Juicy Secrets Forbidden Tales of Lesbian Love

By Unfastened Belts

I peeked out from behind the shed. Some kids were playing soccer not very far away, but they were engrossed in their game. I walked out ahead of Bo, who was carrying the change in one hand, our cookies in the other. I felt lightheaded and my body was hot. If Bo’s face was any indication, we were both still blushing heavily.

“You can go to the spot without me,” I told Bo. “I’m gonna be there in a minute.”

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“By the pool. I need to take a cold shower.”

“Oh yeah, that sounds about right. I’m going with you.”

We walked past the soccer field to the hedge, which was really a tall thicket of small trees and shrubs about four meters wide, with a few openings in it to get to the other side. “The smallest jungle in the world,” I said as we walked through it, which made Bo laugh.

We crossed the lawn on the other side and went down the large stone steps. There were a few showers by the poolside. We stopped in front of one, looking at each other. The showers only had cold water, and we were already dreading the icy ordeal to come. “You first,” Bo said as she put our stuff down on the step next to us.

I stood out of the way and pushed the button that made the cold water spray down. Slowly, I extended one leg into the stream, then the other, trying to get myself used to the temperature. I took a deep breath and moved directly underneath the stream.

It hit me like a fist, the water so cold that I was too paralyzed to scream. I turned around a few times, letting the stream rinse me all over, panting. After ten seconds or so I was out, almost aching but feeling refreshed.

I jogged in place, hugging myself as I waited for Bo to get done. A few seconds were enough for her as well. Once she emerged, we grabbed our things and ran back to our spot, knowing the water would shut off automatically.

Mom waved at us as she saw us coming. “Hey, girls.”

“Hey, Mom!”

We set our stuff down and dried ourselves off with our bath towels. Dad lifted the straw hat off his face and grinned at us. “Having fun?”

“Yeah!” I said.

“We got cookies,” Bo explained.

“Wanna eat some sandwiches first before you dive into them?” Mom asked.

“Sounds great!”

“Yeah!”

“I’m hungry too,” Dad chimed in.

We shared the sandwiches. Mom had put lettuce, tomatoes and mozzarella on them. “Hits the spot,” I commented, still munching on my first one but already grabbing another. For some reason, I felt like I hadn’t eaten in years.

I glanced sideways at Bo, only to see her glancing sideways at me. We smiled and looked away, but Dad must have noticed.

“You guys look like you’re up to no good,” he commented in between bites, grinning. “What’s the scheme?”

“It’s a secret,” Bo said, beaming.

I felt myself blush, thinking, Why didn’t she just play it off instead? Or would that have been suspicious? This is barely just starting, whatever it is that’s happening between us. I hope we’re not giving away too much already.

Before anyone had a chance to continue the conversation, Mom said, “Bo, look who it is.” We all followed her gaze.

It was Rebecca, leisurely strolling towards us past the beach volleyball field. When she saw us looking, she waved. I felt a pang of jealousy. She was here for Bo, of course.

“Hey,” Rebecca said when she arrived at our spot.

She was wearing a colourful bikini and sunglasses. I thought that people with sunglasses usually looked silly, but I had to admit they made Rebecca seem pretty cool, especially with the way she’d unhurriedly walked over to us. Normally she and Bo were a lot bouncier, especially when they ran into each other by chance. Rebecca looked like she owned the pool.

“Hey, Rebecca,” Mom said with a broad smile.

“Hey,” Bo said simply.

Bo was still sitting next to me, holding the remainder of her sandwich. She didn’t seem as excited as usual, and I felt weirdly relieved. That’s right, Rebecca, I thought. She isn’t just gonna run off with you today.

“I saw you earlier when you and Lisa took a shower by the pool,” Rebecca said. “We were just setting up our spot, on the meadow by the stone steps. We got annual tickets this year!”

“Oh, cool! Us too!” Bo exclaimed, smiling now.

“Heck yeah!” Rebecca said, clapping her hands once and striking a pose. Then she caught herself, lowering her voice and leaning down a bit. “Mom said she was gonna take us out for ice cream,” she said slowly. “Interested?” She pronounced every syllable, raising her eyebrows and flashing a toothy grin, giving up a bit of her cool at the prospect of the sugary treat.

“We have cookies…” Bo said, sounding a little unsure. She held up the box to prove her point.

