Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer
This chapter is dedicated to Noble, Fadewind, Bibika94, BellaNessieCullen, Lsb123, skys the limit 7507, justandsimplyme and Alexsandra
Happy Holidays to all my readers :D
I sat down on the narrow bed and looked around the dorm room. It wasn't very big, barely enough room for the two beds and the two work areas, but I was a freshman after all, perhaps next year I could rent an apartment, although I wasn't too sure about my current roommate at the moment.
"So Liza." She said, pronouncing my name as 'Lee-zah', "Where you from?"
"I'm from all over." I answered, "And it's 'Lie-za'." I corrected.
"From all over? What do you mean by that?" She demanded.
"We travelled a lot as children." I replied guardedly.
"We?"
"My family and I."
"Were you carneys?" She asked, wrinkling her nose and I felt a moments humour that the word meant something different to me than it did to her. Either way the answer was the same.
"No. My parents are research scientists and my brother and I accompanied them to wherever their work took them." I stated.
"That must have been hard for school." She said in sympathy.
"We had a personal tutor who travelled with us." I stated.
"Personal tutor? Are you loaded?" She demanded.
"We're comfortable." I conceded. "Now enough about me, how about you? Where do you hail from?"
"Beverly Hills." She said with a grin.
"Fancy." I said with the appreciative smile she was expecting.
We were silent as I tried to think of something to say.
"Shall we go check out the common room?" She suggested after a while.
"Sounds good to me." I declared, rising to my feet.
I pulled on my jacket and resisted the urge to straighten it too much as I slid my keys into my pocket. I did run my fingers through my hair however and felt that odd sense of displacement as I reached the ends sooner than expected. I had recently had my hair cut up to shoulder length and I was yet to get used to it. It bounced back into its tight coils as I passed out into the corridor.
"Feeling nervous?" My roommate asked.
I shrugged, I felt a little nervous, but it was the thrill of meeting new people, of doing something away from my family for once. Of immersing myself completely into the world of humans and forgetting there was anything supernatural about this world.
The corridor was short, with only two other doors on either side before we came to the heavy fire door at the end. There was a sign in big black lettering that declared the door should be kept shut at all times, but someone had propped it open with a fire extinguisher. I felt my fingers twitch, but I resisted the urge to move the extinguisher back to his hook on the wall and do just as the sign said.
The common room was a big square space with a corridor of dorms leading from three of its sides; the fourth was access to the stairwell and the elevators. We were up on the fifth floor and I'd heard some of my fellow students cursing the fact that the elevators weren't working and they had to carry their possessions up five flights of stairs. It had seemed nothing to me, but then I have never been adverse to a little physical exertion.
The common room itself contained a group of scattered sofas and chairs of the eclectic donated variety. There appeared to be enough furniture for every occupant of this floor to have a seat. There were a few coffee tables within reach of most of the. There was a small television set up at one end, there was a football game playing and I rolled my eyes, praying that this was not a sign of things to come as sport coverage was not on my list of most cherished viewing.
A kitchen area took up one corner of the common room; there was a basic four-ring range and oven, a decent sized sink and draining board with a cupboard beneath, a microwave and three big refrigerators. I had inspected these earlier, they were sectioned inside to each dorm but I had a feeling that would soon fly out the window. I toyed with the idea of purchasing one of those mini refrigerators, but I decided to see how things went first. I would give it until Christmas and if I found it too unbearable at least I had a Christmas gift in mind for this year.
Sat around on the furniture was a handful of students of both sexes. We drifted automatically toward the group of young women since the men appeared to be occupied by the game. The conversation was tentative as each girl tried to get to know the other without giving too much away of their personality just yet. College was about new beginnings, where you met new people and could become a new person yourself. The question was, what type of person did I wish to be?
"Hi, I'm Dove Bradshaw." My roommate said happily as we joined the group. "Don't ask! Hollywood parents." She said with a snort and rolled her eyes. "And this is my roomy, Lee-zah." She said, shoving me forward.
"It's Lie-za." I corrected as I sat down. "Liza Summers."
"Your parents big fans of the musicals?" The girl with dark hair asked with a smirk.
"No, but it's nice to see that you know so much about an historical figure such as Liza Minnelli. I was named for my great-grandmother Elizabeth, and everyone called me Eliza for short, but when my brother and I were small he called me Liza and it stuck." I explained.
"Lucky you." The girl with blond hair said softly. "My family call me Soppy 'cause my brother who's two years older than me had trouble with the 'ph' in my name. I mean it's bad enough being Sophie without them calling me Soppy."
"At least your real name is ok." The redhead remarked. "My name is Annis."
"What's wrong with that?" I asked. "It means pure. It's a good name."
"Try telling that to the boys in Fourth grade who'd just discovered a new word for a butt." Annis said sourly.
"Boys can be jerks." I observed.
"Yeah." Annis agreed, "Although I do like the fact that it means pure. I'll have to remember that the next time."
"What does my name mean?" Sophie asked.
"Wisdom." I said promptly.
"And mine." Dove asked excitedly.
I raised an incredulous eyebrow. Surely she required no explanation?
"It's pretty self-explanatory. It is from the bird. The bird of peace." I stated.
"I'm a bird of peace." Dove grinned.
"How about Mal?" A male voice asked.
We all turned to look at the tall boy who'd come to join us. I heard the rise in the heartbeats of the girls around me as we took in his short dark blond hair and muddy green eyes.
"It means evil." I remarked, unimpressed by this handsome façade. I'd learned to be wary of handsome a long time ago.
"I'm evil?" He asked with a pout as he sat beside me, draping his arm across my shoulder.
