already was suffering with a bruised groin because someone on the team thought he was gay.
Kyle returned and began to devour his burger hungrily.
“Mom came through. Five hundred in the bank,” Connor said.
“Wow!” Kyle replied with his mouth full.
“You call yours?”
Kyle sucked down his cola and nodded. “Yup. She promised more cash by Wednesday.”
“Cool. Well, we’re all set. Can you think of anything else we need, while we’re cash rich?”
Kyle sat back in his chair as he chewed. “A TV?”
Connor crinkled his nose. “I hate those things. Besides we need to study.”
“Music?”
“Bingo! Need tunes.”
“After class meet me and we’ll pick up some speakers for my IPOD.”
“What kind of music do you like?”
“I don’t know. A little bit of everything.” Kyle finished his burger.
Connor looked at him in astonishment at how quickly the food was consumed.
Kyle guzzled his cola and said, “Hey, maybe you can give me your class schedule, you know, in case I need to find you for something.”
Without hesitation, Connor dug through his folder again and handed it to Kyle. “Can you copy it? I still need it a little.”
Kyle wiped his hands on a napkin and took it. “I’ll just jot it down.” He started scribbling in his pad quickly.
When Kyle was through writing Connor cleared his throat. “Can I…can I have yours too?” Connor felt his cheeks go red.
Kyle grinned. As if he had anticipated the request, he handed Connor a copy. “It’s yours. I made an extra.”
“Oh! Great.” Connor compared it to his own. “They overlap nicely. Hell, you’re in two of my classes.”
Kyle read over the pages side by side. “I think that’s because we have the same practice schedule.” Once he folded up the paperwork, Kyle polished off his french fries.
“I was thinking of taking a fencing class.”
“Fencing?” Kyle tried not to laugh at him. “I took it once in high school. What a dorky sport.”
“I took it in high school too. Dorky? It’s refined. You really are a dipshit.”
“A late dipshit.” Kyle checked his watch and dug for cash.
“Shit!” Connor shoved his books into his backpack.
As they threw money on the table, Hannah came rushing over. “So? When can we get together?”
“Gotta run. We’re late!” Connor pecked her cheek.
“Call!” she shouted as they hustled out.
Connor tried not to break into a sweat as they jogged back to the campus. “See ya at practice!” Connor waved and caught Kyle’s wave back.
Finally making it to his building, Connor slowed down. He found the right classroom and sat in his seat, catching his breath. When he had the chance he flipped open his notebook and read Kyle’s schedule. He took out his own and tried to see where he could find Kyle between classes. He smiled to himself. Kyle was certainly giving him the impression he was committed to their friendship. A warm sensation spread across his chest at the thought. Shaken from his fantasy, Connor looked up when the instructor came into class and called them all to get out their work.
After class was done for the day, Connor opened his locker and laid out his lacrosse uniform and pads. Deep in thought, checking to see if he was still bruised from the illegal hit he got, Connor slid off his shorts and found his jock strap and cup. After adjusting it, he tugged his uniform bottoms up to cover it.
One of his teammates, Kevin Brown, came up and elbowed him softly. “Don’t look behind you, but Mulhouse is getting off on your ass.”
Connor caught Kevin’s sneer of disgust. After battling his gut reaction to punch Kevin in his homophobic face, he said, “You have got to be kidding,” dreading getting the permanent label of fag while on the playfield. It had already cost him a sore groin, and he didn’t need the aggravation. Or worse, word getting back to his father.
While Connor kept his eye on Kevin, he could almost feel Donald Mulhouse’s gaze on him and
Kyle returned and began to devour his burger hungrily.
“Mom came through. Five hundred in the bank,” Connor said.
“Wow!” Kyle replied with his mouth full.
“You call yours?”
Kyle sucked down his cola and nodded. “Yup. She promised more cash by Wednesday.”
“Cool. Well, we’re all set. Can you think of anything else we need, while we’re cash rich?”
Kyle sat back in his chair as he chewed. “A TV?”
Connor crinkled his nose. “I hate those things. Besides we need to study.”
“Music?”
“Bingo! Need tunes.”
“After class meet me and we’ll pick up some speakers for my IPOD.”
“What kind of music do you like?”
“I don’t know. A little bit of everything.” Kyle finished his burger.
Connor looked at him in astonishment at how quickly the food was consumed.
Kyle guzzled his cola and said, “Hey, maybe you can give me your class schedule, you know, in case I need to find you for something.”
Without hesitation, Connor dug through his folder again and handed it to Kyle. “Can you copy it? I still need it a little.”
Kyle wiped his hands on a napkin and took it. “I’ll just jot it down.” He started scribbling in his pad quickly.
When Kyle was through writing Connor cleared his throat. “Can I…can I have yours too?” Connor felt his cheeks go red.
Kyle grinned. As if he had anticipated the request, he handed Connor a copy. “It’s yours. I made an extra.”
“Oh! Great.” Connor compared it to his own. “They overlap nicely. Hell, you’re in two of my classes.”
Kyle read over the pages side by side. “I think that’s because we have the same practice schedule.” Once he folded up the paperwork, Kyle polished off his french fries.
“I was thinking of taking a fencing class.”
“Fencing?” Kyle tried not to laugh at him. “I took it once in high school. What a dorky sport.”
“I took it in high school too. Dorky? It’s refined. You really are a dipshit.”
“A late dipshit.” Kyle checked his watch and dug for cash.
“Shit!” Connor shoved his books into his backpack.
As they threw money on the table, Hannah came rushing over. “So? When can we get together?”
“Gotta run. We’re late!” Connor pecked her cheek.
“Call!” she shouted as they hustled out.
Connor tried not to break into a sweat as they jogged back to the campus. “See ya at practice!” Connor waved and caught Kyle’s wave back.
Finally making it to his building, Connor slowed down. He found the right classroom and sat in his seat, catching his breath. When he had the chance he flipped open his notebook and read Kyle’s schedule. He took out his own and tried to see where he could find Kyle between classes. He smiled to himself. Kyle was certainly giving him the impression he was committed to their friendship. A warm sensation spread across his chest at the thought. Shaken from his fantasy, Connor looked up when the instructor came into class and called them all to get out their work.
After class was done for the day, Connor opened his locker and laid out his lacrosse uniform and pads. Deep in thought, checking to see if he was still bruised from the illegal hit he got, Connor slid off his shorts and found his jock strap and cup. After adjusting it, he tugged his uniform bottoms up to cover it.
One of his teammates, Kevin Brown, came up and elbowed him softly. “Don’t look behind you, but Mulhouse is getting off on your ass.”
Connor caught Kevin’s sneer of disgust. After battling his gut reaction to punch Kevin in his homophobic face, he said, “You have got to be kidding,” dreading getting the permanent label of fag while on the playfield. It had already cost him a sore groin, and he didn’t need the aggravation. Or worse, word getting back to his father.
While Connor kept his eye on Kevin, he could almost feel Donald Mulhouse’s gaze on him and
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