Lacey stormed into the second floor window, down the hallway and back toward the stairs. Phoebe and Archie were standing by the front door, drinking and laughing together with a group of all male football players.
Phoebe caught Lacey out of the corner of her eye and did a double take when she connected with the expression on her face.
"Jesus, Lacey, are you okay?!" Phoebe asked well above a whisper, "What's all over you? Paint?"
All eyes within ear shot of Phoebe were on Lacey in seconds. She couldn't school her face and opted for quickly pulling her sweatshirt on in an attempt at buying herself more reaction time before she completely broke down.
"I need to go now." Lacey said as discretely as she could to Phoebe.
"Okay, I'm coming with you." Phoebe shoved her drink into Archie's hand and took a few steps toward her roommate.
"Wait, you're leaving?! Aww, Phoebe me and the guys," Archie gave the guys in the circle the side eye, "we were hoping you'd stay tonight—"
Phoebe smirked, "Sorry boys, duty calls. See you all at the dance tomorrow night?"
Archie gave her a nod before the deflated men dissipated back into the party.
They walked in silence for a good chunk of the walk back.
"I'm sorry I messed up your—gang bang?" Lacey looked at Phoebe worriedly.
Phoebe giggled, "It wasn't like that, I promise." She said rather unconvincingly.
To each their own, Lacey thought. She finally broke down, all the different emotions running through her at once.
"Hey, hey—Lacey what happened? Did Danny hurt you?"
Lacey shook her head no, "No, he didn't do anything—"
"Someone else then? Who was it?! I'll call the cops—" Phoebe went for her phone.
"No, Phoebs, thank you, really. I'm okay, I'm just, I'm not okay." Lacey cried again.
Phoebe stopped walking and pulled her friend in for a hug. They stayed like that for a long time.
"He fucking did do this, didn't he? I knew this would happen, fucking asshole." Phoebe knew Danny's bullshit lifestyle would end up hurting Lacey, "Fuck that guy—"
Lacey could still feel the wetness from Danny's bodily fluids in between her legs and she suddenly wanted to be in the shower. Now.
Back in their dorm room, Lacey took a scorching hot shower. She sat in the empty bathtub under the too hot spray and cried, watching the paint melt off of her and running through the last two weeks, feeling like a total moron. Danny had done the sweetest things for her, but he was really just a master manipulator and that was about it. If Lacey had to place a bet, she would guess he fucked all of them bare.
"You cried in there for—" Phoebe checked her phone when Lacey finally emerged from the bathroom, "sixty-seven minutes."
"Thanks for worrying about me, Phoebe. I think I'm just homesick, I don't know."
"You're not homesick, Lacey, are you kidding me?" Phoebe looked at her like she was crazy, "What did he do tonight?"
Lacey was done crying about this. It was time to unload and Phoebe was asking. Lacey took a deep breath before recalling their entire night.
The girls ended up on the floor between their beds, sprawled out on their backs, feet up on their respective beds.
"Wow." Phoebe could not believe this story about Danny's off-limits friend program or whatever game he was playing.
"I'm done talking about this shit, tell me what happened with you and your entourage?"
Phoebe giggled, "First of all, Archie really likes you." She shrugged, "Just sayin'"
"Yeah, well, I messed that up I guess."
"You did nothing of the sort. He's very single, Lace. He's also not into me, so, he's not off the table." Phoebe passed Lacey the bulk bag of sour patch kids they were sharing.
"Who are you into?" Lacey wondered, "I saw the faces on those guys tonight, they were seriously sad you were leaving—"
"Mmm, I think I like Cole."
"Cole. Was he the other super tall one?"
"Nope, that was Tyler. He's cute too, I don't know. Cole seemed more laid back, clings to things like a monkey too, that's gotta be worth something in bed."
Lacey squinted at Phoebe and waited for more elaboration.
"Like pull-ups on door frames, climbing the counter to get things down, stuff like that."
"Wait. Climbing the counter? Is Cole the super short one with the long hair?!"
Phoebe bit her lip and smiled.
Lacey nodded, "Okay—okay, I could see that." She could not see that.
"He's a running back." Phoebe said like those words solved all the questions in Lacey's head.
"I have no idea what that means." Lacey giggled.
"It's all cardio." Phoebe said this as if being disciplined about cardio was the best thing ever in terms of potential marathon sex.
Lacey busted out laughing, the two of them setting each other off into giant belly laughs until they were laughing so hard there was only silence.
Phoebe had never been more happy to get Lacey laughing and to see her smile again. Phoebe and Danny had something in common then, they never wanted Lacey to stop smiling.
Saturday morning Phoebe convinced Lacey to go out running with her. Lacey knew that the possibility of running into Danny was extremely high, but so was the possibility of running into all of the football players. Lacey wasn't about to let this one selfish man keep her from a well rounded social life.
