KILL THE VIRGIN IN YOU 3

- "Sorry…"

- "No need," Stella shook her head. "It's normal. I didn't get it before—how great it feels when people look at me… But now I do."

She sat at the table, flipped open her laptop, and tapped its keys briskly. The screen bloomed with a vibrant website, and Stella melted into it, forgetting me. Feeling odd and out of place, I edged closer. The website mimicked a chat—messages streamed on the right, a central window showing Stella, her room, and me via the camera.

"Hey, guys," Stella said, adjusting the camera beside the laptop. "Who's here?"

Hearts, emoticons, and greetings flickered in the chat.

- "And this is Noah," she said, pointing at me. "Noah's my guest tonight."

The chat exploded:

"Cool!"

"Handsome!"

"Fry him!"

"Sex tonight, yay!"

I gaped at the words. Was this a webcam thing? What the…

"Stella, I think I'll go," I said.

She swiveled in her chair and pressed a finger to my lips.

- "You like to watch," she said, "and they do. Some watch, others act—it's normal. And I want," she stood, tugging her robe's ties apart, "to do it with you…"

The robe slid—agonizingly slow to me—off her shoulders, then her hips, pooling on the floor. Stella stood in just panties and a tight, short top.

The medallion blazed, threatening to sear my chest, but the heat wasn't painful—it thrilled me. My hands reached instinctively where the robe had been. Stella noticed, stepping closer with a smile. Then a clinking rang out, like coins dropping into a clay pot. *Ding. Ding. Ding!* It jolted me.

- "What's that?"

"Compliments for you," Stella replied.

"So this is how you earn money?" I guessed, eyeing the coins flashing across the screen.

She shook her head with a sweet smile, as if it were the most mundane topic—like she wasn't nearly bare before the whole internet.

- "I'm no whore. Just tips from my subscribers."

I shot a wary glance at the camera, itching to cover it.

- "How many subscribers?"

- "Not enough yet," Stella said. "Only four thousand."

My face on the screen looked more strained than ever.

- "So four thousand will see us?"

She shook her head again.

- "No, ten thousand will see us—not all are subscribers. But if they like it, they'll join. You'll help me, right?"

She stretched onto her toes and kissed the corner of my lips—soft and sudden. As I recoiled, she shoved me onto the bed and straddled me before I could speak.

"Some do it in light, others in dark," she said, stroking my chest—easing me down while pinning me. "Some with curtains drawn, some wide open. I'm not shy before the camera. I like being seen…"

She leaned in and kissed me again—deep this time, her tongue shamelessly claiming my mouth. My first real taste of that.

"I've got to tell you," I said, opting for honesty, "I've never had sex before."

She smiled and tilted her head toward the camera.

- "Guys, let's cheer Noah on! His first time's tonight!"

I nearly swore. She might as well have clapped. The room filled with those damned dings again.

- "See," Stella said, her hands gliding over my chest like a massage, "they like it. They approve. You'll never get this much praise in the real world… They like it, I like it, you'll like it too. I'll help—relax…"

She lifted my hand and slid it under her top. The medallion burned again, but it soothed me now. I tried reasoning—as much as I could: one hand under her top, the other brushing her panties, her tongue just ravaging my mouth. What did I have to lose? This wasn't even porn—just a webcam. Even if it were, no one cared about the guy. It'd be dumb to pass this up.

- "See, you're ready…"

I hadn't noticed her unbutton my jeans, but her hand was already inside my underwear.

"Just warn me," she said, "when you're about to finish…"

She slid off my lap and knelt before me.

"They need to see this," she added, tugging my jeans down.

---

A door slammed nearby, but it felt distant, like another world. Stella flinched hard.

- "Stella, I'm home!"

The voice—unfamiliar, male, stern. Her father, maybe? No time to ask—Stella lunged, clapping a hand over my mouth.

