The Cure for Anxiety

Ashley threw her book across the room. She grabbed her shoes and marched out of her dorm. Slipping on her headphones, she opened the door to the outside and took in a large gulp of fresh air. Sighing, she put her head back and closed her eyes. She let everything drift from her mind and took a small walk. Every time the impeding exams intruded on her walk, she focused on the air. The blue sky. The bright sun. Anything but the exams. Anything but her future hanging in the balance.

Her phone buzzed. She shut off the music and answered.

"Hello?"

"Ash?"

She rubbed the back of her head. "Hey, Zack."

"Candice called me. Said you stormed out of their room after hurling your book against the wall."

"Hurling? Oh, she's so dramatic. More like given a nice toss before it burned my brain. Hurled."

"Ashley."

"Zackary," she said, mocking his serious tone.

"I'm serious. You're doing it again."

"I went for a walk! Which was working, until you called to rile me up."

"I didn't call to rile you up. I was...concerned."

She twisted her lips, unsure how to respond.

"Ash?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"You don't believe me."

"No, I do. I do. It's just...it's still a little confusing."

"I know. That's why I've tried to give you space. That, and I know how you are during exam times."

"Hey!"

"I've known you since kindergarten. Don't even deny it."

Ash laughed, feeling the weight on her shoulders ebbing. "All right, you got me there."

"Are you really okay?"

She started to walk back in the direction of her dorm room. "Yeah. Statistics is just kicking my ass. I'll get it."

"Of course you will. You're the smartest person I know."

She took a sharp intake of air through her teeth at the compliment.

"Too weird?"

"No, I'm just being dumb," Ash said. "I'll be fine."

"You sound wound up."

"Eventually."

Zack sighed. "How about this? I know it's weird, but Candice told me she has to leave soon. How about I come over, make you some tea, cook you some supper, just like we did in high school."

Ash stopped. She bit her lip. It did sound nice. And Zack did know how to calm her by taking care of her. Still, after the last few months...

"Yeah," she heard herself say, "That sounds like a good idea. As long as you don't mind me and statistics."

He laughed. "I used to do this twice a year, remember? I know how you are. Actually, I may have something new for you to try."

She smiled. "Always thinking of new ways to help, aren't you?"

"Isn't that what friends are for?"

Something tugged at her heart. She cleared her throat, feeling a sudden spike of emotion. "Yeah, for sure. See you in an hour or so?"

"Sounds good, see you then, Ash."

She hung up the phone and tried to listen to music on the way back to her dorm room. She found herself unable to concentrate on the music, her thoughts going back to Zack. Sighing, she took off her headphones.

Walking back into her dorm room, a small blonde woman with big blue eyes looked up from her makeup desk in mid application of lipstick. "Hey."

"Hey, Candice," Ashley said, plopping down on her bed. She felt the book she threw against the wall on her stomach. She took it out and held it in front of her face. "Didn't I 'hurl' you somewhere?"

Candice smiled. "Well, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I appreciate it," Ashley said, rolling to her back and looking at the ceiling. "I guess this is your first exam time with me."

"It's always going to be like this?"

Ashley laughed. "Blame strict Asian parents. Always have to be perfect. Always made me wound up."

"You always seem wound up. Is that why you broke up with Zack?"

She gulped and hid her face with the book.

"Wait, he broke up with you?"

She stayed silent.

"Oh, girl."

She removed the book and glared at Candice. Then, her face softened. She looked at herself in the mirror. Average height. Curves, which in the Asian community meant she was overweight. She flicked her long black hair and dazzled the mirror with her plump lips and brilliant hazel eyes. She knew Zack was crazy for her.

"Do I dare ask why, then?" Candice asked, getting to her feet and grabbing her purse.

Ashley put her head on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. She turned to look at Candice. "I couldn't relax enough to have sex."

"Self conscious?"

Ashley grinned. "A little. I'm fat."

Candice laughed. "You are not. You like weigh five more pounds than me. And it's probably all in your breasts."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "You need to be around more Asian people, then."

Candice walked over and patted Ashley's arm. "Well, don't be so hard on yourself. If he's coming over to help you after breaking up with you, he must still be madly in love with you."

