Chapter Five
''Okay, what are we thinking?''
Enid twirled in the centre of the room and then stared Wednesday down with an anxious smile and wild eyes. She was dressed in a bright teal crop top and light-wash jeans, with a pastel knit cardigan and hot-pink converse.
''Aren't colours supposed to match?'' Wednesday raised an eyebrow, giving her roommate the once over. ''And what mutated sheep did you skin alive to make that cardigan? And why didn't you ask me for help before you did it?''
Enid groaned and stomped her foot, ripping off the cardigan and throwing it back on her side of the room.
''You know, instead of just criticising all my outfits, you could actually make some suggestions.'' She said, tugging the crop top over her head.
''I have no knowledge of appropriate date attire or modern fashion. I only know that everything you've tried on so far makes me feel physically nauseous.''
''Thanks, very helpful,'' Enid muttered under her breath, staring into the gaping expanse of her half-destroyed wardrobe.
''I never once claimed to be in the business of being helpful.''
''All right, I'm running out of time. What do you think of this one?'' Enid huffed.
Wednesday looked back up to see her shimming her way into a skin-tight red dress. She held up a pair of plain black kitten heels and scrunched-up stockings, which Wednesday could just make out were studded with hearts.
''In the interest of getting you to your show before the half-time intermission, I'll say this. I appreciate the single colour and black accessories, and while the hearts are an entirely unnecessary addition, they are very you''.
''I'll take it.'' Enid declared, sitting on the edge of her bed to pull the stockings on her legs.
''So… how long exactly does this show go for?'' Wednesday enquired, trying to keep her voice light and casual. As soon as she caught the smirk on Enid's face, she knew she wasn't fooling her.
''Oh, about two hours, give or take.'' Enid hummed, slipping on the heels. ''And then we'll probably get ice cream or something afterwards. Why's that? Is someone looking for a little bit of alone time with my boyfriend's roommate?''
''Someone just wants to know how much uninterrupted writing time she can count on.'' Wednesday snarled.
''Uh-huh, I'm sure.''
''And I'm sure you're already late.''
''It's called being fashionably late, Wednesday,'' Enid said as she swung her purse over her shoulder. ''All right, I'll be back sometime around 11. Don't have too much fun without me.''
Wednesday waited a full thirty minutes after the door closed behind her roommate before she headed into the commons of Ophelia Hall. It was partially just waiting for Ajax and Enid to be really gone, and not to interrupt them by coming back for something they forgot, and it was partially her wanting to spend at least a little time writing first just so Enid wasn't completely right.
In the corner of the common room, a towering stack of board games that threaten to topple over at any given second rose from an old wooden desk. Wednesday dragged a chair to the desk and climbed on top of it, scouring the collection until she found Cluedo, about six notches from the top. She yanked it free and jumped from the chair, just in time to avoid the avalanche of boxes that came crashing down after her, creating an explosion of tiny metal tokens and colourful fake money. She calmly stepped over the mess and carried her game out of Ophelia Hall and across the quad, towards Xavier's dormitory.
She arrived at Xavier's door and pulled the handle, intending on simply letting herself in. The handle resisted, and Wednesday rattled it a few more times, but to no avail.
''Xavier?'' She called out, banging open palmed on the door. ''Are you in there? Why is this locked?''
Wednesday swore she heard muttered cursing, followed by the very heavy sound of feet hitting the floor. When Xavier's voice came, he sounded breathless and panicked.
''Just a second!"
Wednesday frowned and looked up and down the hallway. She figured most of the students were tucked away in their dorms, or else they were spending their evening at some mundane social event. Either way, they were alone in the hall.
The sound of shuffling and scrambling came from within the room and then the door was flung open. Xavier's cheeks were flushed, his fringe was matted and stuck to his forehead, and he was doing a terrible job of hiding the fact that he was out of breath.
''Hey.''
''Were you just masturbating?'' Wednesday blinked.
''Jesus, Wednesday!'' Xavier cried. The glow in his cheeks deepened to a full crimson blush as he leant half out the door and darted his head from left to right.
''Don't worry, there's no one here,'' Wednesday assured him. Somewhat awkwardly, she held up the board game, giving him an almost smile. ''I was wondering if… since Ajax is out, I thought we could…''
''Oh, oh yeah.'' Xavier brushed the hair out of his face and side-stepped, clumsily gesturing to the room behind him. ''Come in.''
Wednesday followed him inside and took a seat on the floor as he shut the door behind them. She began unpacking the game, meticulously setting out the board and the various colour-coded game pieces.
''Jeez, I haven't played Cluedo in years,'' Xavier said, coming to join Wednesday on the floor. It might have just been the jeans he was wearing, but Wednesday could have sworn she saw him wince as he sat.
''It's my favourite.'' She said, shuffling the deck of cards. ''And I'm very good at it.''
