Bound Friends Pt. 09

"As do I. Beauty is beauty, if you can't appreciate it you are missing out."

"So I hate to interrupt," Megan said, actually intending to do exactly that as it was becoming clear Andrea was getting a little uncomfortable. "How'm I supposed to pee without one of you getting me out of these?" she asked rattling her chains.

"Simple," Zainab said, darting to grab some things from Megan's drawers. "We just put this on," she said as she started to slip a loose turtleneck over Megan. "Then we put your sleeves in the pockets of your pants and boom! From a distance you look almost normal."

Megan didn't like the solution, part of the collar still showed, but it was certainly better than nothing.

"I think that's my cue to leave," Andrea said. "I've got stuff to do today and I'd really love to get some clean clothes."

"Oh that is an excuse and you know it. Just borrow Megan's clothes I'm sure they fit you fine. You're practically the same body down to the intimate piercings. Come, join us as we navigate... the treacherous hallway!" Zainab said, as she helped Megan up and started pushing her towards the door.

Andrea darted ahead to see if anyone was coming, their room was about as far from the nearest bathroom as you can get, and had to pass the men's room to get to the women's. She suddenly felt herself getting into it as she silently gave the hand signal to follow. Megan walked slowly between them, looking around with wide eyes. Andrea looked around the corner and signaled like she was leading some kind of secret mission, which in a small way she realized she kind of was.

Just as they were almost there, the door to the men's room opened and a towel clad sophomore walked out with his shower basket in one hand. Zainab quickly wrapped her arms around Megan's neck from behind like she was giving some kind of awkward hug. "'Sup? she sarcastically added in her deepest voice as he walked by a little confused. After that they were able to make it to the woman's handicap stall where Zainab helped her roommate position herself.

"See, what did I say, piece of cake?" she said receiving some very skeptical looks from both of them. "What? And don't tell me you aren't staying!" she said as she pointed to Andrea

"Fine," Andrea eventually said.

****

"If you're so sure then prove it," Zainab continued to taunt.

"No! Megan, you remember more of last night, back me up here," Andrea said attempting to enlist her friend.

"Sorry, she's right, you were kind of leering at her," Megan said as she shrugged, still inside the confinement of her sweater.

"Well leering doesn't prove anything, I can stare at a bus crash that doesn't mean I like crashes," Andrea conceded, attempting to move the goalposts a little.

"Yes, it proves you find that crash interesting enough to look at. That's exactly what it means," Zainab said to Andrea's frustration. "Look, I'm not trying to change who you are, but I'm saying that in my experience drinking can't change you either. Who or what you like, it's still the same but being drunk is just good at making what you like harder to hide."

"Can we change the subject," Andrea said. She didn't have a logical response but she was becoming very defensive. She didn't want to hear any more.

"Uh, look if you're uncomfortable that's fine just don't try and sit there and tell me you aren't at least a little attracted to girls. Or is it just me you're attracted to?" She asked, somehow managing not to sound vain with a question that could have easily been seen that way.

"No not just you, I mean it's not anyone!"

"What about your Mistress? If I were to tie you up some more would you still not be attracted to me?" Zainab asked, not taking no for an answer.

"Lea? No, I.." Andrea started to say before Megan jumped in.

"Hey, why don't we just all move on here. It's already past 6, Who else wants some real food?" she asked.

"Only if it's a picnic," Zainab quipped.

Megan knew the spectacle would be enough to change the subject, she didn't want whatever it was that had haunted Andrea about Lea resurfacing and that was exactly where this was heading. Plus, she was more than a little curious what Zainab had in mind. She nodded her head and Zainab quickly started getting excited.

Megan went with Andrea to go to the trailhead to figure out a spot to sit while Zainab went to get the food. "You alright back there?" Megan asked once the two were alone.

Andrea smiled and nodded her head. "Thanks" she replied, though Megan wasn't sure if she was being thanked for asking or for the interruption. Either way she would take it.

