Chapter 5 Dick Tease

• 5. D!ck tease
• Alarm buzzes for the second time and I peek at the clock, still half asleep. It is five past twenty in the morning. Ten more minutes!
• I hit snooze, and a pillow hits my face across the room.
• “OW!”
• “Get your ass out of the bed. Right now!!” Ira hisses at me.
• Oh God! My parents never hissed at me like this. Even when I hit snooze for an entire hour.
• “When did you wake up?”
• “The very first time your alarm started buzzing!” She says, annoyingly. I didn’t know she could hear my alarm.
• “I want to sleep!” I mumble and cover my face with her pillow to block her voice.
• I hear the shuffling on her bed and I hold my sheet tight to prepare myself for her attack.
• She pulls the comforter hard, and I fall off the bed.
• “What the hell! Ira!” I shriek.
• She says while pushing me into the bathroom. “I wake up because of your freaking alarms, Riley! There is no way I will let you sleep again!”
• I rub my eyes and look at myself in the mirror. In my defense, I try to wake up early so I can go for a run. My mood is better when I exercise in the morning.
• “Now don’t you dare get inside the bed! Or I will drag you like you did!” I tell her loud enough for her to hear while brushing my teeth.
• “You can try,” she drawls.
• When I come out, I see her getting ready for her Zumba class.
• “Be thankful I didn’t throw my water bottle at you,“ She sneers and I roll my eyes.
• “I was planning to sleep for an hour, but your damn alarm!“
• “Stop being dramatic. It wasn’t even ringing!“ I tell her.
• “It vibrates your entire bed, Riley! Is this an alarm clock or a God damn vibrator!”
• That makes me laugh. With half-assed efforts, I change and put on a tracksuit. We get out of the room together. Ira leaves for the Gym and I warm up in the park the dormitory building.
• After jogging for a while, I pick up my pace, then run around the campus with music blaring high in my ears. I run until I am totally awake and feeling ten folds better. I always loved the thrill of flying high. It was stupid of me to stop taking part in the competitions. Maybe I should get in touch with the coach and ask if I can start again.
• Natalie still finds time to train and participate in races. We used to train together in high school. It was fun.
• When I come back to my room, sweat runs down my face to my cleavage. Boobs are such a nuisance with exercise and sweating. I wish I could leave them at home before going out for a run.
• ….
• After taking a bath and getting ready, I glance at Ira and ask her, “Are you coming with me?”
• I am ready to leave for classes. She is ready too. But I see her clutching her phone tight with a worried expression on her face. Probably waiting for a call.
• “I will be late. I need to speak with Liam.”
• Her brother.
• “Oh.. how is he doing?” My last encounter with him was a little odd. I thought I saw them–
• I shake my head. I probably imagined it or something.
• “Fine,” she says in annoyance. Ira hates the small talk. I walked out of the room. It’s hard to decipher her mood sometimes. I quit long ago.
• I’m in the same program as Ira. Natalie is in IT. Natalie and Ira are childhood friends. I only met Ira in college. We have grown close to each other in the past year. Initially, I was so closed off from everyone. But now I feel mostly myself.
• Mostly.
• ….
• As I walk through the hallway, I see some of my classmates standing in a group of boys. Nico is there, too. Our eyes meet and he gives me a smile and I nod back at him. It’s been a few days since we went on that date. The guys circling him chuckle as I pass them.
• “D!ck tease.”
• My face burns and I pace away from them faster. I am not sure if I indeed heard them call me this, or I imagined it. Oh My God. It’s the second time it has happened. My eyes sting with shame.
• A few months ago, I had seriously tried to date a guy. I couldn’t sleep with him either. I didn’t even want to kiss or touch him. Nico was rather a big milestone.
• But what is the point? Look at me now. Center of everyone’s mockery. Fucking never again. I think to myself as I walk faster. I am so done trying.
• “Riley…” Nico calls me out and I pace away from him.
• “Hey Hey! Please listen.” He takes longer strides to reach me and touches my arm. I hate my short height and tiny legs sometimes.
• I look at him. Tears of anger simmering in my eyes. I hate I cannot control my emotions sometimes. Natalie is a crier too, but at least she composes herself in front of others. Ira is a hard rock. And Look at me. Weak of all. No wonder they pity me and try to baby me all the time.
• Sometimes I feel so much resentment against myself. I wish I was stronger.
• “I am sorry..”
• “About? I thought I ruined your night by being a D!ck Tease.. so I guess I should be apologizing. Shouldn’t I?” I ask him and he winces.
• “I didn’t say a word to them… you know boys… they were asking details.. and… and I didn’t know what was worse… telling them that nothing happened or lying that yes it did happen…” He says, with guilt in his eyes.
• Of course. Fuckin boys.
• We are in our second year of college, but still some of them behave like a bunch of high schoolers.
• I blink and feel wetness seep down my face. Great! This is what I needed.
• “I stayed quiet and they…” he trails off as he sees me wipe the tear away.
• “Of course.” I nod. “It’s okay...”
• “But at least shut them up if they say it again in front of you for f-ck’ sake,” I tell him, surprised at words coming out of my mouth.
• “Sure I will..” he smiles.
• “Are we okay now?” He touches my arm.
• “We are okay.” I force a smile and answer him.
• “It was nice talking to you that day… Let’s try to catch up sometime.…”
• “Yea… sure..” I tell him, unsure how to reply.
• Is he expecting to go on a date again? I am so done trying. I cannot take one more humiliation. While moving away from him, I think to myself.
• “Listen..” he calls me out again and I turn.
• Please don’t ask for one more date, Nico…
• “Don’t tell Natalie… she will kill me.” he says and I let out a laugh of relief.
• “Yea sure…”
• Natalie has quite some ruthless reputation on campus for dealing with bullies and mean students. I walk away from Nico and take my way towards my next lecture, only to bump into Jonas.