The three days passed and Kyle showed no signs of trouble. Some of the others were hesitant to let him out, since the rumors about mutating viruses included several different strains and some of them were slower. For a while they insisted that he only be let out with a guard, but months passed and eventually everyone gave in and Kyle was a free man again.
Kyle had stopped worrying about it most days and gotten on with his life. It was January now and it had snowed enough to have a snowball fight and he was busy having a blast with the other kids. Riley was on his team. The other two kids, Nick and Kyle's big brother Tom, were jealous of course. They always bickered over who got to do stuff with Riley. Kyle always thought it was dumb, but there WAS something about Riley today, he thought as he noticed the way her hair draped her face.
She noticed him too. "Hey what are you looking at goofball? Get your head in the game!" He looked forward just in time to duck a snowball, and then threw back one of his own, hitting Nick right in the face! He couldn't help but grin at that one because Nick could be insufferably cocky at times. "I'll get you for that kid!" came Nick's shouted retort. Kyle rolled his eyes. Kid? Nick was only two years older.
Then suddenly Riley took a snowball, and as she staggered back her foot caught a tree root and she began to fall into kyle. He tried to catch her but they both ended up on the ground. She was on top of him and the scent of her hair filled his nostrils. He felt the warmth of her smaller body against his. The curve of her soft bottom was pressed into his crotch, and something stirred down there in a way it hadn't before. A rain of snowballs mercilessly pummeled them and Riley cried out "Cut it out you jerks!". Something came over Kyle and he wrapped his arms around her and turned them over so that he could shield her with his body. He didn't know why he was doing it and felt like an idiot.
"Give up?" shouted Nick. "Yes just stop already!" Said Riley. Kyle stood up and offered Riley a hand, as the other two cheered themselves in the background. Kyle offered her a hand. She smiled as he helped her up. "Thanks." She said,
"and hey, thanks for the save. But when did you get so selfless?". Kyle blushed "I dunno, I just didn't like them doing that to you I guess.". Affectionately she jabbed his arm, "Well it was sweet, but don't go getting TOO soft on me.". With that she turned around and headed back towards the others. Kyle watched her go, and had to admit that his friend was suddenly having a new effect on him. Was this puberty?
He started to follow, but suddenly he felt dizzy and hot and his skin tingled, especially in his groin and around his nipples. He stopped and reached for the tree to balance himself, but as suddenly as it had come it passed. "What was that? Was THAT puberty? Wow hormones are a crazy." He looked back towards Riley, and suddenly the enchantment was gone and she was just his old friend again. He shook his head and rejoined his friends.
Later that night he walked into the boys room to get ready for bed. Nick was already there. They chatted a bit as they undressed, and then Nick started teasing "Hey man, what was with the knight in shining armor routine around Riley today?" He said with a big stupid grin on his face. You gonna start competing with Tom and me for her attention? Hey maybe I need to reinforce my place as the Alpha Male here". Kyle blushed but grinned. "you're a moron". It was all in good fun. It always was. Nick grinned more and puffed himself up big and thumped his bare chest, acting a bit like a gorilla making a dominance display. He was right up in Nick's face egging him on. Just Nick being irritating Nick again, thought Kyle. Then the warm tingling returned for a second and suddenly he felt like maybe he was too judgmental of Nick and couldn't help but find his friend's antics charming. He playfully shoved Nick back and a wrestling match ensued.