The events have been significantly altered to protect the identities of those involved and to save the reader from rubbing blisters into their privates as they try and stay horny through -- what could have been -- a 400-page novel. Despite this attempt to 'speed things along' this first chapter of the story does not include any orgasms. If you are here for a quick fap, maybe try chapter 2.

Anyway, this is my first so please be gentle! That said, I would love to hear honest and constructive feedback.

Enjoy!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It was the first time I had ever 'moved'. Standing there, in my dingy dorm-room, with everything I owned haphazardly dropped into a 3-foot-tall pile on the naked mattress of my bed, I did not know where to start unpacking. The excitement of heading to college had abandoned me even before I had hugged Mom and Dad one last time before driving out yesterday afternoon. A stop at a trucker's motel and a short drive later, I found myself, for the first time, seeing the dormitory I had read so much about.

It was... smaller than I had imagined. Come to think of it, so was the room they assigned me: room 613. Sorry, I meant: "the room they assigned us"

"Anything else you need help with buddy?", Cory asked gently. As soon as I had walked into the room with an armful of stuff, he had insisted on helping me carry the rest up. We had just walked up six stories with the last set of boxes from my car.

I turned around to face him - Cory - my roommate for the next year, standing a respectful six feet away. Maybe he would have given me more space if this room was not so fucking cramped.

"Nope. That's all I have." I tried to muster a smile, but I could not even get myself to look at him. "Thanks for helping me bring the stuff up. The drive here was exhausting."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Cory nod slowly. "Well, lemme know if there's anything else I can help you with, Luke."

I nodded silently, my gaze focused outside our 6th floor window. In this otherwise rural town, the dorm building stood tall above the rest. A few blocks away, rows of painted concrete gave way to the rustic red brick of campus buildings. I could even see people walking in the open, grassy quadrangle at the center of campus. On the horizon, the sun was setting over a forest of windmills atop shallow, rolling hills.

Eighteen hours across that horizon, were all the people and places I had ever known and loved.

"I think I'll go grab dinner." Cory's tone was informal, but respectful, like when you offer condolences to a friend whose pet had just died. "Find me if you're interested in chatting. I'd love to get to know my roomie better!"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It took me half an hour to park my car and complete the move-in forms but I hadn't taken three steps in the dining hall before I heard a cheerful holler from across the room.

"Hey! Luke! Get over here! There's some folks you gotta meet!"

Cory was sitting with four other guys in the far corner of the room but his voice was still loud enough to cut through the chatter of a hundred undergraduates eating. I felt my face go red as I noticed fifty of those students staring at me and another fifty staring at him. And yet there sat Cory, smiling at me and waving like he had been counting the minutes till he would see me.

I could not help but chuckle.

"Hey Luke! Have a seat by Troy." Cory gestured to a particularly buff guy with a strong jaw. The man's clothes were tight but, judging by the ample musculature his sleeves desperately hugged, that felt more like a consequence than a fashion statement. Troy smiled sheepishly at me and scooched to the side to make room. He did not say anything.

"Troy's the RA for our floor. He's a 3rd year majoring in Psych and Math. Weird combo, right?" Everyone laughed, including Troy. "Anyway, don't be fooled by his looks, he's got more brains than brawn and that's saying something!"

Cory turned excitedly to the two guys sitting next to him, both blondes with green eyes who dressed in similar polos. "And these lads here are-"

"We can handle it Cory.", said the shorter, more athletically built of the two. "I'm Mason. This is my brother Jeremiah. We're... well, we're Cory's friends from high-school."

Jeremiah turned to me, tilting his neck sideways with a dazzling smile.

"It's nice to meet you!", he said as he offered his hand. As I shook it, I noted how soft it felt.

"Likewise.", I smiled back at Jeremiah, trying not to enjoy the feel of his hand too much.

"And I'm Yicheng, but you can call me Adam.", the Asian guy extended his hand across the table with a subtle smile and a charming twinkle in his eyes. "I'm a Korean exchange student. It's nice to meet you!"

We dove into conversation, with the five of them trying to fill me in on the introductions I had missed.

Well, four of them. Troy did not really say much.

Jeremiah, Mason and Cory had been friends since middle-school, growing up in the same suburb of the big city a few hours north of here. Listening to them recounting shenanigans from their childhood, one would have assumed they were ALL brothers. Heck, Mason even pulled up his shirt mid-anecdote to show us the scar across his abs from when he had charged a guy who had tried to stab Cory with a pen.

