Chapter 37
Daylight arrived too soon. It peered-in too eagerly; too rudely. It seemed too harsh, after the beauty of their shared sensuality the night before.
That had filled the darkness with an electric charge between them, more powerful than either had ever imagined. It had worked its alluring, life-affirming magic on both of them: they had found themselves consumed by wave after wave of molten sensations, which flowed through them and over them, repeatedly, in a tidal current neither could escape, or would ever want to.
They had felt more acutely alive than they had ever done: together yet separate; lying in the naked dark, with their minds and bodies and hands and whispers... It had surprised them both with its intensity. Somehow, putting their intimacy into words had stripped them bare beyond their mere bodies. There had been nowhere to hide; just complete, open, honesty, which had had to break through the solid social barrier of politeness.
At first they had both felt exposed, vulnerable - to the truth that was their truth. Even Jen. Particularly Jen, who was so adept at hiding her true emotions and not communicating them. It had been something of a shock to her. She had started this expecting it to be easy and just a bit of spicy fun for them - after all, she was completely at ease with who she was and what she liked, and she'd never been scared of words... But this was different. This was real and bare and honest. This mattered to her. To both of them.
Their senses had been heightened to an extreme and kept that way for a prolonged time, leaving both of them feeling exhausted but pulsatingly alive: complete; validated in some special way, in the dark caressing cocoon of their private world, as they floated together, towards each other, across their own sultry sea; reaching out to merge across the shrinking distance of the town which physically separated them.
But now the day had woken. Far too soon. And neither of them felt ready or willing to leave behind their private land and rise to face it.
The intrusive sunlight gleamed suddenly and cut itself on the corners of both bedroom windows and bled into both their rooms. It severed the unified darkness from the night's loving dream and sliced into the morning, demanding their attention.
By the time they arrived at college - separately of course - they were, both of them, short-tempered and moody: resentful at having to be there and resentful at having to live a lie.
Tilly marched straight to the common room where she uncharacteristically slung down her bag of carefully organised, ordered books and sat there, arms folded, moodily waiting for the others...
Jen slammed the door of her jeep, once she'd dragged herself out of it, then slammed the boot, having retrieved her yellow satchel, and clumped up the stairs to her room, slamming that door behind her too, for added spite against the day...
And she knew, instantly, she was not alone.
Worse still, her desk which had been awash with carefully stacked coursework papers had been cleared and moved to the far side of the room, making her feel disorientated and strangely violated: her privacy - her personal space - had been blatantly invaded!
As Jen surveyed her room in annoyance, Angel emerged from the dark-room, holding two freshly developed photographs in both hands, still wet. She pretended surprise at seeing Jen, as if it was her work space, not Jen's, and stood there confidently, challenging her; looking irritatingly commanding.
"Huh, I might have guessed you'd start making yourself feel at home Angel," Jen began, an edge of coldness to her voice. Angel beamed enigmatically, clearly enjoying the look of annoyed conflict in Jen's otherwise beautiful face.
"Ah, I see someone got out of bed on the wrong side this glorious morning" she purred, and flashed a flirty look at Jen as she turned to hang the wet photos up, pegging them onto the line of string she'd already erected across a corner of the room, beside the desk. Jen didn't respond. She knew Angel was trying to push her buttons to force an outburst. But knowing that didn't make it any easier, as Angel continued to push...
"Really Jennifer, anyone would think you were frustrated about something! Not sleeping are we? Not liking a cold, empty bed? Why not ask that red-head to join you and warm you up? ...Or is that the problem? Has she already... hmm?" she nodded knowingly to Tilly's mark on Jen's neck and Jen automatically, without thinking, reached up to cover it protectively with her hand. It was just a reflex, but one which told Angel everything she needed to know. "I see. Hit a nerve have I Jenny? You always liked red-heads I seem to remember..." she said quietly, trailing off with an air of haughty superiority.
"You're out of your mind!" Jen replied, suddenly feeling sure that she was revealing far too much without knowing she was doing so. She was about to come back at Angel with a clever retort but Angel began again, using her soft, seductive voice to try to unbalance Jen's apparent resolve.
