Mixed Messages

The pair made it back to the house a few hours later, no tension in sight.  They had cleared the air - again - and were back on track to being friends.  When they walked in the door, Julie eyed them curiously.  “Where were you two?”

“Grabbing dinner,” Christen told her walking past the spot she was settled into on the couch.  

“I have to go finish my paper but I’ll see you guys later.  Coffee before class tomorrow?” Tobin asked, directed towards her.  

“Yeah, I’ll wait for you at like 8:30 down here.”  Tobin smiled and walked backwards a few steps before turning around.  “Night, Tobin!”  she called from the kitchen where she was grabbing a water bottle from the fridge.

“You two are awfully chummy this weekend,” Julie said teasingly.  Christen ignored the tone.  “We’re just starting to understand each other.”  

Kelley interrupted their exchange when she shuffled down the steps.  “I think I slept all day.”   THey laughed at her expense before Julie informed her she might be worse off than Alex. “Did Tobin find you?” Kelley asked, unaware she had just been in the room.  “It seemed important.”

“Yeah, we’re good.  Everything is good.”   Christen nodded.  Kelley and Julie looked at each other, eyes smiling.  “What?” Christen asked.  “What is that look?”

“Oh nothing,” Kelley sweetly said.  She wasn’t buying it.  “Spill it, now.”  

“It’s nothing! Geez! Can’t a girl ask her friend a question?”  She decided to ignore it, too exhausted to keep up with her.  “I’m going upstairs.  You two keep looking at each other with googly eyes and let me know how that goes.”

Snickers followed her up the steps and into her bedroom where she flopped down on the bed.  Her phone vibrated in her hand.

Danny:  I’m really looking forward to lunch tomorrow.

Oh, shit.  I forgot all about that.  Can I get out of it?  Maybe Tobin can tell him I’m not interested since they’re friends.  No I don’t want to talk to Tobin about this, it’s awkward.

Christen: See you then.

…..

The next morning she woke up with a pep in her step.  At 8:30 sharp she met Tobin who was patiently waiting for her in the common room.  “Morning!”  The obvious non-morning girl turned around and smiled.  “Let’s go.”  

They walked in silence to the coffee shop, elbows and arms bumping occasionally.  Christen gave her a shy smile every time it happened, feeling way too excited to be with Tobin this early in the morning.  All night her stomach had flip flopped back and forth between anticipation and disdain.  She was looking forward to spending more time with Tobin and hated that she agreed to lunch with Danny.  

After ordering, Tobin slid a crisp twenty across the counter.  “I’ll get it,” she told her.  

“That’s sweet.  Thanks, Tobin.”  

“No problem. Make sure they get your order right this time!”  What?  Oh, the two coffees.

Christen let out a small giggle.  “Confession number what, three?  Seven?  Forty?  That coffee was for you last Wednesday.” She blushed at Tobin’s reaction.  “Really?!”

“Yeah, I wanted to say sorry about how I acted at the cafe and thought it would be a good peace offering, but then when you pointed it out I lied.  It seemed lame.”  

Taking their coffee from the barista, Tobin shook her head.  “Not at all.  Here. Cheers!”  the hot liquid ran down her throat, a welcomed sensation first thing in the morning.  “So good,” Christen commented.

“I couldn’t live without coffee,” Tobin agreed.  “It’s like my number one thing.  Better than soccer...or sleep..or sex.”  Christen whipped her head around to look at Tobin, who had a devilish grin on her face.  “Ok, maybe not better than sleep,” she clarified.  

“Or sex,” Christen offered, “depending.”  

“On?”  There was an intrigue to Tobin’s voice as she asked the question.  

“The person.”  Christen stared at Tobin, locking eyes.  Neither looked away. She saw Tobin’s pupils dilate before her.  What am I doing?  Am I flirting with her?  “Anyway,” she said changing the subject.  “We should walk to class so we can get a good seat.”

……..

At 12:50, Christen waited outside of the on-campus restaurant Danny had suggested.  He greeted her with a hug, a little too close for her own comfort.  

“Hey, how’s your day so far?” he asked.  

“Not bad.”  Her goal was to keep everything short and uninteresting.  He really was cute, but she didn’t feel any type of bigger attraction to him.  They found a table and placed their orders, knowing they only had a small bit of time before she had to go to her next class.  Danny took it upon himself to create conversation that was usually centered around himself, but she didn’t mind.  Anything that kept her from having to reveal information about herself.

“...and that’s actually how I became friends with Tobin.”  Christen admittedly wasn’t paying much attention to his long-winded story until she heard the drop Tobin’s name.

“Sorry, go back a second, you met Tobin….”  she hadn’t heard a word he said so she didn’t want to look stupid by saying the wrong thing.

“From her ex-girlfriend, Shirley.”   Girlfriend.Ex.

“Oh, right, right.” Christen bobbed her head like she’d been paying any attention to who the heck Shirley was or where this story was headed.  

