Homefront

By: David H
(© 2011 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 5

Later on that late June afternoon, Seth came by the house to find Matt was still sitting on the ground, next to the box. He was upset, but not angry. He was confused, yet, oddly somehow he understood why Nick had done the things he'd done. Something that had happened on their trip had changed his whole perspective, and Matthew found himself unable to fault Nick in any way. Seth was another story. He was fit to be tied, and while he loved Jenny with all his heart, this man before him was family. And one never fucks with family.

For two weeks, Seth tolerated mention of his name, until Matt was finally able to convince him not to hold the grudge, that he was OK and that things had obviously worked out the way they were supposed to. As Matt explained to his best friend, sometimes trips, regardless of their length, give one a new perspective, a new way of looking at things. For the Fourth of July holiday, Seth and Jenny went to Jackson to pass the time with Janelle, Charles, and yes, Nick. The initial reception was chilly, but after a shot of tequila, things were fine between them. Seth seemed able to separate Jenny's cousin from Matt's romantic interest.

For Matt, the time after the holiday was filled with tasks, all compiled into a single long list that would take the rest of the month to complete. On the top of the list was finishing the work that was required on the Dan's house, to get it ready for sale. He put several rooms of furniture into storage, for use when he moved out. His mother took a few personal mementos from the house, and his uncle was invited to take anything out the main house that he wanted. With that, there were only a few things left in the house, but what was there was simply decoration, with little to no sentimental value for anyone concerned.

The garage was another story. It was a huge building, large enough to store several old cars that Dan had collected over the years. One of them was the first brand new car that he'd ever purchased: a 1950 Studebaker convertible. He drove it for nearly a decade until parking it in the garage when he bought another. After a couple of years, Virginia told him to do something with it. While she intended for it to be sold, Dan had it completely refurbished and drove it from time to time to keep it going. There was a 1960s model Mustang that he'd acquired from a client some time before. Again, he'd had it completely refurbished before parking it in the garage. He'd kept that car more for sentiment than the others, and when it came time for Ron and Linda to marry, that was the vehicle they drove off in. His uncle's first car was also there, but Matt had no idea what make or model it was.

He honestly had no idea what to do with the cars until the day a real estate agent with whom Dan had worked for years came by the house for a first walk through. "You have to get rid of them," he told Matt, warmly remembering Dan's fondness for all three of them. That afternoon, as the man was hanging the sign in front of the house, Ron and Jimmy came by to get the Mustang. The next afternoon, on Friday, Rhett and Steven were schlepped from their home in Olive Branch by their mother to get the others. Before their arrival, Matt had placed some cash in the glove boxes. He knew it was going to be blown away quickly, but he felt that's what Dan would have wanted to happen. Seth came over just before they arrived, so that he could be there in the event some shit was started by the twins that Matt really couldn't stand and that couldn't really stand him for reasons that were beyond his comprehension.

During the last week of the month, he managed himself onto campus for a while to meet with both his major and minor advisors, both of whom had to approve his proposed schedule before he could register for classes. First he went to the Nutt Music building, where he parked behind the building and walked in through a side entrance. To be in that building again was an amazing feeling for him. The sound from his flip flops echoed against the walls and floors as he proudly walked toward the office for the Department of Music. He'd come on campus when he got back, but right then, he seemed to appreciate the sounds and memories of the place all the more. There were pictures of the choirs from years and decades past, three of which he himself was in. There was a trophy cabinet that contained awards and prizes that the choir, the orchestra, and the marching band had all won over the years.

As he walked inside, he spoke to the secretary, Willie Bishop, for a few minutes before Dr. Mike Henderson, the choral director and advisor for all of the Vocal Performance majors, came into the front office to greet him. The three of them joked for a second before Dr. Henderson said that he wanted Matt to see something. From the time before Matt was even born, Dan had been a benefactor for the music department. He and Virginia attended every concert that they could, and, about a year before he passed, gave a huge sum of money to the music to refurbish the aging auditorium.

