“Yeah, thanks. Kind of over the whole Kyle thing now, and I haven’t seen him since. Only Pierce.”
“Pierce is a good guy,” Jamie says, “we used to date, we just weren’t compatible.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not interested in Pierce.”
“No, I’m not saying stay away,” Jamie says. “Be careful though, him and Kyle can get competitive, and I’d hate to see you being used just so he can one-up Kyle. Pierce wouldn’t be a bad guy for you to experiment with though, if that’s whatyou’re looking for. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s kind; I wish my first time had been with someone like him.”
“I don’t think I’m into experimenting, or hook ups,” I say. “I guess I’m more of a relationship person.”
“And that’s cool. Stephen mentioned you wanted someone to talk to about sex stuff but felt a bit awkward with him being your roommate and all.”
“Uh… yeah,” I say. Hearing Stephen being referred to as my roommate leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I’d wondered if he’d told them about me, but obviously not. “I’ve never had anyone to talk to about this stuff. Except my best friend, but she can only help me with so much. All her knowledge of gay sex comes from reading romance books or porn, but you don’t hear about all the other stuff that comes with it, they’re just ready to go, all the time!”
“Yeah, I guess not many people want to read about douching, it kind of takes the romance out of it,” he chuckles.
“I guess… but it’s a part of it, it’s real. And they don’t teach that stuff in Sex Ed.”
“No, and they should, it’s all important. Anyway, this is what I’m here for. So ask away, then when you do meet someone special, hopefully you’ll feel more comfortable with stuff.”
We end up talking loads about protection and getting tested, then watch a video about douching that a comedian made with his straight friend, because it explained it in a fun way and made us laugh as well.
“Wait there,” Jamie says, leaving the room before returning with a load of stuff in his hands.
“Here, this is for you, it’s brand new. You can even try it out here if you want, instead of the dorm bathrooms.”
I open the box and recognize the douche inside.
“Oh, this is also important, and I need you to remember it,” he says, “lube is your new best friend, okay sweetie! I don’t care where you are or where you’re going, if there’s the slightest chance you’re gonna get busy, take some with you. Here, I got you some sachets.”
He places them on top of the box, sachets of all different colors, which I’m guessing means different flavors; I blush as I pick up the strawberry colored one.
“I’ve also got you condoms,” he says, adding them to the pile, “and…” He heads over to the bookshelf in the corner, “…you can borrow this, but I’d recommend you get your own copy too!”
He hands me a book which judging by the cover, I’m assuming is about gay sex.
“I wasn’t expecting to leave with a goody bag,” I laugh.
“Well, sharing is caring,” he chuckles. “Are you feeling okay about everything?”
I nod. “Okay, overwhelmed, but okay. Do you mind if I ask you about something else?”
“Go for it.”
“What was it like for you, coming out?”
“Honestly, it actually wasn’t that big of a deal for me. I think my parents guessed from a young age that I was gay, when the other little boys in the neighborhood were playing sports, I was playing with my sister’s dolls and styling their outfits,” he laughs, “and, yeah, I know I’m stereotyping there, but even when I look back at photos and videos of myself, I screamed queer.”
“I bet you were adorable,” I chuckle.
“Yeah, my mom certainly loved it, she was always the best dressed mom on the playground because of me.”
“And they were okay, when youcame out.”
“Yeah, they took it in their stride. I know it’s hard, all we ever hear about are horror stories; people getting kicked out, disowned, all things that should never happen to anyone, but that’s not everyone’s story. Look at Stephen’s parents, they’ve been amazing with him. Max on the other hand, he did have a shit time, still hasn’t reconnected with his family. But, he’s got me, and my parents love him. Blood family isn’t everything, found family can be just as special, if not more sometimes.”
“Wow, that’s the opposite to what I’ve grown up hearing.”
I think back to my father, Frank, and how much he used to talk about family, about how blood meant everything.
