Breaking Masks

By Josh Aterovis and Dabeagle

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Chapter 2 - Kody

The tour boat slowly churned through the water toward the thundering cascade of Niagara Falls. The flow came from such a massive height, it generated a huge amount of spray — not to mention noise — as it crashed into the river below.

My little brother Charlie leaned precariously over the railing next to me, so far, his feet actually dangled above the deck. “I wonder how close we'll get.”

I grinned at his excitement. “Close enough to get soaked.” The flimsy ponchos they were handing out as we boarded didn't look like they'd be much protection either.

Charlie wiggled a little farther onto the rail, and I suddenly had a mental image of him slipping over the side. Dad would have a coronary, Charlie would drown, and there was the tiniest chance I’d miss them both. I grabbed the back of his shirt.

“Don't lean so far over. You might fall.”

“Okay, Dad.” Charlie rolled his eyes, but he did drop back down to the deck.

“Speaking of, where are the old folks?” I couldn't believe they weren't out here with us telling Charlie to get his butt back in the boat.

“Inside.” Charlie gestured toward the enclosed center of the boat. “Dad is still bitching about the cost of the tickets. You know what Brandon said?” He grinned widely. I shook my head, and Charlie launched into his best imitation of Brandon. “This is what you do on vacation. Suck it up, buttercup!”

I chuckled and shook my head.

We technically weren't on vacation, but we all knew it was as close as we were going to get that year. Driving practically across the country to bring me to college had been Dad's idea. We were one big happy, gay family. Me, my dad, my adopted brother, Charlie, and Dad's fiancé, Brandon.

Charlie had a bit of a troubled past. He was a gay kid who'd been placed in the foster system after running away from addict parents. That was partly why Dad had chosen him. He said gay kids in foster care situations were underserved and often fell through the cracks. Charlie had come a long way in the last few years, though.

All the adoption stuff happened before Dad met Brandon. I was a little nervous at first, since not too many guys would jump at the chance to have an instant family complete with two teenage boys, but Brandon turned out to be pretty cool.

Every year since they'd started dating, we'd taken a family vacation, and every year Dad bitched about how expensive they were. Some traditions are meant to be kept.

In the distance, a carbon copy of our little water craft was headed back towards the dock with another group of tourists. Some of the sightseers were standing on the deck, hands cupped to their mouths, calling something out to us, but their message was lost to the steadily increasing roar of the falls.

“Wonder what they're saying.”

“What?” Charlie yelled.

I raised my voice. “I wonder what they're saying!”

“What?”

I leaned in closer to Charlie, but as I opened my mouth to yell, he turned and screamed, “I wonder what they're saying!”

I closed my mouth and glared at him while he gave me his patented smirk.

Only a few minutes later, our boat started a long, looping turn, allowing us to view the falls from what they deemed a safe distance. Sure enough, water vapor drenched those of us on the observation deck, but the falls still seemed a very long way off.

Charlie was pretty disappointed, and I had to admit, I was too. We'd expected to get closer to the actual base of the falls, but the boat turned back so soon, I was sure you'd get closer being on the walkway above the rushing water.

As our boat began to make its way back towards port, Charlie and I commiserated. When we passed another tour boat headed out to the falls with a fresh batch of tourists, Charlie and I joined a group of people on the railing, calling out to them, “Suckers!”

They couldn't hear us, but I had a good idea what the other boat’s passengers had been yelling.

After the disappointing tour, neither Charlie nor I were in the mood to pile back into the car, but we were on a tight schedule. As we crammed damply into the backseat, which was also packed to the roof with my stuff, Charlie asked, “How much longer until Albany?”

Dad thought for a moment. “Oh, I guess about five hours.”

Charlie and I groaned in unison.

“That long?” I whined.

“Hey, shove it,” Charlie grumbled. “At least once we get there that's as far as you're going. Some of us have to get back in this tuna can and drive all the way back home.”

Home. Where I wasn't going.

We were on our way to Van Rensselaer University to drop me off for my freshman year. I was attending Dad's alma mater, a fact he was extremely proud of. He'd talked about the school for ages, having graduated sometime in the Stone Age, and he thought it would be great for me to follow in his footsteps and get my education at the same place he had.

At first, I hadn’t been so sure about going to school so far away, but the last thing in the world I wanted to do was let Dad down.

“It'll be good for you,” he said. “You'll be independent,” he said. “It'll be such a great experience, all new things for you.” In the end, he'd won me over. I was moving away from home — and him — for the first time in five years, on my own in a new city with all sorts of opportunities. It sounded great. In theory.

I'd been through enough change in my life that the idea of college didn't really freak me out, but I knew I would miss these guys. I didn't want to think about that, though, so instead I leaned against my rolled-up comforter and went to sleep. Classic avoidance works every time.

We pulled into a motel that evening just short of Albany. Dad had remembered a barbecue place he wanted to go for dinner that was actually still there.

Monday morning, we had breakfast and then rolled into Albany, and, as if he’d been waiting for the chance, Dad started his lamentations about how much Albany had changed since he went to college there.

“When did that theater close down?” he groused. “I used to skip class and go there for the cheap matinees.”

“Way to set an example,” Brandon said, and I laughed.

“Well, it's closed now, so he can't do it, can he?” Dad pointed out. “What? A McDonald’s? Really? That used to be the best little pancake house.”

“Time marches on, Dad,” Charlie spoke up. “Entire civilizations have risen and fallen since you were in school.”

Brandon and I cracked up, but Dad was not amused. He shot Charlie a dirty look in the rear-view mirror, but before he could come up with a retort, Brandon pointed out some prominent buildings in the distance. “Is that VRU?”

