School Days: Introductions
By MERZ
Irene and Inez meet on the first day of college

Irene Lindquist said goodbye to her parents and began unpacking 
in her dorm room.  Her parents had made the long drive in 
their pickup to carry Irene and her belongings to college.  
The family had lunch near campus, then the parents left her 
with hugs and tears to begin their three hour drive back to 
the farm.  Irene put her clothes in one of the two identical 
closet and dresser combinations and her school supplies in one 
of the desks.  She began making up one of the twin beds when 
the door to the dormitory room burst open.  

A short young woman bounded in, leaving a large footlocker in 
the doorway.  She glanced around the room, looked Irene up and 
down and announced, "That's my side of the room.  You'll have 
to move your things over to the other closet."  She wore black 
tights and a bulky white sweatshirt.  Her tightly curling 
black hair tumbled to her shoulders, framing an olive face 
with dark brows. 

Irene quickly apologized and said, "I didn't realize you had 
already selected a side.  I had the impression I was the first 
to arrive and both halves were available."

Planting her fists on her hips the newcomer narrowed her eyes. 
"I'm selecting now.  Move your stuff."

Irene gasped.  "But you can't just walk in and make me undo 
all my arranging.  Both sides of the room are identical.  I'm 
sure you'll be just as happy on that side."

The small woman immediately sat at the vacant desk, put down 
her elbow and held up her open hand.  "We'll arm wrestle for 
it.  When I win, I'll decide what side you get."

"But you're such a little thing.  That wouldn't be fair," 
Irene protested.

The shorter woman turned crimson under her olive skin.  "I've 
broken bigger women than you, Barbie.  And men.  If you don't 
arm wrestle me for it, I'm going to kick your ass and throw 
your stuff out myself."

Shocked, Irene settled down for the inevitable contest.  They 
gripped hands and the small woman said, "If you don't show me 
a little competition before I put you down, I'm going to kick 
your ass anyway."

They began with the smaller woman exploding into action.  
Irene's arm was half way to the desktop before she realized 
what was happening.  She recovered herself and stopped the 
descent.  Slowly she began pushing their arms up even.  Her 
challenger now wore a shocked expression and seemed to be 
exerting herself to the utmost, but couldn't stop the swing of 
the tide in this contest.  Irene slowly powered them past 
vertical and steadily drove her adversary's hand down flat.

"I'm sorry, and I hope I didn't hurt you, but you were very 
rude.  This is not at all how I wanted to start off with my 
roommate.  I hoped we might be friends," Irene complained.

The smaller woman sat staring at her overmatched arm in 
disbelief.  After a moment her face split into a wide grin.  
"That was incredible!  I have never met a woman of any size 
who could beat me like that.  Here, look at this."  She 
grabbed the hem of her big sweatshirt and pulled it over her 
head, then stood in the center of the room in tights and a 
sports bra.  Irene gasped. The smaller woman looked to be 
chiseled from stone.  Her arms and shoulders bulged with 
muscle, and Irene counted three rows of abdominal muscles 
stacked in sharp relief.  The small woman tensed her upper 
body and said, "Go ahead, feel this, anyplace.  Tell me if 
you've ever felt a harder body."

Irene hesitantly reached out and pinched at a triceps and poked 
at the middle of the offered stomach.  "My goodness, these are 
quite firm.  You really are something."  Her hand returned to 
 the solid upper arm of her new roommate, then returned once 
again.

"Yes, I am.  But you're something more.  I'm Inez Fonseca.  
Glad to meetcha.  Like I said, I've never met a woman who 
could put me down.  I know I'm short, but I've spent my whole 
life making up for that oversight - weight lifting, karate, 
I'm here on a gymnastics scholarship.  Let me see the arm that 
made beating me look so easy."  She grabbed Irene's arm and 
bent it into a flexing position.  "C'mon, show me what you 
have."

Reluctantly Irene held her arm at ninety degrees and tensed 
her upper arm.  The short woman, Inez, reached up and felt 
the swelling.  "Well, you sure have something there, but I 
can't really figure out how much.  I can check it all out 
later.  I didn't get your name.  With your power, what sports 
do you do?"

