Chapter Four

Mason deposited Rori on the floor in her bathroom and turned around in circles “Holy shit Ro, this bathroom is killer” She peeled off her dip covered shorts and tossed them into the sink “I know right? Headie hooked me up this year for sure.” Rori bit her tongue, she wasn't sure if Headie meant for her room and the residency offer to be a secret or not but she was pretty sure Mason wouldn't probe too much about it and Headie had intended to let her friends stay there so telling them a little bit should be ok, Rori turned on the sink and started to rinse her shorts and hand. She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed she had hummus on her thigh. Rori grabbed a washcloth and popped her foot up on the corner of the vanity, tilting her hip upward so she could see the entire back of her thigh. After wiping off all the dip she could find Rori turned around only to crash right into Mason. He grabbed Rori around the waist, gently holding her in place and she looked up at him, “nice catch Mace,” she laughed and tried to pull away but Mason didnt let her go. Instead he stuffed his head into her chest, fitting the curve of his nose with the crook of her neck and shoulder. Rori’s hands were folded against his chest and she tried to push against him, “Mason, what the hell are you doing?” her heart started to race. Rori was not afraid of Mason, she had slept next to him many times when they would all watch movies together, “hell they even got plastered together a few times and Rori never felt safer” she thought, but right now in her bathroom with the water running in the sink and her standing there in her underwear there was something different about him. 

The air was thick with the threat of Mason doing something they would both regret and as he started to breathe very heavily into her neck Rori pushed him again, this time she did not slack her arms she just kept pushing until he let go. “Mason please, I need to turn the water off before we flood the bathroom,” Rori grunted the words out as she pried herself free and turned the faucet off. She placed her butt against the sink and hugged her elbows looking at her friend with a small amount of hurt. Mason was looking at the floor with his hands in his pockets “what the hell Mace,” Rori sounded breathless and a little afraid. “Fuck Ro i’m sorry, I dont know what happened...I guess I drank to much at lunch,” he nuervously laughed and she squinted at him sceptically. “Ok, I guess...but ummm you know Mace... drinking isn't a great way to deal with family issues trust me... also, can you leave now, I think I need a minute.” Rori accepted Mason’s reasoning but a voice inside her said it was not all the booze to blame. 

Mason rubbed the back of his neck, opening and closing his mouth several times in an attempt to speak but he couldn't quite figure out what to say, after a few minutes neither of them spoke and the atmosphere became painfully awkward so Mason turned around to leave, “I will send Kris in so you guys can get ready together...my dad got home early so dinner was moved up two hours, lucky us.” Rori could hear the sarcasm in Mason’s voice despite the fact he was walking away from her. Rori stood against the sink staring at the spot Mason had been standing in, she felt frozen in time while she replayed the event between her and Mason over and over in her mind, like she was stuck in that moment on a loop trying to figure out what it was that set Mason off, “was it something she did?” she thought “Or was it really just the alcohol like he said.” Rori started to scold herself, “maybe she shouldn't have undressed so casually in front of Mason or clung to him in the kitchen.”  Rori’s eyes began to water because these were things she had done with Mason for years; almost the entire time they had known each other. Rori’s tears silently flowed as she continued to mentally berade herself, She could hear her mother telling her that in reality the only thing Mason did was hug her really tightly and she needed to apologize and self reflect. Rori was pulled from her self abusive frozen time loop when Kristi started shaking her by the shoulders; screaming about the state of the bathroom and Rori realized her backside and legs were soaked from the overflowing faucet, Rori was also standing in a small puddle of water. She leaned back and twisted the faucet off as Kristi darted across the bathroom floor grabbing a handful of towels. Rori scooped her shorts out of the sink, the water that had filled it and was spilling over now began to disappear down the drain. 

Kristi mopped up the water and tossed the sopping towels over the shower door,“what the fuck were you doing in here Rori?” Kristi looked at her friend with concern, Rori looked at Kristi with wide eyes as she finished ringing out her shorts and laying them across the sink’s edge, “why, what did Mason say?” she spat out in a half panic. Kristi’s eyes went small as she squinted at Rori, “what are you talking about...wait, what does Mace have to do with the sink?” Rori laughed and tried not to sound nervous, Kristi always had a habit of knowing when she was lying and although she didn't make a habit out of lying to her best friend she also felt that sometimes, when someone says “I’m fine” it's ok to just believe the little lie they tell, but that was not how Kristi thought, she wanted you to face your sadness or fear or whatever it was head on like, it was a monster she could kill or conquer and although that was one of the things Rori loved best about Kristi she wasn't quite sure how to tell her that Mason had made her feel so uncomfortable. So Rori decided she would act like it didn't happen, like it was just as her mother had said and she let her imagination run away with her, 

“Oh umm, did he tell you he’s three sheets sideways?” Rori headed for the door hoping turning her back and only half lying would help her get away from what had actually transpired. Kristi ran out of the bathroom behind her, “wait!, Mason is drunk, are you sure?” Kristi sounded sceptical and it made Rori’s heart jump, she pushed a nauseated lump down her throat and tried to tuck the thoughts away in the back of her mind. 

