Cass was glad that Brooke had changed her mind to join her at the University of Florida. They had become close friends after being roommates during their junior college stint the previous year. Brooke had been offered athletic scholarships for softball at numerous Universities, and Cass had convinced her to decide on the University of Florida where she had already signed a letter of intent.

The athletes had been asked to report earlier than the other students for a mandatory meeting, and were following one another in their separate cars into the parking lot. Cass was nervous about her first day at school and her heart pounded as she followed Brooke, scanning the campus and feeling impressed by the old structures around her. She put the car in park and turned off the ignition. She blew out the breath she had inhaled, trying to calm her nerves at the thought of meeting an entire new group of teammates, not to mention the fact that many of the athletes were quite famous in the softball world. Fortunately, she had Brooke to help her through the process. 'Okay, you can do this.' She blew out another breath, trying to convince herself of that fact.

Brooke tapped on the window and held up her hands in wonderment as to what she was doing sitting there. Cass smiled and opened the door. "What's the deal? Are you having second thoughts?" She asked, watching her friend step out of the car.

"Oh, no?no. I'm just nervous." She stammered, tucking her straight, shoulder length red hair with a tint of brown in it, behind her ear.

"Aah, come on. Never fear my dear. You're good buddy Brooke is here to make sure nothing happens to you." She teased with a smile and wrapped her arm around Cass's shoulder. "Let's go check out the lovely co-eds." Her friend grinned mischievously and wiggled her blonde eyebrows as she led Cass towards the dome shaped gym.

"You're a good friend Brooke. Thanks." Cass smiled appreciatively.

"Anytime babe, anytime." Brooke smiled and held the door open for her, then followed her into the large gymnasium.

Cass entered the building and was instantly hit with a rush of cold air. "Whoa!" She shivered from the sudden temperature change.

"Wow! This place is huge!" Brooke remarked, looking around awestruck noting the large pool to her left with bleachers for spectators. She looked out of the large glass windows across the parking lot and noted the football stadium across the street. She smiled and inhaled deeply; smelling the strong sent of chlorine from the swimming pool. She walked past the main door they entered, seeing a small basketball court. "Cass, check this out! This must be a practice court for basketball. I just can't get over this place." She remarked stunned by the gymnasium.

"I know it's magnificent." Cass agreed as she followed her friend to look at the surroundings.

They headed to the main doublewide doors and opened them. "Now that's a basketball court!" Brooke observed and chuckled, as did Cass.

They walked to the railing and looked down to the lower tier of the arena, which contained the main basketball court. Cass looked back behind her then around the oval shaped portion of the arena they were standing on. "Hey, look there are lanes painted here." She told Brooke and pointed them out. "They must have indoor track meets here too."

"This is amazing Cass. I have never seen a gym that contains so many different sports into one place." She remarked as she looked around the large arena.

On their official visit to the school when they were offered scholarships, the coach didn't have time to bring them by the large gymnasium and the girls were quite impressed with seeing it for the first time.

"This place is too cool and just outside we'll get to make all of our softball dreams come true." She smiled eagerly and was proud to be a member of the softball team.

"Let's hope so." Cass tentatively smiled and felt a bit overwhelmed. She was still very nervous despite Brooke's attempts to calm her down. 'Maybe I'll feel better after the meeting.' She thought and followed Brooke to the room where the meeting was to be held.

***

They were cordially greeted by the coaching staff and were given a packet of various papers as they entered the room. They took a seat and Cass immediately began to thumb through the material as they waited for the meeting to begin. She looked over the paperwork of team rules, curfews while in season, dorm assignments, pertinent numbers, scholarship information, and practice, game, and weight training schedules. She sighed relieved when she noted that her dorm mate would be Brooke. Brooke nudged her and she glanced up at her friend whose hand covered her mouth.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly.

She moved her hand from her mouth and leaned closer to Cass whispering nonchalantly when Cass looked up. "Check out that gorgeous morsel up front."

She was stunned, star struck, all of the above.

"Two words for you. Yum?my." Brooke replied seductively, obviously smitten with the woman who had just walked in the room.

Cass snickered at the comment and looked at Brooke. "Is that Dakota Colby?" She asked, surprised and narrowed her eyes for a clearer view.

"The one and only. The cat's meow, the top dog, the desire of every freaking lesbian and man around. Miss everything." Brooke hyped as they stared at the tall, finely chiseled woman who stood next to the coach.

"Oh, she is waaaayyyy out of our league." Cass emphasized, brushing Brooke off with a shake of her head. She stared intently at the woman with the dark hair streaked with highlights that barely touched the top of her shoulders and parted in the middle with her bangs just touching her dark eyebrows. 'She is definitely extremely nice to look at though. In fact, I used to do just that back home every night with the poster of her from the Olympics on my wall.' She fondly remembered her bedroom and the poster while looking the dark featured beauty up and down?a few times.

"It doesn't hurt to try though." Brooke chuckled and winked when Cass turned to look at her.

Cass giggled at her friend and sat up in her chair when the head coach Mary Wills began to address the team. She introduced her coaching staff, the team managers, athletic training staff and the three seniors who sat in the front with the coaches.

"I'm sure all of you know our three time all-American shortstop, former Olympic softball team member, and the captain of our softball team, Dakota Colby." The coach glowingly introduced and motioned with her hand for her to stand up.

"Kody! Kody! Kody!" Her returning teammates chanted her nickname and got a chuckle out of the woman who seemed uneasy with the accolades.

She grinned sheepishly and stood halfway up. She waved to the group before sitting back down, red faced as her fellow senior teammates laughed and teasingly patted her on the back.

"Really folks she is not this shy normally. You'll find that out on the field!" The coach added and chuckled.

Dakota replied teasingly with a smirk, "Keep it up coach."

"Alright, now that I'm finished embarrassing Kody, it's time to embarrass all of you. I'd like to go around the room and have all of you tell us a little bit about you, as well as tell us where you are from." The coach smiled and motioned to the first player to her left who stood up, introducing herself.

