Popping Lisa's Cherry

Lisa's nerves were frayed, sleep had become impossible and she was merely existing rather than living. She hadn't been able to eat since the afternoon of her discovery, she had developed huge, dark bags under her eyes and her flesh seemed to melt from her bones.

She couldn't go on, something had to give, even Jill confronting her about her cross dressing would be welcome, anything to give her respite from this torture.

'Laurie?' Lisa's voice was shaking with tension when her stepdaughter answered the phone.

There was a long silence and then, 'Dad.' Laurie's tone gave nothing away.

Lisa couldn't find the words to go on and she felt the hot tears slide down over her cheeks as her frustration and torment bubbled over.

'I was going to call you today,' Laurie spoke at last. 'We need to talk about...' Lisa sighed heavily and closed her eyes as he listened to Laurie's voice, '...about what I saw last week,' she finished.

'Laurie, I'm sorry, so sorry, let me explain...'

'Later,' Laurie interrupted, 'meet me later, then you can tell me all about it.'

'But...' Lisa went on, 'what about your mother?'

There was another long pause and Lisa fought back the urge to scream out her frustration. She had to know!

To her surprise, Lisa heard Laurie chuckle. 'Don't worry, I won't blab, you're secret's safe.' The relief hit Lisa like the shock of cold water, but she then remembered she still had to face her stepdaughter; she still had to look Laurie in the eye and try to explain. 'Come over here, say two o'clock?' Laurie's voice brought Lisa back down to earth.

'Sure,' Lisa whispered, unable to speak properly. 'Two o'clock.'

'Cool, bye.' A click on the line and Lisa blinked when she realised her stepdaughter had gone.

The interval between the phone call and the hour of two passed at a snail's pace for Lisa. Her stomach was coiled in tight knots when she eventually stood outside Laurie's front door and she took several deep breaths in a vain attempt to calm her nerves before she knocked.