was the
perfect time to meet up with Lowell and find out what the hell had happened
with Dale, so he walked back to Harris. He could call Candace later.
Lowell met him on the first floor
and they started walking toward Crocker Avenue. “I called Dale, he said to come
on over. He’s living on Skelton in an apartment.”
“Why’s he living off campus?” Erick
asked.
“He had to find a place when he
moved in with that guy--” Lowell stopped and looked at Erick. “Did you know he
was dating that asshole?” Part question, part accusation.
Erick stared at him, and Lowell
said, “Oh, right. Yeah. I know Dale’s gay. He told me. It’s okay. Did you know
he was dating that guy in the spring?”
Dale was dating someone in the
spring? It explained why Dale was never around. Erick felt like he was treading
water just to keep up with all this new information. Dale had finally told
someone else. And Erick didn’t know why his initial reaction was, why did it
have to be Lowell?
“No, I didn’t know, so back up.
Dale was dating some guy?”
“Yeah, some grad student asswipe,” Lowell
said darkly. “He asked Dale to move in with him for the summer, but it didn’t
work out and they broke up, so Dale had to find a place. He’s living on Skelton
with this lesbian couple. They’re okay and stuff, but they might give you a
hard time. They thought I was Dale’s boyfriend. They like to tease me and call
me the “little straight boy,” stuff like that.” Lowell looked Erick over. “I
don’t know what they’ll make of you. Oh, and Betsy, she’s the one who looks
sorta hippie. She’s trying to set Dale up with one of her students, but I think
it’s a bad idea. So if she tries to get you in on this scheme of hers, better
stay out of it. She means well, but it’s like, how could one of her students be
“perfect” for Dale? She teaches English at the community college.”
Erick walked on in silence for a
moment, digesting all of this as best he could. Something he’d noticed about
Lowell before was how ninety-nine percent of the time he was a quiet man of few
words, and the other one percent he’d burst out babbling. There was something
crazy cute about it.
“What’s going on with you? What’d
you do all summer? How’s Kelly?” Erick again felt that empty pit in his
stomach, remembering how he’d lost touch with the people he cared about and
ignored football for most of the summer. He didn’t know how he could’ve become
that person.
“Oh, Kelly and I split up.” Lowell
said it matter-of-factly. He didn’t sound devastated.
“What happened? Why?”
Lowell laughed drily, shaking his
head. “I’m not even sure. I was sort of living with her last month while she
was doing this science camp counseling gig. It should’ve been sweet, y’know?
But instead of us getting closer, we drove each other crazy and got farther
apart. The last week before Harris opened, I was sleeping on the floor and she
had the bed.” They walked in silence for a few moments. “I don’t think I’m good
at relationships.”
Depends on the relationship ,
Erick thought.
“Or I’m not good at women,” Lowell
said gloomily, and Erick sighed, “Bro, who is?”
-----
Dale wanted to give Erick a big
hug, then beat the crap out of him for falling off the face of the earth all
summer. He settled for a hearty fist-bump and a “Cribmate. How the hell are ya?”
Erick grabbed him up in a quick hug
then said companionably, “Screw you. We’re not cribmates anymore. You abandoned
me, shithead.”
Lowell made himself at home on the
sofa with John the cat. “Where are Betsy and Jule? I’m dying to see what they’ll
think of Erick.” Dale narrowed his eyes at the back of Lowell’s head. Lowell
wanted to see if they’d think Erick was his boyfriend. Too fucking bad, he’d
already told them about Erick.
“They went out tonight. Thank God.”
He looked at Erick. “You have two older sisters. How the hell did
perfect time to meet up with Lowell and find out what the hell had happened
with Dale, so he walked back to Harris. He could call Candace later.
Lowell met him on the first floor
and they started walking toward Crocker Avenue. “I called Dale, he said to come
on over. He’s living on Skelton in an apartment.”
“Why’s he living off campus?” Erick
asked.
“He had to find a place when he
moved in with that guy--” Lowell stopped and looked at Erick. “Did you know he
was dating that asshole?” Part question, part accusation.
Erick stared at him, and Lowell
said, “Oh, right. Yeah. I know Dale’s gay. He told me. It’s okay. Did you know
he was dating that guy in the spring?”
Dale was dating someone in the
spring? It explained why Dale was never around. Erick felt like he was treading
water just to keep up with all this new information. Dale had finally told
someone else. And Erick didn’t know why his initial reaction was, why did it
have to be Lowell?
“No, I didn’t know, so back up.
Dale was dating some guy?”
“Yeah, some grad student asswipe,” Lowell
said darkly. “He asked Dale to move in with him for the summer, but it didn’t
work out and they broke up, so Dale had to find a place. He’s living on Skelton
with this lesbian couple. They’re okay and stuff, but they might give you a
hard time. They thought I was Dale’s boyfriend. They like to tease me and call
me the “little straight boy,” stuff like that.” Lowell looked Erick over. “I
don’t know what they’ll make of you. Oh, and Betsy, she’s the one who looks
sorta hippie. She’s trying to set Dale up with one of her students, but I think
it’s a bad idea. So if she tries to get you in on this scheme of hers, better
stay out of it. She means well, but it’s like, how could one of her students be
“perfect” for Dale? She teaches English at the community college.”
Erick walked on in silence for a
moment, digesting all of this as best he could. Something he’d noticed about
Lowell before was how ninety-nine percent of the time he was a quiet man of few
words, and the other one percent he’d burst out babbling. There was something
crazy cute about it.
“What’s going on with you? What’d
you do all summer? How’s Kelly?” Erick again felt that empty pit in his
stomach, remembering how he’d lost touch with the people he cared about and
ignored football for most of the summer. He didn’t know how he could’ve become
that person.
“Oh, Kelly and I split up.” Lowell
said it matter-of-factly. He didn’t sound devastated.
“What happened? Why?”
Lowell laughed drily, shaking his
head. “I’m not even sure. I was sort of living with her last month while she
was doing this science camp counseling gig. It should’ve been sweet, y’know?
But instead of us getting closer, we drove each other crazy and got farther
apart. The last week before Harris opened, I was sleeping on the floor and she
had the bed.” They walked in silence for a few moments. “I don’t think I’m good
at relationships.”
Depends on the relationship ,
Erick thought.
“Or I’m not good at women,” Lowell
said gloomily, and Erick sighed, “Bro, who is?”
-----
Dale wanted to give Erick a big
hug, then beat the crap out of him for falling off the face of the earth all
summer. He settled for a hearty fist-bump and a “Cribmate. How the hell are ya?”
Erick grabbed him up in a quick hug
then said companionably, “Screw you. We’re not cribmates anymore. You abandoned
me, shithead.”
Lowell made himself at home on the
sofa with John the cat. “Where are Betsy and Jule? I’m dying to see what they’ll
think of Erick.” Dale narrowed his eyes at the back of Lowell’s head. Lowell
wanted to see if they’d think Erick was his boyfriend. Too fucking bad, he’d
already told them about Erick.
“They went out tonight. Thank God.”
He looked at Erick. “You have two older sisters. How the hell did
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