Floor 6
...
Gabriella tossed her backpack on top of her desk and shuffled into the kitchen, mentally celebrating the fact that it was Friday. Not only did that symbolize her survival of another school week, it also meant that most of the troubles - both real and imagined - of the fraternity party were over and done with.
As it turned out, Dave had been a sweetheart regarding the situation of Gabriella walking out on the festivities. He'd quickly reassured her that he understood where she was coming from and hadn't taken any offense from her decision. To make up for the sour time she'd had, he had offered to take her out for dinner and a movie after her Saturday shift at work was over.
Fortunately, Kelsi had been fine as well. She'd readily accepted Gabriella's apology for ditching her in the herd of drunk fraternity brothers and added that she hadn't blamed her for making an escape when she did. Parties such as that one weren't her style, either.
But then there was Troy. Ever since that night when they had shared his bed, he'd taken up the habit of expressing a side that Gabriella would rather not deal with - an almost sexual side. Several times over the week, she swore she'd seen his eyes on her chest. To add to that, just the previous day she had caught him with his hand in the crotch of his jeans, enjoying what looked to be a round of jerking off. She'd pretended she hadn't noticed, and he, too, had kept quiet, but it was obvious they both knew what had been going on.
"Hey, Brie."
Gabriella turned to see Troy standing behind her. "Hey. I didn't know you were home."
"Yeah. I was just in the bathroom." He scratched the back of his neck. "So...it's Friday. Are we spending the night together?"
"If you want." Shrugging, she pulled a clean glass from the dishwasher and ran water into it.
"You sound unsure. What's wrong?"
"It's just the stress of school and all that crap. Nothing to make a big deal over." She set her cup down.
"Oh. Well, how about we try to forget it for a while? You can go change and wash your face or whatever else you gotta do, and I'll get some sandwiches made and start a movie for us. Is Ted okay?"
She nodded as she bit her lip.
"Great. I'll go do that, then."
After selecting a camisole and a pair of comfortable shorts, Gabriella retreated to the bathroom. She first snatched a hair tie from the counter and secured her long, disheveled locks into a messy bun. When that task was complete, she began to unbutton the plaid blouse she'd worn that day, revealing a lacy push-up bra. Pausing, she considered whether or not to remove the newly exposed undergarment as well. She typically went bare-chested beneath her top at night, as it was more comfortable for sleeping, but her roommate's recent behavior was making her rethink the idea.
Sighing, she eventually unclasped the bra. Troy might be tempted, but he'd just need to control himself, for there was no way she'd properly sleep with wires holding up her breasts. As the piece of lingerie fell to the floor, she stood in front of the mirror, studying her naked chest. Does he really actually like it? she asked herself, cupping one of the soft mounds with her palm. Chewing her lip, she turned to the side. Nah, maybe not. I have the chest of a ten-year-old. Wait, why am I even thinking about this? I'm kinda dating Dave...and Troy's my damn roommate.
She bit her lip as she shifted around to again face her reflection, watching herself as she stripped off her denim shorts and panties. A blush settled over her face at the sight of her nude body. Ever since she'd hit puberty, she had avoided being naked, whether it be in front of others or when she was alone. The only times she took her clothes off were when she was changing or showering. It wasn't that she hated her body; in fact, she thought she was pretty hot with her tanned curves and flat tummy. The problem was that she'd been taught that by her protective father that nudity was a symbol of sex, and that sex was something shameful unless one was married. Despite her few rebellions in which she had gone out in revealing clothes, she'd never, ever allowed anyone, male or female, to see the bits a bikini covered.
Now, however, after catching Troy messing around in his pants, she was growing more curious about the matter, considering that the only preconceived knowledge she had was - as ridiculous as it sounds - that which was gained from watching Zac Efron's raunchy comedies. Allowing one of her hands to explore her chest, she placed the other over her crotch. She could already feel excited chills running through her as she noticed her rounded breasts turning into firm peaks. Smirking, she flicked her belly bar with one of her fingers, suddenly experiencing a thrill in the knowledge that she was naked. Come on, snap out of it! she told herself. You're a virgin till marriage, don't start pulling crap now. Shaking her head, she hurried back into her panties.
"Brie? Are you almost ready?"
Gabriella gasped as she spun around to see Troy standing in the doorway, her camisole in her hands. Freezing in shock, she felt his eyes rest on her breasts, undoubtedly sucking in the details with hunger.
"Holy shit!" His jaw dropped.
"Fuck you!" Gabriella finally screamed, quickly pulling the shirt over her head. She could feel the heat rising into her face. "Have you ever heard of knocking?"
"The door was cracked, Brie. I thought...I thought you were decent." He cursed under his breath as he looked down to see a prominent bulge in his shorts.
Growing even warmer, she mentally slapped herself. She mustn't have pulled the door closed all the way. Nice going, Gabi. Now he saw your boobs.
"I'm so sorry. Oh gosh...I was not expecting to see that. Holy shit."
"Well, do you mind leaving before you catch an eyeful of anything more?" she snapped.
