Hopeless Chase

 

Mel had attended St. Francis from 1989 to 1993, before smartphones, before girls did Youtube bikini hauls, before the WOKE SighOp that had half of them convinced they were boys. Back then if you had a crush on a girl you'd slip an artfully folded note into her locker and hope for the best. He'd had no luck however and the unrequited longing for a gal to make out with and see Terminator 2 with and maybe smoke a bowl with had subconsciously driven him as an adult, to be a man, a real man that could land the girl of his dreams.

Some things never changed though, a dork is a dork, a hottie is a hottie, regardless of the decade.

Mel was a dork back then, perhaps doomed by his name, MELVIN. His dad was a spineless cop, his mom a homebound neurotic, and they did the least they could do to instill confidence or foster his talents and aptitudes.

He quit St. Francis a month before graduation because he got caught smoking and was punished for this sin with 3 days of detention. To his few friends this move was utterly ridiculous but not atypical. For a Quasi-Christian private school Mel's rebellious spirit and freethinking had been a crown of thorns to the teachers, except for Ms. Jenkins, his senior year English teacher, she sympathized and respected his thoughtful essays.

Today he was 49 years old. He'd become the man he intended to be as a teen but far from the man Christianity or society expects. After a string of abusive relationships he chose celibacy and a lone wolf lifestyle, what 2024 calls MGTOW and SIGMA. This was less a conscious choice and more an instinctive response to the estrogenic tyranny he had been defeated by. Being falsely accused of rape by his Borderline fiance, being cheated on, being used as phallus and ATM had broken or red-pilled the "NICE GUY" in him, and this too amplified this innate desire to be excellent.

This manifested in an orthorexic diet, exotic supplements, and an exercise routine that included Qigong, Wim Hoff, isometrics, Taoist Yoga, and free weights. Mel had quit partying and obsessively pursued health instead of love.

These years between teen and middleage were lacking in any kind of emotional satisfaction but Mel, upon  finally giving up on women, found a freedom that allowed him to be creative. This, in turn, led to some lucrative deals with an Open Innovation company, to put it succinctly, he was the typical nerd turned Giga Chad. 

Having become THE MAN, he returned to Vankirk CT to live out a simple yet meaningful life where he could be of service and exploit his inherited OCD for cleanliness - he got a job as an after-school janitor at St. Francis.

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St. Francis was founded in 1933 by a Theosophist named Jeanette Worthington who had moved back to Vankirk from Ithaca NY. Jeanette was the wife of a wealthy veterinarian who specialized in racing horses. She had created the first sanctuary farm for retired horses out in the nearby hills of Newfield. Eventually she took in other animals. Jeanette's husband had died at the age of 35, appropriately enough, from being kicked in the sternum by a pissy horse named Arrow.

The farm was left to her daughter Sarah and with her husband's money St. Francis was created in the Waldorf tradition but with a definite emphasis on teaching compassion and practical skills such as permaculture and emotional intelligence.

This progressive institution in this postcard of a town is where Ky was raised. Her parents, Judy and Sam had been  classmates of Mel but had no idea he had come back to Vankirk or that he was now a janitor there. Sam, in-fact had been a bully to Mel, and Judy had been one of Mel's crushes.

Ky's parents were pretty cool as far as parents go. Sam owned the local pizza shop, Judy was a secretary. They were still madly in love and this had a major influence on Ky; to the same degree a broken home can warp a kid into dysfunction, Ky had been raised with a standard and expectation that she too should and would find that special guy. 

Ky's a redhead, with sultry, smoky green eyes and she is rushing towards "LEGAL" as the babyfat melts and the skin clears.

She is a geek and an athlete, she has two extracurricular activities, book club & track. She is not the best long distance runner but is very good at the long jump and 50 yd. Her friends Ash and Elsa are also in book club, of which Ky is the moderator. She naturally gravitates to YA Romantasy, whereas Ash and Elsa prefer historical fiction and sci-fi.

But book club is democratic and everyone appreciates obligatory genre expansion. Book club is overseen by Ms. Jenkins who is still at St. Francis in her early 70's. She had never succumbed to teacher burnout because she had a passion for words and finding talent.

