Crush

Room

Oliver

I leaned against the wall and pulled at the collar of my shirt and looked down at the phone in my hand.

Scrolling through my contacts, I stopped at Dad's number and pressed the dial button. He should be eating breakfast right about now. Lifting the phone to my ear, I listened to it ring a couple of times before he answered.

"Hey, Dad." I smiled down the phone. "How's it going?"

"Ollie!" Dad almost shouted down the phone to me. I pulled the phone away from my ear slightly. "It's all good here, my boy. How is it in Florida? How did your tour go?"

"It went really well, I think. This place is impressive." I pulled at the collar again as it rubbed my neck. Ugh, I really needed to get out of these clothes. I was getting hot. "I saw a couple of the professors. They liked the recommendation from Asher's dad that you got for me." I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "I think it's all good."

"That's great!" Dad shouted down the phone. I pulled the phone further away from my ear. A couple of people walked past me and raised their eyebrows at the way I was holding my phone. I just grinned at them. There just wasn't enough time in the day for me to explain my dad to anyone. "Listen, if you get into that college and you move to Florida, I'm coming with you! I could do with living in a warmer town! It's too cold here!"

I risked bringing the phone to my ear. "Dad, you don't have to shout down the phone, you know. I can hear you."

"Oh." His voice sounded quieter instantly. "Was I getting too loud for you?"

I chucked. "You could say that."

"Oh. Okay. Is this better? Can you still hear me?" His voice was just above a whisper now. From one extreme to another.

"Yeah, I can hear you." I pulled at my collar once more, trying to get it away from my hot neck. "So, you wanna come live in Florida with me and Liam?"

"No, not with you and Liam. Just ... in a warmer place. I'm too cold here, Ollie. My old bones don't like the cold any more."

I scoffed. My dad wasn't that old.

"But," he continued, "I wouldn't live too close to either of you. I don't want to get in your way. Cramp your style or anything, you know. I know how you kids like your own space."

"I don't really have a style for you to cramp, Dad."

He laughed. I smiled. It was good to hear him laugh. He'd been working so hard these last few months that I'd almost forgotten I even had a dad.

"What does Asher think of the college?" Dad asked. Me and Asher had opted for different tours as our majors wouldn't be the same when we started at the college.

I glanced at the restroom door opposite from where I was standing in the hallway. The cool air conditioning was blowing a pleasant breeze across my face. I pulled the collar of my shirt away from my neck to let some of the cool air massage my skin. "I think he likes it here."

"I don't think you kids have anything to worry about. You'll both get in."

I smiled at Dad's optimism. "Thanks, Dad."

Suddenly, the restroom door in front of me opened and Asher walked out, a huge grin on his face.

"I gotta go, Dad." I stared at Asher, standing in the doorway in a fitted white t-shirt and charcoal grey pants that complimented his skin colour and brought out the shine of his green eyes.

He looked beyond gorgeous.

"Uh, Asher's just come out of the bathroom and we're ... uh ... gonna go get something to eat." I couldn't keep my eyes off of Asher as he walked slowly towards me, the fabric of his t-shirt moving against the muscles in his arms, chest. Yeah, I wanted something to eat, but I wasn't thinking about food right now.