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Authors: Unknown Author
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allowed Jesse to keep both on his side of the room.
Randall sank down into his desk chair, turning his back to Jesse. Shut out by Eric and unable to risk Kathryn’s disapproval of his sex life, Randall had somehow been left with only his unattainable, half-naked roommate as company. Staring blankly at the computer screen seemed like the only way to cope. He brought his hands to the keyboard, but one landed on the edge of his desk as another curled into a fist against his lap. Anger formed a knot inside his chest. He shut his eyes, drew breath, and was startled by the sound of Jesse setting the portable back into its cradle.
Canned laughter came from the television.
“Who was that?” Randall asked without turning.
Springs creaked as Jesse settled back into his bed. “Kathryn hates me, doesn’t she?”
Startled, Randall turned to see Jesse, his eyes on the television, one arm bent between his head and the pillow, revealing a tuft of dark hair in his armpit. “You two seemed pretty tight at Madeline's,” Randall said, unbuttoning his shirt as he moved to his closet, which allowed him to avoid looking at Jesse for too long.
“Whatever. It was all an illusion. I’m not surprised, though. The girl’s got so many little voices in the back of her head telling her what not to do that she can barely leave her room without asking all of her friends if it’s a good move. And now she lives across the hall from a guy who goes after whatever he wants.”
“Whoever he wants,” Randall corrected, balling up his shirt and tucking it into the laundry hamper.
“What I don’t get,” Jesse continued, “is how she had such a problem with the fact that I sleep around, but it’s perfectly all right for you.” “Since when do I sleep around?” Randall settled back into his desk chair. “Drywater, Texas,” his first attempt at short fiction, was still an open file, designated by a rectangle on the toolbar at the bottom of his screen. His stomach clenched and in his rush to close it, the file exploded onto the screen. He clicked the mouse several more times than needed.
"Oh, come on. All these late nights have been spent at the library?”
Randall bent against the back of his chair. "You know, Jesse, Kathryn has a value system we should all respect. Maybe even aspire to.”
Jesse let out a short, barking laugh as he rose from the pillows, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and turned to face Randall. “No fucking way. I travel across the entire country to get here, to be on my own for the first time in my life, and then I’ve got some prude trying to pile on more rules about what I can and can’t do with my body than I had to put up with as a five-year-old.”
Randall held Jesse’s eyes because it prevented his eyes from wandering down to where the leg of Jesse’s boxers yawned open. “I’ve never heard such a noble excuse for being horny,” Randall said. He turned back to the computer.
“Who are you kidding, Randall? Maybe you respect her, but I know you couldn’t be her if you tried every day.”
Randall rose from the chair and moved to his bed. He had to step over several piles of his books in the process before he sank down onto his mattress and began unlacing his boots. “You need some friends, Jesse. Someone you keep around for a little longer than it takes to get them into bed. Then I might be able to take you seriously when you lecture me on my friends.”
He managed to keep his tone steady, but when he shot a glance Jesse’s way, he saw that Jesse wore a wry, disbelieving smirk. “What are you talking about, Randall? I have you.”
Randall kicked one boot to the floor and then started pushing the other one off with his heel.
“Yeah, well, I think I’ve figured you two out,” Jesse said blithely, his bare feet padding to the fridge. He opened a carton
Randall sank down into his desk chair, turning his back to Jesse. Shut out by Eric and unable to risk Kathryn’s disapproval of his sex life, Randall had somehow been left with only his unattainable, half-naked roommate as company. Staring blankly at the computer screen seemed like the only way to cope. He brought his hands to the keyboard, but one landed on the edge of his desk as another curled into a fist against his lap. Anger formed a knot inside his chest. He shut his eyes, drew breath, and was startled by the sound of Jesse setting the portable back into its cradle.
Canned laughter came from the television.
“Who was that?” Randall asked without turning.
Springs creaked as Jesse settled back into his bed. “Kathryn hates me, doesn’t she?”
Startled, Randall turned to see Jesse, his eyes on the television, one arm bent between his head and the pillow, revealing a tuft of dark hair in his armpit. “You two seemed pretty tight at Madeline's,” Randall said, unbuttoning his shirt as he moved to his closet, which allowed him to avoid looking at Jesse for too long.
“Whatever. It was all an illusion. I’m not surprised, though. The girl’s got so many little voices in the back of her head telling her what not to do that she can barely leave her room without asking all of her friends if it’s a good move. And now she lives across the hall from a guy who goes after whatever he wants.”
“Whoever he wants,” Randall corrected, balling up his shirt and tucking it into the laundry hamper.
“What I don’t get,” Jesse continued, “is how she had such a problem with the fact that I sleep around, but it’s perfectly all right for you.” “Since when do I sleep around?” Randall settled back into his desk chair. “Drywater, Texas,” his first attempt at short fiction, was still an open file, designated by a rectangle on the toolbar at the bottom of his screen. His stomach clenched and in his rush to close it, the file exploded onto the screen. He clicked the mouse several more times than needed.
"Oh, come on. All these late nights have been spent at the library?”
Randall bent against the back of his chair. "You know, Jesse, Kathryn has a value system we should all respect. Maybe even aspire to.”
Jesse let out a short, barking laugh as he rose from the pillows, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and turned to face Randall. “No fucking way. I travel across the entire country to get here, to be on my own for the first time in my life, and then I’ve got some prude trying to pile on more rules about what I can and can’t do with my body than I had to put up with as a five-year-old.”
Randall held Jesse’s eyes because it prevented his eyes from wandering down to where the leg of Jesse’s boxers yawned open. “I’ve never heard such a noble excuse for being horny,” Randall said. He turned back to the computer.
“Who are you kidding, Randall? Maybe you respect her, but I know you couldn’t be her if you tried every day.”
Randall rose from the chair and moved to his bed. He had to step over several piles of his books in the process before he sank down onto his mattress and began unlacing his boots. “You need some friends, Jesse. Someone you keep around for a little longer than it takes to get them into bed. Then I might be able to take you seriously when you lecture me on my friends.”
He managed to keep his tone steady, but when he shot a glance Jesse’s way, he saw that Jesse wore a wry, disbelieving smirk. “What are you talking about, Randall? I have you.”
Randall kicked one boot to the floor and then started pushing the other one off with his heel.
“Yeah, well, I think I’ve figured you two out,” Jesse said blithely, his bare feet padding to the fridge. He opened a carton
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