mpmst1@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Michael P. Metlay) (11/27/90)
This work is copyright 1989 metlay, and is in the public domain for all forms of reproduction and distribution SAVE those involving sale of this material. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PART 8: This is how it ends Early May 1983 The Bandit blinked, and suddenly it was May. How the hell did this happen, he wondered idly to himself as he crossed the wide lawn before the Student Union, listening to the chatter and laughter of the May Day crowds, the last crazy dance before Reading Period and finals began. One minute I'm a freshman, wet behind the ears and pimply and terrified and excited and happy all at the same time, and the next thing you know it's almost over! The hot sun beat down upon his back and shoulders, turning his pale skin brown at the edges of his tank top. His jeans were hot and uncomfortable in the baking, humid air, but he still couldn't bring himself to wear shorts. His sandals, already worn through, chafed his feet as he stalked across the grass, looking idly from side to side at the revelers and the booths selling trinkets for the passersby: T-shirts with pictures of Marx and Einstein, beer mugs with the Arcadia seal on them, hand-carved wooden sculptures.... I'm alone, the Bandit thought, suddenly tired for some reason. I have friends everywhere, two women who love me, and yet I'm alone. Something's not right here. He stepped up to a vendor standing over a bucket of pint bottles in crushed ice, and dug in his pocket for a quarter. Money changed hands for a Fresca, and he sipped at it idly as he found a sunny spot on the grass that hadn't yet been trampled into soaking mud and sat down heavily. This was supposed to be the easiest time of my college career, he mused. Both of my majors completed, Honor Roll, credit hours and senior project up to par... I could flunk everything and still graduate. So why am I so tired all of a sudden? He belched loudly and grimaced. Because you're a workaholic, you asshole, he answered himself sharply. You live for work, you'll die for it someday, and you've immersed yourself in the hardest semester you've ever had, just to keep busy while the dreaded specter of Post-College Life creeps up on you.... It's better than thinking about other things, he pointed out. True, he replied ruefully. True. A pinwheel of color suddenly whirled across the corner of his vision. He turned to look, and smiled despite himself; it was Flower, in a flowered sundress, turning cartwheels on the lawn for a laughing Rainbow Wizard. He saw a flash of bare, tanned legs and pink panties for the barest instant, and his eyes narrowed speculatively. Well, there were a lot of things I didn't get a chance to do before I left, he thought philosophically. "Hey! Bandit?" Speaking of which, he sighed, looking behind him. Diva came strolling up to him, her pudgy legs tanning nicely in the sun and her breasts swaying under her loose, sleeveless sweatshirt. She was barefoot in the grass, and her face was made pleasant by an uncharacteristic smile. He nodded to her, and was surprised to see her sit down beside him. "What can I do for you , Diva?" "Oh, nothing," Diva smiled, tucking her mousy hair back under her headband. "Zero wandered off, and I figured he'd gravitate this way eventually. Have you seen him?" "Not all day," the Bandit replied. "I haven't really seen much of anybody all day, actually." "No! Really? I thought you always had a crowd around you," she teased. "Humph," he glowered. Then he smiled, a thought occurring to him. "I caught your Junior Recital last week," he said. "You were fantastic, as usual. Nervous, maybe, but fantastic." "Oh, well," she said, coloring slightly, "I was just upset about the way the jury handled the scoring. It was too damn arbitrary for me." She smiled again. "But Mama and Papa seemed to like it." "They were in the audience? I didn't see them." "Oh, they were there," Diva smiled. "They wouldn't have missed it for the world. Why didn't we see you at the reception afterwards?" Now it was the Bandit's turn to redden. "Oh, uh, well, I didn't think it would've been appropriate for me to show up," he muttered. "Not appropriate? Bandit, we've known each other for years!" She seemed genuinely offended. "If not you, then who?" "Oh, come on, Diva!" The Bandit's discomfort mingled with defensiveness. "You can't tell me you would've wanted me hanging out at your reception!" "And why not?" She raised a haughty eyebrow. "Are you implying that we think we're too good for you?" "I never said that," he huffed. "It's just that, well, you and I haven't always been on the best of terms, that's all. