Freedom's Just Another Word

by snarcasm318

A/U: College is supposed to be their first taste of freedom, but for the last year Gail Peck had real freedom. Now she's back, within the grasp of her controlling parents, and forced to face the nightmares she's tried to leave behind. She's used to dealing with it alone, but does she have to?

25. Chapter 25

Ch.25

A/N: Thank you dear readers for the reviews. I know the Peck dinner was painful, believe me I didn't enjoy writing it either. It was one of the reasons the chapter took me so long to post. But we're going to have a break from her family interactions for a bit and the next Peck dinner will definitely be one worth reading.

Last time I said this chapter would be up sooner, but I still made you wait an exorbitant amount of time. As part of my penitence, this one is the longest yet (over 30k words). I've also come to the conclusion that Canadian women are going to be the death of me, specifically fictional Canadian cops and their brilliant brunette counterparts.

Amended disclaimer: The characters in this chapter do not belong to me, they belong to RB and WE and other shows and I'm just borrowing them for a bit...

Trigger Warning: mentions of child abuse... it's nothing that wasn't covered in RB nor is it graphic...

---

Gail snapped awake, her eyes adjusting to the dark and searching for anything familiar in the room. It took a minute for her to get her bearings, but when she realized that the person sleeping next to her was Holly she relaxed back into the mattress. She knew she had been dreaming, but she couldn't remember what it had been about, which was probably a blessing. Still, it left her feeling jittery. She reached over for her phone to check the time and found that it had only been a couple of hours since she had fallen asleep. She still had plenty of time before she would need to be awake for her class. She stared up at the dark ceiling and tried to relax enough again that she could drift off, but it wasn't working. She worked on her breathing like she learned in yoga. But nope, still not tired. While the quiet in the apartment should have made it easier to sleep, Gail found it distracting. She had gotten used to the noises in her house, to the other girls' footsteps, to faint music, and lowered voices. She was used to being able to find someone else awake at this time, either in her own home or next door, usually at least one of the guys playing video games or someone binge watching a show. But right now it was dark and quiet, and the only company she had was the sleeping brunette beside her.

She looked to her side and could see Holly's profile. The med student was peacefully sleeping, probably dreaming of curing cancer or something. The selfish part of Gail wanted to wake her, if only to hear her voice and get lulled back to sleep by it, but the more rational part of her knew that Holly needed to rest since she would have to go to class tomorrow too. Holly wasn't an undergrad like her friends. She couldn't just dick around all night with the full plate she had for herself. So Gail just laid there watching the steady rise and fall of Holly's breathing. She tried to mimic it, which seemed to help a bit, except her eyes wouldn't stay closed and her body wouldn't relax, but that may have been the fact that she couldn't get her brain to shut off. Her parents' words at dinner were still haunting her. Her father's comment about being reckless was unwarranted at the time. Making comments at dinner about her brother was childish, sure, but "reckless"? Definitely not. No, that was referring to her past, to sneaking out, going to parties, to getting attacked. It probably also referred to Europe and her escape, but that all stemmed back to senior year.

Awesome, now she was thinking about that too.

She had been able to ignore it when she was falling asleep because Holly was distracting her, but now there weren't any other distractions. She tried to steer her thoughts elsewhere. To the shadows on the walls, to the ticking of the watch sitting on Holly's table near them, to the shapes of everything in the room that she could actually make out. She tried to focus on Holly, but that only brought her back to the dinner again. She couldn't shake the look her mother had given her when she asked about taking lunch to Holly. There was something there, something calculated. A test maybe? But what did her mother suspect? Had she figured out what was really going on? But if she had why make the comments to Steve to hold on to her? Regardless, the real issue was that she wasn't Peck enough for them, and that would be the only way to make them proud.

And now her brain was a runaway train speeding down the tracks into certain oblivion. There was no way she'd be able to sleep and if she did what the hell would she dream about. So she slipped out of the bed as gently as possible to not jostle the girl beside her. Holly had left her clothes in a neat pile next to the door, probably in anticipation of this. Gail couldn't decide if that was considerate or heartbreaking, since clearly Holly thought she would leave in the middle of the night. Then again, she did warn her so it was probably just that. Gail collected the pile and slipped out the door. She didn't bother changing, opting to throw on her leather jacket and slipping on her boots over the pajamas. She crept through the apartment trying hard not to wake the other people in the apartment. She was almost to the door.

"Sneaking off again."

Gail jumped at the sound of Lisa's voice, and turned to see the girl standing in the doorway of the lit bathroom. She swallowed hard to try to get her heart back down into her chest instead of its uncomfortable position lodged in her throat from the fucking scare.

She had already sustained comments from Lisa about bothering Holly and just showing up unannounced when she had arrived that night. Rachel had been the one nice enough to tell Lisa to lay off and let Gail know that Holly was in her room studying. She wouldn't mind getting into a fight with the small brunette, but Holly loved her roommates and Gail lo-really liked Holly. So she decided leaving was the best option.

"Places to be." Gail replied and continued in the direction of the exit.

"Why don't you just do her a favor and stay away this time?"

She just wanted to go home and get away from the situation entirely, but Gail couldn't resist the taunt. She was still feeling worked up from the dinner and Lisa was already treading on thin ice. "Why don't you do us both a favor and shut the hell up before you wake someone?"

"Holly deserves better than you and whatever it is the two of you are doing. You're never going to be good enough for her and it's only a matter of time before she realizes it and gets tired of this bullshit in-and-out thing. She'll find someone who actually knows how to treat her right."

Gail's jaw clenched and she gripped the clothes in her hand tighter. "Well then that's Holly's choice. Kind of like her decision to be with me so butt the hell out." She reached out for the door in front of her.

"Just a friendly warning. Maybe save you both a little heartbreak."

"Ok." Gail had the door handle gripped tightly in one hand when she half turned back. There was a dangerous glint in her eye that Lisa couldn't see across the darkened apartment. "If we're going to be friends how about I give you some friendly advice: ok so this thing you have of meddling in other people's relationships, you know tricking Holly into seeing her exes, throwing women at her every chance you get, threatening me. I think it's really pathetic. Worry about your own love life and stay the hell away from Holly's." Gail didn't wait for the response and strode out the front door, leaving with the last words.

Gail wanted to hit something, but her hand was still bruised and she knew that she shouldn't. So she settled for pounding her feet into the ground at a brisk pace as she stormed home. She could barely feel the cold and if it hadn't been for the heavy feeling of the air in her lungs she wouldn't have noticed it all. She was passing the boys' house when she saw that people were still in the living room. She didn't want to socialize but she also really wanted to blow something up. Deciding that the second desire was stronger she stomped over to their unlocked door and let herself in. She found Dov, Gerald, Chris, and Chloe sitting in the living room with remotes in their hands. She dropped into her usual space next to Chris and Chloe moved her arms for her roommate to stretch out across her lap as well. The group peppered her with questions about where she had been and why she was awake, but Gail ignored them all.

She fished her phone out of her pocket before tossing her jacket onto the back of the couch. She pulled up Holly's messages and typed out a new one to let her know that she was safe. She hesitated before hitting send. Lisa's words were now mixing with her own family's and the feelings of inadequacy felt stifling. Maybe Holly would be better if she just stayed away for good. The brunette could move on and find someone worthy of her. But she had also promised to send the text. Gail didn't break promises so she hit the send button against her better judgment. She accepted the remote control from Gerald after he was killed by her roommate and set about unleashing holy hell on her animated friends.

---

"Aren't you supposed to be at play practice?" Holly greeted the brunette who had beaten her to the coffee shop. She had been surprised when she had gotten a text from Frankie asking if she wanted to study together that afternoon, but she wasn't going to refuse the offer of free caffeine and a chance to get away from the other crazy med students for a while.

"Too much work to do. Remember? I invited you on a study date."

"Which is why we're getting coffee."

"I wouldn't be a very good date if I didn't buy you a drink, now would I?" Frankie winked. "Plus, I need caffeine and I know you do too."

The shorter brunette turned her attention to the cashier as she placed both their orders and paid despite Holly's protests. They grabbed a table big enough where they would both be able to spread out their things.

Holly waited for Frankie to return to the table with their drinks. Once she had received her gift she could ask the harder questions without fear of retribution. "You sure this isn't just you avoiding Chloe?"

"Why would I need to avoid her?" Frankie focused her attention on the drink in her hand instead of the inquisitive look of her friend seated across from her.

Holly sighed, "Seriously, Frankie, this game again? Don't you get tired of playing the world's longest round of Denial?"

"What does it matter, Hols? You saw her same as I did. She's moved on." Frankie replied trying to keep her voice as indifferent as possible. She didn't want the pain to show no matter how much it hurt just to say the words. But she had been telling herself that Chloe had moved on for the last two days and it was starting to take the sting out as numbness was setting in.

"It's one date, Frankie, we literally had this same conversation when you thought she went out with Dov." Holly reminded her friend. "It's just one date."

"That you know of." Frankie shot back quickly. It didn't matter if this was one date or a hundred, Chloe was clearly over her and it only confirmed what Frankie had been afraid of: that she was in it more than the redhead, because unlike the freshman Frankie hadn't been able to go out and go on dates. For once she couldn't just move on to the next person and this feeling of being stuck was driving her damn near insane, but she couldn't pick up her old habits.

Maybe it was Holly being overly optimistic, or maybe she was being the voice of reason, but either way she wasn't willing to let Frankie just throw in the towel. "It hasn't been that long since you two stopped talking. So chances are that this isn't serious."

"What am I supposed to say?"

"You could just apologize and tell her how you feel before it's too late and she really does move on."

"She wants to move on, Hols. I'm not going to stop her from doing that."

"What if she wants you to?"

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you. People can be a lot more forgiving then you give them credit for."

Maybe that was true, but forgiveness had been taught to Frankie right beside other lessons that she hadn't been able to accept. So it was just one more item on the long list of things she no longer believed in.

The senior didn't look convinced, so Holly decided to try a different approach. "What did she say when you told her you fixed her car?"

"Haven't told her yet," Frankie mumbled into her cup.

But it wasn't low enough to escape the med student's ears. "Why the hell not?"

"I've been busy."

"Oh, yeah? Doing what?"

"Recuperating." Frankie groaned, remembering her hangover the day before. She had been the one ordering the drinks, but it continued to turn her stomach. She's still surprised she hadn't gotten sick. "I don't know how you made it to the lab the next morning."

"Me either." Holly agreed. It had been a rough day for sure and had contributed to her being able to sleep through Gail sneaking out of her bed and even through the text she had received. She had texted back that morning but hadn't received a response, even though she knew the blonde was in class and usually enjoyed the distraction. Still she wasn't overly concerned.

Frankie had grown quiet thinking about the night. It was still fuzzy and she couldn't shake the feeling she was forgetting something that had happened. She looked over to her friend. "You're sure I didn't go home with anyone?"

"Unless you went out after I dropped you off, no one was home with you and I locked the door behind me when I left."

"How do you remember more of that night than I do?"

"Because I have a lower tolerance than you and cut myself off faster. So while I was drunk, I wasn't nearly as bad as you. I even got myself home after."

"It's cause you were cheating."

"Hi, Pot. My name's Kettle. Nice to meet you," Holly deadpanned.

"Har dee har har."

The bespectacled brunette chuckled and took a sip of her drink before returning to the focus of the conversation. "Why are you so concerned you went home with someone?"

"I don't know. I don't remember stripping out of my clothes or getting into bed, but I can't shake the feeling that someone else was there."

"You live with a lot of people. Maybe one of the girls helped you to bed."

"Yeah, maybe." Frankie replied distractedly. She tried to wrack her brain for any clue as to who it might have been. She could make out fuzzy bits of memories, but they were all blurring together. You're not getting me naked that easily, Frankie could remember Chloe's voice saying the words. She was hit with another sliver of memory of her stumbling on the stairs while holding on to the redhead. "Shit!"

"What?"

"It was Chloe. She's the one who helped me up to my room." Frankie covered her face as the realization hit her.

"Why is that a bad thing?"

Frankie pulled her hands away to drag them through her hair. "Because I have no idea what I said to her."

"And you assume that's somehow bad?"

"Well it couldn't have been a good thing if I woke up alone and she still isn't speaking to me, now can it?"

"And what could you have possibly said that would be that bad?"

"Probably nothing worse than I say sober," Frankie hoped as she wracked her brain for the conversation that night, but the alcohol made it too hard to know what was real, there were too many gaps.

"So don't worry about it," Holly suggested.

"Easier said than done."

"Come on, I thought this was a study date." Holly gently nudged her friend to distract her and was rewarded with a nod.

The two girls let the conversation drop as they both focused on their work. Or at the very least their computers. Holly wasn't entirely sure the senior was actually doing anything productive, but the nice thing about Frankie was that she knew how to be quiet. So they spent the better part of the night in companionable silence with only the sounds of the coffee shop and their ear buds. It was almost time to close when the two girls finally packed up their things to head to their respective homes.

"Sammy's birthday is this weekend. You coming out?" Frankie asked as she returned to the table after getting one more coffee before the machines were turned off.

"Hate to burst your bubble, Frankie, but I came out a long time ago." Holly joked as she finished zipping up her bag.

Frankie choked as she took a sip of the cup in her hand, not expecting the comment. She rolled her eyes, "Seriously."

Holly flashed a wide grin clearly amused by her own humor, "Is it another bar crawl?"

"You know it."

"I'll probably pass. I'm pretty sure if I turn Lisa and Rachel down one more time they're going to disown me."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Don't start, Frankie. Please," Holly pleaded. She could understand the animosity between Lisa and Frankie. And, honestly, she preferred it to the shameless flirting, but she had enough on her plate and really didn't need the stress of having all the people in her life hating on each other. She could feel the tension pulling at her shoulders just at the thought but the chiming of her phone gave her a much-needed distraction. A glance at the incoming text had a smile tugging at her lips in seconds.

Frankie noticed the way Holly's entire demeanor changed with the message. "Goldilocks sexting you?"

"Hmm?" Holly replied distractedly, she was focused on the text and not paying attention to what the other girl said. But when she looked up at the lewd grin on her friend's face, the words sank in and she felt her face heat up. "What? No!"

"Oh, she totally is." Frankie shoved her friend playfully. "I see that blush, Stewart. You aren't fooling anyone."

"No one is sexting anyone."

"That's a shame. What's the point of a girlfriend if you aren't sending dirty messages all day?"

"Note to self: never touch Frankie's phone."

"Don't hate."

"I guess I don't have to worry about it right now, since you still aren't talking to Chloe."

Frankie's eyes narrowed, "That was a low blow, Stewart."

Holly had another comment on the tip of her tongue that she was ready to make and that would usually make Frankie or Gail proud if it wasn't directed at them but she refrained, not wanting to incur Frankie's wrath or end the night on a sour note. "Seriously though, how long are you going to avoid her this time?"

Frankie sighed. "Graduation's only a few months away."

"So you'd rather be miserable those last few months rather than make amends and actually enjoy yourself?"

"I swear, if you even think of saying the word happy I'm leaving right now."

"Empty threat, we're leaving now anyway," Holly pointed out.

"Well, I'll leave faster." Frankie stubbornly stomped her foot for added emphasis.

"No you won't, you enjoy my company too much."

"I would enjoy it more on Friday."

"You just want someone to take over babysitting duties."

"I still can't believe I drew the damn short straw." Frankie had been successfully avoiding DD duties all year; it had been bound to catch up to her. It sucked but someone had to do it. They wouldn't actually be driving that night, instead taking cabs, but it would be Frankie's job to make sure the group actually managed to get to where they were going and no one got arrested. Basically she was in charge of the bail money and herding cats.

"Sucks to be you."

"Clearly. Well, when you get bored with BitchTits you can always join us. Spend some time with your favorite person...and your girlfriend." She purposefully called Gail Holly's girlfriend again just to gauge her friend's reaction. So far she had seemed to simply ignore it rather than deny the title.

"You're right, I do love spending time with Sammy." Holly teased.

"Fine, I see how it is. You can be his wingwoman then and save me the hassle."

"Don't most of the girls go home with you instead of him anyway?"

Frankie shrugged nonchalantly but didn't hide her smug grin, "I let him try his luck with the straight ones...sometimes."

Holly snorted, "How nice of you." Her sarcasm was evident.

"I try." Frankie laughed at the eyeroll she got from her friend. "Seriously though, what more could you want on a Friday night than a hot blonde and an even hotter brunette by your side."

"God, you make everything sound dirty." But Holly was used to Frankie's humor. Actually, she was more concerned about the blonde part of that equation. Her hands reached up to adjust her glasses. "I don't know that Gail would want me there." Gail hadn't mentioned the party, but she also probably hadn't been thinking about it considering the other things on her mind. Still, Holly hadn't hung out with the others since that night of the party when her and Gail first got together. She didn't want to make things weird.

"Why the hell not?" As much as Frankie empathized with Gail most of the time, she was also on Holly's side and knew that things were a rollercoaster for the two.

"Does anyone else know that we're seeing each other?" Holly wasn't sure how much Gail talked to the rest of the group about anything, let alone them and she didn't want Gail to get uncomfortable by having Holly around when she was hanging out with her friends.

Frankie shrugged, not really sure what the problem was. "No clue."

"Exactly. She might not want everyone knowing or suspecting." Holly logically explained. And she was okay with it, for the most part, really not wanting to pressure the skittish blonde and undo their progress.

"Yeah, but I'm the one inviting you, not Goldilocks."

Holly smiled softly at the obvious affection from her friend. She decided to shift the focus though, not wanting to risk Frankie taking matters into her own hands. "I know and I love spending time with you too, but like I said I'm pretty sure my roommates are feeling neglected."

"Yeah, well, I'm better than them anyway," Frankie cockily replied.

Holly chuckled and threw an arm around Frankie's shoulder as they headed out of the shop. "Of course you are."

---

Gail had resisted the urge to text Holly for most of the day. By the time Chloe and her had made their way back to their own beds, the sun had been nearly up and she only had a few hours of sleep before an entire day of classes and a shift at the bar.

She had gotten the brunette's response that morning to the one she had sent after she got to the boys' house. But Lisa's stupid words were still piercing her consciousness every time she was tempted to pick up her phone to talk to Holly. Holly hadn't seemed upset about Gail leaving, but that may have just been because she was practically a saint when it came to dealing with the blonde. But how long could it really last before Holly got tired of picking up the pieces every time Gail fell apart? So she resisted. She focused on her classes and got swept up in the rush at work, but the phone continued to weigh heavily in her pocket.

