Ch. 5
A/N: Thank you so much for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing...I love hearing your thoughts, so please don't hesitate to share them... As usual my chapter turned out longer than I planned, so Peck Party in the next one...
"This is becoming a habit." Frankie pointed out as she entered her room to find her blonde housemate sprawled out on her bed.
When Gail had gotten back from class Chloe had been in their room. As much as she was beginning to get accustomed to the redhead's special brand of brightness and cheer, Gail had been tired and really just wanted quiet. She knew Frankie would be at class a little longer and decided to break into her room. "What are you complaining about Anderson, you have a hot, blonde woman hanging out in your bed, shouldn't that make you happy?"
"Not when she won't put out, it makes you useless to me."
"I am not useless," the blonde responded in mock outrage.
Frankie studied the girl for a moment as she leaned against her desk before coming to a decision, "Maybe you don't have to be. When are you working Friday?"
Gail pulled herself up onto her elbows, keeping her legs stretched out, "Why?" She asked slowly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. She wasn't sure what Frankie could want her to do but she didn't trust anyone asking favors of her.
"I asked you first," the brunette retorted childishly.
Gail stuck out her tongue, "My question is more important."
"I'm just going to ask Nash if you don't answer." Frankie threatened.
Damn, it didn't take long for that to bite you in the ass, she knew she was beat, "Fine, thanks to the new waitress I got the lunch shift. I answered yours, quid pro quo."
"I'm hanging out with some friends and wanted to know if you wanted to join us." Frankie responded easily with a shrug, trying to make it seem like no big deal.
Gail studied the other girl for a long moment, "Are you high?"
"No!" She snapped irritated that the blonde would even ask her that.
"Drunk?"
"Seriously? It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon on a Wednesday and I just got back from class."
"So you are," Gail teased.
"Shut up!" Frankie threw one of her pens on her desk at the blonde. She was being incredibly annoying, and making her regret making the offer in the first place.
"Since when do you invite anyone to hang out with you and your friends?" Gail really was suspicious. Whenever Frankie went out with anyone who didn't live in one of the two houses she was very secretive about it. Same with her dates. She only ever said she was going out and then usually left with some snarky comment about everyone else being jealous.
Frankie let out a long sigh, "Fine, I'm technically only friends with one of them and I would like to be more than friends with the other but it will be awkward if there's only three of us. Be my fourth?"
"You want me to be your wingman?" Well that was a curious development.
"No, I want you to be an extra person at the table who can be a distraction. All you have to do is sit there and be sparkly." Technically, the friend Frankie wanted Gail to distract had a girlfriend already, not that the girlfriend would come since she despised Frankie (and the feeling was mutual). So it wasn't a date but Frankie had a feeling that Gail would actually enjoy this outing.
Gail really didn't like meeting new people or being forced into awkward social situations, probably because she felt awkward in most social situations, "No thanks. I don't go on dates. Why don't you ask Juliet? Or Chloe? She'd probably enjoy it more and she is actually sparkly." Her roommate loved meeting people and, according to their conversation when they first met, didn't mind going for a dip in the lady pool.
Frankie pretended to consider the option before ruling them both out, "Jules doesn't always play along and Chloe is too bouncy." It was kind of true, Juliet wouldn't let Frankie pull any of her usual moves and Chloe would talk too much. But that was only one of the reasons she didn't want the redhead there; there were still a few she didn't want to acknowledge. "And it's not a date, it's just four people hanging out and at least two of them happen to want to see the other person naked."
"Well when you put it that way, it's definitely a no." Date or no date Gail wasn't interested in hanging out with strangers, or being left stranded when Frankie took off with one of them.
"So then what are you going to do?" Frankie knew that Gail hadn't had a free Friday night since she started her job at the beginning of classes. She figured the girl would either stay in doing work and sleeping, or she might play video games with the guys if they weren't doing anything. But she still usually preferred keeping to herself, which in Frankie's opinion was a boring way to spend a Friday when you could be out.
"Just about anything else." The blonde responded disinterested in the conversation.
"Why?" Frankie was being rather persistent for once. She was curious if Gail just didn't want to go out at all or if she didn't want to go out with her and the other girls. She still wasn't entirely sure of who Gail was interested in but her gaydar hadn't failed her yet.
