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<1st attachment begin>

Author: Nick Scipio
Title: Summer Camp - Book 3: Kendall
Part: Chapter 02
Universe: Summer Camp
Summary: Coming-of-age story about a teenager whose family spends 
their summer vacations at a nudist camp.
Keywords: MF, mff, teen
Revision: 1.02
Web Site: http://www.nickscipio.com/
FTP Site: http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/scipio/SummerCamp3
Discussion Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Scipio_Forum/

*****************************************************************
                       STANDARD DISCLAIMER

This piece of fiction is intended as ADULT entertainment. It 
contains material of an adult, explicit, SEXUAL nature. If you 
are offended by sexually explicit content or language, please DO 
NOT read any further.

All characters in this story are fictitious; any similarity to 
any persons, places, individuals or situations is purely 
coincidental. The author does not necessarily condone or endorse 
any of the activities described in this story.

This story may not be reproduced in any form for profit without 
the written permission of the author, Nick Scipio 
(nick_scipio@yahoo.com). This story may be freely distributed 
with this disclaimer attached.

Copyright (c) 2004 Nick Scipio. All rights reserved.

*****************************************************************

Summer Camp - Book 3: Kendall
by Nick Scipio

CHAPTER TWO

When I woke up the next morning, Sunday, I was a little 
disoriented. I was on my left side, with my back to the wall and 
my arms around Gina. It took me a moment to realize that I wasn't 
in my room at home. When I did, I grinned to myself. Call me 
goofy, but I was excited to be living in the dorm. Sure, it 
wasn't as nice as my house, but it was still my first home away 
from home.

Gina stirred when I kissed her shoulder. Then I reached up and 
turned off my alarm (it was only a little after six; the alarm 
had been set for six thirty). Since my room faced east, pre-dawn 
light was already filtering through the blinds. I don't know why, 
but I've always been an early riser, and the sight of the sun's 
light filled me with the urge to get moving.

I kissed Gina again and she mumbled something. We didn't have to 
be at our parents' hotel until eight, so I figured we had a 
little time to fool around. Well, my morning hard-on figured we 
had time to fool around a little. So I pressed it against the 
soft swell of Gina's ass. Then I reached under the covers and 
cupped her breast.

"Izzit time to get up?" she asked groggily.

"Not yet."

"Mmmmm. Okay. G'night."

Instead of letting her go back to sleep, I nuzzled her warm neck 
and inhaled her scent. Then I kissed her again.

"Mmmmm, tha' feels nice," she mumbled.

When I ran my hand down her flank and rested it on her hip, she 
snuggled back against me. I gripped my erection and gently probed 
between her legs. Once my dick was comfortably nestled between 
her soft thighs, I returned my hand to her hip. Then I walked my 
fingers up her arm and gently cupped her breast.

"Mmmmm," she murmured.

Her nipple grew erect when I gently tweaked it. Then I began dry 
humping her ass. As she slowly awoke, I continued fondling her 
breast. When she yawned and stretched, I ran my hand down her 
side and let it rest on her hip.

"You're so hard," she said softly.

"Mmm hmm."

"What time is it?"

"A little before six thirty," I said.

"That's too early."

I kissed her shoulder again and then let my right hand drift 
toward her sex. "No it's not," I whispered. "It gives us just 
enough time to fool around before we have to meet our parents."

"But what if I wanna sleep?"

"I have ways of making you horny," I said in my best faux-
sinister voice.

With that, I gently slid my hand lower. My fingertips brushed 
over the short hair on her mons but quickly reached the smooth 
skin of her labia. She sighed and parted her legs.

At first, I gently rubbed my fingers in circles over the base of 
her clit. Her pussy was still dry, so I concentrated on getting 
her worked up. After all, I didn't want to rasp my fingers over 
her sensitive inner folds.

After a few minutes, she sighed again and spread her legs further. 
When I tentatively slid my finger lower, I felt her heat and 
nascent moisture. She whimpered as I ran my middle finger along 
her dampening slit. As I spread her moisture, I pressed my hips 
against her ass. Then I started kissing her, concentrating on her 
shoulder, neck, and the sensitive spot behind her ear.

For the next several minutes, I teased her clit and slowly worked 
my finger into her. The whole time, I continued kissing her.

"Oh, God," she breathed, "that feels so good."

"Mmm hmm. Welcome to North Carrick, Miss Coulter," I said. "My 
name is Paul, and I'll be providing your wake up call this 
morning."

"Mmmmm, nice."

"And if you'd like, I can provide you with breakfast in bed."

"Breakfast in bed?"

"Yes," I said. "You can enjoy your breakfast of champions in an 
extensive range of positions. In addition, it comes complete with 
a high-protein vitamin injection."

"A high-protein vitamin injection," she echoed with a sigh. 
"Mmmmm."

"Yes, Miss Coulter," I said. "Your server will provide you with 
unlimited use of his injection tool."

"Mmmmm," she purred. "I think I'd like that."

"Yes, of course, Miss," I said. "Now, if you'll just lift your 
leg, I'll be happy to insert the injection tool."

When she raised her right leg, my dick sprang forward. I pulled 
my finger from her drenched pussy and reached between us. She 
gasped when I began rubbing my glans over her labia. Then I set 
the tip at her opening and eased forward. The crown parted her 
lips and then slid into her. I hooked my right hand behind her 
knee and pulled her leg up so I had a better angle. Then I began 
thrusting.

"Yes," she hissed. "Your... injection tool... is wonderful."

"Thank you, Miss. And if I may say so, your pussy is also 
wonderful. It'll be my pleasure to inject you this morning."

At that point, we stopped talking. The bed squeaked as I fucked 
her, but at the time, I didn't care. All I cared about was her 
pussy and how it surrounded my cock with warm wetness. I could 
almost feel the flutters when her muscles contracted around me. 
As I pumped into her, she arched her back and groaned softly.

"Oh, God," she gasped. "You're... hitting... that... spot."

Instead of answering, I continued thrusting. For the next few 
minutes, I merely plowed into her and concentrated on her 
reactions. When I felt the first quiver of her orgasm, I grinned 
to myself and began kissing her earlobe. With a low groan, she 
reached the point of no return. Her pussy clenched my cock and I 
had to force my way into her. Then I draped her leg over my hip 
and reached for her pussy. As her climax peaked, I began rubbing 
her clit, sustaining the peak and even driving her higher.

At first, she tried to stifle her scream by clenching her teeth, 
but the sensations of her orgasm were too intense to suppress. 
When another wave of pleasure washed over her, she cried out and 
clutched at the sheets, her back arching as ecstasy battered her 
senses. As her pussy spasmed around my invading organ, I felt a 
gush of moisture. She cried out again, softer this time, and then 
went limp.

"Oh, God," she panted. "Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God." When she 
calmed down a little, she looked over her shoulder at me. "Oh, my 
God. That felt _so_ good."

I nodded.

Then she reached back to caress my face. "Keep fucking me," she 
said.

"You're not too sensitive?"

"I'm sensitive, but I want to feel you come inside me."

"You want your 'high-protein vitamin injection'?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Your wish is my command, Miss." With that, I resumed thrusting.

She tensed up as the sensations overwhelmed her. "Oh, God, my 
pussy is tingling all over."

"Good tingling, or bad tingling?"

"Good," she said quickly. "_Very_ good." Then she put her hand on 
my hip and drew me forward. "Keep fucking me. It feels so good."

She grimaced when I slid into her, but her expression softened as 
her pussy gradually became less sensitive. When I cupped her 
breasts and started thrusting quicker, she put her hands over 
mine and urged me on.

In a few short minutes, I was ready to explode. With one final 
jab, I buried myself inside her and erupted. She groaned low and 
soft as my come bathed her inner walls. I held on and simply 
closed my eyes in bliss. When my orgasm subsided, she turned her 
head and we grinned at each other as we panted.

"We hope you enjoy your stay at North Carrick, Miss Coulter," I 
said facetiously.

"I will, thank you. The service is _excellent_."

-----

When Kendall called us at the hotel, shortly after ten, we headed 
over to campus. It was just as crowded as the day before, with 
people and cars all over the place. We parked in the garage and 
then walked up the street to the Andy Holt Apartment building.

As soon as Kendall saw Gina and me, she ran toward us. I caught 
the tall girl in my arms and easily lifted her off her feet. When 
I set her down again, I gave her a sound kiss (a chaste kiss, of 
course, since we _were_ in front of our families).

"Hi," I said.

"Hi yourself."

For a moment, I gazed into her bright blue eyes and it seemed 
like all was right in the world. Then she blushed and turned to 
Gina. The two girls hugged each other in greeting.

"How was moving in?" Kendall asked Gina.

"Horrible. My room's ugly."

"It's not so bad once you get some posters up and decorate a 
little," Kendall said.

"Well, it's still ugly," Gina said.

"You'll get used to it," Kendall said.

