Tuesday December 18th, 2012 - 7:10 A.M. - TC3 Dryden, N.Y.
Outside the main campus doors an odd concrete obscurity, protruding towards the ceiling rested in the middle, welcoming any and all to rest upon its hardened surface. Pillars held the heavy floor above, creating a nice spot for the students to stop and chat between and after classes. Lizzie Grace was your typical popular girl, with an attitude that only solidified her cliché. She's full of intelligence, naturally, but was a bitch to most people around her. She's just one inch shy of Samantha's height, resting at an amazing five feet, nine inches tall. Long golden hair rested just past her shoulders. Like a river full of boulders, the ends mimicked the flow of rapids. Her eyes are like the ocean during high noon of a bright, hot Summer's day.
She always gave Samantha a run for her money when it came to looks. She had a perfectly proportioned face with luscious, slightly thick lips. Her nose, as if cut straight from marble itself, is medium length; the nostrils are arched just enough to give into the pronounced edges. A single silver ring wrapped snuggly around the right side, and it matched the few piercing in her ears. Lizzie never missed an opportunity to flaunt her body, especially her chest, which she was proud of. Back before she entered high school, she had already begun developing, instantly thrusting her to the top of the popularity charts.
Every guy at their school wanted her because she had breasts. She knew that the other girls were tagging on one by one, but hers were always the biggest, roundest and perkiest. Throughout the years, as she got taller and her legs became more toned; full of thick muscle and just enough fat to fill them out, more and more guys wanted her. Then Samantha came along, That bitch. She couldn't get the thought of her enemy from her mind as her gaze went off towards the farthest parking lot. The snow covered hill was so blinding and beautiful, like an amazing wave of ivory. It was cold outside, but Lizzie didn't care. She needed a smoke break before their last final of the semester.
She kicked the cement ground before her, causing the fur around her UGG boots to flow this way and that. Her outfits matched almost every day, unless she was feeling lazy and didn't care if the colors or patterns went together. Today wasn't one of those days; she had to look her absolute best, while still being comfortable. A long pair of tight jogging pants hugged her lower body, acting almost like a second skin. They went well with the whiteness of her footwear. The entire outfit was tied together by the somewhat puffy Winter coat, hemmed with gray fur like the set on her boots. As she inhaled deeply from the filter of her addiction, the girl beside her groaned. Lizzie knew that tone of voice; she knew her friend didn't approve. When their eyes locked, the short Asian, Goth girl averted her attention.
"What?" "I know that you don't like it when I smoke, but I need this to stay calm," she said, but her friend didn't relinquish the look of disgust on her face. Emmy Yates has been a Gothic girl for as long as she can remember. Ever since her tenth birthday, when she was first introduced to Marilyn Manson, the look had never faltered. She's a short girl, barely breaking five feet, four inches and she never let that hinder her dream of becoming famous. Her pale milky skin clashed forcibly with the darkness of her short hair.
Whenever she would look at a guy, they'd tell her that her eyes were like a dominant force, piercing their souls. They're almond shaped, and shined light green ever since the year she became Gothic; they're naturally blue. Her small nose and mouth were the most hated parts of her body; she learned to love them over time though. Piercings lined her ears, lower lip, thin penciled eyebrows and left nostril. As she was staring at her short black leather boots, she felt the eyes of her best friend staring. Sure enough, Lizzie was pouring over her body.
Something stirred inside her stomach; she just wanted the girl to stop gazing at her. "What the hell are you staring at?" These words stung her friend; she saw the wincing in those blue eyes. "I'm sorry Liz. I didn't mean to sound offending, it's just…" Surprisingly, Lizzie actually waved her down. Her cigarette had already been discarded and a fresh one was being withdrawn from her coat pocket. "I understand Em. It takes a lot to overcome what you have in your life," she said, igniting the end of her stick of death. Emmy heard the words, but didn't feel they were sincere. She saw the way her friend kept gazing at her.
She must be looking at my clothes. She never really approved of my lifestyle, despite the fact it's the truest reality to live in. Sure, I wear fishnet stockings all the time and tight t-shirts with obscene imagery plastered onto them. It doesn't mean that I'm psychotic, or have a death wish. Emmy's thoughts were plaguing her. Out of nervousness, her fingers, instinctively, played with the bottom of her shirt. That day she decided to celebrate and slid on her new Three Days Grace hoodie. Her head was feeling the effects of the harsh New York weather; she threw the hood on, tying it up loosely.
