Glen: “Spencer, where the hell are you getting these stories from?”

Spencer ignores him and keeps moving. She sees the dorms and rips open the main door. She looks left and right, unsure of where to go.

Spencer: “Right or left, Glen?”

Glen: “I don’t know, left!”

Spencer goes right. She sees a sign for the stairs and goes up.

Glen: “We couldn’t have taken the elevator?!”

Spencer: “There’s no time!” Taking two stairs at a time, Spencer finally reaches the second level. She can only go left and starts down to a hallway full of dorms. All the doors are shut, save one at the end of the hall. She slows down her pace to a quick walk, her heart racing from the running and the anticipation, and she tries to ready herself as she reaches the open door. But when she gets there, it is empty, except for a raven-haired girl, in dark clothes sitting at her desk. She looks up from her computer and stares unsure at the two out of breath visitors.

Girl: “Can I help you?”

Spencer: “Tour group?” Is all that Spencer can get out.

Girl: “They left already.”

Spencer: “To where?”

Girl: “No clue.”

Spencer: “Damn it!” Spencer slides down the girl’s dorm wall trying desperately to catch her breath and to calm her emotions. She had been so close. Her eyes start to sting as she feels the girl slipping away from her.

Girl: “Can I get you something?” The girl is staring at Spencer, not really sure how to proceed.

Spencer: “No, I’m fine.” She buries her head in her hands. Glen takes this opportunity to look around the small room. There are posters of different musical artist and great works of art on the wall, a bunk bed, a desk; it looks like any other dorm room.

Glen: “You a freshman?”

Girl: “I guess sophomore now.”

Glen: “Me too, at Duke.”

Girl: “Cool. Feel free to chill. I got this paper to write for my summer class. Mind if I put some music on?”

Glen: “Go ahead.” Glen looks over at his sister, who is still sitting on the floor with her head buried into her hands.

Glen: “What song is this?” Glen listens hard trying to place it.

Girl: “Hold on’, by Raife Davies.”

Glen: “Oh yeah, good song. Spencer, you remember you cried for like a week when he died?” Spencer doesn’t respond. Glen turns back to the girl.

Glen: “She was like, inconsolable. Every time we’d ask her why she was crying she’d be all like ‘I don’t know, I can’t explain it!” He says in a Spencer-like voice.

Girl: “Yeah, it was a real shame. So, Spencer, do you think you’ll be coming here?”

Spencer finally looks up.

Spencer: “Yeah, I think this is the school for me.”

Girl: “Oh, cool. You’ll like it.”

Spencer: “Well, we should go. Thanks for letting me crash here.” Spencer gets up and walks over to the door.

Girl: “No prob. Nice meeting you.”

Glen: “You too.” Glen follows Spencer out. She keeps walking down the hall, not waiting for her brother. She is defeated. The tears that she has trying to bury are starting to bubble up.

Glen: “Spen, can you slow down?!” Spencer keeps walking down the hallway, back to the stairs.

Glen: “Her name is Ashley!” Spencer stops dead. And slowly turns to her brother.

Spencer: “What?”

Glen: “That dude she was with, he said her name was Ashley.”

The biggest smile spreads across Spencer’s face. It looks like its threatening to rocket off.

Spencer: “Ashley.” Spencer says in barely a whisper.