Breaking the Rules Page 3

  “I see,” Adam said, feeling dejected. He had thought that there was chemistry between the two of them, and it was disappointing to find out that Connor was into girls.

  Connor spoke again, clearing his throat as he leaned in so that Adam could hear him over the music: “But I’m looking for something… different now. I’ve been feeling like I need to expand my horizons for a long time. Now, I think, I have the chance.” Connor’s face broke into a sly smile, and he and Adam both giggled at the shared, unspoken acknowledgement of what Connor was implying.

  “Looks like you’re definitely in the mood for fun,” Adam responded, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

  Someone at the entrance caught Adam’s eye, and his expression brightened as he recognized the familiar face approaching his table. “JP!” Adam called out, waving his hand at his friend. Adam’s handsome, rugged friend from the swim team approached them. JP Terreblanche was one of the most talented swimmers at Ridgemont, and he had just recently started moving in Adam’s circles. Adam got up to hug his friend, and for a brief second he could see a flash of jealousy cross Connor’s face. “Come and sit down with us. How are you?” Adam asked JP, motioning for JP to sit next to him at the booth.

  JP was very good looking, with short, spiky blond hair and sharp features, and a five-o'clock shadow covering his jaw. Adam had become good friends with JP when Adam tried out for the swim team, but sadly he wasn’t good enough of a swimmer to make the cut. That didn’t stop him from making friends with the wild partiers on the team, which was the reason Adam landed in such hot water the year before...

  “Another year of raucous partying ahead of you, Adam?” JP asked as he sat down at the table. He reached out his hand and introduced himself to Connor, who was still looking apprehensive.

  “I’ve changed my ways,” Adam responded playfully. “Connor here is a first-year at Nova. He’ll take over from me since I’m retiring from partying.”

  JP laughed and slapped Adam on his back jovially. “I don’t think you could ever give up on the wild life, Adam. I’m practically old and boring compared to you.”

  “That’s not true. You were the one who taught me how to party, remember?” Adam and JP both laughed and clinked their drinks together.

  JP turned to Connor, his intense blue eyes scanning Connor’s face, and he asked Adam: “So, am I interrupting a date or something? You two looked very intimate when I walked in.” Connor averted his eyes, his cheeks turning bright red.

  Adam shifted in his seat and responded to JP: “I’m showing Connor everything that Ridgemont has to offer. It’s completely innocent, I swear. But first, I think we all need fresh drinks.” Adam got up to get another round of drinks for everyone at the table, leaving Connor alone with the handsome stranger.

  ***

  Connor swallowed hard, intimidated by the tall, confident guy sitting across from him. JP was watching Connor closely, looking like he was trying to figure out a puzzle where the pieces wouldn’t fit. Finally, JP said: “Adam’s a great guy, you know. We’ve become really close over the past year. We both had some problems in the past, running with the wrong crowds, but we’ve turned things around.”

  Connor tried to steady his voice as he said: “He mentioned something about an… incident, last year. What happened to him?”

  JP seemed guarded, biting his lip, and said, “You’ll have to ask Adam yourself. Let’s just say he’s learned his lesson and he’s trying to stay focused on his studies this year. What about you, Connor? What are you focused on this year?”

  Even though JP was clearly suspicious of Connor and trying to figure out whether something was going on between Connor and Adam, Connor felt a strange closeness and respect for JP. He seemed like someone who could be trusted. Connor responded, “Honestly, I’m struggling with all of this. Where I’m from, I never quite fit in, and I tried to be something that I’m not so that people wouldn’t look at me funny. But here, I want to be myself. I don’t want to be scared anymore.”

  A smile broke out on JP’s lips, and he seemed to soften a bit more towards Connor. “I can relate. Last year, I was trying to be someone that my family wanted me to be. It took me a long time to finally learn to let go of all of that. But that’s a story for another time. The point is, you should go for what you really want. If something, or someone, makes you happy, don’t hold back.”

  Connor saw Adam saunter back to the table with three drinks, and when he reached the booth Adam said: “You two look way too serious for such a happy night. What are you talking about?”

