The door opened and the dorm was suddenly filled with the noise of twenty something guys. The place was way too small but that had never stopped us before. We were loud and obnoxious when we weren't supposed to be but quiet when everyone else was loud. It was a wonderful thing we had going. But the best part is…everyone on our floor was hockey players so it was cool.

Rizzo walked into the room carrying a crock pot. I frowned. It had to be his meatballs he was so found of making. I looked at Buzz. He shrugged. He had no idea what Rizzo was doing. Then again, if dinner was involved, Rizzo was making meatballs.

He set the crock pot down on the already full table and began to mingle with everyone.

Buzz walked over and tried to help but I shooed him away. He got away with a sandwich and went to converse with his friends. Even though the dorm was small, it was big enough to have a kitchenette, hence the reason I was cooking. Buzz's dad decided since he was sending two children to college instead of one, they should have the best. Luckily for us, after we graduate, things will get better.

Maybe. At the moment Buzz was looking for an apartment for us. He said we needed our own rooms. Personally I thought he was looking to get rid of me. Even though he wouldn't do that, Buzz was an adult and he didn't need me around all the time. He needed his own life.

I shook those thoughts from my head. I was hanging with the 1980 men's Olympic hockey team. I needed to have fun with this, but not too much fun.

Mac and OC were standing next to the door looking out of place. I frowned. This was my house and I should be welcoming them. I looked at Buzz. He was knee deep in conversation with Johnson and Pav. I really didn't want to go over there because I was finishing up the dinner but I kept hearing my mother's voice in my head.

'Now, Minni, when there are gentlemen in the house, you make sure they feel at home and are taken care of before seeing to yourself.'

I hated when she invaded my thoughts like that. She had always been an old fashioned woman. I never knew a day when she didn't make sure my daddy was taken care of before she did anything for herself. She had raised me that way too and at the moment it was bugging me.

"Bah!" I called across the room.

He looked up and came over when I motioned him. "What's up, Sota?"

"Watch this for me."

"You know I can't cook."

"All you got to do is make sure it doesn't boil over, genius."

"Where are you going?"

"My mama's voice is ringing in my ears. I got to do something." I left him at the stove and walked across the room. "Hey, Mac."

Mac's eyes brightened considerably when I stopped. "Hey, Minni. What's up?"

"Nothing. Dinner's almost ready."

He suddenly understood that. "Your mama's voice."

"Yes! It wouldn't leave me alone until I came over to see if OC was comfortable considering he's from Boston." The smile on my face was very cheeky. I couldn't help it. I had to throw that in there.

Mac laughed. "Uh-oh, OC, you better watch out. When Minni here gets an idea, she will rest at nothing until it's done. If she says you have to be comfortable, you have to be comfortable before she leaves you alone."

"Gee, thanks a lot, Mac."

"Just thought I'd warn him."

"Hey, um, Minni!" Bah called from across the room.

"What?" I turned around. The pot was boiling over. I took off across the room, jumping the couch Buzz and Pav were sitting on. "Bah! I told you to watch it!"

"I did watch it!"

"Yeah, you watched it boil over!" I shoved him out of the way and began to clean up the mess. When all was done, I threw the wet rag in his face. "Next time, don't look away from it."

He smiled the smile that would melt the hearts of any girls but I knew better. This was Bah and he nearly ruined his own dinner. I smacked him in the face again and turned around. He grabbed me from behind and hefted me across the room while I screamed at him. He finally dumped me in Silky's lap. I scrambled up, clipping Buzzy in the forehead with my elbow.

That was the beginning of a not-so-serious between Bah and me. I'd get in a few good cheap shots and dodge out of the way. Big smiles were plastered all over our faces as we jumped over people. I finally decided I was tired of putting up with his bull crap so I pulled a knife on him. He skidded to a halt, his hands in the air.

"Try it, Bah, and I'll cut you." I warned.

"Funny thing is she really will." Bah told the guys.

I didn't know it but Buzz had set his beer down and was reaching towards me. That was my worst mistake, being near the couch. He grabbed me by the waist and yanked. The knife flew from my hand and landed at Johnson's feet. Buzz held me tight as Pav leaned over to tickle me. Let me tell you this one thing. I'm very ticklish all over and when someone tickles me, I kick. So I kicked…

….And I kicked Silky right in the face. His head snapped back so hard I thought I broke his neck. Buzz and I looked at each other before I jumped up to look at the injured man. Luckily I was barefoot so I only left a foot print on his face instead of a boot print, which I would have if I hadn't have took them off.

I slid from Buzz's lap and into the floor. Silky was holding his jaw.

"Let me see." I said softly. If it wasn't my mother's damned compassionate streak rising up again. He let me remove his hand and tilted his jaw to the side. "It's not that bad. You should see some of the ones I've sported from fighting with Buzz."

"Yeah, they weren't pretty." Buzz stated as I got up. I returned with the bag of frozen peas I bought that afternoon. "Funny how you're prepared. Did you know this was going to happen?"

"I bought it for you. I figured we'd be getting into one of many fist fights." I gently placed the bag on Silky's face, moving his hand up so he could hold it himself.

"You two fight?" OC asked.

"All the time. That's what happens when you've lived together all your lives."

"One time we got so mad at each other Minni locked me out of the house in ten below weather. My mom was not happy about that." Buzz said.

"If you're going to tell the story, Buzzy, tell the whole story. What he forgot to tell you was he decided he was going to take my new stick and play pond hockey. Turns out he broke it on the first shot because he got it caught in his skate. I was outside when he came home and saw it. Then I locked him outside."

Jimmy looked at his friend. "You really have someone who knows how to get you back, don't you?"

Buzz shrugged then hit me. "Quit fussing about Silky. He'll be fine. Your big foot didn't do too much damage."

I nodded and turned. "I'll show you damage." I raised my foot to dig my heel into his groin but he saw it coming and jumped up. "That's what I thought. Dinner's ready, boys. Help yourselves." As the others jumped up for food, I looked back at Silky. "You sure you're okay?"

He looked up and smiled shyly. "I'm fine. It hurts though."

I smiled. "It will. Believe me, I've had plenty of them. Word to the wise. If you don't go now, there will be nothing left to eat. When Bah eats, he eats a lot."

"I've seen him eat."

"Oh! Hey, Rizzo! You can put your meatballs on the spaghetti!" someone exclaimed. Suter I think.

"Hey, don't mess up the spaghetti!" I called as Silky got up.

"You can't mess this up anymore than it already is." Bah joked. I punched him and he laughed.

"Minni, you got to get to work." Buzz said after a minute of bantering with Bah.

"You trying to get rid of me?" I asked.

"No, it's nine. Doesn't your shift start at 9:30?"

I looked at the clock behind me and nearly choked. He was right. I had to be at the bar in thirty minutes and it was a twenty minute bus ride from the dorm and then another ten minute walk from the bus stop. I had to leave now.

Johnson stepped out of my way and I moved to the door. I shoved my feet into my comfiest pair of tennis shoes and grabbed my bag.

"What time you going to be home tonight?" Bah asked as he came to the door.

"Uh…3. I got to close."

"Okay. I'll throw some spaghetti in the microwave for you."

I made a face and then rose up on tippy toes to kiss him. "Bless you, Bah. Bless you. I'm going. Bye!"

There were choruses of 'byes' and 'see ya's' as I walked out the door. Standing at the bus stop, I remembered seeing OC staring at me as I closed the door.