only a few minutes ago.”
The girl shrugged again. “I’ll tell her when she gets back home.” She paused. “Oh, I haven’t told you my name. I’m Laarni.” The girl held out her hand.
“Hi, Laarni. I’m Carrie.” Carrie took the other girl’s hand and was surprised at how strong the other girl’s grip was.
“Nice name. What are you watching?” Laarni sat down beside Carrie.
“It’s, uh, this fashion show,” Carrie stuttered. She was uncomfortable with Laarni sitting too close beside her for comfort. Laarni, who was wearing an oversized cotton T-shirt with nothing else that Carrie’s eye could see.
Carrie felt like giving herself a few good kicks on the head. So Laarni’s beautiful, but so what? The two of them could pass off as classmates, maybe even friends, for heaven’s sake. Carrie didn’t know and understand why she felt funny being in the same room—and the same couch— with Laarni. She remembered Saab, one of her closest buds, who was way more beautiful than Laarni, if that was even possible. Carrie never felt funny around Saab, who sometimes walked around the house in nothing but her underwear. She and her best friends were so close, they had even seen each other naked. The sight of her best friends’ bare bodies did nothing to Carrie’s head and libido, but things were taking a different turn with Laarni, a girl she had met for only less than an hour ago!
“You’re into fashion?” Laarni was saying. “Cool. I’d love to go into fashion myself, but my dad wouldn’t let me. Everything’s yellow to him. Not much I can do while I’m living under his roof, but I won’t be doing that for long.” She shifted, and her bare leg brushed against Carrie’s jean-clad one.
Carrie did her best not to squirm. It wouldn’t do good for Laarni to think she was disgusted sitting so close to her. Disgust was a word Carrie believed she would never, ever use on Laarni. Laarni was too bright and beautiful for that. However, Carrie couldn’t quite put her finger on what she was feeling, sitting beside this bright and beautiful being. Then it dawned on her: she was aroused. For Pete’s sake, she was very aroused.
Carrie snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed Laarni was looking at her intently. She blushed furiously, embarrassed at having been caught drifting off into space. “I’m sorry. Look, I have been listening to you, I swear, but something—”
Laarni laughed, and Carrie felt goose bumps crawl all over her. The laughter sounded magical, seductive even. Carrie didn’t know how, but she knew she had to move away from Laarni and the confines of the couch before she would lose her head and do something she knew she’ll regret later on.
“Oh, Carrie!” Laarni exclaimed. “What is wrong with you? You’re all red and tense all over. You didn’t think I’d bite your head off, did you?” She laughed again.
“It’s not that,” Carrie said hurriedly. “It’s just that I didn’t want you to think I’m a ninny or something, drifting off like that.” She lowered her head slightly. “I’m like that, you see.”
Laarni snorted, and Carrie couldn’t believe a simple snort could sound so sexy. Everything Laarni does is sexy , Carrie thought. She wondered where the other girl got that trait. It couldn’t be from her mother. Mrs. Cannon reeked of kindness, yes, but she also reeked of formality and seriousness. Sexy wasn’t something one associated with Mrs. Cannon. Carrie decided Laarni must have gotten her sensuality from her dad.
“Relax, would you?” Laarni said. “I’m not going to bite your head off or tell Mom if you did something funny.” She paused. “I’m bored. I want to do something fun. I just got up from a deep sleep, and it would be nice to hit the sack again, but my golly.” She yawned and gave a long stretch. Her shirt hitched up to her thigh, and Carrie saw a hint of boyleg panties clutching a