Chapter 7: Anne

I really get a kick out of Mary. She is so straight. I mean, she means what she says, doesn't fool around with games. I thought up the panties-on-the-hook thing, and who was the first to use it? Mary. I love it. And hearing her laugh when she comes is another kick. And, I wasn't far behind.

I have basically the same courses as Mary, but we aren't in any of the same sections. Instead of her Statistics, I have Business 101, that's the only difference. I don't want to deal with the heavy ends of math. I'd been looking around the classes for possible study partners, but without much luck. Once she found an economics partner I started looking for someone who can handle history or something like that. My history section is in the afternoon, and the first session was on Wednesday of the first week. Wednesday and Thursday classes back to back don't give you much prep time.

Mary and I had been able to keep our classes clear of Friday afternoons and Saturdays. I figured we're going to need the weekends to prepare for the next week's classes. Not all weekend, but if we mix study with some weekend fun, we should be able to keep a group together.

I decided to start school off a little differently. Nearly all the women were wearing jeans all the time. I decided I'd wear a skirt or dress at least the first week or so. Look a little different, maybe attract a different crowd. So, by that Wednesday, I was wearing a full khaki skirt and my brother's white shirt with the sleeves rolled. I sat on the center aisle in the Economics lecture hall, about half way up. You could see my calves, nothing else, but I really got a lot of eyeballs from the guys. Some of the girls, too.

A guy came up the steps and slid into the next seat. He had a big bag of books with him and had to dig around to find his notes. He had a copy of Samuelson, our Econ text, and something that looked a lot like Mary's statistics workbook. It was still a few minutes till class started,

"You've got a heavy course load, there."

"Pretty typical freshman stuff, really. They don't give you much room to maneuver the first year. Thought I'd try statistics, though. I've got this thing about math — what little I know about it."

"After that first economics class, I know a lot less than I started with. And the book isn't all that helpful."

"Not at first, no. But when you get into it, it makes some sense. Ever read Adam Smith?"

"No. He's the guy who invented economics, isn't he? I saw the book at home once, and tried to get into it, but the old-fashioned English and the subject matter threw me."

"Pretty dense stuff. But that's all right, you get to read it twice this year, once for Humanities and again for Economics."

"Yuck."

"What's your specialty?"

"Who knows at this point? I think I want to go for Marketing or Retailing, but right now what I'm best at, I think, is English. My folks are writers, so they made me practice."

The room had filled up, and the instructor came in to run the usual first day nonsense. When the class was over, I turned to the guy. He had taken quite a few notes, paid attention, wasn't trying to check out all the other girls.

"I'm Anne Stilwell. Who are you?"

"Alex Jefferson. You live in North College, don't you?

"350."

"I thought I'd seen you. I'm on the first floor, 123."

We walked back to the dorm, talking. Alex comes from Minneapolis, his father is in manufacturing there. As we went in the door, I said, "How about coming up to my place. We've got some beer." He didn't refuse.

In the study room we sat talking, sipping our beer. I told him that Mary and I were looking for people to study with.

"People, or guys?"

I thought that over.

"Right now, guys. Later maybe, other girls, too. It's not like I'm looking for a long-term lover or a part-time roommate. I've got a roommate, but she's a girl and I like guys, too. I want someone to study with who's willing to work as hard as I do. I'm good at what I know, and I won't mind help with what I don't know yet."

"Where'd you go to High School? Oh, yes, you told me. What was your GPA?"

"Four point two five."

"Me, too. You know, I sat next to you this afternoon because you were the only girl in the room wearing a skirt."

"That's why I wore it."

"You look like a woman, and you look like you know what you're doing. I like that."

I got up and looked to see that the door was locked. While my back was to Alex, I undid a couple of buttons on my shirt. Then, I went over and leaned back on the edge of the desk in front of him, my arms behind me. My shirt opened a little. Alex noticed.

"You don't beat around the bush, yourself," I said, "Do you?"

Alex stood up and came to stand in close to me. Not so close I could say he was threatening, and anyway, that wasn't his attitude. Just close enough to make it clear he'd like to get closer.