This is a fantasy that is based on actual events. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
I almost spent the weekend at a bowling tournament instead.
It was the first weekend back on campus after winter break during my second year of college. And yes, I was on my college's bowling team. I know what you're thinking... fame and fortune and all the chicks I could handle, but it wasn't too prestigious, really. I tried out for my high school bowling team two out of three years and didn't come close to making it. By contrast, I didn't have to try out for my college team. There wasn't a lot of competition, and as a result we were terrible. But we still participated in tournaments. We had gone to the national tournament in Atlantic City right after Christmas a few weeks before, and it was a real trying experience. The rest of my team was far more interested in having a good time, and since we were packed 4 to a room there was really no escaping it. Things got really heated when the alcohol and sleep deprivation got to everyone, and I vowed at the time that I would never do it again. Even still, I really did consider going to the tournament, but in the end I passed because I didn't need a repeat performance of that nightmare. Plus, there was a huge snowstorm coming.
It was the mid-90's, and although lately it seems like there are 2-3 major blizzards hitting the east coast each winter, back in those days anything they thought might happen always seemed to fizzle out. Not this storm.
Saturday was Groundhog's Day. I think he saw his shadow. My dorm was nearly empty. Most of the locals went back home after the first week of classes to unwind and pick up some more stuff, but with the threat of a major snowstorm, they were leaving and not coming back until classes resumed, maybe Tuesday or Wednesday. My roommate and suitemate went home, leaving me, 250 miles from home and with the whole suite to myself.
I ate dinner in the dining hall and went back to my room in a funk, looking at the bleak prospect of a long, lonely night in my room. Despite everything, I was beginning to wonder if I had made the right decision. Suddenly there was a knock on my door, and I would never doubt my choice again.
My friend and neighbor June was at the door. She was a sprightly little ball of energy, barely 5 feet tall with long brown hair she usually wore in a pony-tail. She was button cute and had great taste in music, and I probably would have had a huge crush on her if she didn't have a boyfriend. It helped that I liked Paul. I didn't usually like the boyfriends of my female friends, but he was a good guy. It turned out that he was in the dorm visiting for the weekend. She invited me to come and hang out with them. Relieved that I wouldn't be alone all night, I grabbed my keys and followed her across the hall.
It was me, June, Paul, and June's roommate Gina. Gina was a sweet girl, 5' 4", a little stocky but she had a pretty, round face, shoulder-length brown hair and big brown eyes. We were friendly but we never really hit it off. Our group for the evening was completed with the arrival of Suzie through the bathroom from the other side of the suite.
I did a double-take. Although Suzie was part of our circle of friends, she was an Occupational Therapy major, which was very demanding, and she was a notorious study-holic. We barely ever saw her except for meals and the occasional social event. I guess that since it was early in the term she didn't really have a lot of studying to do. Suzie was an astoundingly gorgeous girl, 5'10" in stocking feet, with shoulder-length blonde hair and a beautiful freckled face. Plus she was from Charlotte and was a quintessential southern belle complete with the accent and the attitude. She tormented me from pretty much the moment I first set eyes on her in our freshman year. I desperately wanted to get closer to her, but she was a very aloof girl. She was like a magnet for me, attracting and then repelling me over and over again, and yet I always kept coming back for more.
We all sat around for a while, trying to think of an idea of what to do for the evening. I'm not sure which of the girls brought it up, but suddenly the girls were talking about having a fashion show. They were going to dress in their sexiest outfits and the guys would take pictures of them with their cameras. Paul and I weren't about to object, and we were ushered back to my room while the girls changed.
Paul and I spent maybe half an hour in my room waiting anxiously. I had been alternately playing my guitar and listening to Led Zeppelin when June had came calling, so we bullshitted about music to pass the time, but always keeping half our attention on the door. Finally the knock came. Gina and June came to fetch us. They were both heavily made up with their hair teased. They wore tight blouses with knee-length skirts. They both looked amazing.
Then we all went and knocked on Suzie's door. "Come in," she said. We opened it to the sight of Suzie rolling a nude stocking up one of her long legs. It was by great leaps and bounds the sexiest thing I had ever seen at that time. I was in the back of the crowd so I could stare in open-mouthed amazement. Well, at least I don't think anyone noticed. Suzie finished adjusting her stocking and stood up. She was also wearing a tight blouse with a short skirt and the aforementioned stockings. She was supposedly an aspiring model back home and it was obvious why. She looked like she came right out of a magazine.
We walked into Gina and June's room. They had a black light and a strobe light going. Together they made an eerie flashing glow. There was some thumping club music playing. Paul and I pushed their beds together and made a runway for them to walk across. We were each handed a camera and told to take pictures of them as they 'did their little turns on the catwalk'.
Paul was understandably preoccupied with June, and although I was captivated by Suzie I made sure I got some good shots of Gina as well. Paul and I did our best to fit into the role of fashion photographers. We turned our baseball caps backwards and crouched on the floor, snapping photos of the girls as they strutted by. We kept at it until we exhausted all the film the girls had. I remember I saw some of the pictures once but didn't even think to ask about keeping any. I wish I did.
When it was over Paul and I were sent away again so the girls could change back into regular clothes. In the meantime the storm had hit in full force and there were already a few inches of snow on the ground. We started talking about what else we could do that night and Paul had the crazy idea of playing football in the snow. Tackle football in the snow. Surprisingly all of the girls were up for it. Somebody had a football, I forget why, but with 3 girls and 2 boys I was sent out into the dorm to find a third guy to balance out the ratio. It didn't take me too long to find one of the freshmen, a goofy guy named Bob. The six of us bundled ourselves up and went out into the snowstorm.
Even though it was a pretty major snowstorm, it wasn't particularly cold or windy. It was a majestic evening, really, with the snow falling. There were actually lots of people outside. I guess the usual Saturday night party crowd was just congregating outside because they couldn't travel to their usual hangouts, and they all stood around in groups around the student union chatting in the snow.
We went to a field beside the student union and chose up sides. It was me, Bob, and June against Paul, Gina, and Suzie. We didn't really keep score but my side lost badly. Paul wasn't a jock but he was about 6' 2" and probably 220 pounds. I was 5' 11" but barely 120 pounds in those days. Bob was an average guy and June was tiny, so when Paul ran with the ball nobody could stop him.
