Story: The Ghost of You (all chapters)
Authors: Your Insidious Paranoia
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Chapter 1
“Come on, you stupid piece of shit...” Wrenn growled, glaring intensely at the humming metal box in front of her. Patience wasn't the raven and red haired girl's strong suit, and toasters gnawed at her last nerve.
“A hatred of toasters... What an interesting hate to have.” She said to herself as she stood, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes fixed on the toaster with an icy glare.
The toaster whirred softly as it cooked the toast at his own pace. Obviously, the girl's glare was doing absolutely no intimidating, much to her dismay.
A few minutes passed and the toaster still never gave up it's hostage, which irritated Wrenn to no end. She leaned in close, staring down at her toast that looked just brown enough to eat. As she was pushing herself back from the counter she let out a loud huff of air that was cut off as the toaster suddenly popped, causing her to jump back from the counter, her heart pounding hard against her chest.
“Scared by a goddamn toaster!” she groaned, slapping herself in the forehead with the palm of her hand. “What the hell is wrong with me?”
She took a minute to let her heart slow down before she grabbed her toast from the beast of an appliance, giving it another death glare before turning to butter her food. She finished it off quickly, and took a look over at the coffee maker. She turned it on before she made her toast, but it still had less than an inch of coffee in it. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she wiped some stray crumbs from her lips and looked down at herself.
She didn't bother getting dressed yet this morning, so she was as bare as the day she was born. She wasn't worried about peeping toms, though, because her apartment didn't even have a window in it. Figures, with how crappy the building was.
She was pretty satisfied with how she looked. She had an average sized chest, a flat stomach, and lean, athletic legs. Her eyes roamed down her own body, stopping at her left ankle where a small black strap attached to a larger black box was located. The black box had a small green light on the top, signaling that she wasn’t out of her ‘safe zone’. Her tracker. She lifted her foot slightly, wiggling it back and forth as she let out a loud sigh.
“You should be lucky I got you a damn good deal. You're in the slammer for six months, and you wear this here for a year...” the burly woman started, holding up a black box with a similarly colored strap on it. “or you go to prison for three years. Pick your poison.”
A shiver ran down Wrenn's spine as she recalled that day causing her to physically shudder, and she decided it was time to shower and find something to throw on.
She waded through the mess of clothes, papers, books, and food containers to get to the bathroom – which was actually just fifteen feet away – and grabbed some thought to be clean clothes from the floor as she went. Her apartment consisted of three “rooms”, a bathroom that was behind a small door to the left of the apartment, a living room that was in the center of the apartment and acted as a bedroom for Wrenn, and a kitchen to the right that was connected to the living room, barely separated by a counter.
The bathroom was small and cramped, and only had a mirror, toilet, and shower. There was no sink, and there was no room for anything but herself in there. If she was more feminine, that bathroom would be her own personal hell. Fortunately, Wrenn was much too masculine to care. It had a shower, so she was happy.
By habit, Wrenn stopped in front of the mirror and stared at herself for a few minutes. Her red and black dyed hair resembled a bird's nest at the moment, instead of the long, straight style she usually went with. If she hadn't just woke up, her hair would reach the center of her back instead of just touching her shoulders.
She analyzed her reflection carefully. Her elegantly structured face was pale, and clear. There were no blemishes, giving her the look of porcelain. Her eyes were pale blue, and stared with an intensity that would have made any man’s skin crawl. She always admired body modifications and had a few herself. Her right eyebrow was pierced with a rainbow colored barbell – a gift from her best friend who thought she should show more gay pride – and she also had a silver hoop through her left nostril, and a barbell below the center of her bottom lip. Besides that, she had three hoops in either ear, and one in the cartilage in her right.
Satisfied with how she was looking today – excluding her hair, of course – she took a step to the left and turned the knob on the shower to hot. She waited a few minutes for the water to heat up a considerable amount. The sprinkles of hot water were giving off steam by the time Wrenn was happy with the temperature, and she tossed the clothes she salvaged from her living room onto the closed toilet lid.
As soon as she stepped under the hot spray, her muscles seemed to melt, along with any worry she had at the moment. Wrenn exhaled a long, low contented sigh as she stood under the water that was flowing down her body in sheets. She let every thought leave her mind as she got lost in the pure ecstasy that was her shower.
For what seemed like hours she stood under the downpour, soaking up the heat. Her bliss ended when she realized the water was starting too cool down. The hot water tank was almost empty by now. She grabbed the bottle of shampoo from the shower floor and lathered, rinsed, and repeated just in time for the water to turn ice cold.
