College

9

Corbin

*********
 

"An only child alone and wild," 
				-Dan Fogelberg
 

**********

Nikki and I started to spend a lot of time together, we would go out and have a 
few drinks but always came back to the dorms together hand in hand as we felt 
the bonds of friendship take root, in ways I had never experienced I should add.

Nikki finally got an Apartment close to campus and we spent a great deal of time 
there; talking, studying and just hanging out. On one evening in particular I 
found myself staring out the window thinking about how far away from home I was, 
about my small room back at my parent's house how I had spent so many years 
growing up in that house. Suddenly I looked over and studied Nicole (I call her 
Nicole sometimes because that is her formal name) for a few minutes, she had 
such beautiful features, her eyes, neck, cheek bones...'She belongs on a cover 
girl magazine not getting banged up on some soccer field' I thought.
 
"What?" Nikki smiled and looked over, catching me staring.
 
"Just wanted to say that I had a great time tonight Nic, thank you."
 
"Oh, well...thank you!" Nikki smiled as she pulled into the parking space of 
her apartment complex. Upon entering her apartment Nikki turned the light on and 
froze. 

"What's wrong?" I stopped dead in my tracks and looked around as if something 
bad just happened.
 
"I forgot I drove remember, shit I was suppose to drop you off at 
your dorm I'm so sorry." Nikki turned and pulled her keys back out of her 
purse. "I can take you back or you can stay here, it's totally up to you."
 
"Oh, uhm" I looked around and smiled giving up a shrug as if it was no 
big deal, "I'll just stay here if that's okay, and I don't want you driving all 
the way back."
 
"It's okay, I really don't mind." Nikki replied sincerely, "But like I said, 
your more then welcome to crash here." Nikki watched as I wondered aimlessly 
into the apartment's small living room and flopped down on the sofa.
 
"I'm okay with it." I sighed and spread my arms out over the back of the 
couch.
 
"You're wasted." Nikki teased and smiled.
 
"I know." I smiled back.
 
"Well, since you're staying here for the night, I'm going to have a 
nightcap." and Nikki opened the fridge pulling out a bottle of wine.
 
"Oh, pour me one too." I bolted upright and walked into the small kitchen. 
Nikki poured the white wine into my glass and we both held up our glasses, 
"Let's toast to our friendship."
 
"Let's." I beamed my smile and clinked my glass with Nikki's as we 
simultaneously took a sip. "Oh this is good." I admired and took another 
sip. In reality I wanted to cry, my emotions were so messed up where Nikki was 
concerned, I was very disturbed that I was falling for another girl.
 
"Let's sit down on the couch before one of us falls down." Nikki pointed.
 
"Good Idea." I sighed and followed Nikki who had the wine bottle in her 
hand. I had just finished off my second glass when I burst out laughing, "I 
am so wasted!" I giggled covering my mouth with my left hand to try and 
hide my embarrassment.
 
"Me too." Nikki laughed and looked down in shock at the empty wine bottle 
sitting on the table.
 
"I've never been this drunk before!" and began laughing, wiping the tears from 
my eyes.
 
"Well now you're a lush for sure." and both of us seemed to find that 
hysterically funny.
 
I sighed, suddenly getting serious and maybe a little mushy as I leaned back 
against the soft cushion, rubbing my tired eyes.
 
"Your a class act." Nikki reached over and touched my left shoulder to 
punctuate her sincerity.
 
"Thanks Nic, but really it's harder then you think, I was so introverted and 
shy in high school so I don't really have any experience at this sort of 
social thing." I opened my eyes and slowly tried to focus on Nikki's face, 
difficult to do given my inebriated state. I gave no smile, nothing, 
purposively waiting to see if Nikki would figure out the hidden meaning in 
my comment. It seemed that Nikki was still trying to process everything I 
had said or was implying.
 
"I mean, NO experience, none." I reemphasized, my face turned down just 
a bit as I seemed to be waiting on Nikki's reaction.
 
Nikki stared back into my eyes and softly smiled, the kind of smile that was 
supportive, friendly. "You're trying to tell me you're a..."
 
"Virgin." I quickly chimed in and my face tensed. 

