Dear Olive Ch 09

Kate spent Friday in a haze, touched through by euphoria and anxiety in equal measure. Her mind kept trailing back to yesterday morning with Olive and Janell. Her collar wrapped snug around her neck, her head enveloped by the warmth of Olive's thighs... but she would shake herself out of it as soon as she realized what was happening. Still, she felt like a subtle golden cloud surrounded her.

Even after her four years here -- the cool, hard, brilliant light of study, the days of wandering through the nearby woods after a snow, intense and lonely people watching on the fringe of parties -- there were still so many surprises, so much mystery.

And she had more to learn. About everything, about herself especially. She felt only now that he was waking up. Her body and mind beginning to communicate, creating a clear and penetrating beauty in her world.

The whole day she wandered across the campus's sun-speckled lawns, sitting in her familiar spots, reminiscing. She drew, she breathed in the grassy, balmy air, she took her shoes off and felt the earth beneath her. Jesse texted her a few times, but she had left her phone on her desk in the dorm. Besides, they had spent all afternoon together yesterday watching nature documentaries. She deserved some time to herself.

Around 3:45, she headed back to her dorm to prepare for Olive's party. Opening her door, she found a dark blue envelope at her feet with her name written in silver sharpie across the front. She opened it quickly. Inside, there was a thin plastic circle, about the size of a half dollar. It was black with an intricate blue velvet border snaking along the edge. In the center was a white spiral with a bright red outline. Kate turned it over in her hand, looking for some kind of instructions or information.

Along the rim of the plastic disc, she noticed an inscription that flashed when the light hit it just right. Holding it close to her face at just the right angle, she read:

Ceremony | Olive and Janell's | 7PM

She placed the disc on her desk, wondering. Why would the party be so early? She usually went to bed no later than 10, but even she wouldn't start a party until eight or nine.

Checking the envelope in case she had missed something, Kate found a small scrap of paper. On it was scrawled "Come at 5, get ready."

5:00?? That was only an hour away! Kate grabbed her towel and shower things and headed to the bathrooms. After doing the best she could with some foundation and light eyeshadow, Kate dumped the rest of her limited stash of makeup into her bag, slipped on a pair of white ankle socks and flats, and walked briskly out of her dorm.

As soon as she was facing Olive's apartment door on the opposite side of the street, she saw Janell sitting in a lawn chair reading a book, her long legs crossed and stretched out in front of her. She wore a pair of fuzzy black slippers with a pair of calf-length crew socks, and her usual gym shorts and black tank top.

Janell looked up just as Kate was walking across the street. She jumped out of her chair and yelled "Oh my god!" After hugging Kate, she grabbed her hand and opened the door to the apartment, the finger of her other hand stuck between the pages of the book she had been reading.

Janell's hand was smooth and warm, with a firm grip. Kate felt the pull of her memories from the day before, Janell's strong hands gripping her waist, her slim face stuck up between her straddled legs... she took in a sharp breath as they entered the apartment.

It was chaos. Nine or ten of the dancers were shuttling from the living room, to the kitchen, to the bathroom and back again. They were all speaking over each other, the sound bubbling with commands and requests, jokes and slightly nervous laughter, the padded thuds of their hurried feet forming a random smattering rhythm. Each woman wore form-fitting black cotton tank tops with spaghetti straps, leggings of various colors, and socks of all kinds. Kate saw a few familiar faces: Mina in a pair of dark red leg warmers and a pair of plain black ankle socks, Stella with her hair up in a beautiful arrangement of braids wearing a pair of navy blue socks, Candace, (the slightly annoying girl she remembered from her philosophy gen ed last semester), with one braid of her long red hair running down one side of her back, the rest of her hair loose and swaying as she moved. Candace wore a pair of thin knee high black and white striped socks, a striking difference. Other faces she only knew in passing. In the center of the living room next to the coffee table stood Olive, unshakeable, directing the dancers in their preparation for the ceremony.

Janell guided Kate through the crowded room toward Olive. Kate could hardly see her through the swarm of dancers, but in the gaps they left between their bodies as they passed back and forth, Kate saw Olive holding a large sheet of paper. Almost like a map, some kind of schematic or intricate diagram, the paper was covered in neat lines and symbols painted in plain black ink, arranged in hundreds of nested concentric shapes. The paper was divided into neat square creases from being routinely folded and unfolded.

