11 was an odd number; it reminded Freshman Jorge of his unhappiness. He longed to make it even.
As he laid out all 11 panties, he saw each girl in front of him, naked and bruised, struggling to get up from the floor. In his revelry they were abducted from their rooms, those who used to smile at him and those who did not, dragged by their hair across the hallway's harsh carpet. He had them tied up like Christmas gifts.
"Better find a wheelchair to lie in, once I'm done with all of you..."
Jorge had collected panties from every girl on his floor except one.
That despicable bible chick at the end of the hallway. The tag on her door said "Mckenzie." Every week her whiteboard had some inspirational bullshit from her good book. "Do the right thing!"
She had dark hair and dark eyes but was very pale and not much taller than a garbage bin. Not terrible-looking, but certainly undatable, unless those granny clothes were taken off her little body.
He saw Mckenzie around campus with some other freaks harassing people with their cheap pamphlets. "Dangers of abortion." "Your body is a temple." "A celibate love." Jorge cringed. Who still believed in craps like that?
But the truth was, Jorge wouldn't have hated Mckenzie as much if she'd not always locked her door.
No one else locked their door around here. It was a good college and no one stole things. No one even shut the doors, just leaving them ajar. That way one got more airflow, and also avoided the inevitable loud slamming.
Except for Mckenzie. Jorge constantly heard that door slamming from the end of the hallway. So did everyone else. There was even an email complaining about it. But she hardly gave a shit for others, despite of her pretense. The slamming continued.
Until one day.
Jorge was on his way to make water when he noticed Mckenzie's door was unlocked. An understatement; it's left open, like a pandora's box beckoning.
He heard showering from women's bathroom. He looked over his shoulder and at her door again. It was late night Friday, the floor's empty, everyone else out partying off campus. Must be her taking the shower then.
Jorge just needed sixty seconds. He had gotten incredibly good at unearthing secrets in a stranger's room. The trick was to go straight for their dirty laundry. No time to search for clean ones stashed away neatly in drawers. That might cause a disorder and they'd find out.
Plus, dirty ones worked better anyway. The rich odor would linger for weeks.
He had no interest to romanticize this woman. Even the idea of it came as a little gross. He just wanted to make up his collection.
He took a head dive and sneaked behind Mckenzie's door.
Jorge felt like entering a convent. Walls stripped all bare apart from a cross over the bed. A brick of a book laid flat on the desk next to a mug of coffee. No immediate sign of her laundry though.
He searched the wardrobe. The scarcity of colors there was predicable. He opened the drawers near bed and saw the neatly stacked chaste white panties.
This would do, he thought, though he was a bit disappointed by the lack of variety. He went for the bottom of the stack then felt something else lying; a peculiar object. He took it out.
A purple dildo! With a curve and a smaller branch on top to spice things up. Gotcha, you little slut! Jorge found himself shaking with excitement.
He inspected it. There was a button. He pressed out of curiosity and nearly jolted; the vibration was so strong it swung out of his grip. On the floor the toy moved like a big worm, its buzzing sound filled the room.
Suddenly Jorge heard someone humming a tune in the hallway.
Shit, Mckenzie's back.
He scrambled to close the drawer, grabbed the vibrating dildo, and hid under her bed. He made it stop just before she pushed open the door.
Jorge watched the girl's small feet in slippers shuffling in. She put down her shower bucket and moved around the room to perform her little rituals before bed. He stayed still. Then she turned off the light and came kneeling by her bed.
Jorge stopped breathing. He smelled a pleasant coconut scent that must be from her body wash. Mckenzie began praying.
"Help me forgive myself, my Lord, just as I ask for forgiveness from you. For I have sinned again today. I let my mind wander in ways I know are not right. It shames me to recount my thoughts, but I endeavor to be completely honest with you my Lord, so lend me strength and peace..."
In Jorge's astonishment she began to tell her fantasies in such vivid details that he was soon stiff in his pants. The tales seemed to have affected the girl herself. Her voice became weak and unsteady, and finally ceased.
He heard the bedside drawer open and clothes' soft rustling. She was looking for her dildo. He grabbed the missing item tight in his hand, afraid that she might start a search.
After a brief effort the girl cursed and stood up. She didn't turn the light back on. He heard her weight pressing against the mattress. She was in bed.
Now Jorge wondered how he'd get himself out. Maybe she'd sleep like a corpse and he could sneak out. He would need to be very careful about opening the door, for it was locked again.
The Mckenzie girl turned out to be a poor sleeper. She was constantly tossing about like a caught fish, now on her back, now on her belly, legs kicking against the mattress.
He waited for her to quiet down but it only grew worse.
Perhaps he'd have to stay all night until tomorrow. He agonized in the darkness. You got what you deserve, idiot. He'd be exposed. He'd be expelled. His name would be all over the local news.