Thread: BEdZ Fraternity... open for business

By the time he got to the base of the stairs, Chuck had forgotten all about Joel's little mishap. Well... not completely forgotten all about it, but tucked it away in his own memory bank. The last thing he had any intention of doing was mock the new guy in front of the rest of the house. That wouldn't be any way to become friends with him... or anything else that might open up down the road. If asked later, most of the other house members would remember Joel's entrance to be nonspectacular, which was fine with everyone else. Each guy was allowed to find his own place, and the more low-key, the better. Ms. Darlington spotted Joel and gave him the welcome she gave all new pledges... after setting down a bowl of taco meat and a plate of warm, softshells, she came over and gave him a warm, motherly kiss on the forehead. Welcome, Dear, it's nice to have you at Beta, she said warmly. She knew pretty much all that went on there, but never, ever called the house anything other than it's proper name. Chuck, on one side of Joel, and Aaron, on the other, engaged him in conversation, getting to know his story, and sharing a bit about who they were. By all indications, each guy was accepted just for who he was. Not give a hassle, don't get a hassle that seemed to be the motto of BEdZ, and it worked remarkably well. There were several missing from the table, for various reasons. Some were with girlfriends, or boyfriends some were at class. Joel's new roommate, still unknown and unrecognizable to him, was engaged in a chat with a girl named Alaine. Like nearly all the guys at BEdZ, Andy's radar was always on. He was on the porch, chatting with several other guys late in the afternoon when we saw a cute girl coming down the sidewalk, giving nervous glances toward the house. She was clutching her books close to her chest, and that made Andy wonder just what was under the books. Andy was 5, 11, weighed 165 pounds, and though in his sophomore year, had not yet declared a major. He was racking up a nice assortment of general ed credits, but just didn't have a goal in mind. Actually, his goal was the moment... right now. Not five years from now, or even five minutes from now... right now. That description matches millions of people, and they are called bums. Unless they are Andy Hardlin at State, as a member of BEdZ, and suddenly, matched with his magnetic personality and deep blue eyes, and then you can go a long way on sheer force of cuteness, which he did. He scoped over this girl, undressing her as he did and imagining what was underneath, when she started to pull a u-turn on the sidewalk. Andy kicked up from his chair, nearly knocking over someone's Diet Dr. Pepper. Hey! Don't leave, he shouted to the girl, who glanced back nervously. He wasn't quite running after he left the porch two steps at a bound, but nearly. She was still walking, but he had caught up with her in a matter of seconds. His hand reached for her back -- pretty forward, but what the hell, this was Andy -- and his body then turned so that he was walking backward, almost in front of her. Hi, I'm Andy. And it's really good to see you! What's your name? He was still walking backward, smiling widely, pouring on the charm. Her long, light brown hair immediately drew him in.