Chapter 21 - Lisa

My pussy needed a rest. As much as I was craving to see Dane over the next few days, I knew we had to put it all on hold. We both had to study, him even more than I. Also, I had to show up to practice and even more at the library. I had chores to do and a role to play at college. I had to put aside spending time with Dane—as hard as it was—and focus on being a student and even more, I had to stop Tanya from feeling as if she couldn’t come back to her room. Dane wasn’t my roommate, she was, and I had to talk to him about us going back to his place sometimes, since we couldn’t always just come back to mine.

When I did bring up the topic of his place, he told me his place was small. I realized maybe he was ashamed of where he lived and that was why he never took me there. I knew in time he would break the fear of me visiting him. I just had to give him time and let him know that I didn’t care if he lived in a cardboard box. We couldn’t keep treating Tanya as if she was a stranger in her own room, it just wasn’t right.

I can’t wait to see that tight body all dressed-up tonight. I’ll be waiting. Don’t be late!

I smiled and then screamed out, “Shit!”

“What’s up? Where’s the fire?” Tanya called out.

I shook my head. “Shit, sorry. I shouldn’t have woken you up.”

“You shouldn’t. You gave me a heart attack.”

I turned on the side light, as it was clear neither one of us was going to sleep, not now.

“Okay, so Dane made you wet again?” She giggled and I wondered if she heard me the other night. I hated the idea of touching myself while she was in the room, but I was horny and I needed to come so badly. I would have caught an Uber or a bus to where he lived if I knew where that was.

“No.”

“Don’t be so touchy, I was only teasing.”

I shrugged. “I know, but sometimes I think maybe… I’ve turned into some kind of sex addict. I can’t stop thinking of sex all the time. It’s like even after I come, I want more and more. Nuts, right?”

She laughed. “What do you mean? It has only been nearly three months, and from what I can see, not only are you crazy about him, but he feels the same way about you.”

I nodded. “But I see myself getting lost in him. Mom called last night, and she was like, I don’t even call, let alone text anymore. I was so late to my shift at the library, and as for cheerleading, I canceled the last session.”

It wasn’t the only reason I didn’t call Mom. I was scared, sweeping it all under the carpet, so I didn’t have to hear about Dad’s appeal. Mom told me last night there was no news, but I knew sooner rather than later there would be, and I would have to face it. Until that day came, I would pretend it wasn’t happening and just be happy in the moment before the shit really did hit the fan.

She moved toward my bed, and I could tell that I really did wake her up, and she needed more sleep. It was Saturday, how many students got up at this time of morning? Most of them were trying to find their way to bed or even worse, sleeping on someone’s floor because they couldn’t find their way to bed.

“Well, games officially start next week and there’s no more practicing. We have to be ready as a squad. You know that, right?”

I nodded, avoiding her stare and her blatant dig at me skipping practice lately. It was something I had vowed not to do the first week, and I’d been slacking ever since. She’d been covering for me, but she shouldn’t have to, it wasn’t like I was sick or anything. The room would be free, and all I would think about was Dane coming over and getting down and dirty with him.

“I bumped into that girl, Jane. You know, the new girl who works in the library. She said they were talking about you missing so many shifts and that if you don’t show up at the library when you’re supposed to, then you could lose your job. You need the money; shit, we all need the money. I asked if there’s any more jobs available at the library, I could do with the dough. You said you would ask, too.”

“Yes, and for now, no. But I’ll keep asking,” I lied, feeling my face turn red. I felt as if my mom was telling me off for completely fucking up and not concentrating or even being responsible with all the things I was supposed to do.

It’d only been nearly three months and my roommate, who had made me feel welcome from day one, was being treated like a second-class citizen by me, and I hated myself for it. I’d spent one year with no friends, scared that everyone at my new high school would know the truth about me, and I came to college hoping that history wouldn’t repeat itself and it hadn’t, thanks to Tanya.

“You know what?” I asked her, thinking of a way to cheer her up.

“What?”

I sighed, thinking if the words that were about to come out of my mouth would be ones of regret. “You said something about knowing how to sell designer bags and stuff. Do you think you could help sell mine? I could do with the money seeing as I’ve missed so many shifts in the library.”

She laughed. “Oh, you’ve made my Saturday even better. Let’s get that bag up on the app. There’s one on campus, we’ll sell it for, let’s say two and a half, then we’ll go shopping. Deal? I don’t want any cut. I could do with just a meal out at the mall, so maybe we could grab some lunch. What do you say?"

“I have a dinner date with Dane tonight, so I could do with something new to wear. I keep wearing the same stuff. He tells me I look beautiful, but then he always says that.”

My mind drifted to when we were in bed. Whenever I was naked, he would tell me I was beautiful, making me feel like a precious rose.

She stretched out her hand. “Deal?”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I could do with the money, but I paid four thousand for it, and I would get just over half of that, which didn’t sit right with me. But I deserved a treat; I had come to college getting more than I bargained for, and I could buy Tanya a meal and get her something nice, too. I had to put the past behind me and only look forward. She’d been a good friend to me, even if I didn’t deserve it. I spent no time with her lately, and when I did, all I talked about was Dane or think about him. The amount of times she’d told me the room was free, I knew she’d been hanging out with Bianca to give us space, like a true friend. I had to do something nice for her.

“What’s up?”

I shook my head. “Nothing, just that my aunt gave me the bag and I think she said that she paid around four for it.”

She laughed. “You’re one lucky girl. Your aunt bought you a Gucci, and the other I think must be around the same price.”

