Seth’s Sex Adventure
Experimentation by Elysia Hansel
Determination by Emily Wheeler
To Start a Family by Jeremy Adams
“Here are your back door keys, lover boy!” Sam yelled through his truck window as he arced the keys over my head forcing me to catch them like a pop-up fly in the outfield. Sam’s red pick-up spun out as it turned on the gravel road and sped off. I looked down to my hand. The keys were so light, one small and silver, one thick and gold with the symbol of Ace Hardware engraved on the top. The original key probably had DO NOT COPY plastered all over it, but that was one of Sam’s little tricks. He knew people everywhere—especially the key department at Ace Hardware. For every job Sam ever had, he had a set of keys. He could get in and out of any door in our high school. We always had plenty of cigarettes and beer from the gas station, and now I had a place for me and Angela to go. I shoved the keys in my left hand jean pocket and began planning the night that I would lose my virginity.
Angela was seventeen and two years older than I was, and she certainly knew what she was doing with guys. I met her through Sam and his girlfriend Teresa who always hung out at Pete’s Park with the other rowdies. It’s funny, I never thought of myself as a rowdy kid, but Sam dares you to steal a few things and BAM! you’re one of the crowd.
I really like Angela (Angie, that’s what she lets me call her). She so sweet and gentle, likes all the same hard rock music I do, and even knows how to fix cars--now that’s my kinda girl. I smiled again as I thought how surprised she would be when I told her I got the keys to Sally’s Store (whose office has a fold-out couch). She’ll know this night is going to be special. Three nights ago we almost got caught by the sheriff down at the boat landing, but tonight we will have privacy, a bed, and candles.
I got into my white ‘89 Buick and sped home, I didn’t have much time.
- 6pm: take a shower, shave, wear the shirt Angie gave me last month for my birthday, and my Lucky brand jeans (it’s just too perfect).
- 7pm: grab car keys, store keys, and condoms courtesy of Sam and the gas station, and pick up Angie. I could pretty much guess how the rest of the night would go. We could eat dinner at Al’s Diner and cruise Main for a while. On normal nights we would pick up a big group of people, and end up drinking at Pete’s Park, but tonight was different.
We drove around with Sam and me in the front and Teresa and Angie in the back. I kept stealing glances of Angie in the rearview mirror—giggling with Teresa, putting on lipstick, lighting a cigarette. God, she was cute. In that little purple tank top I could see her bra straps and the two freckles on her neck that I loved to kiss. I wanted her so badly. I gave Sam the signal and we left Main street and headed north on some of the most secluded back roads. We were going to the big boulder just outside the county lines. As we were getting out of the car Sam asked me,
“Seth got some really good stuff, didn’t you?” It was only cheap champagne that I had “borrowed” from my parents’ liquor cabinet, but I decided that I would let Sam make me look cool.
“Yeah, it’s from France, real expensive and shit,” was my answer, but my voice cracked on the word “France,” making my cheeks turn bright pink. I looked towards Angela. She just smiled and grabbed my hand. We sat so close on the rock that I could smell the lotion on her hands. Watermelon musk. It reminded me of summer picnics. I put my arm around her and told her about the keys to the shop.
She took a swig of champagne from the bottle, leaned her head on my shoulder and whispered, “Then why don’t we get out of here and be by ourselves?”
I shivered all over. She actually wanted this as much as I did! This was going better that I had ever hoped!
I had planned it out so well, but I was still so nervous. When it came time to get down and dirty I got completely thrown off by Angie’s front snapping bra. I reached around back, felt nothing and freaked out, I mean if I couldn’t even get her undressed how was I ever going to Do It?
Angie calmed me down and showed me what to do. Part of me was grateful she knew what she was doing, and the other part of me felt like a retard for not being cool. The rest of the night went so fast, I barely remember if we talked afterwards. I fell asleep in her arms naked and as exhausted as the day I was born.
I didn’t really see much of Angie that summer. She got a job on her Uncle’s farm de-tasseling corn and I got distracted by Sam and our crazy parties we had out at Pete’s Park. I saw her a few times at school, but she was dating some older motorcycle guy. She talked different and looked different, and that’s when I realized, we really never knew each other that well. My first time was exciting, but I decided after that summer that I wanted the next time to be with someone I actually knew, someone I actually loved, someone who would love me back.
The bright sun of late August blinded me as I barged out of my university classroom, through the doors of Mossberg Hall—
“Excuse me,” I stuttered, as the bulb of a flash exuded its light into my eyes, further handicapping me. As the spots began to disperse, and my eyes cleared, I saw a leggy brunette lowering a camera from her face. As her features were revealed, I noticed her chestnut brown eyes under her annoyed and concentrated gaze.
“Don’t you watch where you are going?” she asked, while looking at me as if I had just run over her puppy.
“I am in a hurry and you are standing kind of close to the door,” I responded.
