“…and that’s how I got laid by a senior in my junior year,” Vince said with a chuckle.
Todd laughed and took a sip of his drink. “Damn…you’ve got a s-silver tongue. W-wish I had half your c-confidence…”
“Hey, are you sure you don’t want anything alcoholic?” Vince asked, eyeing Todd’s cup. “There’s plenty to go around, and it’s not a college party until you’ve had a drink!”
Todd shook his head. “N-No, I’m okay just dr-drinking water…”
Vince shrugged. “Suit yourself! Leaves more for me and everyone else!” He took a long drink from his cup before putting it down on the end table to his left. “So how about you? Have you gotten laid yet, or are you still a virgin?”
Todd shook his head. “No…s-still a virgin…”
“Ah…one of those guys who was taught to wait until marriage?”
Todd shook his head again. “No…n-nothing like…like that…”
“Waiting for the right girl then?”
Todd shifted nervously. “I…don’t swing that way…”
“Well, that explains why you wanted to see what was in my pants so bad!” Vince laughed, to which Todd found himself laughing along. “You seen any guys you’re interested in yet?”
Todd found himself glancing over at the dance floor where Sam was chatting it up with a group of upperclassmen. Vince followed his gaze and smirked when he saw Sam.
“Guy with the tiger tail, huh?” Vince said, taking another sip of his drink. ”Yeah, I can see that. Ladies would be all over a guy like him. Do you know him?”
Todd nodded. “He’s…my roommate.”
“Oh ho ho! Look at you!” Vince teased, playfully nudging Todd. “Got a crush on the guy you share a room with! What brought that on?”
Todd shook his head. “I…I wish I knew…” he said. “H-He’s like my p-polar opposite. He’s loud, I’m q-quiet. He’s extroverted, I’m in-introverted. He likes b-being around people, I p-prefer being alone… I didn’t find him attractive earlier today, but as he kept going out of his way to help, I… just thinking about him…he m-makes my heart f-f-flutter…”
Todd stopped and shook his head. “No…who am I k-kidding? He’s…he’s out of my league. Probably straight too.”
Vince looked at Todd, then over at Sam, before looking back to Todd. “Yeah, he could be,” the red-head said. He paused for a second before saying “I’m gonna call him over here.”
Todd’s ears perked up. “H-Huh? W-Wait! Do-”
“Too late!” Vince responded in a teasing manner as he got up and walked over to the dance floor. Todd covered his face in embarrassment, hoping that Sam would say he was in the middle of talking to someone.
“Hey, Todd! Enjoying the party bro?”
Shit.
Todd uncovered his face and looked up to see Sam’s tall figure standing over him holding a drink, with Vince right behind him. He gave his roommate a nervous nod. “Y-Yeah, it’s…not so bad…”
Sam grinned and sat down next to him, making Todd’s face turn beet red. “Glad to hear you’re enjoying it! You know, I’m real happy you agreed to come along. I know this is definitely not something you’re used to, but parties like this really are a great way to meet people, like your new friend Vince!”
Todd looked up and Vince and the red-head gave him a wink. “I think I’m gonna run to the bathroom. I’ll see you two in a few!” Before Todd could protest, Vince walked off towards the bathroom, leaving him alone with Sam.
For a minute or two, neither of them said a word as they sat in silence and listened to the music.
“So…uh…did you find anyone to talk to?” Todd asked, trying to start a conversation (much to his own surprise).
“Hmm? Oh yeah, I talked with a few people,” Sam replied. “Mostly upperclassmen. Nice guys. Unfortunately, they’re all straight. The struggles of being gay, am I right?”
“Tell me about it,” Todd said before taking a sip of his water before the realization of what the other had said hit both men.
“Wait, you’re gay?!” both of them asked in unison, which caused them both to start laughing.
“Dude, my gaydar kept telling me that you were straight as an arrow!” Sam laughed, giving Todd a playful punch. “Guess I need to have that thing checked out!”
“I just tend to assume most people are straight,” Todd admitted with a slight grin. “You honestly hide it pretty damn well.”
“I kinda had to for most of my life!” Sam gave another laugh before his expression shifted to one of sadness.
The sudden shift in Sam’s mood caught Todd completely off-guard. Although he hadn’t known Sam for a little over a day, he’d only ever seen the happy-go-lucky side of him.
“Homophobic family?” Todd asked quietly, to which the blond-haired jock nodded his head.
“Severely,” he responded. He paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “I’d always been taught that being gay was wrong, namely because of my older brother. He came out to my parents when he was in his sophomore year of high school and I was in my sixth grade year of middle school. My parents, they…they didn’t take it well…They kicked him out and completely cut him off from the family. It was heartbreaking...I loved my brother more than anything, and to see him get kicked out just like that? It really fucks with you. So then imagine how scared I was when I realized in my freshman year of high school that I liked men. I couldn’t say anything to my parents, so I had to keep all my emotions bottled up for years on end. I just felt so…so…alone…That’s why…” Sam paused again to take another deep breath. “That’s why when we were told about how we’d be starting completely new lives, I was excited. Yeah, I was still a little bummed at first, but I was excited to finally be free of my parents and completely start over as a new me. The real me…”
Sam felt someone place a hand on his right hand, which he had placed on his knee. He turned his head to see Todd looking at him with a soft smile on his face. “You don’t have to be alone anymore,” he said, no trace of a stutter or nervousness in his voice. Sam used his free hand to wipe a tear out of his eyes before giving Todd a determined look and a nod.
“Thanks, Todd,” he said, getting up from the couch before turning around and offering his hand to the other man. “Come on, let’s get outta here.”
Todd nodded in agreement and took Sam’s hand.