Covert Affair | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 18: Race You?

Jenna and Lily sat in their seats in the lecture hall, surrounded by the soft murmur of other students and the faint scratching of pencils on paper. Lily's mind was preoccupied with plans for the upcoming weekend, particularly the frat party she was excited to attend. Beside her, Jenna was focused intently on her test, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Lily glanced over to see Jenna holding out her water bottle. "Can I have a sip?" she whispered.

Lily shrugged and handed the bottle over, assuming it was just water. But as Jenna took a sip, her eyes widened, and she choked on the drink.

"Why are you drinking tequila at 10 AM?!" Jenna whispered urgently, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Lily raised an eyebrow, unfazed by Jenna's reaction. "Hey, you asked for the drink," she replied casually.

As the class finally came to an end, Jenna and Lily gathered their belongings and made their way out of the lecture hall.

"What did you get for 24?" Jenna whispered.

Lily blinked in confusion "The test only went to 20..." she replied.

Jenna's eyes widened in disbelief. "Lily... there was a backside," she said slowly, her tone a mix of incredulity and amusement.

 "Oh... I didn't even finish the front side. It's fine," she replied nonchalantly.

Jenna stared at her friend, a mixture of amusement and disbelief crossing her features. "How did you even get into Columbia?"

Lily grinned sheepishly "I was bubbling little shapes on the SAT and got a 1480," she admitted.

Jenna shook her head in mock exasperation. "Oh dear lord," she muttered, unable to suppress a chuckle at her friend's antics.

As Jenna and Lily walked home from class, Lily couldn't contain her excitement about having Sam over. "I hope it's okay that I asked Sam to come over later," glancing over at Jenna with hopeful eyes.

Jenna smiled, "Yeah, that's fine,"

Back at Jenna's apartment "Come on, Jenna, please! It'll be so much fun, I promise," Lily pleaded, her eyes wide with excitement.

"I really don't think it's a good idea," she argued, her arms crossed stubbornly. Jenna hesitated "And we just went to a party last weekend. My liver can't take any more of this," she protested, half-jokingly.

Lily waved off Jenna's concerns, "My liver can take it for both of us," she joked.

Suddenly, Lily lunged forward and tackled Jenna, pouncing on her like an excited child. Jenna let out a surprised yelp as she was knocked back onto the couch, her protests drowned out by Lily's laughter.

"Fine," Jenna relented, gasping for breath as Lily pinned her down. "But I'm officially designating myself as your babysitter for the night. Don't say I didn't warn you when you wake up with a killer hangover tomorrow."

Lily cheered in victory, bouncing up and down on the couch like a hyperactive puppy. "You're the best!".

An hour later, there was a knock on the door, and Sam stepped inside, greeted by the sight of Jenna and Lily dressed up for a night out.

"Woah You guys go to Columbia? What do you study?? Wait, where are you guys heading?" Sam asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Lily responded first, her enthusiasm evident. "Business with a minor in Urban Studies,"..

Jenna followed, "Computer Science with a minor in Art and Music," she chimed in.

Lily beamed at him, her excitement palpable. "We have a party tonight. You want to come?" she offered eagerly.