Under the Acacia - 3. Surprise

I stared at myself naked in the mirror. I wasn’t that bad looking, I thought. My penis was an okay size – not like those on porn stars but, okay enough, I reckoned. I had some pimples on my arm and my back, but I figured who didn’t? At least they weren’t on my face.

I looked at my face and concluded that I had an okay nose. My eyes were normal. I scanned my whole body for every imperfection and even though I tried to turn a blind eye to most of them, I found a bunch.

Fuck. Who was I even kidding? No matter how hard I tried to intellectualize all my ugly, it was still there, I could still see me.

I just went ahead and took a bath. All the stress of the ‘accident’ made me smell like crap. His, Paolo’s, smile kept flashing in my mind: his lips, those lush pink lips, slowly wording his parting message. ‘It’s a date.

Holy shit. I almost forgot about that. I started to worry a bit. What was I supposed to wear? Where were we going? Beer? Ohmigod! How could I have been so stupid about that! I was a minor. Fuck it. I was sure Paolo was going to think I’m this underage dork who doesn’t even have a fake ID. Geez. All he wanted was for me to get him a beer, and I can’t even do that now.

My head was in utter distraught just thinking how much a geek I’d seem to him. A couple of times it came to me to just play the sick card and not go out. I’d say I was too knocked out that I couldn’t even stand the idea of walking out the dorm. But then again, he had that smile. That sweet face of his just dissolved any notion of not going out.

I started to remember the moment when our bodies collided. It felt real hard. His chest was solid. What I would have given to touch his chest – to feel his rippling abs against my cheeks.

I stroked my slowly swelling cock. Yep. Not bad for my age. I traced that line from my navel through my tuft of hair to the tip of the throbbing piece of me which lay quivering as water from my shower massaged it drop at a time. I felt my whole body tremble as I almost reached my peak and then:

“Bitch!” I heard someone at my door, and then it was followed by a jostling of keys and frantic foot steps to the outside of my bathroom. Perfect timing as always Jo.

“Geez Jo. I’m coming.” I hastily wiped myself dry knowing that it wasn’t far from this woman to break down the bathroom door if I kept here waiting in this weird pseudo-enthusiastic state she was in.

“Marky! What happened? Why didn’t you text me or something?” I knew she’d be like this. “You had me worried sick, you know!” She did look worried. Her eyes didn’t have those sparks they usually have. I felt really bad then. I just didn’t want to worry her. She’s been awesome to me the past few weeks.

“Jo. I’m really sorry. Just had a lot on my mind.”

“Babe. Don’t be sorry okay. Just tell me you’re okay.”

“I am.”

She pulled me by the arm and hugged me. I blushed. Yeah. She was my best friend.

“Oh my word! Gurl you have got it going on!” She said with this face I couldn’t really make out.

“What? What’s wrong?”

She started to giggle. “Oh nothing!”

“Jo! What the fuck bitch!”

Then she pointed down. Fuck. I totally forgot about that. I was still showing.

I blushed all over, for sure. I felt like just jumping out the dorm room window. I quickly grabbed my towel ran into the bathroom and put on some tight whities.

“Don’t be embarrassed dude. We’re friends. Gal Pals, remember.” She yelled from the door.

“Oh my God!”

“Geez, come on out stud. As if I haven’t seen those thingies before.” She was laughing so hard and I was in there just dying of shame and I just lost the ability to reply right then and there.

“I’m sorry okay!” She yelled out. I slumped on to the toilet trying to collect myself.

Then, I heard the door open. “Hey babe. Someone here’s looking for you!”

Oh wow. Jo was really beginning to lose her creativity. If she thought I was going to believe that someone just came to my door asking for me the very moment I have decided to become a bathroom hermit, well she really doesn’t know me that well. “Yeah whatever Jo!”

“Babe!” She was giggling still. Wow, right? She really found this whole thing so funny. “I am not joking around.”

“Look Jo! I’m sorry. Just go okay. I’ve had enough embarrassing moments for one day.”

“I hope I wasn’t one of those embarrassing moments you’re talking about.” Wait. That wasn’t Jo. It wasn’t a girl’s voice, even. The voice was familiar. I was sure I heard it before.

