a/n: hi all,

As many of you have noticed, my goal is to post weekly at this point with a new chapter either on Saturday or Sunday. I was halfway through an addition at the end of this chapter, but didn't like the idea of having it tacked onto this, so that'll be for another time. I plan to get back to the main story-line for the next few chapters, but know I'm still playing around with Point Rock in the background.

As always and always, thank you to everyone for all the rocking reviews - y'all are truly the best.

Cheers,

EQT.95


"Oh shit, Kate. I thought you just had a vespa?" Melvin said, his eyes wide in excitement.

Kate glanced over at Sophie shaking her head in disappointment as Sophie shrugged indifferently.

"It has two wheels."

"I have no words, Soph."

"I do!" Melvin continued, practically drooling over the bike. "How long have you had her?"

"Her?" Sophie mocked. "Melvin, I think Kate is the last person to-"

"Two years. She's my longest relationship," Kate cut in with a sly grin, her eyebrow flicking up briefly at Sophie's surprised reaction.

"Where?"

"Bought her off a guy I went to high school with - he was heading off to college and couldn't take it with him."

"She's a beauty. Just look at her body," Melvin continued, playing up the bit as Sophie tried containing another eye roll.

"Fine. I'll leave you two to fawn over it. I'll be inside because it's freezing," Sophie said, rubbing her arms at the spring breeze blowing across the parking lot. "I still can't believe you drove this all the way from Gotham."

"I told you to bring a jacket, babe," Melvin called before catching himself. "Sorry. That… that was said out of forced habit."

Kate waved her hand to dismiss Melvin's comment and he took it as permission to continue drooling over the motorcycle.

"And he knows I hate it," Sophie muttered. "Such an awful name. He does it just to annoy me now."

"She's not wrong," Melvin whispered with a grin.

"I heard that!"

"Aren't you cold or something?" Melvin called from behind the bike.

"Aw, you two even bicker like a couple," Kate remarked, watching Sophie huff at her remark.

"She doesn't make it hard," Melvin continued.

"That's-"

"-what he said. Yea, yea, I got it. Hilarious."

"See you two inside," Sophie said, her head shaking as a smile betrayed her mock annoyance.

"So tell me everything," Melvin continued eagerly. "Actually, let me guess: '92?"

"Close - '93."

"Obviously the 250 series from the labeling; 4 valve, air-cooled, five speed with a wet clutch. Top speed 72 mph -"

"I can get 75," Kate winked.

"Damn. I was always fond of the candy gypsy red, but the black is such a classic. The GN400 always had a special place in my heart; you know they only made it between 1980 and"

"-and 82, yea," Kate said with growing admiration for Melvin's secret well of motorcycle knowledge.

"But 250 is great. I prefer the smaller body sizes anyway. Was she running when you got her? It looks like you've replaced the front suspension? Everything else seems…original?"

"Original, yea. I spent months fiddling with the suspension to try keeping the original, but ultimately it just needed replaced. The guy I bought it off didn't give her much love."

"What did you try?"

"Springs and oil."

"Shims?"

"I considered it, but I was about to make a trip and just wanted her good to go."

"Do it yourself?"

"Not a chance. I was such a noob when I got this. I tinkered with the springs and oil part, but I shopped out the full replacement."

"Smart."

"I didn't realize you were so into this - had I known I'd have brought her up in the fall."

"Had I known you had her, I'd have definitely pressured you into that."

"You want to give it a go?"

"Oh… no, I couldn't," Melvin replied, quickly standing as though being near it was suddenly against the rules.

"Why not? At least take it for a spin around the parking lot," Kate pushed.

"I-I don't actually know how to ride one," Melvin confessed.

Kate stared back in mild surprise. "You're kidding."

"Nope."

"But you just dissected the bike in less than a minute."

"Right…"

"But you've never actually ridden one?"

"Well, no," Melvin continued, looking ashamed.

Kate's bewilderment slowly faded into an excited grin.

"What?" Melvin asked, unsure of how to read Kate's expression.

"Cancel your plans with Sophie; you're learning how to ride a bike today."


