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Chapter 16
Liz was the first one to arrive back to the dorm room after winter break. She unpacked her things, the eight hour drive back to school seemed to take all day. She felt bad for her parents who had an eight hour return trip in the morning. They were staying in a hotel tonight. After Liz got her stuff put away she made her bed. She'd forgotten over the month break just how hard making the top bunk could be. Once it was made she climbed up on her bunk cracked the window to get some fresh air, laid down with her fingers locked together behind her head thinking about her classes this semester.
Liz had Spanish with Liza again, she let her mind wander to Liza for a few minutes. To the first night they met, she wondered if there would be other nights like that in their future. She had really enjoyed getting to know Liza over the rest of last semester, but wasn't sure she was interested in a relationship with her. Yeah the sex was great, but then she didn't have anything to compare it to, but the friendship they'd built was brilliant and she didn't want to lose that.
Liz couldn't remember what science class she had, she didn't really care, maybe it was biology, she wasn't much into science. She had Differential Equations but had a different teacher and wondered what that would be like. She rattled her brain trying to remember her other class, then like a lead brick it hit her that dumb drawing class. She hated to draw. Yeah simple things, perspective she got the concept and could draw things using one and two point perspective, but look at a bowl of fruit and draw it, she could never make it look like a bowl of fruit. She knew she would dread that class all semester.
Liz's thoughts drifted back to the last day before they left for break. She hadn't told her parents over the break that she thought she was a lesbian. She wasn't totally sure herself. She'd only had that one experience with Liza and just didn't know. It'd felt so right at the time, but she'd never done anything with a guy, so how did she know that a guy wouldn't be better. She didn't even have any friends that were guys. Trying to get things clear in her head Liz slowly drifted off to sleep.
Jo met up with Mary Jane on the walk way downstairs both arriving at the same time. Jo was anxious to find out how things went but knew that it wasn't fair to Liz to grill Mary Jane now and Mary Jane wasn't volunteering any information. They had exchanged hello's and a quick hug, then walked in silence up towards their room.
When they entered the room they were surprised thinking they had beat Liz back. It was late in the evening and they knew that Liz had a long drive. They started putting their stuff away, Jo went in to use the bathroom, heard Mary Jane bang some drawers around while she was in there. When she came out she saw Liz asleep on her bunk. She touched Mary Jane on the shoulder and pointed to Liz. The girls chuckled softly and then shhs'd each other and quietly put the rest of their stuff away.
When the girls had their stuff put away they looked up and saw that Liz was still fast asleep. Jo nodded to the door and towards the living room area. Jo closed the door softly behind them leaving Liz sleeping not wanting to wake her. They sat on the couch. They just looked at each other for a long time.
Finally Mary Jane broke the silence. “So how was your break?”
“It was okay. Boring at home, I kinda got used to having people around. Didn't realize how much I'd miss you guys. Really different going back to being the only kid, especially since mom and dad had to work all of break and I was home alone. Most of my friends only got two weeks off so they weren't even around to hang out with. Watched a lot of TV and even read a book.”
“Yeah really? You read a book, I can't believe it. What was it about?”
“It was about this girl that lived with her dad, her mom had run out on her when she was little. Her and her dad had built this tree house on the far side of the old junk yard that they had a house on the property of. Her and her friend played in it when they were really young till her friend fell out and broke her arm; that was the end of that because the friend's father said ‘no more.' Then there was some other stuff in the middle but at the end the neighbor girl, her friend, got beaten really bad by her dad, and the other girl helped her escape, the dad was arrested, and the two girls ended up together.”
“Wow that sounds really cool.”
“ I still have it in the other room if you want to read it: I bought it at the bookstore. It was written by Kim Pritekel, and I really liked the way that she writes. I am going to see if she has written anything else. Do some searching at the library.”
“Yeah cool, I'd like to borrow it.”
