Instigations

by Kiki Archer

  Freya patted the back of her previously white jeans now ringing wet with a concoction of booze. But instead of feeling panicked and self conscious, she studied the other ‘ladies’ now making their way to the bar or the loos. All were in some sort of disrepair, and the tennis girls did actually seem to be one of the more restrained groups in the noisy and chaotic Student’s Union. All of the hockey girls looked to be on their last legs and the rugby girls did not have a bra between them. She stopped and waited for the naked running men to hurtle past her on the track.

  Renee spanked a pert bottom as it raced past.

  “You seem so calm about all of this!” said Freya, hopping over the track and making her way to the toilets.

  “My sister was at Leeds and I joined a couple of her netball beer circles,” she paused, “...and Sparkles ... you ain’t seen nothing yet!”

  Undergraduates at all universities across the UK, who were not a member of a sports team, knew instinctively to stay away from the Student’s Union on a Wednesday night. It was messy and always chaotic.

  Freya pushed open the double doors and joined the back of the queue for the toilets. “Don’t call me Sparkles.”

  “But your eyes, they’re so pretty and so sparkly,” she giggled, fluttering her eyelashes.

  “Oh and your teeth are so glowing and white.” Freya laughed. “Colgate and Sparkles, not exactly cool names are they?”

  “Well I’m not complaining! That Big Bird is a monster.”

  Freya lowered her voice as it was mostly the tennis girls in the queue. “Well my Gaydar thinks she may have a little crush on you!”

  “In her dreams!” laughed Renee. “Martin Weener Webley has more chance than her! Did you see his little pencil? It definitely got more pointy when we were kissing!”

  “Gross! No, I was too busy drinking fifteen drinks!” She stepped into the vacated cubicle and closed the door, suddenly propping herself against the wall. She was already starting to feel unsteady.

  “Piss it out! Puke it up! But whatever you do, hurry up! Bar and booth in one minute!” The bawl was unmistakably Big Bird’s, so Freya yanked her white jeans back up, crashed out of the cubicle, sprayed a dash of water on her hands and raced to the bar. She ordered three pints of cider and proudly lined them on the table, one of the first back in the booth.

  Big Bird edged in next to her. “Well done for being so game,” she lowered her voice, “seriously though, it’s all just a bit of fun. Give me the nod if you’re feeling rough and I’ll ease off.”

  “Really?”

  “NO! Now get that pint down you!”

  The shout was so loud that it made Freya jump. She reached for her first glass.

  Big Bird laughed. “Yes really. You Fresher’s are so gullible!”

  Freya was not sure if she was supposed to drink or not so she lifted the glass and took a couple of small gulps.

  “Seriously, take it steady. The women’s priority minibus will be here at nine and I want all of us on it.” Big Bird looked up and noticed that most of her flock had returned with cradles of pints in tow. “Right ladies, I think a game of never have I ever is called for.”

  Renee was the last to plonk herself down in the booth.

  “Colgate, you’re first. Never have I ever.”

  “What?”

  “It’s a beer circle game Colgate. You say never have I ever, and say something you have never done.”

  Renee screwed up her nose. “Why would I say something I’ve never done?”

  “Because you’re trying to drop other people in the shit. If they have done it, then they have to drink.” Big Bird knew the games like the back of her hand.

  Renee smiled. “Never have I ever been a Tennis Team Social Secretary!”

  “You’ve got it! ... You bitch!” Big Bird laughed and took three gulps of drink.

  The game took off quickly with Freya actually getting off rather lightly since most of the statements involved sordid experiences with men. It was her turn and she had one that would get them all talking. “Never have I ever had sex with a man.”

  Big Bird sprayed the table with the contents of her mouth. “Sparkles, we’re changing your t-shirt to Virginia.”

  Freya shrugged. “I didn’t say I was a virgin. I just said I had never slept with a man.” Some of the girls from her team knew about Kat, but it was clearly not common knowledge yet, so she smiled and repeated her offering. “Never have I ever slept with a man, who’s drinking?” All fifteen lifted their cups.