"That was amazing!" Melvin gushed as they both barged into the dorm room. "Just… wow. I mean. I always imagined it would be amazing but… wow," he continued before trailing off at a loss for words to express his enthusiasm. He turned his attention to Sophie who was smirking at Melvin's boyish grin and youthful excitement. She imagined he sported a similar look as a kid on Christmas morning. "Sophie, Kate just taught me how to drive her bike."

"I am aware," she reminded him. He'd raced into the room three hours earlier to cancel their fake plans. Sophie barely had time to register his words before he bolted back out into the parking lot, leaving her alone for the afternoon. For a moment she realized what it must be like for Kate when she and Mevlin would go off for random nights on end.

It had been three weeks since they'd all made up, and in that time, they'd fallen into a familiar rhythm that relieved much of what had caused tension in the first place: Melvin and Sophie were able to appear close without Sophie sacrificing all her time to keeping up the farce. While her Mondays were dictated by her commitment to Irwin, the remainder of the week was more flexible and out of that came habit:

Sophie and Melvin would study together Tuesday nights while Kate was working with Miller and company on different drill skills. This would typically go until eight or nine and Sophie would spend the night in her and Kate's room.

On Wednesdays, Sophie and Melvin would go for a morning run. In the evenings, all four of them - James included - would either study together, catch a movie in the student union, or hang out in Sophie and Kate's room; James and Melvin's room wasn't as well equipped with a couch or television.

Even though he was older than all three of them, James had become an adopted little brother to the group which meant leaving him out of their plans wasn't an option. It also helped that he knew Sophie and Melvin weren't really together; this meant spending time behind the closed dorm door could be a relaxed occasion.

On Thursdays, Melvin and Sophie would have their 'date' night. This usually meant dinner together and spending the night together. James would crash in 419 and Sophie in 403 - James and Melvin's room. They selected places based on peer popularity. While eventually they might be able to sideline their dates altogether, for now they decided safe was better than sorry. It had also become a ritual that they ordered for each other. In doing this Sophie learned Melvin hated eggplant and was allergic to shellfish.

Friday nights were again either spent together as a group or going their separate ways: typically Melvin, James, and Kate would wander over to Wilfred Hall while Sophie took the opportunity to study in privacy.

The weekends were less structured, but on this Saturday Melvin and Sophie were supposed to be studying together in the library. They had a big Physics test the upcoming Tuesday, and Sophie's focus was on carving out time to study for that. Like Kate, Melvin wasn't one for studying, but unlike Kate, he wasn't interested in putting up with doing it for hours just to be near Sophie. That made his digression for the afternoon with Kate perfect timing for Sophie to focus on the last six weeks of material that would be on the test.

For Sophie this new lifestyle wasn't a perfect solution, but it was working for the moment: everyone they knew was convinced Sophie and Melvin were the perfect couple; they never fought, worked well together, and seemed 'involved' enough in all the ways couples should be. Any rumor that Sophie and Kate were involved had quickly washed away, and this was reinforced when Martha confronted Kate a week earlier to apologize for believing Miller's rumor.

"Honestly, I don't even remember if that's what he actually said," Martha confessed. "We had all been drinking and, well, Miller isn't known for being a truthsayer five drinks in, am I right?"

"Yea, Miller can be a loose cannon like that," Kate said, forcing a chuckle in acknowledgement to keep the conversation light.

"And to think, if that rumor had caught hold… I mean, you don't think they actually expel people for being... gay, do you?" Martha said, stepping closer to Kate as she finished her question in a low whisper.

Kate had returned to the room after her conversation with Martha in such relief that Sophie realized for the first time how much stress Kate had been carrying over the whole thing. Just that morning Sophie had been weighing how long she needed to keep up the charade, but seeing how relaxed Kate was in knowing the ruse worked changed her mind. This would need to go on for a while longer before 'ending things' with Melvin was an option.

The biggest downside to her new schedule, aside from less time for studying, was the lack of one on one time with Kate. For her part, Kate had been completely understanding over the last three weeks by giving Sophie space to catch up on studies when she wasn't with Melvin. This usually translated into one of two actions: either it meant diligently studying in silence next to her or leaving the room to give her quiet. In neither scenario did it actually mean hanging out.

"-and next time we'll take her off campus?" Melvin continued.