'Oh, my god! I think I'm going to throw up!' Cass was anxious and felt her stomach doing flip-flops at the thought of standing up in front of everyone, especially Dakota. She glanced over at Dakota who looked directly at her. She flinched nervously and quickly looked away. 'Shit, she's staring right at me and she saw me looking at her. She must think I'm an idiot!'

Cass didn't feel like she was good enough to fit into this elite group of softball players. They were amongst the nation's best and she didn't consider herself as one of those despite the fact that the coach felt she was by giving her a free ride to the school via a full athletic scholarship for the next three years to play softball. She had read the local newspapers, the university's newspaper and the media information guides that slated her as the hottest recruit the Lady Gators could have obtained, but never bought into the hype. It was nice to see it in print, but she felt uncomfortable with all of the attention and felt as though she didn't deserve it.

She snapped out of her thoughts, as the voices grew louder, indicating the women sitting close to her were making their introductions. She stared at Dakota who was unenthused about the whole production and didn't look up to acknowledge any of the women speaking as she was more enthralled with doodling on a piece of paper. The woman sitting uninterested with everything was Cass's idol. 'How in the hell can I play on the same field as her?' She questioned nervously and swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. Her eyes followed the muscular curves of Dakota's strong arms that were visible as she wore a teal tank top. She gazed up to her striking facial features, of dark eyebrows, tanned skin and those beautiful sparkling translucent blue eyes. She slowly scanned down the front of her neck to her chest and stopped at the visible cleavage envisioning how her breasts looked in the nude. She looked down and noted Dakota's large hands with long slender fingers holding the pen and imagined them touching every part of her body, inside and out. She felt flushed and inhaled deeply then exhaled, trying to calm her racing heart. She perked up when she heard a familiar voice, knowing she was the next person to speak and the butterflies in her stomach went wild as Brooke introduced herself.

Brooke sat down and winked at her as she hesitantly stood. "I'm?aah?" she stammered nervously and was lost in the sensual blue that gazed up at her.

'Ooh, she is one hot little lady.' Dakota thought appreciatively as she stared at Cass. 'Hmmm, I love how she looks in those tight jeans and how her white shirt snugly holds her small breasts. Ooh, very sexy especially considering how far down her shirt is buttoned, showing just a hint of her creamy breast. So, revealing yet not that revealing, tantalizing, teasing, and so inviting. I'd love to see more of that muscular body from head to toe. She looks pretty good through those clothes considering how closely they fit, but I wish she would lose the long sleeved shirt and jeans. Hmmm, her ass looks so nice in those jeans.' Dakota appreciated and felt a throbbing sensation between her legs as she fantasized about Cass while the alluring woman stood introducing herself. She stared into Cass's green eyes and was mesmerized by their beauty, quickly losing herself in her gaze. Her heart pounded wildly and she swallowed hard, caught off guard by her reaction to the young woman.

Cass blinked, breaking the look and continued, "I'm Cass?Cassandra Storms, but I go by Cass and I'm from Ogunquit, Maine. I was a teammate of Brooke's at Palm Beach Community College last year." She smiled uneasily and sat back down, feeling like an idiot for stammering so much. Not to mention the fact that Dakota was staring at her. She sighed relieved that the introduction was over and knew that she really didn't reveal much like the others did, but she was too nervous to continue. She looked up and noted Dakota was still staring at her. She felt uncomfortable and looked away. 'Why is she staring at me?' She wondered and looked at Brooke when she hit her arm.

Brooke leaned closer to her and smiled like a Cheshire cat. "She's interested in you!"

"Bullshit!" Cass countered quickly and was embarrassed by the comment.

"You were the only one she looked up at Cass." Brooke reminded her.

Cass and Brooke ended their debate and looked to the front as their coach began to speak.

"Okay, we have a mentor program here to help the incoming rookie's get around campus and to help if there are any personal or academic problems that might arise. You are all paired up with mentors according to your academic choices." She called out the matches with the returning players to the new players and announced, "Cass, you will be paired up with Dakota."

'Great! As if I'm not nervous enough as it is!' Her stomach quivered with nervous energy and Cass shook her head acknowledging that she had heard her.

"All right, pair up with your mentors and we look forward to a great season." Coach Wills smiled and grabbed her paperwork.

"You are one lucky bitch, Cass." Brooke smiled, sidling up to her stunned friend who had stood up.

"How so?" She asked, uneasy with the match up. Dakota made her nervous and she knew it would make it worse being around her so much. She felt like she would have to walk around on eggshells all the time in fear that she would screw up and look like an idiot to someone she idolized.

"Let's go Cass. I'll walk you to the dorm and give you a little tour of the campus along the way." Dakota offered, and motioned her towards the door.

"Aah, okay." Cass stammered nervously and flashed a look at Brooke that screamed for help!

"Good luck." Brooke grinned, leaning to her with a whisper.

"Thanks for nothing." Cass sneered and headed towards the door that Dakota held for her. She smiled graciously and walked past her. Cass was petrified being next to this stunning woman. She wanted to fit in and it was important to her that Dakota like her. 'I wonder what she would think if she knew I had a poster of her on my wall back home. Hmmm, very nice.' She was impressed by the fact that Dakota held every door open for her.

"Well, that's Ben Hill Griffin stadium where we play our football games." Dakota pointed out as they walked past the stadium. She quickly donned her dark sunglasses when they exited the building into the bright sun much to Cass's dismay that she wouldn't get to see those blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight.

"Cool, I look forward to seeing a few of the games." She smiled and looked towards the large stadium.

"Oh, you'll get to see a bunch of the games considering your major is Athletic training." Dakota chuckled and looked down at the slightly shorter burgundy red-haired woman.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Cass giggled, remembering what her major was and sighed, wishing she didn't sound like such a silly girl in front of Dakota. 'She is definitely intimidating more so than I ever imagined, and so damn beautiful.' She thought admiringly and stole a quick glance of her. "So, aah what's your major?" She asked tentatively trying to make conversation and picked up her pace to keep up with Dakota's longer strides.

