Road Trip Read online

  Road Trip

  Lesbian Short Story

  Julia Young

  Contents

  1. Road Trip

  2. Bonus: Between Friends

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2017 by Julia Young

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Road Trip

  It was the last day of classes before Spring Break and I eagerly rushed home to start packing. Maddie, my dorm mate, and I had planned this trip since the semester started and saved up every penny we could from our part time jobs. We even requested off months in advance at our jobs so that everything would be perfect.

  Unfortunately, day dreaming about driving to Los Angeles all semester didn’t help my grades get any better. I did well enough to pass but my scholarship would be at risk if I didn’t do a little better when we returned. All that was pushed out of my mind though as I swung open our dorm door to find Maddie already packing.

  We looked at each other simultaneously and squealed. “I can’t believe it’s finally happening!” she said.

  “I knooow! It’s been killing me to sit in classes all day,” I said, chucking my bag into a corner, desperate to get it out of my sight. I found the suitcase that lay empty under my twin bed and pulled it out to inspect it before piling my clothes in.

  “I’m going to take so many IGs,” said Maddie, referring to her extremely popular Instagram account. I had never been the type to broadcast myself that boldly online, but I frequently was the photographer behind Maddie’s perfect shots. So when she said she would take IGs, what she meant is that I would be taking them, but I didn’t mind one bit.

  “Holy shit!” I said, pulling out a few 20s from my suitcase. “My mom must’ve snuck these in here before I moved in. How did I not see these?”

  “Heeell Yeaaah!” Maddie squealed. Everything so far was working out better than planned.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “We don’t even leave until the morning, but we’re almost already packed!”

  “I wish we could leave right now,” said Maddie and I agreed. We both decided that after we finished packing we’d grab some coffee and a snack. Even though we didn’t need the added energy, the campus coffee shop was our favorite hangout.

  That’s when it started to go downhill. At first, everything was as it usually was. We both ordered iced mochas with our choice of pastry and our favorite table by the window was empty. We sat down and started people watching. Then, Alexis came in.

  Alexis shared an Art History class with me. She acted like school was utterly beneath her but somehow got A’s on all of her papers while I struggled to pass with a C. She frequently sat I the back of the auditorium but her presence was always known either through gum chewing, giggling, or some random guy of the day trying to get her number. At first, the professor would scold her and threaten to kick her out, but eventually he learned to just ignore her and count his blessings that she stayed in the back of the room.

  Alexis and I had a run in once when we had to pair off for a group paper. What a stupid idea, I had thought. A group paper. Alexis and I had chosen to work together online rather than in person, only she never showed up there either. I ended up doing all the work myself and then when I went to turn it in I found out she had already submitted her own version. I felt so embarrassed handing our professor a second paper and had to assure him that we indeed worked on the first one together, even though I had no idea Alexis had been working at all.

  She recognized me through the window and smiled her cocky smile. Then she rushed inside and pulled up a chair to our table, straddling it backwards.

  Her straight, blonde hair dropped around her face and in front of her shoulders. She wasn’t a natural blonde, her dark eyebrows giving it away. I scoffed when she pulled up.

  “What’s up guys?” She said, scouring our faces for something useful to her. Maddie knew of Alexis but had never met her until now. I looked at her, expecting to find an expression of disgust, but instead Maddie looked enthusiastic about having Alexis at our table.

  “We’re just drinking some coffee before heading to Los Angeles for Spring Break!” she blurted out.

  Fuck.

  “LA?” said Alexis, her eyes growing wide and her lips turning downward as if she was impressed. “I was going to head to LA too to meet up with an old friend. She ran off there when her social media presence took off.”

  Fuck! I thought again. I knew this was Maddie’s weak spot.

  “Well why aren’t you going?” Maddie asked, seemingly quite concerned.

  “My ride bailed,” Alexis said, not fooling me for a second.

  “You could go with us!” Maddie offered out of the blue. I kicked her lightly in the shin. The last thing I wanted to do was ride in a car all the way to LA with Alexis sitting in the back seat. Maddie just gave me a stern look in response.

  “That’d be great!” said Alexis in a superficial sounding tone. I lay my head in my hands in defeat. There goes our perfectly planned trip. I felt like everything was crashing down around me as the trip I had waited months for disappeared into a small hell. Unfortunately it was Maddie’s car so it wasn’t really up to me and I knew she was just thinking of her Instagram aspirations, but I felt utterly hopeless.

  Alexis nudged my shoulder and said, “Cheer up, it’ll be fun.”

  “Yeah, Sara,” said Maddie. “Cheer up.” I was feeling like a third wheel already.

  ---

  The next morning I woke up with less enthusiasm than the morning before. I knew I should be grateful I was still going to LA for spring break but I couldn’t help feeling disappointed that Alexis was now coming along. I mean neither of us knew her all that well and Maddie didn’t even seem to care about my opinion on the matter.

