When Darkness Calls
Coincidental Underwear
Jenn flopped on her new bed. The tour of the dorm had drained her of
most of her energy and before they knew it, it was time for lunch. Jenn
never felt so hungry in her life. It felt like she hadn't eaten in
weeks. She finished off two bowls of Kraft Dinner before nearly getting
sick and now she was regretting eating so fast.
Kim sat on the bed across from Jenn’s, "Are you sure you are going to be
alright?" she asked for the fourth time since they adjourned to their
rooms to get a better feel for them.
"I'll be alright." Jenn placed an arm over her eyes, "I just need to
rest a moment."
"You rest then." Kim stood up and scanned the room curiously, "I'm going
to take a look around." There was a small sound of excitement in the
girl's voice that made Jenn smile.
Jenn propped herself up on her elbows to watch the girl curiously open
the small wardrobe in the corner. There was a glow to Kim that wasn't
there before. Almost as if the new environment was already doing the
girl wonders. Then Jenn had a flicking memory of Kim's father and a
frown spread across her face. Anything would be better then living with
that man. Jenn felt her hand's clench at the thought of what that man
could have done to such an innocent child.
"Check this out!" Kim called out while pulling a long red dress with a
white trim out the wardrobe, "The closet is filled with clothes." She
peeked at the collar tag, "This is my size too!" She exclaimed excitedly
then knelt and pulled open one of the five drawers at the bottom of the
wardrobe, three small ones at the top and two larger ones stacked below.
Her face turned crimson with a blush as she opened one of the smaller
drawers and closed it quickly.
"What is it?" Jenn inquired, getting up and crossing the room. Jenn
pulled open the drawer that Kim just closed, much to the girl's protest,
to find it filled with cotton underwear with small cat prints on them
and She held a pair up, "Cats?" She was baffled, and then glanced at the
several shades of red her friend had turned, "Do you like cat prints?"
Jenn inquired with a sly grin.
Embarrassed Kim grabbed the underwear and stuffed them back in the
drawer, "How could they have known?" Kim stammered embarrassed, holding
the drawer closed.
"It is probably just a coincidence," Jenn chuckled lightly, "There is no
way they could know something like that or the fact that we would end up
in this room or that you would choose the left side of the room."
"How do you explain that box and the suitcase?" Kim pointed at a
cardboard box that was sitting on the desk at the right side of the room
when they arrived, with “Jennifer’s things” scrawled across one side of
the box.
"I don't know what this is." Jenn scratched her head as she approached
the mysterious box. Jessica said it was probably her things from the
East Wing Dorm, however Jennifer didn't even recall living out there,
even if Tanya claimed she did at a time. Carefully she began to open the
lid of the box to find it filled with clothes, some books and a small
picture frame laying face down on the top of the pile. Jenn picked up
the picture and turned it over to look upon a photo of Kris and her in a
warm embrace. Jenn sat in the desk chair and stared at the photo. She
had no memory of the photo ever being taken. Moreover it appeared as if
the photo was taken from before the two of them had ever met. She
pondered how such a photo could exist when Kim spoke.
"What is it?." Kim started curiously across the room and peeked over the
girl's shoulder, "What a nice photo." She said with awe.
"Yeah," Jenn replied still lost in her thoughts.
"Can I see what else is in there?" Kim asked curiously.
"Sure," Jenn set the photo on top of the desk shelf, still not able to
take her eyes off of Kris's image and the smiles on their faces.
Kim pulled out a black t-shirt and started to read the lettering written
across the front, "'I got kicked out of Girl Guides for eating th-'"
"Wait!" Jenn said, suddenly alarmed, "Don't read that!" She snatched the
shirt from the girl's hands. Jenn was almost certain that shirt had gone
missing years ago, ‘How did it get here?’ She thought to herself, ‘And
Kim almost read it!’ She felt herself turn beat red as she remembered
the end of that saying.
"Why can't I see it?" Kim reached for the shirt, "You saw my Kitties!"
Jenn held the shirt out of the girl's reach, "No, it's embarrassing."
She hopped up on the bed.
"And my underwear isn't?" Kim argued, carefully climbing up onto the
bed. Jenn laughed as Kim tried to get the shirt from her and tripped on
the edge of the bed to fall into Jenn's arms, causing the two girls to
come tumbling to the bed in a heap, giggling and laughing.
