Extension: James and the Troublesome Fucks
Written by Jake Collins
James smiled awkwardly as Amber opened the door of her dorm room to him.
'Hi,' said James.
'Hi,' said Amber, stepping to one side. 'Come on in, handsome.'
As he entered, James noticed that Amber had pushed the twin beds together and arranged an assortment of bedding across them.
'So, you managed to get rid of Sally for the night,' James remarked.
'For the weekend, actually,' said Amber. 'She's gone to a family reunion with her dad and she's not coming back 'til Monday morning. That's why I suggested doing this tonight.'
'We could've done it tomorrow,' James pointed out. 'Or maybe even Sunday.'
'No way – the sooner the better!' Amber laughed, shaking back her long blond hair. 'I've been literally dripping with anticipation for so long, James, and now it's finally time!'
'Ha-ha, yeah, I guess it is,' said James, tugging at the collar of his T-shirt.
'Just try to relax, huh?' said Amber, fixing him with an encouraging smile. 'It's gonna be fantastic, trust me!'
A tentative knock sounded on the door; James started visibly.
'Ah,' said Amber, 'perfect timing!'
She opened the door eagerly and invited her latest visitor in. James studied the newcomer closely, and found himself staring at a pleasant-looking boy with fairly floppy brown hair.
'Time for the introductions, I guess,' said Amber, grinning widely. 'James, this is Guy, a guy from my economics class. Guy, this is James, a guy who's studying psychology.'
'Hey, man,' said Guy, meeting James's eye with some nervousness.
'Hey,' said James, managing a small smile.
'Okay, that's that out of the way, so let's get down to business!' said Amber. 'Oh, no, wait a second – there's something very important we have to do first.'
'There is?' said James. 'What's that?'
'You thought of it, handsome,' said Amber, 'and you were absolutely right to. We need to compare sexual histories, to make sure we're not gonna give each other a ton of horrible diseases. Guy, why don't you go first?'
'Um... okay,' said Guy. 'I've only ever had one sexual partner – I've been with my girlfriend since tenth grade, we were both virgins when we got together, and neither of us has ever had an STI.'
'Wonderful,' said Amber, beaming all over her face. 'James, how about you?'
'Are you with your girlfriend now?' James asked Guy.
'Er... well, no, not exactly,' said Guy. 'We're on a break.'
'Me and my girlfriend are on a break too,' said James, and he and Guy exchanged an empathetic look.
'James, your history!' Amber ordered.
'Um... okay, yeah,' said James.
'Hi,' said James.
'Hi,' said Amber, stepping to one side. 'Come on in, handsome.'
As he entered, James noticed that Amber had pushed the twin beds together and arranged an assortment of bedding across them.
'So, you managed to get rid of Sally for the night,' James remarked.
'For the weekend, actually,' said Amber. 'She's gone to a family reunion with her dad and she's not coming back 'til Monday morning. That's why I suggested doing this tonight.'
'We could've done it tomorrow,' James pointed out. 'Or maybe even Sunday.'
'No way – the sooner the better!' Amber laughed, shaking back her long blond hair. 'I've been literally dripping with anticipation for so long, James, and now it's finally time!'
'Ha-ha, yeah, I guess it is,' said James, tugging at the collar of his T-shirt.
'Just try to relax, huh?' said Amber, fixing him with an encouraging smile. 'It's gonna be fantastic, trust me!'
A tentative knock sounded on the door; James started visibly.
'Ah,' said Amber, 'perfect timing!'
She opened the door eagerly and invited her latest visitor in. James studied the newcomer closely, and found himself staring at a pleasant-looking boy with fairly floppy brown hair.
'Time for the introductions, I guess,' said Amber, grinning widely. 'James, this is Guy, a guy from my economics class. Guy, this is James, a guy who's studying psychology.'
'Hey, man,' said Guy, meeting James's eye with some nervousness.
'Hey,' said James, managing a small smile.
'Okay, that's that out of the way, so let's get down to business!' said Amber. 'Oh, no, wait a second – there's something very important we have to do first.'
'There is?' said James. 'What's that?'
'You thought of it, handsome,' said Amber, 'and you were absolutely right to. We need to compare sexual histories, to make sure we're not gonna give each other a ton of horrible diseases. Guy, why don't you go first?'
'Um... okay,' said Guy. 'I've only ever had one sexual partner – I've been with my girlfriend since tenth grade, we were both virgins when we got together, and neither of us has ever had an STI.'
'Wonderful,' said Amber, beaming all over her face. 'James, how about you?'
'Are you with your girlfriend now?' James asked Guy.
'Er... well, no, not exactly,' said Guy. 'We're on a break.'
'Me and my girlfriend are on a break too,' said James, and he and Guy exchanged an empathetic look.
'James, your history!' Amber ordered.
'Um... okay, yeah,' said James.
A minute or so later, Guy was in an obvious state of confusion.
'Isabel's transgender, Guy,' Amber explained. 'She identifies as female but she has male sexual organs.'
