Joyce Stories - How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Illinois Tech free porn video

Joyce Andrews pulled her bulging duffel bag out of the back of the rented Cadillac and slammed the trunk closed. It was a gloriously warm and sunny Sunday afternoon. Slinging the strap over her shoulder, she waved goodbye to her mother and walked slowly down the sidewalk to the doorway of the dorm complex. A volunteer met her at the front desk and handed her a welcome package: a pink box that said 'Good Stuff' on the top and sides. "Hi, my name's Marci," the girl said, glancing at Joyce's ID and looking up her room assignment, "If you'll follow me, I'll show you the way to your room." Along the way, Marci pointed out areas of interest as they passed them. First were the dining hall and cafeteria, followed by a bank of student mailboxes in a large lounge which stretched between the entrances of four of the dormitory halls. Joyce's room was in Fowler Hall, at the far side of the common room. Marci led her up to the top of the stairs on the fourth floor. A metal door stood open onto a long hallway. "Normally," Marci said, "this door will be closed and locked; you can open it with your room key. This is a girls-only floor, and boys aren't allowed up here after 10 pm. You can get written up if you get caught." "I'll keep that in mind," Joyce answered. They stepped through the doorway and Marci stopped in front of the first door on their left. "This is it. You're so lucky to get a room all to yourself. There's only one on each floor. I don't even know how you got in this hall. It's supposed to be for upperclassmen only." "I'll try to be worthy of the honor," Joyce said, and Marci headed back down to her post. Unlocking the door, Joyce surveyed the room where she expected to live for at least the next semester. A north-facing window ran the length of the wall opposite the door, a radiator stretched out below the sill, partially hidden behind a two-drawer dresser. An alcove along the east wall, partitioned by a curtain, served as the closet. A twin bed and a desk with a battered chair crowded together in the remaining space. Light was provided by a double row of fluorescent bulbs in the center of the ceiling. The walls were painted a pale sickly color which was not clearly either green or blue. There was no air-conditioning, and the room was a little stifling, although the Chicago summer temperatures couldn't hold a candle to those of her late home in San Antonio, Texas. Closing the door behind her, Joyce dropped her bag and the welcome packet on the bare mattress of the bed and slid her backpack off, propping it up on the floor beside the desk. Crossing the room, she opened one of the many panes of the window to let in some much needed air. To the north, her hoped-for view of downtown was blocked by the apartment towers the university had set aside on campus for graduate students. Looking west, she saw the 'L' tracks which bisected campus; east, at the limits of her vision, she thought she could make out the sparkling blue waters of Lake Michigan. Joyce recalled what she knew about her new school: the Illinois Institute of Technology. It wasn't as famous as MIT or Cal Tech, but it had a highly recommended Aerospace Program. The buildings on campus had supposedly been designed by a famous architect, but they all had an industrial, rectangular look, with lots of glass, brick, and steel beams. Not even the campus chapel, which she could see from her window, was immune; it was referred to irreverently as 'The God-Box'. Only the Administration Building, once an old manor house, had any character to it. The campus was bounded by a highway to the west and housing projects to the north, south, and east. While the University grounds were secure, the surrounding neighborhood was reputed to be quite dangerous. Vickie, Joyce's mother, had begun instilling a fear in her daughter of walking about unaccompanied. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too hard to make some new friends. Joyce's old friends and acquaintances were among the reasons she'd chosen a school so far from home. Too many people in Texas remembered her as Josh, the boy she'd been in high school. Dealings with her former associates were marked with awkwardness at best, on both sides. She had other reasons for leaving, as well. Vickie had used the previously unrelated Josh to become pregnant, then used her magical Power to transform him into her daughter Joyce. All this apparently in an attempt to lure her dangerous sister Vivian out of hiding for a showdown. That plan almost resulted in Joyce's death, and her aunt escaped and returned to seclusion. Vickie asserted that Joyce would be safe from Vivian's further attentions; Joyce was not so sure. Additionally, she had learned from Vivian that she had another aunt who possessed the Power. There was an uneasy peace between Joyce and Vickie, but Joyce couldn't bring herself to have much trust in the woman who was now her mother. Among her abilities, Vickie had manipulated Joyce's emotions and had given her subtle suggestions that she obeyed like commands. When she realized what was happening, Joyce asked Vickie to stop. Her mother seemed to have generally good intentions, but it was a sore point between them. Still, Vickie had made good on her promise to send Joyce to college. Their relationship was a work in progress; Joyce felt some distance between them would be helpful. She pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down, idly opening the drawers and looking into them. Back in June, when she'd decided to attend this place, it had seemed like a grand adventure. Here in August, now that she'd arrived, she was starting to have misgivings. She'd wanted to go to a place where no one knew her past; now she had no one to cling to in an unfamiliar environment. Last week, Joyce had celebrated Josh's 19th birthday. She made the distinction because the day Vickie had given her a new name was a birthday of sorts, as well. Her mother had wanted to give her a new car, but it felt wrong to accept such a gift, so Joyce had declined the offer. She wished now that she hadn't been so stubborn; she'd get in it and just keep driving. She snatched up the box of 'Good Stuff" and dug through the contents. There were a toothbrush, toothpaste, a small package of deodorant and a shaving razor, as well as a large stack of papers. On top, there was a cafeteria schedule; Joyce had picked up her meal card and student ID when she signed for her key at the housing office, before Vickie dropped her off here. Next was a map of campus, showing the relative locations of all the classroom buildings, the Library, the Student Union, the Commons (a building which contained the campus bookstore, a 7-11, and the post office), the gym, the Quad (where the Greek houses were located), and the dorms. There were also brochures for all three sororities. A schedule of Orientation week events showed when and where Joyce would have to go tomorrow for her placement exams. Based on the results of those, she could register for classes on Wednesday. In between, and after, there were social events at various times and locations. At the bottom of the stack was a list of local businesses and restaurants, with coupons for pizza deals and 'buy one get one free' sandwiches. Joyce folded the map and placed it in her pocket, putting the box and the rest of the papers in an empty desk drawer. She unzipped her backpack and withdrew her new laptop, the only present she'd allowed Vickie to give her. She hit the power button, plugged it in and set it up on her desk. Connecting to the university wireless, she checked her e-mail and saw that she had a new message from Roy Fielding. She'd met Roy the day after her transformation; he was a lifeguard at the pool near her mother's house. He'd been with Joyce when Vivian made her appearance. An oddity among her male friends, he had treated her more like a