College Begins

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Joan of Arcadia

Author's note: I just filled out my housing application for freshman year of college, and was wondering what my roommate (or roommates) would be like. This is the result.

Grace's Chapter

"Dad, don't worry… Dad, I'll call you back… Dad, I need to go… Because I can't talk on the phone and find my room at the same time… I just can't." Grace hung up.

Grace set her luggage down on a bench. She didn't know where the hell she was. The campus was huge. Grace was pretty sure the website had been lying when it said UCLA was the smallest campus in the UC system. There's no way one state—even one as big as California—can have eight campuses bigger than this. Although, the overabundance of college campuses does explain something about California.

Grace dug her registration letter out of her pocket. Sproul Hall, fourth floor, room 19, rooming with Jessica Kline and Tamara Woo. Grace hoped Jessica and Tamara (and they better be less peppy than their names) were small. She honestly didn't understand how three people would fit in one dorm room.

With a groan, Grace picked up her crap and continued her search for Sproul Hall. Thirty-two minutes later, she found it. Seventeen minutes and two registration checks later, she was on an elevator. Finally, she was in front of room 19. She paused, her hand on the doorknob.

"Hey, you!" a tall redhead yelled as she came running down the hall. Grace wondered she had come from. "Are you Grace Polk?"

"Yeah, and you are?"

"I'm Jessica Kline. Sorry about the yelling and the 'hey, you' and the running and all. Had to catch you before you opened the door, though." Jessica had caught up and was now panting slightly as she smiled at Grace.

"What? It's my—our, I guess—room." Grace didn't take her hand of the door.

"Yeah, I know, but Tammy wanted a second to say good-bye to her sister and boyfriend without roommates in the way. I promised I'd stand watch for you."

"Well, aren't you friendly." Grace didn't mean for that to come out quite as mean and sarcastic as it did. Luckily, Jessica didn't seem to notice. Grace got the impression that, yelling and running aside, it took a lot to faze Jessica. This boded well.

Grace was about to ask where Jessica had come barreling from (the dark halls and the steady stream of students and parents made it hard to see for herself) when the door opened. A short Asian girl with perfect features and a tall boy who looked like the typical linebacker walked out. Jessica nodded slightly at them. Grace glared, picked up her luggage and walked into her new home.

The room was almost as dark as the hallway. Each side wall was flanked by bunk beds, but a desk and dresser was nesteled under the left bunk instead of a lower mattress. Two desks lined the back wall. At one of them was an Asian girl with slightly-less-than-perfect features. She was crying a little. Grace sighed. Jessica walked in and looked back and forth between her roommates.

"Um, Tammy, this is Grace Polk. Grace, this is Tamara Woo."

"Hi, Grace. Where are you from?" Tammy asked, completely ignoring her own tears. She shifted so that she was sitting on the desk chair backwards, facing the other girls.

"Maryland. Have you guys picked your beds yet?"

"That's mine," Jessica said as she pointed the one lower bunk. "Not a fan of heights."

"I don't care where I sleep," Tammy said, still ignoring the tears. There was a pause and a sniffle. "You know what? That's a lie. The bed above the desk and dresser freaks me out. Doesn't look sturdy enough. Can you take it?"

Grace nodded. She threw her stuff in the corner and climbed up.

"Dude," Grace said with a smile, "this is awesome. I've never been on a bunk bed."

"People in Maryland say 'dude?'" Jessica asked from the nest she had made out of blankets on her bed.

"I say it."

"Only the guys say it in Aliso Viejo," Tammy said, now finally tear-free.

"Where?" Grace asked.

"My hometown. It's in Orange County. Eighty miles that way." Grace was lying on her back, looking at the ceiling, and couldn't see what direction Tammy was pointing. She was okay with that.

"Wow, I didn't know anyone actually said 'dude,'" Jessica said. "Not real big in Norco."

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure Norco is exactly the epitome of cool, Jessica," Tammy said good-naturedly.

"Hey, now, at least people have heard of my hometown," Jessica replied.

"I haven't," Grace said.

"It's somewhere around here," Tammy explained vaguely. "Really, the only thing you need to know about Norco is the cows. God, that whole freeway stinks."

"Yeah, but it's not like the whole town smells," Jessica said.

"A good portion of it does, though," Tammy shot back.

"Have you ever been there?"

"Children, children," Grace interrupted, "it doesn't matter." There was a pause.

"So, Grace, do you have a boy waiting back home for you?" Jessica asked.

Grace truly wished she could say no to this. Then she wished she didn't wish she could say no to this. After all Luke had put up with, the least she could do is admit she had a boyfriend.

"Yeah." There was a pause while Jessica and Tammy waited for her to go on.

"And his name is…?" Tammy finally said.

"Luke." More waiting.

"How did you meet?" Jessica asked.

Grace didn't answer. Suddenly, the door flew open.

"Hi, I'm Kelly, your RA," a tiny brunette chirped happily. "For those of you who don't know, RA stands for Resident Advisor, so, you know, feel free to come by my room if you need advice or help or anything. My room's at the end of the hall. Nice to meet you." And with that she closed the door.

"See, I'm not sure it actually counts as meeting her if we didn't introduce ourselves or say anything," Tammy commented.

"I think she did enough talking for the three of us," Jessica replied.

"Dude, if she barges in like that again I'll be moving to a new hall. Not that I wouldn't miss you guys, of course," Grace said as she climbed down from her bed. "I'm starving. Airport food sucks. Anyone want to get something to eat with me?" Good Lord, Polk, did you just invite strangers to join you? Are you trying to make friends? Maybe they'll say no.

Grace wasn't so lucky. Forty-one minutes later (turns out none of them knew their way around campus) Grace found herself at the Bruins Café with her two roommates. But you know what? It wasn't that bad.

xxx

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Stay tuned. When I finally get the next chapter right (it's finished, but I'm not satisfied yet) we see Adam meet his roommate. And I mean no offense to anyone who lives in Norco. That freeway does stink, but I have no idea if the actual city does.