Chapter 12: The Wet Sock
Thunder screaming across the wet campus field, the sky engulfed with black and dark cloud blanket. People start running from the harsh rain that is pouring suddenly, creating riot among the people that were enjoying their gathering across the green field. Their colorful clothes start getting wet, despite their effort to run away quickly, searching for shelter.
The training game abruptly put into hold due to sudden rain, there some scream left, and it wasn’t cheering, it was groaning of disappointment. A quick paced of movement can be seen everywhere, a bunch of sneakers stomped harshly to the water puddle, and make the mud and the water splash everywhere. All the color, all that cheap and expensive material becomes muddy within a second.
Two souls running together, trying to duck the water that comes from above to no avail. The man with a much bigger figure tried to run in front of the boy that was following him. He is trying his best to block the harsh wind that comes together with the painful rain, while at the same time making his back to be a shadow that can be followed by the boy behind him.
They keep getting closer and closer to the white building, full with glass window walls. Despite the gloomy day, that building stood still in pureness of white. People seem busy going in and out from that building, some people with odd attire come after one another. That people not only wear something that unusual, but also some of them bring a lot of square and rectangle objects to the inside of the building.
The both lost soul standing there with water dripping from their hair and their attire, looking somehow out of place. However, not even a single soul that passes by, pay any attention to them. And both of them are just standing side by side for no reason.
Until someone called one of them.
“Joshua?”
A girl with white top that draped like a cape, and a black dress to accompany her style. A little white dot scattered around her black dress gives it a lovely and pureness detail. Her smile mixed between worry and happiness.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharon stands with a bunch of people wearing the same tag with her. They all stood at the big white door of the building, looking at me and Chad, still not moving due to exhaustion. Both me and Chad were struck by how colorful people inside compared with the building paint. She smiled at me with her awkward smile, probably as confused as I am.
She is quickly coming closer with her elegant yet feminine step, other people follow her behind. All of them have their name written on the same card that is around their neck.
“Joshua… are you okay? You both drenched wet”
Her hands hesitated to reach me and Chad but she decided not to do so. After a while, her smile went and changed into a light giggle.
“You both looks like a stray cat and a buffalo that soaked wet”
Her long lanky fingers wrap around together and form a knuckle, she brings it to the front of her mouth, covering only some part of her pink and glossy lips.
“It’s not good to staying wet like that, come over here… follow me”
But before she moves, someone is standing behind her, handing two small towels. Sharon proceeds to pass it to me and Chad, we both take it reluctantly and face each other. Perhaps due to the cold weather, both of our brains just stop working properly.
Before both of me and Chad realize what happened, Sharon figures already walking farther away, distanced from us. And turns out Sharon herself just realized that none of us were moving at all. She smiled and waved her hands signaling for both of me and Chad to follow her quickly.
For the last time, we were facing each other and nodding in agreement to follow Sharon.
We both step forward and get into the building.
The weird statue that is standing here and there, along with freaky paintings hanging on the wall they are moving as if watching us every single step.
“They are kinda creepy…”
Despite how many people standing here and there, yes, and all the items inside this building still give the different vibe. And for this one case, Chad isn’t wrong.
“Shh… they can hear you”
I laugh while I tease him a little bit.
“Senior! Don’t say that!”
“I told you countless times! Stop calling me senior!”
>>>>>>>>>>
A pop music blasting out as soon as Sharon opened the door, that door had stickers that said “Staff Only” on the surfaces. Some people sit down circling the circular table while talking and laughing, and the other grouping around the corner busy with something. They are sewing something and sticking something together. Some of the people are even busy trying to give makeup to a bunch of people that are sitting down in the front of the Hollywood mirror.
They must be the staff for this arts and literature festival.
I see a poster hanging on the wall, the same I saw a few weeks ago, the same poster for the festival Sharon asked me to visit.
Sharon covered her ears with her hands, and gave a high note yelling to the man that was sitting down near the speaker.
“Can… Can somebody lower the volume?!”
As soon as the blue haired man hears Sharon's voice, he immediately complies and lowers the volume to the respectful and decent frequency for the human ear to listen pleasantly.
