Beyond Friendship Ch. 01

"What about lunch?" Jennifer interrupted. "You know she can't stay without lunch. She'll fall sick."

Mike frowned and shook his head, trying to pretend that he was feeling really bad about his prank. "Do you think I'm bad?"

"Yes!" Jennifer and Zack snapped at the same time.

"Hey! I care for her."

"Since when?" Jennifer taunted.

"Listen, it's not as bad as you think, okay!" Mike assured them. "They will provide free lunch to her. It was clearly mentioned in the circular."

"What about the lectures?" Zack asked. "We have two lectures after lunch."

"It's all covered up!" Mike proudly replied. "Because she's helping the library staff, Professor Spouse will give a clear attendance for the two lectures. It was mentioned in the circular."

Jennifer checked her wrist watch. "C'mon, it's already 2:15 pm. We have a lecture at 2:30 pm, remember?"

"Whose lecture is it?" Mike asked.

As always, Zack shrugged. So both of them locked their eyes on Jennifer- the walking and talking 'time table'.

"You guys are lame! It's Operational Research! Let's go!"

There was a pause for a moment before Mike stated, "Poor Meow! I can't wait to see her face."

*****

That's right! She was Meow! For Zack and Jennifer, she was Sheryl. For her parents and relatives, she was Sheryl. Damn! For the whole world, she was Sheryl. But not for Mike! He called her Meow! That was the pet name Mike gave her only one week after all four met for the first time on the very first day at the B-School.

Sheryl was a bubbly girl. She was always cheerful, energetic and enthusiastic. And she had all the traits of a little kitten. She was slim, curvy, sexy, athletic and highly egoistic. She was always the boss. She always got what she wanted, whether by hook or by crook! And she was always ready to fight. She couldn't stay at one place for a long time. She always wanted to do this and that! And when it came to a new experiment, whether it involved clothes, accessories, hairstyle or anything else, she was the first one to volunteer. Fashion and stubbornness was in her blood. That was Sheryl! And that's why the name, Meow!

And the 'awesome foursome' was really unique. Unlike other groups, where everyone shared common interests, the 'awesome foursome' was totally opposite. Each one of them had a unique personality that was no where close to each other.

Zack was totally opposite to Sheryl. He was the most mature member of the group. Always talking less and listening more! And he was a bit reserve as well. Most of the time, he had to be provoked to open his mouth; otherwise he would just sit like a spectator. When it came to looks and appearance, Zack fell on the 'cute' side. He had the cute 'killer' smile that attracted the girls around the campus. But when it came to girls, Zack was always shy!

Although Sheryl was the commander of the group, it was Jennifer who had the most unique personality. Just like Zack...Jennifer was simply 'cute'. Unlike a hot super model, Jennifer was more like a charming princess. And she was the master when it came to business and finance. While Mike, Zack and Sheryl worked ruthlessly to achieve an 'A' for their projects, Jennifer effortlessly secured an 'A Plus'. But she was not a 'Bookworm'. Jennifer was a 'party animal' with an intense sexual flame inside her. From outside, she was a cute and sweet girl with a smart brain. But inside, she was a nasty girl with a never ending thirst for sex.

As far as Mike was concerned, he was the hottest topic of discussion among the girls. He was not a cute guy like Zack. He was hot! A 'sports fanatic' by nature, Mike had a cool attitude and a striking personality. He was always more of a 'sporty' guy than a 'party' guy and most of the times; his discussions would end up with sports.

On an all, they were completely opposite to each other and yet...they were totally attached to each other!

*****

Sheryl carried herself like a wild bull as she lifted the heavy books and shifted them from one place to another. It was really frustrating for her. Not because she fell into Mike's trap. But it was the short skirt that was torturing her. If she had even the slightest of hint that she was going to be trapped in such a situation, Sheryl would have put on her jeans.

It was really embarrassing for her when she walked in front of the library staff. Everyone was staring at her tight round ass. But the worst part of the whole situation was that Sheryl couldn't bend down to pick up the books. If she did that, the person behind her would have a breath-taking view of her black lacy panties. So every time Sheryl had to pick up the books, she had to kneel down on the dusty floor to avoid revealing her panties.

