We All Have Been Degraded

Cory sat down next to John and he turned his body toward her ready to forsake his conversation with Garrett to pay attention to her.

“So John, how do you know my step-brother?” She asked still leaning toward him and crossing her legs so he’d see her cleavage and legs as well as possible.

He leaned closer and touched her cheek. “I’m in a band.”

Lynn couldn’t believe how close they were having just met.

Cory face melted into a different smile. “That’s pretty sexy.”

He looked around the room, “Wanna talk somewhere more private?”

“Are you serious?!” Lynn’s mind screamed. She was so easily replaced to him. What did he just want to screw one of Cassandra’s daughters? What is he doing? And why did he have to do it to her, to Lynn? This wasn’t what she wanted. Ever.

Something about seeing them both sneak off to some secluded area where the adults wouldn’t see ‘em tore Lynn apart. It wasn’t jealousy. She knew that much.

Every emotion inside her was so intense that it felt like it was ripping every internal organ from it’s place and shredding it in the process. She felt like she was drowning. Blood was filling her up bottom to top like a sinking ship. She expected crimson red to start pouring passed her pale pink lips. Blood to start staining everything near her. She couldn’t say anything. She couldn’t scream. Her throat was filled with the metaphorical fluid keeping her from releasing any sound for fear she’d just sound like some sputtering gurgles and she’d force the blood out. She couldn’t cry about being nothing but an easy lay to him because she figured she didn’t have tears in her tear ducts just more blood. She couldn’t stand the idea of having anymore crimson red on her body than she already saw. The words were bleeding through her clothes again, bright against the pale fabric and slowly soaking in and branching out. Until her whole dress was soaked with it.

She shook herself from this twisted little picture looked down at her dress frantically; it was perfect.

“You ok?” Garrett asked sympathetically watching her, knowing what was eating at her.

She feared speaking but knew she had to. “I’m fine.” No sputters. No blood slipping up her throat. She knew she was ok now... Well she didn’t really have internal bleeding at least.

“You can talk about it you know.” He pressed lightly. He knew she had to talk about or else she’d go absolutely crazy. They both saw her drowning from the inside out just in different ways.

She let out a sigh and slowly turned her head to face Garrett. “I hate him so much.” She said with a teary smile. “I’m just another tramp to him.”

Then she realized what she said and started babbling to correct it. “Not that I think that Cory’s a tramp. She’s my sister and has been nothing but nice and-”

Garrett stopped her and pulled her into a hug as she really started to have the problem.

The worst thing was not one of the “adults” in that room even noticed the girl crying on her step brother’s shoulder. No one did. Everyone was too wrapped in their own lives.

“Did you want to be something more to him?” Garrett asked curiously soothingly rubbing circles on her back.

She pulled away just to look up and talk to him. “No. But I never wanted to be just sex to anyone.”

He nodded understanding and was going to pull her back to his chest.

She pushed herself away though. “I’ll be back. I’m going to wash my face.” She went straight for the bathroom pleasantly surprised to find it empty.

She washed the smeared make-up from her cheeks and looked back into the mirror. Every mirror had been her enemy as of late and the face in this mirror was scowling at her. She knew what was coming. Her brain was giving her a voice that appeared to be out of her head to torture her now just like you see in the movies and on TV.

“What, did you think he wanted something more than to use you for sex?” The cruel Lynn in the mirror spoke. She already showed herself to be nothing like the girl she mirrored. “Get a grip. He’s never even really has a conversation with you. Just roughly kissed you pushing you into a wall shoving you onto a bed, a desk, whatever he felt the urge to fuck you on that day but really he wanted a relationship.” She spoke sarcastically.

Lynn spoke back to the bitter reflection softly. “I didn’t think he did.”

“Then why are you so hurt you big pansy?” She asked finally showing herself to be a separate person from Lynn by sitting down on the counter facing Lynn.

“Because I’m a total fuck up.” She said looking to her feet ashamed.

“You were just as much a fuck up before John went off with Cory as after. Why did that matter?” She asked as she started messing with her nails.

“Because I can’t pretend it isn’t exactly what I knew it was anymore.” Her eyes came back up to face the new thing her brain had cooked up. “I can’t pretend to be blind anymore.”

The girl in the mirror stood back up took the position Lynn was in again. “Then open your eyes.” She spoke easily and was again a simple reflection.

Lynn always knew she was creative and had an outstanding mind but she never realized the lengths it would go to when it needed to tell her she needed a change.

That night she made a decision.

She was totally over this little overly teenage thing that she had going and she was going to rededicate herself to her school work and to her morality.

She was going to put her life back to where it was supposed to be.

She went home that night and paid no mind to the fact that Cory’s bra was subtly peeking out of her purse and she looked like the cat who caught the mouse.

Once they all got back home she went straight up to her room and caught up on some of the work she’d let fall to the wayside.