"I'm in my first year of med school. That's why you've been assigned to me. I already finished my degree in Athletic Training, but still work with the staff to get extra credit for my major. You'll be working a lot with the football players during the season right along with me." She explained in a businesslike manner and opened the door to the dorm. She waited until Cass passed by her and walked into the building. "You're room is this way." She pointed out, as Cass wasn't sure which way to go.

Two attractive blondes clad in skimpy dresses with plunging and extremely revealing necklines headed towards the two women. They smiled towards Dakota as they drew closer. Cass looked up at Dakota whose attention was obviously on the two blondes and their busty chests. Dakota smiled and nodded her head acknowledging them as the pair passed by. Cass stopped and looked back when she noticed that Dakota was not next to her. She turned back to see that Dakota had stopped and was intently watching the women walk down the hall until they turned the corner out of sight.

'I'd love for her to look at me that way.' Cass was disappointed.

"Whew!" Dakota remarked with a smile and shook her head as she walked towards Cass obviously impressed with the sight of the two women. She sighed heavily. "Okay, so here is your room." She pointed out after stopping at Cass's dorm room.

Cass put the key in the door and turned it, opening the door to her dorm room. "Wow, it's not too bad. I thought it was going to be smaller." She remarked as she looked around the suite. She looked to her right and noted a closet, a bed to her left that was against a divider wall and a desk just behind her. She walked forward past the divider wall and moved farther into the other room of the suite. There was a bed and a desk to her left, and a closet to her right with the bathroom situated between the two closets.

"I spent one obligatory year in the dorms on the coach's orders and had to get the hell out. Way too small for me. Seeing as how you are the first one here you get first choice of the beds! My advice would be to take the one by the window and farthest from the door. It can be quite noisy in the hallways and if you like your sleep you'll enjoy the somewhat solitude of this room."

"Ooh, so true." Cass giggled and walked over to the bed near the window. She looked out the window, which showed a nice view of the campus and noted the numerous pine trees native to the North Florida area near the red-brick dormitory. She turned to her right and looked right at Dakota who had stepped forward to look at the view as well.

Dakota turned and caught Cass's gaze, once again losing herself in the mesmerizing greens. She stared deeply and felt her heart race at what she felt looking into them. She blinked rapidly, bringing herself back to the present when she didn't see an interest towards her in them. "Well, listen I've got to go. Uhmmm, I'll meet you at my house at six to go over your class schedule and my schedule. My address is in your packet of information, don't be late." She warned curtly with her demeanor quickly turning sour and she hurriedly left the room, closing the door behind her.

Cass was taken back by her mood change and wondered what she did to upset the woman. She walked to the bed and flopped down on it, sighing deeply. She stared up at the ceiling and wondered why she made the decision to come here. 'What the hell was I thinking? This was a bad idea. I must have looked like a deer in the headlights when she stared at me. She makes me so freaking nervous. What if I didn't want to go to her house tonight?' She questioned and jumped up when the door opened. "Dakota?" She asked, somewhat hopeful the attractive woman had returned.

"No, wishful thinking huh? Where'd she go?" Brooke asked when she entered the room.

"She left a few minutes ago, in a hurry. She is freaking weird!" Cass explained and flopped back on the bed.

"How do you mean?" Brooke asked and sat on the bed next to her.

"Well, she was kind of being nice and carrying on a pleasant conversation with me. I was looking out the window and turned to see her staring at me. Her mood changed really quickly and she became cold."

"That is weird, but I bet it's because she has the hots for you!" Brooke laughed and nudged her friend.

"I seriously doubt that. You should have seen her ogling the two blondes with the huge tits that passed by us. I thought for sure she was going to bed them right then and there!" Cass said with a laugh.

"And I bet you were wishing she was bedding you!" Brooke countered with a hearty laugh.

"You are so freaking bad! Let's go get some lunch I'm starving!" Cass demanded with a giggle and patted her friend's leg as she moved to stand up. "Oh, by the way I've snagged the room by the window." She added and scrunched up her nose teasingly.

"Even better for me. My bed will be closer to the door and easier access to sneak the ladies in without bothering you too much." She laughed and followed her friend out of the room.

"Just try to keep the moaning and groaning down." Cass quipped and the two women laughed harder as they walked down the hall.

***

'What is up with her? Sometimes the way she looks at me says she's interested in me and I caught her checking me out a few times in the meeting, but by her actions it seems like she doesn't want anything to do with me.' Dakota was confused as she hurriedly walked towards the gym for her workout. 'I can't believe it!' She grew angrier as she entered the weight room.

"What's up with you sis?" The male voice asked when he stepped in front of her.

"Women." She answered with a twinge of anger in her voice as she looked up at Owen, her brother, who was slightly taller by a couple of inches. His blue eyes, extremely muscular body and dark hair that was hidden underneath a baseball cap turned backwards, matched hers.

"Since when do you have trouble with women? They fall at your feet!" He quipped sarcastically and laughed.

"Since they act like they don't?never mind. You ready to workout?" She stopped her comment and quickly changed the subject.

"Ready when you are." He smirked and followed her towards the free weights.

"I need to work off some pent up sexual frustration from my thoughts of Cass." She said under her breath, thinking about the attractive woman.

"What did you say?"

"I was just wondering why Chad wasn't here yet." She lied and glanced up at her brother then back down to the weights as she put them on the bar hoping he didn't hear what she said.

"Our dear brother is probably doing some chick in the locker room again." He chuckled and moved behind the weighted bar to spot his sister.

"Sounds good to me!" She laughed and moved the heavy bar off the bench, to begin the bench press exercises.



Chapter 2



After a busy afternoon of shopping for toiletries, decorations and snack food for their dorm room, Cass and Brooke had finally finished unpacking. They flopped on Cass's bed, and tired looked around the room pleased with their decorating prowess.

"I think the room looks great!" Brooke patted her friend on the leg.

"I agree, but I'm so tired and we still have to lug those boxes to the dumpster. Ugh!" Cass sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Eeh, it will only take a few minutes and we'll be finished. Then we can play!" Brooke smiled enthusiastically.

"I will have to wait on playing. I'm supposed to meet Dakota at her place to go over our schedules." She rolled her eyes apathetically. The woman just didn't seem to be too impressed with her and wasn't very pleasant.