Kate was smiling amused by Mevlin's reaction as she nodded her head in agreement. This only sent him on a reenergized path of excitement that caught Sophie by surprise. She glanced at Kate who gave her a small 'I'll tell you later' wave, granting Melvin the chance to continue down his imagined adventures. After another minute he finally calmed, though a small bounce in his step lingered as he finally mentioned something other than the bike.

He turned to Sophie who was waffling between giving the raucous her attention or returning to her studies. "I'm sorry I bailed," he said, although exactly how sorry he was about this, Sophie couldn't tell.

"Oh, like you were going to study anyway," Sophie remarked. "You buzzing around campus on that little bike-"

"Hey-"

"Woa, Soph-"

"Whatever. It actually did me a favor; without you distracting me I got some real studying done."

"That means you can take a break and grab dinner with us," Melvin said cheerfully. "I want to change. Meet you in five?" he asked, and before either could respond he dashed out of the room. Kate couldn't help but wonder if he secretly just wanted to go talk about the bike with James. She could already see James' look of disappointment at dinner over not being invited to join them.

"You have much studying left?" Kate asked, looking to give Sophie an out from Melvin's peer pressure if she wasn't ready to be finished. "If yes, I can just grab you something."

"Honestly, if I do one more practice problem my brain might explode."

"So…?" Kate asked, still not sure what that meant. She didn't count the risk of her brain exploding as reason enough for Sophie to stop studying. If anything, that sounded like a mild symptom compared to other times.

"That means 'no', I'm done for the day," Sophie sighed, leaning back in her chair with a mix of satisfaction and forced relaxation. She didn't feel the most prepared, but any more studying at this point would be regressive.

"Woa. But the sun is still up," Kate teased. "Food?"

Sophie glared in mock annoyance back before leaning forward out of her chair. She'd been sneaking study sessions in between and around her new schedule as Melvin's girlfriend which generally meant she was studying well into the night time. It had been an exhausting few weeks, and that she could take the night off was a godsend.

"Sure. You going out tonight?"

"Nah."

"Woa. But it's the weekend," Sophie mocked back at Kate.

"Mhm," Kate waved dismissively. "A full day with Melvin took all the social out of me. It's a wonder you've managed him this long."

"I only half-listen to him half time."

Kate laughed. "Smart."

"So if you're staying in…"

"And you're done studying…"

"Catherine?"

"Chicago?"

"Popcorn or -"

"Definitely popcorn."

"Perfect."


"Took you two long enough," Melvin chastised as Sophie and Kate finally arrived in the lounge. As expected, James was with him and not looking too pleased at being left out in the day's earlier festivities.

"Next time?" Kate said, immediately addressing the hurt look on his face.

James shrugged indifferently.

"And you get first dibs," Kate added. This seemed to help as James smirked back in gratitude, but she knew it would be another hour and an ice cream sundae before he'd be back to himself. Kate had quickly discovered that the simple pleasures an eight year old craved were exactly what also put James right.

"What?!" Melvin exclaimed in protest. He quieted at Kate's knowing look before setting the tempo in the direction of the cafeteria.


"All right team, we've got just under an hour," Melvin said upon their return. "I expect everyone in ship-shape form, so no napping," he said, his gaze directed at Kate.

All three of them stared confusedly back at Melvin. They had all been ready to go their separate ways, but Melvin's words had them racking their brains in search of their forgotten obligation.

"Sorry, what's in an hour?" Sophie asked for the group.

"Game-slash-movie night in the lounge?" Melvin said, his eyes widening with intensity. "Chelsea asked us earlier this week?"

"First I'm hearing of this," Kate replied.

"What? Sophie, you were supposed to tell her," Melvin complained.

"I totally forgot," Sophie replied, suddenly annoyed with herself for the oversight. She glanced between Melvin and Kate, realizing with growing disappointment that her night in with Kate wasn't going to be. Over the last few weeks they had returned to their normal selves with the exception that they weren't hanging out nearly as much. For being roommates, it felt like they could go days without actually seeing each other. She had barely paid any attention to dinner's conversation as she counted down the seconds until her and Kate could split from Melvin and James to retreat into 419 for the night. Her imagined plans of popcorn and Chicago were suddenly upended by her forgotten commitment to Melvin. She looked apologetically to Kate who was going through a similar thought process, albeit she kept a forced look of neutrality on her face. Sophie quietly cursed again Kate's ability to keep a poker face while she struggled to not look disappointed in front of Melvin.

