11

Ethan settled in his seat after boarding the plane. When everything was set the flight took off and the passengers started to relax in their own seats.

Ethan unfastened his seatbelt and adjusted his position while taking out his phone from his pocket.

He unlocked and checked a few messages and replied to them. Ethan wasn’t much of a reader, so the reading book wasn’t something he would do. Especially on a plane. And listening to music, unless it’s work, he’s least bothered about it. He sure loved high beat EDMs during his college days. But now, that didn’t interest him as much as it had done back in the days.

He scrolled and browsed through his phone’s gallery and ended up stopping at a picture. He and Arthur were smiling brightly, hands hung on one another’s shoulder. It was a beautiful selfie. He brushed his thumb across Arthur’s face in the picture. What a wonderful time they had spent together. It all had crashed when Arthur abruptly broke up with Ethan and went back to his native. Ethan wasn’t given any reasons for the break up. For all he knew was Arthur was scared of something and broke up with him.

As Arthur occupied Ethan’s mind, he experienced a dream when he dozed off after getting tired. A dream or a revisit to the first time Ethan met Arthur.

The second year of college:

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

“Who are you?” Ethan asked, barging into the room.

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

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

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

“By the way, who are you?” Ethan asked.

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

“Man. You will scare away that boy,” Jake came out of the bathroom.

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

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

“Why? Your papa didn’t let you shower in his house?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Second year?”

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

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

“No,”

“Why?”

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

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

Jake came out, fully dressed.

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

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

“I don’t want to be a good boy,”

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

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

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

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

Arthur nodded his head and got up to get ready.

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

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

“Interested?” Jake asked.

“Very much,”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I don’t know what I am,” Arthur also admitted his thoughts. He knew he was a little shy around men but didn’t give much thought into it though. He was always intimidated by older men in his family and his father’s business partners. So, he thought this might be natural.

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

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

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