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." "Well, that's very solicitous of you," she sniffed, "But this was hardly a black-tie affair. I don't think anyone would have fainted if a few people in blue jeans had shown up to express their congratulations...." "A few--?" His eyes narrowed. "Diva, how many people showed up?" Her eyes were sad. "Maybe a couple of dozen, plus my parents." "Oh, shit." He met her gaze squarely. "Diva, I'm sorry, it just seemed that with all the suits and ties around I would've looked like a fool...." "Maybe you would have, if you'd come alone," Diva said hotly. "But where was everybody else?" "How the hell should I know? I wasn't about to herd them into the recital hall at gunpoint! If you like Mozart and Ravel, okay. If not--" He shrugged. "Your classical friends were all there, I'll bet." "Most of them." She sighed. "It's not important." The Bandit looked at her as she picked up a blade of grass and twirled it between her fingers. What happened to the regal Diva, he wondered, the haughty and proud mistress of the ivories? This is just a girl, fresh out of her teens and lonely. Where was she these past years? Why didn't I see her? "Diva," he said uncertainly, "I know we've had our bad moments in the past...." His voice trailed off. He suddenly realized that she was looking at him carefully, her china-blue eyes wide. Gamely he continued, "I just wanted to say that I, uh, I...." "Hey, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!" The Bandit turned around with a jerk, to see Zero standing behind him, holding an awkwardly-shaped package wrapped in his hand and smiling down at them. The Bandit stood up swiftly, as did Diva. She smiled at Zero, a happier smile than the Bandit had seen in a long time. "Just talking to your friend, here," she said with a laugh in her voice. "Are you ready for lunch?" "Yup. Starving!" "Great, so'm I. Bandit? Join us?" "Uh, no thanks," he said reflexively. "You two lovebirds go on without me, I'll be along as soon as I can scare up Blitz or Twink." "Suit yourself," Zero said mildly. Diva looked at the Bandit for a long moment, then suddenly hugged him swiftly and hard. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear. And then she was gone, hand in hand with Zero on their way to Scum Central. The Bandit stood there looking after them, savoring her scent and the soft, pillowy breasts that had pressed against his chest for the barest moment. Suddenly he looked down at his feet, remembering. "Aw, shit," he muttered to himself, more in defeat than anger, and picked up the spilled bottle of Fresca from the grass. Mid-May 1983 "Knock, knock!" The Bandit stuck his head in the doorway. "Hey, Twink? Is anybody ho--" His voice cut off abruptly. Twink was scrambling to her feet and facing him, out of the embrace of a tall, handsome blonde guy in a linen shirt and brown pants tied with a rope belt. "Hi, Bandit," she said, blushing scarlet. "I wasn't expecting you." "Apparently not," he replied mildly, burying his impulses (run away, cry, scream, commit acts of unspeakable violence) beneath a shell of instant calm. "Should I come back later?" "Oh, no! We'll be gone later! I mean, I finished my last exam this morning, and by tonight we'll be on the road back home!" She motioned behind her to the tall young man, who was standing up and buttoning his shirt casually. "I've wanted the two of you to meet each other for nearly a year now," she continued nervously. "Paladin, this is the Bandit." "Pleasure to meet you!" The Paladin flashed a perfect, winning smile, and held out a hand. The Bandit took it, returning the smile carefully. "Pleased." He paused a moment, letting go of the hand. "You came down here to pick her up?" "Yeah," the Paladin nodded with an easy smile. "We'll load up my truck with her things and hit the road for North Dakota by dinnertime. We hope to be well on our way by nightfall...." He ducked his head, a sad expression fleeting across his rugged face. "Sorry we won't have a chance to get to know each other better...." Yeah, I'll bet, thought the Bandit, as he spread his hands with a forced smile. "These things happen," he said. "There'll be other times." "Will there?" The Paladin looked puzzled. "I thought you were graduating this year." "I am," the Bandit replied calmly. "Why should that stop me from seeing Twink every now and again?" "Hm," was the thoughtful reply. "You're right. You're right. Sorry." "No problem." You sleazebag. "Bandit, we'd love for you to come to dinner with us before we leave," Twink said brightly. "We could talk--" "I'm afraid not," the Bandit interrupted her. "My last exam's tonight, and I have to study. I came over to say my goodbyes." He turned to face the Paladin squarely. "Will you excuse us for a minute?" "Sure," the Paladin grinned. "Take your time. Should I