Of three things I was absolutely certain: First, Pike is straight. Second there is something that needs to be worked out between Zach and I. And third, I had not heard back from my dad in a while. You know what, forget that cheesy twilight line. There were a million things running through my head that needed taking care of. I am certain that I am falling behind on my schoolwork. I am certain that I need to visit my sister soon. I am certain that, yea, you get the point.
After the events that unfolded Wednesday, I had not seen Zach. Granted it was only Thursday but he did not come back to the hall to sleep. Or at least not that I recall. Bryan himself was very quiet when being around me. Every time I went to talk with him, he would only reply in one or two word answers. It was as if my coming out to them was a huge shock. Granted I didn't want to tell them this soon but I was not going to deny who I am. After dealing with that growing up, I got over it real quick.
Classes on Thursday were simple, Biology breaking into the simple chapters of "here is what Biology is, how is pertains to life, etc." Basically very the same boring stuff that I learned back in high school. Communications was decent but the professor handed us our first project, an informative project where we talk to the class about something that we feel strongly about.
Practice is always the highlight of my day. I still need to purchase a disk but am working on it. As usual I arrived a bit early, but thankfully there were a few others there as well. Three new guys whom I had not met before asked me if I wanted to join. Not wanting to be alone waiting I took up the offer.
"Hey I am Tyler. What is your name?" He was a tall red head, standing at over 6 foot. His red hair was more of a ginger that clashed with his black eyes. I am pretty sure that the color was more of red without the sun shining on it. Naturally built, he had a good build to him but no enlarged muscles to show off. I took him for the kind of guy who was content with his body and only hit up the gym to keep in shape.
"I'm Chris. Thanks for letting me join your group. Are you guys' freshmen as well?" I questioned as I caught the disk being lobbed by another member of the group.
The guy who chucked the disk responded while stretching his arms, "Yea, we are all first years. Actually we all live together in the same room. My name's Terry. Tyler and I came from the same high school and didn't want to break the friendship. It is hard to find a similar ginger around these towns so when I found him I latched on and haven't let him go since." Terry runs up and grabs Tyler, lifting him off the ground. Tyler squirms and breaks free. Terry, matching his ginger hair, has fiery red eyes. He was a bit smaller than Tyler but still decently shaped.
The third guy of the group enjoyed the show, with a smile creasing across his face but like me, he looked a little out of place. "I am the third wheel to these two lovebirds. Names Derek." He reached out which we shook. He had a strong grip, one that often might have been mistaken for a match of strength. I let go first, feigning a sore hand. "Freshman as well but not from around here, born and raised in Bakersfield. It was way too hot living there so I got out while I could."
We continued to throw for a few more minutes before Pike appeared to start the practice. Looking around the group, I spotted Bryan chatting quietly to Zach, both of them staring at me. When they noticed my attention on them, they both averted their eyes. Pike went through the typical spiel, introducing the treasurer who was not able to make it on Monday, and any new comers. Tyler, Terry, and Derek all said hi to the group and then melted back in. "Alright guys now that introductions are out of the way, we will be working on our pivoting and breaking today. A simple drill to start out on is a three man group. One person attempts to throw the disk while one marks. The third person then catches. The marker switches with the thrower at each toss. I have to make you guys run a little right?" Pike smiles at us as we all move to form groups of three. Everyone manages to get groups together and all that is left is Bryan and Zach, looking at me as I walk up to them.
"I know we need to talk but can we manage to get through practice without any issues?" I ask politely as I approach them. There is awkwardness to the group as Bryan looks at Zach then back at me. I toss the disk to Zach, forcing him to do or say something.
Zach catches the disk then pauses to look at it. Breaking a small smile he states, "I might have to get over you being gay but I know that you have a good enough arm to throw a disk straight."
I chuckle as I accept the joke. "Well you make sure that you keep a first grip. You remember Pike on practice Monday. A weak wrist makes for a weak disk." I normally am not one to throw out gay jokes but given the situation, it might be the best way to relax Zach.
We break into our line, Bryan marking Zach first. Zach pulls a quick fake to the left, then returns right, extending his arm and flicking the disk before Bryan realizes what happened. Catching the disk on my end, Zach runs up to me. "Stall one, two, three."
