Changing Claire Ch. 01

I know this part of the story doesn't fit this category so much, but as it develops, it will more so.

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Claire let out a sigh of frustration. She glared down at her nearly blank trig paper until the numbers and symbols began to blur, and finally, very slowly, she set down her pen, taking a deep breath to avoid crying. She always got very emotional when frustrated, a trait she didn't exactly love. She had promised herself that she'd finish her trig paper, but soon found herself reaching for a cheap romantic novel she'd picked up at a yard sale for comfort.

The library was relatively empty, as the day was winding to an end, and soon everyone would be drinking and hooking up if they were popular, and browsing Netflix with a pack of Oreos if they weren't. Claire grimaced as she guessed which end of the spectrum she belonged to, alone on a Saturday night in the library.

Before long, she found herself with her legs tucked under her, curled as comfortably as possible into the desk chair, lost in her novel. As cheesy as the story was, she felt herself yearning for the poorly-written passion shared by the main characters.

"That's a great read."

Claire looked up, a little embarrassed to be noticed reading erotic fiction. The speaker was a tall redhead scanning the bookshelf in front of her, and the small smirk on her face made Claire sure she was being made fun of. She knew the redhead from somewhere, which wasn't surprising, since campus was relatively small, but couldn't quite put her finger on where. She had a delicate, but unremarkable face, and long, tan legs that seemed to go forever beneath her black skirt. When Claire didn't reply, the redhead stuck out her hand. "I'm Alicia. I think we have Government together?"

"Yes," said Claire firmly, finally placing her, "I'm Claire." She met Alicia's hand, subtly covering the lewd cover of her book. "I was just, uh, studying."

"Right," said Alicia, still smiling, but not pushing the subject further. Claire stood up stiffly, stretching her legs, which seemed short and stubby compared to Alicia's. In fact, Claire realized just how tall Alicia was, and felt significantly dwarfed. Claire had always been on the smaller side, barely reaching 5'3 and now she stood straight and stiff to compensate.

"Ugh, I guess I should be heading to bed soon," she sighed, beginning to gather her stuff.

"Really? It's only 10." Claire blushed gently at her own pathetic social life, shrugging her shoulders. "Why don't you come out with me tonight?" Alicia offered. "I hear there's going to be a great party at Alpha house tonight."

"Oh, I don't know..." Claire said, tugging on a tendril of blonde hair that had fallen out of her braid. She became suddenly aware of herself standing in loose sweatpants and old volleyball sweater, and felt raggedy compared to Alicia's polished look.

"It'll be fun!" Alicia said, as though the decision was already made. "You can come to my apartment to get ready if you want." Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Claire's bag and her hand, and yanked her out of the library.

Luckily Alicia's apartment was relatively close to the University, so they didn't have to walk too long in the chilly fall air. Claire had moved north to attend college in New York from Florida, and she wasn't used to the cool weather yet. Alicia's place was in a building with three other apartments, but she had the whole bottom floor to herself.

"My parents are loaded," Alicia explained as they entered the luxurious foyer. Again, Claire felt self-conscious. Her parents were middle-class teachers in a house that could only be described as cozy. She had had to work her ass off to get a scholarship, both at school and waitressing at a local restaurant. She tried to push the thought of her unfinished Trig paper into the back of her mind as she stared in awe in Alicia's fancy electronics and stylish furniture.

Alicia handed Claire a beer, and casually turned on the stereo, surprising Claire with a smooth, sassy tune.

"I love jazz," Claire said, volunteering personal information for the time all night. "I play tenor saxophone." She winced as she said it, hoping Alicia didn't think she was nerdy for playing an instrument.

"That's really cool," Alicia seemed genuine. "I used to play piano, but it's been forever." She began to walk down the hall, and Claire followed her. Alicia's bedroom wasn't as extravagant as the rest of the apartment, with a twin bed, full length mirror, and not much else. But whatever the bedroom lacked was made up for by the giant walk-in closet slightly agape in the corner of the room, stuffed with clothes. Alicia must have seen Claire staring because she chuckled. "You can borrow whatever you want for tonight. I didn't think you'd want to go in that." Claire felt Alicia's eyes scanning her outfit, and felt the faint sting of her passive-aggressive comment.

"I don't know if any of your clothes will fit me," Claire said softly, glancing down at her own curvy body. Her big chest and butt were even visible through her baggy clothes, and though her thighs were firm and muscular, they weren't exactly thin.

