Curiosity
Jamie woke up to the sound of someone trying to murder his skull from the inside out. It took him a second to realize it was just his own brain welcoming the hangover that was about to hit him.
He groaned as he shielded his face from the blinding sun rays. For some reason, he couldn’t help but feel that the sun had personal beef with him. Because why else would the sun stab him with its burning white knife-like rays?
“Ugh…” Jamie rolled over, laying on his stomach. He grabbed the pillow from beneath him and pulled it over his head.
His mask from the night before was sprawled on the floor beside his bed along with an empty wine bottle, his crumpled jacket and his now rumpled trousers.
“Get up.”
There was a voice in the room and Jamie pulled the pillow away from his head, giving a lazy side glance to see who it was. His eyes were bloodshot, head banging like he was just hit with a hammer.
Michael stood with a coffee mug in one hand and the other in his pocket as he walked through the doorway. His tie was already perfectly in place, hair neat, and not a single trace of the night before on him. Jamie on the other hand, still laid on the bed. The gelled back hair he sported last night had already come undone, with a few hairs sticking out.
“Five more minutes~” Jamie whined while rolling over to lay with his back.
“Ha. Ha.” Michael mocked. He kicked away Jamie’s trousers when he got to his bed, looming over his brother with squinted eyes. “You embarrassed yourself last night. Again.”
Even though Michael showed disdain, he was still considerate enough to bring Jamie a cup of coffee. He set the mug on the bedside table and walked back towards the door.
“Thank you,” Jamie sang out to Michael with one hand raised to give a thumbs up just before Michael walked out the door.
Then it was quiet again.
Well, except for the ringing in his head.
Jamie reached weakly for the coffee, fingers just grazing the cup and sat on the bed. His thoughts floated, in flashes of wine-hazy memory, to what happened. To Grimm. He couldn’t help but smile while thinking of how fun it was to tease him. The subtle changes in his face. The twitching of his eyebrows, the visible annoyance that he wore on his face, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it but he found all of that all interesting. It didn’t matter if he didn’t know anything about him.
It was too bad he lost sight of him. He would admit that Grimm was one swift fellow.
“Ugh, Adriel…” Jamie whipped his head back as he groaned.
He downed the rest of his coffee and got up to get ready for his class. He dragged himself to the bathroom, muttering curses under his breath while trying to bear with the pounding in his head. The mirror wasn’t kind to him when he stared at it, dark circles, hair sticking out in every which way, the faint imprint of a pillow crease still stamped on his cheek.
Still, he stood in front of the huge tall mirror, tilted his head, gave himself a wink, and grinned.
“Damn, I look good,” he declared while striking body building poses.
After a while of self admiration and indulging in two more poses that could rival those in a magazine cover, he got into the shower. It was hot at first, but it helped calm the throbbing in his head into something more tolerable.
By the time he stepped out, he felt almost human again. His damp hair clung to his forehead in loose strands and then towel-dried it while humming some pop song that was stuck in his head from God-knows-where.
He pulled on clean clothes, nothing too flashy as he went for a more comfortable look, and slipped into his sneakers. Grabbing his bag, he headed out to his glossy red convertible.
The courtyard smelled faintly of dew and fresh-cut grass. Jamie slipped into the driver’s seat, tossing his bag into the passenger side before turning the key. The engine purred to life.
As the gates opened, he leaned back into his seat, letting the morning air sweep through his hair. The hangover still clung stubbornly, but the wind against his face made it bearable.
“One day, Adriel. I’ll find you” he muttered under his breath and drove out the courtyard. The words carried away by the rush of wind.
By the time he reached campus, the parking lot was already packed. Students swarmed the entrance, laughing and chatting in clusters. Jamie swung his car into a narrow space between a white sedan and a black SUV, ignoring the annoyed look from the sedan’s driver.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way across the courtyard, weaving through the crowd, and completely unaware of the car that was parked just on the other side of the street.
Sulien stood leaning against the black car with one hand in his coat pocket, the other bringing a cigar to his lips. Smoke curled upward, it was pale against the morning sky.
He had been there for a while just watching. His gaze was fixed on the iron gates of the prestigious campus ahead.
When he’d run the search last night, on the boy who had caught his attention. Snow, he had found details of his apartment, what he did during school hours, what he studied, and what he did for fun. Sulien couldn’t help but think that Snow had such a boring life as he couldn’t find anything that perked his interest in his day to day life. He was just another student among the wealthy elite.
In the distance, a group of students strolled past the gates, their laughter echoing faintly in the distance. Sulien’s eyes scanned them one by one until they landed on him, the one he was here for.
Snow walked with an unhurried pace, hands in his pockets, head slightly tilted down. His hair caught in the sunlight, but it wasn’t in the usual low bun. Instead it was in a half up, half down style, wisps of hair flying in the wind.
Snow’s gaze lifted briefly, just enough to sweep the street. For a second, Sulien thought their eyes might meet, but instead, the boy’s attention shifted sideways. It was Jamie, he had just pulled up, waving as he hopped out of his car.
Grimm, standing a few feet behind Sulien, stiffened almost imperceptibly. His eyes tracked Jamie instinctively before flicking to Snow. The reaction was subtle, but Sulien caught it, the memories of Jamie’s pestering still fresh in his head.
“Something wrong?” Sulien asked lazily, his cigar tip glowing a beautiful orange.
Grimm shook his head, but his jaw was tight. “No.”
Sulien smirked faintly, letting them fall into silence. He watched Jamie walk alongside Snow toward the main building, the two exchanging words he couldn’t hear.
He took another slow drag of his cigar, then flicked the ash onto the pavement. “Let’s go,” he said finally, sliding into the back seat of the car.
Grimm followed without a word, driving away from the campus. One thing was sure, they would be visiting this spot many times in the future.
The Author has Something to Say
Sulien: I came all the way here to see you and you didn’t even look at me.
XL: I told you not to come.
Sulien (sulks in expensive coat)
XL:…
XL (rolls his eyes): Come again, I’ll acknowledge you once.
Sulien (already planning three more visits)