I shrugged as I slowly crawled out of bed. I couldn’t lie being so close to her. It was getting too much, and she would see I was lying. I knew it was written all over my face.

“Yeah,” I murmured. “Just need to pee.” I headed to the bathroom, not only to fake pee, but to stop her from seeing my face turning red by splashing some cold water on it.

“Okay, we’ll start at three and if we get no takers, then we’ll drop it a bit,” she shouted as I was about to close the door.

“Sounds like a better plan,” I said as I hovered around the door.

“Cool, let’s take that bag out and take some shots.”

“It’s that easy?” I asked.

She smiled and walked over to me and patted me on the back. “Girl, you’ve got no idea.”

I motioned for her to take it out of my closet. I had to splash water on my face, and I liked the idea of the money, but to take photos and sell it felt too much for me right now. I shut the door behind me as I heard her cheer as she opened my closet.

She was right; I didn’t have a clue how the second-hand market worked, and the idea of my bag going in the hands of another tore at my heartstrings. I had to make sure I was careful with my money. I still had over three years to go in college, and if I couldn’t survive three months in my first year, how the hell was I going to survive my time here?

I splashed so much cold water on my face while she took photos of the bag, and I tried to stop thinking about the bag I loved so much and the money I would gain from the sale.

The bag sold for three thousand, and Tanya was shocked, especially because someone wanted the other bag, too. Just so bad that the person was Fiona. She was all up in my face as she bought it. Tugging at it and cutting her eyes at me after she came to our room to get the bag, firing questions at me, as if I was nothing more than a common thief.

“I can’t believe someone like you owns something so expensive!” she said. “How did you get it again?”

My hands were trembling as I handed the box to her, and thank goodness Tanya was by my side. She gave me the courage to hand it over to Fiona, who took it after transferring the money. I didn’t know who I hated more at the time.

Me for selling it or her for being the person who ended up buying it.

As soon as she left our room, we took our showers and decided we needed to head to the mall. We had to get off campus, and I promised I would treat her. She said I didn’t have to, but as we headed to the bus stop, she said she was grateful as long as I didn’t spend too much.

We waited a little while for the bus to show up.

“I would have loved to have taken a photo of her as you handed her the bag,” Tanya said as we got on the bus. We found seats by the back, and I didn’t reply to her, I wanted us to sit down first.

“I know, the cheek of it. Especially when she said it was used.”

“Right? I mean, isn’t that the point of second-hand. She really has no clue.”

I agreed with her. We both found ourselves distracted as we looked out of the window. I hadn’t been off campus for weeks, so I was enjoying the view seeing other people who were not students or worked on campus.

It was a short bus ride before it was time for us both to hop off again. As we rushed to the mall doors, Tanya laughed as if she remembered something. “But Fiona did surprise me…”

I halted as she did, wondering why she never finished her sentence. As she waved her hand in the air, the reason why she never did was clear.

“Hey, Dane!” she shouted out as he put his arm around an older woman, and by the look of things, I assumed she was his mom. She had the same dark hair, sharp nose, and hazel eyes as him. He said that he took after his mom, and seeing her in the flesh, it was easy to see where he got his good looks from.

Tanya rushed over to them, but the way his hazel eyes darted at me, I didn’t rush over with the same enthusiasm. Not the way I would if we were on campus. I’d never seen him in ripped jeans, let alone a matching dark shirt that had Ray Charles on it. Strange. I never knew he liked jazz.

“Hey,” he replied coldly as he waved his arm up and looked to see who was calling him.

I shifted toward him and kissed him on the cheek like a magnet. I couldn’t help myself, even if he was acting as if I was a complete stranger.

“I thought you had practice today?” I asked.

He moved away from me. “Yeah, but Mom needs to get some stuff. I’ll catch up with you later.”

Before we could even reply, he was out of sight. I stood there like a jilted bride at the altar.

“What the fuck?” Tanya blurted out.

“I know. It was as if he was a different person.”

“You think? What a jerk! You okay? I feel like giving him a piece of my mind.”

“No. Let’s just get something to eat, I’m hungry. Then we can shop later.”

Tanya stood frozen, just looking at me with her mouth wide open, waiting for some kind of reaction, but I couldn’t give it to her. It wasn’t the first time, and besides, I didn’t feel right because he was clearly with his mom and didn’t even attempt to introduce me.

“You don’t have to pretend with me, you know that. You sure you’re okay?”

I changed the subject, feeling more embarrassed about the way Dane behaved in front of Tanya rather than if I’d been alone. It wasn’t the first time he’d gone hot and cold, it had just been a while since he’d done it.

“What do you fancy? I fancy eating Italian, courtesy of Fiona.”

Tanya didn’t say anything, she just stood frozen and I wanted us to move past it so badly.

“That’s a bit expensive… we don’t have to go all out.” She rested her hand on my arm, stroking it to comfort me.

I agreed. “I know.”

But after being treated like the third wheel and not even having a proper introduction to his mom, I needed something to lift my spirits.

I just wanted to forget what happened, and nothing lifted my spirits more than food, especially pizza.

“There’s a Mama Mia, and I’ve heard that they have the best pizzas ever.”

“Pizza,” I moaned with joy.

“Pizza it is then,” Tanya said with a smile.

I was bright red and trying to hide my embarrassment. Not only was Dane cold to me, but in a way, he looked completely different. We were together last night after practice, and he was clean-shaven and as loving as always. Today, he had a bit of stubble and if I didn’t know any better, his hair was a bit longer, too.

Was my time being a girlfriend over before it’d even began?