"How bad?" Shawn asked nervously as Trey entered their dorm room looking utterly defeated.
Trey rested his back against the door and let out a long sigh before starting to give Shawn the news.
"Well, thanks to Nick and Jesse, no one’s pressing any charges and I’m not expelled," he started.
"That’s good. That is good right?"
"Of course it’s good," Trey continued, stalling his next statement as he pushed off of the door and walked over to his bed, peeling off his coat.
"Well then...what’s wrong?"
Trey finished taking off his coat and sat down. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Shawn. He was too embarrassed with himself. He was supposed to be the model of perfection in Shawn’s eyes. The clean roommate. The smart roommate. The perfect guy. And he’d gotten arrested. It was probably the worst thing he could have done for himself in the eyes of Shawn and there was no way he could undo it.
"Trey...what’s wrong?"
"I’m suspended," Trey replied. "I can stay here at the school but I can’t go to class the next two weeks. I can’t take my finals until winter break."
"Don’t we all have to leave the campus during winter break?" Shawn asked, feeling slightly confused.
"The residence halls are closed and so are most of the classes but they still have that short winter semester. I’ll have to attend remedial classes every day during the break before I can take my finals before the Spring semester starts."
Shawn felt for Trey. The winter term classes only lasted three weeks but that was because they were to be attended daily, including Saturdays, and for four hours each day. Per class. Which meant that Trey would have to stay somewhere nearby the campus to go to the classes and would miss out on nearly his entire winter break taking classes he didn’t need just to take his finals.
"Well, it’s bad, but you’re lucky that’s all they’re doing. If Nick hadn’t told them you weren’t playing lookout and if Jesse hadn’t paid your bail..."
"I know," Trey replied. "I know all that and it still sucks. I have all A’s. I know I do. If I don’t take those finals, my entire semester-"
"But you are taking finals remember? Just not with the rest of us."
"Yeah but those make up exams are always harder than the originals because the professors have to make a whole separate exam just for those few extra people."
Trey knew he didn’t really have a right to complain. Even with the story that Nick had managed to convincingly tell the Dean and the authorities, things still could have turned out much worse for him had they not believed him.
"So what are you gonna do the next two weeks then?" Shawn asked.
Trey let out a sigh as he shrugged.
"I don’t know, study, I guess?" he said, not sounding like he had the first clue about what he was going to do.
"Well, I’m just glad that’s pretty much done," Shawn said. "I mean, I don’t know what I would’ve done if you had to stay in jail...."
That was when things got silent between them. They both knew why and were both wondering whether or not the other was going to acknowledge the reason why. Trey didn’t want anymore drama in his life. He knew that if he was going to try to start any of that up again that he’d have to be sure of who he wanted first. The last thing he wanted was for both Shawn and Noah to accuse him of stringing them along again.
"Well I guess this means I need to get your gift early then," Shawn decided to start.
Trey looked over at him with a smile.
"You’re getting me a gift?"
"Yeah, for Christmas. I was gonna send it to you over break but since you’re staying here now, I have to get creative and pick something early."
Trey wasn’t really sure what to say. He’d never gotten a Christmas gift from someone before that wasn’t directly related to him. He had no idea that Shawn was even the gift giving type.
"I don’t even know all the things you like," Shawn said, sounding more like he was thinking about the words as he said them. "I guess I need to start studying you too."
"I do that enough for myself," Trey joked. "But if you really can’t think of anything just don’t get me something. I won’t be mad."
"Trey, I can’t not get you a gift. You’re my roommate and my friend. What about that Christmas giving spirit?"
"I wish someone would give some giving spirit to the Dean." Trey mumbled.
"Yeah, that’d probably be nice too."
Trey wasn’t sure how Shawn had done it but he’d single-handedly managed to make him feel a whole lot better about his grim situation.
* * *
Jesse sat at the mini bar he’d had installed in his apartment not really doing anything in particular. There was a magazine with him in it in front of him and the television was on BBC discussing his father’s publishing company reaching an earnings total finally amassing a billion dollars US but he wasn’t paying attention to either thing.
He was however thinking about his father in general.
He’d been at the university for nearly an entire semester and yet his father hadn’t once called him, not even to check in to see if he’d made it to America safely. Granted, he knew his father was an extremely busy person and that he wasn’t really one to ever pay much attention to his children but part of him wished he was a bit more concerned with his life. The only reason he’d even come to the university in the first place was to get his attention, and after nearly five months, that hadn’t even worked.
He originally felt like America would never be home to him. There were too many backwards customs and backwards people for him to have to deal with on a constant basis. But he’d started to settle in and he’d at least tolerated his surroundings. He’d sat up the night before thinking about how comfortable he was starting to feel in America and about how he wanted to know where his father stood before he allowed himself to even think about staying permanently.
After all, he wasn’t one to just give into someone when he was trying to make a point, even if the person he was trying to make a point to was half responsible for bringing him into the world.
"Oh, I’m sorry señor Yorkshire. I had no idea you would be home," Jesse startled back to reality as he heard his house keeper say as she entered his apartment.
"Yes, I’ve been doing a bit of reflective thinking Elsa," Jesse replied.
"Would you like me to come back later?"
"No....you’re fine," Jesse replied.
He watched while thinking as Elsa nodded and took off her jacket. She’d brought a few cleaning supplies and had a bag of what he presumed were groceries. He wasn’t really sure what he was thinking as he watched her quietly get to work in the kitchen.
He also wasn’t really sure what has prompted him to start speaking to her about his problems.
"Elsa," he started.
"Yes señor Yorkshire?"
"Have you ever had a problem with someone you just had to have fixed your way?" Jesse asked, not really sure where he was going.
Elsa turned around to face Jesse as she started taking the groceries out of the bag.
"What do you mean?"
"I’m having a bit of a long term row with my father. He doesn’t notice me and I think for the first time in my life, that’s a problem for me."
"Your father shows no emotion for you?"
"More like he shows no signs of believing he even has children. I come all the way to another country to a school he’d never want me to go to just to tarnish his good name, he wants me to take over the company soon you know? But that’s beside the point. The point is, I’m here, he’s there and he still doesn’t seem to care."