'Amber, you're not supposed to just tell the whole world that kind of thing at the drop of a hat!' said James, casting her a reproachful glance. 'It's Isabel's personal business.'
'Sorry, James,' said Amber. 'Keep calling me out on this stuff – I know it's important.'
'That's really cool, though,' said Guy. 'I mean, it's great, dude. So, er, you're like... what, bisexual?'
'I'm pansexual,' said James.
'Excellent,' said Guy.
'I'm glad you approve, man,' said James, fixing Guy with a wry smile.
'Anyway, as for me,' said Amber, 'I went for a full screening at the sexual health clinic yesterday, my results came back completely clear, and you can view them on my phone if you want.'
'I'm happy to take your word for it,' said Guy.
'Me too,' said James. 'I never wanted you to prove you weren't riddled with STIs, Amber – I just thought we should all compare notes before getting started, that's all.'
'And like I said earlier, you were absolutely right,' said Amber. 'So, now we're done with our comparisons, and given the fact that my birth control pills are fully up to date...'
'Isabel's transgender, Guy,' Amber explained. 'She identifies as female but she has male sexual organs.'
'Amber, you're not supposed to just tell the whole world that kind of thing at the drop of a hat!' said James, casting her a reproachful glance. 'It's Isabel's personal business.'
'Sorry, James,' said Amber. 'Keep calling me out on this stuff – I know it's important.'
'That's really cool, though,' said Guy. 'I mean, it's great, dude. So, er, you're like... what, bisexual?'
'I'm pansexual,' said James.
'Excellent,' said Guy.
'I'm glad you approve, man,' said James, fixing Guy with a wry smile.
'Anyway, as for me,' said Amber, 'I went for a full screening at the sexual health clinic yesterday, my results came back completely clear, and you can view them on my phone if you want.'
'I'm happy to take your word for it,' said Guy.
'Me too,' said James. 'I never wanted you to prove you weren't riddled with STIs, Amber – I just thought we should all compare notes before getting started, that's all.'
'And like I said earlier, you were absolutely right,' said Amber. 'So, now we're done with our comparisons, and given the fact that my birth control pills are fully up to date...'
James stared up at the ceiling, his mind racing with more thoughts than he could even begin to process. He shifted his position slightly, turned his head to one side, and found himself looking into Amber's eyes. She immediately gave him an enormous smile.
'I'm really glad you decided you wanted to do this, James,' she said. 'I thought for sure you were gonna back out when Isabel said she wasn't up for it.'
'So did I, at first,' said James. 'But then I got to thinking about my feelings for Isabel and I just wasn't sure that... I mean, I realised we weren't necessarily...'
'It certainly took you long enough to make up your mind,' Amber remarked.
'I only really did that after I talked the whole thing over with my brother,' said James.
'Ah yes,' said Amber, 'the saintly big brother. He advised you to bite the bullet and indulge in some harmless but thrilling three-way fun, huh?'
'He didn't really give me advice about the fun itself,' said James. 'Although I have to admit, he did make me realise the importance of the three of us comparing sexual histories before we got started. But mainly he just stood there and let me pour out my heart to him, and he chipped in with comments, observations and jokes when it seemed appropriate, and he really just gave me exactly what I needed by listening to me and caring about me, like he always does.'
'You really love your brother, don't you?'
'He's so many things to me, Amber – part big brother, part best friend, part mentor, part third parent, part favourite uncle... I can't actually tell you how much I love him because there just aren't the words in the world.'
'That's really sweet, James,' said Amber, reaching out to stroke his cheek.
James smiled, then he fixed her with a ruminative expression.
'Amber,' he said, 'this is just a theoretical question, but if I asked you to be my girlfriend – you know, to go steady with me – what do you think your answer might be?'
'If anyone else asked me, I know exactly what my answer would be,' said Amber. 'I'd say I'm not in the right place for that kind of a relationship right now, and I don't want to get tied down to any one guy in particular. But if you asked me, handsome, the answer might be different.'
'It might, huh?'
'Yeah. There's something about you, James – something that sets you apart from every other guy I've fucked.'
'So... so you might say yes if I asked you out?'
'I might. But you're not asking me out right now, are you? We're talking about a hypothetical scenario, aren't we?'
'That's right,' said James, 'we are.'
'I'm gonna try to get a little sleep,' said Amber. 'Maybe you should do the same, handsome.'
'Yeah,' said James, clearly deep in thought. 'Yeah, good idea.'
'I'm really glad you decided you wanted to do this, James,' she said. 'I thought for sure you were gonna back out when Isabel said she wasn't up for it.'
'So did I, at first,' said James. 'But then I got to thinking about my feelings for Isabel and I just wasn't sure that... I mean, I realised we weren't necessarily...'
'It certainly took you long enough to make up your mind,' Amber remarked.
'I only really did that after I talked the whole thing over with my brother,' said James.
'Ah yes,' said Amber, 'the saintly big brother. He advised you to bite the bullet and indulge in some harmless but thrilling three-way fun, huh?'