A couple weeks ago Ky's shop class had finished building an off-grid tiny house as the senior project. The same day the house was completed the old janitor, Mr. Freeland had passed away. The shop teacher asked for proposals on what to do with the finished tiny house and Ky got to thinking...

Ky had become a fan of The Simpsons via her parents who still watched it, and Ky had always thought groundskeeper Willy was kinda hot. The guy was ripped and he didn't take any shit, he was also a ginger. Last night's episode centered around Willy and she noted he lived in a run down shack on school property. PING!

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Mel returned to Vankirk with his head held high. The royalties were coming in steady now. Edison Nation had brokered IP from Mel to a scooter manufacturer and Spencer Gifts via its Call For Inventions. He returned mostly to look after his mother whose health was declining despite having reclaimed sanity. He stayed with her for a week and got a copy of the local Pennysaver the first day, outside the local gym. In it, under the employment section he read:

PART TIME JANITOR AND GROUNDSKEEPER

St. Francis seeks hardworking, independent individual

for variety of duties including: Sweeping, Mopping, Garbage Disposal, Mowing and Weedwacking. We are proud to offer rent-free, onsite housing in our new Tiny House. Pay starts at $20/hr. See Main Office for application.

Perfect, he thought and promptly applied. Mel had experience at all the above and was a shoe-in. Indeed, after an interview and tour he got a call back the next day and started the day after that.

His new job catered to his reclusive lifestyle, the fact he started work at 3:00 pm meant he could stay up late to study or binge watch his favorite shows or workout or whatever. His first shift had him roaming the same halls that years before had echoed with shouts of "DORK!" and slammed locker doors. The bitter taste of rejection clung to the eternal cafeteria smell and he saw himself back then, alone at the corner table. He thought of that one time he was ogling Judy, and Sam Chase, his seemingly self-appointed bully, that beefy jerk, gave him a wedgy,  saying with a sneer, "Give it up, Smellvin, she wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire."

Mel indulged himself in a Revenge of The Nerds fantasy, thinking that Sam had probably peaked and was fat and balding by now whereas he had the bod of a 25 year-old and could pass for 30 when he bothered shaving.

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Mel's schedule overlapped with after school activities and so he was instructed to work around those activities which included Ky's track and book club. He had noticed changes at St. Francis since his day; the new paint covered up the old murals, the cafeteria had rows of tables instead of individual circular tables. The administration had decided the circular tables encouraged cliques and often forced students to eat in the halls because of overcrowding.

It still smelled the same though, and the trophy shelf stood where it was. Mel had not gotten into sports or anything after school, he really just hated it all since kindergarten. But now, with the looming nostalgia in the back of his mind, he fantasized about a do over. If only he knew then what he did now! He would have stood up to Sam. He would have properly wooed Judy.

Maybe, he thought, he was here for some kind of closure at least, after all, he was nearing Millionaire status and did not need the job - financially speaking. The manual labor thing was more a matter of habit, a kind of balance to the weighty, spiritual bent he'd taken on.

Mel was a loner and did not go out to the local bar, he did not go on dating apps. He was content with a simple life of self-improvement and independent study. 

On his third day at work he passed the girls locker room which was due for cleaning. A vision of Judy in her pink spandex shorts flashed in his mind. The girl had a seriously tight booty. "Goddamit." Mel muttered to himself, feeling his celibate armor dent into his heart and...

Ky had heard the school had a new janitor and was curious if the new codger liked his tiny home, she and Ash had been tasked with the interior trim and decor. She left a little easter egg inside a drawer, her initials Sharpied on the back.

Today book club was cancelled but she decided to stay and do some laps because the 50 yd had lost it's challenge, she'd placed first in the last meet against the nearby public high school and wanted to condition herself for the 100.

Mel was nearly done mopping, he had his earbuds in, blaring some Thy Catafalque.

Ky, being unaware there was a set schedule for Mel, eased in the apparently vacant locker room to shower.

She was sweaty and stinky. She took her tshirt off, sat down on the bench to remover her Nike's when she heard some slopping sounds. Before she could cover herself Mel's butt came into view, then the mop handle and an elbow.

The new janitor.

"Hey! Heads up, I'm half naked here!"

Mel kept coming, backwards, into full view.

Ky was shocked to see this janitor was not an old man as she had expected, but an obviously buff, relatively younger man.

