Author/Uploaded by Quietwater, Margot
Rivals By Margot Quietwater Margot Quietwater Copyright 2023 Brianna was jogging down her usual route, her legs pounding the pavement in a steady rhythm. She loved the feeling of the wind in her hair and the rush of adrenaline as she pushed herself to go faster and further than the da...
Rivals By Margot Quietwater Margot Quietwater Copyright 2023 Brianna was jogging down her usual route, her legs pounding the pavement in a steady rhythm. She loved the feeling of the wind in her hair and the rush of adrenaline as she pushed herself to go faster and further than the day before. Running kept her body lean, and gave her an athletic build with toned muscles that she loved to show off. It also gave her a distraction. Behind those bright green eyes that seemed to sparkle with a hint of deviousness, she had been carrying a pretty powerful secret. When Brianna turned 18, she was blessed with a most powerful gift. She didn’t know where it came from or why it chose her, but it did. She had a certain power of persuasion. A certain power of people’s minds and hearts. With thorough concentration and vivid imagination, she could make anyone fall in love with anyone. Men and women both young and old could all be persuaded to love whoever Brianna made them to love. Men and women alike would fall head over heels for any person Brianna wanted them to love. She never used the power for herself; that always felt like crossing an ethical line. And honestly, she didn’t need to use it. Men fell all over themselves trying to talk to her. Her light brown hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders and her green eyes and athletic body made her the desire of many people. She drew people in with her quick wit and razor-sharp sense of humor. She made people laugh and people naturally wanted to be around her. She didn’t need any help attracting a mate. And even if she didn’t, she didn’t want one. She enjoyed her freedom. She was fiercely independent and had a rebellious streak and she couldn’t be tied down for long. It also didn’t hurt that she was a lesbian. It seemed like members of her community better understood the desire to avoid the trappings of monogamy and becoming a suburban housewife. No, she didn’t need to use her powers. Mostly, she used it as a party trick or to help out one of her girlfriends get a guy’s attention. It was mostly innocent, really. But as she approached her mid-20s, that devious and mischievous part of her mind started to get louder. She would find herself staring at a cute girl and wanting to see how she could push her sexual boundaries, or do something out of her comfort zone. It wasn’t until she started running that the voice inside her head began to calm down. And that routine is what led her to the corner of 27th and Madison. As she rounded a corner, music pumping loudly into her wireless earbuds, Brianna happened upon two women standing on the sidewalk, their voices raised in anger. She didn’t want to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t resist a little bit of gossip. She slowed her pace and moved closer, trying to catch snippets of their conversation. "...I can't believe you're still seeing him!" one of the women exclaimed, her voice shaking with emotion. "He told me he was done with you," the other woman retorted, her eyes flashing with anger. Brianna couldn't help but feel curious about the situation. She came to a standstill and tried to blend in with the scenery, pretending to be stretching and listening to music on her phone while she continued to listen in on their conversation. "He's been seeing us both!" the first woman shouted, tears streaming down her face. "For months!" The second woman's face turned red with rage. "He was my boyfriend! You showed up and ruined everything, you slut! You ruined my life!" Brianna felt a pang of sympathy for both of them. It was never easy to find out that someone you cared about was cheating on you. Against her better judgment, she tapped into her power to learn a little bit about the two. One of the women was Olivia. She had long wavy chestnut hair and striking hazel eyes. She had a slim, athletic build and it was obvious she took great care of her appearance. Brianna guessed she was about 5-foot-7. Her style was sophisticated and elegant, and Brianna noticed she was wearing high-end designer clothing and accessories. Her natural beauty was accentuated by her flawless complexion and full lips and she exuded a certain type of confidence and poise that Brianna admired, although she wasn’t very calm and collected as she screamed at the other woman at the top of her lungs. The other woman was a bit shorter with long, straight blonde hair and blue eyes the color of the ocean. If Olivia was athletic and thin, Isabella had the classic hourglass figure with curves in all the right places. She wore bold makeup and on a normal day, her smile would light up any room. But she wasn’t smiling right now. Both women, Brianna thought to herself, were truly, super hot. Although she hated the ass hole man that was sleeping with both of them behind their backs, she did have to give him some credit for having excellent taste. She continued to watch and considered approaching them, maybe offering some words of comfort or advice, but she knew it wasn't her place. Instead, Brianna continued on her run, her mind racing with thoughts about the two women and the man they were both involved with. She wondered how he could have been so