This story is fiction. Any similarities with peoples living or dead are purely coincidence. Please navigate away from this story if it is against the law in our country to view this material. Moreover do not read if you are under the age of majority in your state, province or country. Please do not copy without permission.
Ok so if you haven't already noticed, when I fall, I fall hard. I mean Colby is definitely not hard to fall for but I've had this happen to me one too many times. The last time I fell for a straight guy, he and his friends found out. One day after school I was cornered. My hooded attackers beat me senseless. The next thing I knew I was lying in a hospital bed with a concussion, a broken radius in my left arm, a broken ulna in my right and a couple of fractured ribs.
The people I suspected of doing this were questioned about my attack but nothing else was done. There wasn't enough evidence. That was two years ago. I did my best to forget about it but now I was cautious not to forget because there's that saying. What was it again? Oh yes it's those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
I got home and laid in my bed and just sobbed. When it comes to love, I'm probably the most unlucky person there is. I fall for people who don't want me and I don't want the people who fall for me. Not saying that people fall for me often. Mostly girls. Maybe I should start acting feminine to get the girls to turn the other way.
All I can think about is Colby. Big surprise there eh. I told myself to forget about him. That he is just like those assholes in high school. That now that he knew I was gay, he'd hate me. As much as I tried to convince myself of this, it was useless. There was just something about Colby. He was different from those other jocks. I don't know exactly know what it was, he was just different. I cried myself into a fitful sleep with dreams filled with Colby beating away at me with Amanda standing off to the side laughing.
I awoke suddenly. My mind was disoriented and my eyes stung when I tried to open them. Then, the annoying ringing of my cell broke through. 'Colby' flashed on the screen. I hesitated before I answered it.
"Hello?" I answered nervously.
"Oliver! Oh thank god you answered! Why weren't you at the game?! I was worried sick that something happened to you! I've already called you ten times! If you hadn't answered this time I would've gone down there to look for you!" he said, obviously relieved I answered.
"Oliver? You there?"
"Yeah sorry. What time is it?"
"It's five. So why weren't you there? This doesn't have anything to do with Amanda does it? Cuz if it does, I don't care if you're gay." he asked sounding a little irritated. I wanted to cry right there, all that worrying for nothing.
"I'm sorry. It's just, I mean, when Amanda told me she told you I was gay, I sorta panicked, so I left. She told me you looked upset. I haven't had very good luck in situations with people like you. I didn't want to risk it."
"Did she tell you how I told her I didn't care? And what do you mean people like me?"
"I mean jocks."
"Oh. So you thought I'd be an asshole to you."
"Look I didn't mean to judge you like that but what the jocks did to me in high school was horrible. I knew you weren't like them but somehow Amanda made me believe you were. I guess I'm not as immune to her manipulations as I thought I was."
"I'm sorry, I should've called you last night when she told me about.you know. I want you to know that I don't care if you're gay or straight. You're probably the kindest person I've ever met and that's saying a lot. I've met a lot of nice people." he said laughing. "So we good?"
"Yeah, we're good." I was so relieved I wanted to cry again. "Oh, so how did the game go?"
"We won, but I pretty much didn't do one thing right."
"Ha ha ha. Why'd you screw up so much? I thought you were here on scholarship." I said laughing, the serious mood dispelled.
"Because when I looked up in the stands you weren't there. All I saw was Amanda and that did nothing." I could hear his pout through the phone.
"Oh." That made my heart swell! "Well I promise I'll be at your next game."
"Good."
After that huge mess Amanda made, the weeks just seemed to fly by. The classes were excruciatingly long, the professors only saw us as numbers and the labs were irritating. I know it sounds horrible but it really wasn't. That's because Colby was there for all of it with me. He and I were on the fast track to becoming best friends. Before we knew it we were in mid October. With mid October came the added stress of studying for mid-terms in a couple of weeks. Not only that but I was turning 18 on November 2nd.
October and mid-terms came and went. I invited Colby to one of my friend's Halloween party. Nothing interesting happened.
This year, my birthday fell on a Sunday. Sunday is not really a day to get sloshed and wild but this time was an exception. This year, on the first Monday of the month after mid-terms, the professors and instructors of all the post secondary schools in Manitoba meet for a conference at the University of Manitoba. So really, Sunday was like a Saturday which made it prime sloshing time.
I was never excited about being able to get into bars or clubs so I just planned to have a small get together at my house with a few of my high school friends and a few friends I met and Uni. And Colby of course. The day after the Halloween party Colby called me.
"Hey Oliver! What you up to?"
"Not too much, just shootin' the shit, watching TV. Having a cup of homo milk."
