Abigail lay in her bed, listening as her roommate's faint breathing turned slowly to quiet snores. She could hear muted conversations around her from the girls in her suite. She was still getting used to them but, so far, they all seemed like nice girls. Shifting to her side, the young woman watched the other side of the room to make sure Sally, her roommate, was actually asleep. The other figure was blurry but unmoving.
With a deep blush, Abigail reached her right hand down to lightly touch the soft hairs above her sex. She turned on her side, facing the wall and just slowly stroked the tangle of chestnut hairs over and over. She could feel her shame burning to the tips of her ears. She almost took her hand away as an echo of her mother's voice filled her ears.
Your virginity is sacred, Abigail Young,
her mother always told her.
It belongs to your future husband. When you're married, you belong to him and no other. You give yourself to him body and soul and you please him as his wife. Sexual congress is between a man and his wife and anything else is filthy. You're not a dirty girl, Abigail. You're my sweet girl. God is always watching and you wouldn't want to offend Him, would you, Abi?
The young woman bit her lip to fight the urge to touch herself. Her whole body was sensitive and she knew the blood was coming. It was her one shame and her punishment for impure thoughts. Every month, she could feel the urge to touch herself. Every month her nerves would light up, begging to be touched. She fought it every time until the blood came to wash away her sin. Her breasts ached, taunting her. She wanted to massage them but the one time (
five times,
her mind whispered in correction) she'd done it, it'd only made the building ache worse.
It only made the urge to touch herself worse.
She could feel her heartbeat between her legs. Playing with her soft downy hair distracted her. Abigail could swear she felt heat radiating from further below. She moved and gasped quietly as her swollen sex pressed between her thighs. Quickly, she opened her legs and took her hand away.
I am a good girl,
she told herself.
I'm not dirty like these other girls, giving away their precious virginity to every man that looks their way. I will save myself for my husband.
Clasping her hands against her cheek, she began to pray. As she spoke the words and slowed her breathing, she found herself purposefully smelling the heady scent of her own sex. She hugged herself and continued her prayer until she drifted off to sleep.
-----
"All right," Abigail's chemistry professor, Ms. Lopez, said. "You have your groups and the next thirty minutes to get to know each other. If there are any questions, come see me up front."
Abigail made her way to a table in the corner. Two men and one other woman joined her as she sat, dropping her heavy backpack to the ground.
"Hey," the first man said with a smile. "I'm Jason. Pre-med. So far. I think."
"Aaron," the second man told everyone. "Criminal justice and I'm pretty sure about it. My whole family are cops. Or military."
"And I'm Stacy!" The last member said. "I'm not sure yet but I'll get it figured out. Maybe veterinary science. I kind of love animals so I'm leaning that way."
"I'm Abigail," she told them. "I am going into veterinary. My parents own a farm so I'm going to help out when I graduate."
"Oh hey, that's awesome!" Stacy told her. "I think I've seen you in a couple of my other classes, right?"
"Yes," Abigail replied. "And Jason, too." She blushed as she realized what she'd admitted; that she'd noticed the other student before. The young woman fumbled with her glasses as an excuse to look away from everyone. She couldn't help it - the young man was incredibly handsome and, so far as she'd seen, a really pleasant person.
"Oh, hey," Jason said. "I thought I'd recognized you. Dr. Schuler's class, right?"
"Yes," Abigail nearly whispered.
"Well, if you need a study partner for his class, I was thinking of getting a group together. Some of my old high school friends are in the same class and they're actually good people."
"God," Aaron said. "I haven't run into anyone from my old school. It's all good though. They were a bunch of shitheads"
Thirty minutes passed quickly as Abigail listened to her classmates talk back and forth. She found herself watching Jason from the corner of her eyes. He was extremely affable but didn't dominate the conversation and, instead, encouraged everyone to talk about their passions. Her heart raced listening to him. Every time she shifted on her seat, her rough homespun sweater scratched along her simple bra. Even through the padding, she could feel the brush of it against her nipples. A sharp ache flared deep within her with each movement. She pressed her thighs together on reflex but then opened her legs again as the pressure made it worse. Her sweater slid against her side and she shivered and it's caress.
God,
she prayed.
Please let this temptation pass quickly. I am your servant as always and ever will be but...
She let the thought drift away unfinished. It was no use praying to Him to end a trial. Her faith was strong and it was upon her shoulders to bear the burden.