“Yeah, but come on, free ice cream?” Rebecca said conspiratorially. “Those cookies aren’t gonna run away.” Her grin widened.

Bo thought for a few seconds. “Can Lisa come with us?”

“Oh,” Rebecca said, now frowning slightly. We looked at each other. “I dunno, Bo. Mom just said she’d take you and me out.” She sounded reluctant to exclude me.

“It’s okay,” I heard myself say. “You girls go and have fun together. I wanna chill here for a little bit, anyway.”

“You sure?” Bo asked, sounding a little wistful.

“Yeah,” I said, trying to sound confident. “I’m sure I’ll manage.” I forced a smile.

“Okay,” Bo said, putting the rest of her sandwich down. She got up and stood in front of Rebecca.

“Hi, Bo,” Rebecca said, grinning.

“Hi, Rebecca.”

Rebecca slowly opened her arms wide. Then she dropped her act for good and snatched Bo into a manic hug, squealing. She started to bounce up and down with her, their arms wrapped around each other. Bo jumped along, giggling, infected by Rebecca’s mood.

Why the fuck are you so jealous? I scolded myself. They’re just best friends. Be happy for Bo!

Rebecca let go of Bo and turned to us with a serious look.

“Ma’am, Sir, I’m going to abduct your daughter now. I will return her once her tummy is filled with icy goodness.”

Rebecca loved to talk fancy for shits and giggles. Mom decided to join in.

“Oh no,” Mom said, clutching a hand to her chest. “My poor girl. Won’t have you mercy on her?”

“Afraid not,” Rebecca said, shaking her head gravely. “Farewell.”

“Goodbye, Bo,” Dad said, pretending to sob. He put the back of his hand against his forehead and closed his eyes. “My youngest daughter…”

“The next time you see me, I’ll be three pounds heavier,” Bo said, making a sad-clown face.

“More like five,” Rebecca said dryly.

She faced Bo and took her hand. They turned their backs to us and walked away with a somber tread. Seconds later, on an imperceptible cue, they both started running. Rebecca gave a raucous, triumphant laugh, while Bo was whooping with glee.

After they’d made some distance, I saw Bo turn around and look at me. She shrugged even as she was running as if to say, I didn’t stand a chance. I turned up my palms in response, giving her a wistful smile. I know, nothing you could do. Then they turned right, passed through the thicket, and were gone.

“What a tragedy,” I said, turning to Mom and Dad, dramatically pressing the back of one hand to my forehead.

“You’re just miffed ‘cause you’re missing out on ice cream,” Dad teased. I rolled my eyes at him, grinning.

“Aww, don’t rub it in,” Mom said, furrowing her brow. “Lisa, if you wanna get some ice cream too, I’ll take you out later.”

“Thanks Mom, I’m fine,” I said, waving it aside.

“No, seriously. You’re our favourite daughter, really,” Dad said, still smirking.

“Stop it,” Mom said, swatting at him. Dad raised up his hands in defence, laughing.

“Should have been a comedian,” I said wryly, but couldn’t keep from laughing myself.

I grabbed the book from my backpack as a tickle fight evolved between Mom and Dad. I’d checked out The Fellowship of the Ring from the library a week or two earlier but had barely started reading it since. I lay down on my tummy and opened it.

“Alright, alright, you win,” Dad said as Mom tickled him completely off the blanket. He got up. “Gonna go for a swim.”

“More room for me!” Mom pronounced, splaying herself across the blanket as he left.

“Good job,” I lauded, my eyes on the page already.

The pool turned out to be a great setting for Tolkien’s tale. The surroundings looked a lot like I pictured the Shire. I only had to look up from the book to get a great view of its rolling, grassy hills just past the fence.

I looked up from the book a lot, though. I couldn’t focus. My mind went back and forth. Bo, next to me behind the shed, holding my hand. Leaning into her, kissing her for the first time. Rebecca, arriving at our spot to take her away from me. Her stupid charm and funny antics. Imagined scenes of Bo whispering our secrets to Rebecca.

I read a sentence for the fifth time, the meaning of the words only now clicking in my brain. But what was the context again? With a sigh, I returned to the start of the paragraph.

I noticed I was antsy, my lower legs moving back and forth in the air. With the hand I wasn’t using to hold down the book, I was plucking out blades of grass. Finally, I had to get up.