I lean out to the left, putting the disk into a forehand toss but quickly return right and backhand the disk down the line. It was a quick toss, Zach barely missing this disk with his baseball reflexes. "Just barely." Zach raises his fingers, showing the distance. I turn and run down to cover Bryan. He attempts to break my force by going around me but I smack the disk down right as it leaves his hand. We repeat the drill a few more times, getting more fluid with each other. Zach slowly begins to relax but I can tell there is still something on his mind that he wants to discuss. Maybe not the time or the place if it is what I am thinking about.
Pike walks over, playing coach and checking up on the groups. Even though he is straight, a shame to be honest, he still has that charm and beauty to him that makes it hard to ignore. My crush on him, while being burst, still slightly remains, with me keeping an eye on him as he works his way over to the three of us. "Hey you three bring it in. There is something that I wanted to talk to you about."
The three of us move in to the middle meeting him half way. Unsure of what is going to be talked about, we all cluster into a group. "I don't know if you three have had a chance to talk about yesterday but I want to make sure everything is ok between you three." We all look at each other then back at him, letting him continue. "I have been on both sides of the coin, reacting like you did Zach when my own brother came out to me and defending him later on like you did with Dan." He turns to me with a slightly stern face. Ugh, serious conversations. "Finishing it up, basically I am here for both of you but I will not take sides. As president of the club, I have to make sure that everything is running smoothly." His arms are crossed, meaning business but the stern face has been replaced by his usual smile.
Zach comments first, "There are things obviously that we need to sort out but I am sure that everything will work out." Turning to me, Zach starts to apologize, "Chris I am sorry for my actions yesterday, especially just walking off like that. I will explain everything later. K?"
Having not been expecting the apology, I attempt to move past it nonchalantly, "Dude it's alright. I am sure whatever you have to say to me could not be that bad. I have been through it all, well most of it." Making the best of the situation, and to show Pike that everything was ok, I put out my hand to shake. Zach returns the grip, making Pike's smile grow even larger.
"Ok now that we are a team again, let's put that to use." Pike turns to the other groups and calls them together, "Hey I know that it is a little early but let's go into some games." A small cheer erupts from the crowd. "As there are 10 of us here, we will split down the middle. Two experienced with the freshmen." Pike drops into our group as we start to play five on five games.
After the practice, we all huddle around Pike for the closing comments. He is clearly tired, but as are the rest of us. The mud seemed to have packed onto us today, several of us peeling strips from our legs and arms. "I know that the semester has just started but I wanted to give you a heads up on a tourney that we regularly participate in. The "Fall Frisbee Tourney" is held at the end of September, switching every year between college campuses allowing for us to compete against each other. This year we are playing at our main rivals, Fullerton. It has been a bitter rivalry between the two schools, normally one of us coming in first the other second."
Pike strips off his shirt revealing his amazing body; the abs which are forever off limits for me showing clearly. Not allowing me enough time to enjoy the sight, he changes back into his street clothes. "As you can tell with us having such a small group, this year it will be a bit harder for us. We will be playing outside which means we need seven on the field at all time. That allows for us three subs throughout the entire weekend. Over the next few weeks I will be watching you all, figuring out who the starting seven will be. That is pretty much it." The group asks a few small questions but in a few minutes we are all heading out in our own directions.
It doesn't take Bryan, Zach and I to return to the hall. I had completely forgotten about the "conversation" that we were going to have so while the other two pull up a chair to start the talk, I inattentively pack my toiletries together. "Chris, do you mind sitting down so we can get this out of the way? I don't think that Zach will be too long, or at least I hope he isn't so I can take a shower as well." I turn around to see Bryan playfully punch Zach on the shoulder.
Zach looks slightly uncomfortable as he squirms in his desk chair. Bryan moves back to the center of the room, unwittingly looking like a moderator between the two of us. I place my wrapped up towel on top of my cluttered desk, then sit in the chair backwards. "So what do we need to discuss?" I eye Zach before turning my gaze to Bryan.
Zach, slightly looking cute which squirming around, starts off, "There are many reasons why I responded the way that I did, all of which are unacceptable. I should have talked to you right there but my fear took the better part of me and I needed to think things over. First off, you are the second gay guy that I have ever met. The first was my cousin who was put into a "conversion camp" when he came out."
