Background
A murder mystery with intense background information on the characters of the story.
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The last 2 years were good for Mark in that he developed in his puberty. He went from looking like a boy to looking like a young man. He had soft hairs growing all over his body, and he was even starting to shave. His muscles also filled in and he had a slim but nice shape to his body.
He grew very quickly, to the point that his legs and arms would ache with the rapid expansion and growth, although going from 5'2 to 5'10 in such a short period of time can cause growing pains that are quite extreme, he tolerated this pain well.
This growth and change also had its benefits. Mark was getting more handsome by the day and the girls took notice. He had a few fumbling kisses with girls in bathrooms at the school and was occasionally sneaking into closets and empty classrooms for quick grabs of some young girls budding breasts. Mark felt like this was more experimental than emotional.
The funeral home offered him more and more responsibilities and he now sported his own keys. Most of the time these days he did the work on his own. The routine was ingrained and he was able to listen to his Walkman while he worked. His father made sure that Mark kept up his grades and Mark was able to change tennis into track. Mark was quick and made the school team easily. He was always first and soon was offered to join a national team. His father denied this request stating that his boy had others things to focus on, but his didn't stop Mark from training and keeping himself in his best physical condition.
One Saturday he was at his job at the funeral home listening to music. He would sometimes listen to Pink Floyd, Supertramp or Fleetwood Mac but he also enjoyed the classics depending on his mood. This Saturday's selection was Pink Floyd. He was walking between the isles of the family area, straightening out chairs and picking up bits on the floor. He was so focused that he didn't hear CC enter the room.
A tap on the shoulder made him do a quick turn around while taking his headphones off.
"Hey kid, howzit goin?"
"Uhm yeah great, just listening to Floyd, ya know?"
"Yup �¢?" hey wanna learn some new stuff? Like maybe coming to get some clients with me? Clients meaning corpses of course."
CC was still unusual and quirky and Mark still found her beautiful. The opportunity to spend more time with her was tempting to him, but his sense of responsibility was forefront in his mind.
"Probably shouldn't. I have to finish up here and then get home to study �¢?" I have a final in science on Monday."
"Hey kid, it's ok. I cleared it with my uncle. I'll help you finish up and we can go to The Gallatin County Medical Examiners office. They got some car accident dude that's ready for his box here." CC winked at him and jingled her keys. A few minutes later they were in the company van and headed out.
"Hey CC, why don't we use the hearse when we do this?" He inquired.
"Cause we only use those for actual funerals ya know, to move them in the casket to the graveside. The van is so people don't know what we are doing, its more private that way. See sometimes we get bodies from murders and stuff and they don't want the press to know when the bodies are grabbed and moved."
They arrived at the coroner's office around the back of the building. CC handed over the necessary paperwork, unloaded a stretcher with the body pouch on it and pushed it inside the building. Just inside the wide corridor both CC and Mark were instructed to wait. A few minutes later the stretcher was returned with the body pouch now full and strapped down to the gurney.
A 40 something year old man with a rather large belly and official coroner's office security uniform looked at CC with obvious adoration on his face. "Hey, CC how's everything?" he asked.
"It's all cool. Here is my new body buddy �¢?" his name is Mark. He's worked with me now for a couple of years. Today is his first day doing pick-ups." CC was oblivious to the man's crush and continued on, business as usual. She signed the paperwork, took her copies and started pushing the gurney towards the exit.
"Ok CC, next time get the kid some I.D. or I'll have to let your uncle know your skipping steps again." He said in a teasing manner.
"You got it, see you next week sometime!" CC started whistling and almost skipping along, while pushing the gurney out to the Van.
"Hey kid, open the back up for me."
Mark did as he was told and was quick to help load the cart. His strength and agility gave him the ability to handle the equipment quickly and the job was done faster than usual. Cc took note of his physique for the first time.
Once completed they were headed back to the funeral home.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" CC broke a long silence and asked without any preamble.
"Ah no" Mark was taken aback by the question but also reasoned that CC was abrupt that way so he took no offence.
"So have you kissed a girl before?"
"Yeah, a couple, why do you want to know?" Mark was almost ready to shut down this conversation. He didn't like things asked of him that were too personal. His father taught him that.
"Just curious, you're getting quite cute and I can see you're going to be a hot guy." CC replied. She stopped the van at the back entrance of the home and turned in her seat to look more closely at Mark. After a few seconds Mark went to open the vehicle door.
"Hold on a sec." CC said while spinning in her seat to look directly at Mark. Suddenly, quick as a flash a 26 year old CC had a lip lock on him. It lasted only a second, barely more than a peck and Mark was shocked at the response his body had to her advances. He should be pushing her away, stopping this but for some unknown reason to him. He didn't. Maybe this was why he didn't respond to the girls at his school, maybe he needed someone with more experience, maybe.
Neither one of them took notice or even cared that there was a body on a gurney just behind them. Mark looked into CC's coal covered dark brown eyes. He then took a chance and kissed her again, fumbling with how but tried his best.
CC pulls away and says, "you have to kiss with your mouth open, like you're about to take a bite out of a peach. Then gently take that bite. You'll get it."
He tried again, better. His pants suddenly starting feeling tight.
"Enough for today, little man." CC did her pull the trigger and clicking sound as she pointed at him. Both got out of the Van and unloaded the gurney.
It seems Mark was in for some training he wasn't expecting that day.