step outside?" I'd love to ask you to step outside, you grinning gigolo. "No, thanks. We'll step outside." He motioned to the door, and Twink stepped out into the hallway. He followed her, shutting the door behind them. "I'm sorry," Twink whispered urgently. "I didn't want to surprise you like this...." He laid a finger on her lips, shushing her gently. "It's okay," he said. "I knew this day would come. I want you to have a safe trip home, and stay in touch with me. You have my address and phone number?" "Of course. I'll call or write when I get a chance, I promise. Bandit, please don't be sad. I'm going to be happy at home, and I want you to be happy, too!" "I'll do my best," he said with a little smile. "Can I kiss you goodbye, at least?" "Just try to leave without it," she replied, her eyes shiny with tears. He took her in his arms and reveled in the feel of her soft, yielding curves one last time: her breasts, the flare of her ribs, her waist and hips, her gentle touch on his lips.... He broke the kiss, sadly but firmly. "Goodbye, love." "Goodbye...." Twink reluctantly pulled her arms down from around his neck, half turned to open the door, then suddenly threw herself into the Bandit's arms, hugging him so hard he thought he'd faint. "Oh, Bandit, I love you so...." He hugged her back, hard. "And I love you, Twink. Always will." "I know...." She pulled away again, sniffling. "Excuse me, I gotta go blow my nose...." She turned away and ran down the hall, pushing open the door to the women's room and vanishing. The Bandit watched her go, tears welling up in his eyes. He looked back at the closed door, and something hot, suffocating and thick welled up in his throat, threatening to choke him to death on the spot. He threw the door open and glared at the Paladin, who'd looked up from reading one of Twink's books in surprise. "You take care of her, Paladin." His voice was an evil hiss. The Paladin's eyebrows raised, and he smiled. "Oh, I plan to." "Yeah, well try to do a better job than you did popping her cherry!" "She told you about that?" The Paladin's smile vanished. "You bet your ass she did. I don't care what she thinks of you, Paladin; you're a snake in the grass, in my book. And God help you if I find out you've hurt her...." "Are you threatening me?" "No." The Bandit's arm arced upward in a blur, and the Paladin heard something whip past his ear and bury itself in the wooden bookcase beside him. "I'm making a promise." And with that, the door slammed and the Bandit was gone. When Twink came in a few seconds later, the Paladin was still staring at the knife, inches from his face. "Darling, what's wrong?" He turned to her, his voice thick with disbelief and rage. "Your ex-boyfriend just tried to kill me!" Twink looked at the knife and smiled. "No he didn't," she said with a self-assurance she'd never felt in quite the same way before. "At this range, if he'd wanted to kill you, he would have." She strode over to the bookcase and retrieved the knife with a tug. It was his favorite throwing dagger, the black U.S. Air Force survival blade with the hammer butt. She stood staring down at it, tears in her eyes. "You want to go give it back to him?" The Paladin sneered. "No, I'm keeping it," Twink said softly. "He left it for me, to remember him by...." Her voice broke. She stepped into the other part of her room, closing the door behind her, and he heard rummaging sounds, followed by a nose being blown violently and a couple of loud sniffs. The door opened, and Twink came out, all smiles and with only the barest hint of red in her eyes to show that she'd been crying. "Let's finish packing, sweetheart." He smiled and gave her a comforting squeeze. "I know he meant a lot to you," he said softly. "But you'll see him again...." He began to pack books from the shelves into the crates she'd bought for the move. Twink stepped past him, reaching for more books, and froze as her gaze wandered outside her window. A lonely figure was standing out in the rain, staring up at her. As she watched, it waved something and carefully set it down at the base of a nearby tree, almost invisible in the grey afternoon. With a final wave, it turned and ran off into the rain. It was the Bandit. He'd left behind the sheath for his knife. Twink smiled and turned to her task with a will, humming Stravinksy to herself. I'll pick it up on the way to dinner, she thought happily. That guy. Trust him never to do anything halfway.... "What are you smiling at?" The Paladin grinned at her. Twink leaned forward, kissing him soundly. "I am thinking," she whispered, "Of the man I love more than anything else in the world." "Mmmm," he said approvingly, dropping his armload of books and wrapping his arms around her, bearing her down onto the