"I have no idea." I replied. "Are you?"
"What do you think?" He asked, tapping my nose with his finger.
I raised my eyebrow once more, and tried to ignore the images in my mind that compelled me to rip off his head.
"I believe that your name does not mark you as a person." I reasoned. "For although you have asked the meaning to Mal, it could have come from a many number of sources, Malcolm for instance, or Malachi. Malcolm is 'disciple of St Columba' whereas Malachi could mean 'my angel' but there is no true science to it. Do I look like I am consecrated to god to you?" I demanded and I was met with odd looks from the others. "That is what Elizabeth means." I explained.
I felt as if somebody was watching me and I looked over to the far corner, a quiet spot away from the raucous men and their game and the clucking ladies disrupted by a blond rooster. There sat a young man with shaggy mousy hair, he had a book in his hand, which he raised once he realised I'd caught him watching us. He had been watching us, or more precisely me. I wondered who he was, but my attention was drawn back to the group I was amongst.
"Well this is such an interesting conversation ladies." Mal said before making snoring noises. "We shouldn't be wasting time talking, we should be having fun."
I heard the young man in the corner snort in derision and when I looked at him once more he was shaking his head as he turned a page of his book.
"I was wondering if you ladies were up for a party, we can go crash one of the frat houses." He said in a conspiratorial manner.
"Do you think we'd succeed in such a task?" I asked.
"Nah. But it would be worth it just to see their faces." He chuckled.
"I don't want anything to do with the frat boys." Sophie declared. "My sister got involved with some and ended up dropping out of college. I want to actually pass this."
"But there's no harm in a little partying." Mal said with a shrug.
"We could always have one here." One of the other boys said, they had all abandoned the game now.
"Just our building." Another declared.
"Come on, we'll pool our money and go get supplies." Yet another declared. "Put the word out amongst the other floors."
I wasn't so sure about this, but since the other girls each handed over a twenty I did too. I was determined to go with the flow this time, be a kid while I still could. Yet something compelled me to look up at the young man in the corner, but he was gone.
It seemed a party was easy to set up at short notice. A make shift bar was made by placing a surfboard on two towers of textbooks. I knew my uncle Max would pitch a fit if he saw such mistreatment of a board, but I surmised that the owner of the board was not a true surfer. We were a good few hundred miles from the nearest ocean and it was most likely owned as a talking point.
The IT students had set up a good sound system and I think everyone owned some form of flashing light. Not to mention Byron Tudor who owned full set disco lights, although I cannot fathom why he thought these a great addition to his college inventory. I suppose he thought it would mark him as popular under these circumstances.
I had planned not to touch a single drop of alcohol that night, but this plan was soon scuppered. If I wished to be deemed a true contributor among my peers then I would have to loosen up a little and apparently, imbibing vast amounts of inebriating liquids would accomplish this.
I started off slowly, my first bottle of beer lasted an hour, but after the second I seemed to want to drink quicker and then somebody suggested shots. Tequila can be quite the thrill when drank quickly. I became lost in the blur and buzz of intoxication. I became argumentative and competitive.
"So that is your surfboard." I said to the boy who had died half his hair blond while the other half was died black in what I could only guess was a style influenced by Cruella de Vil.
"Yep." He answered.
"Do you actually surf?" I demanded.
"Of course I do." He said with a snort. "And you?"
"Yes." I replied. "I believe the best waves are around Hawaii, but I also get a little nostalgic for the waves back in La Push. That was where my uncles Max Dwyer and Tuck Monroe taught my brother and I. I'm rather accomplished if I do say so myself."
"You surf?" The boy asked, looking at me doubtfully.
"I do surf rather well. I entered the Junior Championship's La Push leg last year and placed eighth. My cousin Marie Dwyer won of course, but then again she did inherit her father's skill." I said matter of fact.
"You didn't come eighth. I bet you can't even surf." The boy snorted.
"Is that a challenge sir?" I demanded. "Then I accept your challenge. I will prove to you that I can surf."
Those closest to us cheered and I pushed my way to the surfboard/bar and indicated the array of drinks that lined it.
"Gentleman if you would be so kind." I said to the group of young men who were crowded around it.
They looked at me a moment before moving swiftly to clear the board. I leapt up lightly and sat on the edge of the board.
"Ladies and gentlemen." I boomed, using my lungs to their full extent, projecting my voice as if I were leading a cheer once more. "If I could have your attention please."
My voice flew over the music and it cut off abruptly. Everyone turned to look at me.
"A slight has been made upon my good character. Someone had the tenacity to suggest that I invented an account of my participating in a surfing championship. I plan to rectify this." I declared, and was met with a few enthusiastic cheers, but also a lot of blank stares. "That dude over there who owns this board reckons I'm not one with the waves. Well I'm gonna show him. I'm gonna show him good."
This got cheers from everyone.
"Maestro some apt surfing music if you please." I announced.
The girl behind the laptop gave me two thumbs up before clicking at her laptop. The mocking laughter cut into the repetitive yet apt beat. Wipeout. I gave her two thumbs up in return before kicking off my heels.
I lay down and spread myself across the board, feeling it wobble slightly on the towers of books, but I knew I could carry this through. I imagined I was back in La Push as I paddled out beyond the breakers, and here came the swell. I prepared myself before making the leap to my feet. The board wobbled more, but I managed to control it enough, rolling this way and that for the entirety of the song.
As the song ended I turned to the crowd, my arms held in the air.
"Et voila!" I declared before leaping nimbly from the board.
I landed amongst my peers and was subjected to hugs and pats and kisses. I felt a sense of elation take me and carry me to the highest peak I had ever travelled.
