Not what you thought

Hard Work

     I'm busy finishing up my 3rd essay tonight, homework has been a bitch this past year.  I guess graduating a year early really will be a lot of work.  However, if I do it for my love, I know I'll have boundless energy to do all the schoolwork in the world.  Thinking of Phana for the 70th time that night sidetracks me yet again.  His hair is just always so perfect, his smile glorious, and his kindness God's only rival.  The religion of Phana is the only one I'll ever belong to, I love him so.  He is the only reason to sacrifice brain cells by staying up three nights in a row doing tedious homework.  Phana is a genius, if I am to be his equal, then I must work thrice as hard as anyone has ever worked before me.   As I got back to work, Ming calls, knowing that if I decline or do not answer he'll cause even more of a ruckus, I answer immediately. 

      "What?" In a scalding tone I start off the conversation that was inevitable.

     "Still working I assume since you sound very awake, I wanted to let you know I have what you ordered, I'm out front.  The guard recognized me so he let me in."

     "Why so late?!?" It's currently going on four in the morning so I don't understand how Ming has just gotten it.

     "I got it this evening at the shop way across town, why you ordered something to be shipped in but chose a pickup location across town I have no clue, but I was feeling really drowsy after picking it up.  Drowsy enough to the point that it was not a good idea to drive.  So I locked my doors, left the car, and called a taxi to bring me home.  After resting, I called in a favor to get a ride back over there, driving here immediately afterwards."  At least Ming was being safer than most teenage drivers.  

     "Come on up, why are you just waiting down there, my house is your second home at this point," Ming spends so much time here that if Ming didn't have a new girlfriend every other week, I think his parents would believe that Ming was a closeted gay who was in a serious relationship with me.  That isn't too far from the truth though, as recent as two years ago, a guy caught his eye and still unknowingly holds it in a death grip.  Ming is always cordial to his current girlfriend, a perfect gentleman, but it never lasts long.  Ming hasn't talked to me about this in depth, but from my observation, he just never says no when a girl confesses to him.  The only response I ever got from him was, 'girls are precious little flowers full of innocence, who am I to wilt a rose before it can fully bloom?'  Honestly, I think that Ming was shocked when he saw him, and can't fully come to terms with the fact that the one he's actually in love with is a man; Ming had always known himself.  He was never confused about what or who he was.  He liked girls, therefore, he was straight, or so he thought.  Falling in love with a man threw a loop into the system.  From then on, he dated anyone who first wanted to date him, in an effort to completely become the person he thought he was before, to return to simpler times where none of his thoughts ever completely shocked him.

     Within moments I hear the front door slam shut and raucous footsteps as Ming bounds up the stairs leading to my room.  Saving the essay to my flash drive I wince as I anticipate Ming's normal loud arrival to my room.  Ming greets me by throwing my door open and hurling a tiny box at the back of my head; I see Ming scowling at me playfully as I turn around.  When Ming sees me rolling my eyes, a smile breaks out onto his face that eventually devolves into boisterous laughter.  

    Still getting my bearings from laughing so hard, I look around for whatever Ming threw at me; my eyes catch a small grey velvet box that, if smaller, almost looked like an engagement ring was possibly inside.

    "Yo, what's inside that's that important?"  Ming was obviously very curious which makes me happy, because that means he respected my privacy enough to not look inside, which is a rare occurrence.  I figure I should let my friend have some fun so I calmly and carefully pass the soft box to Ming.  Immediately he opens it, and his mouth opens as well when he realizes what's inside.  "Yo! You haven't even confessed, you don't know how he feels! Why did you already buy couples bracelets?"  I can tell he's joking from the shit-eating grin on his face.  

     "I guess I'm an optimist, wouldn't you be doing the same if it was your gorgeous, chubby cheeked, amazing, and perfect Kit-Kat that caught your heart from the first day you saw him?" I can hear Ming mumbling expletives so obscene that sailors wouldn't dare to utter them.  

     "I knew I should have never mentioned my beautiful Kit-Kat," your Kit-Kat? I think Kit would have some choice words to say if you ever slip up when talking to him, and call him yours.  Kit is a tough as nails kinda guy, but he has the sweetest face that doesn't really fit.  Even with how much I love Pha, I can admit, Kit is breathtakingly cute; sadly, he lives constantly in Pha's handsome shadow that he can't overtake.  Suddenly Ming's face grows dark "From all of the times I've observed him with Pha and Beam, it looks as if Beam and Kit-Kat are in a relationship.  Beam even has a pet name for him, Kitty."  A sad and sulking Ming is never a good thing, but when it comes to Kit I can't help him.  All I can do is be a supportive friend in the moment.  I walk over to Ming, take the grey box out of his hands and place it on the bed.  Ming begins to heave when I engulf him in a hug.  My shoulder begins to become wet from Ming's silent tears of insecurity and vulnerability.  

     I shuffle from the doorway where Ming was still standing, although hunched over now, and bring us to sit on the edge of my bed without breaking the hug.  I release him and scoot back, I see his already red rimmed eyes and tear streaks running down his face.  I gently push him so he falls onto the bed, carefully place a pillow behind his head, and tuck him.  I stay sitting next to him until I notice his breathing slowing as he falls asleep, then I get up to finish the essay that I have to turn in almost three hours.

(1154 words) :D