4.01 The Freedom To Be Me

"Jennifer Jettstar! Where are you going? Don't you have a truck to pack?", Natalie called through the doorway at her vanishing daughter. "I would have told the boss to get some one else, but it's a Sing-o-gram for Uncle Dom! My stuff is already on the truck, and I'll be back in time!", Jen yelled back into the house as she dashed away.

Johnathan loaded the last of his and Tamara's stuff into the second truck, the one that was heading in the opposite direction, and said his goodbye's.

It was a long trip, more than just a few days drive, John was shocked to discover Tamara didn't have a license, and taught her how to drive along the way. John also learned that Tam was a witch, although she had never practiced, because her parents didn't like magic, and thought witchery was unbecoming of a young lady.Tamara had been raised to sit quietly, not fidget, and speak only when spoken to. Her parents rarely paid any attention to show of their perfect genius child when business or social associates arrived.

They arrived at the town that surrounded the university, a few hours before dark, a few days before classes began. John stopped, asked a local for directions and drove immediately to a store that specialized in all things occult. John purchased two brooms and a wand. They stopped at the bookstore to collect the required texts, and finished off at the local grocery store for supplies.

Tamara had never cooked in her life, but in John's family, everybody had been taught skills to be self reliant. He did allow Tam to add two jelly donuts and two cream puffs to the shopping list when she explained that her parents had never let her eat stuff like that..

 When the young couple arrived at their assigned dormitory, all of the rooms were still vacant, so they took one of the larger rooms upstairs with two single beds. "I'm so tired, I think I'll go to bed.", yawned Tam, "Coming John?". "Yeah sweetheart, I'll just finish this section of the text first.", John replied.

John read and reread several sections of the book until he was sure Tam was asleep, before quietly crawling into the other bed.

In the morning, three of the other six inhabitants arrived and introduced themselves. Tamara and John had already scrubbed down the kitchen, and John had put his cooking skills to use. "There's plenty of food in the fridge for anyone who wants it, just do your own dishes after!", John yelled at the newcomers as they hailed their luggage up the staircases.

"I'm going to call a maid service, this place should have been cleaned before we got here, and a plumber for that sink.", Tam said as she reached for her phone. "Don't worry about the plumber, its just a loose nut, and I can fix that in two minutes flat.", said John confidently. "Ooh, the depths of my man's hidden talents knows no bounds!", Tam cooed. She was rewarded with a kiss on the back of the neck as John swooshed past to add more food to the fridge.

John and Tam spent the next day exploring the town and university grounds, getting to know where things were, and eventually discovered a small arcade. "There's a shambler coming to the village from the north!", Tam cried. "I'll take out this oozer, and we'll defend the main gate together", John responded.

After the game they snuggled on one of the sofas, "I love it here with you! I finally have the freedom to be me!", Tam whispered in Johns ear. "I love you too,", John whispered back, carefully hiding the anger and distain for Tamara's parents.

 Saturday night was a swimwear party at the dorm room. While Tam seemed to get along with all the girls, all the girls seemed more interested in John. At first Tam felt a tiny jealous rage building up inside, but then she noticed as soon as any of the other girls got too friendly, John would turn and talk to someone else.

Even though Tamara felt she could trust John not to misbehave with any of these girls that little ball of jealousy wouldn't go away. 

John took Tamara in his arms, and made out with her in front of the whole crowd to let them know he was interested in one girl, and one girl only.

'I hate these showers', Tamara thought to herself, 'Grubby little things, no water pressure or temperature stability!' she added, adjusteing the temperature for the umpteenth time. Tamara knew the theory behind how they worked, or in this case didn't work, and she knew what was needed to improve them, she just didn't have the skills to upgrade them by herself. 

On Sunday morning, she discussed the problem with John, and asked him to show her how to fix them. John and Tam spent most of the morning upgrading the four showers in the dorm. 
 

Tamara stepped back to admire her handiwork, While John had completed two of the projects, and mostly shown her how her first one, this last shower had been upgraded to self cleaning by her own hand, not only that, but the water pressure and temperature remained constant. She was so proud of herself that she might explode!

Despite doing the same degree, many of John's and Tam classes were at different times, on the rare occasion they did have class together, they always sat side by side and held hands.

"You know Asala, if you keep leaving half empty plasma juices in the dining room, I'm going to spike these ones with garlic and buzzberry juice!". Asala pulled a mock innocent face. "I'm sorry Daddy!", she flirted, "Are you going to put me over your knee and spank me?", she asked hopefully.

"No, I'll get Roger to do it.", john replied deadpan. "Ewww Gross!", Asala squealed in a most unvampire like fashion. You are so mean!", she said, poking her tongue out.

John laughed quietly to himself as Asala did a quick tour of the dining room, collecting her abandoned O-Negatives. 

As the term progressed, John continued to teach Tamara cooking and handiness, and in return Tamara taught John logic, and corrected the mistakes in his class notes.

It wasn't that John wasn't smart enough to pass on his own, he just didn't really seem interested in the subject material. Tamara began to have what her mother would call uncomfortable thoughts. If John wasn't really interested in a technology degree, why did he follow her here? John hadn't tried to sleep with her, or any other girl for that matter, didn't John like girls that way?

Sure John always kissed her, and held her hand and said the nicest things, but he had never tried to grope her boobs, or put his hands in her knickers, and she saw couples doing things like that everyday here.
Was there something wrong with him? Was there something wrong with her?