"Any interest in joining?" Sophie asked, hoping Kate could hear the apology in her voice.

"Uhm…"

"I'm in!" James interjected, feeling a part of the group again.

"Kate?" Sophie asked again, her eyes pleading in apology.

"I've actually already got plans."

"Yea, that's cool," Sophie said, not challenging the lie. It wasn't like Kate joining in would have been the same as the two of them hanging out alone, but it still stung to think they wouldn't be hanging out at all.

"Aw, come on Kate; you can cancel them. Who else could you possibly have plans with?" James joked.

"And besides, James needs a partner," Melvin chimed in, unaware of the broken plans Sophie and Kate shared.

"Sorry?"

"Er, well… it's sort of a couples-themed game and movie night," Melvin clarified awkwardly.

"Again?" James moaned.

"She's making it a monthly thing… and I figured, you and James could, well…"

"Be a fake couple for the night? Yea, no, thanks. Hard pass," Kate said, her mind suddenly made up. She could have reasoned tagging along for a harmless night of gaming, but knowing Chelsea was planning it, the last thing she wanted to sit through was a night curated around watching Sophie and Melvin play couple.

"What? But - but, what am I supposed to do?" James whined, feeling excluded for the second time in as many hours.

"Wait, couldn't we just ask someone else? What about Martha? She might be down for some games?" Sophie cut in, only now remembering the entire conversation with Melvin from earlier in the week. Martha had been with them and was put off that she'd been excluded from the invite for 'being single.'

"And she's cute," James added eagerly, puffing up his chest in excitement.

"Perfect, I'll ask her. James can be her fake boyfriend and Kate can keep her plans," Sophie concluded. It wasn't ideal, but it was the least she could do for Kate since she was leaving her high and dry.

Melvin stared at her curiously, unsure why she was suddenly so eager to be rid of Kate.

"Well, that's settled," James concluded. "I'm going to find a clean shirt. Enjoy your 'plans' Kate!" he shouted, already half-sprinting down the hall in excitement.

Kate was also already making her way back to their own dorm, and Sophie was about to follow when Melvin's hand found her arm.

"Hey," Melvin said, making Sophie pause mid-stride. "You two ok?" he asked, nodding toward Kate's receding form.

Sophie smiled at Melvin's concern. He had become especially sensitive to anything related to her and Kate since the spring break incident.

"I forgot about Chelsea's thing, and we had plans," Sophie said simply.

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry. We can cancel - it's not a problem," Melvin quickly offered. As much as they both would have preferred not attending Chelsea's shindig, they knew Melvin's suggestion wasn't an option; cancelling would raise suspicion - something they wanted to avoid at all costs. It would be even worse if it was discovered they bailed so Sophie could spend the evening with Kate. While they all felt comfortable that most people had disassociated Sophie from Kate, they weren't ready to risk it on something like this. Kate of all people would also understand that.

"It's ok; we'll do it another time," Sophie said, trying to reassure Melvin that everything was fine. The rest of the conversation wasn't necessary as Melvin nodded in understanding.


"Hey," Sophie started once she'd returned to the room. She had stopped by Chelsea and Martha's room to propose their plan of matching Martha up with James. She excitedly agreed much to Sophie's relief and Chelsea's disappointment.

"But it'll ruin the integrity of the whole night."

"I'm sor-"

"It's fine. Really," Kate said simply. She was laid out on her bed doing exactly what Melvin warned her against just minutes prior, but now that she was in the clear, a nap wasn't out of bounds.

"I'm sorry. I can't believe I forgot," Sophie said anyway, her own frustration spewing over. "I'd much rather hang out with you," she admitted.

Kate opened her eyes to see Sophie scowling in annoyance.

"Maybe I-"

"Soph, it's really ok. If you keep thinking like this you're going to use up the rest of your brain, and then Melvin will blame me when you lose tonight."

Sophie's annoyance faded to disappointment again. "I really am sorry. I barely even remember agreeing to this."