"That was awesome!" Dove declared, grabbing around me and leaping up and down. "Where did you learn that?"
"In La Push." I replied. "It seems half my family are enthralled by the board, some of it was bound to rub off."
"I got to try." Dove said excitedly.
"I think that may not be a good idea." I said, and a cheer went up around us.
We turned to the board where the boy who owned it had climbed upon it in order to out do me. He lasted half the time I had, but he still got congratulated. I was handed a big cocktail that was a strange blue colour but tasted of grapefruit and grenadine. I drank it quickly as I watched more people attempt the surfboard, although they did lower the height of the book towers.
I giggled and joined in the cheering as more people decided to attempt the board. We had grown bored after an hour of this. Bored of the board, I mused laughing aloud. I was very drunk I realised as I helped myself to my third cocktail. Perhaps I should indulge in no more alcohol this evening, but I had gone beyond the capabilities of rational thought.
I was becoming a little unsteady on my feet and my vision swam, but I was having too much of a good time. I stumbled but arms caught me.
"I think it's time we got you to bed young lady." A voice came from above as I floated in the air.
"'m fine. 'on'stly." I slurred, my words undecipherable to even my own ears.
"No arguments bach. The party's dying down now anyway. What's your room number?"
"Fiveohnine." I murmured.
"Soon have you there." The voice said and I was moving.
"Where's your key?" He asked after a while.
I managed to point to my bag and I felt the floor beneath my bare feet before I heard someone curse.
"You shoul' m'nd your lan'uage in fron' of a lady." I chastised before sliding down the wall to sit on the floor.
"I'll remember that in future Duchess." The voice said. "Or maybe I should reserve it for when you're acting more lady like."
I glared up through my blurry vision at the amused face and green eyes.
"Well it's no good." He said. "Seems your roommate locked you out and by the sounds of things she's a little busy."
"I feel sick." I murmured.
"Best not let you throw up in the corridor." The man observed and I was being lifted once more.
The rest of the night descended into darkness…
I awoke feeling wretched, my head ached, my stomach was uneasy and every part of me felt tender. I also had the undeniable feeling that I had behaved in a manner most unbecoming, yet I had no recollection at present.
It took me several minuets to remember I was at college and when I did I sat up quickly, looking around at the unfamiliar room in fright. And unfamiliar it truly was, for this was not my dorm room. Regardless of the reproduction of an original Nosferatu poster on the wall, there was only one bed.
My head was pounding something chronic but I had to fathom my location. I looked around and discovered that somebody had left a glass, a pitcher of water and a packet of Alka-Seltzer on the bedside cabinet.
I sniffed at the water cautiously, and then thanking my unknown benefactor I poured some into the glass and added the Alka-Seltzer. I winced as the tablets chinked the glass before beginning to fizz. Once it was done I drank the liquid back quickly whilst trying to ignore the taste.
As I placed the empty glass atop the cabinet I noticed the folded paper.
I picked up the paper on which was written Duchess.
Some memory of the prior night compelled me to open it and I read the note as thus.
Duchess
Well that will have to do for now since you were well out of it last night I couldn't get anything coherent out of you. Sorry I wasn't here when you woke up but I had early lectures. I hope you didn't too. I would have waked you up but you looked so peaceful lying there and, well after last night I didn't think you'd be good for much this morning any way. I left you the water and Alka-Seltzer since I figured you'd be needing it this morning.
And nothing happened last night in case that's crossed your mind. Honestly. I took you back to your room but your roomy had locked you out and you were in too much of a state to just leave sleeping in a corridor. Not that I would have let you sleep in the corridor if you hadn't been blind drunk. The point is I gave you my bed and I slept on the floor.
Look at me going on when this was supposed to be a short note.
Anyway, I hope you don't feel too bad this morning.
Mal
He had finished his message with a smiley face and I found myself frowning at his note for some time. The Mal I had met yesterday had not seemed the type to rescue a drunken damsel in distress without expecting some reward, but here in writing he had proven it. I was in no state of mind to ponder such a thing at that moment in time, but I knew I could thank him for his kindness.
He had left his pen on top of the cabinet. I reached out for it and my head felt as if it were about to fall off. Moving carefully off the bed I knelt beside the cabinet and smoothed out the note, message side down. I picked up his pen and wrote as thus.
Dear Mal
Thank you for the kindness you showed me last night. I am eternally grateful to you. Once I am recovered from this hangover I will seek thee out and treat you to a coffee or any beverage of your choice in order to show my gratitude. There is many a man who would have taken me in last night, but only one of pure spirit would not seek to press his suite at finding me at such a disadvantage.
I am your eternally grateful friend,
The Duchess Eliza x
I added the kiss for I thought it fitting, I owed him a favour and I would start in a courtly fashion. Besides, I believed this to be the way the average young lady would mark a letter.
I placed it beneath the empty glass in the hope that he would come across it promptly upon his return. My shoes had been placed next to the bed and I picked them up before heading toward the door. When I stepped out into the hallway beyond I was unsure of my location but there seemed to be only one direction for me to take unless I wished to enter the boy's bathroom.
I followed the hallway until I emerged into the familiar common room that appeared to be in quite the mess this morning. I managed to resist the urge to clean it as I entered the corridor on which my room was situated. I had to concentrate to insert the key in the lock but as I did so the door was opened from within.
The young man who opened it appeared to be cast from your typical jock template. Dove kissed him before he left. He smiled at me in passing but I could barely raise the corner of my lips for still I suffered from the merriment of the night before.
I went into the room and dropped onto my bed as Dove shut the door.