“I thought you were gonna chill back here,” Mom said. “Boring book?”

“Nah, I’ve just gotta pee,” I told her.

“Alright. See you in a few.”

“Yeah,” I said, already trying to come up with excuses for my inevitable late return. Why didn’t you just tell her you aren’t in the mood to read?

I barely noticed anything around me as I wandered aimlessly. My mind was racing. And you’re not really aimless at all, are you? You’re gonna spy on Bo and Rebecca.

An image of them making out suddenly flashed in my brain. I was furious that my jealousy made me come up with nonsense like that. I was furious for being angry at Rebecca, who hadn’t done anything wrong. I was furious with myself for feeling so emotional and wanting to cry.

I walked the same way the girls had earlier, along the beach volleyball field. I passed the opening in the thicket and continued towards the supervisors’ cabin, eyes fixed to the ground as my mind churned.
Suddenly I heard running behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Bo and Rebecca running up to me. I turned to face them as they came to a stop. The girls were panting.

“Hey!” Bo said, looking excited.

“Hey.”

“I asked Karin if she’d buy you ice cream too, and she said yeah!” Karin was Rebecca’s mom.

“Oh yeah?” I asked dumbly.

“Yeah,” Rebecca said, pointing a thumb at Bo. She looked amused. “I don’t know what’s up with her today, but she was all mopey until she asked Mom to take you with us. Think she might be in love with you or something.” She was clearly joking, being the smartass that she was, but I still felt a shiver go up my spine.

“I just…” Bo stammered, looking at Rebecca, then at me, blushing but smiling. “I had lots of fun with Lisa today, and I couldn’t stand the thought of her missing out on the yummies.”

“That’s so sweet of you,” I said, having to smile, too. “Literally.”

“Alright,” Rebecca said, arms folded and tapping her foot. “That’s cute and all, but enough with the lovey-dovey. These tummies won’t magically gorge themselves.”

“Fair point,” I said. “Lead me to the ice cream, girls!”

“Yay!” Bo exclaimed, jumping up and down. “Let’s go, then,” she said, taking one of my hands and one of Rebecca’s.

My own moping had evaporated, too. I felt like a part of their group for the first time. The three of us passed through the thicket in a giddy single-file, Rebecca leading the way. Coming out on the lawn on the other side, I could already see Rebecca’s mom waving from their spot.

I’d only seen Karin a couple times before when she’d picked up her daughter from our place. She was in her late thirties and had dyed red hair. She was wearing a bikini and sunglasses -– like daughter, like mother. Her husband, whose name I didn’t know, was at least ten years older than she was, with long white hair and a full beard. He was sitting in a folding chair, reading a newspaper and smoking a cigarillo. I didn’t think smoking was allowed at the pool.

Rebecca’s brother Nick was sitting cross-legged on a blanket. I’d never met him but I knew he was thirteen, closer to my age than the girls’. He was wearing earbuds and glasses, but he might as well have donned a monocle since a shock of long hair covered one of his eyes anyway. Like his dad, he was wearing a T-shirt and swim trunks.

When we got to their spot, Karin got up from her blanket and put her sunglasses up to reveal deep blue eyes. She had a lot of laughter lines and, like our mom and Rebecca, was just a little chubby. I went up to her and stretched out the hand that wasn’t already attached to Bo. “Hello there, Mrs. Boettcher,” I said.

Karin grinned and shook it. “Hey, Lisa. That’s very polite of you. By the end of our trip to the kiosk, you’ll be hugging me.”

“I’m sure I will,” I said, smiling.

“And let’s have no more ‘Mrs. Boettcher.’ I’m Karin.” She pointed a thumb at the male members of the family. “This is Rebecca’s brother Nick and my husband Willi.”

“Hey, guys.”

“Hi, Lisa,” they said.

“Alright,” Karin said. “Let’s go get some ice cream, girls.” She put her glasses back down.

We walked up the hill behind Karin still holding hands -– now including Nick, who had taken Rebecca’s free hand. The four of us were covering the breadth of the walkway. People passing us had to walk on the grass, which didn’t seem to bother anyone. Most of them were barefoot or wearing sandals, anyway.

“Hey, Nick,” I said, looking over at him past our sisters. “Not just girls then, huh?”

“Hey, Lisa. I dunno, I’ve actually been feeling somewhat girly recently.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say to that.