"Thank god you chose to at least put pants on today. I still don't know how you wear short shorts during the beginning stages of Winter. Your legs have to feel like they're falling off all the time." Lizzie kept sucking the smoke deep into her lungs as she awaited a reply. "Yeah. Well…" Emmy's phone alarm went off, blasting a loud angelic voice as one of her own songs blared out for the entire campus to hear. Her voice would get compliments any time she sang at the local bars in Cortland.
That particular song that was playing, happened to be a cover of Call Me When You're Sober by Evanescence. Her tone matched the actual artist's voice almost to the note. It was the first time Lizzie ever heard it; her cigarette slipped from her fingers. The look Emmy received sent a fuzzy chill up her back. She couldn't stop her lips from spreading as she clicked off the alarm. "Our test starts in about fifty minutes so we have to get some coffee if you want," was all she said before bypassing her friend's blank face. Please follow. Please follow. Her mind kept thinking of the blonde goddess behind her, slipping those long fingers through her tiny ones.
Thankfully they both got into the college, before the wind began picking up. A huge staircase stood just opposite of the entrance, with a hallway going past it on the left. To their direct left was a hallway leading past the secretary's desk. Flags of multiple countries were hung up high, underneath the skylights. Lizzie waltzed right on by; her hair bouncing sending Emmy's heart into a frenzy. Those long legs would shake just a bit with each step. The heat in the room seemed to go up with each passing minute. A certain warmth began to course through to Emmy's chest and lower body. There had been a sudden urge to run and throw her friend up against the wall so she could kiss her.
"Em, are you coming?" Her voice… Oh my god. O-Okay. Stay calm girl; stay cool. She hadn't even realized her head was faced towards the brick floor below her feet. Look up. Turn your attention towards her you fuckin' idiot! She was cursing herself then finally mustered the energy to avert her attention. Lizzie had already stripped her coat off, exposing the slightly baggy, cream colored shirt beneath it.
A thin layer of glistening perspiration rested on the girl's chest; Emmy's breathing was becoming shaky. It took all of her self control to stop her hands from imitating her breaths. "Arrree you okay Em?" Lizzie gave her the weirdest of stares. The way her arms crossed, with her foot locked in place, screamed she was a bit freaked out. When she was a little girl, Emmy had known she was a lesbian. These feelings were confirmed when she first noticed her best friend developing. Something about boobs and a woman's curves set her off; she wasn't ashamed of it either.
It took all the force she could muster to stop eye goggling the girl of her dreams and finally followed behind. As she ascended the ramp, Lizzie would give a look over her shoulder periodically. You can stop flipping your hair around now… Please stop. The aroma of honey pouring off Lizzie's skin was intoxicating; Emmy had to hold her arm down to stop her from reaching out. She turned her attention to the courtyard sitting to the left of them as they passed by the numerous windows of a café. They stole a right, heading in towards the front ordering station.
Behind them dozens of round tables stood with chairs still mostly resting on top of them. Only a few booths were taken up, as the last bits of students studied or tried to relax before the inevitable testing begins. A tall, dark skinned man stood behind the counter, wearing a brown sweater and matching dress slacks. He had a certain dominating demeanor about him, though his power diminished at the sight of Lizzie. You can get your eyes off of her tits ya fuckin' perve! Emmy couldn't help but scowl, locking her attention onto his lust driven eyes
"What're you havin' today?" his voice had a thick Jamaican accent attached to the deep undertone. The thing that differentiated him the most was his smooth head and gauge in his right ear. "Yes, I would like two caramel lattes with a huge helping of whipped cream on top," Lizzie finally answered him minutes after the question. Emmy tapped her friend on the shoulder, who quickly spun around. "Yes?" she asked. A deep annoyance rested in Emmy's stomach. Her chest felt tighter than usual; their past began to fly by in her brain immediately afterwards.
