Tally Marks

Careful

Tally inhaled deeply with confidence and excitement as she opened her locker Friday morning. She fixed a smudge of her lipstick and stashed her sleek helmet inside. She smoothed out her Iron Maiden shirt, fixed her loose ponytail, and smiled to herself recalling Aunt Colleen's hysterical comment over her band shirt:

"Tally change that shirt, I didn't raise a devil worshipper."

She felt Benji's arms snake around her immediately making her forget Colleen's outrageous complaint, covering the words of "Powerslave", kissing the tip of her ear.

"Ready for tonight?"

"Are you?"

"You tell me." Benji reached a hand over her shoulder, shutting her locker before coming in front of her, holding her tight against the metallic door. Her nails gently intertwined in his curled locks as their lips caressed one another, while his slowly glided down to her rear. His fingers tracing over the very seam of her shorts.

"Ben, not right now." She whispered, tearing his hand away, placing it over the arch of her back. She nuzzled against his neck, all while feeling the fluttering feel within her gut as her eye caught a hold of Mr. Farron passing the two, glancing right at them before he walked off. Her arms fell limp to her sides and she stared down at the converse shoes she wore

"You okay babe?"

Yet, she knew she couldn't tell Ben of the unexplained tension she felt after letting her hand accidentally glide over her teacher's member. Or how idiotic she was to stare at his bulge, letting Marcia see through the façade she gave him. Tally took in a breath, not wanting to think about the sensual thought that brewed within her mind when the night was her witness to the sight of her hand in her thong.

"You know that new teacher is giving me the creeps." Benji stated, turning his head back. He gave his curls a shake before leaning on her shoulder.

"Why do you say that?"

"He's always staring at us every time we kiss or even hug. Doesn't he have a wife? Kids? Something? God, Tally be careful around him."

"I'm not dumb Ben, I know where to draw the line." Tally faked a smile somehow not the least bit intimidated by her fixated teacher. She allowed the palm of her hand to stroke the bevel in his cheekbone, letting her right leg slip into the crevice between his denim sheathed legs. Her thigh pressed up against his length, giving him an assuring kiss before the bell rang to get to class.

"I know babe, I shouldn't worry. Come on."

Tally placed one earbud in her ear as Benji draped his arm around the back of her neck, strolling with ease to the door of the art room. Twirling casually to face Ben, she leaned in for one last kiss before he patted her rear, sending her inside with Killer Queen ringing in her ears. She pulled out her completed surrealist sketch, waltzing to his desk to see him with a concerned expression etched to his face. His deep hazel orbs gaped at her provocative shorts.

"You said due by the end of the week, correct?"

"Yes Miss...Maiden."

"Gee, finally someone knows the band."

"You surprise me, Miss McCarthy."

"Do I now?" Tally's face flushed a rosy shade.

"You never cease to." He chuckled, staring down at her completed surrealist sketch, pencil-shaded all around; examining her every detail before etching a blue-inked "A" onto the back of her paper.

She let out a small gasp as he did so.

"You deserve it. Hey, um is it possible you could come during your lunch period?"