  Connor looked up at Adam, the strong features of his face reflecting the dim lights, his deep olive eyes catching Connor’s eyes in a glance. Connor was determined to follow JP’s advice. He would go for what he truly wanted.

  JP finished his drink with the two of them, chatting about life and his and Adam’s mutual friends. When he took the last sip he said goodbye to Connor and Adam, promising to see them around. Adam turned to look at Connor when they were alone, his eyes serious. They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds, communicating something that they weren’t allowed to put into words just yet. Finally, Connor said: “Your friend gave me some good advice.”

  “Oh yeah?” Adam asked. “What did he tell you?”

  “He said that I should put myself out there and go for what I want.”

  Adam laughed and said, “That definitely sounds like solid advice. Just be careful. You might get more than you bargained for.”

  “I’m tired of being careful,” Connor said, and reached his hand across the table, touching his fingertips to the back of Adam’s hand. “Being careful is no fun.”

  Adam’s eyes were glued to Connor’s. Connor’s thoughts were running at a mile a minute. “Maybe we should get out of here?” Adam said. Connor nodded in agreement. They stood up together and walked through the horde of students into the warm summer’s air outside. Campus was still bursting with activity, and as they walked down the path through Donovan Square Connor could feel his insides contract. He was excited about getting to know Adam. There was a powerful attraction between them that was palpable even as they walked side-by-side. Connor felt blood rushing through his body, anticipating his next move. They reached a dark patch of the square, where the lights from the stalls and pubs were drowned out by trees, and Connor grabbed Adam’s hand, pulling him off the path towards a tall oak tree.

  “What are you doing?” Adam asked, his voice high and sharp. Connor could practically feel his heartbeat in his throat.

  “Trust me,” Connor said, pushing Adam against the tree. Connor pressed his body against Adam’s, running his hand over Adam’s strong chest, their hips grinding together. Connor’s eyes were tracing the line of Adam’s square jaw, all the way to his lips. “I’ve wanted to do this ever since I first saw you in my room.”

  “Connor, I…” Adam started to say, but in an instant his lips were locked with Connor’s. They kissed passionately, and Adam’s hands started to explore Connor’s body, running down his back and onto those curves he had seen in the shower that morning. All of Adam’s apprehensions melted away as he explored Connor’s body with his hands. Connor tasted the masculine saltiness of Adam’s skin, savoring every second of the kiss. He ran his hand under Adam’s shirt, his fingers warmed by the heat of Adam’s skin. He was in ecstasy.

  Suddenly, Connor heard the sound of clicking behind him, and a bright flash surrounded the scene. “Got it!” someone shouted, and Connor turned around to see what was happening.

  Adam called out in horror, “Vernon! What are you doing?” A lanky, beady-eyed guy was standing on the path a few meters away from them with his phone pointed right at Connor and Adam.

  Vernon responded: “I’ve got just what I need now, Adam! Isn’t this one of the students you’re supposed to be mentoring? Let’s see what Prof Steyn thinks of this!”

  Before Adam could even think of giving chase, Vernon was gone. Adam’s face fell and Connor began to feel queasy. This
was exactly what Adam was worried would happen.

  Adam spoke after a few seconds of thought, his voice quiet and deflated: “I don’t know what he’ll do. He’s been out to get me since last year. Since we broke into the swimming stadium. Some of the other guys vandalized the place, and because I was with them I was put on probation too. Vernon’s been on my case ever since.”

  “Maybe he won’t show it to anyone,” Connor said, trying to reassure Adam. Just as he said it, both his and Adam’s phones’ message tones sounded, and Connor took his phone out of his pocket to read the message. It was a message from an unknown number with a picture attachment; the picture of Adam and Connor kissing!

  When Connor looked up to face Adam, Adam was staring at his own phone with his mouth open. “He must’ve sent it to the entire Nova call list! He’s trying to ruin me!” A look of anger came over Adam’s face, and he demanded: “What was I thinking?”

