Chet Watakeekul

The soccer team was packed inside one of the meeting rooms in the sports building. The lights were turned off. The coach stood in a front corner and the assistant coaches stood in the back. The Inclusion and Diversity video the coach made us watch ended. One of the assistant coaches flipped the lights back on.

"Intolerance of any kind will not be accepted on this soccer team," the coach said. "I can't force you to all be friends, but we are a team and that's all I'm concerned about. If I hear of anyone of you discriminating against anyone, or purposely antagonizing them, you will get a write up. Too many write ups and you will be off the team. And if someone does discriminate against you, please don't get physical or argue back."

"What are we supposed to do then coach?" Devon asked. "Just let them walk all over us?"

"No," the coach said. "You come to me or one of the assistant coaches or Jimmy. Any more questions?"

We looked around the room at the other players. Robert and his little group - but mostly Robert - scowled at me and Mateo, but no one said anything.

"Good," the coach said. "I mean it. You don't have to like each other, but you do have to play well together and that means at least getting along with each other. Now get out of here and go study. Remember you need to maintain a certain GPA to stay on the team too.

"Jimmy, you stay," the coach said as we all began to file out.

"The joys of being team captain," Jimmy muttered to me. "You might just know it yourself someday."

Robert and his group gave me and Mateo mean looks as we exited, but it didn't matter to me. He couldn't do or say anything to me unless he wanted to get kicked off the team.

"Has Robert ever said anything to you?" I asked Mateo as we walked down the halls. "You've been out longer than I have. I find it strange that he would just attack me and not say anything to you after all this time. Although, I guess it could just be because he saw the opportunity when we were in the sports management class together. I knew he gave us dirty looks from time to time because we have boyfriends, but I never thought he would actually say anything."

I looked at Mateo as we exited the building and waited for him to answer.

"What?" he asked.

"Has Robert ever said anything to you?" I asked again.

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I'll see you later tonight."

He started to walk away, but I said, "Yes it does matter. If he says something, you need to report it to the coach."

"What's the point, Chet? I know why you had to say something because you got physical with him. I can't say anything because then Alex might find out."

"Why wouldn't you want Alex to find out?"

"Just...nevermind. Go eat dinner with your boyfriend and then meet us at Gareth's dorm."

"Right," I said. "We're finally going to meet Gareth's roommate."

Mateo sighed. "That's not why we're going to the dorm. It's Gareth's birthday, remember? He said his roommate might not even be there that he might have a date. You did get Gareth a birthday present didn't you?"

"I got him a giftcard to the art supplies place he likes. Fifty dollars because it's from me and Vincent."

"Okay. I'll see you later then. Don't forget."

I rolled my eyes at his retreating back and made my way to the cafe. When I got there, I sat at one of the tables in the back corner. I watched Vincent as he moved about the cafe. He took someone's order, brought out someone's food, brought someone else a drink. He brought me a lemonade and said, "My lunch break is supposed to be in five minutes, but it might take me a little longer."

"I'll wait," I said.

He smiled at me and then got back to work. I sipped on my lemonade. He wore a uniformed shirt and a name tag that said Vincent. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. Fifteen minutes passed, but that was okay because I could wait forever. Well, maybe not forever. It was Gareth's birthday and I should at least put in an appearance.

He was behind the counter making coffee. He took the coffee and a slice of lemon bread to a customer. Then the assistant manager finally told him he could take his lunch break. He came back out with two of the turkey bagel sandwiches. He placed them on my table.

When he saw that my lemonade was gone, he took the glass away and came back with two fresh glasses of lemonade.

"How did the coach's talk go?" he asked.

"We watched a video and then he told us to get along," I said.

He smiled and nodded. He chewed on the bite of sandwich he had just taken.

"You still like work?" I asked him. It had been about two weeks now.

"Yes," Vincent said. "Everyone is nice. Sometimes there is a rude customer, but I was a rude customer once too."

I swallowed the bite I had just taken and said, "I got Gareth a gift card for art supplies from you and me."

He took a long sip of his lemonade and said, "I just realized I don't know what his major is."

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"Art," I said. "Specifically game art. He wants to do art for video games."

His foot brushed against mine under the table and then he did it again so I knew it wasn't an accident.

"I get paid today," he said. "It won't be much but it should be enough for my half of rent and down payment on a place."

"We should start looking then," I said. I moved my foot against his this time. "Or we could just make it easy on ourselves and see if Alex's and Mateo's apartment complex have apartments available."

"Let's check that out first," he said.

"Okay," I said. "I can do that."

He only got a half hour for his lunch and that went by too quickly as we talked and ate.

"Tell Gareth happy birthday for me," Vincent said. He walked me outside.

"I will," I said. I patted his cheek. "I'll see you later at home."

He nodded and then we were drawn together in a sweet, chaste kiss. I tried to take it further, but he withdrew. He wanted the kisses to be chaste at his work. I understood that. But I wanted him. I wanted more than kisses, more than holding hands, more than little touches here and there. Hopefully it wouldn't be long before we had our own apartment and then we could have sex as much as we wanted. Well, besides the moments he had to work, or we had to do school work, or attend school. There would definitely be more opportunities than living at my parents house.

I watched him through the large cafe windows as he went back inside and cleared off our table. Then I went to the campus shuttle stop. My phone beeped with a text message.

Mateo: Do you need a ride?

Me: No. I'll take the shuttle.

Mateo: Ok. Alex and I are on our way.

I put my phone back in my pocket as the shuttle pulled up. I got on and sat near the back. It didn't take long for it to get to the dorms. I hadn't been to Gareth's dorm except that one time at the beginning of the semester when we helped him move in. That didn't take long since the dorm provided beds and a dresser. We didn't have to move in anything heavy. His roommate hadn't been there so we didn't meet him then. Gareth hadn't said much about him except that he was quiet, nice and gay. 'How do I keep surrounding myself with men that like other men?' he had asked.