Behind us, our three families were greeting each other with hugs 
and handshakes. When Erin and Leah let go of Drew, he came over 
to me. As he extended his hand, Kendall and Gina went to greet 
the others.

"Hey, Paul," Drew said, his voice deep and even.

"Hey, Drew."

Instead of gripping my hand and trying to crush it--his handshake 
was almost as strong as my own--he simply squeezed once, firm but 
not challenging. As our eyes met, I silently chuckled at the 
memory of him confronting me about Kendall. He'd been a little 
drunk at the time. Worse, I'd convinced him that trying to bully 
me wasn't going to work (I dropped him with a wrestling take-
down).

Surprisingly, he hadn't been bitter about it. And when he 
realized that I wasn't going to take advantage of his sister, we 
became friends. Gazing up at him as he towered over me, however, 
I knew I'd probably have a tough time taking him down again.

"Don't even _think_ about it," he said with uncanny insight.

"Not on your life, Drew," I replied. "Not on your life."

"Good." Then he leaned down conspiratorially. "Kendall would kill 
me if you and I got into it again."

"You and me _both_," I said.

"That's for sure."

"Drew," his father called from the other side of their truck. 
"Let's get the Scout and this trailer unloaded before it gets any 
hotter."

"Okay, Dad," Drew said.

"Kendall," Adam said, "go get your room key and find out where we 
need to take all this stuff."

"Okay, Daddy." Then she turned to Gina. "You wanna go with me?"

"Sure," Gina said.

Then the two girls waved to me and headed toward the apartment 
building's lobby.

For a moment, I watched Kendall as she walked away from the 
parking lot. She was as tall as I, with long, long legs that 
ended in a gorgeous ass. Even wearing a pair of Bermuda shorts, 
her legs looked good. Then my eyes rose to her flared hips and 
narrow waist. From behind, I couldn't see her breasts, but I 
could still remember what they felt like: soft, round, and full. 
Since the day was so hot, she had her dark hair pulled back in a 
ponytail, which swished as she turned her head to talk to Gina.

"Hey, man," Drew said softly, "do I stare at your sister like 
that when _you're_ around?"

"Sorry, man," I said, feeling my face heat.

Then he laughed. "It's cool. Kendall _is_ hot, though" he said. 
"It's too bad she's my sister."

"Dude, it's not like you have any shortage of girls."

He shook his head. "Nope. Speaking of which..." Then he leaned 
close again. "Is Erin still serious about that Sean guy from 
camp?"

"Yeah," I said. "I think she is. Sorry."

"No, no problem. It's cool," he said. "I just don't wanna horn in 
on some other guy's territory, you know?"

"I know."

"She was pretty hung up on him when we were at camp."

"Yeah," I said.

"That's cool. I'm sure he's a nice guy." Then, "Good for her, I 
hope she's happy."

"I think she is."

"How about Leah?" he asked. "Is she going with anyone?"

"Not that I know of," I half lied. A week before, Leah and I had 
had sex, but we'd done it with Gina's consent (and later, with 
her participation). And while I knew Leah was interested in me, 
the Coulter sisters had a rule about not stealing each other's 
boyfriends. In reality, I think she enjoyed the sex with me, but 
she was more into girls (and the occasional guy, such as Drew).

"Cool," he said.

"What about Trish?" I asked. Drew normally hung out with Trish 
Delozier when he was at camp.

"She's just my summer girlfriend," he said. "It's cool. Neither 
of us really want a heavy commitment, so we just get together 
while we're at camp."

"Oh."

"Besides," he said, "I like to keep my options open."

"Uh-_huh_."

"So if Leah's available...," he said.

"Good option," I finished.

"Yep."

"Are you talking about us?" Leah asked as she and Erin joined 
Drew and me.

"We sure were, darlin'," Drew said, affecting a drawl. "I was 
just tellin' Paul how hot you look in those shorts."

Erin snorted with laughter, and if it weren't for Leah's dark 
complexion, her cheeks would've been beet red.

While we waited, Drew just about charmed Leah out of the shorts 
in question.

About fifteen minutes later, Kendall and Gina returned.

"I'm in apartment 304," Kendall said.

"Super," Adam said, "we won't have to wait for the elevator."

"She always manages to get rooms on the lower floors," Drew 
explained ruefully.

I nodded. I'd stayed in both her rooms in Clement Hall (but her 
parents didn't know that, of course).

"And we always end up taking everything up to them by the 
stairs," Drew continued.

"Aw, Drew," Leah said, "that shouldn't bother a big strong guy 
like you."

"Oh, it doesn't," he said. Then he turned to me. "But just once, 
I'd like to load all her books and stuff on one of those carts 
and ride the elevator. Just _once_, you know?"

"I know, man," I said. "We had to haul all my stuff up to the 
fourth floor yesterday. Except my free weights, that is."

As we opened the U-Haul trailer's doors, he looked at me and 
furrowed his brow. "What'd you bring weights for? Why not just 
work out in the Sports Bubble?"

The Sports Bubble was between HPER (the Health and Physical 
Education Recreation building, but everyone just called it 
"hyper" or the "hyper building") and the student aquatic center, 
and it was literally a big bubble. Imagine a building-sized 
inflated white bubble of plastic fabric--that's the Sports Bubble.

"I guess I wanted to have some weights in my room," I said, 
trying not to sound defensive. 

"What'd you bring?" he asked.

"A curling bar, a couple of dumbbell bars, and about two hundred 
pounds of plates. Why?"

"Dude," he said as he picked up two milk crates full of books, 
"two hundred pounds is nothing." Then he indicated my chest and 
shoulders with a glance. "_You_ know that. Besides, they've got 
every weight machine you could want in the Bubble. And HPER's got 
a weight room _full_ of free weights."

"Yeah, I know," I said as I grabbed two milk crates myself. _How 
many books does one person need?_ I wondered as I got a glimpse 
of the inside of the trailer. Then I returned my thoughts to the 
conversation with Drew. In reality, I knew about the Bubble, but 
I _hadn't_ known about HPER's weight room. Since I'd been to UT 
so many times, I had skipped the campus tour during Freshman 
Orientation. In retrospect, that had probably been a mistake. 
"Hold on," I said, "how d'you know all this, Drew?"

"I just know it, I guess," he said. "I've got a couple of friends 
who play football here, though. And I've seen the weight rooms on 
recruiting visits."

"Recruiting visits?" I asked as we all trooped, ant-like, toward 
the apartment building.

"Yeah. For football."

"Oh. Yeah. Okay."

"They're not _official_ recruiting visits, though. I can't have 
those until my senior year actually begins. But I've already 
talked to the linebackers coach. Twice."

"Drew's one of the top linebackers in the country," Adam said 
from ahead of us.

"Dad, you don't know that for sure," Drew said.

"I know what your coaches say," Adam said. "And I know what the 
scouts say. Those scouts see a lot of football players, son."

"Scouts?" Leah asked from behind us.

"_Dad_," Drew protested.

"Drew had college scouts looking at him all last year," Adam said 
proudly, ignoring his son's grumblings. "They said he's one of 
the quickest linebackers they've seen, especially for his size. 
And he was only a junior then."

"Dad, c'mon."

"After we got home from camp," Adam boasted, "Drew even got a 
phone call from Coach Majors, UT's Head Football Coach."

"Really?" Leah asked. "Cool."

At that point, we reached the building. The fire escape door was 
propped open, and we weren't the only people using the stairs to 
move belongings into the apartments. With each of us carrying 
boxes or crates, however, the conversation died. On the third 
floor, Kendall led us toward her apartment. As she went to put 
her key in the lock, the door swung open. A tall, buxom blonde 
stepped back, surprised.

"Kendall," she said. "Hi." Then she realized there were a bunch 
of us in the hallway. "Y'all come on in," she said, stepping back.

"Thanks," Kendall said.

"Phoebe and I took the back bedroom," the blonde continued. "So 
you and Abby can have the front bedroom. Okay?"

"Sure," Kendall said as we all filed into the apartment and then 
turned left to head down the hall.

Once we stacked our boxes in the first bedroom, we all crowded 
into the living room.

"Everyone," Kendall said, "this is Vivian Fourier. Viv and I went 
to school together in Chattanooga."

"Hi, Mr. Payton," Vivian said as she stepped forward and shook 
Adam's hand. Then she turned and greeted Melissa. "It's good to 
see you again, Mrs. Payton."

As Kendall introduced the rest of us, I studied Vivian. She was 
about as tall as me, with long, tanned legs, a slim waist, and 
full, attractive breasts. With a start, I realized that she was 
practically a blonde version of Kendall. (Vivian was actually a 
bit slimmer, with slightly smaller breasts.) Finally, I tore my 
eyes away from the blonde girl as Kendall turned to introduce me.

"And this," she said, "is my boyf--" Flustered, she darted a 
glance at Gina. A half-second later, she looked at her parents. 
"Um... this is my boyfriend, Paul," she said at last.