"Ooh, very nice that you get to check out her house." Brooke teased nudging Cass with her elbow.

"Would you stop it? She is no more interested in me than she is in getting a gynecological exam!" Both women laughed hysterically at her comment.

Brooke was finally able to stop laughing and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm not sure Cass, you're the only one she looked at in the meeting and she did walk you over here and asked you to go to her place."

"Don't you have a meeting with your mentor too?"

"Okay, point taken, but she was checking you out so that is something." Brooke grinned.

"She was probably thinking 'look at that idiot' when I was talking."

"Nah, come on you're hot, she likes you, I'm sure of it."

"I doubt it and thanks for the compliment. Well, let me get going so I don't give her a reason to be nastier to me than she already is." Cass stood up, and then walked to the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror and brushed her hair.

"Why do you think she's so nasty?" Brooke had walked to the bathroom and was standing in the doorway watching Cass applying lip-gloss.

"I have no idea. It's really strange because I catch her staring at me and then all of a sudden something changes with her and she becomes cold. I don't know what's up with her." She smoothed out her shirt, and then sprayed on some perfume.

"Maybe she's embarrassed that you caught her checking you out or she's playing hard to get."

"Who knows, but I'm out of here." Cass grinned and walked past her into her portion of the room. She leaned down and grabbed her backpack, then stood up. "Hey do you know where this street is?" She asked and held the paper up with the address on it for Brooke to see.

"Yeah, it's on the other side of the campus by the law school, which is just west of the football stadium. If you stand right in front of the law school, the road will be directly in front of you." She explained and motioned with her hands, imitating her directions.

"Thanks, and I'll help you with the boxes when I get back. I'll catch you later." Cass smiled and winked, then walked towards the door.

"Have fun hun!" Brooke grinned mischievously.

Cass opened the door and drew a smiley face on the message board on the door that said, 'Cass & Brooke's room' and waved before shutting the door.

***

Dakota turned her head and looked at the door when she heard it open. "It's about time, you're late."

"The other cheerleaders were late for our pictures. Can you ever forgive me?" The slender, lanky long-haired brunette with the husky voice asked and smiled seductively, slowly walking towards Dakota who was leaning back in a recliner.

"I'm sure I can think of some way for you to get my forgiveness." Dakota replied flirtatiously. She looked the leggy woman up and down who approached, and stopped in front of her.

"Does this help?" She whispered seductively. She leaned down and lustfully kissed Dakota.

"Hmmm, a little." She moaned and rubbed her hand up the woman's leg, under her skirt.

"I think there is something in there that you will like." She slipped her tongue past Dakota's lips and kissed her deeply enjoying the feeling of Dakota's hand gliding along her bare skin.

"You're right; I love it when cheerleaders have nothing on under their outfits." She broke the kiss and moved her hand from the bare backside to between the woman's legs.

"I am so wet for you. On my way over here all I could think about was how much I missed you while you were in Europe and how I couldn't wait to have sex with you again." She whispered hoarsely and traced Dakota's lips with her tongue. She gasped when she felt Dakota's hand touch her wet mound.

"Well, come up here and let me satisfy your urge." Dakota offered enticingly and took her hand, leading her around to the front of the chair. She intently watched as the woman climbed onto the chair and straddled her. "I have a surprise for you too." She grinned coyly and removed the blanket that was covering the lower portion of her naked body.

"Oh, you look delicious and you're wearing just what I've been waiting for." She smiled excitedly and moved over the erect dildo attached to Dakota.

Dakota slid her hands up the woman's legs to her hips and helped to guide her over the sex toy. She watched closely as she lowered her mound over the dildo, quickly taking it in. She looked up and saw the sultry brunette bite her lip when she felt the thick dildo slid inside of her.

"Either you've been away too long or you've gotten bigger." She commented throatily and looked down at Dakota with a sultry smile.

"I've gotten bigger." Dakota smiled seductively and pushed her pelvis up, holding it there as the woman began to slowly move up and down on the dildo.

"It feels wonderful. Oh, Dakota I've missed you so much." She whispered in obvious delight and leaned down kissing the woman below her.

Dakota reached around and unzipped her uniform. She opened the back and pulled it forward off the woman's shoulders. She broke the kiss and leaned up, capturing the large, brown nipple in her mouth and began to suck the sensitive area. Her eyes darted upward when the woman moaned and threw her head back while slowly moving up and down on the large dildo.

Dakota moved her hands up the woman's bare back and held her by the shoulders and then moved her mouth to her neck. "I'm not sure you really missed me all that much." She was toying with the woman as she lightly nibbled on her neck

"Would you just shut up and fuck me." The woman ordered and moved up and down on the dildo faster.

Her adamant demands were an aphrodisiac to Dakota. "I guess you're a little horny huh Leila?" She snickered and bit down harder on her neck.

"You have no idea. Now, put me on that bed, spread my legs wide and fuck me like you have never fucked me before." She demanded in a low tone, motioning towards the bed.

Dakota smiled at her forcefulness and stood up with the woman wrapped around her to oblige her command.

***

"Hi, I'm here to meet with Dakota." Cass greeted with a smile and was surprised by the tall, handsome man standing in the doorway.

"Hello, I'm Owen her brother." He smiled and shook her hand. He released her hand and moved to the side so she could enter. "Have a seat, I'll get her." He offered and closed the door once she stepped inside. He motioned to the couch with his hand and walked away.

Cass moved towards the couch and sat down. She looked around the living room noting the stark difference from her dorm room. 'This room is actually my dorm room.' She chuckled inwardly and looked at the big screen TV in the corner of the room. 'What in the hell is she doing?' She wondered and looked down at her watch, acting as if she had somewhere else to be. She looked down at the hardwood floors and smiled as they reminded her of home. 'All the neon flashing beer signs don't remind me of home though.' She snickered as she looked at the flashing beer sign on the wall above the bar. 'This place looks like a frat house.' She looked away from the sign when Owen entered the room.

"She'll be here in a minute. Can I get you a drink or something?" He offered with a smile.

"Oh, no thank you." She smiled back appreciatively.