real person once he learned she used to be a boy. They'd spent a lot of time together over the past two months, hanging out at the pool, tossing the football around, and working on his car. He wrote to tell her about his arrival at Texas A&M; Roy made it sound like an amazing place. After they had become friends, she'd considered joining him there, but by that time she'd missed the application deadline. Besides, even College Station was a little too close to home for comfort. She replied to his note, letting him know she was safely ensconced in her dorm room. She hit send and then shut the computer down and got out of her chair; she felt restless. There was a full-length mirror on the back of the door. She stood before it and admired her reflection. Although she was getting used to it, that image still seemed strange and alluring. Big blue eyes stared back at her; she pulled a lock of reddish-brown hair behind her right ear and bit her lip. She wore a tank-top which displayed sun-browned shoulders and emphasized her ample bosom. Baggy knee-length shorts tried and failed to obscure the curve of her wide hips. Smooth, tanned legs curved down to small feet in ankle socks and running shoes. She smiled at herself, checked to make sure her room key was in her pocket and then walked out of her room. A few doors down from hers, an open doorway revealed a sitting room, with couches, a table, and a television; it was turned on, but no one was there watching, at the moment. Joyce stuck her head in the restroom; a line of stalls faced a pair of shower heads side by side and separated only by white curtains. Getting ready for class in the morning on a floor full of other women was going to be interesting. She headed back down the stairs and out of the dorm complex to explore campus. Joyce checked her map and struck out toward the bookstore. Along the way, she ran into another girl heading the same direction. She was short, thin, and tanned, with slim hips and a flat chest. Her short black hair was styled in a spiky pixie cut. Her enormous eyes were a shade of green that didn't quite look natural. She wore cut-off denim shorts and a t-shirt that exposed her midriff. There were several tattoos visible on her arms, legs, and at the small of her back. Without those, Joyce would have guessed the girl was barely a teenager. Cute, but not really my type, Joyce thought to herself. They walked in silence together until they reached the Commons. The girl held the door for Joyce and then followed her inside. They both stopped to look around them. "You must be new here, too, yeah?" The girl asked, turning to face her. Her voice matched her appearance: cute and young, but with a bit of an edge to it. "Yeah. I just checked into the dorms a few minutes ago. My name is Joyce, by the way. It's nice to meet you." "I'm Jamie. Nice to meet you, too," she said, "I'm here for a Slurpee, if wanna join me." They went into the 7-11 and came out a few minutes later with their drinks. Jamie went along with Joyce as she made a loop around campus. They talked in between slurps as they walked, following the 'L' tracks headed north, past a set of tennis courts, a park surrounded by battered-looking apartment buildings, and a large parking lot. "You know, this section of the tracks is over 120 years old," Jamie said, after the screech and rumble of a passing train had faded. "I wanna design something like that, that'll still be good a century from now." "That thing sounded to me like it was in the process of falling apart. I'm sure you can do better." Joyce said with a smile, "You're a Civil Engineering major?" "That's the plan. What about you?" "I'd like to design interstellar space ships, but I'll settle for airplanes," Joyce answered. "So, yeah, Aerospace Engineering. Maybe we'll end up in some classes together." They crossed a busy street and made their way into Keating Hall, the athletic center, where they found basketball courts, a weight room and an indoor pool. After that, they headed down State Street to a building labelled on the map as Engineering 1. By the name, Joyce suspected she'd end up having a lot of classes there. As they passed by the front of the building, Jamie pointed to a collection of beams and girders welded haphazardly together in an arrangement vaguely suggestive of a tree, except that it was painted a uniform bright orange color. "What the hell is that thing?" Jamie asked with a laugh as she handed Joyce her cell phone. "Here, get a picture of me with it," she said, making a funny face into the camera as Joyce snapped the photo. Across the sidewalk from the bizarre sculpture was a staircase down into the ground. At the bottom was a locked door. "Bomb shelter?" Jamie suggested. It seemed as good a guess as any. They threw away their empty cups at the Student Union building and crossed 33rd Street to find the library. Heading back toward State Street they crossed an open field, and Jamie snapped a picture of Crown Hall, the Architecture building, which had been designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Finally, near the southwest corner of the campus, they came to an 18-story tower surrounded by a high wall topped with razor wire, the gates watched by cameras and armed security guards. "What do you suppose that place is?" Joyce asked. "The map just calls it the IIT Tower." "It's the main research facility. Government backed," Jamie said, "I've heard it has more floors underground that it has above." There wasn't much to see from the outside, and no good reason to try and go in, so they walked on, past the Bronzeville 'L' Station, and then back toward the dorms. On the way, they headed through the Quad. At the front desk, they turned to go different directions. "What room are you in?" Jamie asked, "I'm in Lewis 315." "Fowler 401 for me," Joyce answered, "I hope I'll see you later." Back in her room, Joyce set about unpacking her things. Although Vickie had encouraged her to take more, she couldn't see the point in having too many clothes with her; there was always Christmas break if she decided she didn't bring enough. If she discovered she was missing anything, Joyce was certain she could find at least one clothing store somewhere in Chicago. She had appeased her mother somewhat by agreeing to bring laundry detergent and fabric softener. These she placed on the shelf in her closet. Her clothes unpacked, she put away her bag and made the bed. Digging into her backpack, she pulled out an alarm clock. Plugging it in, she placed it on the corner of her desk, setting it to match her watch and noted that it was almost time for the cafeteria to open for dinner. Joyce hopped onto the bed and lay back, head propped on her pillow, surveying her room. The bare walls were a little depressing; maybe a poster or two would brighten things up. A television would be nice, too. And a car, and bigger bed, and her own bathroom, while she was wishing for things. She shook her head and laughed at herself. Swinging her feet down the floor, she stood up and headed down to eat. The lunch lady swiped Joyce's card and handed it back without a word. Joyce picked up a tray and headed for the short order line. Everything looked equally unappetizing, so she asked for a burger and fries. Grabbing a pile of napkins, some ketchup packets and glass of tea, Joyce went out into the dining hall to find a table. There were a lot of choices, as only freshmen had yet to arrive on campus. As she was surveying her options, she heard someone calling her name. "Joyce, come sit with us," Jamie said. She was with another girl at a round table by the windows. Joyce made her way over to them and took a seat. Jamie made introductions. "This is my roommate Melanie. She's a Bio major." Turning to Melanie she added, "She's the girl I was talking about earlier." Melanie was a plump girl with pale skin, a round face, apple cheeks, and a narrow mouth sporting plump lips painted a deep blood red. She had brown eyes