There are only two dorms closer to the south campus dining hall than the one on north campus. Dallas eats, not talking to Ashlyn, then goes to the dorm she doesn’t live in. She walks the halls asking, “Jessica? Asian girl, green jacket?” and following the pointing fingers. When she finds the door decorated with construction-paper letters spelling out Jessica and Monica, she pauses, knocks.
Jessica answers the door, blinks. “Oh,” she says.
“I wanted to apologize,” Dallas explains. She holds her hands in front of her, pulling on her left thumb with her right hand, looking down and away. “Ashlyn’s not a homophobe; she’s just a jerk.”
“Oh,” Jessica says again.
There’s silence for a moment. Then Dallas sniffs. “Is something burning?”
“No,” Jessica says, glancing over her shoulder. “That’s my hot glue gun.”
Now it’s Dallas’ turn to say “Oh.” There’s silence again. “Well,” she says, “I should be….”
“Would you like to come in?” Jessica says, in the same moment.
They laugh together, and Jessica steps back, in, out of the way. Dallas follows. “Smokey?” Jessica laughs.
“Yes?” Dallas says.
“No, I mean… why do they call you Smokey? How do you get to Smokey from Dallas?”
“You take the I-40 to Farm-to-Market Road 199,” Dallas says, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Then she relents and holds out a strand of her coppery-red hair. “I’m a Forestry student. Red hair… forest fire… the smoke gets in your eyes?”
“Wow,” Jessica says. “That’s a long trip down a gravel road.”
“Yes,” Dallas agrees. “Yes; it is.”
“Which do you prefer?”
“Dallas; it’s my name.” She shrugs. “Though, honestly, anything is better than ‘Cowboy.’”
Jessica smirks but makes no comment other than, “Okay. Hello; Dallas.”
Dallas smiles. After a moment long enough that it has begun to feel just slightly awkward, standing there just looking at Jessica and smiling, she turns and looks at what the other young woman is working on; what requires hot glue and a scent of burning. “Oh! EVA foam!” She casts her eyes over the assortment of pieces, the foam, the pre-cut panels of flight satin and what looks like carbon fiber. “You’re making the… thing,” she says, running her hands vaguely in the air to suggest a vest-like shape over her chest.
Jessica rescues her, “the flak vest for my flight jacket. I’ve got an SDF-80 patch on order, and one for the fighter squadron.”
“Cosplay for the win!” Dallas enthuses, pumping her fist.
“You know, I did wonder about the Snow White outfit.”
Dallas beams. “You noticed!”
“I noticed.” They stand in silence for a moment, grinning at each other.
“Oh!” Dallas says, holding up one finger as if experiencing a sudden epiphany. “You said you have a sickle? May I see it?”
“Sure, if you don’t mind taking a short ride in my car? Campus rules make it iffy to have edged things about, and having a roommate…” Jessica uses her chin to point at the loft bed and desk on the other side of the room, “makes it even iffier. I’m hoping I can get a single next year, but for the moment, I keep a storage unit off campus.”
Dallas makes a show of looking over the smaller girl. “We just met, and now you want to get me in your car? How do I know you’re not a candy-giving murderer?” Her tone is teasing, but there’s a serious look around her eyes.
“Have I given you any candy?” Jessica counters.
“Point,” Dallas agrees.
Jessica scoops up her flight jacket, turns off the glue gun. She pats her pockets. “Keys, wallet, phone… oh!” She opens one of the front pockets on the jacket and pulls out a small paper sack. “Jelly beans?” she asks, as if ice cream wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
“Aieee!” Dallas says, pretending to flee in fear.
Jessica answers the door, blinks. “Oh,” she says.
“I wanted to apologize,” Dallas explains. She holds her hands in front of her, pulling on her left thumb with her right hand, looking down and away. “Ashlyn’s not a homophobe; she’s just a jerk.”
“Oh,” Jessica says again.
There’s silence for a moment. Then Dallas sniffs. “Is something burning?”
“No,” Jessica says, glancing over her shoulder. “That’s my hot glue gun.”
Now it’s Dallas’ turn to say “Oh.” There’s silence again. “Well,” she says, “I should be….”
“Would you like to come in?” Jessica says, in the same moment.
They laugh together, and Jessica steps back, in, out of the way. Dallas follows. “Smokey?” Jessica laughs.
“Yes?” Dallas says.
“No, I mean… why do they call you Smokey? How do you get to Smokey from Dallas?”
“You take the I-40 to Farm-to-Market Road 199,” Dallas says, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Then she relents and holds out a strand of her coppery-red hair. “I’m a Forestry student. Red hair… forest fire… the smoke gets in your eyes?”
“Wow,” Jessica says. “That’s a long trip down a gravel road.”
“Yes,” Dallas agrees. “Yes; it is.”
“Which do you prefer?”
“Dallas; it’s my name.” She shrugs. “Though, honestly, anything is better than ‘Cowboy.’”
Jessica smirks but makes no comment other than, “Okay. Hello; Dallas.”
Dallas smiles. After a moment long enough that it has begun to feel just slightly awkward, standing there just looking at Jessica and smiling, she turns and looks at what the other young woman is working on; what requires hot glue and a scent of burning. “Oh! EVA foam!” She casts her eyes over the assortment of pieces, the foam, the pre-cut panels of flight satin and what looks like carbon fiber. “You’re making the… thing,” she says, running her hands vaguely in the air to suggest a vest-like shape over her chest.
Jessica rescues her, “the flak vest for my flight jacket. I’ve got an SDF-80 patch on order, and one for the fighter squadron.”
“Cosplay for the win!” Dallas enthuses, pumping her fist.
“You know, I did wonder about the Snow White outfit.”
Dallas beams. “You noticed!”
“I noticed.” They stand in silence for a moment, grinning at each other.
“Oh!” Dallas says, holding up one finger as if experiencing a sudden epiphany. “You said you have a sickle? May I see it?”
“Sure, if you don’t mind taking a short ride in my car? Campus rules make it iffy to have edged things about, and having a roommate…” Jessica uses her chin to point at the loft bed and desk on the other side of the room, “makes it even iffier. I’m hoping I can get a single next year, but for the moment, I keep a storage unit off campus.”
Dallas makes a show of looking over the smaller girl. “We just met, and now you want to get me in your car? How do I know you’re not a candy-giving murderer?” Her tone is teasing, but there’s a serious look around her eyes.
“Have I given you any candy?” Jessica counters.
“Point,” Dallas agrees.
Jessica scoops up her flight jacket, turns off the glue gun. She pats her pockets. “Keys, wallet, phone… oh!” She opens one of the front pockets on the jacket and pulls out a small paper sack. “Jelly beans?” she asks, as if ice cream wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
“Aieee!” Dallas says, pretending to flee in fear.
