I fall back on my bed and let the picture drop onto my chest. I have a full erection and have to relieve myself again. I pull my pants down, looking at her picture one more time. I work my way up and down my shaft, moving faster and faster. I use the same image that I always do, Susie bouncing up and down on top of me. Her breasts clap together as she tosses her hair back over her shoulder. In my mind, she grabs both her tits in large handfuls, while rhythmically sliding up and down. I imagine grabbing her hips and driving deeper and deeper into her, slapping her ass and getting her to scream my name.
The fantasy runs all the way until the end when I erupt all over myself. I lay there, breathing hard and recovering from my orgasm as semen trails all over my chest and belly. Fuck. Susie is going to drive me crazy. I have twelve months left to go on this tour, and every time I even think about her, I am ready to explode. I can barely carry out my daily duties because all I want to do is lay down and fantasize about the girl next door. Even my buddies have commented on my distracted state, but when they ask me what’s up, I just brush it off as nothing. Because in my head, I have Susie and that’s all that matters.
7
Susie
* * *
One year later.
I take one look at myself in the mirror and am in awe. Today, I graduate from high school and finally become an adult. I’m wearing a short white spaghetti strap dress with little floral designs embroidered all over it. It’s a gift from Brady because I mentioned in one of our many letters that I saw it at the mall, but my parents thought it was too expensive. I sent him a photo of me trying it on and he immediately wrote back with a money order enclosed. He said I looked beautiful, and that I should wear it for him if no one else.
I smile slightly to myself thinking about Brady, the love of my life. It sounds silly because we haven’t seen each other since he left last year. However, we’ve written, sent pictures, and talked on the phone whenever we could. He said he’ll be coming home any day now and I can’t wait. I feel so empty when I’m in his home, just waiting for him to come back.
I shake off the feelings of longing and put my mortarboard carefully on top of my soft curls. One more swipe of lip gloss and I nod at myself in the mirror, ready to go. It’s weird because I look the same as I always do, but I feel so much different. This must be what they talk about in romance novels when they describe the sensation of love. My skin is glowing, my smile is bigger than ever, and I’m turned on all the time just thinking about Brady and all the raunchy conversations we have thousands of miles apart.
But it’s more than just raunch. We also love talking about the things that matter to us. He tells me about Afghanistan, and how he believes the war there is ill-fated. I tell him about my parents and friends, and how our lives seem so commonplace compared to what he’s going through. But Brady doesn’t mind. He loves hearing about my days because he says they remind him of what it’s like to be normal. I’m happy to provide that, even though I wish he could be here, with me.
Taking another deep breath, I skip down the stairs.
“God dang, took you long enough. I’ve been waiting for you for ten years,” my friend Marcella says with an exaggerated sigh.
I roll my eyes at my best friend as she stands, shaking out her own dress. I make a face at her.
“Girl, I’d rather be late than ugly. Now let’s go, otherwise we’ll be late for our high school graduation!” I shriek.
All annoyance melts right off Marcella’s face. She’s just as excited as me and we take off running to her car. She’s wearing a nude, strapless, tight fitting dress and white strappy heels. Her heels clatter as she dashes around to the driver’s side of her Toyota Camry.
I hop in the passenger’s seat and run my hands over the upholstery. “I love the new ride!” I tell her.
“I know, it’s nice, right? Thank you, Mom and Dad,” she sings, putting the car in drive and taking off down the street.
“This is the perfect graduation gift. I can’t believe your parents were so generous.”
She grins at me.
“Well, Remford State is a huge campus, so I’ll need a car to get around. I think my parents bought it for me for that reason. So I could go to school.”