Chapter 8 - Gossip

 
"Girlfriend, you hold your head high," Aadi was saying, "and don't let anyone drag you down."

The friends sat together around Genie's bed, laughing, talking and supporting her. Rumor and gossip had spread through the dorm in the wake of her ill-fated hook up and subsequent conversation with Orange. 

"I just feel so rotten," Genie started.

"Al diavolo!" Mariah cursed, "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Absolutely," Miranda agreed.

"Ok, ok... you're right. I know you're right," Genie smiled, then she gave Mariah a long look. "Mariah, there's something I want to know. You always talk like you're from Tartosa..."

"Oh, we're talking about me now?" Mariah smiled.

"Yes. Anything to change the subject," Genie laughed, "but really... you talk like you're from Tartosa, but I read somewhere that you're originally from Sulani."

"I was born in Tartosa," Mariah said, "but my dad died when I was just a kid and Janet moved us to Sulani."

"Janet? Who's Janet?" Aadi asked.

"The puttana who pushed me into the world," Mariah snarled softly. "I guess you could call her my mother... The government did. I don't. Anyway, she was from the islands, so she moved us there after dad died. So I lived there... in the skanky part of the islands that the tourists don't visit... with Janet and her series of increasingly sleazy guys until..."

"Go on... until?" Aadi prompted.

"I fell in love - Emi Sato - and came out," Mariah said. "Janet didn't take it well, learning her daughter was... and I quote... a pervert and a monster. It got bad and eventually I ran away. Lived on the streets for a little while until the cops picked me up, landed in foster care and ended up getting adopted by a famous movie star..."

"Like one does," Genie nodded.

"Anyway, Londyn moved me back to Tartosa," Mariah concluded. "So, there you go... my life story. Next."

"No, no," Aadi said. "I want to hear about this girl... Emi."

"She was cute and funny and kind," Mariah said. "We were fourteen and in love. She kissed me... my first real kiss... on the beach at sunset. It was... nice. Madonna, I haven't seen her in years."

"Anyway, what about you, Aadi?" Mariah continued, "Who was your first love?"

"Derick Woodall," Aadi smiled. "That boy could sing."

"What about you, Genie?" Aadi asked.

"Gio Romea," Genie grinned. "I had such a crush on him."

"Your turn, Miranda," Genie said.

"Imran Watson, first crush, first kiss," Miranda smiled.

"Hold on girlfriend," Aadi gasped theatrically. "A boy... Does our Miranda play for both teams?"

"I... I guess," Miranda stammered. "I mean, I've liked boys... but I'm Team Mariah all the way now. What about you Aadi? Have you ever been with a girl?"

"You know Aadi transcends gender," they said with a grin, "but I am purely into male-bodied persons. Genie?"

"What?" Genie jumped slightly. "Me... and a girl? No, I haven't.... yet."

"Oh," Aadi grinned. "Yet, huh? Got your eye on someone?"

"N... No," Genie stammered.

"She's taken," Mariah said, a little sharper than she'd intended.

"What about you, Mariah?" Aadi said. "Ever been with a guy?"

"Pass," Mariah replied.

"Come on, share with the class," Aadi insisted.

"Dio santo!" Mariah said, "Leave it, Aadi. Anyway, I'm going to bed. I've got an early class."

"I'll walk you to your room," Miranda said, following.

"Oops," Aadi winced.

Chapter 7 - Conversations

Author's note: This chapter contains mature and sensitive themes that may be disturbing to some readers. It is never my intention to trivialize or sensationalize these topics. Reader discretion is advised.

Breathe. Just breathe.

Mariah shook off the fog of another nightmare. Of course her brain was throwing up old horrors. Merda! It's not about you, she thought. Need to do something to help Genie.

Breathe, puttana. Just breathe.

In the end, there was only one thing she could think to do.

"Hey," she sighed.

"Hey yourself," Miranda said. "So, are you going to tell me what's bothering you or what? 'Cause it's been like three days and I'm getting worried."

