Freshman Ch. 06: Equilibrium

"Hello?"

The silence that had been suffocating the room broke instantly as an unknown voice reached everyone's ears. Rebecca aborted the shot and four heads turned suddenly to the hallway leading to the apartment's entrance. A firm shutting of the front door shook everyone again.

"Joe?"

Everyone's ears perked up, and in unison, three sets of eyes went to Joe. Rachel swallowed and Rebecca dropped the quarter from her fingers. Suddenly very aware of their nakedness, the girls instinctively brought their arms to their chests in attempt to cover themselves.

Joe broke free from the paralysis as he easily recognized the voice. The color drained from his face and he cursed under his breath in full out panic. FUCK! Kim! His neighbor! He'd never texted her to cancel their plans! He'd just been so lost in-. He cursed again. And he'd given her the door code! That suddenly seemed like the stupidest idea he'd ever had.

He shifted his brain into overdrive but it was simply too late to form a plan. They had maybe seconds before Kim passed through the foyer and came upon the entire scene. There was no time for the girls to hide and certainly not to re-dress. He looked at each panicked expression staring back at him and he put up his hands to try to indicate that he'd handle it. Which was a total lie. He had no fucking idea what he was going to do.

"I saw your lights were on. I texted. I thought you were going to tell me when you got back from-."

The voice trailed off into nothing as its owner appeared suddenly at the entrance to the room. Her eyes widened and her jaw fell open as she assessed the absolute absurdity of the scene that had greeted her. Her gaze locked first onto the most clearly obvious targets: two unknown girls kneeling in just their underwear, their arms crossed over their bare chests.

Just across the coffee table, seated on the edge of the couch, were Joe and his roommate Randy. Neither boy had a shirt. Beer cans and random alcohol bottles littered the space. Feeling her stomach drop like a roller coaster, she tried desperately to form words.

"What is-? Who-? What the hell is going on??"

Her voice was marked by shock but had a definite tremble in it. She didn't know what to do with her eyes but she eventually landed them on the boy she'd come over to see. It appeared pretty obvious what was happening. She stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

Joe was usually a pretty smooth guy but he was cooked. What could he say? Kim wasn't his official girlfriend but he could certainly appreciate what she might be feeling. He winced as his stomach twisted into a knot.

"Um, hey! Uh...no, we're just, uh-. We're just playing a game. Umm..."

He trailed off with a weak shrug. There really wasn't much else to add.

Kim swallowed hard and crossed her arms. She felt her cheeks getting hot and she tried to keep her voice steady as it came out soaked in sarcasm.

"Uh huh. A game? Sure looks like fun. Who the fuck are they?"

She indicated dismissively to the girls without looking at them. The hurt in her face began to crack through.

Before Joe could summon another useless response, Rebecca felt her own fiery instincts take over. This wasn't her fight and she was as confused as everyone not named Joe, but she certainly didn't take well to being disrespected. She wasn't the one who had barged in and started barking out questions.

"Um, who the fuck are you?"

Randy and Joe's faces tightened like drums as they heard Rebecca's barb fire out. But Rachel simply stifled a coughing laugh. It could have been her intoxication that was making the situation feel less severe but she couldn't help but laugh at her best friend's trademark, bulldog attitude. Who the fuck are you? She grinned again and shook her head. It was so Rebecca.

Kim's attention snapped from her initial target to the fiery brunette kneeling a few feet across the room. The girl was practically naked and she looked kind of ridiculous holding her boobs in her hands. But she sure seemed fearless. Steeling herself as she absorbed the unexpected inquiry, she dropped her hands to her hips and cocked her head.

"Who am I? I'm-!"

She paused and changed course, swallowing the emotion that was racing up her throat.

"Actually, none of your fucking business!"

Her eyes welled up and she turned back to Joe to avoid showing weakness to her challenger. Steadying herself as best she could, she spat at him with trembling rage.

"Never mind! So sorry I interrupted your 'game'!"

She shot Joe one last withering glare and turned on her heel back into the hall. Her heavy stomps echoed off the walls.

Joe finally sprang into action. Hopping up from the couch, he ran over to the foyer and called out.

"No, Kim! Wait! It's not-!"

"Fuck you!"

