The girl trying to get out of the VW van was clearly trying to keep from being molested by her own luggage.  Whatever her strategy, it wasn’t working.
    She seemed to be trying to hold this strange, square, hard-sided thing with straps level all the while loaded down with a backpack, a rolled up rug (yes, she was bringing her own rug to college with her) and a large carpet bag.  Her biggest adversary seemed to be a military duffle bag that just kept sliding off her shoulder and kicking her ass.  The laughter emerging from the van made the chances of help coming from there seem dim. 
    Sondra concluded she’d probably hitched and hadn’t put out. 
    If she stopped to help she’d be late to her advisor meeting.  Her previous advisor had quit and she needed to get a good one.  “Life teaches tough lessons, Honey”  She thought, passing by.
    She heard the laughter and the girl grunt.  She stopped.
    “Military duffle...might be a vet...”  She thought.  No real Idaho girl would let a vet hang.  “Nah, too young.”  She didn’t move.  “But a vet would help her.”  She spun on her heels.
    She grabbed the strap on the duffle, quashing its rodeo rider ambitions. 
    “Let me take that.” She suggested.
    The girl spun to look at her.  Seemed to take a half a second to size her up and then said.  “Oh, thank you!”
    The bums in the van all howled. 
    “Told ya you’d find a girlfriend.”  On of them hooted.
    “And this.”  Sondra took the carpet bag.
    “I wouldn’t give them a blow job so they said I was a lesbian.”  The girl explained.
    “You don’t say.”  She started walking away.  “Dorms?”
    “Dorms?”  The girl started following.  “Dorms!  Yes, I need to go the the dorms.”
    “This is the way.”
    “You sure are strong.”  The girl observed.  “Are you...uh???”
    “A lesbian?”
    “Here on an athletic scholarship?” 
    “No,”  Sondra answered, “Music.”  She was silent for a few strides then.  “But I am into martial arts and gymnastics.”  A thought, then  “Which does kind of make me sound like a lesbian.” 
    The girl giggled.  “Well, musical jock sounds kinda hard to beat for unique.”
    “I dunno,” Sondra fumed,”It kinda sounds like marching band.  Which is still gay.”
    “Sounds like you’re trying to get into the club...”
    “Oh my gosh!  Your’re right!”  Sondra gasped  “I’ve been here two years and I still haven’t had my ‘college experiment.’ “  She gave the girl an exaggerated up and down look.  “Wadda ya think?  Should we get it outta the way?  I mean a pretty girl like shows me her rug...what am I supposed to think?”
    The girl paused for a second, confusion painting her face.
    Sondra indicated the roll over her shoulder.
    She looked, then, “‘Showed you my rug’ ah! I get it!” She giggled.  Then.  “We could throw it down right here but I’m not sure what to do.” 
    “Me neither.”  Sondra shrugged.
    “However,” the girl offered, “I was raised in a pagan commune, lots of lesbians.  I could call one of my aunts and ask.”
    Both girls laughed till they were gasping.
    Sondra’s companion strode a little harder to get in front, then spun and offered her hand.  “‘The well mannered lesbian will introduce and then seduce’” She said as though quoting.  “My name is Wendy.”
    “Country lesbians just need a lasso and a place to tie it off.”  Sondra took the hand  “I’m Sondra.”  they beamed at each other for a moment, “But seriously Wendy, we gotta stop joking like this in the dorm.  This one of those campuses where jokes are verbotten.  I’m a libertarian from Idaho, so I’ve already got two strikes against me.”
    “Libertarian?” Wendy looked horrified. “Idaho?” She looked around.  “Maybe we shouldn’t be seen together...”
    “It could lead to pointing and screeching.”
    “I have aunts who are libertarians, like big L, like anarchists type and one is from Montana.”  Wendy added hopefully, “She even shoots.”
    “Sounds like a fun lady.”
    “All my aunts are the ‘cool aunt.’”  Wendy beamed.

    At the dorms Sondra hoped to drop off Wendy and still get to a chance at a good advisor,but...
    “No carts?!  C’mon Jay.  Can’t you just help her?”
    “Sondra,” Jay tried to sooth,” Do you have any idea how many people I have to check in today?  I can’t step away from my desk for a minute.  A second even.”
    Wendy watched the back and forth like a tennis match.
    “Well check her in.”  Sondra huffed.
    “Lowest floor I’ve got is three.”
    “Oh,3!” Sanda injected before Wendy could speak. “Is 13 availiable?”
    A quick check of a graph and “There is an opening in 13.”  Jay confirmed.
    “13 is like me,”Sondra told Wendy, “ghost roommate.  Plus we’ll be neighbors.”
    “Ghost?” Wendy asked.
    “Yeah,” Sondra confirmed,  “She’s got a boyfriend off campus or something.  So never there.  It’s like having your own room.”
    Wendy smiled.  “13 is my favorite number.”
    “Well lucky you,” Jay said, at the ding of the elevator. “An empty cart.”


    “And what do you know...”Sondra thought, “no good deed goes unpunished.”
    No slots were left for the advisors she was told to try for.  Kaminsky, full.
Layton, full.  Avramson hadn’t shown today, maybe she could take a chance and get him when he came in.  Then she watched Simmel go to full.  Oh no, not Snyder.
    All she’d heard was “don’t get Snyder.”
    Seeing no other choice, she handed the massive woman her file.  After a quick glance she observed “You have very good grades Ms. Dolan.”
    “Thank you Ma’am.”
    “Arts and music scholarship, plus CHP Survivors’ Fund?” 
    “Yes, Ma’am.  Plus I get extra money playing campus events.  Sometimes extra credit.”
    “You were born here in California, but raised out of state?”
    “By my Grandpa.  Ma’am.”
    “Who was ex military.”
    “How did you know, Ma’am?”  Sondra tried not to look confused.
    “Because, you’re standing at parade rest and you call me ‘Ma’am’ like you know what respect means.”
    Sondra couldn’t keep from smiling.
    “I’d be delighted to have you call me Denise.”  The stoney continance broke into a smile, she offered her hand.
    “Sondra’s fine for me.”  She smiled and shook her hand.
    “The reason I mention your birth is; you were charged the out of state admissions rate your first year here.  You should have been charged as a resident.  We can get those funds comp’d to you and apply it your fees next year.  Also there’s a supplement to the Surviror’s Fund, If you don’t mind filling out some paperwork....”
    Sondra’s smile got even bigger.