As Dr. Henderson took him inside, it was obvious that work had been done on the place. The last time it had been redone was in the late 1960s or 1970s, when utility trumped everything else in terms of decoration. With the renovation that had taken place over May and June, though, everything was changed. The polished hardwood planks that had been the stage before was pulled up and completely redone. The aging blue carpet that had previously lined the two sets of staircases that separated the three sections of seats was replaced with a red carpet that ran from top to bottom. The seats themselves weren't new, but they'd been worked on some and had new, cushioned bottoms.

Whereas the old sound systems' speakers were obvious on the wall, they were changed to ones similar to what one might find in a movie theatre, hidden within the walls. The ones that had previous sat at the edge of the stage were built into the eight inch base. They'd even installed a projector that could show onto the huge screen that was, at the moment lowered.

"What do you think?" Dr. Henderson, who'd known Dan Landry longer than Matt himself, asked.

"I am in love with the place," he said as he was content to stand there.

"Just wait," he said as he walked to the control area. "Go to the stage."

"Yes sir," Matt said as he walked down, dressed comfortably in jeans and a Parsons t-shirt. With a single step, he climbed onto the stage, which he realized had also been expanded into a room behind stage that was never used for anything, really. It was large enough to accommodate the orchestra and the choir at the same time, if a particular set of curtains were raised and another lowered.

"OK," Dr. Henderson instructed, "Give me a C-scale!"

Matt searched for the perfect note in his mind and took a deep breath, pushing from deep within him a moment later. As flawlessly as ever, he completed that scale, along with a half dozen others. "What else you want?" Matt smiled.

"How about an 'Amazing Grace'?" Dr. Henderson said with a smile as he sat down and listen as Matt's mid-range Vox populi style of singing filled the room with a perfection that few students he'd ever encountered actually had. "Beautiful!" Dr. Henderson said as he stood, turning off all the sound equipment. "So let's go get your schedule for next semester..." he said, his voice carrying, as Matt walked up the steps.

Normally, if someone left the choir as Matt had for a season, their spot wouldn't still be there when they returned, but because of a last-minute withdrawal of an incoming Freshman, there was, quite suddenly, a place for Matt. He was elated to find this information out, as he assumed that he wouldn't be able to participate once the semester started in a couple of weeks. He also, as they walked to the office, found out of a change in the format for the Senior Fall Concert. Usually, there was one round of group performances and another of student-selected solo performances that ranged from classical to contemporary, but that year, given the number of people that would be taking part, it had been decided to dispense with the group performance and just have the seniors, on stage, doing what they did best.

With the preliminary schedule in hand, awaiting the approval of his minor advisor before he could then take his schedule to the Bursar for late registration and to pay tuition for the term, Matt left the Nutt Building excited, almost satisfied by all that had happened in that building. Climbing into his car, he pulled from the space rather quickly and went over to the HLC, the Higginbotham Language Center, where Modern Languages, English, Creative Writing, and Philosophy were located. As he parked in a space near that building and climbed from his car, unbeknownst to Matt, Nick was driving his Mustang onto campus.

*********

The previous weeks had been a sort of eye-opener for Nick. He spent several days after their return in his room. He was quiet, almost silent, rejecting the companionship of his family, as he, for the first time, really allowed himself to mourn both his mother and Corey. There was also a sense of guilt for what had happened with Matt, the way he'd basically ended things. It was so powerful that when he did come out of his room for the Fourth of July, he was worried that Seth would be angry. His suspicions were confirmed at first, as he was rather cold at first. As the day progressed, though, the two had a shot and a chance to talk. The day ended with a sort of reconciliation on their parts, which left Nick with enough peace to get through the next weeks.

As had been a usual thing before his tryst with Matt, he returned to the gym, working out six days a week to get back into peak physical shape. Using treadmills, he started to run again. At first, there was pain, but it eventually subsided as he pushed on past it.

He started to look for a job, but nothing was hiring in Jackson at the time except for retail positions. He got an offer from American Eagle, but before he could accept it, his aunt and Jenny decided that it was time to have a little conversation with Nick. Both of them were of the opinion that no one could be more than they were without expanding their minds. As Jenny put it, college was like a mental gym. It would allow him to explore and experiment with many different subjects, eventually choosing one that would satisfy the mind consistently. For Janelle, majoring in Engineering at a time when many women didn't was a fulfilling choice. Jenny's decision to choose Banking and Finance was based on her good head for numbers, combined with the fact that she'd be able to work with all different kinds of people.

