Road Trip Girls (Nothing New Under the Sun)

Saturday. Or laugardagr as the Vikings called the day. A day of corporeal cleansing. The cleaning and/or washing of one's body. If one traveled all over the known world secuding the opposite sex, one needed to be clean and well-groomed. Month-old filth and long, ragged beard and hair just were not going to cut it.

Amalie opened an eye, finding herself lying in bed. She had cried herself to sleep last night. Now it was ten in the morning. Another eleven hours of sleep. She had not slept this long since she was in her early teens. Normally she belonged to the alleged ninety percent of human beings who slept 7.5 hours a night. Being unconscious suited her just fine, now that her life had taken such a s****y turn. It was all her damn fault too. From now on she would at least try to be nicer to the people around her, having suffered first-hand the consequences of treating them like s**t. One got back what one put out, and she had got the load right in her face like a boomerang of vengeance and bad karma. She had learned.

Rain today as well. The weather was rather Sersbyan. Rain-sodden. It rained inside her head as well. A little bit of Sersby in there. Despair. Desperation. Anxiety. Low self-worth. Loneliness. Not to mention the deep, swollen ache. Helena was the first person who gave her an orgasm. Was she going to be the last?

"No!" Amalie said out loud, her shrill, tense voice ringing in the bedroom walls. She got out of bed. Some people died alone, but she was not one of them!

A pot of coffee was brewing. A bowl of cereals with milk and half a pear cut into little pieces. Today's mail. Only the newspaper. Sitting by her small kitchen table eating cereals with pear and milk, she sipped coffee while reading the newspaper. PEP was still at large, but now virtually every pig in the greater Sersby-Battersby metropolitan area had been dressed in clothes. Cliff Taft was interviewed. He was happy to report that no new porcine explosions had occurred. The farmers could sleep soundly at night, knowing that their pigs were safe from being blown sky high by that deranged individual. The police chief of Central Battersby was interviewed. They had - with the aid of profilers from BBI (the Battersby Bureau of Investigation) - managed to narrow PEP's identity down to a handful of individuals: They were looking for a white male, possibly in his 30's and with a history of mental illness. Amalie shook her head and tuttered. That description fitted many guys she had known when she was younger. Virtually half her class at lower secondary faced that bleak future.

A thought occurred in her head. When was the last time she was on Aynesey? That beautiful island south of Battersby? Now she knew what she was going to do. Today she was Road Trip Girl! Yeah! But not necessarily alone... She finished her coffee in one gulp, seized her red cell phone and texted Denise:

wild idea, denny. i'm going to aynesey on a day trip today. wanna join?

Amalie had kindly given Denise the opportunity to go with her on a road trip. Now she had precisely one hour to answer. A reasonable window of time. If she did not hear from her by eleven thirty, she would go alone. Clearing the table she whistled merrily, even humming too. Life was sweet when you had your own car. Your own Amalie car.

Just as she put the dirty dishes into the dish-washer, the cell phone buzzed. A text from Denise:

you crazy girl! of course I'm comin with ya! when do we leave?

Amalie texted her back:

in one hour. i come to your place and pick you up.

Send. Less than a minute later Denise texted back:

got it. you rock, ams! :D

Crazy head tingles. Her smile nearly went full circle. Dancing through the flat she took her purse, made sure her wallet and driver's licence were there. The outfit of the day was a brown pair of pants, a white blouse and a green pullover. She wore her new dragon necklace today as well, she had put it on right after her invigorating morning shower. Her former girlfriend was right; the necklace suited her. Smiling at her own reflection in the hallway mirror, she left the flat.

A while later her blue little Toyota Aygo stopped outside Denise's block. Denise herself was already out there waiting for her. She was impeccably dressed in a blue tunic partly hidden under a dark-brown leather jacket and white tights. She wore blue and white jogging shoes. She waved gently with her fingers, before walking over to the car. She got in on the passenger seat.

"Road trip out of the blue," she said with her calm and sexy voice, before giving Amalie a hug. - "Totally made my day."