Zainab returned with chicken tenders for Megan, which she would sometimes feed her and sometimes simply lay down on a paper napkin and force her to bend over and eat it that way. They had walked off the trail to an isolated patch of the woods and while it wasn't totally hidden it did give them plenty of privacy with which to tease over Megan's helplessness. She wasn't complaining, she almost seemed to be enjoying it. When Zainab asked her face went red as she denied it, the other two both suspected she was lying.

"OK but seriously, I'm off this time for real," Andrea said as the sun began to lower.

"Oh, you're not staying till your friend gets free? Besides she's going to be talking to that other friend of yours over webcam. What do you wanna bet she does when she notices the collar?" Zainab said, trying to get Andrea to stay.

"Sorry, I really do have stuff to do," Andrea said, only really half meaning it. "Well, it's been memorable," she said as she started walking in a different direction than those two. And it had been, perhaps the most memorable night she couldn't remember all that well.

****

"Oh, hey, you're home early," Lea said as her brother David barged in through the front door, causing her to quickly close a few of the tabs on her browser and pull the blanket up to cover her bra. She was extremely thankful she had the sound off.

"Yeah, clearly," he said looking away at the mess that had become such a common occurrence but only in the immediate vicinity of his couch. He turned his head away so that Lea could locate and put on a shirt before asking how her classes were going.

"Oh yeah fine I guess. Sorry about all this I was planning on cleaning before you got home," she said as she started to scoop up her glasses and dishes from breakfast and lunch.

Lea had moved in with her brother a few months prior, after the videos first were sent out and made the rounds. Links were sent to everyone they knew. Lea's parents were furious she lied about the job, they didn't say it but they certainly didn't seem to like that she seemed to be gay either. So rather than fight with them to stay she simply took her stuff and left. She didn't feel right in the cabin any more, and so she turned to her brother. He had always been someone she looked up to and could turn to. He was 9 years older, graduating from the local college around the time Lea started High School. He had been the first person Lea ever came out to, he was someone she knew she could lean on.

"I know you don't like to get out much, but it seems like you only leave the house for class and then you're right back there to the couch," he said as he sat down in the chair opposite where she lay. "I know it's comfortable, but you can't just live on my couch forever."

Lea hated when he got like this. Not because she thought he was out of place or overly demanding, but because he tended to be right. She hated it sometimes. She knew it was for her own good, he was right, he almost always was when it came to unsolicited advice, and that's exactly what made it annoying. "I'm gonna," she said in an imitation of a ten year old's huff.

"And any luck looking for apartments?" he asked, simply receiving a face of playful "oh just shut up" from Lea. "It's nearly October, do you need help looking?."

It only elicited another "I'm gonna do it I swear" from Lea. Truth is she hadn't done much looking. She had some money left after buying the cabin, she owned shares in Synsermo because of the mobile app she created which had been going through the roof since the NESIC launched. So she could find a place without much financial problem, but the couch was just easier and living with her brother just felt safer and more comfortable than living on her own.

"So I would.. a.. wash your hands. I got leftover sandwiches from this office party thing," he said, subtly tipping his hand that he understood exactly what he walked in on. Lea's face turned very red, but she silently went off and did it without attempting to say he had the wrong idea.

"Look, you know I'm here for you whatever you need and everything right?" David said after they had both finished their early dinners. Lea nodded her head. "Well an.. um.. interesting thing happened at work today. So there was this party for this guy who's leaving. Well the office is all guys, and it's a real 'hurry up and wait' kind of schedule. So sometimes to kill the downtime between crises, we look up.. well.. what you were just looking up. So the guys start crowding around Turner's computer and I go join them. They were watching these two woman really going at it, one of them was suspended by some ropes while the other was just pounding away. Kinkier than I'm into but still I caught myself thinking, 'that's really hot,' getting really into it, really turned on."

Lea thought she saw where this was going and immediately started to curl up from embarrassment.

"Well, after a good bit of that he hit a key to change the camera angle, and it was only from that angle that I could see the faces. One of them I thought I recognized as your friend Andrea and... and well I think you figured out where I'm going with this," he said before trailing off once Lea seemed to not be listening any more. She had curled up into a ball in her chair and seemed to be trying to will herself to turn invisible.

