Fourth Down - 5. Chapter 5

I can still remember the first time I laid eyes on Hunter McIntosh. Vicky and I had just sat down in our English class, just talking about what we had gotten up to during our summer break, when in walked this tall drink of water; muscular with beautiful red hair. I was instantly smitten. It didn’t help of course that when I would on occasion turn towards Vicky to discuss something, I would find that Hunter would be looking at me with this odd dream like look on his chiseled face. Mentioning this to my friend would always end up with her teasing me, and saying it was probably just me wishfully thinking that he was looking at me, and that Mr Jock was probably just mindlessly staring out into space.

So imagine my surprise one evening, when I was supposed to meet with a student who was struggling and needed my help. A student who was on the football team of all things. I could hardly keep the smile from stretching my face on laying eyes on my new student. When looking at his grades that needed improving, I had noticed that they were for all the classes we took together.

His appeal only grew on our next session when he called to say that he was stuck outside of the library with two coffees. This became a regular thing, Hunter would finish his football practice, then would purchase coffee for the both of us, which we would then drink on the steps of the library and got to know each other better. I learned that he was the only child from a rather conservative working class family, who were very involved in their church. With his stay at home mother being involved in a few volunteer programs run by their church. That while he did not do too badly in school, he was able to get a football scholarship, which enabled him to study and play here.

We also started sitting next to each other in class. I said it was so I could help him, which was partially true, but the real reason was that I was just looking for any excuse for him to join us. This led him to inviting both Vicky and I to join him and his friends for lunch. Madox was fun to be around, Olivia on the other hand, clammed up as soon as soon as she found out I was gay. This didn’t really phase me. I have dealt with people like her before, the only person I was worried about was Hunter. Him being a jock, and whose family was both religious and conservative, well I have seen how some of those people have reacted towards people like me. If it wasn’t for the fact that I liked him, I probably would not have given two hoots about it.

That evening he put my worries to rest when he told me about his best friend back home who was also gay, and what they would get up to back home. Sadly things changed for us after that night. After being ill the day after my coming out, he seemed to actively avoid us. He sat away from both Vicky and I in class; stopped going to lunch with his friends; and stopped coming to his tutoring sessions. It had us all worried, as when we did see him around, he no longer held his head high. He now had his shoulders hunched, and looked miserable. We would try and engage with him, but he would always dismiss our worries, saying that apart from a lack of sleep, he was fine.

“This is bullshit! He is not fine.” Madox had said when we had gotten together for lunch after one such encounter. “He is stuffing up plays, is constantly zoning out, and looks completely miserable.”

“Maybe he is just uncomfortable having a gay guy constantly oggle him.” came a snide remark from Olivia.

“Ughhh, can you just stop?” Madox asked her. It was clear he was getting rather over her snide comments toward me.

“I don’t see how my being gay is a factor here, seeing how his best friend is gay.” I told her

She looked at me shocked. “Evan is gay?”

“Um... yea.” Madox looked at her in disbelief. “Did you not notice how he was all over that guy he ended up hooking up with the last time he was here?” he asked her.

“No. I think I would have noticed something like that.” she said dismissively.

“Well with the way you’re constantly hanging onto your boyfriend like he might escape, I am not surprised.” sniggerd Vicky.

Well this is true, though till now, I get the feeling like Madox didn’t mind his girlfriend’s clinginess.

Olivia’s only response was to glare at the only other girl at the table.

“Is he still at least going to your tutoring sessions?” Madox asked me.

“No, he has completely ghosted me on that front.” I inform him sadly.

“Fuck.” He sighed, “I am going to have a word with Coach about this, and see if there is anything we can do to help him. If he gets kicked off the team due to not performing well in class, then he won’t be able to keep studying here.”

We all looked at each other after this, all of us, including Olivia, are worried about our friend.

***

That night I got a message from Madox, stating that he had spoken with his Coach, and he had sent him an email asking Hunter to come in for a meeting. A few days after receiving Madox’s message, I was in the library when a mere shadow of my friend approached me. His clothes seemed a little baggier, his beautiful red hair looked as if it had not seen a comb in quite a while, and his green eyes that always seemed to sparkle with life, had an unusual dull quality to them. Still he was here, after not seeing him for a while I felt relieved.

Sitting down next me, I placed my hand hand on his, asking him if he was ok. Instantly he seemed to relax, just looking at our hands, a soft sad smile formed on his lips. There was a sudden chime breaking the silence in the library as well as our moment. He pulled his phone out from his pocket, and his face just paled when he looked at the message of whoever had just texted him.

“Is everything ok?” I quietly ask, as I squeezed his hand in what I hoped was a reassuring way.

He looked from his phone to our hands, then my face, which I hope showed just how concerned I was, and that I cared for his well being.

“Yea, everything is fine.” He said, as his face seemed to steel with determination.

That would be our last session, as the next day I was grabbed by a very angry Madox.

“What the hell happened last night!?” He asked in a harsh whisper.

“Hey Madox,” I said rather surprised at his greeting today, ”, what do you mean?”

“Hunter has dropped out.” he said.

This confused me, we had a good session last night, “What do mean, he dropped out?”

“Just that. Apparently he found the work too difficult, so he has decided to head back home.”

“That doesn’t sound right. He was saying how he finally felt like he had a grasp on what was going on in class.” I told him.

This new information did not sit right with me for some reason. I know he had looked haggard from lack of sleep as he had stated. Surely he was not struggling that bad was he, and why did he not say goodbye to us? Was he that ashamed? Something definitely did not feel right about this.

Running a hand through his hair, Madox let out a frustrated sigh, “Well he did. According to Coach, he said he received an email this morning stating as such.”

