Mason
Something was different about tonight.
I was sitting at our table in the back corner of the library. It was a Friday night, and most people were out having a good time. The boys couldn’t believe that I wasn’t going out with them tonight. We almost never had a weekend off, and this Saturday, we did, so they were headed off to one of our favorite drinking holes for the night.
I was right where I wanted to be.
Calvin showed up right on time. I assumed he was a stickler about that kind of thing, and I had made sure that I was a few minutes early all week. My first impression of Calvin had been that he was tightly wound. He seemed stiff and all buttoned up. I think I was starting to get some chinks to fall out of his wall, though. It was a slow process, but I was starting to feel that he was worth the time. There was just something about him that I couldn’t get out of my head. Was he the one that I’d been waiting for? Only time would tell.
“Hey, Mason,” he said as he slid into his chair and dropped his backpack on the floor. “How’s the paper coming?”
“And right to work…” I grimaced, making an ugly face at him. “Hey, Calvin? How was your day?” I asked and then imitated his voice. “It was good, Mason. How was yours? Was practice rough tonight?” I switched back to my voice and noticed that he had a little grin on his face. “Thanks for asking, Calvin. It was okay. I had meatloaf for lunch and then hit the gym for a couple hours. Then I got the shit tackled out of me for a couple hours. I might even have a bruise.” I stuck out my bottom lip playfully.
“A bruise, huh…” he grinned. “Probably serves you right.”
“Hawkins was out today. He pulled his shoulder, lifting. So, the defense got me instead. I think they take it easier on Hawkins, cause he’s so skinny. They didn’t hold back with me today,” I winced. It really was sore.
“Where is it,” he asked, curious.
I stood up and raised my shirt up, turning to the side so he could see my ribs. His eyes widened, and he reached out and touched the already purpling skin. His fingertips caused me to shiver, gooseflesh rippled across my torso as his fingers lingered over the bruise. He looked up at me at pushed it gently, and I winced.
“Sorry… I…guess I, couldn’t help myself,” he stammered. “It’s pretty big. Did you get it checked out?”
“Just a bruise. Trust me, it comes with the territory.” I shrugged, still holding my shirt up above my head. My muscles rippled as I stretched. There was something about pain and the feeling of it. I liked this kind of uncomfortableness. It meant I was working hard.
“Mason?” Calvin said, still looking at my torso. “You can put your shirt back on.” He said breathily. I blushed as did he.
I pulled my shirt back down over my head and sat down across from him. “Sorry, I guess getting naked in the library is frowned upon, huh?”
His face lit up. “Oh, I’m sure you weren’t the first, Mason. I bet these stacks have seen some things. I mean all these college hormones… This would be a pretty good place for some canoodling.”
I felt my blush climb higher up my face. Those had been my thoughts exactly. Of course, my canoodling partner had been Calvin in my fantasies. “And to answer your question, yes. I have a very rough draft to let you see tonight. I’m hoping that I can finish it this weekend, so we have time to work on it together.”
“Cool. First, though, we have to get you to pass this quiz.” Calvin frowned as if he had doubts that I could do it.
“You don’t think I’m gonna pass, do you?” I said sadly, feeling the wind fall completely out of my sails. I wanted him to believe in me, it had become important to me, even to impress him with how hard I was studying and how seriously I was taking this. Maybe he hadn’t noticed.
He leaned in, the frown falling off his face. “Sorry, Mason. That wasn’t what I meant. I promise. It’s just that we’ve only had a week, and this class isn’t really one of my strong points. I just hope that I’m giving you what you need.”
“You always have, Calvin.” Watching him blush again, took my breath away. “You… I mean, I think that you are great and I think I’m getting it. I do. Hell, I even kind of enjoyed writing this fucking paper, and I hate that shit.”
He stared at me, quietly as if he had something he wanted to say, and then he bent down and unzipped his bag and pulled out some paperwork. “Well, let’s see then. Do you have a pen?”
I held up the pen that was on the table. “I’m always prepared. I was a boy scout.” I laughed.
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” he said quickly, staring at me with those gorgeous green eyes, a small lopsided smirk appearing slowly across his face.
“Nope. No girls…” I said slowly. This was my moment. I could tell him now, and it would be like ripping the band-aid off. Scary before you pull it, but the pain was never as bad as you thought it was going to be. I took a deep breath and felt my resolve crumble. “I haven’t had a date since my freshman year. So… nope.”
“Damn… McKendrick. Freshman year? That’s worse than my track record, and trust me, it’s abysmal.” His eyes widened in surprise at his admission, as did mine. A glimmer of the real Calvin peeked through. It was glorious. I craved more.
“Well… I prefer quality to quantity, and Calvin?” I swallowed and felt my throat tighten. “Call me Mason. I hate that bro-last name bullshit, and yeah, I know I do it… But it always feels fake, unless I’m on the field. Besides, I like the way you say my name. You really have a nice voice. Maybe you should have been a singer,” I tease. I wanted to hear him moan my name. I had thought about it when I was lying in my bed.
He laughed. “Trust me, you do not want to hear me sing. Your ears might bleed. Okay, Mason, let’s take this quiz I made for you with some of the things I would expect to be on the test, and let’s see how you do.”
He slid a sheet of paper over to me, and I picked it up. The staple in the corner let me know that there was more than one page. I thumbed through it. Damn… There were four pages. I glanced up at him and licked my top lip before I chewed on it. I did that when I concentrated. I nodded and started writing. I was happy with how many of the questions I thought I knew the answers to. I wanted him to see that he had helped me, that I was better with him than I had been before. I wanted him to know that he made me a better person ever since I met him.
I got halfway through the quiz, and I glanced up at him. He had a small smile on his face as he watched me work. His eyes, though, weren’t on the paper.