She bit her lip. She did not want to think of things like that. She rolled her head away from Candice.

Candice shrugged and walked to the door. "Well, don't wait up for me. Me and the girls are going to go break hearts."

Ashley sat up and opened her book. "Have fun for me."

"Study for me."

They winked and pointed at each other before Candice closed the door behind her.

Ashley tried to concentrate on the numbers, and not on Zack.

She failed, again.

***

A knock on the door broke her feeble concentration. She raced to the door and opened it.

There stood a giant six foot three man with long brown hair and a chiseled body and chin. She remembered when he was a fat kid. Now he made women's pants wet when he walked by. He flashed her a toothy grin.

"Hey."

She nodded for him to come in as she plopped back down on the bed. "I can't concentrate today, so I don' t know how this is going to go."

"I'll just be here to feed and tea you," he said, unloading his mesh bag. "But, I do have something else."

She paused, and looked at him. He produced an old, slim oak box that look like an antique unto itself. He opened it and took out a gleaming, glistening crystal necklace.

"Wow."

"Yeah, right? It's my Grandfather's. Just inherited it, actually. He crafted the box himself, the necklace...well we're not sure where he got it from but it was my Grandmother's for their entire married life."

"And you're showing me this why?"

"Because, my Grandmother had terrible bouts of anxiety," Zack said, sitting down next to her on the bed, "And this necklace was supposed to have special properties to help with anxiety."

Ashley looked at Zack with doubt. "Uh huh."

"Hey, I never knew my Grandmother to have any anxiety in her life. Only later, when they put her in a home and took the necklace, did she seem to become a different person."

"That's called dementia, Zack."

He scoffed and shook his head. "Look, it can't hurt, can it? I cleaned it, so just give it a try."

Ashley rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine."

Using his massive hands, Zack put the necklace around Ashley's head. It touched her bare skin. It felt cool. But, she liked how it felt.

Zack looked at her.

"What, you're expecting some transformation?" Ashley said with a laugh.

Zack threw his hands up in the air. "Hahah, okay, okay. Let me get some stuff going. You get studying."

Ashley turned back to her book. She opened it and tried to concentrate. Her eyes kept drifting to Zack for the first few paragraphs. She rubbed the necklace with her fingers. Put the large jewel on the end in her mouth absently. Slowly, her concentration turned back to the book. Soon, she felt her entire world melt away except for the book. She understood every word, concentrated and figured out every idea. She smiled to herself, flying through the chapters.

"Ash."

She turned, blinking.

"Tea is ready."

She stretched, feeling very warm and comfortable. She looked at the clock. "Wow, I was studying that long?"

"You look like you were really into it, I didn't want to break the concentration. But you do need a break."

She rolled onto her back. "I do, actually."

"Then come have some tea."

She got up and accepted the cup of tea. He leaned against the kitchen counter while she sat on her bed. She sipped her tea.

"Good?"

She nodded. "I'm actually feeling a lot less anxious and stressed. Comfortable, actually. It's odd."

"Well, that's good. Must be my presence," he said with a laugh.

She rolled her eyes.

"Or the necklace."

She ran a finger on the band. "It does feel nice."

"That's what Grandmother said. Well, placebo effect or not I'm just glad you can study."

He looked at her. The way he used to. She gulped.

"I missed you."

She drank her tea.

"Sorry," he said, breaking eye contact and taking a deep sip of tea.

"I missed you too," she blurted out, hiding behind another sip of tea.

He smiled. "Well, I'm glad. Wait, that didn't sound right."

She giggled, flashing an ear-to-ear smile. "I get you."

"I forgot how much I liked that smile," he said, his own smile growing, "I haven't seen in it awhile."

She blushed, putting down the tea. "I guess I really haven't had much use for that smile in awhile."

Zack looked into his tea and then put it down on the counter. He sat on the opposite side of the bed. Ashley felt a strange warmness from his body, washing over her bare skin.

"Look. I didn't really want to bring this up with you studying, but our break-up..."

"I don't know if this is a good idea."

"Please, let me finish."

"Okay."

