Chapter 7

Mrs. Jackson was a pretty big stickler for the rules, so texting in her class needed to be a little stealthy. I wasn’t sure if Megan would reply, but I still wanted to ask.

Hey! Did you find out anything?

Sure enough, Megan wouldn’t reply for the rest of the class. Either her teacher was a hardass or Megan was Megan. I don’t know if it was my inner Nicole, but I found that the more I was in high school, the less I felt I needed to be this good little boy and behave exactly as people expected me to, but Megan clearly felt the opposite.

I still did my work, of course, and to be fair, The Great Gatsby wasn’t a bad book. To my surprise, even Jason was pretty fun to be around, when he felt like being an individual and not Athena’s other half.

“ ... And in the game, you can do basically anything,” Jason continued. “They just came out with The Update That Changed The World, and filled it with a bunch of cool stuff. New trees, new biomes to explore ... Like, you know how in video games, you can make stuff with wood?”

I nodded.

“Well, you can make the same stuff out of different types of wood, and it all looks different,” he concluded. “Seriously, it’s like, the biggest game in the world right now. I’m kinda surprised you haven’t heard of it.”

I shrugged, keeping my book close to my face so Jackson would think we were talking about our reading. “I’m not really much of a gamer. Nicole is, I’m sure she’s heard of Mine Craft.”

“Minecraft. One word,” Jason corrected me. “Well hey, if you ever wanna play it sometime, come on over to my house and I’ll show you what it’s about.”

“Cool,” I replied with a smile, right before the bell rang. The day was over. As if everyone was waiting, students rushed to gather their bags and leave as quickly as they could. In a flash, the classroom was empty and the hallways were filled.

I was halfway back to my locker, fighting the sea of other students when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I opened the phone to see a message from Megan.

not yet. Its the first day lol

Yeah, fair enough. Zelda seemed like a tough cookie to crack anyway. Tough egg to crack...? I shook my head, and saw that Megan wasn’t the only one to text me. Nicole also sent me a message.

You’re in such deep shit. Main hallway, NOW.

I stared at the phone, feeling my heart plummet. Why couldn’t I catch a fucking break? I wasn’t even sure what I did. Was this for sticking Megan on Zelda? All I knew was, it was Nicole, so I was not going to make her wait. I quickly went to my locker and got my things before rushing to the main hallway.

Like the main character of life that she was, Nicole was standing in the middle of the hallway, with all of the students moving around her. It was like seeing oil in water. No student dared bump into Nicole.

She crossed her arms when she saw me. I walked up to her and sighed. “I don’t even know what I did,” I mumbled.

Nicole slowly uncrossed her arms ... then a smile formed on her face. “That would probably be because you didn’t do anything wrong,” she informed me nonchalantly. “I was just wondering if you wanted a ride home.”

I couldn’t even imagine the incredulity on my face. “ ... Seriously?!”

She shrugged. “You like taking your sweet-ass time replying. You dawdle at your locker. I wanted a quick answer. Sue me.” She winked. “Ride or no ride?”

I rolled my eyes so hard I’m amazed I didn’t make my head move. “Ride,” I replied. “You suck.”

She winked again. “Play your cards right, hotshot, and who knows,” she said in a carefree way before turning and walking away. I quickly followed her.

We were halfway to the back exit when Nicole stopped, looking into the cafeteria. I stopped and looked from behind her – we both saw Sabrina, setting up her stuff and sighing. Nicole slowly looked from her to me, a blank look on her face.

A blank face on Nicole. One of the signs of the apocalypse. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t,” I warned her.

Nicole winked again at me – it was like she remembered what winking was and wanted to do it as many times as possible today – and sauntered towards Sabrina. “Yo, Breen,” she greeted. “Great job at the meet this week.”

“Huh?” Sabrina asked timidly, looking up from her stuff. “Oh, thanks.”

“What’s with setting up at the caf?” Nicole asked, looking behind her and noticing I hadn’t walked forwards from the entrance. “Me and Adam over here saw you.” I sighed at that, and jogged up to join her.

Sabrina chuckled nervously. “Um, my bus comes really early, and it leaves pretty early too,” she explained. “Sometimes I miss it, so I’ll be here until the late bus comes.”

“Aw,” Nicole said with genuine sympathy. “That always stinks. Tell ya what, let’s give you a ride.”

“Are you sure?” Sabrina asked, her look flickering to my eyes from Nicole’s.

