July 31st, Tuesday, Prestige Apartments, Carnegie Campus
7:29 am
She had been lying awake for about fifteen minutes, jolted
not by her alarm but by the unexplainable and spontaneous resurrection
of her body. Her eyes had burned as their vision rose out of total
darkness into the still grey light of morning, and she felt stiff and
weary, completely incapable of moving so much as her fingers. With
great effort, she finally lifted her head to peer at the time; her alarm
went off as she stared at the three red numerals, signifying the
beginning of her day. Stacie Rosewood shirked her years of discipline
for one more minute before rising, figuring that since her career was
now on the line, she had better get to work. Classes started in a week,
and she would need every hour to recruit as many promising candidates as
possible for the college's first soccer team.
She was out the door by 7:40.
You complete my fate
The world unwinds inside of me
You complete my fate
The halo crawls away
You repeat my fate
Rewinding all we can
You refill my place
You refill my place
Come and save me
Come and save me
You complete my fate
The heavens stroll inside of me
You repeat my fate
Revealing who we are
You refill my place
You refill my place
Come and save me
Believe in me
Drink the wine
Take my hand
Fill me up
Believe in me
Drink the wine
Take my hand
Let me follow
"Cornerstones"
The Lord God created everything in six days and stopped to
admire His work on the seventh; Carnegie would probably need a little
more time than that. Ever since the Spring semester had ended in May,
there had not been a moment of rest on campus. The grounds needed to be
kept clean and trimmed, dorms had to be refurbished, the school
bookstore had to restock its inventory, the library had to update its
catalogue, classrooms needed to be fresh and sparkling, hallways needed
waxing, and of course, tons of paperwork needed to be filled out for new
and returning students. Scholarships alone had taken almost a month to
sort out (as Rosewood and Fitzgerald could attest). Right now, as Dean
Rosewood strolled from her apartment to the main grounds, she couldn't
help but notice all the last-minute arrangements being made. Some
people took far more pride in the small details than others: she
noticed hedges being trimmed, walls being cleared of graffiti, flowers
being sown and organized, and even several gaps in the sidewalk were
being repaired. Carnegie had been a small, struggling community college
for three years now, but it was finally beginning to look like a
respectable university. Hopefully, the addition of the sports team
would improve things even more (and Rosewood did hope that one day,
Fitzgerald's music program would be implemented).
Not even a full twenty-four hours had passed since the board
of directors approved the construction of a soccer team, and yet
Rosewood was on her way to get things moving: she didn't believe in
wasting time. She had told several people she already had a few coaches
in mind for her team (although no prospective players came to mind), and
she was going to visit one now. He wasn't exactly a morning person, but
he had vowed to meet her when she called him yesterday, and a smile
crept upon her lips as she saw him staggering her way, mouth hanging
open with a lion's yawn.
"Good morning, Mr. Warren!" she exclaimed cheerfully.
Carnegie's history teacher waved limply and shook his head.
"Hey, Stacie. Ugh, god, how can you stand getting up so
early? The sun's barely out!"
"This is actually late for me," she admitted warmly. "I'm
used to getting up at much earlier hours." Warren managed to open his
eyes just long enough to glare.
"You are insane, lady. All right, so what'd you call me out
here for? May as well get it over with."
"Still as tactless as ever, eh?" she grinned. "All right,
then, I suppose it'd be cruel of me to make you wait. How about this
for an eye-opener: I want you to coach my new men's soccer team."
"I figured you'd ask me to do something like that," he said
thoughtfully. "Listen, lady, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't
know the first thing about soccer. I'm glad you got what you wanted,
but the only things I know how to teach are baseball and history. I
wouldn't be of much use to you."
"And I figured you would respond that way," she countered
pleasantly. "Well, at least I tried. I have another job for you,
though, if you're willing."
"I came out this far, didn't I? May as well impose."
"Very well: I'd like for you to help in the recruitment
process. I know you're a novice when it comes to soccer, but you've got
a sharp eye and a keen mind, despite how laid-back you seem. I'd trust
your word over most others."
"Would you, now?" He smiled wolfishly and rubbed his chin.
The weariness was gone from his eyes, and a sparkle of interest had
taken its place. "I just hope you don't regret that decision, Stacie.
I've been called a loose cannon by more than one person."
"Believe me, I can handle a rogue like you," she declared
melodiously. "So what's your answer?"
