Chapter 23

OLIVER

Disclaimer: Slight homophobia in the beginning.

Noah’s question definitely left me feeling like I was spinning.

First of all, it was such a random question. Second, I did not find it very amusing that he was asking my sexuality so casually. My mind had not completely made up whether he was a compatriot or a deadly foe.

A brief and heavy silence descended between us. My heart began to kick into overdrive.

Can you speak like a man? One of my high school teachers had told me when I was answering a question.

Did that fag touch those spoons? I might have to request another one, another had whispered behind me in a queue in the cafeteria.

Even Jude’s voice, despite everything, despite helping me calm down during my earlier panic attack, rang in my head; How are you even friends with my brother? Go play with some barbie dolls and wear plush dresses and stop coming to our house.

But the worst one wrenched me back to the bathroom with Lionel. You know this faggot?

My legs were suddenly tense and ready to launch into action, away from Noah. Away from everything.

However, I gazed at him and my mind instantly stilled. Something about his eyes denoted a sense of curiosity and slight naivety. The more I stared at him, the more I felt like I was gaing at a child. He radiated no malice.

Breathe, Ollie, I reminded myself.

Noah cringed. He began to rub his neck. “Fuck. That was too personal. Forget I asked.”

He started to enter the dorm.

“Yes. I am.”

He stopped in his tracks.

“I’m…” I took a deep breath. “I’m gay.”

He glanced at me. “Oh.”

“I like guys.”

“Oh.”

No one spoke for the next two minutes. Anxiety began to swirl in my gut.

He would already see me differently, I thought bitterly, He’ll never talk to me again. This was a mistake.

Then, Noah shrugged his shoulders and flashed me a brilliant grin. “Great. My arms are getting tired from carrying these. I can’t wait to get to my room to hibernate for the next two months. Antony and Derek will pay for this.”

“You’re…you’re not offended?”

Noah raised an eyebrow. “No.”

“Disgusted? You’ll still talk to me?”

“Why would I be disgusted?” He faced me. “We just met. And you’re, quite frankly, a cool dude. I just asked, like, five people to help me carry these god-awful suitcases and no one helped me apart from you.”

My heart fluttered. For some weird reason, butterflies began rustling in my stomach.

“And besides,” He chuckled, “my girlfriend would beat my ass if she found out I was being homophobic.”

Girlfriend?

A part of me that I didn’t understand felt like it was shrivelling. Of course a guy as cute as him would have a girlfriend. I thought for sure my gaydar was on point. His beautiful scent must have made my senses go haywire.

Don’t tell me you are about to catch feelings for a guy who’s remotely nice to you, a part of me thought.

Noah offered his fist. “Friends?”

I cast the thought aside and fist-bumped him. “Friends. I’m Oliver.”

He smirked, “Nice to meet you, Oliver. Now I know why you’re so distrusful of strangers. With a name like that, god.”

I rolled my eyes playfully and smiled.

After that, I escorted him to his room. You could tell that Olympus was newly built as we didn’t even have to clean his room so much. His other roommate Antony, the guy he had mentioned, had gone to buy a studylight for their room and would be arriving later.

“By the way,” he said after I helped him settle. “You play sports?”

I shook my head. He should have known by my spindly arms and flabby legs that the word ‘sports’ could never be associated with me.

“Well, I wanna join the soccer team.” He raised his shorts to showcase his legs and thighs which were surprisingly lean and muscled. I tried not to stare.

“Gotta train these bad boys,” he wriggled his eyebrows. “If you happen to know someone in the soccer team, link me up with them.”

“I don’t know anyone in the soccer team. I just joined this school like you.”

“I know. I have a feeling though you’ll meet someone on the team. Just a hunch.”

Eventually, I did. I met Rick, who was the captain of the soccer team. When we became good friends, I intorduced Noah to him and he brought him into the team. Ever since then, Noah and I looked out for each other.

“Oliver,” he snapped his fingers bringing me to the present. “You listening? What did pops over there say?” He nodded at Mr Damocles who had began teaching.

I lowered my head so he couldn’t spot me talking and told him everything.

When I finished, a mischevious glint emerged in his eyes. “You should definitely join this program.”

“No way.”

“Come on. It will be fun. You’ll stop looking like a balloon.”

“Haha very funny.”

“Besides,” he flexed his shoulders. “You might end up getting trained by me. I’ll repay you for getting me into the soccer team.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure that will be a doozy.”