"Oh, sorry.  I'm Irene Lindquist.  I don't really do sports 
much.  Besides gym class just track and field in high school.  
The college invited me to try out here if I wanted to, and I 
guess I need to give it a try because I might get a little 
scholarship money if I qualified for the team.  Mostly I just 
worked on our farm which seems to have kept me fit."  Irene 
was clearly made uncomfortable by the attention focused on her 
and especially on her body.  At five feet ten inches and 180 
pounds Irene had always felt herself a gawky misfit.  She had 
gone through school towering above the boys in her class.  
Many had caught up to her height in high school, but she was 
large boned and plain looking, with thick eyeglasses.  Today 
as usual she had dressed so as to call as little attention to 
herself as possible in loose trousers and a flowered long 
sleeve blouse.  She had permed her hair the day before setting 
off halfway across the state to begin college.

"Track, huh?"  Inez persisted.  "Like running?  You don't look 
like a runner."

"Well, actually, I threw the shot put.  None of the other 
girls wanted to do that but we needed somebody for the event 
at meets so they asked if I would.  We were a small Class A 
school.  There was a girl at one of the Triple A schools who 
was much better than I was," Irene told her, blushing.

Inez grabbed her footlocker from the doorway and heaved it 
inside, her biceps flaring with power, the muscles in her back 
and shoulders rippling.  Before Irene could offer to help the 
small woman had it inside and began digging out her belongings 
and putting them away on the vacant side of the room.  

"So you're from this part of the country.  I'm from Chicago.  
It's a long way from home, but if I was going to college 
sports were going to pay for it.  This is the only place that 
offered me a full scholarship.  I'm enthusiastic at gymnastics 
but not real good, to be honest.  Have you met anyone else on 
the floor?  You and I ought to rule this place with the 
strength we pack into one room.  After we get things squared 
away you wanna take a walk around campus, check out the 
action?"  Inez chattered away nonstop.

"Why, yes, that would be nice.  I saw a bit when I came last 
spring to audition in the music school."

"Wow.  A musician and a jock!  What instrument do you play?  
Are you majoring in music?"

Irene blushed again.   "Well, I certainly don't consider myself 
an athlete.  As for my music, I'm afraid it's the same story as 
track.  My school district had an orchestra and needed someone 
to play the double bass they own.  I was the only girl tall 
enough and willing to try it back when I started.  I do play 
piano, but I qualified for a small scholarship to study the 
bass.  I'm not a music major, but like you I could only afford 
to attend college by putting together a financial aid package.  
Mine is more like a jigsaw puzzle than a neat package, 
actually."  

Soon Inez had her things stowed to her satisfaction. "Okay, 
I want to change into shorts, then we can take in the campus.  
You want to change?  Show the boys some leg?"

"No," Irene replied softly, "I'm not much of a shorts person."

Inez paused to study her new roommate.  Even allowing for the 
move to a rural state from Chicago she could clearly see that 
Irene's costume was unflattering, unfashionable and downright 
dowdy.  Thinking back over their conversation from the last 
hour she began to realize Irene was quite self-conscious about 
her size and looks.

When they stepped into the hallway they saw a small group of 
girls at the opposite end.  "Ah, the new neighbors," Inez 
rubbed her hands and marched toward them.  

Realizing her short roommate was about to issue some sort of 
challenge by way of introduction Irene sprinted ahead and 
greeted the group first.  "Hi there!  I'm Irene and this is my 
friend Inez from Chicago.  It's great to meet all of you.  We 
were just going out to look over the campus.  We'd be happy 
for company if any of you would like to join us."  
Introductions were exchanged all around. Inez was immediately 
made welcome and completely disarmed by the group.  

The pair set off again, leaving the other young women to 
unpack and settle into their own rooms.  Irene stole glances 
at the short powerful legs of her companion, flexing and 
stretching below her sweatshirt with each stride.  Her walk 
was more a bounding lope, her springy strides matching those 
of the much taller Irene. Rounding a corner they were startled 
to see half a dozen male students using leather belts to flog 
the naked backs of two younger and smaller ones.  The victims 
were in obvious pain with welts appearing on their pale skin.  
Suddenly one of the younger pair head butted the stomach of 
his tormentor and both victims made a break for freedom.  They 
flashed past the women with the mob in hot pursuit.  With no 
word or glance exchanged between them Inez stuck out a foot 
and tripped up the first of the pursuers while Irene stepped 
directly into the path of the next one and braced herself for 
the collision.  A sandy haired youth caromed off from the 
impact and sprawled backwards.  The one Inez tripped sailed 
through the air to belly flop onto the lawn.

