Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 10:44:08 -0400 From: d.a. w Subject: The Roommate Chapter 2 Please contribute to NIFTY. We all enjoy this great resource of great stories, and it needs all of us to support it. THE ROOM MATE Fun and Games of Freshmen CHAPTER 2 The next days were involved with the norms of settling into a new location, and a new life – that of a college student. Although I did know a number of other freshmen students since several from Deerfield Academy also came to Williams, I mostly stayed with my new roommate. I found him refreshingly different from anyone else I had ever known. It was like meeting someone from a foreign country. Not only was he a proud slave owner in a state where slavery was illegal, but he was at a college where he was alone. No one from the prep school he had attended in Florida had come up to the cold and slave-free North. Beau did allow the frats to court him to become a member, but at the end of rush, he sent each fraternity rush chairman a note individualized for each fraternity thanking them for their interest in his becoming a member, and recalling specific qualities and inducements each fraternity had offered him for his joining their pledge class. In the conclusion of each letter he concluded that he would remain and independent as that was what generations of Masterson men have been – fiercely independent. As he allowed me to read each of his letters, "just to be sure I did not make some faux pas that would reflect badly on my family..." I was impressed by his sincerity and his ability to show both that he had really considered each bid for membership, and that he had specific personal reasons not to accept. Beau was a very accomplished, considerate, man. However, I also knew that he had a more mischievous side. As we settled into classes and the routine of college, I really found that I liked his openness, his friendliness, and his very keen mind, which he chose to hide from most with an "aw shucks" country boy persona. But I also knew that I had to be wary of his desire to play tricks on friends and that now included myself. One day I was rushing to get to class, and open my sock drawer only to find he had tied all my socks together in knots. Not only were they tied in knots, but the knots were NOT made of two socks that went together. "Beau, I am going to pour cold water all over you some night, or take all your clothes away when you go down for a shower!" I yelled at him. "Well, you could do that" he replied slowly, really emphasizing his Southern drawl as he looked over at my me as I was furiously throwing my little balls of socks over the room, but mostly at him. "However, if you were to do that, I might forget where I left you three untied pairs of socks." "Damn it Beau, I need to get to class. I have no time for this bullshit!" "Franklin, Emerson, Wilson, Wilkinson, I am both shocked and chagrined to hear such language out of someone who was represented to me as the epitome of a Yankee gentleman and member of one of Massachusetts' first families." I stared at Beau. Against myself, I laughed. "You are, Beauregard, Jackson, Thomas, Masterson, both the most irritating and best roommate a man could have, but right now I need socks. I am going to just take a pair of yours." I stomped over to his bureau and yanked open the drawer where I knew he kept his socks. The drawer opened easily – way too easily – and to my chagrin I found his sock drawer empty. "Damn you sneaky Southern bastard slave owner, give me a pair of socks." As he reached down into the wastebasket by his desk, Beau drawled in his best Alabama drawl. "Well even though my roommate has shown his true colors as less than the complete gentleman that I had been led to believe was his character, I believe I do have this pair of socks that might fit you." With that he threw a pair of my socks to me. These events occurred several times during this first semester of our freshman year, and I came to realize that they were irritating, but also funny, and he always made sure I was not left totally deprived of necessary materials for class. We were both studying for exams at the midterm of the semester, when I realized that Beau seemed to have fallen asleep and were slumped over his desk in our room. I decided that this was a great opportunity to do a payback. I knew that when Beau was in his deep sleep, he was what might be called "Dead to the world." He was only dressed in a "T" shirt and boxers. This informal attire was not unusual as he liked to, as he expressed it, "hang loose." I carefully went to his closet and took out some of his clothes. I went down the hall to the hall monitors room. I knocked on the door. The door opened and a startled Mr. Morrison looked at me. "Sir do you remember when Beau stole my clothes when I was showering, and I had to wander around the hall naked following his clues to find my clothes?" "Yes Frank, I do recall that." "Well, he is sound asleep when studying for finals, and I decided to return the favor. I know he sleeps very deeply, and so I intend to use scissors to take off his "T" and boxers which is all he has on. I plan to take his clothes out of the closet, and would like to hang them in the dining room. However, if you believe this prank would be inappropriate, I will not do so." "Frank, I believe you have a plan and as we all know paybacks are a bitch." I almost lost my grip on the pile of clothes I had because Mr. Morrison had a reputation of being extraordinarily proper, and as the saying goes would not say "Shit" even if his mouth was full of it." I know Beau has played practical jokes on