"Good morning Lee-za." She sung.
"Is it?" I demanded.
"Yes."
"Well I may have had a better night if I'd been able to get to my own bed last night." I complained grumpily.
"Oh." She had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry. It's just that I was getting on so great with Jez and I really didn't think you'd mind. It's my bad. Really, I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted, for this one time. I think we will have to come up with an agreement to avoid such incidents in the future. However I wish to refresh myself before hand, I had to sleep in my clothes." I stated.
"Sorry." Dove said again. "So where did you sleep?"
"In Mal's room." I answered as I went to gather a set of clean clothes for the day.
"Oh!" Dove gasped, suddenly perking up. "So did you sleep with him last night? Was he any good?"
"We slept." I said firmly. "I am not in the habit of jumping into bed with boys I have just met."
"Have you ever jumped into bed with any boy?" She asked with her head on one side.
"That is none of your concern." I said coldly as I retrieved my toiletry bag and towel.
"Oh my god you're a virgin." She said and laughed.
I gave her a cold look.
"There's nothing wrong with that." She said with a shrug.
"Yet your reaction would imply otherwise." I stated. "I will not argue this matter with you for the shower calls to me, but we will come to some arrangement over how we share this room."
"Whatever." Dove said with a wave of her hand.
I drew in a steadying breath so as not to lose my temper before I left the dorm and headed toward the girls' bathroom at the end of my corridor. I paused at the door before entering. I had an aversion to public bathrooms, they harboured so many diseases it was unbelievable. However I was feeling poorly after my night of partying and a shower would help me I was sure. I hoped it would rouse me somewhat, I had never truly experienced a hangover in the past and I was deciding it was something I wished not to experience again.
I pushed open the door of the bathroom and a light flickered on automatically. I was thankful that during my first use of the facility I would be alone. I looked around the area; the toilets were aligned along the left wall, shower cubicles along the back wall and basins along the right wall that also held a long mirror.
The room smelled of bleach and disinfectant mostly and I decided that this was a good sign that the facilities were often cleaned. Unless it merely smelt this way for it was the beginning of the year and was yet to be used to much capacity. These thoughts were unhelpful, I needed to shower and I should not think of how many bare feet had walked over these tiles and whether the cubicle I was about to enter had been disinfected since its last use.
I pushed open the wooden door of the cubicle and the light directly above it flickered on and gleamed off white tile and plastic. The cubicle was separated into two. There was an area where one could dress or undress and leave one's towel and clothing when you showered. Then down a small step was the shower itself. There was no partition, but the shower head was set far enough back that there was no fear of splashing unless one were to mess about.
I locked the door of the cubicle and placed my towel and clean clothing upon the shelf before undressing. I took my toiletries from the bag and carried them into the shower area with me. There was a shelf set into the wall and I placed my things within it ready for use.
I turned on the tap and the water splashed upon me. I jumped back as the cold touched my skin. I scowled slightly and reached out my hand, the water was still flowing cold. It took at least a minuet to heat and I made a mental note that I should turn the shower on before undressing in future in order for the water to be of the right temperature when I had need of it.
The shower did much to relax me and I felt more myself as I turned off the shower and stepped into the dressing area to wipe and dress. Once I was dressed with my hair wrapped in the smaller towel I used the bigger one to wipe around the shower. It would do for now, but perhaps I should come disinfect it later? No, I would have to leave it until I knew whether or not to trust the cleaning staff.
Then I placed my discarded clothing within the big towel and rolled it up in order to transport to my room where there was a laundry bag ready and waiting. However I did not wish to walk back with the towel about my head for it felt strangely heavy. I surmised it was due to the lingering effects of the hangover.
My hairbrush was packed in my toiletry bag along with some spare elastics I always carried in case of emergency. I used the long mirror above the basins, although I had to pull across a stool in order for me to see my reflection. I began to brush out my hair and separated it in two equal sections before plaiting each section until I had two braids that I placed behind my back.
As I was retuning my brush to my bag the extractor fan ceased in its task of clearing away the steam of my shower. In the sudden silence I heard weeping emanating from the toilet stalls. I left my belongings resting between two basins as I approached the only toilet stall that was closed.
"Hello?" I called.
I heard a gasp and the person made an attempt to still their sobbing, but I could hear them still, my sharp ears picking up on them, much to my dismay. I realised I would not have heard the almost silent crying had I been human. I wished to leave the supernatural behind in my time here amongst humans, but it was apparent that certain aspects of my nature could not be so easily suppressed.
Now that my attention was drawn to the crying person I could not walk away. I wished to help them. Compassion was a human emotion; this was something I could accept. I had to comfort this person now.
"Are you feeling homesick?" I asked.
There was no answer.
"There is much truth in the adage 'a problem shared is a problem halved' believe me." I stated.
Still no answer and I felt thoroughly vexed. I truly wished to help the person on the other side of the door but I could not do so if they refused to speak. It was time to pull out assertive Liza. Helpful to the point of being somewhat pushy, Liza. First I had to discover the identity of the girl, I could do that by looking over the cubicle, or if worse were to happen, beneath it. Yet I had to be sure the girl was not otherwise disposed.
I used the senses bestowed upon me by my strange heritage and determined that there was no indication that the person behind the door was using the toilet as nothing more than a seat. Looking over the top of the cubicle would not cause embarrassment, if I were able to reach it. Of course I could easily leap that height, but how would I explain it and still claim to be human?
I opened the next cubicle and saw my answer. If I climbed atop the toilet lid, then used the shelf that was used to store spare tissue then I would be able to pull myself atop the partition. Even if I were human this would be achievable.
