Scent of a Girl - Episode 43 "Finals!"

Written by: TVM (mrtvm@mrtvm.com)

Archive: www.asstr.org/~TheVertManArchive/Stories/Scent/Index.html

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/\ {* ~ *} /\ MOLLY'S PERSPECTIVE /\ {* ~ *} /\
~ (~ (KELLER-MONTGOMERY HALL, MAIN ROOM) ~ ) ~

"I'm headed down to get an early morning soda, you wanna go?" I asked Chloe after she had opened her door. "I'm gonna need a major pick me up with the three finals we got today."

"I've got about five minutes of studying left and I'll meet you in the main room, OK?" Chloe asked.

"Sure," I said as she kissed me and I walked off and down the central staircase and eventually to the first floor, snagging a cold soda from the machine under the stairs and settled down on one of the love seats scattered around the room. I noticed that Maggie appeared to still be in bed as the lights in her place were still out and no movement could be detected. That changed a few minutes later when her door opened and out popped... Holly. "What the fuck?"

"OH god," Holly said as I joined her with a shit eating grin on my face. "Of all the mornings you had to be here."

"Since when do you know Maggie?"

"Since a few days ago when she came into Fast Eddie's and she invited me over to watch movies," she said as she stretched and rubbed her eyes.

"Watching movies? Oh so that's what we're calling it now?" I asked.

"We watched movies on her flat screen and I slept on the blow up mattress on the floor right there," Holly said as she pointed.

"Holly not getting laid on the first date? Disappointed," I said with an animated head shake. Chloe bouncing down the steps and coming over to join us as she gave Holly a weird look. "Sis got her some off our new resident adviser."

"No, I didn't and shut up with that shit," Holly demanded.

"Why? You used to make a sport out of embarrassing me," I pointed out.

"Well this is not the time to pay her back and make Maggie uncomfortable," Chloe said seriously.

"But..." I started to say when Maggie's bedroom door popped open and she came out looking like a zombie.

"You start and we'll fight," Chloe said to me as I glared at her and decided it'd be in my best interest not push the issue and let her have her way on this. 'Pick your battles' as the old saying goes.

"Morning everybody!" Maggie said with a smile. One directed at Holly I noticed. "I thought you might have already headed back to town."

"No way," Holly said. "Was gonna see if I could buy you some breakfast."

"Why don't you just make her something?" I asked Holly and then went on as I said to Maggie, "She won't tell you this, but she's a really good cook."

"I'll have eggs and bacon please," Maggie giggled to Holly as my sister blushed and half-smiled.

/\ {* ~ *} /\ SHELBY'S PERSPECTIVE /\ {* ~ *} /\
~ (~ (THE CARLSON CENTER) ~ ) ~

"I am insanely nervous," Laney said as she paced back and forth in front of me.

"You're pacing is making me nervous," I said. "You passed, I'm sure of it."

"You don't know that, I could be really stupid and just hiding it," Laney fired back as I started laughing. "It's not funny, it could be true."

"Me, you and Cindy have all three passed two finals already in the last two days," I said. "You did better than me and Cindy."

"Oh yeah, that's right," Laney said with a grin. "I'm smarter than you, huh?"

"You had a 94 and I had a 92 on the Chemistry final," I said. "Not a huge difference."

"Enough to make me smarter," Laney teased as I rolled my eyes.

"I'll be glad when you go home," I said as she frowned and came over and hugged me.

"You'll miss me and you know it," Laney said as we both grinned and I nodded my agreement. Cindy's just then arriving in the hall from the classroom with a huge grin on her face.

"We're 3 for 3," Cindy announced.

"I passed, you passed, she passed?" Laney asked and was ready for one of her trademark squeals the moment that Cindy confirmed it. "YES!"

"How did you do?" I asked Cindy as we watched Laney dance around in joy in front of us.

"I missed two questions is all," Cindy said. "And you only missed one."

"How many did I miss? None?" Laney asked with a smirk.

"Fourteen, I think," Cindy said as she pulled the tests results out of her book and held them up.

"Yeah right, Cinderella," Laney said as I giggled and she snatched the paper away and looked it over. "I missed three not fourteen."

