Chapter 4 - Big O

Her breath came in short, panicked gasps. She couldn't move.

Don't move. Stay quiet. 

No... don't open your eyes. He'll see you if you open your eyes. 

Stay quiet. 

Please... 

Dragging herself from the smothering weight of the nightmare, Mariah bit back the scream that echoed up from that darkness. Soaked in cold sweat, she sat panting. 

Breathe, she told herself. Just breathe. 

"Merda," she swore.

The maledatto nightmare chased her to the wretched open showers. Even as the hot water pounded down, she couldn't stop shaking. With iron control, she forced herself move methodically, washing off the cold sweat and refusing to turn, to jump at every sound behind her. 

Her breathing started to steady as, with controlled steps, she walked back to her dorm room. By the time she was dressed, the nightmare was locked back under its chains. 

With one final, calming breath, she set off in search of Miranda.

Who the diavolo is the beef-cake?

"Here she is," Miranda said brightly as Mariah approached. "Mariah, this is Orange. Orange, this is Mariah, my girlfriend."

"Hi Mariah," the big guy said with a grin. "Miranda says great things about you."

"She does?" Mariah was pleasantly startled.

"Of course," Miranda smiled warmly at her. "You're great, after all."

"So, sorry... I'm sure you get this all the time... but Orange?" Mariah gave the big guy a quizzical look. 

He laughed, "I'm used to it. See, the story goes after I was born, the nurse came to ask my folks what to put on my paperwork. My mom was out of it on painkillers. My dad was on his bluetooth with his stage crew, figuring out the lighting colors for his next show, so he didn't hear her. 'Orange,' he says and the nurse wrote it down and walked away."

"You are such a liar, Bailey-Moon," Miranda laughed. "I swear you tell a different story every time."

"Well, it would be such a boring question otherwise," Orange replied.

"Wait, Orange Bailey-Moon," Mariah said, "like Throne Bailey, the singer?"

"Nope, like Octavia Moon the songwriter," Orange grinned. 

"Watch it, Big O," Miranda laughed again, "tease my girl too much and she'll hit you."

"What?" he grinned back.

"Idiot," Miranda smiled.

Wait, Mariah thought to herself. Is he checking her out? Is she into him?

"So," she said casually, "how do you two know each other?"

"Small world," Orange shrugged. "Famous kids of famous people."

"We ran into each other at the Starlights," Miranda said. "Got to talking, commiserating on having really embarrassing parents and stuff." 

"You know," Orange said, "I bet you've had to deal with it, having a big-time actress like Londyn as a foster mom. Funny we never ran into each other at the awards show."

"I've never been," Mariah replied, watching the byplay between her girlfriend and the beef-cake.

"Why not?" Miranda looked puzzled.

"Well, there was the year I was grounded because of the goat in the auditorium," Mariah said, "and the time I was grounded for wrapping the headmistress's desk in bacon. Then there was the car... but I didn't really steal it."

"Brilliant," Orange smiled. "Why didn't we think of things like that?"

"So you're going here?" Mariah asked.

"Yeah," Orange said, "I guess with the three of us and Genie Elderberry, we're the Famous People Dorm. How long 'til the paparazzi sneak in, you think?"

"Hush, you. Don't even think that," Miranda groaned. 

"Well, good to see you again Big O. We'll let you get settled in," she continued, adding to Mariah, "Want to get some breakfast?"

"That sounds nice," Mariah said.