Stitch by Samantha Durante Page B

exhaustive.”
    “That must have been a sight.  I’m sure the library staff appreciates having inebriated students stumbling through the stacks in the middle of the night.”
    Alessa laughed in agreement, then remembered that she’d wanted to ask Janie about what had happened to Nikhil after she left the party.  “Oh, I wanted to tell you, on my way to the library I saw Nikhil in trouble with campus security.  His nose was bleeding like he’d gotten in a fight or something.  Did that happen here?”
    Janie looked surprised.  She thought for a moment.  “I don’t think I saw anything.  After you left, Nikhil stormed out and Josh went to follow him.  I don’t think I saw either of them again after that.”
    “Sorry.”  Alessa couldn’t believe she’d managed to ruin Janie’s night as well.
    Janie shrugged.  “Eh, it was fun while it lasted.”  After a moment, Janie closed the lid on her laptop and set it down on the bed.  “I really don’t feel like doing work today.”
    “Me either,” Alessa agreed.  Too bad she had that paper to tackle.
    “What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Janie asked.
    “I was going to shower and then attempt to get started on my ethics paper, but the showers are all full.”
    “Well, there’s always the bathtub upstairs.”  Alessa knew Janie was half-joking – with only a tub, the attic bathroom was rarely used – but Alessa considered for a moment.  A bath might be just what she needed.
    “Hmm… I might actually go do that,” Alessa replied.
    “I was kidding.”
    “I know.  But I could use a little detox, plus it will give me an excuse to put off work for another hour.”
    Janie reflected, and nodded her head.  “Good point.  Maybe I’ll take one after you.”
    Alessa smiled.  “I’ll let you know how it is.”  With that, Alessa rose from Janie’s bed and headed for the attic.  She swung by the bathroom on her own floor to grab her towel and toiletries then climbed the small staircase to the attic level.
    There wasn’t much on this floor besides a locked storage space and the small bathroom.  Stepping inside the tiny room felt like going back in time, as it was the only lavatory in the house that the university had decided not to modernize.  The bathroom was very simply furnished with just the big white clawfoot tub in the center of the room, leaving only a few feet of space to maneuver on each side of the basin.  A matching pedestal sink was positioned across from the foot of the tub, the same height as the brown chair rail molding.  One glass and bronze wall sconce affixed to the ivory wall above the sink provided a dim light, but on the outer wall running alongside the bath, a high round porthole window set in a dormer shed plenty of sun across the black and white mosaic tile floor.
    Alessa draped her towel over the side of the tub and opened the faucet.  At first the water ran a little brown – sediment accumulated from disuse – but after a few moments, it was streaming in clear and hot.  She plugged the drain and prepared to wait.  As the bath filled, Alessa stepped around to the other side of the tub to peer out the window, her foot nudging something as she did so.  She looked down and found a half-empty box of bubble bath.  Well, apparently she wasn’t the only one who used this bathroom.
    She shook some of the bubble bath powder under the running water.  The scent of lavender filled the room and a fluffy white foam floated to the surface of the water.  The window began to fog from the heat flowing from the tap.  When the water reached the halfway point, Alessa closed the faucet and stripped off her clothes, tossing them in a heap in the corner.
    She touched one tentative toe to the water and immediately withdrew.  It was hot .  Steeling herself, she plunged the full foot into the water.  It seared initially, but after a moment her skin adjusted.  She stepped her other foot in and slowly lowered herself into