FSE

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"Hey, morning. I called to ask you for your opinion on something if that's okay. What are you up to?" Julie opened her closet and pulled out a large blue bag holding her dirty laundry while on the phone with Alyssa the next morning. She had to dress and go downstairs to wash clothes.

"Yeah, shoot. I'm in the kitchen. Oh- how'd your speech go, by the way?" Alyssa had woken up recently and was making toast.

Julie set the bag by the door and sat next to it on the carpet. Midnight was still asleep. She glanced at him still curled up by her pillow. "I was a nervous wreck and kept shelldering up, but I did okay, even though I could have done a lot better if I wasn't so awkward around people I don't know."

"It's a start. You'll get there quick... and about the question- what? Yeah, I went yesterday, remember?"

"Am I in the middle of something?" Julie didn't want to call at a bad time.

"Uh, no, it's just my dad. Continue."

"Okay, well, this girl I talk to in class sometimes, right? Out of nowhere, she-"

"Huh? I'm on the phone, dad. Yeah, after this."

Julie sighed. "Alyssa, I'll just call back later."

"No, it's-"

"I have stuff to do anyway, and so do you. Maybe in a few hours, okay? I'll call." She didn't want Alyssa to think she was upset.

"Alright..."

Julie hung up and went back to the closet, taking a tee and shorts from her folded stacks of clothes before shutting the door and putting on the casual outfit. While doing so, she saw movement from the corner of her eye and looked over to see Midnight sit up. "Morning, love."

He yawned while eyeing her groggily, glancing at the bag by the door. She didn't usually do laundry this early. In fact, Julie almost always slept in with him on the days she didn't have classes.

"I'm getting this done before I run out of clean clothes this time." Julie vowed never to procrastinate when it came to laundry again after waking up late one morning and having to dig a worn outfit out of her bag for class. Luckily, it didn't have an odor. "You can go back to sleep. I'll be a while."

Midnight stood and walked to the edge of the bed, dropping down and approaching her. He'd go with Julie. He stayed behind at times but didn't want to confine himself to the room constantly.

She grinned. "Awe, off we go then." Julie went and took their room key off the desk, put on her boots, grabbed the bag, and was out the door with Midnight. Most students were asleep at this time, so the halls were dead, which felt peaceful. Maybe Julie would start coming out this early more often. She looked down at Midnight trotting beside her. "We'll grab breakfast while everything's washing."

He glanced up at her. He didn't usually eat in the mornings since it took him a while to be ready for the day, but maybe it'd happen due to him being active earlier. Midnight just hoped it wouldn't get too sunny while they were out. Day fatigue always hit him hard.

He yawned again as they approached and entered the elevator shortly after Julie called it, going down in silence.

She didn't have much to do when not in class besides study and get work done, which meant she could focus solely on her grades, but Julie got bored, especially on days like this with nothing to do. She had to loosen up. None of the people she knew here even texted her.

Julie heard a ding and saw the doors open to several students entering and exiting the dorm, with a few in the communal kitchen using appliances. She went to the laundry room before it and pushed its glass door open, noticing that only two washing machines were in use. Many students chose morning classes and started their days early, meaning they typically washed their clothes after noon or during the evening.

Students on free days, like Julie, tended to sleep in.

Midnight slipped in behind her and glanced around at rows of machines and several chairs. He also hoped not to run into Calda. She was an energetic flareon he'd known for a couple of months through Julie knowing her trainer, but he wasn't up for annoyingly friendly early morning interactions. Midnight usually met Calda during the evenings, so he should be in the clear.

He sat and watched Julie set her bag by a vacant machine before going to buy a pack of powdered soap from a vending machine.

"Time to load." She opened the machine's door, tossed her clothes in from the bag, paid for and started a cycle, and finally poured soap in the compartment above the door before closing it.

Julie crouched by Midnight and set her hand on his head, looking around. "Quieter than usual, huh?"

