20

Back in New York, after the phone call with Arthur, Ethan had spent a seemingly good time for the rest of the day. Except for Vanessa and Liza bugging him to tell them about his love story. He had calmed them down by saying that he would tell everything to them in detail tomorrow, which is today. He had a very good night’s sleep after exchanging a few text messages with Arthur.

Ethan was expecting Liza and Vanessa to arrive at his home by noon and spend the rest of the day at his place while he tells them his and Arthur’s love story.

Ethan was done with his basic chores at home, by the time he heard his doorbell ring. He opened the door and the guests didn’t need an invitation to enter his house. They simply barged in.

Liza and Vanessa walked inside the house and made themselves comfortable on the couch in the living room.

“You both are experienced intruders,” Ethan said walking behind them and entering the living room.

“Is that a compliment?” Liza asked and Vanessa turned to Ethan and said, “We’ll think about entering your house without knocking next time so that you can give a better compliment.”

Ethan sighed at their words. He knew his friends better than anyone.

“Want some snacks?” he asked them, walking inside the kitchen.

“Yes!!” He heard them say in unison.

After filling the table that was in front of the couch with loads of snacks, Ethan settled on the empty chair.

“Start,” Vanessa said and Liza nodded her head in agreement. They wanted to know Ethan as a college student and his love story with Arthur. That was the main agenda of their visit to his place.

Ethan sighed before beginning.

The second year of college:

Ethan was in his second year of university and he was more than excited to begin the academic year. Not that he was excited about studies, he was just happy to escape from home and move back to the dormitory and meet his friends. He had kept in contact with them but meeting in person was a different feeling.

He didn’t wait until he unpacked his stuff in his dormitory room. He plopped down his luggage and got fresh and walked out of his room to his best friend, Jake’s room. Ethan, Jake, Jared, and Kole were the students who had formed an immediate gang in their first year of college.

Ethan comes from a pretty good affluent family. Jake was an old money. While Jared and Kole came from a socially well off families. Although their statuses didn’t really matter when it came to their friendship. It was as natural as it can be.

Ethan banged on Jake’s dorm room door several times, impatiently. The door opened revealing a new guy that Ethan had never seen on the campus for the one year he had spent on the campus. He was the popular guy whom everyone knew.

“Who are you?” Ethan asked, barging into the room without giving the chance for the new boy to speak.

“Where is Jake? Has he not come yet? He said to me that he’d be here by now? Did you see him coming and going out?” Ethan didn’t stop asking too many questions and the new guy couldn’t keep up with Ethan’s words.

Ethan turned to the new guy, “You didn’t answer any of my questions.”

“Um…I...” the new guy stammered to speak. The new guy could barely take in Ethan’s words and didn’t know how to introduce himself and what to answer about Jake.

“By the way, who are you?” Ethan asked going back to his first question.

The New guy simply stood there, staring at Ethan. Ethan seemed like a strong guy, but the new guy felt that was exciting. He also didn’t know why he was feeling like that. It was his first time feeling something like that.

“Man. You will scare away that boy,” Jake came out of the bathroom, freshly showered and draped in a towel.

“Oh, you are there,” Ethan said, plopping onto the couch.

“Yup. I just came in and felt like trash. Had to take a shower,” Jake said and walked to his closet.

“Why? Your papa didn’t let you shower in his house?” Ethan asked with a lot of teasing and friendly mockery filled in his words.

“Ugh… don’t ask me. That’s a whole lot of new mess,”

Ethan smirked, “You seem to get into a lot of trouble,”

“What can I do? I am that charming, even troubles get attracted to me,” Jake said dramatically.

Ethan made a disgusted look at Jake’s corny words.

And the new guy simply stood and watched his roomie and his friend having this (un)usual conversation.

“Hey new boy,” Ethan patted the seat beside him on the couch.

The new boy went and sat beside him. Anyone could tell he was feeling shy and was a little scared.

“You still didn’t answer any of my questions,”

“I am Arthur Perry. Transfer student,” the new guy introduced himself.

“Second year?”

“Yeah,” the new guy adjusted his position on the couch.

“Ok ok. Do you want to join us later for some drinks?” Ethan asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

“No,”

“Why?”

“I don’t drink,” Ethan looked up from his phone and watched Arthur’s face for a few seconds.

“Jake!!! Your roomie is strange,” Ethan shouted loudly.

Jake came out, fully dressed.

“Don’t mind him. He’s the strange one,” Jake said to Arthur, shaking his head.

Jake then turned to Ethan, “Don’t you think of spoiling that boy. He is a good boy.”

“I don’t want to be a good boy,” Arthur declared.

Ethan and Jake heard Arthur’s words and turned to him. The trio stayed silent for some time.

“Anymore,” Arthur completed his words. He had made sure that his new roomie and his friend were aware that he was a good boy all this while and wanted to change himself, change for good.

Then Ethan burst out laughing. He reached to Arthur and hugged him. Something happened at that moment, a spark traced their veins. They both were aware of it but chose to ignore it for now.

“That’s my boy. So, you up for the party tonight?” Ethan asked.

Arthur nodded his head and got up to get ready.

Jake shook his head in disbelief, “I can’t believe you are spoiling my new roomie already.”

“Your new roomie is cute,” Ethan said, eyeing at Arthur.

“Interested?” Jake asked.

“Very much,”

“Hmmm. Be careful. He seems like he is into women,” Jake warned his friend. He was very well aware that Ethan was gay. Ethan had been openly gay since he was in high school. Thanks to his free spirit and fun loving character, all of the people who he came across seemed to understand him and love him, love him, and respect him for whatever kind of person he is. And Ethan didn’t give two shits about people who looked at him weirdly for being gay.

Suddenly, Jake’s phone rings and he excuses himself out of Arthur and Ethan’s sight.

Arthur and Ethan were left alone now. And both of them seemed to feel shy for no reason.

Arthur could feel Ethan’s eyes on him, while he was turned to his study table, grabbing his watch.

“I felt something when I hugged you,” Ethan said, making Arthur look back at him.

“Me too,” Arthur admitted his thought, for the first time in his life. He was never allowed to express his thoughts or opinions in front of his parents, mostly his father. The big business tycoon of a father of Arthur never gave his son a chance to live his life.

“I am a gay man,” Ethan said. Arthur had his eyes wide open. He absolutely wasn’t expecting this from Ethan, from anyone. He never knew people could openly express themselves like this.

“I don’t know what I am,” Arthur also admitted his thoughts. He knew he was a little shy around men with a lot of masculinity but didn’t give much thought into it though.

He was always intimidated by older men in his family and his father’s business partners. So, he thought this might be natural. And as for his sexuality, he never had the chance to think otherwise of being a man.

“So…” They were interrupted by Jake’s appearance.

“The boys are waiting. You guys ready to go?” Jake asked.

Arthur and Ethan could only nod their heads and walk behind Jake. Whatever talks that were in line to happen, was pushed back to some other time. And Arthur’s new mission of not wanting to be a good boy anymore was about to begin.