"It's a good room." Lydia calls over her shoulder as she places a lamp beside the bed.
"Lyds, you have to move." You groan over the weight of the mattress you are carrying with Jamie.
"Sorry!" She gives you a sheepish smile and jumps out of the way. Putting the mattress on the base of the bed, you watch as she pulls out new navy sheets.
"Lydia, I can make up my own bed." Jamie frowns.
"I know." She nods, shaking out a pillowcase. "But," she checks her watch, with a dramatic flick of her wrist, "you have a campus tour in ten minutes. You're gonna be late. So, scoot. Jess and I will unpack the car, and I can make your bed up. That way, I'll know it's been done at least once this year."
Jamie rolls her eyes at his sister. "Very funny," he moves to kiss her cheek, "and thanks. You too, man." He smiles at you.
"No problem." You nod towards the door. "Go. Before she has a coronary about you missing something." You grin over at Lydia.
"Whatever." She sighs. "We'll go for something to eat when you get back." She calls after Jamie as he takes off, his bag over his shoulder. "Thanks again for following us in your car. I didn't realise he had so much stuff."
"Well, yeah, a mattress is bigger than expected."
"I wasn't letting him sleep on that. I bet it was filthy." She turns her nose up as she walks out of the room, and back towards the car.
"I don't think he cared." You grins, catching up with her.
"Well, I do." She shivers in disgust. "It's gross." She lifts the last suitcase from the car and you pick up the last box, marked books.
"So, you get him to talk?" You glance sideways at her.
"Sort of." She shrugs. She had been trying for the week and a half Jamie had been staying with her, to get him to talk about why he cut his trip short.
"Anything?" You prompt.
"A girl." She sighs. "They met at the start of his trip when he was in Ireland. Abby, that's the girl, and her friend were about to go travelling too, so they went with Jamie and his friends. Six weeks of travelling and then one day in Prague she announces she was going back home to Dublin and she could never see Jamie again."
"That's him sort of talking? What were expecting? Her social security number, family background?"
"Shut up." She retorts back. "I had to drag that out of him. He's really cut up about it. Which is weird. Jamie was Mathew's little protégé when it came to girls. A different one every week."
"You think he loved her?" You ask as you drop the box on the floor.
"In six weeks? No." She shakes her head, opening a cardboard hanging box. She lifted the clothes in one go and transfered them to the closet. "But," she turns to face you, "I think he was falling."
You're about to tell her that you know what that feels like, starting to fall, to have it taken away, when the front door to the suite opens and shut. Lydia throws you a quick glance and runs to the door, closing it over. "It's the weird guy, Tim." She whispers to you, peeking though a crack in the door. "Okay, he's in his room, lets go." She grabs her purse and then your hand and makes a run for the front door.
"What are we doing?" You pull on her hand to slow her down.
"Getting coffee."
"You don't drink coffee." You laugh.
"I know, but Jamie does, and I thought we could scope out a good spot. Plus there's no point in unpacking his books. He has a system. And I really needed a break."
"How weird is that guy?" You use your thumb to point back at the room.
"Really weird. When you guys were swapping the mattresses over, he asked if I wanted to see his bed snake." She frowns. "How'd he get into Yale? Really?"
You laugh and pull her to you, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Didn't you have any weird roommates?"
"Bette. She chanted."
"See, that's college, right?"
"I guess." SHe sighs. "Coffee." She points towards a small cart and walk over and order her a tea and a coffee for yourself.
"How is it?" She asks, once you've tasted it.
"Pretty good." You tell her, sitting on a nearby bench.
"I'll tell Jamie." She smiles, sitting beside you. "God, Yale's pretty." She puts her head on shoulder.
"I guess." You nod, trying not to think about the last time you were here. 'No, no, no, no.'
"No!" You realise that 'no' wasn't in your head, and look down at Lydia.
"What?"
"We left the key in the room." She hits her head with her hand.
"Weird Tim." You chuckle.
She nods. "Weird Tim." She confirms with a sigh. "Protect me?"
"Anytime." You grin, kissing her temple.
"Yes!" She exclaims and you give her a small smile. "Now, come on, I've clothes to unpack." She stands up, and walks off before turning back to you. "You coming?"
You nod and standing, tossing your coffee cup in a near by trash can.
Yale, like everything else you encounter with her, now has a, well not a good memory, you think, but a decent one.
"Eww, bed snake!" She shakes her head, and you slip your arm around her shoulders, laughing. Okay, maybe one good memory.