“Look I really want to ask you about break and how things went with your parents, but I don't feel right without having Liz here too and it looks like she might be out for the night seeing how we've been out here for three hours now and it's nine-thirty, don't think she's going to get up.”
“Yeah and I'd rather not tell it twice. I'm hungry, you wanna go grab something to eat?”
“Sure, let's leave a note for Liz just in case she wakes up.”
Jo scribbled a quick note then quietly taped it to the inside of the bedroom door so that Liz wouldn't miss it.
They headed out towards Sammy's sub shop just off campus. As they walked through the parking lot, Kelly walked out the door.
“Fuck”
“What is it Mary Jane?”
“Nothing”
Mary Jane held back staying a half step behind Jo and kept walking with her head down hoping that Kelly wouldn't see her. She watched Kelly get into her car and drive off.
They walked into Sammy's ordered there subs, Jo followed Mary Jane where she sat at a table in the corner facing the door.
“Mary Jane, level with me here, I let it go in the parking lot, but what was it about that girl?”
“That girl, her name is Kelly. We kinda had a thing going on last semester.”
“Okay but why such a reaction then? I don't get it.”
“We kinda had a falling out around midterms. She wanted to get more serious, I just wanted the sex. I'm not ready to be in a relationship, that much I know. Yeah I know, kinda slept around last semester. I don't want to be in a relationship but I like the sex. I don't know what I am going to do, but I know that sleeping around isn't the answer either.”
Jo wasn't quite sure what to say. She'd stayed away from anything more than making out with people. Hadn't gotten involved with anyone, and hadn't slept with anyone either. Closest she'd came was that little adventure with Mary Jane herself.
Mary Jane and Jo sat and continued to talk about relationships and sex till almost midnight when they headed back to the dorm.
When they arrived the note was still on the door and Liz was still sound asleep. They changed and climbed into bed know that tomorrow they had to go fight with everyone else to get their books for this semester.
Chapter 17
Liz was coming back from the bookstore when she ran into Mary Jane and Jo heading to the bookstore themselves.
“Hey sleepy heads, nice to see you're up and about.”
Jo laughed. “Sleepy head, you're the one that was passed out asleep when we got back yesterday at like five. Never even noticed we came in, or left, or came back in did you?”
Liz blushed a little. She remembered making her bed about four, and then climbing up on her bunk but didn't remember anything else. She must have passed out and slept from then through the night. “Guess I don't have a lot of room to talk. How was your guys' break”
“Alright” Mary Jane and Jo answered in unison.
“Just alright? I wanna hear the details.”
“How about if Mary jane and I go get out books, then we can go somewhere for lunch and all exchange our stories of winter break.”
“Sounds good to me, I'll wait for you in the room, gonna put all this stuff away and see if I can get organized for classes on Monday. Oh and I saw Mary Catherine this morning. She said there'd be a hall meeting at seven tonight so we need to make sure we don't lose track of time over lunch seeing how it's almost one now and it'll take you two a while at the bookstore.”
“Okay, see you in a while”
Two hours later Jo and Mary Jane returned with books in hand.
“Who knew books could be so expensive?”
“Or so heavy?”
Liz just stood and laughed at them. She'd only had to buy two books this semester and was just fine with that. “So you guys wanna go to Sammy's for lunch?”
Jo and Mary Jane looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
“What what did I say?”
“Umm, well, Jo and I had dinner there last night while you were snoozing away.”
“Oh, I see. Well how about that new Hawaiian place three blocks over? I've heard they've got the best teriyaki chicken there.”
“Works for me, how about you Jo, you game?”
“Yeah sounds good.”
The three headed off to Kanaka Maoli. They were silent on the walk there. They ordered their food and found a booth in the corner far away from everyone else. Jo recanted what she had told Mary Jane the night before. Liz confirmed that she'd never realized what she'd missed out on being an only child and that her experience was a long boring month away from school. Neither girl had mentioned that they had not told their parents about their new sexual identity.
