Chapter 17

By Friday night, the silence was too much. Alex felt like the walls of the room were closing in and he craved the noise of other people, even if only to be around them without really engaging. He grabbed his laptop, slipped his earbuds into his pocket, and sauntered down the hall to the third-floor lounge.

The space was cozy, with mismatched couches, a couple of beanbags, a foosball table, and a big TV mounted on the wall, playing a muted rerun of The Office. A handful of students were scattered around—some studying, others laughing over a card game, the air full of soft conversation and the scent of microwave popcorn.

Alex claimed a worn couch in the corner and opened his laptop. He pulled up a casual game—some idle clicker he’d downloaded ages ago—and plugged in his earbuds, letting a random K-pop playlist from Spotify fill his ears. He tried to focus on the game, tapping mindlessly, but his thoughts kept drifting to Matthew. It was frankly getting annoying.

He was so lost in his head that he didn’t notice two guys stop in front of him until one of them spoke.

“Hey, Alex!”

Startled, Alex looked up to see Ryan and Caleb, two dorm mates he’d gotten to know over the last few months. Ryan was a lanky sophomore from Ankeny, studying engineering, with a mop of curly brown hair and a perpetual grin. Caleb was a junior from Cedar Rapids, taller and stockier, a business major with a buzz cut and a laid-back vibe.

“Hey guys,” Alex said, managing a little smile as he paused his game. “What’s up?”

“Haven’t seen much of you this week,” Ryan said as he flopped down beside him on the couch. “And we haven’t seen Matthew at all. Where’s he been?”

Caleb sat down to one side on the armrest next to Alex, chiming in, “Yeah, you two are usually joined at the hip. What’s the deal?”

“Well, he had an accident over Thanksgiving,” he said, pulling his earbuds out. “I went back with him to his family’s farm near Keosauqua. While he was showing me around inside the barn, he fell off a ladder and hit his head pretty hard. Ended up with a concussion and some stitches. He’s fine, but the doctor wanted him to stay home to recover for a few days.”

Ryan’s eyes widened. “Whoa, that’s rough! Glad he’s okay, though.”

“Oh, that’s not . . . You must’ve been shook, being there for all of that.” Caleb added with a note of sympathy.

Alex nodded quickly, his throat tight. “Yeah . . .” he said, voice trailing off.

“The dynamic duo of Burge Hall,” Ryan chimed in with a little shake of his head. “Well, glad to know he’ll be back soon.”

They chatted with him a bit longer, the conversation shifting to upcoming finals, the Hawkeyes’ next game, a party Caleb was trying to organize for the floor. Eventually, they drifted off to the foosball table, leaving with a wave and a “Catch you later, bro.”

Alex watched them go, earbuds dangling in his hand, the K-pop playlist still paused on his laptop. He sat for a moment, the lounge’s noise fading into the background, a quizzical expression on his face. Their words echoed in his mind—joined at the hip, dynamic duo. He wondered what made them say that. Did they think that he and Matthew were something more than roommates or friends?

After everything that had happened during his visit to the farm, he was beginning to wonder the same thing himself.

*

Sunday morning came and Alex again woke up earlier than usual, the dorm room still cloaked in early dawn stillness. Matthew often teased him for being a late riser, calling him a “vampire” for his aversion to getting out of bed, but the past few days he’d been up before sunrise.

He sat up with a groan, rubbing his eyes, and glanced at the empty Nescafé packets on his desk. He was out of his instant stuff—the kind Matthew constantly teased him about, wrinkling his nose and calling it “dishwater.” He was something of a coffee snob, preferring real, fresh-ground stuff—strong enough to stand a spoon up in.

With no coffee—instant or otherwise—in the room, Alex decided to wander down to the common area where a communal pot was usually brewing. He threw on his hoodie and sweatpants, grabbed his phone, and shuffled down the hall.

The place was deserted except for Caleb, hunched over a textbook at one of the tables, a highlighter in one hand, a steaming mug beside him. Finals were coming up the week after next, and he was getting a head start.

He looked up as Alex entered, a teasing smile spreading across his face.

“Well, damn,” he said. “Never thought I’d see Alex Kim up before the crack of noon on a Sunday. What’s got you out of bed so early?”

Alex laughed as he crossed to the coffee pot.

“Trying to get ready for finals, man, just like you,” he said, pouring himself a cup.

The excuse rolled off his tongue—easy, almost believable. He did have a programming project due by the end of the week, and he knew he’d better snap out of this brain fog if he wanted to get it done. But today his mind was elsewhere—on Matthew, on the fact he’d be back this afternoon.

“Figured I’d get a jump on things,” he added, taking a sip of the coffee, the bitter warmth clearing his head a bit.

Caleb chuckled, capping his highlighter. “Smart man. I’ve got a business ethics exam that’s gonna kick my ass if I don’t cram.” He looked dryly amused. “Business ethics. The irony’s not lost on me.”

He paused, then added casually, “So, Matthew’s coming back today, right? Back to his old self and all, I assume?”

“Yeah, he’ll be here later this afternoon,” Alex said, keeping his voice light. “As far as I know he’s okay.”

The intentional vagueness of Alex’s response belied the truth. They had talked every day, even if just for a few minutes. He knew exactly how he was doing: the stitches were healing, the headache was gone, and he was itching to get back to school.

Caleb fixed him with a serious look, his usual chilled-out routine giving way to something more earnest.

“Take good care of your roommate, okay?” he said. “Matthew’s one of a kind.”

The comment caught Alex by surprise, and he froze, staring at him for a moment with his coffee cup halfway to his mouth, unsure of what to say. Caleb’s expression was gentle, and he gave Alex a small smile and a nod.

“Yeah,” Alex said finally, nodding slowly. “He sort of is, isn’t he?”

The words slipped out before he thought about them, and Caleb’s smile widened.

Coffee in hand, Alex turned and headed back to his room. As he ascended the stairs, he pondered Caleb’s words, the smile, the nod.

What was that all about?

He finally pushed the thought aside to focus on the day ahead. Matthew would be back this afternoon, and that was all that mattered.

Reentering his room, he placed the coffee cup on his desk, grabbed his laptop, and settled onto the bed. The hours until Matthew’s return stretched ahead, and though he was impatient to see him, for the first time all week, he felt happy.

And curious, too.

Curious to see what came next.