(This story takes place late in the 1st season of the television series Community and includes the characters of Britta Perry and Annie Edison.)
*
Britta Perry rushed into Greendale's library, stepping from the darkening campus into the warmth and safety of the building she so often frequented. It was almost midnight and the place was deserted. The dyed blonde strode through the dimly lit halls, which seemed spookily empty without the hustle and bustle of hundreds of crazed Greendale student.
The needlessly defiant Britta was looking unusually anxious and stressed, even for her, known for always being at least a little on the back foot. The student's hair, permanently casual and wavy, now bordered on truly unkempt, whilst her eyes were wide and tinged with desperation.
In reality Britta had had plenty of sleep, in fact this was now the route of her problem. When her final class that day had ended the 30-year-old student had gone home, explaining to the study group she would just be taking a quick nap before rejoining them to revise for the next day's Spanish exam. That was 7 hours ago.
Upon waking and groggily checking the time, Britta had panicked and rushed back to Greendale, praying her friends were still there to help her. However, judging by the silence that now emanated from the room in the library they seemed to so often visit, the blonde began to realize how unlikely this was. After all it was just hitting 10 in the evening. With a heavy heart she trudged onwards. Without help she was screwed for this exam.
So when Britta passed the study room's windows and peered in she was surprised not to be disappointed, instead being overwhelmed with relief. The blonde found herself overjoyed at the familiar sight of Annie Edison cramming at their large wooden desk.
Annie, the teacher's pet of the group, had always out-studied the rest of them, performing excellently in almost every test she sat. For Britta the brunette being there that night was beyond a lucky break. Usually she relied on the girl to pass these tests. Now that she was alone with the brunette she wouldn't even have to vie for her attention with the other members of the study group, hopefully allowing her to fast track her revision with some one on one time.
"Annie! Thank god you're here!" Britta exclaimed rushing over to where the young brunette was sitting.
Annie jumped, taken completely by surprise. She whipped around in her seat to find the source of the noise that had erupted the silence of the library.
"BRITTA!" Annie squeaked, "What-the-hell! You scared me! Why are you here? We all thought you were studying at home or something. Jeff tried texting you but we got no reply."
Britta dumped her books on the desk and pulled herself a chair opposite Annie as she quickly replied:
"I know, I'm sooo sorry, I got a little distracted working on... An essay, for my... accounting class."
Annie gave Britta a quizzical look; her big blue eyes, usually wide and innocent, suddenly narrowing with suspicion.
"You were studying? Without my help?" The brunette snorted adorably, clearing her throat loudly as she so often did: "I don't believe you!"
Britta frowned, her facing turning sour. Locked in a staring match, the dyed-blonde relented quickly before pouting: "Alright so I fell asleep! I've been out a lot recently... and my cat has been so demanding!"
The brunette looked skeptical, so Britta continued: "Alright Annie I admit it! You've got to help me! Just give me the cliff notes of what you guy's revised for the exam tomorrow so I don't fail!"
"I knew it!!"
Annie blinked, stepping up from the desk and folding her arms just beneath her perfect chest. The brunette turned her head away from Britta's imploring face:
"Why should I help? You always coast off me when these tests come up and I always bail you out! Maybe failing would be good for you. Besides it's late now and I just want to go home and get some sleep so I am fresh and ready for the exam myself tomorrow."
Britta groaned, exasperation taking over. Annie couldn't leave her like this! She needed an excuse to get the girl back on side, fast. Without the brunette's help she didn't stand a chance. As the brunette started packing up her things the dyed blonde thought of something quickly and blurted out a retort:
"What about female unity Annie?! We're empowered women, we have to stick together. You know... I'd help you with anything you needed if I could!"
Annie paused, book in hand, not exactly convinced but troubled by this new factor, giving Britta the upper hand. The blonde acknowledged this change in demeanor when the girl refrained from returning eye contact, instead staring at the table's wooden surface. Britta's textbook guilt trip had successfully gotten to the girl, as it so often did. Triumphant and sensing she was close, Britta followed up with her number one heart melting line:
"So we'll stick together right? After all, that's what makes us like, sisters!"
Annie perked up, immediately falling for the stupid line, her eyes shining brightly: "Really?"
"Well yeah, of course Annie" Britta replied, grinning, "So how about helping me out? Sis..."
The brunette practically ran around the desk, hugging Britta tightly before taking a seat beside the blonde and hurriedly retrieving her notes from her backpack. Soon Britta was buried in Annie's revision, regularly asking questions of the brunette, whom at first replied all too happily. As the night wore on however the girl became increasingly distracted. After asking a particular question three times without getting a response, Britta could not ignore her girl friend's lack of interest in their studies. Grunting in frustration and looking up she found the brunette staring into space, eyes now glazed over.
"Annie? You still there?"
Annie blinked and shook her head, coming out of her daze and turning back towards Britta and her work.
"Sorry, what was the question?"
Britta leant back in her chair, smiling half-heartedly back at the girl, suspecting her attention was still elsewhere. Aware Annie would be useless to her distracted, the blonde decided to follow up with a personal question:
"Something on your mind?"
Annie looked up from the text before them to make eye contact with Britta, before quickly glancing down at the desk once more. Seemingly embarrassed, she coughed, blushing and adjusted the hem of her skirt below the table, tugging it as low as she could down her slim thighs. The blonde noticed the student seemed fidgety and distracted, uncrossing her legs.
"Are you okay?" Britta asked, her eyebrows furrowing.
Annie blinked, taking a deep breath before nodding: "Yeah. I'm good. Its just... really hot in here!"