- "Quiet," she hissed, "let him think I'm asleep. He forgot something—he'll grab it and go…"

The apartment's silence turned eerie, every sound booming like a drum. Footsteps halted outside her door. We froze, barely breathing. After an eternity, they faded. Then, piercing the stillness like a bell in a quiet night, that familiar sound rang out:

*DZINK!*

And again. *DZINK!*

*DZINK!*…

- "Stella!" The voice roared. "What the hell are you doing again?!"

The door flew open—kicked, it seemed—slamming the wall repeatedly. Stella's father didn't enter; he stormed in.

"What is this?" he bellowed.

Stella sprang off me like lightning, and I leapt up, nearly tripping over my jeans.

- "Dad, this is my friend!" she stammered. "He brought me a notebook!"

- "Then why are his pants down? No shame at all? Is that your homework? And you…" He glared at me, furious. "I'll kill you!"

I barely yanked my jeans up before he seized my collar. The medallion's chain bit into my skin under his grip—no warmth now. Stella waved a guilty goodbye, her lips mouthing a clear "sorry." My first sex ended before it began—and, as she'd wanted, everyone saw.

- "You young fools have lost your minds!" her father ranted, dragging me to the door. "We used to hide in corners so no one'd see—now you flaunt it! On the internet! No shame at all! You're the third I've tossed out this month!"

How many hadn't he caught?

- "I told her once," he thrust my jacket and shoes at me, "come near this house again, and I'll end you!" He shoved me into the hall, unshod.

---

Never had the March wind felt so bitter as after the heat of Stella's room. I trudged down the street, half-dazed by what happened. Stupid. Absurd. Yet, if I thought about it, I'd nearly had sex with almost no effort—Scarlett was right; the medallion worked. But I had no clue where or when I'd torn off Stella's flag. Should I go back and ask why she'd even wanted me?

A glowing sign for an Italian restaurant flickered past—the same one where I'd met Scarlett. Yesterday, it'd been full of enticing girls—I recalled the three at the next table. I wouldn't mind testing the medallion on them too. My fingers found the free coffee coupon in my pocket—maybe all I could afford here now. Why not? I climbed the steps and stepped inside.

But my hopes for company fizzled. The room was empty save for a bored waitress—the same one who'd eyed me oddly beside Scarlett yesterday. Too cold to leave, I took a table. She approached, and when I handed her the coupon, she sighed wearily—probably thinking I'd come for such a trifle anyway. She left, and my smartphone buzzed insistently.

- "Dude, was that you?" Ethan shouted. "Tell me it was you! With Stella Brooks!…"

- "With who?" I blinked.

- "Stella Brooks! The girl who almost had sex with you today!"

He meant Stella?

"How'd you know?" I asked.

- "Damn, it *was* you!" Ethan crowed. "I knew it! I even tossed in a hundred bucks!"

I winced, recalling the grating sound of those "tips" that had ruined it all.

- "Unbelievable!" Ethan rambled on. "Stella Brooks, number forty-seven in the site's top fifty! Top ten in my book! How'd you even get there?"

"Like a visual novel," I muttered, unenthused. "She jumped me herself…"

- "You've got to tell me everything!" he pressed. "Every detail! I want that too!"

"Tomorrow," I said.

- "But—"

I hung up. I didn't feel like talking. What was there to say? That I'd met a succubus, struck a shady deal, and now stumbled into shadier messes?

"Okay, you can go back," Scarlett's voice piped up. "Her father's gone again."

I jolted, scanning the empty room—no sign of her.

- "Why're you still sitting there?" she snapped. "I said go back! Finish what you started!"

It was her voice, but she wasn't here. Was she in my head? I pressed my temples, unsure what I hoped to achieve.

- "Keep quiet, and I'll get louder!" she warned. "Your ears'll ring!"

I wanted to curse. She *was* in my head—and hadn't mentioned *that* part.

- "I can scream 'til your skull splits!" she added, menacingly.

The waitress across the room gave me a weird look. I grabbed my smartphone and pressed it to my ear—pointless, but less odd-looking.

"That's it for today," I said. "I'm tired."

After Ethan's rant, I wasn't sure I wanted to revisit Stella.

