Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 10:57:08 -0800 (PST) From: Already Chosen Subject: Who Would Have Thought 11 This is a story about two college guys who fall for one another. If you are offended by two guys being in a relationship, having sex etc. don't read it. If you are under 18 don't read it. If it is illegal to read this in your state, don't read it. For those of you who can read this enjoy! Who Would Have Thought Chapter 11 By Already Chosen Graduation was approaching rapidly. I felt like I was going crazy between final papers, taking the last of my exams and being back and forth between Boston and home. My relationship with Aidan just seemed to get stronger and stronger. We complemented one another. We spent all the time we could together and spent hours on the phone every night. Things were starting to get serious between us and I was thrilled. Phoenix was another story. We hadn't spoken since the night in the club. I missed him intensely, but just didn't feel I could trust him anymore. He hadn't been going to class at all. He was supposed to graduate, but I didn't even know if that was going to happen. I was beginning to get really worried about him. It's strange how you can worry about someone. Phoenix had done something awful to me, yet I still wanted to make sure he was okay. I still loved him as my best friend. I just didn't know how to make my life with him and my life with Aidan come together. It seemed like Phoenix had made the choice for me. I was meant to be with Aidan, but I wanted it all, boyfriend and best friend. As I was sitting in class, I made the decision in my head that I was going to call Phoenix. I had to talk to him and make sure he was okay. I decided I would talk to Aidan about it first though. I left class early and dialed his number. He answered on the second ring. "Hey babe. What's up?" he answered cheerfully. "Hey hon," I said somewhat drearily. "What's wrong?" "How can you possibly think something is wrong? All I said is hello." "Adam, how many times a day do I talk to you?" "I don't know, about 10?" "So what makes you think I wouldn't be able to tell if something is wrong with you just by the sound of your voice?" "Okay, okay, you're right. Something's wrong." "So what is it? What's the matter?" "Phoenix." "Jesus Christ," he huffed. "Don't get pissed off," I was starting to get a little testy too. "Why shouldn't I get pissed off Adam? For a year now he's walked all over you and treated you like shit. I can't help getting just a little bit annoyed about the fact that the man I love gets treated like a doormat and keeps going back for more." "I'm not a fucking doormat." "What do you call it then Adam?" "I don't know Aidan. I just don't think you understand my relationship with Phoenix." "How can you say that? Are you forgetting that I was there when you ran away because you couldn't handle being around him? I was there when he tried to fuck up our relationship and I'm here right now knowing that you haven't heard a word from him in weeks, yet you still want to call him and check up." "And what's so wrong with me wanting to check up on him?" "You know what Adam, you're gonna do what you want to do; I know that already. So just do what you think is right. But, I have to go to class." "Alright. I'll talk to you later?" "Yeah," he paused for a second. "Adam, I love you more than life itself. All I want is for you to be happy and safe and have everything your heart desires. If that includes Phoenix in you life, then I support that." "Thank you Aidan. I love you so much." "I love you too. Now smile, I can't have my sexy boy being sad, now can I?" "I guess not." "Good, now get that cute ass of yours back to class and graduate so you can get a good job and keep me in the life I'm accustomed to." "You're an asshole," I said jokingly. "You love my asshole." He hung up before I could say anything else. I went to my next class feeling much better. Now all I had to do was call Phoenix. I went through the rest of the day thinking about what to say to him. After class, I got in my car and drove a little bit thinking more about the situation. I decided to just call; he probably wouldn't answer the phone anyway. I dialed the number and his phone went right into voicemail. I left a quick message. "Hey Phoenix, it's Adam. We need to talk. Please call me when you get a chance." After my drive, I went home and called Zoë. She knew everything that had been going on with Phoenix, so I figured I would fill her in on the latest developments. I dialed her number. As the phone rang, I thought about what her reaction would be to my latest decision. "Hello?" "Hey Zoë!" "Adam, honey, what's going on? I haven't talked to you in like 3 days. I've been going through withdrawal." "I know me too. Nothin' much is going on, well not really, that's a lie. I called Phoenix today." "Adam, you shouldn't have called him. He's the one who fucked up. He should have been man enough to call you." "You know he's not gonna do that. He doesn't deal with anything. He just pretends it's not there. Besides, he didn't answer." "But you left a message didn't you?" "Yeah, I did. But who knows if he'll even call back." "And what does Aidan think about all this?" "He wasn't happy but he told