Preston

Preston 1

Preston

By: Richey

Chapter One

For as long as I could remember, I had always been somewhat shy and very reserved. Most of it had to do with my strict religious upbringing that my mother and father had shoved down my throat all of my life.

Before I go any farther about anything let me give you a brief introduction about myself. My name is Joseph Phillip Preston Roberts III. Yes, I was named after my dad and he was named after his. Sounds like a rich person name I have been told on numerous occasions. If you call our house and ask for Joseph and want to speak to me ask again. I go by Preston. I like it much better and I think it goes with the way I look much better.

I am eighteen years old fresh out of high school. I stand about five foot eleven. I really wish I could have made the other inch. Six foot sounds so much better that five eleven. I have short strawberry blond hair that is usually spiked up. I have been told on numerous occasions that I have some of the most stunning green eyes.

My mother went to college and majored in special education. If you ask me it was a waste of time and money. I think she did it just so she could say that she went to college and earned a degree. She never once taught at school. She substituted a couple of times and I always hated when she did because all of the guys at school thought she was hot and I suffered never ending teasing because of it. It was all in fun of course.

Mom is very pretty. She is the same height as me which is really tall for a woman if you ask me. She is very petit with auburn hair that comes to her shoulders. She has the same color eyes as me.

I have an older sister whose hair I believe is originally blond. She has been through so many different hair colors that I am not sure what her original color is. At the present moment she is sporting a nice dark brown color. She is in her junior year at college and is majoring in creative writing with a minor in journalism. She says that she wants to write and produce her own soap opera some day.

Now my dad... He is the reason why my family is the way they are. My sister rebelled when she was my age because they were so strict on her and I was scared of disappointing my parents so I always did whatever they said no questions asked.

My dad earned a pretty decent living for us. It was decent enough that my mom could only work as a substitute teacher and they still were able to by my sister a nice used Toyota Camry and me a Corolla. What does my dad do you ask?

Turn to the church station at six in the morning every morning and Sundays at noon and you will see him. My dad is a televangelist and very successful one at that.

So now you see why I am so quiet and reserved and scared of what to say sometimes. Try growing up in this house where you have my sister the rebellious one and then my parents have such high expectations of me that I am always scared of letting them down.

I will never forget the disappointment in my dad's eyes when I told him that I didn't want to go to Bible College and major in theological studies, but go to the university and major in nursing. I wanted to do something to help people.

I had just pulled up to the student parking lot of my new home for the next four years. I sat there just taking in my new surroundings. I was in my own little world when I was suddenly brought back to the real world by someone tapping on the driver's side window of my car.

I looked out the window and saw my sister standing there looking down at me. She had a big smile on her face.

I rolled the window down so that I could talk to her.

"What do ya want?" I asked her.

"Well the parents called me and told me that you should be here anytime now so I been sitting over there," she motioned with her head toward a bench," on that bench waiting for you to get your butt here.

"Well, I'm here." I replied.

"Which building are you in?" She asked me.

"Jackson, room 3X."

"I know where that's at. I will show you. It's on the third floor one of the last rooms down the hallway."

She just stood there in front of my door, making it impossible for me to open it.

I grinned at my sister. "I thought you were going to show me not stand there and tell me where it was. You forget that I am your doufus little brother that gets lost in Wal-Mart of all places."

She smiled at me. "Well it's a pretty big place. Now how about you get out of your car and I help you get your stuff up to your new room."

"Ok."

I popped the trunk with the button inside of my car and got out. I walked to the trunk of my car where Madison was already waiting for me.

She reached into the trunk of the car and pulled out a suitcase and sat it down on the ground. She looked at me.

"Preston, you look awful. You are all sweating and shaking." Madison observed.

"I am just really nervous. I have never been away from home this long before. It's a new place new people. Well everyone except for you and Kelsey of course."

"Well little bro, you have nothing to worry about. You are hot. You will have all the girls," she paused and winked at me," or guys chasing after you and will have to beat them off with a stick.

"Haha very funny." I picked up my suitcase that she had sat down. "I still don't see how you can be a product of mom and dad. You are one of the most liberal people that I know."

