He dropped his bag on the sofa as he arrived at his penthouse. He brushed his hair with his fingers due to the stress that he was feeling. He went to the kitchen, picked up a cup, filled it up with ice cubes and water, and drank it. Then he made his way into the restroom, picked up his toothbrush, and brushed his teeth. His lips included thoroughly.
Then he put his toothbrush down, put it back into the container, and gargled water.
He looked himself in the mirror and said, "that was disgusting."
Then he proceeded to go back into the kitchen and brought food and drinks into his living room which is only next to the kitchen. He moved his bag, sat down, grabbed the remote, and turned on the television. As he put down the remote and opened a bag of chips, he said, "that was embarrassing."
A text message popped up. It was Mom.
Hi, honey. How was the first day of school?
He replied.
It was okay, Mom. It's just the same feeling when I entered middle school. The only difference was when I tripped right into the plants and dirtied my pants.
Her Mom replied with a hint of concern.
Oh, honey. But you did not have any bruise on you?
He answered.
No, Mom. I am fine. Someone lent me some pants too.
His mom got curious.
Is she good-looking? I bet she's the one for you.
He knows his mom is giggling right now. He does not have any girlfriend before and did not even get attracted to someone.
No, Mom. It's a guy. He's kind, and I'll be returning his pants someday when we will meet because I do not get to ask his name.
Mom replied.
Okay, honey. You better thank that man for showing you that there are kind people out there, and you have someone to depend on even though we're not there.
Ethan continued to watch on his television. Then his stomach was growling. He picked up his phone and replied to his mom.
Mom, I'm going to cook now and sleep right after. Talk to you tomorrow.
And he put his phone down and decided to cook white chicken chili.
As he prepared all the ingredients and put them into the pot, he remembered what happened earlier. He touched his lips. And then he brushed his lips with his finger aggressively. He thought, that man always causes me trouble.
Then he switched his gaze into his cooking and put it out of the stove. He grabbed one stool right at the kitchen counter, grabbed utensils, and proceeded to eat.
He took one bite, and then he looked right at his back to watch the city starting to light up as the moon and stars already started to show.
My first day is full of mess. My pants have been dirtied. I met a man who's clumsy and stupid enough to get me all through this hell. On top of that, he got my first kiss.
He's irritated. Then he took another bite and brushed that annoyance off and instead focused on the beauty of the city. He did not get to look and focus on this the other day when he first arrived on his unit. But now, he's amazed.
One last bite, and then he took his plate and utensils into the dishwasher. He turned it on and waited for it to finish washing. Then he took it out and arranged it into the dish rack.
He turned off the television that has been still turned on. Then he went upstairs to get ready to sleep. He changed into his pajamas. Set the alarm and jumped into his bed.
Then he remembered that kiss again. That stupid kiss. That stupid guy. Stupid Troye.
He closed his eyes and tried not to remember that irritating scene that makes him want to puke and brush his lips all over again.
Later on, he drifted off to sleep.
The alarm went off.
He woke up, stretched his arms, and turned off the alarm. It is still 7:30 AM. His first class will be this 11:00 AM. He went downstairs and prepared breakfast: toast and juice.
He worked out right after for a couple of minutes to maintain his shape. He felt it was this exercise that could help him pumped up. He felt that was enough, then he stopped. Grabbed his towel hanging on the chair and proceeded to use the shower, which is only right after the equipment, divided by walls.
After a shower, he jumped right into the jacuzzi to fill it up with water. It's 9:30 AM. There's still much time left, he thought.
He remembered the pants that he borrowed from what he called Mr. Jeans. He got out of the jacuzzi, drained the water, and decided to wash the pants. He entered the room next to his bedroom where he can wash his clothes and all other equipment for cleaning. He put it into the washing machine, then he waited for minutes for it to be completely washed and to be dried. Then he grabbed one plastic where he put the pants, sealed it, and put it into his backpack.
He decided to take his car today. It is the Model X of Tesla, one of the most expensive vehicles there is.
He got out of his unit, and he rode the elevators to reach the basement. Then he finds his car, got inside, and drove into the university.
As he drove into the university's parking lot, many people are looking their way into his car.
I probably should never drive this car again, he thought.
Then he parked it into the spot. And as he got out, he almost hit the man that lent him pants.
"Oh, shit. I am so sorry," Ethan said. "Are you okay?"
Mr. Jeans checked him out and said, "I'm fine. You're the guy who has my pants," then he smiled.
