What a Girl Wants

Chapter Seven

A week later, Mandy was studying in the library with Gabby and Scotty. The latter had gone to the bathroom. "Um, what were you and Scotty talking about the other day?"

Mandy flipped through her book. "Uh, what other day? Hand me that pen please." Gabby gave her the pen. "Thanks."

"The day your parents visited."

"Oh! Oh! Nothing really. Just..." She gave a reassuring smile. "Nothing."

"Nothing, huh?"

"Yeah, I just said that."

"Because you two have been very weird lately."

Mandy paused and looked at things from Gabby's perspective. The three of them had been pretty close but ever since Scotty revealed that she was pregnant, they'd been having hushed conversations that stopped when anyone else approached. The sophomore was probably feeling some kind of way. "Look, Gabrielle, you are one of my favorite people on this white ass campus and I love you. So, when I say that it's nothing. Trust me, okay?"

"But if it's nothing, Miranda, you can just tell me, right?"

Mandy heard the panic in Gabby's voice and started to feel bad. She'd even called her "Miranda" without any sense of lightheartedness. "No, I can't. I just... I just need to study."

Scotty came back in the room and Gabby packed up her things and left without saying another word. "What's wrong with Gabby?"

"She's mad that I won't tell her about you being pregnant. Slide me that text."

Her friend made a face. "Oh. I thought... okay."

"Thought what?"

"Anyway, I'm going go because I just threw up in the bathroom."

"I'll come with you."

Holding up her arms, Scotty told her: "Stay. Study."

"Good. Maybe I'll get some done without you two." She winked at Scotty. "Wait, what did you think Gabby was mad about?"

"I don't... uh, I don't remember." She picked up her bag. "Bye."

The rest of her time in the library was spent between half-studying, trying to find out what Scotty had been talking about and what to do about Gabby. As she was going to her room a few nights later, she saw Gabby walking toward the entrance to the gym with a group of people. She had on just a sports bra and a pair of biker shorts and Mandy could feel her body reacting inappropriately. They hadn't seen each other in a minute, so Mandy waved, but Gabby looked away, continuing her conversation. Mandy tried to think of something she may have done to get completely ignored, but outside of their flair up in the library, nothing came to mind.

In her room, the anger rose, reddening her ears and overtaking her. She wanted to hit something and wanted to stuff her face. Neither seemed like a great option, so Mandy just climbed into bed. Her hands wandered as did her mind. The only face she could see was Gabby's frowning face as she thrusted her fingers inside of her body. Get out of there, she thought trying to push the vision of the sophomore out of her head. But now she could clearly see Gabby's entire body, her curves mesmerizing. "Please," she said out loud not wanting to stroke herself to a climax thinking of her friend—her female friend. The fact that she wasn't into women didn't cross her mind until she was groaning a "Jesus Christ." Her breaths were deep as she finished. Mandy shook her head. "Damn it."

Over the next couple of weeks, Mandy and Gabby ignored each other. Falling in step with her best friend, Scotty did the same. "Are you going to tell me why we don't talk to Gabby anymore?" Scotty asked while they walked to the on-campus convenience store.

"People just drift apart in college. It's no big deal."

"Not randomly."

"Well, we did; so now what?" She gave Scotty a look that she hoped convey the fact that she didn't want to talk about it and definitely didn't want to talk about Gabby. "Just drop it."

"Mandy," she started looking around, "I think I should tell you something." Mandy was quiet, playing like she didn't care about what Scotty was going to say. "It's about Gabby."

Rolling her eyes, Mandy told her: "I don't want to hear it."

"Mandy! Miranda!"

Inhaling, she stopped walking. "Aisha, I love you, but I don't want to talk about her. I don't even want to think about her anymore."

"But—"

Mandy stormed off toward her dorm building, leaving Scotty behind her.