"Now, promise you'll be careful?" Mrs. Ryder cooed, plastering Dee's curls to his head. Dee rolled his eyes, but patiently said, "Yes, mama."
"And you'll write to me every night?" she continued, smoothing the wrinkles in his tee shirt. Dee sighed and said, "Yes, mama." She smiled and kissed his cheek.
"That's my boy. Now go on. Have fun, dearest." Dee watched as his mother ducked into the back seat of their impeccably spotless black Lincoln. He waited for Joseph, the chauffeur, to pull away from the curb before he turned to face the most (if not the only) exciting event to occur during his prepatory school life: college.
And not just any college, mind you. No, Dee was at a state college. NYU, to be exact. However, as he looked around at students mulling about, he became quite nervous.
"New kid?"
Dee jumped a foot in the air. The speaker was a short redhead with a thick Bronx accent and an impenetrable Brooklyn attitude. She smirked and held out her hand.
"I'm Two-Bits," she introduced herself. Dee shook her hand, eagerly.
"I'm Dee Ryder." Two-Bits snorted.
"Sorry. Who gave you that one?" she said with a grin. Dee rolled his eyes.
"My mother." Her mouth formed a surprised 'o.'
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought it was a nickname," she said, hastily. Dee shook his head.
"No, it's no problem. I hate my name," Dee said with a shrug.
"You're a freshman, I presume?" she inquired. Dee nodded. "Well, let's get your room number."
Dee followedher to the main building. "Mrs. Walker, I need Dee Ryder's room number." Mrrs. Walker, and elderly woman in a shapeless dress, began to flip through papers.
"Ryder…Ryder…Ryder…" she muttered. "I don't see it," she said, not looking up from the list.
"Um, it's spelled R-Y-D-E-R," Dee said, helpfully.
"Oh…Here we are. You're in D307," she said, tucking the list back into the file drawer. Two-Bits frowned.
"That's a sophomore room. Dee's a freshman." Mrs. Walker shrugged.
"Mistake, I suppose. Take it up with Mr. Denton. He assigns the rooms. Oh, here's your schedule." Two-Bits turned to Dee, not looking enthralled with the idea of talking to Mr. Denton.
"Well, if it's all the same to you…You'd be rooming with Dutchy. He's cool." Dee shrugged.
"Considering the only person I know here is a girl, I don't really have much to say either way," Dee replied. Two-Bits grinned.
"You rhymed! Come on. Time to meet your roomie."