"Of course, of course. Sorry, Brie." He backed out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
Gabriella quickly pulled on her pajama shorts, then sank into the corner. She couldn't believe he had just walked in there and seen her nearly naked - her panties being the only thing protecting her dignity. Hugging her legs to her body, she rested her chin on her knees, fighting back the urge to cry. Crying wasn't something she did; it was unacceptable in her eyes, as she believed that it wouldn't do anything except make her appear weak.
"Brie? You okay in there?"
She ignored the question.
"I'm so sorry, Brie. I really didn't mean to see you like that, and I definitely didn't mean to stare. It was just...surprising. But you really don't have anything to be embarrassed about. I-"
"Fuck off!" she screamed, throwing a used towel at the closed door.
Everything fell silent.
Sighing, Gabriella chewed on her lip. Nothing to be embarrassed about? She wasn't sure if he was meaning to poke fun at her small chest or trying to imply she was hot. Either way, it wasn't something she had any desire to hear. She dug her bare toes into the tiny bath mat that lay in front of her and blinked back the tears that again threatened to flow down her cheeks. Don't cry. Don't cry, she said silently, taking deep breaths.
Once she had collected herself, she put her bra on beneath her camisole, suddenly feeling too exposed without one. She then reluctantly emerged from hiding to see Troy sitting on the couch, his face just as bothered as hers was.
"I'm really sorry," he tried again. "I...I didn't know."
"Damn you, Troy." Grabbing her phone, she sent a brief text to Kelsi. Hey, I really need to get out of the house. Mind if I come to your dorm for a while?
No, not at all. Maybe we can work on that bio project Dr. Sheldon gave us, came the response.
Sure:) Grabbing her backpack, Gabriella slipped her feet into a pair of old flip-flops.
"You leaving?" Troy asked.
"Do you really expect me to stay here with a pervert? You crossed the flipping line, Bolton."
"It was an accident. I swear."
Rolling her eyes, Gabriella snatched her car keys and rushed out the door. She wasn't exactly sure who she was angry with. It had been her mistake for not fully closing the door, yet she felt Troy also bore some responsibility for assuming he could simply waltz into the room. Not to mention that he hadn't even been considerate enough to turn away as soon as he'd noticed she was naked.
As she climbed behind the wheel of her car, she saw that her roommate was running through the parking lot. Letting out a groan, she rolled down her window. "What the hell do you want?"
"I'm really sorry, Brie. I know you probably don't want anything to do with me, but I just wanted to let you know that whenever you're ready, I'll be happy to talk things through."
"What's there to talk about? The damage is already done."
"Look, I know it's embarrassing, but hey, if you live with someone, you're bound to see them naked sooner or later. We need to be mature about it and talk over how to handle it in the future if it happens again."
"Well, there's nothing mature about perving on your female roommate! I'm just...I thought you were better than this, but it's only been three lousy weeks and already you brought a drunk sicko into the house and walked in on me topless. What kind of jerk does that?"
"I'm sorry." Troy's look was pleading.
Rolling her eyes, Gabriella switched the car into drive. "Yeah, right. Well, I'm going to my friend's dorm for the night. Have fun watching the movie by yourself. And don't you dare eat all my chips."
He let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "Don't worry, your chips will be left untouched. Just promise you'll come back."
"I guess I'll have to." She shrugged. "Well, have a good night." Rolling up the window, she sped away, leaving Troy standing alone in the parking lot. She knew she would probably be considered borderline melodramatic, but she didn't care. She'd been humiliated and felt she deserved a bit of wiggle room in regards to her attitude.
The drive to Malone University's campus was silent. Upon parking in the lot designated for dorm residents and their guests, Gabriella stepped out of her car and walked to Kelsi's room. Knocking on the door, she waited for a response.
"Hey, Gabi!" Kelsi greeted, opening the door. "Come on in!"
"Hey!" Gabriella entered the dorm.
"This is my roommate Taylor," Kelsi introduced, gesturing toward the African-American girl who was sitting at one of the two desks. "Taylor, this is Gabi."
"Nice to meet you." Taylor smiled. "I don't think I've seen you around."
"Well, it's a big campus. It's not hard to miss me." Giggling, Gabriella plopped into a nearby chair.
"So, what's the problem?" asked Kelsi, sitting cross-legged on the floor beside her friend. "You never actually told me."
Gabriella took a deep breath. She wasn't quite ready to admit she roomed with a guy - especially one who was on the verge of being able to legally drink. "I just...I don't really wanna talk about it."
"Is it that bad?"
"Pretty much." She shrugged. "So, do you wanna work on bio?"
"Sure." Turning to Taylor, Kelsi asked, "We won't bother you, will we?"
"Oh, no. Not at all," came Taylor's response. "Just do your thing."
"Alright. So..." Kelsi grabbed a folder from her desk.
"Let's get started," Gabriella finished, opening up her backpack.
...
"Want me to give you anything?" Gabriella reached into her purse to pull out her wallet. She and Dave had just finished the dinner portion of their evening and were getting ready to leave the restaurant.
"No, hun." He shook his head. "I got it."
"Are you sure you don't even want me to leave the tip?"
"Positive. Don't worry about it." He rose from his seat after placing a crisp five-dollar bill on the table. "You ready?"