As Mel passed the row of lockers he caught a wiff of fresh girl smell - product AND sweat. Simultaneously, pale skin and orange glow met his peripheral vision.

He turned his face to her, glanced at Ky and turned red, "Oh shit, I'm so sorry!"

She was halfway to crossing her arms over her girls but upon seeing his embarrassment and cool blue eyes, relaxed.

Mel turned his head away and held the mop handle with two hands firmly. At that moment the album finished.

Ky continued taking her shoes off, "My bad, guess I'm not sposeta be in here today, huh?" She peeled her socks off.

Jesus, Mel thought, she looks JUST LIKE Judy and he immediately regressed to 17 - on the inside.

"No, reckon not but the floor can wait, I'll be on my way."

"Wait, I have to know, do you like your new home?"

Still looking away, Mel replied, "Absolutely the coolest pad I ever lived in, I especially like the loft bed and skylight. Whoever built it did a great job utilizing the space, like the drawers built into the little staircase."

"That was actually my idea!" Ky said proudly.

"No kidding?" He pulled the earbuds out. "You wouldn't happen to be K.C.?"

"Yup." she grinned.

At a loss for words due to the uncanny resemblance to Judy and how easy it was for him to talk to a "girl" now Mel said, "KC, thanks for being cool about this, and uh...the new pad." He smiled, turned and walked away before she could say anything.

He forgot the mop bucket. Ky continued undressing and dragged the bucket into the stall to empty it for him.

As she lathered up she noticed herself still grinning and she thought about groundskeeper Willy with his shirt off.

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"Holy shit balls, Elsa, you will not believe what happened yesterday!" Ky would have called Elsa last night but Elsa's family forbade smartphones. Ash was home with the cramps and had had her phone confiscated by St Francis.

Elsa could tell the usually subdued Ky must have encountered some newsworthy stuff because she was not into self-aggrandizing or gossipy behavior.

Ky continued, "I stayed after to do some jogging and then went to shower when the janitor practically bumped into me."

"OMIGOD, that's horrible, you weren't all nakey were ya?"

"No, but, he was...not an old dude like I'd assumed, he was actually..."

"No WAY!"

"Yeah. And nice."

"So what happened?"

"I asked him if he liked the tiny house and he was like, yeah it's awesome, he even found the initials I snuck in the top drawer."

Elsa joked, "Ooh, and you still have a spare key to it, don't you? Don't get any funny ideas!"

"Oh pish, like what?"

"I know you, Ky, you'd go steal his work shirt or something."

They both giggled. Ky had been twirling her spaghetti for a whole minute now.

"Um, Noooo....I'd steal his..." Ky's smile faded. Elsa looked across the table where Jerry Blake sat engrossed in his phone. They were allowed phone privileges during lunch. 

His HEART popped into her mind, intrusively, but innocently.

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Mel too was quite taken be yesterday's encounter. All the pining for Judy ripped its way back out of his depths.

The cringe, the horny, the bested-by-Sam-Fucking-Chase.

Reel it in, Mel. That's in the past, you're a new, happy, celibate man and if Judy ever saw you now she'd probably regret not...Stop it. That's an ego trip. You didn't get buff and rich just to show the popular kids up.

He had to laugh at himself. K.C. God she is cute. And she has amazing...

Mel lumbered out of bed, made some coffee, and for the first time in 20 some years rolled a joint out of some nuggets and papers he serendipitously found in a baggy while cleaning the boy's locker room. Finders, keepers, guy.

The tiny house was nestled in a wooded area opposite the track. He could watch student sports events easily from his loft.

He assumed K.C. must be in track and took note of the next home meet. It was later today. Fuck it, he'd watch and start work a couple hours late.

The coffee and weed was strong. He decided to bring a joint over to Mom's place and see if she'd burn one with him.

Little did he know the woman was already a chronic and that is why she went from super anxious to remarkably chill.

Mel's mom really enjoyed his visits and would always make him a sandwich and soup. Sometimes she'd order out.

"Oh Melvin, my dear boy, I'm so proud of you. Nobody would have imagined..."

"What, mom? That this skinny dork would one day..."

"That's right, honey, you should be proud of yourself too, why I bet that Judy whatshername you had a crush on is probably all fat now with a dozen mewling cabbages!"

