Bryce
I waited in the dorm for Ben to come back. I had to confirm it from him. Techno tried to reassure me earlier when he saw my face when I saw Ben at that table. What he said made me have a small bit of hope.
"Maybe he's an ally," Techno told me, "A lot of straight people have gay friends."
Even if Ben wasn't gay, I'll let him know not to bring those people to our room. The last thing I need is for them to be around me. Worst case scenario would be that Ben is gay and he will need to leave and live somewhere else.
I sat on my bed waiting for him, my mind thinking of all possible scenarios of what will happen when he comes home. Shame, if he is gay though. He was a pretty cool guy to hang out with.
I heard the key enter the lock on the door, Ben was finally here. The door opened and there he was, carrying his blue backpack and a paper bag in one hand and a 2-liter Dr Pepper in the other.
"Hey Bryce," he greeted me, "Did you just get in?"
I said nothing, mustering up the courage to talk to him and holding back my anger at the same time.
"Have you eaten?" He asked, "I got us some burgers." He made his way to his desk and was pulling stuff out of the bag.
I didn't know how to come about this and fidgeted nervously, but I had to know the answer. "Ben, there's something I need to ask you."
"Sure, what's up?"
I took a few deep breaths before asking the one question that changed our whole relationship, "Are you gay?"
Ben was still unpacking the paper bag before I asked the question. Once I asked it, Ben stopped moving. He sighed and turned around to look at me. His face looked like I had just told him a relative died.
Ben
Bryce caught me by surprise when he asked me that question. I never knew what response I would get when I came out to people. When I came out to my parents, I had heard horror stories about how gay kids like me would be disowned and thrown out on the streets like garbage. Luckily that wasn't the case.
But with Bryce, that was a totally different story. I turned around to look him in the eye when I answered him.
"Well?" He asked, obviously being impatient.
"I am." I answered him.
"Well I have to be honest, man," he replied, "I hate gays."
Hearing him say that hurt me. Don't get me wrong, I found Bryce to be quite cute but I would never make advances on someone unless I knew I had a chance for sure. Plus, Bryce and I had a good friendship building. A friendship now destroyed because of his prejudice.
As angry as I felt because of Bryce's statement, I kept my cool and just asked him, "And what do you want me to do about it?"
"Move out," he said, "We can't live together."
"Does my being gay bother you that much?" I asked, slightly annoyed with this asshole.
"Yes, it does," he answered back, "I can't stand being in the same room as you."
"Even though I am gay, I haven't done anything to you."
"Doesn't matter," he said, "I don't want to share a room with a filthy fag like you."
"Then you move out," I told him, "If me being gay bothers you that much, there's the door. Don't let it hit your bony ass on the way out. And besides, the only one here with a problem is you."
"Ben," he shouted at me, "I'll say it again, I hate gays from the depth of my soul. If I knew you were gay from the start, I wouldn't be here, rooming with a disgusting pervert like you."
"And again, this is YOUR problem, not mine. I'm not moving out and that's final. Even if I have to stay with a narrow-minded asshole like you."
"The fuck you are," Bryce replied, "You have to move out, right now!"
I took a deep breath and said calmly, "Look, I don't know what happened to you or who taught you to hate gay people, but even if I did move out, you can't continue in this society with that kind of backwards thinking. You can't judge people with that fucked up logic. Remember that." As I said that last sentence, I took a step forward towards him and that made him take a step back nervously.
Bryce pushed me back gently and was so wound up almost like he thought I would kiss him. "What are you doing? Get away, you're too close."
"Well as my people say, I'm here, I'm queer, get over it. 'Cause you're stuck with this gay guy for a whole year, buddy." I advance on him and he steps back so quickly that he falls flat on his ass on the bed.
I said my piece, and I walked out of the room, leaving my homophobic roommate alone on his bed, with his thoughts.
Bryce
Fucking asshole, Ben. Acting all high and mighty like he was Jesus or Budha. Fine, if that's how he wants to play, I'll play dirty.
First I went to the housing office to change dorms. Unfortunately, they were full and could not move me. The only way was for me to find someone that wanted to change dorms and we could swap spaces. I called Techno to help me find someone and again, I had no luck.
Next, thanks to Techno's idea, I decided to be the most unbearable roommate possible so Ben would get tired of me and leave. I trashed his side of the room, ate his snacks, and left his clothes scattered everywhere. However, that backfired terribly because whatever I did, he matched it even worse.