"Well, I don't have much choice, do I? If it'll help put
'Evil Lord Gary' in his place, then I'm in."
"I appreciate it," she said, fighting the urge to smile.
She knew how popular Fitzgerald's insulting nickname was amongst faculty
and students, and didn't want to give off the impression of favoring it.
"By the way," Warren mumbled, "do you have a second option
for your men's soccer coach? And while we're on that subject, who'd you
pick for your women's coach?"
"The men's coach is actually someone recommended to me by an
old acquaintance. I just thought I'd entertain the idea of asking you
first."
"Peachy," he muttered.
"As for the ladies' coach...let's just say that I have
another appointment later today."
"Keeping busy, huh? Well, so long as you're on the ball, I
guess Evil Lord Gary will have a rough time on his hands. I'll watch
your back in case the old fox decides to pull out one of his tricks.
You take care, Rosewood."
"And you, Arthur. Give my love to your wife and children."
Stacie now headed to the library parking lot, some three
blocks away from the main campus grounds. She knew that in order for
her team to succeed, they needed a worthy mentor to guide them through
every conceivable tribulation, one who would impart wisdom and
experience, and perhaps even love. The men's soccer coach was a
relative newcomer, and was coming away from an assistant coaching job
several states over, yet he was revered and considered a revolutionary.
The women's coach, who Rosewood was meeting soon, was a veteran
instructor and something of a miracle worker. In fact, she came into
her first year with a ragtag team of raw, inexperienced, unfocused
beginners, one of which had a physical condition that seriously
inhibited her playing. She had turned that team into a third-place
winner in their first season; the next three years, her team won
consecutive state championships, and had even played at the national
level. This woman was very demanding, but very understanding, and cared
for her students as a teacher should. That being said, Rosewood spotted
her in the parking lot, and waved. She was accompanied by a younger,
shorter woman, perhaps a relative.
"Ah, hello! Have you been waiting long?"
"Not really, no. It's a nice day, so we've been enjoying
ourselves."
"Oh, that's good. It's not too early, is it?"
"No, we're used to it. Mrs. Rosewood, I presume?" They
shook hands and Stacie smiled.
"Just Ms. Rosewood, please. It's a pleasure to finally meet
you, Miss Katajisto."
"Actually, it's Mrs. Parkin-Katajisto," she corrected with a
grin. "But that's a long name, so I ask everyone I meet to just call me
Leena. This is my wife, Kathlyn!!"
"Your wife?" Stacie studied Leena's bright, proud face for
a moment, then focused on the younger woman. She didn't think they were
related when she got a closer look, and while they certainly had some
connection, she didn't think... Well, it wasn't the most amazing thing
she had seen in her life, and same-sex lovers didn't really bother her.
It was just a surprise.
"Of two years," Kathlyn spoke, grinning shyly. They held
hands and glowed at Rosewood; she rubbed her cheek and tried not to look
too flustered.
"Ah, I see. I am sorry if I appeared taken aback; please
don't think I disapprove of those relationships."
"We've gotten several dramatic reactions before, Ms.
Rosewood, so it doesn't bother us. So can I ask you a question before
my lady here signs her life away? I've actually decided to attend
Carnegie myself so I can wrap up my master's degree--and it would be
easier than commuting. Uh...I guess my question is...would it be really
weird if Leena and I lived together while we're here? I mean, I will be
a student, and she'll be a teacher...sort of." Stacie took some time to
form a suitable answer. This was obviously a delicate situation, and
she wanted to treat it as such, while doing her best not to offend the
two women.
"Well, you're married, aren't you? And...I'm assuming
you're in your mid-twenties, Mrs. Parkin?"
"Just Kathlyn--and yeah, I'm 24."
"It shouldn't be too much of a problem, then. I will admit
that it's unprecedented..."
"It's not that we're both women, are we?" Leena whispered
cautiously. Stacie smiled warmly.
"Oh no, heavens no. I still carry friendships with several
homosexual people, and I've come to love and respect them deeply. It's
just that it's technically going to be a 'student-teacher' relationship
for the first year, and some people may look more unkindly upon that
than your personal relationship. I do hope it's not going to discourage
your decision."
"We're big girls, Ms. Rosewood," Leena announced proudly as
she drew her wife close, "we can handle it. We've spent a lot of time
discussing this move, and we've suffered and cried over it, but in the
end, we feel we've made the right choice."