"You need a break," Kate observed. "You've been studying overtime. That plus putting on the Melvin-and-Sophie show every day and night, and tutoring Irwin -"

"It's not that much."

"You look exhausted."

"Well aren't you charming."

"I call it like I see it."

"I just have one of those faces."

"No you don't," Kate replied without thinking.

Sophie glanced at Kate in surprise.

"I just mean-"

"I get it," Sophie cut in, saving Kate the discomfort.

"You need a day off - from everything. Not just studying, or Melvin, or people - everything."

"Once this physics exam passes-"

"That's what you said about calc."

"That was diff-"

"And lit."

"There was a lot t-"

"I can go on like this for days, Soph," Kate continued, watching Sophie search for her next retort. "I'm not trying to start an argument with you. I'm just worried. I can't even remember the last time you got more than five hours of sleep, and my guess is Chelsea and Melvin are going to keep you out late, and you're still going to wake up at your normal hour to study tomorrow."

Kate was right. Sophie had already set an alarm for seven to be up the next morning bright and early so she could get a few hours of studying in before her and Melvin went for a midday hike. Hearing Kate's words made Sophie feel the heaviness of the last few weeks. She'd been doing well to push it down, but it was always a lingering weight of being over-strained.

"It's fine."


"And since some of the couples tonight aren't actually couples, I've adjusted plans to something a bit more… platonic," Chelsea said, shooting James and Martha a small scowl. "Ok, everyone has a glass?"

Seven voices ranging in excitement responded affirmatively. Sophie glanced down at the glass of cheap Boone's Farm, noting the artificial blue hue of the beverage. She glanced at Melvin who was sporting a bright green color in his. Chelsea had taken it upon herself to provide drinks for the night which included six bottles of the cheap wine, and unfortunately for everyone, the game for the night was a drinking one.

They were all hunkered in the floor lounge. Chelsea being Chelsea, she had reserved the room for a private event which meant no one else was allowed to be in the space. The only good thing about that was that it meant surrendering the room at midnight. The night started at eight, and with any luck, they'd stop playing games by ten and move onto whatever movie Chelsea had planned.

"Great, does everyone know how to play?" Chelsea continued, looking around for nods of confirmation.

"I don't," Martha chimed in, much to Sophie's appreciation. She didn't want to be the only noob at a drinking game. She'd played once before, but alcohol wasn't involved, and she didn't know how different the rules were.

Chelsea sighed, annoyed that the festivities would be delayed.

"It's pretty simple," Tony, Chelsea's boyfriend, began. "We all go in a circle and, one at a time, state something we've never done. If anyone in the circle has done that thing, that person drinks. Make sense?"

"Uh…"

"Here, let's just start, and you can learn as you go," Chelsea cut in. "Miller, you go first. It can be the one time you won't have to drink."

"Uhm, ok… never have I ever... gone skinny dipping," Miller said after a moment.

"I thought you were supposed to say something you haven't done before," James chimed in with a scowl of confusion.

"I did."

"What? No you didn't."

"Yes, I did"

"You skinny dipped last semester," James challenged.

"No I didn't," Miller countered. "I think I'd remember if I'd-"

"You lost a bet with a bunch of second years during welcome week about who could do the longest keg stand."

Everyone in the room turned to Miller who was scanning his memory for the event before breaking into a smile, "Oh, yea, I did."

The room broke into laughter, immediately shifting the mood to a more relaxed vibe.

"Miller, just Millered a game he was already going to lose," Tony laughed. "Drink up, man."

The first three rounds were fairly light as everyone gauged the room for how inappropriate things could get.

"Never have I ever watched Keeping Up with the Kardashians," James said, and three of the four females in the room raised their glass along with Melvin.

"Melvin!?"

"Six sisters, guys. You try growing up with six sisters and not finding yourself in a room with it on."

"Sophie? What about you?" Chelsea asked, noting her nearly untouched glass.

"Uh, no, sorry. I don't think I could even name any of them if I tried," she apologized.

"Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kris," Melvin chimed in, sending the room into a roar of laughter.

After nearly twenty minutes and two refills for Miller, Chelsea was the first to up the stakes.

"Never have I ever had a one night stand."

Five drank.

"Never have I ever bought porn."

One drank.

