One Semester. - 2. Chapter 2

One Semester. Chapter Two.

Joel looked round Peter's unit. There was a study desk with a computer, and a crowded bookshelf blocking half the main window. Wow, he must read a lot.

"Drop your stuff on the chair and I'll put this away."

He walked to the bedroom door and indicated for Joel to follow. Inside he started folding and putting things in a cupboard while Joel again looked round. Sheba! On one wall was a large poster with two naked guys, bodies entwined, one in a very excited state and the other with eyes half closed and a dreamy look on his face. Joel quickly looked away and saw more books in a pile next to the bed, which was made up with dark purple sheets and a matching doona.

"What d'you want? There’s Coke, or mineral water, I drink a lot of that, or apple cider. Or you can pinch one of Martin's beers."

"Mineral water thanks."

"You can have the beer if you want. You don't have to drink what I'm drinking."

"No, I don't like it."

"Tell me about Tittybong. I can’t wait to hear."

They moved to a small sofa in the sitting room and talked about their respective hometowns, things about College, and general stuff.

"You haven't got a car? After two years work?"

"I had one but I bingled it without any insurance."

"Cruel. Are you getting another one?"

"Not this year. I can't afford it."

"Me either. So what are you doing over the weekend then?"

"Mostly looking through my courses. There’s already an HTML assignment posted and I want to get a good start on it."

"HTML. That's easy. What a hand? I bet we could get it finished by Sunday."

"Sunday? It's six weeks work."

"You already know some of it don't you? Go on. Have a go."

Joel wasn't going to kick back an offer like that, and Peter was very interesting. When they were talking together he was friendly and genuine. It was a lot of time to give but he actually sounded keen about it, and Morgan did say he was great at helping people.

"For sure. I'd love to. It's a lot of your time though."

"Not really. Second Year lectures don't start for another week and there'll be no one around till Martin gets back. D'you wake up early or sleep in?"

"Well, it depends. Mostly fairly early."

"How about we start at eight? Then we can break the day up more easily."

***

Back in his own unit Joel made up his bed and started to read. He kept thinking about his day, particularly the time next door and couldn't concentrate on the story. Wow, imagine having a poster like that in your room? It was very erotic. Did Peter look at it and get turned on?

***

"Morning, Joel. Ready to go?"

Three hours later Joel shook his head and looked at his watch. Good grief. Where had the time gone? Didn't Peter ever stop?

"Hey, I need a break. If we walk to the town center it's my shout for lunch, and I need some supplies anyway."

"You don't have to shout."

"Yes I do."

Once again Joel learnt stacks, as Peter knew all the places to get things and where the best deals were. After devouring a burger each they strolled the ten minute walk back to the unit with Joel's pack chock-full of food and supplies.

Their next session went for another three hours and covered all sorts of ways to use links and images. Peter made it seem easy and he kept saying Joel was crash hot at learning, which felt really good.

"What will we do now?"

"Um.. D'you like swimming? Morgan signed me up with that club deal yesterday."

"Swimming? You like that too? I go there nearly every day."

Peter went next door to get his bathers and Joel collected a towel and his swimming shorts. In the locker room he was very conscious of being watched while he changed.

"What are you looking at?"

It was his very first reference to Peter being gay and Joel knew it was all right, especially as he’d said it in a light-hearted way.

"The Dog. It really is a hot one."

"Get lost."

Joel remembered Martin saying that at least three times and he tried to use the same tone.

"Looks tasty."

Joel cursed himself for the flush which was growing on his face. Peter stripped and a very blatantly stretched his dick a couple of times before slipping into his bathers. Joel's flush grew even more at this escalation of the stir. The swimming was great and lasted for a good half hour. Once again Joel found himself way out-matched in skill. By nine o'clock that night every single item on the checklist of things to know for the assignment had been ticked.

"There you are. I knew we’d do it. You’ll be crash hot this year for sure. If you can get the basic work done by tomorrow we’ll go through and make sure you get 100%."

There was that crash hot thing again. 100%? It sounded amazing.

"Peter. You're amazing. Thanks for all your time."