“Yeah,” Rebecca said. “He’s turning into Nickerella.”

“Or Nicole,” Bo suggested.

“I like Nick,” he said, laughing, and that was the end of that.

Unfortunately, there was no actual ice cream parlour at the pool, but the kiosk had a big tray full of different ice cream bars. We browsed it excitedly. Bo and Rebecca got different flavoured Magnums, Nick and I opted for Cornettos. Karin, apparently, was content just to pay for it all.

Outside, Karin and Nick decided to head back to their spot. “Thanks for the ice cream,” I told Karin, giving her the promised hug. She was a head taller than me and had to bend down a little. Her skin smelled nice, like lotion.

“I hope I’ll see you again later,” she said as we parted.

“Sure.”

Bo, Rebecca and I conspired over at a table by the edge of the terrace, savouring our ice cream bars and enjoying the view of the poolside. Rebecca had taken off her sunglasses at their spot. I noticed for the first time that she had deep blue eyes, like her mom. They contrasted nicely with the wild waves of brown hair floating madly around her, and… Uh-oh. Please God, don’t make me crush on another eleven-year-old.

“So what have you girls been up to?” Rebecca asked nonchalantly.

“We jumped into the deep end a couple times,” Bo recounted. “We swam, we went down the slide, we bought cookies, and we, uhm, just walked around.”

“What else?” Rebecca continued innocently, gaze focused on her ice cream bar.

“Nothing. It’s a secret.” Bo realized what she’d said and looked down at the table, suddenly blushing. I wanted to smack my forehead. Keep cool, I told myself. Maybe we can salvage this somehow.

“Aha!” Rebecca exclaimed, grinning. Bo didn’t look up. “A secret? From me?” Rebecca scoffed. “Bo, how long do you think it’ll take me to get it out of you?” Bo glanced at me sheepishly. I shrugged and looked away, hoping to look unfazed. “What, did you guys mug someone or something?” Rebecca asked, furrowing her brow. She seemed genuinely puzzled.

“Nothing like that,” Bo said, looking down again.

Rebecca gave both of us weighing glances. “Alright, I’ll let it rest,” she allowed finally. “Wouldn’t wanna get off on the wrong foot with you, Lees.” She shone me a bright smile, then returned to her ice cream.

“Uhm, thanks,” I said, likewise returning to my Cornetto, feeling awkward. None of us spoke for a while.

“Well, what’s the matter, girls?” Rebecca said eventually, all jolly again. “Don’t be looking so glum! It’s a wonderful day at the pool, we’re all having ice cream and none of us had to pay for it.”

I couldn’t help but snicker, and at the same time I heard Bo chuckle, too. Suddenly, all three of us burst out laughing and the tension magically unraveled.

“Why, I think I could go for a couple rides down the old water slide,” a jovial Rebecca said once we’d all finished our ice cream bars, patting her belly. “Burn off some of these damned calories, say?”

“Only if you stop talking like a lord from an old English movie,” I said, and that set us off laughing again. I felt oddly relieved that I’d managed to amuse Rebecca.

We got rid of our trash and strolled over to the water slide. We were hand in hand again, but this time Rebecca was in the middle. I remembered Bo’s trick for better sliding efficiency and who she’d picked it up from, hoping I’d get to see Rebecca do it, too.

“You guys wanna do a chain?” Rebecca asked when the last person went down the slide in front of her.

“Oof. We had bad luck with that earlier,” Bo told her.

“Yeah. Supervisor threatened to kick us out when he caught us,” I explained.

“Oh, lame,” Rebecca said. When she saw the guy in front of us pass the red marking, she said, “Well, here I go!”

I stared in fascination as she quickly nestled her bikini bottom in her butt crack and flung herself onto the slide off the metal handrail. She howled as she zipped down.

“Told you,” Bo said, grinning. She must have seen me looking.

“So you’re pretty awful at keeping secrets,” I suggested.

“Uh oh, I think it’s my turn!” Bo said as Rebecca passed the red marking, repeating the same ritual. I grinned and shook my head, feeling giddy as I waited for my turn. Right before I took the plunge, I adjusted my swimsuit likewise. Zooming down the slide, I was amazed all over again by the exciting gain of speed.