that lit up when she smiled. She had half a dozen or so piercings in each ear, adorned with an assortment of hoops and studs, with another stud in her nose. Her jet black shoulder-length hair showed blonde roots, and she was wearing a bit too much make-up. She wore a black t-shirt with the slogan 'Take a Pitcher, It'll Last Longer" along with a drawing of the requisite vessel of beer emblazoned across her impressive bosom. Under the table, Joyce saw she had on baggy black jeans and a pair of flip-flops. Her toenails were bubble-gum pink. "Everybody at this school is a nerd," she said, laughing. "I love it!" "I can't be a nerd," Joyce said with a twinkle in her eye, "I played sports in high school." "Jamie told me you said you wanted to design the Starship Enterprise. That alone qualifies you," Melanie answered. "Besides, I was in Track and Field, myself. Shot-put was my best event." "And I ran Cross-Country," Jamie added. "But Melanie's right. I'm a nerd." "So, you two, fess up to some of your non-academic nerd cred," Joyce said, "Books, movies, TV, games. Name some favorites." This touched off a long discussion on the virtues of various series and characters, the merits of screen adaptations versus original source material, and the advantages and disadvantages of computer games and the tabletop and card variety. Joyce pledged to watch some 'Red Dwarf' and convinced Melanie to give 'The Fifth Element' another try; Jamie introduced them both to the 'Dune' series. Joyce had never given much thought, before, to what girls talked about on their own and she'd certainly not imagined this. When they had finished eating, they put away their trays and adjourned to the lounge to continue the exchange. Melanie slipped off her sandals and sat cross-legged in the center of a couch. Jamie sat on the next cushion, one leg tucked beneath her, the other on the floor; Joyce sat leaning forward in an armchair facing them both. She was high on the excitement that comes from meeting kindred spirits. As the night wore on, conversation shifted gradually from science fiction and fantasy to other matters. Joyce maintained a wary discretion over her answers to personal questions. Her existing high school acquaintances had accepted her transformation as a matter of course, but Roy had been shocked at first when he learned of it. She was starting to see Jamie and Melanie as friends; she didn't want to mislead them, but she wasn't ready to tell them the whole truth, either. "So, where are you all from?" Joyce asked, at one point, in an attempt to steer things away from an uncomfortable topic. She admitted to being from Texas and was thankful that these two girls didn't remind her that only two things to come from there; she certainly didn't have any horns. Melanie hailed from Naperville, a suburb on the far west side of Chicago. Jamie was from a small town in eastern Michigan; she showed them where it was by making a map of the state with her hand. "This is my first time in a real big city," she confessed. "You've just got to see downtown," Melanie said, "I'll show you around; we can all head up there together, tomorrow?" "I think that would be fun," Jamie said with a yawn. "That sounds great; I'd love to go," Joyce said. She glanced at her watch and saw that it was past midnight. "We've got that test in the morning, though, so I think it's about time for some sleep." Jamie and Melanie agreed, and the three girls exchanged hugs and goodnights; they arranged to meet for breakfast before the exam. Back in her room, Joyce flipped on the lights and saw that her curtains were still open. As she crossed the room to close them, she noticed a large cardboard box sitting on her bed, with a handwritten note on a sheet of paper taped to the side. She pulled it off to read it. "Joyce, Enclosed you will find some items which you have forgotten, or perhaps never thought to bring at all. Have a great semester! Love, Mom P.S. - It seems you have a cousin at IIT." Inside the box, as the note had indicated, Joyce found a heavy winter coat, a leather jacket, a hoodie, some assorted hosiery, a pair of flip- flops, and an extra blanket. There was also a small oscillating fan, a tennis racket and a tube of balls, a non-regulation sized football and a calendar. In a cardboard tube at the bottom of the box were a set of rolled-up prints of famous paintings, among them van Gogh's 'Starry Night' and Seurat's 'Sunday Afternoon on the Island'. The content of the box was in character with what she knew of her mother. The post script, however, was not; Vickie usually told all or nothing. It was also in a different color of ink, although the handwriting was the same. Joyce considered calling her mother, but it was late, and she didn't want to wake her. She'd have to remember to bring it up the next time they talked. If it was important, Vickie would have said more. Still, it was cryptic and intriguing. From what she had learned during her encounter with Vivian, Joyce knew it was likely to be her other aunt's child; if the cousin was a girl, she could share the same Power as Vickie and her sisters. Then again, it could be a relative from Josh's family, if any of them still counted as cousins. She considered the possibilities as she shut the drapes. Joyce got ready for bed, turned out the lights and slipped under the sheets. The window was open, but it was still stuffy and hot. Somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard a single gunshot followed by several others, and later, sirens. A train rumbled down the tracks. 'Welcome to Paradise,' she thought to herself. She got back out of bed and set up the fan, turning it on high. Returning to bed, she threw the pillow over her head. Tossing and turning, she eventually drifted off to sleep. Jamie and Melanie were waiting at the entrance of the cafeteria when Joyce arrived for breakfast a few hours later. They looked as tired as Joyce felt, but seemed to be in a good mood, greeting her with a friendly smile. Melanie's makeup was a little more understated than it had been the night before; she was wearing a t-shirt with Kool-Aid Man on it in red, yelling 'Oh, yeaahh!' Jamie had dark circles under her eyes and her short hair was flat. She was wearing a conservative t-shirt and jeans which covered most of her ink. "Last night was a very educational experience," Jamie said, as the girls moved through the line. She got a stack of pancakes and drowned them in syrup. "And it didn't stop when you went to bed. After we got back to our room, I learned that Melanie sounds like a sawmill when she snores." "And apparently, Jamie narrates her dreams out loud," Melanie added; she had a bowl full of fruit. "I'm not sure which is worse; that, or the war that was going on outside my window," Joyce said, as she loaded up her plate with bacon and sausage. "It's so not fair; how can you two eat that stuff and stay so thin?" Melanie asked as they sat down, "I think I gained a dress size just from smelling it." After they ate, the girls made their way to Siegel Hall with the rest of the incoming freshmen, and filed into the auditorium where the Placement Exams were to be administered. Jamie headed to the front and took a seat on the first row. Joyce and Melanie followed, sitting next to her. As the room began to fill up, Joyce looked over her shoulder; for every female student, there seemed to be two or three males. A few rows behind, a dark-haired girl was talking to the boy next to her. Something about her profile seemed familiar. The girl laughed at something her companion said, putting her hand on his arm; the gesture reminded Joyce of Vickie. From the corner of her eye, she saw an older man in a suit heading towards the blackboards. She turned around to face the front as the buzz of conversation quieted. "Welcome, freshmen," the man began. He was balding, with white hair and beard; he had on glasses. His jacket and pants were a matching light gray, and he was wearing a white