me to do what was going to make me happy and he would support me no matter what." "Now that's an amazingly understanding boyfriend. If I were in his shoes, I would have told you to go fuck yourself." "That's why he's my boyfriend and you're not," I said smugly. "Fuck you." "You're not my type." "You're an asshole." "And you're a bitch." "Shit. It's 4 o'clock. I gotta get to work." "Call me later?" "You bet your sweet ass." "If you only knew how sweet it is." "You're gross." "Honey, I'm honest." "Alright, I really gotta go." "Okay, I'll talk to you later." "Bye babe," and with that she hung up. I sat down in front of my computer to work on the last paper of my college career. I hadn't read the material, but I knew I could bullshit 5 pages worth of work. It didn't have to be good; I just had to pass. Right as I was finishing up the paper my phone stated to ring. My heart jumped into my throat. I knew it was Phoenix. Turns out I was wrong. It was just Aidan telling me he was going to the movies with friends and that he would call me when he got back. I loved him so much, he was so reliable and honest and just wonderful. I continued working on a few little odds and ends that needed to be finished for another couple of hours. I was feeling really good; I had almost everything finished. My phone rang again. I figured it was Aidan since so much time had passed. I didn't even look at the called ID I just answered. "Hey you." "Uh...hey," came an unsure voice on the other end. "Oh. I uh...I thought you were Aidan." It was Phoenix. My heart began to beat out of my chest with anxiety. "Sorry to disappoint you...but that's nothing new. So, you wanted to talk to me? What could I have possibly done now?" "You haven't done anything and that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." "What do you mean?" "Phoenix, you haven't been to class. You're not handing in your work. How do you expect to graduate?" "What the fuck do you care?" "What do you mean what do I care? Phoenix, I may be pissed off at you, but I'm still you're best friend. I still want you to succeed." "That's bullshit Adam and you know it. If you were my best friend you would have believed me." "Phoenix, I saw what was going on with my own two eyes. There's nothing to believe or not believe. I was there." "You chose that prick over me," he said, changing the subject. "First of all, Aidan is not a prick. Second, I did not choose anyone over anyone else. You made that choice." "Whatever." "That's right Phoenix, whatever, you have nothing to say, so that's your response. The truth is Phoenix, all you had to do was be nice to him. All you had to do was get along or at least pretend to make nice. Instead, you chose to be an asshole. You thought you could make Aidan look like the bad guy. But it backfired. Instead, he proved how much he loves me and I love him and I love you too. But if you want me to stay around you have to stop acting like a jealous child, start being an adult, and realize you have to share. You're being selfish Phoenix. I deserve to be happy and you deserve to be happy. But I'm not going to sacrifice my happiness so that you can have yours. There has to be a happy medium." "Maybe I don't want a happy medium." "Phoenix, it can't always be your way. You can't be that selfish. I have to have happiness and you don't want me to have that because you don't." "That's not true. I just don't think he's the guy for you." "How can you say that Phoenix? I have never dated someone so sweet, so sincere, and who genuinely cares about me. Aidan has never given me any reason not to trust him and since you have only met him twice, he can't possibly have given you any reason not to." There was a long silence. I thought he hung up. "Fine," he yelled, "Jesus Christ, I admit it. I'm fucking jealous. For all the time we have known each other, it's been me and you, single and miserable. Now, here you are all happy and coupled off. Where the fuck does that leave me?" "It leaves you to figure your life out; get your shit in order. Phoenix, you're 22 years old. You can't be a child forever, you have to start being an adult and doing things on your own. I can't hold your hand forever." "I know and you're right, but I'm fucking scared." "Life is scary Phoenix, but you have to man enough to face it." "I just don't think I can." "Well I know you can and you will, but it starts by letting go of me. I'm not saying I never want to speak to you again. All I'm saying is that in order to be happy you have to open yourself up to it." "But I don't want to." "Tough. You have to because I'm stating a life with Aidan. There is a spot in it for you. Maybe not necessarily the spot you want, but you and Zoë still fill the best friend spots, but I can't be your best friend/father. I won't do that anymore. It's not good for me, it's not good for you, and it's not good for my relationship with Aidan." "I understand." "Good. Now, my last act of coddling you is about to commence but this is it." He sighed. "What the fuck is going on with school. In case you forgot, you're supposed to be graduating." "I've been doing my work by correspondence. I called all of my professors and told that my car died and there was no way for me to get to school. They all allowed me to finish