“Yeah! I’m pretty sure your place is on the way,” Nicole replied, waving off the worry. “C’mon.”

Sabrina didn’t need much more convincing, and soon, she had her stuff packed up and the three of us were making our way to Nicole’s Focus. Sabrina was awkwardly silent, so there wasn’t much talking apart from when the doors were opened and Nicole went into a mini-rant about the chilly November weather.

Before she got into the car, after opening the door, Nicole pulled me in uncharacteristically for a kiss, then put on her sunglasses. “I don’t wanna play favorites – why don’t you both share the backseat?” she told us. I looked from Sabrina to her, trying to see what her game was. Sabrina clearly seemed equally unsure about what was going on, but quietly climbed into the back of the car. It was clear that if I didn’t follow suit, I’d be defying Nicole’s orders and making it seem like I really didn’t want to be next to Sabrina. Well played, Nicole.

Once we were on the road, Nicole piped up. “You two are kinda quiet back there,” she observed. “Is everything hunky-dory?”

Sabrina looked nervously at me but didn’t say anything. I sighed and looked at Nicole. “What do you want?” I flatly asked her.

“Took ya long enough. So, Sab, I’m thinking we need our first round of pictures of the Council first semester this year, not second. Are you cool with coming to the next meeting?”

Oh. Nicole wasn’t trying to do something sexual. I was actually surprised. I could feel my face going blank.

From the way Sabrina reacted, it seemed like she was expecting the same thing, like Nicole was being the jealous girlfriend confronting us or something. “When are Student Council meetings again?” she asked.

“Mondays, right after school. I can give you another ride home if you want. And if Adam smells or something, you can take the front.”

“I do not smell,” I complained.

“Let’s ask the jury,” Nicole replied. “Sabrina?”

“Um ... I think Adam smells quite nice,” Sabrina admitted.

“‘Quite nice.’ Ooh.” Nicole adjusted the rearview mirror. “You’re in, big boy.”

“Shut up,” I complained, although Sabrina’s face was changing. She looked at Nicole’s face through the adjusted mirror. “It’s okay if he’s in, right?”

Even Nicole was silent for a second or so after that one. “Are you asking for my blessing or something?” she nearly laughed, going to a stop. She whipped her head around to face us.

“I mean ... we already...” Sabrina began. I looked nervously from Sabrina to Nicole. I knew Nicole was cool with it, but this still felt ... off. Weird. Alien.

“You two already ... what, like, kissed? Adam told me that.”

“No, I ... yeah. Yeah, we already kissed,” Sabrina fibbed, getting more flustered herself.

Even with her shades on, Nicole’s face changed. She ran her tongue in front of her teeth in the way she did when she was disappointed. “Yeah, you definitely meant more than kissed,” she observed, then turned to me. “And I know she ain’t never been to your place. You didn’t use Room 203, did you Adam?”

“Absolutely not,” I lied.

“Liar,” Nicole replied angrily, turning back around. “You have the damn key.”

“Nope, I don’t,” I replied, gaining confidence thanks to my alibi. “I gave Megan the key, actually.”

“You – what? Why?”

“She needed a quiet place during lunch to tutor ... another student. I saw her in need, and I helped her.”

“Alright, fine, sorry for presuming,” Nicole backed down, then looked towards Sabrina. “And yes, dummy, it’s okay if you’re in. Adam and I are open. That means green light.”

“And you’re not jealous?” she marveled.

Nicole smiled to herself, eyes on the road. “Nope. refreshing, ain’t it? No drama.”

“We’re swimming in drama,” I interjected.

“Yeah but I blame you for, like, all of it,” Nicole told me matter-of-factly.

“So ... what are the limits?” Sabrina pressed on. “I didn’t think I’d get to ask, but now I’m here ... I don’t wanna make anyone uncomfortable.”

Nicole scoffed in a shocked way. “Wow, gold star to you,” she said in an impressed voice. “Even I wasn’t that aware in grade ten.”

“You told me you made a lot of mistakes in gra-”

“Yeah, thanks Adam, you’re not a part of this,” Nicole cut me off.

“Hey look, drama,” I commented dryly.

Nicole ignored me. “As long as you know I’m the person who’s romantic with him, you’re fine,” she told Sabrina. “Don’t treat him like a boyfriend. Don’t call him your boyfriend. And most importantly ... ask him too.”

Sabrina looked at me. “Um, Adam, what are your limits?”

I scratched the back of my neck. “I don’t think I really have any.”