It wasn't until a guy at the bar butchered a sciencey pickup line on her that she broke and sent a message to the brunette. Holly of course eviscerated the guy's logic and proceeded to share various ones that were still awful but at least made sense...to nerds. The texts made her shift go faster and when she got home she collapsed on the couch in the living room with a plate of Chloe's leftovers and caught the end of a movie the other freshmen girls were watching. It was some cheesy rom-com that the blonde didn't pay much mind to. She was more focused on her phone, and kept getting kicked by Traci every time her phone went off and interrupted the movie. But she didn't put the device down as she got swept up in her conversation with the med student as it shifted to talking about their favorite movies and tearing apart the parts of the film Gail was supposed to be watching.

"Alright, who's so important that you had to ruin the end of the movie for us?" Traci asked as she tried to catch a glimpse of the blonde's phone when the movie finally ended.

But Gail kept it out of reach, "None of your business, Nash."

"Oh come on, Gail, spill. Who have you been talking to?" Andy asked from the safety of her seat across the room.

"I do talk to people outside of this circle of losers." Gail's attention was back on the phone after it buzzed again and she tried to keep her face as neutral as possible. It was difficult though when Holly was going off on a rant about the trope of smart girls being portrayed as hopeless until the popular guy takes notice of her hot body. God, the girl was such a nerd and Gail was completely enthralled by her.

"You love us," Chloe sang as she made her way to the kitchen. She purposefully passed by her roommate and tried to make a grab for the phone too, but for once Gail was quicker.

"Okay the next person who tries to grab my phone is getting beaten to death with her own arm. And it won't be attached to her body." Gail glowered at each of the girls who held up their hands in defeat.

"So how'd your date go on Saturday, Chloe?" Andy asked, moving the focus away from the ferocious blonde.

"Pretty good, I guess." Chloe returned to the living room and plopped down next to Andy.

"You guess?" Traci probed, but she was distracted when Gail stretched her legs across the couch and invaded her space. "Do you mind, the grown-ups are talking?" Gail wiggled her feet and grinned at her causing Traci to roll her eyes before shifting so that the other girl could have better access to her lap. Once they both settled they turned their attention back to Chloe who was more focused on the mug in her hand than the inquisitive faces of her housemates.

"Well, we all went to see a movie then grabbed dinner and drinks at some bar that was close to the dorms. It was fun and Dov pulled out his trivia cards and I totally kicked his ass at it, which Ami seemed to like. And she's smart and pretty and she actually answers questions when you ask them and told me all about her life at home and her major and clubs and stuff that she's involved in," Chloe caught herself when she realized that her story was starting to sound more like a rant as she listed off the things that were different about her date and the senior that had previously been occupying her time. She cleared her throat. "Then Dov and I walked Sue and Ami back to their dorm, and when Dov went up with Sue, Ami gave me a kiss goodnight then I came back."

"Just a kiss?" Gail asked in disbelief.

"Yeah..." Chloe answered hesitantly.

Gail wasted no time calling out the redhead on her bullshit. "Dude you didn't come back to the room until the sun was up."

"Oh. I thought you were sleeping." Chloe mumbled, her cheeks flashing almost as red as her hair.

"Well, it would be easier to sleep if my roommate wasn't like a bull in a china shop at night."

Chloe's mouth dropped open in outrage, "I was silent as a church mouse."

"Listen Ratatouille, you're about as quiet as King Kong on the fucking tower." Gail glared as her roommate stuck out her tongue at her.

Traci decided to intervene in the roommates' squabble, "So where were you, Chloe?"

"Oh...ummm...you know...just like hanging out..." Chloe stumbled over her answer causing the other girls to start circling her like sharks with blood in the water.

"Alone?" Andy asked.

"No, not really."

"So who were you with?" Traci carried on.

"Ummm...people..."

"Like?" Andy nudged the smaller girl beside her.

"Frankie." Chloe mumbled as she curled up on the couch, hugging the pillow in her arms closer to her chest and muffling her words.

"Wait! I thought you two weren't speaking?" Traci took control of the interrogation.

The redhead sighed, "We're not. I just helped her up to bed when she was super wasted."

"And didn't come back down for most of the night?"

"I might've fallen asleep while I was up there."

"Right, sleep, is that what we're calling it these days?" Traci teased and blocked the pillow that Chloe flung at her in retaliation.

"Wait, are you and Frankie like a thing?" Andy asked, confusion written all over her face.

"God, you're oblivious, McNally. Where the hell have you been?" Gail had remained mostly quiet while the others nagged Chloe, but she couldn't resist the urge to mock Andy.

Andy made a face and turned the tables on the blonde, "Well, what about you Gail? You seeing anyone?"

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you, McNally, I'm just not interested in you."

Andy ignored the comment, as the other two girls laughed. "You should really get back out there. It's been a while since you were in a relationship."

"Yeah, well, you don't have to worry about people stealing your significant other when you're not in a relationship." Gail's tone more biting than before causing Andy to visibly gulp.

Traci patted Gail's leg soothingly. "It's really not that bad, Gail. Especially not with the right person."

Gail was still glaring at Andy as Traci spoke but when she turned her gaze to the girl beside her, she noticed the knowing look. Gail hadn't officially told anyone in the group that she was seeing Holly (except Frankie who didn't count). When they asked anything about her, she would ignore the questions. But like Chloe, Traci just assumed that Gail was with Holly or seeing Holly until proven otherwise. So Traci's comment seemed to implicate Holly.

Or maybe Gail was projecting because when Traci said "the right person" her mind immediately jumped to the med student; the girl with the crooked smile and the warm eyes, whose touch was both comforting and exhilarating; the woman who had not only caught her attention but kept it; the person who had looked for her when she needed to be found; the one who kept accepting all the damaged and broken pieces she showed her.

Andy's optimistic voice broke Gail from her thoughts. "Yeah, you could try meeting more people. You might find someone worth the trouble."

"I don't really like people so..." Gail waved her hands around as if to wipe away the idea all together. She decided she was done with the conversation. "That reminds me that I have about a million better things I can be doing than having my ears bleed from this girl talk."

"You're so dramatic." Traci chastised as her lap was freed from pale legs when Gail stood up.

"Still going to bed." The blonde declared as she stretched sore muscles.

"We all should," Traci suggested and the other girls murmured in agreement as they also got up to stretch and tidy up the living room before heading to bed.

"Diaz is driving tomorrow, right?" Gail asked as they reached the landing on the second floor.

"Yep." Both Traci and Chloe confirmed before the girls bid each other goodnight. Gail's was less verbal and more a wave over her shoulder. She went into her room and changed before slipping into bed.

"Why don't you just tell them you're seeing Holly?" Chloe asked as she snapped off the light before climbing into her own bed.

"Why don't you just tell them you're having sex with Frankie?" Gail countered.

"I'm not" Chloe immediately protested before adding a quieter "anymore."

"But you didn't tell anyone, even when you were."

"It was different." As far as Chloe could tell her roommate didn't have the same issues she did. She had someone who wanted to be with her, who was willing to let it show in front of others. She had someone who wanted to start something more. All Chloe had was a senior with one foot constantly out the door, who kept everything secretive, and who had an awful reputation when it came to relationships. She briefly wondered if Holly felt the same way she did most of the time.

Gail scoffed, "No it wasn't. You didn't want people in your business so you didn't let them know."

Chloe didn't appreciate the way her roommate made it sound like she had been the one hiding things. Because she didn't do things like that. No, Chloe was supposed to be an open book that always told people more than she should. Okay, so maybe she wasn't running around telling people about her and Frankie, but that was to protect the senior's privacy and not because she was ashamed or anything. And maybe when people directly asked her about Frankie, she would downplay what they had, but really what was she supposed to say?

"It was complicated." But Chloe didn't sound as sure anymore.

"It was simple."

"No."

"Yes. You wanted to have your fun with Anderson without having people talk shit about you."

"That's not true!" Chloe hoped that wasn't true.

"Sure." Gail's tone was saturated with disbelief.

"It's not!" She hadn't been just using Frankie, had she? But if Gail was saying it, then was that how it came across? The blonde could be cruel, but she was painfully honest.

Gail yawned, bored of the conversation and exhausted from the day, and turned over in her bed, "Whatever, Princess. Go to sleep."

But Chloe wasn't ready to let it go, so she ignored her and volleyed the conversation back into Gail's field. "So you're worried about people talking shit about you and Holly?"

"I'm sleeping." Gail claimed in hopes of ending the assault on her ears.

Chloe continued on as if the blonde hadn't said a word. "Because they aren't going to. Everyone loves Holly."

Of course everyone loved Holly. What wasn't there to love? She was gorgeous, intelligent, sassy, but she was still incredibly modest. Most importantly, Gail found her actually interesting unlike the majority of people she met. Holly was a fucking catch, yet she wasted her time with a mess like Gail. Her insecurities started to rise again, "You really never know when to shut up."

"Are you in a hurry to get to sleep so you can dream about Holly?" Now, Chloe really was just trying to get under her roommate's skin.

"Don't make me shoot you." A pale hand started to reach for the toy gun that rested beside her bed for moments like this.

The redhead chuckled, but gave in when she saw the movement. "Goodnight, Grumpy."

Gail basically growled in response as she turned over to face away from her roommate. There were too many thoughts swirling in her head from the conversations that day. Too many what ifs and how comes and maybes. She tried to shut off her brain in favor of some much needed sleep. But she couldn't. There was an overwhelming amount of words and ideas and...blech...feelings.

That night as Gail tossed and turned, she could hear her roommate doing the same. Chloe was normally a heavy sleeper and she rarely had trouble falling asleep once her head hit the pillow. Gail was almost tempted to ask what was keeping her up but she didn't want to embark in another conversation. Not when the other one already had her mind whirling.

It was a restless night for both girls.

---

"Where the hell is he?" Gail growled as she ended the unanswered call on her phone after it reached Chris's voicemail again. It was morning, she was tired and cold, and she was stuck outside the guys' house with Traci and Chloe trying to get a hold of the person who was supposed to be their ride.

"I have no idea. He knew that he was supposed to drive us today." Traci pulled off one of her gloves so she could try calling him next. Their texts weren't being answered either.

"Yeah, I even reminded him yesterday," Chloe added as she did a little dance in place to fight the cold air. She yawned widely into her gloves.

"So what the fuck is going on with him?" The blonde wondered aloud. Chris had always been the most reliable one in the group. He would never just leave the girls stranded like this; plenty of the other guys would, but not the tall boy who was more puppy than man.

"I don't know but that's the fifth call that's gone unanswered." Traci said as she left another voicemail. "Maybe he doesn't have his phone on him. He probably went over to some girl's house and forgot to pick us up today."

"But it's Chris. He doesn't forget his promises," Chloe argued.

"Well wherever he is, he's not here, and we still have to get to campus." Gail pointed out as she checked the time and realized that if they didn't find a ride soon they would be late for class. "Where's your car, Nash?"

"I lent it to Andy. She had a super early practice today and didn't want to bum a ride from her teammates."

"Great."

"Well, she asked last week and Chris said he'd drive me."

She turned her attention to her roommate, "Price?"

"Mine's still in the garage. I haven't been able to move it for weeks." Frankie had promised to fix it, but as far as Chloe knew she hadn't even gotten the part yet and she wasn't about to remind her.

"Ok, what about the boys?" Gail asked, going down the line of options.

"Dov stayed at Sue's last night and Nick and Duncan already left," Chloe explained.

"The seniors?"

"Sam and Jerry went to the gym before class," Traci answered.

Their prospects were not looking good, but Gail really didn't want to have to walk to campus in the cold and they didn't exactly have the time for it either. "Fuck, okay, what about the girls?"

Traci looked back at their own driveway. "Frankie's car is still here. She could probably drive us."

"No." Chloe quickly protested against getting Frankie involved.

"Chloe, we're going to be late if we don't ask," Traci calmly explained.

"Can't we just borrow one of the guys' cars?" Chloe looked back and forth between the two girls. "What about Jerry's? I'm sure he'd be okay with Traci driving it."

Gail rolled her eyes, "Only Chris leaves his keys lying around, everyone else hides theirs." Otherwise, she would probably be willing to commit grand theft auto if it meant not being stuck in the cold.

"Yeah, and Jerry might love me, but he doesn't love me that much." Traci may have had most of Jerry's affection but that car was still worth more than their relationship.

"I'm calling Chris again," Chloe muttered as she tapped the icon on her phone, silently praying that this time he picked up.

But Gail was growing impatient, "Look Princess, you can come with us or walk, but I'm catching Anderson before she leaves too."

Speak of the devil, they glanced across the lawn and caught sight of Frankie and Juliet bickering on the way to Frankie's car.

"Why do you always have to take so long getting ready?" Juliet complained, walking ahead of her friend after locking up behind them. It was the same argument they had been having for four years now.

"Because it bothers you," Frankie replied easily as she took a sip from the thermos in her hand, twirling her keys in the other.

"God it's cold out here."

"It's a tit bit nipply." Frankie joked, causing Juliet to laugh on their way to the car.

"Hey Frankie, can we catch a ride with you? Chris bailed on us." Traci called out, grabbing the older girl's attention as the small group made their way over.

"If you must," the driver sighed as she unlocked her car. She looked over to where Traci had been and she saw that Chloe was part of the group. It made her stop in her tracks even with the driver's side door open.

"Backseat kiddos," Juliet informed them before Gail could call shotgun when the younger girls walked over.

She headed to her spot in the front, while Traci and Gail clambered into the back quickly, arguing about who would have to sit in the middle.

Chloe remained outside of the car, her eyes fixed on Frankie who stared back intently but didn't say a word. She shifted awkwardly before deciding that the tension wasn't worth it. "I'll walk," she stubbornly announced and turned in the direction of campus.

Frankie was hurt that the freshman would rather walk than accept a ride from her, even with the others around. She glanced across the hood of her car to Juliet, who had been watching the entire scene. Juliet jerked her head in the direction of the retreating freshman. "Do something," she mouthed to the other senior before climbing into the car herself.

"Hey!" Frankie called out and Chloe stopped but didn't turn around. Frankie glanced back at the car and could see the other girls watching her, as she walked over anyway. "You're going to freeze to death walking there. C'mon just get in the car"

"No." Chloe crossed her arms defiantly. "I'd rather be alone."

Frankie sighed and brushed her hair back, "Fine, but you don't have to walk. Your car's working. It's still in the garage, but you can pull it out when I move mine."

"Oh." Chloe felt some of her fight slip away, "Why didn't you tell me you fixed it?"

Frankie shrugged, but didn't break eye contact with the younger girl. They both knew that they had been avoiding each other with the exception of Saturday night when Frankie had been way too intoxicated to restrain herself. It's kind of hard to tell someone something when they won't even acknowledge your existence. But Frankie couldn't-or rather wouldn't-be the one to say those words aloud.

"Right, well, thanks." Chloe awkwardly shuffled in place, shifting her weight back-and-forth between her feet as she struggled with not saying anything more.

Frankie nodded before silently heading back to her own car. She turned back to give Chloe one more look that the redhead couldn't decipher before the girls in the car were shouting for Frankie to get in and drive them.

"Yeah, yeah." The senior muttered as she started up the engine. She waited and watched Chloe walk over to the garage to retrieve her own car.

"Come on, we're going to be late," Traci urged from the backseat.

Juliet groaned. She looked over to the driver pleadingly, "Frankie, she's not serious. We have plenty of time."

"No, Jules, you heard Nash. We don't want to be late." Frankie chuckled before peeling her car out of the driveway.

"You just had to say it." Juliet grumbled as she grabbed a hold of the 'oh-shit'-handles near her and braced herself. The two girls in the back exchanged a look as the momentum of the car threw them back.

But they made it to campus in record time.

(And only one of the girls couldn't hold onto her breakfast.)

---

By the time classes ended and it was time to head to the clinic Gail was in a mood. After barely sleeping for a second night in a row, being stood up by Chris, almost killed by Frankie, and sitting through an entire day of classes for a major she didn't want that were meant to prepare her for a career she didn't pick she was a whirlwind of frustration. In fact, the entire world felt like a hurricane swirling around her and she was only one wrong step from getting blown to bits.

But then there was the familiar car parked in front of her. She could see the driver waiting patiently behind the wheel and suddenly things felt calmer. Holly. She was the calm of the storm and seeing the brunette was enough to make things settle inside of Gail. Her stomping ended as her steps became lighter the closer she got to the vehicle. And when she was greeted by a wide smile, she couldn't help smiling back.

Until she felt something poking into her back.

"Why is there a lunchbox on my seat?" Gail asked as she picked up the red bag from the passenger seat.

Holly amusedly looked over and retrieved the item, "It's not a lunchbox. It's a forensic kit."

Gail snatched the bag back to examine it further. "No, this is definitely a lunchbox," she decided. It was shaped like a lunchbox, it was made of the same material as a lunchbox, it was large enough to hold food, therefore it was a lunchbox.

"No, it's definitely not." Holly could barely restrain the laugh from escaping in her voice as she took the item in question and placed it behind Gail's seat so the blonde couldn't keep playing with it.

"It's okay Nerd, I expected you to have one of the metal ones with Wonder Woman on it." Gail teased as she settled into the seat more comfortably, stowing her own bag away, and putting on her seatbelt.

"The fact that you name drop Wonder Woman like that really doesn't help your argument that I'm the nerd." As Gail opened her mouth to argue, Holly quickly interjected, "I know, I know Superheroes are cool."

"So where is your Wonder Woman lunchbox?"

"Probably at my parents' house." Holly replied somewhat seriously, she had definitely had a Wonder Woman lunchbox, but where it was now was anyone's guess.

"I knew it! Is that why you're stuck lugging this boring one around?"

"It's a forensic kit. It doesn't contain any food."

"Do you want to grab dinner after we're done?" Gail swiftly segued the conversation.

The brunette agreed readily, "Absolutely."

"Alright, we'll make sure we order enough that you can have some for your lunchbox tomorrow."

Holly shook her head, laughing as she drove the two of them to the clinic. They continued to argue about the bag the entire trip and nothing Holly said could convince Gail that the bag was actually a forensic kit. Even after an itemized description of the entire contents.

Once they were at the clinic they were split for the majority of the shift, as the two girls found themselves working on different patients. Much to Holly's annoyance, she was forced to work with Dr. Santana. It had put a considerable damper on her mood but when she finished with her last patient of the day and stepped out to find the gorgeous blonde waiting for her by the exit, she couldn't help but smile.

Gail was casually leaning against the wall besides the door of the clinic. She had finished with her patients fifteen minutes ago and Eva had sent her away for being a distraction to the nurse when she was impatiently waiting next to the nurses' station. She looked up from the game she was playing on her phone, to find a smiling Holly and she couldn't help returning it. "Ready to go, Lunchbox?"

