11. Michaela
MICHAELA
Michaela opened her eyes slowly and winced at the invading light.
Shutting her eyes and starting again, she found the second attempt much better than the first. Opening her eyes completely, she took stock.
Aside from being thirsty and unusually warm, she felt much better than she had the last time she’d drank.
Probably because last night she hadn’t gotten that drunk, even though she had felt it.
The night had been magical. She had gone to her first party, with friends, and after a few moments of looking around the room, realized she had nothing to be afraid of.
There was a whole tapestry of queer folks at Sasha’s and she felt another wave of the unfamiliar feeling of belonging cocooning her in ease.
And she got to dance. And while she and some fun guy named Greg had danced together, she had also enjoyed the way she caught Jay’s eyes on her every now and then, like she was watching over her, keeping her safe.
Then, when she and Jay had escaped to the back porch, the night’s feeling soured by an unnamed man who wouldn’t take no for an answer, she danced with Jay.
When she danced with Jay, she realized that was what she had been waiting to do all night.
And she wasn’t quite sure what to make of that yet.
Her feelings surrounding the newness and safety of Jay and Jay herself were still indistinguishable in her mind.
Yawning and stretching her arms over her head, she rolled out of bed and looked at the clock on her radio.
It was just after ten-thirty. Iris and Davis had said they’d be over around noon.
She didn’t have that much stuff and she’d only been in the room for a week, but she still decided she needed to get a move on.
She had on her signature t-shirt and briefs and with a once-over in the mirror, thought she was decent enough to run to the bathroom.
After she’d done her business and brushed her teeth, she went back to her room.
She thought she heard Jay up, so she went back to her room quickly and pulled on a pair of sweatpants before tying her hair up and turning up her radio a bit.
Not to dance, not feeling like she did, but to give her the energy to begin moving stuff from one room to the other.
“Hey, you’re up,” she heard from her doorway. She’d left the door open on purpose, to let Jay find her when she was ready.
“Yep,” Michaela said, turning and smiling at her friend. Jay was in a tank and shorts. Her long black hair was still sleep tousled, but the brightness in her eyes suggested she hadn’t just woken up.
“Cool, um, do you wanna just get started? And then maybe have a big lunch later? I feel good, but my stomach may need a minute. How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good!” Michaela said back, and she meant it. Jay gave her a warm smile back. “But I do think I will need to eat something.” As if on cue, her stomach gurgled loud enough for them to both hear.
“Yeah, on second thought, you’re right, how about this? I have some flex points, I can grab us some breakfast from the cafe and then come back?”
“I can go with you,” Michaela said hurriedly. She hated the idea of Jay buying her breakfast, but the truth was it was either the dining hall or nothing for her right now.
“No way, it’s already after ten-thirty, I’ll be quick. My door is open, and um,” Jay said before walking off, “I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to keep my stuff where it is, on my side or whatever?” She sounded a bit sheepish and Michaela thought it was an endearing rarity.
“Of course,” Michaela said. They’d talked briefly last night and Michaela had decided to move into Jay’s room. She liked the lighting better.
“I hope they don’t judge our absolutely barebones living room,” Jay said.
“Yeah, no way. Once I hopefully get a job let’s get some pillows for that couch or something,” Michaela said, and Jay laughed.
“I think we are better off with bean bags. Okay, I’ll be right back!” Jay exited the room and soon after Michaela heard the suite door open and close.
Taking a deep breath, she began opening her drawers and lifting out the contents of one drawer pile by pile and moving them to the same dresser in Jay’s room.
Their room. Michaela would be lying to herself if that didn’t happen to make her a bit anxious with some form of anticipation she still couldn’t quite identify.
It took them only a little over an hour to eat, and then to move the rest of Michaela’s things into her new setup. They’d worked expertly and efficiently, the Top 40 playing in the background the whole time. Currently, Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” was playing.
“Okay, we did it!” Jay said, sitting down on her desk chair. “That wasn’t bad at all. Still glad you pushed us to eat first though. I feel revived.”
“Same, and good call on getting the coffee, too,” Michaela said, gulping down the last of hers. She hadn’t told Jay how she liked it, but somehow Jay had guessed.
“Grease and caffeine, fixes you right up.”
Michaela smiled at her friend and then noticed, sitting on her desk was Jay’s CD Stereo, a silver and purple circular contraption.
A much better machine than what she had.
“You know, we could have been listening to whatever you wanted, you know. I don’t always have to pick the music.