Nicole coughed from the front. “What was that one incident with the girl and that brother that beat me up...?” she asked, pretending to ask herself. She looked at us innocently. “Oh, sorry. Was just thinking of something that happened to me last year.”

As much as she was annoying me, she was right. I made a lot of mistakes with Megan, and some of them involved lack of communication. “I guess always be upfront about what you want from me,” I told her. “I’d rather a weird truth than a white lie, it always leads to drama. Oh, and this will sound sketchy, but ... try not to tell a lot of people. More people involved just means more headaches.”

“I can vouch for that one,” Nicole added. “Is this your first time doing stuff like this?”

“What, like, stuff with another guy’s boyfriend?” Sabrina had to laugh at the situation. “Yeah, of course.”

“Hey, I’m not judging,” Nicole smoothly replied.

“Um, I would,” I interrupted. “Our situation is obviously different, though. I guess ... I guess it’s good we’re talking about this.”

“Funny how often I’m right,” Nicole mused. “This is your place, right?” We stopped at some well-off-looking house in the suburbs.

Sabrina looked outside the car window like she forgot where we were going. “Oh. Um, yeah. Thanks.” She quickly undid her seatbelt and opened the door. “Th-thanks for the ride,” she replied, quickly closing the car door after her.

Nicole looked at me through the rearview mirror, gesturing her head towards Sabrina. “May as well say a proper goodbye,” she offered.

“I’m not going inside her house,” I told her, undoing my seatbelt. “I have no idea what you’re doing.”

“That makes two of us,” she replied with a smile.

I quickly left the car and chased after Sabrina. “Hey!” I called after her.

She turned around, about to reach for her doorknob. “Oh, hey,” she replied. “did I forget something?”

“No, I just...” I glanced back to the car. “I just wanted to say goodbye a little more formally.”

Sabrina nervously snickered and turned pink. “Oh, that’s sweet,” she admitted. “Um ... thanks. Goodbye.”

“It’s kinda funny how ... how we’ve done everything we’ve done, but like ... this is kinda ... weird...” I replied, feeling just how contagious the weirdness was.

“Yeah...” she admitted. “Is Nicole trying to get us to do something?”

“Honestly, Nicole just gets ideas of what’s good for others, so she insists others play along,” I told her flat-out.

She nodded. “I think I got that from yearbook meetings,” she admitted. “So what, we play along? How would we even do that?”

“I dunno, do you want...” I hesitated. “Do you want a kiss goodbye, or...”

She chuckled, only turning pinker. “I think ... So, I want that, but not in front of her. How about just a hug?”

I scratched the back of my neck again. “Yeah. Good call. Sorry.”

“No no, don’t be sorry!” she quickly added. “It’s just ... it would just be weird.” We shared a quick, polite hug, and she smiled at me. “See you around, Adam.”

“See you,” I replied, barely getting the words out before she was inside her house again. I stared at the door for a bit before getting back inside the car.

Nicole was sitting in the driver’s seat, eating a green apple. “It’s funny, isn’t it?” she asked. “How fickle the human spirit is. She’s seen your dick, and yet, kissing you on her front porch seems so much more vulnerable.”

“Can I have a bite?” I asked. Nicole and I looked at each other and started to laugh.

“Fuck, you’re awesome. I did not see that reply coming,” she replied. “Have a ball.” She tossed me the apple then began to drive away.

“It’s really something how you always manage to plan these events,” I told her. “Like, you really turned her being in the caf into us finally having this conversation.”

She shook her head, eyes on the road. “Nope. I actually wanted to talk to her about Council photo stuff. The rest was serendipity.”

“Seren-what?”

“It’s like, coincidence, but in a more divine, fated way,” she answered. “Not everything is about you, squirt. Or me, believe it or not. Plus, if this is happening, I want it to really feel casual. Not like this big taboo event. The more low-key we play it, the less feelings are hurt.”

“I still would be happy being monogamous with you,” I admitted.

“Even if that were true, and let’s not debate that right now, Sabrina is in this now,” Nicole reasoned. “Unless you actively want her to stay away or something, I say just let things play out.” She was silent for a bit. “And anyone else you want.”

“I didn’t even mention Zelda,” I protested.

Nicole started to sport a shit-eating grin, one that told me I was instantly trapped. “And you may have noticed, neither did I,” she replied, savoring each word.

Fuck.

