Paying My Dues

Note: Fair warning: there are no graphic depictions of sex in this story.

Chapter-1

I grew up in an upper-middle-class family. We weren't filthy rich, not like multi-millionaires or anything but we lived in a huge all-brick home with all the amenities. Mom wanted a tennis court, so dad built her one. They both loved horses and owned four, which were stabled on my grandfather's farm, two quarter-horses, a pinto, and an appaloosa.

My dad, Andrew Davenport, is the COO of Donner Paints, Inc. which manufactures a variety of paint products. Donner Paints isn't one of the big three paint manufacturers but is still a very large corporation competing in the top ten in nationwide sales with numerous distributors. His annual salary was comfortably nestled in six figures, although I wouldn't learn what his actual salary was until I was much older. The plant employs close to 250 workers.

I was oblivious of my parents' favoritism for several years. My older brother by eighteen months, Brandon Andrew Davenport junior, proudly bore my father's name. I didn't have a problem with that. My father went by Andrew, so they called him Brandon. My name was less auspicious. I was born prematurely at four pounds eight ounces, with a cute cherub face, I was told. Mom argued that since my dad had named my brother, it was only fair that she name me. To keep the peace, he conceded. I wish he hadn't. She named me after her mother and her grandmother, proudly saying that they were the two strongest women she knew. I'm Ashley Quinn Davenport and go by Quinn. At least Quinn is a unisex name. I'm not sure if a man has gone by Ashley since the civil war. I remember seeing an Ashley as an important character in the movie 'Gone With the Wind' and clung to that image to bolster my masculinity.

By the time I was four, Brandon's physical prominence was becoming glaringly apparent. He was stout, athletic, and very good-looking. I was diminutive comparatively, not only because I was younger. At my age, he had been a much more impressive specimen than me. Mom and dad's partiality was obvious to us both. Birthdays and Christmas were exceptionally exciting times for my brother who invariably received more than he asked for while I received about half of my wish lists. But if we were going out to eat as a family, Brandon was asked where he'd like to go, and that's where we went. When I attempted to preemptively offer a suggestion before Brandon was asked, dad or mom would smile and say, "Let's see where Brandon wants to go," and that was that.

For as long as I can remember, my parents invited all of our extended family to our home every spring, summer, and fall for family picnics/parties. I loved to see all my cousins, aunts, and uncles, some of whom worked at the plant under my dad. But my favorite relative by far was my grandpa Davenport. He seemed immune to the bias shown to Brandon and spent much of his time with me at these picnics. It felt immensely rewarding that, of my entire family, I had at least one person in my corner, albeit the oldest member, perhaps but grandpa was the best. He always said he loved rooting for the underdog.

Starting the summer I had turned twelve, mom and dad told me that I was going to spend the summer with grandpa. I mean, I loved my grandpa and all but he lived on and worked a large 400-acre farm consisting of a variety of crops and animals. It was nice to visit for horseback riding and all but after a while, I'd soon be missing family activities, friends, and normal summertime fun. I wasn't given a choice, so I went. His farm was located in the country outside the city limits. Grandpa treated me like royalty. He catered to my every whim and made sure that I lacked for nothing. He let me drive his old beat-up farm truck anywhere I wanted on the farm even though I was too young for a driver's license. The emergency brake hadn't worked for years; the cable was rusty. I once saw him press hard on it with both feet, and it wouldn't budge. He said it didn't matter. After the first week, he introduced me to Juan Hernandez, who managed all the farmhands. I was slipped in with the other farmhands doing whatever Juan asked me to do. Mostly I fed the pigs and other barnyard animals and mucked the stalls. The cattle were tended by others, being in a field a mile away from the barn. Juan was a nice enough man but what I liked best was his daughter, Luisa Hernandez. She was eleven, a year younger than me. She was the prettiest girl I had ever seen, so I tried to hang around her as much as I could. She helped me better understand and appreciate the way of life as a farmer.