"Bre." He nuzzled her palm. It was eerily quiet, almost, with only the constant hum of active machinery surrounding them. The only people he saw were ones passing the doors to leave the dorm.

Sitting in this environment took Julie back to something, and she tried pushing it away, but the thought already captured her.

It was none other than her and Midnight's sexual acts on school grounds when they were in silent rooms alone. Of course, she never wanted to be caught fucking, but the rush and possibility of someone seeing or hearing them in the act lingered.

They'd gotten away with it both times too. From that period, public sex became a kink that stuck with Julie, even though the lovely risk involved made her push it away whenever the temptation arose in certain situations. She still had that video of her and Midnight's first time and had gotten off to it a number of times since then.

But at Castelia University? Julie wouldn't dare risk her place here. It wasn't worth it in high school and definitely wasn't now. They had their own room when they wished to have sex, but maybe things were getting too boring.

She stood and rubbed her eyes. Julie didn't like how hot she was getting from this. She was spending too much time on something that couldn't happen. "Come on, breakfast."

---

Julie stood by her closet later that afternoon, taking clean clothes out of her bag and folding them while Midnight groomed his paws on the bed. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and finished folding a skirt, setting it on the shelf before pulling her phone out and looking at its screen. "Alyssa." She answered and put it up to her ear.

"Hey, I know you said you'd call, but I wanted to say my bad for this morning. I'm in my bed with my door locked this time if you're free."

"I understand. I didn't want to cause a scolding anyway." Julie went and sat on the edge of her bed. "So like I said, this girl I talk to occasionally in speech gave me an offer to go to a small party on Sunday night."

"So, two days, and how small are we talking?"

"Uh, she said like twenty people if I recall. She's supposed to text me later with more details."

Alyssa chuckled. "Julie, I don't think that's your type of thing. You for real want to go?"

"Well..." Julie had no clue. "I guess I do want to get to know people. You know, socialize. I spend a lot of time doing the opposite."

"Look, if you're happy with how you are now, don't seek validation or try forcing yourself to change, and if you want to make friends, there are plenty of safer ways to do that. Join a club or something. Shit happens at parties sometimes, but you'll be fine if you have sense."

Alyssa always put things into perspective for her. "Would you go? I know you've been to one before."

"Oh, that one when I was in tenth? We're not gonna count that since my parents busted it not even halfway through, then got the police to shut it down."

Julie giggled. "I remember, and no one invited you to anything after that."

"Yeah, hilarious, but, uh, probably. I like fun and trying new things. I just try to be smart about it. It'd be great if I could go with you."

"Don't worry. I wouldn't be stupid, but you're right about it being out of my comfort zone," she sighed. "I'll give it some more thought. I don't know."

"Keep me posted. Just make sure your decision is one hundred percent you because only you'll have to live with it afterward."

"Right... Thanks a lot. I'll let you know. Gonna go finish folding clothes."

"Sure thing. Just call, and if I'm busy, I'll tell you next time."

Julie hung up and set her phone aside. She had no idea why she was even considering attending. Julie was still naive and didn't have any life experience. Her mother worried about her living so far away, but Julie assured her she'd be safe and aware of her surroundings and wouldn't spend too much time off campus, especially at night.

But if her mom knew she'd be attending a party with alcohol, possibly drugs, and people older than her, she'd be disappointed, Julie would assume. While that alone should be enough for Julie to say no outright, she was curious. It's not like she _ha_d to drink while there. She just wanted a peek into what it would be like to be less boring.

Julie stood and went back to her bag, taking out a shirt and tucking it under her chin while folding it.

Her life had always consisted of her mother, Alyssa, and now her umbreon. She loved all three but felt like a loser looking into a potential future with zero changes, and those idiots at Ecruteak didn't help. She hated admitting that people like Leia scarred her and made her self-conscious for what could be long-term.

Julie would never cave in and ditch Midnight for a boy, of course, but it wouldn't hurt to leave her comfort zone for a few hours. It's a part of life, right?