Melissa

Over the summer, I had thought of Lauren often, picking up the phone to call her dozens of times, but never completing the call. She had made it clear that there was nothing for us for at least the next five years or longer. I loved her, but I supposed she was right and had tried to keep busy working and occasionally going out with friends over the summer. I could not bring myself to date anyone at first, but an old boyfriend kept bugging me, so I finally went out with him a few times, hoping to take my mind off Lauren. After a few dates, he had started pressing me to have sex with him, so I broke it off

After Tom, I mostly went out with girl friends or with mixed groups of friends. By the end of summer, I had finally come to terms that it was over with Lauren, and was determined to get on with my life. It was finally moving day, and my dad and brother packed up the minivan with my stuff and we headed back to school. I was in a different room, but with the same roommate as last year. After getting me all settled in, I treated my dad and brother to dinner at a nice restaurant in town. they drove me back to campus, then went to a hotel where they spent the night before leaving for home in the morning.

As we drove back to campus after dinner, I thought about going through a year without a car. Freshmen were generally not allowed to have cars, but last year, Lauren was always there. A limited number of parking permits were allotted for sophomores on a first come, first served basis. I had been saving for my own car since junior year in high school and my parents had agreed to match whatever I had saved if I maintained at least a B average my first two years in college. Without Lauren around, I would have to take the bus into town unless any of my friends had managed to snag a permit and brought their car back with them.

The next week was spent finalizing classes, getting all my textbooks and other materials the classes required. I scoped out where all my classes were located, got my food pass and student ID. I reconnected with a number of friends from last year and caught up on summer activities. A couple of my friends asked about Lauren, but I just said she had graduated early and was in medical school. After a few attempts, most of them figured out we must have broken up; only my roommate knew what had happened as I had told her last semester.

A lot of people were pairing off, some with a special someone from last year, and some with new people. Like many others, I checked out the freshman class for potential possibilities, as well as looking at old friends with a new eye, but no one stood out. Since coming back to school where we had fallen in love brought the feelings back a little, I immersed myself in my classes and got a part-time job in the book store working about ten to fifteen hours a week. It kept my mind off Lauren and gave me some spending money and a chance to add a bit to my  car fund.

Just before Thanksgiving, a student came into the store looking for a couple of texts. It was actually too late to take classes for credit, but she said she was planning on auditing the classes and was already registered for the second trimester. One of the books was still available, but the other was not.

"I can take your name and contact info and see if I can locate a copy for you if you'd like. I can put an ad up looking for a used copy. Someone might have one from last year they would be willing to sell."

"That would be awesome. I'm Shannon, by the way."

“Melissa. Why are you auditing a class so late in the term?”

"It's a long story, but to make it short, my dad got transferred to this area recently. I had been taking classes at the local community college and just had nowhere to stay once my family moved. A counselor worked with this school to get most of my credits transferred. I was not taking a full load this term and one class would not transfer, but these two classes did. I have a deal with the school to audit the rest of the year, then pay for the classes next term. They agreed that I could just show up for tests and finals and get full credit if I passed. That way, I can still take a fairly full load besides."

"That sounds ambitious."

"Well, I am trying to make up for lost time. My sister was in a car accident and injured pretty badly. Once she came home from the hospital, she needed help until she recovered. Mom's job was the one that had the better insurance so she couldn't quit. Dad makes more money so he couldn't quit. That left me to help her, so for the last nearly two years, I have only been able to manage a few classes each term. She is recovered now, at least to the point where she can manage for herself, so I can finally get back on track."

"Well Shannon, welcome to ASU. I will do my best to find the other book for you. Let me know if there is anything else you need.'

"I will. Thank you, Melissa."

When I got ready to close up shop, I found a wallet under one of the carts when I moved it to sweep. The driver's license indicated it belonged to Shannon. I immediately called her and told her I found the wallet;

"OH! Thank god. I noticed it was missing and have torn my car and room apart looking for it. Can I stop by tomorrow and pick it up? Are you working?"

"No, I am off til Sunday, but I can either leave it at the store office with a note or if you want to pick it up tonight I can meet you in the student union."

"That would be wonderful! I'm sure my folks aren't using the car tonight. What would be a good time?"

"Well, I am closing up now. It should take me about thirty minutes"

"Perfect. I need about forty minutes to get there, but will see you then."