Olive and one of the dancers Kate didn't recognize held the map between them, discussing a specific area Olive had pointed to. But just as Olive noticed Janell and Kate coming close, snaking their way through the crowded room, she folded up the paper and handed it to the closest dancer. Before either of them spoke, Janell leaned in and planted a small kiss on Olive's waiting cheek. They had done it as smoothly as any dance step, as if it was their version of a secret handshake.

Olive turned to Kate, looked her up and down, and said, "Very punctual. Glad you could make it."

Turning to Janell, she said, "Get her ready in the bathroom please. Daria has the outfit ready to go in your closet."

Janell nodded and led Kate past a train of three dancers who came padding along from the hallway to the living room.

In the bathroom two dancers who Kate didn't recognize were putting on a light layer of makeup -- eyeshadow palettes, assorted brushes and eyeliner pencils crowded the sink.

"Give us some space please guys. Thanks!" said Janell, moving into position in front of the mirror as the dancers grabbed their makeup, held it to their chests and squeezed out of the crowded apartment bathroom. Kate dropped her bag next to the sink, wondering why she had bothered to bring the few cosmetic items she owned.

One dancer who Kate had never seen before sat on the closed lid of the toilet next to the sink, typing on her phone. She had chestnut brown shoulder-length hair that was bunched in tight, messy curls. One lock hung down, brushing her cheek, the rest of her hair tucked as neatly as possible behind one ear. Her head was cocked slightly to one side in concentration. Kate glanced at the dancer's crossed legs as Janell rummaged through the makeup looking for something. They were a light brown color, full and defined. Her calves stood out above her sheer tan nylon no-shows. One foot was planted on the thick bath mat just in front of the toilet, while the dancer jogged the other with nervous energy, her big toe pointing up and out each time she wagged her foot.

Kate looked quickly away just as the dancer stood up and brushed her hair back. She had a soft contour to her jaw and cheekbones, a slight natural rouge to her cheeks and the hint of a dimple in the middle of her chin. Her wide eyes were set behind a pair of thin-rimmed glasses. She smiled at Kate, her full lips shining in the bathroom's fluorescent light. "I'm Daria," she said in a soft, slightly bored voice. Kate felt her chest tighten, hoping her sudden rush of feeling wasn't written all over her face. She looked to Janell, trying to hide her feelings. "Kate. Nice to meet you." She felt herself blush.

Janell selected an eyeliner pencil and began swiftly drawing a winged pattern on either side of Kate's eyes. Daria stood behind Kate and put her hands on her shoulders. Kate tensed her shoulders a bit, feeling a warmth in her chest. Daria put her face right next to Kate's so she could feel her soft curls touching her cheek, and said, "You're looking beautiful, but by the time we're done you'll be stunning."

Over the next hour Kate watched as Janell attended to her makeup and hair. As an artist, even she was impressed by Janell's skill in cosmetics. As she worked, they made small talk about some of the people they all knew, how they were going to decorate their graduation caps, next steps in life. Kate couldn't believe that just a few days ago she hadn't exchanged more than five words with either of them -- all of the sudden they felt like close friends.

Once Janell had put a light layer of hairspray in Kate's hair, she, Kate and Daria all looked into the mirror admiring the transformation. Kate's eyes were soft and piercing, accented by a light layer of green eyeshadow with just a hit of shine coming through in the right light. Her lips looked more full, but not unnatural -- she usually didn't like lipstick, but Janell had chosen a very subtle mauve color that Kate regularly used in her more abstract artworks. And, for the first time in what had to be years, Kate felt a kind of powerful ease and understated confidence. Though she was still nervous, she knew she could handle whatever Olive and the rest of them had planned for the night.

