The Dead House

Hargrave was my ticket to a better future.

I’d 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 would’ve 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 would’ve 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, that’s what I chose to tell myself.

***

Do you ever have those moments that are so surreal that you think you’re dreaming or tripping?

Minding my own business in the cafeteria, I was reading a pocket novel over a plate of French fries and broccoli—don’t 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, “Hi!”

“Hey!” I waved, starting to panic slightly.

“Your name is Patrick, right?” he asked. So far, this encounter seemed friendly enough, so I nodded confirmation.

“You’re gay, no?” an Asian guy asked casually as if asking about my study major.

Oh, fuck. Not this shit again.

“Guys, I don’t want any trouble,” I said, grabbing my book and standing up quickly. I really wanted to finish my French fries, for fuck’s 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, and…what kind of genes had to mix to make that mouth and chin combination?

“Please, this isn’t what you think,” he said in a quiet voice.

“Do you know who we are?” pearly whites asked me, carefully.

“Should I?” I said, hesitantly sitting back down again.

“We are members of the Dead House fraternity.”

“That sounds ominous,” I said with a nervous laugh.

“Relax, Sam! You are scaring our potential new recruit,” the Asian guy said.

“Is this a sophomore prank?” I asked, looking at each of them in turn.

“Let’s start over,” the guy, who was making me very nervous, said. “I’m Will, that’s Fred, Sam, and Bobo. Bobo is Thai; no one can pronounce his real name.”

“Patrick,” I said, wiggling my fingers. I didn’t want to be rude to Will’s friends.

Sam continued by saying, “They just finished renovating Hargrave’s oldest fraternity building and we’ve been tasked with recruiting its new members.”

“Sam wants to create the most diverse frat on campus,” Fred added, his English accented by his native Spanish.

“Black, Latino, Asian, non-racist white guy.” Bobo counted on his fingers. “We’re hoping that you could add your diversity to our group.”

“You guys want me to be the token queer guy in a frat house?” I asked, utterly stupefied.

“I told you he was smart!” Sam said to Fred.

I actually burst out laughing and asked, “Why?”

“Because together, we aren’t individual representatives of societal minorities. Together, we will be brothers in a world that desperately needs change,” Sam said with zeal.

Wow, he was good! I couldn’t help getting momentarily absorbed in his enthusiasm.

“Please tell me that my sexual orientation is not the only reason we’re having this conversation.”

Sam scratched the back of his head and sucked in a breath before answering. “We’ve heard that you’re unbeatable in a chess game.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” I asked in mystified wonder.

“Because 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!” Bobo said, slamming a fist on the table.

“Why didn’t you lead with that?” 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 I’d 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.

“He snores!” Bobo proclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at Will.

“Choose your poison, snoring or boring?” 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 shouldn’t make it too obvious. Luckily, I could rig a coin toss.

“Heads for Will, Tails for Bobo,” 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?

“I don’t think I actually snore,” Will said, throwing an arm over my shoulder.

“You so do!” 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.

“So,” Will said, breaking the silence. “I need you to know that I’m totally cool with sharing a room with you.”

Why did I feel like there was more coming?

“The thing is… I’m not quite sure how to behave,” he said, clearly struggling with something.

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying not to go on the defensive.

“I don’t want to do anything that might make you uncomfortable,” he said, going slightly red in the face.

“Haven’t had any gay friends?” I asked with a smile.

His nervousness was super cute. What was he trying to ask?

“Is it that obvious?” he said with an awkward chuckle.

“How about we make a deal? If you ever make me feel uncomfortable, I’ll tell you, but only if you promise to do the same.”

“Deal!” he said, visibly relaxing.

“Can I ask a question?” I said in an attempt to relieve the tension.

“Shoot,” he replied with slight hesitation.

“If there’s space for six, why are there only five of us?”

Will seemed happy that it was a question that he could easily answer. “We aren’t done recruiting yet. Sam is very, very picky.”

“So why are you here?” I blurted out. “Fuck! That came out wrong. I…”

“Don’t worry, it’s a valid question,” he said, pulling up his sleeves.

The scars running along the length of his veins had healed but were still visible.

“I represent a group that can’t easily be recognized from the outside,” Will said, tapping his head.

“Oh,” I whispered, suddenly at a loss for words. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say.”

“I appreciate your honesty,” he said. “And…no, I’m not dangerous.”

I grabbed his arm and said, “I never thought that!”

He glanced down at my hand, so I instinctively pulled it back.

“…and I was not thinking that!” he said, grabbing me in a hug and patting my back.

I didn’t know what it was about him, but Will made me feel very much at ease.