*****

Finally, the last lecture of the day ended at 5:00 pm. All three were waiting on the campus for Sheryl at their trademark meeting place. It was an old wooden bench that seemed to be as old as their famous B-School. Jennifer and Zack were sitting on the bench while Mike was standing in front of them. They were discussing about the H.R.M. project when they heard Sheryl.

"Hey, guys!"

Mike turned around and saw Sheryl walking towards them with fluid strides. Interestingly, she had a smile on her face inspite of the long embarrassing day.

As Sheryl approached them, Mike playfully announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you....Meow! A hot and sexy girl who likes to wear short mini skirts and work in the library! Indeed a rare hobby!"

Sheryl walked directly up to Mike.

"That was a good one, pothead!" she sarcastically smiled at him. "But I'll make a come back. So just be prepared. I'm going to kick your ass!"

Mike chuckled at her comment. But he knew she would make a big come back. And her come backs were often deadly!

"I'm really tired, Mike," Sheryl continued in her bubbly tone. "I want a refreshing drink."

"Let's go! The drinks are on me!" Mike announced.

"Okay, but I want to know everything about the library," Jennifer said as she got up.

"Me too!" Zack put in.

"Me three!" Mike added with a laugh.

And with that, all of them headed towards the cafeteria. There was not a single expression of irritation or anger on Sheryl's face. She was not upset with Mike. And that's why they were known as the 'awesome foursome'.

*****

Zack, Jennifer and Sheryl took their seats at the table. The cafeteria was mostly empty, except for a few students.

"So what will it be?" Mike asked.

As always, Sheryl was the first one to reply. "Rock N Rolls!"

"Okay."

"Hey, Mike! I'll have a cheese burger," Sheryl added. "The food they provided was pathetic!"

*****

Kneeling on the marble floor, Selena was placing the dishes on the lower shelves. Veronica was in the kitchen, taking a note of the inventories.

"Hello! Veronica!"

Selena heard a voice from the other side of the counter. Only a couple of dishes were remaining to be placed, so she thought it would not hurt anyone if she took a few more seconds. The person could wait for a moment.

Mike heard a faint noise from the other side of the counter but he didn't see anyone in front of him. Out of curiosity, he leaned forward until his stomach touched the edge of the wooden counter. Then, he stretched the upper half of his body forward to look down on the other side of the table.

Before he could react, Selena got up and her head brushed against Mike's chin, scaring the hell out of him.

"Oh shit!"

Mike backed up, almost falling on his back. But his hands quickly grabbed the edge of the table and he somehow managed to hold his balance.

"Oh God! I'm so sorry...I was placing the dishes and...I'm really sorry..."

"It's okay!" Mike said as he regained his composure. He was getting irritated. Not because of the girl standing in front of him. It was the laughter that was glaring behind him. He knew they had seen the embarrassing scene.

Mike ignored his friends and looked up. The girl was staring at him. It appeared as if she was hypnotized by his deep blue eyes. He was about to say something but the laughter behind him became more and more loud and annoying.

Turning his head over his shoulder, Mike saw his friends. They were looking at him and making all sorts of jokes. Jennifer and Zack were laughing. But Sheryl was laughing her lungs out.

Ignoring them, he turned back and saw the girl's face. She was sill staring at him.

"Can I use this?" Mike picked up an empty plastic glass that was kept on the table.

Without looking at the glass, the girl simply nodded.

"Thanks!"

And with that, Mike swiftly spun around and shot the plastic glass at the table.

Bang! The glass stuck Jennifer on her shoulder.

"Hey! Don't you have any shame?" Jennifer complained. But she was still laughing.

"Jen, don't be so rude," Zack commented in a childish accent. "The poor guy is already finding it difficult to maintain his balance on the ground."

"May be we should buy him a walking stick on his birthday!" Sheryl added.

And they started laughing again.

Mike shook his head in disgust when he saw them. Who was he kidding? They would never stop laughing. In fact, as far as he knew them, they would never let him forget this episode for a week. Actually, for a month! Or perhaps, forever!

Mike turned around and placed his hands on the counter. The girl was sill lost in his eyes. She was speechless. She was mesmerized!

"Hello?" Mike waved his hand in front of her face; his open palm almost touched the tip of her nose.

Selena gasped, realizing that she was staring at him like an idiot.

"I'm so sorry...I was just..."

"It's okay!" Mike interrupted her. "It was not your fault. Anyways, I'll have 4 Rock N Rolls and 1 cheese burger."