“Fuck!” She gasped as she hopped around, desperately trying to avoid the icy blasts of water. She barely managed to stay upright as she hopped over to the faucet and turned the knob to the right, killing the watery beast that was attacking her naked body.
“God damn...” Wrenn muttered as she grabbed a big red towel from the floor and wrapped it around herself. She dried herself off quickly, shivering from the cold water that attacked her moments before. As soon as she wasn't dripping onto the floor anymore, she grabbed her clothes from the toilet seat. She pulled on her plain white panties, hopping on one foot as she pulled them up over the other to keep her balance.
After safely covering her lower half with their respective clothing article, she professionally put on her bra, followed by a black tank top, a pair of dark blue jeans, and a studded belt. Satisfied, she left the bathroom and went back to check on her coffee.
To her luck the coffee was finished brewing, and a steaming pot of dark brown, bitter caffeine was waiting for her. She made her way over to the kitchen, strategically avoiding anything on the floor that could cause her harm. The second she got into the kitchen, she ran over to pour herself a cup of coffee, leaving it black. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, taking in the bitter aroma of the brown liquid before her. It wasn't until she got a lung-full of coffee fumes that she took a sip.
“Ahhhh...” She breathed, feeling the warm liquid spreading it's heat throughout her entire body. She was enjoying this almost as much as the beginning of her shower. But this time, there was nothing that could ruin it.
Or so she thought.
A knock came at the door. She frowned, knowing just who it was.
“Come in.” She groaned, setting her coffee down on the counter.
“Is it safe?” The visitor questioned as they cautiously opened the door.
Wrenn rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you think you’re walkin’ into, Chels? A goddamn mine field?” She growled out, her eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.
The girl stepped inside the messy apartment, her mouth agape. “Holy shit!” She gasped dramatically, “It’s even messier than the last time I was here!”
Wrenn glared at the redhead standing in the entrance of her apartment, unmoving.
The girl put her hands up in front of her in defense, laughing. “Woah there, tiger. I was jokin’. No need ta give me the death glare.” She teased, a large smile playing on her lips.
Wrenn, on the other hand, wasn’t amused. She knew her apartment was messy, she didn’t need to be reminded by the redhead every morning of that fact.
The girl’s name was Chelsea O'Connelly, and she was Wrenn’s best friend. They had known each other since grade school, and Chelsea was the only person who was allowed to talk to Wrenn the way she did. Anyone else would have had their asses beaten by now. The girl was energetic, optimistic, and bubbly – the polar opposite of the lazy, cold, pessimist that is Wrenn Ames. Chelsea had short fiery hair that curled around her ears, more freckles than you could count, and was completely, and proudly, Irish. Along with being a proud Irishman, she was also a very proud lesbian, and didn’t neglect to flaunt that fact. Wrenn, on the other hand, wasn’t one to flaunt her sexuality. She let people know when she needed to, and that was it.
“So, we leavin’ yet?” The bubbly redhead asked, nodding her head towards the door.
“Yeah…” Wrenn replied, glancing at her half empty mug of coffee with a sadness in her eyes before heading out, grabbing her worn leather jacket on her way to the door. She wanted to finish that coffee.
Chapter 2
The two girls walked out of the run-down four story apartment complex, and into the bitter Autumn weather. Their breaths could be seen as clouds in the air as they walked down along the vacant street.
A gust of wind hit them face-on, causing a shiver to run down both girls’ spines. Wrenn pulled her leather jacket over her chest. She was glad that she decided to take it with her, as it mostly protected her from the cold.
“So, how far can ya go with that thing on?” The redhead questioned, referring to the tracker wrapped around Wrenn’s ankle.
Wrenn stared down at her ankle that was bearing the tracker, which was covered by her jeans, and shrugged. “’Bout a few miles… Can’t go outside city limits.”
“Shitty deal!” The redhead started, shaking her head “All tha good parties are outta town.”
With a sigh, Wrenn nodded. “Yeah… This thing’s got me monitored like a fuckin’ child!”
“Aye… How longs it on fer, again?”
Wrenn kicked a lonesome can out of her way as she walked down the street, stuffing her hands into her jeans pockets. “A year...” She muttered, her head down.
“Damn!” The redhead exclaimed, shaking her head. “You went an’ got yerself into some serious shit, didn’t ya?”