Nikki let out an exhausted sigh and rolled her eyes, "Well if that's the case, 
we just can't be friends anymore." I surprised even myself with a short burst of 
the giggles and quickly covered my mouth as if to keep the rest of the laughter 
from escaping. Nikki chuckled and leaned over wrapping her arms around my 
neck not saying a word and maybe that was the best thing that could have 
been said or done. I returned the hug, "Thanks Nic".
 
"Why would you ever think that would be a problem or I would react 
oddly." Nikki whispered as I pulled away.
 
"I don't know, I'm a little embarrassed by it, I don't know why, actually I 
do know why. Allot of my girlfriends always would talk about the guys they 
were dating, making out with, doing things with, pressured into doing things..." 
My voice got very quiet and I didn't finish my sentence as my eyes drifted off 
to the right a little, lost in a moment's reflection. "What about you?" I 
suddenly looked up at my friend, putting her on the spot.
 
Nikki raised her left hand and casually ran her index finger into her hair, 
brushing it up and over her left ear as she smiled at the question; "I've 
been with a guy, my current boyfriend, but that's it for me."
 
I nodded and smirked a little, I wasn't surprised at Nikki's experience. A 
sudden shrill ring from a cell phone startled both of us as we both looked 
over at the kitchen counter. "I think that's mine." I looked at the phone 
across the apartment in shock. Quickly I got up and staggered into the 
kitchen.
 
"Sharon!" I made a perplexed expression as I looked over at Nikki, "What' 
wrong? I'm just, I'm over at Nikki's, yeah I know what time it is." I 
shook my head and rolled my eyes, "I'm staying here so don't worry, what's wrong 
with that? No it's better this way, Nikki doesn't have to drive me home." I 
paced the floor a bit; as I listened to Sharon chew me out for not letting her 
know where I was. "Okay, okay, sorry I promise, yes I'll see you tomorrow okay, 
okay yes I'm going to bed, good night, okay take care." I let out a big sigh and 
flipped the phone closed.
 
"Worse then my mother." I chuckled and then let out a sharp gasp as two 
sets of fingers gripped my shoulders from behind, slowly massaging their 
way up to my neck.
 
"Everything okay?" Nikki asked.
 
"Yeah, just Sharon worried I had not checked in with her, that's 
all, she means well." I smiled and closed my eyes as my head rolled to the 
left and right. "Oh god Nikki." I moaned as Nikki's strong fingers probed 
deep into my muscles that insulated my neck and shoulders, "Where did 
you learn to do that?"
 
"You know I'm into physical therapy." She said softly.
 
"They teach massage techniques in Physical Therapy." I smiled 
sarcastically not having a clue as to what I was talking about, more to 
tease Nicole.
 
"Well, something like that, but not everyone has a talent for it." Nikki 
smiled with self satisfaction and then released her grip, performing a small 
pat on my back with her left palm before stepping away, "You got great 
muscle definition." She said in a whisper.
 
"Freaking tease." I whipped my head around, my long blonde hair flying 
over my shoulder as I watched Nikki walk towards the bedroom.
 
"Maybe if you're a good girl I'll give you a full massage one of these days." 
Nikki said as she continued to walk away.
 
"Good? If I'm anymore good I'll have to join a convent." I rolled my eyes 
and pushed off from the table.
 
"Here." Nikki stood in her doorway, her left arm outstretched with a 
nightshirt, in her right hand a pillow and blanket.
 
"Oh thanks." I smiled and walked towards her, but Nikki pulled her right 
arm away when I reached for the pillow. "What?" I paused, thinking I had 
done something wrong.
 
"It's for me, I'll take the sofa, you take I bed." Nikki smiled.
 
"No way, I'll take the sofa Nikki." I insisted.
 
"No, I am taking the sofa." She took a step back.
 
"Come on, really please." I pleaded.
 
"No." Nikki shook her head and held the blanket and pillow out of arms reach.
 
"Fine." I sighed and walked towards the bathroom. The night shirt was barely 
long enough to cover my panties, but I wasn't shy around Nik, we had each seen 
each other in various stages of undress in the women's locker room and nude in 
the showers.
 
"Good night." Nikki said, standing in the doorway to the dark bedroom and 
from my vantage point my eyes noted, quickly though, the outline of 
Nikki's toned bare legs and how her own night shirt barely covered her 
privates.
 
