A Love Like This (Book 1) Read Free Page B

plain blue baby-t and paint stained Chuck Taylors.   I spray and wipe   the desk, chairs and floor with lavender scented cleaner and paper towels I brought from home.   I seriously consider cleaning the other side of the room but figure it might leave the wrong impression.   I unpack my clothes then go through the room little by little and make it my own by hanging prints of abstract architectural sketches. As I work I try to figure out how I ’ m going to learn to live with such a slob.   “ I mean who leaves all of their clothes right in the middle of the floor, ”   I say to the empty room. I decide to discuss this with my new roommate as soon as possible.  
    When the room looks and smells more like my room back home   I feel a little less homesick. There are certain smells that just make me feel happy: the smell of fresh cut grass, the briny smell of the ocean or the smell of concrete after a summer rain. Lavender is at the top of   my list of feel good smells. I sit   on my bed   thinking about home.   I jump up when my new roommate rushes in like a strong wind.   In one swift motion she hugs me--- releases me then swirls around on her hee l s and looks at the room.   “ Holy Moses this place is gorgeous and it smells so good.   We have to go shopping.   I want my side to be pretty to. I ’ m sorry, I didn ’ t introduce myself. ”     She places one hand on her chest,   “ Sarah Goldman drama major. ”     She is wearing a short tan and orange peasant dress with puffy sleeves.   She has long straight blond hair parted perfectly down the middle and a Pocahontas headband around her forehead.   Sarah is about five inches taller than me, slender with angular features and bright green wide set eyes that seem to take in everything at once.  
    I ’ m stunned by the charge of words being hurtled at me.   I shake my head to clear the fog and extend a hand.     “ I ’ m Leila Peterson architecture major, nice to meet you. ”
    “ Architecture ooh no that will   never   do it ’ s much too sensible. ”   Sarah plops down on my bed and I wince.     “ Your bed ’ s so soft, ”   she says rubbing the pink satin duvet.     “ I never thought a dorm bed could be so soft. Why architecture, you should be a decorator or better yet a designer so that the whole world can enjoy your creations. ”
    “ An architect is a designer and it has very practical career options. ”
    “ What are you mean options? I know a shit load of people who would pay through the nose to have you make their homes look this good. ”   She waves her hand and motions around the room.
    “ I ’ m not sure how to respond to that, ”   I say.
    Sarah bounds to her feet.     “ We ’ ll worry about that later, tomorrows problems will take care of themselves.   Tonight we party! ”     She takes hold of my hand and drags me out the door.
    “ Sarah, are you on medication? ”
    “ No sweetie not anymore, ”   she says as we trudge down the hall.
    “ You do realize tomorrow ’ s a school day? ”
    “ What are you nuts? You ’ re in college.   It ’ s a well known fact that you only have to dedicate two or three hours a day to school.   You can spend the rest of the day sleeping and the night living. ”
    We walk around the rear of   Dwinelle   Hall and approach a group of men and women standing in front of Durham studio.   They all look so theatrical.   I half expect them to start snapping their fingers and break into a scene from   ‘ West Side Story ’ .   Sarah leaps over to a man in white tights posing in the first position of ballet. She grasps the back of his neck and presses her forehead to his.   She steps back and he lifts her hand above her head and she twirls around on   demi-point.   It ’ s like some strange courting ritual. The group claps and Sarah bows.
    “ Everyone this is my new roommate Leila Peterson.   She ’ s going to be a designer and make the world