Groom Wars

18. The Danger That Plagues Them

Water slipped down Leandro's skin as he towelled his hair after showering. Long hair required a certain amount of care to retain its lustre, so he treated it tenderly. His skin also was not blemish-free by chance but by research. As a teenager, he had struggled with acne, but he was grateful he had changed his diet and daily routine to diminish the number of breakouts he endured each year. He massaged his face, rubbing the areas where tension lines usually formed, applied some reparation cream and sunblock. He conditioned his hair as well, and when he was satisfied with its waves, washed his hands and lotioned his body.

Once his skin was replenished, he changed into a shirt and pants.

He arranged his supplies in a black pouch, zipped it shut, and exited the mini bathroom with it in hand. In the larger washroom, some boys were brushing their teeth by the line of sinks against the far wall and bragging about how many girls they had slept with, outside of the range of the cameras and microphones that plagued them.

Ignoring them, Leandro returned to his room, where he found Adriel lying on his bunk, a book covering his face, limbs relaxed and limp as if he were taking a midday nap. By Adriel's feet, there was a stuffed teddy bear with white fur and a red bow tie. On its belly was a sign that said, 'Poisonous: Do Not Touch.'

Aside from occasional murmurs of conversation, the room was silent, still.

Leandro thought of the information Adriel had divulged by the pool. Was Leandro attracted to Adriel because the boy wasn't afraid to say what he was thinking? Was Leandro attracted to Adriel because Adriel often broke out into song or dance and put his emotions out there for others to see? Or was Leandro attracted to Adriel because the boy's beautiful face was like an open book, and Leandro could turn page after page and tell what emotion was written on each?

He wondered, 'Is it normal to have such a connection with someone? To care for them so much you dream about them when you go weeks without seeing them?'

An alarm shook him from his thoughts.

The world fast-forwarded as people loafing in their beds or sitting on pillows on the ground lurched to their feet.

A blue light flashed at the back of the room.

Adriel removed his book indolently, slowly rising. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. The curls on the back of his head were squashed from the way he had lain down. Waves of excitement trickled through the house. Leandro heard a charivari of hoots and yells in the hallway, and someone ran past their doorway, screaming, "Challenge time, baby! Let's get it! Whoo!"

Adriel, dazed and disorientated, took a moment to figure out where he was. He glanced at Leandro standing near the foot of his bed, yawned a second time while covering his mouth with a dainty hand, then lowering it, asked, "What's this?"

"I think we have to go."

The alarms petered out.

Adriel patted the head of his white teddy bear and said, "Watch the bunk for me, little buddy, don't let someone steal it again." Adriel threw himself over the side of his bed and landed on the tile on his hand and knees. He groaned, stood, brushed himself off, gave Leandro a thumbs up, and grinned sheepishly. He put on a pair of black sneakers and strode away from Leandro. From the way Adriel limped towards the door, it seemed that he had hurt his toe. Leandro changed into a pair of sneakers and followed the boy into the hallway.

The two roommates merged with a crowd of boys trying to push their way towards the door. It was chaos; not even the camera people could avoid getting jostled by the moving mass. Some guy shoved Adriel into the wall, and Leandro, reaching Adriel's side in seconds, held the boy's shoulder and kept Adriel close to him, so Adriel wouldn't get swallowed by the pulsing bodies and stomping feet. Some energetic men hopped over the furniture and raced through the front door. Others lagged behind, nursing their heads, cursing or groaning; apparently, Adriel hadn't been the only one to fall victim to alcohol. Outside, Leandro released Adriel as Director Chen, a small round-bellied Asian man placed them on different buses.