Chapter 2

Because of my unique circumstances, I was allowed to be on campus for a full month before classes started. Within a two-week span, I was housed, issued my books, got my Visa Meal Card and enrolled in the gym. I’m not sure if my mother even comprehended of and why I was leaving home. She pretty much drank until she passed out every day. When she would come to, she would begin to drink again. I was glad to be out of the house although strangely I felt guilty leaving her.

The first year started and I had classes in Economics, Auditing, College Algebra, Business Statistics and Advanced Financial Accounting. Against my guidance counselor’s wishes I added two electives as well. My idea was to try and complete college in three years rather than four. Even though I loved school the idea of getting a job and working was my ultimate goal.

It didn’t take me long to realize several critical things about the college life. First and foremost, no one really cared whether you went to class or not. No one cared if you did your homework or not. No one cared if you studied or not. Succeeding or failing was up to you and no one else. Don’t get me wrong, if you needed help it was available, but you had to seek it out.

Second, there was a large number of people here that partied more than they studied. Dorm rooms were packed full of people partying seven days a week. On weekends, it was worst. It was kept in check by security, but it wasn’t hard to find an alternative to studying if you wanted it.

Third, the girls were amazing and very plentiful. No matter where you looked gorgeous girls were milling around in skimpy clothing that left little to the imagination. The year went by quickly and I decided to take two summer classes that would last six weeks. I finished the year with a 3.88 GPA, but knew I could do better.

Since, I was legally a sophomore by class schedule not by age, I had to move to another dorm. I was all set up three weeks prior to classes starting and was working out at the health club twice a day. I had started my freshman year at six foot one and about one hundred fifty-eight pounds. I started my sophomore year at one hundred seventy pounds with the same height.

Three days prior to class starting I was in my dorm room when the door burst open. I wasn’t sure if I was prepared to have a roommate looking back now, I would never be ready for my new boarder, Mike Collins.

Mike Collin’s was short in statute and had long hair halfway down his back. He was the type of guy that before he even spoke you knew he was trouble in one form or other.

“What’s up roomie?” he shouted, throwing several bags on the unoccupied side of the room.

He quickly left and returned several minutes later with was apparently the rest of the belongings he had brought with him. He started unpacking and stuffed all of his clothes in the large dresser at the foot of his bed. The rest he tossed at the bottom of the closet of his side of the room.

In the next ninety minutes, I learned Mike’s entire life story. He hated school but loved the ladies. The only reason he was here is because his father insisted on it. Mike’s goal was to string his college experience out for as long as possible making sure he had the time of his life. This is not the roommate I needed or wanted.

Within the first sixty days I had noticed two things. First, I never saw Mike crack a book once. In fact, I know he skipped several classes. Second, he had already had three different girls in our room all with whom he had made out with, maybe more.

Since there were usually several different people in our room at night, I began using the library to study. I’m sure Mike regarded me a geek although he never once said it. A few weeks before mid-term exams would be given, I returned to my room on a Friday night. Surprisingly, it was empty, so I took a shower and laid on the bed to study for another hour or so. At eleven, I turned off the light and fell fast asleep.

I opened my eyes slowly to hear voices talking in whispered muffles. Once my eyes grew accustomed to the dark, I could see Mike and a female figure on his bed with their arms around each other. I stayed motionless not to give away the fact that I was awake. Every now and then, the girl would look in my direction to see if perhaps I had awakened.

After maybe ten or fifteen minutes, witnessing what looked like two orgasms from the girl and one by Mike, they both got dressed and he walked her to the door. I don’t think there was any doubt in Mike’s mind that I was awake, but he climbed back into bed and rolled over going fast asleep.

That situation repeated itself many times that year thus being the reason Mike barely passed. Once again, during the summer break, I took two more classes pushing me closer to my diploma. I was really pushing myself at the gym as well and was a little over one hundred ninety pounds. I was working a little with a female trainer at the gym who was showing me little tricks to help me along.

The summer went smoothly and somehow Mike was my roommate again for my junior year. Probably due to the fact that I stayed in the room all summer, but I wasn’t looking forward to another wild year. In my junior year the advanced accounting classes covered accounting operations and patterns, merger of public holding companies, foreign currency exchange and local currencies. At this rate, I would still have to take a fourth year, but I could elect courses that would expand what I had already taken.

Halfway thru my junior year I had gotten to two hundred nine pounds and Addison, or Addy as she preferred to be called, told me she wanted to change my routine. Instead of lifting as much weight as I possibly could she wanted to increase my repetitions with much lighter weight. This as she claimed, would give my body more definition and shape. Then, if need be and I was not happy with the end result, I could go back and pound the weight back on. I have to say, the new routine she put me on was strenuous and left me exhausted when I left the club. But it was quickly showing its result as my body began to chisel itself under the lighter weight. We were approaching mid-terms again when Addy approached me for the first time about schoolwork. She was majoring in corporate management and right after mid-terms she had to start on her final in her advanced accounting class. She needed to form her own company, achieve financing, staff it, get zoning requirements done, and do a financial audit. She admitted she found this daunting and asked if there were any way I could point her in the right direction. I answered I could, I had done this assignment the year before. We agreed to finish mid-terms then revisit the subject right after.

After mid-terms in my junior year I had once again achieved a 4.0 GPA and was ranked third in my class, which was not bad for a twenty year old kid. Right after the exams, I approached Addy about the project she had due for the end of the year. We agreed to train in the evening, shower then go to the library and begin work on her project. This would also give Mike, exclusive use to the room till about ten at night.