Trying to walk up a stairwell with both hands desperately clutching an unnecessary number of my personal items is a bad idea. I've already dropped a few things and I'm bouncing from wall to rail to wall. Whatever, I'm just excited to finally be on my own and moving into my dorm room.
The heavy door swings open slowly when I push it with my back until it hits the inner wall. Looks like I beat my roommate. The bunk beds are in the corner with two desks on the other side of the room against the wall. I throw all the things I'm carrying on the lower bed to stake my claim and walk back down to my car to get another load while picking up the few things I dropped on the first trip.
Returning to the room again I open the door with my foot this time. I'm a little too forceful and the door swings open hard against the wall.
"Ahh! My god!" I hear as a boy pops out.
"Hey! What's up man? Just get in?" I ask.
"Sorry. I'm just a little jumpy. Yeah, I just got here."
His clothes are laid out on the top bunk. Seems he's good with finders, keepers. He's a few inches shorter than me and a bit skinnier. Otherwise just a normal nerdy kid.
"Cool! I just beat you by a few minutes. My name's Mathew, but my friends call me Matty."
"I'm Sean."
"Nice to meet you, Sean. Sorry, I'm what you would call poor, so I don't really have anything besides just my clothes and random junk. No furniture, computer, tv, or any shit like that. If we need to get some stuff, I figured we could scrounge up a few dollars and see if they have anything at a thrift store. They always have old cheap crap in college towns."
"No problem. I have a U-Haul outside. I was afraid I brought too much but if you don't have anything it should be okay."
"Awesome! I'll help get it up here. Did you come by yourself or are your parents with you?"
At this point, the hallway is filled with teary-eyed mothers not ready to cut the umbilical cord and ecstatic fathers who can't wait to get these freeloaders out of their homes.
"No. My mom wanted to help but my dad said it would be better if I did it myself. I guess it builds character. Plus, he thinks I've had it too easy for too long. He's not a hard-ass or anything. He just wants me to figure it out without their help. What about you?"
"Sounds like a hard-ass to me. I'm a foster kid. No parents, and if I never see my foster parents again, it'll be too soon."
I reach my hand out to give a good solid shake. Maybe a little too solid as Sean's whole body shakes too. We spend the next couple of hours carrying all brand-new furniture up from the truck, unpacking boxes, and rearranging the room.
As the night rolls around a lot of the other kids on our floor seem to disappear. I think their mothers got their way and most are spending the night back at home before making the final plunge into college life. Sean and I walk down the street to get food then saunter back to our room.
Sean's a little nerdier than I am but I'm also quite a nerd in my own right. We decide to spend the night playing video games on the ridiculously large tv we now have hanging on our wall. After a few hours we call it quits and get ready to go to bed. I strip down to my boxer briefs quick, no need to be shy, and sit on the edge of my bed.
"Damn Sean, I don't think I'll ever be able to beat you. You knew every play was going to run before I even did. What gives?"
Sean seems a little nervous as he answers, "My dad and I play a lot of Madden. It's the thing we bonded over most. I didn't think I was that good. My dad wins most of the time."
"For fuck's sake. If he is better than you, that is insane."
He avoids eye contact with me. He gently pulls off his shirt and drops his pants, throwing them in the hamper. His boxers are huge, a couple sizes too big for his smaller frame. Quickly he turns around and scampers over to the end of the bed to pull himself up to the top bunk. But in that second after he turns around, I think I see something. As if something is hanging from his waist under his boxers and the quick turn made it swing from side to side. I'm tired so my eyes must be playing tricks on me. I slide into my bed and fall asleep.
The weekend passes and our first week of school goes by as normally as one would expect. Sean and I have a lot of classes at different times. We catch each other in passing as one of us returns to the room and the other leaves. Every night we hang out with each other and the other guys on our floor. Just shooting the shit, playing video games, or going out to grab food.
Throughout the week my mind keeps going back to what I did or didn't see before we went to bed that first night. Every time Sean and I pass each other I shoot a quick look down toward his crotch. His sweats or shorts are usually a lot baggier than everyone else, but it still looks like there is something banging around in his pants. Now I know this can't be his dick, the thing I'm seeing is way too low. It's almost at his knees.
Friday night we go out with the other guys on our floor to a house party. Sean leaves earlier and is asleep by the time I get back to the room. Saturday night is more chill. Sean and I grab something to eat and go back to our room to play video games.
"I know we've not really been in the room at the same time this last week Sean, but I think we need a plan for when we want some privacy. You know, some alone time."
"Oh, okay. Yeah, I do like to just have some time alone but it's not a big deal. I like hanging out with you when we get a chance."
"What? No, I'm not talking about just being alone with your thoughts. I'm talking about personal time. To work things out. To relieve the tension. You know what I'm saying?"
"I think so. Some time to just unwind. It gets a little claustrophobic with all these other people around all the time."
I turn my head from the game on the screen and look at Sean with a quizzical look.
"Jesus Christ Sean! I'm talking about jerking off. Polishing the knob. Slaying the one-eyed monster. Making the bald man cry."
Sean pauses the game and stares at the screen. His cheeks start to blush.
"Oh. Yeah...I...sorry. I didn't understand."
"We can just set some ground rules on what time of day is cool. I don't think a sock on the door is really a good choice."
"Sure, whatever you think is best. I...uh...I...don't do that, so your call."
The game resumes and Sean is back to playing. Now I am staring at Sean with my mouth wide open.
