Reconstructing Charlie

Gone, the self-assured arrogant beauty and in her place a teary eyed girl looking forlorn and maybe homesick. Hey Shelly, you’re just what I need. I don’t know about you, but this is a big school and I got lost a few times and I’m hungry. How about you?” I opened some drawers for a change of clothes and pulled out shorts, a tee shirt and clean underwear. Shelly sniffled. “What I said before, all bull shit. “Oh. I believed every word.” I sat at the edge of my bed removing my sneakers. “So you’re not a sleazy slut sleeping around and I’m stuck with you.?” “Yeah.” “Get dressed and let’s check out the Dinning Hall.” Clothes in hand, I beat Shelly to the bathroom, showered and changed and came out in ten minutes. Blew dry my hair, added a bit of make-up and picked up a book to study. Introduction to Law. Half an hour later, Shelle pranced out in starkers, the word my little brother used whenever our twin sisters ran around naked. She tossed a wet towel on the floor and searched for clothes to wear. I dressed in the bathroom and my roommate thought nothing of nakedness in front of me, a stranger. One of us had a lot to learn. ‘, Shelly, lets establish a ground rule her. I hope you plan to pick up the towel and keep the bathroom neat.” The smallest bikini panties I’d seen outside of a catalog were now on her body and she wiggled into a short shiny white skirt. A white stretch boob tube thing, the latest fashion, topped off the outfit and she tied the laces of white sneakers. “Neatness counts, y’all she said with a grin and like magic, the offensive towelhung on a rack to dry. Consentration gone, I closed the book and waited, stretched and waited some more.”What?” she said, poking earrings the size of baskball hoops through her ears. “You look so…Words failed me.” “So hot?” I dug into my bottom drawer, found the lacy black and white scarf Corrinne , the helpful sales woman had shown me hoe to to tie. On tiptoes, I drapped it around Shelley’s neck, made the adjustments and stood back to see the result. “Bare.” I said. “Now you look like the campus hottie. Let’s go.” Her big black eyes watered up. “That’s something Grandma would have done. Thanks. I learned a lesson the first day on campus. Friendships come in different sizes and shapes, and sometimes even color. Mine came six feet one tall, beautiful inside and out, and before long I found out , loyal. Charlie Costigan never had a friend before. Times were changing.