FINALLY BACK FROM THAT HELLISH HIATUS. Sorry about the huge lapse in updates, was making a major career change and had to juggle three jobs for a couple of weeks before things settled down. Back on track now. Hope the new chapter is worth the wait! I already have the next one written, will probably post it mid week. Please leave your love or hate, I appreciate the feedback all the same!

Flannigan's, the bar where Emma and Ruby found themselves this Friday night, was the definition of a dive bar. It's wood-paneled, windowless dining room smelt like old, dried beer and stale popcorn and the only sources of light were a few sparsely scattered dim lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the glowing backlight of a few mounted TVs, and the colorful brightness of the neon signs that told you what to drink. The girls were "greeted" by a gruff doorman, whose mouth was completely hidden by a thick, graying beard that grew far below his chin. He gave them a sharp, knowing look, peering between their eager faces and their IDs.

After an excruciatingly long minute of uncomfortable silence, he lout out a surly, "Hmph," and nodded his head towards the door, pushing it open slightly to let them in.

The IDs passed just fine— as they should since they cost $150 each and had to be shipped from China in a box with a false bottom, in which the IDs were concealed. Disguised as a gift, a creepy little baby doll was packed neatly in the main compartment to ward off any suspicious postal service workers. Recognizing the international postage once it arrived, Ruby had quickly and eagerly torn open the top of the box only to be terribly startled enough to let out a sharp yelp and fling the box across the room. Emma nearly peed herself, unable to control her laughter once she saw the cause of the commotion. Emma decided to keep the doll.

She named the eerie little baby doll, "Wilhelm," and stored him under her bed.

"He's scary enough to ward off any monsters that might decide to try and hide out under here," Emma had declared proudly while propping the baby up onto its ill fitting, disproportionate elbows and knees so that it appeared to be crawling.

"You mean scare off any other monsters…" Ruby corrected her, still not at ease with the baby's cold, black eyes or its poorly painted facial expression. She shuttered a little just looking at it.

Emma had definitely kept the doll because its amusingly harrowing effect on her typically fearless friend.

The bar proved to be a much bigger success than their scrimmage had been. The beers were cold and the wings were hot, and both were cheap. Emma had even managed to forget that she was supposed to be pouting about the loss to UMaine.

Luckily, instead of dwelling endlessly on the game, she became distracted by the waitress. Dark hair, dark eyes. Fit, but with curvaceous features and a flirtatious demeanor. She had Emma at, "Hello, welcome to Flannigan's!"

Ruby rolled her eyes at Emma once the waitress had left to fetch their orders.

"What!" Emma replied as innocently as she could manage.

"Dude," Ruby started, amused, "you have a serious type-fixation. Always with the brown hair and the big brown eyes. It never fails."

Emma chuckled, "Ha, I suppose your right…"

Ruby caught a flash of something in Emma's reaction and got the feeling that there was something Emma wanted to say, but wouldn't.

By the second bucket of beers, which was about six more than either girl needed, Ruby's eye muscles had begun to ache and twitch with the straining effort of rolling them at each of Emma's many corny advances on the poor waitress, who apparently enjoyed the attention. Any time the waitress had free time, she would find her way back to the edge of their table to giggle and blush at Emma's flirtatiously unabashed flattery.

"Emily," was her name and "Yes," she did have a boyfriend.

"Told you she was straight!" Ruby crowed, alighted by the few drinks they had shared.

However, Emma remained unruffled, "We'll see," she said with a smirk. She had always loved a good challenge.

Ruby started to worry that her eyes were going to get stuck, mid-roll, just like her grandmother had always warned her they would if she did it too much.

Once the girls drained the last of their bottles, the girls paid their tab and told Emily to, "Have a great night," after handing her the checkbook. As they gathered their things to leave, Emma cleared her throat to get Ruby's attention.

"Take your time, were walking out of here slowly," she spoke in a calm, low whisper.

"What? Why?" Ruby asked, cocking her head to the side, genuinely confused.

"Just trust me. Walk slow." Emma started towards the door at a very casual pace. It was a crawl.

Ruby was finally able to push the door open to leave when the waitress' familiar voice called out from behind them.

"Hey, Emma!" Emily caught up to the pair, giving Ruby a quick, nervous glance before focusing her bright, brown eyes back on Emma. She pulled a piece of scrap paper from her server's book and held it out to the blonde. "You should text me some time," she said shyly. Blushing a little, she peered back over her shoulder at a group of grinning servers who were all standing behind the same computer station and looking intently in their direction. They giggled and nudged each other meaningfully, only to giggling more whenever they were nudged to be more discrete.

"Well, I'd love to," Emma gave Emily her most charming smile, a talent she inherited from her father. She took the number from the girl.

Emily smiled widely back at her, her cheeks growing more flush.

After a slightly awkward silence, she chirped, "Okay, I've got to get back to my tables! See you!" She flitted back towards the waiting group of waitresses, who all looked quite excited to see her return.

