Collide

Sorry” A girls voice said. Amber turned around, finding someone she very vaguely recognized. The girl smiled, laughing, and tucked hair behind her ear. “Scuse us…”
         Amber stepped to the side of the hallway, and the girl pulled her boyfriend along. He held her wrist with both hands, stepping behind her eagerly. Once past, he reached and tickled at her sides and she laughed, swatting him away playfully before entering the door on the far left.
         “Melanie,” Amber said as she remembered the girls name. Then, in the doorway to the bathroom, she stopped. “That’s not her boyfriend…?”
         She looked back at the door, now closed, and heard the sound of kissing. She shrugged, entering the bathroom. It wasn’t her business.
         Amber looked at herself in the mirror, adjusting her shirt and hair. The party was for a friend of a friend, and she was really very bored. The majority of people had gathered out on the porch for beer pong or to dance to the loud dj’s music. Amber, though, hardly knew anyone and had an unfortunate allergy to hops which left many parties unexciting to her.
         She took care of her business, washed her hands, then looked at the ornate bath tub. It was an old style, but newly made. The curtain was a frosty plastic, all the way around all three sides of the tub as it sat in the middle of the raised half of the bathroom.
         The party girl, Sadie, had just turned twenty one and her house was one of those with twenty separate rooms and a five car garage. She was richer than rich, and could afford a bathroom that was never used to have such glamorous furniture.
         Amber decided she’d be leaving early, and left the room.
         “Oh—“ She stopped short in the doorway. “Sorry” She said, stepping out of the way as someone tried to walk by.
         He smiled at her, and pointed. “Amber, right?”
         “Yeah.”
         He nodded, looking past her shoulder. “Hey was there a medicine cabinet in there? I have a really bad headache.”
         She noticed he talked gently, too. “Ah, no. But there’s some in my purse if you’d like an Advil?”
         “Yeah, thanks.”
         The next room over—across the hall from where Melanie was—was a large game room equipped with darts and pool table, as well as a long couch. Amber started to lead him there but stopped as the opposite door burst open. Melanie stormed out, scowling.
         “No no I didn’t mean it in a bad way!” The boy she was with shouted after her, but stopped in the door to watch her go. He groaned at himself, running a hand through his hair. He glanced at Amber, and made a face before turning and going back into the room alone.
        She went to the closet, where she’d hung her coat and purse. Rifling through, she opened a small zipper and produced the travel-size bottle.
         “Thanks.” He said, taking it.
         She pointed around to the other side of the L-shaped room. “There’s a wet bar over there, might have water or something.”
         He nodded, and went to investigate.
         She followed at a distance, then sat at the bar as he grabbed a soda from the mini fridge. “Where do you know me from?” She asked.
         “I’m Mitchell.” He said, popping the soda open. “We were in human bio together a year ago.”
         “Hmm.” She said.
         “You were always eager to answer questions and sat front and center each class.” He said.
         “I have poor eyesight, that’s why I sat so close. And probably why I couldn’t recognize you—I’ve probably never seen you so…high definition before.” She said. “Everyone more than two rows behind me was just a blur.”
         He’d swallowed the pill, and touched the soda can to his lip when the earth shook. Amber clutched the edge of the bar as Mitchell stumbled over a few steps, hitting the wall and dropping the soda in favor of holding on to the nearby cabinets. A bright light shone through the wall of windows, making them both squint.
         The ground tilted the other direction, then shook for a few seconds. The barstool had fallen from under her, and Amber held on to the counter with one hand on either side of it. Gradually everything settled, and she looked at him while panting.
         Mitchell walked to the windows, and tried to look out. The white light was still shining, and it looked as though there were small streaks of silver coursing through it.
         Mitchell shrugged. “Lets go see how everyone else is.”
         They turned, and hurried to the door. Pulling it open, Amber entered the hallway first and froze. The hallway was only fifteen feet long—it cut off with the same white light, like a curtain. He stepped forward and looked into the bathroom. It was intact, with the light streaming in from the high, frosted windows.
         The door behind them opened and the boy inside pulled up short at the sight of them.
         “What…is that?” He asked.
         Both shrugged. “We have no clue.” Amber answered.
         The boy pressed past them, to the edge of the stuff. He stopped just before it, and reached out a hand. “Agh!” He shrieked, pulling his hand away and leaping back awkwardly. He cradled his hand, then looked down at it.
         “What happened?”
         “It’s freezing cold.” He said. “Like sticking my hand in ice, but worse.” Amber watched as his hand slowly shook.
         “It’s in that room too?” Mitchell asked, pointing to the room he’d come out of.
         The boy looked back. “Yeah, it’s coming in through the windows.”
         Mitchell snapped his fingers. “Let’s see if we can break it down.”
         Amber stepped away as the two set about to finding something sturdy, eventually sitting in the bathroom doorway and watching silently.

 
Hey!” Ambers eyes opened, and she sat up from the couch as the door to the activities room opened.
         “Something’s in the hallway!”
         She narrowed her eyes, but hurried to her feet. They’d been trapped for two days, having tried everything they could think of to get through the curtain of cold. Nothing worked.
         Amber stood in the hallway, looking as Mitchell inspected the object a few feet from the light. It was a metal box of sorts, about the size of a printer. Calvin went behind him, looking over his shoulder. “It’s not too cold,” Mitchell observed, running a hand quickly over the top. Something clicked, and the metal broke away and folded into itself, opening.
         Mitchell reached inside, and passed the contents to Calvin.
         He squished the small clear package, watching the contents shift. “Feels like watery jell-o. And there’s stuff floating in it.”
