WIP: Harem House Chapter 25 Part 3

While Arthur and Deb talked, the girls headed into the stadium, briefly encountering Brad, Mark, Maria, and Jen again. Questionably sober people packed the concession lines, making the traffic challenging to navigate. Walking slowed to stepping, which gave them a chance to talk.

“Where’s Arthur?” Mark asked as they made their way to the student seating section.

“He’s coming. Had to hang back and talk to his mom.” Selene answered.

“Right.” Brad scoffed. “For a moment, I thought maybe he’d run off with one of you.”

“I just don’t get it.” Jen said, shaking her head as they shuffled past the snack lines.

“Don’t get what?” Kelly asked.

“Why you’re all dating him?” Jen asked. “I mean, sure, he’s hot. He’s cute. He seems like a decent guy-”

Brad coughed.

“A really secure man.” Jen continued.

Brad’s cough stopped.

“But not an overconfident douchebag.” Jen said. “Is that all it takes?”

“We all like Arthur for different reasons.” Selene shrugged. “And rather than compete.” She glared at Kat. “We decided to share him. We decided to work together rather than against one another. A sisterhood, all sharing the man who makes us happy.”

“You don’t have to sell her on the idea.” Kat said, her tone full of warning.

“I’m just trying to make a point.” Selene said. Her tone was defensive, but she relaxed as they got to their seats.

“Oh, I’m not interested in joining your sisterhood.” Jen assured Kat. “But the whole arrangement piques my interest. You’re all quite a gaggle of girlfriends.” She observed. “Arthur’s a very lucky dude, but it’s gonna be one hell of a storm when the drama starts.”

Kat shook her head. “Oh, we’ve got drama aplenty already.”

“Well, five girlfriends? That’s a lot of work.” Jen pointed out. “And it is a little weird to people raised to expect monogamy as the norm.”

Rani chuckled. “And apparently, non-monogamy turns people a little crazy? And has started what, three fights? Between the cafeteria Monday; Sanjay and Jace jumping Arthur on Friday; and now this Yvonne bitch out for blood, three actual fights have broken out on campus over it. It’s insane.”

“Is it worth it?” Jen asked curiously. “Is having him worth all the hassle? Why not just dump him and find other partners?”

“Because we love him.” Kat answered without having to think about it. “In different levels, maybe. Not every relationship is in the same place, romantically, but I don’t want to end my relationship with him. Neither does Selene. Though it looks like it will cost her some friends, even so, she'll still have us.”

Jen shrugged. “That’s the price then. Some people on campus are going to think he’s a scumbag, others a perv, others a sexual freak of some kind. Bad friends will fall out with you over it. Good friends will stick by you.”

Kelly rubbed Kat’s back. “And we’ve got each other.” She reminded her.

“Where is he anyway?” Mindy asked, looking around.

“Come on.” Selene took Mindy’s hand in hers. “Let’s go meet him.”

It took no convincing whatsoever for Mindy to abandon the others and follow Selene in search of Arthur. They left the others behind and went against the crowd until they were forced to go to the inner ring to get past.

“Maybe Deb’s helping him sort things out.” Kelly shrugged. “She seemed like a good mom.”

Rani shrugged. “Well, I’m sure Mindy and Selene will help Arthur forget all about the drama.”

Kat took a deep breath. “You’re right.” She said to Rani. “Yvonne was a bad friend. Selene will be better off without her. We’re all better off without bad friends.”

Arthur passed the soft pretzel snack line and contemplated joining it when Mindy tackle-hugged him from the side. Selene laughed from a few feet away, and Arthur found his footing in time to avoid crashing into anyone else.

“My turn.” Mindy whispered triumphantly.

“What?” Arthur asked.

“The game hasn’t started yet. They’ve got the whole pregame thing to go through.” Mindy explained. “So it’s my turn! Kat had her turn. I want my turn. Let’s go.”

Arthur laughed. He couldn’t help but smile at Mindy’s enthusiasm. Her tug on his wrist was insistent. He emphasized it was his choice, not hers, by pulling her back with one yank and spinning her into him. He held her in place with her back pressing against his front. Selene stood behind them, blocking anyone else’s view of Arthur’s grip on Mindy’s wrists.

