Chapter 2: Arrival

Her trip to Washington DC was smooth and without incident taking two days travel by the old Ford F-150 pickup, the back filled with all of the things she would need for her first year. Unfortunately the smooth sailing they enjoyed getting to DC left abruptly when they got to Georgetown University. Between the traffic jam getting into Georgetown, driving around lost trying to find the dorm, finding someone who could direct them to her room, and most troubling, finding that three people had been assigned to a two person dorm room. Her intended roommate, Donna Smythe, the girl she had written to and talked to before school began, wasn’t even in the room, she was in a different room with another Rene, a Rene Levitt, seems that Donna is not that brightest bulb in the box.

With the help of the RA, Simon Abreshion a tall lanky senior with long dark stringy hair, they were able to identify the screw-up, which didn’t resolve the problem but at least they were able to confirm that she was a student and that she was assigned a room, though it was double booked. An hour went by before she was finally assigned a new room.

After being assigned, it didn’t take long to get moved in, there was plenty of room to move the pickup to the entrance and more than enough space to maneuver her possessions through the people and to her room.

The room was small, at least that’s what Rene thought for two people. There was a set of twin beds on the opposition sides of the room, one desk between the two beds, another desk at the foot of the far bed, and double sliding door closets opposition the beds, and the walls and ceiling were painted an off white color.

Sitting on the bed was a slim girl with medium length light brown hair reading a hard cover book. She got up from the bed and extended her hand in welcome and said, “You must be Susan.”

Rene laughed as she placed her belongings on the unoccupied bad before she took her hand and responded, “No, afraid not. I’m Rene Hewitt. There was a problem with my room assignment, three people were assigned to one room, and after an hour of waiting they gave me this room.”

The girl scrunched her face and said, “I wonder what happened to Susan?”

Taken back by the perceived brush off, Rene continued, “Maybe the RA knows something. He helped us with finding an open room. His name is Simon Abreshion and is just a couple of doors from our room.”

Jumping off the bed she moved quickly to the door with a little bounce in her step saying, “That’s a good idea, be right back.”

“Polite people they got here. Did you catch her name?” asked her Dad.

“Oh, stop it Nathan. This Susan, and whatever Rene’s new roommates name is, are probably best friends and she is concerned that they are not sharing a room is all” countered her Mom.

The full first name, that was code for if you take it any further you’re in for it. Rene smiled to herself when she heard her Dad’s grunt of acknowledgment. She moved what they had brought up in the first run into small piles she had designated as clothes, toiletries, school supplies, and miscellaneous stuff before heading downstairs to get the rest of her things.

They returned, carrying the last of her clothes and small boxes, to an empty room. Unpacking and putting things in their place, along with the cleanup, took little to no time, and with her roommate still not back they were left with time to sit and talk, which was most welcome.

But the time passed quickly as her new roommate walked back into the room with a disgruntled look upon her pretty face. Taking her place back on the bed she vacated not too long ago she looked at Rene and said, “Seems Susan has decided to take a year off and travel across Europe. She is such a ditz. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her here in a couple of weeks.”

Rene looked at her parents gave a shrug and said, “So, ah, Susan was your friend?”

Lost in thought the girl responded, “Yeah, we knew each other since 8th grade.”

Her new roommate finally looked up and was startled to see not only Rene but her two parents. “Oh my, I think I owe you all an apology for not introducing myself. I’m Sharon Marburry,” as she again got up from the bed and made her way to Rene extending her hand in friendship, again.

Rene politely smiled and returned the handshake, again.

“So, where are you from?” asked Sharon as she sat down on her bed.

“Southern Indiana. And you?”

“Oh gosh, all over really. The last ten years has been DC, but before it was New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami, Dad moved where the company asked him to go. That is until Mother put her foot down, so here is where we stayed, which I am eternally grateful for.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of moving” answered her Mom.

“Yes it was. We never settled down, and towards the end it was tough making, and keeping, friends.”

“I couldn’t imagine that. I lived my whole life within twenty miles of where we live now” said her Dad. “Deep roots, going back generations” he added.