Gregory Girls Gone Wild - Chapter 22: Chapter 22

The first two weeks of December dashed by in a flurry of ten page essays, squished in midterms, and sleepless nights courtesy of coffee and Red bull. Rainey had to cut down on her second job at Nutty's due to lack of time, which Big M graciously accepted.
"Finals season is rough, I know," her boss had said. "Come back and the job is still yours."
Grateful, Rainey poured all her efforts into studying. In her spare time, she searched for a potential Christmas present for Danika.
Her mother, meanwhile, had yet to call. Usually, after not hearing from her in over a week, Rainey would call up Georgina herself. But this time, she let the silence continue uninterrupted. It was mean, un-daughterly perhaps, but with the extra money in her bank account, Rainey could afford to splurge on Christmas presents.
Choosing a present, however, was proving to be a struggle.
The day before Danika's party, Mariah was lounging on the couch of their apartment. Rainey crossed the living room to hover over her.
"What should I get Danika?" Rainey asked her sister.
Mariah shrugged, her head comfortably set against a pillow. "I don't know, a necklace?"
"Isn't that too...coupley?" Rainey crossed her arms. "I don't want her to think that I like her."
"Well, then get her flowers and a card that says 'I don't like you'."
"Very funny."
After hours of flip-flopping and google searching, Rainey decided on a nice, velvet onesie for Danika. She figured with the sophomore's obsessions with onesies, it was a practical gift. The material was long-lasting and comfortable, and more importantly, no one could accuse Rainey of having a crush.
You wouldn't give the girl you like a onesie, right?
Smug, she wrapped the gift in red and green wrapping paper and taped the edges.
Danika's party was the Friday night before finals week. Rainey had decided that she would make a quick appearance, shove the gift in her arms, and skedaddle before she got swept up by party activities. She'd be bored anyways, as sophomores would mainly be in attendance—Danika's friend group. Rainey planned to show up only out of courtesy.
For the party, Rainey dressed up rather festively. She wore a black sweater, a sleek, black leather jacket, and skinny blue jeans.
She groaned in the mirror. Her outfit wasn't festive at all.
On a whim, she added red, dangly earrings, in a lazy effort to fit in with the holiday. The earrings became entangled in her hair, and Rainey impatiently brushed it to the side and examined herself in the mirror. The longest wisps of her hair, silky brown strands, almost reached her chin; much too long for her usual standards.
Mentally reminding herself to get an overdue haircut, Rainey hopped on her motorcycle and headed to Danika's dorm, her present stowed safely in the back compartment. The weather was brisk, the wind unforgivably loud, and she wasted no time in striding into the dorm, and taking refuge by the lobby's fireplace.
A sea of underclassmen surrounded her; laughing with one another, and stressing out about upcoming finals. A few lone wolves were settled in comfy chairs and staring blankly at the fire. In the corner was a Christmas tree packed with red and green ornaments, and red rugs were wrung out and placed underneath the furniture.
After warming up, Rainey made her way to the fourth floor where to her surprise, almost every single door was propped open. It was pleasantly packed; college students sitting against the wall with hot cocoa in their hands, others crammed into a dorm room gossiping—and there was even a game room where people were playing UNO.
Lost, Rainey grappled her way to what she remembered as Danika's room and heard a familiar voice.
"Hey! Rainey, right?"
It was Sheba, wearing a fuzzy, green turtleneck. Her thick braids were tied back with red ribbons, and a smile was fixed upon her face.
"Hey!" Rainey said, relieved to see a familiar face. "You know where Danika is?"
"Hm, somewhere around here..." Sheba said, craning her neck. "You know she's always getting distracted in conversation. Merry Christmas, by the way!"
Rainey blinked. "Sorry. Merry Christmas!" She gave Sheba a small parcel.
"Is that for me?" Sheba said, looking shocked. She unwrapped the packaging to reveal a small wine bottle.
"Yeah, well," Rainey said shyly. "Obligatory hostess gift, right?"
Sheba grinned at her. "Awesome!"
Rainey looked around the hallway, inspecting the red and green streamers tied at the ceiling lining. "This is quite a party, isn't it?"