“I know exactly where I want to fuck you.” Arthur whispered in Mindy’s ear. “And with everyone here at the game, this might be our only chance to do it.” He glanced behind him at Selene, then turned back to Mindy. “Let’s go to your dorm.”

Arthur, Mindy, and Selene raced to Mindy’s dorm. Her Freshman suite was on the first floor, and it wasn’t a long walk from the entrance. By this point, the dorm and most of the campus were ghost towns. The pregame show for the homecoming game was starting, and most people piled in to watch.

Mindy announced Arthur’s presence anyway, and to her disappointment, her call of “Boy in the suite” was met with the sound of an opening door. Sarah and Bella peeked out from their room, dressed for the day in jerseys and jeans, though they couldn’t have pulled them off more differently if they’d tried. The tall, slender African-American Sarah wore hers long and baggy. Bella, the shorter, rounder Latina, wore hers higher and more fitted.

“Hey, Arthur!” They said simultaneously. They somehow managed to make their greeting sound like a catcall.

“You might want to sit on the couch.” Bella pointed to the couch in the suite. “Mindy’s roommate is in there doing homework.” She gestured toward Mindy’s door.

Mindy frowned. Obviously, Arthur’s plans for his presence in her dorm room didn’t involve Rachel being there to disapprove. “You’d better wait here.”

“Of course.” Arthur nodded and sat on the sofa after giving Selene a pat on the back. “But you should probably change.” He told Selene. “I’ll let Mindy find you something appropriate to wear.” He looked at Mindy meaningfully, and she smiled ear-to-ear at him. It was about time for the ropes to come off either way, and he trusted Mindy to have something sexy for Selene to wear. Sarah and Bella didn’t seem to think anything of it, but to Mindy, Arthur, and Selene, it was Arthur letting Mindy play dress up with his fuck doll.

“Sure thing, Boss.” Mindy held her bedroom door open for Selene, and Selene glanced back toward Arthur as she shut the door behind them.

“So…” Sarah said as she and Bella came to join Arthur in the suite's living room area. “Is it true?”

Arthur looked at Sarah and then at Bella as if either of them would elaborate. When they didn’t, he asked, “Is what true?”

“You know…” Bella prompted as if Arthur should know what they were referring to.

“That you’re a billionaire?” Sarah asked.

Arthur laughed. “That is definitely a lie.”

“Oh.” Bella and Sarah looked at each other, disappointed. “Then how do you have five girlfriends?”

“I can breathe through my ears.” Arthur tried to joke about it, but neither girl seemed to understand.

“What?” Bella asked.

“I can breathe through my ears?” Arthur repeated.

“Why would that get you five girlfriends?” Sarah asked.

“You’ve never had a guy go down on you.” Arthur meant it as a question, but he’d stated it as a fact, and both girls immediately blushed, then giggled. They retreated to the bedroom, where their laughter increased, and Arthur took a deep breath.

The door to Mindy’s room cracked open, and he was surprised to see it was not his girlfriend but Mindy’s roommate, Rachel, who took a step and then stared at him.

“Hi.” Arthur waved from his spot on the sofa.

“Hello.” Rachel said calmly. She continued to stare at him. Arthur usually enjoyed attention, but this stare was uncomfortable. It was awkward, and there wasn’t anything complimentary behind it. Rachel’s eyes bored into him, and he would not have been surprised if she suddenly tried to shoot him. He felt like a cowboy at high noon but without a hat.

Arthur looked over his shoulder to ensure there wasn’t a ghost. There wasn’t. She was definitely staring at him. Right at his face. He returned her gaze, meeting her intense eyes. He tried to hold the stare and managed it through sheer will before he started speaking.

“Can I… help you?” Arthur asked.

“You know you’re going to hell, right?” Rachel asked. “But you don’t have to. You can be a better person.”

Arthur blinked. “I’m good.” He held his hand up in polite rejection as if he were saying no to drugs instead of god.

“You’re fine seducing young, impressionable women like Mindy into lewd acts of fornication?” Rachel asked. “You don’t care about her soul?”