  Connor was mortified. He felt panic pulsing through him, and said, “Adam, I’m so sorry! If there’s anything I can do to help…”

  Adam shot back, “You’ve done enough, Connor! I should’ve known this would happen. What was I thinking? I should never have let this happen. Just let me deal with it.” Adam’s eyes were brimming with anger, and he barely looked at Connor as he stormed away. Connor was left reeling. The one time he took a chance and went for what he wanted, he messed everything up.

  Chapter 5

  The next day, Adam was awoken by loud, incessant knocking at his door. He groggily looked over at the clock on his wall; it was only 7 a.m. Adam felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. He had managed to sneak into his room the night before without any of the other Nova guys spotting him, but he knew that everyone had seen the picture of him kissing Connor. He would likely have the eyes of the entire dorm on him whenever he was brave enough to leave his room again. Adam got out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt, adjusting the boxer shorts that he had slept in. He opened the door to be greeted by Vernon’s sneering face. “Good morning, Adam! Looks like you’ve had a good night’s rest.”

  “What do you want, Vernon? I’m not on mentoring duty today, and I really don’t feel like seeing anyone right now. Especially not after the stunt you pulled last night.” Adam rubbed his hand over his short hair as he gave Vernon a contemptuous glare. Vernon was already dressed in his Initia Nova committee jacket and neat chinos, with his name badge straightened over his jacket pocket.

  “I was only doing my duty as an ambassador of this university, Adam. People like you think you can get away with anything. After you and your friends vandalized the swimming stadium’s lounge last year, all you had to do was bat your eyelashes and they let you off with nothing more than a warning. I just want you to get what’s coming to you. If you can’t follow the rules, you shouldn’t be here, and you definitely shouldn’t be a mentor for Initia Nova.” Vernon seemed to be taking pleasure in every word he uttered. He spoke slowly and deliberately, driving home his resentment towards Adam.

  “Just leave me alone, Vernon,” Adam shot back, and he motioned to close the door, but Vernon put his foot in the way to stop it.

  “Not so fast. Prof Steyn sent me to let you know that he wants to see you first thing this morning. He was very disappointed to see that you were abusing your position as a mentor. He’s expecting you at 8.” The words were uttered through a satisfied smirk. Adam felt his shoulders sink. There was no way out of it. Adam would have to face the music.

  He closed the door and sat on his bed in the darkened room. Why had he asked Connor out for drinks? He should’ve known that it was a recipe for disaster. Connor was very cute and very flirtatious, and Adam knew that he was incredibly attracted to the first-year. But he couldn’t resist. The magnetism between them was immediate and intense, and Adam couldn’t get Connor off his mind.

  He took a shower and got dressed with a sense of dread. Luckily, he could sneak around the hallways without anyone seeing him, since most of the Nova guys were still asleep or taking showers, but that would all end as soon as he had to walk across the quad towards Prof Steyn’s door. He would definitely be seen walking out in the open like that. It would be excruciating, and Adam tried to steel himself for the oncoming embarrassment.

  He finally made his way out of his room and stepped out of his section’s door onto the quad. He could feel the eyes on him. Many guys were standing at their windows, silently watching Adam cross the quad. They had all received the message from Vernon the night before, and they all knew that Adam would be in trouble for making out with a first-year that he was supposed to be mentoring.

  Adam finally arrived at Prof Steyn’s door and hesitated for a second before knocking. He heard the heavy, commanding voice of Prof Steyn call for him to enter, and he slowly turned the handle.

  Prof Steyn was sitting at his desk in the small office where he often met with students. He had been the resident head of Initia Nova for years, and his strict demeanor was legendary. Adam greeted him with a groggy voice. Prof Steyn was in his early fifties, his hair greying, and his frame large and intimidating. His spectacles were perched on his nose. “Sit down, Adam,” Prof Steyn said, no emotion in his words.

  Adam walked over to the desk and sat across from Prof Steyn. He could feel beads of sweat around his neck and his breathing was shallow. What had he gotten himself into?

  “I trust that you know why I called you here this morning.”

