Chapter 8: "Sophomore Year, Spring Semester"
I fidgeted with my phone anxiously as I walked to Prof. Carr's office. I tried not to be too nervous and to focus on something else. It was spring, and the first warm day of the year. I tried to distract my mind by looking at the patches of grass reappearing under the snow, and listening to the birds chirping en masse again.
I hadn't seen Prof. Carr since that evening at his apartment. I didn't take any classes with him anymore, and he blocked me on Grindr the very next day. I knew this was "normal," he didn't want me seeing his shirtless pictures anymore, but it still felt like some sort of rejection.
For once, I had been happy to be going home for winter break. Figuring out my sexuality, as fun as it kinda was at first, was starting to feel like a burden. Like a task. At home, I didn't need to worry about any of that. I was Straight Aaron again. The desirable high school jock. I reconnected with one of my exes and had sex with her a few times during the holidays. At least while I was doing that, I didn't have to worry about men.
But now I was summoned to Prof. Carr for an "urgent issue." I worried that what I'd done, catfishing him on Grindr, might finally lead to consequence. Maybe the school just needed a few weeks to decide how to punish me?
"Aaron! Come on in," Prof. Carr smiled at me as I hesitantly entered his office. So far, it didn't seem to be very bad news.
He offered me a seat and we chatted a bit about the break and how the semester's going so far. I wished he would just get to the point.
"Okay," he said when we were finally done with the smalltalk, and opened a file to look at on his computer. "I see you applied for the study abroad program?"
"Huh? Oh yeah," it took me a while to remember. It wasn't really an application as much as it was just putting my name down on a list last semester. The school did all the work from there.
"Well, I'm happy to let you know you've been accepted to one of the schools on your list. In London."
"What?!" I was in disbelief. I'd completely forgotten about the application, much less expected it to be the "urgent issue" after everything that happened.
"Yes. It's one of the most sought-after places in the program. Congratulations."
"But... but that starts next semester, right?"
"Yes," he said, scrolling through the file, "You have a couple of weeks to decide whether you want to accept it. Of course, you are free to come talk to me anytime if you need any help deciding."
He looked at me again and smiled reassuringly. I can't believe I came here thinking I was in trouble and something like this happened.
"Yes. No, yes, I don't need to decide. I mean, I've decided. I'll take it."
--
"What is so urgent?" my roommate Rory asked as I literally dragged him to sit on my bed and I sat down next to him.
"I have some big news, c'mon."
"Let me guess. You've decided who you wanna live with next semester after I move out?"
Rory was a senior and about to graduate soon. I'm sure he knew how devastated I was that we wouldn't be rooming together anymore, but we both tried to act tough.
"No," I answered. "I don't need to, cuz I won't be here. I'm going to London."
"What?!" his reaction matched mine.
"Yup. I got accepted to study abroad."
"That's great, bro! That's my biggest regret, that I didn't apply for that. Everyone who's gone had a great time. Congrats!"
He leaned forward and gave me a hug. Fuck, I would miss his hugs, I thought as I inhaled his scent with my eyes closed.
--
"You sure you don't want some?" Hannah asked, smoking a joint by the open window in her room, draped in just her duvet.
"No," I answered the way I always did when she offered me a smoke. I lay on her bed naked, having just had sex. With the window open and the duvet gone I was getting cold.
"I wanted to tell you something," I said, lying on my side so I could face her.
"You're going to London," she said, blowing out smoke.
I was surprised.
"How did you know?"
"You told Rory, who told Mia, who told me."
"Damn. So much for giving me a chance to break it to you in person."
"It's okay," she laughed.
"I'll miss you," I said, and I meant it. "This was fun."
"I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun in London," she said in between puffs. "You'll find yourself a nice British lass," she added in a mock British accent.
"And what're you gonna do?"
"Oh you know, I'll lie around here and cry over my lover across the sea."
I rolled my eyes.
"You're taking this no-attachment thing really seriously, huh?" I asked.