  “Right then you dark horse.” Big Bird was grinning. “Never have I ever slept with a woman?”

  The adjacent women’s hockey circle heard the statement and all cheered, downing the remainder of their drinks; lesbianism seemed to be a prerequisite for a place on the university hockey team.

  Freya lifted her cup, as did two other girls in her circle ... and Renee. She looked over and frowned.

  Renee saw the questioning eyes. “Well you have to try everything once don’t you!”

  “Snog, snog, snog, snog.” The chanting had begun.

  “Sparkles, Colgate, you’re up first.”

  Freya made a stop sign with her hand. “I’m taken, sorry.”

  “Pucker up Sparkles. Everyone knows what happens in a beer circle, stays in beer circles.” Big Bird started the chanting again.

  “Snog, snog, snog, snog.”

  “Well I’m game,” said Renee clambering onto the table and resting her feet on the seat either side of Freya’s legs. “Come on Sparkles, take one for the team,” she winked.

  Big Bird offered Freya a lifeline. “Snog your bezzie, or down your pint in one.”

  “Sorry, I’ll have to take this.” Freya reached for her drink and started to gulp, spotting Renee through the base of the plastic cup sliding backwards and edging down into her seat on the opposite side of the table. She balanced the empty pint glass on her head. “Done,” she nodded, causing it to fall into the lap of her neighbour. She lifted her eyes to Renee who was now staring in the opposite direction.

  The evening rapidly deteriorated into a mess of dancing, dares and downing, but for the most part Freya was having a wail of a time. The highlight was possibly the boat race against the women’s rugby team. Both groups stood in a line on one of the race tracks next to the bar. On the starter’s orders the first women in each line downed their drinks, slammed their plastic cups upside down onto their heads, and raced around the bar to tag the second in the line and so on. The winning team was the one with all members back to the starting position. Every other person seemed to be slipping at the second corner and the drinks being thrown their way from the men’s swimming team failed to help. Freya managed a clear run and collapsed back on the track in fits of laughter. Tina, who followed on from her, forgot to down her drink before turning the cup upside down on her head and covered herself in a full pint of larger.

  Renee skidded to an unintentional stop on her bottom next to Freya’s feet. She looked up and laughed. “I am so frickin smashed mate!”

  Freya’s words had become slurred. “We’ve got to get on schum buss yet.”

  With perfect timing, a long horn blared from outside. Big Bird gathered her troops. “Women’s priority mini bus is here. Get on it now. No sloping off!” she shouted, deliberately aiming her voice at Renee.

  “Where does she think I’m going?” she frowned.

  “Sche wants to schit nexst to you babe.”

  “I like it when you call me babe,” winked Renee, pulling Freya to her feet and guiding her out of the double doors and up the treacherous steps to where the mini bus sat waiting. It was a new university initiative that had the aim of increasing female safety on campus, and on a Wednesday night a list was clearly displayed showing the order in which each of the women’s team would be picked up. This evening they were third on the list to women’s rugby and women’s football and everyone knew the stench of sick on the bus would already be overpowering. They would all be carted off to the city campus whe
re the partying would continue. The boys were left to fend for themselves and great prestige could be gained amongst mates if any males managed to board the bus as a secret stowaway. Most of the time they were left standing on the curb, waiting for their extortionately expensive taxis, watching the numerous exposed breasts pressed up against the steamy windows of the battered minibus.

  The tennis girls all piled in and started to recite the heartfelt, yet vulgar beer circle songs, causing the windows to fog up instantly with a potent mix of alcoholic condensation. Freya joined in to the best of her ability, conscious that everything whizzing past the wet windows looked a bit of a blur.

  Big Bird threw the new pieces of paper into the back of the bus. She took her job as Social Secretary very seriously and wanted the girls to learn this new song. She lifted herself onto her knees, trying to look unaffected by the bumpy journey, and spoke, “Right ladies. This is the Tampax factory song. It is a new one that I want us all to learn. I will start off and then I want to go round this way,” she signalled to her right at the minibus crammed full of very drunk girls. “You and the person sitting next to you sing the next line.”

