Florida, USA
Part 6

It was about 2am when I woke for the umpteenth time, and it wasn't just 'cause I was in a strange room. I kept thinking that Joshua might come into my room, and I was wondering if he was expecting me to go to his. But we weren't lovers. We'd blown each other, sure. But he and Oth were an item, and I wasn't sure how far Joshua and I should go.

Occasionally, I heard noises, so I figured Joshua was probably wandering around the house 'cause he couldn't sleep. I was tempted to check him out and talk to him, but something was holding me back.

Finally, though, I became tired of all the tossing and turning, so I decided to get a breath of fresh air. There were sliding glass doors leading to the small balcony. I was naked, but it didn't matter. All the lights were off, and all the surrounding buildings were in darkness. I grabbed a small stool and sat there, gazing into the mindboggling immensity of the starlit night sky, wondering about space. Who was out there? Was anybody out there?

"Hi."

"Shit!"

"I'm Kevin, Josh's roommate. Didn't meant to scare you. You must be Daniel."

"Hi... sorry... I'll put my shorts on."

"Don't worry about it. Josh told me all about you," he laughed. "You wanna be alone?"

"No, not really. Couldn't sleep, that's all."

"Wanna beer?"

"We drank it. That is, I drank it. Joshua said he was gonna replace it."

"I brought some more home. Hang."

Well, I guessed it was a relief to have some company while my head was a mess with thoughts that wouldn't stop buzzing like flies around shit. Kevin returned to the balcony after a few moments, carrying a stool under one arm, and a Bud in each hand. He sat down, popped a can, and handed it to me.

"Cheers."

"Cheers."

"I guess we shouldn't be drinking beer at this hour."

"Lemme check the label. Nope. Doesn't say anything about when you should be drinking it. So how's it been so far?"

"Joshua? He's neat. Cool apartment."

"Yeah. Seen much of Orlando?"

"Not yet. Joshua says I've gotta wear clothes or he won't show me around."

"Yeah... he's fussy like that."

"He said you and Mike disappeared 'cause I was here."

"Nah. We just wanted to give you guys some time together. Josh has been raving about you for ages. He was really looking forward to meeting you. You going to Disney today?"

"Yeah."

"You worried?"

"Kinda."

"Hey, there's nothing to worry about. Gay Day is cool. But I wouldn't suggest you go like that... naked. Could cause a bit of a disturbance. You work out?"

"Some. Hey, listen, I'll go put my shorts on."

"No. I've got a better idea." Kevin stood, removed his clothes, tossed them through the sliding glass doors, then sat down again and took a sip of his beer. "Yeah, that feels better. So, you and Josh... I mean, like... you get along OK?"

"Yeah. He's totally cool. Kinda brainy, though."

"You mean like cerebral? Yeah, he can be like that. Gets off on trigonometry. Not an easy guy to figure. Likes playing mind games. We all get along, though. And he's a great cook."

"You been to Gay Day?"

"Nope. But I know it won't be a prob."

"How come?"

"'Cause Josh's gay, and he's not a prob. Actually, he's great. He fusses around like he was being paid to keep the place tidy. I think every share apartment should have at least one gay guy."

"You use him?"

"No. He does those kinda things 'cause he wants to. There's no pressure. Are you gay?"

"Dunno. Maybe. Does it matter?"

"Guess not. It's just that you don't look gay."

"So I look straight?"

"No. You just look... actually, do you mind if I say something?"

"Shoot."

"You look totally awesome. I'm not hitting on you or anything. I just needed to say it."

"Thanks."

"Well, it's true. You'd have to be blind not to notice how awesome you look."

"We -- Joshua and me -- were talking about that before... about being blind."

"I can understand why guys are attracted to you, Daniel. Sorry. I mean, Josh has told me some stuff about you... and I kinda gathered... forget it."

"You kinda gathered what?"

"Hey! Chill! No need to get mad at me. He just told me that you've gotta lotta friends, that's all. He didn't go into any detail. It's just that I gathered from what he told me that you're a pretty popular dude."