"Homo milk? They make special milk for gay people now?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused. I couldn't help but burst out into laughter. "What? That's what it is isn't it?"
"No. Ha ha ha. It's homogenized milk. I think you Americans call it whole milk."
"Ah.ha ha ha, I'm gonna call it that when I'm at home now. Anyways I was wondering if you had any plans tomorrow before your get together. I was thinking maybe I could take you out to dinner? And then we can head back to your place to party. What do you think?"
"Yeah! That sounds great! Um.what time?" geez I hope I didn't sound too excited.
"Well we have reservations for 6:30 so how about I come pick you up at around 6?"
"Yeah 6 is good. Where are we going?" I was definitely curious. It's not very often that a straight guy asks a gay guy out to dinner, just the two of them.
"Well that's a surprise." he said in an incredibly alluring voice. He be a good phone sex operator! "But dress semi-formally."
"Ok well that's a clue, I'm guessing it's a pretty upscale restaurant then?"
"I'm not gonna say anything."
"Fine. Oh what are you doing tonight?"
"Oh c'mon Oliver, you're the only friend I hang out with at school, other than my football buddies, but I don't like hanging out with them too often. Too rowdy. So to answer your question, hanging out with you?"
You bet! My extended family is coming over for dinner. We usually have a dinner like this on the day of my birthday but I made plans for a get together so we're doing it tonight. You get to meet my parents and my wonderful sister." Everyone was always at work when studied here.
"Cool. What time should I be there?"
"Well dinner is at seven so be here for, say, 6:30?"
"Great! Well I'll see you in a few hours then."
"Sounds good! See you then."
"Yeah see you then. Bye."
"Bye."
I got up after saying goodbye and went downstairs to help my mom and sister start dinner and tell her Colby was coming over for dinner.
"Hey mom, hey sis, you guys need help?"
"Of course!" she said as she kissed me on the cheek. "Why don't you start chopping the carrots, celery and onions and throw them into this pot when you're done."
"Sure. Oh mom I invited a friend over for dinner tonight. I hope that's ok."
"It's your birthday dinner honey, of course it's ok."
"Cool."
"Which friend is it Oli?" my sister Stefania asked. "Is it the one that you can't stop talking about?"
"As a matter of fact, yes."
"Oli, please be careful, I don't want to what happened to you in high school happen again."
"It's ok sis, no need to worry. He knows I'm gay." My whole family knows I'm gay. I can happily say that they took it better than I expected. I came out to them after the incident at school. My mom and sister were really accepting once they let it sink in. My dad took much longer. He really did his best to understand what being gay meant. Now he supports like he did before.
"Oooooohhh!" my sister and mom pretty much squeeled. "Does that mean he's your boyfriend?" my sis asked.
"Ha! I wish. No he's as straight as an arrow."
"I'm sure you'll be able to bend that straight arrow." my mom countered while my sister giggled.
"Mom!"
"I'm just saying." my mom said in her Filipino accent. I always liked to copy it when I was a kid. I still do sometimes!
"Please don't embarrass me guys, please? He's my friend and I don't want him to feel uncomfortable."
"Ok promise. Just be careful baby okay?" she said reaching up and holding my face in her hands. "I know you're a big boy now," she said before my sis interrupted by giggling. It's cuz I used to copy the kids in the huggies commecials when I two. I was an early talker. "just don't fall in love with him. It'll just lead to heartbreak and I don't like seeing my baby boy get hurt." Well too late for that. I'm pretty much crippled in love by Colby now.
"Okay okay, promise." I said. She smiled at me at went back to work.
"Don't worry about it bro, mom was the same way with me when I met Kevin."
"Where is Kevin by the way?" I asked.
"He went with dad to pick up your cake." they chose at that moment to return with the cake.
"Ooh ooh ooh! Can I see it? Can I see it? Can I see it?" I said while jumping up and down. I was such a kid when it came to my birthday.
"You've been doing this since you were able to walk and talk. And now that you're 18, well almost 18, the answer is still no." my dad said grabbing me into a hug. "You'll always be my little boy." I loved my parents. He did this every year to make me forget about wanting to see my cake.
"Happy birthday little bro!" my brother-in-law hugged me next. "I got you some Belvedere for your get together tomorrow. Your sister and I got you something else to but you'll have to wait till after dinner."
"Thanks Kevin."
Over the next hour the rest of my extended family arrived. I said hi to my aunts, uncles and cousins. Colby arrived at 6:30 on the dot.
