'Come over!'
Joseph beamed wide, resting his phone aside to slide off his bed for his closet. At long last he'd found someone. A chance perhaps to move on from Max, a thing he'd never believed was possible. Max had broken his heart quite.
He'd at first understood why, they were step brothers, but Max hooking with other guys was what had upset him so. How could he choose them over him?
Max had texted him from his trip to kick off his senior six vacation, a foreboding to Joseph. He knew his own senior four vacation was going to be dull.
He had looked forward to their time together. He'd only come out to him two months prior after carrying the burden for five years. Despite initial friction, Max had eventually agreed & all had seemed bright. After both their finals, they'd enjoy each other, Joseph had assumed.
He'd hardly enjoyed the first weeks of his vacation in December 2021, pleading to Max to reconsider but he'd been left on read one too many times. Max hadnt returned home after the trip & he'd refused to tell him, were he was now living.
As the new year begun, Joseph had moved on to dating apps, but had his reservations on meeting.
He dreaded catfishes the most & couldn't risk his secret coming out, at least while he was still in Uganda. The climate was ominous twenty four seven, three hundred & sixty five days a year. He had plans to leave the country in the near future.
A profile had eventually caught his attention, the texting style all to familiar, & the body pics, he'd definitely seen before. Max had said he was Mark but Joseph, unconvinced, had also lied he was John, learning Max was in it for the money.
Joseph said he was willing to pay, getting Max's location in the process. On arrival to the rental complex, Max was stepping out of a 2020 silver TX, driven by a middle aged man.
He bid him farewell, checcking his pockets to pull out & count a couple of hundred dollar bills with a smile. When Max crossed the road to enter his rental complex, Joseph quickly followed..
"Joseph? What are you doing here? How did you find me??" Max was shocked when he opened his door.
"John!", he spat.
"What?"
"On the app.. you were talking to me!! What are you doing there?"
"Having fun", Max shrugged.
"So you ditched me for some random guys?"
"Joseph, leave me alone ok? I'm an adult & I can do whatever I want..", Max yelled.
Joseph had stormed off & removed the app, seizing talking to Max.
His senior four's had come out good in February, his first grade ensuring he got into the tech school he'd always wanted. Computers were his passion & he wanted to spend the rest of his studying years doing just that.
School work had kept him occupied for three months, adult videos the only play he got. Frustrated, he'd decided to try out online dating again, joining another app & there corresponding with Axel.
Axel wasn't like the others. He was hot, handsome, & hung Joseph had seen. They hadn't shared face pictures, another thing that took Joseph off the edge. He could chat anonymously & slowly get to know someone for agreeing to meet.
Axel was 19 like him, fit like him, & also coming to terms with his sexuality. Where had he been all his life? Joseph thought. Three weeks elapsed before Joseph felt ready to visit him.
A blue bomber jacket, black jeans, beige shirt, & snickers would make the right impression, Joseph thought.
"Going somewhere?" Trevor found him in their hostel hallway.
He wondered were his bestfriend was going at 7pm without him. To see a girl he hoped.
"Yeah. Will be back late!", Joseph proceeded down.