I wasted no time and used the route I had planned before holding myself in place as I looked down into the other cubicle at the top of a dishevelled blond head. I was sent back a moment to another seen in a bathroom where a blonde had been in distress. It was somewhat different this time and although my brain first conjured up Grace, it raced quickly on to who it could possibly be.
"Sophie?" I asked. "Are you feeling ill?"
Sophie looked up at me in shock.
"I am afraid that I am persistent when it comes to helping those in distress." I stated. "Therefore I suggest you open the door and we may talk in a more civilised manner."
"It's Liza isn't it?" She asked, her forehead wrinkling as she regarded me. Her face was stained with tears mingled with her makeup from the previous night. In fact she still wore the clothes she had donned for the party, although they now possessed a somewhat rumpled look.
"Yes." I replied. "What ails you?"
"I…" She trailed off, turned her face to the floor and shook her head.
"This is a less than intimate setting." I stated. "Why not come with me to my room and we will talk. Or perhaps we could venture to the coffee shop?"
"I don't want to go anywhere." Sophie murmured.
"You will find that I am a good confidant." I stated. "Whatever you wish to discuss will remain between us for I will not repeat a word you say."
Sophie looked up at me, and then sighed.
"I could use a friend right now, but I can't go anywhere." She stated.
"Then we will return to my room." I replied.
"What about your roommate?" She asked in slight panic.
"She locked me out last night, the least she could do is give me an hour to myself." I said, attempting to shrug, although it wasn't easy from my perch atop the door.
Sophie was uncertain.
"Open the door at least, let us talk on a more even level." I suggested.
"I'll open the door." Sophie murmured.
I allowed myself to drop to the floor as she rose to unlock her cubicle. I was by the door as soon as she opened it and I gave her a reassuring smile as I held out my hand.
"Come sit on the stool. I will brush out your hair while you tell me what troubles you so."
Sophie looked unsure, but from the flicker of her eye I could tell her thoughts. She judged me to be of little danger due to my small stature and she took my hand and allowed me to lead her to the stool where I indicated for her to sit.
I washed my hands before retrieving the brush from my bag then I began to pull it through her hair, being as gentle as I could due to the tangles.
"I can't remember last night." She whispered after a while.
"What is it you forget?" I asked carefully.
She shrugged.
"What can you remember?"
"I remember going to the party. I remember you on the surfboard and I had a go. Then there was a cocktail, a blue one. I can't remember anything after that. I mean, there was some guy with me. I know that. And I'm almost certain I had sex last night, but I don't know. I didn't wake up in anyone's bed. I woke up in the common room and I know I'd never do anything in such a public place. It's just not me. But I can't remember." She broke off into sobs.
"Oh dear." I gasped as I hugged her and she cried on my shoulder as I tapped her back in comfort. "I had the cocktail too." I stated as something suddenly occurred to me. "It knocked me for six!"
"Was it spiked?" Sophie murmured and I had to consider my answer carefully.
"If that is the case then we should go to the warden. We have to report this incident."
"No." Sophie said with a shake of her head. "What am I gonna say? I was drinking and I don't remember anything until I woke up in the common room? I'm not even sure anything did happen…"
"But you feel as though it has."
Sophie nodded against my shoulder.
"Then we must make a report. If only for the sake of the complaint being logged." I stated.
"But I got nothing to log exactly. I just know that something…" She trailed off.
"If you believe you were spiked then you should report it, for it is something serious indeed."
"I wouldn't even know who to accuse, and you had some of the blue drink. You seem ok."
"I…" I paused a moment and frowned. "I became intoxicated but I remember some of the night. Although I imbibed many a beer before I drank the cocktail. From where did it originate? I remember descending from the board and everyone surrounding me and then there was a drink in my hand. I have no idea who gave it to me. I did feel the intoxication increase after I had drunk it, although admittedly I had three. There were no tastes other than the alcohol and the mixers. Although I did stumble and fall and not long after I became insensible and I remember nothing until I awoke this morning in Mal's bed."
"Oh god. You too?" She asked.
"Nothing untoward happened. Not only did I have his insurance in writing, but also I am sure I would know if I had done anything last night. Would I not be sore this morning?" I asked, as I felt suddenly unsure.
"You'd know anyway." Sophie murmured. "You'd know."
"If you will not go to the warden then what do you intend to do?" I asked after a few minuets of silence.
"The best I can do." She said. "I'll shower, get cleaned up and pretend it never happened."
"That is very unhealthy." I said in disapproval.
"What's the point dwelling on it when I can't remember anything helpful? I'll just have to be more careful in the future."
"We could ask around, see if anyone saw you with any boy in particular." I suggested.
"I think we were all pretty wasted by then." Sophie murmured.
"Would it hurt to try?"
"I don't want anyone else to know about this." She said suddenly. "Please Liza, promise me you won't tell anyone else?"
"I…" I paused as I considered all the angles, this really should be reported. However Sophie would have to do so herself, I could not force her. "I will speak of this to no one." I stated. "However, if you wish to confide in me further I will be more than happy to oblige."
"Thanks." Sophie said with a smile.
"What do you wish to do now?"
"Shower and dress and spend the day with my head in a book." She said warily.
"I am in room five zero nine if you wish to talk. I will be out to breakfast first, but I should be back by midday."
"If I need to talk I'll find you." Sophie promised me.
"Then I will leave you to shower." I stated.
Sophie smiled weakly as I gathered together my belongings and left the bathroom. I was deep in thought, contemplating whether or not I should report the incident regardless of my promise, however I would be of more use to Sophie if I proved loyal and kept her business to myself. She would be more likely to confide in me in future when she required it than if she were to think she had no one she could trust at this time.
