The Homosexuals

(Day 133: Saturday Night)

"There he is," Chad calls out after Brent opens the door and Ben walks in. "I was starting to think you weren't going to come."

"Still not a hundred percent," Ben frowns. "Maybe you could speak a little slower?"

"Sure," he agrees before motioning him over. "Come on. Take a seat."

Ben steps toward the round table, looking over the three guys, and then he watches as the buff blond sits back down. "I can't actually… like, make bets or anything."

"Why not?" William questions.

Ben looks toward the slender blond, but before he can speak Hayden points out, "He used to have meat piled onto his tray, but now he doesn't even eat it." Ben's mouth slightly gapes at the apparent obviousness of both his meat eating and discontinuance of it. "Maybe he's converting to Islam."

"I thought that was just pork," Brent comments.

"But isn't pepperoni pork?" Chad rebuttals. "Aziz eats that."

"Well, yeah," William smiles, "but he's not supposed to."

"Okay. Look," Ben interrupts, and they face him. "I'm not turning to anything. My mother just thinks a king shouldn't break the law."

"It's just making bets," Chad comments. "Everyone does it. Even just something like seeing which student is better at something and giving them a sucker as a reward would be gambling. It's not that big of a deal."

"My mother thinks it is," Ben continues to frown.

"And do you do everything your mom tells you to?" William counters.

"A lot of the time, yes," he sternly remarks, before he watches Chad get up from his seat and walk over to him. He feels Chad lift the hair from near his ear, and he narrows his eyes as feels the fingers move to the back of his neck. "Chad. What are you doing?"

"Looking for a number," Chad smiles, before he pulls the back of the t-shirt down. "I want to make sure you're the Ben I ordered."

"Oh, fuck off," Ben irritably swats his hand away, and when he turns toward him Chad can't help but laugh. "You think this is funny?"

Chad tries to keep his smile small as he looks over him, "You should see your face right now."

"Okay." Ben glances down, "I showed my face." before he tilts his head at him. "And now I'm going."

When Ben turns back to the door Chad steps in front of him and places a hand on his shoulder, "Come on. Stay."

"Chad," Ben sighs. "I really don't feel like it."

"Please," he slowly retorts.

Ben smiles, "That's not going to work."

"What?"

"You know what," he counters. "You think you can just smile and get anyone to do anything, but you are wrong." He takes a step back, and Chad's hand falls back to his side. "I'm going now."

When Ben walks past him Chad twists around, "Catch you later." and when he goes back to take his seat he frowns, finding the others looking at him. "What?"

"You were like all over him," Brent points out.

"You mean that number thing?" Chad furrow his brows. "I was just teasing him."

"And how about how you had your hand on his shoulder for an entire minute," Hayden puts forth.

Chad gives him a look, "You're not helping."

"Go on," he nearly smiles. "Tell them about that man-crush of yours."

Chad's mouth gapes as his eyes narrow, "Are you clinically diagnosed?"

"Sociopaths only get diagnosed if they break the law," Hayden quickly informs before pointing towards the others. "Go on. Tell them."

When Chad turns to them William questions, "You like Ben?" and when Chad fails to speak he hums. "That explains the moisturizer."

"Well," Brent leans back, "I'm on the other side of the locker room, so I don't have anything to worry about."

Chad gives William a look, "When I'm a hundred, I want to look like I'm still forty. Sorry if you don't." before he turns to Brent and shakes his head. "And you. Just because I just might like Ben, that doesn't mean I like every guy. Get over yourself."

"What about Audrey?" William inquires. "Do you even like her?"

"I do," Chad slowly states.

"But?" he prompts.

Chad meets his blue eyes, "I think I might like Ben more." before he shakes his head with a frown. "Not that it matters. He has a girlfriend, so… yeah."

"So, if you could be with Ben," Brent questions, "then you wouldn't be with Audrey?"

He meets his light brown eyes, "You're completely forgetting I'm the only heir to my kingdom's throne."

"So, let's make it easier," Hayden proclaims, and Chad looks back at him. "If you had to choose between your girlfriend Audrey setting aside her views on oral sex permanently or your good friend Ben to have a one-night stand with you, which would you pick?"

"Wait." Chad lifts a hand, "So, it would be between my girlfriend offering blowjobs before marriage as many times as I wish or one time with Ben doing more?"

"You're afraid to say sex," he notices.

"Well. It's weird," Chad excuses. "I mean, if it only happens once, then what? The next time we hang out we just toss around a ball or play videogames, like it never even happened?"

"That's what a one-night stand is," Brent voices.

It takes Chad a moment, "I don't know what I would pick, but for the sake of not making everything completely fucking weird… Yeah. Audrey."

"But you've fantasized about having sex with Ben before, haven't you?"

Chad gives Hayden a look, "Why can't you be like normal adrenaline junkies and just ride some frickin' motorcycle?"

