2. Cold Pizza & the Name Terry #2
He drummed his hands against his thighs, waiting for a response, and surveyed Dae’s room.
It wasn’t as neat as he’d assumed it would be.
Clothes were slung over the chair, loose papers littered his desk, and beat-up notebooks were piled on the floor, begging to be snooped in.
Dae followed Theo’s gaze then used his foot to shove them under the bed.
“You have to know that only intrigues me more.”
He didn’t respond, but his face screamed at Theo to mind his own business. Theo was about to inform him that minding his own business had never been his strong suit when his phone buzzed.
Superior Male Specimen
Would love to, but I have a mandatory bonding session with my roommates.
Don’t get jealous. ;)
“He’s busy.” He let out a sigh and flopped back on Dae’s bed. “Are you sure you can’t tolerate me for a few hours and enjoy some music?”
That look came over him again, the one that made it seem like his brain couldn’t send any signals to his face. Theo was committing it to memory when his phone buzzed again, and he sat up so quickly, his head got all swoony.
And I’m insulted. Why are you calling me Matt?
Theo’s stomach dropped out of his body and splattered all over Dae’s floor. “Did you lie to me?”
Dae’s forehead crinkled. “About what?”
“His name’s not Matt.” Theo wanted to storm off, but the embarrassment made him heavy.
He didn’t know how to navigate this feeling.
He’d been so fascinated by Dae for so long, he didn’t know how to reconcile the person he thought he was with someone who would be cruel.
“Listen, um, I know you don’t like me, and that’s fine, I’m not for everyone.
But I thought you could give me a chance, considering we’re roomma—”
Another message.
I told you to call me Matthew when you’re feeling dramatic.
Is this convo not dramatic enough for you? ;)
Oh shit. Fucking shit. His skin felt like he’d been dipped in hot sauce. “Sorry. He was joking. Sorry for the overreaction. And for intruding. Sorry.” Too many sorries! Dae nodded and shifted his attention back to his notebook. Theo took the hint and stood, hovering awkwardly. “Um. Sorry.”
Fuck!
The guys gave him questioning glances as he escaped Dae’s room, but he avoided their unspoken inquiries and quickly ducked into his own, likely sparking quite the apartment intrigue. How the hell could he explain how much of an ass he’d just been?
“Uuuuuggggghhhhhhhh…” He ran his hands through his hair, tugging at the roots a little. Suddenly the prospect of an entire year with Dae Moon didn’t seem like such a gift.
He had to get his shit together. He was there for a reason, and the muse of music had given him an opportunity to fulfil his destined purpose. If he had to film artists solo like a creepy weirdo, then that was what he would do.
He turned to his half-filled closet with new determination. Even creepy weirdos needed to look cute.
??? ???
The concert had drawn a crowd; students milling around, some obviously drunk again, but most just shuffling with nervous energy.
The sky was the ocean-blue of twilight with traces of the sun still reaching orange fingers beyond the horizon.
Mosquitoes took that as their cue to wake up and start buzzing around, the feast of young blood beckoning them to the Circle.
The stage was set up in front of the University College Main Building, which meant the backdrop was basically a castle with dark grey brick, arched windows, and actual spires.
The visual of it looming over the performers as they sang, danced, and did their silly bits was worth the mosquito-driven blood loss.
Theo swayed to a duo’s valiant attempt at harmony, not quite achieving the goosebumps he was hoping for, but still having a good time.
There was absolutely nothing like live music, even if it was off-key.
Some of the performers had been genuinely talented, but Theo wasn’t going to become an agent for a Shakespeare-reciting unicyclist, which meant so far, his phone had stayed in his pocket.
The guy had just hopped off his unicycle for a bow when someone beside Theo handed him a steel water bottle. No, wait. It was his steel water bottle, and the long fingers gripping it belonged to Dae.
“You said the trick is to drink water,” he said, almost too soft to be heard over the whooping and applause, “but you left this behind.”
The sight of him was still a shock to Theo’s system, like his body hadn’t caught up to the fact that Dae was now his roommate, and he’d see him regularly for the foreseeable future. Which made his thudding heart utterly ridiculous. People’s hearts didn’t thud at the sight of their roommates!
“Thank you. You didn’t have to bring this, but…thank you.” Why did he keep repeating himself around him??
Had Dae come because he secretly wanted to? Or was he doing Theo a massive favour, even after the awkwardness in his bedroom? He was wearing another enormous sweater with loose jeans, sneakers, and a baseball cap.
“Why are you incognito? Are you wanted by the law?”
Dae clenched his jaw and looked down at his outfit, making Theo feel like a massive asshole. Note to self: teasing isn’t charming when the recipient doesn’t realize you’re (mostly) joking.
“Sorry. And thank you. I love that you’re here.” It was over the top, and Dae’s face said as much, but at least he wasn’t trying to escape. “What made you change your—”
“Shush. This is my favourite band.”
The trio on stage were playing battling kazoos. Dae’s concentration was flawless, but that was unmistakably another joke. Two in one day! Was Dae funny? It wasn’t exactly laugh-out-loud, but it was charming.
Wait.
Was Dae charming?
The next couple of acts were okay, but Theo found himself distracted, sneaking glances at Dae to see his reactions.
A girl doing celebrity impressions while juggling things she’d set on fire made him laugh, tight-lipped and quiet, and a beatboxer made him nod his head to the beat.
At intermission, he left and returned with two hotdogs, handing Theo one and pulling packets of ketchup, mustard, relish, and mayonnaise out of his pockets.
“I was hungry and eating alone would’ve been rude.”
“So rude.”
Theo’s exuberance must’ve been too much for him, because he averted his eyes and nodded to the condiments in his hand.
“What do you like?”
“Sad music, hazelnut lattes, and videos of dogs growling at their reflection in the mirror.” Dae’s brain broke again. Theo loved breaking his brain. “Oh, you meant these? Mustard, thanks.”
Maybe it was because he’d skipped dinner, but Theo had never tasted a better hotdog.
Jordan was the penultimate act of the night.
Theo tried not to whoop when she sat on the stool with her guitar—he really did—but the sound slipped out of his mouth of its own accord.
The first notes were simple, soothing, lovely.
Then she started to sing and… What. He didn’t recognize the song.
Had she written it? It was haunting and beautiful, and it seeped into his soul making his chest ache.
Jordan was it. She sang three songs, each with a distinct sound, raw and emotional and mind-blowingly brilliant.
Theo felt bad for the last act of the night who had to follow her because he could barely pay attention, even as the noise faded and chatter returned to the Circle.
Jordan’s voice had him drunk, high, spiralling.
He stared at the empty stage, buried inside himself until Dae said his name.
“Tell me I didn’t imagine that,” Theo said, probably with too much intensity.
“The singer?”
He laughed because his body needed to do something, then turned abruptly, causing Dae to tense. “Sorry. Let’s go. Do you want to go? Or walk? Do you want to walk?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes and no. Walk?”