Adam's stories were by far the most interesting. As the only son of two rich Korean businesspeople, his stories were alien to me both in terms of the places and cultures he explained to us and the type of wealth and service that he seemed so familiar with. Still, he seemed incredibly humble and sincere; he said he was here on a scholarship and hoped to never again spend a cent of his parents' money.

Thinking back at that moment, Troy did not speak much at all. He told us he was a 3rd year and an RA (Resident Advisor. Sort of like a mentor for 1st years like me.) and repeated Cory's introduction of being a dual major in Psych and Math before going silent, I think. It is possible he spoke more, but I struggle to even remember if he had a beard on or not that day. Or even what he sounded like. I wish I had paid more attention...

Anyway-

It was not long before I started to notice a weird feeling in my stomach whenever Jeremiah spoke to me. He seemed to be at least 6 feet tall, maybe even a few inches taller than me, blonde with beautiful, curly hair that he was constantly brushing out of his faint green eyes. His hands were lanky and bony, unlike his brothers', but he moved them with a confident grace that would not have been out of place on a ballet dancer. My eyes started to follow them when he gesticulated, noticing how he always moved his fingers in smooth arcs.

It was eventually my turn to talk. I was excited to introduce myself to these fascinating people but it was not until they asked me what my high-school was like that I realized that, even though I had woken up in my own bed yesterday, my hometown felt years away. The park where I would play soccer with the guys every Saturday, the classroom where all my teachers and classmates had surprised me with a cake to congratulate me on getting a scholarship at the prestigious university, the woods in which I had my first kiss with...

Oh no.

My eyes darted to the clock. 6:58PM. I still had two minutes.

"I've gotta go guys." I said in a surprisingly calm tone, as I half-walked, half-ran out of the dining hall.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I burst out the dorm, my pocket clicking with each step. I almost forgot to look both ways before crossing the street and stopped just as a car missed my foot with inches to spare. After taking a second to catch my breath (and ensure the road was clear), I crossed the street and ran into the phone booth. After wasting precious seconds fumbling with quarters, I jammed three into the machine.

clink, tink, clunk- CLICK! tick tick tick tick tick tick...

Fast as my fingers could manage it, I punched the familiar number into the phone booth, gripping the receiver preciously as I counted the rings.

My heart was thudding loudly after I almost got hit by the car. Or was it the running?

Click "Luke? Is that you?" The girl sounded concerned. I felt like a piece of garbage.

"Ally. Babe. It's me. I'm SO sorry. I got here late and I completely forgot to call. How are you doing?!"

Ally sighed like someone had lifted a mountain off her shoulders. "Oh sweetie! It's so good to hear your voice! I've missed you so much! How was the drive there!"

I had not slept a wink at the motel. The two people next door were making grunting noises that I could only assume were the result of... you know. I had heard from my friend Rick that his girlfriend used to make noises like that when they were doing it but I had only half-believed him.

Until last night, that was. But I was not going to bother Ally with that.

"It was alright." I said with masked exhaustion. "Babe. I'm sorry I called so late. Are you still free for a bit?"

"Don't worry about it! Dad just came back from work, so I have at least thirty minutes until dinner is ready."

It was my turn to sigh with relief. You see, Ally was not just my girlfriend. She was my soulmate. Of all the people I knew, she was the only one who had always supported and trusted me. ALWAYS. She knew every secret of mine, even things I would have rather forgotten, but loved me like only she could. Just listening to her voice right now was like a promise of safety.

"Anyway." Her voice had shed its concern and taken on that familiar playful quality that had made me fall in love with her. "Is it true that the sun sets earlier there?! Like, I can still see it in..."

Oh Ally... I missed her so much...

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It was not enough.

I had heard her mother call out to her in the distance, followed by her hurriedly asking me to call the next week.

Before I had even had the time to think "But that could not have been thirty minutes...", I had told her I loved her; she told me she loved me and the phone had clicked back onto the stand.

And I felt empty again.

One hour, once a week, to talk to Ally. That's what I had budgeted out in terms of time and money.

It was not enough.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I must have been more upset than I realized because I kicked open the door to my room.

"Our room" I reminded myself, as I saw Cory peep out from his cupboard wearing nothing but a towel, his black, straight hair still damp from a recent shower. The room smelled of soap and cologne.

