Method of Desire

Chapter 2

It had been a while since I'd heard from Marlon, but I thought about him constantly. George and I began seeing each other, and we went out on a few dates.

George and I stood in front of the door to my dormitory in the cold air. Grey, slushy snow lined the sidewalks.

"I'm really enjoying being with you." George said to me. I was awkwardly silent for a minute, then I nodded just to react to him. I didn't want to seem distant.

George was an amazing guy, but he represented the past. His ideas were very traditional, and he was closed minded in the sense that he couldn't imagine people like us going far.

I always knew that I would be something in life, and he allowed himself to be confined by what others tell him.

"Goodnight." I said with a smile, but I couldn't help but think something was missing.

I walked into the building and ascended the steps to my floor. The girls were all in the pajamas together talking in the hall.

"Look! Pat is back from her spicy date!" Anastasia teased with a hairbrush in hand. 

"...George again?" Helen said with excitement as she walked out into the hall. Most of the doors were open so that girls could easily walk to and from their friend's dorms.

"Was he dreamy?" Betty asked, swiping back her raven hair theatrically, as if she was Joan Crawford herself.

"He is, he's a nice guy." I shrugged. They all looked at me as if I was crazy.

"A nice guy? You've been going out with this kid for weeks! All you've mustered up for him is him being a nice guy?" Francesca asked in disbelief.

"If you don't want him, I'll take him." Helen said with a smirk and Betty slapped her butt as if to say she was too fresh.

"I don't know, I guess with time I'll make up my mind." I said shyly and the girls all hooted and hollered in a playful way.

"I mean you guys are acting like she should marry this kid! Is he even THAT 'nice' of a guy?" Francesca asked, flipping her curly brown hair into a ponytail.

"Well, I saw him from the window one night when he was sending her off and let me tell  you— he's a tall glass of water." Betty said with a risen brow.

"Ladies..." I began to become bashful.

"Well the only other people who really got a good look at him was Helen and Doris." Francesca noted. "Helen!"

Helen was too busy wrapping string around her fingers in a daze. She puckered her lips as the string looped around. Running to a mirror in Sally Croton's dorm, she quickly plucked her eyebrow.

"Ow!" She yelled out. "It didn't seem to hurt in the film short at the cinema!"

We all looked away in agreement that Helen's judgement might not be the best source of information.

We looked into Doris' room where she sat up on her bed reading a book. Her legs were out in front of her, one over the other, and covered by men's striped pajama pants. She wore a white undershirt tee, and no bra at all. Her ponytail was plain and careless.

"Doris." Betty called. She slowly looked up and forced a slight smirk. You could tell she didn't want to be bothered that moment.

"Doris, you saw George. Do you think he's good for Patricia?" She asked innocently, putting a bow in her hair for sleep.

"I think Patricia should be with any guy she wants and you gals need to stop pestering her." Doris said bluntly and then returned to her book.