by phone and e-mail. They've all been really cool." "Good. Well, as long as I know that's okay, I feel better. I'm gonna go back to finishing my work. I'll talk to you later." "Alright. I love you." "I love you too. Bye." I hung up feeling much better. I continued working until Aidan called when he got back from the movies. We talked for about an hour. Most of the conversation revolved around my conversation with Phoenix. Aidan was supportive but not happy, but he knew it made me happy to have Phoenix in my life. Graduation was coming up that weekend, so we made arrangements for him to come and stay with me. His graduation would be the weekend after and I would be going to Boston for it. My parents had even expressed some interest in going. If that was the case they were going to get a hotel. I didn't think my parents would have been too thrilled to say in a dorm. The other thing was, this would be the first time I would be meeting Aidan's parents. I knew they were completely accepting of his life, but it was still a big deal to meet them. I have never met a boyfriend's parents before. The rest of the week went by rather quickly. I finished up all my work and was ready to graduate that Saturday. I spoke to Phoenix almost everyday and we both were really excited to be done with college, although neither one of us had a job. Aidan arrived that Wednesday afternoon. Since I was done with everything, we decided to take a couple of days to relax. We stayed at my house mostly, lounged on the patio, cooked dinner, had great sex, and cuddled a lot. We figured we weren't going to have the opportunity to do it again, so why not seize the day. Aidan especially needed it since he would be entering graduate school at NYU in the fall. I told him he was nuts. He got a good job at a prestigious private school in the city and really didn't need to get his masters or his PhD quite yet, but he insisted he wanted to get it all done with now. Finally, Saturday rolled around. Aidan, Phoenix, Zoë and I had gone out for drinks the night before to celebrate. Needless to say, we were all in a little bit of pain the next morning. As I put on my cap and gown, I thought back on when I had started college and what an insane four years it had been, but I survived. I dealt with my sexuality, my parents, tumultuous friendships, and boyfriends coming and going. Now I had a great boyfriend who my parents loved (which I never thought would happen), two friends who could be pains in the ass, but I loved nonetheless, and an education. It was all coming together and I was thrilled. Even Phoenix and Aidan were starting to get along. As I walked across the football field to get my diploma, I actually started to cry. Everything in life felt perfect at that moment. After the ceremony was over my parents snapped pictures of Aidan and me, them and me, Zoë and me, and finally Phoenix and me. I thought for sure, that last fight was going to be the end of our friendship. I never thought we'd speak again, but somehow we overcame it all and our friendship was rebuilding slowly but surely. I think he was even starting to genuinely like Aidan at that point. After we got done with all the post-graduation bru ha ha (I love that term) my parents took us to a really fancy lunch at the most expensive restaurant in town. No one from Phoenix's family had shown up at the graduation. I could tell he was really upset about it, but it didn't matter, he had my family and he always would. We ate a lot, drank a lot, and laughed a lot. It was great. We spent the rest of the weekend at my house and Aidan headed back to Boston on Sunday. I planned to head up there on Wednesday and my parents were going to come up on Friday night. After Aidan left, I slept from Sunday night until Tuesday morning. When I finally woke up my phone was ringing. I looked at the phone and didn't recognize the number. I answered expecting it to be Zoë calling from work or something, but it was the head of Human Resources for one of the publishing companies I had applied to in New York City. She wanted me to come in and interview for an Associate Editor position. We arranged the interview for the very next day. I jumped out of bed and let out a huge scream. I was so excited. I got up, jumped in the shower, and went to the mall to get an outfit to wear to the interview, went home, and prepared my portfolio. I called Aidan and let him know I wasn't going to be in Boston until late Wednesday night. He was upset until he found out what I was doing and where I was going and that there was a possibility that we could be living together in the city next year. The next morning I woke up, got ready and headed to the train station to get the train for New York City. When I got down there I found the building easily. I went in and sat down with Lindsay Bechman, the head of Human Resources. She was exactly what I pictured. She was dressed in a trendy business suit, very thin and beautiful with trendy thick-framed black glasses. I should have been nervous, after all it was my first job interview for a really great job that I really wanted, but something told me not to be. I was as calm and confident as I could be. I showed Lindsay my portfolio, we talked about my qualifications, the company, and