I got to his dorm and knocked on the door.

"Get the door, Izzy," I heard Gareth say on the other side of the door.

"No. They're your friends. You get the door."

"Please. Please. Please, Izzy. It's my birthday."

"It's Isaiah. Stop trying to change my name into some short monstrosity."

The door opened and a small African American young man stood in front of me. He wore gold rimmed glasses. He was about the same height as Mateo, but thinner.

"See," Isaiah said. "Your friend."

"Chet," Gareth said cheerfully from where he sprawled out on his bed. "Come in."

Isaiah walked towards his desk, but when he heard this, he stopped. "This isn't just your room. Do you assume you can just invite anyone without even asking me?"

"But I told you it's my birthday."

"You told me it's your birthday and that you were going to a club. You didn't say your friends were coming over."

I stepped inside, but stayed by the door. I didn't want Isaiah to feel like I was invading his space, but it felt weird to wait inside the hall.

"I'm Isaiah," he said to me. His tone was polite and his eyes were kind - unlike the look he had just given Gareth.

"Chet," I said.

"It's nice to meet you, Chet," he said.

"You too."

Mateo and Alex came into the room then since I had left the door open when I came in.

"Hello," Mateo said to Isaiah.

"Hello," Isaiah said with the same polite tone he used with me. "I'm Isaiah."

"I'm Mateo and this is my boyfriend, Alex."

"Hi," Alex said in his quiet voice.

"It was nice to meet all of you," Isaiah said. "If you'll excuse me, I need to leave now."

"Where are you going?" Gareth sat up.

"I have a date," Isaiah said.

"Come to the club with us. Bring your boy toy. It'll be fun."

"Boy toy? Can you just be normal for once?" Isaiah asked.

"No."

"I'm not bringing my boyfriend."

"Come on. Don't you love me?"

Isaiah just rolled his eyes and left.

"I miss Arthur," Gareth said as he stretched out over his bed. "Arthur would play with me...That came out wrong and Arthur would love it. Why doesn't he live closer?"

Mateo walked to the bed, grabbed Gareth by the arm and started to pull him up.

"What's the rush?" Gareth asked as he pulled his arm from Mateo's grasp, but he stood up.

"You're the one who said you wanted to go to a club for your birthday," Mateo said. "We could have just hung out at our apartment instead, but you said you wanted to go meet girls and that we needed to be your wingmen. So let's go. Let's get this night over with."

"You sound like it's going to be torture for you," Gareth said. "Your boyfriend will be with you so you'll have fun." He grabbed his wallet and keys from the little night stand by his bed. "Let's go," he said.

We filed out and he locked the door behind us. We drove to the club in Alex's car. When we paid to get in they gave us red paper bracelets to wear that indicated we were underage and could not purchase alcohol.

"Let's dance," Alex said and pulled Mateo to the dance floor. At least Mateo didn't resist this time. It was weird on News Years Eve when Mateo said he wasn't going to dance.

The four of us danced together for awhile.

"I'm going to get a drink," I said.

"I'll go with you," Mateo said.

We went to the bar. I ordered lemonade. He got a cola.

"Why don't you want to tell Alex about Robert?" I asked him.

"Can you just leave it alone, Chet?"

"Do you really expect me to?" I asked. "Do you even know me?"

He rolled his eyes.

"What kind of things has Robert said to you?" I asked. "Did he tell you to leave the team?"

"Yes. It doesn't matter. I never pay attention to him."

"What other things did he say? Did he ever say anything about Alex?"

Mateo stiffened. "Yeah, but not as bad as what he said about Vincent. I just ignore him. I'm glad the coach said he would write him up though if he says anymore. The fact that Alex testified at Jason's trial is bound to get out. I was sure Robert was going to say something about it. I don't think I could hold back my anger if he does. I hope he takes the coach's talk to heart."

"I don't think he'll start something now," I said. "He doesn't want to get kicked off the team. Especially when he only has one year left. I think you should tell Alex about this though."

Mateo shook his head. "I can't tell him about this. You didn't tell Vincent." I opened my mouth to retort, but he quickly said, "You didn't tell him about the rape comment."

"No," I said, "but I told him everything else and I admitted there was more and that I just didn't want to vocalize it. You haven't done that much with Alex."

"Our relationship is different than yours and Vincent's. You told Vincent about Kiet. I can't show my weaknesses to Alex."

"You're talking nonsense," I said. "Telling Vincent about Kiet brought us closer together. It isn't weakness."

"He has to think I'm perfect or he'll break up with me." I opened my mouth again to tell him how absurd that was, but he kept talking, "I can't tell him about Robert and I definitely can't tell him about my uncle."

"What about your uncle?" I asked. "Has he been harrassing you?"

"Not recently, but I did block his number so I couldn't see his texts anymore."

"Does your mom know?"

"No. I'm an adult now, I'm not going to run to my mom every time I have a problem."

"What's taking you guys so long?" Gareth said as he came up behind us.

"Look," Mateo said to me, "the bottom line is, I can't tell Alex these things right now. Maybe later in the future when our relationship is more secure."

How blind could he be? Alex wasn't the type of person to dump him like that.

"Tell Alex what?" Gareth asked, but Mateo and I froze as Alex stood there behind Gareth. I wasn't sure of how much he heard if he heard anything. His expression was blank.

"Let's dance," Mateo said. He put his glass down on the bar and grabbed Alex's hand. He led him back to the dance floor.

"Mateo's insecurity is going to come back to bite him in the ass someday," Gareth said. I couldn't help but agree.