September 1st
When Cady first entered her college dorm room, the first thing she saw was boxes. So many boxes. There was a stack of them in the center of the room, voices drifting out from behind it.
"Jesus Christ, Damian, it's fine where it is! I'm perfectly capable of decorating my own room."
"Are you? I love you, Jan, but an interior designer you are not."
"You can help me decorate when I get some stuff unpacked, but I think for the moment the placing of a lamp is not really going to matter," the owner of the voice was revealed as a tall girl with dyed hair and a jean jacket stepped out from behind the boxes, followed closely by a large kid in a RuPaul's Drag Race t-shirt. "And while I appreciate you being here, you don't need to- whoa." The girl stopped short upon spotting Cady.
"Hi," Cady said, offering a smile.
The girl visibly swallowed. "Um. Hi." Her friend gave her a look, then swooped in on Cady, hand extended.
"Damian Hubbard. This is Janis, presumably your new roommate." He threw a second look over his shoulder at Janis. "As you can see, she's almost too gay to function."
Janis have herself a little shake. "So are you," she shot back at Damian, nudging him out of the way and shaking Cady's hand. "Hi. Sorry for being weird, it's just - you're like, really pretty."
Cady smiled, a little uncomfortable. "Um. Thanks. I'm Cady, by the way. Cady Heron."
Janis tilted her head to one side. "Katie? Like, short for Katherine?"
"Uh, no, actually. C-A-D-Y," she spelled out.
Janis hummed. "I'm gonna call you Caddy."
"Hey babe, where do you want these - oh." Aaron appeared in the doorway, holding more boxes. "Hey."
Janis and Damian both nodded at him.
"My boyfriend, Aaron," Cady explained. Janis shook her head as if this news was absolutely horrifying.
"So many hets," she murmured to Damian, who nodded solemnly. Cady gave them an odd look, but didn't respond.
The four of them set to work unpacking their respective belongings, Cady pretending not to notice that Janis kept glancing her way.
October 11th
"Hey Caddy?"
Cady glanced up from her book at Janis, who was sitting at her desk, a math textbook open on her lap. "Yes, Janis?"
"What's the Theorem, that's like, about lines and points and shit?"
Cady rolled her eyes. "You're gonna have to be more specific."
Janis groaned. "I don't know, it's the fucking... can you just come help me?"
"I'm not helping you cheat on homework."
"It's not cheating! It's just one friend helping another with a tricky problem."
Cady gave her a long look. "No."
Janis pouted. "It's not my fault I can't concentrate. Who gave you the goddamned right to be so-"
"If you say 'hot', I'm requesting a new roommate." Cady turned the page idly.
"But it's true! Do you want me to lie to you and say you're not-"
"Janis."
Janis let her head fall to rest on the desk with a soft thump. "I hate being gay."
"No you don't."
"You're right. I love it. I just hate that so many girls are straight."
Cady ignored her, but began a silent countdown in her head. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two-
"Can you just please help me?"
"Right on cue," Cady muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing." Cady snapped her book shut and sat up. "What's the problem?" she asked, making her way over to Janis's desk and leaning over the textbook.
"Huh?" Janis said distractedly.
"Janis, stop staring at my tits."
"Right. Sorry. Number 69."
"I hate you. Tell me the real one."
Janis sighed. "32," she mumbled dejectedly.
November 6th
"It's my birthday today," Janis announced randomly while she and Cady were on their fourth episode of New Girl.
"Is it now?" Cady said warily.
She nodded. "And you know, for my birthday, I was thinking-"
"I'm not gonna make out with you."
Janis clutched her chest theatrically. "You wound me. Why would you just assume that's what I was gonna say?"
Cady arched an eyebrow. "Is that what you were going to say?"
"Well, yes, but-"
Cady turned up the volume on the computer.
"Are you this mean to everyone you're secretly attracted to?"
Cady rolled her eyes. "I am not secretly attracted to you."
Janis looked skeptical. "Are you sure? Because-"
"Janis? Stop."
This shut Janis up for approximately two seconds. Then she muttered, "What I was going to say is that we've watched this episode three times now and you don't seem to have noticed."
"I like this episode. It's cute."
"Sure it's not me that you-"
"Please don't ruin New Girl for me."
"Fine. But mark my words, girl, imma-"
Cady paused the episode. "If you quote Schmidt right now, I swear to God I'll-"
"Make me regret it? Please do."