Her voice drowned out his pleas and the next sound was the violent slam of the door. Then, thick silence.

Joe stopped at the edge of the room and dropped his hands to his side with a deep exhale. Turning back around, he swallowed as he took in the expectant expressions staring back at him. He rubbed his face and shook his head.

"Fuck! Sorry that was-."

Rebecca's surge in adrenaline had dropped back to normal levels and she cut him off with a grin and toying tone.

"Your girlfriend? You have a girlfriend?"

She began to cluck her tongue at him with joking admonishment. Not that she really cared all that much either way, but it was pretty amusing that it had clearly not been brought up.

Joe swallowed quickly and shifted his eyes between the girls. Rachel, too, had formed a clear grin of amusement across her lips. And her eyes were curious. It appeared that she wanted the answer as well.

"No. No, she's not my-."

He paused and sighed.

"She's just like-. It's just a casual thing. She lives a few doors down and we've just been, you know."

He paused again, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I forgot we, um, sorta had plans tonight. It's my fault. I-."

The girls stayed silent as his stuttered explanation trailed off. It was kind of cute. They weren't sure how entirely accurate the picture he was painting was, but it wasn't like it was worth arguing. But it had obviously created some serious awkwardness. What now?

Sensing their query, Joe exhaled yet again and looked to the door. He really didn't want to leave and there was a good chance that his thing with Kim was beyond redemption, but he had to go and at least try to talk to her. It would be a total asshole move to not even make the attempt.

"Um, so I'm just going to go and smooth this over real quick. I-. I'm sorry. For real. Look, it won't take long. Just chill for a few minutes."

He scratched his chin nervously and looked over at Randy for a moment before drinking in the wonder of the girls' nakedness one final time.

"I'll be right back. I promise. I'll be quick."

Without another a word, he broke into a jog and disappeared down the foyer. Rachel flinched automatically as the door slammed, leaving the room in silence once again. She swallowed and turned back to her friend and then to Randy. And then back to Rebecca. She shrugged with her eyes.

Rebecca shrugged back. The event had ended as quickly as it had begun but it had definitely been a bit of whirlwind. Smiling curiously, she turned to Randy and raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell was that all about? Who was that?"

Randy hadn't moved a muscle since Kim's entrance and subsequent blow up. He could feel his heart racing and he shook himself to come back to the moment and clear his head. Swallowing and trying to gather his thoughts, he raised his palms back at Rebecca.

"I don't know. I mean, yeah, like, Joe and her have been hooking up or whatever. She lives two doors down."

He paused and let out a breath as he sat forward and rubbed the back of his head.

"I think maybe he had talked to her about coming over but I'd just assumed he'd called it off."

Rebecca smirked and rolled her eyes. It was basically what Joe had already told them. None of it sounded all that unreasonable. It had just taken the evening from an easy groove into sudden weirdness.

Following the thought, she turned back to Rachel and communicated silently again. What now? They could obviously just leave; they certainly hadn't signed up for any drama. Or they could do as Joe had asked and wait awkwardly for his return. Or they could-.

Their mental meeting was interrupted as Randy's voice sounded out again. This time with a returned sense of confidence.

"Well, fuck 'em! You taking that shot or what?"

Rachel and Rebecca both tingled as Randy's interjection caught them off guard. His tone was playful, but firm. They each smiled reflexively and turned to face him in unison.

Randy' heart was beating aggressively in his chest but he had somehow summoned an unexpected level of Zen calmness. He smiled as he looked over at the half-naked goddesses across the table. The Kim Episode had thrown him and everyone else for a loop, but he certainly remembered exactly where they'd left off just prior. And he was entirely eager to retrieve the bookmark and resume.

The girls exchanged glances once again before Rebecca's gaze fell back to the quarter she'd left on the table. She reached forward and scooped it up, twirling it between her fingers. She looked at Rachel and then at Randy. And then towards the hallway.

"Um, well, should we wait for him? Or...?"

She trailed off and looked back to Randy with inquisitive eyes. Randy stiffened. He knew the situation was now a little precarious but it was the haunting memories of his prior experience with the girls that gave him strength. There was suddenly a very strange symmetry to the encounters that were separated by almost exactly one year. Just as he had been unceremoniously pulled away from the fun, his roommate was now in the same shoes. His jaw flexed and his eyes narrowed deviously. And how exactly had Joe reacted back then...