"Lunchbox, really?"

"Yep."

"I hate you." Holly claimed as she passed the blonde and headed out the door towards her car.

"No you don't." Gail replied confidently as she followed Holly out, continuing the banter.

"Yes I do." Holly reached the driver's side door, but wasn't able to open it as a pale hand reached around her to close it.

Gail boxed Holly in when she turned to face her, pressing the brunette's back into her car door. "You like me."

"I really don't," Holly stubbornly replied, folding her arms across her chest for added emphasis but there was a playful glint in her eyes.

The blonde leaned in closer, their bodies not quite touching but close enough to feel the heat of one another despite the frigid air. She dropped her voice seductively lower. "I think you do. In fact, I think you want to kiss me."

Holly bit her own lip as her eyes dropped to Gail's. It was true, she did want to kiss the other girl, but she also didn't want the blonde to think she had won. "Well, I don't anymore."

But Gail saw the look and knew she had the med student right where she wanted her. She closed the gap between them, pressing her body fully against Holly's but not letting their lips touch. "No?"

Holly gulped, her mouth suddenly dry, but she stood her ground, "Nope."

Gail gently brushed her lips along the brunette's jaw line until she ghosted them along Holly's lips, "You suuuure?" Drawing out the last word in her teasing tone.

"Ye-ah." Holly's voice cracked on the single syllable.

Gail pulled back without a proper kiss. She rested her hands on Holly's hips and smirked, "That's a shame, because I was going to treat you to dinner tonight, but I guess now you're on your own since you don't like me."

"Oh yeah, and where exactly are you going to go? I'm your ride." Holly reminded the other girl. Her heart was thudding in her chest from the close proximity but she was glad that she was able to form coherent words. She was even more pleased by the adorable pout her words had garnered. She chuckled lightly, "I meant, oh no! Please don't leave me all alone for dinner." Holly's voice was overly dramatic, but it did its job.

"I'm sorry, Lunchbox, you should've thought of that before." Gail went to pull away completely but Holly caught her by her jacket and pulled her closer.

"Let me make it up to you," Holly husked against Gail's lips.

"I don't know that you can." Gail whispered back, her eyes closing of their own accord in anticipation.

"Challenge accepted." Holly dipped her head to catch Gail's lips when a car horn blared on the main street breaking their little bubble when both girls jumped. A glance around reminded them that they were outside a children's health clinic.

"To be continued," Gail declared but couldn't resist leaning forward for a quick, chaste kiss before heading to the passenger side of the car.

Holly took a minute to lean against the door to get her heart rate back under control. It was working until her own car horn sounded, startling her again. She could hear Gail's muffled cackle, "Come on, Nerd, food's awaiting."

The med student shook her head and climbed into the driver's seat to take them wherever the blonde wanted to eat. After a little debate they ended up grabbing tacos before heading back to Holly's to "study".

"You're supposed to be doing your work." Holly chastised the blonde sitting on her bed. The med student was at her desk while Gail had sprawled out across her mattress with textbooks she was ignoring. They had already been working for a couple of hours but Holly had sensed the blonde staring at her for at least twenty minutes.

"I can't. I'm distracted."

"By what?"

"By you?"

Holly lifted her glasses from the bridge of her nose to the top of her head, pushing her hair back as she peered over at the other girl. "I'm not doing anything."

"Uh-huh, you're seducing me."

"How could I possibly be seducing you?" When they had gotten back to Holly's apartment, the med student had quickly changed out of her business attire and into a pair of well-worn sweats and a t-shirt to study in. So the brunette didn't believe for a second that she had done anything to warrant the other girl's attention.

"Are you kidding me? A tight, little t-shirt, sweats that barely cling to your hips, the way you keep brushing your hair back and biting your lip. You're like a porno over there." Gail was only partially teasing. Holly really did look gorgeous, but she knew the brunette wasn't doing any of it on-purpose. Still, it was all true. The shirt clung tightly to Holly's chest, highlighting the curve of her breasts, there was a sliver of skin between the end of the shirt and the top of her pants whenever she moved that had been teasing Gail all night, her hair was mussed from the constant run of her hands through it and her lip was pinker from the gnawing. But what was making it so fucking attractive was that Holly was just naturally that much of a turn-on.

Holly had been concentrating on her studies, not trying to seduce Gail. So she didn't really believe the blonde. None of her ex-girlfriends had ever been interested in Holly when she was focused on her work. In fact, they had often told her that she needed to be less serious, less stuffy. And they certainly didn't look at her the way Gail was now. Undeniably stunning Gail, who knew how good she looked and how to use her looks to her advantage but who was acting like Holly was the one being a temptress. There was little more that she could do than make a sound of incredulity.

"You were right." Gail shifted to a tangent.

"I usually am." Holly replied confidently, she was getting used to the sharp turns in conversation. "But what about this time?"

The blonde sashayed over to the chair Holly was sitting on. She lowered her glasses from the top of her head to their rightful place on her nose, before gently cupping Holly's face with both hands. "The nerdy girl doesn't need a make-over."

Holly's heart started rattling her ribs at the way Gail was looking at her and at her words. There was a mix of desire and adoration in the blue eyes that seemed to be trying to pierce her soul and, damn, were they succeeding. How could this stunning creature want her nearly as much as she wanted the blonde?

Gail started to lean in, her eyes focused intently on Holly's plump lips. "Can I kiss you?"

The words were barely uttered before Holly was pushing up towards Gail and connecting their lips. The kiss started out soft and gentle, even if a little eager; their lips moving together effortlessly in a slow dance. But soon Gail's hands were sliding back into Holly's thick mane of midnight waves, tangling there and shifting the angle of their faces as her tongue was granted entrance in Holly's mouth eliciting a muffled moan from the still seated brunette. Holly's hands moved from the safe space on Gail's sides down to her hips to pull the petite body closer to her, not satisfied even after Gail had climbed onto her lap, and was straddling her in the chair. Her hands slid back up, this time under the other girl's shirt to feel the smooth expanse of Gail's back as she continued to pull her closer, erasing every millimeter of space between them.

Gail tried to hold back, to just focus on the kissing, but she could feel Holly's hands tracing along her body. At first it was a safe path up her sides, but then down to her hips to pull her closer, before going up her back then back down her sides. They moved around to the front, up along her stomach, over her ribs, and hovered just along the bottom edge of her bra. They were teasing movements but they were making it even harder to breathe than the kisses. Then they were cupping her over her bra, and when a thumb brushed over her nipple her breath stuttered and her hips started to grind down of their own accord. It was her own loud moan that finally snapped her out of the moment.

"Fuck, Holly...wait...wait just a second," Gail gasped.

Holly immediately pulled back, pupils blown wide, and hair a mess from where pale hands had tousled it. Concern immediately flooded the features where previously desire had been. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, but I thought we were supposed to take things slow. This doesn't feel very slow." Gail was still trying to catch her breath and she could see through the clinging t-shirt the way Holly was doing the same. It took her longer than was appropriate to bring her gaze back up to meet Holly's eyes.

Holly's lips pulled up into a crooked grin that made Gail want to melt right on the spot. Her eyes were playful but hooded. Her hands started to trace lightly along her skin in an agonizingly slow pattern. When she spoke, her voice was huskier than before, "We can go slowly."

Gail had to break eye contact or she would lose all of her resolve. Her head dropped to Holly's shoulder as she let out an almost painful groan. This much self-control was killing her. "I don't think that's what you meant originally."

"It's what I mean now." Holly stopped what she was doing to force Gail's chin up so she could look at her seriously, "Do you want to stop?"

"No, not really. But..."

"I don't want to either." She assured the blonde before moving her lips to just below her ear, she pressed a gentle kiss there. Then she moved her lips slowly down the column of Gail's neck, her kisses getting harder the lower they went, and when she finally reached the base her teeth took hold of pale skin earning a low hiss followed by an appreciative moan when her tongue set out to sooth the agitated mark. Her hands, which had settled on the blonde's hips, began to play with the bottom of the girl's shirt but waited for the okay to remove it.

This time when Gail pulled back it was to pull off her own shirt with Holly's help. She felt more than a little smug at the way Holly's eyes traced over her torso hungrily before they came together again in an even more heated kiss. They were supposed to be going slow so it only made sense that Gail's hips started another slow grind that synced with the movement of their mouths.

Holly couldn't take it, she knew she had started the suggestion of taking things slow but she wanted more. She grabbed a firm hold of the upper part of Gail's thighs before attempting to stand up. It wasn't nearly as graceful as she had hoped, especially not when Gail reconnected them in a kiss that made her go weak in the knees. She was barely able to stumble to her bed to deposit the blonde vixen that was wrapped tightly around her body.

Dropping to the bed finally broke the two girls apart for a moment but it lasted too long for either of their liking and both moved quickly to close the gap between them, resulting in a crack of their foreheads into one another. Both girls fell backwards holding their respective heads, slightly dazed both from the injury and the previous lack of oxygen. They looked at one another and broke into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

"Ouch, Nerd, you have a hard head." Gail teased, rubbing the spot where her skull had made contact with Holly's.

Holly's actions mirrored the blonde's. "Look who's talking. I guess that's what we get for speeding up."

"Hmmm...you're right. Probably should slow down a bit." Gail sat up near the head of the bed. She reached behind her and undid the clasp of her bra before slowly removing each strap from her shoulders. It was at an excruciating pace that she finally tossed the garment to the floor.

Any laughter died on Holly's lips as she took in the sight of perky, pale breasts. Her mouth was suddenly dry again, she licked her lips and tried to speak, hoping to say something witty but words were failing her. She lunged forward, wanting nothing more than to reconnect her mouth to Gail's but a hand held her back.

"Uh, uh. You get to see nips. I get to see nips."

"Fair's fair." Holly removed both her shirt and bra in one fluid motion that was much faster than Gail's teasing moves. She forgot all about going slow as she moved forward to connect their lips in a bruising kiss that pushed Gail back down into the mattress. Holly enjoyed being able to take control and settled on top of the blonde. Her thigh came up between Gail's legs connecting with her core and earning another delightful moan. She'd be lying if she said that the move was accidental.

Gail tried to restrain herself but grinding away at the firm muscle between her legs was really all she could think about. She was building up some delicious friction, every move intentional between the two. She could feel Holly's hand moving its way to the button on her pants. It all felt really fucking good. So good that they didn't hear the footsteps padding down the hallway or the bedroom door opening until it was too late.

"Oh, for Christ's sake." Lisa complained loudly as she intruded on her roommate and the half-naked blonde on her bed.

It put the kibosh on the amorous mood in the room quickly. Holly pulled away to grab the clothes that had been tossed on the ground.

Gail unabashedly sat up and glared at the brunette in the doorway, unashamed of her topless state. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"I thought you were just studying," Lisa directed the rebuke at Holly who had managed to get her shirt back on and stood between the two girls.

"Study break, which isn't over yet. So if you'll excuse us." Holly moved forward, ready to physically throw the other med student out of her room, if need be.

"Seriously? You said you were spending the night studying. That you needed to focus, which is why you couldn't study with the rest of us. But clearly there are distractions you find more important than becoming a doctor." Lisa turned her glare to the young blonde occupying her friend's bed.

Holly's own glare intensified and her lips flattened into a grim line, a telltale sign of her anger.

Realizing that her presence was only going to make things worse for Holly, Gail spoke up. "I should go." She moved to the edge of the mattress and looked around the room in search of her discarded clothing.

Holly glanced back at Gail with pleading eyes, her voice warm and inviting, "You should stay." She turned back to the brunette, her gaze and voice both hardening "Lisa should go."

"I live here." Lisa stubbornly stood her ground.

"Not in this room, you don't. Go away." Holly rarely lost her temper but her annoyance was evident. Lisa huffed before finally exiting the room, purposefully leaving the door open on her way out.

Holly walked over to close it and when she turned around she was disappointed to find that Gail had managed to locate her clothes.

"You really need to learn how to lock the door." Gail informed the brunette, she managed to get her bra back on.

"I wasn't expecting to put on a show for my roommates. I'm sorry about that." But Holly was even more sorry that all her hard work was being undone as Gail started putting layers back on. If it wasn't for the fact that she didn't want to be thinking about Lisa, she would be figuring out various ways to dismember her for the cliterference.

Gail pulled her shirt over her head. "It's fine. I really should go, it's getting late."

Reality had set in again and not only was Gail aware that she was being a distraction, she had instigated things between them and ruined their agreement of taking things slowly this time. It wasn't that Gail didn't trust Holly, she just didn't trust herself and wanted to make sure she didn't get in over her head this time and panic. She didn't think the brunette would stick around for another verbal beating if Gail freaked herself out.

"You're more than welcomed to stay." Holly assured the blonde, disappointment settling low in her body.

Gail pulled on her leather jacket and stepped into her boots. "It's okay, slow remember?"

"At least let me drive you home." Holly didn't really want their time to end and she definitely didn't want to deal with her roommates whom she was sure would be in the living room gossiping about them.

"Nah, I think the cold will do me some good." Or at least the parts of her that she was trying to ignore in order to leave and not pick up where they left off in the bed. "But you can walk me out." She suggested.

Holly agreed and grabbed a sweatshirt to throw over her top, having forgone her own bra in her quick attempt to redress under Lisa's watchful eye. The two girls walked quickly past the two med students who were indeed in the other room and were staring at them as they passed. When they were downstairs they hovered in the lobby of the building, not ready to say good-bye or actually step out into the winter weather.

The brunette reached forward and played with Gail's leather jacket. It was a bit of a habit of hers but it was undeniable how sexy the blonde looked in it. "What are you up to tomorrow? Want to come over to study before your shift?"

Gail shook her head, "Can't. I have to work on a project for one of my language classes with a partner."

Holly tried to ignore the disappointment in order to keep things light, "Are you going to play nice?"

"I always play nice."

"Mmhmm."

"You wound me, Lunchbox." Gail dramatically clutched at her heart.

Holly groaned at the nickname. "How long is that going to last?"

"Til I think of a better one, but I don't know, it's a pretty good name."

"It's certainly creative." Holly pulled Gail closer, "Can I see you this weekend?"

"Sammy's birthday party is Friday so Nash and I have to work doubles and close the rest of the weekend to get the night off. Plus work the early shift that day."

"Charlie is an asshole."

"Tell me about it." Gail readily agreed. Her boss wasn't that bad but he was putting quite the hindrance on her dating life at the moment. "What are you doing Friday?"

"Hanging out with Rachel and Lisa. Girl's night." She kind of hoped Gail would ask her to blow them off and join her instead the same way Frankie had the night before.

"Oh." Gail wanted to ask her to dump her friends and come out with her and her gang of losers instead but if the display before was any indication it would not go over well for Holly's living situation. Plus, it would mean having to share Holly with the others and Gail wasn't sure it was something she was willing to do yet. "Maybe we can do breakfast one of the days before you go to the lab."

"Sounds good."

"I should go."

"Text me when you get home."

"Of course." Gail slipped out the front door but couldn't leave without pulling Holly in for a lingering kiss. "Good night, Nerd."

Holly was still slightly dazed from the liplock, but managed to get out, "Sweet dreams, Danger."

"I don't know how sweet they'll be or how dry." Gail called out as she made her way down the steps.

"You're a tease." Holly replied, but damn if the words didn't have the same effect as the kiss had had.

"You like it." Gail carried Holly's laugh with her the entire walk home.

The cold air wasn't really a match to the fire that was burning in her body from the intense "study" session they had had. When Gail finally made it home, she was relieved to find that her room was sans roommate. She sent her dutiful text to Holly before stripping and climbing into bed. She meant to go to sleep, really she did, but her body felt like a taut bow of pent up arousal, making it impossible. When she closed her eyes, she was bombarded with images from the night, making it only a matter of time before her hand started to scratch gently along the skin of her abdomen, wishing it was Holly's lips taking up the trail. And when her hand dipped lower in order to finish what Holly had started she imagined that it was Holly's fingers building her up. There was nothing slow about it and it didn't take long before Holly's name was tumbling from her lips as her orgasm crashed into her.

It wasn't nearly as satisfying as the night could have been, but it did provide enough relief that Gail was able to get some sleep. She still had a long week ahead of her.

---

"Jesus Christ! Don't shoot me, Earp!" Gail shouted as she ducked out of range of the shotgun that had been pointed at her head by her classmate.

Waverly Earp was a petite brunette with long, curly, light brown locks and was always dressed in clothes that failed to cover her midriff, even in the middle of winter. And despite the innocuous appearance, she apparently had an affinity for large guns.

"Oh, sorry Gail." Waverly apologized and lowered the weapon. "Didn't realize it was you. You really shouldn't be skulking around in all black."

"I wasn't skulking. I knocked on your damn door."

"You were totally skulking. You're a skulker."

"That's not even a word." Gail contended and the brunette shrugged, ending the argument. "Why in the hell are you answering the door with a gun? I thought you were all about smiles and waves."

"Usually I am. Haven't you heard about all the break-ins?"

"No."

"Yeah someone broke into a bunch of the houses around here lately. They haven't caught the person yet."

Waverly was Gail's partner in their Ancient Language class. She was a Sophomore, double majoring in Languages and History, a sister of Beta Beta Delta, and she worked as a server in the bar called Shorty's Saloon on the other side of town. It had an old-time Western feel to it, which Gail thought was pretty gimmicky but Waverly assured her it brought in good tips. The girl was friendly and personable similar to Chloe in a lot of ways but she also had a backbone, which Gail had quickly learned after making a crack about the Greeks buying their friends. It had earned the blonde's respect and they had been partnering up for class ever since. But the last thing she had expected was to face the barrel of a sawed off shotgun when she had arrived at the girl's house.

"Do you even have a license for that thing?"

"Yes, Officer, I do. Trust me, in Purgatory we learn to shoot guns before we learn to drive. I know how to handle it." Waverly replied confidently before she left to return her weapon to its locked case.

After the girl put her gun away, the two got to work on their assignment for class. While Gail hated group work with a passion, these assignments had to be done with a partner and Waverly had easily shown herself to be extremely smart and capable. Plus, she wasn't nearly as annoying as the rest of the sorority girls Gail had encountered. The two worked well together, though it may have had something to do with the fact that Gail apparently reminded Waverly of one of her older sisters. She still hadn't gotten an answer on whether or not that was a good thing, but the brunette continued to pair up with her on assignments so it couldn't be that bad.

A couple of hours later Gail's alarm went off, reminding her that she had to get to work.

"Next time you're coming over to my place before I get my head blown off."

"Ooo next time, it's almost like you enjoy spending time with me, Peck."

"Don't let it go to your head, Earp."