"Thanks for letting me stay." and I took a short step forward, Nikki quickly 
stepped in and reached for me, at least that is what I perceived it to be and 
reached out to return her hug. For some reason, and I wasn't sure, it was 
uncomfortable, 'Something surely feels awkward' I thought. Yet physically, 
things felt good as the front of our bodies pressed against one another, our 
breasts free from the confines of our bra's pressed against one another. I could 
also tell the free movement had stimulated our nipples, but nothing so intimate 
during our embrace then the briefest of touches that took place between 
our pubic mounds. A shiver went up my spine as Nikki's crotch felt as if it 
actually was pressing into mine and shockingly, I had the urge to press back as 
we both willing allowed the hug to linger a second or two longer then it 
probably should. It was an exchange that burned into my brain, leaving me 
confused, hostile, embarrassed but wanting more as we both pulled away. 
I felt safe as I snuggled under the blanket, drawing my knees up tight to 
my chest in a ball as I thought about my friend in the other room, school, boys, 
home and finally sleep.
 
"Huh?" I sat up, it was sometime in the night still, my sleepy eyes looked 
for and found the glowing green light of the digital display clock, next to 
the bed; 4:30am.  
 
"You okay?" 
 
The voice startled me as I looked over to the door, seeing Nikki standing 
there with a glass of water in her hand. "Sorry, I must have startled you 
when I got something to drink, go back to bed." and she turned to walk 
back into the kitchen.

I slowly laid down and closed my eyes, I was out of it but pleasantly 
surprised I didn't have a hang over. I heard a glass being gently placed 
into the sink and I smiled as my friend tried to be quiet.
 
"Nikki." I called out from the bed room and a few seconds later she was 
there, but it was still so dark, I could only make out a silhouette.
 
"Yeah?" Nikki replied.
 
"I'd feel much better if you would just sleep in here with me, after all it's a 
double bed, and I feel bad about you being on that couch."
 
"It's not so bad." 

I just laid there, my eyelids growing heavy again and I sighed with an odd 
'down' feeling, I guess she wasn't going to take me up on my request. But a 
minute later my head sprung up off the pillow as I felt someone's weight on the 
mattress and watched Nikki's long body crawl over to the right side of the bed. 
"But it's not as comfortable as the bed." Nikki whispered jokingly and we both 
smiled as I pulled the cover over both of us.
 
"Nice to have another warm body nearby." I sighed, but kept my eyes shut 
as I remained turned away from my friend. My heart felt like it was beating 
in an irregular manner. I in fact could feel Nikki close, so very close.
 
I just about had a heart attack, but remained still, at the unexpected touch of 
Nikki's hand now resting on my waist. My hand moved from its tucked position and 
found that of my friends, slowly our fingers intertwined. I closed my eyes and 
took a deep breath as I scooted back closer to Nik, neither of us spoke a word 
as our bodies adjusted and snuggled against one another. It seemed all very 
innocent, both of us finding physical comfort in the other's arms. It was a kind 
of a reassurance, a special bond of sorts as Nikki and I held one another in 
silence, but yet the silence remained as if we both knew how fragile the moment 
was. Nikki curled her right forearm across my tummy and pulled me in close as we 
lay in the classic 'spoon' position.

That was the first time that I can remember contemplating what it might be like 
to have a girlfriend as in dating another girl. I knew allot of guys that would 
do back flips to be in Nikki's position, or in mine for that matter. But here we 
were, two girls finding comfort in each other's arms tonight. But it was all 
innocent as I indicated, even if it wasn't the case deeper in our subconscious.

**********
  
"Thanks for everything." I smiled as Nikki pulled up in front of my dorm. 
We had not spoken allot this morning, we both seemed to be having lengthy 
conversations in our respective heads about what did and 'did not' 
take place last night.
 
"I'll see you at practice later today." Nikki said and looked down at her lap.
 
"You betcha!" I smiled and paused, quickly I leaned over and hugged Nikki 
around the neck, she was initially caught off guard but returned my hug 
with equal intensity.
 
"You're my best friend." I whispered into Nikki's ear and quickly pulled 
away, bolting from the car and running up the steps to the dorm not 
looking back once.
 



  
College_9