Chapter One
Stella did not consider herself a nosy friend. But seeing a folder called "The Fantasy" on Carissa's computer piqued her curiosity. Did her best friend have some fantasy that Stella didn't know about?
There was her dream of studying Amazon wildlife. That was rather common knowledge, though. Carissa had miscellaneous and impossible fancies about being the queen of a fantastical society or leading a Lara Croft-like lifestyle. Those were just cute little daydreams, nothing intense. In their most private nights together she'd even admitted some of her sexual fantasies, even in great detail. Wanting to be with two men at once, wanting to sneak into a dressing room with someone, even just having a one night stand in a different city.
But the folder was password locked. It was called "The Fantasy."
THE
Fantasy.
Stella...
she scolded herself.
If it's private from
you
, that has to be respected.
Her phone buzzed.
"Hey SK, Danielle won the ticket lottery and she wants to take me to a show tonight. Can you wait up tonight so I can pick up my laptop?"
"Sure thing," Stella replied. "I should be done by then. Have fun!"
Stella sighed, looked down at Carissa's computer again. She could feel herself chewing on her lip a little too hard. That's how she could tell; no matter what she reasoned she would want to find out what was in there.
Might as well not waste time. I only have a couple hours.
**********
Getting accepted to the same school, thousands of miles from home, was a miracle for them. They weren't friends for their whole childhoods, in fact they only met in their sophomore year of high school. But it was a connection like neither of them had ever experienced. Borderline romantic at first, though Stella didn't have a single homosexual cell in her body. Within a week of spending time together they would nap and cuddle, kiss each other's cheeks, and share their deeper feelings. Carissa even jokingly called Stella "my boyfriend" a few times.
Undoubtedly, their friendship was a bit like clinging to wreckage in a storm. They both suffered a severe falling out with former friends. Stella had discovered a hidden sentiment that she was just "the stuck up cunt" of her group. Carissa had a different beast entirely. The nicest thing her so-called friends said about her was that, "She's our Asian diversity hire."
Together they took solace, recovered, and grew into much better people together. Stella didn't put much time into other people except where she needed to, mostly the Choir program. She'd been interested in a few boys, but nothing ever really developed. In fact, if not for Carissa, she would certainly still be a virgin.
That was their dynamic, a classic introvert and extrovert pairing. While Stella fawned over a cute boy and doodled in her journal, Carissa would track down her marks and start working her system. And she was never shy about their activities.
Stella had long since stopped blushing at words like
cock
and
pussy
and
cum
. In truth, it was exciting to hear about the things that Carissa had experienced. It helped Stella to open her sexuality for herself quite a bit. One night half way through senior year, the two of them buzzed and babbling, they somehow laughed their way into convincing themselves to masturbate together. By the end of it, Stella agreed that it was time for her to give it away.
When she finally decided to have her first time with Ted from the tenor section, she couldn't wait to tell Carissa all the details. It was nowhere near as wild or passionate. In a way it was a cute experience. That was not a word that Stella had expected to describe it with, but it simply felt right. "Cute and fun," she'd landed on. For the brief time that she'd continued to sleep with Ted, that was how it remained. And for the few boys she'd been with since - all the way or not - it was much the same.
The past three years at college were only slightly more active for Stella, and still there was never anyone who genuinely took her fancy, swept her off her feet, and declared their love. Normally it would be a friend she shared a bed with, just once or twice, and there would be no hurt feelings on either side when it stopped and never picked back up. A lot of those boys were still her friends now.
Carissa had one serious relationship all through sophomore and junior year. Before "He Who Must Be Forgotten" she had a steady stream of hookups. After him, she'd slowed down considerably, but not entirely. In fact, Stella thought she might even be having more sex than Carissa at this point. It was funny in one way, sad in another. She knew Carissa was still hurting.
That was just it. She knew everything about Carissa. Except what was in that folder.
**********
Stellissa.
Incorrect Password. Please Try Again.
Carella.
Incorrect Password. Please Try Again.
StellissaCarella.
Incorrect Password. Directory Locked for One Minute.
"Fuckkk..." Stella moaned. She pushed herself up from her desk and began to walk around her little studio apartment. New York felt like a good fit for her. Small spaces, large environment. But it didn't do much in the way of letting her pace and ponder. For that minute of punishment she wracked her brain for some idea of what Carissa might use as a super-secret password. "It probably has nothing to do with me," she mumbled.
When it unlocked again, she plopped down again and saw an inspiring sentence pop up just below the password bar: "Hint: subject's name."
Subject's name... name of the fantasy?
Stella tried to think what Carissa hadn't ever talked about sexually. If it were a sexual thing, that would help narrow it down.
BDSM.
Incorrect Password. Please Try Again.
Exhibitionism.
Incorrect Password. Please Try Again.
Stella was about to type something else when she read the hint again. "Hint: subject's name."
Not the name of the subject... subject's name. Is Carissa the subject? Like some kind of experiment?
Carissa Okamoto.
The folder opened. Stella sighed relief and looked at the clock. Only eight-thirty, the show had barely started and Carissa wouldn't be by for a few hours.
Inside were three sub-folders, organized by numbers.
1. Daily Exercises
2. Homework
3. Extra Credit
Stella felt her brow furrow. Her neck craned forward as though looking closer would dig up the dirt. Her curly blonde hair fell forward into her face, and she pulled it back into a bun before angrily pawing at the mouse, clicking on the first folder the cursor found, which happened to be "Extra Credit."
Her heart palpitated as a new list of sub-folders appeared, this time only sorted alphabetically.
- Fuck-It List