He stays to help out for a little.

It was true -- driving home now meant everyone was trying to escape the storm -- he should wait it out only a little to see if it would let up to avoid an accident with any other drivers.

"I'll wait it out just for a little bit."

She nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

So, they began.

He opened up one bag with a poster, some fairy lights, and a bunch of pictures. He began to untangle the lights. "So, who's your roommate? Do you know her yet?"

Stephanie was working on putting sheets on her bed. "No idea. I figure she'll probably come tomorrow or the next day or something since the storm. I hope she's nice."

"What if she's the worst person ever?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I've dealt with my sister for the majority of my life -- I think one new worst-person-ever won't matter."

He laughed a little. "Do you not like Kaitlyn?"

She laughed back. "No, I love her. Just a bit of playing around."

"What would be your dream dorm-mate?"

She thought for a second. "Hm...around my height so we can share clothes, a good sense of humor and taste for music...nice, preferrably rich so I can just befriend her and live off of her parent's trust fund or something. I'll be her yes-girl."

"Not a bad idea. What if she's all catty and bossy though?"

She turned to him and rolled her eyes. "Once again. Kaitlyn."

They both laughed together before falling silent for a moment.

"One more strip of tape and it should hold." He reached back and she put the smallest of strips on his finger. He scowled and shook it off. "Bigger than that, you dummy."

Once he attached it, he got off of the bed and they both stepped back to check it out.

"Wow." They said in unison.

Her side of the room was now complete. A bunch of pictures were attached to both a strip across the top of her wall and next to her bed. She had fully flourished her closet, had everything nicely neat and hung -- and fairy lights from her side of the room to the door. Her bedspread was boring -- just a navy blue sheet set and white pillow, but it would function. She tossed her empty bags into the little nook made by the desk near her bed and sighed.

"Yep, that looks like a basic college girl's room to me." She joked.

"You're missing the pumpkin spice latte cups and the poster that says, 'Live, Laugh, Love'." He said jokingly back.

She pursed her lips, trying to refrain from smiling. "I, uh, had that poster. Kept it in the bookbag because I knew you'd say something."

They shared another laugh and he instinctively put an arm around her as they admired their work. She didn't shrug him off.

"Good work, kid." He turned to look at her. Their faces were dangerously close.

"Thanks. I had a little bit of help, though. Not a lot, but a little." She looked back.

Both realizing how close they were now, he took his arm off from around her and he scooted a little ways away. He checked out their small window.

It was covered.

She peered with him. "I didn't realize how much time we'd wasted. I'm so sorry." She looked down at the ground sadly, a little ashamed.

He shrugged. "Don't be. It'll be clear tomorrow -- I'll just sleep in my car and tell Kait I'll be at my house tomorrow. You needed the help. And plus -- you were right in the car. We really don't spend enough time together. You're pretty cool for a little kid."

She blushed. "I'm only four years younger than you, once again, Tyler."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Anyways --" He checked his watch. It was about 5:00 P.M., "I should probably head out and see if you guys have anything to eat on campus before sleeping in my car."

"Er-- no! Wait. I have food. Don't go out in that weather." She looked through another bag and pulled out some microwave burritos.

He laughed. "Such a healthy meal."

She smiled, looking at them. "Yeah, not very healthy for a student athlete. But, c'est la vie."

"You should probably look into getting a mini fridge and a microwave so we don't have to go to the common room next time."

"Next time? Planning on spending the night sometimes here, bud?" She raised an eyebrow. For a split second -- he swore he saw her give him a once-over. She broke into a gentle laugh. "Kidding. I know what you mean."

There they sat, on the floor of her dorm room, sharing a paper plate as they ate burritos. Tyler had said something funny and they both laughed.

"You're funny." She noted, munching away on a bean and cheese burrito. "I can see why Kaitlyn likes you so much."

"Oh? She talks about me?" He himself was munching on a chimichanga.

She nodded. "Ehh, I plead the fifth...but yes. She talks about you a lot. I never said that, though."

"What does she say?"

She hesitated. "Oh, you know. You're cool and stuff."

"That's it?"

"I'm her sister, you think I'm just gonna tell you everything she says?"

He waited for a moment. She sighed.

"She says you're a really cool and fun guy. Very funny, too. Responsible. Um...strong."

"And?"

"Um...cute. In the way you do things. Sweet things. You're really nice."

He smiled. "And was any of that right?"

She looked at him and smiled back. He felt something stir in him that definitely shouldn't have. "All of it."

"How do you know how strong I am?"

"Well, you carried all of those bags in one trip, so that's pretty strong to me."

"That's how you dictate strength? Bag-carrying?"

"Well are you trying to tell me you aren't strong?"

"I'm plenty strong."

"Then prove it."

He got up off the floor. "Get up, then." She got up and put her hands on her hips.

He grabbed her by her waist and hoisted her up high (a little above his head) in one movement. "Strong?"

She was blushing. "U-Um, yeah."

He tried setting her down but lost his grip (so much for being strong), losing his balance. In order to keep from dropping her, he took a few steps and pressed her against him on the wall, making a large _thud _noise as they collided.

She instinctively wrapped her legs around his body. He blushed. She blushed. They looked at each other and he let her down.

"Hopefully your RA didn't hear that." He cleared his throat.

"...Yep."

"So, uh, yeah. Thank you for the burrito -- I should really get going before I can't open my car door anymore."

She said nothing, only smiled. He gathered his burrito and jacket.

The moment his hand reached the handle, she spoke up.

"Wait." She said.

He turned to her. "Um...yeah?"

She sighed. "Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, I'm a virgin."

He was taken aback. "Really? What?"

She blushed and looked down to her hands. "Um...yes. I wasn't really all that interested in dating in high school and stuff, so I focused hard on sports and...yeah. I never got around to, um. You know. Doing it."

"Well there's nothing wrong with that. Plenty of girls lose it during college. There's no reason to be, like, ashamed or embarrassed."

"I think it's my turn for a question," She said, biting her lip.

He wanted to hear her out.

"Do you maybe...wanna stay the night in my dorm? I mean, you know. It's just cold and all of that out there. I have a spare blanket. You can sleep on the floor."