CHAPTER 5

It was another day of college, Glen was on his way to his major when he heard indinstic chatters with people crowding the entrance of his major again. It sounded like two people were arguing.

He approached the crowd and it was Henry and a senior male student slandering at him in rage ready to swing his fist.

"You bastard!, why would you screw my girlfriend? you could have easily gotten any other girl!"

Henry felt irritated by the raged senior who sounded like his ego had been blown.

"Too bad you're probably not good in bed, which is why your girlfriend came wagging her tails to me." He replied mockingly with contempt in his voice.

The senior got triggered and punched Henry on his face—but Henry did not retaliate, he just spat out the blood in his mouth and his eyes darkened viciously.

"It's always to ugly bastards, who act like they're all that and can't even secure their girlfriends.

"You womanizing bastard!"

Enraged,the senior swung his fist again to throw another punch at Henry when his girlfriend out of nowhere swung her purse at him hitting his face in a fit of rage.

To Glen's surprise it was the female senior Sarah from yesterday night.

"You dim witted idiot! Why would you lay your filthy hands on Henry?!" She yelled tightening her eyes enraged.

The senior looked at her with a betrayed face holding his cheek where the purse hit him. "Sarah?"

she raised her voice even more. "You can't even get a boner properly, and I've been tolerating you because of the benefits of dating you!!" She yelled clenching her fist.

The crowd busted out laughing.

The male senior felt extremely abashed and clenched his fist gritting his teeth in rage. "You whore! After everything that I did for you, this is how you repay me?!"

The crowd kept watching like it was a movie and no one stepped in to try and resolve the situation. Henry just stood there crossed arm sneering like it was entertainment.

Is Henry really good on bed as rumored? Glen's face flushed in embarrassment from his thoughts.

A lecturer arrived dismissing them and everyone rushed into the major to assemble their seats. Glen always sat at the back row to get a good look at Henry's back while the lecture went on.

He suddenly had flash back from the welcome party when Henry told him his eyes were pretty. He couldn't stop his heart from pounding and bowed his head on the desk shamed face sneakily glancing at Henry's back when the lecturers loud voice caught him off guard.

"Glen!"

He jumped out of his fantasies, the whole student turned to look at him. He noticed Henry had a grin on his face waiting to laugh at him.

"Y-Yes?"

"What was the last thing I said just now?"

The lecturer asked but Glen couldn't answer because had been distracted by Henry once again.

"I guess you were busy day dreaming about the burger and fries you were supposed to have during lunch." She said satirically.

The whole class laughed out loud—but he was more discerned on Henry who was laughing his stomach out.

To Glen the joke was not funny and he had unexpectedly become the joke of the class. He felt so embarrassed and lowered his head in shame.He did not utter a word and sat back down.

I wished the ground would just open and swallow me.

He had promised himself to not draw unnecessary attention to himself and graduated peacefully but it didn't go as planned.

— — — —

After lectures, Henry was bustling with students and chitchatting as usual. Glen was still feeling embarrassed by what happened earlier, he quietly took bag and wandered out of the major when some group of male students who looked like delinquents blocked his path.

They had their hairs bleached with tattoos and and looked out of shape. He felt uncomfortable and wanted to veer away from them when one of the guy threatened him. "shut up and follow us."

He gulped and quietly followed them to not create a scene. They took him inside a school building that was under construction and yanked him to the floor by his collar. He was frightened out of his wits and couldn't look at them in the eye fidgeting.

One of the guys that appeared to be the leader snatched him by his collar. "Hey fag!, hand over your wallet."

Glen didn't hesitate to hand it over frightened. They all sneered at his haste. It was fun for people like them to see him tremble in fear.

Why are these people still bullying in college? I can't even fight back right now.

They took his hard earned money and shoved it into their pocket after splitting it within themselves.

"You have my money now, please let me go." He pleaded as he quivered—frightened at what they might do next.

The guy who took his walket suddenly yanked his hair violently. He winced and groaned in pains. "Who the fuck are you to tell us what we should be doing?"

"Please…" he implored narrowing his eyes in pains.

"I heard fags know how to suck dicks." One of the guy snickered satirically puffing his cigarette.

"Oh, is it true?" He pulled Glen closer by his hair, leaning his face close to his, Glen winced his face from the stench coming out of his mouth.