"Only me?" Miller remarked in surprise.

"It's all free online, man," James replied with a laugh.

"Never have I ever been dumped," Melvin said.

Four drank.

"Sophie? You?" he asked in surprise. "I had no idea."

"Wait, you two are dating and you've never talked about exes?" Martha remarked.

"Uh, well…"

"It just wasn't a priority. Who dwells on the past?" Melvin replied coolly. "Sophie, you're up."

"Uh, ok. Right, uhm… never have I ever cheated on a test?" Sophie said quickly.

Six drank.

"Never have I ever kissed a dude," Miller said with a smirk.

Four drank.

"That's basically cheating," Chelsea said.

"It's fine, Chels," Sam, Miller's girlfriend, said with a wink. "Never have I ever kissed a chick."

Four drank.

Sophie glanced around nervously as she kept her cup down. It was a silly game, and whether she was honest or not didn't really matter, but a wave of anxiety left her uneasy that someone would tell she'd just lied. Unfortunately, this didn't go unnoticed by Martha who was still eyeing her and Melvin curiously.

"Never have I ever lied at this game," Martha said, breaking the cycle, her eyes on Sophie.

"Hey, Martha, it's my turn," James whined.

"We can come back to you," Martha said. "Anyone?"

Three drank.

"I knew it!" Martha called out at Sophie.

Melvin stared nervously between Martha and Sophie, wanting to step in but unsure how.

"When did you lie?" Martha pressed.

"Martha, two others drank, too," Melvin reminded her as all eyes turned to a very red Sophie.

"Yea, but I'm curious about Sophie. Her cup is still pretty full."

"Uhm… it- it was in high school - the first time I played was at a birthday party," Sophie began. "Someone said 'never have I ever had a crush on Nathan Bentley,' and I did, and he was right there, so I lied."

"Aww, that's so cute," Chelsea interrupted. "Unrequited love is so beautifully tragic."

"Babe, sometimes you're a bit much," Tony said. "It's like all the wrong kinds of romantic."

"Just because I can remember our anniversary doesn't make me a bit much."

"A six month anniversary is not a real thing."

"Whatever," Chelsea dismissed. "I still think it's sweet. Did you two ever date?"

"Actually, yea."

"And then he broke your heart," Chelsea concluded on her own.

"Oh! Never have I ever been in love!" James interjected excitedly.

Four drank.

"See? What did I say? Oh, Sophie, we'll talk about it more later," Chelsea offered sympathetically.

"Yea, sure," Sophie said, staring at her cup, stunned by her own actions. She was never in love with Nathan, and yet she felt compelled to drink. She glanced up and saw Melvin eyeing her, his silent question ringing in Sophie's ears. She quickly averted her gaze, waiting to feel the weight of his stare leave her.

Fortunately that was the beginning of the end. Boredom of the game was setting in, and the cheap wine was running low - mostly thanks to Miller. It was shortly after this that Chelsea transitioned everyone to the movie of the night: When Harry Met Sally.

"What? Why, Chelsea, why?" Miller complained. "You picked a shit movie last time, too."

"First, this is a classic, but also, Tony is picking next time," Chelsea said with some resignation. This had clearly been a conversation before the night started.

"But you always add commentary," Miller continued.

"Chelsea has promised to keep it to a minimum," Tony said, "Right, babe?"

Chelsea huffed ambiguously as she prepared the movie. Everyone adjusted couches into theatre-like rows before settling in. Sophie checked the time, noting it was already nearly ten. At this rate, they'd be done by midnight which would mean one of two things: if Kate was awake, they could still hang out; if Kate was asleep, she'd be able to get nearly seven hours of sleep.

Sophie found herself with Melvin on their own couch. They fell into their normal couply appearance, waiting for the lights to turn off before they could adjust back into their own personal bubbles. The hardest part about 'dating' Melvin was that they both saw each other like a sibling. Melvin was an attractive, charming, funny, and caring person, and Sophie would be the first to defend him if prompted, but there was zero attraction as anything more between them, and that made pretending to be a couple a real challenge.

"You ever see this?" Melvin asked quietly as the opening credits rolled.

"Nope. You?"

"Yea. It's not bad. I think you'll like it," he said lightly.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Just watch it," Melvin chuckled. "And no falling asleep."