"I know I was shocked too," Cindy giggled. "I was thinking 25 or 30."

"You're gonna pay for that one," Laney said as Cindy laughed and ran off down the hall with Laney giving chase. Maxie laughed as she dodged the two of them and came up to join me with a huge grin on her face. "Hey Max, finals going good?"

"Didn't do so well on one, pretty on the second and still waiting on the third," Maxie said. "Sarah's not gonna be happy."

"Max with all the studying you did how could you fail?" I asked.

"Not failed, I gotta a C plus on my English final and B minus on the Chemistry one," Maxie said.

"And that's bad?"

"Sarah wanted me to do better," Maxie said. "I just froze on the essay section of the history final."

"You've never been to good at essays, Max," I said. "You did your best."

"It sucks though," Maxie sulked as she leaned against the locker. "I wanted so bad to make her proud of me."

"Maxine Taylor Bradlidge, I think you're growing up," I said as she grinned. "You've never wanted anyone to be proud of you before."

"I do now," Maxie said. "And I've got three finals left and I'm gonna smoke them."

"What do you have left?" I asked.

"I just finished the history one and that will probably turn out bad" Maxie said. "Anyway, tomorrow I've got... ummmmm.... Geography, math and science."

"OHMIGOD YOU WHORE!" Cindy screamed from the other end of the hallway in a shriek.

"What was that?" Maxie asked as I laughed.

"Laney and Cindy flirting," I said as we both giggled.

"They're fun," Maxie said as I agreed.

"Anyway, well only two more days and all this chaos will be over," I said as Maxie half-smiled. "Then you can plan a romantic night with Sarah and not have to worry about school for two-and-half months."

"Romantic night? That's a great idea," Maxie grinned. "Sarah said if I put on the full court press I'd probably get laid."

"Max, it should be about much more than getting some off of your girlfriend," I said. "It should be about you wanting to be with her because you love her."

"Pretty deep, Shel," Maxie said. "Since when do you know about romance and stuff?"

"I was watching the Hey Mickie, Hey Mickie marathon last night on Taboo TV," I admitted as Maxie laughed.

"I love that show!" Maxie said as we both laughed. "But seriously any ideas on how I can be romantic?"

"If you'd not been so damn blond you'd still be with the one who would know," I said and watched her give me an almost comically confused look. "You're ex-girlfriend, Chloe?"

"Drawing a blank here," Maxie said as I smacked her arm in protest. "Stop being stupid."

"Why? Hanging out with you it's a requirement," Maxie giggled.

"I changed my mind, you can move out," I said as the bell sounded for the beginning of next period. Maxie laughed. "But seriously, if she'll talk to you, Chloe is the person to ask."

"Wish me luck," Maxie said as she turned to see what was going with the squealing laughter coming from down the hall. Cindy soon weaved her way through the crowd with Laney still chasing her. Cindy slid to a stop as she grabbed onto my arm and slid in behind me. "What happened?"

"That ho pantsed me in front of the office," Cindy said as Laney grinned victoriously.

"Good one," I said, as Laney and I high-fived.

"That's revenge for a few days ago when you got me like that," Laney said with a smirk. "Only my payback was a lot better."

"Mine was on accident," Cindy countered.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure," Laney giggled as she pushed Cindy over my shoulder.

"Oh yeah Max, you passed your History final," Cindy said as Maxie looked at her in confusion. "They posted them on the door after you left."

"How good did I do?" Maxie asked. "Seriously."

"96?" Cindy asked as Maxie squealed and started jumping around excitedly.

"Smooth move ex-lax," Laney said with a poke to Cindy's tickle spots. "Change of subject?"

"I'll pay you back later, Elaine," Cindy said. "Besides we have lunch. Truce?"

"For now."

/\ {* ~ *} /\ MINDY'S PERSPECTIVE /\ {* ~ *} /\
~ (~ (THE CARLSON CENTER, MAIN HALL) ~ ) ~

"I hope she did OK," I muttered to myself as I waited for Dakota outside her last class and the third final she had to tackle in the last two days. So far I've done really well myself. Two A's and a high B. I watched closely as almost every other student left the classroom. I was wondering if Dakota had even gone to class when she finally emerged with a victorious grin on her face. "You did good I hope?"