“Mindy’s soul is beyond your reproach.” Arthur said flatly. “Isn’t there something about logs and splinters that applies here? But to answer your question, I’m not sure I believe in a soul, an afterlife, or any of that.” He shrugged. “So the whole concept of sin, adultery, etcetera, doesn’t mean much to me. I might be more sexually active than you’re used to, but I try to be ethical, and for me, that means consent. So long as everyone involved consents to what’s happening, we’re good.”

Rachel was about to say something but closed her mouth when Arthur continued.

“What Mindy and I are doing is a bit like the polygamy in your Bible, I suppose, but more ethical.” Arthur shrugged. “Because, unlike the women in your book, Mindy has the liberty to choose her sexual partners for herself at a legally and morally acceptable age. No one’s deciding for her or treating her like property without her consent.” He added that last part a little late.

Rachel hesitated. However she’d seen the conversation going, she hadn’t expected Arthur to be prepared to argue. Her experience with these conversations was the person responding in anger or leaving. It was also possible she had no experience with these conversations and thought she knew how they should go. She looked down at her shoes. Her black boots with a slight heel were the only thing she or anyone could see under her long black skirt with her conservative blue top.

“Have you talked to Mindy about this?” Arthur asked.

Rachel looked up and shook her head. “She won’t listen. She’s too infatuated with you.”

Arthur smiled softly with half his face. To her credit, Rachel was at least trying to be direct in her approach without being overly rude. She wasn’t throwing holy water in Arthur’s face and demanding he atone for his grievous sins. She wasn’t picketing his apartment or his group date. She was trying to ‘save’ him, or Mindy, whatever that meant for her.

“Maybe judge people less and listen to them more.” Arthur suggested. “It’ll help you make friends.”

Rachel huffed, turned, and closed her bedroom door behind her.

It opened a second later, and Arthur was unprepared for what he saw. Mindy and Selene stepped out of her room, wearing only towels and flip-flops.

“Uh…” Arthur glanced to either side of him.

“As I explained to Rachel.” Mindy explained. “Selene spilled something all over us and our clothes. So we’re going to go scrub the sticky off.” She nodded her head toward the hallway, where the showers were. “Care to join us?” She mouthed, but didn’t say.

Arthur’s smile grew to match Selene’s, and he stood to join them. “I’ll text the others and tell them we’ll be late to the game.”

Mindy and Selene giggled as they took off toward the hallway, holding hands. Arthur followed in smaller jogging steps. Mindy carried a third towel for Arthur, and Selene had a small bucket of shower materials containing a loofa, soap, shampoo, and the rest.

The girls entered the bathroom first, then Selene returned for Arthur and pulled him inside. Her grip on his t-shirt nearly tore it.

The bathroom had toilet stalls on the left and sinks on the right, each with a mirror on the wall, until a passage opened into a second hallway beyond the toilets and sinks. The showers were arranged in stalls with solid walls between them and curtains between them and the center aisle. Every curtain was open, but Mindy led the way to the end of the stalls before reaching the larger handicap shower stall.

Mindy pulled Arthur and Selene in by the wrists and closed the shower curtain behind them.

Arthur smirked. “Let me get my clothes off at least?” He asked, and started stripping.

Selene admired his body as he stripped down and waited. Mindy did the same, biting her lip until he slipped off his boxers.

He stashed his clothes on a bench outside the shower, and when he returned, Selene and Mindy had hung up their towels. They were both completely nude, and Arthur took his time enjoying the view as Mindy started the hot water coming out of the shower head. Arthur’s experiences with these showers were that they were dirty, but the girls kept their bathrooms much cleaner than the guys did. This one didn’t look too bad.

Selene started toward the water.

Arthur watched the beads spray against Mindy’s ample chest and slide down toward her dark almond-colored nipples until they fell off the hardened tips to the floor. Selene stood under the spray.

“Come here.” Arthur said to Mindy. He pulled her close and kissed her hard. She mewed into the kiss and pressed her hands against Arthur’s chest. “You’ve got a good view?” Arthur asked Selene.

“Yes, Master.” Selene answered, rubbing her small breasts in her hands as she washed herself under the spray.

