Katia

It's been about a week since opening night at the theater. Last night was my final performance. That was actually an encore show. Our last showing was supposed to be the night before last. I had so much fun and I'm glad my first experience with such a major production was a hit. Olivia even came out to see me last night. And to think I usually have to drag her to see it once. I'm in a good mood. It's Friday. I'm done with classes for the day and Mistress says she has a surprise for me this weekend. I'm giddy just thinking about it. I'm on my way to the studio now just to see her. I miss her.

Suddenly an arm hooks around my neck. "Hi friend." Tori says smiling.

I gently remove her arm. "Hi Tori."

"So is your show over?" She asks. I failed to mention that Tori and Samantha both came to see me perform one night. It was nice of them.

"It is. Thanks for coming by the way." I say.

"What are friends for?" She smirks and runs her hand through her short brown hair.

"How would you know?" Olivia's voice rings out from behind us. She moves Tori out of the way and stands beside me. "It's not like you have any." Liv says to Tori.

"You're so funny Olivia." Tori says flatly.

"I like to think so." Olivia kisses the top of my head. "Hey Kitty."

"Hey Liv."

Tori stands on the other side of me. "You two sure you're not dating?" She asks.

"Positive." Liv says.

"So do you mind? We were talking." Tori's tone becomes slightly aggressive.

Olivia stops walking. "Anything you want to say to Kat you can say in front of me Turd." Olivia says smirking.

"I told you to stop calling me that." Tori steps towards Olivia but she doesn't back down. Both of them are pretty tall. So they're eye to eye.

"Or what?" Olivia asks.

"Hey. Stop." I say as I pull Olivia away.

"You better listen to her." Tori says.

"You too. Stop it." I tell Tori. "What is wrong with you two?" I ask. "Grow up."

"She's just upset because I made her cry the other day on the field. Isn't that right, Turd?" Olivia asks.

Without warning Tori springs towards Liv and they begin to fight. I know I'm not strong enough to break them up. I try anyway.

"Stop!" I yell. "Stop!" I try to pull Liv away from Tori.

Suddenly a bolt of pain strikes me in the head and travels through my body. Not quite like any pain I've endured.

"Look what you did!" Olivia shouts.

"What's going on here?!" Another voice yells.

So much yelling.

I feel dizzy.

My conscious is dwindling.

I see stars before the blackness swallows me whole.

Nothingness.

It's so quiet.

What happened to all the yelling?

Where's Liv? I open my eyes. For fucks sake. Tell me I'm not back in the hospital.

No. Not quite. I sit up and see Mistress and Olivia. I smile at them.

"Babe." I say.

"Hey." Olivia says looking at me oddly.

"I wasn't-"

Olivia cuts me off. "Look who stayed to make sure you were okay."

I didn't realize someone else was in the room. I turn to see Sam. Oh fuck me. She smiles at me.

"Girl. What are you doing? You've got these girls fighting over you now. I told you this would happen." Sam says.

I shake my head. "That's not what happened."

"For the last time Samantha, we weren't fighting over Kat." Olivia says.

"Maybe weren't." Sam winks at Liv. She's so obnoxious.

"Samantha." Mistress says.

"Yes Miss Bell?" Samantha answers.

"Maybe you and I should go. Give Katia some space. Let her go home and rest."

"Yes ma'am. Kat, I'll text you later so we can chat." Sam says.

"Okay." I say dryly.

"I'm glad you're okay, Katia." Mistress says.

"Thank you, ma'am."

She smiles slyly and walks Samantha out.

"Sorry about that Kitty." Liv says.

"When did you become such a jerk?" I ask.

"What? She started it!" Liv defends herself.

"You were calling her names and teasing her about crying. You're not that person, Liv." I stand up and stretch. I'm a little wobbly.

"It was just a little teammate banter. She's too sensitive."

"Well if you know she's sensitive that's more of a reason to be kind, Livy." I place my hand on her face.

She rolls her eyes. "Fine."

I kiss her on the cheek. "Thank you. Now take me home without getting into a street brawl."

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Liv says flatly.

I laugh and let her escort me home.

__________________________________

I'm in my bathroom looking in the mirror at my newest bruise. If I get hit in the head anymore I'll have to start wearing a helmet. Nothing I can't cover with a little makeup I guess. I still can't believe Liv got into a fight. In all the years I've known her, I've never seen her act that way. I also didn't think Tori's feathers would be so easily ruffled. I stop poking my head and start brushing my wet hair. That shower really helped bring me back to life. There's a knock at the door. I tighten my towel and make sure I'm not indecent.

"Come in." I call out.

Liv opens the door. "Hey someone named Elizabeth just rang the bell for you."

"Oh! Let her up!" I say. Either she's early or I'm late. She's probably early. I get dressed and grab my suitcase. I meet Elizabeth and Liv in the living room. I say my goodbyes to Liv and then we leave. Elizabeth is fun to talk to. I get so wrapped up in our conversation I almost miss the fact that she's going the wrong way.

"Wait. That was our turn." I say looking out the window as our exit flys by.

