Jason's voice floated down the hallway, "Hey babe, do you want carrot or beetroot tonight?"
I paused from my organizing, a paper held midair as I considered, before yelling back, "Let's go with carrot!"
I was getting all of my notes together for our premed study session tonight, and I wanted to make sure everything was just right so we could proceed without any distractions. Jason and I had started hosting a weekly study session for our Physiology class, but it seemed like we had a difficult time keeping the same group together. People would show up for a few weeks before drifting out of the group only to be replaced by whoever was now at the bottom of the class, I assumed.
I rolled my eyes. I don't know how people expected to excel if they just quit as soon as they got a passing grade! But maybe that was the point - our study group just wanted to pass, not be at the top of the class. "Oh well, more room for me at the top," I thought to myself.
I loved medicine, and I loved that I was good at it. I was one of only a few girls in our premed program, one of the top programs that fed its best students into the best medical schools in the nation, and even if no one in our group took the sessions seriously, I was sure that it was still helping me. Teaching was the best way to learn after all, right? And anyways, Jason had agreed when I suggested forming the group, and he seemed to like it too.
"I think I heard someone at the door, can you get it? I'm finishing up the snacks!"
I got up to answer the door, and in filed a dozen or so guys, sheepishly looking for a place to sit. "Go ahead and pick a spot at the table, I was just finishing setting up the notes," I said cheerfully. If there was one thing I couldn't fault them for, it was punctuality. They were all here, and it was almost exactly 7:00.
I took my spot at the head of the table, and Jason came in brandishing a tall glass of carrot juice. I was trying to get healthier, and he had been loads of help, always making me my favorite healthy juice drink. "Go ahead and get started without me," he said, winking at me encouragingly, "I'm going to finish up in the kitchen."
I thanked him as I took a swig of the juice. He leaned in to kiss me on top of the head, but I swatted him away. He knew I didn't like PDA!
"Hey guys," I said, trying to focus on the task at hand, "I'm Rachel. Let's go around the room and all introduce ourselves and state our majors since I see a few new faces in here today. I'm a chemistry major."
"Sup, I'm Kyle. I'm in chem too," drawled the voice next to me. Kyle was a smug asshole. He looked me straight in the eyes as he introduced himself, as if I hadn't been in the same program as him for the past three years and didn't already know who he was. He was the only member of the group that had stayed from the beginning, and he always questioned my abilities. I knew he was also vying for the top spot in our class, a position that would guarantee a spot in residency after graduation, and it irked me to have my competition in on these meetings.
But Jason had insisted that we keep the group open to anyone who wanted to join, so I had let him in hoping he would eventually get tired of it and leave. It was all I could do not to roll my eyes at him. Instead, I gritted my teeth, thanked him, and motioned to the next person.
"Um, I'm, um... I'm Robert and I'm, um, I've never been in a study group like this before!" Robert was looking down at his hands, moving his thumbs around and around in a circle as if they were in an eternal thumb war. I had seen him in a few classes, and I felt for the guy. He was clearly very shy, and from what little I had witnessed over the years, had zero experience talking to girls.
"And your major?" I gently nudged.
"Oh, yes! My major. I'm, well, I'm a math major," he said nervously. Then, as if we would question his credentials, he hurriedly added, "but I'm in the premed program! So that's why I'm taking this class."
Kyle rolled his eyes, so I just smiled even more brightly at Robert.
"Hey, are you going to drink that?" Kyle interjected, pointing at my carrot juice.
I gave him a dirty look, "As a matter of fact, yes." And to prove it, I took a big gulp, smacking my lips and giving an exaggerated sigh to show how fresh and delicious it was. It really was very delicious. To my dismay, he just looked even more smug! "Why, do you want some?" I asked, playing keep away with the drink.
"No, you just looked... thirsty." The way he said the last word made me blush, but I wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the way he looked me in the eye, like he knew something I didn't. I hated that feeling. Everyone around the table seemed to go silent and awkward, watching us to see what would happen next. I cleared my throat and motioned to the next person to start speaking. Fred, I thought his name was, another premed student I had seen around, though I wasn't sure what he was majoring in.
As we continued the meeting, I drank my juice every time Kyle looked my way, if only to show off how delicious it was and how much he was missing out. And really, it was very delicious. I made a note to myself to tell Jason that he really outdid himself after everyone went home. In the meantime, I was determined to win this war between me and Kyle. He wouldn't be so smug when the juice was gone and there was no chance he could get any!
