Chapter 1: Sabina's P.O.V.
2253 Words
"Time to get up sunshine." I called out to my best friend Nina.
Nina groaned from the couch. I chuckled to myself, and gave her a few minutes to get up.
Nina is my very best friend in the world. We've been friends since I first moved out here for college when I was 18. That was three years ago. We met during orientation, and it was like we had known each other all our lives.
We even dormed together for the first year. After that, I couldn't do it anymore. Living in the dorms is hard, and there are so many rules. I couldn't take it.
Nina decided to move in with her boyfriend, also sharing my dislike of the dorms. And I got an apartment.
Unfortunately, apartments in Long Beach, CA are crazy expensive. My parents give me an allowance weekly, and pay for my tuition. They probably could even have afforded to rent this apartment for me, or a better one. But I didn't want to ask them for anymore help. Hell, they wouldn't be paying for anything for me if I thought I could hold down a job.
I have tried to work a few jobs throughout the last three years. I just wanted to try to branch off on my own. To prove that I didn't need my parents' money.
Sadly for me... It never worked out. Being raised rich… I never had experience of anything. When I waitressed, I broke so many things, and even spilled drinks on customers. I was fired. I broke the espresso machine at the local coffee shop, creating a huge craze... during the morning rush. Fired. And a few other places let me go because I was a few hours late for my shift too many times. I overslept due to studying late.
Apparently, I'm not cut out for small jobs.
Thankfully though, Nina has a twin brother. An amazingly funny, sweet, kind, clean, considerate, and very gay brother. Nick hated living in the dorms, and said his roommate was a homophob. He moved in with me right away, and it's been great since.
Nick and I get along great. He's become a very, very close friend of mine. We respect each other's space, and have never argued over chores before. It's been a blessing.
"Please tell me coffee." Nina whined as she came up behind me to rest her head on my shoulder.
I laughed.
"Okay. Coffee." I teased.
Nina whined again as she removed her head. I rolled my eyes, amused. I turned around, and handed Nina a cup of coffee.
"Two sugars, no cream. Just how you like it. Bitter." I said.
Nina took a sip, and smiled at me.
"You're the best," she said happily.
I smiled at her before turning back to the stove.
"I made a lot of greasy stuff just for you bestie." I told her.
Nina, Nick, and I went out drinking last night. Nick left early since he had classes early this morning. Nina woke up with a huge hangover. I, however, did not.
I never get a hangover, and I can drink like a fish.
"This is so unfair." Nina complained as I set a plate down in front of her.
Here we go.
"You drank like.. twice as much as me. Don't you feel sick at all? You didn't even throw up. How can you not even have a headache? Is it all the water you drink while you're taking shot after shot?" She rambled.
I laughed.
I do drink a lot of water while I drink alcohol, but I drink a lot of water anyway. I like staying hydrated, and a bit.ch gets thirsty. However, I have no idea if that's really why I don't get hangovers.
"Well, they say that hangovers are caused by dehydration, so maybe," I said before shoving a piece of bacon in my mouth.
"So unfair," Nina grumbled.
I chuckled.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Like sh.it." Nina replied. "My head hurts, I threw up like a hundred times last night. And I totally reek."
"That's what happens when you drink until you black out." I told her. "But I meant about the break-up. Ya know, the whole reason that we went out and got that drunk in the first place," I said.
Nina gave me a forced smile.
"I'm okay. Really. He was a total jerk anyway." She said.
Nina found out yesterday that her boyfriend of over two years has been sleeping with her favorite professor. A professor that she admired and looked up to. Her boyfriend knew that. The professor knew that. The only one in the dark here, was Nina.
I think that all of that being said, makes her ex and this professor the world's worst scum.
"I can still make a call for you," I said.
"No," Nina said, shaking her head. "As much as I would love to see them both in trouble, I don't want you to ask your family for a favor."
Nina knows that I don't get along well with my family. She also knows that our college is very strict on professor/student relationships. Which means, if the school were to find out that Brett and Prof Elena meet every day at 4 pm in her office.. They could catch them in the act. Brett would be kicked out of school, and Prof Elena would be asked to leave.
I did my research. I suspected something like this was happening when Nina talked about Brett going with her to ask the professor questions. It wasn't that it was strange persay, but I had a gut feeling.
"I will do it for you," I told her.
Nina shook her head.
"It's alright. I just need to forget the jerk. The school year is almost over. Next year I won't be taking Prof Elena's class. Brett is graduating, so I won't have to see him again after this year." She said sadly.
I inspected Nina for a moment. I guess she doesn't need to know that I already made the call. By Monday morning, it'll be all the talk of the school. Nina will know I had a hand to play in it, but it's okay.
Honestly, calling in this favor wasn't hard at all. My dad has a lot of connections. Not everyone with power and money looks down on me. Dad has a lot of people who work for him who don't see me as the family disappointment. I just called one of them, and told them what was going on. They were more than happy to do me a favor.
"Well, what do you want to do today?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
Nina slumped.
"I have to find somewhere else to stay. Get my things from Brett's place. Hopefully, while he's not there," she said.