Elizabeth chuckles. "Your surprise is starting now."

"Whaaaat?!" I ask excitedly. "Where are we going? What are we doing? Is she going to meet us there?"

Elizabeth laughs harder. "One, I can't tell you. Two, I can't tell you. And three, Yes."

I squeeze my hands together in anticipation. I didn't know we were going out of town. She's so sneaky. "I'm so excited." I say moreso to myself than to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth starts talking again but I can't focus on what she's saying. My mind is wandering. I had no idea I'd being going somewhere with Mistress. I didn't think anything of it when she told me to bring a bathing suit. I thought maybe we were just going to swim at her house. I can't believe this.

At some point I must have fallen asleep. Elizabeth's hand is on my shoulder. How long was I out? The sun has set and the stars are just beginning to twinkle.

"Hey you're here." Elizabeth says.

I get out of the car and stretch. The air is crisp and laced with salt. We're on a beach.

"Baby." Mistress calls out.

I turn around to see her walking out of a beach house. I'm not used to having her call me baby while we're outside. She meets me at the car and hugs me. She smells like I imagine heaven should. The blush rises to my cheeks as she kisses me. I wonder if Elizabeth saw. That would be the first time we kissed in front of someone.

"Do you like your surprise?" She asks.

"I love my surprise."

Mistress kisses me again before Getting my bag out of the car.

"Were you planning on moving in, babe?" She asks noticing the size of my suitcase.

"No! You wouldn't tell me what I needed to bring other than a bathing suit. I had to be prepared."

Elizabeth laughs. "Well you kids have fun."

"You're not staying?" I ask.

"Oh no. There's a chair down at the casino waiting for me. I'm staying at that fancy new hotel they just built thanks to Chrissy."

I giggle. "Chrissy."

"Anything for you Liz." Mistress says. We watch Elizabeth drive off before going in the house. It's beautiful. It has a much more relaxed vibe than Mistress's house but it's still very nice.

"I like your beach house Chrissy."

She pinches my butt.

I yelp and giggle.

She takes my hand. "Are you hungry?" She asks.

"Yes." I answer. That has been such a weird question lately. I hardly eat but I'm always hungry.

Her grin is wide and encompasses her entire face. I'm not sure I've ever seen her smile so genuinely.

"Perfect." She says and leads me outside to the backyard which is the beach.

There's a candle lit table waiting for us. Flower petals lead the way and surround the table. It's beautiful and the sound of the nearby waves crashing against the shore is soothing. I gasp in awe.

"You did this for me?" I ask.

"Yes." She pulls my chair out for me to sit down. She sits across from me.

"Babe, this is..." I look around at everything. "This is beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm so glad you like it. I was nervous. I wasn't sure if you liked the beach or if you'd be too tired after the car ride."

"I love it and I love you."

She smiles. "I love you too. Let's eat before it gets cold."

We eat our dinner and talk about our day. I tell her about the fight between Olivia and Tori and explain how it happened. I start talking about school and my family back home. She tells me about the beach house and her parents. They were killed in a car accident. That few weeks she was really hard on was around the anniversary of their death. She's the only child and all of their money and life insurance went to her. So that's how she can live such a lavish life. She tells me about her childhood and her friends. It feels good learning so much about her.

"I got you something." She says after wiping her mouth with her napkin.

"More surprises?" I ask.

"Mm hm." She slides a tiny box from beside one of the candles. I hadn't even noticed it until now. She opens it to reveal a ring.

My eyes dart up to hers. "Christine?" I say skeptically.

She chuckles. "It's not an engagement ring. I'm not completely crazy."

I giggle. "It's pretty."

"It's a promise ring. I know it gets hard being at school and not being able to openly display our love or claim each other. But I want you to know you're always on my mind. You're the only one I want and I promise I'll always be here for you." She says.

There are tears threatening to fall from my eyes. I wipe them before they drop. "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Will you wear this for me and never take it off?" She asks.

"Of course!"

She puts the ring on my finger and it fits perfectly. It might be too tight if I gain my weight back, but we'll worry about that later.

"I love you so much." She says.

"I love you more."

She takes me over to the fire pit. It's surrounded by big fluffy seats. We share a blanket and cuddle next to the fire. Mistress pours herself a glass of wine. She pauses and looks at me.

"Do you drink?" She asks.

"Not really." I reply.

"Hmm." She sips from the glass. "You're so odd."

"That's not nice Mama."

"I'm sorry baby." She kisses my forehead.

"Mistress can we change a rule?" I ask.

"What's that?" She finishes her glass and pours another. I realize I've never actually seen her drink.

"I want to be able to kiss you when I want." I say.

She makes a face as if she thinking really hard. "What do I get out of that?"

"Unlimited kisses. Duh."

"I could have that right now if I wanted it. Couldn't I?"

I pause and think about it. "Well, yes but that's not the point."

"So convince me." She says as she finishes another glass.

"Huh?" I ask. I think I know what she means but here? Out here in the open? Anyone could see us. Wait... No one knows me here. I could be anyone. I'm not her student here. I'm just her girlfriend.

