Meet Monika in the corridor

As you exit your room to go eat in the cafeteria, you meet your neighbor exiting her room.

"Oh hey, you are Allan, right?", she says, smiling. "I am Monika"

"Nice to meet you!", you tell her.

You begin to walk to the elevator, and she kind of walks next to you.

You notice she has her meal plan card in her hand.

"Hungry?", you ask her.

"Hey, yes! Oh my God, I've been wanting to go to the cafeteria to grab a bite for over an hour and Haily my roommate wasn't ready, so I decided to go alone. God, I hate eating alone!"

Wait, you've seen her roommate... she is hot!

You get into the elevator with her.

"I was going to go eat too. Maybe we can share a meal?"

"You are my savior!", Monika says, all excited as she grabs your arm and gets closer. "My knight in a shining armor!"

She lets go when you get to the 1st floor and you walk with her toward the union hall.

"I am studying in computer engineering. What about you?", she asks.

"Oh well, technically it's a major in science and a minor in literature. I want to be a patent writer"

"For real? I hate patents. As if you could parent the one click buy. It's two day of coding! Come on!"

"Yeah, most software patents are ridiculous. I want to focus on more solid patents..."

"Oh my God, I love you. We might be lost kindred spirits! I am kidding... I really crave a Big Mac, what about you?", she says, as you get into the union hall.

You think. What do you want to eat? "Maybe a sub?", you think.

"No, not Subway. Not today. Come to McDonald's with me. Hey, I can introduce you to the Monika law!"

"The Monika law?"

"Yeah. It's settled, We are going to McDonald's. Get fries with whatever you want"

"Ok, if you say so. But this is a food court, we can take whatever we want from wherever we want"

She looks at you.

"Do I look dumb to you?"

"No?"

"I know how a food court works. Oh my God. Can I just like waiting in line with the person I am about to eat with? If you go at Subway, you wait on the other side of the food court, and then we have to find each other again. Don't you find that annoying? I find that annoying. I mean, we have to wave and all. I think it's always better that we stick together..."

Wow, she is a little bossy. But then again, isn't that what you want in a girl?

As it turns out, there is no waiting line at McDonald's. You don't want a burger so you take McNuggets in a trio with a Sprite.

I mean, you like Sprite (and 7-up for that matter), but McDonald's Sprite, now that something else.

You don't know why, but it feels like it kicks more. Like it's more intense. Like it's more crispy.

Monika gets her Big Mac and also gets a Sprite.

"You know, I don't usually like Sprite, but because of the extra syrup and water filtration McDonald's has, and the wide straws, their Sprites pack a punch", Monika comments as you sit down in front of her at one of the empty tables.

"Oh, I had noticed and didn't know why", you comment. Smiling.

"Ok, so this is Monika's law. It's pretty simple, If I ever see you buy fries, have fries, whatever, I can steal any one of your fries. But only one. I see you walk down the corridor with fries, I can grab one without asking permission. All I need to do is say "Monika's law" when I grab it. Not even say hello or anything"

"That doesn't sound fair", you say.

"Ah, but then, if I ever stole one of your fries, each time I have fries, which is like, all the time, I mean, look at me... you know I eat a lot of fries, well, then, you can take one of mine by saying "Monika's law" when you take it"

"What? Isn't that the same?"

"Well no. I could steal one today, and you could steal one every day for a week before you take more, and then, I might steal from you every day for a week without you catching me with fries. It's fun! But, to play, there is a third rule"

"Third?"

"Yeah, first rule is I can steal from you, second rule is you can steal from me. Follow up. It's not a complex game you know?"

"Ok, so third rule"

"Right, I had to add it in high school because of Tom. Stupid Tom. So, Tom's addendum is that you cannot start your own fry stealing game. It's mine and mine alone. I can steal from anyone, and anyone I stole from can steal from me, but you can't copy my game. Get your own."

"Oh, and Tom did that?"

"Yeah. I came up with it. It's my invention. Hey, can you patent it for me?", she asks.

"Games cannot be patented... unless they are really non-obvious"

"Oh well. Let's eat!"

You both being to eat, but then, in the middle of the meal, she grabs one of your fries saying "Monika's law!"

She laughs eating it, so soon after, you grab one of hers, again, citing her rule.

"See, it's fun!"

It's childish, but childish can be fun too! You are in college, you can afford to have a little fun, and it's not having one fry stolen that will change much.

"So now", she says, "anytime you see me in the cafeteria eating fries, you can come over and have and excuse to see me! I like that. I like people. I like you. So don't hesitate, even if I am with someone. Now, don't worry, I am not obnoxious, if I see you on a date, I won't harass you or anything, I wouldn't want to cause a scene like "Who the fuck is this girl stealing one of your fries", you know? Though in your case, you could just say that I am your neighbor."

"I guess"

"We should do that more often. I mean, we should be good neighbors, shouldn't we?"

You smile. This kind of positivity and niceness is very welcomed change.

"We should. I am very happy to have met you".

You notice that Monika is blushing.