The Outsider

Thank you Tigerssman for your editing help.

Author's note: I have added a few characters from my past stories called 'My RA," and "Friendships." series. Miss Daisy and Molly are now in their mid to late eighties, instead of thirty when you last saw them.

*****

Northern Canada

B was a freshman in college. He did everything he could to stay alone, even paying double housing costs for a private room. It was not like he didn't like people; he has an innate fear of being abandoned. He felt it stretched way back to when he was three years old. He had trust issues and did not have the social skills for small talk.

Chuck and Carol, B's friends since forever convinced B to go to a party. "Come on B, Chuck and I are going to an awesome party. You don't have school for two days."

Chuck and Carol were heavy into sports. Chuck loved box lacrosse and volleyball was Carols sport, she had a killer serve. They had practice starting a month before school started, so they already had their cliques.

As soon as everyone got to the party, they all separated into groups. B did not have a group; he grabbed a ginger ale and settled into the corner to nurse his drink. He thought an hour would be an appropriate amount of time before he left.

Then the head cheerleader sat next to him. The awkward silence between Kathy and B could fill a room. Then B started to cry. He raced for his bag, coat, and hat and went to the upstairs bathroom to change into cold weather gear. By the time B left, he was openly sobbing.

"Please give my apologies to the host and don't tell Chuck or Carol I left until they leave. I want to make sure they have a good time at the party. Promise?" Kathy nodded numbly.

By the time Kathy got her coat and hat on and went outside to see where B went, it was pitch black out and whiteout conditions. She did not know which way B went.

Chuck and Carol danced the night away. They were out of breath by the time they were saying their goodbyes. "Where is B?"

"He made me promise not to let you know he left until you were ready to leave. B. didn't want to spoil the party for you. He left well over an hour ago, crying."

"He is walking in this stuff; you can't see two feet in front of your face."

"Where does he live Chuck?" asked Carol.

"No clue, I never went there, and he is not exactly the talkative type."

Kathy commented, "Great, first boy who I thought I could give my digits to in over a year and he stops me mid-sentence. No one knows where he lives, he can't contact me, and I can't see him."

Carol comforted Kathy, "You have to see it from his side, you intimidated him, you are the head cheerleader and will have your picture splashed on the school newspaper every week, everyone would know who you are. On the other hand, 99.9 percent of the students here will not even know he exists. Of the other ten or eleven people, most will be faculty."

Six weeks earlier—

B was trying to explain to the housing administrator about his need for a private room, "Sir, I need a private room and will pay double housing to get one."

The housing administrator informed B, "Dorm rooms are at a premium, but I will make a few calls." After an hour B was handed three addresses.

The first address was trashy. B understood that between beers the neighbors could belch out the "Alphabet song" or perhaps "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Some would go for a higher degree of difficulty by teaming up and adding synchronized armpit farts to the selected song.

The second address looked perfect. In the back of the large garage was a separate entrance to a full story of disused living area. B immediately saw a significant hurdle he had to tackle first. He drove back to a friend's dorm and used his laptop to create a detailed, if not strict, ten-page contract.

The next day he made a call. "Matron, my name is B. I was by your place yesterday to look at a suggested living area for me.

"Yes, I was informed, and I saw you outside."

"Great, I figured you and any of your leadership that may be at the house would need to have many concerns addressed, so I created a draft of a contract for you to peruse."

Matron read the contract, then handed it to the President, Vice- President, and the secretary of the sorority.

"I think our lawyer should look this over before we sign."

"I insist, then we can make any changes and notarize two copies."

The lawyer exclaimed, "This has to be the best contract I ever read! It looks very straightforward. You need to have all your girls read the contract. He has written it in such a way, that if you breach the contract, all he has to do is inform you, and he can leave immediately."

As the women left the office, Matron felt relieved, and she was sure that her lawyer would protect her girls.

As B hoisted his meager belongings, a duffel bag, and a backpack, he felt excited. He finally had his privacy, and the sorority was getting a little more income.

He was not concerned about the constraints he put on himself with his contract. He did not want much to do with the sorority beyond paying rent, which he would post despite the fact he lived fifty feet from the house.

