Midnight Movie Club Ch. 01

The sky had become a bluish-gray from the sun slowly rising behind the rocky hills on the far side of the lake when Julie decided to go all-out for one more lap around the square. The security guards had stayed out of her way, sticking to the middle sidewalks as she ran, but now they turned and watched, public safety forgotten for a few moments as her final lap turned into a hard sprint. Her heart pumping, legs pistons against the concrete, arms swinging back and forth at her sides, Julie embraced the soreness in her calves and the burning in her lungs. She pushed hard, aiming to finish strong and get her first full day of college off to a rousing start.

By the time she finished her sprint and began her cooldown lap, Julie's face and a good portion of her short black hair dripped with sweat. It took her a bit to resume normal breathing, and there were a few times during her walk around the square where her legs threatened to rebel and force her to sit on a bench or the steps of a residence hall. Physical exhaustion finally set in as she finished her cool down and made her way back into Samuelson Hall. Her legs wobbled and her throat begged for water. Her first college run was in the books, and instead of taking it easy she instead had pushed herself to the limit.

She did make one concession to her body by taking the elevator to the third floor. As she walked down the hall to her dorm room, Julie began to feel a sense of euphoria. The ache in her legs dulled to a soft discomfort. Her exhaustion faded away, replaced by excitement and eagerness. By the time she opened the bedroom door a runner's high had completely overtaken her. Closing the door behind her, Julie walked to the center of the room, hands on her hips and a tired but earnest smile on her face. She felt terrific. Absolutely terrific.

Glancing around the room, Julie noticed that her roommate's bed was unmade. "Eleanor?" she called out, to no response. Further examination revealed that Eleanor's bathrobe and the small plastic toiletry basket were missing as well. Apparently, her roommate was an early riser just like she was.

Julie ran her hands along the sides of her head, coating her fingers with fresh sweat. The wave of bliss brought about by her pre-dawn run was still washing over her. Normally following a jog Julie would stretch out to prevent cramping and help keep her flexibility, with a cold shower following soon after. Problem was, Julie wasn't ready to cool down just yet. Her runner's high had come with an intense second wind. Her body was pumping with enough energy that if she was still outside she'd be attempting another hard sprint.

She tried to focus her new burst of vitality into her post-run routine, stretching out her calves and hamstrings, to no avail. Julie was just too keyed up. She needed to bleed off her second wind by using the energy for something else. After another look around the empty dorm room, Julie made her decision. She'd have to work fast. Even as she came to that realization Julie was peeling off her jogging top. Her nipples were already erect, and a tingle ran through her as the fabric brushed against them. She threw her top in her laundry basket before slipping out of her shoes. The anticipation was making her tremble as she set her shoes on the little shelf at the foot of her bed before stripping off her leggings and underwear. They, along with her socks, followed her shirt into the laundry basket, leaving her nude body glistening with sweat in the light of the sun rising outside her window.

Julie could feel an anticipatory itch beginning to grow between her legs as she grabbed one of her large bath towels. By the time she had lain the bath towel on top of her blanket, the itch had turned into a throbbing that was intensifying every second she delayed. Climbing on top of the bath towel, Julie set her head against the pillow. Once she was comfortable, Julie wasted no time in spreading her legs and pressing her index finger against her clit. She gave a quiet sigh of relief as the throbbing between her legs was quelled for a brief moment, before roaring back with a vengeance, begging for more.

Normally Julie was one to take her time when she masturbated. The act of self-pleasure was one to be savored and enjoyed. This morning however the location of her roommate was an unknown variable, (x), that couldn't be solved for the variable on the other side of the equation, time (y). It was the first time in Julie's life that she had to consider those variables, and on an initial calculation, all she could do was reduce (y) to its smallest possible factor to work off her burst of energy before Eleanor returned from her shower.

Another sigh escaped from Julie's lips as she gently but rapidly circled her clit several times. The sensitive nub rewarded her efforts with corresponding pulses of bliss that washed over her lower body that served to satisfy her heightened libido for a brief moment. It was long enough for Julie to push her fingers down to the entrance of her vagina. She groaned as her finger gathered up as much of her wetness as it could, gritting her teeth at the feeling of her digit pressing against the soft skin surrounding her pussy. She brought her finger back up to her clit. Her finger was slick against the fleshy button. As Julie ran her finger in a small, tight circle around the throbbing button, she began to move her hips rhythmically as well. Her left hand reached across her body to grab her breast. A single pinch of her hard nipple sent a rush through her chest and torso.