"Yeah, we managed to convince the entire floor to throw a Christmas party tonight," Sheba replied proudly. "Except for Karen Hottman at 401, but she's always been a bitch."
Rainey tensed as a familiar figure pressed against her back. "Well, don't say that, Sheba," a voice said. "Not everyone's up for Christmas festivities."
Rainey turned, her heart squeezing at the sound. Danika was wearing a white tank top with a red cardigan thrown over, and a Santa hat topped on her head.
"For instance, Rainey here," Danika continued, her eyes twinkling. "Wearing black at a Christmas party. Who died again?"
Rainey grinned back. "My dignity at being here. Merry Christmas, Dani."
"Merry Christmas!" Danika hugged her. "I'm glad you made it."
Rainey grazed her nose against Danika's collarbone, smelling the delicious candy smell that always seemed to emanate from the sophomore.
"Here, for you," she said foolishly, thrusting the present in Danika's arms.
Danika raised an eyebrow while turning over the gift. "We're going to have a long talk on the number of gifts you keep giving me." Her brown eyes were dancing in merriment. "Good thing I've a gift of my own. Let me put this in my room. Be right back."
Rainey unconsciously watched Danika's ass as she navigated through the crowd, scratching her chin as the sight disappeared.
Meanwhile, Sheba was staring at her curiously.
Rainey flushed. "Er, maybe I should go. I only wanted to drop off the present and then get back to studying—"
"She'd be pissed if you left," Sheba pointed out. "And so would I, actually. You have to stay for at least an hour."
Rainey sighed and put her hands in her pockets. "I guess so." She glanced at a couple guys giving each other leap-frogs. "Lots of people here. Are they all your and Dani's friends?"
"Mostly Dani's," Sheba said nonchalantly. "She makes friends so easily, you know. Like blink, and suddenly you're her best friend."
Rainey felt a pit in her stomach forming. "Yeah. She's pretty likable." She watched a couple making out in the corner, and her heart began to sink. "You know, I think I will head home. I have something in the morning and—"
"She talks about you a lot, you know," Sheba said quietly.
Rainey froze.
"Maybe because there's so much trouble surrounding you. I don't mean that in a rude way," she added quickly. "But she's always like, 'my boss is doing this'...or 'my boss is always getting into trouble'...or 'how come my boss never answers my texts.' Stuff like that. I've never heard her be so caught up in someone's business"
Rainey cleared her throat. "Yeah, she's a really great person. I'm lucky to have her in my life."
Sheba tilted her head. "That didn't answer my question."
There was an awkward pause.
"Well, you didn't ask me one," Rainey said, feeling queasy. She suddenly wanted Danika to return and rescue her.
Sheba's chest rose, as if she was on the brink of saying something that took quite a lot of courage. Rainey stepped back nervously.
Music swirled around, renditions of old Christmas tunes. People were beginning to dance in the hallways, and a few couples were pulled into rooms amidst giggles.
Sheba's face fell. "I guess people do change in college."
"What?"
Rainey felt a sharp pinch on the back of her neck.
"Alright," Danika interrupted brightly. "Time to introduce you to everyone I know."
Sheba tilted her head as Danika dragged Rainey to the other side of the hallway towards a troupe of theater kids. Relieved to be away from the strange-acting Sheba, Rainey didn't protest.
What was that about?
To her horror however, Rainey soon realized Danika's master plan for the party. She was apparently being paraded around as some kind of hero.
"Everyone, meet Rainey," Danika announced. "She's the one who saved me from certain death at the Peter Pan play. That makes her my guest of honor!"
A brunette girl stepped forward. "Oh, that was you!" She was tall and familiar looking. "I'm Cordelia. I was in charge of the play." She shook Rainey's hand vigorously. "What an accident, right? Thank goodness you saved my Captain Hook! Who else can act like such a villain?"
"Um, it's no big deal," Rainey said, sweating. She hated when the spotlight was on her, and Danika seemed to sense that, her eyes twinkling and her fingers grasping Rainey's arm tightly. There was no escape in sight.
"Let's drink to Rainey!"
"Cheers!"
"Hooray for Rainey!"
Blushing furiously, Rainey met more of Danika's colleagues and friends, many of them sophomores but also other years as well. She received numerous phone numbers, and a barrage of names.