Nick knew that his credentials weren't the strongest, but Jenny did everything in her power to convince him that it was, at the very least, worth a shot. Janelle had kept up with some of her contacts at East Mississippi University, where she was an alumna, and Jenny had worked in Admissions all through school and assured him that she could arrange a meeting with the Associate Director of Admissions and Coordinator for Veterans' Affairs. Janelle pointed out after that that his honorable discharge probably opened up a lot of education money.

Nick agreed to consider the possibility, asking for a single night to sleep on the issue. Despite what had happened with Matt, he still loved Eudora. He'd fallen in love with the campus of Parsons University, though, and knew that if he chose either school, it would be that one. It would be nice to be close to Jenny, even though most of her free time would be tied up with Seth, for the two needed to get to know each other as adults.

Thinking about that took his mind off other things for a little while, but at 7:30 the next morning, he was woken to the sound of his phone going off.

"Hello?" he answered, still too far gone to look at the caller ID.

"Two weeks from today," Jenny said, "plan on being in Eudora. My place. You've got an appointment two weeks from tomorrow."

"What are you talking about?"

"You have an appointment with Dr. Kevin Bishop, Veterans' Affairs Coordinator," she smiled.

"I haven't made a decision," Nick told her.

"Oops. Made it for you. Love you! Bye!" she said as she hung up the phone as quickly as she'd dialed it. As she was walking into work, she turned her phone off, smiling and knowing that, when he got over the initial wave of frustration with her, he'd be happy that she'd done it.

The next two weeks were spent in a relative hell. Dr. Bishop had phoned him personally, rather than having one of the student workers do it. The two talked about Nick's educational situation, but Dr. Bishop assured him that his GED and military history were just fine, at least for him, who held sway over all things related to former members of the United States Military. He just needed Nick to gather some things for him. An official document showing his successful completion of the GED Exam, his discharge information, and a transcript from St. Xavier's in New York would be required. The discharge papers he had on hand, along with a host of papers related to the time he'd spent in the US Marine Corps, and the office staff at St. Xavier's was sending him two copies of his transcripts: one official for the University and one unofficial for the purposes of the meeting. Getting the State of Mississippi to send him a letter showing his completion of the GED was proving difficult.

Being that the people were dragging their asses, it took Nick going to the office of the Director of the State Board of Community and Junior Colleges, the group that oversaw the GED program in the state, and sitting there until someone got him the copies of the transcripts that he needed. Again, there was one official and one unofficial for use during the meeting. Leaving there, he drove straight to Eudora, having packed his car in anticipation that it would, quite literally, take all day.

He got there at around 5:30 in the evening. Jenny had left the key in a flower pot just outside her door, so he let himself in. She got there a few minutes later, joking about how she had to turn Seth down for the first time since they'd known each other. "I feel so loved," Nick said as he rummaged through her kitchen, looking for something to cook them for dinner.

"You should. I don't often tell that man no," she grinned.

The two of them slept in their respective rooms in the apartment that she'd decided to keep for a little while longer. The next morning, on the morning of the 23rd, Jenny woke up and got herself ready to work earlier than normal. She left him a note, though, saying that she would be late getting home that evening, but that she would be there in enough time to find out how the meeting went. Shortly after she left, he was up and getting ready. After his shower, standing in his boxers, he pressed a white, button down shirt that he'd be wearing with his black suit. He didn't know what to wear exactly, so wearing the suit couldn't hurt that much.

Once he was dressed and everything, he went through his papers, making sure that he had everything that he'd need for the meeting. At nine o'clock, with a half hour to go before the meeting, he left the house. He had idea where he was going, but he didn't know what the parking situation would be.

He was going to Parsons Hall, which he vaguely remembered from a run one morning that he'd taken with Matt. He found it more quickly than he'd expected, encountering a single parking space beside the building that was marked for visitors. Parking the car in the spot, he shut off the engine and took a deep breath. Before the inside of the vehicle heated up, he climbed out, grabbing his coat and the folder that contained all the papers he would need for the morning and a copy of his résumé that included all his previous employment and military training. Climbing out, he shut the door and placed the folder on the top of the car as he pulled the jacket on.