He was not a party person like his friends Chuck and Carol sometimes were, nor one that "shoots the breeze" with a friend. Chuck and Carol were the exceptions because they went to elementary school together. It was a natural thing to go to the same college.

It had been over five weeks since B moved in. Matron had been surprisingly impressed by B's behavior toward her girls. She was growing increasingly worried about B's isolation; she wanted to call a friend over from the Psychology college however, she had to act fast. In two days a massive blizzard was going to hit and would snow for thirty-six hours straight. Welcome to Northern Canada.

Matron and a well-groomed man with a pipe knocked on B's rear entrance. Once B found out Matron had called a professor from the Psychology college, for reasons unsaid, he stopped the contact. The Professor was quite put off by the encounter, but the boy was not doing anything wrong; in fact, the pair were interrupting his study time for his classes.

The following day, as the temperatures dropped and the wind speeds increased, B called Matron and notified her of the areas of the contract she had broken, and he would be leaving that night. B spent the day talking to a woman called Hellen; she was the Matron for the third address B was given. Minor changes fine-tuned the contract.

B joined Chuck and Carol at a steak house after he put his things into his new room. The snow had just started to fall. The party was that night.

Soon, B was sitting next to a beautiful woman. In a moment where speaking would ruin everything, neither spoke until he said his good-byes. She tried to give him her phone number, but he would not hear of it. He didn't know why he was crying, nor why he bolted out the front door into a raging blizzard.

Kathy rushed the second house, a week in. There were rumors about a boy living on the property. It got to the point where Matron had to call a special meeting to talk about the subject.

Matron started speaking, "While it is accurate that for a while we had a boy living on the property, to my shame, he listed several violations of the contract that many of you read. I noted that I did not think it was a big deal."

"He correctly stated that in my view it was no big deal that I breached the contract. I wish to point out that he was a complete gentleman and did nothing to violate his end of the contract. He exercised his right to move."

Kathy approached Matron after the meeting, and after they confirmed it was the same person Matron said, "He is no longer here. You don't have to worry about him."

"This may sound silly Matron, but I met him at a party the night of the blizzard. I only spoke a few words to him, not by my choice I might add, but I want to worry about him, and for a very long time to come."

"Oh dear, I can tell you he is still going to school here. In my opinion, he seems to be an adequate student, nothing to set him apart from the other students. I would think this profile would make him sit in the back of the room, so he is the first one out the door."

"It's the Cheerleader and the Ghost, like two ships passing in the night."

"I think Carol is upset with herself because she forced him to go to a party he didn't want to go to; as a result, he walked home in the blizzard. I doubt I will see him at any more parties."

B was glad he made a move. This house was more subdued than the last. It was an international sorority well known for its academic standards. These women were serious-minded academics. B was glad that he didn't have to adhere to their strict requirements.

One day a month into the term while eating lunch, Kathy noticed a cafe worker removing a chair from a two-chair table on the far side of the café. She never gave it much thought. Day after day the chair was never replaced. By mid-terms curiosity got the better of Kathy, and she asked the worker she saw carry the chair away what was the reason.

"Miss, it is because all day, only one person sits at that table, always alone."

"When does he eat here?"

"As soon as we open and around 4:30 PM, Miss."

"Right, I will be here."

The next day Kathy sprinted into the Café right up to B's table. "You! I have been looking for you all term. Let me have your phone."

Slightly intimidated, B handed it over. Kathy quickly filled in her contact info and took her picture, then dialed her phone so she could have B's number and swiftly took a picture of him.

"If you ever feel like stringing more than a couple of sentences together call me. You slipped through my fingers once; now you have to call me."

"You're her," pointing at the school newspaper he was reading, "You're the Cheerleader!"

"That's me, and you are Blizzard Boy. I don't give my number out to many people. Let's face it, most of the boys at this school are total assholes, but you, on the other hand, have never lied to me, and last I checked, you wanted to make sure Carol and Chuck had a good time at the party."