"There's no way I can remember all these people," Rainey told Danika, exasperated.
"No worries," the sophomore winked. "I'll remind you."
Ryan also made an appearance, looking quite sour in a home-made knitted sweater. He was still as tall and as annoyingly handsome, in Rainey's mind-eye.
"I came for Sheba," Rainey overheard him say coldly to Danika. "Not you."
"That's fine by me," Danika said, lips pursed. "Want a cookie?"
Grinning, Rainey auspiciously ate a cookie herself.
Ryan stalked over to the middle of the hallway where Sheba was, and Rainey stared at Danika expectantly.
"I need a drink," Danika said, looking annoyed.
"Everything okay with you two?" Rainey asked, trying her best to sound casual.
Danika rubbed her arm. "Well, I got pretty busy after the whole play thing, and I sort of forgot to return his calls."
She took a sip from a red solo cup that was filled with cranberry vodka. Rainey pulled at Danika's cardigan, worried.
"Ah, it's okay," Danika said, noticing her concern. "I'll only drink a little. Want some?"
"No, I'm driving. I'll drink some hot chocolate."
Danika draped her arm around Rainey's shoulder, a buzzed smile on her lips. Whistling a sweet tune, Rainey glanced at the crabby-looking Ryan. She felt that she might be in the Christmas mood indeed.
Before she knew it, an hour had passed and she had met more people than she had wanted to know in her whole life. She sipped at the hot chocolate Danika had given her, and stifled a yawn.
Danika, who was glowing in full hostess mode, looked down right at the very moment.
"Want to take a break in my room?" she suggested.
"Yes, please."
Room 413 was decorated most festively, Christmas lights bouncing off every corner in the room, and an overdecorated tree drooping in the right corner. Rainey practically collapsed on Danika's bed, on top of a dancing elves comforter.
"Enjoying yourself?" Danika asked eagerly. She was swaying slightly from the alcohol.
"Actually, yes," Rainey propped her head up. "You throw a great party."
Danika beamed at her.
Rainey's gaze fell to her tank top, then to the length of her long legs. It traveled back up slowly to Danika's face which suddenly looked unsettled.
"Um, should we open each other's gifts?" Danika asked, fiddling with her fingers.
Rainey raised an eyebrow. "Sure."
Danika retrieved both presents and together, the two girls eagerly attacked the wrapping. The sounds of crinkling paper filled the air.
"Wow, this is amazing, Rainey!" Danika said happily. She held out the gigantic onesie. "Just what I needed. I'm going to wear this every night to sleep."
Rainey was gaping at her own opened box. "Dani, what the hell?"
Feeling numb, she lifted the long, silky material. "I-I can't accept this."
It was a scarf, gorgeous and green and shimmering with flecks of white. It was obviously expensive, and to Rainey's untrained eye, worth a hundred dollars, possibly more. It was the most beautiful scarf she had ever seen in her life.
"Dani, I can't," Rainey said helplessly.
Danika gave her an embarrassed smile. "You lost your old scarf at the auditorium, right? Because you saved me at the play? This is a thank you for that and for your other lovely gifts."
"I don't need a thank you—"
"Plus, it matches your eyes," Danika continued, ignoring her. "I saw it at a store, in all its green glory, and immediately thought of you."
"I can't wear something this expensive. I'll get robbed."
Danika laughed. "C'mon, put it on, Ran-Ran."
"There are social niceties at stake here, you realize that?" Rainey said, pissed. "We're supposed to give gifts at the same level, Dani. Or else it isn't fair! I feel stupid for only giving you a onesie."
Danika began to strangle her with the scarf, wrapping it tightly around her neck, despite Rainey's vehement protests. "Be quiet, will you? There's no social niceties between friends."
Coughing from the lack of air, Rainey pouted. "I feel tricked. You suck."
Danika laughed again. Rainey thought her laughter sounded rather flirtatious.
Danika got up from the bed suddenly, running a hand through her hair. "How about we re-join the party?"
She was biting her lip, looking flustered.
"Um, can I use the bathroom?" Rainey asked, mystified.
"Use mine. I'll be waiting outside." Her eyes fixed on the scarf, then flickered to Rainey's face before she stumbled out the room.
