I knock on the door of Sabrina's dorm, shifting my weight from one foot to the other as I wait. Getting into the freshman building was surprisingly easy. I just followed some girl with blue hair who held the door open without even looking at me. Campus security at its finest.
The door swings open. Sabrina stands there with her black sweatshirt unzipped so low it's basically decorative at this point. The hot pink bra underneath is clearly struggling against the laws of physics, her breasts practically spilling over the top like they're making a break for freedom. The contrast of the bright fabric against her dark skin is striking in a way that makes my mouth go dry.
"Gabe! Hey, come in," she says, her voice pitched slightly higher than normal. There's something off about her demeanor, a weird theatricality to her movements as she steps aside to let me in.
I step into what's easily the nicest dorm I've ever seen. It's a suite with a small common area, kitchenette, and what looks like three-bedroom doors. The walls are decorated with fairy lights and posters of bands I vaguely recognize, and there's an actual couch instead of the standard-issue furniture I'd expected.
Two girls are sitting on said couch, and they both look up when I enter. One has long blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail, wearing a UMaine sweatshirt that's at least two sizes too big. The other has a short pixie cut dyed purple, multiple ear piercings, and a sleeve of tattoos disappearing under her tank top. They're both staring at me with expressions I can't quite read, somewhere between skeptical and concerned.
Sabrina spins around dramatically, gesturing toward me with both arms like she's presenting a game show prize.
"See?" she announces triumphantly, her chin tilted up with unmistakable arrogance. "I told you my boyfriend was real!"
I freeze for half a second as the pieces click together in my head. Of course. This makes so much sense now, the weird laxative excuse, her nervousness, why her roommates "really wanted to meet me." She's been telling them she has a boyfriend, and they didn't believe her. My heart squeezes with unexpected sympathy. Having social anxiety is rough enough without roommates thinking you're making up relationships.
"Hey, yeah, I'm Gabe," I say, slipping an arm around Sabrina's waist and pulling her against my side. "Sabrina's boyfriend."
She squeaks, actually squeaks, as I tug her close, her body going rigid before melting against mine. The blush spreading across her cheeks is so intense I can practically feel the heat radiating off her skin.
The blonde girl exchanges a quick glance with the purple-haired one before her face softens into a gentle smile.
"Hey Sabrina," she says, her voice kind in that careful way people use when they're trying not to upset someone fragile. "We told you, we believed you. You really didn't have to bring him here to prove anything."
Purple Hair nods, adding, "Seriously, we feel bad you thought we didn't believe you."
The blonde turns to me with an extended hand. "It's nice to meet you, Gabe. I'm Jessica, and this is Mia."
I shake her hand, feeling Sabrina trembling slightly against me. "Nice place you guys have," I say, trying to keep things casual despite the awkwardness hanging in the air.
"Thanks," Mia says, fidgeting with one of her earrings. "We got lucky with the housing lottery."
Sabrina's still pressed against my side, her breathing shallow and quick.
"So," Jessica says, clearly trying to salvage the situation, "Sabrina tells us you're in the same Creative Writing class?"
"Yeah, we met on the first day," I confirm, wondering how much of our actual meeting Sabrina has shared with them. "Hit it off right away."
"And now we're dating!" Sabrina cuts in, her voice high and slightly manic. "It's been such a whirlwind romance. Just so... romantic and real."
I can feel her heart hammering against my side like she's about to have a panic attack. Her fingers clutch at my shirt with surprising strength for someone so small.
"I have to go to the loo," she suddenly blurts out, the words tumbling over each other. "Just... need to freshen up."
Despite her declaration, she seems reluctant to actually detach herself from me, her fingers slowly uncurling from my shirt one by one as if letting go might make me disappear. She finally steps back, giving me a smile that's equal parts terrified and hopeful.
"I'll be right back," she says, backing toward one of the doors. "Don't go anywhere, okay?"
"I'll be here," I promise, watching as she disappears into what must be the bathroom.
The moment the door clicks shut, Jessica and Mia practically lunge forward on the couch, their expressions transforming instantly.
"Okay, listen," Jessica whispers urgently, "we know you two aren't actually dating."
I open my mouth to protest, but Jessica holds up her hand, stopping me.
"It's fine, seriously. We're actually in on it," she explains, her voice barely audible. "That girl is absolutely head over heels for you. Like, embarrassingly so."
"This whole boyfriend charade was her idea," Mia continues, glancing nervously at the bathroom door. "She thought if you pretended to be her boyfriend today, maybe you'd start seeing her as girlfriend material for real."
"She's been talking about you non-stop since you met," Jessica adds. "We've heard every detail about your lunch together, your Burger King adventure, even how you helped her not strip in public."
My face heats up, a blush creeping from my neck to my hairline. "She likes me that much?"
Mia snorts. "Dude, she made us practice this conversation with her for two hours last night. She's got it bad."
I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. Sabrina, weird, awkward, oversharing Sabrina, has a crush on me. The thought sends a warm flutter through my chest that catches me off guard.
"Just... be gentle with her, okay?" Jessica's voice softens. "She seems like the type that if she receives a little bit of attention she'll be your little puppy."
Mia leans forward, her voice dropping even lower. "So just let her down easy if you're not into her, okay?"
"But I hope you are," Jessica interjects, shooting Mia a look. "She seems weird, but I like her chaotic vibe."