shirt with a bright red bowtie. "I'm Dr. Schneider and I will be proctoring the exam today. There are four sections to this test: Math, Science, Reading Comprehension, and Writing. The first three are multiple choice, the last is in essay form. You'll have an hour for each section, with a five minute break between each..." After a few more instructions, Joyce found herself filling in bubbles with a number two pencil. Although the questions were generally easy and she knew most of the answers without even needing to use the provided scratch paper, there were so many that she had only just finished the last problem when the professor told them to put pencils down. During the break, Joyce pointed out the dark-haired girl to Jamie and Melanie. "Whoa, it's your doppelganger," Melanie said. "I thought she looked familiar, somehow, Joyce said. "Like seeing double," Jamie agreed, "except for hair and eye color. And the boobs; yours are bigger." "And make-up," Melanie added. "Hers is very subtle, but you don't wear any, do you?" "No, I never learned how," Joyce said. Thinking of Vickie's note, she suggested, "Maybe she's a relative of mine." Dr. Schneider called for their attention again, and the next section of the test was passed around. The questions mostly involved chemistry and physics, with a smattering of biology for good measure. On this part, Joyce finished well before time was called. Similarly, she breezed through the Reading Comprehension portion. Finally, it was time for the essay. There were several available topics, but one in particular jumped out at Joyce, as soon as she read it: 'Describe an experience that has fundamentally changed the way you see the world. How did this transform you?' She almost laughed out loud; her response practically wrote itself. To whoever graded the test, it would read like fiction, but Joyce suspected that writing skill and organization would be more important than the veracity of the content. She finished in just under half an hour. Handing in her paper, she left the auditorium and waited in the hall outside for Jamie and Melanie. Joyce's doppelganger was the next to leave the test, about fifteen minutes after Joyce had finished. She gave Joyce a brief glance and a raised eyebrow as she walked past. She then took her phone from her purse and checked for messages as she exited the building. Other students trickled out of the lecture hall over the next quarter hour. Finally, there was a flood which brought Jamie and Melanie with it after time had expired. "Well? How do you two think you did?" Jamie asked as they walked back toward the dorms for lunch. "I'm not sure about the essay; I didn't have time to finish writing my conclusion. Math was definitely the easiest." "That was how I felt about the science section," Melanie replied. "I didn't finish all the math questions. What about you, Joyce? I think you were the first one done." "Aced it," Joyce said nonchalantly. "Damn. Cocky much?" Jamie asked with a laugh. "I wish I had your confidence," Melanie said at the same time. They ate together in the cafeteria, talking the whole time. At first they discussed the test in more detail and then decided what to see and do downtown. Melanie, as the designated guide, made mental notes and figured out the best route. "I'm ready to head out," Joyce said, as they put away their trays. "I need to go back to the room and get my purse," Melanie said. "And I ought to visit the Ladies' room," Jamie added. Joyce followed the other two girls to Lewis Hall, the dorm on the far southern side of the complex, and the only one that was exclusively female. Their room was only a little larger than Joyce's single, but it was air conditioned. The beds were bunked, with both desks pushed together on the other side of the room. There were movie posters on the walls, and a stack of moving boxes next to the desks. The dressers had been shoved into the closet alcoves. Jamie's collection of hanging clothes was even sparser than Joyce's; Melanie, on the other hand, had a full complement of dresses, slacks, and delicate blouses. Jamie and Melanie collected their handbags and then they all stopped by the bathroom. Joyce noted that the showers in Lewis had doors, not curtains, and there was a sit-down bathtub. The fixtures were all newer and more modern than those in Fowler. This, apparently, was the hidden price for the space and solitude of her room. Melanie led them along 35th Street to the Red Line 'L' station, which was in the median of the highway. As they approached the stairs down to the platform, a man brushed past them from below, sprinting toward the street. A woman followed him up the stairs in fast pursuit, yelling, "Stop that man! He has my purse!" Joyce turned to give chase, but Melanie grabbed her arm and held her back. "Are you crazy?" She asked, "What if that guy had a gun?" "Yeah, be careful, girl. You don't want to ruin our outing," Jamie said with half a smile. She had hold of Joyce's other arm. "I could have taken him down," Joyce said sullenly. "Oh well. Better safe than sorry, I guess. I'll be reasonable." She gave them an embarrassed smile, shrugged her shoulders, and slipped her arms from their grip. Inclining her head toward the stairs she added, "Let's go." The rest of their outing proceeded without incident. Melanie certainly seemed to know her way around and even if her tour included a few too many clothing shops, Joyce and Jamie had fun. It was after eight by the time the group arrived back on campus, having taken the Green line 'L'. "Thanks for a wonderful afternoon," Joyce said to Melanie when they reached the front desk of the dorms. "I'm going to hit the gym in the morning if either of you want to join me." Jamie and Melanie both said they would. Joyce left them with a hug and headed back to her room. It was a little early for bed, but after a late night and a long day, she was tired. After putting on her pajamas, Joyce slipped under the covers and quickly fell asleep. She awoke feeling refreshed and glanced at the clock; there were still a few minutes left before the buzzer sounded. She switched off the alarm and rolled out of bed. She pulled off her pajama shirt and shorts and began getting dressed for the gym. Joyce had developed a love-hate relationship with exercise since her transformation. It used to bring a Zen-like state of calm, but lately, it tended to leave her feeling short tempered. She still enjoyed the feeling she got from working out, but there were numerous annoyances large and small, which she had not had to deal with before. Her own body was the worst offender. When she'd been in football shape, she could bench twice the weight she was now able. Leg presses and other lower body exercises were less disappointing, but still not up to her old standards. When it came to running, she could go just as far as ever, and nearly as fast. However it underscored the second major issue caused by her new form. Her breasts were nice to look at and fun to play with, but even with a tight sports bra, they bounced around more than was comfortable when she ran. They also provided an area in addition to the underarms which required antiperspirant: the under-boob. After she dressed, Joyce slipped her key in her pocket and headed down the stairs. She was the first to arrive at the front desk; she sat on a bench and waited for her friends. Jamie was the next one to show up. She was wearing a gray halter top and black yoga pants. She plopped down next to Joyce on the bench. Joyce noticed a tattoo across Jamie's back which she hadn't seen before: a blossom floating on a pool of water. "Melanie will be down in a few minutes," she said. "Like ten maybe. I really don't think she's a morning person." "That's okay. The gym's not going anywhere," Joyce replied. "I like that flower; it's pretty." "The blue lotus? Thank you. It's my favorite, the first one I got. A birthday present from my mom; I got the idea from a comic book I read