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Like Two Jigsaw Pieces
Do you know those jigsaw puzzles, the ones that, when completed, are a circle, but none of the pieces have round edges? They all look perfectly straight, yet they fit together to make a circle?
Chloe figured people were like that. See, they were all made up of various attributes that, logically, should make them one thing. Yet, somehow, they turn out completely different. It just didn’t make sense.
“I swear, I’m going to fucking punch his face in half if he flirts with me one more time! I am not joking this time!”
Take Mia, one of her best friends. She was the total opposite of Chloe, and they shouldn’t fit together at all. But they did.
“It isn’t possible to punch someone’s face in half. Especially not someone with twice the weight and about a foot higher than you.”
And Kalryie. The opposite of Chloe and Mia. Chloe knew opposite meant two contradicting elements, and the three girls together didn’t add up to two, but, really, they were all opposites of each other. They were straight, curvy and zigzag pieces that somehow made a circle.
The object of the conversation, in which Chloe was too busy staring at a cloud to participate in, sauntered over to their table. Mia glared. Kalryie glanced away from her book, then turned back. Chloe looked up and beamed.
“Steve!” She squealed. Chloe was a squealer, and unashamed.
“Baby!” He swooped down and kissed her on the lips, using tongue, then flopped down on the seat next to her. Which, since Chloe was sitting on the table with her feet on the bench, wasn’t really a seat at all. Steve’s attention then turned to her friends. “Why, hello Kally, Mi-Mi. You two are looking gorgeous today, as every day.”
Mia’s fist clenched. Kalryie, actually looking up from her book, stared at him, bored. “Did you know when Liam and I can’t remember the names of our one night stands, we call them baby. How long have you been dating Chloe, again?”
Chloe, sensing the tension in the air like a gazelle senses a lion, perked up before Steve could reply. “Hey, did you know there’s a new café down the street opening? Can we go? Please?” She puppy dog-eyed him, and he chuckled tolerantly.
“Oh, if we must.”
Heaving off the table, he grinned when Chloe leapt off, throwing an arm round her waist. They left, Chloe waving enthusiastically. After they had gone, Mia screamed and punched the table. Then cradled her hand.
“Mi-Mi! Did you hear the bastard? Where does he get off?”
“Inside Chloe.”
Mia glared at the impassive reader. “Damnit Kalryie, that’s not funny! He doesn’t even bother to hide the fact that he’s a jerk anymore.”
“You don’t bother to thinly veil your hostility anymore.”
“Yeah, well, he’s so thick he wasn’t getting it. I swear, he’s that green stuff that multiplies on the surface of ponds and stuff.”
“Pond scum?”
“Yeah, sounds about right. Why the hell is she even with him?”
Kalryie sighed and, gathering there would be no peaceful reading here, slipped her book in her bag and stood up. Before she walked off, she looked at Mia. “He was fun when they met, which is what she needed. However, now she needs a loyal, understanding friend. But if it isn’t broken, Chloe won’t fix it. And there’s no concrete proof it’s broken. Fighting with Steve just upsets her. So leave it.” She began walking.
Mia scowled and shouted after her, “I can’t do that! I can’t sit back and watch while my friend is screwed with and hurt.”
Kalryie didn’t reply. She just shook her head and walked.
It wasn’t really a school. It was just her mentality. After spending around 10 years in a boarding school, anything that was slightly educationally was automatically ‘school’. She stared at the building with something akin to adoration. The dusty red brick was so different from the cold grey rigidity of her previous home from home, warm and smiling. As if there was a fire burning invitingly in the walls.
The buildings were all loosely laid out together, and loosely connected. There weren’t that many, less than a normal university, but, she supposed, more than the average college. Which was just right, because the place was both, neither and so much more.
It was Capa, and well loved by most of the students who went there. After all, Capa was almost like ancient Rome. It was the Best. And there was a deep seated sense of pride in being in the Best.
Chloe quickly ran through her options. She could always go back to her dorms, and see any number of friends there. Since they were all over 18, there was no gender restrictions on the dorms, which meant in her block were both genders. And, coincidentally, almost everyone she knew and counted as a friend. Which was almost the same thing in her head. Chloe just had that personality.
She wasn’t ready to go back there. To face Mia’s loud tirades and, worse, Kalryie’s silent disapproval. To see people watching her with various degrees of curiosity, pity, contempt and amusement. To know that almost everyone there knew more about her relationship than she did. Still, that was her choice. She didn’t want to know what they knew about her relationship.
