The Other Side of Me – Part 6
by Limbo’s Mistress

I grilled Katie about Danny while she styled my hair with a bit of a wave and showed me the trick to applying makeup. Spoiler alert! Less is more.

“I’ve only met him a few times,” she said, stepping back to admire her handiwork. “He came over a couple of times with Josie. Seemed like an okay guy.”

An okay guy? He was a bully and a terror. Even after he and his underlings decided that Jackson and I weren’t worth the trouble, he still made other kids’ lives a living hell. A couple of times, I managed to intervene. Such as when he had Marcus Kowalski’s arm twisted up like a pretzel for the imagined crime of looking at Rebecca Byers for longer than two seconds.

I had merely made my way to the front of the circle of cheering onlookers and waited until Danny saw me. Then I flashed him a smile that carried a metric ton of threat. He immediately released the smaller kid’s arm and made a big show of “letting him off easy”.

Now he was dating one of Charlene’s closest friends. And she was okay with that?

“He doesn’t go to school with them, does he?” I asked. Back home, Danny Morris was, according to rumor, struggling to get through community college.

Katie nodded. “Yeah, he’s on the football team.” Apparently satisfied that I finally resembled Charlene’s normal look, she closed up the Primp Master 3000. “Why all the questions about Danny? Shouldn’t you be concentrating more on people other than Josie’s boyfriend?”

I paused my response long enough to examine myself in the desk’s small mirror. At first, I really hadn’t been paying attention to her actions, being more focused on Danny and why he was featured to prominently in Charlene’s life. However, now that I stared in the mirror at myself, the more I realized that my face now seemed to pop. The foundation, blush, mascara, eye shadow, and lip gloss I knew Katie had applied faded into the background. Only noticeable because of the way they worked together to enhance Charlene’s already natural beauty.

“Wow,” I said, turning slightly to the left and right. “That looks … amazing. I look amazing.”

Katie laughed and shrugged. “The funniest part is the fact Charlene was the one who taught me how to put on makeup properly. How to get maximum results from minimal application. Now, I get to teach you. The circle is complete.”

“I sincerely doubt I’ll be able to do it as well as you,” I said, meaning every word.

She grinned and bumped me with her hip. “True. But you’re going to have to learn. I can’t spend every morning being your personal valet.” She waved one hand at herself. “After all, I still have to get myself ready for school, too.”

I lifted one foot, pointing my stocking-clad toes at her. “Any suggestions for footwear? And please don’t say high heels.”

Tapping on finger against her lips in contemplation, she turned around and looked at the closet. “Charlene would not wear high heels to class, Chuck. Too much walking across campus. I recommend her black ankle boots. The heel is only an inch high and wedged. Should make it easier for you to avoid busting your butt.”

“Gotcha.” I walked over to the closet. “Anything else I need? I’ve already prepped her backpack, but didn’t touch anything in the purse.”

“Did you pack your workout gear?” she asked. “You know, for cheer practice.”

I shook my head. “Jackson said we were between seasons. He promised me I wasn’t going to have to shake my pom poms while I was stuck here.”

“Sure. There are no games for the next month. Which saves you from actually having to perform for a crowd of spectators. However, you are on a scholarship. The cheer squad practices five days a week. Even in the off-season.”

“Dear god,” I moaned, closing my eyes. “This deal continues to get worse and worse.”

Katie laughed. “It won’t be that bad. Just do what the other girls do. It doesn’t matter if Charles has never done that stuff before because Charlene has. Which means you can, too.”

“You seem rather optimistic about that.” I said.

She grinned. “I’ve noticed the way you walk and sit and generally move. There’s more girl than boy to all that. I think if you just let your body lead instead of your mind, you can pull it off.” She gave me a wink and walked toward the door. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to hop in the shower.”

After she was gone, I grabbed a black and pink duffle bag and shoved the Nikes and a sensible set of athletic wear inside it. Then I located the little black boots, deciding that I could probably maneuver around in them without dying. Just like Katie said.

Once my feet were contained, I grabbed both bags and Charlene’s purse, dropped her phone into the outer pocket, and headed downstairs.

In the kitchen, I grabbed a couple of protein bars from the pantry and tossed a banana and two small oranges into my purse. The clock informed me that I had just a little under two hours before my exam started. Plopping down in a chair, I pulled the math book from the backpack, opened it to the appropriate chapter, and began to review the material while I nibbled away at the banana.