- "Tired of what?" Scarlett fumed. "You haven't had sex with anyone yet!"

I nearly swore again. Why'd I get mixed up in this? Hanging up wouldn't end it.

- "I don't want sex right now!" I muttered—too loud, thankfully no patrons were near.

- "Fine," Scarlett growled, "her father's gone 'til morning. Fact. Go back and do it! Then we'll talk about what you're tired of or don't want, you damn virgin!"

I jabbed the smartphone screen where a call-end button would be—useless, I realized too late.

- "Don't want sex anymore!" an unfamiliar, furious voice boomed above me. "Should I pity you?"

---

A coffee cup hit the table with a harsh clank—nearly cracking—and hot drops splashed near my sleeve. I looked up, baffled.

- "Who do you studs think you are?" The waitress glared with venom, like she'd rather smash the cup on my head. "Yesterday with one, today another? Want sex, don't want sex?" Her voice rose, as if I'd struck a nerve. "Think girls have no feelings? That's all we're for?"

"What's wrong with that?" I said. "It's in our nature."

- "You're a dog for sure! You sound just like my boyfriend!"

She scowled, and my chest burned—the medallion flared again. I got it now: it heated whenever I raised a flag, even unwittingly. She was into studs, despite her protests—my likeness to her boyfriend had sparked her. I studied her more closely. Beneath the uniform hid a tempting figure; she was barely older than Lila. With luck, I'd fulfill Scarlett's task today. I picked up the coffee calmly.

- "Maybe you could tell me more?"

She stared, surprised, then—seeing the empty room—sat across from me.

---

- "If I'd known," she vented, "I'd never have agreed to this cursed free relationship! You should've heard him pitch it! You'll be free, I'll be free," she mimicked his voice, "variety, but still together. No anger, no jealousy! Pure feelings—just, ugh, bliss!"

She poured it all out, unloading her soul. I listened, sipping coffee as the medallion grew hotter with every word.

- "Turns out, it's only for him! He gets plenty of variety—I haven't strayed once in two years! I even tried Tinder, sat on it like a fool daily for two weeks. Nothing but jerks! Is it me?"

I scanned her face, then her form, brazenly appraising this near-stranger. On a five-point scale, she was a six-plus.

"That's all true," I said.

She tilted her head, eyeing me intently—assessingly. The medallion stayed warm, unwavering, so I didn't flinch.

- "But I'm hot, fiery," she crossed her legs, her uniform riding up playfully—unnoticed by her. "What's he missing? Maybe in sex?" She traced her chest's edge seductively. "I give my all every time! Can you tell me what's wrong with him?"

The medallion didn't just burn—it pulsed heat. Her expected answer was obvious; I just had to say it:

"I could," I said, "if I could check."

She laughed sharply.

- "You want to check, you dog? Of course!" She glanced at the empty room. "Well, fine—no one's here. Let's go, check…"

It'd be foolish to refuse.

---

Blood thundered in my ears, drowning out focus. I sat on the toilet lid, back against the cold tank. She was yanking her underwear up beneath her uniform, flushed and panting. I should pull mine up too… The thought struck randomly. I *had sex*! Had sex! It sounded unreal, but it'd happened. I'd barely done anything—she'd led me to the stall, shoved me down, and handled the rest.

Her gasps lingered in the air. I'd heard footsteps mid-act, but they'd faded—someone entered, guessed, and left, or I'd imagined it, or they'd listened. I didn't care now. My fingers brushed the medallion for the umpteenth time. A gift from the abyss, masquerading as heaven.

"So, how was I?" she asked, adjusting her uniform.

- "Awesome!" I breathed, utterly honest. "Best sex of my life!"

I had no comparison, but she'd gone all out, like proving a point.

"Your boyfriend's a fool!" I added fervently. "I wouldn't stray if I were him!"

She bent down, kissed my cheek.

"If you're passing by, stop in," she said, fishing a paper slip from her pocket and winking.

Another free coffee coupon. Maybe I would. The coffee was average, but the dessert? Divine.