"Look you don't want me to come, I make an awful first impression and I despise small talk."
Hmmm, so it really was that she just didn't like meeting people, "Then don't talk. Just sit there and look pretty."
"I'm always pretty but the answer's still no," checking the time, Gail extricated herself from the brunette's bed, "Alright, I'm out of here, I have work."
"Let me know when you change your mind," Frankie called out as the blonde descended the stairs.
"I won't," The blonde shouted back dismissively.
The next day, Gail got back from classes early. Since she had the late shift that Thursday night, she hoped she could squeeze in a nap. She figured, most, if not everyone else would be gone. Unfortunately for her, her least favorite housemate was home and apparently still weepy.
She could hear McNally sniffling from the couch as she crossed into the house. Gail contemplated heading up to her bed, it would be easy to just continue to ignore the brunette, since she had already been doing it for the past month. But when the other girl had heard someone come in she had looked up with her sad, tired eyes, and when she saw it was the sardonic blonde she had the look of a puppy that was scared of being kicked. As mean as Gail could be, she only liked picking on people that could fight back, otherwise where was the fun in it? She sighed and headed into the kitchen grabbing two glasses of water.
She returned to the living room and handed one to McNally.
Eyeing the drink warily, she asked, "What's this for?"
"You've been crying for the past four days, I figured you were dehydrated." The blonde responded with her usual charm.
"Thanks," Andy accepted the drink morosely and began to play with the glass.
"So Luke cheated?" Gail asked even though she knew the answer, hell people in Australia had probably heard by now.
The brunette could only manage to nod.
"How'd you find out?" This was part of the story that she hadn't heard yet, since she had tried to stay as far away from the mess as possible. She didn't even know why she was getting involved now, other than the fact that she was tired of hearing the other girl cry and of having to walk on eggshells in her own house.
"Rosati threw it in my face after class on Monday." Andy explained bitterly, still hurting from the embarrassment of not only being cheated on, but also finding out from the other girl who was ecstatic to rub it in her face. She could still vividly recall the guilt pooling in Luke's eyes when she blatantly asked him, and it had only made matters worse.
"Sucks, want to beat her up?" Gail offered.
The brunette let out a small smile, but shook her head.
"What about him? We could...take a Louisville slugger to both headlights, slash a whole in all four tires..." The blonde sang out.
That one actually earned a laugh from the other girl, "How very Carrie Underwood of you?"
"Well you made me listen to it enough times on the way to school." The blonde pointed out, her and Andy had shared rides to school from elementary through most of high school. It had only stopped during their senior year when Gail had cut Andy out of her life.
Andy sighed, "Things were better back then."
"Yeah, well, shit happens." Defensive Gail was back in control. She really hated the fact that whenever she saw Andy she was just reminded of all the shit that had happened that year. But she was trying to be the bigger person right now (operative word is trying).
"Are you ever going to forgive me?" Andy asked weakly. She really did want her friendship back with the blonde, but she knew how hard it was to earn Gail's trust in the first place, let alone after you lost it.
"No, this isn't me forgiving you. This is me being tired of listening to you cry and watching everyone hover over you like you're some broken doll. But I don't want to get into it right now," the blonde dismissed the conversation. "Get up and get dressed," she ordered.
"Why? Where are we going?" McNally asked nervously.
"Well first we're going over to the boys' house and stealing the keys to Chris' truck then we're going to the shooting range. Then I'm going to work, and you're going to come in and get drunk with the rest of the losers that live here." Gail explained her plan.
"The traditional Peck break-up formula." Andy remembered them doing this every time her and Luke broke up and each time Gail had dumped one of her boyfriends. Of course back then they had to steal the booze or sneak into parties, maybe growing up wasn't so bad.
"Yep," Gail popped the "p" loudly.
The brunette smiled a watery smile but got up to get ready. She knew this was the blonde's way of extending an olive branch, so she was going to take it.
It was Friday afternoon when Gail popped into Frankie's room. The brunette was stretched out on her bed looking at something on her computer. Gail had just gotten back from her lunch shift. She had run into the gang at the Penny before she left and they were pestering her to go out with them that night.
"Does your offer still stand?" Gail asked from the doorway.
"I knew you would come around," Frankie answered without even looking up. She had figured it would only be a matter of time before the blonde agreed to go out with her.