Mel thought that would be impossible, Judy was always athletic. "Yeah, mom, she probably did."

"Anyhoo, I was thinking we could get some pizza from Chase's, they deliver, you still love sausage, peppers, onions and olives I bet."

"Um, you said Chase's?" Mel considered Sam had not only peaked but was now slinging pie. He imagined Sam as fat and greasy now. "Uh, yeah, mom, way to remember my favorite toppings. Make it a large, I got munchies from heck."

Mel slapped a Benjamin on the table. "Give the driver the change, OK? I gotta go chill on the lazyboy."

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Ky was laced up, her grass green and brown St. Francis jersey hung loosely on her 5'8" milky frame. Her wavey auburn locks up in a bun. She was pumped. Her first 100. Judy was up in the stands, "Burn the grass, Ky!" She yelled. Sam never made it because he was working all the time but she did not care, the guy seemed to resent her athleticism.

Ky looked across the football field to the tiny house and imagined Mel getting ready for work. Just then his door opened and he casually walked around towards the stands but stopped at the fence. Even though they were 80 yards apart each noticed the other's sweet smile.

Elsa and Ash were in the stands too, right behind Judy.

"Ash, that's the new janitor." Elsa nudged and said in a hushed breath. By now Ash had been briefed about the Ky and "Willy" thing.

"Wow, he IS pretty hot, from here anyway."

"Agreed." Elsa said while waving for Ky's attention. Ky saw her friend cheering her on but then Elsa pointed straight at Mel, stood up and mimed a mopping motion, wiggling her hips and then doing the OH MY, IT IS HOT IN HERE hand wave next to her face.

Ky's eyes bugged and she clenched her jaw, as if to say, DL bitches, DL, mom is right there!

"GIRLS 100 YARD DASH BEGINS IN TWO MINUTES, RACERS TO STARTING POSITIONS"

A radio voice announced over the loudspeakers. Saved by the yell.

Ky stretched a bit more and glanced at Mel who gave a nod and thumbs up.

Something about that moment. He was old enough to be her dad but still had this collegiate look and vibe.

An indefinable feeling of surrogate dad and FBF (future boy friend) coursed through her, giving her an emotional edge her competitors couldn't even imagine. She got in position.

CRACK

Ky shot off the line without a single thought of pacing herself. She imagined that Mel was the finish line, and she'd be damned if these other gals were gonna get to him first.

Judy and Elsa and Ash stood up and cheered, "GO KY, GOOOO KYYYY!"

Mel actually was getting closer with every yard.

She crossed the finish line first and without thinking kept right on going another 50 feet to the fenceline.

She stopped in front of him, bent over to catch her breath, stood back up and walked in little circles, panting like a dog on an August afternoon.

Mel tried to not look at her heaving chest. Instead he noticed the sweat in her now frizzy hair.

"Good thing you practiced the other day, huh, Kaci?"

Realizing they never introduced each other formerly, Ky replied between breaths, in-turn,

"Yeah...and uh....good thing that floor was....sparkly...Willy." She grinned with nostrils flaring.

She was mildly delirious with no idea what she was saying but Mel IMMEDIATELY got her Simpsons reference.

"Aye, Lassi, nuthin boot theh bist floors fer feet loike that!" Mel nailed it.

By now Judy was getting suspicious and turned to Elsa and Ash with a quizzical raised brow.

They shrugged in unison and got up to go see Ky and bring her her water and towel - it's important.

Mel had his hands on the fence that separated him from the bevy of hotness closing in. He composed himself.

"Ky, I have NEVER seen you run like that, ur a goshdarn cannonball today! Ash said.

"Yeah, way to kick grass there, Chase." Elsa added.

Mel knew what he just heard, debated to twist it, as if he'd misheard her last name as a verb and a sickening yet sobering feeling sank back down to where the Judy wound had reopened days earlier.

He just walked away. Quickly. To the Janitor's room.

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On the way home...

"Ky, sweetie, who was that man you were talking to at the fence?"

"Oh, uh, he is the new groundskeeper janitor guy." She said plainly, as if.

"Well, you ran to him like you were in some romcom airport scene!"

"Oh mom, that's called inertia, not my fault he was standing there." Ky replied with a sarcastic yet slightly defensive tone.