"Don't be silly!" Alicia called, already rifling through the closet. Claire was flattered that Alicia wanted to let her use her clothes, and was excited to have made a possible friend, but when Alicia tossed her a tiny white dress, Claire was ready to make up an excuse to leave.

"Uh, Alicia-" Claire began, but she was already throwing more dresses out at her. Claire sighed and picked up the most respectable one, hoping she could somehow put it on without ripping it. "Where should I change?"

"In here, silly," Alicia said nonchalantly, walking out of the closet and removing her skirt. "We're both girls."

Claire found herself staring at Alicia's long, naked legs, and had to shake her head a little to focus. She focused her gaze on the ground and removed her sweats as modestly as possible.

"Oh, you can't wear those underwear with that dress," Alicia said, and Claire looked up in disbelief. Alicia stood only in a tiny black thong, her small nipples pointing toward the ceiling.

"What?"

"Panty lines," Alicia explained, not bothering to cover her body, which even Claire had to admit was impressive. Her flat stomach and perky breasts made her delicate features look even sweeter, and she had a surprisingly curvy butt for such a thin figure. Claire was relieved when Alicia finally put on a short emerald-green dress with a black belt.

"Lose the bra, too," Alicia said, turning to fix her hair.

Claire held her breath as she removed her sweater and tank top and stood in her underwear. She glanced up to make sure Alicia was still preoccupied before quickly shoving down her underwear and snapping her bra off and throwing on the black dress. She managed to fit it over her chest with minimal difficulty, but had some trouble getting it down over her hips. She shook her butt a little to wiggle the fabric down, and glanced up to see Alicia laughing at her. Claire's face turned bright red as she knew her whole ass was displayed, and her front was barely covered. She managed to shove the dress down so the hem ended a few inches above her knee, and not too much cleavage showed. The only thing was, while it would have looked appropriate on Alicia, it was lewdly tight on Claire, so that even the outline of her nipples showed through.

"Wow," Alicia said, staring at Claire, an open thing of mascara in her long, pretty fingers. "That looks great on you."

"Really?" gasped Claire, tugging a little at the clingy fabric. She stood in the mirror, and noticed for the first time the dress was mostly just lace, showing off scandalous sections of skin on her legs and chest.

"Totally." Alicia stood behind her, and delicately removed the hair band from Claire's hair, so that her wavy blonde hair fell down her back. Alicia smiled in approval and handed Claire the mascara. Claire never really wore makeup, but applied the black goo to her lashes, admiring the affect it had on her gray eyes. Her dad had always called mascara "massacre" because he claimed only ugly girls needed makeup, but Claire definitely wasn't minding it.

Alicia looked gorgeous. Her hazel eyes were outlined with black makeup, and her hair made her skin look tan and creamy. Claire felt a pang of jealousy at Alicia's perfect legs, tapering off into a pair of black strappy heels.

Alicia handed Claire a pair of high-heeled knee-high boots, which were a little big, and Claire wobbled a little as she attempted to walk. Alicia laughed and handed her a pair of flat ankle boots instead along with a denim jacket.

Suddenly a girl burst into the room, obviously wasted. She had blonde hair that was curled all around her head, and a goofy grin that made her brown eyes sparkle. She had on tiny denim shorts and a sequin shirt that showed off her bellybutton ring, and Claire wondered how she wasn't freezing. Without a word of explanation, she flopped onto Alicia's bed and began to giggle.

"Dammit," sighed Alicia. "Claire, this is my roommate, Tanya." Tanya's hand tossed uselessly in the air as a way of greeting. Alicia lowered her voice. "She's kind of a lush."

"I heard that!" Tanya cried, her face buried in a pillow, so it came out more like "Ihermat." Alicia rolled her eyes.

"Let me just get her a bucket, and we can leave." Alicia hurried into the other room, leaving Claire standing awkwardly to stare at Tanya, drunk on the bed. Claire couldn't help but be a little envious of Tanya's mental state. She probably drank all the time and thought nothing of it.

Luckily, Alicia returned fairly quickly, and positioned a pot next to Tanya's head. "Ready?"

Claire gave Tanya one last glance of pity and jealousy. "Yeah."

