The Universe of Discretion: The Dead House
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Michael BN
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Patrick is approached by members of "The Dead House" fraternity who aim to be the most inclusive frat house on campus. Soon a secret crush on his roommate and a steamy encounter with a fellow frat member make Patrick's life far more complicated than it's ever been.
One
Hargrave was my ticket to a better future.
Iâd left behind my small town high school like a rat fleeing a sinking ship. Now, I was in the ocean, treading water to stop myself from drowning.
This place could be Mars and I wouldâve felt equally alien. My first and only friend, Rebecca, had recently ditched me for a guy. I had to admit that he was gorgeous and perhaps I wouldâve done the same to her, but I was still pissed.
Maybe it was for the best.
This way, I could concentrate on my studies, graduate, and start my real life. I looked forward to an existence beyond such arbitrary things as popularity, grades, and keggers.
At least, thatâs what I chose to tell myself.
***
Do you ever have those moments that are so surreal that you think youâre dreaming or tripping?
Minding my own business in the cafeteria, I was reading a pocket novel over a plate of French fries and broccoliâdonât ask.
Then, a group of four guys strolled over and sat down at my table, surrounding me. What the fuck?
A dude with ebony skin and a perfect white smile said, âHi!â
âHey!â I waved, starting to panic slightly.
âYour name is Patrick, right?â he asked. So far, this encounter seemed friendly enough, so I nodded confirmation.
âYouâre gay, no?â an Asian guy asked casually as if asking about my study major.
Oh, fuck. Not this shit again.
âGuys, I donât want any trouble,â I said, grabbing my book and standing up quickly. I really wanted to finish my French fries, for fuckâs sake.
A hand grabbed my arm, and when I turned around to see where it came from, my heart skipped a beat.
Perfect dark-blond hair, gemstone green eyes, andâŠwhat kind of genes had to mix to make that mouth and chin combination?
âPlease, this isnât what you think,â he said in a quiet voice.
âDo you know who we are?â pearly whites asked me, carefully.
âShould I?â I said, hesitantly sitting back down again.
âWe are members of the Dead House fraternity.â
âThat sounds ominous,â I said with a nervous laugh.
âRelax, Sam! You are scaring our potential new recruit,â the Asian guy said.
âIs this a sophomore prank?â I asked, looking at each of them in turn.
âLetâs start over,â the guy, who was making me very nervous, said. âIâm Will, thatâs Fred, Sam, and Bobo. Bobo is Thai; no one can pronounce his real name.â
âPatrick,â I said, wiggling my fingers. I didnât want to be rude to Willâs friends.
Sam continued by saying, âThey just finished renovating Hargraveâs oldest fraternity building and weâve been tasked with recruiting its new members.â
âSam wants to create the most diverse frat on campus,â Fred added, his English accented by his native Spanish.
âBlack, Latino, Asian, non-racist white guy.â Bobo counted on his fingers. âWeâre hoping that you could add your diversity to our group.â
âYou guys want me to be the token queer guy in a frat house?â I asked, utterly stupefied.
âI told you he was smart!â Sam said to Fred.
I actually burst out laughing and asked, âWhy?â
âBecause together, we arenât individual representatives of societal minorities. Together, we will be brothers in a world that desperately needs change,â Sam said with zeal.
Wow, he was good! I couldnât help getting momentarily absorbed in his enthusiasm.
âPlease tell me that my sexual orientation is not the only reason weâre having this conversation.â
Sam scratched the back of his head and sucked in a breath before answering. âWeâve heard that youâre unbeatable in a chess game.â
âWhat does that have to do with anything?â I asked in mystified wonder.
âBecause beyond inclusivity, we want to fill the Dead House building with trophies! We want to show everyone that they should never fuck with the weirdos!â Bobo said, slamming a fist on the table.
âWhy didnât you lead with that?â I said, waving a French fry at Sam.
***
The Dead House was truly impressive, despite the creepy name. It had an official Greek letter designation, but Iâd already forgotten what it was.
As the oldest fraternity building on campus, it had earned its nickname after becoming uninhabitable. It had stood empty for more than five years until a generous donation from Hargrave Alumnus; Bartholomew Stone paid for a full restoration.
Most wooden finishings looked old but reinforced. The stairs still creaked, but that was apparently done on purpose. All of the furniture had been replaced, but it was custom-made to match the overall ambiance.
The downstairs consisted of a large, shared living area with a state-of-the-art entertainment hub. On the right was a fully equipped kitchen and cozy dining area.
On the left, an old library had been converted into a modern study room where two of the original bookshelves remained, filled with antique books.
Upstairs were three large bedrooms with furnishings for two. Thank the Greek gods, there were two bathrooms and a toilet downstairs.
The bathrooms had also been completely modernized. Both housed an old-fashioned style bathtub, a shower cornered off with frosted glass, and two sinks.
The guys were already settled in. Sam shared a room with Fred, but Will and Bobo occupied separate rooms.
âHe snores!â Bobo proclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at Will.
âChoose your poison, snoring or boring?â Fred said in a lame attempt at humor.
Will was looking at the floor, and Bobo was texting. Great! No feedback regarding who was going to share a room with the deliberately chosen queer guy.
I knew where I wanted to be but maybe I shouldnât make it too obvious. Luckily, I could rig a coin toss.
âHeads for Will, Tails for Bobo,â I announced.
Toss, catch, peek, flip, and what a surprise. Heads it was!
I thought I saw Will let out a breath. Was he relieved or disappointed?
âI donât think I actually snore,â Will said, throwing an arm over my shoulder.
âYou so do!â Bobo yelled after us.
I dropped my things on my new bed and looked out of the window. We had an amazing view of the woods beyond the university grounds.
âSo,â Will said, breaking the silence. âI need you to know that Iâm totally cool with sharing a room with you.â
Why did I feel like there was more coming?
âThe thing is⊠Iâm not quite sure how to behave,â he said, clearly struggling with something.
âWhat do you mean?â I asked, trying not to go on the defensive.
âI donât want to do anything that might make you uncomfortable,â he said, going slightly red in the face.
âHavenât had any gay friends?â I asked with a smile.
His nervousness was super cute. What was he trying to ask?
âIs it that obvious?â he said with an awkward chuckle.
âHow about we make a deal? If you ever make me feel uncomfortable, Iâll tell you, but only if you promise to do the same.â
âDeal!â he said, visibly relaxing.
âCan I ask a question?â I said in an attempt to relieve the tension.
âShoot,â he replied with slight hesitation.
âIf thereâs space for six, why are there only five of us?â
Will seemed happy that it was a question that he could easily answer. âWe arenât done recruiting yet. Sam is very, very picky.â
âSo why are you here?â I blurted out. âFuck! That came out wrong. IâŠâ
âDonât worry, itâs a valid question,â he said, pulling up his sleeves.
The scars running along the length of his veins had healed but were still visible.
âI represent a group that canât easily be recognized from the outside,â Will said, tapping his head.
âOh,â I whispered, suddenly at a loss for words. âIâm sorry, I donât know what to say.â
âI appreciate your honesty,â he said. âAndâŠno, Iâm not dangerous.â
I grabbed his arm and said, âI never thought that!â
He glanced down at my hand, so I instinctively pulled it back.
ââŠand I was not thinking that!â he said, grabbing me in a hug and patting my back.
I didnât know what it was about him, but Will made me feel very much at ease.