Rainey waddled to the bathroom, deep in thought. She remembered Sheba's strange attitude. Did Danika like her back? Or was that wishful thinking?
Once finished with her business, she returned to the room and inspected herself in the mirror. She played with the scarf, admiring how the silky material glimmered in the light. It was mesmerizing.
Right before she was about to leave, a glass perfume bottle on top of the dresser caught her eye.
Rainey swallowed hard, lowering herself slowly on the dresser chair. It was quiet in the room, except for the faint noises coming from behind the closed door, and her own heavy breathing. She reached for the perfume gingerly. The top cap fell on the floor with a clatter, and after a second, she raised the bottle to her nose.
She almost fell over. It was Danika's scent; the irresistible smell of sweet cotton candy. It was like a drug to her sense, overpowering her brain, making her feel almost animalistic.
This was the smell of her dreams.
Unable to stop herself, she slowly untangled the scarf from her neck. Her hand tightened on the perfume bottle. Without thinking, she spritzed the scarf with the perfume. Then, she did it again.
She needed to smell it, that drug-filled toxic scent. She buried her face in the scarf, rubbing it all over her, feeling the need to imprint the smell into her skin, her clothes, everywhere.
She stopped and glanced at her demented mirror reflection, shocked with herself.
Feeling color warm her cheeks, she rose and desperately tried to rub the scarf and the rest of her clothes on Danika's bed in an attempt to get rid of the scent.
What would Danika think if I came out smelling the way she did? she frantically thought. What the hell is wrong with me?
Freaking out, Rainey cracked open the door. Seeing that the coast was clear, she wrapped the scarf around her neck, and tip-toed towards the stairway.
A hand grabbed her arm.
"What are you—" Danika began, sounding outraged. She stopped, her eyes widening in shock.
Rainey flushed. Busted.
Horrified, she could only back up against the hallway wall as Danika leaned in and imperceptibly sniffed her neck.
Rainey mentally pleaded for mercy. She pressed herself against the hallway wall, looking away in fright.
A violin instrumental of 'Baby It's Cold Outside' streamed in the background, a slow rhythm bleeding into the hallway. People moved behind Danika's back, dancing mindlessly. A few glanced in their direction, but most slid past them, as if they were invisible.
Danika's fingers curled on the belt loops of Rainey's jeans. Rainey determinedly looked away.
Don't make eye contact. Don't make—
Rainey gasped as Danika pressed herself closer and leaned her head against the wall, right next to her face.
Rainey trembled. For the first time in her life, she was utterly paralyzed. "I-I have to leave."
Danika only nodded. The rest of her body didn't move. "A good-bye hug then?"
Rainey smelled liquor on Danika's breath. She felt a stirring of anger. "How much did you drink, lightweight?"
"Not much. Although, I like drinking around you."
Rainey recoiled.
She felt suddenly that she was witnessing the real Danika, a whirling turmoil of confusion and lust and a hint of violence. No friendliness, no home-made brownies, certainly no teasing laughter.
Danika was refusing to show her face, her long black hair obscuring her features.
"A good-bye hug?" Rainey repeated.
Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around the sophomore's neck, pressing her cheek to her own cheek. The stench of cotton candy swirled around them, shaming Rainey to a burning silence.
She wished Danika would say something about the perfume. This silence was making her feel like she had done something wrong.
Closing her eyes, she rubbed her nose against Danika's cheek. She kissed her jaw softly, helplessly. Danika tensed.
Rainey paused and looked up at the sophomore, a question rising in her lips.
Danika lowered her head, her lips near Rainey's ear.
"Your hair is getting long."
Rainey shuddered as the breath hit her right in her lower regions. "Yeah," she whispered. "I-I was thinking of cutting it."
Danika nuzzled at her hair. Her fingers began to twist painfully on Rainey's belt loops. "Don't," she whispered. "It suits you."
She turned her head slightly, and Rainey shivered as she saw brown stones in place of eyes, a knot of lustful insanity shining through the cracks.
Frightened, she pulled away.
"Merry Christmas, Dani," she whispered. She wriggled out of Danika's grasp and fled down the stairs.
Although she strained her ears, she didn't hear the sophomore yell for her to come back.