It got so bad, that I have been having recurring nightmares about him. They start off normal like I'm calling him names or yelling at him to move out but somehow they shift to Ben pinning me against the wall or down on the bed. I tell him that I hate him and say that he will do something to me down the line, and as if to confirm my suspicions, he tries to kiss me or he takes his pants off and then I wake up either screaming or falling off my bed.
"Judging by your face, your plan's not working, is it?" asked Techno as he returned from the register at the dining hall.
"No," I said, "No matter what I do, he won't move out. And that plan of yours didn't work out either."
"My plan?" Techno said, "No sir, that was your plan, I just provided suggestions."
We sat in silence as we picked at our lunch. Techno was the first to break the silence.
"Seriously, Bryce," Techno said, "Why are you putting so much effort in this? You told me before he was a cool guy and just because he dates guys and not girls, suddenly he's the devil incarnate? The guy's not a psychopath or anything and he minds his own business. If anyone is in the wrong here, it's you man."
"He's gay," I said, "That alone makes him wrong."
Techno let out a huge sigh, which meant that he was getting tired of hearing my side of this dilemma. "Yes, he's gay, but that shouldn't matter to you. He hasn't flirted with you or made a pass at you. Besides, nowadays people tend to believe the more homophobic you are, the more likely you're…"
"Don't even fucking say it, Noah." I said to him. Techno knew when I called him Noah, that I meant business.
"Ok, ok," he said, "But think it over. It might not be as bad as you think."
"Hey No," I called him, "Do you still talk to that frat guy on the team?"
"Yeah man, we drinking tonight? Where?"
"My room."
"Are you out of your fucking mind? We can't drink in the dorms. You have any idea what'll happen if you get caught?"
I just smiled and nodded. I can turn this around on Ben and have him kicked out of the dorm, out of school and out of my life.
Ben
After several weeks of this ongoing war with Bryce, I wanted nothing more than to go out drinking with some friends who were of age. My best friend, Lee, wanted to come over but with Bryce being the asshole he is, I didn't want to subject Lee to that.
The moment I reached my door I heard music and other voices in the dorm room. I opened the door and found Bryce with three of his friends, one of which was on my bed. More importantly, I saw that they had some bottles of alcohol.
"Oh, your roommate's home," said the skinny boy with tan skin who was laying on my bed, "Yo man, sorry we just showed up unannounced, but Bryce invited us over."
"Oh he won't mind," said Bryce, "Right, roomie?" I knew what this amateur was doing. He's trying to get me to say something about the alcohol so he could use this against me. But with his previous stunts, I was always one step ahead of him. His plan was to have his friends vouch for him and let me take the fall, but let's see who his friends favor. Me or him.
"Fine with me," I answered, "The more, the merrier." The moment I said this, Bryce realized I didn't fall for his trick. He and his hispanic friend sitting next to him started fidgeting nervously as if they had no backup plan. I set my backpack down next to my bed and ask, "Mind if I join this little party?"
"Well actually…" Bryce started to object but his friend lying on my bed interrupted him.
"Not at all, man," he said, "Yo Terry," he called to Bryce's other friend who was built like a bodybuilder. "Make Bryce's roommate a drink will ya?"
"Sure thing." said Terry.
"I'm Jack," said the friend on my bed, "I'm Bryce's friend from high school."
"I'm Terry."
"I'm Noah," said Bryce's Hispanic friend, "But people call me Techno."
I was curious about why they call him Techno, but before I could ask, Jack asked for my name. "I'm Ben. Nice to meet you all. By the way Jack, what are you doing on my bed?"
Jack jumped right off, "Oh shit, my bad bro." Jack gave Bryce a look that showed he was embarrassed. "You said that was your bed, fucker."
"Don't worry about it, man," I told Jack, "I don't get upset over small things." I look at Bryce when I say this to Jack, "I'm not petty like some people."
Bryce glared at me behind a false smile. Clearly, I had struck a nerve with him.
"Wow," said Jack, "You really are a good person like Bryce said."
Bryce then changed his expression to a deer in headlights as his plan was crashing down all around him.
"Bryce talks about me?" I asked.
"No," said Bryce.
"Dude, stop," said Jack, "You were saying how he's such a cool guy and all. What did he say, Terry?"
Terry recalled what Bryce had told them about me, "He said you were a nice guy, very chill and laid back. All in all, he said you were an awesome roommate."
Everything that Terry recalled made Bryce more uncomfortable. Just to rub it in his face I lean over to him and say, "Wow, I didn't know you thought that highly of me."
