Mixed Tensions

Chapter 2

204. The number that marked the door to his new school-home life. His hand reached for the doorknob and turned-

'Well fancy seeing you here Mr Clumsy.' Noah's eyes widened in horror as a freckled face smiled back at him. He couldn't believe it, maybe it was a mistake, he thought, it had to be a mistake.

'Sorry I think I have the wrong room.' Before he could excuse himself, the boy laughed – how Noah hated that laugh. 'Is your name Noah Hunter?' Noah nodded, unable to speak. 'Well then, Noah,' he drawled, looking the other boy up and down. 'I guess we're roommates this year.'

Noah just stood there, silent, waiting for the laugh to kick in, waiting for him to say it's a joke and they will not be rooming together.

'So...do you need help unpack-'

'What's your name?' Noah blurted out. He couldn't help himself, he had to put a name to the freckled face that he knew would be haunting his dreams.

'Caleb Rosen'

'Okay Rosen, no I don't need help unpacking, no I don't want to be your friend and yes I do want the bed closest to the TV'. Caleb laughed. Again. That's all he seems to do Noah thought. 'Okay Hunter, since we're doing the whole last name thing, I was going to give you the TV bed anyway because I am just..' He paused. 'sooooooo kind!'

His attitude was annoying Noah, but he let it slide so he wouldn't get mad again. 

In no time at all both boys were unpacked and sitting in silence in their respective beds with the TV above Noah's head lowly playing out some RNB music. Caleb broke the silence first, 'So Hunter, why you here at QWE?'

'Basketball.' Came Noah's curt response. 'Seriously? I guess we're teammates as well as roommates!' Noah whipped his head so fast to the grinning boy he thought he might have whiplash. 'You are joking, right? You don't play basketball? You must like...I don't know, sing or something.'

'Ha! Fat chance of you hearing me sing anytime soon. Nah I need to use this 6'8'' height for something.' He stood proudly for greater effect. 'So I'm Power Forward for the Senior Team'.

'Point Guard. Senior Team' Noah sighed back, realising where he'd seen Caleb's face before – the team sheet that was sent out prior to arrival. 'Guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other then'. Caleb nodded in silence.

With the lights off, the only sound was Caleb's heavy breathing indicating he was fast asleep. Noah was left alone with his thoughts. Thoughts that were consumed with the tall freckled curly-headed boy asleep across the room from him. 

'If you want to be more than friends then...' came a murmur from Caleb's bed. Noah sat up and stared towards him waiting to hear a laugh or more of what Caleb was going to say. He watched as the boy turned in his sleep and fell back to silence.

Then what? Noah wondered, he never considered himself becoming more with any of his former male friends. Sure he thought other men were attractive but he would never think of them like that. He sighed and drifted off to sleep, maybe they could just be friends he thought.