Dad broke into a grin. “That's it. There she is, Kody — Van Rensselaer University. The finest higher education money can buy.”

Charlie snorted. “Yale, Oxford, Harvard, and about a hundred other schools might disagree.”

“It's a good school,” I said defensively.

“It's a great school,” Dad said. “You're going to love it, Goose.”

“Maybe you'll even get laid. Get it? Goose? Laid?”

“Charlie...” Dad said warningly.

Charlie leaned back, but the self-satisfied smirk on his face was not comforting. I suspected he had something up his sleeve.

Before I could worry too much about it, we pulled onto the campus, and I got my first good look at my new home. The imposing stone buildings exuded an air of dignity, and I found myself getting excited.

I was at college. I was now a college student. I felt so grown up.

A young, goofy-looking guy in a campus security uniform waved us over as we drove through the gate.

He bent down to the driver's side window with a toothy smile. “Welcome to Van Rensselaer University. Are you an arriving freshman?”

Dad laughed his big, booming laugh, which meant he was about to tell a joke he thought was hilarious, but probably wasn't. “I'm not, but my son in the backseat is!”

The security officer chuckled as if this were the first time he’d heard that one today, which I hoped for his sake it was, then handed us a campus map and gave us some quick directions.

As we pulled away, Charlie snorted. “What a job that guy has.”

“What's wrong with it?” Brandon asked. “It's an honest living.”

Charlie grinned. “That's the point. There's nothing wrong with it. I'd love to get paid to stare at hot college guys all day.”

Brandon suppressed a smile as Dad shot another warning glance at my horny younger brother.

“Hey, I'm a hot college guy now,” I pointed out.

Charlie scrunched his nose up. “Ew. No, you're my brother. Gross.”

After a few minutes of wandering, we located my dorm: Hudson Hall.

“Huh. This is new,” Dad said, staring up at the obviously modern structure. The designers had used stone in an attempt to make it fit into the campus, but the huge plate-glass windows and exposed steel stood out amongst the much older buildings.

“It's an attractive addition,” Brandon said.

Dad shrugged. “It's okay. I like the old stuff better.”

“Of course you do,” Charlie mumbled under his breath.

“It's probably much nicer to live in,” Brandon continued. “It's much larger than the old dorms, and modern means better amenities and more space.”

“Yeah, but since when do freshmen get the shiny new building?” Dad pondered, scratching his chin.

Brandon ignored him and patted me on the shoulder. “Maybe you won't have to share tight quarters with your roommate.”

Speaking of roommates, I wasn't excited about having a roommate. I was used to having my own space, but Dad insisted it was all part of the experience.

Under normal circumstances I would have gotten to know my roommate by chatting on Zoom or Face Time ahead of move-in, but due to some paperwork mix-up, the college hadn't assigned me one. I'd only found out what dorm to report to a couple of days before we left. I was starting off with almost no information and a whole bunch of worrying.

Charlie glanced over at me, and I knew exactly what he was thinking before he even opened his mouth.

“Maybe he'll be hot,” he said with a lascivious grin.

I rolled my eyes. I was still hoping I wouldn't get a roommate at all, and if I did, I wasn't sure I wanted a hot one — especially not a hot, straight one. That would just be too much distraction. I was there to learn, not hook up.

Although, if I did meet someone, I guess that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Jesus, I sounded like my dad.

Stepping into the lobby of the dorm was almost like entering a modern office building: all thick glass panels and shiny polished steel. There were two tables set up with four stations divided by last names and people sitting behind each ready to direct you to your new room. We lined up behind the 'K-R' sign.

Charlie grabbed my arm. “Oh wow, look at him,” he whispered.

I glanced in the direction Charlie was very obviously staring and easily spotted the current object of his libido standing in front of us in line. My little brother had good taste, I'd give him that much. The guy was about five foot ten with tanned skin and light brown hair that was streaked with highlights from the summer sun. He was wearing running shorts and a tight tee shirt and looked as if he'd just completed a marathon.

“He's so hot.” Charlie barely bothered to keep his voice down. “I just want to lick that sweat beading on his skin....”

“Shut up. You'll embarrass me,” I muttered.

Charlie was not to be deterred, however, as he continued to practically drool over the object of his loins. Thankfully, the guy was too engaged in conversation with the hipster chick seated behind the table to pay us any attention.

Finally, the hot guy walked off, and we stepped up to the table.

“Name?” the girl asked.

She had short, severe bangs, and wore a pair of aqua, cat-eye glasses right out of the 1950s. Her bright-red lipstick appeared to have been put on while driving her car into a tree, and the rest of her makeup wasn't so much applied as it appeared she'd plopped her face in a makeup palette and just rolled from side to side until everything was covered. Her eyebrows were penciled-in crookedly, giving her an arched, permanently surprised expression.

I tried not to stare. Or laugh. I was going to hell.

“Kody Kingsley,” I managed.

She flipped through some files and pulled one out. “Oh, your roommate was just here.” She looked around, but not spotting him, shrugged and gave up. “Whatever, you'll see him in a few minutes. Do you have identification?”

After I proved I was me, she handed over a key card and a manila envelope stuffed with paperwork.

“The dorm is brand new. You're the first year to be living in it, so take care of it. The list of dorm rules and all the information you'll need to get settled in is in the envelope there. As a freshman, you wouldn't usually be in this building, but we had a...housing shortage. So congrats. You got a free upgrade. Oh, and I'm Payton, the head RA here at Hudson Hall. Welcome to VRU.”

She smiled, but the effect was rather unsettling. She reminded me of a sinister clown, and I suddenly understood why people suffered from coulrophobia.

“Wow, lucky you,” my dad said, his tone appreciative but also something else I couldn’t figure out. “But I wonder what caused a housing shortage?”