I want to know what you listen to, too.”
Jay looked behind her as if seeing the stereo for the first time. She looked back at Michaela with her eyes softening and a small smile on her face.
“I know,” Jay said, “but I like seeing you listen to your music, you look so happy.”
Michaela didn’t know what to make of that but noted Jay’s appreciative tone. She reiterated, “But I want to make sure you get to listen to music, too.”
Jay’s smile widened. “Okay, maybe I’ll even show you how to cumbia.”
Michaela loved the sound of that.
Michaela sat crosslegged on her bed. There was a new silence between them, not exactly awkward, but definitely one where they were acknowledging, or at least Michaela was, that they now occupied the same space.
Unlike most roomies who had begun to figure this dance out, they were just starting.
After a moment or two more of staring and then not staring at one another, Jay laughed.
“This is a little weird right? Feels like all of the sudden, I don’t know, boom—forced proximity or something.”
“I know, right? I am looking forward to rooming with you–I just don’t want to step on any toes I guess,” Michaela added quickly.
“No way Mickey, I like you too much. Even if you stepped on my toes,” Jay said, and Michaela wondered if Jay knew how flirty she was sometimes.
“I am going to go shower really quickly,” Michaela said, feeling slightly flustered.
“Cool, if I have time, I’ll go after you.”
“Oh, shoot, did you—”
“Mickey! Go shower, you silly woman,” Jay said, gesturing dramatically but smiling.
Once Michaela was showered, she dressed in a new t-shirt and briefs but the same sweatpants; she’d only worn them for a little and laundry was expensive.
Jay had gone to shower, as Iris and Davis hadn’t arrived yet, even though it was about five after noon.
While Michaela tried her best to be punctual, she realized that they all had been partying the night before, and who knew what else Davis and Iris were dealing with.
Michaela had been so surprised to find out about their situation.
Not that people in general resorted to that type of work, but she felt guilty that she hadn’t picked up on what was going on earlier.
But she also knew that’s how people like her did things.
When her parents kicked her out, she had gone to school every day like nothing was wrong.
She stole toothpaste and food. She washed up in locker room showers or gas station bathrooms when she couldn’t get into the school early enough.
Before her clothes could give her away, she took what she could from the lost and found, and shamefully, even some of the clothes from the ongoing donation bin the school had set up.
Still, she figured she was homeless, so those clothes were for people like her.
At night, she’d slept in a shelter, which was laughable because she was a young teen alone, and there were some unsavory characters who also frequented the shelter, other kids who fucked with her.
But it was a warm meal and a place to rest her head safely.
Then Brian had approached her one day, and her life had changed for the better.
Or at least it was better than the life she might have had surviving on the streets–something Brian never let her forget.
She and Jay hadn’t talked about it much.
They’d come home with an understanding that their friends needed shelter, and they had shelter to give.
Michaela could see this was who Jay was.
She appreciated that Jay understood her fortune, given her story and background.
But she also knew it meant there were things Jay fundamentally wouldn’t understand.
Michaela figured it was their different experiences that made Jay not want to come off as pitying in front of Michaela, who they both knew was very much in a similar situation as Davis and Iris.
“Okay, now I feel crazy refreshed!” Jay said as she entered the room, a towel wrapped around her body, her citrus and vanilla scent heavy in the air.
Michaela stared at the towel. For some reason she’d thought Jay would have brought clothes with her into the bathroom.
Or she hadn’t really considered this part of living with Jay.
Jay sauntered over to her side of the room and stood in front of her dresser.
She unceremoniously dropped her towel and threw it on the bed.
Michaela locked her jaw and turned around.
But not before seeing Jay’s cinched waist leading to a glorious ass.
Tight and round. Michaela wanted to run from the room and stay and observe at the same time.
She knew she shouldn’t be surprised; Jay was absolutely comfortable with her body.
“Oh sorry,” she heard Jay say from behind her. “I didn't bring my clothes into the bathroom. I can do that next time if this makes you uncomfortable. I should have asked, sorry for forcing my nudity on you and all.”
“It’s fine!” Michaela said, much too urgently. “I just didn’t want you to think I was creeping or whatever.”
“Oh Michaela, I told you, I like you too much. You can step on my toes, creep, whatever.”
Michaela was very happy that Jay couldn’t see her face right now.
After a few minutes, Jay said, “Okay, I’m decent, fully clothed,” and Michaela let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding.
Before she could say anything, she heard a knock on the suite door.