Disguised In Lavender

Part 22

This felt right, the rider's hand slipping up her trainer's waist and tilting her head so that the length of her neck was exposed. A tickling creeping feeling started at her collarbone as Ann ran her thumb up and down the sensitive skin, pulling away from her lips slowly. "Your dorm, as long as there's soda." She agreed, stepping back with a layer of blush glaring visible in the pinkish sunset that peeked up behind the far away Utah mountains. "Ugh, but I have 5 AM classes tomorrow." Lauren groaned, heaving herself upright and easily falling into stride with Ann who glanced over at her and let her smile show. "Call me when you get up and we can walk down together." The trainer shook her hand with the thumb and pinky sticking up like a phone before stepping off the paved path towards her dorm. "Will do." Watching dreamily as Ann turned and set off in the opposite direction, Lauren collected herself with a sigh. Everything seemed to have spiraled so fast, feelings that had been so tightly locked away bursting forward. Her boots made a limping click rhythm as the dorm doors automatically reeled to either side. The receptionist glanced up and reached her hand forward for Lauren's pass wordlessly. "Just a minute." The rider sighed, digging through her jodhopper pockets for the choppy laminated pass and flipped her newly dyed hair out of her eyes.

Nothing, Lauren patted her jacket down in a slight panic but only managed to wriggle her android from the sewed pockets at her waist. "Shit." Glancing back out the doors, she made an apologetic gesture towards the secretary and stepped back. Mind whirling to where the pass could be, she remembered the night before with Ann in the bathroom. Both of their passes had fallen out of their pockets when they'd thrown aside their clothes to keep them clean. Shaking her head bitterly, Lauren nervously rubbed at her temple, dialing Zack's mobile. "Talk to me, love of my life." His teasing voice answered the ring on the third chime, the rider couldn't even snap at him for the stupid nickname.

"My dorm pass is in our bathroom on your counter, I think Ann's might be there too, can you grab them for me?" A slight pause met her words followed by a stifled sound of rustling and she crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "I've got yours, why would Ann's be here?" Lauren held the phone away and gritted her teeth, glancing around for a believable alibi as Zack continued to question her. She hadn't told anyone that she might be interested in another girl, let alone the girl that anyone would know. "She stopped by to drop off the lease papers this morning." It was a bad lie, one that couldn't be backed up but the sigh from Zack showed he bought it, hanging up without saying goodbye. The secretary glanced up curiously and Lauren waved shyly, averting her eyes and glancing back into the night.

There was no evidence of what had happened the day before left in the dorms when Lauren woke to a pillow being thrown against her stomach. Zack groaned and wriggled deeper under the mountain of blankets he'd pulled up over his head. "Turn that off!" He snapped, lifting another pillow with his eyes still closed and rolling over to slap it against Lauren. "I hope your oatmeal is soggy." She retorted groggily, heaving herself up and pressing cancel on the alarm on her phone, yawning at ruffling her hair. "I love soggy." Zack mumbled almost intelligibly as he ducked back into his cocoon with a huff of exhaustion.

Deciding it wasn't worth fighting so early, Lauren wordlessly flipped her roommate off and slunk to the bathroom. Hot water poured over her and woke her up almost instantly, blinking in surprise and running her fingers through her hair. Switching the steaming water off, the faucet made a sickly gurgle and Lauren wrapped a towel around her waist. Blow drying out her newly purple hair, she admired the soft curls that had formed from the dye, smiling to herself. A white button up and soft plaid skirt were laid out over her side of the shared bathroom counter. It was obvious whose side was who's, Zack's side caked with dried toothpaste and hers neatly pressed against the mirror.

The sun was just barely peeking over the ridge, not even high enough to make the outside air warm. Only a few students roamed the quad, their breath mingling in steaming plumes and flashlights tucked under their arms. A few waved as Lauren passed them and she dipped her head kindly in return, trying to hurry through the cold into the library. She forced the rusted doors open and let out a breath, warmth hitting her lungs as she slipped off her black earmuffs. Without waiting to find a table, Lauren dialed Ann's number, blowing warm air into her other hand and listening to the rings. "Darling." The rider chuckled at the instant reply and slumped into a couch desk, crossing one leg over the other with a smile.

"Darling, huh?" She asked with a chuckle, setting her books down and admiring how the word sounded coming from Ann. "I've always wanted to call someone that. So you at the library?" Lauren hummed a reply as she glanced across the room, the room was completely abandoned. "Give me fifteen minutes." Not waiting for confirmation, Ann hung up and Lauren slid her phone back into her pocket, smiling absently to herself. There had to be a way to understand how exactly she'd break it to Zack what she felt, biting her tongue wasn't the best idea.

A clatter of bells announced Ann's arrival and Lauren looked up from her notes, capping her highlighter and leaning her chin on her palm. "I should really be a hairdresser." The trainer complimented herself as she reached closer and ran her hand through Lauren's hair. She didn't back away, letting her eyes lift up adoringly to Ann and feel comfort at her contact. "Has anyone ever told you that you have puppy eyes? They're cute." The blonde sat down and giggled to herself, glancing over at what Lauren was doing with a sigh. "I got the course suggestions for next week's mock event." She explained, turning the paper over with the highlighter streaks covering the courses that were best suited.

Ann turned serious quickly and leaned closer over the docket, tracing her steady fingers over the lines until she paused. "What's the idea for cross country? We didn't test Ducky over any of those jumps." Laurned nodded cautiously and made a face at the thought of her gelding being judged with his bouncing canter. "He won't get any better until we try. You have a session with him for ground work on Wednesday but I can't get back on him until way too early Thursday." Both sat in silence for a moment at the shared dilemma over the little horse who had saved them from Dalla. Ann clicked her tongue and shifted back sideways, biting her nail with a thoughtfully anxious sigh.