“I just looked it up,” Brandon said, looking at his phone. “I found an article that says they had to unexpectedly close one of the older dorm buildings. Some kind of catastrophic plumbing failure.”

“Too much Taco Bell?” Charlie chimed in.

“Does that mean I'll be rooming with someone older?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Charlie said as soon as the elevator doors closed. “And I bet it's that hot guy who was right in front of us! Did you hear what your cosmetically-challenged RA said?”

I was very glad he waited until we were on the elevator.

“We don't know who she meant,” I replied nervously. “She just said he was there before us. That doesn't mean it has to be the guy who was right in front of us.”

“I know it's him! And he's so hot!”

“Yes, Charlie. He was hot. Now shut up about it.”

The guy was extremely good looking, and that just made me anxious. We stopped on the third floor and found my door, 3M.

I hesitated. Charlie fidgeted impatiently. “Well?”

Dad laid a hand on his shoulder. “It's a big moment.” That's exactly what I was thinking.

Charlie giggled. “Yeah, that hot guy might be in there changing. Hurry up and open it!”

I sighed and opened the door and got my first look at my new home. The walls were a bright white; the smell of fresh paint lingered in the air as a testament to how recently they'd finished. We stepped into a compact common area with a small, built-in table, two molded-plastic dining chairs, and a counter running along the far wall under the window. There was space for a small seating area, but that was about it.

Doors on either side of the room opened into very small bedrooms, and a small-but-functional shared bathroom separated them.

I had to admit, I was expecting worse.

“Wow, these are a lot better than when I was here.” Dad said. “They used to be all one room with a shared bathroom down the hall, but it looks like you'll have a little privacy.”

Just then my roommate appeared from the right-hand door. “The old dorms are still one room. These new ones are way better,” he said. “Welcome. I'm Nick Pederson, your charming roommate.”

Charlie was right. My roommate was the hot guy from the lobby. And he'd taken his shirt off.

Fuck.

His chest was chiseled, with defined pecs and perky pink nipples, and he had a hint of a six-pack. He clearly worked out, and he probably played sports.

Just what I needed.

Charlie almost broke his neck as he jumped forward and stuck his hand out. “Hi, I'm Charlie.”

Nick shook Charlie's hand and grinned. “You look a little young for college. You one of those geniuses that can do my calculus homework for me?”

“He's in high school,” Dad said sourly.

Charlie gave Nick a sly smile. “I am a genius, though. Ask me what I can do.”

Nick cocked an eyebrow but wisely chose to ignore my brother as he turned his attention to me. “You must be my roomie, then?”

I nodded and shook his hand with a tight smile. “I'm Kody. These are my dads.” I waved toward Dad and Brandon. “And you already met my brother, Charlie.”

Dad and Brandon exchanged pleasantries with Nick, then Dad went to check out my new bedroom.

I stood awkwardly, not sure what to say to the gorgeous, shirtless jock, who was chatting easily with Brandon about Albany, since it was his second year at VRU.

“Can you believe it? They redid the whole works and kept the old mattress?” Dad bitched as he emerged from the bedroom. “You need a good night's sleep. We'll go get your own mattress.”

“Oh yeah? Mind if I look at yours to see if it's less stained than mine?” Nick laughed.

Charlie laughed too and sidled closer to Nick, who continued to ignore him.

The next hour was a caravan of boxes and bags as we brought my stuff up. Then, while Dad and Brandon caught their breath, I busied myself hanging clothes and filling the small dresser with my junk.

Charlie sat in the common area chatting up Nick, who seemed to be amused with my little brother, which I supposed was better than annoyed. Not that I would have blamed him if he'd been annoyed. Charlie was talking his head off and flirting outrageously.

When Nick went to shower, Charlie babbled unrelentingly about him, positively mooning over him until he reappeared in little more than a towel and a smile.

Not that I didn't enjoy the view, but Charlie was acting like a dog in heat. I would have only been marginally surprised if he began backing his butt into Nick's crotch.

Luckily, Dad provided the perfect distraction. “Let's go get that mattress. And maybe a mini fridge.”

“A microwave would be more useful, don't you think?” I asked him.

“Nick already has a microwave. If you have a small fridge then you can use his microwave and he can use your fridge.” Dad explained. “Assuming Nick is okay with that.”

Nick nodded. “That would be awesome.”

Dad looked around the room again. “And maybe we can find a used couch. You guys could use some comfy seating.”

That afternoon, we hit a big box store for the fridge and mattress, and Brandon found a Habitat for Humanity used store for a dorm-sized couch. After setting everything up in the room, Dad insisted on taking us out to dinner. He even invited Nick, much to Charlie's delight, but Nick crushed his dreams by politely declining.

Dad and Brandon each gave me a present for college: Dad a new laptop and Brandon a new cell phone. The laptop came with a few odds and ends, like a thumb-drive, a cordless mouse, and a flexible keyboard that I could take anywhere.

“That's not fair!” Charlie groaned. “You get a new laptop and a cell phone, and you don't have to eat Brandon's cooking anymore!”

“What's wrong with my cooking?” Brandon retorted.

I tuned them out and examined the specs on the laptop while Charlie teased Brandon. It was nothing new. The boy teased everyone — it was his love language.

While I was distracted, Charlie snatched my new phone and began to program it without missing a beat in his back and forth with Brandon.

After dinner, Charlie and I were standing by the car waiting for Dad and Brandon, one paying the bill and the other hitting the bathroom. They were going to drop me off at school before heading to their hotel.

“You know, this is weird.” Charlie said.

“What is?”

“It feels...wrong to leave you here, for you to be so far away.”

