Reflections at home.

By 7:30 pm I thought it would be a good idea to start cleaning up the house, and suggested so to Sarah. We had used plates to eat lunch and dinner, bowls to serve snacks, glasses to drink, and left several minor things out of place around the house. I wouldn’t leave without helping to clean, and I was insistent when Sarah said I didn’t need to do it.

We didn’t leave a big mess, so cleaning up was easy. The thing that bothered me the most and had to pay close attention to was the possibility of any… uh… leftover evidence of our escapades. A random drop of cum or the lingering smell of sex could give us away. We’d been careful enough, so we didn’t find anything after close inspections.

That took us just a little over half an hour, and although Sarah said her family would return around midnight, it was about time I returned to my own house.

Sarah frowned in disappointment. “You want to leave already?”

“It’s already 8:00 pm. I promised I wouldn’t be back late,” I said. I didn’t want to leave, but…

She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around my waist. “Stay a little longer. I’ll drive you home.”

I smiled wryly. “The rain let up. I don’t want to impose more than I already have.”

“You’re not imposing. I… had an amazing time, Oliver. You have to come over again, okay?”

“So long as it’s okay with your family.” I kissed her forehead. “I had an amazing time, too. Thank you.”

“Don’t forget we’re playing tennis one of these days. And you have to invite me over to your place to play games, too. Oh, and I also want to hear you play guitar.”

Shit, that made my heart throb. We spent the entire day together, talking, playing, laughing, having sex… and she still wanted to spend more time with me. I couldn’t believe it.

I hugged her closer and tightly. “Sarah?”

“What is it?” she asked, a little confused.

“Seriously. Thank you. I’ll… give it my best, I swear. I can’t promise to become a social butterfly like you, or that it’ll happen in a heartbeat, but I’ll try to become more sociable.”

She chuckled and pecked my cheek. “I’ll be watching and I’ll be sure to scold you when you falter.”

“Please do.”

“But don’t rush, okay? I’m watching not to put pressure on you, but to help when you need it. Baby steps are fine.”

I nodded.

“Come. I’ll drive you to the bus stop, at least. I told you it’s a ten minute walk, and now it’s getting dark and the rain could start again.”

That was harder to refuse, so I didn’t. Already dressed in my spare outfit, I gathered the rest of my stuff, threw on my jacket and Sarah drove me to the nearest bus stop, where she waited with me until the bus came. Before I could get in, though, she pulled me back by the wrist, planted a hard kiss on my lips and pushed me back into the bus without a word. Needless to say, that left me a little disoriented.

***

40 minutes later, I was home. And the first thing that happened was bumping into mom in the kitchen.

“Oh, you’re finally here,” she said with a glass of orange juice in hand. “I thought you said you’d be back early.”

“...This is early, isn’t it? Isabelle usually doesn’t come back before eleven.”

“Well, yes, but you don’t usually go out at all.” Fair point. “And… why are you wearing different clothes?”

Oh shit. She noticed. How would I explain this!?

…

The truth. Duh. Well, partly the truth.

“My friend invited me to a gym,” I told her. She didn’t need to know the gym was at her house.

“Ooh, okay. But… you? At the gym, Oliver?”

I nodded. “A-Actually, I was thinking… that it’d be good for me to start going regularly.”

Mom’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

I nodded. “I was… working out in my room over summer, but… m-my friend said it’d be good for me to start using the machines.” That was a lie, and my ears burned from saying it out loud, but telling mom the truth would be too embarrassing. Going to the gym to not lose the body my sex friends liked? I was NOT telling her that.

“Then why don’t you start going with me on Saturday mornings?” she offered. “A free drive to and from the gym, and we’ll finally have one thing to bond over.” Mom laughed, but the smile on her face was genuine.

Going to the gym with mom? I knew she went once a week and did some light exercises here at home, saying it was the only thing that let her have the energy to get through so much work.

On one hand, I could see people laughing at me for going with my mother. But on the other hand… I’d been pretty distant with her. Staying cooped in my room meant I didn’t speak to mom much, doing so mainly during meals. Maybe hearing Sarah talk about how close she was with her family was what pushed me to decide.

“Okay. If it’s not a problem to you…”

Mom laughed. “Why would it be? No, I’m actually happy about this. Since your sister abandoned me to be with her friends, I’ve been pretty lonely.”

Right. Isabelle now did yoga with her friends Alice and Noelle. Was I just realizing this? Everyone worked out, everyone exercised to a higher or lesser degree. Why?

…

Why was I even asking? Of course they did. Mila, Grace, Sarah, Isabelle, mom, Alice, Noelle… They all had terrific bodies. Thomas played basketball, but he had to go to the gym as well, right? With arms twice the size of mine, he had to. You don’t get bodies like theirs with magic.

…

…

Don’t say it. I’ll shut up.

“We’ll start next week, then,” mom said. “I hope you’ll last more than two days.”

With the right motivation, a person can do anything. And dammit, I was motivated not to lose my relationship with Mila, Grace and Sarah. They liked my body, and even if I hadn’t worked my ass off to get it, I’d work my ass off to keep it.