Emily Sanderson, stringbean no more

"I THOUGHT so! It's you! Hey Bryan!"

Bryan blinked at a familiar girl's face, eye-to-eye with him in the dorm hallway.

"Uh...Emily?" The last time he'd seen Emily Sanderson, he'd been looking UP at her at the sophomore mixer in high school. She was the tallest person in the room other than Mr. Burks, the ex-wrestler who taught history. But she'd been wearing heels, and Bryan had grown a few inches since then.

"You remember! I can't believe it, we're on the same floor!" she said.

Emily had grown into her shape, and her face had rounded out. She would still be the tallest woman in most crowds, and in figure she was more willow tree than Amazon Venus, but nobody here would call her "Giraffe" or "Witch" or "Stringbean" any more.

Bryan smiled at Emily. "Wow, it's been a few years!" he said. It had been a while. Back then he'd been kind of a goody two-shoes type, and she'd been a tall bundle of skittish nervous energy. He'd started hanging out with Scott later that year, and, well, things had changed a bit. He hoped Emily had loosened up a bit, too. But this was college. Nobody could say you had to run with just one crowd.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry," Emily said. "The last time I saw you I was stepping all over your feet at that dance, and I didn't even apologize. I think about that all the time."

Bryan laughed. "You're pulling my chain, Emily!" he said.

"Cross my heart," she said, running a finger in a big X across her chest. There was a dull snap of elastic. "Can you believe I have to wear a bra now?"

"That's a good thing, right?" Bryan said.

"I'm getting used to it," Emily said. "At least the bra part. But, y'know, guys look at me now. That's nice. Mostly."

Bryan looked. Something about Emily's face was different. "Contacts?" he asked, looking at her wide-set gray eyes.

Emily laughed. "No, I hated contacts. I got RK! I love it. No more glasses!" she said. "I was always losing them or sitting on them or something. Free at last!" she crowed. She spread her arms wide. Without looking.

"Ow," exclaimed Scott, who had come up from behind Emily.

"Oh I'm SO sorry!" Emily said, leaning down toward Scott. "Your poor nose! Are you OK? Hey! Scott?"

Scott's eyes lit up as Emily's face came close to his. "Stringbean, is that you? My God, you're beautiful!" A drop of blood gathered under his nose.

"Now you tell me," she said. "You were so mean."

"We gotta catch up. What are you doing this evening?" Scott said. He dug out a tissue and soaked up the blood.

Brian curled his lip. Scott was his friend, but he had been mean to Emily, and now he was practically hitting on her. He cleared his throat, but Emily spoke first.

"Well, I've got plans," she started. "I'm..."