“Hey, I have to go. I’ll see you at lunch.” Madox said sadly after not much else was said about Hunter suddenly leaving.

With that he left me to my thoughts, going over every interaction I had with Hunter, wishing I could have helped him more. Maybe this would be for the best.

***

It wasn’t till a few weeks later that I realised I had one of Hunter’s textbooks. He had left it behind at our last session. Was this his way of saying he was leaving? I still felt like there was more to his leaving than just studdy issues. Grabbing my phone, I was thinking of letting him know I had his book, but decided against it as he had not responded to any of my texts I had sent since his departure. Maybe his old roommate might have his home address I can then ship this to.

Making up my mind, I sent Madox a text asking what room Hunter had lived in.

“Why do you need that?”

“I just found a textbook he had left so I was wanting to find out his home address as he has stopped talking to me.”

“I can do you one better, I can send you his home phone number.”

This would be even more helpful.

“You sure his parents won’t mind?”

“Na, you’re one of his friends. They won’t mind.”

“Thanks. Have you heard from him?”

“Nope, and I have not called either, still kinda mad that he didn’t even bother to say goodbye.”

“Yea that still kinda stings. Well I will give his house a call, and see how he is doing, he is probably just embarrassed.”

After that Madox texted me the McIntosh number. Entering the number and saving it to my phone, I trembled a little, in anticipation. Will he pick up? Steeling my nerves, I dial the number. It rings a few times when I hear, “McIntosh residence, how may I help you?” came a woman’s kindly voice. This must be his mother.

“Hello Mrs McIntosh? My name is Dale Peterson. I am a friend of Hunters’ from college” I tell the woman on the phone

“Oh hello dear.” worry seems to filter her voice. “Is my boy ok? He hasn’t gotten himself into any trouble has he?”

This confused me. Shouldn’t he be there? “Um no ma’am. Not that I am aware of. Last I heard he had dropped out and was at home.” I inform her

“Surely you must be mistaken my dear boy. The last time we had spoken, he was having a wonderful time, and studying hard. Even told us of a nice young man who was helping him with his studies.” She said.

“Um that would have been me ma’am.” I informed her, “The reason I am calling is because I have one of his textbooks, and since I can’t give it to him here, I was hoping to mail it home for him.”

“Well that is awfully nice of you, young man, but I don’t see the point as he is not here, and should be there.” She said with a bit of worry.

If he was not home, then where could he be?

“Um, Mrs McIntosh, he did talk about his best friend Evan, he could have probably gone to visit his school on his way home?” I say in the hopes it might alleviate some of her worry.

“He very well could have, I’ll give him a ring in case he knows where my boy is. Thank you Dale for bringing this to my attention.” She says, still clearly worried about her son.

“My pleasure Mrs McIntosh.” I then give her my number, and ask if she could ring me if she finds anything out that might give light to this mystery. Hunter where are you?

A few hours later, my studies are interrupted by my phone with an unknown number calling me. Wondering if it could be someone with information on Hunter, I decide to take the call.

“Hi, this is Dale.” I greet the unknown caller.

“Hi Dale, this Evan, I’m a friend of Hunter’s.”

“Evan! Hi. Is Hunter there, is he ok? I ask in a rush.

“Um no he’s not.” he replies.

“Oh.” I say a little dejectedly.

“Listen, him dropping out doesn’t make sense.” He says, “Apart from his current roommate, he loved it there, and he is not the type of person to quit when things get tough.”

“So what do you think happened?” I ask.

“I’m not sure, but I’m making arrangements as we speak to fly over there tonight. As I intend to find out.” he says

I don’t even have to think about it for a minute. “You can stay here, and we can go to his place and ask this roommate of his, and see if he knows anything.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

After grabbing the needed details, I prepare the spare room of my apartment for my guest. I also let Madox in on what I have learned. He said that he wanted to help us find out what happened to our friend as well. Hunter we will find you. Then when it was near the time for Evan’s flight to arrive, I made my way to the airport, only to find Madox and the girls had arrived there first. Apparently despite Olivia’s obvious distaste of me, both girls had gotten quite close.

We picked Evan up from arrivals. He was about medium height with a slim build. He had round Harry Potter glasses, and his dark hair had a bluish tinge to it. Upon seeing us, he immediately grabbed madox into a hug, seemingly drawing strength from the big guy.

“Where’s my friend, Mads?” I heard him whisper

“I don’t know, but we will find him.” Madox told him.

Even though Olivia looked uncomfortable at the knowledge, that Evan is gay, she rubbed his back in an attempt at comforting her friend.

“Ok, let’s get your things in the car, then we can head over to Hunter’s and ask this roommate of his what he knows about what has happened to our friend.” I say to our small group.

Evan chose to go in Madox’s car, and Vicky joined me in mine. Grabbing my hand she said, “It will be ok. We will find him.”

“ I know. It still does not alleviate this feeling. It’s like, I somehow know he is in trouble.” I say to her.

Following Madox’s car, I parked next to him in Hunter’s dorm’s parking lot. He then guided us to the unit he had once shared with Hunter. Knocking on the door, it is pulled open by a guy that looked rather peeved, like we had just interrupted something. His clothes looked like they had been thrown on in a hurry, his forehead had a thin layer of sweat, and he was clearly breathing a little heavier. Before he even opened his mouth, I felt my gut turn. I had noticed a door in the unit was ajar. I don’t know what compelled me, but I shoved this strange guy out of the way and burst into that room. Tears flooded my eyes at what lay before me. I called for my friends to help, as I knelt by the still body of the man I was slowly falling in love with.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and getting to know Dale's perspective of things
This is really the first story I am trying to write, so I appologise if things seem a rushed or forced. Hopefully I will get better the more I write