         Amber stepped forward, watching closer. It was a small pouch, see through, revealing a slightly green gel-liquid with small  colorless flakes floating inside.
         “Looks like aloe vera juice.” She said. “Some people drink it, but it tastes horrible.”
         Mitchell stood up, holding out both his hands. “There’s three total.” He said quietly.
         Amber looked at his hands, as he held one out for her. Slowly, she took it.
         “One for each of us.” Calvin said.
         “What could that imply?” Amber asked curiously. “Something sentient sent these to us specifically?”
         “It looks that way.” Mitchell said. “Maybe on the other side of this curtain, everyone is able to see us. Maybe they know we’re here, and are trying to get in to get us free.”
         Calvin looked nervous.
         “If that was the case, and they were able to successfully get these to us—whatever they are—why not send a note as well, explaining the situation?”
         “Maybe they don’t know the situation.” Calvin offered.
         “Well they’d at least say ‘we’re trying to get you out of there’ or something.” Amber said.
         “They would.” Mitchell agreed. He looked at his pouch. “So what are these, anyway?”
         “I think it’s some sort of nutrient.” Calvin said. “That, or it’s poison. But whatever sent it to us gave us the exact amount for one of each of us. I don’t know, it just seems most logical.”
         “Well how do we open them?” Amber asked, studying hers closer. The top of the pouch was sealed in something only slightly resembling a bottle cap, but it was made of metal and didn’t budge when she tried to twist or pry it off.
         She heard a loud snap, and looked to Mitchell. “Oh. Press down on the top.” He said, looking closer.
         Amber pressed her thumb on the very top of the small circular lid. It receded, leaving space around its edge where the gel was able to come out, when she squeezed the package.
         “I’ll go first.” Mitchell said, taking a breath then lifting the pouch to his mouth and gently squeezing. He took it away, making a face. “It’s very sour.” He said through pursed lips. After swallowing, he smacked his lips a few times and looked at the stuff again. “Not the taste I was expecting.”
         “How do you feel?” Calvin asked. “Poisoned?”
         “Not quite. But I wouldn’t know what it felt like.”
         “Well, do we all just go bottoms up, or leave it be for a while and see if Mitch starts to foam at the mouth?”
         Mitchell took another, larger, swig and made the face again. He shuddered, and covered his mouth with the back of his hand. “It doesn’t taste like a poison, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.”
         “If we were wanted dead, I think we would have been killed by now.” Amber said quietly.
         “I think we should give it a few hours and see how he holds up.” Calvin said with a shrug.
         Amber shook her head. “Even if it is a poison, what’s the difference? We drank all the soda and there isn’t any water or food. We’ll die in a week without sustenance.”
         “We could get out of here, you know.” Calvin said pointedly.
         “I say give it a little while.” Mitchell agreed. “You can always decide to eat…drink…it later, if you want. Not that vomiting it up would be hard, I imagine, but I think it’s smarter to see what it is first. Lucky me, I was the one who drank first. I’ll be the guinea pig.”
         
 
Four days had passed since then. Every once in a while the metal box would appear with three pouches and sometime later, disappear. They spent time playing pool, darts, or various card games on the pool table. With the bathtub, sink, and toilet working, they showered and kept generally clean. Within days they each knew about each other’s families and lives from before, and soon had run out of stories to tell.
         Amber laid in the warm bath water, trying to think of a name for the aliens, when the bathroom door opened. “Calvin,” She said knowingly, “I’m in the bath.”
         “Yeah and I have to piss.” He said. A few seconds passed, and she heard the toilet start to fill. Calvin whistled. “Nice bra.”
         “Hey!”
         “You left it here.” He said, zipping. He clicked his tongue. “Do the panties match?”
         She sat up, poking her head out from around the curtain at him. He was crouching over her pile of clothes, holding up the bra. He glanced back at her, then to the bra again. “Can I borrow this?”
         She didn’t have a response.
         “I’ll give it back.”
         “You have absolutely no need for a bra.”
         He shrugged. "I do too. Watching you walk around without one for a few days sounds fun.” He started to stand, still holding it.
         “Cal!” She shouted.
         “Oh hush! You’ll wake Mitch.”
         “Good.”
         He glanced at her and smiled. “What? Are you going to come and get it?” He held it up by a strap in a single finger, letting it dangle.
         Amber glowered at him.
         He looked at it, then tossed it aside. His face went somber, and he stood with his arms crossed for a few seconds. “Amber?”
         She narrowed her eyes at him, confused at the sudden seriousness in his voice. “W-What?”
         “Say hypothetically…If a man found you so attractive, that—“
         “No.” She said.
         Calvin looked over at her with a sneer. “Don’t interrupt; you don’t know what I’m going to say.”
         She sighed.
         He looked ahead again “Say someone found you so terribly attractive that…at night, when they were alone and only had themselves to touch…if you were the one they thought of in those moments, would you be flattered?” He glanced at her for only a moment at the end.
         “I…what?” She asked, confused and embarrassed.
         He looked at her plainly and shrugged. “If Mitch thought of you when he masturbated, would you be flattered?”
         Amber felt herself flushing. “Well…I guess.”
         “And me?” He asked. “If it was me?”
         She looked up at the ceiling. “I think, anybody. If anybody thought of me that way I’d be flattered.” She looked over, but he was looking contemplatively at his feet. She sighed, pulling away and closing the curtain. She shifted her body in the ornate bathtub and got into a more comfortable position. Calvin listened to the water moving, trying to imagine what she looked like. He looked through the curtain, but could hardly see the silhouette of her head.
