by Gen Griffin
“You're in the parking lot,” Patty said patiently. She appeared slightly embarrassed but Gracie didn't care. Brett's death wasn't the only reason she was less than eager to return to dorm life. “All school buildings and property are considered family-friendly environments. No sexual behavior of any kind will be permitted in any public area. The student handbook clearly states-.”
“I definitely don't care about the student handbook,” David cut Patty off.
“It doesn't matter whether or not you care about the handbook,” Patty peered into the truck, “As long as y'all are students here you have to follow the rules.”
“Patty, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't care about stupid dorm rules. I'm 18 years old and I can kiss whoever I want, wherever I want.” Gracie laced her fingers back through David's. “If I want to make out with my boyfriend in the cab of his truck, I'm going to.”
“Not on campus, you won't.” Patty seemed to remember who she was supposed to be and what she was supposed to be doing. “Gracie, I don't want to write you up but I will.”
“Write her up for what?” David slid the sunglasses up onto the top of his head, narrowing his eyes at Patty. He put one arm across the edge of the truck's window, giving Patty a preview of the tattoos that covered most of his torso. Patty took half a step back away from the door. She opened her mouth once and then closed it again abruptly. Gracie almost laughed. Almost.
“Inappropriate sexual behavior,” Patty replied with a slight hesitation in her voice. “You can either stop making out or drive off campus, but I cannot allow you to continue behaving in a sexually deviant manner in an area of campus that is supposed to be a safe learning environment.” She sounded like she was quoting a manual because she was. Patty had a habit of quoting the student handbook anytime she got flustered by the behavior of the girls on her hall.
David turned to face Gracie. “Is she serious?” He jerked his chin in Patty's direction.
“She can kick me out of the dorm for it,” Gracie told him. “I told you I didn't want to be here anymore.”
“That's stupid,” David replied. “Since when are college students not allowed to make out?”
Gracie shrugged her shoulders. Patty surprised them both by answering the question.
“The rule was made so that no one, absolutely no one, will ever feel uncomfortable in the dorm,” she said. “My freshman year here, we had a lesbian girl sharing a room with an extremely Christian girl. The Christian girl complained to Campus Housing about how uncomfortable she felt in her own room whenever her roommate brought her girlfriend over. It wasn't the first time someone had complained about being made uncomfortable by other student's sexual behavior. The college's board of directors decided the easiest way to eliminate problems like this was to ban all sexual behavior from public locations.”
“Explain again how my truck is a public location?” David didn't look remotely amused.
“You're parked on campus. I saw y'all making out, which means anyone can see you.” Patty shrugged her bony shoulders, making her lime green shirt slide to one side. “Look, I'm not trying to make problems. I just want everyone to follow the rules. If someone sees y'all making out here and decides to complain to the dean, I'm the one who has to explain why I allowed this type of behavior to occur.”
“You can really write Gracie up for kissing her boyfriend in a truck?” David asked.
“I can. If I catch her again, I will,” Patty spoke the words firmly. “Now I suggest y'all either go somewhere else or get out of the truck and go about your business.”
“Just go away, Patty.” Gracie glared at the other girl. “We'll do whatever we damn well please.”
“A written reprimand will go in your student file, Gracie.”
It was on the tip of Gracie's tongue to tell Patty exactly how much she didn't care about her student file when David nodded at Patty. He squeezed Gracie's fingers tightly. “I guess we'll just have to behave ourselves then. Can't risk baby Gracie getting in trouble.”
“One kiss isn't worth the formal reprimand,” Patty told them with a small, smug smile. “You're making the right choice.”
“I'm sure we are.” David smiled back at her. The smile went nowhere near his eyes.
“Well, now that you understand how to behave appropriately, I'll leave you two lovebirds be.” Patty smiled at Gracie again. “Are you coming to our movie social tonight?”
“Avocado facials with 150 giggling girls and a chick flick?” Gracie rolled her eyes as Patty nodded. “Not a chance.”
“Suit yourself,” Patty said with a small sigh. She turned back to face David. “It was nice to meet you. Have a nice evening.”
“You too.” David shook his head as he rolled the window of the truck back up and smirked at Gracie.
“Are you starting to understand why I hate it here?” Gracie gave David the most pitiful, pleading look that she could manage. “Take me home. Please.”
“If I didn't think the cops would be looking for you by the end of the week, I would.” David ran one hand through her long hair, playing with the tips of it. He chewed his lower lip for a moment. “That chick was serious about the no sexual contact policy?”
“Very. Patty writes people up all the time. No one wants to be assigned to Colloway Hall because of her.”
Much to Gracie's surprise, David smiled. “You care if you get written up?”
“Of course not.” Gracie frowned at him. “When have I ever cared if I got written up?”
“True.” David gave her a wicked grin. “Remember when I said that we needed to make sure everyone in this dorm remembered you came back from the weekend with your boyfriend?”
Gracie suddenly had a pretty good idea of where exactly David's train of thought had derailed. “I'm about to get written up, aren't I?”
“Damn right. And believe me when I say you're going to have fun doing it.”
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