Chapter Two
The early opportunity had turned out to be a bit of an exaggeration, the Eds noted as they moved through the busy dorm. Students were clambering through the halls signing up for whichever rooms they wanted, moving in, getting set up, and scrambling up and down the halls each handling their own business.
As freshmen, the Eds were limited to which rooms they were allowed to pick and which floor they were allowed to stay on. When they made their way onto the second floor Double D's heart dropped. He reread the pamphlet he had been provided upon entry, "I was unaware this was a coed dormitory!" he cried out in a hushed whisper.
Eddy, who noticed this quicker than his more intelligent friend waved him off, "Who cares, Sockhead?" he asked as he scanned the room, his eyes lingering on the female populous he would be sharing a living space with, "Get a load of all this talent." he said, his voice growing higher as his excitement grew.
"Eddy, while I understand your libido and the associated…urges, this presents a number of challenges for our rate of success this semester!"
"Oh yeah, like what?" Eddy glared at his friend, offended at him for looking this gift horse in the mouth.
"Well for one you'll obviously be distracted." Double D commented with an unimpressed expression as he watched Eddy's gaze follow a long-legged female who walked by. "Not to mention the embarrassing scenarios this adds to the equations. Just think about it Eddy, we have to share bathroom space with the fairer sex. Bathrooms, Eddy! Showers!"
"Yeah, I'm having a hard time not thinking about it, Sockhead." Eddy nodded. His attention drawn elsewhere.
While Double D entertained his own personal horror shows in his head, sweat pouring from under his trademark hat, and Eddy gawked at anything with curves and a pulse, Ed shook his head, this was just like his friends. He grabbed each of them by the tops of their heads and turned their attention to the more important task at hand, "Eyes in the prize, buckaroos!" he smiled.
Ed was right, the rooms were filling up fast. Students were either filling out the information on the clipboards on the doors claiming the rooms as theirs or they were working on outright moving in. They wouldn't have much more time to claim the rooms they wanted and would have to settle on the leftovers.
"Of course!" Double D said with reinvigorated passion. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen. I'm going to go pick a room and make my introductions to my new roommate." he beamed, straightening the strap on his messenger bag.
"I can't believe you'd rather room with some random than one of us." Eddy scoffed.
"Nonsense." Double D started, "There's only two to a room for freshmen like us, and I for one relish the opportunity to meet new people, learn new cultures, and, of course, make new friends!"
"Even if they're a girl?" Eddy grinned.
His comment had caught Double D off guard and his face dropped for the briefest of moments before he countered. "Well if you'd rather I roomed with Ed, I would be more than happy to. That of course leaves you with…how did you put it, some random?" It was a lie, something Double D didn't make a habit of doing, but he thought it was all in the spirit of good natured ribbing after all. There was no way he was going to room with someone as messy as Ed.
Eddy's own face dropped, and frustration filled his demeanor, it seemed Double D's strike had landed home. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." he said as he led Ed into the fray. "C'mon Lumpy, we don't want to miss the good rooms."
Double D smiled as he watched his two friends depart, they had grown so much in the handful of years since that faithful summer that lead to their redemptions. Of course, he knew he had to. The old Double D wouldn't be as open to the idea of sharing his personal space with a complete stranger. But he was a new man, and with a deep breath, he began his exploration of the dormitory that would serve as his home for the next two semesters.
The dorm itself was a large building and this floor consisted of the individual rooms encircling the border of the building, with the amenities in the center, a lounge and commons area sat at one end of the structure. The plushy sofas already occupied by students who were wearing smiling faces as they conversed. He was happy to note that there was, at least, a male restroom and shower separate from the female restroom and shower. Of course, with his limited knowledge of college life, he wondered how strictly that rule was going to be enforced, if at all.
He shook the thought from his head as he investigated the rooms. He decided he wanted to let the dice fall where they may when he put his information down on an, as of yet, unclaimed room in the corner. He left the door open, wanting to appear as warm and inviting to his potential roomie as possible, and he set about unpacking his bags and setting up.
The room itself, like the others on this floor, were cramped and basic. Two small beds sat parallel to one another on either wall, their frames doubled as a dresser and storage area to make the most out of the limited space. Behind the door was also a double armoire to complete the storage amenities and at the foot of both the beds was a small and cheap looking, but functional, desk complete with an office chair.
After looking at the two mirrored images Double D decided on the bed on the right, "Right is right!" he snickered to himself as he set his bags on the desk and set about filling the dresser drawers under the bed. He looked around and used a bit of added speed to pack away his unmentionables, seeing no need in being THAT open to his potential roommate.
