Chapter 10
1798 Words
“Good morning, Kennan!” I called out cheerfully, my excitement bubbling over as I waited outside his dorm to walk him to his class.
“Good morning,” he replied, his tone icy as always. But I brushed it off, as I had grown used to his cool demeanor over the past few weeks. What mattered was that he saw I was serious and sincere about what I was doing for him. I extended my hand, ready to take the painting supplies he needed for class. He didn’t look at me, merely passing them over.
At least there’s some progress. Gone are the days when I had to wrestle him for those bags. I imagined the day he might reach for my hand instead as we walked to his building.
“What do you want for a snack? Spaghetti? Pizza? Carbonara? Fruit salad? I’ll whip something up after my first class,” I asked, my enthusiasm undeterred. Kennan didn’t care much about store-bought snacks. He preferred if I cooked for him myself to show my effort. In the early days, I’d sliced my fingers more times than I could count, all because I was still getting the hang of kitchen tools. Anthony and Timmy had lectured me endlessly after I’d failed to play guitar for weeks due to my cuts, but the sight of Kennan sampling my cooking made it all worthwhile. Even if he didn’t finish it, just a taste felt like a balm for my wounds.
“Wayne, aren’t you tired yet?” he asked, his boredom evident.
“Not at all! Besides, I’m learning a lot from all this. Look, I don’t cut myself anymore when I use a knife,” I replied, and he shook his head in disbelief.
“And I don’t fall out of the mango tree every time you drag me up there for a snack. The guards aren’t after me anymore, either, since I explained that you wanted to eat mangoes.” I paused as he stopped walking, caught off guard by my words.
“I don’t want mangoes anymore, so stop climbing that tree. You might fall again and get hurt, and I don’t want your friends blaming me. Or worse, they might have you arrested for illegal tree climbing at the university,” he said, a hint of genuine concern in his eyes.
“It’s fine, Kennan. As long as I make you happy, that’s what matters,” I said, grinning.
“Speaking of dinner, what do you want to eat? I know you won't cook because you'll be tired from your work at the cafe so I'll do it for you,” I shifted the topic. Of course, I have been serving him for some weeks now that's why I already know what his work is.
“Don’t bother cooking. How many times have you almost burned down your kitchen?” he asked with a smirk.
“Those were just accidents!” I protested.
“Accidents? More like fifteen of them!” he teased, raising an eyebrow.
“Okay, fine,” I mumbled, my head hanging in mock shame. He sighed before responding.
“Steak and Cobb salad,” he finally said.
“Sure, I’ll make the salad super delicious for you.”
He rolled his eyes.
“By the way, Kennan, I’m getting pretty good at the piano. Didn’t you say you prefer pianists to guitarists? So I’ve really been practicing. One day, I want to play something for you,” I said proudly, hoping to spark a hint of interest.
“In your dreams,” he shot back coldly.
“Hehe, I have those dreams often! I just want to make them a reality,” I teased.
“Whatever. Hand me my stuff,” he ordered, holding out his hands.
“Wait, are we already at your room? That was too fast! I wasn’t done enjoying our conversation!” I complained.
“You talk too much. Just give me my things,” he said, reaching for them. I pulled them away playfully.
“Hang on, Kennan, do you have a band-aid?”
“Why would I have a band-aid? Do you have another cut?” he asked, trying to mask his concern with annoyance. But I caught the flicker of worry in his eyes.
“I was hoping to use it on my knees. I scraped them when I fell on you,” I said, flashing him a cheeky smile.
“Stop being so cheesy, Wayne. Hand over my things,” he replied, clearly trying to keep a straight face.
“Wait again, Kennan. Are you a camera?”
“What kind of nonsense is that, Wayne?! Just give me my stuff!” He tried to snatch them from my hands, but I evaded him.
“Just answer me, and we can wrap this up,” I said playfully. With a crowd of students watching us, he finally relented.
“NO! Why would I be a camera?” he exclaimed, feigning anger.
“Because whenever I see you, I smile,” I winked, and he rolled his eyes in response.
But the students overhearing our banter were all grins.
“Aww!”
“Wow!”
“Wayne is so sweet!”
“Way to go, Wayne!”
