Chapter 4: Cheyenne's Plan

"Listen, Shy, I wanted to tell you," Ivy began. "I'm going out with Damian tomorrow night, then Saturday morning I'm taking the train into the city for my grandmother's birthday. You want to come?"

"No thanks," Cheyenne declined. "I have a big biology test Monday."

Ivy frowned. "A test? This early in the year?"

Cheyenne rolled her eyes. "You know how Mr. Schriver gets." Ivy nodded.

Cheyenne was telling the truth about the test, but she could've easily studied Sunday instead of Saturday. The truth was that Cheyenne was angry at Ivy for going out with Damian, and even angrier at her for rubbing it in Cheyenne's face at every opportunity. Still, Cheyenne had been raised to believe in preserving a civil façade at all costs. As a consequence, Cheyenne held her anger in and refused to let herself vent by screaming at Ivy, no matter how good it would make her feel.

Tuning Ivy out, Cheyenne put on her shoes and prepared to venture out into the quiet night. "Where are you going?" Ivy asked.

"Just out for a while," Cheyenne answered. "I'll be back in an hour or so."

"But it's after curfew!" Ivy objected.

Cheyenne shrugged and walked out without answering. She had to carry out her plan before Damian and Ivy went on their date tomorrow night, and she wasn't going to let a silly little rule like curfew get in her way.

Cheyenne hurried across the quad to Ketlar Hall, Damian's dorm. She entered by the side door and tiptoed past the dorm monitor's apartment. Damian's room was on the left side of the hallway, and being a senior, he had a single. Cheyenne carefully pushed Damian's door open and slipped inside, closing the door behind her.

Damian was asleep on his bed. Cheyenne smiled to herself and proceeded to put her plan into motion. Swiftly and efficiently, she removed her clothes and set them down on the floor, carefully folding her skirt and blouse so they wouldn't get wrinkled.

Once she was fully undressed, Cheyenne climbed into bed with Damian. Damian awoke as she did so, blinking and rubbing his eyes.

"Cheyenne?" Damian asked, his voice thick with sleep. "What the hell—?"

"Shh," Cheyenne soothed, putting a finger to his lips. "I love you. Make love to me."

"Cheyenne, I can't—" Cheyenne lowered her mouth to his, but Damian pushed her head away as he sat up.

Abruptly, it dawned on Cheyenne that Damian didn't want to make love to her. She had never imagined this could happen. Cheyenne had always assumed that the prospect of a beautiful naked girl in their bed would be irresistible to almost any guy. As the full impact of Damian's rejection hit her, Cheyenne pulled the sheets around herself and burst into tears.

Awkwardly. Damian put his arm around her shoulders. Cheyenne buried her face against his neck as she cried and cried.

"I'm sorry," Cheyenne said finally once her sobs had abated. "I thought if we made love, you'd fall in love with me the same way I fell in love with you."

Damian sighed. "You're lucky I'm a gentleman, Cheyenne. A lot of guys would've hooked up with you and still gone out with your roommate the next day."

"I don't understand!" Cheyenne wailed. "Why do you like Ivy so much?"

"Well," Damian said, "Ivy's beautiful, and we have a lot in common."

"But I'm beautiful too!" Cheyenne protested. "And I could learn to like the things you like."

Damian smiled kindly at her. "Ivy and I are both really into computers. You're a creature of the past, Cheyenne. You have no interest in the glories of cyberspace."

"Wow," Cheyenne said. "You're really smart. How'd you know that about me?"

Damian shrugged. "I'm just good at reading people, I guess. Come on, you should get dressed and head back now. I don't want my dorm monitor to catch you breaking visitation."

Damian averted his eyes while Cheyenne put on her clothes. "You won't tell Ivy about this, will you?" Cheyenne asked anxiously as she prepared to leave.

Damian winked at her. "It'll be our secret."

Cheyenne tried to kiss Damian goodbye, but he turned his head so she kissed his cheek instead. She hurried out of Ketlar without being spotted. When she arrived back at her room in Bradwell, Ivy was already asleep.

Cheyenne looked down at the sleeping Ivy for a long moment. She was still furious with Ivy for stealing Damian away from her, and the anger and resentment was eating away like acid at the very foundation of their friendship. Ivy would pay for this, she vowed to herself. Someday when she least expected it, Cheyenne would turn on Ivy the same way Ivy had turned on her. Shaking her head, Cheyenne changed into her nightgown, took a double dose to sleeping pills to calm herself and went to bed.