Regarding this chapter's appendix:
Literotica has a 750-word minimum limit for stories, and this chapter only has a single, ~350 word appendix entry. Rather than contriving additional story which, in my opinion, would cheapen the chapter, I've simply placed the appendix at the end. To those of you who want to know what Beatrix has planned for Sarah before Sarah figures it out, I offer you this blessing: May the anti-spoiler gods favor you this day.
Chapter Ten
It's Tuesday. I'm sitting in my Data Structures class, which is probably my favorite this quarter and is being taught by my favorite CS professor. Granted, I've only had five different CS professors over the seven courses I've taken to date, so I've met just under half of the department's faculty.
It's a small auditorium in College Hallâa modest stone building tucked behind Bond Hallâwith two one-desk-deep tiers raised three and six inches above the "stage". About half of the seats are filled by the eighteen students who'd signed up for the course. On the front wall of the room are two pairs of wide, vertically conjoined dry-erase boards, three panels of which are filled with diagrams of blue, red, green, and black that look a little like Christmas trees with numbered ornaments. The 90s-style fluorescent lights are slightly dimmer than designed due to their translucent plastic coverings, tinged yellow by age. The room's two thin windows abutting the doors at either side of the room look out into the even dimmer-lit square hallway that surrounds this rectangular classroom and its mirrored counterpart that shares its back wall.
I'm trying to pay attention to the prof's explanation of self-balancing AVL-treesâsomething that, under normal circumstances, would hold captive this nerd's attentionâbut my mind keeps slipping away from me.
Shortly after what I've privately dubbed the "bun buns incident" on Sunday, I had walked Beatrix home to Nash Hall. She had understandably been stressed by all that had happened that day, and so we had remained mostly quiet. Once we had arrived, she thanked me for walking her home and for letting her process in silence. She gave me a long kiss, some of her usual self returning to her demeanor, and then Spoke me back to FX.
Yesterday, Bea and I had grabbed lunch together, but she had had too much homework to do for us to hang out after classes. Our luncheon discussion had stuck to more mundane topics than my roommate catching us in the act of performing supernatural feats. I tried not to worry too much. Despite what she'd told Gabi, I know being forced to reveal her secretâin essence, outedâto someone she barely knew, someone she only trusted by proxy, was scary to her.
I'm still processing the turn of events myself. On the one hand, it's nice that, from now on, as long as our door is closed, I can be in my body when it's just me and Gabi in our dorm room. That's a selfish consequence, though, and I feel a pang of guilt about it. On the other, I liked that it had been
our
âBea's and myâsecret. Not only was it a little thrilling to know something no one else did, but it felt now like Gabi had been injected into our relationship, reducing its potential for intimacy. Gabi is my best friend, but that's all I feel for her, flirty butt jiggles notwithstanding. Through no fault of her own, Gabi's imaginary presence when I picture myself with Bea feels like an intrusion.
Class ends. As I close my laptop, I idly notice I hadn't taken a single note. That's alright. I never end up looking at my CS notes, anyway. Computer science knowledge clings to my mind like water to a spunge. At least, that's the case when I pay attention.
I walk to the VU and sit at our empty table. Lost in my thoughts, I start when Beatrix takes the seat next to me.
"Hey, Baby," she says. I give her the best smile I can muster. "What's up?" she asks, concerned.
"I'm just processing the consequences of Sunday afternoon."
"I know what you mean. The last day and a half have been a daze to me. Is anything in particular bothering you?"
"I guess... okay, I know this is kind of silly, maybe even clingy, but I liked having you to myself. Our relationship, for better or worse, had been built upon,"âI look around to see if anyone is nearbyâ"your secret. Now that Gabi knows it too, I feel like I have to share you with her."
"I don't think that's clingy," she assures me. "I understand that feeling, too, but the more I think about it, the less I think it'll be a problem. Think about it. When you first told me about Gabi, how did you describe her?"
I cast my mind back. "I think I called her bubbly and chill."
"Exactly! She knows how to give people space and respect boundaries, and she's not offended if she's not included in every single activity. She's a chill, laid back kinda girl."
"Huh. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks, Bea. That does help."
Beatrix beams at me, and takes my hand.
"How are you taking having your secret outed to someone new?" I ask.
"It's ... troubling," she says honestly. "It felt like the biggest risk of my life to tell you, and four days later someone else found out. I'm glad I told youâreallyâbut I'm worried that now that three people know it, that'll quickly become four, you know?"
"Yeah, that's about how I'd be feeling in your shoes. I'm feeling that way and I'm not even in your shoes." I smile weakly at her. "I do believe that Gabi is trustworthy though; she won't willingly share your secret.
"Maybe," I suggest, "we need to set some boundaries about when and where we play with your ability to avoid repeats of Sunday."
"Probably. I've been thinking about that, but I don't have any good ideas yet. Though, I suppose, Gabi was the person most likely to find out since she lives in your room. Since I don't have a roommate, no one else in our immediate circle."
I nod. "Well, I will do whatever you think is best, and I'm sure Gabi will agree to it, too."
Bea smirks at me. "Oh, I know you'll do whatever I think is best. I'll make sure of it."
I chuckle. "Yes, Mistress."
After lunch, we head to her dorm room until my math class. She reapplies the triggers, monitors, and other effects that she had hastily dispelled on Sundayâat least the ones that I can remember. I have vague flashes of memory of ... bowing? Who knows, but if that was due to a trigger, I don't think she reapplied it.
"So is this collar invisible again?" I ask, as I feel the tight leather band reform around my neck.
"Would you like it to be? I can change it," she says casually.
"Yeah, it's probably best that I don't advertise my kinky appetites to everyone during school hours," I don't say. What instead I hear from my mouth is, "No, Mistress, I like when people see that I am your pet."
"Good girl." I beam and squirm at the praise, still a little confused that I had said no instead of yes. "You really like when I call you that, don't you?"
"You have no idea. Two syllables from your lips and I'm wet between mine."
She smiles. "Good girl."
* * *
Beatrix saunters into my dorm room at 4:30. Gabi and I are enveloped in a close Smash Bros match, and we both greet Bea with distracted heys as she sits down behind me. Waiting for an opportune moment, Bea grabs and fondles my tiny, HRT-grown tits, derailing my gameplay long enough for Gabi to reverse my slight advantage.
I open my mouth to complain about the injustice, but before I can utter a syllable, my collar constricts. Reflexively, I shut my mouth and it loosens. I test again: the wider I open my mouth, the tighter it pulls. Beatrix gently massages my shoulders as I fall further and further behind, eventually losing the match.