Instead, she went to the practice rooms. There were all sorts of practice rooms, since there were all sorts of things to practice, but she was heading towards the section she really had no place in going. After all, Chloe was a Singer. And her route went to the Dancer’s area.
See, Capa was actually an acronym. Camlet’s Academy of Performing Arts. Chloe wasn’t sure whether it was named after a founder, or the knight, or if the knight had founded it…She’d never really cared, either. Despite there being all sorts of sections and degrees and specializations, there were only three recognized groups in Capa.
Singers. Dancers. And Actors.
Which was a stupid way of organizing it, since everyone knew the singers sometimes had to dance, dancers occasionally had to sing and actors often had to do both. But that was the System, and Chloe didn’t like to fight the System. She just didn’t have that personality.
One of the Dancer’s doors was slightly ajar, and she could hear the low sounds of music inside. Chloe felt a deep thrill. She might passionately love singing, and be as graceful dancing as a cat in water, but there was something about watching someone dance that spoke to her. It was like watching a purer, more powerful version of sex. All of the ecstasy and none of the bad connotations.
Feeling like a voyeur, but unable to help herself, she crept towards the door and pushed it open. It was risky. Some people hated being watched, especially when they didn’t have the dance perfected. Besides, it was common knowledge that people used the practice rooms for more than practicing. Or, at least, practicing anything there was an official qualification for.
For a second, all she saw was a blur of flesh and heat and life, whirling around on what looked like the tips of toes. Chloe winced sympathetically and focused on the body.
He was doing a strange mix. Ballet, with breakdancing, and some definite freestyle. She didn’t have to be a Dancer to know talent, and this boy had it in skip loads. There was a seamlessly quality to his motions. He could jump from one genre to another and make it look like stepping forward. And there was wild, heaving passion tightly reined in, showing in the carefully controlled movements. Chloe breathed deep, aching to see this boy move without control. God, that would be beautiful.
There was something else, something that should be common in dancers but, strangely, wasn’t. Unlike singers, where you could hear the emotion in their voice (or you could if they were worth anything), dancing could be a thing of passion, and yet not love. It was shocking how many had the former without the latter.
Not this boy. He loved it. He loved the ballet, the acrobatic, the sensual movements, the jerky, the smooth, he loved it all. His eyes were fixed on a point that had never existed in this room – Nirvana or Andromeda or Utopia – and his expression was love. It was the expression she’d seen in Mia’s parents’ faces. The expression she strived to find in her parents’ faces. One she hoped to see in a man’s, one day.
Then the song ended. There was a whirring noise as the CD kept spinning, despite there being no more music to play. And as if someone had cut his strings, the boy fell limp, panting on the floor. Then he sat up, running hands through wet hair, and smiled a soft, pleased smile. And, belatedly, Chloe recognized him.
“Tyler!”
Tyler lived in her dorm block. He was classmates and sort-of friends with James, who was Jay’s twin brother. Jay was one of Chloe’s best friends, and her self-proclaimed surrogate brother. It was a race who would kill Steve first – Jay or Mia.
Tyler looked up, startled, then smiled. That was the nice thing about Tyler. There was no recrimination, no anger. He’d never blame her for watching him dance. Tyler was just…nice.
“Chloe. Hello. How are you?” His voice was lovely. Soft, and husky. Perfect for lullabies, in her professional opinion. And, even better, it had a warm Irish accent. Tyler had grown up just outside Dublin, before moving to Manchester when he was eleven. The accent was faint, but still there.
“I’m fine. Bored. You danced beautifully. It took my breath away.”
He smiled again, obviously embarrassed, and murmured a thanks. For some reason he always seemed starved for praise. Then he looked at her with concern. “You’re bored? Where are your friends?”
She flapped a hand carelessly. “Around. I wanted to watch some writhing.” She grinned at him, sharing the joke, and he smiled back. She watched him stand up and gather his things, carefully taking the CD out the stereo and into its case. “That a mix?”
He nodded. “Yeah.” Then he glanced at her sheepishly. “Sorry. It isn’t exactly professionally done.”
The groups were notorious snobs, and famous for being possessive. Most Singers felt anything to do with music was there’s alone. If the Dancers performed a dance, or the Actors had a musical, and the Singers weren’t consulted and allocated most of the work, they were deeply offended, and returned in kind. It was highly childish, and amazingly enjoyable. Group wars lightened up the monotony of life.
