The Chemicals Between Us: A Steamy Lesbian Romance

Chapter 2

Chapter 2I went back to school my sophomore year after a summer of drudgery at a retail job, excited about my classes but with low social expectations. I was playing the roommate lottery yet again, and all I had was a name: Anne Griffin. It sounded vaguely familiar, like somebody from one of my classes, but I couldn’t remember her, and since I went to college before everyone lived their lives entirely online, I couldn’t look her up.

My mood improved considerably when I walked into the room and saw her. I remembered her from calculus - we were both quiet little mice sitting in the back row - and I knew we were going to get along. She was pretty, with dark eyes, dark hair and a warm smile. Jamie and Ellie were both obvious, in different ways, instantly capturing the attention of any nearby male. Anne was subtle and elegant. I think she looked the way I wanted to look when I grew up.

I got her attention by setting my crate full of books on the floor, and then introduced myself. “Hi. I’m Allison Kendall.”

She replied with a smile. “I know. You were the smartest girl in calculus class, even though you almost never opened your mouth.”

That was weird - I’m used to being the one who notices everyone else, not the one being noticed. But she seemed nice, and I was glad to have a roommate with whom I might have something in common. Most of the freshmen in calculus class are at least science or engineering majors.

We got to know each other a bit that first afternoon, and found out we did indeed have much in common. She was a biology major, bound for med school. She knew what she wanted to do with her life from an early age, just like me, and her parents were bewildered but happy and supportive. She was also a little a lonely and isolated, like me, although she wasn’t so painfully shy. None of her high school friends had come here for college, and her two close friends from last year had both dropped out.

When we compared schedules, we found we were in the same organic chemistry and vector calculus classes. Anne was thrilled - OChem is probably the single most dangerous passage in a med student’s educational journey, and she was more than a little scared of it. Chemistry was a means to an end for her, not a passion, but she was genuinely interested and she wanted to do well. Being able to study with me was a lifeline, and made her feel much better about the rest of her semester.

We went for dinner together that evening, and Anne got a serious look on her face when we sat down. After hesitating nervously, screwing up her courage, she said, “Allison, I have to tell you something.”

That didn’t sound good. Not knowing what was coming next, I just said, “Okay.”

I could see the stress in her face and her body, and I could hear it in her voice as she spoke. “At the end of last year, I got into a huge fight with my old roommate Dana. We were pretty good friends for most of the year, so I was really surprised and upset when she freaked out at me.”

She took a breath and continued. “A week before finals, I was hanging out with a friend around campus, and I kissed her. It was just a kiss, but it was a serious kiss, and we were in public. It got back to Dana somehow, and she called me a slut and a dyke and said it made her sick to sleep or change clothes in the same room with me. So I avoided her for the last few weeks of school, and slept on a friend’s couch.

I’m sorry to drop a bomb on you like that the after we’ve basically just met, but you deserve to know, and to have a chance to request a new roommate if it’s going to be a problem. Neither one of us needs a surprise drama like I had last year. You don’t have to decide right now, but you should tell the RA soon if you need to. I won’t blame you if you do.”

My face felt hot, so I’m sure I was blushing, and I just blurted out the first thing to come into my head. “So you’re a lesbian?”

I knew I had said the wrong thing before I even finished saying it. I could tell by the look on her face I had upset her. But she had started the conversation, and she looked determined to finish it, even as she got more flustered. “I don’t know. It was just a kiss! I think I want a boyfriend, and a husband someday. But I like girls. I can’t help it. I’m not even twenty yet, and I’m still figuring stuff out.”

She looked like she was about to cry, and I knew I had to calm her down. “It’s okay with me whatever you are. I was just surprised, that’s all. I’ve never met a lesbian before, at least not that I know of. But my cousin Paul is gay, and he’s the sweetest guy in the world. So we won’t have any problems if you figure out you’re gay. Or not. I already have a lot more in common with you than either of my previous roommates, and we’re going to get along together just fine.”

I smiled at her, as warmly and encouragingly as I could, and a wave of relief flooded into her face. “Oh thank you, Allison. After getting blindsided like that, I was really nervous about getting a new roommate. Thank you for being so understanding.”

I replied with a mischievous smile, “Don’t thank me yet. We still have to survive OChem.”