"Ego sum totaliter stupet balls." The brunette beamed a smile at her ornery partner. It was Latin for 'I'm totally amaze-balls'.

Gail rolled her eyes. "Well now you're just showing off." The blonde finished gathering her things and the other girl walked her out. "Hey, you working Friday night?"

"Of course. Why?"

"Birthday bar crawl for one of the boys."

"Oh my god, does the lone wolf actually have a pack?" Waverly teased, a bright smile adorning her lips.

"You're not nearly as cute as you think you are, Earp." Waverly just smiled wider, which only caused Gail to scowl deeper but she continued her previous train of thought anyway. "I wanna know that I have an in with one of the bartenders."

"The drinks at Shorty's are even cheaper than the ones at the Penny."

"Exactly, which means I don't want to have to wait in line."

"Are you going to do the same for me the next time we have a mixer at the Penny?" Waverly haggled.

"You, maybe, but the rest of the Greeks can suck it."

"They're not that bad."

"They're not that good either."

"Yeah, yeah, come on, I'll drop you off before my shift." Waverly offered and led the two of them out to her red Jeep.

The two girls continued arguing about the merits of the sorority during the car ride...in Greek.

---

By the time Thirsty Thursday came that week Gail was indescribably exhausted. She had just gotten back from classes, and after making a pitstop in the kitchen to grab a snack, she was on her way upstairs so she could collapse in her bed for a little while before work.

Unfortunately for her she bumped into McNally and her inherent awkwardness on her way to the stairs.

"Hey, Gail!" Andy sunnily greeted the blonde.

"McNally." Gail mumbled as she tried to move past the other girl on her way up but her path was blocked by her nemeses: optimism and cheer.

"You're coming tomorrow to Sammy's birthday crawl, right?"

"Unfortunately."

"Aw, perk up there are going to be a lot of people there. Maybe you'll meet someone that will make it worth your while." Andy wiggled her eyebrows for added emphasis.

Gail narrowed her eyes as she measured the way too earnest Girl Guide face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Andy squirmed under the intensity of the glare, "Oh, nothing, nothing, just that there are going to be a lot of people, not like the usual gang, you know?"

"And why would I care?" Gail's indifference towards humanity was well known and entirely warranted.

"Well, my friend Nicole is coming."

"So..." Gail still had no idea why Andy was bothering her with talking about people she could care less about when all she wanted to do was lay down and close her eyes for a few minutes before having to go to work, where she would have to deal with more people talking to her about irrelevant things.

But Andy pressed on, "So do you know her?"

"Why would I know her?" Gail didn't even attempt to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"Well she's in our major and has classes with Nick and the others, plus she's on my team. So a lot of people know her. Plus, she's...you know?"

"She's what?"

"Gay."

"So therefore I should know her?"

"Well, no, but I thought you might like to get to know her." Andy wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, trying to drop the hint heavy-handedly.

Suddenly all the pieces fell into place and Gail really didn't like the picture they painted. "Are you trying to set me up, McNally?"

"I'm just introducing to a friend of mine, who happens to like the ladies too." But Andy couldn't hide the excited grin that indicated that was exactly what she was doing. She was still working on her friendship with Gail and thought that playing matchmaker would help.

She was wrong.

Gail's icy demeanor reached an all-new level of arctic, "I'm not looking to be introduced to anyone."

"Why not? I thought you were single." Andy was honestly confused at the brushoff.

"Yeah, well I don't really like people." Unless that person was Holly. Gail liked Holly.

"Come on, she's really attractive."

Blue eyes rolled at the comment. Of course, that was the only requirement for hooking up with someone. Hell, it used to be for Gail, but lately it seemed her standards had changed, though Andy's clearly hadn't. "So you date her."

"Still straight." Andy said, pointing to herself for unnecessary clarity.

"Your loss." Gail finally pushed past the brunette and headed up the stairs. She could hear Andy say something else but she ignored it as she opened the door to her own room.

Expecting to find some solace, Gail was both surprised and annoyed to find Chloe pacing their floor with a phone pressed to her ear.

"No, Mom, it's fine. Don't worry about it." Chloe glanced up at her roommate and offered a bright smile but was only greeted with a grimace as Gail dropped her bag next to her bed and laid down. "Really, don't do anything. No, you really don't need to talk to him. It'll be fine. It always is. Yes, I know you have the right to worry."

Gail closed her eyes, hoping to just block out Chloe's conversation, but the redhead's mother was just as loud and fast-paced on the other line of the phone. She could barely handle one Price on a daily basis let alone two, especially because talking on the phone always got Chloe pacing and with the way the other freshman was moving she would wear a hole in the carpet. Giving up on the idea of her own room being a sanctuary, Gail dragged her tired ass out of her bed and climbed the second flight of stairs. She let out a sigh of relief when Frankie's room was empty and wasted no time making herself at home.

She had only about fifteen minutes of blissful quiet.

"Ah Goldilocks has returned." Frankie greeted as she found her visitor after class. "So what are you doing in my bed?"

"It's just right." Gail quipped without opening her eyes. "And the Princess is on the phone being annoying, so is the Girl Guide." She only had an hour between classes and work that night and she just wanted some peace and quiet after learning about the stupidity of criminals that morning and listening to people butcher French for nearly two hours that afternoon, not to hear Andy talk about her friends or Chloe talk to her family.

Frankie decided not to respond to the comment about Chloe and focused only on the one about Andy. "What did McNally do now?"

"I don't know I think she's trying to set me up with a friend of hers," Gail grumbled; she still didn't shift from her position on the bed.

Frankie's usual apathy was replaced by actual concern. She adopted a frown the blonde couldn't see, "Why would she do that?"

"Because apparently being single is an affliction that needs to be cured before it becomes contagious."

"What about Holly?"

Gail opened her eyes and propped herself on her elbows to look at the senior. Mentioning the med student had finally garnered her full attention. "What about her?"

"You two are dating right?"

"We're going on dates," Gail hedged.

"And?"

"And it's none of your business, Anderson."

Normally Frankie would drop it, conceding that other people's relationships really were none of her business but not this time. She had grown even closer to the other brunette ever since Holly had come to her senses and dumped Jess for good. And she liked Gail, but not enough to let her hurt her other friend. "It is if you're just fucking around with Holly's feelings."

Gail became defensive, "Who said I'm fucking around with her feelings?"

"She likes you, Peck. Probably more than she should. Just don't lead her on, okay?"

"Like you're one to talk."

"I'm not leading anyone on. Girls know exactly where they stand with me."

"Really? So you treating Chloe the way you do is completely warranted. She knows exactly where you two stand?"

It was Frankie's turn to become defensive. "It's different."

"No, it's not."

Okay, maybe the way Frankie treated Chloe was similar to Gail's relationship to Holly but it wasn't the point. "Listen, I might be a shit person but Holly isn't."

"I know that."

"Do you really? Because you don't act like it."

"Don't try to play the hero, Anderson, you're not very good at it." Gail warned. She had a low tolerance for people telling her what to do and even lower tolerance for others' sanctimonious speeches regarding her or her relationships. She leveled the brunette with a glare that warned her to back off.

Frankie wanted to continue arguing but knew that didn't have much of a leg to stand on. She had said her peace and both Holly and Gail were consenting adults who could make their own decisions and mistakes. She gave up on the conversation and decided to just let the blonde be.

Since her bed was occupied, the senior grabbed a seat at her desk. She pulled her laptop out of her bag and tried starting it up. "Fan-fucking-tastic!" She growled when she got a grey screen of death.

Gail propped her head back up to look over at the cursing senior. "Did someone lose her porn collection?"

Frankie ignored the jab. "There's something wrong with my computer. You don't know anything about them, do you?"

"No. Go ask Dov." Gail suggested as she collapsed back down. She covered her eyes with her arm.

"No."

"Why not? He works for IT."

"He's not going to help me." Frankie continued to punch angrily at her keyboard. She added under her breath, "One too many bird jokes." It also didn't help that Frankie had seen him on the double date with Chloe. So, he was the last person she wanted help from.

"So then take it there yourself."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"Long story." Frankie heard movement across the hall. "Jules?"

Juliet walked across the hall and popped her head into the other senior's room. She found Gail stretched out across Frankie's bed and the brunette seated at her desk frowning angrily at her computer. "What's up?"

"Can you take my computer to IT?"

"Why can't you take it yourself?"

"Root works there." Root was a computer genius, part-time IT consultant, full-time hacker who Frankie dated for a couple of weeks early in her junior year during one of her break-ups with Gabi. It had been weird and intense and the girl intimidated the hell out of Frankie. For the first time in her life Frankie admitted that she couldn't keep up with the brunette, no matter how hot she was. She was more than a bit crazy. Shit, Frankie still didn't even know the girl's real name. No one on campus did. She was a bit of a ghost but wholly a legend.

Juliet rolled her eyes at her friend's immaturity. "Oh, come on Frankie. It's been over a year I'm sure she's moved on by now."

"Yeah, she's dating Sameen." Sameen had been more of a no-strings encounter a time or two for Frankie that had fizzled out on its own considering Sameen was a self-proclaimed sociopath and Frankie had the emotional depth of a puddle. Still the past was better left where it was and seeing Root would definitely unearth it.

"Oh. Yeah, you're right, you definitely can't take it there." Juliet nodded her head in agreement. "I'll do it, but you need to come to play practice from now on. No more skipping out." She held out her hand for the other brunette to shake and seal the deal.

"Ugh, fine." Frankie grumbled as she accepted the offer.

"Isn't she going to figure out it's your computer anyway. It's registered to you." Gail asked from the bed.

"Yes, but I'm hoping that if she doesn't actually see my face then she will be less likely to blow it up."

"Fair enough. Now that all the crises have been averted, can you shut the hell up?" The blonde draped her arm back over her eyes.

"This is my room," Frankie argued against the younger girl.

"I've commandeered it for the sake of society."

"How is being in my room good for society?"

"If I get to sleep, then maybe I won't kill anyone during my shift tonight."

"Let her sleep Frankie, you wouldn't want to become an accessory to murder." Juliet suggested, hoping to end the bickering.

Frankie rolled her eyes but when she glanced at the younger girl, she could see the exhaustion clearly written across her face. "Whatever."

"Come on, Frankie, let the grumpasaurus rest." Juliet nodded towards her own room in invitation.

Frankie sighed but grabbed her stuff to leave. "How does Dino manage to kick me out of my own room?"

"It's a talent." Juliet helped to relocate the books.

Gail was surprised that Frankie had actually given up her room for her but she was also too tired to think about. She had less than 30 minutes to squeeze in a power nap to help her get through the rest of the night.

---

The blonde freshman had tried to skip out on Sam's birthday bash as soon as Charlie released both her and Traci shortly after the dinner rush on Friday. She was exhausted from a long week, and if she were being completely honest she was disappointed she wouldn't see Holly that weekend. They had been texting constantly since Tuesday but it wasn't enough, she wanted to be able to see the brunette in person. Well, she really wanted to do more than just see her but she would settle for whatever Holly was willing to do. So really feigning an illness to get out of a night of drinking and drunk traveling seemed like the only reasonable solution. But Traci wasn't fooled and had stuck close to the blonde, forcing her home to get ready.

"Come on, Peck, get that moneymaker moving." Traci teased as she dragged the blonde out of her room.

"I know you love my ass, Nash, but you have a boyfriend." Traci laughed and continued to force Gail down the stairs. "Why are you bugging me anyway? Go bother McNally and Price."

"Because they are already excited about tonight, we just need to get you in the party mood." When they reached the kitchen, Traci found the house's bottle of tequila and poured out a couple of shots for them.

Gail, who had hopped on to the counter in her usual spot, started humming the Pee Wee Herman song. She had pulled out her phone and was in the process of texting Holly how annoying her friends were when she felt the device yanked from her hand.

"Give that back!"

"Tequila!" Traci forced a shot glass into the now unoccupied hand and clinked it with her own while keeping the phone out of reach.

Gail tossed the burning liquor back before demanding both another shot and her phone. Traci poured but still held on to the phone.

"Who's so important?"

"The Prime Minister. Now give!"

Traci swiped the screen to see for herself but was disappointed to find it demanding a passcode. "Seriously? Zero time before it locks?"

"National security" was Gail's flippant response. She received the phone back and took the shot with Traci, who looked ready to continue arguing when the doorbell rang.

Andy leaned over the stair railing and shouted. "Hey Gail! Can you grab that?"

"Who do I look like, Fucking Lurch? I'm not your butler, McNally." The blonde shouted back without looking up from her phone.

"I've got it!" Traci called out as she swatted her friend on the thigh for being an asshole.

Gail made a face but kept her eyes on the small screen while she waited for the three little dots to turn into words. She heard the sound of people coming in and talking to Traci but she didn't pay it much mind.

"That's Gail over there dealing with foreign affairs." Traci explained with a wave in her direction.

"What?" An unfamiliar, but decidedly female voice questioned the peculiar statement.

"Don't ask."

At the sound of the unknown voice, Gail finally looked up. She found a tall, attractive redhead next to Traci and looking in her direction. Where her roommate was more of dark auburn at the moment, this chick had more coppery-colored flaming locks that were hanging loosely around her face but was slightly obscured with a hat with a dinosaur on it. She was undeniably pretty but one glance at her outfit (dark blue and white checkered flannel over a tank, dark jeans, a pair of vans, and of course the hat) told her everything she needed to know. This was the girl Andy wanted to set her up with. Nancy or something?

"Hi Gail, I'm Nicole." The girl smoothly drawled with a bit of a small town accent as she extended a hand formally in offer of a shake.

Gail glared at the outstretched appendage as if it had personally affronted her. "Slow down there, String Bean. I'm not interested." She hopped down from the counter and started to walk away from the small kitchen and into the hallway.

The girl, Nicole, retracted her hand, letting it come to rest on her belt almost in a cop stance. "In saying hello?"

The way the girl was standing only made Gail more guarded, "In having McNally set me up with anyone."

Nicole held her hands up innocently, "Who said anything about a set-up? I was just saying hi."

When Andy had invited some of the girls from the team to join them for a bar crawl, she may have mentioned to Nicole that she lived with girls that didn't identify as straight. She also may have specifically mentioned that one of the girls was a gorgeous blonde who happened to be single. What she failed to mention was that the blonde was slightly ferocious. Then again, Nicole wasn't intimidated easily.

"Well, I don't say hi."

"And yet you just did."

Gail's eyes narrowed further, "Is that like your thing? Annoying people to get them to talk to you."

"Well, it seems to be working now, doesn't it?" Nicole offered Gail a wide grin that put the dimple on the left side of her face on full display. It was a charming smile, but it didn't have nearly the same effect on Gail as Holly's crooked one.

She was saved from further interaction by the rest of the girls joining them.

"Hey Dimples. Who invited you?" Frankie called from the stairs when she spotted Nicole talking to Gail.

"Always a pleasure, Anderson" Nicole politely replied to the senior.

Frankie snagged the bottle of tequila from where Traci had left it in order to answer the door. "Pleasure's all yours, Haughttie."

"You two know each other?" Gail asked, finding herself drawn into the interaction. Most of the girls Frankie had hooked up with in the past either wanted to kill Anderson or marry her. But this girl seemed rather indifferent. It was probably too many lessons on reading body language that had piqued Gail's interest.

"Sure, we go way back. How many of my girlfriends have you tried to steal, Frankie?" Nicole asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice despite the smile she kept.

"Not enough?" Frankie replied, effortlessly being the asshole she was. "But, hey, you're single now, right? Bygones and whatnot?" The senior offered the redhead a shot as an olive branch.

"Sure, Frankie, whatever you say." Nicole accepted the drink and clinked glasses. The senior would be gone soon enough anyway. She glanced around the room. "I didn't realize McNally lived with so many beautiful women."

"Yep and it's wasted on the straights. Do the boys know not to hit on you? Cause if not we can have a lot of fun tonight." Frankie suggested.

Nicole shrugged, "Depends on how many freshmen there are."

"Too many," The brunette grumbled as she chanced a look at Chloe who she could've sworn looked away right when she did.

Nicole glanced at the blonde, who according to Andy was also a freshman. Gail shrugged, "Don't look at me, I agree with her this time."

"Alright, let's go. Shots then cabs." Juliet instructed as she gathered enough glasses for the whole group, but taking Frankie's away from her earning her a scowl.

"You a lightweight suddenly, Anderson?" Nicole teased when she saw that the senior was stopping after only one drink.

"Please," Frankie scoffed, she knew full well that she could easily out-drink most of the people in attendance. "I'm unfortunately on babysitting duties tonight." Which Juliet had been quick to remind her about all day.

"Aw so no wagers then?"

"Please don't encourage her." Juliet advised as she made her way around the group.

"Not tonight, Haughtstuff. Hit me up tomorrow though." Frankie winked.

As the girls gathered in the front hallway Frankie finished pouring out the shots. She lingered near Chloe, wanting to talk to her but the freshman only acknowledged her long enough to give a small 'Thanks' before turning her attention to some of the other girls Andy had invited.

The group drank as they waited for the boys and the cabs. Unable to partake in the drinking as much as she usually would, Frankie found herself bored rather quickly. She could see Gail berating Andy in the kitchen away from the crowd, but was too far away to enjoy hearing it. Juliet, Traci, and Chloe were all talking to the new faces that had invaded their home. Her eyes lingered on the redheaded freshman, she looked damn good in her tight jeans and sweater that was hanging off her shoulder. But Chloe couldn't be bothered to give her the time of day. She decided that she was tired of being ignored by Chloe, so Frankie turned her attention to the junior again.

"What's with the hat? Are you trying to be a walking a cliché or does it just come naturally?" The brunette swiped Nicole's Toronto Raptors snapback off her head.

"It contains all my magical lesbian powers." Nicole joked as she reached over to retrieve the hat.

But Frankie dodged out of the way and placed it on her own head. "Looks better on me."

"Not a chance."

"Come on, you're not the only Haught one around here, you can admit how sexy I look."

"Since when do you need external validation?"

"Ooo big words, Nicole, now I know you're just trying to impress me."

Giving in, Nicole decided to flirt back in hopes of distracting the older girl long enough to reclaim her property. She stopped reaching for the hat but moved in a little closer. "Is it working?"

Frankie smirked, "Could be."

"Mmhmm." Getting close enough Nicole tried for the hat again, but this time it resulted in a physical struggle between the girls.

Chloe poured herself another shot and watched the interaction between the new girl and the senior. She didn't like it, but also couldn't really look away.

"You're looking a little green, Princess." Gail commented as she leaned against the wall near her roommate, watching as her "date" and her housemate fought over the article of clothing.

"No, I'm not." Chloe swallowed down the alcohol. "But what's with all the hot comments?"