'He didn't really give me advice about the fun itself,' said James. 'Although I have to admit, he did make me realise the importance of the three of us comparing sexual histories before we got started. But mainly he just stood there and let me pour out my heart to him, and he chipped in with comments, observations and jokes when it seemed appropriate, and he really just gave me exactly what I needed by listening to me and caring about me, like he always does.'
'You really love your brother, don't you?'
'He's so many things to me, Amber – part big brother, part best friend, part mentor, part third parent, part favourite uncle... I can't actually tell you how much I love him because there just aren't the words in the world.'
'That's really sweet, James,' said Amber, reaching out to stroke his cheek.
James smiled, then he fixed her with a ruminative expression.
'Amber,' he said, 'this is just a theoretical question, but if I asked you to be my girlfriend – you know, to go steady with me – what do you think your answer might be?'
'If anyone else asked me, I know exactly what my answer would be,' said Amber. 'I'd say I'm not in the right place for that kind of a relationship right now, and I don't want to get tied down to any one guy in particular. But if you asked me, handsome, the answer might be different.'
'It might, huh?'
'Yeah. There's something about you, James – something that sets you apart from every other guy I've fucked.'
'So... so you might say yes if I asked you out?'
'I might. But you're not asking me out right now, are you? We're talking about a hypothetical scenario, aren't we?'
'That's right,' said James, 'we are.'
'I'm gonna try to get a little sleep,' said Amber. 'Maybe you should do the same, handsome.'
'Yeah,' said James, clearly deep in thought. 'Yeah, good idea.'
After a few virtually sleepless hours, James pulled himself up onto one elbow and peered at the illuminated display of Amber's alarm clock, which told him that it was five minutes to four. Having satisfied himself that Guy and Amber were both sleeping soundly, James pulled back the duvet a little way and slipped stealthily out of bed.
The moon provided him with just enough light to find his way without crashing into anything. Taking care to make as little noise as possible, James gathered up his clothes from the floor and put them on, before creeping out of the room and gently closing the door behind him.
When he entered his own dorm room a few minutes later, James immediately noticed that the main light was switched on, both the twin beds were empty, and the bathroom door was open. He crossed the room and positioned himself in the bathroom doorway, where he was met by the sight of his roommate standing naked in front of the washbasin.
'I really wish you wouldn't do that, Krish!' James said irritably. 'You never bother to rinse the sink out properly!'
'I wasn't expecting you back so soon!' said Krish, whirling around in surprise.
'Clearly not,' said James. 'I said I'd be back in the morning.'
'Who means four o'clock when they say that?'
'I do, apparently.'
'Did you enjoy your threesome?' Krish asked.
'Yes,' said James. 'Yes, I did.'
'Was it worth splitting up with Isabel for?'
'Me and Isabel did not split up! We're on a break.'
'Yeah,' Krish said with a grin, 'the kind of break where you can go out and fuck whoever you want! I have to admit, I didn't think you actually had it in you, man.'
'Had what in me?' said James, adopting an impressive scowl.
'Such a ruthless streak!' Krish laughed. 'Although I can't say I'm totally shocked – after all, you'll screw anything, won't you, James?'
'Are you about done in here?' said James, deliberately avoiding his companion's gaze. 'I want to get freshened up and then try to grab a few hours' sleep.'
'Sure thing,' said Krish. 'I'll just rinse the washbasin thoroughly, then the bathroom's all yours!'
The moon provided him with just enough light to find his way without crashing into anything. Taking care to make as little noise as possible, James gathered up his clothes from the floor and put them on, before creeping out of the room and gently closing the door behind him.
When he entered his own dorm room a few minutes later, James immediately noticed that the main light was switched on, both the twin beds were empty, and the bathroom door was open. He crossed the room and positioned himself in the bathroom doorway, where he was met by the sight of his roommate standing naked in front of the washbasin.
'I really wish you wouldn't do that, Krish!' James said irritably. 'You never bother to rinse the sink out properly!'
'I wasn't expecting you back so soon!' said Krish, whirling around in surprise.
'Clearly not,' said James. 'I said I'd be back in the morning.'
'Who means four o'clock when they say that?'
'I do, apparently.'
'Did you enjoy your threesome?' Krish asked.
'Yes,' said James. 'Yes, I did.'
'Was it worth splitting up with Isabel for?'
'Me and Isabel did not split up! We're on a break.'
'Yeah,' Krish said with a grin, 'the kind of break where you can go out and fuck whoever you want! I have to admit, I didn't think you actually had it in you, man.'
'Had what in me?' said James, adopting an impressive scowl.
'Such a ruthless streak!' Krish laughed. 'Although I can't say I'm totally shocked – after all, you'll screw anything, won't you, James?'
'Are you about done in here?' said James, deliberately avoiding his companion's gaze. 'I want to get freshened up and then try to grab a few hours' sleep.'
'Sure thing,' said Krish. 'I'll just rinse the washbasin thoroughly, then the bathroom's all yours!'
James emerged from the bathroom dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of Y-fronts, and hurled himself onto his bed. Krish was now wearing a pair of pyjama trousers and lounging on his own bed; he watched James's movements closely, but appeared to have nothing to say for the moment. James took a few seconds to make himself comfortable, then he looked Krish squarely in the eye.