B replied, "Seeing we hardly said a word to each other that night, I guess that is true. Would you like to see if I lie to you during a late night movie tonight?"

"Are you asking me out on a date? I have high standards. A boy has to call me up and ask me properly."

A broad smile appeared on B's continence. RING, RING.

"Hello."

"Hi Kathy, this is B. A woman is nagging me here in the Café, saying I need to call you to ask you out on a date. Would you like to accompany me to the pictures tonight?"

"Well, I need to check my schedule. I am a very busy person you know, and this is rather sudden. You are in luck; I seem to be free tonight. You have to buy your own snow caps though, I don't share mine."

Everyone was preparing dinner when Kathy got back to the house. She couldn't stop smiling.

"Well, look at little miss cheerleader over there. We all know what that smile means don't we girls; what's his name?"

Matron and the girls were all laughing at Kathy's expense until she dropped the bombshell.

"Kathy blushed several shades of red. "Well if you must know, his name is B and finding him would have been much easier if he didn't have to move."

There was now dead silence in the kitchen except for several spoons stirring pots.

"He is so sweet. He is quite the chatterbox when you find the right topic, that being us. Matron, B is taking me out to the late night cinema. Can I stay out past curfew?"

Matron was still processing the information. "Yes, you may, but you used your only curfew pass."

The vice-President chided, "Late night movies, wink. wink, nudge, nudge."

B didn't know what to get for Kathy, but as she is a cheerleader he got some flowers the same as the school colors and had them dipped in liquid nitrogen.

That night when he rang the doorbell, he handed Kathy the flowers and said, "The water in the flowers, now frozen, are now crystalline and very fragile."

As Kathy accepted the flowers, the light refracted off each petal in full bloom, giving it an eerie beauty.

"They are beautiful B. No one has ever given me anything like it before."

"Come meet the girls." B gave Kathy a nervous glance, "It's OK, take my hand. Now that I found you, I won't let you go."

The thought was comforting when he slipped his hand into Kathy's. He found it warm, a natural fit,as if that is where his hand was made to go. When Kathy gave B's hand a gentle squeeze, he looked into her warm, green pools that are her eyes.

Unbeknownst to B, Carol also rushed for the same sorority as Kathy. As she was coming down the grand staircase the old Manor home had, she surveyed the scene that lay before her. A tear trickled down her cheek; she could not be happier for her two friends. Carol bounded down the rest of the steps. "How ironic is this. The boy who couldn't string one sentence together when they met, is now dating the hottest woman on campus. Can I borrow him for a hug, Kathy?"

B's smile broadened. Carol enveloped him into a bear hug so tight he couldn't breathe. "I am so glad for you B," said Carol as she whispered into his ear.

"Kathy, if you hurt him, you will have to answer to me, and there will be hell to pay."

"Thank you for your concern, Carol. By this time tomorrow, I will have all our schedules synchronized. He won't have time to stray."

"Kathy, why doesn't the swim team have a cheer squad? It is much warmer than a cold football field." B didn't care what sporting event or competition he was going to see. He would get the top of the line digital camera and learn how to use it. It would be Kathy he would be going to see, not the game. Soon images of her would spring up around his room, and more than one would have a lipstick imprint on it.

The date was a bit of a blur. B knew Carol was right. He thought, "I am the biggest dork on campus, and Kathy turns heads." When Kathy went semi-formal, she was an absolute knockout. Women would follow Kathy's lead in fashion trends.

Kathy could tell B was very unsettled about the situation, so she used the one thing no one else on campus had, the power of the press. She got tickets for a black-tie art gallery fundraiser. Kathy also had pictures of her human side, such as eating ice crème, with a dollop on her nose, and a full giggling smile. Soon she had a full photo spread and wrote an article for the school paper.

The paper sold out in minutes. The editor had to do a reprint the following week with new pictures, but doubled the circulation; it took an hour longer to sell out. As far as the editor was concerned, the paper was there to print what the students were interested in, and Kathy and B were front page, above the folded material. Kathy's gambit worked; the spreads killed all need of gossip.