I asked some questions. About an hour and a half later the interview was over. Normally I would have taken my time and strolled around the city a little, but I was so excited about how well the interview had gone, that all I wanted to do was get back home so I could get in my car and get to Boston to share my excitement with Aidan. I got up to Boston in record time; Aidan was so shocked when I got there. "Baby, I didn't think you'd be up here for another couple of hours at least." "Aidan, I was so excited that I flew up here." "Why? What's going on?" "I nailed the interview. It went great." "That's awesome. I'm so happy for you and happy for us. If you get this job everything will be perfect." "I know. I really think I got it." From there, we just hugged and kissed and shared the joy about his graduation and my prospective job. We spent the next couple of days in a frenzy of activity. Aidan had all sorts of pre-graduation activities to get done not to mention the prerequisite partying. We had such a blast doing it all. We went out with his friends and packed up his room and ran around Boston like a couple of little kids. I never thought doing all of the stupid, usually tedious things in life could be fun, but with him everything was fun. His graduation day arrived and I was a nervous wreck. I was going to be meeting his parents for the first time. I knew they were really cool people, but it was still a really nerve wracking experience and to add to that, my parents were going to be meeting his parents as well. They knocked on Aidan's dorm room door around 9:30. Aidan made me answer it as he was running around trying to finish getting ready (I kept him a little too busy in the shower!) Nervously, I answered the door. I didn't even know how to address his parents. They were both doctors. Was I supposed to say "Hello Doctor's Burns?" I just didn't know. When I opened the door the two most un-intimidating people I had ever seen in my life stood before me. My dilemma about addressing them was immediately put to rest as Aidan's mother introduced herself before I could even say a word. "Hello there, I'm Celeste Burns, this is my husband Jake. You must be Adam." "Yes ma'am," I said shaking her hand then Aidan's father's, "It's very nice to meet you both." "None of this ma'am shit. Please, call us Jake and Celeste," she responded. I was immediately put at ease. I liked Celeste already. "Okay Celeste," I said, smiling. We sat down in the living room. "So," Celeste started, "Aidan tells us you just graduated. What is your degree in?" "English lit." "Congratulations. You must be so thrilled to be done with school." "Thank you. I am." "Do you have a job lined up yet?" "Well, I actually interviewed with Random House on Wednesday for a position as an Associate Editor." Jake spoke up. "Well, isn't it a small world. Lindsay Bechman is one of my patients. Did you interview with her or with someone else?" "I interviewed with Lindsay. I liked her a lot, we talked for quite a while." "Would you like me to put in a good word for you?" "That would be very nice Jake thank you. I can't tell you how much I would appreciate that." "I can't have my son dating a bum now can I?" He said chuckling. "No, I guess not," I said smiling. Just then Aidan emerged from the bathroom looking as beautiful as ever. He said hello to his parents and we all continued to talk for a little while, and then headed over to the graduation. When we got there, my parents were waiting for all of us. Great, another terrifying moment for me to sweat through. I said hello to my parents and introduced them to Jake and Celeste. They all said hello and shook hands and chitchatted for a little while. The ceremony was about to begin, so we headed to the large auditorium in great anticipation of Aidan getting his diploma. The whole ceremony was about three hours long. Aidan's parents looked so proud of him. I was so proud of him; even my parents seemed to be proud of him. After the ceremony was over we all greeted him and gave him hugs, kisses, and our praise. It all seemed kind of surreal: here I was standing with my boyfriend on one of the most important days of his life and it just all was perfectly harmonious. I didn't have a care in the world. We went to lunch after the ceremony. It was great. My parents and Aidan's parents got along like they had known each other for years. I really liked Jake and Celeste too, and they liked me. The wine was flowing and the laughter at our table was contagious. We all got so loud that the other patrons of the restaurant were staring over at us. As we were ordering dessert my cell phone started ringing. I didn't recognize the number and normally I wouldn't have answered it, but something told me I should. "Hello?" "Hello Adam, it's Lindsay Bechman. