Hot Wheels - 13. Hello, Goodbye

“The break is coming up? What are your plans?”

I hadn’t thought about this questions until now, when Everett asked me about the situations, where could I go for two weeks? The college closes and I can’t stay here?

“Well, by your lack of response, I guess you’re coming home with me,” Everett announced proudly.

But I didn’t. It was way too soon to visit his family again, especially since Daniel was rushed home and his parents are now pretty suspicious about what happened, I didn’t know either. Everett decided to book him a taxi home and told his mom that Daniel had ran out of money. Believe it or not, I think that was a bad idea. Daniel wasn’t himself when he got into that cab, Everett told me that he was acting like a brat as usual but I think he knows something worse was happening, Everett just did not want to deal with it.

“I’ll let you know what I decide, I still have a few days to think about it,”

It was a cold Saturday morning and Everett and I sat on the field looking out at the landscapes. The only thing you could hear was the rustling sound of some tall grass and birds flapping their wings occasionally. Everett sat in silence and I believe this was the first time we had nothing to say to each other.

“So what happened with you and Marco?” he asked after a long awkward silence.

“He took me to the room Daniel was in and made the moves on me, I didn’t persuade him in any way,”

Everett shook his head and laughed, “You just breathing is the only persuasion that idiot needs. He took Daniel, and he will take you; he hates me,”

With Everett’s words came a shocking revelation, I had never thought of how Marco’s actions effected Everett, and now it seems that it was effecting him maybe more than it was me. Marco had no reason to hate Everett except, maybe for the fact that I was with Everett. However, I don’t think Marco was the one that hurt Daniel, but who am I to say? If I apposed Everett on the matter now, the rift between us might become bigger.

“We are fine Andy. I can hear you thinking, you have nothing to fear.”

God knows I feel like I am walking on a tight rope, teetering on the edge of something bad happening and with the immense fear of falling, or in reality, messing up will send me straight to splitsville.

“As much as I enjoy sitting here with you, in this terribly cold weather, I think we should go back to our dorm. I am going to pack because I leave tomorrow, so you have to let me know what you decide Andrew.”

“Tomorrow? So soon?”

“Andrew, there is no class Monday, you have to be out by Monday, you need to stay somewhere for two weeks, we just talked about it.”

I nodded in agreement with Everett before getting up and pushing him back to his room. I offered to help him pack but he told me to use the rest of the day to decide what I was going to do. I had two options, go home with Everett and face whatever trouble was brewing that side, or I could call up my dad and ask if he would have me for the next two weeks; maybe I could use that to mend things with my dad, maybe that’s the right decision.

I must have dozed off while jumping between the two options, because when I woke up the clock had jumped to just after 19:00. Marco had stepped in, waking me as he rumbled through his backpack.

“We still haven’t talked about what happened at the party,” he said with his back facing me.

“What? Are you ashamed of yourself? You can’t even look at me?”

With that little provoking, Marco swung around teary-eyed and I was taken by surprise when I saw this vulnerable image in front of me; was Marco cracking? Was something eating at him?

Everett’s words jumped into my head: “You just breathing is the only persuasion that idiot needs.”

I decided to use that as a way to get the truth out of Marco, and it started with me getting up and rubbing his arm gently, and I was met with a look of confusion, I needed to explain myself.

“You say that… you like me, but how can I trust you when you have feelings for other guys, for Daniel?”

“What… are you doing? You have a boyfriend, you – “

“That’s never stopped you before, why is it a factor now?” I said, trying to seduce Marco, hoping he would say something that could clear up the mystery.

“I don’t like Daniel, he is a creep, he stalked me, I stayed away from him, I didn’t have sex with him, and I want to be with you.”

"I believe you,” I said with relief.

“So you’ll be with me?”

“No, I believe that you weren’t the one that assaulted Daniel,” I said as let loose of his arm. Marco realized that I wasn’t serious about being with him. The confusion turned to rage in his eyes; he balled up his fist and wiped the tears from his face.

“Before I met you, I was a bad ass! I had no troubles, but now? You turned me into a fucking pussy, man! Fucking crying myself to sleep every night, IS that love? If it is then I don’t want any part of it. I’ll try and stay away from you and you just stay the fuck away from me, OK?”

It’s a bit sad for me to admit that that was the last time Marco would ever mention his feelings for me again; it was the first and last time he opened up, and then fully closed himself to me forever.

Later that night, after returning back to my dorm from dinner, my phone went off.

Everett: so have you decided yet?

I didn’t answer his text for about ten minutes until he messaged me again.

Everett: I’m leaving tomorrow at 10 am, I want you with me!

Me: I can’t, I have to fix things with my dad…. Sorry

Everett: How about you stay there for a week, and then the last week with me?

Me: Deal, babe.

Everett: I’m gonna beat off and then go to bed, sweet dreams hubby.

Me: Mmmmm… thinking of me I hope?

Everett: Of course, sexy ass xoxoxoxoxo

The next morning my eyes slowly opened to four big letters: 10:13.

“Shit! Everett!” I yelled as I jumped up, getting into a pair of jeans.

I ran out of my room hoping I didn’t miss Everett.

There I was, barefoot running towards the exit; I could see a cab, and Everett was waiting for the driver who was packing his luggage.

‘Everett!” I yelled at the top of my lungs He heard, span around his wheelchair and pushed himself towards me. It was like those movie scenes, where two destined lovers run to each other and it seems like the rest of the world was standing still.