When he was finished, he walked up to her. “Want me to walk you to the dorms?”
Chloe grinned at him. “Because the path is oh so dangerous?” She teased. Unlike her two friends, she adored chivalry.
He smiled, amused. “I was thinking more of company than protection.”
Chloe wasn’t going to be deterred. This was a fun game, and Steve didn’t like playing. His idea of a game was a sexual roleplay in bed. Which wasn’t the same thing at all. She curtsied deeply, holding onto a non-existent skirt. (it was winter, cold, and jeans were warm. Mostly.) “Kind Sir, I thank you for your concern, and humbly accept your proposal.”
He smile twitched, and for a second Chloe, delighted, thought he might laugh. Then it passed. Still, there was still cause for pride, as the quiet, shy boy decided to play along. He bowed, looking quite dignified as he did, and replied in a surprisingly good upper class accent, “Then you have my gratitude, and my joy, my lady.”
Chloe giggled and placed her hand delicately on his arm. It was completely ridiculous, and so much fun. They left the practice rooms, talking about the upcoming party the whole dorm block was throwing. Tyler always listened, and he made you listen. He did it was speaking so softly you had to shut up to hear. If you cared, you kept quiet when he spoke, and Chloe got the feeling that if you didn’t care, Tyler wouldn’t bother trying.
It seemed no one understood why she bothered with Tyler. Mia said he was a pussy (it was well known that Tyler was a pacifist). Kalryie said he’d snap as soon as the wind blew on him – whatever that meant. Jay said he was nice enough, but a bit dull. They all agreed he was Chloe’s complete opposite.
Funny, she thought. I wonder how many complete opposites a person can have. Is there even a finite amount?
Chloe just thought he was nice. She was simple, and didn’t bother analyzing people like her friends did. She either liked someone or she didn’t – and the latter was rare. Then she’d think of a word to sum them up. It kept everything from being confusing. Mia was wild. Kalryie was complicated. Jay was unrestrained. And Tyler was nice.
Chloe liked words like nice, good, fine. They were grounding words. Sure, ones like brilliant, amazing and excellent were what you looked for, but they were exhausting, and usually let you down at the end. Nice, good and fine were dependable. They were always there to catch you when you didn’t have another word to use. And you could always count on nice, good and fine to be nice, good and fine. Nothing more, nothing less.
Plus, occasionally, they’d surprise you, and something that was nice would turn into spectacular. When it didn’t happen, it didn’t let you down, but when it did it was such a wonderful surprise. Chloe professed to be an optimist and, really, she was. But she was also a fan on the theory of ‘the higher you are the further you fall’. You couldn’t be disappointed if you didn’t set your expectations too high, but you could be relieved.
They left the practice rooms, heading towards the dorms. She’d managed to make him chuckle when she heard her name yelled from behind. Turning, she saw Steve and three of his friends coming their way. When they got close enough, she saw that Steve didn’t look very happy at all. Sorrowfully, she felt Tyler stiffen and pull away from her.
“Baby,” Steve said when he could be heard. “What you doing? I thought you were going straight to the dorms. This bum hold you up?” The glare he gave Tyler promised blood. The stare he got in return was impassive.
Chloe laughed, pretending she wasn’t nervous. “Don’t be silly! Tyler was just walking me back.”
“Oh?” He stepped forward then, into Tyler’s personal space. Chloe backed away. She was ashamed of it, and she hated it, but she was afraid of physical violence.
“Steve! What’s the matter with you?”
“You think I’m stupid? You don’t think I know what’s going on?”
Chloe feigned ignorance. “I have no idea what you’re on about!”
“You and this bastard. You’re always going together. I’m not an idiot, and I don’t like people moving in on my girl!”
She placed her hands on her hips. “What? Tyler’s my friend. I wouldn’t ever cheat on you! Why would you assume that there’s something sexual in my relationships between members of the opposite sex? That makes no sense!”
Something flashed in his eyes, too quick for her to identify. Then he shoved Tyler. Not hard enough to push him over, but enough to show him he meant business. “Yeah, well, even if you have no plans, this guy is just waiting to jump on you!”
“That’s…that’s ridiculous. Steve!”
Tyler spoke up, voice even. “I am not interested in Chloe, Steve. Even if I was, she would never cheat.”