The Alpha house was in full swing when they arrived. It was too cold for anyone to really be outside, so the house was crammed with people, empty cans, and cigarette smoke. Alicia led Claire into the kitchen and mixed her a drink. Claire sipped it, wincing as it scorched down her throat. Alicia laughed at her expression, and Claire had a feeling she'd be laughed at a lot that night.

They brought their drinks out into the living room, where people were dancing sloppily to some rap song. "I'll be right back!" Alicia yelled over the music, and before Claire could protest, she disappeared into the crowd, leaving Claire alone, clutching her drink nervously.

It wasn't long before a guy with blonde dreads began to dance up on her, trying to encourage her hips to gyrate to the music, and Claire did her best to ignore him. She swallowed the rest of her drink, and hurried off to the kitchen to discourage him from touching her.

"There you are!" Claire turned to find Alicia with a sigh of relief. Alicia refilled Claire's cup and her own. "Come here, I have some friends I want you to meet."

Claire had never been to a party like this. Back in Florida, she had only attended small bonfires and such, and she was a little overwhelmed by the number of people. She was sweating by the time Alicia reached her friends, and draped her denim jacket over her arm, forgetting about the state of her outfit. Three boys and a girl waved at them, and Claire sat on the couch facing them with relief. She was so glad that she hadn't worn those high-heeled boots.

"Leeesh," slurred the girl, greeting Alicia. "And who's this beauty?" Claire was shocked when the girl kissed her directly on the mouth, just a peck, but still.

"This is my friend, Claire!" Claire couldn't help but beam with pride at being introduced as Alicia's friend. The boys all waved casually, and as Alicia introduced them, Claire almost immediately forgot their names.

"You guys want to dance?" Alicia suggested, and without waiting for an answer, began strutting into the stereo room. Claire loved Alicia's confidence, and grinned, getting up to follow.

Once in the stereo room, Claire wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or Alicia's unwavering personality, but she found herself loosening up, swaying to the music with Alicia, and not even minding when one of the boys began to grind against her. Alicia put her arms on Claire's shoulders and brought her pelvis closer, wiggling enticingly, encouraging Claire to do the same.

"I think my friend likes you," Alicia said into Claire's ear.

Claire glanced behind her. He was attractive, with short blonde hair and mischievous brown eyes, his muscular chest showing through his shirt.

"What's his name?" Claire asked Alicia over the music.

Alicia smiled deviously. "Find out for yourself!" She playfully pushed Claire into him, and continued to dance with one of the other guys.

"Hi!" The boy was a good dancer, and Claire found it easy to match his rhythm. "I'm Russell."

"Claire!" She shouted with a smile, realizing she was a little drunk. She didn't mind when he put his hands on her waist, moving her body, and allowed herself to put her hands around his neck. She could feel herself sweating, but the atmosphere felt good in her alcohol-induced high. She couldn't believe she was dancing with a good-looking guy at a frat party in a daring dress when just hours ago, she had been planning which episode of House she would fall asleep to.

Russell's hands began to travel up Claire's torso, his fingers tickling the sides of her breasts, and then back down so they grazed her butt. Claire's body began to tingle and she laughed nervously. Soon his lips began to brush around her ear, traveling down her neck in a trail of fire, over her collarbone and back up again. His tongue traced a line on her jaw, and Claire let out a quiet moan.

"I think I need a drink!" she gasped, her face burning red. Russel smirked at her, and taking her hand, led her into the kitchen.

As Russell mixed her a new drink, Claire scanned the room for Alicia, who seemed to have disappeared. He handed her the cup, and kept one for himself.

"You wanna go cool off?" he offered politely, and Claire felt herself nodding.

Out on the porch, the music was muffled, and the air was cool. Outside the atmosphere of the party, Claire realized just how drunk she was, and set down her half empty cup.

"Are you having a good time?" Russell asked, smiling kindly.

"Definitely," Claire said, nodding. Russell was looking better by the second. He had cute dimples on his cheeks and chin when he smiled, and his hair stuck to his forehead a little with sweat, but not in a gross way. The way that he kept a respectable distance only made Claire like him more. That and the fact that she'd had quite a bit to drink. "How do you know Alicia?" she asked, trying to make conversation to sober up a little.

"She hangs around one of my buddies," Russell said with a shrug. "She's pretty cool. Plus, she always pays when we go out." He grinned.

