Chapter Twenty-Three -- Now Is Always The Perfect Time
Gather round, boys and girls! We're opening today with the sauciest piece of news we've had to offer our dear audience here at Sunny Hill in years. Can you guess who just snatched the title of the hottest minx on campus? We bet our sacred anonymity that you cannot. But let's get straight to the facts, shall we?
Hanna Milton, while never one to make our headlines or anyone else's for that matter, finally decided to shed that cloak of respectability she pretends to throw over her shoulders each time she walks into a party.
Did you know that officially, she's Ray Franklin's girlfriend? We didn't until recently because, let's face it, who's Ray Franklin? We won't keep you in suspense. Ray Franklin is none other than the transfer student sharing humble quarters with our gay heartthrob Jonathan Hamilton. Otherwise, moving on.
Apparently, the girlfriend thing is nothing but an act, or else, why would she be seen walking together with Maddox Kingsley? Ladies and gents, the secret is revealed! Hanna Milton is Maddox Kingsley's secret crush, the one we have been wondering about for weeks now!
But wait, how does poor Ray Franklin fit into all this? Well, when she walked out with Maddox Kingsley this morning, she did so from her so-called boyfriend's dorm. Wow, clearly, she's not two-timing, but one-timing with the two guys in her life knowing about each other.
Should we let you put two and two together? Yes, we will. Yet, there's one question remaining...
What was Jonathan Hamilton doing the whole time an orgy took place only two feet away from his bedroom?
***
Jonathan was the unfortunate owner of an extra sense when it came to being the center of gossip, so the strange looks and giggles poorly hidden behind palms acting as shields made his hackles rise first thing in the morning. Could it be that someone had finally put two and two together, and his affair with Maddox was out in the open? They hadn't been the most careful they could have been, without a doubt, and that was about to cost them dearly.
Despite his dread, the situation required that he know exactly what all those students throwing meaningful glances in his direction thought they knew about him and Maddox. He pulled his phone from his jacket; if everyone was in on the joke, there had to be only one source that must have fueled the gossip fire so early in the day.
He blinked as he began reading, and by the end of that awful text, the blood had drained completely from his head, making him feel lightheaded. Without hesitation, he pocketed his phone and started running, ignoring the even stranger looks now aimed at him like homing missiles.
***
Maddox would have broken his usual stride into a little dance, and the only thing keeping him from doing that was that his bones felt like jelly after a night spent in Jonathan's narrow bed. If he closed his eyes, he would see that handsome face close to his and taste those sweet lips like they were still kissing.
Too bad they had to keep it a secret. What he needed was to daydream less and come up with a sophisticated plan to wrap Jonathan around him and the other way around so that they would finally walk through the quad, hand in hand, like boyfriends. The plan had to take into account Jonathan's complex sensibilities, which meant that the head-on approach alone wasn't enough.
First, he needed to talk to someone more mature than he was about stuff like that. There was always the possibility the right approach was to blurt out that he wanted Jonathan as his boyfriend, but his hot pursuit so far might scare the guy away if he went about it like that.
Yes, he needed to consider the matter as carefully--
"So, what's so great about her?"
Maddox almost bumped into someone, as far away from the rest of the world as he was. He stared at the girl blocking his path. She looked slightly familiar, with her platinum blond hair -- dyed, obviously -- and that pout that was supposed to make men fall at her feet. Had he hooked up with her before? The 'maybe' that followed in his mind was pretty strong. "Her?" he asked slowly, only then descending abruptly with both feet to the ground.
Was he in a prank video? As he muttered that single word, all breathing beings in a half mile radius or something stopped and stared at him. Students of all colors of the rainbow, who should have been on their way about their day, preoccupied with whatever class they had first, or conversations they were engaged in with their friends, crushes, old relationships, budding relationships, mid-terms, the list could go on forever... Well, everyone froze and turned their heads toward him, some at impossible angles, waiting for something.
"Yeah, her," the girl said impatiently, drawing his attention back to her.
The world around them still didn't move. Time stop magic, Maddox thought and smiled. That was funny; he would share it with Jonathan later. Hmm, do you know I have super powers, babe? Oh, really, like what? I can stop time. I don't believe you. I'll make you believe me, just watch.
He must have gone a little too far into his own head while daydreaming of his next conversation with Jonathan, because the girl impatiently tapped her foot. "Hanna Milton," she hissed. "What does she have that the rest of us don't?"
Hanna? What was this chick going on about? "Um," Maddox pondered, "I don't know. She's pretty smart." It wasn't as if Hanna was the smartest girl on campus, but she applied herself in her studies, and Maddox had a hunch what the chick in front of him meant by 'the rest of us'.
The look of perfect disbelief on that too well made-up face was priceless, and it made Maddox grin. Clearly, that was a shocker. "Do you like smart girls, now?"
Hmm, that sounded like a trick question. And what Maddox really, really liked right now was...
...running toward him across the quad, looking perfectly discomposed in a fashionable turtleneck and dress pants that stretched over his lean thighs while he rushed through the clumps of students, trying to elegantly dodge everyone in his path.
"Maddox," Jonathan said breathlessly as he stopped right in front of him, "I need to talk to you."
"Hey, we were having a conversation," the girl protested.
Maddox waved at her impatiently. "Just wait a little," he told her in a more domineering voice than he usually used in all his interactions. Jonathan wanted to talk to him, and that was enough to make the rest of the world disappear. Ha, now that was also a cool super power.
Jonathan pulled him aside, all the while throwing panicked looks around. No one else budged.
"I'm so sorry, Maddox, I know that it's unexpected and completely not right, but I need you to kiss me," Jonathan whispered under his breath.
Maddox started to smile, but the guilty look in Jonathan's eyes made him stop. "What, like right now? In front of all these people?"
Jonathan nodded and blushed crimson red. "It's for a good reason, trust me." He shoved his phone into Maddox's face and waited.
Oh, shoot. Now that was... Maddox didn't waste time processing more than necessary. He grabbed Jonathan and turned him, tango-style, holding him in that position for a couple of moments, as he took in the flushed face, the trembling lips, and the beautiful eyes hooded with hard to hide desire. Everyone around gasped. "Now's the perfect time, then," he said and brought his mouth to Jonathan's, putting his soul in it.
The next moment, the entire quad erupted. Maddox didn't have to open his eyes to know that there were dozens of phones, maybe hundreds, aimed at them at that very moment, recording their kiss for all eternity. That was good. He would have it documented for when the grandkids wanted to learn about one of the most exciting moments in his life.
***