Elsa took a bag of tomatoes from out of the bag and put them in the refrigerator before stopping what she was doing to walk around from the kitchen over the bar where Jesse was sitting, taking a seat next to him.
"What is it you want from your father?" she asked, sincerely.
Jesse looked down. That was the problem, he wasn’t sure what he wanted exactly. He wanted to say attention but he felt it was deeper than that. His father had let him do whatever he wanted since he was born. He let him have whatever he wanted. He got away with any and everything because he knew that he could. But he still managed to stay out of jail and had gotten straight A’s in school every year he’d been in school. He was smart and sensible and knew that very well about himself and yet his father didn’t seem to care. It made him wonder why’d he’d even decided to have children.
"My parents are divorced. I guess I’ve been wondering lately if maybe my father regrets his decision to have children with my mother. Like my brother and I are constant reminders of the mistakes he made in marrying her. She did walk away with 150 million in the divorce settlement, you know?"
Elsa seemed to be processing the information as she thought about how to respond to Jesse.
"You have a lot of thoughts about your father’s opinion of you but have you actually talked to him about these thoughts?"
Jesse sat up sharply.
"My father and I don’t speak. That’s his fault, not mine."
"Well, if you want him to talk with you how do expect him to want to if you don’t talk to him?"
"He’s my father so he should be more on the money. I definitely shouldn’t have to inform him of my feelings."
"How would he ever know about them?"
Jesse wasn’t liking how Elsa was trying to insinuate that his father’s treatment of him was somehow partially his fault. Jesse wasn’t anyone’s father, he didn’t have anyone to take care of but himself and had never had to either. And he knew that even with that he’d still be a better father than his own.
"Well thank you for this nothingness-filled chat Elsa, you’ve shown me all you’re good for," Jesse replied, standing up. "I think I’ll go for a run. That should give you enough time to fix a nice meal, yes?"
Elsa sighed.
"Yes señor Yorkshire."
* * *
"So, you know how to dance right?"
That wasn’t exactly the first thing Noah wanted to hear from his roommate as he prepared for another day of school that he was completely ready to end for the semester.
"What?" he asked, slightly annoyed as he struggled to wake himself up completely.
"I’m not exactly a dancin’ fool you know but I’m willing to put on my dancing shoes to go to this winter formal thing."
"Formal?" Noah asked, suddenly finding himself a little more awake.
"Yeah, it’s this thing the Resident Halls are throwing. A formal in the Ark Hall cafeteria since that place is the size of a small third world country."
"When is it?" Noah asked, standing up.
"I don’t know, next week I guess," Jeremy replied. "Show me your moves. I have a photographic memory. I’ll store em for later use."
"Or not," Noah replied, starting to put on some clean clothes from his closet. "Besides, did you even ask to go with someone yet?"
"I don’t wanna tip my hand too early. I need to scout em out first, figure out who’d be the better date."
"And by the time you made up your mind, everyone would already have a date. Is that how things worked for you in high school Jeremy?"
Jeremy frowned as he turned towards his computer.
"Pretty much, yeah."
Noah zipped up his jacket.
"I thought that was a high school thing. I never heard of a college having a formal."
"It’s not the college, it’s the resident halls, there’s a difference. Student sponsored. Besides, sororities and frats have em all the time."
"They do?"
"I think they do, yeah," Jeremy replied. "And who cares, all I know is I want in."
"Didn’t you tell me that game you play is gonna be down for a couple of days next week for maintenance."
"Yeah? Why?"
"That explains it then," Noah chuckled as he grabbed his backpack.
He’d gone from having just woken up, late, to being wide awake and dressed, teeth not brushed and hair not straightened, in less than five minutes.
The idea of the formal excited him and worried him at the same time. All he could think about when he heard about it was asking Trey to go with him and finally getting back to what they’d started. But another part of him didn’t want to get hurt again in the process. He wasn’t even sure he was ready to start another relationship with Trey but the idea of a formal certainly helped to make his decision a lot more complicated.
His mind was almost completely elsewhere before he realized that Jeremy had started speaking again.
"What? Noah asked, joining reality.
"I said are you gonna take Trey?" Jeremy asked. I mean, I know you guys like broke up and everything but it’s definitely not cool to go stag to a dance. I should know."
Noah thought about it. He wanted to, he knew that much. But whether or not he was going to was another story.
"I don’t know," he replied.
Of course just saying it was staring to convince him that he actually did know that he wanted to go with Trey. He wanted it to happen the more he thought about it and the more he thought about it, the better his mood got.
"I don’t know," he repeated. "But I’ll figure it out. It’s not like this kind of thing happens all the time right?"
"Right," Jeremy replied suspiciously, noting Noah’s sudden great mood.
* * *
"Everybody’s acting like a bunch of damn fools." Grace spoke, frowning as yet another couple passed by her as Trey walked her to class. "Why?"
"I don’t know but isn’t the next holiday Christmas not Valentine’s Day?"
Trey had noticed the increase of couples around campus as much as Grace had but hadn’t really thought to think about it much. He had his own, bigger problems to worry about but now that it seemed to be full-blown in his face.
"You know, this is probably the longest I’ve gone without a man," Grace said after a few moments of silence between them.
"Really?" Trey asked.
"Is it bad if none of em are memorable?"
"Probably. But at least you get to say you’ve had them."
"You had Noah...oh, sorry."
"No, it’s okay. That was my fault, I fully admit to that. I just wish I didn’t feel so awkward about the whole thing."
"Yeah, if you didn’t maybe we could find you another boyfriend."
"Or you," Trey laughed, nudging Grace.
"Who say’s I’m looking?" Grace replied.
The two of them continued walking at their slow pace before Grace suddenly grabbed Trey’s arm tightly, looking over at something to her right.
"Is that boy following us?" she asked, sounding a bit paranoid to Trey.
"What?"
Grace pointed over in the direction of a Hispanic guy walking alone and didn’t seem to be following anyone in Trey’s opinion.
"Grace-"
"I coulda sworn I saw his ass getting on the elevator with us. And then in the cafeteria near us at breakfast."
"Why would you notice something like-"
"You don’t get to call me crazy boy. I know what I’m saying."