They both turned to Mary Jane who had her head down.
“Mary Jane what is it?”
“I chickened out. I didn't tell my parents that I was a lesbian. I started to many times, but I just couldn't get the words out. I had a long conversation with Mary Sue about it one night in our room though. She said that it was not her place to tell, and that she was not going to say anything, that it was my decision when and where and how I told them. I was relieved by that, but that got me thinking, the how part. Maybe I could just write them a short letter in a few weeks and send it to them telling them I'd met a girl at a club and we were dating. Of course there'd have to be a girl by then though. I'd have to wait till I had a girl and I am not going to have a girl for a long time.”
“Liz, Jo and I talked about this last night. I know I kinda slept around a lot last term.” Liz nodded her head. “It wasn't that I was trying to or anything. I just craved the sex, and then I met Kelly and we kinda dated a while, we were more like “fuck buddies” than anything else. She wanted more I didn't, we broke up, end of story. After that it was just me and my finger lady till the two of you walked in on me.”
Liz and Jo both blushed remember what had happened just before finals.
“I did a lot of thinking over winter break, didn't have much else to do. I know I am not ready to be in a real relationship, but I love the sex so much. It makes me feel so good, it makes me feel complete.”
Mary Jane stopped for a minute trying to gather some courage to tell these girls who had become her best friends the awful thoughts that she was having.
“I was thinking that maybe I should go see a counselor or something. That maybe I am a sex addict.”
Silence fell across the table. Neither Liz nor Jo knew quite what to say about that. Finally Liz pulled herself together. “Mary Jane, does sex interfere with your everyday life? Whatever a person is talking about when it comes to addictions it's gotta disrupt your life every day on a regular basis.”
“It does for sure. I walk through campus and I look at girls that pass by. I evaluate every single one of them on a sexual basis. Do I think they have a nice body? Do I think they'd be a good kisser? Would they be good in bed? Every single girl I walk by. I hate to admit it, but I've even had those thoughts and asked myself those questions about the two of you.”
Jo tried to become invisible she didn't want anything to do with this conversation anymore. She had to change in front of this girl every day, and now she finds out that she's been checking her out as she does this. How is she ever going to be able to change in front of her again.
Liz looked at Mary Jane. “Sweetie we all have thoughts like that.”
Jo's eyes popped wide open. Did Liz think about her sexually too. How was she going to live with these two nut cases the rest of the year. Then Jo realized how hypocritical she was being remember a time or two that she'd caressed Liz's body with her eyes.
“Everyone does?” Asked Mary Jane. “I don't believe it, you two don't.”
Jo stepped in. “I've had those thoughts about Liz here.” Wrapping her arm around Liz and pulling her close in. “I was so jealous after I found out she'd had sex with Liza I could hardly stand it.”
It was Liz's turn to be surprised, but she carried on. “Yes Mary Jane I've had thoughts like that walking down the paths going to class. It's perfectly normal. I've had thoughts like that about friends that I know for sure are straight even.”
“So you don't think I need to go see the school counselor?”
“I don't,” Liz offered. “But if that would make you feel better then yes you need to go see her.”
“She's a wonderful lady Mary Jane. She helped me a lot after—“ Jo's voice trailing off. “Well you know the first night we went to the club.”
“I didn't know you saw anyone.”
“I had to Liz, I was so hurt, jealous of you and so confused.” Jo pulled Liz over even closer to her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, feeling a little guilty for not being more supportive to her friend. “We should probably be heading back to campus, it's getting late, and Mary Catherine will have our hide if we are late for the meeting, its six-thirty now.”
The girls walked back to campus in silence. No one was quite sure what to say following the conversation that they just had. So they all thought about people sexually. That wasn't abnormal. Liz knew heterosexual people did it all the time why should it be any different for them just because they were all lesbians. Liz's thoughts drifted back to that night before finals, remembering how Mary Jane had reacted to her and Jo and even the taste of Mary Jane. Gawd she tasted good. She thought about how she might want to have some more of that, but she knew she didn't want to date Mary Jane. She began plotting in her head different ways that she could taste her without becoming involved with her.