I let that hang in the air for a minute. The whole situation was surreal. My family was still here with me, almost as if we were still on vacation, but the whole purpose of the trip was to leave me there. Granted, I was there to study. It wasn't like I was being abandoned.

Odder still was Charlie admitting to a genuine feeling not associated with roasting someone.

I smiled and bumped my shoulder against his. “I know what you mean. I'll be alone out here. Who's going to start conversations with cute guys for me if you aren't here?”

He gave me a sober look. “Kody, the guys already want to talk to you. You just haven't realized it yet.”

“That was almost—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Just let it go. But that guy in your room? Hang on to him. In fact, you'd better be banging him by the end of the week.”

I burst out laughing, and Charlie joined me. I didn't know how he did it, just talking to people so fearlessly, but no one walked away not liking Charlie.

I was dropped off in front of the dorm and told to be ready by nine in the morning for one last family breakfast. I made my solitary way to my room and let myself in with some trepidation.

What if Nick was...with someone? Did we have to work out a code? A sock on the door knob?

I entered the room and found him sprawled on the new (to us) couch watching a video on his laptop.

He paused and turned to greet me. “Hey, Kody. How was your night?”

“Um, good, thanks. Just dinner with the fam, you know?”

I stood at the door, unsure of myself.

“So listen...” Nick leaned, stretching his lean body. “I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're okay with the whole gay thing?”

I came into the room and warily sat down in one of the chairs, curious to see where he was going with that line of questioning. “Yeah. You could say that.”

I knew the subject would have to be dealt with at some point no matter who my roommate was, so it seemed as good a time as any.

Nick grinned. “I figured with the gay dads, horny brother, and all.”

I flinched. “Yeah, sorry about Charlie...”

“No, no, it's cool. That's not why I brought it up. It's just good that you're not a homophobic tool. In fact, it's actually really good, 'cause my roomie last year was a total asswipe about it.”

“Wait. What? Does that mean you're...?”

“Yep.” Nick leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Guilty as charged. Ground rules, though. I'm not after you, okay?”

“Uh...” I replied.

“Not that you're not, you know, cute or whatever, but I find it's best to let the straight guys know I'm not gonna try to jump you in the shower or stare at you in your underwear.”

I laughed. “I'm not straight though.”

“Thank God, 'cause I might look at you in your underwear. You're still safe in the shower, though. And what's up with your brother? I mean, he's totally adorable — do you guys have good genes or what? — but he's a little young for me.” He laughed, and I joined him. “Seriously, though, no fooling around between us. Roommates are off limits. It's too messy, and I'm not ready for a divorce.”

I smiled so big my cheeks hurt. I liked Nick already, though I didn't bother to correct him about Charlie and I sharing genes. That story was too long to get into on our first day.

“Deal,” I said. “I should tell you, though, Charlie will be heartbroken.”

“That we're not messing around?”

“That too, but more that he's too young for you.”

“Hmm, somehow I don't think Charlie will be waiting around for me.”

We chatted for a bit more, then I went into my bedroom, which was really more of a stretched cubicle — not that I was complaining. I appreciated the privacy.

I peeled off my shirt and jeans and tossed them in the hamper by the door, pulled on sleeping shorts, and grabbed my bathroom kit to go brush my teeth and wash my face in our shared bathroom.

Once I returned to the common area, I opened the laptop box and started setting it up. At some point, I noticed Nick watching me.

“What?” I asked.

“Oh, nothing.” He grinned. “I just want to be clear that there's room for fantasies in our arrangement...and maybe fringe benefits.”

He turned and went to his room, leaving me baffled and a bit flustered.

The next morning, Dad, Brandon, and Charlie picked me up, and we all went out for a huge breakfast. Everyone made a concerted effort to keep things light, but I could see the tension in Dad's face.

Afterward, back at school, we said our goodbyes. It was mostly tearless, until Dad started getting a little misty. I don't think I'd ever seen Dad tear up before, and neither had Brandon, who quickly dragged a complaining Charlie off to the car to give us some privacy.

Dad swiped at his eyes and smiled sheepishly. “I never expected to send a son off to school. I never even expected to have a son, let alone two. Or thought I'd be standing here again, except this time it's because I'm leaving someone behind who...”

He swallowed a few times before dropping a hand on my shoulder. “Kody. I'm so proud of you, and not just as my son, but also as a person in your own right. I love you. Study hard, don't do anything stupid, and call home often.”

“Jeez, Dad. You sound like you'll never see me again. I'll be back home in a few months,” I pointed out. “Not like I can miss your wedding.”

Instead of replying, he crushed me to him in a bear hug, then headed toward the car in a weird rushing walk — almost like he had the runs.

As he started the car, the rear passenger door burst open, and Charlie tumbled out with a small gym bag in his hand.

He grinned. “I have a going-away gift too.”

He hugged me tightly and left me standing with the bag. I heard my dad asking what the hell Charlie’d been up to before he closed the door.

Then they were gone.

I didn't open Charlie's parting gift until I was back in my room, and, boy, was I glad I waited. The gym bag, it turned out, was loaded with condoms and lube. I wondered how on earth he'd gotten so much, but realized he'd probably purloined most of it from the free handouts provided by the school nurse. He must have been stockpiling for months.

Well, not the lube. He'd thoughtfully bought the warming massage kind.

I chuckled and zipped it up. It was a shame it would all go to waste. I was never going to meet a guy, and even if I did, I was too shy to talk to him.

Sometimes, I wished I could be more like Charlie.

I tossed the bag in the corner and promptly forgot all about it.

“Hey, how about we get some lunch at the Commons, and I'll show you around campus?” Nick asked a few hours later.

I looked up from my screen. “Sounds good. I have my meal app downloaded, I think.”