"I was bored and came up with this," Amalie said confidently as she drove out on the main road. - "Aynesey. What better way to spend a Saturday?"

"And you invited me, your best friend, to come with you," Denise said. - "That's so cute." A deep, relaxed sigh. She leaned back in the seat. The blue little car entered the motorway. Amalie needed to put the car into fifth gear to reach the local speed limit of 100 km/h. The car sounded like a sewing machine, dying for a sixth gear that did not exist.

"How far is it to Aynesey?" Denise asked after a while.

"A new tunnel opened earlier this year," Amalie replied. - "Previously it took three hours one way. Now it only takes ninety minutes. So now it's actually possible to go to Aynesey on a day trip."

"Long live tunnels," Denise said, her blue, calm gaze looking out the window. - "Pretty awful weather today. Let's hope the weather's better on Aynesey."

"The weather's always good there. It's the complete opposite of Sersby and Blansey."

"Yeah, the very antipode." A chuckle. - "So, Ams, what have you been up to since Monday?"

"Oh, not much. I was on an instadate on Wednesday."

Denise turned to her intrigued:

"Really? Wow. With whom?"

"Some girl I met in a pet shop in Central Battersby. Cute Goth girl, probably around 20 years old." A smirk. - "We got kicked out of a Chinese restaurant for being... indecent."

Denise's face exploded in a smile:

"You know, Ams, hearing this from you is... amazing!" A look of caring and genuine joy. - "I bet it was exhilarating." Amalie nodded, casting her a brief side-look. - "Way to go, girl! Step outside your comfort zone, it's good for you! I like them Goth girls too. They always get so happy when you go out of your way to be nice to them. Did you get her number?"

"Duh, of course! She's back in town in two weeks. I... kinda wanna finish what she and I started." A secretive smile. Denise burst out giggling.

"Good one, Ams! Really good one! And Helena?"

A dark shadow crossed Amalie's face.

"She's no longer in the equation."

Denise looked at her curiously:

"Really? What happened?"

"Her mother happened. That's what happened."

"Oh, I see. The mother disapproved of your relationship?"

"Not exactly. I kinda fucked it up on my own. Believe it or not, I bumped into her four times in a week, and all four times I managed to act like a total b***h. The fourth time I even pushed her away, landing her on the floor."

"Wow. Bad day?"

"Horrible. I had an anxiety attack."

"Poor thing." Compassion.

A small pause as the two drove into a long tunnel of at least three kilometers of length.

"Don't take it so hard, Ams. S**t happens. You can't be liked by everyone."

A deep sigh.

"You know, Denny, sometimes I have the feeling that everyone hates me."

"Well, it takes a damn huge effort to be hated by everyone."

Amalie let out another sigh as they drove through the seemingly endless tunnel.

"I got invited to dinner over at Helena's place yesterday. I showed up. Helena was crazily happy about seeing me. We made out in the kitchen. She promised me her--" She swallowed. - "--tongue after dinner. Then her mother shows up. Speaks with Helena in Portuguese. I..." Her eyes flooded with tears. She quickly wiped them so that she could see clearly. - "I was kicked out of the house."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, honey," Denise said with true, heartfelt empathy. A small pause. - "To be frank, I think both you, Helena and her mother are to blame. Judging by what you told me, Helena's mother sounds a little bit clumsy, getting bumped into all the time. Helena clearly took her mother's side and would not even listen to your version of the story. Pretty weird, seeing how receptive she was only moments before." Kind eyes. - "And you weren't exactly treating her mother well. Pushing her away, making her fall."

Amalie shrinked in the seat. A tear ran down her milk-white cheek.

"You're right, Denny," she said sternly. - "I acted like a total b***h. I deserved what was coming." She let out a whimper. - "I should have just been nicer to her mother. If only I had known. If only I could go back in time."

