[Veritas]

Wait! Whoa! Dorms do NOT allow mixed gender roommates!

[RACHEL02189]

Vertias it's a story not real life

[Veritas]

Real life or not, I know for a fact that colleges do not allow mixed gender roommates!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That evening JD and Lyn sat down with Dimi to talk to her about her choice of roommate. After much hedging, hemming and hawing on her elders' part, Dimi divined what their view was about having Jordan sharing the same dorm room with her, and she was not happy about it.

"Look, it's not like we're shacking up or anything!" she protested. "We're going to be so busy with our classes, we won't have time to get into anything, like, personal. I mean, don't you trust me?"

"Oh, we trust you, honey," Lyn said. "It's just that there's this thing called human nature which can override any plans for a platonic relationship between a man and a woman. No matter how busy you and Jordan will be with your studies, somewhere along the line the two of you will end up making time for getting 'personal', as you put it."

"Besides," JD added, "if your grandmother Dimitra ever found out that you were living with a man in a single room--'out of wedlock', so to speak--she'll have a stroke for sure. You know how she is about male-female relationships."

"But times have changed since then!" Dimi argued.

"Hate to tell you this, hon," JD said, "but they haven't changed that much. Guys and girls still want to get together and get it on, no matter what era they're living in. Besides, didn't you plan on pledging a sorority?"

"Well, yes, I am," Dimi replied. "That's still on. But I still have to choose a roommate for my dorm room until I'm accepted."

"Well, since you're going to be pledging into a sorority," JD said, "then it would make sense for you to choose a female roommate, since you'll be living in a house full of girls anyway. Might as well get used to it."

Dimi heaved a huge sigh that revealed her exasperation over her parents' point of view. Lyn put her arm around her daughter's shoulder. "Look, honey," she said tenderly, "please consider our feelings. It's hard enough for us to watch you leaving home for college. It would make us feel better if you chose a female roommate. We have only your welfare in mind. Jordan's a nice young man, but throwing you two into the same room...well, that's just not wise."

"And what if you and Jordan got into a fight?" JD chimed in. "It's not like you or he could just move out like you were in an apartment." He leaned closer, speaking softly. "And I'll let you in on something," he murmured conspiratorially. "A guy's bathroom habits are, well, not up to a woman's standards, you know. They leave towels and underwear all over the floor, you can't hang your stockings on the shower rod, and, well, I mean, after eating a supreme meat-lover's pizza or a batch of insanely spicy hot wings, they're not safe next to an open flame!"

Lyn nodded. "Believe me, hon," she said, "I know about sharing a bathroom with a man. That's why when we moved here, we made sure we had separate bathrooms. It makes for a happier marriage, I can tell you!"

"You won't have the luxury of having a separate bathroom if you room with Jordan," JD said. "You won't have any privacy in that department like you do at home. It may sound like fun to take a shower together--and I'm not hinting in any way that you do, mind you!--but take it from me: his toilet habits will make you gag!"

Dimi recalled the last party she attended with Jordan. He had made a bet with some of his buddies how many stuffed jalapenos he could down without self-combusting. The stench from the aftereffects created by those delectable little hand grenades lingered in the car all the way home. If she had to endure that for an entire semester...

With visions of male gastrointestinal vapors swirling around in her head, Dimi yielded to her parents' wishes. "Fine," she said, "I'll ask Maddie if she'll room with me. She's gonna pledge, too, so we might as well stick together."

JD and Lyn hugged their daughter, pleased and relieved she had made the right decision. "We're so glad, honey," they said. "We knew we could trust you."

Dimi was not so happy about it, but she realized she had no choice in the matter anymore. "Let me call Jordan and tell him the deal's off, okay?" she said. "He'll be disappointed, but..."

"He'll understand, dear," Lyn assured her. "Trust me, it's all for the best."

Dimi nodded, but she could not help asking Best for whom?



Brisbane Hall at UNLV was a hive of activity as the new residents moved their belongings into their dorm rooms. Trunks, suitcases, duffel bags, potted plants, cardboard boxes of various sizes, portable TVs, rugs, blankets and pillows shuffled from backs of cars and vans into their owners' assigned twelve-by-twelve-foot cinderblock cells. Those assigned to the upper floors had to wait their turn to use the only freight elevator so as to spare themselves and their parents the strain of hauling their luggage up two or three flights of stairs.

The incessant chatter between parents and their children competed with the thumping and bumping of boxes and baggage: Did they remember to pack their toothbrushes? Did they have enough money for laundry? Did they have Grandma's or Aunt So-and-so's email address? Did they have their father's or their mother's cell phone number in case of an emergency?Did they have their laptops and smartphones? Did they remember this or forget that? And on and on and on, until their exasperated offspring loudly protested that they were fine, and to stop making such a fuss and go already!