“Kennan’s so lucky!”
Those were the comments that surrounded us as I finally handed him his supplies. He took them without a word of thanks, but I didn’t mind. What mattered most was that I got to serve him again today.
I waved goodbye to Kennan’s classmates, who seemed to be my fans now before I turned and walked away.
I was headed toward my own building when I froze, spotting a familiar figure waiting at the reception area.
“Mom?”
….
“Mom?” I called out as I approached.
“Wayne,” she replied, her voice warm. Without caring about anyone around, I ran up to her and wrapped her in a hug.
“I miss you, Mom,” I said as we finally broke apart.
“I miss you too, baby.” She gestured to one of the couches, and we walked over to sit.
“What are you doing here, Mom?”
“Wayne, I won’t beat around the bush. I received a call from your dean. She informed me that you’ve dropped out of the Top 50 students at the university and that they’re planning to revoke your scholarship.”
Her calm voice couldn’t hide the concern in her eyes, and I felt a flush of shame wash over me. I looked down, avoiding her gaze. My family has money but becoming a scholar because you're smart is really something my family is proud of and I feel sorry that I've disappointed them all because I cannot concentrate on my studies anymore. My time is spent more on Kennan and my band.
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
“What’s going on, Wayne? The dean mentioned all sorts of trouble you’re causing at UVI. Joining drag races? Climbing trees behind the school? She even said you almost set your apartment on fire sixteen times! Are you using drugs?” she asked, her worry palpable.
“Mom, I’m sorry. I just did those things to impress someone. I joined drag racing because he likes champions, climbed the tree for fruits because he loves them, and nearly burned down the dorm cooking snacks for him.”
“You mean she likes champions. Wayne, I’m glad you’re willing to go out of your way for someone to show you care, but don’t let it come at the cost of your well-being and your education.”
“I promise, Mom. I’ll be more careful. Besides, he’s already told me to stop with the drag racing and climbing trees. He even doesn’t want me cooking for him anymore,” I added, my tone a mix of complaint and longing. I also emphasized the pronouns I used.
“Because she knows it’s dangerous and that you could get hurt. At least he realized that before something worse happened to you.” Mom emphasized the pronoun too.
“But how can I win him over if I don’t impress him?” I whined.
“Stop with the drag racing and tree climbing. Just focus on cooking. After almost setting your room on fire sixteen times, I’m sure you know how to cook by now.”
“Of course, Mom. If it weren’t for Kennan, I wouldn’t have learned anything about cooking,” I said proudly, stressing Kennan's name so my Mom would have the answer to her questions right away.
“Hold on. You've been using the wrong pronouns. Him? He? And is s that her name? Is Kennan her name?” she asked, a sudden seriousness in her tone.
“it's really a his, mom. His name is Kennan.”
“You’re chasing a guy?!” she exclaimed, shocked.
“Mom, he’s gay. I know you might not agree with that, but I really like him. I think I’m falling for him. It’s like what you used to tell us about your courtship with Dad? I’m feeling all that now. I can’t be at peace unless I see him. My heart races when he’s near. Mom, I love him.”
“Wayne…” she paused, her voice heavy with contemplation.
“Mom, would you disown me if I had a boyfriend instead of a girlfriend?” I asked, my heart sinking.
She stared at me for a long moment, as if weighing my sincerity. I held her gaze, determined to show her how serious I was. Finally, she said, “No. We wouldn’t disown you for loving a gay man. You’re too precious to be judged and tossed aside just because you fell in love. We love you, and we always will, regardless of who you love.”
Those words warmed my heart, and I hugged her tightly, pouring my gratitude into that embrace.
“Bring him to our family reunion next month. I want to meet the guy who’s going to be part of our family,” she said, smiling.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“So, get back to studying! Impress him even more!”
“Yes, Mom. I promise!”
“For now, let’s add to your absences. Let’s head back to your dorm and cook something nice for your future boyfriend,” she said with a grin.
“Really, Mom? You’re going to cook for him?” I asked, my excitement bubbling up.
“I'll cook for whoever my children love.” I am touched by her statement. I went near her and hugged her from behind.
“Thanks, Mom. I love you!”
“I love you more, Wayne.”
- Writer