  Adam’s eyes sank to the ground. “Yes, Prof.” He couldn’t manage to say anything more than that. He hated the feeling of disappointing Prof Steyn, especially since Prof Steyn was the one who had fought for Adam to be readmitted into Initia Nova.

  “Adam, you’ve put me in a very difficult position. The university was ready to expel you last year along with all of those students who thought it would be fun to destroy university property. But I told them that you showed great potential, and since you were not involved in the vandalism, they agreed to give you a second chance. Do you know how bad it looks that you are taking advantage of that generosity?”

  Adam felt tears welling in his eyes. He was so determined to turn things around after all of the mistakes he had made the year before. He couldn’t believe that there was a chance it could all slip away. “Prof, I know that what I did wasn’t… appropriate. I know I’m supposed to be a mentor to Connor. Trust me, I tried to change the way I feel about him. I tried to push it aside.”

  Prof Steyn’s expression softened, and he said: “You feel that strongly about him?”

  Adam nodded. “I’ve gotten to know him a bit over these past few days. There’s something really special about him. But I know I should’ve gone about it differently. I’m sorry, Prof.”

  Prof Steyn slowly stood up from his desk chair and walked over to his bookcase. He scanned through a few books and found a stack of pictures that he brought over to Adam. “Let me tell you a story, Adam. I fell in love with someone a long time ago. I was an officer in the army during apartheid. It was not only against the rules for us to fall in love, it was illegal.” Prof Steyn put down a picture of two young men in army uniforms. One of the men was clearly Prof Steyn as a young man, and the other was a dark-skinned, handsome man who looked slightly older. “He was a lieutenant of Indian heritage. We had to break the rules to be together, but we couldn’t tell anyone about it. Not for a long time. That was a lifetime ago.” Prof Steyn turned around a framed picture on his desk, facing the picture towards Adam. In the picture was Prof Steyn, looking about a decade younger, with the same Indian man. Both of them were wearing suits and holding hands. “Now, Vijay and I are married and we are raising two beautiful children. I know how sometimes you have to break the rules, especially for love.”

  Adam could feel tears rolling down his cheeks. He looked up at Prof Steyn, whose face had lightened into a smile.

  Prof Steyn spoke again, his voice as heavy and stern as before: “Unfortunately, I need to take some serious action as a result of what you’ve done. There are som
e other students who are willing to report this to the dean of students if we don’t handle it internally. You understand, Adam?”

  Adam nodded, feeling a mixture of admiration and shame in Prof Steyn’s presence. “I understand, Prof.”

  “So, for that reason, I’m assigning Connor to a new second-year mentor. We can’t have a mentor dating a mentee. That will be all, Adam.”

  Adam looked up, his eyes wide: “You’re not expelling me?”

  Prof Steyn laughed and went back to his seat across the desk from Adam. “There’s no need for that. It was just an innocent kiss, after all. Your probation stands for the next six months, and you’ll be assigned a new first-year student to mentor in Connor’s place.”

  Adam was so happy that he almost got up to hug Prof Steyn. “Thank you! Thank you, Prof! I won’t disappoint you.” He stood up and shook Prof Steyn’s hand and rushed out of the office in one quick motion, running towards Connor’s room. He had to tell Connor the good news immediately. Adam ran up the stairs, ignoring all of the other guys that he passed as he finally arrived at Connor’s door. He knocked and waited, anxious to see Connor. Adam knew that he had been too blunt with Connor the night before, but in his frustration with Vernon he had lashed out at Connor. Adam wanted to apologize and see if Connor would give him another chance.

  There was finally an answer at the door, but it wasn’t Connor’s face that greeted Adam. Connor’s roommate, Quinton, the unpleasant first-year with a mushroom-cut hairstyle, greeted Adam with a knowing smile. “Connor’s not here,” Quinton said immediately.

  “Where is he? I need to speak with him,” Adam said, barely catching his breath.

  “Didn’t anyone tell you? Connor packed up and went back to Saldanha last night. He said that he wasn’t cut out for life at Ridgemont.” The gleeful smirk never left Quinton’s lips.