"When that site first got sent around, you called me before I opened it up. I didn't know any of the details besides what I got from the news, and even then I tried not to listen to those stories. You don't have to explain any of it to me. This doesn't change how much I care for you, but it does mean that right now, in the short term, I kind of need to not have you around. I've got a hotel I'll be staying at for the next couple of days, give you a chance to pack up. Monday's the first of the month so you could possibly move right in."

"No, David, please." Lea blubbered as she began to shake.

"I'm sorry. You know I'm normally always on your side, but I have to do this for me this time. Please, just try to be somewhere else by Tuesday." he said firmly but kindly. He went back to his room and emerged only moments later with a backpack full of clothes.

Lea had walked up to the front door, "Please, we can fix this," she said with pleading eyes.

"I'm sure we can, but for me that first step is I need to be away at least for a little while. I'm sorry," he said as he hugged her tightly before very awkwardly and quickly pulling away. He turned and walked out the door.

"But where am I supposed go," Lea said to the emptiness as she collapsed down into the couch and sulked.

****

Andrea didn't see Zainab again for weeks after that, but she was on her mind a lot. Though not just her, but her prodding. Her incessant prodding! And why did the prodding make her so uncomfortable? But she was determined to think about it this time and not ignore it like she had before. And the more she thought about it, the more she began to wonder if Zainab was right, that perhaps she did feel something for girls.

She would sit on the quad and people watch as she thought about it. She certainly found that a lot of the more attractive men could give her the kind of warm, sexual feelings she had always felt them give. But as she put her guard down, as she really tried to picture it, she realized it wasn't the same feeling but something did stir when some of the more nubile coeds walked by. She had always assumed those feelings she got around really pretty women were somehow based on maybe jealousy or aspiration. She thought it was more about how she wanted to look that good, not that she wanted to see how good they look naked. Now, she wasn't as sure.

It wasn't quite the same as what she felt for Lea though for those couple weeks when they had the cabin to themselves. She searched her memories and while everything was getting questioned, she seemed sure it wasn't that kind of attraction. It was more just a deep friendship and trust, as far as she could work out.

She knew it might be awkward, but she also knew Lea might understand better than anyone what she was going through. Andrea called but it didn't go like she hoped. There were some problems with Lea's brother who she'd been staying with, she apparently had a very busy and hard week and she just really sounded like she needed to vent. But when Andrea tried changing back to the reason she called she kept tripping over her words. Lea sounded utterly distracted, things with her brother seemed to be taking their toll. And besides what was she supposed to say anyway? Whatever was going on with her, Andrea ended the call frustrated and no more certain of anything than she had been before.

With uncertainty pitted against anticipation battling it out in her stomach, she decided to just go right to the source and call Zainab. To Andrea's relief there was no incarnation of "told ya so," but the sound of genuine interest. Zainab agreed to meet for coffee, curious as to what exactly Andrea was expecting to have happen.

They got their drinks to go as Andrea began meandering aimlessly, both in conversation and along the brick sidewalks. Eventually Zainab got tired of her on-the-one-hands and as they turned another corner she decided to just jump right to the point, pushing Andrea up against the brick townhouse wall, getting up on her toes and kissing her deeply. Andrea was so taken aback she dropped her half-finished tea. Time stopped as she moved her arms around Zainab holding her close. When Zainab finally pulled away, Andrea was lost in thought as her mind rushed to catch up with the turbo boost her heart and her hormones just got.

"Does that answer your question?" Zainab asked as she took a sip and turned to walk back the way they came.

"Wait.. Wait a sec!" Andrea said as she quickly rushed to catch up. "Wow, so.."

"So now is about when I get to say I told you so, if I wanted to," Zainab replied sharply, having clearly not been phased in the slightest. "But I like to think I'm above saying that even though tell you I most certainly did."

"So.. should we talk about.."

"Talk about what? You were taking too long to get to the point so I got there for you. Didn't that answer the question you came here looking for?" Zainab said, cutting Andrea off mid-sentence.

"Well, yeah, I guess. But now what?" Andrea asked refusing to adopt the blasé attitude Zainab had.

"Now? Now you can do whatever the hell you want, just like before," Zainab said turning to Andrea as she waited at a street corner to cross.