Gina's and my parents knew about our three-way relationship with 
Kendall, but Kendall's parents still thought I was her boyfriend 
and Gina was simply her friend. I was pretty sure that Kendall's 
mom suspected what was really going on, but she kept it to 
herself. Drew probably knew as well, but he hadn't said anything 
either.

"Hi," I said, extending my hand.

"It's good to finally meet you" Vivian said as she shook my hand. 
"Kendall's told me so much about you." With a warm smile she 
squeezed my hand once, released it, and then turned to Kendall. 
"Hey, I wish I could stick around, but I've gotta go meet _my_ 
boyfriend. Just put your stuff in your room and wherever else you 
can. Phoebe and I figured we'll just sort things out when we all 
get our stuff here. Okay?"

"Okay," Kendall said.

"It was nice to meet y'all," Vivian said with a smile. Then she 
turned to Kendall. "Phoebe and I cleaned the place last night, so 
it should be spotless."

"Thanks!" Kendall said.

"Ugh. It was horrible. And Phoebe's a neat freak. So we scrubbed 
the place top to bottom. Anyway, I'm already late, so I'd better 
run. Have fun moving in," Vivian continued. "And I'll see you 
tonight. Bye."

"Bye," we all echoed.

After Vivian left, Kendall gave us a quick tour. The apartment's 
entry foyer led to the center of the apartment. The living room 
and a small kitchen were to the right. The living room was 
already furnished with a couch, chair, end table, and a kitchen 
table with four chairs (by the kitchen, of course).

The main hallway was to the left, with bedrooms on the right, 
study areas on the left, and a bathroom at the end of the hall on 
the left (although the sinks were at the end of the hallway). 
Each bedroom held two beds, a dresser, a closet, and an air 
conditioner. The rooms weren't _quite_ as plain as the ones in 
the Carrick dorms, but they definitely weren't fancy.

After our tour, we headed back downstairs. With all twelve of us, 
it only took two more trips before we emptied the trailer. Except 
for the books--_lots_ of books--most of the stuff was pretty 
light: just clothes, linens, and a large stuffed bear (named Paul, 
of course).

"We should've brought some tea," Melissa said as we caught our 
breath after the final load.

"I don't think that little refrigerator could make enough ice to 
cool two drinks, let alone twelve," Adam said.

"Still," Melissa said, "I'd love a glass of ice-cold tea right 
now."

"I've got an idea," Mom said. When everyone turned to her, she 
continued. "Why don't we ladies run to the grocery store and 
stock Kendall's kitchen for her? We can pick up a Styrofoam 
cooler and a bag or two of ice. Then when we get back, we can 
make some tea and lemonade."

"And while we're gone," Elizabeth said, "Kendall, Gina, and the 
girls can get Kendall's stuff unpacked."

"Drew and I can move all the books and set up the crates here," I 
said, indicating a wall in the living room. "We can sorta create 
bookshelves."

"What're we supposed to do?" Chris asked, indicating my dad and 
Adam.

"Make yourselves useful," Elizabeth told him.

"I've got to take the trailer back to U-Haul," Adam said.

"We can help him with that," Chris said.

"Shirker," Elizabeth teased him.

"Honey," he said, "returning trailers is serious business."

"I'm sure it is," she said. "So serious that it takes three grown 
men to accomplish it." Then she smiled. "Just don't get side-
tracked."

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"Okay," Dad said. "It sounds like we've got a plan."

With that, Mom, Elizabeth, and Melissa headed out, followed by 
Dad, Chris, and Adam. Kendall and the other girls headed into 
Kendall's room to begin unpacking. Drew and I merely looked at 
each other as we suddenly found ourselves alone.

"Why do we always get the grunt work?" he asked me with a wry 
grin.

"'Cause we're the grunts?"

"You got _that_ right, man."

It actually took us less than fifteen minutes to haul all the 
book-laden milk crates into the living room and arrange them 
against the wall. They actually made pretty good shelves. We were 
_just_ about to sit down and relax when we heard someone trying 
to open the front door. A moment later, when the door still 
hadn't opened, Drew and I went to investigate. I swung the door 
open and...

"--must've given me the wrong key."

"Hey, Abby," I said.

She looked up in surprise. "Paul! What're you doing here?"

Abby had been Kendall's roommate since the two girls were 
freshmen. I hadn't seen her in several months, but she looked 
just like I remembered. She wasn't as tall as Kendall, but she 
was a few inches taller than Gina, maybe 5'6". She had sandy 
blonde hair and blue eyes, with a cute face and a heartbreaking 
smile.

With a start, I realized that I was standing in the doorway. Then 
I realized that her family was standing behind her.

"Come on in," I said as I belatedly stepped aside. "We were just 
helping Kendall move in."

"Paul," Abby said once I shut the door, "this is my mom, Patricia, 
and my dad, Bud. And that's my brother, Walt. Mom, Dad, this is 
Kendall's boyfriend, Paul... um... Paul..." She frowned as she tried to 
recall my last name. "Hughes!" she blurted a moment before I had 
to remind her.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans," I said as I shook her 
parents' hands. Then I shook Walt's hand. He was about Erin's age, 
and sturdy, but shy.

"Call us Bud and Pat," Abby's father said.

"This is Kendall's brother, Drew," Abby said.

After another round of handshakes, Abby went looking for Kendall. 
While she did, I explained that our parents were out buying 
groceries and returning the U-Haul trailer.

"Do you need any help moving Abby's stuff?" I asked.

"No," Bud said, "we can get it."

"Seriously," I said. "We just finished moving everything in here. 
We were just going to sit down, since we didn't have anything 
else to do. We'd be happy to help."

"We wouldn't want to impose," Abby's mom said.

"It's not a problem, ma'am," Drew said. "Like Paul said, we'd be 
happy to help."

"Okay then," Bud said. "I'm not one to turn down free labor. Come 
on, boys."

Abby didn't have as many books as Kendall, so with just the four 
of us men, it only took three trips to get all her stuff. About 
the time we brought in the last load, Dad, Chris, and Adam 
returned. A few minutes later, our moms arrived with armloads of 
groceries.

After introductions, the women started putting food away while 
the men opened the beer my dad and the others had brought back. 
When Kendall came out of her room, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"What?" I asked, a beer halfway to my lips.

To our surprise, she started laughing.

"What?" her father echoed.

"It's a _dry_ campus, Daddy," she said, still laughing as she 
pointed to our beers.

"Oh, _shoot_," he said. "I completely forgot."

"Do you think they'll give us detention hall?" Chris asked.

"Can we take the beer with us if they do?" Bud asked with an 
eager look.

At that, all the men laughed.

"What's all the ruckus out here?" Elizabeth asked as she emerged 
from the kitchen.

"We can't have beer here," Chris said. "It's a dry campus."

"The kids aren't here _a day_," Elizabeth said, "and you're going 
to get them kicked out of school."

"It's not that bad," Kendall said. Then she turned to us. "Just 
don't let anyone catch you with that. It's _technically_ a dry 
campus, but no one's real picky about it unless you're obvious."

"Gentlemen," Chris said, raising his beer bottle, "to undercover 
beer."

"To undercover beer," we chorused.

Elizabeth merely shook her head and returned to the kitchen.

Later, when Bud tried to pay Kendall's father for half of the 
groceries, Adam refused.

"You've got to let me give you _some_thing," Bud said. When Adam 
still refused, Bud tried another tack. "Okay, then," he said, "do 
y'all have plans for the rest of the afternoon?"

"No," Adam said.

"Then y'all come on over to our house. We can cool off in the 
pool and throw some steaks on the grill."

"Did he say 'steaks on the grill'?" Chris asked my father.

"I believe he _did_," Dad replied.

"What do you make of an offer like that?" Chris asked.

"It'd be rude not to accept."

"Rude."

"Besides," Dad said, "we'll have to check out the 'Knoxville 
Method' of grilling."

"Exactly," Chris said. "It could be _any_thing."

"Gas," Dad said.

"Charcoal."

"Wood."

"Smoking," Chris said.

"Slow roasting," Dad countered.

"The possibilities are endless," Chris agreed with mock 
earnestness.

"Y'all're men after my own heart," Bud said with a good-natured 
laugh. Then he stuck his head into the kitchen. "Patty, I invited 
everyone over to grill out and cool off in the pool. Is that 
okay?"

"Sure," she said. Then, "Does everyone have a swimsuit?"

"We can stop by the hotel and get our bathing suits," Mom said 
from the kitchen. (The Radisson had a pool, so everyone had 
brought their suits.)

"We don't have ours," Melissa said.

"You can borrow one of mine, Mom," Kendall said.

"I've got an extra suit that'll fit you, Adam," Bud said.

"Walt probably has a suit that'll fit Drew," Patricia said.

After a general chorus of agreement, we made the rest of our 
plans.

