Day
Juan was at the university trying to get away from his ex, but the hallways were deserted because it was so late. Despite how lonely the place was, his desperation led him to approach a guy who was alone, and on impulse, he turned and said to his ex,
"I was with you, but I'm actually gay," he said as he approached the guy and kissed him. Juan, not knowing who the guy was, got carried away by the moment, and the guy, for his part, had no idea who he had kissed either.
He was stunned and was about to protest, but Juan had already opened his eyes. He whispered in his ear, “Play along with me; you can hit me later if you want.” However, within seconds, a group of guys came out of a room; they were friends of the guy Mike had just kissed and were part of the football team.
At that moment, Juan realized he had probably kissed one of the players on the college football team.
Juan practically ran off, but soon after, he remembered his ex and decided to quickly go back to her. She stood frozen, unable to take her eyes off Mike. However, Juan didn’t want her to reveal what she had just witnessed.
The days passed, and what hadn’t happened before began to happen: Juan and Mike ran into each other more often in the hallways. Every time Mike saw Juan, he looked at him strangely. Juan feared that at some point Mike might attack him, but he didn’t dare approach him to apologize.
Two weeks have now passed since that moment, and the atmosphere in the hallway has become vibrant and full of life. You can hear hurried footsteps echoing on the floor, accompanied by laughter that seems to come from afar, creating an atmosphere of joy. The echoes of lively conversations intertwine with the sound of doors opening and closing, as students move back and forth, sharing stories and enjoying the company of their friends. This constant bustle transforms the hallway into a dynamic place, where every corner seems to tell a story of friendship and fun.
Mike was walking with a notebook tucked under his arm, clutching something tightly in his hand. When he opened it, a small folded piece of paper he’d written the night before came into view. He’d been avoiding thinking about the awkward situation that had arisen weeks earlier, when Juan kissed him. Although the moment had been brief, he hadn’t been able to get those few seconds out of his head since then; they kept him distracted and pensive.
While Juan was in the university hallway, Mike took advantage of a moment of distraction—Juan was talking to a friend—and slipped a note into Juan’s backpack, which was slightly open. Quickly, Mike placed the paper inside just before Juan returned. Upon returning, Juan gathered his things and noticed a piece of paper peeking out of his backpack. Curious, he opened it as he walked, wondering if it was something important. His expression changed at first, but as he read the note carefully, he was surprised to discover its contents.
Hi, about what happened with the kiss... I'm not sure what to think, but I'd like us to talk about it. If that's okay with you, we could meet today at the cafeteria after class, just the two of us. Juan decided to go, since he felt he owed Mike an explanation.
The afternoon arrived, and the university cafeteria was moderately crowded. However, it was impossible not to notice Mike, who was wearing his signature University football sweatshirt. He could feel a slight tremor, a sign of his nervousness, and he thought that, given the time of day, people would start to leave, which would make the cafeteria less crowded.
Juan paused for a moment at the door, unsure whether to head over to the table where Mike was sitting. Finally, he decided to buy some food before approaching him.
“May I?” Juan asked, pointing to the chair across from him.
“Sure,” Mike said, trying to sound relaxed.
Juan sat down and placed the tray on the table, and for a few seconds, an awkward silence filled the air.
“I got your note...” Juan began.
“Oh, right...” Mike said. “It was just... because of what happened the other day.”
“The kiss,” said Juan, without lowering his voice, causing Mike to almost hide under the table, but he didn’t because that would be even more suspicious.
“Keep your voice down,” Mike whispered.
“Yeah, well... it was... an accident. I guess.”
“I guess...” as if that were the answer to all his problems. “But... why did you do it?” “My ex is kind of crazy and won’t leave me alone, so I saw you were alone and quickly thought of saying I liked guys so she’d leave me alone. And she almost left me alone.”
“Okay,” Mike said, trying not to sound disappointed.
—Can I ask why you're looking at me like that?
“Hey, I’m not looking at you weird.”
“I thought you were going to hit me at some point.”
“No,” Mike says, smiling.
Juan smiled back, and they started chatting; the conversation flowed naturally, as if they were lifelong friends. Suddenly, Juan’s ex-girlfriend appeared and interrupted them.
“Long live the couple,” says Alex.
“There you are again. Could you please leave?” Juan says, annoyed.
“Am I interrupting your love or what?”
“You’re interrupting my peace, my quiet, my...”
“And does your girlfriend know you’re gay?” she asks Mike.
“I’m not gay,” Mike says very seriously.
They looked at each other and kept talking, ignoring her, and that infuriated her.
“I could tell half the campus if I wanted to.”
“Please, please,” Juan says in a feigned pleading voice. “Who would even listen to you?” he says mockingly.
“Juan gets up and leaves without saying goodbye, and Mike does the same.”
Later, Juan looked for Mike, who was alone once again, waiting for his friends. Whenever they went out, he was always the first to arrive at their meetups.
Juan arrives, and upon seeing him, Mike can’t help but smile. Juan apologizes, saying he couldn’t say goodbye because his ex wouldn’t leave him alone.
“Yeah, and now he won’t leave me alone either.”
“I understand, and I’m sorry about what happened.” Juan notices that Mike’s friends are arriving and decides to leave.