''Yeah, murder mystery, that tracks.'' Xavier chuckled.
He shuffled on the floor, readjusting the way he was sitting, and then shuffled again. Wednesday watched him curiously, half peering up through her bangs, as she turned the cards over in her palm. Was it just the nervous energy that was making it difficult for him to sit still, or something else?
''Did you get to finish?'' She asked evenly, dividing the cards into three piles. One for her, one for Xavier, one for the pool.
''What?''
''Masturbating.'' Wednesday clarified. ''Did you get to finish masturbating?''
She fanned open her hand of cards and began ticking items off her list with one of the cheap, half-dead pens from the box. When she looked back up, Xavier's mouth was open, and his face was coloured scarlet.
''Wednesday!'' He exclaimed, but it came out as more of a high-pitched squeak.
''From my understanding, it can be rather uncomfortable for boys if they don't get to finish. I can come back in fifteen minutes if you'd like.''
''I'm fine,'' Xavier murmured, staring intently at the dining room on the board game. He shifted his position once more, now seeming unable to look Wednesday right in the eyes.
For a few moments, there was only the rhythmic scratching of pen against paper, as both she and Xavier worked to finish marking the items on their cards off their suspect lists. When she was finished, Wednesday gently set her list face down on the floor and stared down the boy who still wasn't looking at her.
''What do you think about?''
''What?'' Xavier's head shot up.
''While you're masturbating. Do you watch porn?''
''Wednesday! You can't ask questions like that!''
Xavier's entire body had stiffened, and he'd pulled his knees to his chest, as though he could simply sink into himself and disappear. The corner of Wednesday's mouth turned upwards – she was enjoying this.
''Well, do you?''
''No, I don't.'' Xavier huffed, forcefully slamming down the Mustard game chip on the START HERE square.
Wednesday gave him a minute to catch his breath, to let the heat in his face subside ever so slightly before she asked her next question. It was almost more fun that way, luring him into a false sense of security, letting him think the assault was over, and then going back in for another round.
''Do you think about me?''
''Oh my god.'' Xavier groaned, dropping his head forward. Wednesday resisted the urge to laugh, but barely.
''Answer the question.''
Xavier tilted his head back, opting to look at the ceiling instead of his opponent. When he spoke, it was barely audible, nothing more than a deeply muted mumble.
''Maybe.''
Wednesday studied him for a moment, trying to work up the confidence to do what she wanted to do. With a deep breath in and a sudden surge of adrenaline, she dropped her cards and leaned over the board game, catching his mouth in hers.
Xavier responded immediately. She heard the splatter as his own cards hit the ground in favour of taking her face in his hands, pulling her in. They stayed like that for a few minutes, Wednesday on all fours, slowly demolishing her perfectly assembled game with her knees, kissing slowly, but fervently. This time, Wednesday was certain what they were doing was making out, particularly as she had done some more research since their kiss on the paintball field.
Wednesday stood, breaking the kiss suddenly, and offered Xavier her hand. There was a mutual, unspoken understanding that they were no longer playing Cluedo, as she dropped herself onto his bed and pulled him down with her.
''Wednesday,'' He whispered, trailing kisses along her jawline. Her eyes fluttered open, and the intensity of staring straight into his was uncomfortable, but not unpleasant. ''I… I didn't.''
''What?''
''I didn't… get to finish.''
''Oh…'' Wednesday exhaled heavily. She closed her eyes again, just long enough to try and muster up some of that unexpected courage that had hit her moments earlier. With considerably less confidence, she opened them again, and said ''can I help?''
A strangled noise came from the back of Xavier's throat, and his face contorted in a way that looked almost painful, though Wednesday had a distinct feeling it was actually a good thing.
''Yes.''
Xavier rolled over and Wednesday moved with him so that he was lying underneath her. She straddled him, one knee on either side of his hips, gently perched on top of his thighs. With hands she quietly hoped Xavier hadn't realised were trembling, she reached for the zipper on his jeans and pulled them open. Then she froze.
There were few things Wednesday despised more than being forced to learn in the presence of others. She mastered skills privately, practising and refining behind closed doors until she was nothing short of perfect, and only then would she allow herself to display them publicly. Learning was clumsy and full of mistakes, and Wednesday didn't make mistakes where other people would see them.
Unfortunately, when it came to delivering sexual pleasure, Wednesday wasn't sure there was any way to fully master it on your own. Still, if she'd known ahead of time she was going to find herself in this position, she could have at least tried. The internet had to be good for something, surely.
''You know, you don't have to.'' Xavier shuffled beneath her, sensing her hesitation. ''We don't have to do this if you're not sure.''
''I am, I just…'' Wednesday fiddled with the edge of his t-shirt, delaying the removal of his boxers. ''I don't really know what I'm doing. Can you show me?''
