Rose sat in her bathtub, full of steamy hot water and bubbles.  She was lying with her head against the special pillow she had purchased online.  Made of water resistant materials, it was designed for use in pools, tubs or wherever the user would be immersed in water. 

Following a particularly stressful day, she might remain in the tub for an hour or more.  On occasion, she had dozed in the bath.  Since obtaining the pillow, there was no risk of head or neck soreness.  There was the possibility of drowning, though up to this point there had been no close calls.

Rose was attempting to read one of her mother's paperback romance's.  It had been suggested by her mother, who apparently was making a belated attempt to connect with her teenage daughter.  The woman had a closet full of the things, she had mentioned numerous times, so someone should take advantage of them.

Rose's mother, whose name was Rosalyn, had insisted that the books were "quite suggestive" in places.  She had warned Rose to skip over those parts that she found offensive.  "I had no idea the extent to which these books addressed the subject of sex, dear.  I certainly wouldn't have purchased them if I had."  Rose made no mention of the fact that her mother had a couple of hundred of them.   She found it curious that it had taken her mother, a highly intelligent and educated woman, that long to realize the basic theme of the literature. 

Rose found her parent frustratingly naive in many ways.  At times she suspected that their apparent ignorance was an act, played out for her benefit.  Whatever the case,  Rose did nothing to convey her suspicions and faithfully played the expected role of the model high school student.    

She knew that there were so many aspects of her personality and behavior that they would abhor and never accept, that she had made the decision to stay in this role when around her parents.

If they had truly shown an interest in knowing Rose or expressed a desire to understand any aspect of her life, she might have felt more obligated to be open and honest about who she really was.  This had never been the case with either of them.  Their education and careers had always been their god.  It had hurt for awhile but at a young age,  Rose had  found a place where dreams were real and life was however she wanted it to be.  

Initially, her fantasies had been only occasional daydreams.  As Rose began to experience puberty, her sexual curiosity increased and integrated her fantasies completely, becoming the all consuming focus.  Roseworld, as she eventually referred to it, was now the place she spent much of her time when not in school.

Currently, Rose was leafing in vain through the gothic pap, seeking passages her mom had referred to as "spicy".  "The world was a very strange place back then", she considered.  She suddenly realized that she wasn't grasping the literature because everything, particularly the sex parts, were so vague.  Terms like "throbbing member," apparently referred to a guys thing.  "What the hell was that?."  With a laugh, Rose tossed the book on the counter.  "Mom, will you ever find your way out of Disneyland"?  

Rose lay back against her pillow and relaxed.  This wasn't her "washing bath", in which she washed her hair, etc... This was an in between bath which was just for fun.  Reaching up to the ceramic ash tray on the built in soap dish, she found the remainder of a roach which had been left from a previous bath.  Marcie had recently introduced her to pot.  Rose was typically not a partyer and generally refrained from drug use of any kind.  However, she found that she loved getting high while taking a bubble bath.  

Remarkably, the roach was dry.  She lit it using the Bic that she retrieved from the ash tray.  She finished the joint in 3 deep hits, then closed her eyes and enjoyed the high.  

When high, Rose's fantasies were more imaginative and vivid.  Normally the boundary between reality and  "Roseworld" was narrow.  Being high, basically erased the boundary, making it possible for Rose to slide effortlessly back and forth at will. 

 Using her hands, Rose created a whirlpool-like current in the now-tepid water.  Her body slid forward until her chin was touching the water's surface.  The pillow remained faithfully behind her head, where she was certain it had always been.  With her amazingly dexterous toes, Rose reached the hot water faucet and turned it slightly.  She had such flexibility in her toes that she could perform any feat!  Rose giggled at the pun.  As she giggled, she slid completely under the water.  She felt that her pillow would allow her to remain underwater for a very long time.  It was a special pillow!  She was laying on the bottom of the tub, looking up through the swirling water.  As she had suspected, she didn't need to breathe while her pillow remained behind her head.  The florescent light on the bathroom ceiling was changing shape, appearing to merge with the water.  Rose lay in awe of the swirling, colorful wetness that continued to  transform itself into a variety of forms.  It occurred to her that she could control the colors and shapes merely by thinking about them.  She begin to experiment with this by changing the direction of their flow, causing them to swirl the opposite way.  Then she thought about changing their colors and shapes and they obeyed her whims. 
she imagined a face appearing above the water that seemed to be speaking.  She wished the face to go away but it didn't seem to hear her thoughts, for it didn't leave and continued to move it's mouth.  This was disturbing, so she raised her face above the water to see why the face was being uncooperative.

