3. Secrets and Bruises

When Anderson dragged his aching body back to his room, Carl was nowhere to be found. Jason returned and revealed to him that Carl had moved back into his room. Anderson had been barely listening to him that night. Jason wouldn’t stop jabbering about how awesome the party had been. He had three girls that night, two in a jacuzzi and one on Eva’s father’s bedroom.

“Or was it actually Eva?” he mumbled with a deep thoughtful frown. His eyes lit up, “I think I actually fucked Eva, Andie! She’s like the second hottest girl in college! After Carl’s girlfriend of course.”

That caught Anderson’s attention, “Carl’s girlfriend?” his strained voice queried.

Jason nodded, “Yup. I think Eva only fucked me because she was drunk, she turns me down on a regular basis.”

“Sad,” Anderson mumbled and his legs twitched.

“Anyway, that was the best party ever! Did you have fun, Anderson?”

“Yeah…” he mumbled, Nico’s voice ringing in his head again.

“How many girls did you fuck?” Jason asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Anderson turned his head the other way, his dick hardening all of a sudden and said, “Goodnight, Jason.”

Jason shrugged, his new roommate was probably too exhausted from having so much fun that night. He needed some shut eye too, tomorrow was going to be a very hectic day for him. He had chain classes from eight AM down to 5 PM!

“What a bummer!” he exclaimed as he strolled into the bathroom.

The next day could go down as one of the worst days Anderson had ever lived through. He had overslept, woken up by Jason’s loud, torturous singing. He blinked severally, rubbing his heavy eyes as he tried to focus his blurry gaze on the ear-wrenching sound.

“Jason, what the hell?” he exclaimed, “keep it down, will you?”

“You’re late for class, Andie!” Jason laughed and slapped Anderson’s bare thigh as he slipped on his headphones, “see you later!”

When Jason slammed the door, Anderson groaned as he felt a sharp pain between his butt cheeks. He bit his lip and tried to move one leg over the other.

The pain was unbearable, it felt like he had a thousand needles piercing his butthole at the same time, but he had to get out of bed. He checked his phone’s calendar. His first class was scheduled for eight AM. He glanced at the alarm clock on the small desk beside his bed.

Two minutes past eight!

He screamed into his pillow as he adjusted his body. He heaved a sigh and the memories of what had happened last night occurred to him right in the middle of his quick shower. He was dumbfounded, even as he slipped on his trousers. The pain wasn’t so bad anymore, but he was absolutely perplexed. He had fucked a guy!

He couldn’t believe it! Yet the evidence was there in the pain that he felt, and his photographic memory. Anderson arrived at his class twenty minutes late and was immediately the center of attraction. The class went silent, everyone’s stare turning to him.

The lecturer, an aged man with an eagle-like face peered at his watch, “Mr. Wells, you are twenty minutes late on your first day,” he said with a stern glare, “I should send your ass away.”

Anderson swallowed, beads of perspiration forming on his forehead as he stared back at the impassive eyes that watched him. “I am…I-I am sorry-”

“Oh, looks like he’s going to choke! Someone get him water!” Someone exclaimed mockingly and the whole class burst into laughter.

Anderson’s cheeks turned red, he pushed his glasses up his nose bridge and stared down at the tiles in embarrassment. The lecturer waved him on and when he looked up, he saw two empty seats at the extreme of the class room. A paper ball hit the side of his head and before he could look up, two more struck him. Anderson crouched even further and was thankful to finally be seated.

But the jabbing stares persisted for the rest of the day. The vacant seat next to him carried a black bag but no one came to claim it even as the bell for lunch was rang. Suddenly, the class grew silent as a tall, imposing figure stepped into the classroom. Anderson recognized him immediately as Carl, Jason’s roommate who had moved out and Carl was headed right towards him.

He was starstruck by his appearance. Anderson felt a domineering aura when Carl finally stood in front of him and it only took him a moment to realize that he was gawking.

“Move,” Carl’s deep voice rocked him out of his thoughts and he blinked stupidly.

Carl leaned over and picked up the black bag. Anderson shut his eyes as he basked in the masculinity of Carl’s scent for the few seconds before Carl stood erect again. Anderson couldn’t utter a word, but he felt his cheeks heating up when Carl’s sharp, cognac eyes studied him.

“It’s me, Anderson,” he blurted out.

Carl’s impassive gaze didn’t waver and neither did he reply. He turned and walked away. Anderson kept staring at him until a tall figure obscured his view. He slowly looked up to meet another guy with short brown hair and a wicked grin staring down at him.

“New boy, huh?”

A hand appeared before his eyes and seized his glasses.

“Hey! Give it back!”

“Oh, shut up!” the first voice, which sounded oddly familiar to the one that had ridiculed him earlier, snapped, “this is just a simple welcome to Beale Crest.”

His head was slammed against the desk in front of him the next second. Anderson bellowed in pain, but his cry was quickly snuffed out by a sock that was stuffed into his mouth. They grabbed his hair again and slammed it on the desk, making him dizzy and causing an ache to ravage through his head.

“This is Beale Crest and ain’t no poor kid on a damn scholarship is going to mingle with the rich!” Arnold Pierce, the leader of the bullies, said, “let’s go boys.”

Anderson’s head rested on the desk, saliva dripping from his stuffed mouth and he had Arnold’s name scribbled on his upturned cheek by a marker. When he opened his eyes, his blurry gaze caught Carl standing at the door, staring at him coldly. He wanted to call out to him somehow, but at that moment, Carl turned and walked out of the classroom.

Anderson was left dejected.

He was the butt of the class’s joke for the rest of that day. Even the girls laughed at him and pointed fingers his way. He had gone to the restroom to clean himself up, but the ache in his head just wouldn’t leave. As if that day couldn’t get worse, by the time he got back to his room, he saw the only bag he had brought to college fully packed and waiting for him at the door.

“Sorry buddy,” Jason said to him, “one of the rich kids wanted this particular room, so you have been transferred to room 27. Best of luck, Andie.”

He sighed, not quite believing his bad luck. At least, Jason’s directions had been spot on, he found room 27 pretty easily. He took a deep breath and crossed his fingers. He prayed for a decent roommate, just like Jason, but without the nickname. He walked into the room with the headache and was just about to smile when he saw who sat on the bed, with the familiar cover of a novel shielding his face.

Anderson couldn’t believe it. His new roommate slowly dropped the book and those piercing cognac eyes stared at him again. It was Carl!

“You?” Anderson exclaimed.