Beginnings, for thelastgoodname
Post-football practice (soccer practice, Jules would have to learn) was the hardest time of the day, still. Even though the girls on her American team were friendly and nice, old habits die hard, especially old habits that you learned in British secondary school. She had always tried to be the first in and the first out of the showers, so that no one could suspect her of looking at the other girls, because even though she had never even thought of any of them in that way, that had not stopped them from accusing her of it.
In addition to that, now there was someone she wanted to look at. Jesminder Bhamra, beautiful, lovely, kind Jess. Being with Jess and looking at Jess and talking to Jess was easy, it made her feel good. But had someone confronted her, she would have denied all knowledge of the tiny mole on Jess’ lower back, and certainly not admitted to in all probability being able to describe her ears when woken in the middle of the night. Not in a million years would she admit to once having pondered whether Jules Bhamra sounded better than Jesminder Paxton. (Jules Paxton-Bhamra certainly was not so bad…) It was not only that her mother had been right, but Jess was ostensibly straight and quite in love with Joe. On the other hand, so had Jules been. She thought she had, at least, as she had gotten so jealous when she saw Jess and Joe kissing. But then again… since they had arrived in the States, she had barely thought of Joe at all. It was all quite confusing.
Jules bowed her head down and went to the showers. The quick-in-quick-out procedure may not have been necessary anymore, but she still did it. These girls actually seemed quite liberal when it came to being gay - one or two of them were openly bisexual. Perhaps she ought to go for one of them? Like Casey - she was sort of cute. Part of the team were going to get together the same night and snogging another girl would surely take away some of the frustration she felt around Jess.
They were in the captain’s dorm, Jules and Jess and seven other girls - including Casey - drinking wine and chatting. Even though most of the talk seemed like gibberish to Jules, she had never understood what was so sexy about men’s thighs, it was rather nice. Especially as Casey was acting the perfect gentleman, refilling her wine glass, telling her she was looking good (and also making bawdy jokes in a silly British accent). “Give us a kiss, love”, she said, not sounding even remotely like anyone who had ever seen the white cliffs of Dover. Jules scrambled across the floor to the loud, blonde midfielder anyway and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Casey took a firm hold of her semi-short hair and gave her a deep kiss, tongue and all, accompanied by loud whoops and cheers from the other girls in the room. Everyone except Jess, that was. It wasn’t unpleasant at all, unlike her first kiss (her only other kiss, come to think of it), with slobbery, fumbling Dennis Coyle in secondary school. It was soft, sexy and with a lot of nice, girlish, not-slobbery-at-all tongue.
The rest of the evening passed in a wine-induced haze, a lot of kissing Casey and avoiding Jess’ incredulous stares. Nothing else stood out very clearly until Casey slammed Jules against the closed door of her dorm room. The girl she shared it with was away for the weekend so no one, unlike the first time Jules was kissed, was around to watch. It was nice and hot, and once Jules realised Casey was very fond of being bitten, it became a lot of fun. They had gotten to the point where Casey was straddling Jules on the bed, one hand beneath her bra, before Jules realised she was actually fantasising about Jess. Swearing loudly inside, she sort of wrenched Casey away, rushed to her feet, buttoned her jeans while apologising in a very embarrassing manner, and ran all the way back to her own dorm, all the while biting back the tears.
She woke up the next day with a headache and things certainly didn’t improve when Jess came knocking, all pouty and angry. Jules’ room-mate took one look at her, said “I think I’ll be in the library today”, and left.
”What’s wrong?” Jules asked, trying to get past the awkwardness that certainly hadn’t been there before.
“You… you slept with her! I can’t believe you slept with her!”
“I didn’t.”
“She’s completely obnoxious!”
”I didn’t.”
”What kind of taste do you have?”
“I DIDN’T! Why d’you even care, anyway?” Jess was standing up, shouting, she was so upset. “Why do you care, Jess? You don’t give a damn what anyone does, as long as you get your way! Go… go fuck your precious Joe, I don’t care!”
Jess looked as though she had deflated. “We’ve broken up”, she whispered. “He said I wasn’t devoted enough for him to endure a long-distance relationship. That… He said… He said he thought I don’t like boys.”
Jules breath got caught in her throat. “Don’t like… boys?”
“I would have talked to you about it but I thought that as you fancied him you didn’t want to hear me talk about him and then I thought that maybe I could tell you tonight but then you snogged that annoying Casey and I didn’t even know you liked girls and I thought maybe your Mum was right about it and I mean maybe…” With the last word she looked up shyly through her hair and Jules wouldn’t have been able to resist kissing her even if she had tried.