“The Noble House of Baker hath been blessed,” Nicole announced. “For I hath indeed arrived! What’s up, bitches?” She kicked off her boots and put her coat on the rack. “You home, mommy?”

“In the kitchen,” Mrs. Baker replied.

“How about you, daddy?” Nicole continued. No answer. “Is he at work?”

“He had an important client tonight,” Mrs. Baker replied. “I’ll probably just order in.”

“I can always cook,” Nicole replied from the kitchen. I removed my shoes and joined them as quickly as I could.

“Hello, Mrs. Baker,” I greeted politely. “How are you doing?”

Mrs. Baker’s eyes climbed up from her laptop screen to look at me. “I’m fine, Adam,” she replied with little emotion. “How are you?”

“I’m great, thanks for asking,” I replied with too much enthusiasm.

“Save it; she’ll never treat you like an equal,” Nicole joked, elbowing her mom. “He’s such a worm, isn’t he, mommy? You should save me from him and forbid me from dating or something.”

“He’s better than a lot of the other boys you brought home,” Mrs. Baker noted, almost to herself, her eyes back on the laptop screen.

“Not all of them, though,” Nicole continued the thought, then looked at me. “I’ll let your mind torture you with which of the others were better than you.”

“Great,” I replied sarcastically.

“Just kidding, you’re my perfect lil’ boyfriend,” she replied bubbily, practically bouncing over and kissing me on the cheek.

Mrs. Baker’s eyes were up from the screen again. “He’s taller than you now,” she noted, as if I was outside of the conversation.

“I know!” Nicole all but shouted. “I’m pissed. I’ll get over it.” She paused, staring at the wall for a bit. “Okay. I’m over it. We’ll be upstairs.”

“Have a good time,” Mrs. Baker told us, as warmly as Mrs. Baker could muster.

I followed Nicole upstairs into her room, where I found her, face-down on the bed.

“You’re in a good mood today,” I told her, joining her on the bed.

“It’s all a facade,” Nicole groaned into the bed. “A facaaaade.”

I chuckled. “Is it?”

“Kinda yes and no,” she answered, getting up and sitting on the bed with me. “Like, yeah, I’m clearly doing alright right now, but ... I dunno. I’m having a few more low moments lately.”

“I’m sorry,” I replied, rubbing her back supportively. “Anything I can do?”

“Nah. You’re great doing what you’re doing. Just don’t feel responsible for me. It’s not your job to save me or whatever.” I started to reply, and she raised a finger. “I know what you’re like,” she continued. “I know you feel like you’re being helpful, but actually. No matter how hard things get, just be around. No need to take control. It makes me feel less like I’m living my own life.” She collapsed back onto the bed. “I don’t wanna live for boys. I wanna life for me. Boy pending.”

“Can I be the boy?” I asked.

“I’ve been dating you for like half a year, you complete idiot,” she said flatly. “You’re the boy.” She sighed. “‘Do you love me? Do you like me? Am I your boyfriend?’ You insecure numbskull.”

“Sorry for being human,” I teased, leaning over her face.

She rolled her eyes. “I need a robot boyfriend is what I need.”

“That sentence didn’t make sense.”

“Girls don’t make sense,” she told me, then lifted her face and kissed mine. “I’m like the prime example of that.”

I kissed her again. “I’d rather be with you than someone who makes sense then.”

“Yeah, say that again in a year.” She kissed me again, then again. Our kisses got more passionate, until we were a tangled ball of limbs, kissing and making out on her bed.

I loved kissing Nicole. Even though it had been more than a year since the first time we did anything, and over six months since we were officially boyfriend and girlfriend, we still had The Sparks every time we kissed. I could feel my nerves tingling whenever we kissed. I could feel Vivaldi playing in my heart and fireworks going off in my mind. My eyes closed on their own, and my heart beat faster. My body moved closer to hers on its own, and her skin felt so good against mine. I couldn’t help but move my hands under her shirt even while our tongues were busy in each others’ mouths.

She moaned into my mouth when she felt my hands getting more adventurous. It seemed like, to her, The Sparks weren’t gone either. If anything, they were as present as ever. She ground her hips against me with increasing urgency, feeling the need build up inside her. Of course, I knew that need very well – my rock-hard cock was threatening to burst through my jeans at any moment, a fact I suspect Nicole knew all too well.

In case she didn’t, her grabbing and feeling my shaft through my pants sealed the deal for her. At first, her hands were teasing, but as we kept kissing and humping like the needy lovebirds we were, she got more and more impatient. Before I knew it, my fly was open, my cock was jutting into the air, and Nicole’s expert hand was jacking me off.