"And you think that kid is following us?"
Trey was skeptical. The guy didn’t look familiar at all to him, but then again, he had a lot on his mind and probably wouldn’t have remembered seeing his own mom had she served him breakfast in the cafeteria this morning.
"See, I can’t take you nowhere-"
"Boy be quiet and put your arm around my waist," Grace said, semi panicked as she half glanced in the direction of her supposed stalker.
"What?" Trey asked, also feeling panicked all of a sudden.
"Don’t start. You should be glad you get to even see a female since yo ass didn’t go to jail."
"Yeah, I keep trying not to think about that," Trey replied. "So thanks for bringing it up."
Trey sighed as Grace flashed him a look that sent chills up and down his spine before doing as she so graciously had commanded of him.
"Now act like you love me," she spoke, still sounding a bit panicked.
"For crying out loud! Grace!"
Trey frowned, annoyed and confused when Grace started laughing loudly as if someone had just told her something funny.
"Grace-"
"Boy, you so crazy-"
"Okay, I’m going back to my room."
"I done told you, yo ass is walking me to class. Stop messing around and just go with it."
In the four months that Trey had known Grace he’d never seen her behave as hysterically as he was seeing her act now. It actually was starting to worry him a little.
"Is he still following us?" Grace asked after a few moments of silence between them.
Trey looked over his shoulder.
"Is there a random guy who just happens to be headed in the same direction as us? Sure."
"Don’t play with me. You know how I feel about that shit."
"Grace, you’re being REALLY paranoid right now, it’s creepy."
Trey continued talking as Grace started up the stairs into the building of her class.
"Come with me," she spoke.
"What?" Trey asked. "I can’t. I’m suspended."
"They don’t know that and probably wouldn’t care if they did," Grace replied.
Trey was tempted to give into his friend but knew her well enough by now to know that he needed to stick to his guns when it came to her or she’d feel just comfortable enough to have him doing any and everything for her.
"Sorry Grace, I can’t," Trey replied, somewhat sadly as Grace frowned at him and then looked past him.
"There he is," she spoke, as the guy she thought had been following her entered the building without giving her so much as a side glance.
"Didn’t look like he was interested in you to me-"
"Didn’t you say you were leaving?"
"Fine. Call me when you get done for today. We’ll have lunch."
"We have lunch together every day, duh."
"Just go inside girl," Trey laughed before placing his hands in his pockets to shield them from the cold air as he turned around and started back towards his dorm.
He had two weeks worth of free time and had no idea how to spend it. The idea of having two weeks of no class made him feel bored of the thought. He liked having class because it worked into his well planned schedule that seemed to keep him busy everyday. He’d settled into a routine. So suddenly having so much free time was a bit jarring for him.
He’d barely made it halfway back to his room before he noticed a semi lonely looking Jesse heading down a path that would eventually lead into the one he was walking down and decided to slow down in order to join him at his side.
Jesse didn’t seem to notice this happen at first, however, as Trey had to make his presence known.
"Everything alright Jesse?" Trey asked apprehensively, wondering whether or not he’d regret his decision to do so.
"Oh, made the transition from jailbird to freebird have we?" Jesse asked.
"Thanks to you," Trey replied, sincerely.
"Well, no thanks necessary. You did me a favor in finally getting rid of my irksome older brother. You’ve left me with plenty of time to focus on the more important matters at hand."
"Which are?" Trey asked.
Jesse was about to respond without even thinking before he realized that he’d long since come to the conclusion that having friends only ended up being more problematic than they were worth. The last thing he wanted to do was involve himself in any more drama.
"Let’s not do this thing where we pretend we’re fond of each other," Jesse replied flatly. "I’d rather not indulge myself in wishes on a whim."
Trey wasn’t even going to pretend that he knew what Jesse was talking about and decided to change subjects.
"So finals, you’re all set right?"
"Of course. I’ve always found education to be rather elementary in its difficulty."
"I don’t get to take mine. Not with you all anyway. But it’s better taking them later than not at all."
"Spoken like a true man who’s seen the other side of those iron bars," Jesse replied noticing a happy couple pass him.
He was sick of happy. More specifically he was sick of everyone else being happy while he’d had to endure crazy roommates, temporarily befriending a homosexual, his lover and their friends and of course his latest misadventures with his brother. All of that had left him feeling very much on the jaded side of life.
"Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Valentine’s Day is universally on the 14th of February, not two weeks before Christmas. Right?"
"You noticed all the couples too, huh?" Trey asked.
"Hard not to notice when you finally discover the walls in your apartment aren’t quite as sound proof as you’d like them to be."
Trey decided not to touch that particular comment as he and Jesse turned a corner, obviously headed in the same direction.
"Don’t you have class or anything?" he asked.
"I don’t know," Jesse replied, a bit agitatedly.
"What do you mean you don’t know?"
"I mean there are much more important things going on in my life than this silly little university and all of its annoying oddities."
"Did you wanna talk about-"
"I believe I’ve spent enough I’m time with you. Attachments won’t be good for me if this doesn’t end well."
Once again Trey didn’t know how to respond to another of Jesse’s comments but it wasn’t like he even had the chance to as Jesse started away from him on a completely separate path leaving him to himself and all his free time. Free time that he absolutely didn’t want but would rather have considering the alternative.
* * *
Noah had barely managed to get himself situated and comfortable before Sierra started trying to get his attention by blatantly staring at him as he took off his coat.
"Let me guess, you’ve actually turned into a psycho," he said.
"So Jesse’s not here and you decide to replace him? You’re lucky you’re cute or I’d think you were an asshole," Sierra replied.
He almost wished she did think of him that way. He could only stand so many people and she was definitely not one of those people.
"So what then?" he asked when Sierra continued starting at him a whole two minutes later.
"There’s a dance. Well, a formal anyway," she started.
"So I heard," Noah replied flatly, doing his best to sound as if he could care less one way or the other.
"Wanna go?" she asked.
"With you?"
Sierra didn’t respond and Noah didn’t respond. The two stared at each other, Sierra doing her best to look innocent while Noah decided to be the adult of the two and speak up.
"Aren’t you into Nick?" Noah tried.