Nodding, she stood up and linked fingers with date, allowing him to lead her out to his car.
"So, is That Awkward Moment okay with you?" he asked, pulling on his seatbelt. "Or would you rather see something different?"
"No, no, no; it's fine. I've actually been wanting to watch that one."
"Great." Grabbing her small hand, he started the car.
Silence clouded the scene, making for a quiet ride. This was it. They were finally on their first official date - the first one she'd been on in all her life, nonetheless. Uncertainty worked its way into her nerves throughout the awkward drive. Could any sort of relationship actually work between them? What if he really did care about whether or not she liked to party and just acted as if he didn't in order to lead her on? He obviously enjoyed the thrill of alcohol and beer pong. Would he really be willing to give that up?
She shook her head slowly and cast a glance at him as they pulled into the parking lot. Chewing on her lip, she debated with herself as to whether or not she should bring up the topic of the disastrous party again. She didn't want to sound insecure, but she longed to hear his reassurance on the matter once more.
"Hey, Dave."
"Yeah?"
"Is it honestly cool with you that frat parties aren't really my thing?"
He shifted the vehicle into park and looked over at his date with a brimming smile. "Of course. I mean, there's plenty of other things we can do together." His eyes scanned the floor for a moment. "Like this..." Showing off a slight smile, he leaned over and captured her lips in a short, sweet kiss.
Taken by surprise, but not in the least angry, Gabriella closed her eyes, allowing her own mouth to mold in a fashion that matched his. Feeling his lips heating upon hers with their kiss - her first kiss ever - her conflict with Troy, along with any uncertainties she still felt, was pushed out the window.
She nearly groaned when he pulled away. His face was still barely inches away, and his eyes captured hers with a look that made her feel like the only girl in the world. Reaching around her, he pulled a small box from the glove compartment, which was quickly deposited in the palm of her hand. She looked up at him, confusion written all over her delicate features. "Dave...what's this?"
He smirked. "What does it look like?"
"A box, duh. I know that." She rolled her eyes. "But what's it for?"
"For you, silly. Go ahead, open it." His invitation was backed by a gentle nudge.
Unable to contain her excitement, she flipped open the lid of the box, astonished at the sight that met her eyes. Nestled on a piece of black velvet bedding lay a silver chain with an charm that was as blue as the ocean attached to it. A smile crept onto her face as she ran her finger over the piece of jewelry. Lifting it from the box, she let it dangle in front of her face, the shiny material giving off a blissful glow. "This is too damn gorgeous," she breathed. "And too much." Placing the necklace back in its case, she handed it back to Dave. "You didn't have to buy me anything."
"But I wanted to."
"Why?" she asked, her eyes still on the gift that was now in her date's hand.
He let out a deep sigh. "Gabi, please look at me." A set of calloused fingers brushed her chin, tilting her head so that her brown eyes met his. "I know you're unsure about this. But I'm not. I like you...and I don't want to share you. This necklace, well, it's my way of asking you if we could maybe...uh...maybe be exclusive?"
Gabriella felt a glow rush into her cheeks as she bit down on her lip. This was not how she expected the night to go at all. Not that she minded, but the proposal seemed a bit sudden. This was their first official date, and already he wanted something more. She had no idea how to properly date, let alone be a girlfriend. And being Dave's girlfriend would really call for some high standards.
"You haven't answered me yet," he prompted with a crooked smile that only charmed Gabriella more. "So? Will you?"
"I just wasn't expecting this. I mean, it's our first real date. What if you-"
"What if I change my mind, you mean? Not gonna happen. I want you. And if I dare say so myself, I'd say that you want me too, pretty girl." He shoved the jewelry box back into her sweaty hand.
Gabriella froze. Suddenly, she felt lost. Where was her father when she needed him? It had always at this point - or even before - that she would go to him about the matter and he'd give her advice on how to handle the situation. But now she was all on her own; it was a curse in disguise. Letting out a sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair and struggled to control her racing mind. When she finally got herself together, she responded to Dave's comment by placing a quick peck onto his lips. "I want nothing more." She gave him the necklace and twisted around so that her back was facing him."Can you help me put this on?"
"Thank you," he murmured against her ear as he hooked the piece of jewelry beneath her long locks.
Putting on a smile, she turned to face him again. Her boyfriend. How amazing was it to be able to say that? Her eyes lit up as she studied his features. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. And he's mine. A sense of pride washed through her as all her doubts about the situation were discarded. Finally, after all those years of waiting, she had someone to call her own. Someone with whom she could cuddle. Someone whom she could kiss. Someone she could love.
"So...we should probably get in there before the movie starts," Dave suggested, jabbing his thumb toward the building before them.
"Yeah, I guess we should," echoed Gabriella. She pulled on the handle to open her door.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Rushing out of the car, he sprinted over to the passenger side and helped his new girlfriend step out.
Giggling, she leaned against his arm and let out a contented sigh as he gently squeezed her waist. Her fingers flew to the charm around her neck, a symbol of her untrodden relationship. It was at that moment that she knew she was ready. Maybe it would take some getting used to, but she was up for the unwritten challenge of being someone's girl. And she could do it without the help of her father.