When they were ready, Daria and Janell opened the door to the bathroom. As soon as they left three dancers, including Mina, rushed in to touch up the makeup they had done without a full mirror. They were all dressed in these structured but flowing outfits that didn't look like anything Kate had seen before. She craned her neck to get a better look, but Janell pushed her along from behind. "We're on a schedule bitch," she said lovingly. As Daria led the way to Janell's room, Kate stole a glance down to Daria's waist. She had on these cute, fuzzy boy shorts that she hadn't noticed in the bathroom. They were grass green and covered in tiny baby blue polka dots. They were loose, cinched at her waist by the scrunchy elastic band at the top of the shorts... but in that moment Kate caught a glimpse of Daria's paler upper thigh, just below the cheek. She had a full butt, heavy but shapely. Kate gave a little sigh, trying not to stare.

The room had a beautiful area rug covering the center of the floor. The walls were a deep blue, with soft fairy lights trailing down like ivy, filling the room with a delicious amber light. Two posters -- one from last spring's dance concert and another of the Krebs cycle -- faced each other from opposite walls. Janell's bed was queen-sized, with a fluffy blue comforter and an assortment of pillows. Directly across from the foot of the bed was her desk, scattered with a mess of notes, flash cards and diagrams, all of which were scattered across the tops of several thick textbooks.

Daria plopped down into a strangely old and expensive-looking black leather armchair resting in the corner. Holding Kate's slim shoulders, Janell positioned Kate in the center of the room.

As Janell opened the door to her closet next to the bed, Kate said, "It's okay to feel a little nervous, right?"

Daria had sunk into the armchair a bit, her legs crossed and her fuzzy boy shorts riding up slightly to reveal part of a tattoo on her upper thigh. She laughed casually, "How do you think we all feel? It comes with the territory."

Before Kate could ask exactly what territory that was, Janell pulled out a jumpsuit similar to those that Mina and the other dancers had on. The pant legs were black and slim, made of an elastic material, with a pronounced curve in the fabric above the waist. The top was draped in a translucent black fabric, resting in three broad folds at the left shoulder, crossing down across the torso in a gradual swoop and trailing down to the calf area of the pant leg on the right. As Janell inspected the dress, one finger hooked on the hanger, the fine translucent fabric shifted and swayed and trembled at the slightest movement. In the room's amber light, a strategically-placed constellation of emerald sparkles twinkled from within the folds of the jumper.

Kate undressed in front of the dancers, trying not to seem self-conscious of her pale skin and relatively thin frame. She slipped off her favorite pair of flats, leaving her white ankle socks on. As she slipped off her pants and top Kate faced away from Daria, who took in her purple cotton panties, her ass cradled in the fabric stretched taut as a smoothed-out bedsheet. She noticed the two little dimples just above the elastic of Kate's panties, the slight outward slope curving from her lower to her upper back and slim shoulders. Daria adjusted her glasses.

Kate slipped into the outfit, which seemed designed for her exact measurements. The jumper hugged her at the waist without constriction, followed the supple curves of her ass and legs down to her ankles, where the elastic pants stopped. Unlike most of Kate's clothes, her slim shoulders filled the upper portion of the dress perfectly, the translucent fabric swaying across her chest.

Janell sat on the foot of her bed, mesmerized. She and Daria shared a look of desire and excitement. "I don't know how you did it, Daria. You outdo yourself every time."

Kate looked over her shoulder in amazement at Daria. "You made this?"

Daria pulled her hair back in a bunch, both her arms rising above her head. "Yeah, it's my latest design. Olive had a couple notes during the production process, so I can't take full credit."

Kate and Daria shared a glance, smiling.

"Okay, we need to get ready." said Janell, checking the digital clock on her desk. She and Daria began putting on outfits similar to Kate's. They met the other dancers in the living room, where the chaos had subsided into a tense air of excitement and concentration. Each dancer had their own jumper, slightly modified in each case. Mina's draping fabric was dark red with a beautiful gold pattern repeating across it. Candace's pant legs stopped at her mid thigh, leaving a gap of bare skin between her outfit and her knee-high black and white striped socks.

Olive's draping fabric was the same beautiful, cryptic and almost hypnotic pattern that Kate had seen yesterday morning on her nightgown. It took a little will power for her to pull her gaze away from it as it shimmered. Olive wore a pair of black ankle boots, which left Kate wondering whether she had socks on or was barefoot underneath.

All the dancers stood waiting for Olive's instruction. Olive looked around the room, exuding a commanding air though she was shorter than half of the women awaiting her word.