He knew Nick was gone but it was all he could think to come up as he felt himself panicking. He’d only barely just admitted to himself that he was gay. He had been willing to lay everything on the line for Trey but considering they were no longer together, things had changed considerably.
Now he wasn’t so sure of himself or how comfortable he would be having to admit to Sierra he wasn’t interested in her or any girls.
"I haven’t seen him around," Sierra replied, somewhat disappointedly before continuing. "Besides, that slut Amber got her hooks into him. What was I supposed to do? I’m not a big fan of sloppy seconds, you know?"
"Sure," Noah replied, trying to get across his unease with the conversation.
He turned somewhat in his seat as if doing that would make Sierra leave him alone and decide to go elsewhere. But he knew Sierra well enough by now to know that she was a person of conviction who didn’t let things go easily.
"I didn’t get an answer," Sierra spoke, hopefully.
Noah turned back to Sierra, ready to make her regret even asking him out.
"Look Sierra-"
"Okay, time for you to talk to someone important," Jesse spoke, taking Noah completely off guard as he stood next to Noah on the outside aisle.
Sierra looked up and over, glaring at Jesse.
"I’m important, you’re not. Go away little boy!"
"Haven’t we had a talk similar to this in which I informed you that there isn’t a thing about me that’s little?"
"We didn’t talk about the size of your brain, but now that you remind me-"
"I haven’t any time for you," Jesse spoke, grabbing Noah and dragging him towards the door.
"Jesse, what the hell-"
"If you’re going to be my go-to guy you need to make yourself available at all times," Jesse said as he continued to lead Noah towards the door. "And I just so happen to have a problem that needs fixing."
"When are you not having problems?"
"I’ll leave that alone for now," Jesse spoke, turning to face Noah once they were outside. "So you seem like a person whose father doesn’t love him enough. What do I do to remedy that situation?"
Noah stared at Jesse, dumbfounded by his nerve. He wasn’t sure why Jesse still managed to shock him at this point but he seemed to find new ways every day.
"You know you should really make up your mind," Noah started, crossing his arms and taking a step back.
"About?" Jesse asked.
"This whole friend thing. You say no but yet here we are."
"I told you, I don’t need friends. They’ll just screw me over in the long run. And we aren’t friends. Consider yourself my glorified shrink."
"Your free shrink."
"If you must. Can we talk about my problem of the week now?"
Noah sighed and rolled his eyes as Jesse started.
"I don’t know why it’s taken me 18 years to figure out why my father doesn’t pay me any attention but I’ve decided it rather bothers me and I want to do something about it."
"So what do you need me for then?"
"Advice. What do you do to get your father’s attention?"
Noah felt a bit uncomfortable all of a sudden. Even though Jesse was talking about himself and his situation with his father, he couldn’t help but to feel like he was being forced to address his issues with his own father.
"Uhh..." he started, not really sure how to tackle the question.
Jesse looked behind him and took a seat in one of the hall benches while Noah moved over slightly to face him.
"I was in the hospital," Jesse started. "And I didn’t get so much as a phone call. I’ve been here almost an entire semester and he hasn’t........"
"And that’s a problem or something?" Noah asked, slightly jaded when it came to people and their parents showing them any attention.
Jesse stopped and looked over at Noah with a frown.
"You’ve absolutely no sense of perception, have you?" Jesse asked as Noah just stared blankly at him. "At any rate, your sheer ineptitude astounds me, no doubt, but I should probably continue before I lose the nerve I’ve worked up."
Noah frowned at Jesse, who didn’t see this as he sat back thinking for a moment. When he didn’t speak up, Noah decided to speak up, in an effort to end their conversation as quickly as possible.
"Why do you think your dad pays more attention to your brother than you?" he asked.
Jesse looked up at him, thinking about the question.
"I don’t know. I’d always just assumed that he’d been dropped on his head as an infant and required that extra pinch of attention."
"Didn’t he just get arrested last week?" Noah asked.
Jesse nodded in a ‘yeah. So what?’ like fashion before Noah sighed and continued.
"Nick is always doing things to get attention because he knows what kind of father you guys have, obviously," Noah replied. "You’re the good one......more or less. I mean, you go to school. You get into college. Why would he pay attention to you when you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing?"
"You’re logic is slanted but it actually makes sense in my case," Jesse said, standing up. "I mean, my father has a billion dollar company to run. An ex wife constantly hitting him up for a new divorce check of the month. And a son whose face we’ll all probably see on a World’s Most Wanted list soon. Why would he spare any attention for the things that are actually going right in his life? Namely, me."
"No, no that’s not exactly what I-"
"I understand completely what you’re implying," Jesee continued, cutting Noah off. "I have to be worse than my brother. I have to make my father notice me at all costs."
"Don’t go crazy, Jesse," Noah cut in.
Jesse abruptly stopped talking and looked over at Noah.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, I wasn’t really....I mean don’t go trying to burn down the school or anything."
"Are there laws against that here?" Jesse asked, completely serious.
Noah had been joking but was now completely and utterly afraid of what he’d down in helping Jesse, or what Jesse decided to do in helping himself.
"You’d be bloody brilliant if you were even worth it free," Jesse replied. "But for now, I believe we have class to attend."
This was one of those times Noah was rendered speechless.
"Better bring along some carrots for that horse in there. She does have quite the mouth on her."
Noah tried to regain his composure as Jesse walked past him, headed for their class filled with a new resolve.
* * *
"Ooh, or him," Grace said pointing to another guy in the yearbook she’d brought with her to the cafeteria as Trey and Zoey each leaned over to get a better look. "I’ll ask him."
"You’re too cute to beg," Zoey replied.
"I know huh?" Grace replied, turning the page.
Trey chuckled as he sat back in his seat and looked over his tray of food.
"Where’d you get a yearbook from anyway?" he asked.
"Yeah. I mean, this school has like what, a couple dozen of thousands of students? Kinda hard to fit that many people into one book," Zoey spoke up.
"Also, when was picture day? Did I miss that or something?"
"Ya’ll ask too many damn questions, shit," Grace replied.
"We love you?" Trey tried.
