"Myers and Austin," Coach Carter called out from the hotel lobby.
As in me, Marcus Myers, and Jayden Austin. Sharing a hotel room tonight.
It's 8:13 pm. Our soccer team just arrived, by charter bus, to this random Holiday Inn outside Chicago. Tomorrow is the first day of the biggest men's college soccer tournament in the country. And I now know who I'll be rooming with.
Jayden Austin's not a bad guy, he's just... kinda a lot.
The guy who's pushing others to have another shot at a party or play beer pong when they just wanna chill on the couch.
The guy who shares every shameless detail about the women he fucks.
The guy who acts like an idiot in the locker room and brags about going 'commando' all the time.
Just last week he was sneaking up to people in the showers and poking his flaccid dick in-between their butt cheeks when they weren't looking. And cracking up with a handful of other guys.
He's a great athlete, don't get me wrong. And sometimes he's actually pretty funny. But he's cocky.
You can just tell he's been so used to being Mr. Hot-Popular-Jock to others his whole life. And, whatever, it's not a surprise that he's cocky, though.
He's like a Disney prince mixed with Lil Nas X - a tall, toned, biracial dude with a big smile and dimples.
I'm mentally rolling my eyes just thinking about it.
Jayden loves shaking his naked, bubble butt around, knowing he can shake it better than the rest of us. I've heard girls refer to him as 'That Ass', because he's got one. One we all wish we had.
We're quietly getting situated in our hotel room and I catch quick looks at him, trying to gauge his feelings about rooming with me.
We're not super tight. But not unfriendly. He probably sees me as a nerd, to be honest. Especially now that I've grown out this silly-ass mustache.
Jayden's got a backwards cap on, gym shorts, and a tank top. Is covered in tattoos.
There's some text running vertically up the side of his chest. A lion on his bicep. And something that looks like a snake on his forearm. And, yeah, I am already fully aware of the tattoo right above his dick that says 'JAYDEN'. He made a point to show everyone in the locker room a few months back when he got it.
He's definitely got some exhibitionist tendencies.
From where I'm standing I can smell his musky cologne.
He pulls out a vape pen and takes a couple hits from it and glances at me with his dark eyes.
"Wanna hit this, man?"
A peace offering.
"Weed?"
I like weed.
"Yeah."
Maybe it'll make tonight a little less awkward. I dunno.
"Sure."
I take a long hit, while he scratches his balls nonchalantly. I can see the bulge of his dick, including the tip of his penis, remembering that he's likely going commando.
Cocky bastard.
Minutes later we're laying on our separate beds, flipping through crappy cable channels, and settle on a Family Guy marathon. He pulls out a couple beers from his bag and tosses one my way.
Sweet. I could drink a beer.
And it's all good, because twenty minutes later we're stoned, laughing together at ridiculous shit. At ease as I had hoped.
And then some character makes a gay joke, which sparks conversation.
"Hey, man, is it true you're bi?" he looks at me then back to the TV, "I'm not against it or anything, just wondering."
Aw, fuck. Yeah, word got out that I had a threesome with a guy and a girl this past summer.
Is me telling the truth gonna make him uncomfortable now?
"Umm... yeah, pretty much. I dunno. It's kinda a newer label for me that I'm trying out for the time being. But yeah, more or less."
"Yeah, yeah, I respect that."
Does he, though?
"Does everyone on the team know?" I sip from my can, suddenly feeling extra thirsty for alcohol.
He shrugs.
"Basically... but no one cares, man." Sips from his beer. "As long as you don't make a pass on anyone, it's cool."
"Yeah, no. Hell no. I just wanna play soccer."
"Yeah, for sure."
The truth is that I've enjoyed more about being on the team than just playing soccer.
I love the momentum after a team victory, jogging in the locker room and excitedly removing our clothes as we recount all the badass moments of the game.
Looking at all the shapes and sizes of the male physique. And the different relationship everyone has with their bodies.
Some are timid and private, and wear a bathing suit in the showers. And some, like Jayden Austin, are very comfortable being naked in front of everyone.
Smacking his soft dick back and forth against his thighs, making a spectacle, always trying to find an excuse for people to look at him naked. Peeing out in the open in the communal showers, letting his urine mix into the soapy water that rinses off of his teammates bodies.
Some teammates have shaved pubes. But I remember that Jayden has a pretty full bush. A manly landscape.
I suddenly wonder if he sleeps in the nude. Yeah, that seems in line with his vibes.
"You into anyone on the team?"
He's smiling humorously at me.
"On our team?! No, no no." I pause, about to leave it at that, but then continue. "I mean, there's plenty of attractive dudes, but I don't have, like, a crush on anyone or anything."
He turns to me and asks with a grin:
"Who do you think is attractive? Benson? Martin?"
"Nah, I'm not naming people. I'm not going there, man."
He laughs.
"All right, all right." He can't resist, though. "Do you think I'm attractive?" he inquires playfully, while brushing his hands across his chest.
I roll my eyes.
"Fuck off, dude, you know you're a stud, shut up. Don't bait me like that." He cracks up. "Don't worry, you're not my type, though," I add.
He faces me.
"What?!" he shouts in good fun, "why's that?"
"Are you wanting to be my type, dude?!"
"No, I just wanna know," he smiles.
"I don't know, man! You're like... a bro kinda."
"What do you mean?"
"Like, you're loud and... get in fights when you're drunk. And refer to sex as 'slamming' women, like they're beer cans."
"All right, all right" he chuckles.
I'm amused that he's entertained, though.
"I'm not judging you, it's just... I'm into, like, artsy, indie, weird, music guys, I guess. People who, like, kinda fuck around with gender norms more, I dunno."
He's smiling to himself, watching the TV. Gulping down more of his beer. I can't tell what he's thinking and wonder if I've offended him. Whatever. He asked the dumb questions.
And then he looks at me and speaks a little quieter:
"Well, can you keep something just between us? Like... doesn't leave this room."
I have no idea what to expect, but I'm curious.
"For sure. As long as you don't tell the team I think there's some attractive dudes on it."
"Yeah, fine."
"Cool. What then?"
He sits up cross-legged and faces toward me more, and fondles with his baseball cap, anxiously.
"I can, like... suck my own dick, man."
I smirk, incredulously.
"Nuh-uh."
"Yeah, no bullshit."
"What? No way. You can, like, reach it with your tongue 'n stuff?"