"Merda," Mariah cursed. "I'm OK."

"Liar," Miranda interrupted.

"I am," Mariah insisted. "Well... at least... it's not about me. I'm worried about... someone else... but I can't say..."

"Genie," Miranda nodded.

"What? I didn't say that," Mariah blinked.

"You didn't have to," Miranda said.

"Madonna. She talked to you?" Mariah sighed.

"No," Miranda admitted, "but while you've been walking around like a thunderstorm, she's been as skittish as Gwen's cat that time I... well, that's not important. It's pretty obvious something is bothering you both... but I could tell you weren't mad at her. So, I guessed it might be the same thing... whatever it was."

"Clever, Sherlock," Mariah muttered.

"I was just hoping one of you would talk to me," Miranda said, "or to someone, at least."

"Well, I've got to or I'm going to explode," Mariah said.

"So, what did Orange do?" Miranda asked.

"Porca miseria, how do you know this?" Mariah snapped.

"Right, like the fact that the two of you have been giving each other the death glare for three days wasn't obvious," Miranda snapped back. "Would you tell me what's going on?!"

"He hurt Genie," Mariah snarled.

"Oh God," Miranda gasped. "You don't mean... Did he...?"

"She says no," Mariah replied, "but not far from it. She doesn't want to file a report. I want to be there for her but I..." She took another deep breath, "This isn't about me. It can't be about me."

"You don't have to do this alone," Miranda said gently. "Any of it. Neither does Genie. I... I want to try to talk to her. Maybe together we can figure out what to do."

"OK," Mariah sighed.

"Just promise you won't try to beat the shit out of Orange," Miranda added, "at least not until I've talked to Genie."

"Why would you even say that?"

"Promise!"

"Madonna!" Mariah groaned, "OK, prometto. I promise."

The dorm was shocking normal, Miranda thought. Dorm-mates going about their lives, maybe not entirely unaware of the tension between some of them... Miranda was pretty sure someone would have to be three days dead to miss the tension... but at least moving outside of it. 

She found Genie watching TV in the common room.

"So," Miranda said casually, "are you... OK?"

"Oh God," Genie groaned, "Mariah told you, didn't she?"

"I may have wheedled some of it out of her," Miranda said.

"I shouldn't have told her," Genie sighed. "It's really upset her."

"We've all got baggage," Miranda allowed, "but she's worried about you."

"She wants me to report him," Genie said, "but I don't... it's not like that. He didn't attack me or anything... he just... we hooked up and he... did things that I didn't like... I don't know."

"Hey, it's OK," Miranda said. "I just want to help, however I can. I want to know what you want. Even if that's for me to leave it alone."

"You know," Genie laughed bitterly, "I think in this whole thing, you're the first person to ask me what I wanted. I mean if he'd asked me what I wanted, none of this would have happened."

"OK, so what do you want?" Miranda repeated.

"I want to tell him that!" Genie said. "You know... he doesn't even know. I've... I've been avoiding him. He knows that. He cornered me in the bathroom the other day... said he wanted to talk. I ran away."

"I was so scared," she continued. "I mean... I really don't think he wants to hurt me. I don't think he ever wanted to hurt me... but he did... it really hurt. He was so strong. I was afraid." 

"Yeah, I get that," Miranda nodded, suppressing a shudder. 

"I didn't even say anything to him," Genie whispered, "while he was... because I was afraid. I should have..."

"Don't go there," Miranda said gently. "You were right the first time. If he'd only asked... only talked to you, instead of just doing what he wanted and waiting for you to say 'no'... we wouldn't be here."

"No means no," Genie sighed.

"No... yes means yes," Miranda insisted.

"So," she continued, "you want to talk to him?"

"Yeah, but I can't," Genie said. "I mean, I could have the other day in the bathroom but I just freaked out."

"So maybe don't talk to him alone," Miranda suggested. "We can be there with you. Meet him in our dorm-room. Mariah and I can be there... and if he gets out of line, Mariah will kick his nuts up between his ears. She might do that before long anyway."