"Well you two seem to be in a good mood." Kris smiled at the girls from
the open door of the room, "Can I come in?" She requested.
Jenn let go of Kim, "Sure Kris. What's up?" She straightened her skirt
as she rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up.
"I just thought I'd see how things are going." Kris said as she entered
the room and sat sideways upon one of the desk chairs, "So what was all
the commotion about a moment ago?"
"Jenn won't let me see what her shirt says." Kim pouted as she fixed her
hair and too sat at the edge of the bed.
"Shirt?" Kris looked up curious, "Which one?" Kim repeated the part she
read and Kris burst out in laughter, "Oh! That shirt. 'For eating the
Brownies.' is the rest of the saying."
"Kris, don't tell her that!" Jenn exclaimed.
"I don't get it." Kim cocked her head in confusion.
"How do I explain?" Kris smiled at Jenn.
"No you don't!" Jenn jumped up and covered Kim's ears, "Don't teach her
that kind of thing." Jenn pleaded, "Please Kris?"
"Why can't I hear?" Kim protested as she struggled against Jenn's strong
grasp.
"Alright," Kris said with a laugh, "I won't tell."
Jenn let out a sigh of relief and let go of Kim, "Thank you." She said
gratefully.
"I'll just leave it up to you to teach her." Kris chuckled.
"Kris!" Jenn flushed yet again, "You are as bad as that Jessica girl."
She snarled.
"You think so?" Kris mused setting her head on the back of the chair,
"I'm sorry." Her eyes fell on the photo and she startled into a seated
position. Her shock was distracted by Jenn's voice.
"Say, Kris?" Jenn dropped back down on her bed and gazed up at the
ceiling, "Do your Aunts really know everything about everyone here?"
Jenn inquired a little disconcerted.
"Pretty much." Kris stated, turning away from the photo, "They are
strange that way. Mind you my whole family is weird, pretty much." Kris
let out a woeful sigh.
"What happened with them?" Kim asked curiously.
"They kicked me out for falling in love." Kris declared flatly as she
turned to glance out the window.
"Oh..." Kim glanced at her hands, embarrassed by her question.
"Knock Knock?" Came Amy's voice from the door, "Am I interrupting?" She
asked.
"Hi, Amy." Kris got up from the chair, "We were just talking."
"Is it alright if I come in?" She asked carefully.
"Sure." Jenn replied, "Is there something wrong?"
"No no," Amy replied, "I just forgot to give you two some sleeping
pills. You should try to get some rest so you will recover faster. You
need to rest up before returning to your studies in a week."
"I’m already a little tired." Jenn admitted, "Do we need to take drugs?"
She asked warily.
"They will help you sleep more soundly." Amy pulled out a small bottle
of pills from one pocket, "You don't have to if you don't want to." She
opened the pills and poured a couple of pills in her hand.
Kim hesitated for a moment before taking two of the pills from the girl,
"They are just to sleep right?" There was concern in the tone of her
voice.
"Nothing more." Amy put the pills back in her pocket and produced a
bottle of water from the other pocket. She handed the water to Kim who
quickly popped the pills in her mouth and took a long drink. Amy offered
the remaining pills to Jenn, "Jenn?"
Jenn took a deep breath, "I guess." She picked up the pills in her hand
and stared at them. Part of her really didn't want to take the drugs,
but she couldn't turn them down now, so she set them on her tongue and
took the water from Kim and drank half the bottle in one swallow. The
taste of pills always made her sick and she wanted to get rid of the
chalky flavour quickly so she downed half the bottle, “That was
horrible.” She stated, sticking her tongue out.
"Thank you for humouring me." Amy said with a smile, "I'll let you two
get some sleep now." She started to back out of the room, "If you need
anything I'll be at the clinic."
"Thank Amy." Kris said and turned to the girls, "Guess I should be
getting out of your hair too." She started towards the door, "I'll check
on the two of you later, alright?"
"'Kay!" Jenn yawned, not sure if it was the pills taking effect or if
she really was tired.
"Sleep tight girl." Kris slowly closed the door behind her.
"Thanks." Kim called out as the door clicked shut. She turned to see
Jenn had started to strip off her shirt, "Ummm..." Kim turned around.