"Like do you want to make some plans or something?" Andrea asked.

Zainab stopped in the middle of the one way cobblestone residential street. "Why Andrea, are you trying to ask me out?"

Andrea became a little red, "Yeah I think I am, I guess.."

"You guess? Well nice to see enthusiasm. But you are kind of cute when you're embarrassed like this," she said as she continued to stand in the middle of the road contemplating.

"Well could we talk over here?" Andrea said as she tried to walk to the other side but Zainab wouldn't move.

"So what, you thinking like a dinner at a nice restaurant, a place with candles, maybe see a movie, finish the day walking along the water hoping to sneak a kiss like we're living in some insufferable romantic comedy? I've never liked playing it so slow and safe," she continued to ponder despite a car now honking at her from the other side of the intersection

"No, it'll be whatever you're up for, just get out of the street," Andrea said as she tugged on Zainab's arm.

"Maybe... kiss my boot," She said as she looked at Andrea but wouldn't move.

"Fine, whatever you want can we just get going?" Andrea said as her face began to turn very red with embarrassment as the car continued to rightfully honk.

"No I mean right now," Zainab said with a look of devilish seriousness in her eyes.

"Here?" Andrea asked quietly in a bit of a panic.

"Yes, if you want to go out with me that is my condition."

Andrea looked around, the few pedestrians in eyesight were all staring at the crazy woman and her friend who stopped in the middle of the one lane road. The driver of the car being blocked was sticking his head out the window to try to figure out what the hell is going on and maybe yell until things start to make sense again. Andrea started to shake but she got down on her knees, bent down and quickly kissed Zainab's boot before bolting back up and taking her by the arm to run out of the street. Zainab mercifully followed this time. Once they were to the sidewalk they were still getting funny looks but the car had at least gone on its way and left them alone. Her heart was absolutely racing.

Zainab began to chuckle. "Oh you are so much fun when you're embarrassed! I was probably going to say yes regardless but oh this just made my day."

Andrea gave a polite nod to an old couple that needed to pass by on the narrow sidewalk, who had also just watched the whole thing unfold. She couldn't read their faces but she was sure she would be embarrassed by whatever it was they were thinking. "That wasn't that funny," she whispered.

"But it was a rush," was her reply. "Admit it."

Andrea couldn't deny that. She might not have seen the humor but that kind of public humiliation was absolutely a rush. She was right. Damn. "Fine, maybe a little."

"So Megan will be around for the Columbus.. weekend.. thing, whatever it is, how about your roommate?" Zainab asked as she continued strolling back to her campus. Andrea said hers was going back to Long Island for the weekend. "So your place then, Friday?" Andrea nodded but she was walking behind and Zainab didn't see. "I'm just assuming that's a yes?"

"Sure."

****

It wasn't glamorous, and it certainly wasn't big, but Lea was able to find a studio room in the short time that would let her move in that weekend. It didn't come furnished so now it was occupied only with a mattress, a single lamp, a router, and a few cardboard boxes she used to move which were now doubling as tables. It was objectively depressing, but Lea just couldn't feel motivated to do very much about it.

Late that first night in her new place she got a call from Andrea. It felt so good to hear her voice again, with them both in different cities they didn't talk all that often. She started to tell Andrea about her awful week, but it seemed Andrea wasn't paying very close attention. She continued none the less, it felt good to share this with someone.

"So I don't mean to totally cut you off," Andrea said as she cut Lea off totally. "And this might sound weird but I kind of could use your advice. How did you.. I mean.. I've been thinking about.. and not that I'm sure of anything.. but I think I do.. at least maybe.. but I don't want this to sound like.. well you know I don't care.."

"Hon, just get to it, what's the matter?" Lea said trying to get the series of half statements to actually make a point.

"I can't be sure.. but..Lea did you always like girls or did you kind of only realize it after thinking about it?" Andrea asked, finally getting to something dressed up to look close enough to a point.

Lea had to think back, it was kind of a vague question and she was having trouble thinking about it. "I guess somewhere in between. I mean I never really liked boys when everyone else started to but I'm not sure I put that quite together right away, why?"