"You didn't have to leave them. I just wanted to say hi." The chatter across the campus became background noise as we drifted further and further away. "Yeah, but I needed an excuse to leave. Amanda is starting to make me not wanna show up at all." Walking side by side now, who's Amanda? "Which one was that?" I squished my face when we walked into a ray of light, warming up a bit more now, but still chilly in the shade. "It was the one you saw staring at me." Ooh. "You don't like her, or something?" He shrugged his shoulder, "Not my type." Then what is your type? I wanted to ask, but if I ask those kinds of questions, I'd get asked them back, and then…yeah, he'd know I'm gay. I didn't account for the future, if I did find someone I may like…. It feels like bricks in the throat every time I think of telling him honestly.
We got on a path where the large trees lined up and down, and above us were the famous alumnus leaves. Crusty for crunching beneath my feet when they fall now. The view is pretty, but cooler now that we are on a shared path. A breeze blew by, and a shiver went down my spine, making me cold again. "Where's your scarf?" He asked, I was so in a rush this morning, I couldn't find it in time, and left. "It's lost somewhere in my dorm…" He stopped. Digging in his backpack, and pulled out something and put it on my head.. "There we go." I felt the top of it, and it's his beanie…I haven't worn one of these in a while, but my head instantly felt warmer at least. "If you get cold so easily, why didn't you layer up?" I gave him a mini frown, "You skipped the part where I said I was literally running late for class." He side-eyed me and kept walking.
We eventually arrived at a wooden hut, nobody was around, and a picnic table was placed in the middle with a clear view of the alumnus trees surrounding the large pond. "Wow, the view is pretty," I whispered, wanting to take out my camera just to take a picture of it. "Yeah, when nobody's here." He picked up a rock and threw it in the pond. It made a loud thud as the rock surely sank to the bottom. "So how's your project going?" He asked, walking back into the hut. "Not great, I'm thinking about just flunking it…I have no inspiration." I whined.
"Well," He sat on top of the table, his thumb pointed to the view. "Just do a nature documentary, people like those, right?" Film the landscape..? I never thought about that… I walked closer to the edge of the hut and started paying it more attention. People on the other side walking, squirrels running and playing above us. Even noticed the small fish right below.
"I could do that, couldn't I?" I looked back at him, and he nodded his head. I put my backpack on the seat, digging for my camera, hoping it has enough battery. My luck, I was at 43%, which is enough for at least an hour, maybe two if I don't keep it on long and use it effectively. I turned my camera towards the view, adjusting it, trying to get the right clarity. "Can you watch my stuff?" Looking up at him, he nodded his head yes. "Thank you, I owe you one." I know I'm going to drift looking for the best angles. I started with taking short videos and pics of just normal people walking from afar, capturing the feel of it, to lying on my back next to a tree where I could hear squirrels playing or running around. Wanting to get motion pics if I could.
Narrowing the camera to catch the fish swimming with the trees in the background was not easy since it's hard to see them in the shady parts of the water. "Ugh, can't you guys work me?" I mumble to the fish, looking away from my camera, I spotted him. He drifted from the hut closer to where I was, my bag across his shoulder while his sat on the ground. He didn't move, and his gaze was fixated on the autumn trees blowing with the wind.
I had to take this chance, I positioned myself at a lower angle, trying to catch what I see as a must-have shoot, even if it was for myself….It's fine as long as he doesn't know, right? After taking the picture, I stared for a bit longer.
A cool breeze blew. Wait, what time is it? I checked my phone, and it was almost 2:30. I've been out here way longer than I planned to. Walking over to him, shut off my camera. "You're done?" He turned to me, and I nodded my head, "Yeah, with a bit of editing and all, I might get a B, actually, but sorry for keeping you out here for so long to watch my stuff." I said as I reached for my backpack around his shoulders. "Well, it's not like I had anything else to do." Giving me my bag, then slowly reaching to pick his up. "Yeah, the guy who left his friends." I shook my head. "Yeah, like I said, nothing better to do." He stated.
"Do you have work today?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm closing tonight, are you?" I shook my head no because I used my film class crisis as an excuse that it was the reason I wouldn't be available. "Well, how about I treat you to lunch for helping me?" I suggested, hoping he'd say yes because I do feel bad for keeping him out here. "There's no need, though." He tried walking towards the dorms, but I grabbed his elbow. "Nuh uh uh, there's always a need," I said as I pulled him towards a local restaurant just down the road. I was pulling him at first, but eventually, it just turned into my elbow looped around his, and him willingly coming along.
"Wait, this place has fries, right?" He asked skeptically about the place as we stood outside the doors, when I caught our reflection in the mirror, a blush rose across my face, and I unraveled my arm from his. "Y-yea, they have fries." I stuttered, "But why did you ask?" He walked ahead of me and opened the door for me. "Because fries are the most important part of the meal." I raised an eyebrow as I walked in and shook my head.
Fries over meat? I don't know about that one.