“HI! Sharon! Come here! Help us to decide something to eat!”
A girl with full black attire from top to bottom shouting at Sharon, her white hand waving in the air makes her metal bracelet classing with one another producing light noise. Sharon walked slowly to that girl while shaking her head, smiling, looking at the source of that cold yet feminine voice.
“Don't you guys have a job to go around the building to make sure nothing goes awry?”
“Come on! Cut us some slack, we just take a break, the second batch taking over sift now!”
A woman with long perm hair jokingly mad at Sharon.
“Who are those people?”
A woman with straight short dark green hair pointing her black nail and jumping from me and Chad direction, and her pierced lips turn into a scowl.
“Ah! These people! This is Joshua…”
Sharon introduced me with her white hand opened, directed toward me.
A nodded slowly at them, without letting out any sound slip from my lips.
“And this is…”
“Hi! I’m Chad”
He waved his big hand, while the damp towel hung loosely on his head, smiling. I still grab mine, not using it, just try to observe the situation.
“Oh my, what a cutie you bring to us! Which one is mine?”
The perm hair one looming herself to my direction with her red lips smiling at me.
“Like hell! Both are mine!”
The black attire one quickly jumps in.
Within a second both of them bickering, to seemingly no end. The dark green haired woman stood up and walked closer to me.
“And, why are they wet? Are you just going to let them like this until they catch a cold Sharon?”
“Oh yeah! I’m so sorry”
Sharon quickly goes behind one of the wardrobe and searches for something.
“Apologize, she always got distracted easily. Are you both doing okay?”
“I’m good!”
Chad jumped into the conversation, still not finding any problem. His hair started getting dry due to his excessive rub. But he is still as wet as me.
“You both come here”
She raised her index finger and made a motion to follow her. She elegantly turns around and starts walking, her black heels stomp on the wooden hard floor. Her high waist long wide leg pants sway as she walks, making a friction sound between steps.
She led us to another room beside the room we were in, this one only divided with a wide brown framed doorway without a door standing between the room. This room has another kind of makeup table and chair, with a Hollywood mirror hanging on the wall.
“Go over there, take off your wet clothes”
She folded one of her arms to her chest, and her thumb directed us to the wooden divider.
“Okay!”
At this point perhaps Chad just becomes our interpreter, it's a good thought, as long as he doesn’t talk unnecessary things. Both Chad and I got in immediately, we greeted each other with a bunch of clothes and costumes lying and hanging everywhere.
Chad started to undress himself, I walked past him and started undressing myself, everything soaking wet even my underwear. I can’t help but undress it too, and wrapped the small towel around my waist, luckily it can warped and covered me well.
But I can’t say the same with Chad, he just holds the towel at the front of his private because that is the only length that fabric can cover unfortunately. He just rubs the back of his head and gives me an awkward smile, I respond to him by shaking my head.
His big build and muscled feature standing awkwardly in the front of me, eyes peeking left and right as if someone might see him in this glory of baby suit. Despite being nude, we both still soaking wet due to the small fabric can’t absorb all the liquid.
I rub my shoulder, trying to shake the awkwardness around us, we are just two nude male here, and it’s cold too.
“Senior…you have pretty long scars around your shoulder”
Chad's words made my eyes widen up, I just remembered that we both don't have anything to cover our body.
“Is it new? It looks fresh”
Chad tried to get close, and my eyes went red.
“Stay right there! Don’t come closer!”
“But…”
“I said stay right there!”
My breath hitched immediately, my head started to hurt. Chad stopped moving, freezing but his eyes showed me concern. My body starts shaking, and all the scars on my back start feeling scorching, I feel like all of them vibrating and itching.
I slowly step back until my back touches the wall completely, the cold surfaces not even helping how painful my back is. But Chad did not further push me, he just stood, eyes shown conflicted.