JD set a large cardboard carton onto a small, twin sized bed. "Well, that's the last of it," he said to Dimi. "You're all settled in."

"Thanks, Dad," Dimi said.

Lyn looked around. "Where's Maddie?" she asked. "I see her things here, but where is she?"

"She probably had to go to the bathroom or something," Dimi replied. "I dunno."

"Well, we got to get going," JD said. "Oh, just one more thing before we leave."

He pulled out a shiny blue Chase credit card. "This is from your Uncle Criss," he said. "It's for emergencies only, so don't go hyper with it at the mall or something, okay? He'll be the one footing the bill for it, and he'll be pretty upset if you go squandering it on clothes and stuff."

Dimi took the card eagerly. "Oh, I promise!" she said. "I'll take real good care of it, don't you worry. And thank Uncle Criss for me, willya?"

"You can thank him yourself by email," her father reminded her.

There was a moment of awkward silence, then, "I guess this is it," JD murmured. He wrapped his arms around Dimi. "So long, honey," he said.

Dimi hugged her father. "Bye, Dad."

Then it was Lyn's turn. "Take care of yourself, baby," she sniffled, choking back tears. "We'll see you around Thanksgiving."

"Bye, Mom."

JD and Lyn turned and walked out of the room, joining the sorrowful, retreating line of other parents whose children had also left the nest to begin their lives as college students, as adults.

[LoyalLee]

Boy does this bring back memories of when my daughter went to college! I remember getting her settled in an off campus apartment 3 hours from home then sitting in the car crying when it was time for me to leave her! My son thought it was hilarious!

[RACHEL02189]

I guess it's just you and me Veritas


That morning when Criss got to work he saw that they were getting ready to open up the store that Sydney-Excuse me Syd owned. I wonder if he'll reconginze me Criss thought. All of a sudden Criss was knocked over by someone. "Sorry I didn't see you there"a voice said as he helped Criss up. Criss saw it was Syd. "Krupermann nice running into you"Criss stated rubbing his shoulder. "Do I know you?". "Criss Angel". "Doesn't ring a bell"he replied. "Sorry force of habit Sarantakos"Criss said. "Oh my god Christopher dam I can't believe you finally became that magician you always wanted to be" he stated. "What about you if JD didn't tell me I wouldn't of recongized you" Criss replied. "I got sick of being a punching bag so my mom signed me up for weight training before I knew I was bench pressing five hundred pounds and looking like this I've got girls hanging off of me". Know the feeling Criss thought. "Why don't we go get a cup of coffee and talk for a while or do you need to be somewhere". Criss looked at his watch. "I've got time come on" and they left.

At college Dimi was getting ready to go to her first class of the seminister. "So Dimi what's your first class of the day?"her roommate inquired as she put on her sneakers. "Business 101 you?". "Art history and I heard this guy is cute". "Is that why you took the class because he's cute" Dimi stated. "Why not half the teachers here could be my grandfather but I'll say this if your Uncle Criss had a class here I'd take it". "You and the whole female students in this place incuding the teachers. I'll see you for lunch" amd Dimi left

[Veritas]

Sorry for the delay, but I've been preoccupied with painting my room and getting my brakes fixed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the Luxor Deli Cafe, Criss and Syd sat talking about their lives, past and present, while sipping on foamy cappucinos. It was early and the place was all but deserted, so they could converse without the worry of being interrupted by Criss' overzealous fans. Syd had listened in stunned disbelief to Criss' retelling of his colorful career as a magician and escape artist, still unable to connect him with the scrawny kid he remembered from East Meadow, Long Island. Criss' simple inquiry, "So, what's your story?", jolted him back to his senses. Syd drew a deep breath and began to open up. From the heaviness of it, Criss could tell it wasn't going to be too pleasant.

"Well, my real mom died when I was, oh, eight or nine," Syd began. "You remember how I had been when I was a kid--weak, sick, had a ton of allergies."

Criss nodded. Sydney Krupermann had spent more time with the school nurse than he did in class, it seemed, whether it was for some allergic reaction or after an attack by school bullies. It was a wonder he made it through an entire school year without expiring.

"She was always taking me to the doctor for some reason or other, even on those rare days when I felt fine," Syd went on. "Well, about a week or two after Mom's funeral, Dad took me to some specialist to find out just what it was that was making me sick all the time. You know what he found out?"

"What?"

"I didn't have any allergies--none whatsoever!"

Criss was taken aback. "You didn't?"

"Nope. It turned out I wasn' the one who was sick--it was Mom. You ever hear of Munchausen syndrome?"

"No."

"It's a form of mental illness where the person makes himself or herself sick on purpose so they could be the center of attention. Sometimes they make their kids sick for the same reason. Mom had been faking my illnesses all the time, just to get attention from all the doctors and nurses. She even went so far as to spike my food with drugs to make me sick so she would have an excuse to take me to the hospital! It's a wonder I'm still alive," Syd sniffed.

