UNDER THE CHERRY TREE
By
Rev. Jesse Penfield Gibson, MDiv, DMin
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. The characters and situations are purely imaginary. Any resemblence to any living persion is coincidental. This story is primarily a romance but does contain some scenes of explicit sex, primarily homosexual but not exclusively.
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FOURTEEN
Reed called me and invited me to go out with him on New Year's Eve. It would be in Atlanta and that meant a drive of more 4 hours from Colquitt. I had to start back to school on the third anyway but my parents were skeptical. I soft sold it, saying it was a friend from school and mostly a friend of Robbie's girlfriend. That was true but not the whole story. I let them think that the party was to be in Macon when actually I was going to Atlanta. However reluctantly, they let me go without too many questions. I got directions to Reed's house and set out. I was having second thoughts while on I-285. The traffic was horrendous, with people driving 70 without even a car's length between them. Drivers weaved in and out of lanes. It's not that I am bad driver; in fact I've been driving since I was 12, but Atlanta is a lot different from country back roads.
We were going to a club in the City called Masquerade to hear a band, Ratatat. It seemed like it was in the heart of downtown to me but Reed said that it actually was midtown, not that it makes a difference. We went in Reed's BMW, which is a really nice car. The club was in an old cotton mill notable for a creaky wooden staircase to the second floor. When we got there, there was all ready a small crowd milling around outside and plenty of cars in the parking lot. Of course, calling it a parking lot was generous as it mostly was just a dirt patch but still cost 10 dollars to park. We bought tickets at a small hut outside and I got stamped for no alcohol and Reed got a plastic bracelet since he was over 21. Looking around the crowd, I saw a knot of guys perched on a stone wall at the edge of the property. One of them was Xander. I hoped Reed didn't see him but he did. Xander was sitting there, nervously tapping his feet and strumming his fingers. Next to him was a Latin boy, very cute, who looked totally spaced out. The third guy was a light skinned black guy. Reed headed toward them. As we walked there, the black guy saw us and tapped Xander on the leg. He looked up and shrugged slightly.
"Hey guys, how's it hanging?" Reed asked. "How you doing, Phillip. Haven't seen you in a while."
The black guy jerked his head in recognition.
"Hey, Xander," I said, trying to lessen the tension.
"Hey" he mumbled.
"So, Phillip, I hear you're going to SCAD Atlanta. A real artistic family," Reed said.
"He's studying film. It's different," Xander mumbled again. He too had a far-away look on his face. I figured he was on something. But his tone was flat.
"Well still, brothers and all." Apparently the black guy, who looked like he was the same age as Xander, was Xander's brother, or I guess more accurately, half-brother. "So, it looks like your pretty stoned there, dude."
Xander nodded idly. "Yep"
"And what is our drug of choice?" Reed teased him. I was very uncomfortable. I knew Reed was showing me off, taunting Xander. I didn't like that. Whatever Xander did or didn't do, I didn't want him thinking that I had left him for Reed.
"Alpha O" Xander replied.
"So, better living through chemistry, huh?" Reed said.
"You got it"
From one direction, I saw Cass and this girl named Haley walk up. Cass looked stoned too. I figured that he had moved on from Ashley and had taken up with a new one, but just like before Xander had been there first. Apparently Cass didn't mind having his friends cast-offs. From the direction of the club, Dex and Dante walked up.
"So what the fuck are you doing here?" Dex spat. I couldn't tell if it was directed at me or at Reed.
"We just came to see the show," I explained.
"Having trouble finding it?" Dex asked sarcastically.
"No, Dexter, we were just leaving. Just wanted to say hello to our friends," Reed replied in a falsely friendly voice.
"When you find one, say hello" Dex said.
I took the not too subtle hint and grabbed Reed by the arm to go inside. As we walked away, I heard Xander call my name. "I wouldn't do G with him. You'll regret it," he called. As we walked, I asked Reed what that was all about.
"Just a bunch of tired, old shit," he said.I pressed him, though. Finally, he said, "About a year and a half ago, maybe two years ago now, while Dex and I were still going out, I went out partying with Xander and a couple of his brothers. Phillip was one. Well, they all party just as hard as Xander, which is saying something. Anyway, we were fucked up and it was stupid but I ending up sleeping with Xander. Dex found out about it, probably from Phillip who is the original drama queen, and he was pissed. Xander made out like I raped him, to cover his tracks, you know? It was totally ridiculous because you can't rape the willing, you know? But they bought his story and made me out to be this big villain. Dex and I broke up and they hate my guts. I'll admit to sleeping with him and that was wrong. I don't deny that. But I didn't rape him."