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday." "No, no, Lindsay it's quite alright." When they heard the name the table immediately got quite. "I'm actually out to lunch at the moment with Jake Burns." "What a small world. How do you know him?" "I'm dating his son." "I've met Aidan a couple of time. He's a very nice boy and quite good looking too. Good for you Adam." "Thank you," I said blushing. "Adam, I called because I need to discuss something with you. Normally the interview process consists of three steps. However, I'm not going to do that with you. I was so impressed by our meeting on Wednesday that I would like to offer you the position." My eyes bulged out of my head. "That's excellent, thank you." "I've been authorized to offer you a starting salary of $53,876.00 a year. Please think about it and get back to me as soon as possible." "Lindsay I don't need to think about it at all, I'll take it." "Well Adam, welcome to Random House. Please call me first thing Monday morning and we'll discuss the rest of the details." "I will, thank you very much." "Congratulations Adam, and say hello to Jake for me." "I will." I hung up the phone and they all cheered. Aidan kissed me in the middle of the restaurant. My mom started to cry and my dad came over and shook my hand. The Burns' congratulated me and ordered a bottle of champagne. Aidan's graduation lunch ended up lasting four hours as we stayed talking about life in New York City. Arrangements were already being made. The rest of that summer went by quickly. For the first three weeks I commuted by train to work, which was tough, but a couple of times a week I stayed with Aidan and his parents, so it wasn't so bad. Aidan and I looked for apartments, but even with our combined incomes we couldn't find anything that we liked and could afford, plus it was very hard to find time to look, since I was just starting a new job and Aidan was trying to get his classroom ready for the school year and he had started his graduate courses at NYU. One Saturday afternoon we got back to Aidan's parents place completely discouraged about still not finding a place to live, when Jake called us into the kitchen. He handed Aidan a set of keys. "What are these?" Aidan asked. "Keys." "Keys for what?" "Your new apartment." "What?" we asked in unison. "A patient of mine was selling an apartment on 96th and Lex. It's not huge, but it's perfect for what the two of you need; two bedrooms, one bath, kitchen, living room dining room...so I bought it." "Excuse me?" I asked somewhat dumbstruck. "I-bought-it. I want you guys to have a good start. I don't want to see the two of you in some tiny little shit hole of an apartment. So consider it a gift." "Thank you dad." "Thank you Jake, this is amazing." We both got up and hugged him. "Now get the hell out of here and go see your new home. I also took the liberty of buying a king-sized bed, but the rest of the furniture is up to you." When we got there we were in awe. The apartment was perfect. There was plenty of room and it was on the tenth floor, so we had an amazing view. We spent the next week running around buying furniture and packing the few things we both had. My parents bought us a living room set and I bought our bedroom set and a dining room table and chairs. Aidan decided we needed a big screen TV so he bought that. The rest of the stuff we needed Aidan and I bought together. The both of us were thrilled. We were about to start our life together Three Years Later It's been three years since Aidan and I graduated from college. We're still living in the same apartment and are happier than ever. Aidan is just about to finish his masters and is already planning to get his PhD. I got promoted to Senior Editor at Random House. Actually, I'm the youngest Senior Editor in the company. I'm also working on starting my own magazine. It focuses on gay life in general. I know there are plenty of those on the market, but when I was reading one of the more popular ones one afternoon, I decided they didn't focus on "every many," so I'm starting my own. Aidan already wrote one of the first articles on gay high school students and the lack of support from administrators, students, and staff. He's very proud of it, and he should be. It's damn good. As for Phoenix, he actually got his life together and I'm very proud of him. We still talk at least three times a week. He's out in San Francisco working for the Human Rights Campaign. He loves his job and is quite good at being an activist. Aidan and I have gone to stay with him and his boyfriend Brett a couple of times. They met about a year after college, and have been together ever since. Needless to say the volatility that once plagued my relationship with Phoenix is completely gone and we remain the best of friends. It seems like just yesterday I started my journey of self-discovery. Sometimes it's been a hard road, but it turned out better than I ever thought it could have. Who would have thought that me, Adam Davis, could have such a great life? Certainly not me, but I've got the man I love and a job I love, a supportive family and the most amazing best friend a guy could ask for. I'm thankful for it all every single day of my life. Well there it is folks, the final chapter. I really loved these characters and I'm going to miss them a lot, but I'm really happy with the way they turned out and I hope you are too. I'm in the pre-writing process for my next book, and it's going to be much different than this one. The first chapter should be ready in about a month or so, if you would like to know when it is posted just send me e-mail and I'll let you know. As usual, feedback is always welcome and greatly appreciated. Alreadychosen06460@yahoo.com