January 7, 2003 (20:38est) - So I�m finally back in school�
I moved into my dorm today and met a girl. The roommate - Robert - seems as cool as he did through his emails. He said he�d help me get up to date with the other people that live around us and what's going on with the baseball team. He also willingly offered to spend the day carrying all my crap up three flights of stairs. The ease with which he could move some of the heavier things has convinced me I have a lot to catch up on before the season starts. Rob said it�d be easy because I�m not completely out of shape and the team needs a good closer. We�re gonna work out early in the morning. Oh boy�
Thankfully classes don�t start until next week, so I have time to acclimate (oooh! big word) even though I�m moving in three days later than everyone else.
As for the girl� I knocked her down in the hallway because I couldn�t see her over the box I was carrying and she was reading something so she didn�t see me either. The way Rob talks, it�s a regular occurrence for her to get run down because she tries to read and roam the halls at the same time. He spoke highly of her, but I didn�t really get a chance to say anything before she rushed away. I�ll have other chances. I�ve been told she lives in the room across the hall, so it�s not like I�m not going to ever see her.
Skye. Cute girl. Big brown eyes that might very well be the type that you can�t ever deny anything to. That�s all I noticed from our thirty second meeting.
That and she looks really cute in overalls.
Comments:
bombshell82 - So you�re back at school big brother (Jan. 8, 2003 - 09:15est)
Told ya you put on a few pounds over the past two years, but why would you believe me? I�m glad your roommate is cool. Is he hot? Single?
As for the girl� you�ve been there for one day and you�re already hitting on all the girls? **giggles** Didn�t know you took that phrase literally! As for those last two comments (her eyes and the overalls), what happened to my pig-headed, womanizing brother?!
BaseballAce_8 - Re: So you�re back at school� (Jan. 8, 2003 - 16:43est)
Are you calling me fat? That�s not a really nice thing to say to your brother.
- Is he hot? Single? -
Don�t even think about it. I�ll lock you in the closet.
It was an accident! I didn�t see her!
- my pig-headed, womanizing brother?! -
I believe you�re mistaking me for Aaron. *evil grin*
bombshell82 - Re: So you�re back at school� (Jan. 8, 2003 - 17:06est)
I never said fat!
You�re mean.
Perhaps� He does look like you now. How can I not mix the two of you up?
Tuesday - January 7, 2003 (3:24pm) - Vaughn Center Hallways
The sun shone over the manicured lawns of the University of Tampa, warming the two boys pulling boxes out of the back of a black truck while raising the temperature to an unseasonably warm day in January. Working in silence, they each grabbed the nearest box, lifting it off the bed of the truck with an involuntary groan, and walked towards the dormitory door carefully in case the concrete decided to jump up and attempt to trip them.
One flight of stairs shifted into a flat landing, taunting them each time as they stumbled and fought to keep their balance only for them to have to climb two more sets of stairs before finally finding themselves in their shared room. Sitting the boxes down, they ran their shirtsleeves over their foreheads, capturing the beads of sweat threatening to drip down their faces and shared a look of slight exhaustion.
�Why did I bring so much crap?� Nick, the blonder and taller of the two boys, muttered out loud while pulling his green baseball cap off his hand and pushing his sweaty hair out of his face.
�Because you forgot that dorm rooms are the size of closets?� Robert offered the red-faced boy.
Nick groaned again before falling down into the nearest chair and stretching his tired arms behind his head.
�I�ll probably go home in a few weeks and take all the crap I don�t need back with me,� he replied.
The brunette maneuvered his way through the maze of boxes and grabbed the bottle of soda off the shelf hanging over his semi-made bed. Taking a quick drink, he recapped the bottle and replaced it on the shelf while surveying his new roommate.
�Come on,� he said as he headed towards the door, �we only have two more trips - three at max.�
Nick made a noise of protest that the younger boy never heard, already being halfway down the first flight of stairs. �I so need to get into shape,� he muttered to himself.
Following behind Robert much slower, Nick smiled at the two girls who looked up when he walked through the common room; the taller of the two, lounging sideways on a chair, whistled a catcall before yelling out to get his attention.
�Hey sexy, you movin� in or out?� the brown skinned girl called out.
Stopping a little ways down an adjoining hallway, Nick stuck his head around the corner and replied, �In.�
The girl nodded thoughtfully and smirked. �You�re late. Move in day was Saturday, blondie.�
Stepping back into the room full of couches and chairs circling around a big screen TV, he leaned his shoulder against the wall and nodded. �That�s what I�ve been told.�
Before she could reply, Robert, having noticed that his new roommate hadn�t followed him back downstairs, retraced his steps to find Nick flirting with two girls from their hallway.
�Nick, I�m not moving all your crap myself,� he declared, hitting the boy�s shoulder in a weak attempt to knock him off balance. Nodding towards the girls, he said, �Hello Kasey, Megan. If you don�t mind, I need to steal him away and put him back to work.�
�Robert,� Kasey, the flirty one lying across the chair, began, �you finally found yourself a roommate?�
Nodding, he grabbed Nick�s shirtsleeve and pulled him out of the room. �Yes, and we need to finish moving him in. We�ll see you ladies later.�
Continuing their trek down the hall to the stairs, giggles followed their departure and a squeal of �He�s cute!!� reached their ears, pulling a laugh out of Nick.
�I assume that was the other one?� he asked.