One hand worked between Julie's legs while the other squeezed and caressed her firm mound while she quietly and firmly pushed herself towards a rapid climax. She writhed on the bath towel as the race towards orgasm burned away the surge of energy that had flooded her body, replacing it with a warm and familiar tingle. Her finger vigorously brushed the sensitive skin surrounding her clit. Julie's breath quickened just before a small but intense rush of pleasure rippled through her like a joy buzzer. She arched her back for a brief moment as the tingle reached from the crown of her black hair to the tips of her toes before she collapsed onto the bed.

Julie lay motionless long enough to catch her breath and allow the post-orgasm fog to lift from her brain before rolling off of the bed to fold the bath towel. She made sure the wet spot was tucked inside one of the inner folds before using the outside of the towel to pat her blanket to remove any excess wetness or sweat. After cleaning herself off as well the towel joined her running clothes in her laundry basket. Once everything was taken care of, Julie took a moment to straighten out the topmost blanket on her bed before finally letting out a long, deep breath of satisfaction. The burst of energy from her second wind had been put to good use. Standing nude at her bedside, Julie felt calm, cool, collected, and most importantly back in control.

Which, of course, was when she heard the knob turn and the door open behind her.

"Oh!" Julie turned at the waist to see Eleanor, wrapped in her thick gray bathrobe, quickly stepping inside the dorm room and closing the door behind her. "I'm sorry Julie, I didn't think you were back from... I'm guessing your morning run?" A pink tinge flourished for a moment on Eleanor's cheeks as she headed towards her side of the room, trying not to look at Julie. Her dirty blonde hair was damp along the edges, with a wet towel in one hand and her toiletry basket in the other.

As stunned and mortified as she was, Julie didn't even think to grab her dirty towel or a pillow from her bed to cover up, leaving her naked before her roommate as she apologized. "I'm sorry, Eleanor. I should have left you a note that I was going for a run. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing when I woke up early. I just put my running clothes in the laundry basket and was about to go grab a shower. I didn't mean for you to catch me like this. Again, I'm sorry."

"No, no," Eleanor urged as she put her basket and towel on her unmade bed. "It's OK. I mean, we're living together, we're going to see each other naked eventually..."

Eleanor's words fell away. Julie watched as her roommate sniffed the air. Eleanor half-turned in confusion before taking another sniff. The realization hit Julie like a thunderbolt as Eleanor gave a wry smile. "Julie," she said quietly, "should I be glad I didn't walk in on you a minute earlier?"

Julie couldn't see herself in the mirror, however, she would have bet money that her cheeks were currently turning a much deeper shade of red than Eleanor had been. "Yes." She rubbed the side of her neck absentmindedly as she tried to find something to say. "I was worked up from my run and had to... bleed the pressure off." With one hand over her face, Julie groaned in discomfort. "I thought I had time to... well..."

"Get a quick one off?" Eleanor turned to face her roommate. Through her fingers, Julie watched as her eyes quickly scanned Julie's naked body. "It's OK," Eleanor said with a disarming chuckle. "Seriously, again, we're healthy young women. And we've just confirmed we're not prudes. We just have to come up with some kind of system to warn the other person when we're in here by ourselves... or when we're in here with another person," she added. "Better to have one sooner than later, right?

Julie nodded. "Yes, you're right. Like a hair tie around the doorknob or something." She pulled her hand away from her face. "One more time," she told Eleanor, "I'm sorry. You're right that it was going to happen eventually, but... I can't help feeling mortified, that's all."

Eleanor's hands went to the cloth belt holding her bathrobe closed. "Here," she said as Julie realized what she was doing, "this will even the playing field." Stunned by her roommate's brusque action, Julie just watched as Eleanor undid her robe and let it fall from her body, pooling into a pile of gray cotton at her feet.