bed. Goodbye, Bandit, she thought as waves of pleasure swept over her with his wandering hands. Be as happy as I will. Please? Late May 1983 "I can't help but think that this will be the last time we'll ever be doing this," the Bandit said softly, his hand tracing the ripe curve of Blitz's hip. "Oh, don't get all drippy and sentimental on me, you jerk," Blitz laughed, rolling over and pushing him onto his back. "You know damn well that it won't be the last time! You're coming out to the shore to visit me this summer, and we're going to fuck 'til we drop for two weeks! So think of it as a temporary goodbye, and concentrate on making it a good one, okay?" He found himself smiling back at her. "Okay, I won't argue." "Why the hell'd I ever have to fall in love with you, Bandit?" She straddled his hips, gently caressing his hard, pulsing member. "It was so much easier when it was all just lust, when you were fucking me to make Starch mad and I was fucking you because my boyfriend wanted to sleep three nights a week...." She slid forward a little bit and began to rub her labia over the underside of his penis, wetting it with her juices and sighing with the pleasurable ripples it sent up and down her nerves. "Not for me, it wasn't," the Bandit said between sighs. "I can't just fuck a woman because of a physical attraction...there has to be something emotional there...." "Why?" She stopped what she was doing and looked down at him, hands indignantly on her hips. "Why?" "Because if there isn't," he replied, reaching up to gently fondle her breasts, "Then we're no different from rutting animals." "I have bad news for you, Bandit," she sighed as her wide, purplish- pink nipples swelled and hardened under his expert fingers, "We ARE no different from rutting animals. The emotional baggage is just manufactured bullshit, and we ought to be able...ooohhhhh....purrrrrrrr...to recognize it as such...." "Okay, then," he said impishly, "Answer your own question: why did you have to fall in love with me?" She grabbed his hands with hers, pulling them roughly away from her breasts. "Because I know the difference between making love and being in love, that's why! We made love for a long time, before I fell in love with you!" "Oh, really?" He began to move his hips slowly, rubbing his penis against her labia. "I was in love with you from day one...." "Then you're an idiot," she moaned, "Because you didn't take the time to really learn what was worth loving in me, you just tacked it on as you went along, starting with the sex...mmmmm...." "Maybe so," he admitted, returning to his nipple-play, "But we seem to have ended up okay, anyway...." "This time," she insisted, biting her lip to keep her thoughts in order. "You got started with me the same way you got started with Twink, or Teenie....you got into my pants, and then you decided you loved me. What the hell's going to happen when you start to think with your brain instead of your gonads, and make FRIENDS with a woman before you sleep with her?" The Bandit stopped what he was doing, thinking hard for a moment. Then he grinned, that old Bandit grin. "I'll probably get married," he laughed. "But for now, can we settle for a good, straightforward bye-bye fuck?" "Mmmmm, yes, you asshole," Blitz replied, reaching down and seizing his length firmly. "That'll...have to...doooooOOOOOOOO...." She lifted herself up slightly, stuffed the tip of his penis into her moist crevice, and sat. "Ahhhhh," the Bandit gasped as he felt her warm wetness engulf him. "I'm gonna miss this...." "So am I, you son of a bitch," she moaned, bucking up and down as his hands tightened over her breasts. "Too damn much for my own good...." "MMmf, gonna come soon...." "Come when you're ready...." "Sure?" "Yes, I'm sure." "Positive?" "Yes, I'm positive!" "Abso--mmph!--lutely?" "COME IN ME, ALREADY! You're turning purple!" "Okay--UNGH! UH! UH!" He heaved up to meet her and she sighed and moaned as his hot, sticky juices filled her to overflowing. She slowly settled onto him, a panting, sweating coverlet on his trembling chest. The same whispered question: "Did you come?" The same soft answer: "No. But you felt wonderful. Don't worry." Sigh. After a long, long while, she rolled off of him, his limp penis sliding out of her with a wet plop, and reached for the roll of toilet paper he kept by the bed to clean herself up. He followed suit, and kissed her breasts one last time as she fastened her bra and put on her blouse. They dressed quickly, and he held the door open for her as she left his room. The walk across campus to her dorm was made in silence. As they approached the front doors, she turned to him and gave him a quick hug. "See you in July." "I'm counting the days...." "'Bye." A light kiss on his cheek, and she