For some reason, Chloe felt a stab of hurt. Not interested, huh? Well, that put her in her place.
Steve glared. He couldn’t argue, had no proof, but he obviously wanted a fight. Or, more like, he wanted to give a beating. She really couldn’t understand his antagonism. “Whatever. Keep away from my girl, or I’ll kill you.”
He marched over to Chloe, grabbed her arm and toed her away. She watched as Tyler walked to the other dorm entrance, not looking back, and felt inexplicitly sad. Tyler had to keep fit to dance, and could easily beat Steve. But his pacifism earned him no respect and only contempt.
She tuned out Steve’s rant and played Tyler’s mixed CD in her head instead. Strange. For a Dancer, he had a pretty good music taste.
The declaration, accompanied with his bag being thrown on the floor and his body falling on the sofa, was met with a raised eyebrow.
“Need more than that.”
“Chloe,” Tyler explained. “I’m staying away from her.”
Dana smirked. “See, last time I checked, you weren’t staying near her. Isn’t it the other way round?”
He shrugged. “Yeah? Well, now I’m avoiding her.”
That seemed to amuse her. Putting down her book – from the picture of two naked, sweaty guys, he guessed it was gay erotica – and curled her legs under her. Facing her body towards him, she honored him with her undivided attention. Which was quite creepy, actually.
Unfortunately, the position hiked up her mini skirt even more, and he saw a glimpse of thigh before he glanced away. Briefly, he wondered whether she was wearing underwear today, then decided he really didn’t want to know.
“What happened?”
“She’s bad for my health. Or rather, her boyfriend is.”
Dana nodded understandingly, then laughed at him. “I could have told you that.”
Tyler smiled ruefully to himself. He should have known better. If he wanted false sympathy, he’d have gone to Tourmaline. And been flirted with constantly while receiving it. With Dana he was free from false anything – if she was anything, it was honest – and from flirting. Thank god. That would be scarring.
Dana rolled her eyes, leaned forward, and slapped him round the head. “Look, if you like her so bad, just go out with her. Fuck that boyfriend of hers. He’s a dick. Everyone knows what he does when she’s not around, and his friends harass me in class. Even those precious friends of hers hate him.”
“I can’t. Chloe’s loyal. She’d never cheat, or would make herself sick with guilt if she did. And I don’t know if she could dump him without good reason.” Tyler didn’t comment on the harassment. He knew how much grief Dana got, even though he tried to prevent it.
She snorted. “How much good reason do you need?”
Tyler nodded, but from the conversations he had, he knew Chloe wouldn’t leave Steve. Not because she loved him, but she didn’t want to hurt him unless she had an excellent reason. All in all, it was hopeless.
Dana looked at his downcast features and sighed. “As much as I hate to say it, I think you should stay with her. Be her friend. You hate just being her friend, but you’ll hate being away from her more. Bide your time. Steve won’t last forever.”
He thought about it, then nodded slowly. Besides, it was better to submit gracefully. Chloe was like a force of nature. If she wanted to be around you, the apocalypse couldn’t stop her.
Dana stood up and went to the kitchen, probably to make some strange herbal tea they both adored. Her voice carried back to him. “God, you’re such a pussy. I swear, you should just bitch-slap him.”
Tyler grinned. Tourmaline wouldn’t help him with his problem, and she wouldn’t insult him. Which was why, no matter how much she fawned, Tyler would never go out with her. Dana said he was masochistic. Tyler just didn’t want mindless agreement over actual opinions. Tourmaline would never tease him over chivalry.
“God, I’m sorry. You alright?”
She beamed at him and nodded. When she smiled like that, it seemed as if she was going to explode with light. A perpetual supernova. Then her face dropped. “Can we go somewhere? To talk, I mean?” She looked at him anxiously.
Tyler forgot his vow to stay away and nodded. Then he remembered he was still holding her, and let go, stepping back. He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling awkward. “Sure. The coffee shop?”
Chloe nodded. It was a regular meeting place, since it sold quality coffee, edible food and servers who remembered the regulars’ names.
Ten minutes later they were sitting in a corner table, Tyler with green tea and Chloe with hot chocolate, with extra foam and chocolate sprinkles. Apparently the current server liked her. And no wonder. She was wearing a floaty long, thick skirt and a peasant shirt, with shell and crystal jewelry and boots. Her long, rowan hair was loose and wavy, hanging over her shoulders, and her dark eyes were shining as always. She looked wild and free, just like a wood nymph.