"Because I'm not an adrenaline junkie and I don't see the fun in riding some metal machine," he immediately answers.

Chad sighs, "Okay." before he turns to the others. "It's something I try not to think about, but, you know, when you try not to think about something…"

"It's a fine line between not thinking about something and thinking about it," his roommate inputs.

"I probably don't want to know," William begins, "but how often do you think about the more… the sex?"

"Not as often as just kissing and things," Chad mulls it over, "but there is this one thing that I imagine a lot." He shifts in his seat, "So, it's lunch time and Ben and me are in the bathroom stall just doing it, and he's just receiving the best pleasure ever, right? He's breathing hard, says my name, and then the door is heard so I cover his mouth so that he won't give us away. And then, when the door is heard again I let go, we finish up, and when we exit the stall there's two people there." Chad smiles, "Now, I make some excuse about how he was just checking out a freckle, at which point he has to give me the most amazing irritable look and complain about how he's tried telling me pre-med is like the only classes he's not taking."

"Thanks for leaving out the details," William sarcastically responds.

Chad makes a face, "That was without the details."

"So, in your fantasy," Brent realizes, "you get caught."

He shrugs, "I guess."

"And in the bathroom too," William catches on. "You couldn't do it here?" He glances over at the beds, "Not that I would want you to, but it would be less risky."

"No. Look." Chad explains, "I have no idea how I convinced Ben into the bathroom with me, but it's better to go somewhere close. If I'd have had us go all the way to the dorms, then he could have chickened out."

"So, that's how you get laid," Hayden smirks. "You get the job done before the other person can change their mind."

"Wait," Brent interrupts. "You've had sex?"

"I have never had sex with a girl," Chad swiftly answers, before he quickly continues, "And this whole thing with Ben doesn't even matter. He's king and it's illegal, so that fantasy is just going to have to stay that: a fantasy."

"Of course you've never had sex with a girl," Hayden buds in. "It was a guy."

Chad narrows his eyes at him, "Are you looking to get hit?"

"Sure." He smiles, "You can add battery to your sexual misconduct."

Chad sighs before frowning back at the others, "You guys don't care, do you? I mean we're already doing something illegal here." before he lifts the poker chips and listens to the clink as he lets them fall one by one.

"If you're talking about the punch," William carefully answers, "then I'd rather you didn't, but as far as your sexuality is concerned… really none of my concern."

When Chad looks at Brent his unsureness is apparent in his expression, "Aren't homosexuals sexually repressed? I mean, there's only so few of them."

He notices his eyes shift away, "What's your question?"

"Well, I mean," he hesitates, "you hear about all of those stories where the homosexuals lose control of themselves."

"First off," Chad sternly interrupts, "I'm pretty sure at least half of those would just be people turning on their partners, because they don't want to get charged too." He pauses, "And secondly, I am attracted to girls… not that girls are that open to sex either. It's either they're from a religious family who taught them abstinence or they have a science interest that's caused them to be overly careful, but based on your logic it shouldn't be an issue."

Brent nods, "Okay." before he offers a curious expression. "Who was that other homosexual you were talking about?"

"The other homosexual?" Chad unsurely repeats.

"The guy you had sex with," he elaborates.

Chad sighs, "Look. I'm not looking to get anyone in trouble."

"I won't tell," Brent reassures, before Chad looks over at William and he nods in agreement.

"Okay," Chad takes a breath. "Carlos De Ville."

"That skinny defender?" William disbelieves. Chad merely nods. "You think you know a guy." He turns to Brent, "I thought he was one of those people who get married to their work."

"Yeah," Brent agrees. "He doesn't seem like the sex type. He's too shy for that."

"More like quiet," Chad disagrees, "but yeah." He gives Brent a look, "I guess the homosexuals aren't as low in population as you thought."

Brent takes a moment, "Did I offend you or something?"

"It's gay," Chad remarks, "not homosexual. And it's not the gays either." He shakes his head, "What if someone called straight people the breeders?"

He shrugs, "I'm proud to be a breeder. It means my genes will survive me. I get to live forever in a way."

Chad furrows his eyebrows, "You sound like one of those guys who does anal with a girl and then slips it in the other hole to purposely spread their seed."

"I'm not," Brent plainly states, and after a brief silence he lets out a breath, "Look. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Don't worry." Chad sarcastically counters, "I'm bi. You only insulted half of my sexuality." before he widens his eyes at him. "You do know what bi is, right?"

"I thought that was just girls," he comments, "like romantic interaction."

"It wouldn't be called bisexuality if it didn't involve sexual activity," Chad points out. "As far as emotional attachment goes… I have an easier time connecting with guys, I think, but that's probably just because I am a guy and can relate better." Neither of them speak, and he shakes his head, "Aren't we supposed to be playing?"

"Yes," William says as he picks up his cards and moves on. "Where were we?"