"Do you have any plans for this weekend?"

"Do you have any plans for this weekend?" You immediately second-guess that question, since you already know that with the types of rules Mark lives under, he can't possibly have anything planned that is more exciting than doing his laundry.

His answer confirms your suspicions.

"Not a damn thing. My dad is out of town until Sunday, so I am just supposed to stay home and catch up on laundry and studies. When he gets back we might have an exciting outing to the art museum," he says, with an exaggerated roll of the eyes.

You feel sorry for the guy. Even if you can't introduce him to your wild world of debauchery, the least you could do is keep him company. You decide to suggest that, but wonder whether it would be best to offer to hang out with him at his place or to invite him to stay with you on campus.

Of course -- and this is a truly wild and dangerous notion -- you could invite him to spend the weekend with you and your family back home.