Gail really hadn't wanted to take her up on the offer, but everyone that night was planning on going to a frat party as a way to help Andy get over Luke. McNally had stayed locked up in the house all week, but after her trip out with Gail, she had started to revert back to her optimistic self, so everyone had decided it would be a good idea to go out and party. But Gail still wasn't ready to go to a frat party, not after the last one. She could handle parties in her own house and drinking at the bar or a club, but frathouses were still a no-go. Just the other freshmen mentioning the party had made her tense and she knew staying home alone wouldn't be a good idea either; she needed the distraction.
"I'm just avoiding all the rest of the annoying people on this street. Your offer was the least awful. But you'll owe me one." Gail didn't want Frankie to get the impression that she actually wanted to go.
"No way, you turned me down originally." Frankie had no intention of owing anyone anything. The fact that she was allowing Gail to join her should be enough of a payment.
"You haven't left yet so I believe the offer stands and as I recall I was doing you a favor." It really was a battle of wills between the two girls anytime they were together in the same room. They were way too similar for everyone's own good.
"Depends, what do you want?" The brunette was wary about readily agreeing to do anything for the blonde, who knows what she could come up with. But she also wanted her to come tonight, mostly so she could see if her theory had been right.
"Pay my tab tonight," the blonde requested with a winning smile.
Frankie rolled her eyes before pointing out, "You're the one with the job and you get free drinks all the time."
"And I would like to continue that streak, so if you want the pleasure of my company it comes at a cost."
"God you're high maintenance, fine, but no top shelf tequila, Peck, I mean it!" Frankie warned before getting off her bed and heading to her closet. She still needed to shower and get ready. Considering how long it took for her to get dressed for class, this could take a while.
"So who are these people?" Gail asked as her and Frankie grabbed a table at one of the other bars near campus. She had specifically requested that they not go to the Penny on her night off. Plus, she was kind of curious where Frankie ventured to on nights she didn't hang out with everyone else.
"I told you, they're friends of mine," Frankie didn't want to let Gail know too much about this particular set-up, plus it was fun to toy with her.
"How do you know them?" If the brunette wouldn't answer her direct questions, maybe Gail could figure it out another way. Thanks to her parents she had been the victim of their interrogation techniques since she was a child. It came naturally to use them on other people.
"Met through a mutual friend years ago." Frankie left out that the mutual friend had been Steve Peck, knowing it would send his little sister heading for the hills. "I was at the gym the other day and I ran into a hot chick with a nice rack, who was giving me the up-down. Turned out she was a friend of my friend who agreed to play matchmaker."
"Since when do you need help meeting people?"
"Since the person spending the most amount of time in my bed lately is you." Frankie huffed out the reproach before continuing confidently, "And I don't need help this was just the path of least resistance." She left out the part where she had been having dreams about a certain other member of their house and had figured the best way to get over those was by getting under someone else.
Gail was preparing to fire off more questions, when she was interrupted by the arrival of Frankie's "friends". She was flummoxed when she turned around and saw Holly standing in front of her with another brunette.
"It's you." Holly said looking at the blonde seated next to Frankie. Frankie had mentioned bringing one of her housemates tonight, but she had no idea that she lived with the bartender from The Penny.
"It's you." Gail replied equally stunned, of all the friends Frankie could have had setting her up tonight, she didn't expect it to be someone she actually knew.
"Holly, Lisa, this is my friend Gail but clearly you two know each other." Frankie interrupted the staring contest to introduce the blonde properly. She had been amused by the reaction of the two women, since she loved messing with people and catching them off-guard.
"We've met but at least now I have a name." Holly smiled her crooked smile, the one that always seemed to make Gail's heart beat just a little bit faster.
"Technically, you already had one." The blonde cryptically added. She was surprised the brunette still hadn't figured it out.
Holly watched the other girl carefully, studying her features and trying to comb through her memory to figure out exactly where it was she recognized her. Suddenly it came to her, "Danger! I knew it, I knew I recognized you!"
"What are you two talking about?" Frankie was starting to believe the two of them were losing their minds. Meanwhile the girl named Lisa just sat down in a seat between Frankie and Holly, across from Gail, and silently judged her friend's reaction to the hot blonde.
"We may have run into each other before," Holly explained with a smirk. The pieces were finally falling together. This is what she got for not wearing her glasses or her contacts when she ran that early in the morning.