when I was a kid. Have you got any tats?" "No, they're not really my thing. I just like to admire them on other people." "I see," Jamie said with a mysterious smile. "I've got five pieces." She pointed to the tribal band on her upper right arm, the rose on her ankle, and the butterfly at the small of her back. "Where's the fifth one?" Joyce asked "Not some place I can show off in public," Jamie answered. She smiled again. "Maybe you'll get to see it sometime." "Sorry I took so long," Melanie called out just then, walking down the hall toward them. Her t-shirt today said 'I'm not sweating - that's my body crying'. She was also wearing shorts for the first time since Joyce had met her; her thick legs were pale and pasty. In another first, Melanie was without makeup; Joyce thought it was an improvement. They had the weight room to themselves when they arrived at the athletic center. Jamie started out with dumbbells while Joyce and Melanie traded off reps on the chest press machine. To Joyce's chagrin, Melanie easily out-lifted her. By the time the two of them had moved to the next machine on their circuit, the girls were no longer alone. "Don't look now," Melanie said to Joyce, "but it seems you have an admirer." Joyce looked up at the mirrored wall of the room and saw two freshman boys using the free weights, one lifting, the other spotting. The spotter was staring at her; he was tall and muscular, with short brown hair. After a moment, Joyce recognized him as the one who had been talking to her doppelganger during the exam. His work-out partner gave an anguished grunt and the boy turned his attention back to the weight bench. She never actually caught him looking after that, but every now and then, she thought she could feel his eyes on her. Jamie joined the other two when they got to the leg press machine. She, too, had noticed the attention Joyce was getting, and commented on it. "If it's creeping you out, we can just go for a run," she added. "If you guys don't mind, maybe it's for the best," Joyce said. "I hate to abandon you, but running was never my strong suit. I'd only slow you two down," Melanie said, "Besides, I'm not wearing the right bra for that. But hey, if you don't want to go in circles on the track, there's a pretty cool trail along the lakefront you can get to, about a mile down 31st." Their path out of the weight room took them past the boys. The one who had been watching Joyce called out "Hey, Lauren!" as the girls walked by. When Joyce didn't answer, he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "You don't have to be such a fucking cunt," he said with a snarl. "What the hell, man?" She yelled at him, bunching up her fists. He overtopped her by a good six inches and he was well muscled, besides. Melanie put a hand on Joyce's shoulder and she felt her anger start to slowly melt away. "Oh. You're not her. I'm so sorry," he said, pulling his hand away; his face turned red. "Hi; I'm Adam. You must think I'm incredibly rude." "Yeah, we do," Jamie said. He disregarded her and went on, addressing Joyce, "I thought you were ignoring me; I thought you were someone else." "So I gathered. That doesn't give you leave use that kind of language, or lay hands on people," Joyce told him, looking up into his eyes, her heart racing. She and her friends turned and walked away. As they passed through the doorway out of the weight room, she heard Adam's friend say, "Dude! I think she was about to kick your ass." Joyce set a brisk pace as she and Jamie started toward the lake. Jamie seemed to want to go faster, so Joyce obliged. When they got to MLK Drive, they had to wait for the light and jogged in place; Jamie took off as soon as they got the signal and Joyce had to sprint to catch up. She was breathing heavily by the time they reached the trail Melanie had told them about. There was a stiff breeze blowing in off the water. "We can slow down if you want," Jamie said after they had gone about a mile along the lakefront. "If you can talk normally," Joyce said, between breaths, "we're not working hard enough." She put on a little more speed; her lungs were burning but she had too much pride to give in easily. She lasted for another half mile before she received bittersweet deliverance. They had stepped off the side of the path to let a bicyclist pass when Jamie stumbled and fell with a cry of pain. "What happened?" Joyce said, kneeling down beside her. "Stupid ankle rolled on me," Jamie said with a grimace as she sat up. "I sprained it during a meet when I was a sophomore and it's never been quite right since." Joyce gave Jamie a careful hand up and supported her as she put a little weight on the ankle to test it. "Can you walk?" Joyce asked. "Yeah, it's not too bad, but I don't think I can run back," Jamie answered. They headed back toward the school. Jamie had an arm wrapped around Joyce's waist. That and the way she was moving made Joyce suspect the ankle hurt more than Jamie let on. She admired the girl's stubbornness. "You remember on Sunday night when we were talking about celebrity crushes?" Jamie asked, suddenly. "Yeah, what about it?" Joyce recalled being very evasive on the whole topic. "I...uh...I lied. Chris Evans does nothing for me." "Oh? Who then?" "Um...Mila Kunis. Scarlett Johansson. Alex Morgan." "Alex who?" "She plays soccer for the U.S. National Team." "I see. And why are you telling me this?" "I thought you might 'understand'." Jamie made air quotes with her free hand. "Was I wrong?" "No, no. You weren't wrong. Emma Stone, by the way. I didn't answer, Sunday night." "I noticed. Emma Stone, huh? Yeah, she's kind of cute." "What about me?" Joyce asked. "Don't take this the wrong way, but...no. I like my girls to be a little more girly. Not that you aren't nice to look at, but you act like a boy. I just can't imagine you in a nice dress with makeup and heels." "If you want to see what that would be like, just look at my doppelganger; Lauren, I guess her name is. And hey, I did wear a dress. Once. Be glad I don't wear heels; I'd be a foot taller than you." "So...?" "I don't want to hurt your feelings, either, but no. I'm a breast ma...girl. Verily, I liketh also large posteriors." "Well, that's a relief," Jamie said with a quick squeeze of Joyce's waist, "I'd hate to think of you pining for me." "Likewise. Does Melanie know? Is she...?" "Why, do you like her? I'm sure she's not interested in girls. She knows I am; she seems okay with it. I think she suspects about you, too." "Yeah, well. If she wants to know for sure, all she has to do is ask me. I know that's not as easy as it sounds. I admire your courage." They made it back to the dorms shortly before the cafeteria closed. Joyce helped Jamie obtain an icepack for her ankle and, after they ate, walked her to her room. Melanie was out and as it happened, Joyce didn't see either of her friends until the next day. Returning to Fowler Hall, Joyce took a long shower and spent the rest of the morning lounging around her room in her bathrobe, watching videos on her laptop and chatting with Roy. He told her he was going to try out for the A&M football team. She was a little envious; she missed playing, although she didn't think either of them were good enough for the collegiate level. At least he'd get the chance to find out. After getting dressed and having some lunch, Joyce went to the 7-11 to stock the mini-fridge which had mysteriously appeared in her room while she'd been at the gym. Then she went to the library and browsed through the science fiction section. There was a large collection of paperbacks by Asimov, Bradbury, Heinlein and others of that era. She could relate to the title of one of the books, 'Stranger in a Strange Land', so she checked it out and invested the remainder of her day in reading. Wednesday morning, Joyce was directed to the ballroom in the Student Union building for class registration. There was already a large crowd of freshmen waiting by the time she showed