The following story is a work of fiction - and does not represent any living person. The story will contain sex between two adult consenting men. If you are a minor, or it is illegal in your area to read the following story, please leave now. The author retains all rights to the story. Please do not reproduce without prior consent.
Thanks to everyone who sent in their comments. Just to let some know this story will move slowly in the first few chapters. If your looking for quick action - this isn't the place. Sorry.
Now moving on ...
Chapter 3
*** NOAH ***
Oh how I love Friday. I don't have any big plans for the weekend but having an excuse to sleep in is all I need. Tonight though I was off to the movies with Jenn. She usually picks the movie and I just tag along. All I need to do is get through my English class and then it would be freedom.
Perhaps my eagerness for the weekend shows when I arrive first at my English class. I'm still having trouble sleeping at night so I decide to sit at the back. This way if I fall asleep - the professor has a lower chance of finding out. I think I have figured out a part of what is bugging me. Even though I still have two years left in university, I don't know what I'm doing with my life. When I went back home over the summer my father gave me the same lecture - the one I heard countless times before starting university - what will a degree in history get you? To be honest - and I hate to admit this - he is right. What would I do with a degree in history? I could always do my masters and then go into teaching - but say if I didn't - could I get a good job that would "support my family" as he would put it? In his eyes I should have done something more "practical " i.e. become a lawyer, engineer or doctor - because those were the only "real" careers. I'm not sure why this time his words just seemed to have a greater impact on me and now I find myself constantly questioning what I should with my life.
As my internal monologue goes on in my head, the room starts to fill in. I see Jordan walk in. He notices me and gives me a slight nod. He is still limping a bit as he makes his to the back and drops his bag on the floor beside me.
"Hey man." He says sitting down.
"Hey, how's your foot?" I ask.
"Oh, this old thing, it's fine. Just a bit sore but nothing to worry about. I've bashed my foot several times. But thanks for helping me out at the gym."
"No big deal. What do you do to keep bashing your foot?"
"Oh, I play volleyball. I've managed to land on my foot a few times in an awkward position. It hurts for a bit but after a few days it goes away."
"So your an athletic guy?" I ask.
"Yeah a bit - volleyball and swimming." He looks over at me with a bit of a puzzled look and a bit of hesitation. "Can I ask you something?"
I know it's probably nothing but all of a sudden I feel a bit nervous. "Um, sure."
"Why did you yell out my name when I was leaving the gym."
Oh crap. I was hoping he didn't remember that. "Well I actually couldn't remember your name." He gives me a smug look. And I quickly add, "but I remember it now. It was just bugging me at that moment I remembered it and just blurted it out."
"You more than blurted it out - you kind of yelled." He says with half a laugh and a smile on his face. "Well I know it's a really hard name to remember, so just as a reminder it's Jooorrrrdaaaaan." He stretches out his name and says it very slowly. I can hear the sarcasm in his voice.
"Thanks for the reminder."
I manage to stay awake throughout the entire class but it goes by in a blur. I didn't even write down a single note. That's because I kept talking to Jordan about nothing in particular. He's a funny guy ... cracking jokes about the professor ... zit face, who is back with more pimples on his face (I know its mean but, okay fine I'll stop making fun of zit face.) He's also a pretty smart guy. He wants to be a doctor and by the looks of it I think he will make it. And for a guy in the sciences he's really well read. He's read most of the authors I usually study in English class like James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen ... and the list goes on.
"Alright man," Jordan says getting up. "I will see you next week in class. We should get together sometime soon to figure out our presentation on Mrs. Dalloway. We still have a month but we should think of a topic."
"Yeah for sure." I say as I start to pack my bag.
"Alright, dude" he extends his hands forward in a fist ... a fist? oh right props ... narf ... I hit his fist with mine, "I'll see you around."
"For sure, take care and have a good weekend."
"You too." He turns around to walk away. "Sssss."
"You okay?" I ask.
"Yeah it's just my foot," he says sitting down. He takes off his shoe to look at his foot.
Wow it looks like he is growing another ankle - it's really swollen.
"That's really badly swollen. Did you show a doctor yet?"
"No, I thought it would just go away in a day or two."
"Jordan, you might have broken something. I think you should go to the doctors office and get an x-ray done just to make sure." He's the science guy he should know this!
He looks hesitant for a few minutes. "Well my doctor isn't in on Fridays."
"Well then let's go to the emergency room." I realise after the words come out of my mouth I just said "lets."
"Yeah I guess I should." He puts his shoe back on.
"Here" I grab his arm and help him up.
"Thanks."
Even though the hospital is just a five minute walk off campus it takes about twenty minutes. With his arm over my shoulder, I slowly walk as he hops along on one foot. During this whole time neither of us say anything to each other.
When we get to the hospital I take him to the triage to sign him in. The nurse gives him a list of paperwork to fill in.
"Hey I will just be back in a minute." I say.
He nods and starts writing down his life story on the clipboard. I walk outside the E.R. and take out my cell phone.
"Hey Jenn, it's Noah."
"Hey Noah," she replies. "Ready for our big date tonight?"
"Um, actually that's why I called. I have to cancel on the movie."
"What, cancel - Noah! I've been waiting all week to see this movie." She isn't angry just a bit annoyed.
"I know I'm sorry but I had to come to the hospital ... "
She doesn't even let me finish my sentence. Her tone changes immediately from being annoyed to worried. "Are you okay, what happened?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry. One of my classmates hurt his foot so I brought him to the hospital."
"Who is it?"
"You know how I mentioned I had those English presentations - it's the guy in my group, Jordan."
"Oh, okay. Well I hate you but I understand," she says.
"Okay, I have to run. I'll probably be here for a while. You know how slow hospitals are."
