Somebody thumped at the door. We parted faster than two dogs under a pressure hose. Griff sat up and looked at me. " See who the hell it is." I pulled the covers over my shoulders and played possum.
"Hey asshole!" It was Josh, one of Griff's jock comrades. " Does sleeping beauty have notes for Pierson's class? I had to cut." You overslept, bushed after unsuccessfully trying to bring some girl to orgasm. " Wake his little ass up." He tried. God knows he tried.
"he's a little smartass."
" What'd he say?"
" I came in late the other night and I said don't worry mike it's Griff. Oh, he says, I thought you were Ronald Reagan."
I sat up in bed and said " He's fucked everybody else in the country. I thought it was my turn." When I thought for a sec, I was ready to lie down again so I wouldn't vomit. The idea of that dirty old man with his Grecian Formula'd hair bent over me made me shiver. "Wait a second"' I said. I leaped out of bed and went over to my desk. My Pierson notebook was on the top of the pile in my bulging knapsack. "Is this what you want sleepyhead?" I handed it to Josh. If he wasn't such a total asshole , I'd give him a moustache ride he wouldn't forget. he was a real redhead with beautiful transparent skin and green eyes. He had that demeanor that says I'm hung like Sea Biscuit and don't care who knows. Griff was well endowed but he acted like he was wearing the scarlet letter.
Push that dick up inside me. Never mind how much I cry and yell. Hammer my ass.
I called my parents the next day and asked if I could get a little apartment if I found a responsible roomie who they approved of. Then I called the University of Delaware student rag and placed an ad looking for a quiet nonsmoking gay male tired of the dormitory hurlyburly. On Saturday night I hitched to Newark's only gay bar. Wonderland was meant for the campus trade. There were some pretty advanced grad students hanging out.
Although I didn't even have a fake ID the doorman waved me in. We had an arrangement. When he went on break I joined him in his car, if i wasn't otherwise engaged. I walked into the bar. Everybody in the place was my dad's age. If I were a hustler I could have started a bidding war. The mens room door opened and a guy not over twenty=one walked out. He sat down at the bar. I went over and sat next him before one of the trolls could get at him.
" Looks like a daddy convention."
" Yeah it sure does. I'm Edward by the way. Call me Ed."
" Michael. I go to the school in ..."
" Yeah, my kid brother goes there. On an athletic scholarship. Griffin Fox."
" Yeah, I know Griff. He's my roommate."
" I never had the pleasure. We always had separate bedrooms."
" Lucky you."
I was flabbergasted. Griff's brother was gay. I mean he had to be or he wouldn't be in here, right?
" They don't still have that stupid curfew do they?"
" Not on weekends."
" Why don't we get out of here and go to my place for some drinks?" I jumped off the bar stool.
" Does that answer your question?"
Ed lived in one of Newark's old house apartments. Drafty, dark and smelly but preferable to a dorm. We climbed two flights of stairs. He went into the kitchen to make drinks. I flipped through his record collection. No Eagles or Rolling Stones, thank goodness. The complete work of the Smiths, a dimly familiar name, a couple Joe Jackson lps, Billy Bragg, Sinead O'Connor, lots of Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry.
" Come over here and get comfortable."
