For the first time ever, I’m sitting with a group of people who know I’m gay, and not only do they not have a problem with it, but some of them are gay too. I feel lighter than I’ve ever felt, and as we spend what’s left of the afternoon drinking our coffees and talking, I finally feel at home here.
As we’re finishing, everyone says they’re going to head back to Samantha’s dorm to study, but my social battery is drained so I let them know I’m going back to mine instead.
“I’ll walk you,” Kyle says, coming to stand next to me.
“Oh, uh… thanks,” I say.
I know my way back to my dorm, it’s not far, but he’s offering to walk with me and I’m not ashamed to admit that my insides flutter a bit. We walk across the campus making small talk, our pace casual, he’s clearly not in a rush. Even when we make it to my building, he doesn’t leave right away, instead resting casually against the stone entry way.
“So, you got anyone special back at Tynerston waiting for you?” he asks.
“You mean, like a boyfriend?”
“Yeah,” he chuckles, “like a boyfriend.”
Shit, is he really asking if I’m single? “Um… no… no one special.”
“Good,” he smirks, looking incredibly sexy while he does it, and there’s another fluttering in my chest. “So listen, there’s a party at our frat house tomorrow night, you should come.”
“Yeah,” I say eagerly, “yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Cool, you know where the Kappa Theta Zeta house is?”
“Um… no, but I’ll find it.”
“See you there then, around eight-thirty.”
He leans in slightly, almost as though he’s going to kiss me, before grinning and walking away.
Holy shit.
Stephen
We’re both in the room studying, but other than the occasional small talk we’ve not spoken. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about seeing him with Kyle yesterday in Java & Brew. Of all the people he had to become friends with, why did it have to be him?
Donovan seems like such a sweet guy, and he’s so newly out. Part of me thinks I should warn him to stay away from Kyle, but is it my place? He can speak to whoever he wants, and maybe he’s looking for what Kyle can offer him, not everyone is like me and needs more of a connection with someone. I just hate the thought of him getting hurt.
This is my first day off from training in a while. Between the drills I’m practicing for the Warriors, the conditioning exercises they’ve got me doing, and the training for the varsity team on top of it, I barely have time for rest days. And now I’ve finally got one, I’m full of nervous energy, worrying about Donovan and Kyle. The words on the page are blending into one, what started as a chapter on business strategy has quickly turned into blurry scribbles on a page.
“I think I’m gonna go for a swim,” I say, deciding that movement might be the distraction I need, and at least swimming is low impact so it can count towards my cross-training.
Donovan looks up from the books he’s studying from; he doesn’t use the desk, and it irritates me, mainly because it means I have a constant view of him stretched out on his bed.
“Oh, okay,” he says.
I grab my gym bag which has everything I need.
“Hey,” he says, stopping me before I make it to the door. “I’ve been invited to a party tonight, at Kappa Theta Zeta, would you… maybe want to come?”
My gut instinct is telling me to avoid the party like the plague; it’s exactly the place and the people I don’t need to be around. On the other hand, if I go I can keep an eye on Donovan.
“Um…” I start to answer, but pause, realizing that I don’t know what to do.
“It’s okay if you can’t,” he says, “I’ve got people to go with; I just thought it might be fun.”
He doesn’t need me there; he can look after himself. “Who are you going with?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
“I was invited by Kyle; do you know him? He said you’d spoken a couple of times.”