"I know it looks like I'm some sort of monster for breaking up with you because we didn't have sex, but you have to realize. I'm a very physical person. I wanted to share that with you. Physical love is very important to me. Touching, holding hands, kissing, all that. And I didn't want to force it, or make you uncomfortable doing something you didn't want to. I want you to have fun, to enjoy it, to be aroused."

Ashley nodded, her eyes growing wider. She felt something in her stomach.

Arousal.

She tried to panic but felt too warm and comfortable to do anything about it. It spread, making her breathe harder. She could not remember the last sexual experience, solo or with someone, she had. Now, that came back to haunt her. She smacked her lips.

"You okay? You look flush," Zack said.

"Must—must be the tea," she said, wiping her brow. She did feel hot. Her pussy raged with need. Her nipples grew hard.

She looked at Zack. He looked delicious. She remembered what he had between his legs for her. How she could not accept it.

Now she felt she could.

She lay back against her headrest, spreading her legs. Her hands fell down her body. Felt so good.

"Uh, Ash?"

"I think...I think...maybe we should try it again," she said, biting her lip. She started to fondle herself.

"Sorry?"

"I'm so...so fucking aroused," she said, unable to hold herself back. She slipped off the shirt, exposing her perky breasts. She scooted and kicked off her shorts. The necklace really felt good against her body.

"Ash!"

"Shut up, so...can't think...so horny...just..fuck me, damnit," she said, touching herself.

She saw Zack's cock throb against his pants.

"I..." his eye fell on the necklace, "Holy fuck, the necklace."

"What?"

He grinned. "Slap your ass."

She got on her knees and gave her ass a hard spank. She whined but noticed the tingle of pleasure. "Mmm, what the hell, Zack?"

He did not respond, instead crashing into her body with a hot, needy kiss. She melted into the kiss as he pressed his hard body against her. She tore at his clothing until he helped. Soon his smooth, tight, naked skin rubbed against hers.

"I want you to enjoy this," he whispered into her ear, kissing her earlobe, "I want you to feel it all. And...uh, have an orgasm that is the best of your life."

With that, his thick cock slid into her pussy. Where once there lovemaking stopped as she felt scared, anxious and dry, now she wanted him to ram it into her harder.

They fucked without words, only moans. Zack, living his dreams. Ashley, overwhelmed with the sensations, could not think. Only experience. And love every second of him fucking her like an animal.

The bed creaked and thumped against the wall. Slow and rhythmic at first, then desperate and out of control as Zack lost control of his pleasure. Her breathing, matching his, grew ragged and wet. She felt the build-up of the orgasm in her body. She shuddered as both of them came at the same time. He poured his seed deep inside of her. She dug her fingers into his skin, unable to comprehend the sheer bliss her body experienced.

True to his word, she endured an orgasm unlike any other. She felt her body and mind melt into orgasmic goo, and when his cock left her pussy she melted into his arms and sheets.

They stayed that way for a half hour, coming off the high.

"Ash?"

"Mmm."

"Was that...was that okay that we had sex?"

She chuckled. "Zack, I've wanted to fuck you since like grade eleven. I just couldn't relax, or get my parents out of my head. This necklace," she said, rubbing it again, "Is fucking amazing. I could finally experience what it was like with you."

"The family story is that it's magic," he whispered, "We never believed it. But now. Have another orgasm, right now."

Ash shrieked as an unexpected orgasm rocked her body. She slapped Zack's arm. "Damn you."

"Have an uncontrollable urge to suck my cock."

"What? I—" her words stopped as she locked eyes with his cock. Glistening in cum and her juices. She licked her lips. She had a hunger. For his cock. She slipped down his body and greedily took it in her mouth.

"Okay, okay, stop," he said, patting her head, "I could never endure that."

"You..." She wiped her lips.

He tilted his head. "Tell me the truth, is it hot you're so relaxed you'll do whatever I say?"

She bit her lip, trying to keep the words from coming out. It did not work. "Yes."

He laughed. "Well then, I guess we'll get a lot of use out of this necklace. Now, get back into my arms."

She complied, necklace or no. He was snuggly.

"You know, I do have to study," she said.

"Oh, you will," he said, "But let's just enjoy this for now."

She smiled. Usually the impending need to study made her anxious. She rubbed the necklace.

Not any more.