The girls made it back to the dorms just in time to head to the lounge for the hall meeting.
Chapter 18
Liz laid in bed that night thinking about all that Mary Jane had said about sleeping with all the girls. She completely understood how Mary Jane felt. Since the first night at the club with Liza she'd wanted more, but she knew she was not ready to be in a relationship with anyone. She was still unsure of herself and didn't want to drag anyone else into that.
Liz knew since classes started tomorrow that she would be seeing Liza in Spanish class. She had missed Liza over winter break. Right now though she was feeling like maybe she wanted to go beyond just friends with Liza and explore a relationship. She was so sweet and kind and caring and oh how soft her lips were. Liz shook her head not believing what she was thinking. She rolled over and tried to sleep knowing Spanish was coming at eight in the morning. Argh! Eight in the morning she would be fronted with Liza.
Liz fell asleep thinking of Liza and was not surprised when she woke in the morning and recalled the dream she'd had about Liza. She wanted to talk about it, but knew there was no one she could say anything too.
After Spanish class Liz walked with Liza to Sammy's for lunch. They had sub sandwiches while sitting in the corner talking.
“So Liza, I want to hear all about your break how did it go?”
“It was okay, I couldn't believe how much I missed you though.”
“I missed you too, I've gotten so used to seeing you every day.”
Liz and Liza went over the details of their break while they ate their lunch. When they were finished neither girl wanted to leave. Finally Liza turned to Liz “So, umm, you wanna come back to my place and hang out for a while watch a movie or something?”
“We know what happened the last time you used the watch a movie line.”
Liza blushed, “No, really just to watch a movie.”
“Sure that would be great.”
They walked to Liza's car back on campus and headed to Liza's place. As they passed the club Liz was lost in thought about the night they first had met. Liza parked the car and got out. Liz was still lost in her own thoughts remembering how wonderful Liza's hands and tongue had felt on her. She wished she could feel that again, but knew that Liza was being very respectful of her own request that they just remained friends and that if anything else was going to happen that it would have to be at her lead.
“Hey Liz, you gonna get out or just sit in my car all afternoon?”
Liz shook her head, “oh, umm, yeah I'm coming.”
Liz followed Liza up the stairs and couldn't help but stair at her ass and think about how much she wanted to get her hand on it. Liza stopped at the door to unlock it. Liz wasn't paying attention again and ran right into Liza as the door opened. They fell on the floor, Liz landing on top of Liza, both girls on their stomach's.
“Opps, sorry Liza.”
“No big deal.”
The girls got up off the floor. Liza turned to Liz, “Liz are you okay?”
“Yeah I am just a little lost in my thoughts today.”
“I'll give you a penny for those thoughts.”
Liz's cheeks instantly turned beat red. She couldn't possibly tell Liza what she was thinking about. “Maybe later.”
“Okay, whatever you want, just know I'll listen, I'm your friend and friends do that. So what do you want to watch? I'd suggest Music Man but that's what we watched last time.”
“Well, if I remember correctly I slept through it last tim, okay both times, so that is good with me.”
“Okay, let me get it set up. You want me to get some popcorn going or get you something to drink.”
“I don't need anything, just you.”
Liz's turned as she realized what she'd just said. Embarrassment consuming her, Liza either didn't hear the comment or just decided to ignore it for she made no comment.”
“While you get the movie ready I'm going to use the bathroom if that's okay.” Liz asked her back to Liza.
“Sure, no problem, you remember where it is?”
“Yeah, not really hard to find.”
Liz didn't really need to use the bathroom she just needed to get out of the room. In the bathroom she splashed cold water on her face and tried to pull herself together. When she thought she had a handle on things she headed back towards the living room. Liza was already sitting on the couch waiting for her. Liz sat on the other end of the couch and Liza started the movie.
