Hot Wheels - 2. The Bargain

"God... What happened last night..."

"It is Sunday. Let's not start the day insulting the man who it's dedicated to" I said frustrated. When Marco gets up, he washes up and goes who knows where. He leaves everything for me to clean. Not to sound like a brat but my side is always clean. So the neat freak in me kicked in. I cleaned his side and used half a can of spray to make the place smell better.

I collapsed on my bed and my body is pouring out sweat as if its a fire station. Looking down at my lean body, I see a vague appearance of what seemed to be abs. My brain clicked.

"Marco must have some fitness equipment around here..."

And I looked and I found what I was looking for. Weight lifting equipment. They were underneath the bed. I immediately started working out. My arms started to ache but I kept on. I put the equipment down for just one minute to go to the bathroom and I could hear Marco coming in. I didn't put his stuff away.

"Andrew? Andrew are you in here? Man why you going through my stuff?"I heard him ranting and the clinging of his equipment ment he was putting it away.

"I'm here..." I said coming out of the bathroom.

"What did you find?!" Marco asked angry and in my face.

"Nothing! Honestly. I was just looking for weight lifting equipment" I said scared as hell. I think I clinched my eyes closed awaiting a punch from Marco but I heard his voice further away from me.

"Just promise me you won't go through my stuff again OK?" he said, dramatically emphasizing the "OK" He then did something really unusual. He laid down on his bed sulking. He seemed to be fighting an inner battle and the neat freak in me manifested. Not only did I want the exterior clean, I wanted the interior clean too... I wanted Marco to be clean.

"Tough time balancing classes huh?" I asked hoping it'll get the conversation started.

"Jesus why does everybody assume I'm some drunk whose parents bought him into college. You know, out of all the people I thought I knew, I thought you'd be the least judgmental!"

Okay so my roommate is having a breakdown. No biggy. What I wanted to say was you don't know me so you can't make such a statement and I really wasn't judging you. But I didn't say that.

"Do... you want to talk about it? I asked calmly.

"No I don't want to fucking talk about it!" Marco yelled at me now sitting up in his bed. I sat on mine and the space between us felt so far apart.

"I need a favor though..." Marco said quietly now looking to the ground. "My parents are visiting next week and..."

"You want me to clear out when they come? Sure I have a friend I can stay with" I said hoping it'll please him.

"No that's not it Andrew. I want you to have dinner... with us"

Marco's words caused me to laugh out loudly. It was funny because I believed him but I never pictured him saying that. That lasted a few seconds then I got all serious.

"Why do you need me to have dinner with your family?" I asked slowly. If ever I wanted an answer to a question then this is it.

"I told my parents that i would grow up if they paid money to put me in college. They weren't going to waste their money on me like they did in high school. I figured if you pretend to be my friend they'd think you've influenced me positively and they'll be off my back" Marco seemed convinced I was going to go along with his plan.

"You want me to pretend to be your friend while you haven't even lifted a finger in even trying to befriend me? How dare you!" I admit. I was getting a little too heated but that's because I know this situation.

There was one boy back in high school who was hotter then the sun and he flexed every muscle and flashed every smile at me. He winked and laughed even when I wasn't telling a joke. He knew all too well that I was a queer who was crushing on him and he used that to his advantage. He used me to do all his homework because he "just didn't get it" and I fell for it. Turns out the boy was as straight as a broomstick. I made that mistake once and I will not have me walked over again.

"No" I said to Marco and boy was he shocked.

"Really? you won't do this for me? Come on Andrew! Be a team player!"

"Firstly" I said standing up straight. "You made your own bed now lay in it! And would it kill you to clean it as well?" He opened his mouth to speak but I wasn't finished. "And secondly! I do NOT play for your team!"

I turned and walked out the door but he spoke before I left.

"I'll let you use my equipment!" he said and I turned back around immediately.

"I'll let you use my equipment as much as you want if you pretend to be my friend next week" He was desperate. So desperate that the look on his face should be put under the definition of desperate in the dictionary.

The levers and gears started working in my mind and I figured this would benefit me. "Fine... I'll be your friend" I said to Marco.

"Pretend friend" he reminded me. I nodded and Marco became his jolly self again. "Don't wait up for me... last night of the weekend... Gotta party hard!"

And with that, Marco disappeared amongst the testosterone fleeing past each other in the hallway.

I decided to study because that's what I do best in order to be happy.Envisioning the future as a successful person makes me happy and I can't get there if I don't study now but The wheels of fate did me in again.

"Knock Knock" he said as he rolled into my dormroom smiling as if he was staring at a bunch of bunnys running through a field and eating marshmallows all day.

"Hi" I said to Everett. "You look nicely dressed". And he did. He looked almost too nicely dressed.

"Are you getting ready for a date or something? All you are missing are a bouquet of flowers" I said almost sourly.

"Firstly...I don't do flowers ..I'm not cheap, I'm the roses kind of guy and no...unfortunately I'm not going on a date but it is Sundays so I thought i should... Dress up" Everett said in a way that seemed like he was mocking himself. "Laugh. I love it when people can make fun of themselves" he said smiling at me.

"Well if that's the case... I haven't gone on a date ever so..."

"Yeah I figured that Andrew" and I was the joke. He laughed and I laughed along. That's the first time someone made a joke about me that was insulting yet light hearted and didn't have a pint of meanness in it.

"Roll my out to the Restaurant out front boy" he said and I did as he said. "I figured because you are new here I should show you the best eating place on campus. We stopped across the street and a fancy restaurant stood tall in front of us.

"Geez I thought we're going to a normal diner not some fancy restaurant" I said already counting the money I had in my head.

"Shhhhhh boy. It's on me and besides it's Sunday and if I were at home my mother would have made this massive lunch like she does every Sunday" he said.

Everett got us a nicely concealed table and we ordered. Well he did. I didn't even look at the menu. I didn't feel like it was my right to order something.

"You're so dumb! You shouldn't order what I'm eating...it's quite the mouthful" Everett said and I apologized.

"Don't be sorry but next time feel free to order anything you want" he said. "Is it me or are you a bit down today Andrew? He asked seeming genuinely concerned.

"No it's just my roommate..." I explained to him the situation and I also told him that I'm worried Marco is keeping some illegal substances in our dormroom since he freaked out when he thought I went through his stuff.

"Wow" is all Everett said.

"What" I asked and he smiled at me again. And this time the smile was different (Or maybe it was me imagining things). He had a light pink color on his cheeks. He was blushing.

"What? What is it?"I curiously asked.

"It's just... Learning all your emotions has been amazing. Yesterday I saw your insecurity and today I see your concern for your roommate and I just can't wait to see what other emotions I'll discover from you. I can't wait to see you tomorrow! He said jubilantly. I understand he is being friendly but COME ON. What kind of guy says that to another guy?

I laughed at him and we got silent as our food got served to us and we started eating.

"Huh" Everett said as if he just got some great idea.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"You sure you want to know?" Everett asked and I nodded.

"Looks like I got my date after all" Everett said jokingly.

"Shut up!" I said and we continued our lunch talking all the way till sundown.