Betty Stuart carefully slid her calculus book into her oversized bag, along with her calculator, pencil and eraser, and then headed out of class. Getting into college had been a dream come true for Betty and rather than indulge in the normal freshman year, she had dedicated all of her time to studying.

Now as a sophomore, Betty wondered if she hadn’t missed out on some of the experiences. Her roommate Jenny had been begging her for months to go to an off campus party. Jenny was a fun and lighthearted person who seemed to find little interest in her GPA or showing up to classes on time.

As different as the two of them were, Betty couldn’t help but like Jenny. Her openness and laughter were often contagious, and the two had quickly formed a friendship. For the first time, Betty wanted very much to put her books aside and enjoy a night of fun.

Betty’s mind wandered as she walked along the path leading toward her dorm. All her life, she had been determined and strong willed. In a family where neglect was the only form of love, Betty had decided at a very young age that she would do whatever it took to get out. For her, that meant a scholarship to college.

She worked with a single mindedness toward that goal, excluding anything and everything that didn’t help achieve that goal. When all the other girls were talking about boys, and sex, Betty had never even been to second base.

For several months now, Jenny had been pushing Betty to date a guy named Warren. He was good looking, smart and for some reason, interested in Betty. The fact that Warren was going to be at the spring fling party was another reason why Betty was contemplating putting her books aside for the evening.

She opened the door to her dorm room and came face to face with Jenny who was half naked in bed with a blond haired boy Betty didn’t recognize. She dropped her bag of books in embarrassment and began apologizing. Completely oblivious, Jenny popped up from the bed and sauntered over, leaving the blond boy in her bed.

“Betty, I’m glad you’re back. Warren is really looking forward to the party and I told him you would be there. I set up an appointment at Family Planning for three o’clock today for you,” Jenny said joyously, as if she were not exposed.

Betty felt her face flush as she tried to keep her eyes off of the boy in Jenny’s bed who had begun to slowly masturbate himself. “Why would you do that?” Betty asked feeling confused. “I’ve never even had sex, what would I need to go to Family Planning for?” Betty asked in a hushed whisper trying to avoid looking at the blond.

Jenny giggled. “You’re so funny, Betty. You need to get protection of course. Warren really likes you, and you don’t want to have your first time delayed because you forgot the pill.”

Betty felt her face turn an even darker shade of red. She had no intentions of having sex with a guy she didn’t even know, especially for her first time, but she was so anxious to get away from the scene in front of her that she found herself agreeing.

Jenny squealed with delight and hugged Betty tightly. “Oh, you’ll be so glad you did. Warren is a real catch. Trust me, you’re going to love it.” At that Jenny pulled away and ran back to her bed leaping on top of the blond boy. In a matter of seconds the two had resumed as if there had not been an interruption.

Betty backed out of the dorm as quietly as possible and closed the door behind her with a sigh. She hated to admit that seeing the act made her body feel alive in a way she had never paid attention to before. Suddenly, Betty wanted nothing more than to be able to feel what all the other girls her age felt. She wanted to know the sensation of another person being inside of her.

With a tingling sensation in between her legs, Betty headed out of the dorm and called an Uber. When the driver arrived, she slid into the backseat and gave the man directions to the off-campus Family Planning.

Once she was dropped off, Betty stood in front of the building trying to build up the courage to go inside. It had been one thing to feel bold in the moment, but now that she was here she was second-guessing her decision.

After all having sex was a big deal, especially for someone like her who had so much at stake. She couldn’t afford to get pregnant, or contract some sexual disease. There would be no support system for her should that happen, and she would run the risk of losing everything she had worked so hard for.

As the thoughts ran through her mind, she almost turned around and called for another Uber, but something made her stop. At least if she had protection, she could afford to make the decision later. Without anything, she was certain to place herself in a position where the results could be even more detrimental.

At last, Betty drew in a deep breath and pushed open the door to Family Planning. Her mind made up, she didn’t waste any time looking around, and instead headed straight for the check in counter.

She was surprised when a young man turned to her from behind the desk. She was immediately drawn to his rock hard muscles and unkempt hair. His eyes seemed kind, but there was a roughness and attitude about how he carried himself that pulled her in like a magnet.

“Can I help you?” he asked in a deep rich voice.

Betty shook her head trying to pull herself back to the task at hand. “I have an appointment,” she said softly.

He stared at her intensely for several long moments. “Are you here for an abortion or birth control?” he asked abrasively.

Somewhat taken aback by his overly personal question she stuttered slightly, “Uhm, birth control, sort of. I mean, I don’t really need it, but…” Her words trailed off as she tried to figure out why it seemed so important to explain herself to him this way.

He was a complete stranger after all, and she didn’t owe him any kind of explanation. For some reason she could not explain though, his opinion of her mattered very much.

Betty cleared her throat and laid her hands on the desk in front of her, trying to regain control. “My friend made the appointment for me,” she said softly.

The man behind the counter softened his eyes slightly. “You are a very pretty woman and should follow your own mind, not the minds of your friends.”

Betty stared at the handsome man for several long moments trying to decide if she was captivated by him or infuriated with him. With a wave of his hand he sent her with the nurse and she hesitated before finally following after.

Betty breathed a sigh as the bright and cheerful nurse who prattled on about how busy the clinic had been, due to the upcoming spring fling led her into the room. After checking her height and weight and answering some basic questions, Betty sat down on the cot for an exam.

“The guy at the front desk, is he always so abrupt?” Betty asked out of the blue.

The nurse chuckled softly. “Oh you must mean Brian. He has views about women sometimes. We’ve had numerous complaints already, but he refuses to quit, and the boss won’t fire him. If he made you feel uncomfortable, I can help you fill out a complaint.”

Betty shook her head back and forth as the nurse finished the exam. She didn’t want to file any kind of complaint, she was simply curious about his behavior. In some strange way he intrigued her.

The nurse let her know that everything was working just fine and that Betty would have no problem starting on the pill for birth control. She gave instructions to start the first pill on the first day of her period and to check back after a month for a follow up appointment.

Betty thanked her, but explained that she really had no use for the pill. She was after all still a virgin and had no prospects of that changing. The nurse smiled knowingly as if she had heard the same line a million times before and went to fill the prescription.