Randy pulled the blankets and sheet over his head, wrapping his pillow tight around his face and ears, as he tried to escape the ghastly sounds and stench of his roommate's latest alcoholic binge. Randy's roommate was making him reconsider his decision to come to Oklahoma. He'd picked the school due in part to the fact that he'd been awarded several small scholarships, but truthfully the main reason was the chance to play college lacrosse. Lacrosse had been the one stable thing in his life, his parents having divorced when he was young. He'd lived with his mom until he was in seventh grade and he became too much for her to handle, at least that was the story she told his dad.
Actually it had been her last futile attempt at revenge for the failed marriage that was as much her fault as his dad's. Randy always suspected that she'd married his dad because she thought the Preston name still meant old money in Maryland. Unfortunately for her, the name was about all the family had left, having sold off bits and pieces of the home place over the years. His dad had been forced to sell off most of the remaining property to pay the divorce settlement. So now the Preston fortune consisted of 15 acres and an old tenant house where his dad lived.
Randy and his dad made a little extra money by boarding a few horses for wealthy newcomers in the area. Randy always felt bad for the horses, who were there mainly to give their owners the chance to work into dinner conversation that they owned a steeplechase horse, but most of them never rode their horses. Randy had taken it on himself to make sure they all got the best of care, including frequent rides. The extra attention showed, which didn't hurt their business at all.
Randy was brought back to the horrendous current situation by a final gag from the bathroom and the sound of the toilet flushing. He watched as Steve staggered into the room and toward his part of the room. Randy was glad their beds were as far apart as possible, because he could smell the booze oozing out of Steve's pores from across the room. Ramming his shins into the metal bed frame, Steve muttered an oath and fell into his bed. Randy hoped he had passed out, but soon discovered luck wasn't on his side tonight.
"Oh god, I'm dyin'. Shit, I don't know what's wrong. Damn, Randy. I feel like shit," said Steve.
Randy punched the button on his phone, only to find out it was just after 3am. Furious, he turned on his roommate, "It's fuck'n three in the morning, you asshole! You're fuck'n drunk again is what's wrong! Goddamn it, you lush!"
Steve moaned and rolled to his side, puking onto the floor just before passing out. Randy covered his face with the pillow to keep from gagging. This time he knew he had to find a solution to Steve.
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"He just puked on the floor and left it? Dude! You gotta do something."
"I know! No sleep last night, and I had a test today! I gotta find somewhere else to live. That damn Steve is kill'n me!" said Randy with some heat.
Tanner was sitting quietly in the commons area, clearly hearing the conversation going on a few chairs away. He knew the two guys casually, enough to warrant a nod and a smile when they passed each other. Tanner thought both of them were on one of the college athletic teams, but he wasn't sure which one. The taller guy, Randy, he knew a little better. They'd arrived a few hours before everyone else during move-in day and had chatted a little bit. Tanner knew he was from back east somewhere, but he didn't seem to have the typical Yankee attitude.
From what he heard of the conversation, Randy's roommate was a nightmare. He could sympathize with roommate trouble since his roommate, Josiah, might be a close race with Randy's for worst in the dorm. First, Josiah was what could only be classified as ultra-religious, and worse, his interpretation of the bible was so draconian that he had already been banned from all university organizations for racist and sexist remarks.
But unlike Randy, Tanner had found out a week or so ago that his luck was improving, Josiah was leaving the university to go to a small Christian school in Georgia. Personally Tanner wasn't sure if any place was conservative enough for Josiah, but he didn't really care so long as he didn't have to endure his narrow-minded bigotry. His dad had always told him that if you couldn't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Tanner didn't talk much about Josiah.
Tanner had been a little bummed to ended up here anyway, not because there was anything wrong with the university, but it wasn't State. Tanner wanted to be a veterinarian, and State had the only vet school in the state. But he needed to stay closer to home so he could help his parents and sister when they needed it, so he was taking his pre-vet classes here. He'd hoped to make some friends, but Tanner also needed to be cautious about who he let into his life. He was gay, and he'd realized it a number of years ago, but he hadn't shared that information with anyone. His family wasn't extremely religious, but they were conservative. His dad almost had a stroke each time a Democrat became President, and when he'd went home after the first few weeks with a soul patch his dad had told him to go wash the dirt off his lip, so he wasn't sure how the news that his only son was gay would be received. Someday Tanner would tell them, but he wasn't ready right now. Tanner was brought out of his introspection by the sound of his name.
"Hey. Tanner. Didn't crazy religious boy leave the university? You have that room to yourself?"
Tanner turned in the chair and looked back at the two young men, "What?"
"Your roommate, the religious nut, he left?"
"Yup, left for that church school in Georgia. I'm not sorry either. He was making me crazy with all his bible thumping," said Tanner.
"Well you otta let Randy move in! He could dump his alkie roomie, and you don't get housing sticking you with another weirdo."
Tanner looked at Randy and smiled warmly, but inside he was concerned. This guy was sex on two legs. Josiah had been easy to deal with in that way, Tanner would sooner hump a cow than make-out with Josiah. But Randy, well he was a very different matter. And even if the athlete wasn't straight, he was way out of Tanner's league.
Randy locked eyes with Tanner and wanted to melt. He'd seen him at least once a day on the floor, and made a point to speak to him. Randy's experience with other guys was limited to a lacrosse teammate back in Maryland. They'd gotten buzzed one night while they were in high school and had messed around. It had freaked both of them out at first, but they'd decided so long as they kept it to themselves, it was fine. So they'd had a few other fuck buddy moments before he'd moved to Oklahoma. But other than Blake, no one knew. Certainly no one here, he didn't want to jeopardize his spot on the team by being out.
In Randy's opinion, Tanner was any gay boys wet dream of a cowboy. He had an amazing bubble butt that was always wrapped in tight Wranglers and his body was lean and muscular with a great tan from being outside. Tanner's dark brown eyes and long dark lashes were just a few of the highlights of the young man. But Randy was sure he wouldn't even make Tanner's top 10 list of potential boyfriends. He'd taken too many lacrosse sticks across the face for him to be noticed by someone as good looking as Tanner. But he could still enjoy the scenery, and Tanner was amazing scenery.