Xavier nodded and reached up to brush a strand of hair out of Wednesday's eyes. There was a level of warmth and gentleness in the gesture that Wednesday would usually despise, but somehow, in one of her more vulnerable moments, it made her feel safe.
With a renewed sense of confidence, she hooked her index fingers inside the waistband of his boxers and tugged them down, just enough to free his erection.
Wednesday didn't have anything to compare Xavier to, but to her, he looked fairly well-endowed. She took a moment to indulge her curiosity, studying him carefully, adjusting his boxers so that she could get a better look at all of him. When she looked back up at his face, he gave her a self-conscious half-smile. It frustrated Wednesday to think that he was feeling insecure when there was truly no need for it, but she didn't know how to reassure him.
''Okay, what do I do?'' She rested back on her haunches, brows furrowed with determination.
''All right.'' Xavier took a deep breath in. ''Can you, uh, can you spit on your hand?''
''What?'' Wednesday screwed up her face. ''Why? That's disgusting.''
''It's just, without it, there's kind of skin-on-skin friction, like chaffing. It's uncomfortable.'' He sank against the bed, looking sheepish.
''Oh,'' She murmured, feeling a little stupid. This was why she didn't like learning things in front of people.
''We really don't have to do this.''
''No, I want to.'' Wednesday insisted. She wasn't about to chicken out now. She closed her eyes, held out her palm, and spat.
Xavier took her hand and guided it towards his erection. As her hand clasped around it, he inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. Almost as if in a trance, he began to rhythmically move her hand up and down his length.
''Is this… okay?'' She asked after a few moments. His breathing had picked up and his eyes were still contently closed, but she didn't have any real idea of if she was doing it right.
''Yes.'' He exhaled. ''Can you…can you grip a little tighter?''
''I don't want to hurt you,'' She said nervously. Thanks to a boy who had thought it was a smart idea to manhandle her in the hallways at her old school, she was well-versed in just how delicate that area was.
''You won't.'' He shook his head. ''Tighter, please.''
She tightened her grip around him and he let out a long groan of pleasure, which sparked something in her core. She was more relaxed now, enjoying the sense of power and control that came with holding Xavier's pleasure, quite literally, in the palm of her hand.
''God, that feels so good,'' Xavier muttered, throwing his head back against the pillow. He took his hand away from hers, which gave Wednesday a surge of satisfaction. She was a fast learner, and he already trusted her enough to do it on her own. ''Oh fuck, don't stop.''
Xavier's breathing became erratic, and he ran an open palm over his face, which was contorted in pleasure.
''Wednesday, I'm close.''
''What should I do?'' Wednesday's breathing hitched and she felt a slight jolt of panic. She knew what was about to happen, but she had no idea what her role in the situation was supposed to be. She'd heard whispers from girls about how you were supposed to swallow it, but she definitely wasn't ready for that yet.
''Exactly, what you're doing. It's perfect.''
A few more moments passed and Xavier began to squirm beneath her.
''Wednesday!'' He cried out. ''Oh fuck, Wednesday!''
Wednesday was mesmerised watching him as he finished onto his stomach. She gave him a moment to breathe, to come back down to Earth before she dropped onto the bed beside him and tucked herself into his side. He threw an arm around her to pull her closer, and she decided that that, just this time, she'd allow it.
''I liked hearing you moan.'' She whispered. Xavier groaned and wiped a bead of sweat away from his forehead.
''Do you, uh…'' Xavier rolled slightly onto his side, so he could look Wednesday in the eyes. ''Do you want me too… do you?''
''Do me?'' Wednesday frowned, confused.
''Pleasure you.'' He clarified, clearing his throat. ''I can…''
''Oh, no.'' Wednesday swallowed. ''I'm not… I'm not ready.''
The blatant honesty was new for Wednesday. She hoped Xavier wouldn't ask her to elaborate, but from the look in his eye, she could tell he understood. There was a whole new level of vulnerability involved in trusting someone else with her body, in allowing Xavier to explore and experiment, to be witness to her first experiences with brand new feelings. It was a level she just wasn't quite ready for.
Xavier nodded and leaned forward to plant a playful kiss on Wednesday's nose. She screwed up her face in a display of distaste, but she could tell she wasn't fooling him. She secretly enjoyed the kisses on the nose, and she had a pretty good feeling that wasn't much of a secret anymore.
''You wanna know something?'' She said, propping herself up on her elbows. She placed a series of kisses along his jawline until she reached his earlobe. Leaning all the way in, she whispered ''next time you feel the urge to masturbate, I'd like to watch.''
Xavier gave a guttural groan and threw an arm over his face.
''You're trying to kill me.''
Still buried in his neck, protected and hidden, Wednesday allowed herself to smile.
''Not yet.'' She said, biting the edge of his ear ever so softly. ''Not yet.''
I'm right into this story now, so I'm probably gonna start writing the next chapter right away. In the meantime, please keep reviewing so I hear your thoughts!