"Yeah, well, I think you're mistaken, that one doesn't run, even metaphorically, she's allergic to exercise." Frankie pointed to the blonde she was referring to, the one who had convinced Chris to carry her out her room the other day, just so she didn't have to walk.
"So what is it you two do?" Gail blurted out quickly to steer the conversation away from her, no one in her house knew about her nightmares or her running and she intended to keep it that way.
"We're both medical students. Lisa is gearing up for a career in plastics" Holly responded, allowing for the change of subject and trying to talk up her friend, since it was her job to play matchmaker that night.
"And Holly won't tell anyone what she wants to do but she'll have her pick of any residency program she wants, she's top in our class," Lisa pointed out. It was evident in her tone that she wasn't pleased with the brunette's secrecy.
"Medical students?" Gail clarified nervously. Her palms were sweating and her breathing began to pick up as her pulse raced. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as fear started to engulf her.
"Yeah that's what we just said." Lisa replied a little bitchily. She was oblivious to the other girl's obvious discomfort.
Gail needed to escape, so she quickly downed the rest of her beer, "Excuse me, I need another drink, anyone else?" Everyone shook their heads, confused at the girl's actions since they had only just gotten theirs. Frankie in particular was watching Gail intently trying to gauge what was going on, while Holly was looking at her with concern. It was all too overwhelming.
Gail made her way over to the bar and tried to collect herself. They're just medical students. They want to be people doctors, not animal doctors. Calm down, they're just girls and you're in a crowded bar and you've met the one plenty of times. Relax, you're a Peck, Pecks don't get scared. She took a shot of tequila before composing herself and adjusting her features into her normal stoic face. She grabbed another shot and beer and headed back to the table.
"So Frankie was just telling us that you're also a criminal justice major," Holly filled Gail in politely as she rejoined the table.
"Yeah not by choice," Gail muttered bitterly. She hated her major and the fact that her parents had forced her into it, threatening to cut off her college fund completely if she didn't fall in line.
"What do you mean?" The brunette asked with genuine interest, most college students had no problem switching majors if they didn't like theirs.
"Long story", she didn't want to get into the whole Peck dynasty thing, the point of tonight was to not have to think about stuff that stressed her out. So far she was failing miserably. She toyed around with her shot glass but didn't drink it, "I also double major in world languages."
"That's an interesting combination," Holly was fascinated by the contrast in majors, while Lisa seemed completely uninterested in anything related to the blonde at the table.
"Not really," The blonde deflected with a shrug.
Frankie rolled her eyes, Gail had been right: she was really bad at making a first impression. She decided to intervene, "Languages come naturally to Gail, how many do you speak besides English? Four?"
"Five, Chloe's teaching my Portuguese but I'm fluent in ASL, French, Italian, and Spanish." Gail rattled off the languages like it wasn't a big deal. To her it wasn't. She liked learning other languages and she was good at it.
Holly's eyes lit up at the information, forming an idea, "Have you ever been an interpreter?"
"Why?" The younger girl responded guardedly.
Frankie interjected, "She has, she spent the last year in Europe and worked as an interpreter out there."
"Wow, Europe, that's impressive." Lisa nodded her head in approval.
Of course that would impress the snotty one, Gail deflected again, "Not really."
Holly still had a look on her face, "Well I volunteer in a kids clinic affiliated with the hospital and they are always in need of interpreters." She hoped that she could convince the other girl to join her.
"I don't do hospitals, sick people go there. They're infested with germs." Gail shuddered just for an added effect causing the rest of the girls at the table to laugh at her dramatics.
"Seriously, you're scared of some germs?" Holly asked with a hint of disbelief.
"No, I'm scared of the plague and Ebola, germs contribute to that."
"You're insane."
"Hardly and aren't you judgmental," the blonde bit back.
Frankie watched the two girls banter easily. She had been right about her theory that Gail was actually interested in Holly; she had never seen the blonde look so comfortable around anyone. It was a shame Holly was dating Jessica, whom Frankie couldn't stand anyway. She hated how the redhead treated everyone, especially Holly who Frankie had been friends with since Steve introduced them their freshmen year. She knew her friend was way too good for her girlfriend, she just wished she could see that.