         Tapping a finger against his elbow, he walked closer to the tub. Her face turned toward the sound, and he stopped at the edge of where the floor rose to house the granite tub. He crouched, almost level with it.
         “Is there any chance you’d let me watch you?”
         Amber hesitated, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “What me what? I don’t touch myself.” She said.
         “I mean, what are you doing right now?”
         “Trying to take a bath.” Amber said.
         “You’re just laying, relaxing, probably with your eyes closed and your ankles crossed, your hips tilted a little and your arms across your belly. Right?”
         He was certainly close. She uncrossed her ankles. “What are you getting at, Cal?”
         He sighed. “Look, me and my girlfriend were really just friends with benefits. I’m not used to having to do this kind of thing all on my own.”
         “I pity you.” She said sarcastically.
         “Hey look, I know girls have a weird perception of what sex is, but for guys it’s different okay? I can’t go without it. Whether that means yanking one off by myself or not.” He said. “And since I’m getting the feeling you aren’t up to really helping me out, can you meet me halfway? One human being to another?”
         She almost chuckled at his joke. “I don’t really feel like…touching…anything of yours.”
         “That’s not what I’m asking. Geez, keep up will you?” He said, exasperatedly. He sighed at the end. “Can I pull the curtain back?”
         “I am naked in here.” She said.
         “That’s the point.”
         Amber looked down at her body, thinning out from eating so little. Eventually, she sighed. “Put it to me straight. What are you asking me? You want to look at me naked?”
         “Well. Yes.” He said. “I’m asking if you’ll let me look at you in the tub while I take care of a little business.”
         “Ugh!”
         “Amber.” He said quietly. “I have needs, and sure they’re different than yours but it’s still something I need to take care of. I’ve been having issues. So stressed about what’s going on here, and so my needs aren’t being met. Putting it to you straight, you’re gorgeous. Wow. Your hips have the perfect tilt to them—I like curves, and yours are just the right shape. Look, you just have to lay there. Just like you’re doing now. If you want to lend a hand I’m not going to turn it away, but…just please let me look at you. It’ll probably only be five minutes.”
         He watched the shadow of her hand raise to her head. She was probably rubbing her neck, what she did when she was thinking seriously about something. He let her, waiting, not sure whether to be more or less hopeful as time passed.
         “You’re not going to touch me.” It wasn’t a question, her tone was low and the words came out forcefully.
         “No. I’m not going to touch you and I’m not asking you to touch me.”
         “If you get any clever ideas I’ll scream until Mitch wakes and—“
         “And I’m sure he’d honestly love to whack me one in the face.” Cal said lightly, even though it was true. “So can I?”
         There was another, final moment of hesitation. “Fine.” She said quickly. “Just let me…” He waited as the water moved, she adjusted her position, and relaxed back down. She sighed slow and deep then, “Okay.”
         Calvin stood, pulling the curtain back slowly so the metal didn’t make too much noise. He didn’t want to disturb her, or Mitchell. The tub was long enough to mostly lie out flat, but not quite. Her ankles were crossed, knees slightly bent. The hips were tilted a little to the side—away from him. Her nearest arm was draped over her hip, while the other was tucked under herself. Her eyes were closed, but her face was flushed red and he noticed she was trying to keep herself relaxed. He took it all in, toes to head and back down again. Then, he undid the button of his pants and lifted his hand.
         Amber flinched when he spit, and, with eyes still shut she whispered to him. “Tell me you didn’t just spit at me.”
         “No.” He said. “Need lube.”
         She grimaced, shaking her head a little.
         Calvin stood over her, stroking himself slowly, taking care to memorize every inch he could see. Her hips were just how he had imagined, wide and hearty but not overbearing. Good for grabbing at, if he ever got the chance. He leaned over the tub just a little, his eyes on her breasts. The nipples  weren’t the exact dark color he enjoyed most, but they were still erotic and erect. The water wasn’t quite high enough to cover all of her breast, and so with each breath as her sides rose, the water moved against her skin and either revealed or concealed the crest.
         Slowly, he crouched down. As his knee hit the floor, her eyes opened and she looked over at him. He held up a hand. “Just getting more comfortable.” He said with a smirk. She blushed all the more, and tried to get back into her previous position. After a few seconds of discomfort, she bent her knees a little and slid more under the water, turning to lay facing the ceiling instead of being tilted. Now he could see both breasts, a wonderful matching pair. Her hands laid out across her lower stomach, below her navel, and he took in all the new places he couldn’t see before, like the bend of the contoured V of her hips. An itch rose on her head and though she tried to ignore it, she lifted a hand to scratch it gently.
         Amber laid the hand down again, trying to cover her lower bushy area as discretely as possible. She went through the couple of names she’d thought of for the aliens, but couldn’t focus proper with the sound of Calvin squeaking beside her. She heard him spit again, and felt herself make a face. The squeaking was louder now.
         After the first minute, she started to relax. By no means did she forget he was there, but when she felt herself getting nervous or embarrassed she replayed what he’d said to her in her head. Would you be flattered? Indeed, wasn’t it a compliment that he was aroused by her body? She should be prideful. He wasn’t taking advantage of her, and had asked permission at any rate. And he was right—before, she was just lying in the tub, anyway. What was the difference?
         Another itch rose on her calf, and she used her opposite foot to scratch it for a few seconds. Then she crossed her ankles again, the other way, and sighed contently. The water was starting to cool, she’d been bathing for a while before he’d even entered the room. She rested for only a short while before Calvin inhaled slow and sharp, then began to moan.
         She shuddered at the sound of it.