"I'm glad," she said, sighing with relief. "I'm very
fortunate to find a coach with your reputation, Mrs. Kata...um, excuse
me, 'Leena'. And of course, I'm very happy to have your wife here as a
student! What course are you studying, Mrs. Par--erm, Kathlyn?"
"Medical practices. I'd like to become a doctor if I can."
"Excellent! The world needs doctors, and Carnegie can
provide the courses you require. Will you be full-time or part-time?"
"Full-time. I've already got a job lined up at the local
hospital, too. It's nothing really major, but it's a step."
"That's good. Your futures sound like they're well taken
care of. Have you already begun to move in, or..."
"We'll need a few more days to move and get unpacked," Leena
answered. "God willing, we'll both be ready before the semester begins.
By the way, how many students have signed up so far?" Rosewood sighed
sheepishly and shook her head.
"As far as I know, none. But the motion was only recently
passed, so word hasn't gotten around yet."
"It just needs some time," Kathlyn assured her. "If it's
half as popular here as it was back at Stanton, you'll have a full team
ready before you know it!"
"I know. I have faith. Would you like for me to show you
around?" Leena held her hand up politely.
"No thanks, we'd prefer to explore ourselves, and besides,
you're probably too busy."
"Well, if you're sure..." The happy couple told Rosewood
they would be all right, and each went her separate way soon after that.
Stacie's mission was now going to take her to Carnegie's media proxy,
who would be responsible for spreading the word about the board's
decision, as well as informing potential candidates about the openings.
It was going to be a busy eight days, all right...
--All-Stars--
The Lily Club is a self-proclaimed sanctuary for women, a
world of respite and relaxation, where discrimination and ill will is
left at the door and nobody is excluded or turned away. Because it was
a gathering place for so many ladies in the area, it was reputed to be a
social club for lesbians. This rumor was untrue, of course: the owner,
manager, and head bartender encouraged all women to step through her
doors, regardless of their preference, and made sure that they were
welcomed. She was a warm, compassionate, entertaining lady teetering on
the latter half of her twenties-a little wild at times, sure, but very
genuine and engaging. Her family name was Kemper and she had been
christened with Gardenia at birth, named after the flowers her mother
cherished so.
Most days, she would attend to business and make sure her
guests were entertained and taken care of. There was a wide array of
drinks she served, mostly exotic non-alcoholic beverages that stimulated
the taste buds and cultivated the mind, and she was now introducing a
bakery and bistro to her menu. There were always various CDs playing
peaceful music in the background, some of them on sale; portraits
decorated the walls, graciously donated by several artists who had
visited the Lily club before. Sometimes, two women would float over to
the dance floor and sway together, but this wasn't a nightclub at all;
that's what Out and About was for. The Lily Club had a more relaxed
atmosphere, and catered to an educated and sophisticated crowd. That
didn't mean it never relaxed its shoulders and let loose: sometimes
Gardenia's parties would keep the neighbors up for hours.
As Stacie Rosewood initiated her plans for the future soccer
team, Gardenia was doing her part to spread the word. She had never
attended Carnegie, but was glad to have a new college in the area; it
means more friends and customers. She had a large stack of fliers on
hand for the students who frequented her establishment, and pinned a few
of them around the Club. She knew for a fact that at least two of her
employees would be interested, so she stuck her head into the kitchen
and waved frantically at one of them.
"Hey, take a look at this!"
"What's that?"
"The fliers for the soccer team! I just got them this
morning! You said you wanted to play, right?" The younger woman
nodded, but returned to her duties listlessly.
"Just pin it up on the board here, please. I'll read it
while I'm working."
"Tsk, spoil sport. You could show a little enthusiasm.
Where's your partner?" She shrugged.
"Late, I think. I'll tell her about it when I see her."
"Are you sure? Lately it seems she does all the talking."
"She'll probably find out about it without my help," she
mumbled. Gardenia sighed and drooped a little. She wanted to be able
to get along with all her coworkers, but some people are just plain
antisocial, and there was little she could do about it, except be
patient and keep trying. Being friendly was probably the best solution
for now.
"Well, make sure to remind her-and don't forget to take a
break, for god's sake! You work yourself way too hard. Lighten up!