“What should we do, Lilith? These clothes are the only thing that is available…”
“Why you ask me? Sharon, for god sake just handing it to them…”
“But…”
“Either they are going to get cold or freeze to death, you better let them change…”
Suddenly the familiar voice of the dark green haired girl can be heard talking with Sharon, I assume her name is Lilith? Both Chad and I just stood there silently while observing the wooden divider, listening to the conversation from the other side. And something sliding from the small gaping space below the divider, two colored fabrics lay neatly.
“I’m so sorry Joshua, Chad… that is the only clothes that we have, I hope you guys don’t mind it”
Sharon's voice shaking a little bit, a worried vibration can be heard clearly. Chad moving slowly took the both fabric, and Lilith's voice soon followed.
“Big guy, give the smaller boy the black one, you wear the orange with black strip”
“Ah! Okay! Here senior…”
Chad gave the black fabric to me, when my hands grabbed it, soon the fabric draped and showed the full modeled clothes accidentally.
“Oh no…”
Simple distressed and rejection words slip from my tongue. We both looked at each other and to the clothes on my hands. Why does my luck keep getting worse? Chad soon follows and reveals his.
Both of these clothes are onesies, jumpsuit. This is going to look ridiculous.
Chad has a tiger onesie with black and orange pattern.
Mine is black cat.
There is no way I’m going to wear this…
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sound of the harsh and steady blower can be heard near my ears. My scalp can feel the heat wave traveling around my heads drying my hair in the process. In the end I’m sitting here together with Chad in the front of their Hollywood mirror, getting help drying ourselves.
Chad goofing around with the girl that is helping him, once in a while the girl throws dirty jokes but just gets ignored or laughed at by Chad, either he is pure, or he just oblivion, or perhaps mixed between those traits.
“Stop teasing him Trista, and helping him dry himself before cold take over…”
A cold voice comes from Lilith lips, her finger busy with flipping my hair, while the other hands focus on directing the hair dryer. Her face is cold and her eyes never leave my hair, my eyes keep following her reflection. And then our eyes meet.
“Is there something on my faces?”
I quickly sifted my eyes and focused on the makeup item that was placed on the table at the front of me. I shake my heads, signaling nothing wrong.
“Come on now, Lilith you scared the little guy! Is she mean to you?! Tell me! I’ll punch her for you!”
The girl name Trista jumps in, her eyes widening, glance at me and Lilith that still does not pay any attention but my hair.
“Funny, the last time I hear that from you, the next day you are crying all day because Lilith kick your ass”
A perm haired girl came from behind and whispered her word to Trista ears.
“Irene!”
Trista teeth girthed with one another, she let out a low growl while speaking.
“Don’t open my card in front of new people, that is humiliating…”
Trista immediately saw me through the mirror looking at my reflection.
“Don’t listen to Irene! She is the gossip girl in our faculty”
“Hey!”
Irene's high voice can be heard from across the room.
I am still sitting down and not moving, let Lilith do her best and whatever that might help me. I clasp my palm together, letting my fingers wrap around each other. I see my outfit reflected through the mirror, the black fabric covers every inch of me, it is loose but not too much that it will slip from my body.
The black fabric is quite spacy on the inside, sometimes giving me goosebumps if it makes friction with my skin. Chad seems not to have any problem when he wears that tiger onesie of his, me on the other hand doesn’t have much choice even though I do not like it.
I look ridiculous in this, but I keep reminding myself to just keep quiet until my clothes completely dried up. Just do go out and stay still inside this room. I see my clothes and chad hanging together near the window, and there are a bunch of girls using hair dryers to help it dry.
I feel weird, we are completely strangers, why are they helping us? To that extent even.
But, let's just be thankful about it, let’s not question things, the more we question things, the more complicated the thing is.
“Is it too hot?”
Lilith's face came closer to me, her face leveled beside mine, her eyes looking at me through the mirror.
“No, its okay, I guess”
“Good, I thought you are in pain, your eyes keep looking here and there but the mirror, do you like make up? Because your eyes keep moving from the product we placed here, one after another”
“No! No… I mean not in that way…”
Trista shook her heads when she saw me getting pestered by Lilith.
“Stop teasing the boy, no wonder you are single!”