I was placing my dirty clothing into the laundry bag before I realised I had returned to my room and Dove was speaking to me.
"I am sorry, what did you say?" I asked as my distraction left me.
"Look, I know it was bad of me, what I did last night. I should have at least checked with you first." She stated and it took me a moment to remember that she had locked me out of the room.
"Yes. It would have been nice. I think perhaps we should come to an arrangement, perhaps over breakfast for I am famished."
"Were you planning on eating out? If you were I'll have to shower before I go anywhere." She declared.
"I will go and find breakfast while you shower. I will obtain a receipt and you pay me the differences when I return."
"Ok." She said.
"I am very famished this morning, I wish for something big and greasy. Would you be opposed to sausages and bacon, perhaps some hash browns? I know it is unhealthy, but after imbibing such vast quantities last night I need something to balance it."
"We won't be able to get that to take out." Dove observed.
"I will buy the ingredients and cook. There is a hob in the common room is there not?"
"Yeah. But really you'll cook all that?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yes. Would you eat such breakfast?" I replied.
"Well I should really watch my calorie intake, but why the hell not?" Dove declared.
"Then I shall pop to the store." I stated. "The walk in the fresh air will work wonders to clear my head."
"You're hungover?" She asked incredulously.
"Like you wouldn't believe." I stated.
"You don't look it." She observed.
"I am a wreck on the inside, believe me." I chuckled as I retrieved my purse and checked that my wallet and shopping bag were secure within.
"I can hardly get out of bed when I'm hungover." Dove observed.
"I have to." I replied. "I cannot abide the thought of lying in my own filth all day." I shuddered.
"You wet the bed?" Dove asked with a frown.
"While that is a possibility when one is thoroughly inebriated it has never been something I have done. I am disposed to the fact that one sweats more when intoxicated, never mind that stale feeling upon my tongue. I must up and shower and dress or risk becoming a nervous wreck."
"I guess we all got different ways of dealing with things." Dove conceded.
"Well I am off to the stores and I will see you in half an hour." I said as I picked up my sunglasses ready for when I was out of doors.
"Then I'll go shower and not lie about in my own filth all day." She joked.
I chuckled and waved as I exited the room and made my way to the small discount mini-mart located on the edge of campus. I would normally have gone to a real butcher in order to buy my meat, but I was as yet unsure of the layout of the town and in no mood to navigate since the heat of the morning made me feel somewhat sluggish as it re-ignited the alcohol still within my system.
It was but a short walk to the mini-mart across the small park area created for those who wished to walk or jog. A small pond had been created in the middle of it and I paused a moment in the middle of the bridge that spanned it in order to look down at my reflection. It was rare I got to see myself in bright sunlight and I was rather pleased with the effect. Even with my hair in pigtails.
I moved on to the mini-mart and I bought the breakfast ingredients along with a cheap frying pan since I had not taken a true inventory back in the kitchen. I also bought a pack of large paper plates; two round tea trays that were on a 'buy one get one free' offer and two mugs that were also on special offer. I took my purchases to the counter and paid for them with my credit card.
As the cashier swiped the card I worried for a moment that perhaps the funds had been frozen, however the money within that particular account was money I had earned myself when I had worked for two years in an office. They had no right to touch this money for it was my own. Not that I thought they would cut me off in such a vulgar way, however I wouldn't put anything past her to try and get me to return despite the fact that she would…
I would not think of my family and it took a moment for me to regain my composure as I accepted the return of my card from the assistant.
"Thank you." I said with a light curtsy before I gathered up my shopping bags and headed back to my building.
As I climbed the stairs that morning I found that part of my mind wished the elevator was working because the walk in the sun had worsened my hangover, the air had been too warm to be rousing. I decided that this was my punishment; perhaps in future I would not drink as much.
The common room was empty and I set about cooking up the food in the kitchen. I had to use a stool to reach the hob, but this was something I was used to regardless. The stove was coin operated, one had to place two dollars worth of change into a box in order for a supply of gas. It would last half an hour and I felt this was right for me to cook all I needed to cook the breakfast and keep it warm while I cleaned around the kitchen before taking the food back to my room.
I cooked up a load of sausages and bacon, along with tomatoes and some hash browns. I also made up some pancakes and I divided them between two paper plates, however I had miscalculated and there was enough for another two people at the very least. I placed all that was left onto one of the plates that were located in the kitchen cupboard in the instance that someone else could eat it. I placed the food into the warmed oven and washed the frying pan and all around the surfaces.
The kitchen was spotless as I retrieved the two paper plates and placed them on the tea trays ready to transport to the room along with coffee I'd made in a thermos for ease of transfer. I was about to pick up the trays when I felt a presence in the room.
I looked toward the entrance to the stairwell as the boy with brown hair who had been watching me yesterday entered.
"If you are hungry there is some food in the oven." I stated. "It's still warm."
"Thanks." He said with a smile.
I smiled in return as I picked up the trays.
"I must go now, I have things to discuss with my roommate." I stated, as I wondered why I should tell him this, what business was it of his? I was giving him free dinner.
"Yeah." He said with a shrug and his messy hair brushed his shoulders. "I'll see you around."
"Perhaps." I conceded as I made my way toward my corridor. "Oh, remember to wash the plate afterwards."
"Will do bach." He said and I nodded my head before I stepped into the corridor.
When I got to my room I could hear the sound of a hairdryer from within. I was thankful that Dove would eat her food warm and I used my elbow to move the handle enough in order to open the door. I then eased it open with my back as Dove turned to see me entering with the food and my other purchases. She turned off the hairdryer and blinked at me.