I was so engrossed by the figures and committing them to memory that I didn’t realize I had company until I heard the beep of the coffee maker. Dropping the empty peel, which I’d been holding absentmindedly for a while, I turned to see Charlene’s dad leaning against the counter, staring at the machine. As if he could speed up the creation of the hot bean juice by the force of a stern gaze.

A giggle escaped my throat, catching both of us by surprise.

“Morning, Charlie,” the man who was not my father said. “Thanks again for agreeing to come home last night and keep an eye on Katie. I really do appreciate it.”

I didn’t immediately respond. That was like the third or fourth time he’d mentioned how grateful he was about my agreeing to check on Charlene’s sister. As if it was normally a big deal.

Flashing a smile, I waved my hand dismissively in the air.

“Seriously, Dad …dy. It wasn’t any big whoop.” Then I widened my grin. “Plus, it gave Katie and I a chance to hang out and talk.”

“Right,” he said, returning my smile. “The two of you simply hung out and talked? Either you need something from her or she’s got blackmail on you.” He grabbed the pot’s handle and pulled it out of the machine, quickly filling his mug before sliding it back home to finish brewing. “And I don’t care which it is as long as no one gets hurt or goes to jail.”

I didn’t know how to react. From the way he was talking, it would seem that Charlene and Katie in this universe were not as close as I’d originally thought. Of course, I only interacted with her for a bit before letting her know that I really wasn’t her sister. Though, she had been a bit of a bitch before that.

“No pain, humiliation, or prison. Got it.” I snapped off a salute, hoping to bluff my way out of the suddenly tense situation.

“Good,” he replied, then took a long sip of the steaming beverage. “Well, I’m off to work, sweetie. Have a good day, and good luck on your test.”

“Thanks. Do you need me to come home again this afternoon?”

He blinked at me a couple of times, then shook his head. “Nah. I’m hoping that I can get the Davidson account completely wrapped up by this afternoon. I shouldn’t be any home later than seven.”

I stood up from the table, grabbing my empty plate. “Really, it’s not a problem. Honest.”

Again with the slightly suspicious stare.

“You’re voluntarily giving up your evening cavorting with your friends, or boyfriend, in exchange for coming home to be with your family?” He shook his head. “I should send you back to bed, Charlie. I think you might be running a fever.”

I put the plate in the sink and walked over to him, placing my hand lightly on his arm.

“I’m not sick. Just trying to be helpful.”

Plus, I need a little bit of time to prep before trying to pretend to be Charlene to her friends. Until I get being a girl down, there’s no way I’ll fool them into thinking nothing is amiss.

He studied me for another couple of seconds, then nodded.

“Okay, tell you what. You come home after practice and keep an eye on your sister. In return, I’ll stop by Mikoto’s and pick up sushi for dinner. The big platter.”

My mouth dropped open and nearly started to water. Thankfully, I caught myself before asking when the best sushi place in town had reopened. A fire had gutted the entire restaurant a couple of months ago. At least, in my world. Here, though, it seemed that Mr. Mikoto’s livelihood was still intact.

“Sounds delish,” I said, nodding. “You, sir, have yourself a deal.”

He laughed and then moved in before I knew it was happening and wrapped me in a tight one-armed hug, kissing the top of my head.

“I love you.”

The lump in my throat nearly caused me to choke, however, I managed to respond in kind.

“Love you, too, Daddy.”

Outside, I discovered three new things. Two of them eerily familiar, one not so much.

Like myself, Charlene had left her car parked in front of Jackson’s house overnight. Sometimes it just wasn’t worth the effort of getting in and starting the motor just to simply drive across the street. Also, Charlene had chosen a Jeep Wrangler for her first vehicle, same as me.

Sort of.

Instead of a being a really cool cherry red, hers was canary yellow.

“Figures,” I said.

I climbed into the driver’s seat, dropped my purse and back on the passenger side, and drove off toward the school and my first real foray into the world as Charlene. May the multiverse have mercy on my soul.

Traffic was light and I managed to get across town in a little over fifteen minutes. As I turned off the main road onto campus, I drove past the house I roomed in back home. The two-story structure looked the same. Even the color. The only difference was the cars in the double driveway. None of them matched what my roommates drove.