"Yup."
I looked up at the ceiling with my hands under my head. Thankfully, Hannah was done smoking soon and shut the window and got back in bed.
"You never told me why your parents got a divorce," I said.
"My dad cheated on my mom. Repeatedly," she put the duvet over us and gave me a hug. I was instantly warmer, out two naked bodies radiating heat for one another.
"Ah, so you're extra disillusioned with men."
"Yes, Freud," she pulled my chest hair.
"You know we're not all the same, right?"
"Says the guy who couldn't go for three weeks over winter break without fucking his ex," Hannah laughed.
"What, we said we weren't exclusive!"
"That's fine," she continued to play with my chest hair and we lay in silence for a couple of minutes.
"Do you have a big family?" I asked, wondering if she had a support network through this whole thing.
"No. One younger brother. No cousins or anything. My mom's an only child and my dad's only brother is gay."
There it was. Gay gay gay. Wherever I turned.
For a second I felt like a fraud, lying next to Hannah and not admitting to her how I felt.
--
"Hey bro," Rory said walking into our room, holding two paper cups.
"Hey."
"Here, I got you a coffee."
"Jeez, thanks."
"Don't mention it. It's the least I can do after last night."
The night before, he and Mia had kept me up till 3, because they wanted to have the room to have sex.
"No problem," I said and walked up to his bed where we both sat.
We took a few sips of coffee before I asked:
"So, have you and Mia decided what you're gonna do after graduation?"
It was now the week after spring break. The second half of the semester. The end was nearing fast for the graduating seniors.
"Yeah..." Rory said, looking a bit awkward, which was unusual for him. "I don't think it's gonna work out."
"Ah, man, I'm so sorry to hear that," I put my arm around his back.
"It's alright, bro. We kinda knew for a while. She's going back to California. I've applied for a couple of jobs in New York and it's looking pretty promising. Neither of us is gonna have the time to fly back and forth, and we don't want that anyway. It's been nice while it lasted, but... I think this'll be it."
"Aww, sucks. But I understand," I took a slow sip of coffee, my other arm still around Rory's back. "So that's why you're tryna get it on while you can," I laughed.
"Yeah, we been going at it," Rory said, casually letting his hand slip down to his crotch.
"Obviously not enough!" I noted, pointing at his bulge. He was wearing gray sweatpants and I could clearly see he was sporting a semi.
"Oh, that," he said laughingly, grabbing and adjusting his bulge, giving me a clear view of the outline of his dick. "I don't know if it's the fact we're saying goodbye soon, but that's been like that all the time lately," he gave his dick another squeeze through his sweats.
I knew that by "we" he meant him and Mia, but for a second I liked to think he meant him and me.
"Don't let me stop you if you need to take care of that," I said. Maybe it was the fact he was holding it, but by now Rory's dick looked to be almost fully hard, barely contained by his sweatpants.
"I think I might have to. Mia's in class," he was slowly stroking his cock up and down.
"Let me leave you to it," I said, fixing to get up but he held me back.
"You don't have to leave just for me, bro. I mean, we kick you out when Mia's here cuz she doesn't feel comfortable, but you know I'm cool."
"You sure?" I hesitated.
"I mean, not like we haven't done it before."
True. Rory and I had jerked off in the same room before, but each of us was in his own bed. Now I was here, sitting right next to him, wondering if he expected me to move.
"Fuuuck, that feels good," Rory freed his cock from the confinement of his sweats, lying back and sighing in enjoyment with his eyes closed. Since my arm was still around him, I was pulled back and lay next to him.
"Fuck dude!" I said when I saw his monster erection. I noticed his pubes had gotten bushier than the last time I really looked at him.
Rory jerked off next to me for a couple of minutes, then looked at me until we made eye contact and smiled. He looked down at my crotch. The sweats I was wearing revealed my erection as well, but he didn't say anything.