'It's not like you said,' said James.
'What isn't?' said Krish.
'I'm working through some pretty heavy stuff right now,' said James. 'I'm trying to decide if... I mean, I'm really not sure who... well, I just don't want you to think it's all about me getting my rocks off, because it really isn't!'
'I'm gonna tell you a little story, James,' said Krish.
'I don't want to hear one of your stories right now, Krish,' said James.
'Trust me,' said Krish, 'you want to hear this story – you'll like it a whole lot!'
'I doubt that,' said James.
'The summer right after I turned fourteen,' said Krish, 'I stayed a week at a cabin in the mountains with my dad and my cousin Imogen. She was sixteen, she had long chestnut hair, and her body was to die for! I'm telling you, James, Imogen was literally a goddess on Earth!'
'This is your first cousin you're talking about, right?'
'Um... she's my dad's sister's daughter, so yeah. But we didn't really know each other – we hadn't grown up together or anything, like you and your hot cousin did.'
'Okay,' said James, frowning slightly, 'I'm listening.'
'The third day we were there, my dad drove into town for supplies,' said Krish, 'and while he was gone, Imogen said we should go for a swim in the lake together.'
'You didn't mention the fact that there was a lake,' said James.
'Of course there was a lake,' said Krish. 'A mountain lake – it only stands to reason. Anyway, I went to my room and changed into a speedo that I'd bought specially for the vacation. I have to admit, I slightly regretted my choice of swimwear while I was walking down to the lake – it clung to my junk like you wouldn't believe, and I wasn't completely sure I wanted Imogen to see me like that, plus with every step I took it felt like a rhino was treading on my nuts. But I persevered and made it to the lake, and Imogen was waiting for me there, and oh my God she looked sensational! She was wearing the tiniest bikini in the history of the world. She smiled at me and did a little twirl...'
'It's not like you said,' said James.
'What isn't?' said Krish.
'I'm working through some pretty heavy stuff right now,' said James. 'I'm trying to decide if... I mean, I'm really not sure who... well, I just don't want you to think it's all about me getting my rocks off, because it really isn't!'
'I'm gonna tell you a little story, James,' said Krish.
'I don't want to hear one of your stories right now, Krish,' said James.
'Trust me,' said Krish, 'you want to hear this story – you'll like it a whole lot!'
'I doubt that,' said James.
'The summer right after I turned fourteen,' said Krish, 'I stayed a week at a cabin in the mountains with my dad and my cousin Imogen. She was sixteen, she had long chestnut hair, and her body was to die for! I'm telling you, James, Imogen was literally a goddess on Earth!'
'This is your first cousin you're talking about, right?'
'Um... she's my dad's sister's daughter, so yeah. But we didn't really know each other – we hadn't grown up together or anything, like you and your hot cousin did.'
'Okay,' said James, frowning slightly, 'I'm listening.'
'The third day we were there, my dad drove into town for supplies,' said Krish, 'and while he was gone, Imogen said we should go for a swim in the lake together.'
'You didn't mention the fact that there was a lake,' said James.
'Of course there was a lake,' said Krish. 'A mountain lake – it only stands to reason. Anyway, I went to my room and changed into a speedo that I'd bought specially for the vacation. I have to admit, I slightly regretted my choice of swimwear while I was walking down to the lake – it clung to my junk like you wouldn't believe, and I wasn't completely sure I wanted Imogen to see me like that, plus with every step I took it felt like a rhino was treading on my nuts. But I persevered and made it to the lake, and Imogen was waiting for me there, and oh my God she looked sensational! She was wearing the tiniest bikini in the history of the world. She smiled at me and did a little twirl...'
'As soon as I'd gotten my breath back,' said Krish, as his story neared its conclusion, 'I leaned over and tried to kiss her on the lips. But she pulled away.'
'She did?' James asked in surprise.
'Yeah,' said Krish. 'She said, “Don't kiss me!”. So I said, “Why not?”. And she said, “Because it's weird”. And I said, “Why?”. And she said, “Because we're cousins!”.'
James stared at Krish for a few moments, then he burst out laughing. Krish grinned, clearly pleased by his companion's reaction to the story.
'That's priceless, dude!' James laughed. 'You were right; I do like that story a whole lot!'
'I think I've only seen her twice since that summer,' said Krish, 'but I'll always remember that day as the greatest of my life! Still, we're now coming up on five years and not once since then has any single person on this planet shown even the slightest inclination to do anything remotely sexual with me. So maybe now you can see why I'm more than a little jealous of the fact that you always seem to have a queue of people ready and waiting for you to fuck them whenever you want!'
James sighed and said, 'I'd gladly never fuck anyone again if I could only work out who I want to not fuck.'
'Problems are relative, I guess,' said Krish. 'But I still say you're a lucky bastard, James!'
'Maybe you should ask Amber if she'll let you come in on her next threesome,' said James. 'I did enjoy mine, like I said, but I don't think I'm gonna do it again.'