"Look, baby, don't take everything so seriously. You fucked up. So what? People f**k up all the time, nothing new under the Sun. I know I have fucked up a lot of times. Learn from your mistakes, laugh of them and don't do them again. Next time a woman bumps into you, assume she did it by accident. Not because she had sinister intentions."

"Oki." A sob.

The blue little car entered the long tunnel that followed just before the long bridge leading over to the island.

"Mind if I turn on the radio?" Denise asked.

"No, not at all," Amalie answered. Soon music pumped from the feeble speakers; most laptop speakers were grandiose in comparison.

The car left the tunnel and entered the long bridge. The view was majestic, border-lining vertigo-inducing. Sixty meters above sea level. One might as well ride a helicopter across the strait. The strong winds of the strait made the car wobble, it felt like it was going to be blown off the bridge any moment. Amalie had to struggle to keep the car steady. The long bridge ended in yet another long tunnel. Eventually they entered daylight on the other end. The blue little car drove into the main settlement on the island, the city of Mallyville. With 17,000 residents, it was the biggest settlement on the island, comprising roughly half of the municipality's population (35,000, according to the 2011 census).

Twenty years ago, when the mainland connection opened, the population was barely bigger than that of Blansey, just a little bit over 3,000 inhabitants. The bridge and the long tunnels were inaugurated on 21 April 1993; by an amazing coincidence that was Amalie's birthday. It was opened by the mayors of Aynesey and Battersby, Ulysses Snytch of Aynesey and Constipatia Plaidesely of Battersby (the reader recalls correctly when recalling that she was from the same Plaidesely family that married the blunt James Thundrave only a handful of years later).
Once Aynesey got a mainland connection, the population soared; lots of blocks were built around the small villages of the island, and the villages grew into towns. Mallyville, the de facto chief village got city status and the population went from 1,100 in 1993 to 11,000 in 2003. Houses popped up like mushrooms and the local economy flourished. Aynesey was a textbook example of what a mainland connection can do to an island community; what Blansey would never get due to its remote location (the distance from Blansey to the mainland was three times the distance from Aynesey to the mainland; one might as well try to build a road to the Moon).

The current mayor of Aynesey, Elin Einstad (born 19 January 1981), had now given thumbs up for the construction of a gigantic shopping mall the size of Arikaz Mall. Construction was to start in the fall of 2013 and when completed in the spring of 2016, it would consist of a shopping mall, a parking garage and 2,500 new state-of-the-art flats. Every investor in the region had put their money on that project, which bore the semi-narcissistic name Onestead Center (a direct translation of the Norwegian surname Einstad).

The little blue car drove through the clean streets and the relatively new buildings. Leaf-less trees stood planted along the long main street; in less than a month they would all be covered in green. Amalie parked outside a shopping mall, making very sure the parking was free an did not have a time constraint. She and Denise got out of the car, stretching their bodies. Denise let out a long, deep groan that gave Amalie those pesky and contrastively pleasant head tingles.

"Mission accomplished," Denise said. - "We're on Aynesey. Now what, Ams?"

Amalie's stomach let out a growl.

"How about food?" she asked. Denise concurred. - "I'm famished."

"Good idea, sweetie. I could kill for a decent dinner right now."

It was one in the afternoon and frankly a bit too early for dinner. Not that the two cared. The two young women entered the mall, which bore the name Ayneseyania. The escalators brought them up to first floor. By an amazing coincidence they headed towards a Chinese restaurant. Amalie winced.

"Chinese?" Denise asked.

"Oki," Amalie said.

The two entered the small premises. Not surprisingly, a giant dragon was drawn on the red wall. Déjà-vu was an understatement; Chinese restaurants did look astonishingly alike. The two found themselves a table in the corner next to the counter. A woman greeted them, a red-haired woman who looked suspiciously like the one who worked in the restaurant where Amalie and Henriette had eaten. Amalie squinted at her.

"Welcome," the red-haired woman said with her beautiful smile. She handed them menus. - "Would you like anything to drink?"

"A glass of water," Denise said.

"M-me too," Amalie hastily uttered.