Jason popped his head in, refilling my glass with fresh juice. "Thanks so much babe!" I beamed, hugging him around the neck. Normally I didn't like PDA, but the juice was just so refreshing, and I was sure this study session would go well.
He laughed, planting a kiss on my forehead. "No problem, sweetness. Just finish this next glass and I'll be ready to join soon." Everyone at the table seemed... relieved? I pouted a bit at the revelation. Did they think I wasn't smart enough to lead the study session? Maybe they wanted him in charge instead. He definitely had the look of a doctor: he was tall and slim with dark hair and bright eyes. He had a genial quality that made everyone like him and trust him. It was the reason I fell in love with him.
I still wanted to power through, even if they thought I wasn't good enough. I would show them when I got an A in the class and they were stuck with their Cs! Next up was Victor, or was it Alex? I should really know this, we had taken another class together after all. My eyes floated back to Kyle, with his stupid grin. He moved his lips silently, a command: "Drink."
I looked down at the glass of carrot juice, already half empty. Drink. So Kyle... wanted? me to drink it? Just then, Victor/Alex chimed in, "Are you going to drink that?"
I blinked, trying to clear my head. Yes, I was going to drink this. I nodded, smiling again as I downed the rest of the juice. I looked up at everyone on the table who seemed to be looking at me expectantly. Why were they looking at me again? Oh, yes! The study session!
"Thanks, um..." What was his name again? I was completely drawing a blank.
Just then, Jason came up behind me, putting his hands on my shoulders. "Thanks Alex," he said, motioning to the next person to introduce themselves. I smiled, glad to be saved from having to remember the name. I don't know why Jason put me in charge! He brought me another glass of juice and started kneading my shoulders. I let out a soft sign, puffing my chest out as I leaned my back into his warm hands.
Everyone around the table seemed to relax a bit and started talking as the rest of the introductions finished up. I sipped my juice quietly, reveling in the master massage Jason was giving me. He laughed with them, talking about the study session and how it would start soon. I pouted a bit, turning to him, "But I don't want to study, I feel so good!"
Everyone laughed as Jason cupped my chin. "Don't worry babe, I'll take care of you."
I smiled, finishing the rest of my juice and sinking into the chair. I felt warm and tingly. The room was slightly out of focus as I leaned into Jason's hands. But piercing the fog were Kyles smug eyes. He tipped his head towards the living room before walking away. A signal to me or to Jason?
Jason seemed to understand what was going on. "Hey everyone, I think the living room would be a bit more comfortable." He leaned down to help me up as I nodded enthusiastically. I was sad that the massage would stop, but I knew it was temporary, and indeed the living room would be a much more comfortable spot to continue.
I floated to the living room on Jason's arm, as if in a dream. And like a dream, it all felt kind of familiar. He sat on the sofa and motioned for me to sit on his lap. I obliged, giggling as everyone sat around us in a semi circle. It looked like I was the teacher! But I knew that would be silly, I wasn't qualified to teach anything. I was lucky that Jason liked me, since he was so smart and handsome.
Jason started the massage back up, but this time his hands wandered much more. He slid a finger under the top of my shorts, brushing the skin below my belly button, and I let out a soft whimper. As his hands wandered along my stomach, I purred with soft moans.
A hand shot up in the circle. "How does it, um, how does it work?" It was the quiet boy, Rodger, no, Robert! The shy one. I smiled at him encouragingly. It was good to ask questions in a study group.
Before Jason could answer, a voice came from a figure leaned back casually in the back of the living room. "Proprietary formula," Kyle said coldly. Everyone looked back at him as he continued, "Besides, you don't need to know what it is to know it works. $50 a bottle and you can have the same effects with anyone you want. And if it works on the most stuck up bitch in our program, you know it'll do wonders with a comm major."
Everyone laughed, and I wanted to laugh too at Kyle's joke, but I gasped as Jason's hand gently clawed against my stomach. My back arched into him, and my hips started to sway a bit sitting on his lap. I wanted to get closer to him, but it felt like he was just teasing me.
"Well, what are the effects then?" another boy asked, one of the later ones to introduce himself.
"Yeah, you said there would be a demonstration."
Everyone looked at me expectantly, and I started to feel shy. Were they expecting something from me? I was supposed to demonstrate? I turned to Jason, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do.
He cooed at me as his hands ran along my body. "I think it's getting a bit hot, don't you?" I nodded. "So why don't you take off your shirt? I'm sure you would feel much better."