Wrenn ignored the other girl and kept her head down, quickening her walking pace slightly.
The girl’s were on their way to school. It was the second month into 12th grade, and Wrenn was just starting school even though she should have graduated already. But because of spending six months in prison, Wrenn was unable to graduate the year before and missed the first month of this school year. Not like she actually went to school much the previous year, anyway. But this year she had to. It was a part of the agreement her parole officer made with the court.
”Here’s the deal, kid. You go to school EVERY day. None of that skipping bullshit. And your grades better be damn good.” The woman snarled, her face was less than a foot from Wrenn’s, and her breath reeked of cigarettes, and onions from the sandwich she just finished eating. “We gotta show the court that you’re a good kid, y’hear? And the second agreement is pretty simple… Keep your ass outta trouble! That ain’t too hard now, is it?”
Wrenn pulled back from the woman, desperate for some breathable air. “I can try. There won’t be any guarantees.” She jeered, testing the waters.
“Don’t get smart with me, kid. I got your ass outta prison, I can just as easily put it back.” The woman spat back. She was completely serious.
The two girls reached the school grounds just as the bell sounded, signaling the start of classes. They both lived an hour’s walk from the school grounds, in the worst part of town. Buses didn’t even venture that far, so they were forced to use their own two feet to transport them wherever they needed to go.
They quickly made their way to their classes, going in opposite directions once they got inside. Wrenn had English, her best subject, and Chels had Math, her worst.
Wrenn smiled to herself, glad that she had the one class she loved the most first thing in the morning. Finally, something was going right. This was her first day of 12th grade, and she wanted to make the best of this year. She was intelligent, and she knew it.
“I’ll pass this year with flying colors, and surprise the Hell outta my bitch of a parole officer, and the courts.” She thought to herself as she entered the classroom, a large grin playing on her face.
She took a seat in the back corner of the classroom, adjacent to a window, and slung her feet up onto her desk. She crossed her arms over her chest, the grin still holding strong onto her lips. Just because she was going to get good grades, didn’t mean she was going to be a goody-two-shoes.
The way she sat told everyone that she wasn’t one to fuck with, and the grin exaggerated that fact even more. She reeked of intimidation, a fact that she was proud of. No one dared to mess with her, and she liked it that way.
Across the classroom, she heard a group of girls whispering – more like shouting – rumors about herself. Her grin broadened. They knew about her.
“I heard she shot a guy because he spilled a drink on her at a bar…” One of the girls said, looking around her circle of friends.
“Well, I heard that she stabbed a guy because he wouldn’t sleep with her.” Another piped in.
“No way! I heard she’s a dyke! Got kicked out of her house, and her girlfriend left her. Then she shot a guy.”
Wrenn’s heart dropped, along with her cocky grin.
“A-Amanda...?” Her shaky voice barely made it to the other side of the room where her ex-lover was laying, sprawled across the motel bed completely in the nude. Next to her, a man who Wrenn thought to be in his late thirties was sat up in the bed lighting a cigarette and paying little to no attention to the raven haired girl who just walked into the room.
The brunette sat up at the sound of her ex-lover's voice and stared at her.
“Wrenn? What are you doing here?” She spat.
The harshness of her tone made Wrenn's skin crawl, and the taste of bile began to fill her mouth. She swallowed before taking a deep breath and attempted once again to speak.
“I... I was looking for you... I was told... You'd be here.” She managed.
“The fuck do you want with me? We're over. We've BEEN over... Do you strive on getting hurt?”
Wrenn physically cringed and took a step back, it was too much for her to hear the harsh tone her once lover was taking with her. It was too much to bear. She was about to turn and run when she felt a sudden jolt of pain in the back of her head, and she fell to the ground with a thump. Everything went black, and that's all that she remembered from that night.
Wrenn clutched her head in her hands, grabbing fistfuls of long, silky hair in the process. She let out an agonized groan and let go of her raven locks, dropping her head onto the lunch table in front of her – just missing her plate of “mystery meat.”
“School sucks…” She mumbled. Her mumbling was barely audible to her red-haired friend who was across the table from her, poking at the “meal” that was sitting in front of her, a disgusted snarl on her face.
“Yeah…” The girl replied. She obviously wasn’t paying too much attention to Wrenn, and was much more engrossed in the thing she was supposed to be eating.
“You’re not listening.” Wrenn grunted, lifting her head up off the table to see her friend still poking at the abomination that was meant as food.