“Yeah. Shirley was only here for the year so since she went back Tobin still comes by and sometimes sleeps over in her old room if we all go out.  She’s seriously one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.”

There were so many questions swirling in her head but it didn’t seem appropriate to ask them to Danny.  When did they break up?  Where did she go back to?  Christen peered at her cell phone.    “Hey I’m sorry to cut this short but I should get going.  Thanks so much for lunch, I really appreciate it,”  her tone was strictly platonic.

“No problem at all.”  They stood up together and before she knew it, Danny’s lips were over top of hers very awkwardly.  Her eyes remained open and her lips un-puckered.  Danny stepped back and looked like heaven had eclipsed him.  “I’ll text you later, Christen.”  She stood dumbfounded in the middle of the restaurant, unsure of what had just happened.

…………………………………….

Christen sulked into the common room later that night where she was pleasantly surprised to see  Allie, Alex and Tobin watching Monday Night Football.  Tobin looked up at her and smiled, happy to see her too.  

“Hey Christen, what’s up?” Alex asked.

“Just taking a break from my readings. What are you guys doing?”  She found a cozy spot on the couch and struck up a conversation about everyone’s day.

“Well, I for one had a great day, ” Allie declared.  “I heard two bits of gossip today about two little birdies in this room.”

The three remaining girls shared a puzzled look.  “What’s that?” Tobin asked.  “Actually, you are not one of the birdies,” Allie told her.  “It’s these two.”    Christen felt her heart beat a little quicker.   What could she have heard about me?

“First things, first.  Miss Press. I heard you had quite the lunch date today.”  Christen looked over to Tobin, wincing.  “Why is that?”

Allie continued, “I heard you kissed Danny right in the open for everyone to see.  Every girl on campus hates you right now.”  Christen closed her eyes for a brief moment.  She opened them looking down in her lap.  “It’s not what you think.”

“You didn’t?”

Christen clarified her statement.  “No we did - I mean he did.  It was unexpected.  I literally just stood there and didn’t move.”  Her eyes shifted back over to Tobin who was looking at her with a blank look.  Alex began laughing.  “Oh man that’s embarrassing.”

“Oh no, don’t you laugh,” Allie told her wagging her finger.  “You’re the other bird.  I heard that nice little pink mark on your neck came from Servando.”  Alex’s mouth opened wide in shock.  “How’d you know,” she squealed.  “Tobin?! Did you tell her?”  

“TOBIN KNEW?”  Allie shot off the coach in protest.  “Why didn’t either of you tell me?”  

Christen was happy the attention was off her for a moment. Serves her right for blowing up our spots.  Laughing she told her, “Even I knew Allie!”  Now it was Tobin’s turn to open her mouth wide.  “TOBIN!” Alex shouted.  “You told Christen?!”  

Tobin got on her feet, pacing nervously.  “I had to, Alex!”

“Why?! I told you not to tell anyone,” she whined.  

“She thought you and I were dating!”  Everyone in the room now had the opportunity have their jaws hit the floor.  The amount of information being revealed was just incredible.  No one knew where to start or look first.  

“TOBIN!”  Christen couldn’t believe it.  “You told me you wouldn’t tell her!  But I also promised Allie I wouldn’t -”  

Before the words could escape her lips, Tobin was straddling her, one hand overtop of her mouth.  She melted underneath the power of her body and touch of her fingers against her own skin.   They stared at each other for a moment before Tobin bent down to whisper, “shh. Do. Not. Tell.”  Christen nodded underneath Tobin’s grasp so she slowly uncovered her mouth.  

“What in the world is going on here?!” Allie shouted.  “What are all these secrets!”  Tobin hadn’t moved from her position, Christen pinned between her legs and neither of them attempted to move.  

“Ok fine. Yes Allie, I’ve been hooking up with Serv for three weeks and I really like him.  Happy?”  

Allie nodded. “Yes. Good.  Now back to you two.  Christen, you thought these morons were dating?”

“Guilty.”  

“And Tobin, what can’t Christen tell me that has you up in arms.”  Tobin shook her head.  “Nope, nothing.”

Christen tried to think quickly on her feet.  “Oh come on Tobin, just tell her.”  She winked at the girl above her.  “She had a dream where she kissed you last week.”

A look of pride washed over Allie’s face.  “Oh. That’s not bad at all.”  Tobin started to pick herself up off of Christen’s body, where she immediately missed it.  “Actually it was a real nightmare. You’re not my type.”  Allie picked up a throw pillow and tossed it in their direction, missing.  

It had been too much excitement for one night already.  Christen stood up and told them now that she was thoroughly embarrassed, she was going to head back upstairs.  

Before she reached the top step her phone buzzed and she had a text.  Tobin.  

Tobin: Are you seeing him again?

Christen didn’t know what to say.  Not if she could help it.  She didn’t want to date Danny but how did she tell him nicely?

Christen: I don’t think so.

She didn’t get a response the rest of the night.