The hot water soothed Nicole's aching muscles. Nicole moaned as she moved an arm. Yesterday's workout was catching up. Nicole didn't remember being so out of shape, but at the same time, the sore muscles could maybe be chalked up to the extra hour and a half of lifting she'd done on top of basketball practice.
Nicole dried off her hair and stepped out of the shower. She wrapped one towel around her body and held the second in her hand rather than bundling up her hair in a towel cocoon. Nicole took a step towards the bathroom door before realizing that the toiletry bag in one hand and towel in the other was hampering her exit. She bent down and plopped her toiletry bag on the floor. She was about to prop open the door with one limp flip-flop when the door seemed to open on its own.
"Oh, my god!"
"Oof!" Nicole flinched back as the door smacked into her side.
"I am so, so sorry," Waverly dropped to her knees, eyes wide, apologizing profusely and grabbing hold of a falling Nicole.
Waverly could not hide her surprise when her cute, athletic roommate rushed to cover her unmentionables, towel failing to provide adequate coverage. Waverly seized up, shocked that the encounter with her roommate had already gone so wrong.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. Waverly's resolution wavered.
"It's... fine." Nicole got to her feet, groaning with the effort. An enormous knot in her thigh tightened and her leg gave out. Waverly's arms shot out to catch her.
"Are-are you sure?" Waverly helped Nicole up again, arms outstretched as if bracing for the impact of Nicole falling into her again. Waverly's panicked eyes stayed glued to Nicole.
"Um," Nicole's eyebrows furrowed quickly, unsure how to calm the distressed brunette before her. Waverly seemed frozen like a deer in headlights.
"I'm really sorry," Waverly said again. "I'll... I'll get out of your hair." Waverly pushed past Nicole, brushing against her scantily body.
Nicole's face heated up at the contact. That is very close. Oh, god.
"Hey, you're good," Nicole placed a hand on Waverly's arm. "Relax, Waverly. It's just a bump."
"Bump? Just a bump?" Waverly's incredulous tone grew in volume. "I hit you with a door, Nicole! A freaking door!" Waverly gestured wildly at the door for emphasis.
Wav-er-ly. What are you doing? Waverly could see her hands waving all over in front of Nicole's face but couldn't stop. It was like she was watching her body act on its own.
Nicole raised her eyebrows. She is really freaking out. She's freaking out so much I don't even think I have the time to freak out. Also, is she wearing perfume?
"Waverly, it's okay. I'm serious. Mistakes happen and while we really need to stop meeting in awkward situations like this." Nicole chuckled at how ridiculous each of their meetings had been so far. She couldn't believe that the brunette seemed to bring something different every time they met. She also couldn't believe this conversation had to happen while she was in a towel and very much wanted to go change as soon as possible. It was getting increasingly difficult to keep herself covered. "We're going to be stuck with each other for a whole school year so might as well stop making it weird."
"Could be a good weird," Waverly smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
"That's more like it," Nicole declared, hiding her nerves. Boy, is it getting breezy down there. "I know that we didn't get the best start, but at least we aren't on bad terms, right? Or, are we?" Nicole stared a little more intently than Waverly could handle.
Waverly stuttered, "Y-yeah, we are on good terms."Damn, her stare is, well, intense. And those eyes are pretty. Preeeetty.
"If we've cleared things up a bit, then I think I need to go put some clothes on." Nicole's smile put Waverly at ease.
Waverly moved aside to give Nicole the right of way.
"And hey, don't worry yourself with what I think of you, alright? It's nothing you should concern yourself with. My impression of you seems pretty damn good so far, even if you don't think it is." Nicole gave Waverly one last cheeky smile before disappearing into the hallway.
Waverly waved even after Nicole's bright hair left her view.
"Damn good, huh?" Waverly's smile reached from ear to ear. "Friendship seems to be on the agenda and things are going according to plan."
"Oh, my god," Nicole said to herself, hurrying down the hallway. She felt naked even though her modesty was covered by a piece of white rag. "Did I really say that to her? 'It's nothing you should concern yourself with.' Oh, god. And to say my impression of her 'seems pretty damn good?' Just... Christ."