"What can I say? The bible says love your neighbor. Not love your neighbor and tell them they are going to hell for things you think are bad. Remember what Matthew 7:1 says?" She asked.

This was one of her most favorite sayings. She always said it to my parents when they did something that she didn't like.

"Judge not and ye shall not be judged." I told her.

"Exactly little bro. I love the world." She picked up my other suitcase that I had packed.

"Close the trunk I don't want anyone stealing my computer. It really sucks that mom and dad wouldn't let me bring my television. I just don't understand them sometimes."

"I lived with them for eighteen years and still don't understand them. Don't feel bad. Now let us get you to your room and get you unpacked and see what kind of roommate you are stuck with the next year."

After walking up three flights of stairs lugging my heavy suitcases, we were finally in front of my door.

"I guess this is it?" I asked as I stood in front of a door with 3X on it.

Madison laughed. "Way to state the obvious there Preston."

I reached into my pocket and took out a key. I barely got the key in the door before someone opened it on the other side.

There stood a guy a couple inches taller than myself, much more slender than myself with the most stunning blue eyes.

He looked at my sister and then to me. "Let me." He grabbed my suitcase from my sister and brought it into my room and sat it on an empty bed across the room. He looked at me. "I am Gregory Monroe, call me Greg though. Guess we will be roommates for the next year."

"Guess so." I held out my hand. "I'm Joseph Phillip Preston Roberts the third. Call me Preston though."

We shook hands. He had a nice firm handshake and it almost seemed as if he didn't want to let go of my hand.

"You rich or something?" Greg asked. "Sounds like a preppy little rich boy."

I could feel my face immediately turn red. That is one thing I hated about my name. It did in fact sound like that of a boy with a rich father. I get embarrassed every time someone asks me that.

"No." I shook my head. "I was named after my father who was named after his who insist that when I have my first son I name him Joseph Phillip Preston Roberts the fourth. I don't think I really want to name a kid after me."

"So do you plan on adopting?" Greg asked me.

"Huh?" I asked with a puzzled look on my face.

"Never mind. Let us just get you unpacked and then go get something to eat I am hungry and am meeting my best friend later to grab a bite to eat and you are more than welcome to come." He looked at Madison. "You can come to if you want. I don't think I got your name."

"Madison Roberts," Madison replied. "Thanks for the invite, but I already have plans with a few of my girlfriends."

I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I reached in and got it out.

I answered it without checking the caller ID. I hardly ever check it. Don't even know why I have it.

"Hello."

"Preston, have you made it yet?" It was my friend Kelsey on the other end.

"Yeah I made it about twenty minutes ago and Madison helped me get my stuff in and I just met my new roommate and we are going to grab a bite to eat later. If you had come today you could go eat with us."

"Well I will be there tomorrow." She told me.

"OK see yak then."

"Bye."

I pressed end and put the phone back in my pocket.

"Kelsey?" Madison asked.

"Yeah."

I looked at Greg and it looked like he was turning nine shades of red.

"Is Kelsey your girlfriend?" He asked me.

"No. She's my best friend. People always think that we are a couple but we aren't."

"Cool." He said.

"Well, I am going to leave you ladies to get settled in." She looked at me. "Preston, I will call you later to check in on you."

"Alright." I told her.

With that she turned and left the room.

"So where you from?" Greg asked me.

"LA."

"Cool. Me too. If it weren't so big I am sure we would have run into each other growing up."

"Probably so. So where do you want to go eat at?" I asked.

"Well Jamie wanted me to meet him at the pizza place down the block. He said he ate there with his parents when they came to check the school out and that it was really good."

"Ok. Sounds like a plan." I picked my keys up off the table by the door where I left them. "Do you want to drive or me?"

He smiled. "How about neither. How about we walk and enjoy the fresh air it's not far at all like maybe ten minute walk if that."

"Ok then."

After walking for what seemed more like twenty minutes instead of ten we arrived in front of a place called Luigi's Pizzeria. It was a very small cozy looking place. I could see lots of college students sitting in there through the window.