"Try, nosy," Grace replied. "Besides, this thing ain’t got every damn body in it. Just the important people like the Class Presidents and R.A.’s and shit."
"My R.A’s in that thing? She’s a bitch," Zoey commented.
"We have class presidents?" Trey asked, curious.
"Anyway," Grace started. "Ya’ll gotta figure out who you’re gonna take to the formal. If I ain’t going stag, ya’ll ain’t either."
"Don’t forget Grace dearest that I’m the only one among us that actually has a man," Zoey spoke, rather proud of her statement.
"Yeah, that we’ve never seen," Grace mumbled.
Trey chuckled.
"What?" Zoey asked.
"Huh? What?"
Zoey eyed Grace suspiciously for a few moments as Grace pretended as if she were the perfect little angel before Zoey decided she was over the moment and let it go.
"Too bad neither one of us has a stable of men just waiting at our feet practically dying with anticipation over-"
"Okay, okay okay," Trey chuckled, nervously. "And I don’t have a stable of guys."
"No, just those two," Zoey replied.
"What two?" Trey asked, actually sounding panicked.
Zoey pointed behind Trey, who turned around not shocked to see Shawn and Noah but shocked to not only see them together, but laughing as if they were the best of friends.
It was the strangest thing for Trey to behold really, seeing his two best friends who had actually admitted to him and each other that they didn’t like the other yet the way they were strolling into the cafeteria, you wouldn’t be able to tell that.
Trey sat looking confused while Grace and Zoey each exchanged knowing looks as Shawn and Noah approached.
"What’s up my peeps?" Shawn spoke, flipping his seat backwards and taking a seat next to Trey, Noah taking a seat at the head of the table.
"Hey guys," Trey replied, trying as best as he could not to let on how confused he felt.
"Hey," Noah replied, with a wide smile in Trey’s direction.
Trey tried returning it, but all of sudden felt so strange, he looked away, actually letting the confusion show on his face.
"That a high school yearbook or something, Grace?" Shawn asked while twisting the cap off of his Sprite bottle.
"People, college’s have yearbooks, alright?" Grace replied.
"We have a yearbook?" Shawn asked. "Am I in it?"
"Why would you be? What do you do?" Zoey asked.
Which, as Trey thought about it, seemed like something that Noah would normally say, who didn’t really seem like saying anything at the moment.
"Grace is trying to find herself a temporary husband for the formal," Zoey replied. "Or glorified play thing, whichever one you think fits."
"See this is what happens when people don’t mind they business," Grace sighed, rolling her eyes.
Shawn chuckled before stretching over the table in a comfortable pose.
"I heard about that stupid dance thing. I thought you only did that shit in high school?"
"The way some of these people up here act, we might as well be. Damn if those weren’t the worst days of my short life thus far," Zoey shuddered.
"You two....have dates yet?" Grace asked, which completely shifted the mood at the table.
Grace was trying to help Trey and knew exactly what she was doing before she asked the question, not even faltering when Trey flashed her a look to kill.
"Gotta weigh my options really," Shawn replied. "It’s not everyday a guy gets to go to a shindig like this."
"Uh, try seven months ago, prom," Grace replied. "I know ya’ll asses went."
"Actually I didn’t," Shawn replied. "Ben got in trouble so I snuck him out to blow the thing off. I think we went and saw Kill Bill 2 or something."
"Lame," Zoey commented.
"Like you went, Miss Queen of All That is Sarcastic and Plain," Noah teased.
"Well I’m not as young as you four. Prom for me was a year and a half ago. But I remember the thing like it was yesterday. The blood. The screams-"
"The so totally Carrie and shut up now," Noah cut Zoey off.
"Like your prom was any better," Zoey shot back.
"I wouldn’t know. I didn’t go," Noah replied.
Grace gasped.
"No, not you too."
"My friends were boycotting the thing. We went to a bar instead. Never cared one way of the other," Noah replied, simply.
"I might as well join the club," Trey decided to add in once he’d finally regained himself. "But I just didn’t go because I didn’t have anyone to go with. I’ve never been to any dance, let alone prom."
Things grew silent for a moment and everyone looked serious in that moment, as if remembering the old Trey and how he’d been so afraid of people and socializing in general. He’d come such a long way in their eyes, it was almost like they were remembering him from years ago, not months.
"So, none of ya’ll went to prom?" Grace asked, being the first one bold enough to break the silence.
Shawn, Noah and Trey all exchanged equally serious looks.
"That’s weird," Zoey replied. "And I thought I was the one against pointless social functions. Like this formal that none of you have dates for."
"Yeah, I’m probably gonna skip this thing," Shawn spoke up, looking over at Noah who suddenly spoke up as well, breaking the stare he had fixated on Trey.
"Yeah, yeah I don’t know if I’m going either. Got a lot of finals to study for, you know?" he said, making sure to add what he thought was a confident but really was a nervous grin at the end.
"You have the least amount of classes out of all of us," Zoey noted.
"Yeah and you never miss a good party, Shawn," Grace also noted.
Shawn shrugged.
"Guess there’s a first time for everything."
"Yeah," Noah replied.
Once again Trey was confused but had decided against trying to attach any meaning behind their behavior for fear of further complicating his already complicated life.
Grace and Zoey exchanged looks again before Grace rolled her eyes and sighed, looking back down at her yearbook.
"Well ya’ll can help me pick out a date then," Grace replied. "Some people AIN’T living in Dramaland."
* * *
Jesse knew exactly what he was doing as he marched down the sidewalk leading into the sorority mansion he once called home. In fact, he was enjoying the looks of shock, wonder and amazement he was sure he was being flashed as he did. People paying him attention was exactly what he wanted, as he wanted to make sure that his efforts didn’t go unnoticed.
"Jesse?" Heather, one of the sorority sisters who he remembered and who in turn seemed to remember him quite well, started, as she followed Jesse into the building and towards the stairs, practically rushing along at his steady paced side. "Jesse what are you doing here? You know you’re not supposed to-"
"To be here? Yes I’m quite aware of that," he finished for her. "I should probably tell you right now that I’ve undergone a bit of a transformation and I honestly don’t really care where I’m NOT supposed to be."
