touched by stars -chaennie

Chapter 7: She likes you

“Your family just turns up in your apartment unannounced?” You exclaim, not letting your voice get above a whisper. It’s seriously hard to resist the urge to raise your voice in your bewilderment because who does that? Even with your father’s overprotectiveness and weekly bear spray shipments for your own personal protection, he’s never just arrived at your dorm and walked in unannounced. And maybe you shouldn’t compare situations but it just doesn’t make any sense to you.

“They like to surprise me.” Jennie replies casually. She looks amused at your question and you frown. You had almost been exposed to her family in just a towel. You aren’t finding this situation very funny. It’s then that her hands rise from your elbows to grip your biceps and her face twists in confusion. “Where are your clothes?”

Jennie pulls her hands off of you immediately, her cheeks red. It’s her blushing that makes you face flush.

“It—That’s the entire reason I came out here looking for you. I didn’t—” Your explanation is cut off by the voice of one of the two people who’d walked in from the kitchen.

“Jennie,” The voice sing-songs. “I know you’re home. And I will come into your room. So you’d better come out here and say hello, or I’m coming in after you.”

“I’m coming.” Jennie crosses her arms over her chest and turns away from you to greet the people in her living room. You reach out and grab her arm. She turns back to you with a long sigh. “What, cupcake?”

“I didn’t get to finish what I was saying. I came out here in the first place to ask you what I could wear from your closet.

“Just pick whatever. I don’t care.” You keep a nervous hand on her arm and she slowly peels your fingers off of her. “They’re not going to eat you. Just come out when or if you feel ready. They don’t even have to know you’re here if you want.”

You lick your lips nervously. You could sit here and hide like a part of you wants to. But how could you ever face Jennie if you hid from her family, who you hadn’t even met yet, like a coward? There is no reason you can’t do this.

“I’ll be out as soon as I’m dressed.” Jennie smiles and nods before turning to leave her bedroom. She shuts the door behind her. Before you make any move to get dressed, you flop down onto her bed and scream into one of her pillows to vent your frustration.

You can hear the muffled voices of Jennie talking to her guests through the door once you’ve finished and you groan. Who exactly had you pissed off for this to be happening to you right now? The only two people you know who would be closer to Jennie than you are only a door away and you’re standing in nothing but a towel.

You roll out of bed and start your search for clothes. Your first thought is your underwear. You’re definitely not putting yesterday’s back on. You could probably find a pair of unworn panties somewhere in Jennie’s drawers. And her chest is about the same size as yours so borrowing a bra wouldn’t be that big of a deal either.

You make sure her door is locked before dropping the towel and starting to go through her drawers. Going through her underwear is slightly embarrassing, but you manage to find a plain pair of boy-shorts buried underneath an array of thongs.

You put them on and find a simple black bra to put on next. With that done, you move to the pile of clothes lying next to her bed. It pains you to wear something that’s clearly dirty, but pants weren’t so bad. You slide into a pair of her ripped skinny jeans. They aren’t really your style but they fit well enough for you to deal with it for now. You walk to her closet next and sift through her clearly unworn shirts until you find a sweatshirt that looks brand new. It has “BERRY” printed on it in big red and gold letters and that explains why.