The conversation drifted to other topics, and it didn't take long before Lisa and Frankie were deeply immersed in their own conversation, subconsciously sitting closer and flirting obnoxiously. It was no wonder why she had wanted Gail to come along; it would have been awkward for poor Holly.
Used to her friends' actions, Holly decided to ignore them as she glanced around the bar and noticed an empty pool table. Turning back to Gail, she nodded her head in its direction, "How about I play you for it?"
"Excuse me?" She had no idea what the brunette wanted to play for.
"Eight ball, if I win you come in at least once and volunteer as an interpreter."
Oh that, Gail had no intention of doing any such thing, but she also rarely lost at any game she played so it could be interesting when she won this bet, "And what if I win?"
"Well what do you want?" The brunette questioned innocently, not realizing whom she was dealing with.
"Not saying yet," A part of Gail wanted to see if she could get the other girl to agree to an open-ended arrangement, the other part honestly had no idea what she wanted from the pretty brunette.
"That's not fair," chided Holly, she had made her intentions clear with the wager and she didn't really know this girl at all to be expected to trust her.
"You're the one who wanted to bet. Are you afraid you're going to lose?" The blonde teased, trying to goad the other girl into agreeing.
Holly's competitive side started to flare, "Fine, you're on."
They shook on it and Gail felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her arm at the innocent touch. What the hell was that?
Drinking was also a stipulation of the game, seeing as how Frankie was paying Gail's tab that night, it was pretty much mandated. They had flipped a coin to see who would break and Holly had won. She had easily pocketed a solid ball and a few more before Gail had even gotten a chance to shoot, causing Gail to worry a little about the bet. But once she was in control, she had been able to even the playing field. The drinks helped, since Gail was better at holding her liquor. As they played and drank they had also fallen into an easy conversation.
"So why Europe?" Holly asked after missing a pocket and downing a shot of tequila.
"Why not?" Gail asked as she studied the table and lined up her next shot. Gail had been ready to go just about anywhere when she had left. Europe had seemed like a good choice at the time, lots of countries relatively close together and how many people could say they got to have that experience, especially at her age?
"Well I'm sure it was an amazing trip and you got to see a lot of great places but isn't a year a long time?"
"Not long enough." The blonde muttered as she bent down to take her shot. She nailed the striped ball into the pocket and studied the table for her next shot. After she missed, she gulped down her tequila and waited for Holly to take her turn.
"Didn't you have people you missed?" The brunette asked as she studied the table for her next play.
"No," The blonde dismissed the notion abruptly. She hadn't really missed anyone while she was gone, not even Oliver, and he was the only person she had kept in touch with. As far as she was concerned she would still be there if she hadn't been forced to return home.
"I find that hard to believe," Holly said as she glanced up at the blonde before taking her shot and sinking it.
"Believe it." Gail retorted before asking her own question, the one that had been nagging her since she saw the brunette was the one setting up Frankie and Lisa. "So where's your girlfriend tonight?"
The tone wasn't lost on the brunette but she still didn't know why the blonde disliked Jessie so much. Sure she had overreacted to the incident with the nachos, but she wasn't usually like that, at least she didn't used to be around Holly, "She was busy and this isn't really her thing." She had obviously invited her girlfriend when Frankie had asked her to set her up with Lisa after they bumped into each other at the gym. It was supposed to be a double date, but Jessie refused to partake in it. Not that it should have surprised Holly, her and Jessie had been dating on and off for a long time and Frankie and the redhead had never gotten along.
"Drinking in a bar? I know that's a lie." Gail was a bartender after all at the bar most frequented by anyone who went to the university, she had seen McD there more times than she would like.
"Hanging out with my friends, she's usually busy," Holly clarified, not that she needed to, she didn't owe this girl any explanation. But she was annoyed that her girlfriend couldn't put in a couple of hours tonight with her friends, when Holly always went along with whatever Jessie wanted.
"Wow, sounds like a real two-way street there." As usual Gail couldn't control her mouth, maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was her hatred of the redhead but she just couldn't wrap her mind around why someone like Holly, who seemed nice, smart, and sassy, would waste her time with a bully.
Holly leveled the blonde with a glare; she was tired of the snide remarks, "What's your problem with her?"
