That's really all there is to tell in this particular story. I moved out at the end of the summer and spent my senior year rooming with my mission buddies. I saw Nick occasionally in the engineering building and we would nod awkwardly without saying anything, as men do.
Finn and Nick both graduated from BYU, as far as I know. I looked them both up on Facebook when I started writing all this down. Nick is working for a design firm in Southern California. Interposed with articles on public policy and green technology are selfies of Nick with his ears pierced, in a tanktop and hanging out with other guys in tanktops. Many of these pictures also include red cups and such.
Finn went all dapper on us after leaving BYU. He completed medical school and works at a hospital in Chicago. Facebook offers us pictures of a well-dressed, well-groomed Finn hanging out with people who appear to be Mormon, though his profile offers little evidence for or against his current activity in the Church. Neither profile mentions a relationship in the recent past.
Writing all this down has made me wonder about Nick and Finn. How are they doing? Are they happy? Have they figured out how to get around, or through, the contradiction of being gay and Mormon? Have they found answers to the questions that so perplexed me when I was their roommate, and continue to perplex me now? I'm not convinced that they have by what I see.
* * *
The last time I saw Finn was just before I graduated.
"So, you're almost done?" he smalltalked.
"Almost done. Then off to grad school."
"Yeah, I have one more year, then off to med school." He rolled his eyes.
"Your day will come, my son," I said loftily.
He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."
We chatted for a while, then he said, "I wish you all the best. May you become rich, powerful, and influential beyond your wildest dreams."
"Said the future doctor."
He laughed, then looked me straight in the eyes. "Thanks for everything you did for me. You were a good roommate. It means more to me than you know."
"I stand by what I said," I said. "You're a good man. You'll go far."
"Thanks, Nick," he replied. "So will you."
My name is also Nick.
YOU ARE READING
Nick & Finn
General FictionFor me, it started as the worst summer of my life. For them, it started out as a social experiment. And though we only crossed paths for a short time, I'm grateful for the experience. It taught me to never be comfortable, and it changed our lives ir...