Arthur and Mindy stood together, making out in the dry area of the shower, Selene facing them. She watched Arthur’s cock slide between Mindy’s legs. She saw Mindy slide back and forth to grind her pussy against his member that stuck out behind Mindy’s ass.

Mindy sighed in relief. “I missed you.” Mindy looked up at Arthur as she drew her hands down his chest, abs, and toward his dick.

“Me, or my dick?” Arthur asked.

“Can’t it be both?” Mindy giggled. “I missed you, Boss.” She kissed Arthur and broke the kiss as she dropped to her knees. She kissed the side of his cock, rubbing her face against it. “And I missed you, too.” She said to his dick.

Arthur chuckled. “Excalibur, and I missed you too, Whore.”

Mindy giggled. Selene shivered despite the warmth of the water starting to steam the entire shower stall.

Arthur knew his part here, and he was going to play it. “Show me how much you missed me.” He told Mindy. “Slut can watch, but Slut?”

Selene looked at him.

“No touching either of us and no touching yourself down there. You’re only going to watch. If I can’t cum until we’re at the hotel, then neither will you.” Arthur declared.

“Yes, Master.” Selene said quickly. “Can I still grope and-”

“You may play with your tits however you want, but unless you’re washing, your hands stay above your waist.” Arthur said.

“Yes, Master.”

Mindy was already licking him, and she took him into her mouth, rubbing his cock at the base with one hand while she sucked on the tip.

Arthur closed his eyes and widened his stance for the support. He relaxed as the steam caressed his skin, and warmth seeped into his muscles. Mindy did the same; their bodies were wet with steam and the occasional water spray.

“That’s it, Whore.” Arthur ran his fingers through her hair, tracing his fingertips through her scalp. “Get it nice and slick.”

Mindy started licking more enthusiastically, then popped him into her mouth and swallowed him down into her throat, slobbering on his cock a little as she pulled him out and then dove back onto him.

Selene shuddered, pinching her nipples.

“She’s very good at this.” Arthur said as he made eye contact with Selene. “She’s doing an outstanding job.”

“Thanks, Boss.” Mindy popped off his cock long enough to express her gratitude and then dove back onto him, bracing herself against his hips with her hands as she pressed her nose into his pubes.

Arthur lifted his head back and groaned. “Fuck.” He gasped. “Keep doing that, and I’m going to explode.”

Mindy did it again.

Selene whimpered, squeezing her thighs together.

“That’s enough.” Arthur said, gesturing for Mindy to stand up.

Mindy ignored him and dove onto him again, swallowing him up so her tongue could slip forward as she gagged and pressed against his balls.

Arthur shook his head, reached down, and grabbed her by the roots of the hair on the back of her head. He pulled her off his cock with his left hand and slapped her across the face with his right hand. It wasn’t a hard slap, but the water and the shower’s echo made it sound louder than it would have otherwise.

Selene gasped.

Mindy moaned. “Again.” She said softly. “Please, Sir.”

Arthur slapped her again, the wet slap noisy but not hard despite the flex in his arm as he did it a third without being asked. Then he reached down and slapped her tit.

Mindy arched her back, thrusting her chest toward Arthur as he pulled her to her feet by her hair.

“I told you enough.” Arthur said in reprimand.

“Yes, Sir.” Mindy said. “I’m sorry, Sir. I just got carried away.”

“You don’t look sorry.” Arthur smirked.

Mindy didn’t say anything; she looked down, but Arthur still held her hair and shook her, so she was looking at him again. She closed her eyes at the bliss of the pain and moaned a little. Behind her, Selene echoed her moan.

“You just like sucking.” Arthur scoffed, getting more into character with every passing moment. “You love having something in your mouth, don’t you?”

“Yes, Sir.” Mindy said quickly. “I love having your cock in my mouth.”

“Let’s see how you do with a substitute.” Arthur said.

Mindy didn’t know what he meant, but he made it clear enough as he turned her around and pushed her toward Selene. Selene took a step back and found herself against the shower wall, her bare ass flattening against the tile.

Mindy passed through the spray and bent as Arthur pushed her body where he wanted her to be. Once turned to face Selene, Arthur bent Mindy over and pushed her head forward until her face was buried in Selene’s chest.