"Take a look," Dakota said with a gorgeous smile on her face as she showed me the test and I squealed as I jumped into her arms and kissed her. "MMMMMMMMM what a great reward."

"When we get back to the dorm I'll give you something even better," I said before we kissed again.

"You know I heard about it but I didn't believe it until now," Bre said as we looked to see her glaring at us.

"Bre just go away," Dakota said as she picked up my book bag and hers and turned to walk away.

"Getting back together with the girl that broke your heart: priceless," Bre said as Dakota stopped and looked back at her. "I do wonder if you really did like me as much as you claimed."

"I wonder the same thing," Dakota finally said as Bre drew her into what I thought she wanted, a fight. "You never did make much of an effort to let me know you liked me."

"That's easy cause I didn't," Bre said with a smug smile.

"Come on, Dakota, let's go," I said as I moved in front of her and made her look at me. "She's not worth it."

"I'm not worth it?" Bre asked and was cut off by a shriek from down the hall and out of the crowded hallway emerged a very tan Asian girl that I recognized from the softball team as Hana Peterson.

"We've got practice right after school," Hana said as she was by now out-of-breath. "And what is going on here?"

"Just me and Bre expressing our love for each other," Dakota said.

"Bitch!" Bre said.

"Whore!" Dakota's response came.

"SHUT UP!" Hana screamed. "Bre what the fuck is up with you? You've got a team counting on you and you're involved in a piss fight with your EX? You need to get your head in the game."

"She started it," Bre lied.

"I saw you walk up to her," Hana announced. "You want Coach Rowe to find out about this?"

"No," Bre said as Hana breathed a sigh of relief and dragged her off by the wrist a few moments later.

"I'm starting to hate her," Dakota said as I kissed her cheek.

"I love you," I said as she smiled and wrapped me in her arms. "She's just jealous that I got you back."

"I love you too," Dakota said as she took my hand and we walked off a moment later, relieved that we had both did well on our finals to this point and hoping with the few days left in school that this would be our last conversation with the less than personable Bre Kelton.

/\ {* ~ *} /\ SARAH'S PERSPECTIVE /\ {* ~ *} /\
~ (~ (HALL'S APARTMENTS, SARAH'S APARTMENT) ~ ) ~

"You bout ready for work, Fae?" Megan asked as she stuck her head in my room and I gave her a perplexed look. "Well are you?"

"What did you call me?"

"Fae," she giggled. I thought back a few days and realizing she had heard my looney mother call me that. "Sarah Fae Rae."

"My mother used to have a sense of humor," I said as Megan laughed. "So tread lightly with that? I hate it."

"Megan Albertina Lansbury," Megan said with a blush.

"You're middle name is Albertina?" I laughed as she grinned. "Both of our parents are nuts."

"Seems that way," Megan said. "So you wanna head in early?"

"Sure," I said as I slipped on my shoes and she stopped inside the door to change her shoes, prompting me to say, "Come on, Albertina."

"Coming, Fae," she giggled as she joined me for the walk to work. Megan slowed and looked curiously at a closed door, painted pink, that was just to the side of Fast Eddie's Eats.

"Where does that lead to?" Megan wondered.

"I've never seen anyone come in or out," I commented. "Eddie said there used to be an apartment upstairs but the people moved out long ago and no one has lived there since."

"Hey the door is open," Megan said as she peaked inside and as I started to panic and ran after her she disappeared inside.

"Are you fucking nuts?" I hissed as she shrugged and looked up the pair of curving stairs that stood before us. "Let's go before we get arrested."

"The door was open," Megan pointed out and again made me panic when she turned and marched up the steps and sighed as she looked back down at me with a shocked look on her face. "OHMIGOD, Sarah you have to see this."

"No, Megan... where did you go?" I asked as she disappeared completely and forced me to run up after her and stop and gawk at the flat that was now laid out before us. Megan stood in the middle of the room and spun around happily. The place was a huge open space with a kitchen at the back with shiny NEW steel appliances while the front featured an (almost) wall-to-wall picture window that overlooked the street. The two bedrooms were easily seen as they were spaced out just off the front of the kitchen, "It's beautiful."