"Alright, but call me later tonight okay." She isn't asking me - more like dictating her terms.
"I will, bye."
"Bye."
I hang up the phone and walk back into the E.R.
*** JORDAN ***
I know I acted like an idiot. I should have gone to see my doctor in the first place but I really thought it was nothing. I just thought if I left it alone it would go away. But Noah's right - I should get it checked to make sure it's not broken. I'll need a healthy foot if I want to continue playing volleyball and for swimming.
"Hey, sorry I just had to make a phone call." Noah says as he sits down beside me. "Are you done with the forms?"
"Yep almost, I just need a card from my bag. Yeah just open the front pouch ... yep the blue one."
As Noah pulls it out, I can tell he sees my full name on it. "Your middle name is ... "
I grab the card from him. "That stays just between the two of us." I say to him in a stern voice.
"But it's cute."
"Only us - even my good friends don't know it." I'm not ashamed of it - but its a closely guarded secret. "Alright, I'm done. If you don't mind just passing them to the nurse."
I'm glad Noah came with me. It was really nice of him to do so. Even though I know I could have called one of my friends its just easier with him. They would ask me all these questions about what happened - and then about Kate. And I didn't need any of that right now. Besides Noah already knows how I hurt my foot so he doesn't need to ask.
"Thanks for your help Noah, but I should be okay from here. Its a Friday night and I'm sure you have plans so if you want to take off that's cool."
"Honestly I don't mind staying. I don't have any plans."
"Thanks. Well, we have time to kill, so why don't you tell me a bit about yourself."
For the next while we talk about life in general - where we're both from - our parents and siblings. He's the baby of the family with an older brother and sister. I tell him I'm an only child and that my parents have split up. The conversation shifts to girlfriends. He tells me about his ex, and how they broke up a while back.
"Yeah, and I think I told you my girlfriend broke up with me the other night. So we're both in the same boat I guess," I say.
"And are you okay with how things ended?" He says.
"Well to be honest with you I guess a part of me saw it coming. Our relationship wasn't the same since we came back to school."
"I only ask because the other day you were running like a mad man on the treadmill."
"Yeah that was me being stupid. I was just really angry. It's like if she didn't want to be with me that was one thing, but she lied to me for a whole summer. We would talk on the phone at night - but she was crawling into bed with another man just minutes later." Even though I was hesitant to talk with my friends ... I dont know why it was really easy with Noah. He just listened and he didn't judge me. "And if she had just told me in the summer she wanted to end things then that would have been fine by me. It would have sucked yes, but still at least I wouldn't have wasted my whole summer thinking I had a girlfriend when I really didn't."
I went off on a rant for a couple of minutes. The whole time Noah just listened and nodded occasionally. It felt really good to just get everything off my chest.
"Jordan Yonge," a nurse calls out.
Wow it had already been over three hours since I came to the emergency room. I followed the nurse into one of the examination room with the help of Noah.
"Alright sweety, just wait here for a bit - the doctor will see you in a few moments."
"Thanks" I say as she closes the door.
"Well Jordan, it's never easy breaking up - but always think of it as a new opportunity for something else - something more. You seem like a great guy and I'm sure any girl would be lucky to be your girlfriend. And I'm sure she will come along at some point in time - you just have to have patience." Noah says to me. Even though his words don't change anything, they do make me feel better about myself.
"So how about yourself? You broke up what over a year ago you said?"
"Yeah, I did. I just haven't found the right person to be with yet. Not sure what exactly I'm looking for but ... "
Someone knocks on the door and enters. As the doctor walks in, Noah excuses himself. For the next five minutes I tell the doctor what happened and how I hit my foot.
"Well it's swollen all right. It might be a sprain or a fracture. I'm going to send you for an x-ray. And then we will take it from there. A nurse will come by with a wheelchair and take you down in a bit."
As the doctor leaves Noah walks back inside.
"Well either a sprain or fracture - going for an x-ray to find out." I tell him.
Well the next few hours were just more of a waiting game. I got my x-ray done and then waited for the doctor to come back. The whole time Noah stayed with me. While I went in for the x-ray he even went out and got us both something to eat. I hadn't realised how hungry I was until I actually started eating . All of this was really nice of him and I definitely needed to thank him properly.
By the time the doctor comes back into the room it's almost eight o'clock.
"Alright son, it looks like you have sprained your ankle. It's actually not too bad - a minor sprain - so it should heal pretty quickly. But you still have to wear a brace around it and that means you will also need crutches. Make sure you get plenty of rest over the weekend. A nurse will give you an elastic compression wrap for your foot to help reduce the swelling. Wear it all weekend until Monday. Advil will also help for the swelling and the pain. For the weekend try to stay in bed as much as possible. Keep ice on your foot for at least 10 minutes in every hour and make sure to keep your foot elevated throughout the day."
"Yep, thanks doctor."
"No problem, I will be back with all the stuff you'll need. Well get your brace on and get your crutches and you can take off."
By the time I actually leave the hospital it is a bit past eleven o'clock. Even though Noah lives off of campus, he insists he walk me back home. It was actually a good idea because I am still getting used to the crutches and almost fall a few times. As I approach the dorms I turn to him.
"Honestly I don't know how to thank you for tonight. Staying with me, the food, and listening to me rant and rave about life. I really appreciate it."
"As I said before, it's nothing. I'm sure you would have done the same."
"Thanks again. Try to enjoy whatever's left of tonight."
"You too. Make sure you get plenty of rest over the weekend. If you need anything over the weekend I gave you my cell number so just give me a call."
"For sure. Good night."
"Night,"
Well I hope you're enjoying the story so far and it's not too slow ... any comments give me a shout at mr_e08@hotmail.com. Ethan.