for messing up again, and not being able to see what went on in the house. She just hoped that nobody heard the racket of the bin tipping over. With her hand on the back of her head, she slowly got up, and put the bin back up. Again she climbed on top of the bin slowly, and carefully peeked over the top of the fence to get back to the show...
 
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