"Yes. I actually have it right now," Ethan said while reaching his bag into the backseat.
"No. Maybe return it next time that we see each other. I'm late for class."
"What?" he said while still reaching for his back, and as he looked around, he's not there anymore.
And yet again, he did not get to ask his name.
He got out of his car, closed it, and walked right into his first class into the Building of Evermist. He went straight into the elevator and noticed that it was full, so he decided to use the stairs.
Just as he reached the 6th floor of the building, he entered the room indicated where he's gonna have his first class.
He looked up the name above and mumbled, "BE 604." Then he went in.
There's still not much student after past 11 AM. The professor is late. Or the professor is not just going to attend class this day.
A girl sat beside him. He looked at her and smiled.
"Hi, I'm Chrystyn Rye, with all the Ys instead of Is," she chuckled. And he did too.
"I'm Ethan Ring. It's nice to meet you."
"I'm kind of late right now, right? But it seems like the professor is not attending his class today."
"You got lucky."
"Yeah, I did." Then she went on with her phone.
Ethan fiddled with his hands. Then he took out his phone and played games.
"Guys, it's only 30 minutes left until this class ends, so I think it's alright to go now and go get your lunch," the girl announced.
Chrystyn asked, "You want to go together? Have lunch?" Ethan nodded.
They got up together and went into the cafeteria. There he chose brownie again as his dessert and some fried chicken. They sat right at the table for two.
"We have the same schedule?" Ethan asked, putting the sauce into his fried chicken.
"Hm, let me see yours." He handed Chrystyn his schedule form.
"Yes, I can see we do have the same schedule."
"That's great. We can go together always," Ethan suggested. "Oh, no. I did not mean to creep you out. That's a suggestion," he said as he waved his hands.
"What? It's perfect! I don't know anyone on this course; my friends are at different universities with different courses. So, yeah! We should go together."
"Great," he said as he continued to eat his lunch.
He finished his lunch, and so did Chrystyn. They went together to their next class.
"Where is it?" said Chrystyn.
"It's there, the Building of Pulley, 9th floor," Ethan pointed. "We should use the elevator."
Chrystyn nodded.
They went right into the building and used the elevator, with only the two of them inside. As they exit the elevator, she asked, "Where are you from?"
He answered, "Province of Aston."
"Wow, that's far."
"Yeah, I have to leave my family there for me to enter college."
"It's a sacrifice, but it's also for your own good," Chrystyn said. "We're here?"
"I think this is it, BP 902," Ethan answered.
They entered the room and noticed that there were already numerous bags placed in the seats, indicating that it's reserved.
"We should sit here," Chrystyn suggests, which is right in front of those reserved seats. Ethan agreed.
The professor arrived and preparing his equipment and materials. Others have started entering the room as well. However, people with the seats in their back have still not arrived.
"Okay, let's start," the professor said, eyeing the vacant seats on their back. "You will introduce yourself, starting in the first row. We have to get to know each other even though this is just for one semester."
The professor started, and those who are in the first row introduced themselves.
Then second row.
"Hi, I am Chrystyn Rye. A city girl. I love attending class, and I love going to clubs," she said while laughing, and others did as well.
"You're crazy," Ethan said while laughing as Chrystyn took her seat. "I'm up next."
"My name's Ethan Ring. I am old enough to be here in college, but I'm happy that I am finally here," he said, and as he was about to take his seat, the professor asked.
"Why are you late in college? Care to share?"
"I am the one in charge of the animals on our farm, while my sister is the one in charge of the vegetables and other crops. We're basically farmers, and I thought college would be far from my family, and I can't get to help on the farm. But I did muster up courage one day to go into college, finish my degree, and help them with what I have learned in this crouse."
"It's good to hear that you went to college for the sake of expanding the farm and do a business out of it," the professor assumed.
Ethan just nodded.
Right before he has taken a step to go back into his seat, he heard somebody said, "that's the man that kissed you, huh?"
A group of men laughed.
"A farmer kissed him," said the other man in a singing tone.
People were laughing. He's here. Some of his friends are here. And they're classmates.
Ethan looked directly at them, and they've stopped teasing him, then they took their own seats. They're seated right behind them.
"You kissed him?" Chrystyn asked.
"No, I did not."
"Yes, he did," said Troye, interrupting the conversation.
"It was an accident. It was the game."
"Accident or not, you kissed me, and you cannot take that back."