-----

The Evanses lived in a neighborhood full of twenty-year-old 
houses with big lawns. Their pool wasn't as nice as the Coulters', 
but it was incredibly refreshing, so we didn't complain. While 
Bud, Dad, Chris, and Adam threw steaks on the grill, the rest of 
us goofed off in the pool.

Abby's poor brother, Walt, almost died of shock when he saw Erin 
and Leah in their bikinis. Abby and her mom wore one-piece 
swimsuits, while my mom and Elizabeth had donned modest two-piece 
suits. Melissa was a little uncomfortable in one of Kendall's 
high-cut bikinis, but she looked good in it. (She _was_ the 
prototype for The Goddess Kendall, after all.)

Eventually, Erin coaxed Walt out of his shell. He was still 
diffident and painfully shy, but he started loosening up. Leah 
mostly flirted with Drew, while Kendall, Gina, Abby, and I hung 
out in the shallow end of the pool.

Our fathers, of course, tended the grill. When the food was ready, 
Adam said grace and then we dug in. We sat around the patio on 
chairs, benches, and even the wide edges of the brick planters. 
While we ate, the conversations ranged far and wide.

Bud was a plumbing contractor and Patricia was a substitute 
teacher. He was also a former Army man, so he and Adam had a lot 
to talk about. Bud also had a fondness for grilling that the 
other men shared. Our moms talked with Patricia about raising 
teenagers, sending them off to college, and a dozen other things.

Erin, Leah, Drew, and Walt sat together. Walt, as it turned out, 
was also a football player. And even though he wasn't as serious 
about it as Drew was, it gave them something to talk about. 
Kendall, Gina, Abby, and I talked about life in the dorms, the 
best dining halls, and things like that.

Too soon, however, the time came for us to go. Dad had a trip to 
fly and Chris had to go to work the next day. So they planned to 
drive the Coulters' station wagon back to Atlanta that night. 
Adam had to work as well, so he had to head back to Chattanooga. 
Since Mom and Elizabeth would have to drive through Chattanooga 
on the way to Atlanta, they had planned to give Melissa and Drew 
a ride home on Tuesday.

After we helped Bud and Patricia clean up, we thanked them for 
being such gracious hosts. Then Adam said goodbye, got in his 
Scout, and headed toward Chattanooga. The rest of us went back to 
the hotel. Once there, Dad and Chris packed their suitcases and 
loaded them in the station wagon. Before they left, Dad took me 
aside.

"Are you ready for this, son?" he asked.

"I think so."

"I think so too." Then he looked at me seriously. "When I first 
went to school, it took me a while to figure out how everything 
worked. For a couple of weeks, I was on auto-pilot."

I nodded.

"But I always knew that if I really needed anything, my parents 
would help. You probably want to try to do everything on your 
own--I know _I_ did--but we'll help you if you need it. With 
advice, money, or just someone to talk to."

"Thanks," I said.

"College is a big change," he said. Then he chuckled darkly. "It 
was a big change for _me_, at least. But I know you'll do fine. 
You've got a good head on your shoulders and you know how to use 
it."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Do you remember a couple of years ago," he asked, turning 
philosophical, "when you asked me about something you had to tell 
Gina, but didn't want to?"

"Yeah." At the time, I needed to tell Gina about Amy--a girl I 
had cheated on Gina with--but I didn't want to. In oblique terms, 
I had asked Dad about it.

"Do you remember what I told you?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I quoted Polonius, from _Hamlet_."

I nodded again.

"You read _Hamlet_ in high school, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Polonius was saying farewell to his son, Laertes, and he gave 
him a lot of good advice. I don't remember the whole speech, and 
I'm no Shakespeare, but I do remember this: 'This above all: to 
thine ownself be true.' If you're honest with yourself, son, 
you'll never go wrong. Remember that."

"I will, Dad," I said.

"I know you will, son," he said. "You're a good man."

Suddenly, my chest tightened and I blinked several times to clear 
my eyes.

When he extended his hand, I gripped it. Then he pulled me into a 
hug. "I'm proud of you, son," he said, his voice thick with 
emotion.

"Thanks, Dad," I said softly.

When we separated, we both smiled diffidently.

"Here," he said as he reached into his pocket. "Here's something 
for you." Then he handed me a folded envelope.

He'd written "For an emergency, from Dad" on it.

"I'll go ahead and tell you what's in there," he said, "so don't 
open it." When I nodded, he continued. "It's fifty dollars." 
Before I could reply, he said, "I know you've still got money 
left over from your birthday and graduation, but I want you to 
keep this in reserve."

I nodded.

"When I left for college, my father gave me an envelope with 
twenty dollars in it. That was a lot of money in those days, and 
it was certainly a lot of money for my father. He told me to use 
the money only in case of an emergency."

"What happened to it?" I asked.

"I kept it all through college," he said. "It was like my father 
was always there, just in case I needed him. And when I graduated, 
I opened the envelope and took him to dinner with the money." 
Then Dad looked at me earnestly. "You don't have to do the same 
thing, but I want you to know that I'm always there if you need 
me."

I swallowed hard, and once again, I had to blink to clear my eyes. 
"Thanks, Dad," I said.

"You're welcome, son."

For a drawn-out moment, we were silent.

"You'll do fine, Paul," he said at last.

"Thanks, Dad. I'll try."

"I know you will. Now, let's head back inside before your mom 
sends out a search and rescue party."

Ten minutes later, we all said goodbye and they drove off. Then I 
took Kendall, Gina, and Abby back to the apartment. We hung out 
there for a while, but we were all tired. So we made plans to 
meet Kendall for breakfast and then I kissed her goodnight. 
Finally, Gina and I headed back to our dorms, around eleven 
o'clock.

"Paul?" she asked as we walked up the hill to Carrick.

"Yeah?"

"Will you call me when you get to your room?"

"Sure."

"Thanks," she said.

In the breezeway, I held her for a moment. Then I kissed her 
goodnight and we each headed into our dorms. When I got to my 
room, the paper sign from my suitemates' door was gone completely, 
and the sign with my name on it was on the floor of the foyer. At 
first, I picked it up and tried to tape it back on my door, but 
the tape wouldn't hold. Then I realized that I was trying to 
salvage a simple piece of paper with my name on it, so I crumpled 
it.

Since it was so late, I decided not to introduce myself to my 
suitemates (if they were even there). When I unlocked my door, I 
discovered that my roommate had moved in, but he wasn't there. 
Instead, I found a note taped to the mirror.

_Hi roomie. Sorry I missed you. I'm spending the night with my 
girlfriend. Catch you later._ He signed it "T."

His stuff was mostly piled on his bed or shoved in the closet. I 
didn't see any possum skins or water bongs, so I figured he 
wasn't a redneck or militant Rastafarian. Then I headed back into 
the foyer to call Gina. After two rings, a strange voice answered 
the phone.

"May I please speak to Gina?" I asked.

"Gina? Who? Oh, yeah. Sorry. Hold on a second." I heard her knock 
on Gina's door and then heard the scrape of a palm covering the 
mouthpiece.

"Paul?" Gina said.

"Hi," I said. "Have you met your roommate yet?"

"Uh-uh. She's moved in, but she's not here. She left me a nice 
note, though. She's spending the night at home."

"Same here," I said. "My roommate's stuff is here, but he's 
spending the night with his girlfriend, wherever that is."

"Paul?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you... I mean... do you mind if I spend the night there?" she 
asked.

"Nope. Come on over. I'll meet you in the lobby."

"Okay," she said, brightening. "I'll grab some clothes and see 
you in a few minutes."

I hung up the phone, locked my door, and headed down to the lobby 
to wait. When Gina arrived, I escorted her upstairs. Once in my 
room, we took off our clothes and climbed into bed. As she 
nestled against me, I wrapped my arms around her, kissed her 
shoulder, then closed my eyes. I think I fell asleep in record 
time.

-----

Monday morning, Kendall, Gina, and I joined our families for 
breakfast at the University Center. The building was centrally 
located, and served as a sort of campus community center. It held 
the main UT bookstore, a restaurant, a magazine and snack shop, 
meeting rooms, conference rooms, and an auditorium. It even had a 
recreation center in the basement, with bowling, pool tables, 
ping-pong, and a TV lounge.

The restaurant, Smokey's, was crowded, but we found two tables 
together and squeezed around them. Breakfast was okay. They had a 
wide variety of food, from eggs and bacon to cereal and Danish 
pastries, but it was basically cafeteria food. I simply had a 
bowl of cereal; I didn't want to start gaining the dreaded 
"Freshman Fifteen."

"After breakfast," Mom said, "let's go down to a bank on 
Cumberland--" the main road near campus, nicknamed The Strip, "--
and open checking accounts."