"Watch where you're going, you fat cow," shouted the young man 
at Irene's feet.  He scrambled up, then did a double take at 
Inez' well muscled bare legs as he rose past them.  "Well, 
hello there," he greeted her, forgetting all about Irene.  The 
rest of the group had abandoned their chase and fell in behind 
the sandy haired leader who was eyeing Inez from head to toe.  
"I'm Todd Masters and you're clearly an angel sent to ease my 
suffering after this clumsy oaf ran into me," he said to Inez 
with what Irene took to be an inviting smile.

"No, no angel.  Just a friend of this woman you tried to run 
down.  Whazza matter, those two freshmen too tough for you all 
so you thought you'd try your luck on her?" Inez snapped back.

Todd turned red.  He stood about Irene's height and was 
clearly proud of the body he displayed beneath his unbuttoned 
shirt. "Those two are pledging our fraternity, Lambda Lambda 
Mu. We were helping initiate them into some of the rituals of 
manliness so they might measure up to the standards set by the 
rest of us Mu-ers.  Perhaps you would like to come by our 
house on Friday.  We're having a small function to welcome 
them and other pledges into our ranks.  I believe you will 
find the evening quite entertaining.  Many of the important 
people on campus will be there.  I, of course, and some of the 
other members of the football team.  You seem to be from out 
of town.  I'm the wide receiver for the team.  The press says 
I have magic hands.  It would give me great pleasure to show 
you why and help you settle into campus life."  Todd oozed 
charm as he continued to press himself closer to Inez.

"Magic hands, huh?  And a special salami I suppose.  Maybe my 
friend and I will stop by if we don't have anything else going 
on Friday."  

Reminded of Irene's existence Todd turned and gave her a quick 
dismissive look.  "I will look forward to seeing you Friday 
about six then.  Don't hesitate to let me know if you would 
like a more suitable escort to deliver you to our door. I can 
have one of the members walk you over."  With that he turned 
and led the frat boys off across the campus lawn.

"My, he's as handsome as I've heard," gushed Irene when the 
pack was gone.  "He was quite a talented football player in 
high school as well as in college. There is some talk of him 
possibly becoming a professional player after he graduates."

Inez snorted.  "I saw his talent when you flattened him.  That 
beefsteak wouldn't last ten minutes in the pros, or even at a 
major school.  No offense, but this is a pretty small pond 
that frog is swimming in.  Still, he does have a certain 
appeal in a corn fed sort of way.  Maybe we oughta stop by 
their little party."

They continued their tour of campus without further incident, 
finishing up at the gym and athletic field.  Inez looked over 
the gymnastics equipment while Irene found a trainer who 
agreed to let her try a few practice tosses with a shot put.  

Irene had arranged to try out on Wednesday and hadn't thrown 
the heavy ball since her last meet the previous spring.  Inez 
watched as Irene cradled the metal ball against her jaw, took 
a few shuffling steps and let fly.  The ball traveled a 
respectable distance before cratering to earth.  

Inez spoke up when Irene retrieved the weight. "Is that how 
you always throw that thing?  I know this isn't my sport, but 
can I make some suggestions?  Here gimme that thing.  You're 
letting one arm do all the work.  You need to get your whole 
body into the act."  She pulled off her sweatshirt to again 
display her impressive physique.  "Try it like this."  Inez 
went through a complicated approach, coiled herself down, then 
exploded as she released a throw that covered the same 
distance Irene had made.  Irene gasped as she saw all the 
muscle groups in Inez' upper body mobilize to make the throw.  
She felt herself flushing as she admired the muscles stirring 
just under the surface of Inez's skin.

"My goodness!  You matched my best throw!  I know my coach 
always suggested a similar sort of style, but I can see how 
you made it work to get impressive distance."

"Yeah, well I been using the old bod for enough years I can do 
most sports.  Try that windup and give it another toss," Inez 
encouraged.

Soon Irene forgot her self-consciousness and responded to 
Inez's scrutiny and advice with the result that she added six 
feet to her previous best distance in the next half hour.  She 
began enjoying the feeling as Inez touched and pushed her body
to correct her form.  She found herself repeatedly gazing at the 
muscles bulging on the smaller woman's arms whenever she 
lifted the shot.  "Thank you so much.  I think this will 
really help me with my tryout," Irene told Inez as she 
returned the shot. "You are really very good at coaching.  
Better than I had in high school." 