Ethan looked right into Troye's eyes and said, "Stop what you're saying. You disgust me."
He's taken aback by what he said. Troye raised his brows. Chrystyn felt the tension between the two of them.
I don't want any trouble, Ethan thought.
The next hours were quiet. The professor has just discussed the introduction and the course outline of the subject. Then it ended."I guess I'll see you next week, then," the professor said.Ethan hurriedly picked up his bag and exited the class."Hey, wait for me," Chrystyn said while running after Ethan. "So, you really did kiss the guy, huh? Troye was it?""I did not kiss him, okay? It was an accident.""Well, what made it into an accident? I mean, what's the reason?""It's a game of concentration. You need to concentrate for the apple not to fall," said Ethan while they were entering the elevator to go into their next class."And then?" Chrystyn asked while she pushed button 1."And then, I was looking at someone, and I lost concentration.""Well, maybe you lost concentration because it was love at first sight," Chrystyn said, and then she added, "Was she pretty?"
It's Sunday.Ethan has long thought about what he witnessed during the past few days about Troye, but he let it passed. There's no harm done, he thought.He went into the bookstore yesterday to buy some books and to stock up his shelves with them. He chose random books on the random genres. He's just filling up the shelves.He swam right into the corner of the pool where the end is much elevated than the rest of the surface, with a table-mounted on the wall, allowing him to sit on it and look through the windowpane and appreciate the beauty of the city.He grabbed the cup of coffee he prepared for himself, took a sip, placed it back on the table, and grabbed the book, carefully, for it not to wet with the water."Romance," he said under his breath. Shuffling through the pages to let himself see through the events and look forward to it.Then, he began reading The Tale of Men.Hours passed he felt
"Well, that was good!" Chrystyn whispered as the professor has arrived. "I would say that was the best revenge that I've heard, and I did not expect that."Ethan's sweat is visible. Some are dripping down on his neck, coming from his forehead.Chrystyn whispered, "Wipe that sweat. People can see through your nervousness." And Ethan did wipe it.The professor started his discussion. It was boring as usual.Ethan excused himself and went to the nearest restroom. Little did he know, Troye followed.He entered the cubicle, and as he was just supposed to close it, it opened."What are you doing?!" Ethan asked angrily.Troye locked the cubicle."Get out, or someone will see us. My reputation is nothing. But how about yours?" Ethan said."Oh, are you concern about my reputation now? After what you said earlier?""Oh, so you are angry now? After you and your friends te
A couple of weeks passed after that.Troye is coming down from his bedroom. It's a holiday, and so there are no classes. He's still in his pajamas, and he yawned. He prepared a coffee, scrambled some eggs, and toasted some bread. He brought it to the kitchen table, grabbed one chair, and ate.The view of the city is what he sees each morning and each night, and it never fails to amaze him. He stared at it, thinking how lucky he was to have this life. Well, my life's almost completely perfect if I hadn't just bumped into Troye on the first day, he thought.He grabbed his back from one of the chairs and pulled out his notebooks and books. It's a holiday, but he's got a lot to do.He brings out his pen, his calculator, and his paper pads. He sighed. There is just so much to do, and I am overload.As he reaches for more things, he reaches his shoes and says, "You're my favorite sneakers, but you bring bad memor
Ethan woke up from his bed as the alarm went off. Then he turned it off. He rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms.The class is still in the afternoon, but he's waking up early to work out. He went downstairs, brushed his teeth, ate some cereals, and drank some juice. Then brushed his teeth again.He started working out. It is really motivating when you work out with a view like this, he thought.His sweat started dripping down his neck, and he could already feel the heat on his body; until he could no longer catch his breath, he stopped.He went straight ahead into the refrigerator, put some ice cubes on his glass, put some water on it, and drank it. He looked into the mirror. He's topless, and he wears his boxers. Yes, it is not an appropriate outfit for working out, but he can really appreciate his body this way.I have a damn good body.He showered until he felt that there was no lon