Genie laughed, then took a deep breath. "OK... OK, let's do this."

____________________________________________________________________

"I mean, you can't just do that to a girl!" Genie was saying firmly. Once she'd gotten started, she was surprising forceful. "You can't go around just assuming that the answer is always 'yes' until we say 'no." You've got to ask!"

Orange, for his part, had moved rapidly and transparently from confused to shocked to genuinely horrified.

"Oh man, Genie," he said. "I... I'm really sorry. I didn't think... I mean... I guess, I thought you were into it. I didn't... You're so right. I should have asked. I feel like a monster."

"Good," Mariah muttered.

"I mean, can you ever forgive me?" Orange asked.

"Maybe, yeah, I can," Genie said, "but just to be clear, we're not dating. We're not hooking up. You and me... it's never happening again. I don't think you're a bad guy, Orange... If I did, I would have let Mariah kick the shit out of you... but what you did was bad."

"I know," Orange whimpered. "God, I'm so, so sorry."

"Remember," Genie said, "talk to a girl. Yes means yes. Don't be doing stuff without her saying it's OK."

"Oh wow," Genie said, after a visibly diminished Orange had left the room. "I can't stop shaking... but that was good. Wasn't that good?"

"You were amazing!" Mariah smiled.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys," Genie said. "Thank you both, so much. I'm going to go splash some cold water on my face... maybe throw up a little... but I'm good. I'm so good."

Chapter 6 - Bad Hookup

Author's note: This chapter contains mature and sensitive themes that may be disturbing to some readers. It is never my intention to trivialize or sensationalize these topics. Reader discretion is advised.

Before they knew it, the start of classes was upon them, bringing classes and homework on top of the demands of dorm life. New routines quickly formed.

It was morning and Mariah was thinking about her Psych homework when she ran into Genie in the restroom. 

Without much thought she greeted her girlfriend's roommate with a distracted, "Hey Genie."

"Hi," Genie's usually bright voice was subdued.

Mariah stopped short, all thoughts of homework forgotten. She was acutely aware of the way the other woman's lip quavered, the way she held herself, as if on the brink of tears.

"Are you OK?" Mariah asked gently.

"I'm... I'm fine, really I'm..." Genie started.

Mariah just waited, meeting the other woman's eyes.

"No," Genie gasped, "I'm not fine."

"What's wrong?" Mariah prompted.

"I... last night," Genie started, "I... I kinda hooked up with Orange."

"Madonna," Mariah swore, a sudden rush of fire and ice snarling in her gut. "Genie, did he...?"

"No! No... not... he didn't," Genie stammered. "I mean... not really... I wanted... I did. I mean... I thought..."

"OK, deep breath," Mariah said, perhaps as much to herself as to Genie, "Can you tell me what happened?"

"We were talking, kinda flirting," Genie said, "and it got sorta... hot... and I said... I mean he's cute and kinda famous... and I thought 'what the hell, go for it' ... God, I'm a slut."

"Al diavolo!" Mariah said firmly, "To hell with that! You're not... and whatever he did is on him, not you! You hear me!"

"I... OK," Genie took a shuddering breath.

"Did he hurt you?" Mariah asked again.

"No," Genie repeated, "I mean... it hurt... it did... but he didn't force me. He just... we were going at it and he just..." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "He jumped straight to fifth. He didn't even ask! He just... I think I screamed. It hurt so bad... and when he was done, I... I just left."

"OK... OK. I... I can take you to campus med center. We can get you checked out." Mariah said, her own emotions locked in iron chains... and you can report the stronzo, she adding in her head.

"No, no," Genie shook her head. "I... I just want to lay down. I'm... I'm OK. Thank you... for listening."

"Genie," Mariah said. "Any time you want to talk, I'm here."

She could barely hear for the screaming in her head, barely feel for the ice and fire roiling in her blood. She knew she needed to breathe. She couldn't lose it. Not here, not now. Not... 

Figlio di puttana! What is he doing here?!

"Hey, 'Riah," Orange grinned. 

