Exception

Chapter 2

My Dad and Clara were both already up and were making pancakes and bacon.

After breakfast we squeezed back into the car full of boxes, and drove the BU. It was about 45 minutes before I saw the University.

Dad turned left and entered the main parking lot. I checked in and got a manilla folder full of paperwork. The first on the stack was my dorm number, hall, and the assigned RA's for our hall. I took a deep breath and looked around. Behind me were Clara and my dad leaning against the wagon smoking a cigarette, and everywhere else were new students checking in and looking for their dorms.

We brought the boxes up to my room, which happened to be in "Bardou Hall", the party hall of the university. I unlocked my door and with a thud my boxes hit the ground.

I gave my dad and Clara a turse goodbye, and shut my door.

In my room lay two extra long twin beds at opposite ends of the room, a desk at each end of the beds, an end table next to each one, and two windows above each bed.

Kind of bland, but I can live with it.

Before I had time to start unpacking, I heard the door knob click and start to turn.

I quickly ran my fingers through my hair and took a deep breath.

In walked a short, thin girl wearing an A-ha concert tee with black skinny jeans and black, worn down combat boots. Her long charcoal hair was curly and braided down her back.

"Hi, I'm Jane," she said with a beaming smile.

"Hey, I'm Heather. I like your shirt! Who knew my room mate would be a New Wave kid too?!" I replied excitedly.

"I know right! Simple Minds are amazing. Want to unpack and then go to orientation together?" She asked openly, with a hopeful grin.

"Yes! You're the only person I know here so far," I said.

"Great! Well we better start getting settled in 'cause before we know it, it's gonna be time for orientation," she replied. I could her the anxiety in her voice. She is far more nervous than I am.

I unpacked the first box which held a new faded lavender down comforter, and my off-white sheets. I made my bed, and arranged a good three or four pillows. Two were comfortable down pillows for sleeping, and the other were decorative fuzzy pillows.

I looked over and noticed her taping up pictures and New Wave album art next to her bed.

Next I hung up my off-white curtains and set a pale lavender lamp on my nightstand and plugged in my landline and set the pre-pair calling card in the nightstand drawer.

In the next box were clothes. Thank god there were drawers under the bed. I piled all my clothes in the drawers and opened up the last box. Inside were all the odds and ends to my room. I hung up my River Phoenix, Simple Minds, and Modern English posters next to my bed.

As for my desk, on the top shelf I stood up dozens of reams of lined paper and books. On the bottom I plugged in a more practical desk lamp, and a cup fills with pens, pencils, and a highlighter.

I lined my shoes up under my nightstand and hung my other leather bag up on the chair at my desk.

I glanced at the wall clock and noted that we had a good thirty minutes before orientation. So, I struck up a conversation with Jane.

"How ya comin'?" I asked. Watching her stack many books on the top shelf of her desk.

"Almost done, just gotta find my book end and throw out the boxes."

"Cool. Wanna grab coffee and waste time before orientation starts?" I question hopefully.

"That's just what I need right now," she replied happily. *