June and Barb

"She doesn't get it. She can't understand why they would be upset about this. She is still saying that she did it on her own time. She thinks she will walk in there and tell them that and they will say, 'Oh, then it's okay,' but they're not going to say that. They are going to throw her out on her beautiful little ass and I don't know what is going to happen to her after that."

"I don't either June, but I do know I will do everything I can to help her."

"Oh, Ray, you said they are suspending everyone at the party. You were there."

"I'm not in the video and I didn't really know many people there. I'm probably okay. What matters is Barb."

"I have to go before the disciplinary board too, Ray. I didn't go to the party, but I'm her roommate. I don't know if they just want answers or if they have more in mind." I heard the worry in her voice.

In the background I heard Barb's voice. "Hey June, what do you think of this?"

"No! Barb, get serious. Don't you have anything conservative?"

"Anything what?" I had to strain a little to hear Barb.

"What is she wearing?" I asked June.

"You perv! This is serious." June growled at me.

"I know it's serious. I'm not being pervy now. Do we need to take her shopping for new clothes?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm stressed out. Let me look through her closet. I'll call you back."

We hung up and I hung my head in my hands. Shit, I'd just met this girl and she'd turned my life upside down. Until yesterday I had just been a perverted geek with a bright future. Now, well now I didn't know. But I knew my life was never going to be the same.

I didn't hear back from June that night. It was one of the longest nights of my life. I didn't get a call from the disciplinary board so I figured that was a good sign, but I didn't get much sleep, worrying about Barb and June. I went to class the next morning and everyone in class was talking about "The Party" as it was already known on campus. I played dumb and kept my mouth shut. Everyone knew Barb's name but most just called her the gangbang slut. I wanted to punch them every time I heard someone refer to her that way. But all that would have got me was trouble and wouldn't have changed anything.

Around noon I was in the student activities center eating a soft taco by myself when I got a call from June.

"Well, she's out."

"How is she taking it."

"You know her. She is happy and already planning her next party."

I shook my head. "That means she is kicked out of the dorm. Does she have anything lined up?"

"I'm out too, Ray."

"Oh shit! June, I'm sorry. I never thought they would kick you out for what Barb did."

"Twyla told them that Barb and I were lovers. They asked me point blank. I didn't lie. It wasn't about me being gay, they stressed that, but since I wouldn't renounce Barb they said they had no choice."

"God, June, are you okay?"

"No, Ray, I'm not."

"Where are you?" All my Monday classes were in the morning so I was free for the afternoon. It wouldn't have mattered, I never skipped classes, but I would have for June.

"I'm at the dorm. Trying to get all our stuff into my damned car."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

I threw the uneaten half of my taco in the trash and bolted for my pickup. It only took me five minutes to get to their dorm room. Lots of people were standing in the hallway laughing and talking about "the gangbang slut." I'm not a violent guy, but I really wanted to slap several of those bitches.

I'd never been in this particular dorm, but it was easy to find the room because everyone was talking about it. Just as I got there, June came out of the room holding a large basket of knick-knacks and whatnot. I took the basket from her and carried it to my pickup with her trailing behind. Away from the looky-loos, with her basket in the back of my pickup, I took her in my arms. She pressed against me and sobbed.

"I can't believe they kicked me out of school."

"I'm sorry, June. We'll figure something out."

"Will we Ray? I won't abandon Barb. She wouldn't survive without me. You know how she is. She is in there, happy as can be, laughing about her new nick name. Ray she loves it. She loves being known as 'The gangbang slut.' I want to be a software engineer."

I stroked June's back as she put her head on my chest. Her spikes tickled my chin, but I didn't move. She needed someone to hold her just then. After a moment June pulled back. "We better get back in there before Barb strips down and starts screwing all the hypocrites. They'd do it too and then call her names for screwing them."

I laughed, but nodded and we went in. Twenty minutes later we had June's car and my pickup loaded and were headed back to my apartment. Barb didn't have a car, she'd come to the school with June. June's car was packed full of their combined stuff. Their possessions had accumulated over the year through purchases and trips home. The overflow had gone into the back of my pickup. Barb rode with me. She was bubbly and happy.

"You don't mind us crashing with you for a while? If you do, I'm sure I can find a place for us soon."

"I don't mind, Barb, but this is serious. June is terrified."

Barb, sitting close to me with her hand on my crotch, looked at me and got somber for a moment. "I know, I feel terrible that they kicked June out because of me. I don't know how to fix it."

