More
Probably the longest post on this journal thus far.
Enjoy.
Saturday
I. Midnight
"Christian, I..."
Avery desperately calls after him. Christian pauses momentarily at the end of the hallway. Then he's gone.
"Avery?"
Avery turns his head. Thomas is standing beside him. Has been for the last few minutes. Thomas notes the flush on Avery's cheek, sees the worried look in Avery's eyes. Thomas' own eyes are completely unreadable. Calm.
"Avery?"
Thomas asks again. This time Avery answers him.
"Hello, Thomas."
A simple greeting. Very polite.
"It's late."
Thomas continues.
"You should go back to your room."
That's it. No questions. No inquiring looks. It's midnight and Avery has just emerged from Christian's bedroom after Christian has gone running down the hall. Of course. Nothing extraordinary about it. Nothing at all.
The two exchange 'goodnights'. Avery leaves.
Thomas goes back into his room. He shuts the door, falls down on his bed, buries his face in the pillow. Before he finally falls asleep, the pillow is soaked through.
II. Morning
Christian's thoughts are interrupted by birdsong. Annoyed, he looks up and sees that the sky has become light. He thinks about going back in. After all, it is very cold.
III. Afternoon
Thomas and Christian are going over the poems of Ezra Pound. They have an essay. At the moment they are examining The Garden. "And she is dying piecemeal of a sort of emotional anemia." Reads Thomas. For a moment they feel a kind of pity for the nameless woman and her exquisite boredom. Then, destroying her with their pens, they move on to the Cantos.
Avery, two classes down, and a table away, studies Shakespeare's sonnets.
IV. Evening
After dinner, Christian and Thomas take a walk together. They talk of many things. Avery is never mentioned. When he appears briefly as they start inside, Christian takes up Thomas' hand.
Like a ghost, Avery drifts away.
V. Night
Will has been invited to a party. He goes. His friend introduces him to a girl. Will takes stock. Nice figure, auburn hair, pretty, eager face. He introduces himself and she laughs inanely as she twines her arm around his shoulders. He turns up the corners of his mouth at her and they dance. A bit later, he lets her lead him upstairs. In the empty room, he closes his eyes as she kisses him. He keeps his eyes closed as he presses her against the wall. Nature, he hopes, will take its course. His friends, he hopes, will hear them.
Enjoy.
Saturday
I. Midnight
"Christian, I..."
Avery desperately calls after him. Christian pauses momentarily at the end of the hallway. Then he's gone.
"Avery?"
Avery turns his head. Thomas is standing beside him. Has been for the last few minutes. Thomas notes the flush on Avery's cheek, sees the worried look in Avery's eyes. Thomas' own eyes are completely unreadable. Calm.
"Avery?"
Thomas asks again. This time Avery answers him.
"Hello, Thomas."
A simple greeting. Very polite.
"It's late."
Thomas continues.
"You should go back to your room."
That's it. No questions. No inquiring looks. It's midnight and Avery has just emerged from Christian's bedroom after Christian has gone running down the hall. Of course. Nothing extraordinary about it. Nothing at all.
The two exchange 'goodnights'. Avery leaves.
Thomas goes back into his room. He shuts the door, falls down on his bed, buries his face in the pillow. Before he finally falls asleep, the pillow is soaked through.
II. Morning
Christian's thoughts are interrupted by birdsong. Annoyed, he looks up and sees that the sky has become light. He thinks about going back in. After all, it is very cold.
III. Afternoon
Thomas and Christian are going over the poems of Ezra Pound. They have an essay. At the moment they are examining The Garden. "And she is dying piecemeal of a sort of emotional anemia." Reads Thomas. For a moment they feel a kind of pity for the nameless woman and her exquisite boredom. Then, destroying her with their pens, they move on to the Cantos.
Avery, two classes down, and a table away, studies Shakespeare's sonnets.
IV. Evening
After dinner, Christian and Thomas take a walk together. They talk of many things. Avery is never mentioned. When he appears briefly as they start inside, Christian takes up Thomas' hand.
Like a ghost, Avery drifts away.
V. Night
Will has been invited to a party. He goes. His friend introduces him to a girl. Will takes stock. Nice figure, auburn hair, pretty, eager face. He introduces himself and she laughs inanely as she twines her arm around his shoulders. He turns up the corners of his mouth at her and they dance. A bit later, he lets her lead him upstairs. In the empty room, he closes his eyes as she kisses him. He keeps his eyes closed as he presses her against the wall. Nature, he hopes, will take its course. His friends, he hopes, will hear them.