I'm not gonna fire you if you slack off a little. I'd be a hypocrite if
I did that!" She laughed and removed herself from the kitchen, hoping
her distant employee would at least consider auditioning. Gardenia
didn't know her very well-nobody really did-but she knew the younger
woman had talent, and she didn't want it going to waste. After speaking
with a few more potential players, she placed her leftover fliers on the
bar and summoned another employee.
"Hey, Lau, I'm gonna play hooky for a bit, so you're in
charge while I'm gone, okay?"
"Sure. Say hi to Robin for me." Gardenia made a silly face
and stuck her tongue out.
"Who said I was visiting Parody?" Lau shot her a sly
expression.
"You always visit Parody whenever you skip work. It's no
secret, you know. At least bring some lunch back with you." Gardenia
waved dismissively and assembled her belongings.
"Just take something from the bistro and write it off. It's
better for you, anyway."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't stay away too long!"
"I won't."
Parody Bookstore was just across the street from the Lily
Club, and Gardenia visited it fairly often, even when she was supposed
to be working. It was a small, three-story business independent from
the large chains, and its selection showed this off quite proudly.
Nearly every manuscript there was a treasure: Parody specialized in
rare, unique, and hard-to-find novels, magazines, comics, manga,
research material, biographies, and other selections. It was a quiet,
simple, peaceful place to spend a few hours; you could really lose
yourself there, and come out blinking into the sun with a feeling of
elation and fulfillment. Of course, Parody also offered an impressive
collection of erotic books, graphic novels, and even a few videos
(nothing pornographic-the owner disapproved), and they were well-hidden
from the casual eyes, kept safe in a special room somewhere in the
basement. The owner's name was Robin Granveldt, and she and Gardenia
knew each other well.
"Hello!" she chimed as another customer came through the
door. Robin noticed it was her friend and brightened up. "Oh, hi!
Skipping out on work again, are we?" Gardenia said nothing in her
defense: she merely held out the soccer pamphlet and grinned
spastically. Robin chuckled quietly and presented her own flier. "I
know, I've got them too."
"Then you know what we must do!" Kemper exclaimed as she
rolled her flier up. Robin smiled and followed her example; the two
girls fought playfully with their paper swords, even adding sound
effects. The battle ended quickly as Robin's grip failed and she
dropped her battered toy; Gardenia cornered her in the back room, a
devilish smile on her face as she poked her friend with the roll.
"Haha, victory is mine! Any last words, foul temptress?"
Robin smiled warmly, reached out to crumple Gardenia's weapon, yanked it
out and tossed it away. Kemper blushed as her friend knelt down and
lifted her shirt, kissing her tummy as deft fingers unbuttoned her
jeans. "Uh...hey, what the heck are you doing?! Jeez, at least let me
close the door!" Gardenia barely turned the lock before she felt cool
air wrapping around her naked waist. A shiver crawled through her
nerves as Robin kissed her panties, pressing lustful lips against the
sheer fabric, driving her pretty flower crazy. Gardenia closed her eyes
and placed her glasses on her head as she felt Robin penetrating
further: she didn't want them to fog up. Her mouth opened to gasp and
cry out, and it took everything she had to keep quiet for fear of
alarming any customers. Just as she was beginning to enjoy this
unexpected treat, however, it came to a premature end, and Robin
withdrew with a sheepish expression. A little dribble of orgasmic
secretions was still on her face, and she cleaned it wordlessly.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to lose control like that. It's just
been so long since we've had sex."
"Yeah, I know, honey, but I've been busy. You've been
busy." She stood up and they hugged each other, Gardenia still trying
to catch her jagged breath.
"I am glad you visited, though. It's sweet of you to ditch
work just for me."
"Hey, I'm just doing my part for that new college. I've got
friends and employees that would make great players. What about you?"
"Yeah, I've talked about it to a few people." Gardenia
withdrew, smiled, and touched Robin's cheek.
"So do I get a turn?"
"Only if you think you can afford to be away that long!"
Gardenia chuckled, knelt down, and pulled Robin's skirt up, thrusting
her head in to gaze at her marvelous lingerie.
"Maybe I should just follow your example and give you a
quickie!"
"That's no fair," she whined softly, as spots began to form
and her breath drew short. "Dee, it's been seven days. I'm horny."
"We'll see," she teased. Poor Robin almost fainted as she
felt her delicate flower's tongue slither inside her, and she struggled
to keep quiet. Before any serious fireworks could go off, however, the
door's bell chimed, indicating Parody Bookstore had another customer.