With all the confidence the Corps had instilled in him, he slipped his keys into his pants pocket and held the folder in his right hand. With his right hand, he reached up to his the left side of his chest, just to make sure that he had a pen, in the event one was needed. With that, he stepped onto the sidewalk and walked around to the front of the building. Being that the building was built on a piece of land that, naturally, wasn't that flat, he took a few steps up and walked around the huge fountain that was out front, running, filling its little universe with the relaxing sounds associated with the movement of water. There were a few more steps leading up to the huge portico on the front of the red-brick building.

Along the front were three sets of doors that led into a huge lobby that was three stories tall. It was filled with things related to the university, from art to news articles that chronicled the institution's history. In the middle of the room was a directory of offices and people that inhabited the building. "Dr. K. Bishop - Coordinator of Veteran Affairs, Admissions Office, Suite 101," Nick read aloud, committing it to memory in doing so.

He walked from the lobby down a hallway that he was sure would lead him to where he was going. At the end, he entered what appeared to be a secondary lobby that, like the first, stretched up three stories. Unlike the other one, though, there was a huge skylight at the top, bringing gobs of natural light inside to illuminate the hardwood floors and the seal of the University that was right in the middle of the round room. A very modern staircase, with wooden steps and metal railings, led up to each of the floors. To his right, though, was an office that was clearly marked admissions.

Walking inside, he found himself standing in the crowd of people. While everyone was dressed nicely, Nick was the only one dressed in a suit. He was obviously older than the other prospective students in the room, but he was younger than the parents that were there with them.

"Can I help you?" a young lady asked as she walked up to him, a PDA in hand.

"I'm Nick Russo. I have an appointment with Dr. Bishop at 9:30," he explained.

"Yes! He's expecting you!" she noted. "Give me two minutes, and I'll let him know you're here."

"Thank you," Nick said as she smiled and turned to walk from the main office.

"Nicholas!" a salt-and-pepper haired man, wearing a shirt and tie, asked as he came out a couple of minutes later.

"Dr. Bishop!" Nick smiled as he walked over, holding out his hand to shake the doctor's.

"Come on back and we'll get everything taken care of," the older of the two men smiled as he turned to escort Nick back to his office.

Nick followed him through the crowd and then down a short hallway to an office right in one of the corners of the first floor of the building. As they walked in, Nick noticed that, to one end was a desk that was meticulously organized. On the other was a conference table atop which were placed stacks of papers and folders.

"Coffee? Water?" he asked as he invited Nick to take a seat at the conference table.

"Oh! No thank you," Nick said as he waited on the man to return before taking the seat.

"Suit yourself then," he smiled as he fixed himself a cup from the coffee maker that was on another table in the corner behind the conference table. As he pulled the chair out for himself, Nick joined him in sitting at the table. "So. Nick," he said, picking up a single folder and opening it before him, "did you bring the papers that I requested?"

"Yes sir," Nick said, opening his own folders. "Here is the unofficial GED form and unofficial high school transcripts," he said, handing the papers to the man. "I also brought official ones for the University itself."

"Good leg work!" Dr. Bishop smiled. "Saves you some time right there. What about your DD 214?"

"Right here," Nick said as he handed the specific page that the man had requested.

"OK. Anything else?" Dr. Bishop inquired.

"I also brought a copy of my résumé, current to this point," Nick told him.

"Again with the good work. This isn't required, but I do usually ask my vets to put down any non-classified training on paper so that I can keep it on file for future use," Dr. Bishop smiled. What Jenny had told him about Nick was proving to be more than accurate. "So now that I've got these, I can go ahead and tell you that this meeting is a formality. As far as I'm concerned, as the admissions counselor that would approve you based on your military service, you're in. Your cousin holds a lot of sway in this office in general, and she did an excellent job introducing us to you. So with that, welcome to Parsons University." Dr. Bishop continued to smile for a moment. "So have you decided on a major yet, or would that be asking too much?" he joked with Nick.

"Honestly," Nick told him, "I've not. I'm leaning toward something in engineering or architecture, but I want to take some classes the first year before I decide."

