As a college freshman, if you choose to live in the dorm of the college you will be attending, it is common practice not to meet your roommate until the day you move in.
This person can be great and become your closet friend. On the other hand, this individual may turn out to be one big “pain in the ass,” as may be the case in . . .
Roomies—The Date
I walked across the beautifully manicured campus at Midland College. It was Monday, May 3, 1985. Blue skies and a warm sun created a wonderful backdrop for the tree-lined hillside. My name is Jason Fitzpatrick. I’m a sophomore majoring in Business Administration.
My life is almost perfect. My grades are good. My family supports me—with both love and money. And I have plenty of friends, but . . .
Yeah, there’s a but—no girlfriend. I’d love to have one. And I’m not very picky. I don’t care if she’s gorgeous. Though she does need to be presentable. Smart would be nice. . . . Witty, . . . yes, that would help. And, most important of all, she has to like me.
Now there’s one girl I’ve had my eye on since the second week of my freshman year. Her name is Rachel, . . . Rachel Lebecker. She’s charming, and bright, too. Her raven hair flows over her shoulders and frames her face in a way that makes me melt. I’d do anything to have her like me. However, I don’t think she knows I exist.
I arrived at my dorm, Simon Kravitz Hall—an impressive two-story building with over two hundred dorm rooms. Mine is Room 99 at the end of the hall on the first floor. I share my palatial suite with my roommate, Murphy, Murph for short, O’Sullivan.
We’ve been roomies for almost two years. He’s a nice guy, but he also can be a real pain in the butt. And when it comes to my wanting a girlfriend, he’s the last fella you want to have in your corner. He doesn’t understand. He likes girls, but he says he isn’t ready to get involved. His universe revolves around making my life miserable.
I approached my room, which is right next to the Janitor’s Closet—perfect positioning if you like the banging of brooms and mops and the clanging of garbage cans. I placed the key in the lock and entered.
“Hey, Murph!” I yelled. “I’m home.” Home is a two-bedroom suite, with a very small sitting area in between the rooms, just large enough for our twenty-six inch TV and two lounge chairs.
“That you, Jase?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Who else has a key to the door?”
“What’s up?”
“Nothing much.”
“You sure?”
“Oh, I ran into Rachel on campus this afternoon. I think I said hello to her.”
“You think you said hello to her? What the hell does that mean?”
“Well, we passed in the hallway in Frazier Hall and I sort of said, ‘Hi.’”
“ Did she say, ‘Hi,’ back?”
“I think so. However, we didn’t make eye contact. And her voice was low. Well, I don’t know. Maybe.”
“You know, man, if you want to get a girl, you have to be more aggressive. And you have to remember if you did or didn’t say hello to her. If you want Rachel, you gotta make a move on her if you expect something to happen. Now me, I wouldn’t recommend wasting time on Rachel.”
“Why? I’ve wanted to ask her out on a date for a long time. Just haven’t been able to get up the courage to do it.”
“She’s not your type, Jase. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying that. She’s cute and smart. I think about her a lot. However, the timing needs to be right.”
“What timing? You’ll be seventy-five before you act on it. Maybe you’ll run into her again in an old age home.”
“What are you talking about? I’ll show you. I’ll call her right now and ask her out.”
“Okay, do it! I dare you. It’s your ego that’s at stake if she turns you down, not mine.”
“Why do you always have to put a damper on my plans, Murph? You make it sound like I’m not good enough for her.”
“I’m not trying to put a damper on anything. I’m trying to help you by giving you a good piece of advice. By the way, why not go after Taylor Price? She’s more your type.”
“How can you say that? Her heads off in some strange place all the time and she never smiles.”
“When’s the last time you smiled? Had a good laugh lately? Think about it. She’s just like you. You know, uptight, a bit confused, and not so bright.”
“Not so bright? Look who’s talking. You’re the one almost failing Math and Chem. I thought you were my friend.”
“I am your friend, Jase. And this is not about me. Think about it, Rachel’s in a league of her own. And you can’t play in that league.”
