11. Dixie
DIXIE
The days are flying by as I alternate between classes, studying, and cake design club meetings. For once, I'm alone in my room, pacing back and forth. A light rain has been falling on campus for almost a week, intensifying my desire to return to Alabama and find better weather.
Since I can't go home to my parents, I decide to call Bradley. My brother picks up on the third ring, just before his voicemail would have kicked in. "Hey, Dixie Dix!"
"Hi, Bradley."
A silence falls between us, during which I hear male voices on the other end of the line. I catch fragments of conversation without being able to understand what's being said.
"Am I interrupting something?" I ask.
"Not at all!" He must move away from his colleagues because the voices fade, then he asks, "How are you? Still enjoying OMU?"
"Yes, it's exactly how I imagined it." If you ignore the arrogant jerk I share my dorm with, everything's fine.
I think about Player, whom I haven't seen since the other night.
What's he up to? I shake my head to clear my thoughts.
What the most sought-after quarterback at this college does is none of my business.
As long as he's not around, everything's fine with me.
I push him from my mind to focus on my brother. "What about you?"
"I'm learning a lot of things."
"Like how to tie sailor knots?"
Bradley laughs, and the sound warms my heart.
"You could say that," he admits.
"Is life too tough?"
I can't help worrying about him. The transition from civilian to military life is no small change.
"I get up early, exercise a lot, and eat pretty healthily."
"Hmm," I mutter, "aren't you forgetting alcohol and women in that equation?"
Another silence falls on the other end of the line.
"I'm thinking about coming to see you for Halloween," he finally says.
I can't hold back a little cry of joy. "That's awesome!"
I immediately calculate in my head, a little less than two months to wait.
"I can't wait to show you around campus," I add.
"Me too."
I realize that my brother is usually the one asking questions, and I feel like I don't know much about his life, so I ask, "How are things with your colleagues? Have you made new friends?"
"The Marines are like a new family. I'm never alone, if that's what you're worried about, Dixie Dix."
"No, I'm not worried about you, but I don't know anything about what you do."
"Probably because there's nothing exciting to tell you."
"I don't believe you! Your life can't be that boring. You must have met some people."
Bradley doesn't answer, and I press on. "A handsome man like you must have met a woman or two to your liking. Plus, I hear military men are popular with the ladies."
"You know, you're starting to sound like our Grandma Janine with these kinds of questions."
"What? I can't believe you're comparing me to her!"
He's referring to our paternal grandmother, who's a notorious gossip in our small town—she always knows everything about everyone.
Bradley bursts out laughing.
"That's right, make fun of me!" I cry with mock indignation.
"Everything's going very well for me, Dixie Dix, don't worry."
"Saying that kind of thing is the best way to make me worry, you know?"
Bradley laughs even harder. "You're still as stubborn as ever, sis."
"And you're still as secretive."
No one is more discreet than Bradley. If I hadn't always been on his case when we lived with our parents, I would never have known what he was up to.
"To live happily, live hidden," he replies.
His enigmatic tone intrigues me, but I'm distracted by my bedroom door opening. Keri appears in the doorway, and I'm surprised to see she's alone. This is the moment I've been waiting for!
"I have to go, Bradley."
We exchange a few more words before hanging up, and I immediately turn my attention to my roommate, who's settling at her desk.
I observe for a moment her raven-black hair, the corset hugging her torso, and her ruffled skirt.
Right now, she's sporting a decidedly gothic look.
Since Saphya's party, we haven't crossed paths.
It seems that Keri and I have very different lifestyles, and it wasn't during the night when she was in full action with her various conquests that we had the opportunity to talk.
"Keri, we need to talk."
She gives me a sidelong glance with a closed expression, without responding.
OK, this isn't going to be easy...
I notice that I'm fidgeting with my nails, and I let my hands drop. I'm not quite sure how to approach the subject, but I finally dive in:
"You know, I'm not really a heavy sleeper, but I still need to get some rest." This time, Keri turns her head toward me to study my face, which I take as an encouraging sign, so I continue, "And... um... I've been having a hard time lately."
I fall silent, hoping she'll grab the opening I'm offering her.
My roommate considers me for a moment before responding, "Are you looking to get some weed?
They say it works well for falling asleep.
You know, the anti-anxiety effect of cannabis fades over time, so if you want to use it occasionally, it might help. But I don't recommend prolonged use."
I frown, surprised by the turn this conversation is taking. Keri continues her "clinical" explanations. "Not to mention you have to mix it with tobacco, and you risk becoming dependent."
I finally collect myself and interrupt her, "No, that's not what I meant."
Keri slightly furrows her brow:
"Are you looking for something stronger? In that case, I should warn you that you might be heading down a slippery slope."
"No, no! I don't want to use drugs!" I exclaim.
Keri shakes her head, looking perplexed, and I take a deep breath before explaining my actual thoughts, "It's your nighttime activities that are keeping me from sleeping. "
I blurted that out very quickly, as if I had trouble talking about sex. I can't help but notice that I have less difficulty when it comes to Player, and yet, he takes malicious pleasure in pushing my buttons.
"I see," Keri simply responds. She doesn't add anything else, and I start to doubt whether my message actually got through.
"I don't want to intrude on your... intimate life, Keri. But I need a little peace and quiet."
"That's how I find sleep," she finally replies. "You should try it."
I shake my head, feeling like communication is definitely not my strong suit lately.
"Maybe we could find some kind of arrangement?" I suggest.
Keri remains impassive before replying in a neutral tone, "You want to join in? I don't mind. I like women too, and you're pretty cute."
I blink several times. How can this discussion go so far off the rails?
"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.