Cory was out all weekend with John and Lynn was home all weekend getting so far ahead she could hardly believe it. Her teachers -well except Miller- gave assignment lists and she was so far ahead she was tempted to ask for the ones for the second half the year. The only ones she couldn’t do were the ones that were work sheets instead of book work.

One thing Lynn did notice was when Cory came home Sunday night from her day out with John her shirt was on inside out.

Luckily enough for Cory it was just Lynn in the kitchen so Cassandra hadn’t yet seen.

“Cory, your top’s inside out.” Lynn said after glancing at her and finally deciding on grabbing a soda from the fridge.

Cory looked down and laughed. “Thanks sis. I’m glad you caught this instead of mom.” She didn’t think twice to slinging her shirt off in the middle of the kitchen and flipping it right side out before putting it back on as it should be. “I’ve seen the boys you guys have out here why are you keeping yourself locked up in your room instead of taking advantage of all this amazing man candy?”

Lynn inadvertently rolled her eyes, it was fortunate that she wasn’t facing Cory anymore. “I have better things to focus on.”

“Am I just assuming things I shouldn’t be? Are you really into chicks because if you are that’s totally fine, just embrace it.” Cory thought that this was the right thing to say. She figured if you weren’t out there taking advantage of everything she’d seen there had to be something going on.

Soda came flying out of Lynn’s mouth spraying the counter in front of her. She spun to Cory eyes huge from shock. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” Cory said not understanding where this is going.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Because I’m not fucking the first hot guy that walks toward me I’m gay?” This pissed her off. “I’m done with this ridiculous conversation, I‘m going to bed.” Lynn stomped up the stairs.

Beginning to feel more like sisters.

The next morning Lynn stopped to have the family breakfast that they’ve really been doing since Cory arrived.

Lynn came in and just quickly grabbed a bowl of cereal. Ignoring the subtle glares that Cory was throwing her.

“How’d ya sleep?” Cassandra asked as Lynn sat down at the table.

Lynn was half temped to say alone and toss Cory a look back but she refrained. “Great and I‘m so far ahead in my school work it‘s just wrong.” She joked trying to keep everything perfectly pleasant.

“Oh so that’s why you were in your room like a hermit all weekend?” Cory shot back. Only Lynn could pick up the mean undertone that came with it.

“Yep because I’m vying for Harvard or Columbia. I have to be at the top.” There was a hidden sting to that. She was implying that Cory didn’t have to give a crap about her school work because she didn’t want to go anywhere but Cosmetology school.

“Well you know you’ll have to have something to do when you’ve bored every man who’d ever think about wanting you to death.” Cory said it like it was a joke.

“Cory be nice.” Cassandra said lightly still thinking this was sisterly joking.

Lynn knew she meant it and as if seeing Cory saunter off with John wasn’t enough of an insult to her ability to keep a man interested.

She got up taking her half eaten cereal to the sink. “I gotta go.” She tossed to her family after taking care of the bowl.

She grabbed her bag from the bottom of the stairs and her keys off the hook and was on her way.

“She said that?” Sky nearly shouted totally bewildered. “That’s so messed up!”

Lynn had just told her and Aurora what happened.

“You should totally get her back.” Aurora said simply as she picked the skin off her orange.

Lynn scoffed. “What do you propose I do? Stoop to her level?” She never expected that statement to be taken seriously.

“Duh.” Aurora said with an evil smirk.

“You’ve got to be out of your fucking mind.” Lynn said in total disbelief.

Aurora looked really sure of herself here, she’d hatched the perfect plan. “You see we live in Arizona.”

“Thanks Captain Obvious.” Lynn said rolling her eyes.

“Damn it, just listen. It’s late October and still warm enough to not freeze to death coming out of a pool, but it’s cool enough to be chilly coming out of a pool if you know what I mean.” She said suggestively. “I know one thing, she’ll have him over and I mean soon. They’re gonna get tired of playing outside, they’re dying for some inside games. When they come to do that you go out and cause a scene, but not in your typical one piece you gotta go bikini.”

“It’s October where do you expect me to get a bikini?” Lynn asked ever the skeptic.

“They’re probably on clearance by now! You can get one cheap and we all know this’ll probably be the only time you wear it.” Sky added.

Lynn rolled her eyes. Now they were both against her.

“I’ll give it a shot. Just because she pissed me off.” Lynn said firmly.

The day ended and she ran out to the nearest Target and found the swimsuits on clearance. She had to search to find a decent one in her size but eventually did and took it to the register and paid for it.

She couldn’t help but notice the sales boy checking her out after looking at her skimpy two piece. “Of course that’s what all guys are looking for.” She thought to herself and rolled her eyes as she swiped her bank card and left.

She saw what she’d learned to be John’s car and walked right in bag in hand ready to get her plan.