Lilith immediately put her hair dryer to the max and faced it to Trista, and soon Trista was yelping and screeching. Their dynamic is really opposite, are they really friends? Are they really able to get along and actually care for one another.
I don’t know all these products, everything is so colorful and isn't that hair gel the same thing? They have four, and I think there are so many items that have duplication, they seem to be from different brands. Why? Aren’t they for the same usage?
“Stop it! God dammit! Stop it!”
Trista keeps yelling so hard and Lilith is not going to stop either.
“You feeling okay now, senior?”
I looked to my left to find Chad smiling at me, his hair already dried up pretty quickly, his short hair really playing a big part, it’s easier to tame.
“Your hair will take some time, they are jet black and pretty thick, and also you have long hair in the front”
Lilith seems done torturing Trista, coming back to me and picking strands of my hair and stretching it at the front of my face.
“Look, it goes far below your eyes, how can you see actually? Your thick hair layered up maybe that is why you didn’t realize it”
She went to the front of the table, opened the drawer, her feminine hands searching for something, until she found the thing she searched. Her finger wrapped around a sharp metal object, it has two holes and two sides that are sharp on each side.
“Let me take care of you…”
“I… I don’t think that's a good idea…”
She sighted and closed her eyes.
“Calm down, I’m not going to change your hair style or make you bald, just clean it little bit”
And so… I let her…
I closed my eyes the whole time she cut my hair.
I can feel and hear the sound of my hair getting cut.
Slowly-slowly I can feel my hair falling touching my skin.
“Okay, that should be enough”
Lilith's voice becomes my cue to open my eyes, my hair style still the same, but it does look neat and more light now.
“Look at you, what a cutie, your score of cuteness just went from 8 to 10 now, don’t you think?”
Trista whistled and placed her chin one Chad Shoulder looking for agreement.
“Yeah, you look more fresh now Senior, oftentimes your hair always falls down and sometimes covers your eyes. You have beautiful eyes!”
“That’s what I thought!”
Trista immediately high five Chad which was welcomed by the man himself.
Honestly I do not think this is a big deal.
It's just hair after all.
“Anyways, your hair completely dried now, you cool to go”
Lilith pulls the hair dryer cable in one snap, the plug jumps out as soon as the force happens.
“My god Lilith! No wonder our equipment broke fast! Speaking of which… how do you guys know Sharon?”
Trista immediately scolded Lilith, which received no response from her. To think about it…
We…
No.
I am not really a friend of Sharon, we are acquaintances at the best. This is going to be a hard topic to speak about, mostly because once they know I’m just a stranger.
“I meet her when she was having trouble with vending machine near library”
“Oh! So you are the vending machine boy!”
All the people inside this room yell in the unison, which makes me jump from my seat.
“Oh so you are that person! The same guy that she asked to come here, right?”
Irene came in and took something from the table, opened it, rubbed it around her finger and applied it around her plump lips. Her reflection instead of focusing on her lips, they are studying me.
“Yeah, I guess…”
“Why with a gloomy answer? We won’t bite you, except Lilith, she like to eat human soul”
And immediately I can hear Trista yelp again, but this time because of Lilith smack her with the hair dryer she used to dry my hair.
“Sharon more or less, kind of an old soul, she is a very reserved kind of person. But if she likes someone, she is genuinely like them and they are definitely a good person”
Irene spun her body and now looked directly at me with a smile.
“We trust her in term of gust to know people, so don’t worry, her friends is our friends too”
“Oh looks your lips are dry, must be because of cold, here let me help you apply this”
Her finger moves closer to my lips, I slowly back down reluctantly but her warm finger manages to reach my lips and apply something on it. Her fingers travel slowly and I can feel the soft substance slowly mold into my lips.
Irene stands up and goes behind me, holding my head with both of her hands, directing me to see my own reflection directly.
“Look, you look so much better now, last time you look like a wet street cat”
Her hand forces me to see the reflection directly, and as soon as my eyes meet the eyes, I snap my head quickly.
