Page 30 of Player
"Do you prefer threesomes or more direct lez action?" my roommate continues.
"I'm not interested."
This time, Keri looks puzzled, and I clarify, "I would simply like to have an uninterrupted night of sleep. And I don't have trouble falling asleep," I specify.
"I see."
But I get the impression misunderstandings are still hovering above us, so I clarify my position, "I have no intention of doing drugs or sleeping with anyone, at the moment. I just want us to set some ground rules for living together."
I'm well aware that I'm being a killjoy, but I can't spend multiple semesters enduring my roommate's wild nights.
"You'll need to be more specific,Dixie."
"Couldn't you limit the number of nights you have...guests?"
Keri seems to consider the question with the utmost seriousness before answering, "Every other night, would that work better for you?"
"That would be an improvement, but one in three, or four, would be more comfortable for me."
"One in three," she decides after a moment of reflection.
"We have a deal!"
Keri merely shrugs slightly before turning her attention back to her laptop screen. I stand there for a few seconds, but obviously the subject is closed for my roommate. I don't know if I'm relieved by the agreement we just made—it still means Keri will have visitors quite regularly... I think bitterly that this is part of the "joys" of student life. I leave the room to get a glass of water in the common room. I've taken a few sips when Saphya and Pia join me.
"Hi, Dixie!" Saphya exclaims when she sees me.
"Hi."
My roommate's eyes are sparkling, and I wonder what's making her so cheerful.
"We're going to the Jaguars game," Pia informs me, as if she'd read my thoughts.
My voice lacks enthusiasm when I respond, "Oh, great."
I've seen dozens of games when I was in high school. I can't say I'm passionate about football, but I always appreciated the atmosphere in the stadium. The excitement of the fans in the stands is contagious, even if I wasn’t always worrying about the guys on the field behind me. It's that energy that carried me too when we performed our cheer routines.
A slight wave of nostalgia washes over me.
"Do you want to come with us?" Saphya suggests. "We just have time to change before the game starts. It's just a non-conference warmup game against a small school, but it should be pretty intense. All eyes will be on Player."
Mentioning our roommate is probably not the best strategy to convince me to join them.
"The less I see him, the better off I am," I reply.
Pia nods knowingly. My new friend is well aware that the quarterback gets on my nerves.
"That guy is a first-class asshole," Saphya retorts, "but we're not going to cheer for him, we're cheering for the team. And Em will be there too. You like him, right?"
"Yes, I guess."
"Come on, join us," Saphya insists. "If you're not having fun, you can always come back."
I think about how it's raining and that I don't really feel like spending time outside, but when I meet Pia's hopeful gaze, I reconsider. After all, a little outing couldn't hurt.
12
PLAYER