Summoning his confidence, Randy smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

"Nah. I mean, he made the mess. He can rejoin the fun once he cleans it up."

Rebecca angled her chin and studied Randy's reaction. She obviously didn't know him well enough to read him but he'd definitely seemed to have relaxed a bit as the night had gone on. Earlier, he had been all over the place. Edgy, hyper, overeager. And then suddenly quiet for stretches. It was like he was too worked up and overthinking everything.

But now, he appeared confident and calm. She felt a little tickle trace through her veins and she smiled as her competitive juices began to flow once again. Twisting her pouty lips into a smirk, she raised a brow and nodded.

"Okay. Game on!"

Reaching forward, she grabbed an open bottle that she'd been sipping from and brought it evenly to her lips. She swallowed a gulp of the burning liquid and passed it to Rachel. Rachel grinned and followed suit. The weird interruption in their fun had taken a slight edge off her buzz and she was eager to get back to cruising altitude.

Randy grinned and leaned forward. He rubbed his hands together as Rebecca lined up her shot just as she had been doing a few minutes prior. He suddenly wasn't sure if he wanted her to make it or miss it. Either result was going to move the evening into a new tier of intensity.

It felt like slo-motion as Rebecca cocked her wrist back and then brought it back down to the table. The quarter released from her fingers and bounced smoothly into the air, rotating end over end. All eyes traced its descent as it angled its way towards the small glass that had been targeted. It slid just inside the rim and skipped against the inner wall. It popped back up and hit again on the lip, teetering back and forth.

And then, it fell gently out and dropped back onto the table.

Randy's eyes went wide and he pumped his fist in instinctual celebration. An excited utterance escaped his lips and he raised his arms up over his head.

Rachel groaned and threw her head back, bringing her hands up over her ears and running her fingers through her hair. Rebecca simply stared in silent disbelief as her defeat registered in her brain. Exhaling deeply, she dropped her face into her hands and cursed out loud in full exasperation.

"DAMNIT!"

She looked back up and smiled angrily as she processed Randy's triumphant glee. She hated losing. Hated it.

As the shared reactions died down, the room's focus returned to the consequences of Rebecca's failure. The girls exchanged looks. Rachel grinned but shook her head in full, mocking condescension. Rebecca glared back but could only shrug.

Randy watched with clutching excitement as each girl got up from their kneeling positions and stood tall. He sat up and let his eyes wash over the entire image. His gaze traced up over Rachel's incredible tits to her face just in time to see her roll her eyes. With a quick motion, she slipped her skimpy underwear down her legs and stepped out to remove it fully. Rebecca followed immediately after. Randy felt his heart stop. The girls were completely naked.

Randy swallowed his pooling saliva and held the air hard in his chest. His eyes flicked between the two girls, focusing sharply just below their waists. Each girl was fully shaven and Randy felt his dick strain against his pants as he stared hard at their pussies. It was unbelievable. There were no words to describe what he felt.

The wondrous image faded quickly, however, as the girls each knelt back down to escape the total bluntness of their exposure. They giggled and felt their stomachs flutter as their explicit nudity turned up the heat in each of their cores. They'd been practically naked before, but this was different. And it wasn't the end of their penance.

Randy read their thoughts and managed to shake himself from his shock well enough to give them the prompt.

"Fuck, you two are gorgeous. Wasn't there something about making out though?"

The girls had seen it coming but it still sent a sizzling jolt through their senses. Rachel's thighs pulsed and Rebecca felt the tips of her fingers go numb. They turned to face each other and neither could avoid breaking into nervous grins. They were drunk and naked and turned on and it wasn't as if they hadn't engaged each other in similar (and more intimate) ways in the past. But it had been a while. And it was certainly far from natural or routine.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel grinned and scooted herself a little closer to her friend. She brought her hands up and placed them gently on Rebecca's shoulders, eliciting a tiny gasp. As the girls' eyes locked and their nerves steeled, they each leaned forward. Their noses rubbed past each other and their smiles descended into sudden seriousness. And like a magnetic pull, their faces angled in and their mouths met.