He continued stroking his dick, like this was the most normal thing in the world. I had to admit... it was fun. A couple of minutes later I couldn't take it anymore and I pulled out my own dick.
"Fuck yeah," Rory said loudly. I wasn't sure if he was encouraging me, or just enjoying himself.
We jerked our cocks side-by-side now, almost at the same pace. Rory's was bigger and hairier than mine, which really captivated me. He always felt kinda like my older brother, but never more than now that we were getting so comfortable in the room we shared.
"Ahhh man, I'm getting close," Rory announced after only a couple of minutes. Damn, he was horny! I picked up speed, willing to catch up with him. I focused on the head of my cut cock, knowing that'll get me to the edge soon.
"Fuck!" Rory yelled out a minute later and pulled up his T-shirt and tucked it underneath his chin. That same second, a big load of cum shot out of his dick, creating a large white puddle on his hairy belly.
"Fuck yeah," I moaned, spreading my legs open and pulling up my own shirt real quick. I picked up speed, until I shot a load all over my stomach and chest as well.
"Careful, bro," Rory laughed, his hand on my leg. With my legs wide open I was bumping into him. "You got some of my cum on your knee," he said with an amused smile.
--
"This is it, huh? Your last party chez Nevaeh's?" Nevaeh asked me over the loud music, holding a glass of wine.
"I guess so, yeah. I never thought about that. I'll be in London for a year, and you're a senior next year," I said. "Thanks for being a great host."
"Don't mention it," she smiled and everyone in the group took a sip. It was the three of us: her, me, and Skyler.
"I'm gonna go talk to the girls a bit, see you soon," Nevaeh excused herself, obviously trying to give Skyler and me a chance to talk alone.
"I got something to tell you," Skyler said. "Quite funny, really."
"What's up?"
I'm glad he prefaced it by saying it's funny from the beginning. I've had enough surprises lately.
"I'm moving to your room next year. Room 141. My roommate asked if I mind leaving our room so he could live with his best friend, and turns out your room was available."
"Ah, that's nice." I was unsure what else to say, so I took a sip of my drink. "Mind if we talk somewhere alone?" I asked.
"Where?" Skyler looked around. Nevaeh's place was a loft and the party basically took up all of it.
I looked around as well, as if an extra room would pop up out of nowhere.
"Come," Skyler took my hand and led me to the bathroom. As he shut the door behind us, the music got quieter.
"What's up?" he asked, leaning against the shower.
"I guess I just... I wanted to say I'll miss you."
Skyler smiled, and came in for a hug.
"I'll miss you too," he said softly.
"I feel like out of everyone here... you've been the person I've felt most comfortable talking to," I admitted, while we were still hugging.
"Well, there's still FaceTime. Feel free to talk to me about anything while you're gone," he leaned away and looked me in the eyes.
I smiled with gratitude.
"There's something I wish I'd told you, but I was too embarrassed at the time. Now I kinda think it's funny."
"What?"
I told Skyler the whole story of me catfishing Prof. Carr last semester, and the "date" we ended up going on. Skyler thought it was hilarious and smacked my arm for not telling him earlier.
"You're right, I should've," I said, feeling much better. There was something about saying things out loud to people... It made me feel like the whole thing was a lot less tragic and a lot funnier.
"Also, since we're talking about guys," I continued. "You know Rory right, my roommate?"
"The hot RA with the man bun? Of course."
"A couple of weeks ago we jerked off together." Even as I said it out loud I blushed. I looked at my drink. I may have been getting a bit tipsy.
"What?!" Now Skyler was really shocked. "Isn't he straight? And doesn't he have a girlfriend?"
"Well, we didn't jerk off each other, just like, ourselves, side-by-side. And he and Mia have basically broken up. Like, they're still hanging out together but only until graduation."
"You're just fueling my fantasies now," Skyler shook his head. "I thought Rory was hot from day one."
"Hey, maybe you'll get a roommate like him next semester," I winked at Sky. "You never know what might happen in Room 141."
to be continued...
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