'But you think Amber'll want to have another one with someone else?' said Krish, his interest clearly sparked.
'I think it's a distinct possibility,' said James. 'Obviously I can't make any guarantees, but it really might be a feasible way for you to finally pop your blueberries, Krish.'
'I don't think Amber likes me very much,' said Krish. 'Could you put in a word for me?'
'Sure, okay,' said James, smiling slightly. 'Of course, there's something that might put you off about the whole experience – Amber would probably want you and the other boy to fuck each other, as well as fuck her.'
'Oh,' said Krish, suddenly looking rather unenthusiastic. 'That does put a whole new perspective on the idea.'
'Life's full of tough choices, ain't it?' James said with feeling.
'Too true, man,' said Krish. 'So... so you fucked a strange guy during your threesome, did you?'
'He wasn't that strange,' James said with a smile. 'He seemed pretty cool, actually. But you said it yourself, Krish – I'll screw anything, won't I?'
'College is a time to broaden your experiences.'
'It sure is now. Man, I need to talk to Kevin... and to Chita... and hopefully to Isabel... in that order.'
'I feel honoured that you've talked to me first of all,' Krish said with a grin.
'I'm about to tell you something that none of those three knows yet,' said James. 'Harry's invited me to stay with him in San Francisco for spring break.'
'Harry?' said Krish. 'As in, your old boyfriend Harry?'
'Yes,' said James, 'that Harry.'
'Are you gonna go?'
'I don't know yet. God, I loved him, Krish... and I guess I always will, at least in some way. He has a new boyfriend now, so I don't think he wants to get back together or anything, but it would be really cool to see him again.'
'Don't you ever FaceTime or Skype with him?' Krish asked.
'No,' said James, 'we never do that. We still follow each other on Instagram and stuff... although I guess I haven't looked at any of his accounts for a while because I didn't know he had a new boyfriend until he specifically told me. He sent a really long message a little over a week ago bringing me up to speed with everything that's going on in his life, then I wrote him a really long message back, then he sent another message to invite me to stay for spring break, and I haven't replied to that one yet.'
'And you haven't seen him at all since he left New York?' said Krish.
'No,' said James.
'How long ago was that?'
'A year and a half.'
'And now he's fucking some other guy out there in San Francisco?'
'He has a new boyfriend, like I said.'
'I wonder if he actually is planning to dump the new guy before your visit and declare his undying love for you when you show up,' said Krish.
'I have to admit,' said James, 'I've kinda been wondering the same thing.'
'And hoping?'
'I... I wouldn't exactly say hoping, but...'
'Of course, whether Harry's planning on doing that or not,' said Krish, 'the whole situation could get very awkward very quickly.'
'I know it could,' said James. 'Do you think I shouldn't go, then?'
'That's not my decision to make.'
'I know it isn't, but what would you do if you were in my position?'
'Well, you know me, James,' said Krish, grinning rather wolfishly. 'I'd go to San Francisco for spring break if I thought there was even a microscopic chance that I might get a fuck out of it, but I think you should follow your heart.'
James nodded, laughed and said, 'Yeah, I guess you're right. I really need to grab those few hours' sleep now. Thanks for the cool story, Krish... and for talking with me like a real friend.'
'It's possible we actually are friends now,' said Krish.
'I thought maybe we were still just roommates,' said James, as his eyes slid shut.
'Speaking of which,' said Krish, 'did you ever get around to putting your name on the list of students who want to be assigned a new roommate for next semester?'
'Er... yeah, I did actually,' said James. 'But I could easily have my name taken off that list.'
'Well, I wouldn't want you to rush into a decision,' said Krish, as he too closed his eyes. 'Anyway, whatever happens, I really hope you manage to get your head straightened out just as soon as you can.'
James smiled to himself and said, 'Thanks, Krish.'
'She did?' James asked in surprise.
'Yeah,' said Krish. 'She said, “Don't kiss me!”. So I said, “Why not?”. And she said, “Because it's weird”. And I said, “Why?”. And she said, “Because we're cousins!”.'
James stared at Krish for a few moments, then he burst out laughing. Krish grinned, clearly pleased by his companion's reaction to the story.
'That's priceless, dude!' James laughed. 'You were right; I do like that story a whole lot!'
'I think I've only seen her twice since that summer,' said Krish, 'but I'll always remember that day as the greatest of my life! Still, we're now coming up on five years and not once since then has any single person on this planet shown even the slightest inclination to do anything remotely sexual with me. So maybe now you can see why I'm more than a little jealous of the fact that you always seem to have a queue of people ready and waiting for you to fuck them whenever you want!'
James sighed and said, 'I'd gladly never fuck anyone again if I could only work out who I want to not fuck.'
'Problems are relative, I guess,' said Krish. 'But I still say you're a lucky bastard, James!'
'Maybe you should ask Amber if she'll let you come in on her next threesome,' said James. 'I did enjoy mine, like I said, but I don't think I'm gonna do it again.'
'But you think Amber'll want to have another one with someone else?' said Krish, his interest clearly sparked.