The absence of reply from the redhead was beginning to irritate Wrenn. She hated being ignored. She locked her baby blues onto Chels, giving her the same death glare that she gave her toaster only a few hours earlier. But like the toaster, the glare didn’t bother Chels one bit. She was much too occupied to even care.
Both girls widened their eyes in shock as Chelsea’s metal fork got caught in the mess of supposed “meat”, and refused to budge an inch.
“The Hell is this shit? “ Chels gasped as she attempted to pull her fork out of the beast, but failed. It was holding strong.
“Looks like it wants to eat you, instead of the other way around.” Wrenn chuckled, cocking her head to the side as Chels’ face twisted in frustration as she yanked and pulled at the fork, but to no avail. It wasn’t letting go of that fork anytime soon.
“Well it’s not gonna get me!” The redhead cried out dramatically. She took one last pull at the fork and flew backwards onto the floor with a loud thump. The entire cafeteria of loud, obnoxious teenagers all silenced in a gasp, and looked over towards the redhead who was now lying on the floor, dazed. She shook her head, and slowly got back up to her feet, and dusted off her pants.
“I’m good!” She exclaimed with a nervous chuckle, looking around at the many piercing eyes that were now on her.
The cafeteria remained silent for a few more moments, other than a few stray whispers here and there. But that silence was soon broken through by a masculine voice.
“Stupid dyke!” called a boy from somewhere in the distance; probably hiding behind the mass of students in case the redhead decided that she was going to go on a rampage.
This remark made the cafeteria burst into a wave of laughter before everyone went back to their meals. Typical teenagers… unable to keep their attention on one thing for too long.
Chels scoffed before she sat back down to the table. She was about to rant, Wrenn thought, but she stopped when she noticed that a quarter of her fork was still stuck into her food, and only part of it was in her hand.
“Holy…” She breathed, “that’s one tough piece o’ meat…”
Wrenn chuckled and shook her head at the girl. She was so easily distracted, just like everyone else. Typical Chels…
Chapter 3
“Open your books to page 303, everyone. Today we’re…” The feminine voice speaking in the front of the classroom trailed off as Wrenn found herself occupied with a messy sketch she was etching into her English notebook. It was Geography.
The sketch started off as a few stray lines, and ending up taking the form of what seemed to be a female of the species. Wrenn wasn’t quite sure, herself, but the more she added to this “girl”, the more convincing it was becoming. She erased a large portion of scribbles from the center of the “girl’s” face, and added some features that were more distinguishably human.
Wrenn stuck her tongue out in concentration, and cocked her head to the side as she added and subtracted more and more detail to her “masterpiece”. The end result was a slightly above average drawing of a long haired girl in a swimsuit, taking on a quite seductive pose. Her body was more than a bit revealed, and was proportioned to Wrenn’s liking… Which would be average in every which way; she didn’t like her women to have over-sized chests, or rears, and she liked girls with a bit of meat on their bones, while still being toned.
Wrenn dropped her pencil onto her desk and leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed behind her head.
“My dream girl.” She chuckled, smirking to herself as she eyed the drawing proudly. She didn’t mind that she was a pervert… In fact, she was almost proud of her perverted nature.
Wrenn glanced around the classroom and realized that the teacher was no longer lecturing the class, which meant that everyone was off in their own worlds. The teacher – whose name escaped her – was sitting behind the computer on her desk, her eyes darting back and forth in front of the screen. The reflection in the teacher’s glasses showed that she wasn’t doing work. Instead, she was playing solitaire.
A cup of steaming coffee sat on the desk next to the teacher, and seemed to call to Wrenn, who was really craving some caffeine as she eyed the cup enviously. She was almost tempted to get up and drain the coffee from the teacher’s supply, but she help back the urge knowing that she’d get in trouble for that. She wasn’t about to have another visit from her beast of a parole officer.
Behind her, an annoying young fellow, who Wrenn suspected to be much younger than the rest of the class and probably skipped a few grades, was proclaiming his gaming status to a less-than-interested beef-head jock in the next row over. To her left sat a girl who was filing her manicured fingernails with great interest and precision.
Wrenn never did understand the need to maintain her nails, it was a waste of time, and who really noticed her nails anyway? She gazed down at her own chewed, chipped black painted nails and shrugged, turning her body, and attention back to the front of the class.