�Yeah. Megan. She�s nice enough,� Robert replied unconvincingly. Glancing at his face, he continued, �A complete glitter princess, but nice enough I guess.�
Nick�s expression went from smug consideration to blatant confusion. �Glitter princess?�
Pushing the door open and propping it back open, he glanced over his shoulder and replied, �A snob, likes money, cares too much about her appearance, really girly� a glitter princess. For a better definition you�ll have to ask Kasey�s roommate. She came up with it.� Reaching Nick�s truck, he lifted another box off the bed and continued. �Prefers blondes, but I must warn you that no one who dates her lasts very long unless they buy her a lot of expensive stuff. I wouldn�t suggest asking her out. She�s not too into reality.�
Nick nodded in consideration of this information as he grabbed a box himself. �And that Kasey girl?�
�Lives across the hall. Starting forward for our basketball team. Full scholarship. It�s her first year.�
They began climbing the stairs again, their arms beginning to ache beneath the weight of the boxes.
�A complete flirt, so don�t read anything into anything she says. Fun to hang out with though,� he continued.
They climbed the two other flights of stairs in silence, occasionally stopping to resituate the cardboard boxes so they wouldn�t lose their grip.
The two girls� voices grew in strength as they reached their hallway, laughter filling the otherwise quiet dorm.
�It�s not always this quiet. The weather�s nice, so a lot of people aren�t he-�
Some force fought Nick�s forward momentum for a second when he turned to look at Robert. A thump brought his attention back to where he was walking towards their room as whatever he�d hit fell into the floor while he tried to not drop the heavy box on top.
Robert carefully lowered the box he was carrying into the floor before laughing, glancing over at Nick for a second.
�Skye, you�d probably have less bruises if you�d stop reading in the hallways when you�re walking around,� he said teasingly while Nick freed his arms to find a red-faced brunette lying in the floor. Her eyes ran quickly over the new boy before reaching his face, flushed from his own embarrassment.
�I�m sorry,� Nick started before turning his full attention to the girl�s face. �I didn�t see you-�
Accepting Robert�s offered hand, she pulled herself to her feet while shaking her head. �No, it�s okay. Rob�s right. It was my fault. I should pay attention more often.�
Nick swallowed whatever apology was still fighting to leave his lips and stared at the girl, captivated by her shifting eyes. Snickering at Nick�s flustered face, Robert attempted to gain control of his actions before introducing the two strangers as he picked up the book Skye had discarded in the floor after her fall.
�I believe this is yours,� he stated, handing it to her as she glanced down at the digital watch on his wrist.
�I�m late for work!� she squeaked, grabbing his wrist for a better inspection. �I have to go.�
Having taken the book, she stuffed the mass print paperback copy into the back pocket of her overalls before rushing towards the staircase and disappearing from the two boys� eyes.
�And that would be Skye, Kasey�s roommate,� Robert began as a belated introduction before returning the crate to his arms and continuing towards their room.
Turning to glance behind him incase the brunette in the green tank top and overalls reappeared, he shook his head at his own overwhelmed thoughts before picking up the box that rested at his feet.
�I have a lot to catch up on,� he muttered before turning into his dorm room.
�A few things about Skye,� Robert began as he passed Nick on his way back out, barely giving the older boy a chance to breathe before he had to return to his duties of moving in. �She�s known as the �smart one� around here,� he continued after Nick caught up to him on the second floor landing. �She�s really sweet though. She doesn�t pretend to be dumb, but she won�t pretend she�s better than you either. If you ever need a paper edited or help with an assignment, she�s your best bet - always willing to help.�
Pulling the last box - the largest in the entire load - out of the truck, Nick strapped the remaining bag around his shoulders before slamming the tailgate shut and helping Robert support the weight of the box of books, videogames, and other assorted possessions.
�She reads a lot,� he groaned, taking the first step carefully as he walked backwards up the stairs. �If you ever need a recommendation for a book or music, she�s your girl. She probably has more CDs than everyone in our hall combined.�
Reaching the second floor landing, they sat the box down and caught their breath before starting the rest of their endeavor.
�And she gets run over a lot?� Nick asked.
Robert grinned down at him from his position on a higher step, amused by the amount of sweat Nick had produced in the past two hours. �Yeah, probably a lot more than she should. She has a habit of trying to walk around campus with her nose still stuck in a book, and unless you�re paying attention, there�s always a possibility for a head on collision. It�s how I first met her actually.�
Nick smirked at the idea while fighting to not drop the box as they went up the last flight of stairs. �Is she a klutz?�
He grinned. �Totally. Poor girl. She always has bruises or ends up breaking something. It�s entertaining, but you feel sorry for her.�
They worked in silence, concentrating their efforts on getting the heavy load into their dorm room. With one last groan, the box landed in the floor amidst the many others and the two boys fell onto chairs with a collective sigh.
�I�m working you out tomorrow, Nick,� Robert said as he reached out for his soda and guzzled the rest of it.
�Okay� and aren�t you supposed to not drink carbonated drinks during the season?� he replied.
Robert leaned his chair back, balancing on its back two legs. �First of all, it�s not the season yet; we have another month before tryouts. Second of all, the coaches aren�t living in our dorm, so what they don�t know won�t hurt me.�
�Isn�t it supposed to be it won�t hurt them?�
Robert shrugged before landing on all four legs of his chair and jumping to his feet. �Come on. You can unpack later. I�m going to show you around.