Ky knew her mom was keen but also knew she had done nothing wrong. If it had been an old woman standing there...

Judy was silent.

Ky added, "I think he is new in town."

"Seems kinda pervy of him to be watching high school girls bouncing around."

"Geez, mom, he lives right across from the track, anyways I won my first 100 today, can you call dad and tell him to bring home the usual, me and Elsa and Ash are gonna stay up and celebrate tonight, is that cool?"

"Of course, sweetie."

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Mel had to do the library that night. He went to the stack of yearbooks. He pulled 1993 and 2023. He compared Judy to Ky.

He looked at his senior pic and his reflection in the window.

Sam and Judy had a daughter. He had to rid himself of the VERY inappropriate thoughts and consequent feelings this was all dredging up.

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As the girls were up in Ky's room munching down calzones and wings and salad and watching their favorite youtube channels Judy was downstairs on her laptop.

ST. FRANCIS STAFF DIRECTORY

...

...

...

JANITORIAL - Melvin McKenna

"No. Fucking. Way." Judy muttered in disbelief. That loner dork from high school that was sheepishly, half-assedly stalking her was back, unrecognizable. She looked over at her husband on the sofa, whom she loved so much as he was dedicated and thoughtful and still good in the sack...but he WAS letting himself go and in his own way, absent.

The Melvin she saw today was the opposite of the boy she remembered. She then wondered...

The next morning after Ky's pals left, she asked Ky, "Mornin, speed demon, mom needs to ask you, has any boy at your school ever, y'know, chased you?

"Um, no." Ky had never been interested in any of them either, nor was she jelly of the BFs Ash and Elsa had entertained.

"Why do you ask?"

"I, uh, got to thinking last night about a boy at school who liked me alot, but he was kinda nerdy and an outcast so I rejected him outright, plus your dad kinda scared him off I think."

"Okaaay, so what?"

"I know you kinda have a hopeless romantic side, and I know your life is full, and...well, I'd hate for you to have gone through high school with not even knowing a boy was googly for you, cuz, let's face it, ur kinda hot like ur mom!"

"Oh mom, you ARE priceless."

"Seriously though, I can't believe you never even opened your locker to find some cringey but heartfelt love letter, that's kinda sad."

"Momma, firstly, nobody uses paper for that, secondly, have you seen boys these days? Half of them are gay, the rest are simpy porn addicts, my options are literally down to a few cookie cutter alpha jerks like..."

"HEY KYTOWN EXPRESS, HEARD YOU RAN THE SHIT OUTTA THE HUNDRED!" Sam tried.

"Yeah, it's on mom's phone, you should watch it."

"I will, kiddo. gotta go, love ye Jude." He squeezed Judy's shoulder on the way out.

Judy gave Ky a SAY NO MORE nod and a smirch.

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A few weeks had passed since that track meet and Mel was sure to be absent during track practice or meets since.

Out of sight...so they say. Was it creepy to now have a xerox of Judy AND Ky stashed in his textbook? No, he thought, creepy would be breaking into lockers or putting spy cameras in the girl's locker room. He was just holding onto these pics because...

Mel decided to confront his past fully now. He put on some shades and headed to Chase's Pizza to see just what kind of man was banging Judy and raising such an amazing teen.

Sam was a good boss and would do anything that needed to be done, so he was sometimes cashier, sometimes cook, sometimes delivery. This particular time of day he was right at the till as Mel walked in. Mel recognized Sam but Sam, obviously had no idea this guy approaching him was the same twerp he fucked with back in the day.

"Hello, what can I get for you today?" Sam asked cheerfully.

"You can get a fucking clue!" Mel smirked and dropped a Benjamin in the tip jar, then walked out.

Sam stood dumbfounded as the stranger hung a right.

Okay, Mel thought, that helped close the wound more than I thought it would.

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Mel had every other Friday off and would use the much closer and free school weight room after school.

Ky had decided to supplement her running with weightlifting after watching one of those Miss Buff competitions.

She had no desire to be brown and shiny, but golly, those washboard tummies are sexy af; she wanted a six pack

like them and to have a bit more tightness in the booty like Judy had at 17.

This time she was in there first, alone, of course.

Mel noticed the hair and flexing butt cheeks as Ky's as he entered the weightroom.

"AAAAHEMMMM, AAhem," So as not to scare her.