Two seats ahead of her a girl had maneuvered around and was now watching Wrenn, who pretended not to notice. The black haired, fair skinned girl brought little interest to her and her meek expression seemed harmless enough to Wrenn, so she dismissed the gaze.
Chatter rang off the walls as Wrenn impatiently waited for the bell. It was only half past two, though, so there was about fifteen minutes until that would happen. She absently drummed her desk with her fingernails, and let out a loud sigh.
“When will this end?” She muttered under her breath, shifting in her seat.
Her rhetorical questioned was answered by a sneeze from the opposite side of the classroom.
“Ughn…” She groaned as she dropped her head down onto the desk, landing on top of the drawing she just etched. She had to cross her eyes to see the lines of the drawing, which made the perverted drawing seem to be doubled.
“Might as well put this in the collection…” She muttered, lifting her head off of the desk and quickly turning to her backpack to retrieve a tattered black, hardcover notebook covered in etchings that were no longer legible. Loose papers stuck out here and there, and she opened the cover slowly as if she had just uncovered some ancient manuscript, and not just an old drawing book.
As she shifted through the drawings, nostalgia hit her as she reminisced about the days gone past. With every drawing came a memory, may it be good or bad. As she flipped page to page, the drawings she penciled at the cost of many a teacher’s wage became more sophisticated, detailed, more meaningful… more graphic, even. She gazed at the willing models of her own creations, taking in every detail as the memories of those times danced freshly in her mind. It wasn’t often that she went through this drawing book of hers, and it felt good to remember for once… she was done with trying to forget.
She noticed the girl in front of her edging closer to see her works, but disregarded her as she was too caught up in her own thoughts to even care. She turned the page once more and stopped as her heart jumped into her throat. The next drawing wasn’t one of her own imagination – no, it was a portrait. It was a portrait of the one person she wanted to forget most.
Wrenn swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, and traced the outline of the drawing with her fingertip carefully, as if she could feel the lines as more than just that.
“Amanda…” she whispered to no one in particular as her finger continued the line around the jaw line of the impeccable drawing, her voice was cracking, and her hand shook slightly with the memories that were bombarding her.
The sun was just beginning to set as the two girls stared up at the sky. Wrenn sat with her legs spread, and a brunette rested between them, leaning back.
“It's beautiful...” Amanda whispered as the sun dipped below the horizon. The clouds were tinted with a soft pink and the water shone with a dark orange. The wind was blowing softly, and the only sound was the waves crashing against the rocks below, and the sound of the lovers' breathing. It was bliss.
“Yeah... You are...” Wrenn whispered back, her voice showing the smile that was on her face. She kissed the brunette's cheek softly, feeling the warmth of her blush. No words had to be said.
They sat in complete silence for what seemed like ages before Wrenn suddenly jumped up, startling Amanda.
“What are you doing?” The brunette asked with a questioning eyebrow raise.
Wrenn didn't answer the girl's question and ran over to her backpack that was resting against a tree nearby. She rummaged through the backpack and pulled out a sketchpad and some pencils, a mischievous grin on her face.
“You're going to be my model. I want this moment to live on forever.”
Amanda groaned and rolled her eyes, but Wrenn knew she loved the idea. Her smile couldn't lie.
“Do I have to?” The brunette whined, pouting a bit.
“Yep.” Wrenn replied matter-of-factly.
That ended the argument and Amanda made herself comfortable as Wrenn drew the beautiful scene before her.
Chapter 4
As she reached to put another box on the top shelf, Wrenn groaned. Her back was killing her from the repetitive bend, pick up, and stretch. She was stocking boxes of off-brand laundry detergent that rarely got sold. Of course, this detergent just had to be on the top shelf. She stopped for a second to rub her aching muscles, rolling her right shoulder as she rubbed it with her left hand, then repeating on her left shoulder. After she tended to those muscles, she lifter her arms above her head, grasping her right wrist with the left, then stretched, sucessfully cracking her back. The loud crack echoed through the deserted aisle, along with the happy moan that followed.
"Mmm... Much better." She mumbled to herself before bending over and picking up another 10 pound box of detergent. "Just two more hours..."
Her shift at Stop 'N' Go convinience store ended at 12 A.M, and she had to close up. She always had the closing shift because she couldn't deal with people, and no one ever came in at night. And if they did, they would just have to deal with the cashier, anyway. She was the stocker girl. At least, that's what her boss called her. The middle aged, overweight, balding man with no more than a highschool degree, if that, didn't remember names too well.
