Chapter 6

I had wanted to wake up as angry as I had gone to bed. Angry at myself for thinking so much of a stupid dream, no matter how vivid it had been. Angry instead of feeling hurt or cheated. I almost cried over Xiomara teasing me. Yet, I was ecstatic. I felt cool fingers on the back of my neck and a warm body along my spine. It was dark. There was soft breathing and no snoring. The first of the overhead lights came on.

“Good morning,” Renée yawned and a few of the girls muttered back. There was no panicked scrawl out of the bed like last time.

“How’s Dean?” Pat sat up on the far side of the other bed and looked over to me. Fingers ran up my neck and into my hair.

“Still--”

“Morning Trishie,” I grinned into her green eyes.

“Oh God, he’s OK!” She smiled brighter than I’ve ever seen anyone smile.

“Dean!” Maybe Hannah?

“Holy shit!” Likely Marin.

Kia vaulted herself over Xiomara, who I realized was my big spoon by the oof she emitted from Kia’s knee inside her kidney. The blonde crawled onto me and hung her wide eyes in front of my face. Her long hair fell sweeping off the back of her head to curtain away bed number two. Connie swung her legs out across the aisle and settled down into a kneel to look at me. Someone grabbed my ankle and shook it happily.

“Oh my God!” Kia mumbled through the staccato of the other girls spiralling out and back in to converge on me.

“What’s wrong?” I had to ask Kia because she was in my face.

“You blac--”

“You fainted during lights out, last night,” Kia answered over Suzi’s replied.

“And woke up back home,” I pointed out.

“Wait! Really!” Renée begged.

“Yeah,” I rolled onto my back and found myself looking right into Xiomara’s red rimmed eyes. She reminded me of Zoë. “Right Xiomara?”

“What? Why me? I’ve been here all night. Unable to sleep. Because of you.”

“Oh God, but--” I had wanted her to apologize and right now I was feeling monstrous. I stopped myself from reaching for her. Kia grabbed my hand.

“The paper did mention a success rate of 98ish percent,” she suggested, “Maybe Dean’s a failure?”

“No he’s not!” Pat shouted.

“No it didn’t,” Renée murmured.

“It said the success rate was nine hundred eighty something--”

“Eight six.” Added Suzi helpfully or anally.

“--Per mil. 986 out of a thousand is 98.6 out of a hundred. Dean could easily be a failure.”

“Stop calling him that,” Pat demanded.

“How about we get up? Talk about this at the table.”

“I don’t really want to get up,” I said squeezing Kia’s fingers and laying my forehead on Xiomara’s.

“Well I have to pee,” Connie announced, “I’ll be at the table.”

The girls started making their way away from the beds. Renée and Andrea stayed behind to make the other one. Kia shimmied off of me to be on my left side. Xiomara and I had to wiggle further into the center of the bed. I could feel them glaring at each other.

“Why did you think she made it home?” Kia glared.

“She--um, she made fun of me for cumming in my pants,”

“And that seemed out of character to you?” Xiomara laughed, “Let me guess Zoë was there with us?”

“Yeah, she was acting weird too,” But Zoë wasn’t here, so that didn’t really matter.

“Well, it’s kind of a game for Zoë and I, harassing you,” Xiomara said, “I’ve always wanted to see you snap.”

“That’s not nice!” Kia grumbled, “I wouldn’t’ve of done that to you.”

“I know. I asked you out at the bus stop,” I laughed.

“Oh, God! I’m so sorry, if I had known you just a little better I really would’ve said yes!”

“What are you talking about? You did say yes. You even dragged me over to Laurie to show me off.”

“What?” Kia mumbled over her lip, “No...”

“Yeah,” I remembered Laurie’s face, “She was less enthused than you were.”

“We’re going to start taking our showers! Keep Dean in bed.” Connie shouted.

“We got it!” Xiomara shouted back. She climbed up onto half of my chest. Kia rose up on the other.

“Will you girls be able to get along?”

“We have to try,” Xiomara promised.

“I’ll do my best,” Kia nodded.

“I can’t handle a fight in this box,” Shouting was bad enough. What if there was some sort of cat fight? I was excited for the imagination of that. But I’ve seen women’s UFC, when there’s a real fight between women, it’s less sexy.

“I think we’re all going to have to have fights,” Xiomara frowned, “Just don’t hit anyone Dean.”

“I’ve never hit anyone!” Xiomara glared at me, “Except Zoë, that once, in third grade. She had been literally kicking me for an hour.”