"What... Are you doing... In my room?" Mariah snarled through clenched teeth. Control. You are in control, she thought.

"Oh, sorry," Orange said, still smiling, "Angela said it would be OK for me to borrow her guitar. I was just trying it out."

His words were almost lost in the distant echo of a girl's sobbing screams. She was sharply aware of him... his size, his strength. Genie wouldn't have been able to fight him off if she tried. They were always so damn strong.

"Get out," she said coldly.

"Hey, I said I was..." he started.

"GET OUT!" she exploded. "You stay OUT of my room and you stay AWAY from us!"

"What the Hell?" Orange reeled, shocked.

"Te lo giuro, se le fai del male di nuovo ti ammazzo!" she snarled, "I swear it!"

"You're crazy," Orange snapped back, storming out of the room.

Breathe, Mariah thought. Just breathe.

 

Chapter 5 - Practical Things

"Are you ok?" Miranda asked once they were outside. "You seem a little off this morning."

"I'm fine," Mariah said with an air of confidence.

Miranda knew her well enough by now to not have any of it. "No, really... are you OK?"

Mariah sighed. "Bad dream."

"There's a bench over there," Miranda said gently, "if you want to sit down for a bit."

Mariah nodded. She knew Miranda understood. Miranda had nightmares of her own that she wasn't ready to talk about. They had each agreed to listen, when the other was ready, and not to press until then.

"So," Miranda started, "I met my other roommate. Her name's Gabbie. She seems nice."

"How are you handling the roommate thing?" Mariah asked.

"I don't know yet," Miranda said. "You?"

"Well, I haven't strangled Angela yet," Mariah allowed, "but it's only been two nights." 

"So," Mariah continued, "other than roommates, what's the weirdest part of dorm life for you?"

"The microwave," Miranda replied without hesitation.

"The microwave?" Mariah laughed. "What's weird about the microwave?"

"I've never used one before," Miranda admitted.

"What?" Mariah blinked. "How have you never used a microwave?"

"We've never had one," Miranda said. 

"Really?" Mariah couldn't quite fathom the idea, and Miranda's answer wasn't any less surprising.

"Well, we didn't need one," Miranda said. "We're witches... if we want fast, hot, not-very-good food without cooking, we just conjure it."

"Seriously?!" Mariah blinked. "Just <snap> and you've got food."

"Not very good food," Miranda repeated, "Usually, I'd rather cook."

"I still can't get over that," Mariah sighed. "The 'witch' thing. Like you're an actual witch with magic and everything. Apart from that disappearing/reappearing thing... which is amazing, don't get me wrong... I've almost never seen you use magic."

"Well," Miranda hesitated, "The small magics, you don't always notice and the big or flashy spells aren't much called for. I mean, sure I could set that bush on fire... but why?"

"Because it would be awesome!" Mariah said, looking at the bush.

"Yeah," Miranda laughed, "when I was first learning we had a lot of charred shrubbery around the house but in the end that's all it gets you... a charred plant."

"So," she continued, "mostly the magic we do is practical."

"Like what?"

"Well," Miranda considered, "you stay at the vacation house with us most of the summer. It stayed nice and clean, but did you ever see anyone do any housework?"

Mariah considered that, "Seriously?"

Miranda snapped her fingers, "Easier than vacuuming."

"So, you can teleport," Mariah said, "do housework and make food with a snap of your fingers, and set fire to random shrubs at will... but you can't work a microwave."

"Pretty much," Miranda laughed. "It's one of the reasons I'm here - I mean, apart from the whole college education - learning a little more about how to live in the mortal world. So, no teleporting, no snapping away chores... no magic. Also, no monsters, no gangsters, no magical battles... none of it. I'm just a nice, normal, mortal college girl."

"Right," Mariah said. "How long do you think that will last?"

"I pretty much figure we'll have an alien invasion by midterms."

 

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.

Chapter 3 - The Great Shower Compromise

"Madonna santa! What is this?!" Mariah cried out.