Nicole knew what she said would be certainly charming to some, but she wasn't trying to charm anybody at the moment. Plus, did Waverly even swing that way? God, this was difficult. She probably came off clumsy and dumb. Well, maybe not as clumsy as bubbly Waverly bumbling into the showers but still clumsy.
Nicole was sure that while a friendship was sure to blossom, it was not going to come without its dips and bumps. When Nicole reached her dorm, she realized she forgot her toiletries bag in the bathroom. She'd have to retrieve it later.
Nicole sat on her bed and picked up her phone. Immediately, her phone began vibrating.
"Shae," Nicole breathed into the microphone. "Hey."
"Hey, babe."
Nicole could practically see Shae's warm and charming pearly whites through the phone.
"How are things? Are you coming yet?" Nicole rapidly fired question after question.
"Whoa, whoa," Shae chuckled on the other end. "One at a time, Nicole."
"Yeah, sorry, Shae," Nicole took a deep breath. "What's up?"
"Glad you asked, because I am actually going to be on campus within the hour."
"Seriously?" Nicole could barely contain her excitement. "Do you want help settling in?"
"That'd be great, Nicole," said Shae. "I'll text you when I arrive. I just wanted to let you know that I'll see you soon. Since I have you on the phone, what are you doing right now?"
"I just took a shower and," Nicole smiled coyly, "I still haven't dressed."
"Oh, I see." Shae sounded pleased. "Are you in a towel?"
"I'd love to say no, but my roommate could walk in at any moment, and I'd rather not flash her. It's already been a rough start."
"How come? Did you flash her once already?" Shae teased.
Nicole snorted. "Ha, ha. No, but I will say it has never been so hard to make a friend. Maybe we just don't mesh well."
"You're cute, Nicole, and you're a charmer. You won't have trouble making friends. You certainly didn't have trouble charming me."
"You caught me first, Shae," Nicole twirled a strand of damp hair.
"But you caught me the rest of the way," reminded Shae. "You got this roommate thing in the bag, Nicky. You'll have a great year and a great new friend."
"You always know what to say."
"You make it worth it."
"You're a cheeseball, but I love it." Nicole moved to pull on some clothes, holding her phone in between her ear and her shoulder.
Nicole could hear someone keying into the room.
"And I love you." Shae's voice was gentle.
Nicole glanced up to see Waverly who, being the nice girl she was, had quietly settled on her side of the room, careful not to disturb Nicole's phone call.
"Yeah, b-" Nicole looked at Waverly again, "-babe. Love you too."
Nicole ended the call and flopped back onto the bed before realizing she was only half-dressed. She hastened to yank a top over her exposed skin, but her bra was visible for a quick second.
Of course, Waverly snuck a peek at Nicole. It's those arms again. They flex even when she's just putting on a shirt... And that bra is really, really nice. I think I have a bra like that. Do I have a bra like that? We can match!
Nicole turned on the blow dryer and her wet hair went from a dark, damp red to a flaming red.
Waverly unlocked her laptop and looked at her new roommate. She took a deep breath before saying. "Hey, want to watch something on Netflix?"
Nicole switched off the hairdryer and looked at Waverly. "You know what? Yeah, yeah that'd be cool."
"What do you want to watch?"
"Do you know the show Everything Sucks?" Nicole didn't finish drying her hair, which Waverly noticed.
Score! She dropped drying her hair to come watch Netflix. She's coming to my bed. Oh, she's coming to my bed.
Waverly quickly straightened out her covers as Nicole climbed onto the bed.
"Yes! I've heard so many good things about it, but I haven't started it yet."
"Well, then let's start it now." Nicole grinned and put a pillow behind her back. She adjusted the blankets as she moved closer to Waverly. "Pilot episode, Waves."
She called me "Waves." She called me a nickname! And she scooted closer! Yes, yes, triple yes!
"You got it, Nicky," Waverly couldn't stop the nickname coming out of her mouth. Oh, no.
Nicole froze for a brief second that would have gone unnoticed by anyone who wasn't being as attentive as Waverly.
Oh, no. Just no, Waverly thought. Was it the nickname? I think it was the nickname. Okay, noted. No nickname. No Nicky, just... Waves. Waves. I like that.
"Pressing play," Waverly said, clicking the laptop. She stretched her legs out and made sure Nicole could see the screen.