"It was fun. I get a kick out of it, and anyhow I should be thanking you just as much. It's perfect revision for me. Teaching someone else is the best way of all to learn something properly. Remember that."

Joel spent three hours before going to bed and then another three the next morning to get the assignment finished. Twice he nicked next-door about things that weren't working properly, but by midday it was all done, six interlinked webpages with graphics, fonts, lists, tables and forms.

"Not bad. It's close to a High Distinction. Make all the pages have the same layout and put comments with each section of your coding. All the lecturers are hot for that."

He went through a few more ideas then Joel asked if he wanted to go for another swim."

"Well, …maybe."

He was grinning, so Joel knew they were definitely swimming."

"Maybe?"

"Yep. As long as you come round for tea tonight."

"Great."

"We're having hot-dogs."

"... I don't think so."

"All right. How about pizza?"

In the change room the same exaggerated staring routine happened at the start and the finish but Joel was ready for it this time and just laughed. The swim was great and then after arranging to meet at seven o'clock Peter disappeared so he could study.

Joel had five hours so he hacked round, read a bit, wandered round the campus to check where all the rooms were for tomorrow's lectures, went on the Net, then read some more. He had a shower and shave, put on his good cargoes and a nightshirt, then right on time knocked at number 43.

"Hey, come in. Want to listen to some music while I have my shower?"

That meant sitting on the bed where the sound from a mini speaker system was focused and looking at the poster again. Peter came out after a very short time and dressed in almost identical clothes. Joel smiled because he knew it was to make him feel relaxed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You hungry?"

The business of discussing and ordering the pizzas went ahead. There was a half-hour wait so Peter said they were having a drink. He went to the kitchen and then reappeared with two silver goblets and a bottle of apple cider.

"It's icy cold. I put it in the freezer ten minutes before you got here. What do you think of the goblets? Martin gave them to me for Christmas so this is their first official use."

"I don't think I've ever drunk out of a goblet. They look great."

He filled the goblets.

"I hope you like apple cider."

"I do, but I haven't had this kind before."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't drink much alcohol."

"Really? Wow. I'll get the mineral water?"

"No, it's all right."

"We won't drink much. See if you like it."

Joel sipped the drink and savoured it in his mouth. It was delicious. In fact there was something about it better than the other ciders he’d tried.

"It's great."

"Good. You're a cider man. Sip and swallow, never guzzle."

When the pizzas arrived Joel felt ravenous and his whole Mexican disappeared in short order. Peter was laughing and asking if he wanted to order another one.

"I feel like it now, but by the time it arrives I know I won't."

When Peter's pizza was finished they went back to the bedroom to listen to more music. Joel started smiling.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just feel good."

"Is the cider getting to you?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. It's different to home."

"What's different?"

"Everything. There's no one there. You can't order a pizza. You have to make it yourself. You can't go for a swim, except in someone's dam and they’re all dry from the drought."

"Do you always wear those dorky shorts when you go swimming?"

"They're not dorky. They’re ordinary shorts."

"Speedos look better. They feel better too. Have you ever worn them?"

"Are you trying to get me to wear speedos?"

"Would you be game?"

"Game? Of course I'd be game."

Peter laughed and made a chalk up sign in the air.

"Gotcha. You set yourself up, so you can't back out."

Before Joel had a chance to say anything Peter jumped off the bed, went into the ensuite and came out waving the light blue racers he'd worn at the pool.

"Come on, put them on."

"Now? I thought you meant at the pool."

"Now, and at the pool too."

"All right, but only if you wear my dorky green shorts."

"Okay."

Joel grabbed the racers and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my shorts."

"Now? I thought you meant at the pool."

"Then too."

In one minute flat Joel was back, wearing the racers underneath his swimming shorts. He skimmed out of the shorts and handed them over.

"Cheat."

"Go on. Put the shorts on, or aren't you game?"

Now they were both laughing. Peter stripped, then when the shorts were on, wiggled his hips and made a pose.

"Dork."

"Hotdog."

"Dork."

"Hotdog."