up. She was handed a course catalog, and told to stand in one of lines, which were organized alphabetically by last name. Her line was on the far side of the room. Melanie was a few spaces ahead of Joyce, but dropped back to join her. Her t-shirt today said 'I think I've finally lost my mind. If you see it, don't tell it where I've gone'. Joyce spied Lauren standing near the head of the queue. Looking around the room, Joyce spotted Jamie a few rows away and waved to her; she smiled and waved back. The line moved slowly and while they waited, Joyce and Melanie looked through the course catalog together. The curriculum for each major seemed pretty rigidly set. They both found they had only a few opportunities each semester for electives, and only a few classes to choose between for those. "At least that makes things easy, right?" Melanie said. "The hard part is deciding which of these three courses sounds the least boring: 'Industrial Culture', 'Age of Darwin', or 'Life Stories'." Melanie's phone beeped with a text from Jamie: "I suggest we all do 'Life Stories'." Melanie showed the message to Joyce, shrugging her shoulders. "That works for me," Joyce said, catching Jamie's eye and giving her a thumbs up. An hour later, Joyce made it through the line and caught up with Melanie and Jamie. She looked through her schedule. She'd ended up with 15 hours of classes. She had Calculus five days a week, and Chemistry three; both of those she shared with her two friends. She had a Chemistry Lab on Thursday; Jamie's was on Monday, and Melanie had hers on Friday afternoon. Joyce and Melanie also had "Life Stories' three days a week. Jamie hadn't done well on her placement exam and ended up in English 101. "What else do you guys have?" Joyce asked. "All I've got is 'Intro to Aerospace'. It's my earliest class, and it doesn't start until nine. Except for Calculus, my Tuesdays are completely free." "Lucky you," Melanie said, "I've got an Intro course, as well. On Tuesdays, I've got Lab at 8." "You guys suck," Jamie said. "I've got an Intro class, a lab, and a drafting class." Joyce looked over her shoulder. "Yeah, but you don't start until ten, any day of the week." "And I don't finish before 5pm, most days, either. Hey, should we go get our textbooks now?" Jamie suggested. She had come prepared with an empty backpack. They headed toward the bookstore. Inside the store, Joyce picked up her Calculus book and looked at the price tag with wide eyes. "This is insane," she said, "Who ever heard of paying $150 for a single book?" "They're all like that," Jamie answered. She was looking at her phone. "I can order some of these online for less than half the price. Hopefully we won't get any Calc homework on Monday." Joyce had her mother's credit card and she didn't feel like taking any chances. She picked out the rest of her books and got into the checkout line. Lauren was in front of her, not with Adam, but a boy Joyce hadn't seen before. He was carrying two sets of books: his and Lauren's. She had a hand on his shoulder and was whispering something in his ear. When they reached the cash register, the boy paid for her books, too, and carried both sets as they left the store. "What was that about?" Melanie asked as she joined the line. "Some kind of mind control," Joyce answered. Lauren give Joyce a conspiratorial wink as she walked past. Saturday night found Joyce in Jamie and Melanie's room, getting ready for a party at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house. They had chosen more or less at random from the handful of invitations they had received. Girls got in free to this one, and they all agreed it seemed like a good way to mark the passing of summer. Joyce was sitting on the edge of Jamie's bed, a wide smile on her face, watching Melanie apply eyeliner to Jamie's big, green eyes. For all her disdain of Joyce's manly attitude, Jamie was just as much a tomboy. It was therefore highly amusing to see her wearing a dress. She hadn't even brought one to school; Melanie had searched through her own clothes and amazingly found one that fit Jamie. Joyce's delight came at the price of some personal discomfort. In order to coerce Jamie into a dress, she had agreed to wear one herself. To up the ante, she'd decided to put on a pair of strappy sandals. At Jamie's urging, and with the gift of nail polish from Melanie, Joyce's toenails were painted red. This led to an escalating series of demands and counter demands, culminating with Melanie's current duties as make-up artist. When they departed for the party half an hour later, Joyce felt like she was in costume for a play. Her lips felt sticky and the borrowed bangles on her wrist were jangling in time with the clack of the low heels of her sandals. Looking down at her painted toes, she had to admit that her feet looked cute. Although not as dressed up as Joyce and Jamie, Melanie was finally wearing something other than a t-shirt. Tonight she had on a dark red sleeveless blouse and tight khaki slacks with a pair of ballet flats on her feet. She'd laughed at the other girls' attempts to get her into a dress. "I don't have any nice ones here at school. Besides, I can't hold a candle to you two," she said. Joyce thought she was selling herself short; she looked good. Jamie cleaned up nicely, too. She was wearing a pair of dangling earrings which accentuated her long, tanned, neck. Like Joyce, her painted nails were exposed in open-toed shoes. She'd picked a mint-green color that matched the plaid pattern of her dress, which was ruffled at the bust, and flared out at the waist, making her look like she had more of a figure. As they crossed the grass of the Quad, they could hear the noise of half a dozen parties. The upperclassmen had begun returning and the campus no longer felt like a ghost-town. They passed by a co-ed pick-up game of football; Joyce eyed the action longingly. Like most of the buildings on campus, the Greek houses were flat-topped interchangeable rectangles, with few distinguishing features. The invitations had a map on them to guide party-goers to the correct location. The three girls were met at the door by a boy with Asian features and spiky blonde hair who gave each of them an appraising look before ushering them inside the house. "Would you ladies like a drink?" He asked, his voice raised to be heard over the stereo system. "No alcohol, of course, since rush week is dry, but we've got plenty of other choices. Just talk to my brother at the bar." The lights here were dimmed and the shades had been pulled, giving an intimate feeling. There were several groups of two or three students scattered across the room, cups in hand, engaged in shouted conversation. Around the corner from the entrance, there was a crowd of people dancing in a wide open room; colored lights flashed in sync with the music. Joyce felt a rush as her pulse raced to keep the beat. With little urging, she followed her friends onto the dance floor. Melanie found a boy to dance with; Joyce was shimmying with Jamie, who seemed highly appreciative of Joyce's glammed-up look. After a few minutes, she leaned over and spoke in Joyce's ear, "Don't let this go to your head, but you look too damn hot tonight. If we keep this up, I may forget that I don't want to fall for you. I'm gonna go get a drink." Joyce watched her walk away, feeling dazed. As she stood there, she was jostled by one of the other dancers. Excusing herself, she stepped off the floor, eyes still turned in the general direction of the bar. "Enjoying the party?" a voice said at her elbow. She turned to see a tall, dark-haired young man wearing a t-shirt with Greek letters across the front. He pressed a red plastic cup of some dark liquid into her hand. "What? Yeah. It's great. Are you...having a good time?" She asked absently. "Always, baby, always. I'm Mark Stevens; I'm one of the officers here at the house. You look familiar. Have we met before?" "I get that a lot, but I don't