[Featured in FreetheLGBT: Diverse Literature reading list and Humor: Young. Dumb. Full of Fun list]
Colin Mitchell, a photographer at a well-known store, Snapshot, is openly gay--mostly. His ideal experiences are sexcapades that are always subtle, n...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Colin, are you-- are you home?" was what Colin heard as soon as he answered his phone. It was Peter, but it wasn't him. His voice hadn't ever sounded so unnaturally calm.
"Almost. I went to the shoot I told you about and I'm on the way back," Colin told him as he slowed at a stop sign. "I'm driving," the brunet added.
Colin couldn't tell if it was just him, but Peter's voice seemed to fall as he responded with "Oh okay." There was something obviously wrong with the boy and he didn't want it to seem like he was brushing him off.
"My phone's on Carplay so we can talk, don't worry." Colin said as he rounded a curve, eyes flitting up to the rear view mirror as he joined a highway. Although his attention was split with him being behind the wheel, he could still make out the barely-audible relieved sigh Peter made. It further ground his belief that something was up. "Why do you ask?"
"I need you," Peter whispered, "I-- I need you to come pick me up."
Colin couldn't recall hearing the Asian ever sound so... scared. The smaller boy did some questionable stuff out of pride and idiocy, but even when he was supposed to be freaking out, he took everything that came at him like a champ. This time, however, he sounded like he was on the verge of tears.
"I'm on my way." The brunet responded, the wheels in his head turning as he thought of what could possibly have Peter so wound up. He couldn't think up any explanation that sounded plausible enough. Peter never cried during fights. In fact, Colin didn't think he'd ever heard Peter sob before. "Can you keep talking, Pikachu? Do you think you can do that for me?"
A long pause came as noise erupted in the background. A small female voice. A gravelly male voice. Peter's voice. "Uh huh."
"Good. What's wrong?"
"My dad. He's... here."
"Dammit." Suddenly, Peter's uncharacteristic behaviour seemed to make sense. What still boggled Colin's mind was why Peter's dad went to his school. Only four days had passed since Peter had called Colin to inform him of the conversation with his dad. Is he really that desperate to see Peter?
"How'd that happen?"
"I have no fucking idea," Peter let out a dry laugh. "He just showed up. With Ivy."
"Wasn't she the one who--"
"Yes, but she didn't mean for him to come here. She took him to meet Lei and since they used the route that goes by here, he forced her to bring him. He threatened to come no matter what so I guess she had no choice."
"God, that's bad," Colin groaned as both his hands gripped onto the steering wheel. "Do you think you'll be okay by the time I get there? In fifteen?"
"Yes, but please hurry. They're not letting him come up to the dorms because I told them not to, but he's still down there."
Colin didn't leave any time for hesitation once he entered through the gates of UC Berkeley. He had driven Peter here when the school year started so he knew exactly where to go. Leaving his car in the lot, Colin immediately headed for Peter's dorm. Peter must have spotted him approaching the residence hall buildings because he appeared at the foot of the building just as he did.