Did George, Jeff, and Tony live someplace else? After all, I’d been the one to spot the ad announcing the rental first, managing to secure a lease less than a half a day later. Perhaps none of them had been a quick to call the owner. Hell, for all I knew, none of the three even went to this school.

Or even existed. At least, as guys.

The thought of Georgina, Jennifer, and Toni rooming in the house with a fourth girl made me laugh. Mostly because it would more than prove that Fate really had a fucked up sense of humor.

The rear-view mirror of Charlene’s Jeep had a bright white parking placard dangling from it with her designated spot listed in huge black letters. FNDS:C-12. Founder’s Lot. Completely on the other side of the campus from the Math and Science building.

Perhaps the heeled boots weren’t such a good idea after all.

I pulled the Jeep into the assigned slot, jumped out, and began to walk as quickly as my unsteady footwear would allow down the sidewalk toward the Quad. Dozens of other commuter students made the same arduous trek. Some of them moving at a leisurely pace. Others at a trot.

I ticked off the time in my head. Thirty minutes before class started. Which meant any additional review time was non-existent. I picked up the pace, trying to shave time off my trip. However, when I nearly twisted my angle and had to grab the shoulder of a really beefy guy in a dark blue polo, I figured skipping the last minute cram preferable to breaking my leg.

“Sorry,” I said to the boy as he held onto my arm a second longer than necessary. “Still breaking in these shoes.”

He nodded, looking down at my feet. Then his gaze slid up my sheer legs before returning to my face.

“No prob,” he said, flashing me a dazzling smile. “I’m Mike.”

I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn’t care what his name was. However, I froze. Not so much because of that way-too-white smile, but because his hand on my arm was sending electric tingles up my flesh and sending my heart into double-time. What the hell?

“Uh,” I said, trying to discern what was happening inside me while attempting to mitigate the events taking place on the outside. “Uh … Charlie.”

He nodded his head, finally releasing his hold on me. “I know.”

Well, that caught me off guard. “Huh?”

“Charlie Miller. You’re a cheerleader.”

I was still having trouble trying to follow the flow of the conversation. The good news was that my heart rate decreased once he let go of me. The bad news was that I kind of, sort of, missed it. Not good, Chuck. Not good at all.

“Y-y-yeah. That’s me.”

He nodded again. “I’m on the basketball team. So, I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other in a couple of weeks.”

“We will?” I asked, crinkling up my nose.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine why I would be seeing him. I wasn’t planning on spending time with any guys as Charlene. Well, except Jackson. But that was only so I could make sure he stayed focused on getting me back home. My version tended to get distracted. A lot.

Mike the Basketball Player laughed. It wasn’t a horrible sound.

“Yeah. When the season starts. You know, at the games?”

The games! Right! Where he would be playing and I’d be on the sidelines jumping around and waving my pom-poms.

“Gotcha!” I said. Then a loud gasp jumped out of my throat. “Shit! Sorry, I gotta run! Trig exam this morning!” I spun around and took off down the path as quickly as I dared in the boots. I hoped residual muscle memory would keep me upright this time. The last thing I needed was to be rescued from busting my ass by another handsome guy.

When I reached McIver Hall, I saw Michelle standing by the entrance. She shook her head as I hurried up the stone steps toward her, pointing at the non-existent watch on her left wrist.

“Jesus, Charlie. Nothing like cutting it close.” A frown swam across her face. “So much for helping me review before my execution. Thanks a lot.”

I started to snap back at her. Inform her that making sure she was prepared for the test was not my responsibility. Especially since she was the one who decided to attend a kegger rather than hit the books. Instead, I pressed pause on my retort. Perhaps Charlene and Michelle studied together quite a bit. For all I knew, their getting together to go over some last minute notes was a common recurrence. No need biting off the poor girl’s head because Charlene wasn’t here to make sure the normal stuff happened.

“Sorry, Shelly,” I said, hoping I sounded appropriately contrite. “My dad had some stuff he wanted to talk to me about. Then I nearly broke my neck running across campus in these stupid boots.”

The pretty girl blinked, mouth falling open as she glanced down at my footwear.

“I thought those were your favorites.”

“Not today,” I said. Charlene might love them, but I’d have traded them, and a random stranger’s soul, for some sneakers. “Come on, let’s get in and see how much we can review before Professor Michaels hands out the tests.”

We headed into the building and hurried down the polished tile corridor and up the steps to the second floor. Two turns later, we entered a large auditorium already populated by thirty or so students. Many of them were staring at open textbooks before them. I even think I saw one or two praying.