Their first kiss was tentative, cautious. Their second, third and fourth were a bit more daring. The fifth was the most delicious thing Jules had ever tasted, and it definitely went uphill from there.
In addition to that, now there was someone she wanted to look at. Jesminder Bhamra, beautiful, lovely, kind Jess. Being with Jess and looking at Jess and talking to Jess was easy, it made her feel good. But had someone confronted her, she would have denied all knowledge of the tiny mole on Jess’ lower back, and certainly not admitted to in all probability being able to describe her ears when woken in the middle of the night. Not in a million years would she admit to once having pondered whether Jules Bhamra sounded better than Jesminder Paxton. (Jules Paxton-Bhamra certainly was not so bad…) It was not only that her mother had been right, but Jess was ostensibly straight and quite in love with Joe. On the other hand, so had Jules been. She thought she had, at least, as she had gotten so jealous when she saw Jess and Joe kissing. But then again… since they had arrived in the States, she had barely thought of Joe at all. It was all quite confusing.
Jules bowed her head down and went to the showers. The quick-in-quick-out procedure may not have been necessary anymore, but she still did it. These girls actually seemed quite liberal when it came to being gay - one or two of them were openly bisexual. Perhaps she ought to go for one of them? Like Casey - she was sort of cute. Part of the team were going to get together the same night and snogging another girl would surely take away some of the frustration she felt around Jess.
They were in the captain’s dorm, Jules and Jess and seven other girls - including Casey - drinking wine and chatting. Even though most of the talk seemed like gibberish to Jules, she had never understood what was so sexy about men’s thighs, it was rather nice. Especially as Casey was acting the perfect gentleman, refilling her wine glass, telling her she was looking good (and also making bawdy jokes in a silly British accent). “Give us a kiss, love”, she said, not sounding even remotely like anyone who had ever seen the white cliffs of Dover. Jules scrambled across the floor to the loud, blonde midfielder anyway and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Casey took a firm hold of her semi-short hair and gave her a deep kiss, tongue and all, accompanied by loud whoops and cheers from the other girls in the room. Everyone except Jess, that was. It wasn’t unpleasant at all, unlike her first kiss (her only other kiss, come to think of it), with slobbery, fumbling Dennis Coyle in secondary school. It was soft, sexy and with a lot of nice, girlish, not-slobbery-at-all tongue.
The rest of the evening passed in a wine-induced haze, a lot of kissing Casey and avoiding Jess’ incredulous stares. Nothing else stood out very clearly until Casey slammed Jules against the closed door of her dorm room. The girl she shared it with was away for the weekend so no one, unlike the first time Jules was kissed, was around to watch. It was nice and hot, and once Jules realised Casey was very fond of being bitten, it became a lot of fun. They had gotten to the point where Casey was straddling Jules on the bed, one hand beneath her bra, before Jules realised she was actually fantasising about Jess. Swearing loudly inside, she sort of wrenched Casey away, rushed to her feet, buttoned her jeans while apologising in a very embarrassing manner, and ran all the way back to her own dorm, all the while biting back the tears.
She woke up the next day with a headache and things certainly didn’t improve when Jess came knocking, all pouty and angry. Jules’ room-mate took one look at her, said “I think I’ll be in the library today”, and left.
”What’s wrong?” Jules asked, trying to get past the awkwardness that certainly hadn’t been there before.
“You… you slept with her! I can’t believe you slept with her!”
“I didn’t.”
“She’s completely obnoxious!”
”I didn’t.”
”What kind of taste do you have?”
“I DIDN’T! Why d’you even care, anyway?” Jess was standing up, shouting, she was so upset. “Why do you care, Jess? You don’t give a damn what anyone does, as long as you get your way! Go… go fuck your precious Joe, I don’t care!”
Jess looked as though she had deflated. “We’ve broken up”, she whispered. “He said I wasn’t devoted enough for him to endure a long-distance relationship. That… He said… He said he thought I don’t like boys.”
Jules breath got caught in her throat. “Don’t like… boys?”
“I would have talked to you about it but I thought that as you fancied him you didn’t want to hear me talk about him and then I thought that maybe I could tell you tonight but then you snogged that annoying Casey and I didn’t even know you liked girls and I thought maybe your Mum was right about it and I mean maybe…” With the last word she looked up shyly through her hair and Jules wouldn’t have been able to resist kissing her even if she had tried.
Their first kiss was tentative, cautious. Their second, third and fourth were a bit more daring. The fifth was the most delicious thing Jules had ever tasted, and it definitely went uphill from there.