"Rose!! Did you hear me?  There's a phone call for you"!   It was her mother.  The worst possible way to be shaken into reality. 

"Ok mom. Why are you yelling?" 

The woman snapped back, "cause I've been knocking on the door for 10 minutes. What have you been doing in here?" 

 Rose considered this, "I was having an underwater prayer service mom.  You interrupted a pretty deep conversation between me and God. I sincerely hope he forgives you."  

 The sarcasm took her mom by surprise and she seemed unsure about how to respond. "Uh, oh. I'm sorry Rose.  I didn't know.  Well, you can return after you get the phone, unless you want me to take a message."

 Rose played it totally straight, replying, "Nah, I'll take it. God's in a good mood today.  Thanks, mom."

Rose rose and stepped from the tub so quickly, it startled her mom, who stepped back.  Her mother had always been extremely modest about nudity and Rose occasionally played on this by flaunting her body in front of her.  It never failed to elicit a response.  "Oh my, Rose dear, please grab a towel!  

Feeling giddy and still a little high, Rose took a towel from the rack but instead of wrapping herself, she carried it in her hand as she followed closely behind her mother.  The woman strode down the hallway to the stairs, glancing back before beginning her descent. 

 Seeing that Rose was almost on her heels and still totally naked she actually gasped and fairly ran down the stairs.  Rose burst into laughter.  It took her a full minute to gather herself before she could breathe normally.  She then wrapped the towel around her and grabbed the phone, managing a choked sounding, "hello"?  

"Shit girl, it took you long enough.  What're you doin right now"?  Rose giggled.   It was Marcie.  She had opened with the absurd Facebook quote that was a personal joke between them. 

 "Right now?  Let's see. OK. I'm standing here, dripping wet, totally naked except for a towel around my boobs and ass."  

Marcie replied, "ooh, what color is the towel?" 

 "It's hot pink, just like me, sugar," said Rose.  

"There's no way you're pink.  You be as white as the panties I'm wearin." Marcie quipped.  

Not missing a beat,  Rose came back, "not the parts I'm talking about, lover."  She heard nothing on the line for several seconds. 

 Then, "what are you trying to do to me Rosy?  First, I don't hear from you for a week, then I call and you get me so hot I'm using my phone as a tongue."  Rose could hear gasping from Marcie's end.  

She spoke,  "Are you serious Marcie?"

 Marcie responded breathlessly, "no I'm not serious, but you get my point." 

Rose was still feeling a little impish and not ready to deal with Marcie's confrontational mood.  "It wouldn't work anyway, Marcie.  You know, the tongue thing.  The last thing you want to do is get your phone wet."

Marcie responded with a single word. "Bitch"!
 
Rose thought for a second Marcie was going to hang up on her but there was no click, just silence.  "I'm sorry Marcie,  I'm a little wasted and you interrupted a spiritual experience in my bath tub.  You know I wouldn't have got out to answer the phone for anyone else."

Marcie sniffed, "bullshit. You didn't know it was me, so don't feed me that, oh most high supreme shit eater.  Have you been seeing somebody else?"

This time Rose was silent.  Other than the single experience with Marcie at the park, of which Rose was still very hazy about,  they had barely spoken.  She seldom saw Marcie at school, since they had no classes together other than P. E.  She had no idea that Marcie had expected they were anything more than friends.  "Uh.   What do you mean?"  

"What the hell do you think I mean?  What you did to me at the park, am I supposed to just forget that?  My God, Rose,  I can't stop thinking about it.  I think I'm fucking in love with you, damn it!  What am I supposed to do?" 

Rose was speechless.  Since that day in the park, she had spoken to Marcie only a couple of times.  Why was she so upset?  What had happened in the park that was affecting Marcie so intensely?  Rose's memory had been vague regarding that afternoon.  It was as if there was a chink of time missing.  This had been happening more frequently in the last month or so. 

Not knowing how to respond, Rose remained silent.  She heard Marcie's frustrated breathing on the phone.  After what seemed like an eternity, she said "Marcie?, are you still there?" No answer. "Marcie?" 

 Finally there was a response. "Yeah, I was chatting with somebody." 