         Calvin finished, and sat for a few minutes to pant until he caught his breath. He rose, holding up his shirt in one hand and his pants in the other, went to their roll of toilet paper. He took only two squared and did his best to dab the sticky stuff off his chest. Dropping them into the toilet, he removed the shirt and let it fall to the ground. “That was truly wonderful.” He said.
         She looked over, blushing and looking away again at the sight of him carefully inspecting himself, pants sagged and butt bare. “I’m happy for you.” She said, half sarcastically. He glanced back, noticing her eyes had closed.
         “You’re blushing.” He said quietly, smiling as her face reddened a darker shade.
         “This is a new and embarrassing experience for me.” She said through her teeth.
         “Embarrassing? I was the one doing it.” He said. “I thought you said you’d be flattered?”
         “Well, I…” She stopped. “I am I guess. That doesn’t mean it’s not a little awkward.”
         Calvin shrugged. “Well, bathrooms all yours.”
         She heard the door close, and sighed quietly.

 
Are you alright?’ Mitchell asked Amber.
         “Just a little scatterbrained.” She admitted, massaging the bridge of her nose. “Did you ask me something?”
         “I said you look sick.”
         She smiled a little. “I’m not sick.”
         He nodded, leaning back against the couch. “You’re really flushed and…a little sweaty.”
         “Do I smell?” She asked with concern.
         He smiled at her. “No, you’re actually sweating. On your forehead?”
         She brushed her fingers past it, and frowned. “Oh. Well I don’t feel sick. Maybe those juices are slowly poisoning us.”
         He smiled. “You sure you’re alright? We have a deal, remember?”
         Amber laid a hand on his, patting it a few times. “I remember. And I’m fine. As fine as I can be, anyway.”
         The deal was struck between the three of them—anytime one of them was feeling too overwhelmed or worried about their terrible situation, it was to be openly discussed and no one was allowed to ridicule. 
         “I’m a little tired, though.” She said.
         “You can take a snooze in the bed, if you want?” He suggested. The boys had agreed to sleep in the bedroom together—though not at the same time—while she slept on the couch. She liked feeling like she had her own space, but the leather couch made for poor sleeping. She was about to take him up on the offer, when she thought of Calvin. She winced. “I think I’ll be alright. Just have to punch the cushions a little, and they’ll fluff up fine.”
         “I’ll do the punching if you want,” He said. “Bigger muscles and all.”
         Amber laughed. “I’ll be fine on my own.”
         He stood from the couch, stretching a little. “Alright. You know where to find me.”
         As he was about to open the door, she stood. “Mitch, wait.”
         He glanced back, and noticed she looked unsure. “What do you need?” He asked sincerely.
         “I think…I’ll see if Calvin will give up the bed. I haven’t been sleeping well, if I’m honest.”
         Mitchell nodded. “Okay. I’ll play some solitaire.” He smiled, going to the deck of cards on the pool table.
         Amber walked past him, the knocked on the bedroom door.
         “Yeah?” Calvin answered.
         She opened it, stepping in a little. “Hey.” She said.
         He glanced at her. “Hey.” He flipped the DVD case over, and tossed it onto the floor.
         “Can I use the bed?” She asked. “I haven’t gotten a good sleep in days. That couch is terrible.”
         He put on a thoughtful face. “Hmm…I’ll give it to you if you flash me.” He watched her face flash from surprise, to disgust, to insulted. He laughed, getting off the bed and waving. “Kidding.” He said, stopping at the door. He looked at her, seeing her without her clothes, and she snuck past him.
         Calvin laughed at her quietly, closing the door behind him as he exited. Finding Mitchell sitting at the pool table, he went and sat on it, at the opposite end.
         “Thanks,” Mitchell said. “For letting her have the bed.”
         Calvin shrugged. “Maybe it’ll smell like her when she wakes up.”
         Mitchell laughed. “That would be a nice change.”
         Calvin watched him flip a few cards over, putting them in their respective places. “Want to play poker?”
         He sighed. “Honestly I’m very sick of card games.” He brushed a hand through the cards on the table, mixing them together. “How long do you think we’ve been here?”
         Calvin did the math in his head. “Hard to tell with nothing but glorious daylight coming through the windows, but I’d say it’s been a week. Seven or eight days.”
         Mitchell nodded. “I was going to say two weeks.”
         Calvin winced. “Not quite, I don’t think. Almost, though.”
         “I mean, what are we doing here?” Mitchell growled. “Why are they feeding us and keeping us alive?”
         “To eat us once we get fat?”
         He sighed, and leaned back in the chair. “I don’t know about you two, but I’ve definitely lost weight since we got stuck here.”
         “I have too.” Calvin agreed. “But I don’t think I’m malnourished, you know? I still feel awake enough and energized.”
         Mitchell shook his head. “It just doesn’t make sense.”
         Calvin shook his head too, moving on the pool table to lay out flat on the green, his head and knees up on the raised wood. “No, it doesn’t.”
         “At least we have some company though, huh?” Mitchell said. “Amber isn’t a girl that’s upset about breaking a nail or not having a change of clothes. And you’re better than almost any of the other guys at the party we could have been stuck with. Easy on the eyes.”
         Calvin snuck him a sideways glance. “Yeah, Amber’s cool.” He said, looking back up at the ceiling.
         Mitchell looked at him closely, the shirt lay well against his abs and hinted at what lie beneath. He watched his mouth as he spoke, the way his jaw moved and neck tensed. He turned and smirked, so Mitchell smiled. “Yeah.” He agreed blindly.
         “Well,” Calvin said, sitting up. “I smell. I’m going to take a bath.”
