Julie
I can barely stand up I am so tired. I dig through my bag for my keys, dropping my Organic Chemistry book and my wallet in the process. I finally find the godforsaken pieces of metal and retrieve my dropped possessions from the cement porch only to find the front door unlocked.
"It's two in the morning and the door is unlocked. Could they be any less responsible," I mutter to myself as I shut and lock the door behind me. This wasn't the first time I had come home late after a long day of classes, work, practice, and studying to find my home subject to the will of any sticky fingered creep. Living with four guys, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I have seen how long they let their bathroom go before they clean it. I am pretty sure food chains have developed in some areas before Banks' mom comes to visit and the boys have to break out the bleach and rubber gloves.
Don't get me wrong, I love them to death. I have known these guys since I was like 12. They are like hockey obsessed brothers, which hasn't always been easy for me to deal with since I have three younger sisters, no real brothers. Yet, over the years, each of them have developed a special role in my life.
Fulton Reed, half of the famed Bash Brothers that stuck together through high school and are now, like me, in their junior year at the University of Minnesota, was my confidant. Underneath his bad boy persona, he was a really sweet guy. He was who listened to my boy problems and kept the other ones away when I was studying for tests. Adam Banks was the one who understood my childhood the best and got where I was coming from. He was the friend who accompanied me to family functions and things like that. Well, at least he did, I thought with a smile. That had changed last year when my sister, Sarah, started at UM and her and Banks fell in love. Now, he is my soon to be brother in law, thanks to the sparkly ring on my sister's hand. Then there is Dean Portman. Dean was a man's man. He was who would challenge me to an arm wrestling match as soon as look at me. We watched football together, a sport the other boys detested, and we're running buddies. He was also the most protective of me. Charlie Conway is the one who gets me. He studies for his pre-law classes just as much as I hit the books for pre-med. He also has to work to help pay for school and fits hockey practice into that as well. He understands my goals in life, but he also understands my sense of humor. He can bring me out of a funk faster than anyone else.
Tonight, however, I hate them all. I climb the stairs with what feels like two tons of hockey equipment and books. I usually leave my stuff in my locker, but I had almost passed out putting on my pads tonight because they smelled so bad. I had to take the stuff home and wash it. I finally get the door open and start unpacking when I here noises coming from Portman's room. While the boys were nice enough to let me have the bedroom with the attached bath so I didn't have to deal with their skankiness and they didn't have to see the plethora of beauty products that surround my sink, it also meant I had to share a wall with Portman. Right now, by the unfortunately familiar sound that was filling my room, Portman had brought home a new conquest. I knew from experience that the others would be blissfully unaware while I had to hear until either the morning came or she, whoever she was, got tired. I sat at my desk and dug out my iPod. I hoped the sounds of The Donnas and Blondie would be able to drown out the sounds of Portman's love making while still allowing me to finish reviewing my o.chem notes one last time and, then, get some sleep.
"Biggest day of her life so far and she is asleep," I hear a familiar female voice say in a whisper.
"I know, you think she would be out celebrating," another voice replies in somewhat disbelief.
"What are the two of you talking about?" I finally ask, eyes still shut, "And how did you get in my room?"
Connie and Tammy both came and sat on either side of me. I was so tired still. I had been able to drown out Portman and whoever the chick was only to wake up a few hours later to go and take my final mid-term, Organic Chemistry. I then took advantage of the weekly "get out of practice free card" coach had instituted to go home and sleep.
"Well, first of all we got in your room because Fulton gave me a key and your door doesn't have a lock," Tammy, Fulton's girlfriend, started cheerfully.
"And you know you not answering the door isn't going to keep me out," Connie continued, "And this is why today is the biggest day of your life so far."
Something heavy landed on my chest, forcing me to open my eyes and move enough so I could see what it was. It was a newspaper, I picked it up and read the headline. U of M Hockey Student-Athletes Named All-Americans. I rolled my eyes and handed it back to Connie before rolling over and pulling my covers back over my head.
"So," I said, muffled by my bedding, "Banksie and Captain made All-American again. I'm proud of them, but that doesn't really crack into my top ten best days, let alone take the top spot."