"Let me know when you've decided what to eat," the woman said. She was about to leave, when Denise called her attention.

"Could we have two spring rolls each for starters?" she asked.

"Naturally," the woman said. - "Would there be anything else?"

"Not at the moment," Denise said. - "We'll let you know when we've decided."

"Very well." A polite smile, before withdrawing to the kitchen.

Denise looked at Amalie and how the blonde fondled her necklace.

"Is that a new necklace?" Denise asked. Amalie looked like a deer in headlights. - "It's cool. Really cool. It suits you. It's sexy." Kind eyes.

"Thank you," Amalie said with a whimperish voice. - "I bought it this Thursday at Arikaz."

"Arikaz? You went all the way out there? Isn't the price of parking exorbitant?"

"I took the bus."

"Clever." Denise led a hand along the choker, before caressing the pendant. - "A dragon. That's cute." Amalie thought her head tingles would cleave her head in twain! - "Adorable. A choker looks good on you. Emphasizes your neck." She led her fingers down her soft, milk-white neck. Amalie's mouth slightly opened. Denise leaned towards her and gave her a soft, tender kiss, before leaning back with a wide smile on her face. Amalie was guffawing.

Right then the red-haired, mysteriously familiar woman came with the spring rolls, landing them on the table.

"Have you decided what to order?" she asked.

No, we've been busy kissing and caressing necklaces.

"I'll have..." Amalie picked a random dish on the menu. - "Chicken with cashew nuts." The precise same dish that she ordered when she was with Henriette. Talk about coincidence.

The woman turned to Denise with an attentive smile.

"Pork with the restaurant's special sauce," Denise said with her dazzling smile. - "I love pork."

"Anything else?" the woman asked.

"No, we're fine," Denise said. The woman smiled politely, before heading towards the kitchen. Denise used her knife and fork to put two of the spring rolls onto her plate. - "Go ahead, Ams. The two other spring rolls are for you." A kind smile. Amalie served herself. - "Just so we're clear..." A beat. - "I'm paying for the dinner."

"What? All of it?"

"Hey, you're driving all the way to Aynesey, that's only fair. It's my way of paying for the ride."

Amalie shrugged. Gas was not that expensive.

"I really appreciate it, Denny," she said, gently stroking Denise's shoulder. Denise's smile warmed her very soul.
The spring rolls were rapidly devoured by the famished women. Denise got her trademark playful expression in her blue eyes.

"What would be the weirdest hybrid animal?" she asked.

"What?" Amalie asked confused, tilting her head.

"The weirdest hybrid. Think, Ams. Twist your noggin." Denise perfomed slow, evocative twisting gestures with her hands. Her long, blood-red nails glittered in the lights from the Chinese lamps on the wall.

"Umm... I don't know. Human-chimpanzee?"

"Not bad. Very interesting. Quite interesting."

"What's your weirdest hybrid?"

"Cactapus," Denise said. - "A mixture between a cactus and an octopus." She slowly wiggled her fingers to simulate moving tentacles. Amalie winced.

"A cactus isn't an animal! It's a plant!"

"I didn't specify that both of the hybrids had to belong to the kingdom of Animalia." A teasing smirk. She leaned over the table. - "How about human-human hybrids. And by that I mean children. If the two of us could have children... How would it look?"

Amalie swallowed. She led a shivering hand through her hair.

"You..." she started, before swallowing yet again. - "You want to have children with me?" Her voice was more a whimper than a voice.

Denise looked at her for a while with her kind eyes. Then she put her hand around her head, giving her a soft, tender kiss. The kiss segued into making out. Soft moans were coming from both of them. Denise's hands rested on the small of Amalie's back. Amalie's hands rested on Denise's semi-seated butt. The taste of spring rolls and saliva. The warmth of Denise's slippery alien tongue. The heat of her body. The feeling of Denise's small breasts against her own bigger breasts.

Somebody cleared their throat. The two turned around in a daze. The red-haired woman was standing there with the two dishes. Chicken with cashew nuts. Pork with the restaurant's special sauce.