A joint gasp slid out as their lips pressed and parted and their first earnest kiss in months took form. Rebecca felt the familiar gripping rush course through her system and she snaked her tongue quickly inside Rachel's mouth. The soft warmth that greeted her made her toes flex and she swallowed smoothly to stay in control. It had been some time but the taste, smell, and feel of kissing her best friend was not something that took long to recall with explicit detail. She smiled and let herself sink more fully into the experience.

Rachel, too, felt the flood of arousing nostalgia and she moved quickly to embrace it all. Moaning gently, she shut her eyes and pressed her tongue back against its partner, taking a more active role in the dance. She instinctively tightened her grip on Rebecca's shoulders, pulling her in closer and sinking her fingers into her friend's flesh. She gasped as the movement forced Rebecca's breasts to push smoothly into her own. Feeling her senses sizzle, she continued to kiss her fully.

Rebecca squealed playfully as she felt her friend's firm grip bring their bodies into closer contact. As she continued through the kiss, she brought her own hands up Rachel's sides, letting them traverse the subtle speed bump texture of her rib cage. Touching Rachel (and being touched) in this way forced exciting memories to the surface. She felt her engine rev unexpectedly and her pussy clenched with sudden need. Unable to stop herself, she brought her touch inward and softly cupped the pillowy expanse of Rachel's large breasts. A responsive moan made her stomach swirl with excitement and she took the plunge. Her palms slipping up over Rachel's nipples, she squeezed in fully without hesitation.

From across the table, Randy's entire body stiffened as he processed what he was seeing. The girls' initial engagement had been hot enough and watching them kiss each other while kneeling totally naked was something he could do all night. But his scalp had tingled and cock pulsed as he'd watched the smooth kissing progress into suddenly more. The image of Rebecca softly kneading Rachel's heavy tits made the blood race from his brain. It was the hottest thing he'd ever seen.

The girls continued their eager efforts for another minute or so before Rebecca again took hold of the thermostat and spun the dial. Kissing and touching her best friend had set off a familiar blaze deep inside and turned her on in ways that were as confusing as they were intense. She just wanted more and wanted Rachel to feel what she was feeling. She needed her to. It forced a ripple through her gut but the excitement was too much to resist. Keeping her lips busy up above, she released one breast from her grip and let her arm slide effortlessly down Rachel's torso, past her stomach. And with a nervous inhale, she brushed her fingers tenderly between her friend's thighs.

The sensation was enough to shake Rachel from her oral embrace and she let out a shaking breath as her mouth came free. Her jaw, already extended, fell further and she gasped with both shock and delight. The unmistakable feel of her best friend's fingers running gently across the front of her pussy made her head swim and her stomach flip. She looked into the set of eyes across from her own and searched Rebecca's expression with desperation.

The fire and intensity in Rebecca's face made her entire body shake almost as much as the physical touch. She'd seen that look before, but never from another girl. It was the look certain boys had given her in moments of lustful engagement. It was a carnal, meaningful stare. And it had always meant only one thing: whoever was on the giving end wanted nothing else but to fuck her. Right there. Right then.

She swallowed as she tried to reconcile such an impression with its source. Surely she and Rebecca had had moments of intense intimacy in the past but it was still largely alien territory. She tried to focus on her thoughts and stay poised but all concentration shattered again as Rebecca's touch returned. The sensation of her friend's fingers ever so tenderly probing her clit rocked her to her core. Her chest shook and her shoulders slumped forward. She squeezed her thighs together on instinct and she breathed out the only words she could form.

"Oh my God, Bec..."

Her breath was short and her lips felt suddenly dry. She licked them and shut her eyes, setting her jaw as a barrage of pleasurable tickles penetrated her gut. There was no way her brain could adequately organize her thoughts so she simply followed the strong signal of pleasure to its source. Opening her eyes again, she flexed her abs and swiveled closer in to Rebecca, purposefully bringing her hips tighter to the touch she craved.

Sirens and flashing lights were going off in Rebecca's brain as well, but her internal strength kept it all below the surface. She understood Rachel's clear signal to proceed and she steadied herself in response. Sliding her touch gently downward over the moistened edges of Rachel's pussy, she rotated her hand and slipped a careful finger inside.