"Good idea. It took me the first two years to decide on mine," Dr. Bishop smiled. "It'll give you a chance to decide what really makes you tick, and I think Jenny took a full year and a summer to decide, if I'm not mistaken."

"She mentioned that a couple of weeks ago," Nick told him as he nodded.

"So that correct assumption on my part has led me to come up with a suggested schedule for your first two semesters," he handed Nick a piece of paper. "I've got you in three core classes with the option of an elective. My advice to you, at this point, would be that if you're thinking of engineering, go ahead and get one of your humanities or social science electives out of the way. That way, once you do decide, if that's what you choose, you can really focus on the field itself."

"Yes sir," Nick answered.

"So now there's the question of funding," Dr. Bishop said. "A very big deal..." Nick smiled.

"Well, the GI Bill is gonna pay for everything related to the University," Nick was informed by Dr. Bishop. "Then we have some extra things. Jenny explained what happened to your mother, and I want you to know that if you ever need to talk, that I'm here for you. The thing about that though, is, we had an alumna who lost two children in the attacks that day, and so she felt the best way to remember them was to set up a scholarship for 9/11 victims and their children who want to come to Parsons. We've never given out an award, so I spoke to the benefactor, explained her situation to her, and she told me to raise the amount of the award to $2500 per semester for as long as you keep a 2.5 GPA. Then, we had another alum who was a Marine, a great man really who was, it seemed, at every peace rally during my time here. He left us enough money in his estate to give awards to veterans who were honorably discharged, and it works out to be about $2500 per semester."

"So are you saying that that's five grand in my pocket each semester?" Nick asked.

"Yes sir," Dr. Bishop told him. "I also want you to fill out the FAFSA. As an independent student, you will, more than likely, qualify for additional money in the form of grants and such."

"Oh wow..." Nick told him, leaning back in the chair for a moment.

"That OK with you?"

"Yes sir... definitely OK..." Nick told him.

"OK. So I've got to click some things in the admissions system, and then I'm going to get you set up for the awards and benefits. There is just one last thing, though, that I need from you."

"Yes sir?"

Dr. Bishop stood and opened a cabinet, pulling a couple of things from inside and putting them into a cross branded Parsons University/Under Armour backpack. "I need you to take these things, and promise me that you are you going to make me, this department, and this University proud."

"Dr. Bishop," Nick stood to accept the gift, "I am a Marine. I will exceed your expectations of me."

"I'm gonna hold you to that!" Dr. Bishop smiled as the two men shook hands. "I'm gonna email by tomorrow morning about your admissions status. I want you to spend the evening looking over the course schedule for this term and decide on what elective. Then, after you get my message, I want you to send me the five digit course codes for the classes that you want to take, and I'll get you registered and funding all taken care of. OK?"

"Dr. Bishop," Nick started, "thank you very much."

"It's nothing, for real," Dr. Bishop smiled. "Now if you'd been Air Force or Army, I would have given you a slightly harder time."

"Were you a Marine also?"

"Nope. Navy. 25 years, left as the Captain of the USS Jimmy Carter."

"The sub?"

"Yes sir," Dr. Bishop said as he stepped behind his desk and took a seat. As they continued to talk about the Navy and the Marines, Dr. Bishop did what he needed to do to make Nick's admission official. He segued for a moment to ask for the sheet of classes and asked if those were OK with him. In just a moment, Nick was registered for freshmen level classes in English, Math, and Chemistry, and for his final choice, he decided that he should go ahead and get a required social sciences course out of the way by taking a class in Sociology. With a few clicks on the keyboard, Nick was registered for classes. "You're gonna get a bill," he said, "but just call and tell the Bursar's Office to contact me if there's any questions about it. OK?"

"Sounds good."

"Now. Go enjoy the last few weeks of freedom!" Dr. Bishop said as they again stood and as he escorted Nick from the office.

"That I can do," Nick said as Dr. Bishop held out his hand for Nick to shake. Their grips were strong, and their smiles in each other's directions were genuine. While Dr. Bishop knew that Nick would do well, better than a lot of people that came through his office, he could tell that Nick was nervous. It was that nervousness that Dr. Bishop knew would help him keep his eye on the prize and succeed at whatever he attempted.