I frowned and hunted on my new phone for a minute, forgetting what the icon looked like. I don’t even know what most of the apps on my phone did.

Wait. What was that bright yellow icon on my home screen? Grindr?

Charlie. He must have installed it when he was setting up my phone.

“If you didn't, the dorm guards downstairs will have a code for you to activate it.”

“Dorm guards?” I asked, distractedly.

“The RAs. Last year they punished me with three lunkheaded straight boys in a row for roommates, and not one of them was even slightly attractive. I can forgive a lot if you're visually pleasing, but those guys? I'd rather hump a goat.”

I burst out laughing, and Nick just smirked.

“So you said you were here last year. Does that mean you're a sophomore?” I asked as we walked to the elevator and down the stairs.

“Yep. You're rooming with a soph. Lucky you. I can show you the ropes.”

“How come you’re stuck sharing a room with a freshman?”

“It's not just me. Algonquin Hall had some kind of massive sewer back up. Poop everywhere. They have to tear out walls and stuff, and it won't be finished this year, so they’re stuffing kids anywhere they can, even mixing upper and lower classmen. It's a real shitty situation.”

I groaned at his terrible joke while thinking that Charlie's guess hadn't been that far from the mark after all.

Downstairs I met Lindsay, an RA who was much easier to deal with than Payton the Clown. She gave me a QR code to download the app and a temporary PIN to activate my account.

I thanked her and headed out into the bright afternoon with Nick, absently setting the thing up so I could eat.

“Hey.” I stopped as a new thought occurred to me. “If you’re a sophomore, why are you here during freshman move-in week?”

“Sports. They call it freshman move-in week to make you guys feel special, but all the fall teams are here, too. Soccer — my sport — field hockey, cross country. The football meatheads are running around too. And the RAs, obviously.”

So I was right — he was a jock. But at least he was friendly. And gay. And not too hard on the eyes. It could have been worse.

He suddenly threw an arm around my shoulders and started me moving again. “Damn! I wish I had an ex on campus who could see me now.”

“Why?”

“So I could see the bitch get all jealous thinking I've moved on with a lil cutie like you!”

“Hey, I can't pretend to date you. I won't get dates then.” I didn't miss the cutie remark, but I did choose to ignore it. He was just being nice.

“Oh, please. Don't you know rule number one is you instantly become hotter if a guy thinks he can't have you? Hell, I'm going to use you to get some real action this year.”

“Glad to help, I guess.”

Nick escorted me to the cafeteria, and we scanned a code with our app, which was monitored by a lady with a pink hair net and more muscles than both of us put together.

Nick caught me doing a double take on the lunch lady, and he whispered to me, “She was a professional wrestler in Germany before becoming a lunch lady.”

I stared at him in awe. “Really?”

“Nah, but I love starting juicy rumors.”

I was seized by a giggling fit, and Nick just beamed at me. “I'm really going to like you if you keep laughing at my jokes.”

After a filling but unmemorable lunch, Nick showed me to the library, which had a multimedia lounge — complete with free movies a few nights a week — and the student union. He warned me that none of the food or beverages served in the student union should be trusted. He claimed the lunch lady brought them with her from the gulag she worked in.

“Gulags were Russian,” I said, laughing at him. “Didn't you say she was German?”

“Well, aren't you a stickler for detail. How about coffee? Are you a coffee drinker?”

“Definitely. My dads own a coffee shop back home. Charlie and I work there.”

“Charlie hit on many customers? Wait. Dumb question — of course he does.”

“He's pretty shameless,” I agreed.

“Well, there's no decent coffee anywhere on campus. You'd be better off mainlining caffeine directly into your veins. Gotta go off campus for anything that tastes good.”

“Where do you go?”

“Follow me.”

Nick led me off campus, heading down a tree-shaded street lined with store fronts.

“Okay, so...” he started, dropping into full-on tour guide mode. “To your left, we'll soon come upon The Morning Rush, otherwise known as java Nirvana. Luckily, it's not far. About a block farther down, there's a cool used record, tapes, and CD store called Disc or Dat. They have a decent selection, if you're into that, and they also have some old movies on DVD and collectibles.”

“Can you even play those anymore?”

“I have a DVD player that I bought on Amazon for that very reason. They're pretty cheap. Plus I don’t trust corporations so I like having physical media. Anyway, here we are.”

He stopped in front of a shop with a neon sign hanging over the door that read “The Morning Rush” along with a coffee cup on a saucer. He pushed the door open with a flourish, and we stepped into a well-appointed little coffee shop with dark wood paneling, a vintage black-and-white tiled floor, old-fashioned booths along one wall, and small round tables filling the rest of the space. Fifties-style pendant lights cast a welcoming, cozy glow.

The aroma filling the place was pure, authentic, bean-lover coffee shop — not burnt corporate slop, but real fresh-ground coffee.

I stopped and inhaled for a moment, the scent giving me a tiny touch of homesickness.

“Wow, I guess you do like your coffee,” Nick said.

A petite blond lady wiping the counter glanced up and smiled. “Hey, Nick. Welcome back. Who's your friend?”

Before he could respond, a full-figured woman with chestnut brown curls came bustling out of the back room holding a sign I couldn't quite read in one hand.

“Marla!” she bellowed. “Where's the tape? Oh!” The dark-haired woman stopped in her tracks as she noticed us. “I didn't hear you come in. What can we get for you guys?”

“Hey, Max!” Nick replied, stepping up to the counter. “Medium espresso with the steamed milk and mint leaf please.” He pulled out his wallet, glancing back at me. “And whatever he's having. First one's on me.”

“For here or to go?” she asked.

Nick glanced at me, and I shrugged.