Ky recognized his voice and she turned, "Like the view, Willy?"

"Uh, yeah, reminds me of a gal I knew when I went to school." Mel deliberately failed to mention he had attended St. Francis.

"Well, I'm glad you're here, I could use a spotter."

"A partner WOULD be nice, to help crank out those last few reps. Muscles only really grow if stressed to failure."

"Looks like you'd know."

"I was actually pretty skinny, didn't start lifting and stuff until I was about 25."

Ky got up from her prone position on the booty pump machine. "Whatchye working on today?"

"Gonna superset military press and pull-ups, and you?" 

"I wanna get my ass in quarter-bounce shape, and get a six-pack, got any advice?"

"Oh yeah, get some inline skates and do roman chair leg lifts, oh and side planks."

Ky / Kaci and Mel / Willy were getting along so easily, and Mel, at this moment realized it was healing his inner wounded dork, just like messing with Sam did.

"Willy, hold my feet so I can do sit ups?"

"No prob, Kaci."

They made their way to a cushy mat on the floor. Touching Ky's feet was literally the first time he ever touched a "girl". Mom hugs do not count. It was the most action he'd seen in 10 years. He had butterflies. 

Ky crossed her arms over her chest and struggled up, she did not realize how out of shape she really was until now.

"Kaci, one key to this stuff is proper breathing, and the other is proper form. Here, let's start you a little easier." He knelt on her feet gently and held out his hands. She reflexively held them. Soft and warm, but strong.

He continued, "So for now you just wanna condition with more light reps and a variety of exercises to strengthen your core. Use your arms to help you up, but only enough to keep up a consistent movement."

"Got, it." Ky grunted. They were keeping eye contact. She looked snarly, he looked like Buddha, a near smug smirk curled to one side. This was immensely satisfying for them both and they knew it.

After Ky could do no more she fell back on the mat exhausted. Mel got off her feet, stood up and offered her a hand up. He noticed her girly funk, and glanced a bit of camel toe after she was up. Ky could feel it but left it.

It was Ky's turn to help Mel. She held his feet for pull ups. His tight buns were two feet from her face, and they were...hard to make out under loose flowy sweatpants, but she imagined they were tight.

Mel dropped from the bar. "Holy crap, I've never been able to get past 25 and I just got 35, thanks, Kaci!"

She turned and subtly unwedgied her crotch which was now more than sweaty. She grabbed the water bottle and tossed it to him. A bead of sweat ran down her cleavage under the sports bra, it tickled her.

"Hey Willy, we should make this a regular thing."

"I'd like that very much." Mel was struggling to hide how giddy he was on the inside, this girl was basically asking him to date her. "Oh, and another key to getting ripped is diet." He actually liked her slightly fluffy body but sympathized with her not liking it. "You gotta quit the sugar, white flour and bad fats, gotta pound the good fats."

"You mean like fish oil?"

"No, that is garbage," He was now putting himself in teacher mode, a position of authority, and he both enjoyed it but didn't as he liked being just a pretend peer too. Tell ya what, uh, you got time to visit the shack after we shower?"

She blushed. He noticed. "Separately of course!" He awkwardly laughed.

"Oh Willy, you might get fired if I was seen going into your shack, why should I risk that?"

"I just think it would be easier to show you the food and stuff I consume. I'm an expert on nutrition."

"Is that right? Do you have some degree or something?" She teased.

"Nope."

"So why should I trust your expertise?"

"How old do you think I am?"

"I'd say you're 29."

"I'll be 50 in a few months."

Ky's jaw dropped. "Yeah, I have time to visit you for a minute. It's getting dark out now, we should skip the showers."

"No, you just need to not do a 10 minute princess shower. I'll meet you at the east exit door in 5 minutes."

"Ok." Ky then remembered her mom was going to pick her up at five. "Crap, Willy, we'll haveta postpone the food lesson till next time, I gotta meet my mom soon."

"Okay," he said, slightly disappointed, "Thanks again for your help."

Ky, without thinking, bounced right up to him and hugged him. He instantly got hard. She felt it, turned on her heel and scooted towards the girls locker room without a word.

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Mel stood there, buzzing with oxytocin and testosterone and butterflies and nitric oxide and girl funk and flexing Kaci buns and Kaci camel toe and Kaci squished boobs against his chest. He felt the wound close even further.