  Freya could not even read the hazy words, but knew Renee would be loud enough for the pair of them.

  Big Bird began the tuneful holler as the minibus rounded another sharp corner. “We’re the girls who work in the Tampax factory. Shout your orders loud and clear, loud and clear. We’ve got thin ones, fat ones, sannys big and small. When the end of the month comes around.” She pointed at Tina and Tracy sat on the first row of seats.

  They hollered their line with full gusto. “You can tell by the smell that she isn’t very well, when the end of the month comes around.”

  The bus erupted into fits of laughter and Big Bird sang the chorus once more. “We’re the girls who work in the Tampax factory. Shout your orders loud and clear, loud and clear. We’ve got thin ones, fat ones, sannys big and small. When the end of the month comes around.” She nodded and signalled the couple in the next row.

  They were equally as loud. “You can tell that she’s blobbin cause she losing haemoglobin, when the end of the month comes around.”

  The responses following each tuneful chorus were becoming more outrageous. “You can tell by the taste that it isn’t salmon paste, when the end of the month comes around.”

  The minibus was literally shaking with laughter. “You can tell by the string that she’s got the bugger in, when the end of the month comes around.”

  The lines were hilarious and Freya was properly trying not to wet herself. “It’s us!” she wailed, seeing Big Bird’s waving finger.

  Renee took the lead and shouted, “You can tell from the frown that you’ll have to pot the brown, when the end of the month comes around.”

  “Woo hoo and again girls!” Big Bird was kneeling on the front seat, conducting her crowd like a professional.

  Freya thought the journey seemed to be super bumpy and super long, but that was probably because she was having to concentrate very hard on not being sick. The minibus pulled to an abrupt stop and she hit her head on the seat in front with a heavy thud. She had no idea who the driver was, or why on earth they would agree to a route like this one. She pulled back and looked up to see Big Bird ringing a pretend bell which appeared to indicate the end of the beer circle.

  The holler had become really gruff. “Stay safe, have fun and be at tennis training by nine am on Saturday morning.” Big Bird glanced over at Renee. “I’ll be next to the main bar if anyone needs me.”

  The gaggle of girls piled off the minibus and charged into the cheesy university club.

  Freya and Renee were the last ones off. “What happens now?” slurred Freya, clumsily falling out of the sliding doors and not rushing to pull herself back up.

  Renee took her hand and yanked her across the road, towards the burly bouncers and into the pumping club. “Now we have a chat in the toilets,” she said.

  Freya had a vague recollection of being in the building before, but could not quite place it.

  “Looks different to Fresher’s fair hey?!” shouted Renee.

  Freya could not focus and closed her eyes as Renee pulled her into the noisy toilets. She opened them briefly to enter a cubicle and reach for the lid. She dropped it down and sat on the seat.

  Renee followed her into the tiny space and closed the door behind them.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not pissschin. Jusscht sittin on the ssheat.” She looked up at Renee. “I need ... to get ... taxi ... I’m done.”

  “I’m not,” said Renee, dropping down to her knees in front of Freya. She held Freya’s cheeks in her hands and moved forwards for a kiss.

  Freya’s reactions were too slow. Renee’s lips were on hers, parting her mouth and exploring with her tongue.

  She tried to move back but her head was heavy and Renee’s hands were supporting her. She let it happen. She could barely keep her eyes open, let alone resist being pounced upon. She eventually got the strength to flick her hand against Renee’s wrists, causing her to pause.

  “Don’t you want this?”

  Freya shrugged her shoulders. “Scchit ... you ... you’re cute ... and ... you’ve nice ... lips,” it took great effort to wiggle her finger slowly, but she managed it and she tried to sound firm, “but Katss’s mine.”

  “Shut up! Our chemistry is electric, come here!” She reached once again for Freya’s sticky neck.

  Freya was slow to react, confused by the come on, eventually shaking her head and sniffing, “I want Kat.”

  “Don’t frickin cry on me!” gasped Renee. “I thought you were up for a laugh?”

