Angie

My first week of college, I discovered there was another girl on my hall with the same name. I didn't like her.

Two weeks later, she walked into my room and announced she would be my roommate since I had been living alone and she was tripled. I didn't like her. I ran to my high school friend's room and cried.

But Angie moved in. We had a lot in common. She wasn't evil, and she didn't choose her name. A few weeks later, I went home with her for Fall Break. We surprised her parents, who live in a little yellow farm house in the middle of a corn field in Nebraska. We bonded that weekend, Angie, me, and her family.

Freshman year was hard on Angie and I. I hadn't lived with anyone (in 12 feet of space) ever, and wasn't always the nicest person. Angie slept during the day and hung out with Steve, her future husband, all night. I slept at night and worked early in the morning. But somehow, when Angie and I were awake at the same time, we found calm in each other. My favorite memory of that year was during the weekend before finals. I woke up early on Saturday and did some homework. Angie woke up a few hours later and I brought her breakfast in bed (leftovers from a hall breakfast party). We ate and talked and decided to go lay in the sun and "study." After getting hot and sweaty, we needed 44 oz cherry limatdes from Sonic, so we borrowed Steve's car and went. Steve was playing volleyball with our other friends in the park, so we ended up there, watching, not joining what seemed like another volleyball team practice. Heading back to school, we found ourselves in Josh and Tom's room, watching them play videogame-football. It was 6oclock and we hadn't showered or even gotten dressed, but the day was perfect. Relaxing and motivating.

So, that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. At times, we thought we might never speak again, but Steve knew we would stay forever. This weekend, Charlie and Leanne, Angie's folks, were out in California for a famer's convention. We'd agreed to hang out on Saturday, and since Angie gets free flights working for Frontier, I encouraged her to come out too. She didin't tell her parents, so we surprised them on Saturday morning. I picked them up at the hotel and Angie and Steve (and baby Malorie) made their way to the beach. They were sitting on a park bench when Charlie, Leanne, and I walked up. Leanne screamed with elation. I died laughing. It was great fun.

So, surprise #35 (probably.) I suspect events, weekends, like these will be a regular part of life. We graduated nearly 4 years ago and Angie and I (and Steve) are closer than ever. They popped in for a day...ate and left this morning. How lucky can a girl be, to see her friends so easily and so joyfully.

I love the bond. My sister said this morning, after a very late night of catching up and conversing (which Amber rarely does), "I like them a lot. They can come back anytime." I hope they all do.