  I rubbed my eyes, yawned and looked around the room. Maddie and her suitcase were gone. What now? I wondered. I pulled out my I-phone and saw a few texts from her.

  Alexis and I went to grab some breakfast, couldn’t sleep a wink!

  Tried to wake you.

  Call when you get this.

  I tossed my hair into a bun and threw on the leggings and t-shirt I had planned to wear for the ride. Then I called Maddie and she told me they were about to pull into the parking lot. After hanging up the phone, I groaned and picked up my suitcase which felt like it could tear my arm off. I walked slowly out of our dorm, feeling lonelier than ever and locked the door behind me.

  As luck would have it, Alexis was already in the passenger seat when I walked up. Great. Just great. I exhaled a small piece of my stress and lugged my suitcase into the open trunk. Then I climbed into the back seat. I felt totally defeated.

  Alexis’s hair was straight as ever and her makeup was flawless. Maddie looked like she was trying to imitate her now, since her hair and makeup were done too. I was the only one who looked like I was on a road trip. Everyone else looked like they were headed to a concert.

  Alexis and Maddie were laughing when I hopped in, but it took no time at all for Alexis to notice the mood I was in. She turned to me and placed a hand on my knee.

  “It’ll be fun, lighten up.” I crossed my arms and shrugged to which she just smiled. I noticed for the first time how green her eyes were. They reflected sunlight like a pair of emeralds, beautifully framed in her winged black eyeliner.

  She was absolutely gorgeous and I felt strange about that. It both angered and pleased me at the same time. If she had been a model on Instagram, I’m sure I would’ve followed and stared at her beauty all day. Riding next to her, however, made me feel inferi
or. But I didn’t hate having her hand on my knee for a just a moment.

  Eventually she turned back around and plugged her phone into the stereo and turned on some music I had never heard before. Maddie smiled at me in the rearview and seeing how happy she was lifted my spirits.

  Maybe it won’t be so bad, I told myself. It’s definitely not the trip I had planned, but maybe I should learn to let go a little bit.

  I pulled out my phone and scrolled through Maddie’s Instagram while Maddie started the long drive to Los Angeles. The first few photos on her feed were of her and Alexis with captions such as, Headed to LA!!! My heart sank for a moment but eventually I brushed it off. I rested my elbow on the door, laying my head in my hand and stared out the window at the changing landscape.

  A few hours into the drive we stopped for gas and snacks. Everything about Alexis was cool down to the way she hopped out of the car. She was incredibly smart and gorgeous but she just didn’t seem to give a damn about any of that. She only cared about having a good time. Alexis offered to drive to give Maddie a break to which Maddie agreed.

  Maddie offered to sit in the back seat this time so we could rotate and I jumped at the opportunity to stretch out my legs in the front. I wished it would’ve been Maddie up front with me but I was willing to take what I could get. I grabbed a bag of chips and an energy drink from the convenience store and made myself comfortable in the passenger seat.

  While Maddie was using the restroom, Alexis’s demeanor toward me changed slightly. She softened and stared hard at me.

  “What?” I asked.

  She smiled, those sharp emerald eyes piercing me. “Nothing,” she said. “You just look really hot without makeup. I’m jealous.”

  I wasn’t sure what to make of her compliment, but my body warmed when she said I was hot. “It’s just because I suck at makeup, unlike you,” I joked.

  She laughed. “You’ll see me later without my makeup. I look like a wreck.”

  What came out of me next surprised me. “I bet you look beautiful without it.” Alexis looked at me like she had just discovered gold. She had a sly, crooked smile on her face.

  Maddie returned and Alexis became more aloof, but during the drive I swore I caught Alexis side-eyeing me from time to time. It made my heart race but I wasn’t sure why. I turned my head toward my window to hide my smile.

  ---

  We finally pulled into a dingy motel just outside of Las Vegas. Maddie and I looked at each other with uncertainty, but Alexis seemed completely unfazed by her surroundings. I kept waiting for her cool demeanor to vanish but she seemed to fit right into the decrepit walls and algae covered pool, and her confidence was infectious. I felt safe around her.

  Once we got settled, Maddie decided to make a beer run so we could unwind. That left Alexis and I completely alone together for the first time. Alexis lay sprawled on one bed, and I sat at the edge of another, fumbling with the TV remote to see what was on. Out of nowhere Alexis started laughing.

  “What’s wrong with you?” I asked lightheartedly.

  “I was just thinking about the look on your face when we pulled in. You really haven’t gotten out much, have you?”

  “Shut up,” I shot back. “What and you have?”

  “Shit I grew up in this kind of neighborhood. This feels like home to me.” This came as a surprise to me, because despite her devil-may-care attitude, she wore trendy clothes and had perfect hair and makeup. I cocked my brow in disbelief. “Don’t give me that look,” she said still laughing. “I take care of myself now that I can.”

