Chapter 1

(Day 1)There was the big college, all great and mighty with its old stone and intimidating gargoyles fixed sometime when the university was founded. The leaves were changing and falling and I faced a new school year with new everything. So there was much doubt from everyone that I could make it semi alone in New York. Mandy was staying at another college within walking distance. She had to go for her music scholarship but her true love, interior design, also was there. There went our plan for living with each other since we were both at different colleges. (Day11)I felt alone and vulnerable here and I wasn’t sure I could handle this whole college experience.
There was this burning desire to succeed and be something great. I don’t just want to be an accountant, or housewife, or a nobody. I left Texas because it was stifling, I’m convinced it was the heat and the people. I needed to get away and not look back until I had to. So I convinced my parents with a scholorship that New York wasn’t so far away. A wealthy benefactor had also considered my plight and car money had been donated to my sister and I. But who needs a car in New York City? We, my family, decided I could find one at my lesiure. After all the plans came together, we piled all my belongings in a U-Haul and rented a car to take us up to the land of the Yankees. My parents, well my mother, let me know that she did not want me to go. I had just about been forbidden until Mandy had received her scholorship then both of our parents went beserk and calmed themselves. Our beautifuly awful traveling circus of Texans began, and perhaps I should have just shipped my crap there and flew. We had to stop at every relative’s house along the way and I still couldn’t drive even though I’m 18. By the end Rachel was fearful of riding home with them and angry at Mandy and me for dragging her out here. The traffic in the city was “stupid and horrendous” by my mothers standards. Well I wouldn’t be nice to a van with a big trailer attached to the rear if I were a person driving either. I was almost crying by the time that we finally found my dorm. Then my room was on the top floor of the confounded place. It was a nice dorm with airy halls and a fresh paint job, so fresh you could smell some of it on the first floor. Up the elevators to the top floor that didn’t have as many doors as I expected it to. Boxes and trunks were again and again pounded onto the floor. When we finally checked out the room it seemed to good to be true. It was so much bigger than the dorms at Tech or MSU.
“Wait, this can’t be your dorm,” my mother breathed life into the fears kindled into my heart and made me second-guess my luck.
“Well I’ll just run down to the RA and check, or I’ll call them. They have to be able to reconfirm this paper,” I waved the slip the college sent me with all the orientation junk. “Uh, hello. I’m Melissa Gilmore from room 310 and I wanted to confirm that this is my room. Yes, ok well thanks so much. Mom, Dad, Rachel, this is indeed my room we can now begin the unloading ritual.”
Unload we did until things were put up to the satisfaction of my mother. Then they had to meet Mandy’s parents and leave me here to fend for myself. I’d be lying if I told you tears didn’t follow and much hugging. I hate being sad and sappy, but the random jokes didn’t come this time. My arm waved until it was limp as we watched our families pass into the fading daylight. We looked into each other’s eyes, linked arms and stroad off to eat.
The room seemed empty with no person to share it with, but I couldn’t go to Mandy’s because a. it was in the dead of night and b. she had a roommate.
The next day I had to get out of the empty room, so I left it half done. My parents had long since left and my roommate was nowhere to be found. They left so my sister could get settled in at the dorms in Witchita Falls...so yeah the twins were finally separated...she would come to me sooner or later...unless of course I fail and move back home. I can’t do that because then I would admit I wasn’t strong enough.
So great, I am walking around an “autumn in New York” campus…supposedly waiting for my college career to begin…drat the stupid scholarships...I’m all alone with no roommate. Even a stupid or mean or partying or any roommate would be better than none at all. My aimless walking found me back at the dorm...my computer waiting for me to set it up. My half of the room was colorful and neat only because I hadn’t lived in it yet. Art posters, superlative paint job and perfectly coordinated bedroom set from Linens ‘n Things helped it feel more like a dorm room in the catalogues—semi sterile but comfortable looking, and hey it was nicely decorated.
I started fixing the computer computer by setting each piece on my desk to plug in all the cords. In the mid-afternoon glow, the golden hour, I lay back amongst the stuff and breathed in the golden dust filtering through the air. In the golden light everything seemed so peaceful and perfect. Gold does that to things, but just as Frost says, nothing gold can stay and these perfect minutes wasted didn’t lead me closer to seeing my task done. So back to work adjusting and waiting til I could safetly turn on the thing without getting shocked or ruining the connection.
Just as my baby was turned on the door opened and hundreds—well it seemed like hundreds of people stormed into the room. And I did the only thing that seemed logical and right for me. I screamed. It wasn’t everyday that a band of marauders broke into your room and all you had for defense was a power cord and a hot Dr. Pepper. So the scream seemed like the best plan in that split second that I reasoned my choices. Then the world stopped and their eyes just stared, noticing the scared brunette on the floor.