Cady closed her eyes. "You are going to be the death of me."
December 31st, 8:00pm
"Got any New Year's plans?" Janis asked casually.
“Yes, actually,” Cady said, deciding to nip the conversation in the bud before Janis could take it where Cady knew she would. “Aaron’s taking me out.”
”Oh, Aaron,” Janis sighed. “The bane of my existence.” She hopped off her perch on the desk and flung herself onto Cady’s bed. “You know, there is more out there than obnoxious white boys. You could try, I don’t know-“
”An obnoxious white girl? Pass.”
”So mean to me,” Janis muttered sullenly. Cady had about five seconds to start to feel bad before Janis added, “I still think we should make out when the ball drops.”
”I. Have. A. Boyfriend.” Cady glared at her.
“These straight girls are gonna kill me,” Janis groaned.
Cady picked up a random magazine and began flipping through it, knowing she’d need something to deflect Janis’ reaction as she murmured, “I’m not straight.”
”The fuck did you just say?”
“I said I’m not straight,” Cady repeated, louder this time. Bracing herself, she lifted her eyes to meet Janis’, which were blazing furiously. “I’m bisexual.”
”And you didn’t see fit to mention this to me before now?”
Cady looked pointedly back down at her magazine. “No.”
”And why the fuck not?”
”Because, Jan, it doesn’t change anything,” Cady tossed the magazine aside, pissed.
“It changes everything.”
”No, it doesn’t, because I still have a boyfriend! And if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go meet him right now, and you’re just going to have to deal with that! God!” In one swift motion, Cady stood, crossed the room, and stormed out the door, flinging it shut behind her and leaving Janis sitting open mouthed, staring at the place where she’d disappeared.
December 31st, 11:00pm
Janis was watching a cheesy romcom, trying not to think about how she was spending New Year’s Eve alone - Damian was out with his boyfriend, Phillip - when Cady returned.
Janis paused her movie and watched Cady as she flung her shoes and purse into a corner and flopped down onto her bed.
”Hey,” Janis said, eyeing her warily.
”Hey,” Cady sighed, rolling over to face Janis. “Um. About earlier, I-“
”No, it’s okay,” Janis said quickly. “You’re right. I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain.”
Cady gazed at her long enough for a storm of butterflies to take flight in Janis’ chest. “Thanks,” she said finally.
“You’re home early,” Janis commented, crossing the room and sitting carefully down next to Cady. “I figured you’d stay out all night.”
”Yeah, so did I,” Cady muttered. Janis eyed her quizzically. “He broke up with me,” Cady explained.
”Oh,” Janis said softly. “Um. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. He’s an asshole. To be honest, I’m glad he did it, otherwise I might have never realized just how awful he really is.”
“I mean, I tried to tell you,” Janis joked, but Cady’s face remained serious. She sat up, bringing her knees to her chest.
”Janis? Can I ask you something?”
”You just did.” Seeing the look on Cady’s face, she quickly added, “But go ahead.”
”Do you... really like me? Or do you just want to get in my pants?”
Janis was slightly taken aback by the question, and it took her a moment to form a response. “Honestly? I am really fucking attracted to you. But it’s not just that. You’re... awesome, you really are. And I’ve been trying to distract myself from how I feel about you for months now, with all the sex jokes and stuff. But really... I kinda think I’m like, in love with you or something. And it’s fucking terrifying.”
Cady tilted her head to one side. “You know, I’ve never dated a girl before. I’ve known I was bisexual for a long time, but dating guys always felt safer. But now I’m realizing that it never was. Every single guy I’ve dated never really liked me. They just wanted to have sex with me. And if I’m being honest, that’s why I was so resistant to... well, to you. Because I was afraid that being with a girl would just be more of the same shit I’ve always done. I didn’t really think you cared.”
Janis bit her lip. “Well. I care. A lot. Probably too much. Just... for future reference.”
Cady smiled. “Hey Jan?”
”Yes, Caddy?”
”How would you feel about making out with me?”
Janis pretended to think about it. “Well, we’ve still got a half hour before the New Year’s Eve countdown, so I don’t know...”
”Do you want this or not?” Cady said in mock annoyance.
Janis nodded quickly. “Want. Want very much.”
“That’s what I thought.” Cady smirked as she pulled Janis down onto the bed.