I thought that there was probably more to it than that but it seemed likely to me that Xander was probably a willing participant in whatever happened. He, after all, makes no bones about his promiscuity. But for the moment I sympathized with Reed. My attitude was made simpler but the obvious reality that I was decidedly not a part of that circle anymore. Breaking up with Xander had left me on the outside looking in as far as they were concerned. Given the heaviness of their drug use and their on-going criminal activity, I can't say it bothered me that much. I was better off without them.
The club was a psychedelic maze, old and grungy to be sure, but elaborately decorated. For a brief moment I reflected on how cool it would be to be here while on acid or even ecstasy. Then I caught myself. It would be too easy to end up like those guys outside. I can't say that I enjoyed the band, though. It was a combination of electronic house music and psychedelic rock and it might have been good if I was under the influence but I wasn't. Instead it was just grating. But I did have a good time with Reed. We eventually made it back to his parent's house but they were gone again, traveling. The New Year had been rung in and I was a little tipsy from a couple of drinks that Reed had gotten for me. The truth was that the club was only making a pretense at stopping underage drinking. The crowd there was, for the most part, underage and mostly drunk or stoned or both. I wasn't falling down drunk, just loose and uninhibited. In the early morning hours, Reed and I made love for the first time. He wasn't as skillful as Xander was but I remembered how Xander acquired his skills and didn't mind. Reed was cute and he was nice to me. His body was lean but a little soft. I may be skinny, or at least I thought I was, but I had a hard body, born of daily runs and a lifetime of farm work. He devoured my body, lavishing me with lust before mounting me. And it was nice waking up next to him and snuggling a bit in the morning. Xander rarely slept and when he did it was fitful.
Erica soon got wind of my new relationship. I thought she would be happy about it since Reed was her friend but I sensed that she was only putting on a show. I thought I sensed that she would have preferred that I hadn't hooked up with him, which I put down to a bit of best gal jealousy. I had to get back into the grind quickly as I had Bio and General Chem this semester. I also had the second FYS course and a political science course. It was a full, heavy load with two labs. Fortunately, I had tested out of the foreign language requirement. I had let myself fall behind several times last semester as I pursued my private life but I felt like I didn't have the luxury this semester. Not if I was going to make into medical school. But I did have some time for fun and I realized that the better portion of that would be spent with Reed and, I hoped, in bed.
The first weekend of the semester, I suggested that we go to one of the classic films shown by the University. It was Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry', which I liked a lot. Many people associate Hitchcock only with Psycho' and miss his sense of humor. This movie was laugh out loud funny because the trouble with Harry is that they won't leave him buried. For a variety of reasons, the assorted characters bury him, dig him up and bury him again. Even Reed liked it, although he had thought he wouldn't because he didn't like thrillers. I had promised him that it wasn't.
I got to pick the movie and he got his pick, which was to go dancing at Asylum. For that, we did take some E. He hadn't liked my clothes so, judging that we had the same general build and same height, Reed began pulling clothes out of his closet to dress me. He picked out a designer shirt. It was a little bit of stereotypically gay behavior but he got me dressed the way he wanted. To his credit, I did look cooler than usual. We danced the night away, repetitively moving and smiling. I enjoyed the E and ending up talking a lot.
Greek Rush takes place in Spring Semester because incoming freshman aren't allowed to pledge their first semester in school. I had never really thought about pledging a fraternity because I didn't see myself as being a frat boy. However, Reed is a brother in Lambda Chi Alpha and he wanted me to rush them. It seemed important to him and I didn't really have any objections so I signed up for Rush. As I was getting ready for the first night's events, which are mandatory, Reed came by my room. I was planning to wear a blazer and some khaki's. Reed had other ideas. He had bought me a blue Brook's Brother's shirt and new silk tie. It was a nice gesture and he wanted me to look my best. Putting it on, I had to model for him, turning so he could see the lines of my clothes. Reed is very particular about his own clothing so I didn't take offense at his scrutinizing mine. In his own weird way, he was trying to be nice. I actually think it kind of funny. I make fun of him sometimes when he dresses in the morning after I sleep over. Three tugs on the collar, three tugs on each cuff, careful examination of how the shirt tucked in looks from all angles is his daily routine. It takes him forever to get dressed. I won't even begin to start on the intensity of his daily grooming. You could open a beauty supply store with the products he has.