think we have. Joyce Andrews; pleased to meet you," she answered politely. "Nice place you've got here." "Thanks! Did you want the tour?" Mark asked a touch too eagerly. "Oh, no, that's okay. I'm just waiting for my friend to get back," she took a sip from her cup; it tasted a little like bubblegum, but with a bitter edge to it. She wrinkled her nose. "What's in this drink?" "Mostly Coca Cola, with just a bit of the Captain in it. I can get you something else, if you'd prefer." She was about to politely decline the offer when they were approached by a stocky young man also wearing the Pi Kappa Phi shirt. "Mark, I think we may have some trouble with one of the pledges," he said. "Let's take it upstairs to my 'office'," Mark said to him, and then turning to Joyce, "I apologize, but I've got to take care of this. House business, you understand. I hope I'll see you later?" With Mark gone, Joyce looked for some place to dispose of her drink. Pushing her way through the mass of dancing bodies, she wandered through the house in the opposite direction from the bar. In the corner, she spotted a pair of large planters with an artificial trees in them where she thought she might dump the contents of her cup. A boy knelt there, face down in one, his arms wrapped around it, making retching noises. As she passed by he looked up with glazed eyes and smiled at her. "Wanna dance?" he asked drunkenly. Without waiting for an answer, his head fell forward into the pot again; Joyce moved on. In a quieter room on the far side of the house, she found a table littered with other cups and set hers down. Two girls were standing near it, engaged in conversation, and Joyce's ears perked up when she heard some familiar names. "Speaking of Lauren," one of them said, flicking her eyes toward Joyce, "Did you hear about what Adam did to Tyler?" "No, what?" the other girl said in a bored voice. Joyce pretended to be looking at the contents of a trophy case as she eavesdropped. "Well, Lauren asked Tyler to help her carry her books from the bookstore the other day. You know how she's all touchy-feely; maybe he thought there was something more to it. He walked up to Adam this afternoon and said something about how Lauren was his girl now. Adam totally freaked out! He shoved Tyler up against the wall and grabbed him by the neck and started strangling him and cursing at him. Tyler's feet were dangling off the floor." "No shit! Really?" She suddenly sounded more interested. "Yeah. I was right there. It took like five guys to pull Adam off him. Poor Tyler; he said he was okay, but he had marks on his neck and he sounded hoarse when he tried to talk." "What happened to Adam? Sounds like he could be in serious trouble." "Yeah, I guess. He deserves it. I thought he was cool when we first met, but he's kind of an ass." Joyce had been looking at the trophy case for as long as she deemed reasonable; she thought the subject was pretty much exhausted, anyhow. She went back to see what her friends were up to. Melanie still appeared to be having fun. As Joyce made her way back across the dance floor, she thought she felt a hand grope her butt. Disturbed, she looked around but didn't spot a likely culprit. Heading toward the bar, Joyce startled a girl in the doorway, nearly spilling the girl's drink. "Whoa, pardon me," Joyce said, craning her neck to look into the girl's eyes; she was over six feet tall, and well-proportioned for her height; on top of that, she wore high heeled shoes. The effect was very striking. "You're okay," the girl replied, sliding past her. Joyce watched her as she continued on toward the dance floor. She was easily the tallest person in the room, so it wasn't difficult to keep her in view. Joyce felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Jamie standing next to her. "Hey, sorry about bailing on you earlier," Jamie said. "It's alright. One of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me, really." She paused. "On an honestly unrelated note, do you think anyone would mind if I went back to dorms now?" "Is everything okay?" Jamie asked, "We haven't been here very long." "I guess I'm not really a big fan of parties." "I can't say I'm getting much of a kick out of this one, myself. Let's tell Melanie we're going, and I'll head out with you, if that's okay." As it happened, Melanie didn?t want to be left behind. They stopped at the 7-11 on the way back and picked up some ice cream. Together, they sat at a table in the Commons to eat and talk, sharing what they?d experienced while apart from each other at the frat house. Sometime past midnight, they wandered back to the dorms, going their separate ways at the front desk. ?Don?t forget to wash your makeup off before you go to sleep,? Melanie said to Joyce, who had almost forgotten she was wearing it. Sunday was a day of rest. Joyce woke up late, then stayed in bed reading, finishing the book she?d borrowed from the library. Late in the afternoon, she got up, showered and got dressed. Heading down to dinner, she noted the hum of activity throughout the complex. The emergency exits at the north end of the lounge were propped open, with students bringing in boxes and bags from cars parked on the sidewalk outside. Most of the chairs and couches in the lounge were occupied by groups of upperclassmen catching up with each other. Joyce had to wait in line to get into the cafeteria. The first day of classes went by at a pace which varied between a rush and a crawl. Joyce heard the word syllabus for the first time ever in her ?Intro to Aerospace Engineering? class, which met in a windowless classroom in the basement of Engineering 1. Professor Engelmann took things slowly, introducing himself and going through the course outline, then showing them a PowerPoint presentation filled with Dilbert cartoons and animations. Calculus was held in a classroom upstairs in the same building. Joyce met up with Jamie and Melanie and they took seats on the front row. Dr. Smith passed out her syllabus and then immediately launched into a lecture about the derivatives of mathematical functions, with particular emphasis on the proper notation. Joyce?s hand cramped as she struggled to keep pace with the Professor?s swift scrawl of notes across the chalkboard. She assigned them a set of homework to be turned in the next day. Following a leisurely lunch, Joyce and Melanie went to ?Life Stories?. As part of an introduction to the concept of autobiography, Professor Blair had each of the students in the class tell a little bit about themselves. It was a welcome change from the discussion of limits and infinitesimal changes. Then the Professor handed out the reading list. She expected them to be through the first three chapters of ?The Autobiography of Malcom X? by next class. Joyce picked up a copy at the bookstore on her way to her last class of the day. Chemistry took place in the auditorium where the placement exams had been held and was taught by Dr. Schneider. His lecture mostly concerned the history of the science, starting with Alchemy and the search for that elusive method of transmuting lead into gold. Joyce was thankful that he did not assign any homework. After dinner that night, Joyce sat doing her homework at a table in the dining hall. Melanie and Jamie were copying the problems out of her Calculus textbook. Joyce heard footsteps and looked up from her notes; the tall girl she?d seen at the party was approaching. ?You?re in my Calc class aren?t you?? she said to Joyce. ?I don?t think so, unless you weren?t there today. You?re kind of hard to miss.? ?I was sure I saw you. Dr. Smith, right? Anywho, if you?re doing the homework, could we maybe work on it together?? ?Join the club,? Jamie said, pushing a chair out from the table. As it turned out, the tall girl, who introduced herself as Leah, was in a different session, with Lauren, of course, but the assignment was the same. Together the four of them worked through it. After about an