"Can you imagine living here?" Megan asked excitedly.

"Yes, if the place were for rent and it's not," I said. "Now get over here."

"If we get caught they're not gonna charge me with anything more cause I'm in the middle of the room and you're on the steps," Megan said as I laughed. Both of us then froze when we heard a voice from one of the back rooms ask, "Is someone there?"

"OHMIGOD we're dead, let's go..." I screeched as a rather handsome man emerged from what we would later learn was another bedroom (third of three).

"UMMMMMM... can I help you ladies?" he asked and was clearly perplexed. But what Megan did next was hilarious. She formed her hand into a gun and pointed it at him and said, "Stick'em up?"

"Excuse me?" he asked in I'm sure the most confused moment of his life. I started laughing and had to sit down on the steps and simply couldn't stop for seemingly ever as Megan grinned victoriously. "Seriously ladies?"

"I wanted... she wanted... I can't," I stammered amidst a fit of laughter that was still going.

"I found your door open downstairs and just wanted to see the place," Megan explained. "I'm sorry if you feel like we're intruding. The place is seriously beautiful."

"Not intruding at all," he said. "I'm Marc Summers and this is my property. I actually just informed the owner of the restaurant downstairs, a Mr. Castle that I was entering the market and asked him if he could kindly place an ad in his window for me."

"The place is for rent?" Megan asked as I finally got my giggles under control and joined the two in the middle of the room. Marc confirmed with a nod of the head. "And no one knows as of yet?"

"I'm attempting to get the word out," Marc said. "I purchased the entire building in a rather quiet deal from the original owner some months ago."

"So you're Eddie's landlord?" I asked.

"Technically," Marc said. "Mr. Castle's rent has been pretty much keeping me afloat with this investment. But now with the renovations completed on this apartment I can hopefully begin to turn a profit."

"How much are you asking by the way?" Megan inquired.

"It's a reasonable fee considering we have large bedrooms, both good sized, two full baths and a very expansive main room," Marc said. "600 a month."

"That is a steal," Megan said. "She's paying three hundred a month for a walk-in toilet with a bathroom attached."

"Thanks a lot!"

"You know what I mean," Megan said. "I can maybe cover half the rent if you can cover the other half."

"Who says I wanna be roommates with you?" I asked as Marc laughed.

"You already are, dippy," Megan said as she pushed my shoulder. "Only now we can move into a place that we can make our own. It's bigger, we can each have our own bedroom, our own bath and we can actually entertain."

"And who are we gonna entertain?" I asked as she groaned.

"Do you wanna do it or not?" Megan asked in frustration.

"Hold on gimme a second to think..."

"You will have to sign a one year lease," Marc informed us. "A security deposit and first and lasts months rent."

"Whoa!" Megan proclaimed. "Ya knocked the wind out of that idea pretty quick."

"How much would that be total?"

"$1625" he informed us.

"Sorry I got all excited about nothing," Megan said.

"How much have you got left from your paycheck last week?" I asked Megan.

"All of it," she said. "You know me, I don't go anywhere and we eat at Eddie's so..."

"Then you should have a load of money stashed away," I said.

"I've probably got about 800 bucks in total" Megan said with a huge smile as she bounced over to join me. "And you've got 16... no 1800 in your bank account."

"Ladies are we talking about you taking the apartment, I hope?" Marc asked.

"I think so," I said as Megan hugged me and squealed as she went jumping around the room. "Meg calm down. UMMMMMMM, Marc, can you have us a lease printed up and give me a day or so to have Eddie look at it. He's kind of my go-to when it comes to things like this."

"That sounds perfectly acceptable," Marc said as he took out his phone and dialed a few numbers, "Mister Castle? Yes, you can take that sign out of your window concerning my property as I've just taken it off the market. Thank you."

"Roomie," Megan squealed as she came back over and hugged me.

