Clouds of dust floated in the pale yellow light leaking through windows dirty as they were old. We had agreed to do our study sessions in the photography building. I would have preferred somewhere a bit warmer but Heather had been adamant. Crystal seemed willing to go along with whatever Heather wanted so now we had to study in horror house.  

Unfortunately I arrived first and got to enjoy the full cough-inducing brunt of unsettled dust clouds while clearing space to work in. I was battling a bout of sneezes when something clattered the floor behind me. “Ieeeeeee.” I yelped and spun only to see Crystal standing there looking as startled as I was. “Jesus, don’t sneak up on people like that.”

“I’m sorry,” Crystal said softly.

Seeing Crystal’s downcast gaze gave me a twinge of regret. “Don’t worry about it,” I said, forcing calm into my voice. “This place puts me on edge is all.” Crystal nodded and took a seat at one of the tables I’d cleared off. She began methodically pulling books, pens, and papers from her desk and placing them neatly on the table. “I didn’t imagine Heather as the roommate type,” I said, hoping to dispel the gloomy atmosphere with conversation.

Crystal shrugged. There was something mechanical about her movements, like a puppet pulled by unseen strings. “What’s she like?” I pressed.

Crystal looked at me with hollow eyes. “Heather?”

“Yeah, she seems like she can be a bit… overbearing.”

A storm of emotion flashed suddenly across Crystal’s face. Worry. Fear. Desperation. Hatred. I was certain she was going snap. Her hand suddenly gripped my arm and I froze. “Get away while you can,” she hissed. “Run.”

“What?”

“She’s taken it all… there’s nothing left. It will happen to you.” The horror in Crystal’s eyes sent an involuntary shiver of fear down my spine.

“What are you talking about?” I snatched my arm out of her grasp.

Crystal recoiled, turning her palms inward as though seeing their skeletal structure for the first time. “This. Worse maybe. There’s no telling what she’ll be capable of if…”

“Sorry I’m late!” Heather declared as she swept into the room along with the overpowering scent of latte. “That idiot barista had to remake my coffee like three times.” I turned to see Crystal sorting through her belongings as though nothing had happened, her face an impassive mask. “Something wrong Mike? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“He was freaked out by this building so I messed with him a bit.” Crystal said with a smile that might have been disarming if it weren’t so rictus.

“Haa… you really got me,” I said, equal parts irritated and uncertain.

Heather took a seat across from me and said, “I’m glad you two are getting along. I know it’s not a big deal for you Mike but because of her condition Crystal rarely gets an opportunity to socialize. Speaking of which there are some things you should know.”

“Okay?” I replied.

Heather ran down a list of DOs and DONTs for handling Crystal. Mostly it came down to not touching her because her bones were extremely fragile and could break under minor pressure.

Good thing I hadn’t given her a firmer handshake. With Crystal’s condition out of the way Heather took the laid out our agenda. “Mr. French said we need to select a subject that we will be photographing throughout the semester so we show how the application of different techniques affects composition blah blah blah. So have you guys picked something?”

Crystal shook her head. “Not really,” I said.

“Well, I have an idea. Crystal, drumroll please.” Crystal dutifully, albeit unenthusiastically, complied by rapping her bony knuckles against the desk. The drumroll crescendoed. “Photograph me!” Heather gushed.

My mind immediately overloaded with possibilities and all I could manage was, “Uhh.”

Heather mistook my stupor for hesitation and said, “Come on, Mike. It will be totally perfect. Think about it. You can see how your perspective of me changes over the course of the semester.”

“Sure, that sounds great Heather.” I said emphatically. Just the thought of having a personal stockpile of Heather Vance photos was going to make my pants uncomfortable if I didn’t find a way to keep cool. “But what about Crystal?”

Heather turned to Crystal. “Hmm, lets see. You like boats don’t you Crystal?”

Crystal returned a blank look.

“Oh come on, I totally remember you telling me you were crazy for marine life and boats.”

“Yeah, boats are awesome,” Crystal replied mechanically.

“There is this old ship that got hauled into the forest. Some crazy old man wanted to turn it into a cabin or something,” Heather continued.

“Really?” I said incredulously.

“Yeah, he never finished it though so it’s just like, sitting there in the forest. It’s less than a mile from school.”   

“Oh yeah,” I said. “I think I read something about that in the brochure. It’s a landmark or something now.”

Heather nodded. “Because it’s a national forest no one is allowed to move it. It’s really an amazing boat. Too bad it has those nasty little things stuck to its hull.”

“Things?”

“You know,” Heather said, looking at Crystal. “Those little creatures that have to stick to something bigger than themselves to survive?”

“Barnacles?” I suggested.

“That’s it!” Heather exclaimed, turning back to me. The moment Heather looked away Crystal seemed to shrivel further into herself. “Anyway,” Heather continued, “Why don’t you see if you can find that boat. I think Mikey is eager to get started.”

I did not like being called ‘Mikey’ but given the opportunity presented I was willing to let it slide. Crystal left without a word. She was a bit hard to like though I had mixed feelings about her. Crystal seemed so vulnerable, so in need of help that it was hard to fault her for being sour and unsociable. I probably wouldn’t be a blast to be around if my bones were as brittle as rice cakes either. As Crystal’s footsteps faded down the hall Heather gave me an appraising look. “Mmm,” she purred. “You’re a lucky boy, Mikey. I know lots of boys that would be happy to trade places with you.”

Here it was: Heather’s true nature. Stunning looks or not I was ready for this.“Yeah?” I replied. “And you’re a little full of yourself.”

“Ooo,” Heather cooed. “So feisty. What part of me do you think is a little full, exactly?” She stood up and walked around the desk, closing the distance between so that I had to crane my neck to look up at her. The room’s dim light silhouetted her massive curves, making them somehow more dramatic. “Is it these?” She asked, cupping her huge breasts through the thin material of her yellow v-neck. “They seem pretty full of me, don’t they?” My mouth opened to reply but went suddenly dry. All I managed was a wordless gape. Heather turned around and said, “Or maybe you meant this?” Her fingers sunk into the firm, plentiful flesh of her buttocks as she bent over. The rivets on her jean pockets struggled mightily, the denim surrounding them bleached from the repeated stress of containing Heather’s voluptuous junk. “No? Was it my height then little Mikey?”

Heather took another step forward bringing my eyes level with her navel. “You know I grew over the summer,” she said casually. “I mean, I must be really full of myself if I keep growing like this huh?” All the blood in my body was rushing uncontrollably into my penis. “Nothing to say little Mikey?” Heather said with mock disappointment. “I think you’ve got me all wrong.” Heather squatted down slowly. Her fingertips came to rest above my knee and began tracing slowly up my thigh. “I only take what the world offers me,” Heather went on coquettishly, drawing her hand slowly towards my groin. “And I thought that maybe you had something I wanted, was I wrong?” Heather’s hand stopped, inches from the head of my now throbbing penis.

I shook my other head emphatically no.