*********

Walking from the Admissions Office, Nick turned to the left, toward the main door. The backpack in hand, his head seemed higher than it had been in a long time. Walking through the lobby, he was, perhaps for the first time, confident in his decision to go to this respected institution of higher learning. As he walked out, two older ladies were walking into the building, and Nick smiled as he held the door open for them, not paying any attention to who else was walking up the steps into the building.

It was Matt that first noticed him standing there, smiling as the ladies told him that they wished that more young men would hold doors for ladies in those changing times. Reaching the top step, he couldn't help but know that it was him, for no man that he'd ever met before could fill out a suit as he could. One could see his muscular body; one could feel the confidence that seemed to be oozing from his body. His hair was freshly cut and his face was cleanly shaven. The bag he was carrying intrigued him a little bit, for he knew that Nick was about to join the Parsons family, a group of people that included students, alumni, and friends from the four corners of the globe.

As the ladies got into the building and Nick released the door, he turned and saw Matt standing at the top, as if waiting on him to finish so that he could say hello. There was a small on his scruffy face, and his hair was covered by the worn old 'Freshman Cap'. He was a sight for sore eyes in his t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops that, on one hand, soothed some of his lingering nervousness and, on the other, excited other parts of his emotions. He was a familiar face, but the question was begged about just how familiar things were between them.

Would Nick reject Matt again? Was Matt angry or upset with him still? There was a tension between them that, if compared to butter, was almost watery and scoopable with a spoon, but, none the less, it was tension.

"Hi," Nick started as he walked over.

"Hey," Matt smiled, trying to lighten the moment not so much for Nick but more for himself. "Funny running into you at the doors to Parsons Hall," he added, hoping he wasn't sounding silly or dorky.

"How are you?" Nick asked, wondering for both that moment and in the calmed wake of their last exchange.

"Good. You?"

"If I were any better," Nick smiled, "I'd be twins!" Matt grinned a little bit, which was a good sign in Nick's book.

"I don't know if the world could handle two of you," Matt smiled, letting Nick know that he was playing off the perceived jocularity. "So what brings you to campus, man?"

"Jenny arranged a meeting for me with the Coordinator for Veteran's Affairs," Nick told him.

"Ooh! Dr. Bishop and his hot self!" Matt smiled.

"Yeah. He wasn't bad looking," Nick tried to play it cool. What he really wanted to say was that Matt, in that moment, was amazingly sexy as they stood there.

"Those muscles, in a stark white shirt," Matt went on. "I need to stop."

Nick smiled, "It's OK. He was, for the daddy type, really attractive."

Matt laughed at a thought running through his head. "I was about to make a rude comment about him commanding my battleship if he wanted." Nick laughed, heartily. It felt good, and, to Matt, it sounded more heavenly than a chorus of angels. "So what's in the backpack that they're now giving Freshmen when they're accepted?" Matt asked.

"T-shirt and a cap," Nick smiled.

"The Freshman Cap?" Matt asked, almost excited.

"Yes," Nick smiled.

"Then pull that bitch out and put it on," Matt insisted.

"I was thinking of putting it up, so that it wouldn't get messed up," Nick smiled.

Matt just shook his head as Nick pulled it from the bag. Taking it from his hand, Matt pulled open the one-size-fits-most blue cap and put it on Nick's head. "Now, you are the sexiest Freshman ever to grace this campus," Matt told him, not thinking about his words for a second as he stepped back to inspect how the cap worked.

"Thank you," Nick responded, blushing from the attention that he felt that he didn't deserve from this man before him, a man who, for whatever reason, was acting like nothing had happened between them, that there were no hurt feelings or unanswered questions. "So would it be... too much... for me to ask if you'd like to have a cup of coffee or something and talk?"

"It wouldn't," Matt answered, knowing what he wanted to talk about and wondering if he were ready to have that conversation. "I just need to run up and pay tuition for Fall. You wanna walk with me; it's never a bad thing to know where the Bursar's Office is."

"OK," Nick said as the two turned to walk into the building. Nick reached out and grabbed the door, allowing Matt to pass first before following him inside.