Liz tucked her feet up under her determined to stay away from Liza. She knew she wanted to touch her, to feel her, to feel everything she'd felt that first night. No matter how many times Liz adjusted herself she just couldn't get comfortable on the couch.
“Liz, come over here.” Liza said patting the couch next to her.
Liz slid down the couch next to Liza. Liza grabbed her head and laid it in her lap. She began to play with her hair running her hands down the length of it carefully not wanting to tangle or frizz her curls. Liz laid there trying to keep her attention on the movie and not on the feelings that were stirring deep in her belly. She turned her head and looked up at Liza.
“Thanks.”
They remained curled up on the couch for the remainder of the movie neither wanting to move. Both were being consumed with desire that was building deep within their sexes. The movie ended and Liza moved to go turn it off. Liz pressed her head down into Liza's lap, she was not letting this moment end just like that. Liza looked down at her with a gentle smile on her face as she reached down and brushed a stray curl away from Liz's face.
“Something you need Liz.”
“Yes.”
“What do you need?”
“I just need you.”
“Yes that is what you said earlier. You have me right here, I'm not going to go anywhere. We've been friends all last semester. I'm just going to turn the movie off and put it away.”
“No, Liza, I need you.” Liz reached up and placed her hand behind Liza's neck and lifted her head off Liza's lap bringing her face to face with Liza.
“Liza I need you.” With this acclamation Liz drew Liza down towards her and took Liza's lips.
Liza wasn't sure what to think. She'd lusted over Liz all semester, but had respected Liz's request to just be friends. She gave in to the kiss however unable to stop her body from resisting.
“Let me get the movie and then we'll do this right.”
Liza pushed Liz up into a sitting position and went and took care of the movie. Then she grabbed her hand and led Liz towards the bedroom section of her place and straight to the bed. She laid down on her back on the bed pulling Liz with her on top her and holding her close. She embraced Liz with a gently kiss that as Liz responded she slowly deepened. Then she pulled back.
“You're sure this is what you want Liz.”
“Yes I'm sure.”
Liza pulled Liz's shirt up over her head and with expertise unclasped her bra discarding it. She pulled Liz back down and resumed the kiss, placing on hand on Liz's breast gently caressing it. Liz slid her hand up under Liza's shirt trying to get closer to her, to feel her skin against her own. She felt like she couldn't get close enough. Liz ran her hands up Liza's sides gently dragging her nails as she did. She felt Liza shiver underneath her. Liza rolled so that she was now on top of Liz. She let her kisses trail from Liz's mouth to her neck. She found the vein in the side of her neck that she knew would make Liz melt. With a little flick of her tongue and a gentle suck Liz gasped and murmured something incomprehensible. Liza knew she'd hit just the right spot. Liza continued her kisses down until her lips landed on Liz's breast. She ran lazy circles around the outer edge of Liz's breast with her tongue slowly working her way towards the center, then taking the nipple into her mouth.
Then Liz's alarm went off and that was the end of the dream. Liz could feel the wetness between her thighs from her dream and knew that even though she'd taken a shower the night before and didn't have time now, that she was going to have to make time for a quick shower.
In the shower and dressed and out the door in record time Liz rushed to class completely forgetting that Liza would be there waiting for her, still lost in the dream.
Liz hit the stairs running knowing she was going to be cutting it close to get to class on time, she wondered why she signed up for Spanish at eight in the morning. Then it hit her like a brick in the stomach, that was the only time Liza could take. Liza. Shit, Liza was going to be there. Liz wasn't sure how she was going to face Liza.
As Liz approached the classroom door she noticed a figure in the doorway, she increased her speed to a full sprint assuming it was the instructor going to close the door to start class. When she reached the door she realized it was not the instructor. It was Liza, waiting for her so that they could sit together.
