Testing social boundaries.

Melanie takes you up to her room where she has you and Amina sit on her bed while she grabs a chair. She has a tripod set up with a camera already mounted and now adjusts the height to train in on the two of you. You silently watch as she adjusts the lighting with spotlights and blinders. It becomes obvious she's used her room as a video studio before. "You guys don't mind if I record this, right?" she asks belatedly. You shake her head and Amina agrees. "Great! Almost ready to begin."

Melanie bends down so she's in camera view and sets it to record. "OK..." She then sits then and pulls out a pen and notepad, "I think we're all set now. Let's begin!" She smiles at you both. You smile back weakly, still not sure what is going on. After an awkward silence, Mel goes, "Oh! Right, let me give you the brief. I'm working on understanding social barriers between people based on their relationships with one another. For example, Amina, you seem pretty close to Riley..."

Amina looks at you and then nods, "Yeah..."

"How would you describe your relationship? Friends? More than friends?"

"He's my master," Amina states bluntly. Mel's eyes dart to you, so you feel the need to interject.

"That's... that's just a little inside joke between the two of us," you laugh, hopefully not too nervously. "We're good friends."

"How long have you known each other?" the researcher asks, jotting down notes.

"We met yesterday," Amina answers plainly.

"It feels like yesterday... really it's been, what? Since the start of the semester... so maybe three months?" you fill in, trying not to raise further questioning. This is beginning to feel more like an interrogation...

"Alright, friends for several months, and from the body language between you two, I gather you're close," Melanie concludes. You both agree to this much. "OK, what I want to do is a little test to find out your comfort levels. First, I'd like you to stare into each other's eyes."

You look into Amina's deep green eyes. It feels awkward at first, but after a long silence, you become lost in them. She looks back at you with an intense focus, as if searching your soul through its windows. Melanie chimes in, "Now, Amina, I want you to give me a rating from one to five, where one is the most comfortable feeling in the world, like say laying in a soft mattress bundled up in blankets, and five is unbearable like being covered in mud and rolling through a cactus patch, how are you feeling right now?"

"One," Amina whispers softly, eyes still looking into yours.

"Now, Riley, I want you to touch Amina on the knee," Mel says. You do so and she addresses your companion, "Amina, on the same scale, how do you feel now?"

"One," Amina answers.

"Good. You can stop now."

You reluctantly release your touch and gaze from the genie.

"Now, Amina," Melanie starts with a serious tone, "You and I have just met, correct?"

Amina nod, "Yes."

"OK, Amina, I want you to look into MY eyes..." Melanie states as she drags her chair in front of her test subject. They stare for a long moment. You try not to disturb them. "On a scale of one to five, how are you feeling, Amina?" the tester asks.

"Thr.. two..." Amina answers, a bit more indecisively this time. Melanie slowly places her hand on Amina's lap and rubs it while continuing to stare into the redhead's eyes. You can hear Amina's breathing as her mouth drops slightly. The girl does her best to keep from moving.

"How about now?" Melanie asks, huskily.

"Thr... three..." Amina says.

Melanie leans in and kisses Amina on the lips. It's a soft kiss that barely grazes the other girl's lips, but she leans in for more and the blond gives it to her. Then share a deeper kiss this time, then retract. Both girls are breathing heavily now as they part lips and go for another kiss, this time with tongue. Amina is leaned back and Melanie climbs on top of her as their make out session intensifies.