“Shut up Murph! What do you know? You’re jealous I might actually succeed with Rachel.”
“Not me. Getting involved with a girl now will mess up my whole life. And you, . . . I don’t think you can handle the truth.”
“Murph, I don’t know why I call you my friend. And I’ll show you I can do it.”
“Do what, handle the truth or get Rachel to go on a date with you?”
“Both, my know-it-all roommate.”
“For crying out loud! You live in a damned dream world, roomie.”
“Come on now, Murph. Give me a break. This crap has got to end.”
“End? Then pick up the phone and give Rachel a call.”
“Okay, I will. I can’t wait to see your face when she agrees to go out with me. And then I’ll be happy to accept your apology for all you’ve put me through.”
“I’m waiting. Call her. Though you won’t find her home. Probably out on a date with a jock.”
“Just keep it up, Murph. . . . Look, I’m dialing. It’s ringing. I can’t wait to hear her voice.”
“All right, I’ll stand here and watch you make a fool of yourself.”
“Shush! She’s picking up. Hello, Rachel, this is Jason. . . . Uh, Jason Fitzpatrick.”
“See, she doesn’t even know who you are.”
“Shut up! No, not you, Rachel. My roommate’s being a jerk. . . . Uh, Rachel, I was wondering if you’re busy on Friday night. Maybe we could go to dinner. . . . Okay, I’II wait for your call.”
“So, did she turn you down? Looks like you’re frowning.”
“No, I’m not frowning. She said she’d check her schedule and call me back.”
“That’s what they all say when they're preparing to blow you off. I’m checkin’ my calendar.”
“I’m not going to argue with you anymore. We’ll wait for her call and then we’ll know who the real fool in the room is.”
Murph switched on the TV and plunged into his lounge chair. Before he could get comfortable, the phone rang.
“Phone’s ringing, Jase. I’ll get it.”
“No, I got it.”
However, before I could grab it, Murph picked it up. “Hello. Oh, Rachel. No, this is Murph, his roommate. . . . Wow, I’ll tell him. Bye. . . . Hey, Jase, she said she’d go out with you on Friday. Pick her up at her dorm at seven.”
“See, Murph, what’d I tell you? Now what do you have to say?”
“It ain’t over till it’s over, bro. She probably needs some time to think up a good excuse to cancel. The big ‘blow off’ will be comin’ soon. Friday’s only four days away.”
Well, what did happen? Did Jason go on the date with Rachel or did she cancel?
Roomies—The Date???
I couldn’t wait for Friday. A date with Rachel was my dream come true. But I also kept thinking about what Murph said about her canceling at the last minute. As the week dragged on, I kept my fingers crossed that the phone wouldn’t ring.
Thursday afternoon, when I came home after class, Murph sat in his chair staring at a blank TV screen. “What’re you doing?” I asked.
“Can’t get into my homework and there’s nothing on TV. So I thought I’d kick back and think about what we can do tomorrow evening after Rachel cancels on you.”
“You don’t know when to stop, do you?”
“Why should I? It’s fun to see you squirm.”
I shook my head in frustration and headed into my bedroom. As I entered, the phone rang. Not wanting Murph to pick it up, I rushed to the nightstand and grabbed it.
I muttered, “Hello. Oh, Rachel. I wasn’t expecting a call from you.”
Standing in the doorway smirking, Murph, said, “I told you so.”
I ignored his insensitive remark. “Yes, I’ll try, Rachel. . . . No, I’m sure I can make it happen. Bye.”
“Sounds like she’s making you jump some hurdles to keep the date,” Muph stated.
“Well, not exactly.”
“Then what?”
“You do your laundry recently?”
“What does that have to do with your going on a date?”
“Because you’re going, too. And I wanted to make sure you’d be presentable.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“Rachel’s cousin, Julie, is in town, and I assured Rachel you’d be ecstatic about being her date for dinner.”
“But I don’t do dates, man.”
“You do now, bro.”
I stood at the nightstand with a huge grin on my face. I’d gotten back at Murph in a way I’d never expected.
Copyright © 2021 Alan Lowe. All rights reserved.
