Eight Four Nine

Once upon a time in 2006 two girls, who never would have met anywhere else, crossed paths at school.

One was from Richmond and had gone to a large public high school, the other was a small-town girl from Roanoke who went to the same Catholic school from first to twelfth grade. One was tall and friendly and outgoing, the other was petite and sarcastic, maybe even a little shy. One was a Biology major with dreams of becoming a nurse, the other was a Psychology major, then a Spanish major, and finally an English major who just wanted to write.

They first had dinner with some mutual friends and exchanged small talk, then went to parties together, and slowly they got to know one another, but at the time, they had no idea that they would define the idea of friendship and college for each other over the next four years.

Caroline and I became best friends over a pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream and a ridiculous story that I needed to get off my chest. I think it was cookie dough. It was the first time we had hung out without Maggie, Emily and Lizzie (the rest of our Freshman Year Friends) and I realized that she was not only totally great, but slipped into the supportive role of Best Friend At School with ease.

I started feeling more at home with Longwood as I grew to know Caroline more. It only made sense, then, that I would move into her room when her then-roommate moved out to live with one of her new pledge sisters. Maggie, Emily, Lizzie, Caroline and I were young and dramatic, and our group slowly fell apart, but the two of us stuck together.

We lived in Frazer 849, a room that was carpeted and cozy with a string of lights around the ceiling all year round. "849" became a synonym for home and our friendship, because that's exactly what it was. 

We slept across the room from one another and the TV was in the corner--we'd come home from class and crawl into our beds, turn the television to Food Network, and nap. And nap and nap and nap. After Sandra Lee's cocktail time, we had dinner and came back home to do homework or just talk until bed. 849 was a sleepover every night.

When the Wii came out, we got one and had designated "Wii time" as well as "Wii space," which was made by putting away whatever items of clothing cluttered our floor. We'd take adventures to Food Lion and buy random things like coconuts, donning bikinis and filling each half with rum, declaring "Beach Night!" It didn't matter that it was a Tuesday and it was just the two of us--those were the best kind of days.

Our sophomore year was different because Caroline lived as an RA in a single dorm room in Frazer and I lived with some random girls from my Spanish class. We got through it.

For our last two years we moved in together again, this time in an apartment in the Landings with two other roommates that soon became home. One was one of my friends since forever, Raquel, and the other was Michele, a girl we'd met through mutual friends. 

Caroline and I lived through everything together those two years--triumphs, embarrassing elevator experiences, good grades, bad ones, heartbreaks and surprises, snack time, more Food Network, running through fountains, so many cupcakes, terrible friends, lots of songs from Wicked and Rent, Naked Girl and the rest of our nicknamed friends we don't actually know, senior projects and bar nights. But no matter what happened, Caroline and I always looked back to our freshman year with nostalgia and laughter. 

Now we're doing that with the whole four years.

Life changes. 849 doesn't.

We met up last weekend in Farmville for Oktoberfest and walked around campus together with our boyfriends. Armed with a camera, we snuck into Frazer and made our way to the eighth floor. The door to room 849 was unlocked and open, but no one was inside. "Lights!" we exclaimed, "And they're girls!" Pink and blue comforters were spread over each bed and a string of lights adorned one of the walls.

John took a picture of us in front of the door, and we left a note on their white board.

We lived here four years ago!

 Had the best times. 

Have a good year, 

849 Forever.

Those two roommates might not even know each other, but Caroline and I like to think that no one can live in that room and not leave at the end of the year hand in hand with a lifelong friend.

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.

--Wicked