Zach looks down at his fingers and starts fiddling with his fingers. "My parents are hardcore republicans and the entire family über Christians. I was really close to my cousin but when he came out of the camp, he was changed. With our bond, we were still close and he confided in me that he was still gay but something had changed in him. I had been told basically from that moment that if I was ever caught hanging out with any gays, there might be a strong suspicion that I might be as well. That was the biggest reason why I walked away."
Totally aghast, I looked at Bryan to make sure that Zach was telling me the truth. Bryan nodded his head at me. Clearing my voice, "Well if you touch any of my pens, I can assure you that the gay virus will spread to you. That is our secret weapon on how we convert straights." I crack a smile at him, trying to ease up the situation. Working back into the seriousness though I carry on, "When it comes to the Republican Party, there has always been a large hatred against the gays. That is slightly changing, with the advent of the Log Cabin Republicans and such. The factions within the party are realizing that there are slightly bigger issues at stake than fighting against a group that they could use as voters.
As for the whole `conversion camps', I cannot talk too much about them. Statistics show that they don't generally work and not only that but it has been compared to torture in certain cases. Personally my dad had brought up the option when I first came out, as he was in denial of me being gay. My sister and I both protested so much that we got him to change his tone real fast."
Realizing that slight similarity, Bryan poses a question for me. His interest in my background has perked up a bit. "How is it for your dad, being a General in the army and all? I mean with the whole Don't Ask, Don't Tell finally being repealed he doesn't need to worry about it as much but still prior to that there must have been some conflict."
Choosing my words carefully, "It was hard at first. I came out when I was 14, so freshman year in high school. I hid it from him for a while but he began to wise up. He confronted me and if my sister was not there, I actually don't know what I would have done or said. At his functions where my sister and I attend, I keep it close to the chest, very few know, maybe a few of his friends. The Army didn't seem to have an issue with having a gay or lesbian child, just you couldn't be gay yourself." Shrugging my shoulders, I gaze back at Zach. He has loosened up a little. "So where does that leave us? I am not going to lie about who I am but as you guys saw, I am not the kind who just flaunts it to everyone."
Zach smiles at me faintly, "Well we do need to discuss who gets the room for sex, should any of us get lucky. It may be weird at first but I will get over it eventually."
Bryan claps his hands and beams, "Now we are talking, enough of this serious talk. I propose 2 nights a month for anyone who gets lucky. That allows for us to all have equal share. Just have a heads up for those of us who strike out that night." Bryan moves over to his drawers and starts gathering his stuff for a shower.
"Clearly you have been thinking about this for a while Bryan." I leer at him. Zach has moved out of his chair and started gathering his things as well.
"Well so far, he is the only one of us to have gotten slightly lucky. Though I do wonder how long this love interest will string him along." Zach laughs as he punches Bryan.
Bryan only grins as he heads out the door towards the showers. Before Zach leaves, I call to him, "So we cool?"
"Yea, everything is cool. Just keep your pens to yourself." Zach grins mischievously as he heads out the door, trailing Bryan. Well the balance has been restored. Slightly.
The next two weeks went by as to be expected. Classes were dragging on, nothing really important happening. English was the highpoint of it all, moving into a figurative language section. We were assigned to find and read a novel that was rich in styling. It was hard at first but I opted for The Great Gatsby. Seemed to do the job, and having read it already in high school it was not that hard to skim through it looking for quotes. Practice was going well, Pike showing interest in me, more for my ability than anything but still I had his attention so I was happy. Zach and I had gotten a bit more relaxed around each other, hanging out more when eating dinner and studying. He is taking a similar biology class so I refer to him a lot when I get stumped on what chemical formation makes what plant or how things react in certain situations. Things seemed to be going alright for the semester.
At the Monday before the tourney, Pike informed us that it was our last practice. "I have been watching all of you guys for the duration of the month and have decided the starting line up for the tourney. It will be Zach, Bryan, Rachel, Sarah, Derek, Tyler, and Chris. Since this is our last practice, what we will be focusing on mostly is pivoting and cuts. The entire session will be five on five games but instead of running, we will be walking. This will also allow for us to train certain patterns out." I was stoked when I heard my name called. Practice went well, five of the starting group going against the executives and the subs. It was good to have the subs with Pike, Sarah and Rachel as it allowed for them to train up as well.