Jenn stopped with her shirt half off, "Is something the matter?" Jenn
asked, then noticed the way Kim's eyes kept darting at her and to the
floor. Jenn looked at herself and felt embarrassed. She had changed in
front of Kris and Tanya so many times that she didn't even think twice
about it making Kim feel uncomfortable, "I... I'm sorry..." She
stammered pulling her shirt back on. She looked around the room trying
to figure out how they were going to handle this situation.
"No," Kim let out a deep sigh, "I'm sorry... I just..." she clenched at
her dress.
"It is alright." Jenn said, "I'll just get changed in the washroom." She
got up and opened her dresser to find her Pyjamas in the exact place she
would put them. She shook her head and decided not to think too hard
about it, "You can use the room."
"No, wait!" Kim stood up, "It is..." She fiddled with her hands, "I... I
lied earlier...." Kim said quietly, " When I... said I didn't
remember... about how I got these bruises..."
"You do remember. I thought so." Jenn said sadly, "It was your father
wasn't it?"
Kim nodded slowly, "Also... do you... remember this?" Kim started to
strip off her dress.
"Kim you really don't have to-" Jenn's voice lost strength as Kim pulled
off her turtleneck to reveal her bruised and bandaged body, "Oh… my..."
Jenn stammered and cupped her hand over her mouth, while trying to
fathom how the girl could have withstood such punishment, she then
noticed the bandages on the girl's shoulder, "Wait... didn't I..." She
had a fleeting image of dressing that wound herself, "But..."
"Remember what I told you." Kim said while pulling a night gown from the
wardrobe, "About my falling off a cliff and waking up in a hospital?"
"Yeah," Jenn felt herself sink onto her bed, unable to tear her eyes
from the girls body, "You said you were with Lauren and... Natalie!" She
suddenly understood, "It was all a dream, wasn't it." She glanced down
at her own bandages.
"I don't know." Kim pulled the nightgown over her head, "I didn't want
to bring it up around everyone, however I do know one thing." She turned
to face Jenn, "You are the first person to believe my story and
understand. I think we were meant to find each other." She said with a
small smile.
"You think so?" Jenn questioned the logic in that, however was there
anything logical about anything anymore, "Maybe you're right." She
yawned as this time the drugs did take effect.
"Jenn?" Kim spoke softly, almost painfully.
"Yes?" Jenn glanced up at the girl to see her staring at the ground
while rubbing her arm, "What is it?"
"You... what did you really think when you saw..." Kim nervously wrapped
her arms around her chest.
"You mean back when I bandaged your shoulder?" Jenn asked, sitting on
the bed.
Kim only nodded.
Jenn pulled on her sleeves, "Remember how I told you that you reminded
me of someone?" She asked guardedly.
"Yeah," Kim sat upon her own bed, "You never told me what you meant by
that."
Jenn closed her eyes, "I am that person." She pulled her sleeve up to
the elbow and showed Kim her white arm covered with slowly healing cuts
and the bandages upon her wrist, "It would seem we both have our demons
we are dealing with." Tears rolled down the girl's cheeks and she felt
Kim's hand set lightly upon her shoulder.
"Thank you," Kim whispered, "For watching over me back then and for
trusting me." Jenn opened her eyes to see Kim give her a weak smile and
Jenn wrapped her arms around Kim, holding her tight.
"You're welcome." Jenn smiled into the redhead's shoulder.
"Jenn, can I..." Kim bit her lip, trying to think of the right words.
Jenn pulled back to see Kim's eyes darted from her bed to Jenn's.
Jenn smiled, "You want to curl up with me?" She asked with a grin and
patted the bed, "Come on, just let me change first." Kim jumped into the
bed as Jenn began to strip off her clothes and climb into her pyjama.
"I'm really glad we met." Kim said with a yawn.
Jenn lifted the blankets and crawled into the bed next to the girl, "So
am I." Jenn agreed, snuggling close to the redhead.
Kim set her head on Jenn's shoulder, "Thank you for believing me." She
nuzzled into Jenn's shoulder.
"Thank you for trusting me." Jenn stroked the girl's hair as she drifted
off to sleep.
Kim watched as Jenn closed her eyes, "Sweet dreams." She whimpered, her
heart hurt and she felt the urge to kiss the sleeping girl arise inside
of her. She closed her eyes against the thought and silently cried
herself to sleep.
*****
To be Continued...
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