As a final stop Inez wanted to see the weight room.  "Not 
bad," she commented.  "How much do you bench, anyway?"  

"Oh, I've never lifted weights.  Mother says it isn't feminine 
and that I might become muscular and unappealing."

Inez stared.  "Lady, we were born feminine and now the job is 
to add some character to it.  You got a chance to pick up some 
scholarship money because somehow you got muscular.  I think 
you really ought to start advertising the fact.  I'm going to 
be spending some serious time in here and I could show you the 
basics, get you started on a training program."  Irene 
considered how much she had admired Inez' athletic appearance 
and began wondering if she might find similar benefit in the 
exercises herself.

The next days passed in a blur of registering for courses, 
buying textbooks and getting settled into classes.  The 
roommates ended up with no classes together, seeing each other 
mornings and evenings when they could compare notes over their 
meals before beginning evening studies.  Wednesday at dinner 
Irene said, "Well, I was accepted on the junior varsity track 
team, with a small stipend.  The coach gave me these exercises 
to work on before training starts.  I don't even know what 
they are, except she said they did involve lifting weights as 
you suggested.  Would you be available to help me get started?"

Inez looked over the list of standard exercises.  "Sure thing.  
How about we hit the weight room this weekend.  We can spend a 
couple hours.  I'll demo the proper form and we can figure out 
what weight to start you at for each of these.  I have a 
couple others you oughta add.  And some cardio work.  You're 
carrying a couple extra pounds around the middle there and we 
can get that off in no time."  She ignored Irene's blush at 
any reference to her body or appearance.  She had decided on a 
goal of improving Irene's self-image and appearance and was 
prepared to pursue it in spite of Irene's reservations.

When Friday afternoon arrived, the two women debated what to 
wear.  They both settled on jeans and blouses with sweaters.  
Irene's were distinctly loose to hide herself.  Inez had to 
lie on her bed to inch into her tight pants.  Her strong 
thighs threatened to burst the seams if she attempted too 
powerful a stride.  They arrived at the frat house to find the 
party had been swinging for hours already.  Todd quickly 
spotted Inez and focused his attention on her.  Irene went for 
drinks and discovered Todd and Inez gone when she returned.  
She sipped her cola and wandered about.  A young man dressed in 
a waiter's outfit serving more senior members of the fraternity 
and their guests paused in front of her. "I'm Charley Westfal.  
You probably don't remember me, but you saved my butt a few days 
ago when those Mu-ers were whipping up on me and Brian.  I 
thought they were going to take our hides off to hang in the 
house game room."

Irene introduced herself.  Charley was a tall, slender young 
man with waves of brown hair and soft eyes behind wire rim 
glasses.  "Todd Masters said you were pledging this fraternity.  
Why would you want to associate with a group that treats you 
that way?"

"It wasn't my idea.  My dad was a member way back when.  It's 
always been a jock house.  Well, I'm no jock but dad said if I 
didn't pledge he'd cut off my allowance while I was here.  
They sort of have to take me because of my dad having been a 
member and giving them some money over the years.  Pop pretty 
much buys what he wants, including me."

In time Irene found Inez with a group gathered around a piano.  
Slurring her words a bit, Inez called out for Irene to take a 
turn playing for the group.  "I don't have any of my music," 
Irene protested.

"Don't need any.  Jus' play some chords and we'll figure out a 
melody," Inez told her.  Irene reluctantly sat at the keys and 
worked through the chording of a popular song that the group 
was able to sing along to.  

After a couple of tunes Irene made her excuses and gave up the 
seat to another volunteer.  Again Inez and Todd had vanished 
into the crowd.  Charley approached her and complimented her 
on her playing.  "You did a good job improvising there.  Are 
you into jazz?  You have a nice touch at the keyboard."

"Oh, no, I've never studied jazz at all, and haven't listened 
to very much.  Back home that isn't played on any of the radio 
stations.  One of my high school teachers enjoyed it, so I 
have heard a little but I really don't know anything about it.  
Have you seen my friend, by any chance?"

"The short one Todd is climbing all over?  Not in a while. 
I'll check around and find out where they went."