“Yeah, your legs were all bruised until you were done being grounded,” Xiomara smiled, “I’d have slugged her two minutes in.”

The sounds of the showers started. I perked up. I couldn’t help myself. Kia’s face turned frustrated but that melted after a moment.

“Oh, someone’s thinking about the pretty girls,” She tapped the lower lip of my smile.

“That’s mostly needing to pee,” Xiomara was looking at the other end. “You’ll have to hold it in for a bit,” Kia lectured me, “Pat, Renée or Andrea would fall apart.”

“Or?” Xiomara raised and eyebrow, “And what about Connie or Hannah? They’re not ready to handle it either.”

“Or Suzi?” I asked.

“She’s not going to flinch while the lights are on,” Kia responded thoughtfully.

“Well what about my two bed girls?”

“We’ll...” Kia trailed off.

“Dean, if this were back home. I’d sleep with you to fuck with Kia’s head. I’d do it in a heartbeat. And Zoë would back me on it.” That last thought is what hurt.

“But--”

“In here, I have to be a better friend,” She reached over and squeezed Kia’s hand, “To everyone. We’re not ready for you at all.”

“I think you’re still a bitch,” Kia warmed up to her. They both had beautiful brown eyes. Kia’s appeared bigger but her whole head was a little bigger than Xiomara’s. Kia was also much lighter in the box than she had been at the bus stop. Xiomara was actually about the same brown color. I had my hands on the smalls of their backs. I was just thinking about them kissing.

“Of course I am,” Xiomara touched Kia’s arm, “You’re a selfish twat, Kia. We’re all going to have to deal with it.”

“Yeah,” I considered, “What’s wrong with me?”

“Right now, your breath.” Kia joked.

“You wait too long to say something’s wrong,” Xiomara was more honest.

“You stew in your own thoughts,” Kia turned more serious.

“Stop it Marin! That tickles!” Pat shouted.

“You’re thinking about other women when you’ve got two right here,” Xiomara jumped onto the jokes.

“You’re horny all the time,” I couldn’t tell if that was a problem or not. It was a problem for me. I wanted to get off more than anything. The girls weren’t ready. Where could I masturbate? Did any of the girls masturbate?

“The horniness is kind of on all of you,” I defended myself. I was feeling raw about the criticisms, “I mean. I liked most of you back home. I mean was attracted to.”

“Just a little longer, Dean,” Shouted Connie. I had almost forgotten about their showers. I was thinking just a little longer for relief. I lost my smile when she continued with, “We’ll be dressed in a second.”

“Am I going to have to do the washcloth bath again?” I feared.

“For at least another day,” Xiomara nodded with Kia.

“OK,” I groaned, “At least you’re honest.”

“Who do you want for company while Xiomara and I discuss things in the shower?” Kia looked over her shoulder.

“I’m pretty sure you girls’ll volunteer someone,” I sulked.

“No,” Xiomara rose up and grinned, “Name any two, I’ll get them to cuddle you. Any two.”

“Pat,” Kia whispered in my ear.

No, I wasn’t ready for that shitstorm. I was only really comfortable picking Marin. That wasn’t the point. Don’t be comfortable. I thought back to the day I had. I grinned, “Connie and Renée.”

“Cheerleaders? Typical,” Xiomara rolled her eyes. I wondered if everyone was listening to us. The room wasn’t that big and while we were being quiet, I hardly heard the others speaking. Xiomara peeked back over her shoulder. She raised a finger to count the minute remaining.

“So?” Kia was looking up.

“Connie you’re on keep his eyes averted duty!” Xiomara shouted, “Bring your beautiful assistant.”

“What?” Renée refused, “But I--OK, you don’t have to drag me by the arm like some kidnapper.”

I was starting to sit up at this point. Just panning the room to see how the girls had dressed. Suzi was wearing a pink dress. There were a lot of dresses today. It was more apt to say that Pat had opted for jeans and that Andrea was wearing capris. Hannah was in a black dress with a lower cut in the front and a tighter skirt than Suzi. Connie was wearing Suzi’s dress but in black. Marin was wearing Hannah’s dress but in blue. Renée was the only girl wearing white today. Her dress wasn’t the sexy dress of Hannah and Marin or the comfy dress of Connie and Suzi or even Xiomara’s dress from yesterday. Hers was lighter, but with a longer skirt. Her breasts couldn’t be hidden but she wasn’t going out of her way to show off. Renée saw me looking and blushed. Only Marin could blush more completely.