When practice was over, we were tired but excited for the weekend. "Even though the game is this weekend and I can see you are all stoked for it, don't forget to focus on your classes as well. There will be a pasta party at a restaurant the night before so keep an eye out for that on Facebook." Pike looked at all of us, a proud grin on his face. While it was only a month since the semester started, we all have come far in our skill.
Before Bryan, Zach and I broke off from the group, I dug through my backpack for my phone and keys. Keys to get back into the hall and phone to see if there were any messages. I still have not heard back from dad and I was beginning to get worried. It is not like him to go this long without communication. Seeing Ally had called me, I dialled voicemail and listened as we started walking back.
"Hey Chris, this is your sis. We need to talk. It has to do with dad. If you could make it to Fullerton, that would be great." Sent a half hour ago, great. I felt a slight lump in my stomach as I began to think of all the situations that could have happened to the General.
"Hey guys I am going to have to catch up with you later. Something has come up with my sister. I need to get over to Fullerton State." I comment to the guys. Looking around for Pike, I see him off in the distance heading for the parking lot. Before Bryan or Zach has a chance to say anything I am running over to Pike. "Hey Pike, do you think you could drive me over to Fullerton State? I know it is a little last minute but I need a ride and you were the first I thought of."
Pike turns to me and shrugs his shoulders. "Yea sure. Everything ok?" We walk up to a beaten little Ford Focus, a typical college car and Pike unlocks the doors.
"I don't know. I have been trying to reach my dad for the last few weeks and I just got a call from my sister saying something has happened. She wanted me to come to Fullerton to talk. Thank you a lot for driving me." I jump in the front seat and place my backpack at my feet. Pike's car is remarkably clean, a few papers in the back seat with books intertwined. The drive over is silent, more due to my fault than Pike's. My mind could not get over scenarios happening to my dad. I had called Ally when leaving the campus but it immediately went to voicemail. How I hate phone tag, it is one of my biggest pet peeves.
I am interrupted in my thoughts by Pike who simply says, "Well we're here." He seems to have figured out that I am not in a talkative mood, keeping it short and simple. Not sure of where to be let off, he got me as close to the housing office as he could.
I open the door and look around. "Thanks for doing this. I will make it up to you somehow." Students bustle into their respective halls, as it is getting late in the day. Most have gotten dinner by this time so it is not a surprise to see so many lingering around. "Well I will let you go before you get jumped for showing the Long Beach sticker." I smile at him as I shut the door.
"Take care and let me know how things go ok? I am always here for you." Pike smiles back at me as he puts the Focus in gear and starts moving away. I wave at him as he turns out of the lot.
Well now where to go. Ally told me early on that she lived in the Birch hall. I wander around the housing complex till I find a map showing the hall. Of course it would happen that I walked up to the map and it showed it as being on the other side of the residence area. Even though I knew I fit in here, I still felt a little out of place.
Most of all the students wore the "California State University, Fullerton" jackets and here I am standing in a simple Nike jacket. Thankful I didn't bring my Long Beach jacket, I start to work my way towards Birch hall. Once I get there, I realize that I am not able to get in. Just like Long Beach, there is a lock on the front door. I pull out my phone and try to ring my sister but again it goes to voicemail. Settling for second best, I send her a text letting her know I am standing outside.
About five minutes later, I notice a guy walking towards me. Trying to look like I fit here, I pull out my phone and start fiddling with the screen. As he gets closer I look up at him and simply smile. Uttering a simple hi, I avoid his gaze as much as possible. He is really cute, with his short blond hair being surrounded by a pink head band. I lock onto his sky blue eyes as he says something to me.
"What?" I ask again, actually focusing on his words instead of his physic. From the looks of it he had just gotten back from a run, the sweat showing on the black Adidas shirt.
"You forget your card to get in? It happens to me all the time." The guy pulls a card out from his shorts and presses it against the reader next to the door. His smile reminds me of Pike but something is different about this man.
Debating on whether to lie and say yes or tell the truth, I go with the truth, so as not to get him in trouble. It would be bad for him to let me in and possibly get him kicked out. "Nah, I am visiting my sister. She lives on the third floor but I seem to be having trouble getting in contact with her."