She made sure no one was left wandering the store, checked the alarms, and then locked the front doors before leaving. As she exited the store, she took off her smock, and put it in her backpack, taking out her worn leather jacket and slipping it on over her white tank top. It was a chilly night.
The walk home was long, but she wasn't going there anyway. There was no way she was going to go home. Not on a Friday night. Her destination was only a few blocks away, and she was getting more excited by the minute. As she neared the small building, she felt the tremors in the ground from the loud techno music inside. The large neon light on top of the building flashed "Sally's" and the sign at the front door said "Friday Nights are Free Nights"
Sally's dance club was Wrenn's favorite. To anyone passing by, it looked like any other club. There was flashing lights, music, alcohol. The only difference was the complete scarcity of men. Sally's was owned and operated by females. Not just females, but lesbians. Wrenn felt right at home in this club, and went there every weekend. Friday was the best night; free was Wrenn's favorite price.
The door was being gaurded by a tall, muscular woman with buzzed hair, and more tattoos than Wrenn could count. She was wearing army boots, jeans, and a black t-shirt that had "SECURITY" written across the front in large white lettering. The scowl she sported spoke louder than words. She was purely business.
Wrenn walked up to the burly woman and smiled, stopping in front of her. "Hey, Mona. How's Cec?"
The woman looked down at Wrenn, who was just a few inches shorter than herself, and broke out into a full smile, melting away the indimidation that was there just a second ago. "Hey Wrenn. Cec is doing good. She's seven and a half months along now. Can you believe it? I'll be a mommy in just a month and a half. Don't know what I'm gonna do with that little bundle of trouble."
Wrenn laughed softly and shook her head. The woman was a lot softer than she appeared, and her childlike excitement filled her own heart with warmth. "That's amazing... You gotta bring me over to see him. Don't let me touch the poor thing, though. You don't want me dropping him, or anything."
"You got it, toots. Cecilia wouldn't let anyone touch him for the first few months... Maybe years, anyway. She's already planning his first birthday. She's really excited about the baby." She laughed, her face growing softer at the mention of her wife of five years.
"You two are going to make the best mommies." Wrenn teased, poking the taller woman in the stomach. Mona gently swatted Wrenn's hand away, and glanced behind the girl at the line that was starting to form, she stood back, and opened the door for the raven and red haired girl.
"G'wan in, now. Have some fun, and we'll talk later."
"Thanks, Mona. Tell Cec I said hi." Wrenn called back to the security gaurd as she entered the bar. The tall woman just waved to Wrenn and smiled before turning back to the crowd and resuming her strong stance, and putting back on her infamous scowl.
The music was almost deafening as she made her way through the hallway to the club, but she was used to it now, so she quickly adjusted to the extra decibals. She walked up to the bar, and waved to the bartender, who came over immediately. The girl behind the bar had short blonde hair that was styled into a fauxhawk, and light green eyes. She was wearing a white tank top, and torn jeans. She smiled as she approached Wrenn.
"What'll it be? The usual?" She shouted over the music. Wrenn simply nodded and smiled at the girl, who turned around and poured a tall glass of Captain Morgan's and Cola, added ice, then handed it over to Wrenn without even asking for an I.D. All of the employees at Sally's knew that Wrenn was underaged, but because she knew the owner, she got away with it. No one asked, and no one said anything. It worked out well for Wrenn.
She turned towards the dancefloor and leaned up against the bar, sipping her rum and coke as she scanned the crowd. So far, no one had caught her eye. Most of the people were regulars in their thirties and forties... and as much as Wrenn liked older women, she was looking for someone a little younger tonight. Besides, she knew all of the regulars, and they had too much of a friendly relationship to go any further.
She was about to give up and just spend her night chatting with old friends when she spotted a brunette sitting in one of the booths in the back of the room. She was alone, and much like Wrenn, she was scanning the crowds. Her straight, chestnut brown hair reached down to the middle of her back. She was wearing a black low-cut Metallica t-shirt, dark ripped jeans, army boots, and an array of chains and spiked accessories. She didn't look a day over eighteen, and Wrenn guessed that she had gotten in with a fake I.D. A rebel. Just how Wrenn liked them.
She gulped down the rest of her rum and coke and stood up straight, taking off her leather jacket and draping it over the back of her chair before straightening her white tank top and taking a deep breath. She made her way over to the brunette, and waited for the girl to notice her.