"Okay, just let me know if you need anything." He exited the room.

Cass lifted her backpack onto her lap and opened it. She removed the calendar from the packet to find out the practice and workout schedule. 'Damn we have weight training tomorrow? They don't waste any time.' She frowned and looked up when she heard a door close. She looked down when she realized it was Owen rummaging around in the refrigerator.

***

Dakota hurriedly donned her clothes as Leila pulled her uniform back on. "Why is she here?" Leila asked with an incredulous tone.

"I told her to meet me here to go over our schedules." Dakota answered and slid her gym shorts on.

"Since when do you have new players here to go over schedules?" She asked with a twinge of jealousy and planted her hands on her hips as she stared at Dakota.

"What business is it of yours as to whether or not I meet with a new player at my home?" Dakota asked in an angry tone.

Dakota exited the room. Leila inhaled deeply then exhaled, irritated by how Dakota cast her aside and followed her down the hall.

***

"Hey Cass." Dakota greeted when she entered the living room.

"Hey!" Cass looked up and smiled.

"Are you ready to get started?" She asked and moved towards the couch where Cass was still sitting.

"Well, hello. I hear you're a new player. I'm Leila." The tall woman greeted as she walked past Dakota to shake Cass' hand.

"Hi, aah yes I'm Cass." She shook the offered hand and was caught off guard as she didn't know someone else was there. 'Cheerleader hmmm?' Cass looked at the attractive brown-eyed woman and was slightly intimidated by the glare she gave her.

Dakota stood fuming that Leila introduced herself to Cass and flashed a menacing sideways glance her way.

"Well, darling I'll see you later." Leila smirked and turned to Dakota, then glanced at Cass saying in a deep, seductive tone, "it was a pleasure." She looked back at Dakota to kiss her. Dakota did not reciprocate the kiss.

Cass looked back down at her paperwork suddenly feeling like she was intruding.

"Thanks for that wonderful tryst." Leila huskily told Dakota with a smirk and walked towards the door.

'Fucking bitch!' Dakota fumed within and her blue eyes darted towards the woman who stood at the door, letting her know exactly what her thoughts were.

"Damn, she acts like a male dog marking her territory and I happen to be the tree.' Cass thought, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Leila grinned and exited the house.

"Aah, sorry." Dakota stammered as she looked back at Cass.

"It's none of my business." Cass answered, acting as if the situation didn't bother her.

Dakota noted the casual attitude and it didn't sit well with her. "Yeah, you're right. Let's get on with this. Come on we'll sit at the table." The anger in her tone was evident. She turned, and then walked away.

'These people are fucking whacked! I thought southern hospitality was better than this!' She grabbed her belongings and stood up, then walked to the table to join Dakota.

***

Dakota issued the academic information packet her coach had put together for Cass and advised her she was there if she needed help in any areas of study.

Once they were finished, Dakota walked Cass to the door and opened it for her. "I'll see you tomorrow for weight training." She looked at Cass, and then looked away.

"Okay, well thanks." Cass smiled hesitantly and stepped outside then looked back.

Their gaze met and both women stood silently staring at one another, unsure of what to say or do next. Dakota's heart raced as she looked deeply into Cass's eyes. 'Why does she act as if she doesn't know me?' She wondered and grew angry that she acted that way. "Later." She said coldly and closed the door.

"Well, that was a waste of my time. They should have just given me the packet at the meeting. I'm sick of the way Dakota looks at me and how shitty she treats me. I'm going to avoid her like the plague as much as I can. I don't give a damn if she is my mentor or not!" She walked down the road towards the dorms. "To think I idolized that woman or maybe it's just that I lusted after her. She may have the looks, but her personality sucks!" She exclaimed and picked up her pace as she walked across the sprawling campus.



Chapter 3



Cass had high hopes for being at the university, but she was struggling to stay afloat. She was behind in her class work and her test scores reflected the insufficiency. She was overwhelmed with her hectic schedule of classes, athletic training obligations with the football team, weight training sessions and fall softball practice that was beginning later that day. Not to mention the fact that she was barely getting any sleep.

She sat in her human anatomy class trying to stay awake and got the news she had been dreading. They were to begin dissecting cadavers next week. She made a fist trying to calm the trembling in her hands at the thought of seeing a dead person and suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

'I can't do it.' She felt her eyes water uncontrollably at the thought. She gathered her belongings and quickly exited through the back of the large class.

She headed towards the bathroom and burst through the door. She hurried to the sink and turned on the cold water, splashing her face with it. She looked up in the mirror as she wiped the water away and noted her haggard look.

Her hair looked as if she hadn't brushed it in a couple of days and the dark circles under her eyes indicated her sleep deprivation. "You look great!" She remarked facetiously out loud and rolled her eyes. 'Get a grip, you have to do this and make it through!' She coaxed and threw the paper towel in the trashcan. She reached for the door handle and inhaled deeply, then exhaled as she opened the door. 'It can't get worse.' She thought and stepped out into the hallway jam packed with students, stopping when she saw Brooke approach.

"Hey, it's about time I found you. Coach is looking for you. She asked that I send you over to her right away." Brooke was out of breath after running up to her.

'It got worse.' She sighed nervous that she was in deep trouble. 'Why wouldn't I be in trouble? I have missed classes and weight training sessions, which I'm sure Dakota was more than happy to point out to her.' Her thoughts had a hint of angered sarcasm with her comment about Dakota. 'I swear that woman has it out for me.' She thought and realized that Brooke must think she's a freak for just standing there dumbfounded without saying a word. "Okay, thanks I'll head over now." She grimaced and walked away.

"Good luck!" Brooke shouted and watched as her friend waved back without turning around. She was worried that Cass was heading for a breakdown from the way she was handling her responsibilities.

***

Cass walked into the athletic department and stood in front of the closed door to her coach's office. She reached up to knock and heard shouting coming from the office. She leaned her ear closer to the door and recognized the voices as Dakota's and her coach's. 'Damn, what is she doing? Telling on me? I can't believe I idolized that bitch.' She moved closer to the door.

"Kody! Sit down and listen to me. You're her mentor, you should have been more aware of what was going on."

