A Luna Chained

Livia woke up in a hot sweat, with her spine tingling and her nethers throbbing. For months, she'd been having the same vivid dream several times per week. In it, she was running through the trees in a dark wood. She ran and ran, tripping over tree roots and scrabbling up right only to keep running. She ran until she was overtaken by a tall, dark man, who tackled her to the ground and ripped off her clothes. She wasn't afraid of him, though. In fact, she welcomed his caresses, but always woke up before they could consummate. She sighed in frustration, threw off her comforter and got up to get ready for school, trying to shake off her unexpected arousal. It was always the same man - wild, muscular and dark-haired, but she could never make out his face. It certainly wasn't the kind of lean, fair, and sensitive types who she usually fell for. Well, whoever the mystery dream man was, he would have to wait! "Liv! Wait up!" A small blonde girl rushed to Livia's side as she walked to her next class. "You need to walk slower. My legs aren't as long as yours, you Amazonian giant!" She huffed, trying to catch her breath. "Sorry, Jenny." Livia laughed, slowing her pace to match her petite friend. Livia was larger than life in more ways than one. She was taller than any girl she’d personally known. Taller than most of the men she’d known, too. Like anyone who is different, she was teased mercilessly throughout school, but fairy tales had taught her that beauty was in the eye of the beholder and that outside beauty could conceal inner ugliness. So when the awkward child grew into a shapely young woman of nearly 21, she was ready to take on the world. She'd graduated from high school with honours and was in her junior year of university as her 21st birthday approached. "Whew, thanks." Jenny sighed in relief. "Why are you in such a hurry to get to this awful class anyhow? It's literally the worst," she complained. "It may be the worst to you, but I kind of like mythology!" It was a true statement, but not the only reason she liked this particular class. Jenny rolled her eyes. "OK, sure, mythology is pretty interesting with all the s*x and gods and cannibalism and stuff, but Mr. Berton is SO BORING! Speaking of mythology, though..." Jenny's face brightened. "Are you coming to the history department's toga party next weekend? All the eligible bachelors will be there…" She winked and nudged her friend. "I'm not sure, J. You know how much I hate parties." Jenny shook her head and side-hugged her friend. "Who doesn't like parties with lots of cute guys? You're f*****g weird, you know that?" "So does that mean I don't have to go?" Livia asked hopefully. "Not a chance!" Jenny laughed. "It's on the same day as your birthday, and you're gonna have fun. And kiss some cute guys." She added with a wink. They crossed the threshold of the classroom and scanned for a spot they could sit together. As Livia searched the room, she locked eyes with a familiar face - Ewan. Her heart skipped and she quickly looked away. Even Jenny didn't know she had developed a crush on their classmate. His dark red hair, bright brown eyes, and barely-there freckles had melted her heart from the first day of mythology class. Idiot! she thought. Don't look away like a dork! Her inner voice had been sassier than usual lately. She glanced back at Ewan. He smiled brightly and gave her a little wave. For once, the interaction did not escape Jenny's notice. "Liv!" She whispered as they found two empty seats and put their bags down. "You minx! Have you been seeing Ewan behind my back?" Livia blushed. "I wish..." "Awww, baby girl! You've got a lil crush!" Jenny was ecstatic. She lived for matchmaking! She grabbed Livia's arm and shook her gently. "You know he'll be at the toga party next weekend. Maybe I could arrange a special birthday kiss, hmm?" This was exactly what Livia was afraid of, and why she hadn't told Jenny about her feelings for their classmate. "Oh god, no! Just forget you saw anything." "But Livvie..." Jenny's protesting whine was interrupted by the professor entering the class and switching on the projector with the day's slides. "We'll talk later..." she warned as she opened up her laptop. Livia shook her head and opened her own laptop. "Today we'll be covering the mythological founding of Rome by the twins Romulus and Remus..." droned Mr Berton. Ping! A notification quietly sounded on her empty notes screen. It was an instant message from Jenny: Sexy Toga Ideas Image Board. Jenny flashed a tiny thumbs up from behind her screen and smiled a huge goofy smile. Livia shook her head and smiled back. Maybe this party wouldn't be so bad if she could get a chance with her crush. She sneaked a peek at Ewan, who was listening intently to the lecture, and imagined what it would be like to kiss him.