Leo's Running Late
by L. D. Akira
In the middle of the Arizona desert, Naked Man University sat far away from prying eyes. Despite being recently established, founded just over 30 years ago, Naked Man accumulated a surprising amount of notoriety for churning out some of the world's most successful graduates. Their popularity rose quickly due to this success, but so did their infamy, particularly for the social environment they cultivated within the 15-foot steel walls that surrounded its campus. As the name implied, the University only accepted men (which sparked controversy in it of itself) and, moreover, enforced a strict "Always Nude" policy for all of its students. However, these were the only known facts N.M.U. allowed the public access to, as they kept a tight lock the going-on's inside. All the world saw were the men who held Naked Man degrees, and the critical acclaim they gained thereafter. Many powerful religious organizations protested, pleading with the United States government to try to acquire more knowledge about the machinations of this institution. But Lucas Desmond, the founder of Naked Man, had deep pockets that stretched back generations, insulating many politicians inclinations with a blanket of satisfactory bribery.
In its efforts for privacy, the incoming freshman class of Naked Man University arrived on large shuttles, picking them up from the closest town (which was in fact over 100 miles away), delivering them straight to the University's gates. Jet-black from top to tire, the vehicles would gather crowds of reporters and journalists as thousands of young men piled inside. On a tight schedule, the shuttles always left promptly at two o'clock in the afternoon, filing out in a line, not unlike a funeral procession. However, there were always a few late students whose planes were delayed or travel plans turned over head. For them, the University sent a small white van, driven by one of their own security officers, to snatch up the stragglers. And at five o'clock that very same day, Leo Gonzalez sat on a sandy stone bench waiting for his ride.
Leo had never been a bold boy, opting to fade into the background of his own life. At 5' 10", Leo's body was stretched thin and weighed around 130 pounds, which aided his efforts in invisibility. He wore a plain white t-shirt and small gray shorts with nothing underneath them. Naked Man confiscated all clothing on arrival, and Leo thought there was no point in bringing anything more. His dark curly hair sat messily on the top of his head, adding a few extra inches to his height, and was stuffy in the Arizona heat. Leo wondered if there were any salons within the University grounds, rubbing the sleep from his eyes from underneath his thin, silver framed glasses. He thought he planned his travel perfectly, but unbeknownst to him, there were no taxis or Ubers in the small town of Callahan, Arizona. Leo got lost on the multiple connecting busses, and when he arrived at the University's pick-up spot, he could see only the last shuttle, fading off into the distance. And so Leo sat, collecting sweat and sand, on the lone bench which he was told, by the University's Security telephone line, was where the van would arrive.
Leo finished a bottle of water he bought from a nearby convenience store, parched under the unrelenting Arizona sun, and tossed the empty bottle into a nearby trashcan. He looked down at his phone: 5:02. Leo bounced his leg, wringing his fingers. "Maybe they'll never come," he spoke in his mind, imagining his own rotting body feasted on by vultures. He shook his head, sprouting a headache, and sighed. Leo adjusted his shorts, hiking them down in an unconscious act to cover more of himself. "That won't be a problem for long." The thought itched at the back of his brain.
Naked Man wasn't Leo's first choice of college. He had actually applied as a joke, thinking it would be hilarious if he ended up at the school for nudists. Nate, his best friend since diapers, laughed heartily when he heard the news.
"Suits you well," Nate said, slapping him on the back. Leo rolled his eyes, smiling with white teeth that sat adorably imperfect in his mouth.
His sexuality had never been a secret. Leo's lithe body and fluid mannerisms labeled him queer long before he understood his sexual preferences. But Nate was right, the thought of being surrounded by thousands of naked men for the next four years warmed the deepest recesses of his mind. Although, the choice was made truly clear when Leo was awarded a full scholarship with his acceptance. His parents nearly cried of relief, plucking at Leo's supple heart and cementing his fate. Lost in thought, Leo didn't notice the humming engine of his chauffeur coming from down the road, flinching as the van approached.
It was a soft beige color, which blended in quite easily with surrounding sand, with large tinted windows that were nearly impossible to see through. The car puttered to a stop and Leo shot up from his seat, swaying in the subsequent head-rush. The driver's side door opened slowly, and out came a brawny man who stood well over six feet tall, with shoulders and legs twice the size of Leo's. In preparation for his life in the buff, Leo committed to a strict regiment of exercise over the summer, awarding him nothing more than slight muscularity which, admittedly, compliment his thin frame. This man, on the other hand, seemed to work out for a living.
