I put a sad, apologetic smile on my face as the door opens, suddenly much more genuine as I see the slim girl beyond.<br/><br/><em>God, she looks like crap. - </em>was the first thought that crossed my mind as my eyes fell on the dark circles around her eyes, the way her shoulders drooped slightly beneath an old t-shirt.  I doubted the girl had slept more than four hours in the last fifty and put on my best comforting smile in response.<br/><br/>"Hey," I speak softly "I'm really sorry, but I'm Francesca's cousin, Amanda." offering my hand through the barely open door "I was supposed to come up at the start of the semester but family stuff interfered and . . ." a helpless shrug of the shoulders and a wistful smile "Frannie was going to show me around campus when I got here, said she'd 'show me a night on the town' even . . . well, her Mom told me about what happened and asked me to come collect her stuff."<br/><br/>I shift my feet nervously and stare at the ground, all the country bumpkin well out of her depth, and truth be told I<em>am</em>nervous.  I never enjoy lying to people, however decent I may have gotten at it, but my stomach ties itself in knots as the words pass my lips to<em>this</em>girl.  Maybe it was just her vulnerable looking state but I felt a genuine flash of pity and empathy for the obviously distraught young woman as I looked up into her eyes.<br/><br/>"Can I come in?"