Once declared perfect, I went to begin the night's events. There were more than a hundred guys signed up for Rush and we were split into 8 groups. Each group started at a different frat and had a brief 15 minute mixer before moving onto the next one in line. Even though I was really only there to go to the Lambda Chi house, I had to go all 8. Interestingly, I actually liked the Phi Delts the best. It seemed more relaxed and friendly but, if not for Reed, I wasn't interested really. Finally I got to the Lambda Chi house. They weren't as big as Pi Kapp or SAE but they were bigger than the Phi Delts or ATO's, about 30 or 35 brothers in all. As with all the other houses, there was some punch and cookies and small talk. I had all ready endured endless repetitions of saying where I was from and what I was planning to major in and various other forms of small talk. I was going through the same drill with one of the Lambda's when Reed came up.
"So, found another house better than this?" He said playfully. He didn't show any signs of physical affection though like a hug or a kiss.
"I don't know, there are the Phi Delts ..." I replied.
The first guy was kind of disgusted. Reed jumped in, "A bunch of losers. Always have been. Practically the smallest chapter on campus."
"Yeah," I replied.
Reed took me around to introduce me to several brothers, trying to build me up for a bid. I greeted everyone heartily and tried hard to make a good impression. Our time was almost up and this was my last house so it wasn't like I particularly had to leave. Once you visited them all, you were on your own. I was kind of milling around mostly because I was hoping once everything wound down, I might get laid. One of the brother's came in my direction.
He shook me by the hand and said, "So you're Reed's latest boy toy?"
"I don't know about that"
"That's the way I hear it."
"Okay, whatever," I replied turning to leave. It kind of made me angry.
"Just so you know, we've all ready got our full quota of fags. Might want to try the Phi Delts or the ATO's, they never have enough."
Well, now I was angry. "Thanks for letting me know. I guess you're filling up the idiot quota all by yourself."
"Watch it, fairy boy. I just wanted to do you favor. Don't get your hopes up about a bid. There's no way you're getting in this fraternity. If it were up to me, we'd throw Reed out. But he's graduating and we're not having any more queers."
"Actually, you have done me favor. Even if I got a bid now, I wouldn't take it. I wouldn't want to have to call you brother," I said as I turned to walk out. Actually, I more or less stormed out. It wasn't far back to my dorm and I just wanted to get out of there.
Reed must have seen me leave because he caught up to me outside as I was in front of the Alpha Phi Alpha house headed toward the SAE house.
"Hey, where are you going? Some of the guys are going out and I thought you might like to come along," he said. I told him about what the one guy had said and Reed was furious. "I can't believe he would say that. That guy's been to my place a hundred times. We've hung out together. Why would he say that?"
"What, you don't believe me? Why would I lie?" I shot back at him.
"No, I believe you," Reed sputtered. "I just can't understand why he's been going around behind my back. I've been a brother for three years. I think I deserve better."
"In case you didn't notice, Reed, it was me that he was rude too, not you."
"No, no, I get that." He seemed honestly amazed that I objected to his self-absorbed view of what happened. But, to be fair, he had been a member for a while and had a right to see it as an attack on him. "It's too bad because mostly they are great guys. But since you're not going to be a Lambda just don't rush anybody else, okay. It'll make me look bad."
"Don't worry. Going through Rush wasn't my idea in the first place. Go have fun with your brothers," I replied, trying to hit a sarcastic note on the word `brother' "I'll see you later. I've got some reading to do since I totally wasted a night doing this."
The next day, Reed called me to say that I should still rush Lambda. He had talked to most of the brother's and they didn't feel the same way the one guy did. But I told him that I wasn't interested. I guessed that most of them told Reed what he wanted to hear despite whatever they truly felt. It was no win for me. If I didn't get a bid because I'm gay, I had to deal with the rejection of having tried and failed. If I did, I'd be a brother for three years after Reed graduated. This was a commitment for the remainder of my college life and I didn't want to make just to make Reed happy. Our relationship was a temporary one anyway. By summer, he was moving on.