Lacey smiled to herself as she pulled on her black and red brush stroke patterned Lycra leggings and a solid red sports bra. Last night Danny had told her red was his favorite color but it was also hers and she was not going to allow him to steal all of her joy.
"Damn girl, you are sizzling." Phoebe acknowledged.
"Thanks, you too—"
Phoebe was in some sad, mint green running shorts and a random tourist t-shirt from the Grand Canyon. She looked down at herself and back up at Lacey, deciding to give her a pass knowing that her mind was elsewhere.
They set their earbuds and took off in tandem, running a lap around the perimeter of campus—well, half the perimeter. Ten minutes in and Phoebe was dead somewhere walking off leg cramps and likely puking in some trashcan. Lacey told her she'd meet up with her on her next lap through and continued on.
As she made it up around the dome she spotted the football and spirit teams stretching and running warm-ups. Danny saw Lacey and watched her as she ran past all of them without looking their way.
"Dude, what did you do to her?" One of the guys asked.
Danny couldn't take his eyes off of her, a streak of red in the darkness of his mind over the last eight hours. He hadn't slept at all. After he had shot down Regina and company for some Friday night fun, he realized that the canvas had fallen. He cleaned up the paint supplies and squirmed his way into the alley to try and salvage it.
The canvas had not yet dried and the overflow from all of the air conditioning units had dripped all over it, it was ruined. Danny thought it was even more perfect now, a true abstract reflection of the events of their night.
"I'm taking a lap." Danny said, not waiting for approval or further discussion.
Danny caught up with Lacey easily, the pair running together as Lacey's anger grew. She popped an earbud out.
"You lost?"
"Completely." Danny answered softly.
"Well go ask someone else for directions, I don't have time to deal with your poor decisions."
She was mad. Danny kept his mouth shut and just continued on their run until Lacey made it back around to Phoebe. Phoebe saw the look on Lacey's face and got her shit together, running up and bumping Danny out of the way.
"Excuse me, don't you have some other 'friends' to tend to? We're trying to run here—" Danny fell back and watched Phoebe escort Lacey away from him. "Asshole." Phoebe added.
Danny took a moment to collect himself and headed back to practice. This would take more than an apology.
"Hi Danny!" Regina said in the way that only she could.
"Hello."
"Aww, sad face? It's homecoming!"
"I'm not really into it this year." He shrugged.
Danny kept his eyes on Lacey and Phoebe until they disappeared around the building. Regina had followed his sight line and her frustration grew. She knew she was losing him and she wasn't about to go down without a fight.
"An honorary member of the spirit team has lost their spirit?" Regina said seductively, springing up into Danny's face, "Well we just can't have that—" She giggled and walked up close, "Locker room after practice?"
"Not today."
"Or yesterday, or at all last week—" Regina squawked.
"Alright, okay. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you."
"You can make it up to me." Regina smiled, "Locker room in an hour?"
Danny sighed and tried to stay upbeat, "Yeah."
"Perfect, see ya!" Regina bounced away in her skin tight spirit shorts and bright white sports bra.
They fucked. Danny facing Regina way from him, bending her over one of the changing benches and railing her from behind. Regina whined and moaned and did all of the Regina things she typically did. Danny was bored. This obligation to his 'friends' becoming somewhat of a burden now that his body had suddenly decided it only wanted Lacey.
He kept his eyes closed for most of their exchange, picturing Lacey there with him in order to help him through. The only problem with a fantasy involving a different person was Danny's traitorous mouth.
"Mm, fuck Lacey—" He said and tensed immediately.
Regina decided she wanted this release, realizing that it very well may be her last opportunity with this perfect man. She forced herself to incorporate Danny's slip into their session.
"You like fucking Lacey?" She smiled back at him.
Danny kept working her, cringing a little and not yet comfortable with Regina including Lacey in whatever was happening here.
"C'mon, Desai, show me—" She threw her ass back.
"Regina—" He was hesitant.
"How do you want her?" She pushed playfully.
Danny turned Regina around to lay flat on her belly along the bench. Danny straddled her and pushed into her again from behind. He closed his eyes and began a rhythm he knew Lacey's body responded to.
"Mmm! Oh my god—Danny!"
Regina wouldn't shut up, Danny knowing this was her way of trying to entice him to keep going. Still, if Regina was going to let this Lacey kink happen, she needed to shut the hell up. He grabbed a clean sock and stuffed it in her mouth without looking, kissing the side of her head.
"Keep your mouth shut." Danny explained simply and fucked her soundly.
At the end Danny was all in. He felt Regina climax and pretended it was Lacey's tight body wrapped around his dick, "Lacey—" He grunted and unloaded into the condom he had secured before digging out his long time friend.
Regina felt horrible. She spit out the sock and peeled herself off the bench, dressing in a hurry. Danny sat on the bench and took a few moments before pulling on his own clothes. That was awful, Regina didn't deserve that.
"I'm sorry." Was all he could think to say.