Fifteen minutes later he was finalizing his unpacking, putting the rest of his things away in his side of the armoire, when Eddy and Ed walked in without knocking.
"It is rude to enter someone's dwelling without being given permission, Eddy." he scolded.
"Yeah, yeah. Listen Sockhead, I'm starving, and Ed here wants to check out the cafeteria. So, hurry up, and let's go."
Double D nodded in response. He was feeling peckish. He would also need to visit the campus store and acquire some necessities for his desk, "That sounds wonderful, gentlemen." he said setting his bag on the bottom of the armoire, "Lead on!" he smiled.
With the elevators busy the Eds rushed down the stairs, eager to fill their empty bellies and explore the campus. The moment they reached the bottom, however, the elevator doors opened on their level, and three sisters stalked through them.
"Are you sure this is the place, Lee?" Marie whined, eyeing the space with malice.
"The twerp wouldn't lie to us if he knows what's good for him." she replied, scanning the area. "Come on, girls. Let's get a room."
"You two go ahead, I'll find my own." Marie waved.
"Are you sure, Marie? These things look like they're going like hotcakes!" May commented.
"Yeah, I'm sure. You two go get one before it's too late." Marie nodded.
"And what are you gonna do?" Lee asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Get a room to myself, what else? I've shared a room with the two of you since forever. Besides shouldn't take much to scare off some dumb bitch who's already terrified."
Lee shrugged, "Suit yourself, come on May." she ordered and the two of them went about securing a room.
Marie waited until they disappeared around a corner before she moved. She wanted to take as much of it in as she could while she had the chance. She wore a bored expression as she turned down the nearest hall and started wandering. Her eyes scanned the signup sheets attached to the doors. She looked over the names and made a sobering discovery. It looked like only a handful were still occupied by one person. She could scare off two people if she tried, but she was tired after the ride here and all the tracking they had to do. It wore a girl out. So, she searched for a single resident to kick out while the semester was still young and before they built up the backbone to refuse her advances and report her to the college.
She quickened her pace when she saw a boy investigating a sign-up sheet, his hand already holding the pen.
"Scram, lowlife." she said as she hardened her expression and crossed her arms.
"E-excuse me?" he asked, his eyes wide.
"I said, scram. Room's taken. Get lost. Or would you rather I tossed you out myself?"
"Whoa!" he put his hands up, "Okay, okay. It's all yours. Sheesh." he said as he turned and walked back down the hall, muttering something under his breath.
Marie was about to call him out and maybe punch him but was stopped when she noticed the name already on the sheet. She blinked a few times to make sure what she was seeing was real. There was no way she lucked out THIS much. A devious smile spread across her face as she looked like the cat who caught the canary.
Meanwhile, Lee and May made themselves busy settling into their new room. None of the sisters packed very much, none of them had very much after all. They had each shuttled in with the same worn backpacks they had gotten at the start of their freshman year of high school. Each had seen better days and wore ratty edges and custom patch worked marker designs with pride. The rest of their effects were held in the black garbage bags they had slung over their shoulders.
Now they were putting their stuff away and making themselves at home. Idle chat was shared between the two sisters.
"I can't believe the number of bimbos in this place." Lee commented as she folded her clothes and packed them away in the drawers under her new bed.
"Worried Eddy's not gonna stay faithful?" May asked, sprawled out on her bed, her own clothes dumped out in a pile, waiting for her to build up the gumption to get up and put them away. She shoveled handfuls of chips into her mouth, having already made her acquaintance with the snack machine in the commons area.
"Of course! Little horn dog."
"I don't have to worry about my Big Ed. He's always going to stay faithful to me."
"I thought the same thing but look around May. We ain't in Kansas anymore."
"Kansas?" she asked, confused.
"We didn't hav'ta worry about it back home. We had a reputation. Plus, every girl around knew who the Eds belonged to." Lee responded, still putting her clothes away.
"Gotta claim what's yours." May nodded.
"It's gonna be an uphill battle from here. Especially considerin' there's no chance our boyfriends won't draw unwanted attention, and the last thing I want is for the thought of being unfaithful to even cross my Eddy's mind!"
"Agreed!" May shouted, holding the empty bag over her open mouth as she shook the crumbs out.
"Hurry up and put your clothes away," she ordered. "I'm gonna look over my classes again but once we're done, me and you are gonna take some initiative." She grinned.
May pulled herself up with a groan and got to work, "Whaddya you have in mind?" she asked.
"Easy. We gotta let everyone in this dorm know who belongs to us!" the evil couldn't help but seep into her tone.
"I like the way you think!" May agreed. Her own expression darkened as the sinister nature of being a Kanker took over.