Title: Pillow Therapy

Author: Tyria

Rating: T – Teen

Disclaimer: Except for the roommate, they are not mine.

AN: Ok, this is my first attempt at the West Wing Universe. As always, thanks to my beta LosingInTranslation. Also a huge thanks to Sara Brown and Lapis Lazuli for their help as well.

Please, please give me feedback so I know how my writing is.

With a frown on her face, Donna closed her eyes tightly to try to keep the tears at bay and clutched her pillow to her body for comfort. She lay still not making a noise and pretending to be asleep. Outside her door, she could finally hear her roommate walking back down the hall, finally leaving her alone to go to sleep. She sighed wondering about what had happened and just how things went so terribly wrong.

She came home to find her roommate still awake and waiting up. “Sandy, why aren’t you sleeping?”

“You finally had a date. We always go over my dates…well, when we finally see each other, we always go over my dates. I want to know all the details, so don’t leave anything out.”

Donna sighed, “Can I change out of this dress first?”

“Of course. Daiquiri?”

“Yes!”

Donna goes into her room and looks at her reflection in the mirror. Josh’s final words running through her mind: “You look really great in that dress tonight, Donna. You should buy it for yourself.”

She strips the dress off, lays it on her bed, and changes into her pajamas; her attention turning constantly to the dress and Josh’s words.

She finally decides to keep the dress and is tearing the tags off as Sandy walks through her bedroom door with two daiquiris.

“I decided to bring this- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Her face in total shock; jaw dropped, eyebrows raised and eyes wide.

Donna freezes as soon as the words leave Sandy’s mouth. “I…ummm, getting ready to talk to you?”

Sandy begins to walk towards Donna, but realizes she still is carrying the glasses, so she sets them down on a dresser, and then walks to Donna. “The dress. I thought you were taking that back tomorrow.”

“Oh, well, I changed my mind. I’m going to keep it now. It’s a good look on me.”

“I have to agree with that. I wish I looked that good in a dress. What made you change your mind? It was your date wasn’t it?”

Donna put the dress on a hanger and put it in her closet. “Actually, the date was a total bust. He was so full of himself I’d be surprised if he remembers a thing about me.”

She walks over to the dresser, picks up a glass, and continues out to the living room with Sandy following. “Wow, what happened?”

Donna sits sideways on the couch, tucking one leg under; her right arm laying on the back of the couch, bent at the elbow, her head resting on her hand. “Things started out fine. He was very nice. Asked a couple questions about what I do and what I enjoy. But the moment I asked one question about him, he just would not stop. I swear, he told me everything except how he is in the sack. I was never so happy that I work for Josh.”

Sandy frowns. “What does Josh have to do with anything?”

“Oh, well, he told me before I left that he needed me back at the office after my date. At first, I was really angry with him. How dare he tell me to cut my date short? But in the end everything worked out.”

Sandy sighs and rolls her eyes. “I cannot believe that man convinced you to cut your date short to go back to the office. The gall of that man!”

“Hey! He ended up saving me from a bad date. And he convinced me to keep the dress when I had fully intended to bring it back.”

“Wait, JOSH convinced you to keep the dress?!”

“Yeah…See, I didn’t have enough time, so I had to change into the dress at the White House, and he saw me before I left. And after all that went wrong that evening, he made me feel really good about myself in the end.” She smiles to herself and drinks the last in her glass. “That’s all that really matters.”

“No, Donna, that is not all that matters. The guy treats you like crap most of the time, comes around here drunk and obnoxious, and I swear he tries to break up any date you’ve ever had.”

“But Josh needs me…”

“Josh doesn’t need you. He needs a slave.” She stands up in anger to emphasize her point. “Before tonight, you hadn’t been out in two months. TWO MONTHS!! You need to stop letting Josh take advantage of you and start going out more.”

“My friends don’t go out much. They all work long hours. I still go out when I don’t need to work late.” Donna also stands up keeping Sandy from towering over her.

“You ALWAYS have to work late!”

“No, I don’t. You even said…You know what? I need to get some rest before work in the morning. We can finish this another time.” Donna walks down the hall and slams the door shut.

“Donna.” Sandy knocks on her bedroom door. “Donna! I just don’t want you ending up all alone, still working for Josh and not going anywhere with your life.” She leans her head against the door. “I just want you to actually live your own life.”

It’s funny. She came home feeling so good. But her roommate essentially told her that her life is worthless. How does a person argue against that?

Donna clutched her pillow tighter, her tears soaking the material.