“Go on, Whore.” Arthur told her. “Suck on that tit.”

Mindy kissed her way, groping with her lips until Selene helped guide her by cupping her left breast and pushing it into Mindy’s mouth. She started sucking, and Selene lifted her other arm overhead as she wiggled and moaned at the pleasure. The water spray fell, hitting the small of Mindy’s back and washing down over her. Arthur reached over and groped her breast, hanging toward the shower floor, which made Mindy moan, which made Selene gasp.

Standing behind Mindy, Arthur lined himself up and pushed forward. His slobbery length slipped into Mindy’s hot and waiting cunt. The shower was hot with steam, but Mindy was hotter, a furnace welcoming him home as he sank into her and pushed forward. His motion pushed her into Selene, who had nowhere to go. Selene moaned at the sensation as Mindy switched breasts.

Arthur brought his hands to Mindy’s hips. He sawed back and forth a few times, gently, getting her used to his girth again. She was hot and wet but tight to the point he was still amazed he was able to go as deep as he did. It took a few sawing strokes before he felt close to bottoming out. His hips pressed against the curved underside of her ass, and then he backed out a little before pushing in, increasing his frequency and pitching up his pace every now and again.

The results were jostling Mindy, who was crying out in ecstasy, muffled by Selene’s breasts. Selene chirped in high-pitched cries of delightful, frustrating pleasure as Mindy sucked her breasts and tongued her nipples. Mindy’s hands braced against the wall on either side of Selene. Selene’s hands found Mindy’s tits, holding them and groping them while Mindy sucked on Selene’s tits like her life depended on it.

Their chorus of sexual noises echoed through the tiled hall of showers and bathroom stalls. Grunts, moans, gasps, and the noises of wet, hard fucking filled the space. Mindy’s rhythmic high-pitched moans were like an extra embrace on Arthur’s dick, making him even harder.

Arthur kept fucking Mindy, enjoying himself, but being careful, he didn’t enjoy himself too much. When he felt himself getting close, he cheated and bent over Mindy slightly so he could reach over her and finger her clit.

Mindy lasted all of ten seconds with her clit under the delightful swirling of his middle finger’s tip. She clamped down on his cock with an unexpected ferocity and bit Selene’s breast in a way that made Selene cry out in mingled pleasure and pain. Selene shook and clutched at Mindy for support. Arthur couldn’t tell if she was cumming, or if she was just desperate to cum, but at the moment he didn’t care. He was too focused on holding himself back despite wanting to fill Mindy’s eager body with his seed.

The two girls went still, coming down from their high, and Arthur slowly pulled himself out of Mindy. Mindy straightened up, and she and Selene kissed under the shower spray. Arthur momentarily watched them, then joined them under the shower spray, embracing them both. Mindy was on his left, and Selene was on his right. He kissed Mindy, then Selene, then Mindy, and the three of them kept kissing in alternation until finally Arthur patted them on their backs.

“Let’s dry off.” He said. “We should get back to the group.”

The girls noticed he was still hard.

“Later.” He said. “I’ll cum later.”

Arthur started drying off as Mindy turned off the water. He passed the girls their towels, and the three dried off. Mindy and Selene wore their towels back to Mindy’s room. Arthur put his clothes back on in the bathroom and waited for them in the hallway.

A few minutes passed, and he heard a noise. He looked up from his phone to see Rachel exit the bathroom. She froze when she saw him, then blitzed past him into her and Mindy’s suite without looking up. Arthur watched her as she shuffled past but didn’t try to talk to her. She hadn’t burst into the shower and thrown a Bible at him, nor did she yell at him now. She kept her gaze down and ignored him, wrestling with her own demons, he hoped.

He wondered how Kelly, Rani, and Kat were faring.

After making it to their seats and sitting there for a few minutes, Kelly, Rani, and Kat decided to grab some snacks. The smell of all the food and seeing everyone around them made them realize they should have done what Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen did - get their snacks before getting to their seats. The more people entered their section, the better it smelled and the hungrier they became.

