Kiss List (Book I of the List Series)

Chapter 16 - Caught In The Trap

Thankfully, the knock on the girls' locker room door came quickly. The kissing session with Graham had stretched for some time after the football practice ended so all the other boys must have cleared out by the time we got to the locker rooms. "Just a few stragglers," Doug confirmed when I opened the door. "They're all gone now. We're good to go."

I put my backpack on my back, slung my duffel bag with all my school clothes over my shoulder, and followed him to the boys' locker room. "So what exactly do you have in mind for this photo shoot again?" I asked. I had blocked Doug out when he first tried to describe it to me before practice but now that the time for the shoot had arrived I wanted the details.

"I want to create an image that portrays how the educational system, like, indoctrinates us and stuff and turns us into cookie-cutter members of society," Doug said. "I want to portray people displaying primal passion behind the locker doors to show how school locks us in these stereotypes. Do you know anything about Plato and the Allegory of the Cave?"

I shook my head. I had no idea what he was talking about.

Doug look annoyed but he continued. "Well, I think of myself like a philosopher who will take a photograph of the real world behind the illusion of the stereotypes and reveal it to the prisoners. That might not make much sense to you if you aren't familiar with Plato but maybe one day you will get it."

We walked into the boys' locker room. "So... what? You're going to take a photo of each of us side-by-side in two lockers?" I asked.

"Sort of," he said as we rounded a row of lockers. "Except that I need you in the same locker."

I didn't even have time to process his words when a beautiful sight came into view – Graham wearing only his spandex shorts and a football helmet. My breath caught in my throat. He was drenched in sweat as though he had just finished a hard run. He looked exquisite. I had not noticed how amazing his abs were before. On the football field I had of course let my eyes wander and noticed that his abs were decent but not like this. These were in the same league as David and Sam. It must just be the way the sweat and light glistened off of them.

"Uh, um, what?" I stuttered. "What do you mean the same locker? We can't put two people in the same locker. There's no way we'd fit. It'd barely fit one of us."

"Yes you'll have to squish," Doug said. "Graham will go in first and then you can kneel under him. I want you to lift up your arm and spread your fingers across his chest so that it looks like you are clawing your way up his body in the heat of passion. Don't worry, though, I'll shoot the photo so that only your arms and your fingers will be visible. No one will be able to tell that it's you."

I was horrified. "Ah, are you okay with this?" I asked Graham. "It's a little racier than I had in mind so it's fine if you're not."

Graham shrugged and stepped into the locker. I looked at him in desperation.

"You promised me," Doug said. "Come on. Let's do it."

I tried to think of some way to get out of this but came up with nothing. I had promised Doug to help him and Graham was already in the locker. I couldn't claim cold feet now, not after what I had asked of each of them. I reluctantly stepped up to the locker.

"Why are you sweating?" I asked Graham.

"I asked him to go for a quick run to enhance the definition of his muscles. Now get in," Doug said.

Graham was squeezed like a sardine into the locker. I had to put my hands on his body to pull myself in. I hesitantly reached in and grabbed his shoulders. I pulled myself to him and felt his sweat soak into my skin. "Sorry," I said. "This is a bit uncomfortable." I practically slid down his body as I knelt and then arranged my hands across his chest

Doug closed the locker door behind us. The door was a criss-cross metal designed that allowed for maximum ventilation. As a result, it was completely transparent so it wasn't like I was being locked in a tiny box or anything. Still, I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as the door pressed me closer to Graham. There was no space between us at all and I couldn't move.

"You're not locking it, right?" I said as the thought suddenly occurred to me.

"Just for a moment," Doug said and I heard the sound of metal sliding through the slots in the handle. "The lock is an important symbol for the shoot." I heard the sound of the locking clicking into place, trapping us inside the locker. "This is perfect guys, hold it just like this," Doug said.

Easy for him to say. I was feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Kneeling down had put my face level with Graham's waistband. The scene must look wildly inappropriate from behind. Then another thought occurred to me. My last name was printed on the back of my jersey. "You're sure that the photo will only include my arms, right?" I asked, beginning to panic.

"Hmmm," Doug mumbled in response as he continued to snap photos. "Okay, would you mind taking the helmet off now?"

I felt Graham move around as he took the helmet off. I wondered why Doug had requested that if we were supposed to be anonymous. Maybe he wanted a shot with my hands, the helmet, and Graham's torso and was going to crop Graham's head out? That seemed odd but I had given up trying to understand Doug's artistic sensibilities.

I felt Graham press his body slightly against my head and I bit my lip to keep from saying anything. Graham had done everything I had asked of him and I didn't want to snap at him, especially when my actions were almost certainly going to cause him to lose his girlfriend. Still, the feeling of his sweaty abs pressed against my face was uncomfortable.

Well, perhaps it wasn't all bad. A lot of girls would have loved to be stuck in close quarters with Graham. His body was incredible. I tried my best to enjoy the moment. I let my hands slide across his skin.

"That's good!" Doug cried. "It's really helping get different shots. Keep going."

Emboldened, I began to stroke Graham's body softly. I felt him shiver under my touch. Was I making the big bad football star and homecoming king tremble? I restrained the urge to giggle. Perhaps I could torture him a little while I was here. I ducked my head down and pressed my lips lightly against the spandex of his inner thigh. Graham jumped and I heard his head hit the top of the locker. He grunted in pain. I smiled. I was enjoying teasing the boy. He rested his hand on the back of my head and I figured he was trying to think of a way to get me to stop torturing him. I couldn't help but let my lips lightly brush his thigh one more time.

"Are you getting this?" Graham asked excitedly. Except the voice was not Graham's at all. My head snapped up in horror.

Sam Queen's triumphant face was staring back down at me.