Although it was her job to take orders, Selena found it difficult to respond.

"Just a sec..." she stammered.

She removed the small note pad and pen from the drawer and came back.

"What was it?" she asked nervously.

"4 Rock N Rolls and 1 cheese burger," Mike repeated politely. He was not angry with her.

Selena had taken more than 30 orders since morning and some of them were quite long ones. But she had managed everything pretty well. And yet she was getting nervous as she wrote the small order on the page. Her fingers were shaking as she quickly made a note of the order. Perhaps it was Mike's presence that was making her nervous. Yes! That was the reason.

"Give me 5 minutes!"

Selena walked over to the small window where the orders were placed.

"We have an order!" she called out as she tore the page and placed it on the window. Immediately, a hand came out from the other side and took the page.

The moment Selena turned around; she heard a faint female voice from the other side of the window.

"We don't make these things!"

Dazed! Selena spun around and saw the page on the window. What was wrong? She was sure that she had taken the order correctly. She picked up the page and read it to confirm that she had taken the correct order. But the moment she read it, she gasped. She had made a fool out of herself. The note read:

4 Rick N Rings

1 Cheese Burgler

God! What was happening to her? She was acting like an idiot! And that too, because of a hot guy who was 2 years older than her. She had to stop this! She had to control herself from thinking about Mike.

Selena quickly wrote the order on a fresh page and read it two times before placing the note on the window. Again, the note was accepted. But she didn't move. She waited for several seconds but there was no compliant.

Selena took a sigh of relief and stuffed the old note inside the back pocket of her jeans. She just stood there for a while. In a span of 10 seconds, she witnessed an intense battle between two thoughts. The first one 'suggested' her to occupy herself with some work. The second one 'ordered' her to go the counter and start a conversation with Mike while the order got ready. The first thought was safe and logical while the other one was difficult, tempting and risky. But her mind had stopped functioning. It was on a strike. So she opted for the risky venture.

Selena walked up confidently and stood in front of Mike.

"Your order will be ready in 5 minutes."

"Thanks!"

Selena felt a surge of excitement and nervousness as she stood there. She was getting confused. Her mind was not responding to her. How could she start a conversation with him? Whether she should ask his name which she already knew or introduce herself or compliment his t-shirt or talk about the weather or just stand there like a stupid doll?

"I haven't seen you before," Mike startled her.

"What? Oh...I just...it's my first day." Selena gave him a weak smile.

"What's your name?"

"Selena."

She said it too quickly. Her tongue was slipping as if it was on a plate of butter.

Mike smiled at her. "That's a beautiful name."

He was really impressed by her name. It sounded sweet and romantic.

"I'm Mike."

He extended a polite hand and Selena brought her hand forward for a shake. Mike wrapped his hand around her soft palm, sending an electric current in her body. After a couple of shakes, he released her hand. Selena silently sighed when he broke the hand contact. She was enjoying his touch.

Just as the nervousness started to fade away, a few students came over to the counter. Selena was really frustrated when she saw them. She desperately wanted to hit them and send them away but she couldn't do that.

"I'll have to take their orders. I'm sorry...Mike."

"It's okay," Mike smiled at her.

With a frown on her face, Selena went over to the other students to take their orders. While Selena was busy taking the orders, Mike watched her intently. Her body was slim and she appeared to be only a couple of inches shorter than him. The light pink t-shirt and black jeans made her look like a model who was about to get ready for a fashion show. The black hair was unstyled to her shoulders but it only made her look sexier. The texture of her smooth skin was intoxicating. From his position, Mike saw the outline of her breasts on the t-shirt and they looked perfect on her body. But more than that, Mike was stunned by her dark black eyes. They were like small black pearls with a rare sparkle in them. God! She was a super model with a sexy figure! What the hell was she doing at the cafeteria?

By the time Selena took the orders and placed them on the kitchen window, Mike's order was ready. She placed the loaded tray on the counter and smiled nervously. Mike quickly removed his wallet and placed the money on the counter.

"Thanks...Selena!"

And with that, Mike picked up the tray and walked over to the table.

*****

Jennifer, Zack and Sheryl were discussing something when Mike arrived at the table. The moment they saw him, all three started laughing. Mike drew a seething inhalation and shook his head in disgust, clearly signaling that he was not at all enjoying it as much as they were.

