9. Chapter 9 #2
As Jake turned to storm off and leave Sean soaking wet and swearing behind him, Moe walked alongside Jake, making threats about his job and not giving Jake a tip.
But Jake didn’t care at all. He had to go find Ezra.
Jake first looked for Ezra in the library.
Then he went to the student center. Jake wasn’t completely sure where Ezra’s dorm was, he only had a vague idea, but as he walked along the hallway, he spotted a door with a dry erase board that had cool beans written on it, along with a drawing of some jelly beans in ice cubes.
Jake knocked on the door a couple of times, but there was no answer.
Jake didn’t want to ruin Ezra’s drawing, so he tried to write a message around it.
He was worried that Sean would find Ezra first and lie to him.
Ezra didn’t have a pager, so Jake had to go back to his room to call Ezra’s number and leave a message.
Jake waited all evening and all night, but Ezra didn’t call him back.
So, Jake went to the choir room early the next day to wait on Ezra, thinking he might come in early for once, but Ezra didn’t and when he did, he showed up with Sean.
Sean gave Jake dirty looks. And Jake gave him dirty looks back.
And after choir practice, after he’d been sitting next to Sean seething and singing with a clenched jaw—which didn’t help his enunciation at all—after Sean sat there and acted like he would be the one that would win Best Looking, and winking at Ezra over Jake’s head, Jake was feeling a bit psychotic.
And like he might snap Sean’s neck like a twig.
So, after choir practice was over, Jake went over to Ezra before Sean could get to him, but Sean must have had the same idea because they both approached Ezra at the same time.
“I need to talk to you,” Jake said the same time Sean said, “You want to go hang out in my room?”
Ezra looked at each of them. He seemed confused at the serious—and slightly maniacal—expression on Jake’s face. “Are you okay?”
Sean grabbed one of Ezra’s arms. “Come on, let’s go.”
“You back off, asshole,” Jake snarled at him.
“Jake?” Ezra looked at him with concern. “What’s wrong?”
Jake narrowed his eyes at Sean, then looked at Ezra. “Listen. I know this is going to upset you, but I have to tell you. I saw Sean at the golf course with another guy.”
“Fuck off, Fallon!” Sean tugged on Ezra’s arm. “Let’s go.”
But Ezra didn’t go. He looked from Jake to Sean and back to Jake. “What?”
Jake glanced at Sean. His eyes sent a silent threat to Jake, but Jake wasn’t scared of him. “He’s just using you to write his papers. While he’s messing around behind your back.”
Ezra blinked a couple times and turned to look at Sean.
Sean was glaring at Jake. “He’s lying.” He tugged on Ezra’s arm again, leading him out of the choir room. “Come on.”
“Ezra,” Jake called after him. “He doesn’t really like you. Before you changed your looks, he said he wouldn’t date you. I should’ve told you before. But I figured this is what you wanted. To be with him.” Jake’s eyes narrowed at Sean. “But he’s an asshole. You deserve better.”
By now, the three of them had gathered an audience. The other guys in the choir were lingering, watching the soap opera unfold. Jake didn’t care. “He doesn’t like you for you, Ezra.” He paused. “But I do.”
A puzzled look on Ezra’s face deepened as he looked from Jake to Sean and back to Jake again.
Jake took a breath. “I really like you. I really, really like you, Ezra. Exactly how you are. How you were. I liked you before you did all this makeover stuff. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you look really good.
And you’re funny, and you’re really cool, and I really like your shirts and your Sally Jessy Raphael glasses too.
You’re amazing just the way you are, Ezra. I’d never want you to change.”
The choir room was suddenly deathly quiet. It was right then that Jake realized he’d outed himself in front of the entire men’s choir. He hadn’t woken up with that plan in mind, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
Sean’s jaw clenched. “Just ignore him.” He tugged on Ezra’s arm again. “Let’s get out of here, okay?”
“Wait a second,” Ezra said to Sean. “Is it true?”
Sean’s face was getting red, including his weird-ass ears, and Jake was happy that it made him look ugly.
“I mean,” Sean said. “We never really said we were exclusive or whatever. And it wasn’t a big deal anyway. I’d just met the guy.”
“And you just… wanted me to write all your papers for you? Is that why you’re going out with me?”
Sean was quiet for a minute, staring angrily at Jake, before he looked at Ezra. “You’re a smart guy. I figured you could help me out. You get to date me, and I get good grades.”
“You sorry sack of shit!” Jake felt his blood boiling.
“Hey, I didn’t ask you for your opinion, Fallon!” Sean dropped his books down on the carpet and strode over to Jake, getting right up in his face. “This was none of your fucking business!”
Ezra looked at the two of them, his face red. “I’m out of here.” He turned and walked briskly out of the choir room.
Jake was ready to go after him, but Sean was blocking him.
“Look what you did,” Sean said. “I told you to fuck off.”
Jake got so close to Sean’s face that they were nose to nose. “How about you make me?”
Sean pushed him. Jake pushed him back.
“Hey, hey!” Pete Petrow and a couple of tenors got in between them, separating them. “Come on, guys. Cool off.”
Sean watched Jake as he backed away, picking up his books and hightailing it out of the room. Jake had been all ready to fight, but it drained out of him as his shoulders slumped. Regret began to settle in.
This had been one of the stupidest and most embarrassing things he could have done. He left the choir room to go to Ezra’s dorm to apologize.
When Jake got there, he knocked on the door. “Ezra? Can I talk to you?”
There was no answer. Jake put his ear to the door. He knocked again. “Ezra?”
No answer. Jake wasn’t exactly sure if Ezra was even in there.
He looked up and down the hallway. He was alone.
“Hey, if you’re in there,” he said to the closed door.
“I’m sorry. For doing that. I didn’t mean to embarrass you or upset you or whatever.
I know you really liked Sean.” Jake paused, looking at the drawing on the dry erase board.
“But I’m not sorry about what I said. About how I feel.
You deserve better than him.” Jake paused again, waiting for any sign of life, but there was none. “Anyway. I’ll leave you alone.”
Jake turned to walk down the hallway. He walked slowly, hoping Ezra would open the door, but he didn’t.