Brontide

Rachel Warrick wrapped her scarf around her neck and went out into the chill New York air. It was a short walk to the library from her dorm and she took it in slow, measured strides. That's how she liked to believe she lived her life- slow and predictable. She didn't have the energy for much else.

Her quiet Nebraskan life had been nearing on lazy up until her move to the city. And now it had taken nearly her whole college career to get used to the face-paced traffic jam of New York. She missed it, though. The horses, their rooster, Bill, up at the crack of dawn. Fried chicken and gravy on Sunday mornings and her mother's warm laugh echoing through the house. Of course she visited on holidays, but she couldn't afford much more than that. Not even on the college kid's diet, and especially not living in New York City. She had replaced small-town serenity with obnoxious horns and toxic fumes and punk rock clubs and friends with perpetual cigarette-breath and tattoos.

Speaking of, she was within eyesight of the library doors, thesis research in hand, when Jeremy caught up with her. He was tall and skinny with full-sleeve tattoos and gauges the size of her thumb. His chocolate hair was cut in a hipster mo-hawk and he was always wearing some kind of hat. He was also a flamboyantly closeted gay. He grinned when he reached her.

"You're up so early," he said, bumping his hip to hers.

"As are you-" she narrowed her eyes and stopped walking. "Por que?"

Jeremy groaned. "Oh, Baby, you know I love it when you use those foreign tongues on me." Rachel laughed. "Mmm, I did it again," he moaned, guilt dripping from every syllable. "I told Marcie I wouldn't but I did." He stuck his lower lip out in a pout.

"Oh, god, Jeremy, what did you do?" Rae asked, worried.

He rolled up the hem of his maroon man-skinnies and revealed a half-finished tattoo of some sort of exotic bird clutching a music note in its beak. It was still red and angry-looking.

"It's beautiful already," Rae said. "But Marcie's gonna hit you in the face."

"Ugh, I know. But you'll protect me, won't you? I knew you would," he said before she could reply. She smirked. "What are you doing, anyways?" he asked, looping his arm through hers.

She lifted her messenger bag slightly, saying, "Thesis research."

"Ew, dear, I'm sorry." Jeremy was a year behind her, majoring in journalism. "What's it on?"

"'The Benefits of Horse Therapy on War Veterans with PTSD'," Rae quoted.

"Sounds fun," he chuckled skeptically.

"Well, it is. It's just tedious." They entered the library and she set down her stuff at a table. He joined her, plopping down in the seat across from her and propping his Converse'd feet up on the table next to her laptop. "If you're gonna be here, you have to be quiet."

"Oh, Darling," he sighed. "Please gossip with me for a few moments before you start your tedious task at hand."

Rae rolled her eyes and closed her newly opened laptop, but she couldn't suppress a smile. "About what?"

"About you, of course. You start your new job tonight."

"Mmhmm." She couldn't help but join in on his smile

"Mmhmm? Just 'Mmhmm'? Your life is slowly becoming glamorous. Small town girl sheds the cowboy boots and finds herself as a sexy New Yorkian bar wench. It's like the story line for a Broadway musical. Not to mention your hunky coworker." Jeremy raised his eyebrow, putting a piece of gum in his mouth.

"My hunky what?"

He grinned. "You didn't think I wouldn't do some investigating into where my Rae was going, would I? I took a picture of the schedule you hung on your fridge and went in. He's cute. Not very talkative, but he has nice ass." His tongue shifted the gum to the other side of his mouth as he winked. Rachel giggled.

"Well at least I won't be bored."

"Especially not on those long nights." Jeremy wiggled his eyebrows. "But if he's gay, you have to introduce him to me."

"Are you finally gonna come out?"

The smile melted off his face. "Not yet. Not to the world. Not to my parents."

She grabbed is hand and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm totally here for you."

"I know, Love." He stood, a smile back on his face. "I'm off. Goodbye." He gave her a peck on the lips and was gone, a slight hitch in his step, Rae assumed, from the tattoo.

.::.

After nearly four hours working on her thesis paper, she went out to do errands. The one thing she loved about New York was that you could go pretty much anywhere on foot. She went grocery shopping first at a mini market run by a tiny Asian woman with a warm smile.

Rae and her roommate, Lucy, kept a jar that they would put fifty bucks in a week for groceries, but Rae did most of the shopping because Lucy always came back with an unreasonable amount of candy and marshmallow Schnapps.

Rachel bought enough food for the week and some birdseed. Then she went next door to the used book store. She went in there so often, they knew her by name. It was where she met Jeremy and Marcie when she first moved there. They had been in the erotica section arguing over whether they thought the Ninth or Tenth Doctor was cuter. Marcie was all for Ten, but Jeremy couldn't let go of Nine. Since they'd introduced her to the show, Rae personally thought Eleven was pretty cute. The argument still flared up occasionally.

Now she scanned the new arrivals shelf and picked out a paperback version of The Exorcist, payed her 50 cents and left. The paper bags were heavy, but she didn't mind it until she got back to the dorm. The lift was broken for the third time that week, leaving Rae to walk up four flights of stairs with three bags and her messenger bag strapped over her shoulder. She got the the room, finally, and read the note from Lucy:

Damn, you were up early. Went to see a movie with the girls. Don't eat lunch- my mom sent some money and I'm getting Chinese take-out. Your welcome :)
Love, Lucy

Rachel smiled and threw the note away and then went to put away the groceries. About an hour later, Lucy made her dramatic entrance.

"Here I am!" she cheered, take-out bag crinkling against her arm.

"Just in time, too," Rachel said. "I'm starving and I have to go to work soon."

Lucy just grinned and set out the food. "I got enough for leftovers," she smirked, watching Rae dig in.

"I don't know how you got so great," Rae said through a mouthful of Honey Walnut Shrimp.

"Prob'ly from hanging out with you so much," Lucy replied, putting a much more petite bite in her mouth.

"Mmmm." Rae put a few more bites in her mouth, then set down her chopsticks and grabbed her jacket, purse, and keys to her Vespa scooter. "See ya. I'll be back around one. Don't wait up." She put a head of broccoli in her mouth before trotting out the door. "Bye!" she called, mouth full.

Lucy chuckled and waved as her roommate slammed the door behind her.