"Listen!" Mike sputtered. "If anyone of you laughs at me one more time, I swear that I'll pour this drink on that person's hair."

Then he looked at Jennifer as he continued, "Trust me Jennifer, you won't like this drink on your brown hair."

"And it's going to be worst for you, Meow!" he glared at her. "Because I'll also smash this burger in you face!"

"And do you think we'll just sit here like losers!" Sheryl retorted with a grin. "I'll tear your t-shirt into pieces!"

"And I'll punch you in your face!" Zack shot back.

"And...I'll scribble my lipstick all over your face!" Jennifer added.

And the three started laughing again. Mike knew it was over. There was no way he could sneak out of this situation. It was 3 versus 1. It was all over as far as he was concerned. And worst, they would always bring out this topic again and again and torture him till eternity.

*****

Selena didn't have any more orders to attend so she stood at the counter, looking at Mike from the corner of her eyes. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard another loud laugh from their table. It was Sheryl. The three were still torturing Mike about the accident. For a moment, Selena intently looked at Sheryl. And as she did that, her emotions gave way to jealousy. She was thinking about Mike and Sheryl as a couple and it made her feel more and more jealous. She knew they were best friends. But she also knew that Mike and Sheryl fucked each other and it made her uneasy. For a second, she wished she was Sheryl.

*****

But Selena was totally wrong. If only she knew the truth! The truth about the sexual relationship between the 'awesome foursome' members!

In fact, no one in the B-School knew the truth. Since Mike and Sheryl constantly fought with each other, everyone thought that the 'awesome foursome' was made up of two couples- 'Mike and Jennifer' and 'Zack and Sheryl'. But they were wrong. Totally wrong! Only the four knew about the sexual relationship between them. It was a secret that was guarded by them since they met for the first time. And they had sworn not to reveal it to anyone in the B-School.

In reality, 'Zack and Jennifer' was the cute couple. Both of them were simply cute! As far as Mike and Sheryl were concerned, they were friends. Best friends! Nothing more than that! Although they appeared to be the hottest couple in the B-School, they never had any sexual feelings for each other. They were not boyfriend and girlfriend. And they were definitely not fuck-buddies!

Of course, the two had their own sexual desires. But they took care of that in their own ways. Sheryl was a horny girl with a fire in her body. But she always relied on her fingers to satisfy her needs. And when the tension would grow beyond her control, she would pick up a neighborhood guy and fuck him till she was satisfied. But it happened only 3 to 4 times in a month.

As far as Mike was concerned, his post midnight companions were erotic stories and porn videos. And just like Sheryl, every once in a week, Mike would call a girl living in his neighborhood, take her for a movie or dinner and ended up screwing her in the backseat of his car or nailing her in the comfort of her own bed.

Mike and Sheryl never dated anyone from the B-School because they didn't like the idea of involving any other person in their group. And co-incidentally, Mike and Sheryl had a very bad relationship experience when they were in college. So they were fed up of the whole 'relationship' drama. They only believed in one slogan- 'Fuck them! Forget them!"

00 The Club 00

That evening, they all went out to enjoy the Friday night. They were driving in Zack's car. Mike was sitting in the front seat while the two girls fought in the back seat.

"We are going to the club!" Sheryl demanded.

"No we are not!" Jennifer argued. "I want to go to the Chinese restaurant."

Sheryl shook her head angrily. "Princess, we can go to the restaurant tomorrow!"

"No! We can go to the club tomorrow."

"Fine! Majority wins, okay?" Sheryl challenged her.

"Okay!"

Sheryl sat up straight on her seat and took a deep breath and firmly stated. "I want to go to the club! How about you Mike?"

"Club!"

Sheryl gave a beaming smile to Jennifer to make her look weak. But Jennifer kept her cool because she was confident that Zack would take her side. He always did! So what if the fight would end up in a tie. They would think of something else.

"What about you Zack?" Sheryl asked. There was a hint of silent confidence in her tone. And it made Jennifer a bit nervous.

Zack gave a quick thought. Technically, he was supposed to take his girlfriend's side. But he was a bit confused.

Jennifer was clearly frustrated by his silence. "Will you say something?"

"Club!" Zack said in a weak tone.

"What? That's not fair! You..."

"Zip it!" Sheryl interrupted. "It's 3 on 1. We are going to the club. In your face...loser!"