'I think it's a distinct possibility,' said James. 'Obviously I can't make any guarantees, but it really might be a feasible way for you to finally pop your blueberries, Krish.'
'I don't think Amber likes me very much,' said Krish. 'Could you put in a word for me?'
'Sure, okay,' said James, smiling slightly. 'Of course, there's something that might put you off about the whole experience – Amber would probably want you and the other boy to fuck each other, as well as fuck her.'
'Oh,' said Krish, suddenly looking rather unenthusiastic. 'That does put a whole new perspective on the idea.'
'Life's full of tough choices, ain't it?' James said with feeling.
'Too true, man,' said Krish. 'So... so you fucked a strange guy during your threesome, did you?'
'He wasn't that strange,' James said with a smile. 'He seemed pretty cool, actually. But you said it yourself, Krish – I'll screw anything, won't I?'
'College is a time to broaden your experiences.'
'It sure is now. Man, I need to talk to Kevin... and to Chita... and hopefully to Isabel... in that order.'
'I feel honoured that you've talked to me first of all,' Krish said with a grin.
'I'm about to tell you something that none of those three knows yet,' said James. 'Harry's invited me to stay with him in San Francisco for spring break.'
'Harry?' said Krish. 'As in, your old boyfriend Harry?'
'Yes,' said James, 'that Harry.'
'Are you gonna go?'
'I don't know yet. God, I loved him, Krish... and I guess I always will, at least in some way. He has a new boyfriend now, so I don't think he wants to get back together or anything, but it would be really cool to see him again.'
'Don't you ever FaceTime or Skype with him?' Krish asked.
'No,' said James, 'we never do that. We still follow each other on Instagram and stuff... although I guess I haven't looked at any of his accounts for a while because I didn't know he had a new boyfriend until he specifically told me. He sent a really long message a little over a week ago bringing me up to speed with everything that's going on in his life, then I wrote him a really long message back, then he sent another message to invite me to stay for spring break, and I haven't replied to that one yet.'
'And you haven't seen him at all since he left New York?' said Krish.
'No,' said James.
'How long ago was that?'
'A year and a half.'
'And now he's fucking some other guy out there in San Francisco?'
'He has a new boyfriend, like I said.'
'I wonder if he actually is planning to dump the new guy before your visit and declare his undying love for you when you show up,' said Krish.
'I have to admit,' said James, 'I've kinda been wondering the same thing.'
'And hoping?'
'I... I wouldn't exactly say hoping, but...'
'Of course, whether Harry's planning on doing that or not,' said Krish, 'the whole situation could get very awkward very quickly.'
'I know it could,' said James. 'Do you think I shouldn't go, then?'
'That's not my decision to make.'
'I know it isn't, but what would you do if you were in my position?'
'Well, you know me, James,' said Krish, grinning rather wolfishly. 'I'd go to San Francisco for spring break if I thought there was even a microscopic chance that I might get a fuck out of it, but I think you should follow your heart.'
James nodded, laughed and said, 'Yeah, I guess you're right. I really need to grab those few hours' sleep now. Thanks for the cool story, Krish... and for talking with me like a real friend.'
'It's possible we actually are friends now,' said Krish.
'I thought maybe we were still just roommates,' said James, as his eyes slid shut.
'Speaking of which,' said Krish, 'did you ever get around to putting your name on the list of students who want to be assigned a new roommate for next semester?'
'Er... yeah, I did actually,' said James. 'But I could easily have my name taken off that list.'
'Well, I wouldn't want you to rush into a decision,' said Krish, as he too closed his eyes. 'Anyway, whatever happens, I really hope you manage to get your head straightened out just as soon as you can.'
James smiled to himself and said, 'Thanks, Krish.'
James attempted a smile as Isabel opened the door of her dorm room to him forty-two hours later.
'Hi,' he said.
'Hi,' said Isabel, stepping to one side. 'You'd better come in.'
As he entered, James noticed that Isabel was wearing pyjamas, and that her bedside light was the only source of illumination in the room.
'You're ready for bed,' James remarked.
'I was taking a last look through my phone when I found your message,' said Isabel. 'I was gonna turn in after I'd done that.'
'You didn't have to invite me to come over right away.'
'You said you wanted to talk, and I wanted to hear what you have to say.'
'It could've waited 'til tomorrow.'
'I want to hear it now.'
'Okay,' said James. 'Iz, I really hate us not talking to each other. We've always been friends and we've always talked, and it's breaking my heart that we're not doing it anymore.'
'But we're not not talking, Jem,' said Isabel. 'We're just taking some time out while we decide what we want to say to each other. I mean, that's what we agreed to do, right?'
'Yeah, it is,' said James. 'So in that case, I guess I have decided what I want to say... or at least, there's some stuff that's going through my head right now that I really need to discuss with you.'
Isabel sighed, turned away from James and went over to her dressing table. She leaned against the wooden surface with both hands, and looked at her companion in the mirror.
'More stuff going through your head, huh?' she said. 'Or is it the same stuff as before?'