"Well have you seen her?"

Chloe frowned harder at the remark. Of course, she had noticed that the girl was pretty. Anyone could see that but that didn't mean she had to like watching Frankie flirt with her.

"It's her name." Andy explained as she joined the pair, she was used to getting reamed by Gail and had already bounced back from it.

"Her name is Hot?"

"No, it's Haught, H-a-u-g-h-t but you get the idea."

"Oh." Chloe continued to watch the girls while trying and failing to mask the jealousy. She turned to her roommate. "What's she doing with Frankie anyway? I thought she was supposed to be your date."

The look Gail gave the redheaded freshman was scathing. "You knew about McNally's plans?"

Chloe hesitated. "Ummm...yeah?"

"And you didn't do anything to stop her?"

"Why would I? You're single right? Completely unattached. Not dating anyone."

Gail continued to glare at her roommate for the unsubtle dig about her 'relationship' with Holly. "I should probably get back to my date before Anderson beds her."

It was Chloe's turn for her smile to drop at the comment. Luckily for her, she didn't have to watch for much longer before the boys were pounding on their door, ready to start the night.

---

Shorty's Saloon was the first stop on their alcohol Tour de Force. As soon as they got through the swinging doors, the group split: some people joining the crowd around the mechanical bull, some grabbing tables, and both Gail and Frankie heading to the bartop to grab the drinks.

"I thought you said you knew the bartender?"

"I do, but I have to find her first." Blue eyes continued to scan the crowd but she couldn't locate the brunette she was looking for.

"What does she look like?"

Finally Gail spotted Waverly at the far end of the room serving the crowd but was unable to get her attention. She nodded her head in the direction, "Over there. The little thing barely wearing any clothing."

"Damn, she's hot. Why didn't you mention she was hot?"

"What difference does it make? She's straight and you're a born-again-Christian."

"What?"

"Celibate, Anderson. Two words I never thought would go together."

"I'm not celibate."

"When was the last time you got laid?"

"Shut up." Frankie grumbled she looked around the bar and her mood darkened even more. "Why the hell did Sammy pick this place?"

"You've seriously never been here before?"

"It's dripping with heterosexuality and testosterone. It's like the Sahara in my pants right now."

Realizing that it would be awhile before they would be able to get the server's attention the two girls grabbed a couple of stools while they waited. They were mostly silent as they surveyed the crowd until Nicole joined them.

"Impatient much?" Gail asked but the redhead wasn't paying them any mind. Her eyes were fixed on the bartender with the wide smile and bright eyes. She had a smile tugging at her own lips, putting that dimple on her left side on display.

Frankie smirked when she saw the heart-eyes on the other girl's face, the ones that hadn't deviated at all from the brunette server. "Somebody's thirsty."

Nicole's smile only seemed to get bigger, and she still didn't look away. "Well, when I see something I want I don't like to wait." She paused and glanced briefly back at the other girls. "And you two looked like you could use some help."

That started up a bickering match amongst the girls while they were waiting for the bartender to make her way over to them. Turned out that Nicole was more than capable of verbally holding her own against Gail and Frankie, though she didn't come across nearly as glacial. When Waverly finally spotted Gail her face lit up and she started to make her way over. Before she could reach the girls though she was waylaid by one of the drunken men at the bar grabbing a tight hold of her waist. The girls couldn't hear what he was saying but they could see the way he was pulling Waverly to him over the counter even as she struggled to free herself.

Frankie and Gail both jumped from their stools but before they could reach the guy, Nicole had already made her way over. They watched as she caught a hold of his arm, breaking the grip he had on Waverly and twisting it behind his back as she pinned him to the bar. The commotion drew a lot of people's attention including their group of friends. Frankie signaled to the boys to hold off on jumping into the action when they had all risen from their seats.

They couldn't catch what Nicole muttered to the guy, but when she released him he stormed out of the bar. With the fight settled their friends returned to their seats, and both Gail and Frankie joined Nicole and Waverly.

"Damn, Earp, where's that shotgun when you need it?" Gail asked once the bartender was in earshot.

But Waverly ignored the blonde and focused her attention on the pretty redhead who had decided to play hero. "I could've handled that shitticket myself."

"I have no doubt about that." Nicole replied sincerely, her eyes drifting over the brunette's petite form quickly before locking again on her fiery eyes.

Waverly lost some of her steam when she saw that the other girl seemed genuine, "Okay. Just as long as you realize."

"Trust me I do. I've been meaning to introduce myself. I'm Nicole, Nicole Haught." The girl offered her hand out; similar to how she had tried to unsuccessfully introduce herself to the blonde her teammate had set her up with.

Unlike Gail, Waverly reached forward and accepted the handshake. "Hi." Both girls got lost in the introduction for a moment, seemingly not wanting to let go until they heard Frankie clear her throat. Both Frankie and Gail had settled in for the show.

Nicole resumed talking as she grabbed a stool at the bar. "And you're Waverly Earp."

"Yeah." The bartender confirmed, a little confused and wondering if they had met before.

Gail and Frankie were watching the two girls from their ringside seats. "Was that smooth or creepy?" The blonde muttered to the older girl beside her.

"We have a class together. Quite a popular girl around here," Nicole continued easily, ignoring the other girls in favor of focusing her attention fully on Waverly, the girl she had been crushing on all semester.

"Smooth." Frankie decided, impressed by the other girl's approach.

Waverly seemed to smile wider at the compliment, which encouraged the junior even more. "Any chance you want to join us when you get off shift." Nicole gestured to the group that was there to celebrate Sammy's birthday, many of whom she had only met a couple of hours ago, two of whom were seated beside her, including the one she was supposed to be on a pseudo-date with. Yet her sight was set on the girl standing just in front of her. "Let me buy you a drink for interrupting your night."

"Oh, I can't."

"No?"

"No." Waverly confirmed, a little flustered. "I mean, I'd love to, but-like, like to-uh-but I have plans. Yeah. I'm a planner." The girl laughed airily. "I like to know what I'm doing at least two or three days in advance." She nodded feverishly with her words.

"She's also a rambler," Frankie muttered to Gail who snickered in agreement.

The redhead though just nodded and smiled along like the rambling was the most adorable thing she had ever heard (it probably was). It kind of made Gail and Frankie a little nauseous just to watch so much puppy love going on.

After staring at each other with wide smiles for a little too long, Waverly suddenly sobered up and adopted a stern expression. "I'm-I'm in a relationship. With a boy. Man." She had tried to correct herself, but it hadn't come off as smoothly as she had hoped.

Both Gail and Frankie struggled to contain their laughter as they shook their heads in second-hand embarrassment at the attempt of a brush off, by then they were way too wrapped up in the conversation that didn't include them.

Nicole dipped her head down and shook it. "A boy-man. Yep, I've been there." She chuckled and looked back up, her eyes dancing with mirth. "It's the worst," she teased.

"Hear, hear!" Gail and Frankie shouted from the sidelines, causing the pink tinged cheeks of Waverly to flare even redder and for Nicole's grin to grow a little wider even though she didn't take her eyes off the bartender.

Seemingly unfazed, the tall ginger shrugged nonchalantly, "OK, well, some other time." Nicole reached over the bar to grab a pen and wrote down her number. She left it on the counter and left without collecting her share of the drinks. She was walking away when she turned around once more. She flashed the other girl another charming smile. "I mean it."

"Haughtdamn." Gail said as the girl sauntered back to their table. She turned to her companion. "You're seriously telling me you never tried to tap that?"

"Never did. Too pure for me. Kind of like a unicorn." What Frankie really meant was that she was too small-town for her, the twangy lilt to her words, the impeccable manners, the doe-eyes, even the dimpled smile all reminded her of her hometown. It stirred up feelings she didn't like so she avoided the coppery-haired beauty. No matter how hot she was.

"Wasn't she supposed to help us carry the drinks?" Gail commented now that the other girl was seated at their table once more.

"Well, I think she got what she wanted." Frankie nodded her head in the bartender's direction whose gaze was still transfixed on the girl who had walked away.

"Hey, Earp, you going to serve us or let us get dehydrated over here." Gail shouted, breaking the spell.

Waverly shook her head and turned her attention to the two girls seated at the bar. She recognized her classmate but not the girl with her, who had been making the obnoxious comments. "I don't think alcohol is going help with that problem."

"Depends on what you're thirsty for." Frankie quipped.

The brunette smiled, "Anyway how do you like Shorty's? Better than the Penny?"

"Hey, don't knock the Penny. At least I get to wear real clothes." Gail nodded towards the cropped jersey with Shorty's emblazoned on the front of it. They were paired with shorts that were too short even in the summer, let alone the winter, and cowboy boots. Yeah, the blonde really wasn't jealous of the ensemble.

"Are you insulting my outfit, Peck? You do realize that I am the one serving the alcohol tonight." Waverly fired back.

Gail opened her mouth to make another smartass remark, but was quickly cut off by Frankie, "That is definitely not what's she's doing. She just wishes she had abs of steel to show off too." Frankie may not have been actively pursuing the girl, but damn it she wasn't blind. "I'm officially a convert."

Waverly was confused by the comment and looked over to her classmate for clarification.

Gail translated, "She means she wants to worship your body." She suppressed a chuckle when Waverly's cheeks burned brightly, before attempting to shift the focus off of the other girl. "And excuse you, Anderson, my abs are totally worth showing off," she huffed in offense.

"I don't know, Peck, that much bare skin and you might blind someone when the light bounces off that pale ass of yours."

Waverly's laugh was bright as it rang out after Frankie's joke, which only encouraged the brunette more.

"You wish you could see this pale ass, Frankie." Gail turned to the bartender. "She's been trying all year."

"At least, I know I could never lose you in the dark." Waverly laughed again and Frankie flashed her a charming smile and a wink.

"You're not much darker than me." Gail protested.

"Peck, snowflakes are darker than you."

"I know where you sleep, Anderson."

"Yeah right above your ass." She looked over at the bartender who was still watching the bickering in amusement. "I like to be on top."

"Do all of your friends normally hit on the bartender?" Waverly asked, shaking her head at Frankie's antics.

Gail shrugged, "More or less. I tried to help you out by keeping the boys at the table or they'd try their luck too. They're not handsy though." As previously witnessed, both girls were familiar with the groping from drunks. Flirting was usually acceptable as it often helped them secure larger tips, but the people who were downright sleazy or thought it was acceptable to cross the line with physical touching were everyone's worst nightmares when at work.

Waverly nodded in understanding, "So which one is the birthday boy?"

Gail didn't even bother looking back at the table. "The tool with the sunglasses."

"Why is he wearing sunglasses?" Confusion was evident on the bartender's face.

"Please, don't ask him," Frankie pleaded.

When the brunette raised her eyebrows in question, both Gail and Frankie sighed before reciting the line they heard Sammy tell anyone who asked, "Because the sun never sets on a badass."

"Ah, ok." Waverly giggled and started pouring pitchers of beer and some shots of whiskey. She held up one of the glasses and waited for Frankie and Gail to do the same before tossing it back.

Frankie was even more impressed, "Damn girl."

Waverly shrugged, "The Earps are well known for their gun-slinging, peace keeping, and drinking." It was one of her patented lines, one she had practiced more than a few times before leaving Purgatory behind in order to go to college.

"None of those sound like they should go together." Frankie pointed out.

"Explains the shotgun." Gail remarked.

The senior turned to her housemate, "Shotgun?"

"I'll explain later."

Waverly was already being bombarded by other people who wanted her attention. "How about you start with these and I'll drop off another round soon."

Gail and Frankie thanked her and collected the drinks to carry them to the table, Gail holding more than her share and not spilling a single drop.

"Thanks for the help there, Haughtpants." Gail grumbled as she slung the drinks to her friends.

Nicole smiled, "You two looked alright to me." Her voice laced with the flirty tone that was becoming rapidly familiar.

"Surprised you even noticed us with the way you were staring at the bartender." Frankie teased and the ginger blushed under her scrutiny. "Someone getting a little Haught around the collar."

"She might be having a Haught flash," Gail suggested. She could care less who Nicole flirted with as long as it wasn't her.

"Or a Haught attack." Frankie countered quickly as the two girls slipped into one of their competitions. They continued the puns at a rapid fire pace.

Nicole glanced hopelessly at the rest of the group, "Are they always like this?"

"YES!" The entire table erupted.

The girls continued much to Nicole's annoyance.

"Did you see that look? It was rather Icy-Haught."

"Thought it looked more like a Haught dog."

"Could've been a Haught tamale."

"Probably needed some Haught sauce."

"Maybe warm it on a Haught plate."

The two girls were still going at it when Waverly swung by their table to drop off another round for the group. It didn't take long for her to pick up on the game they were playing. "What? No Haught damn?"

"Call the police and the fireman," the table sang (with the exception of Nicole).

"Already used it." Gail muttered, gesturing to the rest of the group.

"Shame." The waitress said, she dropped a cowboy hat on Sammy's head and wished him a Happy Birthday. The boy made a pass at Waverly that she expertly shut down. She wasn't even slightly flustered like she had been when talking to the girls earlier.

Before Waverly left to tend to her other tables, she examined the redhead with a slight smirk. "I'd be careful though she's looking a little Haught-and-bothered."

"Ooooo that was a good one." Frankie conceded and the two girls decided to end their little game.

The group stayed for a while, most of them taking a spin on the mechanical bull and drinking enough to have a good buzz before they were ready for the next stop. They paid the reduced bill and left the bartender a generous tip (Nicole contributing way more than anyone else). Multiple people tried to convince Gail's classmate to join them on their adventures for the night, but Waverly turned them all down.

"I'm definitely suggesting the Penny for the next mixer." Waverly good-naturedly warned the blonde as she received the money.

"Well your friends better tip as well as mine." Gail replied easily, the alcohol in her system already giving her a nice buzz.

"And who says you can't buy affection?"

"Not me. Later, Earp."

Waverly saluted and the group was on their way out the door and on to the rest of their night of debauchery.

---

When Holly had originally suggested that her and Gail take things slow, she hadn't really anticipated how difficult it was going to be on her own level of self-control. She figured the biggest challenge was going to be convincing the blonde that they could have something more than just a physical connection. Of course, she hadn't anticipated Gail being as sweet or as understanding as she had been. She definitely hadn't predicted how difficult it was going to be to keep it in her own pants. By the time Friday rolled around, she was still worked up from the last time she had seen the undergrad even after some quality time with her vibrator, and unfortunately she had no idea when they would be able to pick things back up.

"Oh you're not hanging out with the cops tonight?" Lisa feigned surprise at seeing her roommate as she continued to get ready to leave.

"They're not police officers yet, Lis." Holly commented, tucking her phone into her pocket and turning her attention to her friend.

"Well it's nice of you to finally join us."

Holly rolled her eyes. "I see you both everyday. There's no need to be dramatic." She tried to shift the focus when she saw Lisa open her mouth to comment, "So what's on the agenda for tonight?"

"It's Rachel's turn to pick." Lisa explained as she checked her makeup in the mirror one more time before adjusting her bra to display her cleavage a little more.

"How is it never my turn?" Holly lightheartedly complained as she moved over to wait by the door of the apartment. She had been ready for nearly an hour now, but her roommates took forever to finish primping.

"Because you keep missing out by hanging out with undergrads." Lisa informed her as Rachel physically dragged the brunette to the door so they could leave.

Holly didn't miss the condensation in Lisa's tone when she said 'undergrads'. "Wow, the audacity of them for being born a year or two later."

"Okay, we need alcohol, let's go!" Rachel demanded, in order to prevent her friends from getting into an argument and preventing them from actually enjoying the night.

The three girls headed out to a bar across town. It was crowded and the music loud as was expected on a Friday night but they were still able to find a booth. Holly probably should've paid more mind to the fact that she had been boxed in by Lisa but she was distracted by her phone as she received texts from a certain blonde.

"You know, if you're going to be out with us you could at least give us some of your attention." Lisa reprimanded Holly, even as her own phone chimed with a new message.

Holly didn't bother looking up, gesturing to the devices in both of her friends' hands. "You're both on your phones too."

"She's right, phones down." Rachel declared. All three girls placed their phones on the table.

Without the distractions and with alcohol already in their systems, it didn't take long before Lisa started in on Holly's relationship with Gail. "So how long are you going to keep letting her use you like that?"

"What are you talking about?" Holly took a sip of her drink and rolled her eyes to Rachel.

"You and the bartender. Come on, Holly, it's been months and she just comes and goes as she pleases."

Holly wasn't in the mood for a fight. She had passed on hanging out with Frankie (and Gail) in order to spend some quality time with her roommates but that did not mean she wanted to spend the whole night dealing with unsubtle digs at Gail. "Drop it, Lisa."

As usual Lisa couldn't leave well enough alone. "No, you need to kick her ass to the curb and move on."

Holly had absolutely no intention of doing anything of the sort. "Leave it."

"Seriously, though, I don't understand why you want a damn project girlfriend so badly. You have enough on your plate, you don't need someone as distracting as her."

Sometimes the hypocrisy was overwhelming. "All you ever look for are distractions."

"Yes, uncomplicated, simple distractions that I can move on from."

"So?"

"So are you saying that's all Gail is to you?" Lisa challenged.

Holly hesitated. She knew she didn't have to defend what she had to her friends, but if she didn't they would continue to bother her. If she said yes, then maybe they would drop it quicker. But it would be a lie because Holly wanted more than just a distraction out of Gail. "No, but what we do is none of your business."

But Lisa just dug in deeper. "That girl's no good for you, Hols. She is actually distracting you, she sneaks in and out at all hours of the night, and how much study time has she taken up?" For once, Lisa was making a valid argument.

But Holly deflected as usual. "I'm still doing better than you."

"But not as well as you were doing. You're distracted. Rachel, come on, help me out with this one." Lisa turned to the third person in the group as the tie breaker.

Rachel held her hands up, "Don't pull me into it." She just wanted a night with both of her best friends, preferably not fighting.

Holly rounded on her other roommate. "Do you agree with Lisa?"

"She does take up a lot of your time, Hols," Rachel pointed out as diplomatically as possible.

She expected Lisa to blast Gail, but not Rachel. It hurt. "I thought you liked Gail."

"I do. She's funny and can be surprisingly considerate." Anytime the blonde came over with food for Holly she usually brought some for Rachel too, though it was always obvious that Lisa was left to fend for herself. "But you have to admit that this thing you two have going on takes up a lot of your time?"

"And dating Jessie didn't?"

"Yeah, but you two were actually girlfriends." Lisa remarked, quick to point out the difference.

