There Once Was a Rivalry.

Part 17: Scrambled Eggs

Cassis James:

I awaken with a rather irritating headache.

Untangling myself from the sheets and covers, I find myself naked in bed with Natalia Parker. My best friend gapes at me from her chair across the room. Frowning, I ruffle my hair, holding the sheets up to my chest.

Arizona motions with her head for me to come out of the room with her. I nod sleepily, rubbing my face before looking down at Parker next to me, equally as naked. My face flushes hotly as I realize I've slept, naked, with Natalia.

I need to get out of this bed.

With Arizona out of the room to give me privacy, I carefully extract myself from the bed, so as not to wake the younger girl. I find my PJs and put them on, then leave the room to find Arizona in the kitchen.

She hops off of her stool. "Why were you both naked?"

Noting how straightforward my best friend is, I glance away, recalling the events of last night. "I don't know, we were all drinking."

"Cassis."

"What?"

"What do you remember?" asks Arizona. She knows how I fail to remember things when I am drunk. But, she also knows that I remember things when I haven't gotten myself wasted. And I was not wasted, last night.

Taking a seat on the stool she was occupying, I look down at the floor. "Parker and I.... Erm... Well, we... We had sex, last night," I answer quietly, my cheeks flaming. Arizona knows I am- was a virgin.

Raising my eyes to Arizona's face, I take in her expressions as she processes my words. If I am not mistaken, a flicker of what looks like either hope or happiness crosses her features.

"And how was it?" she asks slowly, meeting my gaze. "Like, are you gay? Are you gonna tell Charlie?"

I bite my lip gently, wondering how much I can actually tell her. Will she hate me? Will she think I'm disgusting? Maybe she won't want to ever sleep over ever again. What if she thinks I like her?

The memory of Natalia's moans as I fucked her - for I did fuck her - passes through my mind, sending a pleasant shiver down to my core. I take a deep breath. "Promise not to tell anyone?"

"Promise."

I inhale deeply, letting it out slowly before answering, "I'm... I'm gay."

"Like, gay-gay, or bisexual?"

"Gay."

She nods, crossing her arms as she thinks to herself. "So, Charlie...?"

"Charlie doesn't know."

"But you're going to tell him, right?"

"I don't know." I look down, ashamed. "I mean, I'll eventually have to break up with him, but... I just... I don't know, Arizona. I don't know what to do. I can't... I can't lose the dance team. If the girls find out that I'm... that I like.... that I am..."

"Gay," Arizona offers, raising an eyebrow.

"They can't know. Charlie can't know. Not right now."

Natalia Parker:

"Mmh." I yawn, stretching my arms above my head. A pounding in my head causes me to wince and  I throw the blanket over my head. Slowly, I reopen my eyes to find myself naked. Oh, god.

Clutching the blanket, I peep out carefully. No one is in the room.

Searching for my clothes, I wrap the blanket around my body. Deciding it'll be a lost cause finding the old clothes, I put on new ones.