Hidden Desire

Chapter 2

"You're not ready yet?" I yelled down the hall to Jade. I'd just gotten back from my Friday afternoon lecture- introduction to graphic design. Why did no one seem to care that if students weren't forced to take electives and random English and math classes that had nothing to do with our majors that college could be completed quicker and would be more affordable? Putting off my last elective until fall semester of senior year had not been my best plan. But it was the only choice; I certainly didn't want to put it off another semester and have to do it during my last semester of undergrad. If I had, I would have been able to take wine and food pairings though. I'd been so tempted, but I really wanted to have a lighter work load my last semester. I'd tried getting into the wine and cheese class this semester by stating that I wouldn't drink until after I turned twenty-one, but I'd lost the battle.

"Almost!" She hollered back at me.

"We're just going shopping. We're not walking a runway."

I heard her fake, exaggeratory gasp. "I'm always ready to walk the runway." I laughed at her. "Just because I'm going to be a stuffy engineer doesn't mean I can't be fashionable when I do it." Our majors could not be more different. She was going into environmental engineering. At least we'd both chosen majors that would allow us to help people.

"Val is going to be here any minute!"

"I'll be ready."

I didn't believe her. Her worst trait was her inability to be ready on time for anything. When the time came, many years in the future, that girl was going to be late to her own funeral.

When she finally came walking down the hall, she did look like she was ready to walk down New York fashion week catwalk. Her long blonde hair was up in a high ponytail and her jeans hugged her figure. She had on a blouse, black leather jacket and a scarf that was tied perfectly. I'd always been jealous of her figure. It was hourglass but small in the middle. She had wide hips and a chest that was proportionate to her body. I, on the other hand had not been blessed with any hips and was small everywhere except for my chest which was much too big for my body.

Jade always said she'd kill for my figure. Weren't we as women always our own worsts critics? Always wanting what someone else had.

"Remind me again why you didn't go to design school?" I asked her.

"Because I'm a natural blonde," she said as if it was obvious. "I've been treated like I'm dumb my entire life, all because of something I was born with. I'm set to graduate number two in my class, behind another woman. Engineering is still a boy's club and the top two students at one of the best universities in the country are both women? I'm so here for that."

I can't imagine anyone ever treating Jade like she was dumb, talking to her for two minutes made it easy to see how smart she was.

She was grabbing her purse when my phone beeped.

Val: I'm outside.

"Val is here."

"Told you I'd be ready."

Jade and I walked out of our basement level apartment and out onto the sidewalk. Val was parked illegally in her Audi SUV. Jade climbed into the back while I climbed into the passenger seat.

"Hi girls," she said.

"Hey Val!" Jade said excitedly. "Can you believe our girl is turning twenty one next week? Finally!"

"I know. I've been waiting for this day for so long."

"You have?" I asked her.

"Yeah. After your brother and I graduated high school, I had this whole vision of our future. It involved you being an adult and not an eight year old little girl anymore. I imagined planning this party for you, buying you your first drink, having my sister-in-law be my best friend."