“Hey Liz, cutting it close today. Hard time trying to get back in the swing of things?”
“Yeah, something like that. This morning just didn't go as I planned.”
“Let's get a seat before the instructor shows up and gets started.”
They walked to the middle of the classroom, then to the middle of that row, so that they were sitting dead middle of the room. Liz felt like she was totally exposed sitting here, but she had just followed Liz as they made their way to their seats.
Liz sat quietly during class trying to pay attention to what the instructor was saying. Third year Spanish she could already tell was not going to be easy. There was not even an introduction in English. She imagined there would be no English spoken in this class at all. Trying to follow the instructor was difficult sitting next to Liza as her dream kept creeping back in her head. She kept trying to push it away, but it kept on coming back.
Finally class was over. The girls walked out together.
“Liz, you want to go get some coffee?”
“I'd like to but I've got my art class at nine-thirty and I've got to go back to the dorm and get my supplies and everything and get back over here for class. Maybe tomorrow.”
Embracing Liz in a hug Liza simply replied “Okay, have a good day.”
Chapter 19
Liz met up with Mary Jane and Jo for dinner. They headed to the dining hall on campus. They all had a meal plan for the dining hall but none of them ever ate there very often. Tonight the special was steak and ribs. So, they decided it was a good night to go.
While they ate they talked about how the first day of classes went and how hard it was getting back into the swing of things. There was a lull in the conversation and Liz decided this was as good of a time as any to try and talk to Mary Jane and Jo. She didn't know who else she could talk to and the three of them had become really close friends last semester.
“Ummm, there's something I want to talk to you guys about.”
Mary Jane and Jo looked at Liz, but didn't say anything, just waited for her to continue.
“You both know that I kinda was hanging out with Liza last semester.”
Both girls nodded their heads thinking they knew where this was going. Jo already knew that Liz had a crush on Liza but also knew it wasn't her place to say anything so had not brought it up to her friend.
“Well, I think that I really like her. I know I told her last semester that we needed to be just friends, but I think I want to make it more than friends now.”
Liz stopped hoping to get some response from her friends, feeling very vulnerable right now and not sure she could say anything more, not sure she wanted to say she wanted to ask Liza to be her girlfriend out loud.
Jo looked at Mary Jane, then back at Liz. “So, why don't you ask her out?”
“You mean like on a date?”
“Yeah, a date would be a good place to start.”
“Are you sure?”
Jo nodded her head.
“What do you think I should do Mary Jane? You've been down this road before.”
Mary Jane wasn't sure what to say. She'd seen this coming, but she didn't know a whole lot about Liza and didn't want to steer Liz down a dangerous path. “I think a date is a good idea. I think you should go one step at a time and take it slow.”
“Slow, huh?” Liz pondered this for a moment then shook her head. “I don't think I can take it slow.”
Mary Jane looked over at Jo.
Jo looked at Liz, “What do you mean you don't think you can take it slow.”
“I think I am in love with her. I get this weird feeling when I am around her and I just want to scoop her up in my arms, feel her body against mine. I keep thinking back to the night we met and I know we didn't know each other then, but it was so wonderful feeling her skin against mine. I want to feel that again.”
Jo understood what Liz meant. She'd felt the same way about Josh when they'd first met and got to know each other. She didn't feel like she could really say much because Liz had already taken the semester to get to know Liza, and her and Josh and started sleeping together within a week of first meeting. Not a very good example in this situation. Mary Jane understood what Liz was talking about also. She'd been with enough women to know that there was nothing like the feel of a naked body up against your own naked body.
Mary Jane looked at Liz, “You have to do what you think is right, and what feels right to you. If you want to ask her out then that is what you need to do, but you have your eyes open and that is good. You already know that if you ask her out that you will want it to be more than just a simply date. Knowing that going into it will help, but you have to decide where your boundaries lie and be willing to stick to them.”
“I don't know that I have any boundaries. I want it all.”
