Free Falling

vingt

One week later

"Beck, can I talk to you for a moment?'

Rebekah glanced up from her laptop. "Uh... can it wait? I really need to get this report done."

Elise shook her head vehemently. Wisps of blonde hair escaped her ponytail as she sank to the ground next to Rebekah.

"This is really important," she insisted.

Rebekah sighed and shut her laptop, rubbing her eyes in exhaustion. "Okay. Ten minutes." She pulled out a packet of gum from her pocket. "Want some?"

Elise declined her offer with a distracted wave. "No, no. Thanks for offering, but I can't."

Rebekah shrugged before taking a stick and popping it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, relishing the minty taste that diffused through her mouth.

"I've done something really horrible, Beck. Like, really horrible." Elise's blue eyes were wide with delayed shock. She buried her head between her knees, groaning. "What was I thinking? Actually, I mustn't have been. I must be losing my mind. That's the only rational explanation as to why I'd do something so stupid."

Alarm spread across Rebekah's face. "E? What did you do?"

Elise moaned. "You're going to think that I'm the dumbest person in the world. Heck, I'm probably the dumbest person in the whole damn universe."

"E, calm down. It can't have been that-"

"I kissed Danny."

Rebekah's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "You did?"

Elise gritted her teeth as the muscles in her face twitched. "Yes."

Rebekah felt a wide smile threaten to split her face in half. "When?"

"Last night."

"I thought you said you were going out to meet some girls from the other dorms."

Elise's face flushed a deep red. "I was."

Rebekah could feel her cheeks starting to hurt from all her smiling. "Uh-huh."

Elise groaned again. "Oh fuckity fuck fuck." Elise held her head as she rocked back and forth. "I don't even know what came over me. I mean, it's Danny, for fuck's sake. I've known him forever. It's gonna be so awkward when I see him again. Damn it, Beck, I've actually royally screwed up this time."

Rebekah grinned in amusement. "Okay."

Elise stopped her rocking for a moment to glare at Rebekah. "Okay? Beck, my life is falling to pieces and all you can say is 'okay'?"

Rebekah shrugged. "I think you and Danny would make a cute couple."

"What?" The shock in Elise's voice was palpable. "No way, Beck. It'll be too fucking weird. And what would Seb think?"

"Seb ships it too."

Elise wrinkled her nose. "What's 'ship'?"

"Um... it's like wanting two people to get together."

"Seb wants Danny and I to get it on?" Elise had a horrified look on her face now.

This time, it was Rebekah's turn to look surprised. "What do you mean by 'get it on'?"

Elise fixed Rebekah with a dead stare before blinking several times and shaking her head.

"Never mind. Let's just forget that I ever told you anything. Let's forget this ever happened, okay?"