CHAPTER 6

Karl had just finished taking a shower when he saw Andrew standing in front of the window. He was leaning sideways against the glass window with a worried expression that Karl immediately noticed.

“Are you alright?” Karl asked warily as soon as he came towards Andrew. He wrapped his arms around Andrew’s back.

“I’m fine,” Andrew responded, but his voice cannot deny his own emotion. He’s worried and bothered.

Karl suddenly thought of what Sam advised him. He knows that Andrew rarely tells him about what’s on his mind, but just like what Sam told him, there’s nothing wrong if he tells Andrew that it bothers him.

“Andrew…” Karl murmured against Andrew’s head. “Don’t you trust me?” he added that made Andrew turned his body to face Karl.

“What are you talking about?” Andrew asked, pressing his right hand on Karl’s left cheek. He looked at him in the eyes and tried to read him.

Those eyes could melt Karl in any second. He held Andrew’s hand from his cheek, pulling it down, and gripped it with his two hands. “It’s because I feel you’re always hiding something from me. I want to know your thoughts. I want to know about your troubles. I want to know everything.”

Andrew averted his gaze away from Karl. The gesture made Karl upset. He just doesn’t want to feel distant. He always felt like there’s a boundary between him and Andrew. A wall of past that he can’t get through. He let go of Andrew’s hand. Maybe it was a wrong idea, he thought. He was about to walk away when he felt a hand suddenly grasping at him. He turned his head and saw Andrew holding his hand as the latter stared down.

Karl looked at him in silence. Andrew always gets his way when he does this. Karl is fragile for Andrew, that’s why this will normally work with him, but not this time, Karl thought. He was about to pull away from Andrew, but the latter gripped his wrist tightly.

“A-Allen is back. They… they released him,” Andrew started, his voice stuttered as he tried to blurt those words out of his mouth. “I’m scared Karl, I’m-”

Karl felt like his chest was hammered. He felt like a child for a moment, a child that was about to throw his tantrum at being neglected. He felt like a total idiot. He immediately wrapped his arms around Andrew. He gripped him in his arms as he tried to ease him. “I’m sorry. Don’t be scared. I’m here.”

Andrew hugged him back, burying his face in Karl’s chest. As Karl waited for Andrew to calm down, he tried to collect the thoughts floating around his mind. He gathered them, finding the right words to say that won’t add to Andrew’s already anxious mind.

“Come here,” Karl pulled Andrew towards the bed and made the latter sit. He then faces him as he gently wipes the tears falling from Andrew’s eyes. He then stared at him with his tendered eyes, “Tell me what happened. How did you know?”

Andrew lowered his head as he fidgeted on his fingers, “I-I heard my classmates talking about it. T-They said… They said Allen Sanchez was r-released. H-He…” His voice trailed off as he remembers the man who killed his ex-lover.

Karl was shocked. He felt his blood boiling as it steamed upward on his head. He wanted to blurt his frustration. Why on earth would someone like him get released? He wanted to show his anger, but he tried to control it as much as possible. Andrew was already anxious enough. Adding to it won’t help, he thought.

“What if he does something to us, Karl? What if--”

“No…” Karl cut him. “I won’t let him do anything to you. I won’t let him hurt you,” He assured, pulling Andrew towards him. “I promise.”

*****

Andrew sat down in his seat as he waits for their professor. There are also a few students in the classroom. He’s in a free section, so he has other classmates who he doesn't know or is not close to. His only classmate from their team is Troy, who’s always late in the class. Andrew decided to just lay his head on the table, his face tilting to the left. He stared over the window at the clouds with dark streaks, which is a sign that soon the rain will fall.

“So there’s a movie I’ve watched last night,” Andrew heard. The voice came not too far from him that makes it loud and clear.

“Their school doctor fell in love with the student, but the thing is, he’s a psychopath! He killed the student’s parents because he’s obsessed!”

“Agh! That is so creepy!”

“I think I saw that in the replay the other day. He was imprisoned, right? And then he escaped after some years. He went to the prom of that student and kill her friends.”

“Yes! That’s exactly what happened! I heard they based it on a real-life story. That movie creeps me out.”

Andrew suddenly felt anxious. He felt his legs shaking. It was just a movie; he thought. But it happened to him. What if Allen came back to do the same thing? He then thought of Karl. What if during these times, while he’s not with his boyfriend, Allen would take Karl just like what Allen did to Emman? Those thoughts filled his mind. He couldn’t think of anything else.

He immediately stood up from his seat. He grabbed his bag, then took his phone out of his pocket and trotted out of the classroom. He fast dialed Karl’s number, but it gave him, The number you have dialed is out of coverage area, please try your call later response.

He dialed it again, but he was hearing the same thing. It grew his frustration even more. “Why the heck can’t I contact you?” he said irritably.