I finished closing the store and headed over to the student union and found a table where I would be easy to spot, even without my red hair. Several minutes later, I spotted Shannon and waived at her.

"Here it is."

"Thank you sooo much, Melissa. I would have been so screwed if I lost this for real. Can I treat you to a shake or a sundae or something?"

"Uhm, you really don't need to do that. It's no big deal."

"I know I don't have to; I want to."

"Okay. How about a root beer float?"

Shannon went to the counter and ordered two root beer floats and brought them back to the table.

"So when you start school next semester, will you be staying on campus, or living at home since you are so close?"

"I already have a room lined up on campus. I don't live that far mile-wise, but with traffic, the commute could be an hour or more when I would be driving. In bad weather, it could be longer. Besides, since I gave up so much to help my sister, my parents want me to have the full college experience."

"What year will you be in?"

"I am somewhere between a sophomore and a junior, closer to a sophomore, unfortunately. So hoping with the two extra classes I will audit for the remainder of the term, and if I can pass them next term without much attendance, plus my normal class load, I will have enough credits to be considered a junior by summer. I might have to take a class or two in the summer term though."

"That's pretty ambitious. I hope you succeed."

"Well, this will be the hardest year, but I really want to catch up. Not that I resent helping my sister at all, I was happy to help her. But I should be in my senior year. I want to be a fashion designer and maybe someday open my own business. I have already sent some of my designs to a number of fashion houses and a few have shown some interest. But they all want a college degree. And if I plan on opening my own company someday, I need to understand how to run one.  I am majoring in business with a second major in design. What about you? What's your story?"

"I am wavering between teaching science or going into researching biochemical fuels and environmental science. I would love to be able to encourage more girls to get into the field through teaching, so just not sure. The first two years are mostly required and prerequisite classes and many of the classes for either degree are the same anyway, so I have time to decide."

"That could be ambitious too. Could that end up being a five-year course, rather than four?"

"If I go into research, yes plus I would go for my Masters as well."

We sat and talked for about an hour before I finally had to get back to my room to finish an assignment for a class tomorrow. I promised to call Shannon as soon as I heard anything about the book. About a week later, I got a response to the ad I had put on the bulletin board about the textbook. The student said he could bring it back with him when he returned from Thanksgiving weekend. I called Shannon just to make sure she was still interested and the price. Shannon said to go-ahead, so I made the arrangements to obtain it.

It was too far for me to go home for such a short time so I would be staying at school over the holidays. There were quite a large number of students staying at school so I would not be alone. When Shannon asked me what my plans were, I said I would be staying at school, she didn't say anything, but about fifteen miutes later, she called me back.

"I talked to my folks and I would like to invite you to my house for Thanksgiving dinner. You have been so helpful to me and if your family is anything like mine, Thanksgiving is a big deal. You shouldn't be stuck at school."

"That's really nice of you to offer Shannon, but there are a lot of students that stay here, so the school puts on a pretty good spread."

"It's not the same though and I am not going to take no for an answer and neither is my mom. I will come and pick you up about 9. It is an all-day affair in my house, starting with brunch and going through dessert after dinner. Dress is casual; jeans and comfy shoes reign. Just tell me what dorm you are in and be waiting for me tomorrow."

"You really don't need to do this you know. But okay, pick me up in front of Prentiss Hall."

I scoured my stuff looking for something to bring with me and finally decided to ask one of my friends that I knew usually had a few bottles of wine in her room if she could snag one. Then I went to the student union and picked up a small plant at one of the kiosks. Right on time the next day, Shannon pulled up in front of the dorm and I hopped into the car and buckled up.

"Thank you for doing this. I would have been fine at school, but you're right, this is a big holiday for my family too. Are you sure I won't be out of place?"

"No, we almost always have some strays or orphans on holidays, even Christmas. Our motto is 'The more the merrier', so don't worry about it. My older brother, his wife and their twins will be there along with my younger sister, my grandparents, my brother's mother-in-law and a widowed neighbor will be there. Plus we almost always have friends that drop in for a visit through the day,"

We arrived at the house and went inside where I gave the plant and wine to Shannon's mom and barely had time to meet the rest of the family before they announced brunch was ready. Shannon grabbed me a plate and walked me through the table, extolling the praises of each dish.

