Scattered Leaves (Early Spring 2)

"Someone who isn't afraid of sex," she added. His cheeks reddened.

"I told you. I'm not afraid."

She smiled at me, then shook her head at him.

"I'm not."

"All right." Alanis said. "You don't have to be totally naked. Just take off your pants and come sit across from us again."

He considered. looked at me_ and then unbuckled his pants, lowered them. kicked off his shoes, and stepped out of his pants.

Alanis smiled. "Now," she said. "we'll tell you about tadpoles."

12 Erroneous Zones

. You see this?" Alanis asked Stuart, pointing to the picture of sperm. "Tadpoles."

He squinted, looked at me, and then at the picture again.

"They actually swim inside a Girl," Alanis continued. "Don't laugh at me. Stuart,' she said when he started to smile. "I'm reading right from the book."

He looked at it again. She glanced at me, smiled and pulled the book out of his hands.

"They come jumping out when a boy gets excited," she continued. "That's his erogenous zone. Now you get it? How many times you get excited. Stuart? Any boy I let be with me always gets excited. I bet you've gotten yourself excited plenty of times, haven't you. Stuart? You could show us how. It would be like a laboratory demonstration Mr. Beamer does in science class. How about it?"

Stuart's face reddened so brightly that I thought he might go up in flames. He pressed his lips together then suddenly stood up and reached for his pants.

"What's the matter now, Stuart?"

"I gotta go home," he muttered and struggled with his one good arm to put on his pants.

"What are you going to do when you get home. Stuart? Won't it be more fun to do it here with us?" Alanis asked him, smiling at me.

He ignored her and struggled to dress quickly,

"You want us to help? Jordan, go help Stuart put on his pants."

"No," he said. "I can do it."

He twisted and turned and struggled until he got his pants on.

"Don't you want at least to tell us anything about your erogenous zone? We need information for our project, Stuart," Alanis said as he turned to the door. "We don't know about boys, only girls. That's why we asked you to be part of the experiment. We also thought you were mature."

"I am mature."

"Then come back. It's not going to hurt."

"I know," he said. "I gotta go. Thanks for inviting me to dinner," he said. His eyes averted, he rushed out.

"C'mon. Stuart, don't go. Everything you tell us will be kept secret." she called after him.

We heard his footsteps as he pounded down the stairs.

Alanis laughed, "See how easy it is to tease boys. We're going to have lots of fun together now, Jordan. Lots. For now, we don't need him. We've got a lot to talk about ourselves."

She started to look at my book again, then stopped when we heard Great-aunt Frances calling to us as she came up the stairway and down the hallway. Alanis quickly shoved my book under the bed again,

"Put on your skirt. Quick," she urged, and I went off to the side and did it just in time.