Heather switched to rushing along Jesse’s left as he continued proudly along.
"Jesse it’s after hours. They already know you used to live here. You’re probably the last guy on Earth allowed to ever be here."
"Did you not hear my new stance on what I am and am not allowed to do?"
Heather gasped, lost for words as Jesse made his way down the hallway towards his old room.
Several times Heather tried to say something but continued to stay at a loss for words as Jesse stood outside Amber’s partially open door, ready to barge right in.
"Yeah, some guy’s dad shot him at a barbeque or something," he could hear Amber’s friend Stacy saying. "The funny part is the guy looks almost exactly like some guy I used to date. Who, turned gay."
"I hate to say it biotch but maybe it really IS you," he could hear Amber saying. "Maybe you do turn straight guys gay. Maybe it’s that funky cologne you wear."
"Amber, guys wear cologne."
"What? No they don’t silly..."
"Then what’s perfume?" Stacy asked, sounding just as confused as her confused friend.
Deciding he’d heard enough of a pointless conversation for now, Jesse walked into the room, Heather trailing behind him.
"Hate to break up this meeting of the half minds," He started. "But I’m here on official business."
"Ugh! Jesse! What the hell are you doing in here?" Amber asked, sounding flustered.
Previously, Amber had been doing her yoga exercises, which she liked to do with as little clothing as possible. She jumped up and rushed into her closet to grab her bathrobe, covering the lingerie-like get up she had on and glared at Jesse.
"I tried to stop him," Heather spoke, finally managing to find her words, a little too late.
Amber shook her head as she let out an annoyed sigh.
Jesse grinned, obviously quite amused with himself and the entire situation.
"Girls, I’ll be fine," Amber spoke.
"But-"
"Heather, just go. Please," Amber spoke.
It took Heather a moment but she finally started towards the door.
"Come on Stacy," she spoke.
Stacy turned towards Jesse.
"You aren’t gay are you Jesse?" she asked.
"Of course not," Jesse replied.
"Thinking about turning?"
"What?"
"Stacy!" Heather bellowed.
"Call me," Stacy spoke rushing towards and out of the door leaving Amber and Jesse alone.
Amber turned around and walked over to her mirror to put her hair up.
"Why are you here Jesse?" she asked.
"See that’s the thing, I don’t know," Jesse replied. "But what I do know is that I’m in the mood to create all sorts of unabashed trouble and conspiracy and getting revenge on you seemed to be the perfect place to start."
Amber chuckled to herself as she turned to face Jesse.
"See, I don’t think so," she started. "You tried this before and it didn’t work. Plus, it’s a little late don’t you think? Ever heard the phrase ‘moving on’?"
"Ever heard the phrase crazy psychotic bitch!" Jesse snapped.
Amber stared at Jesse as he regained his composure before walking past him and over to her dresser, picking up a bottle of lotion.
"I know you like to think I’m some stupid, clueless sorority princess," Amber started.
"Why Amber, I’d never insult princesses the world over by comparing you to one of them."
"But this is so old, I’m over it. You tried to play with fire and you just got burned. Go home little boy."
Jesse wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do coming to the sorority house other than trying to rattle Amber enough to get her in trouble and look like a total bad boy. That was after all what he was going for now, since apparently only the bad people in life were paid attention. Bad people and celebrities. And in America, he was neither apparently.
But he was starting to remember exactly why Amber had been able to get to him before. She may have been right about people mistaking her for a clueless ditz, but at the end of the day, if she wanted to, she could outsmart anyone. And the fact that she could outsmart him pissed him off beyond belief.
Something was going to have to be done about her.
"You know, it’s funny that you mention playing with fire," Jesse started.
Amber, who was rubbing lotion around her neck and shoulders, stopped and turned around to face a devious looking Jesse as he started into the hallway. Amber let her lotion fall to the ground as she rushed after Jesse.
"Jesse, what are you doing?" she asked, panicked as she followed him.
"Have you ever felt what it’s like to be homeless, Amber? Because I certainly have and let me tell you, slumming it with the unwashed of the nation is definitely NOT the way to go."
"You think you can do something to me just because you’re here when you’re not supposed to be? They know who you are Jesse. They know you lived her when you weren’t supposed to."
"Yes and it’s a wonder you survived that revelation," Jesse replied. "What do you think they’ll do to you if you happen to fall out again?"
Jesse had reached the end of the hall, standing before the very fire alarm that Amber had pulled on him to get him into trouble months earlier.
He looked over at a worried Amber’s hands before shaving some of the spare lotion she still hand in them off and rubbing on the fire alarm handle, after pulling it.
"Thanks. I always knew there could be more practical uses for that stuff."
Amber looked around in horror as the lights in the house flashed, loud buzzing sounded and girls came rushing out of their rooms as if the place really were on fire.
It didn’t take long for one of the sorority heads, Farrah, to come rushing over to Amber and Jesse. Farrah didn’t even seem to notice Jesse as she punched in some kind of code next to the fire alarm that shut if off.
"You pull the fire alarm again, Amber?" she asked.
"What...but...I..."
"It’s okay love, I’m sure they’ll go easy on you-"
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Oh," Jesse frowned, wrinkling his nose. "I’d forgotten you were the potty mouth of the group."
"Amber...."
"Justification with due cause, I assure you, but I actually made Amber pull that alarm."
Farrah looked over at Jesse as Heather and Stacy made their way through the crowd of girls to come to Amber’s side.
"Why yes, I believe I’m what you’d call a ‘bad boy’."
"You? A bad boy?"
"Yes yes. Aren’t you going to call the cops? Have me arrested?"
Farrah narrowed her eyes at Jesse for a moment before crossing her arms and sighing.
"Actually, we were supposed to do a fire drill before everyone left for break anyway. I guess nows as good a time as any."
"I’m sorry what?" Jesse asked, taken aback.
"She basically said she’s not calling the cops on you, spaz," Heather spoke up.
"Heather, go shave your legs or something," Farrah sighed before announcing to all the girls that they were to make their way outside to the front lawn.
