Weird dreams.

I jerked awake and rolled over to see myself naked on top of my bed covers. My muscles were still sore, and there were tiny crescent-shaped scabs in my palms, but my head felt fine. I had little glimpses of memory floating in my mind, seemingly untethered. I remembered Ashley washing me in the shower. Her gentle smile and red curls.

I could also vaguely remember her caressing my limp, useless dick, soaping it over and over again. I could feel her take my hand and place it on her ample and firm breast. She was moaning as she fingered herself vigorously. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. That had to have been a dream. I have always thought Ashley was sexy, that I could not deny. I had lust, but with no ability to act on it—a consequence of my mother's experiments and the virus that plagued us all. But Ashley would never do something like that. It must've been a dream.

I sat up and stretched. I saw my clothes strewn across my floor. I stood up and picked a pair of clean underwear and sweatpants out of my closet. After dressing myself, at least a little bit, I walked out into the loft and saw Ashley bundled up in blankets on the couch watching TV. She paused her show when she saw me and sat up. "Hey. How ya feel?"

"Uh... sore," I answered honestly before walking to the fridge. I was starving.

"Really, no headache or anything?" She asked as if she didn't believe my answer.

"Uh... nope," I said, grabbing the orange juice. My mouth salivated. "Muscles are sore, that's all I guess."

Ashley watched as I chugged what was left of the OJ in one go. "You were pretty smashed last night. What happened?"

I gasped and wiped my mouth on my bare arm. I reached into the fridge and pulled the milk out too.

"Ah! Don't drink all that too! You'll make yourself sick!" She called.

I pulled a bowl down from the shelf and then ran into the pantry. I came out with two boxes of sugary cereal and poured one into the bowl and then the milk. I didn't wait for the cereal to soften a little like I usually did, as my hunger consumed me. I took a spoon and shoveled the little colored donuts into my mouth. Spoonful after spoonful.

Ashley walked over and stared in awe as I downed the bowl in a matter of minutes then proceeded to pour another bowl bigger than the last. "Are... you okay?" She asked. Staring at me in bewilderment.

"Yesh," I answered with my mouth full. "I-jusht haven't eaten... in awhile." I swallowed the delicious mush.

I looked at my best friend over in detail for the first time this morning. She wore a white tank top that showed her cream-colored bra under it. Her perfect red waves with dark-colored roots seemed to flow effortlessly to her shoulder, which was covered by a loose, grey, unzipped hoodie. She wore dark leggings that seemingly stuck to her legs. She was taller than me, but not a giant. Her chocolate eyes matched her bright dyed-red hair perfectly, which flowed beautifully, framing her face.

For a brief moment, I got lost in her little chocolate-colored galaxies as I had so many times before. "What?" She asked, smiling.

I snapped out of it and returned to my cereal. "Uh, nothing." She watched as I finished the bowl and downed the milk left in it.

"Greg." She said softly.

"Hmm?" I turned to her. Her brown eyes looked at me, revealing her emotion.

"What did you do after the dissertation?" She looked me dead in the eye with worry plastered all over her face.