"No," I said, adjusting my dick as I poured myself coffee, "I don't want to go to church with you."
"It's not about what you want," Luke said. "It's about what you
need
."
Keeping my back toward him, I rolled my eyes. Sunday mornings were supposed to be for relaxing, not proselytizing. "Well then I
need
you to fuck off."
Luke laughed, taking my bluntness for joking. "Everyone can be saved," he said. "Even
you
."
Oh, God. I hated this weekly pitch. I'd rather him just call me a fag and tell me I was going to hell. Then, at least I could call him a bigot and we could go out separate ways. Luke had these big, earnest eyes and an innocent voice. I'd find him cute if he didn't annoy me so much.
Luke and I had been randomly paired as roommates when we got to college a month ago. I had been from out of state, so I didn't know anybody, but Luke had grown up right by the university. As far as I could tell, he had to go into in blind because nobody would want to live with him otherwise. I could understand why.
I yawned and sat on the futon, throwing the perfectly-folded blanket to the side. I hoped that would be enough to piss off Luke. I'd rather argue with him than listen to his spiel. Besides the now-discarded blanket, the room was spotless, thanks to Luke's constant vigilance. Cleanliness was next to Godliness, and Luke loved being Godly.
He pursed his lips, and he looked like he was going to continue. I checked my watch, hurrying to speak before him. "Doesn't the service start in 10 minutes?" I asked.
He checked his phone, and his eyes opened wide. "Oh, gosh," he said. "You're right. We can talk later."
I rolled my eyes again, this time in full view of Luke. If he saw, he didn't show it. He slipped on his church shoes, adjusted his polo shirt, and left.
I dipped my coffee and sighed. Thank God for peace and quiet.
The rest of my day was slow and boring, like any good Sunday. I went out and lifted weights, a habit I had picked up while trying to avoid Luke as much as possible. I didn't have any performance jockstraps, so I wore a bright blue one with the word "FUCK" emblazoned on the crotch. I felt like an idiot the whole time. When I got home and peeled them off, I immediately jumped online and ordered a pair that was more... utilitarian.
Luke didn't come back until after his potluck lunch, and since I had my headphones on, I was able to filter out almost everything he said.
Eventually, I had to suit up for my shift. I worked a couple of days a week at the 24-hour dining hall across campus, including Sunday nights.
"Working on a Sunday?" Luke asked, watching me put my non-slips on. The sun had just set, and a soft purple glow streamed through the blinds.
"Some of us have jobs," I said.
"Okay," Luke said.
Okay?
Okay
? Luke had never let me leave on a Sunday without dolling out a whole five-paragraph essay on why I shouldn't work on the Sabbath. Now all I got was a lukewarm affirmative? I didn't know what the hell was wrong with him, but I didn't care enough to ask.
I left, and I walked across campus. It was the last week of summer, and cool brushes of wind pushed back the heat. It was a nice walk.
However, the walk wasn't nice enough for me to not be
pissed
when I got there and they told me I didn't have to work. Apparently, there was a last-minute schedule shuffle. On the bright side, I got to go home, but I had walked for nearly twenty minutes for nothing.