Chapter Twenty-Three -- Now Is Always The Perfect Time
Gather round, boys and girls! We're opening today with the sauciest piece of news we've had to offer our dear audience here at Sunny Hill in years. Can you guess who just snatched the title of the hottest minx on campus? We bet our sacred anonymity that you cannot. But let's get straight to the facts, shall we?
Hanna Milton, while never one to make our headlines or anyone else's for that matter, finally decided to shed that cloak of respectability she pretends to throw over her shoulders each time she walks into a party.
Did you know that officially, she's Ray Franklin's girlfriend? We didn't until recently because, let's face it, who's Ray Franklin? We won't keep you in suspense. Ray Franklin is none other than the transfer student sharing humble quarters with our gay heartthrob Jonathan Hamilton. Otherwise, moving on.
Apparently, the girlfriend thing is nothing but an act, or else, why would she be seen walking together with Maddox Kingsley? Ladies and gents, the secret is revealed! Hanna Milton is Maddox Kingsley's secret crush, the one we have been wondering about for weeks now!
But wait, how does poor Ray Franklin fit into all this? Well, when she walked out with Maddox Kingsley this morning, she did so from her so-called boyfriend's dorm. Wow, clearly, she's not two-timing, but one-timing with the two guys in her life knowing about each other.
Should we let you put two and two together? Yes, we will. Yet, there's one question remaining...
What was Jonathan Hamilton doing the whole time an orgy took place only two feet away from his bedroom?
***
Jonathan was the unfortunate owner of an extra sense when it came to being the center of gossip, so the strange looks and giggles poorly hidden behind palms acting as shields made his hackles rise first thing in the morning. Could it be that someone had finally put two and two together, and his affair with Maddox was out in the open? They hadn't been the most careful they could have been, without a doubt, and that was about to cost them dearly.
Despite his dread, the situation required that he know exactly what all those students throwing meaningful glances in his direction thought they knew about him and Maddox. He pulled his phone from his jacket; if everyone was in on the joke, there had to be only one source that must have fueled the gossip fire so early in the day.
He blinked as he began reading, and by the end of that awful text, the blood had drained completely from his head, making him feel lightheaded. Without hesitation, he pocketed his phone and started running, ignoring the even stranger looks now aimed at him like homing missiles.
***
Maddox would have broken his usual stride into a little dance, and the only thing keeping him from doing that was that his bones felt like jelly after a night spent in Jonathan's narrow bed. If he closed his eyes, he would see that handsome face close to his and taste those sweet lips like they were still kissing.
Too bad they had to keep it a secret. What he needed was to daydream less and come up with a sophisticated plan to wrap Jonathan around him and the other way around so that they would finally walk through the quad, hand in hand, like boyfriends. The plan had to take into account Jonathan's complex sensibilities, which meant that the head-on approach alone wasn't enough.
First, he needed to talk to someone more mature than he was about stuff like that. There was always the possibility the right approach was to blurt out that he wanted Jonathan as his boyfriend, but his hot pursuit so far might scare the guy away if he went about it like that.
Yes, he needed to consider the matter as carefully--
"So, what's so great about her?"
Maddox almost bumped into someone, as far away from the rest of the world as he was. He stared at the girl blocking his path. She looked slightly familiar, with her platinum blond hair -- dyed, obviously -- and that pout that was supposed to make men fall at her feet. Had he hooked up with her before? The 'maybe' that followed in his mind was pretty strong. "Her?" he asked slowly, only then descending abruptly with both feet to the ground.
Was he in a prank video? As he muttered that single word, all breathing beings in a half mile radius or something stopped and stared at him. Students of all colors of the rainbow, who should have been on their way about their day, preoccupied with whatever class they had first, or conversations they were engaged in with their friends, crushes, old relationships, budding relationships, mid-terms, the list could go on forever... Well, everyone froze and turned their heads toward him, some at impossible angles, waiting for something.
"Yeah, her," the girl said impatiently, drawing his attention back to her.
The world around them still didn't move. Time stop magic, Maddox thought and smiled. That was funny; he would share it with Jonathan later. Hmm, do you know I have super powers, babe? Oh, really, like what? I can stop time. I don't believe you. I'll make you believe me, just watch.
He must have gone a little too far into his own head while daydreaming of his next conversation with Jonathan, because the girl impatiently tapped her foot. "Hanna Milton," she hissed. "What does she have that the rest of us don't?"
Hanna? What was this chick going on about? "Um," Maddox pondered, "I don't know. She's pretty smart." It wasn't as if Hanna was the smartest girl on campus, but she applied herself in her studies, and Maddox had a hunch what the chick in front of him meant by 'the rest of us'.
The look of perfect disbelief on that too well made-up face was priceless, and it made Maddox grin. Clearly, that was a shocker. "Do you like smart girls, now?"
Hmm, that sounded like a trick question. And what Maddox really, really liked right now was...
...running toward him across the quad, looking perfectly discomposed in a fashionable turtleneck and dress pants that stretched over his lean thighs while he rushed through the clumps of students, trying to elegantly dodge everyone in his path.
"Maddox," Jonathan said breathlessly as he stopped right in front of him, "I need to talk to you."