Holly was beyond offended. Sure, Jess was a med student too but she had eaten up most of Holly's time and energy, constantly having to give in to her wants or having to deal with her emotional state. But even more so, where the hell did Rachel and Lisa get off judging her. "You guys are always looking for someone new. Why is Gail not good enough?"

Lisa replied quickly, "Because she doesn't treat you right."

Rachel made a face of agreement, "She could treat you better, Hols."

Holly shook her head, she was actually reaching the point of being pissed off but she was stuck inside the booth. "I'm done with this conversation." She reached for her phone, which was lighting up with texts. This time they were from Frankie asking if she had changed her mind yet.

Lisa took another sip of her drink, "You never want to talk about her. How are we supposed to like her when we barely know her?"

"If you weren't such a bitch to her, Lis, I might actually consider having her hang out with us. But I can't trust you to not start a fight."

"Well, maybe you could just tell us more about her." Rachel tried to get between her friends who were glaring at each other. "She's obviously hot, but what else?"

Holly's grip on her glass tightened. She didn't usually get so worked up, but it was hard when the people that she trusted and loved the most in the world felt the need to critique her love life so much. It was one thing when they were teasing one another good-naturedly, but this felt more like an interrogation or a trial of some sort.

"She's smart, she has a wicked sense of humor and is always keeping me on my toes. But she also cares a lot even if she doesn't show it to most people." Holly knew she had only just started to brush the complexity of the blonde, but she wanted to know more and unravel the mystery herself. She loved getting to see all these pieces of Gail as she slowly put the puzzle together.

Lisa gulped the rest of her drink down, "God, it's even worse than I thought. You're actually falling for her."

"You're right, Lis, how awful of me." Holly sarcastically replied.

"She sounds special, Hols," Rachel replied with a smile and a calm tone. "But we just don't want to see you get hurt...again."

Alright, so maybe Holly didn't have the best track record with women. Maybe she fell harder for them then they ever did her and maybe, just maybe, she had a habit of trusting them with too much of her heart. But there was something about Gail that drew Holly in and she wasn't ready to give it up yet. She could feel the smile tugging at her lips just thinking about Gail. "I won't."

Holly's phone chimed again, but this time Lisa swiped it and opened the text. It was a picture message. "You sure about that?" She turned the phone so Holly could see it.

---

"Only Sammy would think a bar crawl was a good idea in negative degree weather." Frankie's teeth clattered as they made their way down the street to their third destination. She was the person feeling the effects of the weather the most, seeing as the rest of the group was getting more intoxicated as they went.

"It's the same thing every year. I thought you'd be used to it by now." Juliet teased her friend, even as she pulled Nick closer to her for extra warmth.

"I'm usually three sheets to the wind by now." Frankie grumbled. She lead the way into the next bar, happy to finally get out of the cold.

The group tried to gather enough seats to accommodate everyone and had actually succeeded. They all settled in with the exception of Chloe who had been hanging towards the back of the group in order to avoid Frankie. By the time she made it to the table the only open seat was next to the brunette she was desperately trying not to come into contact with. Instead of taking the chair, she walked around the table and plopped into Nick's lap and immediately picked up conversation with him and Juliet. She ignored the looks from both Frankie and Gail for her decision.

"Damn." Gail muttered from the other side of Frankie, even she was surprised by how cold her roommate was being.

More than a few people had noticed the weirdness and were now looking in Frankie's direction. She regretted her decision to even come that night. "I need some air." Frankie got up and went back out into the cold she had just been complaining about.

Nicole, who despite the brush off from Gail and her previous experiences with Frankie was still sticking pretty close to the two girls that night, turned to the blonde. "What's going on with her?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've known Frankie for as long as I've been going to the Uni. She has never flirted with me, but tonight it's like she's trying to prove something." Nicole glanced in the direction of the other redhead in the group.

Gail was surprised at how observant the other girl was. "Trying to make detective, Haughtrod? I thought that was Frankie's thing."

"Just noticing things. Like the fact that she was just bitching about the cold, but left without even grabbing her jacket."

"Fucking idiot is going to freeze to death." Gail complained as she got up from her seat. She was going to have to bring Frankie her jacket, knowing that the stubborn senior would stay outside way longer than she should.

"I've got it." Nicole offered as she grabbed the jacket from where Frankie had left it.

"Why? I thought you two didn't even like each other."

"We don't, but like you said: fucking idiot is going to freeze to death." Nicole headed out the door and Gail shrugged as she reclaimed her seat. She glanced across at her roommate who had been watching the whole exchange. Chloe bit her lip but said nothing and went back to ignoring the glare her roommate was sending in her direction. Gail stopped glaring when Traci nudged her and offered her a shot.

Frankie immediately regretted her decision the second the cold air hit her face. She had forgotten her jacket in her haste to get away from the awkwardness inside and now she could feel the cold cutting through the thin material of her clothes and sinking into her bones. But she didn't want to go back in either so she tried to distract herself with her phone as she sent another text to Holly trying to convince her to join them.

She glanced up from her phone when she heard the door behind her open. "Miss me already?" She joked as she saw the junior step out.

"Here." Nicole handed over Frankie's coat.

Frankie tried not to seem too eager as she quickly pulled it on, immediately grateful that she wouldn't be turning into a popsicle. "Thanks."

Nicole leaned back against the wall of the bar, her hands resting again at her belt. She eyed the senior who seemed more interested in the cars passing on the street than in having some company, despite the amount of attention she had been giving her earlier in front of everyone. "You doing okay?"

"Peachy."

"Yeah, you seem it. You coming back in?" Nicole jerked her head back in the direction of the bar where everyone else was.

"No." Frankie replied a little too quickly before gesturing around her, "Air."

"Thought you were cold."

Frankie switched back into flirty mode in hopes that it would lift her spirits. "You gonna heat me up, Haught?"

Unfazed Nicole flirted right back. "Do you need me to?"

"Maybe later."

"Who says the offer will be there later?"

"Who says it won't?"

"I don't think I'm the person you want keeping you warm." Nicole said, catching Frankie off-guard.

The brunette narrowed her eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, Anderson, that girl in there that refused to sit next to you. The one who's sitting on Nick's lap even though we both know he's dating Juliet. The one who keeps avoiding being near you and talking to you but can't seem to stop staring every time you're flirting with me. I mean if you wanted to make your girlfriend jealous, you could've just asked."

"She's not my girlfriend." Frankie immediately protested, but the words didn't hold their usual intensity.

"But you want her to be," Nicole pointed out.

"And you know what I want, eh?"

"The way I see it we've known each other for the last three years and never once have you flirted with me, Anderson, despite your reputation. But that girl in there ignores you and suddenly you're showing more interest in me than a loan shark."

"You playing shrink now?"

"Actually I play Point Guard and I'm damn good at it too," Nicole replied with a smirk.

Frankie rolled her eyes. "Well you should stick to the courts." She went back to her phone and fired off another message to Holly, her last three having gone unanswered. If she was going to suffer through the night she at least wanted one person who would be on her side throughout it.

Curiosity got the better of Nicole. "So, who are you texting?"

"The cavalry."

"Who's that?"

"Just a friend. Hey, hold still for a sec." Frankie snapped a picture of the redhead with her phone. The angle she was at had Nicole's face partially obscured by her hat but it would do. She typed up a quick message and hit send.

"What was that for?"

"Motivation." Frankie tucked her phone away and moved back in the direction of the bar. "Come on, let's go in before my fingers fall off."

"Well we definitely can't have that happen, you'd be pretty damn useless without them." Nicole joked.

"I know, I'd never play the piano again." Frankie quipped.

"Is that what we're calling it?"

Frankie was impressed once again by the other girl's quick humor. She had definitely underestimated her in the past. "You're not so bad, Haught."

"Same to you, Anderson."

Waiting for a response from Holly, Frankie thought she should give the redhead some fair warning. "But just so you know you're wasting your time if you're here for Gail."

"She mentioned that."

"What did she say?"

"That she wasn't interested in getting set up by McNally. Gotta hand it to Andy she's either super brave or super dumb for pissing that girl off."

Frankie shrugged noncommittally. "She's mostly just oblivious."

Nicole looked a little uneasy, from what Andy had said Gail was interested in women but the blonde had been pretty adamant that any advances on her part would be unwelcomed. "Am I barking up the wrong tree?"

"Nah, you're just not her type."

"What is her type?"

"That is an excellent question. I'm fairly certain it's super smart brunettes, but she won't confirm it for me."

Nicole's eyebrows knitted up in confusion but she couldn't let the opportunity pass, "So I guess that rules you out, huh?"

"You're a dick." Frankie let the door slam in Nicole's face on their way in but the redheaded junior just laughed louder.

---

After receiving the picture of Gail's date, Lisa had been relentless on bashing the blonde. Holly had already tried telling her to chill out considering the text had come from Frankie who was known to mess with her. It was a low blow, but Frankie had been pretty insistent on having the med student join them so it was entirely likely that Frankie took a picture of a random girl just to make Holly jealous. Plus, she knew Gail pretty well and her idea of a date didn't involve hanging out with the large group. Not to mention the fact that the blonde had also been texting her the whole night, so even if she was on a "date" it probably wasn't going well. But that didn't stop Lisa from harping on how Gail was playing Holly. It was to the point that even Rachel had grown tired of it and had managed to change the topic.

But Holly wasn't interested in having any conversations. She was stuck in the booth counting down the minutes until "Girl's Night" was over and she could get back to her own room and some peace and quiet. She wasn't going to get jealous, no matter what Frankie or Lisa said. Okay, she was going to be a little jealous but not irrationally so. Getting completely shitfaced wasn't going to make her feel any better even if it did make sitting there more bearable.

"You're not even listening are you?" Rachel's voice broke Holly's reverie.

"Huh?" Holly was absently playing with the silverware on the table.

"Exactly. I asked how the clinic's going?" Rachel repeated trying to draw Holly back into the conversation and trying to keep it away from Gail before Lisa started up again.

Thinking of the clinic meant thinking of Gail and Holly couldn't stop herself from smiling. "It has its moments. Most of the people who work there can be pretty amazing." Like a certain blonde translator who could make even the most nervous kids fall all over her. The smile Gail had when she was working with the mini-humans was one of Holly's favorites (alright so all of Gail's smiles were her favorites, just don't tell Gail that).

"Well I'd imagine so, you work with Dr. Santana. He's the most well-connected doctor I've ever seen." Lisa commented, finishing off her drink and picking up her phone to send a message. She put it back down when she noticed both of the other girls staring pointedly at it.

"He might be, but he's also one of the worst doctors I've ever met." Holly complained. She couldn't keep the resentment out of her voice.

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked concerned by how adamant her friend was. It wasn't like Holly to bad mouth a doctor.

"He's just awful. He hates students, belittles the nurses, most of the kids are scared of him and unless the parents have money he's super rude and dismissive to them. Seriously, I haven't learned a damn thing from him other than what not to do and more than a couple of times I've heard him say things that are just blatantly wrong." Every time Holly was forced to work with the doctor he managed to outdo himself as the worst instructor ever. "It's so different than being in the lab. Dr. Torres is amazing. She's super smart and actually willing to teach me. Plus, path is just really cool. Like did you know that if you find a patient in water, you can check the water for diatoms and then see if they match the ones found in the bone marrow and -"

Holly's geeky babble was cutoff by Lisa. "You're not seriously considering poking dead bodies for the rest of your career are you?" The lighter brunette scoffed.

"What's so wrong with that?"

"Come on Holly, we went into medical school to save lives. You'd be a little too late for that don't you think?"

"Really, Lisa, your idea of contributing to society is through one boob job at a time."

"What can I say? I'm a woman who likes a perfect pair of breasts. Sue me."

Rachel laughed, but for once Holly couldn't bring herself to give in as easily as she normally would. "So that's really more impressive than helping police catch criminals and giving loved ones closure?"

Lisa rolled her eyes at the mention of the police. "Are you really going to go into forensics just to get some?"

"What the hell are you talking about now?"

But Lisa continued her train of thought as if Holly hadn't said a word. "Cause really it's just pathetic trying to impress the future cop like that. You could do so much better and clearly its not working." Lisa had managed to loop the conversation back to Gail.

It was Holly's turn to roll her eyes. "Right, because everything I do is based on getting laid."

"You know, Holly, you could have any girl you wanted. Why do you feel the need to settle?"

"Seriously, you two, enough already." Rachel tried again to settle the fight between her friends, but even she was growing weary of playing referee. She looked around for a server in hopes of snagging another drink. But instead was faced with some girl making her way over to their table. "Hello?"

Both Lisa and Holly turned their attention to the girl Rachel had spotted. Lisa jumped out of her seat and hugged the petite blonde, who unsurprisingly had a rather voluptuous rack. "Ah, there you are. What took you so long?"

"Sorry, I got caught up in my research." The woman apologized, she looked at each of the girls but her eyes lingered on Holly.

"Here, take my seat." Lisa practically shoved the blonde into the seat next to Holly. She turned to smile at the brunette, but Holly was more focused on her phone that had started buzzing incessantly as it was bombarded by text messages. She grabbed the device before either of the other girls could and opened it up to a slew of texts from both Frankie and Gail telling her to join them. The ones from Frankie weren't a surprise as they were just a continuation of her rants from the night, but the messages from Gail were also telling her to join them and had even said to bring Lisa and Rachel with her. Holly was more than a little relieved as it confirmed that she really had nothing to be concerned about when it came to Gail's "date".

She was too preoccupied with her phone to pay Lisa or the other girl much mind until she heard the introductions.

"This is Christie, she's a graduate student who's studying clinic psychology. These are my roommates Rachel and Holly. Holly is both gorgeous and incredibly single."

Holly's head snapped up from the phone and fixed Lisa with a glare. Her jaw tightened and she worked to keep her voice even but it was no use this time. "You've got to be fucking kidding me right now, Lis."

"What?" The brunette feigned innocence.

"This was all a set up? How many times do I have to tell you that I'm with Gail and I'm really not interested in anyone else?"

"Wait, you have girlfriend?" Christie spoke up clearly confused by Holly's vehement reaction to meeting her.

"No, she doesn't." Lisa quickly clarified, ignoring her roommate's objection.

This was the final straw. Holly had given up a night she could've spent hanging out with Frankie and Gail and the rest of the college kids who had only ever been friendly and welcoming to her in order to get ridiculed and domineered by one of her supposed "best" friends.

"Yeah so much for Girls' Night." Holly looked at Rachel but her dark-skinned friend looked just as surprised and confused as she did. She clearly hadn't been privy to Lisa's plans. Regardless she was done with the bullshit. "Sorry, but whatever Lisa told you about me was a waste. I'm not interested and if you'll excuse me I'm heading out." The blonde woman was put off as she slid out of the booth to free Holly, who was ready to take off as soon as possible.

"Where the hell are you going?" Lisa asked Holly's retreating form.

"To be with my real friends."

---

By the time they had reached the fourth stop, Gail was more than a little buzzed. She was well on her way to being drunk but still had some time before she'd hit the point of no return. Unlike some of the others, she was pacing herself at each of the places but that didn't mean she was being a lightweight either. So she had already had a fair share of liquid courage by the time she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Holly asking her to come join her and the troublemakers. She even went as far as to invite Lisa and Rachel too if it meant getting to see the brunette.

The truth was that spending the night hanging out with her friends and being set up on a pseudo-date with Nicole had only made her miss the med student even more. Texting wasn't good enough. Gail didn't want to waste her night off not spending it with Holly, listening to her geekspeak, or seeing her crooked smile. So she caved and sent the messages.

"Texting the Prime Minister again?" Traci teased from across the table as she watched her blonde friend concentrate hard on her phone.

"Running the country is a 24/7 job." Gail replied as she continued to focus on hitting the right keys, which seemed to only be getting more difficult as the night went on.

"Who's the Prime Minister?" Frankie asked from the side of Gail as she spun her own phone around in her hand while she waited for a response from Holly.

"Justin Trudeau." Nicole readily supplied from the other side of Gail. Despite the fact that the blonde was obviously more interested in her phone than her, McNally had made a point of shoving Nicole into the seat next to her at every bar. Luckily, Gail seemed to become less defensive around her, whether it was because of the alcohol or the fact that Nicole had given more attention to Frankie than her she wasn't sure.

"I don't do the boys anymore." Gail quipped, but her focus was still glued to her phone.

"Exactly! So who are you texting?" Frankie leaned over to see for herself.

"None of your business, Anderson." Gail shifted to shove the senior off of her.

But Frankie's sobriety finally came in handy as she was quicker to grab the phone. She saw that the message was open to Nerd Champion and she had a pretty good idea who that was. She smirked at the enraged blonde as Gail quickly took her phone back.

"So who was it?" Traci asked.

Frankie could feel the glare from Gail trying to pierce her skin, "Don't know. It's just a nickname."

"Shame."

The conversation shifted as the rest of the group settled in and they opted to play some drinking games. Whatever pacing some of the kids had been doing was forgotten as competition sunk in and they tried to outdo one another.

The group was already loud and rowdy by the time Holly got there, but when the brunette was spotted everyone erupted in greeting. Holly couldn't help but smile widely as she made her way over to the large mass of people occupying the center of the bar. Whatever residual anger she had been feeling when she left her own friends was forgotten when she was pulled into the mob of undergrads. She went straight for the birthday boy as it was his party and slowly greeted everyone as she made her way around.

By the time she finally made it to where Gail and Frankie were seated she was distracted when she recognized the other girl sitting next to the blonde.

"Hey Haught Shot." Holly playfully lifted the hat off Nicole' head and turned it around before dropping it back down onto its owner's head.

"Hollywood!" Nicole beamed at the brunette as she turned it back in the right direction. "Come to join the party?"

"It's about damn time," Frankie grumbled.

Holly smiled as she dropped a kiss on Frankie's forehead. "Hello to you too, Frankie."

Frankie couldn't stop the corner of her lips from turning up ever so slightly betraying her relief at finally seeing her friend. "Finally decided to hang out with the cool kids, eh?"

"You know I can never resist you for too long."

"No one can." Frankie confidently boasted but her eyes strayed over towards the one person who seemed to be doing just that.

Holly followed Frankie's line of sight causing her to notice the empty seat next to Frankie and register the fact that Chloe was seated on Chris's lap. She wondered if that had been going on all night and could understand why Frankie had been so insistent on her joining them. She cocked an eyebrow at Frankie in question, but the senior just frowned, and shook her head to say she didn't want to talk about it.

Even without looking directly at her Holly could feel Gail's eyes watching her. The blonde was turned in her seat so that she could see the brunette who was standing behind her talking to the two girls sitting beside her. Finally, Holly couldn't resist any longer she caught Gail's gaze and gave a soft "Hey."