Joel was just about to repeat the dork comment when he landed flat on his back on the bed. Sheba. Peter was attacking him? An image of the two bodies on the floor of the laundry flashed in his mind. So, it was wrestling. He wasn't going to lose this. It only took a moment and the muscles and strength built up by two years of farm work had Peter immobile with a knee in his stomach.

"Not fair. You're stronger than you look."

"Give up or I find some jocks to feed you with."

"Weak, copying Martin."

"Give up, or jocks?"

"No jocks, use the speedos instead."

Joel removed his knee and let him sit up.

"You're crazy, Peter."

"Me? Never."

He attacked again but when Joel started getting the upper hand he stopped struggling and meekly allowed himself to be pinioned.

"Oh! I do love a forceful man. What are you going to do now? Have your way with me?"

"Would Martin really stuff jocks in your mouth? He was trying to in the laundry."

"Martin would never do that."

"That definitely means yes."

"They're in the second drawer on the right."

Joel laughed for about the twentieth time in the last half-hour.

"Don't move or I'll use my socks instead."

"Jocks and socks? Kinky."

There were a number of pairs of jocks in the draw and Joel grabbed some light blue ones. He liked that color. When he turned round Peter had his mouth wide open so the jocks went straight in. Peter's eyes widened then he spat the jocks on the floor. They were both grinning like Cheshire cats.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd really do that. You're not as quiet as you look."

"Yes I am."

Peter shook his head.

"No you're not.... Lie on the bed."

"What?"

"Lie down."

"What for?"

"Just do it."

"Now who's being forceful?"

"It makes me feel good."

"All right, as long as it doesn't involve pegs on my nipples."

"You heard that did you?"

"Yes, kinky."

As soon as Joel was on his back his stomach was sat on.

"My superior strength now has you helpless and subjugated. Your only way out is to divulge every secret I ask about."

"Sounds like Mission Impossible."

"No cheating or the nipples get it. Now, first question. Have you got a girlfriend?"

"No."

"A boyfriend?"

"No."

"Ever?"

"No."

"Do you like my poster?"

"I wouldn't put it up in my unit."

"You've got dreamy eyes."

"No I haven't."

"How come you're so strong?"

"I'm not very strong."

"Sure feels like it to me. Flex your muscles."

Joel did that and had his bicep checked.

"Charles Atlas."

"In just seven days.."

"Hey, you know it?"

"... I can make you a man."

Peter's eyes lit up. He scrambled off the bed, fossicked in a pile of DVDs, held up ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ then dragged Joel to the computer.

"Come on. Time-Warp first and then you can do the Rocky bit."

"I'm not dancing."

"Yes you are."

"You should be Rocky. You've got the blond hair."

"You've got the muscles."

Once the music started Joel couldn't help but join in. Rythm always sent his toes tapping. They did the Time-Warp steps and then both of them copied the Rocky poses.

"What's going on, Joel? This is weird."

"What's weird?"

"We read the same books. We like the same music. We're doing the same course. What's next?"

"Um... We both like swimming."

"Well that's for sure. Hey, are you having a swim tomorrow?"

"I hope so. After classes, unless I have something else to do."

"Do you want me there?"

Joel was rather puzzled.

"Of course I do. Can't you make it?"

"Yes, but you might get a reputation."

"??"

"Joel, if we hang out much people will say you're gay."

That was actually quite a shock and Joel couldn't think what to say.

"Um... Do they think Martin's gay?"

"No, but he's got a girlfriend."

Joel suddenly felt ashamed. After all the help and friendliness he'd been shown he shouldn't even be hesitating.

"Who cares. I like hanging out with you."

Peter's face lit up, and when he was given a hug Joel felt surprised, awkward and good all at once.

"Great. What time?"

"Ah.. I think my last lecture finishes at 4:30, but you said you’re studying so why don't I just drop in?"

"That's neat. I'll be dying for a break by then."

"Are you really doing revision work every day next week?"

"Yep, something in my brain makes me. I can't stand it when I don't know a subject."

Joel left at eleven o'clock so he could get a good sleep before his first day of classes but he couldn't stop thinking about the evening. Peter was so interesting.

***

The end of Chapter 2.