She sipped her hot chocolate, seeming nervous, and avoided his eyes. Then, without looking up, she sighed. “I wanted to apologize. Steve had no right to act like that. He just gets…possessive. We argued when we got back to the dorms, and he stomped off. Then My and Kally ranted about him. Well, My did. Kally just looked irritated, which, for her, was practically baying for his blood.”
Tyler smiled. My and Kally. He hadn’t heard of anyone managing to shorten Mia and Kalryie’s names without being crucified. Liam, one of Kalryie’s close friends, called her Kal, but only to annoy her.
“I don’t like fighting. I don’t like bad feelings. When we first went out, it was great, you know? Steve was fun and charming and sweet. We partied and mucked around and just had fun. Now he’s high strung, and is more smarmy than charming. I can’t work out whether he changed, or whether it was all just an act.
The thing is, he hasn’t done anything explicitly wrong. And maybe he’s been this way all along, and I’ve just noticed. I like peace, and all this is not fun.”
She sighed, then looked at him and smiled sadly. “I just need someone to be there. Not to condemn, or disapprove, or advise. Just to support, unconditionally. You know?”
Tyler nodded, forcing down all the reasons why Steve deserved to be thrown on his ass that leapt to his tongue. She smiled, then laid her hand on top of his. “You’re a good friend,” she told him softly. “A true friend.”
She squeezed, and he squeezed back. Inside, he felt like crying.
She let go and looked around. “Hey! You remember, we first met here. Back in September.”
Tyler nodded. How could he forget? He’d been in the town a day, feeling lost in a dorm where the only person he knew was Tourmaline, who was clinging to him like a lifeline. He wasn’t used to feeling like a raindrop in a monsoon, and was hiding in the quaint coffee shop when Chloe had popped up and made it seem brighter. Made him pleased to have decided to come. Then he found out he was too late, and she’d met Steve two days ago at a party.
Besides, even without those memorable events, it was only three months ago.
On one of the central tables were three girls, obviously students at Capa. They looked about nineteen, so were about university level. It was hard to tell, since Capa wasn’t conventional. It took anyone from six to about sixty. As long as you had the skill, you could do extra-curriculum classes, night classes, GCSE classes, A level classes and various University level classes.
The black girl was gesturing wildly, her appearance verging on punk, skater and a healthy dose of freestyle. The girl paying avid attention seemed younger, more innocent, and more bohemian. The girl reading the newspaper and apparently ignoring them was blonde, blue-eyed and very rich, judging from the clothes.
They drew the eyes of the few patrons, but none noticed. Either they were simply ignorant, or they were used to receiving stares. It was probably the latter.
“She has to be a Virgo! Look! Perfect suit, not a hair out of place, making notes on her lunchbreak. So a Virgo.” The woman in question was drinking a cappuccino as she flipped through reports, pausing occasionally to write on a pad of paper.
“I don’t know.” Chloe’s voice was doubting. “Kally’s like that, and she isn’t a Virgo.”
Kalryie didn’t look up from the newspaper. She’d found an article obviously biased in favor of Labour and was having fun noting the obvious indications. And she hated the star sign game. Not only was it ridiculous to suggest that more than six billion people could be place in just 12 categories, it was idiotic to believe you could guess a star sign from looking at the person. Star signs were like fortunes. Anyone could be made to fit any star sign, or predication. It was the original ‘you’ll meet a dark handsome stranger’ farce.
Still, it was better than the Tenko game, so she stayed quiet.
“Okay, okay. How about…that guy.” Mia pointed to the corner.
“Ooh.” Came Chloe’s voice. “He’s cute.”
Kalryie looked up. Chloe had hooked up with that guy Steve at the weekend, and it wasn’t like her to be distracted so quickly.
The guy in question was alright. About their age, reading a much-used book. He had sort of long, russet hair that was ruffled, and his features were nice. The type that could be both cute and hot, depending on the circumstances. His clothes seemed a bit beaten and worn, but nothing disgusting. She could see why Chloe thought he was cute.
“Gemini.” Her voice was soft and considering.
Mia stared at her. “Why?”
Kalryie shrugged. “He has unusual hands.” All knew that hands and lungs were a feature of Geminis.
Mia snorted. “Fine. I say Scorpio. Bending over that book makes him look deep and mysterious.”