“For here,” he replied.

“I got it,” Marla said as she started pushing buttons and pulling levers on a giant silver machine that made our espresso machine back home look tiny in comparison.

Max turned to me. “And what about you, cutie pie?”

“Oh, um, can I please have a medium hazelnut coffee light with honey?” I ordered while trying not to blush. “Do you guys have honey?”

“Whoa. Of course we have honey.” She turned towards the blond. “Right, Marla? We have honey?”

Marla shook her head. “I think we ran out.”

“Maybe I used it all on Mike,” Max guffawed then suddenly seemed to remember she had customers. “No honey. I'll put it on the shopping list. Just for you, honey.” She winked.

“Um, thanks,” I said with a self-conscious smile.

“In the meantime, here's Nick’s cup of love,” Marla said, sliding a cup and saucer across the counter. “Will vanilla syrup do this time?” she asked me.

I nodded.

“Who told you to try honey in your coffee anyway?” Max asked.

“A customer in my dad's coffee shop always ordered it that way. I was usually the one making it for him, so I decided to make one for myself one day.” I shrugged. “I liked it.”

“Hang on. You have experience in a coffee shop?”

“Four years.”

“As what, exactly?”

“More or less a barista.”

What was with the third degree? I just wanted coffee.

“Freshman?”

“Yes,” I replied slowly.

“No part time job yet?”

“Huh?”

She slapped the sign in her hand on the counter, and I glanced down. ‘Now Hiring!’

“You looking for a job?” she asked.

“I mean, I hadn't thought about it really...” I said slowly, my mind racing.

“Fill out an app, and your coffee is free,” she said.

“Free coffee?” Nick said brightly. “Hell, I'll fill out the application for you. Where are they?”

“Hey!” I squawked.

I hadn't decided if I even wanted a job. Although, I could make coffee in my sleep, so it's not like it would be that hard. And the extra spending money would be nice.

She reached under the counter and slid an application across the polished marble surface. She looked around, then said, “Hang on. Let me get you a pen.”

“Nick, Nick, Nick,” Marla clucked. “Signing your new boyfriend up so you can get free coffee? For shame!”

She laughed while waving a finger at him.

“What?” I nearly shrieked.

“He's not my boyfriend,” Nick said with a grin. “New roomie. He is cute though, isn't he?”

“Adorable!”

“I'm right here, people.” My face was so warm.

Max returned and slapped a pen down on top of the application. “Make sure he fills that out so I can forget this sign,” she said to Nick, then snatched said sign off the counter. “I hate doing interviews.”

“Can I just take it with me?” I asked, thinking that I still wanted to think it over before applying.

“As long as you bring it back. The sooner the better.”

With that, she vanished through the open doorway she'd come from originally.

Marla handed me my order with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

“Welcome to the Morning Rush.”

I woke up far too early the next morning, and then I was too nervous about orientation to fall back asleep, even though it didn't start until ten. I tossed and turned for a while, then scrolled on my phone for a little longer before finally giving in to my insistent bladder.

I opened my bedroom door to find Nick standing shirtless by the counter, zapping something that smelled like bad B.O. in the microwave.

“Hey,” he greeted me with a yawn as he scratched his junk.

“What is that?” I asked, trying not to let my eyes linger on his crotch. “It stinks.”

“Um. I forget. Something leftover. I think it's edible.” He paused and sniffed. “Maybe. It should be fine, right? Unless you want to go grab coffee and breakfast,” he added hopefully.

“I have orientation,” I called as I headed into the bathroom.

“That's not until later. Besides, I can save you the trouble.”

I stopped and popped back out of the bathroom. “What do you mean? Don't they take attendance or something?”

“You'd think, but no.”

“But the email said—”

“Trust me, you don't need to go.” The microwave dinged, and he opened the door. “Oh, it was burning. No wonder it smelled bad.”

I covered my nose with my hand. “I don't think that was the only issue.”

I frowned at his plate of what looked like charred vomit. “Go shower, and then we'll grab coffee. And afterward, I'll show you the school bookstore. Didn't you say you needed some books for English or something?”

“But orientation...”

“Jesus, what are you? A boy scout? It's like eight a.m. Be fast and you'll still have plenty of time to get to orientation if you really want to go.”

I ducked back in, closing the door behind me, peed, then took a quick shower. By the time I pulled on some clothes, Nick was already dressed and waiting impatiently by the door.

“So why did you say I didn't need to go to orientation?” I asked as we walked.

“Because it's a waste of time. They tell you to respect the neighborhood, then they just basically read aloud all the school information and history that's on the website. I mean, literally, they print it out and read it. You wouldn't miss anything, and they'd never know you were missing.”

I processed that for a moment, then said, “I think I'd still rather just go and get it over with.”

He rolled his eyes. “Suit yourself, boy scout.”

“I'm not a boy scout. I just don't want to miss anything.”

Nick just smirked like he didn't believe me. Before I could insist, we arrived at The Morning Rush. Nick opened the door, and I entered, greedily inhaling the fresh ground scent that hung in the air. The shop was moderately busy so we joined the queue.

Max appeared while we waited and eyed me suspiciously.

“Why don't I see a completed application?” she demanded.

“Oh! I forgot about that.”

She pursed her lips and reached under the counter.

“Luckily, I'm prepared,” she said as she slapped a fresh application on the surface. “Have a seat and fill it out. You can't leave until it's finished.”

“After we get coffee,” Nick interjected.

“As long as I get a completed app before you leave,” she called as she retreated to the back room.

“Hey guys,” Marla greeted us. “Now, Nick, if you think you get free coffee just because you came in with Kody again, you're wrong, mister. You're gonna have to start showing some skin for that to work!”