"Convince me. Change my mind, Katia." She smirks.

I straddle her lap and connect our lips. She tastes like the wine. Just as intoxicating. Her grip on my ass tightens. Her mouth is warm and inviting. It receives my tongue as I run my fingers through her hair and press myself as near to her as I can. Close isn't close enough. The kisses become hungrier. Our make out session gets intense. Sharing intimacy like this is unmatched. I like the longing and build up. I love feeling like she can't get enough of me as her hands slowly search my body. In this moment nothing or no one matters more.

_________________________________

I wake to an empty bed. Mistress doesn't know how to sleep in. I stretch my body from my fingertips to my toes. Last night was so magical. We made love under the stars and I fell asleep outside in her arms. She actually had to wake me to go inside. I wish this was our every day life. I could come home to her every day or she could come home to me. I'd do whatever she wanted. I'd even learn how to cook. Fun fact: Once, I started a fire trying to make toast. Please don't ask me how. My dad was furious. Though he's to blame. He never taught us how to cook. Before we became rich we ate a lot of premade freezer meals or take out. After the money came, he just hired a personal chef. Then of course when I moved here I had the cafeteria and Liv. She can cook very well.

I look at the ring on my finger. It surprises me again. It's so pretty. It's just a single heart shaped diamond. There are designs sketched into silver. I love it. I can't believe she bought me a promise ring and gave me that speech. It was all so romantic. Sometimes it's still hard for me to believe that she takes me as seriously as she does. I wonder if I hadn't been rehearsing that night in the studio would I be lying here right now. Did she purposely interrupt me? Maybe it was just fate.

I hear Mistress's laughter. It makes me smile. Knowing she's happy makes me happy. I put on her tshirt and wander out of the bedroom. I don't remember the layout of the house that well. I find her at the kitchen table on the phone. She's comfortably positioned on the bench. She smiles at me and motions for me to come to her. I do. I give her a quick kiss.

"Hey I have to go. We'll talk later." Mistress says to whoever is on the phone. She chuckles softly. "Yes. Okay, love. Bye bye." Mistress hangs up.

"Good morning baby." She says before she kisses me again.

"Good morning."

"How you'd sleep?" She asks.

"We," I hold up my new ring, "slept well."

She laughs. "Good because we have a long day ahead of us."

"In bed I hope." I say mischievously.

She smirks. "You wish."

"I really do." I nibble on her ear.

She gets away from me and gives me a look. "Nice try but no. We're meeting my friends for brunch."

"What?" I ask. I feel nauseous.

"You don't seem excited." She says.

"I'm just nervous. I'm going to feel like the younger less cooler friend that everyone hangs out with because they feel bad for." I ramble.

Mistress looks at me like I'm crazy. "Katia you'll be fine. Just be yourself. They'll love you because I do."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent." She assures me.

"Okay. Can we go over their names and how you know them?" I ask.

She chuckles. "Really?"

"Yes. It'll help me feel more comfortable."

She nods. "Okay. Well there's Isaac and David. They're married. We met in college. Isaac is a dancer and David is a photographer."

I nod to show her I got it.

"Lindsey is my best friend in the entire world. She's an angel. She might grill you a little but I'd never let anyone be mean to you."

"You deal with Olivia on a daily basis almost. I'll take a little grilling for you." I joke.

Mistress laughs. "Thank you. Eve will be there."

"Eve?" I ask.

"Dr. Glenn. Evelyn. Just call her Eve today."

"Oh!" I knew they were friends but I didn't expect to see her outside of the office so soon.

"She's actually dating Lindsey. They've been dating for years but please do not bring up marriage. It's a very touchy subject for Eve. Lindsey has commitment issues."

"That's odd. Most lesbians I know will give their girlfriends a ring after a month or so of dating." I tease.

"You're not funny." She says biting back a smile.

"Anyone else going to be there?" I ask.

"Markus. We dated in highschool but I quickly realized I liked girls and he realized he liked boys. So we just remained friend and we've kept in touch over the years."

"Many many years." I say laughing.

She scoffs. "You're so full of jokes this morning." She tickles me.

I laugh. "Please. Not again." I nearly slide to the floor to get away from her.

"And Brittany will be there too. I danced with her in the Swan Dance."

I get back on the bench. "You wouldn't be talking about Brittany Cambri, would you??" I ask.

"...Yes."

I squeal. "THE Black Swan?! Oh my god. I have to tell Olivia. I had the biggest crush on her."

Mistress stares at me blankly.

I clear my throat. "Well not a bigger crush than I had on the white swan. She obviously was and is the better dancer. Not to mention the best girlfriend ever and the one I love soooo much."

She chuckles dryly. Clearly unimpressed with my attempt at a save. "Uh huh."

I giggle. "Don't be jealous Mama."

"Mmhm. Go get get ready. We're leaving soon." She kisses the top of my head.

"Yes ma'am!" I scurry off. I can't wait to meet Brittany. I won't embarrass myself or Mistress. I have to remember not to fangirl when I see her. I take a deep breath. Just relax Kat.

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Christine's POV