Chloe was still staring at him, a small smile on her face. As she watched, he turned a page, and she saw a glimpse of a necklace hanging next to his throat. That decided it. “He’s a Taurus.”
“Well.” Kalryie spoke, her voice wry. “That was pointless. We won’t know who’s right.”
Chloe didn’t even bother answering. She stood up, ignoring Mia’s protests, and walked over to the boy’s table. He remained oblivious until she sat in the seat on the opposite side. Then he looked up. She watched his face carefully, but he didn’t seem irritated. He gave her a small, bemused smile, eyes questioning.
“Hello?” Chloe blinked. That voice…it was so soft she had to actually listen for it. And it had an Irish accent! How sexy can you get? She reminded herself of Steve, and focused on business.
“Hey. Sorry to bother you, but my friends and I are having a debate. What’s your star sign?”
She waited, but he didn’t give her a weird look, or ignore her. He did pause, then answered, “Taurus.”
Chloe grinned, ecstatic, and whooped. She didn’t seem to notice the other shoppers staring at her, but clapped her hands together instead. The boy watched her and laughed quietly, guessing correctly that she’d been right.
When she’d calmed down, Chloe moved to get up, but his voice stopped her. “I’m probably wrong – after all, your characteristics are like a Gemini or Leo – but are you a Pisces?”
She looked at him in amazement. “Yeah! How’d you know?”
“Your reaction. It was the definition of ‘surrender’ and ‘feeling’.”
The boy smiled at her. That struck her as odd. Most people would grin, or smirk. He smiled.
On a whim, she leant over the table and offered him her hand. “I’m Chloe.”
He seemed to hesitate, before taking it. “Tyler.”
When she reached her floor’s common room, she peered in idly through curiosity, then stopped and entered. The room was packed, but the noise level remained manageable. She saw a group of boys in the corner that included Steve, Jay, Liam and James. Kalryie was sitting in an armchair reading, like always, and Mia seemed to be having a friendly argument with Jesse. At least, she hoped it was a friendly argument.
Chloe flopped down next to Kalryie, and greeted her chirpily.
“How is Tyler?”
Chloe just stared, flabbergasted, at Kalryie. “What…but…how?”
Her friend took pity on her. “You’re glowing. It’s like an after-sex glow, but it’s after-Tyler for you.”
That made Chloe blushed. Then she looked hard at Kalryie. Her friend hadn’t turned a page yet, and she’d been there around a minute. In fact, Kalryie was sitting stiff, as if she was forcing her body to remain still and calm. Something wasn’t right.
A roar from the corner distracted her, and everyone else. Then she noticed the boys were playing on the PS2. Jay and Liam high-fived, and Steve, the obvious loser, threw the controller on the ground and stomped out of the room. That just made the others jeer at him.
When she turned back to Kalryie, there was a look in her eye. It was a mixture of contempt, loathing and …trepidation? Why was Kalryie apprehensive of Steve?
“Kally?”
“He came in looking for you. Demanding to know where you were. Practically threatened Mia, until Jay stepped in. He was ranting about Tyler, and I’m sure I heard him mention the word ‘whore’.” Finally, she looked at Chloe, but it didn’t reassure her. Her eyes were completely cold. “I don’t like people calling my friend a whore.”
Chloe felt disquiet, but she didn’t know what to do. She waved her hands helplessly. “But you told me to go for it. You and Mia. You said he’d be good for me.”
She sighed. “You were down from a breakup where your ex should have had his eyes burnt out for daring to look at you. You needed fun. A rebound. But rebounds don’t last for three months, and they aren’t supposed to make things worse.”
“Kalryie! I can’t dump him because he’s a rebound. That wouldn’t be fair.”
She shook her head, almost unconsciously, which made Chloe nervous. Kalryie always had complete control over her body and emotions. If she was doing things without realizing…”I know. He isn’t good for you, but you won’t get rid of him without reason. I understand.”
“Then what’s this about?”
Kalryie looked straight into Chloe’s eyes, her own ones intense. “I don’t like many people. I have very few friends. And those I don’t like I throw to the wolves. But those I do…I protect to the last. Just remember that, Chloe.”
Then she stood up and walked out the room. Chloe stared after her, completely confused and feeling scared for a reason she didn’t know. Eventually she stood and went over to Mia, who was now verbally slaughtering Liam, and getting enraged when he just laughed.