She heard them in the kitchen talking about strawberries. She couldn’t help but cringe at the thought.

She ran right up the stairs to her room and pulled the little black with pink and white print swim suit on quickly and grabbed a towel beginning her decent down the stairs.

She hoped they’d still be in the kitchen but when she walked through and they weren’t there she figured she could make it even worse this way.

She turned on the pool stereo -well it was more like and out door speaker system- adjusted the radio to where she wanted.

She tossed the towel carelessly into one of the chairs and her mind thought back to the first time John kissed her. How embarrassed she was to have caught him staring at her and now she was in even less and thought even less of it. The result of sex to even the most modest girls is greater comfort the nude. She realized it then but it did anything but comfort her.

She stood in front of the pool looking at it for a moment before smiling taking a few big steps back and ran and jumped into the air letting out a loud excited scream first.

She canon balled -not the sexiest way to enter the pool but possibly the loudest- in surfacing laughing. She was enjoying this not even the plan just doing something a little crazy. It was way later in the year than she’d usually ever swim, she’d never be so loud on her own either, and the music just brought a light hearted sprit to it. She swam about for a minute just reveling in it before returning to her mission.

She climbed out of the pool and headed up to the doors leading to Cory’s room and smirked knowing this part would be fun.

She threw the door open before her and caught them on the bed feverishly making out. “Hey guys!” She started as she came in then pretended to have not expected this. “Oh sorry, maybe you should have locked this door Cory.”

“I thought it was.” Cory muttered angrily.

“Do y’all want to come out for a swim?” She asked as she jutted her hip out and posed subtly in a seductive manner.

A slight October breeze came through giving her a little chill. Part of her felt the urge to cross her arms over her chest but the other part -the angry catty part she never realized she had- told her not to.

She noticed John’s eyes glued to just the right place and tossed him a smirk.

Cory noticed and sat up pushing John up too and started playing Lynn’s game. “Well, I didn’t bring a swimsuit out here with me so would you mind if I went bare?” Her eyes conniving caught on Lynn’s.

“Honey you have tank tops and underwear that you can wash, don’t act so desperate for attention.” Lynn easily responded as she turned and sauntered away. She knew they’d be coming out.

She knew Cory felt challenged and she’d step up. What Cory didn’t know is the limits Lynn would go to when determined but John did.

John knew one thing; this was going to be interesting, fun even.

He came right out letting Cory do whatever she was going to do for a swimsuit.

He took one of the chairs by the pool just sitting back ready to watch the show.

Lynn who was about to hop back into the pool noticed and was gonna keep playing even if Cory wasn’t there to see. “Come on, get in the water’s fine.” She said lightly smirking.

“It’s to cold for me.” He said returning a smirk up to her.

“What if I were to say it’s a heated pool?” She asked feigning coy.

“Then that could be a different story.” He was amused with the way she was playing. Never before had she even kinda come on to him it was always vice versa.

“Well, I think you should just take your chances. It may be heated, it may not be.” She was now backing toward the edge of the pool.

He stood up very tempted to follow her, even took a few steps toward her and the pool. He understood how Eve got Adam into all that trouble. “Maybe you should just tell me.” He said huskily reaching out to push her wet hair out of her face.

Before he could touch her she chirped out a “No” and did a backward dive in narrowly avoiding kicking him as she did so.

Cory came out just in time to see this, John standing so close to Lynn and Lynn just hopping in to the pool. Lynn played a different game than Cory, Lynn played something more along the lines of hard to get where as Cory didn’t even begin to understand that game. She was straight forward and thought that was the way to go. She just walked right over to the edge of the pool and dove in.

Cory came to the surface. “Why the fuck are we doing this it’s freezing?”

“Just keep swimming it’ll get your blood flowing and you’ll warm right up.” Lynn said dismissively as she just started swimming around using various styles of swimming.

“I can think of way better ways than swimming to get warm.” Cory said as she went for the stairs to get out. “You with me John?” She said in her sexiest voice which anyone with ears had to admit was pretty fucking sexy.

Lynn started back stroking her way down the pool. “Have it your way!” She called to Cory easily.

Cory had gotten all the way back to her door before she realized John was still in his chair just watching Lynn like he was hypnotized. “John!” She shouted to get his attention and he shook himself out of it and followed almost instantly.

After Lynn heard the door shut she laughed to herself softly and got out and toweled herself off and headed inside knowing she’d just won.

After John left Cory came up and pounded on Lynn’s door.

Lynn opened the door knowing exactly who it was. “What’s up Cory?”

“What the hell was that this afternoon?” She demanded.

Lynn’s smile grew. “You know I think I might not be the one that has trouble keeping a man’s attention. Maybe that’s you.” She said so happy to say it she could have exploded. “Goodnight.” She said closing the door right in Cory’s face.