"I don't think you can fix it Barb, but you have to understand what she is going through."

Barb nodded. This was the longest I'd seen her be serious. "You should know. Our parents had a real hard time with her and me. Our relationship, I mean. We told them before we left for school. My parents already knew about me. Texas Tech was supposed to straighten me out. You know, get me out into the sticks so that I couldn't get into trouble. They blamed the Albuquerque scene for my wild nature. They won't take me back, but I'll be okay. I always am. But I know you will take care of June. I saw how you made love to her. I know you feel for her."

"I feel for you too Barb."

"You like to fuck me, Ray. It's different."

I suddenly realized I was finally seeing a glimpse of the real Barb. Good God, she thought no one loved her. She thought people only wanted to fuck her.

"Barb, you are different from June. I know that. You know that. But don't sell me short. Don't sell yourself short either. I love having sex with you, that's true, but I have deeper feelings for you than that. I've only known you two days. I've only known June one. You turned my life upside down and inside out. Everything I ever knew is out the window. I don't know what is going to happen, but I know I care about you deeply."

We stopped at a light and I looked at Barb. There was tear in her eye as she gazed up at me. She didn't say anything, she just looked up at me and I felt like I was a t-bone steak being appraised by a master chef. The light turned green and I drove on again. I turned into my apartment and parked but as I started to take the keys out of the ignition, Barb put her hand on mine and stopped me.

"In a moment we will get out of this pickup and you will have to make a decision. You need to know something." She put her finger to my lips to stop me from talking. "Just listen." She was so serious, I was genuinely worried. "June is a wonderful person. She will make a good partner for you for years. Tomorrow, I'll be gone. I'll go to California. I'll be okay. I'll probably be the most famous porn star ever." She grinned. "When I go, I need to know that you will take care of June. Please promise me that."

I was dumbfounded. I was finally talking to the real Barb and I suspected that June may have been the only other person to have ever done that. "Don't leave yet. Stay for a while and let's see what happens."

"Why? Why, Ray? All I do is hurt people. Don't you see how badly I fucked this up for June? Just let me go Ray. Let me get out of June's life while she still has a chance. With me out of the picture she may be able to appeal the school's decision and get back in. She didn't do anything wrong. It was all me." Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she talked. "Please, Ray. I love June more than I can tell you. Let me do this for her."

Suddenly I got it. June was the only person Barb had ever loved. She'd told me that, but I hadn't put the dots together. I looked her in the eyes. I loved her and my heart broke for her.

"If you left, she would chase you and find you. I would hunt you down and find you. You have people who care about you here." June pulled into the parking lot and into a parking space. "We need to have this talk together, the three of us. But now we need to get ya'lls stuff into my apartment."

Their things took up an entire corner of the living area but only about ten minutes to unload. Then I sat both girls down.

"Barb, you need to tell June the same thing you told me in the truck. No bullshit, open up and be who you really are." I never looked away from Barb but I saw June react, her eyes went wide and she looked over at her lover.

Barb swallowed and looked at June and she confessed that she'd made the decision to leave and go to California. June sat there with a stunned look on her face.

"My God, Barb. Are you completely out of your fucking mind?"

"Look at what I've done to you? I don't want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I was just having fun because who knows what's going to happen tomorrow, you know."

June put her hands on her hips. "You didn't do anything to me. That damned holier-than-thou bunch of alcoholic hypocrites are the only ones that deserve any blame. And as far as me crawling back to them asking to be re-admitted, you can just forget that shit! I don't know what is going to happen, but whatever it is, it will happen to all of us, together." She suddenly looked at me and her face softened. "At least, I hope you will stay with us Ray."

I smiled at her. "You couldn't get rid of me that easy." I looked at June and then at Barb. "Neither of you can. We will make it together."

And we did. Barb did tone it done a little after that. Oh, she still loves sex and has several boy and girl friends but she makes sure to only play with people she trusts now. She was the bridesmaid when June and I got married a year later. People thought it was odd that Barb went on our honeymoon with us and even odder that she lives with us, but they don't know the half of it. June got her degree from the University of Texas by taking online and remote access classes. Barb manages one of the most popular topless bars just outside of Lubbock. Tom and I started our own engineering firm last year. We design electronics for several major manufacturers nationwide. By any account, we are doing well. And all because of a wild frat party that I didn't really want to go to.