The night was covered in pleasure, filling her up with the ecstasy she had dream for so long. Porn and the erotica stories pales in comparison to the real, physical, thing. And Nora was unsure if she could go on with another chapter of her favorite book when she experienced the adventures written on the pages.

The afterglow was also a bonus as she basked in Selene’s warmth. Feeling pretty girl’s breathing on the nape of her neck as her arms were wrapped around Nora’s body, occasionally tightening her grip whenever Nora tries to move away.

This is it; Nora thinks throughout the night.

Unfortunately, the morning sours her perspective of the evening. Nora woke up alone, with only the blanket covering the lower half of her body. Selene was nowhere to be found, unfortunately, despite being her boarding house they spend the night in.

Humiliation ramps up as pretty girl’s roommate enters the room with a note in hand and continues doing her task with the mutters of annoyance concerning ‘one of Selene’s playthings becoming cozy in their place, unlike the agreement they planned before’.

Nora did apologize. Multiple times.

But nothing could stop the judgement she receives from the roommate. Even with leaving the place, Nora just feels dirty. As if the people in the street have also looked at her with the same idea in mind.

She reads the note when she walks back to her boarding house and crumbles it afterward with lips thinned and anger thundering her footsteps on the staircase. The note was thrown in the trash bin as Nora enters her room.

Since then, Selene didn’t contact her. There wasn’t any reason for her to do so and the hate residing Nora’s heart forms to a bitter understanding. Nora hadn’t communicated her dreams of a relationship and Selene likely assumes that the sex was nothing more than just that – a one night stand.

But damn, it was good though.

“Do you want to go there again?” Lily suggests as they entered the food court.

“Uh, I don’t think so,” Nora declines, “I don’t think I should show my face there until a month has passed.” Who knows if they’ll meet again, Nora dreads on the possibility.

“Okay but we can always try another place and hope for the best,” Lily reassures Nora with a smile and it was enough to withhold the pessimism brewing in her head.

“Yeah!” Nora grins.

Food was in their minds and the two were willing to squeeze into a crowd to reach the stall they like. Buying their meals was the easiest part, finding a table for them to seat was nearly impossible with how much people took up the building. It was no wonder that food court has a second floor.

Nora looks around, occasionally glancing to Lily whenever she feels like her friend deviate from her space. She was also holding their trays and she didn’t mind the exercise if it meant the risk of staining Lily’s uniform was near to none.

She finally sees a table with vacant two seats and Nora grabs Lily by the wrist. “Come on,” she says to her friend who followed her from behind.

They were too late, unfortunately. Nora even walked fast, while accommodating to the short-inch heels Lily was wearing and grits her teeth as two people have sat down on the table. Nora curses, muffling her voice with the noise bouncing around the place and sighs to Lily.

“Looks like we’re going out to eat then,” Nora tells Lily, hiding her disappointment with a smile. But nothing could get past her friend, Lily seems more enlightened by the news.

“Oh, that’s okay!” Lily replies, “I think it’s better eating outside anyways. I don’t think I can stand being looked at by someone waiting for their turn with our table.”

Nora snorts.

Lily chuckles, intertwining their fingers together.

“I tend to drive them away though,” Nora recalls.

“It’s better to not engage in unnecessary fights,” Lily tells her.

“I’m not trying to pick a fight.”

“People will think otherwise, unfortunately.” It was true. Although, Nora can’t deny she can a bit… too strong with her words.

Someone bumps on her shoulder and Nora snaps her head to face the man on the side. They looked at each other, silencing embracing the moment and she hears him click his tongue. His brows furrowed, eyes narrowed at her form and Nora react the same.

“Dude, be careful,” Nora warns.

“You should look where you’re going too, man,” the man reciprocates.

“Sorry,” she apologizes, guilty.

“Same,” the man replies back with a shrug.

The farewell was a bit awkward but it was better than force a friendly camaraderie from the incident alone. Nora moves away, sending a nod as a last message before she looks at Lily, who holds her hand tightly. Concern drawn all over her face, breaking distance between them and faces Nora, and said, “It’s a good thing he’s friendly.”

“Please have more faith in me, Lily,” Nora says with a pout.

“I do but I still don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

Lily’s fingers went loose but hasn’t let go from Nora. Nora didn’t want to come out of the food court empty-handed as well. They finally reached the exit of the building and Nora dreads on the heat they’ll face at the park nearby.

Summer never leaves at all.

“Hey!” She hears a voice, familiar but not. “Hey!”

Nora glances to the side, from left to right. Then, there she is – Janice. Sitting down on a table crowded by bags and folders from other occupants. She looks annoyed, hair tied in a bun with her lunchbox placed on front of her.

“It’s Janice,” Lily points out the obvious but Nora didn’t have the heart to say she already knows her. Lily guides them to the table, eager to meet a classmate of hers from a sea of strangers.

“You two can sit if you want,” Janice offers the bench she sits on. “I don’t know the other people here but I think they’re kind enough to accommodate new people.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” Nora compliments, grinning as her feet can relax after minutes of walking. Her back slouched and head aching from the lessons she had to process and gather.

Leniency was all but a name, unfortunately. The quantity of shit to do within the timeframe of her classes were far too time consuming that oftentimes becomes a homework or a task to be done on the next schedule.

“You’re not wearing your uniform?” Lily says to Janice who looks down on her casual clothes. Her sleeveless shirt and black jeans were a contrast to the white pencil skirt and collared shirt with the blue outlines of Lily’s.

“I ended up forgetting that our department has a strict policy on uniforms,” Janice explains.

Lily frowns. “It’s a good thing your place is close to the school’s exit so you can change.”

Janice sighs, scrunching her nose at the idea. Nora chuckles at the sight. It’s a cute expression, she thinks.

“I’m lazy,” she whines and places her chin on the palm of her hand. Janice looks at them from the corner of her eye, smirking. “Accompany me?”

Lily hesitates.

So, Nora steps in.

“Uh, Lily has a class after lunch,” Nora excuses and observes a huff from Lily’s classmate. A pout was accentuated, noting the subtle red gloss painting Janice’s lips. The thick lashes weren’t ignored either and the gray-ish eyeshadow have kept Nora glancing to decipher its true shade.

“I can, uh, accompany you if you want,” Nora blurts out – an unexpected decision that left her blushing, heart racing and the stutters for a reason was laughed at by the recipient.

Lily would’ve laugh at her antics but she didn’t.