My normal seat in this room was at the very back, in the corner. That way, I could check my phone without being too obvious and it made getting up and going to the bathroom so much less noticeable. However, it seemed that Charlene had a different approach. Michelle descended the steps to the second row of seats, then travelled eight or night chairs in from the aisle. Having no other choice, since I assumed she and Charlie sat near each other, I followed her along the row and took the seat next to hers.

I glanced around the room while Michelle dug around in her backpack. Several of the faces I could see were familiar to me. Their duplicates were in my own version of this course. However, there were a few striking differences.

For example, I was fairly sure the guy in the sixth row was supposed to have blonde hair, not red. I didn’t know his name, but I recognized the tribal tattoos running up his forearms and the huge gages sitting in his earlobes. Then there was the girl popping her gum while twirling strands of jet black hair around one finger. She was sitting in the seat where Greg Penderleaf normally sat. And while she might have been someone else entirely, the features on her face made her resemblance to Greg downright uncanny.

Not all that differently than the way Charlene and I looked related.

The door at the far side of the room opened and Professor Michaels, math scourge for underclassmen everywhere, entered the room. There was a huge stack of papers tucked under one arm.

“Good morning, class. I trust everyone is ready to begin?” A wry smirk formed on his face. “If not, that’s just too bad. Books closed. Everyone with a seat mate please put at least one space between you. Remember, people, we adhere to the honor system here.”

I rolled my eyes. My Professor Michaels gave that exact same speech right before every test. I glanced over at Michelle, who was running her finger down the page of her book as if racing to commit everything she could see to memory. Her posture and the anxious way she was gnawing on her lower lip told me that it was extremely likely she was going to fail.

I rose to my feet and slid into the next seat. My own book remained tucked away in my bag. I’d shoved enough of the material into my brain before going on my tour of the multiverse. Unless Trigonometric functions were totally different over here, I didn’t think I had too much to worry about.

“Miss Carter,” Michaels said as he stopped at the end of our row and handed me two stapled stacks of paper. “Book away.”

Michelle sighed loud enough to be hear across the room and snapped the text closed. She made a big show of dropping it into her bag, then smiled as sweetly as possible to the older man. I shook my head and handed her one of the exams.

“Good luck, Miss Miller,” the man said, giving me a small grin. “Not that you’ll need it.” Then he turned and moved up a couple of steps to continue handing out the test.

I watched him for a second, wondering what the hell that meant. Was Charlene just so good at math that her teacher expected her to do well? I wasn’t a slouch when it came to calculating cosines and tangents myself, but not once did my Professor Michaels say anything encouraging to me before an exam.

Perhaps it due to the fact that, by the time he got to the spot where I normally sat, he was already out of patience and was eager to get back to his desk in the center of the room. However, I guessed the truth was a bit more blasé. He was a guy and I was now a pretty, young student. Ergo, more pleasantries than would be bestowed upon an unremarkable young man.

At least, I hoped that’s all it was. It would be just my luck to find out my double was looking for more physical ways to raise her grade.

The test itself wasn’t that difficult. The material presented was nearly identical to that which I’d spent the past three days studying. There were a couple of problems that I had to recheck my work on, due to being distracted by the nearly imperceptible groans and moans coming from a few feet away.

Looks like the decision to party, rather than study, was coming back to haunt Michelle.

As students finished, they rose from their seats, traveled down the stairs to where Michaels sat on the edge of his desk, and turned in their papers. I was the sixth one done, and when I stood up, I caught a really annoyed look from my friend. From what I could tell, she was only about halfway done with less than twenty minutes to go.

I gathered up my things, turned in my exam, and headed out into the hallway to wait on her. I wasn’t sure what Charlene would normally do afterwards, but I had the sneaking suspicion that the other girl was expecting me to hang around until she was done herself.

As I waited on one of the benches lining the halls, I felt my phone vibrate in my purse. When I pulled it out, I saw that it was from the individual who’d texted me the prior evening. The one with no name in the contact area. I tapped on the bubble and read the latest message.

“I don’t think I can wait until after practice to see you. Want to meet for lunch?”

I stared at the screen. Okay, I was getting some major thirst vibes from whoever it was. It seemed to be more than just a casual acquaintance. The person at the other end was definitely interested in more than just having a dining partner.