The door had barely shut behind Ruby and Emma before Ruby shook her head with disbelief at her friend's unexpected success and said, "You are absolutely unbelievable."

"Well," Emma started smugly, "I guess someone believes in all this," she made a rolling motion with her body, gyrating her hips in a lewd gesture as she fanned herself with the waitress' number.

Ruby snorted with laughter, "Oh my god… You're actually deranged, I'm certain of it now."

The pair laughed riotously as they bumped and swayed into each other as they meandered drunkenly along the sidewalk back to campus.

The sound of keys clattering and hushed rumbles of Emma and Ruby's giggles echoed down the hallways of the fifth floor of the general housing dormitory as Emma dropped her keys, missing the lock completely on her third attempt.

"Come on!" Ruby managed between fits of laughter.

"YOU DO IT THEN," Emma wobbled a bit as she bent down to get her keys. Ruby held her upright by grabbing a handful of her jacket before she tipped too far.

With a bit of team work, the girls were finally able to get their door open. They crash-landed on their beds, simultaneously expelling sighs of drunken exhaustion as they looked up at their respective spinning ceilings. The two were quiet for a few minutes while they composed themselves a bit, both ready to feel less intoxicated than they were. Eventually Emma rolled over in her bed to face Ruby, propping herself up onto her elbow.

"So," she inquired, "have you talked to Belle yet tonight?" She waggled her brows playfully, but Ruby could tell she genuinely wanted to know the answer.

Ruby let out a long sigh instead of responding.

"Jeeze, Rubes… You've got it bad for her huh?"

Ruby groaned, "Ugh, yes." She sat up. "I thought about texting her while we were out, but I didn't want to be a pest or come off clingy—I mean, we have spent the three of the last four nights together… Plus, I am pretty sure any texts that I did send would have been completely incoherent. Those IPAs always get me fucked up, fast."

Emma snorted, chuckling to herself, "Tell me about it."

Ruby continued, "She's just so sweet, I'd hate to say or do something lewd because I was drunk."

"Oh Rubes…" Emma began sympathetically, "you are lewd though… It's why we get along so well."

Ruby cast Emma a deadpan look, pretending not to be amused, but the pair broke out into another fit of shared laughter, which bounced off the white-washed concrete walls. The two of them could make a prison cell feel like home as long as they were together.

A series of pings and flashes erupted from Emma's phone and interrupted the moment.

Ruby peaked at her watch and raised an eyebrow inquisitively, noting the lateness of the hour. With a coy smile on her lips she prodded, "Speaking of being lewd, have you already started bombarding that poor, innocent waitress with your unrelenting sext messaging?"

Emma took a moment too long to respond.

"Wait…" Ruby processed the meaning of Emma's withholdings, "Then who are you texting? Oh my god, are you fucking blushing right now?"

"I'm not." Emma insisted.

"Who the hell is making you blush?"

"No one!" Emma said like a moody teen, unwilling to participate in family share time.

"Bullshit." Ruby denied her the easy out.

"It's just Graham sending me a funny story about what he did tonight," Emma tried to cover.

"Bull shitttttt," Ruby emphasized.

"It's no one…"

"EMMA!" Ruby was not growing any more patient or any less interested, regardless of her friend's protests. "Who is it?!" Ruby looked as if she was trying to look right into Emma's mind for the answer. Her green eyes were wide and focused with excitement and curiosity. "Tell me," she coaxed her now, nearly begging to know.

Now Emma was the one sighing, "For real, Rubes… I can't tell. I promised."

Ruby was surprised by the sincerity of Emma's admission. "I guess I am not the only one who's got it bad right now," Ruby teased.

Emma gave Ruby a quick, sharp glare. "You know," she started, "I really hate it when you give me a taste of my own medicine." She reached across her body to grab a pillow and fling it Ruby's direction, a wide smile plastered to her face until Ruby snatched it out of the air and threw it right back. It connected with Emma's stunned face.

Ruby landed on the ground with a solid, "thud," unable to control her amusement, she was in tears on the floor.

"You mean—" her rumbling laughter cut her off, "—like that?"

"Yes," Emma said, laughing just as hard as Ruby, "like that."

Once they finally settled down, Ruby decided to excuse herself to let Emma have a bit more privacy while she text her mystery person.

"Alright, I'm going to go take a walk or something while you smile like a creepy idiot at that phone."

"Thanks, Rubes. You're the best. I swear I'd tell you if I didn't fear for my life over it."

"I know, Em. I get it. You know I'll be here whenever you do want to talk about it," Ruby said sincerely before heading out.

"Love you," Emma said.

"Love you too," Ruby replied, closing the door behind her.

Who the hell could it be? Ruby's mind wondered as she wandered the halls. Maybe its a teacher. That'd be cliche…

Oh my God, it probably is a teacher, knowing Emma.