"Hey Lunchbox," Gail replied, she was tempted to kiss the brunette but with all of her friends surrounding her she chickened out and had to settle for just staring in open admiration.

Holly couldn't look away either despite the fact that they were in a crowd of people. "Hey."

"You said that already," Gail joked.

Holly's grin cropped up crookedly, "You know it sounded familiar."

At the sight of Holly's smile, Gail couldn't stop herself from beaming. It was one of her happy smiles that made her blue eyes shine even brighter than those perfect teeth. Their moment lasted longer than it probably should've which only drew the attention of the others.

"So that's all it takes, eh Peck?" Traci called out snapping the blonde to attention. She had spent the entire night trying to get Gail to relax and have fun but she had barely been able to get her to crack a small smile no matter how much tequila she sent her way. But the med student showed up for about five seconds and Gail was a goner.

Gail turned and glared at her friend who only grinned wider, "Shut up, Nash."

"That's all what takes?" Holly asked curiously.

"Ignore her." Gail pleaded and luckily Traci decided not to completely blow her cover.

"Yeah, ignore me. I've just been trying to get Gail to enjoy herself all night, looks like she finally is." Traci winked at Holly who only smiled brighter. Holly was still standing behind Gail and she couldn't stop herself from reaching out and gently brushing the strands of hair at the base of the blonde's neck. Her hair was already growing out and needed a trim before it started to resemble a mullet. She felt Gail lean back further into her touch and for the first time all night, Holly stopped worrying and started to enjoy herself too.

The interaction between Gail and Holly had also drawn Frankie's attention. She couldn't believe how sappy the two looked staring at each other in the crowded bar like no one else existed. Actually, it was pretty similar to the puppy love look she had seen on Nicole's face when they had been talking to the hot bartender. Normally, the sappiness would be enough to make Frankie physically ill but instead she felt something else. Jealousy, maybe? Her eyes darted over to Chloe again and she saw the redhead watching her roommate and Holly with a strange look on her face. It wasn't the face she makes when she thinks something is cute or romantic like Frankie expected (not that she knew Chloe's faces or anything, nope, not at all). The senior couldn't help but wonder if Chloe was feeling the same way as her. When Chloe's eyes looked in her direction, Frankie felt her heart stutter for a second, but the moment didn't last as the redhead hurriedly looked away. It hurt and Frankie took another sip of the beer she was nursing.

She cleared her throat and tried to kill the tension that the two lovebirds next to her seemed to be creating. "You gonna stand there all night?"

"Maybe. Probably won't be too long til you guys move on to the next venue anyway." But Holly grabbed the empty seat anyway. She was pretty sure she saw a flicker of disappointment cross Gail's face when she broke contact but she couldn't be sure in the dim lighting. At the moment, the normally impassive face the blonde maintained had returned.

"So how do you two know each other?" Traci asked, referring to Holly and Nicole, after seeing the friendly greeting. She hoped they hadn't been romantically involved or that would really take the cake for irony of the night if Andy had managed to set Gail up with one of Holly's exes.

"We were on the club softball team together."

"Yeah until someone had to graduate so she can save lives and whatnot." Nicole teased. "How's med school?"

"It's good. Tough but good." Holly reached over and stole Frankie's beer for a sip.

The senior shot her friend a look before deciding to inform her of the situation at hand. "You're fraternizing with the enemy."

Holly looked between the two girls, confused by the statement. "How is she the enemy?"

Frankie wiggled her phone as a reminder. Holly could feel her cheeks burning hotly as it dawned on her that Nicole was Gail's date. "Oh."

"Oh. Oh what?" Nicole asked, still confused by Frankie's comment.

The entire interaction was being observed under Gail's watchful eye but the blonde said nothing as she continued to drink her beer. Still the whole thing had Holly squirming.

"Nothing. So how far behind am I?" Holly tried changing the subject. She hadn't had the chance to drink too much with Lisa and Rachel since she spent most of the night verbally sparring but she suddenly felt herself in need of some more alcohol.

"Depends on who you want to catch up to." Frankie replied and took her beer back. "You have no hope of catching Sammy but a few shots and we can probably get you up to speed with the rest of them."

"Good to know."

As the conversation started up around the table, Frankie felt herself growing more uncomfortable by the minute being sandwiched between Holly and Gail. If it wasn't one then it was both of them staring and she had never felt more like a clam jammer in her life.

"Switch seats with me, Peck."

"What? Why?" Gail immediately replied, not trusting the senior.

Frankie wanted to say so that she wouldn't have to be a member of the threesome she felt was going on with the amount of eye fucking she had witnessed, but she knew that Holly had been nervous about Gail's reaction to her being there and drawing everyone else's attention back to the pair would only make things worse. So she kept the focus on herself, "Because if you're not going to give the Haughttie over there some attention, I will."

Gail immediately jumped from her seat because she had absolutely no intention of giving anyone but Holly her attention. As soon as they switched places, Gail immediately reached out under the table and rested her hand on Holly's leg, content to finally be able to touch the brunette.

"Can't stay away, eh Anderson?" Nicole drawled, her accent coming out even more.

"Something like that." Frankie replied easily, but half-heartedly.

Unfortunately for Frankie, her one moment of selflessness had earned her an even greater look of disdain from Chloe who excused herself from the table to go over to the bar for more drinks.

Holly had also noticed the look from Chloe. "You know, I should probably buy the birthday boy his birthday drink." Holly gave Gail's hand a squeeze under the table before whispering that she'd be back. She followed Chloe over to the bar.

"Hey Chloe, mind if I join you?" Holly watched as the freshman's face morphed from one of brooding to a bright smile.

"Of course not, it's a good thing you came. You know Grumpy over there has been grouchy all night until you showed up." Chloe nodded in the direction of her roommate who was watching them from the table. Gail had a slight smile on her face when Holly smiled back at her.

"I guess it's a good thing Frankie invited me then."

Chloe nodded but looked away from Holly at the mention of the senior. She glanced back at the table and noticed that Frankie was caught up in conversation with Nicole, again. She wasn't sure what she hated more: the obnoxious flirting or the fact that it was actually making her jealous.

"It's funny you know? For someone who hates talking about her feelings or showing affection it's actually pretty easy to tell when she cares. Frankie acts like everyone annoys her but you can see it in her eyes when you've won over her affection. Although I've never seen her look at anyone the way she looks at you."

"Me?"

Holly nodded. "Frankie's stubborn. I have like fifty texts from tonight to prove it. So I know she would never admit it but you mean a lot to her, Chloe."

"Not enough." Chloe muttered as she continued to watch the older girls back at the table talking with their heads close together. Frankie said something that got Nicole laughing loudly.

Holly shrugged, "I wouldn't be so sure. Sometimes it's the quiet ones that feel the most." The brunette was looking fondly in the direction of both Gail and Frankie. She smiled at Chloe before grabbing a drink for herself and for Sam and heading back to the table.

Chloe stayed where she was and pulled out her phone to text someone, not ready yet to return to the table.

Holly gave Swarek his drink and he tipped his hat to her, still wearing the ridiculous cowboy hat and sunglasses. She shook her head and returned to her place next to the blonde. "Hey."

Gail smiled again and reached out under the table once the brunette was seated. She found Holly's hand and tangled their fingers together. "Hey."

"Are you two capable of more than monosyllable words?" Frankie teased from Gail's other side. When both of the girls fixed her with a look she just chuckled and shrugged her shoulders before turning back to her conversation with the rest of the upperclassmen.

"So how's your night going?" Gail asked, keeping her voice low to not invite the rest of the group into their conversation.

"Lisa tried to set me up with some girl." Holly replied honestly.

The blonde couldn't stop the frown from creeping onto her face at the mention of both Lisa and another set-up. She tried and failed to keep her voice neutral. "How'd that go?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Holly smiled reassuringly. "How about you?"

"McNally tried to set me up with some girl." Gail replied, mimicking Holly's tone from before.

"How'd that go?"

"You're here aren't you?"

"Ah so it wasn't love at first sight?"

"Well she's not really my type."

Even though she wasn't supposed to be paying attention Frankie pounced on the comment out of reflex, "So what is your type?"

Gail smirked, the senior had asked her that same question dozens of times since they first met and she had always avoided the answer. But this time she looked at Holly, taking her time to trail her eyes over every inch of her, "Holly, Holly is my type."

Before anyone in earshot got the chance to comment, Dov interrupted them.

"Shit!" The freshman boy exclaimed as he glanced over at the bar where Chloe still was. Sue looked over too, "Uh-oh."

Dov turned to his girlfriend, "I thought she was supposed to be working on a project tonight."

"That's what she told me when I invited her out." But Sue's roommate wasn't working on a project unless that project involved hanging out with Jen Luck on a Friday night at a crowded bar. The same bar where Chloe was seated.

"Should one of us go over?" Dov asked the table. Everyone knew about Chloe's problems with Jen and the fact that the brunette seemed to be out with the same girl Chloe had just started seeing spelled disaster for their night.

Both Nick and Gail stood up, but Holly gave Gail's hand a tug keeping her from heading over, while Juliet did the same to her boyfriend. Gail looked at the brunette with a questioning quirk of her eyebrow to which Holly tilted her head in the direction Frankie had been seated. The senior was already up and making her way over to the bar.

"Oh, umm hi Chloe. I didn't know you'd be here." Ami sheepishly greeted the redhead once the crowd parted.

Chloe looked between Ami and Jen. "Well you would've if you had answered any of the texts I sent."

"Yeah about that...ummm...sorry."

"Oh Price, when are you ever going to learn. People can't stand you." Jen remarked with a sadistic smirk.

Chloe could feel herself deflating. It would have been one thing to see Ami out on a date with someone else, but of all people, why did it have to be the one person on the planet who honestly hated her guts? Funnily enough, seeing the two of them together didn't even come close to how it felt to watch Frankie flirt with Nicole all night. But it was the final nail in the coffin, Chloe just wanted to get out of the bar as quickly as possible before the tears started. She swallowed hard and was about to respond when a familiar voice cut in.

"Alright, you've been playing hard to get all year, but you should really let me buy you that drink." Frankie smirked as she leaned back against the bar casually so that she was facing Chloe. She kept her eyes fixed on the redhead, ignoring the two girls on the other side of her entirely. She had her hip pressed against Chloe's leg and as good as it felt to finally be touching the younger girl again it still cut Frankie to the core to see how bright those hazel eyes were with unshed tears. She knew that by pushing Chloe away she had set her up to get hurt tonight and it wasn't fair.

"Yeah, right, like Price even knows what hard to get is." Jen scoffed.

Frankie tore her eyes away from Chloe long enough to glare at the short brunette who had been harassing her housemate. "Was anyone talking to you?"

Jen recognized the senior, which only made the condescending smugness on her face grow even more. "Frankie Anderson. It's no wonder you're going after Price here. From what I've heard, you'll screw anyone."

Frankie made her distaste apparent on her face as she gave the girl the once over. "Not anyone." She turned her attention back to the stunned redhead, her expression softening and becoming more playful. "Come on, Chloe, one drink. Please don't make me grovel. Who knows the last time these floors have been cleaned?"

But Jen cut in again before Chloe could respond. "You're seriously pining over Price."

"And you're still opening your mouth to speak, even though no one gives a shit. Fuck off." Frankie growled one final warning before she actually turned nasty.

Finally taking the hint Luck stormed off but Ami turned back to Chloe. "I'm really sorry, Chloe."

"Forget it" Chloe replied her voice lacking its usual warmth "...and my number." She watched as the other girl scurried off to join her date.

"Nice," Frankie said with approval as the other girl shut her mouth and left.

Chloe leveled her with a look that the brunette was sure Gail would be proud of before spinning out of her stool and back in the direction of their group. Frankie barely managed to catch a hold of her wrist before she left.

"Hey, whoa, wait a sec. Where are you going?"

"Away from you." Chloe stubbornly replied and broke the lax hold the senior had on her.

Frankie panicked. She knew that if she let Chloe walk away she wouldn't get the chance to talk to her again and there was so much she needed to say. But she had no idea where to start. Holly had made it sound so easy but seeing the way Chloe looked at her the anger and hurt mixed with defeat she struggled to get any words out at all. But standing there silently wasn't going to be enough as she was forced to see Chloe turn her back to her once again.

"I'm sorry!" Frankie blurted out before the freshman could walk away.

Chloe stopped and turned back to face the older girl. She stood with her arms folded across her chest in defense, her weight shifted to one hip as she took in the senior's contrite countenance. "For?"

"For lying."

That wasn't what Chloe expected. She tried to think of what Frankie had lied to her about. The only thing she could think of was her fixing the car without saying anything. "If this is about the car, it's fine. I'm just glad it's working again."

"It's not about the car." Frankie brushed a hand through her hair nervously but tried to muster the confidence she was renowned for. She took a deep breath and let it out before finally making the confession that had been eating away at her for weeks. "It was never just about sex for me."

It was the words Chloe had been waiting for. They were just a little too late and an apology wasn't going to be enough she needed more from the older girl. "So then why say it, Frankie? Why push me away?"

"Because I got freaked out." It pained Frankie to have to admit that but now that she had started the only thing she could do was lay her cards out on the table. She just hoped Holly was right. "I do like you, Muppet. I like spending time with you. And not just for your body" of course, the sincerity could only last so long "Damn fine though it is."

Chloe ignored the flirty remark, as she still had her defenses on high. "If that's true, why not just say so?"

"I thought you just wanted sex."

"Why would you think that?"

"You weren't talking to me. You're always talking."

"I'm not always talking."

Frankie smirked, "Only because I can do things that make talking impossible."

Chloe couldn't help but blush and shake her head at the incorrigible senior, "You're such an ass."

"You like my ass." The brunette playfully remarked, still trying to lighten the mood. It was safer ground for her to stand on.

But Chloe wasn't going to let Frankie off the hook that easily by falling back into their usual banter. "So what? Every time I instigate sex with you you're just going to go off the handle."

"That wasn't why. You were being too quiet."

"So?"

"So, you talk. It's what you do and I...I try to talk too. I'm trying, Chloe. I know it doesn't seem like it but I am trying...and I do talk...to you." Frankie hated how vulnerable she felt but she kept going. "I know what my reputation is. But this is different. You're different."

Chloe could feel herself melting. It was hard to stay mad when those green eyes were looking at her with so much sincerity. Maybe Holly had been right. Maybe it was obvious. "So what does that mean?"

"Fuck if I know." Frankie replied honestly. "But I can't take this not talking thing anymore. Can we at least go back to being friends?"

"Friends. Is that all you want?"

Frankie hesitated. It was an out. It was definitely an out and Chloe was giving it to her free of any expectations. She knew that the redhead would go back to being friendly towards her. She wouldn't have to deal with this awkward tension every time she walked into a room and she wouldn't have to deal with being purposefully ignored. But it would be another lie.

"No, I want you, Chloe, all of you but I still can't promise you anything. I only have a few more months till graduation. But you're the person I want to spend them with."

"I never asked you for any promises."

Frankie nodded, "I know."

"I can't keep doing this though. You're giving me whiplash."

The senior moved closer to the other girl, her eyes fixed on Chloe's. "I know."

Chloe stood her ground but she could feel her heart quicken the closer Frankie came. She worked to keep her voice steady, "It has to be different this time."

"I know." Frankie had managed to erase the distance between them, her hands moved to gently cup Chloe's face. Her eyes dipped down to the younger girl's plump lips. But she waited, letting Chloe know that she could still stop her if she wanted to.

"Everyone's watching. They're going to see us." Chloe's voice was barely a whisper. It was hard to breathe when Frankie was touching her so gently but looking at her so fiercely.

"I know." Frankie didn't give a flying fuck that anyone else was around as she closed the gap between them and poured everything that she had been feeling into kissing Chloe, every ounce of regret, jealousy, and fear was replaced by passion and damn it, maybe even some happiness.

---

After Frankie and Chloe's little display at the bar, the entire crowd at the table had erupted into cheers. That had resulted in them getting flipped off by Anderson but wasn't enough to break the spell the two girls were under. They had eventually returned to the table and the group had made their way from one bar to the next. It wasn't until they were kicked out of the Penny after the last call that everyone finally called it a night. The group had made their way home most of them shitfaced and every one of them coupled. Both Duncan and Chris left with the basketball girls except for Nicole who had mysteriously vanished after getting a text, Sue came back to the Mancave with Dov, Nick headed to the girls' house with Juliet, while both Andy and Traci went to spend the night with their seniors.

That left Chloe, Frankie, Holly, and Gail outside of the hen house in the cold winter's night (morning).

"You staying, Hols?" Frankie asked. She was standing behind Chloe, her hands wrapped around the freshman's waist and her chin resting on the redhead's shoulder. She was the only one even remotely sober and the exhaustion was kicking in. If it wasn't for the adrenaline boost she got from touching Chloe, she would be dead on her feet.

"Ummm..." Holly hesitated. She looked over at Gail for confirmation of what she should do.

"You can stay in our room, I think I can find somewhere else to crash." Chloe yawned as she leaned further back into Frankie's embrace. She could feel Frankie smile against her.

Gail watched as Holly shifted nervously. It wasn't really fair for the others to put her on the spot, especially because Gail knew that Holly would never just invade her space like that. But she wanted her to. "You should stay."

Holly looked up and Gail and held her gaze, silently asking her if she was sure. Gail gave a subtle nod.

"Well now that that's settled. I'm going to bed, come on, Muppet." Frankie took Chloe's hand and headed towards the house.

"Night guys, stay off my bed." Chloe giggled as she let Frankie pull her through the front door.

"Night." Holly called out to them, but Gail remained silent as she just took in the sight of the brunette. It was dark out, but the way the moonlight danced along the small exposure of Holly's skin made it impossible for Gail not to want to touch it.

Holly's lips quirked up as she looked at the blonde, "Hey."

"Hey."

This time Gail gave Holly the greeting she wanted to as pulled the brunette into a hard kiss. Her hands tangled in the thick, dark locks while Holly's moved to her back to pull her closer. Their lips moved together greedily until they ran out of oxygen. They pulled back and their breaths came out in foggy pants but neither girl was willing to let go completely. "I've been waiting all night to do that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Come on Lunchbox, take me to bed."

It was impossible for them not to touch making the trek up the porch, through the hallway, and up the stairs take about twice as long as it should've. Their kisses were sloppy and slightly uncoordinated as they stumbled their way into the blonde's room. The alcohol was making it a bit harder to stay balanced and unfortunately for them they were a little overzealous in their excitement. While Gail thought she was being smooth in trying to rid both herself and Holly of their clothes, the tequila got the best of her as she tripped over her own boots sending them both crashing to the floor and effectively killing the mood in a fit of laughter.