Ethan got back into the room, absorbing what he just found out.He looked at Mellow which has been talking to Chrystyn. Chrystyn does not need to find out. He wants to make it natural, pretending that he does not perceive Mellow as a threat."What took you so long?" Chrystyn said."The restroom's full, so I had to wait."Chrystyn asked Mellow, "So, Mellow, do you want to go out later?"Mellow said, "Ah, I got something to do."Chrystyn shrugged. Ethan just observed.The class ended with Ethan's mind still on Mellow.They went into the cafeteria, chose a table to sit on, ordered some food, and ate."Why are you spacing out?" Mellow asked as she took a bite of her apple.Chrystyn said, "Me?""No, Ethan."Ethan lifted his gaze to meet Mellow's eyes."Well, I found some work earlier when I went here to school, and I'm ju
Ethan touched his lips as he was on his way home. He's now in the cab. He closed his eyes and just sighed.I am not gay.He looked outside the window, the lights in the city were already lit, and he could see people walking, strolling, running. The town is indeed busy at this time of the night when the sun hides and the moon shines bright.I'm not gay."Let's stop here."The cab stopped, he paid and went out. He went into the elevator and closed it. Then it opened."Troye," said Ethan.Troye just nodded. The elevator door closes. The silence between them took place."Hey," Ethan said.Troye did not budge. He just pretended not to care. Ethan sighed and let it passed.As it reached the 15th floor, Ethan retook one glance at Troye and went out.He input the passcode on his unit, sat on the sofa, and sighed again. He covered his eyes
Days have passed, and Ethan has been working on the project alone.He grabbed the calculator which had been on the table and then grabbed his hair out of frustration. There's still a lot left to solve, and he can't get past this problem.He stood up, grabbed a drink from his fridge, grabbed 2 cups of chocolate pudding, and then placed it on the table and started eating the pudding. He looked at the sheet of paper as he took a bite of the pudding.Realization hits, and it's like the pudding gave Ethan the answer.He placed the pudding back on the table, grabbed his pen, and started answering and solving like a genius."Yes!" he exclaimed as he got the answer, and now he's ready to answer another one.Each pair of partners gets to solve five problems, with each pair having different sets.Ethan can still remember the day after the pairing was announced. Troye stood up from his seat and told the profes
Ethan picked up the toys that were scattered on the floor. He put those toys one by one onto the treasure box. As he picked up the last toy, he stumbled upon the Christmas gift, and he placed it back again where it should be. He stood up straight, touching the Christmas tree with his hands. It's that time of the year again, and every time this holiday comes, sadness seeps in. The nostalgic feeling always comes back because this is the time where he and Chad end things.And here he is after seven years have passed, still carrying the feeling that happened on that day. He still remembered it clearly up to this day, letting himself take a trip down memory lane."…maybe we can even marry each other!" Rebecca said as Ethan remembered clearly. That's when he realized that when things go smoothly and perfectly, something will always ruin that moment.When he looked at Chad at that time, he just smiled, like it was nothing. Like they were just friends and roommat
Time seems to fly fast. A year has passed after they were both kicked out of the university. When the people living in the apartment, Pearl Haven, heard the news about Chad being the professor and the manager of the apartment, some of them didn't mind, and some moved out. The news spread fast in the city to the point that they must lower the unit prices to attract more people. Although they moved already past that, and now they are making more income than ever when people saw how much they had changed their apartment, and there's no issue with Chad being the manager.They matured more, particularly Ethan, who has learned how to save financially. He's also trying to get new ideas to improve more of the apartment. It looked so expensive, but the price was just affordable, and that's what they are after because they knew that's what people want. He didn't get to finish what he came here in the first place, but he's thankful for Chad and Yohan for helping and staying by his side.