After waking up early yesterday to fly in from Tartosa, and spending most of the day unpacking herself and Miranda, she had collapsed onto her new bed and slept soundly. Now, all she wanted was a nice shower and a decent breakfast. 

It was bad enough, in her mind, that the coed dorm had a shared bathroom, but this was too much.

Glancing around to make sure she was alone, Mariah managed a lighting quick shower. Wrapping herself in a towel, she made a dash back to her room, before any of the guys from the other side of the floor walked in on her.

"Morning," Miranda said brightly. As usual, she was already up and ready for the day. How did I manage to fall in love with a morning person, Mariah wondered not for the first time.

"Have you seen the showers?" she demanded.

"Yeah," Miranda replied, puzzled. "I took one before you got up."

"They're just open," Mariah ranted, "They don't even have shower curtains."

"Right?" Miranda said.

"It's a coed dorm!" Mariah couldn't understand why Miranda wasn't getting this. "Anyone could just walk in and see me naked! This doesn't bother you?"

"I didn't really think about it," Miranda admitted. "I mean... it's a shower. You kind of expect people to be naked in the shower."

"Yeah, well, I don't want some college guy peeking at me," Mariah said firmly. "Wait, does this not bother you?"

 Miranda shrugged, "Like I said, I didn't really think about it... but yeah, I guess it is a little weird."

"Mia amata, you're a little weird," Mariah smiled.

 "Whatever," Miranda laughed. "Naked... shower... no big deal because you expect it. Like now... you're naked and we're talking... no big deal."

"Yeah, but you're my girlfriend," Mariah shook her head, "It not like you're some guy."

"Fair point," Miranda allowed. "Well, you're probably not the only person who's bothered by this. Let's talk to the other women on the floor and see what they think."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"So," Miranda was saying, "We thought we'd get all of us together and talk it through."

"Wait," Angela put in, "if this is a meeting of all the women on the floor, why is he here?"

"Girlfriend," Aadi replied in exaggerated tones, "first, my pronouns are 'they' and 'them' and second, I don't want any o' the boys lookin' at my cute little soapy bootie either. Not unless they buy me dinner first."

"Oh, sorry," Angela blushed.

"Anyway, we're agreed, the shower thing is a problem," Mariah said. "What can we do about it?"

"Well," Genie said, "we can ask maintenance to put up shower curtains, for one thing."

"Don't hold your breath on that, sugar," Aadi replied. "There aren't even curtain rods and we can't be the first to ask."

"Why don't we talk to the guys," Miranda suggested. "Maybe we can agree to a kind of shower schedule... times when the showers are ladies only and times when they're men only. I mean, they probably don't want to be peeked at any more than we do."

"Don't bet on it," Mariah muttered.

"No, I think it's a good idea," Angela said, "I mean at least until we can get a better solution."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"So, what do you guys think?" Miranda said, after laying out the proposal to the guys. She and Angela had been designated spokespeople for the Great Shower Compromise.

"I mean, that seems reasonable," Anthony replied. "As long as everyone has time to get a shower before classes and all... but yeah. We certainly don't want anyone to be uncomfortable. Right guys?"

"Absolutely," Carlos nodded cheerfully. "We're all friends here."

Sheldon nodded his agreement from the couch. 

"Great," Miranda smiled. "Thanks for being understanding."

"No problem," Anthony smiled.

Author's Note: This chapter is prompted by an oddity of the Sims Discover University setting... a coed dorm with shared, completely open showers. Having personally gone to college in the conservative American Midwest shortly after the Age of Dinosaurs, I don't have experience with coed dorms, much less coed shower facilities. So, it felt like a topic worthy of exploration. Among other things, it lets me showcase some differences in Miranda and Mariah's attitudes toward things.

Secondly. I want to give credit to Sims creator Simmaddness for their collections of NPCs, including the Britechester Roommates - Anthony, Carlos, Sheldon and Gabbie (the fifth woman on the floor). They have saved me from either having to create piles of background characters or deal with the random oddities of game generated townies.