Who You Are

Chapter 1: Jack

I wake up feeling like my head's being squeezed by a vice. That's what I get though. You can't really complain about this kind of shit when you willingly spent the night getting absolutely trashed.

After I lie here a minute and get my head together, I realize I'm not alone. There's someone lying in bed beside me. His hand's on my chest, and he's still asleep. I remember him a little bit. We hooked up last night. I don't know his name though. It's already lost in my brain with all the other names of guys I've fucked and forgotten about.

"Hey." I say, sitting up and shoving him a little, "Come on, man, wake up."

He jolts awake, smiling when he realizes where his is. He thinks he was suppoesed to stay over. He probably thinks that there's something between us. I swear I don't try to make them think that, but I seem to have that affect on people. They always think I want more from them than I really do. I feel bad about it. But only a little.

"Morning." He yawns, reaching for my hand, "Last night was fun."

"Jesus, stop." I groan, pulling my hand away from him, "You gotta go."

I see the blissful look on his face fall away.

"Like, you weren't s'posed to sleep here, dude."

"You didn't tell me that last night." He says quietly.

"Well I was wasted last night. Sorry if you thought-"

"No." He says quickly, "It's fine."

He stands up, totally naked, and starts searching for his clothes.

"Hallway." I tell him, remembering that that's where we both fell out of them last night.

He doesn't look at me as he walks to the door. He dips his head out first to make sure my roommate isn't out there. Then he grabs his clothes and comes back into the room. We're both silent as he starts getting dressed. After his jeans are on, he speaks.

"You're such a prick, you know that?"

I start to say something, but quickly decide to just let him go for it. He's not wrong.

"Like, I got a warning and I still decided to fall for your bullshit." He continues.

"To be fair, bein' polite and attractive in the right light don't count as bullshit." I tell him.

"The right light?" He scoffs, "God, don't act like you don't know you're gorgeous."

"I don't know.  I think it's just somethin' about a gay boy with a southern accent that gets people goin' for some reason."

He rolls his eyes.  I shrug my shoulders. Again, I guess he's not wrong.  But neither am I. I mean, I would never just say I'm hot. But other people seem to think so. That has to count for something.

"Wait." I say as he's pulling on his shoes, "What do you mean you got a warnin'?"

He rolls his eyes at me again.

"I think you've fucked every gay boy we go to school with.  Probably a few of the straight ones too." He sighs, "You're just lucky you live off campus. Couldn't get so much action if you shared a bedroom."

"Didn't stop me my first two years." I laugh.

He scoffs at that, but doesn't say anything else about it. He just finishes putting on his shoes. Then he gets up, flips me off, and leaves my apartment.

When I hear the door shut, I get out of bed and use the bathroom. Then I go into my roommate's bedroom, and crawl in with him. I get real close, so my chest is touching his back; then I start whispering in his ear.