He chuckles and replies "It happens all the time. This building has one of the worst signal receptions out of the entire campus. I personally say that it is the bricks but who really knows? Come on in, I will take you there." The guy opens the door and motions for me to walk in. His arms slightly flex under the strain of the door. Either he is trying to impress me or the spring to close the door is really tight.
He squeezes past me, the smell of his sweat filling my nostrils. I stand there for a quick second before he again gestures for me to follow him. "I don't bite, I swear. I am more of a nibbler anyways." He lets out a small chuckle at that statement.
Following him cautiously, he leads me to the elevator. "So what is your name, sexy?" He presses the button and turns to look at me.
Caught off guard by the "sexy" comment, I simply respond "Chris Jakobs." I start to blush at him, just with him looking at me.
"Jakobs? Your sister is Ally Jakobs?" The guy tilts his head at me, squinting his eyes. He crosses his arms, briefly showing off his biceps.
"Umm yea, why? Also what is your name Mr. Generous?" I play at his game, smiling back. Crossing my arms, I lean up against the wall. Something in my head rings that this guy is gay. Damn if only he went to Long Beach. The elevator opens and we shuffle inside.
"My name is Kyle. Kyle Thomas. Sorry, I should have introduced myself early on. Everyone knows each other in this building so getting a new face is kind of a good thing. Makes it far and few to find someone who I have not met. As for your sister, she is the hall advisor for the top two floors. I live on the top floor." The elevator opens again at the third floor, Kyle moving out first then me. He places his hand on my arm and points in the direction we will be heading. "So what year are you? I am a freshman here."
Walking down the hallway, I look over at him. "Same here, freshman." Right before I am able to tell him what college I go to, we arrive at my sisters door.
"Well I got you here, safe and sound." He knocks on the door before I am able to and smiles at me. "Hope to catch you around sometime." Kyle starts walking away as Ally opens the door.
"Hey you made it! Who let you in?" She peeks outside her door and see's Kyle walking away. "Kyle! You know the rules on letting people in here." Ally shouts down the hall to Kyle who in turn spins and smiles one last smile before heading up the stairs. "Come in, come in."
Her room is simple. A dual bed room, though her roommate is out. Ally's side is closest to the elevator. The beds are situated against the walls and the desks share the window. Ally pulls up a chair for me to sit on then moves over to her bed.
Starting off in a rapid fire, "So what happened to dad? Why have I not been able to get in contact with him lately? And why were you contacted instead of me?" I drop my backpack against her bed and take the seat.
Ally looks at me solemnly. "Chris. He has been shot. He survived but still is in the hospital back in Afghanistan. He was hit pretty badly. Two other men died in the attack. His laptop got destroyed in the altercation and it was only a week ago that he was able to get access to a laptop."
My heart drops to the bottom of my chest. Having been raised strong, tears are not in my eyes but I still feel the anguish. I sit in silence for a few seconds before asking "What is going to happen now?"
"Well the group that attacked the General was thankfully not part of the Taliban so they will attempt to restructure the negotiations. He will be filled in with another general and transferred home. The brief message that I received from him said that he was coming home in a month. Just enough time for him to wrap things up there." Ally looks at me, and then came in to hug me. I still sit there stunned that he has been injured. He had always played it safe during the war, reporting back in even if he had been shot. This time was different though. Going almost a month without contact was not like him.
"Where all was he injured?" I ask Ally in a quiet tone. Images start to form in my head, rapid fire shots of lost arms, missing legs, eye patches.
"Thankfully only the left shoulder and lower right leg. Some shrapnel hit him in the arm but it was not enough to do much damage. Since it is a little late to head home, you want to stay here tonight? I know you didn't bring anything but I can go ask Kyle if he could spare some clothes. He looks to be your size." Ally looks into my eyes and holds my hands. "Everything will be ok. Trust me."
Ally heads out for a few minutes to find Kyle and returns with some pajamas. Grabbing her toiletries, she leads me down to the showers. Making sure it is all clear, she lets me shower. As I shower I start to break down a little. Tears still have not come out yet but the weight of what has happened begins to show. I feel as if I should have done more.
Not really talking much, Ally takes her roommate's bed as I take hers. The smell of Ally's pillow, added with the faint aroma of Kyle's clothes, breaks me down. Sobbing quietly I start to drift off.