Five

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Laughter erupted, raucous and uncensored, drowning out Theodore's internal turmoil.

"But do you have proof of this?" Another person chimed in.

"Yeah. I know someone who'd slept with him." A different guy answered.

Theodore's thoughts whirled. Could it really be the same Jacob he was thinking of? He had seen Jacob with a girl before... Possibly a friend or an acquaintance? The revelation was jarring.

So Jacob is... Gay?

Theodore shooed the thoughts away immediately. He knew better than to speculate about other people's sexuality.

Steve, meanwhile, faked a disgusted vomiting noise. "Eew. Gross."

Theodore's stomach churned further. If this was the kind of conversation he'd have to endure with these fraternity members, perhaps joining was indeed a bad idea.

"Hey, someone might hear you."

"Who cares?"

"What are you still doing here?" The voice came from behind Theodore.

It was a student Theodore saw at the office earlier. He was a bit shorter than him, his skin was warm beige, and his dark brown eyes were fringed with long lashes.

"I... They're still talking..."

The student's Adam's apple bobbed as he replied, "It's fine. They're waiting for us."

"Are you also a pledge?"

"Uh-huh. I'm Austin," Austin answered cheerfully, resting his hands on his hips, the veins in his arms becoming more pronounced.

"I'm Theodore."

"It's nice to meet you. Let's go!"

Austin revealed himself to the men, tugging Theodore's sleeve.

"Wait—"

"We're here!"

******

Jacob tried reverse parking three times before getting it right. Driving was never his strong suit, nor did he enjoy it. He hadn't used his brand new black sedan gifted to him on his 23rd birthday a couple of months ago, so he used it that day, which he regretted instantly.

"Here we go again," he muttered as he entered the university, the lobby packed with freshmen, many of them booming with energy and unaware of the torment they were getting themselves into.

He snorted at the sight of the eager newcomers. Technically, he should have been a sophomore, but he had skipped a year of enrollment, unsure if this was the path he truly wanted. He eventually grew tired of aimlessly drifting through life, however, so he reapplied and was accepted once more. Was he certain this time around? Not necessarily.

Jacob sauntered leisurely to the registrar's office, and from a distance, he noticed somebody familiar.

Theodore Aguilar. The crowd favorite—his father's favorite.

He didn't expect to see him there. It had been a while.

Jacob pressed his lips together to suppress a smirk as he walked, gradually realizing that Theodore wasn't alone. A girl with long brown hair was talking to him.

Jacob flinched slightly when she suddenly wrapped Theodore around her arms, the murmurs around them getting louder. They were talking about him. His attention, however, was fixed on the person in front of him.

Theodore appeared to have sensed Jacob's presence and disengaged from the girl, his expression one of mild confusion. The girl, too, gave Jacob an intrigued look, her unfamiliar face registering surprise.

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