Thryn's version

A long time ago, on a warm September day in the year 2000, I was walking through The Commons, the campus housing building for the Maryland Institute, College of Art, and my new home for the year, when I heard drumming coming from one of the rooms. I asked my new friend Krystal Higgins, "Who plays drums in that apartment?" "All of them," she replied, having met the three guys who lived there. "Oh really?" I said. "I've got to get me one of those drummers."

A few days later, on September 8th, I was in line at a Spaghetti Dinner held in the Commons Gatehouse. A handsome young fellow with long sideburns was in front of me. "Hi, you're Thryn right?" he said. He looked familiar, but I had not met him before. "Yeah, I'm Thryn. But I can't remember your name. What is it?" I asked, to be polite. "You have to guess," he replied with a smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes. Then the girl in front of him whispered loudly, "it's Gabe." I smiled at him and said, "Gabe!"

We ate our spaghetti together, with a few other people. After dinner, we decided to look at each other's slides to see what kind of artwork each of us did. While we were in my apartment, I told Gabe I was excited because I had just bought a new pair of pajamas and I couldn't wait to wear them. He frowned at me and said I had better wash them first to remove the chemicals. "What!?" I said. "I'm not going to wash them first! I'm just going to wear them." "Ok, if you want to get harmful chemicals all over you while you sleep, that's fine." he said. "Maybe I'll just put on my pajamas and then go jump on your bed." I said.

Later that night, wearing my new pajamas, I took a walk around the Commons. I heard music coming from the apartment where the drummers lived. The door was open, and one of the guys who lived there, Rueben, was sitting outside. He invited me in and I found the two other guys who lived there, Austin and Gabe, playing guitar in Austin's room. So Gabe is one of the drummers, I thought to myself. I sat down and listened to them play guitar for a while. Then my nose started to run from allergies. I asked Gabe if he had any tissues, and I followed him to the bathroom to get some. The room he shared with Rueben was next to the bathroom. I looked in and said, "Is that your bed?" pointing to the one with the plaid flannel bedspread. "Why yes it is," he said. I looked at him, and then at the bed, and then walked over and started jumping up and down on it. He laughed, and yelled in mock horror, "Nooo! Harmful chemicals!!!"

He was leaving the next day to attend a banquet in New Jersey, so he showed me the hideously ugly early 90's tie that he was planning to wear. I sat down at his desk, and he sat on his bed. We talked until the sun came up.

Gabe's version

A long time ago, in a city far far away (Baltimore), I attended the Maryland Institute College of Art. It was the beginning of my freshman year in September of 2000 and I lived in the Commons—MICA's campus housing and my new digs for the next two years. I liked to play the drums a lot and so did my roommates. We were known as the apartment with the drummers.

One night I decided to take a break from drumming and go to a Spaghetti Dinner in the Commons Gatehouse. I was standing in line to get spaghetti with a friend named Lara and I noticed a pretty girl standing behind me. I knew I had seen her on campus a few times and had flirted with her; she'd definitely remember me. "Hi, you're Thryn right?" I said. "Yeah, I'm Thryn. But I can't remember your name. What is it?" She didn't remember me. "You have to guess." I said with my best "suave" look on. She flirtatiously rolled her eyes. My friend loudly whispered my name to her, and she mockingly guessed, "Gabe!" I wondered if she'd remember this time.

We ate our spaghetti together, with a few other people. After dinner, we all decided to look at each other's art slides. When we were in Thryn's apartment, she told me she was excited because she had just bought a new pair of pajamas and couldn't wait to wear them. I thought this was ridiculous because everyone knows when articles of clothing are mass-produced, they are saturated with chemicals to preserve them during shipping. I told her this, but to my surprise she said "What!?" I'm not going to wash them first! I'm just going to wear them." "Okay,
if you want to get harmful chemicals all over you while you sleep, that's fine." I said back. "Maybe I'll just put on my pajamas and then go jump on your bed." She retorted.

Later that night, my roommate, Austin and I decided to play some music. We got together with a couple of girls who wanted to play and listen. I played guitar. We were talking and playing for a while and then Thryn came in, in her PJs. She sat on the floor and watched us--I think she was watching me though. After not too long, she got a case of the allergies and needed a tissue. I led her to the bathroom to get one. As she covered her face with the tissue she said "I hate my nose." I thought she looked cute. She looked from the hall into my adjacent bedroom (that I shared with my roommate Reuben). She asked me "Is that your bed?" "Why yes it is," I said. She looked at me, and then at the bed, and then skipped over and started jumping up and down on it. I chuckled and yelled in jest,"Nooo! Harmful chemicals!!!" I didn't mind her getting chemicals on my sheets.

I was going to a banquet the next day near my home in New Jersey so I brought out this cool retro tie that I was going to wear and showed it to her. I don't think she liked it very much. We both sat in my room talking all night.