Once our chores were done, Luisa and I would often saddle up two horses and ride the farm boundaries together, checking the fences. We rode the quarter horses because of their easygoing temperament. Mine was the chestnut. We both looked forward to those rides when the weather was nice. For some reason, Luisa looked even better on a horse. We spent a lot of time brushing them down. Aside from horseback riding, Luisa was a runner. I was amazed at how that girl could run. For fun, she'd challenge me to footraces and I never stood a chance. More than a few times, I'd follow her on horseback as she would hone her cross-country running skills. She reminded me of the character in the movie 'Chariots of Fire', she was a natural. On rainy days, I'd drive her around the farm in grandpa's old farm truck for fun.

In junior high school, Brandon played football and basketball. He had several growth spurts that put him at six feet by eighth grade. I had no interest in sports but instead joined the chess club. Brandon was super popular, lettering in both sports. He mocked my chess trophy. I merely accepted that's what brothers do. What I lacked in physical prowess, I made up with wit and humor. I was quick with funny self-deprecating remarks and everyone seemed to enjoy my company. Bandon resented my growing popularity but knew I'd never rise to his level so he left me alone. Still, every summer, like clockwork, I was banished to grandpa's farm. Don't get me wrong, I dearly loved him. He treated me more like a son than a grandson but I wondered why Brandon never had to go to the farm. Life was never fair.

High school was a whole new world. Brandon was now six feet three inches tall with a muscled robust body somewhere between Adonis and Hercules. His chiseled good looks drew the attention of every female within eyeshot. His strength made him the team captain. I must admit, I was jealous of how well-liked Brandon was by the girls. He constantly dated but never had a steady girlfriend. He didn't need one. Nearly every girl in the school thought he was a dreamboat.

During my junior year of high school, Jenny Creedmoor and I became fast friends working together on the yearbook committee. She was in on planning and design while I was one of two designated candid photographers. She was also a cheerleader. I was surprised to merit her attention in any way. I was barely average looking, unlike my brother. Unfortunately, my growth spurts never matched his. I topped out at five feet six inches. I was only an inch taller than Jenny but still respectable. I'd seen Brandon as a senior ask many girls out casually but I was sweating as I finally developed the nerve to ask Jenny out on a date. I nearly passed out when she said yes. After a couple of months, we were both smitten with each other. I asked her to go steady with me, to be my girl, exclusively. She happily agreed as I slid my class ring on her finger. We frequently went out and talked often about our long-term future together. We agreed that after we both turned eighteen during our senior year, we'd then give each other the gift of our virginity.

At the end of that school year, my parents made a big production of Brandon's high school graduation. They wanted the whole family to attend his ceremony and honor his accomplishment. Though he graduated with only a 2.4 GPA, when he walked across the stage to accept his diploma, all the girls went crazy applauding and cheering for him.

Later that same afternoon, dad drove us all to the VFW facility where he had rented their huge dance hall for Brandon's surprise graduation party. Every member of our large extended family was in attendance, along with about a dozen of dad's close friends and coworkers from the plant but what excited Brandon the most was the presence of thirty to forty of his closest school chums, comprised mostly of girls. He was in seventh heaven. Dad had hired a live band for the event and had the entire celebration luxuriously catered with delectable food. Brandon received several congratulatory cards from those in attendance wishing him good luck for the future.

Right after the evening buffet was served, dad opened a garage door where everyone was herded outdoors. He proudly handed Brandon the keys to his graduation present and excitedly extolled its many features. It was a brand new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with custom blue Pearlescent Paint. He touted it as the king of American performance cars. It sported 305-Section Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2-R tires, front and back. It had the optional carbon ceramic brake system, and a 5.5 liter V-8 670 HP engine with the quick shift 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. This baby goes from 0 to 60 in 2.6 seconds. My brother was super elated to receive this gift. He immediately took my parents for a spin in it but sternly informed me that I wasn't allowed to ever touch his new car. I was relieved. I wanted nothing to do with it or anything associated with him and walked away with a grin on my face.

While he was test-driving his new wheels with mom and dad, I looked up his car online with similar features. MSRP was close to 75 grand for the car alone. When all the options and customizations were added in, it easily topped out at around 90 grand. That was encouraging. I aspired to receive something similar when I graduate. I still had one more year to go. The best thing was, I was very much looking forward to spending another summer at grandpa's farm this year.