Down in the pool, we swam splashing to the drainage. Leaning against it with our arms on the grid behind us, we treaded water with our legs. Now I was in the middle, my arms around the younger girls’ shoulders. I couldn’t help but smile and feel cool, a part of their circle. We could see Rebecca’s spot from here. Karin waved at us. We waved back, of course.

“Lisa?” I heard Bo say quietly.

I turned to face her. “Hmm?”

Bo craned her neck up. “I wanna tell her,” she whispered in my ear.

I considered it, turning my head to look at Rebecca. She was smiling, her eyes blissfully closed. I was already smitten with her charms, of course. And she was Bo’s best friend. Fuck it, right?

I turned back to Bo, leaning down. “Should we show her instead?” I whispered.

Bo gasped. “Here?”

“No way. Back at the shed.”

Bo pondered on it for a while. Then she nodded.

“So,” Rebecca enquired. “What’s with all the whispering?”

“We’ve decided to show you,” Bo said.

“Ah yeah? Show me what?”

“Our secret, dummy.”

Rebecca was delighted. “Superb!” she said.

“But you’ve gotta promise not to tell anyone,” Bo added.

“As I’m sure you did,” Rebecca said, chuckling.

“Eff you,” Bo said.

“Oh, my. C’mon, you know it’s safe with me.”

“Okay, then,” Bo said.

Rebecca glanced my way. “What about you, Lisa? Y’trust me?”

“I’m afraid so,” I said, feeling a bit nervous as it hit me that I was about to kiss Bo again.

“Alright. Ready when you guys are…” Rebecca trailed off, feigning patience.

“Okay,” Bo said. “You know the gardening shed out in back by the playground?”
“Sure?”

“We’ve gotta go there.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s swim over to the supervisors’ cabin,” I suggested, not wanting to get held up by our families on the way.

“Alright.”

We waved over at Karin as we first swam, then trudged through the non-swimmers’ pool as it gradually sloped upward, playfully splashing each other along the way.

We got out by the cabin. This time, Rebecca led the way, bouncing up the stairs ahead of us. She was actually whistling. Bo looked at me bashfully, taking my hand once again. Butterflies, meet tummy. My nipples felt stiff against my swimsuit.

The little kids’ playground area was deserted. The soccer kids had disappeared, too. Some boys were playing farther away in the wooded area on the other side of the shed.

When we got closer, Rebecca stopped and looked at us with questioning eyes. “Behind the shed,” Bo said. Rebecca brooded over it for a moment, then shrugged. We crossed the corner into the backyard and stood there awkwardly for a moment. Bo and I exchanged uncertain looks.

“So… I mean, I can pretty much guess what it is by now,” Rebecca said after a while.

“Feels weird when someone’s watching,” I said.

“Let’s sit in a circle,” Bo suggested.

It wasn’t much of a circle with just the three of us, but it worked somehow, everyone sitting at equal angles. A rush of excitement came over me, and I felt like it had for all of us. I leaned over to Bo and she to me and then we were kissing again.

We gazed into each other’s eyes like the first time, our mouths slightly open, gently pressing our lips together. I was melting inside my bathing suit. We started to fall into each other, but then Rebecca whispered, “Holy shit.”

We both turned to her. “Not what you were expecting after all?” I asked.

“No… it was. Still crazy to see it, though,” Rebecca said.

Bo let go of my hand and tugged on my shoulder, pulling me back in. We went for another round. I couldn’t believe how crazy it still felt. We kept teasing each other as we kissed — nibbling, brushing, caressing.

“So, uh, that’s different,” Rebecca remarked when we came up for air.

“Do you think it’s weird?” Bo asked.

“I dunno. Kinda? But also kinda fuckin’ cool?”

“Have you and Nick ever done anything?” I asked bluntly.

“Well, not really,” Rebecca said, thinking. “Not like that.”

“Then what?” Bo enquired.

Rebecca pondered on it for a bit. “So one time I walked in on Nick when he was, uhm… you know. Masturbating.” She paused, giving us a probing look before she continued. “And, um, I wanted to see what it was like. I asked him if I could watch. He was embarrassed at first, but then he said okay. I sat next to him on his bed, and… then he, um, did it.”

“Wow,” I said.

“What was it like?” Bo asked. “Did he have an orgasm?” I was a little surprised she knew the word.

“Yeah,” Rebecca said. “He came into a tissue.”

“Eww,” Bo said, making a face.

“I dunno, I thought it was fascinating.”