"Wow. You really did cook breakfast." She said in awe.
"Of course." I replied. "It is one of my many talents." I added as I placed her tray upon her desk.
After I had poured out some coffee Dove sat by her desk and looked down at her breakfast.
"This looks good." She observed. "But why is it on a paper plate?"
"It is more hygienic." I stated. "Who knows how many people have eaten from the kitchen plates and whether they cleaned them to an efficient standard? This way we know that we are always the first to eat from the plate and it also saves on washing up."
"Good point." She said and began to eat the food from her plate.
She was silent the whole time as she ate and I ate also, deciding to keep the conversation until we had finished eating.
After eating I sat up straight on the edge of my bed whilst Dove sat in the middle of her own bed with her legs crossed. We were both sipping coffee from our new mugs.
"So, about last night…" Dove began.
"I am not a dunce." I stated. "And neither am I so innocent that I would think you would not wish to entertain boys in this room. One day I may wish to bring someone back myself, but for the time being this is highly unlikely."
"Why? It's not like you're ugly, in fact I bet you could get any guy you want." Dove said, jumping to the wrong conclusion.
"But I do not want any guy, I want my Dear Boy, and when I can go to him I will. It is neither here nor there whether I have a sex life or not. The point of the matter is that you do have one and I would rather know in advance if you plan on using the room." I stated.
"Sometimes these things just happen." Dove said with a shrug.
"Then perhaps something else is in order. If I could find somewhere to lay my head every Saturday perhaps you could have use of the room on that night." I suggested.
"Really?" Dove asked in disbelief.
"I will have to look into it, but it may be feasible. Of course if I am to do this for you then there is something you must do in return." I stated darkly.
"What's that?"
"I have not thought of it yet. Shall we call it a favour in the bank that I will utilise when I have need to?" I said with a smile.
"Of course. Whatever you want just ask." Dove said in an offhand manner and I wondered if I should lecture her on the folly of an open promise but decided against such an action.
"Then I will think of someplace to go in the meantime." I said with a nod of my head.
Dove nodded in return and we both took a sip of our drink. She gave a laugh and I looked at her curiously.
"I thought you were gonna be on case about this." She said. "You come across as straight laced. I thought you were gonna talk me down about sleeping around."
"I understand some people feel the need to copulate with many people, I have never felt this urge myself." I stated.
"You've never wanted to be with a guy?" She asked in a careful voice, wanting to question but not wishing to offend.
"Oh, there have been a few occasion, but I was too young and it would have been wrong to force myself upon the gentleman since he was somewhat older than me. Perhaps if we had been the same age it would have been different, I could have shown him the true extent of my feelings, but it was out of the question since he is ten years older than I."
"Was he your teacher or something?" She asked.
"I did not attend school remember." I stated in order to buy a little time to think of a good cover story.
"Ok. Well your tutor then?" She suggested.
"No. I did not fancy Miss Sellers in the slightest." I said with a laugh and I began to enjoy weaving this story.
"Then who was it?"
"He was…" I paused, as if in embarrassment, however it was in order to confirm that this was the story I wished to use. "He was a post graduate student working with Father for a year."
"Wow. So did you get a chance to do anything with him?"
"How could I? I feared rejection or worse that he would accept my offer and be less than the honourable man I had painted him to be in my head." I stated.
"So it was more of a crush thing?" She surmised.
"It was a crush, but that doesn't mean my sexual desire was any less."
"No. It was probably more. When something seems unattainable you want it more." She chuckled. "I grew up around film sets and it was nothing to sit amongst some of the most beautiful people in the world. I was part of the in-crowd before I could even stand up because Mom wanted to be 'hands on'. As I got older and had to go to school I had less time to hang around set, especially if Mom was filming elsewhere and I'm not really looking to go into the film industry, at least not in front of the cameras. I want to be where the real power is.
"Anyway, Mom was filming just down the road from our house and I was bored so I went down to mooch around, see if there was anything I could do around set. It's always fun to work with the FX guys when there's a big scene going down. I ended up as gofer to the director, but I didn't mind, he's an old family friend and I'm sure him and Mom had a thing once. But that's not important. He wanted me to run the latest version of the script to the talking extras. I was a little bad moody about this since I had to slum it.
"So I gets to the extras' bus and there's no one there except this one guy, tall, gorgeous with beautiful green eyes. I tell you, you'd drop your pants at the sight of him. It felt wrong that he was just an extra; he should have been at least a recurring background character in my opinion. Guess I'm rambling again." She chuckled. "So I hand him the script then said I'd been assigned to gofer for the extras, like it was my job and I was getting paid for it. I pretended I was twenty one, but I could always pull it off because I'm taller and who hasn't lied about their age at some point?"
"Especially in Hollywood." I stated.
"Exactly. This guy was so gorgeous and I just knew I'd seduce him but he seemed a little nicer than the usual lot so I knew he'd never do anything if he knew I was only sixteen at the time. I had to play this one cool, but the fact that he seemed to give me the brush off at first only made me want him more." She trailed off happily.
"Did you succeed in the end?" I asked, intrigued by her story despite myself.
"Yeah. Although he took me on a few dates first before he even kissed me. I thought that was weird, guys usually liked to jump straight into things and it wasn't like he could really afford all them fancy dinners on an extras' salary. He actually seemed a little shy and I had to more or less invite myself back to his apartment. He was good, not as experienced as I thought he'd be, but then it didn't matter cause he seemed to want to make me feel special and that's the important thing right? It's reaching the high whatever you do?"