'It's a lot of the same stuff, plus some new stuff.'
'Yeah, well... I guess my head's in a similar state to yours, if I'm being totally honest. So, we really do need to talk.'
'Great!' said James. 'So, let's talk.'
He crossed the room in three steps, came up behind Isabel, and placed his hands on her shoulders. Their eyes met in the mirror, then Isabel let out a deep breath and turned her head so that her lips met James's. They kissed each other tenderly for a few moments, then Isabel turned back to the mirror.
'You talk first,' she said. 'I'll listen.'
James began to kiss the back of Isabel's neck. Her eyes slid shut and her breathing started to quicken.
'You know,' said James, 'I suddenly can't remember anything I wanted to say.'
'We really should talk, you know,' said Isabel.
'Tell me you want me to stop,' James whispered in her ear. 'If you can do that, I can remember what I wanted to say to you.'
'I don't want you to stop,' said Isabel.
'Hi,' he said.
'Hi,' said Isabel, stepping to one side. 'You'd better come in.'
As he entered, James noticed that Isabel was wearing pyjamas, and that her bedside light was the only source of illumination in the room.
'You're ready for bed,' James remarked.
'I was taking a last look through my phone when I found your message,' said Isabel. 'I was gonna turn in after I'd done that.'
'You didn't have to invite me to come over right away.'
'You said you wanted to talk, and I wanted to hear what you have to say.'
'It could've waited 'til tomorrow.'
'I want to hear it now.'
'Okay,' said James. 'Iz, I really hate us not talking to each other. We've always been friends and we've always talked, and it's breaking my heart that we're not doing it anymore.'
'But we're not not talking, Jem,' said Isabel. 'We're just taking some time out while we decide what we want to say to each other. I mean, that's what we agreed to do, right?'
'Yeah, it is,' said James. 'So in that case, I guess I have decided what I want to say... or at least, there's some stuff that's going through my head right now that I really need to discuss with you.'
Isabel sighed, turned away from James and went over to her dressing table. She leaned against the wooden surface with both hands, and looked at her companion in the mirror.
'More stuff going through your head, huh?' she said. 'Or is it the same stuff as before?'
'It's a lot of the same stuff, plus some new stuff.'
'Yeah, well... I guess my head's in a similar state to yours, if I'm being totally honest. So, we really do need to talk.'
'Great!' said James. 'So, let's talk.'
He crossed the room in three steps, came up behind Isabel, and placed his hands on her shoulders. Their eyes met in the mirror, then Isabel let out a deep breath and turned her head so that her lips met James's. They kissed each other tenderly for a few moments, then Isabel turned back to the mirror.
'You talk first,' she said. 'I'll listen.'
James began to kiss the back of Isabel's neck. Her eyes slid shut and her breathing started to quicken.
'You know,' said James, 'I suddenly can't remember anything I wanted to say.'
'We really should talk, you know,' said Isabel.
'Tell me you want me to stop,' James whispered in her ear. 'If you can do that, I can remember what I wanted to say to you.'
'I don't want you to stop,' said Isabel.
'That... that was wonderful, Iz,' James said breathlessly as they lay in bed together.
'We... we still haven't talked,' Isabel panted.
'I know,' James replied.
'It's getting really late,' said Isabel.
'I know that too,' said James.
'In which case,' said Isabel, 'you'd better stay the night, hadn't you?'
'Had I?'
'If we're gonna find the time to talk, yeah. You do want to stay, don't you?'
'Yes,' said James. 'Yes, I really do.'
'We... we still haven't talked,' Isabel panted.
'I know,' James replied.
'It's getting really late,' said Isabel.
'I know that too,' said James.
'In which case,' said Isabel, 'you'd better stay the night, hadn't you?'
'Had I?'
'If we're gonna find the time to talk, yeah. You do want to stay, don't you?'
'Yes,' said James. 'Yes, I really do.'
Exactly one week later and almost three thousand miles away, Harry was in his bedroom and engaged in a fairly intense conversation with his boyfriend.
'Are you absolutely sure you want me to come over?' Will asked.
'Yes,' said Harry, 'I'm absolutely sure I want you to come and meet James.'
'I definitely won't be in the way?'
'You definitely won't be in the way.'
'You haven't had any other friends from back east to stay since you moved here, right?' said Will.
'That's right,' said Harry. 'James is my first.'
'This is really important to you, isn't it?' said Will.
'Yes, it is,' said Harry. 'I so want us all to be friends. Please say you'll come, Will.'
Will smiled and said, 'Okay, sure – I'll come over and meet James the day after tomorrow, just as soon as I've dragged myself out of bed and eaten a little breakfast.'
Harry beamed back at him, then the two of them wrapped their arms around each other and kissed zealously.
'Are you absolutely sure you want me to come over?' Will asked.
'Yes,' said Harry, 'I'm absolutely sure I want you to come and meet James.'
'I definitely won't be in the way?'
'You definitely won't be in the way.'
'You haven't had any other friends from back east to stay since you moved here, right?' said Will.
'That's right,' said Harry. 'James is my first.'