Seeing her roommate without her long skirts and loose shirts, Julie was a bit surprised at the sight of Eleanor's nude form. It was easy to tell from looking at her that Eleanor was the outdoors type. She was sporting a light tan, with a noticeable lack of tan lines. Freckles adorned every part of her body. Her breasts were probably a cup size bigger than Julie's, topped with nipples the color of caramel. As opposed to Julie's trimmed black hair, Eleanor was bare between her legs, clean-shaven down to the skin.

"Now we've both been naked in front of the other," Eleanor said casually. "No big deal."

Julie let out a quick laugh before responding. "You're a bit of a free spirit, Eleanor."

"I mean, it is in my last name." Eleanor returned Julie's smile with one of her own. "Go hop in the shower. Once we're dressed, you up for getting breakfast before orientation?"

Julie's stomach rumbled at the possibility of food. "I'm for it," she said, walking towards her closet to grab a fresh towel. "I could go for some grub right about now."

X X X X X

Julie paused in the doorway as she scanned the teeming crowd. "That's a..."

"Excuse me." Julie didn't hear the request until it was too late as the large man pushed past her into the large auditorium. Even as she turned away to give him the no-longer-needed room, a young woman bumped into her, mumbling an apology under her breath.

A hand gently grabbed her wrist. "Let's get a balcony seat." Julie nodded at Eleanor's suggestion. Their fingers intertwined as her roommate led her to a nearby set of stairs. Other freshmen seemed to have the same idea as Eleanor. The two young women were jostled by the crowd as they made their way to the second floor. The murmur of the horde of students filled the air, a low, buzzing cacophony that somehow seemed louder than any of the assemblies that Julie had attended in high school.

Even the balcony overlooking the auditorium was packed. Eleanor and Julie had to step to the side in order not to get caught up in the swell of students making their way inside. "Do you see any open seats," Eleanor asked, craning her neck in an attempt to see over the throng.

"I see some down below." Even as Julie pointed she was pulling Eleanor along. "They're in the front." The roommates walked along the top of the balcony, winding their way through their fellow freshmen. In the row closest to the balcony edge, in the leftmost set of chairs, were two empty seats, separated by a young man sitting in between them. His feet were up on the railing, one foot tapping against the brass rail. "Perhaps he'll move if we ask him," Julie suggested.

"Or we can sit on either side of him and make a new friend," Eleanor countered.

"Let's Mark One Eyeball him first to make sure he's not a creeper."

"What One What?" Eleanor asked, her confusion evident as they began to descend the stairs towards the bottom of the balcony.

"Mark One Eyeball... sorry," Julie said in apology. "It's military slang for looking at something with your own eyes instead of using something like radar or satellites."

Eleanor gave Julie's hand an affectionate squeeze. "Why do I have a feeling I'm going to pick up all kinds of new phrases rooming with you?" Once they reached the bottom of the stairs they turned left, making their way past the students who had already managed to grab a seat. Being in the lead, Julie was able to get a good look at the young man. He was in a relaxed posture, head bowed, chin against his chest, arms crossed, foot moving in time with an imaginary beat. Wearing a black t-shirt that showed off his slender arms, his sandy red hair was cut short with a loose, undefined part on the left.

"Excuse me," Julie said once she and Eleanor were standing next to him, "are these seats taken?"

The young man raised his head, revealing a face that Julie would define as "ruggedly handsome." "No they're not," he said, looking at Julie with light brown eyes. "Let me move..."

"Cole?"

The name caused the young man to glance at Eleanor. After a moment, recognition filled his eyes. "Oh. Hey Eleanor. What's up?"

"Not much," she answered with a jaunty smile. "Just trying to find a seat. Julie, this is Cole Scales. We went to school together. Cole, this is my roommate Julie Wyndham."

Cole stretched one hand out towards Julie. "Pleased." Cole's skin was rough against her palm as she shook his hand. She could feel the hard calluses adorning his fingertips as she pulled her hand back. "Here, let me slide over." Cole pulled his knees up, intending to get to his feet and move down one chair, however before he got up Eleanor squeezed past Julie, brushing past Cole before flopping down in the seat to his left, leaving Julie to sit on Cole's right. As she settled in next to him Cole slouched in his chair, assuming a relaxed bearing and once again putting his feet up on the railing.

