Chapter 2

I just got my sweatshirt over my head when the door flew open.

"Pants up everyone!! We're here to study, not to screw!!"

It was Henny, who else. She always had a way to make an entrance, and was never afraid to speak what was on her mind. I smiled and gave her a hug, as did Bill. She had really missed me by how hard she hugged. After hugging Bill she said, "You showed this girl a good time didn't you, she gets awfully lonely some nights. I think she buys batteries by the case now." Bill chuckled, but Henny laughed at her little joke. Bill gave me a final kiss and hug and he was off. I watched him jog down the quad and then stop to hug someone. It was Maria. We had all gotten back at the same time. I was sure we would have a good time telling each other about our weekends. Maria came in the door and Henny ran to give her a hug. The transformed Henny was one who appreciated her friends, but she was still crass as hell.

"Watch when you hug Carree, she wreaks of cum, and so did Bill, so watch where you sit. " Henny said loudly to Maria. I was mortified, but that was Henny.

"You can sit ANYWHERE," I said. The girl doesn't know what she's talking about." I yelled. "Besides we were in MY bedroom."

Such was life with Henny. She kept Maria and I on our toes. She had become someone special in both of our lives, yet she kept somewhat in a shell about her love Nick (the dreamboat) and her intense studies. She was just an average student upon arriving and had a 4.0 GPA and deans listed since second semester mid-terms in our freshman year. As close as we had gotten, sharing intimate girl talk and personal things you just talk about with those closest, whose opinions you trust, Henny never spilled the beans about her rebirth as a student, and her new obsession with career. Maria was sure that she had an abortion that weekend and this was her personal penance. I discounted that, but had not counted it out. Whatever it was, it did Henny a lot of personal good and she never told any of those closest to her at school what it was that drove her.

For the first time in my life as a student at any level, schoolwork was beginning to back up on me, take a toll on me. My heavy class workload was wearing thin as projects, thesis, and half-grade papers became due, seemingly at once. The only redeeming factor was that Spring Break was just a week away. While most schools had taken theirs the week before or after Easter, Upstate SUNY schools were going to be 2 weeks after the late March Easter. I was burdened to the max with work, but I saw it all being done on schedule, but not without burning a little midnight oil. Knowing that finishing everything on time, and doing it right, would leave my mind clear to enjoy the break with my love, Bill. He promised me a great week, having reservations in Atlantic City for a few nights and tickets for two shows. My body tingled when I thought of being away with Bill, knowing how fulfilling similar excursions were.

I hurried to get back to my dorm on the Tuesday before the break. I had to proofread and assemble a term paper for a Corporate Law elective. I was excited because I had been so behind on it and was ready to bag it. Then I got a burst of thought and it really fell together. Besides, it was something I really needed if ever planned to start my own business, especially with the international implications it would involve. When I opened the door there was an envelope addressed to me from my SA. I quickly opened it and my face must have fallen to the floor. It seems the publishing firm was expecting me for at least 2 days during the break for indoctrination for my internship. They were to show me where I would live, how to travel in the area. I was supposed to have set it up weeks ago and it just slipped my mind. I called my SA right away and she was quite pissed off at me. She had to have an answer by 2 pm that day and she took the liberty of making arrangements for me to fly to Baltimore on Tuesday morning and return Thursday night. One more roadblock was thrown in my quest to be alone with my love. Now I had to call Bill and tell him our plans were probably shot to hell. Just as I went to dial his number Maria came in the door.

"Did you get a hold of Bill? He called for you earlier and wanted you to get back to him ASAP. I would have left you a note but I thought I would beat you back here." She said.

"Oh, I hurried from my art class to get back and do my term for Law. I'm calling him now about something else. I'll tell you Maria; I'm about to explode. The whole fucking world is against Bill and I, it seems." I said as I dialed.

"Perspective girl, perspective", Maria said as she went into her own room shaking her head.

"Hi lover, I heard you called me," I said as I recognized his voice.

Bill was obviously not in a good mood when he answered me. "Hi, this is really going to stink and you're going to freak out, so sit down."

"Your news can't be any worse than mine," I answered him, "Let me go first." "I have to be at the airport on Tuesday morning to fly to Baltimore for an intern orientation, sort of a final approval stage for both of us. FUCK!! I hate to do this to you Bill, but if I don't go my SA thinks Arens and Ponds will pull the internship from me. They already are doing me a favor, so they say, by having me in the home office and they pulled strings to get me student housing, even though I'm not a Maryland resident. Goddamn it Bill, I want a career, but I want it when I want it. All I want now is to be alone with you!"

Personally, at that point I would have scuttled the whole thing to have a week alone with Bill. That was how much I wanted him, how much I missed him, how much I wanted to make up for the summer I wasn't going to have for with him. As important as the internship was, nothing made me feel like Bill did. Love is a terrible addiction at times; to feel love, to give love. Could a being have a real existence without it?

"When are you coming back? Your news dovetails with mine. I have to go to New York on Monday and I won't be home until Wednesday night. I have an intern orientation too. Jesus God! I've interned for these shitheads for almost 3 years, but to walk on their hallowed floors for a summer I have to come to the city and be treated like wet baby. They show you the city, where you live, how to get around, what to do to pass the time without doing something stupid, and above all not hurt their name. The only positive is that they will offer me a job, that's almost guaranteed." Bill rattled out.

So Bill was gone for the same days as me. "I come back on Thursday night. At least we have the 2 weekends to be together. This is some spring break." I complained.