Olive said, "I don't need to remind you of the importance of this night. I've been waiting for this for longer than many of you have been alive. It may be my last chance --

our

last chance to carry an ancient knowledge, culture and vitality into the future."

The dancers nodded gravely and murmured in agreement. Kate felt confused at many of Olive's statements. It was only her personal experience with Olive's power that made her think something unreal and incredible was going to happen tonight.

Olive continued. "This is no different from the dance concert. We've practiced and prepared. There's nothing to be worried about." Olive turned to Kate, who bristled at the sudden attention. "Kate, you will be a participant in the ceremony, but you don't need to worry about a thing. Just relax and enjoy the experience. After all, it only comes once in a while."

As the dancers laughed in agreement, Janell put her hand on Kate's back in gentle support. Olive said, "It's about time. Nimina is waiting downstairs with the host."

The moment Olive took a step toward the living room, the dancers in her path parted to let her through. Dancers trailed behind her as she made her way to the mysterious door that Kate had seen Goldmund disappear behind at the party last Saturday. It was hard to believe that the party was less than a week ago -- it felt like a lifetime to Kate, who had seen and felt things since that she could never imagine.

Each dancer disappeared behind the open door, which seemed to lead to a staircase. Kate took her position in line between Janell and Daria. She entered the dark doorway, placing her hand on Janell's shoulder as she stepped down the staircase. It was old stone, and she wondered just how far down the staircase led. She felt a slight cool breeze that carried a mineral smell, as if they were all entering the depths of a cave.

As all the dancers stepped gracefully down the staircase in their socks, each at the heels of the woman ahead of them, Kate began to lose track of time. It felt like five, 10, 20 minutes that they had been walking. They passed a door lit dimly by an ornate candlelabra, set in a recess in the wall of the stairwell, then a second some time later. As Kate's eyes adjusted to the cool darkness, she noticed the roof of the seemingly endless staircase was rough-hewn out of the surrounding stone, and was dotted all over with green glowing dots. She guessed it was some kind of moss, but didn't want to break the silence to ask Janell. The dancers' socked feet made a constant, irregular padding sound that echoed up and down the stairwell. At the front of the line, Olive's ankle boots made a sharper thud as she led her dancers deeper underground.

After what felt like an hour, Kate noticed that Olive's boots had stopped ringing out, and Janell reached back to stop Kate. Then, slowly, the line of dancers moved again. The soft glow of candlelight slowly overtook the bioluminescent moss, and Kate found herself walking through a doorway that had an old iron frame inscribed with the same spiral she had seen on her invitation.

They entered a large wide-open room with a smooth stone dome for a ceiling. The room was filled with a dim, warm glow. Along the curve of the wall, Kate noticed several closed doors leading to other areas. The dancers spread out across the spacious stone floor, many sitting down to stretch their legs and torsos, the draping fabric of their costumes laid out beside them.

As Janell and Daria made it closer to the center of the room, Kate noticed a kind of chalk or matte paint covering the floor in concentric circles of symbols. In the center was the same spiral with a thin bordering line of deep red. Olive stood to the side of this symbol, with her eyes closed, meditating. Kate sat with Janell and Daria as they stretched.

The dancers gradually began chatting again after their stretches, sitting cross-legged or with their legs spread out at various angles and their hands resting on their thighs. Their warm voices echoed softly as the sounds bounced around the room.

Suddenly a creaking sound came from one of the doors along the wall. In walked Nimina, a girl Kate vaguely recognized. As the sound echoed through the room, the dancers' conversation subsided as they watched Nimina approach the center of the room. She wore the same calf-length boots Kate had seen her wear around campus, and a pair of thin, milky white thigh high socks that hugged her legs like a second skin. Kate was slightly surprised to find that Nimina's chest was bare, her small but shapely breasts visible in the room's soft light. She had on a pair of red, lacy panties that hinted at her light brown skin underneath. Nimina's fountain of sleek black hair was contained in a high, tight ponytail, cinched by a velvet ribbon. As she walked, the boots tapped an echo through the room, her hair swishing back and forth behind her in a liquid column that shone in the room's glow.

Though Kate had to be at least twenty feet from Olive and Nimina, she heard them speaking clearly.

Olive said, "How is the host?"