“Yea pretty sure,” Rori laughed nervously and shrugged, “why do you think the sink overflowed...I was lecturing him on the importance of dealing with family, sobar?” Rori kicked herself, it wasn't an outright lie but it wasn't exactly the truth either. 

Kristi eyed her friend sceptically and cocked her head to the side, “rIght well, I guess that explains it then...anyway dinner was moved up so let's get you ready K?”  Rori nodded, she didn't mention that Mason already told her about dinner, she wanted to just move on from Mason and the bathroom as quickly as possible. “Will you help me get ready? Every time I go to your house for dinner your dad talks about how much he thinks my taste in clothes makes me a poor influence on you... then he and your mom always argue about his table manners and it makes me feel like it's my fault.” Kristi clicked her tongue against her teeth and plopped down on Rori’s bed,“girl they argue about what to make for dinner, honestly I wouldn't be surprised if Mason and I were conceived during an argument,” both girls giggled and Rori started to roll her large wardrobe trunk over to the center of the room. 

“Ok what color today Kris?” Rori knew her friend loved dressing her up and to be honest she really didn't mind either. it's not that Rori didn't love her clothes or her jewelry but it really wasn't important to her the way it was to her friend. Kristi rolled over on the bed and was hanging her head upside down turning her pale face a few shades of pink with the sudden flow of blood. “Hmm, is it bad if I already had one picked out when you rolled that thing over here,”Kristi chirped and Rori giggled, crossing her arms. “Of course you did Kris now Barbie me up so we can get out of here,” again both girls giggled and then screamed as a sudden series of bangs on the door caught them by surprise. “Hay uh Rori,” it was Max’s voice and Rori rolled her eyes when she noticed Kristi flip back over on the bed and grin from ear to ear. “Hay uh Max,” Rori retorted with attitude “I will take leave to my room for the night, jackhole out here says you are going to a family dinner with them and I wouldn't want to interfere.” Rori was glad he wasn't going to be tagging along,“Ok Max thanks a lot,” Rori noticed Kristi frown a little but her attention was pulled back to the door when Max kept speaking.  “Ow hay what the fuck is wrong with you I swear if she wasnt your twin I would drown you, I swear im gonna-.”

Kristi giggled and Rori rolled her eyes,“MAX” she screamed from inside her room, making Kristi jump a little. “Sorry Rori, I will be in my room,” Max mumbled again “uumm Kristi has my number, make sure you get it from her... I will be across the hall if you need me.” Rori rolled her eyes again, “K thanks,” she said in an annoyed tone and Kristi frowned at her. “Why are you so mean to him Ro...he's so nice,” her tone sounded lost and dreamy, “gross Kris,” Rori whined “stop mind fucking him on my bed it’s not cool, now what the hell am I wearing...hurry up in case I need to iron it.” Kristi groaned, jumping off the bed and marching over to the wardrobe, “Ok bossy pants this one,” Kristi shoved her hand into the standing wardrobe without looking and yanked out a plum purple pant suit, it had very thin straps at the top with a deep V neck line that ended just under Rori’s rib cage. The material was a thin soft linen and did not allow for a bra but Rori knew she would definitely be taping herself in, “it would be mortifying if she had a nip slip in front of Kristi’s dad or worse Mason,”she thought to herself. Rori scrunched her nose at Kristi “Are you sure about this one Kk... it’s kinda thin and I have no clue were the jacket is,” she said, hoping to deter her friends choice but Kristi only shrugged, “even better you will have to wear your hair down, oh! and the nude stilettos with the clear heel and peekaboo toe would be perfect.” Kristi shoved the clothes in Rori’s face and skipped out of the room, “see you in a few Roro,” after Kristi closed the door Rori could hear her yelling, “Mason!, we need to talk about your drinking again. How could you... Is talking to dad really that bad, honestly?”

 Rori laughed as she heard Mason’s voice whinny and muffled, she couldn't make out what he was saying but she was pretty sure it had to do with how his sister always took their fathers side in arguments. She held up the pantsuit inspecting it, luckily it was mostly unwrinkled so she didn't need to dig out an iron, but it was also long enough that the cuffs of the legs were wrinkled, but it was also long enough on her to touch the floor anyway, even wearing heels so she decided not to worry about it. After lotioning her body and combing out her electrified chocolate brown hair Rori set to work on slipping into the pantsuit, she decided not to wear underwear as she was unsure where her g-string was stashed and Kristi would find her pantie line unexceptable. Rori slid the plum suit up her body to just above her hips while she worked at fixing the tape around her nipples, silently praying that when she went to take them off it left the skin on her areola, she pulled the thin straps over her shoulders fixing her breasts to nestle inside the pyramid of fabric that was the front of her pantsuit. 