Almost instantly, the girl looked up and smiled at Wrenn, who smiled back. "Hey." Wrenn drawled, her posture and calm voice oozing confidence.
"Hey." The girl replied, raising an eyebrow at the taller girl standing in front of her.
"Care if I take a seat?" Wrenn asked, gesturing to the empty booth seat across from the brunette.
The brunette shook her head. "Not at all. Go ahead." She said, watching Wrenn intently as she sat down.
"I haven't seen you here before... And I come here a lot." The raven and red haired girl stated, trying to get the conversation going.
"This is my first time. I'm kind of new to the lesbian scene." The brunette replied, shifting a little bit in her seat.
Wrenn raised an eyebrow and looked at the girl for a few seconds before replying. "Let me guess... You're curious, and you have a boyfriend... But you want a little more? Am I warm?"
The brunette blushed and looked down at the table where her hands were folded, then sighed. "You're good at this. Met a lot of confused girls?"
With a shrug, Wrenn smirked. "I've helped a lot of confused girls find out what they really want."
The brunette looked up at Wrenn, her eyebrows raised in slight shock. "So you don't care that I'm a 'straight' girl with a boyfriend?"
"I'm not looking for a relationship. I don't care if you have five boyfriends, and two girlfriends on the side." Wrenn laughed. "If you want to have some fun... Okay. I'm all for it. It's your choice, your relationships. As long as you don't want any lovey dovey shit from me, then we can do whatever you want, whenever you want."
The girl's face turned lobster red, and she choked on air at Wrenn's bluntness. Wrenn chucked and waited for her to catch her breath, then smirked, leaning back slightly and lacing her fingers behind her head. "So?" She asked, waiting paitiently for the girl's reply.
"I'm Robyn... Show me what you got." She timidly answered.
The raven and red haired girl got up, and took Robyn's hand, gently pulling her up, and led her towards the exit. "Wrenn."
Chapter 5
Wrenn woke the next morning with a hangover, and a vague memory of the night before. She forced herself to sit up, and rubbed her eyes lazily before realizing that she wasn't in her apartment.
“Toto... I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore...” She said to herself as she looked around the room. She was in a large white bedroom filled with posters of various rock bands she didn't recognize, and a whole lot of black.
“Where the fuck am I...?” She muttered to herself as she got up and made another realization. She wasn't wearing any clothes. “Shit!”
She desperately looked around the messy room for an article of clothing she might recognize as her own, but to no avail. “Where the fuck are my clothes?” She asked herself as she kept looking around. She didn't want to go outside the room, because she had no idea what she would find.
“Shit, shit, shit... I'm in so much fucking shit...”
As she was kneeling down looking under the bed for her clothes, the door opened and she whipped around to see a brunette wearing a black muscle top and a pair of black panties. Wrenn stared at the girl in front of front of her, who just smiled. “She must know what's goin' on...” Wrenn thought. The girl would have been freaking out otherwise.
“Um... I put your clothes in the wash so you wouldn't have to wear them dirty... Do you want some breakfast?” The girl asked.
Wrenn rubbed her head and looked around before looking at the girl again. “Got something I can put on?” The rumbling in her stomach wasn't going to ignore the offer of food. She'd figure out how she got here later.
The brunette walked over to her closet and pulled out a white bathrobe that she tossed to Wrenn, who quickly pulled it on and covered herself completely.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. How do you like your eggs?” She asked, smiling still.
“Uh... Cooked.” Wrenn responded, shrugging a bit.
The girl laughed and walked out of the room, Wrenn took this as a queue to follow and did just that. They walked down a long hallway to a kitchen, and Wrenn took a seat at the table, awkwardly observing her surroundings.
“About last night...” The brunette began, snapping Wrenn's attention to her. “Um... What did that mean, anyway...?”
Wrenn cleared her throat a bit and cursed herself inwardly. She had no idea what happened the night before, and she was pretty sure that asking would earn her a swift kick to the cunt. “Uhhh... I don't know. What did it mean to you?” She asked, trying to avoid conflict while finding out what happened. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for her quick thinking.
“Well... I thought I loved my boyfriend, you know?” She started, turning to look at Wrenn, who forced herself to look interested. “But being with you... God... That was amazing. You're amazing. I know you said you didn't want any lovey dovey shit... But can't you make an exception? You must have felt something last night...”
