Chapter One:

The Introduction

Peter walked slowly with a tray in his hands trying to locate Walter. Since he did not see him immediately, he instinctively made his way over to their usual booth near the corner.

He soon spotted Walter, in the regular spot, and instantantly noticed a comical flaw in the mauve colored shirt Walter was wearing .

“See, now, to me that button is in the worst possible spot,” said Peter as he placed his tray on the table across from Walter. “The second button literally makes or breaks the shirt. Look at it. It’s too high. It’s in no-man’s land. It looks like you live with your mother.”

Walter, slightly irritated, replied, “Are you through?”

“You do, of course, try on when you buy?” asked Peter teasingly.

“Yes,” Walter retorted immediately. “It was purple. I liked it. I don’t actually recall considering the button.”

“Oh, you don’t recall?”

Holding his spoon up to his mouth and doing his best imitation of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Walter replied, “Uh, no, not at this time, Senator.”

“You know, all this seems sort of familiar,” chuckled Peter.

At that moment, it was as if Peter and Walter first realized that they had food in front of them, and they ravenously tore into their breakfasts.

Then, suddenly, Peter remembered the question his roommate Teddy told him to ask Walter: “Oh. Do you want to go to lunch at around one with me and Teddy and his friend?”

“Uh, I’d like to, but I don’t think I have time,” replied Walter. “I still have to write an intro for my paper.”

“Still?” questioned Peter, surprised.

“Yeah. I just can’t write intros. I don’t know how. They are infinitely harder to write than the rest of the paper.”

“Please. Just put together a quick outline of what you are going to discuss, define some key terms you use throughout your paper and then tack on the thesis. It’s that simple,” explained Peter. “Now, lunch?”

“I can’t,” reiterated Walter. “Even with your advice, I still have to write it.”

“Fine,” expressed a defeated Peter.

And with an unspoken understanding, both Walter and Peter bused their trays and walked out of Umphrey-Lee.

At about the same time Peter and Walter were finishing their breakfasts, Teddy was frantically searching his and Peter’s dorm room for a lost book. Not until after Peter returned to their room did he finally discover it where he had left it: in his bed.

“Are you and Walter still coming to lunch today?” asked Teddy. “I’m really excited to introduce you guys to Melissa.”

“Uh, sort of. I’ll be there, but Walter won’t be,” said Peter. “He still has to finish his paper.”

“Still?” asked Teddy, though not surprised.

“I know.”

Teddy picked up his backpack, his newly discovered book now inside, and headed toward the door. “All right. So I’ll see you at one?”

“Yeah. See you there,” reassured Peter.

In the very back of Jimmy John’s, by the soft drink dispenser and the corridor to the restrooms, Peter sat by himself eating a tuna sandwich and contemplating how much longer he should stay and wait for Teddy and his friend. He had been waiting for them for a good 32 minutes, and he was growing more impatient with each passing second.

Upon finishing his sandwich, he decided that he had waited long enough. However, when he stood up to leave he noticed Teddy in the doorway. But, more importantly, he noticed Teddy’s friend, Melissa-he would later recall that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

“Hey, sorry we’re late. Melissa forgot about our rendezvous so I had to go get her,” said Teddy apologetically. “Melissa, this is Peter. Peter, Melissa.”

Teddy watched, slightly puzzled, as Melissa and Peter greeted each other for the first time. Neither of the two was acting according to the demeanor Teddy had grown accustomed to seeing from them: Peter seemed more agreeable and Melissa laughed more. And their eyes never seemed to stray far from the other.

“Umm, well, I think we order our sandwiches at the counter over here,” interrupted Teddy.

“Oh, right, go ahead,” said Peter. “I’ll grab us a table.”

From the table, Peter watched carefully as Melissa ordered her sandwich and filled her cup with Sprite. He was completely enraptured by her every movement.

When she finally joined him at the table, along with Teddy, he had to fight against his will to stare at her and strike up a conversation, though every now and then he would catch himself staring for too long.

“So, how’d y’all know each other?” Peter began.

“We went to the same high school. I played lacrosse with her boyfriend,” replied Teddy.

Boyfriend?!? Peter worried. Though he calmly replied, “Oh. Where does your boyfriend go to school?”

“USC,” Teddy answered for her.

“Oh,” replied Peter solemnly.

“But we aren’t dating anymore,” added Melissa.

“Oh,” answered Peter a little more enthusiastically.

That was the final clue Peter needed to move. Normally he had much more difficulty talking to the fairer sex; however, today, his conversation was fluid and his jokes funny. To him, conversation with Melissa was no more difficult than conversation with Walter.

After a few minutes of worryingly glancing at the clock, Teddy decided to interrupt. “Well, I guess we should be heading back. We’ve got class pretty soon.”

“Aw, really?” inquired Melissa.

“Yeah, but the teacher’s pretty cool. She won’t mind if I’m a little late,” responded Peter. “Can I walk you back to your room?”

“But Peter, we are supposed to turn in our papers today,” interjected Teddy.

“Just tell her I am having a little trouble printing it out. She’ll understand,” said Peter.

Although Teddy looked worried, Peter didn’t give him a second glance. His eyes were reserved solely for Melissa.

“Shall we?” he suggested, offering her his arm.

“Certainly.”

As they left Jimmy John’s, arm in arm and laughing, Teddy stood behind, worried and confused, but not for long, for he had to get to class soon.

The late afternoon sun beat down on the steps of Dallas Hall and the few students who dared to venture from the shade during that deserted period when classes are in session.

Walter was exiting the building when he saw Peter making his way up the worn, stone steps.

“Hey, Peter, what’s up?” greeted Walter.

“Ah, nothing. Just turning in my paper,” answered Peter.

“You didn’t turn it in during class?”

“Let’s just say you missed a helluva lunch. Melissa, Teddy’s friend, was unbelievable,” proclaimed Peter gleefully.

“Wow. Who’d have known?” replied Walter.

“Yeah,” whispered Peter, a sly smile on his face as he thought about the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Walter, deciding that he did not want to sit through Peter’s daydream, interrupted, “By the way, that intro advice completely failed me.”

Peter, in a daze, responded after a moment, “What?”

“I volunteered to read mine aloud to be critiqued. It turns out that it is plagued with problems,” explained Walter.

“Ouch. Sorry about that, man,” consoled Peter.

“Eh, don’t worry about it. Since I read it out loud I have the opportunity to correct it and turn it in next class.”

“Well, at least some good came out of it,” said Peter, slightly despondent that his advice had not worked.

“Yeah. But since you failed to give me adequate advice on constructing my intro, I’m gonna need a favor,” stated Walter hopefully.

Peter looked dubiously at Walter before proceeding. “What?”

“My girl comes into town next week,” Walter proceeded. “I’m gonna need her to stay with you and Teddy.”

“Are you serious?” inquired Peter.

“Yeah. You’ve met my roommate, man. He won’t allow girls to be in the room after dark let alone stay there overnight,” pleaded Walter.

“Fine,” acquiesced Peter. “But you’re taking care of her, not me-and no messing around on our futon.”

“Deal,” agreed Walter, without hesitation. “And don’t worry, man. She’s cool. She won’t give you any problems.”