The back was open in a deeper V than the front, stopping at the small of her back just before her hip bones. Rori did a small twirl and was pleased but nervous. She usually had the jacket to cover most of her back but this time it was just her hair, and it stopped just under her shoulder blades so it left the small of her back exposed. She ran her hands down the front of her body trying to smooth out her nerves more than the fabric while she prayed nothing drastic happened tonight,as the warmth from her hands made Rori painfully aware that just under that beautiful, thin purple fabric was nothing but her skin. Looking around Rori finally found the bag with most of her shoes in it, pulling the shoes Kristi requested out of their compartment she slid them on and clasped the ankle strap. She wiggled her toes and frowned, they would have looked better if she could have painted them but there wasn't time for that now and she couldn't seem to find her jewelry trunk, so she was also going without that as well. 

Rori’s mother and Henry had never let her wear makeup and although Kristi had tried a few times she didn't like the way it felt on her face. Rori sighed again as she looked at herself in the mirror, although the pantsuit fit her in all the right places and the color brought out the darker tones in her skin she felt as though she looked like she was trying to dress as a high dollar escort, Rori rolled her eyes at herself in the mirror when she heard Henry’s words in her mind.    She decided she would change instead, to just be more comfortable and Kristi would have to get over it, unfortunately a frantic series of knocking pulled Rori from her thoughts just before Kristi opened the door. “Are you done, yet my mom just called and my... woah-” Kristi stopped and looked Rori from head to toe and back again with her index finger and thumb under her chin as if she were a judge. “That color always makes me hate how beautiful your skin is,” Kristi said and stomped her foot. Rori shook her head, “Kris I wish i had your skin you look like the perfect porcelain doll,” Kristi rolled her eyes and made a gagging sound “ yea...thats boring, now let's go.”  Rori looked back at the mirror and hesitated, “Kristi I don’t think this is gonna work I can't wear--” Kristi stomped further into the room, grabbing Rori by the hands and pulling her out. “Come on I still have to put my dress on and I need help with the zipper...plus Mason has a stash of liquor in the room he claimed as his already, I swear he's hopeless.” Rori rolled her eyes, she would ask Kristi where Mason found alcohol on campus already but she really didn't have to. Everyone always loved Mason, girls fell over him and it made guys want to fight him. Nobody worried about him, Mason was a good scrapper, he was an avid swimmer and it kept his body in amazing condition. 

The girls ran out of Rori’s room and Kristi pulled her out into the hallway across from her room and knocked on the door. Rori rolled her eyes, she knew it was the room Max was staying in because logic told her Henry would have it no other way even though Headie had made sure there were more enough rooms to choose from. Max cracked his door open until he noticed Kristi and then opened it wide, wearing only his suit pants; sitting low on his hips giving everyone a sneak peek at the muscular perfection that was his abdomen Max leaned on the door frame almost looming over Kristi and Rori could swear she saw her friend melt like ice cream. “What can I do for you beautiful,” Max growled, Kristi giggled and Rori rolled her eyes “we are gonna be leaving as soon as I get into my dress, but can we borrow your truck please, I promise we will bring it back,” Kristi pled with him grabbing Rori’s hand and holding it between hers in a pleading manner. Max simply laughed deep in his throat and leaned deep into Kristi’s personal space. Rori pulled her hand away,“gross you guys can I leave?” Kristi didn't answer and Max ignored her if he did hear, so she moved away toward the open door down the hall blasting music, she assumed it was Kristi’s or if it was Mason’s then Kristi's would be next to it. Sure enough it was Mason’s and he was sitting on the bed with his head between his knees and a bottle of what looked like scotch in his hand. “Mace, what are you doing?” Rori asked softly, Mason looked up and smiled sadly at Rori. “Hay Ro, you look nice,” she blushed a little and rolled her eyes, “ I look like a grape hooker,” Mason laughed a little and she could hear the alcohol in his voice. Rori licked her lips, “Mace maybe you should at least wait until your dad pisses you off to drown in that bottle,” Mason looked sad and a little amused “thanks mom, got it” and he winked at her, “Come on Mason don't be like that” Rori said and she leaned against the door. 

Mason dropped the bottle on the floor, stood upright and flopped back down onto the bed, “Rori I really am sorry about earlier...it was stupid, the alcohol and water was like a werid mix it was like I was trying to kiss my cousin, Ro...i’m so sorry,” Rori laughed and kicked her heel out in front of her, “make me a deal Mason, stop drinking until we get to your parents place and I will act like it never happened k?... plus I told Kristi the sink overflowed because you told me you were pissed and trying to drink your spine into place.” Mason covered his face with his hands and groaned as Kristi popped up next to Rori, dangling a set of keys from her hands. “Hay Max said we could use his eww--” she put her hand up to her nose, “looks like you aren't driving Mace,” Kristi mumbled and Rori laughed, “yea definitely not, come on Kristi lets get your dress on I guess I will drive,” and she snatched the keys from her friend before stepping back from the door.//

A/N: let me know what you think so far

Happy Reading <3