After getting all my clothes out of the suitcases and trunks, I then realize I have nowhere to put them. When I tell you Bridget's room is filled with clothes, I mean filled. There are more clothes in here than at Kohl's department store. More shoes than DSW.
One minute I'm contemplating where I'm going to put my clothes, the next I'm screaming and punching something soft with my elbow. Whatever I hit falls to the ground behind me yelling. I turn to see my sister.
"Bridget! What the hell is wrong with you." I reach out my hands for her, but she moves so fast I thought she may get whiplash.
"Me! What the fuck is wrong with you! You punched in my boob." She clutches it with her right palm while the other pushes me back.
I hold in my laugh; her eyes are fuming in anger. "I did kickboxing for 10 years; you know you can't sneak up on me. I've got the reflexes of a cat." At 9 years old, I had some bullies that would pick on me at recess. Two of the three bullies beat me up behind the soccer field after school. When I came home with a black eye and busted lip my mom wanted to drive to the school and beat up the girl, but my father warned her if she did, she'll go to jail.
Instead, she enrolled me in kickboxing. After a few months of building muscle, and learning so many skills, the next time the girls hit me I whipped their asses. I immediately got suspended but mom was so proud she didn't care. She smiled so hard in the principal's office when he told her what I did, he thought she was deranged.
Bridget was also signed up to do kickboxing before me, but it didn't work out once she realized she had to kick.
"You know you can't sneak up on me. I can't help it; you should be lucky I can defend myself." I push her hand away and wrap my arms around her frail body. Bridget's always been a bit on the skinny side, whereas I've always been a thick girl. Wide hips, thick thighs, and love handle for days. But since I did kickboxing, it thickened me up. Some girls would be insecure, but it gave me confidence. My grandmother would always sneak more cornbread or chitlins onto Bridget's plate for Sunday dinner. She always swore upon life mom was starving her. "I missed you, loser."
The hand that isn't clutching her boob loops around my body. "I missed you also, Gogo Yubari. Now, let go of me so I can readjust myself." I quickly let go. She rubs herself once more and stands over me. Her long, slender legs make me sometimes think she's Naomi Campbell. I always told her she could be a runway model but said she could never do that because she loves cheeseburgers.
Her coiled black locks are pinned down with bobby pins away from her dark chocolate skin. A jean Von Dutch skirt and a black crop top that clings to her body highlighting her C-cup boobs.
"Cute skirt," I comment.
"Thanks, I saw Alexa Demie wearing one and I just had to get it." She smooths down the skirt as she plops on her bed.
"Where do I put my clothes, there's no room. Anywhere." My hands pan the room, she moves her eyes with me. Biting her lip, walks up to her drawer and pulls out some underwear, bras, and tank tops.
"You can put some of your stuff in here and I'll clear out space in the closet." She throws the clothes on her bed. "For the meantime, you can lay in the bed with me until you get an air mattress."
"EW! I'm not laying in the bed with you I'm 18 and your 22." Her brown eyes roll as she shoves my shoulders.
"Get over yourself we took baths together." That still doesn't make it ok, Bridget's a snorer. "And I've got the snoring thing down so don't you worry about it."
"You better. I'm going on a tour of the campus tomorrow and I need to be alert. I don't want to miss anything." I would have done the campus tour during the summer, but I had no one to take me.
Her long legs kick as she sits on the bed, I start tucking my clothes in the drawers. "If you would get a car and drive you wouldn't have to go on the campus tour tomorrow." My body freezes up. Suddenly I'm back in Boston, the roads are ice, the air suffocates me as I rock back and forth on the concrete pavement. The street light illuminates upon me, highlighting my fear.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" A cop asks me, his voice deep and full of concern. I can't even find the words to answer him, I'm not alright. My eyes never leave the car, well what's left of it.
"Eliza." I hear someone say. "Eliza!" The voice is louder, so close I can feel the person's breath trickle on her cheek.
"Elizabeth!" I jolt awake. I'm on a wood-paneled floor in front of a drawer with clothes in my hands. I'm at Bridget's house, in Bridget's room. I'm not in Boston anymore, it's over. "Where did you go?" She asked, her hand rubbing the inner of my back.
"Nowhere, I was just lost in thought."
She sighs, "You've got to let that go, Eliza, it was years ago." She pats her legs and heads to the entrance of her room. "My other roommates are out, but there'll be here later on tonight. I can't wait for you to meet them, they are the coolest people ever."
I smile, "I bet they are." Bridget blows me a kiss and leaves the room. I spend the next hour putting up my clothes and trying to shake that haunting memory from the confines of my mind.
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After being on my knees for almost two hours, not what you think, putting up my clothes I'm finally done. Some stuff had to stay in the suitcases since it wouldn't fit anywhere. That's ok though, I don't expect to be here that long.
Bridget practically dragged me down the stairs to meet her roommates. My arm still aches and it was only a couple of hours ago. Turns out, six people are living here. Bridget, Daniel, Monica, Doug, Andreas, and Carlee. Adding me, seven.
They welcomed me with open arms. I assured them I won't be an inconvenience, I'll wash my dishes, do my laundry and sweep up any messes I make. Bridget just rolled her eyes and called me a suck-up. I nudged her shoulder, quietly wanting her to shut the hell up.
As we sat around the island, they each told me about themselves.
Carlee Mian is a Muslim woman who's working on becoming an engineer. When she first came here, she wanted to be a doctor, then a dentist, and even an astronaut. But, when she realized how long those took and didn't want to be in college that long, she decided on engineering. Also, she loves infrastructure and is good at math so it all added up, get it ADDED up. Comedic. Her skin is baby smooth, button nose, the eyes of Adriana lima, and the soft nature of Princess Diana. As she was telling me about herself, I could see a guy staring at her intently, I believe he's Doug. I picked up pretty quickly that he liked her, and when she caught him staring, she blushed and stuffed Lasagna in her mouth.
Next is Doug Johnson who's a wrestler and a big fan of video games. When I told him I didn't play any, he was shocked. I don't know how, but he ended up convincing me to play a couple of rounds of "Call of Duty" with him. It took me a minute to figure out how to move, but once I did it was fun. I wouldn't play it again though; it was too much. I'm not much for screaming and the adrenaline rush. He's only doing wrestling because the college offered him a scholarship, he wants to be a teacher. More importantly, a history teacher. Just to play around, I threw out some history questions and he was able to answer all of them.
Impressive.
The only thing I know about Daniel is that he's attractive, and works at a construction site. He just stands to the side eating his lasagna and winking at me every now and then. He's such a flirt. And obviously, we all know Bridget. Andreas wasn't here. They said he pops in and out of the house, since he's on the football team he has early and late practices. Also, Carlee tells me he's a big deal around campus, meaning all the girls want him, adding up to, he's probably at some hot blonde's house fucking the shit of her. Not my words, Carlee's.
Speaking of Carlee, besides being funny and beautiful, she can cook. When I saw her pull a steamy, cheesy lasagna out of the oven my mouth started to water. It's been hours since I've eaten anything, if she didn't cut it right away, I would have clawed the food in my mouth. After the first slice, I grabbed two more. The group of people just stared at me like an animal on display, when I told them of my day they nodded, understanding.
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