“Class is in session!” Mr Damocles thundered. “You came late Noah. Are you aware you are on thin ice?”

We didn’t talk again till class ended.

“Remember what I said,” Noah slapped my shoulder before snatching his bag and bolting out of his seat, talkinga bout how he was late for a date with his girlfriend.

My eyes glued onto him as he left.

I have weird friends, I thought.

A classmate handed me the application form. I stared at it.

I’ll repay you for getting me into the soccer team.

My thoughts ran.

What better way to repay him than this? I thought.

Besides, a huge part of me desired to get out of my comfort zone. I was tired of being a ghost in this school.

I turned to a girl with strawberry-blonde hair who was holding a pen next to me. “Can I borrow that?”

“Sure.” She handed me her pen.

I studied the application form. One was supposed to state the year they were in and the sports they wanted to participate in. I duly filled them in.

I handed over the pen and turned to Casey. “Here.” I offered him the form.

“Nope. I’m sitting this one out.”

“Really? Why?”

“Sports,” he said with the most disgusting tone. “Now come on,” he grabbed me by my arm and practically dragged me out of the class but not before I placed the form by Mr. Damocles’ desk. He glanced at us and grumbled something under his breath, probably about how uncivilised this generation was.

“I have a lot to tell you,” he grinned, his body practically threatening to achieve lift off. “Well, only one thing but its hugeeee.”

We got outside and I finally faced him. “What?”

“JJ and I are going to Velvet Underground.”

“You already told me that, idiot.”

“I want you to join us.”

“What?” I stepped back.

“It’ll be fun-“

I raised my hand. “That’s the second time someone has said that to me today and I’m already starting to regret doing whatever they said.”

“Ollie,” Casey turned on his puppy eyes. “I know you don’t do bars and anything loud and…” he lowered his head, his voice taking on a sad tone that was uncharacteristic of him. “You’ve been going through something.”

I swallowed. I had just began to briefly forget what happened in the mall and the bathroom but now the gravity of it all hit me once again.

Casey went still. “I just thought…I thought inviting you to this bar would distract you. I don’t like seeing you like this.”

“Oh, Casey,” I embraced him. “I’m-” my tongue caught onto something bitter. “I’m fine. I just need time to think. You and JJ can have fun without me. Besides,” I released him and tried for a smile. “It’s not really that great to thirdwheel.”

Casey’s eyes met mine hesitantly. “You’re sure you’ll be fine? If you need me, I’m always here for you.”

I smiled. This time, it was a genuine one. “I’ll be fine.”

Casey returned the smile though a smidge of hesitation danced in his eyes. He was about to say something else but someone suddenly came up to us, almost startling us both. It was Rick. He was dressed in a grey shirt, brown shacket and cargo pants.

“Hey Rick,” Casey smiled. “Are you…” His voice faltered.

Rick’s expression looked like he had just gone through a terrible hurricane and had been battered by high-speed winds.

We stared at him, completely speechless. Since I had met him, he had never looked this…well, dejected.

“Have you seen my brother?”

We both shook our heads.

“He’s being gone for two days. I have no idea where he is. I…” His voice cracked.

Casey rubbed his shoulder. He muttered some reassurances but my mind was reeling. Jude has been missing for two days?

“What happened?” I asked, because it had to be more than that. Rick’s red eyes indicated that he had been in tears recently, which was a foreign concept to me. Rick never cried unless he was talking about his…

“Is it about your dad?”

He perked up at that word. His eyes became glossy, like his memory was being overtaken by something. “His body was…his body…”He blinked his eyes and suddenly brushed past us. After walking for a few metres, he stopped and faced us. “Tell me when you see Jude.”

Then he left. Our eyes traced his figure until he moved past the school gates and disappeared, leaving us standing in silence and a growing pit of terrible emptiness marinating in me.

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*Special thanks*
I realised like three days ago that I hit 1k reads and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you guys so so much for reading this book.💗💗💗
To anyone reading, know that I appreciate you very much for giving this book a chance. I honestly did not expect this book to get that much attention since it has a few issues that I will have to deal with.
Also, I realised I’ll have to become a lot more serious with this book because of you guys lmao.

Regarding this chapter, I wanted to publish it yesterday but I was lazier than a fat cat. ( T∀T)
This chapter was also longer than I anticipated. *cries in exhaustion*
Anyways, do you like Noah? Was he too much? Let me know.
Also don’t forget to vote.😙
Love you all.
~StarsandDust