My parents and the Coulters had brought along traveler's checks 
to open local checking accounts for Gina and me. We'd need them 
to pay our tuition and fees, buy books, and pay for anything else 
we needed for school. I had a checking account in Atlanta, but I 
didn't use it much. Besides, during the school year, we'd need 
checks drawn on a local bank. (We didn't need them for paying 
fees or buying books, however, since the university understood 
that many students were coming from out of state.)

"I've got to go to the Financial Aid office," Kendall said.

"Why financial aid?" I asked. "I thought you were on a full 
scholarship."

"That's what my scholarship is," she said patiently, "financial 
aid."

"Oh."

"I'm supposed to meet Abby at the apartment and we're going to go 
over there together. She's got a couple of scholarships, too."

"Why does she have a couple and you have just one?" I asked.

"Because mine's from the university," she explained, "and it's a 
four-year merit scholarship. It covers everything: my tuition, 
fees, and books. Abby's got scholarships from different sources. 
She's got an English Department scholarship, another one from an 
educational foundation in Washington, D.C., and a couple of 
smaller ones from other foundations and grants. Altogether, they 
pay for her tuition and most everything else."

"Does she have to re-apply for the scholarships every year?" Mom 
asked.

"Yes," Kendall said. "I just have to keep my grades up. She's got 
to write essays and fill out applications. She's gotten pretty 
good at it, though. She's usually awarded more than she needs, so 
she can always decline a couple. I don't think she's really been 
worried about being able to pay for tuition since she was a 
freshman." Then she looked at me. "Why didn't _you_ apply for any 
scholarships?"

"I dunno," I said. "I guess I didn't think I could get one. I 
mean, I'm not as smart as you."

"Nonsense," Mom said.

Kendall nodded in agreement. "With your SAT scores and grades," 
she said, "you could've gotten scholarships." Then she turned to 
Gina. "You too. Your SATs were better than Paul's, right?"

Gina nodded. "I guess I didn't think of it," she said. "Besides, 
I really wanted... oh, never mind. Sorry."

Kendall glanced at me and lifted an eyebrow.

I merely shrugged in reply. Gina had been sullen all morning, and 
I couldn't figure out why.

"She's right, you know," Mom said to me, breaking my train of 
thought. "You should try for a scholarship next year."

"It'd be easy," Kendall added. "Abby and I can help you. We can 
help you too, Gina. Goodness, it's free money."

"Yeah, whatever," Gina said. When her mother looked at her 
sharply, she changed her attitude. "I mean, thanks," she said. 
"That'd be cool."

_What's _wrong_ with her?_ I wondered. Then it hit me. _UCLA._ I 
shook my head sadly. I wanted Gina to be happy, but I didn't want 
to reopen old wounds, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Mom?" Erin asked. "Can Leah and I just hang out with Drew today? 
He said he'd show us around campus. We don't really have to go 
with you all, do we?"

Mom looked at Elizabeth. Then they turned to Melissa. I don't 
know how they do it, but mothers seem to be able to communicate 
with ESP or something. As one, they all nodded.

"You'd probably be bored with us anyway," Mom said.

"I can give Drew my apartment key," Kendall said. "Since I'll be 
with Abby all day, I won't need it."

"Cool," Leah said.

Once again, our mothers shared a knowing look. For all her 
supposed ignorance, I think Melissa knew _exactly_ what was going 
on.

Kendall and I shared a look of our own, and I knew that she 
understood what I was thinking. Since coming to UT, two years 
before, Kendall and her mother had actually grown a lot closer. 
And I think Kendall understood that on _some_ issues, her mother 
feigned ignorance. I guess Melissa thought that if she didn't 
openly acknowledge something, it didn't exist. She knew the 
truth--she wasn't _completely_ clueless--but if she didn't bring 
up certain things, she wouldn't have to deal with the 
consequences.

"Okay," Mom said, "we'd better get down to the bank before it 
gets too crowded."

"And_ we_ need to meet Abby," Melissa said. "Drew, you and the 
girls can come back to the apartment with us. Then we'll give you 
the key and go to the Financial Aid office. Okay?"

"Sure, Mom," he said.

"Why don't we meet back at Kendall's apartment this afternoon," 
Mom suggested. Then she turned to Melissa and Kendall. "Do you 
think we can open checking accounts, pick up schedules, pay fees, 
and buy books before four o'clock?"

"You should be able to," Melissa said. Then she looked at her 
watch. "It's almost eight thirty now, though, so you'd better get 
going."

"Okay," Elizabeth said. "Let's go."

With that, we stood. I kissed Kendall goodbye and then we all 
went our separate ways.

Down on the Strip, we found a bank that we liked. (Although I 
don't know how much science can be involved when we simply picked 
the bank with the state's name in it: First Tennessee.) Gina and 
I filled out the forms for our checking accounts. Then we got our 
temporary checks.

Mom and Elizabeth signed over thousands of dollars in traveler's 
checks so Gina and I could make our first deposits. For a brief 
moment, I was excited to have that much money at my disposal. 
Then I realized that it would all be gone once I paid my tuition 
and fees.

_Easy come, easy go,_ I thought with a sigh.

Once we finished our business at the bank, we walked back to 
campus.

If I thought the campus had been crowded during the past two days, 
I was wrong. Of the thousands of students who attended UT, only a 
third of them actually lived in the dorms. _All_ of them had to 
pick up their schedules and pay their fees. And even with two 
days set aside for doing just that, the campus was still a 
madhouse of people, cars, and more people.

First, we went to the Registrar's office and stood in line. Gina 
and I had actually registered for classes with our advising 
centers, during Freshman Orientation. So we already knew what our 
classes would be, but we still had to pick up the official 
printed schedule and confirm our attendance (and our permanent 
addresses, of course). Surprisingly, the wait wasn't as long as 
we thought it would be. We left the Registrar's office a little 
after ten thirty.

Then we headed to the Bursar's office to pay our fees. _That_ 
took a while. The process was actually simple, but the lines were 
long. Even with a dozen cashiers, things still moved slowly. 
Finally, we reached the window and paid for our tuition, room and 
board, activity fees, parking permits, and more things than I 
cared to pay attention to. Then I wrote the biggest check I'd 
ever written in my life. I couldn't believe how much it cost to 
go to UT as an out-of-state student. When I looked at Mom, she 
read my mind.

"Mmm hmm," she said. "It _is_ expensive."

I think I thanked her about a dozen times. And I made her promise 
to thank Dad too.

When we were done, we decided to get some lunch before going to 
the bookstore. Unfortunately, Smokey's was _packed_. Instead, we 
decided to walk back to the Strip and see which restaurant 
appealed to us. We ended up eating sandwiches in a really cool 
deli named Sam & Andy's.

At the bookstore, I marveled at the endless shelves and stacks of 
books. Mom and I headed in one direction while Gina and Elizabeth 
headed in another. The bookstore was laid out with different 
sections for different subjects, but there were a _lot_ of 
different subjects. Fortunately, the shelves and stacks were 
clearly labeled with the _classes_ that required the books. So it 
was simply a matter of finding the book for Architecture 101, 
Architecture 121, and so on.

After thirty minutes of searching, I found all of my required 
textbooks. My calculus book could've been used as a large 
doorstop, but my American literature book was thick enough to use 
as a stepstool. Worse, the books were expensive. Let me say that 
again. The books were _expensive_.

I had no idea what material my _Design in Architecture_ book 
covered, but for _eighty dollars_, I knew I'd soon find out. And 
at that price, I'd revere every single page.

When we finally got to the cash register, half an hour later, I 
wrote the _second_-largest check I'd ever written in my life. 
Then we waited for Gina and her mother, who were in another line.

After Gina paid for her textbooks, we headed upstairs to the main 
part of the bookstore. In the lobby, we ran into Kendall, Abby, 
and Melissa.

"Hi," Kendall said. Then she looked at my two bags of books. 
"They loaded you down, huh?"

"Good grief," I said.

"How'd it go at Financial Aid?" Mom asked.

"The lines were long," Melissa said. "As usual."

"But we got everything taken care of," Kendall added.

"Hey," I asked, "do you want us to wait around until you get your 
books? Then we can all head back to your apartment together." 
When I looked around for support, everyone else nodded.

"It's nice and cool in here," Elizabeth said. "Better than 
outside." Then she turned to Mom. "Let's see if the restaurant is 
crowded. We can sit down and have a cold drink."

"That sounds _wonderful_," Mom said.

"Do you want me to go with you?" I asked Kendall. "To help carry 
books?"

"Sure," she said.

Then I turned to Gina.

"I think I'm just gonna go get something to drink with Mom," she 
said. "Okay?"

"Sure," I said.

"Here," my mom said to me, "let me carry your books."

I handed her the first bag.

"Oh, jeez, these _are_ heavy," she said.

"I'll get the other bag," Elizabeth said.

"Thanks," I told her as I handed it over.

"You can go have a glass of iced tea with them if you want, Mom," 
Kendall said to Melissa. "I can handle shopping for books."

"Are you sure?" Melissa asked.

"Mmm hmm. Go sit down and relax."