"OMG… I forgot to ask if you were a vegan or had any allergies. If you are, or if you do, just let me know and we can make something else for you for breakfast. My sister-in-law is vegan, so dinner will have vegan options."

"No, I'm a carnivore and no allergies. It all looks great."

While we were eating, a few of the neighbors stopped in to say hi and most had at least a bit to eat. After everyone was done eating, I offered to help clean up, but Shannon's mom would not hear of it. They had the Macy's day parade on a big screen TV, there was a table set up with a jigsaw in progress and a stack of board games was available for anyone who wanted to play. Shannon took me to her room to show me some picture albums and listen to music for a while.

When we got back downstairs, several new people had arrived and I got introduced to everyone who greeted me warmly. This time, I insisted on helping even if it was just setting the table and they finally relented. I helped Shannon get the table set and fill the water glasses. When we said grace, everyone held hands and it seemed to me that Shannon's grip was just a little tighter than necessary. While we ate, everyone went around the table and each person said one thing they were grateful for. Some, including Shannon, named several things, including meeting me, which made me blush a little, but also tingle. When it was my turn, I said I was thankful for new friends and not having to eat the cafeteria food.

Between dinner and dessert, I helped Shannon clear the table and wash dishes. When dessert was over Shannon drove me back to the campus.

"It was really nice getting to know you, Melissa. I hope we can see more of each other, especially next term."

"Well, I really want to thank you for today. You have a lovely family."

I leaned over and gave Shannon a little peck on the cheek, then got out of the car and went to my room. The student with the book brought it back with him on Monday and I paid him the agreed amount then made arrangements for Shannon to pick it up the next day. We met at the food court and got some lunch.

"So when do you start auditing the classes?"

"I actually had the other class this morning and this one will be tomorrow, I am going to have a bunch of reading to do to try and get up to speed, and one of the professors is going to give me a few of his past tests so I can get an idea of what he will be looking for, since I will not actually be attending classes next term. I am trying to see what I can do with the other class. I am also going to look into the possibility of finding someone to share notes with me."

"Sounds like you have it all covered or will have it covered. I wish you a lot of luck and hope you can catch up."

"Well, I am going to give it my best shot for sure. It will be nice to actually get into the total college experience. My folks had always said that if I did my first two or so years at the community college, they would pay for me to go away to finish. But since my dad got the promotion, and we moved here, they are letting me start now, so I am really excited."

"You said you know your classes for next term… do you have a list of texts you will need yet?"

"Yes, I was sent the list a couple of weeks ago."

"Why don't you get me a copy and I will see if we have any used ones on it. And I can set those aside along with the other ones you need. The used ones usually go pretty fast since they are often quite less expensive than the new ones. And even if there is a slightly newer version, the changes are generally minimal. The professors usually notify us if an older version of a text is no longer acceptable so I can check on that as well."

"Thank you so much, Melissa. You don't have to do that for me."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. And besides, I like you."

"I like you too."

The rest of the term, we met occasionally for lunch or a snack after classes. When the Christmas break arrived, I told Shannon I was going home for the holidays but hoped I would see her when I got back. Over the break, I got to thinking about how I was beginning to feel about Shannon and how I had not felt much of anything since breaking up with Lauren. I was going to have to find a way to feel out Shannon to see how she felt and let her know how I felt, but I was not even sure if she liked girls. I made an excuse to my parents saying the bookstore had asked if I could come back a few days early to help out with inventory before school started.

As soon as I got back I called Shannon to let her know I was back and suggested getting together for dinner.

"How about if I come and get you, and you have dinner with my family? Then I can drive you back and you can help me move a few things into my dorm room. I was planning on moving stuff in the next couple of days anyway before the term starts. You can help me organize."

"That would be awesome."

Shannon got there about an hour later and we drove back to her house. Before dinner, we loaded a few more things into her car, then had dinner. I insisted on helping clear the table again before heading back to campus. We unloaded the car and started to organize the room. Shannon produced a couple bottles of wine she had grabbed before we left, along with two glasses. We sat on the bed and drank the bottle of wine while we talked. About halfway through the second bottle, Shannon leaned in and kissed me on the lips.

"God, I have wanted to do that since Thanksgiving!  I really hope that wasn't too forward. I'm not even sure if you like girls, but I kinda get that vibe from you."

