Aiden groaned as he could feel the heat from the sun emanating from the windows. He opened his eyes and found himself in his dorm room.
It was a Sunday, right after Natasha’s party. After drinking excessive amounts of beer, drenched from water balloons and water guns, shot with Phoebe’s red food coloring gun, and then nearly had a scandal with Lilli and her camera. Amidst all that, he didn’t feel like he had a hangover.
The rest of the dorm was silent as he sat up on his bed. Sunday mornings were one of the most peaceful days because everyone was enjoying the last day of the week before hell came along. He checked his watch. It read 10:05 in the morning.
It was time to make use of whatever time was left to make breakfast.
He left his room and walked towards the stairs. As he entered the common room he found Noah having a bowl of cereal. The other boy glanced at him and smiled.
“Morning Aiden. Care to join me for breakfast?”
“Sure.”
Aiden pulled out a bowl and a spoon and sat next to him. He poured some of the cereal from the box next to Noah.
“Well, you look pretty decent from last night.” Noah commented, a smile on his lips as he continued with his meal.
Aiden chuckled. “I may be wasted during the time, but when I get up I don’t feel any side-effects from the night before.”
“Haha, well granted how you were behaving when you got back I suppose it’s a fair trade.”
To this statement, Aiden squinted at him. “What are you talking about?”
Noah’s smile only widened as he looked at the boy. “What do you remember, exactly?”
Aiden groaned. “Hard to forget the water guns, and the drinking games...but now that you mention it after another round of drinking I don’t have much memories of last night.”
“You don’t remember how you got here or what happened before you slept?” Noah asked.
This question for some reason made Aiden’s stomach churn uncomfortably. “No...what did I do?”
Noah gave a Cheshire-like grin and started talking.
~*~
Noah could hear a loud voice coming from the hall. He opened his door to find Sam holding Aiden for support. The taller boy was blabbering gibberish and flopping the arm that was not wrapped around Sam’s shoulder.
Sam looked at him and asked casually “Ever heard of a Flaming Dentist?”
The other boy shook his head.
“Well...if you give this guy 6 of those...he becomes this. A little help?”
Noah walked up and placed Aiden’s free arm around his shoulder. They both helped Aiden up the steps, as he slurred more words.
“Saaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmm!” Aiden yelled.
Sam sighed. “Yes Aiden?” he asked patiently, or with enough patience he could muster.
“Hi!” He had this foolish grin on his face, and Noah could hardly keep a straight face.
“Yurrr a greaat friend Sam. I think I would be dead without youuuu....” Aiden slurred.
“It would have helped if you had just left the party with me as soon as you got your clothes back on rather than to have another drinking game with Garret.”
They were a few steps from Aiden’s room. Once they opened the door (Noah had to pick-lock it and did so with only a momentary struggle) they dropped him on his bed.
Aiden said out loud, almost dreamily... “The girls are sooo pretty...”
Noah and Sam shot looks at each other, and Sam could see a smirk showing on the other boy’s face.
“How pretty?” Noah asked.
“Like...supermodel pretty. I mean, not Victoria’s Secret but...yeah. Purdy”
“Did you think any of the guys were pretty?” Noah asked. This time Sam shot him a warning look, but Noah completely ignored him.
The drunk boy chuckled. “Guys aren’t pretty. You only use pretty for girls!”
“Ah I see. I see.” Noah’s tone was patient, as if he were talking to a 4-year old. “So did you think any of the guys were handsome then?”
“Uh…” It looked that he was seriously giving this some thought. “I think…Sam is pretty cute. He’s such a nice guy. He’s alwaysss helping me ouuuut…”
He gave a lopsided smile to Sam’s direction, and the other boy could only drop his head in his hand.
“God damn it…” Sam muttered.
Aiden with great effort on his part got up and reached for him. “Why are you angry Sam?” he whispered.
Sam waved Aiden’s arms away. “Don’t...nothing. Please go to sleep.”
Noah’s body was shaking slightly from controlling his laughter. “Duuude...you got to tell me how to make this drink.”