"I'll be right back," Bryce couldn't take it anymore, he realized his plan backfired again and now he went to throw a tantrum without his friends seeing. "I'm going to buy stuff to munch on while we're here." he said as he left the room.
"I'll go see if he needs help." I said as I followed him.
Bryce
Damn it, damn it, damn it. How does this fucker stay ahead of me every fucking time? I should go call security to get him kicked out with all that booze in the dorm.
"Calling security isn't going to work, you know?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." I said to Ben.
"Come on, Bryce," he answered, "Kindergartners pull better stuff than you. Besides, everyone in our room right now are your friends. Anyone can figure that out if they did a tiny bit of digging."
"You came out to tell me that?"
"No," Ben answered, "Only that, you're not getting rid of me that easily. I already told you, I'm not moving out. And whatever childish nonsense you got cooking in that head of yours, remember I can dish it out far worse than you can imagine."
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. He had proven that to me many times. Not knowing what else I could throw to get him out of my life I just muttered, "Maybe I should let my friends know that you're gay."
"Go ahead," he snapped back, "I'm not ashamed of who I am. Are you?"
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Well, it's been proven that people who are homophobic, are secretly fighting their own sexuality. You being this bothered by gay people must mean you're probably one yourself."
The fucking nerve of this asshole! "I'm not fucking gay like you!" I threw a punch at him, but he caught my wrist. I used my other arm to punch him but he caught that as well. Before I could react, he pinned me against a tree and I was reminded of my nightmare.
"Oh, but don't you homophobes believe if you live with gay people long enough, you'll catch it? Let's see how long it takes for you." After he said that, he planted a kiss on my lips.
I pushed him off me and said, "You fucking asshole! Do that to me again and I'll fucking kill you!"
"You'll do what now, son?" said a security officer passing by.
"It's ok, officer," Ben said to him, "We're just having an argument, nothing more."
"That's fine," the officer said to Ben, then he turned to me, "But if I were you, I'd calm the hell down and choose your words more carefully. Understood?"
"Yessir." was all I could say. After that I went to get snacks and made Ben help me.
Realizing this plan didn't work, I just decided to enjoy the night even if Ben was there. We drank, Ben even invited us all to play games. As much as I hate him now, I kinda miss those days when I didn't know about him. Maybe Techno was right and I'm in the wrong, or maybe it's the alcohol making me feel bad. Either way, I needed to lie down and didn't care where.
Ben
Terry and Jack left for the night and I dare say, my plan to win them over was a success. I gave them my number and gamer ID's so we can play again. The only one left was Techno.
Techno was trying to wake Bryce up, who had fallen asleep on my bed.
"Hey man," he called to Bryce who didn't budge. "You know whose bed you're in?"
"What has he told you?" I asked Techno.
"I-uh," Techno responded nervously, "I don't know what you mean."
"About me being gay." I clarified for him.
"Well, yeah he told me just a little. But he's hated gay people for as long as I've known him. I don't know why and he never talks about it. That's why I haven't told him that I'm bi." He made a cute smile when he said that.
"Why be friends with him if he hates people like us?"
"Look Ben," Techno said, "Bryce may have his faults and this prejudice, but he really is a nice guy, and I apologize on his behalf. But if I may ask, why do you stay here with him?"
"Because I haven't done anything wrong," I answered, "I don't know why he's prejudiced but if I leave, that means he's right about me and I'm wrong for being gay. I don't believe I'm wrong. Besides, you have to go before curfew sets in."
"Shit," Techno jumps as he realizes the time, "It's almost midnight. Let me get Bryce off your bed."
"Nah, leave him. Besides, I want to teach him a lesson."
"Ben!," Techno gasped, "I didn't think you were that type."
"Relax, I don't have sex with drunk people."
"You're not going to do anything to him?"
I shook my head to assure him that I would not rape his best friend.
"Ok then, I'm off, but whatever you do, go easy on him please? We have class and hickeys are hard to cover up."
After Techno left, I locked the door and went to my bed. I proceeded to go through with my lesson and leave hickeys on him as a joke but the moment my lips made contact with his skin, Bryce started to moan and instinctively wrapped his arms around me.
"Don't stop," he moaned, "Keep going."
I looked at him, he was still asleep as far as I could tell, so I had to prove if he was. I planted a kiss on his lips, if he was awake or conscious he would violently push me away. Only he didn't. He kept asking me to continue, so I respectfully obliged while keeping my word to Techno.