Thanks to everyone who sent in emails. This chapter is the product of them. A special thanks to Jordan for his continuing correspondence and to my boyfriend, David, who gave me the idea for this chapter
I thrive on emails, please email me at thehaydster@yahoo.com.au.
I have written two other stories, Love On Campus in the College section, and Aussies in NY in the High School section, tell me what you think please.
Also, to Don Hanratty and Sequoyah, Thanks for writing great stories and giving me the inspiration and motivation to write.
ON WITH THE STORY
Chapter 9
The next thing I knew there was a banging on my French door, the door that opens on to the balcony. I looked at my watch and saw that it was 2am. Tim started to say something and I clamped my hand over his mouth. His eyes widened as he realised that he was sleeping in my room. "What the hell is it?" I yelled. "Dan, let me in I need your help!" came back a voice. What in the world was Alex, one of the biggest sportos (sports player), doing banging on my door at 2 in the morning?
I motioned to Tim to move behind one of the curtains on my French door, and then I pulled back the other curtain, so Alex could see me, but he couldn't see Tim. Alex's face was white, and he was shaking. "Dan, please let me in, I've done something stupid, and you are the only guy I can turn to." How could I refuse an appeal like that? But first I had to get Tim out of my room.
"Just a sec, Alex, I'll just get into some clothes" I said, as I was in my boxers. I closed the curtains and got a t-shirt and shorts on as Tim slipped out of my room as quietly as possible. As soon as I had re-locked the door behind me I went to the balcony door and let Alex in, closing the door and drawing the curtains afterwards. He was white and shaking. I sat him down on my bed and sat across from him in my chair.
"Alex, I'm not going to turn you away, but why are you coming to me? We barely know each other" I asked in a gentle voice.
"Dan, I can't go to any of my friends, and you are the only guy who might not turn me away, and might help me." He replied, still very distraught.
"Ok, so what's wrong?"
"Dan, I'm gay, please don't hate me." With that he broke into tears.
I was flabbergasted to say the least. I could understand him being distressed, but what had he done that was so stupid, asked some guy out? I got up and sat next to him on the bed while he cried. It would have looked really weird, one of the most macho guys in college crying his eyes out on the least macho guy in college.
Once his tears had subsided, I asked him why he appealed to me at 2 in the morning? What had happened? His reply was not quite what I expected. "Dan, I kissed Ryan on the lips, in front of everyone!" My jaw hit the floor. "I couldn't help it, I was drunk and he was just looking so adorable. I've had a crush on him for forever and I just did it. Once I had done it I realised what I had done and ran for it. They started yelling that they would kill the fag. You are the only guy I can turn to. Now you know the story, can you help me?"
Ok, this was not what I had expected to happen tonight, but how am I supposed to help him? He is for all practical purposes, fully out of the closet.
"Dan, I want to help, but how can I help you?"
"I don't know, I thought you might know what I can do."
"Well, there's not really much that you can do, except find out who is and who isn't on your side still. They were also drunk so some of them will probably still accept you. Regardless of that, you are in danger tonight, for the same reason, so I'll get Tim..."
"No! Tim will beat me up! He's a sports guy!" Tim broke in, breaking into a sweat.
"He won't. I promise you that" I replied.
"Ok, I'll trust you" He said, but still obviously on edge.
"As I was saying, I`ll get Tim and we'll take you back to your room and see that you are safe there. After that, we'll just have to see what the morning brings. You are practically next to the dining hall, yes?"
"Yes" he replied in the voice of a broken man.
"Ok, well Tim and I will be at breakfast around 7:30, so if you want to join us for breakfast feel free. I think we just need to see how things go then." I then got up and called Tim on the internal phones. He picked up immediately.
"Hey"
"Hi Tim. I've got Alex here in my room. I'll explain later, but we need to take him back to his room and check that he is safe there."
"Ok babe. I'll come over now" I struggled not to blush, thank goodness that Alex couldn't hear his end of the conversation. About 30 seconds later there was a knock on my door.
"Who is it?" I called out.
"It's Tim" my boyfriend replied. I then opened the door and let him in.
"I'll explain late, we need to get Alex back to his room safely, his friends are out to get him."
"What?"
"I'm gay, and they found out" Alex put in, looking at the floor. Tim's jaw dropped.
"Ok, that I didn't expect" Tim replied, he shot me a quick glance and I shook my head, to tell Tim that he didn't know about us. We left my room and started using the back ways around college to get Alex to his room.
We heard drunken shouting down in a few areas, but none came near us, until we were approaching Alex's room. We heard 2 guys talking in drunken voices
"The fag'll have to come back here `ventually, then well beat him up" A slightly slurred voice said. Another voice replied "Yeah". I motioned to Tim and Alex to wait there and I strolled around the corner to the two guys.