'This is really important to you, isn't it?' said Will.
'Yes, it is,' said Harry. 'I so want us all to be friends. Please say you'll come, Will.'
Will smiled and said, 'Okay, sure – I'll come over and meet James the day after tomorrow, just as soon as I've dragged myself out of bed and eaten a little breakfast.'
Harry beamed back at him, then the two of them wrapped their arms around each other and kissed zealously.
'Jimbo!'
The excited yell reverberated around the arrivals area of Terminal Two at San Francisco Airport. James's eyes lit up as he located its source, then he ran across the concourse and threw himself into Harry's arms.
'God, I've missed you!' Harry managed to say through a deluge of tears and laughter.
'I've missed you too, Haz,' said James, immersing himself fully in the warmth of Harry's embrace.
'You've really been through a lot over the past few weeks, huh?' said Harry.
'Yeah.'
'And you've become an uncle!'
'I sure have!' said James, suddenly grinning all over his face. 'That's definitely the best thing that's happened to me recently.'
Harry broke the embrace, took James's chin in his hand, and looked into his eyes.
'We'll have a good, long talk about everything when we get home,' said Harry. 'Wow, just look at you, Jimbo – you're even more handsome than ever!'
'So are you, Haz,' said James.
'Do you have any baggage to pick up?'
'No; everything's in my backpack.'
'Excellent,' Harry grinned. 'Let's get going, then.'
'Are you still with that Junior guy?' James blurted out.
'Yes, I'm still with Will,' said Harry. 'It's really only his family who call him Junior.'
'And you're fucking him?'
'Our relationship is sexual, yes. You never used to swear, Jimbo.'
James shrugged and said, 'A person can change a lot in a year and a half.'
'Not too much, I hope,' said Harry, fixing him with a tender smile.
'No,' said James, returning the smile with interest, 'not too much.'
'You're gonna meet Will tomorrow,' said Harry. 'He's coming over first thing.'
'Oh,' said James. 'That'll be nice.'
Harry laughed, then he threw his right arm around James's shoulders and began to lead him towards the exit.
'There's something you should know,' said Harry, glancing sidelong at his companion. 'I've told Will that you're an old friend from New York, which is perfectly true of course, but... well, that's all he thinks you are, or you ever were.'
'Ah,' said James. 'Why haven't you told him the whole truth?'
'I didn't want to,' said Harry.
'Why not?'
'I really don't know.'
'Should we tell him tomorrow?'
'I don't know that either, Jimbo.'
'In that case,' said James, 'we really do need to have a good, long talk about everything when we get home.'
'Too true,' said Harry.
James smiled and slipped his left arm around Harry's waist as the two of them exited the terminal.
The excited yell reverberated around the arrivals area of Terminal Two at San Francisco Airport. James's eyes lit up as he located its source, then he ran across the concourse and threw himself into Harry's arms.
'God, I've missed you!' Harry managed to say through a deluge of tears and laughter.
'I've missed you too, Haz,' said James, immersing himself fully in the warmth of Harry's embrace.
'You've really been through a lot over the past few weeks, huh?' said Harry.
'Yeah.'
'And you've become an uncle!'
'I sure have!' said James, suddenly grinning all over his face. 'That's definitely the best thing that's happened to me recently.'
Harry broke the embrace, took James's chin in his hand, and looked into his eyes.
'We'll have a good, long talk about everything when we get home,' said Harry. 'Wow, just look at you, Jimbo – you're even more handsome than ever!'
'So are you, Haz,' said James.
'Do you have any baggage to pick up?'
'No; everything's in my backpack.'
'Excellent,' Harry grinned. 'Let's get going, then.'
'Are you still with that Junior guy?' James blurted out.
'Yes, I'm still with Will,' said Harry. 'It's really only his family who call him Junior.'
'And you're fucking him?'
'Our relationship is sexual, yes. You never used to swear, Jimbo.'
James shrugged and said, 'A person can change a lot in a year and a half.'
'Not too much, I hope,' said Harry, fixing him with a tender smile.
'No,' said James, returning the smile with interest, 'not too much.'
'You're gonna meet Will tomorrow,' said Harry. 'He's coming over first thing.'
'Oh,' said James. 'That'll be nice.'
Harry laughed, then he threw his right arm around James's shoulders and began to lead him towards the exit.
'There's something you should know,' said Harry, glancing sidelong at his companion. 'I've told Will that you're an old friend from New York, which is perfectly true of course, but... well, that's all he thinks you are, or you ever were.'
'Ah,' said James. 'Why haven't you told him the whole truth?'
'I didn't want to,' said Harry.
'Why not?'
'I really don't know.'
'Should we tell him tomorrow?'
'I don't know that either, Jimbo.'
'In that case,' said James, 'we really do need to have a good, long talk about everything when we get home.'
'Too true,' said Harry.
James smiled and slipped his left arm around Harry's waist as the two of them exited the terminal.
Extensions are 'clean' versions of stories which, in full, are inappropriate for this website. The uncut version of this story can be found elsewhere online.