"Yeah, her parents are rich, right?" Claire said. "What do they do?" She found herself craving information.

"Her dad's some kind of television producer, and her mom's an ex-actress," he explained. "Kind of cliché, I guess."

"Would I know her from anything?" Claire shivered a little, but pushed the conversation.

Russell noticed her shake a little, and took a step closer, which only made her shiver more. "Cold?"

She smiled. "A little."

He took another step, and she tried to catch her breath. "You want to go inside?"

Claire couldn't seem to find her voice. She knew that in usual circumstances she would definitely go inside. She would tell Russell he seemed nice, but she needed to find Alicia and tell her she was leaving. But these circumstances didn't seem usual. Russell now had her back pressed against the porch railing, his hands holding onto it on either side of her, and his mouth was dangerously close to her. She licked her lips nervously, and in a moment of courage, met his lips eagerly.

Despite her prudish personality, Claire had kissed other boys. She wasn't even a virgin. But nobody had ever kissed her the way Russell did. His tongue traced the roof of her mouth, his teeth grazing her lips. She found herself gripping his shirt, pulling his body against hers, whimpering into his mouth. His hands began to wander up her thighs, reaching under the hem of her dress, though they stayed on the outside of her hips. Suddenly, he broke the kiss, smiling.

"You aren't wearing any panties," he accused her with a laugh.

"You can't with this dress!" she protested, "Panty lines!" This only made him laugh harder, until soon they were both cracking up.

"Seriously, though," Claire persisted, "I don't want you to think I'm that kind of girl."

"The kind of girl who goes commando or the kind of girl who makes out with a stranger on a porch?" he teased.

Claire frowned. "Yeah, I guess." She picked up her drink and chugged it without thinking.

"Relax," Russell whispered. "I'm kidding. I wouldn't be doing this if I thought you were just some slut."

"Really?" Claire beamed.

"Well, I'm a guy, so, yeah I probably still would." He began to laugh again. Claire smacked him in the chest, grinning. He caught her hand and held it against him, bringing her back into his body, his hands back under her dress. His tongue caressed her neck and she sighed deeply.

"Mmmm," she moaned as he nibbled on her shoulder. She felt his finger brush up against her under her dress, and her body stiffened.

"Is that okay?" he asked, his lips still against her skin.

"I, uh." Claire felt his finger push a little more persistently against her, until it was inside her. She squirmed a little bit, trying to focus, maybe protest. But the booze and passion had her tongue tied and breathing heavily as he added another finger. "Ohh." She grinded up against his hand, completely lost in lust, finding herself thinking of the erotic novel she'd been reading. The story line didn't seem so stupid now.

Russell pulled away slowly, smiling sweetly at her. She met his eyes in a daze, and tried to pull herself together.

"I, uh, think I should find Alicia," she said, but didn't move.

"Okay," he replied, but also stood motionless on the porch.

Luckily, before Claire could succumb to her desires again, Alicia burst out onto the porch, hanging onto the arm of Russell's friend. She was wasted, laughing at the top of her lungs, but Russell's buddy was all business.

"We have to go," he said firmly, "I guess the cops are coming."

Claire stiffened, scared, but the boys seemed relatively calm. Russell turned to her. "We'll help you get her home."

"Okay," Claire whispered, and they hurried down the side walk back to Alicia's apartment. Claire was absolutely freezing by the time they got there, realizing too late that she'd forgotten Alicia's jacket. She tucked her chin down to avoid the autumn breeze, and was mortified to realize her stiff nipples showed right through the dress. She crossed her arms, hoping that nobody else had noticed, wondering how Russell seemed totally comfortable in just a t-shirt.

Claire had to coax the keys from Alicia, who was half conscious, but they finally made it into the apartment. The stereo was still playing the same CD as when they had left, but the TV was also on, playing House. Claire guessed she wouldn't miss her episode after all. Tanya was passed out on the couch, completely naked, and Claire hurried to cover her up with a blanket, trying to avoid staring at her unshaved pussy, her large breasts splayed lewdly.

Russell's friend disappeared with Alicia into her bedroom, and Claire stared after them, wondering if he was trustworthy enough to be alone with her in her state.

"Don't worry," Russell said, reading her mind. "This isn't the first time he's had to bring her home." Claire nodded, feeling a little better. Russell cracked open a beer, and handed her one, which she accepted, even though she was on her way to being completely bombed.