"That was really smooth, Danger." Holly gasped between giggles as she tried to shift her weight off of the blonde.

"Not one of my finer moments." Gail grumbled, the floor hadn't hurt as much as it should've and that's when the drinks Gail had consumed finally hit her fully as the room started to spin a little faster. "I think I might be a little drunk, Nerd."

"You're not the only one. Maybe we should save this for another time and just get to bed. Unless you're enjoying the floor."

"I'm enjoying you on top of me."

"You won't be saying that when you see the bruises in the morning."

"Spoilsport."

Holly finally managed to get herself up and with some effort brought the blonde to her feet as well. "We have plenty of time."

Gail pouted but Holly just laughed and kissed her cheek. "Come on, I have to be up for the lab in a few hours and you're working a double."

"Fine," Gail groaned but she grabbed some comfy clothes for Holly and went to the bathroom to find her a toothbrush.

When Holly got back to the room, she hesitated again.

"What's wrong, Holly?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong. It's just...I know that Chloe and Frankie volunteered for me to stay here but I don't want you to feel like I have to. I can go back to my place or sleep on the couch or in Chloe's bed or something."

"I'm pretty sure the Princess said to stay away from her bed," Gail joked but she knew what Holly was doing. She was trying to give her her space, considering the twin bed was going to make it impossible not to touch during the night. But for once, Gail really wasn't afraid of going to sleep, not as long as she had Holly beside her. "But I think I'll be okay. Come keep me company, Lunchbox."

Holly smiled softly and climbed into the bed, tucking herself against the wall so that Gail could face the door. Gail couldn't stop the wide smile from overtaking her features at how much care even drunk Holly put into the way she treated her. Gail finished getting ready and climbed into the bed too.

Finally hitting the mattress let both of their exhaustions hit them in full. So after only a brief goodnight kiss the two girls settled down together. Both girls were turned on their sides facing one another leaving only a small gap between them.

Holly was almost asleep when she heard Gail's voice start softly speaking.

"I don't like it."

"Hmm..." Holly tried to push the muddiness of alcohol and almost-sleep out of her head, "Don't like what?"

"Going on dates with other people. You're the only person I like dating, Lunchbox. I don't like people." Gail continued through yawns. She didn't know why she felt the impulse to say the words but it was like she needed to clear the air.

One side of Holly's mouth pulled up higher than the other as she smiled, "You're the only person I like dating too, Danger."

"Okay." Gail sighed before reaching out to touch Holly's hand, which was resting between them. She turned over and pulled Holly's arm with her. "Goodnight, Holly."

"Sweet dreams, Gail." Holly softly whispered into the blonde's ear before letting herself drift off completely.

---

The rest of the weekend had gone by in a blur. The two girls had awoken to Holly's alarm and a too bright sun that Saturday morning, still wrapped up in each other's embrace. Unfortunately for them, their hangovers made it impossible to do more than to barely drag themselves up to grab breakfast on the way to Holly's shift. Gail had once again stolen Frankie's car to give the brunette a ride so that she could make it on time. Between Holly's shifts at the lab and Gail's hours at the Penny it had been impossible for them to see each other again until it was time for the clinic on Tuesday.

"Hey Lunchbox, did you miss me?" Gail brightly greeted the brunette after her classes.

"Always." Holly replied as she leaned across the center console to press a quick kiss to Gail's cheek but the blonde turned at the last second and stole a kiss on the lips instead.

When the brunette pulled back she was smiling brightly and couldn't stop staring at the blonde beside her.

"The car's not going to drive itself." Gail teased, causing Holly to laugh as she put the car in drive. The two girls talked more about their weekends as they made their way across the busy streets of Toronto. But the closer they got to the destination the quieter the driver became until it was only Gail holding up the conversation. The blonde didn't seem to notice as she told Holly a story about one of the customers she had to deal with at the bar.

After Holly parked the car, she made no move to get out. Gail didn't notice at first as she gathered her things for the clinic. But when she realized that she had gotten out of the car alone she popped her head back in through the open door. She glanced over at the driver who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Ready?" Gail asked, trying to draw the med student's attention.

"I guess." Holly sighed. She had a bad feeling about the day but it was her responsibility to work the clinic.

"What's up?" Gail asked when she noticed the brunette's sudden lackluster appearance. Normally, Holly was just as happy as she was to work together. Tuesdays was the only day of the week that they knew they would see each other. And it had definitely become a highlight. At least for Gail.

"Nothing, I just hope I'm not working with Dr. Santana today. I don't know why they keep sticking me with him, he hates students." The difference between the doctor and those like Dr. Torres at the lab was startling. While Dr. Torres would pimp the shit out of Holly, constantly asking her questions that as a first-year she couldn't possibly know it was never done out of malice. The doctor would either give Holly the chance to look up the answer later or would point her in the direction of new resources to learn from. When Holly would return with the correct answer or new information, the pride would be evident in the woman's eyes and she would fill Holly's brain with even more information. She loved it. It was the kind of learning experience that was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating, but working with Dr. Santana was the polar opposite, despite knowing the man's reputation for being able to make or break people's careers. She was ignored, belittled, and perhaps even more frustrating for Holly, she was given information that was just plain wrong and told to accept it. But as a first-year, what was she supposed to do? So before every shift she just hoped she would get to work with the other doctors.

"Want me to teach you some names you can call him in at least four languages I'm sure he doesn't know?"

Holly laughed, brightening considerably when she saw the wicked look in the blue eyes. "Tempting as that is, I think he might catch on."

"Well the offer stands, so does dinner after. My treat." Gail winked at Holly before opening the door to the clinic, gallantly.

"Let's hope we get to work together this time, so I don't have to wait until dinner to see you." Holly was rewarded with one of Gail's wide grins, the bright flash of perfect, pearly white teeth that indicated genuine happiness. It made the start of her shift that much better.

Unfortunately for the med student she was working with everyone's least favorite doctor. The shift was going painfully slowly and she hadn't even had any patients in common with Gail. The blonde had been working with one of the other doctors in the practice.

It was over an hour in, and Holly had already been called incompetent twice by the Attending, when she checked the name of the next patient on her list and recognized it as a frequent flyer. She tried to shake off the animosity she was feeling towards her superior that day, schooling her features with a pleasant smile.

"Hey Robbie." Holly greeted the young teen seated on the examination table. He was all limbs that he was still growing into, but he held himself tightly as if to take up as little room as possible.

"Hi Holly." The boy greeted although he didn't look up from the ground.

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

He glanced nervously at his father who was seated in a corner of the room. The man's hand gripped his cane tighter. The boy's eyes fixed on the painting behind Holly, but he still didn't look her in the eye. "Yeah, I'm kind of clumsy."

Holly felt a weird tension in the room. It crawled up her spine but she tried to ignore it. "What hurts this time?"

"Umm my arm." The boy's left arm was being held across his body by his right.

"Did something happen to injure it?"

"He was being a hooligan." Mr. Robbins spat out the words in the direction of his son.

"Ummm...yeah...football." The boy muttered.

Holly glanced between the two and felt the tension grow thicker. She didn't like the way Robbie's father was glaring at his son but as a parent he could stay with the minor, although Holly made a mental note to have the doctor ask the man to step out so they could speak to Robbie alone. She went through all the standard questions about the injury and the pain, but the answers were all provided by the domineering father. She moved on to the other questions about Robbie's medical and surgical history, medications, and allergies before asking him the standard social questions. Those were the ones that she really didn't want the father in for but when she asked him to step outside as part of standard procedure he had belligerently refused. So she asked Robbie the questions about smoking, drinking, drugs, sex, and about school/bullying. She needed to ask if he felt safe at home but she would never get an answer with the father present.

"Okay Robbie. Do think you can take off the shirt and put on this gown so I can take a look at your arm before I go talk to Dr. Santana."

The boy glanced nervously at his father again. "Do I have to?"

"Well the doctor is going to need to examine you as well. We're going to need to see your arm." The boy was wearing a sweatshirt, probably over a long sleeve considering the weather and there was no way they would be able to do the exam through all the layers.

The boy continued to hesitate but Holly remained patient and understanding, keeping her voice as placating as possible. "Can you at least take off the sweatshirt?"

The man on the side gave a slight nod and Robbie went to take off his sweatshirt. Holly could hear his whimpers of pain as he moved his arm.

"Need some help?" She offered remaining close in case the patient needed her but not close enough to invade his personal space.

"No," came out the strangled reply. The boy struggled with the garment and as it was finally lifted over his head, his undershirt lifted with it.

Holly saw the quick flash of an array of purples and blues, before the shirt was hastily pulled down again. Robbie looked at her with pure panic written across his face and she could feel his father's eyes fixated on her reaction. She tried not to let the fear she felt show. There were knots forming in her stomach as the picture became clear. She had to finish the exam as quickly as possible and tell the doctor that this was a case of potential abuse. They would need to get a social worker and possibly the police involved if her suspicions were confirmed, but all the textbook signs were there.

She examined the arm, trying not to move it too much and cause more pain before she hastily left the room with promises that she would return with the doctor soon. As soon as she was out of the room, Holly made a beeline for the nurse's station. She found Eva and asked for the boy's chart to see if there were any other similar circumstances.

"Sorry, Holly, the only person who has access to it is Dr. Santana since he keeps it in his office. The Robbins are big donors to the clinic, so he says it's to protect their privacy." But the tone Eva used indicated that she didn't really believe that.

Holly was confused. "I thought everything is on the computer?"

"Only some of Dr. Santana's files have been transferred over. It's been a slow process. Though if you look on the computer there may be copies of his old x-rays from the radiologists. Those are in the other system."

Holly nodded as the nurse walked away, leaving the computer available for Holly's use. She pulled up file after file of images. This young boy already had a lifetime of broken bones: an improperly healed orbital bone, his clavicle had been broken, both scaphoid bones, and now it looked like his humerus from the way the boy was holding his arm. He wasn't even close to being fully grown yet and his bones resembled a jigsaw puzzle. By the time she was done she caught sight of the senior doctor.

"Dr. Santana, sir, I think we need to call youth services."

"Why?" The man gruffly replied, still making notes for the previous patient and barely acknowledging the student next to him.

"This is Robbie's third visit this year for an injury consistent with a broken bone. The way the bone looks, sir, I don't think it matches his story. I also saw bruises on his abdomen when his shirt was raised."

The man finally stopped what he was doing and leveled the young student with a serious look. "What are you implying?"

"Sir, I'm concerned Robbie may be a victim of abuse or of bullying at school. I think someone inflicted those injuries on him."

"Do you understand what you're saying? I have known the Robbins family since before Robbie was born and you have the audacity to accuse them of child abuse."

"I'm just letting you know my concerns. It's suspicious, sir."

"That's enough, Miss..." He glanced at her nametag. "Stewart. You are not a doctor and at this rate, I'll make sure you never become one."

"But sir..."

He held up a hand. "You're dismissed. Go home and I'll be contacting the school about your inappropriateness."

Holly knew better than to argue with the man regarding her dismissal. She wasn't sure what she should do next but she had to get out of the clinic before things got worse. She was grabbing her stuff when she saw that the images were still open on the computer. After checking that Santana was in the room with the patient she grabbed the seat in front of the computer again.

Gail came out of one of the rooms as Holly was grabbing something and stuffing it in her bag as she hurriedly gathered her things. "Hey are you okay?"

"I have to leave." Holly replied distractedly, her mind still on the encounter that just happened and on getting the hell out of dodge.

Gail took a look at her watch. "Shift's not over for another thirty minutes. What's wrong?"

"Dr. Santana dismissed me. I have to get out of here before he sees me."

"Alright, just hold on a sec and I'll go with you."

"No, it's okay, I'll just wait in the car." Holly took off as quickly as she could, she needed to get out of there and think.

Gail watched as the brunette essentially sprinted from the building. She didn't know what was wrong but clearly something had happened. She turned around and found the nurse seated back at her station.

"Hey, Eva. Anyone else need me for today?"

The nurse checked the schedule and no one was on it that they were sure would need an interpreter. "I don't think so. Is everything okay?"

"I have no idea." Gail replied honestly, before making sure she had all her stuff before heading out to the parking lot.

When she got out there, she found Holly sitting in the driver's seat staring out the windshield at nothing in particular. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

Holly didn't say anything but started up the car. The drive was quiet and tense, until Gail attempted to break the silence. "So I promised you some food, we can grab whatever you want and you can tell me about what happened back at the clinic." No response. "Or not."

Gail studied the driver who seemed to be concentrating too hard on the road. She could practically hear Holly's thoughts bouncing off the walls of the small tin can they were in. Unfortunately, she couldn't make out what they were saying. "You know that you can talk to me, right Hols?"

Holly finally cleared her throat but she still didn't look in Gail's direction. "Is it ok if I just drop you off? I have some a lot of stuff I need to do."

Gail was hurt by the sudden brush off but it was obvious that Holly was upset about something. She decided not to push. "Yeah, sure Holly. Whatever you want."

---

Gail was walking up to the now familiar door when she nearly tripped over a vase with her eyes fixed on her phone as she sent off another text to Holly, all of her previous ones remaining unanswered. It wasn't like Holly to ignore her texts. The brunette should've been out of the class hours ago but she hadn't gotten a response to any of her messages about grabbing dinner or studying together. After whatever had happened at the clinic Gail was still worried about the brunette and wanted to see her before her shift. Yes, she was becoming that much a sap (and yes it grossed her out too). She had offered to bring stuff over, knowing that the med student would want to study after not having time that afternoon. But Holly never ignored her like this, even if Gail did.

Tucking the device back in her pocket, she picked up the flowers that had been blocking her path, and went to knock. Before her raised fist could connect the door swung open. She was surprised to face the tall redhead from Friday, though it wasn't nearly as shocking as the shotgun had been.

"Hey Haughtpants. What're you doing here?"

Nicole glanced at the flowers in Gail's hands and then back at Waverly who was standing just inside the foyer.

"I was just going." She headed out the front door past Gail, giving a curt nod before she turned back to see Waverly. "Call me later."

Gail smirked at her classmate once the other girl was gone, "I thought you were dating a boy-man."

"Actually, I am a happily single Virgo with hair for days." Waverly brushed her long locks over her shoulders for added emphasis.

"What happened to that Chump guy?"

"His name was Champ and we broke up. Where have you been?"

Gail made a face letting Waverly know that it was idiotic to think she actually gave a damn about other people's relationships. "I just saw you this weekend."

"Well, shit happens."

"Clearly. So you and the jock?"

"Are just friends. Turns out we're both in Professor Washington's Woman in the Justice System class."

"Why are you in that class?"

"Because it covers like four of my liberal learning requirements." Waverly explained. She caught sight of the arrangement in Gail's hand. She nodded in their direction, "You didn't have to bring me flowers. I'm flattered and all, but we should probably keep this relationship strictly professional." She had a wide, shit-eating grin.

Gail glared, "I didn't. These were sitting outside your house when I walked up. Nearly broke my neck tripping over them."

"That's weird. I wonder which sister they're for." Waverly took the yellow flowers and went to check the note attached to them. The card simply said "XOXO". "Hmm...no name. It's probably one of the other girls' boyfriends."

"Not yours? Could be from Chimp."

Waverly made a face at the second name the blonde had called her ex, funny though it was. "Please, Champ didn't give me flowers while we were dating. His big idea of a compliment was to ask how someone so pretty could be so smart."

"Those aren't mutually exclusive."

"Tell me about it."

The petite brunette sashayed to a nearby table and left the flowers there. Gail stared at them a bit longer. She had a weird feeling about the nameless note. She was brought out of her thoughts by Waverly cheerfully reminding her of their project. So she ignored the feeling and focused on the presentation that was due at the next class.

---

Gail froze when she saw a dark figure seated on the porch outside her door.

"Holly?"

The brunette looked up and gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"How long have you been out here?" Gail asked as she hugged her jacket a little tighter. It was cold out and the tip of Holly's nose and ears were pink.

Holly shrugged. She had been sitting there for a while but she had no idea how long. She couldn't even guess. She had gone for a walk. She wanted to get away from her roommates and some fresh air trying to clear her head but had ended in front of the blonde's house. She had contemplated knocking or texting Frankie to let her in but had decided against it, instead choosing to sit on the front porch for a little while first. Time had escaped her.

Gail climbed the steps and leaned against the porch railing so that she was situated in front of the med student. "Doorbell works. The other girls even know how to use a doorknob. Someone could've let you in."

Holly laughed a little but the sound was hollow.

Gail was growing more concerned by the minute because this wasn't like Holly at all. She had never seen her look so despondent. "Do you want to come in?"

Holly nodded and stood before following the shorter girl into her house. After kicking off their shoes, they went straight up to Gail's room where they would have more privacy and not risk running into anyone else.

"So what's going on? What happened? You were fine before the clinic yester-"

Holly didn't let her finish the sentence as she captured Gail's lips in a hurried kiss and pressed the blonde back into the closed bedroom door. It was impulsive and slightly frantic as her lips moved quickly against Gail's, her hands moving to grip tightly at the other girl's clothes before slipping below her shirt where her frozen hands met warm flesh.

A gasp from Gail separated their lips and Holly immediately moved hers to the now extended neck of the blonde, whose head slammed back against the door. Holly's body moved flush against Gail's and Gail could admit that she got a little lost in the sensations. Holly slipped a thigh between Gail's legs.

"Holly..." Gail groaned. She needed to get the brunette's attention but, well, she was distracted.

"Holly..." She tried again, but Holly's lips were moving lower and she was struggling to remember the English language.

When Holly's nimble fingers made their way to the button of Gail's jeans, she knew she needed to stop them. "Whoa, Holly, wait, what are we doing?"

But Holly moved back to Gail's lips to stop them from talking. Gail let the kiss go on for longer than she should've until she finally pulled away breathlessly, "What's the rush?"

"I want you." Holly mumbled, lunging back in for another liplock.

But Gail pushed her back slightly, "I want you too, but what's going on? This isn't like you."

The words seemed to register and Holly pulled back completely, she seemed almost surprised by her own actions and dragged her hands through her hair in frustration. She had no idea what she was doing. "I should go," Holly grabbed her jacket that had been discarded on the floor in her haste to take Gail to bed.

Gail pushed off the door and moved closer to Holly in the center of the room. She could see the brunette was in obvious distress but she had no idea why. "You don't have to. We can talk."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here. Not like this. I'm just...I'm sorry." Holly barely got the words out as tears threatened to escape; she hurried out of the room.

Gail was stuck rooted to the spot, unable to wrap her head around what just happened.

---

A/N: Alright Gail your girl's in trouble, whatcha gonna do now? Let me know what you all thought of the chapter, I love hearing your thoughts...