"Just a kind reminder," the woman said as she put down the dishes on the table. - "This is a restaurant. It's good that you have found each other, but... Not in here."

"Jeezes, calm down, lady!" Denise said with a short laugh. - "It's not like we were f*****g! Just kissing. That's all." The woman sent her a glare, before withdrawing into the kitchen. Denise let out an ennerved puff, before turning to Amalie. - "How are you, darling?"

"I'm... I'm fine," Amalie replied. - "The same thing happened to me and Henriette too."

"Henriette? Oh, you mean the 20-year-old you met this Wednesday?"

"Yeah..." A murmur. Denise's warming laughter sounded.

"Not easy to control yourself..." she said. - "Been there a lot of times. In Brazil I got kicked out of a night club because me and this hot Brazilian dude got a little bit carried away on the dance floor. When his finger ended up inside my vag, the bouncers stormed over and kicked us out. Then we went to his place..." A secretive smile. Amalie blushed, leading a shivering hand through her hair.

The two started eating.

"Where in Brazil did you live?" Amalie asked.

"São Paulo," Denise replied. - "The biggest city there. The biggest city on the southern hemisphere, in fact. Nearly twenty million people in the entire metropolitan area."

"Wow..." Amalie muttered. She was far less traveled than Denise. Infinitely less experienced. Especially sexually.

"Non ducor, duco! I'm not led, I lead!" Denise declared. - "The official motto of São Paulo." Her hand landed on Amalie's lower arm. - "We should really go to Brazil one day. The two of us. Visit São Paulo. Twenty million people. At least ten million hot Brazilian dudes with massive c***s!" A teasing stroke down her shoulder and upper arm. - "Remember the condoms on cucumbers? Extra large condoms?" A giggle.

Amalie virtually drooled.

"Hell yeah!" she exclaimed. - "Let's go to Brazil! That's a great idea!"

"When do you have summer vacation?"

"Duh, I'm a teacher! My summer vacation is from June to August!"

"Totally true. I forgot. My vacation is three weeks whenever I want. That's the upside of running your own business, being your own boss. Brazil is a huge country. We simply have to spend three weeks there. We could visit São Paulo. The Amazon river. Rio de Janeiro. The weird capital Brasilia."

Amalie led a shivering hand through her hair. Brazil. She commanded her mind to not do anything that could f**k it up. Be quiet! Shut your pie hole!

"I'd love to go to Brazil with you," she said with a smile. She led her fingers down Denise's cheek. - "If I ever were to go to Brazil with someone, it had to be you." An intense smile from Denise. Amalie leaned towards her. - "Thank you...!" She kissed her. She leaned back. Denise was nothing but a smile.

"Thank you for what?" she purred.

"For... being Denny," Amalie replied. She leaned towards Denise and hugged her, resting her head on her neck, her hands planted on her lower back.

"Thank you, Ams," Denise whispered into her ear. A long, deep sigh of relaxation. A sob. It did not come from Amalie. Denise clinged on to her for dear life. - "Thank you...!" A sniff. Denise looked at her with red eyes. - "Let's eat now, honey." Denise gave Amalie a kiss on her cheek.

Food was the last thing on Amalie's mind. Yet still, she found herself eating.

***

It was three o'clock when Amalie and Denise left Mallyville. They had bought two bottles of Doppio Passo and some food, determining to spend the evening at Amalie's place. Precisely ninety minutes later, at four thirty, the blue little car parked outside Amalie's block. The two young women got out and stretched their bodies, letting out long groans. Denise carried the groceries. Soon the two were installed in the flat, more precisely in Amalie's red, comfy couch. Spotify Premium through the speakers. The casual sipping of red wine. The odd relaxed sigh.

"Going to Aynesey was a good idea," Denise purred. - "We both needed to get away from Battersby for a while."

"Yeah," Amalie murmured, leaning back in the couch. Denise leaned in on her.