"Well, the news from here is still not good. I can't get out of here until Sunday. I'm finishing a piece as a contributor with 2 other student writers, one near Chicago and one on the West Coast. We put it together and hopefully, to bed on Sunday via conference call. Here we are, writing about Spring Break and its effects on perceptions of the youth and all that bullshit, and we can't even take one." Bill said, further frustrating me.

"So, how do I get home, Bill? When were you going to tell me about this?"

"For God's sake, Carree! Cool your jets! Do you think this has been on MY schedule for weeks? I thought we were supposed to do it AFTER the break, using our experiences, but it has to be on the newsstand during the break. So, get a pass to stay on campus past Friday and I'll be there Sunday night to fetch you, OK? If you really want to get out, see if a friend can bring you home or if your parents will come up. I'm sorry, I can't do it any earlier. I would come and get you Friday and have you stay with me, but if campus police saw you, I would get screwed around. It's not worth the risk." Bill explained.

"Don't get mad at me, Bill. I just want to get home and be with you. I don't want to stay here until Sunday. I'll check around for a ride or something. Plan on getting me on Sunday unless you hear from me, OK?" I said.

"OK baby. Lets just not hang up mad." Bill reasoned. "We're both mad at things we have no control of and are taking it out on each other, agreed?"

"Agreed." I added. " I love you Bill. We can figure something out, OK? I just want to hold you and make everything in my world right."

"I know, Care. We're both a little short fused. We will get through this. I love you, Bye." And Bill hung up.

Seeing how I had to fly out on Tuesday morning, I really wanted to get home before Sunday night. If Bill and I went home on Sunday night I would want to stay with him and that would cause another ruckus with our parents. It really wasn't a big deal with them, but they did enough to make us feel uncomfortable. I was going to try and hook up with a ride if I could. My Dad would come and get me if I asked, but I hated to bother him. Plus, I want him to know I can take care of myself.

There were 2 guys in my art class that I had become friendly with, Russell and Mark. They were mildly geeky, but both were cute and seemed like nice people. If I was at Frazier Hall for a meal or just for coffee, one of them usually made it a point to come over and keep me company. Now, there were guys who would do the same trying to hit on me, asking me out, inviting me to pot parties or keggers too, but from our conversations Russ and Mark knew I was engaged and not interested in any other kind of relationship. Mark had a girlfriend back home, near Buffalo, I think. Russell said he never had any serious relationships, but was into partys and "got hooked up" a lot. I don't know if that meant he got drunk and picked up a date or not. I never really asked, I just know he was a sweet guy to me, and even studied together at the library for some History class last year and went there once to look at some published free hand drawings for Art.

Right after I got off the phone with Bill I had to try and catch a couple coffees at Frazier for the long night of work ahead. One solid night and I knew I cold finish my Corporate Law term paper. Once I got to Frazier and got in line I felt a tap on my shoulder, and it was Mark. He pointed to a table over in the last rays of sun for the day. There sat Russell, and he waved.

"You look stressed out. Come on over and talk about it for a few." Mark said.

"You know, I really can't Mark. I have a term paper due tomorrow and I'm going to get a couple coffees to go and get back to work on it," I said.

"Get 2 to go and one for here. Sit down and take a load off your mind for a minute. Besides the one you drink here will have the most caffeine. Those 2 you reheat later will have had part of the caffeine eaten up by tannic acid." Mark said.

"Oh,... OK Mr. Wizard, thanks for sharing your experiment." I laughed, "I'll be over."

I set my tray down with 2 cups to go and my fresh black coffee on their table. Russell piped up, "If you don't smooth out that furrow on your forehead your stress will never leak out, ya know." He said smiling.

"God, is it THAT obvious?" I asked. "Things are not going well on all fronts. Actually finishing this term paper tonight will ease part of my load and let me deal with personal problems a little more unclouded."

"Any thing you can talk about? The Boy Wonder isn't giving you a hard time is he?" Mark laughed.

"NOO, and don't call him that. I know I probably build him up a little, but he is the least of my worries. Getting home to see him is a problem though." I said.

I explained the situation and the in and outs of it all. When I got through, Russell smiled at me. "I'm going to Lake George on Friday, I can drop you off on the way." He said.

"No, it sounds like you're going to have a real Spring Break up there and I'll be the flat tire on the party bus." I said.

Actually I was worried about being in a car with a bunch of guys going to Break, drinking, smoking etc.

"No please, Carree, it's not that at all. I LIVE in Lake George, and I'm going alone. It's no big deal if you want a ride." He said.

I told him I would sleep on it. I really had no problem with accepting the ride, I just wondered what Bill would think, if I told him. I just added that to the growing list of things to stress on. What would Bill think of me having a male friend? What would he think of me being alone with him in a car for a couple hours? God! I was so paranoid! I decided to tell Bill that I was gong back with someone in Art class, and if he asked if it was a guy, I would tell him. It ended up that Bill was so consumed with his internship work and school studies that he only answered "Great!" when I told him I had a ride home on Friday. He said he would call me on Sunday night when he got back. I couldn't wait get home to sleep in my own bed for a night or so and try to put my life back into perspective. Not that I didn't look forward to seeing Bill on Sunday night, but I knew our time together would be brief, if he had to be in New York City early on Monday. Our love, our lives and our studies were spread thin on a cracker we called life. All of the things that people told us would be a problem about long distance relationships, being apart while being engaged, and balancing love and school were all coming true. Getting through the summer apart and getting back to school would put us on the home stretch to graduation. Seeing the big light at the end of the tunnel would have to make this easier.