I'm afraid you're going to have to get yourselves into pairs because we don't have enough microscopes for individuals.
Groans and chatter erupted from the students. It was a very competitive course in UC Berkeley; people weren't keen on sharing answers with each other.
Cosima Niehaus didn't mind it at all however. She turned around to the pretty blonde next to her, and proclaimed, "so much for the thousands of dollars we pay every year!"
"Right?" The blonde said in return, revealing a light French accent.
"Ooh, cute accent," Cosima blurted out.
"Thank you." The girl offered her hand amicably, "I'm Delphine. France. Biochemistry."
"Cosima. San Fran. Evolutionary bio."
Delphine's eyes widened: "ah, you're Cosima. I think I have heard talk of you actually."
"As the future Nobel Prize winner round these parts?" Cosima asked hopefully.
She shook her head.
"Girl with the crazy hair?" It was plausible.
"No." Delphine laughed (Cosima mentally set herself a new challenge).
"Aah, so the other thing, of the...er" Cosima leaned in to her ear and whispered, "herbal variety?"
"Yeah." She admitted sheepishly, and nudged away self consciously.
"Well, yeah. I used to do that a lot, like a lot-a lot. I try to stay clear now since I had this close-call."
"Oh..." Delphine sank back a little, disappointed.
Damn it, Cosima thought. "But you know, off the charts - like, for a friend, is cool."
"Really? You would do that?"
"Sure, you can't say us Americans aren't hospitable."
Delphine giggled, "d'accord. Maybe we should get back to analysing this...very interesting looking cell."
"You're totally right. Let's make crazy science!"
"So tonight at 9 then?" Delphine whispered towards the end of their session.
"Sure." It's a date, Cosima filled in; she hoped.
The pros of Cosima sharing a dorm with her twin sister Sarah was that she wasn't worried about being ratted out for the spliff making and trading, plus Sarah was an excellent hustler and somehow always knew when surprise inspections would be carried out.
The cons were her sharing accommodation with her twin sister - and one who seriously tested the limits of spliff depletion, under the pretence of being a guinea pig test subject to make sure your buyers wouldn't drop dead. (Yeah Sarah just wanted to borrow it for parties.)
T'was through a puff of Sarah's smoke that they heard the knocks. Cosima just knew it was her. She would knock like that, as dainty as her stupid French bun.
"Shit. What time is it?" She didn't usually panic about this stuff, but then she usually didn't have hot girls who were potentially interested in her knocking on her door for weed either.
"8.30," Sarah replied nonchalantly.
"But she said 9."
"Well then she's early." Sarah rolled her eyes.
"Sarah get out."
"What?"
"You can't be here."
"Oh I see... you want to make the moves."
"Dur! Now quick, in the closet!"
"Ew!" Sarah scrunched up her nose.
"It's either in the closet or out the window, you choose."
"I'll freeze my bollocks off outside," Sarah pouted.
"See, how nice does the closet sound now?" As Sarah crawled in and got comfy, uttering 'thank god for wi-fi', Cosima called, "coming," at the door.
"Hey! You're early," Cosima proclaimed when she answered the door, not flushed in the slightest.
"Yes, sorry. Something came up."
"Words this girl never wants to hear."
A snort arose from the closet. Delphine recoiled, and Cosima coughed, hoping she covered it. It didn't work.
"Did I just hear a... snort?"
"Erm yeah. Sorry... I have a pet piglet."
"A pet - pig?" Delphine replied, sure she had misheard.
"Yep. You know, annoyingly cute, big ears for nosing about. 'Oink oink.'" Naturally Cosima accompanied this with two fingers on either side of her ears, only too aware of her idiocy.
"Okay. You Américains are very funny."
"Actually, that's just the Cosima guarantee: cheesy humour with your top quality manufactured pot!"
Delphine forced a polite chuckle, bewildered but charmed all the same.
During the trade, it didn't escape Cosima's notice that Delphine bit her lip a little nervously but after, she spoke out confidently:
"So... you remember the PhD student from our practical today, Leekie?"
Cosima could not help her face falling as she sensed Delphine's excitement at mentioning his name.
"Er - yeah. Yeah of course."
"He just invited me to this party tonight. And well, would you like to come?"
Cosima sucked in her lips before she could say something even more embarrassing. Count to three."Oh, now?" She squeaked.
"Hm hm," Delphine nodded, smiling. "I'm sorry. It's short notice, I totally understand if-"
"Oh no, it's cool. I don't really have any plans. Let me go get dressed."
"Cool." Delphine remained standing for a few moments before she realised she was lingering, "oh of course. I'm sorry, I'll go wait in the hall."
"Thanks." Cosima grinned as she led her out.
When the door shut behind Delphine, the closet opened and Sarah rolled out with a black form fitting dress in her hand, "tada!"
"Such a good twin," Cosima patted Sarah affectionately on the head before taking the dress.
"Oink oink."
"Fuck off," Cosima said shaking her head; her twin laughing in response.