He opened the door to the unit. Chad greeted him with a smile only to see him deep in thoughts. Chad greeted him and said, "How was it?""It was bad," he said as he walked towards the living room and let himself fall on the couch, "It was very bad, Chad."Chad walked up to him and caressed his face. He is getting tear-eyed at this moment because when everything is getting too perfect, something and someone will always come to ruin that. He wanted someone to blame but couldn't bring himself to blame others but himself for being so vulnerable and easily deceived."Don't you think we should stop it now?" asked Ethan; a tear fell from his eye. He saw Chad stunned hearing what he said. "Dianna took pictures of us, and Mellow, you know her, she took that camera and run away with it, and maybe now she's already uploading it. It doesn't matter for me now because my parents aren't here anymore and that I have my apartment, I can live with that. How about you? You are a p
Ethan woke up holding his head and groaned and massaging his temple. He had a blurry memory of what happened yesterday. Chad’s usually on the bed next to him when he wakes up in the morning, but he wasn’t there this time. He heard someone inside the bathroom, showering. It must be Chad.He put his other hand on the bed for support as he continued massaging his head. He wondered how in the hell does he went home. He knows it’s Chad that took him home, but how did he do it without anyone noticing?He felt a cold breeze. He wrapped his arms around his body and looked at it, and he realized that he didn’t wear anything. He looked under the sheets and noticed that he wasn’t wearing any underwear either.What happened had sunk in as his hands gripped tighter, remembering what happened yesterday.As they finished making out yesterday, they went out of the room after the person next to the cubicle had left the bathroom. They made sur
"That was hard," said Chrystyn as she put her pen back in her pencil case and then zipped it. "I guess it was easy for you, huh, because Chad's tutoring you?"Ethan rolled his eyes. "Of course not. It doesn't mean we are living together means he's teaching me. We are just a normal couple."Ethan and Chrystyn have reconnected their friendship when they meet again for their next class. They talked a lot about things during the weeks they have missed to converse. They also stroll around the town before classes. Chrystyn's also just planning to stay over at Ethan's unit.Chrystyn shrugged. "Just kidding. You're too smart!"She grabbed Ethan by the arm and whispered, "You think I wouldn't notice how both of you were looking at one another earlier?"Ethan blushed. Chad was their proctor for their last exam, and they have been teasing one another with their stares. He remembered biting his lips and spinning his pen with his fingers while staring at Chad.
"In my place," said Ethan as he buckled up. The class has just ended, and as Chad told him, he is taking him home when it's his class schedule.Chad sighed. "I'm still thinking about it because first, Yohan is there. His room is just meters away from yours. Not that I don't trust him, but wouldn't that be awkward that I am dating the boss, and he's working with me?"Ethan shook his head. "When we choose your place too, that means I'll leave Yohan behind. Yohan isn't just a person I can leave because he stood by me when my parents cut off connections. He took care of me, and he's a family. That unit, that's the only place I can call mine, my possession."Chad gripped the steering wheel. He hasn't turned on the engine yet because right now, they have to decide. They have already been arguing over this for weeks now, and the exam is already coming. So Ethan wanted to decide with no arguments involved because this conversation was taking a toll on him. He doesn't kn
Their lips met one another. Chad bit his lower lips, making him groan. He put his hands on Chad’s nape and pulled him closer to his lips. It seems like it has already been a long time since they have kissed and touched each other, and this feeling just fills their hunger.Ethan felt Chad’s hands roaming from the top of his chest down to his waist and squeezing it. On the other hand, from Chad’s nape, he touched his chest and pushed him to the corner. Chad turned their position around, with Ethan now leaning on the corner of the pavilion.He felt Chad’s tongue entering his mouth and sucking his tongue. He groaned, and he did the same thing to Chad, causing Chad to be more aggressive. He grinned.Ethan pulled back and licked his lips. “I like you a lot.”“I like you a lot, too. And I am going crazy with what we’re doing right now,” said Chad as he leaned closer again to kiss Ethan.After a long mi
Ethan pushed the rack of clothes and pulled out the navy-blue dress. "I think this dress suits you, Chrys."Chrystyn looked at it and sighed. "Hmm, I don't know. The color seems dull, though."He put it back on the rack and pulled out another one. He poked Chrystyn and pointed out the red dress with a high slit. "How about this?""This is gorgeous!" said Chrystyn as she grabbed the dress from Ethan and placed the dress in front of her body as she looked in the mirror. "I think I like this."Ethan has paid for the dress. Sure, Yohan said he could spend money on his attire, but he realized that he'd just go with the black suit he has on his home. Now, he's treating Chrystyn to the dress that she liked. He can see that it suits her too. All they know is to purchase a mask.They entered another shop just two blocks away from where they were. Ethan admits that he's been looking forward to this occasion, particularly that Chad asked him out. He also like
Ethan still has not yet gotten used to working in his office. And he was working with Chad. It has been days when he started working, and that also means there are only a few days until the acquaintance party takes place.Chad's classes are on Wednesdays and Fridays. And right now, he's looking at his schedule."Wednesday," he said as he looked at Chad, busy working on the paperwork. Chad did not enter his office after that day. He's just looking at him from behind. Sometimes, he goes to his mini living room and watches television. When it's already afternoon, Yohan goes to his office, and they'll go together to the parking lot so Yohan can drop him off at the university.He's really trying to get used to that routine. Even though sometimes he feels useless because he just sits in his office and waits for the afternoon to come.He propped his elbow to the table and just looked at Chad, who had been busy working. He wonders if he's just the same as the oth