“Then you know that that is your boundary, you are willing to have it all.”
The girls finished their dinner and walked back to their dorm room in silence. Liz wasn't sure if talking to her friends was the right thing to do or not. She was glad she hadn't told them about her dream, but she didn't know that she was any closer to a resolution then before. She knew she had to figure things out before tomorrow morning when she had Spanish class again.
When they reached their dorm room, Liz flopped on the couch while Mary Jane and Jo went straight to their desks and got out their text books and started reading their assignment. After a while Jo couldn't take it anymore.
“Liz you really like Liza don't you?”
“Yeah I like her a lot. It drives me crazy just sitting next to her in class. I don't know what to do.”
“I can't tell you what to do, that you have to figure out on your own, but I can tell you that you have to follow your heart. If you don't listen to your heart and trust yourself then you'll never be happy.”
“I think I am going to go for a walk.” With that Liz was up off the couch and out the door before anyone could say a word.
Jo didn't know what to think. She loved Liz and didn't want to see Liz get hurt, but at the same time knew that Liz had to explore things on her own.
Mary Jane and Jo finished their reading and were getting ready for bed when Liz came back. Liz didn't say anything just went into the bathroom and got in the shower. Having been through this before, Jo opened Liz's drawer and found her PJ's and sat them just outside the bathroom door then crawled into her bed. Mary Jane fell asleep to the sound of the water running in the bathroom and dreamed of a beautiful waterfall. Jo on the other hand laid quietly in her bed waiting for Liz to finish and come out.
It seemed like Liz was in the shower forever. Finally Jo went and knocked on the door. “Are you okay Liz?”
“Yeah.”
“That doesn't sound very convincing to me. I have you PJ's would you like them?”
“Yeah, bring them on in.”
Jo opened the bathroom door and walked in the bathroom closing the door behind her knowing from Liz's answers that she really wasn't okay and that there was a conversation to be had tonight. Jo found Liz sitting on the floor of the shower with the water splashing on her head. Jo reached into the shower and turned the water off. She grabbed Liz's towel off the rack, “Come on out Liz.”
Without saying anything Liz came out of the shower and let Jo wrap the towel around her. She just stood there not moving and not saying a word. Jo could see that her eyes were red, she guessed that Liz has been crying.
“Come on, let's get you dried up and into your PJ's so you don't get cold.”
Liz still stood rooted in place. Jo took the towel and gently began drying Liz off and then helped her into her PJ's. Once Liz was dressed she leaned against the bathroom wall and sank down to the floor. Jo sat down next to her.
“You wanna talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“You want me to go away?”
“If you want to.”
“You want me to stay?”
“If you want to.”
Jo thought for a moment. She wasn't sure how to handle this. She'd never seen Liz like this before, it was like she wasn't even there. Jo didn't know what she could do other than to hold Liz. She wrapped her arm around Liz and just sat there. After a few moments Liz laid her head against Jo's chest and relaxed into Jo. Jo felt the cold feeling of her shirt becoming wet. She wasn't sure if it was Liz's hair or if Liz was crying again.
As Liz's body began to shake and she was consumed by her tears, Jo had the answer to her question. All she could do was hold Liz. Slowly the sobs died down and Liz regained control of herself. She didn't say anything just wrapped her arm around Jo and tucked her head in a little farther.
Jo realized shortly after this that Liz had fallen asleep in her arms. Jo didn't want to wake Liz, but she knew she was going to have to if she was going to get any sleep and for Liz to get any good sleep. She untangled their arms and held Liz up with her hand while she stood up. Liz woke just enough that Jo was able to get her on her feet and headed towards the bedroom. Jo realized there was no way that she was going to get Liz into her own bunk so Jo led Liz to her bunk. Jo thought about climbing up on the top bunk, but didn't want to leave Liz. So instead she climbed into her own bed with Liz and as she pulled up the covers she felt Liz's arm wrap around her.