He walked as fast as he could towards the Computer Science building where Karl was. He no longer cared about those he collided with or the people who gazed at him differently. As soon as he gets to the building, he immediately walked towards Karl’s classroom. He surveyed the room thoroughly, only to find that Karl was not around.

He felt his heartbeat racing even more. He only wants to see Karl, but his mind was about to betray him. He felt extremely nervous, as if he’ll throw up at any moment. He could not think straight, losing his mind. He then gazed his eyes in the hallway, focusing on every person he sees that looks the same in his eyes, the face of Allen. He tried to walk and lean against the nearest wall, wanting to avoid the crowd. He leaned against it, trembling. He was so out of his mind that he could no longer hear some people asking him if he’s alright. They were ignored. As he shook on his spot, a voice suddenly echoes in his mind.

We are of the same blood…

Then his legs gradually stop shaking. He stood straight then walked, with a blank expression, heading towards the gym.

He trudged on a path that looks wider in his mind. Before he could even get to the building where the gym was, his eyes darted to the two familiar men who just came out of the library. He stopped on his track and stared at them, who soon noticed him as well.

“Andrew!” Karl ran towards him with a handful of books clasped in his arms.

Andrew stared at him long enough for Karl to worry. “What’s wrong?” he then started asking while reaching for Andrew’s right hand.

After a few seconds, Andrew curved his lips and smiled at him. “Where have you been? I’m trying to contact you.”

“Ah, my phone was empty. I borrowed vice-captain’s power bank,” Karl answered.

“Sorry Andrew,” Andrew averted his gaze towards Sam, who’s standing right beside Karl. “Your boyfriend is too persistent. He kept on insisting to help me in the library for the power bank. It’s not like I give charges,” Sam added as he frowned.

“Ahh, It’s okay, vice-captain,” Andrew responded with a smile. “He’s really like that,” he added, then his eyes darted to the books that Karl was holding in his arms. “Are you going to photocopy those?”

Karl and Sam nodded in response.

“I can do it by myself. It seems that you have something to say with Karl,” Sam uttered. He’s not oblivious to him not to notice.

“No, I just want to check on him,” Andrew retorted. “Let me help with that.” He then took some books in Karl’s arms.

“Don’t you have a class?” Karl asked.

Andrew shook his head, “Our professor didn’t attend our class.”

Andrew and Sam exchanged glances and went on the silent agreement as Andrew was already carrying the books and he looks persistent too.

“Alright, let’s go,” Sam uttered.

*****

Andrew, Karl, Martin, and Troy rested first on the side of the gym after their third set, while their other teammates were still left on the court. Martin and Troy are far from the two because the couple have their own world when they are together. They just don't want to third-wheeled the two.

The couple is looking at their other teammates on the court.

“Sam is too reliable, isn’t he?” Andrew muttered as he set his eyes on their vice-captain, encouraging their other teammates who still needed improvement.

Karl averted his eyes in Sam's direction while he was busy gulping on the bottled water. He finished drinking it first and handed it over to Andrew. “He is. He’s dependable,” He agreed.

“I remember the time when he helped us get back into the team,” Andrew added, his thoughts filling up his mind.

It was three years ago when Karl and Andrew joined the team. They were still freshmen back then, but they did not immediately get along. They were rivals. Karl was bossy and a demanding setter. He’s not good at expressing his opinion that every word he blurted sounded rude to others. It’s also hard for him to compliment others. Despite having such an attitude, he’s one of the best players on the team that he immediately became the main setter replacing Sam.

Andrew, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of him. He’s friendly and will always say his opinion in a positive tone that irritated Karl the most. He was not one of the best, but he has potential. He’s short but with good reflexes and can jump higher than the tallest ones.

The differences and level of skills hindrance the two to work as a team. Karl would always set the ball on his other teammates, but not with Andrew. He would always say, he will just set for the best player until Andrew could no longer bear with Karl’s stubbornness. They fought in the gym that made their captain, Dale to kick them out from the team. Sam convinced Dale to give them a chance. He was persistent, to the point that it annoyed Dale for weeks. And for Dale’s sanity, he allowed the two to return on a condition that they both learn teamwork.

Sam happily relayed Dale’s instruction to the two.

And because both really wanted to go back to the team, they agreed on the condition. Karl will set for Andrew if the latter successfully gets to receive a ball from him. Practicing together unexpectedly made the two closer. Andrew could understand beneath Karl’s rude behavior and Karl could see Andrew’s potential. And because of that, the two were able to come back on the team. It was all thanks to Sam’s effort of annoying their captain.

Reminiscing about the past made Karl smile. If it wasn’t for Sam, they wouldn’t be able to come back on the team and he and Andrew wouldn’t get closer. “I owe everything to him,” he blurted.

Andrew averted his gaze to Karl. He stared at his beautiful set of orbs that lit under the light of the gym.

“He’s likable, isn’t he?”

Karl nodded in response. “He is. No one will not like him.”

Andrew averted his gaze back on the gym, staring at their vice-captain.