Irene resumed her wandering and introduced herself to a few 
people who seemed as out of place as she felt.  She had 
another soda and was about to excuse herself and go back to 
the dorm without Inez when Charley grabbed her by the arm.  
"Your friend could be in trouble.  Jeez, what an arm you have!
Anyway, do you know what Rohypnol is?  It's called the date 
rape drug, and I just heard Todd slipped some to Inez.  Man, 
I can't believe a girl has such a solid muscle!  Apparently 
he's played this game on freshmen women before.  He's got her 
up in his room. I don't know what to do.  God, it feels like a 
rock!  If the cops are called in this could screw up a bunch 
of us, not just Todd.  Would you flex that thing for me?"

Irene impatiently shook off Charley's hand. "But if we don't 
call the police who will stop this?"  She rubbed where Charley 
had been gripping her.  For the first time in her life she 
squeezed the biceps and remembered the solid feel of Inez' 
arm that first day in the dormitory.  Under a layer of loose 
flesh she realized hers felt much the same. She set her jaw 
in a firm line and drew herself to her full height.  "Where 
are they?  The police will be the least of Todd's worries when 
I find them."  Charley described how to find Todd's room on an 
upper floor of the house and Irene set out with a determined 
step.

Upon reaching the door Irene knocked loudly, demanding to know 
if Inez were inside.  "Go away, we're busy," came Todd's 
muffled reply.

Testing the knob Irene found the door locked. Anger and fear 
for her roommate washed over her.  Again she squeezed her own 
arm to reassure herself it was as large and solid as she 
remembered.  Stepping back she launched her full weight and 
strength against the door.  The frame splintered under her 
assault and the door swung open. She burst into the room in 
time to see a bare-chested Todd struggling to get tight jeans 
off over the shoes of an unresponsive Inez.  Todd stood up in 
surprise in time to catch Irene's fist in the pit of his stomach.  
Pushing him aside she swept up Inez and easily lifted the small 
woman over her shoulder.  

Charging down the stairs Irene ran over the top of a bulky 
fraternity brother who made an attempt to stop her, then 
forced her way out the front door.  Once outside she turned 
to face a curious crowd at the door. "I promise that if anyone 
attempts to stop me between here and the dorm, I will turn this 
fraternity in for kidnapping and I don't know what all else.  
You should all be ashamed of yourselves."  And she marched off 
as Inez began weakly showing signs of returning life.  At the 
end of the block she paused to pull up Inez's pants.  With a 
little help Inez was able to walk the rest of the way to the 
dorm.

The roommates spent a subdued Saturday in their dormitory, not 
discussing the events of the previous evening.  On Sunday they 
ventured to the library and then stopped at the student union 
building to sit in the sun and enjoy a late lunch.  Their 
leisure was interrupted by the arrival of Todd and a small but 
noisy contingent of his fraternity brothers.  Irene froze when 
she saw Todd and two henchmen approach their table.  Ignoring 
Irene as usual he nevertheless maintained a safe distance from 
her as he smiled down at Inez.  "So, the party got a little 
wild.  I heard some loose accusations about drugs and some 
suggestion you weren't as hot for me as it looked to everyone.  
I have a house full of guys willing to swear you came on to me 
and that I was just playing along.  I'd say it was just an 
evening that is best forgotten.  I know I'll just think about 
it as what might have been, because nothing happened."

Inez came out of her chair like an ICBM leaving its silo.  Her 
steel spring legs launched her halfway erect before she began 
propelling her fist straight up.  With her head level with 
Todd's chest her small, hard fist landed on the point of his 
chin.  Todd's eyes glazed over and he sagged into the arms of 
his followers.  Trembling with rage Inez hissed at them 
between clenched teeth, "Get that side of beef out of here 
before somebody gets hurt.  When he wakes up let him know that 
if I ever see him again, I will break him in half.  And if I 
ever hear a hint of him trying on someone else what he tried 
on me, I will rip off his balls with my bare hands before he 
sees another sunrise."  His followers quickly retreated 
dragging Todd between them, his feet offering little 
assistance in propelling him on his way. 

Inez sat back down, sucking her knuckle.  "I gotta remember 
not to slug those apes in the head. I just about broke my fist 
on him.  Where were we?"

A small squeal escaped Irene when the blow landed on Todd.  
Now she gaped at her roommate.  With a shy hand Irene reached 
across to squeeze Inez' upper arm before suggesting, "Maybe 
this would be a good time for you to show me around the weight 
room.  I have this sudden interest in exercising.  Do you think 
I could ever get those bumpy stomach muscles like you have?"