"I couldn't comment." I stated.
"Come on, don't tell me you've never had some quiet alone time." She said with a wink.
"No." I said firmly and Dove gave me a sceptical look but clearly decided that I was too prudish to speak of my own exploits to the lengths she was going.
"Anyway, the foreplay was much better than the act itself, not that I'm complaining. I think it was more his inexperience of going all the way. I helped him along over the next week, giving him tips without sounding too judgmental. He welcomed my advice, said it was better than an all out criticism, that felt like it had a story behind it but I never got around to asking him about it. Anyway, he was real nice, but we had to call it quits when he got a role in some big budget thing. I think he was gonna be like a third tier character, well it was a higher role than he'd got so far. How could I make him stay behind with me? Besides, he might be a big movie star one day and he'll come back for me." Dove said firmly.
"That would be a nice ending." I said, for it was the response she was looking for.
"But then I don't think he loved me. He liked me a lot but I didn't have all of him. Not that I expect that from a guy anyway, but it was like he'd locked a bit of him away and wouldn't even show it to himself. I think some of it got out in his sleep though. One night I'd fallen asleep in his bed and I got up to head home so that I was at least seen leaving for school in the morning. He said 'don't leave me baby doll' and I thought he was talking to me, so I turned back to him to explain that I had an early meeting or something. But he was still sleeping. He was talking in his sleep. He seemed a little distressed and I wondered if I should wake him up, then he settled and smiled as he murmured 'I'll wait for you princess, I promise.' Then he went quiet and his words stuck with me all day. I realised that he did love someone, but it wasn't me. Whoever his princess is, I hope she's happy."
"Does he have a name, this great lover of yours?" I asked casually although a knot in my stomach hinted that I knew his identity too.
"Yeah, it's Simon Leighton, but I bet you've never heard of him." She said with a laugh.
"No." I said, shaking my head although I recognised the name and I knew well the identity of the 'princess'.
"I guess I should get back to drying my hair." Dove observed and I refrained from arguing for I suddenly wished to be alone.
"I wish to walk." I stated and I left the room without further word.
I walked down to the bottom floor and back to the little park where I found an empty bench and slumped down. It was at this point I realised I still held my coffee cup, although it only contained dregs. I cared not as I stared at the sparkling water of the pond as my mind whirled.
It seemed too much to process that the girl I now shared a dorm with had bedded my Dear Boy. It was most unfair; especially when one considered the fact she had lied about her age. I had denied myself the comfort of his arms and the pleasure of his body due to the fact that I had been too young, yet Dove had gone ahead with her seduction knowing full well she was deceiving him.
Of course she had been sixteen whereas I had been but eight at the time, yet it still hurt me. It hurt me that Simon had lain with another despite the fact that I had encouraged him to do so. Of course when I told him to go forth into the world I had no inkling that I would meet with one of the girls he would bed, at least not in the way I had met Dove and come to find out from her how she'd so casually given herself to my beloved.
Then to brag about it!
No, I could not feel bitter toward Dove. I had told Simon to find his way in the world and she had no knowledge that I even knew of him, let alone had an attachment. She was merely sharing with me of the time she had loved an older man. Although she had gone further than I would have in the situation, it was merely a sharing of experiences. There was nothing vindictive in her confession.
There had been a ray of hope of course. The thing that had drawn my interest fully into her story, the thing that had made me inquire of her lover's name. He still dreamt of me. My Dear Boy still spoke my name in his sleep. Of course it was not my actual name, but his names for me. He had called me Princess from early on and Baby Doll had come about from our very first encounter in cheerleading practice when he had to lift me and commented on how light I felt. I weighed nothing more than a baby doll.
This fact made me feel happy, until I thought of the exact words he had uttered.
'I'll wait for you princess, I promise.'
"Well you did not wait for me Simon, that is evident." I muttered aloud and a couple walking by gave me a look of unease.
I glared at them until they went on their way. I required solitude while I digested the ramifications that my Dear Boy had joined the dance. If truth be told, despite my words of encouragement to sample all that life had to offer I had harboured the selfish little thought that he would truly wait for me. However, Simon had decided to sample from the buffet cart before the main meal was presented to him and it hurt to think of him with anyone but me.
"I will gain experience too." I stated. "And when we meet…"
Would we ever meet again? Had I left it too long to contact him? Yet he dreams of me still, that must have some significance. My head was beginning to throb and I realised I had been sitting the sun for too long. I decided to return to the cool of the building.
I reached my room to find that it was empty; this was a fact I was thankful for. I realised that I needed a little more time to regain my composure before I faced Dove. I had to lose any animosity I felt toward her for sleeping with my beloved for how would I explain that Simon Leighton was my childhood sweetheart? He was now in his late twenties and I was posing as my true age now, as opposed to claiming I was ten years older when I attended school with Simon. I could not even claim him to be the grad student I was so infatuated with since the time frame would not meet. Dove could never know we shared a connection through a mutual lover. It had to be my secret to keep.
I managed to settle my mind and in doing so I realised that I did wish to have experiences of my own and I would seek out Simon in my own good time. Who knew where in the world he may be at present if he truly had began a film career. Did I wish to know him now? What if he had mutated into a shallow, vapid, celebrity?
My Simon would never do that!
However, it was not time to seek him yet. I had began college and I had two years ahead of me at the very least before I could think of abandoning my post and searching out my Dear Boy. I would finish what I had began here, but that did not mean I had to want for company.
In that moment I realised that I wished to track down Mal and buy him the coffee I had promised. Perhaps we would become good friends in the process and I would have a true friend. Yes I would search him out and thank him for what he did Friday night.
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