I rub the back of my neck, suddenly aware of how quickly this situation has escalated. My mind races through the past few days with Sabrina. There's something so genuine about her that cuts through all the noise in my head.
"I've never had a girlfriend before," I admit quietly, surprised by my own honesty. "Not sure I even know how to be with someone."
The bathroom door handle jiggles, and we all freeze like guilty teenagers.
"I mean, I like her," I whisper hurriedly. "She's easy to talk to. It's just..."
My words trail off as I think about Mom. How would she react to me having a girlfriend? After everything that's happened between us, would she be supportive or possessive?
Maybe she'd stop pursuing me?
The bathroom door swings open, and Sabrina emerges looking slightly more composed, though her hands still fidget nervously with the zipper of her sweatshirt.
"So!" she chirps, voice an octave too high. "What did I miss?"
Jessica smoothly shifts back into casual mode. "Just getting to know your boyfriend here."
"He was just telling us how good you two are kissing, why don't show us, Sabrina," Mia adds with a wink in my direction.
Sabrina freezes mid-stride, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. "W-what?" she stammers, shooting a panicked glance my way.
I feel a strange surge of protectiveness watching her squirm. Before I can think twice about it, I'm on my feet, crossing the room to her side.
"Don't tease her, Mia," I say, sliding an arm around Sabrina's waist. She practically melts against me again. "Besides, we're not really into PDA."
"Speak for yourself, babe," Sabrina suddenly announces, her voice steadier than it's been all day.
Before I can process what's happening, she spins in my grip, rises onto her tiptoes, and presses her lips against mine. The force of her movement nearly knocks me backward as her hands clutch the front of my shirt, pulling me down to meet her.
My eyes fly open in shock. This is actually happening. My first kiss. Her lips are impossibly soft against mine, warm and eager, tasting faintly of cherry lip balm.
I close my eyes, trying to follow her lead, but I have no idea what I'm doing. Her tongue darts out, tentative at first, then bolder as it slips between my lips. It moves erratically, exploring my mouth with frantic energy, like it can't decide where to go first, scared but excited.
My heart pounds so hard I'm certain everyone in the room can hear it. I'm standing stiff and awkward, my hands frozen at her waist, but slowly I start to respond. My tongue meets hers hesitantly, then with growing confidence as something instinctive takes over.
I'm trying, really trying, to be good at this, to make this moment special for both of us. My hands finally remember how to move, one sliding up to cup her cheek while the other pulls her closer.
When we finally break apart, I'm breathing like I just ran a marathon. Sabrina stares up at me, her green eyes wide and searching, a nervous smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
"Wow," she whispers, her fingers still clutching my shirt.
Behind us, I hear Jessica clear her throat. "Well," she says, amusement evident in her voice, "I guess that's that."
Mia slowly claps, the sound jarring in the suddenly charged atmosphere. "Bravo, lovebirds. Very convincing."
I stand there, still dazed from the kiss, my lips tingling with the lingering taste of cherry. Sabrina's looking up at me with her saucer-wide eyes, a mixture of panic and triumph dancing across her face. The room suddenly feels ten degrees warmer.
Jessica shoots Mia a meaningful glance, then grabs her hand, pulling her up from the couch. "You know what? We're going to grab dinner," Jessica announces, already tugging Mia toward the door.
"Yeah, you crazy kids have fun," Mia adds with a laugh, barely resisting as Jessica drags her along. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
The door slams behind them before I can even process what's happening. Just like that, I'm alone with Sabrina in her dorm room, the air between us crackling with something I'm not experienced enough to name.
"So..." I manage, my voice coming out embarrassingly hoarse.
Sabrina takes a small step back, her fingers suddenly fascinated with the zipper of her sweatshirt, pulling it up and down an inch at a time. She's not meeting my eyes anymore, staring intently at the floor instead.
"I think we should date," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "For real, I mean. Not pretend."
My heart does a weird stutter-step in my chest. I wasn't expecting this, even though I probably should have been. "Sabrina, I like you a lot, but we don't know each other all that well."
She looks up then, green eyes flashing with determination despite her obvious nervousness. "So what? Let's get to know each other while dating. That's what dating is for, right? Getting to know someone?"
I run a hand through my hair, trying to organize my thoughts. My mind is a hurricane of complications she knows nothing about. The gang bang where I accidentally slept with my own mother. Mom's increasingly aggressive advances. The hand job this morning that I'm still trying to process. How do you even begin to explain that kind of baggage to someone?
"I'm in a really weird spot emotionally in my life right now," I say carefully, the understatement of the century. "Things are... complicated."
Sabrina's face falls for a moment, but then she squares her shoulders, stepping closer again. "Gabe, meeting kindred spirits like this..." She gestures between us, her voice gaining strength with each word. "Talking to you is like when I yap at my Discord friends. It's so easy, so natural. Please."
There's something painfully earnest in her eyes, something that cuts through all the chaos in my head. I think about how I feel lighter when I'm with her, like I can breathe easier. Like I'm just a normal college guy with normal college problems instead of whatever the fuck my life has become.
Maybe this is exactly what I need. Maybe Sabrina is the lifeline I've been drowning without.
"Alright then," I say, surprising myself with how right it feels. "I'd love to be your boyfriend."
Her entire face transforms, lighting up with such pure joy it's almost blinding. She lets out a squeal that should probably shatter glass and launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck so forcefully I stumble backward.
"You won't regret this!"
A/N: I got a switch 2 so idk if im gonna slow down with releases.