"Thanks," Melissa said.

With that, Kendall, Abby, and I turned and headed back down the 
stairs to the bookstore.

"What's up with Gina?" Kendall asked as soon as Abby headed off 
to find her books.

"I think she's a little depressed about being _here_, instead of 
UCLA."

"That again?"

I nodded.

"I think she's a little more than depressed," Kendall said. 
"She's kind of angry about it."

"Yeah, well, I was beginning to get that impression."

"Do you think she'll get over it?" she asked.

"I hope so, but I don't know."

"I think she's probably also feeling the shock of moving to a new 
city, going to a new school, and things like that. She's been 
displaced from her comfort zone."

"Comfort zone?" I asked. "Huh?"

"Sorry," Kendall said. "I guess I'm talking like a psychology 
major."

"No kidding."

"Gina's just having to deal with a lot of new things. Things 
outside her zone of comfortable familiarity: her 'comfort zone,'" 
Kendall said. "And since she often acts impulsively, she relies 
on prior experience to guide her."

"You're doing it again," I said.

"Sorry. Okay, how do I explain this...?"

"Oh, I understood all the _words_," I said. "I just didn't 
understand what you _meant_."

For a moment, Kendall stopped and thought. Then she said, "Gina's 
flying blind, and it scares her. When she's scared, she gets 
angry as a defense mechanism."

"You got _that_ right," I said.

"Whereas you," she continued, "think about things and analyze 
your surroundings. So even though you're flying blind too, you 
know how to read your instruments." Then she smiled hopefully. 
"Did I get that analogy right?"

"You got it right," I said. Then I impulsively kissed her. 
"You're going to make a great doctor."

"Thank you," she said, blushing.

"Now come on," I said with a grin. "Let's get all those 
psychology books you need to be so... erudite."

"Good word," she said, grinning in reply.

"Thank you." Then I made a funny face. "I learnt good readin' an' 
writin' in that there high school."

"Come on," she said with a bright laugh.

-----

Forty-five minutes later, we rejoined Abby at the top of the 
stairs. Then we found our mothers and headed back to Kendall's 
apartment. When we got there, Drew, Erin, and Leah were waiting 
for us. Kendall's roommates were out.

I studied Drew and the girls, looking for any signs of what I 
suspected they'd been up to. Fortunately, I didn't see anything 
out of the ordinary. Maybe Leah was smiling a little too broadly, 
but other than that, they looked fairly innocent.

When I glanced at Drew, however, he flashed me a grin and 
shrugged unrepentantly. I couldn't help but shake my head in 
wonder. A few minutes later, I pulled him aside.

"Dude," I whispered, "I don't wanna pry into your business, but 
did you...?"

He looked at me sharply for a moment, but then decided that I 
wasn't simply giving him a hard time for fooling around with Leah 
and my sister. So he nodded.

"With Leah?" I asked.

"Yes," he said slowly.

"All the way?"

Once again, he looked at me intently, but nodded just the same.

"You know she's not on the pill?" I asked quietly.

"She told me," he said. Then, "Don't worry. I used protection. 
I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were--"

"I know," he said before I could work up a good stammer. 
"Remember? I said I like to keep my options open."

I nodded.

"Babies eliminate a lot of options. You know?"

"I know better than I want to," I said.

"Yeah," he said, "I kinda figured you might."

In spite of myself, I chuckled at him. "You know," I said, 
"you're just like Kendall in some ways."

"Oh?"

"She's got this _serious_ insight into other people."

"We get it from our Dad," he said. "I don't know how he does it, 
but he can read me like a book." Then he leaned close. "And he 
can read Kendall better than me. He plays a good ol' boy when he 
needs to, but he's scary smart when it comes to people. Just 
remember that. Okay? He knows a _lot_ more than he lets on."

For a moment, I panicked. If Adam knew about Kendall and me, 
he'd... Then I took a deep breath. "I'll remember that," I said as 
calmly as I could. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Then he grinned at me. "Your sister is 
_seriously_ hung up on that Sean guy," he said. "I hope he's good 
enough for her."

"If he's not, we'll set him straight," I said.

"You got _that_ right."

With a look of complete understanding, we rejoined our families.

"What were you two up to?" Kendall asked us quietly.

"Just talking about football," I said.

"Football?" she asked, suspicious.

"Yeah," Drew said smoothly. "I was telling Paul about talking to 
Coach Majors."

"It sounded pretty cool," I said.

"Pretty cool, huh?" she asked skeptically. "Uh-_huh_."

"Who wants tea?" Melissa asked as she emerged from the kitchen 
with a tray of glasses.

I was glad for the interruption, since it got me off the hook 
with Kendall. Then I groaned inwardly. Despite being a good 
Southern gentleman, I've always _hated_ iced tea. But it would be 
rude to refuse, especially after Melissa had gone to the trouble 
of making it.

"And who wants lemonade?" Mom asked as she stepped out of the 
kitchen.

With a sigh of relief, I reached for a sweat-beaded glass of 
fresh lemonade.

-----

Later, we got cleaned up and decided to go someplace nice for 
dinner. We ended up at this cool restaurant that used to be a 
train station. During dinner, we had several bottles of wine, and 
I think even Gina enjoyed herself.

I sat between Kendall and Gina, with my arm around Kendall and 
Gina holding my hand in her lap. Drew sat with his arm 
comfortably around Leah, and she looked like she was on top of 
the world.

We lingered over dessert--which I skipped--and talked until it 
was obvious that the restaurant was closing.

"Hey, Drew," I said as we walked out to the parking lot. "Do you 
wanna crash in my room tonight? You can sleep on the floor."

With the choices being to stay with his mother in a hotel room or 
to crash in the dorm, Drew made the only logical choice that a 
normal seventeen-year-old guy could make.

"Sure, man," he said. "Sounds great. Mom?"

"Are you sure, honey?" Melissa asked. "Wouldn't a bed be more 
comfortable than the floor?"

"Paul's got a rug, Mom. Besides, we can throw down a blanket or 
something. I'll be fine."

"I don't know..."

"I'll be fine, Mom," he repeated.

"Okay," she said at last.

Then I almost burst out laughing as I watched Leah. Her face was 
a mask of concentration, and I'm sure she was trying to figure 
out an excuse for _her_ to stay in my dorm room too.

When I glanced at Gina, I had a panicky thought. What if she 
wanted to spend the night with me? Since my roommate was probably 
there, I didn't think we could, but I still didn't know what she 
was thinking. And then I remembered the visitation rules. Since 
it was Monday, there wasn't any visitation anyway. So I would've 
had to sneak her in. Fortunately, I think she'd already resigned 
herself to spending the night in her own room.

Since we were so close to campus, Kendall, Gina, Abby, and Drew 
rode in the Jeep with me. Abby had to sit on Drew's lap in the 
front seat, but she held on tight. I still had the soft top and 
doors on, though, which made things a _little_ safer. I didn't 
like cramming five people into the Jeep (and neither did our 
mothers), but everything was fine.

 From the garage--where I got to display my new non-commuter 
parking permit--we walked back up Andy Holt Avenue. I kissed 
Kendall goodnight at the door to the apartment building and then 
Gina, Drew, and I headed toward the Presidential Complex.

In the breezeway between the North and South Carrick lobbies, I 
held Gina for a moment. Drew discreetly hung back and pretended 
to be interested in the people in the courtyard.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I guess," she said with a shrug.

"You just seem kinda bummed out today."

"I'm just tired."

"Okay," I said, although I didn't entirely believe her. For a 
moment, I looked into her eyes.

She smiled wanly.

"Call me when you get to your room," I said.

"Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you too," she said with a sigh.

After I kissed her goodnight, I watched as she walked into the 
lobby.

"I hope you don't mind me saying so," Drew said, "but she didn't 
seem real happy."

"She's not."

"Is she upset about Kendall?"

For a long moment, I simply gazed at him.

He returned my gaze with calm composure.

"You know," I said, "I've never really asked you how much you 
know about the situation with Kendall, Gina, and me." I paused 
for a moment as we walked inside. "So now I'm asking," I said. 
"What exactly _do_ you know?"

"I think I pretty much figured out what was going on a couple of 
years ago," he said coolly.

"And it doesn't bug you?"

"It used to, I guess," he said. "But then I realized you weren't 
just trying to get your kicks with my sister."

"No."

"So I got over it." Then it was his turn to stare at me for a 
moment. "I also know what Kendall and Gina are up to," he added.

"Oh?"

"Dude, I've seen Leah and Erin together. I mean, it doesn't take 
a rocket scientist to figure out that Gina's... you know, 
_interested_ in Kendall."

I nodded.

"Kendall probably likes it too," he said with a shrug. "But she's 
_seriously_ hung up on you. So if she's happy, I'm happy."

"You know, Drew," I said as we waited for the elevator, "you're 
not the guy I got in a fight with a couple of years ago."