"True that," Criss said, "but how'd they find out about it? Your mom's syndrome, I mean."

"It was that last checkup after the funeral that clinched it," Syd explained. "That specialist Dad took me to knew about it, so he managed to figure it out. Smart guy."

"That's pretty sad."

Syd nodded. "It is. Took me two years to recover after that, but I was still pretty weak, though. I was still picked on, but at least I was a bit healthier, healthy enough to run away at least." He drained his coffee mug in one swallow. "Dad remarried when I was ten--wonderful woman, a nutritionist if you can believe my luck. She teaches yoga to boot. Anyway, she was the one who got me into the healthy lifestyle, first by signing me up for sports, then body building." Syd smiled. "Man, I can't tell you how much I'm indebted to her--she literally saved my life, dude! By the time I was sixteen, I was bulking up enough to make varsity. Anyway, the rest is history--I joined the Marines after high school, then went to college to study physical fitness, then I started opening my own chain of health stores. This is my first one out here in the Southwest, by the way."

"Why not out in LA?" Criss asked. "They go for the healthy lifestyle out there big time."

Syd shook his head. "Too much competition," he replied. "I got to go where it's needed most. And with all those mile-long buffets you got out here in Sin City, I figured you folks could use a little help," he chuckled.

Criss held up his hands. "Hey, man, I keep a sensible diet," he protested. "And I even got my own gym at Serenity."

"Serenity?"

"That's my crib, out in Henderson, about forty miles from here. Nice place, if you wanna come and visit."

"Well, it's tempting, but I'm not going to be here very long. I got to get back to the main office in New York in a few days. Business, you know, plus the wife and kids."

"Oh, you're married?"

"Twenty-six years," Syd replied proudly, "with two teenage boys. Matter of fact, my oldest son, Quay, is going to NYU this year. He's gonna be a dietician or something. Anyway, his interest is food safety, especially food contamination."

"Sounds interesting."

"Yeah. I think it had something to do with Mom--my real mom--trying to poison me when I was a kid." Syd shrugged. "Who knows? He just might be called in to some sort of CSI situation--wife slipping some arsenic in her husband's meatloaf to get the insurance money, something like that."

Criss laughed at that. "You know, my niece, Dimi, is going to UNLV this year. Don't know what she's going to major in, though. Business, probably."

"What's UNLV?"

"University of Nevada, Las Vegas."

Now it was Syd's turn to laugh. "Going to college in Las Vegas! Boy, I bet they got an interesting curriculum! What do they got there? Blackjack 101? Introductory roulette? Booking odds in math class?"

"Ha, ha, Syd, very funny," Criss sneered. "Actually, I don't know a lot about it, but I know they have a great business college there."

"Not surprising, with all the billions of dollars passing through here," Syd retorted.

"Yeah, well, it's still a business," Criss said with a shrug. "Speaking of which," he added, rising from his chair, "I got my own to attend to."

Syd also rose. "Yeah, I gotta get back to mine, too," he said. He extended a beefy hand. "It's been nice talking to you, Christopher."

Criss took Syd's hand and shook it. "Back at you, Syd, and call me Criss. Hey, swing by the production office sometime before you leave--I'm pretty sure JD and Costa would like to see you again."

"Might just do that," Syd said. "See ya."

"See ya, Syd."

The two men parted ways, Syd to his new store, Criss to the office, each amazed at the changes in the other's life after so many years. The scrawny kid who annoyed everyone with card tricks becomes the biggest draw in Vegas, and the sickly waif bullied throughout grade school beefs up to Mr. Universe proportions. True, a lot can happen in over four decades, but still!

[RACHEL02189]

When Criss got back he was the only one there which left Criss to think about the future. Was he ready to take that next step with Sandra. Even thou his first marriage started out good but ended with a dragged out divorce. MAYBE I'M JUST NERVOUS THAT IF I DO THIS AGAIN WILL IT KEEP GOING OR AM I GOING TO END UP IN DIVORCE COURT AGAIN. There was another reason Criss wanted this he wanted to start a family like JD did. As JD said he was half way towards turning fifty and he wanted to be around to see his future children graduate high school before it was time to meet his father at the pearly gates. Another thing that popped into his mind was if Sandra was ready for this. Would she say no and leave Criss feeling like an idiot. Criss turned his head and saw a crowd near one of the water foundations.