She took Melvin's suggestion with a grain of salt. Sophie wasn't keen on spending the next hour and a half in silent darkness, and she was struggling to hide her impatience with the situation. Her mind was wandering toward the following week's exam as she regretted halting her studying so early in the day. She begrudgingly watched Harry and Sally fall in and out of each other's lives, all centered around a hetero-normative belief that men and women cannot be friends. She glanced between Melvin and James, noting that they were two obvious examples that proved the hypothesis wrong. Granted, she was pseudo-dating one, but that was only because dating Kate wasn't an option.

She nearly jolted out of her chair when her thoughts landed on this idea. The very idea surprised her. She couldn't date Kate. She had months of rationale to back that up, and she'd worked to suppress any notion of them being together. They would be the friends Harry and Sally couldn't be.

She watched as Harry and Sally's lives overlapped again, this time eleven years after first meeting. Their attraction to each other is so obvious, and Sophie wondered why they don't just accept fate. She nearly groaned as another fallout sent them separate ways, annoyed that romantic comedies always wrote characters who were so clearly meant for eachother reject that destiny for ninety percent of the movie.

At last the final scene arrived, and Sophie, still counting the second for it to be over, couldn't help but cling to every word of Billy Crystal's monologue as he professed his love for Sally:

"...I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

Sophie stared at the screen as the words sank in. There was a certain clarity that came with them. She had spent the entire night in a state of annoyance and frustration that she wasn't with the one person she would put above anyone else, and she realized the only thing stopping her from that in this moment was herself.

"You ok?" Melvin whispered, noting Sophie's change in posture.

"I'm sorry… I… I have to go," she whispered back, nearly leaping from the couch. She sidled her way to the door, leaving Melvin and the others behind. The blinding fluorescent lights of the corridor forced her to pause momentarily as her eyes adjusted, but she felt rewarded with a new clarity. Without thinking, she trekked down the hall to her door and entered.

She paused again, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Kate was clearly burrowed under her blankets fast asleep, and Sophie hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and lowering herself to sit on Kate's mattress.

The shift was enough to jar Kate awake, and she lifted her head confused by Sophie's appearance.

"Soph? Wh-what's wrong? You ok?"

Sophie paused, half-annoyed at waking Kate when she was still trying to build her own courage. Her breath quivered slightly as she tried formulating her words.

"Hey, what's going on?" Kate asked, now on high alert.

"Real talk for a sec?"

"Sure, Soph," Kate said quickly. "Is this about Melvin? Did something happen?"

"D-do you want me?"

The words rang through the room as Kate felt ripped awake by Sophie's question. She shifted to sit up in bed.

"Wh-what? What do you mean?"

"I want you, Kate."

Kate felt flushed listening to Sophie's words, half hoping she was still asleep. The dim street light flooding into the room did little to orient herself as time felt like it was moving both too fast and too slow to be real.

"Soph, where is this coming from?"

"I don't want 'just friends' with you."

"Have you been drinking?" Kate asked, grasping for an excuse to diffuse the conversation from going any further.

"What? No - well, yes, but it's not that."

"Soph, I- I don't know where this is coming from, but I think if you just sleep it off you'll wake up tomorrow with a different opinion," Kate said. She didn't dare look at Sophie. She wanted to unhear her words. That she said them only made real what Kate both feared and wished for more than anything: that her want of a relationship with Sophie was mutual in a world where that want could ruin her future.

"No."

"What?"

"I said no."

Kate gaped back at Sophie's silhouette, seeing the soft glow bounce off the conviction on her face. She had spent the entire semester avoiding this very conversation. She deflected time after time Sophie's subtle references, playing dumb at every turn, but now, Sophie was bluntly saying what neither of them had the courage for months to articulate.

"Soph… I… I really think we should discuss this another time. Maybe not in the middle of the night. Maybe when you've had a chance to think about what you're saying."

"You don't think I've done that? That this hasn't been on my mind for months? That even before we kissed it wasn't there? What do you think this entire semester has been?" Sophie asked rhetorically, clinging to her growing courage.