Even still, I was getting too much and giving too little lately. Matching suit, I started to fumble with Nicole’s pants, earning a laugh from her as I had to break the kiss and look down at her pants in order to properly undo her fly. I wanted to finger her through the opening in her pants, but she elected to wear tight jeans today, so wordlessly, we decided that she needed to take the pants off before we continued.

Somehow, this ended up with us both naked from the waist down, clothed from the waist up, standing in her room. In a silly yet sexy moment, we both looked at each other, shrugged, and soon I was against the wall with us kissing, each of us fondling the other.

Nicole broke the kiss and leaned into my hand, grinding herself on my fingers while standing up. “Oh wow, fuck...” she moaned. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment, then opened them, blinking a few times as I slowed down my rhythm. “This is actually really sexy. We should do this more.”

I kissed her on the lips. “I like discovering things with you.”

She rolled her eyes and kissed me again. “Cut the romance. I wanna be a wild animal today.”

I responded with an ‘oh, really?’ face and abruptly turning her around and throwing her against the bed so that her face hit the mattress again. I walked up behind her, my throbbing dick leading the way. I angled her ass up and she gleefully complied, straightening her legs to allow me access. She grinned over her shoulder.

“Why hello there,” she teased, wiggling her ass from side to side. “See something you like?”

“Something I need,” I growled back.

She chuckled. “That’s the spirit. Come on, I’m giving you open access. Use me.”

“Free use fetish?” I teased, rubbing myself along her slit.

She moaned. “Nah, c’mon. I give you the green light all the time anyway. Why spoil it by doing it when I’m not asking for it too?”

I chuckled, silently agreeing with her. Slowly, I pressed in, feeling the velvety depths of Nicole’s insides yet again. As always, she was so wet and needy that even a cock my size could still slip in with ease.

Even still, she inhaled. “Wow...” she breathed. “Ha. Hah ... Giving me a size fetish over here...”

I experimentally humped a few times, enjoying the sight of seeing inch after inch going in and out of her. “You like it?” I teased.

“Of course I do,” she breathed, pushing her hips back onto me. “And I want more. I’m a big girl. Take me.”

I was not about to sell myself short. I placed my hands on her hips and began to work myself up into a rhythm, groaning and feeling myself unite with Nicole in the most intimate way.

“Ah, fuuuuck...” Nicole moaned. “God, yes.”

I couldn’t resist groaning too. “Fuck, you feel so good...”

“Then go faster,” she panted. “Harder.”

I complied eagerly, pressing myself fully against her, releasing my muscles and letting my balls swing freely. My hands roamed along her back, stroking and experimentally scratching. I let my hips do all the work for a while, moving then in an upwards motion, watching Nicole almost jump a little with each motion. Her breathing got more labored; her actions more erratic and desperate. She went from breathing to moans to whimpers.

“Fuck, fuck yes Adam, God I love being your little slut...” she moaned, eventually burying her face in the mattress again. even still, I could hear her moaning, possibly moaning words, into the mattress.

I gripped her hips again, feeling her magic pussy hypnotize my cock. I wanted to hypnotize her back. Granting her wish, I rammed hard and fast inside her, testing her limits and moving at such a breakneck pace that I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue it for long, for my own safety.

I could definitely hear Nicole’s moans now. She was practically screaming “I love you” into the mattress, over and over. She could be such a sap when she was horny. I slapped her ass, keeping up my efforts, seeing how fast I could drill her with just my hips doing the work. I didn’t do too badly.

We kept up at that pace, slowing down over a period of minutes. Even so, we treasured each moment. Her pussy felt tailor-made for me. It was such a magical feeling to be inside Nicole and feel all of my sexual dreams come true. It became hard to imagine what my life was before her. I certainly wouldn’t be able to go back to it. I could fuck her forever. I wanted to fuck her forever. I was going to fuck her forever.

Forever didn’t last as long as I wanted, but luckily, I was able to hold off on my forever until hers seemed close. I had given her multiple orgasms in the past, but I was too close to give her any more than one before I was going to blow my load inside her. Even so, I was going to give her at least one. despite wanting to go faster for my own sake, I kept up the pace, hearing Nicole’s moans reaching a fever pitch, timing myself carefully before drilling her again at the point of my own climax.