He went out and walked to the crowd to see a guy proposing to a woman which she happily accepted with tears falling down her face. For some reason Criss saw himself proposing to Sandra. Criss rubbed his eyes as the guy put the ring on his girl's finger. I'm going to ask Sandra to marry me and Criss left. When JD and Costa got back they saw Criss was typing on the computer. "What are you doing?" as they spooked Criss who spilled his hot coffee in his lap. "!!!"Criss exclaimed as he got up. "Sorry I guess that was hot coffee". "Thanks if I can't have kids I'm blaming you guys. I'm going to Believe and see if I have any pants in my dressing room". After Criss made sure nobody was around or cameras he jogged over to Believe. Not realizing he left his computer on Costa looked at what Criss was doing. "I don't believe it" he stated. "What Criss playing on-line poker and winning for once"JD inquired. "No Criss is looking at engagement rings for women". JD looked over Costa's shoulder. "I don't believe Criss is ready to take the plunge again"

[Veritas]

Twilight was creeping over the horizon, but a small side street just off the UNLV campus was alive with the sound of thumping hip-hop music and shrieking, cheering revellers. It was the annual beginning-of-term street-party mixer, the first social event held on the first weekend of the new semester. For new students, it was their official introduction to college life with all the freedom that came with it, a celebration of their newfound independence, while for upper classmen, it was the time to get reaquainted with old friends. It was also the time when fraternities and sororities covertly sized up the new crop of freshies for potential pledging before Rush Week. In any case, it was the place to be that Saturday night.

One new student walked tentatively, nervously, among the partygoers, feeling like a sheep among wolves. Dimi had come along with Maddie and a few friends who had emphatically insisted she attend this bash. "It's tradition," they had told her, "and it's a great way to meet guys. Come on, it'll be fun! You don't want to wimp out on us, do you?"

Dimi had certainly not wanted to wimp out, so she gamely went along, half-heartedly reassuring herself that there was no harm in attending this event. Five minutes after arriving, however, she began to feel some misgivings about it. Even by Sin City standards, it was louder, more raucous, and more drunken than any club she had been in, with or without her Uncle Criss. A deejay booth, flanked by a wall of giant Jackhammer speakers on either side, thundered out the latest hip-hop and rap tunes, the vibrations from which registered eight on the Richter scale. Beer flowed like water at the Bellagio fountains, consumed with gusto by the partiers via anything that could hold liquid: bottles, cans, plastic cups, pitchers, beer steins, boots, even through funnels hooked up to hoses poured straight into people's mouths! The very air reeked of cheap beer and urine from those who relieved themselves behind the trees and in the bushes when they couldn't wait in line long enough to use the portapotties.

When they weren't drinking themselves into a stupor, the revellers were dancing wildly in the street. Some had stripped themselves to the waist--even the women!--as they gyrated to the beat of the nonstop music. A few couples slipped away from the party and ducked into whatever shelter offered privacy, only to return a long while later, hand in hand and smiling, for a few more beers and some more socializing.

Dimi felt overwhelmed by this youthful bacchanal. All the dire warnings her parents had given her about college, augmented by her strict Greek Orthodox upbringing, echoed in the back of her mind. Her first instinct was to run away, go back to the safety of her dorm room before the police showed up and arrested everybody, but Maddie and company kept urging her on, telling her not to be such a wallflower, to go and have fun. It was college, for God's sake, not a kiddie party! You're free! You're an adult! You can do anything you want! Enjoy yourself! Spurred on by peer pressure, Dimi drew a deep breath and plunged into the drunken melee.

Anyone want to take it from here?

[Veritas]

Hellooooooo! Any takers here? Come on, join in! It can't be just Rachel and myself doing this!

[RACHEL02189]

When Dimi woke up the next day her head was pounding. "Dimi you up"a voice called out. Dimi pulled the covers over her head. "Stop talking"she replied as her friend giggled. "I told you to go easy with those jello shots" sitting on Dimi's bed with some aspirian and Water. Dimi pulled the covers back and took the asprian . "Did I do anything that might end up on youtube or ruin my uncle's reputation?"she asked. "You came close my friend Niel took you back to the dorms before you did". "God I need to take a shower I smell like puke and Grey goose"she remarked. Back at the Luxor Criss was having some breakfast when Costa and JD came in. "What is that smell?"Costa asked. "Good did you leave your shoes in here again"JD said to Costa trying not to gag. "You guys are so funny I'm just having some breakfast"Criss stated finishing it. "Not that you're done go brush your teeth and get some mints or gums while your at it" JD said.

Criss was about to leave when the phone rang. "Hello hey Sandra I was wondering if maybe we could go somewhere to gether like maybe Mexico. Really yea I'll make the plans I'll call you with more details bye" and hung up. "So you and Sandra are going to Mexico interesting"Costa remarked. "Yea"JD replied. "What are you getting at?"Criss asked. "All right when you went to change your pants we saw you were looking at engagement rings"JD admitted. "So you're going to ask Sandra to marry you". "Yes but don't tell mom I want to see if Sandra will say yes before mom tells everyone in the tri state area"Criss remarked as JD snicked. "Well don't worry we won't say a word to mom"Costa said and gave Criss a hug.