She walked through the door looking back only to see him fade
into the crowd of students pouring across the plaza in front of the auditorium.

She watched him recede vowing that she would make a point of finding out more about him.

There was the freshman boat ride in a few days-there was her next opportunity.

Suddenly a voice said:

'Wow, that was chemistry if I have ever seen chemistry.'

It was Nancy, Nicole's roommate.

They had first met only the day before
when Nicole had arrived at the college for the week long orientation
which included of course meeting one's roommate.
 
Nancy was already there in the room when Nicole arrived her bags in hand

looking to see where she would she might spend the next four years of her life.

The two eyed each other momentarily
quickly sizing each other up after some long seconds
deciding that they liked one another.

Nancy was there on an academic scholarship
just like Nicole and they had been paired together
probably because they had somethings in common.

They seemed to be each other's type,
studious, quiet
and had settled in with each other comfortably.

Nancy falling in beside Nicole
was talking and saying:

'Who was that beautiful blond guy you were talking to. When he put his hands on you I almost died.'
Nancy was gushing.

'Blond? ' Nicole said, blankly? 'Who are you talking about? '
 
'You know the big blond who opened the door for you looking deep deep into your eyes, ' Nancy said giving Nicole her best dreamy-eyed girl look.

Nicole looked at her again blankly finally saying.
'He was no blond. Didn't see any blond.'

Then with a shock Nicole realized that in her mind's eye recounting Nancy's blond and the Beast guy shifted back and forth between the tall blond Nancy was going on about and her guy, her ugly guy.

Nicole stopped cold on the street.

'What the hell is going on here? ' she thought to herself.

'Did he have a red vest on? ' she finally asked Nancy.

'Yes, that is the one? ' Nancy answered quickly.

The blond in Nicole's vision did have a red vest on but, her Beast did not.
It was naturally a black vest.

Nicole stopped, her mouth dropping, at her own thoughts.

Nancy touched her arm.

'Are you alright? '

To be continued