hour, assignment complete, Joyce tucked her papers into the pocket of her notebook and stuffed it into her bag with her book. She thanked Leah for her help and waved goodnight to Jamie and Melanie. Returning to her room, she laid back on the bed and read about the early life of Malcom X. It was late when she put the book down, but Joyce wasn?t tired. It might have been hard to sleep, even if she had been. Someone down the hall had some music playing and there was a loud conversation going on next door. When she was little, Joyce had felt that there must be something exciting which went on in the late hours of the night. Why else would the grown-ups send the kids to bed so early? Now that she was away from parental supervision, Joyce realized there wasn?t anything stopping her from staying up. She slipped on some shoes and headed downstairs, with no particular destination in mind. As she walked through the lounge, she noticed a blond boy and a red-haired girl talking over by the mailboxes. The redhead was reclined on a couch, her head on the armrest; the boy was sitting on a coffee table facing her. As Joyce was passing by them, the girl turned her head and caught Joyce?s eyes with her own, her lips curling into a smile. Joyce didn?t believe she?d ever been looked at in quite that way before. There was a sparkle in the girl?s big hazel eyes, a sort of non-verbal communication, telling Joyce she was wanted, an invitation to join the conversation, with perhaps a hint of the potential for something more. Joyce stopped in mid-step; she felt herself getting warm all over and squishy in the middle. The redhead broke the glance and turned back to her companion, who had continued speaking, oblivious of what had just passed between the two girls. ??clearly still a dream; a single phone call couldn?t clear the charges that easily, and he had no trouble getting through customs.? ?Yeah, but the top wobbling is definitely wobbling as the movie fades to black,? The redhead replied. ?What nobody ever seems to talk about is how Leo screwed up the Japanese guy the same way he did his wife,? Joyce said, hoisting herself over the back of a chair adjacent to the redhead?s couch. ?Oh, hey,? the redhead said, as if seeing Joyce for the first time, ?Who are you?? She was wearing a short sleeveless button-down dress in a dark floral print, with combat boots on her feet. There was a sprinkle of freckles across her nose and cheeks; but the skin of her arms and legs was pale and unblemished. She had an oval face and a slightly pear- shaped curvy body. Something about her posture laying on the couch reminded Joyce of a cat. ?I?m Joyce Andrews. Nice to meet you,? she answered, smiling at the girl and nodding at the boy. ?Eric McAdams,? the boy said, hopefully. ?I hope I?m not intruding,? Joyce added. ?Not at all,? Eric said. ?I?m Katie, by the way,? the girl said, ?Katie Kearsey. You wouldn?t happen to be an engineering student would you, Joyce?? ?Hmm?? Joyce said absently. She?d been repeating Katie?s name over in her head, testing how it would sound on her lips, still remembering that look she had been given. ?Oh. Yes. Yes, I am. Why?? ?I really like to see women who are doing science-y, math-y stuff; I thought you had the look about you.? Joyce wasn?t sure what that meant, so she asked, ?What are you here for?? ?I?m going to be an architect,? Katie replied. ?That?s awesome,? Joyce said, appreciatively, ?I thought about doing that, myself.? ?I?m in the pre-med program,? Eric interjected. ?That?s cool, too,? Joyce said politely, ?I?m sure we could use more doctors.? ?Eric, sweetie,? Katie purred, ?Aren?t you getting tired? I know you have to be up early tomorrow. Maybe you should go to bed now.? ?You know what? I?m kind of tired,? Eric said as if it was entirely his own idea, ?I have to get up early, so I?m going to bed now. Goodnight.? Joyce gave Katie a suspicious look, eyebrow raised. ?Oh-kay?that was only a little bit strange,? she said when Eric was out of earshot. ?You seem to have him well trained.? ?I only just met him tonight,? Katie giggled. ?The Force,? she indicated her curvy form, ?has a strong influence on the weak minded.? Joyce didn?t believe she belonged in that category, but she definitely felt the girl?s effect, and it only grew stronger as their conversation continued. Katie didn?t seem to stick to any one topic for long and Joyce played off her, taking the discussion on wild tangents. They?d been talking about music; it seemed they had overlapping tastes. Joyce had mentioned the Beatles, when suddenly Katie said, ?Would you believe in a love at first sight?? ?Yes, I?m certain that it happens all the time,? Joyce responded with the next line of the song. She was rewarded with another long, searching look, this time with a shy smile. Joyce discovered in those eyes the meaning of poetry she?d never understood before. Into the resulting silence, Katie asked, ?What are you thinking about?? ?I?ve never met someone quite like you before,? Joyce answered, her heart pounding. ?Would you like to go to the movies with me this weekend?? ?Yeah. That sounds good.? Katie?s eyes caught sight of Joyce?s watch, and she grabbed Joyce?s wrist to read it. ?Is it really 3am? Damn! I?ve got to go.? Joyce remained a while longer, eyes gazing blissfully into the distance, savoring the sensation of Katie?s fingers on her skin. Joyce slid into her seat between Jamie and Melanie five minutes before Calculus class began. Her head felt fuzzy from lack of sleep. ?Nudge me if I start to drop off,? she said as she pulled her homework out of her notebook. ?What happened to you? We missed you at breakfast,? Melanie said. ?I met someone last night,? Joyce said, with a far off look in her eyes. ?Oh? Spill the beans,? Melanie replied. ?We talked for hours, effortlessly,? Joyce said, sighing. ?I?ve never had a conversation like that before. Fireworks?chemistry, whatever. It was awesome.? ?Was she cute?? Jamie asked tartly. ?Yeah she?s cute, like a kitten or something. The kitty cat girl. I think I?m rambling.? ?So when are you going to see her again?? Melanie asked. ?That?s the real question,? Joyce said, ?I asked her out. She said she?d go to the movies with me, but she went to bed before we could make plans, and I don?t know her number, or even what room she?s staying in.? Joyce caught sight of Katie several times over the next couple of days, but she didn?t have another encounter with her until Thursday afternoon. Joyce was heading back to the dorms from her Chem Lab and ran into Katie heading out of the building. ?Oh, hey! I?ve been thinking about you,? Katie said. ?Did you want to go to the theater tomorrow night, say around seven?? ?That works for me,? Joyce said. ?Great. I?ll meet you here at the front desk.? She reached into her backpack and pulled out a folded piece of paper, pressing it into Joyce?s hand. ?Here?s my number, in case you need to get a hold of me. See you soon. Sorry for the hit and run, but I?ve got to get to class.? Friday, after class, Joyce went looking for a laundry room with a bag full of dirty shirts and underwear and a pocket full of quarters. She discovered a series of subterranean passageways, their walls lined with utility pipes, connecting the basements of the various dorms. She found what she sought beneath South Hall: a vast chamber filled with coin operated washers and dryers. Leah was there, folding her freshly cleaned clothes. Joyce found an open washer and emptied her entire bag into it. ?What a brilliant idea,? Leah said, as Joyce poured in detergent and closed the lid. ?What?s that?? Joyce asked, inserting the coins and starting the machine. ?Putting all your clothes together in a single load like that. I?d always been taught to separate light from dark, whites from colors, and delicates from everything else, but doing it your way must save so much time, not to mention resources.? ?Surely you jest,? Joyce replied, with an embarrassed smile. ?I do jest, and don?t