Connie sighed, "Tammy, read it to her."
Tammy cleared her throat before reading, "A record number of University of Minnesota Hockey Student-Athletes were named All-American this morning. Four members of the reigning NCAA National Title holding Men's Golden Gophers were named First Team All-American, with three being named Second Team All-American.' And then it goes on to list Banksie, Charlie, Fulton, and Portman as First Team with Clarkson, Jeffie, and Ken as Second Team. 'The Lady Golden Gophers, which finished with the Big Ten title last year, were honored with their first First Team All-American ever, goalie Julie Gaffney.'"
I sprung up, pushing back my covers and nearly knocking Tammy and Connie off my bed, "What?!"
"I told you it was your biggest day ever," Connie said with a smile.
"Oh my God, I need to call my dad and my mom," I jumped out of bed and went searching through my bag for my phone.
"You mean they haven't called you already?" Connie asked sounding concerned. She knew that my parents would be very proud of me and had assumed that they would be ringing my phone off the hook.
"I got up early to study more and then to take my mid-term and I turned my phone on silent so I wouldn't be disturbed and I guess I never turned on the ringer later," I said, finally finding my phone, "because I have 12 missed calls, 6 of which are from my mom and dad."
I called my parents and my grandparents before going downstairs to join Connie and Tammy, who had nicely vacated my room while I made my calls. Connie was reading an old fashion magazine she had left here while Tammy was sitting on the couch, playing with Fulton's hair as he read a book. I noted to myself that he seemed slightly annoyed with Tammy's touch, a trend that I had been seeing more and more recently. I decided that a conversation with the more sensitive bash brother might be in order soon.
"Well, congrats All-American," I say to Fulton as I walk in and sit down in the chair that Connie is not occupying.
Fulton looked up from his book and smiled at me, "No, no, congrats to YOU All-American."
We stare at each other for half a second before we both burst out laughing. Tammy rolls her eyes at us while Connie smiles and shakes her head, still reading her magazine. She has never said anything, but it is a kind of understood fact that while Tammy and I get along ok, she thinks it's very weird that I live with four boys, especially since I'm not dating any of them. I know that she is basically the love of Fulton's life and Connie's childhood friend turned sorority sister, but she and I have never been the best of friends. I thought, after Charlie and Banksie ran into her at the Student Union at the beginning of the year, her first at UM, and she started dating Fulton, that there was a good chance we could be good friends, like Connie and I are, but while she was a Duck at one point in her life, it was easy to see that she preferred to keep that in her past. She was prissy and had a tendency to look down her nose at all the girls not in her sorority.
"So, let me guess, we are having a party tonight?" I say after the laughter subsides.
Fulton smiles, "You know us too well. Captain and Portman are out getting the kegs as we speak."
"Which means, we have t-minus to get ready," Connie responded, a glint in her eye.
"Ok, so I am going to go shower then and I will see you two," meaning Tammy and Connie, "later." I say with a smile as I climb out of my chair.
"I don't think so missy," Connie replies, moving quickly to block the doorway that leads to the stairs, "you can shower, but Tammy and I have designated ourselves stylists for the night. The boys of UM won't know what hit them when we are done."
"Guys, I am capable of doing my own make up," I reply.
"Jules, you know how Connie gets if you take away her Barbie, especially if it is life sized," Fulton commented, his nose back in his book. He had surprised many when he declared a major in English, but Fulton loved to read and, as the person who usually got drafted into proofing his essays, was actually very insightful.
"Fine," I relent, seeing the joy in Connie's eyes, "but only if you get Sarah to help."
"Deal," Connie said, a smile lighting up her face, "I was going to ask her to hang out with us anyway, you know have some big/little time."
Sarah was not only the oldest of my little sisters, only a year younger than me, but she was Connie's little sorority sister. I knew that Sarah and I were the only people that could reign Connie in, besides Guy, and that I would need her help to makes sure I still retained some of my own style when Connie was done with me.
"Go shower," Connie said, laying out her plan, "I will call Sarah and tell her to meet us at the house."