Gail didn't flinch as she held the brunette's gaze, "I don't like the way she treats people." It really was that simple, she didn't like the attitude she had gotten from her the first time they met, she didn't like how she had forced Holly to go to the club that night even when she said she was busy, and she definitely didn't like how she had treated Traci when she had crashed into her friend.
"Well you don't even know her." Holly lined up the cue.
"Maybe, maybe not, but it reminds me exactly of why I don't like relationships."
The brunette "How's that?"
Gail exhaled a deep breath, people who were coupled up never understood her disdain of commitments, "You get into a relationship and it's fine at first, all sex and getting ready for dates. Then it's expectations, disappointments, having to pretend you care about someone else's opinion or feelings. Then it's them trying to change you, make you more like them, having to give in to what they want. I prefer my freedom."
"I used to feel that way too but maybe you just haven't met the right person."
Gail scoffed, if McD was the right person then she really was never going to get into a relationship, "I hate people."
Holly laughed a little at the blonde's serious expression when she said that, "I find that hard to believe"
"You hardly know me." Gail pointed out, mimicking the other girl's words from before.
"Maybe, maybe not." Holly imitated the blonde right back. "But you're out tonight meeting complete strangers. Why'd you agree to come?"
Sighing like she was carrying a huge burden, "Anderson needed a wingman, she didn't mention that her friend who was the third-wheel had a girlfriend. Plus, she's paying my tab." That was really the most important part of the deal as far as Gail was concerned.
"So you were willing to go on a blind date for free booze?"
"It's not a date, I just had to look sparkly, and there are many worse things I would do for free booze."
"Oooh and what pray tell might some of those things be?" Holly cocked her head to the side as she waited for an answer, shooting Gail an I-dare-you-to-tell-me look.
Shaking her head, "Nice try Nerd, but we aren't drunk enough yet."
As they continued to play, and more alcohol was consumed, Gail revealed to Holly that this was her first "date" with a girl, since technically, Gail had only ever dated men, but that wasn't saying much. When it came to dating and relationships Gail had always just gone with the flow, until the last time she broke up with Nicholas, when she decided she was just done with it altogether. So she was curious what actually dating a girl was like. (Tonight had been more about escaping the frat party and the darkness her mind conjures up, and less about going on a date with a girl since Gail didn't date...anyone...period.)
Luckily Holly was fairly easy going when it came to most things and just rolled with whatever random questions that Gail could think of, even as they began to get more ridiculous.
"So is it still fun getting dressed?" Gail asked, as she lined up and missed a shot, causing her to drink more.
"What do you mean?" Holly asked, sinking another one of her balls.
"Well that's the most fun part of a date is getting dressed. I mean how does it work if it's two girls getting dressed together?" The blonde expanded.
The brunette barked out a loud, bright laugh at that one. "Ok, if that's what you think is the best part of a date, then we really have bigger problems." Gail looked unamused by Holly's comment and laugh, even if it had caused her stomach to flip. "Well how does it work with a guy?"
The younger girl responded without thinking, kind of like how she was asking her questions, "Well if you live together, first you get ready then he...gets...ready...very stupid. Stupid question."
Holly nodded along as she lined up her shot and missed. She took another drink as Gail asked her next question while lining up her cue. "What about if you want to borrow a dress or shoes or clothes? Is that cool? Do you share each other's things?"
Gail banked the shot. All she had left was the eight ball and she would win and Holly would owe an unnamed prize.
"Well I wouldn't share your things." Holly pointed out, successfully distracting the blonde.
Gail was clearly offended, "What is wrong with my things?"
"Nothing, they're just not my style." Gesturing between the two women, Gail had opted to wear a pair of skinny jeans, a slouchy gold top, and her trusty combat boots and leather jacket. She looked good, like the badass she claimed to portray. While Holly was wearing a simple red button down top, that was probably a little too unbuttoned, a black pair of jeans, and sensible shoes.
"Oh not enough fleece for you Holly, not enough backpacks!" But Gail's angry rant died on her lips as Holly leaned in closer to her. For a second she thought Holly might try to kiss her and it had made her nervous, excited but nervous. Any thought of Holly having a girlfriend escaped her mind with the close proximity of the other girl.
"You really are insane, you know that right?" She whispered to Gail before she bumped her with her arm, "Final shot Danger, don't blow it." Then she moved away and Gail released the breath she didn't realize she was holding.
