Chapter 5: Banishment

I arrived a few days before classes started the last week in August. I was greeted by hoots and catcalls from my fraternity brothers as I pulled into the parking lot behind the fraternity house. I got out and started carrying my stuff to my room on the second floor. I had the same room and same room mate as I did last year. He and I got along great and didn’t have any problems rooming together. Besides why fix what isn’t broke. After I carried my stuff in I went out back to join my buddies who were loafing and bragging about their exploits from over the summer.

An impromptu basketball game broke out and I decided to join in. I was wearing a new shirt so I took it off to keep from ruining it with sweat. When I took my shirt off everyone stopped and stared at me. “What?”, I said feeling self conscious. “Whats the problem?”

“You got muscles!”, one of the more sober brothers commented. The others just stared.

“You guys, quit staring at me before you fall in love”, I jested. One of the guys flipped me the bird and we all started laughing. So for the next hour or so we tried to out do each other on shots, rebounds and fouls. It was great fun and it felt great to back again among friends.

After our pickup basketball game I went to get a shower before we went out to find some food. After showering I was heading back to my room in only a pair of sweat pants. I was going to finish dressing there instead of the humid shower room. As I walked down the hall a couple of the girls who seemed to always be hanging around the frat house saw me and their jaws hit the floor. I guess my change in appearance surprised them. They wanted to know what I did to build up my body to look like that.

“Lots of sleep and clean living and 60 hrs a week on a road crew, girls.” I smarted off. “No worries of women corrupting my work and leading to a life of sin and degradation.” I acted like I truly believed that. I wondered how long it would before they realized I was teasing them. Finally they saw my smile and laughed along with me. They tried their best to convince me I didn’t need to put on a shirt if we went to a restaurant. For the remaining 3 days before classes started the other girls who hung around the frat house kept asking me to take off my shirt so they could see the differences for themselves. It got to be funny. Some of the brothers I think thought their girl friends would dump them over me. I had reassure a couple of the guys I had no designs on their women.

Sunday night late I had a knock on my door. I opened it and there stood Ginny B. I invited her in and wisely left the door open. She had filled out some over the summer. More womanly and not so much coltish as she did the previous year. She was even more beautiful then before.

“Ginny, it is good to see you. You look even more beautiful then what you did last year.”, I said with awe. I really meant it. She was a total knockout, 10 on the scale of 10. Now if she got over her jealous streak things would be perfect, But it was up to Ginny to prove it one way or the other.

“I didn’t know if you would want to see me again after last semester. We didn’t part under the best of terms.”, she acknowledged. “You look different too, what is different about you? Can I have a hug? I use to love it when you hugged me.”

I opened up my arms and Ginny B. moved into them. She put her arms around me and pulled me in close. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly. Her eyes got huge, Her hands moved up and down my spine and then came around and felt my stomach and then my chest.

“What did you do?” she said. “You have muscles everywhere. Take off your shirt let me see please. I promise I won’t attack you.”, she said with a grin.

Reluctantly I pulled off my t shirt. She looked and smiled. Gestured for me to do a 360 spin.

“My, you have changed.” she giggled. “I like the change.”

I thought to myself, “Now only if you have changed things will be perfect.” Time would tell.

“Can I come over tomorrow night for a little while? I really want to see you.”, she asked timidly.

“Ginny we need to start over and take things slower. I don’t want to have a repeat of what happened last spring. You can’t be jealous and act possessive of me. Cause it won’t fly and we would be back to where we were last year. I don’t think either of us want that.” I said cautiously. “I do like you a lot and don’t won’t want to see you hurt. After all you mean a lot to me and I don’t want to end us like we did last spring. Can you be just you the girl I fell in love with and not be Ginny the jealous shrew?”

I could see the hurt in her eyes by my words but it needed to be said. If she was Ginny the Shrew there was no future for us. I waited for her answer. She cast her eyes down and nodded her head yes. I put my hand under her chin and forced her to look up into my eyes. I lightly kissed her on her nose. “You need to get back to your dorm and I need to get to bed too as we we both have class tomorrow.” I said. She turned and went down the hall towards the stairs. I closed the door and went to get in bed. I hated 8 o’clock classes. No way should a senior have to be subjected to a class this early. A freshman yes, but a senior, come on.

Next morning I was up by 6:30 AM. I took a quick shower, shaved and got dressed. Quarter after 7 AM I was in the grill room grabbing a large coffee and an egg sandwich and a banana. I wasn’t on all 8 cylinders yet but I was in better shape then most of the people I shared the grill room with this morning. As I was eating my egg on bagel sandwich who do you suppose who pulled out a chair and joined me at my table. It was my friend the RA from last year. She looked buff and had a nice tan.

“Looks like the outdoors agrees with you. You look amazing Janet.” I said to her.

She looked like she dropped maybe 15 pounds and had better definition in her arms and torso. She also looked 5 years younger.

“Quit hitting on me you jerk or I may take you up on your flirting.” she laughed. “You look like you went through a metamorphosis yourself James.”

“Nothing that a summer of celibacy and clean living can’t do.” I deadpanned. “I worked as part of a road repair crew 50 to 60 hours a week. Better exercise then working out in a gym, cheaper even. County paid me for what most people pay a gym for.”

“So how are things between you and Ginny?” she got serious all of a sudden. “I worried about you two all summer when I wasn’t enjoying myself viewing the beautiful scenery out west”

“She came to see me last night. We are going to take it slow this semester and see if there is anything to salvage from the blow up of last spring.”, I said. “At least I am willing to try and see if we can regain the magic. I won’t tolerate Ginny the Shrew. She makes an appearance, we are through.”

“If things don’t work out between you two, come see me and I will help you maintaining your work outs.” she giggled. “Who cares if I am 6 years older then you. God, you are such a hunk.”

“Maybe I will stop by even if things do work out. I wouldn’t want to see your new amazing self go to waste either.”, wiggling my eyebrows in emphasis. Since it was time to leave I got up and reached over to get my backpack. As I did so I leaned over and planted one on her lips. “See you later lover!” She sat there stunned as I walked away laughing.