Aiden stood from his bed and from behind wrapped his arms around an already bothered Sam. “Don’t beee maaaaaad….”
Nobody was sure if Aiden was going to continue that statement because out of impulse Sam used his might and pulled Aiden’s arm until he fell over to his back.
“Jesus man!” Noah exclaimed.
“Owieee…” were the only words that Aiden could muster.
Sam let his arm go and took a deep breath, regret slowly sinking in. “Oh God...Aiden are you okay?”
“My head kind of hurts…”
“Okay we’ll put you on the bed and you better just think of happy thoughts as you fall asleep.” Noah signaled Sam to help lift their friend from the floor and back to the bed. Noah put his sheets over him. The two boys waited momentarily to check if Aiden was sleeping, and when it seemed it was good to leave they quietly left the premises and shut the door.
“I like him better that way.” Noah whispered with a little delight. “He should go to more of Natasha’s parties.”
Sam glared at him. “How about no?”
~*~
Aiden paled after Noah finished his story. This only made the other boy delighted.
“Ohhhhh crap. Oh crap oh crap oh crap.” He pressed his forehead to his fists, feeling like a complete idiot.
“Sam is a nice guy. He’ll let it pass...maybe be a little distant but he’ll let it slide. What I like is that you don’t seem to have any back pain after that flip.”
“God I need to apologize.”
Noah shrugged. “Maybe it’s safer if you don’t. You can pretend you forgot everything...which is not a lie. At least you didn't confess your feelings to him or anything…”
Aiden placed his face on the table in shame. Noah had eaten everything left in his bowl and stood up to the sink.
“If it’s any consideration, the other guys didn't hear your drunk confession. My best advice is to stay quiet, and pretend nothing happened.”
The taller boy considered this as Noah went off to wash his utensils.
~*~
Sam had slept the whole morning that it was only until 3 that he actually went out of his room, and that was mainly because he was hungry. He was still dressed in his wife beater and his shorts as he went downstairs to get his leftovers from last night. His glasses were hooked to the neck part of his top and he managed to get to his destination without the use of it.
As he was looking through the fridge, he heard a voice calling him. He turned and saw a blurred figure standing not too far from him. When he placed his glasses on, he realized it was Aiden.
“Hi.”
“Hey.” Sam turned back to his goal at hand: breakfast.
“I’d like to apologize for last night; I don’t remember anything that happened after, but I think you were the one who helped me back to my room.”
“It’s fine.” Sam found his tupperware of fried rice and placed it in the microwave that was nearby.
Aiden was a little nervous. “So...that’s it?” he asked as he was fumbling with his hands.
“Yup.” the shorter boy didn’t turn around to notice that his friend was still a little hesitant to end this conversation. All he could focus on was the food in the microwave. Behind him Aiden was still fretting and he may as well had jumped up and down as if he were high on sugar.
“Also...uh..thanks...you know...for coming with me. I knew you weren't interested and you took care of me…”
Sam couldn't help but turn and look at his friend curiously. Aiden looked guilty.
The boy with the glasses couldn't fathom the reason why, but he tried to encourage him. “Aiden, dude..it’s fine. It’s what friends do. Don’t be hard on yourself. I’d do it for you anytime.”
“Really?” Aiden’s voice almost squeaked.
Sam couldn’t help but break into a smile. “Really.”
The microwave beeped and Sam went to focus on it. Before he could even open the door Aiden nearly all but tackled him from behind to a hug.
“Thank you!” He yelled.
The hairs on the back of Sam’s neck froze and he elbowed Aiden in the stomach to break free. Aiden yelled in pain and bended over before falling onto his knees.
Sam tried to shake away his nerves. “S-sorry.”
“It’s okay…” Aiden managed to wheeze. “It’s what...friends do right?”
The guitarist gave it a thought. “I suppose...not exactly the healthiest relationship, but yes?”
“Good.” Aiden managed to cough out.
He would have to figure out what Sam’s issue was, but one step at a time.
