Chatoyant College, Book 1: New Student Orientation

Chapter 14: Friendship

Once the sound of the slamming door had faded, the atmosphere in the room seemed to relax. Corrie shook her head. "Strange girl."

Edie let out a sigh. "Oh, good, I'm not the only one who doesn't know what to make of her."

"Nope," said Dawn. "I think we'll get along okay as roommates--at least I hope so--but I don't like or understand her as much as I do you two."

Edie turned smiling to Dawn, flattered and pleased, but had to drop her eyes from Dawn's warm brown ones. "Uh--it doesn't bother you that I'm a lesbian, does it?" she asked quietly. "You didn't say anything earlier."

"Oh no, of course not!" said Dawn quickly. "I didn't even really think about it. Friends are friends."

"That's what I thought too," Corrie said, raising her can of soda as though she were toasting. "Sexual preference is so not an issue--I don't have sex with friends anyway."

"I hear some people do," Dawn said. "Maybe that's one of the things to learn about while we're at college."

"Is that a proposition?" Edie asked, grinning. Now that she'd established that no one was offended by her, she was feeling a lot more comfortable and able to tease and make jokes. In fact, she was already wondering why she'd ever been worried. The only people she'd ever felt this comfortable with before, she realized, were her family. And this after only two days? Maybe college was changing her already.

Dawn laughed and threw a pillow at her, making Corrie explode into giggles. "Don't forget about Rico!" Corrie teased.

Tossing the pillow back onto her bed, Edie set her soda on the desk and clasped her hands in front of her in an imitation of a swooning lover. "Oh Rico! How could I ever think of having sex with anyone but you!"

Dawn shrieked and reached for the pillow again, but Edie was closer and saw what she was doing in time to grab the pillow and hold it to herself. "Corrie!" Dawn cried in mock outrage. "Give me your pillow! I need to punish your roommate!" Laughing, Corrie threw her pillow to Dawn, and Edie and Dawn engaged in a brief pillow tussle, ending with both of them falling on the bed, gasping with laughter. Oddly, laying on the bed with her attractive friend was less troublesome to Edie than meeting eyes with her had been. Something had changed, maybe permanently.

"Traitor," said Edie faintly, pointing an accusing finger at Corrie.

Corrie giggled. "I would have joined in, but there are only two pillows. Besides, it was fun to watch, even if I have finished my popcorn!"

"I'm so glad we entertain you," Dawn replied, pushing herself upright again on her elbows. Edie followed suit.

"Well, I don't keep friends who don't make me laugh, so you'd better make sure to keep it up!"

"Such standards," Edie said, shaking her head. "You must be very lonely."