Rose felt her face grow hot with anger.  "Oh, I didn't realize you were busy Marcie. I'll get with you later."  She slammed the phone down but missed and managed to knock the phone cradle onto the floor.  Gritting her teeth, she retrieved the device and carefully replaced the receiver into the cradle and set them on the desk.  In a sudden coup de grace,  Rose grabbed the unit once more and flipped off the ringer switch. 

Realizing that she needed to calm down, Rose returned to her tub of rapidly cooling water.  She flipped the drain lever down to the open position and turned the hot water handle. 

She glanced at the ash tray, then recalled that she had already burned the roach.   Now was when she could really use the lift.  Getting pissed off was the quickest way to lose a good buzz.  It was Marcie's fault,  Rose considered.  

It was so rude to be texting somebody on the computer while you were on the phone with somebody else.  Rose, of course, did this regularly,  but not, she quickly rationalized, while having a supposedly intense conversation with someone whom you claimed to be "fucking in love" with! 

The hot water quickly replaced the draining tepid water and after a few minutes Rose closed the drain and shut off the water.  She lay back on her pillow, closed her eyes and felt the warmth permeate her  skin, seeping to places within and beyond.  

The watery lights had returned.  
She watched the rivulets of colors, dancing erotically, 
like tiny northern lights.  
Her delighted laughter sounded muted and hollow,
bubbling to the surface like an odorless fart. 
Could she control the spectacle as she had previously? 
She was determined. 

Something was missing. 
What was it? 
Where was the special tool that was the secret to Rose's omnipotence?
She was about to mouth the question when monstrous appendages suddenly plunged from the world above. 
They were legs of a giant octopus, with suckered tentacles, 
grasping her by the shoulders and roughly pulling her to the surface. 
A scream of protest formed in her lungs but was cut off by a strangely familiar pair of lips pressed against hers.  
A tongue was forced into her mouth, merging with her own tongue,
in an unrestrained attempt at supremacy. 
As this duel neared it's conclusion,
a crystal clear plasma image was splayed onto Rose's fevered brain. 
"My pillow"!  She blurted this into the mouth of the
 arthropod, who released its tongue lock long enough to utter a single word. "huh"?
The voice was instantly recognizable as belonging to her non-arthropodic ex-friend.

"Marcie"!?
"Where did you hide my pillow, you bitch!"
Rose hated being jerked out of Roseworld without warning.  Especially if the jerking involved an outside source.  The pillow talk was her resistance to being disturbed. 

Marcie repeated her previous response.  "Huh"? 

"What are you doing here, Marcie"? 

"You hung up on me.  Why"? 

"Why do you think?"  Rose said angrily.  "You were fucking texting somebody while talking to me on the phone!"  

With a surprised look, Marcie said, "that's what pissed you off?  My sister texted me to ask if my mom was home.  I was just texting her back." Marcie grinned slyly, then said, "were you feeling jealous, Rosy"?

Feeling a combination of embarrassment and residual anger, Rose responded, "fuck you Marcie".

At this, Marcie broke into pleased laughter.  "You were jealous! That is so hot! You do like me!"

"Shut the hell up Marcie!"  
Wanting to get her off the subject, Rose asked her, "who answered the door?
You did come in the front door didn't you?"  

Marcie's expression changed to one of mock seriousness.  "An older, very hot babe opened the door when I buzzed.  I asked for you and she sent me around to the side entrance, said something about help having to use the service entrance.
You don't have a lot of non-white friends do you?" She broke into a grin. 

"I know you're making that up", said Rose.  "What's sad is that I can see my mom saying something like that.  She wouldn't say it but she might think it.  My parents are such fucking snobs.  Actually, I never have friends over.  Mainly cause I don't have a lot of friends.  I am really a loner, Margie.  I guess I like it that way."

Margie was quiet for a moment, then said, "I'm a loner too but I have friends.  What do you do, like, for fun and stuff"?

"I have Roseworld." 
Rose had replied before thinking.  She mentally kicked herself.  She had shared her fantasy place with no one, for fear of appearing certifiable.  Everyone had fantasies, but lately, Rose felt she indulged more that usual.  Sometimes it seemed that she spent more time daydreaming or fantasizing than not.   

"Roseworld?  What's that, some kind of video game?" 
 Marcie inquired.

"Yes, its a game!  It's so cool! You have to try it!"  Rose quickly replied.  Not used to lying, except to her parents, she immediately felt a pang of guilt.

"It must be something if you spend that much time at it," said Marcie.  "I never realized you were that much of a gamer."