many on this floor, including myself. You take this load of clothing down to the dining commons, and put them on the coat racks by the front door. I will contact several others his has pranked, and I am sure we can get all his clothing down to the cafeteria in no time." "Thank you sir." I was shocked, but happy for the help. I walked down the two flights of stairs to the first floor cafeteria, and put my load of clothing in the rack. Before I could turn around, I was joined by several other students from the floor, each with a bundle, and to my total surprise, followed by Mr. Morrison with a large box which I discovered had all of Beau's underwear in it. "I believe we had done good work here gentlemen." Mr. Morrison intoned. "I can report to anyone who might ask that you have all been studying assiduously the whole evening. Thank you, gentlemen." With that dismissal we all returned to our rooms. I decided I needed one more preparation. I took all of my clothes to the closet by our room which had some cleaning materials stored in it, and placed them there. When I returned, I set my alarm to get me up at least a half hour before Beau's alarm was set to go off. I would be dressed and just leaving the room for breakfast as Beau was awakening. I returned to our room, set my alarm, and managed to get to sleep after a bit of time to let the excitement of payback to calm down. When my alarm when off in what seemed to me to be the next second, I realized I needed to do my morning routine of the three S's ( shit, shower, and shave) then dress. After accomplishing all these preps. I called out loudly as I was leaving the room "BEAU YOU NEED TO GET UP TO GET TO YOU EARLY FINAL THIS MORNING!" "BEAU YOU BETTER GET UP IF YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THE WORLD HISTORY EXAM !" With that I left the room, slamming the door as I exited. I dashed to the cafeteria, and awaited Beau's arrival. I joined the rest of the dorm, including Mr. Morrison, awaiting the arrival. It seemed to take a lot of time. I wondered what Beau was up to. We all soon found out. Beau's arrival was even better than expected. He arrived but he was not naked. He had a big pink ribbon tied around the base of his cock and ball. "Good Morning my fellow students, and our esteemed Mr. Morrison. I must report that during the evening some perfidy of theft and vandalism has occurred, which has left me temporarily somewhat at a loss of clothing. However, as you can see, a ribbon was left if my clothing drawer, and since all the other items of clothing has mysteriously disappeared, I concluded that someone has recognized the superior size and beauty of my genital equipment, and therefore intended for me to but a bow in it, and allow all you gentlemen who have not been so generously endowed as myself to admire and applaud my appearance. You may begin your applause now." With that Beau bowed to the assembled crowd, and all of us were so impressed that we just applauded, shouted, and stood in appreciation for Beau's response. Beau went through the breakfast tine attired in his ribbon, but he had seen his clothing on the coat rack, and after putting down his tray, put on some clothes As Beau and I had breakfast almost everyone come over to laugh and respond to Beau's response to my joke – perhaps remind him that Beau had indeed begun this series. Mr. Morrison made a brief speech in which he said that all these pranks had been in good fun, and he compliments Beau and myself for the gentlemanly was with which we had responded to the pranks. However, Mr. Morrison concluded with a warning. He said loudly enough for all the hall residents to hear. "These pranks have been fun, but as of this moment consider PRANK TIME IS OVER. Prank has been rewarded with prank. Equanimity has been achieved. Should any more of these puerile activities persist, the perpetrators should expect and will receive severe retribution and unpleasant sanctions." Mr. Morrison paused, and then looking directly at the two of us, "Gentlemen, am I understood?" We both responded with a loud "SIR, yes, SIR." Since Beau's clothes were there in the dining room, Beau was able to go over and put on some clothes, and so his "exposure" to everyone was not all that long. At the end of breakfast, everyone helped and all Beau's clothes were soon back in his room and hung up neatly. As Beau looked over his closet, now again full of his clothing, he looked over at me. "You know roommate when I took your clothes, you were exposed only to a few guys here on this floor. You really upped the ante by exposing me to everyone in the hall including veritably all students and staff of the whole dorm. Just remember paybacks can be a bitch." I mentally thought that was a threat, and for several days I watched myself for the payback, but nothing ever happened, and in time this event was lost in lore except for some humorous reference, and even these disappeared over time. For me the incident balanced the scales, and as I sat at my desk one evening later in the week, I realized that Beau had caused me to achieve something that I had never sought but found pleasant to experience, being, along with Beau, one of the most well liked persons in the whole dorm. Beau had changed me from the very quiet behind the scenes person who people would say that "Yes I know who he is." to "Yes he and Beau are great men to know." Beau had changed what Wilkinson men had been known as for generations as "friendly but aloof" to "one great guy." I was not sure whether I liked the metamorphosis, but it was a fait accompli and so whether I liked it or not, it was done. I think I liked it.