I went out with just a towel over my boxer briefs and one over my shoulders. I saw Jo, blushing like a red tomato and trying to keep in more of her annoying giggles. And beside her, on my messed up bed was, Paolo.

“Oh hey man!” Paolo said. Again, with the cutest smile possible.

“See! Why would I lie to you?” Jo said with this accusing yet devilishly knowing tone.

I felt like I could have died then and there. But with everything that went on the past hours, the past minutes, the past seconds, even, I had no shame left in. I just winged it like some dork.

“Oh hey Paolo.” I said with no regard, whatsoever, for the impending shame fest that I was sure was coming soon. “I’m sorry. This is my ex-bestfriend, Jo.” I threw her a Kill Bill look. “Who is actually on her way out.”

“Oh yeah.” She winked at me. “Nice meeting you…” She lingered for a bit. “It’s Paolo.”I said begrudgingly. “Yes, Paolo.”

She walked out the door real slowly, as if trying to wring me for some more laughs. “Hey Babe, don’t forget to text me tonight, okay?”

I blew her a kiss. She’s a great friend. I should remember never to leave her out of my life, especially parts as epic as what has transpired so recently. And as for the boner, I’m betting she won’t ever let that one slide, but I’m sure she’ll be cool about it.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Huh? What?”

“Here.” He took a fresh shirt from the top of my newly washed laundry. “I’m pretty sure this will look good on you.” He winked. I grabbed a pair of jeans from the closet and slid them on.

“Oh yeah. I’m sorry about all that.”

“No dude. She was nice.”

He had this cute pink shirt on. It was hugging him just right.

“Hey. Don’t get this wrong or anything, but, weren’t we supposed to meet-up…” I had to stop myself from blurting out the word “date”. “… like later, I mean much later.”

He blushed a bit and the smile he had on slowly faded. Did I just embarrass him?

“I’m sorry. Did I interrupt you and your friend a while ago?”

“Well umm. It’s just that. It’s weird.” I said that last bit in almost a whisper.

“Look, I can come back later if you’re busy.” He sounded a bit defeated.

“Oh no. Wait. I’m glad you’re here.” I said. “I mean. I don’t care if you’re here.” What was I even doing? “What I mean to say is… errr… I’d like it if you stayed.”

“Really?” He said with this hopeful look.

“Really.” I responded. “So, why are you here? I mean, don’t you have classes?”

“Yeah, well, I got excused too. Which is really awesome cause I didn’t study for this test I was supposed to have today.” He beamed.

“Yeah, I bet.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. It’s just that I saw you at the party… the one last night?” I said in the shyest tone I ever mustered.

He turned red all of a sudden. “Oh Really?” He was picking his words deliberately now. This whole new tension weirded me out. He inched closer to me. “So, I’m betting you noticed me staring at you.”

OMG. Too forward. I wasn’t able to respond. I had nothing to be embarrassed about.

“Oh you were?”

“Mark, you’re blushing dude.”

“Ummm. Sorry man.”

“You and your sorries. What in the world would I ever do with you.” Only a rolled up blanket separated us on the bed. “I was staring at you.”

“What?” I blushed.

“Don’t get me wrong okay. I’m no stalker. This morning was really an accident.”

“I wasn’t thinking that.”

“I know.” He said. “Listen, Mark. Can I be forward with you? Promise me you won’t hate me. I just really need to ask you something.”

I nodded.

“Are you?”

“Am I? What Paolo?” I said under my breath.

“Are you gay?”

Then, suddenly, the unthinkable happened. I didn’t run-off crying or shut off just like that. I answered him right then and there, as if the whole thing wasn’t that big a deal. “Yeah.”

His eyes widened.

“Awesome. Ummm. I knew you were. That was why I was staring at you. Listen, Mark. I’m…”

“Yes Paolo?

“I’m gay too.” And he took me by the shoulders, pulled me close and hugged me so tight.

I felt his tears wet my shoulders; his body was quivering over me. The smell of his cologne consumed the very air I breathed, sending my nerves, my senses into a flurry of torrid feelings. What was happening?