"This is different.  You don't play it like that."  Rose knew she had to find a way to be honest with Marcie.  There had to be a way to do it without revealing her lie.  "It a game you play in your head.  It's different for everyone.  My particular gamescape is called Rosewood."

"Well, show me how to play," said Marcie.

Rose thought to herself, "uh oh, now what are you going to do."  Out loud she said, "it's really a game you play by yourself."

"Like solitaire"? Marcie replied wryly.

"Uh, yeah, kinda like that."  Rose then knew that Marcie wasn't buying her story.  "Ok Marcie, I'll level with you.  I fantasize a lot.   There isn't a game.  That was bullshit."  

"So what is Roseworld?", Marcie inquires.

"It's just what I call my fantasies, ok?"

Looking puzzled, Marcie asks, "you have given your fantasies a name?  Like there a place or some shit?"
She had a smile on her face like she was about to laugh.

Rose was embarrassed and angry.  "What's wrong with that?"

"Absolutely nothing, Rosy.  I happen to love your fantasies."  Marcie began to undress, removing her shoes first, then pulling her t-shirt over her head.  She wasn't wearing a bra and her substantial breasts swung freely as she bent down to remove her shorts and panties.  "Can I join you?"  Without waiting for Rose to respond, Marcie stepped into the tub.  She grinned coyly and turned to present her ass to Rose, straddling Rose's legs.  She leaned forward so that her significant behind protruded toward Rose's face.  Marcie turned and with a demure smile said huskily, "please?"

Rose had remained speechless during Marcie's presumptive behavior.  However, this was like having an ice cream cone held under her nose!  She didn't stop to contemplate but immediately indulged.  There was no dainty sampling of Marcie's cheeks or thighs as was Rose's inclination.  She buried her face in the ass crack of her chunky friend and began slurping.  Rose was immediately aware of a potent odor and grainy texture, indicating a lack of recent wiping.  This was confirmed, as a giggle erupted from Marcie, followed by an apology for being less than sanitary.  "We ran out of toilet paper baby.  I'm so sorry."

As Rose was performing the seemingly degrading act, she began having feelings of deja vu.  At first, she ignored these.  However, they became so prominent that they were distracting.  She ceased her licking long enough to voice a question to Marcie.  "This may be a dumb question Marcie but have we done this before”? 

At first there was silence.  After several seconds, Marcie said in a soft, husky voice, “are you serious? I thought you were kidding Rosy but you’re serious aren’t you?”

“I’ve been having problems remembering stuff.”  To be honest, I haven’t been able to remember anything from that day we were at the park.” This was the first time Rose had confessed this to anyone since that day. 

Marcie looked genuinely concerned, replying,  "well, it does seem like a fantastic dream.  At times I can't believe it really happened.  So you really don't remember anything?"  

Rose shook her head sadly.  "I can remember seeing you in the park when I was walking home from school.  I remember sitting together and kissing and touching a little.  After that, it's just weird flashes, you know, like a movie that you can't see 'cause the tape is messed up.  

A smile came over Marcie for an instant.  "You mean a VCR tape?  Do they still make those?"

"No, they don't.  That's why it's messed up.  Bitch!"  She had used the term mildly, trying to disguise her anger at Marcie's teasing manner.  However, these memory lapses had concerned Rose for several weeks. Especially since they seemed to be increasing in severity and frequency.  This being the first time she had discussed them, she was embarrassed and didn't appreciate teasing.

Marcie seemed oblivious to the "bitch".  She sat on the side of the tub and began to stroke Rose's hair.  "I can remember every detail of that day,  Rosy.  We stayed in the restroom for about two hours.  It took 45 minutes to clean you up.  We locked the door so no one would pop in.  None of that is familiar?"  Marcie had deliberately refrained from mentioning any of the nasty sex they had engaged in while in the restroom.  The reason for this was that she was worried about something she had heard in biology the other day regarding oxygen deprivation and memory loss.   There was a possible connection and this concerned her.  She tried to recall the details of that part of the lecture.   There had been no mention of specifics such as how long it took to have memory loss or if the loss was permanent, etc... These things were swirling around in Marcie's mind.  She must have become visibly upset, because Rose noticed.

"Marcie, are you OK?"

"Rosy."  Marcie hesitated before continuing, knowing she had to tell her but unsure how to say it.  
"Did you know that you can have memory loss from not getting enough air?"  There, it was out.  She waited for a response.