"Hey guys, what's up?"
"We're waiting for Alex to come back to his room. He's a fag, and we're going to get him."
"Alex?" I replied, in a surprised tone.
"Yeah"
"Well you won't find him here, I saw him and he said something about bunking down in the computer room for the night." With that they moved off in the opposite direction to Alex and Tim. Once they had turned the corner I gave them 30 seconds and then got Tim and Alex. We got him settled in his room and then went back to my room, where Tim and I sat down on my bed and I explained the situation.
"Well, that was the last thing I would have expected Alex to be worried about" Tim said after I had finished.
"Yeah babe, me too. There's nothing more we can do until the morning, so we'd better get some sleep."
"You're right" With that Tim headed for the door.
"Hey! Where are you going? Are you heartless enough to leave your boyfriend alone in his cold bed?" I said with mock indignation, upon which Alex promptly turned around and slipped into bed with me, where we spent the night with no further interruptions.
The next morning we woke up at about 6:30 and were showered and at Alex's room by 7:30, after convincing him that he would come to no physical harm, we got him to accompany us to breakfast. Alex gave me a guarded look when we were going with him to breakfast, as we couldn't desert him and leave him totally alone, but it would bring us under scrutiny too.
As soon as we entered the dining hall one of the sportos called out "Watch out for the fag guys, he might try and grope you!" Alex visibly cringed at that remark, especially when the rest of the table laughed. Whet he didn't see was the headmaster of college walking up to the high table and tapping the microphone there to get everyone's attention. "May I have everyone's attention please?" With that the hall fell silent, due to the commanding tone in his voice.
"It has come to my notice that one of the students of this college is now known to be homosexual. I would like to remind all students that no student is to be bullied or discriminated against for any reason, including sexual orientation. If you disagree with that, I suggest that you see page 16 of the college handbook which states this clearly. If any of you believe that you can not cope with this, please see me and I will arrange for you to move to another college" Jaws dropped all around the dining hall.
"Well, that puts a different light on the matter" Tim said quietly to Alex. Although no one said anything or made any insulting gestures, nearly everyone gave Alex a wide berth, and no one spoke to him at all, except us. Ryan, the guy who Alex kissed said that he would like to talk to Alex alone outside the hall after breakfast. Alex went pale when he said this, but Tim and I said that we would be with him, and that Ryan wasn't dumb enough to attack him after what the principal had said.
After we had eaten breakfast we exited the hall to find Ryan waiting for us, or rather for Alex. Once we were in a relatively deserted area (all of us watching for an ambush) he said "Alex, can I talk to you without these two?" Alex responded with an uncompromising "No."
"I swear I'm not going to hurt you"
"No, I don't really trust anyone at the moment"
"All right, but can they be trusted to keep a secret?" Ryan asked, giving us both a sideways glance.
"We won't spread anything around unless you try to hurt Alex, verbally or physically" Tim said for both of us.
"Ok" Ryan said, then turned back to Alex
"About last night..." he began.
"Look, Ryan. I don't want to talk about it, I'm sorry about it I had a crush on you for ages, and I just couldn't help myself" Alex cut in.
"Alex, I"
"Really, I didn't mean to do it and I swear that I won't ever..." Alex was cut off by Ryan grabbing him by both shoulders. His eyes widened in fear and Tim started to move towards them until Ryan pressed his lips to Alex's and started kissing him passionately.
While Tim and I scraped our jaws up off the floor Ryan broke the kiss, and said with a grin "Now will you stop rambling and listen to me?" Alex nodded mutely, still in shock.
"Alex, I've liked you since I met you, but you acted so straight, as did I. I was hoping that you would give me a sign if you were gay. I must say that you certainly did that" He gave a sly smile. "Didn't you notice that I returned the kiss when you kissed me? Alex, will you be my boyfriend?"
"Ryan, I'd love to but I can't. Have you forgotten that I'll go through hell after being outed like this?"
"Wrong choice of words there Alex. We'll go through hell after being outed like this. I know what I'm facing being with you, and I don't care if it means being with you." With that Alex grabbed Ryan and held him tight, crying on his shoulder.
Tim and I looked at each other and we decided to tell them about us. I don't know how we knew the other was fine with it, but we knew.
"Alex, Ryan, we need to tell you something" I said. When they both looked at us I pulled Tim in for a kiss. When we broke the kiss their mouths were hanging open. "You're... You're" Ryan stammered. "Yep, we only need one more to make the Fab Five" Tim told them, smiling