“Yeah, fascinating. And effin’ gross.”

“Whatever,” Rebecca said, chuckling.

We sat silently for a while. The wind blew in the trees. Children yelled in the distance. I found myself wondering if Bo or Rebecca had ever masturbated, but wasn’t brave enough to ask.

“So when did you guys start doing this?” Rebecca asked eventually.

“Today,” I said.

“No way!” Rebecca exclaimed. We all laughed.

“Well,” Bo continued, “we’ve been having sleepovers and stuff. Cuddling at night and kissing each other, y’know, just on our faces. But yeah, our first real kiss was right before you saw us shower, when you guys were setting up your spot.”

It was Rebecca’s turn to say, “Wow.” She looked at us for a while, clearly impressed. Then, more quietly than usual, she said, “I wanna see it again.”

Bo and I turned back to each other, smiling. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, and she did the same to me. Once more, we leaned into a kiss. I closed my eyes and let go of the world around me. Our hands moved up and down each other’s arms.

“Feels so good,” I said, my lips on Bo’s.

“Yeah,” she sighed into me.

Time lost all meaning. We kept going and going, lips dancing on mouths and cheeks and noses as our kisses began to wander. Eventually, I touched my forehead to Bo’s and opened my eyes. She was gazing at me, too. We were breathing heavily. My pussy was throbbing.

“Wow,” I heard Rebecca say yet again, reminding me that she was there.

I looked over to her. “Yeah?” I said, still panting a little.

Rebecca looked like she was aroused. Her mouth was open and her cheeks were flushed. “Yeah,” she affirmed. “That was fucking hot.”

“Rebecca!” Bo said, caught by surprise.

“What, you don’t think so?” Rebecca said, chuckling.

“Well… yeah,” Bo said. “But I mean… I’m into her. You don’t even like girls that way… do you?!”

“Well, er… I don’t think so? But yeah, pretty sure that was fuckin’ hot… Gotta keep it honest.”

“You wanna try?” I heard myself ask.

“Lisa!” Now Bo looked at me in shock.

“We gotta make sure she doesn’t spill our secret, right?” I suggested. “Think about it. Right now, she’s got the goods on us. We’ve got to make her complicit.”

Bo shook her head at me in disbelief, now grinning. “Well, if you put it like that.”

“Besides, I’ll let you go first, since she’s your friend.”

“Do I get a say in this?” Rebecca asked, sounding amused but looking a little anxious.

“Nope,” I told her. “You wanna do the honours, Bo?”

“Okay,” she said and turned to Rebecca, then hesitated. “Seriously, though… do you want to?”

Rebecca thought about it. “Ah well… why not,” she said eventually with a sigh. “Might be a long time before two sisters offer to kiss me again. I’ll probably regret it for the rest of my days if I say no. ‘Sides, I’m pretty turned on right now, not gonna lie.”

I contemplated what “turned on” meant to an eleven-year-old, and what Rebecca might already be up to in private. At her age, I don’t think I even knew that phrase. Bo seemed unfazed, though.

Bo and Rebecca slowly leaned into each other. Rebecca still seemed a little apprehensive. Just before their faces met, she hesitated, and Bo gave her an encouraging smile. Rebecca took a trembling breath, then closed her eyes. Bo looked over at me with her eyebrows raised questioningly. I nodded. She leaned in, her own eyes drifting shut, and gently touched her mouth to Rebecca’s. I heard Rebecca whimper, but she didn’t move away.

They stayed like that for quite some time, barely moving, their lips lingering in the kiss. My face was getting hot, and I wasn’t sure if it was from arousal or jealousy. You suggested this, I had to tell myself. Relax, enjoy the show. Before long, they pulled apart, anyway.

“Wow,” Rebecca said, not for the first time today, her eyes wide open.

“I liked it, too,” Bo said, smiling.

My heart dropped a little. They’re best friends. They spend tons of time together. What if they like it so much they’ll keep doing it? And getting them to kiss was my idea!

“My turn,” I said before these confusing emotions could get the better of me.

“Okay,” Rebecca said, turning to me. She was smiling now, clearly over the anxiety of her first kiss. Instead, it was my turn to feel anxious.

Shit, I thought. Here I go kissing another girl… who’s also eleven. Studying Rebecca, I realized once again how beautiful she was, her impish blue-eyed face framed by that unruly mess of hair.