         “Water should be warm by now.” Mitchell said, watching him go.

 
Ambers eyes flashed open as the weight on the bed shifted. She turned around to find Mitchell, smiling. “Hey.” He said. “You’ve been out for hours.”
         She laid back down, relaxed, and stretched. “How many hours?” She said through a yawn.
         “Ah, hard to tell. Five or six?” He said. “Here.”
         She slumped, then looked over and took the pouch from him. “Dinner time.”
         “Or breakfast maybe.”
         He looked at his own pouch curiously. “Possibly. Too bad there aren’t different flavors.”
         She smiled. “That would be wonderful. Pina colada flavor, mmm…”
         He popped his open, laughing. “Biscuits and gravy.”
         “Steak with mushrooms and onions!” She said excitedly.
         “Oh, yeah.” He nodded. “That’s a good one.”
         Amber smiled, then stuck the cap in her mouth and poured the gel down. The flavor was still sour, but she was more used to it now. It wasn’t a big deal. Mitchell did the same, finishing his in two large mouthfuls. He waited for her to finish, and took it from her hand. “Your hair, ah…looks wonderful.” He said, sarcastically at the end.
         She handed him the empty pouch, and put her hands to her head. She grimaced. Mitchel smiled. “It’s not too bad.” He said, standing.
         She untucked herself from the bed, taking a few steps to catch up to him. “Mitch?”
         He stopped, turning around with a smile. It faded when he saw her expression. “Amber, what’s wrong?”
         She shook her head. “Nothing, I just really want to get this off my chest.”
         He set the pouches on the bed, taking a seat and patting the spot next to him. “Come here.”
         Amber sat beside him, and exhaled. “I wasn’t going to tell you because it wasn’t any of your business, frankly. But the more I’ve been thinking about it, I’m not sure whether I made the right decision.”
         “Okay.” He said, turning to face her better.
         She looked at him, in his eyes, for a moment before looking ahead. “I was taking a bath earlier. You were sleeping. Calvin came in to pee. I yelled at him a little but, he started acting funny. Like really serious and kind of somber. He asked me a funny question.” She chuckled, as though to make light of it. “He asked if…if you thought of me when you touched yourself at night, would I be flattered. Well I said yes, and then he asked if it was the same if he thought it. Anyway, he…he eventually got to asking me to helping him in his…endeavor.”
         “His what?” Mitchell interjected as she took a breath.
         “In the end, he said he wanted to…to masturbate, while watching me in the bathtub. And, after making him promise that there would be no touching, I agreed.” She said quietly. “I laid in the tub with my eyes closed trying to think of anything but him, while he went at it.”
         “He…he jerked off in front of you?” Mitchell asked, surprised.
         Amber winced. “Yeah. He made a compelling argument. Kind of. I can’t remember what it was now, really, but…I don’t know, I’ve been thinking about it and at first I figured it was no big deal because I mean all I was doing before was laying there anyway. But now I’m…I don’t know. Does it…does that make me like…a whore or something? Not a whore, I can’t find the right word. Like dirty or wrong or..something?”
         “Well…”
         “I mean, I’m sure you have a bit of a biased standpoint but you’re the only one I can ask.”
         “Biased?”
         “I mean…” She started. Then she stopped and smiled. “You’d be on his side, wouldn’t you?”
         He chuckled, understanding. Then, he held up his hands. “If, by chance, if you wanted to pose for me while I whacked myself, I would not deny you. So I see why he didn’t either. I’m surprised he asked, that took serious balls to do. But no, I don’t think that you did anything wrong. I think that if you feel guilty, it should be because you stepped outside your own moral bounds. Not because of what me or Cal might think of you. If you truly feel there was nothing wrong with it, then there wasn’t. But if you feel like you shouldn’t offer your body in such a way, but you did anyway, then it’s wrong. You see what I mean? It’s only bad if…you think it’s bad.” He shook his head. “I worded that poorly.”
         “No, I think I get it.” She said. She smiled at him. “That helped. Thanks.”
         “Sure.” He said. “Have you come to a conclusion?”
         Amber shrugged. “In the real world, I wouldn’t have done it. I feel like in that case it would have been wrong. But here, in this world and in this situation…there was no harm. Maybe giving Cal the idea that he’s got free range whenever I take a bath now, but other than that…”
         “Good. I’m glad you aren’t beating yourself up about it.” He said, patting her knee. “I’m here if you need me.”
         Amber smiled, putting her hand on top of his. “Thanks. I appreciate it. You’re easier to talk to than Cal.”
         “Oh yeah.” He said with a laugh. “I’m not as dramatic, I don’t think.”
         “Not by half.” She said with a laugh. “I don’t think you would have…asked that of me.”
         He shrugged. “Like I said, I’d take you up on the offer. But no, I wouldn’t have thought you’d agree so I wouldn’t have thought to ask.”
         “I guess now you know.”
         He smirked, leaning close to whisper. “And you would have said yes to me?”
         Ambers face flushed with pink. “…easier than I had with Cal, yeah.”
         “But you barely know either of us.” He said.
         She smiled. “He said he was having issues and couldn’t take care of business. So I felt like I was helping him.”
         He raised his eyebrows. “Having issues?”
         Amber nodded, taking her hand back to tuck her hair away. “Yeah, because he’s…Well I mean I’m sure he doesn’t want you to know, he seemed hesitant to admit it. But…he said he’s actually really nervous and stressed out about what’s going on here.”
         Mitchell looked away, surprised. “I…wouldn’t have guessed.” He thought back to their last conversation, how nonchalant Calvin had been. “He seems so go-with-the-flow.”