  Freya shook her head and tried to stand. “I want Kat.”

  “Shit mate, look at you.” She took Freya’s weight on her shoulders and pulled open the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll get us a taxi.”

  ****

  Kat heard the apartment door slam shut and checked her clock. It was before midnight and she breathed a sigh of relief. She had been convinced that Freya would not be crawling in until the early hours of the morning. She was about to jump out of bed when she heard a second voice. She crept out from under her duvet and perched on the end of her bed in the darkness, quickly trying to decipher the mumbles.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kat was sitting behind her wooden desk with her classroom door firmly locked. From its position no one peeping through the glass panel would be able to see her, or feel her anguish. She closed her eyes and the screeching of noisy gulls feasting on the littered tennis courts pained her ears. She was in turmoil, cursing her own stupidity. She had waited on the edge of the bed for too long. Trying to make out their voices. Trying to decide. Any normal human being would have jumped up, said hello and asked how their partner’s evening had been; but it was Renee’s presence in their apartment that had caused her to falter. She was not meant to be staying over, so why was she there? Kat leaned backwards in her padded teacher’s chair and replayed the events of the evening, shaking her head and biting her bottom lip at the painful memory. She should have just jumped off the bed and found out, but she didn’t. She just sat and listened to their hushed voices, suddenly hearing Freya’s bedroom door close. It was a surreal moment that had caused her heart to quicken and her eyes to widen in the darkness of her own bedroom. What was happening? Why had Freya not rushed in? What on earth was she doing alone with Renee?

  Kat must have sat on the edge of her bed for over an hour, listening and waiting, willing herself to get up and make some noise in the kitchen, show Freya she was awake; but she didn’t. She just sat in the darkness as all of her fears came to life.

  Kat suddenly froze at the sound of a quiet knock on her classroom door. She felt foolish for hiding away, but desperately wanted to be alone. Maybe it was Ben, she thought. Maybe he wanted to know why she was not wasting her free with him in the staffroom. She eyed the door handle, expecting it to move; but it didn’t. She strained her ears over the noisy cawing of gulls and listened for th
e footsteps to return back down the corridor. What she had not been expecting was Freya’s small voice.

  “Kat? Are you in there?” she whispered. “Can I come in?”

  Kat jumped up and rushed to the door, quickly twisting the lock and pulling Freya in. She held her so close, so tight and almost started to cry.

  Freya looked up and grinned. “Bad day?”

  She released her grip, flicked the lock closed once more and walked slowly back towards her desk, picking up one of the blue plastic classroom chairs as she went. “Sit down.”

  “Oo, I like this! How long until your next lesson?”

  Kat could feel herself welling up and tried to take a deep, slow breath, which actually ended up sounding sharp and emotion filled.

  “What’s wrong?” Freya scraped her chair as close as was possible and held Kat’s thighs between her own legs.

  “Why are you here?” Kat did not want to be dramatic or accusing. She just wanted the truth.

  Freya took her hand and looked deep into the anxious blue eyes. “You had gone before I woke up this morning and I missed you. Your timetable at home said you were free lesson four so I thought I’d pop in. My lecture is not until five.” Freya paused, unable to read the situation. “That’s okay isn’t it? You did say it was okay for me to pop into school on the odd occasion didn’t you?”

  Kat let go of the warm hand and massaged her temples. There was no easy way to say it. “I saw you. I saw you this morning.”

  Freya looked confused.

  Kat pinned her with her piercing blue eyes. “I saw you in bed with Renee.”

  “What?” Freya’s face was a picture of genuine shock. “Well she wasn’t there when I got up and I still had all of my filthy clothes on. So I’m not quite sure what you think you saw!”

  Kat knew the one thing that Freya hated more than anything was to be accused of something she hadn’t done. Now her green eyes were narrow with disbelief.

  “I lay awake for most of last night, hoping you would come in to me-”

  Freya cut in, her voice was louder and higher pitched, “I was so trashed last night that I didn’t want you to see me like that! I thought I was doing you a favour letting you sleep!”