"Soph, I-"

"I want you, Kate. I want this - and not just as a friend. This isn't a passing feeling, and I'm not going to wake up tomorrow thinking any differently. And yes, I already know all the reasons not to do this, but... I don't care about that, because I stare across the room every night thinking about how much I wish I wasn't on the other side of it without you, and I'm done pretending otherwise."

Kate felt her own composure waiver. She didn't understand why of all the days, the nights, the hours Sophie chose this moment to say these things. Part of her was screaming to stop the conversation; she was terrified by the certainty in Sophie's voice when Kate had spent months trying to establish the exact opposite between them. Every reason to not act on her feelings was finding its way to the tip of her tongue.

But next to that concerned part was a part that clung to every word Sophie was saying. She'd avoided talking about that night in December for this very reason: she wanted Sophie, but she knew she couldn't have her. Her brain and heart were in a battle of wills, and the longer they sat in the dark, the closer her brain came to losing.

"Sophie, look," Kate said, her voice shaking as she began to weave another untruth. "I just don't… I'm flattered. It -it isn't the same for me." Kate felt her throat tighten as the words fell out of her mouth.

Silence echoed as a ton of bricks fell onto Sophie's chest. Her entire world was crumbling at the power Kate's few words of rejection had. This wasn't what she expected.

"Oh."

"I'm so sorry," Kate rushed, her tone full of apology. "I-I didn't-"

"It's fine," Sophie heard herself say as she stared into the dark, the edges of Kate's features blurring out of focus. "Good to know, right?" Sophie forced, quickly lifting herself from Kate's bed. She couldn't look over at Kate. She could be upset after she'd left, but until then she needed to keep her composure, and that meant not glancing back at Kate.

Kate remained silent at this, stirring in her own disappointment as Sophie moved toward the door.

"I - uh, I'll probably just crash at Melvin's," she said, reaching for the door. Her hand felt both weak and frantic to leave the room. A part of her wanted to argue - to stay and fight, but she knew none of it would matter: Kate made her feelings clear. She finally felt the latch release and saw the bright glow of the hallway lights creep around the edges as it swung open.

Sophie was met with the faint memory of all those months ago in December when the glow from the door met with it the same fate as that night: a thrill of emotions followed by it all suddenly being ripped away. A wave of sadness hit Sophie and as she drew it open she realized all of her hopes had dwindled at Kate's words.

It was only then that she felt the resistance against the door. Just as quickly as the light broke around the frame, it disappeared, and she registered the sound of the door relatching in place.

"Soph, wait," came Kate's voice from behind her. She turned back toward the sound and was met by a set of tender lips on hers. She barely had time to register what was happening before it was over. Kate pulled away from Sophie, and she stared back into the dark, seeing Kate's bright eyes glowing with tears glistening in them.

"I lied."

"Wh-"

"I want you, Soph. I've wanted you from the moment we met."

Kate's words barely registered for Sophie who was still trying to recover from Kate's wordless action seconds earlier. Her heart was racing and she felt flushed by the sudden change in events. This had to be a dream; less than a minute ago, she had been outright rejected, and now it felt like she was staring at a completely different Kate. This Kate wasn't a stoic poker face of logic; she was full of raw, unbridled emotion. Sophie saw both hope and fear in Kate's eyes, and it felt like she was experiencing the full Kate for the very first time.

"And I'm scared," Kate admitted, revealing the fear Sophie saw. "I don't want something bad to happen. Because if the wrong people find out…" Kate paused, sensing she was about to talk herself back.

"I know. And I know you've got a million reasons t-" she said, interrupted by Kate's lips for the second time. This one lasted longer, and Sophie felt a warmth inside her as Kate grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer. There was a quiet need behind Kate's grip - as though letting Sophie finish her sentence might break the spell and they'd realize their mistake in doing this. Like the first, this kiss also ended too soon, but it had done the trick: Sophie was left speechless.

"We'll figure it out, Soph," Kate said, tamping down her fears. A jolt of joy rushed through her as she brought her shaking hand up to Sophie's cheek, a smile breaking across her lips.

"What?" Sophie asked, noting the change in Kate's demeanor.

"I like this kissing thing."

It was Sophie's turn to break into a smile.

"We're really doing this?" she asked aloud, almost not believing it.

"Yea. We're really doing this."