The Cute Canadian Boy - RE-WRITTEN

Chapter 4

Mitch and I continued to play games and record together whenever we could during the weeks before I had to go back to college and start taking classes again. And more and more frequently I found myself staring a second longer than I did the last time, feeling myself not being able to stop smiling whenever he did, and just being confused by all of it. I didn't know whether or not to bring this up to him when we had more deep conversations. Every time I thought about bringing it up, something physically stopped me from saying the words. After it happened a few times, I just decided to keep my thoughts to myself.

One night was particularly unbearable, but I somehow managed to keep everything under wraps. Since it was a few days before my first day of classes started, a lot of the people from out of state, and out of the country started moving back onto campus. The feeling of summer break slipping away too quickly required some particular solace; a party. This wasn't the first party I had gone to, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

I brought it up to Mitch when I first heard about it. Even though he wasn't interested in going to college, he was free to tag along with me if he wanted. He was sitting on the end of his bed, and I was swaying back and forth in his computer chair. He thought about it for a few seconds and said, "Sure, I haven't really been to a lot of parties, but this sounds fun!" I couldn't describe the feeling in my chest when I heard his words, but it was something that was new...and actually really nice. I wanted to feel like that more. "That's great dude, I'm glad you're coming with me! It's gonna be tomorrow night around 10:00, but no one ever shows up on time so we can really go any time after that." I said. He nodded his head, and we talked about when we'd meet up, what to do if we got split up, etc.

We met up the next night and walked to the house where the party was being hosted. We were greeted by John, a sophomore who actually never drank or smoked, but liked hosting parties so he could make sure people were being safe. This involved driving people home if they didn't have any sober friends to do it, walking them back to their houses if they were close enough, or letting them stay the night. "Hey! Jerome! How are you doing tonight?" He clapped me on the shoulder and gestured to Mitch. "And you brought a friend!" He exclaimed. I smiled and told him I was doing well. "This is Mitch, he's not taking any classes this semester, but he's my friend and neighbor!" I added, and John shook his hand enthusiastically. "Well it's great to meet you Mitch! Since you haven't been here before, let me give you the low down." He said, motioning for us to follow him.

As we walked around, John pointed out the bathroom, the kitchen, where the garbage cans were, and the place to put down bags and coats. "Oh, and this is Lulu!" He said, kneeling on the floor and opening his arms to an excited Bulldog who greeted him with a few licks on his face. "She's very sweet, just be careful if you kneel down, she can knock you flat on your ass when she's excited!" Mitch and I laughed and said thanks for the heads up.

A few seconds after, a voice called out, "John? Where are you?" John stood up and spotted the direction where it came from and raised his hand in the air. "Over here babe!" He said. A few seconds later, a short boy with curly hair came over and wrapped an arm around John's waist. "What's up?" he asked, giving the boy a kiss on the side of his head. "I need you to help me get the extra plates, I can't reach them." He responded. John nodded his head and turned to Mitch and I. "Jerome, Mitch, this is my boyfriend Zack, who I now have to go get plates for. Yell if you need me! Literally. It gets pretty loud in here." We quickly exchanged hello's before the two of them left. "Wow, he's so friendly and upbeat." Mitch said pleasantly surprised. "Oh yeah, John's a really cool guy. You should see some of the stuff he draws, he's amazing!" I replied, thinking of some of the art John has shown me on his computer. Mitch told me that if we saw him again later I had to remind him to ask about it. I said that sounded like a plan, and that we should get food and talk to some other people I knew too.