Gregory Girls Gone Wild - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Rainey pressed her face into the couch pillow and let out a muffled scream.
"Excuse me," she heard Nakir say in the faint direction of the kitchen. "What the hell is she doing?"
"Don't mind her," she heard Mariah say. "She's in distress."
"What's she in distress for?" Nakir asked indignantly. "Her finals are over!"
"Dunno. Ever since her girlfriend's Christmas Party, she's been alternating between studying and screaming into that abused pillow."
Rainey raised her head slightly. "She's not my girlfriend. And I have no idea what you two are talking about because I am perfectly fine."
Nakir and Mariah exchanged skeptical glances.
"So if I mention the name, Danik—" Mariah began.
"Don't say her name!" Rainey said emphatically. "Nobody say her name!"
"What, is she Voldemort or something?" Nakir asked, sounding outraged. "Can't even say her name! This is a democracy!"
Rainey lowered her head and again let out a scream into the pillow. There was a shuffling noise as the couch dipped slightly near her arms. Nakir sat on the couch shoulder, watching her sympathetically.
"See here, Rainey," he said quietly. "If you don't tell us the problem, then we can't help, you know?"
Rainey whimpered. She lifted her head to see Nakir and Mariah observing her carefully, like she was a wounded puppy in need of rescuing.
"You couldn't help anyway," she muttered.
"Try us," Nakir raised an eyebrow.
Rainey pressed her mouth into the pillow. "Mghm, I mghg hm, hmkay?"
"Come again?"
"What the hell did she say?"
Rainey raised her head. "I said I like her, okay?"
It was silent in the room. Then suddenly, Nakir was shaking her by her arms.
"That's great!" he shouted. "You've managed to realize your feelings!"
"Stop shaking me, you fool!"
Mariah was biting her cheeks, looking relieved. She sat on the other end of the couch and transferred Rainey's legs to her own lap. Her shirt was oversized, and Rainey had a suspicion that she had seen the shirt somewhere else, possibly on Nakir.
"Poor darling," Mariah said sympathetically. "Is there really no chance she could like you back?"
After being released from Nakir's grasp, Rainey settled her head on the back of the couch and wiggled her socked feet into Mariah's thighs. She fiddled with the green tassels on her new scarf, thinking deeply.
"I don't know," Rainey admitted. "She said she's straight. And I think she's only been with guys, from what I can tell. But, sometimes I get these mixed signals..."
She explained to them the events of the Christmas party, of the present exchange, and how unabashedly drunkenly Danika had acted towards her. The part where she used Danika's perfume she omitted, feeling that it was a bit too embarrassing to share. She added other details from the semester, their too-long glances, their fights, little bits of pieces that Rainey thought was flirting, clues that she was desperately trying to gather.
"I know there are some straight girls that act a little gay once they drink," she said helplessly. "Is that all this is?"
"I don't know," Mariah admitted. "It could go either way. Plus, not to be a complete downer, but affection from drunk girls doesn't quite, you know, translate to feelings either."
"That scarf does though," Nakir interjected. "I mean that's a pretty fucking expensive scarf. I would expect a gift like that from your girlfriend or a long-time friend. Not someone you just met this semester, and certainly not from your employee."
"Right," Rainey mumbled, fingering the scarf fondly. "But she said it's because I saved her at the play."
"Still," Nakir insisted. "If you saved my life, I'd buy you dinner or do your homework for a week. I wouldn't give you something so intimate and expensive as that scarf."
"I don't know," Rainey said doubtfully. "Danika doesn't think like that."
"How did she act after the party?" Mariah asked, her eyebrows scrunched. "When you saw her at work?"
"Our work schedule's been off because of finals," Rainey replied. "But things have been fine between us. You know how Danika is, she smooths over anything weird."
It was true, things were regressively friendly between her and Danika at work. The sophomore had smiled cheerily at her, apologized for whatever she had said during the party, and slung her arm around her shoulder in a buddy-buddy manner. Disappointed, Rainey replied with a similar friendly dismissal. Their texts following the party however, were nothing like their real life interactions; they shocked her with its subtextual sexual charge.
Danika
you going to jessica's party on friday?
Rainey
Yeah. She invited you?
Danika
course. i'm the life of the party.
Rainey
More like the entertainment.
Lol jk
Danika
yeah my dancing is pretty hypnotic.
Rainey
I wouldn't mind seeing that.