Boy, did this girl have an attitude, I thought. She then looked me up and down, obviously taking note of my wrinkled t-shirt and faded khakis.
“Well, I can’t imagine that you would understand, but I am practicing some close up photo techniques for my next class.” I will admit that all I carried was a pencil behind my ear, but this girl didn’t know me well enough to dismiss me.
“I apologize for interrupting,” I said warmly, immediately taking on what I saw as a challenge.
Cutting me no slack, her indifferent response was that I had caused her to drop and break her lens cover. I assured her that I would replace it and attempted to subtly gain access to her phone number.
All I got was the cold shoulder and her campus e-mail address. My next payday would be that Friday and I planned to set things right with her, hopefully changing her mind about me. Girls like her needed to be set straight about the value of an average “Joe” like me. As I watched her moisten a cleansing cloth with her mouth and apply it to the glass on her camera, I knew that I had many things that I wanted to show her.
Six months later, Mattie and I were still together. I was never quite sure what changed her mind about me. It could have been the lie that I told about my fish being named “Plato” and “Socrates” when they were actually called “Ren” and “Stimpy.” It didn’t really matter to me now. What was important was that we were at my apartment: alone. My palms felt clammy I noticed as I grabbed a couple of pop cans out of my tiny fridge. It annoyed me a little because women never made me nervous. I had been with my share, and this one was no different.
As I took my seat beside Mattie, I knew that we were going to make out, we always did. I could see the pink lace of her bra under her pale yellow t-shirt. We were seldom alone in my apartment, due to my two roommates, but tonight I had given them each ten bucks to find something better to do. It was what Mattie called our six-month “anniversary” and I figured that my chances to get laid were higher than normal.
Moving my way down her neck, I nuzzled open her top button with my nose. Her skin was so soft, so warm. Being faithful to her for six months had been a new experience for me, especially because she wasn’t exactly trying to satisfy my needs herself. The next thing I knew, she was raising my head and looking into my eyes, as she loosened the second button on her blouse, and then the third. I knew that her body was worth waiting for, but I hadn’t expected this.
I also hadn’t expected to be sweating bullets. “Is there anything wrong?” Mattie asked quietly, as we lay there under the covers. I quickly reminded myself that this one was no different. She is just a challenge to be overcome, I kept telling myself, but there was a feeling that I could not shake. In the back of my mind, I knew that Mattie meant something to me. I had let her get inside my head. Suddenly, I remembered something that my brother had said to me before I went away to finish college: “A man chases a woman until SHE catches him.” His warning was now too late.
For Mattie, I might even be willing to share a corner of my dresser drawer. Well, someday.
To Start a Family
Naked and frustrated, he flops back onto his side of the bed, turning away from her. “I know that you’re tired of all this, but the doctor said that we should keep trying for another six months. This is our last chance.” He smiles at her and caresses her body, hoping to get her in the mood. “We’ve both agreed that we wanted to start this family. We’ve just hit a snag, that’s all. Everything’s going to be all right. You still want a baby, don’t you?”
“Yes. I want this baby. You want this baby.” She turns off her lamp. The discussion is over.
Morning. Everything is flowing just like it shouldn’t be. Time to make the call. “Hello? Yes, I would like to set up an appointment to see Dr. Salman. Yes, we can both come in. Yes. Yes. Okay, 9:30 tomorrow. Goodbye.” Is it me?
The doctor’s office. “M’am, the doctor will examine you now. Sir, if you’ll just take this cup, go through that door, and enter the first door on your left. We’ll need a good sample from you.”
Cup in hand, he enters the room. This is so embarrassing, he thinks. He remembers back to when pornography was risqué, and sex was a pleasurable experience. Now he feels like a prime bull rented out to stud. He grabs a Playboy out of the extensive library and sets about collecting the sample.
He hands the sample to the nurse. “Here’s your sample.” He sits and waits for his wife. Please, God, don’t let it be her. She’d be devastated. He looks about him at the other nervous couples. The men all have a grim look about them. The women nervously wring hands in laps as they await their turn with the cold metal instruments. He knows what the men are thinking; he’s thinking the same thing. Will I ever get to play catch in the backyard? What about piggy back rides through the county fair with cotton candy and baseball caps? Little league and toy trucks?
“Sir?” The nurse interrupts his thoughts. “The doctor would like to see you in his office.”
He follows the nurse to the office. His wife is sitting in a chair in front of the doctor’s desk. He places a hand on her shoulder, and she moves her hand up to cover his. “Please, sir, have a seat,” the doctor says looking up from his paperwork.
He sits and holds her hand, “What’s the verdict, Doctor?”
“Well, it’s too soon to say yet. We’ve got to send the samples to the lab, but I wouldn’t give up hope yet.” The doctor smiles encouragingly.
“When will we know?” he asks, squeezing his wife’s hand.
“We’ll give you a call as soon as we get the results.”
They leave the office. He goes to work, nervous, worried. She goes home and knits pink stockings, hoping.