The more she dwelled on this feeling, the more she realized how much she was bossed around in the history of her's and Lizzie's friendship. She would barely be able to get a word in against her companion no matter how hard she tried, for the most part. "That'll be eight seventy, please," the man interrupted them, which only intensified the irritation. Emmy wanted nothing more than to lash out at the sandy haired girl before her, especially when she would be ignored and not even be asked what she wanted. "What makes you think I want a caramel latte?" Before she could even think, these words flew out of her mouth.
Lizzie paid the man and turned back with shock written across her face. "A simple thank you would suffice…" Emmy reluctantly took the coffee, though currently she wanted nothing more than to throw it all over her friend's chest. They decided to cross the lower computer lab of the school's library, and headed up a set of stairs lining the wall ahead. As always, Lizzie took point up front, leading them past a giant set of windows to the right.
The closer they got to the top floor the more it began to sound and look like a collegiate library. A rustling of papers; muttered whispers of students talking over their notes; the way the librarian would walk by, silently hushing them whenever the bitter old woman got a chance. Those scorned looks of embarrassment the students displayed if they ever got caught eating and their food was thrown away. Emmy felt for them, especially as she was one of those people. She'd always try to sneak food in, even if it was just a simple granola bar, or a few Hershey's Kisses.
Immediately to the right was a small section of computers resting alongside the rails guarding them from falling off. Behind this little study spot, sat a computer lab; it was a place she would always get lost in. Not to mention the rows upon rows of bookshelves lining both sides of the room for over twenty feet. All of that knowledge just waiting to be read, it all excited her no matter what. Emmy became lost in thought as they passed by the Librarian's desk in the center of the room. I'm so happy to be here. I'm glad to have shared this experience with Lizzie, but why does she treat me like I'm not equal to her? Why won't she leave poor Samantha alone?
As they strolled by the student assistance room on the left, Lizzie took the right exit and then an immediate left. Line upon line of glass ran down behind them, but ahead, to the right sat an alcove/hallway. "So what's your final again?" Lizzie's voice shocked Emmy out of her trance; nearly slamming into her back. "Are you okay? You're acting sort of strange lately," her voice felt legitimately concerning. Emmy knew this; she felt it deep in her soul.
"I-I'm fine! My brain's just all over the place right now," Emmy forced as much enthusiasm into this reply as possible, but she knew her friend didn't buy it. "We'll discuss the finals in a bit, hun. Come here." She guided them straight past the next set of stairs, which went by the cafeteria. Resting along the walls next to the Science classrooms, were a few two person couches and various studying cubicles. The walls were a dark blue, going down both sides of the hallway. Like before, flags hung above the staircase that hung directly in front of them.
Despite the aggravating feelings dwelling in Emmy's stomach, she was still happy to have that coffee in hand. The first sip penetrated the frustration, chipping a piece of it away. She saw those worried eyes and pained expression Lizzie had given her. "Liz, you have to promise you won't be upset with me, okay?" "Of course." her answer was too quick. Emmy's nerves were kicking into high gear; every part of her screamed to not push the subject she wanted to discuss. Her defense mechanism was to stare at an object that wasn't the face of the person she happened to be talking to.
So like many times in her past, her attention locked onto the door of the Foreign Student room on the floor below. Just like the railings of each main staircase, the door had been made with oak wood, tinted just a bit to give it a yellowish brown hue. "I know you're focusing on an object Em. You always do this when things become too stressful for you," Lizzie stated. Emmy saw those thick legs moving closer to her and a long, French tipped fingered hand slid over her own. Goose bumps instantly poked out from her arms from the warmth.
Thank god I wear elbow length gloves, even if they are fishnet. The question arose, resting on the edge of her lips. Emmy just wanted to blurt it out, to just let her opinion be heard once and for all. For the first time in forever, she voiced her difference and the semi-hatred she felt from her friend's past transgressions. Her eyes stung; she let the heat inside sweep over her; this time it rested in her face. "W-Why do you treat Samantha like you do?" The anger was becoming too much. She forced herself to peer into Lizzie's eyes. She wanted to take the question back the very second her friend came into visual contact.
Her lips were pursed; her tongue ran between her teeth and flesh. "Don't be upset with me Liz. I wouldn't be able to take it if you were, not today." Her friend's grasp on her hand never faltered though. In fact it became stronger than ever as the woman pondered deeply in thought. Students bustled on by, going every which way as the final testing would commence soon. Emmy pulled out her phone to check it. "It's seven forty five. The testing's gonna soon." "Samantha and I have had a grudge since high school. I don't know… I-I've had a problem ever since she developed a better body than me."