         “An act? To pretend he’s strong and not bothered by trivial things?”
         Mitchell glanced at her, then flushed and looked away. “Maybe.”
         “What?” She asked. “You gave me a weird look.”
         He nodded. “I wasn’t trying to.” He took a deep breath, then leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees. “So you said he’s maybe trying to act tough?”
         She shrugged. “Don’t guys do that?”
         “We do.” He said. “Especially me. It’s been really hard for me, and I oftentimes…I’ll pretend things don’t bother me but they do.”
         She laid a hand on his back. “I’m sorry.”
         He smiled a little, and looked at her as he spoke. “I’m bisexual. It’s been rough, the whole high school and college thing.”
         “Bi?” She said. Then, she nodded. “Interesting. I wouldn’t have guessed.”
         He nodded slowly, then. “I find Calvin extremely attractive.”
         She smiled, wrinkling her nose. “Really? His hair’s so goofy.”
         Mitchell let out a long exhale. “It feels so good to admit that aloud. And yes, even his goofy hair. Mostly it’s that he’s smaller than me.”
         “Smaller?”
         He shrugged. “It’s my thing I guess, I like taking care of guys who aren’t as strong or tall as me. I dunno.”
         “Well that’s okay. Do you go for one gender more than the other?” She asked. “Maybe littler guys remind you more of girls.”
         “Well, I usually like guys better. But only by a small margin, if anything. But so long as I’m pouring my heart out,” He stopped to smile and laugh. “You’re beautiful, too.”
         Amber blushed. “That’s just because you haven’t seen another girl in like a week.”
         He shook his head. “I tried flirting with you in biology. But it was hard from six rows back in a lecture hall of fifty students.”
         “If I had noticed, I would have taken you up on it.” She said. “You’re very handsome. I myself like blondes.”
         Mitchell smiled, sitting up straight again. “Amber?” He asked. She nodded, listening. “Can I kiss you?”
         She actually laughed, covering her mouth quickly and quieting herself. “I’m sorry.” She said from behind her hand, taking it down afterward. “It surprised me is all.”
         Mitchell rose, moving around to stand in front of her. He leaned over her, putting a hand on the bed and steadying himself inches from her face. “Is that a no?” He asked quietly. He watched her eyes flutter.
         “No.” She whispered back.
         He leaned closer, stopping just as his lips touched the corner of hers. “Then is it a yes?”
         She exhaled. “Yes.”
         He held the back of her neck in one hand, stroking with a thumb, then pressed against her. He felt her breathe through her nose, heavy, as she puckered and leaned her chin up to reach him. Mitchell used his other hand to press against her shoulder and after a few moments of uncertainty she realized what he was suggesting, and laid herself back.
         She’d kissed before, of course, but this felt different. End-of-the-world, all-or-nothing. It was light, but meaningful. Mitchell pressed his body against her, even wrapping an arm under her back to pull her closer. But he kept the kiss faint, hardly heavier than a breath. At first, he hadn’t wanted to overstep himself. She was hesitant at first, little kisses only. But after a few moments her hand found the back of his shoulder, and she pulled him closer. She leaned forward, trying to grasp his lips with hers. After he kept his distance for a while she sighed and pulled away. “You going to kiss me, or what?”
         Mitchell smiled at her, moving back upon her and giving her what she’d asked for. It was a rough, satisfying wiggle of a motion—both clamoring around, dodging noses and trying to find the best place on the other person to claw at. The uncoordinated dance lasted nearly three minutes before they both scrambled at the sound of Calvin’s voice.
         “I see.” He said simply.
         Mitchell moved off her, and she sat up, covering her heart. “You scared me.” She said to Calvin.
         Calvin waved dismissively. “I see you’re having a little thing over there. It’s wonderful. I enjoyed watching for a little while. Only problem I have…is that I’m only watching.”
         Amber stood. “Cal.” She said, holding up a hand.
         He narrowed his eyes at her. “Relax. It wasn’t a threat.” Mitchell sighed quietly, and Calvin’s eyes moved to him. “Listen, I get it. She’s gorgeous. And I’m not exactly her type, I get that too. But I don’t know that I’m going to be able to sit in the other room knowing you two are hitting it off in here.”
         Amber sighed. “I’m guessing you have a suggestion?”
         He shrugged. “No. I’m just pointing out the fact that we’ve got a problem on our hands.” He leaned against the door frame. “Are you two trying to be, like, boyfriend girlfriend?”
         They exchanged uncertain glances. Mitchell made an open gesture with his hands.
         “It kind of just happened.” Amber said.
         Calvin shrugged. “Nice to know you’re so easygoing. So, I wanted a share before but didn’t think you were up for it.” He pointed to Mitchell. “If he’s getting some, I want some.”
         “We weren’t having sex.” Amber said. “Just kissing.”
         “Whatever.” He said, holding his arms out. “I’ll take whatever he gets.”
         “What?” Mitchell asked.
         Calvin gestured to them. “You two are having a thing. A romantic thing, maybe. Fine. Whatever it is that she decides to do with you, I want her to do to me.”
         “That’s a little outrageous.”
         Calvin laughed loudly. “Really? If ‘all you were doing was kissing’ then how outrageous is it going to get? What exactly did you have in mind to do with him, hmm?”
         She shook her head, not sure of how to answer.
         “If you’re comfortable kissing him, what’s it matter if you’re doing it to me?”
         “Well you aren’t the same person.” She said.
         Calvin looked back to Mitchell. “Do you see what I’m saying, at all? What if our roles were reversed?”          
         He sighed. “It’s a strange situation. But this isn’t at all up to me.”
