A plan.

We were all sitting down to eat the night before the big party. It was late October, and even though Halloween was 4 days away, it was a Halloween party to celebrate on the weekend. I had bought a witches hat and some green face paint to go with a long black dress for the party. Every one was pretty quiet, as the end of the week had stagnated every ones usual topics of work, study, and weekend plans, so I broke the ice.

“Mom, how did you get popular in college?” I asked.

“That's a story I'm not sure a mother should tell her children to be honest.” She said this with a laugh, spilling a bit of wine on the table as she did so.

“What do you think dear?” she asked my father. He was rapidly turning beet red, and gently shook his head in response. His flush and denial made me curious.

”Tell me!” I exaggerated over a plate of half eaten spaghetti. Now it was her time for curiosity.

“Tell me Marie, why you want to know how to be popular in college?”

I told her about the party. A nice and assuredly handsome young man had invited me. He gave the invitation after I had helped him finish an assignment he found exceptionally difficult. He simply said to bring your own beer, and have a good time.

“Smart is so sexy.” My brother stated. “Thats how I met Jeanne. She definitely bailed me out of my physics exam.” He was referring to his most recent girlfriend. She was a very nice and pretty girl he had been dating for about a month now. She was not his usual type for sure.

“So how did you get popular?” I said returning back to the million dollar question before it could be derailed. My mother thought for a minute.

“Fine, if you must insist. You are both adults, but do remember, this was a long time ago. I'm a respectable woman now.”

My father let out a rare chuckle. Me and Tom joined in adding a chorus of laughter while my mother feigned disgust.

“Ok, here it is......I got naked,” She said. Every mouth at the table was agape, except my father who just held his head looking at his food. Me and Tom stared at her eyes wide, and expectant. “This was before I met your father, naturally. I lost at a game of strip poker while at a dorm bash across the hall. I definitely made some friends that night, and suddenly I was the first invite to every party on campus.”

“You were at a party naked!?” me and my brother shouted in unison.

“Well, it didn't start out that way! It involved a lot of drinking and some really bad card draws, but basically yes. I was the talk of the university for a week!”

“It's amazing we went to the same college and yet had such incredibly different experiences” my dad grumbled. “Oh,don't be grumpy Mr. Smartypants, you get to see me naked all the time!”

'Mom!” two voices shouted in unison.

“Hold your contempt you silly prudes, you knew mama was..... is a fun lady.” Dad laughed while me and Tom still maintained our shocked expressions. “Great, so all I have to do to make friends is get naked, and to think I've been living this whole time thinking brains were sexy” I scoffed.

“Oh, I'm not suggesting you get naked, and brains ARE sexy,” my mom said while rubbing my fathers chin. He had the grin of a very happy man.

“Second that!” Tom said grinning, clearly referring to Jeanne. “It would be quite the stir though!”

Again she laughed and this time me and Tom joined in her chorus while dad just shook his head. “Heck, just show up naked. You'll make a ton of friends!” We all shared a laugh at her ridiculous proposal. We talked about our studies with dad, our love lives, or lack there of with mom, and when dinner finished and we parted ways.