"So, shall we be blessed with the company of the idolised ginger specimen today then?" she needled. She saw the sudden dangerous glint in Jen's eyes and seemed pleased.
"Oh grow up Angel!" Jen replied, determined not to fully bite back - or, indeed, swing for her, which was what she really wanted to do. That wouldn't solve anything, she told herself. Oh, but it'd feel so good! her instinct argued back. Once again Jen could feel that she was being played with. Angel was watching her, wearing a curious smile on her face, like that of a wayward child who liked pulling the legs off insects and seeing them squirm. Jen had to wrestle herself away: it was obvious Angel wanted a fight.
Jen turned and walked across to her desk. "And where the hell have you moved all my coursework to?" she demanded to know. She put her satchel down and glared across at Angel, indignant that she would go so far as to meddle with students' work.
Angel approached her, gliding her slim, chic body across the varnished floor, calmly in control. She moved-in close; her piercing blue eyes penetrated Jen's glinting hazel ones, making Jen feel skewered somehow, like a pinned butterfly on display. She stood before her, so close they were almost touching, and moved-in even closer so that Jen could feel and almost taste her honey-sweet scent... When Angel spoke her whispered reply, Jen's skin felt as if it was being kissed by her breath. Jen tensed. Angel saw.
"Your coursework is safe and sound, Jennifer, and locked away in the cupboard where it should have been kept under tighter lock and key. I was told that I could look at it so that I would know where your students were upto and then be able to see how best to tailor my input for their benefit."
"Well damn well ask my permission first in future, do you hear?" Jen glared at her. Angel smiled seductively and gazed more deeply into Jen's eyes so that Jen felt her soul begin to burn painfully as Angel continued in a voice of pure silk:
"Jenny, as much as you might tell yourself that I'm only here to cause trouble for you, the truth is, I'm here because I care -"
Jen snorted her disgust. Angel lifted her hand then, and before Jen knew what was happening she was stroking gently down the side of Jen's face, in a parody of love.
"- and as much as you might struggle and fight it, you know you still do too. You can't escape it you know, Jenny-jen..."
Jen tensed again at her touch and brushed her hand away dismissively, making Angel's eyes turn a darker shade of unreadable force.
"You were always delusional, Angel. Always!" Jen replied, furious.
Angel threw back her head and laughed. It made Jen boil! She grabbed Angel's arms in her own tense grip and pulled her to attention forcefully, about to put her in her place. But she was completely thrown off-course when Angel didn't hesitate and kissed her, full on the mouth, passionately pressing into her.
Jen immediately pulled back in shock and distaste. But Angel followed her move, leaning into Jen's strong arms and iron grip which had such a tight hold on her, using it for support so that she could lever herself forward to prolong the kiss. Their lips grazed and battled together briefly.
Just then, the stairs outside the room creaked: there were restless footsteps waiting there already.
Jen pulled away again, flustered, in time to see a flash of fiery-red hair bob to the side of the window in the classroom door and then her eyes focused on the foreground again, right in front of her, and Angel's gleeful, smiling gaze.
"Oh. Are there people waiting? How exciting! Any red-heads?" Angel's voice sounded innocent and light, but was nothing of the sort! She almost clapped her hands in excitement.
Of course she must have seen her!
Jen struggled to regain composure, suddenly busying herself with reaching for her planner and flicking through its pages for the day's lessons, shaking her head awake and plastering a fixed smile on her face.
Angel had just enough time, before the waiting class entered, to stroke along Jen's hand which was gripping the desk, knuckles white with tension, and purr into her ear a delighted whisper: "Ooh, let the fun begin!"
Jen closed her eyes, already feeling a tension headache starting, and prepared herself to go into automatic Miss Gilmore mode. Come on Jen, you can do it. Don't let her win. You can do this! her inner voice spoke to her, strengthening her resolve once more.
When she opened her eyes Angel saw that they were calmer, more distant and far more controlled. She inwardly frowned. Her Jenny had changed, then, had she? Grown up, it seemed... Well, she'd have to do something about that!
.
.