The yearbook and newspaper editors got together and agreed on a plan. They consulted Kathy and B. They said the pair were to be given two press passes for on-campus events. Kathy agreed, but under a few conditions: they were NOT the school's photo-journalist, they would go to the events they wanted to go to with the goal to have fun at the game, not to take snaps all night long, they would augment the yearbook or newspaper on occasion with pictures, or perhaps a story.

The first event was an afternoon concert put on by Kathy's favorite band. Her wardrobe choice was grunge, jeans with the group's tee-shirt with torn sleeves. Kathy wanted to show that at times she could be a socialite and also at others, a crazed concert goer like any other college person.

As the concert started, the lead guitarist noticed Kathy was singing each song word perfect. As the first set ended, and the backup band was to play, the headliners' guitarist snuck down from backstage, and asked Kathy, "Can I ask a favor of you? Do you think you could...?" Kathy readily agreed.

As the second set was to start, all the concert goers noticed there was a far more significant gap in the middle of the group's formation. The guitarist said, "Guys, we love playing for you, but we heard we had a number one fan here on campus." With that, Kathy did five forward tumbling flips from backstage to forestage. She was wearing a lapel mic.

"OK everyone, let's ROCK THIS HOUSE DOWN!" Kathy did a double fist pump. The crowd went wild.

Kathy earned the pair a backstage interview. As she knew everything the band ever wrote, she knew all of the interesting questions to ask. B could see the twinkle in Kathy's eyes when she was doing the interview.

Headline:

Concert-goer Kathy gets a backstage interview.

Soon every student and faculty were buying the paper; alums were paying to have it shipped to them. It was more interesting than the local business paper. Kathy made a blog that contained even more info called "The B Team."

More and more the camera and passes got left at home. B liked to be in the middle of the hordes where some pictures were taken with their phones only. He reasoned, "Kathy, if we are making events special by just being at the event, think of how it would affect another couple, us sharing the event with them, one on one."

Kathy and B were at school to get a degree, so Kathy tried to give something to the paper every other week, even if it was only fashion tips.

Even in classes, they fit hand in glove. What was a weakness for one was a strength of the other; they would tutor each other. As a result, each did better in their courses than expected. They took some classes together and joined some outdoor clubs. Kathy loved the ornithological club while B got great tips on how to use his camera to take quality pictures of the birds. His skill level developed vastly.

B was a complete gentleman, some kissing and holding hands only. After graduation if Kathy wanted, he would be elated to put a ring on her finger. They talked to each other about everything, working through each other's problems. Now they couldn't lie to each other even if they wanted to; the other would see a cover-up straightaway.

Finals were coming. Every day they had long hours in the library followed by a short stroll back to Kathy's house. Now B's house was in a more underdeveloped area, so B created a cross-country ski trail between the two houses.

Kathy had her finals early; she was a little miffed that B had two finals on the last day. Both had signed up for Spring classes, but they were going to skip the accelerated winter semester. Kathy packed his suitcase while B took his finals. B, now thoroughly drained from exams, climbed into the passenger side of the car and quickly fell into a slumber. They had six weeks together. Christmas was going to be with Mr. and Mrs. K. Kathy booked the second half of the trip alone in a ski lodge timeshare with lift tickets among other things included.

Each had cross-country as well as downhill skis. Kathy got a new camera for Christmas from her parents. Her parents could not be more thrilled for their daughter; they have not seen her this happy for years. Both of her parents saw the youngsters had their heads on straight; classes before socializing.

Near the resort were several wildlife sanctuaries that they could cross country ski through, birds and other wildlife abounded. For fun, they made a snowman near the parking lot, and B posed with it for a picture with the caption: Blizzard boy finds a friend. It didn't take long for Kathy to know as much as B knew about the camera. The professional photographers of the bird watcher's club were giving them more and more expert tips. Using software was a tremendous leap with the quality of the pictures.

Kathy took a picture of a mature female eagle sitting in a nest during a snowfall. One camera had an eight hundred millimeter telephoto lens, with a monopod, while the other didn't so they could get two kinds of shots. B brought a macro lens for close up shots. B also carried a four hundred millimeter lens for closer quarters.