swiftly stepped through the doors and vanished into a stairwell with a parting wave. The Bandit waved back, then sighed, thrusting his hands into his jacket pockets and turning for the short walk home. The beginnings of another storm began to patter raindrops on the leaves as he hunched his shoulders and hurried away into the night. Memorial Day, 1983 "Hey, Bandit! Looking sharp!" Zero looked the Bandit over, as he struck a dignified pose in his black gown and mortarboard. "Not bad, not bad. But I would've preferred paisley." "Gee, thanks." The Bandit gave him an affectionate squeeze. "It's gonna be a tough road without you, bro'. I'm gonna miss you." "That's how it works, kemosabe," Zero shrugged with a faint smile. "But we haven't seen the last of each other yet. You and Diva are from the same home town, right?" "Well, sort of," the Bandit said. "You've been there! It's nearly an hour's drive from her place to my folks' house. Are you going to visit her family over breaks?" "Probably not," Zero said with a grimace, "Seeing as how they don't approve of me. But we'll both be in your shoes next May, and if the job market's good I may decide to relocate! Sound good?" "REALLY? Oh, YEAH!" The Bandit hugged Zero hard, his mortarboard falling to the ground. "I can hardly wait!" "Great," Zero laughed, handing him his mortarboard. "What will you be doing this summer?" "I'll be staying in Arcadia, actually," was the surprising reply. "I got a good job offer, so I decided to try what you did last year." "Hopefully with better results," the Bandit said with a wry face. "Hopefully," Zero grinned quietly. "Well, they're lining up; good luck, kemosabe." He gave the Bandit one last hug, and walked off. The Bandit watched him walking down to where Conan and the Rainbow Wizard were standing at the edge of the Commencement crowd, a smile on his face. Zero living at home? YOW! The Dynamic Duo will ride again! "....Bandit?" The timid voice made him turn sharply, his smile vanishing. "What do you want?" His voice was cool. Mary Magdalene ran her hands down the hem of her dress, uncomfortable under his gaze. "I, I just wanted to say goodbye." She looked up at him pleadingly, her dark eyes meeting his. "I couldn't let you leave with things between us the way they are. I know we've hurt each other terribly, but that's as much my fault as your own. I just put too much of myself into you, too soon after the Rainbow Wizard. It wasn't all your doing...." He looked down at his feet, chafing in the unfamiliar dress shoes. "I know," he said softly. "I understand." "I'm leaving Arcadia," she said softly. He looked up at her, his eyes wide. "You're WHAT?" "I'm leaving Arcadia." Her voice was firm. "There are too many memories for me here, and not enough real opportunities. I'm going to New England, where my brother lives with his wife. They'll let me stay with them and help take care of their baby while I look for work in a recording studio or something." She smiled, the million-candlepower MaryMag smile that could take the paint off a rocket booster. "I used to dream dreams that were my own, not someone else's. I'm going to try to get them back." "I'm glad," the Bandit said. "At least you learned that much...." "I learned a lot from you, Bandit," she said. "I wouldn't have traded our time together for amything. I...I thought you should know that." She looked at him uncertainly. He smiled. "I know. And I want you to know that I feel the same." He blinked at her in the bright sun, and his smile turned shy. "Can I kiss you goodbye?" She nodded, laughing aloud. "Same old Bandit! C'mere." "Mmmmmm," he said, relishing her wonderful mouth once more. "Mmmm," she replied, squeezing him gently. Then the kiss was broken, and she waved a little wave with her fingers as she turned away and ran to join the crowd. He waved after her, licking his lips for the last of her taste. From the edge of the crowd, Conan saw the kiss, and shook his head in exasperation. "Geez," he muttered, "How does he DO it?" "He has the touch," Zero said softly, watching Mary Magdalene as she approached them with a smile. "He just...has the touch." The Bandit looked down the hill at the tiny knot of people that were his last friends in Arcadia. He waved, a goodbye that held the promise of fun and good times in the shadowy years that lay beyond college, and ran to join the line of gowns and mortarboards that was slowly beginning to move ahead. The familiar strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" filled the open courtyard as the Class of 1983, the Bandit in their midst, stepped forward to receive their diplomas and take on the world. -- Mail rec.arts.erotica submissions to erotica@telly.on.ca. Most software will automatically mail your postings to that address.