Seneca State University - Sophomore Year - The Beginning

Chapter 32. Girl Talk

"Cathy..." Brent tried to gently coax her outside his apartment. It was time for class and she didn't want to go. She'd stayed the entire Sunday inside mortified by her friends knowing what she and Brent had done. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Our friends are loving it and so am I. You'll be stepping out as a new woman, you're a real Queen now." Brent stood in the hallway with the door open waiting patiently for her to leave.

"You are not helping!" Cathy snapped at him still inside the apartment. She was standing in the middle of the living room holding her backpack and dressed to go but still refusing to leave. "I can't face them...this was supposed to be our private moment, something only we shared together...."

"It's not like they were in the room with us honey," Brent said, "but they are about to be now." He sighed and turned to his group of friends hiding behind him in the hallway.

"She's not going to leave...a little help here," he told them.

"Who are you talking to?" Cathy asked. She gasped when they all piled up into the apartment and headed straight for her. She tried to run but Kiara was the first to catch her and then all of them surrounded her in a group hug.

She'd forgotten they all lived on the same floor as Brent. He'd set her up, the jerk, and yet it was kind of sweet how they all came together to help her get over her embarrassment. She blushed as they hugged her and kissed her cheek and told her they loved her and were happy to share this moment with her, and then they made her go to class with Brent.

Brent kept grinning as he walked beside her down the steps. She glanced up at him.

"I hate you..." she said.

He laughed. "No, you don't..."

"I can't believe I joined a cult and unknowingly became their leader...."

Brent burst out laughing.

"They are too invested in our personal life," Cathy pointed out.

"I agree," Brent said.

She turned to him. "So, what do we do about it?"

"Nothing," Brent said. "It's the way things are with us. Get used to it. No one holds any secrets in this group."

"Oh, I doubt that, I'm sure you guys have all types of secrets you keep from us girls..."

"If we do, it's for your own good."

"What would they do if we ever broke up?" Cathy asked.

Brent frowned down at her. "That's never going to happen."

"Just humor me," Cathy said.

Brent shrugged. "Probably jump off a cliff right along with me...."

Cathy almost laughed. "That's horrible! Don't joke like that."

"They would take it pretty hard so let's make them happy by staying together and being a happy couple," Brent smiled at her and took her hand.

She smiled and shook her head.

"How do you feel?" Brent asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean do you feel different facing the world now that you're not a virgin anymore?" He wanted to know.

Cathy thought about it for a while. "I do..." she said. "It's like I finally grew up into a woman..."

"A queen," Brent corrected her, 'who just received her crown. The crown represents me."

Cathy slapped his arm and ran down the rest of the steps to get away from him. "Now you're just being obnoxious. I'm done with you!"

"Stop running before you hurt yourself!" Brent yelled after her.