Julie momentarily frowned at the casual nature of the young man before closing her eyes and mentally resetting herself. Just because Cole had a sloven posture shouldn't lessen his worth in her eyes. She had come to college to interact with new people and hopefully make the long-term friends she never could while growing up. Dismissing Cole just because he slouched, much like dismissing Eleanor because she wasn't as organized as Julie was, would be socially immature.

As Julie's train of reasoning brought about a reminder to text Mark to see if he had gotten to Alamosa without incident, Eleanor, having also taken up a relaxed posture, asked Cole, "When did you get here?"

"Late last night," he answered. "Went camping at Yellowstone. Ended up staying a day later than I intended and had to rush back yesterday morning, pack up, and make it down here. Managed to show up five minutes before they closed check-in." Cole rubbed his eyes. "Haven't unpacked yet. Going to be living out of my bags until orientation's over." Cole's Idaho accent was evident in his speech as he tended to smooth out the rough consonants that broke up the flow of words.

"We got here yesterday afternoon." Eleanor motioned between herself and Julie.

"Cool." Cole tilted his head towards Julie, letting momentum do most of the work as it flopped against his shoulder. "You from Idaho?"

"Colorado," she answered, "but I moved around a lot when I was younger." Cole nodded politely at her words. After studying Cole for a brief moment, Julie decided to practice making conversation. "You were sitting by yourself," she pointed out. "Has your roommate arrived yet?"

"Supposed to show up this afternoon. He did the early orientation back in June. Name's Alex according to my RA."

"I'm beginning to think I should have taken early orientation." Julie swept her arm to encompass the auditorium. "There has to be at least, what, two hundred students in here?"

"I'd guess three hundred," Cole responded. "Freshman class is around 450 students. Third of them do early orientation." He sat up in his seat, leaning over the brass railing to look at the packed seats on the first floor. "Cattle market down there."

"More like a meat market." Eleanor smiled as she followed Cole's gaze to the throng of students below them. She then turned her neck to take in the rest of the freshman class who were currently filling in the final few seats of the upper balcony, leaving a handful of newcomers to stand along the back wall. "Lot of cute guys and girls here," she said with intrigue in her voice. "Julie? What do you think?"

Julie looked over both shoulders, giving the students behind her a quick once over. Her initial pass gave her a rough confirmation of the first half of Eleanor's statement. "I can attest to the presence of cute guys," Julie said as she turned back to Cole and Eleanor. "How about you?" she asked the young man sitting next to her. "What's your take?"

Cole pulled back from the rail to once again slump in his chair. He looked at Julie for a moment before turning to glance at Eleanor. "Present company's anything to go by, I'd say Eleanor's right on the money." It was the casual way Cole spoke, no flirtiness or any hint of a come-on, that almost put a smile on Julie's face.

Eleanor's response was much more direct. "Flatterer."

"ALRIGHT! WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED!" Standing behind a podium on the auditorium's stage, an older man with salt-and-pepper hair waved to get the attention of the students. Once the dull roar had quieted down to a soft murmur, the man spoke again, this time into a microphone. "I'm Doctor Adam Fisher," he said in a firm, clear tone "I am the Chancellor here at Farragut College, and I'm excited to welcome you all to our school."

As Dr. Fisher greeted the incoming students, Eleanor flashed a smile to Julie and Cole. "Here we go," she said. "Welcome to college."

X X X X X

"At least I got most of the classes I wanted," Eleanor said as she pinned her class schedule to her corkboard. "How about you?"

"I obtained the ones I needed," Julie replied from her spot on the bed as she highlighted the times and locations of her classes on her schedule. "The classes I desired filled up during early orientation, so I went right for the core ones. I figured if I knock those out this semester I can take the ones I want in the spring." She tapped the end of her yellow highlighter against her tucked-in blanket. "I'm impressed that the biggest intro class I have is forty slots total. When I looked at Colorado State, there were over a hundred slots for it."

"Which class?"

"Introduction to Philosophy." Julie looked up from her schedule. "It's not exactly my area of interest, however, it'll help me when I'm dealing with pretentious directors and writers."

"I think, therefore I am. I think." The roommates shared a laugh at the well-known joke. "So," Eleanor said, turning around in her chair, spreading her legs leaned over the back, "I'm going to make a Target run after dinner. There's a bunch of stuff I need that I didn't think to grab the other night. Feel like coming along?"