"Uh, Ok. That's too bad Marcie.  So what exactly does that have to do with anything?"  Rose was puzzled and frustrated and Marcie's peculiar statement did nothing to aleve these feelings.  "Marcie, if you don't tell me what's going on, I'm going to rip your tonsils out through your asshole."

"Ok, Ok, I'll tell you, but I don't have any tonsils so you'll have to pick another body part."  Marcie became very serious and her voice softened.  First, I'm going to tell you about that day at the park, then I'm going to explain about the memory loss thing."

"We were sitting on the grass, kissing and talking and stuff.  You were telling me about a fantasy you had.  
I said I had to go the restroom and took off that way.  I went to the little brick building where the restroom's are.  Oh, and there was a really cool lizard by the door when I went in.  Anyway, I used the second stall, do you know why?"  Rose shook her head.  Marcie continued, "cause they've done studies that show that most people use the first stall."  Rose rolled her eyes and motioned with her hand to go on.  "I'm sorry Rosy, this is kinda hard.  So I'm sitting there on the toilet after a really nasty, wet poop, cause I had mama's huevo's and beans for breakfast and I hear somebody coming in the restroom.  Then I hear a knock on my door and guess who it is!  Does any of this sound familiar?"

 Marcie studied Rose's expression for any sign of recollection.  There was none.  Rose continued to look confused and pissed.  After a deep sigh, Marcie began to talk again. "You basically ordered me to let you into my stall, Rosy.  It was really weird.  It was like your personality had suddenly changed.  I had no idea what was going on until you told me to stand up and turn around."  At this point, Marcie's voice was wavering a little and she was swallowing a lot.  Rose's mouth had dropped open involuntarily and she had begun licking her lips.  Marcie now looked directly into Rose's eyes as she spoke.  "You licked the shit off of my nasty asshole.  I couldn't believe it, Rosy!  You fucking buried your face between my ass cheeks and licked me clean!"  It was amazing how horny Marcie was getting by talking about what had happened.

In her excitement, Marcie had spoken these sentences louder than intended.  Clasping her hand over her mouth, she cast her eyes toward the door, concerned that she might have been overheard.    However,  Rose seemed unconcerned.   Her expression was one of enlightenment.  It was apparent that her memory was kicking in.   However,  she still looked somewhat confused.   "This is so strange, Marcie.  I've had this memory all the time but I was sure it was,  you know,  one of my fantasies."  

Marcie replied, "it's not that strange, honey.  Just before I went to poop, you were telling me a fantasy that sounded a lot like this.  So we were just acting out your fantasy!  I'll bet most people never get to do that!"  

"There's something you haven't told me though," said Rose.  "What's this got to do with losing my memory and stuff?  Lately, I've been having black outs or something.  I'll come to in class sometimes and won't remember how I got there, stuff like that."
 
Marcie chewed her lip and looked away.  "I haven't told you everything.  You didn't just lick me clean.  There was more to it."

Rose said, "you mean I...".

Marcie nodded.  "After you had licked me really clean, it's like you couldn't get enough.  You wanted me to sit on your face.  In fact, you pulled me on top of you and held my ass on your face.  It's like you wanted to be my toilet."

"I don't remember that part from my fantasy."  Rose was breathing very heavily at this point.  It was obvious that this was getting her hot.  Marcie noticed this and this made her even hornier.  

"You probed my ass with your tongue Rosy.  I've never felt anything like it!  I think your tongue went deeper than my finger does when I get myself off."  Marcie had let this slip and felt a little embarrassed.  
She tried to cover it by continuing the story.  "After you ate me for a little while, I began feeling the urge to, you know, poop.  It got really bad."  Then Marcie told a little lie.  "I tried to tell you but you didn't seem to care.  Finally, I couldn't hold it and it just came out.  I'm so sorry baby.  I'm afraid I shit in your mouth." She told another lie. "I felt so bad!  What's worse, it was nasty diarrhea, a whole lot of it.  I  couldn't believe you just swallowed it!"  Though Marcie was expressing concern,  her face betrayed her true feelings of pleasure and lust.  She was nearly drooling and couldn't mask the grin.

Rose wasn't fooled in the least, being an avid observer of body language and facial expressions in others.  
"So I'm guessing that this is what you're referring to when you said the thing about lack of oxygen and memory loss.  Because you didn't think I could breathe when you sat on my face and I was eating your  mom's eggs and beans.  By the way, I hope they tasted better the first time!" Marcie couldn't help but giggle at this.  This cause Rose to giggle as well and soon both of them were in hysterics.