“Haven't you heard it's wrong to objectify men, Marla?” he pouted.

“No, it's not,” Max yelled from the back room. “Men have been objectifying women for ages. Turnabout is fair play. Now start stripping!”

“Oh, now I feel bad. Really, I do,” Marla pooched out her lower lip, and she and Nick burst into laughter while I wondered if this was some sort of established routine with them.

Marla took our orders — to-go this time — and started whipping them up quite efficiently while I worked on filling out the paperwork. Our drinks were ready by the time I finished the first page, which gave me something to sip on while I finished up.

I turned in the application, and we said goodbye before heading out, cups in hand.

Just before we reached the door, Max stuck her head out of the doorway to holler, “Wait.”

She held out a thick stack of paper.

“What's that?” I asked suspiciously.

“More paperwork. W-9, tax forms, direct deposit. The usual.”

“Huh?”

“You're hired. You start tomorrow.”

“You didn't even look at the application,” I argued.

“I don't need to. I know good people when I see 'em. That was just a formality.” She shook the sheaf of paper. “Bring these in with you in the morning. Six sharp.”

“Tomorrow?” I asked, my head spinning as I accepted the papers.

Max pointed at me. “Tomorrow.”

Nick placed a hand on my lower back and ushered me out the door.

“Uh, that was fast,” I said as the door closed behind us.

“That's Max. Once she decides she likes you, it's all over.”

“And she likes me?”

“So it would seem.”

“They seem to like you too. Did you work there last year or something?”

“Nah, I just went there pretty much every day. Max owns the place, and Marla's been there practically forever. They like to get to know their regulars. They're quite the dynamic duo, a little wild sometimes, maybe, but good people.”

“And it's just the two of them? Are they a couple?”

He snorted. “No, they're both tragically hetero, as far as I know. And they usually have a couple of other employees, but I didn't get to know them as well. One was this weird guy named Mike. He wasn't very talkative. And there was a girl for a while. I forget her name. She was only there for a couple of months. Tisha? Trish? Doesn't matter. And then there was another guy. He had an old-fashioned name. Harry? Louis?”

“Liam?” I guessed, but Nick just looked at me blankly. “You know...One Direction?”

“Are you into boy bands?” he asked, sounding slightly worried. “Because if so, we might have to make some rules about music in our shared space...”

“No, it was a joke...” I sputtered. “Never mind.”

He grinned. “Gotcha.”

Back on campus, we joined the people on the busy quad. Various canopies were set up for clubs, teams and various college services. I figured most of the services had their own offices somewhere, but none of the new people like me would know where any of the admin buildings were.

I saw a sign with a rainbow on it, the calling card for someplace I’d be welcome.

“They have a GSA here?”

“Yeah. They call it the Rainbow Roost. Everything here is related to roosters.” Nick rolled his eyes. “They do some community work and do some social gatherings. It’s kind of a mixed bag; some people are there to hook up and others are just looking for community. You get the people who are just feeling their way out of the closet, trying to figure out if they’re safe at school to be themselves now, and you have the people that have been out and are looking for more. You get out of it what you put into it.”

“Did you go last year?”

“I did. I liked it. There were some people I was friendly with. I had a few coffee dates, and I like the social side of meeting people in a setting where your sexuality isn’t the exception. With that out of the way, you can focus more on other things where you might find common ground.”

As he talked, we’d walked up to the booth, and we each scanned a QR code that brought us to a schedule of events for the semester, their regular meetings, and an open invite to a mixer they were having in a few weeks.

I saved the page so I could think about going. I’d probably be more comfortable if Nick went too, but maybe I could check it out on my own.

My phone buzzed while it was still in my hand. It was Charlie calling.

“I'm gonna take this real quick, just in case something is wrong,” I told Nick. Then, I answered with, “It's been, like, a day. Miss me that much already?”

“I miss not being stuck in Bumfuck, Indiana,” he replied.

“Indiana? What do you mean stuck?”

“Car broke down. Left the hotel this morning and drove a couple of hours before the engine started making this sound like a hellmouth had opened under the hood and all the demons of hell were escaping. Dad pulled over to take a look, but then it wouldn't restart.”

“Oh my God. Is everybody okay?”

He ignored my question. “We had to get towed to some podunk mechanic in the middle of nowhere. All the guys here look like extras from The Hills Have Eyes.”

“Charlie...”

“Although, the younger one could probably still get it. He has a nice body. I can overlook the crossed eyes. I think. I swear I'm either about to get murdered or get lucky; I don't know which.”

“Charlie! Is everyone okay?”

“Oh yeah, we're fine. But repairs are going to be a lot. Brandon says Dad's wallet is having a myocardial infarction, whatever that is.”

“It's a heart attack, Charlie.”

“Why didn't he just say that then?”

“Because...never mind. Where is Dad?”

“He's inside talking to the head mechanic. I'm pretty sure he's wearing somebody else's skin, though.”

“Dad?”

“No, the mechanic. Oh, he's waving for me to come inside. Fuck. He's going to sell me to this guy in exchange for the car parts, isn't he?”

“You're not worth that much,” I said.

“Hey! I'm, like, at least worth a brand-new Maserati.”

“Maybe a used Honda.”

“Damn. Not even a new Honda? Anyway, I'd better go before he really does have a stroke. His face is very red. That can't be good. Bye, Kode.”

“Bye, Charlie. Tell everybody I love them, and get home safe.” I tried to rush that last part in but I was pretty sure he'd already hung up before I was finished.

“Everything okay?” Nick asked.

“Yeah, just Charlie being dramatic as usual. I hope.”

