7. Text Me

As requested, Cosima texted Delphine when she made it to her destination.

Message (1)

Unknown number: hey…arrived, I have :P

Delphine knew who it was, though she didn't understand the odd syntax. She replied simply.

DC: ….?

Unknown number: uhhhhhhh your new bestie? Is this not French toast? Did Mademoiselle Crêpe give me a fake number?

DC: Hello Cosima ;)

Why did she send a wink? Cosima is going to be put off by that, merde. She saved the number.

Cosima: I thought you should know that you are saved in my phone as 'French Toast'

DC: :) I wasn't clever enough to come up with an alias for you.

Cosima: you suck

DC: My apologies. Did she like your surprise?

Delphine could never get herself to say 'girlfriend' or ask her even name so she could just refer to her by that. It made her uncomfortable, like she was living a sensible lie and the word 'girlfriend' was the mallet of truth that would shatter it all. In a way, it was true.

Cosima: yeah she seemed excited. She's making me meet all her new friends next week and im not really looking forward to it.

DC: What, you don't like meeting strangers? ;)

Cosima: when it's on my own volition! Or when nature forces happenings….

Delphine couldn't tell if it was flirtatious or not. What did it matter, though? She was the one being flirtatious first. Why all the winking and smiley faces? She had to admit, it was a thrill every time she sent a message or heard the chime that her phone made when she received one. She'd never experienced that before, she noted.

They texted until Delphine ended up falling asleep, close to two in the morning, under a single blanket, still clothed from the day, cellphone on the mattress next to her ear.

Around 8:45 a.m. is when Delphine finally woke up. She didn't feel great after sleeping in her day clothes and on top of her covers. She noticed, then, that her bed was perfectly made, which she didn't remember doing yesterday. Cosima must have done it while Delphine was showering. She felt bad for only noticing now.

Cosima!

Delphine quickly grabbed her cell phone, which had fallen on the floor while she slept. Her lock screen informed her of seven new text messages.

Cosima (6)

Scott (1)

She opened the message from Scott first, thinking it would be simpler. It was. He just asked if she would be joining Monday/Wednesday labs or Tuesday/Friday labs during the summer session. She told him she wasn't sure yet, and then went straight to Cosima's messages, not wanting to think about school just yet.

Cosima:

-Not really but you should totally come. Then I wouldn't be the only one who doesn't know anybody.

-Also send a picture of yourself

-For my contacts! Not for some weird reason or whatever…just a picture for contacts

-Actually like you don't have to…it could just be like your foot or something if you don't like sending face pictures….

-But not a foot fetish thing! Holy shit im like a genius at being awkward and creepy…im sorry.

-Jesus now you like are so creeped out you don't want to talk anymore and im not making it better by just text bombing you …holy shit this is like a thought out message and im still rambling…its late..im sorry friend..ignore me…which you're already doing..shit I just need to stop now….I'm going to send this…

Delphine didn't notice the grin that crept its way up her cheeks as she scrolled through Cosima's rambling, or the lip that slipped between her teeth. The liked waking up to a flurry of messages from Cosima. With Scott it was a little less than annoying, but with Cosima…

She quickly texted back.

DC: Good morning mon amie. Sorry, I fell asleep. Who knew you could ramble over text? Have you heard of the backspace button?

She didn't have to wait long for a response. It came so quickly, in fact, she didn't even get the chance to get all the way out of bed. She laid back down and opened her messages again.

Cosima: Mornin gorgeous. It's all good …I get stupid at night sometimes. Last night was one of those times..lol. what are you doing today?

DC: I didn't really have anything planned. I don't really do much… What about you?

Cosima: ughh sight-seeing. Totally not down for that. Im being taken against my will man. I wish you could come..

DC: It's awful outside. You are going to walk around in the rain?

Cosima: car.

Delphine was glad that Cosima wasn't really referring to her girlfriend either. Maybe she didn't want to leave the fantasy world that only held the two of them just as much as Delphine. They texted until Cosima had to go, promising to text later. Delphine wasn't pleased with the lack of contact but knowing she would hear from her again helped. She ignored the fact that she was becoming a little too obsessive.

The day went by very slowly for Delphine and she felt a bit lost. She didn't know what to do with herself. What did she normally do when she was alone? She couldn't think of anything. Anything besides Cosima, that is.

She ended up putting Hallmark on while she went over some assigned articles on her laptop. Her attention was in a hazy area between Hallmark, laptop, and Cosima. She could never fully attend to one thing, only because the thing she wanted to attend to, what was pulling at her the most, was Cosima and she had to stop this fixation. So, she was in a hazy area between Hallmark, laptop, and Cosima.

Just when Delphine was thinking about going to bed early, she heard her text tone. She felt a massive wash of relief for some reason, along with giddiness before even opened the message.

She and Cosima texted throughout the evening, Delphine remembered to change out of her daytime clothes this time. She crawled under her covers, plugged her phone in, and stared at her bright screen while the sky darkened. She fell asleep again, but this time, after a long period of no reply, Cosima simply sent "goodnight Delphine".

They spent the next three days doing the same thing. Delphine noticed that, in the morning when Cosima replied to her, she would read it in Cosima's morning voice, raspy and slurred. She wondered what Cosima was doing while they texted.

She was probably laying in bed with her girlfriend. Why is that so bothersome? Delphine had become possessive and she knew it wasn't right because she had only known Cosima for a few days, whereas this other woman had known her for years. Known her intimately. But for years she mistreated her, too.