The effect was magic. The both of us screamed out in unison, with me going balls deep in her. It felt life-changing, feeling that first stream of cum gushing into her. She shuddered, her smuscles tightening. An explosion went through her whole body and mine, culminating in shot after shot of gooey goodness shooting into her.

“Holy fuck...” she moaned, feeling the third or fourth stream I shot into her. She slammed her hips into me. “Mmm, it’s filling me all the way. Oh my God, you’re sexy.”

I chuckled, losing my breath. Stars cluttered my vision. I keep pressing against her until I felt spent, at which point I nearly lost my balance. Even in post-orgasmic bliss, Nicole chuckled and quickly said, “Hey, careful!”

I found my footing and enjoyed the last few seconds of being inside her before quickly retreating and exhaling, collapsing onto the bed beside her. I ended up face-to-face next to her.

She was panting. “You’re not drinking enough water,” she accused.

“I was busy ... doing ... other stuff,” I replied with a sweaty smile.

Her face was a mess too. She looked at me with an ‘I love you, but I’m tired of your shit’ smile, she gestured with her eyes. “Mint water. Top of the drawer. Have some. Fuck sakes.”

“Gimme a bit.” The two of us breathed next to each other for the next minute, enjoying ... our eyes. At least, I was enjoying hers. I loved just looking into her eyes. As was customary for Nicole, she eventually narrowed hers with a weirded-out expression. “What?”

“Your eyes...” I mumbled.

She rolled then and rolled over. “Oh look, they’re gone,” she mumbled. “Better have some water.”

“You suck,” I chuckled, rolling over myself to find the drawer and her water. I drank a little bit and experimentally stood up, stretching and facing the wall. “You want some?” I turned back around.

She was fully dressed, though to my credit, she was just finishing putting on her shirt. “Uh, may as well,” she admitted, swiping the bottle. “Thanks.” She chugged it for a bit, then looked at the bottle. “You backwash more when you’re tired.”

“We make out all the time,” I pointed out.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t be thrilled at you spitting in my food either,” she argued. “Where’s my phone? It went off six times while we were doing the nasty.”

“You counted?!”

“Welcome to me, dumdum,” she countered, picking up her phone. Almost instantly, she frowned.

“What’s up?” I asked, feeling her mood drop instantly.

“Dumb school shit,” she replied. “Obligations, squirt. Always the obligations. Some days I feel like I should resign.”

“The whole school body would suffer,” I replied.

“Damn right,” she agreed. “That makes it worse sometimes.” She started typing, and sighed heavily. “Oh well. The burden I bear. Jesus died on the cross, and worse, they retroactively made him a white guy. I guess I should have to suffer too.”

“You Christian?” I asked.

“Nah. My parents are in that weird middle-ground. They took me to church when I was young, but just for that people-expect-us-to way. Like it was the way kids learn morality.” She stretched. “I kinda just learned Veggie Tales.” She stared off into space for a bit.

“I know that look. What’s up?” I piped up.

“Just ... haven’t visited Mitch in a while,” she replied, in a bit of a new voice.

“Hey,” I replied. “We don’t have to think about that. C’mon, what do you wanna do? Get food? Play video games?”

She shook her head slowly. “Nah. I think...” She didn’t say anything more. Her eyes got a faraway look.

I bit my lip in nervousness. At least it wasn’t one of her more serious moods. “Can you sit down on the bed, for me?” I asked quietly.

She didn’t reply. Eventually, I got up and tried to move her by the shoulders to the bed. She wouldn’t budge, and as I got forceful, she eventually mumbled, “Hands off.” It was like she was under a spell. She just stood there.

I huffed and returned to the bed, awkwardly pulling out my phone and looking for something to do. Over a solid minute passed with me sitting next to Nicole the Zombie. She was right; I liked taking control in these situations. But ... any boyfriend would. Hell, anybody who knew her would. She couldn’t blame me for that. I wanted my girlfriend to be okay. I wanted to help.

Eventually, she began to move again, but it was still in this robotic way. She slowly turned to me, as if only then remembering I was in the room, and mumbled, “I’m going to the washroom.” It was right across the hall from her door, so it’s not like it was far, but it still took her a fair amount of time to walk there. I watched her leave the room and slowly disappear into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

I waited. Occasionally I glanced at the washroom. I guess it was one of her serious moods after all. I ended up just pulling out my math textbook and working, finishing my homework, and still no Nicole. Eventually, after closer to half an hour than not, I sighed and got up off the bed, walking out the room and gently rapping on the bathroom door.