Our Aquarium

1 ~ Eliana

"You need to get laid!" Emma exclaims, jumping onto my bed covered in books and papers.

Exams are just around the corner and I can't afford to fail. Long nights of studying, student loans and accumulated debt can't be worth nothing. But my roommate/best friend has other ideas on how I should be spending the time before exams.

"Emma, you have an exam in two days, why aren't you studying?"

She crawls closer to me wrinkling my papers as she moves. Emma and I are complete opposites. She's a free spirited artist. A messy one at that. And I'm a writer. At least that's what I like to classify myself as, but my guardian thought I should do something more...fulfilling. So I took up marine biology.

I've loved the ocean for as long as I can remember. My first visit to the beach I will never forget. Warm sand beneath my toes and soft waves running over them. Then I watched Nemo and decided I wanted to know more about the ocean.

Pulling me out of my thoughts, Emma flops on top of me. "Eliana, you are single, smart, and sexy! Yet you're still a twenty one year old virgin."

"It's better than 40." Emma smacks my head at my retort. It's true. I'm twenty one and still a virgin, but I have absolutely no problem with that. My mind is always in books so it's only fit that I convince myself someday the right person will come along for me.

When Emma realizes my stubbornness she rolls off the the bed. This isn't the first time she's done this, but this is the quickest it has ever been. "Fine. But you still need to get out. After exams we go have fun with the rest of the girls. You can't say no." With that said Emma walks off leaving me to my books and papers.

I've already lined up a great job at the end of college. I interned with this wonderful aquarium that helps sea creatures get better and develop new ways to help ocean wildlife.

"One more week and exams will be over."
🌸

The orange sun warms the side of my skin. Smiling, I open my eyes to the beautiful day outside. I grew up in Seattle, which meant sun wasn't as common as other places. But now I live in California and it's almost always beautiful. With a wonderful stretch I sit up and grab my laptop. The best time to write is when I wake up. My mind is just swimming with ideas from dreams I had the night before.

The current story I'm writing is about a girl who looses her mother and has to stay with her father, whom she hasn't seen in years. She uses dance as a way to cope with her feelings and emotions, which eventually leads to the meeting of her new friends. It's a work in progress, but I would say it's coming along. It would be better if I wasn't interrupted every time I tried to write it.

"Get dressed Eliana! We are going out." Emma doesn't give me a chance to respond as she heads directly to my closet and pulls out a pink floral dress that she knows I would never wear.

"Shower. We are meeting Layla and Trish at the mall."

Over the past four years I've learned I can't talk Emma out of something. When something is completely absurd and I really don't want to do it I usually lock myself in my room.

Groaning I shove my laptop off and head to my en suite to take a much needed shower and a hair wash. I'm 30 minutes in when the banging on my door happens.

"Eliana, we don't have all day."

I rake the last hair product through my curls then step out the shower. "I'll be done in 20."

That's literally all I get before Emma is on me again. Luckily, I've put on the dress and managed to finish getting ready, by that time.

The second I step out of my room Emma pulls me towards the door. The stupid dress brushes against my thighs reminding me of the length.
We arrive to the mall around two and meet up with Trish and Layla at the food court.

"Wow you actually got her out!" Layla exclaims to Emma as she pulls me into an embrace.

Trish hugs me next. "Well now that exams are over and school is done she has no excuses."

That's very true.

"Let's go shopping! Then the club!" Layla exclaims leading the way.

This is new information to me. Of course Emma would leave out the club part. She knows I would not have agreed. So now I'm being pulled along to different stores as we search for club outfits. Then Trish pulled us to Victoria's Secret.

"Come on Eliana look for something sexy." Emma teases, nudging my side.

I look around the store expecting nothing to catch my eye until it does. A blue lingerie piece sits on a mannequin.

"That one," I whisper to myself as I walk over to it. A lady passes by and I quickly grab her attention.

"Excuse me where are these at?"

She glances at the mannequin then back to me. "Sorry that's the only one. It's not that popular. We were just about to take it down."

"Do you think I could get it?"

She nods and tells me to wait. Emma, Trish, and Layla come over to me as she walks off.

Trish stares at the piece. "You like this one?"

I nod.

It reminds me of the depths of the ocean, so what better piece for me to have. Although, I'll never wear it, one day it may come in handy. So I buy it and allow my girls to convince me into buying a robe with it. At least buying it got me out of there quicker and chest to face with a stranger that nearly knocks me on my bum and causes me to drop my bags. The one with the lingerie in particular. Steadying myself I quickly reach down to the items.

"So sorry," I mutter.

A low chuckle reaches my ears and my peripheral catches him bending down to pick up something I dropped. Blue underwear balled into his hand and he stands. This is the only time I look up to to find a behemoth of a man in a grey polo observing my blue panties.

Quickly I stand and snatch them from his hand. "Thank you. Sorry, again."

Without looking back I run over to where my friends are walking, completely oblivious to what happened.

"Let's go to the club. I really need a drink."

They turn back to me with wide eyes, but smile nonetheless at my change in vibes.

After a quick change in the car we head to the hottest club in town and dance the night away with drinks and guys we will never see again.

"Eliana you need to get laid. So many guys here and you've rejected every single one of them."

Balancing on Trish's shoulder I lean over to Emma. "How about you buy me an escort. A professional who can screw me until I can't feel my legs." I burst into laughter at the joke. "More drinks!"

Moving my hips with the music I make my way back over to the bar. "Can I get a Margret?" Margret? Who is Margret? Laughing I correct myself. "Sorry, I meant Margarita. Extra lime those are great."

The bartender smirks at me before making the drink. "Cheers, Darling."

"You too, Darling." I sip and look around the club for Trish, Emma and Layla. They're all standing hunched together so I make my way over.

"Beautiful girls, who I love." I hiccup and they laugh.

"Eliana we found an escort service and they have some really hot guys," Layla sings.

"Which one do you want?" Trish asks.

Let me give you a rundown of my friends. I'm the single one. I think that explains enough. Laughing I kiss each of their cheeks. "Surprise me."

"I think you had enough, babe." Trish pulls us along towards the door and helps me into the car.

"I love you guys."

That's the last thing I remember before passing out.