"You make me sound like a slut."

"That's your interpretation, not mine. I think I'll hit the sack. See you in the morning."

"Kevin?"

"What?"

"You haven't finished your beer."

"You want me to stay?"

"If it's OK with you."

"You wanna talk about something?"

"Why aren't you hitting on me?"

"Ha! And be rejected? No thanks. You would reject me. Right?"

"I wouldn't put it that way."

"Same thing. No is no." Kevin leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "I guess that proves you're not a slut. Huh?"

"So you're gay?"

"Let's just say I've got good taste. Anyway, why do you think you're a slut?"

"I'm not exactly a virgin, y'know."

"I'm not surprised," he laughed. "Specially if you get around like you are now."

"Why can't I be normal like other people?"

"Like who? Huh? Who's normal?"

"Joshua."

"He's normal? Ha! Do you have any idea what the world would be like if it was full of Joshuas?" Kevin cracked up for almost a whole minute before he regained his composure. "Jesus! The world's bad enough as it is!"

"He's not like me, though."

"Why should he be? I'm not like you either. What's eating you, Daniel?"

"I dunno. Sometimes I think I'm a rebel just for the sake of being a rebel. Y'know? A rebel without a cause? Like that James Dean dude?"

"So you want a cause?"

"Fucked if I know," I shrugged, then took a sip of beer. "Joshua's got a cause... that college website... the gay and lesbian one."

"I wouldn't call it a cause. It's an interest. Do you really think you're a rebel?"

"I do stuff my folks don't know about. I guess I wonder what they'd think if they knew."

"So you're rebelling against them?"

"No. Well, not exactly. I mean, if they don't know everything about me, how can they tell me to stop doing stuff?"

"Would you stop if they did tell you to stop?"

Hmmm. I had to think about that one for a while. "Guess not. So that makes me a rebel, right?"

"Yep, and probably the only one in the world," he grinned. "You're unique. The world's one and only rebel."

"Do you think Joshua's a rebel?"

"Sure he is, depending on your point of view. He's not the kinda guy who tries to please everybody. He does his own thing, and if you don't like it, you can stick it up your ass."

"How come he pokes his tongue out all the time?"

"He was a python in his last life. Actually, the python is still with him. Have you seen it?"

"Quick glance."

"Yeah, right. You're covered in hickeys, Daniel. Must've been a pretty wild session. Anyway, poking his tongue out is his way of letting you know that he couldn't give a rat's ass if you don't agree with him."

"Do you agree with him?" I asked as I checked the bite marks all over my chest and upper arms. Jeez!

"Not all the time. But that's cool. We agree to disagree."

"You like him, though."

"Yeah. We get along. You have to when you're sharing the same roof. Besides, the TV and VCR are his," he laughed.

"Are you a rebel?"

"Hey, we're all rebels, Daniel... at least in the eyes of those who don't agree with us. A rebel without a cause? I think the cause is our own integrity. How can we believe in ourselves if we're being manipulated by things we don't agree with? You know? You've gotta draw the line somewhere. And if you don't, you become a puppet. Is that what you wanna be?"

"Nope."

"Cool... so don't get your knickers in a knot about being a rebel... not that you're wearing any."

"Are there any on my neck? Hickeys?"

"You're whole neck is one big hickey, Daniel," Kevin cracked, and almost fell off his stool. "You're lucky you've got a tan... they're not so noticeable. Looks like he's been giving your earlobes a bit of a workout as well."

"Jeez! What are people gonna think at Disney?"

"They'll know you're a friend of Josh's."

"You don't have any... hickeys, I mean."

"Josh and I aren't an item... friends, but that's it. I've seen Oth, though... always looks like he's just made a last minute escape from a tribe of hungry cannibals."

"Well, I guess I'd better hit the hay. Got a big day ahead."

"You sleeping in Josh's room?"

"Nope... spare room."

"Probably just as well. You'll need time for the wounds to heal," he grinned. "'Night, Daniel."

"'Night, Kevin. Thanks again for the chat."

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