"Just stay here for now. Nick is gone half the time anyway. We have that extra room that's more like a closet.." I offered.
"That room doesn't even have a closet. It would fit my bed and a side table," Nina said.
I shrugged.
"You can keep your clothes in my closet," I replied.
Nina blinked at me.
"What? I can make space." I said.
Nina laughed, and shook her head.
"You? Make room in your closet? How would you even do that?" She asked.
"Ha ha." I said. "I'd do anything for you booboo."
Nina snorted.
"Okay. That sounds great. I'll force Nick to make room in his too." She said.
"So," I said. "When should we go get your stuff?"
********************************************
"Wow.." I trailed off as I walked into Nina's old apartment. "This place is a mess."
There are clothes all over the place. Empty take out containers and cans are covering the table and counters. And there's a stench in the air.
"Ugh, what is that smell?" I asked.
"Beats me." Nina said.
"Please tell me that you have not been living like this." I begged my best friend.
"No, I mean.. It was messy when I left, but not like this. What the hell did he do yesterday, throw a damn party?" Nina muttered.
"Okay, let's just get your stuff and go." I said.
Nina walked through the apartment, until we got to the back bedroom. At least their bedroom looks clean. If Brett did throw a party, at least he didn't let anyone come back here.
Nina and I got to work packing up her stuff. Thankfully, we brought enough boxes to hold all of her things. Apparently, Nina only wanted to take her clothes, school stuff, and a few other odd and end things.
"What about a bed?" I asked.
"I'll buy an inflatable one for now, I guess," she said.
I scoffed.
"And let that douche have this bed?" I asked.
"What are we supposed to do? Drag it the seven miles to your apartment?" Nina asked sarcastically.
I looked at the bed, then at Nina.
"Maybe we can."
**************************************
"I can't believe we're doing this." Nina giggled.
I giggled with her as we dragged the queen-sized mattress across campus.
"Me either." I said. "I'll get you some sheets when we get there, and I have something that I think we can clean it with."
"I can't believe Avery and his friends are going to go get those boxes for us," Nina said.
I laughed. Avery is someone that we've been friends with since orientation. He's always had a thing for Nina, but she's never noticed it. I'm not sure why he never told her.
We ran into Avery on our way out of the apartment with the bed. He offered to take it for us, but Nina declined. When she told him about what Brett did.. Avery was more than willing to help us.
"I can believe it. The dude is in love with you." I teased.
"No he's not. Trust me." Nina said.
"Trust you?" I asked.
Nina and I made it about three miles. Both of us are huffing.
"Wait, let's take a break." Nina said.
We stopped, and let the mattress fall to the floor. Nina plopped on top of it, and I sat next to her.
"We should have just let Avery carry it," Nina said.
"You said it would be fun," I told her.
Nina laughed.
"I did say that, didn't I?" She said.
"Nina, what did you mean by trust you that Avery doesn't have the hots for you?" I asked her.
Nina shrugged.
"Do you remember that party our freshman year? The one that you didn't go to, but Nick and I did. I told you all about it the next morning?" She asked.
"How could I forget?" I mumbled. "You showed up to my dorm room at 1 in the morning, and got me in trouble."
"Your roommate was just an as.shole." Nina said, rolling her eyes.
True.
"Anyway, I kissed Avery that night. I thought he was so hot. So, I went for it. I thought he was really into it at first, but.. I don't know. He told me to go home and get some rest. Then he acted like our little make-out session never happened. I figured that maybe he just wasn't that into me." She told me.
That doesn't make sense. I've seen the way Avery looks at her. He's totally into her. I wonder if it was just something else.
"What about you anyway?" Nina asked,
"What about me?" I replied.
"You haven't had one serious relationship since I've known you. Just a few hook-ups here and there." She said.
I averted my eyes, and shrugged.
"No one likes me like that," I said.
"What are you talking about? I see guys check you out all the time," she said.
"Yeah, that's about as far as it goes. No one wants to date a chubby girl like me." I said.
Which is true. I have been a more than curvy girl my whole life. I've seen the looks of lust that people give me. When I was younger, I thought it was nice. I never got attention from my parents, and my older sister was better than me in every way.
It wasn't until I first had s.ex that I realized that that's all people wanted from me. Just one night. Never more than a se.x.
I've been told countless times that I'm not the girl to take around and show off. I'm just the girl to experiment with or have a good time with.
I made my peace with that a while ago. I've never been in love, and I don't hold any hopes that I will someday. However, I also know my worth. No one uses me. I use them.
I have a few hook-ups. Guys that I only call when I'm really horny, and need a good time. They all understand that.
That's as far as my relationships go though.
"I hate it when you say those things about yourself. Your weight doesn't define you firstly. Secondly, I wish that I had curves like you. Like, have you even seen yourself twerk?" Nina asked.
We both shared a laugh.
"One day, some guy is going to come into your life and sweep you off your feet. I can't wait for that day to come so that I can say 'told ya so'." She teased.
I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah whatever," I said. "Let's get your bed back before Brett finds us."
- Writer