         “But if you were me, is it something you’d ask for?”
         “Honestly?”
         Calvin held out his arm, one eyebrow raised.
         Mitchell sighed. “If you two were in the other room, hitting it off, I would bring it up—sure. But I wouldn’t have had high hopes. I was rather surprised when she agreed, anyway.”
         “Well listen.” Amber said, holding her hands up and sighing. “I don’t plan on doing very much with Mitchell. This was kind of an accident. If something else along these lines happen again, then fine. I’ll try and treat you the same way.”
         “Treat me the same?” Calvin clarified.
         She gestured to Mitchell. “If I kiss him, I’ll kiss you.”
         He nodded. “Okay. And if he gets to grope your boob?”
         Amber cleared her throat. “Fine.”
         Calvin beamed, then looked at Mitchell. “Go ahead, grab her boob.”
         “No!” Mitchell said, taking a half step away from her.
         “It was a joke.” Calvin responded, crossing his arms. “Unless you want to.”
         Mitchell pointed at him. “Listen. There’s going to have to be some boundary here.”
         “Like what?” He asked with a small shrug.
         “There’s going to be something she’s just not willing to do with you.” He said. “What do we do in that situation?”
         “The whole point is that if she does it with you then what does it matter if she does it with me? Might even be interesting, I’m sure I have different tactics for love making. Could be a bit of a science experiment.”
         Amber shook her head, but smiled. “Nice job, turning that around.”
         Calvin winked.
         She sighed. “It’s like before. In the real world, I wouldn’t be okay with this. But we’re in a very different situation here. Social rules need to change to adapt to that situation. But I do agree with Mitch, we need some boundary.” She pointed to Calvin. “You don’t get to come asking for it whenever’s convenient for you. If I’m sleeping or taking a bath, you can’t call on your due. Or if there’s some other viable reason I can’t think of right now.”
         Calvin nodded. “Fine. But you can’t hold off indefinitely. One day, and then no more excuses. And I’m not going to ask when you’re sleeping, of course. Bath, eh. Maybe.”
         She sighed. “And this isn’t final. If things aren’t working, we can change the rules.”
         “Fine.”
         Amber turned to Mitchell. “Are you okay with all this?”
         He sighed. “Sure. It’s your call.”
         “Alright. We have a deal.”

 
So.” Calvin sat next to Amber on her couch, draping his arm around her shoulders. She sighed, and put down the book she’d been reading.
         “Yeah?”
         He glanced at Mitchell, playing a card game at the pool table. “Could we kick him out?”
         Mitchell looked over at him, then back to his game.
         “You’re asking for your turn, I take it.” She said.
         “Yeah.”
         “I’m in the zone.” Mitchell said off-handedly.
         “That’s not a good enough excuse by any means.” Calvin stated.
         “It’s only been an hour or two.” Amber said.
         He shrugged.
         Mitchell sighed. “I don’t really care if you guys kiss over there. Unless she wants me to leave, I’m just fine staying right here.”
         Calvin snickered. “What, you wanna watch?”
         Mitchell rolled his wrist. “Might be a good show.” He played a card, then picked another up.
         Amber exhaled. “I guess I don’t care, exactly.”
         “Great. Can we get started?”
         She glanced at him. He looked eager as a child on Christmas morning. She groaned. “You’re so…informal.”
         He raised an eyebrow at her. “Is this really a formal situation? Just a little swapping of saliva.”
         “Ah, there was none.” Mitchell said. “Sorry, mate.”
         Calvin clicked his tongue. “Fine. So, yes?”
         She inhaled deeply, leaning forward to put the book on the floor. “Fine.”
         As she sat back, Calvin stood. She looked at him, confused. He put a hand on her knee, pushing a little. “…what?” She asked.
         He gestured to the end of the couch. “Lay your legs flat.”
         She did so, moving from one cushion to laying out on the couch. He stood over her for the space of a moment, recalling what her skin looked like, before descending. With one foot still on the floor and one knee over her hips, he put an arm under her body and lifted. She did her best to scoot herself down, as he moved her, until her head rested on the arm of the couch. “There,” He whispered. He left the arm behind her, and laid down the rest of the way. He weighed less than Mitchell had, but the couch made it more uncomfortable.
         As he came closer, she closed her eyes and braced for impact. He hit her gentler than she’d expected, but rougher still than Mitchell. She felt his teeth behind his lips, his kiss forceful and demanding. She pretended it wasn’t him, and tried to kiss back. His hands wandered her body, but not anywhere he wasn’t allowed. His fingers traced over her shoulders, her neck, jaw, arms, and even the sides and hips of her torso—but never lower. His thumb once brushed the side of her breast, making her freeze and anticipate more, but he moved past after he realized his fumble. Eventually he brushed her hair with his fingers, then took a hold of it. As she inhaled at it, lifting her chin to keep the hair from being pulled too far, he brought out his tongue and licked her bottom lip faintly.
         “You’re sure I can’t…?” He let the question drag off.
         She pulled her head to the side, pushing him away a little. He noticed the look on her face, and sat up. His hips were on hers and held her in place, but she leaned on an arm to gently wipe off her lips. “You…” She stopped to scoff. “When was the last time you were laid? Gosh you’re clawing at me like you’re dying.”
         He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you mean by that.”
         Amber shook her head. “You’re an attractive guy, Cal. And I do enjoy kissing. But when you cleave to something so strong it’s just…gross.”
         Calvin turned his head to the side a little. “Sorry, you’re saying I’m effectively grossing you out?”
         “I mean, don’t grope at me. Can’t you be even a little romantic?”