We opened the door and went inside and were greeted by a hostess.

"Hi, welcome to Luigi's." She looked at us. "Just two?"

"No we are meeting my friend here. He should already be here."

"What's his name?" She asked.

"Jamie Richards." Greg replied.

The hostess looked down a long list and the stopped I assumed she found out what table Greg's friend was at.

"Follow me."

She led us across the dining area to a small booth in a corner. "Your waiter is Jesse and he should be with you shortly."

I looked at the table at Greg's friend. It felt like he was staring holes through me. Jamie looked to be about my height, but it was kind of hard to tell with him sitting down. He had light brown hair that was accented by a pair of hazel eyes. It was muscular looking but not the "I take steroids type". More like lean built I guess you could say.

I suddenly begin to feel hot. I knew that if I had a mirror to look in my face would be bright red which usually only happened when I got nervous about something, which usually tends to happen a lot with me.

Greg sat down next to Jamie and I sat across the table from them.

He looked at Jamie. "Jamie, meet my roommate Preston." He looked at me. "Preston, meet my best friend Jamie Richards."

"Nice to meet you." Jamie held out his hand for me to shake.

I took his hand and shook it. He had a nice firm handshake and much like that of Greg's it seemed like he didn't want to let go of my hand.

Jamie leaned over and whispered something to Greg. I couldn't really hear what they were saying, but it sounded like I heard my name mentioned once.

"What can I get for you guys to drink today?"

I turned and looked up to see the waiter looking down at us with a pen and pad in his hand to take out order. The waiter had a very exotic look about him. He had bleached blonde hair and it even looked as if he had on eye shadow and lip stick. He was very soft spoken when he talked almost the voice of a girl.

"Um can I just get Mt. Dew?" I asked.

"Pepsi." Jamie said to Jesse, looking him in the eyes and Jesse returning the look.

Greg elbowed Jamie in his side and then looked at Jesse.

"I'll take a Dr Pepper." He said.

Jesse wrote down the orders. "I will go get your drinks and then be back to take your orders on what you want to eat." He stuck the pad with our orders in his apron pocket and took off towards the kitchen.

Greg glared at Jamie briefly and then grinned.

"Can you be even more subtle?" He asked Jamie.

"Subtle is my middle name buddy."

I looked at Jamie. "So what sounds good? Greg said that you had eaten here when you came to tour the college with your parents during the summer."

"You can't go wrong with this place. I just had the spaghetti casserole when I was here. It was to die for."

"I love spaghetti." I told him.

Greg looked at me then at Jamie. He grinned. "Just one more thing you two have in common."

"Huh?" I asked with a puzzled look on my face.

"Never mind." Greg shook his head.

"Have you decided what you guys want to eat yet?" Jesse said as he came back to our table and sat our drinks down.

I sat my menu down on the table. "I will have the spaghetti casserole and garlic bread."

Jesse wrote my order down on his pad then looked at Greg.

"Just give me the grilled chicken Panini with alfredo."

Once again he wrote the order down on his pad.

Jamie looked at me and smiled. "I'll have the spaghetti casserole with garlic bread also."

Jesse wrote down Jamie's order. "Do you all want an appetizer while you wait for your food?'

We all shook out head in unison.

"Ok. I will go give your orders to the kitchen and have them to you all shortly."

Jesse turned and headed towards the kitchen.

"So you have a girlfriend?" Jamie asked me.

"Not at the moment." I replied.

"Well why not?" He took a sip of his drink. "Someone as good looking as you should have the ladies all over you."

"Well, I am kind of happy without one at the moment."

"You ever had one before?" He asked.

"No."
"Why not?" He asked.

All of his questions were starting to make me somewhat uncomfortable, but I knew he was only trying to get to know me. So I decided to answer him anyhow.

"Just hadn't wanted one."

Jamie looked at Greg and winked.

"You have a girlfriend?" I asked.

"Nope and I don't want one." Jamie replied. "He looked at me. I am single though."