Jesse was completely dumbfounded. He’d wanted to terrify Amber before taking the fall and getting arrested, refusing council so that his father would have no choice but to contact him. He knew his father well enough to know that he definitely knew there really was such a thing as bad publicity. He’d never let one of his children go to prison especially for something as silly as pulling a fire alarm.
"Wait, tall mouthy one. Maybe you should at least alert campus security-"
"Um, this is a fire drill random British boy. That means you too," Farrah replied.
"But..."
"You too, Jesse," Amber spoke with a devious grin before starting towards the stairs.
Jesse watched as everyone passed him, not really sure what to do.
"So...about calling me," Stacy started.
* * *
Noah had gone from feeling in a good mood about life to seeing it differently after a talk with Shawn to feeling nervous about his life all within the span of twenty four hours.
When he’d heard about the formal, his first thoughts would be to get back in there with Trey. Ask him if he wanted to go and try to re start a relationship with him.
Then he talked with Shawn and the two of them decided that they were a couple of college students who didn’t really need all the drama they were putting themselves through. They’d agreed to call a truce when it came to Trey and that they were going to strive for simple lives.
Then he’d found out that Trey never got to go to his prom. Back when he was popular in high school, the dances were big things to him. He was always Mr. School Spirit and always went to those school events. Then he went through dealing with his brother changing and all that added extra stuff that basically made it easier for him to decide that he just didn’t care anymore and that he’d be as big a loser as he could possibly be, just so that he could be left to deal with all the negativity he’d developed.
He chose not to go to his prom by choice, and it hadn’t affected him one way or the other.
But Trey didn’t get to choose. No one invited Trey and he knew Trey well enough by now to know that he hadn’t been the kind of person to ask anyone on his own. Trey was a good person, who as far as he was concerned, deserved to go to his prom.
And not that this formal had popped up, he had the perfect opportunity to give Trey as best a prom experience as he could possible give him. He really wanted to do it.
So he had to go against the truce he made with Shawn to ask him about the thing. He just wouldn’t be telling Shawn about it. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
It was the reason why he’d made sure he got up early enough to walk Trey to class. He was gonna ask him then. Or now rather, as he’d knocked on his door and was waiting for him to answer.
"Noah? What...are you doing here?" Shawn asked, looking slightly annoyed to see Noah.
"I came to walk Trey to class. He’s here right?" Noah asked.
Shawn, who’d only barely opened the door, made no efforts to move away from it to let Noah in.
"Yeah but he’s in the shower. I’ll tell him you stopped by. See ya-"
"Actually," Noah started, after kicking the door open when Shawn started to shut it. "I think I’ll wait."
They both knew exactly what was going on but knew better than to actually speak of it for admitting succumbing to weakness first.
Noah walked in and took a seat on Trey’s neatly made bed, noticing the shower water running.
Shawn walked over to his computer chair and sat down.
"Not going to class today?" Noah asked.
"Yes actually," Shawn replied, suddenly deciding that he would be going to class as long as Noah was here to do what he thought he came for.
The very thing he was already too late for.
Before they’d gotten along so great after admitting neither one of them would be getting involved with Trey. Now that they both knew all bets were off, things were back to being just as awkward between them as they usually were.
Fortunately for the both of them, they didn’t have to wait long before they heard the shower water stop and saw Trey emerge from the bathroom a few minutes later, fully dressed.
"Trey," Noah spoke standing up.
He wasn’t sure what it was, but seeing Trey just then almost took his breath away. It was like he was seeing him in a different light, even though he was the same Trey who’d managed to steal his heart away from him.
"Noah," Trey smiled, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"
"Walking you to class," Noah replied. "If that’s okay?"
Trey looked briefly over at Shawn before shaking his head.
"Yeah, yeah it’s fine," Trey replied.
"Good, we’ll all go," Shawn spoke standing up.
"We?" Noah asked.
"You’re going to class, Shawn?" Trey asked.
"Yeah well, finals in two weeks. Gotta get some last minute learning in."
"I don’t think it’d help you much," Noah mumbled.
Even though they’d both heard him say it, both Trey and Shawn pretended not to have heard Noah.
"Come on, I wanted to talk to you about something and he’s not even dressed," Noah started, leading Trey towards the door.
"Oh...okay," Trey started, grabbing his backpack and coat.
"No..no wait, gimme a sec," Shawn started, near panicking as he rushed around looking for something to wear.
"Come on," Noah whispered, not even really giving Trey a chance to say anything otherwise as he led him out the door.
They stopped for a second before Noah decided something.
"You know what? Let’s take the stairs," he spoke, wanting to make sure Shawn wouldn’t be coming along for their walk.
* * *
Jesse had done it. He’d picked up the phone to ring his father and then hung up. He’d gona back and forward doing it so many times in his head, thinking about what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it.
He’d even practiced it over and over in the mirror for the past half hour, trying to get it just right.
Now that he was actually before his phone, in the moment, all he could do was pick up his phone and hang it up, over and over and over.
Was he afraid? That was what he kept wondering as he waited in between each failed attempt to contact his father. Something was holding him back and he wasn’t sure what it was. He’d never realized before that he’d never actually talked with his father. He’d talked to him before and his father had certainly talked to him but he’d never talked WITH him.
He wondered why it always seemed like his father had time for everyone else. He had time to talk to his mother’s stable of lawyers each week. He had time to talk to his brother’s bankers when they informed him that he was maxing out his credit cards. He had time to yell at his so called friends for overstaying their welcome in his home. And yet, nothing for him.
The more he thought about it, the more it upset him and the more he really wanted to do something about it.
He was just upset enough to pick up the phone, quickly dial his father’s private number and wait with anticipation.
"Thomas Yorkshire and this better be important whoever this is that has managed to get a hold of my private number," was his father’s customary rough greeting.
"It’s...it’s me father. Jesse."
Now all of a sudden he was nervous but he didn’t want to look weak to his father by suddenly hanging up on him. He couldn’t show any signs of weakness or his father wouldn’t take him seriously. Or, he’d take him even less seriously than he already did.
"Jesse...what is it? Have you impregnated some cheeky American barfly and want me to pay for the child support?"
"What?"
"I forget, you’re not the constant disappointment. No, that would be your brother. How is Nicholas these days? I heard he was staying with you."
"No, father he left."