         He laughed. “What, you want me to serenade you like we’re lovers?”
         “At least…” She stopped, gathering her thoughts. “At least be somewhat gentle. Pulling my hair and scratching at my sides is not making it easy for me to want to kiss you.”
         He looked genuinely surprised. “Really?’
         She gave him a wide-eyed look. “Uhm, yeah?”
         Calvin glanced up at Mitchell, to find him chuckling slightly. “What. Did you serenade her?”
         He gave him a cocky smile. “Yes.”
         Calvin groaned, ruffling his hair. “Alright, fine. I’ll be gentler. Okay?”
         She exhaled. “Thank you. Be as gentle as you possibly can, hm?”
         He mumbled something, and she laid herself back down, eyes closed. They opened right away as he moved off her, off the couch. “What are you…?”
         He held out his hand, and after only a moment of hesitation she took it. He helped her up, and off the couch. He walked backwards, his eyes on hers all the while. She cracked a smile at first, then chuckled. “What are you doing?”
         His back bumped into the wall, but he pulled her closer still before stopping. “Shh. I’m trying to be romantic.” His hands moved from her wrists to the small of her back, only faintly pulling her hips against his own. Beneath his jeans he bulged, and hoped she didn’t notice.
         She did. But his hands rose up along her back to her shoulders and he came closer to her. She went along with his motion, leaning in for the kiss and stopping as his cheek brushed past hers. His lips met her neck, and he kissed the turn of her skin at the jaw. Another gentle kiss, then his mouth parted and he bit down—rough at first, but then gently he nibbled. When his teeth slipped away, he kissed the spot again. His hand slowly moved across her back, here to there, pointlessly meandering. His mouth moved pointlessly too, it seemed, around her neck and to her collarbone, but no lower. He kissed her soft and slow until he heard her exhale louder, just barely. It was a sigh, a quiet one, but it meant she was relaxing. He left a few more soft kisses across her neck while he brought his left hand away from her back, to her front, and up to her neck. He placed his thumb under her chin, his fingers spread from her cheek to ear, and directed her head to the side to reveal more neck. He made his way, kiss by kiss, to her jaw, then across it and finally, to her lips.
         He left one slow and definitive kiss across them before pulling away and taking a moment to breathe in a full, deep breath. She did the same, and once it was passed he went to her mouth again, leaving another kiss. He pressed with his lips only, not his whole head, and with each one the grip on her jaw tightened just a little, each kiss pressing just a touch more. After a few, he greeted her with an open mouth instead, which took her by surprise. When his lips first made contact they were open from one another, taking up as much space across her mouth as they could but then, as he leaned in with his pucker they came to a close, then drifted away for the space of a moment before coming back again.
         After three of these, she met him with parted lips, mimicking his motions and pulling her lips closed at the end of the kiss. She felt him smile against her, and the next kiss was wet with his tongue. She allowed it, impressed by his rapid change in pace and the flush he’d given to her skin. His tongue danced across hers as his other hand held the other side of her jaw. His fingers clutched at her face but not as they had before. They were still desperate and needy, but now they shook as though he was trying to keep control over himself and was only just barely able to do so. She felt her own hand raise from his hip to hold on to his forearm, just hanging. It only lasted a second—he broke the kiss, catching his breath. One hand moved from her jaw to the back of her head, and he pushed her forward. She stumbled around with him, trying to keep up. After she spun around he pressed her against the wall, then took his hand from the back of her head and putting it at the base of her neck, following her collarbone with his thumb. He leaned in, and the kiss continued. She relaxed against the wall, his tongue drawing hers out and massaging it. At first she tried to copy him, reciprocate whatever mad dance he did but she couldn’t. Their tongues fumbled against each other, and she decided to keep mostly still. He worked on her, lulling her to relax against the wall and against him. He did his favorite tricks, using his lips as well as his tongue and—when she hadn’t expected it—digging his nails into her skin just enough that she could feel it. He felt her neck push forward, toward him, and he started to pull his tongue away. She chased after it for a moment, but let the kiss go.
         He gave her one last deep kiss before taking his mouth away and panting. She opened her eyes slowly, and stared at him. He smirked, satisfied with himself. “How was that?” He breathed.
         She said nothing, but nodded slightly.
         He chuckled at her, rubbed her collarbones once last, then stepped away. “Well, I have a new problem now.” He said, pointing down at himself. She didn’t look, but stepped away from the wall toward the couch. “So, I’ll be back later.” He glanced back at Mitchell, whose face was flushed a light red. He looked away, picking up a card and making a show of seeing where it was supposed to be laid. Calvin turned away, headed for the bathroom.
         Amber went to the couch, and sank into it. Mitchell cleared his throat. “That was interesting.”
         She nodded. “It was.”
         “Did, uhm…did he sneak his tongue in?”
         She cleared her throat, bringing a hand to her head and massaging her temple. “Yeah. Well, he didn’t exactly sneak it. I didn’t exactly say no, either.” She shook her head with disbelief. “What a change, from animal to…whatever that was.”
         “Yeah…”
         She glanced at him. He was holding a card in his hand, but wasn’t paying it nor his game any attention. “You okay, Mitch?”
         He raised his eyebrows, looking at the card. “I’m…impressed. That’s all. And I have a problem of my own that I can’t take care of until he leaves the bathroom.” He laid the card down slow and careful.
         Amber smiled, looking ahead. “I wasn’t expecting it to be good.” She whispered. Then, she glanced at and away from Mitchell. “Sorry, you probably don’t want to hear that.”
         He shrugged, laying down another card. “I was watching. I saw how good it looked.”