Robin gasped in surprise and almost keeled over.
"Dee!" she hissed. Gardenia cruelly continued her oral
administrations, even sneaking a finger inside to caress Robin's silky
mound. She was forced to cover her mouth and bite her fingers, or else
risk exposing their activity.
"Hello?" said the customer-a man's voice, no less. "Is
there anybody here? I need some help finding something by Dostoyevsky."
"Coming!" Robin shouted, blushing as she realized the double
entendre (Gardenia even snickered and slapped her rear). Miss Granveldt
was shortly able to keep her word, and composed herself so she could
attend to the customer. Gardenia came out later, smiling mysteriously,
sparing her friend one final glimpse before leaving.
"I'd better get going, Robs," she called. "All that power
will go to Lau's head if I don't intervene. I'll catch you later."
"All right, take care! Um, okay, I think I can help you,
sir."
--All-Stars--
Evening fell upon Carnegie to cool it from the summer heat.
Stacie Rosewood retired to her apartment after a long day of work, and
decided to wind down with a hot bath. Arthur Warren helped create and
spread fliers advertising the open auditions for the new soccer team,
popping into all the hotspots for college locals, including the Lily
Club, Parody Bookstore, and even Out and About (pausing momentarily to
ogle). Leena and Kathlyn Parkin-Katajisto snuggled together on their
new couch, worn out from moving but excited about what laid ahead of
them. As Robin Granveldt closed her store, she noticed Gardenia
stepping out of her building with several employees in tow. The two
women waved at each other and joined forces to prowl the streets in
search of their favorite nightclub. The Lily was great if you wanted a
moment of peace, but for sexy fun and steamy action, Out and About was
the place to go.
When the lesbian nightclub first moved in, the owner fancied
herself a rival of Gardenia's, and boasted how she was attracting more
women than her bespectacled contemporary. She even went so far as to
invite Robin there, alone, for the sole purpose of flirting and seducing
her. Odessa had failed, but time was kind to her, and she wound up
befriending the two ladies (mostly because Gardenia was such a regular).
There was still a lot of sexual tension between the three, but it was
dampened as the large group arrived and invited themselves in. There
was no way Odessa could throw witty bantering around with that many
people.
"Hi!" she said, shouting over the loud music. "Decided to
invite the whole gang?"
"They've been working really hard," Gardenia replied. "I
figured I could treat them to a group night out. Some of them have
school in a week, so this might be the last time they can stay out so
late!"
"Very nice of you!" Odessa grinned sexily and traced her
finger over Gardenia's face; she had a big crush on her former rival.
Kemper just rolled her eyes and excused herself to go dance with her
employees. Robin, in the meanwhile, stood off to the side, since she
didn't feel very comfortable in a setting like this. Loud, sexy, wild
parties weren't her style, and Gardenia respected this; there was no way
she was staying home tonight, was all. Odessa sauntered over to her,
hips swaying and shoulders rocking, and started to playfully rub up
against her. Robin turned red and laughed; she decided to take the
older woman up on her offer, since her accomplice was occupied
elsewhere. It wasn't until well after midnight that most of the crowd
dispersed, and Gardenia followed Robin home, presumably to break their
sexual hiatus.
The first morning of August promised to be a spectacular
one, as auditioners filled the gymnasium, awaiting the coaches'
appraisal. That day would act as the catalyst that would change the
lives of a handful of promising athletes, giving them new dreams to
search after and new obstacles to overcome. Chairman Fitzgerald,
however, was hard at work, poring over documents and schedules in an
effort to stymie Rosewood's goal. He knew that the best way of
attacking her programs and changing the board's mind was to do it
legally and officially, exploiting every possible loophole and nuance he
could find. Luckily for him, several of these gaps presented themselves
quite openly.
"So she has her coach, but no players yet. They're holding
auditions right now, but for a college this size, she can't hope to find
very many qualifying individuals. Moreover, because Carnegie is so
small and young, the larger academies probably won't respect us. The
true potential of her teams will not be realized, because the only
colleges who will consider arranging a match would be ones our own size.
I could point out this flaw and trap her at two separate ends. On one
hand, she'll never prove her claims if all her games are against
universities our size. On the other, if I can entice one of the
stronger colleges to play against us, the defeat will be sound enough to
force the board into reconsidering their proposal. How very
interesting."
He smiled to himself and began circling names and numbers.
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