He locked St. Francis and swaggered back home in the chilly twilight. The football field fence lights came on as he walked under them. He was now glad he never peaked in high school.

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Ky decided to not tell Ash or Elsa about this latest encounter with Willy. Or her mother. A sneaky affair was brewing and she frickin loved every delicious thought about it. Except the part where he gets busted and fired. No. they were too smart for that. She'd be 18 in a few months, so let's slow burn this anyway.

"How was school today, dear?" Judy asked.

"Pretty good I guess, started a new workout routine so I'll probably be sore tomorrow."

"Good for you, they did not have the fancy exercise equipment in my day."

"Mom, member the other day when we were talking about that boy who had a crush on you?"

"Yeah, Ky, what's up?"

"Did you ever wonder what became of him? Like for all you know, he is all rich and handsome now."

"I honestly never thought about him until that night of your 100 win, guess it was seeing you run like I did stirred up some memories." Judy failed to mention her sleuthing of Mr. McKenna. "For all I know he is mopping floors for twelve bucks an hour."

Ky now knew what it was like to have a MAN all googly for her, and truly, it felt better than she had ever imagined. 

Prompted by her daughter's question, Judy googled MELVIN MCKENNA later that night.

There were two search results. One was about when his fiance, Kelly Jones, whom she did not know, accused him of raping her. The case was thrown out on the grounds of she having BPD and there was footage of him at work at the time of the alleged rape.

The second was about him winning TWO Edison Nation contracts within the same month. The picture of him reflected a mature, happy man that was in contrast to the insecure nerd she knew him as from high school.

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Mel bounced out of bed, still with morning wood, happier than he'd ever been. It was Sunday. Cheat day.

Homefries (cooked in avocado oil) and spicy kielbasa, chocolate chip waffles, and cantaloupe for breakfast. Coffee and phattie.

Ky had also risen early with a fluttery sensation about her. She decided to go for a bike ride on the sunny, crispy morning. 

To the school. She parked her bike in the school rack and walked to the tiny home.

As Mel was reading in his loft he heard a knock. He knew it was her. He opened the door with a smile and the still fresh breakfast smells hit her nose and it smacked of the opposite of healthy.

"Hey Kaci, what brings ya here on this fine morning?!"

Your hands and throbbing dick she thought to herself, "Um, in the neighborhood, thought you could school me on nutrition, beyond what NOT to eat, y'know."

Mel gestured her in. She was rosy cheeked and sweet smelling, like some chai latte. She pulled her jacket off and tossed it on the dining bench, same with her knit hat. She shook and fluffed her hair. She stretched, "Dude, I am feeling those sit ups this morning."

"I'm feeling alot of things this morning..."

"It smells like weed in here, and I thought you were some kind of health nut!"

"Mental health is also part of the deal, that should come first, but the self-medication is done in moderation. Say, you ever get high?"

"No, I never even drank alcohol or smoked a cigarette."

"And you call yourself a teenager?" They laughed. 

"I was serious about us being workout partners."

"We do seem to mesh nicely, huh?"

Mel thought about how it would kill Sam to know his daughter was here.

"We do. So show me your fountain of youth diet."

"Okay, starting with good fats. Essential Fatty Acid is in the hempseeds, medium chains in the coconut. Both really good for you. Next you need to get these supplements..." Mel rattled on about enzymes and bioavailable cal-mag-zinc and D and K and Kombucha and Chaga and...

Ky was barely paying attention by the time he was done, thinking she just wanted to go up in that loft and cuddlepuddle him until they fell asleep.

Her heart and mind sincerely wanted slow burn but the rest, well, they wanted gooey, NOW.

She climbed the stairs and rolled into the loft. On his messed up mattress laid his recent read.

"Your shitting me, Willy, you read this stuff? We just finished this for book club!"

"I know, that's why I'm reading it."

"Ooh, you're stalking me now?"

No, Ky, I clean the school, I know where you meet, I saw multiple copies on the shelf and assumed. You have good taste."

"Ash picked it out, I'm not really into it, but it is good, for sci-fi."

Mel grabbed his half-burned phattie, sparked it up and handed it up to her. "For mental health, take a sip and do not try to hold it."