For Matt, the experienced senior, walking into that building was nothing. There was no need to stop at the directory and find what he was looking for, for this man knew campus better than most people. He had, after all, been around the place since his childhood. Walking into the second lobby, they took the stairs to the second floor, stopping behind a line that had formed at a series of small windows, just above the Admissions Office. As Matt patiently waited for his turn to see the lone cashier working, Nick looked around. It was an amazing place, really, built as much to balance tradition and utility as made of steel, stone, and wood. When Matt got to the window, he handed the lady his ID and Amex, each of which she promptly swiped. A few pages were printed, one of which Matt signed and handed back to her. Taking the others, he folded them enough so that they would fit into his back pocket. With a smile, he and Nick turned and walked back down the stairs and out of the building, as quickly as they had entered.

"So coffee still?" Nick asked as they walked around to the parking lot where they'd both parked.

"Yessir. We have to go to Patriots Café, though," Matt smiled.

"You'll have to show me where it is," Nick told him, thinking that they were going to have to drive someplace.

"K. Come on," Matt responded as they walked passed where they'd both parked just a few spaces away from each other. They walked to the side of Parsons Hall to the Library, entering through a back door and taking a staircase up to the main floor of the huge building that housed not just books spanning every period of literature, but also periodicals, and the single largest collection of blues recordings in the world, all donated by B.B. King. Matt guided him past it all, though, as they headed to a small café that was at the front of the building, just inside the front door.

Walking inside, there was, as had been at the Bursar's Office, a line of people that were there to take advantage of the services being offered. When they got there, Matt pulled a $20 from his wallet as they each ordered a cup of the house blend and a snack. For Matt, it was a cinnamon muffin, while Nick ordered a bagel with Asiago cheese. When they were given the total, they each handed the cashier the money that they were preparing to spend.

"I'll get it," Nick told Matt.

"No. We're considering this your congratulatory coffee!" Matt said as the lady took his money and smiled as they were carrying on. She, like most people there, knew that he was a new student from the navy colored cap that was on his head. After she handed Matt the change, they moved to the side of the bar as two other people fixed their order. One was pouring their coffee into tall cups, while the other was grabbing their baked goodies from a display beside the register.

Collecting their things, they turned to find two arm chairs free that were facing each other, with a little table that they could put their coffee on. Walking the few steps, they set their coffee onto the table and each took a seat, smiling and making a bit more small talk as they took the first bites of their food.

"This is good," Nick told him.

"It really is. During finals, they stay open 24 hours and serve sandwiches and such," Matt told him.

"So I won't get hungry while studying," Nick smiled.

"Right," Matt told him. "So did you register for classes today, or just meet with Dr. B?"

"He registered me while I was there," Nick told him. "I'm taking English 101, Math 110, Chemistry, and Sociology."

"You're gonna have no social life, dude," Matt joked with him.

"And I need to find a job, so that really kills any shot," Nick returned the moment's jocularity.

"So you'll need to find a really understanding guy that doesn't mind one-in-the-morning booty calls," Matt smiled.

"Damn right. Shouldn't be hard, though. I am hot, after all," Nick smiled.

"Yes... yes sir, you are," Matt told him as he took a second to sip his coffee. "Guys will be lining up for a chance at that, though," he went on as he set the coffee back on the table, watching as Nick reluctantly smiled.

"But then they'll run when they find out about my past," Nick added, "and about how I have tons of emotional baggage that's just in the storage locker of my mind."

"I bet they wouldn't," Matt offered. "For it's those things that make you the man that you are today."

"Pa's pearl of wisdom?" Nick smiled.

"No," Matt returned, grinning widely, "that's a Matt original."

"Very insightful, Mr. Harper," Nick took his coffee for a second as Matt nodded.

"It's not what's in our past that matters, though, it's how we let it influence the future," Matt told him. "That one's Pa's by the way."

"Oh, OK," Nick looked down and then away. "Matt..."

"Nick, don't say it," Matt knew what words were about to pass his lips. "There is no reason or need to say it, at least not from this end."

"I hope that you know that I never intended to hurt you... or upset you..." Nick told him.