“Thanks… I really am thankful”
“Okay… anyway, you guys can sit down here and chill, just enjoy yourself, waiting for your clothes dried up”
Irene pinch my check and go to another room quickly.
“So, what are we gonna do now, senior?”
“Beats me, let’s just wait until our clothes completely dried”
Don’t throw that kind of question to me Chad, I’m as lost as you at this moment. People here seem busy too, I feel like a nuisance if I stay around for much longer, and I have nothing to do either. Even if I can offer them my help, what kind of help I can provide, they are dealing with arts, all I know is computer coding.
“Why you guys not going out enjoying the festival, Sharon must be around, she can help you guys”
Lilith focusing with her own reflection, applying something to her face,
I look at what I’m wearing right now, that alone is already a big reminder to not go outside, if possible I want to go to another room alone, so nobody can see me.
“Right, if you guys doesn’t really into arts, you can always go to the third floor for the food and beverage, where they held their stand up”
“Food! There is food in this building!”
As fast as Trista mentions food, Chad responds to it. I’m definitely not surprised about his focus only on food matter and his belly alone.
“Yeah, why not? Arts not about… you know? Painting, music and other stuff. The student from culinary arts also join us, but they take the third floor, so their customer not ruining our stuff”
Irene comes with her white vest, and I see Trista and Lilith wore the same model white vest.
“Yeah, you can try to find Sharon, she will help you around. She ain’t like us, we do field work, she's mostly in charge for paperwork. Actually! That bitch is free!”
Irene's sudden realization makes her throw fits for someone that is not here.
“So why is she going around?”
“She's just an extra bitch! That’s why!”
Irene adds more frustration about Sharon's workload. And three of the girls are gone, while I can hear the yelling from Irene about Sharon. Even goes as far as forbidding anyone to invite her to a closing party.
Suddenly my hands get yanked by someone beside me, his eyes sparkling, his mouth open and I can see some of the saliva droplets almost fill his mouth. And his grip on me is getting stronger too.
“Let’s eat!”
Chad standing up with excitement, her power tugging me standing up despite I do not want to.
“Are you out of your mind?! See ourselves in the mirror, what are we wearing right now?!”
I try to tug back my arms, and it won’t budge. Even talking some sense to this buffalo isn’t helpful at all!
“Just go already, during arts festival people wearing weird shit, who cares about what you wearing, compare to them yours just mildly below average”
A guy that is handling the speaker suddenly speaks, but his eyes are not even moving from the…
What is that?
Is that lingerie magazine?
Chad pointed his fat finger to the man himself.
“You hear that?!”
His mouth opened wide with teeth showing brightly.
I can’t believe myself.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I keep walking behind Chad, hoping that his shadow and features are enough to cover me. The oversized hoodie that I wear is not even enough to cover me embarrassment. People keep pointing at me and Chad, some of them start taking their phone out and capture the moment, my embarrassing moment.
That man is a liar! He said nobody cares! Turns out every single soul here cares enough to stop and observe us! Each step I took, from the moment we reached the third floor, everyone just saw us as some kind of a rare creature.
I keep tugging at Chad whenever he walks too fast or trying to outrun me. But his consciousness already gone as soon as we reached this floor, his eyes kept traveling from one booth to another, looking at the food that was sold here.
And suddenly he stops on the tract, I can’t help but bump into his solid back, it’s so hard it's hurting my nose. His eyes looking at the booth at the front, the heavy steam comes out, meat skewered hanging deliciously. I can see Chad drooling over the meat, he keeps weeping his mouth with the back of his palm.
“You want it? If you want to eat it, just buy it”
Chad shook his head hard, like he was trying to shake some bug that was hiding inside his hair.
“It’s okay! Just want to smell it! Just by smelling it I can feel full”
I quickly nudge him, there is no way it’s true, and I understand he can’t buy it. But it’s hard to believe how strong he is.
This is against my principal…
But I’ve known Chad for a while…
Plus, feeding him, won’t hurt even a little, right?
I came closer to the booth, took my hoodie off. The staff that managed the booth welcomed me with a smile. I still feel self-conscious with what I’m wearing right now, and their looks are not helping at all.