For the past three summers, grandpa had surprisingly placed me in charge of the entire farm workforce. Over the years, he'd taught me every aspect of the farm that needed tending to, and trusted that I'd direct everyone to keep the farm running smoothly with my guidance. Juan Hernandez, the farm foreman, who usually operated under the supervision of my grandpa, readily accepted my authority, and we kept the farm running efficiently. It didn't seem to bother him a bit that a teenage boy, young enough to be his son was the summer boss. I had made fast friends with everyone who worked under my grandpa, and we all got along famously. Summers were extremely busy for us all, with vegetable harvesting, pest control, fertilizing, and tending the orchard. I asked my grandpa once why he asked only for my help every summer and never Brandon. His vague reply was that I was a natural. Brandon doesn't have what it takes. There were times that I longed to be more than just a natural-born farmhand but I never spoke a word of complaint to my grandpa.

When I returned home from the summer at the farm, Brandon was packing to go to college. My parents somehow managed to get him enrolled in George Washington University in Washington, DC in their four-year degree program in Business Administration. I looked them up. Annual costs would be over forty-grand per year. That ignited my excitement about where I may end up going after I graduate high school. Even if I was sent to George Washington University along with Brandon, it was a big campus. We could avoid each other and both come out with business degrees. That would nicely prepare us both for management positions in dad's company. I was sure that Brandon was being groomed for that.

My senior year in high school sailed by as smoothly as silk in Brandon's absence. Even though I wasn't a jock, I was still exceptionally popular due to my affability. I always showed great interest in anyone I was with at the time and did my best to treat others as I wanted to be treated. Many expressed how different I was from my brother and loved my lack of arrogance that he capitalized on. I had turned eighteen years old back in February. Jenny's eighteenth had been in April of that year. The senior prom was to take place on May twenty-fifth. Jenny and I had not been intimate yet. We both decided to wait until prom night to give ourselves to each other. It would be a night we'd never forget for as long as we lived.

During our senior year, Jenny and I had a standing date every Saturday night. Very often we'd go out Fridays as well, depending on her family's plans. They seemed thrilled that Jenny had latched onto me. I had purchased a ring for her and was planning to propose on prom night, in front of her family while we were all dressed up. Of course, the wedding would wait until after we both graduated. I'd already spoken with her father seeking his approval. He gave me his hearty endorsement. After all, I was the son of a well-to-do family, and they were struggling. I had made reservations at a very expensive restaurant for prom night with firm plans to make her my fiancée that very night.

"Hey, Jenny, it's me. I know I don't have to because we have a standing date night but I wanted to make sure we're still on for this Saturday night." I had purchased the ring that day and was very excited to see her without letting the cat out of the bag.

"Hi, baby. Oh, I'm so glad you called. I almost forgot. Two of my girlfriends are coming over to give me a perm. One of them is trained and the other wants to learn, so we thought this would be a fun opportunity for them to get more experience and for me to save some money. Would that be okay with you, honey? I meant to mention it to you before but it slipped my mind until just now."

Disappointed, I replied, "Sure. I understand. We'll have other Saturday nights. I may just call my friend, Bryan, and catch a movie or something that night."

"Oh, thank you for understanding, baby. I promise I'll make it up to you on prom night. You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to being with you," she said enthused.

Saturday afternoon, I gave Bryan a call, "What's up man?"

"Me? I never hear from you on Saturdays. What happened, Quinn? Is Jenny on death's door or something?"

"Nah. She's getting her hair done tonight, so I was looking to see if you wanted to catch a movie or something tonight."

"Can't tonight, Quinn. I promised April I'd take her to The Shakedown tonight; you know, that new teen dance club that opened a few weeks ago? It's an open house tonight, everybody's going to be there. Hey, why don't you join us? You could bring your camera and get some awesome shots for the yearbook. I'll even let April dance with you a few times."

"Yeah, I heard about that place. I suppose I could check it out. It might be fun at that. I'll meet you there, what time?"

"I'm picking April up at seven-thirty, so eight?"

"Eight it is. Thanks, Bryan."