"Hey Oliver, happy early birthday!" he said as he reached in to hug me. Well.that's a first. I never asked for any gifts for my birthday yet I always get some. If that hug was his present to me, then I would give up any gifts I got this year and any future gifts I'll ever get as long as I live. Oh god I felt like I was in heaven. We held each longer than a man hug should last. This time I knew I wasn't just fabricating it. I wasn't gonna let go until he did. We didn't separate until my sister coughed. We both let go and looked at her. She smiled.
"Oh Colby this is my sister Stefania, Stef this is my friend Colby."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Colby. My brother talks about you non-stop. If I didn't know better I'd think you were his boyfriend!" she said giggling. Oh my god, is she trying to kill me with embarrassment.
"Ha ha ha. Well I can tell you Oliver and I are really good friends and that I probably talk more about him to my brother than he does about me to you." he said as he looked at me and smiled. I must have blushed ten shades of red. His smile was so goddamn sexy!
"Well come in, let me take your coat. Oliver, why don't bring your friend around and introduce him." she said taking his coat. Damn. I was getting more and more flustered by the moment. He was wearing a cerulean blue polo shirt tucked into dark washed jeans. It all fit him perfectly. Even with clothes on, his hot body permeated through. And that damn cologne that was so fricking, amazingly sexy. Knowing that my family was there was the only thing that kept me from jumping him right then and there. "Damn he is gorgeous!" Stef whispered in my ear.
I quickly took Colbyhim by the hand, hoping he didn't hear her and introduced him to everyone. I must have been so flustered that I didn't notice I was still holding his hand until I was introducing him to me parents. "Mom, dad, this is my friend Colby, Colby this is my mom Isabel and my dad Martijn." My dad's name is pronounced Mar-tayn. My mom looked at our clasped hands. I followed her gaze and realised what she was looking at. I quickly dropped his hand and looked at him. He smiled at me again. Damn that smile!
"Nice to meet you Mr. De Koning, Mrs. De Koning."
"It's finally nice to meet you too Colby. I was beginning to think he was making you up. He used to do that as a child you know. I forgot what he named him. Oh and call me Sabelle."
"Yes it is nice to meet you Colby. Call me Martijn. And I think his imaginary friend's name was Mortimer."
"Oh yes that was his name." she laughed.
"Mom, dad! What is this? Embarrass Oliver night?"
"Oh c'mon, we're just reminiscing about our baby boy." my mom said as the three of them had a laugh at my expense. "C'mon boys," my mom said ushering us out of the kitchen "you go chat with Oliver's cousins, dinner will be ready soon."
Dinner with Colby and my family went well. I had a few of my cousins whispering to me asking if Colby was my boyfriend. I just shook my head and said 'I wish.' When we finished dinner we all went to the living room where everyone gave me there gifts. I really made a big fuss over people not getting me gifts when they asked what I wanted. I wonder why I even do make a fuss since they get me gifts anyways. I thanked everyone for them and gave each one of them a hug. I gave Colby a hug last.
"I did get you a gift but I'll give it to you tomorrow at dinner ok?" he whispered in my ear as he hugged. His soft cherry lips brushing against my earlobe. The simple act sent involuntary shivers down my back as he rubbed it. I could only nod back.
Everyone was gone by 10. It was only Colby and I left. My parents already gone to bed. "Well I really had fun tonight. Thanks for inviting me. I take it everyone knows about you. I mean I'm pretty sure everyone thought I was your boyfriend." I flushed with embarrassment.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that."
"It's fine. I guess I sorta feel lucky. The guy that ends up stealing your heart is going to be one luck fella. Even people thinking I'm your boyfriend makes me feel special. I can see that your family really loves you and just being your friend, I know that you're a great guy." he said, my eyes not leaving his gaze. "I really am lucky to have found you as a friend." we stared at each other for what seemed like minutes when in reality it as only a fraction of that time. "Anyways, I should get going."
"Yeah. Um.let me get your coat." I went to the closet and grabbed his coat. "Here you go."
"Thanks." I walked him to the door. "Thanks again for inviting me." he said as he reached in for a hug.
"Thanks for coming." I said as a inhaled his scent one more time before he left. I'd like to say that sparks were flying, but they weren't, but I still knew there was a connection. Sometimes you just know.
He gave me a final kiss on the cheek before whispering "I really hope you find that special someone." then he looked at me with an almost sad smile. I smiled a sad smile back. And then he left. God, he really doesn't know that it's him. That it's him that's special. That it's him that stole my heart.
Okay guys so this one is a tad bit longer. I'm trying to get used to writing longer chapter so bare with me. Please email me if you have any comments, concerns, or critiques especially. It'll help me catch mistakes and plus I love hearing what you guys think, be it good or bad. Anyways, till the next chapter!
Much love, Oliver