"Off to the other side of the globe I’d imagine. He’ll run me dry with his questing each part of the world twice over. You know he almost was kidnapped in Barcelona last fall when some street thug managed to get a hold of his wallet. That one, careless as it is."
That was something Jesse had always known about his brother but the last thing he wanted to talk about was him.
"And of course your mother has seen fit to throw another lawsuit someone’s way. Getting a hundred million quid in a divorce settlement wasn’t enough for the woman, now she wants everyone else’s money. She hasn’t put you up to anything has she? The woman can be quite devious."
"No father I-"
"Good good. Of course, you’re still at that shoddy little American school aren’t you? You were supposed to go to Cambridge. Why you’d pass up attending the finest university in London-"
"Stop it!" Jesse shouted, his last nerve finally being tested.
"Well, I see you’ve rather decided to wake up and be a fool today. You have to be a fool to shout at me this way."
"Maybe that’s what I should’ve been doing all along," Jesse started. "Because that’s all you do. You complain and you delegate but you don’t care. Nothing get’s through to you."
"I beg your pardon?"
"You have TWO sons, father. You mention Nicholas, but you don’t bring up the fact that he just got arrested for the fourth time in his life. Or about how he almost fathered that airhead Hilton daughters child. You don’t mention any of those things. But when you get to me, all you see are those things."
For once, Jesse’s father was actually listening to him when he talked.
"I didn’t graduate top of my class, only second. I didn’t go to Cambridge University, even though I was accepted into much better schools, all of which reside here in the U.S.. And what about the time I was in the hospital and almost DIED? I bet you probably didn’t even know about that because you were too busy to care!"
"Jesse-"
"I’m not finished yet!" Jesse barked.
His father shut up.
"You see father, I’ve finally realized the kind of people we are. You don’t care for whatever reason you decide to pick as an excuse-business being the usual. I never cared because I was always getting what I wanted. But I actually found for the first time since coming here what it was like not to get my way. Or what it was like not to have everything in the world. For Christ’s sake I’ve even been homeless for a brief period of time."
"What is it that you want from me, Jesse?"
"You’re supposed already know the answer to that, father. I mean, here I am calling you father when I should really be calling you provider. You gave me money and let me run around. Only I was smart enough not to waste my life completely like my brother. And I’m not embarrassing you weekly with pointless lawsuits. I’m probably the only person in your life that doesn’t demand constant attention from you and the only person in your life that deserves it more than anyone else. And it’s about time I get it."
Jesse waited for his father to say something and when he didn’t Jesse finally spoke up.
"Well?"
"What ,did you expect I’d beg you to come home and play nice?"
Jesse was taken aback by his father’s tone.
"Father...I-"
"You’re right, you never demanded attention. You always did exactly what you were supposed to which was why you got everything you wanted. But you neglected to point out the fact that you were too selfish to realize that I was grooming you to take over. You had certain expectations to meet and you WERE meeting them. That is until you turned down Cambridge in favor of some Cowboy’s and Indian’s school in the Wild West."
"Father-"
"You want attention from me? Do something to deserve it. Your brother may be a delinquent with no goals in life but he’s made it quite clear that he intends to otherwise enjoy it. I don’t think even you know what you want out of life. And until you figure it out, I don’t think I want you to come back home."
Jesse was at a loss for words. He didn’t know how to even begin to soak up his father’s comments and quite frankly, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. He knew his father had high expectations of everyone, but it wasn’t like he was asking to be his father’s number one priority. He just wanted him to show a little concern for his life. And the best he could come up with was that he wasn’t sure he knew what to do with his life? Of course he wouldn’t be sure, never having spent longer than an hour with him in his entire life.
Who did his father think he was?
"Well, I see," Jesse started. "Enjoy the rest of your day and forget I called."
It wasn’t until he heard the dial tone did he realize that his father had already hung up.
And it was then that he realized that he didn’t want to go home. At least, not anymore.
* * *
"So are you ever gonna bring up what you wanted to talk to me about?" Trey asked as Noah walked him to class.
Noah smiled innocently at Trey.
"You think I have a hidden agenda huh?" he asked.
"No, just that you said you wanted to talk it’s probably important right?" Trey asked.
"Right," Noa replied.
He was a little nervous all of a sudden. Asking Trey to be his date the formal would essentially be asking to start their relationship again. And even though he was sure it was what he wanted, he was a little afraid to bring it up. But he knew that he had to.
"So the formal, got a date yet?" he decided to just come right out with it.
Trey looked down. It took him a few moments but he did respond.
"Noah..."
"That fast, huh?"
"He asked me this morning. I...told him I’d go. With him."
Noah had a feeling Shawn had asked him already. It was exactly the reason he didn’t want Shawn to be with them when he asked. He wasn’t going to be taking no for an answer. Not today.
"Look, Trey I know things haven’t been great with us," Noah started. "But you have to stumble first before it’s smooth sailing right?"
"What?" Trey laughed.
Noah laughed at his stupid statement before getting serious again.
"I’m trying to tell you that I’m here and I want you, more than ever before. I know were past all that awkwardness and unsure stuff...I’m trying to tell you that Shawn’s not right for you. And I’m not just saying it because I don’t like him. I’m saying it because it’s true and I mean it. I don’t care what I have to do to prove to you that I’m the right guy but-"
"Yes," Trey suddenly said.
Noah stopped abruptly.
"What?" he asked, making sure he’d actually heard what he thought he’d heard.
"I am past all that awkwardness. I do know what I want now," Trey replied. "I do want you Noah. Yes."
"Yes?" Noah asked, excitedly.
"Yes," Trey replied.
Noah pulled Trey into an excited hug, hugging him more tightly than he’d ever hugged anyone in his life. He wasn’t sure what it was but he’d never felt about anyone the way he felt about Trey. They were going to be together. They HAD to be together.
"Oh god, what am I gonna tell Shawn," Trey asked, sounding a little sad at the thought of knowing he’d be letting Shawn down.
"More importantly, what am I gonna wear?" Noah asked.
"Okay, that’s gay," Trey chuckled.
"It is, huh?" Noah asked, taking Trey’s hand into his own as they continued towards class.