I made sure my compact camera battery had a full charge with a clear memory chip. I imagined catching a few seniors doing some crazy antics. I found April and Bryan's table in a corner of the room. The dance floor took up most of the floor space with tables scattered around the edges. All the good tables were already taken. Bryan was right. A ton of our cohorts were there. Although no alcohol could be served, they had a great variety of other beverages. I bought drinks for the three of us. April and Bryan shook their booties on the dance floor while I watched her purse. I scanned the room for potential candid shots and managed to take a few from my seat at the table. After they returned, Bryan offered me a dance with April as he had promised. She was game so off we went. I told her I wanted to move about the dance floor to see if I could catch any crazies acting up. As we approached the opposite wall, I saw a dark room with beads draping the entrance.

"What's that over there?" I asked April.

"I haven't been in there but I heard it is a large coat room. Since it's warm out and no one brought any coats, I've heard that sometimes a couple sneaks back there to make out sometimes." She explained.

"Well, now, do tell. Hang on, let me start my camera recording video. I'll slip it through the beads, and aim it all around the room. Who knows? This might be a great yearbook opportunity," I chuckled.

The music was very loud with a heavy pulsating beat. You could set off firecrackers and not draw any attention. I sidled up next to the opening, slipped the camera through the beads, and let it adjust to the dimly lit room. Looking at the viewfinder window facing me, I found only one couple in the room. From outside the room, I couldn't make out who it was, but I aimed it at the couple and held it as steady as I could for about sixty seconds, then slowly retrieved the camera. I chuckled again as I returned with April to the dance floor. She asked who it was in there. I said I had no idea but would check it later after we returned to our table.

April sat down and took a few sips of her drink and revisited the hectic dance floor with Bryan. They were having a lot of fun; everyone was. This place was sure to be a big hit. There were more than a few college students in attendance as well. After quenching my thirst, I decided to check out the video I had captured in the make-out room, as I now called it. It wasn't clear at first but as the light adjustment and focus features of my camera kicked in, I started viewing crystal-clear video of the action going on. A guy was standing with his back to the camera and a girl wearing a yellow dress was on her knees and appeared to be giving him a blowjob. She was completely into it. I heard him cum loudly as he groaned above the din of the music. After he was spent, I saw him step to the side as he zipped his pants up. He looked familiar from the back; she looked familiar from the front. It was Jenny! Damn! Shit! What was worse is the guy she was with was my older brother, Brandon!

Damn them both! My first thought was that I didn't even know Brandon was back home from college. His collegiate year must have ended before my high school year ended. My second thoughts were that I had dodged a bullet. The ring in my bedroom sock drawer was going back to the jeweler tomorrow. Jenny lied to me. She lied to me so she could go out on a date with my brother tonight. She thought I'd be at a movie, so they thought I'd never know. Before that revelation, my brother and I got along okay and tolerated each other. That ends right here, right now. I have nothing but hatred for him now. He knew very well that Jenny was my girl exclusively. I guess he wanted to find out how exclusive. I waited until April and Bryan returned to the table. I was responsible for her purse. They could tell that I was visibly upset.

"What is it, Quinn? You look like you lost your best friend," Bryan questioned.

"I did, and a brother to boot. Jenny's cheating on me with my brother, Brandon."

"I can't believe she'd do that to you," April uttered. "Brandon's a big-time asshole, so there's no surprise there. But Jenny? I just can't believe it."

"Take my word for it. They're in the make-out room right now." I assured.

"What are you going to do?" They asked in unison.

"What I should have done a long time ago. I'm sorry, I'll be lousy company tonight. I think I'll split. You two don't need me spoiling your night. Have a great time."

Bryan nodded. "Are you going to be okay, Quinn? I can take April home and be there for you in your hour of need," Bryan offered.

"Thanks, man. I appreciate that. You're a great friend. But you and April stay and have fun."

I made my way across the dance floor back to the make-out room. I slipped inside as unnoticeably as I could. Brandon and Jenny were heavily making out again, this time, his hand was up her dress actively fingering her perhaps to return her earlier favor. I walked up to Brandon with his back facing me. Jenny was so into kissing him that she didn't notice me until it was too late. I interlocked both of my hands and fingers together making a huge fist of them. With all my might, I struck Brandon on the side of his head knocking him down on the floor. Without wasting a moment, I grabbed Jenny's hand and quickly slid my class ring off her finger.