She drew a little closer. “Gotta make me complicit, huh?” she teased with a soft voice, back to her old wisecracking self. She knows, I thought.

“That’s right,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

I closed my eyes as we leaned in. I wasn’t going to lose myself in Rebecca like I had with my sister… Because I’m in love with Bo, I thought. The thought made me shiver. Then Rebecca’s mouth was on mine, and I suddenly felt warm all over. I’d lost count of how many times I’d kissed another girl today, but it wasn’t losing any of its electricity. Why does it feel so amazing just to touch your lips to someone else’s?

The kiss lingered, just as it had between Rebecca and Bo. I felt Rebecca’s breath on my face. Our noses were touching. I could smell her skin, the scent different from Bo’s, but beautiful all the same.

As if on cue, we pulled away from each other. I looked at Rebecca to see her looking back at me, and then without meaning to, I lost myself in her eyes, anyway. I hadn’t stood a chance.

Bo cleared her throat. With a guilty feeling in my stomach, I turned to look at her. Her face was flushed, and I couldn’t help but think that watching me kiss her best friend had been a turn-on for her, too.

“Welp, I think you guys have ensured my silence,” Rebecca said. “I’m just as guilty as you are, now. But I think you two should get the last word, anyway.”

That made me smile and I actually had to look away, feeling shy all of a sudden. My brain and body were a scrambled mess of feelings. How had all of this come about, anyway?

Bo touched my shoulder like she had earlier, and I looked up to see her smile sweetly at me, my beautiful little sister. I felt so much love for her that it made me ache inside. Out of nowhere, tears welled in my eyes, and suddenly I was crying.

Bo’s smile changed to a look of concern. “What’s wrong, Lisa?”

“I don’t kn-know,” I said, wiping off tears with the back of my hand even as new ones spilled out. “I don’t know. Too many emotions, I guess.” I looked down again, embarrassed. “I don’t even remember the last time I cried.” I began to laugh, even as tears kept running down my face.

I felt Rebecca touch my other shoulder and looked up again. She gave me an encouraging smile. “Hey, no shame in that,” she said. “I remember the last time I cried, and that was just the other day when I had a fit because Mom kept nagging me to clean up my room.”

I laughed again, the tears finally subsiding. I kept wiping at my face, sniffing but feeling happy. I looked over to Bo again. “I love you, Bo. So much.”

“I love you too, Lisa,” she said, sounding a little teary herself.

Before I could start sobbing again, I leaned in swiftly, wrapped my hand around Bo’s head and kissed her emphatically. She made a surprised sound, then wrapped an arm around my side and kissed me back. No light-hearted teasing like earlier… this was urgent and passionate.

I kept planting heavy kisses on her mouth, and she responded in kind. I was hungry for Bo, wanted her to feel all of my love. I found myself kissing up the side of her face again which made her erupt in cute little giggles. I gave her one more firm kiss on the lips, letting it linger. Feeling myself melt into my sister, I shuddered intensely.

Feeling mischievous, I stuck out my tongue when it was over and licked Bo broadly across the face. She burst out laughing and broke away from me, wiping her face with one hand and holding up the other to fend off more of the same. I started lapping at her hand instead, which made her laugh even more. “Eeewww! Stop it!”

“You guys are weird,” Rebecca remarked, shaking her head.

“Says the girl who just made out with two sisters… and liked it,” I teased.

“Fair enough,” she ceded. “We should probably get going before the ‘rents get suspicious, though.”

“I think I need another shower,” Bo said.

Rebecca and I agreed that showers were necessary, so we left our private little playground. Instead of using the showers by the poolside, we headed towards the lockers by the entrance to avoid a parental inquisition on the way, what with our flushed faces and disheveled hair. Also, the locker room showers had hot water, so this time we wouldn’t freeze our butts off.

We were too full of adrenaline to hold hands as we walked, so instead we bounced around like crazy, poking each other in the ribs, unable to stop laughing. A couple of kids passed us at a distance, but we didn’t care if they stared.

The shower area was empty. Rebecca got to a stall first and walked in, holding the door open. We gave each other uncertain glances. “We’re just cooling off, right?” Rebecca asked. Bo and I shrugged and joined her. The stall clearly wasn’t meant to accommodate three people, but it would have felt weird for us to split up.