Jesse delivered out food and we ate it. When we were finished Jamie wanted to pay for everyone's food. With some arguing from me I eventually gave in and let him pay for it.

The three of us walked outside of the restraint and stood there for a moment trying to find out what we were going to do for the rest of the afternoon.

"So what you guys want to do now?" Jamie asked.

"Well, I have to meet the Jena for our date tonight. We haven't gotten to see each other a whole lot during the summer because she was a volunteer at that youth camp."

"The Jena?" I asked

"Jena is his girlfriend." Jamie replied. "High school lovers, go back to the tenth grade."

"Ah ok."

Greg looked at me and Jamie. "You two can hang out and do whatever you want then we can meet back up later tonight."

"I'm game if you are?" Jamie asked.

"Sounds like fun. What do you wana do?" I asked.

Jamie scratched the side of his head as if he were in deep thought. "Movie sound good or you can come back to my room and play my Xbox or ps3. I hear Fairgood: Boogey night is playing tonight. I liked the first one and would love to see the second one."

I looked at the ground embarrassed. "I have never seen the first one. Saw the previews. It looked really good it's just that my parents would never let me watch it."

"Oh that sucks." Jamie said. "I have the first one back at my room if you want to watch it then we can go see the new one after we watch it."

Greg looked at his watch. "Guys I got to go. Jena is waiting and she doesn't like being late. Text me and let me know what you guys are doing. Maybe we can meet up later and do something."

"Sounds like a plan." Both Jamie and I said in unison.

Jamie looked at me and grinned.

Greg turned and headed down the opposite end of the side walk to go to Jena's room.

"You sure it's cool if I come to your room and watch the movie. I really want to see the second one but I haven't seen the first. I have very strict parents."

Jamie and I started walking down the sidewalk towards the building his room was in assumed.

"I know how it is to grow up with strict parents." He stopped looking at me, his face suddenly growing very serious. "I hadn't lived with my parents since right before my seventeenth birthday. They kicked me out. Greg's mom and dad took me in. They were always much more like a family."

"I am sorry to hear that. That must really suck."

"It's no big deal. They are really strict Pentecostals and we didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things."

We continued walking back towards the campus.

"Try living with a Pentecostal preacher for a dad. Can you say sheltered. I never got to do anything. I feel so stupid sometimes, because people can be talking about things and I have no idea what they are talking about.

I was beginning to shock myself at how much I was starting to open up to Jamie. I had known the guy for about thirty minutes and was already telling him much more about myself that I normally tell people when I first meet them.

"Well, my parents went to Valley United Pentecostal church; you know the one that is on television every morning at six. They would get up at four in the morning just to be there."

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed.

Jamie stopped talking once again and looked at me.

"What is it?"

"I don't see how we haven't run into each other before. I have gone to that church all of my life. My dad Joseph Phillip Preston Roberts II is the minister there. It's a huge church so I guess that's why we hadn't ever seen each other." I replied.

Jamie started back walking down the sidewalk. "Cool." He looked over at me. "You all judgmental like the rest of them?"

"I don't think so. I have never really had a chance to find my view on a lot of things. I would like to say I wouldn't. Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

We continued walking until we got to Edison building which was where his room was at. It was 2B which was on the second floor.

"So why didn't you and Greg room together?" I asked as we walked up the flight of stairs to the second floor.

"We shared a room for the past two and a half years figured we would give each other a little space."

When he was in front of his door he reached inside his pocket and got out a key and unlocked the door. He led me inside the room and closed the door behind us.

The room was set up much like mine. Two beds one on each side of the room. A desk made into the wall on each side of the bed and two closets. I noticed that one bed hadn't been touched. The other one was covered in a blue bed set. Above the head of the bed was a shelf that had some books and trophies. One thing that really caught my eye was a rainbow flag tacked to the front of the shelf.

"I like your room." I complimented. "It looks very homily."

Jamie looked at me and grinned.

"Thanks."

I glanced at his flag once more.

"I like your flag."

"Thanks." He replied. "I got it at the novelty store. I could take you sometime and you could get one of your own if you wanted."

