I met Jenna while I was in college. Big shocker right? That's how most of these stories always start, but it's true. I had been in a dorm room alone when she transferred to my room. Something had happened with her roommate (I think she died or left the school or something) then Jen requested to be moved in with a roommate. At first I thought she was a bit distant, cold even, but eventually we got comfortable with one another. We were both 19 and while she was studying to become a photographer I was interested in fashion design. Although she was quiet and shy, I eventually found myself caring a great deal for her, just in a friendly way though. Then her nightmares started. It was in the middle of the night during midterms when I first heard Jenna crying.
We had been roommates for a few months and I considered myself her friend. I heard her sobbing in her corner of the room and I sat up to investigate. She quickly apologized and promised that she was fine. I knew better. Tears streamed down her face and I made her tell me what was wrong. It turned out that her step father had abused her (she said only physically but I suspected otherwise). She said that the dreams always came when she was stressed and the midterms were weighing heavily on her mind. We sat talking for over an hour and eventually we fell asleep together in her bed. We were just friends though, like I said. But that changed soon enough, for me at least. About a month after her nightmare issues I saw Jenna getting into a disagreement with the girl who had been my roommate before her. That bitch had demanded changing rooms after she found out that I was a lesbian. As if I would ever try to get with her skank ass.
"I saw you checking out my boyfriend, you fucking slut." Kayla, yelled at Jenna. My poor roommate stood frozen and silent.
"Is there a problem?" I asked as I moved into place behind my friend. Jen mumbled something about being sorry and promising that she hadn't been looking at Kayla's boyfriend. "Leave her alone, Kay, she didn't do anything to you and we both know it." I spoke softly as to not make the situation worse but you wouldn't believe the nerve of that bitch.
"Come on, Liv, lets get out of here." Jen said as she grabbed my arm.
"You're right. She isn't worth it." I agreed.
As Jenna and I walked away Kayla yelled out: "Yeah, walk away, you fucking dyke, before I beat the shit out of both of you."
"What did you just call me?" I growled as I spun around. I didn't give Kayla a chance to respond before I punched her right in the nose. It looked like she was going to have to pay her plastic surgeon another visit. I was not going to, nor would I ever, condone fighting. It is petty, childish, and severely immature.... But honestly, my feelings had been hurt. And the fact that she threatened Jen made it inexcusable.
After that Jenna and I were best friends for the next two and a half years of college. But it wasn't until the end of our senior year when I actually fell for her... or realized that I had already. It was right before finals and she had another one of her bad dreams. I had become accustomed to them and Jenna knew to just climb into my bed when she couldn't sleep. But that night was different. She was shaking so bad that my whole bed trembled under us.
"You okay, Jen?" I asked her when I heard her sobbing return.
"I'll be okay. I just..." Her cries picked up and I knew her dreams were getting worse. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly until she fell asleep. It wasn't until she had been sleeping for a few minutes that I realized that I too had started crying. My heart ached to see her in pain. My poor best friend would carry her nightmares forever. I hugged her body closer to me as I thought about what life would do to someone as kind and innocent as Jenna. I thought about what life had already done to her. I buried my face in her flowing chestnut colored hair and I could smell the coconut shampoo she used. Just having her with me made me feel better. I felt like I could protect her. At that moment I realized that I was in love with my best friend, hell I had probably been since the first moment I had met her. She was gorgeous. About 5'3" with a thin build. Her skin was a gorgeous honey color and it contrasted nicely with my caramel complexion. I though briefly about what we would look like completely naked with one another. Her light skin against mine that was several shades tanner. I was also a few inches taller and my hair was black compared to her almost red-ish brown locks. I shook the thoughts away. I focused on the fact that she was my best friend and that she was straight and while she had taken the news of my sexuality well that didn't mean she was going to join the club. I never told Jenna about how I felt about her and a few weeks later we both graduated and went on our way.
Three years later she and I were still close. I had moved to Miami Florida and Jenna traveled the world taking pictures like she had always wanted. I got a successful clothing label started in Miami and thoughts of Jenna were soon buried away, but not forgotten. I found women, I slept with women and I dumped women. Life was simple. But my life got turned around when Jenna called and said she was moving to Miami. She said something about focusing on fashion photography and that Miami was perfect. I only focused on the fact that she would be moving back. Three weeks after her move she invited me to dinner, a common occurrence between us since her return, stating that she had something important to tell me.
"I know you are going to hate me, Liv, you are never going to speak to me again." She said slowly as I saw tears begin to form in her eyes. She said as after we had both eaten.
"Relax, honey, it can't be that bad." I assured her. I reached out and grabbed her hand on the table to try to comfort her.
"I lied to my boss." she told me. I was about to ask what that had to do with me but she motioned for me to be quiet. "I told him that I could get exclusive access to you next fashion show."
"Oh... that's okay. Umm... I will have to work some things out with some other photographers for the show but that shouldn't be a problem. Why would I hate you because of that?" I rambled on like I always did when I got nervous. I would have to make sure all the other magazines got pictures of the line. Jenna would be the only photographer on site which would probably make some of the sponsors mad but it was a do-able situation.
"That's not the only thing I told my boss. He has been hitting on me a lot lately and you know how I get when guys hit on me. I got all nervous and told him that I would be photographing the show because you are... well I might have said that I was..." Jenna mumbled and stuttered but couldn't speak.
