Hot Wheels - 3. So This Is Love

"Congratulations buddy! You made your first week of college and you managed to land one of the best people to be friends with too!" Everett said to me as he rolled up to me in the busy hallway of campus on Monday morning. As he got closer to me his facial expression went from excited to What-Is-That-On-Your-Face.

"You look like you haven't slept in ages" he said concerned. I was towering above him and I felt like I was going to collapse at any time.

"I need to take a seat" I said and Everett showed me to a quiet study area.

"I always come here to study when the dorms get too noisy" he said softly.

"Please don't think I'm not happy to see you. I went to bed late last night... I didn't even get a proper study session going this weekend and I'm worried I'll fail my classes" I felt doomed already and hurt when I saw Everett rolling his eyes.

"Dude you have just been here for one week. You'll burn out before you even take your first test. Tell you what, this weekend we can take a little trip into the city, I can show you around..."

"I can't" I said to Everett, regretfully.

"Why not?" he asked almost surprised that I had other plans.

"I have something" I said, again regretfully.

"Studying? We won't be out all weekend, besides I can help. Hello genius over here" he said jokingly.

"Well you are hardly a genius but I never cared much for study groups. I prefer studying alone" I said. But I lied. I very much would like to watch Everett read to me and explain something to me over and over and over again while I daydream about his shirt which has a top few buttons undone, in fact his shirt has a few unbuttoned ones right now.

"Earth to Andrew?" I snapped back as Everett tried to get my attention waving his hands in front of me. I felt embarrassment crawling on my face in the colour red and I felt something else, something that couldn't have come at a worse time so I placed my bag on my lap to hide this particular "feeling".

"No it's Marco... I'm meeting his family this weekend" I said.

"Why in God's name would you have to do that?" Everett said seeming somewhat appalled.

"Do what? I'm not doing anything! I swear!" I said scared. I had no idea what he ment.

"What's wrong with you today? You're acting weird. I have to get to class and so do you Andrew"

I didn't have energy to apologise to Everett. I got up to go to my first class and I saw Marco in front of the classroom.

"Dude you took forever. I have something to tell you. My Parents come Friday, they want to see the dorm so I trust you'll be fixing it up and then we leave with them for dinner and we'll meet up with the rest of my family. Get your geekiest outfit out. You have to impress them"

"No I don't. They don't pay my college fees" I said a bit angered.

"Whoa Whoa.... We had a deal remember?", bringing his mouth up to my ear he said words that sent chills down my spine for reasons I don't know.

"I'll throw in something extra... I think you'll like it" Marco said seductively. "Don't forget what I said" he gently punched my chin as he walked into class.

I tried hard to concentrate but I couldn't get my mind off Marco. What is his deal? Why is he acting this way? I decided that I'll do what I promised him and stay away from him.

I wish I was sharing a dormroom with Everett. And it's not even for a sexual reason. Back at home I treasured having a room to myself. My bed was my sanctuary. With Everett I knew I could have a piece of that back. Just to feel comfortable but then again I would be fooling myself. My feelings for Everett are growing and so are other parts of me... I couldn't be comfortable but at least I would be a little happier.

You can imagine how relieved I felt when I got to my room that afternoon. Marco doesn't get here until later so I dropped my books and fell asleep on my bed. I woke up again quite suddenly and I saw Marco sitting at his desk which seperated our beds. He was looking at me.

"What are you looking at?" I asked grumply.

"Nothing!" he said quickly and turned into his desk continuing what I believe was his homework. Yes you heard me, I was surpised too when I discovered Mr "Too Cool For School" doing homework.

"I'm going for a walk" I told him and I don't know why seeing that it doesn't concern him. Before I left I got dressed right there in front of him, well I changed my pants and threw on a hoodie and headed out the door hoping I'll bump into Everett. And I did.

He was completely alone on the basketball pitch trying to throw the ball into the hoops. He failed every time. Something was wrong because Everett was excellent at this particular thing.

"Maybe you should focus on actually throwing it in" I said aloud from across the court. He swung his wheelchair around and smiled briefly before looking upset again.

"Not so happy to see me?" I asked walking closer to him. He tried keeping a straight face but I could see a smile breaking from the corners of his mouth.

"Maybe this'll help" I said and tried some silly dance. It got him. He threw his hands in the air and I won him back.

"I didn't know you can dance" he said.

"My moves range from dad at a barbecue to stripper whose rent is due tomorrow" I joked and I saw Everett smiling with every part of his face before he burst out in laughter.

I got a strange feeling. Its weird, I can't exactly describe it. It started in my stomach like they say about the butterflies? My throat felt dry and my vision wasn't so good. I felt as if I was walking on air.

"It'll be nice if you could show me some moves Andrew" Everett said. Just to be clear, I am NOT a dancer.

"I'm sorry about today. I was a mess and I took it out on you" I apologized to Everett.

Everett told me he forgot about it but I didn't believe him. Why was he so upset when I got here then?

"Liar!" I said and he almost looked sad. "Why were you still upset just now?" I asked like a detective trying to solve a mystery.

"Nothing....I" A loud thrash of thunder interrupted Everett before he could finish. Then came a moment of quietness. Then rainfall. Hard rainfall.

"Andrew can I ask you something?" I was taken by the urgency in his voice. The rain made it difficult to hear him and I was praying that we didn't get hit by lightening.

"Are we d.." he paused for a minute and spoke again. "Are we going to be staying out here in this rain?" he finished and I giggled and said no. I think he was acting strange. I pushed him off and we were dripping wet. We finally made it to his room.

"So you want to come in... dry off?" Everett asked and I thanked and declined only because I didn't want him to see me with my top off... well not yet.

"Well okaaaaaaay" he said and greeted me and went inside.

When I got in my room Marco was asleep so I stripped right there, got some pj's and went to shower. I spent the night studying and boy was I going at it. Marco woke up and left for dinner and I did too. He gave me the silent treatment and went back to sleep but I couldn't however.

After I took my mind off of school that feeling returned and I spent the last few minutes of my day thinking about Everett. Laying in bed staring at the ceiling I finally realised something.

"Oh... This must be love... I'm in love" I said cupping my mouth as soon as the words slipped out of my mouth.

"What did you just say?" Marco said in a sleepy voice.

"Nothing!" I said and turned on my side pulling my blanket over me and now looking at the wall. I pretended to be asleep but I was thinking about Everett and his shirts and unbuttoning them.