He immediately became peeved and embarrassed. "Hey, are you trying to say my breathe stinks?!"

He slapped Glen's face with his heavy hands. Bruising his cheeks, he bit his lip wincing as he tasted blood in his mouth, groaning in pains.

But his breathe stinks, what does he expect me to do?, keep a straight face and inhale it like perfume?

"You know what? let's strip him." Their leader insinuated.

The situation became worrisome—and Glen hitched, his pupil dilated—trying to resist as all four of them gathered around him to pin down. He pleaded but they were oblivious to his pleas and continued to struggle with him.

"Please! Stop!"

Familiar voices yelled from behind them with running steps. "Hey!!"

He looked over and it was Charlotte, williams and victor. He felt a sense of relief and his eyes teared up. The delinquents all sprung up and fleed the scene hastily.

Charlotte hurried towards Glen to help him up. "Glen!"

"Charlotte..." Glen's eye teared up from relief. He suddenly became aware as Williams and victor flicked their eyes at his dishelved appearance, his button was unbuckled and his pants have been unzipped by those guys that took his money.

The atmosphere became very awkward. It was degrading to his personality as a guy that all these unexpected situations keep happening to him.

They all assisted Glen to the infirmary where the nurse tend to the bruising on his cheek, the nurse finished with him and wandered out of the room.

"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?"

Charlotte asked him with a concerned expression.

"N-not exactly…" he responded fiddling nervously, avoiding eye contact with them.

The atmosphere was really awkward for Glen because Williams and victor were there too, he couldn't say much as the socially awakward person that he was.

Glen blinked his eyes hesitatingly. "How'd you know I was there Charlotte?."

She halted and continued. "Oh, I came to your major to find you but you weren't there and I had ask a coursemate of yours. He said he saw you follow those bastards to the newly constructed building."

snickering proudly victor said. "I got really heated up, ready to throw my fist."

"I'm glad it didn't get worse than it is right now, bastards like them need to be beaten up." Victor said with his languid voice—but with a scowl on his face.

Glen let out an exasperated sigh with a winced smile. "Thanks Charlotte and you two too."

It felt really nice for someone other than Charlotte to show concern for him. His parents didn't even care much about what went on his life before they had their misunderstanding.

They all returned back for the rest of our courses, but Henry was not taking the other courses that Glen attended, it was quite saddening for him—and it also felt great for him too. he could finally focus on his lectures somehow, but his thoughts will still end up trailing off to Henry.

— —

Glen and Charlotte walked back home. They were both quiet for a while until she decided to break the silence. "Victor confessed to me."

Stunned he continued. "Oh…that was quick."

"Yea…I told him I was going to think about it…" she smiled softly with her arms crossed backwards.

"Victor seem like a good guy though. You're still planning to turn people down in college too?"

She hesitantly replied "…I don't know, I'm not really interested…you know I have my own problems right now."

He averted his gaze to the floor. "…yes, I know." He returned his gaze back to her. "let's be strong and graduate together."

Charlotte nodded with a beam on her face, as if Glen's words motivated her a bit.

"I have to go for my shift now."

"Alright, I'll take a cab from here." Charlotte continued her walk and entered a cab while he waved at her as the cab zoomed off.

Glen went back to his quiet demeanor as he strides towards his own direction, it was as if he walked on abyss on his way to his shift. He got to shift and changed into his shift clothes and scanned customer's groceries at the convenience store as usual. After he was done with his shift he bought some snacks and gnawed at it as he walked to his second job.

He suddenly got a notification from his usually quiet phone and as he opened it ; it was williams.

[Hi Glen]

He hesitated a bit. It was kinda awkward for him, texting someone other than charlotte.

[Hi]

His heart raced with his blunt replies as he waited for another reply.

Ding! Glen got another notification.

[What are you doing?]

His heart raced at every ding from his phone, receiving texts from an unfamiliar person was new to him.

[On my way to my shifts]

He waited for another reply.

[Isn't it late?]

Senior Williams is suddenly concerned about what I am doing?

[It is but I have to work]

He took few steps and paused from another notification from his phone.

[Alright be careful and text me when you're done.]

[Okay]

It was awkward, but why did senior Williams text me?…he probably wants to be friends… but I didn't expect that I'll ever make friends in college.

Glen shoved his phone back in his pocket and continued to eat his snack as he slowly strides off.