"Well, I have been trying to figure out how to do that to you."

We both laughed, then kissed again. It did not take long before we were lying naked on the bed caressing and kissing each other. I began began sucking on Shannon's tits while her hand moved between my legs and she slipped a finger inside my pussy. Shannon moaned and soon we were in a 69 position and pleasuring each other. I teased her clit with my tongue as I pushed my thumb deep into her pussy. I tugged on her clit with my teeth as I twisted my thumb inside. Shannon responded by slipping two fingers into my pussy and sucking my clit into her mouth. When I ran my finger into her crack and around her rim, she let out a loud moan.

We continued until I felt Shannon begin to tense. We both increased our pace and right after Shannon exploded, so did I. We lay in that position trying to catch our breath then finally turned and kissed each other.

"That was awesome, and I plan on doing that a whole lot more."

"Yes it was and I sure hope so."

"I hope you weren't planning on driving home tonight after drinking that wine."

"No worries. I told my mom not to expect me home so they wouldn't worry. She knew I was bringing the wine."

"Do your parents know you like girls?"

"Yes, my mom likely knew before I did. It has never mattered to them. What about your family? Do they know?"

I told Shannon about Lauren and what had happened.

"I kind of hinted at it over the summer and talked a lot about you over the holiday break. I am pretty sure my mom figured it out, but when I do finally tell them, I know they will be okay with it."

That night, we fell asleep in each other's arms. Over the next two days, we made a number of trips to Shannon's house bringing her stuff over to her room. Once everything had been moved, we went to her folks for dinner and then her dad drove us both back to the campus. We spent as much time together as we could for the rest of the term. When it was time for summer break, my dad drove up and loaded up my stuff. I introduced Shannon to him and my brother, then we said our goodbyes. Shannon would be taking two more classes over the summer, so would be staying on campus.

We made arrangements for Shannon to come to visit me once she was done for the summer and meet the rest of my family. When the fall term began, we became roommates and remained roommates, lovers, and best friends for the next two years. After graduation, we moved to New York where Shannon had been offered a job with a fashion house. I was able to find a job teaching while I continued my studies in biochemical engineering. Several years later, after Shannon opened a small shop of her own and I got my Masters and a good job at a research company, we got married.

Epilogue

One day while walking from our flat to a café, we ran into Lauren, who was dressed in scrubs and a white lab coat. We hugged and I introduced Shannon to her, then we invited her to come to the café to catch up. Lauren said she had finished medical school and was offered an internship in New York City. She was now doing her residency and leaning towards specializing in obstetrics.

“Not a day went by for a long time that I didn’t think about you and what I had done. It had been unfair of me to get involved with you knowing what my plans were. I worried a lot about you and wanted to call you so many times that first summer but I was afraid I would beg you to wait for me and that just was not right. I am so glad you found someone. How did you two meet?”

Melissa explained how they had met and what had happened after that.

“I thought about you too. I was so hurt I even dated an old boyfriend briefly to try and forget you. I wanted to call you so many times, but I was never sure if it was to cuss you out or beg you to get back together. I even considered transferring colleges to be near you. But I thought about it and while I do agree what you did might not have been fair to me or you for that matter, I am glad you did it. Who knows how long it might have taken me to recognize the truth? Without knowing about my sexuality, I might never have recognized how I felt about Shannon when she came along. So, for that I am grateful. You will always have a small corner of my heart, but Shannon has the rest. What about you? Have you found someone yet, or still concentrating on becoming the best doctor you can be?”

“Funny you should ask that. I really did concentrate on my studies and I was in my third year of school before I even looked at another woman, but it never amounted to much. Every time I thought I might get serious, I thought of us and how much time I still had to go. I never wanted to do to another person what I had done to you. When I first moved here a little over a year ago, I finally got into a more normal schedule and started thinking about my future. Then I met the most amazing nurse. We have been dating for a couple of months now, but I am pretty sure she is the one. I am still crazy busy, but we have gotten on the same schedule, or at least close, so we can spend time together while we are working. And she understands the rigors of the job.”

We exchanged phone numbers and said the four of us should get together sometime. We kissed and went off in different directions. Eventually,we attended Lauren’s wedding and when I got pregnant, Lauren was there to deliver our twins.