"Look, I'm not her babysitter coach! I've told her to get her ass to our workouts and to class. What do you want me to do, hold her hand and walk her to class and our workouts?" Dakota sarcastically threw back while pacing back and forth.

"If that's what it takes, do it! We need her on this team and at the rate she is going she won't be academically eligible! This is what you are going to do. I'm holding you responsible for her getting to her classes, to workouts, practice and you are going to tutor her with the classes she's having problems in. The whole point of this mentoring program was to prevent this sort of thing and to give the mentors a taste of responsibility and teamwork for when you get out into the real world." The older brown-haired woman sat back in her chair.

Dakota stood with her arms folded over her chest listening to her coach's tirade and looked up at the ceiling. She sighed and was mad that she was put into this position by Cass who was not doing anything to help her situation. She looked back at her coach with her lips pursed in anger.

Her coach leaned forward in her chair and rested her arms on the desk before her. "Fortunately, we caught the problem early enough and we can nip it in the bud. I expected more from you with this Kody. All the other players have no problem with their rookies. You're the captain of this team and you were chosen for your leadership qualities. I want to see this problem resolved ASAP!" She shouted emphatically and turned her chair around with her back to Dakota who took the hint to leave.

Coach Wills kept close tabs on all of her student athletes and would have never allowed Cass to get to a point where academically she couldn't recover. She had called the meeting with Dakota to express her wishes and she would soon emphasize the same thing with Cass.

Dakota forcefully opened the door and was surprised to see Cass standing there. She closed the door behind her. "Figures!" She fumed and pushed past her, quickly walking down the hall.

Cass sighed dejected and felt bad she was the reason Dakota had been crawled on the carpet.

***

Cass lightly tapped on the door then opened it and stuck her head inside. "Coach Wills?"

"Come on in Cass and have a seat." She motioned with her hand to the chair.

'Damn, I'm going to get slammed.' Cass chewed on the inside of her cheek nervous and sat in the chair placing her backpack in her lap. She tightly clutched her backpack as a security blanket and waited for the onslaught she knew she deserved.

"Cass, I've been checking your class grades and I want to nip any impending academic problems in the bud with you. I've also been told you've missed a few workouts. What is going on?" She leaned forward and rested her arms on the desk, looking at Cass for an answer.

"Well, aah I've been overwhelmed with my schoolwork, athletic training obligations and workout schedules. I've aah fallen behind and I'm trying hard to catch up." She stammered nervously.

"You haven't been doing a very good job of catching up Cass. This is what you are going to do to get back on track. You will set up times to meet with Kody for tutoring so there won't be a problem. I don't want any more missed workouts either. I still don't understand why you didn't go to her for help before it got to this point. That's why we have this program set up." She explained in a serious tone as she stared at the visibly frightened woman before her.

"I'm sorry coach; I thought I could handle it myself." Cass answered and inhaled deeply, then exhaled. 'Maybe I should tell her that Dakota is so cold to me that I try at all costs to avoid her.' She was still baffled as to why the woman had such a dislike for her. She shifted her backpack in her lap and moved forward in the chair. "I promise that I will pick up my grades and I won't miss any more workouts." Cass assured her with a slight smile.

"Make it happen. I don't want to have this conversation again. If it continues, the next one we have will be me revoking your scholarship." She threatened and headed to the door. She opened it and looked at Cass who slowly rose from the chair.

Cass was embarrassed and felt bad for letting her coach down. "I'm sorry." She said regretfully with an apologetic look standing before her coach who was of the same height as her.

"Show me by turning your life around. I'll see you at practice." She emphasized with a slight smile and watched as Cass exited the room, then closed the door.

Cass inhaled deeply and wiped the tears from her eyes. She blew out the breath and hurriedly walked down the hall, exiting the building. She slipped her arm into the strap of her backpack and flipped it onto her back, then slipped the opposite arm through the other strap. 'Okay Cass, get with it and tighten up. You can't leave here. It's your only chance to make something of your athletic life and get a free education.' She looked up at the sunny sky and closed her eyes, reveling in the calming feeling the warm sun had on her. She smiled and headed towards her dorm to change for practice.

Dakota was standing by a tree with her arms folded over her chest out of sight from Cass. She watched as the woman that sent her senses soaring walked off, lost in her own little world. 'Why are you hurting me this way Cass? Why are you pretending that you don't know me?' She wondered as she watched Cass walk farther out of sight. 'If that's how you want it, I can play that game?only better.' She thought angrily and walked away.

***

Despite the rigorous drills of practice Cass surprisingly found them to be energizing. Batting practice allowed her to release a lot of her frustration and tension.

"Okay, infield! I want to work on turning two. Outfield, go with Coach Dennis and work on diving to catch short fly balls." The coach called out as the outfielders headed into the field with the Assistant Coach and the infielders gathered around Coach Wills. "Brandy, take third base, Kody-short, Penny take first base, Dot you're on the mound, Sue behind the plate and Cass you're at second." The Coach called out and moved off the field as the players hustled to their positions. "The rest of you will be our runners. Okay let's go ladies." She clapped to get them moving faster and waited for the players to settle in at their positions.

Cass stopped at her position and looked to her right at Dakota who was playing shortstop, then to Penny at first base and to Brandy at third base. 'I can't believe I'm in the starting infield lineup with two all-Americans, one who was on the Olympic softball team and the other an all-conference player.' She was excited yet very nervous. 'Please don't screw up, don't screw up.' She chanted pleadingly and tapped the inside of her glove trying to psych herself up as she moved into a crouching position, ready to field the ball.

The coach hit a grounder to shortstop and Dakota effortlessly fielded the ball, and then quickly threw the ball to second, which sailed into the outfield after Cass was late getting to the bag for the throw.

'Damn!' She cursed frustrated and ran into the outfield to retrieve the ball. "Sorry!" She called out and threw the ball to the catcher who tossed it to the coach.

Dakota smoothed out the clay on the field with her foot and shook her head, not amused by the fact that Cass was late getting to the bag for the play.

"Let's try it again." The coach yelled and hit the ball to Dakota who again fielded the ball and tossed it to second base.