Holy shit. Did that mean that Charlene was cheating on Jackson? Surely not, right? I mean, I didn’t have anyone back home I was seeing exclusively. However, Charlene and Jackson were supposed to be a couple. Boyfriend and girlfriend. I read both messages again, shaking my head. I really didn’t want to believe that a version of me could be that kind of person.

“God, I really hate that man,” Michelle said out of nowhere as she plopped down next to me and exhaled angrily.

I nearly dropped my phone as I hurriedly darkened the screen and dropped it back in the purse. “He’s not that bad,” I said, noticing the slight stammer in my voice. “I thought the test was pretty straightforward.”

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Of course you would. Not all of us are natural math wizards, Cee.”

“I’m sure you did fine,” I replied, putting my hand on her arm. “Next time, though, maybe we should study the night before. Rather than party.”

Michelle gave me an odd look, something between confused and annoyed.

“Like that’s going to be possible. Unless you’ve changed your mind already.”

I tilted my head to the side, peering at her. “Changed it about what?”

“Seriously? What is with you lately? First you say you’re only going to run home so you can see Jackson for a few minutes and change clothes. Then you don’t bother to let Josie or I know that you’re not going to come back for the party. You show up late for our pre-test cram, complaining about a pair of shoes I know for a fact you love. Now you’re acting like you might not rush Kappa after all. Did you fall and hit your head this morning or something?”

My mouth dropped open as the litany of things I’d done, or not done, slammed into me. Each with their own dire implications.

It would seem that my doppelgänger’s visit to Jackson’s lab was intended to be a brief affair. Which would definitely explain why she seemed so annoyed when I observed their interaction. Having to wait on Katie to help me with my makeup and clothes had put me behind schedule, leading to a tardy rendezvous with the other girl. Additionally, considering the response it had received, my statement about disliking the boots must have been completely out of character. Hell, Charlene probably pranced around gracefully in the damned things like a pro. I felt like I was constantly about to stumble and fall on my face.

The capper, though, was the previously unknown information about Charlene’s desire to rush a sorority. Not just any sorority, either. Kappa Omega. The most elite, restrictive, sorority at the university.

My first week at school ended with a not pleasant run in with several members of KO. I made the mistake of trying to get into the cafeteria ahead of their group. My reasoning, spurred on by my grumbling belly, was that since there was only one of me and ten of them, I could get through the line and be chowing down long before the vapid-looking debutantes even decided which low calorie meal they weren’t going to eat.

I was lucky to escape the incident with only my dignity shredded. The threats they made toward my more private of areas should I be so crass in the future would have given a drill sergeant nightmares.

Charlene actually wanted to be a part of that clique? I could understand the possible motivation for interest in joining a sisterly group. Especially if my counterpart was as outwardly social as I was discovering. But to specifically decide to be a part of the Terror Brigade? It boggled my already addled mind.

“Charlie?”

I shook my head, trying to clear away the stunned feeling slowing my thoughts. Then I looked at the girl staring at me and frowned, shrugging my shoulders.

“Sorry, Shelly. I …”

I what? Wasn’t really her friend? Was actually shocked that a female version of me didn’t share my own tastes and idiosyncrasies? That I was finding out more and more that I was even more a stranger in a strange land than I originally surmised? Yes, to all. However, actually saying anything along those lines would definitely be a bad idea. So I went for the heartstrings and crossed my fingers, mentally, that Michelle really was as close to Charlene as she seemed.

“I miss my mom,” I whispered. Not exactly a lie, per se. I did miss my own mother, who probably had no idea her son wasn’t her son at the moment.

“Oh, Cee,” Michelle said in a consolidating voice. Then she leaned over and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. “Why didn’t you say something? I would have come over and kept you company.”

I shrugged again, trying to remember that I was supposed to just be playing a part to deflect suspicion for my behavior. However, everything that I had endured for the past twenty or so hours was finally catching up to me. Before I knew it, my vision was blurry and my nose starting to run.

“Fucking tears,” I sniffled, pulling back to dig around in my purse for a tissue. When I finally located one, the droplets crowing along the ridge of my lower eyelid were preparing to repel down my cheeks commando style.

I reached up and almost wiped at my eyes. At the last second, it occurred to me that, if I did that, I would have to try to reapply my makeup. Instead, I folded the tissue in half and lightly dabbed, doing my best to capture the tears and not the cosmetics.