/\ {* ~ *} /\ MOLLY'S PERSPECTIVE /\ {* ~ *} /\
~ (~ (KELLER-MONTGOMERY HALL, MOLLY'S ROOM) ~ ) ~

Can you believe I had an A average on my finals? I DID! Four days of testing and I actually came out on the southside with a better average than when I started. Which, as you know, is completely the reverse for me. I usually barely skim by on the tests at the end of the school year and that ends up dragging down my overall average grade. But not this year as I studied harder than I ever had before (buckled down as my Dad used to say) and the hard work paid off. I even did better than Chloe in one of the finals (history) and got the chance to rub it in a bit. LOL.

But now that the school year is nearly over and Chloe and I could celebrate without having to worry about messing up our grades, I can't find her. I left her in the library a couple of hours ago checking her mail so I could get some late lunch. We planned to meet later in her room to officially celebrate. But when I got back to Keller-Montgomery Hall she was nowhere to be found. At least she wasn't in her room.

"Mindy?" I asked as I tapped on her door and was relieved when she opened the door and smiled.

"Hey Punky," she said as I smiled and asked, "You seen Chloe?"

"Why do you need her? You can have me," Mindy said with a flirty smile. I grinned and pulled her into my arms as she gasped but had a perfect reply. "MMMMMM Punky I didn't know you cared."

"Where's Chloe?" I asked as my forehead touched hers and she giggled as she chirped. "Beats me."

"Thanks for the help," I said as she laughed. She slipped from my arms as she picked up a paper off her night stand and showing it to me proudly. "You passed all of your finals and you did... fuck! You killed it girl."

"Yes I did," Mindy said with a proud smile. "And you did good too?"

"Had an A average on my finals," I said as Mindy squealed and hugged me. "Best grades I've ever gotten."

"We're so smart," Mindy said as we both smiled. "Oh yeah and Dakota did great too. Except for one test when she froze up. Still managed a C plus so it won't hurt her to bad."

"Tell her I'm happy for her," I said. "And I'm happy for you guys too. You know getting back together and all."

"Thanks Punky," Mindy chirped. "It's like the world is finally back in alignment."

"It kinda does seem that way," I said. "Where is Dakota?"

"Getting me and her a soda and a snack," Mindy said. "Oh yeah, wanna play some XBOX?"

"Let me find Chloe first," I said and heard a very familiar giggle coming from my room I knew I'd just found her. "I think I just solved that mystery."

"Yep that's Chloe," Mindy said. "I'll come over when Dakota gets back?"

"See ya then," I said as I headed off to my room and opening the door I saw the very person I was looking for: Chloe. Laying on my bed and giggling as she read a book she'd checked out of the library. "Where have you been?"

"Here waiting on you," she said with a giggle. "Why did you lose me?"

"Not funny," I said as I crawled up beside her as she laid on her stomach. "I was horribly worried."

"Oh you poor baby," Chloe said as she kissed me. "You were probably seeing your other girlfriend."

"How did you know?" I asked as she laughed.

"Come to think of it why didn't you just call me?" Chloe asked as I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity and slammed my head into the mattress. "I still love you no matter scattered brained you are."

"I love you too, Chloe Morgan," I said as I kissed her and noticed, for the time, her slightly swollen puffy eyes. "You been crying? Why?"

"Nervous about seeing my Dad," Chloe said. "Thinking about some crap with Maxie and just all the stress of finals."

"You sure that's all?" I asked.

"You worry about me too much" Chloe said.

"I probably do," I admitted. "Just means I really love you."

"MMMMMMMMMMM so good to me," Chloe cooed as she kissed me and fed me her tongue as we started a soft french kiss. Only to be interrupted by a loud wrapping on the door. "Fuck! Who the fuck is that?"

"I invited Mindy and Dakota over for a while but that's not her," I said. "WHO IS IT?"

"It's Holly!"

"What in the hell is she doing here?" I griped. "Come in!"

"You busy?" Holly asked as she came in.

"Yes," I said as Chloe laughed and rolled over and noticed Holly looked rather depressed.

"I'm not gonna stay long," Holly said.

"Good news," I said with a smirk.

"Why don't you hush!" Chloe said to me as I shrugged.