"Um, okay, you degenerate." She mimicked his approach and did as told. They finished the medication and she felt herself rolling inside her own body, heard a rush of invisible, warm wind and saw space itself kind of twinkle.

She fell back on his mattress blissed out. She laid there silent for about ten minutes. "Wow, I do not feel my achey muscles, this is just great, Willy."

"Call me Mel, Ky."

"Okay, MEL. I like Willy though."

"Pet names should be reserved for couples in love, I think."

She turned on her left side and looked down at him.

"Oh, hey Ky, I got something for you." He pulled open the big bottom drawer and handed her up a new pair of inline skates. "For a tight ass, there's nothing better than regular skating, you wanna try them out on the track?

You DO know how to skate, right?"

"Yeah but I'm definitely too high to do anything right now, except eat, so this is the 'munchies' huh?"

"Oh dear, I've created a monster! You'll never get a six pack now!"

"Yeah yeah, wanna make me some healthy snack?"

"I'd be delighted to, I got some smoothie fixins."

"Perfect."

Mel put some Brown Cow yogurt, banana, frozen berries, hemp seed oil, coconut manna and greens powder and magnetized water in the blender, smoothied it and poured it into a big mug and handed it up to her.

Ky could feel the goodness soak into her, and his love.

She rolled back over to her right side and smelled his pillow. It smelled like black spruce.

"Ky, tell me about your parents. Would they freak out if they knew you were here?"

"I don't know, to be honest. I think my mom would actually be happy for me and it seems like dad probably wouldn't even care. I'll be 18 soon enough and their opinions won't matter, legally anyway."

"About yesterday when you hugged me, did you..."

"Yes, I felt you. It's Okay, I wasn't mad, a bit shocked maybe."

"You have to know, I have not touched a woman, er girl, in a LONG time. I also had a crush on a girl that looks alot like you when I was in high school, so..."

"I get it. Where'd you go to school?"

He turned away, "Here at St. Francis."

"Holy crap, I thought you were new here in Vankirk. You must know my parents!?"

"I'm guessing Sam and Judy."

"Okay, this is kinda fucked up. You knew this whole time?"

"I figured it out."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"SHIT!" Ky rolled over into the nook of the loft, wrapping covers over her and balling up, frozen, heart pounding. Weed paranoia amplified her fear of being caught here.

Mel opened the door and it was Judy.

"Melvin McKenna." She said as if some vaguely familiar census taker.

"Judy?" He fake asked inquisitively.

"May I come in?"

Mel stepped aside and gestured her in. She had not gotten fat, at all. Her hair was shorter and she had little crows feet, but Judy was still a smokeshow.

"Judy, forgive me for being blunt, but what the fuck are you doing here?"

"I heard you were back and hindsight, y'know, I was kindof a bitch to you when we were kids, I just wanted to say I'm....sorry."

Judy stepped forward, got on her knees, yanked his sweats down and put him in her mouth.

Mel stiffened everywhere immediately, gasped for breath and grabbed her head to push her off but instead held her gently and let her finish him. It took exactly ten seconds. She swallowed, got up, kissed his cheek and ran out the door.

Ky had been balled up so tight, wind rushing, blood rushing, and his instant orgasm...she had no idea what actually just happened.

Mel caught his breath, pulled his pants up and then tapped her shoulder. "Ky, you can come out now, she's gone."

She peeled out of his covers teary-eyed. "So, *sniff* my mom was your high school crush huh?"

"Yes. And your dad bullied me for 4 years."

"Jesus, I don't know...what the fuck, dude, is this all some kind of sick revenge fantasy of yours? Seduce the daughter to get back at him?"

"Ky, please accept that I intended for none of this...but honestly I did get those feelings, right next to..."

"What?"

He stepped up the first step and kissed her deeply as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Ky and Mel did cuddle puddle. For hours. She none the wiser that he'd just blown six months of backed-up cum into her mom's throat. He did not feel guilty about any of it. The wound was fully healed now.

The next day Mel was fired without explanation. But he knew. The cameras.

Mel moved in with his mom, who was ever so pleased to have him there all the time so she could dote.

Ky came over to get high and talk about the latest book. Mel was an unofficial member of book club now.

It turns out they had the same birthday, December 28th.

You can probably guess what the gifts exchanged were.