“It’s okay,” Michelle said, leaning back to allow me the room to do what I needed to do. One of her hands pressed against my back and rubbed lightly. “I know how much you really miss her. You put on a brave face most of the time, but you got to let it out every now and then. Otherwise, you’ll go crazy.”

I nodded and wiped my runny nose. “Recently, really recently actually, I’ve been wondering if maybe I already have.”

Michelle laughed and shook her head. “No more than normal, girl. Trust me, if you’d lost your mind, I’d be the first to notice.”

I kind of doubt that.

A short melody played from the area of Michelle’s backside. Leaning over, she pulled out her phone and looked at the screen. A second later, she sighed as she put the device back into her pocket and glanced over at me.

“A super friend’s work is never done. Guess who just got stood up by Mr. Wonderful again?”

It took me a second to shift gears to follow what she was saying.

“Josie? Ugh, did Danny blow her off … uh, again?”

“Bingo!” Michelle said, climbing to her feet. “She told me last night that she’d asked him to take her to that French café over on Tate Street. You know, the new one that just opened up. Guess he decided he wasn’t in the mood.” She sighed again, giving me a slightly admonishing look. “I know he’s your friend and all, Cee. But he’s really not good for Josie. Not if he can’t get his act together.”

Wait. Danny Morris was Charlene’s … friend? This wasn’t just a parallel universe, this was freaking Bizzaro World.

“I know,” I said, trying to fathom how Charlene could have ended up being friends with the very same asshole she and Jackson had faced years ago.

“Well, if you see the jerk, would you tell him that you don’t appreciate the way he’s treating your fellow Raiderette?”

I nodded, promising myself that I’d do a whole lot more than that. “Tell Josie I’m sorry that he’s being a dipshit.”

Michelle threw her bag over her shoulder and smiled. “I will. See you at practice?”

Ugh. Cheer practice. The only thing I was looking less forward to than having to talk to Danny Morris.

“You bet,” I said, putting on a smile that I didn’t come anywhere close to feeling. “Go. Take care of Josie.”

She nodded and tossed me a playful wink before walking off with a quickened stride. Just as she started to descend the steps, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder at me.

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

I rolled my eyes and waved my hand at her. “Yes, I’m sure. Go. Be a hero.”

She gave me a slightly skeptical look, then turned around and bounced down the steps. I waited until I knew she was out of the building before pulling out my phone to text Katie.

“Why didn’t you mention that Danny and Charlene were friends this morning?”

A few seconds later, I got her reply.

“Because I didn’t know.”

I stared at the words, chewing on my lower lip as my mind whirled like a blender missing a few ball bearings. Was there a reason why Katie didn’t know that her sister and Danny were more than just high school acquaintances? Was it because they didn’t get that way until the moron started dating her squad-mate?

“Mysteries abound,” I said under my breath.

I eventually got to my feet and decided to put some food in my belly. Not that I was ravenous or anything, but common sense told me that trying to spend two hours doing cartwheels and flips on an empty stomach might not be the wisest of plans.

Outside, I decided to avoid visiting the cafeteria. The chances of running into someone who might want to hang out with Charlie were steep. Particularly if any of the Kappas were there. Instead, I turned right at the path’s fork and headed toward the Columbia Student Center.

The building was one of the older ones on campus and hosted a game room, a small movie theatre, and a couple of fast-food style eateries. As Charles, I always made it a point to grab a slice or two of pepperoni pizza at least once a week from the Center. While not the healthiest of food choices, I knew all the running I did gave the fat and carbs a limited lifespan. I wasn’t sure what sort of diet Charlene was used to, but I figured a single piece of veggie deep dish wasn’t going to kill her. Or me.

I had put my hand on the handle of the door when a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around my waist. Before I could blink, I was lifted off the ground, spun around twice, then pulled away from the building’s entrance into the darkened alley running between the Student Center and the campus Communications Hall.

Twisting my hips, I broke free from my attacker and spun around, opening my mouth to scream. A mouth clamped over my own, and a thick, hot tongue rammed itself down my throat. Stunned beyond measure, I froze as the meaty arms of Danny Morris engulfed me again, holding me tightly against him. For several long seconds, I simply stood there as his mouth assaulted mine.

Finally, he stopped trying to eat my face and released me, stepping backward with a huge grin.

“Hey, baby,” he purred like a content cat. “Miss me?”