"Hey, we were having a conversation," the girl protested.
Maddox waved at her impatiently. "Just wait a little," he told her in a more domineering voice than he usually used in all his interactions. Jonathan wanted to talk to him, and that was enough to make the rest of the world disappear. Ha, now that was also a cool super power.
Jonathan pulled him aside, all the while throwing panicked looks around. No one else budged.
"I'm so sorry, Maddox, I know that it's unexpected and completely not right, but I need you to kiss me," Jonathan whispered under his breath.
Maddox started to smile, but the guilty look in Jonathan's eyes made him stop. "What, like right now? In front of all these people?"
Jonathan nodded and blushed crimson red. "It's for a good reason, trust me." He shoved his phone into Maddox's face and waited.
Oh, shoot. Now that was... Maddox didn't waste time processing more than necessary. He grabbed Jonathan and turned him, tango-style, holding him in that position for a couple of moments, as he took in the flushed face, the trembling lips, and the beautiful eyes hooded with hard to hide desire. Everyone around gasped. "Now's the perfect time, then," he said and brought his mouth to Jonathan's, putting his soul in it.
The next moment, the entire quad erupted. Maddox didn't have to open his eyes to know that there were dozens of phones, maybe hundreds, aimed at them at that very moment, recording their kiss for all eternity. That was good. He would have it documented for when the grandkids wanted to learn about one of the most exciting moments in his life.
***
We interrupt your daily schedule with some very interesting developments, Sunny Hill! True gentlemen still exist! We repeat, true gentlemen still exist! Why else would Jonathan Hamilton hurry to defend Hanna Milton's reputation by convincing the hottest guy in our campus's history to give him a very public kiss? Obviously, we have the answer.
He wants to throw us off the scent of what's really going on with Hanna Milton and her complicated love affairs. He even went as far as to walk hand in hand with Maddox Kingsley as if they were boyfriends as he was heading over to class.
Like we would fall for such a trick... Thank you, Jonathan Hamilton, for proving to us that men like you still exist, but we've been around the block quite a few times and we're not so easy to deceive.
As for you, Maddox Kingsley, what could you possibly think you would accomplish with a stunt like that? That we won't continue to keep a close eye on Hanna Milton's future string of conquests? She's obviously now our resident Dame aux Camélias, and we won't let this modern courtesan slip through our fingers.
You walked hand in hand with Jonathan Hamilton today, throwing loving glances at him, like you think we'd be that easy to fool... Are you even aware of what you're doing? Your reputation as the very much straight king of hookups might not survive this.
Maddox, Maddox, Maddox... you're playing with fire (but certainly not with Jonathan Hamilton as you'd have us believe).
Jonathan ran one hand over his eyes and groaned. What could it possibly take to convince these people that Hanna was innocent? And they had been so quick to publish a new piece -- courtesy of today's fast channels of communication -- only to slander Hanna more, and also Maddox in the process. His plan had backfired all right, proving to him once again how inadequately equipped he was to deal with scandals and whatnot. He had acted on impulse and now had only managed to throw Maddox in hot water, and that without saving Hanna. That should teach him not to be so rash ever again.
He had yet to see Ray and, hopefully, his roommate wasn't too shaken by that ugly gossip. Seeing how Ray enjoyed reading Sunny Hill Xpress a bit too much, perhaps his favorite guilty pleasure, he would surely be heartbroken over it.
He drew a deep breath and walked into the lecture hall. Ray waved with a beaming smile and gestured for him to take a seat by his side. Jonathan cast his eyes down and forced himself to ignore the snickers and glances running around the room. Why did he have to be the center of attention, the one thing he would have very much loved to do without? Obviously, because he had kissed the hottest boy on campus in front of everyone. That should have been an easy guess, he thought, throwing as much sarcasm at himself as he was capable of.
"So," Ray whispered slyly, "you kissed Maddox, huh?" He showed Jonathan his phone and played the half a minute movie clip that had been instantaneously uploaded by Xpress to their site.
"Technically, he kissed me," Jonathan whispered back. "But, Ray, aren't you mad? Or upset?"
"Because you kissed... I mean, because Maddox kissed you?" Ray asked, a bit confused.
"No, because of the other... things," Jonathan struggled to find his words.
"For their talking shit about Hanna, you mean?" Ray asked again.
"And you," Jonathan pointed out.
Ray shrugged. "Hanna had a good laugh. I talked to her about it. And look," he said with a smirk and gestured around, "I'm a celebrity now."
Jonathan buried his face in his hands. "Why aren't you pissed? Like, at all? I mean, they said all those mean things--"
Ray stopped him by placing a sympathetic hand on his forearm. "Why does it matter? We know the truth, Hanna, you, Maddox, and I. Ten years from now, we'll look back and think how we made the headlines in the gossip columns. And have a good laugh, obviously. By then, we might be married, have kids, and all that. So, why should I be mad now?"
Jonathan moved his hands away and stared at his roommate. There was concern in Ray's eyes, but it was directed at him. "You have a very healthy outlook on life, Ray," he said truthfully. "I envy you." If only he could be like that. "Are you sure Hanna is not upset? They wrote all those horrible things about her."