It wasn’t really the whole dorm. Usually it was just a floor, with the public rooms open and any volunteers offering their rooms as well. People from other dorms could come, though there was a sense of people entering their territory. The party was just an excuse for a lot of people to overindulge with loud music and large dance areas.
Chloe was alone. It was a strange feeling, to be surrounded by people, yet to be completely alone. She’d lost Mia a while back, and Kalryie had bowed out, claiming she had a headache. Chloe guessed she was just fed up. Kally didn’t like most people, and this many drunken morons would have driven her insane.
She wasn’t sure where Steve was, either. He’d gone to get drinks, and told her to stay still, he’d be back in a few. That was forty-five minutes ago. She wasn’t sure whether to be hurt, annoyed or worried.
After having a third drink spilled on her, Chloe admitted defeat. It was one of the most anticipated parties of the term, and everyone claimed to have a huge amount of fun. But she just wasn’t enjoying herself. Jay was off dancing with his latest victim, and Liam was in the process of creating a harem. She couldn’t find anyone else that would make this party fun. She’d seen Dana earlier, and had been told Tyler had decided he wasn’t in the partying mood.
Finally, Chloe decided to try Steve’s room. In was one the ones not open to the partiers, and he’d mentioned going back there when the party began dying down. Maybe he’d become bored? At least she could wait for him there.
She stumbled over a bottle as she walked down the corridor, and passed around four couples apparently competing for Exhibitionist Of The Year. She waved to Liam, one of the couples, who’d found a very enthusiastic blonde. He gave her a smug grin as she walked past.
After reaching his room, she stood for a couple of seconds, rubbing her ears. No one in this part had opened their doors, so the music level dropped suddenly. Only after coming out of it did she realize how loud it had been.
Scrubbing her eyes, Chloe opened the door. Steve was slightly lax about security – he didn’t have any. There was music in the room, which proved he was here. With a cheerful smile, she moved to the bedroom, and froze.
She’d been right. Steve was there. But, unlike Chloe, he wasn’t alone. There were two sets of clothing thrown around the room; two bodies entwined on the bed; two pairs of legs hanging outside the cover. His hand came out to grab blonde hair as she heard him groan, “Yeah, baby. Just like that.”
Wait. Blonde hair. The head came up, and the face was so familiar to Chloe she could paint it with her eyes closed. The head went in for a kiss, and Chloe didn’t want to watch any more.
She left, the slam of the door announcing her presence for her, and flew down the corridor. She passed Liam, who gave her a concerned look. As she turned the corner, she saw him push the girl away and head for Steve’s room.
Chloe didn’t care. She just had to get away. Racing in the opposite direction to the party, she reached the stairs, and almost fell down them. The floor below was dark and muted, seeming dead after the crowds upstairs. No one would rather be here than there. Except Chloe. She wouldn’t go back up there for anything.
Her body racing as quick as her mind, she tried to absorb what had just happened, what she was feeling. It was hard. Chloe wasn’t a thinker, she was a doer, a feeler. It was much easier to feel emotions than analyze them. Still, these weren’t difficult to identify. Just confusing.
She wasn’t upset. For some reason, she didn’t have the slightest urge to cry, and she didn’t understand it. This should be upsetting, right? Right?
Of course, Steve cheating wouldn’t upset her, or even faze her. She’d been with him because she couldn’t dump him, and there was no love lost between them. Besides, he’d been cheating on her for two months now. Even if no one else thought she knew the signs, Chloe wasn’t stupid. She wasn’t blind. And, funnily enough, she wasn’t as naïve as everyone assumed she was.
But Kalryie! Her best friend, her sister, her nonromantic soulmate. That should upset her. It should make her furious, hurt, betrayed. Something! All she felt was a whirlwind of confusion and half-formed emotions that made no sense. And for some reason, the main feeling was disgust. She really hadn’t wanted to see Kalryie naked. Ew.
Chloe turned her thoughts to where the hell she was. Identifying her whereabouts was an easier mystery to solve than what she was feeling, and why. She didn’t recognize the corridor. Not until she passed a door with a sign saying ‘Who wishes welcome is welcomed’ that she knew where she was.
And suddenly, things became clear. Now she knew what to do. She knew how to make everything better.