Cass caught the ball and tagged the base with her left foot, then threw the ball across her body to first base which went straight into the dirt.

'Shit!' She fumed, nervous and frustrated as she knew everyone was looking at her.

"Let's go Storms, tighten up!" Dakota shouted angrily and tapped her glove frustrated with the inferior play as she crouched down into position.

"Come on Cass, you can do it!" Penny shouted encouragingly.

Cass pounded her glove trying to snap herself into playing better. 'Come on, get with it!' She demanded of herself.

The coach hit a ground ball to her and she fielded it cleanly, and then turned to fire it to second base.

Dakota ran towards second base. She wanted to time the throw from Cass just right that she could tag the base and make the throw to first base successfully to turn the double play. She had to lunge for the ball, which was too far out in front of her and sailed towards third base. She jumped over the runner who slid into second and walked over closer to Cass who sheepishly looked at her.

"I'm sorry." Cass said softly.

"Stop being sorry and get it right. Throw the ball at the bag, waist high!" She shouted exasperated with the woman and sprinted back to shortstop.

"Lay off of her Kody!" Dot warned as she stared at her from the pitcher's mound.

"Whatever!" Dakota retorted and readied for the next play.

"Ladies!" The coach warned sternly. She hit the ball to the pitcher and Dakota took the throw at second to make the play. The coach avoided hitting the ball to Cass so she could gather her composure.

'I'm not going to make it here. I can't play like I'm supposed to here.' Cass worried as she watched the other players taking their turns with groundballs pleased that she had a reprieve from them for now.

***

The coach had a meeting with the team and dismissed them for the day.

"Hey! How'd you do?" Brooke asked enthusiastically as she ran up to Cass who was walking out of the ball park.

"I sucked big time, Brooke." Cass answered dejectedly and fought hard to keep her tears from falling.

"Oh, it can't be that bad." Brooke tried to lighten the mood and threw her arm over Cass's shoulder.

"It was bad. Dakota yelled at me a bunch of times and I couldn't do anything right."

"At least you didn't throw the ball and hit the coach in the balls!" Brooke laughed.

"You didn't?" Cass asked surprised and laughed.

"I most certainly did." She answered and both women laughed harder.

"Don't be late to our meeting tomorrow Cass. I'll meet you at the tower at noon." Dakota warned coldly as she ran by. She climbed onto her bicycle and rode out of sight.

"She hates me!" Cass expressed exasperated with the woman.

"Nah, she wants you!" Brooke joked and smiled.

"You are so full of it!" Cass countered and shook her head in disbelief of her friend's persistent insinuation.

Brook looked away and smiled at the woman who was walking past them. "Bye Michelle."

Cass chuckled as she looked at Brooke who had an obvious smitten smile on her face.

"See ya at Fat Tuesday's later." The strawberry blonde answered with a smile and climbed into her car.

"She's freaking gorgeous." Brooke commented as she watched the woman drive away.

"Isn't she straight?"

"I don't think so. She looks like a dyke." Brooke shrugged her shoulders unsure as to whether she was a lesbian.

"Just because she looks like a dyke it doesn't mean she is one!"

"Well, she asked me out to the bar and she was very chatty with me all day. I think she wants me." Brooke smiled conceitedly as the pair walked towards their dorm.

"That doesn't mean squat. Besides, you think everyone who looks at you wants you." Cass chuckled and bumped into her friend teasingly.

"Haha, we'll see." She giggled and grasped Cass's arm as the pair picked up their pace.

Cass shook her head and laughed at Brooke's arrogance with women.



Chapter 4



Brooke had talked Cass into joining her at the bar for a drink. The pair waited at the door as the bouncer was checking ID's. Cass looked at Brooke who was craning and straining her neck side to side, up and down looking past the people in line into the crowded bar.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a chuckle.

"I'm checking out the scene. It is packed; ooh I see that lovely morsel Michelle."

Cass chuckled and shook her head amazed by how expressive her friend was when it came to checking out the ladies. She looked up at the bounce and smiled when she handed him her ID. He quickly glanced at it and nodded his head to let her know she could enter. "Damn, it is packed in here!" Cass looked back and waited for Brooke to come in.

"Let's head to the back where Michelle is standing." Brooke advised and grabbed Cass's hand to lead her through the crowded bar.

"Hey guys, it's about time you got here." Michelle greeted when the pair made it to the table.

"Wow, this place is jam packed. It's like Mardi Gras!" Cass chuckled and looked around the bar filled with college students and noted the band that was playing in the corner.

"This is nothing, wait until later!" Michelle informed them with a laugh and took a sip of her drink.

"What do you want to drink? I'm buying." Brooke offered to Cass.

"Get me whatever you are drinking." Cass answered and smiled appreciative of the offer.

"You got it. Do you all need anything?" She asked towards the other women standing there.

"No, we are good. I'll go with you." Michelle smiled and walked away with Brooke.

'Hmmm, maybe Brooke isn't so full of shit. Maybe Michelle is interested in her.' Cass smiled and looked around the room feeling happy that she had decided to join Brooke. She felt her muscles relax and she was able to take her mind off her troubles.

"Cass, don't let Dakota intimidate you." Penny moved closer to her so Cass could hear her.

"I think she hates me." Cass admitted with a roll of the eyes.

"Nah, she just likes to try and intimidate people to see if she can. Don't give into her. Just tell her to blow it out her ass and she'll back off!" She offered and laughed as did Cass.

"Thanks, I'll try that."

"I'm sure it will work." Penny smiled encouragingly.

"Here ya go." Brooke smiled and handed her the orange frozen drink.

Cass laughed and looked at the drink. "What is it?"

Brooke leaned closer to her. "It's just what you need to forget your problems for a little while, a 190 octane drink." She chuckled and tapped her glass against Cass's. "Bottoms up!" She cheerfully said and took a sip of her drink.

Cass laughed and took a sip of hers. "Wow that is strong!" She commented after swallowing the drink.

"But so delicious!" Brooke laughed and took another sip.