We walked to the campus bookstore, which turned out to be the best idea ever, because we saw the most beautiful guy in the world there. Absolutely no exaggeration. He had to be the hottest man I'd ever seen. Tousled, shaggy blond hair. Bright blue eyes. Long, toned legs, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and a physique that suggested the sort of athleticism I sorely lacked. He was the shade of tan that you only get from being outdoors doing outdoorsy things, with sun-kissed, rosy red cheeks. He looked like he'd just walked off a photo shoot for a surfing website.

And he was coming right at me.

A finger swiped under my lower lip, startling me. I frowned at Nick.

“Sorry, you were drooling.” He glanced at the blond as he passed us. “But I think it's entirely justified in this case. Jesus wept, would you look at that ass?”

“Okay, Charlie,” I muttered. I was looking hard at that ass, though.

Then the guy paused and turned back, almost as if he'd heard us. As he turned, the Golden Boy wore a slight frown on his face, his brow furrowed with frustration. He was clearly looking for something, and I had a crazy thought that I should try and help him. Not that I knew where anything was in this place.

“Think that's the look he gets when he finishes? You know how your face scrunches up?”

I shoved Nick, who laughed at me.

The Golden Boy must have reached his limit with the crowded store, however, because he spun and stalked out of the bookstore without making a purchase.

I stared after him like a starving man watching someone walk off with the last sandwich.

“You have good taste, I'll give you that,” Nick said, breaking me out of my trance. “Give me ten minutes with him and I'll redefine the term bedspread.”

“Jesus, Nick.”

“Admit it, if he asked you out, you couldn't say yes fast enough.”

“I don't have to worry about it — a guy who looks like that would never ask me out.”

“You make it sound like you're chopped or something. You're a good-looking guy, yourself.”

I ignored him again. “Come on, I have to get those books.”

“Did you pre-order them?”

“Pre... No, why?”

“Oh, well, I'm guessing that blond wet dream didn't either and that's why he left empty handed...after making that adorable little ‘O' face.”

“You know what? You and Charlie deserve each other.”

After verifying Nick's assumption that the books were unavailable but due any day now, we headed back out. By that point, it was just about time for orientation, so we parted ways, Nick headed back to our room and me on a mission to locate the lecture hall where orientation was supposed to take place.

It didn't take me long to realize I had no clue where the lecture hall was, and I was never going to find it just wandering around like a lost puppy. Luckily, I spotted the main administration building ahead. I mounted the steps up to the main door, but just as I reached for the handle, the door flew open. I stepped back as a fellow student rushed out, head down and without a spare glance in my direction.

It was the Golden Boy from the bookstore.

Twice in one day? Maybe it was a sign...

He disappeared around the corner, and I realized that I was standing outside staring after him, holding the door open like the world's dumbest doorman. I tried to stroll in as if nothing had happened, but my heart was pounding, and my palms were sweating just a bit.

I proceeded unsteadily to the table set up for assisting with directions for new students and inquired about the location of the freshman orientation.

After crossing campus to the lecture hall, which turned out to be an amphitheater-style auditorium, I looked around in vain for a seat. I had no idea you'd need to show up early to get a seat to an orientation. I gave up and leaned up against a break in the humanity lining the wall while I studied the room, which looked hopelessly dated. Shiny, mustard-colored drapes hung over the tall windows, open to allow the summer light to drench the room and fall like a spotlight on the hot guy in the next to last row.

Holy shit!

It was the Golden Boy again. He was a freshman too? I supposed it would be too much to ask that he be a Journalism major as well.

Maybe he'd need a private tutor. I could just see us lying next to each other on our stomachs across a bed, the lights dim, an ignored book open between us as we got lost in each other's eyes. His fingers would brush my hand...

I pulled the brakes on that fantasy and shook my head. I needed a hobby — any hobby, as long as it didn't involve obsessing over unavailable hotties.

I realized a balding man in a charcoal suit and maroon tie had started speaking at some point, though I'd been so lost in my daydream that I'd missed it entirely. He was droning on about random crap concerning the school's relationship with the community.

Oh my God, just shoot me.

Nick was right, this was painfully boring...but I could never tell him that.

Every time I tried to focus on the speaker, my gaze returned to the blond boy, sunlight hitting his straight hair at the crown of his head, forming a silly little halo that shimmered every time he shifted in his chair — from boredom, no doubt. The speaker could have put a group of insomniacs to sleep.

The Golden Boy shifted in his chair again and tilted his head to scratch just under his chin. The motion revealed the tanned skin on his shoulders and neck as he dug just under the collar for whatever was irritating him — besides the speaker, of course.

“So, if I could have your attention here real quick,” the speaker broke into my thoughts, “we are going to identify you all by major by a show of hands. Accounting?”

I paid attention as he moved through the majors, raising my hand at Journalism and watching in amusement as people made a sudden berth around those that raised their hands in response to Mortuary Science.

As General Studies were announced, the Golden Boy raised his arm — a toned, tanned arm. An arm I could easily picture draped casually across my shoulder. Or around my waist. Or maybe pinning me to the—

Okay, this was definitely unhealthy, as Dad would say. If I let my imagination keep running, we'd be married with three kids, a mortgage, a second car, and divorced before we even left the lecture hall.

The bald guy wrapped up, and we were finally dismissed. I pushed off the wall, having absorbed only that my guy had perfect skin and that he was in General Studies. I sincerely hoped Baldy hadn't said anything important.

I was quickly pulled into the rush of people trying to escape and swept outside, which was just as well, since left to my own devices, I probably would have just stood there openly staring at the guy while people poured around me like water breaking on the pylons of a bridge.

Dad would laugh if he could see me. I did that sort of thing way too much.

Well, not this time, Mister Golden Boy! I'm not falling for your charms!

Famous last words...

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