“I can’t believe you left without saying goodbye,” I said sounding like a big cry baby.

“Sorry, I overslept myself!"

I didn’t want to hear him speak, so I did the only thing I could to savor the last minute I had with him, I sucked his face. I mean, I kissed the boy and didn’t stop until the driver started to honk his horn.

"I have to go now, babe. We'll talk all day, I promise I’ll call, I'll text, and tonight we can video chat, OK?”

I shook my head and picked him up, placing him in the back seat, waving goodbye as the obviously irritated driver drove off with him.

I walked back to my room, my feet collecting dust on the way. I noticed a boy sitting in front of my door, seemingly asleep. He had two bags with him and books.

“Hello? Can I help you?”

The guy jumped up, shook himself off and introduced himself.

“Sorry, I was up late studying and then I got woken up this morning. Uhm I am Ian, Ian Smith, you must be Andrew?’’

“Yes I am, can I help you?”

“Well I am your new roommate, admin notified me this morning,”

“That can’t be right, I already have a roommate,”

“Marco? He was the one that checked out this morning. He quit college, I was already sharing a room with two other guys due to lack of space, that’s why they rushed me in, is that going to be a problem?”

I didn’t say anything, I opened the door and saw that it was true; all Marco’s stuff was gone, like he was never here, just a figment of my imagination.

“Is it OK if I unpack?”

“Go ahead… but start packing right after, we have to leave today, college closes.”

“Yeah I know, where are you gonna stay?”

“Dad, you?”

“Lonely road trip” he said as he continued to unpack.

I noticed him placing a picture with him and another guy on his desk, I thought it might be his boyfriend.

“Who is the guy in the picture with you?” I asked.

“Oh, that’s my brother Nick.”

“Cool… you guys must be close,” I said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Well we used to be, he died a few years ago…”

‘’Oh, I am so sorry… I didn’t know that.”

Ian looked at me and picked up the picture, before speaking again.” It’s okay, he was with his surfer buddies, they got into a car crash and he died a week later in hospital… I've made peace with it.”

What Ian told me came as a shock because that’s how Everett ended up in a wheelchair.

Obviously there is a much more logical explanation, maybe the two accidents aren’t even connected at all? But now that I think about it, Everett never really told me much about the accident, which I can understand. It was first and foremost a terrible event that changed his life. I can’t call him and ask, that would be wrong, but I should call my dad, and I just realized that he might not want to have me over.

“Ian, I am going to step out to make a private call. Is that OK?” it felt kind of weird asking my new roommate permission to leave my own dorm room, was that guilt?

Waiting for my dad to answer his phone was nerve wracking. The last time we spoke we could hardly look into each other’s eyes, now having to ask him for a place to stay was even more humiliating.

“Hello,” he answered knowing it was me.

“Hi Dad,” I said nervously.

“Andrew? Is something the matter?” he asked concerned.

“No everything is fine… uhm we have a two-week break off from college and I was wondering if I could crash… I mean stay with you till classes resume?”

Ian popped out of the room with an empty water bottle in his hand, then acted weird as he remembered I wanted privacy, but I waved him on and he went to the nearby drinking fountain to fill up.

“Oh… are you sure? There isn’t much for you to do here – “

“No, I’ll just be studying and helping around the house if you need me to.”

My dad was quiet for a few seconds before he answered. “Ill be there in about two hours, see you then.”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it sounds like you weren’t sure if he’d let you stay.”

Before answering Ian, I got a bit upset that he had the audacity to ask that kind of personal question, but I realized that his presence here might be a blessing in disguise; Marco was too much to handle and Ian seemed like a guy who liked to keep to himself, much like me.

“Yeah, but all is good now,” I said with a friendly smile.

After a rushed packing, I was sitting at the front gates of our main building where cars and busses we exiting and entering; the former were friends and families fetching somebody from college, and the latter were for those students heading out on road trips. Ian appeared again as he rolled his luggage bag behind him. Sitting next to me, I noticed he was wearing a posh blazer and expensive looking watch.

“Sorry for bothering you, my lift will be arriving soon,” he said sounding sad.

“You don’t sound too excited. Aren’t you going on a road trip too?” I asked, confused.

“No, I lied… I am staying with my family. I haven’t seen much of them… pretty much evading them actually, but I have to go home.”

‘Why?”

“Because they suck,” he said, laughing, as if that explained anything.

Soon a luxurious black car stopped and Ian got in. Waving goodbye before rolling up his window, and as the car drove down the street that’s adorned with beautiful trees, I realized something.

I realized that he wasn’t like me at all, our perspectives of life differed; he had a family, a seemingly wealthy one, they were together, they wanted to see him but he was outgrowing them. I on the other hand wouldn’t mind going home to a mom and dad. I have never had that, like in the movies when you come down the stairs and mom is making some delicious breakfast, in my dreams it’s always been bacon and eggs… they are my favorite. Dad is sitting at the breakfast table, drinking coffee or orange juice, reading his newspaper. He asks me if I’m ready for the test and ruffles my hair, sometimes he punches my arm if he was feeling a bit hyper.

I know this sounds silly, but dreaming about it is all I ever had, and it’s all there will ever be.

This Chapter should have been out a while ago but i took ages to finsih it, enjoy and yes- there is more to come