“How much for this skewer meat?”
“This one $1.50, this big one $3.5”
“You guys accept payment using a student card?”
“Yes! We do”
“Give me one of $1.30, and five of $3.50”
I handed them the card and they quickly prepared my order, and in one time my order reached my hands, freshly made. I thank them and spin my body to meet Chad with his drooling face, not even changing.
“Here take these five skewer meat”
He looks reluctant to take it from me, but his big hand is coming forward anyways. But before he can grab it I quickly retract my hand.
“It’s not for free, you got to do something for me”
And with those words, his face fell immediately, but before he could even sadder and get me wrong.
“Can you walk slowly and hide me from people's view with your body? That’s all I ask”
His smile comes back as soon as my words slip my lips.
“Sure I can do that!”
And we keep walking around the festival booth, he keeps his pace the same, and I keep grabbing onto his fabric, but not too much pressure now. Even if this is the smallest meat I have on my hands pretty plenty enough, why can he finish the two skewers in no time?
Shortly after, people start running in one direction, I can hear a bunch of people screaming from the other side. And then I can see two shadows moving in this direction.
That is Kristin, her arm warped around someone else's arm, laughing and chatting with him, and that person is…
Albern.
Why have I found him so easily lately?!
He is almost not available any other day!
Why after our encounter is he always easy to find?!
Don’t look here!
Don’t look!
I tried to crouch down behind Chad's massive body, and try to sneak peak whether he passed already or not.
And accidentally, our eyes meet, I quickly hide myself again behind Chad, but this time I ask for his help.
“Chad… please help me! I beg you”
“Ah… AH! Sure!”
“Hi senior Albern!”
I’m shocked to find out instead of hiding me, he calls the man I dread to meet. I grimace with the situation. Chad you fool! Why did you call him! Drove him away or hide me, whatever it is but to draw his attention.
I see Albern stop for a moment and quickly moving toward me, I quickly ducked behind Chad.
Albern's finger moving like he's trying to remember something, it keeps pointing at Chad.
“… Chad”
“I’m Chad!”
Chad as usual, smile and oblivious of the horror that will befall me.
“So Chad, Can I take that cat behind you?”
I quickly inspected myself, my hand touching my body, and I remembered…
I'm still with my onesie!
“Oh! Sure! Senior you can come out!”
That is not what you are for actually Chad…
I’m defeated, I walk my walk of shame out from behind Chad's big body.
And soon I greeted with Albern sly smile, and that smile never start of something good. I feel goosebumps from entire body, his devil side, I do not want to suffer it today!
“Well, if it’s up to me… I love white cat more, but black not so bad”
I grimaced immediately.
And suddenly I can feel my feet leave the floor, Albern picks me up without trouble and places me on his shoulder. People gasping for air filled the room, and I met eyes to eyes with Kristin's shocked face. I quickly pull my hoodie and hide behind it, I struggle from his hold, but his arms lock me strong.
“Let me go! Put me down!”
“Not a chance…”
I can imagine his smug face without even facing him.
“Chad help me!”
Chad seems oblivious and doesn't know what to do.
“I buy you more food!”
Chad immediately moves closer, but before he can act more.
“Thank you Chad, here for the compensation, take my card instead”
Chad only smiles and takes an Albern card bowing to show his gratitude toward him. And yet he still has the nerve to smile at me.
“Take care you both!”
He just smiles innocently at me, like he is not committing a big sin a moment ago. I can’t believe myself giving him food.
“Wait Albern! Where are you going?! You promised to accompany me today!”
Kristin quickly grabbed Albern another arm with protest.
“I’m so sorry! Let me make it up to you next time okay? I promised”
And Albern walks away leaving everything, Kristin stomping her foot a couple of times before folding her arms together with anger. Chad just waved goodbye with a smile plastered on his face. And people murmuring and keep taking picture of us.
I bury my face inside my hoodie hoping to dissolve into air because of the embarrassment.
“Please put me down!”
Instantly Albern smack my back the moment I ask him to let me go.
“Be a good boy!”