Warm sunlight filtered through the windows of their dorm, illuminating the room and softening the edges. If she had not just waken up, Coal may have found it beautiful. She tugged on the hem of her oversized t-shirt as she slid across the hallway floorboards and skidded into her friend's room. She looked around the room, her eyes falling on the dresser. An empty mixed tape waiting to be filled lay next to the framed pictures, only one or two were of her family but the rest were of their friends. But most of the frames were filled with pictures of Coal. From the day she tasted ice cream for the first time to the day they spent together at the beach. Shaking her head to clear the memories, Coal looked around the room. She did not come here to look at pictures. She glanced at Arcadia's sleeping form, sprawled out on the bed with layers of blankets shielding her from the world. As she looked her over Coal spotted what she came here for, the life-sized stuffed mascot of their school. She leaned down next to the mess of blonde hair buried in the pillow, putting her face close to the girl's ear. "Come on sleep head, time to get up!" She yelled into Arcadia's hair as she tossed the stuffed tiger at the girl who was quickly waking up. She laughed gleefully as she slid out of the room. The sound of covers being tossed to the floor and feet hitting the ground only spurred more laughter as she twirled around the kitchen. "Morning Cadie!"
Coal ducked under the badly tossed pillow as her friend dropped down onto the couch with a groan. "What the hell? It's six." Arcadia rubbed her eyes as Coal laughed.
"Noooo, it's noon. And you promised to study with me." She reached over and turned on the tv before gracefully sitting down on the couch next to the other girl. The changing of channels finally settled on a news station, just white noise in the background of a beautiful morning. "Summer classes are a bitch, who wants to learn about radical functions when there's bars... strippers..." Arcadia waggled her eyebrows, fighting to keep a straight face as she looked at her. At the sight of Coal's amused smile Arcadia laughed, her composure falling to pieces. "I'm rather be fucked by a warm body than a math class." She glared at the book that was currently holding up the broken leg of the table.
"No one's asking you to do your math class, that'd be one big orgy with a lot of paper cuts." She rolled her eyes and sipped her tea.
"No! I-" She stopped looking over at the tv. "What'd they say, Coal?" she set down her pizza slice as Coal reached for the remote and turned up the volume. ..."Gay marriage legalized.... 50 states...." She didn't hear the rest of the broadcast because suddenly she found herself pressing her lips against Coal's. The other girl froze in shock, her tea forgotten. Arcadia started to pull away, blushing furiously. "I'm so-" she started but Coal cut her off.
"Shut up, don't you dare apologize." Their lips met again and this time it was not one sided. It was wonderful to wake up to new rights, even if you were never going to use them.