They’d convinced themselves that since their tickets saved their seats, it would be fine, so they’d re-entered the mass of bodies sloughing through the concessions. The lines were backed up, so they were waiting even more, and they chose the nearest stand. Kelly wanted fries. Kat wanted a pretzel. Rani wanted nachos without cheese. Kat’s phone went off, but she ignored it—several times.

“Is that Arthur?” Kelly asked.

Kat checked her phone and shook her head.

“Is it Katelyn?” Rani asked.

Kat shook her head. “It’s my mom.”

The tone she said it in sounded venomous.

“Uh… why’d you say it like that?” Rani asked.

Kelly looked at Kat, but Kat pretended not to hear Rani. “Have you texted with Katelyn at all since this morning?” Kelly asked, changing the subject gracefully.

“No.” Kat spat. Her tone was even darker, which surprised Rani even more.

“Do we not like Katelyn now?” Rani asked. “What the fuck happened? Did she try to kiss you or something?”

“What? No.” Kat sounded surprised.

“Well, I don’t know. You reacted to her name like it was sour or something, and I know how you are about kissing girls.” Rani pointed to Kat. “So what happened?”

“They had a falling out.” Kelly started to explain.

Rani looked at Kat and raised her eyebrow. “Not that surprising, I guess.” She sighed. “How big a falling out? Is this you being you, or is this a big deal?”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Kat asked.

“It means you’re called Brat for a reason.” Rani said. “You’re prickly, you don’t like change, you lash out for attention, and you’re kind of possessive over Arthur. You get pissed off over things as easily as I get turned on, and it’s hit or miss as to whether you’ll laugh at a joke or storm off over it.” She recited the facts without anger, even if she spoke confidently.

Kelly was silent. Kat clenched her jaw so tightly it twitched.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened, or are you going to storm off?” Rani asked.

Kat angrily told her what had happened. She started by describing where she’d been the night before after they split off and the argument that arose when Katelyn told her about trying to take Arthur’s towel. She then explained how she left Katelyn’s house and went to Arthur’s apartment, sleeping on his sofa until he woke her in the morning.

Rani seemed to silently think about it as they shuffled forward in the line. She knew why Kat was upset, at least. She looked at Kelly, who seemed much softer about it than Kat.

“What do you think?” Rani asked Kelly. “Is this something we should kick her out of the house for? Or did she learn her lesson?”

“It doesn’t matter–” Kat started.

“It matters.” Rani cut her off. “And I wasn’t asking you.”

Kelly sighed. “I think she learned her lesson. She was sorry and did everything possible to make it up to him. Arthur wasn’t mad about it when he left, and he even thought Kat was making a bigger deal over it than he would.”

Kat frowned.

“So, is this really about Arthur?” Rani asked. “Or is this about possessing Arthur?”

“What do you mean?” Kat asked.

“I mean, you’re the one who wanted to close the harem. You’re the one who gets clingy with Arthur. You’re possessive. We’ve all noticed it.” Rani shrugged.

“I’m not–” Kat stiffened as Rani cut her off again.

“It’s okay that you are.” Rani assured her. “It’s a natural feeling we’re all dealing with.” She said. “Well, most of us anyway. No one’s ever–” She cut herself off. “I have more experience with casual sex than anyone else in the harem, from what I gather. I’m probably a little more open than the rest, but this is your first time dealing with something casual or polyamorous, right?”

Kat hadn’t expected Rani to make a good point. After considering what she said, she nodded.

“And you’re a livewire.” Rani added.

“A livewire?” Kat asked.

“You’re…” Rani looked at Kelly for help but decided to embrace honesty and say what she wanted to say anyway while Kelly pondered a more diplomatic phrasing. “Volatile.” Rani explained. “Not in a bad way, but when something sets you off, you go off. You’re thin-skinned. I’m guessing you always cry at movies and stuff too, right?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Kat asked.

Rani shrugged.

“So, if you’re lashing out because of jealousy, we just need to figure out what’s triggering it, which is usually a fear of loss, right?” Rani looked at Kelly, who stared back at Rani like she was seeing someone entirely new. “What? I read things.”

Rani rolled her eyes and returned her attention to Kat. “So what’s your fear?” Rani asked. “Are you afraid Katelyn will come in and steal Arthur away?”