***

Cass was relieved that Brooke, Penny and Michelle had finally allowed her off the dance floor. They had been on there non-stop for thirty minutes. She walked back over to the table winded and sweaty. She drank the remainder of her drink and wiped the sweat off her brow. 'Aah, that is so good. Whew, I think I'm drunk.' She blew out her breath and chuckled. She felt a bit off balance and sat down. She looked up after settling into her chair. 'Oh, what does that whacko want with me?' She wondered when she saw Leila heading her way.

"Hello. Cass right?" She asked after stopping by the table.

"Yeah, you're who again?" Cass was in no mood for the woman's games and the drink had added to her feeling of absolute arrogance.

"Leila." The woman replied with a grimace.

"Oh, yeah. So, what's up?"

"What is your deal with Dakota?"

"I have no deal with Dakota. She is my teammate. What is your deal with her?" Cass threw back sarcastically.

"My deal is that I fuck her regularly."

"Well, that's good for you, but why is that of importance to me?" Cass asked and moved her head side to side and shrugged her shoulders.

"Because she talks about you and I caught her staring at you many times this evening."

'I didn't even know she was here.' Cass slyly looked past Leila. She caught a glimpse of Dakota sitting at a table at the front of the bar. "It sounds to me like you need to talk to Dakota about her fascination with me."

"Oh, I will, but I just want you to know that Dakota is mine. Back off." The woman threatened Cass.

"Duly noted, but maybe you should clarify that with Dakota especially if she talks about me and has been checking me out this evening. Maybe Dakota doesn't want to be yours."

"Hey ladies, what's going on?" Brooke asked after she walked up with Michelle and Penny. She looked between Cass and Leila for an answer.

"Leila was just staking her claim and felt the need to tell me about it." Cass laughed tauntingly and looked at Brooke then back to Leila.

"Just remember what I said." Leila warned and walked away.

"What was that?" Brooke asked confused and looked at the woman walking away, then back to Cass.

"It was a dog marking its territory." Cass replied staring at Dakota across the bar who was looking back at her. 'What is your deal? Why are you staring at me and talking about me so much that your girlfriend had to approach me? You act like you hate me, yet from what I hear you seem to be interested. Why me though?'

'You are so beautiful. Why do you act the way you do towards me?' Dakota questioned while staring at Cass from across the bar. Her view was blocked by Leila who stood before her.

"What are you staring at?" Leila asked in an angry tone knowing damn well what she was staring at.

"It's none of your business who I look at." Dakota retorted in an incredulous tone.

"It is my business, you're mine."

"I'm nobody's. I don't belong to you or anyone else. Did you forget that fact? We have an open relationship and I see whomever I want too." Dakota reminded her angrily. She stood up and finished her drink. She placed the cup down on the table and reached into her pocket.

"Baby." Leila replied and put her hand on Dakota's arm.

Dakota moved her arm and threw some money on the table. "Later!" She glared at her and walked away, quickly exiting the bar. She walked out to the corner of University and hailed a cab.

"Damn!" Leila snapped and sat down next to her friend.

"What is up with her lately?" Her friend asked.

"That is what is up with her lately." Leila looked towards Cass who was sitting with her friends laughing.

"She's interested in her?"

"Yep and I'm going to find out why. I've invested too much in this relationship with Dakota to allow this little tart to get in my way. I've looked the other way with the numerous women she's had one night stands with, but not this one. She has something more with her and I'm going to find out what it is. She will not take Dakota from me." She guaranteed angrily as she continued to stare at Cass who was oblivious to her plan.

***

Cass ran up to the tower panting heavily and looking around for Dakota. She didn't see her and checked her watch. 'Damn, I'm five minutes late. Where the hell is she?' She did a three hundred and sixty degree turn looking for Dakota and exhaled deeply. 'Shit, she is going to be so pissed off.'

"I knew you would be late." Dakota replied in a deep tone.

Cass turned around startled when she heard her voice. "It's five minutes." She protested as she stared at Dakota.

"The point is to be on time. I was here on time and I hate to wait." Dakota retorted and walked away.

Cass sighed and rolled her eyes then began to follow her. Dakota walked across the grass towards a building on the other side of the lawn.

"What is your problem?" Cass asked angrily and pulled Dakota's arm to stop her. They stopped under a tree away from the other students and faced one another. "Why are you on me all the time?" Cass stepped closer to Dakota.

"I can't stand slackers and that's what you are."

"I'm a slacker?" Cass took offense to the comment.

"Yeah, a slacker." Dakota answered and moved closer to Cass.

"Just how do you figure that?" Cass was growing angrier by the second.

"You miss workouts, classes and you're barely passing. You look lackadaisical at practice like you don't give a shit and you missed school for a year before going to a junior college to play softball and you act like you don't know me.."

"Did it ever occur to you that I am overwhelmed with classes and workouts? Besides, why does it matter to you the path I chose to get here? I don't understand what you are trying to get at Dakota!" Cass shouted angrily and animatedly moved her hands to emphasize her point. She felt her emotions boiling to the top and knew she was going to lose it. She didn't want to cry in front of Dakota, but she felt it coming on.

"Don't you remember at softball camp when we were sixteen?" Dakota began to explain, but was interrupted by Cass.

"That's why you have been a royal bitch to me is because of a softball camp when we were teenagers? How fucking stupid is that? You hate me over something that happened years ago? Give me a break! You have no idea the hell I've gone through in my life and for you to hold some kind of grudge against me from softball camp years ago, it's ridiculous!" She shouted angrily and began to cry.

Dakota was shocked and didn't know what to say. She stood there flabbergasted and felt bad that she made Cass cry. "Cass." She said softly and reached to touch her arm.

"Don't touch me." Cass defensively said and pulled away. "I've got to go!" She turned and ran off across the campus.

Dakota stood staring at her as she ran away and felt a pang in her heart. "I'm sorry." She said softly and felt a deep sense of regret. 'She's right; I don't know what happened to her and I shouldn't judge her. From her reaction, she must have been deeply hurt. Maybe I should be nicer. I'll wait until she wants to tell me what happened and I won't bring up softball camp again.' Dakota headed off across campus following the trail Cass had just made.


Continued?



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September 2004