Chloe backtracked. She didn’t hesitate – she’d been hesitating for the past three months – and knocked on the door. Like clockwork, doubts struck her. He might not be in, he might be asleep, he might be ignoring the door, he might not like her, she might have misread the signs, she might just be rejected again…
The door swung open. It was obvious he’d been asleep, which, considering it was only half one on a weekend, was just adorable. His hair was a messy, eyes slightly closed. Best of all, he was only wearing a pair of loose pajama pants. Even if this didn’t turn out well, she had that image firmly burnt in her mind. He looked down at her, frowning slightly. She loved how she couldn’t see confusion, or annoyance, in his face. She just saw concern. For her.
“Chloe…?”
She stepped forward, and threw her arms around his neck. With her high heels for the party it was doable, but only just. With a relieved smile, she kissed him, hands tight in his soft hair. Soft like everything about him.
Well, she thought with a smirk as he clutched her to his body. That’s one body part that isn’t soft!
One arm around her waist, the other slipping under her top, he backed up and managed after three tries to kick the door shut. He only paused until he realized he couldn’t taste any alcohol on her breath, then he kissed back, running his tongue over hers.
Chloe had been good tonight. Realizing after the first ten minutes that Steve was going to get completely wasted, she’d made the decision to remain clearheaded. Now she was grateful. Tyler was too good to take advantage of a drunk girl.
They broke apart when it was breathe or die, and Tyler rested his forehead on hers. His gaze was questioning. She decided to be nice and answer his obviously pressing questions.
“Steve decided to show me his view on monogamy. I decided to take his invitation and abort from the doomed relationship. Now I can go after what I really want.”
“Want?” His voice was hopeful, but hesitant. As if he couldn’t bring himself to believe.
Chloe grinned, eyes never moving from his. In them she saw everything she’d known she’d never see in Steve’s. With a shock, she realized the look in his eye was the same look he had when dancing. The same look she ached to see aimed at her, one day. The realization made her voice breathy. “You.”
Something exultant and primal shone in his eyes before he closed them and kissed her again.
They fell on the bed, Tyler’s hands under her clothes, Chloe’s returning the favor. Their kisses were quick and hot, Chloe’s mouth latching on his shoulder as he dipped his head to her neck. As his hands slipped under her skirt, she finally tugged those pajama pants down. His hand left her briefly to dig in his bedside table, then they were both lost.
Funnily enough, even though they were both lost to the world, at that moment they found out where they really belonged.
The movement brought Tyler out of his daze. With a soft, satisfied smile, he reached over and pulled the cover over them both. Chloe purred and snuggled closer to him. Right now she was tired, but she’d get her energy back soon, and then she wanted an encore. As she’d known from watching Tyler dance, there was passion locked tightly under that skin.
Luckily, Chloe knew how to unleash that passion. It was definitely worth it.
His hand came up and ran gently through her hair. The gesture was soothing, and she almost fell asleep. Tyler’s voice brought her back.
“Are you okay?”
The first thought was ‘you can’t tell?’. Then she realized he meant about Steve. She mumbled an affirmative, tucking her head under his. Please. That was old news.
“Do you know who was with him?” His voice was hesitant, giving her leave to keep quiet. He wasn’t pushing her, and that made her open up.
“Kalryie.”
“Kal-“ Tyler half sat up, then Chloe moaned a protest and he laid down again. This time, his arm wrapped around her waist, protective.
“Yeah.” This wasn’t really old news. Still, she’d been able to put things in perspective, and she understood her feelings now. At least as much as she could.
Tyler’s hand stroked her back. He was trying to be comforting, which was nice, but unnecessary. “Damn, Chloe, I’m sorry. You must be furious. What will you do? Is this the end of your friendship?”
Chloe laughed, incredulous. “Are you kidding?”
He peered at her, confused. “Is that a no?”
“I couldn’t not be friends with Kally. She’s Kalryie.”
“So…you’re going to forgive her?” She nodded. “Why?”
Chloe sighed and tried to work out how to explain it. “Kalryie is one of the puzzle pieces. Without her, it doesn’t make a full circle. And, okay, maybe the circle isn’t perfect. But at least with her it’s complete.”
Tyler smiled at her, and pulled her close. She closed her eyes and rested against his chest again. When he spoke, his voice was so soft she could barely hear it. But Chloe wanted to be quiet around Tyler, so she could hear everything he said. “Am I in your circle?”
She smiled. “Of course. We’re just like two jigsaw pieces.”
It didn’t have to make sense to be right.
Finito