"I guess I've grown up," he said, his deep voice unruffled. "And 
I may not be as smart as Kendall, but I'm not stupid either."

"No, you're not."

"I watch what's going on around me."

I nodded.

"So I guess you're right," he said. "I'm not the same guy you got 
in a fight with. That guy was kind of an asshole. I'm not him 
anymore."

"No, you're not," I said as we got off the elevator on the fourth 
floor.

"And I'm definitely not like Todd Zachary."

Todd Zachary was one of the California people who came to camp. 
He and his family actually lived in Atlanta, but they were 
typical Californians (at least in my mind): blonde, tanned, and 
smugly self-important. Todd had also taken Leah's virginity, an 
experience she hadn't enjoyed. It hadn't _quite_ been against her 
will, but it was close. I still bristled when I thought about it.

"What do you mean?" I asked Drew warily.

"I know what happened," he said.

I looked at him as blankly as I could. I thought he was fishing 
for information, and I was determined not to break Leah's 
confidence.

"Don't worry, I figured it out on my own."

"How?" I asked.

"I saw how Leah acted afterward. And how Todd acted. I don't know 
_exactly_ what happened, but I think I've got a pretty good idea. 
I figured she or Gina probably told you."

I nodded.

"But if he touches her again, I'm gonna crack that asshole's 
skull," Drew said. He was _serious_--he didn't swear lightly. I 
could only think of one time I'd ever heard him curse, but he was 
drunk at the time (and angry about me and his sister).

"I'll back you up," I said.

"I thought you might."

When I opened the door to my suite, we were greeted by a large 
Confederate flag hanging on my suitemates' door. Drew and I 
looked at each other and then shrugged. Since it was so late, I 
decided to forego meeting my new suitemates.

Before I'd taken two steps into the foyer, however, the phone 
rang.

"Hello?" I said.

"I'm home," Gina said.

"Is your roommate there?"

"Yeah," she said. "But I guess she's asleep. No, wait. Yeah, 
she's up now. I guess I'd better go meet her."

"Okay, sweetie," I said. "I hope she's cool."

"Me too."

"I'll see you at breakfast," I said.

"Okay."

"I love you," I said, glancing at Drew as I did.

He didn't even flinch.

"I love you too," Gina said.

"Night."

"Night."

After I hung up, I put the key in my lock and hoped my roommate 
wasn't asleep. To my surprise, he wasn't even there. Once again, 
I found a note taped to the mirror.

_Hi roomie. Missed you again. I'm at my girlfriend's. Catch you 
tomorrow._ Signed, "T."

"You know," I said, holding the note, "this is getting kinda 
ridiculous."

"What?" Drew asked.

"My roommate's been living here for two days, and I haven't seen 
him once. He's left me two notes, but that's it. I mean, I 
haven't really been here much either, but I've spent the night 
here twice." Then I paused and chuckled. "I haven't met my 
suitemates, either."

"Well, they've got the Southern Cross proudly displayed," he said 
with a wry grin, nodding toward the flag in the foyer.

"I guess," I said.

"Hey," Drew said all of a sudden.

"What?"

"If your roommate's not here, I get to sleep in his bed."

"Yep."

Robert--or Terrence, as he seemed to go by--had put away most of 
his things. He still didn't have sheets on his bed, though.

"Here," I said. "I've got an extra set of sheets."

"Don't worry about it, man," Drew said. "I don't want you to have 
to wash the sheets. Just gimme a blanket and I'm cool."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, man. No problem."

"Okay. Thanks."

After we each climbed into bed, neither of us went to sleep 
immediately. Instead we talked for a while. Over the years, I'd 
gotten to know Drew better, but this was the longest we'd ever 
spent in each other's company.

In my mind, I guess I still thought of him as an angry, 
frustrated jerk who'd tried to push me around. I knew he'd grown 
up, of course, but I hadn't realized how _much_ he'd matured.

I also saw a lot of his father's even temper in his personality. 
Despite Adam's obvious size and strength, I don't think I'd ever 
seen him get angry. I guess that's what made him a good cop. It 
had certainly turned Drew into a pretty good guy.

I decided that I really liked Drew. After all, we had a lot in 
common.

We talked for a little longer, but around twelve thirty, our 
conversation petered out and we went to sleep.

-----

On Tuesday, Drew and I got up, showered, then headed down to meet 
Gina. When she didn't show up after fifteen minutes, I called her 
room.

"Sorry," she said irritably. "I'm running late."

"Okay. No problem. We'll see you when you get here."

Ten minutes later, she arrived in a semi-huff.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"My roommate woke me up at six o'clock," she said. "God, she's 
loud. I turned my alarm off and went back to sleep. And then I 
overslept, of course."

"What's your roommate like?" I asked, changing the subject as we 
headed outside.

"She's okay, I guess," Gina said with a shrug.

"What's her name?" Drew asked.

"Faith. Faith Bennett."

"What's her major?" I asked.

"Early Childhood Education. She wants to teach kindergarten or 
something. I don't know."

Over her head, Drew and I looked at each other.

_She's in a fine mood this morning,_ I silently grumbled.

"Where are we eating breakfast?" Gina asked.

"The Radisson," I said.

"Good," she said. "As long as it's not Smokey's. That food was 
horrible."

"I didn't think it was great," I said, "but it wasn't 
_horrible_."

"If you wanna talk about 'horrible,'" Drew said, "lemme tell you 
about the food at my school's cafeteria..."

With a look, I thanked him for changing the subject. While we 
walked down the hill, he injected some light-hearted humor into 
our conversation by telling us about carbonized hamburgers, 
creamed peas, and something the students called "turd bars," 
which they _thought_ were made with oatmeal and peanut butter.

By the time we reached Kendall's apartment building, even Gina 
was smiling, if only a little. We called Kendall from the lobby 
and she met us a few minutes later. As we walked toward the 
garage, we talked about everyday stuff, just passing the time. At 
the Radisson, we met Mom and the other women in the lobby.

"Did you sleep okay, Drew?" Leah asked.

"I didn't sleep all that bad," he said. "Paul's roommate wasn't 
there," he continued, "so I got to sleep in the other bed."

"You _still_ haven't met your roommate?" Mom asked.

I shook my head. "He's left me two notes, but I haven't seen him 
at all."

At breakfast, Elizabeth asked Gina about her roommate. Gina was 
still a little grumpy about being woken up so early, but from 
what she said, Faith seemed like a nice enough girl.

Then we talked about Kendall's roommates. We knew about Abby, so 
Kendall filled us in on Vivian and Phoebe. Vivian Fourier, the 
tall blonde, was on a full scholarship as a flute player in the 
UT "Pride of the Southland" marching band. She'd also been one of 
the scholarship students at Kendall's prep school in Chattanooga. 
And while they _had_ known each other in high school, they hadn't 
been close friends. When they met up again in Knoxville, however, 
their friendship blossomed.

Phoebe Randolph, whom we hadn't met, was a nursing student from 
Murfreesboro, in middle Tennessee. Vivian introduced Phoebe to 
Kendall, but the two girls discovered that they also shared a 
Biology class. So when Vivian and Phoebe's original roommates 
decided to room with two different girls, Kendall and Abby had 
been the logical choice to replace them.

"So that's how Abby and I ended up in Andy Holt," Kendall 
finished. "I'm glad too. The apartments are much nicer than the 
rooms in Morrell."

After breakfast, we decided to make a trip to K-Mart, for any 
last minute school supplies, cleaning supplies, or other odds and 
ends we might need. Before we left, the women checked out of the 
hotel and we loaded Mom's station wagon.

We didn't get much at K-Mart, only a few things like air 
fresheners, flip-flops (I'd forgotten mine), and a couple of 
posters. We all had lunch together before Mom and the others had 
to leave.

"Do you want us to follow you back to campus?" Melissa asked as 
we stood in the parking lot of the restaurant.

"I think we'll be fine," I said. "I know how to get back."

"He's right, Mom," Kendall added, "there's no need for you all to 
drive back with us, just so you can turn around and head this way 
again. We'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Mom asked.

I nodded.

As if by some unspoken agreement, each of our mothers came up to 
us. Drew read the situation perfectly, and hung back with Erin 
and Leah. While Gina and Elizabeth said goodbye to each other, 
Kendall and Melissa did the same. I gazed down at Mom and tried 
to look as confident as I could.

"I'm so proud of you," she said.

"Thanks, Mom."

She stood on tiptoe and kissed my cheek. Then she looked at me 
and sighed. "I can't believe you're in college," she said.

"Yep."

"Do you need anything before we go?"

I shook my head.

"Okay," she said. "Call us if you need anything."

"Dad and I already had this talk, Mom," I said, looking down to 
hide my embarrassment.

"I know, but I just wanted you to know that you can call 
anytime."

"I know, Mom."

"Oh, I'm just so proud of you."