"We should do this more often. You know, Ams and Denny time."

"Yeah..." A murmur. The two stared at each other for a long time. A friendly glimmer in Denise's eyes as she took a sip from her wine.

"Freaked out about the baby thing?"

It took quite some time before Amalie recalled what Denise was talking about. Her eyes watered.

"I'm not freaked out," she said softly. Large doe eyes. - "You really want to have children with me?"

"Yes," Denise answered seriously.

"You really wanna be with me?" A whimperish voice.

"Yes. I really do." A deep, serious voice.

Amalie could not possibly have hugged Denise harder without choking her. She let out one long whimper of happiness.

"If none of us are in a steady relationship when we're 30, let's go to a clinic and get in vitro fertilization," Denise said. - "That's five years from now."

"Oki, Denny," Amalie said. - "But who's gonna be the mother?"

"Why not both of us?"

The thought of being pregnant was both intoxicating and downright frightening. Five years from now. She could not visualize herself being 30. It was hard enough that she would soon turn 25. A steady relationship. Not to mention being a mother. It sounded so utopian. A dream. A fantasy. Impossible. Unreal as a unicorn. Like a... dragon. She led a shivering hand through her hair.

"Come here, you..." Denise purred. She put her arm around Amalie and rested her head on her shoulder, letting out a deep, relaxed sigh. Crazy head tingles. The two glasses of wine rested on the table, safe from tipping over. The two snuggled, just holding each other. Amalie caressed Denise's short, blond hair, slowly scratching the back of her head. Denise closed her eyes, a smile of comfort on her face. Amalie led a hand down her soft, warm upper back, teasing her with her black fingernails. Denise made a small sound, twisting her lean body. She looked at Amalie with hazy eyes. Dark, hazy eyes.

The two started making out, and this time nobody was there to stop them. Denise took the lead (Non ducor, duco), and she led Amalie into the bedroom, firmly closing the door. It did not take long before the two were naked in bed. The two made out aggressively, both of them letting out deep groans. There was a strong mutual scent in the room. A scent of mutual consent - conscent. Denise led a hand across Amalie's hairless groin, before turning her over on her back. Amalie let out a whimperish squeal as Denise's warm, slippery tongue descended on her warm, slippery labia. My God! The first time a tongue ever touched her there! With slow (way too slow!), skilled movements Denise licked Amalie. She moaned and twisted as if in agony. It was so damn good! Denise's breathy laugh. Her breath against her swollen-- my God!!

Amalie let out a long, cat-like whimper. Denise's tongue penetrated her and gave her what she wanted, what she needed, so badly. A short, loud squeal. Release! Release from the deep, swollen ache. Did the bed levitate from the floor? It certainly felt so. Like the earth itself shook.

"You are so beautiful," Denise whispered in her ear. Amalie exploded in a torrent of head tingles. - "I adore you... You're so kind... So cute..."

She kissed her softly on her neck, her lips touching her dragon pendant. Denise's warm, wet, swollen vulva touched Amalie's. Softly rubbing it. Denise held Amalie, locking her in her embrace. The rubbing got harder and more aggressive, Denise's breath went faster and faster. A whimper from Amalie. A deep groan from Denise. Her lips sucked her neck painfully hard. Her fingernails carved into the flesh of her upper back. Amalie whimpered. Denise was like a beast! Surrendering to her affection made Amalie ascend into Release Heaven yet again. Did some large dam burst somewhere? It certainy felt so. Like the continent itself moved a tiny budge. Somewhere another universe was born.

She felt loved. She felt adored. Another human being desired her so much that it led to orgasm. How did it make her feel? Words failed to describe. Everything would be better in an instant. Infinitely better.

Denise cried. She was so happy that she cried. She clung on to Amalie for dear life, sobbing. Burying her face in her naked, milk-white embrace. Resting her head on her right breast.

Soon the two lay there holding each other. Perfect serenity. Textbook tranquility. Sleep was only a blink away. In fact, Denise had already drifted off.