Kat considered for a moment and shook her head. She knew Arthur better than that. Now that she considered her actions, though, that fear might have motivated her to close the harem. After the last few days and the library, though, she understood he wasn’t going to leave her or the harem for anyone.

“You two are on the volleyball team together, right?” Rani asked.

Kat sighed and nodded.

“So what’s the dynamic there? Are you friends with the other teammates equally? Are they all your friends? Are they all her friends?” Rani probed.

Kelly straightened up and looked at Kat. Rani, for all her crude bluntness, had a way of seeing other people’s bullshit that Kelly envied. She wanted to see where Rani was going with this.

“Well, I was on the team first, so they started out as my friends,” Kat explained.

“And then Katelyn joined the team.” Rani prompted as she handed her card to the concessions attendant. He swiped it and handed it back to her.

Kelly led the three of them to the pick-up window.

“And then Katelyn joined the team.” Kat sighed.

“And they became her friends more than yours?” Rani asked.

Kat sighed and didn’t answer.

Kelly put a hand on Kat’s shoulder. “You know that wouldn’t happen with us, right? You’re not in competition with Katelyn for our friendship. Just like you’re not in competition with us for Arthur.”

Kat scoffed. “Easy for you to say. If you asked Arthur to drop the whole harem thing and only date you, he’d do it in a heartbeat.”

“I don’t think that’s true.” Kelly shook her head. “And even if it were, I would never ask that.”

“Relationships aren’t competitions, Kat.” Rani reminded her. “Neither is love or lust. Though, I suppose fucking could be if we wanted.” She shrugged.

The guys beside them glanced over at Rani, but their snacks were up, so they grabbed them and returned to their seats. They looked back more than once.

“I know relationships aren’t competitions.” Kat scoffed.

“Do you?” Rani asked. “We’re your friends. Kelly is your friend and Katelyn’s friend. I’m your friend if you'll have me. I know you don’t even like me, but I’ve gone out of my way to have your back. I’ve been trying so hard to be a friend.” Rani’s voice caught toward the end, and the trio stopped.

Neither Kat nor Kelly could name one of Rani’s friends outside the harem. Granted, they hadn’t known her very long, but her stories were all about sexual conquests, never her and her friends. If anything, they heard her bemoan her lack of friends in her major. Her roommate was always absent. Rani was always busy with homework. Her family lived far away, and she only saw them between semesters. That was the sum of their knowledge of her social life. Then there was the harem and Arthur, and all of Rani’s socializing time was spent with them since Mindy brought her along to the end of her date with Arthur.

Kat and Rani looked at each other, and hugged. “You talked to Arthur for me.” Kat recounted. “And you came out to girl’s night to help me help Katelyn.” She said. “And you were amazing last night when everything was going wrong. You were the only one who knew how to deal with the chaos. And you forgave me even after I snapped at you. You are a good friend.”

Rani hugged her back. "Right? Keep going. I'm amazing."

Kat laughed.

Kelly joined the hug. She put her arms around both of them and squeezed. If anyone thought it was strange, they chalked it up to college girls being emotional and walked around the trio to get out from the snack area and to their seats.

“Thank you.” Kat said. “I don’t know if I said it before, but thank you.”

Rani squeezed her in the hug and let go. “You’re welcome. And you should call Katelyn.” Rani said. “If I can forgive you, you can forgive her. You don’t have to call her right now, but probably before the end of the game. Take some time, figure out what you want to say, and try to patch things up.”

Kat looked at Kelly, who nodded. “Even if you just text.” Kelly said. “I know it’ll mean a lot to Katelyn.”

Kat nodded, and the three of them reached the stadium seats. Arthur, Mindy, and Selene still weren’t back. There were three empty seats besides the three ticket-stub-claimed seats they had in their hands. To Kelly’s delighted surprise, she spotted Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen in the row in front of them. To her regret, she spotted Lynn beside them.

Lynn didn't know she was sitting beside even more of Arthur's friends. She was turned away from Kelly, talking to a girl Kelly didn’t recognize. Maybe it was a good thing Arthur wasn't here yet.