I felt my face heating as she gave me another hug. Nearby, 
Kendall and Gina were in similar situations, so I guess I 
couldn't be _too_ embarrassed.

"You'll do fine," Mom said.

"I know, Mom. I'll call when I can."

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too, Mom."

She gave me another kiss on the cheek and then stepped back, 
wiping the corners of her eyes as she did. Then she turned to 
Erin and gestured.

"I guess I'll see you around," Erin said when she drew near.

Impulsively, I pulled her to me and hugged her, lifting her feet 
off the ground as I did.

"Don't tell anyone," I whispered, "but I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," she said with a sniffle. After a moment's 
pause, she said, "I love you, Paul."

"I love you too, Erin."

Then I kissed her cheek and set her down. She wiped her eyes and 
smiled bravely.

When Erin stepped back, I gave Elizabeth a hug and then turned to 
Leah. As I'd done with Erin, I hugged her and then lifted her off 
her feet.

"Bye," she whispered.

"Bye, Leah," I said. "You're a great girl."

She kissed my cheek as I set her down.

Next, I shook Drew's hand.

"Take it easy, Drew," I said.

"You too, man." Then he grinned at me. "Thanks for letting me 
crash in your room, dude."

"No problem."

"Take care of my sister," he said quietly.

"I will, Drew."

"I know you will, but I still gotta say it."

I nodded.

Then Drew and I stepped apart and Melissa gave me a hug, although 
I didn't pick her up.

After we said our last goodbyes, they all got into the station 
wagon. Mom, Melissa, and Elizabeth sat up front, while Drew sat 
in between Erin and Leah in the back. Then Mom started the car 
and put it into gear. Kendall, Gina, and I waved as they drove 
off.

"God," Gina said as we headed for the Jeep, "I thought my mom was 
gonna say goodbye fifty times."

"Yeah," I said, "I know what you mean."

"Well, you all are moving away from home for the first time," 
Kendall said.

"Still," Gina grumbled.

"Oh, it's just 'cause they love us," I said.

Kendall nodded. Then she arched an eyebrow at me. "You and Drew 
seemed to be getting along like two peas in a pod," she said.

"He's a lot like me," I said as I started the Jeep.

"Uh-_huh_."

"He _is_," I said defensively.

As we drove back to campus, Kendall talked about life in 
Knoxville and things to do around campus. She also told us about 
some of the UT clubs and activities. I tried to include Gina in 
the conversation, but she seemed to be in a funk. I shrugged it 
off as her being out of her "comfort zone," as Kendall put it, 
but it still bothered me.

When we got back to campus, I parked in the garage (there were 
other non-commuter lots on campus, but the garage just seemed to 
be the most convenient option). Kendall and I tried to talk Gina 
into joining us at the apartment, but Gina just wanted to go back 
to her dorm. When I offered to go with her, she told me she just 
wanted to be alone. So I kissed her and then watched as she 
headed up the hill toward Carrick.

"_She's_ in a great mood," I said once she was safely out of 
earshot.

"Bless her heart," Kendall said. "She'll get over it, though." At 
my skeptical look, she continued. "I was pretty depressed when I 
first came to school. I'd just moved away from home, I'd just 
left the love of my life," she said with a sideways glance and a 
smile, "and I didn't know a soul at UT."

I nodded.

"When Abby and I became friends, and then when Bridget and Toni 
basically adopted me, it got better. But for a while, I was 
terribly lonely."

"But why's Gina lonely? She's got you and me," I said.

"I think part of it is me," Kendall said.

"Huh?"

"She's used to having you to herself."

"Oh. Yeah."

"Now she's got to share," she said. Then she sighed thoughtfully.

"What?"

"I was just thinking..."

"Yeah?"

"Two years ago, I would've been mortified at the prospect of 
coming between you and Gina. But now, I'm not just going to skulk 
away because she's around."

"Even though she might be unhappy?"

"She'll get over it," she said. "I hope. In some ways, she's like 
me, but in others... she's _very_ different."

I nodded.

"I don't want you to have to choose between us, but..." Her 
expression spoke volumes.

"So you're not ready to leave me?" I asked as I put my arm around 
her.

"Not now, not ever," she said.

"Good!"

Later, Kendall, Abby, and I ate dinner together at the Morrell 
dining hall (like me, they both had meal plans, even though they 
lived in an apartment with a kitchen). After dinner, Kendall and 
I agreed that we should probably get a good night's sleep before 
the first day of classes. We were eager to spend some private 
time together, but we were patient. We knew we'd have time later.

We both had eight o'clock classes in the morning, so we planned 
to have breakfast together. Given the mood that Gina was in, I 
really didn't feel like calling her to see if she wanted to join 
us. Besides, I knew her first class wasn't until ten o'clock, so 
she probably wouldn't want to get up and come have breakfast with 
us at seven. After Kendall and I finalized our plans, I kissed 
her goodnight and then headed back to Carrick.

Since I'd returned to dorm while the sun was still up, I hoped to 
meet my suitemates. When I opened the door to the foyer, their 
flag-draped door was ajar. Before I knocked, I tried to remember 
their names: Tracy and G-something. In my mind, I tried to 
picture the sign on their door. When I had an image of it, I re-
read the other guy's name: Glen.

"Knock, knock," I said.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, I'm Paul," I said as I gently pushed the door open. "I live 
next door."

"Oh, hey, man," one of the guys said. He was smaller than me, and 
wiry, with light brown hair. "How's it going?"

"Good," I said. "You?"

"We're cool," he said. Then, "I'm T.J."

"Not Tracy?" I asked.

"_T.J._," he said deliberately, glaring at me as if I'd just told 
him he fucked goats.

_Jeez, sorry!_

"This here's Glen," he continued, pointing to another guy.

I shook T.J.'s hand and then shook Glen's as well. Glen was 
_big_--a little bigger than Drew--with dark hair and a muscular 
build. Together, they made an odd pair: the little guy who did 
all the talking and the silent big guy.

"Where y'all from?" T.J. asked.

"Atlanta," I said. "You?"

"We're from Collierville," he said, pointing to Glen with his 
thumb.

"Oh, cool. Where's that?" I asked.

"You don't know where Collierville is?" he asked incredulously.

"No, sorry. I don't know much about Tennessee yet."

"God damn, Glen," T.J. said. "They don't make 'em too smart in 
Atlanta."

I couldn't tell if he was baiting me, or just trying to be funny.

"I'm just kiddin' ya," he said. "Collierville's outside of 
Memphis."

"Oh. Cool," I said. Then, "Hey, have you all met my roommate 
yet?"

T.J. nodded. "He ain't too bright either, is he?"

"I don't know," I hedged. "I haven't met him yet."

"Well, you'll see when you meet him." Then he made an ape-like 
face, his jaw slack. Before I could reply, he said, "I'm just 
kiddin'. He don't seem so bad."

"Oh. Okay. Cool. Well, I'd better let y'all get back to... 
whatever," I said.

"Stop by any time," T.J. said.

"You do the same," I said. In reality, I didn't know what to make 
of T.J. I shook my head in puzzlement and walked across the foyer.

I guess I should've expected the note from my roommate.

_Hi roomie. Are you actually here? I'll see you soon._ Signed, 
"Terry."

"Well," I said to no one in particular, "at least I know his 
_name_ now."

He'd managed to put sheets and a bedspread on his bed, but there 
were few other signs that he'd been there.

As I glanced around my room, looking for something to occupy my 
time, my eyes came to rest on my computer. I stared at it for a 
few minutes and tried to decide if I wanted to figure it out or 
not. Since I'd gotten it for my birthday--a present from Susan--I 
hadn't turned it on more than a half-dozen times. Finally, I 
decided that I'd play with it some other time.

Eventually, I took out my little cassette player (the one I'd 
bought in France), put on my headphones, and loaded my curling 
bar with a hundred and twenty pounds. It was a light load, since 
it had been more than a week since I'd done a serious workout.

I spent twenty minutes doing curls and then triceps presses, 
watching myself in the mirror to make sure my form was good. I 
wanted to try to stay in shape while I was in school. After all, 
I didn't want my muscle to turn to fat. I'd already been pudgy 
once in my life, I didn't want it to happen again.

Afterward, I took a quick shower and then lay on my bed for a 
while. I'd brought several new books with me, and I eagerly 
opened the first one, Frank Herbert's _Dune_.

A couple of hours later, my roommate still hadn't returned. So I 
set my alarm, turned out the light, and tried to go to sleep. 
Unfortunately, I was nervous about my first day of classes.

What would my professors be like? Would it be like high school? 
Would I have to take a lot of notes? Would I have to study a lot? 
What would my classmates be like? Would they all be smarter than 
me?

"Jeez," I said to the empty room. "I've got to get a grip."

With that, I rolled over, pulled up the sheets, and tried to 
relax. Eventually, it worked, and I fell asleep.

-----

Copyright (c) 2004 Nick Scipio. All rights reserved.
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