As soon as I closed the door behind me, Rebecca pushed the button. I was standing right in the way of the stream. Rebecca must have turned the temperature dial beforehand because the water that hit me was ice-cold. I screamed in surprise, which made the other girls scream, too. I tried to make my way out of the stream, inadvertently pushing Bo underneath it. Her screaming intensified. She pulled on Rebecca and managed to switch places with her, making her squeal like a stuck pig.

Someone knocked on the door of our stall right as the water stopped spraying. “Everything alright in there?!” a woman asked, sounding equal parts annoyed and concerned.

We broke out into giggles. “Y- yes,” I managed. “We accidentally turned on the water too cold.” So much for not freezing our butts, I thought.

“Oookay,” the woman said. We heard her walk off. After a few seconds, I timidly opened the door to check if she was still nearby. I couldn’t see her, so I got out with Bo and Rebecca following suit.

Shivering, we made our way back to the Boettchers’ spot, jumping up and down as we walked to get warm. Nick was gone. Karin and Willi were sitting on a blanket playing a board game I’d never seen before. The square wooden board was pretty big and dotted with black and white stones. It looked beautiful to me. Karin waved as we got closer.

“Where’s Nick?” Rebecca asked.

“Swimming,” Karin replied.

“What’s that you’re playing?” I asked.

“It’s called Go,” Willi explained. “It’s an Asian board game. You try to surround your opponent’s stones and make territory for yourself.”

“I’m pretty horrible at it,” Karin said, smiling sadly. “He’s trying to teach me.”

“You’re picking up on it fast,” Willi said. He placed another stone on the board, holding it between his index and middle finger.

“Looks really cooI,” I said. “I think I’m gonna check back on our parents real quick. Haven’t seen them in a while. You never know what those guys are up to.”

Karin laughed. “Oh, I can probably guess.”

I turned to Bo and Rebecca. “Be right back,” I told them.

They looked at each other. “We’re coming with you,” Rebecca said.

“Alright,” I said, smiling.

We walked through the thicket and back to our spot. Dad was sitting behind Mom with his legs around her, massaging her shoulders.

“Hey, guys,” I said.

“Hey there,” Mom said. “Judging by your company, I suppose you ended up getting some ice cream, too.”

“Yeah,” I said, laughing. “Karin took us out. We’ve been hanging out together since.”

“And you left us alone to die of boredom over here?” Dad asked, pretending to be upset.

“We should move our spot and make it one big group,” Bo suggested.

“Yeah, that’s a nice idea!” I seconded.

“But this massage…” Mom said, pouting.

“…can continue over there,” Dad said.

“Alright, I’m sold,” Mom said and promptly got up.

We wrapped up our blankets, collected our stuff and moved to the lawn on the other side of the thicket in a caravan. Our dads introduced themselves, not having met before.

After we’d set up our extension to the Boettchers’ spot, Dad sat down on a third side of the square Go board. Apparently he’d heard of the game before and was curious about how it worked. As Willi began to explain it to him, Karin gratefully vacated her spot and began chatting with Mom instead, who didn’t seem to mind the suspension of her massage.

Before long, Nick joined us and sat in a circle with Bo, Rebecca and me. We got wrapped up in our own conversation. I kept giving Nick curious glances, thinking about what he’d done in front of his sister, and contemplating what he’d said about “feeling girly”. I thought I could see it in the way he played with his hair, or hear it in the soft way he spoke.

The hours passed as the eight of us went swimming and sliding, played ball in the water, had fun together. Willi coached as I tried to play a round of Go with Dad while the others played Uno. By the end of the day, we felt like one big family.

After taking showers (at a reasonable temperature this time, with shampoo to get rid of the chlorine) and changing back into our street clothes, we all left the pool together around six. Me and the family had been there for eight hours. We were worn out, and I was looking forward to spending some time at home with Bo, just the two of us.

Outside the entrance, we exchanged hugs and goodbyes. Rebecca held on to me for a little longer than I’d expected. My insides tingled as I remembered the kiss we’d shared earlier.

“Great getting to know you,” she said when we parted, favouring me with a knowing but gracious smile.
“Same here.”

On the ride home, Bo and I held hands. Everybody had quieted down. Having this much fun was exhausting. Tired, I closed my eyes, enjoying Bo’s touch. I felt like I was glowing inside.

Continue on to Chapter 8