  I shrugged it off. She did seem to fit in here. “This is the kind of place my mom would be horrified to know I stayed at,” I admitted.

  She rolled her head to the side and looked at me with those emerald eyes. The sharpness had left them under the dim motel lights. “It’s just one night,” she said. “You’ll be perfectly fine.”

  Her body was completely loose and relaxed and her expression was seductive. I suddenly felt the urge to kiss her and the thought of it made my body tingle. I turned my head away to break up the tension.

  Maddie came back with the beer and the three of us sat around talking about campus life and how we got there. Alexis never mentioned to Maddie that she had ever been poor. It almost felt like she had never even told me. Maddie and I were both exhausted, but Alexis’s presence was making me restless. Maddie said goodnight and Alexis and I headed outside to finish off the night. We decided to hang out by the pool to wind down.

  “Sorry if I’m keeping you up. I’m such a night owl,” Alexis said, staring up at the night sky. My eyes trailed down her jawline to her neck and then to her breasts. I wanted to touch her, to know that she was real, but something was still bothering me.

  “Why didn’t you ever work on that project with me?” Alexis lowered her head toward the pool. “I felt like an idiot turning in a paper you had already submitted.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that.” I stayed silent in defiance. “I got us an A though didn’t I?”

  “Yeah,” I admitted, running a hand through my loose strands of hair. I exhaled and leaned back against my pool chair. Through the corner of my eye, I saw Alexis do the same but turning her head to face me. I turned to her.

  She looked beautiful and her eyes seemed to be questioning me about something. Her hand lay loose against the cement under our chairs, and her fingers started to dance toward me. Without thinking, I lay my own hand against the cement. Her fingers kept dancing, closer and closer.

  Alexis bit her lip and I couldn’t take my gaze off of her. Then her hand found mine and she took ahold of it. Her thumb lovingly brushed the skin on the back of my hand, and my pulse quickened.

  “The reason I didn’t work with you is…” Alexis sighed, “I kind of had a crush on you.” She seemed frightened for the first time and my heart nearly stopped. I thought quickly for something to say but my breath caught in my chest.

  “What?” I said stupidly.

  “Sorry if that’s weird. I shouldn’t have told you.” Alexis broke our gaze, instead looking back up at the sky. She let go of my hand and folded her arms across her chest. We lay in silence and I beat myself up over what to do. Did I like her? Of course I did, but why? I can’t act on these feelings but I need to comfort her in some way. Despite my mind racing, nothing left my mouth.

  Then Alexis stood up and brushed herself off. “I guess I better get to bed.”

  I stood up and followed her, but before she reached the stairs I finally realized what I wanted. I grabbed her hand and when she spun around in confusion, I kissed her.

  Her lips were like whipped cream and her saliva like cinnamon. She was breathtaking and kissing her felt like where I belonged. Electric heat waves pulsed through my body as Alexis kissed me back. Our tongues intertwined and I never wanted it to stop. But it did.

  “Wait here,” she said, running back up to our room. I watched her body sway under the lamp light and realized I wanted more of her. My body ached as she left and warmed when she returned. She skipped down the stairs dangling Maddie’s car keys and grabbed my hand. Soon we were in the back seat of Maddie’s car and Alexis kissed me again.

  Her hand brushed my cheek, tucking strands of hair behind my ear. Her fingers lingered on my ear lobe and gave it a small tug. She smiled and leaned her forehead against mine. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” she said, and when someone like Alexis tells you that you’re beautiful, you feel it.

  We kissed in short bursts, pulling away each time to savor it more, like our mouths were dancing. I noticed the strap to Alexis’s tank top slip from her shoulder and I ran my fingers along it. Her breath escaped in a seductive whisper, a spirit calling me in deeper. A smoky haze filled my mind and my head buzzed with Alexis’s energy. I could almost feel her even when we were inches apart.

  I leaned into her neck and planted a kiss against her skin. I slowly kissed down to her bare shoulder. Her sweat smelled like coconut and exotic flowers. I still didn’t fully
understand what had led me here, but I didn’t care. All I knew is that I wanted to smell her skin forever, and kiss her lips forever.

  Alexis thought to crack the windows slightly so we didn’t fog up the car. Then she climbed over me, straddling her legs around me elegantly. She took my face in her hands and we kissed. She let her fingers drop down to my neck, then my collarbone, and finally over my breasts. I exhaled into our kiss like I was waking from a coma.

  Alexis moved her hands down to my ribs, rubbing her thumbs just under my breasts. I placed my hands on her waist, squeezing her whenever she did something that felt good. I pretty much squeezed her the whole time.

  Our tongues swirled as we explored each other’s bodies. Eventually she had a hand between my legs, over my leggings, and started to massage my pussy. I widened my legs to make it easier on her and started to moan.