It was becoming increasingly painful to keep holding her friend's hand. "Do you know what you sound like? I mean… Can you hear yourself?! She was up in her dorm every single night, snorting coke to try and move past this bullshit." She shook her head; the pain of Lizzie's ignorance felt too great. "Look at me," Lizzie replied. Don't look at her; don't do it. Stop turning your head… It was too late, their eyes were locked once more.
"A-Are you crying?" Lizzie sniffed and went to reply when her phone began going off. "Who's calling you?" "It's Corey," Lizzie said half heartedly. "I hate him," Emmy was unable to stop these words from coming out. Thankfully, she just felt the touch of her hand on her shoulder. "What is it Core?" Lizzie grinned and giggled a bit afterwards. Hatred had been second nature for Emmy, especially when Corey Smith's and her friend's relationship came into fruition. "Wh-…" Lizzie's voice broke off. Something went off deep in Emmy's mind. Something was wrong, she could tell. Over time, picking up the inflections in her friend's voice helped in many situations.
Tears were already dripping down her cheeks. Whenever her friend was sad, she felt the same. Sure enough, Lizzie had been crying. "What do you mean you…?" Corey's voice had escalated as he began yelling. For a short while, it looked as if her friend was losing this battle. Emmy moved her hand closer and closer before holding onto Lizzie's arm. Smile at her. she grinned, which gave her friend the strength to talk back. "No you listen to me! Why did you do this?! What…? What the fuck were you thinking when you decided to stick your dick inside her?"
Corey's voice broke through, clear as day. "I don't… Baby, I don't know why I…" "Oh shut the fuck up already. Don't you sit there, kidding yourself, saying you don't know why you did what you did. You sick… FUCK! HOW DARE YOU! I thought I was in l-love with you… Oh my god!" Emmy tried to stop the agony tearing at her insides. It was impossible to battle against the hell her friend was going through now. "What happened?"
She knew full well what he did; she just wanted a way to start the conversation. She leaned in, shaking Lizzie's leg a bit. Her hair dropped down past her right eye. She tried to look as adorable as possible, and for a short while it worked. The girl she fell for years ago actually laughed a bit. Then Corey's voice split through them like an axe, popping the little bubble they were in. "Liz, baby. I…c-can't explain it. I was drunk; I made a mistake! Plain and simple." Plain and simple? Plain… Plain and simple?! Emmy's head throbbed from the stupidity of these words. "Plain and simple huh?" Lizzie sniffed hard.
"Yes baby. It's a mistake. I promise, I wouldn't have done that…" "PLAIN AND SIMPLE?! You… You stuck your fucking dick into her vagina! You fucked her when she didn't-want-to-be-fucked! You're disgusting! You're; You're vial!" "Hell yeah he is," Emmy muttered to herself. She played with her fingers trying to stop herself from yanking the phone from Lizzie's hands. "Baby, I wanna be with you." The fakeness of Corey's apologetic tone was all too obvious. "You're a pig Core… I don't ever want to be with you ever again! I don't want… Oh Jesus!"
Emmy kept watching her friend as she grasped tightly onto her hair. She was nearly ripping it out and her whole body shook a bit. "Are you there baby?" "Goodbye Corey. You better hope Samantha doesn't press charges against you. You better get on your fucking knees and beg for forgiveness. I got a final coming up; have a good rest of your life jackass!" She hung the phone up, dropping it to the floor. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" If Emmy could take her friend away from this torture, she would. If she could go back in time and divert Corey from raping that poor girl, she would do it in a heartbeat.
She checked her phone as another alarm went off. "I… I have a final in my Comm111 class. Just in case if you're still interested." Seconds later, a small laugh entered her right ear. Unlike before, this time it was easier for Emmy to lift her head. She immediately saw the elated laughter as all of Lizzie's bright teeth became exposed in the process. "There it is! Come here you." As soon as she wrapped her arms around that blonde beauty's neck however, they both cried. They knew the tears were of joy; joy that Lizzie had finally broken the cycle of hers and Corey's long lasting, abusive relationship.