Danika
bet you wouldn't
anyway, the forecast is brrrr on friday. just a reminder. i know you like to forget your winter gear  :<)
Rainey
Don't worry. I might forget to wear appropriate winter wear, but at least I'll have your scarf.
Danika
...so you're saying you're showing up to jessica's wearing nothing but my scarf? xD
jk
Rainey
Ha. Way to put words in my mouth.
But I wouldd be the life of the party if I showed up like that.
Danika
haha
no, you'd be the entertainmenttt :P
Rainey
Would that entertain you? Me wearing nothing but your scarf? Lmao
Danika
i'd take loads of pictures.
Rainey
That's not fair. What are you wearing to the party?
Danika
probably something skimpy.
"Earth to Rainey!"
Rainey looked up guiltily. Mariah was waving a hand in front of her face, looking exasperated.
"See!" Rainey said, showing them the texts. "Isn't this flirting?"
Mariah squinted at the phone. "I-I guess." Nakir grabbed the phone and scrolled through the texts with a smirk. Rainey grabbed it back, scowling.
"Maybe you should talk to her," Mariah said. "Instead of theorizing with us."
"No, I prefer theorizing with you."
Nakir patted her arm. "The only way to tell if someone likes you, is to well—ask them straight up."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," Nakir said, his smirk becoming more pronounced. "You should confess your feelings to her, Rainey. Or even better, you should kiss her."
"Holy crap," Rainey blinked. "I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm a coward."
Mariah sighed. "I seem to see the problem."
"Please explain, Wise Sister."
"Well, I've noticed in your friendship with Danika, she's been somewhat of the aggressor out of the two of you," Mariah said. "Right?"
Rainey thought back to the beginning of the semester. "Maybe at the start."
Mariah scratched her chin thoughtfully. "If she does have feelings for you, which might be likely considering all the facts, then Rainey, you might be the first girl she's ever had feelings for. That's a big deal. She might not even understand her own feelings yet."
Rainey recalled the confusion in Danika's face at the party. "Maybe you're right."
Nakir nodded. "I agree. You're going to need to be aggressive here. Woo her, kiss her, like I did for Mariah. She's got to realize that her own feelings extend far past friendship, you know? And she needs a catalyst. Take the chance, Rainey."
Rainey stared hesitantly at the scarf strings, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. To her horror, she felt a lump in her throat.
"I can't," she whispered hoarsely. "She's my best friend. What if I ruin everything by confessing? What if she avoids me? I-I couldn't take that."
"You've been trying to avoid her for most of the semester," Mariah reminded her. "And she's stuck like glue by your side."
"Yeah, even if Danika doesn't like you back," Nakir added. "She'd still be friends with you. She doesn't seem like the type to hold grudges."
"C'mon, Rainey," Mariah said. "It's only going to get worse from here. Unless, you can get over your feelings."
Rainey thought back to the sophomore, the hours they've spent together, her jokes, the way her eyes seemed to twinkle when she'd get Rainey to finally laugh. Her smile, her kindness, her constant texting, her work ethic, her fiery attitude.
"No, I like her terribly," Rainey said, feeling downcast.
Mariah rubbed her feet, in an attempt to console her.
"I'm telling you that scarf is your lifeline," Nakir said.
"Oh, Nakir," Mariah sniffed at him. "A scarf is just a scarf."
"No way," he insisted. "That scarf is proof Danika has feelings for her. Either consciously or not. It's too romantic."
Rainey returned her attention to her phone.
Rainey
Skimpy, huh?
Danika
yeah imma wear a bikini and that's it
Rainey
Won't you be cold?
Danika
oh true. i might just brunt the cold, ya know
Rainey
You can borrow my scarf. I'll wrap it around the two of us.
Danika
aw that's sweet of you ;))
Rainey
Bleh.
You coming into work before Friday?
Danika
nah last final is friday morning. :O
Rainey
Gotcha. Good luck!
I'll see you at the party then?
Rainey clicked off her phone.
She laid back on the couch, ignoring further suggestions from Nakir and Mariah.
"It's all good and easy for the two of you," she murmured. "But look at it from my point of view. What right do I have to kiss my best friend? Aren't I entitled to think that my feelings have any sort of value towards a girl as stunning as Danika?"
"Of course they have value," Mariah said gently. "Making yourself vulnerable is never easy. But the rewards are unbelievable—trust me."
She smiled shyly at Nakir, whose eyes seemed to soften at her words.
Rainey got up from the couch and returned to her room, getting the hint that her sister and Nakir wanted to be alone.
She herself didn't want to be alone anymore. And perhaps, she should act quickly.