Mr Mysterious [boyxboy]

18.

After Jasper hears from Ty, he feels a lot better. He spends the next couple of days roaming the city with his mother. She makes a fuss about wanting to see a broadway show but not having the time. Though he doesn’t openly show enthusiasm, he  is a little disappointed that she is so sure they won’t have a chance to. Her conference is the next day and Jasper makes a mental note to see if there will be an opportunity for them to catch a show.

The city is magnificent. It is busy everywhere they go. The night before they found a restaurant for dinner (which was probably the most expensive in the whole city) and the  nightlife was incredible. The city lights were more than Jasper had ever seen. It’s bigger than it seems in any of the photos and any of the movies. It’s amazing to be there and in a totally different culture to what he is used to at home. Just walking down a city street is like he is in a whole new world.

As much as he is enjoying himself, he still wishes that Ty could be there with him. Every day they exchange a few messages here or there, but Jasper is avoiding real conversation. He can’t help but wonder if maybe while he is away Ty has been speaking to Ben or even seeing him. The idea makes his head spin in a way that is more than unpleasant.  

He is walking around a bookstore that looks like more of an old fashioned library. Jasper thinks his mother is somewhere in the biography section. He however is hovering in the romance section. Jasper isn’t too much of a reader. Sure, when he finds a good read he might sit for days and do nothing but get lost in the words. If it’s not top notch he is rather fast to toss a book aside though. He is only floating through the store because as much as he doesn’t read too much, he likes new books. He likes that the range is so extensive. He likes that he is currently surrounded by the stories of a million different minds, so many different worlds and if he were to pick one up and read it he would have no idea how personal or impersonal it really is to the reader.

“Is there anything you want?”

Jasper jumps because he didn’t hear his mum coming up behind him. He looks around and shakes his head. There are two hardcovers in her hands which she purchases before they leave. After a coffee and yet another mother-son chat about Jaspers future they head back to the hotel room.

When Jasper is alone, he pulls out his phone. He has avoided using it because it costs so much, but the bill goes to his parents and right now he is dying to hear Ty’s voice. He hears the shower start up and he knows there isn’t any risk of his mum overhearing his conversation.  

Ty picks up on the third ring.

“Jasper?”

“Hey, I’m not interrupting anything am I?” Jasper really hopes he is not because he doesn’t want to have to cut this short. He sits down on his temporary bed and lays back across the mattress.

"No, not at all... how are you?"

"Well I'm a lot better now. How's everyone back home?"

"Everyone's good. They're all buzzing for graduation, and Stan has already started packing."

Ty sounds a little bored, he doesn't go into detail but the small amount he says is enough to catch Jaspers attention. Jasper knows that Stann and Ty were tossing ideas around about moving in together closer to the city but Ty again hasn't shared many details on the matter.

"Packing?" Jasper asks.

"Yeah we're moving in the week after graduation to start job hunting. It's his dad's old place so someone sort of has to be living there or he is paying for nothing." Ty explains.

There is a long silence on Jaspers end of the line because he doesn't really know how to feel about that, he only gets back the night before graduation and less than a week later they're going to be separated again, sure by a couple of hours rather than a plane trip but still it isn't ideal.