"Woah! You doing okay buddy?" His brows were furrowed. "We were kinda worried when you ran off."

"Oh. It's nothing..."

I turned around to close the door, being deliberately careful.

One hour, once a week.

Twenty thousand students, only five of whom even know my name. Heck, my entire hometown did not have twenty thousand people.

"Luke... Hey... You okay there bud?"

I felt the fear from the morning taking hold of me. It was like I did not even have strength to stand. Still gripping the handle, I rested my head against the door for support.

Eighteen hours away from everything and everyone I knew and loved.

My entire life packed up in a five-by-three pile on my bed. Clothes, shoes, a soccer ball. The HiFi Radio/stereo system dad had gifted me on my 16th birthday. A bag full of books and papers and folders Mrs. Theresa had gotten for me as she made me promise I would submit all my homework on time.

The tears started to flow freely.

I felt Luke's hand on my shoulder. His touch was light and warm. I put my hand on it, wanting -- no, needing -- someone to hold onto.

"Hey. It's okay. Whatever it is, you'll be fine." He gently rubbed my back.

Ally. Mom. Dad. Jacob. Bruno. I felt like I was nothing without them. No one knew me here. No one cared-

"If there's anything I can do for you," Cory's voice seemed cracked. "don't hesitate to ask. You're my friend now and I'll look after you."

"Wait," I thought to myself "is he crying?"

I turned around. Cory lifted his hand from my shoulder. His face was dry but his eyes were wet. And concerned.

"Hey there Luke!" he grinned at me and sniffled as he rubbed his nose. "You okay buddy?" His deep brown eyes were almost affectionate.

Almost like Ally's.

I could not bear to look at him. So I pressed my face into his shoulder and hugged him, sobbing pathetically while I did so. His neck smelled clean, fresh from the shower. I felt his arms wrap around me, gently stroking and patting my back. His grasp was kind and concerned. It was almost loving.

Almost like Ally's.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I am unsure how long we stood there but it must have been a while because:

"I think I need to change my shorts" I croaked out once I had finally regained the ability to speak.

Cory's hands froze on my back. I felt his back briefly stiffen before he said, "Hunh? What do you mean?"

"Your towel. I can feel the moisture soaked through my shorts." Nothing like a little bit of humor to let him know I was okay.

It took a second before Cory stepped back, hands holding my shoulders, and looked down to the damp patches on my crotch and on the legs of my shorts. As funny as it was, I was surprised: how long were we just standing there?

In the distance I heard the town bell ring. It chimed eight times. Well, that answered that question.

"Don't look!" Cory announced loudly. Which was a terrible idea because I turned instinctively to face him. He was turned away from me, facing the mirror on the inside end of his cupboard door. Luckily, I noticed his left hand holding a pair of shorts and his right-hand tugging at his towel and turned around in time.

I mean, I was not squeamish around male nudity, I was fit and had been on the soccer team so showering together was not an embarrassing affair, but I did not want to... look at him. Like, what would Ally think?

I blinked as that last thought rushed through my brain. I felt a weird contraction in my stomach as I noticed the rustling of clothes and skin behind me and shook my head, packing that chain of ideas up for good.

Facing away from Cory's side of the room, I noticed the pile of stuff on my bed. If I was planning on sleeping in a bed tonight, I had best get started.

I got to work in earnest, making progress surprisingly quickly. After all the emotional volatility today, I was quite mentally spent and was relishing the simple-minded focus required by the task of unpacking. It was easy, but not trivial, and every minute saw me make noticeable progress (my bed getting emptier) towards getting done.

Cory, in loose fitting black shorts, but still shirtless, was at his desk writing something in a small notebook. Did he keep a diary? I thought only girls did that.

When I had finally fluffed my pillow and folded away the cardboard moving boxes, I sat down on the floor to not wet my bed with sweat. Leaning against the wall, I let myself enjoy the exhaustion of the last two days washing over me.

Cory must have finished writing because he was now facing me with his bright smile beaming prettily from his face. "Hey, Luke, when do you plan on sleeping?"

"What's up? You have something in mind?" I plucked at my shirt which was now sweatily stuck to my chest. Life without an air conditioner was going to be interesting.

"Yeah!" Cory got up off his desk. "Like, given that we are spending the year together, I was wondering if I could get to know you better!" he reached into the mini fridge and pulled out a --

Woah. Was that alcohol?!
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Pub: 07 Feb 2021 14:40 UTC
Views: 198