Gail smirked, looked at the table and called a pocket. It was a relatively easy shot, and there were few things in life Gail liked more than winning. She didn't notice, as she lined up her shot, that Holly had made her way over to where the pocket was. She leaned slightly over, resting her hands on the table and watching Gail intently. Gail didn't know why but she found her eyes tracing down Holly's neckline to the dip in her shirt, made more pronounced by the way the brunette was standing. That's when Gail noticed the flash of a necklace that trailed down into Holly's cleavage. The charm buried there safely away from anyone else's view. Gail suddenly really wanted to see that charm.
Holly cleared her throat causing Gail to look up. She cocked her eyebrow letting Gail know she had been busted. Gail's face and ears burned hotly with embarrassment for getting caught perving on the other girl, the one who had a girlfriend. She quickly went to take her shot and fumbled it, sending the cue ball directly into the pocket. Gail had scratched.
"Fuck!" She groaned as Holly let out an excited squeal at her victory, throwing her hands over her head in celebration. "Best two out of three?"
"No way, a deal is a deal, Danger, you're going to have to pay up." She held out her hand, "Phone, please."
Gail reluctantly handed over her phone. Holly quickly called herself and then saved her number in Gail's contacts. "So I usually go Tuesdays and Thursdays to the clinic. But I can go pretty much any afternoon, depending on my lecture schedule."
"Well I work almost every Thursday but Tuesdays are more flexible." The blonde conceded reluctantly as she glanced at the new name in her phone and slightly modified it. She hated losing but a deal was a deal and she knew she had to stay true to her word.
"Alright Tuesday it is. I can pick you up from your house or class and we can head over, I'll text you more details."
"Fine, fine."
"Aww don't pout, it's not your fault I'm so awesome." Holly was still basking in her victory.
"Hardly, you won on a technicality," and on the fact that Gail had been too distracted to take the shot properly.
"I won because you were busy checking me out."
"Hardly, I was just ummm..." But the blonde couldn't think of an excuse, "we should go check on the other two." She turned her back to the other girl and hoped her pale complexion calmed down.
"Ten bucks says they're making out at the table." Holly was already moving on to the next wager.
"Oh no way, I'm not letting you cheat me out of my money too, Nerd."
"Wimp."
Sure enough, when the two returned to the table it was to Frankie and Lisa kissing. So they made their way over to the bar and got a couple of more drinks, not that either girl needed them. Holly finally decided to call it a night when she checked the time and realized how late it had gotten. She had only meant to come out for a couple of drinks and leave Lisa and Frankie to get up to whatever it was they were going to do. She hadn't banked on meeting Gail or having as much fun as she did.
Gail was reluctant to go but there wasn't much worth sticking around for if her new drinking buddy was heading out. They made their way back to the table to grab their jackets and say good night to their friends.
"Hey Anderson, quit sucking face long enough to say good-bye." Gail shouted to the other girl.
"You two heading out already?" Frankie looked a bit dazed as she pulled away from Lisa, leaving her arm over her shoulder. Gail wondered how many drinks she had had while they were off playing games.
"Yeah, I have to get up early and study to make up for tonight." Holly explained while silently shooting Lisa a look, one that said to behave.
"I'm working a double tomorrow so I need sleep." Gail chimed in with her own reason for heading out.
"Well we should all do this again. There's a show next Saturday, I'm sure I can get enough tickets for anyone who wants to come?" Lisa offered, though based on the way she was eyeballing Gail, the blonde had a feeling she wasn't really welcome to go, not that she could anyway.
"Actually I have a thing."
"A thing?" Frankie asked, the drinks she had had that night were starting to fog her brain.
"Yeah," Gail looked pointedly at Frankie, she had her family's party, and as much as she was dreading it she knew she had to go.
"Oh right, she does have a thing, but I'm free," Anderson remembered that the other girl had the Peck party.
"Well what about you Holls, you and Jessie can come," the way Lisa pointedly glared at Gail as she said McD's name made her realize that she was rubbing it in her face that Holly had a girlfriend, one who based on their conversations that night, the wanna-be-plastic surgeon clearly thought was better suited for the brunette than Gail.
"Actually, I have a thing too. But you two have fun." Holly dismissed the notion and finished saying good-bye before making her way out the door with Gail in tow.
