She

Note: This is fiction based very loosely on a true story.

I sat there watching the mechanics professor at the front of lecture room, it was the first day of winter session classes with 10 minutes to go before the lecture started the room was already swollen with well over a hundred students. I sighed and shifted in my seat, still checking out the Prof., oh, he had a nice body but I could see the attitude emanating off of him. It's one thing to be good looking and know it but another when they have that annoying superiority air to go along with it.

I mentally ticked off the `prick' mark for him and set about watching the stragglers rush in. They all had that fresh faced quality the excited look of being away from home. Except one girl, she drew my interest. Her pace was controlled. She entered as if she owned the room. She'd definitely been out in the world; she looked maybe a year or two older than the teens that swarmed the room. I sighed and looked away, the lecture was about to begin, time to forget that intriguing student. I'd probably never see again anyway except maybe for a glimpse in this class. The engineering group is large; you could go months or even the whole 4 years at university without ever meeting all your classmates. The lecture ended and I moved along to my next class without another thought to that girl.

I didn't see her for at least a week after that lecture so she was all but forgotten. The lecture halls are crowded and by now everyone has their own little study group that they sit with. I usually hung around with Ryan, a guy I met in the fall session. I'd done a couple of projects with him and helped him out in algebra. I was sitting in the lab for the mechanics class by myself; Ryan had dropped the class. I started my usual inspection of the room when my gaze happened to fall upon Ms. Cool and Collected. A smile touched my lips, it grew when I realized she was sitting by herself. No, I did not get up and sit down beside her I considered it but stayed right where I was. Fortunately she took the decision out of my hands. There was a mistake on the board from one of the equations we were working through. She started asking the other students around her and no one seemed to know the answer.

I knew it and piped up from behind her. "They forgot to erase the board properly, that unit of measurement was from the electrical class earlier today."

She turned around, gave me the once over and grinned. "I like you. You are different from the rest. You're cool. I'm going to sit with you."

Needless to say I was floored, I didn't say yes or no, I don't think it really mattered she just gathered up her books and took the seat next to me.

As she sat down she introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Anne."

I think my brain shut down it took me a bit to form the simple reply. "Ugh.. Hi, Anne... I'm Emily."

Mentally I castigated myself, you're 30 years old woman, get your act together. The rest of the lab went well enough, Anne and I worked through the list of problems then parted ways. I smiled all the way to my next lecture, looks like I got a new lab partner.

The next day I was rushing to meet up with Ryan for our calculus class. I saw Anne off in the distance and waved just before diving inside the math room. You had to get there early if you wanted a half-decent seat. Ryan was already there.

I dropped my satchel next to him and slumped into my seat. "Hey Ry.. Geez, I've got to get a different schedule. All I do if run from one class to the next."

Ryan laughed at me. "I told you to drop that mechanics class."

I was about to respond when Ryan's attention switched to somewhere just behind me. I swung around in my chair to see Anne standing there.

Anne smiled at me then Ryan. "If she had dropped that class we'd never have met. Hey Ryan, Emily. Mind if I join you?"

I swallowed and quickly shook my head that I didn't mind and again berated myself to act normal.

Ryan shrugged and motioned to the seat next to me. "Sure Anne, sit next to Emily."

I then took the time to look from Ryan to Anne and query. "You two know one another? When did you meet?"

Ryan answered with another shrug. "Last semester, Em, we had chemistry together."

I nodded as Anne took up where Ryan had left off. "Yeah, Ryan tried to blow us up."

I grinned and winked to Anne, intent on teasing Ryan a little. "That, I can believe."

Ryan glared at us both and muttered. "Don't you start too!"

I reached over and patted Ryan's shoulder even as Anne and I laughed. "I'm sorry, Ry." Soon after that the Prof. arrived, there was no time to talk only time to write notes.

For the next month, Ryan, Anne and I started to hang around a lot. We sat together in any classes that were shared, studied for tests and quizzes, basically we all became really good friends. We were all open with one another; Ryan was in search of a girlfriend. He wasn't bad looking but too young for me. I dated the occasional guy off campus and looked pretty good for 30. Average height, slender, dark brown hair and blue eyes. I'm cute with a really good natural smile. Anne had broke up with her last girlfriend about 6 months ago. She's a few inches taller than I am, boyishly slim with shoulder length curly reddish brown hair and dark brown eyes to melt into. She was also like I'd guessed older than the other students she was 23.

Anne was different from the word go, I have had other women as friends but she was special. I had always kept a barrier up with other women. I had my personal space and didn't like others to invade it. Those touchy feel women drove me nuts, it was really just a defense mechanism. Raised strict Catholic, I may have an open mind but the family was a different story. It was better to deny, to bury what I really felt deep and leave it there instead of giving rise to a whole host of new problems. It started the day I first saw her but Anne really began the gradual change one late night. We were studying for one of our multiple midterms. The hour was late and I was yawning constantly. Ryan had just slipped out to bring back a round of gourmet coffee from the local 24-hour donut shop. I'd never got too close to another woman before at least not to cuddle up with her. So, we were in the middle of a short break, Anne was sitting at one end of the common room couch and I at the other. She turned her body a little so that she could stretch out better. I watched her with blurry eyes and fought another yawn.

Anne smiled a little and held her hand out to me. "Come here, Em. Rest your head on my shoulder until Ryan comes back."

I didn't move right away, her hand coaxed me over with a little wave to come. Stifling another yawn I crawled the length of the couch and curled up against her warm lithe figure as my head drooped to rest on the shoulder offered. It felt natural, right, I murmured a quiet thank you, and Anne just as quietly wrapped her arms around my waist welcoming me. No more words were spoken we remained snuggled up together until Ryan returned.

That night came and went I never gave it another thought after that other than Anne was really sweet and how nice it felt. Two weeks later, Anne and I were sharing a coffee after one of our evening classes when the gradual change turned into a landslide.

We were talking about different classes and projects when Anne asked. "What you doing tomorrow for Valentine's day?"

I shrugged and replied. "I'll probably go home after class and work on that design project."

Anne nodded a little at first then her gaze sought out mine and held it when next she spoke. "Come out to dinner with me. I've got reservations at the Octagon."

I stared at her in shock, she had said this all very seriously. I knew she was a lesbian, knew the day I saw her walk into that first lecture. My second sense had rocketed off the charts that day but Anne knew I was straight!

Anne smiled and continued to hold my attention. "Come on, Em. Come out to dinner with me. It'll be fun."

I goggled at her for at least a good minute, this was Anne, my friend, what to do? Taking a deep breath I responded a tad nervously. "Tomorrow you say? I.." I hesitated, not sure of what to do.

Anne broke in again. "It's okay, Em. You don't have to consider it a date just come out with me. We'll have dinner, go to a movie. A girl's night out, sound good?"

As I listened to her, I relaxed and smile my assent. "Okay, dinner and a movie." The conversation moved on after a time to meet was discussed. Even though she said it wasn't a date, chasing around in my mind were the words. I'm going on a date with Anne! I'm going on a date with Anne!

This is a first try just a short excerpt. There could be further chapters that doesn't carry such an PG rating. Please send comments or inquiries to de_keegan@hotmail.com