They were actually a normal looking family despite their large number. Most of them had this darkening blond hair that I once had and some of it was curly obviously taking after the father. They didn’t seemed to fazed by my high-pitched scream, like somehow they were used to screams of that caliber. Only the littlest girl covered her ears and the whole family backed up stealing themselves for something that I couldn’t figure out.
“So you’re my roommate’s girlfriend”, a voice asked. A rather nice looking guy was attached to that voice actually and it almost made me forget the biting retort I had for him. Almost.
“Ah I live in this dorm room…and I suppose you’re just my roommate’s girlfriend too.” ...Ok so it wasn’t that biting, but I never get the snide remarks out in time. “Maybe you’re on the wrong floor...”
“I don’t think so, we all checked the map,” gesturing to his cavalcade,” and asked around to make sure...nothing like moving in to the wrong spot, eh?”
“I’m in the right spot if that’s what you’re implying...the RA just checked yesterday. We should just get her to straighten this out.” He looked at the crowd and nodded while backing them out of my room with plane landing hand gestures. I marched ahead of the eyes down then down the elevator all cramed it. They seemed like his possy or bodyguards ready for anything I could hope to throw at them. But now their energy was placed on the RA and our situation.
“Well it seems as though we’ve had a mix-up...or something...actually you two were placed together because there was no other roommates for you. The room is a suite because of this situation, and I’m sorry you weren’t informed of this sooner. The college didn’t want to loose you. So unfortunately you will have to room together until next semester when a roommate change can possibly be made.”
NO no no I can’t have a boy roommate. My mother will crucify me and then tear me to shreads. But this was college where I had to do things on my own and what my mother didn’t know wouldn’t hurt me until Christmas. So the boy and I gazed at each other with apprehension and his mother spoke up, “Well it’s against all our Christian morals, but short of taking you home. We can’t do much about it...”
“I have Christian morals too…so don’t worry…perhaps we can make the best of this…it is a rather large dorm room so…” I trailed off. His mother looked at me rather strangely like she loved and was scared of me. Like I was the answer to prayers murmered in the night and the undoing of all mankind.
“Then we can make this work out, with promises on both sides.” She then took charge leading us back to the room and I hung back walking limply so I wouldn’t accidentally mingle with the family who possibly hated me.
His whole family piled into the room started throwing things around and screaming, actually the younger members started screaming, something about pulling hair and singing ‘my part’. But do kids really even sing parts? In this family anything seemed possible. His mother stationed herself on the bed folding clothes to put in his dresser and directing the unloading of trunks and his computer. His father, brothers and sisters assembled furniture and put together his computer in 12 seconds. No one seemed extremely busy, but it was like watching a coriographed dance.
“So what’s your name girl”—this came from a brother with curly who peered at me in astonishment.
“Well…Melissa…”
“Oh like in that Allmand Brothers song right…”—piped the brother with long hair. Boy this family really did know about music because no one knows about that song unless they were a big Allmand Brothers fan and those are few and far between.
“Yes, but I was randomly named after a family friend. So roomie what’s your name?”
“Taylor…”
“Oh he’s decided to go by Taylor everybody…write it down so we can remember this time..” the long-haired brother joked.
“Oy how many names do you have…and which one can I call you when I’m angry? This is vital information a roommate should hold over the other’s head.”
“Oh don’t worry I won’t make you mad.” He winked at me and then the whole room cleared out, as fast as it filled. The great assembly line of people really did work fast perhaps that is why they had all of them Yet again I was alone. Of course having a roommate didn’t make me automatically loved and didn’t guarantee that he would stay around. After the whole mix-up I’m sure he wouldn’t be around at all…I’d be better off. I was here on scholarship to study not major in my MRS. Having a cute roommate…or one that stayed around would make me less lonesome.
Commence with turning on the computer and contacting everyone. Why I had waited so long to do this…well being caught up with New York City was one reason. I had yet to stalk TRL and tell Carson what I really thought of his painted fingernails and music choices. And he claims to be a Christian. For shame.
“Hey Melissa…” Mandy magically appeared at my door saving me from aloneness…if that’s a word. “I wanted to know if you would like to invite your roommate to go with me and mine to grab a bite to eat. See the city and all that jazz. Is she here…I see the stuff but no girl.”
“Actually she is a he. I have a male roommate on some technicality. It’s all rather odd…but he’s a good Christian boy…according to his mother, but you know how that…”
“Excuse me, but I thought you said that you had a boy for a roommate. Perhaps I’m going deaf and can only hear high-pitched sounds, or I can only hear the exact opposite of what you say. Surely that’s it because you couldn’t have just told me that and it…”
“Well you heard the correct thing and believe me, I couldn’t believe it at first either…so yeah. I didn’t ask for it…God gave me a little gift called his way and not mine. We didn’t think New York was in our plans either, remember? So I will go out with y’all because my roomie disappeared and is probably not coming back for a while. Who really cares…”

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story stuff