As they headed out, Gail offered to walk Holly home as her apartment was on her way. She had been surprised when Holly revealed that she lived in one of the graduate apartments off campus with Lisa and another friend named Rachel. After making the requisite "U-haul" jokes about Holly and McD the conversation dropped.
They walked a little in silence until Gail asked Holly about her school stuff and the brunette had launched into a long-winded ramble about some kind of sciencey-mumbo-jumbo that Gail couldn't comprehend even if she could recite it word-for-word. She watched as the bookworm next to her lit up at being able to share what she was learning. An animated Holly was quite a mesmerizing sight.
They eventually stopped in front of the apartment building, which had only been a few blocks from the bar and not far from Gail's house.
"Sorry for boring you," Holly apologized once they stopped walking and she realized how long she had been talking for.
"I'm not bored, clearly you enjoy what you're learning." It was true, Gail could listen to the other girl talk about her studies all day long, if she continued to be as passionate about it, not that she would admit that.
"It can be tough but I love science." The brunette admitted.
"See I knew you were a nerd." Gail baited the older girl.
"You called me that based on my glasses."
"What can I say? I'm a good judge of character."
Holly rolled her eyes and prepared to say good night to her new acquaintance. "Well it was nice finally meeting you Gail Danger..." She trailed off expectantly, waiting for the blonde to fill in the rest of her name. She hadn't caught her last name earlier in the night when Frankie had first introduced her, or maybe Frankie had never said it, although the amount of alcohol she had consumed may have erased the memory.
"Oh no, I'm not making it that easy, for all I know you could be a stage five clinger." Gail sidestepped the conversation, she liked teasing the other girl and since she hadn't given her name the first time they met, she decided to do the same this time around.
Holly shoved the blonde lightly, "I am no such thing, but fine, you can maintain the mystery. But since you have my number, text me when you get back to your house, just so I know you're safe."
"See, clingy," the blonde teased as she started to walk away backwards, seeing the hard look being thrown her way she acquiesced, "Fine, Holly, I will text you when I get home."
"Good night Danger," Holly called out as she unlocked her door.
"Good night Nerd," Gail threw back as she turned and headed home. She could hear a little chuckle from the other girl before the door closed shut.
Gail passed the park where she first met Holly on her way home, and didn't realize that she had been smiling until she walked through her door and bumped into Traci who had gotten home from her shift before everyone else had returned from the party.
"Is that Gail Peck smiling? I never thought I would see the day." Traci joked as the two bumped into each other in the kitchen.
"Very funny Trace, how was work without me?"
"Not bad, made good tips, but it was weird not seeing your surly face every time I looked over at the bar."
"Aww such a sweet talker."
"Seriously, where were you tonight that has you looking so Price-like?"
Gail immediately grimaced, "Don't ever compare me to my chipper roommate again or I'll make sure you get awful tips the next time we work together," the blonde threatened and Traci held up her hands in surrender, "And I was out."
"Clearly, well wherever you were it's nice to see you happy."
Gail nodded and made her way up the stairs and collapsed into bed. She fired off a text to the new contact in her phone.
Officer Danger: Home safe and sound, Nerd
Nerd Champion: Glad to hear it, sweet dreams Danger
For some reason the simple text made Gail smile. Maybe meeting new people isn't so bad, Gail thought to herself as she drifted off to her first dreamless sleep in a while.
Gail slept soundly through the night and didn't wake up until Chloe came bounding into their room, catapulting herself onto the blonde's bed to wake her up in the late morning.
"Wakey wakey sunshine," She bounced on her roommate.
"Get off me Price before I slaughter you," Gail grumbled as she hid her head under a pillow.
"Come on Grumpy, I have coffee and pancakes waiting downstairs for you." The energetic redhead tempted.
"You should have started with that." The blonde muttered and pulled her face back out of hiding.
As her perky roommate bounced off her bed and back down the stairs, Gail pulled herself up. She checked the time and was surprised she had slept so late without waking up. It was the first time she had felt rested since coming back. She attributed it to the amount of alcohol she had consumed the night before, even though she didn't feel hungover at all. But that was the only logical explanation, right?
A/N: This is my first chapter without any dreams in it...but they'll be back...you won't get the full story behind them until Gail is ready to share it and she has someone she is willing to share it with...