“Shit... Real fucking shit you've got yourself in, Wrenny.” The raven and red headed girl chastised herself. She needed to think of something, and quick. She cleared her throat before speaking. “Of course... I felt something. But I don't know about a relationship... I'm not really... In a place in my life where I'm ready for that. But uh... We can be friends?”
She knew the “let's be friends” line was an obvious “fuck off”, without actually saying it and she hoped the girl got her hint. And by the looks of her face, she surely got the hint. The brunette nodded a bit, then turned to walk out of the room. Wrenn was confused for a minute until the girl whispered, barely audibly, “I'll get your clothes...”
Wrenn knew she broke the girl's heart, but in her defense she gave a fair warning. She shrugged a bit and walked over to the food that was cooking and ate a forkful before her clothes were tossed at her. She got dressed right where she was standing and made her way for the door. There was nothing else to be done here.
---
“I did it again, Chels.” Wrenn stated as she stared up at the ceiling fan revolving slowly in the middle of her friend's room.
“Ya did what?” Chels questioned, looking over at Wrenn like she had five heads.
“I hurt another girl.” She chuckled solemnly, covering her face with her arms.
Chels walked over and sat down next to her friend. She knew how hard Wrenn took it, even though she didn't seem to give a damn to anyone else. Wrenn only showed this side to Chels, and she knew that. She also knew that Wrenn wasn't going to get over this easily.
“Aw, buddy... It's not yer fault... You're just so bloody allurin', the lassies don't listen to yer warnin's, and end up hurtin' themselves...” She soothed, rubbing Wrenn's calf gently. The contact was brief, but intimate. Even though they constantly ragged on each other, the girls loved each other like they were family. To Wrenn, Chels was her family.
Wrenn just sighed, and nodded a bit. They sat in quiet for a while before the door slammed open and a leprechaun came running into the room, waving around a plastic sword.
“CIAN! Get the feck outta here, y'little gobshite!” Chels yelled as she jumped off of the bed and chased the youngest of the five O'Connelly boys out of her room. Cian squealed and ran around the room giggling before running out of the room. Chels slammed the door behind him and growled under her breath.
“Can't get a bloody minute of peace... Damnit all to hell...” She fumed, pacing back and forth.
Wrenn sat up in the bed and laughed at her friend. Chels' face was blood red and Wrenn could imagine steam coming out her friend's ears which made her laugh harder. She fell back on the bed in a fit of giggles, tears flowing from her eyes as she gasped out. “Thanks, Chels.”
---
The bell rang and everyone jumped up from their seats and desperately made for the door to the classroom. Wrenn chuckled to herself. “Just like sheep...”
As soon as everyone else was out of the room, Wrenn got up and made for the exit herself. She didn't want to stay any longer than she needed to. It was the last class of the day, and her beat up 2000 Kawasaki Ninja 250R was waiting for her to fix it up. She found the motorcycle crashed outside her complex. It was almost completely totaled, but she knew with a little TLC that baby would be up and working for her.
She was almost out the door when a short black haired girl stepped in front of her. It was so sudden that Wrenn almost walked right into her. She quickly recognized the girl who sat in front of her in English. But what was she doing here, at the calculus class that she wasn't in.
“Woah, there horsey.” Wrenn exclaimed as she took a stumbled back, nearly falling.
The raven haired girl laughed and smiled at Wrenn, who was staring at her. “Ummm... You gonna move?” She asked, making a sweeping motion with her arm.
“I'm Romy.” The girl stated, ignoring Wrenn's question and gesture.
“Yeah, that's nice, kid... But I need to get out of here so it would be in your best interest to move...”
The girl just stood there, smiling. Wrenn stared at her. She stared back. “What's her problem?” Wrenn thought to herself, getting more irritated by the second.
“Would you like to come over to my house for tea sometime? My father would love some company.” The small raven haired girl asked after a long silence.
Wrenn was taken aback by the request and stared at the girl as if she had grown a tail and cat ears. “Excuse me?” She asked, not sure if she heard right.
“Tea. At my house.” The girl stated, flashing Wrenn another smile. She had to admit, the girl was definitely good looking. A little on the short, timid side... But definitely attractive. The request was a little out there, though, and Wrenn didn't know what to think. Her immediate response was to think the girl was setting her up for something. But what would she gain from that?
“Uhhh... I don't even know you, girl. What do you want from me?” She finally answered.
“I'm Romy. I told you that. And I don't want anything. Only a chance at friendship.” She responded casually.
Wrenn shook her head and pushed past Romy. “You're crazy. Completely batshit crazy.”
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