"Sure."

Jamie walked over to a small mini fridge in the corner by his bed. He took out a two mt dews and tossed one to me.

"Knock yourself out."

"Thanks."

He walked over to his cd player he had sitting on his desk and turned it on. He looked at me. "I hope you like Lady Gaga."

"I've never really listened to her. I have heard of her. I was home schooled up until the last semester of my senior year so I kind of missed out on a lot."

"No biggie." He pressed play and the song Poker Face began to play.

I walked over to his bed and sat down.

"She's pretty good." I told him.

"I can make you a copy if you want."

"Really?" I asked. "I kind of like this song.

I loved to sing and one thing I did do well was pick up on songs really fast. I started to sing along with the song. Jamie was grinning the whole time I was singing. It wasn't a "shut up you can't sing" look, but a wow "this guy sounds pretty good". I guess you could say that music is my passion. I sang in the church choir for as long as I could remember. I played the piano, drums and guitar.

After the song was over Jamie continued to stare at me. "Wow, you are good. I think I see the next American Idol."

"Yeah right." I replied. "Simon would eat you for diner."

He turned around briefly. I hear him mutter something, but wasn't really sure what he said, but it sounded like "he's not the only one."

"What'd you say I asked?"

Jamie's face began to turn red. Whatever he had actually said was apparently embarrassing him. "Oh nothing. Just thinking out loud."

"Ah ok. So what do you want to do?" I asked him

"Why don't you and me and Greg and Jena all go down to the beach later?"

"Sounds like fun."

Jamie walked over to his bed and sat down next to me. "Well probably not a whole lot. If you like swimming you will be stuck with Greg and Jena sucking face the whole time."

I looked down at the floor, embarrassed. "I can't really swim all that well. I usually just walk barefooted in the sand looking for seashells to add to my collection."

"No way!" Jamie exclaimed.

I nodded my head. "I am afraid so. I am a big dork."

The biggest grin I had ever seen spread across Jamie's face. "Then I must be a bigger dork. I love doing that."

"So are you taking you a date to the beach?" I asked Jamie.

Jamie looked me in the eyes. "I think I have my eyes on someone. Just not sure how they feel about me. I have never really had anyone. Kissed in high school and that's about it."

"I'm sorry." I looked at the floor again. When I got embarrassed I always seemed to look at the ground. "Well I have never even been kissed." I raised my head up and looked at Jamie. "So why don't you tell this person how you feel about them."

He continued looking at me. "Scared I suppose."

"Don't be scared. If I liked someone, which hopefully someday I will find that one I would tell them how I felt. If I got rejected, it would only make me stronger."

Jamie scooted closer to me on the bed. I could feel his arms and legs touching against mine. He grabbed my left hand and squeezed it with his right.

"Would you ever kiss someone to show them you were attracted to them?" He asked looking with me through eyes filled with fear.

"I don't know. I would just have to see I have-"

I didn't get to finish what I was saying. Jamie's lips were immediately against mine. I just sat there not knowing what to do. The feeling of another person's lips against mine felt amazing even if it were another guy's lips.

He pulled away from me and looked me in the eyes. I didn't say anything. I stared back into his eyes.

Why didn't I feel grossed out from having had another guy kiss me? I should want to go vomit, but I just sat there. Part of me hoping for more.

He leaned in and kissed me again. This time I could feel his tongue poking at my lips trying to get in. I opened my mouth and could feel his tongue moving around my mouth massaging my tongue.

It felt good. I had never felt anything like this before. I could feel my body warming up. I could feel a certain body part getting bigger in my pants.

What did this all mean to me? Why was I feeling this way? How could another guy of all people make me feel this way?

Writer's corner: Well, I hope you all have enjoyed the first chapter of my story. Please feel free to drop me any comments you have at rich20034@hotmail.com I always look forward to hearing from my fans. What do you think will happen with the plot of the story? What do you think will come of Preston and his kiss with Jamie? I have not started on that chapter so I look forward to any suggestions and will consider them for part of the plot of the next chapter. Thanks for reading.

Richey Williams