"I know," Matt told him. "Seth told me that he'd threatened you to within an inch of your life on the Fourth. I should tell you that I'm sorry for having overbearing friends."

"No. Never. Seth is an amazing man. Corey was a lot like him."

"Oh yeah? Rude and brash..." Matt joked, sensing that there needed to be a lighter moment between them right then.

"Loyal..." Nick countered. "I'm sure that, if someone had done to me what I'd done to you, he would have been ready to throw down." He paused for a second, looking out the window, onto the sunny day. "He was the only person that I've ever really, truly, deeply, madly loved, and I... I never had the balls to tell him."

"I'm sure he knew," Matt said in a comforting, soothing tone.

"I hope he did," Nick smiled, fondly recalling, for a moment, the first time they made love. It was with such passion and power that Corey worked his magic on Nick. "That's actually one of my two regrets in life... not telling him how I felt."

"What's the other?" Matt inquired, assuming that it was something, from the way Nick looked away, that it was about him.

"Not telling my mom more often that I loved her," Nick answered.

"Nick, you're not the kind of guy that holds his emotions well. They're always on the surface, at least from what I know of you, so I bet that they both knew. I mean, they both knew that you are an amazing man."

"Sometimes I think it's because of them that I... am the person that I am today," Nick said, knowing of no other way to express all those things that were running through his mind in that moment. There were good things and bad things that were going on in his mind right then, and all of them were summed up by that single phrase. He looked up at Matt after a moment, realizing the strength and resolve that Matt had right then was being freely given to him. There was no reason for it; Matt could have been a complete and total asshole to him. He wasn't, though, which made him realize that all those feelings that he was developing for him before were real. He was a friend, a true friend, and one of only a handful that he'd ever had in his entire life.

With the exception of a few minutes when Jenny called to check on Nick's situation, the two of them sat in the library and just talked for a couple of hours. Nick talked about Corey and his mother, asking Matt to keep what they shared between them. It wasn't that he was embarrassed or anything by any of it, but he didn't want the world to know his issues. Matt, of course, was sympathetic, but he got the sense that Nick didn't want to be caudled because of his past. With that, he didn't. It felt good for Nick to get it out there, and Matt was grateful that he'd chosen to share the intimate details with him.

Matt shared with Nick all those things with which he was still grappling himself. He explained to Nick why Dan had been so important to him, because he was the first person in his life to fully accept him for everything that he had to offer to society. He told Nick the exact reasons why he went to Peru, having only ever told a handful of people. He noted that Dan had left him the companies, the properties, and money. He apologized to Nick for seeming like a whiny little rich kid, but Nick totally understood where he was coming from. He didn't want to be seen for what he had, but rather what he could offer.

The conversation gave them both perspective on the other person. It gave them things, tools, with which they could look at the other person and, sort of, in their ways, understand where the other was coming from.

When they realized that the coffee was gone, they both decided to leave the library. They walked out of the front door, though, into the sweltering afternoon sun. Walking around the building, they eventually made it back to their cars only to have a conversation about how Matt's Escape had been replaced with a Buick Enclave. As he explained it, the Escape was nice, but not what he wanted. Ron liked it, though, and so he bought it from Matt. Matt turned around and bought the Enclave, enjoying all the curves of the exterior and gadgets on the interior. Nick, a sort-of car guy, enjoyed listening as Matt expressed in humble words the power that the machine had. Of course, rather than the work of art that it was, it was a means to an end.

"So are you staying in town tonight?" Matt asked as a lull came into their conversation.

"Honestly, I've got to get back to Jackson to take care of a couple of things in the next couple of days," Nick told him. Oddly, both guys found themselves a little disappointed. The afternoon had gone along so well that they were reluctant to let it end. "Next week, though, if you're cool with it, mind if I come up and look at a couple of apartments?"

"Not at all," Matt smiled. "It might take a couple of days for you to find the perfect place, though."

"Your right," Nick told him. "Matt."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for this afternoon," Nick told him.

As if to accept his gratitude and to let him know that, between them, things were OK, Matt held out both of his arms. Nick sort of fell into his embrace, a hug that lasted a few seconds longer than it would have if there wasn't the deep, emotional connection that still existed between the two of them.

To be continued...

Posted: 07/22/11