Talia is mad, but appreciates how Corrine came clean with it.

I wasn't privy to the exact conversation between Corrine and Talia. Said discussion took place before school the next day when Corrine pulled her aside to talk. The others looked around at one another trying to decipher what was going on, as if everyone knew that one among us had a fuller understanding of the topic of their conversation. It was Elizabeth who first figured out that I was the one with inside knowledge, looking at me from across the table and nudging my leg with her foot. Of course I tried to play dumb, but wouldn't you know that sweet little Elizabeth can be really pushy when she wants to, crossing her arms and staring at me suspiciously. The others picked up on this, and soon the while group was looking at me for some kind of answer.

Talia and Corrine came back a few minutes later, and I anxiously tried to get a read on how it all went. Talia looked very tense, clenching her jaw as though she was trying her hardest not to scream or cry. Corrine, on the other hand, looked guilt-ridden, chin lowered to her chest as she followed Talia's lead. The pair stopped at the head of the table, taking a moment to collect themselves. Rachel took a hold of Talia's hand, looking up at her quizzically until her girlfriend finally spoke.

"Corrine has something to share with all of us."

All eyes turned to Corrine, who took a moment to wipe a teardrop from her eye before she spoke in a slow, steady voice.

"I've... I've been seeing Steve for a few weeks now."

Elizabeth audibly gasped at this admission, though as I looked around our table, I could see that everyone else was equally stunned.

"I... I don't know what I was thinking. I've..."

She paused as she tried to stifle a sob.

"I've been a terrible friend and... and I can't go on like this. I've already told him that it's over but...You guys are the most important people in my life, and I was an idiot for letting anything possibly get in the way of that. All I can do now is... is ask for forgiveness. Can... can you forgive me for being such a terrible friend?"

Our table was silent after that, everyone still trying to process what they'd just been told. No one had come into school that day expecting this, and it was a bombshell of an admission. Before anyone could speak, Talia pulled Corrine into a tight hug and held her close, shoulders trembling.

"I forgive you," she said just loud enough for us to hear. "I'm still mad as hell, but I forgive you."

They held each other like that for a moment before everyone else stood up, each person giving Corrine a comforting hug of approval. While she didn't smile, you could clearly see how thankful Corrine was that everyone was so forgiving and supportive. When it was my turn, she held me tightly and whispered, "Thank you." My only reply was a tight squeeze, savoring the feeling of her body against me before the first bell rang, signalling that it was time for us to all run to class.

The next few hours were uneventful, right up to my third-period math class with Talia. As we got to the back of the room to take our seats, she took me aside and gave me a big hug.

"Corrine told me everything, so... so thank you... for helping her make the right decision."

While I was happy to be a good friend to her, I was nonetheless anxious about a certain matter she had referred to. I cleared my throat and asked, "Ummm... everything?"

She answered with a coy smirk. "Sounds like it was a very intense discussion." She then got up on her toes and whispered in my ear, "So I have to know: how did her tits look bouncing around as you did it?"

I couldn't help but chuckle as a strain developed in my jeans, the memory of her impressive bust bobbing beneath me as we rode our wave of ecstasy. "Absolutely amazing."

"I'm jealous," she replied, "of you and of her." She gave the crotch of my jeans a discreet squeeze, forcing me to inhale sharply. "Don't think I've forgotten. I may be with Rachel now, but I still think about that."

We took our seats as our teacher came in, knowing it would be another two minutes before he was ready to begin. Wasting no time, she turned to me and said, "Thank you again, all the same. I'm glad we were able to get through all of that. I don't want to think about how things could have gone if she hadn't told anyone."

"Me neither."

"And to repay you for your help," she continued, her face suddenly very serious, "I'm going to help you in return."

My cock pulsed again in my pants as I stared into her eyes, wondering what she could mean, my mind running through the possibilities... the incredibly hot, sexy possibilities...

"You have to do something about the whole thing with Amy."

...shit.

I can't begin to explain to someone without a cock how difficult it is to have a serious discussion when your smaller brain is siphoning all of the blood and focus from your larger, thinking, rational brain.

"I know that it's still fresh in your mind, but this can't go on forever, Ian."

I knew that I'd be having this conversation eventually, and I should have guessed that it would be with Talia, not because she was one to openly discuss these sort of things, but rather quite the opposite. She usually steers clear of people's private affairs, and that's why her broaching this subject had much more of an impact than if it had been any of the others.

"I... I know," I replied. "I want to forgive her, but... I'm just... I'm having a hard time getting past the fact that she said those things to me. Maybe that makes me selfish, but... I thought our friendship meant more to her than that."

"You aren't selfish. You have every right to be upset with her, but... your friendship does mean a lot to her, more than I think she even realized.

"Have you seen her lately? Ian, it's like she's a different person sometimes. Sure, she laughs and jokes, but have you noticed how... reserved she's been lately? It might sound weird, but I think she's more bothered by what she said than you are. She can't get over the fact that she said it, and it's eating her up inside. I mean, she's stopped having sex, for crying out loud."

My expression alone projected my surprise at this statement, so she continued, "She told me the other night when she came over to hang out. She just needed to vent and... well, she came out with that whopper. She's not in a very good place right now, Ian. Her opinion of herself is at an all-time low. She feels terrible and so she doesn't think that she deserves a guy's attention or affection..."

She paused to smile. "Well, let's be real, she was never in it for affection, right? What's that she always says? I don't have boyfriends..."

"I just have guys I fuck more than once," I finished, having hear it said several times.

"That was it," she said before her smile faded, "But now she's just... I'm really worried about her, Ian. She was even talking about not coming with us on spring break."

"What?"

"Yeah. She doesn't want to make things awkward is what she told me. I've managed to talk her down, but who knows what excuse she might come up with before then?"

I felt a now-familiar pang of guilt in my chest. We were all going up to a cabin in the woods for a week that Rachel's parents weren't using, meaning that it was going to be just us, with no adult supervision. We'd been planning this for a bit now, and all of us were excited about it, so the thought that she was feeling uncomfortable because of me just wasn't sitting right.

Part of me wondered if I was being selfish by letting this whole affair drag on, while another part felt righteous in my anger. Even so, I knew that this duality would eventually have to come to an end, and it was up to me to make a decision.

Our math teacher finally got himself together and called the class to attention, cutting our discussion short. However, at the first available opportunity, Talia quickly turned to me and whispered, "Just remember one thing, Ian," she cautioned, "remember how this all started: the whole sex-checklist comment. I know that it upset you, but if she finds out that you had sex with Corrine, she might feel like she'd been right in the first place, and suddenly her shame turns into anger and resentment. You guys are two of my best friends, and I hate seeing you like this, so I don't want things to get any worse between you. You have to make a decision on this, one way or the other, before she finds out and makes it for you."

Yeah... no pressure on that one...