"I just wanted to know if what Maggie told me about you and Chloe is true," Holly said. "You're planning to spend the summer in Kansas City together?"

"That was the plan," Chloe admitted. "But I guess you could stop it if you wanted to."

"I'd like to know why you'd didn't at least tell me," Holly said.

"Actually with finals I was distracted," I said. "It just slipped my mind."

"Sure it did," Holly said. "Fine you don't wanna spend any time with me you don't have to."

"Why would I?" I asked.

"SHUT UP!" Chloe screamed as all attention turned to her. "I am sick of listening to you two fight. You're both so damn much a like that's why you fight so much."

"We are not!" Holly and I said in unison.

"Example 743," Chloe said. "You two were carved out of each others ass."

"Well I know we both like ass," I said as Holly laughed and we exchanged a grin. Chloe blushed.

"Especially when it looks like Chloe's," Holly said as I grinned. "And I'm just betting you've tapped that."

"And you would be right," I said.

"You two are whores," Chloe said as we both laughed. "Back on topic? Holly, why don't you come down to Kansas City for a few weeks."

"And do what?"

"Visit with me and your sister," Chloe said. "I can work everything out..."

"I can deal with that," I said. "Besides, Chloe lives next door to the cast of Mama's Family."

"What?" Chloe and Holly asked in unison.

"Alisha told me you live in Raytown outside of Kansas City," I said as Chloe laughed.

"I wonder if Bubba is as fine as ever?" Holly asked with a wicked smile.

"Come down and find out," Chloe said as Holly simply nodded.

/\ {* ~ *} /\ SHELBY'S PERSPECTIVE /\ {* ~ *} /\
~ (~ (OLIVER-STANTON HALL, MINTZ SUITE) ~ ) ~

"I am so smart, s-m-r-t," Laney sang as she danced around in her bedroom as Max and I lounged on her bed and watched. "I am so smart, s-m-r-t."

"There's an A in smart," I said as she stopped and thought for a second and realized I was right.

"OH OK" Laney said before going back to singing, "I am so smart, s-a-m-r-t. I am so smart, s-a-m-r-t."

"She must be kin to Homer Simpson," Maxie said as Laney spun around happily and even flashed her thong for a second with a dropping of her shorts. Obviously the girl who had become my bestie (as Cindy calls her) was deliriously happy after we'd gotten back the last of our finals and Laney did better than any of the four of us. All four of us had done better than good but Laney was the happiest of us all (as you can see). "Are you Lisa or Maggie Simpson?"

"I would be Lisa because she's the smart one," Laney said with hands on hips.

"And you do act like a 10 year old," Maxie cracked as I laughed and Laney came scrambling across the bed in pursuit of revenge. Maxie laughed and then squealed as her and Laney went tumbling to the floor after a brief scuffle. One squeal after another as Laney and Max struggled for control. Cindy's arrival through the door leading to the hallway broke the action up.

"Hey!" I said as I kissed Cindy and noticed that she looked worried. "What's wrong?"

"Lisa (Wilcox) is really struggling with her control in practice and we've got the championship game tomorrow night," Cindy said.

Laney's head popped up from between the beds and asking, "Wanna play, Ice Princess?"

"Maybe later," Cindy said. "I'm gonna go lay down and rest my legs for a few hours."

"Is she OK?" Laney asked with a worried look on her face as she got up and pulled Max up too.

"She's fine, just worried about the game and all," I said as Laney hugged me.

"She'll be fine," Laney said. "And tell her I'll be there rooting her on."

"If I tell her that she might not play," I said with a devilish grin as Laney showed her mock horror and chased me when I ran off laughing into the common room. I quickly detoured into Cindy's room as she groaned and obviously didn't feel much like playing but she didn't have a choice as I rounded my bed and then scampered back across it as Laney pursued me before she successfully pushed me by the ass and sent me sailing across the gap between mine and Cindy's bed and I crashed into Cindy and sent us both tumbling like a load of bricks to the floor as the bed skidded out from under us. Laney laughed (as did me and Cindy) as she saw the collision and raised her arms in victory and cracked a classic line as she said, "And Laney Bryant picks up the seven ten split."