LOGINCHAPTER 22/NATHAN/The morning sun streamed through the bare windows of my living room, lighting up the dust motes hovering over my cardboard boxes. The apartment looked completely different from how it did a month ago. The posters were rolled up, the kitchen counters were entirely wiped down, and everything I owned was taped up inside brown boxes.In two days, I was moving to Silicon Valley to start my position at SiporaTech.A month ago, the sheer thought of change would have had my chest tightening up in a panic. But today, as I taped up the final box of textbooks, I just felt a peaceful calm. The storm had passed, the rumors had died down to nothing, and I had my life in order.The front door clicked open, and there was only one person that would show up unannounced."Yo, Teach! Need some help?" Maverick called out, walking into the living room.He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and grey sweatpants, his hair a little messy from the wind.Marlon’s legal team had handled the un
CHAPTER 21/MAVERICK/The glass doors of the Rockwell Group headquarters were so clean I could see my own exhausted reflection before I even pushed through them. I adjusted the collar of my jacket, my chest tight as I took the private elevator straight to the top floor.I knew I had messed up. But walking into Marlon’s office always made me feel like I was a kid getting summoned by the principal.When the elevator chimed, his assistant bowed slightly showing me to the double doors at the end of the hall. I took a deep breath, pushed them open, and walked in.Marlon was sitting behind his desk, looking through some files. He didn't look up immediately. He let me stand there for a solid thirty seconds before he finally closed the folder, leaned back in his leather chair, and fixed his eyes on me."Take a seat, Maverick," he gestured towards the resting area.I sat down in one of the couch and he joined me. "Look, Marlon, before you start—""I’m not going to lecture you," Marlon interru
CHAPTER 20/NATHAN/Before I could even think about what I was doing, my legs were moving. I burst out of the Social Science building and began running toward the student parking lot. I took a cab to his apartment building.My hands were shaking as I ran up the stairs to his floor. I stood outside his door, breathing heavily, my chest aching. I imputed the passcode and opened the door. I wasn't even sure what exactly I wanted to say to him but I knew that I had to see him.The apartment was dimly lit, the blinds drawn shut to keep out the afternoon heat. The usual clutter of hockey gear and protein shakers was mostly cleared away. In the middle of the living room, Maverick was kneeling next to a massive black duffel bag, packing away his heavy sports pads and jerseys.He looked up when the door opened, his eyes wide with utter shock. He looked completely exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes, his hair was a messy and the usual confident, arrogant spark in his eyes was tota
CHAPTER 19/NATHAN/I didn't sleep a single wink on Thursday night. Every time I closed my eyes, the bright glare of my phone screen flashed in my mind, followed by the feeling of everyone’s eyes staring at me in the hallway. By Friday morning, I spent the day expecting an official email from the university administration telling me I was expelled, or a cold message from Dr. Marshall revoking my graduation status.Instead, around eleven o'clock, my phone buzzed with a short text from Dr. Marshall’s secretary: “Nathan, please come down to the department office when you can. Dr. Marshall needs to hand you some documents.”My stomach dropped and I knew this was it for me.It took every single ounce of courage I had to put on a pair of jeans, grab my keys, and walk back onto campus. I kept my head down, staring intently at the concrete, avoiding any eye contact with the students passing by. I just wanted to get it over with.When I pushed through the doors of the department office, the se
CHAPTER 18/MAVERICK/As I pulled out of Nathan's apartment complex, I still couldn't get the image of him curled up on the floor, shaking and crying, out of my head.I had done that to him.I needed to do something about it. Nathan had worked hard to get to where he is right now and I'd completely ruined him with my own pettiness and mistake. Even if he never forgives me, I at least need to make things right.I drove straight back to campus, parked illegally in front of the administration building, and stormed inside. My boots clicked loudly against the polished floor as I ran towards the Dean of Student Affairs' office.The secretary looked up, startled by the slam of the door as I walked in. "Can I help you?""I need to speak to Dean Edwin. Right now," I demanded as politely as possible."He's in a meeting right now, Mr...?""Rockwell," I cut her off. "Tell him it's about the video currently circulating in the Economics department. Tell him the person responsible is standing in his
CHAPTER 17/MAVERICK/The hockey team group chat was going absolutely wild, my phone vibrating so heavily against my thigh that I thought the battery was going to melt. I finally pulled it out while sitting in my car, expecting another stupid post-finals meme from Saige.“Bro!! I heard that Mave’s tutor is gay?” Saige’s message read. What the fuck were they on about this time? “Mave, did you know about it ever since?”“You idiot, how would he know that?” Miller sent a sticker to follow up his message. “And how do you know that he's gay?”“Didn't you see the video that was posted? Good think I took the link before it gets taken down,” Saige dropped it on the group.“Holy shit! I knew he was an odd ball but I didn't think he was gay,” Miller typed a few minutes later. “He's moaning like a fucking slut while taking it up his ass.”My heart cut as I saw the words. Initially, I'd been trying to figure out what was going on in here but now, I had a bad feeling about this.“Mave!! You have t