Spring break was almost over, and Delphine was glad to have some activity to look forward to besides moping. She exited her shower and saw two missed calls on her phone, both from Cosima, along with several texts.

Cosima:

-hey can I call? For once im alone…she went out somewhere or something idk…anyway…call?

-Eh I tried…youre probably busy and im just being annoying af.

-I just wanted to know if you decided to come tomorrow night? Drink dance socialize and hang out with ME. This is a great deal.

-She's back so like..dont decide to randomly call back now :) …text me tho dammit.

Delphine would typically be smiling idiotically after reading the texts, but she was actually feeling quite nervous. Cosima invited her to a get-together on Saturday night that her girlfriend was "dragging" her to. She was supposed to be meeting a group of her 'wilder' friends at a club, saving her 'quieter' friends for Monday when the bars and clubs weren't as active. Delphine was glad she had school on Monday – an excuse to decline if offered.

She wanted to see Cosima, though. But she wouldn't know what to wear to a club? And she didn't particularly want to actually meet the significant other. She texted back weakly.

DC: I don't think I have anything appropriate to wear to a club…

Cosima: ok…first of all, shut up. That's an awful excuse ;). Please youd be doing me a solid, I'd owe you one. I like clubs and dancing and shit but these people aren't really my crowd and they scare the shit out of me. :(

DC: wouldn't you get in trouble or something? Your gf might not like it.

Delphine knew that was probably a part of it, but she mostly just didn't think she could stand the sight of some other stranger all over Cosima, touching, kissing. She wouldn't be a stranger, though, and it wouldn't be wrong of Cosima's girlfriend to touch her.

Cosima: uh don't worry she probably wont even notice youre there. She probably wont notice that im there after the first like ten minutes.

Delphine was saddened by Cosima's explanation. Now she felt like she really had to go, for Cosima's sake. She was already mad at someone she didn't even know. She replied with an assertiveness she wasn't aware she possessed.

DC: Come over sometime to tell me what to wear. And don't make me dance…

Cosima: I'll be there in a couple minutes :)…and dude it's a club..why don't you want to dance?

DC: trust me, you don't want me to dance either.

Cosima was knocking on Delphine's apartment door about twenty minutes later. Delphine thought it was odd considering she never buzzed her into the main entrance. When she opened it, she saw a soaking wet Cosima, shivering. She looked very similar to when they first met, only a week ago.

"Hi," she said through chattering teeth.

Delphine pulled her inside by her sleeve, chuckling at the sight, "Why...just why?"

"I was kind of near here, I mean, not really, but just chilling at a cool novelty shop and so I walked over 'cause I didn't really have anything else to do".

"I thought you were spending the day with…uh…your…" Delphine couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. Why was she so sensitive to this? Cosima's relationship is none of her business.

Cosima saved her by just continuing, "Yeah, we were hanging out at that shop thing and she got a phone call and was just talking forever. So, I nudged her, and she said to wait there, then went back to talking and walked away. I figured she was going to the bathroom or something, I don't know, but when I looked outside, her car wasn't there…so…now I'm here".

Delphine was giving her a look. She didn't know how to explain the emotions that were in her expression, but the blond felt angry, sad, sympathetic, and frustrated with Cosima. She shouldn't be with that girl. All she could do was shake her head and hold Cosima's face with her hands covering her ears, warming the frozen skin. She did it automatically, like she just knew that she should be thawing her ears and cheeks with her warm hands. "Cosima…"

"Okay let's just have a look at your wardrobe. See what we can work with," she redirected, gesturing for Delphine to lead the way.

"I don't think there's really much to–"

"Nonsense!" Cosima interrupted as they entered the bedroom, "If there is literally nothing we can always just go buy something. I'm loaded, you know".

"Oh, are you now?" Delphine smirked, her sarcasm was obvious, but she wasn't sure if Cosima was joking or not.

"Ha! No. I'm broke," Cosima started sifting through hangers, looking over tops, "I really need to get a job". Delphine hummed in response, awkwardly moving back to sit on the end of her bed, watching Cosima work. "Dude, you totally have stuff that would work. Here," she threw a silky, dark red, sleeveless top to the bed next to her. Delphine looked it over, not completely recognizing it. "Do you have leggings or skinny jeans or maybe black leather pants with studs on the seams and gang signs on the pockets?"

Delphine almost choked on the air she was breathing, "What!? No…"

Cosima erupted in giggles, "Oh my gosh. Painfully innocent." Delphine knew she was kidding, but she wasn't going to stand for it. In one swift movement, Delphine pulled Cosima to the bed by her wrist, pinned her down, and started tickling her weakest spots before Cosima could stop her like last time. She squirmed and struggled to breath through her laughter. Delphine thought that maybe she liked Cosima laughing the best.

Cosima whisper-screamed through her gasping, "Mercy!"

Delphine finished getting ready for bed, nervous about tomorrow. She wanted Cosima to stay the night again, but she wouldn't dare ask. Should it matter though? If they were just friends, then her girlfriend shouldn't have anything to worry about.

She knew these were all lame arguments, but she couldn't settle her mind about it. She crawled under her covers and tried to calm her thoughts. She was not looking forward to meeting Cosima's girlfriend. Solidifying the fact that she exists. Which was only irritating because of how poorly she treated Cosima. That was the only reason, really.