"I enjoy variety," says Janine. "I think I would have a very hard time living on three pairs of jeans and a handful of shirts. Even with a rocking set of motorcycle leathers."
"I also have a dress," Bella adds. "I've only worn it once, months ago - my boyfriend made it for me to wear to a dance. I almost forgot about it."
"Well," she says. "He has me call him Alice. He'll take 'Laney' from random people, though, which is closer to his legal name. And I am pretty sure that 'he' pronouns are fine, if you were liable to wonder."
"If I ever meet him I will ask which name he would rather I use," concludes Janine.
"Sounds like a plan. He's not going to be around much for the first week or so, so I can settle in, but after that he'll probably visit a lot; I imagine you'll see him around."
"For some reason," Janine says thoughtfully, "your descriptions of him lead me to picture him with pointy ears and sparkly butterfly wings, making mischief and pollinating flowers."
"You're not far wrong, except in the literal sense," she concludes.
[My roommate imagines you with pointy ears and sparkly butterfly wings, making mischief and pollinating flowers,] she informs Alice. [I told her that except literally speaking she wasn't far off.]
Janine also giggles.
"But yeah, he's weird. In a neat way, but weird."
"Then my boyfriend will be your favorite person, I imagine."
"Is he the most neat-weird person on Earth?" inquires Janine.
"Maybe," Bella says. "Quite probably. I'll give you a dollar if you find neater-weirder, at any rate."
Bella grins. "I'm not sure I know where the place we're supposed to fetch our IDs and orientation packets is. Want to come with me to look for it now so we don't show up fifteen minutes late and wait a year in line?"
Ultimately a total of five girls from the hall make for the building and arrive slightly early, but not early enough to be very first in line. Bella feels that this is the correct amount of early.
IDs and orientation packets are acquired. She immediately stows the former in her wallet and heads back to their room to peruse the latter.
Bella sticks around, because there is a food court here and she wishes to be informed about it, but presently she too returns to their room, by another route so she can see more of the campus. She is equipped with a burrito at this time.
Janine is still absorbed in the introductory literature. She doesn't look up from her spot on the bed when Bella enters.
Bella doesn't bug her; she toes off her sneakers under the bed and reads her packet and eats her burrito.
Eventually, out of nowhere, Janine says: "Your boyfriend is very good at making dresses."
"Wouldn't have worn it in public if he weren't," agrees Bella.