Room 116 (Austin Carlile + Alan Ashby)

III

Gay. This word was mentioned five times over the two days.

Occurrence 1: "I am not gay."

I woke up from the sounds of the birds outside. I pulled my phone from under my pillow to see that it was only 6:30am. Groaning, moaning and violently kicking the blanket to the bottom of the bed, I tried to force myself back to my precious sleep. I must've been quite loud since Austin grumbled in a husky tone, "Keep it down!" Someone clearly had a good sleep.

I tried to recollect what happened last night and I felt like life was blinking before my eyes every time I thought about it. What was going through that guy's head? Sighing, I palmed my forehead and got out of bed. Austin seemed pretty out of himself. His arm was hanging over the bed frame and he was looking down from the gap between the mattress and the support. His mouth was slightly on the edge of the metal rod. "I hate heights." he mumbled and I laughed to myself. "You learn something new everyday."

I headed for the washroom and just when I put my hand on the handle, Austin began to speak. I turned around and the sudden movement brought a wind to my bare chest as I was only wearing my boxers right now. "I'm uh, sorry about yesterday. I don't know what I was doing, it was wrong." he groaned in a morning voice that teenage girls would find unbelievably attractive. I wonder if he does have girls chasing after him, he is fairly good looking.

"Just forget about it." I said with a reassuring smile. He nodded and stopped me from opening the door. "Oh yeah, f.y.i," he began. "I am not gay." he finished in a facade of disgust. "Wouldn't even matter if you were, dude." I said to myself.

Occurrence 2: "Hah, that's so gay."

I sat at the desk and opened my laptop up. I'd connected my devices to the wi-fi so after Austin and I had gone for breakfast, I was ready to surf the net. It may seem boring, but the first thing I opened was the Daily Mail.

Most of it is stupid gossip but it's usually interesting. I saw a few random articles about someone getting shot here and someone going to jail there. As I kept on scrolling, Austin grabbed a seat beside me and started to read too. I looked at him and laughed, he looked like a school kid. I realised how much I don't know about it, and how much I wanted to find out.

"Oh my god," Austin breathed. "Hah, that's so gay." I gave him a stern look for having used the word for something irrelevant and as an insult. He mouthed a sorry. I think he realised my disapproval of the disapproval of homosexual rights. Anyways, the article was of a young boy who's mother allowed him to wear princess dresses because he wanted to.

I thought it was quite adorable. Yeah, it was unordinary but it what way can you justify that as being 'gay' as Austin said. "You need to stop being narrow." I said to Austin before thinking about what I said. "Huh?" he replied.

"I mean you need to get out of bad habits. Some people might get offended." I declared sternly. I felt like a kill joy but I couldn't stand someone slacking off another person like that. "Right, sorry." he said with an unconvincing smile.

Occurrence 3: "I'm pretty sure he was gay."

"Austin, tell me about yourself." I said lazily as I sat on the top bunk watching Austin on the laptop. "17, male, Cali." he said, his eyes glued to the screen. "Cali, really? Same here." I remarked. "Coincidence, I go to Clearville." he said. "Oh, I go to Parkway. Do you know a kid called Jason. Uhh, Jason Deasley." I asked him.

"Oh my God, that kid. I'm pretty sure he was gay." Austin laughed and I shot him the same look I did every other time he used that word. "Damn, I didn't mean it in a bad way." he laughed, disillusioned by constant battering of him for over-using it. "He was in all my classes until he moved to Clearville." I said and Austin nodded. "Cool, he's hilarious. He was in my music class, we'd spend all free period messing around with the guitars and drums." Austin smiled.

"What kind of music do you like?" I asked him, actually interested in the conversation. "Mostly rock and metal." he replied. "Bands?" he asked me in return. "Pink Floyd, Arctic Monkeys, Pierce the Veil, Slipknot, a bit of SOAD sometimes." I replied and he nodded along. "Nice, not many people I know listen to them. They're awesome." he said, closing the laptop and heading towards the bunk bed. "True say."

The next day- Occurrence 4: "What, are you gay or something?"

The day consisted of trying to find something productive to do but of course being the dweebs we are, that didn't happen. Austin and I were talking for an hour or two about ourselves and I finally got to know him a bit better. I was hanging upside down from the bottom bunk; my legs on the bed and my back flat on the ground. Austin was also on the floor but he was positioned with his head in my direction and his legs the other way.

In a yawn, I stretched my arms out and my hand ended up on top of Austin's. Realising my actions, I flicked his hand and brought mine on top of my stomach. "What, are you gay or something? Stop trying to hold my hand." he muttered and I hit the top of his chest for that.

"You know what, for someone who kissed me last night, you do tend to accuse other people of being homosexual instead of considering it upon yourself." I said confidently. "Well, for somebody who I don't know, kissed me back last night, you sure do tend to deny being gay yourself." he said back and I instantly felt like he'd made a better comeback.

"Are you homophobic, in all honesty?" I asked, turning to my side to look at him. "Nope. I think its weird, but be with who you want I guess." Austin shrugged. I was still left in two minds about how he felt about it. I don't know why I was so bothered. It wasn't that big of a deal and I've never been so touchy about it.

Occurrence 5: "Would you ever turn gay?"

It was right before bed and I'd just finished brushing my teeth. Austin was in my bunk reading the book I'd left on my pillow. I cleared my throat as to get his attention but clearly it didn't work as he still sat and read the book. "Austin, I want to sleep." I grumbled. He moved to the side and looked up from the book. "Then sleep." he said very plainly and simply.

I shook my head. "I can't sleep with you in my bed." I groaned and he sighed. He got up from my bunk and sat on the floor leaning against it. I managed to stumble over him and fall onto my bed, literally. He laughed and I just groaned loudly. "Alan, I was thinking, would you ever turn gay?" he asked mindlessly. My face was in the pillow so my attempt of saying 'I don't know' came out as a muffled "Mm dmnf nfhm" but I think he got the message. "I'd turn for you." he said cheekily and I felt my cheeks burn. I turned around and pushed him by his head. "What the hell? Don't say that." I laughed and he laughed too.

Austin put the book down beside him and turned around. He was on his knees and now facing me. Slowly, he put both hands on either sides of my face. "W-what are you doing?" I stuttered in a faint whisper. "Sh-sh." he whispered and delicately placed his familiar soft set of lips against mine; both our eyes closed.

My eyebrows furrowed in frustration as I wasn't used to this but I tried to let it flow. Why was I letting this happen? Why was he doing this? I felt Austin deepening the kiss as I fell with my back to the bed and him following. His tongue begged for entrance and so I allowed him. He was so experienced and my first kiss was a peck on the lips and a see you later.

I pulled away gasping for air. Simultaneously we both said that same thing. "This is wrong." We looked at each other and Austin began to kiss from my lips to my neck, and I whispered to myself as he did:

"This is wrong, this is wrong, this is.."

(tbc)